We get into what it actually looks like to use AI in a way that supports your life, your work, and your growth—without losing what makes you human in the process.

In this episode, we cover:

• Bree’s journey from early entrepreneurship to building and exiting a media company and how she found her way into AI
• Why AI is an amplifier, not a replacement, and how it can actually restore our humanity
• The shift from reactive work to strategic thinking by removing friction and mental overload
• The invisible “context load” women carry—and how AI can help redistribute that weight
• What it looks like to build your own “life operating system” and stop waiting for permission to evolve

Resources & Tools Mentioned:

• Bree on LinkedIn
• JustBreeK website
• Anthropic Claude – Bree’s primary AI tool for day-to-day use
• Google Workspace + Gemini – an accessible ecosystem for running work with AI
• AI agents – task-specific “team members” to streamline workflows
• Conversation transcripts – capturing context to improve how AI supports you
• Binaural beats + AI-generated affirmations – Bree’s personal approach to mindset and self-audit

Dr. Neema’s journey doesn’t follow a straight line. From high school biology teacher to chiropractor to global wellness leader, she shares how one simple idea—choosing happiness—led her to completely pivot her career and build a life centered around healing, confidence, and impact. What stands out most is how much of her path came not from a rigid plan, but from saying yes to what felt aligned… even when it was uncomfortable.

We talk about what she sees every day in high-achieving women: the burnout, the pressure, the “holding it all together” on the outside while their bodies are telling a different story. From chronic stress and exhaustion to the deeper emotional weight women carry, Dr. Neema breaks down how success without self-connection shows up physically—and what we can do about it.

This conversation also goes deeper into:

•  Why driven women are actually the most at risk for burnout 
•  The importance of creating space to reconnect with yourself (and why retreats can be so transformative) 
•  What it really takes to build confidence—and why it only comes after you take the leap 
•  Letting go of waiting for permission and stepping fully into your own authority 
•  How to stop minimizing your accomplishments and start owning your story 

Dr. Neema shares powerful insight from her own life and her work with women around the world, including the mindset shifts that help you move from survival mode into alignment, clarity, and confidence.

If you’ve ever felt like you “should” have it all together—but inside you’re questioning everything—this episode is a reminder that you’re not alone… and that the next version of you is on the other side of one brave step forward.

And yes—Beyoncé makes an appearance, because confidence has a soundtrack. 💫

Marina shares the story of her own career journey, from working in HR consulting and sitting in Fortune 500 boardrooms to experiencing the intense pressure of startup culture while working at WeWork during its rise and fall. Along the way, she began noticing the toll that chronic stress and anxiety were taking on her body. What started as a search for relief eventually led her into yoga teacher training, health coaching, and ultimately the work she does today helping women build nervous system resilience.

We talk about the many ways anxiety and stress show up in the body, including signals many women overlook or normalize, like brain fog, poor sleep, digestion issues, and constant mental pressure. Marina explains how these patterns develop and why so many high-achieving women end up operating in survival mode without realizing it.

We also dive into the power of breathwork and nervous system regulation. Marina shares how she introduces these practices to founders, executives, and high-performing professionals who are used to operating in high-pressure environments. She also walks through a few simple breathing practices that anyone can use during the workday to calm their nervous system and regain focus.

This conversation is about more than stress management. It is about learning how to listen to your body, reconnect with yourself, and build a career and life that do not come at the cost of your well-being.

Resources & Mentions

• Women Who Breathe – Marina’s website and online community with breathwork resources, practices, and courses
• Women Who Breathe Community – Free access to guided breathwork recordings, somatic practices, meditations, and nervous system tools
• Marina Kay on LinkedIn – Connect with Marina professionally
• Women Who Breathe on Instagram and TikTok – Breathwork education, nervous system tips, and community updates
• In-person Austin breathwork session on March 10th - use code FIESTA for a discount on tickets
• March 25th free virtual session for any women who want to experience breathwork from home.

Camille’s career journey has been anything but linear—starting as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal, moving into communications at Tesla, where she worked directly with Elon Musk, then pioneering content marketing with First Round Review, and later scaling community-led growth at Notion. Today, she brings that breadth of experience to her work in venture capital, helping founders and startups thrive.

We cover:

• What it’s like to pivot when the path you’ve been working toward isn’t the right fit.
• Lessons from building Tesla’s early communications team and learning from Elon’s leadership style.
• How Camille created the First Round Review, one of the most influential startup content platforms.
• What it takes to scale community and user-led storytelling at Notion.
• Why understanding which “stage” of company you thrive in is essential to building your career.
• How Camille defines success today—by helping others rise and giving credit away.

Camille’s story is a reminder that careers aren’t ladders—they’re winding, evolving journeys built on curiosity, adaptability, and purpose.

Related links or mentions within the episode:

• Communities / Resources:
  • Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets (book)
  • 'Give Away Your Legos' and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups (article)
  • Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (book)
• Social Media / Links:
  • Twitter/X: @CamilleRicketts
  • LinkedIn: Camille Ricketts

Celeste’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership doesn’t always begin with a master plan. She started out wanting to be an electrical engineer. Life rerouted her into motherhood, raising six children, and later completing two master’s degrees. Celeste is also the author of The Power of Days, where she shares the extraordinary story behind the global movement she founded. What she models so beautifully is that nothing is wasted; every season prepares you for the next.

Days for Girls began with a moment of awareness in rural Kenya. Celeste discovered that girls were missing school because they lacked access to menstrual products—and in some cases were being exploited just to obtain one. What began as 500 handmade kits sewn by volunteers grew, step by step, into a global movement.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why menstruation remains one of the world’s most persistent taboos
• How silence around women’s bodies shapes power and opportunity
• What happens when girls reclaim authority over their biology
• The power of invitation over imposition in global leadership
• Why listening—not telling—has been central to Days for Girls’ impact
• What it means to trust the next step without seeing the full path

What struck me most is that this isn’t just about menstrual equity. It’s about dignity. It’s about rewriting a narrative that has labeled women’s bodies as shameful or untouchable—and choosing instead to see them as powerful.

Celeste didn’t set out to build a global organization. She followed invitations. She paid attention. She acted when she saw injustice. And she held a vision bigger than what felt “measurable and achievable.”

Without periods, there would be no people.

This episode is about shifting from silence to celebration—and what becomes possible when we’re courageous enough to talk about what the world told us not to.

Resources

Days for Girls - Website

Celeste Mergens - LinkedIn

The Power of Days - Book

Amina’s story begins with her family’s journey as refugees from Uganda to Canada, a career in film and television, and a life-changing return to Uganda that revealed the inequities facing girls denied education and opportunity. That experience inspired her to launch Cameras For Girls in 2017, which has since grown to serve cohorts of young women in Uganda and Tanzania, with a vision to expand across Africa.

We talk about:

• How Amina turned a late-night idea into a movement that’s changing lives.
• The importance of community-led solutions vs. imposing outside fixes.
• Navigating cultural and societal barriers with respect while pushing for change.
• Why mental health support and mentorship are just as critical as technical training.
• The ripple effect of one girl gaining skills and confidence—and teaching others.

Amina’s mission is bold: to impact 30,000 women across seven African countries by 2030. Her journey is proof that listening to your heart—and refusing to let fear win—can transform lives.

Related links or mentions within the episode:

• Communities / Resources:
  • Vital Voices (global women’s leadership community)
  • Nonprofit Hive (Canadian-run platform for nonprofit professionals)
  • We Are For Good (podcast + community, includes “Impact Uprising” events)
• Social Media / Links:
  • Website: Cameras For Girls
  • LinkedIn: Amina Mohamed
  • Instagram: @camerasforgirls

Want to support Cameras For Girls?

• Monthly or One-Time Donors
• Donate Used Cameras or Electronic Equipment

I am not sharing this as a complaint or a dramatic confession. It is an honest observation about how my career has actually unfolded. Over time, I have gained experience, responsibility, and perspective, but the moment I assumed would come—the one where everything feels certain and secure; never really did. What showed up instead was continued curiosity, change, and growth.

In this episode, I reflect on how that pattern formed and what it has taught me about leadership, ambition, and stability, including:

• How starting my career during the dot-com boom and bust in San Francisco taught me to operate in ambiguity long before I realized it
• The difference between ambition and restlessness, and why nonlinear growth is often misunderstood; especially for women
• Why choosing fit over optics can be one of the most confident leadership decisions you make
• How repeated market disruptions reshaped my understanding of stability, loyalty, and what leadership actually requires

If you thought you would feel more certain by now, or more finished, this episode is for you. You are not behind, and you are not failing to figure something out that everyone else has mastered. Some careers are not designed to arrive at a final destination.

They are meant to unfold; through recalibration, second acts, and choices that prioritize alignment over appearance. That belief sits at the heart of Clover, and it is why this show exists.

The world feels frightening and unstable. Political volatility, economic uncertainty, organizational upheaval, and an unrelenting news cycle are not abstract background conditions. They affect how people lead, how decisions are made, and how much risk feels possible on any given day. Even leaders with long track records and strong résumés are operating inside systems that feel far less predictable than they did not long ago.

This episode names that fear without dramatizing it and without asking listeners to push past it. It acknowledges how deeply uncertainty seeps into leadership meetings, career decisions, and internal narratives, particularly for women who were taught to read signals, wait for alignment, and move once clarity arrived.

I share a grounding framework I return to during moments like this, shaped by personal experiences with layoffs, systemic collapse, and leadership without guarantees. The conversation examines why uncertainty so often gets internalized as self-doubt, how leadership strategies that worked in stable environments can fail in unstable ones, and why waiting for certainty or consensus can quietly erode authority.

The focus of the episode is agency. It offers practical questions that help leaders orient themselves to what is real, what is available, and what can still be decided, even when the broader system feels out of control.

In this episode, I cover:

• How political and economic instability changes the conditions of leadership
• Why uncertainty is often misread as a confidence problem, especially for women
• Three grounding questions that restore agency when clarity is not coming
• What it means to claim responsibility and make decisions without consensus or guarantees

You do not need certainty to lead. You need grounding, self-trust, and the willingness to decide where you stand.

Rosa shares her journey from engineering into sales, scaling teams to nearly $100M in revenue, and eventually stepping away from corporate leadership to build a practice rooted in mentoring, coaching, and real-world strategy. This is a candid, tactical conversation for founders, revenue leaders, and women navigating high-stakes leadership roles.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why small behaviors — not big strategy shifts — often determine whether revenue scales or stalls
• How “family culture” can limit sales performance, and what healthy collaboration really looks like
• The biggest mistakes founders make with early sales hires and enterprise expansion
• What strong sales leadership looks like in tough markets — and how managers actually motivate teams
• How AI is changing the way sales leaders analyze deals, coach teams, and stay strategic

In this episode of Clover, we explore what happens internally when women navigate leadership spaces that were not designed with them in mind, and what it actually takes to stay steady inside those dynamics.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why being the only woman in the room creates a constant layer of self-monitoring and internal labor
• How awareness can quietly drain your energy when it gets turned inward as self-criticism
• The survival strategies many women develop, and how over-adaptation slowly erodes self-trust
• How to stay grounded before, during, and after high-stakes meetings in non-neutral rooms
• Practical ways to manage mixed signals and stop internalizing structural inconsistency
• What power actually looks like when you are outnumbered, and how to build it over time

If you have ever left a meeting feeling unsettled, questioned your readiness despite strong performance, or wondered whether you were imagining the dynamic, this conversation will resonate.

You are not too early. You are not too much. And you do not need to contort yourself to belong. I'm glad you're here.

In this solo episode of Clover, I pause that momentum and turn toward discernment. I share the habits, expectations, and patterns I’m choosing to leave behind, and how releasing what no longer fits creates capacity for clearer leadership.

You’ll hear reflections on over-carrying, availability, certainty, and urgency, along with practical prompts to notice where weight has quietly accumulated in your own work and life.

This episode invites you to start the year by choosing deliberately: what you continue carrying, what you set down, and how that choice shapes the season ahead.

In this solo episode of Clover, I talk about that strange, floaty week we rarely name and why it feels so uncomfortable when the noise finally drops. I explore what happens when our nervous system exhales, why stillness can bring up more than we expect, and how our identity as leaders is often tied to momentum and productivity.

Instead of rushing into planning or goal-setting, I invite you to treat this week as a pause; a portal between what was and what’s next. I share simple reflections to help you notice what feels complete, what quietly drained you this year, and what you’re ready to have less of moving forward.

You don’t need a plan yet. You’re allowed to let the year end before starting again.

Two years ago, I was ready to self-publish. The book had been edited. The cover was complete. And then someone asked me a single question: Is it your best work? The honest answer forced me to slow down, revisit the story, and give it the time it deserved.

In this episode, I share the long arc of writing The Snow Globe, the decision to wait instead of rushing toward closure, and what finishing well has taught me about leadership, integrity, and honoring creative work — especially at the end of the year.

If you’ve ever carried a project longer than you expected, this episode is an invitation to reflect on what it means to finish with intention.

If you’d like to check out The Snow Globe, you can find it here.

If you’d like to follow along behind the scenes, you can find me on Instagram at @erinpatriciageiger.

In this episode, I unpack what I’ve been calling the leadership hangover. It’s not burnout or a breakdown. It’s that quieter, harder-to-explain exhaustion that shows up after a long year of leading, deciding, carrying responsibility, and being “on” for everyone else, even when things look good from the outside.

I talk about:

• Why leadership hangover often goes unnoticed when you’re still functioning and capable
• How emotional fatigue, decision fatigue, and constant responsibility actually show up day to day
• Why December amplifies this feeling; reflection, pressure, goals, gratitude, and zero time to exhale
• The guilt we carry when we’re exhausted but also proud of what we’ve built
• The different ways leadership hangover can look: numbness, irritability, avoidance, or emotional flatness
• Why this isn’t a personal failure, but a nervous system that’s been carrying a lot for a long time

Most importantly, I share what not to do right now — no panic, no reinvention, no aggressive goal-setting — and offer a gentler reframe. A leadership hangover isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s a signal that you’ve been leading, often quietly and competently, without much space to set the weight down.

If you’re ending the year tired in a way you can’t quite explain, this episode is your permission slip: you don’t need clarity yet, you don’t need to fix yourself, and you don’t need to end the year energized. You’re not behind, you’re human and you’ve been leading.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

We talk about:

• Her winding career path & permission to pivot
  • Growing up a storytelling-obsessed kid in Dallas, studying broadcast journalism at Mizzou, and working at an NBC station
  • The scary identity shift of leaving journalism, trying PR, and then being “discovered” in the Central Market checkout line and pushed into sales
  • Working 11 years for the same leader, getting moved to Boston, and realizing she had outgrown a company she deeply loved
• That “make it obvious” moment & walking away from misalignment
  • The gut-check prayer the morning she asked for a sign to quit
  • The wild 1:1 where her boss suggested a new role and she realized the real answer was: “I quit.”
  • How she took six months to get clear on her values, not her job title
• Networking, mentorship & operationalizing relationships (without feeling icky)
  • Why you should never wait until you need a job to start networking
  • Building “relationship capital” with systems: calendar-blocked Friday follow-ups, notes on people, and being intentional about second-degree connections
  • Her take on mentorship as seasonal, specific, and often most powerful outside your current company
  • How to make a compelling outreach ask that actually gets answered
• Sobriety, boundaries & redefining worth beyond achievement
  • Hitting her two-year sober anniversary and realizing how much she’d been numbing with alcohol
  • Recognizing when your self-worth is tied to numbers, titles, and likability
  • Using how you feel after events and interactions as data to set better boundaries
  • Why she now sees boundaries as a gift—to herself and to the people around her
• Leading Austin Women in Tech & building true community
  • Moving to Austin not knowing anyone and finding Austin Women in Tech through a random Meetup
  • Starting as membership director, then becoming president, and helping grow the org to hundreds of members
  • What it’s like to motivate and lead in a volunteer-only environment
  • Why volunteering is a low-risk way to practice leadership, test new skills, and expand your network
• Her current work: community, referrals & women-owned businesses
  • Her role as Chief Growth Officer at Switchboard, a platform connecting skilled virtual volunteers with global mission and ministry organizations
    Switchboard+1
  • Her work with What She Said and the RFRL app, a referral platform that routes everyday recommendations (CPAs, lawyers, favorite coffee shops) to women-owned businesses and rewards the people making referrals
    What She Said, Inc.+1
  • Why she believes abundance follows alignment—and how these roles line up perfectly with the life she actually wants
• Influence without the title
  • How to lead before you have the formal authority
  • Why influence isn’t always the loudest person or the biggest title—it’s consistency, clarity, and alignment

Links & resources mentioned:

• Connect with Heather on LinkedIn
• Austin Women in Tech (AWT) – the nonprofit community Heather led as president
  • Website: awtaustin.org 
• Switchboard – virtual volunteering platform connecting skilled volunteers with

Tina walks me through her very non-linear career path—from hanging out in her mom’s New York fashion office as a teen, to an unexpected pivot into tech and investing, to co-founding iVillage, bringing Sesame Street online, scaling BabyCenter globally at Johnson & Johnson, and launching community-first CPG brand Brandless. Through it all, she shares how she’s always brought the same “toolkit” with her: storytelling, community, curiosity, and a deep belief in creating products and experiences with people, not just for them.

We also dig into her current work at USC, where she’s teaching and backing Gen Z founders, experimenting with GenAI in the classroom, and thinking deeply about what makes us “divinely human” in a world of powerful machines. Tina is both optimistic and clear-eyed: AI can unlock a new kind of renaissance—but only if we protect literacy, critical thinking, and real human connection. And for women in leadership, she shares some tough-love truths about putting your hand up before you feel “ready,” finding hidden doors, and making your career a relay race—not a solo sprint.

Conversation highlights:

• From fashion floors to technology boardrooms
  How growing up with a single, career-focused mom in New York’s fashion world gave Tina early exposure to women in leadership—and how one moment in an investor’s office completely rerouted her from fashion into tech, media, and investing.
• Inventing “social media” before it had a name
  Tina shares the early days of iVillage, why chat rooms and message boards were so revolutionary, and how she coined the term social media to explain this new kind of community-driven content to advertisers and partners.
• Building iconic brands through community
  We walk through her roles bringing Sesame Street onto the internet, scaling BabyCenter into a global platform (including the birth clubs so many of us relied on), and designing Brandless as a community-led, access-first CPG brand.
• Serendipity, hidden doors, and saying yes
  Tina talks about the role of serendipity—from chance meetings in offices and delis to unexpected board roles—and how being open, curious, and willing to ask respectful questions has shaped every major career inflection point.
• Humanity as our moat around the machines
  Tina shares her framework for thinking about AI: why she uses it as a collaborator, not a replacement, and why our empathy, soul, and lived experience are the “moat” that machines can’t cross.
• Gen Z, consciousness, and going “punk” on attention
  From her vantage point teaching at USC, she talks about how Gen Z is already pushing back on screen addiction, what excites her about their creativity, and why reclaiming our own consciousness is non-negotiable in an AI world.
• Literacy, equity, and the stakes of this moment
  Tina opens up about the crisis of literacy in the U.S., how reading levels are tied to incarceration rates, and why democratizing access to education and healthcare is a core part of her mission.
• Real talk for women in leadership
  We close with tactical guidance: stop waiting until you’ve “done the job” to go for it, bring your authentic self everywhere you go, surround yourself with people who are brilliant at what they do, and remember that careers are built in teams and relay races—not through hero moments.

Connect with Tina on LinkedIn (her most active platform), Instagram,

We dig into what it really looks like to grow up inside startups; wearing every hat, building resilience, and learning to say “give me whatever you’ve got” instead of “that’s not my job.” Jordan talks about how she evaluates new opportunities by looking beyond the job description and title to the company’s mission, timing in her personal life, and whether there’s true alignment with what she cares about. We also get into culture (beyond the buzzword), psychological safety, and her “skill vs. will” framework for coaching and developing people. She shares practical advice for women who feel boxed in or underestimated at work, how to make intentional career pivots into new industries, and how AI can actually free CX teams to be more human, not less.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• Taking big leaps: moving to a new city with no safety net, changing industries, and asking “What’s the worst that could happen?”
• Startups as a career accelerator: why being early-stage employee #5 shaped her leadership, adaptability, and ability to “Sherpa” others through growth.
• Skill vs. will: how she decides when to invest in someone’s potential versus when there’s a true mismatch.
• Building real culture: trust, authenticity, and psychological safety as non-negotiables, not just slide-deck values.
• Career pivots with intention: how to research new fields, show up prepared to conversations, and decide if an opportunity is a “go” or “no-go” for your life.
• AI + Customer Experience: using AI to streamline the boring parts so humans can focus on relationships, storytelling, and proactive support.
• Her surprisingly fun productivity hack (involving a giant medicine ball) 

If you’re a woman in leadership, or aspiring to be one, who feels ready for your next leap but isn’t sure what it looks like yet, this conversation with Jordan will give you both the mindset and the practical tools to start moving.

Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn!

Tracy walks us through her journey from WGBH and ABC News to CBS Interactive, SnappyTV, Twitter, TuneIn, Patreon, Tenderfoot TV, and now Courier Newsroom, all while launching her own company, Small But Mighty Media, and creating The 10 News, an award-winning news podcast for kids. Along the way, she shares how she spots the real inflection points in media (from mobile video to podcast subscriptions to now AI), builds durable partnerships with platforms like Apple and Spotify, and refuses to let imposter syndrome keep her from jumping into the next big thing.

We also dig into the business side: subscription models, monetization beyond ads, what actually grows a podcast audience, and how to lead high-pressure teams through constant change without burning everyone out.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to turn a “hodgepodge” career into a strategic advantage and deliberately collect the skills and experiences you’re missing instead of chasing a straight line.
• How to spot the next wave in media and tech by staying curious, observing real people’s behavior (hello, commuters watching video in Japan), and forcing yourself to experiment with new tools like AI before you feel “ready.”
• Practical ways to move into a new lane—before you’re an expert, including how Tracy taps her network, asks smart questions, and leverages subject-matter experts to fill her own gaps.
• A clear breakdown of podcast monetization today—ads, Apple/Spotify subscription channels, Patreon-style membership, and even donations and fiscal sponsorship—and how to think about diversifying your revenue so you’re not at the mercy of one market.
• How Tracy built and scaled The 10 News for kids, including the real origin story (NPR in the school pickup line + political ads on YouTube) and the tactics she used to secure high-caliber guests like Dr. Fauci.
• What makes a partnership last in a fickle industry, from being radically responsive and direct, to making every deal a “win-win” instead of a zero-sum transaction.
• Tracy’s leadership philosophy in high-pressure environments—how she pushes her team to grow while still rolling up her sleeves, taking on grunt work when needed, and making sure no one is left to fail alone.
• Hard-won career advice for women in media and podcasting, including why allies inside and outside your company matter, how to recognize when it’s time to leave a role you once loved, and why tearing other women down is a long-term losing strategy.
• Her big blue-sky vision for helping kids and families better understand the world—and why she dreams of a “domestic Peace Corps” style program that gets people outside their bubbles and into each other’s communities.

If you’ve ever worried that your career looks “messy” on paper, or felt behind on the latest shifts in media, this conversation will give you both a roadmap and a serious permission slip to build something beautifully non-traditional.

We also get into how Carrie is building a multigenerational legacy; handing portions of her book of business to her daughter and longtime partner, and what “effective coaching” really looks like inside a high-performance culture: individualized matches, data-driven accountability, and an always-on community. Beyond business, Carrie reflects on being an Army mom (and former Army spouse), holding pride and fear at the same time, and the leadership lessons that come from service, ambiguity, and letting go. She previews her forthcoming guided journal Discovering WISE: Women in Search of Excellence—a 52-week journey designed to help women define success on their own terms—and shares the daily non-negotiables that keep her grounded in faith, family, gratitude, sweat, and stillness.

Discussion Highlights:

• How a “failed” pivot can become the exact path you need next
• The core ingredients of coaching that actually moves numbers (and people)
• Why legacy leadership means empowering others, even before you feel ready to let go
• Navigating male-dominated rooms without dimming your light or your voice
• The power of holding two truths (proud and scared) and leading through uncertainty
• A simple morning framework: gratitude, sweat, and reflective thinking

Links & Mentions:

• Connect with Carrie Guarrero:  Instagram • LinkedIn 
• Book: Discovering WISE: Women in Search of Excellence — 52-week guided journey - grab your copy here!

If this conversation resonates, I’d love for you to subscribe, rate, and share. Tag me with your takeaways and the line that hit you hardest.

Stephanie opens the hood on the 5×5×5 framework—from the first 90 days through year five—and how to pull the right levers (margin, operations, capital efficiency, customer success, revenue) without losing your culture or your North Star. We also get into what makes someone an expert (outcomes + the ability to teach), why “warm demander” leadership works, and how to protect your focus by controlling what you can (sprinters, we see you).

What you’ll learn

• How to diagnose growth inflection points in the first five years—and what to do in each phase
• The 5 value levers that move EBITDA (with real examples from PE-backed turnarounds)
• Why breaking apart sales vs. customer success can unlock outsized growth
• The difference between experience and expertise (hint: repeatable outcomes + coaching)
• How to set a clear mission/ICP so teams row in the same direction
• “Warm demander” management: high standards + high support
• Mindset for founders: doubt is normal—return to your mission fast

Who this is for:

Founders, operators, and investors navigating resource-constrained growth; women in leadership building high-performing teams; and anyone curious about turning career zigzags into a superpower.

Connect with Stephanie:

• LinkedIn
• Five Experts
• Email: growth@fiveexperts.com
  
  

Favorite lines

• “An expert has proven the outcome—and can teach the path back.”
• “Culture and mission aren’t posters; they’re the daily operating system.”
• “Control the controllables. Ignore the rest.”

In this solo episode of Clover, I unpack the myth of balance — how it was sold to women as a shiny standard we could never meet, and why it’s time to let it go for good.

From early-morning Zoom calls in yesterday’s t-shirt to late-night Slack pings and school newsletters, I take you inside the messy, over-caffeinated reality of leadership and the impossible expectations women face to do it all.

We’ll dig into:

•  Why “balance” is often just code for “don’t let anything slip.”
• The difference between balance and clarity — and why clarity wins every time.
• How real women leaders decide what to protect, what to let go of, and what truly matters.
• Five practical strategies to ditch the balance myth and lead with intention instead.

This episode is for every woman who’s ever felt like she’s failing at balance — when in reality, she’s succeeding at prioritizing what matters most.

Because the truth is, you’re not here to do it all. You’re here to lead — clearly, powerfully, and unapologetically.

For many of us, especially women, that ladder was never built for the way our careers actually unfold. So let’s talk about a better metaphor: the jungle gym. It’s flexible, unpredictable, and a whole lot more real.

I share lessons from my own path — from film school to marketing, from startups to enterprise leadership — and how every pivot, pause, and sideways move became part of the story I was meant to build.

We’ll dig into:

• Why lateral moves can be the smartest play
• How to recognize what season you’re in — growth, rest, or healing
• The importance of building your network before you need it
• How to own and narrate your unique career story
• Letting go of timelines that tell you where you “should” be by now

If your path doesn’t look like a straight line, good. That means you’re learning, adapting, and leading in your own way — and that’s where the good stuff happens.

What’s one non-linear move you’ve made that taught you something you couldn’t have learned any other way? Write it down, share it, or simply own it — that’s your jungle gym résumé, and it’s powerful.

If this episode resonates, share it with another woman who needs the reminder: she’s not behind — she’s building her own structure. 

Erin takes us through her journey from the early Bay Area startup scene and the heyday of Yahoo and CNET, through mergers at CBS Interactive and ViacomCBS, to her current leadership role at Paramount. She shares how putting the user at the center has been her guiding thread, what it really means to “reinvent yourself” through industry shifts, and how she’s built influence in rooms where authority isn’t always guaranteed.

We also talk about:

•  The iconic Yahoo billboard and what it symbolized for an entire era of innovation
• The early debates about mobile adoption (and why we were all wrong!)
• How Erin helped her teams “zag” during reorganizations by identifying unmet needs
• What it takes to lead through influence, not hierarchy
• Why mentoring across multi-generational teams matters more than ever
• Three myths women in leadership should stop believing
• The importance of learning to get comfortable being uncomfortable

Erin’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and purpose — and her advice for women navigating leadership, change, and growth is refreshingly real.

You can connect with Erin on LinkedIn.

After dozens of candid chats with writers—frustrated by low royalties, limited marketing, slow timelines, and losing creative control—Conni launched Soro Publishing. The model blends the best of traditional and self-publishing: professional editorial and design, months-not-years timelines, authors keeping their rights, creative control, and most royalties, plus a true partnership to grow their platforms.

We dig into Soro’s three focus lanes—education, business/leadership, and children’s books—and what’s surprised Conni most about entrepreneurship: the sheer build-from-scratch workload, the importance of loving sales/BD as much as “making the book,” and staying adaptable when the market pulls you into new genres. Conni also shares hard-won lessons for leading creatives (define outcomes, not pixel-perfect solutions) and encouragement for first-time founders and execs: ask for help early and often—you’ll be surprised how many people say yes.

What You Will Learn

• Why many authors feel stuck between traditional and self-publishing—and how a hybrid model can be a win-win.
• The specific ways Soro helps authors retain rights, voice, and royalties while leveling up quality and speed.
• How to lead multidisciplinary creative teams: set audience outcomes, invite expertise, and critique by problem, not by prescription.
• The underestimated realities of starting a company (and how to balance making the product with marketing/business development).
• How to stay adaptable when real-world feedback nudges your strategy into new lanes.
• Practical networking advice for new execs/founders: how (and why) to ask for guidance from leaders you don’t even know yet.

Resources Mentioned

• Conni Francini on LinkedIn
• Soro Publishing
• Instagram — @soropublishing
• Past partnerships referenced: Smithsonian, TIME for Kids

We cover:

• Spotting and pitching opportunities before you’re “ready”
• Intrapreneurship at scale: apps, IP, and the Rotten Tomatoes playbook
• Inside Chief: “who mentors the mentors?” and changing the face of leadership
• Caregiving as infrastructure: access, affordability, and dignity
• Defining servant leadership and leading by removing obstacles
• Founder fuel: memoirs, The Pitch podcast, and mindset rituals that stick

Guest links:

• LinkedIn
• Website
• Instagram

Mic-drop moment: “If you’re obsessed with the idea, break it into nano-steps, find your champions, and build the scaffolding until it exists.”

In this conversation, Emily shares how curiosity, resilience, and community have shaped her many pivots. She opens up about navigating male-dominated spaces in tech, the power of asking questions (even the “silly” ones), and how investing in education—from her MBA to an MIT certificate—helped her bridge career transitions.

We also dive into Emily’s passion for building inclusive communities, her leadership journey with Austin Women in Technology, and her past work with the League of Women Voters of Texas. Whether you’re considering a career pivot, looking for inspiration to step into leadership, or craving stories of women making big impacts in Austin and beyond—this episode will leave you energized.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to embrace career pivots with curiosity and courage
• Why community and mentorship are essential in tech (and beyond)
• Emily’s approach to leadership, equity, and empowering diverse voices
• Practical tips for choosing the right further education or certification
• How Austin Women in Technology fosters growth, connection, and opportunity

Connect with Emily:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emily-gupton
• Website: emilykgupton.com
• Austin Women in Technology: https://www.awtaustin.org/ 

Communities & Organizations

• League of Women Voters of Texas: lwvtexas.org
• Innotech Women in Tech Summit — partnered event with AWT
• Capital Factory / Austin Tech Week — collaborative events with AWT
• Austin Forum on Technology & Society — partner org for technical topics like quantum computing

Books & Authors

• Smart Brevity — by the Axios team; recommended by her CEO and used as a communication framework
• Neil Gaiman — mentioned as a favorite author for personal, whimsical, and fantastical reading

We talk about what it really takes to turn a crowded room into genuine connections, why consistency and inclusivity matter, and how women founders can push past the urge to be “perfect” before showing up. Cherie also offers simple conversation starters and follow-up practices you can use to walk into any networking event with more confidence.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated walking into a room full of strangers—or if you’re looking for a better way to grow community around your own work—this conversation will give you both inspiration and practical tools.

You’ll learn:

• How Fiesta grew into Austin’s largest founder–investor community
• Practical ways to break the ice beyond “What do you do?”
• Why consistency and inclusivity fuel stronger communities
• A mindset reset for women founders: show up before it’s “perfect”
• Follow-up strategies that turn quick chats into lasting relationships
• How to design events and spaces that make people feel truly welcome

RESOURCES MENTIONED

🌐 Websites & Communities

• FIESTA → https://www.fiesta.community
• Grow.FIESTA (global platform) → https://grow.fiesta.community

📨 Newsletters

• The HERald → Women-focused newsletter Cherie publishes (first Friday after FIESTA events).
• FIESTA Focus → Founder/community newsletter (week before and after each FIESTA).

📱 Social Media

• Cherie’s LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheriewerner
  (LinkedIn is her most active platform).

📚 Books Mentioned

• Let Them by Mel Robbins
• Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima
• Worthy - Jamie Kern Lima’s second book 

🎙️ Podcasts Mentioned

• All-In Podcast
• On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Camille’s career journey has been anything but linear—starting as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal, moving into communications at Tesla, where she worked directly with Elon Musk, then pioneering content marketing with First Round Review, and later scaling community-led growth at Notion. Today, she brings that breadth of experience to her work in venture capital, helping founders and startups thrive.

We cover:

• What it’s like to pivot when the path you’ve been working toward isn’t the right fit.
• Lessons from building Tesla’s early communications team and learning from Elon’s leadership style.
• How Camille created the First Round Review, one of the most influential startup content platforms.
• What it takes to scale community and user-led storytelling at Notion.
• Why understanding which “stage” of company you thrive in is essential to building your career.
• How Camille defines success today—by helping others rise and giving credit away.

Camille’s story is a reminder that careers aren’t ladders—they’re winding, evolving journeys built on curiosity, adaptability, and purpose.

Related links or mentions within the episode:

• Communities / Resources:
  • Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets (book)
  • 'Give Away Your Legos' and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups (article)
  • Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (book)
• Social Media / Links:
  • Twitter/X: @CamilleRicketts
  • LinkedIn: Camille Ricketts
    
    

Amina’s story begins with her family’s journey as refugees from Uganda to Canada, a career in film and television, and a life-changing return to Uganda that revealed the inequities facing girls denied education and opportunity. That experience inspired her to launch Cameras For Girls in 2017, which has since grown to serve cohorts of young women in Uganda and Tanzania, with a vision to expand across Africa.

We talk about:

• How Amina turned a late-night idea into a movement that’s changing lives.
• The importance of community-led solutions vs. imposing outside fixes.
• Navigating cultural and societal barriers with respect while pushing for change.
• Why mental health support and mentorship are just as critical as technical training.
• The ripple effect of one girl gaining skills and confidence—and teaching others.

Amina’s mission is bold: to impact 30,000 women across seven African countries by 2030. Her journey is proof that listening to your heart—and refusing to let fear win—can transform lives.

Related links or mentions within the episode:

• Communities / Resources:
  • Vital Voices (global women’s leadership community)
  • Nonprofit Hive (Canadian-run platform for nonprofit professionals)
  • We Are For Good (podcast + community, includes “Impact Uprising” events)
• Social Media / Links:
  • Website: Cameras For Girls
  • LinkedIn: Amina Mohamed
  • Instagram: @camerasforgirls

Want to support Cameras For Girls?

• Monthly or One-Time Donors
• Donate Used Cameras or Electronic Equipment

Clover is a show dedicated to spotlighting women redefining leadership—founders, executives, and change-makers who are shaping the future. The name comes from the phrase “to be in clover,” which means to live in prosperity, comfort, and joy. That’s the spirit behind this next season of conversations.

If you’ve been with me since the Small Business, Big Mindset days, you’ll still find plenty to love here—practical insights, inspiring stories, and mindset shifts that apply to building businesses, leading teams, and living with purpose. The focus is broader, the lens is sharper, and the conversations are even more powerful.

Whether you’ve been here since episode one or you’re just tuning in, this episode is both a thank you and an invitation to join me for what’s ahead. Hit follow, and get ready—Clover officially begins next week.

Whether you’re just starting out in your career, aiming to take it to the next level, or already leading and looking for ways to give back, Clover will leave you with insights, inspiration, and strategies to fuel your own leadership journey.

The name Clover comes from the phrase “to be in clover,” meaning to live in prosperity, comfort, and joy—exactly the energy I want to bring to these conversations.

Follow along so you never miss an episode. Our first full conversation drops next week with Amina Mohamed, founder of Cameras for Girls.

• The 4 Critical Steps to Starting a Business
• 10 Free Resources for Copywriting
• Six Ways to Set Boundaries for Business Growth
• Here's My Exact Email Writing Process
• How to Create Super Clickable CTA

What's next for the podcast? CLOVER. I'm beyond excited for this series.

Who's my special guest for episode #100? I'll give you a hint. She met one of her business partners at Crunch Fitness in NY...back in the Crunch Fitness heyday.

• a simple and intuitive way to sort your contacts based on their interests, preferences, and any special attributes that set them apart from each other
•  used to trigger automation
• a functional tool, as well as give you information about your subscribers 

We chat about the difference between (and strategies/tactics around) segmentation and tags as well as Cheryl's three favorite uses for tags.

Toss me a note and let me know how you use tags, or a tactic you discovered from this episode.

Connect with Cheryl at her website here and on Instagram here.

• Grammarly
• Readability Test
• Character Count
• WordCounter
• Merriam-Webster and Thesaurus.com
• Google Docs and Google Drive
• Google Keyword Planner
• OneLook
• Related Words
• Uber Suggest

Honestly, creating your email list is one of the most important things to do early on. Grabbing an email service provider and then creating a landing page or two, one with info about your offer and another to gate your lead magnet to collect email addresses of those in your ideal, targeted community. (I'll be doing a separate podcast episode regarding the technical and content side of lead magnets)

I looked at over 60 email marketing platforms (even I was surprised at how many email marketing platforms are out there) and whittled that list down to six for you to consider. Links are below. 

In this episode I go over some soft and hard skills that your ultimate choice should have a checklist of what to consider when you're looking at email marketing platforms:

• ease of use
• customer service
• pricing structure
• segmentation

For data analytics, see more on this in episode 58, "The 3 Email Metrics that Matter" here!

For an all-in-one toolkit to starting your online business including:

• Choosing a business formation
• Selecting a website platform
• Finding the best email marketing platform for your business
• Choosing a project management platform
• Setting up a business bank account
• Managing a business alongside life

check out my digital course, "Online Business On-Ramp" here

We talked to a few of our guests from last season and asked them to share with us their goals and plans for 2022. 

I think we can all agree that 2020 and 2021 were a little bit off-kilter. 

I'm so interested to hear everybody's thoughts and insights for the year ahead - send me a note at erin@musclecreative.com. 

Until then, check out how these three entrepreneurs are tackling 2022!

Get more info on this episode's guests:

 Andrew Rincon - Craigo's Pizza & Pastaria

Matt Zaun - Strategic Storytelling

Nancy Giammarco - Lil Monsto

As such, we thought it fitting to take this time to reflect on a positive that this year has brought to small businesses. We reached out to previous guests on this podcast and asked them to share what they are grateful they have learned that has impacted their business this year.

We are grateful for them, and the time they took out of their busy schedules to share with you. We hope this is helpful as you wrap up a strong 2021 and start 2022 with a newfound passion for serving your audience and getting crystal clear on the goals you will be accomplishing.

Entrepreneurs featured on this episode (not necessarily in this order):

• Mike Geraghty - Romance Novelist
• Linda Sidhu - Quiz Funnel Consultant
• Matt Zaun - Strategic Storytelling
• Andrew Rincon - CraigO's Pizza & Pastaria
• Miriam Wagliardo - Children's Book Author
• Nancy Giammarco - Illustrator, Artist

• How being severely bullied impacted the life she's built today
• Pioneering the kettlebell movement's growth in the United States
• Growing an empire in a male-dominated industry
• Building a sustainable business that spans generations and technology evolutions
• Creating a fitness career that leverages multiple incomes streams and passive income

The Wrap-Up:

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Drake (fitness) Bob Marley (everyday life)

Where can people find you online?
Website
Instagram
Facebook

After years of hoarding money and coming from a scarcity mindset, Emily learned about money mindset. In addition to vision boards, mantras, and visualizations she learned the science behind it all. Things that 'shouldn't have happened' started to happen the more she learned and implemented…like a $100K product launch.

Highlight Discussions:

• What a financial thermostat is and how to manage yours
• Harnessing your reticular activating system
• The first steps Emily has her clients take toward financial freedom
• What she implemented to earn at $100K launch

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Mumford and Sons

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Manifesting Meditations

Balancing her kiddos (her youngest was born three months early and is now an active toddler - all three of her babies spent time in the NICU so now Angie supports NICU efforts with fundraisers and donations), husband, work, and everything else, Angie found time to grow her business to one with a full-time income, and a big community impact.

Discussion highlights:

• Taking a business to the next level during obstacles (COIVD-19)…with small kids…who require additional supports
• Growing a business from local to national clientele
• Tools that organize the daily grind to make it all possible!

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Coldplay

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

Some discussion highlights:

• How content writing helped him land a publishing deal
• The writing process that supports his quick turnaround
• Navigating a COVID world without in-person promotional events
• Where to get ideas for books and character profiles
• Tools he uses for his writing process

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Miles Davis

Where can people find you online?

Scarlet Lantern Publishing

Scarlet Lantern Publishing - Lacy Hart Pen Name

Facebook

Instagram

TikTok

One of the many things I love about Linda is how kind and transparent she is. She truly wants her fellow entrepreneurs to succeed, so she leaves no stone unturned - she shares her processes and completely went about and beyond in this discussion!

 Some highlights:

• Three big mistakes people make when building online quizzes
• How to tell what kind of quiz to create for your business
• Critical steps to follow when building your quiz
• Length, layout and quiz design
• Make sure your results page has these components
• The most powerful way to promote your quiz…and build your email list!
• How to make your quiz work for you, beyond your email list

The Wrap-Up

• If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? The Lumineers
• Where can people find you online?
  • Website

As promised, here are the Resources I promised I'd link to in the show notes: 

Discover your Quiz-to-Cash strategy here:

https://www.lindasidhu.com/quiztocash

Join Linda's upcoming 3-Day Nail Your Quiz Idea Challenge:

https://www.lindasidhu.com/challenge

 Check out this link to Interact - use this code for 20% off the lifetime of your quiz-

QUIZLOVE20

https://interact.grsm.io/lindasidhu1201

In this episode, we also chatted about some apps we use to meditate and become more centered. Linda referenced this app for hypnotherapy: Grace Space. I mentioned the app Head Space.

• info you need before creating your lead magnet
• types of lead magnets
• creating and designing your lead magnet
• the layout of your lead magnet
• your thank you page
• your delivery email

This is a quick overview, so send me a note at hello@musclecreative.com if you want me to go deeper on any or all of these parts of the process!

Oh and I promised I'd put the link to this episode in the show notes, so here you are:
How to Boost the Power of Your Headlines https://www.musclecreative.com/podcast-ep69 

Regardless of your topic, you're probably like - what the heck am I going to talk about every week (or whatever cadence you choose)?

Perhaps consider a format that allows you to welcome guests onto the show. That way, you won't have the pressure of carrying the entire show every week...and typically the guest will also help promote it. Two birds.

In this episode, I discuss 11 ways to seek out your ideal guests. After all, you want to be selective in who you invite to your show - they need to be a fit for your niche and your audience. 

Stream the episode and let me know which tactics you'll adopt to book your next guests!

Many people, whether employees or business owners, crave flexibility in their schedules and creating automation in your business or career can help make that happen. In fact, I know of multiple businesses that have turned to a four-day workweek, and automating aspects of their business made that schedule a reality. 

In this episode, I go over 7 specific areas of your business or role in your career where you can add automation.

Honestly, creating your email list is one of the most important things to do early on. Grabbing an email service provider and then creating a landing page or two, one with info about your offer and another to gate your lead magnet to collect email addresses of those in your ideal, targetted community. (I'll be doing a separate podcast episode regarding the technical and content side of lead magnets)

I looked at over 60 email marketing platforms (even I was surprised at how many email marketing platforms are out there) and whittled that list down to six for you to consider. Links are below. 

 In this episode I go over some soft and hard skills that your ultimate choice should have, a checklist of what to consider when you're looking at email marketing platforms:

• ease of use
• customer service
• pricing structure
• segmentation
• automation
• data analytics (see more on this in episode 58, "The 3 Email Metrics that Matter"

Here are some email marketing platforms to consider: (I am not an affiliate)

• Mailchimp
• Flodesk
• ConvertKit
• ActiveCampaign
• SendGrid
• Kartra

For an all-in-one toolkit to starting your online business including:

• choosing a:
  • business formation
  • website platform 
  • email marketing platform
  • project management platform 
• setting up a business bank account
• managing a business alongside life

check out my digital course, "Online Business On-Ramp" here.

You probably don't have solid boundaries in place. 

Boundaries are all about your mental health. If your head's not in the game, if your mind and priorities aren't clear enough to enforce boundaries, you've lost before you've even begun. 

Like a lot of things in life, these will be challenged. And when they do, you'll need some solid footing to stand on to move forward. 

In this episode I'll discuss the six things to do when creating (successful) boundaries, whether it's for your personal or professional life…or both!

You might want time flexibility while earning an income, you might you love your full time job, but want to have a business in addition to that that you want to build. 

And maybe you're curious as to what it would entail. Perhaps you've launched your own business, but need a nudge in the right direction. 

So I thought, let's do an episode about a few of the critical things, the critical steps that you should take when you're starting your own online business, such as:

• How to come up with a business idea
• Clarity on vision and why you want a business
• Validate your business idea - ensure it's sustainable and profitable!
• Identifying your ideal client/customer

Hope this episode is helpful! For more support check out my Online Business On-Ramp course here: https://www.musclecreative.com/course It's the direct, no frills system to managing the often missed yet critical logistics to launching your online business.

The Start

• Background in politics
• Debate prep, political speech writing for over a decade

The Shift

• For the past 5 years, running his own business as a Story Strategist
• Took key learnings from the political messaging arena and is applying them to business

The Strategy

• Teaches these strategies to CEOs, executives, and sales professionals
• Critical components of constructing political messaging fundamentally changes small and medium-sized businesses for the better

The Action

• Building a story bank
• How to leverage an emotional POV (point-of-view) in business to connect with customers
• The art of connecting stories to emotion for exponential business growth
• Looking at personal stories vs. business stories
• The #1 thing Pixar is doing right
• Why company core values are a waste of time

The Mindset

• The importance of a solid, organized calendar - app suggestion CalenGoo
• Setting daily habits - app suggestion Way of Life
• Seeing the path to achieving goals as a map
• Goals and Vision
  • Building back up public speaking calendar - already booked until the end of the year
  • Launching more VIP packages to clients

The Wrap-Up

• If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Bob Dylan
• Where can people find you online?
  • LinkedIn
  • Website

When you learn the objections that people have when considering your offer beforehand, you an address it directly...before they even come up. This an be an organic conversation using copysation (listen to episode #53 - Connect with Copy: Grow Your Clientele), like I always say - use copy as a conversation. Some of the common ones you might hear are your product or service is too expensive, people aren't ready, they have to check with their spouse or partner, they think it might not work for them, or they can find the information for free. I go over the three most common:

• "I don't have the money." aka "It's too expensive."
• "I don't have the time." aka "I'm too busy."
• "I'm not ready." aka "It's not the right time."

Remember that your job is not to convince anyone to buy from you. Your job is to make sure they are heard, and that you are making it crystal clear that you understand where they're coming from, what they desire, and how what you have can get them that transformation - the benefits they will enjoy along with their results.

THE SALES PAGE.

Your sales page can be the key piece of success in your sales funnel and customer journey if you take a critical (yet organic) view of it.

Your sales page should be clear on exactly:

• what you’re offering
• who it’s for
• why it’s important
• how it will help solve a problem or deliver a transformation 

Your copy should be organic to you and your brand. It should be conversational and include the reader. Use copysation, the writing style I teach that uses copy as conversation. It will flow better, come across more natural, and will immediately connect with your reader.

In this episode, I go through how to structure your sales page from top to bottom.

As an example, you can look at my Email Ally sales page. It's a great reference point as I go through each section. Click here to check out that page.

Hear how this professional musician found a way to intertwine his passion for and skills in music to create a career helping others start their own business and progress in their musical journey.

The Start

• Professional saxophonist
• Recording Engineer degree
• El Paso, TX to Tempe, AZ to Boulder, CO to Bozeman, MT
• Helped build an e-commerce website that became headphones.com

The Shift

• The jump to Shopify
• E-commerce expert specializing in Shopify

The Strategy

• Top tips in getting started with Shopify
• Mistakes to avoid when managing an e-commerce business

The Action

• How COVID inspired his new project, Groove Buds
• Tips to compete with Amazon
• Marketing tactics that got his business in front of the right people
• The power of SEO in growing an e-commerce business

The Mindset

• How high school marching band impacted his career
• The impact of journaling each day
• Intention - identifying his core values
• Goals and Vision
  • Build a bed and breakfast recording studio
  • Simplifying the offer of Groove Buds
  • Have the coolest music store on the planet 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Curt Warren (his dad)

Where can people find you online?

jameywarren.com

groovebuds.com

But what I mostly see that are called 'side hustles' are not that at all. They are legitimate businesses. The start of a company. Really valuable products and services. 

Most successful entrepreneurs, in defining success as financial gain, have multiple income streams. They own multiple companies. They invest in multiple companies and start-ups. They own real estate. They offer a variety of products and services. 

Guess what? If you work full-time for an employer and have started your own companies that you are putting consistent effort into - you are an entrepreneur.

You are NOT "someone working full-time that also has side hustles". You have multiple income streams. Full stop.

I hope this episode gives people in this situation confidence to keep going, and to be proud of what they're building.

I see so many headlines screaming - quit your day job! But, what if you like your job AND you are building other businesses too AND you are serious about all? If you still work for an employer, should you be ashamed of that? If you're not stepping away from your full-time job to pursue your entrepreneurial ambitions does that mean you're not successful? NO WAY.

I want to put an end to this crazy either/or rhetoric that we've all been hearing for too long.

Do I need to pivot (or shut down) my business?

After having sooooo many conversations with entrepreneurs via this podcast, in my Facebook group, in my courses, on social media…one of the main common threads has been - "this is how I realized I need to make a change in my business." 

In fact, I don't think I have spoken to a business owner in the past year that hasn't made an intentional shift. 

This week I go over some of my own pivots over the years and these top 3 indicators that a shift may be needed:

• How to identify if the passion is dead or if it can be regnited
• Business or hobby - making sure you have a validated business that can thrive with some tweaks
• Does your business still fit your lifestyle and goals?

Send me a note at hello@musclecreative.com and let me know what changes you're thinking of making or that you have made to your business.

• The 3 email metrics that should command your attention each week
• How to improve your email open rate
• Action steps to stay out of the Spam folder
• Click-through rates of top industries 
• The real deal about your call-to-action and images
• How to increase your conversion rates
• The truth about subscribes and unsubscribes

PLUS: doors to the one-of-a-kind subscription, Email Ally, close this week (along with the incredibly low VIP pricing)! Cross 'emailing my list every week' off your list with this powerful tool. More info here. Here's to growing your audience and revenue!

1.  who to write for and how
2.  leveraging 'life as content'
3. executing a content audit
4. creating a system that scales
5. time-blocking, batching, keywords

Tune in and LET'S GO.

If you've been following me or listening to this podcast for any length of time, you know that when I say 'email marketing' I'm not talking about the email marketing strategies of decades past. I'm talking about real connection (yes, copysation - get the behind-the-scenes info on that in episode #53, 'Connect with Copy: Grow Your Clientele') - not just throwing up some lame promo image and copy that creates the ick factor.

In this episode I break it down for you - the 7 ways your competitors are leveraging email marketing and sliding right on past you. From the astounding number of people using email to how much email absolutely CRUSHES the performance of social media, to the conversions businesses enjoy with this tool, I cover a lot of ground in just a few short minutes.

Grab my FREE download, 'One Year of Subject Lines to Amp Up Your Open Rates & Accelerate Sales' here. https://www.musclecreative.com/emailsubject

Our guests this week, Miriam Wagliardo (published author and tradeshow event producer) and Nancy Giammarco (published author, illustrator and sound engineer) did just that. They tell us all about the steep learning curve of the process, tools they used, their first 'COVID' marketing phase, and their plans for getting their book into the mainstream post-pandemic.

The Start

• Miriam: dancing ballet professionally and teaching, singer in a band, interior design, tradeshow event producer
• Nancy:  Market degree, website design, guitars/keyboards/backing vocals in bands, sound engineer
• The two met with the band Mojo Dolls

The Shift

• Nancy had written and illustrated a book, Under the Purple Sea, and posted drawings to Facebook
• These drawings inspired Marian to reach out to Nancy to collaborate

 The Strategy

• Miriam's vivid dreams would be the foundation of the book
• The process they created to get this book finished - remotely and during COVID

The Action

• Before long, they had enough content to finalize their book collab, "Oh Look! It's a Bird!"
• Using Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) the began their self-publishing journey
• Their key learnings from this process (pay attention here!)

The Mindset

• Nancy:  To recharge - walking the dog (check out stories of her dog Tuff here), weightlifting, and practice illustrating everyday. Read, study, take classes to learn new elements of illustration
• Miriam: To recharge - working out (especially crucial when recovering from a serious car accident in 2016), painting, sewing
• Goals and Vision
   
  • Working on their next book 
  • Implement marketing campaign once COVID restrictions lift, including international elements

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Miriam - Journey

Nancy - Fleetwood Mac

Where can people find you online?

• "Oh Look! It's a Bird!" on Amazon
• Instagram

I always say grow an email list, because growing an audience on just on Facebook, or Instagram or any of the other platforms comes with a long-term challenge. And it's a pretty big one. You don't own those platforms, right? So the if the algorithm changes again, which it will, if Zuckerberg or whoever decides to shut it down, you're screwed. Because you don't own those followers. 

But your email list? That is your crew, those are your people. So I always teach people to start an email list and how to do it. And then some people are like, "That's awesome. But nobody is opening my emails."

 So with that, is obviously your subject line is kind of like first line of defense, right?  Why write such amazing content that's really going to help people if it's just gonna kind of languish and collect dust in their inbox? 

This podcast episode all about the email subject line. In this episode I'm teaching you the five qualities of super clickable email subject lines.  I also created a download that gives you all this information as well and a little activity to do to help you create an mail subject line bank, so that you can  pull from that when you need it. 

Ready to see your email open rate hit the high heavens? Let's get to it!

Grab your download here.

Picture it:  you're having a conversation with a friend. Letting them know what you're up to, your latest project. You're excited about it, detailing how it's going to help your customer base, how it's a game changer, who it's for, why you created it… Your friend is intrigued by your project and is excited for it simply because of your energy and excitement in telling them all about it.

Then. 

You go and post about it on social media. Or you send an email. Or describe it on your website. It's like your passion and excitement come to a screeching halt. 

(robot dance gif)

The way you describe your project/product/service is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than how you described it to you friend. The excitement and emotion are gone.

Why?

Why do we think we need to switch into 'sterile-corporate' mode when we talk to the public? And not any public but a curated group that have made the decision to be in our community, whether a social media follower, email subscriber or the like.

Obviously you need to 'read the room.' On the opposite end, I've seen people get too casual and not know their audience. Greeting an audience with , 'Hey girl hey!' might not get you too far depending upon their temperature/vibe. 

In this podcast episode:

• I teach you all about my 'Copysation' strategy 
  • How to connect with your audience through an organic, continuing conversation 
  • How to talk with them and not at them 
  • How this connection increases your revenue of more what I like to call 'heart-eyed' customers
• I also give you my 'Triple P Strategy'
  • These are three questions I ask myself before I write anything
  • These points need to be sorted out before pen hits paper or finger hits keyboard

Before you write anything else, listen to this training and implement it. It will make a world of difference in your audience connection and response.

Let me know when you make these changes and the positive impact you see from it!

We have just scratched the surface of valuable trainings and incredible guests and we are beyond excited of what's to come as we continue to bring you the best of the best to move your business forward.

As promised, this week we are going behind-the-scenes yet again (check out episode 51 where I take you behind-the-scenes to share my content process for the podcast). This time, my partner in crime Joey joins us to go over the exact process we use to produce the podcast, including all the hardware and software.

Discussion Highlights:

• Tools of the trade: hardware and software
• On the cheap: free or lower-priced options to consider
• The COVID shuffle: how we had to shift our podcast vision
• Lessons we learned along the way
• Mastering an episode
• Our production process

Software

• Pro Tools
• Zoom
• Landr
• Microsoft Teams
• Buzzsprout
• Waves Audio Plugins

Hardware

• Neumann U87 Ai Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone (we built one using a DIY clone kit from micparts.com)
• Neat Microphones King Bee Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone (comes with a built-in pop filter)
• Acoustic Treatment - DIY acoustic panels. Grab our DIY guide here
• Microphone Isolation Shield
• Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 FireWire Interface

• topic selection and talking points for both our guest and non-guest episodes
• how I review and select my guests
• the exact process I have created from guest research to booking
• the four points of guest outreach that make this a turnkey operation
• the critical responsibility of all successful podcast hosts

Not sure if you've seen the news (or experienced it first-hand), but Texas was hit with historic snowfall, ice, and sub-zero temperatures in mid February. For a state that essentially never sees such weather, most were ill-prepared. Hundreds of thousands were without power, others were without water - some were without both…for DAYS. We discuss how Andrew, his team, and friends stepped up to serve the community during this time.

Discussion Highlights: 

The Start

• Started in the restaurant business in 2006 at CraigO's
• Made the move to owning an insurance agency
• School, west Texas
• The restaurant business kept calling!

 The Shift

• He answered the call!
• Bought the CraigO's Lakeway location in 2018
• Over three years grew the business exponentially (we're talking consistent double-digit growth year over year)
• Successfully navigated a global pandemic and a snowstorm that shut down the city

The Strategy

• Implemented out-of-the-box ideas to thrive in the face of COVID-19 restrictions
• Shifted a business model mid-pandemic
• Discovered the foundation required to thrive in the midst of catastrophic challenges
• Adopted new tools such as Popmenu

The Action

• Steps to streamline a franchise for increased efficiency and productivity
• Implemented best operational practices for a growing brand and business
• The tweak to their marketing strategy that changed everything
• The power of the email list 

The Mindset

• Really unplug when not at work. And take off your Apple Watch!
• Take time to recharge
• Cook for loved ones
• Meet-up with local business owners

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Turnpike Troubadours

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

The company now has over 365 franchise owners with over 90% of those from female entrepreneurs. In 2020 alone, Card My Yard booked over 150K orders, almost 3k greetings per week company-wide. In the first nine months of 2020, average revenue per location increased to $52,831 - up from an average of $18,788 in 2019.

To say this female-founded yet family-owned company is on a strong trajectory of success spurred on by a mission to serve is an understatement.  In addition to supporting their franchise families and customers across the country, Card My Yard Cares (CMYC) is an extension of the brand that carries their mission even further of supporting those in need. Organizations such as Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Pop-Up Birthday, and Jail to Jobs are just some partners that CMYC has donated time and funds out of ongoing support.

The Start

• Met at a Bible study, two moms wanting schedule flexibility and a way to contribute financially to their families
• Came up with Card My Yard as a way to celebrate kids and support their local community
• Came up with logistics in their living room, bought their first letters

The Shift

• Started adding additional locations
• Shifted to empower other business owners to go out and do what they did and provide for their families
• Stepped back to look at how to move forward, transitioned all locations into franchise owners and it caught fire

 The Strategy

• During quarantine, many have been furloughed or laid off and have been able to use Card My Yard as more than what it was intended for
• Over 90% of Card My Yard franchisees are female entrepreneurs
• Able to really bless their families and fill in those gaps where it's been needed

The Action

• Took a leap of faith in hiring full time employees
• Huge change for us in the business over the last year.
• Hiring infrastructure and hiring people has allowed true scaling in a sustainable way
• Took counsel from advisors and other fellow business owners to be willing to share what they know about running a business.
• Been willing to take some risk, step out on faith 

The Mindset

• By the end of 2021, plan is to have over 500 franchise locations across the country
• Technology - continue to reinvest in that and equip franchise owners with new tools
• New product rollouts beyond happy birthday/say anything signs
• Keeping it fresh and exciting for franchise owners and repeat customers
• Support growth of franchise owners, hiring internally, create new resources, continue to improve infrastructure to support continued growth 

The Wrap-Up

 If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

George Strait  

Luke Combs

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

If you weren't burned out, if you didn't spend the night in the office, if you didn't eat, sleep, breathe, your next project or product launch...were you even a true dotcommer?

It was like a rite of passage to regale stories of how your last website launch almost killed you. It was just an understanding - your personal life was secondary. Your health was relegated to whatever you could find in a bottle (medicinal or otherwise).

Today, things have changed. I can't see how things could have kept going down the path that they were - it wasn't sustainable.

While there are still some industries that probably work their people to the ground, most seem to be behind the #selfcare movement.

In each of our podcast episodes I ask every entrepreneur, 'With everything you are juggling between business and personal life, what fuels you? What practices do you incorporate in your regular routine to keep going and avoid burn out?'

I did a training for our private Facebook group a few months ago on this very topic, sharing some of the answers given by these successful entrepreneurs. We're featuring the audio version here as our latest podcast episode.

I feel it's that important - if we are all going to carry on and build strong, sustainable businesses to serve the solution we set out to serve...we MUST take care of ourselves. And not just once in awhile, we've gotta do things that consistently refuel us.

What do you do to refuel? Send me a note at hello@musclecreative.com and let me know.

For the full video training, head over to our Facebook group, 'Start and Scale an Online Business'.

The Start

• Native Hungarian born in Romania
• Grew up in a Communist country where using your own voice and thinking for yourself was "not a thing"
• Highly abusive upbringing, felt her voice didn't matter
• Grew up in a musical home and was encouraged to sing
• Auditioned for a music group and toured Europe and the U.S. 

The Shift

• As small portions of her story came out, people wanted to hear more
• Developed the ability to step onstage and speak
• Grew passionate about helping women to own their voice, their stories, their message and confidently take it to the stage 

The Strategy

• Enrolled in John Maxwell's certification program
• At first, accepted all speaking opportunities then honed audience
• All speaking and singing opportunities came to a halt due to COVID
• Her online audience grew and she began listening to the questions they were asking like, 'how are you so clear in your message?' and 'how do I prepare a presentation?' and "how are you so natural on camera?"

The Action

• Created an online training program and community in direct response to her online audience, '90 Day Speaker's Accelerator'
• When getting clear on your message, ask yourself three things, "what's my passion?'  "what do you have expertise/experience in?" "what is the market searching for?'
• Have a mentor or coach that is a few steps ahead of you (not so far ahead that they've forgotten how they handled it when they were where you are)
• Make a list of 100 people to connect with - interact with them, serve, grow that relationship
• Ask for opportunities
• Ask for feedback
• Start before you're ready

The Mindset

• Strong morning routine
• Wake up at 5AM, journal/write goals, read Bible, read book - currently Traffic Secrets by Russell Brunson
• Exercise
• Plan out day
• Goals and Vision 
  • Narrowing focus for 2021 
  • Launching '90 Day Speaker's Accelerator'  

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Whitney Houston 

Where can people find you online? Magnify Your Message Website  

The Start

• Personal trainer, top producer in Southern California for Bally Total Fitness
• Moved back to Hawaii for the birth of their first son
• Found CrossFit when writing a story for the Honolulu Star Bulletin
• Affiliated the gym he founded with CrossFit, became CrossFit East O’ahu and then opened the second affiliate CrossFit West O’ahu
• Created the biggest CrossFit membership in the state of Hawaii

The Shift

• Switched his gym to CrossFit in 2008 when the economy crashed
• Personal training came back in 2014, shifted his gym to be a hybrid model
• Sold CrossFit East O’ahu and CrossFit West O’ahu in 2018 and moved to Texas
• Oldest son is ranked #1 in the 14-15 teen division in the world for the CrossFit Games

The Strategy

• Took over CrossFit 2222 in 2019, built up membership pre-COVID
• Ran Zoom classes so engaging that home fitness people keep connecting
• Created the 'Apocalypse Games' during shutdown

The Action

• Become a master of building community
• Continuously innovate, keeping members moving
• Make mistakes, learn, keep building, repeat.

The Mindset

• Deliberate and concise on where to place energy
• 4AM wake-up time, time-block the day
• Dedicate certain days for certain business objectives
• Prioritize family and core values
• Goals and Vision 
  • Creating and rolling out a profitable guide to mastering the operations of a micro gym 
  • Focusing on 12-week 'Transform' program, continue to package and sell to other gyms 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Pearl Jam

Where can people find you online?

• CrossFit 2222 Website

While remote connection was already building within various industries via video meetings and the like, COVID-19 accelerated the need, and now Bonjoro is taking it a step further. Differentiating your company from the rest of the pack is critical, especially as we begin to shed the pandemic blanket and embrace ways to navigate this unexpected curveball. Genuinely connecting with your customers through personalization is critical, and it seems that Bonjoro is leading the way.

Discussion Highlights:

The Start

• Designer/artist in London
• Moved to Australia, started an agency
• Dealt with a lot of sites overseas, so predominantly London, Paris, New York,  was generally about 12 hours out of sync on time zones
• Developed a way to send individualized videos to every single lead that came into their funnel to make a solid connection
• Tripled the response rate with these quirky, personalized videos regardless of the time zone

The Shift

• Realized these personalized videos were actually a service their customers wanted for themselves
• This new arm overtook the original business within about 18 months 
• COVID only accelerated this process - remote communication was already happening but now it was a necessity
• Since remote communication was now required the need to personalize it was that much more valuable

The Strategy

•  Supporting traditionally face-to-face industries
• How ecommerce and digital industries fly past their competitors with personalized video
• Putting human connection and relationships at the forefront 
• Leveraging video messages to create sustained, loyal customers
• The key points of time to send personalized videos within your funnel - engagement, retention, referral
• Key tips on making the best personalized videos (authenticity is crucial)

The Action

•  Think big, take small steps, don't be afraid of making mistakes, go with your idea and test, test, test
• If starting a business, have at least 10 different ideas
• Network around you - find other entrepreneurs at your level and one step ahead of you

The Mindset

• Starts every day at 5am - conducts conversations early in the day
• Structured first half of the day
• Stops at certain times to spend with family
• Build structure into your culture, encourage your team to have time outside of work
• Structure, but open to sacrifice for certain goals
• Goals and Vision 
  • Automating processes, not relationships. 
  • Looking at further ways, different mediums, to help our customers engage and delight their customers. Turn them into super fans, build great relationships, and drive more customers.  

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? London Elektricity

Where can people find you online?

• Bonjoro.com
• LinkedIn

Discussion Highlights:

The Start

• College graduate, climbed the corporate ladder
• Moved up quickly in fast-paced San Francisco and Silicon Valley
• Software and technology, CFO

The Shift

• Loved the work but working 16 hour days took its toll
• Negative impact on health, priorities, relationships
• Something had to give, had to find a solution

The Strategy

• Left corporate job to start her consulting business
• Quality of life changed, aided her ailing grandmother
• Nurtured network from past and present to build business connections
• Prioritized those as to who would benefit most from her service
• Leveraging LinkedIn voice messaging to increase engagement conversions with network

The Action

• Reached a cap of trading time for money, only so many hours in the day
• Come up with a productized or standard offer that doesn't depend on your physical time
• Researched, interviewed, and hired a business coach to accelerate progress
• Turned business 100% remote
• Identified when and how to hire

The Mindset

• Gratitude in the morning
• Morning structure gives freedom throughout the day
• No phone or social media first thing
• Time blocks calendar
• Goals and Vision: 
  • Work with her niche (accountants, tax preparers, bookkeepers) to help them train themselves/team to handle content creation 
  • Launching an on-demand workshop in Q1 2021 
  • Launching an inclusive digital course with office hours during Summer 2021 to help students create content to convert clients  

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Bee Gees

Where can people find you online?

• Website

• Identifying Your Customer 
• Competitive Research
• The Hole Your Company Fills
• Your Mission Statement
• Tying in Visual Elements and Voice
• Consistency Across Your Brand

• failing as an essential part of the learning process
• how a business mindset should challenge your perceived limitations
• how identifying your fears can help progress
• the importance of your 'why'
• creating a productive morning routine

This episode is dedicated to all those entrepreneurs getting crystal clear on what their businesses will accomplish in the new year - how far they will grow, how they will impact their community. 

There are so many ways these businesses are planning to grow in 2021 - take a listen and let them inspire you to do the same.

Big thanks to the companies that participated in this episode:

• Jamie Trull - Financial Literacy Coach and Profit Strategist
• Harry Shaw - Lakeway Elite Fitness
• Wade Lombard - Square Cow Movers
• Jodi Hume - Strategy & Decision Support
• Mo Pittle - JewBoy Burgers
• Salome Schillack - Shine and Succeed
• Alex Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes
• Claire Davis - Traction Resume
• Crystalyn Aucoin - Crystalyn Aucoin Jewelry
• Laney Lyons - One People's Kitchen
• Melanie Wright - Melanie Wright Photography
• Mindy Henderson - Mindy Henderson Speaks

The Start

• School focused on the science of chiropractic even though they were told 60% of chiropractors fail in business…there was no business aspect of their education
• Practiced for 2 years in Virginia before moving to Texas
• Fell into entrepreneurship after she and her then husband (also a chiropractor) weren't happy with jobs or prospects

The Shift

• Single mom and sole business owner was never on her radar
• All her eggs are in one basket, pandemic has made it nerve-wracking
• A lot of pivoting during the pandemic, changed protocols completely
• A major part of the business, massage therapy, was shut down for 2 months, chiropractic was limited (just acute patients)
• Down about 80% for 2 1/2 months
• Two years ago, daughter asked her, 'Mom, what would you be if you could be anything?' and 'Author' flew out of her mouth, surprising them both
• Concept for book evolved over the pandemic with all the extra time

The Strategy

• Narrative driven non-fiction style book - inter weaving personal experiences/life with life in her practice and themes that keep coming up with the patients that she treats
• Started by getting used to writing, sitting down and writing to strengthen that muscle
• Took a class called Author School, led by literary agent Rachele Gardner (Jen Hatmaker's literary agent) 8-week course taught you to go from typing on your laptop by yourself to being on the shelves at a book store. 
• Learned how important building your platform is, learning how to connect, meet other writers, find her people.

The Action

• At first, hiring was on craigslist to find a massage therapist, front desk help, office coordinators but now it's Indeed and local Facebook pages
• To get chiropractic clients: 
  • Mostly word of mouth 
  • Weekly post on social media for local Facebook sites, and Instagram post on Small Business Tuesday 
  • Some print work (hit or miss, people not reading as much mail as they used to) 
  • Local neighborhood newsletters 
  • Great group of doctors that refer patients to her regularly 
• To build audience and community around her upcoming book, having a strong following if trying to publish traditionally is expected. 
  • Focused on building that following 
  • Huge underground community of bookstagrammers that support each other 

The Mindset

• Up at 5 or 5:30am to work out
• Lunch break to decompress, reading and breathing 
• Compartmentalize loose ends at work so the can be present at home
• Prayers and gratitude at bedtime
• Goals and Vision 
  • For the practice - maintain a good team, keep the practice moving forward 
  • For writing - start the query process, become represented and published 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? U2

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram - Chiropractic
• Facebook - Chiropractic
• Instagram - Author

We cover:

• The intersection of what your audience needs and the direction of the market
• What your audience wants and what you can anticipate they'll need
• Focusing on one ICA even though you may serve several
• Choosing the most effective and needed niche
• Niching up - it's not a perfect science!
• Absorbing your niche
• Giving the niche your own unique flavor
• What to do when you're still not sure what your niche is

As such, we thought it fitting to take this time to reflect on a positive that this year has brought to small businesses. We reached out to previous guests on this podcast and asked them to share what they are grateful they have learned that has impacted their business this year.

We are grateful for them, and the time they took out of their busy schedules to share with you. We hope this is helpful as you wrap up a strong 2020 and start 2021 with a newfound passion for serving your audience and getting crystal clear on the goals you will be accomplishing.

Entrepreneurs featured on this episode (not necessarily in this order):

• Alex Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes
• Claire Davis - Traction Resume
• Crystalyn Aucoin - Crystalyn Aucoin Jewelry
• Krystal Proffitt - Proffitt Media
• Laney Lyons - One People's Kitchen
• Lauren Kilgore - Beautiful Wreaths and Etsy Expertise
• Melanie Wright - Melanie Wright Photography
• Mindy Henderson - Mindy Henderson Speaks
• Mo Pittle - JewBoy Burgers
• Paul Totaro - Bargsley, Totaro, Andrews & Steinbach
• Salome Schillack - Shine and Succeed

With Thanksgiving around the corner, though, we thought we’d go over some best practices and key insights, especially for those that are still putting their plan in place. No shade thrown or judgement cast - this is a crazy time and 2020 has been topsy turvy at best.

Discussion Highlights:

• How 2020 has impacted consumer needs and perceptions
• The five key insights of consumer behavior around this time
• The top five factors shoppers care about when making holiday shopping decisions
• Questions to ask your audience to create better holiday content
• Connecting with your audience through various platforms
• Creating and organizing your holiday content calendar

We dove right in, discussing what made her jump in to her small business journey and how COVID-19 put a wrench into things but also sparked innovation. As she pivoted to grow her wellness brand online, we look at tactics she leveraged to grow her audience online, and her vision for the future.

The Start

• Health and wellness career began 15 years ago 
• Discovered that yoga helped her anxiety so began teaching
• Explored yoga in Utah, Austin, and Colorado
• Expanded to nutrition with her prepared meals business 'Natural Kitchen'
• Dove into health/holistic coaching with Ayurveda

The Shift

• Maximized yoga to lucrative business - Women's Yoga Retreats 
• COVID shut downs and partial closures had a heavy impact
• Had to pivot and publish content on a virtual platform 
• Still needed to give students that intimate studio connection 
• Time to slow down a little bit and to pivot
• Realized anxiety was suppressed with staying busy

The Strategy

• Identify avenues to connect with people: social media, email, texting, messages
• Be personable and connect as you would in person
• Expanded website with a blog, newsletters and email captures
• Be real and authentic: leverage FB or IG Live

The Action

• Follow people that you are authentically connected to
• Take their trainings, see what's working for them.
• Capture contacts to build your email list to have that physical connection
• Pick four categories for your social media content
• Avoid over-curation, don't want to trigger people
• Ask why am I doing this, what's my goal in it? All content must hit those points

The Mindset

• Mornings: meditate, gratitude journal, coffee, time outside
• Has a lot of amazing women as an entrepreneurial support system
• Focused on the next 30 days at a time
• Goals and Vision 
  • Women's Yoga Retreat in May 2021 
  • Continuing with Green Juice and Tequila podcast 
  • Launching the Green Juice and Tequila cookbook 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Gorillaz

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram

• Started pre-med in university
• Left school a few years in, worked at Club Med in Cancun
• Back to El Paso, played in the band AYB
• Back to school, graduated with a degree in Advertising
• Owned an ad agency from 2002-2012
• Started to consult after that, not his thing

The Shift

• At a crossroads: go back to corporate America with a steady job or be a serial entrepreneur
• Owned a food truck for 3.5 years
• Steady growth, toward end of 2019 saw increased media exposure - bloggers, influencers
• January of 2020 started to see real exponential growth
• By June, doubling income almost every month
• In July approached by a property owner to create a brick and mortar restaurant
• Decided to give it a try, lots of outside seating so perfect for the pandemic
• August 22nd last day on truck, Sept 1 first day in restaurant
• Now has 21 on staff

The Strategy

• Saw exponential growth through patience
• New business owners get jumpy and are always in reactive mode - avoided that
• 80% food is critical but 20% is the experience, you have to do more
• On the food truck he could connect with each customer
• Work on the repeat business
• Take the pretention out, be yourself

The Action

• Research is critical - know who you are and who your customer is
• You can't have a good review without a good customer
• Have a strategy and then intel and then tactics
• A word of caution re: discounting and delivery services
• Identify which media makes the most sense - for food, it's Instagram

The Mindset

• Always over-deliver
• Value the 2 C's: content and culture
• Marketing is effort and commitment - it's a process, not a product
• Goals and vision 
  • possible local expansion 
  • potential ideas other than JewBoy 

The Wrap-Up

If you could only listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Eagles

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

The Start

• Grew up in CA with entrepreneurial parents Saw budding candidates coming in, some needed more guidance than others
• Graduated from Ohio University with a Journalism degree
• Impacted by several layoffs, reevaluated her career path

The Shift

• Founded her own career coaching and resume writing business
• COVID-19 has rocked the job market, causing an increase in her business
• Teaches professionals a viable way to continue to grow their career despite obstacles

The Strategy

• Industries such as Hospitality, Oil and Gas may be changed forever due to COVID
• Reviews her client's work experience - focusing on how it translates as value in their career
• Leveraging expertise, translating it to other industries

The Action

• LinkedIn profile should focus on the value you bring
• A clear title and value statement by your name as well as testimonials are powerful tools on LI
• what problem do we uniquely solve for our customer
• LinkedIn features to check out - voice memos and stories
• Post value-laden content frequently on LinkedIn
• LinkedIn is a largely untapped networking platform for entrepreneurs when compared to FB and IG
• Consistent, intentional, genuine, messages each day on LI is a solid way to increase your network and client-base

The Mindset

• Start before you're ready!
• Having an online business uniquely positions entrepreneurs to have expansive reach and a supportive community
• Works with a fitness and nutrition coach, time blocks her calendar each morning
• Goals and Vision 
  • Scale through creating a course to teach others these skills so they can use her strategies for the rest of their career 
  •  Our first digital courses: List Builder's Society, Hilary Rushford and Rick Mulready's Facebook + Instagram Ads Foundations  

The Wrap-Up

If you could only listen to one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Steely Dan

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

The Start

• Accountant by trade, made wreaths for fun on the side
• Started as a wreath maker in 2014 after encouragement from family and friends
• Started an Etsy shop and Facebook page on the same day
•  Joined wreath making groups to connect and learn

The Shift

• Many in the Facebook groups were asking how to use Etsy to increase their sales
•  Found herself in there a lot answering questions about the Etsy platform
• Realized there was a hole in the market 
• Due to the pandemic, businesses were moving online and needed help 
• Discovered online sales far outweighed those of craft shows (and COVID shut those down)

 The Strategy

• Developed 2 digital courses: one for Esty beginners, and another one for those already online but not hitting their sales goals
• First three things to do for those just starting out (hint: SEO, SEO, SEO)
• Two main keyword tools for Etsy: eRank and Marmalead 
• Top marketing tactics for those growing their Etsy shop
• Social media strategy for handmade sellers (Pinterest - the forgotten tool for many)

 The Action

• The 80/20 rule for content posting on social media 
• Brand awareness, consistency and cross-platform visibility
• Leveraging video
• Tools for email list building

 The Mindset

• Breaking out of your niche, while still connecting to your niche
• Fave part of having an online business - not working to build someone else's dream
• Goes for a walk/run for a clear head, strives to have a clear workspace, outsourced house cleaning
• Goals and Vision 
  • Met her big goal of replacing her full time income, so now has to set a new revenue and dream goal. 
  • Help others to have the success she has had with their own businesses, have the same feeling of pride and joy that she has 

 The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Michael Jackson

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Beautiful Mesh on Esty
• Pinterest
• Facebook
• Handmade Sellers University Facebook Group
• Instagram

The Start

• Left corporate to be a stay at home mom
• After being a Pinterest-perfect mom didn't work out, she realized had to find something for herself
• Started writing, journaling and unsuccessfully blogging
• A blogger she followed started a podcast inspiring her to do the same
• Launched her first podcast, The Rookie Life, correlated with her previous blog

The Shift

• People started asking her questions about how podcasting worked
• Started podcast coaching in 2019, jumped in with her new podcast, 'The Proffitt Podcast'
• Launched her daily podcast, The Poddy Report, in March, focused on being transparent on what it takes to have a podcast
• Didn't feel right promoting her course during COVID, launched a membership, 'The Poddy People' at a lower price point to support the community

 The Strategy

• Focused on the value-add to listeners 
• Was strategic about launching - timing and content
• Evolved her format by listening to her audience
• Included more success stories and insight from other podcasters
• Conducts a half solo and half interview format

 The Action

• Keep it simple!
• Pick launch date, stick to it, and talk about it everywhere
• Set a budget for yourself and reverse engineer necessary equipment
• Manage expectations - use it as the marketing arm of your business
• Practice recording yourself speak on your voice memos app on your phone
• Before you launch, try to get on 4-5 podcasts to talk about your topic
• Get over it and ask for people to subscribe or leave a rating or a review
• Tools we talked about: 
  •  Audacity 
  • GarageBand 
  • Hindenburg 
  • Calendly 
  • Acuity 
  • Buzzsprout 
  • Buzzsprout Magic Mastering 
  • Buzzsprout Affiliate Marketplace 

 The Mindset

• Her first book, 'Start a Bingeworthy Podcast' comes out October 20, 2020
• Journals 30 minutes every morning, gets up at 5AM
• Goals and Vision 
  • Simplifying a lot! 
  • Her membership is open for the rest of 2020 but in 2021 it will only be available to those in her digital course 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Alanis Morissette

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Pinterest

The Start

• Surrounded by an entrepreneurial family
• Business conversations with the dinner table conversation du jour
• After college, grew from Marketing Director to COO of a growing architecture firm 

The Shift

• Due to COVID-19, in-person facilitations and workshops were out
• Adopted online facilitator tools to adapt
• Continued roundtables via Zoom
• Every client from past and present came out of the woodwork at the beginning of COVID
• Personality profiles were either of those comfortable in uncertainty and thriving or those paralyzed because of it 

The Strategy

• Saw a need to support business leaders who didn't have an unbiased resource to help decision making
• Sought to help entrepreneurs avoid wheel spinning, a toxic and draining aspect of business
• A entrepreneurs make progress in their business, new problems arise
• Learning to celebrate new problems as a sign of progress

 The Action

• Roundtable framework used - speaker tees up the issue, others only ask questions
• Best thing you can do for an entrepreneur - be curious, ask lots of questions to get at the real problem
• Focus on the problem, not the symptoms
• Avoid comparing solutions rather than honing in on the actual problem

 The Mindset

• To keep her mind and body fueled: sings in a band, performs vigorous strength training exercise 
• Monitors her energetic and emotional capital, listens to her  body - plays strategic hooky when necessary
• Goals and Vision 
  •  Launching a service at a scaled level - supplying business owners with someone to talk to on the business side, talk an element through that is holding them back so they can move on 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

The Start

• Team of moms across 5 time zones
• Launched the first issue September 2019 
• Solidified internal messaging of what they stood for before anything else
• Created their structure from four pillars
• Identified a printer and fulfillment center
• Leverage key apps and platforms to manage such a complex process of magazine production

The Shift

• Due to COVID, partnerships with independent book stores has diminished
• Challenge of ecommerce as people cannot touch and flip through their pages to feel and validate the price point as an educational resource

 The Strategy

• Participating in online publicity opportunities such as IG story takeovers
• Sales keeps them afloat but the work is the most important, the message, the mission
• Partnering with charitable organizations and foundations to deliver their message

 The Action

• Creatives can send submissions or collaboration interest via www.mightykindkids.com 
• Tips for pitching to your content - run with the ideas they mention and make it your own
• Focus on the thought and purpose behind your pitch
• Craft your pitch in a way that is unique to you and your experiences

The Mindset

• Lesson learned: Embrace a compassionate mindset and the fact that some loved ones will support you in different ways
•  Lesson learned: stop apologizing for trying to do something good and making yourself small in the process.
• Give yourself grace. Map something out and allow the day to happen as it's going to happen. 
• Goals and Vision 
  • Become a nonprofit organization with a team that spans countries, cultures, and voices. 
  • Create a foundation that funds great works focusing on social-emotional skills, antibias, antiracism, diversity and inclusion, mental health 
  • Fund service projects that are organically derived by young kids 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Whitney Houston

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

** They are grant recipients from the iFund Women Foundation for Latinx and Hispanic-owned businesses. There is currently a live crowdfunding campaign here:  https://ifundwomen.com/projects/mighty-kind

Discussion Highlights:

The Start

• Caught the writing bug from a young age
• Drawn to Communications field
• Senior year of college still figuring it out, joined AmeriCorps Vista 
  • Domestic peace corp program, fighting the systemic cause of poverty. Helps women and people of color start and grow their businesses 
• Figured out she wanted to do journalism but support small business owners, entrepreneurs and creatives

The Shift

• Turned toward educating small business owners how to do press outreach
• COVID-19 impacted freelancing due to a changed media industry landscape
• Many publications closed, budgets decreased, causing a decrease in content and less opportunities to be featured in the press
• Planned to launch a digital course teaching these skills to small business owners the very week U.S. shutdown, so shifted into a service mindset since covid was so devastating to many small businesses, to share her info

The Strategy

• Leverage press as a vehicle to get the word out and increase your credibility
• Read, listen and watch the media outlets you want to be featured in
• Reach media outlets that your audience accesses
• Media outlets work off of social proof 
• How to leverage social media

 The Action

• How to Pitch 
  1. Identify journalists that consistently report on certain topics 
  2. Send a short and sweet email, 3 sentences long 
     • First sentence - establish the relevancy of your story to that journalist. 
     • Second sentence - Establish the newsworthiness or point of differentiation, what's timely, interesting, about your business 
     • Third sentence - wrap up asking if they would like further information. Leverage one media outlet for another
• Biggest Mistakes 
  • Achieving media coverage with a publication one time and then going radio silent. 
  • Not approaching the right publication or journalist with their message 
  • Stopping after one attempt and never pitching that journalist again 
• When to Pitch
• Follow Up!
• Social Media Etiquette

The Mindset

• Daily Routines - Morning jogs, daily gratitude practice, top 3 biggest tasks that day
• Goals and Vision 
  • As a journalist - always to tell great stories but also to have people feel that they have truly been seen. That is the most fundamental gift to give to another human. 
  • As an educator - teach hundreds of entrepreneurs to do this for themselves so they can grow their businesses via press coverage 

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Maggie Rogers

Where can people find you online? 

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

We had a lively conversation that included top actions entrepreneurs should take when setting up as well as scaling their businesses, how the topsy turvy programs and less than stellar guidance the government rolled out during COVID impacted their firm and clients, and…one of my favorite parts of the episode…his BIG struggle with answering our very last question. 

Discussion highlights:

The Start

• Business broker turned CPA
• Bought his own firm
• Supports individuals and entrepreneurs, soft spot for business owners

The Shift

• Industry had gone high tech so easier COVID transition
• Everything went remote
• Tracking of tax returns and projects from card stock to digital 
• Moving toward technology solution for team communication
• Auditing all processes for better solutions

The Strategy

• Shutdown right after Business returns were due (March 15) 
• Other returns postponed to June/July
• New info with little guidance caused a few shaky months
• Inundated with calls and emails from clients asking about new government programs
• Like running a marathon and then tacking on 20 more miles at the end

The Action

• First thing for starting a business - identifying the right business entity
• Keep it simple! Plenty of time for your business to get complicated
• Hire a bookkeeper when you can
• Read the market & validate your business idea
• Easiest way to manage your business finances and expenses is…
• Learning the income flow and when you are taxed in that flow

The Mindset

• Take breaks and move around
• Can only sit at your desk for so long, give yourself a mental 5 minute break every now and then

The Future

• Keep working remote for the next several years
• Find a client portal to manage their growth and their adoption of technology
• Potentially buy another firm and form a merger

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Beatles

Where can people find you online?

• Website

This was the predicament of today's guest Salome Schillack, CEO/Founder of Shine and Succeed. Working as a pharmaceutical rep, Salome was tired of choosing between her income and her family. After attempting a coaching business, Salome dove into online course creation. (which by the way, she quit after her first course launch was not what she anticipated - more on that in this episode).  Salome now has a multiple six-figure Facebook ads agency, a membership, and online courses…all which serve the online course creator niche.

Discussion Highlights:

The Start

• The rise and fall of an online coaching business
• Launching her first online course for $2,000 in revenue after only spending $400 on Facebook ads…and quit
• From Facebook ads side hustle to the start of a full Facebook ads agency

The Education

• B-School
• Amy Porterfield's suite of courses
• Any digital marketer and Facebook ads trainings she could get her hands on
• Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts

The Growth

• Free clients from Facebook group networking
• Started charging $500 a month, then $750, then $1500, then more to manage ads
• Now has an full scale agency with employees and amazing clients
• Niched down to serve digital course creators to build and scale their entire business with ads
• Word of mouth referrals, course launch ads

 The Strategy 

• Mission to help people get out of their jobs and not have to choose between a 9-5 job or being home with the kids 
• Adjust their model to not run as an agency, has online courses and memberships too
• Created the original Shine Show with female entrepreneurs and broadcasted from her phone
• First course was Facebook Live Superstar 
• Worked with online course creators as ads managers, saw the backend of people 20 steps ahead of her

 The Shift

• Launched a course, A-Lister, during COVID-19
• From key learnings, pivoted to a membership
• Help students start earlier at a lower dollar value, so that over the course of a few months they get sustainable long term results

 The Action

• Create your ad account, setup your pixel, set up your custom audiences
• Run engagement ads consistently in the background, all the time
• Build engagement, then build email list, and then build your launches
• Create lead magnets that solve a problem that your ideal customer wants solved

The Mindset

• Grateful for lessons learned and to learn; know you have learned enough now to keep going
• The pros talk about the same thing for years, gaining mastery
• Daily routine: Meditation, journaling, exercise 
• Save social media and email for later - get to the meat of your day first thing

 The Future

• Teach women to create more autonomy by creating more income, have more freedom
• Grow the membership of students learning and using ads to make an impact
• Teach students to be ads managers for online course creators

The Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Beyonce

Where can people find you online?

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

After working for years for corporations with 90 hour work weeks during multi-billion dollar mergers, she had an epiphany - time is the most valuable commodity. She started her own company, Balance CFO, picking up multiple clients along the way. When she found that going out on her own resulted in multiple bosses instead of just the one at a corporate job, she started looking more seriously at digital courses. Jamie's heart is with small business owners, and her passion is to educate them on financial literacy and maximizing their profits to pay themselves more.

Discussion highlights:

The Male-Female Finance Divide

• The huge difference between how genders approach business
• The financial knowledge gap of women small business owners
• The staggering '40% and 4%' statistic every small business owner should know…and change

Relatable Financial Literacy

• The market for fun, relatable finance education
• Leaving client work behind for profitable digital courses
• Letting go of the money shame spiral

 1 to 1 vs. 1 to Many

• The power of scalability and impact
• Serving a larger audience through digital courses
• How she landed a spot on Amy Porterfield's top business podcast, 'Online Marketing Made Easy'
• The complete transformation of business and life in one year

Niche Down or Niche Up?

• Starting with a very niche course idea
• Niching up to a service your audience needs
• Listening to clients, group members
• Identifying a process that could become a course

 Exponential Growth Amidst COVID-19

• Grew her Facebook group from 5,000 to over 28,000 members in 4 months
• Shifting content to serve finance needs due to the pandemic
• Identifying a need to educate small business owners through PPP, SBA loans and more

The Art of Supplying Value and the Sale

• Showed up for her group consistently, educating via Facebook Lives
• Realized new members needed a back to basics business finance course
• Launched a $179 course, sold over 860, earned six-figures
• Sold the course before building it to gauge interest

Cornerstones of a Six-Figure Digital Course Launch

• The critical piece of content marketing
• Tap into what members of your Facebook group need
• Show up consistently and give value for free
• Leverage Facebook group for list building
• Growing an email list from 0 to over 24,000 within a year
• The sales mindset shift

Moving Forward - Goals and Visions

• Focus on automation to continue creating her ideal lifestyle
• Maintain flexibility, especially through COVID-induced virtual learning

Muscle Creative Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? The Hamilton Soundtrack

Where can people find you online?

• Financial Literacy for Women Business Owners Facebook Group
• Balance CFO Facebook Business Page
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Website

Genia is a prime example of someone that had knowledge in a certain area, saw a hole that needed to be filled, and figured out a way to build a service that filled that need. Growing up, Genia was surrounded with leaders in the disability world as her mom became a powerful advocate alongside her younger sister's diagnosis. Cut to 14 years ago, Genia's own son was born with disabilities and medical complexities. 

Conversation Highlights:

 Identifying a Business Need

• Midwife background highlighted a gaping hole
• Parents with kids of disabilities start their journey online
• Created ongoing instruction and support for this community
• Launched Good Things in Life: podcast, free monthly webinars, digital courses and a membership

 The Power of Digital Courses

• Started from scratch with no entrepreneurial experience
• Began with Marie Forleo's B-School online course
• Then took Amy Porterfield's Digital Course Academy

 Leveraging Collaborations & Personal Knowledge

• Co-created the course, 'Belonging in School: The What, Why, and How of Inclusive Education'
• Moved on to launch 'Inclusion Academy' as a membership for parents with ongoing support and community
• Accelerates progress by making high quality information, resources, ideas, and support more available to parents across the board

 Top Tools & Processes for Success

• Digital Course Academy - created by Amy Porterfield as a comprehensive program to create, launch, and sell digital courses
• Tribe - created by Stu McLaren as a course that teaches how to launch a successful and profitable membership site
• Full Focus Planner - created by Michael Hyatt, this planner helps to cut down on overwhelm by helping you focus on what matters and ditching the never-ending-to-do-list
• Digital courses speed up your progress by delivering the info you need in an accelerated pace 

Selling Your Digital Course to Other Organizations

• Building relationships, credibility, and authority
• The power of the 'ask'
• Getting over the money mindset of making money = burning yourself out
• Re-using one digital course for multiple income streams

Moving Forward - Goals and Visions

• Improving her membership, growing that audience
• Continuing to build her email list
• Build and scale her podcast
• Reassess late 2020/early 2021 - re-evaluate, tweak, set goals, move forward

Muscle Creative Wrap-Up

If you could listen to only one music artist for the rest of your life, who would it be? Bob Marley, The Dixie Chicks depending upon her mood

Where can people find you online?

• Good Things in Life
• The What, Why, and How of Inclusive Education
• Facebook Group
• Instagram

At 15 months old, she was diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition called spinal muscular atrophy. Her parents were told she would lose all of her abilities to stand or walk, she would lose all of her cognitive functions, and probably wouldn't live to be 3 years old. Between parents that would not take her diagnosis lying down, and a self-described personality of a natural born project manager with a sprinkling of bossiness, Mindy has defied all odds and our world is better for it.

Discussion highlights:

Hope, Gratitude, Independence

• Implementing a plan in the face of devastation
• Impact of being the Texas State Poster Child for the Muscular Dystrophy Association
• The start of catching the public speaking bug

From Tech Career to Speaker Entrepreneur

• Working in high tech for two decades
• Overcoming fear of risk to become an entrepreneur
• What pushed her into following her dream of becoming a published author
• Adding coach to her repertoire

Life's Curve Balls as Messenger

• Skipping the pity party and jumping into productivity
• Ignoring your life's plan for your life's purpose

Becoming a Public Speaker

• How to identify your topic
• Engaging with your audience with stories and tools
• Getting clear on your values, priorities for audience connection
• Speaking for groups, organizations, nonprofits, UT Austin

 The Impact of COVID-19

• Battling through event cancellations
• Creating workshops that align with the current state of the world