Big Brave Business: Revolutionary Le...

Big Brave Business is a podcast where we challenge the status quo of traditional business practices. If you're ready to challenge norms, rewrite the rules, and redefine what it means to lead with courage and integrity, then grab a notebook and let’s dive in.

Entrepreneurship
Marketing
Management
1
134: Sales is Hard, But It Can Be Fun
Do you find sales hard? Uncomfortable? Does "being salesy" give you the ick? You probably just need to explore where you stand ethically when it comes to all things sales. Hey, come do that with us, in today's episode.
60 min
2
133: The Patriarchy Ruins Everything for All of Us
Join us to explore how patriarchy shapes entrepreneurship and what needs to change for true gender equity in business. The conversation dives deep into the challenges women face in business, from being conditioned to stay small and avoid self-promotion, to dealing with perfectionism and imposter syndrome that patriarchal systems create. This episode challenges you to examine your own relationship with patriarchal business norms and consider how you can help change the system from within.
56 min
3
132: How to Achieve Pay Equity in Entrepreneurship
In this week's Big Brave Business episode, Hady, Erika, Kirsten and I get brutally honest about the real barriers to pay equity in entrepreneurship. The invisible infrastructure. The information gaps. The community advice that differs based on privilege. The hidden costs of identity. This conversation will change how you think about "easy" success, pricing struggles, and what actually creates pay equity.
58 min
4
131: Entrepreneurship and Aging: Opportunities ...
In this episode of Big Brave Business, I sat down with Lisa Demmi, Erika Alexander, Becky Mollenkamp, and Andrea Nakayama to explore what unique challenges and opportunities exist for entrepreneurs over 50—and why capitalism's "put out to pasture" mentality is creating a renaissance instead of retirement.
54 min
5
130: The ROI of Radical Rest (Not Another 'Self...
This isn't about backpacking through Bali or luxury hotels (though no judgment if that's your thing). It's about having the flexibility to shape your everyday to match your needs, your family's needs, and your capacity. Buckle up - this isn't just another anti-hustle, self care podcast episode like you've heard so many times before.
46 min
6
129: When Marketing Becomes Manipulation
As entrepreneurs, we're constantly getting advice about psychology tactics and conversion strategies, but we're rarely taught how to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation. If you've ever felt uncomfortable with a marketing tactic but weren't sure why, this episode will help you trust your gut and build a business that actually serves people.
46 min
7
128: Data Bias, Intuition, and Data-Driven Deci...
American capitalism was built on racial exploitation, from the enslavement of Black people to institutionalized discrimination and its structural impact on our nation's economic and legal systems. This foundation didn't disappear when we moved to digital spreadsheets and analytics dashboards. It evolved. Here's what the business world won't tell you: most of the data we use to measure entrepreneurial success is fundamentally designed to serve capitalism, not entrepreneurs.
60 min
8
127: How Entrepreneurs are Uniquely Positioned ...
Here's what I've learned from successful entrepreneurs who navigate multiple marginalized identities: They're not succeeding despite their complex realities. They're succeeding because of them. When you can't follow the standard playbook, you're forced to innovate. Your intersectional identity isn't a business challenge to overcome. It's market intelligence that traditional entrepreneurs simply don't have.
56 min
9
126: Your Ancestors "Weren't Tech People" Either
Y'all know I'm not into too much 'woo' and spiritual stuff, but one thing I have been dipping my toes into is the anthropology of how we became who we are today - both as individuals as well as a collective society. My friend Regyna is back on the podcast today to chat about the historical roots of our natural instinct for resistance to change and innovation.
47 min
10
125: Policy Impacting Small Business Today
My entire career, I've heard entrepreneurs and leaders in business talk about the importance of building business in a policy vacuum. Whether it's because they think it's irrelevant, they don't want to alienate consumers, or they're afraid of getting canceled, the excuses are endless... realistically though, apolitical business is a myth. Especially in times like these. Policy impacts every element of running a small business. But, it can also be intimidating and overwhelming. So today's episode is all about policy that impacts us as small business owners.
64 min
11
BONUS: Leveraging Sales Psychology in Times of ...
What if the problem isn't your business? What if the problem is that capitalism taught you to extract value from overwhelmed customers, and people are finally saying no?
47 min
12
124: Your Business is Inaccessible (Let's Fix T...
Here we go with a really big and brave conversation. I brought together some incredible entrepreneurs and accessibility advocates to dig into what true accessibility in business actually looks like. Honestly, when you hear about the diversity of accessibility needs, it can feel overwhelming and expensive—it's tempting to just keep doing what you've always done. But this roundtable pushes us to think about accessibility completely differently, and these guests share practical ways that all businesses, no matter the size, can do better without starting from scratch.
53 min
13
123: Generational Shifts of Leadership in the C...
One thing the internet loves to talk about: the problems with the upcoming generation. I always took so much of the millennial commentary personally, until I realized every single generation gets the same judgment. In a world that is rapidly changing with evolving technology, ways of work, politics, and more... I thought it would be super interesting to bring a group of thought leaders together to explore how the way of work and leadership is changing for Gen Z and Generation Alpha.
45 min
14
122: When Productivity Becomes Toxic
Calling all workaholics, this one is for you. If you a little bit love working around the clock and think your work is one of the most fun parts of your life, let me just say, you've found your people. But we all know hustle culture and burnout are real - and that at some point, productivity becomes toxic.
59 min
15
121: The Ethical Implications & Challenges of G...
If you know me, you know I'm in my AI exploration era. But this hasn't come naturally to me, because the ethical complications around AI, especially generative AI, have literally kept me up at night. That's why I knew one of the first conversations we needed to have on season 3 is all abut the ethics of AI usage.
63 min
16
120: Why Mission-Driven Branding Matters
This week we are opening season 3, which looks a little bit different! Each week, we'll be opening the podcast with a Big Question, and some of the bravest thought leaders in online business will come together to mastermind our way through the question. Today's episode is all about mission driven branding, and why that is so important.
47 min
17
119: Designing Accessible Events and Embracing ...
My guest this week shares about how she's rebranding health setbacks due to developing chronic illness to her redemption era. There is so much to unpack there - about work and accesibility, enterpreneurship as a literal life-saving measure, and resilience after trauma. But furthermore, this has become part of the way Jessica Naves runs her design business, helping event hosts put together events for all people in a variety of bodies.
49 min
18
118: Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone and Learn...
Sara Hollander joins me on the podcast this week to talk about getting outside of your comfort zone and learning from people outside of your industry. It can be easy to get stuck in learning only from other people who do the same kind of business you do, and who have come before you or achieved what you are dreaming of. But the real magic, and the real innovation, comes from getting out of the echo chamber and building relationships with people in completely different industries and learning from them.
45 min
19
117: Questioning Everything and Chasing Shiny O...
This week on the Big Brave Business podcast, I spoke with Deb Podlogar (The Mocktail Mom) about something we all struggle with as entrepreneurs: questioning our current direction while fighting the pull of shiny object syndrome.
39 min
20
116: Learning from the Ancestral Wisdom of Resi...
Whether you're feeling the weight of recent cultural shifts or looking for courage to continue your own advocacy work, this conversation reminds me that joy itself is an act of resistance and that finding your people might be the most revolutionary act of all.
43 min
21
115: The Rise & Fall of DEI and Performative vs...
In 2020, corporations couldn't post their black squares fast enough. DEI statements flowed like wine. Budgets materialized overnight. Promises were made with the conviction of zealots. And now? Those same companies are scrubbing DEI language from their websites faster than you can say "political backlash." In this week's episode with DEI and Learning & Development leader Noelle Johnson, we confronted this disturbing reality head-on: the rapid dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts happening across American business.
52 min
22
114: When to Focus on Audience-Building: Becomi...
One thing I've always been adamant about (and will *literally never stop talking about*) is that when you first start a business, your priority should be making money—not building an audience. Building an audience is a long game. It takes time to see significant returns. Meanwhile, rent is due.
55 min
23
113: Reframing Resilience in Life and Business
In this week's Big Brave Business episode, Alison Smith completely flips the script on what resilience actually means—and it's not about constantly bouncing back from hardship. Resilience isn't about recovery from challenges. It's about "springing back into the shape of ourselves." Alison shares the etymology of "thrive," which actually means "to grasp to oneself." Most of us have been sold this narrative that thriving means achievement, hustling, and end-goal success. But what if thriving simply means holding onto your sturdy center, especially when the world is trying to knock you off balance?
49 min
24
112: Paradigm Shifts, Emotional Intelligence, a...
My guest this week, Alex, has this gift of getting to the root—of seeing where the story behind the strategy is still running the show. She doesn’t offer formulas. She offers questions.
44 min
25
111: Tapping Into Your Intuition: What does 'be...
If you've listened to this podcast since season 1 with my co-host and biz bestie Amanda, you probably already know that both Amanda and I are a more than a little skeptical when it comes to all things "woo." But in this week's episode, I got to meet a mutual friend Regyna Curtis, who leans all the way in on "woo." And, you might be as shocked as I was to find out that Regyna and I clicked immediately and had a really meaningful conversation about intuition and alignment. No matter where you fall on the scale of skepticism about 'woo,' you are going to get a lot from this episode.
41 min