Everyone's talking about a "trust recession" in business right now. AI made everything sound the same. Algorithms made everything look the same. And we're all wondering if anyone is even real anymore. But what if the problem isn't trust at all? What if it's that we've been performing a polished, scripted version of ourselves for so long that real connection has nowhere to land?

Siobhan Strode is back on the podcast today and we get into the political dread, the genocide, the right wing creep happening on both sides of the Atlantic, the panic attacks about empty pipelines, and the deep hypocrisy we both feel trying to tell people "come work with me" while also wondering if any of this even matters.

We dig into what it actually looks like to scale without extraction, why "hustle vs. rest" is only the beginning of the conversation, and how reframing the question from "how much can I make?" to "how much is enough?" changes everything, for you AND the people inside your business ecosystem.

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. Big influencer business coaches always give advice about what they would do if they were starting over today, but it's so out of touch to anyone who hasn't been making $100,000+/month! But... eventually... you reach a point where you have no choice but to prioritize audience building in order to grow. Aaand if I'm being really honest? That's where I am in my business. And my guest this week, AnnMarie, feels that way, too!

When I asked today's guest (my friend Dee Ntšala) what was on her heart to talk about during this episode, she mentioned a really intense, staggering statistic about the mental health challenges that entrepreneurs face. Did you know that founders are more likely to have suicidal ideation? I didn't, so this conversation floored me.

This episode introduces the business audit framework I use in my own work: a two-score system for assessing every single asset in your business. 1) Does it work, and 2) Is it aligned? Not as yes/no questions, but on a sliding scale, through four specific lenses each. Because good and bad, ethical and unethical, working and broken — none of it is actually binary. Some of what I share might open a can of worms for you. That's kind of the point.

Sometimes I see a small business owner on Threads post something so evocative and aligned with my core values that I can't help it and I just reach out and invite them on the podcast. That's because with one really high impact post, I can tell that we could have an interesting and big, brave conversation about business. And really, that's the power of leveraging your core values to create human connection online and what my guest today, Fopsy, calls "creating superfans." We are talking all about this on the podcast today--and yes, we met on Threads.

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.

What does it actually look like to show up as your whole self in business? In this episode, we get into the pressure of visibility, the two sides of ourselves we tend to keep separate, and why being authentic doesn't mean it comes naturally — it means you practice until it does.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing the framework I actually use to cut through the noise and figure out what advice is worth taking — and what to leave behind. Because here's the thing: good advice and bad advice aren't as easy to tell apart as black and white. The real filter is a two-part system, and once you have it, you'll use it on everything.

What happens when you share pieces of yourself instead of your whole story? How do the narratives we create about success, failure, and worthiness shape our businesses? This week's conversation gets raw about the role storytelling plays in entrepreneurship—from building trust with clients to battling the pressure of perception.

What if the very stories you've spent your whole life running from—being "too sensitive," "too much," never quite enough—are actually the exact superpowers that make you unstoppable in business?

This episode pulls back the curtain on what success actually looks like when you're not measuring it purely by revenue. I'm sharing real numbers, real struggles with 2025's political chaos draining my business energy, and how an "unsuccessful" launch taught me more about my zone of genius than any six-figure win ever could.

Subscription fatigue is real, AI isn't going anywhere, and the online business landscape is about to look very different in 2026.

ow, there is almost a point of pride among companies retiring their DEIB programs and ERGs. My guest today, Michelle Beauchamp, came to me wanting to talk about why this is happening and what are the repercussions.

My guest today is an expert on developing curriculum and online coursework and supporting students, and she's diving in with me all about the problems with the online course creation industry.

If you've been listening to this podcast for awhile, you know I'm skeptical of business coaching, even though it's part of what I do. I've been one of the lucky ones on the receiving end of a massive investment into business coaching that didn't match my expectations or financial obligation, and I generally feel burned by the industry, like so many other online business owners. But coaching is a real field and business coaching is something a lot of people really could massively benefit from, if it is done right. My dear friend Amber Dancy joins me on the podcast this week to talk about all the ways business coaching SHOULD look, and tons of other REALLY fun topics that I know you're going to love.

In this episode, I walk through the four main areas I'm focused on for growth in 2026 (plus a bonus fifth way that's accelerating everything). I also share why learning from other industries has been more valuable than staying siloed in podcast production advice, my complicated relationship with business coaching, and how Podcast Launch Prep Week came from observing a completely different field.

The big question today is how does "tokenism" differ from true inclusion, and how can businesses do better?

You've probably heard the sales advice to share who your offer is NOT for. But it usually gets misused into meaningless phrases like "this isn't for you if you're not ready to invest in yourself."

When should entrepreneurs break the rules in business and how do they know which ones are worth breaking?

In this behind-the-business episode, I share how I adapted a framework from a subscription box business coach (shoutout to Sarah Williams from a previous episode), filtered it through Podfox's mission and values, and created something entirely new. I get vulnerable about the challenges of trying a different sales approach, the gap between people saying "someday I'll start a podcast" and actually doing it, and why building community matters more than going it alone.

How can entrepreneurs sell high-ticket offers with integrity and avoid manipulative sales tactics?

So the big question of the day is, how can we as entrepreneurs plan for legacy-driven business growth and offers that scale sustainably?

What role do small businesses play in climate action and what sustainable strategies actually work?