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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Joanna and I are digging into this concept (and content pillar for BBB) of "Institutional Interrogation" and for Joanna, that brings up a lot of conversation around leading with core values. I talk about this a lot on this podcast, but in this episode, we are deep diving into all the ways it works in our favor to run our entire business based on our core values.

This week, I'm joined by new friend Diem Koole to talk all about her layoff story, the social and cultural (and internal!) pressure about achievement related to being laid off and pursuing entrepreneurship, and so much more. If you've ever felt you're not good enough, especially in the midst of a layoff season, you are going to relate to this episode.

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.

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. I have been looking forward to sharing this one with you.

One of the things I've been thinking about for my own business is staring a non-profit/charitable arm in the Podfox umbrella. But meeting Paulaska Ramirez, my guest today, led to my realization that I never considered a non-profit as a business structure when I first became an entrepreneur. I definitely had the mindset that I was "staring a business" with the intention to make money... but I mean, CEOs of non-profits should get salaries, too. The point isn't that the team can't get paid (although that's not currently Paulaska's focus) but that the organization itself is not working to earn a profit. Even with a profit-oriented business (a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, S-Corp, so many options for business entities!), you can still *also* have a non-profit. How does that work? What would that look like? What are the challenges? We're discussing that and more in today's episode with Paulaska.

At the crux of what I've been doing here with Big Brave Business is the question, "How do you become an entrepreneur, and grow and scale a business, with anti-capitalist values?" One of the reasons why my guest today, Joanna Horton McPherson, and I became instant friends is because people with shared values like that are really naturally drawn together. In part 1 with Joanna (she came back to record another episode, which will also come out in a couple of weeks), we are talking about how we build a business that's different than exactly the thing we wanted to leave in the 9-5 rat race. This led somewhat naturally to talking about our relationships with anger and emotional intelligence, and mission-driven entrepreneurship as public service and revolutionary action.

Sammy Bohannon, my guest this week, and I bonded over the complexities of blending personal and professional relationships, and the importance of understanding each team member's unique needs and working styles. Sammy's teaching background has clearly shaped her ability to connect deeply with clients, and I was really interested to learn more about her strategies for rejecting hustle culture in favor of realistic goal-setting and avoiding the trap of busy work. This episode was a refreshing reminder that we can grow and scale our businesses without sacrificing our values or work-life balance. I'm excited to continue exploring how we can redefine what it means to lead with courage and integrity.

We all remember the rise of emphasis on DEIB following George Floyd's murder and the increased attention on the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. But shortly after, in 2023, those DEIB programs and priorities started declining. Now, 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. And, in full transparency, we recorded this just 7 days after the 2024 Presidential Election (how appropriate that, with our emotions and anger running high, this episode is coming out the day after Inauguration).

I'm thrilled to welcome Gabby Barrero, the queen of community, to the podcast this week. Gabby is an entrepreneur, strategist, and numbers geek who helps mission-driven business owners build their network and their business. In this episode, Gabby and I dive deep into the power of networking, finding the right communities, and building authentic connections that bring joy and inspiration, even in challenging times. You won't want to miss Gabby's insights on leveling up your networking game.

This week, I'm joined by a new friend, Bri Norberg. In this episode, Bri and I get really vulnerable and share some of our deeply rooted stories from childhood and how they've shown up in our entrepreneurship journeys. Entrepreneurship shines a spotlight on literally all of your crap and you don't have a choice but to deal with it one way or another. I hope this episode resonates in both that you can see yourself in our stories, and we can help you heal your inner child as we work to heal our own, but also to experiment with what unique ways your own deeply-rooted stories are showing up for you in your business.

Everyone is making predictions about online business in 2025 - what's in, and what's OUT. I know a lot of people are including digital courses and group programs in their predictions, but my episode title is actually just a joke - I think online learning is pivotal for the future, but the thing is, it's got to be done WELL. So I've brought my friend and returning guest Dr. Catrina Mitchum back to the podcast. Not just because you told me how much you love her previous episode, but also because she's a digital course expert. She's sharing all about how to fix your broken course in this episode.

You've heard me mention Be You Brand Live, an event I spoke at a few months ago hosted by my friend Ati Grinspun in Las Vegas. One thing I LOVE about my friendship with Ati is that she really pushes me not just out of my comfort zone, but to really explore and challenge how my core values show up in different contexts. A great example of this is the resistance I felt when she brought up this concept of taking Radical Responsibility in your life and business during her opening remarks at her event. I'm so thrilled and honored that she came onto the podcast to really explore this concept with me and so much more.

This conversation with Taina Brown is a powerful exploration of the insidious ways that white supremacy and capitalism have infiltrated online entrepreneurship. As a white woman, it was eye-opening to hear Taina's firsthand experiences navigating these systems as a non-white entrepreneur. Her insights on the coded language, biased algorithms, and lack of diversity in professional communities really challenged me to be more intentional about the spaces I create and the people I amplify. This episode is a must-listen for any entrepreneur who wants to build a business rooted in equity and justice, rather than perpetuating the harmful status quo.

One of my favorite resources in online business is my friend Amber Gilormo. She's a lawyer who runs an agency providing resources and contract templates for small businesses like ours. I personally use several of her templates and she's my go-to for all my legal questions. I'm even an affiliate for her program! I've learned so much just from following her on social media and I knew I had to have her on the pod so you can learn from her too.

This week, my guest, Becky Mollenkamp, and I are talking about taking up space and showing up authentically, even in the face of criticism, when operating from a place of intersectional feminist values. I was really curious to hear about Becky's experience navigating social media as an outspoken advocate, and the challenges of building a business aligned with feminist principles within a capitalist system.

One person who might just be more critical of the online coaching industry than I am is my new friend and today's guest, Lindsay Hyatt. She particularly uses her online platform to speak about the shame that so many entrepreneurs feel, especially around financial investments they've made into coaching scams. In today's episode, we're dissecting the shame, guilt, and insecurity that fuels the continued problems with online coaching, and how to overcome and thrive as entrepreneurs without falling the snake oil.

In today's episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jordan Gill, the automation expert and business mentor behind Systems Saved Me. We dove deep into the topic of innovation in business - what it really means, how to approach it, and why it's so important, even when things feel tough. Jordan shared some fantastic questions and prompts to help spark innovative thinking, like exploring how you can make your offerings bigger or smaller, faster or slower. We also discussed the power of changing up your delivery to better align with your mission. And of course, we encourage everyone to trust their own intuition when it comes to new ideas.