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.

This week, I'm joined by Alexandria Alecci of Alecci Media. Alexandria's passion for cultivating a diverse, values-driven culture in her marketing agency really resonated with me and the core mission of Big Brave Business. From her international experiences shaping her unique perspective on work-life balance to her thoughtful approach to navigating strong opinions and ethics in business, Alexandria offered so many insights that I know will inspire our audience of purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

We haven't had a ton of money conversations on this podcast, so when I connected with Neysa on threads and she was dropping truth bombs about money and sales, I KNEW we had to have a conversation for the podcast. In addition to talking about our personal relationships with money, Neysa is also sharing her framework for approaching sales and it is going to blow your mind.

One thing I've questioned so much in the past few years is - "Why do we consider 'hard work' a virtue?'" Some of the hardest working people in the world are the least productive, least 'successful,' and least wealthy - and yet the wealthiest folks in the world don't work anywhere near as hard as those living under the poverty line. Where does the myth that hard work leads to success come from and why does it persist? My friend Lisa, a productivity coach, is back on the podcast today because her unique perspective about what 'productivity' even means follows this exact line of questioning and interrogation.

When you spend a lot of time in the spaces online where people are discussing online business (especially typical coaching spaces), you'll hear a lot of "one-size-fits-all" advice - about online courses, memberships, high ticket offers, low ticket offers, focusing on one thing, and raising your prices, just as a few common examples. But the reality is that we are all totally different people and therefore, we have totally different strengths. Rather than trying to fit into some kind of mold for success, my guest today (Hannah Miller) is here to break down the value of really learning about your own strengths (like, through an assessment such as CliftonStrengths), and using what you know (and what you learn!) about how your unique brain works to create your own definition of success.

It seems like every time you try to talk to someone about 'marketing' in the online business coaching space, they just want to talk about social media. Now don't get me wrong, social media is full of opportunities for personal branding, marketing, and messaging. BUT... there are so many other ways to market your business! Emily Aborn is back this week because we both feel passionately about this. Let's talk about it!

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.

Y'ALL my friend Dr. Cherie is my guest on the podcast today and you are going to love her as much as I do. She is sharing all about radical self care and burnout for entrepreneurs - but this is not the conversation about burnout you've heard before. Dr. Cherie literally has a PhD in this stuff - her dissertation was all about what causes burnout and how to prevent it in human services professionals. Tune in to hear the conversation we NEED to be having around self-care.

In this episode, we're chatting about balancing wealth and lifestyle, overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of community and support, handling business challenges, future goals, and so much more.