In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, owner and sole writer of independent publishing house, The English Schoolhouse, about how she built the boutique publishing house. She has penned over fifteen children’s books, connecting with professional fine artists to include the most amazing illustrations in each book. This episode is a must listen as Dr. Pizzoli shares her stories of building her business and owning her own abilities to get shit done and make her dreams a reality! Building a Boutique Publishing House Episode Highlights: “Adversity guards the door to success.” Work doesn’t have to be difficult and cumbersome, sometimes it can be “that simple”. Take your time. Make time for yourself and own pleasures and mischiefs. Do it. Do something about it today. Start today, even something little. Date your ideas. Dr. Tamara Pizzoli Dr. Tamara Pizzoli is the owner and sole writer at her independent publishing house, The English Schoolhouse. In five years she has penned over fifteen children's book titles including the award-winning story The Ghanaian Goldilocks and Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO, which has been optioned to be made into a live action film produced by Gabrielle Union and John Sacchi. Originally from Texas, Pizzoli has resided in Rome, Italy for over a decade where she does everything she deems creative and interesting while raising her four children. You can find Tamara online at: Facebook: Tamara Pizzoli Instagram: @tamarapizzoli    Twitter: @engschoolhouse   Website: theenglishschoolhouse.com If you like the bumper music in each episode, you can hear more from Gretchen’s bands at leanthef-ckout.com/music.

Lean the F*ck Out | Fempreneurs | Women Entrepreneurs | Female Business Owners

EP112 - Building a Boutique Publishing House - An Interview with Tamara Pizzoli

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, Gretchen and Tera talk with Tameka Ramsey, founder of T Ramsey & Associates. Tameka is an entrepreneur, consultant, community organizer, problem solver and so much more. Honestly, it’s hard to capture in a brief statement what a bad ass Tameka is! Listen to this episode to get a sense of what she does, why she does it, and how she is truly changing the damn world. Changing the Damn World! Episode Highlights: Tameka started T Ramsey & Associates and modeled it after Olivia Pope & Associates! The consultancy is made up of black women consultants with a wide range of expertise including advocacy, social justice, strategic planning, civic engagement, PR, branding, communications, writing and more. An important aspect of T Ramsey & Associates is that it empowers black women to run their own businesses while having the flexibility to work and raise their families. Black women move the needle when it comes to policies and voting. Community organizing has to start hyper-locally. Organize yourself and your lives first, then once you feel that empowerment you automatically start going bigger and making more movement. You need to feel empowered personally first. Organizations need to see this first. Empower women first, then bring them along to the Capitol. “Calling out rudeness is my favorite past time.” “All community organizers should be social workers.” “Organize in the way of the Black Panther.” Tameka Ramsey Tameka Ramsey is the founder and senior associate at T. Ramsey & Associates, a consulting firm based in Downtown Pontiac, Michigan. Tameka is a sought-after consultant, known for her work with grassroot nonprofits; minority owned microenterprises and small businesses; and, progressive political campaigns. She serves as the co-founder of Pontiac Policy Council, convener for Black Women’s Roundtable Detroit, and is a member of 482Forward and Mothering Justice. Tameka has worked tirelessly to build grassroots organizations in Pontiac and Metro Detroit that are committed to their communities. Tameka earned her associate’s degree in mental health social work from Oakland Community College; her bachelor’s degree in social work from Wayne State University; and her master’s degree in public administration with a dual concentration of local government and nonprofit management from Oakland University. In addition to her formal education, Tameka has more than 12 years’ experience in community organizing, advocacy and leadership development. She has received training from Neighbor Works America, Center for Progressive Leadership, Midwest Academy, the Gamaliel Organization and more. Tameka is married to Michael Brown Ramsey. They have three children, Qua’Veionta (Roshae), Zakiya and Michael Jr and a new grandson Qua Jr You can find Tameka online at: website: tramseyllc.com Facebook: facebook.com/BWRMD If you like the bumper music in each episode, you can hear more from Gretchen’s bands at leanthef-ckout.com/music.

EP111 - Changing the Damn World - An interview with Tameka Ramsey

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, Gretchen and Tera talk with Ary, the Badass Budget Babe and Virtual CFO. Ary tells about her journey toward loving finance and budgeting, and gives tips on her can go from business budgeting to badass business budgeting. This episode is chocked full of tips and tricks you don’t want to miss. Business Budgeting Episode Highlights: Ary helps business owners learn about cash flow, looking at books over time not just at tax times. Cash is your insurance policy as a business owner. Big issues CEOs come with: paying yourself a salary or growing your salary; having enough to run my bills; effectively leveraging credit vs. I can’t afford this without debt; taxes. Shift mindset to “This is what we need.” in your business budget instead of facing what you actually have.  A lot of times, not managing money or avoiding it is a mindset issue, not actually a money or number issue. Mindset and numbers are both important to focus on. Take yourself on a weekly money date for 15-20 minutes a week, every week. What’s the point of having money if it isn’t fun? Sit down with your numbers and look towards your goals. What are my financial goals? What am I working towards? Use that time for visualization and journaling. Ask yourself ‘what do I need to shift this week?” Use that time to make sure you are on the same track with your partners. Set a timer. Stretch your goals and set them regularly. Goals should be a stretch but not bring on disappointment. A good way to manage goal setting is by using markers of 3. If your first goal is to hi $1k this month, maybe $3k is reasonable the next month, etc.  Sometimes it is the timeframe that needs to be adjusted, not the goal. Extensively each quarter: review what happened with your money. Did you hit your goals, why or why not? There are no ‘shoulds’. If you ever feel like you ‘should’ be doing XYZ, then ask yourself who said it and why.  If you want to have a job and run your business, give yourself permission to do that. Do you what you want, lean into it, feel it out, then get the data and do it. Ary Michele Ary is a Virtual CFO who helps 6&7-figure businesses to increase profit margins through better financial management. After graduating from Azusa Pacific University with her accounting degree, she worked as a tax and audit accountant for a CPA firm. After realizing the typical accountant life just wasn't for her, she stuck out on her own and figured out how to make accounting work for growing entrepreneurs. She's been fortunate enough to work in many industries, from medical to non-profit, brick and mortar retail to online consulting. This gives her the skills and knows how to grow businesses in both top and bottom line profits. When she's not working with numbers, she enjoys reading, traveling around with her family and doing yoga with her cat.  You can find Ary online at: Facebook:@badassbudgetbabe or @ary.michele Instagram: @badassbudgetbabe Website:badassbudgetbabe.com If you like the bumper music in each episode, you can hear more from Gretchen’s bands at leanthef-ckout.com/music.

EP110 - Badass Business Budgeting - An interview with Ary Michele

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, Gretchen and Tera talk with entrepreneur Kathy Terry, co-founder of P. Terry’s Burger Stand and founder of In Lieu. Kathy talks she founded a business built on giving after being inspired by giving her and her husband were able to do through their restaurant business.  A Business Built on Giving Episode Highlights: In Lieu starting as an idea for transforming behavior from gift giving to friends to giving back in a new way. Giving back is fast and easy through the In Lieu app. Use giving to get to know friends/coworkers/clients a bit more. Kathy’s business build on giving started with the user experience and was built backwards to create the working app it is today. Redirecting market from gifting market to the nonprofit market. As a femprenuer use your access. Kathy Terry A fierce female and serial entrepreneur, Kathy Terry has been making waves since starting her first business over 20 years ago. In 2005 she co-founded P. Terry’s Burger Stand with her husband Patrick and quickly established its presence as a socially and health-conscious fast food alternative. With fifteen P. Terry’s locations and counting (and a hot new fast casual Mexican offering called Taco Ranch) there’s no denying that Kathy Terry has helped change the way Austinites do “fast casual.”  Kathy and Patrick have a heart for philanthropy, and giving back has always been a core principle of the Terry’s business model. Through their stewardship, the restaurant chain has donated over $900,000 to date, all benefiting local nonprofits. But Kathy didn’t stop there - in 2018 she launched an all-new mobile app called inLieu: the first social giving app where users can make donations and share a personal message with a friend, anytime, anywhere.  Kathy’s mission to change the way we think about giving is a reflection of a lifetime of charitable giving and service. Her goal is simple–to make it easier for people to make the world a better place.  Kathy and Patrick live in Austin Texas with their two children, Kate and Caroline. You can find Kathy online at: Website: inlieu.com Facebook: facebook.com/giveinlieu Twitter: twitter.com/giveinlieu Instagram: instagram.com/giveinlieu If you like the bumper music in each episode, you can hear more from Gretchen’s bands at leanthef-ckout.com/music.

EP109: A Business Built on Giving – An interview with Kathy Terry

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno and Aparna Rae about the organization they founded, Future for Us, and the work they are doing to help companies grow and recruit womxn of color. Through Future for Us, Sage and Arpana are building an intentional community for womxn of color to build careers and life’s they want and support one another throughout the process. Future for Us Episode Highlights: Future for Us is an intentional community for womxn of color that started in Seattle. There is not a womxn of color pipeline problem, companies are missing out on hiring already qualified and ready womxn.  Womxn of color are ready and coming together to support one another and get better jobs. Future for Us’ ambition is for womxn of color to be leading at the highest levels of corporations. Womxn of color need to build community and support among each other to make this happen. Connecting with others like you in a community like this, allows you to learn from those that are similar to you. We are all different and not always cohesive and can teach each other through our own lessons. Companies: It’s not enough to say you want diversity, you have to back it up through evidence within your staff. Womxn looking to len the f*ck out: lead by example. Give others the courage they need to do the same. Leaning the f*ck out is what we owe ourselves so that the next generation can walk lighter.  We have the opportunity and privilege to do the work now, unlike many womxn before us. Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno Sage is recreating seats of power for and by womxn of color so that our workforce reflects what WoC bring to the table: resilience, ROI, and liberation. Sage Ke’alohilani Quiamno is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and changemaker. As co-founder of ​Future For Us​, a platform dedicated to advancing of womxn of color through community, culture, and career development, Sage has galvanized a nationwide movement to build a future of work reaching new levels of growth through diversity, equity, and inclusion.  Starting her career in pay equity, she provided 4,000+ women with the tools and resources they need to advocate for themselves at work and, as a result, negotiate $500K in salary increases and secure 150 promotions. Sage is an amplifier, advocating for womxn of color at work in top publications and organizations - from Forbes, NPR and GeekWire to SXSW, the Women’s March, Microsoft, Starbucks, and more.  Sage has gathered a groundswell of support and recognition - a clear signal that our cities, companies, and economy are ready and already fighting for equity at work. Recent accolades include Rising Star Awards from Seattle’s National Organization for Women and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, KUOW Radio’s Boss Tactician Award, University of Washington’s Community Leadership Award, and a nomination for Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2019.   Sage is a native Hawaiian who looks at systems, processes, and people with an indigenous lens to leave a better world for generations to come. Her story - your story - our story - continues.  Aparna Rae Aparna is recreating seats of power for and by womxn of color so that our workforce reflects what WoC bring to the table: resilience, ROI, and liberation. Aparna is an educator, innovator, and disruptor working at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and organizational design. Her decades-long career in workforce development has advanced thousands of individuals in under-resourced communities through culturally relevant resources and leadership.  Beginning her career at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Aparna developed and deployed UBC’s first open journaling system, democratizing research for all, not just the wealthy few with journal access. Aparna has since launched a number of groundbreaking equity initiatives, including​ ​Project Feast​, a platform providing employment pathways for immigrant and refugee women in the food industry, and​ ​Firki​, a highly scalable, nationwide teacher training portal in India.   Today she is co-founder of ​Future For Us​, a platform dedicated to advancing of womxn of color through community, culture, and career development, and ​Moving Beyond​, an impact practice that operationalizes DEI and supports fund managers, wealth advisors, investors, philanthropists, and social innovators creating positive impact for people and the planet.  Aparna believes in the power of story and frequently shines a light on equity at work as a presenter, keynote speaker, and panelist. Her voice and vision has been covered in Seattle Business Magazine, Forbes, Geekwire, The Seattle Times, and more.  Growing up in 5 countries, Aparna witnessed the power of diverse voices early in life. This concept continues to be reinforced personally and professionally: diversity and inclusion is a pathway to success.  You can find Sage and Aparna online at: Linked In: linkedin.com/company/future-for-us Facebook: facebook.com/futureforus.now Instagram: instagram.com/futureforus.now Twitter: twitter.com/futurefor_us If you like the bumper music in each episode, you can hear more from Gretchen’s bands at leanthef-ckout.com/music.

EP108: Future for Us – An interview with Sage Ke'alohilani Quiamno and Aparna Rae

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Lindsay White about leaving a corporate career to make music full time and how that journey brought her to starting Lady Brain Collective, a supportive and collaborative group of local women pursuing careers in the arts. Lindsay shares tips on making a career as an independent artist, and supplementing with a side hustle when you need to. She talks about her mental health journey and her experience as a caregiver to a partner dealing with mental health issues. Lindsay also discusses grief and loss and the perspective it has given her. Lady Brain Episode Highlights: Watch for your moment to leap. Look for the moment when the universe is tipping the scale. If you lean out you have to be willing to work your ass off. Starting out as an artist, your side hustle is key. Be genuinely kind. You never know what people are going through, be compassionate. Show yourself grace and compassion like you would those you are care taking. Loss gives us all perspective, no one is immortal. As a society we need to talk about trauma, grief and death more, the discussion will make us a more compassionate . Loss is a unifying experience. Always have honest conversations with yourself, about your mortality. What do you want to get out of this life? Lindsay White You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll call your therapist. With influences ranging from Bob Dylan to Ani DiFranco, Lindsay White's songwriting has earned recognition from Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and American Songwriter. Her latest record Lights Out chronicles the experience of losing her estranged mother to brain cancer. The record debuted #2 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts, was named #1 Album of the Year by Global Texan Chronicles, and earned her the 2018 San Diego Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter. White was recently named one of "15 Lesbian/Bi/Queer Musical Artists You Need to Know" by AfterEllen.com. She has opened for notable acts such as The Lone Bellow, David Crosby, Steve Poltz, Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles), Raining Jane ft. Jason Mraz, and more. White is a queer intersectional feminist, mental health advocate, grief support advocate, and writer. She has led songwriting workshops for Rock n' Roll Camp for Girls San Diego, participated in Pride events throughout the country, and independently published a narrative essay called "Love by the Numbers: What to do (and not to do) when your Bipolar partner thinks she's Jesus." Recently, she organized the Lady Brain Collective, a supportive and collaborative group of local women pursuing careers in the arts. White relies on support from, Lindsay's Corner, an exclusive community of dedicated friends and fans who always make her journey as an independent artist feel like a group effort. You can find Lindsay online at: Website: lindsaywhitemusic.com // ladybrainpresents.com Patreon: patreon.com/lindsaywhitemusic Instagram: instagram.com/lindsaywhitemusic // instagram.com/ladybrainpresents Facebook: facebook.com/lindsaywhitemusic // facebook.com/ladybrainpresents Youtube: youtube.com/lindsayannwhite Twitter: twitter.com/listentolindsay Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/lindsayannwhite Lindsay White Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4kdJU3sybstAXUhWzZNRT1 Lady Brain Presents Spotify Playlist: open.spotify.com/user/1211221790/playlist/00RpoDN5SJe6qTV7scOqLO?si=ldfdgRhiSny-h7ABwrZ8yg iTunes: music.apple.com/us/album/lindsay-white/1238408015?app=itunes&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP107: Lady Brain Collective - An interview with Lindsay White

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Robin Schorr about her bold move from an accomplished career as a film producer to pursue her deepest passion -- music. Two years into her second act, Robin has already had her music placed on MTV and Free Form. She is proof that it is never too late to follow your heart! Episode Highlights: A bit about Robin’s second act: Deep down, film was never really her love Music was her biggest love but she had never seen a path to a career in it Her daughter was reading The Alchemist - Robin started reading the book out loud to her daughter. Started questioning what her purpose was and whether her life was a lie Started meditating Decided to learn how to play guitar Had always heard melodies Once she started playing the guitar, an explosion of melodies were in her head Had a lightbulb revelation moment while listening to a country song. Realized she could write songs for country artists. She KNEW deep in her heart and in her bones music was her purpose - even though she had never written a song. In 2017 - went to Nashville and there happened to be a workshop during the time she was going. For the next year, she worked on songs for country artists and focusing on the things she learned at Nashville event. You’re not a songwriter til you’ve written 100 songs Find your best co-writers Come to Nashville as much as you can Get good enough at guitar so you can play out and meet alot of people Started writing for country but began wondering where her place was in country music -- especially since it's so male dominated. Keith Hill Quote: “Trust me, I play great female records and we’ve got some right now; they’re just not the lettuce in our salad,” Hill said. “The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.” Wrote a pop song in LA as a fluke. Played her song for a film industry colleague and they loved it. Robin spends 2 hours a day reaching out to film connections. Industry outreach. The rest of her time is spent writing music with artists and producers, particularly on music that works for film and TV. Robin has had placements on MTV’s “Teen Mom 2,” Freeform’s “Good Trouble,” and the indie film “Sugar.” Advice for women thinking about leaning out and pursuing their second act: Of course, you have to make sure you’re financially able to live But life is short and particularly while you’re in good health, you have to grab it with every bit of passion and practical hours in the day that you can. Don’t be self deprecating about being female and about your age. Every time you think in this space, instead think about what you love and what you have to say. Carve out the time to do it If you don’t know what it is, read The Alchemist. Robin Schorr Songwriter Robin Schorr was working as a film/tv producer and senior executive in Los Angeles until 2017, when she unexpectedly and totally fell in love with... songwriting! A lifelong passionate music fan, she never dreamed of actually creating music. So as soon as she discovered this deep passion, she has fearlessly pursued songwriting with enormous joy and energy. Robin refuses to believe that it is ever too late to follow your heart, and she is gratefully living by that credo every day. Her first year of writing was spent in Country music because she mistakenly thought that was the only genre of music in which artists didn’t always write their own songs. But when old friends from film heard her music, they started asking her for songs in other genres for their features, trailers, games and series. After a total career pivot, suddenly her old world and new dovetailed in perfect harmony. Now Robin toplines every day with gifted artist/singers and producers to create fully produced tracks in all genres, either based on briefs she has received or on spec, for film, tv, trailers and commercials. Robin’s collaborators are repped by companies from Universal to Lyric House to Resin8. Film highlights: Robin had senior executive jobs for companies including legendary producer Kathy Kennedy of Lucas Film as well as at Disney and Lionsgate Studios, where she worked on films including THE SIXTH SENSE and many more. Schorr was also head of creative production for River Road Entertainment, where they produced Sean Penn's critically acclaimed INTO THE WILD, as well as FOOD INC, the groundbreaking documentary on agribusiness for which Schorr won 2 Emmy Awards. Schorr also worked in music video production with top video/film directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) and received her M.F.A. in Production at UCLA film school. She started her career as a disc jockey in the Bay Area. Music highlights: In country, Robin was a finalist in the Nashville Songstar Songwriting Competition 2018, selected by NSAI as “One To Watch” and she attended NSAI Advanced Song Camp. Her co-written song, “Walk Away” recently was chosen for the Taxi Top 10 in Feb 2019. Since her start writing for sync in just the past year, she has had four placements on MTV’s “Teen Mom 2,” as well as Freeform’s “Good Trouble,” and the indie film “Sugar.” She regularly attends the Durango Songwriter Expo for songwriting and Film/TV and attended the magnificent Hawaii Songwriting Festival for the first time in summer 2018. You can find Robin online at: https://soundcloud.com/user-265966734   Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP106: A Bad Ass Second Act – An interview with Robin Schorr

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Mar Yvette, an LA-based lifestyle writer, editor, on-air host and founder of the online platform Homegirl Talk. Mar talks about the platform she built and the importance of creating a space for women of all walks of life to keep it real and share stories, struggles and successes. Homegirl Talk Episode Highlights: On celebrating your own culture. The struggle with internalized racism that often leads to shame, even within one’s own culture. The importance of accepting, embracing and celebrating your culture. For Mar, confidence came with worldly experiences, education, stronger work experiences, etc. What Mar has learned from doing Homegirl Talk We have to be the light and share each other’s stories. Women need a space to keep it real. Our power is finding that we are all more similar than different. It’s been surprising how women have been willing to open up. Mar’s advice to women thinking about leaning out and doing their own thing: Be fearless - just do it Being fearless doesn’t mean without fear, it means moving through the fear! Might be the first step in making your dreams come true Mar Yvette Mar Yvette is an LA-based lifestyle writer, editor and on-air host who has worked with some of the world’s most recognized media companies including E! News, ABC, Citysearch, Huffington Post, Playboy Magazine and Fox News Latino. She is the founder and editor in chief of Homegirl Talk, an online platform to connect and promote women from all walks of life. You can find her on Instagram at @therealmarpop. You can find Mar online at: https://www.homegirltalk.com/ https://www.instagram.com/homegirltalk/ https://www.facebook.com/homegirltalk https://twitter.com/homegirltalk Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP105 - Homegirl Talk - An interview with Mar Yvette

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Jasmine Jia founder of La La Tours, a private tour company in Los Angeles about the art of being a good guide, the importance of curiosity and listening, and her passion for travel. Running a Tour Company Episode Highlights: What Jasmine has learned running her own business: Takes one passionate traveler to understand travelers You are always learning Being a good listener is important Customer feedback is so important Businesses are rated and reviewed all the time which is a great promotional tool but can also feel very scary Best promotion is word of mouth Advice for women thinking of leaning out: Try it But be flexible and willing to adjust your business as it develops Talk to and listen to people who are successful Work hard and be patient Jasmine Jia Jasmine Jia is a private tour guide and owner of La La Tours in Los Angeles, California. Her private tour guiding service has earned an impeccable 5 star rating from her customers from all over the world since 2012 on various review websites for travel and tour services. Born and raised in northeastern China, Jasmine moved to Shanghai for her college education and worked there until she immigrated to the U.S. 20 years ago. She loves travel, nature exploration, photography, food, history and art. She and her husband of 22 years of marriage also enjoy spending time with their daughter who continues to be her inspiration of love, creativities and curiosity. You can find Jasmine online at: Website: lalatours.net Instagram: @LaLaTours Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrivateToursLaLaTours/ Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP104: Running a Tour Company - An interview with Jasmine Jia

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Ashima Saigal, founder of Database Sherpa, about her unique approach to consulting and how she harnesses the power of a sherpa approach to guide clients through change. A Sherpa Approach to Business Episode Highlights: Change is scary, Ashima’s sherpa approach is there to help clients tackle their fears of the change. The process is a very open dialogue at the beginning. The sherpa approach requires the consultant to acknowledge their own humanity when first connecting with a client, to ensure that authenticity is there throughout the entire process. Sincerity throughout the process leads to both the client and the consultant being more sincere. It resets expectations. Meet more frequently or check in more often to ensure everyone is feeling good about the process. The sherpa approach is more focused on the person that is making the change than ensuring the process is moving forward in a specific way or the system that they are implementing. Business owner (runs a business) versus entrepreneur (blazes a brand new trail). You are worth something. Don’t let someone tell you that you are charging too much! If you devalue yourself it might be more likely to lose business, you will start looking like a cheaper option instead of a peer to others who offer similar services. Ashima Saigal We often don’t know our destination while taking a journey, and this was the case for Ashima Saigal before developing Database Sherpa. Her path has taken her from working for herself in an award-winning computer consulting business to a small software development company to a large manufacturing company to a small startup nonprofit to a university. The experiences along this path, combined with her ongoing education and her yoga practice, came together as the foundation of Database Sherpa. Having lived all over the world, she eventually landed in Michigan to attend Michigan State University, where she studied Computer Science in a liberal arts setting at MSU’s Lyman Briggs College. She completed her Master’s in Computer Information Systems at Grand Valley State University. Ashima is a Certified Salesforce Developer and a Certified Salesforce Software Administrator. In 2012, Ashima founded Database Sherpa to help organizations find peace with their data. She developed a “Sherpa Approach” to guide organizations to use their own skills and knowledge to develop their databases using the Salesforce platform. With her background in software development, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit technology, she guides nonprofits towards self-sufficiency with the Salesforce platform. Database Sherpa is not just a business for Ashima—it’s a community of people who are open-minded and eager-hearted when it comes to using technology to shape organizations. While guiding organizations to find peace with their data, Ashima observed that many organizations were challenged using tools like Filemaker Pro and Access, which were made for technical professionals. Salesforce was built for sales and marketing department staff -- in other words, for users rather than the IT department. Experience showed that this user-focused tool was exactly what nonprofits needed, simple and user friendly. Ashima’s consulting approach is grounded in her yoga and meditation practice and her compassion for people. She is proactive and thought-provoking, encouraging dialogue whenever possible. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan and loves to travel, meet new people, try new foods, and play board games. You can find Ashima online at: Website: databasesherpa.com Facebook: facebook.com/databasesherpa Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP103 - A Sherpa Approach to Business - An interview with Ashima Saigal

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with entrepreneur Amy Rasdal about how she leaned out and started her own consulting business. Amy shares tips and tricks on how to build your own consulting business from her own experience and from her own trainings for women looking to lean out and stay home with their children. Launching a Consulting Business Episode Highlights: There are a lot of other options to working a 9-5 job, you can live the life you want to live. Amy works to open minds to the ideas of what those options could be. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you should make less money. The work that you do is important, not where you do the work. You do not have to give up your career path if you become a consultant. Happiness is a journey. Just when you figure it out something is going to change. Enjoy the ride. As a consultant you are hired for your specific “superpower”. “Be a Superhero with Superpowers and make Superpay.” Your consulting business puts you in a position to be a short term resource for a company, which allows you to get paid more. Use the term “work remotely” instead of “work from home”. Allows for a different mindset with clients. Your home office is “The Office”. Be prepared to be able to answer “What is your rate?” with confidence. Practice it out loud. Practicing makes a huge difference. To start a consulting business you need a computer, a phone, brainpower, and business experience. You do need to have some experience with your superpower before starting your own consulting business. You don’t have to start a business as soon as you launch. Get a client and get your first check in the bank, then keep building. Often when you start your consulting business your first few clients will come quickly, then you have to work to build your the pipeline out from there. The billable work is the easy part, the business development and marketing is the hard part when you start your own consulting business. Look for clients within your own network to get started. Work to constantly to expand your network - always be prospecting. It’s always relationship building that gets you clients, not the social media, etc. You can’t just “build it and they will come.” No matter if you are in corporate or starting your own consulting business, there is always a leap (sidewalk crack or grand canyon) - you can work your way to take these steps, one at a time. Amy Rasdal I am a working mom of two kids, ages 15 and 5.  I traded my corporate job for consulting 15 years ago and make more money than most executives.  Now I live a very blended life with almost no boundaries.  I work and play every day. I liberate corporate working mothers by empowering them to build their own successful consulting businesses.  I’m quick on the mute button and I can tell you a foolproof way to do a professional conference call from Disneyland. The mission of Billable with Baby® is to help you find the courage to start your own consulting business so you can have the freedom and flexibility to raise your children the way you wish. You can replace the full time pay your family needs. You can find Amy online at: Website: BillableWithBaby.com Facebook: facebook.com/BillableWithBaby LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/amyrasdal Twitter: twitter.com/billablebaby Instagram: instagram.com/billablewithbaby Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP102 - Launching a Consulting Business - An interview with Amy Rasdal

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Susan Hyatt about how you can take yourself further as a business owner by defeating self-sabotage through self-love, body positivity, finding what gives you pleasure, and quitting things that deprive you of that pleasure. Susan shares tips and techniques from her own experience and her new book BARE. Defeating Self-Sabotage Episode Highlights: Stop obsessing with your body and revert our energy to what really matters for our life. The “Invisible Workload” of women = Even if you are in a ‘equal’ partnership, women still carry the invisible workload that doesn’t take any credit. The invisible workload is the emotional heavy lifting we do to hold up our family and friends, and keep things moving. When you are not feeling good it’s hard to shift your mindset away from self-sabotage. Environmental Detox = Paying attention to everything in your environment that depletes your energy in some way. What do you need to clean up here? Set boundaries and say no. Take power and time back. This frees you up to focus more on yourself. Lack of willpower is not the reason you can’t make a change or develop a new habit. You are distracted and exhausted by the visible and invisible workload you carry. The antidote to the “more willpower,” “no pain no gain” is women focusing on their pleasure. The Pleasure Principle = the human body is wired for pleasure, if you deprive your body of pleasure and run on scarcity (like through traditional dieting) you are acting counterintuitively to your need for pleasure. You don’t have to deserve pleasure. Your body is wired for it. Give yourself permission. From this you will help to overcome self-sabotage. Do the environmental detox work to reduce self-sabotage. Envy is a good tap on the shoulder. Admiration is hijacked by negative thinking. Envy is a sign of the pleasure you desire or are depriving yourself of. Fuel yourself regularly throughout the day and allow yourself some pleasure food. For every deprivation there is an equal and opposite binge. Susan Hyatt Susan Hyatt is a master certified life coach who has helped thousands of women to transform their bodies and lives. She’s the creator of the Bare Process, the Bare Deck, the Bare Podcast, and an online community called Bare Daily. With her fiery Facebook rants—including “Whoop Ass Wednesday,” where she reads a fresh batch of hate mail from Internet trolls and gives her sassiest response—Susan has gained an international following of women who love her honesty, humor, and fearlessness. Susan has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Woman’s World, Seventeen, and O: The Oprah Magazine, and was a Finalist for the Athena Award, honoring her work in the field of women’s empowerment. You can find Susan online at: Website: shyatt.com BARE Website: letsgetbare.com Instagram: @SusanHyatt LinkedIn BARE Podcast (iTunes) Rich Coach Club Podcast (iTunes) Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP101: Defeating Self-Sabotage – An interview with Susan Hyatt

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we look back at the last 100 episodes and how the amazing women we have talked to on the podcast are leaning out. We talk about some of our greatest lessons and most influentials moments. Together we run through our 10 most listened to episodes and talk about the women we have interviewed who are out there making cool shit happen! Top 10 Most Listened to Episodes of Lean the F*ck Out #10. Episode 53: Mastering Google Search and SEO to Increase Sales with Michele Hansen #9 Episode 60: Running an Activist Side Hustle with Chelsey Goodan   #8 Episode 58: Lead Generation and Prospecting with Sara Bay   #7 Episode 68: Strategic Destruction to Solve Business Problems with Susan Norris #6 Episode 67: Outsourcing to Scale Up with Brianna Carney #5 Episode 51: Ladies Get Paid with Claire Wasserman #4 Episode 1 of Lean the F*ck Out #3 Episode 61: Turning Passion to Profit with Elaine Huang #2 Episode 54: Selling Doesn’t Have to Suck with Leah Neaderthal #1 Episode 62: Finding Your Brand Story with Kate Browne   Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP100: Looking Back at 100 Episodes with Tera and Gretchen

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Jill Salzman about her company The Founding Moms. Jill is an expert in building a business and making it work as a mom. We talk about how you can become a badass founding mom and chat about what it takes to be a mom entrepreneur. Badass Founding Moms Episode Highlights: Systemizing makes everything feel less crazy. Two universal truths about moms: 1. Moms carry guilt about being a working mom and having a kid; and 2. they all carry fear that they will fail. No entrepreneur has it all and knows all of what she’s doing. If you think you understand your target market you don’t. You can’t assume anything about anyone. You have to survey, survey, survey; ask, ask, ask. Use your intuition. Don’t let data fuel your fears. Do the thing you want to do. Dive right in. Don’t let anything be the hurdle to you trying it. Ask people. The worst you could hear is no, which is also helpful. Jill Salzman Jill Salzman is currently growing her third entrepreneurial venture, The Founding Moms, where she helps mom entrepreneurs build better businesses. A graduate of Brown University and law school, she started a music management firm and then launched and sold a baby jewelry company before creating her current venture. She’s the author of  The Best Business Book In The World and the best-seller, Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs. Jill is a co-host of Inc. Magazine’s top-rated entertaining business podcast, Breaking Down Your Business, gave her own TED talk on 11/11/11, was dubbed a “mommy mogul” by CNNMoney, a “ Cool Mom Entrepreneur We Love” by MSN Live, and she was recently named one of the Top 50 Women to Watch In Tech as well as a Top 100 Champion Small Business Influencer after Forbes’ named The Founding Moms one of the Top 10 Websites For Entrepreneurs. She’s shared the speaker stage with Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, Daymond John, Marilu Henner, and Desmond Tutu and she regularly appears on ABC7’s Windy City Live TV show. In her spare time, Jill enjoys kloofing, baking, and erasing her daughters’ crayon artwork from the kitchen walls. You can find Jill online at: Website - foundingmoms.com Podcast - Breaking Down Your Business Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP99: Badass Founding Moms - an Interview with Jill Salzman

In this episode of Lean the F*ck Out, we talk with Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur talk about building a business with a friend. Erica and Claire talk about their successful online store, Of A Kind, and their recently released book Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses. We discuss the many different ways partnering with a friend can make your business successful and how you can find the right friend to partner with, among other amazing tips from these friends who have kicked ass in their own business. Building a Business with a Friend Episode Highlights: Vulnerability and transparency is key to a strong partnership. When you start a business it becomes all encompassing to your life. What to look for and think about in a friend who could be a good partner: trust and respect in your relationship. similar work ethic and similarly high standards. Learning to fight/have constructive disagreements early on is really productive for any partnership. Get comfortable with conflict – the more you practice the easier it is. How to spot potential red flags in the friendship that should not become a partnership: If your friend is someone it is hard to plan something small with, they will likely be someone you can’t plan a business with. Go on a stressful trip together - see how people respond to difficult situations. Not every friend would make a good partner, be aware of red flags. Because of the history of workplace culture, we’ve only seen a patriarchal structure. The way women work is different. It is important to be passionate about it the business you are about to build. Trust your gut. If you made the rules behind your company, you can break those rules. Be open to evolving. You don’t have to know everything before you start your business. You will learn along the way, and there is always someone willing to help. Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur met as undergrads at the University of Chicago in 2002 and founded Of a Kind in 2010. They have developed a reputation as influential curators at the forefront of the maker movement, with a knack for identifying “the next big thing” when it’s still a small thing. In addition to unearthing America’s most talented up-and-coming designers for feature on their website, Cerulo and Mazur have also become known for their popular 10 Things newsletter and its podcast companion A Few Things, where they expand their enthusiasm for new discoveries across product and lifestyle categories. Accolades for Cerulo and Mazur have included being named to Forbes’s“30 Under 30,” InStyle’s “Best of the Web,” and Fashionista’s “Most Influential People in New York Fashion Right Now.” This is their first book. You can find Erica and Claire online at: Website - ofakind.com Instagram: instagram.com/ofakind Facebook: facebook.com/ofakind The book: Work Wife: The Power of Female Friendship to Drive Successful Businesses Download the FREE Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit If you are thinking about starting a business or side hustle, check out our Lean the F*ck Out Launch Kit. The kit gives you tools and inspiration to start thinking like a fempreneur and start designing the life you want! You’ll receive a guided meditation to help you figure out your vision, a budget worksheet to see what you need financially to make a go of it, daily practices including printable worksheets and daily affirmations to help you keep your head up when your confidence is waning. Again, it’s free and it’s available at leanthef-ckout.com/launchkit. Music: Sunshine by The Icicles

EP98: Building a Business with a Friend – An interview with Erica Cerulo and Claire Mazur

A podcast for fempreneurs / women entrepreneurs / women business owners who are creating their own way of living, working and making cool sh*t happen. Hosted by women entrepreneurs Gretchen DeVault and Tera Wozniak Qualls.

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Lean the F*ck Out | Fempreneurs | Women Entrepreneurs | Fema...

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