Meet Chad Aboud, former lawyer and the owner of Chad Aboud Consulting. Chad works to help Law Firms and Lawyers create rewarding careers and sticky client relationships by bringing more of themselves into their careers. Before launching his Consulting & Coaching business, for 12 years Chad was a Lawyer, both in a national Law Firm and as General Counsel.

Meet Allyson Valentine, bad a** balloon stylist and owner of Pop Studio Balloons. What started as a little hobby during Covid has turned into a hugely buzzed about business that is celebrating 3 years in business in June. Allyson was just selected out of thousands of balloon professionals to participate in the Big Balloon Build where the team is tasked with creating a gigantic immersive Balloon World using more than 150,000 balloons all in aid of Life Stories Children and Family Advocacy. Check out the press release HERE.

Find Pop Studio Balloons online:

PopStudioballoons.com

Instagram/popstudioballoons

[email protected]

About Allyson:

I started playing around with balloons in 2017, making things here and there for family and friends. Some of the first pieces I made were to celebrate milestones for my son! When my twin daughters turned 1 at the beginning of the pandemic, I pulled together a balloon backdrop for their Zoom Cake Smash (gah! never thought I’d say that). I had about 30 balloons in the house left over from other celebrations, and I was determined to make it work. And work it did!

After sharing pics, others started seeking out my fun creations for their quarantine celebrations, too. I ordered a bunch of balloons and in the evenings after I finished my day job teaching and tucked my kids in bed, I got to work learning more about building and creating with balloons. I spent my quarantine free time taking virtual classes, learning from other talented balloon artists, and testing out new ideas in my tiny basement studio. I gave away my first creations to friends or through Facebook.

Pop Studio was officially born in June of 2020! The first pieces I sold were small balloon bursts and mini garlands for graduation car parades. Soon I was ballooning on nights and weekends, teaching full time from a closet in my house (hello remote learning) and managing my family. My first year in business, I was able to add balloon magic to 285 celebrations!

In the summer of 2021, I decided to take a step back from teaching. Pop Studio has grown from a creative outlet and side hustle into a full time business that allows me to do something creative, gives me the flexibility to be with my little ones, and let’s me meet and celebrate with so many amazing people. I love being a part of your most memorable moments and I especially love that my kids get to see me working hard to build something from the ground up. It’s fun to hear them talk about it. My 5 year old’s sales pitch is pretty good! 🙂

Top 5 Fun Facts about Allyson (in her own words):

1. I’ve had two previous careers - one in marketing/events and one as an elementary school teacher. I was a 1st grade teacher and STEAM (science, tech, engineering, arts, math) Specialist. 

2. When I worked as a STEAM specialist, I taught kids how to work through the Design Process and be creative problem solvers. I use a lot of these skills in my business everyday! 

3. At one point in time I had three kids under age 2! My son was 21months old when we welcomed twin girls. 

4. I decided to leave CT and go to college in Colorado without ever seeing my school. 

5. My dad is an engineer and taught me how to build, create and problem solve.

Meet Mickey Anderson, a marketing strategist and educator, and the owner of Hey Mickey Anderson, a business that helps small and micro businesses find, convert and keep their ideal clients . Her personal mission statement is "Hustle Less. Profit More." And she helps businesses do just that!

About Mickey:

Mickey Anderson is a marketing strategist and educator. As a military wife, mother and agency owner, she found herself burnt out...extra crispy, after maternity leave, working twice as hard to keep whatever measure of “success” she achieved. 

Mickey took everything she learned and left her agency (and toxic hustle culture) behind and transformed her business and life the way she had for countless clients. She now helps small and micro businesses scale with marketing that attracts ideal clients easier, converts them faster and keeps them longer. 

Find Mickey Anderson online: 

Website: https://www.heymickeyanderson.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heymickeyanderson/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heymickeyanderson/ 

The Hustle Less Profit More Podcast: 

https://open.spotify.com/show/5pdvIV03w6hfbBfeXBtC6F?si=3f297527025f41b

5 Fun Facts about Mickey (in her own words): 

1. Mickey still holds the school record for the 100-yard breaststroke at her Alma Mater, Marshall University, where she earned a full athletic scholarship and was the 2008 Conference USA Champion. 

2. She has a graduate certificate as a Paralegal and uses her legal knowledge and negotiation skills in her business. 

3. Her dog’s name is Hannibal. Yes, named after you know who. 

4. She’s been a military wife for 8-years and still doesn't know the acronyms.

5. She was a CrossFit Coach and managed a CrossFit gym for 8-years.

Meet Angela Rossi-Luciano, Nicole Rossi-Rivera, Danielle Machado and Elizabeth Rossi who who I like to refer to as the "Fabulous Thrift Sisters." These four women are a force and the brains behind the new thrift venture in CT called Thrift. They are born hustlers with an eye for a deal and unique and cool items they know people will love.

Thrift sells New, Used, Vintage, and Upcycled 

Clothing, Housewares, & Accessories. 

They want to provide their customers with the best price and a great shopping experience while saving the planet. 

If you're in the CT area go check out the Thrift Store at 5 River Street. Norwalk, CT

Follow them online:

Thriftct.com 

Instagram @Thriftconnecticut 

Facebook @Thriftconnecticut 

TikTok @Thriftconnecticut

About Thrift:

My name is Angela Rossi-Luciano I am 38, and a mom of four. I am the youngest of four girls. My sisters are Nicole Rossi-Rivera 48, mom of four. Danielle Machado, 46, a mom of four and Elizabeth Rossi, 40, a mom of two. We are very close and we love to work together and love a good side hustle. We have tried almost everything. We get that from our parents especially our dad: it runs in our blood. My first memory of trying to earn money is when my sister, Elizabeth and I sold iced tea outside of our house as little girls. I had to be around 6 years old. Nicole & Danielle sold Iron- on tee shirts and vintage clothing in The Village in the late 90’s. Elizabeth and I tagged along if it wasn’t too cold. We have always enjoyed a side hustle. 

I think what really started our side hustle was having a really big family and loving a good deal. After Christmas we would always stock up for the next year. We would wait for stores to go 90% off. We would buy as much stuff as we could. Between the 4 of us we have 14 children so Christmas can get expensive.  We loved it so much. We would find ourselves shopping in the same aisle not knowing that each other were at the same store. One day my sister Danielle told me she heard her friends at work sold their clothes on the Poshmark app. I decided to download it and list a few items. My 1st item sold the same day. So my sisters and I all downloaded it and we started selling whatever we had in our closets. We had so much stuff between the 4 of us. But our favorite thing to do together was to go thrift shopping to see what we could find to post and sell.  We would travel all over. When you find something amazing, you get so excited. Not only did you score an amazing item you also are helping the environment by keeping it out off a land fill. We realized that all the thrift shops in our area weren’t that great. Nicole kept telling us about the great thrift stores in Texas but we didn’t have anything like that around here in Connecticut. We knew we always wanted to be in business together so we started talking about possibly opening a store. During this time, Nicole went to a Thrift convention in Houston. She was so excited about it that she signed us up to do the next one. It was in Philly. We did it and we were shocked at the success we had. So we did another and another one. That’s when we decided we should open a store. We weren’t sure if after the pandemic it would be a smart idea but we figured why not. We should at least try. So we opened Thrift on May 12th, 2022. It’s located on 5 River Street in Norwalk. It’s going well and we can’t wait to see what happens. Our goal is to be a success and open more stores. 

5 Fun Facts About the Thrift Sisters:

1. There is 10 years between the oldest and youngest sister. We have have 14 kids between all of us. 

2. Our signature look is a red lip, preferably Russian Red by M.A.C

3. Our favorite thing to do is go to concerts together!

4. Especially New Kids on the Block and Duran Duran. 

5. Our Dad is The Famous New York Hot Dog King! 

Meet Chris Antista, one of the original founders of the iconic NYC institution, Crif Dogs..a famous late night hot dog restaurant in the heart of the East Village. For any side hustlers out there looking to get started, Chris is the ultimate inspiration...he is an ideas guy who has left his mark on NYC nightlife and restaurants and most recently the fashion industry as the creative force for Fair Harbor Clothing Company.

About Chris:

Chris Antista, vintage 1971 - a defining force for the aesthetics I love.  Ridgewood, NJ born and raised, I spent my teens being chased by the cops for skateboarding on every piece of cool architecture and infrastructure we could find. Took my outsider status forward, post high school and went to NYU, where against character, graduated from Stern Business School - all the while immersing myself in all aspects of NYC - clubs, art, design, urban adventuring, drinking - just having a blast.  Finished my 4 years and went to work at Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine.  Learned about publishing and advertising and promoting parties.  Quit and went adventuring by motorcycle all over the East Coast.  Returned broke and worked various jobs including being a food runner when the Bower Bar opened - credited with making leather pants the uniform for all runners.  Did some work in the advertising world - promotion type stuff, and then concocted the idea to turn the back room of Ratners Dairy Restaurant on Delancy Street into a Jewish gangster themed nightclub called The Lansky Lounge.  Got a wife outta that - still married to her today, 24 years later.  Opened Crif Dogs - NYC’s most iconic hot dog spot.  Bailed when it got boring and beefing with my partner was too annoying on the daily, so wifey and me went to South Asia for a spell.  Returned to odd design and idea creating jobs and ultimately started Communal Brands with a good friend.  Communal is a wine importing and branding business that continues to grow to this day - though I’m a silent partner now.  Had two kids while living in a brownstone in Bed Stuy, eventually buying my beloved 1978 Porsche 911, which forced me to buy a house in Connecticut to store it.  That was 10 years ago from now.  Moved up here and continue to promote ideas, be a dad, small-time car collector, off-road enthusiast, bocce master, party thrower - from our lovely perch in The Nuthouse - our singular modern house we purchased from Maurice Sendak’s estate.  Of late I’ve been a an at-large creative force for Fair Harbor Clothing Co. - most recently designing their flagship SOHO retail store.  I’m a gun for hire.  Whatever it is you want to do - just so long as you want to stand out and make people feel good.

5 Facts about Chris:

1). Lou Reed got me personally fired from Bowery Bar - good short story.
2). Shared a plate of fried calamari with David Bowie
3)  Procured and indulged in party favors with David Lee Roth to entice him to perform Just a Gigolo at my Karaoke night at Lansky Lounge.
4). Crif Dogs is named after my nom du street - Crif  (Chris with an F, motherfucker)
5). If you play bocce on my court at the nuthouse, we will get baked and take ERVL, my super rare Volvo miltary van for a ride in the wood you will never forget.
6) Spent many a late night with Johnny Depp at Lansky lounge - drinking and chatting, ultimately driving my ’68 Cadillac Convertible across town at dawn to get ‘breakfast’ at Florent. This was always with famous Tattoo artist and bon vivant Jonathan Shaw.l

Meet Episode 13 guest, Mia Moran...owner and creator of PlanSimple, a program that helps women balance entrepreneurship and wellness. PlanSimple provides: inspiration for action, tools for planning, and systems for follow through.

About Mia:

Mia Moran is a mom of three and coach who also makes time for wellness—and shows overwhelmed women how they can too. She is the host of the PlanSimple podcast, bestselling author of PlanSimple Meals, and creator of the FLOW Planning Method, the FLOW Planner, and FLOW365.

Website/Social Media Links:

Website: https://plansimple.com

Instagram: instagram.com/plansimple.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mia-moran/

Facebook: facebook.com/plansimple.co/

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plan-simple-with-mia-moran/id1089766926

Book: https://plansimple.com/plan-simple-meals-book/

5 fun facts about Mia (in her own words)

Advice from Mia: