Accidental CEO Podcast

In this enlightening episode, Chelene Knight, founder of Breathing Space Creative Studios, delves into her transformation from an accidental CEO to a mindful leader. She unpacks the critical importance of conserving energy and the empowering practice of saying no with love. Chelene's insights are a beacon for creatives seeking to navigate the often tumultuous waters of burnout and self-doubt.

Chelene discusses how aligning decisions with personal values and engaging in deep self-work can revolutionize one's creative output. She introduces listeners to the philosophy of Breathing Space Creative, a haven for creatives to slow down, reflect, and separate their identity from their work. Through the Bespoke Writing Mentorships and Creative Support Calls, Chelene offers tools and strategies to help creatives recover from burnout and build sustainable practices.

Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies to set boundaries, manage stress, and cultivate a supportive community. Chelene's wisdom is a call to action for creatives to value their work, prioritize self-care, and seek help when needed.

Takeaways:

• The necessity of conserving energy and setting boundaries
• Aligning decisions with personal values to prevent burnout
• The transformative power of deep self-work
• Building a supportive community for personal and professional growth
• Utilizing resources like the Bespoke Writing Mentorships and Creative Support Calls Program to recover from burnout

Ready to reclaim your creative energy? Discover how you can align your creative practice with your values and prevent burnout. Connect with Chelene!

👉 Breathing Space Creative | Chelene Knight

Support the show

What if selling wasn’t sleazy—and money wasn’t the enemy? In this episode, Shaun Gordon of Kiss Books rewrites the rulebook for photographers who want more than just pretty pictures. From his early days of entrepreneurship to becoming a successful wedding photographer and founder, Shaun shares how shifting your mindset and serving with intention can radically transform your business.

We cover why client experience is everything, how printed products deliver emotional ROI, and the psychology of selling without manipulation. If you’ve ever struggled with pricing your work, felt like you were pushing too hard, or wondered how to stand out in a saturated market, this one’s for you.

Get ready to rewire your thinking around sales, service, and success.

Takeaways:

• Storytelling > Sales pitches
• Serve first, sell naturally
• Printed products create lasting emotional impact
• Money is a means, not the end

Connect with Shaun Gordon and Kiss Books:

 👉 @shaunaustin | @kissbooks

Support the show

What if the biggest thing holding you back in business… is invisible? In this episode, Nata Salvatori interviews Max Rosenkranz, a former mechanical engineer whose spiritual awakening in the backseat of an Uber rerouted his life toward coaching. Max helps entrepreneurs rewire subconscious beliefs that sabotage their businesses, using tools like neuroplasticity and the Lefkoe Method.

Max shares the personal story that cracked his reality open, explains why most entrepreneurs’ challenges are rooted in childhood beliefs, and offers practical, real-talk strategies to start creating massive internal and external change. They explore why fatherhood often highlights productivity issues, how overworking is a trauma response in disguise, and why entrepreneurship might just be the most spiritual thing you can do.

Whether you’re hitting a wall in business, struggling to balance life and work, or wondering why the usual advice isn’t landing, this episode is a mind-expanding deep dive into what it really takes to create sustainable success.

🎧 Listen in to learn:

• How subconscious beliefs quietly control your business
• What to do when you're addicted to “just one more thing” work mode
• How to shift from burnout to presence with family
• The simple exercise to uncover what’s blocking your next level

📌 Learn more about Max at CoachMaximum.com

Schedule your $97 Chaos to Clarity Audit with Nata

Support the show

What happens when you leave the comfort of a steady job to bet entirely on yourself? In this powerful episode, Nata Salvatori sits down with Sam Cordry, founder of Cordry Creative, to talk about the messy, magical process of becoming your own boss—and how to build a brand that actually reflects who you are.

Sam shares her journey from employee to entrepreneur, including the mindset hurdles no one warns you about, the most common branding mistakes she sees business owners make, and why storytelling is the most underused (yet powerful) marketing tool.

Plus, Sam shares:

• How your gut is a legit business tool
• Where entrepreneurs often get stuck when defining their brand
• The often-ignored UX mistake that hurts your credibility
• Why being protective of your business idea isn't a bad thing

Whether you’re in the early stages of your business or ready to level up, this episode is packed with real talk and actionable strategies for creative entrepreneurs who want to do things their way—and succeed.

Links:

• Sam’s Website: https://www.cordrycreative.com/
• Follow Sam on IG: @samcordry
• Learn more about Nata’s coaching: http://accidentalceo.co/coaching

Subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs this reminder: Your story matters. Use it.

Support the show

Ever felt trapped in a job that controls your calendar, your income, and your life? That was Makenna Luban—until she said “enough” and built her business from scratch.

In this episode of The Accidental CEO Podcast, Makenna shares how being denied time off for her honeymoon and to meet her nephew became the breaking point that led her to entrepreneurship. Now, she’s an in-demand email copywriter and founder of To Live With Intent, helping creative entrepreneurs grow their business through story-driven email marketing.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• The moment Makenna knew she had to quit—and what she did next
• How she built her business with zero background in writing (and what made her pivot from social media to copywriting)
• The 3 storytelling frameworks every entrepreneur should use in their email marketing
• Why most email lists never convert (and how to fix that)
• How to grow your email list with intention, even with a small audience
• Makenna’s tips for balancing business-building with motherhood—and what it means to build a business that supports your life, not the other way around

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that doesn’t value your time, creativity, or freedom—this episode is your permission slip to dream bigger and go after it with strategy.

🎧 Plus: Makenna shares her best freebie for mastering weekly emails that convert. Don’t miss it!

Connect with Makenna

Support the show

If marketing feels like a chore, you're not alone — and today's guest has the solution.

On this episode of The Accidental CEO Podcast, Nata Salvatori chats with Chris Burns, marketing expert, coach, and co-founder of Hustle Leaders. Chris has helped businesses double their revenue without doubling their stress — and today he shares exactly how.

You'll learn:

• Why complicated marketing strategies almost always backfire
• How to simplify your plan so you actually enjoy executing it
• Practical tips to avoid burnout while building a strong brand presence
• The right way to use social media to connect with your audience
• How to reframe "failure" and "slow growth" in a healthier, more sustainable way

Chris also reveals the story behind his new book, "Marketing So Easy, It's Fun Again," and how adopting a simpler framework helped both him and his clients get real, consistent results.

Whether you're a solopreneur, small business owner, or marketing team leader, this episode is packed with tools and mindset shifts you can use right away.

Listen now and rediscover the FUN in marketing.

Connect with Chris Burns

Support the show

This week on The Accidental CEO Podcast, we sit down with Roy Serafin—wedding photographer turned SEO strategist and CEO of Story and Community. Roy's story is anything but linear, but it’s packed with gold for any creative who wants to stop chasing clients and start attracting them.

We talk about:

• Quitting the 9–5 grind after one emotional moment at a wedding
• How blogging (yes, blogging!) became Roy’s secret weapon
• What AI can’t do for your website—and what you must do instead
• Turning SEO from boring tech talk into a freedom engine for creatives

If you’ve ever felt stuck on the social media hamster wheel, this episode is your permission slip to build a smarter, more sustainable client funnel.

🎧 Tune in now to learn how Roy helps creatives grow their reach—without burning out.

Connect with Roy Serafin

Support the show

Meghan Ely, owner of OFD Consulting, shares her journey from accidental CEO to wedding publicist and PR expert. She saw a gap in the wedding industry for effective promotion and decided to fill it. Megan emphasizes the importance of PR in getting your work seen and offers various strategies beyond paid advertising, such as event features, company write-ups, quotes, podcast interviews, and product roundups. Building relationships with media outlets and journalists is crucial for PR success, as it leads to trust and repeat collaborations. Megan advises starting with clear PR goals and researching writers and editors in your niche. She also discusses crisis management and shares her experience during the Zika crisis, where she shifted focus to areas unaffected by the crisis. In this conversation, Meghan Ely, a PR expert, shares insights and strategies for effective PR campaigns in the event industry. She emphasizes the importance of leaning into crises and changing the narrative to focus on what can be done instead of what cannot be done. Meghan discusses the evolution of PR with the rise of digital and social media, highlighting the need to leverage social media campaigns and pair them with traditional PR efforts. She also provides advice on when to start working on PR, what to include in a media kit, and how to measure success in PR campaigns. Meghan shares examples of impactful PR campaigns, including one during the COVID-19 pandemic and another related to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. She concludes by discussing upcoming trends in PR, such as the rise of pay-to-play opportunities and the importance of being prepared to adapt to changes in the industry.

Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting, wedding industry, PR, promotion, media outlets, journalists, relationships, event features, company write-ups, quotes, podcast interviews, product roundups, crisis management, Zika crisis, PR, crisis management, narrative, social media, digital media, media kit, success metrics, thought leadership, event professionals, challenges, PR campaigns, trends

Takeaways

• PR is essential for getting your work seen in the wedding industry
• Beyond paid advertising, there are various PR strategies to consider
• Building relationships with media outlets and journalists is crucial for PR success
• Having clear PR goals and researching writers and editors in your niche can guide your outreach
• During a crisis, it's important to be upfront, adaptable, and change the conversation Lean into crises and change the narrative to focus on what can be done instead of what cannot be done.
• Leverage social media campaigns and pair them with traditional PR efforts for maximum impact.
• Start working on PR when you have the expertise, resources, and bandwidth to dedicate to it.
• Create a comprehensive media kit that includes press wins, press contact information, and collateral such as logos, headshots, and company profiles.
• Measure success in PR campaigns by looking at metrics such as traffic, backlinks, and brand awareness.
• Position yourself as a thought leader through PR by identifying your area of expertise, researching competitors, and targeting the right platforms to showcase your knowledge.
• Unique challenges in PR for event professionals include the reliance on event submissions for press coverage and managing PR during the busy wedding season.
• Effective PR campaigns require creativity, personalization, and a focus on building relationships with journalists.
• Upcoming trends in PR include the rise of pay-to-play opportunities and the importance of adapting to changes in the industry.

Support the show

From high school dance teacher to entrepreneur empowering educators—Laylee Emadi’s journey wasn’t a straight line, but it’s one full of heart, purpose, and ripple effects. In this episode of The Accidental CEO Podcast, Laylee opens up about how a passion for photography turned into a thriving business, how being “the sassy one” helped her stand out, and why she believes real leadership starts with honest coaching.

Nata and Laylee explore the parallels between athletics and entrepreneurship, the mindset blocks that hold even the most skilled professionals back, and what makes her Creative Educator Conference so unique (hint: the attendees could be on stage too). They also dig into how to handle feedback in a way that feels honest and kind—and why your clients might not know how they want to receive it until you’re already mid-conversation.

If you’ve ever felt pulled toward something new but afraid to leave what’s already working… this is the permission slip you’ve been waiting for.

The Accidental CEO Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community of creative minds eager to transform their accidental titles into intentional successes. So, if you're passionate about what you do but unsure how to fall in love with the business side of things, let Nata guide you. Subscribe to the Accidental CEO Podcast and join a vibrant community of creative entrepreneurs ready to make their mark on the business world. Together, let's turn your passion project into your success story.

For full show notes and resources head to accidentalceo.co/podcast

Takeaways

• Laylee Imadi transitioned from being a high school teacher to becoming an accidental CEO through her passion for teaching and photography.
• There are parallels between teaching dancers and coaching entrepreneurs, such as the importance of skill training and mindset.
• Continuous learning is essential, and hosting a podcast allows Laylee to learn from her guests and share that knowledge with her audience.
• The Creative Educator Conference offers a unique learning experience where educators can learn from both the speakers and fellow attendees.
• Laylee believes in leading with heartfelt encouragement and honest guidance in her coaching, finding the balance between tough love and kindness. Handling feedback can be challenging, but it is important to be self-aware and open to growth.
• Making a difference in someone's life through coaching can be incredibly rewarding.
• Staying motivated and passionate requires finding what excites and fuels you.
• Burnout and time management are common struggles for educators and entrepreneurs.
• There is no race in entrepreneurship; everyone's journey is unique.
• Continuous learning and seeking out education is essential for personal and professional growth.
• Having a coach or mentor can provide valuable guidance and support.
• Patience and grace are key in navigating the ups and downs of the journey.
• Connecting with others and building a community can help sustain motivation and purpose.

Support the show

Amy Mahler, co-owner of MyNourishmentForTheSoul, discusses their mission to make mental health help affordable and accessible. They have developed an app called Mind Nourishment for the Soul that provides weekly transformational insights and challenges to help individuals understand and change themselves. The app is priced at $39.99 a year, making it affordable for anyone seeking personal change. Amy and her husband have faced challenges in developing the app and ensuring its quality, but they are passionate about helping people and breaking the stigma around mental health. They hope to expand their services in the future and stay ahead of the trends in the mental health and education sectors.

The Accidental CEO Podcast is more than just a podcast; it's a community of creative minds eager to transform their accidental titles into intentional successes. So, if you're passionate about what you do but unsure how to fall in love with the business side of things, let Nata guide you. Subscribe to the Accidental CEO Podcast and join a vibrant community of creative entrepreneurs ready to make their mark on the business world. Together, let's turn your passion project into your success story.

For full show notes and resources head to accidentalceo.co/podcast

Takeaways

• MyNourishmentForTheSoul aims to make mental health help affordable and accessible through their app, Mind Nourishment for the Soul.
• The app provides weekly transformational insights and challenges to help individuals understand and change themselves.
• The app is priced at $39.99 a year, making it affordable for anyone seeking personal change.
• Amy and her husband have faced challenges in developing the app and ensuring its quality, but they are passionate about helping people and breaking the stigma around mental health.
• They hope to expand their services in the future and stay ahead of the trends in the mental health and education sectors.
  
  Mentioned in this Episode
  1:1 Coaching with Nata
  Boost Your Confidence Workbook
  Accidental CEO
  Timeline Pro
  
  Connect with Amy
  Instagram
  Website
  App Store Link (Apple) 

Support the show