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In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious, I’m joined by Ellie Steinbrink — Expert Stylist, Personal Brand Coach & Speaker, and the founder of Style Decoded.

Ellie spent over 20 years in marketing and branding before realizing she was on the wrong path. In the messy middle of burnout, part-time work, and even insomnia, she followed a nudge she couldn’t ignore: start posting one outfit a day on Instagram. That daily ritual awakened a new career, a new sense of confidence, and eventually became the foundation of her business helping women entrepreneurs align their inside with their outside.

We get into what it means to stop hiding behind your clothes, why self-trust is at the core of style, and how the way you get dressed in the morning changes more than your outfit — it changes your day.

In this episode, we explore:

• The moment Ellie heard the “voice” that told her to follow her passion for style
• Why giving yourself grace in the messy middle leads to breakthroughs
• The vulnerable truth about standing out vs. blending in as a personal brand
• The “closet effect”: how what you wear literally shifts your brain chemistry and daily outcomes
• Practical ways to clear the overwhelm and reconnect with clothes that make you feel like you
• Why style is less about shopping and more about asking: Who is the woman I’m becoming?

Guest Bio

Ellie Steinbrink is an Expert Stylist, Personal Brand Coach & Speaker. After two decades in marketing, she founded Style Decoded to help women entrepreneurs define and embody their authentic style. Blending psychology, branding, and fashion, she empowers women to stand out, simplify their closets, and feel magnetic in both business and life.

Connect with Ellie

Website: elliesteinbrink.com

Instagram: @style.decoded

LinkedIn: Ellie Steinbrink

Podcast: The Visibility Shift

✨ Freebie: The Style Mindset Reset

What’s holding you back from your next-level self? This free resource helps you uncover the hidden rules you’ve been following about style — and guides you to let go of what no longer serves you, so you can make an incredible and lasting style transformation.

Keywords

personal branding, women entrepreneurs, self-expression, authentic style, enclothed cognition, confidence, midlife empowerment, brand alignment, personal growth, less is more

If you loved this episode:

Share it with the friend who always says “I have nothing to wear” — and remind her it’s not about the clothes. It’s about becoming who she already is.

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What if the bravest business move isn’t a new offer, but finally listening to yourself?

In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious, I’m joined by Jana Boyko: entrepreneur, business coach, and creator of the guided journals Bedside Business Plan and Employee to Entrepreneur. Jana shares how she walked away from a shiny advertising career, navigated a painful early partnership breakdown, and rebuilt a business by choosing boundaries, integrity, and self-trust.

We get into what it means to design a business that doesn’t abandon you, how to include yourself in your plan, and why the first step is often to simply start.

In this episode, we explore:

• The moment Jana realized she “couldn’t hear herself” and what she did next
• Redefining success so it fits your life, not someone else’s timeline
• Boundaries 101: saying no, having your own back, and avoiding self-abandonment
• How Bedside Business Plan was born from the question: “What if you could journal a business plan?”
• Action over perfection and how there’s nothing to “get right”
• A 20-reasons exercise to quiet self-doubt and build evidence for your next move

Guest Bio:
Jana Boyko is an entrepreneur and business coach, and the creator of the guided journals Bedside Business Plan and Employee to Entrepreneur. Her work helps people start and grow businesses in a way that honors both the plan and the person.

Connect with Jana:
Website: bedsidebusinessplan.com
Instagram: @bedsidebusinessplan and @janaboyko
LinkedIn: Jana Boyko • Bedside Business Plan

Mentioned products:

• Employee to Entrepreneur (guided journal): Amazon Canada — https://www.amazon.ca/Employee-Entrepreneur-Personal-Entrepreneurship-Hardcover/dp/1777602912
  
  
• Bedside Business Plan (guided journal): Amazon Canada — https://www.amazon.ca/Bedside-Business-Plan-Inspirational-Encouraging/dp/1777602904
  
  

Keywords: entrepreneurship, self care, business planning, personal growth, women in business, holistic entrepreneurship, overcoming self doubt, guided journals, success, leadership

If you loved this episode:
Share it with the friend who keeps saying “one day.” Then write your first next step. No perfect plan required.

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What happens when success starts to feel like a performance instead of a life you actually want to live?

In this solo episode, I reflect on a recent headline about Lil Nas X and what it reveals about the impossible standards we place on celebrities, on each other, and on ourselves.

When he faltered publicly, the world turned his humanity into entertainment. But beneath the scandal was a simple truth: he was overwhelmed, fragile, and apologizing for being seen in his lowest moment. And haven’t we all done that?

This episode is about the quiet ways we exile parts of ourselves in the name of ambition. It’s about the performance of success versus the presence of being human. And it’s about what changes when we stop apologizing for our fragility and start honoring it as part of the whole.

In this episode, I explore:

•  Why we turn breakdowns into gossip and what that says about us
•  How we other ourselves by hiding the parts of us we don’t think “belong” in success
•  The silent deal we’ve all absorbed
•  Why grace isn’t optional in business or life 
•  The radical power of letting success and humanity coexist

If you’ve ever felt like your ambition demanded you hide the most fragile parts of yourself, this one is going to land deep.

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What does it really mean to “own your story” and how do you decide what’s worth sharing online?

In this special live episode of Anxiously Ambitious, recorded at the stunning Greenhouse on Strawberry Lane in Nova Scotia, I sit down with my friend and mentor, Caley Dimmock. Caley is a digital ads expert, educator, and mentor who has built a thriving personal brand rooted in radical transparency, intuition, and storytelling.

Together, we dive into what it actually looks like to build a personal brand in 2025. Not just the glossy version, but the vulnerable, messy, deeply human side. Caley opens up about her own process of self-acceptance, how she decides what to share (and what to keep private), and why authenticity isn’t about telling everything but about telling the right things.

In this episode, we explore:
 – Why “owning your story” is less about arrival and more about process
 – The difference between authenticity and full transparency
 – How to share online without re-traumatizing yourself
 – The role of intuition in business decisions (and how to trust it again)
 – Why every founder benefits from a personal brand and how it creates freedom to pivot
 – The power of future-self visualization for pushing past fear

Guest Bio:
Caley Dimmock is a digital ads strategist, educator, and mentor who helps brands and service providers thrive online. Known for her honesty, transparency, and big-picture thinking, Caley works across Meta, Google, TikTok, and more while also teaching others how to take control of their own marketing. She’s passionate about helping entrepreneurs own their stories and create businesses that feel aligned.

Connect with Caley:
Website: https://caleydimmock.com/
Instagram: @cjdimmock

Venue:
The Greenhouse on Strawberry Lane
Website | Instagram

Sponsors:
– Made With Local
– Benjamin Bridge
– Kali Cakes

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What happens when you leave corporate to find freedom—but end up hustling harder than ever?

In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious, I’m joined by Evie Tavares, a copywriter, brand photographer, and creative marketing expert who helps entrepreneurs sell with empathy and show up in a way that feels true.

After walking away from a decade in banking during her second maternity leave, Evie set out to build a business on her terms. But like many of us, she found herself repeating old patterns—working late, missing moments, and carrying the guilt she thought she left behind.

We explore what it really means to build something sustainable, how to show up without burning out, and why empathy might just be your best marketing tool.

In this episode, we explore:
– The subtle ways we recreate hustle culture in our own businesses—and how to shift
– How Evie found her way back to real freedom (and why it took nearly 3 years)
– What empathy-led copywriting actually looks like—and why it works
– The power of showing up before you feel confident
– Sharing your story online without overexposing yourself
– Why your “ordinary” life might be your most powerful brand asset

Guest Bio:
Evie Tavares is a copywriter and brand photographer helping entrepreneurs market themselves with empathy, clarity, and heart. She’s a mom of two, a former banker turned creative, and passionate about helping others build aligned, human-first businesses.

Connect with Evie:
Instagram: @evietavaresbranding
Website: https://www.evietavaresbranding.ca

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What happens when you walk into a room before you feel ready, not with confidence, but with curiosity?

In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious, I’m joined by Crystal Shadwell. Award-winning educator, speaker, podcaster, and co-founder of Something Beyond Mom for an honest conversation about identity, burnout, and the quiet bravery of saying yes before you feel fully prepared.

We talk about what it means to hold multiple roles, how motherhood changes the way we show up in every space, and why asking for help (and saying no) can be the most ambitious thing you do.

If you've ever felt the tension between wanting more and trying to do it all… this one will land deep.

In this episode, we explore:
– The identity shifts no one prepares us for
– Why stepping into rooms before you're ready is often exactly what you need
– How Crystal reframed ambition without guilt
– What she’s learned about confidence through discomfort
– Motherhood, work, and the myth of “balance”
– Why you're allowed to want more — and have fun while doing it

Guest Bio:
Crystal Shadwell is an educator, speaker, and podcast host dedicated to empowering women to reconnect with themselves beyond the demands of motherhood. As the co-founder of Something Beyond Mom, Manager of Student Support & Engagement at Laurier, and co-host of The Team Crew Podcast, Crystal creates spaces where self-reflection and ambition can coexist — without the mom guilt.

Connect with Crystal Shadwell:
Website: www.crystalshadwell.com
Instagram: @crystalshadwell
Podcast: @teamcrewpodcast
Something Beyond Mom: @somethingbeyondmom 

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What if your skincare routine was more than self-care, it was a radical act of self-respect? In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca Ogilvie, founder of Detour Co., to explore how slowing down, embracing imperfection, and building true community can transform your life and business.

What We’ll Cover:

✨ Why your skincare routine might be the most important ritual of your day
🌿 The real difference between self-care and self-respect
🥰 How to build meaningful, real-life community in a curated online world
🫶 The shift from hyper-independence to letting people in
🥾 Why protecting your time, energy, and joy matters more than ever

This episode is a heartfelt reminder that you don’t have to do it all alone and that sometimes, the biggest growth happens when we slow down and let people in.

Find Rebecca Ogilvie:
📲 Instagram: @thedetourco.muskoka
🌎 Website: thedetourco.com

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• Anxiously Ambitious Website

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What if the path to healing and purpose isn’t about fixing yourself but remembering who you’ve always been? In this conversation, contemporary artist and certified Practitioner Chanelle Jefferson joins me to explore how embracing softness, stillness, and even our “weirdness” can become our greatest strengths.

What We’ll Cover:
-Why your “weird” is worthy and how to reclaim the parts of yourself you’ve buried
-How slowing down, spending time in nature, and meeting a dog changed Chanelle’s life
-What processing pain actually looks like
-Why following your own creative rhythm is the key to meaningful work
How to build a life that makes no sense to anyone else but feels like home to you

If you’ve ever felt out of place in a fast-paced world, like you’re “too much” or “not enough” to belong, this conversation is an invitation to return to yourself and redefine what a meaningful, successful life looks like on your terms.

Find Chanelle Jefferson:
📲 Instagram: @chanellejefferson_
🌎 Website: chanellejefferson.com

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What if sales didn’t have to feel icky, pushy, or inauthentic? In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Schmidtke, sales coach and former tech sales leader, to talk about how to build a more honest, empowering relationship with selling. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your business, Kirsten shares a radically refreshing perspective on how to approach sales with more heart and less hustle.

What We Cover:
💡 Why most of us are thinking about sales all wrong—and how to shift from "ick" to integrity
🧠 The stories we tell ourselves about money, worthiness, and receiving, and how to rewrite them
📈 The difference between revenue and real profit—and why it matters more than you think
🔑 The essential sales skills every entrepreneur should practice (yes, even the introverts!)

Ready to stop dreading sales calls and start showing up with clarity and confidence? Tune in to learn how to sell in a way that actually feels good.

Find Kirsten Schmidtke:
📲 Instagram: @kirstenschmidtke
🌎 Website: kirstenschmidtke.com

Want to explore your money mindset? DM “MONEY” to Kirsten on Instagram to get her free guide on money mindset shifts.

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What if your productivity is actually your body’s survival response? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Kathryn Spears to unpack how nervous system dysregulation fuels burnout, perfectionism, and dissociation especially for high-achieving women.

What We Cover:

• Why being “dissociated as f*ck” is more common than you think, and how to spot it
• The nervous system’s role in burnout, anxiety, and emotional shutdown
• Why mindset work isn’t enough, and what actually creates lasting safety
• How reclaiming agency can transform your life, leadership, and capacity
• The surprising ways trauma responses show up in success, hustle, and overachievement

If you’ve been stuck in loops of overdoing, emotional exhaustion, or quiet inner chaos, this is the conversation that will help you finally connect the dots.

Find Kathryn Spears:
📲 Instagram: @kathrynspears.co
🌎 Website: kathrynspears.co
🌟 Take the Quiz: Silent Saboteur Quiz

Links For You:
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• Anxiously Ambitious Website