What if you could grow a profitable, fast-growing business and raise a family, without outside funding, a perfect business plan, or 80-hour weeks? In this episode, Jocelyn Espejo sits down with recruiter and founder Lisa Klapschinski to talk about building a “life-first” business in 15-minute increments, failing fast, and letting authenticity be your biggest brand asset.

If you’ve ever told yourself you “need more time, money, or clarity” to start or scale, Lisa’s story will lovingly blow that excuse up.

In this episode of The Branded Impact Podcast, Jo and Lisa walk through Lisa’s journey from corporate recruiter to founder of LMK Recruiting Solutions, a subscription-based recruiting firm serving manufacturing, logistics, and tech companies. Lisa shares how she started her company six months pregnant with no website, no investors, and just 15 minutes a day, while designing everything around the life she wanted as a mom and CEO.

They dive into boundaries, client gut-checks, authenticity in branding, and why Lisa’s mantra, “Fail as fast as you can,” has been a game-changer for growth.

Key Topics

• Building a life-first business while raising a family
• Starting with no funding, no website, and no formal plan
• Shifting from solopreneur to CEO with a team
• Why authenticity is your strongest personal brand differentiator
• “Fail fast” as a business and branding strategy
• Boundaries, gut checks, and saying no to misaligned clients
• How to start (or pivot) your business with what you have right now, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day
• The mindset shift from “I do everything” to “We’re a company and I have a team”
• Why showing your real life (kids, chaos and all) can actually strengthen your brand and trust
• How to use “fail fast” to test offers, pricing, and models without overthinking
• Practical ways to set boundaries and work hours so you don’t trade a 9–5 for 24/7 hustling

Chapters & Timestamps

• 00:00 – Building a Business with Resilience

• 03:01 – The Journey of Starting LMK Recruiting Solutions

• 05:43 – From Solopreneur to Business Owner

• 08:51 – The Importance of Authenticity in Branding

• 11:31 – Failing Forward: Embracing Mistakes

• 14:40 – Navigating Client Relationships

• 17:24 – Setting Boundaries and Work-Life Balance

• 20:16 – The Power of Saying Yes

• 23:12 – Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

• 34:57 – Outro: Make Your Branded Impact

Guest: Lisa Klapschinski, Founder & CEO of LMK Recruiting Solutions

• 🌐 Website: www.lmkrecruiting.com

• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-marie-klapschinski/

• 📧 Email: [email protected]

Special Offer for Listeners:
Mention The Branded Impact Podcast when you reach out and Lisa will gift you a 15-minute meet & greet to talk through your goals, hiring challenges, or growth plans and explore how she can support you.

Explore Branding by Jo at www.brandingbyjo.com to align your visuals, messaging, and systems so you can show up, sell, and scale with confidence.