BUILD IT, BABY!

Starting a business doesn't always require the money you think it does.

We tend to look at the finished version of a dream and convince ourselves we can't afford to begin. The website, the branding, the inventory, the equipment, the employees—suddenly, we've mentally spent thousands of dollars before we've taken a single step. But what if we're asking the wrong question? What if the first step isn't figuring out how much money we need, but recognizing what we already have to build with?

In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent shares her experience building businesses and explores why resourcefulness can be just as valuable as capital. She also reflects on the danger of investing heavily before understanding what customers actually want, why limited resources can force better decisions, and how “I don't have the money” can sometimes become a comfortable place to hide from the risks of starting. Because there's a difference between having the money to build and being ready to build. And sometimes, the most important work happens long before you invest.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Being chosen feels good. But is the opportunity, relationship, or client actually right for you?

In business and in life, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of being wanted, landing the opportunity, or hearing yes. But compatibility isn't the same as alignment, and not every opportunity is worth pursuing. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores what it means to trust your instincts, recognize a poor fit, and make decisions based on more than money, validation, or the satisfaction of being chosen. She also shares why misaligned relationships can cost us far more than we realize, affecting our time, energy, creativity, and personal lives.

What happens when you need the money or can't afford to walk away? Penelope addresses that reality, sharing her perspective on making practical decisions without losing sight of what matters to you. Plus, she shares three things she knows to be true about choosing the right people, trusting yourself, and building relationships that support what you're working toward.

Because building something meaningful means being intentional about what you say yes to—and remembering that you have a choice, too.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Disappointment often comes from the expectations we create without realizing it. We work hard, show up, and do what we believe we're supposed to do, assuming the results will follow. But who actually promised us that?

In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores the difference between promises and expectations, and why confusing the two can leave us feeling disappointed, rejected, or frustrated. Drawing on more than 40 years in business, she shares a story about a client relationship that became something far bigger than she originally anticipated—and how focusing on one expected outcome can keep us from recognizing other opportunities. She also reflects on the promises we can make to ourselves, the limits of trying to control outcomes, and why showing up for your own build doesn't guarantee things will unfold according to plan.

Sometimes disappointment isn't a sign that something isn't happening. It may simply be a message that it's not happening the way you expected. The question is whether you can recognize the difference—and stay open to what comes next.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Building a meaningful life requires more than wanting something—it requires participation.

In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores the difference between wanting the life, career, business, relationship, or dream you imagine and actually getting into the game. She looks at what happens when we stay on the sidelines waiting to feel ready, confident, certain, or approved—and why movement can create the information and clarity we’re waiting for.

Penelope also shares a very personal story about an idea she had been considering for more than a decade: reopening a historic building as a gift store and gallery featuring her husband’s art. Taking the meeting gave her information she couldn’t have gotten by imagining the possibilities from the sidelines. And when the reality didn’t align with the build she wanted, she realized that walking away could be participation, too. Sometimes you move forward. Sometimes you stop, change direction, wait, or say no. The important thing is staying engaged with what you’re building—and letting the build talk back.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Trust is one of the most important foundations of building a business, career, or life. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores why trust is more than a soft skill—it’s infrastructure. From consistency, integrity, transparency, and follow-through to the time it takes to build a real track record, she breaks down what makes people believe in you and what happens when that trust starts to disappear.

Penelope also looks at trust through leadership, recruiting, customer relationships, and partnerships, including a recent experience with an AI-generated sales call that made her question whether a company’s actions matched its promises. Then the conversation gets personal: What does it mean to trust yourself when you don't have all the answers? Penelope shares a real-time decision she's making around a dream she's carried for decades and the shift from needing to control the outcome to trusting herself to figure out what comes next. She also answers a listener question about whether you really need money before you can start building a business.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Mindset plays a powerful role in how we create our lives. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope explores her long-held belief that “thoughts are things” and considers what happens when an idea moves from something we can see internally to something we can actually build in the world.

From starting a business to changing careers, Penelope breaks down the idea of the “creative factor” and the mental molds we create through our thoughts, beliefs, and expectations. She also talks about the difference between attracting something and actively creating it—and why she believes there is no magic without movement. The universe may present the how, but we still have to make the call, take the meeting, send the proposal, ask the question, and take the next step.

The episode also turns inward: What are you repeatedly telling yourself about your age, abilities, career, money, or future? And what happens when an old belief becomes an identity? Penelope challenges listeners to examine the mold they're holding, ask better questions, and consider what they actually want to create next.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

The what now mindset is about choosing your next move when life doesn't go according to plan.

Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores what that idea really means when the job disappears, a deal falls apart, someone says no, or the plans you had for your life suddenly change. A good attitude doesn't mean pretending everything is wonderful. It means recognizing that even when circumstances are difficult, you still have choices about what happens next.

Penelope shares stories from her decades in business, including a disappointing real estate decision that led to the perfect location for a successful clothing store. She explores how attitude shapes behavior, decisions, and outcomes, why we should be careful about turning temporary setbacks into permanent conclusions, and how our response to disappointment affects the people around us. She also shares a practical three-question attitude reset and answers a listener's question about leading a team without sacrificing mental health. Because you may not get to choose everything that happens to you, but you still have a tremendous amount of say in what you build from it.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Running a business means knowing when to adjust. Markets change, costs rise, technology evolves, customer expectations shift, and the way you’ve always done something may no longer be the way you should do it. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores what it really means to adapt a business when circumstances change—and why adapting doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning the vision.

From rethinking expenses and pricing to creating new revenue from resources you already have, changing the way work gets done, questioning your products and services, and finding opportunities in unexpected places, Penelope looks at the different ways business owners can respond when the landscape shifts. She also answers a listener question about what it takes to navigate the demands of entrepreneurship over the long term.

Ultimately, this isn't really an episode about inflation. It's about staying willing to question what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change—and understanding that when circumstances change, your dream doesn't necessarily have to change, but your build might.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Starting before you’re ready is often the difference between staying in the planning stage and actually moving forward. In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent explores how perfectionism can look like high standards, preparation, or responsibility, when sometimes it is simply fear wearing a very respectable outfit. She examines what happens when people stop waiting for the perfect plan, the perfect moment, or the perfect version of themselves and give themselves permission to begin.

Penelope shares practical ways to loosen perfectionism’s grip, including building the ugly first draft, following the 80% rule, keeping a “done list,” and taking one visible action within 24 hours. She also reflects on her own experiences building businesses and BUILD IT, BABY!, the imperfect beginnings that taught her the most, and why progress creates the confidence people are often waiting to feel. The episode also addresses a common concern among aspiring entrepreneurs: competition. Penelope’s perspective is simple—there is room for everyone, and a person’s product, perspective, purpose, and way of serving others are what make their work different.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Personal growth often begins with the simple decision to try.

In this episode of BUILD IT, BABY!, Penelope Bent starts with an unlikely inspiration: a drawing puzzle she found on Facebook. What begins as a simple challenge becomes a deeper question about why some people try while others decide, sometimes almost invisibly, that something simply isn't for them. Penelope explores the relationship between curiosity, fear of failure, learned helplessness, fixed and growth mindsets, and the moments in our lives when criticism or disappointment can teach us to stop participating.

She also shares a deeply personal story about an English teacher whose public criticism affected her confidence in writing for years—and what happened when she finally understood where that fear came from. The episode ultimately comes back to one idea: builders don't necessarily have more confidence or more answers. They may simply have never lost the habit of trying. Because every meaningful change, new idea, career move, relationship, or creative pursuit begins with one small decision: I'm willing to give this a try.

Text us your listener question!

BUILD IT, BABY! is a Rainy Day Production House original. Hosted by Penelope Bent and produced by Morgan Clymer. With music by Yuri Shemshishin and Oleksii Holubiev.

Connect with us:

• BUILD IT, BABY!: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube
• Penelope Bent: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn