Some weeks feel like a sprint on a treadmill with a broken slow down button!

In this Wind Down episode, it’s just me, Steff, joined by podcast strategist and Novice Studios founder, Kristen Stegall. We’re talking about what happens when life floods your carefully time-blocked calendar (or your kid’s daycare) with chaos – and how to lead through it anyway.

If you’re a solopreneur, a parent-preneur, or a small team leader juggling real-life emergencies with client expectations, I hope this episode reminds you: your humanity isn’t a liability – it’s part of your leadership.

Kristen Stegall is the founder of Novice Studios, a marketing agency that helps business owners align their podcasting efforts with broader content and sales strategies. She’s known for making clients feel seen, heard, and confident on camera. 

Connect with Kristen:

• LinkedIn

• Novice Studios

• Kristen’s Media Makeover Service

  
  

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why clear communication systems beat “powering through” every time

• What trust in your systems and team actually looks like under pressure

• The importance of building your “village” before you need it

• How transparency builds stronger client relationships – and when to draw boundaries too

• The mindset shift from doing it all, to leading with intention

  
  

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! 

Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

This week, we’re unpacking a question we ask every client and ourselves: What would break first if everything went right? If your business doubled tomorrow, would your systems hold up? Would your team? We talk through what it looks like to pressure test your business for growth, not just survival, and why too many founders plan for failure but not for success. Because if you’re serious about scaling impact, you’ve got to get honest about your fault lines.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• What we mean by “pressure testing” a business (and why we do it with every client)
• The common blind spots that show up when success hits faster than expected
• Why your P&L won’t tell you if you’re ready to scale, but your processes will
• The surprising reason we ask clients what would break if everything went right
• How to know when it’s time to leave your 9–5 and bet on your own business

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! 

Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube

Every changemaker has a few bloopers. Our first workshop flopped. The website said too much. And yes, we paid way too much for software we barely used. In this episode we’re looking back at Silverback Ventures’ early missteps that helped shape who we are—and how we lead. 

If you’ve ever launched something that fell flat or second-guessed your strategy after the fact, this one’s for you. You’re not alone — and we’ve been there, too.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why our first-ever workshop launch didn’t land — and what it taught us about visibility

• Why your personal network isn’t the same as a customer base

• The tragic tale of our way-too-long elevator pitch

• How bloated messaging buried our brand

• The costly mistake of skipping strategy and overspending on tools we didn’t need

  
  

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! 

Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

In this episode of The Changemakers Collective, Scott and Steff dive deep into the foundational role of core values in building sustainable, purpose-driven businesses. They challenge the idea that values are just buzzwords on a wall, and instead reveal how they are practical guardrails for decision-making, hiring, leadership, and company culture. Drawing from personal stories and real-world client experiences, they unpack why your core values must align with your personal beliefs and how to ensure they remain actionable, not aspirational.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Your real values don’t show up on paper—they show up under pressure

• A surprising place to start when defining your company’s culture (hint: it’s not the team)

• How your hiring decisions might be sabotaging your mission—without you realizing it

• Why alignment—not perfection—is the real secret to growing a values-led business

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! 

Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

It’s easy to treat mission statements like decorative plaques—nice words tucked away and rarely revisited. But what if your mission statement was your daily compass, shaping every decision, client interaction, and team conversation?

In this episode, Scott and Steff break down how to craft (and actually live) a mission statement that fuels your organization’s journey. Whether you’re leading a nonprofit, scaling a business, or just starting your impact path, this conversation will help you ground your purpose in practice.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why your mission, vision, and values only work when they work together

• The one test that reveals if your mission is just a statement—or how you really show up

• How your mission can help you find the right clients (and ditch the wrong ones)

• What most orgs get wrong about writing a mission—and how to avoid mission creep

• When it’s time to rewrite your mission—and how to do it without losing your way

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! 

Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

You’ve heard Scott and Steff talk strategy before… but this time, we’re switching it up.

In this episode, Steff sits with Kristen Stegall to pull back the curtain for a candid conversation about the realities of being a woman entrepreneur, provider, and powerhouse in today’s business world.

From making more than your partner to unlearning productivity guilt, they talk through the often unspoken experiences of leading with heart and ambition. This isn’t about fitting into the mold — it’s about giving yourself permission to do it your way.

Kristen Stegall is the founder and CEO of Novice Studios, a creative agency helping brands show up with clarity and consistency through story-driven content.

Connect with Kristen:

• LinkedIn

• Novice Studios

Links mentioned:

• Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) by Eve Rodsky

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why being a woman entrepreneur still comes with invisible weight

• How to navigate the shifting power dynamics when you earn more than your partner

• Why redefining leadership as a woman starts with unlearning what we’ve been taught to prove

• Why building in “me time” isn’t selfish, it’s essential

• The tradeoffs, truths, and takeaways from women who’ve lived it

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

Everyone talks about the breakthrough. But the truth is, the in-between is where grit is built.

In this episode, Scott and Steff unpack what it really means to have grit in business - and how it’s often not about pushing harder, but staying present. Grit is what carries you through the pain of progress. It’s what keeps you going when you don’t feel strong, but you are faithful. And it’s what reminds you that just because it hurts… doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

If you're somewhere between breakdown and breakthrough, this episode is for you.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why grit is not just grinding 24/7 (and what it really is instead)

• The difference between stubbornness and perseverance

• How to build a culture of resilience inside your team

• What it means to “look back to move forward”

• Why every founder needs a circle of truthtellers to help them up when they’re tired

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube
  

When you’re over-capacity, stuck in the weeds, and questioning your value - you don’t need a productivity hack. You need a new perspective.

In this episode, we sit down with Novice Studios founder Kristen Stegall to talk about the quiet burnout that crept up on her, how she almost disqualified herself from doing Prepping for Everest… and why going through it ended up changing everything. Kristen shares what it was like to step into the role of strategist, reimagine her business model, and face the voices in her head that told her she wasn’t experienced enough to lead.

This conversation is honest, powerful, and a real behind-the-scenes look at what Prepping for Everest can do for entrepreneurs who are ready to scale - but stuck in survival mode.

Kristen Stegall is the founder of Novice Studios, a marketing agency that helps business owners align their podcasting efforts with broader content and sales strategies. She’s known for making clients feel seen, heard, and confident on camera. Kristen is redefining what it means to be a producer - and stepping into a visionary role in her business.

🏔️ Learn more about Silverback Ventures on our website.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Why Kristen thought she wasn’t ready for Prepping for Everest - and why she was wrong

• The hidden costs of pushing through burnout without pausing to reevaluate

• How Prepping for Everest gave Kristen a framework to confidently stepping into strategy

• What shifted when Kristen stopped seeing herself as a podcast producer and started owning her role as a marketing leader

• How a single question (“Why double your revenue?”) changed the way she sets goals

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube

You’re making bold moves, chasing growth, and doing the hard work to get better… but what if the “progress” you’re pushing for is actually doing more harm than good?

In this episode, we’re diving into the difference between healthy discomfort and damaging decisions. Scott and Steff introduce the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act), a powerful decision-making model adapted from fighter pilots that helps you evaluate risk, respond to changing inputs, and avoid strategic injury. They explore how to know if you’re stuck in decision paralysis, why surrounding yourself with truth-tellers matters, and how to check whether your progress is actually aligned with your vision.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• How to tell if your progress is purposeful — or just piling on pressure

• What the OODA loop is and how it helps you act with intention

• The difference between acting and over-correcting before a decision can play out

• Why you need truth-tellers in the room (not just cheerleaders)

You started your business to solve a problem and leave a lasting impact in the world, but now the inertia of your business has taken over and you’re too busy and burned out to serve your community. That’s where we come in! Hosted by Scott Woods and Steff Thomas, the team behind Silverback Ventures, the Changemakers Collective podcast is here to help impact-driven business owners like you accelerate growth and multiply impact through servant leadership.

Connect with Us: 

• Website

• Silverback Ventures LinkedIn

• Scott Woods LinkedIn

• Steff Thomas LinkedIn

• YouTube

There’s the pain of being broken, and the pain of getting better. One leaves you stuck, the other moves you forward. But both can hurt. In this episode, Scott and Steff unpack the difference between pain that signals something’s wrong, and pain that means you’re healing. Whether it’s the slow work of rebuilding a team or the brutal honesty of realizing you can’t fix it alone, this conversation goes deep on the mindset shift required to move from broken to better. Because avoiding pain doesn’t make it go away - it just makes it permanent.

Progress isn’t painless. But it’s worth it.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• The surprising reason your pain points (like high turnover or low cash flow) are symptoms of broken systems

• What happens when you finally admit you need help