Courageous Dreamers Win

"We women operate the best when we feel the best. When you've put this amazing outfit on that makes you feel amazing, this is when you become magnetic, and this is when you become unstoppable," shares Tali Kogan, Chicago-based premier fashion stylist, empowerment coach and founder of Tel Aviv Couture. Fifteen years ago, Tali was an overweight accountant wearing dark, baggy clothes to hide her unhappiness. When she began to change her physical appearance, she stepped into her full feminine power and her entire life transformed. Now she empowers other women to shine authentically through her styling process, 'calling forth the Queen'.

Women often prioritize taking care of others over themselves. Especially when so many women are stay at home moms or are working remotely, they may think there is no reason to dress up. However, with a small mindset shift, you can begin to see every day as a special occasion and a reason to put your best self forward. Tali explains that there are no real rules in fashion and that it is not even about the specific outfit or the cost. All that matters is how that outfit makes you feel about yourself. Her tips include playing around in your closet for inspiration, topping literally any outfit with a fabulous blazer, building a capsule wardrobe, and taking photos of yourself in each outfit for reference. She also recommends finding your personal crown, whether it be a sparkly necklace, specific shoes, or in her case, glasses, because a Queen should never be without her crown.

If you are wanting to change your life and embrace the full potential of your feminine power, start with your wardrobe! When you feel beautiful and great about yourself, you can accomplish anything. Visit Tali's website linked below to take the 3 minute Style Persona Quiz and begin your transformation.

Quotes:

• "It's more than styling, it's empowering women through fashion." (4:40 | Tali)

• "That's what I do. I call forth the queen in you. Because we women, we all are queens." (7:05 | Tali)

• "We women operate the best when we feel the best. When you've put this amazing outfit on that makes you feel amazing, this is when you become magnetic, and this is when you become unstoppable." (8:06 | Tali)

• "It's way beyond the clothing. It's really not about that outfit, and it doesn't even matter how much it costs. It's about what that outfit does to you." (9:30 | Tali)

• "There are no rules in fashion." (13:00 | Tali)

• "The hottest trend in life is the trend that brings you joy." (13:06 | Tali)

• "Once you know your style persona, your shopping and styling experience become a lot more effortless." (18:01 | Tali)

Connect with Tali Kogan:

https://www.telavivcouture.com/style-persona-quiz/

https://www.telavivcouture.com/25-capsule-wardrobe-essentials/

https://sweetdomechicago.com/

https://www.instagram.com/talikogan/

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"That's what I call the Paris effect. You were in Paris, and you changed," shares Edith de Belleville, native Parisian, official Paris tour guide, University professor, and published author. Edith spent many years as an attorney before deciding at the age of 50 to return to university for her official tour guide license. Now, she shares her love of Paris and its fascinating history with tourists in French, Spanish, and English. Deeply inspired by Parisian women of the past, Edith wrote her first book, in French, entitled The Beautiful Rebels of Paris ("Belles et Rebelle" Editions du 81). This was followed by her second book, written in English, about her Paris memoir "Parisian Life, Adventures in the City of Light".

Edith is one of many trailblazing women making a name for herself in the world of entrepreneurship. She did not let her age or any doubts get in the way of her dreams and wholeheartedly believes that people do not necessarily need a degree to succeed - just look at Coco Chanel! As a Parisian woman, Edith loves sharing the history of her city with tourists and watching how Paris changes each person who visits. She explains to Nesha that 'entrepreneur' itself is a French word, derived from the name of a brave knight. The modern meaning traces back all the way to the 18th century and denotes a person who takes risks with their money and ideas. Although 'entrepreneur' has French origins, the French approach entrepreneurship differently than Americans, making marketing her books a bit more challenging for Edith. She shares that even just telling people about her book could be interpreted as bragging and that for the French subtlety is key.

Many women are visiting France for their "Emily in Paris" moment and Edith is happy to share with them an inside look at what life is like for a native Parisian woman. Paris is a magical city with a rich history. And as Nesha recently discovered, deep ties to entrepreneurship. Take a note from Coco Chanel, believe in your dreams, be yourself, do what you like, and you too can be successful.

Quotes:

• "Lesson number one, do what you like and be authentic." (8:42-8:46 | Edith)

• "You don't need to have a degree… you can succeed, because Chanel did and she had absolutely no degrees, nothing." (9:30-9:43 | Edith)

• "That's what I call the Paris effect. You were in Paris, and you changed." (14:04-14:09 | Edith)

• "I will be successful when my book is well known in America. Because for Europeans, the USA is the top of the top in business." (28:06-28:16 | Edith)

• "Believe in your dreams." (30:13-30:14 | Edith)

Connect with Edith de Belleville:

Website | https://www.edithdebelleville.com/

Parisian Life, adventures in the City of Light | https://www.amazon.com/Parisian-Life-Adventures-City-Light/dp/1667831984/ref=sr_1_1?

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/ Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"I was trying so hard to be who I thought other people wanted me to be. I spent so much energy wanting to be accepted or wanting to look cool or look successful, but that wasn't authentic," explains R. Michael Anderson, serial software entrepreneur, author, leadership coach, and speaker with advanced degrees in psychology and neuroscience. Michael went from being a self-proclaimed 'bad leader' to quite literally writing the book on leadership mindset. Learning how to be a more effective and authentic leader was life changing for Michael, and now he aims to help other leaders put their egos aside and overcome obstacles.

Michael's first foray into leadership found him with a successful small business and unhappy employees. Although he was successful from a money standpoint, he did not understand at the time what it really meant to be a leader. He became easily frustrated with his employees and was unable to put aside his ego. Things got so intense with his employees that one even assaulted him after an argument. He knew something needed to change, and it all clicked into place when he began studying for his Masters in Spiritual Psychology. Understanding why people behave the way they do opened the door for Michael to learn how to know, like, and trust himself, and become a more impactful leader in the process.

Becoming a more effective and authentic leader requires personal growth. If you do not take the time to get to know yourself better and improve your mindset, it will be much harder to manage your employees without ego getting in the way.

Quotes:

• "I was achieving my goals, but it was like I was getting away from happiness." (7:35-7:38 | R. Michael)

• "Up until then, I thought leadership was just getting a bunch of to-dos in and passing them out. And if people didn't get them done as fast or as well as I thought, I would just get frustrated and angry." (7:55-8:03 | R. Michael)

• "I was trying so hard to be who I thought other people wanted me to be. I spent so much energy wanting to be accepted or wanting to look cool or look successful, but that wasn't authentic." (9:46-9:58 | R. Michael)

• "I teach leadership mindset because that's what moved the needle for me. And I see so many other leaders struggling with the same." (11:36-11:43 | R. Michael)

• "I'm a big believer in self compassion. I know we can get frustrated and things, but your ego is just doing what you've trained it to do." (20:30-20:37 | R. Michael)

• "All poor leadership is when people are in their ego." (21:40-21:44 | R. Michael)

• "As you grow as a person, you grow as a leader." (23:24-23:26 | R. Michael)

Connect with R. Michael Anderson:

Website | https://rmichaelanderson.com/

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/ Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"Even as a young person, I was in rooms where I never thought I would be. So I said, 'If I can do this, I bet other students can also do it'," shares Meredith Dean, founder of The Deans List, a Charlotte-based digital branding and career consulting agency focused on building a strong community of empowered individuals. Meredith started The Dean's List as a side hustle while working a full-time job with Levine Children's Hospital and has recently moved to running her business full-time. Now, she empowers entrepreneurs of primarily female and minority owned small businesses to make their dreams come true.

Although it was a difficult decision for Meredith to leave her job with the children's hospital that she truly loved, she found her calling in helping empower other young, female, and minority entrepreneurs. Many people have great business ideas, but fear or lack of business knowledge keep them from pursuing anything. This is where Meredith steps in to help take that fear out of the equation. She helps people get up and running with everything they need to not only create a digital brand, including a professional website and a strong social media presence, but to also be able to run it themselves afterward.

There are many obstacles to running a business. And they can keep some people from ever venturing into entrepreneurship in the first place. If these obstacles sound familiar to you, consider bringing on someone like Meredith to help you get started without all the stress.

Quotes:

• "I started getting all these different internships, even as a young person, I was in rooms where I never thought I would be. So I said, 'If I can do this, I bet other students can also do it'." (7:16-7:26 | Meredith)

• "What is your life? Let's put that online and make sure that you shine in that way." (12:56-13:00 | Meredith)

• "It's great that I can get them started, but I want them to feel very competent in holding their own brand and doing things for their own brand going forward." (13:56-14:04 | Meredith)

• "If you want to grow, the only way you're going to do it is through Instagram reels." (14:47-14:53 | Meredith)

• "Create more than you consume." (21:11-21:13 | Meredith)

Connect with Meredith Dean:

https://www.meredithdean.com/

https://www.thedeanslist.me/

https://www.instagram.com/merenator/

https://www.instagram.com/mydeanslist/

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/ Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"With a PR team, you don't only look at media outlets. You look at other stakeholders that you're trying to reach in other ways that they get their other media or their news, and what are other creative ways that we can reach them that don't call for a paid advertisement," explains Brittney Bogues, serial entrepreneur and founder of Bogues Group. Brittney decided to open her own consulting firm after noticing a gap in marketing and branding for athletes and falling in love with PR. Now, her firm provides PR, marketing, and branding services for clients from all backgrounds including athletes, CEOs, healthcare professionals, and many others.

As a woman of color well versed in entrepreneurship, Brittney is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. Additionally, Brittney had a personal obstacle to face as the daughter of a famous basketball star. She wanted to make sure that her small business was truly her own success and not something that was associated with her father. Brittney has learned a lot about what works and what doesn't when it comes to an effective PR strategy; and she shares some of her tips, along with some common mistakes she has noticed other businesses making. Her biggest tip is simply to pay attention to your local news stations and stay up to date on what is current in order to ensure you are always pitching relevant stories.

Entrepreneurs face many challenges, and regardless of industry, everyone has their own personal obstacles to overcome. With the right PR strategy, you can take your business to the next level. If you are wanting to improve your business' branding, be sure to check out the Complete Brand Builder Workbook linked below.

Quotes:

• "The fun thing about having a consulting firm is that we get to work with all types of clients." (3:34-3:39 | Brittney)

• "A lot of businesses should really focus and listen first to their current and local news stations." (9:10-9:18 | Brittney)

• "With a PR team, you don't only look at media outlets. You look at other stakeholders that you're trying to reach in other ways that they get their other media or their news, and what are other creative ways that we can reach them that don't call for a paid advertisement." (13:31-13:46 | Brittney)

• "Things that go national, it all starts from a local perspective. People think that everything starts national, it actually is the opposite." (15:08-15:16 | Brittney)

Connect with Brittney Bogues:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/brittbogues

Website | https://boguesgroup.com/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittneybogues/

The Complete Brand Builder Workbook | https://boguesgroup.com/workbook-and-guides/

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/ Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"This is your one life. And if you're not enjoying what you're doing, your clients are going to feel that, whoever you work with is going to feel that. So let's see how good we can let it get," shares Amy Pocsik, owner of Bold Moves Coaching and Women's Business League, a national community for women entrepreneurs. Amy spent a decade working as a CPA, but after going on maternity leave, she knew she did not want to go back to her old position. She felt a calling to do more with her skills and had a large desire to help women small business owners succeed. When Amy realized that there was no network for women in entrepreneurship, she decided to build one herself.

Women small business owners face unique challenges. Amy created the Women's Business League to help other women entrepreneurs with overcoming obstacles such as generating enough income to support their families, implementing healthy boundaries, and designing a business that is fully in alignment with the life they want to live. Success is much more achievable when you are surrounded by a supportive community. As a coach, Amy encourages her clients to build their business alongside a steady income source and to be very intentional about how the business is going to support their desired lifestyle.

Life is too short to not enjoy what you are doing. If you are not enjoying your day to day, the people you work with, including your clients, are going to take notice. So, if you feel called to create a business, take a chance and invest in building the life you want.

Quotes:

• "My mission is really to empower women to live a life of impact." (10:25-10:32 | Amy)

• "When you're creating a business, it's really important to be intentional that this business is going to support the life you want to live." (14:05-14:12 | Amy)

• "The thing I work at continually is aligning and making sure that how I'm spending my moments, my days, my weeks, is in alignment with the life that I want to live." (15:38-15:50 | Amy)

• "No one achieves success on their own." (15:55-15:57 | Amy)

• "We need to invest in ourselves at the level that we want others to invest in us." (16:38-16:42 | Amy)

• "I'm a big fan of building a business alongside a steady stream of income." (22:30-22:35 | Amy)

• "This is your one life. And if you're not enjoying what you're doing, your clients are going to feel that, whoever you work with is going to feel that. So let's see how good we can let it get." (23:31-23:45 | Amy)

• "If you're still doing what you did pre-pandemic and wondering why it's not working, it's because the entire world of marketing has changed." (25:46-25:51 | Amy)

Connect with Amy Pocsik:

Website | https://bold-moves.com/

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/amypocsik/

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypocsik/

Connect with Nesha:

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/neshapai/ Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@neshapai1480/videos Buy a copy of Nesha's book, Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1943070741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_KEGQ1539QQ5N8Z8XHRNC

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The path to finding your place as an entrepreneur rarely looks like a straight line. Kiley Peters started her first small business, Brainchild when she was 30, before making a pivot several years later driven by her evolving vision. The door that was Brainchild closed so that Kiley could open the door wide open on her current business, RAYNE IX.

Kiley and RAYNE IX help women small business owners build businesses that are not only successful but in alignment with their personal goals as well. The combining of personal goals to professional goals is what sets Kiley apart

Through a monthly membership and also a series of in person workshops, Kiley and her team create a community of hard working women who understand the struggles and the joys of small business ownership.

Kiley Peters joins host Nesha Pai to talk about understanding strengths and weaknesses, and building a team that supports those dynamics. Kiley also talks about the importance of creating safe spaces that are exclusively female, and how her group, the 100 Collective, supports women in a genuine and encouraging environment. No mean girls allowed.

Find out more about RAYNE IX on Instagram at @rayneix or online at RAYNEIX.com. Connect with Kiley Peters on Instagram at @kileypeters or online at kileypeters.com, and on LinkedIn.

Conventional paths to "success" can often look the same: go to school, get the degree, get the job, and (if you're a woman) get the husband and kids at a certain age. But what if we could let go of society's expectations of us and its predetermined paths? What if we could break free of the boundaries of "having to be liked?" What if we could… give less fucks?

Today's guest on Piece of the Pai is Gianna Biscontini, the author of "Fuckless: A Guide to Wild, Unencumbered Freedom" and a Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst. Gianna joins host Nesha Pai for a fun and refreshing talk about living with joy and fulfillment without feeling guilt or being bound by traditional expectations of women. Gianna speaks passionately about how the unconscious expectations innately placed around us force us to "give fucks" about things we shouldn't be… giving a fuck about.

Connect with Gianna online at giannabiscontini.com. You can buy her book, "Fuckless" here.

At the highest levels of achievement, the payoffs of all your talent and hard work can be incredible. The dangers of the uncompromising drive for perfection, however, can be full of danger and pitfalls.

Our guest today on Piece of the Pai is Julian Reeve, the former musical director of the red-hot Broadway musical Hamilton, is also the founder of Perfect Equilibrium, a coaching and methodology service that works with high-achieving creatives and entrepreneurs.

After conducting a performance of Hamilton in San Francisco one evening, Julian fell victim to a heart attack. After recovering, it was clear to Julian that this incident was a direct result of his unrelenting pursuit of not only excellence, but also his perfectionism.

Fortunately for Julian (and for us), the heart attack helped Julian realign his priorities and his definition of success. Julian joins host Nesha Pai for a discussion about the danger of burnout, particularly for high achieving people. Julian describes the events leading up to his heart attack, and how he's been able to replace his need for achievement with a desire for equilibrium.

There's very few times where we as entrepreneurs won't face some form of fear. Perhaps it's the fear of stepping into the unknown of small business ownership, maybe it's fear of rejection of proposals, or usually it's the far-too-familiar imposter syndrome that haunts so many. Fortunately for us, today's guest allows us to recognize fear, acknowledge it, and make fear "our homeboy."

Judi Holler is the author of Fear is My Homeboy, as well as a motivational speaker and business coach who has worked with clients from Ford to Sprint to Marriott and many more in between. Judi has coached high-level excutives and their teams to bring their best to the table, using her high-energy dynamic approach to her business, her own personality and life.

Judi Holler joins host Nesha Pai for a candid discussion about many of the common behaviors and patterns that Judi seems holiding so many back, including the aforementioned imposter syndrome. Judi also discusses her experiences being a keynote speaker presenting for hundreds of people at a time, as well as one of her most formative experiences: dropping out of Chicago's famed Second City improv group.

Connect with Judi Holler online at judiholler.com.

Purchase Judi's book, Fear is My Homeboy, here.