Creative Conversations with Marylin

Just because you start a business in one way doesn’t mean that you have to keep running it in that way. Liani Antelo has been making pivots in her businesses for years and because of her willingness to make changes, has seen massive growth. 

Her first business venture involved creating bows. She was tired of the overpriced bows she was buying for her daughter so she decided to make them. After posting pictures of her daughter on Instagram, a flood of requests for custom bows came in. 

The more requests she got the more she realized that she could create a business out of this need. She doubled down and started charging and created A Darling Bowtique. What she initially didn’t anticipate was the decline of her blossoming bow market. 

Instead of caving however, she began to create different products. She started doing screen print shirts and various corporate and small business requests. Later on, when competitors were unable to deliver on their orders, she would create orders for them as well and turned her business into a partial wholesale operation. 

Then the pandemic hit and she made another switch. Listen as she shares her story and why she believes her ability to pivot with products is what has made her a successful entrepreneur. 

Is your business in need of a pivot? After listening to this episode, let me know what kinds of pivots you could make to stay relevant in your market.

[01:00] Welcome to the show, Liani!

[01:04] She shares her background and what she is doing now.

[03:09] She discusses how she started a bow shop.

[04:32] Liani tells herself that she runs a business, not a charity.

[07:42] She pivoted her products and added an athletic line for boys.

[10:54] She has become more of a wholesaler for bigger name brand stores. She turned her competitors into clients.

[13:19] It was a hustle every day, and she always remains thankful.

[16:48] She speaks about another pivot she made during the pandemic into making masks.

[21:38] It’s all about not being hung up on one product.

[26:01] Everyone was in survival mode in 2020 and had to focus on what they could control.

[28:23] Liani says the one piece of advice she tells people is to just start.

[32:15] Reach out to people that can help you.

[34:18] Thank you for being on the show!

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Are you ready to scale or make a change in your business but you’re just not sure where to start? What if you were to intuitively uplevel your business through creating offers that fall in line with your area expertise? Jennifer McGurk joins me to discuss just that and why scaling doesn’t have to mean creating something new. 

Jennifer is a registered dietitian who has specialized in eating disorder recovery. She loves being able to work with clients to shift their beliefs and perspectives around food and to approach life and health with confidence.

She started her own practice in 2011 and since then has continued to add support and growth to her business by keeping her focus on registered dietitian’s and her clients. She now has a group practice and has enjoyed mentoring other dietitian’s in building their own businesses.

Listen as she shares her journey and why keeping all of her business ventures in the realm of her area of expertise. Everything from her practice, to her coaching, to her online membership and business mentoring revolves around her initial business model which makes creating multiple streams of income very easy. 

In what ways can you tap into what you’re already doing to build additional income.

[01:03] Welcome to the show, Jennifer!

[01:42] She shares her background and what she is doing now.

[05:20] A body positive relationship with food and body is what she stands for.

[06:29] “Consistently good is better than occasionally perfect.” 

[08:18] Don’t be afraid. If you have a message or a mission, it’s okay to tell people what you stand for.

[10:05] Jennifer speaks about the transition from 1:1 to 1: many and why she made the pivot.

[13:30] Her private practice isn’t online and they don’t need social media to market it.

[17:43] She talks about the membership model she used when she launched Pursuing Private Practice.

[19:51] She discusses what happened to her group course during the pandemic.

[22:17] Memberships offer accountability and community.

[23:14] They talk about the psychology behind Dana’s Pie of Engagement.

[24:57] Jennifer gives her best advice for the first step in starting your own business.

[28:03] Thank you for being on the show!

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Working 24/7 is for the birds. Unless part of that work is something that you’re super passionate about. Kevlyn Walsh was working as a teacher, hostessing at a restaurant, and building her own Festive Gal empire all at the same time. When the time came to finally pick a path, she decided to bet on herself and went all in with Festive Gal.

The big hang up? She went all in right as the pandemic was starting up. After months of doing really well with party crowns and festive goodies, her shop dried up. This was right around her birthday and rather than cave to the fear, she made her very own pandemic worthy birthday party crown. 

That decision changed her life and her business dramatically. 

Listen as she shares how she thought up Festive Gal, why she went all in, and her thoughts on why it’s important to lean into your skills and work for the things that give you joy. We also dig into the technical side of marketing and why using Etsy initially is great, but that at some point, you need your own digital space. 

Do you have an amazing idea that you’re just itching to share with the world? Listen in and learn how you can make your dreams a reality.

[01:03] Welcome to the show, Kevlyn!

[01:30] She shares her journey from an art teacher to a creative entrepreneur.

[05:40] Listen as she talks about creating party crowns to revive her business during the pandemic shutdown.

[09:41] Kevlyn launched the crowns at the perfect time and it took off.

[11:45] She discusses her transition from selling only on Etsy to moving things to her website.

[14:30] Etsy is a great way to jumpstart your business then transition to your own website.

[15:27] The data you can get from your own website is so much better than what 3rd party websites have.

[18:01] Kevlyn wishes she had started her website sooner because it’s the best way to direct traffic.

[19:52] She shares how the accountability side of being coached with me helped her meet her goals.

[22:19] Having support from a business coach who knew what to do was priceless.

[25:10] She has seen amazing conversions by emailing her list about sales that she had running.

[29:30] A product based business allows you to mold your offers to what is coming up.

[30:05] Kevlyn talks to her former art teacher self and shares what she would tell her now.

[32:48] Bet on yourself!

[33:05] Thank you for being on the show!

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How are you with your finances? Do you have every dime budgeted and given a purpose or do you close your eyes and pray that everything shakes out? If you’re in that second category, you’re not alone. Not by a long shot. Listen as Emily Bowie shares her budgeting basics and why she fully believes that when you take control of your money, you take control of your life.

Emily has a background in public accounting but notes that it’s a job that will suck the life and soul out of you. She began looking for other interests and found Beach Body. She had no intention of truly building a business, but then it took off. That’s when she realized that she could do and build more. 

She became a certified financial coach and began helping others to get out of debt and take back their lives. 

Listen as she shares her story and why she’s so passionate about helping women to take control of their finances. Plus she’s giving tips on how you can get started with a financial evolution in your own life and business. 

[01:27] Welcome to the show, Emily!

[01:53] She shares her background and the transition to becoming a certified financial coach.

[04:51] Her journey has taught her to stay the course and be open.

[06:35] There are seasons of sacrifice, there are times it’s not fun, but it's always worth it.

[09:08] Emily discusses why she believes we avoid the numbers and get ourselves in debt.

[10:39] If you take the time to track the income and spending, you can be in a much better place.

[13:44] She gives us all some advice on how to course correct when we exceed our budgets.

[16:45] “The biggest thing we are fighting every single day is instant gratification.”

[20:33] Convenience allows us to buy without thinking, which in the end puts us in a worse position because we have to recover.

[22:34] Emily is passionate about telling people how easy it can be and helping them feel like they can take control.

[24:51] Just because you have money coming in does not make you financially afloat.

[26:27] When you get on a budget, it can feel like you’ve gotten a pay raise.

[28:20] If you have control of your finances, you will learn how to become disciplined with your fitness.

[32:05] Thank you for being on the show!

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Do you journal? So many people swear by it, but how do you get started and what’s the right practice for you? Amy Bennett loves all things Bullet Journaling but realizes that it’s sometimes hard to get started. That’s why she started her Etsy shop selling Bullet Journal stencils!

Her business has grown since then and includes so much more, but it all started with her love of journaling and realizing that more people would do it if they knew how to start. Once she realized the need, she set to work creating resources to help women aspiring to add journaling to their daily lives. 

She didn’t start off with journal stencils however. Like most Etsy owners her initial interests were far different, but when she started journaling she saw a huge positive shift in her life. She began joining journaling groups and realized that there was a very large gap in the journaling market.

Enter Moxie Dorie and her business partner Kris and they have since filled that gap. Listen as she shares her story and why it’s possible for you to turn your passions into an income generator as well. Just start the Etsy shop and keep innovating. When you look back you’ll be surprised how far you’ve come.

[00:59] Welcome to the show, Amy!

[01:27] She shares her background and what she does.

[02:11] Amy discusses bullet journaling and what it is.

[04:16] She speaks about how she creates the journal stencils.

[07:03] Six years ago they started selling bullet journals in an Etsy shop.

[09:39] She talks about opening many shops on Etsy and what they were.

[14:37] Amy discusses closing their Etsy shop and transitioning it all to their website.

[16:56] Because she and her partner both bullet journal, she believes that is how they connect with their customers.

[19:06] They created a Facebook group that has grown to twenty-seven thousand people.

[21:10] Don’t just accept anyone into your group, allow only those people who feel fit.

[24:41] When people share in the group, she feels like that’s when they trust.

[26:58] Amy speaks about using their MoxieDori platform to make mask extenders they shipped to hospitals and nursing facilities.

[30:57] She created an Etsy course for people who needed help with setting up or improving their sales in an Etsy shop.

[34:34] I want everyone listening to see all the ways you can make shifts or pivots in your life.

[35:09] Amy shares some encouragement for anyone who wants to open an Etsy shop.

[36:16] Thank you for being on the show!

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You are your own worst enemy. How many times have you heard that phrase and thought, “Man that’s so true!”? Your fear is the only thing holding you back and it’s time to stop! Valerie Friedlander has been doing personal development work for years and is now a business coach helping female entrepreneurs to get out of their own way.

Valerie was exposed to personal development very early on and knew the value but didn’t know how to help others. She set out on her corporate journey but found quickly that something was missing. This led to her own journey of discovery and finding her way into corporate coaching. 

Corporate coaching helped her to figure out how to vision for her own life and how to really find out who she was and what she wanted. She’s now using those corporate coaching chops to help female entrepreneurs. 

Listen as she shares her story and why you may be the obstacle you’re trying to overcome. She’s sharing so many amazing nuggets of wisdom and things to think about as you approach building your own business. Don’t miss out on this one!

[00:58] Welcome to the show, Valerie!

[01:32] She shares her journey into coaching.

[07:20] Your children pick up habits from watching what you do.

[09:47] Getting out of your own way is just listening to yourself and knowing what you want.

[12:29] It’s normal to have fear.

[15:48] You can’t break chains, you don’t see.

[16:47] Valerie speaks about how you can figure out if the thoughts you are having are yours or what someone else laid on you.

[22:04] Fear tells us we are not good enough or valuable enough to be deserving unless we have everything organized and on point.

[25:41] Where your focus goes, your energy flows.

[29:01] If you remove everything from the room, you can then bring back things that support you and are what you want.

[31:17] She says her work isn’t about advising, it's about helping you discern for yourself.

[34:07] This past year has been like a reflection period of analysing your life, programs and systems.

[35:34] Start by thinking about what you need to invite clients into your life. 

[37:38] Thank you for being on the show!

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What do you do when you’re struggling with milk supply due to latch issues? You create your very own amazing lactation cookies. How do you turn that into a thriving business that helps moms all over the country? Listen as Jessica Ciraulo shares her story of baking it until she made it. 

When Jessica was pregnant with her first she knew that she wanted to breastfeed. What she didn’t realize was just how difficult her journey would be. Her baby had not one but two ties that were causing pretty significant latch issues. 

Because her breast was never fully emptied, the latch issues became supply issues, but she was determined to keep going. Instead of giving up she tried out some generic milk-boosting lactation cookies and realized that she could make them much much better. 

Fast-forward to her neighbor having supply issues and Jessica sharing her cookies. Not only did they work for her neighbor as well, they realized that the cookies could work for women everywhere. 

Jessica shares how she took her delicious cookies and turned them into a thriving business that has only grown since she started honing in her TikTok strategy. Her most important advice? Make real connections with people and have a product that truly solves a problem.

She’s also diving deep into selling on Amazon and what you should know before you apply!

[00:50] Welcome to the show, Jessica!

[01:38] Jessica shares her background and her journey to owning MilkBliss.

[04:30] She developed a recipe for lactation cookies.

[07:30] Learn how hard it is to find the products for her cookies.

[09:27] Why it’s important to listen to your customers.

[11:46] How to get your products sold on Amazon and what you need to do.

[17:23] Learn how she got started on TikTok and her strategy.

[20:00] When something on TikTok goes viral it’s like a lightning strike.

[22:04] She saw a huge rise in sales when her TikTok videos started going viral.

[25:20] Sometimes, at the moment, posts hit more people than planned videos do.

[28:05] You can reach more people on TikTok than you can on Instagram.

[33:38] Why she chose to create a business TikTok account.

[37:37] Get uncomfortable and put yourself in the position to create videos.

[41:46] Thank you for being on the show!

[42:00] Now my takeaways for this episode.

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Your kid already has an inner mean voice. No matter if they are 3 or 13, they are dealing with big emotions and feelings of failure already. Some of that stems from the conversations you have around them, so how do we break out of the perfectionist trap? Dr. Eva Benmeleh joins me to chat about just that. 

So why do we feel the need to exhibit perfection? Many times it stems from a feeling of not feeling good enough in the first place, so we strive to erase that feeling by doing everything right. 

Dr. Eva shares all the traits that most perfectionists exhibit and I’ll bet, if you’re a business owner, you probably have some or all of them. She’s also digging into ways that you can stop the cycle of perfection and start being more kind to yourself. 

The things you say and model for yourself are the same things that your kids pick up on. If you’re not willing to do the work for yourself, then definitely start doing the work for them. It’s time to break out of the perfectionist trap and start beating back your inner mean girl

[01:10] Welcome to the show, Dr. Eva!

[02:21] Dr. Eva shares her background and why she specialized in working with perfectionism.

[05:11] A lot of procrastinators are perfectionists.

[06:32] Learn some things that can jolt you out of that cycle.

[09:43] Showing up and putting yourself out there is a big win.

[11:41] When parents reach out to her for their children, usually the parents get more out of the sessions.

[14:17] Navigating the imposter syndrome or mean girl voice that our children are feeling and hearing.

[16:42] How the pandemic has affected her business and made people more aware of mental health.

[19:27] We chat about how we connected and the amazing work she’s done in my family’s lives.

[21:42] She works with women who are small business owners.

[22:22] Listen as Dr. Eva shares some perfectionism that she sees around money.

[25:32] If you are asking for permission, you are already walking in without the power to decide.

[28:18] If we can shift our words, we can shift our perception.

[29:06] Thank you for being on the show!

Dr. Eva Benmeleh

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Nicole Anderson is a well known branding photographer based out of California. Thing is, life in California isn’t what it used to be so she and her family have decided to book it out east to Tennessee. Listen as she shares how she’s managed to find clients and start new by building connections.

She has actually lived in California her entire life. As things have changed over the years though she realized she wanted something new for her family. Being a business owner however, she kept thinking about how difficult it would be to start over. 

Then she realized, she’s not starting over, she’s starting new. Her skills as a branding photographer didn’t magically disappear. All of her knowledge of marketing, hashtags, and making connections didn’t go away. Moving to a new state did not mean starting her business over at all. 

We chat all about her mindset shift and what she has done to build a customer base in her new state, before she’s moved a single box. This was a fantastic conversation, despite me having a child on my lap and multiple interruptions. That’s just life sometimes. 

It’s also one of the reasons both Nicole and I have our own businesses! You truly won’t want to miss this one!

[01:07] Welcome to the show, Nicole!

[01:55] Why her family is moving from California to Tennessee.

[04:11] How she specialized in brand photography.

[07:01] It’s important to make genuine connections. Learn why.

[10:47] Nicole says she is very thankful for social media and how it has helped her business.

[12:00] Nicole speaks about proving her income to a home loan officer.

[14:45] Brand photography is much more than headshots and she wants to teach other photographers how to tell the brand story.

[17:01] As an entrepreneur you must always create content.

[19:54] When she started posting photos of herself and posting things about herself, her business blew up.

[23:41] The ability to put yourself out there and ask for what you want will separate you from your competitors.

[25:52] Nicole shares what as a business owner has been her biggest takeaway from moving and starting new.

[27:45] Stop thinking you have to create new content every day, repurpose.

[29:27] Thank you for being on the show!

[30:04] Now I am going to share my takeaways from this episode.

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Positive parenting solutions have been sweeping the nation in recent years as we learn more about child and adult psychology. Jennifer Altieri started implementing positive parenting in her own household just before her children hit their teen years, and their lives changed dramatically.

She’s now sharing her story and her advice with other parents to help them find the right solutions for them and their households. 

Does that make her a perfect parent? Absolutely not. However there is a beauty in choosing discussion over anger when decisions are being made both by you and your children. 

Listen as she shares her story as well as tips and advice you can start implementing today to shift the narrative in your household. If you constantly feel like you’re yelling and that your children never listen, this is the episode for you!

Want to take it even further? Sign up for her Summer Reboot for Moms.

In This Episode:

[01:13] Welcome to the show, Jennifer!

[02:24] Jennifer shares her background and what sparked her to focus on positive parenting.

[04:40] There are no perfect parents. The goal is to be a better parent every day.

[07:10] Jennifer thinks that there are three foundational pillars to raising your kids and keeping your sanity. Balance, Integrity and Flexibility. 

[10:25] Jennifer says we get to model what we want your kids to be.

[11:32] Jennifer shares a tool you can use today to limit a reactive response.

[14:22] Jennifer recommends that you have a family meeting weekly.

[17:40] Usually when kids hit about four, they are ready for family meetings.

[18:41] Jennifer talks about her Summer Reboot for Moms she is launching this summer.

[20:53] Thank you for being on the show!

Hope INRHEART

Why Are You Yelling?: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Kids without Raising Your Voice

Summer Reboot for Moms

Positive Parenting Workshop

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