
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


If you got value from this episode - please review it and share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Join the support crew and learn how to build authentic visibility together
Ready to be found online? work with me and start your Sunny Chapter Edit
In this episode, we chat about
Samantha Flores ran a $2 billion business across EMEA at Nike for 19 years. And when she left to build her own business, the hardest part was not the strategy. It was learning how to sell herself with no brand name to hide behind.
If you have left corporate to build your own business and you are finding visibility ten times harder than you expected, this is exactly why. Inside corporate you were never selling yourself. You were selling the brand. The brand was the safety net. The brand was the credibility. And now you are all three.
What Samantha did before she left is what gave her the space to actually build. For years she put 30 to 40% of her salary straight into an investment account. Before she had a business idea. Before she had a plan. That buffer meant she could build without the pressure of needing it to work immediately destroying her at every turn.
A year and a half into building her business she has reached 1200 people through Facebook ads, run monthly masterclasses, and gone back to the beginning to build a personalised diagnostic because she realised most women she works with do not actually need more information. They need clarity on exactly what is blocking them first.
She is not pretending it has been clean. She is sharing what worked, what she rebuilt, and the one thing that separates the women who get momentum from the ones who stay stuck wondering what they are doing wrong.
You cannot score without a goal.
The women she works with can describe in painful detail everything they walked away from. The manager who did not see them. The work that stopped meaning something. But when she asks what they actually want to build instead, there is silence. And that silence is where the business stalls before it ever gets started.
If you are building a business after 40 and you left a senior corporate career to do it, this conversation is going to feel like someone finally said the quiet part out loud.
Connect with my guest:
Samantha Flores https://thepowerhousecode.com/
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Support Offer
Brand Story Sessions
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Apply for our free August visibility initiative HAPPILY VISIBLE and get featured
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to grow authentic visibility
In this solo episode:
So today I want to share one of my all time favourite episodes again, one I recorded a while back that still feels so relevant. This is the one where I talk about what happens when we don't quite get what we want, and why I really believe that happens for a reason.
I tell the story of interviewing for a position at this big international fashion house. Old school, beautiful building, the kind of place you imagine in Paris, even though this one was in Switzerland. And my ego absolutely loved it. The job title, the brand, all of it. But from the very first meeting, I had this icky feeling in my stomach. People clocking in and out on this old machine on the wall. And I just thought, oh, is this what they do here. I kept going anyway because my ego wanted it so badly. And then I didn't get the job. And looking back, I know exactly why. It just wasn't right for me. Me and a close friend used to say, sometimes presents come wrapped in shitty paper. And that was one of them.
This episode is really about trusting that voice and that feeling in your body, even when your ego is busy telling you something else. I talk about being multi passionate, having worked in over 30 jobs across about 20 different categories, and how I've stopped fighting that part of myself and instead built a business and a life around it.
I also go deep into faith. My belief that there is a higher power supporting us, whatever you want to call it, God, the universe, Mother Gaia, and that whatever happens, happens for us, not to us. The hardships, the doors that close, the jobs that don't work out, I believe all of it is preparing us for exactly where we're meant to go.
If you're in a pivotal moment right now, feeling unsure or a little lost, or wondering why something you wanted so badly didn't work out, I hope this is the episode that reminds you. Not every closed door is a loss. Sometimes it's protection.
Topics covered in this episode:
Why a job and career that looks perfect on paper can still feel completely wrong in your body. The difference between what my ego wanted and what was actually aligned for me. Why being multi passionate isn't something I needed to fix, it's something I built my business around. How to find a corporate role or company that actually fits who you are, because not every corporate path is the wrong path. Trusting that everything happening is happening for you, even when it doesn't feel that way yet. The question I always ask myself when I'm stuck: what's the actual worst thing that could happen.
Topics: career change for moms, trusting your intuition career, signs a job isn't right for you, faith and career change, finding purpose in your career, corporate career fit, women changing careers in their 40s, listening to your body career decisions, everything happens for a reason career, multi passionate career path
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
Support Offer
Brand Story Sessions
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Apply for our free August visibility initiative HAPPILY VISIBLE and get featured
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
Ready to be found online? check out the Sunny Chapter Edit
In this solo episode:
I almost deleted the email. The word "viral" in the subject line nearly made me close the tab. But something called me in, and what I found on the other side changed everything about how I think about building my business visibility.
In this episode I share why I quietly resisted networking for over a year, what finally made me say yes, and what happened when I walked into the right room. This coming from someone who has previously thought building visibility without social media does not really work.
Key insights from this episode:
Why one bad networking event wrote a rule in my mind that cost me a year of connection, and why that rule deserved to be questioned
What I found in a room of women at the same stage, grappling with the same questions, feeling the same loneliness of building something new after corporate, and business after 40
How hearing my ideal clients speak in their own words changed how I understand the people I want to help
Why my energy shifted the moment I walked in, even though I had almost talked myself out of going
What Mallorca specifically attracts, and why the people in that room were exactly my kind of people
Why the social media workshop became far more than a classroom, and what that taught me about authentic visibility marketing and connection
Subscribe, share, and leave a review. It is the most generous thing you can do for the show.
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
Newsletter promo before episode
Interview Part 1 with Samantha Flores.
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Join the free community and learn how to build authentic visibility
Ready to promote your story? work with me 1:1 and start your Sunny Chapter Edit
In today's interview episode, we chat about: Leaving corporate and feeling invisible: why high-performing women lose their voice the moment they start building
Samantha Flores spent 19 years climbing the corporate ladder, most recently as Senior Director of Digital Commerce at Nike Europe, leading a $2 billion business across the Middle East and Africa. She left in January 2026, not from burnout, not from bitterness, but full of clarity, conviction, and a vision for what comes next.
In this first conversation with Samantha, we go deep into what actually made her corporate career so successful and why so many high-performing women stay stuck, even with the best performance reviews.
We talk about the internal narrative that runs the show in meetings, the belief that you need the title before you earn the right to be visible, and the very real weight of showing up in rooms where the loudest voice has always belonged to someone else.
Samantha shares what changed when she stopped asking what she needed to do and started asking what the goal actually required from her. That shift is what unlocked everything.
We also get into what nobody warns you about when you leave a big brand behind. In corporate, visibility felt natural. You were representing Nike. The logo carried weight. Then suddenly it's just you, your name, your business, and that brings up a whole different kind of work.
Samantha is building the Powerhouse Code, a platform helping high-performing women in senior corporate roles land that next level leadership position. And even as someone who teaches strategic visibility, she talks honestly about the voices that still show up when she hits publish.
This episode is Part 1. In Part 2, Samantha shares the actual strategies she used to build visibility, her playbook for positioning, and what building her business looks like now.
Topics covered in this episode:
Why great performance reviews keep women stuck rather than moving them forward. The internal script running in the background for most women in senior meetings. What strategic visibility actually means and how Samantha learned to use it. The difference between marketing a brand and marketing yourself. Why leaving corporate with excitement instead of exhaustion changes everything about how you build what comes next.
Keywords: women leaving corporate, second act after 40, strategic visibility for women, high performing women stuck, women in leadership, solopreneur journey, building a personal brand, imposter syndrome women, Nike executive career, women over 40 entrepreneurship, Powerhouse Code, career transition women
Connect with my guest:
Samantha Flores on LinkedIn
Samantha Flores on IG
The Powerhouse Code - https://thepowerhousecode.com
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
Apply to be featured here
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
In this solo episode:
This is a quick re-introduction of how I work and support women in business and what I belief in.
Mel shares what she noticed happening in the online space and what she decided to do about it. Transformational coaches she once admired. Episodes generated in minutes. No original thinking. She unfollowed. And she felt sad about some of them.
What she landed on, for her own content and for the women she supports building businesses after 40 around transformational work, is rooted in one belief. Lived experience, pain, and emotion cannot be replicated by AI. Real human conversation, real stories, and real thinking are what build visibility and trust. That is authentic marketing.
In this episode Mel walks through her full content creation process, from long form journaling and downloads, to interviews and conversations that keep a founder's energy natural and alive, to how AI enters only after the human ideas already exist.
Why lived experience creates content that builds real connection
How her content production process works from interview to newsletter to social
Why conversation keeps a founder's energy natural and alive
Why becoming understood builds visibility for women doing transformational work
Becoming understood is what builds trust. And trust is what builds a business.
This week's episode is about exactly that.
Thanks for checking in!
Keywords: visibility for women, increasing visibility, authentic marketing, building a business after 40, women over 40, transformational work, women entrepreneurs, business after 40, second career women, service-based business
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
Apply to be featured here
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
In this solo episode:
So I want to share with you a little bit about my very own struggle as a multi-passionate entrepreneur, as a mom who has run several business projects.
It's something that I keep running into over and over again.
So I thought I had landed on something so fantastic for me. But somehow in my body I felt that something was holding me back, that some of my ideal clients will not see themselves into that particular type of work that I wanted to focus on.
So when I now talk about my very own positioning struggle, I can tell you I want something memorable, recognizable, and where it makes click for people. Something where the name already carries what I do. And after two years and close to 100 episodes, that name Mama What's Next may have to evolve. And that's okay.
00:00 Navigating the Struggles of Solopreneurship
03:07 Evolving Personal and Professional Identity
08:23 Finding Clarity and Positioning
13:49 Visibility and Communication in Transformational Work
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
Ready to be found online? work with me 1:1 and grow your visibility with the Sunny Chapter Edit
In this solo episode:
Anna left corporate in 2013 with no plan. She traveled through South America, discovered coaching, and spent years in what she calls her hippie phase — earning very little, figuring it out slowly, living on her own terms.
In this episode we look at what the real timeline for building a somatic or holistic business actually looks like — and why the wandering years are exactly where the work happens.
What we cover:
The three phases every somatic practitioner, holistic coach, and healing business goes through - exploration, focusing, and building — and what each one actually requires from you.
Why most marketing advice for therapists and holistic practitioners skips the messy middle entirely and what to do instead.
How women over 40 who left corporate are building service businesses and somatic practices on their own terms.
Resources mentioned:
The Sunday Shift -a free weekly newsletter for women over 40 who are done being invisible and ready to be found online. One woman's story. One framework. One question. Every Sunday. Get The Sunday Shift
One to one support for women in career transition / career reinvention who are building somatic and holistic businesses and want to get visible, get found, and get clients without losing themselves in the process. Sunny Chapter Edit
Listen if you are:
A purpose-driven women entrepreneur, a somatic therapist or holistic business founder wondering why building visibility takes so long. A woman over 40 who left corporate and is in the messy middle of reinvention. A solo entrepreneur trying to market yourself authentically.
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
Ready to be found online? start your Sunny Chapter
In this solo episode:
For women entrepreneurs over 40 who feel called to be visible online but are held back by the fear of being seen or judged. This episode shares 5 tiny habits that helped me move from self‑doubt, push through fear to being seen, trusted, and actually found online.
What you’ll hear:
You’ll also hear how I went from being too scared to ask a waiter for ketchup to running a podcast, being filmed, and attracting clients through my visibility work, plus how my Sunny Chapter offer turns interviews into real marketing assets for women who aren’t yet comfortable being seen.
Follow up:
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
The Sunday Shift Newsletter
Apply to be featured here
If you got value from this episode - share it with a friend who needs to hear it!
Get The Sunday Shift - Learn how to build authentic visibility
In this solo episode:
When You’ve Already Jumped: The Invisible Weight of Reinvention for Women Over 40
Hey lovely, this episode is for a very specific woman… and it might be you.
We hear a lot about the “30-something woman with a title, a salary and no idea what she should do instead.” But what about the woman who already made the decision? The one who didn’t just wonder - she actually did it. She jumped.
She left the title.
She’s building something between school pickup, a mortgage, and a savings account that’s getting smaller every month.
And then there’s that 2 a.m. moment… when everything is quiet and your brain whispers: did I make a terrible mistake?
This episode speaks directly to her.
Why Brilliant Women Stay Invisible Online?
Yes - it's hard to understand.. because
You have certifications, years of real conversations, real clients, real impact. Your knowledge is deeply earned - not downloaded from an AI system.
And yet… you’re still invisible online.
Introducing “What’s Next” — A Visibility Initiative for Women 40+
I created something cool for this woman. For you. Have a listen!
What’s Next is a monthly visibility initiative for women over 40 who are building their next chapter.
Ready to Be Seen?
If you’re building your next chapter and you’re ready for real visibility, here is the application link
And if your work supports women in reinvention, entrepreneurship, or career transition - I would love to have you as a partner.
DM me or send me an [email protected], and let’s talk.
Share This With the Woman Who Already Jumped
If this isn’t you, there’s probably a woman in your life who needs to hear this.
Send it to her. x
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
If you get value from this episode - share it to a friend!
Get All Key Founder Strategies & Tools for 2026: Get The Sunday Shift
Apply to be featured in “What’s Next - Women 40+ Building Their Next Chapter”
In dieser Solo Episode:
Wenn sich für dich Selbstpromotion immer noch wie Fremdschämen anfühlt - dann ist das deine Folge.
Hier und heute geht es um deine inneren Blockaden, die dich immer wieder stoppen, dir immer wieder im Weg stehen, immer wieder Gründe liefern, warum heute gerade nicht die Zeit dafür ist und welche perfekten Ausreden dein Geist dir liefert, um dich immer wieder vom Wachstum abzuhalten. Ganz besonders, wenn wir ein Business gründen und aufbauen ist erforderlich, dass wir darüber reden, es bewerben, vermarkten - und doch fällt das so vielen Frauen schwer, besonders wenn wir aus 9-5 Jobs kommen, wo das irgendwie nie gefragt war. Und erst recht, wenn Marketing und Sichtbarkeit nie ein Thema waren.
Eine wundervolle Hilfestellung zum Thema findet sich im Buch "The Art of War" von Steven Pressfield. Dort steht: Was uns davon abhält, kreativ zu sein, sind wir selber. Wir sabotieren uns selber. Er erklärt im Buch, wie wir unseren inneren Feind kennenlernen, der uns blockiert, unsere Arbeit sabotiert und wissen am Ende, wie wir ihn besiegen, wie wir ihn loswerden und frei werden.
In dieser Folge von „Mama Whats Next“ setze ich mich mit dem Thema auseinander, wie Gründerinnen authentisches Marketing aufbauen und wie man als Frau über 40, die ihre Karriere neu ausrichtet, sichtbar wird.
Ich spreche darüber, warum innerer Widerstand – diese heimtückische psychologische Barriere – selbst erfahrene Beraterinnen und Unternehmerinnen oder eben neue Gründerinnen davon abhält, ihre kreativen oder service-basierten Unternehmen zu bewerben und vermarkten. Ich spreche darüber wie Steven Pressfields „The War of Art“ alles verändert - wenn man es zulässt.
Themen rund um die Sichtbarkeit für Frauen über 40
Wie wird man sichtbar? Ich vs das Produkt und warum man sich nicht identifizieren sollte damit
Überwinden von Blockaden um sichtbarer zu werden, indem man fragt: „Was müssen meine Kunden heute hören?“, statt „Bin ich perfekt?“
Widerstand signalisiert Wachstum (genau dort müssen wir hin) wenn du an deiner beruflichen Neuorientierung und Portfolio-Karriere arbeitest
Persönliches Branding durch authentisches Storytelling aufbauen, das Resonanz und Vertrauen schafft.
Perfekt für:
Gründerinnen, Mütter, die ein Unternehmen gründen, Coaches, Therapeutinnen, die ihre Karriere neu ausrichten – und alle, die eine sinnvolle, dienstleistungsorientierte Arbeit aufbauen, aber bei der Selbstvermarktung und der Sichtbarkeit ihres Unternehmens feststecken. Wenn du eine Frau über 40 bist, die bereit ist, innere Blockaden abzubauen und das richtige Publikum zu erreichen, ist dies die richtige Folge.
Ressourcen
Lektüre - „The War of Art“ von Steven Pressfield (Amazon-Link)
Arbeite mit mir: Als Brand- und Sichtbarkeitsstrategin helfe ich Frauen über 40 dabei, die Geschichte ihres nächsten Lebensabschnitts zu erzählen, damit die richtigen Leute „Ja“ sagen. Wenn du ready bist, weisst du, wo du mich findest! [email protected] – melde dich einfach.
I’m building something new-
a free weekly feature showcasing women 40+ building their next chapter and connecting them with visibility opportunities (podcasts, collaborations, etc.)
Apply to be featured in “What’s Next - Women 40+ Building Their Next Chapter”
If you have a question or need advice, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn
Loved this episode? Then it would be the greatest gift for me if you subscribe, leave a review, and share this with another amazing woman who’s ready for her next sunny chapter.
This podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Any information shared here, or through linked materials, is meant to provide general guidance and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional, such as a physician, therapist, or coach, for personalized support, diagnoses, or treatment. Use this information at your own discretion and risk.
Mentioned in this episode:
newsletter signup 2026
The Sunday Shift Newsletter
Subscribe to MWN + Sunny Chapter Edit
SunnyChapteredit
Brand Story Sessions
From the publisher's feed