🎙️Episode 7: Getting Off the Hobby Horse (and Building Something Stable)

At some point, every self-employed creative has to decide: Is this a hobby… or is this a business?

In this episode, Michelle and Sara unpack what really happens when you treat your business like a side project instead of the legitimate, revenue-generating entity it actually is. From loosey-goosey bookkeeping to guessing at pricing, ignoring legal responsibilities, and hoping taxes will magically sort themselves out, these “little” habits can quietly sabotage your success.

And if you’ve ever had someone imply your work isn’t a “real job”? Yeah. We’re talking about that too.

This episode is a loving but firm wake-up call, as well as practical, no-nonsense steps to move from “holy crap, what have I done?” to “I am an official badass business owner!”

In This Episode, We Talk About:

If you want sustainability, respect, and actual profit, you have to act like a business owner. It’s time to step out of “hobby land” and into real ownership. Grab your notebook and pencil, grab your coffee, your tea, or whatever else helps you cope with your business-induced anxiety… and let’s get started!

🎧 About the Podcast

How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss is the podcast for creative entrepreneurs and service-based business owners who want to thrive professionally without sacrificing their values, peace, or creative integrity. Michelle and Sara share the hard-won wisdom you won’t find in generic business coaching or “just follow my simple formula” advice.

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🎙️ Episode 6: Ideal Clients or Endless Hustle

“Ideal client” is one of the most talked about (and most avoided) concepts in small business. In this episode, Michelle and Sara dig into what an ideal client truly is, why the idea makes so many business owners uncomfortable, and how skipping this work quietly leads to burnout, resentment, and hating your own business.

An ideal client isn’t a perfect unicorn or your new best friend. It’s a tool — a made-up but intentional construct that gives you clarity, language, and boundaries so you can call in the people you serve best and stop saying yes out of fear, ego, or exhaustion.

This is unsexy, foundational work, and it affects everything: marketing, pricing, boundaries, emotional energy, and how you feel when you open your calendar.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

The new year is a powerful time to reassess relationships, energy, and how you want your business — and your life — to feel.

Getting honest about your ideal client is one of the most effective ways to build a business that’s sustainable, ethical, and doesn’t make you dread showing up.

🎧 About the Podcast

How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss is the podcast for creative entrepreneurs and service-based business owners who want to thrive professionally without sacrificing their values, peace, or creative integrity. Michelle and Sara share the hard-won wisdom you won’t find in generic business coaching or “just follow my simple formula” advice.

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The Art of the Inquiry – Michelle Markwart Deveaux

ICA as “best case scenario” – Minal Sampat

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In this episode of How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss, Michelle and Sara do something a little different: they open the mailbag.

If you’ve ever reread an email five times before hitting send, replayed an awkward conversation in the shower, or laid awake wondering whether you handled a business situation wrong — this one’s for you.

Drawing on years of experience helping hundreds of performing arts entrepreneurs thrive professionally without sacrificing their values, peace, or creative integrity, Michelle and Sara tackle real-world scenarios that keep coaches, teachers, and performing artists up at night.

No gimmicks. No “just follow my simple formula.” Just grounded, hard-won insight from people who refuse to hang out on business-coach island.

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Perfect for:

If you’ve ever wished for a trusted sounding board when business gets messy, this episode delivers exactly that.

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Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Have you ever asked the question “Why the Hell Would I Need a Business Coach Anyway?” In this episode of How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss, Michelle and Sara tackle the question many creative entrepreneurs secretly ask but rarely say out loud.

Whether you’re coach-curious, coach-skeptical, or convinced you’re doing just fine on your own (…maybe), this episode is for you. With their signature mix of humor, honesty, and hard-earned expertise, Michelle and Sara break down what coaching actually is, who it helps, how to know if you’re ready, and why it’s one of the most transformational relationships a business owner can invest in.

-Why creative entrepreneurs often avoid coaching (and what they’re missing)

Perfect for: creative entrepreneurs, business owners, and performing arts professionals who know they need support but (maybe) don’t want to admit it.

So, if you’ve ever stared into the mirror at the “boss” making all these decisions and wished you had some support, guidance, or just someone to help you stop self-sabotaging — grab your coffee, tea, or whatever helps you deal with your business-induced anxiety and settle in.

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Joe Rohde (Wikipedia)

Ever feel like your boss never lets you take a break… even though you are the boss?

In this episode, Michelle and Sara dive into why creative entrepreneurs and self-employed folks are notoriously bad at resting — and what to do about it.

They explore the messy truth behind hustle culture, guilt-driven productivity, and the myth that rest is a reward instead of a right. Expect real talk, humor, and actionable “thinky-thinks” to help you stop running your business into the ground and start finding peace, presence, and grace for yourself.

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Perfect for: creative entrepreneurs, coaches, and performing arts professionals who feel overworked, overwhelmed, and overdue for a break.

☕ Grab your coffee (or whatever helps you cope) — it’s time to talk about real rest.

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Episode 2: The Five Stages Of Marketing Grief

🎙️ Welcome to Episode 2 of How to Run Your Business Without Hating Your Boss!

In this episode, Michelle and Sara will be talking all about The Five Stages of Marketing Grief.

If you’ve ever wanted to throw your laptop out the window because marketing feels exhausting, confusing, or downright grief-inducing, you’re not alone! In this episode, Michelle and Sara unpack what they call The Five Stages of Marketing Grief.

Marketing is necessary, but it doesn’t mean we have to love every part of it. Just like grief, our relationship with marketing isn’t a straight line. One moment you’re motivated, the next you’re bargaining with yourself about why you don’t really need it. It’s a cycle — messy, nonlinear, and often frustrating.

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Whether you’re in denial about social media, angry at algorithms, or finally making peace with your email list, this conversation will give you perspective, humor, and some practical strategies.

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Episode 1: Why “Scaling” Might Be Killing Your Arts Business

Welcome to the very first episode of How to Run Your Business Without Hating Your Boss!

Hi, we’re Michelle Markwart Deveaux and Sara Campbell — two business strategists who’ve helped hundreds of voice teachers, music educators, multi-teacher studio owners, performers, and creative entrepreneurs build sustainable, money-making businesses that actually align with their values.

In this episode, we’re tackling a big myth in the entrepreneurial world:

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

We’ve been in the trenches ourselves, and we know the pressure creative business owners face. So grab your coffee, tea, or whatever helps with business-induced anxiety, and let’s dig in.

🎧 Listen now to learn why you don’t have to scale to succeed.

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