In this episode I sit down with Therese Merkel, founder and owner of Tricky Foods, a cheese styling and charcuterie shop, and the creator of SNAXI, shippable charcuterie boards designed to bring elevated snacking anywhere. She’s also the co-host of the Screw It, Let’s Do This podcast and is proof that building something bold doesn’t require permission or a “perfect” timeline. Therese launched her business in 2020 at just 23 years old and has been a full-time entrepreneur ever since. We talk about what led her to start her own company, why charcuterie, how she turned an idea into a real business, and what it took to bet on herself so early. But this conversation goes beyond age; i’s about hustle at any stage of life, building a business on your own terms, and giving yourself the courage to chase the thing that won’t let you go. Whether you’re dreaming of entrepreneurship, feeling stuck, or waiting for the “right time,” this episode is a reminder that sometimes the best move is simply to say: screw it, let’s do this.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Therese Merkel

Website: www.trickyfoods.com

Instagram: @trickyfoods and @snaxisnacks

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Tracy Anderson is joined by Jazmynn Appleton to discuss her impactful role at the Progress Center for Black Women and the work she’s doing to support Black women entrepreneurs. Jazmynn shares how the Center provides critical resources, tools, and skill-building opportunities designed to help Black women start, grow, and sustain successful businesses. As an accomplished entrepreneur, public speaker, author, and mother, Jazmynn brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work as Chief Director of Entrepreneurial Growth and Innovation.

Known for her Networking for Introverts workshops that she has hosted throughout Wisconsin including at Marquette University & Dreambank Madison and for co-creating and directing the FOCUS accelerator at the Progress Center that has that has gained recognition from media outlets like the Wisconsin State Journal and Cap Times. Through FOCUS, Jazmynn has been instrumental in guiding entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, facilitating their growth, securing storefronts, boosting media visibility, and expanding their businesses successfully.Jazmynn was named one of 2024 Brava Magazine's Women to Watch, an honoree of the 2024 Amy Award for Madison Magazine and recently was featured as the Professional of the Month for InBusiness Magazine. She is also the co-author of the books, "We Wish We Had Known, Volume 2 and 3" - #1 Amazon best sellers.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Jazmynn Appleton:

Website: link.me/jazmynnappletonInstagram: @jazspeaks_

Facebook: @jazmynnpublicspeaker

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Tracy Anderson is joined by Rhonda Adams, Executive Director of The River Food Pantry. Rhonda opens up about what it really means to hustle through hunger in today’s challenging climate. She breaks down the recent pause and reinstatement of SNAP benefits, explaining how these policy shifts impact families who were already navigating long-standing food insecurity. Rhonda shares what she’s seeing on the ground and why hunger is hitting harder than ever, how our communities is coping, and what resilience looks like when basic needs are uncertain.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Rhonda Adams

website: https://www.riverfoodpantry.org/

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Christine Benedict, Executive Director of Girls on the Run South Central Wisconsin, joins Tracy Anderson to share her journey from volunteer to executive director and her mission to empower young girls through her work. Christine and Tracy discuss the relentless hustle required to lead a non-profit organization.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Christine Benedict:

website: www.girlsontherunscwi.org

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Tracy Anderson is joined by Emmy award-winning news anchor Leigh Mills to discuss how her experiences growing up with a parent who struggled with serious mental health challenges shaped her resilience, empathy, and hustle. Leigh shares her journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a successful journalist and business owner.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Leigh Mills:

studio88create.com

wmtv15news.com

Instagram: @madisontvmom

Facebook: @LeighMillsNews

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Tracy Anderson welcomes powerhouse entrepreneur, author, and mother of three Nicole Barnett. Nicole shares how she built successful group homes and became a published author of The Ultimate Guide to Establishing a Profitable Adult Family Home. Nicole’s energy, passion, and no-excuses mindset are contagious as drops real, actionable hustle tips and explains her view that impact matters and how supporting those around her is key to her success.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Contact Nicole Barnett:

Website: anchoredafhandagency.com

Facebook: @nicole.barnett.54

Instagram: @Nic_theboss

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Tracy Anderson opens the first season of the Hustle Her Way Podcast by pulling back the curtain on her personal journey and sharing why she started this show as well as her vision for the podcast. From the pushback she faced when my hustle didn’t fit the mold, to the moment I decided to stop dimming my own light and embrace hustling her way, this episode is all about owning your path.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Contact Tracy Anderson:

Instagram: @trayrenee76

Facebook: @tracy.anderson.9638

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production.

⁠www.litpathstudios.com⁠ | IG: ⁠@litpathstudios⁠

Welcome to the Hustle Her Way Podcast hosted by Tracy Anderson! Tracy brings her experience in media and non-profit leadership to real, soulful conversations about defining success on your own terms and hustling authenticity, purpose, and heart. Episodes offer listeners fresh perspectives and relatable stories through solo episodes and conversations with guests who are showing up, breaking the mold, and doing life on their own terms. The Hustle Her Way Podcast empowers you to hustle through life your way and build an aligned community while defining your own success.

Host: Tracy Anderson

Producers: Jamie Gale and Tracy Anderson

Music: Shane Ivers

Hustle Her Way is a Lit Path Studios Production

www.litpathstudios.com | IG: @litpathstudios