Lead With Heart

Part storytime, part masterclass! In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how I went from charging $1,500 for two-week websites to running a six-figure design studio within a year and a half.

Even if you’re not a designer, the framework behind this pivot is the same process I’ve used in every iteration of my business — and it’s what I teach inside the HEART Method.

This episode covers:

The real numbers and frustrations from my early designer days (and why more leads weren’t the fix)

What happened when I threw out someone else’s rulebook and built offers around my actual strengths

The positioning shift that made me stand out in a very crowded industry

How restructuring my offers changed my income, my capacity, and my satisfaction overnight

The messaging and audience growth strategy that brought in aligned clients without the scramble

Why this framework works for any industry — not just design

Work Together

Samara’s filling 6-month coaching and mentorship containers for July and August kickoffs. DM to chat or apply here.

Not every coach is the right coach for you, and finding a good fit matters way more than finding the most impressive sales page.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the most important things to look for when you’re hiring a mentor or coach, including a checklist of questions to bring to the discovery call.

You’ll learn:

Why safety is the non-negotiable foundation of any coaching relationship

How to tell the difference between coaching, strategy, and consulting (and which one you actually need right now)

What to look for beyond the money wins

The personality, communication, and container structure questions most people skip

Exact questions to ask on a discovery call to find out if it’s truly a fit

Save this one for whenever you’re ready to invest in support!

Work together

Most of my long-term mentorship clients start with a 1:1 Intensive to make sure the fit is right. Or, apply for 1:1 mentorship if you’re ready to go all in.

I’m pregnant with baby number two, and this time, I’m prepping my business for maternity leave very differently.

In this episode, I’m walking you through the full compare-and-contrast: what I did before my first son was born, what worked, what left me scrambling, and exactly what’s changing for round two:

Why wrapping up all client work before leave created a tough financial and momentum gap

The longer-term containers and design partnerships I’ve set up for a smoother return

How a four-month marketing ghost left me rusty and talking to a cold audience

The batching, VA support, and content systems I’m building to keep things flowing while I’m off

The identity shift that completely rebuilt my business after my first baby, and why I’m open to it happening again

If you’re heading into a big life change (maternity leave or not!), this is your permission slip to let your business shift with you.

Work Together

Samara’s filling 6-month coaching containers for July and August kickoffs. Join before the end of March for big savings! DM to chat or apply here.

You’re posting, showing up, talking about your work — and it still feels heavy. Most people assume the fix is external: better messaging, more visibility, a bigger audience. But there’s something I always look at first, and it’s almost always the thing people skip.

It’s the offer.

In this episode, I’m sharing my own two-week website era story and a client story that shows what shifts when your offer ecosystem is actually connected to you – not just what makes strategic sense, but what fits your energy, your lifestyle, and how you want to operate.

What You’ll Learn

Why “I just need more eyes on my content” is not the complete story

How selling an offer you’re not fully behind translates to your audience — even when you don’t realize it

What it really means for your offer to fit you

The reflection question to sit with before you change a single piece of your marketing plan

Resources Mentioned

The Shifts — Samara’s private five-day FREE private podcast audio series. Get access here!

Work Together

2 coaching intensive spots for March. Claim one!

Samara’s filling 6-month coaching containers for July and August kickoffs. Join before the end of March for big savings! DM to chat or apply here.

In this episode, I’m sitting down with podcast guesting coach Candace Dudley to talk about a marketing approach that actually feels sustainable — sharing your work on other people’s podcasts. Candace did 50 guest interviews in 2025 and she’s sharing exactly how to find the right shows, pitch yourself, and turn those conversations into lasting growth.

What You’ll Learn

How to know if podcast guesting is the right visibility strategy for you (and when to wait)

The two things every pitch needs: proof you’ve done your homework + niche speaking topics framed as episode titles

Why DMs and voice notes get way more responses than email pitches

How to align your speaking topics, freebie, and paid offer so the whole thing actually converts

Real podcast recommendations for three different types of business owners

Resources Mentioned:

Candace’s website

Her free podcast matchmaking community

The Podcasting Mentor podcast

Work With Samara

Ready to figure out what marketing strategies actually work for you? Book a coaching and mentorship intensive — price increases April 1st.

If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a quick rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️

Intimidated or overwhelmed by starting a podcast or committing to a weekly newsletter? In this masterclass-style episode, I’m breaking down my exact four-step process for creating podcasts, emails, and Substacks each week—without it eating up my entire schedule or draining my creative energy.

What You’ll Learn

My four-step content creation process: ideate, write, schedule, execute—and why splitting them up is the secret to actually enjoying it

How morning pages (or voice memos, or end-of-day brain dumps) become a goldmine of content ideas you can pull from anytime

Why trying to go from idea to published in one sitting is the fastest route to burnout—and what to do instead

How to cross-promote between your long-form channels so your content works more strategically for you

Resources Mentioned:

Substack post on protecting your “idea well”

DM me on Instagram to chat about coaching

Work Together

Ready to build a marketing strategy that actually feels sustainable? Start with a 1:1 intensive or inquire about six-month private coaching containers where we create the strategy, content flow, and business model that fits your season of life.

If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️

My copywriter co-founder asked me a question that made me pause: when is coaching NOT the right fit? In this episode, I’m sharing both sides of the coin—why I believe support is always worthwhile AND the two scenarios where hiring a coach might not move the needle most.

What You’ll Learn

Why you don’t need to hit a certain income level or stage to benefit from coaching

The two scenarios where coaching isn’t the solution (hint: one involves your overflowing plate, the other involves hiring specialists)

My mini checklist for deciding if now is the right time to invest in support

Resources Mentioned:

In Tandem Studios (big promo on all website projects booked before March 1, 2026!)

DM me on Instagram to chat about coaching

Work Together

Ready for support to grow your heart-led creative business with more ease? Start with a 1:1 intensive: three days working through one specific bottleneck. Or, inquire about six-month private coaching containers.

If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a quick rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️

Feeling stuck getting back into your marketing groove after a break? You’re not alone! In this episode, I’m sharing the exact advice I gave a client who asked how to rebuild momentum after the holidays—plus the three approaches that help me (and my clients) move through content resistance and back into selling.

What You’ll Learn

Why a staggered return beats jumping back into unsustainable rhythms (and how I structured my own post-holiday reentry)

The two things that deplete your “idea well”—and what to do about them

How to use resistance as a clue for bigger-picture shifts in your offers, business model, and beliefs

Resources Mentioned:

Subscribe to my Substack

DM me on Instagram to chat about private coaching or book an intensive

Work Together

Ready for support to increase your bookings, income, and impact? Start with a Heart Hour intensive—one deep-dive call plus three days of async Telegram coaching—or inquire about longer-term private mentorship.

If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a quick rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️

Today’s conversation with Chelsea Riffe is one of those episodes I already know I’ll come back to.

We talk about her early years in sports reporting and corporate sales, the power dynamics that pushed her out of those industries, and how all of her different life and work experiences have shaped the business she runs today: one built on autonomy, spaciousness, and creative control. We also get into slow growth, legacy, indie media, podcast pitching, and what it means to build a body of work that outlives your metrics.

And then, my favourite part: a real-time riff where Chelsea helps me connect three seemingly random parts of my life (choir conducting, web design, and oracle cards) into a single throughline. It turned into a whole conversation about attunement, intuition, and the quiet intelligence behind creative leadership.

If you’re craving permission to build your business in a way that honours your actual values, this episode is for you.

About Chelsea Riffe:Chelsea Riffe is a world traveler and the host of the hit podcast In My Non-Expert Opinion, a Top 1% pod known for bringing transparency around biz, creativity, and travel. She’s also a dedicated Visibility Strategist, helping women take down the patriarchy by taking up space through collabs and guest podcasting.

For all the spiritual peeps - she’s an Aquarius Sun, Virgo Moon, Virgo Rising and 6/2 Reflector in Human Design - a VIBE.You can catch Chelsea on a flight, working at a local cafe, or running her podcast weekly!

Links:

🦋 Join the January cohort of TEC: https://samarabortz.com/group-business-coaching♥️ Book your Heart Hour (1:1 Intensive) – save $111 for the rest of 2025! https://samarabortz.com/heart-hour💫 Chelsea’s SUPERNOVA Mastermind, starts Feb 2026

🎤 Chelsea’s Pitch Perfect - next round is Spring 2026

Contact Chelsea:

Instagram

Podcast

Website

Substack

What happens when you stop putting pressure on your business to “perform” and let it be a side gig again… at least energetically? In this episode, I’m sharing how side-gig energy can help you rebuild safety around charging aligned prices, reconnect to your why, and bring back that scrappy, passionate version of you who started this whole thing in the first place.

I’m covering:

Why you don’t have to quit your day job or double your rates to be “serious” about your business.

How money is a byproduct of doing deeply connected, meaningful work instead of the only goal.

The importance of returning to the original spark (the reason you started) to unlock new momentum and ideas.

Links:

♥️ Book your Heart Hour (1:1 Intensive) – save $111 for the rest of 2025! https://samarabortz.com/heart-hour

🦋 Join the January cohort of TEC: https://samarabortz.com/group-business-coaching

If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a quick rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️