What if the most powerful businesses aren’t built around products, but around rituals, meaning, and human connection? In this episode of Made Locally, host Rajul Jaswa sits down with Zhena Muzyka, founder and master tea blender of Magic Hour, to unpack her journey from pioneering the organic and fair trade tea movement to building a modern wellness lifestyle brand rooted in ancient healing traditions.


Drawing from more than 25 years in the tea industry, Zhena explains how tea ceremony, herbalism, aromatherapy, and conscious living became the foundation for a business designed not just to sell products, but to create transformation and emotional connection.


The conversation explores how modern consumers are searching for deeper meaning, ritual, and intentionality in everyday life and why brands that create experiences around those desires are building stronger communities and longer-lasting customer relationships.


Zhena also reflects on her personal journey as an entrepreneur, author, herbalist, and coach, sharing how her Roma heritage, global travels, and spiritual practices shaped both her philosophy and her business model. From sourcing ethically produced ingredients to creating products designed around emotional and energetic states, she discusses what it means to build a mission-driven company in today’s wellness economy.


This episode is a thoughtful exploration of entrepreneurship, healing, conscious branding, and the growing desire for products that nourish not just the body, but the mind and spirit as well.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why modern consumers are craving ritual, connection, and intentional experiences
• How tea ceremonies can create mindfulness, healing, and emotional grounding
• The role of storytelling and emotional resonance in building a lifestyle brand
• Why conscious sourcing and fair trade practices matter more than ever
• How to turn personal philosophy and lived experience into a scalable business
• The difference between selling products and creating transformation
• How wellness brands can build deeper customer loyalty through meaning and ritual
• Why slowing down can actually become a competitive advantage in modern business
• How herbalism, aromatherapy, and ancient healing practices influence modern wellness
• The importance of authenticity when building a mission-driven brand
• How spirituality, creativity, and entrepreneurship can coexist in business
• Why conscious living is becoming a larger part of consumer identity and purchasing behavior 

Zhena Muzyka is the founder and master tea blender of Magic Hour, a fast-growing lifestyle and wellness brand dedicated to connecting people through the ancient art of tea ceremony. A pioneer in the organic and fair trade tea movement, Zhena has spent more than 25 years sourcing and creating ethically produced, high-quality teas designed to inspire healing, mindfulness, and connection.


Beyond tea, Zhena is an herbalist, aromatherapist, author, coach, and wellness educator whose work blends ancient healing traditions with modern conscious living practices. Drawing inspiration from her Roma heritage, global travels, and training across multiple healing modalities, she has built a brand focused on transformation through ritual, herbs, storytelling, and intentional living.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Episode Resources:

• Zhena Muzyka on LinkedIn
• Magic Hour Tea Website

Made Locally is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

What if your marketing problem isn’t your ad creative but the expectations you’ve attached to it? In this episode of Made Locally, host Rajul Jaswa sits down with Lauren Petrullo, Founder and CMO of Mongoose Media, to break down how local businesses can build scalable marketing systems without falling into the trap of expecting immediate ROI from every campaign.


Lauren explains why most businesses rush into lead generation before building any brand awareness, and why small-budget reach campaigns often outperform aggressive sales-focused ads in the early stages. She shares her philosophy that marketing should make your business impossible to ignore locally, becoming what she jokingly calls the “digital herpes of insurance.”


Lauren emphasizes that most failed campaigns aren’t caused by bad ads - they fail because businesses don’t respond quickly enough, nurture leads properly, or build systems for long-term customer relationships.


Finally, the episode explores the growing role of AI in marketing. Rather than using AI to replace human thinking, Lauren argues that businesses should use it as a strategic sparring partner to improve ideas, sharpen messaging, and increase effectiveness, not simply automate everything.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why local businesses should prioritize brand awareness before lead generation
• How to market effectively on a $5–$60/day budget without wasting money
• Why boosting Facebook posts hurts more than it helps
• The real role of an ad and why it’s not responsible for making the sale
• How landing pages, CRM systems, texts, emails, and calls work together to drive conversions
• Most businesses fail because of weak follow-up systems, not weak ads
• How to test ad creatives properly using completely different concepts and angles
• The importance of customer lifetime value when evaluating marketing ROI
• Why grassroots marketing still works for local businesses like med spas, Pilates studios, and salons
• How to use discounts and promotions strategically without damaging your brand
• Why AI should make you more effective, not just more efficient
• How to think about marketing as a long-term investment instead of a quick transaction

Lauren Petrullo is the founder and CMO of Mongoose Media, a performance marketing agency specializing in paid media, lifecycle marketing, AI systems, and conversion-focused growth strategies. With more than 13 years of experience, Lauren has helped multiple brands scale to over $1 million per month in revenue through a blend of data-driven strategy, creative execution, and marketing systems design.


A former innovation producer at The Walt Disney Company, Lauren is also a Meta Leaders Network member and serves on Meta’s Global Small Business Innovation Committee. Her work and insights have been featured in Forbes, Inc., Advertising Week, Fox, CBS, and more.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Made Locally is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

What if your biggest growth problem isn’t marketing but who you’re attracting and how you’re pricing? In this episode of Made Locally, host Rajul Jaswa sits down with Kelly Lang, co-owner of Zivel Palm Coast, to unpack how he went from tech sales burnout to building a $50K/month performance and recovery studio. From discovering his unexpected ideal customer to using pricing as a filter for quality clients, Kelly shares the hard-earned lessons behind building a profitable, sustainable local business. 
Kelly shares the unfiltered reality of starting from zero - no clear customer profile, early marketing mistakes, and costly missteps like losing thousands to the wrong agency. One of his biggest breakthroughs came from realizing that his first customers weren’t his ideal market. Instead of gym-goers, his core audience became affluent, retired professionals with both time and disposable income.


This episode is a candid look at what it really takes to build a successful local service business, from early uncertainty to consistent profitability, without sacrificing culture, team well-being, or personal balance.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why your first customers don’t define your true market and how to identify your ideal client
• How pricing strategy filters for better customers and drives long-term profitability
• Why capping offers and creating scarcity can increase willingness to pay
• The risks of cheap marketing and how to build effective agency partnerships
• How to transition from generic ads to high-intent, targeted customer acquisition
• The importance of protecting your team from difficult customers and emotional burnout
• How to build a sales process that removes guesswork and improves consistency
• The operational habits that improve efficiency, margins, and customer experience
• How to use data and AI to enhance customer insights and marketing performance
• Why treating employees as well as customers is critical for sustainable growth
• How to scale to $50K months while maintaining work-life balance

Kelly Lang is the co-owner of Zivel and a lifelong athlete, coach, and recovery advocate dedicated to helping people move, feel, and live better at every stage of life. A former Stanford gymnast and team captain, he later taught Ashtanga yoga and coached elite athletes in strength training and performance. After overcoming multiple shoulder surgeries and significant back injuries through intentional rehabilitation, Kelly now operates at full strength, shaping his commitment to non-pharmaceutical recovery. He is passionate about helping people move beyond pain, regain confidence in their bodies, and return to the activities that matter most. 

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Episode Resources:

• Kelly Lang bio LinkedIn
• Zivel Palm Coast Website

Made Locally is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

What if the biggest obstacle holding back your income isn’t your skill but your pricing and positioning? In this episode of Made Locally, host Rajul Jaswa sits down with Jean-Michel Chalayer, founder of LeSalon and CEO of Jena, to break down the real economics of going solo in the beauty industry. From why most professionals undercharge to how just 100 loyal clients can fully book your schedule, he shares practical strategies to help you build a profitable, independent business without relying on platforms that eat into your margins.
Jean-Michel shares lessons from building a £1M+ mobile beauty marketplace and explains why many professionals leave money on the table, often underpricing their services by as much as 50%. He reveals the simple math behind needing just 100 repeat clients to stay fully booked, along with the key levers for growth once capacity is reached: pricing, premium services, and operational efficiency.
This episode is a roadmap for beauty professionals who want more control, higher income, and long-term sustainability while avoiding the common pitfalls of going independent.
What You’ll Learn:

• Why most beauty professionals should increase their prices by at least 50% and how to do it confidently
• The “100 repeat customers” framework to achieve a fully booked schedule
• Why pricing becomes your most powerful growth lever once demand is stable
• The two essentials for premium positioning: personal brand and consistency
• How to launch a beauty business with £500–£1,000 and no initial clients
• The “model call” hack to generate content, testimonials, and your first paying customers
• What the “admin tax” is and how it silently reduces your income
• When and why to hire admin or social media support to unlock growth
• Why “freedom” is the wrong reason to go solo and what mindset actually works
• How to grow from £50k to £100k+ annually without hiring staff or opening new locations
• A smarter way to do customer research by focusing on behavior, not opinions 

Jean-Michel Chalayer is the founder of Jena, an all-in-one software platform designed to help beauty, health, and wellness professionals run independent businesses with ease. He is also the founder of LeSalon, a leading premium at-home beauty service in London, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Retail and E-Commerce.
With a background as a strategy consultant at Oliver Wyman and education from London Business School, Jean combines business strategy with deep industry insight. Through his work, he focuses on empowering solopreneurs to grow faster, increase profitability, and take control of their brand and operations without relying on traditional platforms.
If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Episode Resources:

• Jean-Michel Chalayer on LinkedIn
• JENA  Website
• LeSalon Beauty Ltd. Website

Made Locally is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so 

Made Locally is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so