Margs and Mindset

Send us Fan Mail

The weather app says rain at 4:00 pm, the venue wants to move everything inside, and the bride only wants one thing: get married outside with the water behind her. That’s the kind of moment where destination wedding planning stops being a cute idea and turns into real event coordination. We’re sharing the full story of our Clearwater, Florida wedding weekend, from getting flown out of Rochester to Tampa to the behind-the-scenes decisions that kept the whole day steady. 

We talk through the year of virtual planning, why we intentionally landed early to build in buffer time, and how finally meeting our couple in person made the entire timeline feel alive. You’ll hear what a three-day wedding event demands, how a tight vendor team communicates under pressure, and why the timeline is basically our bible until the second it has to be thrown out. When the radar threatened the ceremony, we made a call most planners dread: move the ceremony up an hour with only one hour’s notice and get every vendor and guest aligned fast. 

The biggest takeaway is bigger than weather: great wedding planners don’t just manage logistics, we protect presence. We also share how this trip unlocked something in our business, why destination weddings feel like flow state for us, and how we use a simple “gains and drains” energy audit to decide what we do next. If you love wedding planning stories, destination weddings, and real talk about building a business that actually fits, press play, subscribe, and share this with a friend who needs a little courage and a solid plan. Will you leave us a review and tell us where you think we should travel to next?

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

Three years ago, publishing a podcast felt terrifying and we re-recorded our first episode more times than we want to admit. Today, we can decide to hit record with minutes to spare and actually trust what comes out of our mouths. That change is not luck. It is consistency, practice, and choosing to show up even when our brains try to talk us out of it.

We pull back the curtain on what three years of podcasting has taught us about mindset, confidence, and the real work of becoming comfortable being seen. We talk about negative thought loops, the fear of sounding “not good enough,” and why raw emotion stopped feeling embarrassing and started feeling like the most honest way to process life. When we let ourselves be real, our community gets stronger, because listeners can take our story and translate it into their own.

Then we jump into a huge week in our events business: multiple weddings, big milestones, and the kind of pressure that proves whether your systems and your nervous system can handle it. We share why wedding planning is so taxing, how we “hold the weight” so couples can stay in joy, and why the best feedback is watching a bride radiate at the end of the night. We also reflect on an immersion retreat and the realization that the “next level” version of you might already be here, you just need the awareness to see the evidence.

We wrap with brand identity, the moment you realize people can spot your signature without being told, and what it means to keep growing without waiting for permission. If you need a push to start the thing, restart the thing, or simply keep going, press play, subscribe, and share this with someone who needs the reminder that consistency changes everything.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

A three-day business retreat sounds like strategy, notebooks, and networking until you’re sitting in a room trying to write what your legacy is and your throat literally hurts from holding the truth back. We’re fresh off the Insight Room Immersion Retreat hosted by Raeanne Lacatena and her team, and we’re processing out loud while it’s still tender, messy, and real. 

We start with the lead-up: the anxiety dream, the drive in, and the moment we finally ask what our intention is beyond “run the event.” From there we get into nervous system regulation in the most unforgettable way: contrast therapy and a cold plunge that becomes a live lesson in autonomy, safety, and staying with discomfort. That one practice turns into a metaphor for entrepreneurship, leadership, and the constant push to grow without letting fear drive the wheel. 

Day two brings clarity through a guided morning routine, abundance work, and money story insights that connect personal patterns to business decisions. Then day three flips everything with a business autopsy visualization where we have to imagine our company failing, name why, and sit with what that says about our inner critic. When we turn the page into a three-year vision, the emotions hit again, especially when legacy and representation show up in a room where we’re often the only brown women. 

If you’re building a business, leading a family, or trying to become your higher self without burning out, press play and sit with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs the mindset shift, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

Your home can be beautiful and still feel wrong for the life you’re living. We’re talking about what happens when you hit that moment and realize a renovation isn’t really about a brighter bathroom or a new layout, it’s about alignment, identity, and building a space that supports your future self.

We share a real-time renovation update from the casita redo, including how a simple shift like a walk-in shower, brighter paint, and cleaner lines can make a space feel bigger without adding a single square foot. But we also keep it honest about the hard part: living in construction, juggling business during the busiest season, and managing the stress of a house that’s temporarily not your safe place.

Then the conversation turns into something bigger: the emotional spiral that comes with a renovation estimate and the questions it forces you to answer. Is this a forever home? What does stability mean when you grew up moving every year? How do you spend money with intention instead of impulse? We also tell the story of saying yes to a women’s dinner with strangers, wanting to cancel, setting intentions in the car, and leaving with genuine connection and a “core memory” that reminds us we’re meant to gather.

If you’re craving an intentional living reset, thinking about home renovation planning, or trying to build community that actually lights you up, press play. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge to show up, and leave us a review so more people can find the pod.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

Overwhelm is sneaky because it feels like a warning sign, but what if it’s actually proof you’re expanding? We’re coming off a full late-summer pivot into back-to-school routines, and we’re talking candidly about what it looks like to be mom entrepreneurs when life is busy, the business is booming, and the kids still need you in the middle of it all.

We break down why this summer finally felt different: better planning, clearer priorities, and the freedom that comes with full-time entrepreneurship after leaving corporate life. We also get real about identity shifts, the weird emotional whiplash of seasonal transitions, and how time blocking can turn “I have no time” into “I can make this work.” Then we share a wild five-day stretch of back-to-back parties, flights, family celebrations, and actual rest, plus the mindset and systems that made it feel doable.

The biggest takeaway is a reframe our coach gave us that hit like a switch: instead of calling it overwhelm, call it capacity building. If your plate feels too full and you don’t actually want to give up what’s on it, you might not need less, you might need a bigger plate. If you’re navigating parenting, business growth, routines, stress, and ambition all at once, this conversation is your reminder that you’re not alone and you’re not broken, you’re building.

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s in the thick of it, and leave a review so more women can find the mindset tools that change everything.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

A weekend can be “too much” or it can be proof of what you’re capable of and we’re living that in real time. We’re heading into a first for us: back-to-back events, flipping our space at Slate, grabbing the kids and suitcases, then getting on a plane and landing close to 10 p.m. with a party start time of 9 a.m. the next morning. It’s four parties in three days, plus travel, plus parenting, and we’re not pretending it’s calm. We are saying it’s chosen.

We unpack the mindset behind thriving in chaos as small business owners in the event planning world. When you admit you create your own chaos, you can take accountability, set boundaries, and build a plan that actually supports you. We talk about preparedness, focusing on the two things in your hands instead of all 800, and how compartmentalization can be a powerful tool when you use it with awareness. We also reflect on the difference between forced “clopen” shifts from hospitality and the kind of intense turnaround you’ll happily do when it’s by your design.

Then we shift into seasons, transitions, and home life: why we’re starting to plan by quarters and seasons instead of chasing a linear calendar. That leads straight into a major life upgrade, a professional home renovation we’ve been planning for months. We share the reality check of demo day, the nerves fueled by other people’s horror stories, and the relief of trusting a team that can hold our creativity and keep the process grounded.

If you’re juggling events, family, travel, and big life projects, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a friend who lives in organized chaos, and leave a review so more people can find Marks And Mindset Podcast.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

THIS ONE COMES WITH A GIVEAWAY!!

150 episodes sounds like a milestone, but for us it feels like evidence. Evidence that you can start shaky, say yes before you feel ready, and build real confidence by showing up anyway. We’re celebrating with a fancy margarita and a lot of gratitude, then pulling back the curtain on what 150 weeks of consistency has taught us about entrepreneurship, mindset, and the long game.

We get honest about imposter syndrome, especially the kind that shows up when you look at podcast stats, business numbers, or audience size and wonder if it’s “enough.” Our answer is simple: loyal listeners matter, quality over quantity matters, and the fact that you keep returning is the whole reason we keep bringing the real stuff. That mindset shift changes how we measure success and how we keep going when growth feels slow.

Then we go deeper into vulnerability and the moment Barb realized what it means to “take the armor off” by saying the hard thing out loud. We connect that to the core theme of Marks and Mindset: tiny micro shifts in thought can change your reactions, your relationships, and your entire life. We also talk practical tools like meditation and exercise, not as trendy wellness hacks, but as basic, repeatable practices that help you build a healthier mind so your reality can actually shift.

We’re also doing a giveaway to celebrate you. Listen, then head to our Instagram and comment the word “margarita” on the reel to enter. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a mindset reset, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

A one margarita limit, a grown-up friend dinner, and a five-year business glow-up all lead to the same question: what changes when you finally let yourself become the person you’re building? We’re reflecting on how Homemade Events ROC didn’t just give us a career in event planning, it gave us community, adult friendships, and a new way to measure a “successful” life through memories instead of milestones on a resume. 

We share the real origin story behind our service-based business, including how we didn’t even choose entrepreneurship at first. Someone saw our gift, pushed an opportunity our way, and that single yes turned into parties, systems, an LLC, and the slow confidence it takes to say out loud, “I’m an entrepreneur.” If you’re searching for small business motivation, women entrepreneur stories, or what it’s like building an event planning business in Rochester NY, this conversation is packed with honest perspective. 

We also get into the standard we hold when we’re trusted with once-in-a-lifetime moments, from first birthdays to 50th birthdays. Planning doesn’t have to be boring, celebrating yourself matters, and the best client experience is built on care and consistency. If you’ve ever felt like your job had no purpose, this will hit. 

Subscribe, share this with a friend building something, and leave a review so more people can find the show and join the community.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

A tiny moment can change the temperature of an entire day and you do not have to pretend everything is fine to feel it. We’re joined by Sarah Shellard, founder of Just Joyful Boutique and creator of the Daily Glimmers Gratitude Journal, for a grounded conversation about joy as a practice, not a performance. Sarah also runs Joy Speech Language Pathology, so we get a rare look at how a service-based career and a product-based business can feed each other without draining your nervous system.

We talk candidly about burnout in helping professions, why “just list three things you’re grateful for” can feel empty, and how glimmers offer a more honest path. Glimmers are tiny, unplanned moments of joy that can exist alongside stress, grief, and frustration. Sarah shares how her journal uses rotating prompts, emotion check-ins, goals, and reflective “glimmer missions” to keep people engaged and to make gratitude journaling feel doable instead of repetitive. We also touch on the polyvagal roots of the term, her care in avoiding toxic positivity, and why resilience is often built in small, consistent reps.

Then we zoom out to entrepreneurship: messy action, habit-building tips you can actually use, and what it looks like to set SMART goals and reevaluate them quarterly as you grow. Sarah also opens up about her next expansion moves, from wholesale distribution to hospital gift shops, and the values behind wanting big-box buyers to carry the product. If you’re into gratitude journaling, mindset shifts, nervous system regulation, or building a values-led small business, you’ll leave with practical ideas and a calmer perspective.

If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a glimmer, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

Send us Fan Mail

Your stomach hurts, your calendar is full, and the old version of you would still push through because “that’s what high performers do.” We start there and trace how one small decision to honor the body opens up a much bigger conversation about mindset, self-trust, and sustainable success. If you’re tired of living by a ruminating to-do list, this one will feel like a deep exhale. 

We unpack what it means to be incredible at checking boxes while still forgetting to check in with yourself. Awareness becomes the hinge point: noticing how we feel, asking better questions in the morning, and separating what our brain wants from what our body can actually handle. Along the way, we connect the dots between gentle self-leadership, habit change, and why self-care is not another task to “get done” but a way to live. 

Then we get practical about entrepreneurship and small business growth. We share how a difficult Q2 forced a deep dive into our operations, why outgrowing your systems is a sign your business is working, and how leaning on mentors and community helps you stop spiraling. The unexpected takeaway: when we release pressure, scarcity, and desperation, the business starts “businessing” again and abundance has room to show up. 

If you know you’re ready for a new emotional base camp, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s been pushing too hard, and leave a review so more business owners can find these conversations. What’s one way you can honor yourself today?

Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music