Mom Founder Imagination Hub

Welcome to this urgent minisode – created with one goal: to protect your well-being and help you access the energy you need to bring your boldest dreams to life. This episode is specifically for female leaders and founders in high-pressure roles, who often put their health on the back burner as they push forward in their ambitious careers. Consider this your wake-up call.

In this unedited, real-talk episode, I'll share two immediately actionable tips designed for the busiest high-powered executive out there. These simple yet powerful strategies will help you avoid burnout, reclaim your energy, and start fueling your imagination to execute on your most ambitious dreams. This isn't just about self-care; it's about survival, stamina, and success.

Keywords to Get You Tuned In:

• Energy Boost for Female Founders
• Avoiding Burnout in High-Pressure Roles
• Health Tips for Ambitious Women
• How Leaders Can Prioritize Self-Care
• Mental and Physical Health for Female Entrepreneurs
• Finding Energy for Your Big Dreams
• Self-Care Strategies for Busy Women Leaders
• Balancing Leadership and Personal Well-being

Call to Action: Take action now – buy my book Fertile Imagination using this LINK right here for only 16.99 USD, or type: https://bit.ly/fertilebook and as a thank-you for your purchase, you'll get a chance to join me for a free 30-minute energy audit call. I'm genuinely worried about you, and your health is more important than anything else you'll do today. If you're feeling drained, exhausted, or in need of a reset, this is your sign to listen in and make a change. Don't let another day go by without addressing what truly matters – your health and energy.

Tune in, take care, and let's make sure you're equipped to conquer everything you've set your sights on.

As a female entrepreneur with a child or children, you're juggling many roles, but what happens when life throws an unexpected emotional curveball? Whether it's a breakup, the loss of a loved one, uncertainty, or even receiving tough news about someone close to you, the weight of emotional pain can feel overwhelming. And yet, your business still demands your attention. In this episode, we're discussing how to balance emotional challenges with the need to keep performing, sharing practical strategies and an inspiring case study of a woman who faced emotional hardship and found a way to keep going.

This is a direct and to the point minisode with precisely the next steps you can take today to feel better tomorrow. This minisode is brought to you by my anti-burnout 30-day productivity resource for mompreneurs! Grab it today before I put it behind a sales wall soon because it THAT's good: https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Greater context on the resource: let me help you figure out what to do next especially if you just burned yourself to the ground and currently feel stuck or unclear or what to do next. Take my Profitable Relationships Action Tracker and Planner today. It's free and a great mom-friendly planner! It links your vision to daily actions, helping you stay focused and energized as you build profitable relationships. Set yourself up for a successful year and an even bigger one ahead! It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout. ($97 value, helps avoid a $2,400 trip to the ER from exhaustion) - https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Share this episode with one female founder today who is facing an emotionally tough moment yet has a big meeting or opportunity that she's been working towards and as they say "the show must go on" for her and for the wellness of her family too.

Episodes referred to here include:

https://www.melissallarena.com/unrealistic-expectations-and-the-power-of-word-of-mom-marketing-with-three-wishes-ceo-margaret-wishingrad-episode-181/?

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins). Connect with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissallarena/

Have you ever felt like your family or friends don't take your business seriously because you work from home? Do you hear comments like, "Oh, she can do it—she doesn't really work," even though you're running a full-time business? If you're craving reassurance and validation, this episode is for you. We're diving into the unique challenges female entrepreneurs especially moms face when others dismiss their work, and how to reclaim your confidence and sense of worth as a business owner. This is a direct and to the point minisode with precisely the next steps you can take today to feel better tomorrow. This minisode is brought to you by my anti-burnout 30-day productivity resource for mompreneurs! Grab it today before I put it behind a sales wall soon because it THAT's good: https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Greater context on the resource: let me help you figure out what to do next especially if you just burned yourself to the ground and currently feel stuck or unclear or what to do next. Take my Profitable Relationships Action Tracker and Planner today. It's free and a great mom-friendly planner! It links your vision to daily actions, helping you stay focused and energized as you build profitable relationships. Set yourself up for a successful year and an even bigger one ahead! It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout. ($97 value, helps avoid a $2,400 trip to the ER from exhaustion) - https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Share this episode with one female founder today who no longer wants to wait for other people to make her feel like she's running a real business and instead wants to reassure herself.

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins). Connect with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissallarena/

If you've ever experienced the heartbreak of disappointing numbers after pouring your heart into a campaign, you're not alone. Whether it's low sales, unbooked appointments, or an epic fail, every entrepreneur faces setbacks. In this episode, we're focusing on how to rebuild confidence and motivation by connecting with other female entrepreneurs who've faced similar failure and emerged stronger. This is a direct and to the point minisode with precisely the next steps you can take today to feel better tomorrow. This minisode is brought to you by my anti-burnout 30-day productivity resource for mompreneurs! Grab it today before I put it behind a sales wall soon because it THAT's good: https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Greater context on the resource: let me help you figure out what to do next especially if you just burned yourself to the ground and currently feel stuck or unclear or what to do next. Take my Profitable Relationships Action Tracker and Planner today. It's free and a great mom-friendly planner! It links your vision to daily actions, helping you stay focused and energized as you build profitable relationships. Set yourself up for a successful year and an even bigger one ahead! It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout. ($97 value, helps avoid a $2,400 trip to the ER from exhaustion) - https://bit.ly/imagineaplan

Share this episode with one female founder today whos need the motivation to get back up after a fall. Together, we can create a space where failure is just a stepping stone to success!

Episodes referred to here include:

https://www.melissallarena.com/suzybatiz-shares-the-wisdom-the-cherishes-for-giving-her-the-freedom-and-ability-to-trust-herself-and-accept-whatever-comes-her-wa-episode-67/?

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins). Connect with Melissa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissallarena/

This October 31 marks the one-year anniversary of my book, and I'm celebrating by sharing a curated list of my favorite podcast appearances! I've chosen episodes where the hosts' perspectives, personalities, and generosity truly shone. With so many podcasts out there, it's a challenge to find ones that are both genuinely helpful and uplifting. If I'm serving up a celebration, it's going to be as satisfying as the best birthday cake. Join me as I revisit standout moments, including the time a host knew my book so well it made me question my own words, the episode where I shared my birth story, and another where I reveal how I've personally taught my sons about the importance of global networking. Discover how you can use your imagination to tell your own story and feel truly worthy!

In this episode, you will hear:

• My book Fertile Imagination turns ONE on Halloween, and I'm celebrating by sharing all the juicy details from my podcast tour! 🎉

• I also got personal with some epic birth stories. Turns out, talking about twins and birth is a podcast hit! 📚

• Insider stories, hilarious moments, and behind-the-scenes glimpses that didn't make it to air. 🎧

• Reimagining motherhood to harnessing the wild power of a mom's imagination. 🏆

• Business secrets about leads, creativity, and balancing life as a mompreneur. (You won't want to miss these nuggets!) 💡

Podcast Links:

Momshine

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-213-unlocking-your-mom-superpowers-to-monetize-your/id1713258255?i=1000657444166

Birth As We Know It

https://birthasweknowitpodcast.com/ep-64-melissa-llarena-3-vaginal-births-twins-gabriel-noah-nicholas/

100% Guilt-Free with Tami Hackbarth

https://www.tamihackbarth.com/blog/episode-224

From Startup to Wunderbrand with Nicholas Kuhne – Oslo, Norway

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nicholas-kuhne/episodes/The-Networking-Playground-Skills-for-Kids-and-Parents-e2n2jcg

Disruptive CEO Nation

https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/episode-220-melissa-llarena-host-of-the-unimginable-wellness-podcast-austin-tx-usa/

Founder Podcast with Ash

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/founders-podcast-season-6-episode-2/id1704344895?i=1000665122742

Mastermind Parenting Podcast With Randi Rubeinstein https://mastermindparenting.com/podcast-293/ - 293: It's Never A "Good" Time To Have A Baby Or Start A Business

The Bosshole Chronicles

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1451638/14827121

Networking in the AI Era With Melissa Llarena

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXIkNRyE-5M

When Mommy Grows Up

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/accelerate-your-dreams-by-mobilizing-your-network-melissas/id1663617412?i=1000638299524

And/Or Podcast, Ashley Blackington OTD, OTR/L

Dovetail® founder & CEO - CareTech solutions for today's families

https://andbothpodcast.buzzsprout.com/2254305/14952247-25-harnessing-motherhood-s-untapped-business-potential-with-author-melissa-llarena

KozeKoze By Garrett Wood

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kozekoze/episodes/333--Fertile-Imagination-with-author-Melissa-Llarena-e29uk98

This episode is brought to you by Fertile Imagination: A Guide For Stretching Every Mom's Superpower For Maximum Impact – My book is now available on Amazon in its paperback version and Kindle format. Grab a free chapter on www.fertileideas.com.

DM me on Instagram @melissallarena just type the word FERTILE and I'll share the link if that's easier to get to fertileideas.com for all the details you need to celebrate your own Fertile Imagination! Here's that link: https://www.instagram.com/melissallarena/

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins).

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"I know so many hard stories and I frankly was scared beyond my imagination when I was a first time mom for obvious reasons."

"I don't know all the birth stories, but just like our thumb prints or fingerprints, we're all different."

"It is something that doesn't go unnoticed with regards to me as the author because it's really intimidating putting yourself out there, especially in the written word, because it's quite permanent. It's not like I could go back into a landing page and make some edits."

"Hey, if you are a mom author who wants to talk about your book without being on physical stages then making podcast appearances is the mom ultimate hack!"

"A Fertile Imagination is, it's about having this ability to envision something that you have never seen before, done by any mom in your circles."

SHARE this episode with anyone passionate about writing, podcasting, or balancing the demands of parenting and entrepreneurship. As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of "Fertile Imagination," let's embrace these insights and keep supporting one another in our creative and business journeys.

Supporting Resources:

Schedule a free call to see if Fertile Imagination to Networking Success my signature program is the right fit: https://www.melissallarena.com/sessions/

Podcast: Mom Founder Imagination Hub: https://www.melissallarena.com/podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MelissaLlarena/

Or, grab for free your copy of the "From Contact to Connection: The Mompreneur's Go-First Networking & Follow Up Playbook": https://witty-thinker-2643.ck.page/21e52edb87

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 Melissa: October 31st is the official anniversary of my book. And I thought what I would do right now is really share with you how it's been going in terms of a podcast tour.

00:00:15 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're going to get to that next level in business, find the energy to keep going and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover how mom founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood. Ever wonder how they do it? Tune in to find out. And stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs who might not be moms, but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm gonna give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.

00:01:09 Melissa: I cannot believe it's been a year since I published my book 'Fertile Imagination.' Happy birthday. Oh my god. So October 31st is the official anniversary of my book. And I thought what I would do right now is really share with you how it's been going in terms of a podcast tour. Let me explain. I have been a guest on other podcasters' podcasts. And in doing so, I have been able to really share some intimate stories in terms of behind-the-scenes moments of having written the book, starting in Australia, finishing here in Austin. Also, I've been able to share things like my birth story. Who would have thunk it?

00:02:01 Melissa: I have had such a grand time really being on other people's platforms because it is one thing to write a book and another thing to really witness how it's made an impact in terms of the readers, and also the listeners too because now it's an audio format. Did you know that I have a hardcover? I have a paperback cover and an audio book format as well. So please if you're interested in the book just go to fertileideas.com. This will be in the show notes and you can just get a free chapter to start with. It is on that page right there. And you can also really join in on the fun.

00:02:42 Melissa: But this episode is really about the podcasters that I've had the pleasure of meeting this entire season, post-book launch. And my book again, it's gonna be one year. It's gonna be one, it's gonna be one on Halloween. And so it's coming up. And so that is why I wanted to today really just start celebrating, right? And I wanna be sure that it is going to be a worthy celebration. I'm not gonna play Kool & The Gang, Celebration, which by the way, was my very first favorite song ever, which tells you how old I am, but I don't care because my book is one. And I...

00:03:25 Melissa: But I do want to just kind of like express my gratitude before I go into this list. So what I did was I curated a list of the podcasts that I have been a guest on where I have really met people with amazing personalities, with wonderful questions, with a level of depth to them that is very, very admirable. And I definitely am learning from. And I want to be sure that in this conversation with you, my beautiful, dear listener, that you have a good idea of which podcasts are absolutely worthy of your time and attention because I know there's so many out there, but not a lot of them are saying something new. And I want to be sure that I put these guys on your map, on your radar, in your iTunes list. And because of that, I wanted to be a little bit... How should I say? Organized. So we're going to do this in a fairly frameworked fashion. Again, a little bit of my B-School just pouring through the audio waves here.

00:04:28 Melissa: I'm going to share with you about 11 or so of the podcast guest appearances that I've most enjoyed this year. Again, my book is turning one on Halloween. That is why I'm sharing these episodes with you. And I'm just gonna give you a little bit of the behind-the-scenes, but we're gonna go through each one in terms of these three concepts. So the focus of the conversation, I wanna give you a little bit of snippet of that. Then we're gonna go into why it stood out. And this is more like the behind-the-scenes. It's often when we're not recording that some of the best podcast conversations happen. Join me as I want to reveal a little bit of those moments in this my book birthday's month episode - behind the scenes insights whilst on my podcast guest tour for Fertile Imagination.!

00:05:12 Melissa: And then the third thing we're gonna go through is why you should listen. Why you should listen to these podcasts. So I curated these podcasts for you and I've been on every single one. And for me, it's been a blessing and it's been amazing. And I wanna be sure that you, too, find the nuggets that they offer and that you can apply to your own life. So this one, again, top 11 or so podcast guest appearances that I've been on since my book was born on Halloween almost a year ago today.

00:05:48 Melissa: So here we go. So it's not in a particular order. I'm not ranking this. Okay. This is not like corporate America, performance evaluation. Not at all. So I want to just give a shout out to MomShine. So this one, I will say from a focused perspective, when I was speaking with the host, Alicia, we were talking about harnessing our superpower, right? And if you read the book or you know what a Fertile Imagination is, it's about having this ability to envision something that you have never seen before, done by any mom in your circles. And so we spoke about that.

00:06:23 Melissa: And what I really thought stood out with regards to this conversation with Alicia is something that my dad is gonna be like, definitely giving me a heck of a lot of… I don't even know. Compliments or whatever on. Which is this, I shared on this podcast of MomShine, this notion of compensation versus aggravation. So this is what stood out for me. Alicia got me talking about something that I was taught by my dad as a little girl. And so here's the idea. If you are in a work environment where your compensation is very, very low in relationship to the level of aggravation that you feel, that is a sign that you must leave.

00:07:07 Melissa: So that is something that stood out for me in terms of MomShine and in terms of my Conversation with Alicia and I definitely want you and encourage you to listen to MomShine. And why is that? So here's the thing, Alicia definitely produces quality work. She is absolutely... I mean, she's been on the helm of corporations that have grown exponentially, many of whom you've heard of, but I'm not gonna say here because I don't wanna get it wrong. But, again, check out MomShine. Amazing conversations there with Alicia. And check out my episode on MomShine.

00:07:24 Melissa: All of this is going to be in the show notes, by the way. So you don't have to take notes and you don't have to memorize these things. Just check out the show notes and you'll get a link to every single one of these highly curated podcasts on which I have been a guest throughout this last year. Almost, almost in time right now, delivered to you by my book's birthday. Again, it's going to be on Halloween. So, oh my God, don't forget to reach out to me on Instagram. Let me know if you got a copy. If you read it, let me know. Just tell me, "Happy book birthday." I would be so grateful.

00:08:16 Melissa: Second podcast that I wanted to share with you that was sensational, Birth As We Know It by Kiona. Here was the focus. The focus, this is really focused and I apologize if you have kids listening, but just understand I'm gonna use a word that starts with a 'V.' So here is basically the title to that episode, Birth As We Know It. She's a doula, so please be mindful of where I'm going with this. So she says, three vaginal births, twins, Gabriel, Noah, Nicholas. Yes, we talked about my birth process, story experiences in very great detail. It's not often that you get to tell your birth story, especially when you've had a great birth story to tell. And the reason why I want you to really consider this conversation with Kiona and Birth As We Know It is because I think it is so important to actually have good stories of triumph when it comes to giving birth.

00:09:19 Melissa: I know so many hard stories and I frankly was scared beyond my imagination when I was a first time mom for obvious reasons. This is the first time, you have no idea how it's gonna go. But then also when I was birthing my identical twins, I was completely petrified and just in a place of fear for about 36 weeks, but who was counting? So that's why you want to check out Birth As We Know It, right?

00:09:46 Melissa: So the focus was my vaginal births. Yes, plural, everybody. Came out that way. But then on top of that, what stood out was also with Kiona. She was so generous, so, so generous. She let me go on and on in terms of the birth story and she does that for all her guests. So I wanna just call her out for that. That's amazing. And then in terms of why you should listen to Birth As We Know It, it's for you if you're scared. If you're pregnant and you're scared, go to her podcast. Also, please be mindful. Read to see which one you want to listen to. I don't know all the birth stories, but just like our thumb prints or fingerprints, we're all different. So there might be some more encouraging stories and more scary stories. And I know that was grammatically incorrect, but I'm gonna go with it. So, Birth As We Know It, Kiona.

00:10:38 Melissa: Third one. There's 11 here so... 100% Guilt-Free Self-Care by Tami Hackbarth. Focus. The focus was about creating your own opportunities, right? So having the guts to talk to strangers, go to concerts, go backstage and all of that jazz. So here's something that was stands out as far as a 100% Guilt-Free Self-Care with Tami. So first of all, Tami has a sense of humor and a half. So you will absolutely enjoy the conversation, any of the conversations, but the one with Tami and myself, we actually did it so that we were focused on her being my guest and me being her guest. So we did a back to back recording. So I encourage you to check out the conversation 100% Guilt-Free Self-Care with Tami. She, again, like I said, why should you listen? Because she's very personable and she's a fair play method facilitator. If you want to learn more about that, you got to check out her podcast. So absolutely check it out.

00:11:46 Melissa: All right, another podcast. Again, we're going for 11. Right now we're at one, two, three. This is the fourth. From Startup to Wunderbrand with Nicholas Kuhne. This one comes from Oslo, Norway. Yes, I will be going to Oslo at some point. Can't tell you when, but I will. Okay, the focus here is totally unlike anything else I've ever had a conversation about, which is, how to teach our kids how to network from a global perspective. When I was having that conversation with Nicholas, I was so thrilled. You would think somebody gave me like a free Katz's Delicatessen sandwich or something, or like those wedge fries that they have, or potato fries, whatever. But they weren't. I was just excited because I got to talk about the world, my children, and speak to someone that understood and appreciated the nuances of marketing and advertising, which is my background. So that was really cool.

00:12:39 Melissa: So why you should listen, because if you're a parent, this is gonna inspire you and give you some global ideas. In terms of what stood out, the fact that Nicholas was open to talking about children and expat situations, and whether or not kids should or they benefit from moving to different countries or different places. So I thought that was really cool. And why you should listen, because Nicholas has a smorgasbord of guests and it's really appealing to hear from someone that has experiences living in very different countries. I speak of the host himself, Nicholas. So check it out. From Startup to Wunderbrand with Nicholas Kuhne.

00:13:21 Melissa: Alrighty. Disruptive CEO. Okay. So I want to just share the backstory here. I met Allison Summers at Podcast Movement, and she's the one that told me how to become a number one Amazon bestseller. So Disruptive CEO Nation is her podcast. She is in Chicago. She's affiliated with the American Marketing Association. And Allison is sensational. The focus was leadership and innovation. I believe that I spoke about Beth Comstock, who's in my book, former CMO of GE.

00:13:53 Melissa: What stood out, again, is really, it's Allison. It's about the host, right? So she really helped me become a number one Amazon bestseller. 100% beyond shadow of a doubt, totally grateful to Allison. So Disruptive CEO, definitely if you work in corporations and want to ascend to leadership, definitely check out Disruptive CEO Nation. And if you want to hear stories, that is a place to go. Disruptive CEO Nation.

00:14:22 Melissa: So let me get this on this rank. I should have been more like David Letterman and gone through the top 10 or whatever, but I'm a mom. I'm not David Letterman, right? Okay. So let me just count this here. One, two, three, four, five, six. So now we're on the sixth podcast where I was a guest and you might really enjoy. This podcast, global here, right? This is how I get to talk about the book and never leave my house and not have to get childcare, by the way. Going on podcasts versus being on physical stages. So that's a mom hack right there.

00:15:00 Melissa: The podcast is Founder Podcast with Ash. Ash is located in London town. And it was a great conversation for a couple of reasons, but the focus was about entrepreneurship and expansive thinking. And it really keyed in on leads. So as a business owner, that's a really big challenge, getting leads for a lot of us. And so we talked about that at length, also talked about parenting. And what stood out for me was that he got me to reveal so many secrets about what's working now to get leads. So definitely if you have a SaaS product, especially because his podcast is geared towards people that are in that world, check out Ash's podcast. Again, he is in the UK. If you're YC graduate or you've heard of that organization, he was an alumni.

00:15:52 Melissa: Okay, so 7 out of about 11, 7 about 11 podcasts that I've been on. And here's the thing, I've been on so many more podcasts. And if you have a podcast that you enjoy, I would love to hear about it because I'd wanna be on that podcast too. So just DM me on Instagram. All of that information is in the show notes. But here we go, the 7th out of the 11th podcast that I am right now celebrating having been on. It is Mastermind Parenting Podcast with Randi Rubenstein. I hope I said it correctly. It's so funny when you have 11 different last names, it gets to be a little bit complicated.

00:16:30 Melissa: But here we go. Mastermind Parenting Podcast with Randi Rubenstein. So the focus was strong-willed business and strong willed kids, actually. Randi's perspective was on kids, my perspective was on business, and we were on each other's podcasts. And I really enjoyed it because we talked about the parallels between being a mother and being a business owner. So that's what stood out for me. And that is also why you will want to listen if you have a strong willed kid, especially. And if you have a business that feels like a strong-willed kid, you will also wanna listen. It was an episode that I really enjoyed.

00:17:08 Melissa: Okay, so here is the eighth one. Again, we're going for about 11, give or take. This is a great name. You're gonna really like this name. It's called The Boss Hole Chronicles. Okay, so best podcast name. Let me just say it right there. John Broer interviewed me and what I would say the focus was, was really about, you know, having a corporate mindset. And what I thought was amazing is that you can be your own boss hole. And that is kind of where I netted out with the conversation with John. So if you're a female who works in a corporation or you have your own business and you are a mom, oftentimes we are harder on ourselves than our bosses, technically, are on us.

00:17:59 Melissa: And I want you to be mindful of that. But check out The Bosshole Chronicles. I was on that podcast. John is amazing and you will enjoy the conversation. It is definitely more for corporations, even mid-sized companies as well. So check it out. Everything's in the show notes. Do not delay. I am definitely sharing all these links with you because I want to be sure that you check out these podcasts. They are amazing and I'm so grateful.

00:18:26 Melissa: So here's another one, networking in the AI era. So this one is really cool in the sense that when I had this interview scheduled, it was like a 24 hour turnaround. And the person who interviewed me, it's so hilarious. I have everybody's name except his, but I think this is Jonathan. He actually shared with me so much wisdom as far as building my own business, when the recording button was off, which is always the case, right?

00:18:58 Melissa: So networking in the AI era, the thing that was the focus was really being authentic and not using AI in order to, you know, orchestrate conversations that are fake, but using it to help you research as an example. And then what stood out, as I said, was just, you know, the podcast host's openness to sharing business building insights off record. And I appreciate him so much for that and why you should listen, because he's got his stuff together. I mean, he's really talking about AI in general. And so if that is a topic on your heart, I use ChatGPT, by the way, every day all the time, then I encourage you to check out Networking in the AI era with me, Melissa Llarena. I was a guest on that podcast.

00:19:44 Melissa: All righty, so three more, and that's it. Just three more, three more, but these are really great. And I wanted to be sure I got them to you before my book birthday, which is on Halloween. Okay. When Mommy Grows Up, When Mommy Grows Up by Becca and Marie. So it's two moms. And I had such a great time on this conversation or this podcast because the focus was about, you know, having our own village when it comes to building our business, not just when we want to raise a family, but for our business purposes. And what stood out for me was Becca and Marie's level of knowing my book.

00:20:22 Melissa: So there's some times where it feels a little eerie. It's like, wow, they're using my words. They read my book. They're like thinking and using my terms. And sometimes it's eerie if you've never written a book. But it was really cool cause it's like, dag, they're really busy and they read my book and they found a lot of value. So go to When Mommy Grows Up if you're interested in like career transition, sort of conversations and insights.

00:20:47 Melissa: Okay, two more, I promise. I'm like that birthday girl that just does not wanna leave the dance floor. And if you know me, like personally, you know what I mean. Okay, so two more podcasts where I've been a podcast guest that I wanna be sure you check out because I think they're worthy of your mom time. They can make for great, great, great parts of your weekly habits are, dun, dun, dun, this podcast here is called And/Both Podcast. It is by Ashley Blackington. So here was the focus of the conversation. It was really about untapped business potential in you as a mom. And we got very mom and business specific in terms of what's possible and what might be harder to accomplish, but possible with imagination.

00:21:38 Melissa: And so my conversation with Ashley is definitely one that you'll want to consider, especially If you're a mom who maybe you want to get funding from investors, Ashley's on that journey, so you might want to learn from her from that perspective, or maybe you want to have a better handle and hold on your childcare or caregiving logistics because Ashley is coming up with an app that is essentially the first CRM designed for families. So there you go. Check out that podcast, And/Both Podcast.

00:22:14 Melissa: Okay, so last but not least, because there are so many other podcasts I've been on, I've been grateful this whole year to be on other people's podcasts. So last but not least is Koze Koze Podcasts and it's spelled K-O-Z-E K-O-Z-E. Here's the reason why having the conversation with Garrett Wood was amazing. So the focus was really about the book, for imagination like, what is a fertile imagination, what inspired me to write the book? You know, how is it that I could apply it in my life? That's the, that's where the conversation went. And I have answers to that in this episode with Garrett. So I have it in the link. And again, the podcast is called Koze Koze.

00:22:56 Melissa: Here's the thing. There are so many opportunities as a podcast host myself to really help the guests feel at home and feel very safe and nurtured and cozy, right? And Garrett is an ace at that. So that is what stood out for me. She made me feel so welcome. I really felt like, you know, the intangibles of my journey were captured in that episode. And I encourage you to listen to her podcast, Koze Koze, or to buy her nipple cream if you're breastfeeding.

00:23:31 Melissa: So a lot of these podcasters are like me, we're mom founders. So we've got a lot of things going on but we have a message worthy of amplifying and sharing with the world. And if you've ever felt like you wanted to launch your own podcast or perhaps you have had a podcast but you got to episode number 7 and you didn't go on from there, then this can be a moment to just reflect upon why you let it go and maybe you should start again. And maybe I could be your guest next, right?

00:24:01 Melissa: So I just wanna say from the bottom of my heart, from the...bottom of my tiny toe on my right foot, if I had to be real specific, I can't express fully how strongly I feel about the community that I have around me in terms of fellow podcasters, fellow mom founders, and anyone who has read the book, reviewed the book on Amazon, purchased the book, or even mentioned the book, or lived out some of the ideas and concepts in the book. It is something that doesn't go unnoticed with regards to me as the author because it's really intimidating putting yourself out there, especially in the written word, because it's quite permanent. It's not like I could go back into a landing page and make some edits.

00:24:46 Melissa: So I appreciate you. I am so celebrating my birthday on October 31st. This is the first episode where I'm talking about the anniversary or the book birthday. And I encourage you to follow me every single Tuesday for a new episode. So here's the thing, I wanna be sure that you and I are like two peas in a pod, and this is how we can actually achieve that. If you're watching this on YouTube, I would encourage you to go ahead and subscribe officially. Here's why, when you subscribe, when I see that number go up, so it's like 200 and something right now, if it goes up to like, I don't know, 345 or something, then...it actually makes me do a happy dance, right?

00:25:31 Melissa: So you know how like we might like buy drinks for like the birthday girl through subscribing, you're kind of virtually buying me a drink on YouTube. And so I encourage that strongly. Here's the other thing on YouTube, there's this like notification bell, which I know a lot of people tell you, they're like, please tap it, hit it, whatever it might be. However you wanna get there, please select the bell so that you are notified when a video pops up. And if you're listening to this on iTunes, Spotify, Audible, however you're listening to this, I would encourage you to think about this. Let's make this relationship official. Actually hit follow, hit follow and this way, you're gonna get without having to do anything, your mom like why add things to your calendar, make the seamless, you're gonna be able to get a new episode every single Tuesday.

00:26:24 Melissa: All of this is in the show notes. You could totally just use it as a quick way to tick off something that happened today, right. So if you hit the bell or if you hit subscribe or follow, add that to your to-do list and then go ahead, check out the boxes so that you feel accomplished. So that's an idea for you. All right, so here's something that I wanted to just share with you. And I should have said it at the top, but I wanted to just kinda share this at the end. So here's a tiny reveal before I let you go.

00:26:54 Melissa: On the day of the pod of no, delete that, on the day of the actual launch. So October 31st, 2023, I actually realized that I was number one in two categories, but I was number three in another category and I never told anyone. So you're the first one to hear that. So here's the thing. I was, or the book, Fertile Imagination, managed to get to number one in the category of motherhood and also in the category of women in business. But the one spot, you could only pick three, where I was a number one, I was number three in, was women's biography. And here's the fun fact behind that.

00:27:38 Melissa: Do you know who was number one in women's biography? It was Jada Pinkett, and it was her book Worthy. And so I always thought to myself, I was like, well, you know what, if you've got all the money in the world and the resources in the world, I'll let you go ahead of me. Have no problem there. I don't even know who was number two, but for me, that just made me laugh because I was like, I'm okay with that. I'm totally okay with Jada's spot.

00:28:03 Melissa: So that's it for me. I mean, that is it. I'm so thrilled that you listened to this point because I mean, you know, doing a top 10 list or top 11 or 12, whatever it was, might be a little bit more clunky than I had imagined, but I wanted to get this out to you because I really am grateful. And my birthday is coming for my book, for my book, October 31st, and I want us to celebrate together. This is not like a one person journey. No man, no mom is an island. I want to know what you're celebrating too. I want to know what questions you have in terms of writing a book, doing a podcast, launching a business or growing a business. And to do that, let's keep on the same journey together. Follow, subscribe, hit the bell button. And any questions, I'm always on Instagram.

00:28:54 Melissa: So thank you so much. And until next Tuesday, Happy Birthday to Fertile Imagination.

We need to do a better job at resourcing ourselves, especially if you've decided that you have an unwavering commitment to see your business and family-life vision through! It's not an easy feat to disrupt industries, create your own, or parent multiple kids. It can be chaotic, even on a good day! That's why this week we're diving into the secrets of how to make it all work—yep, all of it! Do you wonder how you can be a boss at work and a rockstar mom at home and still have time to chase those big, audacious dreams? Well, wonder no more!

I'm bringing you an exclusive mashup featuring two powerhouse mompreneurs, Zibby Owens (mom of 4) and Liz Tenety (mom of 5), who are going to spill the beans on balancing business, babies, and everything in between. You ought to know that I have 3 sons with identical twins in that mix, so I know a thing or two about chaos and what it takes to be in business—I've been here for 13 years! Trust me, you don't want to miss their golden nuggets of wisdom, and I'll be chiming in with some of my own wild stories (hello, diaper blowout during a sales pitch?!)

So, grab your coffee, pop in those earbuds, and let's get inspired to stretch our imaginations and turn those crazy ideas into reality! Ready? Let's go!

In this episode, you will hear:

• How to use your mom skills like humility, adaptability, and patience to dominate the business world.

• Infusing your work life with playful strategies that help you manage stress and overwhelm like a boss.

• Master the art of profitable relationship-building with techniques that are both strategic and authentic. Say goodbye to awkward networking events!

• Get tools to navigate those pesky insecurities and show up with confidence in every business conversation.

• Learn to make bold asks and communicate fearlessly to achieve your wildest business goals.

This episode is brought to you Fertile Imagination to Networking Success by my LIVE 9-week group coaching immersive program on becoming a powerful strategic networker using the Imagination to Impact and Income Method™ to connect with the right people, lead the right conversations, and swing open the right doors to success. The DOORS are officially open! But hurry, the DOORS close on September 27th at 5pm CST.

I want to be sure you do not miss out on this opportunity and for that reason I invite you to send me a DM today and ask me anything about the opportunity to enroll today.

Send me a DM today: https://www.instagram.com/melissallarena/ to ask me anything before the doors officially close. Happy to hop on a quick 15-minute call too so DM me and I'll send you a link for us to talk.

Otherwise, head on to www.melissallarena.com/network

Imagine this in only 9 weeks, you could:

• Build profitable relationships and exceed your growth goals.
• Gain access to opportunities, boost your confidence for bolder asks, and raise prices.
• Feel energized by a fresh approach to relationships that taps into your imagination—the source of joy and fresh ideas.
• Navigate impostor syndrome, reignite your creativity, meet mom obligations, and achieve your best year ever with a focused plan.
• Approach your year-end goals with a mindset that leverages your advantages as a mom—letting your kids keep you grounded and present while inspiring you with their growth mindset.

How? By enrolling in the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Program for Mom Founders!

This game-changing experience which you can enroll in right HERE https://www.melissallarena.com/network/ by September 27th at 5pm CST will show you how to:

• Transform your networking approach with 9 weeks of live coaching to implement the Imagination to Impact to Income Method™ for genuine connections without gatekeepers.
• Access an on-demand curriculum with research-based, cross-industry insights covering who to network with, how to find them, and how to create your networking calendar for higher-impact relationships.
• Experience a one-on-one role-playing session using storytelling to differentiate your business (and yourself), and receive expert feedback on communications for momentum.
• Revitalize your leadership skills by integrating the strengths you gain from being a mom with diverse modalities and tools that leverage the art of play. Use techniques such as meditations to get your creative juices flowing, boost productivity, and increase your energy.
• Connect with a community of like-minded mom founders for support and accountability, keeping your standards high and your vision strong.
• Journal your progress in a workbook to track your improved ability to tackle impostor syndrome and create a visionary leader roadmap to increase confidence.

To ensure your long-term success, I've also included additional opportunities to apply these new networking skills by providing you with...

• Lifetime Access to the on-demand curriculum: Take the guesswork out of networking and refresh your strategy whenever needed. (you can teach this to your kids too!)
• Two months access to an Alumni online community of like-minded mom founders (priceless value; one contact can turn into a life-changing opportunity!)
• Two tickets to attend four virtual Quarterly Impact Appreciation Mixers focused on continued education in networking so that you can continue to deepen relationships.

And this time only you will also get instant access to three exclusive bonuses that can help you make time for building profitable relationships, making bigger asks to get more, and attracting the right people with resources—so you can connect while you sleep.

• Get it off your plate!: Reclaim hours each week to easily fit relationship building into your life for business growth.
• Bolder Communication Strategies Toolkit: Step into a bolder persona and make bolder asks to optimize every interaction.
• Brush Up Your LinkedIn Profile: Unlock massive networking success by making your LinkedIn profile work harder for you.

I know this sounds too good to be true so don't take my word for it, listen to what others have said about my method. Visit the website: https://www.melissallarena.com/network/

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins).

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"We need to do a better job of resourcing ourselves. We have almost everything that we need right under our noses." - Melissa Llarena

"The idea is to leap to your goals and make big strides, not get there at a snail's pace." - Melissa Llarena

"I feel like I lead as a mom, and I feel like it has only made me a better leader, and they don't talk about that at business school at all." - Zibby Owens

"Being humble. 100%. The superpower is the ability to constantly learn" - Zibby Owens

"It is about energy, it is about time, it is about money, and all those things kind of intersect and just encouraging people to use their creativity." - Liz Tenety….on how being a business leader helped her lead her family

"What if hanging out with your kids can be part of your competitive advantage, a business strategy, so that you can come up with a better business idea or something more innovative, certainly something that is simpler to describe." - Melissa Llarena

"I think it is so important to bring the whole of you to the table because, because as a mom with a business, that is your competitive advantage." - Melissa Llarena

SHARE this episode and unleash your imagination, tap into your superpowers, and build a successful business while being an amazing mom. Join the conversation with other mom founders and learn how to achieve your goals with confidence and support! 💪

Supporting Resources:

Schedule a 15-minute call to see if Fertile Imagination to Networking Success my signature program is the right fit: https://go.oncehub.com/ClientSessionMelissaLlarena

Podcast: Mom Founder Imagination Hub: https://www.melissallarena.com/podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MelissaLlarena/

Or, grab for free your copy of the "From Contact to Connection: The Mompreneur's Go-First Networking & Follow Up Playbook": https://witty-thinker-2643.ck.page/21e52edb87

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 Melissa: We need to do a better job of resourcing ourselves. We have almost everything that we need right under our noses. And I think in terms of being a mom, this is something that we don't even think about and it's not our fault at all because it's not a topic of conversation.

00:00:24 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're going to get to that next level in business, find the energy to keep going and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover how mom founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood. Ever wonder how they do it? Tune in to find out. And stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs who might not be moms, but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm gonna give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.

00:01:17 Melissa: Today's episode is brought to you by Fertile Imagination to Networking Success. It is a live nine-week group coaching program that really helps you become a powerful strategic networker using my secret method, the Imagination to Impact to Income method. And it's going to help you connect with the right people. It's going to help you have the right conversations and ultimately swing open the doors of your success. Here's what's included in this nine-week program. So you're gonna have on-demand curriculum that is going to be research-based, but also relevant to your industry, because I've worked in about 14 different business units and several sectors around the world. So I'm bringing those insights to the table so you could apply the lessons learned to your business.

00:02:05 Melissa: You're also going to have a private one-on-one session with me, whereby you're gonna work on your storytelling skills, so that this way you distinguish yourself and you bring the best stories to that when you're having those important, game-changing business conversations. Also, we're gonna work on your leadership skills and your ability to navigate overwhelm, stress, anxiety, through the art of play. That's what makes this program different. I have infused the art of play, the different modalities that I've leveraged, such as mindfulness and meditations, to get you through this experience. So that this way, even though, you might feel intimidated by having conversations with high profile people. You can get through them with ease.

00:02:50 Melissa: Also in this program, it's a community of like minded mom founders, which makes a huge difference. This community is carefully curated so that your standards stay high, so that your company vision stays in place, so that no mom is left behind. That is my commitment to you. I absolutely want every single participant to finish the program. Unlike other programs where they might be on like digital shelf spaces collecting dust, this program is nine weeks live. You will see me every single week and you will have access to actionable insights to actually use these skills and put them into practice from day one.

00:03:37 Melissa: Okay, also in the program is a workbook where you're going to be working on imposter syndrome and how to navigate it. I fully believe that it's not something we could just erase and it's not something that we need to feel bad about. I think it's important to proactively navigate imposter syndrome and whether you are building relationships to get clients or building relationships to get podcast guests or to get investors. Those moments bring up several insecurities and I want to be sure that you can navigate the conversations with confidence with tools in your tool kit. Also in this program and so important to say you're going to have access to the on-demand curriculum for the rest of your life. So this is lifetime access and hint your kids can leverage these tools too.

00:04:25 Melissa: Also, you're going to have two months access after the program to an alumni online community. So you're going to stay connected to the same ladies that you took this course with for two months thereafter officially. And how cool is this? You will also be able to participate in almost like continuing education opportunities. So once a quarter, I will be doing a quarterly impact appreciation mixer. Here's what happens during these mixers. I'm going to invite a guest. Yes, likely someone from my podcast, to share their wisdom on networking building skills. I want to be sure that you have relevant, timely, and even like forward-looking skills at your fingertips. So by participating in this program, Fertile Imagination to Networking Success, you will have an opportunity to, you and your guests, attend these quarterly impact appreciation mixers four times in the course of a year and that can include after the program has ended. So I wanted to share what's involved in the nine week live group coaching program.

00:05:35 Melissa: I also wanted to say that in terms of participants, what they have told me is that they've been able to complete this program successfully with only three hours of time necessary every single week. So that's important. You'll see that in the FAQs. Just go to MelissaLlarena.com forward slash network. There you will have a lot of your questions answered and you can invest in Fertile Imagination to Networking Success. Should you have questions, reach out to me, absolutely. Doors close on September 27th at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time. And here's what happens at that point. For those who invest in Fertile Imagination to Networking Success between today and September 27th at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time, you will have three extra bonuses.

00:06:24 Melissa: Here are the bonuses. So if you've ever felt uncomfortable reaching out to people or putting yourself out there in social media, like LinkedIn, I have a rush up your LinkedIn profile bonus delivered by a LinkedIn expert and stand-up comedian impromptu person. So I love that bonus. The second one, get it off your plate. So I know as a mom, you have a lot of things on your plate right now and different business priorities. Building your network. Learning how to create profitable relationships can be the key to your success and the most energy efficient pathway there. And so I want to be sure that you make room for it on your plate. So I have a bonus for you again if you're investing by September 27th at 5pm, which is the absolute deadline where you will learn from an expert how to take things off your plate so that you can put networking and this program on your plate.

00:07:19 Melissa: The third bonus is about having the ability to speak with more confidence and making bolder asks. So the idea is to leap to your goals and make big strides, not get there at a snail's pace. And for that, you have to ask older questions and you have to communicate more boldly. And so I have the third bonus available to those who invest by September 27th at 5pm central standard time. All in all, this program for our imagination to networking success is for a mom founder who wants to achieve business growth. You might be currently experiencing a plateau and you want that growth spurt because you want to achieve your goals by this year end. On top of that, you wanna achieve them in a very particular way. You don't want to drain yourself to the finish line and you don't want to completely ignore your obligations as a mom and commitment and desire to be a mom, nor should you have to.

00:08:19 Melissa: And that is why photo imagination to networking success requires expansive thinking. It requires my method, imagination to impact to income method. And that's also why it infuses the art of play because at the end of the day, if you are pursuing business growth, wild business growth, it is important to have resources available to you that can nip overwhelm in the bud and that can help you navigate interruptions and disruptions and distractions along the way. And that is why this program is unique because I am taking the position that if you bring all of yourself to your business goals right now and focus on building profitable relationships, you can knock them out of the park and retain a sense of integrity with the real you and what you originally intended to bring into the world.

00:09:11 Melissa: Instead of finding yourself in a place where you're at the whim of meta ads or you're at the whim of what everyone else has planned for business leaders around the world. So I invite you to go to MelissaLlarena.com forward slash network. I am excited about this program. I'm proud about this program. And I also cannot wait to hear what you hear, what you think about this week's episode. So enjoy the conversation, signing off, and check out all the resources in the show notes, MelissaLlarena.com forward slash network. Let's talk about how to make it work. For yourself as a mom who has an ambitious goal that you must achieve at the end of this year, and you have to also be a parent, a presence, a playful, a loving, and attention-giving mom.

00:10:03 Melissa: So I decided to bring along two podcast guests and this is somewhat of a new thing. This is a mashup. I have brought on this podcast episode, two leading ladies who are moms and business leader. So here's the thing, I've interviewed them before. So I'll include some of those clips in this episode. But first we have Zibby Owens. She is the CEO of Zibby Media. She was on episode 229. And we spoke about the missing leadership skills that are not taught in world-class business schools on that episode. Also in this episode, I have brought Liz Tenety, the co-founder of Motherly. And her and I spoke about these comparisons between launching and owning and scaling a business and scaffolding your family with support. So all of these reinforcements that we need to make things happen as moms with businesses. What I wanted to also do is interject my perspective here on how I personally have made it work over the course of 13 years. First starting out with a baby on my Ergo baby chest carrier at a sales meeting that I closed and my son also had a diaper blowout for.

00:11:29 Melissa: But then on top of that, being a mom now of three boys. So there was a time where then I had identical twins. So I wanna share my perspective as well in terms of how I have personally over the last 13 years, whether I've lived in the US or Australia, have made it work. Why do I do this? Why is it that I think these two voices and my own are so important in today's landscape of building a business? Having a family and feeling like you made a difference in your life and feeling like you accomplished your ultimate mission and found fulfillment with using the skills that you worked hard for in the real world and as a contribution to others.

00:12:14 Melissa: Here's why, because I want more of you. I want all of you. I want not just the mom in business to show up, you know, out there online, offline in the world, but I want the mom, the nurturer, the creative, the create tricks as a lot of them say, to go and show up bigger in the world because you're needed. There is no doubt in my mind that if you have an idea on your heart or you have already set your business in motion, that you were meant to lead the charge on that one endeavor and be an outstanding mom at the same time. So in this episode, what I'm going to do is share these different perspectives, one from Zibby Owens, the other from Liz Tenety, and then myself, your host, Melissa Llarena, so that you can make it work this year. Alrighty, here we go.

00:13:08 Melissa: So let's first listen to Zibby Owens. So I interviewed Zibby Owens, the CEO founder of Zibby Media in episode 229. And what I've done for you is just kind of curated the parts where we really got into the conversation of what was missing in terms of business school skills and lessons when it came to our realities of having children and building businesses at the same time. So this way you have context. I'm gonna go ahead and let you listen to that piece of the conversation, you could listen to the whole thing, 229, but I want you to listen to that portion of the conversation so that when you come back to me, you have a little bit of context. So go ahead and enjoy episode 229 with Zibby Owens.

00:14:05 Melissa: What would you say is the most valuable thing that you've learned as an entrepreneur, like doing it here in your space that you think should be taught in a business school?

00:14:14 Zibby: That's a great question. Because yes, I did take these things in business school and they, did they help me? Right, exactly. Like, I mean, honestly, I think they should teach you that you can watch a quick YouTube tutorial about literally anything and teach yourself how to do it. That is how I started a podcast. I was like, Google, you know, how to start a podcast. You know, how do I, you know, I watch videos all the time. Like we got locked out of the car the other day, and everyone's like, what should we do? And I was like, I'm sure there's a YouTube video about this. And like there was. So I think it's knowing that like there are so many experts in so many things that anything you wanna do, there is a guide.

00:14:59 Zibby: And now it's easier than ever to take people's advice and have them teach you. I think being open to learning and innovating, and this is something we learned is, you know, the ability to sort of shift gears and pay attention to market trends and da-da-da-da. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like we learned that. But I feel like my cases in business school were like operational challenges and you know, the cranberry manufacturing and I was like, what? And then in our conversation, in our one class, it was called leadership, about all the ways that people led wrong.

00:15:42 Zibby: You know, and so I think about that, but I'm also like, I don't want to ever lead as the professional-only version of myself. Like, I've decided that the best way to lead is just to use myself, even if it's my mom's skills, in the workplace. Like, I feel like I lead as a mom, and I feel like it has only made me a better leader, and they don't talk about that at business school at all. There is something about like taking care of people and gathering people and the softer skills or moments. Like with my company, I decided like three days a week, we all like take a break and go and have a nice lunch together. Like every week, that's what we do. It's part of our culture. It's just like what we do.

00:16:29 Zibby: And I have them to my home and we sit around my dining room table and have lunch. And it's so nice. And it's like, I wanna take care of them. I want to treat my teammates like my most important dinner guests, because that's what they are. They are so important. And why would you treat an employee any differently than that? Like if you don't want to have them, if you don't feel like they deserve that, they probably then should not be working for you. Do you know what I mean? So, and leaving, like I leave every day at 2:30 and go pick up my kids. And I get it all done the rest of the day, but like, do I need to be in the office? So I just think there are so many things we could have learned about there are ways to make it work.

00:17:10 Zibby: And finding flexible environments and, leading by example and making it work. And, and then I guess just always, like, I think that businesses, leading a business is like raising a kid in that as soon as you feel like you have it down, everything changes, right? I've got it. And now suddenly they're a year older and I don't know what I'm doing again and none of the clothes fit. Like I have to start again, are you kidding me? And that's what it's like in business. Like things are constantly changing. Oh, okay, maybe it's an external change that's impacting the organization. Maybe it's an internal growth change, but we have to be ready to like run to the gap and get new clothes.

00:18:00 Melissa: It's so funny. I was just telling a client yesterday that using your imagination is like the perfect change management tool. Like, I mean, so many people that have businesses are able to just go from one thing to another quite quickly, you know, just really edit, change, refocus, and then not feel like, kind of like, I don't know, maybe it's just me. Like for me, I would kind of feel like, man, I did it wrong, embarrassed, you know, like I was going this way and now I'm like, no longer doing this thing. What people gonna think?

00:18:37 Melissa: You know, and so I think that's something else that stops you. And the same could be said when you're at a target and your kids have a meltdown and you have a choice. Be the mom that you intended to be in front of other people or care what they think and then be that another kind of mom. It's the parallels are striking between motherhood and entrepreneurship for sure.So on that point, I'm just curious, like can we name the superpower that you got from being a mom that you apply in business? What would you name that superpower?

00:19:13 Zibby: Being humble. 100%. The superpower is the ability to constantly learn and change, honestly. I mean, you have to constantly adapt to changing conditions as a mom. So adaptability. Yeah, I think, constantly being able to regroup, to do lots of things at once, and to deal with things that are ultimately out of your control, even when you care.

00:19:51 Melissa: Yeah, and that's when it's like the hardest, right? It's like when it's your heart, when it's your name, when it's, you know, the Zibby verse, right? It's different than if it were this third party entity. And I think we can close the conversation there because I think right now a lot of listeners are probably wondering to themselves, like, holy cow, maybe there is value in my, like, super regular mom life moments. Maybe I could write a story, right?

00:20:20 Zibby: So much value. So much value.

00:20:23 Melissa: So much value. And I think now the onus might be on people that have these, like, MBAs and things to put that value in, like, an income statement. Like, goodwill at least, right? Like, just, like, find a place to demonstrate that, you know, if we use the success markers of the world, like finances and money and all that, like how can we translate that to like real income, financial, you know, security for moms? I mean, I think the value is so clear. And so my hope, my intention is through your stories, Zibby, through this conversation that anyone listening feels like, you know what, heck yeah, I matter. I matter. And I think that's so true. Thank you so, so much, Zibby. This was amazing.

00:21:11 Melissa: When I was having that conversation with Zibby, it was resonating for me at a very, very... How should I put it? Honest level, right? And here's why, because when you go into the business world, when you're attending these world-class business schools, a lot of what's discussed ends up being irrelevant at times if you decide to launch your own business. And it certainly becomes impractical if you become a mom and you have a business.

00:21: 43 Melissa: And that is the reason why I wanted to really just hone in on the idea that Zibby attended world-class university, as did I, world-class business school as well. And we did not know that ultimately, when it came to building a business, and growing our respective families, it was really important to have and bring a sense of humility. You heard Zibby say that superpower that you have also as a mom. I mean, our kids humble us all the time. I would say I am constantly humbled and reminded that I am not in control of every single thing that my kids do or do not do. And that's something that is not taught in business schools, but it's something that we certainly appreciate and realize as moms.

00:22:31 Melissa: The other idea is this. So Zibby mentioned adaptability. And what I love about that is when I was coaching a former CEO of a huge city bike organization, she told me that the number one skill or characteristic of a successful entrepreneur is the ability to adapt, to be nimble. And isn't it interesting how, as a mom, we might not realize that that is a core skill that we learn, and if we don't learn it, we continue to reap the rewards of the lessons and ultimately can bring to the table if we do decide to launch a business or scale our business, or just live life as a mom. So I want you to just hone in on that idea that this is another superpower that is not realized and underutilized and not appreciated as a contribution. You can also give by way of your talent as a business owner.

00:23:29 Melissa: The third superpower that I wanted to just pull out cause I think it's so important is this idea of making peace that not everything is within your control. As a business owner, I will say this. When it comes to your business, if you literally have your name on the shingles, and I hope I'm saying that right, you honestly are going to take a lot of things personally because your name is on the line. Your reputation is on the line. When it comes to our children, and right now I'm noticing so many people going back to college or going to college, and it's like we're sharing all these successes, and maybe our kids went to these amazing schools. And again, it's personal. It's like, yeah, we were part of their success in getting in these amazing schools.

00:24:15 Melissa: Well, here's the thing, by way of your business, by way of what's within, what's outside of your control, it's really important to understand that there's an emotional residue on that. And here's what I mean by that. So when it comes to doing anything, like this video right here or this podcast, right? For me, what's outside of my control. What's outside of my control is that you will continue to listen. What's within my control is that I prepare for this conversation. And at the end of the day, it does matter to me because this is my voice, and this is what's on my heart and what I wanna share with you as a fellow mom founder.

00:24:51 Melissa: But it's something that I had to learn to let go of through the power of surrender. And as a mom, I think that is something that we constantly have to do. And as a business leader, it's mentally helpful because, really, relinquishing control is the name of the game when it comes to delegating.

00:25:12 Melissa: And it's also important when you've done everything in your power in order to make something successful. So that is another superpower that Zibby mentions in that snippet of the interview that I would love for you to just write down and say to yourself, "Yeah, I have that superpower, and it's because I am a mom."

00:25:32 Melissa: The other thing I wanted to just kind of reinforce is this idea. Zibby mentioned that she learned so many soft skills, leadership skills from being a mom to four children. And what I think is so amazing about that is when I had a conversation with Beth Comstock earlier, earlier on this podcast, and I'll put in the show notes all of these links, Beth mentioned that being a mom taught her to be more patient. So there's all these skills, all these superpowers that we have and bring as moms that I really wish we would be confident enough to bring to a professional setting so that we can get further along in our ambitions and we can make it work.

00:26:19 Melissa: So here's where I net with this. When it comes to navigating change, when it comes to experiencing uncertainty as a business leader, Zibby did say that motherhood, being a mom to a kid, oh my goodness, that is all about change, all about uncertainty. I'll give you a really tangible example, and Zibby mentioned this.

00:26:40 Melissa: So change, right? Let's say you go, you buy your child size four kids shoes. Well, chances are they're gonna grow out of it before you expected them to. And so again, now we go shoe shopping once more and find another pair of shoes. Same idea. Like, let's say you figured out how to have the two kids not rival, right? Sibling rivalry. And you figured out this great trick where you interrupted them. Okay, that's gonna work for a limited period of time. And then again, the next season of life, you have to figure that out again. So this is something that's common in motherhood. And this is something that is just the way business is done right now, given the speed of the world and given the fact that markets are changing all the time. I mean, put a post on Instagram, and you see that one week of certain type of post is gonna work very well and another week is gonna totally flock. So change.

00:27:31 Melissa: Again, something that, as a mom, we have to get very good at and we are very good at. We don't realize it's a superpower that we can bring to the table. And so my intention behind this conversation and next up we'll have another female leader that I admire who's a mom and share her perspective. But my intention here is this, I want you to just realize that you are a mom and you bring certain skills that are marketable as heck. And yeah, that's a businessy word. What do I mean by that?

00:28:00 Melissa: Valuable. They can add value as a business owner. And I don't want you to undersell yourself and say to yourself, well, that old thing, I just do that in my sleep. Because not everyone does what you do with such ease and with such ability to provide an impact. So please appreciate what you bring to the table. Again, this is gonna be part of my perspective on making it work. And I'm gonna tie it up at the end of this conversation.

00:28:29 Melissa: Next up we have Liz Tenety. She is the co-founder of Motherly. And I interviewed her on episode 243. And I'm gonna go ahead and let you listen to that snippet right now, and I would love to draw your attention to a couple of concepts. One idea is the following.

00:28:49 Melissa: We talked about how being a business owner and leader helped her be a better family leader, right? And she spoke about this notion of really figuring out your support system and the resources you need in place in order to achieve your biggest and boldest, and baddest dream. On top of that, she also mentioned how burnout, like you could be in the risk, at the risk of burnout, if you do not feel supported. And it's so interesting because this has almost like physical manifestations too. If you've ever had... This is so like Dr. Melissa, although I'm not a doctor, but if you ever had like lower back issues, like that could be like a sign that psychologically there's a lack of support there.

00:29:36 Melissa: So I turn this to Liz now. She's going to share how she thinks about scaffolding support around her family. And she's also going to share how she has learned how to be a better family leader because she is a business leader and how she has re-imagined time as a business leader and has translated the same concept into her family life alongside her husband so that they have a nice work-life integration.

00:30:07 Melissa: So that was a mouthful. Enjoy the conversation. It's just a snippet. If you want the entire conversation, that is episode 243. But at this time, I want you to just capture the essence of what we spoke about so that you can then have context about how you can make it work and what other sort of resources and learnings, and lessons you can apply to make your life wonderful, magnificent, and truly fulfilled both as a mom and a business owner. So go ahead and check out that conversation with Liz Tenety.

00:30:44 Liz: So I guess over the decade that I've been a mom and an entrepreneur, I've learned how to think really creatively about time. And all like working moms know that all of a sudden we can get a whole day's worth of work done in just a few hours. And that kind of may have seemed impossible before motherhood, but we just get this incredible focus. So I have been there. I mean, when I was a new working mom, I could not afford full-time childcare. So I had four hours in the morning, I had lunch with my son, and then I worked as hard as I could during his two-hour nap, right? So I kind of got to seven hours of work, working that way, just working around nap time.

00:31:28 Liz: I also have joined gyms where there's two hours of childcare and a little café that you can sit in. And so for like 200 bucks a month, you get two hours of childcare a day, whether or not you work out, which is a pretty great deal. YMCAs have free childcare and are really affordable in a lot of communities. So I would think I would not bat an eye at doing that. I've also heard of entrepreneur moms setting up childcare swaps with other entrepreneurs. So one mom takes the kids one day, another mom the next.

00:32:06 Melissa: I also just encourage people to think about what they really need help with. Cause sometimes I think, Do I really need more childcare and to spend $1,000 next week on full-time childcare? Or do I need to assign this project to my VA or hire someone on Upwork to get this job done, right? I also think looking at the weekends, which can often get taken over by kid activities, but my husband and I are working hard now to make sure that we each have designated time on the weekends to ourselves so that we can recover a little bit from the week and be able to be more intentional with our kids. So I guess not that I have an easy answer, but trying to think really creatively about your team, your time, where to find really dedicated pockets of time.

00:32:59 Liz: Lastly, I work from home. I've worked full-time from home for 12 years since becoming a mom. But this afternoon, I'm going to a cafe because, talk about this space-time continuum, I can somehow be so much more creative and productive when I can put my headphones on and get a latte and sit down and crank workout in a cafe environment. That energy is really good for me creatively. And so again, it is about energy, it is about time, it is about money, and all those things kind of intersect and just encouraging people to use their creativity.

00:33:34 Liz: Also, ChatGPT is blowing my mind every single day. And so when I have thorny questions of how do I solve this weird problem that I've never even talked to someone about, ChatGPT is surprising me with what it's able to suggest. So even AI tools and things like that are able to kind of introduce serendipity into our lives when we realize that no great company is built alone.

00:34:00 Liz: And in a lot of ways for me, I learned better how to run my family and think about what it means to lead a family by running a company and seeing no one can... I can't scale a startup by myself. I need talent to be in their zone of genius, and we need to work together on a shared mission, and that over time is how I've tried to operate our family more and more intentionally, learning from running my company.

00:34:25 Melissa: I love that. That's the opposite direction or the other direction that Zibby Owens suggested. So Zibby Owens was on Mom Founder Imagination Hub, and she was saying how being a stay at home mom has helped her build out her business and the Zibby-verse, right? So that's like one direction. And then now you are sharing how it helps in the opposite direction too, right? So founding the business, building the business, being a mom.

00:34:55 Melissa: And I feel like I'm kind of in between because I literally launched my business with my firstborn on my chest. Like, I went to that first sales meeting with my baby in my Ergobaby, and he had a diaper blowout, and I closed the sale. But you know, Manhattan is all the better for that experience in that moment. But I love this, I love this. And you know what? You have a fertile imagination, to say the least.

00:35:24 Melissa: I really enjoyed that conversation myself when I was speaking with Liz because of a couple of reasons. For me, what resonated was this realization that it can go both ways. Like I was reminded, and you heard that in the conversation, I was reminded of the conversation I had with Zibby Owens, episode 229, when Zibby had mentioned she learned how to be a very nurturing and effective people leader because she was a mom and she was a better leader for it. And so when I brought that back into the conversation with Liz, something sparked inside of me, which was, I should really do this mashup for listeners cause I think there's value in providing a different layer or lens to a former conversation.

00:36:09 Melissa: So with Liz's points, I wanted to just highlight these ideas. And it's this notion of thinking about time differently. So as a business leader, I will say that the amount of work that I've been able to pull off has been sensational in terms of my leverage of AI and my leverage of resources on different freelancing websites. And I have had to make peace with the fact that, okay, there's not this, catch 22, make money first, and then pay for launch campaign materials to be created. There has to be a place where I'm confident enough to take a risk in myself, knowing full well that I can make it work. So once I spend the money, I can then find a way to make it a profitable endeavor.

00:37:03 Melissa: And thinking about time in that fashion is quite amazing because Liz shared that you might need to pay for resources just to prevent you getting into burnout. And isn't that worthy enough and as worthy as any other investment in your business and in your mom life?

00:37:26 Melissa: The other thing I wanted to just say in terms of time and in terms of talent, which is what Liz pointed to, was this idea that there are resources available for you out there. And what I have found is that oftentimes, there's this hesitation. It's kind of like, What will people think? Or this hesitation of, I could really do that if I just sacrifice my sleep or I sacrifice my weekend. And yeah, you absolutely can do a lot of things because you've made things work in the past. However, there have been consequences. And so on that note, I think what Liz was sharing, which is this notion of scaffolding. And being someone from New York City, I just imagine blue scaffolding everywhere in Manhattan. I think it's important to consider that as part of your wellness plan. I think it's part of your business building endeavor. I think that is how you make it work.

00:38:27 Melissa: It's not about working yourself and white knuckling. In order for you to work, you need to have the resources in place in order to have the bandwidth to include things like conversations with prospective clients, to include things like networking. So there's a lot of things that go into building a business that you can translate into how you manage and navigate family life. And Liz called this out, but I, in my work, as far as using my framework, my method, which is called the 'Imagination to Impact Income Method', a lot of what I have to do is carve totally new paths because the reality is while today, this Melissa right here, who is speaking right into your ear, I am totally in a different spot than I was as a younger Melissa.

00:39:25 Melissa: I wasn't raised into a family with so many resources and access to so many influential human beings. And in this conversation, it's evidence of the fact that I've had to open doors, ask for doors to be open, go through windows. I mean, God knows what I've had to do in order to secure conversations with people like Zibby Owens and Liz Tenety. But at the same time, I've also had to figure out for myself how to create or build scaffolding around my family and not feel shame or embarrassment because no one else in my family has done the same thing. So there's a lot, a lot, a lot that I could go through in terms of Tenety's or in terms of Liz's recommendations.

00:40:13 Melissa: But I wanted to just point out that idea that if you do not feel supported, that can lead to burnout. And Liz also mentioned earlier in the conversation of 243 that for her, it meant friendships. And that's something that I'm working on myself because I've moved quite a bit. So that's something that is on my top priority list right now as well.

00:40:36 Melissa: So I just shared with you two conversations that I had with two leading ladies in this business world who have kids, right? So Zibby has four kids, Liz has five kids, and I have three. And I will say that I wanted to share with you my perspective on how to make it work. So here, over the course of the last 13 years, having had at first one child to then three, because I've identical twins, so it happened in one fell swoop. This is how I have been able to make it work. And this is something that I'm pulling in from those two conversations, both Zibby and Liz. And also the fact that I've spoken to 240 people on this podcast with different perspectives on how they have been able to make anything work.

00:41:28 Melissa: So point number one, and I'll just give you three big, big ideas here. So the first one is that we need to do a better job of resourcing ourselves. We have almost everything that we need right under our noses. And I think in terms of being a mom, this is something that we don't even think about and it's not our fault at all because it's not a topic of conversation.

00:41:58 Melissa: It's, no one is telling me, hey, Melissa, did you realize that...your son is really good at Canva and he could actually help you whip up a nice little slide to share all the PR that you've gotten in the last 13 years, whereas you right now are banging your head on a computer trying to figure out how to make a slide pretty. Like no one is telling me this, but guess what? This summer, my eldest, I had him intern for me and that's actually something that he helped me do in like milliseconds, right?

00:42:33 Melissa: So resourcing ourselves, how to make it work is point number one. We have so much available to us as moms. Here's something that is so important that I think is never talked about. We talk about our kids' imaginations, right? And so it's this lovely thing that we just say, wow, they have the ability to like, imagine themselves as pirates and the floor is lava, et cetera. But what...what if, what if, what if that imagination that our kids have can serve us in our businesses? What if hanging out with your kids can be part of your competitive advantage, a business strategy so that you can come up with a better business idea or something more innovative, certainly something that is simpler to describe, right?

00:43:23 Melissa: What if that were possible? So resourcing yourself and knowing that you have resources. Also our kids, what do they do for us? They ground us. You heard Zibby about humility, they ground us. If you forgot who you really are, hang out with your kids and they will quickly remind you that you are a mom. So they ground us. And isn't it interesting how if we feel stress or anxiety and we go and ask a child for a hug as an example, typically we will feel a sense of calm, a sense of joy, a sense of love. So isn't that interesting? We have resources that we're not using enough.

00:44:02 Melissa: The other thing is this philosophy that, you know, we're able to make anything work for our kids. Isn't it interesting how, if we're able to make anything work for our kids, then you could apply the same skill, the same notion, the same idea to make things work for ourselves. Yet we seldom do that. We seldom do that, right? We could pull out all the stops for our kids, but then when it comes to ourselves, why is it that we don't leverage the same resources?

00:44:29 Melissa: So, you know, I think it's really important for me to also say this. As I've spoken with people from around the world, and this is a global conversation because having witnessed a library filled of kids and tired moms in Australia, and the same set up in the US with my own kids and libraries here, I know that a lot of us have similar emotions running through our bodies. And I know that a lot of us have a lot of superpowers as well. And when I've spoken to all these people on my podcast, what I have realized is the following three ideas, which is that these resources I mentioned before and superpowers that we spoke about earlier, both Liz mentioned superpowers and then also Zibby did as well. They're so underutilized, so underutilized.

00:45:16 Melissa: And it's, Again, not your fault because no one is having this conversation. No one is telling you hug your child and reduce your anxiety in that instance. No one is saying that. Here's the second thing. You have a gear. I have a gear. We all have gears, but here's the challenge. We don't have a lot of energy right now. And that I would say is such an impediment. And I think needs to be a priority when it comes to building a business, building a family and making anything work. The other idea is the following.

00:45:46 Melissa: So in terms of asking, making bold asks, asking for help, being around people who are light years ahead of you in terms of mentorship, I think we need to do a better job of asking more boldly. We need to do a better job of asking for what we want. Sometimes even being totally irrational and like just out of control, outrageous. If you don't ask for what you need and what you want, and I mean, for real, I'm not saying like mouse around the topic, then you are a 100% not going to get the support that you need, the sense of belonging that you want, the connection that we all long for, and the support, again, it's worth saying twice, that is necessary for any mom who wants to build a business and also be the leader of her family.

00:46:35 Melissa: And so I wanted to just kind of wrap it up right there. I just shared with you both Liz's perspective on scaffolding your family and what she learned as a business leader that she applies to her family and what Zibby has learned as a mom. She was a stay at home mom before for years in terms of building her business and being a nurturing people leader who wants to have dinner conversations with her team.

00:47:02 Melissa: And for me, I think all of this, all of this comes to this one conclusion. It is important for you to understand that you can bring your whole self to the table. And I don't care about what that table looks like or where that table is situated, whether it is a boardroom, it is a investor meeting, it is a PTA, if that is the correct way of saying it these days.

00:47:29 Melissa: I think it is so important to bring the whole of you to the table because, because as a mom with a business, that is your competitive advantage. If you can sit in a boardroom, if you can sit in an investor meeting and have the confidence necessary to, as a very tangible example, bring up a scenario that makes sense. It's a testament to your character, a small talk during an investor meeting that comes from your mom life category bucket and maybe break through, you know, the conversation with bringing a more human perspective to how you will serve your prospective clients, you might stand out and you might get that funding, right?

00:48:10 Melissa: Here's the other idea in terms of bringing the whole of you, not just one part of you to any table as a business leader and as a mom. Let's just imagine that you're out there on the soccer field and you're doing your mom thing this weekend, and you overhear a conversation where it's a business conversation. What's stopping you from interjecting your perspective in that business conversation? You could be the difference between an insight that produces millions of dollars for that person versus an insight that gets lost and taken by a competition or a competitor.

00:48:46 Melissa: So, I don't want you to feel like you have to pretend you're not a mom. I don't want you to feel like you don't have something to bring to the table because it's been a couple of years since you've been out of the market. There's no reason for it except our own narrative that we're telling ourselves in our minds. And I want to be sure that you have the support that you need, the resources you need, and a new perspective, a fresh perspective on how to actually achieve what you want this year.

00:49:14 Melissa: On that note, I want to invite you, from my mom in business heart to your mom in business heart to really, really invest in yourself. I am producing a nine week live coaching program for mom founders. It is getting started very, very soon. You're going to see social media all over about it. I want you to get on my email list and be sure that you are aware of the resources available to you, a mom founder, and the better way to actually achieve business growth, and the better way to actually make whatever goal you have from a business perspective this year doable at the end of the year, and doable with the energy that you need, and doable without neglecting anyone, anyone including yourself, your family or anyone else that you care for.

00:50:13 Melissa: So the program name is called Fertile Imagination to Networking Success. I wanna be sure that I share with you everything that is available in this program. Here's the trick. You are only needed for three hours each week. That is what my clients who have participated in this nine week group coaching program have shared with me. They've...only had to put in about three hours of their week, hours, every single week in order to get phenomenal results.

00:50:47 Melissa: During this program, what happens is the following. We're going to walk through the imagination to impact to income method for you, a mom in business, and the focus where we're gonna apply all our imagination, our expansive thinking is in building profitable relationships. I want to just say that if I had a flag that I could just put on the moon and I could say, this is my flag and this is what matters and this is what I think really works for moms in business, it is the ability to network proactively and network in a way that's not sleazy but is totally genuine and value add into directions.

00:51:30 Melissa: Because I believe that the stronger our bonds are with people outside of our current circles, the stronger, the better off our kids will be when they have a business idea they wanna execute, when they feel alone in a country and they've studied abroad and you know someone in Oslo, when they you know, want to see someone else's perspective, someone else who has been there. So I don't see building profitable relationships and networking and what I teach over the course of the nine weeks as a purely transactional business skill. I see it as a legacy building resource that will give and give and give and give.

00:52:11 Melissa: Over the course of nine weeks, what will happen is every single week, we would go through a topic that is important in terms of coming up with a better story to tell, finding the right people to connect with, finding where they are and knowing what to say when you're in front of them.

00:52:26 Melissa: Also, we cover the art of asking better questions so that this way you are completely in a place of an optimized conversation that gets the ball rolling in terms of your business growth or whatever your objective might be. Also, I've included the opportunity to really work on imposter syndrome. Here's why I think that's important and why it's different than anything I've seen in the past. Imposter syndrome, I even did a LinkedIn poll. I asked, "does it ever go away?" I got a 100% no. Impostor syndrome does not go away according to everyone polled on LinkedIn. And that is the reason why as a mom, what I have noticed is you could be the baddest person in the boardroom. The moment you become a mom, I don't know what comes over us, but all our insecurities just kind of like emerged to the top of our brain.

00:53:19 Melissa: And what happens is that they're very hard to get rid of when you're in business. Like, let's say you just, just, just, you know, had a really tough conversation with your child and now you're walking into an investment conversation. It's no wonder you're gonna feel a little bit like a fraud, a little bit uncomfortable and awkward and insecure if you just had that moment with your teen or tween. And that is why in my group coaching program, so this way you get confident enough to have conversations with high profile prospective clients or collaborators or partners or even podcast guests, I've ensured that you have a resource, a method to actually navigate imposter syndrome for what it is in the moment and in your reality as a mom.

00:54:07 Melissa: Because that has been something that has made us very stoppable during situations when we have had to be unstoppable in order to get real business growth in a short period of time. In this group coaching program, I also have here bonuses. So I've collaborated with other mom founders who have been in business for quite some time. And I've had them create exclusive bonuses just for us, those participants in that nine week group coaching program, where you will have an opportunity to literally learn how to be more bold in terms of your communication skills and be more bold in terms of the things that you ask help with and for.

00:54:46 Melissa: You will also, as way of you know, ensuring that you are successful during this program, you will also have an opportunity to know how to get things off your plate because here's the reality of the matter. When it comes to everything that you have lodged in your mind for things that you have to do, chances are you don't have to actually do them all. That's just like a fun secret there. And so I wanted to bring in an expert who's gonna help you take things off your plate so you can add this group coaching program to the plate or frankly, anything you desire to do with that extra time.

00:55:20 Melissa: And I've also brought in a hilarious, and I know LinkedIn and hilarious doesn't necessarily get spoken of in the same sentence, but I've brought in a hilarious LinkedIn presence expert who's a mom as well, and who shared what's necessary when it comes to having a positive first impression by way of your LinkedIn presence. Because a lot of the work that we would do in the group coaching program will, will include reaching out to people to connect with them and turn them from contacts to connections for the long term to support your business. And so a lot of that will include some LinkedIn activity. So I wanna be sure that you're set up for success.

00:55:59 Melissa: So at this time, if this program, Fertile Imagination to Networking Success is something that you know you need because maybe you've been in business for a year, two or three or five or six or more, and you have come to this place where you need that push. Like at this point, it's like you need to get from whatever gear you're into another in order to meet your year end goals, then I encourage you right now to go to melissallarena.com/network You can absolutely ask me anything. I'm available via DM on Instagram. All of this is in the show notes. I am also available via email and that will be in the show notes. Do you know where show notes are? If you're looking at this, then you're gonna see it in the description of YouTube. But if you're listening to me, you're gonna see this on your device, your cell phone in the description area of iTunes or Spotify.

00:56:53 Melissa: So go ahead and reach out to me and ask me anything because there's a timeline. You will only be able to make a decision on participating in this group coaching program Fertile Imagination to Networking Success until September 27th at 5 P.M. Central Standard Time. That is it. That is when there is no more opportunity to enter this group coaching program where you will have the support that you need from like-minded mom founders because it's a group coaching program. Where you will have a new way of growing business, which is through the art of profitable relationship building using my method, which works for us moms who need to carve a path that we have never seen before.

00:57:35 Melissa: So, go ahead and go to melissallarena.com/network If this conversation really, really got you thinking about how you want to design your mom life in business, I wanna hear from you today. I really wanna hear from you today. So go ahead, reach out to me. Again, Instagram is a very easy way to do so, Melissa Llarena.

00:57:57 Melissa: And definitely I hope that this conversation inspires you to realize that you can make it work, you can make it work. If you heard it from Zibby, if you heard it from Liz, and now if you're hearing it from me, you can make it work. And I don't want you to feel like you don't have any support. I don't want you to feel like you don't have everything it takes in terms of credentials and resources. And I don't want you to feel like you have to, you know…reinvent the wheel because I have a method that I can teach you to use the imagination to impact income method and I have a way to actually take you from how you feel right now about your business building activities, maybe you're in a plateau to achieving a remarkable growth spurt by the end of this year and beyond and here's something that I don't tell anyone, you know these skills that I'm teaching you in this nine week group coaching experience.

00:58:58 Melissa: I've even taught them to my kids as well. And I know that if that's one thing that I can feel really, really comfort in, it's that, that they will know how to go from contact to connection with anyone in the world, and they will always have people around them who wanna be part of their success story. And on my end, I would be honored to be part of your success story.

00:59:26 Melissa: So go ahead, learn about the program, melissallarena.com/network and reach out to me should you have any questions. If you're listening to this on iTunes or Spotify, definitely just hit that follow button or be sure to hit that I want to hear episodes every Tuesday button. However, my read today, do that because that makes our relationship official, kind of like going from casual dating to like, oh no, now we're boyfriend and girlfriend, but like, you know, podcast format.

00:59:59 Melissa: If you're on YouTube and you're watching me and if you're looking at these earrings, these are like circle earrings. I wore these earrings when I interviewed Gary Vaynerchuk and he actually commented on them. Fun fact, that was episode 10. Then I encourage you to hit the subscribe button because once you subscribe to this channel, then every Tuesday you will get a brand new episode.Also, I encourage you to hit the bell. You're gonna see a bell there. And that bell is just gonna notify you when something is new.

01:00:27 Melissa: And I also want you to just know that by following me, by subscribing, like

you're encouraging me. You are giving me the confidence and the desire to put on makeup, right? This is YouTube. And you're also giving me the confidence and the desire to like...have all the guts I can to invite people like Liz and like Zibby on this podcast. And it takes guts and it takes energy, but I'm energized by your support. I am so energized by your support.

01:00:57 Melissa: So if you're interested in the group coaching experience, again, doors absolutely closed September 27th at 5 P.M. Central Standard Time. Just go to melissallarena.com/network and I hope you got a lot of out of this conversation. Thank you so much.

Hey there, amazing moms and dream chasers! This week, I opened up about my journey as a mom and entrepreneur, and I can't wait for you to dive in. We're chatting about why keeping your energy and momentum high is key, especially as we near the year's end. I'll share my go-to tips for handling the distractions and pressures that come with balancing mom life and business. Plus, get ready for some savvy strategies to craft a year-end networking plan that helps you build valuable connections without zapping your energy. From my quest to become a top Amazon bestseller to my dream interviews with big names like Gary Vaynerchuk and Suzy Batiz, I'm here to prove that you can totally chase your dreams while still rocking your mom role. Don't miss out on this fun and insightful episode!

Plus, discover Never-Before-Shared Secrets I've Used to Help Moms Like You Tailor Success to Your Business and Family! Join My FREE LIVE Masterclass on September 23, and also 24th exclusively for Mom Business Owners—Sign Up Today!" Master Your Year-End Networking: Build Profitable Relationships For Business Growth in 30 Days Without Burnout: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

In this episode, you will hear:

• How to keep your unique essence of both a mom and business leader while going after those big entrepreneurial goals.

• The real talk on the hurdles we face and how to tackle them.

• Why staying pumped and on track is a game-changer for hitting your goals.

• Tips for building awesome relationships without draining your energy and avoiding burnout.

• How to ditch those self-doubts and own your business superpowers.

• Why having a clear picture of your goals is crucial for both business and personal success.

• How to stay healthy and happy while juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship.

• The power of community and collaboration among moms in business.

We're halfway through September, and if the thought of the months ahead is draining your energy, stick with me—I'm going to show you how to stay energized and finish this year strong. Avoiding burnout is the name of the game and I have found a solid way that is rarely discussed. What if I told you that profitable networking is not just another task on your to-do list, but actually the most energy-efficient way to grow your business and finish the year strong?

Hey, everyone! Before we dive in, as promised all the details about my masterclass are here—in the show notes. If you're ready to take action now, just head over to www.melissallarena.com/masterclass to sign up. But first, a message from our sponsors i.e.

This episode is brought to you by: Master Your Year-End Networking: Build Profitable Relationships For Business Growth in 30 Days Without Burnout: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

A LIVE one-hour masterclass for visionary mom business owners: Close the year strong with the proven "Imagination to Impact to Income Method™" to manage time, energy, and stay focused through gatekeeper-free networking. 👉The key to rapid business growth spurts for mom business founders is a clear focus on building business networking relationships that pack a punch, allowing you to achieve maximum results in your limited time. Join me to craft your own focused year-end networking strategy that you'll actually execute. We'll unleash creative thinking for both your strategic approach and ways to keep your energy high, not drained! ​Now, let's talk about (Mom)entum—a word that starts with "mom" for a reason. We all need it to hit those big business breakthroughs. But let's be honest, this year feels a bit more challenging than the last. I've been running my coaching practice for 13 years now, and trust me, I've seen how unpredictable things can get, especially during a political season.

Between the craziness of creating endless content to feed the social media machines and the competition heating up as everyone scrambles to hit their year-end goals, it's easy to feel drained. And let's not forget all the other demands on our "mom" time from now until December. Seriously, who's in charge of everyone else's calendar? Finding the energy to keep going—and maintain that momentum—is tough, especially for us moms running a business. But here's the thing: managing your energy is key. It determines whether you achieve your goals or settle for less than what you secretly want.

Early in my business journey, I realized I didn't have to sacrifice my vision if I could find the most energy-efficient path to boost my credibility, expand my reach, and earn greater income. Instead of relying on ads or algorithms, I focused on building profitable relationships—a much more reliable path to income.

And that's when I developed my Imagination to Impact to Income Method™. It all starts in an unlikely place for moms—our imagination. It's the most untapped source of energy for adults, and our kids know it well. I've used it to achieve tangible goals like becoming a #1 bestseller, landing incredible podcast guests like GaryVee and Suzy Batiz, getting featured in major media like the Wall Street Journal, and hitting five-figure months—all while being a mom.

This is exactly why I want to invite you to my masterclass, "Master Your Year-End Networking: Build Profitable Relationships For Business Growth in 30 Days Without Burnout." I'll be giving you a step-by-step roadmap so you know you're doing the right things to get and keep the attention of even the busiest high-profile contacts. You'll stay moving forward, even if you've struggled with impostor syndrome. Plus, you'll discover an energy source you never imagined possible—one inspired by your mission and your kids! This is the same method that has worked wonders for me.

In this masterclass, you'll learn how to:

• Reimagine your company vision to energize you so you can exceed your 2024 goals and still have the energy to thoroughly enjoy the holidays.

• Find a clear relationship-building focus for your business, allowing you to harness your energy on things that have a longer-lasting impact than those 5-second posts that disappear into the void.

• Navigate impostor syndrome proactively and become unstoppable, sparing yourself the energy drain of feeling bad about what's actually a normal feeling.

So, pick a date and time that works for you, and you'll automatically be registered:

• September 23 at 12 pm CST

• September 23 at 7 pm CST

• September 24 at 10 am CST

Remember, all the information is in the show notes, and you can sign up right now at www.melissallarena.com/masterclass.

P.S. Show up LIVE to my free class and you will get a BONUS 30-Day Profitable Networking Action Plan and Tracker that connects your vision to daily actions! It's a smart, actionable, and mom-friendly planner to map out your 30-day networking activities to keep you focused on the right things. It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout.

EXTRA bonus for showing up LIVE is that you will be entered into a drawing to be a podcast guest on the Mom Founder Imagination Hub.

Can't wait to see you there!

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins).

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"So here's what I realized. I didn't want to dilute my dreams. I also never wanted to amputate myself and pretend I am not a mom. It is integral to my identity. I am both and more."

"But one thing I do know is that we need momentum to achieve business growth without feeling burnout and seldom do we feel that lift because we have so many things coming at us, grabbing and vying for our attention."

"And not just like responsibilities, we're talking about things that at our cellular level, we feel it. Like we know, when we're not paying attention to what matters."

SHARE this episode and boost to finish the year strong! Dive into the tips and strategies that will help you stay energized and rock your business goals. Head over to www.melissallarena.com/masterclass to sign up and get the step-by-step roadmap to building profitable relationships. Let's harness that (Mom)entum and make the rest of this year your best yet!

Supporting Resources:

Schedule a free call to see if Fertile Imagination to Networking Success my signature program is the right fit: https://www.melissallarena.com/sessions/

Podcast: Mom Founder Imagination Hub: https://www.melissallarena.com/podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MelissaLlarena/

Or, grab for free your copy of the "From Contact to Connection: The Mompreneur's Go-First Networking & Follow Up Playbook": https://witty-thinker-2643.ck.page/21e52edb87

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 Melissa: I didn't want to dilute my dreams. I also never wanted to amputate myself and pretend I am not a mom. It is integral to my identity. I am both and more. Don't get me started on my zodiac sign, which is a Gemini. And so for me, I didn't wanna change what I wanted to pursue. I wanted to be a number one Amazon bestseller. I wanted to have Gary Vaynerchuk on this podcast in episode 10. I wanted to interview Suzy Batiz, the inventor of Poo-Pourri. And so for me, I had to figure out another way because I wasn't gonna let go of my mom obligations.

00:00:43 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're gonna get to that next level in business, find the energy to keep going, and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover how Mom Founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood. Ever wonder how they do it? Tune in to find out and stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs who might not be moms, but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm gonna give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.

00:01:36 Melissa: We are halfway through September. Like where does the time go? I mean, for me, this is the moment in the year where I start to really reevaluate how I want to achieve my year end goals. And maybe that's the same for you. And we're gonna talk about the number one way that I've been able to really figure out how to get some energy, maintain my energy through the end of the year and knock out my business goals. Alrighty, so before I say anything, I just wanna be really upfront. If you're watching me on YouTube, you're gonna see, I might be referring to some notes because today's episode is ultra important.

00:02:21 Melissa: And yeah, I might look a little bit like a newscaster, but bear with me because I promise you that this conversation can change your life, your destiny, and the way that you get to the end of this year. Alrighty, so here we go. I wanted to just also say that in the show notes, I'm going to be mentioning the same URL that if you're watching on YouTube, you're going to see right underneath me, MelissaLlarena.com forward slash masterclass. So you'll be able to absolutely sign up for what I'm about to share with you right in the show notes, wherever you're listening or watching this episode.

00:02:59 Melissa: Alright, so now let's get to something that I realized just, I would say, two years ago. This word, momentum, have you noticed, if you look at the word, it starts with mom. And oftentimes, as a mom, it is really hard to gather the energy and maintain the energy to get to the end of the year. And there's a lot of reasons why, but one thing I do know is that we need momentum and seldom do we feel that lift because we have so many things coming at us, grabbing and vying for our attention, especially now through December. And so I also started thinking, okay, what's different about this particular year?

00:03:49 Melissa: Here we go. This is a political year. It's the year where if you wanted to pour all your effort to ad spend, you're going to be paying more for ads because we have a lot of campaigning going on. This is also a time when we can get lost in trying to figure out, once again, how to really take advantage of the algorithms on social media. And I'm not even going to get into the fact that now Google might be changing the way that you can get that SEO juice on our business. Don't even get me started because that's another change that I've heard and I'm just not here for it. This is not my Melissa has to figure out something new era And if you feel the same way Definitely pay close attention to what I'm about to say.

00:04:40 Melissa: So, you know, I've been in business for 13 years and I have noticed a lot of people who started when I did let's say 2013 or 2011 now and they might look very far ahead of me like any given year, if you were to look at like Louis Howes, or if you looked at, you know, Rami Sethi, or anyone who's killing it online, and I just mentioned men, but there are women too, moms specifically, like they just seem to be like nailing it hard every single year. And as a mom, and maybe you can relate, it's really hard to keep up that pace if you are also in the middle of growing your family.

00:05:24 Melissa: Maybe you have other ambitions and you relocated to another country. Maybe for you, you have a child that has different abilities and you have to go to a lot of medical appointments. Like we got a lot of stuff coming out at us that make us different than other people who might not have the same sense of responsibilities. And not just like responsibilities, we're talking about things that at our cellular level, we feel it. Like we know, when we're not paying attention to what matters. And so that's why I wanted to just share with you something that I realized over the last 13 years, having had my coaching practice and being a mom to three little boys, identical twins in that mix.

00:06:08 Melissa: So here's what I realized. I didn't want to dilute my dreams. I also never wanted to amputate myself and pretend I am not a mom. It is integral to my identity. I am both and more. Don't get me started on my zodiac sign, which is a Gemini. And so for me, I didn't wanna change what I wanted to pursue. I wanted to be a number one Amazon bestseller. I wanted to have Gary Vaynerchuk on this podcast in episode 10. I wanted to interview Suzy Batiz, the inventor of Poo-Pourri. And so for me, I had to figure out another way because I wasn't gonna let go of my mom obligations. And that's exactly why I came up with a method after a lot of trial and error and walking my clients through the same concept that is called the imagination to impact to income method. Here's the thing.

00:07:12 Melissa: What I realized was integral to actually getting to where I wanted to get to at any point of the year, in any season of motherhood, was this idea that I needed to use my imagination. And if you read my book, I refer to it as a fertile imagination, which is the ability to envision something you may have never seen a mom do before, certainly not in your circles, which is why I've had to go outside of my circles. Because I can't say I was raised in a community of mom podcasters or mom authors.

00:07:45 Melissa: So for me, this is completely new territory and I didn't want to bump and save myself along the way. And what I realized also in that method, it is something that other moms can go through and repeat and tailor for themselves.

00:08:03 Melissa: And the place where I have put this method to the best use, when it comes to my business growth goals and my ability to be a present mom, has been in what I call 'profitable networking.' You know how everyone else is chasing after, as I mentioned the algorithm, or join those ads, or trying to figure out, like, what's hot and heavy in terms of content marketing these days? Well, I have been on my end, building relationships with some of the most beautiful and most powerful individuals in the world.

00:8:38 Melissa: I mean, you could just check out my guest list on this very podcast. And I've used my method in order to secure those relationships in a genuine and authentic and long-lasting way where there's value on both ends, where I bring my whole self to the table. I don't pretend I'm not a mom. I am both, and I am myself. And I might even crack some jokes to build that rapport with individuals. So here's where I'm going with this. This method is something that I want to share with you. I wanna tell you all about it. And today, right now, this moment is a big one. Are you ready for it? All right, get listening'.

00:9:26 Melissa: I wanna invite you to my masterclass. This is the name of the masterclass, 'How to Craft a Focus Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days.' And here's the thing, you can do that and be drained at the end of the year. But no, in this masterclass, here's the big difference. I'm gonna teach you how to do this without, without draining your finite mom energy.

00:09:56 Melissa: What if you get to the end point of this year feeling exhilarated and enthusiastic? Because enthusiasm, you need that if you're having these amazing conversations with prospective investors, clients, partners, podcast guests, you name it, right? So that is gonna be core to what I'm going to teach you during this live and free master class for mom founders.

00:10:20 Melissa: So here's the thing, here's what's gonna happen during the actual live masterclass. And attending live is going to have its rewards, listen for them. But here's what we're gonna do. So I'm gonna give you a step-by-step roadmap. So this way you know that you're doing the right things, right? And also, so this way you know what it takes to get the attention of even the busiest, high profile contacts. Because a lot of the times you're one relationship away from true business growth.

00:10:52 Melissa: And I mean, for me, it's happened on several occasions. One business relationship away from being a best seller, one business relationship away from moving to Australia where we expatted as a family, you name it, you could be one conversation away from changing your life. And I wanna help you understand how to position yourself during this live masterclass on September 23rd.

00:11:18 Melissa: Check out the link in the show notes. Check out the link under my face, if you're looking on YouTube. Sign up right now. Okay, so here's what else we are going to do. You're gonna understand how to do the impossible, even if you feel like a fraud. You know, imposter syndrome, I did a poll on LinkedIn the other day and I asked, does it ever go away? It was unanimous. Everyone said, "No, it does not go away." So why are we trying to suppress that feeling? I'm gonna teach you a method that has worked for me that's part of my own overarching method, imagination to impact income method that helps me do things even if I feel nervous or awkward or weird, or just like I'm not made for that just yet, right? I don't have all the credentials.

00:12:10 Melissa: So you're gonna learn that also in the masterclass, and 'focus'. That is the third idea. That is a third really big idea that as a mom, we need to figure out. Because if we are not in control of where we place our attention, where we place our focus, then everyone else is going to grab your attention and distract you. So that is important if you really want to make strides in terms of your goals at the end of this year and beyond, okay? While not draining your mom energy. That is the biggest, biggest difference. While not draining your mom energy because there's no use in accomplishing so much and then ending up in a hospital or ill or drained and unable to care for your family. That is not worth it.

00:12:58 Melissa: So join the masterclass. It is free. Sign up in the link below. And this is part of what we will do. So this method that I speak of, right? We could call it the 'I.I.I. method,' right? It has worked for me and I have seen it in practice work for moms with very different life experiences. So in this masterclass, I have full confidence that you're gonna be able to take away insights that are going to be actionable and you can tailor for your family, for your business immediately.

00:13:28 Melissa: So here we go. What is it you're going to learn with a little bit more specificity? So you are going to go through an exercise that other business leaders go through. I'm going to help you reimagine your company vision so that you're energized when you read the mission, think of the mission. And let me tell you right now, it is not the mission that you might have on your company website, nor is it a manifesto of any kind. It is a personal mission. I did the exercise myself. I was crying after I wrote my version of the same method, the same exact framework and exercise you will do live in the masterclass.

00:14:07 Melissa: Here's the second thing. During the masterclass, you're also gonna learn how to be focused on the right relationships to build. You only have 30 days, right? Let's imagine you want to really sprint and you wanna end up at the end of the year with more revenue. This is what you need to be maniacally focused on. Who do you need on your side to help you, to give you access, to really amplify your message? That's what we're going to talk about. How to find that focus.

00:14:40 Melissa: So this way, again, you're getting to your goal or exceeding them without draining your mom energy. This is really big. Third idea, again, Impostor Syndrome. That is something that is so difficult to erase and that is a use of energy. So why not work with our natural ways of being and how we feel? Why not use as an example, if you're an introvert, why not use that to your benefit?

00:15:07 Melissa: There are ways, happy to answer them in the live Q&A during the masterclass. So this idea, Impostor Syndrome, that's the third concept that we're gonna go through during the masterclass. So I'm gonna make it super easy for you. I wanna be sure that I am present and available for you on two days. So you're gonna have some options. Go to melissallarena.com/masterclass. You're going to see some options for every single one for us to participate, be together in a virtual room, live, okay?

00:15:42 Melissa: So I will be live. I will be running this master class on September 23rd, two time slots and also September 24th, two time slots. Please go to melissallarena.com/masterclass.

00:15:56 Melissa: And here's what is also important. When you sign up, I'm gonna give you a gift. We're gonna talk about gift giving. It's going to be holiday season right now in September. So sign up melissallarena.com/masterclass You're going to get a downloadable workbook. This workbook is going to help you instantly. If you actually open it up and do the same exercise that I referenced early that made me cry and gave me energy to keep going.

00:16:17 Melissa: You're gonna be able to do it immediately once you sign up because you're gonna get the workbook. So you're gonna get the workbook, whether you could attend live or not. You're gonna get it immediately when you sign up and you can get started in that exercise. I made it very self-explanatory. However, however, there are so many other steps to my process. There are so many other things that we're going to talk about during the live masterclass, and there is no, no swap for attending a master class live because you get to ask your questions.

00:17:00 Melissa: Okay, here's something else. I want to make this so no-brainer for you. Not only, immediately when you sign up do you get this workbook where you'll be able to do your own exercise on your company vision, which is one of the core things that can energize you to get you going and keep you going. But then on top of that, as a bonus for showing up live and you're welcome to invite a friend, a mom founder as well, so they can participate too. But for being there live, you are also going to get a 30-day profitable networking action plan and tracker. And we're going to be able, or you will be able, to connect your vision to daily tangible actions, which is so amazing, because sometimes we get really lost in the weeds if we're just doing, doing, doing, doing, doing, doing, doing, but we don't have a reminder of why every single day.

00:18:00 Melissa: And in this 30-day planner that you get for showing up live to the master class on the date that you sign up for, you are going to be able to have a very easy, easy, easy visual so that you can track exactly what you're doing and how you can continue to improve over the course of 30 days as you build those profitable...relationships. It is sensational. I cannot wait to get it in your hands and you just have to show up live to the masterclass in order to get it.

00:18:30 Melissa: On top of that, I told you it's like holiday season for moms in September, right? On top of that, for showing up live to this masterclass, you will also be put in a drawing to be a guest on this very podcast. This is huge because here's what happens if you are on the same platform as someone who is famous for example as many people who have been on this podcast are for example Zibby Owens, you have Gary Vaynerchuk, James Altucher, Suzy Batiz, Beth Comstock, if you're on the same platform as these individuals imagine what that's gonna do for you. It's almost kind of like osmosis in the sense that people are going to presume that you're more credible than maybe you, yourself had originally thought you were. People are going to assume your prices must be higher then, you know, someone who is not associated in any way with one of these famous individuals.

00:19:31 Melissa: So please, please do your very best. I know you're a mom. I know you're busy. I know things change last minute. Speaking of every single mom who's listening to this, and I know this myself as a mom with three children, this is a really huge opportunity. This is a once in a lifetime. You do not wanna miss out on this master class. It is on September 23rd. You will see other dates there in the actual URL, melissallarena.com/masterclass And the focus is about, you know, having you get to the end of the year, feeling like you put it all on the table and you got it done and you did not have to drag yourself to the finish line. It's all about getting to the finish line and being able to like grab your award or your medal with energy and enthusiasm and being able to have fun and enjoy it and be in bliss with your family.

00:20:24 Melissa: I think that is what for me is a new definition of success. It's not just, you know, a goal quote unquote, like, okay, you know, like get this many, you know, this much in revenue or this many downloads. It's not that, it's not juicy enough. It doesn't have the pull that I need as a mom who's busy and has a lot of things going on. And I'm sure it's the same for you. And that's why I want you to attend this masterclass. So before we end, I wanna just read again the name of the masterclass. I actually put out a vote to mom founders. And this was the title that you guys came up with because this is what is going to help you get to the end of this year's finish line.

00:21:04 Melissa: The masterclass again is called How to Craft a Focus Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days without Draining Your Mom Energy. Go to the link,melissallarena.com/masterclass Sign up immediately, invite a friend, it is free. It will be live and there are perks for attending live. You, yourself might be next on this podcast.

00:21:31 Melissa: You're gonna be entered into a drawing for attending live. You're gonna get the 30 day planner and tracker for attending live. You're also gonna get to ask me anything related to profitable networking or being a present mom, anything that's on your mind. That's gonna be the key to your success so that the end of the year, you feel sensational because you deserve it. You work freaking hard and I want you to get the results and I want you to feel like you've got everything back and more in terms of all the effort you're putting out for everyone else. It's your turn.

00:22:03 Melissa: Alrighty, so I even wrote this down because I was like, you know what, I cannot forget to say this. So if you enjoyed today's episode, they drop every single Tuesday. If you're watching this on YouTube, be sure to hit that bell to subscribe so that you have instant access to these conversations from mom founders who need to use their imagination to get to where they're going. Also, if you're listening to this on audio, let's make it official. Let's just change our relationship status from listening to like officially following. So click follow if you're on iTunes or Spotify, please go ahead and do that wonderful deed.

00:22:47 Melissa: And here's the thing, thank you. Okay, from the bottom of my heart, from the essence of who I am, I wanna thank you for listening. I wanna thank you for being here. I wanna thank you for opening up your business. You're doing a service to the world. And I know it's gonna be a better place because of it.

00:23:05 Melissa: And I also wanna say thank you because the listeners, you guys, you guys are giving me the energy and enthusiasm I need to like put my makeup on for YouTube to have the guts to invite these podcast guests on this podcast for anyone on audio, and just, you know, to get to another place in my mind to change my gear to on and fully out there. And it takes a lot and you're giving me a lot. So I appreciate you and I wanna see you. I wanna meet every single one of you and invite your friends. Again, attending live has its perks. Go to melissallarena.com/masterclass Thank you and until next Tuesday.

Do you ever find yourself spinning a million plates while trying to rock both motherhood and business? 🎡 You're not alone, mama!

This week, I'm diving into a super insightful chat with Stephanie Cartin, co-founder of Socialfly and Entreprenista. We're talking all about the magic mix of motherhood and entrepreneurship. Stephanie's got some killer tips on how to stay laser-focused, juggle all the pieces (without turning into confetti), and still have time to chase your little ones around the house.

Plus, she's sharing how her daughter, Molly, sparks her creativity in ways that only a mom could understand. If you've ever felt like you're doing all the things and need a little extra oomph to keep going, this episode is for you!

In this episode, you will hear:

• Prioritizing tasks that align with business goals to avoid distractions and stay focused.

• How maintaining focus on core business activities is essential for growth and success.

• Community and networking's role in business success, especially for women entrepreneurs.

• Asking for support and leveraging community resources to grow your business.

• Strategies for creating a productive work environment at home.

• Finding the right mentor who aligns with your goals and trusting your instincts

This episode is brought to you by my Free LIVE Masterclass on 9/23, 9/24 for business owners who are moms. The title is: Master Your Year-End Networking: Build Profitable Relationships For Business Growth in 30 Days Without Burnout

A LIVE one-hour masterclass for visionary mom business owners: Close the year strong with the proven "Imagination to Impact to Income Method™" to manage time, energy, and stay focused through gatekeeper-free networking.

👉The key to rapid business growth spurts for mom business founders is a clear focus on building business networking relationships that pack a punch, allowing you to achieve maximum results in your limited time. Join me to craft your own focused year-end networking strategy that you'll actually execute. We'll unleash creative thinking for both your strategic approach and ways to keep your energy high, not drained!

A message from our sponsor….

Drowning in unfinished projects and distractions? Let's simplify your focus and show you a better way to achieve your business goals!

But first, let's talk about computer tabs. How many do you have open? I have 20—some for my three sons and a ChatGPT tab I keep open. Then there are the open loops and micro-decisions popping up as a mom and business owner. Some projects are 10% done, others 90%. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture, especially since the moment of bravery when you first started your business might feel distant.

That's why it's crucial to focus on one profitable networking goal based on your mom season. If you want a Big Mac-sized impact quickly, this is the best value meal for moms.

I'm hosting a LIVE 60-minute masterclass: Master Your Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Burnout. Sign-up today: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

I'm dedicating my energy and resources to this masterclass in my mom-to-tweens life.

This strategy works every time and is central to my Imagination to Impact to Income Method™. By focusing on one networking goal, you cut the fat from your daily activities and clear your mental cache. This helps you be fully present for both your kids and your business.

Want to know where to focus on building profitable relationships during your mom season? I'll show you how to identify the most critical relationships for a 30-day sprint and achieve your year-end goals. Learn how my method differs from old-fashioned networking and hear the tangible results my clients have achieved.

In this masterclass, I'll guide you through:

· Reimagining your company vision to reignite your passion, helping you surpass your 2024 goals and savor the holidays with the energy you deserve.

· Discovering a clear focus for relationship-building in your business, so you can channel your energy into strategies with lasting impact, beyond fleeting social media posts.

· Proactively addressing impostor syndrome, empowering you to overcome self-doubt and conserve your energy for what truly matters.

Click here to grab your spot.

Let's get you focused,

Melissa

P.S. Show up LIVE to my free class and you will get a BONUS 30-Day Profitable Networking Action Plan and Tracker that connects your vision to daily actions! It's a smart, actionable, and mom-friendly planner to map out your 30-day networking activities to keep you focused on the right things. It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout.

EXTRA bonus for showing up LIVE is that you will be entered into a drawing to be a podcast guest on the Mom Founder Imagination Hub.

About Stephanie Cartin Stephanie Cartin is a serial entrepreneur, investor, podcast host, community builder, and a champion for women founders. She created The Entreprenista League, a community for women founders, to provide resources and support necessary at all business stages. She's also the Co-founder of Socialfly, one of the first social media marketing agencies, as well as Entreprenista Media and Pearl Influential Capital which was recently acquired by Cherub. Stephanie has shared her journey managing her health challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, Infertility, and a complicated pregnancy and is an advocate for women going through similar challenges. Her story and businesses have been featured on the Today Show, Bloomberg and Forbes. Consider Stephanie your biggest business cheerleader.

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"Entrepreneurs still really came to be because so many women started reaching out to us with needing help, you know, growing their business and wanting to hear how we were able to grow Socialfly." - Stephanie Cartin

"If you don't ask, you don't get." - Stephanie Cartin

"When you try to do every single thing at once, doesn't always work out." - Stephanie Cartin

"You need your tribe. You need that community in business to really be able to move forward." - Stephanie Cartin

"And things that don't align with those specific goals are probably the things not to focus on until you get your business into a place that can actually run and make money. So for us, it was very important that we focused on revenue generating activities that were going to be able to drive actual business results." - Stephanie Cartin

SHARE this episode with the mompreneurs in your life who are juggling motherhood and business and discover how to focus your energy, build profitable relationships, and find support within a thriving community!

Supporting Resources:

Website: https://entreprenista.com

Instagram: @stephjillcartin @entreprenistas

Twitter: @stephjillcartin @2entreprenistas

Facebook: Facebook.com/entreprenistas

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 Stephanie: Entreprenista really came to be because so many women started reaching out to us with needing help, you know, growing their business and wanting to hear how we were able to grow Socialfly. And we realized it just became impossible to go out to coffee all day with everyone and run a business. So we started thinking, you know, how can we help as many women founders as possible, but actually do it at scale?

00:00:22 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're going to get to that next level in business. Find the energy to keep going and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover how Mom Founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood. Ever wonder how they do it? Tune in to find out. And stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs who might not be moms but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm going to give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.

00:01:15 Melissa: How do you know what to focus on? How do you know that what you're doing are the right things in terms of revenue generating activities for your business? So in today's conversation with Stephanie Cartin of the Entreprenista League, I wanted to share with you some of the insights that Stephanie has garnered over the last 13 years or so, just the same amount of time I've been in business as far as really understanding what to focus on, when to focus on it, and how to even come up with your own focus plan. And I think this is so, so important, especially if you're a mom in business and you have several things that you have to focus on because you're a mom and you care so much about your kids and you care so much about your business. So enjoy the conversation and definitely let me know what you think and let me know what you think about Stephanie's focus plan very specifically once she became a mom.

00:02:11 Melissa: I also wanted to just share this. So this episode is brought to you by a master class that I am doing on September 23rd. You can absolutely sign up. The link is in the show notes. The link is in the description. Go to melissallarena.com/masterclass. During that class, what we're gonna go through are three things. Your company vision. What if it could energize you so that this way you could effectively achieve your year-end goals. The second point is going to be focus which is the topic that we talked about today with Stephanie and the third idea is imposter syndrome. Oftentimes when we become moms we might feel a little bit extra insecure, unsure of ourselves and it's something that I don't want to stop you as you pursue your business growth goals.

00:02:59 Melissa: And here's the big picker what we're going to be contextualizing the conversation around is building profitable relationships. So building relationships with people who can help you go further, faster, and with fewer mistakes. So go ahead to https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass. I am excited to bring this conversation over to you. Just to make sure you have the official name, it's how to craft a focused year end networking strategy to build profitable relationships in 30 days. And here is the kicker, without draining your mom energy. And that is the biggest reason to attend because we can drag ourselves to the end of anywhere.

00:03:45 Melissa: But what if you could feel energized, you could feel on purpose, intentional, and like you are streamlined towards your efforts of business success? That is what we're going to talk about during this free masterclass. Just go to the link, sign up. The moment you sign up, you're going to get something because the gifts will keep on giving at this point. You're going to get a workbook that you can use during the live session. The live session, there will be benefits for attending live. The first benefit is that you're also going to get a 30 day action plan and tracker that is built with your energy in mind so that what we discussed live during the masterclass, you can implement and activate in 30 days and you can begin to build profitable relationships immediately. Here's the thing, sometimes we attend these masterclasses and we're like, okay, so how am I going to implement this?

00:04:43 Melissa: Well, if you attend live this masterclass on September 23rd, the link will be below https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass Attending live, you will get the fundamentals, you will get the foundation of how to build profitable relationships in a way that is energizing so that you can achieve your year-end goals. And then for showing up live, you're going to get an actual planner. And this planner is going to be with you, a mom in mind. And it's going to help you build out the profitable relationships you need to grow your business this year so that this way you have achieved your goal.

00:05:16 Melissa: I am so excited. On top of that for showing live, here's what I want to do just for attendees. I will enter you into a drawing. And in this drawing, I will pick one winner and that winner will be featured on this very podcast, the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Imagine that being featured alongside someone like today's guest, Stephanie, someone like Liz Tennedy of Motherly, someone like Zibi Owens of the Zibi Media. I mean, it is sensational the amount of visibility that you can have for attending live and winning that drawing. So one, podcast guest spot, two, someone that attends live on September 23rd. You will also notice I am also doing it on September 24th.

00:06:06 Melissa: So you get to pick the dropdown on the website and select the best time for you and you will want to show up live. So showing up live brings its benefits. Number one, the 30-day planner, so that you can really, down to the tactic and daily amount of effort, figure out what needs to happen to build profitable relationships, and also do it in a way that is not draining to prevent burnout. And again, for attending live, this masterclass on September 23rd, you will also be entered into a drawing to be a podcast guest.

00:06:37 Melissa: So the name of the masterclass, just so that you have it, how to craft a focused year-end networking strategy to build profitable relationships in 30 days without draining your mom energy. We need energy, we need enthusiasm in order to accomplish what we want. That is what makes it worthwhile. That is why when our kids see us, we want them to see us high on life and excited about what we are pursuing because that is a model to them. They, we will want to see them high on life and excited about what they are pursuing. So join me on September 23rd.

00:07:11 Melissa: You pick the time and go ahead and get ready to understand everything it takes in order to build profitable relationships in 30 days without draining your mom energy during this free live master class. I am so excited about it. I wanna tell everyone and scream it from the mountain tops, which is why I wanted to share that with you before we get into the conversation with Stephanie.

00:07:37 Melissa: Again, all of this is in the show notes. Just go to the link, https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass above and beyond that. The conversation with Stephanie is really exciting if you have a business right now and you feel unsupported. So I really encourage you to take Stephanie's guidance and wisdom to heart and apply it in your mom in business life. Enjoy the conversation, all of her bio, her official bio will be in the show notes. Check it out again.

00:08:05 Melissa: She is the co-founder of several organizations, Socialfly, she's also the co-founder of the Entreprenista League. And I want to leave you right there with Stephanie. Enjoy the conversation.

00:08:20 Melissa: Stephanie Cartin, I am so excited to have you on the podcast. How are you doing? How's Florida feeling? Tell me everything.

00:08:29 Stephanie: Oh my goodness, well, I love living in Florida. There is palm trees, sunshine, no state income tax. What else can you ask for?

00:08:37 Melissa: Yeah, I think, you know, the ocean, right? So I'm in Texas and I think we have palm trees, no income tax and sunshine, but we don't have an ocean.

00:08:47 Stephanie: Yes.

00:08:48 Melissa: I'm an ocean baby. Oh my goodness.

00:08:50 Stephanie: Well, come on, move on down. I'm an unofficial state recruiter for Florida, I feel like.

00:08:57 Melissa: I love it, I love it. Yeah, easy to recruit, let me tell you that. But Stephanie, I'm so excited to have you here because I feel like the last time that I bumped into you was Podcast Movement or PodFest.

00:09:09 Stephanie: PodFest in Orlando, yeah.

00:09:11 Melissa: In Orlando and you were up on a stage on a panel sharing your wisdom around, you know, growing a business. And you know, I think you also got a chance to share a bit about being a mom and Molly and all that. But in this conversation, we're going to get so mom, it's gonna be unbelievably mommy. But also mommy and money, right? So there's two sides of that. So here's where I want to kind of gauge your perspective though. How have you changed as a business leader now that you are a mom? Because that can be very personal.

00:09:49 Stephanie: Yes, well, I would say I'm just even more efficient and cognizant with how I spend my time because every single second counts. And for me, the way I'm able to, you know, optimize and execute everything that I'm able to do is by really relying on that Google calendar that I have. So I calendar every single thing that I have to do, whether it's a meeting, a podcast recording, driving my daughter or picking her up from school or camp or activities, every single thing has to go on the calendar and that's how I'm able to optimize and stay organized and get everything done.

00:10:29 Melissa: Yeah, yeah, I get it, I get it. And so I'm so curious. So, okay, so here you have you know, multiple businesses, right? You're like a serial entrepreneur, angel investor. I believe you've also been, or experienced an acquisition as well. So many roles, so many hats. I'm wondering which, like how do you, not just make it work as a mom and a business owner, but do you just make sense of all these pieces? Because there's so many pieces. And what I have found is once you move forward in any direction, then more pieces come up and they're like, oh, another this. So how do you… how do you in your mind, like, not, I don't know, blow up like confetti or something?

00:11:16 Stephanie: Some days I feel like that. Absolutely. So really it's not doing every single thing at once. So I'll share a little backstory of how Courtney and I actually started our first business and how we went on to start other businesses. So we started Socialfly, which is a full service social media marketing and influencer agency initially back in 2011 on the side of our full-time jobs. So we were both working in the corporate world in New York City. We partnered together and started taking clients on the side, really working nights and weekends for about 10 months before we said to each other, all right, this is gonna be an actual business, we have to go all in and do it, or we just can't keep doing this. It just became too much to be working full time and trying to start this business.

00:11:59 Stephanie: You know, we had no time. We weren't parents at the time. I mean, I wasn't a parent at the time, but we just had no time to like eat or breathe because we were trying to do two things full time. So we decided to take that leap. It was May 4th, 2012 and we quit our corporate jobs and never looked back and were able to actually focus on building and growing Socialfly. And I share that word focus because it's something that has been really challenging for us over the years, but also very important because I know a lot of entrepreneurs can relate to this.

00:12:36 Stephanie: It's like when you have entrepreneurship like in your DNA, you're always thinking of new ideas, how to make things better, how to build things. So like if you're focusing on building something and you have this other idea, it's like, oh, I wanna try that, I wanna start that. But when you get distracted from the core thing that you're initially building, it can become a distraction. So trying to figure out when does it make sense to like go after this next thing and when does it make sense to stay focused? So this is something that I battled this, I battled this a bit more than Courtney because I was like always like, thinking of these things that I wanted to start. And I'd be like, Courtney, let's do this. She's like, Stephanie, stay focused. So also great to have a business partner.

00:13:17 Stephanie: I'll go back, we start growing and scaling Socialfly. And, you know, Entreprenista still really came to be because so many women started reaching out to us with needing help, you know, growing their business and wanting to hear how we were able to grow Socialfly. And we realized it just became impossible to go out to coffee all day with everyone and run a business. So we started thinking, you know, how can we help as many women founders as possible, but actually do it at scale? So that was our initial idea to start our podcast, Entreprenista, to share all of these incredible stories of women like yourself that are building businesses and have so much insight and advice to share.

00:13:55 Stephanie: So, Entreprenista started as our podcast, really on the side of running our agency business. And from there, it wasn't until 2020 when everything happened with the pandemic. And so many of our listeners and followers were reaching out to us needing more help and feedback and advice and support because of the pandemic that we realized at that time, we really needed to build Entreprenista into what we've now done over the past four years, which was built into our media company and a membership community for women founders and leaders.

00:14:24 Stephanie: But, Courtney and I were years in business at that point where we had already built out our management team at Socialfly. We had the support, we had the resources. So I was essentially able to step away from running the day-to-day operations of Socialfly with Courtney. She was able to continue running that business and I was able to then focus on Entreprenista.

00:14:44 Stephanie: So with all of the other ventures and businesses and projects that we've started, we've always tried to do things at a time when it just made sense based on where the core business was at that time and based on specific priorities. But when you try to do every single thing at once, doesn't always work out.

00:15:05 Melissa: Oh yeah, I think I've been there a thousand times actually. This is so interesting. So the word 'focus', the word 'distraction', I almost feel like those two things are like kryptonite for a mom with a business. And also the word 'core'. Because here is the reality at least from me, and probably you might think this way too. It's kind of like, "What's my core?" Like for real, for real. And for me, core is being a mom to my three little boys. And I choose to really be super present when I'm with them. But at the same time, there's a lot of lack of focus, a lot of distraction, when it comes to working on my business, if I'm with my kids. I'm just wondering, have you had to reimagine that word 'focus' for yourself now that you're a mom with a business?

00:15:57 Stephanie: Absolutely. And being able to prioritize the times that I'm focused and present and there with Molly and then the times that I'm focused and present on my work. Everything I feel was very blurred during the pandemic, of course, because at that time, my daughter was nine months old at the time when the pandemic first started. And now I had been going into my office for a few months in New York City at that time. As I mentioned, I'm down in Florida now, so things look a lot different.

00:16:26 Stephanie: But I was going into my office and my husband was staying home with my daughter at the time. So I was able to go in and focus on work during the day and then come home and be present with Molly. But then when the pandemic happened, now here I am working from home at the time in New York City in a small apartment with a little baby. And it's like, it's very hard to figure out how do I focus on my work where there's this little baby that's right here that needs me too even though my husband was staying home with her. It was very hard. It was very challenging and really just trying to figure out how do I make a plan and figure out how to make this work and somehow I did.

00:17:04 Melissa: Yeah. And I'm so curious just because I feel like I'm cheating off a test but what did your plan look like? How did you start thinking about that? Because I think listeners would love a perspective of how to get started in their focus attack plan.

00:17:19 Stephanie: Yeah, so I'm going to fast forward a bit. We left New York City. We ended up actually going down to Tennessee to stay with family for a bit before we moved down to Florida. And once we were down here in Florida, we were living in a house. So I had space here. So I was able to actually have a room for an office and have separate space from Molly. So during the day, I was actually able to come into a physical office. And even though I was working from home, be focused working in my office, the door was closed and my husband would be there with Molly during the day. And I would have, especially when she was younger, and I nursed for many, many years, so I would take times to go out and nurse her or Greg would bring her into my office. But that's what really worked for me. It was being able to have that separate space in our house that made it a lot easier.

00:18:10 Melissa: Yeah, I think that's something that, it just depends, right? If you're in an urban environment, maybe you don't have that available. But if you're in like a little bit more of a space situation, then it's possible. So okay, you had a plan. And I think that is something that a lot of moms, it's almost like we're flying by the seat of our pants as moms and in business, right? And so I'm just kind of wondering like for you, as far as building out your practice, focusing on the right things at the right time, how do you even decide what to focus on? What comes first and what comes never or what comes next?

00:18:44 Stephanie: Well, in business, when you're running a business, your goal is to build a profitable, scalable business. So being able to focus on the things that you need to do in business to achieve that is absolute priority. And things that don't align with those specific goals are probably the things not to focus on until you get your business into a place that can actually run and make money. So for us, it was very important that we focused on revenue generating activities that were going to be able to drive actual business results. And then, a lot of the other things that we wanted to do that were nice to have that weren't going to essentially move the needle to build the business, we couldn't focus or prioritize those things.

00:19:30 Stephanie: So again, you really have to be sure that when you're building a business, you are making a plan, have a business plan, have a strategic plan and focus and execute that plan and make sure that you surround yourself with a community and people around you who are gonna help you, who can advise you, who can lift you up, who can provide you with guidance, which is one of the reasons why we created our Entreprenista League community to make it a lot easier, to make it more accessible, and for people to have the support they need when growing and scaling a business.

00:20:00 Stephanie: Courtney and I, as we were growing our first business, Socialfly, we joined groups, networking groups, organizations, leadership groups, groups where we had coaches. We were always seeking out people who could help us and could teach us and who could help us move our business forward and where we could learn as much as possible. So when we set out to create the Entreprenista League, in the middle of the pandemic, we knew we had to bring together everything we wish we had when we were first starting out under one roof, because so many times I even see now founders reaching out, they're just like, who are not yet part of our community trying to figure everything out. "How do I do this?" "How do I find this person?"

00:20:37 Stephanie: And it's like, you got to get in a group. You got to get in a community to support you because it's hard to do everything by yourself. But when you have people around you to support you, just like in motherhood, right? You need your tribe. You need that community in business to really be able to move forward.

00:20:53 Melissa: Yeah, and you know what I've noticed is I've been part of different groups myself is that there is that support, but maybe we don't ask for the support or we don't ask for what we really, really need. We don't look for it. We don't actually make it happen within those communities. And so I'm just wondering, what have you noticed in terms of the people that have been able to create their own opportunities within Entreprenista or people that maybe haven't as much like any tips there?

00:21:20 Stephanie: Yeah, if you don't ask, you don't get. And you should be asking for absolutely everything. The power of growing your business is asking questions, building relationships, connecting with the right people, learn from people who are a little bit ahead of you, who can teach you the things you might not have even thought about. Like they might, they do know things that you don't even know what questions to ask because you're not there yet. Ask them what questions do you wish you asked when you were at my stage in business that I might not even know to ask at? That's the power of a community, right? You have that access.

00:21:59 Stephanie: And again, if you don't ask those questions or you don't ask what you should be asking, you're not gonna find out the answers. And I can tell you, like in our Entreprenista League community, everyone is there to help support each other, to give feedback, to build relationships. It truly is this community where there is only collaboration over competition. No one is trying to take business from each other. Everyone's like, how can we help support each other? And how can we help make the best connections to really support everyone? Because that's what it's all about.

00:22:30 Melissa: Yeah, I would agree. And I think, to kind of go back to the whole focus thing versus distraction and being a mom with a business. Here's something that is a real struggle that I have found because I tend to ask a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. So sometimes different people give you different answers and they take you off focus or they might send you down a distraction path. Any sort of wisdom around how to discern what information or who to listen to when you're on your path.

00:23:03 Stephanie: You know, you wanna be sure you're listening to people who do have the expertise, who have either done what you're trying to do, or they... You can definitely validate that they have the expertise to be giving you that guidance. Ultimately, you need to trust your gut. You know, if someone gives you advice and you're like, that just does not feel right. That does not sit right with me. That goes against everything I would typically do. Don't do it.

00:23:31 Stephanie: Listen to that voice inside you, to that feeling inside of you. That's something I've always done. Like I've always really tried to sit with things. If something doesn't feel right, or if someone doesn't feel right to build a relationship with and something feels off, there's a reason we all, especially as moms, have this extra sense and just know things, listen to that voice, go with that feeling.

00:23:58 Melissa: Yeah, that's totally true. And it's something that translates, whether it's in your mom life or it's in business life because it's kind of almost how we could perceive our kids' friends. Like, "Oh is that the right influence?" "Isn't that the right influence?" We kind of have a sense. So along the same lines because you have such experiences with the co-founder, right? Using the same level of discernment and 'spidey sense', how can one who wants to build her business alongside someone else find the right co-founder, a co-founder in terms of you work well, you trust each other, complimentary skills, et cetera.

00:24:27 Stephanie: Yeah, so having complimentary skill sets is definitely something that has been very powerful for myself and Courtney. We really do have completely opposite skill sets, but what we have is value alignment and vision alignment and complete trust in each other. So those are the three things you want to be sure that you have, your values are aligned, and you really are aligned on your mission and where you wanna build and grow the business and that you absolutely trust each other.

00:25:07 Stephanie: I know that no matter what, Courtney and I would never do anything to hurt the business, hurt each other. We are so committed. And look, we've been in a business relationship. It's like a marriage, right? For... Since 2011, essentially. It's been many, many years. And any relationship is going to grow and evolve over time. We essentially grew up together in business. Our lives have evolved and changed so much over the years. We've both been through so much professionally and personally together. But we have that trust in each other. And we have this vision of what we want to do and what we want to build. And we know we're always gonna be there for each other.

00:25:51 Stephanie: So if you're thinking about going into business with a partner, you have to have these conversations when you're just getting started. And I remember in one of the coaching groups that we were in, we talked about having these fierce conversations and these uncomfortable conversations. If you're afraid to have those conversations in the beginning, you're definitely gonna be afraid to have them when something actually happens and you really need to be able to talk to each other and feel comfortable.

00:26:19 Stephanie: So have those uncomfortable conversations upfront. Talk about if certain things happen in the business, if certain things happen in your lives and things change, like "What are you gonna do?" And something that we always recommend that you should have with a business partner is you need an operating agreement. And we recommend, of course, you speak with a business attorney about having an operating agreement when you get set up. And it can be uncomfortable to have those conversations about the what ifs.

00:26:48 Stephanie: Look, I was, you know, basically could only work part time for six months when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy. And there was so much that was riding on Courtney. And we had to have a lot of these really hard conversations to figure things out. So you need to be able to have trust and open communication with your business partner and please have these conversations upfront before you go into business.

00:27:11 Melissa: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the same can be said just as you mentioned, you know, like a…relationship, a romantic relationship, right? If you're not going to be able to have those conversations up front, it's like, hello, please have them before you sign any contracts. So Stephanie, this has been amazing. I think anyone that's listening can have, you know, some clarity around what they might want to do this very week in terms of their business building efforts. But let me ask you this from your perspective as a mom, because a lot of what I do is help people really get their creative juices going. And I believe that as parents, especially if we have little ones, like we can learn from our little ones because their imaginations are like fully turned on. So here's my question to you. How has your daughter inspired you in terms of getting your creative juices going?

00:28:01 Stephanie: Oh my goodness. My little one, Molly, inspires me every single day. And there is nothing more magical than watching these little kids and their imagination and the things that they think of. We have started doing a lot of different classes. I say we, I take her and get to watch her and it gets my imagination going just watching her. But actually yesterday it was wonderful because we started, she started piano lessons. I say we, because I'm literally sitting there with her, but she started piano lessons and really just seeing her learn and grow and just watching her experience life now, like through the eyes of this like innocent, magical little human, there's just nothing better. So I absolutely feel so lucky to be her mom and she was our little miracle baby and there's nothing better.

00:28:55 Melissa: Thank you for that. I think you know, a lot of us, you know, especially we are navigating just motherhood and entrepreneurship, we kind of feel like, wow, if I only had more time, if I only had more resources, support, et cetera, but at the same time, it's like, we actually have some really dope competitive advantages. Like we have little people around us that we could hug if we feel stressed or like we could feel inspired by if they're doing something pretty cool. And so I wanted to just bring that point to the conversation, cause I think it's important. And I think that we need to really understand that there's so much value that we have right under our noses that we can just unpack and leverage, right? Thank you so much, Stephanie. So in terms of Entrepreneurista and everything else that you've got going on, where can people follow you and continue to learn more about you?

00:29:43 Stephanie: Of course, yeah, feel free to reach out to me. I'm on LinkedIn and Instagram personally at Steph Jill Cartin. And you can follow Entrepreneurista at entrepreneuristas with S at the end on Instagram. And to join the Entrepreneurista League, which is our community of founders where we have lots of mama [unclear] in our community, you can head to entrepreneurista.com/join.

00:30:05 Melissa: Thank you so much, Stephanie.

00:30:07 Melissa: Here are three things that really captivated my attention with regards to my conversation with Stephanie. Point number one, focus. I think the fact that Stephanie had a focus plan is what stood out for me. What is your focus plan? Do you have a plan? Again, you are totally invited to come on September 23rd to my master class and we will work through what you need to have on that plan that is actually going to help you build profitable relationships.

00:30:35 Melissa: The second point is with regards to finding the right mentor. It has to be a gut check. Not everyone is your person. And I think in terms of finding someone who's ahead of you, in terms of, for example, someone that knows a lot about SEO or someone that knows a lot about relationship building, you have to just gauge for yourself. Is this person someone that I can rely on in terms of having information I could use and it's timely, right? So again, follow your gut instinct with regards to the people that you follow and the advice that you actually [inaudible].

00:31:10 Melissa: Point number three is this notion of feeling supportive. I think it's really important as a mom, we think about our villages for our children and raising our families. However, what about for building our businesses? So at this point, I would definitely want to encourage you to attend the live master class on September 23rd because you're gonna realize that there's so many other mom founders who want the same thing. You want to have the energy to hang out and be really cool with your kids. You wanna have the energy and give the best you can to your business and you don't want there to be a conflict.

00:31:45 Melissa: And so many of us feel the same way. And for that reason alone, attend the Masterclass on September 23rd. The link is in the show notes, melissallarena.com/masterclass. The name of the Masterclass and it's totally free and it will be live, it is how to craft a focused year-end networking strategy to build profitable relationships in 30 days without draining your mom's energy. And that is so important. I don't want to drag you to a finish line. I want you to sprint there and feel excited and enthusiastic. And then I want your kids to see you excited and enthusiastic. And I think that's the point of differentiation, but I don't want to get lost.

00:32:23 Melissa: I want to see you on September 23rd. I want to see you there. And I want to see the whole you. The whole me is going to be there, both mom Melissa me and business leader Melissa me and I think when you realize that there are valuable lessons learned from either role that is when you can actually produce outstanding results and I want us to be part of your success story. So join me during the master class melissallarena.com/masterclass all of this is in the show notes. Thank you so much and until next Tuesday, you are beautiful. You're amazing. You're capable and I love you and thank you so much for listening. This means the world to me. Thank you again.

Feeling overwhelmed by the constant juggle of running a business and raising kids? You're not alone! Today, we're diving into something that every mom entrepreneur can relate to—overwhelm. If you've ever felt like the to-do list just keeps growing, this episode is for you. I'm sharing my personal strategy for nipping that overwhelm in the bud by tapping into something we often overlook—playfulness.

We'll take a look at how taking a moment to laugh at a funny video or doing something light-hearted isn't just procrastination—it's a quick and effective reset. These playful breaks can recharge us, making it easier to tackle the day's challenges with a fresh perspective.

Plus, I'll explore how we can learn from the natural playfulness of our kids. They're experts at finding joy in the little things, and by embracing their spirit, we can create a happier, less stressful environment for ourselves and our families.

Finally, I give a sneak peek into my upcoming masterclass called: How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy designed specifically for mom founders. P.S. the name was tweaked to Year-End Networking: Build Profitable Relationships For Business Growth in 30 Days Without Burnout It's all about building profitable relationships and crushing those year-end goals, complete with a 30-day action planner to keep you on track and burnout free!

So, if you're ready to bring more joy and creativity into your life and business, this episode is for you!

In this episode, you will hear:

• Acknowledging overwhelm, especially during busy times like the fall season.

• Utilizing children's natural playfulness to reduce overwhelm and boost happiness.

• Why cross-pollination (borrowing ideas from unrelated fields) is a game-changer.

• The benefits of play in business, including reducing anxiety and fostering calmness..

• Challenges of maintaining momentum as a mom entrepreneur and overcoming imposter syndrome.

If you're feeling overwhelmed and stretched, join in my free LIVE masterclass called: How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy. Sign-up HERE: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

Get ready to learn a proven strategy that can help you regain control and create lasting change!

First a confession, I've always dreamed of a photoshoot with my three sons. Picture this: I'm in an ultra-stretchy dress, and each of my boys is tugging at the material in different directions, making me look like a splattered wad of gum on the floor. It's a funny way of highlighting the real struggle of being pulled in so many directions.

Your kids need you, your business needs you—especially when you're aiming for growth. It can feel overwhelming, right?

So, I asked myself: What's one thing I could do well, on my own schedule, while working from home? For me, it's focusing on building the right profitable relationships using my Imagination to Impact to Income Method™.

That's what I'm sharing in my masterclass, How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy.

Early in my business, I found an energy-efficient path to boost credibility, expand reach, and earn more income. Building profitable relationships proved more reliable than ads. Reimagining my company vision as an energy resource led to my Imagination to Impact to Income Method™.

This method starts with our imagination, an untapped energy source for adults. Our kids know it well. I've used it to become a #1 bestseller, secure podcast guests like GaryVee and Suzy Batiz, garner media (WSJ, etc.), and achieve five-figure months. These wins required my energy and being a mom.

Join my free masterclass, How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy. Get a roadmap to capture busy contacts' attention, navigate impostor syndrome, and unlock energy inspired by your mission and kids!

In this masterclass, I'll guide you through:

· Reimagining your company vision to reignite your passion, helping you surpass your 2024 goals and savor the holidays with the energy you deserve.

· Discovering a clear focus for relationship-building in your business, so you can channel your energy into strategies with lasting impact, beyond fleeting social media posts.

· Proactively addressing impostor syndrome, empowering you to overcome self-doubt and conserve your energy for what truly matters.

Click here to grab your spot.

In future episodes, I'll share how using your imagination for a focused, profitable networking strategy can energize you. Sign up to get an immediate sneak peek into one of my top energy-boosting secrets (the secret to my pep) with a downloadable workbook sent straight to your inbox.

Sending you energy,

-Melissa

P.S. Show up LIVE to my free class and you will get a BONUS 30-Day Profitable Networking Action Plan and Tracker that connects your vision to daily actions! It's a smart, actionable, and mom-friendly planner to map out your 30-day networking activities to keep you focused on the right things. It also sees to it that you replenish your energy to prevent burnout.

EXTRA bonus for showing up LIVE is that you will be entered into a drawing to be a podcast guest on the Mom Founder Imagination Hub.

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"Our children are imagination experts in residence. Why not learn from these wonderful individuals who are right there on how they are able to visualize completely random things?"

"If you are in a moment of a lot of stress and a lot of steps and a lot of moving parts to anything in your life as a mom in business, then it is really important for you to take a step back every once in a while."

"Adopting a playful spirit is a tool for you so that you can use it, and you have people around you, i.e., humans that are kids, who are really great at it. So why not leverage their expertise so that you can get farther?"

"I encourage you also to just imagine for yourself: what would be possible if you could do anything that you wanted to do without having to struggle with overwhelm?"

SHARE this episode and reignite the joy of play and creativity to conquer overwhelm. Let's empower our fellow mom entrepreneurs to embrace play and confidently manage stress. 💪

About Melissa Llarena

Melissa is a bestselling author (learn more on www.fertileideas.com), imagination coach behind the Fertile Imagination to Networking Success Group Coaching Program, consultant, speaker, contributor to ForbesWomen articles that have garnered 4 million-plus views, and the podcast host of the Mom Founder Imagination Hub. Featured guests include GaryVee, Beth Comstock, Suzy Batiz, David Meltzer, and hundreds of other unconventional thinkers. Melissa has been featured in the WSJ, Business Insider, Fox Business, CNN Money, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She holds a psychology degree from NYU, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Transformational Coaching Academy certificate and is training to become a meditation practitioner. Melissa lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three sons (one singleton and a set of identical twins).

Supporting Resources:

How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Energy: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

Podcast: Mom Founder Imagination Hub: https://www.melissallarena.com/podcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MelissaLlarena/

Or, grab for free your copy of the "From Contact to Connection: The Mompreneur's Go-First Networking & Follow Up Playbook": https://witty-thinker-2643.ck.page/21e52edb87

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00:00 Melissa: If you feel overwhelmed, let's say that you are writing your origin story and it is a sensational one, I know, but you feel overwhelmed. What are the words I should say? What can I include and exclude? How does my business differentiate itself? Here's what I suggest you do. Ask your child for help.

00:00:00 Melissa: Welcome to the Mom Founder Imagination Hub, your weekly podcast to inspire you to dream bigger. Plan out how you're going to get to that next level in business, find the energy to keep going and make sure your creative juices are flowing so that this way you get what you really want rather than having to settle. Get ready to discover how mom founders have reimagined entrepreneurship and motherhood. Ever wonder how they do it?

00:00:45 Melissa: Tune in to find out and stretch yourself by also learning from diverse entrepreneurs, who might not be moms, but who have lessons you can tailor about how you can disrupt industries and step way outside of your comfort zone. I believe every mom's superpower is her imagination. In this podcast, I'm gonna give you the mindset, methods, and tools to unleash yours. Sounds good? Then keep listening.

00:01:14 Melissa: This episode is brought to you by my masterclass: How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days. It's happening on September 23rd and the 24th. You can check out the link and sign up right below, melissallarena.com/masterclass. Here's what I know having been in business for 13 years, momentum. Have you ever noticed that it has the word mom in the beginning of it? Yet it's really hard to get and feel because we've got so much going on as parents.

00:01:48 Melissa: And the reason why I wanted to just share this masterclass with you is because this is an opportunity for you to understand what you as a mom founder can do to revitalize and re-energize yourself so that you could achieve your year-end goals and also how you will want to focus your efforts to get the biggest bang for your buck and how you can navigate something that pops up often, which is imposter syndrome again, so that you are unstoppable.

00:02:21 Melissa: On September 23rd or the 24th, you'll notice there's a couple of options in terms of the live 60 minute masterclass for mom founders. You will have an opportunity to also, with me, alongside walk through this three step process that I've come up with that is part of a unique method called the Imagination to Impact to Income Method. This method has helped me build profitable relationships and has helped me feel energized once I've done so instead of totally and utterly drained. You know what drains me? This is what drains me. Figuring out algorithms for social media, total drains me.

00:03:04 Melissa: In terms of also figuring out, you know, Facebook ads or "meta ads," that drains me. Also traditional networking activities that are sleazy and transactional, another drainer. And I want to take you through my process of building profitable relationships in a way that you leave the experience feeling more energized, you leave the experience feeling more capable and certain that you can actually implement the insights that I'm going to give you on September 23rd in your business and your life and produce massive results through the art of building profitable relationships.

00:03:43 Melissa: So I want to be sure that you sign up for that. It is free. It is an hour. And I want to give you a couple of ideas in terms of why you should. So this master class, what I've decided to do is offer an opportunity for those who attend live very specifically. If you attend the masterclass live, you will have the opportunity to have my 30-day action planner and tracker. And here's the kicker with that planner that you get for attending live. That's all you got to do. Just show up live and you get the planner in your inbox.

00:04:14 Melissa: You will have an opportunity to map out your 30-day activities in terms of building profitable relationships, but also map out how you intend to refill your cup every single one of those days. And I see both things, energy in, energy out, as equally important and seldom do we see it on one page. That's just part of the planner. There's more to it, but I wanted to give you that as a highlight.

00:04:42 Melissa: Also for showing up live on September 23rd for this masterclass, you will have a chance to enter a drawing and become a podcast guest on this very podcast. So I want to be sure that you have everything that you need and to do that, go ahead to melissallarena.com/masterclass and you will have an email from me with your further instructions. I hope you enjoyed this conversation and I am really, really excited and honored to be in your ears or you're looking at me on YouTube, however you are consuming this content.

00:05:14 Melissa: So again, I hope to see you there during the masterclass. You'll notice a couple of dates and you'll have an opportunity to sit there and really have the actionable insights that have helped me build out my practice for 13 years right there available to you within a 16 minute timeframe. How's that? All right, hope to see you there. Thank you again so much. Bye.

00:05:36 Melissa: Let's talk about overwhelm. I wanna share with you how you can reimagine this idea that you can adopt a more playful spirit in your life, whether it's in business, whether it's in networking or as a mom. And that is how you can nip overwhelm in the bud. And this is as we start a new academic year. Alrighty. So welcome to the show. I am Melissa, your host, and I am so excited about this topic. Here's why.

00:06:09 Melissa: When I have really engaged in professional courses out there for creators, founders, entrepreneurs, whether it is learning how to publicly speak or how to market myself, I have found that the missing part, the missing element of a lot of these programs, these business building or leadership skill building programs is this idea that why can't we just be ourselves? Why can't we approach things with a certain degree of levity so that we can actually have some fun as we're building our businesses or we're just exploring and walking around this planet?

00:06:51 Melissa: And on that note, I want this conversation to be fun for you and fun for me in the moment, even though I'm the one right here with my notes. And if you see me on YouTube, maybe they'll come in and out of the frame. But I want you to really like, take off your shoes if you can, grab a cup of tea, and just enjoy this conversation for what it is. And it's this, it is a tool for you to actually get through this year in a way that you are unscathed and that you can really, really not any longer have to be bogged down by that feeling of overwhelm.

00:07:30 Melissa: Because a lot of things are going to continue to pile up as we get into this new year, this new fall season in terms of our business. So on that note, let me just explain a little bit further in terms of, where playing and this playful attitude comes into place in the way that I partner with moms who are founders of businesses. So I have a method called the Imagination to Impact to Income Method. It is through this method, I would say over the last 13 years, that I have been able to figure out how to really, really make a dent in my little corner of the universe.

00:08:13 Melissa: And when I've dreamt of having big name guests on my podcast, I've applied this exact same method. When I wanted to become a bestseller on Amazon, I applied this same method. And those endeavors were very overwhelming at first. Why would they not be? These are really big undertakings, especially if you're a solopreneur and you have a team that is virtual and not an employee.

00:08:45 Melissa: So here's the thing. I would say that this idea of playing is one that is natural to my personality. And I really enjoy, I feel like it could cut the tension in any room when I go and I'm just myself and I share something that's relatable or I talk about my life as a mom, obviously in a respectful fashion, given the topic of our, you know, conversations will be business building, but it just really helps anyone with whom I'm coaching feel like, okay, I could be myself with this person and I want you to feel that way. So here we go.

00:09:23 Melissa: When it comes to using your imagination to be more playful as you approach how you are going to handle, overwhelm this new fall season, I want you to really just hone in on the benefits and see if there's something that you really wish you could start feeling right now, through the art of playing as a business owner, as a mom, even when you're out there networking with different individuals.

00:09:52 Melissa: So the benefits of play, I know that there are so many articles out there in all of the best journals in the world that say that playing is beneficial to our children. It is how they learn, it is natural to them, and it helps them just stay very curious. But I have personally never, and for sure, please send me a DM if you have, I have not seen how playing benefits a mom.

00:10:19 Melissa: And so I'm about to tell you right now what I have realized over the course of the last 13 years, how it's helped me in my business journey, keep overwhelmed, totally like away from me. So here we go. Benefits of Play in Business. And I'm just going to key into one benefit. As someone who has our MBA, you could take me out of B-school and out of a corporate environment, but there will always be a presentation deck inside of me.

00:10:44 Melissa: So I'm reading from some slides and so in terms of a group coaching program that I'm going to offer and I want to just be sure that I grab your attention with this. So I'm going to do my best to make this as entertaining and playful as possible. Here we go. So the Benefits of Play in Business. First one that really, really makes a big difference is that it reduces anxiety and fosters calmness. Have you noticed when you are really just focused, keyed into a moment with your child and you're playing with them.

00:11:16 Melissa: For me, for example, the other day we were listening to the song, The Floor is Lava. And I'm not gonna play it because who knows, you know, if it's protected. But the point of the matter is, for me, I could have been just looking onward and seeing my three boys having fun, jumping on the sofa without shoes, of course, or I could partake in the adventure. And I decided to do that because it was fun and I'm in the middle of a launch right now. And I decided that that moment I needed to stop the overwhelm that I felt, i.e. codeword anxiety that I felt by doing The Floor is Lava.

00:11:54 Melissa: And if you haven't checked out that video, absolutely go ahead and do so. But that is one of the benefits of being playful in terms of business. It's going to help you in terms of this anxiety that we feel this, like I should be further along. I wish it was last week, but this much work had been done. I've got those same sensations and being playful has helped me in terms of that. Here is a benefit of playing as a mom. And this is really interesting. So here's the thing.

00:12:24 Melissa: I believe firmly in my heart down to my pinky toe that our children are imagination experts in residence. Here's why. Because they are literally going to clock in about 10,000 hours by the age of 12 or so in terms of imagining. And why not learn from these wonderful individuals who are right there on how they are able to visualize completely random things, how they are able to, you know. navigate the world and see things that we totally ignore and miss out on, right? And so why not leverage this opportunity of being playful as one where our kids can teach us how to live better lives.

00:13:10 Melissa: And if we do that, you know what it does? Our kids end up feeling confident. So that's the benefit, right? If all of a sudden we're taking a note from our children and they notice that we are doing what they're doing, then all of a sudden they say, holy cow, mommy's doing what I'm doing. I must have something important to offer or show her. I really think this is just the beginning of confidence building and I think it's worthy of an exploration.

00:13:40 Melissa: So here's the third benefit of play. So we went through the benefits of play in business. Trust me, I've done my research. There are bullets upon bullets that I could share, but that's just one as far as anxiety. The second one is in terms of the benefit as a mom, which is you're boosting confidence in your kids because now all of a sudden they are your teachers. And the third benefit of play, and this is where it's unexpected, and I've applied my method to the most, which is in helping mom founders build profitable relationships, so networking intentionally and unlike the sleazy traditional old ways of networking, this is where we go.

00:14:21 Melissa: So playing is going to help you be more adaptable. It's going to help you be more nimble. I once was coaching the CEO or chief growth officer of Citi Bike. And she told me that the number one quality that is necessary when it comes to startups is this ability to be nimble. Why not play more? It is going to help you flex that muscle. So there's so many benefits to adopting a more playful spirit in your life, right? Whether it is in business, it is as a mom, or it is while networking or profitable networking.

00:14:59 Melissa: So how do you do it, right? How do you do it? Let's make this tangible, Melissa. That is what you're here for. And I wanna give you some very practical ideas that you can execute on immediately so that this way you nip overwhelm in the bud. Please don't let this year be the same thing like last year and the one before, where you feel like your calendar is out of your control. I want you to have a tool to nip that feeling of overwhelm and playing is a great tool. It is useful and it works for me and it's worked for my clients.

00:15:31 Melissa: So here are very practical ideas, four ideas for you. Are you ready for them? Alrighty, you don't have to take notes, but I do want you to just consider adopting some of these ideas. One idea so that this way you can nip overwhelm in the bud. Let's say you feel overwhelmed. You have 16,000 emails in your inbox. And I'm just speaking in terms of a friend. That's not me. So let's say you do, right? And you're like, I don't know which one to tackle first. And I feel overwhelmed. I feel anxious.

00:16:04 Melissa: One idea for you might be, take your kids out to that science museum that is not far from your house. What you will notice is that you're going to be on a, artist date. We can reimagine what these events are, what these experiences are. An artist date is something that Julia Cameron, who's quite famous for her books on creativity, mentions is a signed play. And it just exposes you to like pretty aesthetics. It exposes you to new concepts. If it's a science museum, you'll see how gadgets work and you'll be enjoying that time with your child.

00:16:41 Melissa: I'm not saying allout-avoidance of your inbox. I am saying that you can absolutely, rather than being bamboozled by overwhelm in that moment of that inbox read, you can absolutely decide that you're going to opt out of overwhelm and you're going to take your kid to a science museum. And while you're there, this is the point of differentiation, while you're there, that is going to make you a better business leader.

00:17:08 Melissa: Because now you're on an artist date. Now you're getting new ideas. Now you might be able to imagine, you know, how to, I don't know, incorporate your branding colors in the next Instagram post. So a lot happens when you're not thinking about your business. Isn't that funny? You get your best ideas in the shower. I'm not calling that an artist date, but I'm just saying. Okay, so that's one.

00:17:34 Melissa: Second way that you can play and nip overwhelm in the bud, especially as this year unfolds. So in terms of a kid, you have one because you're a mom and I want you to just really think about this idea. So you know how people say, tell me like I'm a fifth grader, tell me like I'm a five year old? Yes, I invite you if you feel overwhelmed. Let's say that you are writing your origin story and it is a sensational one, I know, but you feel overwhelmed.

00:18:08 Melissa: What are the words I should say? What can I include and exclude? How does my business differentiate itself? Here's what I suggest you do. Ask your child for help. That's it, that's a simple, playful answer. Ask your child for help. Why does this work? Because they are that five-year-old for whom you must simply explain your business. So why not try to explain it to, like legitimately a five-year-old and have them help you cut the fat out of all your language, right?

00:18:38 Melissa: I myself am definitely someone who uses big words oftentimes and if someone doesn't understand me, I would like to know upfront. That is why you can absolutely turn to your child if you feel overwhelmed with writing your origin story as an example. They will ground you and they will say, mommy, that sucks. They'll be honest with you. Or they'll say, what does that mean? And then you have to explain it in simple terms, which is perfect for web copy language.

00:19:05 Melissa: Okay, third very, very practical idea in terms of using play in order to cut down on overwhelm as you continue on this year. So in terms of cross pollination, okay, so this is fancy and I'm so gonna nerd out and I really hope that you still love me at the end of this, but here we go. Cross-pollination has to be my world famous, most amazing thing in the universe.

00:19:33 Melissa: So when I was working in Corporate America or in corporations around the world really, what I realized was that a lot of people who work on completely different things do not talk to each other. And I thought to myself, what if they did? What if they actually borrowed ideas from different categories, different countries, different industries? And that was, for me, it's always been a blast. And my goodness, to really nerd out, I even did an independent project on this idea of cross-pollination. But I'll stop with the nerdy, nerdiness right there.

00:20:08 Melissa: So here we go. What is it? How can you use it as a playful way to nip overwhelm in the bud, quite simply? Let's imagine, and you could see this in terms of how you're tracking your Amazon book orders, or you could see this in terms of your search history, but let's imagine that you are really into gardening, and that is where you go to, at Barnes and Noble's. You'll go to the gardening section every single time and take out those books.

00:20:35 Melissa: Here's where cross-pollination comes into play, and this is how to, again, be more playful about the way you approach solving business problems, as an example. Go to a totally different category. Go to a category that has nothing to do with gardening. Let me tell you, this has real business implications and I count this as being very playful. So here we go. For example, one of the best Nike sneaker designers, his name is Jason Mayden. He actually would absolutely take out books in totally different categories than he was accustomed to in order to come up with better Nike shoe designs.

00:21:15 Melissa: And so that is where you get innovation. You're taking from one place and then you're just cross-pollinating, kind of like a bee, and you are coming up with an innovation. Be playful about it. Beth Comstock, she went to Korea, she went to a K-pop concert for ideas on loyalty building efforts for GE. That is cross-pollination. Again, playful. Let's be playful about it and super practical. You don't have to go to South Korea, although you absolutely can.

00:21:45 Melissa: You can go to the library tonight and just get a book from a totally different category. And just think in a different ways, fire off those neurons in different ways. And you're gonna definitely bring a renewed spirit and like some fresh ideas to whatever business challenge or thing is overwhelming you.

00:22:06 Melissa: Fourth and final, here we go, how to bring play into your life. So there's this idea of, growth mindset. And here's the thing, because I feel like, sometimes, and, me too, like I could be a hypocrite when it comes to growth mindset, for sure. For example, let's say there's a new platform. Do I really wanna learn it? No, not at all. I decide to really be like, fixed in my thinking when it comes to learning a new platform, right? I don't wanna get on the computer. I don't wanna know where you put the buttons now. I just don't.

00:22:40 Melissa: But growth mindset is something we can learn from our kids as well, here's why. So they're learning all the time. They have to do things they've never done before because they just came to this planet. So it's so cool when we adopt the same practice of a growth mindset. So how do you do it? Super simply right now to nip overwhelm in the bud. Okay, so let's imagine that right now you are trying to figure out new logistics this fall season, right? All of a sudden, your three kids are in three different schools. I send you my prayers if that's the case.

00:23:14 Melissa: Well, let's imagine, so you're feeling overwhelmed. You're like, you know what? This really bites. So you might want to, in the spirit of a growth mindset, in the spirit of being playful, honestly just start listening to YouTube videos or watching YouTube videos. Again, I'm not saying procrastination. I'm just saying to, kind of, cut at that tension. Start watching those break dancing YouTube videos, right? From the Olympics that just passed.

00:23:40 Melissa: I'm not saying that you're gonna wanna focus on the Australian breakdancer, although you're gonna laugh and laughter is a playful thing, but do something in that moment of stress and anxiety where you don't know how you're gonna get child A, B, and C to their respective spots and then approach your logistics challenge.

00:24:03 Melissa: So these are four ways that you can use different playful methods to nip overwhelm in the bud. And I really encourage you to imagine this for yourself. I know that it's possible because I've done it myself and I have not let go of being productive. It is not so much a source of procrastination because for me, it's something that's just quick. It's like, okay, I'm watching a YouTube video, I'm laughing and now I can get on with this logistical challenge or whatever it might be for you.

00:24:34 Melissa: And for me, it's also where I find the balance, right? So if you are in a moment of a lot of stress and a lot of steps and a lot of moving parts to anything in your life as a mom in business, then it is really important for you to take a step back every once in a while. First, think about why you're doing everything that you're doing. And then second, think about how you can add some levity to that moment so that it doesn't feel so hard.

00:25:02 Melissa: Because here's what I know, as far as entrepreneurship, you've got to enjoy the process. And that sounds so like, I don't know, sterile, but let's add some pizzazz to that. It is just a lot more fun and interesting if you adopt a playful spirit to anything that you do. And again, you know when you can be playful and when it's inappropriate. So you are way smarter and I don't need to go there.

00:25:28 Melissa: But I just wanted to share this idea that adopting a playful spirit is a tool for you so that you can use it. And you have people around you, i.e., humans that are kids, who are really great at it. So why not leverage their expertise so that you can get farther and you could also be happier in the day and the moment. So that, I would say, is something that is so important this year as you continue on with your business goals and you really want to end the year strongly.

00:25:59 Melissa: You don't want to end the year in a way that you're totally zapped and fried and not able to enjoy the holidays. No, you want to have a tool in order to nip overwhelm in the bud because it is something that is so common in our mom, life and our business life. And I want you to be able to have a proactive plan because it's so common, right? We know it's common, so we wanna be prepared and playing is the answer.

00:26:30 Melissa: And that is what's helped me as far as having a coaching practice and having three children and also having a podcast where there are so many moving parts. And trust me, this can be a source of overwhelm. And for me, I have figured out how to be more playful, such as The Floor is Lava. And I promise you, that is a really kick butt song. And I encourage you also to just imagine for yourself, like what would be possible if you could do anything that you wanted to do without having to struggle with overwhelm.

00:27:07 Melissa: And I really do believe that while the world might suggest other options for anxiety and overwhelm, such as meds and all these other options, I do believe that we actually have some resources locked up inside of us and so do our kids. So this is an opportunity for you to leverage this resource, this spirit of playfulness. And honestly, it works. It just works. It really does when it comes to business, when it comes to networking and when it comes to my mom, life.

00:27:40 Melissa: So here's something that I want to be sure that I always say. Okay. If you are watching me on YouTube, this is the moment where you absolutely tell me that you got value out of this conversation. Please hit the bell notification. You are going to then instantly get next week's video. Also hit subscribe. That is going to make me so happy and you can be playful about it. You can sing and hum as you do.

00:28:07 Melissa: So if you are listening to this, let's be official. Let's change your relationship status from just listening to following. Go ahead and click the follow. I would love to know that this is a nice weekly ritual for you. Again, mom founders, this is about our imagination. Playing is critical to our imagination. Our imagination likes to play. And this is a tool you can use at the drop of a dime the next time that you feel like you're on the edge of overwhelm. Thank you again. And until next Tuesday.

Ever give your all in podcast interviews but wonder why they're not boosting your business? Imagine if you could take those appearances—even the ones gathering dust—and turn them into powerful, revenue-driving assets. Sounds pretty good, right? Today, I'm chatting with the brilliant Beth Nydick, a media expert and mom founder, to get all the juicy details on how to turn those podcast interviews, even the ones from years ago, into powerful tools for growth.

Beth and I chat about everything from the art of storytelling to making sure you stand out as both a podcast guest and host. And trust me, if you're juggling motherhood and entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with actionable tips to make sure your time spent on podcasts is actually moving the needle for your business.

Plus, I share some of my own experiences (yep, even the messy ones) because I'm all about keeping it real. So whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just thinking about hopping on a mic, you won't want to miss this one. Let's make sure every podcast appearance counts, shall we?

Tune in, and let's get those creative juices flowing! 🎙️✨

In this episode, you will hear:

• Using podcast interviews strategically to drive traffic and boost revenue, even from years-old episodes.

• How storytelling can create a deep emotional connection with the audience,

• Being relatable and authentic to create meaningful connections with your audience.

• Revisiting, resharing, and collaborating on old podcast interviews for renewed promotion.

• How to engage the audience effectively rather than just looking good or using hard sales tactics.

• Using checklists and routines to consistently maximize podcast benefits.

• Breaking from conventional rules and staying true to what feels authentic for your brand, both in podcasting and business.

This episode is brought to you by a LIVE free masterclass How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy. Back to school for moms? Join me LIVE on September 23, 2024 or September 24, 2024! Sign-up HERE: https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

Be the first to hear when the DOORS officially open to this FREE masterclass for mom founders. You'll get a workbook upon signing up so you can start to warm up your profitable relationship building skills before you need them and for showing up LIVE you'll get my very own plug-and-play 30-day networking planner! How's that for a gift?

More about this LIVE free masterclass: How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy.

You want to build profitable relationships without draining your energy for family and business. Imagine if family time and business could fuel each other rather than deplete you. Maybe you've been filling your cup instead of depleting it?

I faced the same challenge. I learned to balance being a great business owner and mom while building profitable relationships in my 13-year career. I can help you make this a reality.

Hi, I'm Melissa Llarena, bestselling author, podcaster, mom of three boys (including twins), and CEO of a coaching business in Austin, TX. I started my business with my firstborn at six months and, later with twins, struggled with distractions.

I discovered that while some founders might reach goals faster, I didn't need to sacrifice my vision. I focused on building profitable relationships, a more consistent path to income than ads or social media algorithms. This approach expanded my reach, boosted my message, and increased my credibility. Plus, my method saves time by skipping gatekeepers, eliminating the need for warm intros or happy hours. This is what sets my method apart.

I created a repeatable networking strategy for moms using my "Imagination to Impact to Income Method™." This strategy transformed how I manage time and energy and will be the focus of my LIVE masterclass entitled How to Craft a Focused Year-End Networking Strategy to Build Profitable Relationships in 30 Days Without Draining Your Mom Energy.

My mission is to help moms creatively build their business while embracing motherhood. Profitable relationships align with both your business and family goals. I'll show you how in the masterclass to close the year strong.

Attend LIVE and get a 30-day Profitable Networking Planner™! No more guessing how to connect with the right people.

By the end of the class, you'll learn to:

- Reimagine your company vision to energize you.

- Find a clear relationship-building focus for your business's potential.

- Overcome impostor syndrome to become unstoppable.

Learn a proven plan to turn contacts into connections, even if you're an introvert. It helped me land GaryVee on my podcast, write books, and secure major sales, including a collaboration with the world's first IVF baby. I'll share this in the masterclass.

Ready to add this to your calendar! Sign-up to be the first to know when the doors OPEN for this LIVE free masterclass! https://www.melissallarena.com/masterclass/

Let's turn ON your superpower LIVE!

-Melissa Llarena

About Beth Nydick

Beth Nydick is the founder of The F.A.M.E. LAB and a top media expert specializing in helping coaches, experts, and authors amplify their brand presence. Known for her strategic approach, Beth turns media exposure into profitable opportunities, ensuring her clients not only gain attention but also achieve significant financial success. Her expertise spans crafting niche strategies at the intersection of media and monetization, driving traffic, and converting exposure into tangible results. Featured in major outlets like OPRAH, Forbes, and The Drew Barrymore Show, Beth is also the co-author of the popular cookbook Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist.

Quotes, that can change your perspective:

"Women that I was speaking to said something to the effect of like thank you for getting on the phone with me or I'm so honored or I can't believe you're talking to me. And I was like why? Like I'm not above you. I just know different things." - Beth Nydick

"How are you engaging them enough to engage with you? And that's what I think people don't focus on, especially on podcast interviews." - Beth Nydick

"It doesn't matter when it happened. It doesn't matter when you did it. Promoting it over and over again, if it's good content, is what I want you to think about and what I want you to focus on." - Beth Nydick

"We tell stories so that people can take away certain points. Because for me it really is all strategy. I'm telling you a story because I want to evoke a feeling and it's something I've sat down and intentionally thought about." - Beth Nydick

SHARE this episode with anyone aiming to boost revenue through podcast appearances! Discover how to make the most of every interview, drive traffic, and turn guest spots into profit. Don't keep these insights to yourself—spread the word and help others elevate their podcast game!

Supporting Resources:

Website: https://www.bethnydick.com

Instagram: @bethnydick

Twitter: @bethnydick

Facebook: @bethnydick

Beth Nydick's $10K Podcast Interview Checklist

Subscribe and Review

Have you subscribed to my podcast for new moms who are entrepreneurs, founders, and creators? I'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet.

I'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast for writer moms.