No BS Mastery Podcast

If you’ve been feeling cognitively overloaded by AI, social media, and the relentless pace of everything right now, this episode is for you.

Sara Connell’s new book, The Download: Train Your Brain. Unlock Your Genius. Create Miracles, explores how we can move beyond the mental noise and get into a state where clarity, creativity, and innovative ideas can actually find us.

In this conversation, Sara shares the science behind what she calls a “download,” walks me through a simple practice for getting inspired when I’m overwhelmed by too many ideas, and explains why white space is so essential for creativity. We also talk about how visualization can help us stay focused on where we’re going, especially when business inevitably gets messy.

We also dig into the future of thought leadership in the age of AI. Sara is a five-time bestselling author and the founder of Thought Leader Media, where she helps coaches, experts, and entrepreneurs become bestselling authors and in-demand TEDx speakers. Her work has been featured by Oprah, The New York Times, Good Morning America, TODAY, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and TEDx.

Sara’s perspective is such an important reminder that while AI can help us work faster, it cannot replace the messy, demanding creative work that gives our ideas a heartbeat. As more people outsource their thinking, genuinely human creativity is only going to become more valuable.

Find this episode for free on your favourite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How cognitive overload interferes with creativity, clarity, and decision-making
• Sara’s simple process for taking a “download walk”
• Why your best ideas need white space instead of more information
• How to create an anchor image that keeps you focused during stressful moments in your business
• The science behind visualization and mentally rehearsing the outcome you want
• Where AI can support the creative process without taking it over
• Why human-generated thought leadership will become increasingly valuable in the age of AI

Learn more about Sara Connell:

• Website: saraconnell.com
• Instagram: @saraconnell
• Substack: The Download with Sara Connell
• YouTube: Thought Leader Media
• Get The Download on Amazon
• Get The Download from Barnes & Noble

Mentioned:

• Calm
• Dr. Joe Dispenza

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: Join No BS Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: Badass Your Brand

If you know you’re capable of great work but still struggle to start tasks, stay organized, or follow through consistently, it can be easy to wonder what’s wrong with you.

For people with ADHD, that gap between potential and output can create years of shame and self-criticism. Rebecca Tolbert explains why ADHD is better understood as a dysregulation of executive functioning and why it can look completely different from one person to the next.

In this conversation, we talk about working with your brain instead of constantly fighting it. Rebecca shares her SEMPRE framework, the role sleep, nutrition, movement, connection, and enjoyment play in executive functioning, and why she prefers systems and environmental changes over relying on habits or willpower.

We also dig into the resistance many people with ADHD feel when someone tells them what to do, how childhood experiences can turn everyday business demands into emotional flashbacks, and why entrepreneurship can bring these challenges to the surface.

Rebecca Tolbert is an ADHD coach and licensed therapist who helps people understand their brains, work through emotional and practical obstacles, and create systems that make their lives easier. She brings together her professional training and her own lived experience with ADHD to help her clients move forward with more clarity and self-compassion.

Rebecca’s perspective matters because the goal isn’t to force yourself to function like someone else. It’s to understand how your brain works, stop treating your challenges like personal failures, and build a business and life that actually support you.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why the name ADHD fails to capture how differently the condition can affect people
• How the gap between your potential and your output can create shame, anxiety, and depressive symptoms
• Rebecca’s SEMPRE framework for supporting your executive functioning
• Why simple environmental changes can work better than relying on habits or willpower
• How resistance to demands can be connected to years of being misunderstood or shamed
• Why emotional regulation is especially important for entrepreneurs navigating rejection and difficult tasks
• The difference between ADHD coaching and therapy and how to know what kind of support you need

Learn more about Rebecca Tolbert:

• Website: Conscious Strides
• Free resource: Task Initiation Flowchart
• Book an ADHD Life Audit and mention Pia for 50% off
• Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn
• Follow Rebecca on Instagram

Resources:

• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: Join No BS Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: Badass Your Brand

Maybe you’re pricing by the hour, writing free proposals that go nowhere, or juggling so many projects that none of them ever get your full attention.

Maybe clients disappear in the middle of a project and return weeks later expecting you to drop everything. Or maybe you’re making decent revenue, but you’re still constantly working and never feel like you’re getting ahead.

It’s tempting to believe the solution is more clients, more revenue, or more hustle. But if the model itself is broken, more of anything just gives you more of the same problems.

All month, I’ve been sharing stories from No BS Mastery students in completely different industries and stages of business. Every one of them had a good reason the model wouldn’t work for them. And every one of them discovered that what they actually needed wasn’t another pile of information. They needed the structure, support, and accountability to put the model into action.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what No BS Mastery is, the four things we install during the 12-week program, and why it’s built around implementation instead of endless learning. I’m also sharing who the program is for, who it isn’t for, and why the same concerns about time and money can either keep you stuck or become the reason you finally make a change.

Enrollment is open now. You can see all the program details at nobsmastery.com/program, or join me for the free masterclass on September 29 at 12 PM ET at nobsmastery.com/masterclass.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why more clients and more revenue won’t fix a broken business model
• The four systems we install during the 12 weeks of No BS Mastery
• Why the program has no video library or modules to “catch up” on
• How a Lead Product™ changes the way you sell and begin client relationships
• Why overthinkers and perfectionists need implementation support, not more information
• How No BS Mastery builds your business around the life you want first
• Why time and money can be reasons to wait or the exact reasons you need to make a change now

Resources:

• Join the free September 29 masterclass: nobsmastery.com/masterclass
• Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN NO BS MASTERY
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
• Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: BADASS YOUR BRAND
• Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

When Chanaya Hancock joined No BS Mastery, she had projects that seemed to last forever and no predictable way to bring in new clients. Most of her business came through referrals, which meant work arrived when it arrived, and she had very little control over the flow.

She was also deeply skeptical about joining a group program. Chanaya didn’t consider herself a community person, disliked social media, and wasn’t excited about posting in a forum or spending time on video calls with strangers. The community aspect almost stopped her from joining entirely.

In this conversation, Chanaya shares how she found ways to implement the No BS model that felt completely natural to her. We talk about turning her love of the moon into new moon ceremonies for her 1KO, restructuring her services so projects have a clear ending, and creating a Lead Product™ that moved a client to tears and led directly into a larger engagement.

Chanaya is the CEO of Uplifted Avenue and Light into You. She has worked in marketing technology for more than 20 years and specializes in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, helping teams untangle its complex systems and make the technology work for them. She is also a Reiki master with an energy-healing practice that helps spiritually minded entrepreneurs feel more confident navigating the technology behind their businesses.

Chanaya’s experience is such a great example of why you don’t have to force yourself into someone else’s version of business or community. You can create systems, marketing, and relationships that work with who you are, then use that structure to gain more control without losing the deeply human way you serve your clients.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

 Tune into this episode to hear:

•  Why Chanaya joined No BS Mastery even though the community aspect almost stopped her
•  How she began challenging her assumptions about what her clients could handle
•  Why she turned new moon ceremonies into a 1KO that she genuinely loves hosting
•  How an imperfect first event helped Chanaya simplify the experience by about 80%
•  What she learned by delivering her first complete Lead Product™
•  How Chanaya created a brief that moved her client to tears and led to a larger engagement
•  How one-on-one conversations helped a self-described “no community” person build real relationships and collaborations

 Learn more about Chanaya Hancock:

•   Website: Uplifted Avenue
•   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chanaya

Resources:

•  Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•  Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN NO BS MASTERY
•  The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•  Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: BADASS YOUR BRAND
•  Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

When Shauna Matkovich joined No BS Mastery, she had already narrowed down what she wanted to do and who she wanted to help. But she was still taking on lots of different projects and struggling to turn her large network, speaking, podcast, and mailing list into the kind of work she actually wanted.

Shauna also has one of the most challenging sales environments of anyone I’ve worked with. She operates in a small, fiercely competitive industry where her prospects are often direct competitors, referrals can be difficult, and buying decisions involve multiple people, corporate budgets, and procurement processes.

In this conversation, Shauna shares how she made the No BS model work for her highly specialized business. We talk about the pricing decision that allowed clients to hire her without going through procurement, what she learned from delivering five Lead Products™, and how structuring her work as an intensive changed the way clients saw her.

Shauna is the Founding Director of The ForestLink and has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable forest management, international forest investment, ESG and impact management, and business development. She helps asset managers and nature-based solutions developers raise and deploy capital faster while reducing risk and creating greater impact.

Shauna’s experience is such a great example of why the No BS model can work in even the most complex expert-led businesses. It doesn’t require every sales process or intensive to look exactly the same. It gives you a structure you can adapt so you can lead the work, deliver more value, and be recognized as the expert you already are.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

 Tune into this episode to hear:

•   How Shauna went from taking whatever work came in to focusing on the projects she does best
•   Why pricing her Lead Product™ below her clients’ procurement threshold made it easier for them to say yes
•   How a referral ask worked even though Shauna believed referrals were nearly impossible in her industry
•   What Shauna learned from delivering five Lead Products™ to groups of corporate decision-makers
•   Why her longer sales cycle doesn’t mean the Lead Product™ process isn’t working
•   How structuring her engagement as an intensive helped clients feel guided and see her as the expert
•   How Shauna created a reusable AI tool that made her more valuable while helping her client’s internal team own the work

 Learn more about Shauna Matkovich:

•   Website: theforestlink.com
•   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shauna-matkovich
•   Podcast: Forest Invest Podcast
•   Listen on Spotify: Forest Invest

Resources:

•   Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•   Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp
•   Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•   The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•   Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: BADASS YOUR BRAND
•   Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

When Marc Scheff joined No BS Mastery, his business was going, but it wasn’t predictable. He had one-on-one coaching clients, an artist community, and a retreat in the works, but he couldn’t clearly explain where his next clients were going to come from.

Marc had tried going hard on social media, making educational videos, funny videos, and all kinds of different content. Some of it worked, but none of it felt quite right. As he put it, he always felt like he was wearing somebody else’s clothes.

In this conversation, Marc shares how he stopped forcing himself to market in ways he didn’t enjoy and built a repeatable system around something he genuinely loves: talking to people. We dig into the referral that closed almost immediately after he introduced his Lead Product™, the week his outreach jumped from a few conversations to more than 50, and why he now has the confidence to turn away clients who aren’t the right fit.

Marc is a certified coach who helps mid-career creatives and entrepreneurs make meaningful changes with more confidence, freedom, and creative autonomy. Before becoming a coach, he spent years as an award-winning artist, teacher, gallery curator, and creative leader. He is also the founder of the Unleash Creativity community.

Marc’s story is proof that the No BS model isn’t just for designers. It’s about connecting the pieces you already have, packaging your expertise more intentionally, and building a way of finding and serving clients that actually fits who you are.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

 Tune into this episode to hear:

•   Why Marc’s business felt unpredictable even though he was already finding clients
•   How he stopped marketing in ways that felt like wearing somebody else’s clothes
•   Why introducing a Lead Product™ made it easier for a former client to refer him
•   What helped Marc go from reaching out to a few people a week to more than 50
•   How the Lead Product™ helped Marc create valuable paid interactions with more people
•   Why having a clear process makes it easier to turn away clients who aren’t the right fit
•   How Marc had nearly as many paid one-on-one interactions this year as he had in the previous two or three years

  Learn more about Marc Scheff:

•   Website: marcscheff.com
•   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcscheff
•   Instagram: @marcscheff
•   Join Marc’s newsletter, Good Story: marcscheff.com

 Resources:

•   Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•   Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp
•   Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•   The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•   Grab a copy of my book Badass Your Brand: BADASS YOUR BRAND
•   Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

When Wes Wheless joined No BS Mastery, his pipeline had slowed down; he had turned most of his attention toward writing his book, and he was wondering whether he had already exhausted all the warm leads in his network.

He had successfully sold two-week sprints, but believed he had hit a $3,000 price ceiling. He was also spending a lot of time on free sales calls that went nowhere. Then, during the Bootcamp, he created and sold his first Lead Product™ before the event had even ended.

In this conversation, Wes shares what changed when he stopped trying to get clients however he could and started installing a more intentional business model. We talk about doubling his offer price, taking ownership of the sales process, and realizing that he didn’t actually have a leads problem. He just needed a system to see and follow up on the leads he already had.

Wes is an independent consultant and author whose work helps people clarify, package, and visually communicate their expertise. He is also the founder of Seattle Solos, an in-person community for independent consultants and coaches.

Wes’s experience is such a great example of the difference between learning a few new tactics and installing an operating system you can continue using as your business evolves. The real value isn’t one client or one quick ROI. It’s knowing how to intentionally package, sell, and deliver your expertise through every future pivot.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

•  Why Wes thought he had exhausted his warm network and hit a $3,000 price ceiling
•  How he sold his first Lead Product™ before the Bootcamp had even ended
•  The simple package change that helped Wes create a viable $6,000 offer
•  Why adding a paid first step took the pressure off both Wes and his prospects
•  How tracking his outreach revealed that he didn’t actually have a leads problem
•  Why Wes stopped overengineering his 1KO and embraced the community he had already built
•  The difference between chasing clients and intentionally installing a profitable business model

Learn more about Wes Wheless:

•  Website: weswheless.com
•  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwheless/
•  Wes’s book resources: wesbook.com/resources
•  Wes Book: The Expert's Privilege: https://theexpertsprivilege.com

Resources:

•  Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•  Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp: 
•  Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•  The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•  Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand — BADASS YOUR BRAND
•  Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

When Caitlin Lang first joined No BS Mastery nearly three years ago, a long-term retainer had ended, the market had changed, and she had gone months without work. She was ready to try something different, even if niching down and changing her entire way of working felt scary.

Caitlin decided to focus exclusively on branding and websites for women coaches, consultants, and solopreneurs. Once she could clearly explain who she served, referrals started coming in quickly. She also replaced open-ended retainers with a tightly scheduled intensive model that allows her to complete entire branding and website projects in two weeks.

In this conversation, Caitlin shares how that model has given her the freedom to travel, spend time with her teenage son, and build a business that supports her life. We also dig into AI, why it hasn’t replaced the strategic thinking and judgment behind her work, and why experts can’t afford to outsource their thinking or phone it in right now.

Caitlin is the founder of Liquid Form Design, an Oakland-based branding and web design studio. With more than 20 years of experience, she helps women coaches, consultants, and thought leaders translate their expertise into distinctive brands, websites, messaging, and copy that attract premium clients.

Caitlin’s story is such a powerful example of why expertise and authority matter more than ever. AI can help you brainstorm and get past the blank page, but it can’t replace the human judgment, creative thinking, and genuine relationships that make a business stand out.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

•  Why niching down made Caitlin easier to refer and helped new clients recognize themselves in her messaging
•  How Caitlin went from long-term retainers to completing full branding and website projects in two weeks
•  Why knowing the exact start and end date of every project makes travel and time off so much easier
•  What AI still can’t replace when it comes to strategy, judgment, creativity, and client trust
•  How Caitlin uses AI as a brainstorming tool without outsourcing her thinking
•  Why posting less frequently but saying something meaningful brought Caitlin’s LinkedIn engagement and leads back
•  How real relationships, online and in person, turn visibility into clients and referrals

Learn more about Caitlin Lang:

• Liquid Form Design
• Free Homepage Messaging Guide
• Caitlin Lang on LinkedIn
• Caitlin’s previous episode of The No BS Agencies Podcast

Resources:

•  Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•  Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp: 
•  Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•  The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•  Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand — BADASS YOUR BRAND
•  Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

Tam Smith started her business in 2020, but every couple of years, she found herself running into the same problem: saying yes to everything, spreading herself too thin, and working all the time.

She realized she had been chasing someone else’s definition of success. Instead of building the biggest team or the loudest business, Tam wanted something small, tight, profitable, and sustainable. She wanted to do less, but do it better.

In this conversation, Tam shares how moving away from retainers and toward a project-based intensive model gave her more time, more mental space, and the freedom to actually enjoy her life outside of work. We also talk about the two changes that helped her have one of her highest-revenue months: clearly articulating what she does and consistently making the ask.

Tam is a sales consultant whose work focuses on lead generation, business development, and helping clients create more sales conversations. Before starting her business, she worked in corporate sales and sales leadership. She also hosts the Sales as Service podcast.

Tam’s story is such a great reminder that building a successful business doesn’t require constant reinvention. Sometimes the hardest and most powerful thing you can do is trust what works, stay the course, and become boringly consistent.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

•  How Tam realized she was chasing someone else’s definition of success
•  Why moving from retainers to project-based intensives gave her more time and mental space
•  The two changes that helped Tam have one of her highest-revenue months
•  How one simple ask turned a warm-network conversation into a potential client
•  Why one disappointing month doesn’t mean your business model has stopped working
•  How tracking the right data helps you stay grounded when you’re tempted to change course
•  Why Tam wants to become “boringly consistent” instead of constantly reinventing her business

Learn more about Tam Smith:

• Studio Three49
• Tamara B. Smith on LinkedIn 
• Sales as Service Podcast

Resources:

•  Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
•  Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp: 
•  Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•  The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•  Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand — BADASS YOUR BRAND
•  Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery

Karen Taylor knew why she wanted to build her business. What she didn’t have was the structure to turn that purpose into something real.

She had taken the courses, joined the communities, and gathered plenty of information. But she still felt stuck—and wondered whether she had waited too long to make it work.

In this conversation, Karen shares how she went from feeling like she had an “expensive side hustle” to building a business with a financial target, a roadmap, a paid first step, and an offer designed around how she actually wants to work.

We talk about the identity shift that came from making a major investment in herself, why she turned what she was giving away for free on discovery calls into a paid Lead Product™, and what she had to stop doing before she could focus on the activities that would actually move her business forward.

Karen Taylor is a former Fortune 50 leader and now a Capacity Architect. Through Millionaire Nervous System, she helps overachieving women build the internal capacity to hold more visibility, pressure, and success without shrinking, spiraling, or pulling back.

Karen’s transformation is such a great example of what can happen when you stop collecting more information, commit to a system, and start building your business around the way you actually want to work.

Find this episode for free on your favorite podcast player.

Tune into this episode to hear:

•  Why Karen once believed she was too late to build the business she wanted
•  How making a major investment created an immediate shift in her identity
•  Why Karen turned what she was giving away on discovery calls into a paid Lead Product™
•  How she designed an intensive that fits both her clients and the life she wants
•  Why learning had become Karen’s avoidance strategy
•  What changed when Karen stopped treating her business like an expensive side hustle

Learn more about Karen Taylor:

• Millionaire Nervous System
• Connect with Karen on LinkedIn
• Millionaire Nervous System on Substack

Resources:

•  Grab the first chapter of my new book Scale Solo: scalesolobook.com
• Join me in my September Scale Solo Bootcamp: 
•  Program: No BS Mastery: JOIN THE NO BS MASTERY
•  The Price to Freedom Calculator™: nobsmastery.com/price
•  Grab a copy of my book: Badass Your Brand — BADASS YOUR BRAND
•  Program: No BS Agency Mastery: Apply to Join No BS Agency Mastery