PDX Small Business Network

One of the many perks of Portland is that there really is something here for everyone; we’ve got options! We even have options when it comes to our healthcare. You might not have thought about it before, but what are your options when it comes to postpartum care? After you give birth, your body doesn’t heal the moment the baby is born. It takes time. So how do you encourage both physical and emotional healing? This is what Dr. Angela Potter specializes in. 

This week Dr. Potter and I talk all about her practice and how she supports women during their recovery after birth. Not only does she help with the symptoms of recovery like hormone imbalance, mood imbalance, incontinence, and pelvic pain, but Dr. Potter also helps new moms regain their energy and feel more vibrant overall. Let’s talk about it!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

The postpartum experience. It was jarring for me to see how once the baby is here, it doesn’t matter if your feet are still swollen and your body is adjusting. All the attention goes to the baby, which is fantastic, but it’s still very sudden and jarring! 

Dr. Potter’s patients are usually coming in for emotional support as new mothers. She recommends counselors and acupuncture, but Dr. Potter helps with the clinical aspect like hormone balance, vitamin levels, and nutrition to make new moms feel more nourished. 

How pelvic floor work is excellent for healing physically and emotionally. Processing the birth story can have a direct relationship with the pelvic floor. Dr. Potter talks about what happens when the birth doesn’t go as planned, and how that can affect mom emotionally. The pelvic floor is where a mother carries her baby, and so doing this work can help mothers process the birth story physically and emotionally. 

Dr. Potter loves working on the postpartum healing plan during the pregnancy and gives you all the resources you need to prevent postpartum depression, anxiety, incontinence, etc. But she also encourages new mothers who are struggling to give her a call or schedule a consultation because she is here to help! 

Fertility work and how, surprisingly, women can have trouble getting pregnant for the second or third time. She talks about her personal experience with holistic fertility treatment and how even things like stress management can make all the difference. 

Yoni steaming! It’s big around the world and making a comeback here in the United States. Dr. Potter talks about what it is and how it’s helpful during your postpartum time. She works with women to develop steaming plans, and she’s got all the resources for you to get started! 

Dr. Potter has a philosophy for healthcare. She is a naturopathic doctor, so she can prescribe medications, but her practice is all about holistic care. She helps out with the big picture. Find out how she assesses her patients’ overall health and guides them to a healthier lifestyle. 

Toddlers! Having a toddler can be a huge adjustment, and sometimes you don’t know what to feel, but you just don’t feel right. Dr. Potter talks about how she would help someone who just hasn’t felt the same since giving birth.  

Having a concern for weight loss after birth is huge in our society. We see new mothers on Instagram or celebrity moms, and we want to lose weight as fast as them. Dr. Potter talks about how dieting can hurt not help, and what she would recommend for someone coming to her trying to lose the baby weight. 

Bonus: How she helps patients get easy access to at-home testing for hormone imbalance and nutrition.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Dr. Angela Potter

Pregnancy and Postpartum Wellness

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LinkedIn

Are you or someone you know having a hard time with the postpartum process? Do you have questions we didn’t answer in the episode?

Portland is home to some of the most crafty and talented people in the country, and homemade goods are important when it comes to not only protecting the small businesses that populate our community, but also protecting our planet with resources that are natural, healthy, and good for our homes. That’s where Geoffrey and Valerie Franklin come in—the owners of Walnut Studiolo, Geoff and Val are a tag team couple that runs a leather goods shop in Portland, where they create amazing pieces from scratch!

This week, I have them both on the podcast to talk all about their amazing shop, how they got started, and the sort of pieces they make that serve not only the Portland area but the country as well! Tune in as we discuss the heart of the Portland area, small and locally owned businesses, and why they’re such an important staple in a place that focuses on community, and team building. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Geoff and Valerie got this business started! They work together to create an old-fashioned mom and pop shop sort of atmosphere, and they each have their own area of expertise. Valeria handles customer service, shipping, logistics, and website management. Geoff is in charge of coming up with ideas, and bringing them to life! He’s the chief designer and maker, and crafts every piece from scratch.

Geoff and Val tell us where their name, Walnut Studiolo, came from! Geoff says that he read the word “studiolo” in a book, and it stuck into his head. Studiolo is actually an Italian architectural term, referring to a private studio and office space, and it seemed to fit their aesthetic. The cute aspect that defines the “little” studio is also relevant to how the business itself got started!

Val and Geoff tell us how the business itself got started! Geoff began his journey by making bicycle accessories for himself, as a bike commuter. His bike became super important in his life, and he spent a lot of time looking for things he could personalize on his bike—however, the materials used were things he wasn’t a fan of. With a history of growing up on a farm and caring for horses, Geoff was already familiar with leather, and combining that crafting skill with his need for new bike accessories got him started. Once he was making prototypes, Val asked him if she could put some of them on her Etsy should. She did, and within a couple of months, the first prototype sold!

Val talks to us about how their Etsy shop took off. They were started at the beginning of the recession, and they were unsure of what would happen. After making their first sale in a couple of months, they found out that one of the biggest bike hubs in the Northwest, Bike Portland, held a bike craft fair every year. They set-up a table there had a blog post written about them, and their business seemed to take off! To this day, their Etsy shop is still running, and provides about half of their sales, with the other half coming from their online store.

Geoff talks to us about his process, stating very clearly that everything is handmade and hand stitched. Through the use of exact blades and straight edge, he explains that his process is as old school as you can imagine. They purchase their hide from a US tannery—only a small percentage of hides are tanned in the US—and from there, he cuts the leather, hand dyes everything, gets the leather edged and glossed, and pieces it together into something wonderful.

Val and Geoff talk to us about the products they use to create their pieces, stating that they mostly use leather and wood. They’ve also experimented with brass and metals as well. The business itself started out with them just making things for their own use, but since then, it’s evolved into a variety of products that people can use. They find that they’re constantly replacing things that are mass produced with things they can make better throu...

One of the best parts of Portland is how strongly we support and connect with businesses in the area, and how we want to support individual entrepreneurs in their long-term business endeavors! Perhaps one of the best ways to bring a group of amazingly talented people together is through art, and my guests this week on the PDX Small Business Network Podcast understand that sentiment far too well.

Torie and Cathy are founders and co-owners of the incredible Crafty Wonderland! Located in downtown Portland, Crafty Wonderland is an amazing store that sells handmade goods from Portland-area artists. Additionally, Crafty Wonderland also hosts a large craft convention 2 times a year—once in the spring, and once in the winter, just in time for the holidays! Together, Torie and Cathy tell me about how they got started, how their businesses grew, and what you can expect when you attend their craft convention. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

All about Torie and Cathy’s amazing retail store! As stated above, Crafty Wonderland is a store that sells the handmade good of local Portland artists, which includes things like jewelry, art prints, original art, clothing, body care, stationery, and so much more. The store works off of consignment, so when you purchase something, you’re supporting one of 200 local artists and their amazing work! Make sure you stop by for a visit — they’re open Monday thru Saturday from 10 - 6, and Sunday from 11 - 6.

Torie and Cathy talk about how Crafty Wonderland got started, stating that it was meant to be a temporary pop-up shop in the beginning! They ended up enjoying themselves more than they thought they would, however, and now, the store is a permanent fixture in the downtown Portland area. They’ve been open for just about 8 years! In addition to their retail store, they also have an online store that sells products from their brick and mortar store, giving tourists a way to take some of Portland home with them!

Torie and Cathy explain the process of how to become a vendor in the store. First and foremost, it’s important to know that the store itself is rather full, so being accepted is a small change. However, they do have a submissions page on their website, and there’s nothing wrong with tossing your name into the ring! Mainly, they required that you live in the Portland-Metro area and that the items you want to sell are handmade by either yourself or a team of people who work with you locally.

Torie and Cathy talk to us about their holiday craft market! This year, the show is going live from December 7th - December 9th. Since their holiday craft market is usually bustling with foot traffic, they’ve added a third day to help people have more options when visiting and to smooth things out. The first Friday night of the convention is a ticketed only event for people who want to get in and get their first pick of what they want. To get more information on things like this, Cathy and Torie suggest you sign up for their mailing list, that way you can be the first to know!

Torie and Cathy tell us how they pick vendors for their craft fair events! It’s a lot less selective, and they open the floor to anyone living anywhere, not just local Portland artists. There’s a 2 week application period, and when it’s over, they review the applications together to pick a good mix of items. They also have a pretty specific aesthetic that they like to adhere to, so keeping with that is important. They want nice quality products and enjoy seeing new things, and new takes on old things. For the holiday show, in particular, they like things that make nice gifts for anyone in the family.

Saturday and Sunday are free to the public and open from 11 - 6! Torie and Cathy explain, however, that they usually pack the Oregon Convention Center, so it’s best to get there as soon as you can!

One of the best parts of living in Portland is experiencing the diverse and amazing restaurants that we have in our amazing city. With so many different things to try and explore, as well as so many things that allow everyone to feel like they can do something new, Portland is certainly home to some of the best new restaurants on the scene. This week’s guest on the podcast is no exception — Jenn Louis is a local and national celebrity, and her critically acclaimed skills in the kitchen making her among the very best in the business!

This week, she’s here to talk to me about her new restaurant, Ray. Based on Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine, Ray is something bold and new on the Portland scene. Together, Jenn and I talk about what kind of food her restaurant offers, some of her favorite dishes, and why Ray is so unique, and inspiring not only for our local area but in the long run as well. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What to expect when you drop into Ray! It’s a casual restaurant that speaks to the experiences Jenn had in Israel. She took a trip there 2 years ago and, at her old restaurant, started making dishes that incorporated her favorite recipes as specials. With how interesting the flavors were, and with a cuisine that isn’t understood very well due to its location, Jenn decided to close her former restaurant, and reopen it in March as Ray!

Jenn talks to us about how Ray fits into the Portland scene. She’s had several businesses before and has been self-employed for 17 years. As such, she’s very aware of what’s happening in the market, what she wants to be a part of, and what appeals to her. Portlanders eat differently, Jenn explains, and being casual is more important to how we live our lives! The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern way of eating match that sort of flow, therefore Ray is a natural progression in that direction! Portlanders also love big flavors, and these flavors are vibrant, rich, intense, and varied — they compliment the lifestyle we enjoy.

Jenn talks to us about how her menu is food for everyone! Admittedly, she didn’t think too much about things like dietary restrictions before opening, but the way the menu panned out, it fits in very well with people who are gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan! There are options for everyone that give you the same bold and rich flavors that Jenn boasts about in a way that doesn’t complicate your personal needs. It’s not a cuisine for the timid, she says, but there is something for everyone.

Jenn explains the ambiance of the restaurant, stating that all are welcome! One of the biggest goals in opening Ray was being inclusive, and a place for everyone to visit. With big, round tables that seat 8 - 10, with Lazy Susan’s in the middle to share big dishes between guests, the restaurant is very group friendly. For date night, events, or just a night on the town with people you care about, Ray is the place to be!

As a local and national celebrity, Jenn talks about her experiences in the media and the world. She doesn’t consider herself much of a celebrity, and is still very much a hard working person with a job she loves, and dedicates much of her time to. Because of her celebrity, however, she’s had amazing opportunities, where she experienced wonderful things! Winning Best New Chef from Food and Wine in 2012 was definitely a good launching pad for her career, and that combined with being on Top Chef Masters definitely gave her chances to travel, and experience food in lots of different cultures.

Jenn talks to us about the way things work in the kitchen. She’s the head chef, with two people underneath her — she oversees the bigger picture while they cook in the kitchen. There’s also a row of line cooks that work under them, and so on with the way the staff extends. Kitchens are a hierarchy, Jenn says, which works well due to always having someone there to...

Living in the Northwest means that we’re integrated into a community, tight-knit and welcoming as ever. We all work together to make sure that we’re living in the best conditions we possibly can, and supporting local businesses and letting people get involved in what we want to do, and how we want to reach out to the people who live here, is important not only for the success of how business, but for the progression of the place we live, too. And that’s why locally owned business is truly the backbone of the Portland area, and why my guest this week is one of a kind with her small businesses that combines two things you wouldn’t normally bring together—yoga, and real estate!

Pam Blair is the owner and creator of Yoga Bug Real Estate—a company that she started after working in both the yoga field and the real estate field, for the past 7 years. Together, Pam and I talk about how her business got started, what sort of events you can catch her at next, and what aspects of yoga and real estate she enjoys the most, and how bringing them together helped her find a passion for her career like never before. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Pam got started! She’s one of the top producing realtors in the Portland area, and in 2011, Pam combined her two passions into one business! She started teaching yoga a few years prior, and though she had her feet in both worlds, she felt like she was being treated differently in her two lines of work. People would often express more interest in her yoga business as opposed to her real estate business, despite her enjoying both, so she decided to bring the two worlds together!

Pam explains how she got started with Yoga Bug Real Estate, stating that planning events was the first thing to get them off the ground. They’re very involved with the community, and every other month, Pam produces what she calls as wellness series. These events are free to the public, and in turn, the people who come to them receive benefit from attendance through valuable information, and getting to know Pam as a business owner, too!

Pam explains why she loves her business so much, calling it sustainable and exciting. It’s not only about being able to connect through real estate but also being able to use the community to connect like-minded people. The marketing involved with Yoga Bug Real Estate is always done by highlighting another business, or another entrepreneur, and it helps to bring people together (which, according to Pam, is what real estate is all about). They practice an organic way of marketing and an organic way of doing business, and that’s what distinguishes them in the world of real estate.

Pam talks to us about a fun yoga event they have coming up, entitled the Dog Bone-Anza! It’s an event that features dog yoga, which lets you bring your dog onto the yoga mat and exercise with them! It’s extremely fun, Pam says, and the proceeds from this event go towards an amazing cause. You can keep up with this event, and other events that Pam plans for her business, through her Facebook page!

Pam tells us which takes longer, organizing events or selling homes! She explains that selling homes usually takes more time—for the event planning she does, there’s a team behind her to help her get the job done. However, either way, Pam explains that when you’re passionate about what you do, it becomes effortless, and it happens either way. She’s incredibly grateful for choosing this path, and has an overflowing amount of enthusiasm to support her!

Lastly, Pam talks to us about the difference in selling houses and listing houses, and what her perfect client would be like. When it comes to selling houses, she enjoys getting to know the people she’s working with, and watching how they light up when she helps them find the perfect home. She often refers to the process as a “treasure hunt”,

When you’re a parent, one of the most important decisions you can make about your child revolves around their education. Their formative years are important to their lives, and how they progress through the system of education as they grow older. However, I know all too well about the struggles of picking the perfect preschool for your children, and how hotly contested the conversation can be around the beginning of the journey that’ll lead them to their future! Thankfully, Portland is home to some of the best preschools in the Northwest, and my guest this week tells us all about her amazing classroom, and how she can help you with your preschool decision.

Susan Brown is the current owner and teacher at Happy Hearts Preschool. Originally founded in 1984, Susan bought the business in 2000 when the previous owner retired and has been running it successfully ever since! Together, Susan and I talk about what got her interested in Happy Hearts Preschool, what sort of things you can expect your child to take part in when they sign up for classes, and the outings and field trips the kids get to enjoy once a month. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Susan came to run Happy Hearts Preschool! A half day preschool for 3 - 5-year-old children, the original owner founded it in 1984, after struggling to find a suitable preschool for her own children. Susan started volunteering and enrolled her own children there, and once the original owner retired in 2000, Susan bought the business and took over! She’s been involved since 1993, and works with one other assistant teacher to keep the school running!

Susan tells us about the sort of things that kids can do in the classroom. They get a lot of hands-on learning in the classroom and are tasked with jobs they can do that teach them a bit of responsibility. There’s a mix of academics learning and playing, and the kids learn how to be independent. Susan also lets the kids get used to being in front of others and being in front of crowds to help prepare them for presentations in elementary schools. 2 times a year they’ll have evening programs as well, where the kids will perform in front of the parents! They learn problem-solving, patience, empathy, self-esteem, and what it’s like to be in a community.

Susan tells us about the field trips that the kids can take, stating that they go out once a month to explore the city and learn how to make friends in different settings! It also provides a place for the parents to get to know each other as they chaperone, while also engaging with the kids as they learn. Field trips can be a variety of things—during the holidays, the kids can go to the pumpkin patch, as well as visiting retirement homes to go caroling!

Susan talks to us about the philosophy of her classroom, and how important it is for her that their doors are open to everyone and anyone. At Happy Hearts Preschool, Susan explains that they’re dedicated to building positive self-esteem and self-stability—they have several hands-on stations in the classroom that allow kids to get interactive, and those stations will change weekly to encourage new things for them to learn. They don’t “rescue” the kids if they’re having problems, either—instead, they’ll try to help them solve the conflict, and own what’s going on (in terms of disputes).

Susan talks to us about the interaction that she encourages between the classes and the parents! There are 2 classes kids can enroll in—one that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and one that meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays—and overall, Susan says they take 20 kids per class. There’s also a sign-up sheet outside of the classroom (as well as newsletters and calendars of their events so parents can keep track of what the kids are doing to get involved with detailed conversations) where parents are encouraged to volunteer their time in the classroom!

In this day and age of technology reigning supreme, little things that ground us give us a sense of novelty when we’re traveling around an area that we’ve never been to before. Pedicabs are part of that scene, as they give you a different way to get from point A to point B and let you experience the city while doing so. And while that notion still holds true for most, PDX Pedicab is a special brand of “transportaintment”, in which they give you a more in-depth look at what makes Portland, well, Portland!

Kyle Kautz, the owner of PDX Pedicab, joins me this week on the PDX Small Business Network podcast, and together, he and I talk about this amazing business he’s cultivated! Kyle runs through how his company differs from other pedicab businesses, what kind of things you can expect when you join PDX Pedicab for a tour, and what initially got him interested in the pedicab industry, and what he’s currently doing today. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What makes PDX Pedicab special! Aside from providing transportation, Kyle states that PDX Pedicab is better known for their tours—specifically, their beer tours, distillery tours, winery tours, and cocktail tours throughout the city. Kyle states that they also go team building tours, which they’ll assist in transporting clients from location to location among the various stops that have been set up for the entire event! Lastly, they also help with a lot of outdoor advertisements, where they’ll wrap the pedicabs in different ads that promote small businesses in Portland and give them promotions during their tours.

Kyle talks to us about the “That’s So Portland” tour, which came about after the rise of the successful television show, Portlandia. It doesn’t really revel in historical value, but rather, is designed to show off some of the quirky nature around Portland, and the company collaborated with Kyle to construct the tour to reflect that feeling!

Kyle also talks to us about his favorite tour, the Distillery Row Tour. Portland has the largest concentrations of distilleries in the country, and Kyle loves going out to talk with the local distilleries in the area to see what new things they’re coming up with. The Distillery Row Tour takes place in the industrial Southeast area of Portland, and out of the eleven that exist, they focus on the fix. While on the tour, guests get to sample the spirits from each distillery, while also engaging in a fun Distillery Row Passport, that shows you the locations you’ll be visiting, tasting notes, cocktail options, and a place to receive a stamp after your visit is complete! Additionally, you also receive a $10 gift card to use while on the tour, if you taste something you want to bring home.

Kyle talks to us about when they provide travel services, stating that it’s usually on Friday and Saturday nights. In general, the offices open at 11 AM, and their latest tour starts at 7 PM for a brewery tour. If you hire them privately, however, the timing in which things get started is totally up to you!

Kyle explains why he does what he does, explaining that he gets so much enjoyment out of his business, and what he does. He loves touring Portland, and he loves the city as a whole—on his own, Kyle tours around the city for new places to see, and sharing those places and new found gems with other people give him a sense of pride and happiness. He also enjoys seeing people fall in love with the city the same way he did, and watching them leave happier than ever makes this the best job he could be doing.

Kyle briefly tells us the process he goes through when hiring a new rider, stating that he tries to find people that are personable. Being an introvert isn’t recommended, as you need to be able to talk to people and have a good energy when giving these tours. Overall, he looks for really energetic cyclists.

When it comes to knowing who you are, and how you can control your life, it comes down to being aware of yourself in a way that allows your brain to hone in on specifics things. Mindfulness is important when it comes to being able to properly run a business, or live the best life at home, or sometimes a combination of both! Life can be stressful and can throw things at you that you don’t always understand, but being able to find a sense of peace in yourself to conquer those things and persevere towards your dreams and your aspirations are important for your professional and personal success.

That’s where people like Danielle Savory can help. As a certified life coach, Danielle uses the practices of Modern Mindfulness to help people find their peace of mind through a variety of techniques that she’s studied over her years with experience. Together, Danielle and I talk about what her coaching sessions are like, what kind of things she teaches to other people, and the ways in which you can connect with her if you’re interested in getting some modern mindfulness! Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What it is that Danielle does! She’s a master certified life coach who specializes in teaching modern mindfulness. She’s spent the last decade with her personal practice—which is built from the previous education of modern mindfulness—and integrates those ideas into real life, and teaches those ideals in the world using workshops, in corporate settings, or at live speaking events!

Danielle explains to us what modern mindfulness is, stating that it’s about taking ancient practices (like buddhist influences) and applying them to modern life, and putting real life experiences into play. Using her formal education background in neuroscience, Danielle approaches mindfulness in her own way to help people achieve a sense of calm in their lives.

Danielle tells us some of the ways to practice modern mindfulness in the home! A lot of people tend to go to meditation first, and Danielle agrees that its part of what she teaches, but some people aren’t ready for it in that moment. Danielle also teaches ways to drop into stillness, with a focus on bringing a presence of mind to what’s going on in your moment to moment life. Some clients have very busy lifestyles, and for them, it’s about teaching how to work on deeper breaths, and tapping into their senses, and focuses on what that brings up for you!

Danielle also explains that any type of mindfulness practice has far-reaching benefits, and one of the things she focuses on revolves around increasing the grey matter parts in your brain. Grey matter focuses on a part of our brain that allows us to notice what’s happening internally, and when we start to check in with our body more regularly, we realize that our emotions have a physical component in the body. When we start to notice these things, we can tap into the body to know what’s going on, and gives you more intelligence when you move throughout the world.

Danielle talks to us about what you can expect when you interact with her during a session! She sees mindfulness as the way into everything—it’s not the end game, but it gives us this way of being in the world and allowing us to have more awareness. Once we have that, we can learn what it is we’re trying to cultivate more of, and we can spend our time working towards it. Her life coaching sessions help with the cultivation of the qualities of mind that you’re working on creating and allows you to uncover those thoughts that you need to work on creating more of.

Danielle explains to us her idea of the perfect client is, stating that people who would describe their lives as busy or full would be wonderful candidates. People who have a lot on their plate—whether it be personally, professionally, or both—are people who would benefit from mindfulness.

When you’re starting a business, it’s hard to have all the pieces together right away. In fact, it’s hard to know what you’re doing when what you’re planning is your first venture into the business world. Regardless of what business you have—be it digital, brick and mortar, or a combination of the two—being able to find your way through the help of someone who knows what it’s like to start their own business can be immensely helpful, especially if that person knows and understands the struggles that surround starting your own business with little to no guidance from someone else.

That’s why Danielle Ewalt is so dedicated to helping those around her! My guest for this week’s episode of the PDX Small Business Network Podcast, Danielle is a business coach who helps small businesses owners and entrepreneurs in the Portland area get a grasp on their business strategies by coaching them through being a business owner! Together, Danielle and I talk about the kind of work she does, and how she inspires other business owners to success using her own success story. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What it is Danielle does! As a coach, Danielle works with business owners to work on their business strategy in order to build up a team of people who will work for them. Usually, these people are a product based company, or they run an office, and Danielle helps to provide them with the rights steps needed to create the structure for their business to help them achieve their goals, and bring their team into it! The end goal is to have a team that’s powerful enough to run the business when the owner isn’t there, letting you enjoy time off that you need!

Danielle talks to us more in-depth about what she works on, stating that her work primarily exists in helping business owners build the framework of how they’re running their business, and how they’re working with their staff. Regardless of the type of business, she’s working with, the thing they have in common is having employees that they want to leverage, and the question revolves around helping those employees come into the fold of understanding the vision of the company. You, the founder, don’t have to do everything! You can train people to take on these responsibilities and generate high levels of experience in the process.

Danielle explains to us why she got started in the coaching industry, stating that she started her own company 8 years ago with her husband. Together, they had a cafe and coffee roastery, and they floundered during their first years in business trying to understand how to run it. They had to figure out how to run a business that’s profitable, runs well, and that they don’t have to be around all the time for the business to find success. Together, Danielle and her husband learned the hard way through trial and error—and research—and eventually reached a point where the business was successful and running perfectly. However, her struggle (as well as people asking her how she turned it around) is what motivated her to get into the coaching industry!

Danielle also tells us how much she enjoys being there for people, explaining that she felt so along during her time as a business owner, and it never really crossed her mind to connect with someone that could help her and her husband. They lost a lot of money, and it took them longer than it needed to in order for them to be successful, and she knows that if someone like her had helped their process, it would’ve been much better.

Danielle talks to us about the top problems that are happening in small businesses, explaining that a lot of the issues revolve around all the responsibility falling onto the shoulders of the owners. They haven’t created a structured system to offload some of that responsibility to others, and they haven’t created the space to hold them accountable for it.

Additionally,

When you venture out on a vacation, finding the perfect place to stay is one of the most important aspects of travel. The place you choose to stay can make or break your entire getaway, and lately, there’s been an increase in people that prefer alternatives to larger, chain hotels. AIrBnB’s are high on this list, as well as tiny houses! A small alternative to a single room, a tiny house offers you the amenities of a house in a compact way, and Tiny Digs Hotel is the premier tiny house community for people looking for a new way to enjoy their vacations!

Pam Westra is the founder and owner of Tiny Digs Hotel, a community in the heart of Portland with 6 houses for you to stay at! Each house has its own theme, too, and this week, Pam talks to me about how she got started in the tiny house business, what goes into planning each house, and the designing involved to make each one unique and special, as well as cozy for guests from all over the world. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

When Tiny Digs got started! Pam explains that they opened a year ago and have been going strong since! Each house is tiny in appearance—they’re under 200 square feet—and each house is individually themed. You can visit their website to see all of the houses offered to choose a themed house that suits you best!

Pam also explains what each house can offer, starting with the fact that each house has a queen size bed at the minimum. Some of the other houses offer a pull-out couch for additional room, as well as a click-clack couch, meant for one adult, but mostly children. Overall, each house can fit a minimum of 2 people, and a maximum of 4. The houses are also electric powered, with a hot plate and toaster ovens included in most of the houses!

Pam explains the designing process, stating that each partner takes turns in designing the houses on graph paper. Then, one of the partners works to build a model on SketchUp, and the original partner with the idea gets to choose the theme, as well as decorate the inside of the house to match! Currently, there are 8 houses on site (though one is their office space), and when they’re done with construction, they plan to have a total of 12 houses to rent out.  

Pam talks to us about the neighborhood where Tiny Digs resides, stating that it’s perfect for people looking to explore Portland. It’s just one block away from what’s called “Portland’s Delicious Half Mile of Food”, and Pam explains that there are over 50 restaurants and brewpubs within a 10-minute walk of the hotel!

Pam explains to us what the inside of the houses look like, stating that most of them have a loft sleeping area upstairs. On the main floor, there’s a sitting area and a small kitchenette, where you can use hot plates and toaster ovens to prepare food. There’s also a restroom on the first floor, complete with a flush toilet and a stand-up shower. Pam also tells us the rates you can expect to pay for staying at these houses, explaining that weekday rates are 165$/night, and weekends are $175/night.

Pam gives us a bit of background on herself, stating that she’s been living tiny for 9 years! Nine years ago, after her and her husband retired, they hit the road in their RV to travel. During that time, tiny houses were just coming about, and once they settled down in Portland, they decided to live in the RV! In the future, they’re looking forward to getting more tiny houses built for the community, as well as building one for the family!

Pam tells us how her family got interested in building tiny houses, stating that she started to see little hotels popping up about 5 years ago. Pam and her son were already obsessed with tiny houses in general, and would constantly send each other ideas about tiny houses while they were traveling. After doing research, they set up their home base in Portland, and after another 8 months of research,