PDX Small Business Network

Self-care is an extremely important part of maintaining a well structured and highly functioning business. After all, if you’re not in the right mindset to get things done, the business itself can seem overwhelming. Knowing your strengths and being able to look at the big picture in order to do your best and live your best is a key ingredient to success, and building up your wellness is essential to being the business owner you want to be.

Radical Self Care:

Tiffany Thoen knows about this craft all too well. A business coach as well as a registered nurse, Tiffany helps women practice radical self-care so they can rediscover the core of who they are, and why it matters. She’s extremely dedicated to helping women find their inner balance through holistic wellness practices, and today, she’s here to talk about what her work does, and what it could mean for you. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

All about Tiffany’s business, and what brought her to the place she is now. She’s been an RN for 10 years, and currently, she’s working with women entrepreneurs who are feeling depleted and helping them focus on self-care while getting them into a mind shift that makes them a priority in their lives. Her aim is to make women feel whole and vibrant, so they can enjoy the life they’ve worked so hard to build. As a brand, Tiffany’s also specialized in training where you can learn how to coach people in all areas of their lives, in a variety of holistic ways.

Tiffany gives us a little insight into what “holistic” truly means, explaining that it’s truly looking at someone as a whole person, their health, and well being included. It’s not just a matter of deciding what to do—it’s about looking at all of the factors that can help someone be successful, and encouraging them to make the changes they want to make to benefit their life.

Tiffany describes to us what her perfect client would be, stating that her most exciting work is with women entrepreneurs who really understand the connection between their wellness, their livelihood, and their satisfaction in life in wanting to make themselves a priority. She also notes that they tend to be highly motivated people with helping personalities, but they struggle to prioritize themselves in that lifestyle.

Tiffany discusses how she works with people, stating that most of her work is with people online via video conferencing. She does, however, meet one on one with people in her home office if that’s what they prefer and what makes them more comfortable. She also discusses the difference between one on one sessions and group sessions, stating that one on one sessions are mainly for people who would like to work with her for a predetermined amount of time, while group sessions span over the course of a couple of weeks in a workshop, or public forum, type of setting.

Tiffany discusses her business coaching specialties, stating that she focuses on getting the client grounded and centered when it comes to people with concerns. Getting them to listen to their intuition and guiding them to trust their own instincts tends to work best. Once they’re grounded, bringing that focus back to having a good hold on their business can bring the process into a full circle moment—asking questions like “who are they serving”, “why do you want to serve them”, and “how do you want to show up in your business”.

Tiffany gives us some mindset tips, her favorite being that sometimes, you need to look at things through a scientific lense. When you take the judgment out of self-reflection and self-reviews and look at it more objectively, your opinion will generally be more productive for you, and your mental health. It’s all about looking at it like an experiment!

Lastly, Tiffany talks with us about how she went from being an RN to being a business coach, stating that the big push in the coaching community in an ...

This week on the podcast, I’m speaking to the co-owner of a business that is difficult to describe succinctly. That’s because what they do is so unique and dependent on what their clients need. Talie Smith runs the company alongside her husband, Scott, and her sister, Becca.

Brand Strategy Agency in Portland:

Together, the three of them cover the three major disciplines of their awesome design, strategy, and technology company: Talie heads the creative side, Becca is in charge of technology, and Scott leads them in strategy.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Smith & Connors came to be. They were each working in their own little corner of the corporate world but were ultimately unfulfilled by it. However, they brought their experience to the table, and it began when Becca and Talie quit becoming developer/designer, respectively. Scott joined as their strategist not long after.

How they help their clients—and they help their clients in a plethora of ways! Essentially, they help give their clients a voice and build a story to bring their mission to the forefront. They do this by building brands, websites, apps, writing, strategies, and so on, offering a real 360 view of their clients’ communications.

What their perfect client is like. They love working with folks who are open-minded, adventurous, and ready to dig deep. Talie specifically uses the word “changemaker”. These folks are not satisfied with how things are going and really want to switch things up, especially in regards to communication.

What they do uniquely. For Talie and her co-owners, it’s not just about design, brands, websites, or communication; it’s about the essence of the business or organization they’re working with. From there, they figure out the tools that need to be built to make that essence shine.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Smith & Connors

Design Week Portland

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Talie also goes into detail about one specific instance of where Smith & Connors were immensely successful with a client, so if you’re still curious about what they do and how they help folks, this interview is the perfect place to start!

Smith and Connors in Pictures:

Are you the kind of person who, no matter how hard you try, can’t seem to keep your desk clean? Or maybe you feel like you’re constantly cleaning up your house even though you just picked up the day before. Whatever your situation is, you could benefit from the services of someone like Sherri Curley—AKA the Practical Sort here in Portland!

The Practical Sort Portland Eco-Organizing Solutions:

The Practical Sort is a professional organizer who offers eco-organizing solutions in the PDX area. As she puts it, if you can organize your home, the rest of your life will run so much better.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Who Sherri is and what she does. Sherri talks about how she helps people from organizational services to helping clients ready their homes if they’re looking to put their house on the market.

The different ways Sherri can help you reorganize your life, depending on what kind of “brain” you have. For example, even people with an orderly brain type like her can need extra help getting things on track when life gets hectic, or she can help creative types keep their important documents organized to make things like tax time much easier.

What the process of working with her is like. Things start with a free (that’s right—FREE) 30-minute phone consultation with her as she gets a better feel for who you are and what your needs are. From there, she’ll come to your home to assess the situation and see if you are a good fit.

Some of her certifications. She’s certified by both NAPO and IPO, two well-established and respected organizations for professional organizers. She goes on to emphasize that if you are hiring a professional organizer, you should go with someone who is NAPO-certified.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Practical Sort

Facebook

Google Plus

Pinterest

Twitter

Sherri and I cover a lot of ground in our interview, including some details about her prices, so you don’t want to miss out—especially if you think you might benefit from her services.

Have you ever wanted to take a cooking class? There are a lot of great places to learn here in Portland, but many may feel like they are geared more towards folks who already have cooking experience. Thankfully, there is a place you can go if you’re interested in learning: Portland’s Culinary Workshop!

Portland's Culinary Workshop: Incredible Cooking School

It’s an incredible cooking school driven by hands-on learning specifically geared toward the public in the Portland Area. This workshop is helmed by Melinda Casady and Susana Holloway, and Susana joins me on the podcast to talk all about Portland’s Culinary Workshop!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Portland’s Culinary Workshop came to be. Susana and her business partner, Melinda, knew each other for years before and have a long history as professionally trained cooks and chefs. Seven years ago, Melinda proposed the idea of opening their own cooking school together.

What kind of classes they offer. Their class list is extremely varied! From butchery to kid’s cuisine, if you look at their list, you’re bound to find something that interests you.

What the schedule looks like. Most classes are in the evening, but they offer daytime classes during the week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. They also offer kid-specific classes on the weekends.

How classes work. At other cooking schools, you can expect to come once a week for six weeks, but with Portland’s Culinary Workshop, each class is one and done—though they do offer two-part classes if the information is too much to contain in one class!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Portland's Culinary Workshop

Real Food Traveler

Groupon

Eliot Neighborhood

Zoom Info

Pinterest

Facebook

Twitter

At Portland’s Culinary Workshop, there is something for everyone. All you need to bring is your smile; the workshop will provide the rest! Susana encourages you to think of the kitchen while you’re there, so check out Portland’s Culinary Workshop and find out why it could be right for you!

I hope you all have eaten before you sit down and listen to this episode, because this week, I’m joined by Chef Javier Canteras! We’re talking about his restaurant, Urdaneta, on Alberta Street here in Portland.

Spanish Tapas in Portland:

Urdaneta is a Spanish restaurant with a strong influence of the Basque region of Spain, as well as Madrid. This is because Javier is originally from Spain. What they specialize in is tapas, Spanish wines, and other specialties from the Basque region.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What tapas are, exactly. Javier says there is some contention of what makes a tapa, but as far as he’s concerned, tapas are simply “small plates”—which means they can be a lot of things! The ultimate goal is that you can eat tapas in about five bites but that you get a few different things so you can have a variety.

The different kinds of tapas that are offered at Urdaneta. They have tapas broken down into three categories: Pintxos, Tapas Primeros, and Tapas Segundos. Javier shares some of his favorite tapas from each category and explains each one is almost like you are going through the different courses of a meal.

How Javier got his start. He’s a trained chef who went to culinary school, but he got is REAL start as a kid. Between his father and his grandfather, cooking has been a part of his family for a long time.

The atmosphere of Urdaneta. He describes it was a “really big kitchen that has tables and chairs around it”. It’s laid back, fun, and high-end without the white tablecloths.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Urdaneta

Basque Supper Club

Monta Villa Market

Star Chefs

PDX Eater

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Javier and I touch on so much more than the show notes describe, such as the Basque Supper Club, so to find out even more awesome information about this incredible restaurant, be sure to listen to the full episode! In the end, the folks at Urdaneta want you to make friends, have fun, and share great food.

Small businesses are the backbone of every small community, and Carter & Rose is a perfect example of what good can happen when people come together to support such a wonderfully unique cause. Anna VonRosenstiel, the owner of the business that aims to sell handmade goods, pottery, jewelry, and so much more, expresses this very sentiment as she talks to us about what her amazing store can offer, and how this store came to be.

Tune into this week’s PDX podcast as I talk with Anna about how the storefront got started, where the idea came from, and the litany of amazing products she sells and makes from hand! Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

Where the idea for Carter and Rose started from. Anna states that prior to her time as a business owner, she worked as an art teacher for a private school. The woman she started the business with had been in floral design, and upon moving to Portland, she had the idea to start a store. And thus, Carter and Rose were born!

Anna tells us the three tiers of what’s important to her, as a business owner, and the goals she strives to reach through her store—she wanted to make as much product as they could for the store, she wanted to make sure they engaged other people in the making process, and she wanted to showcase other local artists in the store.

Anna tells us the story of their most popular product, the wall planters, and how they really took off! Using scraps of ceramic, they create cones that they then mount onto pieces of wood, and the size of the cone decides what sort of plant is based in the soil. The popularity of this product helped them gain amazing footing and wholesale accounts, according to Anna, and it’s what really gave them the foundation to build a storefront.

Anna also tells us about the other products that Carter and Rose have to offer—for example, the ceramic fortune cookie that’s extremely popular with bridal showers and wedding parties, and the lovely array of ceramic jewelry made from scraps that they turn into lovely earrings and necklaces.

Anna tells us the process of how Carter and Rose's classes go! Weekly, they open their clay studio to the general public, and for $5 an hour, you can visit and create whatever you’d like, with as much (or as little) advice as you want. Larger groups (4 or more) are encouraged to call ahead, and even larger groups can rent out the studio for a private party!

Lastly, Anna tells us about her sales process, stating that her main sales are done throughout the year in the storefront. Additionally, there are about 35 stores that carry the wall planters for wholesale accounts, and during the winter and summer, there’s a lot of craft fairs in which they have a booth to sell their products out of as well!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Carter & Rose

Carter and Rose Studio Tour

Open Clay Studio and Events

Instagram

Facebook

Got a question for Anna? You can shoot her an e-mail, or give the store a call through the number listed on their website. Anna leaves us with the notion that she loves being creative and love making things, and she realizes the value of other people creating things as well. She recognizes that her success comes from a strong support from the community that Carter and Rose are based in, and she appreciates the small business community and appreciates the space they have that let people create whatever they choose!

Carter & Rose in Pictures:

This week I’m excited to welcome a very special guest to the podcast: Mac Prichard! He runs two companies: Prichard Communications, but he’s perhaps better known in the Portland area for his online community, Mac’s List.

Mac's List Portland Oregon: An Online Community for Job Seekers:

Mac’s List is an awesome resource for job seekers; several things set it apart from other job boards, and Mac himself gets into the details in this week’s interview!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What Mac’s List is all about. It’s an online community that attracts over 80,000 hits every month, and nine out often located right in the Portland area or Southwest Washington. There’s a job board there that advertises positions you won’t see anywhere else, as well as great content on how to properly look for work.

How Mac ended up becoming a professional job hunter. He’s self-taught, but more importantly, he’s worked in communications his whole life. He loves to connect people and started a list to keep in touch with folks, and it grew slowly with only about 1,000 names after nine years. However in 2010, they launched a website, and it took off from there.

What makes Mac’s List Portland Oregon special. His short answer? Employers get fewer applicants, but they tend to be the right applicants. He goes into some more details about how Mac’s List Portland Oregon job seekers tend to be more educated than other job seekers!

Informational interviews. This is a model of interviewing that Mac likens to a structured business meeting. You walk into the appointment with an agenda and touch on three key things: your story and goals, specific targeted questions about where you want to work, and recommendations for growing your network.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Mac’s List

Prichard Communications

Mac's List Academy

Youtube

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Twitter

Mac says the key to finding work that matters is being clear about what you want and asking for help. He has a lot of experience and knowledge on this topic and shares it with his users in so many ways, so be sure to listen to the podcast and find out how Mac’s List could benefit you!

Get ready, everyone, because this episode is loaded with information! Today I’m sitting down with Angela Tisci, a woman of many talents with her hands in many different pies. We’re talking about her three different businesses (yes, that’s right—three), so sit back, relax, and get ready to be healthy!

Woodstock Wellness Center:

Angela is the owner of the Woodstock Wellness Center in the Woodstock neighborhood here in Portland and the creator of the EcoFertility Method. She’s also a business coach and owner of AcuBizConsulting.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

The Woodstock Wellness Center. She originally created the Woodstock Wellness Center because there was a need for a place people go to heal and thrive that wasn’t a medical center or a spa. Woodstock Wellness Center is a good in-between, where she and her team offer acupuncture, massage, yoga, and life coaching.

What is a life coach entails? Angela boils it down to people having that thought of, “I know what I should be doing, but I’m not doing it.” That’s where coaching comes in. It’s getting people from where they are to where they want to be by offering accountability and support on top of coaching.

The EcoFertility Method. This was created about four years ago, born because fertility is actually Angela’s specialty. She asked herself, “How can we help these people in the best, most awesome way?” She boiled it down to four pillars: Physical Health, Mental Health, Financial Health, and Spiritual Health. The EcoFertility Method is a 90-day preconception program that takes these four pillars into account in order to prepare the body for pregnancy.

Angela has been through all the hardships and struggles in starting her wellness business, so she wanted to offer that training and coaching for other holistic practitioners. The way I see it is, Angela has been through all the struggles; you shouldn’t have to go through them, too, when she can give you the answers!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Woodstock Wellness Center

ECOFertility Method

AcuBizConsulting

All Biz Listing

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

The bottom line is, Angela, says it’s okay to get support in whatever way you need it. You never have to go through anything alone, and she’s ready to help you! We talk about a LOT more than what I tell in the show notes, so be sure to listen to the full episode and find out all that she does!

Hip Chicks Do Wine in Portland:

There are winemakers that have been proudly making wine in the Willamette Valley for over fifty years—but the oldest winery in Portland is a little bit younger than that. Still, it’s no easy feat, and Hip Chicks Do Wine has been making wine by the train yard in Southeast Portland since 1999.

They’re a 100% woman-owned and operated a business and proudly offer a wide variety of unique wines. Laurie Lewis, one of the co-owners, joins me for this week’s episode to talk about this incredible business and its many facets.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

How Laurie and Renee got their start making wine. They had a love of wine to the point that they toured almost every winery in Oregon, and one day they just had an epiphany. Making wine looked like so much fun, and they said, “Let’s stop tasting wine and making it at home; let’s get serious and find out more about the industry.”

How to create wine. Laurie’s simple answer boils down to three things: getting good grapes, keeping things clean, and not screwing it up. Sounds easy, but she dives into a deeper answer about some of the many things that she and Renee have to consider when making their wines.

The different kinds of wine Hip Chicks Do Wine offer. Laurie goes into detail about so many of their wines, but she sums it up nicely by saying, they try to have something for everyone.

PDX Urban Wineries. It’s an organization that highlights all the different wineries in Portland. For a long time, it was just Hip Chicks Do Wine making wine in Portland, but that has expanded considerably. They bring together boutique wineries in a variety of ways, including joint events twice per year.

What the future holds for Hip Chicks Do Wine. Laurie certainly hopes to grow a little more, but not to the point that they end up going nationwide. She wouldn’t mind setting up distribution in other states, however, like California, Illinois, and New York—places they’re already delivering to. Otherwise, she’d like to keep it a two-person operation!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hip Chicks Do Wine

Cafe Press

Every Vine

Wine Trail Traveler

Facebook

Twitter

My interview with Laurie goes into so much more detail than this, so you’re going to have to listen to the full episode to find out more about Hip Chicks Do Wine! They’re an incredible business here in the Portland, and certainly on the fast track to becoming a historic one someday.

Themed parties can be incredible, right? The thought that goes into them is often mind-blowing! We all have themes or fandoms we’d love to use as the basis of a party or event, but how do we go about getting it set up?

Themed Catering Events in Portland:

Thankfully, right here in Portland, there’s an awesome catering company that specializes in themed events, and they can handle the food for you. It’s called Fan Fare Theme Catering, and it’s owned and operated by Anne Tegtmeier. She and I talk all about her business and what she can do for you, so tune in!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

What Fan Fare is. Simply put, they’re a catering service that specializes in creating custom menus for theme events. The “fan” part of the name is an obvious nod to fandoms, but you don’t need a fandom to contact them for your event; they can use any kind of theme you can think of!

Some of the recent and upcoming events Anne has catered. This past summer, she had a Game of Thrones wedding, and she has a Star Wars wedding coming up. They’ll be having a taco and a pasta bar, featuring dishes like Boba Fettuccine and Tatooine.

What she does for each event. She creates the entire buffet, complete with tablescape and display pages that have a humorous little description for each dish. She can prep the food from a commercial kitchen she rents (usually from an awesome place called Kitchenhood), or she can bring everything to your house or venue if they have the kitchen space. She and an assistant or two will stick around once the buffets have been set up to assist with whatever you may need!

How Anne got started with Fan Fare Theme Catering. She’s been creatively involved with food for ten to fifteen years, starting with a food blog she used to run with her mother. They published two cookbooks together, and Anne even ended up on Ultimate Recipe Showdown on the Food Network as a result! She then started throwing themed parties for fun, which turned into the catering business she runs today.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Fan Fare Theme Catering

Weekly Meetup

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Anne has an awesome and creative business, so you’re going to want to find out all about it by listening to the full episode. Oh, and she gives a shout out to a few awesome Portland business, but in particular mentions how awesome Moonlight Cafe in Sellwood can be. Check out the full episode now!

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