Resilient Entrepreneurs

The 3.5x multiplier most founders ignore

Jennifer Kaplan, earned media has 3.5x more impact than advertising, yet most of us avoid it because it feels uncomfortable. That discomfort? It's actually your signal that growth is around the corner.

Silence is never neutral

When something goes wrong in your business, staying quiet creates a vacuum others will fill with speculation. The fix is simpler than you think: "We hear you and we're addressing it" keeps trust intact while you work behind the scenes.

The moment you go into hiding, you're letting other people write your story. Communication doesn't have to be perfect - it just has to exist. Even acknowledging the situation buys you time and maintains your relationship with your audience.

Your reputation is happening whether you manage it or not

Every email you send, every introduction you make, every comment you leave online, these small moments are building the perception that becomes your business reality. You're already creating a reputation; the question is whether you're being intentional about it.

Jennifer shared how her brand identity differs from her reputation: "Perception is reality. If you're the one that was interviewed, people immediately think you must be the expert they should call." The opportunity sits in recognising that you don't need more credentials, you need more visibility of what you already know.

Fear is just data, not a stop sign

The discomfort you feel before hitting publish or speaking on stage isn't a warning, it's evidence you're stepping into the visibility your business actually needs. Jennifer's mum taught her that "fear is the real F-word," and the solution isn't becoming fearless - it's acting anyway.

When you shift your mindset from "What will they think?" to "Who might I help?", the uncomfortable feeling transforms into purposeful action. Your expertise has the power to solve someone else's problem, and that's worth the temporary discomfort of putting yourself out there.

Listen to Jennifer's complete perspective on building thought leadership confidence.

🎧 Listen now and start owning the authority you already have.

About Jennifer Kaplan

Jennifer Kaplan runs a PR agency in Scottsdale, Arizona, helping entrepreneurs and brands navigate everything from national media coverage to crisis communications. She believes every founder already has what it takes to be seen as a thought leader—it's about using PR as a tool to amplify what's real, not hide behind what's polished. Her approach focuses on earned media that builds genuine authority rather than manufactured credibility.

When Anya Cheng moved from Taiwan to the US, people told her her English was “too broken” to work in the marketing sector.

Today? She’s the Founder & CEO of Taelor, an AI-powered men’s clothing subscription service that’s raised $1M, won Marketing Excellence Award of the Year, and is redefining effortless style. A Girls in Tech 40 Under 40 honoree, she’s also led innovation teams at Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald’s.

In this episode, we explore what happens when you refuse to let other people’s doubts define your future. From testing her idea with a $10 Shopify page (and landing a customer who tracked her down), to raising $1M without a tech background, to turning “outsider” status into her biggest advantage, this conversation is honest, inspiring, and an enthralling story.

We cover:

📍Landing your first customer before building the product

📍Raising $1M without a Silicon Valley network

📍Why authenticity beats perfection every time

🎧Listen now and ask yourself: What’s the next bold step you can take in your business?

📲 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this with your entrepreneurial crew.

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The CEO Who Never Wanted to Be One (And Why She’s Great at It)

Someone literally forced Vicky Brown into entrepreneurship.

Now, 25 years later, she's the CEO helping entrepreneurs to build teams that create results.

Vicky shares…

🔥 The recruiting secret that attracts the right people to your business (it's about marketing, not posting)

💡 Why Tuesday mornings can be special!

🚫 Why you should never use personality profiles when hiring

🎯 The interview questions to ask - and not - when interviewing candidates

⚡ Why hiring people just like you will sabotage your growth (and what to do instead)

🤖 Why AI is your friend, not your enemy - and how to use it without losing the human touch

🎧 Ready to build a team that can grow your business? 

Watch or listen now - your approach to hiring can transform your business.

Connect with Vicky: Leaders Journey TV: / @leadersjourneytv

🎧 Listen now to shift how you think about hiring, leadership, and building a resilient business.

What if you could build significant wealth by stepping away from your business?

Nikki Nash, Author and Entrepreneur discovered this with a wake-up call - a serious car accident forced her to ask: If I disappear tomorrow, does my business survive without me?

We sat down with Nikki to explore how she shifted from chasing income to building lasting wealth and how she’s now showing you how to do it too.

Here’s what we covered:

📌Revenue ≠ Wealth: Why service-based businesses are often overworked and undervalued

📌Asset Thinking: Systems, SOPs, and offers that grow your business value

📌Learning from the 1%: How mentors can change the trajectory of your thinking

📌Marketing = Dating: Her fun, effective framework for attracting aligned clients

📌Permission to do it your way: Let go of “shoulds” and build the business that fits you

🎧 Listen now and start building the kind of business that doesn’t need you glued to it 24/7

📘 Grab Nikki’s book Market Your Genius - hhttps://bit.ly/3HlcX6j

🎙️ Listen to The Market Your Genius Podcast for more smart, actionable advice. https://bit.ly/3J7Mfic

What if the secret to achieving more is doing less? In this episode with Vicki and Laura, we focused on the lie we've all been sold - that busyness equals success. Our guest, Peggy Sullivan, bestselling author and TEDx speaker (with over 1 million views), shares her deeply personal wake-up call that exposed the cost of overworking. That sent her on a mission to show other women how you can reclaim your time, energy, and joy.

Peggy shares her three-step "Busy-Busting" framework:

📌Subtraction – eliminate low-value tasks stealing your focus

📌Mojo Making – daily rituals that boost energy and mindset

📌Values Vibing – align your schedule with what matters most

You’ll also learn:

✔ The truth behind time poverty and why multitasking is a myth

✔ Peggy’s “11am chocolate routine" (yes, chocolate!)

✔ Why micro-steps matter more than big leaps

✔ How your corporate burnout might be the best thing to happen for you.

🎧 Listen now and find out how to escape the busyness trap without sacrificing your ambition.

📘 Grab her book Beyond Busyness: How to Achieve More by Doing Less

🎥 Watch her TEDx talk (1.1M+ views!) here: Peggy Sullivan TEDX Talk

When ChatGPT told our guest Sreyna Rath she was “good at baking,” she didn’t just get annoyed… she built Jaimee, the world’s first female-focused AI companion. In this episode, we (Vicki and Laura) sat down with Sreyna to unpack what happens when you stop trying to fit in and start building something the world really needs. From battling imposter syndrome as a woman coder in a man-tech world, to being OK with the haters, and inviting an innovative and ethical advisory board, this conversation is as bold and honest as it gets.

We talk about:

📌Why true gender equality means women don’t have to be exceptional to belong

📌The quiet (and dangerous) gender bias baked into AI tech

📌Building a dream team with no budget.

📌Why it’s okay to stop convincing skeptics

Whether you’ve ever felt underestimated, unheard, or like you’re building something no one gets yet, this episode is for you. And if you, like us, weren’t aware that 700 million people are already using AI companions daily, watch this!

🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: What’s the change you’re brave enough to create?

📲 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this with your entrepreneurial peeps.

📘 Read about Sreyna’s journey featured on 60 Minutes and beyond: https://jaimee.ai/blog/60-minutes-sreyna-rath-jaimee-interview Download Jaimee from your App Store to be introduced to your next best friend.

“Who am I to speak on stage?”

It’s a question too many brilliant women ask themselves—while stages remain dominated by men, 3 to 1.

In this episode of Resilient Entrepreneurs Podcast, Gail Watson, founder of Women’s Speakers Association, shares how women can stop second-guessing themselves and start owning the message they were born to share.

She’s not just talking about speaking gigs - she’s talking about standing in your truth.

We had a delightful conversation about:

🎤 How to turn fear into fuel

🔥 How you know that your message matters

👭 The power of finding your people - community changes everything

💡 How to uncover the message you’re meant to share

🗣️ Why women’s stories are so powerful This episode isn’t about being louder. It’s about being real. And being heard.

🎧 Listen now and see why “I’m not a speaker”, may not actually be true.

👉 More about Gail and Women’s Speakers Association: https://www.womenspeakersassociation.com/ 📘 Check out Voices of the 21st Century: https://voicesofthe21stcenturybook.com/

"From living room sales to 120 franchises" — Rhea Lana Riner didn’t plan to become a business founder. She just needed to make ends meet.

What started as a side hustle in her living room turned into a franchise model now helping thousands of women build flexible, profitable businesses across 27 states.

With no business background, she built a model centered on generosity, community, and flexibility — proving that part-time businesses can have full-time impact.

🔑 What You’ll Learn:

- How a side hustle turned into a national franchise

- Why having no business background worked in her favor The power of values in scaling across 27 states

- How “inverted royalties” flipped franchising norms

- Why pop-up events work better than storefronts

- How her business supports women through different life seasons

🎧 Tune in to hear how one mom built a movement — and why your best business ideas often start with solving your own problems.

👉 Learn more about Rhea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhea-lana-riner-84874035/

What if the key to building wealth isn’t working harder—but breathing better?

In this new episode of Season 7 of Resilient Entrepreneurs Podcast, we connected with Monica Garcia Duggal—Wall Street veteran and “billion dollar coach”, to explore the surprising link between breathwork and business success.

Monica reveals how just one minute of intentional breath can improve decision-making by 30%, shift fear into excitement, and help you lead with clarity, not stress.

She also shares:

🌬️ The 1-minute breathwork routine that top entrepreneurs use daily

📦 Her “Tinkerbell Quadrant” for turning big dreams into focused action

📈 The 1% Rule for consistent, compounding growth

💡 Why wealth is actually about mindset, money, and energy

🎧 Listen now to learn how your breath may be your most underrated business tool.

📘 The Power of Breath by Monica Garcia Duggal — out now

🎤 Watch for her TEDx Talk: “Breathwork Makes You Wealthy” It’s not about hustle—it’s about how you show up. Start by breathing.

Monica’s Financial BITES Method: www.monicagarciaduggal.com BOOK: https://www.monicagarciaduggal.com/powerofbreath

"Are you really going to try that?" We've all heard that voice - sometimes from others, sometimes from ourselves. Shannon Russell tackles this head-on with a refreshing truth: by the time you're ready to make your move, those comments will bounce right off you. Her advice? Tune in to find out…. And see why you don't need anyone's permission to choose a life that fits you. Your purpose isn't some grand, fixed destination; it's your personal arrow, constantly guiding you towards what matters most, whether that's more time with your children or simply feeling alive in your own skin every day.

Coming from the gig-based world of television production, having worked with big stars like Taylor Swift, Shannon knows something crucial about entrepreneurship: resilience isn't about avoiding rejection, it's about dancing with it. 

She's on a mission to show her children (and all of us) that life doesn't have to follow a straight line – you can be multiple versions of yourself and become fuller rather than just older. As a thought leader, she's figured out that it's not about broadcasting to everyone; it's about reaching the right someone at exactly the right moment. In a world drowning in noise, Shannon champions something revolutionary: listening to that steady inner voice that tells you how you want to show up and how you want to feel.

This isn't about starting over—it's about moving forward with purpose.
🎧 Listen now and learn why your successful second act starts with your own permission.

👉 Know more about Shannon here:https://secondactsuccess.co/about
📘 Grab her book Start Your Second Act: https://noboringbooks.com/books/start-your-second-act/