The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast with Tracie Root

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Is LinkedIn really for entrepreneurs—or is it still mostly a corporate platform?

According to LinkedIn consultant Mary Wu, LinkedIn in 2026 is simply networking: humans connecting with humans on a business level.

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie talks with Mary about the winding career path that eventually led her to become known as “the LinkedIn person,” even before she was ready to claim it herself.

They talk about choosing your “one thing,” leveraging relationships you've already built, taking your network with you when your career changes, and some simple ways to make your LinkedIn profile work harder for you.

Most importantly, Mary reminds us that LinkedIn doesn't have to feel complicated, corporate, or impersonal. It's about people.

What You'll Learn

• Why LinkedIn is valuable for entrepreneurs, not just corporate professionals
• How Mary became known for LinkedIn before intentionally choosing it as her specialty
• Why focusing on one area made her business simpler
• How to bring your existing network along when your career or business changes
• Why connections who aren't potential clients can still be incredibly valuable
• How your LinkedIn headline can help people remember what you do
• Why you should check how your profile looks on both desktop and mobile

Actionable Tips

Tell people what you're doing now. Your former colleagues and connections may not be your ideal clients, but they may know exactly who needs you. Don't abandon the network you've already built when your career changes.

Use your headline strategically. The words following your name travel with you when you comment on other people's content. Make those first words memorable instead of relying on a generic title like Founder or CEO.

Check your Featured section on mobile. Three items may appear on desktop, but only one leads on mobile. Make sure the first thing people see is the thing you most want them to see.

Memorable Quote

BOLD Moment of the Episode

Mary didn't start out planning to become a LinkedIn consultant.

After owning a franchise, working as a personal assistant, returning to school, and taking a school district job for the benefits, she reached a point where she needed more control over her schedule.

Mary decided to go all in on working for herself as a Virtual Assistant. She eventually shifted into social media and noticed something interesting: whenever someone needed LinkedIn help, people kept pointing to Mary.

Then a coach asked her one simple question:

“What's your one thing?”

Mary already knew the answer everyone else had been giving her: LinkedIn.

Claiming that specialty gave her a clear lane and allowed her to become deeply knowledgeable about one platform instead of trying to be everything to everyone.

About Mary Wu

Mary Wu is an independent LinkedIn consultant who helps small business owners stop guessing and start growing on the platform that actually gets them clients.

Named one of John Espirian's “LinkedIn Experts to Follow,” Mary breaks down the “algamabob” into strategies real people can actually use—no jargon, no fluff.

Off the platform, she's probably curating the perfect connection for someone, thinking in song lyrics, or hanging out with her plushie collection.

Connect with Mary

Website: https://marywuva.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryawu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryawu/

One Final BOLD Reminder

LinkedIn doesn't require you to sound corporate or become someone you're not.

As Mary says:

“Don't be afraid of being on LinkedIn, and don't be afraid of being yourself because everybody else is already taken.”

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast and what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could be making more of their LinkedIn connections.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

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What if the success of an event isn't determined by the food, décor, agenda, or perfectly executed logistics—but by how people feel when they're there?

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie talks with Master Event Design Consultant, Speaker, and bestselling Author Marinda Freeman about designing experiences with intention.

With more than four decades in events, including serving as Executive Director of Martha Stewart Catering, Marinda has learned that every gathering—from coffee with a friend to a conference with thousands—is an opportunity to create connection and community.

Tracie and Marinda explore the “energy bubble” we create when people gather, why welcome and ease matter more than ever, and how event professionals can intentionally create experiences that help people reconnect.

What You'll Learn

• Why every event should begin with intention, not logistics
• How the energy of the people creating an event affects the guest experience
• Why no person or role at an event is unimportant
• How to create an atmosphere of welcome, ease, and connection
• Why connection is especially important as people relearn how to gather
• How Marinda's 15 event principles can apply to creating almost anything in life
• Why clarity and non-attachment can work together

Actionable Tips

Decide what you want people to feel. Before planning what will happen at your event, consider the experience you want to create. Your intention influences everything that follows.

Remember that everyone matters. From your guests to your volunteers, vendors, speakers, and staff, appreciation creates a ripple effect throughout the entire experience.

Create connection intentionally. People may need more help feeling comfortable gathering and connecting than they once did. Build welcome and ease into the experience rather than assuming connection will happen on its own.

Memorable Quote

BOLD Moment of the Episode

Years into her event career, Marinda was driving across the Golden Gate Bridge on her way to produce an event for thousands of people when she asked herself:

What if I could produce events from a more spiritual standpoint?

That question changed how she approached her work.

Marinda began exploring the universal principles underneath successful events, starting with the belief that there is no unimportant person or part to the whole. She intentionally focused on making everyone involved feel appreciated and discovered that the energy spread throughout the entire event.

Those ideas ultimately became the foundation of the principles she now teaches through her speaking, consulting, and book.

About Marinda Freeman

Marinda Freeman is a Master Event Design Consultant, Speaker, and bestselling Author with more than four decades of experience designing conferences, festivals, fundraisers, product launches, corporate meetings, community events, weddings, and more.

Drawing on her experience as Executive Director of Martha Stewart Catering and nearly three decades as a licensed Spiritual Counselor, Marinda combines strategic planning with a deep understanding of hospitality, human behavior, and guest experience.

She is the author of Everything Is an Event: A Step-by-Step Guide Creating Memorable Occasions for Today’s Lifestyle with 15 Principles Revealed.

Today, Marinda helps organizations, businesses, and event professionals move beyond managing logistics to intentionally designing experiences that foster connection, community, and meaningful outcomes.

Connect with Marinda

Website: https://marindafreeman.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinda.freeman
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinda.freeman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marindafreeman/
Email: [email protected]

One Final BOLD Reminder

Whether you're creating a conference, a meeting, a dinner, or coffee with one other person, you're creating an experience.

Start with intention.

Ask how you want people to feel, how you can help them connect, and what you want to bring into the space yourself.

Because everything is an event.

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast and what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who brings people together.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

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What happens when the business you've built no longer reflects who you're becoming?

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie talks with Camille Miller, founder of the Soul Professional Movement, about trusting your intuition, evolving your business, and having the courage to change something that's working when you know it's no longer right.

Camille shares how a career in nonprofit leadership led her to recognize a community of professionals who were successful on the outside but weren't fully expressing their spiritual, holistic, or intuitive sides. That realization eventually became a global movement now reaching six continents and 51 countries.

They also explore community versus celebrity culture, the growing importance of trust and relationships in business, and a powerful question for every entrepreneur entering a new level: Who do you need to become to lead what's next?

What You'll Learn

• How Camille turned one networking experience into a global community
• Why she moved her organization Online before the world required it
• How to recognize when your business is drifting away from its original mission
• Why Camille eliminated a successful paid membership model
• The difference between building around a founder and building a community that can thrive without her
• Why trust, relationships, and strong ecosystems matter more than ever
• How your identity can create—or limit—your next level of business growth

Actionable Tips

Listen for mission creep. A successful offer or business model isn't necessarily the right one forever. Ask whether what you're doing today still serves the mission you originally set out to fulfill.

Build something bigger than yourself. If community is the goal, look for ways to develop leaders, invite participation, and create something that doesn't require you to be at the center of everything.

Look at who you need to become. When the strategy is sound but you're still hitting a ceiling, the next shift may be in your identity, beliefs, or willingness to play bigger.

Memorable Quote

BOLD Moment of the Episode

Camille's BOLD decision was walking away from a business model that was working financially—but no longer felt aligned with her mission.

By 2024, Soul Professional had become a successful paid membership organization with high-end masterminds, but Camille realized the organization had become too centered around her.

So she took down the paywall, stepped away from being the person who taught everything, and cut off a significant source of revenue.

The result? 2024 was her best business year, and 2025 became her worst.

Still, Camille trusted that the next path would reveal itself. Today, Soul Professional is evolving toward a community-supported model with new leadership, ambassadors, sponsors, partnerships, and both Online and in-person connection.

About Camille Miller

Camille Miller is a transformational leader and Strategic Business Designer for Soul-Led Visionaries. She mentors midlife entrepreneurs to transform their wisdom and decades of experience into scalable, purpose-driven businesses that create impact and financial freedom without compromising their values.

She is the founder of the Natural Life Business Partnership, a Soul Inspired Business School, a global Online Learning Academy, and the Soul Professional Movement. Camille is also the author of three bestselling books and host of the Soul Professional Podcast: Global Conversation Series.

Connect with Camille

Website: https://www.soulprofessional.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camille.l.miller.mba
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camillelmiller/
Email: [email protected]

Soul Professional Podcast: Global Conversation Series:
https://www.soulprofessional.com/podcast

One Final BOLD Reminder

You don't have to have the entire next chapter figured out before you begin.

Sometimes you simply know that what worked before isn't what you want anymore. Stay open, trust what you're learning about yourself, and give your next chapter room to emerge.

As Camille says, “See what's possible.”

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast and what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's ready to think differently about her own next chapter.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

Send us Fan Mail

Writing the book is only the beginning.

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie talks with publishing and marketing expert Keren Kilgore of Quantum Shift Media about how authors can think much bigger about what happens before, during, and AFTER they publish.

Keren sees three distinct phases in a book's life: writing, publishing, and marketing. Her goal is to connect those pieces so a book doesn't simply sit on a shelf—it becomes a platform that builds relationships, credibility, visibility, and opportunity.

Tracie and Keren talk about writing from the reader's perspective, creating a “book ecosystem,” building opportunities for readers to experience more of you, and why a book launch should be much more than one big day.

And if you already have a book that's been sitting on the shelf? Keren has a message for you, too: Your book isn't done yet.

What You'll Learn

• The three phases of a book: writing, publishing, and marketing
• How to think about your reader's experience from the beginning
• Why storytelling matters in nonfiction
• How to create an ecosystem around your book
• Why your launch should be a strategic campaign, not a one-day event
• How an older book can be relaunched for a new audience
• How a book can become a long-term business and visibility asset

Actionable Tips

Think about the reader before you write. Don't assume your audience already understands what has become second nature to you.

Create a book ecosystem. Consider how readers can experience and connect with you throughout the book, rather than waiting until the final page.

Don't treat launch day as the finish line. A launch is a strategic campaign, and your book can continue creating opportunities long after publication.

Give an older book another life. Keren recommends considering a relaunch every 18 months to two years as your audience grows and changes.

Memorable Quote

BOLD Moment of the Episode

Keren's BOLD decision started with changing the name of her company.

She realized she'd outgrown Lightning Tree Creative Media and renamed the business Quantum Shift Media because she saw herself creating quantum shifts for her clients.

Something unexpected happened: she had to grow into the name.

Her vision became bigger, new ideas and people appeared, and the business expanded. Sometimes naming where you're going gives you permission to grow into what's next.

About Keren Kilgore

At Quantum Shift Media, Keren Kilgore helps authors, coaches, speakers, and business owners write, publish, and market fiction and nonfiction books that align with their deepest truth and professional purpose—transforming them into powerful business assets that grow visibility, impact, and income.

With over 25 years of experience in publishing, she guides clients through every phase of the process—from crafting a compelling manuscript to book design and a strategic launch that attracts clients, speaking engagements, and media attention.

Her services include book coaching, professional book design, publishing, author branding, marketing campaigns, and her signature 90-Day Book Launch Blueprint.

Connect with Keren

Website: https://quantumshiftmedia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keren.kilgore
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantumshiftmedia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerenkilgore/
Email: [email protected]

Quantum Shift Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/@QuantumShiftMedia/podcasts

Mentioned in This Episode

The Seven Hidden Traps That Sink Book Launches — Keren's resource about common launch mistakes and what authors can do differently.

The Teen Identity Project — A collaborative publishing opportunity Keren is creating for teen authors.

One Final BOLD Reminder

If you've already published a book, don't give up on it.

And if there's a book that's been asking you to write it, don't give up on that either.

Your book can have a much longer life than launch day.

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, The Gather Community, and what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who has a story or message the world needs to hear.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

Send us Fan Mail

Episode Summary

What happens when you stop waiting for your circumstances to change and start creating a way forward?

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie talks with Sabrina Victoria, founder of Her Nation Global, about resilience, financial independence, sales, community, and learning to trust yourself enough to take the next step.

Sabrina shares her journey from single motherhood and a 13-year controlling relationship to building multiple businesses, creating financial independence, and eventually launching a global ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.

Her story isn't about one giant leap. It's about making decisions, learning as you go, understanding your numbers, and continuing to move forward—even when the entire path isn't clear.

What You'll Learn

• How Sabrina began building businesses as a path toward financial independence
• Why understanding your numbers gives you more choices
• How sales can feel genuine instead of pushy
• The difference between being an “ostrich” and a “champion” with your finances
• Why community has been essential to Sabrina's business growth
• How to keep moving when you don't know exactly what comes next

Actionable Tips

Know your numbers. Sabrina encourages women to stop avoiding their finances. Knowing what's coming in, what's going out, and what you need gives you information you can use to make stronger decisions.

Don't make sales creepy. Selling doesn't require becoming someone you don't want to be. As Sabrina says, “If you don't wanna be a creepy salesman, then don't be creepy.”

Take the next best step. You don't need to solve everything today. Identify the next decision or action that moves you toward greater freedom, stability, or opportunity.

Memorable Quote

Sometimes that's all you need to know to keep moving forward.

BOLD Moment of the Episode

While in a controlling relationship, Sabrina began quietly creating a different future for herself.

She opened a separate bank account, built four Online businesses, and saved approximately $50,000. Eventually, she left the relationship.

Her path wasn't perfectly linear. Sabrina later made the strategic decision to return to a shared company under newly negotiated terms for two years, using that time to strengthen her financial position before separating completely.

It was a BOLD example of looking at the circumstances in front of her and asking: What decision gives me more power over what happens next?

About Sabrina Victoria

Sabrina Victoria is the powerhouse behind Her Nation Global, a business ecosystem for women entrepreneurs ready to be seen, heard, and paid.

After overcoming single motherhood and a 13-year narcissistic relationship, Sabrina turned her experiences into a mission to help women own their stories, their power, and their ability to create financial independence.

Her Nation Global includes The Her Talk Show, Her Nation Magazine, and House of Velani, with masterminds, sales workshops, networking, and resources designed to help women build respected brands and businesses.

Sabrina is certified in NLP and life coaching and brings decades of sales and entrepreneurial experience to her work with women leaders.

Connect with Sabrina

Website: https://www.sabrinavictoria.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealsabrinavictoria/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsabrinavictoria/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinavictoria/
Email: [email protected]

Her Talk Show:
https://www.youtube.com/@hertalkshow

One Final BOLD Reminder

You don't have to know how the entire story ends before you make a move.

Look at where you are. Remember what you've already survived and accomplished. Then ask yourself:

What's my next best step?

Take that one.

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast and what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a reminder of just how powerful her next step can be.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

Send us Fan Mail

Your brand doesn't need more noise. It needs more clarity.

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie sits down with Brand Strategy Advisor and The Brand Alchemist™ Taylor Boone to talk about what really makes a brand stand out—and why beautiful visuals, more content, and even the latest AI tools can't fix a confusing message.

After 25 years as a commercial photographer, director, and producer, Taylor made the bold decision to step out from behind the camera and focus on what she'd been seeing all along: the strongest visuals in the world can't save a weak or confusing brand.

Taylor and Tracie dig into finding the who behind your ideal client, creating a magnetic message, using storytelling to build trust, and navigating AI without allowing it to strip the humanity out of your brand.

Because in an increasingly noisy world, Taylor believes the brands that win won't necessarily be the loudest. They'll be the clearest—and the most human.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why great photography, design, and marketing can't fix an unclear brand
• How to go beyond demographics to identify the person you truly serve
• Why a clear message creates a stronger “signal” for your ideal clients
• How storytelling helps build connection and trust
• Why AI should support your brand voice rather than replace it
• How to give AI the human context it needs to create better content
• Why being perfectly polished can actually hurt your credibility
• How clarity can help you confidently charge for the value you provide

Actionable Tips from This Episode

• Go deeper than demographics. “Women over 40” is a category, not a who. Keep asking what your ideal person is experiencing until you reach the specific problem you can speak directly to.
• Get clear before investing in aesthetics. Your logo, photos, videos, website, and colors should amplify an already-clear brand—not try to create clarity for you.
• Train your AI on YOU. Give it your point of view, audience, voice, tone, story, and the feeling you want your brand to create before asking it to generate content.
• Use AI as a tool, not the solution. Let it help you organize, brainstorm, and work more efficiently without handing over the human connection that makes your brand yours.
• Choose clarity over cleverness. You don't have to follow every trend or create more content. Know who you're talking to, what they need, and why your work matters.

Memorable Quote

And one more worth remembering:

BOLD Moment of the Episode

Taylor had spent decades behind the camera when a former photography client came back wanting to hire her again.

This time, Taylor said no.

She told the client that photos and videos weren't going to solve the real problem. Instead, she offered to work with her as a brand advisor to fix the messaging, positioning, and overall brand first.

The client immediately said yes.

That bold decision became part of Taylor's leap from a 25-year career behind the camera into the work she'd realized she was meant to do—helping business owners find the clarity and message that makes their work visible.

About Taylor Boone

Taylor Boone is a Brand Strategy Advisor, author, and the voice behind The Brand Alchemist™. After 25 years of building her own company through visual storytelling, Taylor now guides entrepreneurs, experts, and purpose-driven leaders to clarify their message, strengthen their signal, and build brands with weight, trust, and authority.

Her work sits at the intersection of brand strategy, intuition, psychology, storytelling, aesthetic intelligence, and AI. She is known for cutting through brand confusion and finding the message that moves people.

Taylor's approach is rooted in one core belief: a weak message makes powerful work invisible.

In a noisy market, more content is not the answer. Clearer positioning is. Stronger language is. A brand voice people can feel, trust, and buy from is.

Through The Brand Alchemist™, Taylor teaches entrepreneurs how to define who they serve, sharpen what they say, and build brands that rise above the noise. Her work is especially focused on the new era of AI, where unclear brands will only become louder, faster, and easier to ignore.

Taylor believes clarity is currency. Her mission is to guide thousands of entrepreneurs to own their voice, build unmistakable brands, create meaningful wealth, and use their work to make a deeper impact in the world.

Connect with Taylor Boone

Website: http://taylorboone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331123942458790

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1taylorboone/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorboone/

Email: [email protected]

Special Offer for BOLD and Brilliant Listeners

Taylor's Brand Alchemist Course is an eight-module program covering everything from your brand's who, what, and why to fonts, colors, communication, video, photography, and AI.

Listeners of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast can use code BOLD to receive $50 off the course.

Taylor is also including one year in The Brand Lab, her live weekly space where participants can bring their branding questions, ideas, and work for feedback and support.

Visit Taylor's website for details.

One Final BOLD Reminder

Taylor leaves us with a message every entrepreneur with an idea needs to hear:

Believe in yourself enough to get the idea out of your head and in front of you.

If you're passionate about creating something that can serve people, don't let fear—or not knowing every step—keep you from beginning. There are people who can help you along the way.

Connect with Tracie

Find more episodes of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, learn about The Gather Community, and discover what's coming next:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

Love the Podcast?

If this episode gave you something to think about, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend or fellow entrepreneur. Every listen and share helps us bring these conversations to more women who are ready to live, lead, and build more boldly.

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

Send us Fan Mail

What if the traditional rules of business aren't rules you have to follow?

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie sits down with feminist business coach Becky Mollenkamp for a thoughtful conversation about questioning the expectations we've inherited—in life and in business—and intentionally choosing something different.

Becky shares how the death of her brother became a catalyst for examining a life that looked successful on paper but didn't feel fulfilling. That process eventually led her to question not only her own choices, but also the traditional business practices that reward urgency, scarcity, hierarchy, and growth at all costs.
Tracie and Becky also explore what it means to build a human-first business, the difference between equality and equity, and why entrepreneurs need to continually reassess their messaging, offers, and assumptions so they're serving the people in front of them—not the customer who existed three years ago.

It's a conversation about values, awareness, adaptability, and creating businesses that offer both hope and possibility.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How to recognize when you're following someone else's definition of success
• What it means to bring a feminist, human-first approach to business
• Why equity and equality aren't the same thing
• How privilege and lived experience can affect the way we lead and serve
• Why your offers, pricing, and messaging need to evolve with your customers
• How listening—not assuming—can help you better understand what your clients need right now

Actionable Tips from This Episode

• Audit your messaging. Look at what you're currently sharing and ask whether it speaks to what your clients are actually experiencing today.
• Listen before you solve. Invite clients or potential clients into a conversation and ask what's keeping them up at night, what they're worried about, and what they're talking about with friends.
• Reassess your offers. Instead of automatically discounting, consider whether different formats, shorter commitments, or new containers might better meet people where they are.
• Review before you publish. If you created content months ago, take another look before it goes live to make sure it still fits the current moment.

Memorable Quote

BOLD Moment of the Episode

After her brother died of a heroin overdose in 2010, Becky began questioning the life she'd built—the career, marriage, home, money, and accomplishments that looked great from the outside but didn't make her happy.

She began asking herself a powerful question: Am I choosing this because I truly want it, or because I've been taught it's what I'm supposed to do?

That willingness to question the “good girl” rules she'd followed became the beginning of a much larger transformation in both her life and her work.

About Becky Mollenkamp

Becky Mollenkamp is a feminist business coach for service-based entrepreneurs who want to build human-first businesses that honor collective flourishing over profit-at-all-costs growth. After spending nearly 20 years in journalism and content marketing for corporate clients, Becky realized that traditional business advice often rewards urgency, scarcity, and hierarchy.

She now helps founders unlearn the white-supremacist, capitalist patriarchal rules they were handed, so they can build work that doesn't require self-abandonment.

She is the founder of the Feminist Podcasters Collective, and co-founder of Feminist Founders and the Messy Liberation Coaches Circle. Her new book, Liberate Your Business (April 2026), offers a roadmap for moving from extractive “empire building” to sustainable, collective legacy.

Connect with Becky Mollenkamp

Website: https://beckymollenkamp.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckymollenkamp/

Podcast: Messy Liberation
https://messyliberation.com/

Email: [email protected]

Mentioned in This Episode

📚 Liberate Your Business by Becky Mollenkamp
Becky describes the book as a guide for entrepreneurs who want to examine everything from leadership and hiring to marketing and messaging through a more human-first lens.

📚 Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Becky's recommendation for exploring hope, community, and caring for one another even during difficult times.

Connect with Tracie

Find The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, The Gather Community, upcoming events, and more:

https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

Love the Podcast?

If this episode inspired you:

• Subscribe so you don't miss what's next
• Leave a review to help more women discover the show
• Share this episode with someone who would appreciate the conversation

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

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🎙️ Finding Quiet in the Noise: Healing Burnout and Reconnecting with Yourself with SuperKate

Episode Summary

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie sits down with the delightful and deeply insightful SuperKate—a somatic life coach, world-renowned hugger, and former "Do-It-All-I'll-Sleep-Later" woman—for a conversation that so many high-achieving women need to hear. Together, they explore burnout, nervous system regulation, body awareness, and the importance of creating space in a world that constantly encourages us to do more. Through humor, honesty, and profound wisdom, SuperKate reminds us that there is nothing wrong with us—and that perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves is permission to simply be. 

What You'll Learn in This Episode

•  Why burnout can follow us, even after changing careers or lifestyles 
•  The difference between exercising your body and listening to your body 
•  How creating small moments of space can transform your life 
•  Why your worth is not determined by your productivity 

Actionable Tips from This Episode

•  Experiment with moments of quiet without filling them with more information 
•  Notice where you may be overriding the signals your body is sending you 
•  Practice doing one thing at a time instead of constant multitasking 
•  Give yourself permission to simply exist without needing to solve everything 

Memorable Quote

Bold Moment of the Episode

After experiencing burnout in the entertainment industry and then again as an entrepreneur, SuperKate made the courageous decision to stop trying to outwork exhaustion. Instead, she chose a different path—one focused on nervous system regulation, creating space, and reconnecting with herself. That shift changed everything and ultimately became the foundation of the work she now shares with women around the world. 

About SuperKate

SuperKate is a world-renowned hugger, somatic life coach, and former Do-It-All-I'll-Sleep-Later who spent years telling herself she was fine, until it was impossible to pretend anymore.

She now helps ambitious, overwhelmed women make the small shifts to find their quiet space inside of the noise so they feel better and enjoy life again. She's also the host of Connecting with SuperKate, a weekly podcast for the “I'm fine” women who are exhausted from holding it all together but who still believe it CAN be better.

Connect with SuperKate

•  Website: https://thesuperkate.com/
•  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superkate
•  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_superkate
•  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/superkate/
•  Podcast: Connecting with SuperKate
  • https://rss.com/podcasts/connecting-with-superkate/

Join The Gather Community

If you're ready to take your next bold step, come join us inside The Gather Community—a space for women leaders and entrepreneurs who are building their businesses through connection, collaboration, and courageous action.

🔗 https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

Love the Podcast?

If this episode inspired you:

•  Subscribe so you don't miss what's next 
•  Share it with a friend or colleague 
•  Leave a review—it helps more women find us

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

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🎙️ Being BOLD in a Quiet Way

Episode Summary

In this heartfelt mini-episode, Tracie Root explores a different perspective on courage. So often, we associate boldness with big personalities, dramatic decisions, and fearless action. But what if some of the most courageous things we do happen quietly?

Drawing from her own experiences of loss, reinvention, entrepreneurship, and community-building, Tracie shares why courage doesn't have to be loud to be powerful. This episode is a reminder that thoughtful leaders, gentle souls, and quiet women can live incredibly bold and brilliant lives—one small courageous step at a time.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

•  Why courage doesn't require fearlessness 
•  How quiet leaders often create extraordinary impact 
•  The everyday moments that require tremendous courage 
•  Why community helps us take the next brave step 

Actionable Tips from This Episode

•  Stop comparing your version of courage to someone else's 
•  Celebrate the small acts of bravery in your own life 
•  Lean on supportive women when you need encouragement 
•  Trust that one small next step is enough 

Memorable Quote

Bold Moment of the Episode

Looking back, Tracie realized that her biggest transformations weren't dramatic or flashy. Leaving corporate, rebuilding after loss, creating The Gather Community, hosting retreats, and launching the podcast weren't born from fearlessness. They were built through hundreds of quiet decisions—small acts of courage that, over time, created a bold and brilliant life.

About Tracie Root

Tracie Root is a speaker, coach, author, and fierce advocate for women’s connection and growth. As the founder of The Gather Community and host of The Bold and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie creates spaces where women entrepreneurs feel seen, supported, and empowered. Her bold leadership and commitment to authentic connection have built a nationwide movement of women taking decisive action in life and business—together. Tracie’s work transforms isolation into inspiration and community into unstoppable momentum.

Connect with Tracie Root

•  Links & Resources: https://www.tracieroot.com/links
•  The Gather Community: https://www.thegather.community
•  Become a VIP Member: https://www.thegather.community/membership

Join The Gather Community

If you're ready to take your next bold step, come join us inside The Gather Community—a space for women leaders and entrepreneurs who are building their businesses through connection, collaboration, and courageous action.

🔗 https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

Love the Podcast?

If this episode inspired you:

•  Subscribe so you don't miss what's next 
•  Share it with a friend who needs this reminder 
•  Leave a review—it helps more women find us

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root

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🎙️ Stop People-Pleasing and Start Choosing Yourself with Anna Hanael

Episode Summary

In this episode of The BOLD and Brilliant Podcast, Tracie sits down with Anna Hanael—speaker, healer, certified hypnotherapist, and pattern-breaking expert—for a powerful conversation about self-trust, people-pleasing, intuition, and personal transformation. Anna shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Communist Poland, where conformity and performance were expected, to building a life and business dedicated to helping others reconnect with their true selves. Through stories of resilience, healing, and bold reinvention, Anna reminds us that we are not meant to abandon ourselves in order to belong—we are meant to choose ourselves first.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How people-pleasing and overachievement often begin in childhood
• Why intuition is a powerful guide for life and business decisions
• The role of hypnotherapy and energy work in creating lasting transformation
• How learning to trust yourself changes everything

Actionable Tips from This Episode

• Pay attention to where you may be abandoning your own needs to please others
• Create moments of stillness to reconnect with your inner guidance
• Take action before you feel completely ready—confidence follows action

Memorable Quote

Bold Moment of the Episode

At just 26 years old, Anna made a life-changing decision: she sold her successful business, left her home country of Poland, and moved across the ocean to the United States for love. What followed was a challenging period of isolation, emotional abuse, and self-discovery that ultimately led her to reconnect with her intuition, embrace healing work, and step into the calling she now shares with others. That courageous leap became the foundation for the transformational work she does today.

About Anna Hanael

Anna Hanael is a speaker, mentor, coach, healer, certified hypnotherapist, and pattern-breaking expert who helps empaths, intuitives, and entrepreneurs stop people-pleasing, trust themselves, and choose themselves first.

Anna works with clients who are challenged by overgiving, self-sabotage, and people-pleasing patterns that create stress, anxiety, lack of self-trust, and toxic relationship dynamics. Many of her clients have already tried therapy, coaching, mindset work, or self-help, yet still feel stuck, blocked, or unable to move forward on their own.

Through her unique blend of hypnotherapy, energy healing, subconscious reprogramming, and spiritual guidance, Anna helps clients heal at the root level. With over 25 years of experience in energy work and 14 years as a hypnotherapist, she empowers people to build self-worth, confidence, clear communication, and the courage to live and lead from their true power.

Connect with Anna Hanael

• Website: www.annahanael.com
• Free Masterclass: How to Stop Putting Yourself Last and Start Saying No Without Guilt
  • https://annahanael.com/masterclass/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anna.hanael/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annahanael
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-hanael-55a086122/

Join The Gather Community

If you’re ready to take your next bold step, come join us inside The Gather Community—a space for women leaders and entrepreneurs who are building their businesses through connection, collaboration, and courageous action.

🔗 https://www.tracieroot.com/podcast

Love the Podcast?

If this episode inspired you:

• Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next
• Share it with a friend or colleague
• Leave a review—it helps more women find us

Support the show

Thank you for supporting The Bold and Brilliant Podcast!

Find out what's up with Tracie by connecting on your favorite social media channel, and with The Gather Community by joining us at an upcoming online event or receiving our mailing list. Go to:

https://www.tracieroot.com/links

to find upcoming events, workshops, courses and more!

We're just getting started, so I hope you subscribed, and please leave a review so we can start building some podcast-momentum!

xoxo
Your host,
Tracie Root