Hey, Creative Empire listeners, this is our biggest show yet for reasons that we are about to reveal. Reina and Christina are together today and we have some pretty big news for you. Christina and Reina have gotten together over the past two and a half years to record these episodes month in and month out. This is episode 250. They have recorded 250 episodes and have decided that they are going to be stopping the Creative Empire. This is the very last finale episode of CEP as it is right now.

• What the origin story was [0:02:11]

• What their favorite part of the show is [0:04:11]

• Why are the duo leaving the space [0:09:34]

• Why quitting something does not mean a failure [0:14:32]

• What Christina has in store for her Creative Empire [0:17:15]

• What Reina has in store for her Creative Empire [0:20:22]

• Why they will be serving you in a different way [0:24:02]

• Would Reina do a podcast again [0:24:43]

• Would Christina do a podcast again [0:25:27]

• How to connect with Christina [0:27:58]

• How to connect with Reina [0:28:46]

• Being Boss Podcast

• Amy Porterfield’s Podcast

• Pat Flynn’s Podcast

• Tim Ferriss’ Podcast

• Jenna Kutcher

• Voxer

• Their Scaling In Business Episode

• The Contract Shop

• The Contract Shop Instagram

• Christina’s Instagram

• Reina and Co

• Reina’s Instagram

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Today Reina and Christina are bringing you another jam session! Christina is talking all about legal. She is talking about what happens if somebody steals your ideas, what to do when you’re thinking about “should I be trademarking something or not?,” and how to potentially close your business. These are all things that at some point, you’re going to be thinking about or confronted by in your business. Knowing that you have legal options and hopefully somebody you can trust in order to help protect you in your business is super helpful as well. If you are excited to talk about all legal things and things that just happen kind of in the daily business life of an entrepreneur, listen below.

• What the worst reason to not start your business [0:01:12]

• What to do when someone creates a product exactly like yours [0:02:33]

• Why brand building is so important [0:05:00]

• What actions you can take to stop people from copying you + trademarks [0:10:21]

• When to decide to talk to an attorney [0:18:08]

• What to think about when closing your business + exiting your business [0:25:20]

• Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS)

• Etsy

• The Unofficial Shopify Podcast by Kurt Elster

• The Calming Manatee

• Flippa

• Exchange Marketplace

• Digital Exits

• Empire Flippers

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Reina and Christina are joined today by Alexis “Lex” Monson. Lex is the Co-founder and CEO of Punkpost, a service powered by a community of artists who handwrite and send cards for you. Punkpost is the dashboard for creating and managing happy moments. Lex’s goal is to help people make good on their good intentions and give people an accessible way to connect with one another in a deeper, more meaningful way. Before Lex founded Punkpost, she was the managing community editor at Brit + Co. Prior to that, she worked as a senior editor at Yelp, so she knows her way around the internet.

• Why Punkpost was created [0:02:42]

• Who Punkpost works with [0:04:40]

• What types of cards they have [0:09:21]

• What fires Lex up about Punkpost [0:11:19]

• Why they are cultivating a community at Punkpost [0:14:01]

• How to become an artist to Punkpost [0:20:07]

• What some of the business stages they have went through [0:21:00]

• What people are sending cards for + their best holidays [0:24:52]

• Cluster

• Become a Punkpost Handwriting Artist

• ShareGrid

Dr. Lindsay Padilla is the founder of Course Power, a company that helps I  trailblazing entrepreneurs create student-centered courses, content and communities that get their clients A+ results! Using her years of teaching adults online at a community college and the ridiculous amount of learning she has done in all things education, her team specializes in supporting digital entrepreneurs with the early stages of course or program creation, with a focus on optimizing content and elevating the experience using student feedback. She's also the host of the Academics Mean Business Podcast, which shares the journeys of other academics who have started businesses.

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Today, Reina and Christina are joined by Natarsha Wright, who is a published, and featured, wedding photographer and personal branding photographer. Natarsha is committed to building her business through second shooting, which is really cool. The trio are talking about second shooting. If you have ever been curious about how you get into that or supplementing your business income by doing second shooting. Natarsha is going to be talking a little bit about tips and tricks for how to get second shooter gigs and some of the things that you need to know to make sure that you’re not stepping on people’s toes.

• How Natarsha got into wedding photography [0:01:58]

• Why she is so passionate about second shooting [0:03:20]

• How to be a second shooter + what it means [0:08:27]

• What mistakes people make as a second shooter [0:11:19]

• What advice she has for lead photographers [0:16:57]

• What types contracts you should have in place [0:19:12]

• What tips Natarsha has to be a second shooter + skills to have [0:22:50]

• What camera lenses to start with as a second shooter [0:25:49]

• Why she created a resource for second shooters [0:29:19]

• How pricing can vary as a second shooter [0:30:47]

• Natarsha’s Second Shooter Resource

Natarsha Wright is a published and featured wedding photographer and personal branding photographer, and the owner of Natarsha Wright Photography. After years of specializing in wedding photography, she now partners with creatives who are focused on increasing their brand visibility by showcasing intentional visual content needed to connect with their target audience and grow a more profitable business. Natarsha’s passion is helping creatives tell the story of their couples + brands through curated images aimed at their target audiences and missions. Her work has been featured on The Knot, Baltimore Bride, Washingtonian Bride and Groom, Virginia Bride, Essence, Black Bride, Aisle Perfect, Munaluchi Bridal and more. When she’s not in grind mode she is exploring taco and ramen bars, checking out the latest netflix binge worthy shows, or spending time with family and friends.

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Welcome back to another episode of the Creative Empire Podcast. Reina and Christina are jamming all about five habits of growing a successful business. It’s actually 10, because each of them have five. Reina’s perspective is the mom perspective and Christina's perspective is all about the success habits of traveling and maintaining a really successful business. Listen below to hear all ten!

• Why less is definitely more [0:03:28]

• How to pack light + wash your clothes on the go [0:08:19]

• Why you should double and triple check your schedule [0:11:06]

• Why you should bring food everywhere [0:15:10]

• Why having a morning routine is important [0:21:31]

• What Reina’s recoup day looks like [0:23:05]

• Why you should create 3 buckets of life [0:29:01]

• How to “sit by the pool” [0:33:00]

• Why reading is important [0:34:10]

• Ashley Kelly of the Modern Calligraphy Summit

• Ulta

• Packing Cubes - Ebags

• REI

• Camp Climb

• Becca Courtice of Happy Ever Crafter - Her Creative Empire Episode

• Bulletproof

• Quest Cookies

• Dannie Fountain

• American Express Platinum Card

• Sheplans Planner

• Megan Seely - Planner Match Making

• Plan to Eat App

• Kelly McNelis - The Family Freezer

• Parijat Deshpande - Delivering Miracles Podcast

• Hey, Sweet Pea - Elise and Scott Grice

• Daniel Pink’s book About Time

• Audible

• Crazy Rich Asians

• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

• Trevor Noah's Born a Crime

• We Are Never Hanging Out In Real Life by Samantha Irby

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Today, Reina and Christina are chatting with Liz Rich and Kylie Clayborne of Wee Rascals. Their mission of Wee Rascals, is really cool! When you go to their website, they talk all about empowering kids with hip and historical tees and they have really built a movement out of their product. At the beginning of the episode, we here how the ladies got started working together and what the mission behind the business they have build is. The duo share how scary it was to niche into their market and how they have reduced risk in their business. Lastly, they dive into some of the struggles they have faced as product shop owners.

• How the ladies starting working together + what Wee Rascal is [0:01:21]

• Why it was scary to niche down in their market [0:05:18]

• How the duo reduce risk as a product shop [0:09:45]

• What some of their struggles as a product based business was [0:11:10]

• How they listen to their audience [0:16:01]

• What the duo do to stay organized [0:19:45]

• What some of their lessons learned have been [0:22:04]

• How they have kept their focus [0:25:22]

• Shopify Hack Days

• The 20% coupon code CE20 for their website

Liz Rich: Co- Founder, Mama of 3 and currently living in Vancouver, BC. Kylie Clayborne: Owner + Co- Founder, Mama of 2 and currently living in Austin, TX.

Wee Rascals was started in 2013, born out of a desire to empower children with tales of true heroism. To spark their curiosity and connect them with their own possibilities. With 5 children between us, we wanted to give our own children more options for clothing than we saw in the sea of superheroes and princesses. We wanted them to see real faces and hear stories of courage, perseverance and selfless dedication that has led to the betterment of humankind. We wanted to spark curiosity within our own children and yours, and prompt conversations that matter.

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Reina and Christina are back for a jam session to intentionally talk about Instagram. If you use Instagram for your business, or you are not but want to, listen up! At the beginning of the episode, both Reina and Christina share about their relationship with Instagram. We hear why trying out types of content on the platform can be helpful and we hear which posts get better engagement. Lastly, we hear why Christina has went back to Instagram and their thoughts on the 10K mark.

• What Reina’s relationship with Instagram [0:01:38]

• What Christina’s relationship with Instagram [0:02:48]

• How Instagram keeps changing + why you should experiment [0:06:12]

• How to use Instagram for your business [0:09:28]

• What posts have better engagement [0:17:56]

• How IG TV [0:19:43]

• What Christina’s wins on Instagram have been + why she started IG again [0:23:05]

• How Reina feels like Instagram is weighted for 10K [0:30:02]

• How to manage DM’s [0:32:14]

• Julie Paisley

• Ovoo Javer Video

• Becca Courtice of Happy Ever Crafter, her Creative Empire Episode

• Jeff Goins, his Creative Empire Episode

• Tai Lopez

• Lara Casey

• Jenna Kutcher

• Camp Climb

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Today, Reina and Christina are joined by Molly Stillman is the founder and creator of Still Being Molly, a life and style blog started in 2007 and the host of the Business With Purpose podcast with over 600,000 readers. Stillbeingmolly.com has become a trusted community for women, especially moms who love everything from style and beauty to parenting and real food, to serving in their communities and making the world a better place. At the beginning of the episode, we hear all about Molly’s struggles with debt and how it influenced her to live a debt free life. Molly shares about why sharing your struggles with someone is important to your healing. Lastly, she shares some safeguards you can put up in your business to set yourself up for financial success.

• How she started blogging in 2007 [0:01:41]

• How grief has influenced her debt [0:05:34]

• What she did to get out of the debt [0:12:23]

• How her husband and her live a debt-free lifestyle [0:19:28]

• Why you need to share your struggles [0:20:53]

• How to say "no" to unwise business decisions [0:26:26]

• What safeguards you can put up in your business [0:32:43]

• How to strategize for future expenses [0:38:34]

• The Onion

• Navicore Solutions

• Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace

• Target

• Joanna Gaines

Molly Stillman is the founder and creator of Still Being Molly, a life and style blog started in 2007, and the host of the Business with Purpose podcast. With over 600,000 readers in the last year, stillbeingmolly.com has become a trusted community for women, especially moms, who love everything from style and beauty, to parenting and real food, to serving in their communities and making the world a better place. Molly has had the honor of collaborating with well-known brands such as Stitch Fix, Target, Sseko Designs, CAUSEBOX, Sevenly, Noonday Collection, and more. Molly is honored to have been featured in such publications and media as US News & World Report, Scary Mommy, Fashion Revolution’s Zine “Loved Clothes Last”, The 700 Club, Cary Magazine, and was named as one of “the Carolina’s 75 Most Stylish People” by Carolina STYLE Magazine.

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Today, Reina and Christina are joined with Anne Casey in an empire mentoring session.  Anne is a thirty something, ex-firefighter and paramedic turned wedding photographer and a mom living right outside Baltimore. She is currently running two businesses, so they are going to be talking about what’s happening in her businesses and will be creating some solutions with her. 

• How Anne has gotten to where she is [0:01:23]
• How to deal with juggling home and business [0:02:40]
• Why + how to set phone boundaries with your family [0:05:31]
• What some ways to set time boundaries [0:14:24]
• How to start batching content [0:18:11]
• Why you have to create a good to-do list [0:28:23]

• Voxer
• Kelly Newsome Georges - Her Creative Empire Episode
• RescueTime
• Moment
• Toggl

I'm a 30 something ex-firefighter and paramedic turned wedding photographer and mother living just outside of Baltimore. My days consist of puppy dog snuggles from my mastiff, working from my home office in sweats and a messy bun, and juggling motherhood, being a wife, and 2 businesses. 

Anne Casey Photography - 
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Reina and Christina are joined today by Hannah Lowe Corman, who is a Mindfulness Painter in New York City. She has been painting and drawing since childhood, studying after school and during summers at the Maryland Institute of College of Art. At the beginning of the episode, we hear about how Hannah has found herself painting. She shares what her work and business looks like and how mindfulness has become a part of it. Hannah shares about mindfulness and the how and why to starting one. At the end of the episode, the trio discuss how showing off your uniqueness is special for being a creative.

• How Hannah became a painter [0:02:11]
• What her work + business looks like [0:07:50]
• Why you should start a mindfulness practice + how to start [0:13:01]
• How mindfulness falls into her business [0:17:46]
• How to identify anxiety + using mindfulness to combat it [0:22:12]
• What uniqueness means as a creative [0:30:13]

• West Elm
• houzz.com
• The Perfect Palette
• Rising Tide Society
• Reina's Grateful Heart Practice
• Hannah's Email Address: [email protected]
• Insider info, discounts and marketing emails from Hannah
• Get involved with The Strong Mothers Project: [email protected]

Hannah Lowe Corman is a mindfulness painter in New York. She’s been painting and drawing since childhood, studying after school and during summers at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her undergraduate degrees are in Finance and French, and she spent the first part of her career in healthcare and investment banking as well as not-for-profit fundraising, however upon moving to New York, she took the leap into selling her art, inspired by the full-time artists she met there. She paints organically-inspired collections, as well as undertakes custom painting commissions and large-scale wedding backdrop work. Hannah also teaches yoga and meditation, mindfulness practices that she melds with her painting practice into what she describes as the process of Mindfulness Painting, a mind-body approach to painting. She can be found painting in her NYC apartment with her son and husband or teaching yoga. Her art has been featured at West Elm, on houzz.com and her wedding backdrops have been in My Wedding Magazine, The Perfect Palette and Borrowed + Blue. Hannah is passionate about trying to live in the moment, and while her practices ease stress and anxiety, she is not a medical professional and they are not intended to replace necessary medical or clinical care.

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