The DayDreamers Pod

What happens when the thing you love becomes the thing that burns you out?

This week, I’m joined by Megan, the leather maker behind Dichotomie Studio, for an honest conversation about the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and figuring out what success looks like for you.

Megan shares her journey from art school to full-time entrepreneurship, why she returned to a marketing job, and what led her to give running her own business another go. We talk about tying your identity to your work, chasing the feeling of being “successful,” and wanting to try everything without turning every interest into an income stream.

Plus, the realities of shopping small, making room for play, and a very relatable tangent about menstrual cycles and motivation.

Follow Megan on Instagram at @dichotomie.studio.

Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening so you don’t miss an episode!

Go to college, get a job, start a family. But what happens when that path doesn’t feel the way you thought it would?

My husband Timmy is back, and we’re talking about how our different childhoods shaped our relationships with money, why financial security means different things to each of us, and the reality of wanting a family while needing two incomes. Inspired by my conversation with Tory Tripp, we get into corporate burnout, building something of your own, and why talking about money can feel so vulnerable. Plus, a few questionable icebreakers and an ongoing debate about whether Timmy is officially hired as my co-host.

Ever avoided looking at your bank account because you just didn’t want to know? Or felt like you should be better with money by now?

This week, I’m joined by Tory Tripp, whose unexpected path from math teacher to founder of Femgen started with a financial literacy class that changed her own life. After 11 years in the classroom and two job rejections in finance, she decided to build something of her own.

We talk about the pressure to succeed, changing careers, and why Tory wanted to create a space where women could ask questions about money without feeling judged. Then we get into the things so many of us quietly worry about: debt, feeling behind, emotional spending, and whether we have enough money to even talk to a financial planner.

Plus, Tory shares how she approaches spending and saving, what aspiring business owners should think about before leaving a paycheck, and the money lesson she wishes she’d learned sooner.

If money is one of those topics you’d rather avoid, this conversation is a good place to start.

Connect with Tory: Instagram @FemgenMoney | Financial education through Femgen Foundations

My husband Timmy joins me for an honest look at what it’s been like to start this podcast. His first confession? He didn’t think I’d actually do it.

We talk about having a million interests, building something outside a nine-to-five, and worrying that something you’re excited about could become another project you start and stop. I share why asking questions sometimes makes me feel dumb, what’s stuck with me from my conversation with Shannon Avery, and what I’m proud of six guests in.

Plus, Timmy shares his alternate career plans involving a dog sanctuary and a food truck. Apparently, we have very different daydreams.

What happens when you build the successful business you dreamed of, but it no longer feels fulfilling?

Shannon Avery is the founder of Hoo Films, a luxury wedding cinematography company she has spent the last 14 years building. Her path into wedding filmmaking was completely serendipitous. One connection led to another, her fast-paced storytelling stood out from the traditional 90-minute wedding videos of the time, and Hoo Films eventually became a million-dollar business.

In this episode, Shannon shares the winding path that took her from D1 softball and graphic design to filming Reese Witherspoon’s stunt training for Water for Elephants and building a team of wedding filmmakers.

We also talk about the side of success people do not always see. Shannon explains “drift,” the disconnect that can happen before full burnout, what it means to reach a crossroads in your business and how entrepreneurs can use AI to clear repetitive work without losing their creativity or authentic voice.

If you are building something of your own, feeling disconnected from work you once loved or wondering what comes next, this conversation is for you.

Follow Shannon: @_shannonavery
Follow Hoo Films: @hoo_films
Follow The DayDreamers Pod: @thedaydreamerspod

In my first solo episode, I’m sharing an honest update on what it feels like to build The DayDreamers Pod in real time. I talk about what I’ve learned from my first guests, the fear that comes with wanting this to become something bigger, and why I’m trying to create from a place of joy instead of self-doubt.

I’m also brainstorming what could come next, including podcast sponsorships, dinners for entrepreneurs, street interviews around Denver, and a newsletter you’ll actually want to open. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but this podcast is more than a hobby to me. It’s the beginning of the life I’m trying to build.

Dylan Smith has lived a few professional lives. He went from studying textile development at FIT in New York to selling $17,000 embroidered blazers at Tom Ford, followed by careers in logistics, oil and gas, tech and commercial real estate.

Then a standing light bar that looked like “a broomstick that had given up” during the day sparked a new idea. With a 3D printer and a lot of experimentation, Dylan created Eldon Trace, a made-to-order lighting brand built around playful, modular pieces that can evolve with your space.

In this episode, we talk about turning a creative outlet into a real business, making products in an Amazon-speed world, balancing Eldon Trace with a 9-to-5 and why childlike joy might be the key to reconnecting with your creativity. We also kill a spider, explain what the fuck a banquette is and laugh a lot.

Explore Eldon Trace: eldontrace.com

Follow Dylan and Eldon Trace on Instagram: @eldontrace

What happens when the career you thought you were supposed to have just… isn’t it?

In this episode, I sit down with Emma, founder of Salti Yogi, to talk about the non-linear path that led her to building something of her own. From growing up in rural Minnesota and studying education, to studying abroad in Fiji, teaching English in Thailand, becoming a master scuba diver, moving to Denver, working in nonprofits, nannying, and eventually finding her way to yoga, Emma’s story is a reminder that figuring out what you want to do with your life rarely happens in a straight line.

We talk about career confusion, feeling behind, choosing experiences over the traditional timeline, learning to be bad at something before you get better and the awkwardness of putting yourself out there.

Emma also shares how she created Salti Yogi, her curated Denver yoga experiences that combine yoga with community, creativity, local collaborations, music, crafts and more, plus what she dreams of building next.

Follow along:

The DayDreamers Pod: @thedaydreamerspod
Emma + Salti Yogi: @saltiyogi

When life feels overwhelming, our first instinct is often to escape. Take the vacation. Quit the job. Start over. But what if the answer is not always changing your environment, but understanding what is happening inside your brain?

In this episode, I sit down with brain-based leadership coach Lisa Marini to talk about how stress shapes our thoughts, behaviors and decisions. Lisa shares what she learned during her 17 years working in construction, how her career eventually came full circle and why understanding the brain can help us respond to pressure differently.

We also talk about career pivots, trusting unexpected opportunities, becoming a “yes girl” and building a business that allows Lisa to help leaders and teams perform at their best without constantly operating in survival mode.

Whether you feel burned out, stuck in your career or convinced you need to run away from your current life, this conversation will give you a new way to think about stress and what your brain may actually need.

Connect with Lisa:
Website: lmarini.com
Instagram: @lmarinicoaching