The Moxie Podcast

Courtney, owner of Declet Designs, didn't build a thriving web design business by trying to serve everyone. She built it by going deep into one very specific world: weight-inclusive dietitians and therapists (and, more recently, midwives and doulas) — and refusing to be anything other than exactly what they needed.

In this episode, Courtney and Michelle talk about why that narrow focus, not a broader one, is what made her successful. As Courtney puts it, "I would not have been successful if I just went out and was like, I do websites for everyone." Because she's a dietitian and eating disorder survivor herself, she could speak her clients' language in a way a generalist designer never could — down to the word choices, the imagery, and the marketing approach that would actually make their audience feel safe.

It's a conversation about the real payoff of specificity: less convincing, more trust, and a business that grows because of who it doesn't try to serve.

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About Courtney
Courtney Vickery, MS, RD, LD is a multi-passionate entrepreneur in the weight-inclusive space. She's an anti-diet dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor with her own private practice, Vickery Wellness. She is also the CEO of Declet Designs, her website and branding studio for weight-inclusive businesses.

She has a double dose of knowledge, with bachelor's degrees in political science and dietetics, plus a Master's degree in Foods & Nutrition from the University of Georgia (and still teaches an undergraduate course there).

Her career journey includes working as a Director of Corporate Health Services & Community Outreach, clinical dietitian, managing group fitness programs and community health programs, and roles in healthcare administration and corporate health. She's even stepped in as the Interim Director of the Dietetic Internship at the University of Georgia.

At home, Courtney shares life with her husband of 15 years (they've been together since high school!), two kids, a dog named Oliver, and two kitty cats, Finnick and Calliope. She is the perfect blend of Enneagram 1 determination and a laid-back coffee shop aficionado. When she's not helping therapists and dietitians rock their brands and websites, you can catch her chilling at a coffee shop, sipping tea, or spending time with her awesome family.

Her passion for blending her love for weight-inclusive care with her knack for web and branding design makes her your friendly expert in dietetics and web design. 

Find Courtney at https://decletdesigns.com 

Your business hours are a boundary, not a suggestion

TaKenya, founder of Studio 117 Creative, is the systems and WordPress person a lot of freelancers wish they'd found sooner. She builds and manages websites, jumps in for "something broke and I need help" tech support, and helps small business owners bridge the gap between loving their work and dreading the tech behind it.

Here's what you came for though - TaKenya talks about her client hours: 10 to 4, no exceptions. Listen to how she got there and how she helps other business owners build systems that actually work.

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About TaKenya

TaKenya Hampton is the founder of Studio117 Creative, a WordPress design and digital strategy studio that helps entrepreneurs build websites and systems that support real business growth. With a background in digital marketing, training, and operations, she specializes in helping small business owners simplify their technology, improve their presence online, and make confident decisions about the tools they use to run their businesses. 

Discover how Sarah Lynn, founder of Simple Online Solutions, has leveraged her diverse background—from holistic therapies to website design—to empower sole traders and small business owners to improve their online visibility and marketing. In this episode, she shares her insights on strategic branding, the importance of goal setting, and the value of simplicity in digital marketing.

In this episode:

• Sarah’s journey from aspiring radiologist to digital marketing expert and how that influences her approach
• The importance of goal-oriented marketing systems
• Why small business owners often struggle with online visibility
• The significance of understanding and attracting your ideal clients
• Practical tips for integrating multiple marketing platforms effectively
• How continuous learning and intuition keep her updated
• The vital role of reflection and self-recognition for solopreneurs

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About Sarah: 
Simple systems. Joined-up marketing. Less overwhelm. More clients. Simple.
www.simpleonlinesolutions.co.uk

Sez Gower is an Australian web designer dedicated to creating environmentally friendly and inclusive websites. And she is one of the most talented and kind humans that I know. I suspect it's because of her time spent with whales and also because she's just the best. 

Discover how sustainability and a love for whales inspire her work and business philosophy.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Sez’s journey from childhood passions in dinosaurs and dancing to her career in web design
• The importance of sustainability in digital spaces and how websites impact the environment
• Practical steps to assess and improve your website’s carbon footprint
• Key accessibility and inclusivity considerations for websites
• Sez’s story of how whales became a core part of her personal and professional identity
• How to start small with sustainable website practices to make a difference
• The significance of unique whale tails as a business branding analogy
• Why treating your website as a vital business tool is crucial for growth and efficiency
• Sez’s insights on raising awareness about digital sustainability and empowering women in tech

Key links:

Carbon footprint calculators

• websitecarbon.com
• ecograder.com
• digitalbeacon.co

Accessibility checker

• webaim.org (WAVE tool)

Site speed checkers

• gtmetrix.com
• Google PageSpeed Insights

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About Sez: 

Sez Gower is a web designer and founder of Whale Tail Digital, a sustainable web design studio based in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia. She's on a mission to prove that doing good online doesn't have to cost the earth - building low-carbon, accessible websites for values-led businesses and organisations worldwide.

Find her at https://whaletaildigital.com.au

Unlock the secret to making your business run smoother, simpler, and with far less stress. In this episode, Michelle sits down with Stephani Halderman, founder of Simple Growth Co, to talk about how thoughtful systems, automation, and a clear backend can completely change the way a business feels day to day.

Stephani shares how her love of tech started early, from programming on an old computer to building her own shopping cart for an online soap business, and how that path eventually led her to help other entrepreneurs streamline their operations. We talk about why so many business owners get stuck doing things manually, how to spot the tasks that are quietly draining your time, and why the best place to start is often with stuff you hate.

She also explains how she approaches backend systems, client experience, onboarding, contracts, invoicing, and follow-ups so business owners can spend more time doing the work they actually enjoy. Along the way, Stephani shares her perspective on wellness, entrepreneurship, and why it’s so important to step back and look at your business with fresh eyes before the chaos grows.

If you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or service provider who wants to save time, reduce friction, and build a business that feels more manageable, this conversation is packed with practical advice and mindset shifts you can put to work right away.

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About Stephani

Stephani Halderman is a website designer and systems strategist for health and wellness professionals and the founder of The Simple Growth Co.

With over 25 years in web and tech and a background as a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Stephani brings something most designers don't: she actually knows what it's like to run a wellness business from the inside. 

She helps wellness solopreneurs build websites and backend systems that do more than look good. She creates clear client journeys, connected tech, and a business that keeps running in the background, so they can focus on the work they actually love.

When she's not deep in a website build or mapping out a client's backend systems, you'll find her tending her (very organized, Notion database-tracked) houseplant collection, knitting something, spending time with her family & friends, or out on a hike in the woods. 

In this episode, Michelle sits down with Mark Ormiston, a seasoned business owner with decades of experience building, evolving, and reinventing companies through every kind of market shift. Mark shares how he went from early computer studies and call center technology to running multiple businesses, and why staying agile has been the key to long-term growth.

We talk about his approach to all of his businesses: listening closely to customers, tracking the numbers, and knowing when it’s time to pivot before the market forces your hand. Mark also explains why he believes businesses should focus on selling the future rather than just the features, and how that mindset can transform the way you market, sell, and grow.

If you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or freelancer trying to stay ahead of change, this conversation is packed with practical advice on adapting, marketing smarter, and building a business that works for you—not the other way around.

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About Mark: Four decades. One thousand businesses worked with. One relentless focus on growth. I'm a digital marketing strategist and entrepreneur operating through Moxie — delivering clear, professional engagements across Financial Services, FMCG, Beauty, and beyond.

See more about Mark on his website: https://www.markormiston.co.uk 

This episode has it all -  better systems, smarter workflows, and the truth about having a favorite pet (we all have one). Karalee shares why so many founders stay stuck with too many tools and not the right processes. And she doesn't leave us stuck there, but talks about creating real capacity and not overwhelm.

At The Productivity Impact, Karalee doesn't just give advice on a great system. She lives it. In this episode, she shares how to spot signs your business systems are breaking down, and why mapping your client journey before choosing software will save you time, money, and stress. 

Whether you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, or growing team, this conversation is a reminder that it’s never too early — or too late — to create a stronger operational foundation.

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About Karalee:
Some people see messy businesses and run. Not Karalee. She sees messy businesses and immediately starts mentally rebuilding the operations. Known for her blunt honesty with compassion and ADHD-fueled pattern recognition, she helps overwhelmed CEOs untangle chaos, fix bottlenecks, and stop running their businesses entirely from memory, sticky notes, and panic.

Karalee is the founder of The Productivity Impact, a Certified DOO, and the kind of operator who can hear “everything feels chaotic” and somehow translate it into systems, structure, and an actual plan that works for your brain. Her approach blends strategy, operations, and real-talk leadership that makes people feel both called out and deeply supported at the same time. She’s deeply committed to helping service providers stop operating in constant survival mode and build businesses that don’t depend on their exhaustion to function.

Around here, systems conversations often include cat stories (she has 13), strong opinions about inefficient workflows, and at least one moment where entrepreneurs realize the problem was never actually project management etc. Karalee has a talent for spotting the thing everyone else is politely ignoring: the bottleneck, the avoidance pattern, the “system” living entirely inside the CEO’s head, and helping service providers fix it without shame, fluff, or forcing them into someone else’s version of productivity that was never built for how their brain actually works.

When she’s not rebuilding businesses from the inside out, she’s probably creating systems for fun, being emotionally manipulated by one of her teenagers, or telling overwhelmed CEOs the thing nobody else will say out loud.

Karalee's Impact Hub membership launches July 1. Join before July 13 to receive founding membership perks. Find it here: https://theproductivityimpact.com/impact-hub

Listening is an under-rated skill. It takes a willingness to close your own mouth and put aside your own thoughts in honor of someone else. Scarlett Riu, the new CEO of Moxie, is listening. Her own thoughts and ideas aside while she listens to the Moxie community and what they need from Moxie. 

In this episode, Scarlett shares her approach to leadership, starting with empathy, curiosity, and a community-first mindset. She’s planning to listen deeply to the Moxie community, identify real pain points, and build solutions that genuinely serve freelancers and solopreneurs.

Hear about Scarlett's reveals her 30-year journey through tech - from QA to leadership - and also her favorite coffee.

We talk about:

• The underrated value of QA in the tech industry and why it’s a crucial skill for every developer. 
• How Scarlett’s diverse background, from blood banking systems to RV life, shapes her innovative leadership style. 
• Her plans for building a product that reduces admin complexity, so freelancers can focus on what they love. 
• Her strategy of conducting a "listening tour" to truly understand community needs before implementing change. 
• Why a community-centered approach creates opportunities for independence, growth, and empowerment in freelancing.

Why does this matter? Because the next phase of Moxie’s growth depends on authentic connection and understanding user pain—and Scarlett’s approach could reshape how tech companies serve their communities.

Perfect for entrepreneurs, community builders, and future-focused tech leaders, this conversation will leave you inspired by the power of following your intuition while staying tuned into the voices of those you serve. 

We’re wrapping another rocking season of The Hectic Podcast! Join Darryl, Michelle, and me (Emily) as we discuss this season, our favorite guests, annnddd pretty much anything else that comes to mind. 

We might make the podcast for our listeners, but we all learn from each guest and enjoy every episode we create. In the season wrap, you can experience the love and excitement we have for these weekly conversations. We’re so thrilled to be part of this podcast—we hope that you have as much fun with it as we do!

As we wrap season four, we want to give a huge thank you to every listener and guest. You guys are the reason we’re here and we’re so grateful for you! If you want to send comments, feedback, or suggestions for next season, drop a note to [email protected]. 

See you next season!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How the episode with Marley Parker (my favorite this season!) is helping me pursue my dream job.
2. That connections are the foundation of a thriving freelancer/entrepreneur community, plus how you can be a part of this ecosystem.
3. What Michelle has learned through booking the podcast’s guests through the seasons.
4. Whose episodes Michelle and Darryl enjoyed the most and why.
5. About the way a guest challenged us this season and how it reinforced our approach.
6. Why curiosity was the common theme I saw throughout the season.
7. That doing the work to learn from your experiences and develop a good relationship with yourself produces the theme Darryl loved the most this season.
8. To just faff and take breaks for rest’s sake, which is what Michelle heard consistently this season.
9. How our guests’ willingness to share so much of themselves allows us and our listeners to learn so much from them.
10. Why we all need trusting relationships with people who tell us we’re wrong.

This week, we’re so excited to bring you the most important episode of the podcast so far. We’re thrilled to introduce you to Olivia, Darryl’s daughter and the Hectic Podcast’s biggest fan! 

Though Olivia is just 11 years old, she has so much wisdom to share. We talked about her love for the podcast, her favorite guest so far, and what she has learned from it. Olivia showed us how her creativity and ADHD superpower work together, plus why she loves having ADHD. You’ll also get a chance to hear Olivia, Darryl, and Michelle answer everyone’s favorite question on the Hectic Podcast.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. What Olivia loves about listening to the podcast.
2. Why Lindsey Jo Scott is the guest she related to the most and why that matters.
3. The ways her ADHD helps her hyperfocus on the things she wants to do, such as organizing her closet, bathroom, and room.
4. About Olivia’s doodles and how they help her learn.
5. How she nurtures her creativity today and hopes to continue doing so throughout her life.
6. Why she wants the adults of the world to always take time for themselves.
7. That Michelle is a superfan in every area of life and is eager to learn and celebrate everyone’s passions.
8. How Darryl’s desire to give all of himself to everyone and be the most curious person in the room defines him.
9. That Olivia is silly, loves to organize, and is absolutely obsessed with dogs.
10. Why seeing her ADHD differently is what she is most proud of.

Listen to Lindsey Jo Scott's episode and find her amazing work online.