What does it really take to build a business that feels aligned, authentic, and true to your worth? In this empowering episode of The Built From the Ground Up Show, Gwen sits down with coach and entrepreneur Mia Lamont to unpack the messy, courageous journey of entrepreneurship, self-discovery, and reclaiming your power.

Mia shares her personal path from a long career in government work to stepping into the world of entrepreneurship, starting as an image consultant and later shifting toward mindset and personal empowerment coaching. Together, Gwen and Mia dive deep into topics like owning your value, breaking society’s “rules,” facing fears in sales and discovery calls, and leaning into the emotional side of pricing.

This is a conversation filled with truth-telling, laughter, and real talk about what it means to grow a business from the inside out. If you’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome, wrestled with confidence around your offers, or felt like you were following someone else’s rules instead of your own, this episode is your reminder that you’re not alone—and that it’s time to reclaim your voice, your worth, and your power.

Connect with Mia LaMotte:

Visit Mia's Website

Connect with Mia on Instagram

Listen to Brand Disrupters Podcast

Join The Private Podcast: Get It Together

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"It's in the specificity of your story that it will resonate in a universal way that will make you irresistible to anyone that shares that.” –Lisa Fernandez

What happens when life throws you into the deep end and you decide to swim instead of sink? In this episode Gwen sits down with copywriter and agency owner Lisa Fernandez to unpack her inspiring leap into entrepreneurship. After being laid off while navigating postpartum depression, $30,000 in debt, and a cross-country move, Lisa turned a moment of breakdown into a breakthrough—launching a thriving copywriting business rooted in storytelling, brand clarity, and genuine connection.

You’ll hear how Lisa went from a “reluctant entrepreneur” to a sought-after marketing partner for high-level clients, doubling her revenue year after year while designing a life on her own terms. She shares how listening to her intuition led her to copywriting, the creative strategies that helped her land her first client, and why women in business need to own their value unapologetically.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you have what it takes to start over, raise your rates, or adapt in the age of AI, Lisa’s story will remind you that you can turn challenges into options—and options into opportunities. Tune in to borrow belief, gain fresh business insights, and feel empowered to keep building what matters.

Connect with Lisa Fernandez:

Visit Lisa's Website

Connect with Lisa on Instagram

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

If you’re a female entrepreneur or creative feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from your business purpose, you’re going to love this episode! Gwen chats with Kirsten Tyrrel, a leadership coach who specializes in helping entrepreneurs build emotionally intelligent businesses. Kirsten’s approach will show you how to tune into your emotions as a powerful tool for clarity and confident decision-making. Learn how embracing emotional intelligence can transform your leadership style and help you navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with more ease and grace.

Kirsten shares practical strategies to recognize and process your feelings so you can move past confusion and self-doubt. By learning to lead with empathy and self-awareness, you’ll discover how to create authentic connections—not just with your clients, but also with yourself. This episode is packed with insights on how emotional intelligence can unlock your business potential and build a foundation rooted in trust, authenticity, and strength.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your leadership skills, this conversation offers encouragement and actionable advice to help you grow a business that truly reflects your values and vision. Tune in to be inspired, empowered, and reminded that your feelings are an important part of your entrepreneurial journey.

Connect with Kirsten Tyrrel:

Visit Kirsten's Website

Connect with Kirsten on Instagram

Listen to Unshakable

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

"I put all of my creativity into the work I do for my clients and I was like I need to have something that lights me up.” –Crystal Stateskey-Biichle

What happens when creativity, curiosity, and content collide? In this episode, Gwen sits down with content marketing strategist and travel-loving entrepreneur Crystal Statskey-Biichle for a real, refreshing conversation on building a business that reflects all of who you are.

Crystal shares how she went from blogging in college to running a successful content marketing agency serving small, brick-and-mortar businesses—and how she found her way back to her passion project: “Dates in the States,” a creative travel brand bringing adventure back to couples through self-published mystery date books.

You’ll hear her lessons in niching down without losing your spark, pricing your services with confidence, and navigating the messy middle of entrepreneurship with purpose and permission to evolve. Whether you're building your service-based business or dreaming of launching that passion project, Crystal’s story is full of encouragement, inspiration, and practical advice for creative women who do business differently.

Connect with Crystal Statskey-Biichle:

Visit Crystal’s Content Marketing Website

Check Out “Dates In The States” 

Connect with Crystal on Instagram

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"If I would have waited to get started I never would have realized all the things that I realized in that year and a half when I was figuring everything out.” –Megan Kranzler

When life handed Megan Kranzler two unexpected layoffs during the pandemic, she didn’t retreat—she built something bold. Megan is the creative force behind Olive Ridley Studios, and she’s joining Gwen for an inspiring conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the messy beauty of figuring it out as you go.

Megan opens up about the early days of entrepreneurship—starting without a plan, experimenting with Etsy, and eventually finding her groove helping product-based small businesses bring their brands to life through tangible, high-impact design. She also shares what it’s like building a business as a neurodivergent introvert, and how tuning into her energy—not the hustle—has helped her stay grounded and aligned.

Whether you're pivoting, pausing, or pushing forward, Megan’s journey is a powerful reminder that you don’t need all the answers to start. You just need belief, grit, and a little bit of turtle-inspired courage. Tune in for honest insights about building a business without a blueprint, staying authentic to your passions, and showing up even when it’s hard. 

Connect with Megan Kranzler:

Visit Megan's Website

Follow Olive Ridley Studios on Instagram

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Many businesses are created to fill a need that the founder once needed themselves and in today’s episode we’re diving into learning about the unique needs Martha Orbovich is filling with her business, Kids First Parent Advocacy. Gwen and Martha talk about how she built a mission-driven business after facing her own challenges trying to advocate for her son’s IEP. Martha now helps families across Ohio understand and access the support their children need—whether it’s through IEPs, 504 plans, or decoding the endless “alphabet soup” of special education. Her journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes the gaps we fall through are the very ones we’re meant to bridge for others.

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn pain into purpose—or how to support your child when the system feels stacked against you—this episode will light the way. This conversation talks about raw emotions and what it really takes to stand up for what your child deserves. Plus, if you’ve been curious about starting your own advocacy business or just need a story that reminds you you’re not crazy (or alone), this one’s for you. Tune in for an honest, empowering conversation that proves impact and income can go hand in hand when your work is rooted in heart.

Connect with Martha Orbovich:

Visit Martha's Website

Email Martha at [email protected]

Visit the COPAA Directory

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"Until you recognize how your childhood is really impacting your adult daily life, and you decide that you don't want to bow down to that, you're going to be at the mercy of it and you're not going to be able to create the life you imagine, let alone imagine the life you want to create.” –Hillary Spiritos

Feeling stuck on a path that no longer feels right? In this inspiring episode, Gwen talks with Hillary Spiritos—career coach, founder of Bat Outta Hell, and expert in helping young adults navigate life transitions and career uncertainty.

Hillary shares how she helps 20- and 30-somethings break free from societal expectations, overcome analysis paralysis, and gain clarity on who they really are and what they truly want. From helping clients pivot away from pre-planned paths like med school to coaching through confidence blocks and redefining what success means, Hillary’s work is a powerful reminder that your purpose isn’t found by looking outward—it’s found by going within.

Whether you're feeling pressure to meet family expectations, questioning your career direction, or simply craving more alignment in your life and business, this conversation offers mindset shifts, real-life examples, and practical encouragement to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Connect with Hillary Spiritos:

Follow Hillary on Instagram

Visit Hillary's Website

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"Probably the biggest thing that stops people from following their dream, is that they think they have to do so much before they start, where it's like, actually you start first and you figure it out along the way.” –Amanda Keller

What happens when the “dream job” you worked so hard for starts to feel more like a cage than a calling? Today, Amanda Keller, founder of Northwoods Creative and Marketing joins Gwen on the show to unpack how she turned career burnout into a thriving business built on grit, community, and a “figure it out” mindset.

Amanda opens up about the moment she chose courage over comfort, the pivotal power of surrounding yourself with the right people, and how outsourcing and investing in skilled experts can save your sanity as an entrepreneur. Amanda shares raw stories about breaking free from corporate confines, staying true to her strengths, and letting go of the myth that you have to do it all alone.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in your 9–5 or just need a reminder that you’re allowed to build your business your way — this episode will fuel your belief that your next big step is closer than you think. Hit play and get ready to champion your own entrepreneurial journey — because the world needs what you’re building, too.

Connect with Amanda Keller:

Follow Amanda on Instagram

Visit Amanda's Website

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"It completely changed the way that I saw myself and from that moment I felt myself showing up more confidently at work, more confidently on dates I was going on, showing up better for my friends and family, because I just felt better about myself and it just was such a game changer for me.” –Lauren Schwab

What if one photo shoot could help you see yourself — and your confidence — in a whole new light? Lauren Schwab, founder of High Heals Photography is a traveling boudoir photographer on a mission to help women reclaim their confidence, feel empowered in their own skin, and finally see themselves through a kinder lens.

Lauren opens up about growing up without confidence, always trying to fit in and how one vulnerable boudoir session changed everything for her. You’ll hear how she turned that spark into a thriving photography business that empowers women across the country to stand taller, feel stronger, and say “This is the Best Day of My Life!” before they even see their own photos.

If you’ve ever struggled with self-worth, doubted your beauty, or wondered what it would feel like to be your own hype woman — this conversation is your permission slip to claim your confidence now, not later. Join Gwen and Lauren for an honest look at overcoming self-doubt, starting a business with zero plans but a whole lot of passion, and why the right photo shoot might just change how you show up for your life and business.

Connect with Lauren Schwab:

Follow Lauren on Instagram

Visit Lauren's Website

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

"You personally have to get all the stuff out of your head… so that brain dump is really the first, most essential step when moms are feeling overwhelmed.” –Alyssa Wolff

What happens when a homeschooling mom of five decides she’s not waiting 17 years to find her purpose? In this inspiring episode of Built from the Ground Up, Gwen chats with Alyssa Wolf — time management coach, podcaster, and founder of Your Unbusy Life — to talk about how she turned the chaos of motherhood into a thriving coaching business for moms who work from home.

Alyssa opens up about how she went from feeling lost in early motherhood to finding her calling through online business — and how she helps other moms reclaim their time, ditch the overwhelm, and build a sustainable business and family life that actually works. From practical scheduling strategies to mastering the art of delegation and mindset shifts, Alyssa shares real talk about balancing CEO life and mom life — without burning out.

Whether you’re deep in the messy middle of building your business or dreaming of a work-from-home life that feels good for your family, this episode will remind you that you don’t have to wait for “someday.” Tune in, get inspired, and remember: the world needs what you’re building — right now.

Connect with Alyssa Wolff:

Connect with Alyssa on Linked In

Follow Alyssa on Instagram

Listen to The Unbusy Mom Podcast

Visit Alyssa's Website

Connect with Gwen:

Be sure to follow Gwen on Instagram, tag, & share this episode to your stories if you enjoyed this episode! 

If you’re a female, creative, service-based entrepreneur and want to share your story on how you built your business from the ground up, please apply to be a guest on the show! We release episodes twice a week and would love to feature you! 

Mentioned in this episode:

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales

Join Gwen & Emily for a powerful business retreat, May 1st - 3rd, in Williamsburg, VA. This all-inclusive 3-Day In-Person Retreat is for Coaches and Consultants who are ready to have their marketing feel more aligned to who they are.

Turn Your Passion Into Powerful Marketing and Confident Sales