TrailBlazers Impact

Are you harboring fears that are stopping you from pivoting to your passion? Robin Brewton explains to us how she overcame her fears and took an entrepreneurship leap and is now making a difference. Robin Brewton is in the early stages of her pivot to becoming an executive coach and describes herself as being an interior designer for businesses. She spent 20+ years in human resources and the operations side of the business in both big and small businesses. In this episode, Robin shares her pivot into entrepreneurship, how she’ll be helping business owners, plus some of her success tips. Listen in to learn why it’s important to pre-plan your personal and business finances before starting a business. You will also learn how to overcome your failure and financial fears as a female entrepreneur and instead think of how you can succeed.

Key Takeaways:

• Find your passion and run towards it instead of running away from your job just because you’re miserable
• Overcome your financial fears by starting your passion as a side hustle first before you’re comfortable leaving your job
• How to create and test a viable proposition as your first step towards starting a new business
• Learn to ask for help but be careful whom you ask help from to be successful in business
• Learn to be kind, encouraging, and a mentor for others because kind beats smart
• Reframe your fear of failure and rethink how you can succeed doing what you’re passionate about

https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Ep. 218 - AlissaBeth Jane Morton is a very talented singer and dancer I met while she was performing on the Azamara Pursuit cruise ship. We talked about what led her to perform on a cruise ship. She has done over 100 stage shows in her life. Take a look at her Reels to see the depth and breadth of her talent. In this episode, AlissaBeth describes her career journey, the different shows she has performed, and her hopes for the future. Listen in to learn how musicals paved way for dancing having a voice in musical theatre and how it changed the musical theatre scene. You will also learn the importance of being yourself and pursuing your dreams as your authentic self.

Key Takeaways:

• How to turn your talent and passion into a full-time career/business and find joy doing it
• Join training programs to help prepare you for a career in what you love doing
• How to turn your grief into an outlet of helping others overcome adversities

See her full profile on https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Katie Mehnert - If you are curious about how you can get involved with energy entrepreneurship while still being sustainable, this is your episode. Interviewed by Christi Woodworth, Vice-President of Corporate Communications, Brand and Marketing at OGE Energy Corp, Katie Mehnert is a modern architect of culture change in energy. Her focus is the intersection of equity, sustainability, environment, and economy. She gives professionals a community to find everything they need to be successful in their careers.  She gives them a place to share stories, find career advice, jobs, publish insights, and network with colleagues in an advertising-free community. Katie explains how she fell in love with energy entrepreneurship and what motivates her to keep getting better. Listen in to learn how energy can be the intersection of equality, sustainability, the environment, and the economy. You will also learn why you should fail fast and hard as an entrepreneur to learn, pivot, adapt, and move to the next level.

Key Takeaways:

• How to be part of the sustainable, balanced, and accessible energy system as a woman
• The importance of failure for entrepreneurs to help you pivot, adapt, and move to the next level
• Why you should have a strong “why” as an entrepreneur to succeed or otherwise you’ll fail.
• The value of tuning out the noise and creating your own energy to impact others
• How to challenge our gender biases on how we hire and promote jobs in the energy industry

https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Does LinkedIn mystify you? Have you ever wondered what folks mean when they say “optimize your LinkedIn profile?” Do your posts on LinkedIn get attention from the people you want to reach? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, and especially if you are born between 1946 and 1964, Joyce can help you. Being on the older end of the baby boomer generation, she identifies with the frustrations that folks in her age group have with LinkedIn and social media in general. Joyce Feustel is the founder of Boomers' Social Media Tutor where she makes social media simple, easy and fun. She helps business owners become more effective and productive on LinkedIn and Facebook by providing them with social media training and tutoring. In this episode, Joyce explains the many pivots she has taken over the course of her career, plus how she became a social media expert. Listen in to learn the importance of building on relationships as a small business owner as a way to create business opportunities. You will also learn why you shouldn’t jump into entrepreneurship without proper research or support if you want to succeed.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of focusing on one or two social media platforms when starting depending on where your audience is
• The interesting aspect of the Clubhouse platform that is helpful for business owners
• How to combine energy and time management to achieve a balance between work and life
• How to be a leader versus a manager as a small business owner
• The importance of onboarding your family into your business as your support system

Learn more about Joyce: https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Tracy Killoren Chadwell is an experienced venture capital investor and attorney. She’s also a leader and a sought-after speaker within the community of women founders, innovators, and entrepreneurs, including giving testimony before a U.S. Senate Committee. In this episode, Tracy explains her career difficult journey to becoming a female capital investor and the types of investments she’s made as a fund owner. Tracy Chadwell shares her knowledge on where female founders should be looking to invest and successfully fund their businesses. Listen to learn about the group that currently holds the purchasing in America and why you should be targeting them. Listen in to learn how to utilize the internet and social media as a female business owner to be on the same playing field as your male counterparts. You will also learn about the financial and purchasing power of women above 50 and why they should be the group your business targets.

Key Takeaways:

• How to let go of your fears and walk towards your dreams even when the road gets bumpy
• Why you should consider other financial options to fund your business other than venture capital
• Invest in women micro-influencers ages 50 and above since they hold the purchasing power
• How to build partnerships by reaching out and nurturing the relationships closest to you
• The importance of taking care of yourself and getting your financial house in order

Read more about Tracy here: https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Mariah McKay is an energetic, highly motivated leader focusing on bringing change to the community. Her passion is building independent grassroots power for the common good. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance (SIMBA). She’s an experienced community organizer building independent grassroots power for the common good. One of her passions is housing. With fewer homes available in Spokane, creating new housing options coming to the top of her radar. Haystack Heights is a new type of neighborhood under construction right now. When finished, it will provide permanent housing for 39 families that are taking neighborhood living to new heights. Haystack Heights is quite a bit different from other neighborhoods. Its goal is to bring families closer together, conserve resources, and share spaces. In this three-acre development nestled in the South Perry District, families own their own $200,000–$400,000 home, but common spaces like a garden, clubhouse, and maintenance responsibilities are shared. Families have to volunteer a certain amount of hours per year and play an active role in the community’s planning. These homeowners have already been doing that because they’re also the developers of the project. No outside developer oversaw this project. In this episode, Mariah explains how she got into community organizing which has seen her manage communities and support businesses, especially during the pandemic. Listen more about this fascinating woman and learn the difference between nonprofit organizations and businesses when starting and why both have an economic and social impact. You will also learn how to manage your energy and not time to accelerate the strengths you bring to your work as a leader and a visionary.

Key Takeaways:

• How to be a change-oriented leader by taking the necessary steps towards bringing the change you want to see
• The purpose of cohousing in bringing together communities that wish to live closely
• How to manage your energy and not time to accelerate what you bring to your work as a leader and a visionary
• The power of building an ecosystem where work-life balance is possible

www.TrailBlazersImpact.com

Stacy Eads is one of Oklahoma’s 50 Women Making a Difference and also the Most Admired CEO in her home state of Oklahoma. Stacy’s company, Stacy Eads, focuses on consulting in four areas: Technology, Marketing Strategy, Sales and Service, and Team Culture. She is a problem solver, a consultant, a coach, a trainer, a speaker, and a mentor. She empowers other CEOs nationwide to embrace their leadership potential without allowing it to fatigue them. As a woman in tech who quickly achieved back-to-back awards as a Most Admired CEO in her home state of Oklahoma, Stacy Eads is now empowering other CEOs nationwide to embrace their leadership potential and propel their own success. In this episode, Stacy describes her journey from the nonprofit world to technology to career coaching, plus shares some valuable tips for leaders. Listen in to learn how to scale up your business by having the right team, the right strategy, execution, and cash. You will also learn the importance of measuring your business’s growth and performance using the leading and lagging indicators strategy.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of mentors for career and life guidance
• How to be a mentor and help others while you’re on your own career journey
• The importance of being nominated for awards and accolades plus tips on how to be as a leader doing great work
• How to focus on your ideal client and make them the hero of your brand’s story
• How to audit your social media strategy and ensure you’re giving to your audience at least 4 times than you’re asking
• How to get out of your box and grow out of your comfort zone
• Think about your strengths and weaknesses plus your short-term and long-term plans when starting your entrepreneurial journey

www.TrailBlazersImpact.com

Monique Montanino – If you have been or are in a corporate career and have dreamed of retiring early, listen to Monique’s experience – because she did it. But retirement can get boring. So what else is there to do? If you’re looking to pivot by starting a business after your retirement, this is the episode for you. Monique retired early, did volunteer work, and later decided to monetize her skills as a career coach and has been very successful. Monique is a certified career coach and a former Fortune 200 tech sales executive. After she retired from corporate America, she started serving as a career consultant empowering her executive clients to reach their full potential within the tech industry. She also loves to write and travel and speaks four languages. She combined those and is now one of TripAdvisor’s top contributors. She also writes a blog and has written a book, Clicks, Tricks, and Golden Handcuffs. In this episode, Monique explains how she pivoted after retiring early and created a successful career coaching business aimed at serving tech executives across the globe. Listen in to learn the four most important factors to consider when starting a business to do it smoothly and successfully. You will also learn about the nitty-gritty of writing and self-publishing a book successfully.

 Key Takeaways:

• The importance of doing competitive research to understand a market before starting a business
• Find a mentor in your area of business to help you in the journey of starting a business
• Why you need to seek experience through internships, volunteering, or consulting in the industry you’re interested in starting a business in
• The importance of having a planned business case months before you start a business
• How to be financially prepared for both your new business and personally

https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

• The importance of having a business website, and specifically targeting your ideal client where they hang out
• Learn to establish deadlines and take risks in your business to scale it higher

Dr. Jodi Dinnerman is a family wellness-based chiropractor specializing in serving pregnant women and kids for 21 years. Jodi also founded SEWP School, a school for wellness practitioners who want to thrive in practice by automating tasks. In this episode, she explains how she created an automation system in her chiropractic practice that enables her to concentrate on her specialization rather than being a boss. Listen in to learn how to be strong and take back your power as a female business owner by incorporating the staffless system into your business. You will also learn how to create a simple and creative marketing plan around your ideal client, core values, and mission statement.

Key Takeaways:

• The value of having a fully automated business as a female entrepreneur
• Move on to the staffless system if you feel your current one isn’t serving you or your business
• How to create a simple and creative marketing plan around your ideal client and mission statement
• The importance of learning how to manage and work a website as a business owner
• Find what makes you strong and run with it to care for yourself mind-body and soul
• Make a list of things that are no longer working for you and then have an action plan to make it all start working for you

https://TrailBlazersImpact.com

Ivory N. Mathews is a dynamic leader and motivator, offering over 20 years’ comprehensive expertise in rebranding organizations through transformational and thought-centered approaches to leadership. Ivory exemplifies a “mentor” leadership approach, providing thorough ongoing guidance, training, and feedback. She has been building capable, motivated, inspired, and highly productive teams with a razor-sharp focus on delivering high-impact results. These creative solutions consistently execute organizational goals and objectives on time and within budget.

Ivory Mathews is the CEO of Columbia Housing and a dynamic leader and motivator, offering over 20 years’ comprehensive expertise in rebranding organizations through transformational and thought-centered approaches to leadership. She was named one of the top 20 dynamic CEOs in 2021 by the CEO publication, a global business magazine that recognizes leaders across the industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. Listen in to learn the value of high-quality technology in organizations to maximize efficiency and encourage innovation. You will also learn about implicit biases at the workplace and how they can be extremely harmful in any organization.

 Key Takeaways:

• How to diversify resources to bring in public-private partnerships to create more quality affordable housing
• The power of good communication and transparency as a leader in charge of public funds
• How to use technology to maximize efficiency, provide much better customer service, and encourage employee innovation
• Why every organization needs to have a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focus
• Why you should never underestimate the value of a strong support system in your career journey
• Find your purpose and pursue it passionately
• Always believe in who you are and live authentically by what makes you happy

https://TrailBlazersImpact.com