Wickedly Smart Women

In 2012, Stacey Magovern got the idea for Point Blank Safety Services, a business that would facilitate off-duty work for police officers.

And for two years, the business was in a holding pattern. Stacey formed an LLC and had business cards printed, but Point Blank was struggling to gain traction.

Then, in 2014, Stacey got a package addressed to Point Blank Safety with a $1.5M contract for a highway construction project.

Stacey went from working as an outside salesperson to running a multimillion-dollar company overnight, and Point Blank became one of the most successful traffic safety and security companies in Texas.

She leveraged the success of Point Blank to launch the Blue Family Fund, a nonprofit that provides financial aid to families of injured or fallen first responders. Stacey is also a contributor to Wickedly Smart Women: Trusting Intuition, Taking Action, Transforming Worlds.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Stacey joins Anjel to explain how she learned entrepreneurship by example and share some of the lessons she learned from the epic failure of her first business.

Stacey describes how she developed the willingness to ask for help and encourages us to focus on revenue-generating activities in our business and outsource everything else.

Listen in to understand how Stacey navigated the overwhelm of receiving an unexpected $1.5M contract and learn what to do if you've inadvertently created a job for yourself instead of a sustainable business.

How Stacey learned entrepreneurship by example from her family

The lessons Stacey learned from the epic failure of her first business

How Stacey developed the willingness to ask for help

Why you can't afford NOT to outsource the things you're not good at

How Point Blank Safety became a multimillion-dollar business overnight

What inspired Stacey to start the Blue Family Fund nonprofit

Why Stacey decided to self-fund the Blue Family Fund

How Stacey navigated the overwhelm of a 300-page, $1.5M contract

How to determine whether you've created a true business vs. a job

Stacey's advice on how to turn your job into a sustainable business

Blue Family Fund

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When the Toronto landfill closed in 2002, the city started sending its garbage to Michigan in trucks. 1,000 18-wheelers every week.

But Cathy Nesbitt had an environmentally friendly solution for Toronto's trash. And she turned her climate activism into a composting business.

Cathy is the multi award-winning environmental innovator and health advocate behind Cathy's Crawly Composters, a platform that teaches people how to compost indoors using worms that convert food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer.

Cathy regularly delivers keynotes and leads workshops on living a more sustainable life. She is also a certified Laughter Yoga Teacher and the 2022 Women of Inspiration Catalyst for Change Award Winner.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Cathy joins Anjel to explain the process of composting, describing how it can be done in an apartment or condo with red wigglers.

Cathy discusses why she was driven to build a business around vermicomposting and offers advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs in the environmental space.

Listen in for Cathy's insight on the benefits of composting and learn how to do your part to mitigate climate change by turning food waste into fertilizer!

How the closing of the Toronto landfill in 2002 inspired Cathy's environmental activism

The process of composting your yard waste and food scraps (and why it's so important)

How composting can be done inside your apartment or condo using worms

How red wigglers convert food scraps and paper into nutrient-rich fertilizer

Why Cathy was driven to build a business around vermicomposting

How composting provides a solution to the problems of food waste and soil degradation

The resources available to aspiring composters on Cathy's website

Why your worm bin won't smell if conditions are right (and what to do if it does)

Cathy's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on building a network of support

How being the 'trash capital' adversely affects Michigan's water system

Cathy's advice for aspiring composters and entrepreneurs in the environmental space

How Cathy describes red wiggler worms as the original alchemists

Cathy's Composters

Cathy on YouTube

COP27

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"Virtual engagement is more than just clicking. It involves cognitive connection and affirmation to keep the ball rolling for successful virtual events." - Diana Howles

More and more events are being adapted to a virtual format, from virtual conferences and trade shows to online networking events, virtual product launches, and online classes and training programs. However, successful virtual events don't just happen. They require intentional engagement strategies, and a deep understanding of participants' needs and behaviors.

Today, virtual training facilitation expert Diana Howles joins Anjel to share her insights on creating effective virtual learning experiences.

Diana Howles is an award-winning speaker, author, and international virtual trainer with 25 years of experience in the learning industry. She's trained Fortune 100 and 500 companies and facilitated virtual programs in over a dozen countries. Her new book, "Next Level Virtual Training: Advance Your Facilitation," is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their virtual training skills.

Diana shares some of the common challenges of virtual facilitation and her best practices for overcoming them, including ways to help participants become comfortable and encourage participation.

From understanding the psychology of engagement to using technology tools strategically, listen in as Diana covers a range of topics that will help you take your virtual events to the next level. Plus, learn Diana's acronym BLEACH for presenting a professional and effective on-camera image.

The evolution of virtual events and participants' expectations

The key to getting participants active and engaged in your virtual events

The importance of understanding the cognitive psychology of connection in virtual events

How to use icebreakers and affirmation for more engagement (and better virtual learning experiences)

How to strategically design your events for better connection

The BLEACH acronym for creating a professional and effective on-camera image for virtual events

Diana on LinkedIn

Howles Associates

Next Level Virtual Training: Advance Your Facilitation

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"One teacher's class read book three about community service and wanted to do every chapter in their own community. That's exactly what I want." - Sandy Ciaramitaro, author of The Good Eggs children's book series

How can we raise the next generation of individuals who can make a difference?

It begins with nurturing compassion and instilling values to help raise a generation of empathetic and service-oriented individuals to create a better future for our communities and the world.

My guest today has a passion for inspiring children to become kind and compassionate individuals through engaging storytelling.

Mother, Grandmother, and former teacher and school administrator Sandra Ciaramitaro is the author of The Good Eggs children's book series and founder of The Good Eggs Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those in need in her local community.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Sandy joins Anjel to discuss her journey as an author and philanthropist.

Sandy shares the process of starting her foundation, its impact on her local community, and tips for aspiring authors looking to self-publish.

Listen in as she walks us through her vision for expanding The Good Eggs Foundation beyond her local community. Plus, discover the power of storytelling and community service in inspiring kindness and compassion in children, and how you, too, can make a positive impact in your own community.

How engaging storytelling teaches children the importance of kindness and community service

How to start an impactful foundation in your community

Tips for becoming a successful author and the importance of self-publishing

The value of persistence and determination in achieving your goals

The power of spreading kindness and compassion in our daily lives

The Good Eggs Foundation

Sandy on LinkedIn

Purchase Signed Copies of the Good Eggs Books

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The #MeToo movement sparked a global discussion around sexual harassment in the workplace, inspiring women all over the world to share their experiences.

But how do we shift from talking about what's happened to addressing harassment in the moment? How do we speak up in an effective way to create a more respectful workplace moving forward?

Elaine Lyerly is the CEO of the Lyerly Agency, an award-winning brand marketing and PR firm. Karen Teller, MBA, is an investor in women-led startups with 30 years of experience in the male-dominated manufacturing industry.

Together, Elaine and Karen are the coauthors of Outrageous Things Men Say at Work, a book designed to help women address verbal harassment effectively.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Elaine and Karen join Anjel to discuss the prevalence of harassment in the workplace and how it impacts women, sharing their personal stories of being harassed at work.

Karen and Elaine walk us through their favorite strategies for addressing verbal harassment at work, explaining what to do when a man steals your idea or talks over you in a meeting.

Listen in for insight on cultivating more 'good guys' and allies in the workplace and learn how to educate men on their blind spots and respond with humor when men say outrageous things at work.

What inspired Elaine and Karen to write the book Outrageous Things Men Say at Work

The prevalence of harassment in the workplace and how it impacts women

Elaine and Karen's personal stories of being harassed in the workplace

Why Karen suggests building alliances with senior leaders to navigate harassment at work

How Elaine mentors young women to respond to harassment in the workplace

The 3 general categories of men you will encounter at work

How to navigate the shock of being harassed and address the situation appropriately

What to do when a man steals your idea or talks over you in a meeting

Examples of the 'say nothing but do something' approach to dealing with harassment

What we can do to build more good guys and allies in the workplace

How to use the 'velvet hammer' to educate men around their blind spots

Why women must give ourselves the respect to address harassment in the moment

Outrageous Things Men Say on Facebook

Me Too Movement

McKinsey & LeanIn Study on Women in the Workplace

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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"When I look back on my success, nine out of ten startups fail. What helped me beat the odds was my ability to tune into people, inspiring them to take action and make a better world," - Lisa D.Foster

Plastic has become ubiquitous in our daily lives, but its convenience has come at a high cost. Millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped into our oceans and landfills every year, causing harm to wildlife and ecosystems. By 2050, it's estimated that there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish.

"I got mad about the plastic use, I got mad about the paper bag use, and I saw a different way," Lisa D. Foster founded One Bag at a Time, a reusable grocery bag company, and grew it to an $8M business before selling it in 2017. Born into a Holocaust-affected family, Lisa overcame low expectations to become an English teacher before pivoting to become a purpose-driven eco-entrepreneur and pioneer in the fight against single-use plastic. Now, as a business coach, she shares leadership and inspires change. She's also the author of the book, "Bag Lady."

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Lisa joins Anjel to share her journey of founding and then selling her successful reusable grocery bag company at its peak.

Listen in as she walks us through the impact one person can have on the world, the importance of taking action and the value of persistence, both in business and in life, and how it can help you overcome setbacks, achieve your goals, and become a better leader.

The impact of plastic on the environment and the inspiration behind One Bag at a Time Inc

Lisa's journey from introverted youth to English teacher to eco-entrepreneur

How Lisa's survivor mentality and persistence have driven her success

The importance of believing in oneself and finding purpose

How Lisa's experience as a teacher and leader influenced her approach to business coaching

How you can transition from one career or passion to another by following your heart and pursuing what you truly care about

What is great leadership

How working with a skilled coach or mentor can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals

Lisa D. Foster

Lisa on LinkedIn

Bag Lady

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Did you know that 25% of a student's college entrance rating is based on their essay?

It's more important than GPA or test scores. And a well-written college essay can translate to tens of thousands of dollars in guaranteed scholarship money.

Christy Sharafinski is Founder of Easier College Essays, a service that helps high school students craft college essays that tell their deepest story and complete college applications in a timely, low-stress way.

Christy supports students and their parents in developing a successful university admissions strategy, and she is committed to transforming your teen's path to college and career.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Christy joins Anjel to explain how the evolution of her businesses reflects the ages and stages of her own six children.

Christy shares the inspiration behind Easier College Essays and walks us through the story of a student she helped secure a guaranteed full-ride scholarship to his #1 school.

Listen in to understand when high school students should start thinking about their college admissions strategy and get Christy's advice to aspiring entrepreneurs on committing to a niche in your business!

How Christy learned to be compassionate with herself as a mom-entrepreneur

How Christy thinks about making sure your business serves you (not the other way around)

How the evolution of Christy's businesses reflected the ages and stages of her six children

What inspired Christy to start Easier College Essays and how she learned the business

How Christy works with parents and students on college admissions strategy

The student who Christy helped secure a guaranteed full-ride scholarship to his #1 school

Why Christy suggests engaging her services when your child is a high school sophomore or junior

How essays weigh more heavily than GPA or test scores in college entrance ratings

The freedom and power that comes with committing to a niche in your business

Easier College Essays

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What does it look like to build a business grounded in your ethics?

Lou Elliott-Cysewski is committed to equity and environmental stewardship. And she translated these values into a mission-driven, multimillion-dollar company.

Lou is Cofounder and CEO of Coolperx, the first climate net neutral promotional products company in the world.

Lou's team is on a mission to transform the swag industry from toxic polluter to a sustainable, brand building force that supports people and planet.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Lou joins Anjel to share her process of ethics formation and walk us through some of the childhood experiences that inform her values.

Lou discusses how Coolperx addresses the waste associated with the promotional products industry and why swag should reflect the value of the recipient's relationship with the company.

Listen in for Lou's insight on bringing equity to gift giving at scale and learn how to build a business based on the principles that matter most to you!

The childhood experiences that inspired Lou's environmental stewardship

Why entrepreneurship wasn't on Lou's radar until she 'married into privilege'

Lou's process of formulating, articulating and embodying her own ethics

How Lou thinks about being a contributor to her community (without under- or over-giving)

What it looks like to build a business around your ethics

How Lou is addressing the wase associated with the promotional products industry

Why promotional products should reflect the value of the recipient's relationship with the company

How Lou's team at Coolperx brings equity to gift giving at scale

The benefit of giving uique, handmade gifts to employees or clients

How Lou's ethics inform her role as CEO of a multimillion-dollar company

Coolperx

Wickedly Smart Women: Trusting Intuition, Taking Action, Transforming Worlds by Anjel B. Hartwell

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If you've invested time or money in something, it can be hard to let go. But this sunk cost fallacy is what keeps a lot of entrepreneurs stuck in what's not working.

So, how do you honestly assess what's happening in your business and shed the things that interrupt your flow?

Jessica Mead serves as Founder and CEO of Brandlync, Managing Partner of Drivonic and Cofounder of The Epek Companies and Mead Holdings Group. Together, Jessica's businesses have a combined valuation of $100M, and she is an angel investor in 20 companies.

In addition to being an accomplished mompreneur and bestselling author, Jessica homeschools her children full-time. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and Yahoo Finance.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Jessica joins Anjel to discuss how an unstable childhood informs her commitment to conscious leadership and living life by design.

Jessica explains what she looks for in a startup investment, challenging us to stand on truth and transparency as guidelines for business.

Listen in for Jessica's insight on the idea of intentional congruence and learn to own your mistakes, shed what's not working and make space for something exponentially better in your personal and professional life!

How Jessica's unstable childhood informs her leadership style

How meeting her husband/business partner put Jessica on the path to entrepreneurship

Why Jessica stands on truth and transparency as guidelines for business

How her grandmother and siblings inspired Jessica's early success

What it means to be a conscious leader who owns her mistakes

How Jessica assesses intentional congruence and sheds what isn't working

Jessica's insight on giving people your time vs. true presence

What makes Jessica want to back an entrepreneur in her role as angel investor

Why it's crucial for women entrepreneurs to ask for investors

Jessica's Website

Firework Humans by Jessica Mead

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

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Teri M. Brown has loved reading and writing since childhood.

But her family saw authorship as a hobby, not a career. And years and years of enduring an emotionally abusive relationship made Teri feel like she wasn't capable or worthy of pursuing her dreams.

Then in 2020, Teri and her new husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States to raise money for Toys for Tots. And the trip from Astoria, Oregon, to Washington, DC, made Teri realize she could do anything she set her mind to.

Today, Teri is the published author of two works of historical fiction, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow and An Enemy Like Me. Her debut novel earned the 2022 Writers Lounge Bookshelf Award, First Place for Historical Fiction at the Firebird Book Awards and is a 2022 Readers' Favorite Five-Star Award Winner.

On this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, Teri joins Anjel to explain how she said YES to becoming an author and share the emotional journey of sending her first book out into the world.

Teri describes the premise of Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, discussing how it gives readers context around what's happening in the Ukraine and empathy and compassion for the people there.

Listen in for Teri's insight on using literature to build connection and learn how to overcome your fear and take the first steps to becoming who you were always meant to be.

How her family's view of writing kept Teri from pursuing it as a career

The writing work Teri did part-time while homeschooling her kids

How Teri started writing immediately after she got out of an abusive relationship

The tandem bike trip across the US that helped Teri believe in herself

What Teri learned from the 4 manuscripts she wrote before Sunflowers Beneath the Snow

The premise of Teri's first historical fiction novel and its setting in the Ukraine

Teri's emotional journey of sending her first book out into the world

How Teri's book gives readers context around what's happening in the Ukraine and empathy for the people there

How Teri's new WWII novel explores what makes someone an enemy

Why literature is a safe way to connect with different kinds of people

Teri's Website

Sunflowers Beneath the Snow by Teri M. Brown

An Enemy Like Me by Teri M. Brown

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