Podcasts by The Speak Easy Podcast
Hi. Jen Estill and Karen Stefl here. In The Speak Easy Podcast, we share years of expertise in marketing, branding, video production, strategy—not to mention management, employee development, mentoring, sales, creativity, maintaining life balance, managing money, and.. you get the idea. It takes a lot to keep a couple of creative studios thriving.
We developed this podcast after years of "how do you..." boss lady conversations. It was clear that if we were both in such similar places with regard to business growth, and personal growth, and work/life/motherhood/bossland balance, then other women may be, too. We'd been sharing confessions over cocktails for quite a while—solving problems, asking for advice, and whispering the secret fears and disappointments that successful women are never supposed to have. (You've had those, right? It's not just us?)
Thus, Speak Easy was born. Our goal and our promise is to speak with honesty about the challenges that experienced women in the creative industry face. To create a community where we can support one another and abandon the mantra that we put on a good face and make it look like we have it all together, even when we don't. You can expect honesty, complete vulnerability and even a good laugh.
And cocktails. You can expect cocktails.
Further podcasts by Jen Estill and Karen Stefl — creative studio entrepreneurs, brand and video experts, boss ladies, moms
Podcast on the topic Wirtschaft
All episodes
Straight Talk About Small Business: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from 2022-02-16T14:18:22
We both have over 20 years of experience in leading businesses, and we’ve come to learn that entrepreneurship is just in our blood. We love the decision making, excitement, and growth that comes wi...
Listen
Buyer’s Remorse — Karen Talks Her Short Film from 2022-02-02T16:11:12
This week’s a bit of a treat, folks. Jen interviews Karen about Buyer’s Remorse, an award-winning short film developed by Karen and her team at Render Studios.
Buyer’s Remorse explores the...
Michelle Reynaert: The Power of Philanthropy from 2022-01-18T21:52:03
Michelle Reynaert, Vice President of the Sparrow Foundation, started her career in marketing, but soon realized she needed a deeper personal connection to her work. As it turns out, philanthropy wa...
Listen
The Ripple Effect: What You Do Has an Impact from 2022-01-04T21:27:43
Our actions have unseen consequences. Sure, we can witness our effect on the people in our own bubble, but our actions reach those we do not see and have not met. The way we interact with our cowor...
Listen
Imposter Syndrome — What Has Changed for Us from 2021-12-22T15:17:55
It’s true, we had imposter syndrome early in our careers. At the time it felt like we needed to guard our lack of knowledge and self-doubting thoughts, but in truth everyone feels that way, especia...
Listen
Kelly Blake: Protecting Children and Their Education from 2021-12-08T15:09:58
School districts aren’t always the easiest things to manage, pandemics aside, but when you need to keep kids safe while ensuring their education the job gets even trickier. Fortunately for Waverly ...
Listen
A Little Gratitude Goes a Long Way from 2021-11-19T21:18:22
Tis the season for gratitude, but, in fact, it’s healthier to practice grateful thinking all year long. When we think about what’s missing, rather than what’s present, we invite anxiety, frustratio...
Listen
Telling the Truth: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility from 2021-11-09T21:23:34
If you read it on the internet it must be true, right? Um, no — we all know that's not the case by now. There is so much misinformation on the internet, it's gotten to the point that users must be ...
Listen
Planning Your Next Year Like a Boss from 2021-10-26T20:08:08
Yeesh. 2021 is coming to a close.
Another year down, but 2022 is gonna be a great one. How do we know this? Because we’re going to be prepared. Planning is the key to success, and it star...
Building a Brand, Running Retail, and Placemaking for Community from 2021-10-12T19:00:55
One of the principal tasks of starting a business is buying and developing a commercial space. Recently, Jen bought a new building for her marketing shop, Redhead, and an exciting new endeavor — Ne...
Listen
Linda Vail: Leading Through Crisis from 2021-09-29T14:40:02
Our guest this week couldn’t be more relevant. As COVID-19 cases continue to fill hospital beds around the country, Linda Vail, director of the Ingham County Health Department, joins us to discuss ...
Listen
Women in Leadership: Where We Have the Edge from 2021-09-14T20:26:58
We know so many inspiring women leaders, and we can see the very qualities that make them effective. High emotional intelligence. Humility. Self-control. Vision. Though men and women alike can be g...
Listen
Top 10 Things to Do When You Can’t Sleep at 3 in the Morning from 2021-09-01T17:58:31
Some days — no matter how much coffee you consume — it’s a struggle to keep your eyes open. But that same night, you crash hard just to find yourself wide awake at 3 am. Instead of spending emotion...
Listen
104: Things That Make Us Cry — Crying is a Communication Tool? from 2021-08-19T20:59:43
Crying is important. As babies, we’re not yet equipped with useful tools such as words, so crying is how we communicate our needs. And boy does it do the trick.
Even as tweens, teens, and ...
103: The Value of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship – Featuring Guest Amanda Blondeau from 2021-08-03T20:19:09
We’re happy to be joined by Chief Strategy Officer Amanda Blondeau from Northern Initiatives — a nonprofit, Community Development Financial Institution. They work with businesses that can’t get acc...
Listen
Amanda Blondeau, Northern Initiatives from 2021-08-03T20:19:09
We’re happy to be joined by Chief Strategy Officer Amanda Blondeau from Northern Initiatives — a nonprofit, Community Development Financial Institution. They work with businesses that can’t get acc...
Listen
103: Amanda Blondeau, Northern Initiatives from 2021-08-03T20:19:09
We’re happy to be joined by Chief Strategy Officer Amanda Blondeau from Northern Initiatives — a nonprofit, Community Development Financial Institution. They work with businesses that can’t get acc...
Listen
102: Ego—When It Serves You and When You Stick It in the Closet from 2021-07-21T14:02:34
“Your ego is showing” is a phrase uttered when someone is getting a little too full of themselves. Or in other words, a little too egotistical.
Ego, on the other hand, is simply your sense...
Ego: When It Serves You and When You Stick It in the Closet from 2021-07-21T14:02:34
“Your ego is showing” is a phrase uttered when someone is getting a little too full of themselves. Or in other words, a little too egotistical.
Ego, on the other hand, is simply your sense...
101: I don't want your entitled kid to become my employee or client from 2021-07-07T14:00:52
As parents, the last thing we want to do is raise entitled people. The kind of people who never clean up after themselves and expect the red carpet to unfold everywhere they go.
As employe...
Our 100th Episode: Burning Questions from 2021-06-22T20:50:53
100 rapid fire questions for our 100th episode. We’re talking everything from mom jeans to aliens to weird food combinations. (Jen’s is really weird.) (Honestly, Karen’s is too.)
To be fai...
99: The One That Got Away from 2021-06-08T20:55:23
We all have one. That potential hire with a stunning resume and agreeable ethos. The one that you just need in your organization. Sometimes, it’s a client — a project or bid that your organization ...
Listen
98: From Cashiers and Counselors to Entrepreneurs: Lessons From Our First Jobs from 2021-05-25T21:04:54
Our first jobs humble us. They teach us humility and hard work and help us decide where we want to end up down the line. The lessons we learn from our first jobs are skills we still use to this day...
Listen
97: Building Strong Relationships In Business and Beyond — Featuring Guest Barb Byrum from 2021-05-12T14:03:35
This week we're welcoming a friend, advocate, and fierce feminist to our show: Barb Byrum, Ingham County Clerk. Barb has worked as state representative for the 67th District and is now serving as t...
Listen
Strategy Series 20: Creating Vs. Launching Your Brand from 2021-05-05T14:31:25
Creating a brand and launching a brand are exciting and important moments for your business. They present opportunities to elevate your work, change direction if necessary, and take new steps forwa...
Listen
96: Hiring Freelancers: When, Why, And How from 2021-04-27T21:08:06
Freelancers have become increasingly popular in the creative industry. Not only are clients relying on them more, but agencies also outsource to freelancers in order to offer additional services to...
Listen
Strategy Series 19: Edutainment – Creating Captivating Educational Content from 2021-04-20T21:00:18
From Sesame Street, to cooking videos on YouTube, or even the information you get from TikTok, educational entertainment is all around us. It's become a staple for educating people young and old, a...
Listen
95: Burnout and Boredom — How to Handle Feeling Blah from 2021-04-13T20:47:30
The last year has been a case study in how fatigue and boredom have a ripple effect across every area of our lives: at work, at home, and with our families. Most of us have battled with both of the...
Listen
94: When Business And Life Align — A Conversation With Karen from 2021-03-30T21:09:27
rning and perfecting our work-life balance every day, while trying to push ourselves and our careers to continue to grow. Alignment isn't something in our lives that happens overnight. It can take ...
Listen
Strategy Series 18: Branding Strong Cities from 2021-03-23T20:50:43
Brand awareness goes beyond big-name products and companies — it reaches to the neighborhoods we live in and the streets we walk. When you can find a way to harness strategic branding to your advan...
Listen
93: Habits: The Good, The Bad, And The Weird from 2021-03-16T20:56:31
Habits are psychological patterns that we form over time through repetition in our daily lives. Whether we notice it or not, the work we do each day contributes to our good and not-so-good habits. ...
Listen
Strategy Series 17: The Power Of 'What If—?' from 2021-03-09T21:53:18
We've all heard the age old adage, "Curiosity killed the cat." Still, as entrepreneurs, we're familiar with the addition to the phrase: "But satisfaction brought it back." Sure, there are risks tha...
Listen
92: Yes, And — Guiding Creativity And Exploring Everything from 2021-03-02T21:48:21
We hear a lot about the "creative industry" — but what makes a certain business, team, or idea "creative"? Creativity is as subjective as we make it, and it manifests itself in many forms.
Listen
Strategy Series 16: Branding For Community Impact from 2021-02-23T22:06:56
When creating a new brand identity, it's important to keep your end goal top-of-mind. From brainstorming a brand name to designing a logo and tying it all together on a shiny new website, a new bra...
Listen
91: How To Happy (And Know It) from 2021-02-16T21:52:10
What makes you happy? Is it finishing a project you've been working hard on? Giving a gift to a loved one? Reading a good book on a rainy day? Or, is it even more subtle than that? To us, happiness...
Listen
Strategy Series 15: Honoring Efficacy and Efficiency from 2021-02-09T21:48:17
Working in a client-based industry means that, first and foremost, we are problem solvers. Our clients come to us with specific goals, visions, or a problems to be solved, and it is our job to deli...
Listen
90: Creating Credibility: How Trust And Success Go Hand In Hand from 2021-02-02T21:45:10
We know credibility as the foundation of trust. In all areas of life, it is so important to be known for delivering on our promises: your staff needs to believe in you, your clients need to trust y...
Listen
89: Cracking The Glass Ceiling And The Work That's Left To Be Done from 2021-01-19T21:52
n her nomination acceptance speech, Vice President Kamala Harris shared some moving words that stuck with us: "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last because every li...
Listen
Strategy Series 14: Sensory Branding from 2021-01-12T21:47
Our senses are directly linked to memory. That's why some of the most iconic brands in the world are attached to sounds (PlayStation's startup sound), taste (Olive Garden's mints), and scent (Delta...
Listen
88: How Inner Strength Propels Community Strength — Featuring Guest April Clobes from 2021-01-05T21:51:05
Working your way up from an entry-level job all the way to CEO sounds like a dream come true — but professional success doesn't happen overnight. We're thrilled to kick off the new year with an epi...
Listen
Happy Holidays From The Speak Easy Podcast from 2020-12-23T05:50:05
The holidays might look different this year, but that doesn't mean you can't still celebrate. This week, we wanted to wish all of our listeners a happy holiday season and give you all the tools you...
Listen
87: Moving Forward (Literally And Figuratively) — Part Two from 2020-12-15T21:49:36
Last episode, Karen dove into how and why she decided to move buildings even after all the unexpected changes 2020 brought – and this week, it's Jen's turn. To some, a monumental business move migh...
Listen
Strategy Series 12: How Animation Brings Video Marketing Plans To Life from 2020-12-08T21:58:02
Animation is a powerful video tool that is often overlooked. Animation can be used to demonstrate science at the cellular level, show an entire kitchen simultaneously in chaos, explain abstract con...
Listen
86: Moving Forward (Literally And Figuratively) — Part One from 2020-12-01T22:29:22
When we're surrounded by monumental changes in the world, our natural reaction is to stop, slow down, and stay put. We definitely understand the draw to seek what's comfortable and safe. (After all...
Listen
85: Performing When The Pressure's On from 2020-11-17T21:38:53
Businesses across industries have faced countless challenges this year – and in the face of those challenges comes the pressure to perform, no matter the circumstances. We're talking about performi...
Listen
Strategy Series 11: A Post-Election Check In from 2020-11-06T21:02:01
There's no doubt that the results of the presidential election will have a direct impact on our work and the businesses we work with. There's also no doubt that this has been an utterly exhausting,...
Listen
Strategy Series 10: Videos Work – Science Says So from 2020-10-28T12:49
As social media has grown, so has the presence and success of video. When it comes to changing the behaviors of users, video has shown remarkable success on social media and beyond. But what's actu...
Listen
84: Innovation and Changes In Nonprofits – Featuring Guest Joan Gustafson from 2020-10-20T20:49:26
Businesses big and small have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. How does this affect nonprofits specifically, and what innovations can they embrace in order to keep up?<...
Listen
Strategy Series 09: Cleaning Up Your Brand Language from 2020-10-13T20:53:39
In the marketing world, language is one of the top tools for impactful and effective communication. As communicators, it is important that our brand language develops with the world around us. Not ...
Listen
83: Back To Basics: B2B vs. B2C Communication from 2020-10-06T21:00:52
We're going back to B2B and B2C basics. There are countless nuances in the marketing world and, this episode, we're breaking them down. In an industry fraught with acronyms, it's imperative that we...
Listen
Strategy Series 08: Growing Your Nonprofit With Video from 2020-09-29T23:36:16
Video is often an under-utilized tool in business, especially when it comes to nonprofits. Not only can video be used to tell the story of your organization, but it can also be used in almost all m...
Listen
82: Quitting While You're Ahead: Knowing When To Stay Or Walk Away from 2020-09-22T21:14:53
Throwing in the towel feels like a bad thing. We've always heard a barrage of phrases like, "Only losers quit" or "Quitters never win." But, depending on the situation, we don't always see it that ...
Listen
Strategy Series 07: Effective Outreach Through Marketing And Branding from 2020-09-15T19:37:49
As communicators, it's our job to help our clients figure out what they need to reach their goals. Often times, many clients don't even realize that what they need is branded marketing.
In...
81: Waste Not, Want Not: How To Be Our Most Efficient And Effective Selves from 2020-09-08T20:32:48
Working during the pandemic has shifted the way we go about our everyday lives. We've talked about it in past episodes, but the pandemic has uprooted us and still keeps many of us at home. It has f...
Listen
Strategy Series 06: Building Trust In Video from 2020-09-01T18:50:53
Trust is a key factor in any healthy relationship, but especially in client relationships. As creatives, we need to trust our client to tell us what they are looking for and what they expect, and t...
Listen
80: Audiences, Flexibility, And The Future Of Public Broadcasting – Featuring Guest Susi Elkins from 2020-08-25T19:34:03
This episode, we are joined by a very special guest: Susi Elkins, director of broadcasting and general manager at WKAR Public Media in East Lansing, Michigan. As station manager, she oversees all o...
Listen
Strategy Series 05: Defining Target Markets from 2020-08-18T19:28:15
We know – we all want our brands to be everyone's best friend. But here’s the deal: The narrower you can get your target market, the easier your marketing becomes. Marketing to fewer people to have...
Listen
79: Lessons From A Global Pandemic from 2020-08-11T18:42:25
The pandemic has swept through our lives and almost universally changed everything. While we will be living among COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, we’ve already started sorting through the rubb...
Listen
Strategy Series 04: The Art Of Virtual Video Events from 2020-08-04T21:13:06
Let's be real: Zoom calls aren't always as easy as they should be. The bigger the call, the messier the scenario. And, these days, it doesn't look like things will be going back to "normal" any tim...
Listen
78: Wanderlust, Our Wildest Dreams, and Why We Do What We Do from 2020-07-28T21:08:01
These days, a lot of us find ourselves drifting off in thought and reevaluating our past decisions. The global pandemic has taken away a lot of the physical tethers that we have to where we live, s...
Listen
Strategy Series 03: Leveraging Your Brand Values from 2020-07-21T21:03:44
Do you know what your organization values? Does your staff? What about your customers? This week's Strategy Series mini episode explores the importance of knowing your business's values, and how yo...
Listen
77: Fuck It, I'm Going For It Anyway from 2020-07-14T20:16:06
How many times have you stopped yourself from going after what you wanted? Whether it was because you were afraid of failure, rejection, or adding to workload, you probably have a million reasons. ...
Listen
Strategy Series 02: New Rules for Filming from 2020-07-07T20:46:07
Anyone who has worked with or on a videography team knows the amount of work that goes into a shoot. From organizing locations to shooting in tight spaces, Karen and her team manage to keep things ...
Listen
76: Fighting For What Matters Most — Featuring Guest Paula Herbart from 2020-06-30T19:48:13
Our newest guest, Paula Herbart, knows a thing or two about leading through uncertainty.
As president of the Michigan Education Association, the shifting K-12 landscape led Paula to furth...
Strategy Series 01: Learn From This Crisis To Prepare For The Next from 2020-06-23T19:25:22
In our first episode of the Strategy Series, Jen shares what we can learn from the global pandemic to prepare for the next crisis, from a business and marketing perspective. There are certain busin...
Listen
75: Working With Guilt: Why We Feel It And How To Manage It from 2020-06-16T20:43:02
Times are tricky right now. 2020 continues to deliver change and challenges, and a lot of people are experiencing newfound stress and guilt in their work-from-home lives. We are feeling guilty for ...
Listen
74: Breaking Up And Moving On: The Life Cycle Of Client Relationships from 2020-06-02T20:55:38
It’s a tricky subject, but the reality is that client breakups happen. There are times when a client breakup blindsides you (which often require a healthy amount of drinks and breakup songs to reco...
Listen
73: Adapting To Change And Evolving Your Business from 2020-05-19T21:02:24
Businesses should always be moving. When your business is standing still, that means the world around your business is moving and you're stagnant. In order to survive times of crisis, we need to ma...
Listen
72: Creating A Legacy Of Service—Featuring Guest Rachel Willis from 2020-05-05T22:53:32
This episode’s guest, Rachel Willis, has been an active member of the community since childhood. Her family instilled the importance of making yourself heard, taking a seat at the table and helping...
Listen
71: Catching Curiosity: How Asking 'Why' Can Model Empathy And Innovation from 2020-04-21T21:06:54
We all aspire for childlike curiosity. From birth, being curious helps us learn about the world around us and teaches us imperative problem solving skills. However, as we get older, it becomes easy...
Listen
70: Bad Manners In The Workplace: How To Avoid Them And How To Address Them from 2020-04-07T20:00:25
We have all worked a job at one point in our lives where a coworker had terrible manners. This episode, we're talking about *that* guy: The one who clips their nails in the cubicle, or the one who ...
Listen
69: What Do We Do Now?—Leadership During Crises from 2020-03-24T20:25:48
Amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic, we switched gears this episode to discuss how we can maintain solid leadership during a global crisis. Let's be honest—every business owner has a different probl...
Listen
68: Fueling Your Fire And Finding Your ‘Why'–Featuring Guest Tammy Hannah from 2020-03-10T20:42:46
Balancing two young children, being a part of a rapidly growing care facility, and going back to school for an MBA all at once might sound impossible. But this episode’s guest, Tammy Hannah (CEO of...
Listen
67: Finding And Using Your Voice: The Art Of Advocacy from 2020-02-25T21:52:46
There are so many reasons why it's important to practice using your voice in your work. As entrepreneurs, we (sometimes unknowingly) become advocates for ourselves, our teams and our clients. If we...
Listen
66: The Games We Play Beyond The Board from 2020-02-11T20:34:12
Everyone loves a good board game. They help us build skills like patience, rationale, and strategic thinking. Sure, we use these skills in a good old-fashioned game of Monopoly or Risk, but they're...
Listen
65: The Power Of 'Yes': How We Can Break The Routine Of 'No' from 2020-01-28T21:36:21
When was the last time you said "yes"? Just an all-out, hesitation-free, no-questions-asked "yes"? Over time, a lot of entrepreneurs get really good at saying "no." Which, as we've discussed in pas...
Listen
64: What Romance Novels Teach Us About Feminism and Change—Featuring Guest Lyssa Kay Adams from 2020-01-15T15:45:51
If you want something different in life, change it—whether it's your career or the patriarchy. Or if you're our guest, author Lyssa Kay Adams, both.
The last couple of years were pretty ma...
63: Getting Back To Basics, Avoiding Shiny Objects And Decluttering Our Minds from 2020-01-06T21:15:34
t can be tempting to set new, ambitious goals based on what we think we should want. Achieving a certain milestone, expanding into a new service offering, or taking on an impressive project. It's i...
Listen
62: The Most Important Things We Do Each Year from 2019-12-17T22:15:15
For many entrepreneurs, the end of the year is a time for holiday get-togethers, meeting deadlines, and–the big one–goal setting. We take time to visualize where we see our organization in the comi...
Listen
61: How The 80/20 Rule Can Help Us Get Our Priorities Straight from 2019-12-03T21:34:16
The 80/20 Rule is certainly a handy analytical tool for businesspeople. But, turns out, efficiency isn't all about rules and percentages. After reflecting on it, we realized that this idea of putti...
Listen
60: Granting Yourself Permission To Be Creative from 2019-11-19T21:36:58
Somewhere along the way, our culture fell into this mindset that more time working = more "success." This is the same logic that all too often forces our creative pursuits to take a back seat. You ...
Listen
59: How To Face Big, Scary, Intentional Changes from 2019-11-05T20:50:05
Change is always an emotional process–but intentional changes evoke a different kind of feeling. It's the big package of emotions that come along with being in the driver's seat of our own decision...
Listen
58: Learning New Things, Failing At Them, And Coming Out On Top from 2019-10-23T01:05:39
While many entrepreneurs seem to have an innate sense of curiosity, we can all agree that there are times when we get stuck in our own bubbles. Repeating our tried-and-true skills seems to objectiv...
Listen
57: What Keeps You Up At Night? from 2019-10-08T20:50:22
You know the feeling: You look forward to plopping into bed all evening, but once you're finally there you can't seem to turn off your brain. Everything you could ever possibly contemplate suddenly...
Listen
56: Navigating Pricing While Knowing Your Worth from 2019-09-24T20:35:43
This week, we're tackling one of those hush-hush, secretive, taboo subjects your mother always told you not to discuss at the dinner table: pricing.
In the creative industry, entrepreneurs...
55: Building Community - Live at Bad Annie's, Featuring Guests Meghan Martin and Summer Schriner from 2019-09-10T19:39:57
There's no better place to talk about building community than out in the community itself. As our first-ever live show, this episode was recorded live from Arts Night Out at Bad Annie's Sweary Good...
Listen
54: Changing Careers And Running The Show–Featuring Guest Lis Weston from 2019-08-27T21:28:45
To get something right, sometimes you have to flip your perspective on the topic altogether. This episode we welcome a new guest: Lis Weston, a versatile businesswoman, and executive director who b...
Listen
53: How To Stop Dreading Employee Reviews from 2019-08-13T17:58:31
In many organizations, employee reviews have become formulaic. The employee sits down with their supervisor once a week, once a month or once a quarter. They go over a written evaluation, talk abou...
Listen
52: Brown Suits And Watered-Down Whiskey: Why We Shouldn't Settle For Average from 2019-07-30T20:41:26
It's no surprise that most people don't want to be average. Yet, average is so easy to fall back into; it's simple, effortless, affordable, comfortable. It's the first idea that comes to mind in a ...
Listen
51: What To Do When You're Burnt Out, Exhausted And Ready For A Giant Nap from 2019-07-16T19:50:09
Raise your hand if you've told yourself, "I'll just get past this busy season and then it will be calmer." Is it ever calmer? Not really. The truth is, another busy season is always on its way.
50: Random (And Surprisingly Relevant) Thoughts From A Word Generator from 2019-07-02T19:31:24
n any industry, leaders need to be able to think on their feet. We improvise new solutions, brainstorm outside the box and go out on a limb almost daily. This episode, we're testing our improv skil...
Listen
49: Relevance And The Mid-Career-ness Of It All from 2019-06-18T18:39:51
When you hit that mid-career mark, it can feel as though you've seen it all. You've got a solid grasp of who you are: your leadership style, your values, your purpose. You've learned how your team ...
Listen
48: Recognizing Our Faults (Almost To A Fault) from 2019-06-04T18:36:33
It's the quintessential interview question: What's your biggest weakness?
While the savvy interviewee might try to spin the topic in their favor, there's no denying that we all have perso...
47: The Fine Line Between Critique And Criticism from 2019-05-21T20:05:25
We know, we know; at the end of the day, critique and criticism are beneficial. They help drive us forward. Push us out of our comfort zones. Make us the best versions of ourselves. Then why are cr...
Listen
46: Entrepreneurial Hindsight is 20/20–Featuring Guest Kelly Rossman-McKinney from 2019-05-07T19:45:31
As we look back on our careers, it becomes clear that there's no way to forecast every change that will come our way. Industries shift, trends come and go and we can't pretend to know it all. How c...
Listen
45: Change Is Always In Season from 2019-04-23T18:52:49
It's been said many times before, but we'll say it again: Change is inevitable. Personally, professionally and regardless of the season, change chugs along whether we think we're ready or not. Trut...
Listen
44: Defining Success And Getting Our Priorities Straight from 2019-04-09T20:54:21
Defining success is difficult. It's like trying to analyze how far we've come by comparing miles to kilometers or tiny, baby footsteps–everyone's measuring stick is different, which is why we simpl...
Listen
43: Hitting Reset After Hitting The Brink from 2019-03-26T15:53:35
For entrepreneurs, the candle is usually burning at both ends. We're leading our businesses by day, leading our families (and often still our businesses, thanks to technology) by night and on the w...
Listen
42: Making And Breaking The Rules from 2019-03-12T20:54:27
Sure, some (okay, a lot) of rules are necessary. Like rules backed by data, or rules that keep us from dying. As much as our punk-rock alter egos would like to disagree, we need rules to keep it al...
Listen
41: Show Up, Follow Through And Don't Be A Dick from 2019-02-26T21:55:12
Yes, it would be nice to claim that we don't care what other people think about us and go about our lives rebellious and free. But let's get real: As business owners and professionals, we simply ca...
Listen
40: Is 'Fake It Till You Make It' Bullsh*t? from 2019-02-12T21:42:30
Sure, faking it can get you to the point of making it. (Whatever "making it" implies.) But once you've wowed that boss, hiring manager or team with your quick-thinking wit (read: bullshit), what's ...
Listen
39: Why ‘Entrepreneurial Rigor’ Isn’t An Oxymoron from 2019-01-29T21:17:50
We normally see rigor associated with scientists or academics, but what does it look like for entrepreneurs in the creative industry? We may not like to admit it, but nothing sets the foundation fo...
Listen
38: Plans, Endgames And Questions We Didn't Know Existed—Featuring Special Guest Gabrielle Lawrence from 2019-01-15T21:49:44
"Planning ahead" means different things to different people. Whether you're a small business owner or an estate planner, it's all about identifying your endgame. Sometimes you just need a kick in t...
Listen
37: Creative Muscles Need Training, Too from 2019-01-04T14:36:30
For some reason unbeknownst to us, there seems to be a common misconception that creativity is a natural-born talent. That creatives just wake up in the morning and flawlessly complete seamless, in...
Listen
36: Resilience from 2018-12-18T20:29:52
We like to think successful entrepreneurs, in general, are significantly more resilient than the average person. Nothing is guaranteed in our work, and there's no safety net. The ability to bounce ...
Listen
35: Maintaining Virtual Relationships from 2018-12-04T20:56:44
We'll be honest—if we had it our way, every new relationship would start with a meaningful face-to-face chat. But in today's business environment, one needs to master virtual relationships in order...
Listen
34: When Things Go Wrong from 2018-11-20T20:52:14
Responsibility is inherent in leadership. When something goes wrong on your team, all roads lead to your desk. People look to you to boost morale, patch the mistakes and devise a plan to move forwa...
Listen
33: Following Creative Trends from 2018-11-06T21:26:55
Creative ideas are not to be underestimated; a lot of critical inventions we couldn't see ourselves living without today started as simple trends. Someone, somewhere comes up with an innovative ide...
Listen
32: The Inevitability of Busy from 2018-10-23T21:00:47
It's inevitable that there are more demands on your time than you can realistically handle. If your business, projects and family schedules are anything like ours, your calendar is often full to th...
Listen
31: Vulnerability in Leadership from 2018-10-09T19:42:04
Why do we treat vulnerability like it's a negative thing? Saying "I don't know" and "I need help" seems like the purview of our young kids, not grown-up women in leadership. But let's be honest: so...
Listen
30: Who Left Me In Charge?—Featuring Special Guest Sarah Anthony from 2018-09-25T20:36
This episode, we're welcoming a special guest: Democratic nominee from House District 68 Sarah Anthony. As District 3 Ingham County Commissioner, Sarah was the youngest African-American woman to se...
Listen
29: Difficult Decisions from 2018-09-12T02:09:29
Hiring an employee. Expanding your office. Choosing a Bloody Mary garnish. As entrepreneurs, our lives are full of decisions (big and small). But the big, difficult decisions that truly impact peop...
Listen
28: Impatience is a Virtue from 2018-08-28T19:49:21
Impatience gets a bad rap. In the professional world, we often forget that is that impatience is the driving force behind getting any project off the ground. If a business leader is too patient, th...
Listen
27: We Hate Sales and Prospecting, Too. from 2018-08-14T20:18:10
It’s true: entrepreneurs don't go into business to do sales and prospecting. They want to focus on the things they love, and sometimes it can feel like sales are getting in the way.
That’...
26: Staying Organized and Keeping Our S*** Together from 2018-07-31T21:18:23
There's a lot more to organizing your life than buying a new planner and a label maker. Aside from the obvious, there are a myriad of factors that can help us stay organized: professionally, person...
Listen
Bloopers: Our Birthday Gift to You from 2018-07-24T20:54:45
We turned one! To commemorate our anniversary, we're giving you a listen behind the mic with a quick bloopers reel. We usually try to keep our episodes short. Which means our audio engineer, Scott,...
Listen
25: When Employees Lie, Cheat and Steal from 2018-07-18T03:10:17
When you've invited someone into your business—your home—and they betray you, it sucks. There's really no other way to say it. We've both been burned. Does it affect how you do business? Does it af...
Listen
24: Transparency from 2018-07-02T21:54:06
What does transparency bring to relationships? We've worked with organizations where the world is wide open as well as those who are all veils and secrecy. Today we want to share some thoughts on t...
Listen
23: I Need an Assistant from 2018-06-19T21:02:45
Not gonna lie, we both get overwhelmed sometimes. When the to-do lists get long, all we want to do is delagate. Some days, I would like to delegate everything from getting an oil change to typing m...
Listen
22: What Makes a Great Partnership—Featuring Special Guests Robin and Betsy Miner-Swartz from 2018-06-05T20:38:35
When you make the right pairing unexpected things happen. But one thing is for sure: a great partnership makes all the difference. That's why we're very excited to host our first-ever Speak Easy Po...
Listen
Rebroadcast: Life Balance is a Fucking Lie from 2018-05-30T14:14:23
If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes there are not enough minutes in the day. This has been one of those months. So we’re sharing one of our favorite episodes again while we manage our persona...
Listen
21: Keep Hiring from 2018-05-16T03:29:57
I recently hired some new staff, and I promise you, it's one of the most difficult boss duties around. We've both had our ups and downs when it comes to bringing on new talent. Sometimes, we've hit...
Listen
20: What Are You Worth? from 2018-05-01T22:37:02
What are you worth? Nope, we're not talking about your bottom line. We're talking about the value of your time and your talent. Short answer? More than you're charging. And that's true even when yo...
Listen
19: Comparison from 2018-04-17T20:49:24
What role does comparison plays in your professional and personal life? When is it a good or healthy thing and when does it erode your progress?
Did Teddy Rosevelt have it right when he s...
18: Disintegration of Boundaries from 2018-04-03T20:36:48
The disintegration of boundaries seems to permeate our cultural landscape these days. No, we're not getting political on you. Karen and I operate in similar but distinct spaces and are not competit...
Listen
17: Life Balance Is a Fucking Lie from 2018-03-20T20:02:21
Today we reveal five simple steps to finally achieving life balance! Look in the mirror and repeat these words: Life Balance is a Fucking Lie. Feel better?
Listen
16: Professionalism Is Dead from 2018-03-06T21:02:39
Did you hear? Professionalism is dead! There are no more rules, and everything goes! Sound great? Or not so much? That is what we are talking about today.
Listen
15: Does Creative Drive Die? from 2018-02-20T20:23:29
Those of us who rely on creativity for our careers live in fear of the day when there are no good ideas on the horizon. Does creative drive die? Where does motivation come from? And how do we keep ...
Listen
14: What Our Kids Have Taught Us About Clients from 2018-02-06T21:03:36
By nature, kids live impulsively and it is our job to save them from themselves—and while they have so much to learn as they grow, they are also teaching us great life lessons along the way. Betwee...
Listen
13: Who Do You Give Your Baggage To? from 2018-01-23T19:59:50
The thing about being a leader—sometimes it feels pretty lonely. Heavy decisions and indecision can weigh on you. Who do you turn to when your baggage is starting to feel heavy?
Listen
12: Crying at the Office from 2018-01-09T20:52:58
Crying at work is a controversial professional topic. Is it good or bad? Does it depend on if you are a man or woman? Does it matter if you do it privately or publically? We're both people who show...
Listen
11: Letting Go from 2017-12-19T22:00:36
In our last half of this episode, we were taking stock. In part two, we are letting go. No shame. No guilt. No excuses.
Listen
10: Cautionary Tales from 2017-12-05T21:06:10
What do you wish you would have done 10 years ago? What are your regrets? What great piece of advice would you give a friend or colleague? Well, what are you going to do about it now?
Listen
9: Language. And not in the fun f-bomb kind of way from 2017-11-07T21:18:34
Our society is relating and communicating more in written form than ever before. That often opens us up to criticism or misinterpretation, both professionally and personally. As leaders and as pare...
Listen
8: What's the big idea? (You know you've got one in you...) from 2017-10-24T19:38:57
People have ideas all the time. Where do you find your ideas anyway? What gets in your way? And what are you going to do about it? Do you know when your creative font is about to bubble up?
Listen
7: Human Resources is Dark and Terrible and Hard to Navigate from 2017-10-10T21:48:23
Just kidding. Human resources is not terrible. But it is tricky business for small business. And emotions! There's weighing the good of the person against the good of the whole team. It's not easy.
Listen
6: Rebranding from 2017-09-27T01:34:40
Big changes equal big news! A brand is not something you put on or pretend to be. It should be a direct reflection of who you are. Which makes a rebrand a soul-searching, schedule-wrenching, goal-a...
Listen
5: Change + Growth from 2017-09-12T14:02:55
Recognizing change can feel like a hopeless task sometimes because we're evaluating the changes in real time. But the bottom line—we must grow.
Listen
4: Recognition from 2017-08-29T17:42:22
Recognition. As leaders, we recognize success and achievement in others as second nature. As individuals, we aren't great being on the receiving end—especially as women. But it's complicated. It is...
Listen
3: What Do You Do When Everything Is a Priority? from 2017-08-15T18:32:36
What do you do when everything is a priority? Do the things that take up your time align with what you should be or would like to be doing? We'll be breaking down the problem, talk about how we ide...
Listen
2: Are We Still Entrepreneurs? from 2017-08-01T15:59:46
Are we still entrepreneurs? We both own established businesses–and we're successful mid-career creatives–so we don't really fit into the trendy description of a startup that seems to be all kicksta...
Listen
1: It’s Hard to be Honest from 2017-07-17T18:46:45
It's hard to be honest. Well, not in the truest sense of the word. But if you work in creative services or are an entrepreneuer–and especially if you are a woman–you know how important keeping up a...
Listen