The Boss Mom Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 385: Nurture Your Business: How Boss Mom Makes Money Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

Many women business owners feel uncomfortable charging their clients for their services. This is particularly true for entrepreneurs whose businesses aspire to empower the client. How can you stop feeling that way and start making more money? How have other empowerment-based businesses generated profits? On this episode, I explain how Boss Mom makes money, and how your business can, too!

Build your brand. Being known for something helps you make money. -Dana Malstaff

3 Takeaways

It's perfectly normal to charge people to access your services. You're not doing anything wrong by wanting to make a profit.
By pursuing your gifts and talents, you'll get through your work more efficiently and be able to free up time to focus on your passions in your spare time.
It's easier to charge people for your services when they know who you are. Having an established brand and being known for something helps you make money.

Creating online courses is a great way to make money. However, while you're aiming to offer a service to a wide range of people, never question your right to make money in the process. You can try being more accommodating by offering two products: one higher-priced and the other lower, but don't overextend yourself by doing this. Keep your number of products streamlined. You own a business, and you should get to see the benefits.

Episode 384: Behind the Scenes of a Boss Mom Internal Meeting with Amy Lockrin Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

A lot of us listen to podcasts and attend talks with entrepreneurs, but it can be difficult to picture the daily running of the speaker's business as they give examples or describe systems. What's actually happening behind the scenes? How do finished products come to life? What does the process look like?

On this episode, I talk with my director of operations, Amy Lockrin, to give you an inside look into one of our meetings.

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Hire an operations manager (05:08- 06:47)

An operations manager is an important part of your business. They'll help you maintain your focus to ensure you're looking at every venture as logically as possible. They're also the ones who will be able to step in, in the event you leave your business for a month. As the CEO, you have to be able to step away for periods of time. The operations manager allows you to do that and should be able to improve your business in your absence.

Not all your ideas will come to life, and that's okay! (29:31- 30:20)

If you're a creative person, you probably have a million ideas everyday. Obviously, not all of those can become a reality. That's why you need an operations manager. They're the ones who will help you execute certain ideas and determine which ones to skip.

Get comfortable with hearing 'no' (30:54- 32:00)

Your business needs to be run by a team of brainstormers. That means having discussions and allowing for constructive criticism. If you're hearing 'no' from an operations manager, never take it personally. This is about making the best business decision, not personally attacking you.

There's a lot of work that goes into running a business that, unless you're part of the operations, you might not know about. There are a lot of conversations that take place before anything happens, and the more skilled voices we have to share in those conversations, the better. Running a business is like raising a child: it takes a village. Don't shy away from having a team to help you. You have the building blocks, so get someone to help you set them up.

Guest Bio-

Amy Lockrin is an Operations Integrator for female entrepreneurs that are ready to thrive in their business and leave behind the overwhelm of "to-do's." She is the founder and CEO of Lockrin Services, an integration and implementation agency that strategically partners with visionaries while propelling their businesses forward through action. She loves to make things happen in your business so you can go back to being creative through project management, business management, and strategic business planning sessions.

She is also the mother of two of the chattiest children that ever existed, Wyatt and McKinley and wife to her beer-making husband, Jimmy. When she isn't elbows deep in business owners strategic plans she loves to go to the beach, read, and spend as much time outside as possible.

Links:

website: www.amylockrin.com

contact: amy@amylockrin.com

fb.com/amylockrinva

instagram: @amylockrin

Episode 383: Why Customer Experience is Vital w/Marylin DeLaHoz Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

There's a lot of information available on finding clients. However, not as much exists about keeping those clients after their first experience with you. How can you retain people's business and keep them in your database? What would you need to invest in order to maintain a relationship with them?

On this episode, founder of With Love Studio, Marilyn DeLaHoz shares how she got involved in customer experience, and why it's important for your business.

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Create loyalty by making your clients feel loved (15:50- 17:25)

Once you've done business with someone, it's time to re-invest in them. By sending a gift- or even a small, handwritten note- you're making past clients feel special. This goes a long way in building your relationship with them- and in the way they represent your brand to their own sphere of influence.

Keep it personal (18:51- 20:40)

We've heard so much about automated systems and how they can help in a business. However, when something goes wrong with your operations, try reach out personally. This shows you care enough to be the one to tell them there's a problem, and does wonders for your client relations.

When sending gifts, make sure they're useful (21:06- 22:36)

If you're going to give your clients a gift, make sure it's something that enhances the service you're providing. For example, if it's a course, send a notebook or a pen. In doing so, you're demonstrating that you want to ensure they have the best possible experience with their business.

Often, the smallest detail is what sets successful businesses apart from the less successful ones. That's exactly what your gestures need to be, to ensure great client relations: small. Thoughtful gestures don't need to be expensive and certainly shouldn't put any strain on your business. On the contrary, to keep good customer service, you just have to show that you genuinely care.

Guest Bio-

Marilyn DeLaHoz is a mom to two daughters, a wife, and the founder of WIth Love Studio. After deciding to leave her corporate job when she became a mom, Marilyn started tapping into her creative side. Initially starting with creating invitations for clients, MArilyn later bought her friend's t-shirt company. Today, she's passionate about giving her clients the best possible experience, and prides herself on always putting herself in the customer's position.

To find out more about Marilyn, you can follow her on her Instagram accounts:

@marilyndelahoz and @withlovestudio

Episode 382: How Storq is Helping Pregnant Women Feel Stylish & Keep Their Identity w/Courtney Klein & Grace Kapin Mar 20, 2019

Show notes

Pregnancy and becoming a mom is a beautiful time—but it's not always easy when it comes to clothing and fashion. Many expectant mothers find themselves alienated to a sad rack at the back of stores, with no good options to express their style. How is Storq providing a solution here, and what trends in the market inspired it? How do the founders of Storq make sure they stay true to their core values and make a difference for women?

On this episode, I'm joined by the co-founders of Storq, Courtney Klein and Grace Kapin who share the story of their brand.

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Changing trends and shifts in motherhood (02:44 - 03:13)

The age of first time moms is increasing year after year, and there are more kids being born to mothers over 30. This is a market of women that are in the workplace and have more disposable income, but don't always get the service and attention they deserve from the fashion world.

How the identity aspect plays into motherhood (09:19 - 10:02)

A lot of women experience a loss of identity when they get pregnant and have children. The world expects them to be fulfilled by motherhood alone, and they can be made to feel like something's wrong with them if they aren't.

The Storq values and how they serve women (18:20 - 21:47)

Pregnancy fashion isn't always portrayed in a way that caters to comfort for women. This is what drove Courtney and Grace to build a brand that would become a solution-oriented resource for real women and mothers to get through their day without having to struggle with what to wear or feel invisible because of their clothing.

It's so important for us to build a world that is conducive to mothers so that they can feel celebrated, understood, and valued. The result is a world of moms who can find fulfillment in different places, and happier moms mean happier children, which is great for all of us.

Guest Bio-

After hearing countless complaints from friends and family about the lack of chic, simple maternity options on the market, Courtney Klein set out to create a one-stop online resource for chic and practical maternity essentials. As a former partner at design agency Hard Candy Shell, Courtney worked to build digital products for companies like Disney and eBay prior to launching Storq in January of 2014.

Shortly after the launch, her pal Grace Kapin came on board as Creative Director. Having worked in fashion for nearly a decade, Grace immediately understood that pregnant women were overlooked by the fashion industry at large. A few months after diving into this project, Courtney learned she was pregnant with her first child. Four years in, the Storq team now includes three semi-productive, unpaid baby interns ranging in age from 8 months to nearly 4 years old and the company-wide napping policy is correspondingly permissive. Go to https://storq.com/ for more information.

Episode 381: Building and Balancing Work and Family w/Stacey Morgan Mar 13, 2019

Show notes

It's difficult to maintain a work-family balance when we are trying to get a new business off the ground. How can professional support help us? How does entering business awards help structure our business? How can we inspire our children to be entrepreneurs? In this episode, Stacey Morgan shares how she maintains her home life alongside her professional life, and explains how entering awards changed her perspective on her business.

Some days I'm a really good business owner, some days I'm a really good mom, and some days I'm a mix of both—and that's ok. -Stacey Morgan

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Don't rely on support from your family only (04:57- 07:15)

We often feel the need to put on the façade of 'everything's going great' when speaking about our business to our family because we don't want them to lose confidence in us. We need to have a community of professionals in the same position as us with whom we can speak openly and honestly about the challenges we face.

It's not natural to be a 24-hour mom (7:17-9:30)

We are inclined to think that if we don't want to spend 24 hours a day with our children we are bad parents. This is not true to even previous eras of parenting. We need to balance the time we spend parenting and working to avoid feeling exhausted and resentful, and so that we can make the most of the time we have with our children.

Applying for awards helps you structure your business (13:41-15:35)

As business owners we keep a lot of information in our heads and hardly ever communicate it to others. Entering business awards puts us on the spot in terms of all aspects of our business and it forces us to answer questions we have never considered. We stand to gain a well-rounded perspective of our business, see where we're doing well and what we need to work on.

As mothers and business owners, we need to distinguish between our two roles whilst also recognizing where the positive overlaps are. Our family should not be our only source of support for our business, and we shouldn't feel like we are neglecting them by not being there 24/7. We need a professional team and support structure so that we can take the time for our families. We must also make time for opportunities that can help our businesses grow, even when their value is not immediately evident. Entering awards is an extremely useful exercise as it makes us take a closer look at how our business is performing.

Guest Bio-

Stacey Morgan, Founder and Principal of Port Macquarie Performing Arts (PMPA) and Podcast Host, is a passionate dance educator from Wauchope, NSW. She has received numerous awards at the Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards, namely, Excellence in Technology 2012, Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2014, 2015 and 2016, and Excellence in Innovation 2015. Stacey grew up dancing under the expert instruction of Francessca O'Donnell and gained her Associate Teaching Diploma from the British Ballet Association. She went on to dance professionally overseas and in Australian productions of musicals like Grease, Gypsy and 42nd Street. Stacey has a Bachelor of Creative Industries in Dance and a Bachelor of Education in Drama from the Queensland University of Technology, and she also has her Masters in Arts Education - majoring in Dance Teaching - from Deakin University. Prior to opening PMPA, she was Education Manager for the Royal New Zealand Ballet where she facilitated a nation-wide education program for dance. Stacey is the co-host of Miss Bossy Boots, a podcast inspiring leadership for Women in Business.

http://pmperformingarts.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceymorganpmpa/

Episode 380: How to Work Like a Mom w/Hannah Keeley Mar 06, 2019

Show notes

Moms have a lot on their plates, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. We all know that juggling children with a career can be tiring, but could there be another reason we're feeling overwhelmed? What can we do to work around it all? Join me on this episode as I talk with the star of reality show Hannah, Help Me! and founder of Mom Mastery University, Hannah Keeley. Hannah shares how she has made a career of teaching moms and tells us how to excel in all areas.

When moms learn to work with the way that their brain is wired, amazing things happen. -Hannah Keeley

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Stay present and be strategic (08:55- 10:51)

Zone in on one thing at a time. When you're with your kids, stay completely in-tune with them. The same goes for business: in the time you allocate to work, focus fully on the tasks at hand. You need to adhere to separate business and family time parameters to make the most of both.

Moms work differently (13:50- 16:45)

Mom's brains are wired differently from everyone else. The gift of multitasking sounds great- until your inability to focus on singular tasks starts to affect your work results. You're not alone in this: it's something most, if not all, moms experience. The first step you need to take is acknowledging that motherhood changes the way you approach everything- then you can start finding ways to work with it, not against it.

Work like a woman (17:32- 19:48)

Women have been conditioned to believe they need to put their womanhood aside to do well in business. That kind of thinking is not only inaccurate, but can even lead to lower levels of productivity. Work with your womanhood in mind, and leverage it.

When you become a mom, a lot of things change. Business is no exception. However, being a mom doesn't mean you have to stop doing business: it just means you need to adapt. Stop pressuring yourself to work less like a mom- or even less like a woman in general. You're wired differently and there's nothing wrong with that.

Guest Bio-

Hannah Keeley is the founder of Mom Mastery University. With a background in behavioral therapy- and the experience of being a mom to seven kids- Hannah is passionate about teaching mothers how to excel in business and at home. She believes the key to unlocking amazing potential comes from moms realizing that they're wired differently, and need to work accordingly.

You can hear more from Hannah on her podcast: https://player.fm/series/crazy-blessed-with-hannah-keeley

You can also find out more about Hannah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannahkeeleyfriends/

Episode 379: Nurture Your Business: How Successful Businesses Really Operate Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

A lot of new entrepreneurs suffer with imposter syndrome- the thought that they don't 'deserve' to be business owners. How can we stop thinking that way? What can we do to push those thoughts aside and start doing the work? On this episode, I discuss how you can change the way you think about you and your business.

Stop thinking you have to be 'worthy'- just come up with good ideas. -Dana Malstaff

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Imposter syndrome is a trap. Stop thinking you're unworthy of having a seat at the table and just start doing the work.
Don't be discouraged if you're not an immediate success story- all successful businesses have their fair share of problems.
To operate your business, you need to have plans and strategies.

Stop telling yourself you're not meant to be an entrepreneur. As long as you have a plan in place and great ideas, you're on the right track. Start doing the work and stop caring what other people think. And remember, immediate success isn't the only mark of a successful business. Don't worry if you feel like you're experiencing problems- if anything, it means you're joining the club.

Episode 378: How to Leverage Vertical Video & Messenger Bots to Create Relevant Content For Our Audiences Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Social media is the most powerful way for us to get in front of more people and reach more people who might want our services or products. How do we create content that actually moves the needle for our businesses in a meaningful way? How much of ourselves and our lives should we be putting out there? How can we leverage social media so that it actually helps grow our business? On this episode, I'm joined by real estate broker and trainer, social media expert and entrepreneur, Marki Lemons-Ryhal, who shares on the social media trends we should be paying attention to right now.

When it comes to social media and technology, there's something new everyday. Instead of having a degree, we have to become lifelong learners. -Marki Lemons-Ryhal

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Verticalization of Content (14:18 - 16:27)

We want to get into the habit of creating vertical content for Facebook and Instagram Stories. Because the videos or photos disappear so quickly, in order to get any organic traffic, we have to create and post content consistently. The goal should be to create 2 one minute videos a day: one vertical and one horizontal.

How to turn social media views into leads (21:28 - 22:52)

If you want to grow a following, generate leads, and add people to your list or sell a product, have a call to action in your videos and then have landing pages and lead capture forms.

Why you need to keep your content within the Facebook ecosystem (24:38 - 25:05)

Push people to the Facebook messenger bot so that they stay in the Facebook ecosystem. If you're doing Facebook posts or ads and Facebook sees a link to an outside opt-in page or video, your ads cost more or they are going to go to less people.

When it comes to content that will actually get a response from people, it's all about being the authority that solves problems for our audience. Through social media, we have the best listening tool to learn about the pain points and challenges people are having. With that information, you can now come up with solutions to these problems that are cost effective and don't take up too much time. By solving a problem that makes people engage with us, we can grow a following and ultimately our businesses.

Guest Bio-

Marki is a Licensed Managing Broker, REALTOR®, avid volunteer, and Major Donor. She is dedicated to all things real estate. With over 25 years of marketing experience, Marki has taught over 250,000 REALTORS® how to earn up to a 2682% return on their marketing dollars. You can find Marki on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

To join her Facebook group go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/realestatelive/ and check out her podcast here.

Episode 377: How Women Experience Betrayal & How to Heal From It w/Dr. Debi Silber Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

Whether it's friends, family or partners; when someone we love and trust betrays us, we go through a difficult cycle of emotions. It can feel like our whole life has come apart. What is the cycle of emotions and symptoms of this betrayal? How do we avoid getting stuck in that betrayal for the rest of our lives, and how do we find healing? On this episode, I'm joined by transformational psychologist, health and personal development expert and author, Dr. Debi Silber to discuss overcoming betrayal and how to come out of it stronger and happier.

If betrayal is not unearthed, felt and dealt with, it will follow you everywhere you go. - Dr. Debi Silber

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Why betrayal needs to be dealt with (13:09 - 13:46)

There are so many things that betrayal leaves in its wake, and it affects every area of our lives until it's healed. It can affect your confidence and ability to try for new opportunities. It may be felt in every relationship in your life, and even affect your health. Contrary to popular belief, it won't just get healed by time. It actually needs to be dealt with if you want to get past it.

The spectrum of betrayal (18:36 - 20:34)

There are different ways to feel wronged or betrayed, and they can vary in the pain felt. Whether it's someone not keeping their word to us, breaking trust, or even us breaking a promise we made to ourselves. Ultimately, the more we trusted and depended on that person, the bigger the betrayal.

How betrayal manifests physically (21:00 - 22:47)

Our bodies tend to tell us a lot about how we're feeling emotionally and spiritually. Women who experience betrayal for the first time often deal with extreme exhaustion. It's also common to experience gut issues. The gut is the "second brain" and is so intricately connected to your mind that it gives a lot of information about feelings. Gut health issues are often caused by holding onto something and not letting your feelings out.

The truth about betrayal is that there's always meaning behind it and a way to grow from it. In order to get to that point, we have to do the work first. If we don't, we can stay stuck for months, decades or a lifetime. People tend to stay stuck because they are unwilling to give up their story and accept what happened. They numb themselves, or they don't establish any consequences for the betrayal. The truth is, when you feel it deeply and do the work to find meaning behind it, you will be transformed. You will experience rebirth and discover a new world view. You just have to be willing to go through the challenges to come out on the other side.

Guest Bio-

Dr. Debi Silber is a holistic psychologist, a health, mindset and personal development expert and the author of the #1 bestselling book: The Unshakable Woman: 4 Steps to Rebuilding Your Body, Mind and Life After a Life Crisis. Through a recent PhD study on how women experience betrayal-what holds them back and what helps them heal, Debi has discovered the 5 stages from betrayal to breakthrough as well as what it takes (physically, mentally and emotionally) to move from one stage to the next. In addition to being on FOX, CBS, The Dr. Oz Show, TEDx and more, she's an award winning speaker, coach and author dedicated to helping women move past their betrayals and heal…once and for all. Go to https://pbtinstitute.com/ for more information.

To find out if you're Struggling with Post Betrayal Syndrome™ take Debi's quiz here https://pbtinstitute.com/quiz/.

Episode 376: Building Support Networks & Friendship Groups for the Modern Woman w/Michelle Kennedy Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Our modern, busy and connected world can be a very lonely place if we don't have a support group that understands what we deal with as moms, entrepreneurs and women. Why is this such a huge opportunity for social networks of today? Why is it so powerful for women to have a voice and a space to express themselves? How does this help the modern woman navigate the modern workforce with greater ease? On this episode, I'm joined by Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut, an app that connects mamas. She talks about her boss mom journey and how being a mom and an entrepreneur birthed her business.

For the longest time, social has been broad. Now there's an opportunity for social to become much more specific to the threads that connect us. -Michelle Kennedy

3 Things We Learned From This Episode

Why we can't share everything with everyone (13:05 - 16:04)

We all need support, advice, and help from other people and very often it's for talking about things we can't easily share with people at work or even our partners because they won't relate. Connecting with and talking to other women who are in that same space gives us the confidence to open up and have a voice.

Why friendship groups have become more specific to different needs (16:08 - 16:54)

The way we use our friendship groups or support networks nowadays can be thought about in the context of verticals. The people we hang out with don't have to fulfill every single need we have. We can have friends and relationships for different things, and this actually benefits all the relationships we have. This has created an opportunity for social networks to be more niched down or specific to different things instead of being broad.

Why women need online support groups now more than ever (20:24 - 21:00)

Women are being factored into the workforce and the economy of the workforce in such a different way than before. While we're being counted, what still hasn't matured are the support networks around that. We've become more dispersed from where our families are, and we move around a lot and we need support groups that take that into account.

Whether we want to admit it or not, we all need support, advice and help and this is where our friendship groups come in. We're at this amazing beautiful moment in time in society where we can say with more honesty and confidence what's happening with women. We can the share experiences we're going through and meet and connect with people who can make us feel less alone. It's so powerful for us to feel like we have a voice, and that there are other people supporting us. It makes the journey of being mother and women even more fulfilling.

Guest Bio-

Michelle Kennedy is the CEO and co-founder of Peanut. She started Peanut after struggling to meet other mamas she could relate to while also working. After finding herself trawling outdated blogs for baby advice at 2am while her friends were still hanging out in clubs, she decided to create a product that would empower other modern mamas to support each other.

Michelle started her career as an M&A lawyer at leading international law firm Mishcon de Reya. She later joined dating app, Badoo, where she transformed the internal legal offering within Badoo, and eventually rose to the role of Deputy CEO at the $100m+ revenue generative market leader. She was also integral to the launch of dating app, Bumble.

Having worked in the dating apps industry for five years, Michelle has unprecedented experience and understanding of the safety and growth elements of building a social product. To download the app or connect on social media, go to https://www.peanut-app.io/.

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