Big Brave Business: Revolutionary Leadership and Entrepreneurship for Millennials with Sarah Heeter

Let's be honest, basically every entrepreneurial or business podcast out there has an episode about burnout. So when Alenka and I met on Threads and she mentioned she wanted to talk about burnout, I knew right away that I wanted to make sure this was a conversation that goes beyond just 'what is burnout,' 'what does burnout feel like,' 'how can you avoid burnout,' etc. Alenka and I explored the gendered nuances of burnout - and although there are many other factors and characteristics that can also impact your relationship with burnout, this episode is specifically about burnout for women. About Alenka: With over 15 years working in the software space Alenka has spent her career in a male dominant space, often being the only woman in a room and the youngest. She is currently building her own business after going through health issues where she wasn't able to find answers in conventional medicine. Connect with Alenka: https://www.sahacollective.com https://www.instagram.com/saha.collective Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

Human Resources is such an interesting beast. I have certainly felt both the benefits and the obstacles of HR in a typical 9-5 corporate environment, and it's a whole other complicated aspect of business as a small business owner. I asked my friend, HR consultant Kirsten Zeigler, to join me for this week's episode of Big Brave Business to talk about HR's role in business, when we need HR, and the ethical complications with AND without HR. About Kirsten: Kirsten Zeigler is a people and culture expert on a mission to reshape the role of Human Resources so that small business owners can focus on growing their business. She collaborates with leaders to ensure compliance, and help build an inclusive and productive culture that attracts and retains talent. Connect with Kirsten: www.kdzhrconsulting.com https://www.instagram.com/kdz_hrconsulting/ Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

We've talked about networking on this podcast before, because in the fall of last year I did an ambitious (read: crazy) networking challenge. I learned a lot during that experiment that I've been implementing in 2024, and my guest today has a lot of experience making the most of networking, too. The reality is that although it's hard, and it's awkward, and it's uncomfortable, and it pushes you out of your element, it can also lead to the most incredible opportunities and growth. About Sherry Redwine: Sherry Redwine has been in the pet industry for more than 20 years and currently owns Odyssey Pets in Dallas, TX. Odyssey Pets provides holistic pet supplies, dog grooming, boarding and day care, as well as aquarium service and supplies, and freshwater and saltwater fish. Redwine has a bachelor’s in marketing, and her passion for pets and retail design has paved the way for Odyssey Pets to win multiple awards, including the Pet Product News 2020-2021 Retailer of the Year Award. Sherry is also a regular Pet Product News contributor with her article series Pet Shop Confidential. Connect with Sherry: odysseypets.com linktr.ee/petshopgirls Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

This episode has been a long time coming, because my friend and team member Katie Carson is finally joining me on the podcast. Katie and I met because she listened to the podcast, and then reached out to chat in general, which led to us working together to launch her podcast Ditch the Ick, and now she's even joined the Podfox team as an account manager. In this episode, we started with this general concept of "what does it mean to be big and brave in business," which led to all kinds of topics including what's fucked up in corporate life, the wage and leadership gender gap, bad blanket business advice like "just raise your prices," and so much more. Connect with Katie: https://www.instagram.com/ladykatiecarson https://www.podfoxmedia.com/book-now https://ditchtheick.com/ Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

When Hady Mendez came to me and said she wanted to talk about the experience of WOC at work, I was absolutely sure I wanted to have the conversation and also I wasn't sure how best to go about it as a white woman myself. This was an interesting conversation where Hady was able to share her own experience as a woman of color and the ways she's devoted her career to supporting other women of color at work, and I was able to lean in and learn as a white woman and a self-proclaimed ally about how I too can better support women of color in my own life and business. About Hady Mendez: Hady is a Latina speaker and ERG coach based in NYC that works with ERGs looking to take their efforts to the next level. She is the founder and CEO of Boldly Speaking LLC, a company that is transforming the professional experiences of women and people of color by empowering underrepresented employees with the skills to self-advocate, self-promote, and capitalize on leadership roles within Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and throughout organizations. With a diverse career spanning over 25 years, Hady has served as Head of Equality for a major tech firm, held multiple customer-facing roles in high tech and financial services, served as a leader and advisor across various Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), volunteered as an international champion for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women, and served as Community School Director at an elementary school in the South Bronx. In her free time, Hady is an amateur street art photographer and an avid podcast listener. Connect with Hady: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadymendez https://www.boldlyspeakingllc.com Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

Alright besties, I'll level with you. I used to have an online course, and I HATED IT. I share why in this episode, but also, I definitely think online courses are in my future business model because I want to make podcasting as accessible as possible to as many people as possible. But I have learned the hard way that online courses are not a get-rich-quick scheme and it's not easy to make them effective. My guest today is an expert on developing curriculum and online coursework and supporting students, and she's diving in with me all about the problems with the online course creation industry. About Dr. Catrina Mitchum Dr. Catrina Mitchum, founder of Catrina Mitchum Learning Design, has 16 years experience designing and delivering online courses and training inside higher ed. She creates change through learning design support for overwhelmed founders that give a shit about the success of their employees and clients. She provides that combination of a swift kick and a helping hand to simplify the process, eliminate the overwhelm, and focus on learner success through accessibility and transparency. Connect with Catrina https://www.cmlearningdesign.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/catrina-mitchum-learning-design/ Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

This week I am joined by guest Betsaida Lebron to talk about play and humor and how those are two majorly overlooked factors that can make us better leaders. We often think play is irrelevant for adults, and totally opposite of productivity or business, but the reality is that these concepts go hand-in-hand. About Betsaida: Betsaida LeBron is a teambuilding comedian and CEO of ImprovEQ. With her unique approach, she uses the art of improvisational comedy as a unique key to unlock untapped leadership potential and foster positive team dynamics. She runs the Leadership Playground, a unique play-led program that equips new managers with the necessary skills to maintain their authenticity, joy, and humanity in their leadership roles and work environments. Connect with Betsaida; https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsaidalebron https://www.instagram.com/playfulleader Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

We can all agree that job searching sucks - and from the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding side, it's really not much better. The standard practices for recruitment, hiring, and onboarding are totally archaic and suck. My guest today is my friend and client, Carly Patryluk. She's a pet business owner who has revolutionized her recruitment and hiring methods. In this episode, we are chatting about what matters to us when hiring and onboarding our team members, what we look for in team members, what is broken when it comes recruitment standards in business. About Carly Patryluk: Carly Patryluk is the owner of House of Paws Pet Boutique in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she has a "bone"-afide talent for marketing her store and creating lasting relationships with her customers. Despite opening a very “different breed” of pet store just before the pandemic, Carly's ability to think outside the “litter box” and unleash her creativity helped her business grow to a whopping $60k per month in sales in just two years. With a strong team in place, Carly now has the freedom to focus on her business rather than working in the business. Join Carly as she shares her insights on how to "fetch" success in any industry and learn how to be the top dog of your business. Connect with Carly: https://houseofpawsboutique.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofpawsboutique?lang=en Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

Self-Abandonment runs deeper than saying no when you want to say yes or saying yes when you want to say no (although that counts!). Self-Abandonment is actually a symptom of conditioned beliefs about prioritizing others' needs, emotions, or acceptance over your own. If you ever struggled to feel seen, safe, or soothed in childhood, this will show up in adulthood as self-abandonment. For leaders in business, ALL of our wounds, trauma, and mindset issues get pushed to the forefront. That can often look like struggling to follow your intuition and getting caught up in everyone else's advice - even if it's bad advice, or over-committing and struggling to maintain boundaries with your business. About Jessica Parr: My guest today is Jessica Parr. Jessica is an online business mentor for visionary women desiring to lead rich lives in more ways than just their bank accounts. She is on a mission to help female entrepreneurs do the inner work required to transform their external reality & build revolutionary businesses that change lives. Connect with Jessica Parr: https://www.instagram.com/jessicamparr https://jessica-parr.mykajabi.com/links Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!

This week I'm joined by my friend and client Becky Aste... and our husbands! You've heard me (and Amanda) call out Eric so many times in this podcast, because he edits this show (and several of my client shows). Becky's husband Sebastian recently entered her business, too. We thought it would be fun to sit down, all four of us, to chat about the dynamics of bringing your spouse into your business and figuring out how to work well together, but also how normative gender roles come into play. What is it like to be married to a female entrepreneur? What is it like to be out-earned by your female spouse? What is it like to work for your spouse, with your spouse as your boss? All of this in more in today's episode :) About Becky & Sebastian Becky & Sebastian's journey is both personal and powerful. After spending a decade exploring every mainstream method to save their marriage, they found themselves 2 kids later, separated and on the verge of divorce. It was then that they discovered their buzzer-beater, hail-mary healing that not only revived their marriage but has now aided countless other marriages worldwide. Becky and Sebastian bring to the table a unique blend of personal experience and professional expertise, offering insights and strategies that truly change lives. Becky Aste is the founder and CEO of I Do Breakthrough and host of the top 5% globally ranked podcast, “Your Breakthrough Blueprint”. Becky is a trauma-informed somatic marriage coach. Sebastian is a passionate advocate for raising human consciousness, healing and transformation. With a background in addiction, counseling, and ministry, Sebastian brings a unique perspective to our masterclass discussions. Together, their deep understanding of human behavior, spirituality, and their own lived experience enriches our sessions, providing participants with valuable insights and guidance on their marriage journey. Connect with Becky & Sebastian: https://www.idobreakthrough.com/ Becky's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-breakthrough-blueprint-with-becky-aste-for-the/id1676348200 https://www.instagram.com/becky_aste Want to be a guest on Season 2? Learn more and apply here:  https://forms.fillout.com/t/qQe2MEbTLzus Connect with Sarah & Big Brave Business: https://www.instagram.com/sarahkheeter/ https://www.threads.net/@sarahkheeter  https://www.instagram.com/bigbravebusiness https://www.youtube.com/@bigbravebusiness Join Sarah at Be You Brand Live in Las Vegas Sept 25-27, 2025https://skheeter--atigbranding.thrivecart.com/be-you-brand-2025/USE CODE SARAHH FOR 10% OFF YOUR TICKET!