And She Spoke: Women. Money. Power.

Social media is an excellent (and inexpensive) way to connect with your audience online, share your expertise in your chosen niche, and get some valuable market research in while you’re at it.So, why are we so reluctant to go all in?Why do so many business owners have a knee-jerk negative reaction to social media, especially when they don’t mind spending time on it outside of work?The answer isn’t simple.Most of us struggle with a deep fear of rejection, judgment, and being dragged by trolls online. And when we open up our business to them, we’re stepping away from the comfort of private accounts, hidden likes, and approved followers by allowing everyone to have a say on what we do. As a result, we feel obligated to curate what we share on social media based on what they might like instead of being truthful to our own voices and experiences. But here’s the thing: Your online presence isn’t meant to cater to everyone. Instead, it needs to speak to who you are, what your business stands for, and who you serve. You can absolutely be successful by being your authentic self and creating what you want to see more of in the online space. And if you prefer not using social media at all, you’re still very capable of growing exponentially through other channels!In this week’s episode, we’re dissecting the relationship business owners have with social media, how to overcome the mindset blocks that stop you from sharing what you want online, and how to make sure negativity doesn’t sabotage the work you’re meant to do!Here’s what you can expect from this one:Understanding why so many business owners despise social mediaThe mindset work you need to do to build your relationship with social mediaDealing with trolling and negativity as a consequence of being provocative onlineHow to deal with the fear of rejection and judgment onlineGrowing your business effectively without social mediaThe importance of knowing your message and what you stand for as a business ownerOur exciting new Visibility Week Challenge!If you struggle with putting yourself or your brand out there, this episode is perfect to help you gain some perspective on how you can grow your business online—with or without an Instagram account!RESOURCESFacebookInstagramPurple Cow by Seth GodinVisibility Week 2022Line Goes UpThis Week’s Joy:This week, we’ve been updating our Web3 knowledge with Line Goes Up, a 2 hours and 18 minutes long YouTube video that explains NFTs and crypto from a refreshingly new standpoint!This Week’s Hustle:If you’re ready to take charge of your visibility online, take your messaging to the next level, and boost your sales, our FREE 5-Day Visibility Week Challenge is just the thing you need! Sign up now to save your spot.This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

There’s a thin line between ambition and crime.But, is that line the same for everyone?Case in point: men get to be ambitious, driven, even criminal in their pursuit of success and get praised for it. Movies and books that criticize them still have a hint of hero worship (Wolf of Wall Street, anyone?)But when women dare to do the same? They instantly become the villains of the story. And when their ambition crosses over to criminal territory, the fall from grace is much harder. In today’s episode, we discuss Elizabeth Holmes, Anna Sorokin, and The Bad Vegan, and break down how society views women who ‘flew too close to the sun’. While we don’t have all of the answers just yet, we try to make sense of the double standards in entrepreneurship, the complex relationship we have with women who just want to be successful, and if this kind of public humiliation is the reason we don’t see more openly ambitious female entrepreneurs. This isn’t a conversation that should be limited to just the two of us! Once you listen to the episode, find us on Instagram (@heymarvelous) and tell us what you think about women in business and why the world is obsessed with making spectacles of their downfalls!Here’s what else you can expect in the episode: Why we’re especially invested in the Elizabeth Holmes’ caseThe difference between WeWork and HolmesThe connection between success and needing to feel loved and understoodThe relationship between beauty and successMen’s reaction to Elizabeth Holmes (and what it tells us)And more!RESOURCES:The Dropout (Podcast that covers the Elizabeth Holmes case from A to Z)The Bad VeganInventing Anna“Anna Sorokin Talks About Making Art”Hey MarvelousThis Week’s Joy:Our joy for you is simple – go watch Inventing Anna and The Bad Vegan on Netflix and listen to The Dropout! Not only are they entertaining and easy to binge, they also give us invaluable insights into the minds of these interesting women. This Week’s Hustle:Our hustle this week is to be unapologetically ambitious and audacious. We need more women to act on their ambition than be too scared to take a step forward. Oh, and read this New York Times article to get informed about Web3 and NFTs!This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Show of hands: How many of you are afraid to start (or scale) your business because you’re afraid of going into debt?If you have your hand up, we get it. After all, no one wants to put $5,000 on their credit cards to spend on bags, shoes, or clothing. So, why would we take that risk for our business?In today’s And She Spoke episode, we want to break down why that train of thought is deeply flawed. As women, we’ve let ourselves believe that we must be overly responsible with our money. We can only invest in something if we already have the cash in the bank to back it up. Otherwise, we’ll be seen as frivolous and financially irresponsible. That fear has holds us back from investing in our futures, taking risks for our careers, and jumping into entrepreneurship headfirst. And that’s just doing a disservice to our communities. While not all of us have the financial security and privilege to take on debt, for those of us who can afford to take on debt, it can be a very effective way to jumpstart your business. Here’s what else you can expect in the episode: Our personal stories about the finances behind our first businessesThe ‘Death Valley’ analogy and how to apply it to your businessHow debt can help you gain the resilience you need to be an entrepreneurThe J Curve and why you should be studying it ASAPWhy you need to surround yourself with people who believe in you And more!This episode is here to tell you that if you manage your finances well, debt doesn’t have to be a dirty word. RESOURCES:Hey MarvelousColor HuntInner Circle This Week’s Joy:Both of us have been obsessed with Inventing Anna (Jenny even stayed up all night to binge it). In fact, we have so many thoughts about it that we’re going to be recording a special episode dedicated to breaking it down! Stay tuned. This Week’s Hustle:Our hustle is the perfect example of how small changes can yield HUGE results. Both of us took some time out of our day to change the colors on our Google Calendar events page to a palette that we love. We spend our lives on Google Calendar, so to have the screen open up to a beautiful color palette really makes a difference.This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Running an online business can be draining. Especially in a global pandemic. If you spent most of last year glued to the screen, working 13 hours a day, and wading through digital noise, you aren’t the only one. 2020 and 2021 were not kind to entrepreneurs. But with a new year comes a fresh perspective. And one big trend that we stand behind for 2022 is digital minimalism.Digital minimalism means taking the time to look at how you’re running your business and think, “How can I best deliver to my clients/students?” The “best” could look like rethinking your offers and seeing if they make sense in the context of your current clientele, clocking how much time you’re spending in front of a screen (and minimizing it), or simply ensuring that you’re making your processes cleaner, simpler, and more accessible for both you and your clients.As female creators, our instinct is to add as much value as we can, create more and put as much out to the world as possible. But today, the narrative is different. Audiences now are all about quality over quantity. And scaling back your digital elbow grease is one of the easiest ways to execute top-quality services daily!So, if you want to hear our in-depth takes on the trend (and how you can apply it to your own business), as well as our input on several huge 2022 business trends, this episode is for you!This is what we’re jumping into for this one:4 Marvelous-approved trends that’ll make you rethink how you see your online business in 2022The big content shift: working on creating better, not “more”What the online teaching model is evolving into The wonders that effective advertising + your organic content strategy can createSLOs and how they can essentially save your ad costThe audio trend (and why it’s not going anywhere)Exploring the metaverse and Web 3.0 The great rise of the Female Creator EconomyWe’re looking at a big year for online businesses (especially the creator economy) and we can’t wait to learn more and explore as we go. If you’re interested in shaking things up in your own workflows and trying something new and different this year, this is the perfect episode to get started!RESOURCESHey MarvelousKettl teaStendig CalendarAnimal CrossingThis Week’s Joy:Jenni’s still enjoying her soothing matcha tea from a lovely Brooklyn-based brand called Kettl (all 4 pounds of it, believe it or not!) This Week’s Hustle:And Sandy’s current hustle is her beautiful, brand new Stendig Calendar by Massimo Villegni! She loves the classic monochromatic palette and how the dates always keep her on track. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it?We know we’ve been gone for a while. But, it’s for a good reason!Last August, Jeni realized that she was burnt out. And by burnt out, we don’t mean slightly warm — we mean full-on, Sahara Desert- level fried. Her basement office was suffocating, she was working 18 hours a day, and to top it all off, had COVID for months. So, she decided she needed a change.Change which came in the form of a 25ft Airstream that allowed her to travel the length and breadth of the United States. And that’s exactly what she did. But, bouncing from one cellphone tower to another just didn’t guarantee good wifi, making it impossible to film weekly podcast episodes. So, while our break might’ve been forced, we’re glad we took it. Not only did Jeni get to live out a dream she’s had for years, we also got the chance to take a step back and take life at a slower pace. In this comeback episode, we’re sitting down for a little coffee-break chat and talking about all the exciting things we’ve been up to. More importantly, we break down burnout, the side-effects of sprinting 24/7 and how you can cope with it (you don’t have to travel across the country in a van, promise) so you come back even stronger.On that note, we hope you’re prepared for everything we have in store for And She Spoke! This break has given us some incredible ideas that we’re dying to implement. Now that we’re back and better than ever, keep an eye out for everything that’s coming your way. This is what we’re jumping into for this one:Why Jeni has had a tough time recording the last few And She Spoke episodesHow business owners can set boundaries The things Sandy and Jeni did to get over their burnoutWhy your business should help you build your life instead of becoming your lifeOur plans for 2022And more!RESOURCESMarvelousRode Wireless MicThis Week’s Joy:Jeni’s joy is an exciting one - swimming with barracudas. She’s loved sharks for as long as she could remember, so this was a dream come true!This Week’s Hustle: Our hustle comes from Sandy who cannot recommend The Rode Wireless Mic enough. It’s the only one on the market that actually works!This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably know that we’re obsessed with the concept of being a business nomad. What’s not to love about getting to travel the world while still running your business? And before Jeni took the plunge and invested in her own Airstream, she had a few entrepreneurs she would follow for travel inspo - people who were living the #campingcarlife and working while going on new adventures every day. One such entrepreneur was Rebecca Tracey. The founder of The Uncaged Life, Rebecca works with coaches and solopreneurs in the baby stages of their business to help them get clear on their brand messaging, create packages that sell, and attract lifetime clients. Though she’s been in the business for a long time (in fact, 2021 is her 10th anniversary!), her model has had to go through some huge changes recently. Before 2021, over 50% of Rebecca’s total revenue came from two live launches a year, which ran for weeks at a time. Once they wrapped up, she would take a step back and use the downtime to travel and unwind. While this might seem like a stressful model for some, Rebecca loved it. She loved the adrenaline-pumping excitement of a live launch, and loved the free time she got afterwards. However, due to several big life changes that happened to her this year (including moving from Toronto to Squamish, BC), Rebecca decided that her live-launch model didn’t make sense for her moving forward. So, she decided to focus on her evergreen programs and offering her clients year-round support. Switching to such a drastically different model nearly 10 years into your business isn’t easy.And Rebecca never makes it sound like it is. In this episode, she candidly talks about WHY she switched models in the first place, how she doesn’t have everything figured out just yet, and why feeling scared in your business is 100% okay. Here’s what else you can expect in the episode: Why Rebecca is retiring from her nomad lifeHow she’s updating her programs for her new modelHer organic marketing tips that ANY business owner can implement Her experiments with Facebook AdsWhat Rebecca’s 2022 is going to look likeIf you’ve had to change your business model in the pandemic and feel like you’re not quite sure where the future will take you, this episode might help quell some of those fears!RESOURCES:The Uncaged Life The Uncaged Life - InstagramRebecca’s InstagramThe Chill and Prosper Podcast - Denise Duffield ThomasThis Week’s Joy:In memory of her late cattle dog Rhubarb, Rebecca has been obsessed with the Cattle Dog hashtag on Instagram!This Week’s Hustle:Rebecca’s hustle is someone you might remember from And She Spoke - Denise Duffield Thomas! Denise is the epitome of a ‘chill-preneur’ and Rebecca listens to her podcast when her business gets complicated.This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Society is quick to call a high-achieving woman “superwoman”. With that one word, the world defines your worth by your ability to take care of others. And because we’ve been socialized to measure our own value according to these metrics, we forget that the superhero cape around our necks suffocates us. Roxanne Francis, psychotherapist and co-owner of Francis Psychotherapy and Consulting Services, not only dealt with this, but made active steps to transform the narrative around her self worth. She took herself on a transformative journey of recognizing her needs, choosing self-preservation, and battling burnout. And while it was difficult and guilt-inducing to leave her job in public service, choosing to take care of her own needs was the best decision she could’ve made for herself.On this week’s episode, she’s chatting about the symptoms of burnout, the narrative around women and perfectionism, and how we need to change the narrative for the next generation of women after us. This is what we’re jumping into for this one:What it really means to feel burnt outRoxanne’s transition from public service to running her own psychotherapy businessHer personal journey with burnout and stressThe symptoms of burnout and the questions you should be asking yourself when you feel it comingChoosing self-preservation over conditioned altruismThe need for perfection, and the ability to care as metric of worth for womenMaintaining mental health around social media, and the effects of the metaverseThe right to disconnect discourseIf you’re looking for some inspiration, perspective, or just a quick moment to let yourself breathe a little easy, this is the episode for you! RESOURCESRoxanne’s Website Roxanne’s InstagramVoxerThis Week’s Joy: Roxanne has been enjoying her share of rest and well-deserved QT with her family- whether that’s snuggling on the couch with her children or treating herself to a glass of wine in the evenings.This Week’s Hustle:Roxanne, like many of us, is a Voxer fan. Voxer is a walkie-talkie app that allows you to share your thoughts audibly or through text without a phone number, and keeps the continuity (and productivity) train running smoothly!This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Sometimes, you hear a calling you just can’t ignore. And while it’s daunting to leave behind your life as you know it to follow your instincts, there’s also nothing quite as rewarding.No one knows that better than this week’s guest Gloria Chou.Gloria is a US diplomat-turned Public Relations expert whose mission is to help business owners take charge of their own PR, gain traction, and build brand credibility without the friction from go-between agencies. Over the years, Gloria has helped thousands of businesses carve a space for themselves in premium outlets and publications.  But it wasn’t what she’d set out to do at the start of her career. And when she made the switch to PR , she had to leave a lot behind— her job in bureaucracy, her pension, and her security—just to start over in a completely different industry at the bottom rung of the ladder. But Gloria believed in her zone of genius. So, she gave it her all. And in this episode, she’s telling us the fascinating story of how it all worked out!Here’s what we’ve got in store for this one:Gloria’s drastic transition from diplomat to PR expertA glimpse at her three-step CPR pitching method and how it came to beChanging your career and navigating a 0-experience zoneHow rejection can quite literally make your careerThe discrepancies in PR and cold-calling between men and womenHow taking charge of your own PR gets the job done while minimizing frictionGloria’s thoughts on content creation with relation to PRTips from an expert on following up pitches, reaching out to publications, and more!Gloria’s drive, honesty, and tooth-and-nail attitude is what makes this episode so refreshing. And if you’re looking to make a switch and follow your heart to do the thing that’s calling you, definitely tune in! This episode might just be the sign you need. RESOURCES:Gloria’s WebsiteGloria’s PodcastGloria’s PR Secrets MasterclassGloria’s InstagramThis Week’s Joy:Gloria is extremely delighted about launching and hosting her very own Small Business PR Podcast! She’s having a wonderful time talking to new guests, and learning how to turn the podcast gears as she goes along!This Week’s Hustle:Gloria’s very own PR Secrets Masterclass will up your business’ PR game in under an hour! This is a free 30-minute step-by-step class where she deconstructs a PR outreach email pitch right from the subject line!This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

In all our years of working with small business owners, we’ve been asked one question over and over again: How do I get my trademarks in order?And we 100% understand! Trademarking your intellectual property is important, especially if you want to avoid legal battles and intellectual theft. Since this is such an important topic, we want to make sure we give you the most accurate and legally sound advice possible. So, we’re enlisting the help of an expert!Meet Michelle Murphy, the co-founder of Wilson Murphy Law and The CEO Legal Loft. Michelle is a small business attorney with a specialization in trademarks. Since opening her own practice in 2019, she’s worked with hundreds of female entrepreneurs to help them file and manage their trademarks and protect themselves legally. This episode is short, sweet, and chock full of useful information for any new entrepreneur. Michelle breaks down the legal nitty-gritties of running a business in easy-to-understand tid-bits so you can walk away with important knowledge on how to protect yourself for a rainy day!Here’s what you can expect from this week’s episode:The crazy story of how Michelle became a small business attorneyWhat every new business owner needs to do to cover their “legal backside”Michelle’s advice on forming a legal entity before filing for a trademarkWhy more and more businesses are filing for trademarks before they launchThe average investment you’d need to make to file a trademarkThe difference between copyrights and trademarksHow to navigate the world of international trademarksWhat she looks for when she performs legal audits How TikTok has helped her businessAnd more!Once you’re done with the episode, find us on Instagram (@heymarvelous) and tell us the steps you took to file for your own trademark. Who knows, it might just help a new business owner who’s looking to enter the world for the first time!RESOURCESMichelle’s Website The Ceo Legal LoftMichelle’s InstagramMichelle’s LinkedInMichelle’s TikTokSKIMSSling TVDubsado

Unruly (adjective): Disorderly and disruptive and not amenable to discipline or control.The official dictionary definition of ‘unruly’ isn’t something women usually aspire to be. All our lives, we’ve been conditioned to believe that being unruly was social suicide - the opposite of how we needed to act if we wanted to be loved by our peers, respected by our colleagues, and cared for by our partners. But, what if we told you that the world needs unruly women now more than ever?What if we told you that its balance depended on it?If you’re confused, you won’t be after you listen to today’s guest, Emilia Van Hauen!This is Emilia’s second visit to And She Spoke and the last time we chatted, she left us with a quote that we knew had to be explored further: “I have something to say about unruly women…”How could we not have her back after that?According to Emilia, for society to find equilibrium, women need to stop suppressing themselves and start embracing their ‘unruly’ sides. Now, her definition of unruliness isn’t what you’ll find in a dictionary.To her, being unruly means not being constrained by the societal norms that dictate what an ‘ideal woman’ should be like. And by refusing to constrain your creativity, lust, and physical/emotional strength, you can help the world find the balance that it so desperately needs. After all, the only way we can grow newer, better, more inclusive communities is if we destroy the systems that aren’t working and lean into what makes each one of us unique. And the best way to do that is to start with yourself. If you feel like you’re done being told to stand in a corner, let this episode be your motivation to break the glass ceiling, believe in your creativity, and create a new world with your unruliness. Here’s what you can expect from this week’s episode:Why unruliness is the only cure to the “wicked” world we find ourselves inHow Emilia came to realize that being unruly was her creative callingThe three things women are actively judged on and how to break out of the cycleHow women can move past their fear of judgement and criticismThe importance of building a community of individuals who truly support your workHow unruliness is important if you want to make money in your businessWhy you should stop looking for permission to feel what you want to feelAnd more!Once you’re done with the episode, find us on Instagram (@heymarvelous) and tell us how you’re living an unruly life!RESOURCESEmilia Van Hauen - Website (English Version)Emilia Van Hauen TED Talk - Unruly Women Have More FunWhere We Should Begin - Esther PerelBrené BrownThis Week’s Joy: Emilia’s biggest joy right now is her puppy Tintin! She’s so happy that she thinks everyone deserves a little furball in their lives, and we couldn’t agree more. This Week’s Hustle: Currently Emilia has been loving everything Brené Brown and regularly listens to Esther Perel’s ‘Where We Should Begin’ podcast to help her take her business (and unruliness!) to the next level. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.