The Good Life with Michele Lamoureux

In this Episode: Jessica Rhodes is the Founder of Interview Connections. She left a thriving career in the non-profit world to become a stay at home mom so she could work on her own terms. In just 6 years, Jessica is close to hitting 7 figures as the founder of Interview Connections, the first podcast guest booking agency. What makes her story interesting is she started out trying to create a business and life she loved, and ended up doing that while pioneering a new industry! She tells the story in her own words and we get into the mindset of what it takes to scale a business. Jessica takes us on her journey including some setbacks she hit along the way. Key Takeaways: Jessica is the founder and equal co-owner of Interview Connections. She and her in house team of Booking Agents are the podcast powerhouses behind many of the record breaking book launches you've seen today, with clients such as JJ Virgin, Perry Marshall, other authors you may know, and numerous PR agencies who hire them for their podcasting savvy and booking skills. Jessica to be a stay at home mom and that is actually what lead her to launching her business. Her father is a business coach and encouraged her to start out as a VA. One of the jobs her father had her do was book him on podcasts which is what prompted her to start her company. She took a pay-cut and downgraded her career because she wanted to be at home and believes that sometimes you need to start at the beginning again. Jessica believes you have to have the mindset of being the student and was open to trusting her mentors and coach. Her revenue grew quickly. You need to have a shift at looking at money and investments and know that sometimes you go into debt while launching a company. She had a client work with her for a year and then he left to start an almost identical business. Another person copied her identical sales copy. Yes, she continues to be the leader. She unfollows her competitors. She is purposeful to not get into the "they copied me mentality." Her business partner can check on things. She always has to be ahead of the curve. She has been aggressive to grow her business and Jess hired employees and stability to her business. Jessica sponsored conferences to help grow her market share. It helped position her as a successful business. She pulled together topics for speaking at conferences. 2017 - was a hard year for Jessica as she was going from contractors to employees. She didn't want to do the business on her own and she decided to bring on a 50% partner in her business because was exhausted and depressed. Jessica doesn't work from home and only works from 10-4:30pm. She doesn't work long hours thanks to having a business partner. Her tip for getting started- "just start". Make a list of what needs to happen now. What are the next few things that need to be done. Jessica's 3 Best Tips for Business Success: Work with a great business coach. Really know your numbers. What are you taking home and what is your net profit. Focus a lot on systems in your business and make sure things are running smoothly on the back-end. Put into place a good CRM program to cut time off of tasks without having to find new clients. Resources Mentioned (Books + App) Where to find Jessica: Interviewconnections.com Jessica on Linkedin She recommends the Landmark Forum for a course to change your life personally. Michele on IG This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app to be a part of this community of strong, smart, and successful women. Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode: Julie Hennrikus is on the show today sharing her best tips and resources to become a published fiction writer. Julie is the author of 8 mystery books and is also a passionate advocate of artists which led her to Found Your Ladders, a company dedicated to giving artists the information they need to be successful in their careers. Key Takeaways: People are resistant to owning their desire to be an artist. Julie says that's because artists create from a need to express and for a love for their work and it isn't as valued in our society in the United States because it is considered frivolous vs other industries. In the United States we reinforce this by not funding the arts and cutting budgets for the arts. So it is important to own your passion for this space and to pursue it in spite of the perception of what that means to others or a society. Step One to begin: Get better at the artistry. Remember that every artistic pursuit is an apprenticeship. Know that the first draft of your novel is going to be terrible. There is no one way to do your writing process. Do what feels right to you. Julie uses index cards, different color pens, post its and pad of paper. You have a contract with your reader - you are going to give them enough clues but have to trick them. Other people write spontaneously. It's up to you what makes most sense. Julie believes in writing every day. You need to commit to a daily practice. You can have a page count or a time count per day. Some writers take a walk to keep the writing process going. Start writing and then you can edit them. Then you can find an agent. If an agent rejects you it is because they can't sell your book. Once you finish the first book, write the second book. Step Two: Get connected to other writers - you don't have to belong to a writing group. You can join a groups of writers. For example, Sisters in Crime - is a group that Julie belongs to that supports mystery authors. Find people who support you in what you are writing and who don't try to rewrite your stuff to sound like them. Start going to conferences, start being in that world. Step Three: You need to understand how to be published. Be gracious with rejections. Go to writing conferences. Look for conferences where you can pitch agents like Grub Street in Boston. Go to readings. You have to care about your story and be ready to talk about your story. Pitchfest - to learn how to pitch your work. Julie's best tips: Start Don't let perfection be the better of the good Find your support team Dream - what's the goal? JHAuthors.com - Julie's author website Yourladders.com - Julie's online company to support artists Resources Mentioned (Books + App) Books by Steven Pressfield: The Artist's Journey The War of Art Turning Pro On Writing by Steven King Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel by Hallie Ephron Plot Perfect: How to Build Unforgettable Stories Scene by Scene by Paula Munier Bird by Bird by Annie Lamott Scrivener - writer's tool Michele on IG This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app to be a part of this community of strong, smart, and successful women. Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode: Michele walks us through 7 simple steps to achieve any goal. Don't worry if you abandoned your new year's resolutions because Michele has the steps to get you back on track! Whether you want to launch a business, lose weight, switch careers, publish your first book, launch a podcast, or more - the steps will teach you how to make any goal a reality. Key Takeaways: Seven Simple Steps to Achieve Your Goals: Step One - Set your intention by writing it down. Get connected to the passion, the purpose, and what excites you about the goal you want to achieve. If you feel like giving up, come back to step one to get re-connected to your "why". My why for my website, podcast, and book are all of the same. Create content to help women awaken to their full potential. Step Two - Begin the "SMART" Goals. S=Specific. Write down your goal and make it specific. For example, instead of deciding you want to lose weight this year, you'd make it specific by determining the amount of weight you want to lose - like twenty pounds. Take a moment now to write down a specific goal. Step Three - M=Measurable. Making your goal measurable helps you to know if you are on track. For example, if you want to write a book, you can decide to write for 15 minutes a day and at the end of each day you will know if you have achieved the daily objective which leads to the larger goal. Step Four - A=Achievable. In order to achieve your goal you need to determine what information, support, and resources you need to have in place to make it a reality. This is a key step and one area I believe is the reason many people don't realize their goal. They don't set themselves up for success and create systems and get the information necessary to make the goal a true possibility. Take a moment to write down what you would need to know, do, or learn in order achieve your goal. Step Five - R=Realistic. A realistic goal is just what it sounds like. It is making sure it can actually be realized. For example, ask yourself, "Is this the best time to work on this goal?"; "Is this there something that can hold me back?" In addition, you wouldn't for example decide to lose 20 pounds in two weeks. Could it be done? Possibly, but it wouldn't be advisable or healthy. It would be considered an unrealistic goal. The same goes for writing, editing, and self-publishing a book on amazon. You wouldn't decide to make that all happen in 3 weeks. Could you do it - yes, but it wouldn't be quality work and would be really stressful to complete which makes it unrealistic. Write down what could stand in your way and make a plan to address it before it become a problem, Step Six - T=Time bound. This step is key in creating success. Many of us have goals that are on a list that have been there for a long time! Most goals fall apart at this step because the person setting the goal hasn't assigned deadlines. This is so key. Take a moment to mark the deadlines in your calendar. If you want to lose weight in six months, mark your calendar for six months from now so you know what you are working towards. If you want to launch a podcast, put a launch date on your calendar and work towards making that a reality. Step Seven - Celebrate the Little Wins. Write in your calendar that every Friday you are going to check in with yourself on what you have accomplished for that week. What we consider as not that big of a deal is actually an important step to get you closer to the bigger picture goal. If you want ideas of what to do to celebrate, go to the List of 52 Self-Care Tips for ideas. It is on my website to sign up for it and it is FREE. Resources Mentioned (Books + App) FREE - List of 52 Self-Care Tips to celebrating the smaller wins Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. Michele on IG This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app to be a part of this community of strong, smart, and successful women. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode: Do you go to the market and come home with nothing for dinner? Do you love to cook but just don't have time to spend in the kitchen? Do you want to feed your family well but don't know where to begin? On today's podcast we cover all of these questions and more with nutrition chef Julia Grimaldi, Founder of Julia's Wellness Kitchen. An entrepreneur, personal chef, and wellness coach, Julia calls herself a curious culinarian who has had a love affair with food, cooking, and clean eating for over 20 years. Julia's passion is to help people approach nutritious eating and cooking with comfort and ease, develop better eating and health habits, and have fun doing it! We really get into the importance of eating together as a family as often as is possible. The idea is that a home cooked meal is always more nutritious. For show notes visit: https://thegoodlifecoach.com/016 Key Takeaways: The most important thing is to have families sharing meals and eating in communion, which is why Julia works with families to prepare meals with the goal that she will bring them back to the family table. We prefer the word nutritious over "healthy"- foods that are minimally processed and whole foods. When thinking about planning a meal - start with the components of a meal. A protein source (animal to plant proteins); vegetables; carbohydrates - from a grain perspective (wheat, rice, corn) and non-gluten grains (oats and quinoa). If food allergies or sensitivities are an issue, start meal planning around what you can have. If your proteins are limited to plant proteins you just need more of them. It becomes frustrating when we think of what we can't have. Have a well stocked pantry: Always have on hand good quality beef, chicken, vegetable broth, canned beans, frozen shrimp, frozen vegetables, bulgar, quinoa, couscous. Plan a shopping menu but protein/dairy; produce; and grocery (general). Try to go to the same supermarket so you save yourself time. The whole foods are on the perimeter. The interior is where the less healthy foods are. Batch cook your meals on a Sunday. Set aside 2-3 hours to make it all for the week. Julia's 3 best tips to create nourishing meals at home: Work on mindset - set something realistic and small. Keep it simple - it doesn't need to be an elaborate meal - keep planning and ingredients simple. approach it with ease and joy and fun - if it isn't outsource or use short-cuts like meal planning kits. Get help if you need it Resources Mentioned (Books + App) 1) Catherine Walther's Soups & Sides & Raising the Salad Bar 2) Everyday Food Cookbooks: Great Food Fast, Fresh Flavor Fast & Every Day Food Light 3) Eatingwell.com - subscribe to Daily Nosh 4) Out of Milk App for shopping lists Julia on IG Michele on IG This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app to be a part of this community of strong, smart, and successful women. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode:Have you wanted to learn more about the benefits of juicing? Do you make fresh juice at home? Have you purchased fresh juice at the market? Do you know the difference between a green smoothie and green juice? On today's podcast, we cover all of these questions and more, with Kimmye Bohannon the CEO of The Weekly Juicery and the Founder of The Juice Ritual program. Kimmye says she was aging in "dog years" and juicing turned back the aging clock! We discuss the benefits of juicing and how to get started. Kimmye shares her recommended juicer and best book to begin... but first we get into her inspiring entrepreneurial journey. Kimmye had worked at JP Morgan for nearly 15 years when she launched The Weekly Juicery in her home in 2012 with no experience in this business. Her goal was to create a juice delivery service that would make drinking cold-pressed juices convenient for busy people. She would wake up at 2am - yes 2am - to deliver fresh juice to her early subscribers. That's how passionate she is about the benefits. We have a lot of laughs during this conversation and I hope you'll be laughing along with us too! For show notes visit: https://thegoodlifecoach.com/015 Key Takeaways:A mother to 3 children in just four years, Kimmye felt like she was aging much too quickly. She bought a juicer and picked up a book from Natalia Rose. Kimmye started to feel great and before she knew it her passion for juicing became her calling. She had no idea about this industry or how to do all the things to make it a reality, but step by step, she found her way. It takes 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 pounds of produce for 16 ounces of juice! My favorite takeaway: "As entrepreneurs we need to always be asking: 'Is there a better way?'" She had no prior experience and her company continues to deliver delicious, fresh juice throughout the United States. In addition, there are five Weekly Juicery retail locations and the online Juice Ritual Program which is a guided, one-day juice fast experience each month. The Weekly Juicery juices are 100% USDA Certified Organic, vegetable-centric with little to no fruit. Resources: The juicer that Kimmye recommends: The Brevillle Juice Fountain - JE98XL The Juice e-Book Giveaway referenced in the show. Detox for Life - Natalia Rose Detox 4 Women - Natalia Rose The E-Myth by Michael Gerber - helps you create a business and not a job. Where to find Kimmye and other resources mentioned: The Weekly Juicery on IG theweeklyjuicery.com thejuiceritual.com The Weekly Juicery on FB Michele on IG Natalia Rose Institute Kimmye's 3 best tips for success: You need to be a student and ta teacher. People want to help you. Ask people for help. Share your experience back. An example. Amanda has been helpful to encourage her to ship juice and she feels she needs to help scene coming up after her. Intuition is genuinely right and yours will be too. The netis going to appear. Make a big leap. Her entire business has completely pivoted. Be very unattached to outcomes in your business. If you are too attached you might miss other opportunities. Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app to be a part of this community of strong, smart, and successful women. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode: THE ART OF MANIFESTING: 6 Steps to Manifest What You Desire: Decide what you want to manifest and why. Once you are clear. Write it down. Writing it down makes you over 40% more likely to make it a reality. If you are visual and it inspires you to see it every day you can create a vision board. You don't have to know how it will come to be, you have to have faith it will work. Create an affirmation. This is a positive statement written in the present tense. Take action once you are clear what you want to do. See yourself having accomplished the goal as is if it has already happened. Think about the desired result as if it has already happened. I once read from Esther and Jerry Hick's said that if you hold an affirmation for 68 seconds and hold the thought in a positive way it is supposed to help manifest quicker. Repeat the affirmations, look at your vision board, and feel the feelings every day. Let go and surrender and trust that everything is working out for your highest good. Practice gratitude daily. Write 3 things you are grateful for every morning or evening. Remember that limiting beliefs may come up and block your ability to manifest so pay attention to any resistance that comes up for your goals and dreams. Write down all of the negative thoughts and limiting beliefs that come up and turn each one into a positive affirmation. Do the work and heal those old memories that are holding you back. Michele put this into effect many times in her life. She manifested her relationship with her husband of 16 years, a dream job, and the example she shares in today's show is how she sold her condo during a down turn in the real estate market without a realtor. Her condo sold for asking and closed within 2 months of listing her property. Michele used all of the 6 steps above to make her vision a reality and helps her clients do the same! Resources: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks Michele on Instagram Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information. 1. Click link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-good-life-coach/id1441612098?mt=2 2. Click "View in iTunes" button 3. Click "Subscribe" button 4. Click "Ratings and Reviews" text 5. Click to rate and leave short review and you're done!

In this Episode: Hi, this is your host Michele and I appreciate you tuning in today and for every episode that you've joined me for. As an empowerment coach for the last 17 years. I know that it is motivating to hear another woman's journey; whether that is through a book, a podcast, or some other way…. you begin to realize that if something is possible for one person, it is also possible for you. The truth is that many of the women I bring on the show, you may never hear about other than on this show but that's by design — I want to show you examples of real, everyday, motivated women showing up to design a life they love. They are looking to create something special and meaningful in their life and I know that is also possible for you. The stories I choose to share are unique - they serve as an example that the power to create comes from your ability to imagine a future you that gets you excited and then the key is to take some action every day towards those goals. I'll be doing some solo shows in the near future to help guide on your path and give you specific tools that will help you. With that said, I'm excited to bring you today's guest. Moe McClanahan is a police investigator who works to protect children from online predators. She's been a police officer for 19 years and working internet crimes against children for the last 6 years. Her work is intense and often emotionally draining which is tough enough but Moe had also battled postpartum depression when her son was born. So four years ago Moe made a mindset shift that changed her life. She began working out regularly and changed how she ate and her depression lifted. Her life changed and she now feels energized, happy, and motivated. This is what inspired her to help other women with their fitness goals. If you hear Moe talking about moms that is because it is her niche but her story is relevant for all women, especially if you are working full time you'll see an example of how someone is managing a day job and focusing on the "dream" career. I will mention that since Moe is a police investigator in addition to her 3 best tips for empowering women to get fit, I also asked her for tips to protect our kids online and she shares those as well as her favorite apps. This is an episode you won't want to miss and is one you'll want to share. The online safety tips come from someone with years of first hand experience tracking these criminals down. http://thegoodlifecoach.com/013 Also, since we are talking about self-care today, I created a special freebie that you can download on the show notes page. It has 52 self-care tips for you busy women out there one idea for every week of the year. Let's make 2019 the year you take care of you! Key Takeaways: Moe experienced post-partum depression and it lifted when she found a community and began working out regularly with the help of a fitness coach. Moe gets up every morning at 4:00am and does personal development and gets in her "mom" time. She works out with her "Fit Club" in the mornings before heading into the office. Accountability, creating a routine, and mindset shifts helped keep her going. She didn't want to go back to that depressed place. She encourages women to focus on their nutrition - to have more energy. Do one new thing each week. Kick one unhealthy habit like giving up soda and pick one new positive habit to start. That feeling of accomplishing something smaller compounds and that begins motivating her clients. She says finding what that key is is what helps makes them want to keep going. Healthy heroes is an idea she has launched. She saw that the kids that were victimized - the common denominator was low self-esteem and insecurity. She is empowering the moms to empower the kids but eventually she wants to help kids with mindset, nutrition, and leadership within themselves to love themselves at an earlier age. Moe's top tips to protect your kids online: First, she says kids under the age of 13 shouldn't have smart phones and social media actually says you should be 13 years or older. However, since that isn't the reality for most families, here is what she recommends: Discuss the dangers and what your kids would do if they were approached or if something didn't seem right. Make sure they know that it is safe for them to report anything to you. Know how the device works before giving it to your kid. Turn off the camera and set up a time for the phone to go off. Set screen time to two hours a day She is 100% against snapchat and kik because they have disappearing photos and no way to persecute against an offender without proof. Keep kids off of these apps. Facebook now has secret messages - be aware of this. Don't be afraid to make rules with your kids. When laptops first came out they used to be in a common area but with the tablets and the cell phones became prevalent, that education went out the door. Make rules to always have the phone in common areas and at night the parents should have the phones as that is when a lot of the issues arise. Apps she recommends to protect your kids online: My mobile watch dog NetNanny Phone companies have parental monitoring that you pay for that you can use to do things like turn off data. 3 best tips to become healthy and strong: Put yourself first. Fill your own cup and let your love overflow into your family. Have a community - we aren't meant to do the hard things alone. Find a nutrition plan that works for you while giving yourself grace to be you. Resources: Moe McClanahan Moe on Instagram Moe on Facebook Find Michele on Instagram Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoy this podcast, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information as well!

In this Episode: How do you create an app by yourself when you have no prior experience programming? Well today's guest, Maria Fuller, did just that after research she found on a google search on how to create an app! That is some serious determination. Maria is the Founder of the Empowered Girl App for Clever, Creative and Inquisitive Girls which is what we discuss today. She is also the Founder and Thought Leader behind raisingapowerfulgirl.com, whose mission is to foster Independence, Leadership and Strong Personal Identity in Girls so they can change the world. We discuss why Maria decided to start this platform and the steps she took to create it. If you ever wanted to create an app you'll learn some interesting tips, including why she chose not to sell it on iTunes. Maria is a contributing writer to Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global and her work has been featured on numerous online publications and summits including google and yahoo news. Key Takeaways: Maria has always been passionate about using her voice in a male dominated world as she began her career as a paramedic. A self-proclaimed "non-techie", Maria figured out how to develop her app 100% on her own, and continues to expand it by herself. Maria believes that the change we need to see in this world begins with raising a powerful girl, and that means equipping them with the tools they need to navigate life. With a rising rate of anxiety and depression in girls, Maria understands through her research and her own experience that teaching personal development skills at an early are a great first step towards empowering girls. We discuss why Maria believes that all girls should understand and have healthy self-care practices in place for taking care of not only their bodies but their minds and spirit as well. We discuss how she has brought on powerful role models for the girls including Victoria Arlen, a recent contestant on Dancing with the Stars and how her story helped empower her own daughter to find better friends without the drama. It took her 6 weeks to develop the app, 60-70 hours a week. Maria decided not to put it on Apple and Google after she learned that kids wouldn't be able to access it the way she wanted and didn't want to share the percentage that Apple takes on all sales. All you need is one good friend. Surround yourself with positive people. 3 Best Actionable Tips: Get in touch with your authentic self and do some soul searching. Ask yourself "When you were 9 years old what was your spirit like? What did you change about yourself and maybe not for the better? Rediscover who you are so you can reconnect with your intuition. Stop second guessing yourself and tune into your intuition. Talk to yourself the way you would console a child or friend and give yourself the self-love and grace you deserve. Resources: The Interview I did with Maria on her Podcast: Raising A Powerful Girl.com Empowered Girl App Maria on Instagram Strong the Magazine for Girls Princess Awesome Girls Find Michele on Instagram Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Apply to Michele's Private Practice Under "Coaching" Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoy this podcast, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information and be inspired.

In this Episode: The "Aha" moment that launched a mission. Today's guest, Kimberli Weeks, is the Founder and CEO of racepacepups which is a dog running service in San Diego, CA. Kimberli was a stay at home mom who was feeling depressed one day and noticed a woman running her dog on the beach. The concept of running dogs sparked a business venture and two years later Kimberli hasn't looked back. She has been featured on the local news and her business continues to grow, but more importantly her mission of helping people realize the benefit of canine fitness was born. If you love running and/or are a dog owner, you will especially enjoy this episode but it is for anyone out there who wants to discover their unique gifts and purpose. Key Takeaways: You have to be okay with the idea of failing. You have to be willing to fail. Kimberli was always creative even as a child and she married her passions for running, animals, and creativity to create this business. Kimberli didn't need a job but she was so passionate about this concept that she knew she wanted to make it something special. Her passion of running turned into a mission from seeing how it has helped dogs with anxiety. Her passion then turned into a charitable connection and she was asked by the Rescue and Freedom project (link below) to run the NYC Marathon for their charity. Kimberli's business has been a great connector for her and her children and she loves that they get to see their mom at work and doing what she loves. We discuss how her parents have inspired her path. Her mom ran her 3rd 5k at 77 years old and took first place - way to go! "You just have to do it." You don't want to regret not having tried even if you failed, at least you tried. Simplicity is key. Success is living your passion and being able to share that with her family. Consistency for an anxious dog. Keep at it and remain calm - if you are anxious your dogs will be anxious. 3 best pieces of advice based on her experience Follow your heart - and channel your creative ideas. If you are a stay at home mom, you may be creative - if you have an idea channel that and follow your heart. Don't regret not taking the chance twenty years from now. Be okay with failure. Be present in your children's lives even if for just connected ten minutes. Don't be discouraged if you haven't found that passion -- you never know when it is going to fall into your lap. Resources: Find racepacepups on Instagram racepacepups.com Rescue and Freedom Project Find Michele on Instagram Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Apply to Michele's Private Practice Under "Coaching" Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoy this podcast, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information and be inspired.

In this Episode: Would you like to grow your followers on Instagram? Would you benefit from learning new strategies and tips from a social media expert? Today on the show is Sue B. Zimmerman also known as The Instagram Expert. Sue shares her best tips as well as her entrepreneurial journey. A serial entrepreneur, Sue is a wealth of knowledge on not only growing your following but about what it takes to be successful in business. Key Takeaways: Sue was inspired by her father who was really entrepreneurial - she would go into his work with him at 5am from the time she was a young girl. She learned how important it is know the names of the people that you serve. Have conversations with people on IG. Treat them as someone you care about and nurture the relationship. Sue launched her first business at the age of 13. She started painting barrettes and they were metal barrettes - painted strawberries and other things and sold it at recess. She was an entrepreneur at heart. It built her confidence. In college she hand-painted t-shirts and boxers. No one was wearing them as outerwear. She knew that if she could create a reason to purchase it could be big. She partnered with another artist - the two of them got licenses with Disney and then sold on college campuses — that's when the business turned into a million dollar business. Sue had an eating disorder that went away when she found her passion and purpose with her work. Understand the value of really listening to what your customers want and need. Sometimes people don't know when to let go of their business. She is good at seeing market trends. You have to know when to pivot or let something go. Sue was on QVC with another mother entrepreneur for scrapbooking but they couldn't get a patent. She realized she needed to sell out and went back to what she knew which was selling products. She put together an entire retail store selling SBDoo clothing. It was around this time she realized she needed to niche down and decided to teach others Instagram strategy. Sue has always prioritized workouts. "Your health is your wealth." You need to be 100% committed to what you believe is going to help someone. As a marketer or business owner it is your job to help people understand what you can do to help them. People shouldn't have to figure it out. You have to make your message and offering clear. Surround yourself with the best team. Success is slowly and steadily growing your business and growing your email list. "Slow and steady wins the race." Over a billion users on Instagram. Your brand is everything you do - your core values, the way that you write, the way you talk, dress, the emojis you use, the way you sign off on an email - everything you do needs to be done with great intention. Resources: Sue's 2019 Free Instagram Strategy Guide Leave key takeaway from episode with Michele on Instagram: Michele_Lamoureux Sue IG Business Account: TheInstagramExpert Sue Personal IG Account: suebzimmerman Youtube: suebzimmeran.com/youtube Sue's Team on IG: SBZTEAM Sue's facebook group : instagramresults Sue's best tips for IG: Create content for all of the "neighborhoods" on IG - your feed, IG stories, and IG live. Have a professional avatar photo that stands out from the pack. Choose a good username that is memorable and not confusing. Craft a solid bio that says who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Have a visual theme that is grounded so that people can recognize it is you. Provide consistent value that is about them not you. Be intentional with every post. Test and see what people like and don't like. Test which hashtags work. Know which pictures build conversation. Once you have a community you have a secret to success. The amplification happens from connecting. 3 best pieces of advice for business success: Have confidence. Not everyone is going to like you. Serve those that do like you. Step into your greatness - it has to feel good for you. Be different and think outside the box and be a rule breaker as creatively as possible. Don't feel like you need permission from anyone. Ask yourself, " Am I stepping into what I love and am I serving who I want to be serving to live full on?" Books: This episode was sponsored by Design a Life You Love, A Woman's Guide to Living a Happier and More Fulfilled Life. My book includes 52 inspirations, one for every week of the year, each with practical tips to guide you to self-love and success on your own terms. It's a short book that you can read in about an hour, but includes life lessons that will last a lifetime. Apply to Michele's Private Practice Under "Coaching" Thank you for listening to the show! Please be sure to share it with your friends who would benefit from this information. Also be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts so you don't miss an episode. :-) Rate & Review: If you enjoyed this episode, would you please take a minute to review it on iTunes? Your review helps me better understand what topics you most enjoyed. It also helps others find this podcast so that they too can learn this actionable information.