Good Ideas + Bad Decisions

In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat hosts solo with Christina Hunt, founder of Haus von Albe and a brand/community strategist who also teaches yoga and human design. Christina shares her winding path from Germany, where she left a long-term relationship and pursued yoga training, to Texas, and eventually into a Meta role that built her paid media skills before she launched her own business. She discusses her evolution from Meta ads into broader marketing strategy and fractional CMO work, the exhaustion of chasing algorithms and inconsistent startup budgets, and her advice for founders: prioritize self-knowledge, set boundaries, and take time to recognize your own accomplishments.With 15 years of experience at the intersection of brand strategy and community building, Christina Hunt believes the best marketing doesn't feel like marketing, it feels like belonging. She has built brand communities at Kit and Ace in London, grown boutique fitness brands in one of the world's most competitive markets, directed strategy for global festivals across four continents, and consulted for founders across the US and UK. She now brings her expertise in marketing strategy to brands through Haus von Albe.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Intro00:47 Guest Intro01:28 Local Banter Catch Up03:07 Mercury Direct Updates04:27 Back To Full Time05:00 How We Met07:47 Origin Story Germany10:38 Meta Job And Strategy15:18 Business Evolution Burnout20:29 Community Over Algorithms23:57 Choosing Stability Now25:41 Evolving Past Identity26:43 Autonomy Over Micromanaging28:59 Commute Reality Check31:54 Office Life After COVID33:50 Rethinking Career Loyalty36:22 What’s Next Careerwise38:42 Know Yourself First40:54 Slow Down and Reflect42:53 Where to Find Christina44:15 Duchess Era Goodbye45:30 Episode Wrap and Outro

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen catch up on extreme summer weather and shifts in working life. Kat shares updates on Benchwork's shop build-out, including new equipment, improved organization, and the realities of investing in a permanent workspace. Ellen discusses summer childcare, basement renovation plans, and potential business changes to better align work with family life. They also answer a community question on marketing, sharing how referrals, LinkedIn, newsletters, Google Business updates, and a current website help support mostly word-of-mouth growth.Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Callie Exas, a women's health registered dietitian and personal trainer supporting women through hormone health, burnout, and strength training, especially from their early 30s into perimenopause and menopause. Callie shares her path from NYC advertising and teaching spin to earning nutrition degrees, RD licensure, and building a PCOS-informed women's health practice. She discusses shifting diet culture to flexibility over restriction, busting fasting and keto myths, and ditching all-or-nothing movement mindsets, plus her tiered business model spanning insurance-based counseling, labs, glucose monitoring, and personal training.Callie Exas is a registered dietitian nutritionist and fitness expert specializing in women's health and wellbeing. Her own struggles with burnout and body image shaped her core belief: you can't hate your way into a body you love. Since founding her practice in 2018, she's guided clients through a holistic, individualized approach to wellness built on four pillars: sleep, stress, physical activity, and nutrition, all grounded in science and mindful eating. Having navigated her own major life changes, including becoming a mother of two, Callie is passionate about helping clients embrace self-care as an active practice and take ownership of their long-term health.  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.  00:00 Podcast Intro01:12 Meet Callie02:16 Boxing And Friendship04:41 Callie’s Work08:57 Nonlinear Career Path14:36 Diet Culture Reframe18:20 Teaching Body Trust23:00 All Or Nothing Mindset31:20 Business Model Breakdown37:57 Stress Boundaries Health41:10 Final Advice And Wrap

In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen catch up about summer and how it's affecting their lives and businesses. Kat shares news of adopting a senior rescue dog to keep her older dog company, along with the quirks of helping a new pet settle in. Ellen reflects on a hectic start to summer with childcare transitions and shifting routines. They close by discussing how the summer season shapes their businesses, from scheduling around camp hours to planning travel and prioritizing rest. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen talk to Dayna DeStefano, an entrepreneur who has launched and sunset multiple ventures since leaving corporate product leadership in 2019. Dayna shares how that winding path led her to co-own her husband's family commercial cleaning business and now spearhead an acquisition strategy through CleanCo Holdings, buying up complementary building service businesses and integrating them with centralized operations and data. She also offers her advice to founders: design your career around your own blueprint, stay simple and focused, and act on what you feel called to do. Dayna DeStefano has spent nearly 20 years building brands and businesses, from serving as VP of Product at a digital media company acquired by Gary Vaynerchuk to founding multiple ventures, including a branding agency, a consulting company, and a tech literacy media company for women. Today, she splits her time between advising select founders and small business owners on go-to-market strategy and AI implementation, co-owning a portfolio of commercial building services businesses with her husband, and building The Business of Energy, where she writes about using energy as a navigation system for life and work. Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:01 Meet Dayna02:35 Entrepreneur Origin Story03:11 Agency Success and Burnout03:44 Web3 Experiment Unblocked04:43 Co-Founder and New Baby Pivot05:36 Boring Business Big Money06:48 AI for Small Business Ops08:20 Working With Your Spouse10:52 Commercial Cleaning Niches12:19 Recession Proof Lessons13:05 Rinse and Repeat Expansion14:47 Scaling Local vs National17:35 Growth Options Ahead18:14 Roll Up Strategy Focus19:47 Boomer Seller Deals23:54 Integrating Acquisitions28:24 Tech Stack And AI Data32:02 Selling Data To Robotics35:33 What Drives Dayna41:33 Parting Wisdom And Future44:12 Where To Find Dayna45:23 Episode Wrap Up

In this mini-episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen discuss how small-town dynamics can intensify business relationships and conflicts. Ellen shares a conflict in her business community and she and Kat conclude that Ellen should focus on showing up authentically rather than dwelling on the conflict. Kat also talks about launching her fabrication company Benchwork with two former coworkers and anticipating a difficult reaction from their previous boss, while the episode briefly touches on automation services and Ellen's email and domain forwarding issues. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Emily Bissen, founder of Blue Heron Business Partners, whose work sits at the intersection of business opportunity strategy and human design. Emily, a self-described 4/1 manifesting generator, explains how discovering her own human design gave language to skills she'd always had: reading people, spotting opportunities, and making the right connections at the right time.The conversation gets into the tension between prescribed entrepreneurial playbooks and trusting a more personalized approach, including the permission it takes to set boundaries, walk away from misaligned work, and build a business around what actually matters.Emily Bissen is a Business Opportunity Strategist and Super Connector who helps talented, driven business owners stop spinning their wheels and start moving. Using each client's unique Human Design, she creates strategies built for how they're wired rather than forcing someone else's playbook.Find Emily on LinkedIn or visit her at blueheronbusinesspartners.com.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:22 Meet Emily Beeson02:00 Human Design Basics04:25 Retreat Spark Story05:39 Using Design With Clients08:37 Starting Her Business11:05 Ditching Others Playbooks14:25 Offers And Containers18:04 Time Freedom With Kids20:28 Teachers To Entrepreneurs22:53 Ditching the Playbook23:48 Permission to Choose26:20 Boundaries and Availability28:28 Permission to Quit29:01 Human Design Deep Dive30:29 Energy and Grounding34:50 Decision Making Styles40:35 Oldest Daughter Patterns42:56 Building a Support Village44:25 Get Curious Closing46:00 Where to Find Emily46:45 Podcast Sign Off

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen discuss a book, "This Story Might Save Your Life," that mirrors their own podcast experience, then debate whether audiobooks count as reading (spoiler: Kat and Ellen agree that they do). They also explore how to make networking feel less awkward through clear purpose, low barriers, casual formats, and community containers where members can genuinely support one another.Don't forget to⁠⁠ submit your business questions⁠⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of ⁠kat&co⁠, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at ⁠Benchwork Fabrication⁠. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, ⁠The kat&co Download⁠.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of ⁠Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠ and ⁠SAGE Women⁠. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter,⁠ ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠⁠.

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen sit down with Emily Oberman, founder of The Content Atelier, a copywriter and content strategist who built a boutique agency around long-form content, newsletters (including Substack), and podcast support after recognizing a gap in the market for writers who actually understand the nuance of founder-led storytelling. The conversation spans remote work, packaging services as a generalist, navigating AI, a tough 2025 economy, and her advice to founders.Emily Oberman is a copywriter, content strategist, and founder of The Content Atelier, a boutique content marketing agency that focuses on long-form content. She has over 10 years of experience in content and systems strategy and has ghostwritten for over 150 individuals and brands. Her clients consider her their digital Mary Poppins.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:47 Chaotic Catch Up01:27 Meet Emily Oberman03:11 Long Form Content Focus04:24 Substack Versus Blogs07:06 Podcast Strategy Work07:42 From Corporate To Remote08:27 Commuting And Childcare11:02 Remote Agency To Solo11:55 Imaginary Friends Origin13:35 Digital Mary Poppins Brand16:46 AI And Marketing Ops19:40 Clients Using AI Drafts22:27 Why And Who First24:48 Values Driven Services25:43 Pricing For Small Business27:00 Choosing Tools By Values28:59 Claude Versus ChatGPT30:18 Generalist Boundaries31:53 Intuition And Human Design33:41 Remote Work Setup37:19 Contractors And Volatility41:34 Female Founder Stigma43:50 Advice And Wrap Up

In this mini-episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen discuss Kat’s first hypnosis session with Kelly Chessen of Hope Rd. Hypnosis that focused on her relationship with money. Kat describes a guided visualization exercise involving inviting past influences on money to a mental table, confronting negative associations, inner-child emotions, and asking money what it needs. Kat feels empowered by her takeaway about using money for creativity, joy, and connection and notes new opportunities arising. They close by discussing how to talk with clients about money, pricing, and boundaries.Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen welcome Vicky Winkler, founder of Wildly Creative Wellness, an art journaling and creative wellness community. Vicky shares how art journaling helped her move from feeling "only okay" to finding real purpose and fulfillment. She describes art journaling as focused on process over outcome with no perfectionism required, and explains how that mindset can build confidence to experiment in other areas of life too. She outlines her Wildly Creative’s monthly themes, weekly prompts, live creation calls, and co-working sessions, and the group discusses why rigid routines like The Artist's Way can fall short and how to start simply instead.Vicky Winkler is the founder of Wildly Creative Wellness, a space where everyday people discover that creativity has always lived inside them. Through art journaling workshops, online retreats, and one on one support, she helps people slow down, reconnect with themselves, and find fulfillment through self-expression. Her work is rooted in the belief that making art isn’t just for “artists.” It’s for anyone who wants to feel more alive.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:09 Meet Vicky Winkler02:34 Why Art Journaling04:59 Perfectionism Blocks06:26 Journal Not Canvas08:00 Creative Without Selling10:36 Membership Breakdown14:07 Calls And Sanctuary15:20 Artists Way Debate20:06 Five Minute Practice21:17 Tools For Regulation23:51 No Rules Mindset25:30 Leap of Faith Art25:49 Cortisol and Creativity26:42 Blank Page Tricks27:27 Five Minute Time Paradox28:45 Timers Flow and Breaks32:03 Finding Art Journaling35:01 Creative Identity Blocks36:35 Easy Supplies to Start38:56 Healing Through Drawing42:18 Try It and Connect43:38 Episode Wrap Up

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen dive into the topic of discovery calls and networking. Kat walks through her approach of offering a single free 30-minute call for prospective clients, collaborators, and general connections alike. Kat and Ellen address client fit, barters and trades, and keeping up a connection. The episode also explores the value of maintaining boundaries, being intentional about how time is given, and keeping follow-up communication clear and straightforward.Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen talk with Natasha Golinsky, who built a web development agency by hiring a developer despite having no web experience herself. After a stage two breast cancer diagnosis in 2024, she onboarded a trusted former client as project manager, freeing her to focus on business development. Natasha now pursues thought leadership around trauma-informed leadership for female founders, using nervous-system work to overcome personal blocks. She offers her wisdom on entrepreneurship and healing as well as specific advice on how and why to delegate. Natasha Golinsky has spent over a decade as CEO of On Purpose Projects, a full-stack web development agency. When she returned after chemo, her team was thriving without her, and she finally stepped into what she'd been doing behind the scenes for years. Natasha spent years learning somatic healing and nervous system regulation, tools she'd shared with peers for years before cancer gave her the space to do it professionally. Through her company Never Launch on a Friday, she works with female agency owners and service-based founders on the inner work that strategy alone can't fix. She used to support the web project. Now she supports the woman behind the business.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:15 Meet The Guest01:56 Coffee And Anxiety02:40 First Espresso Story04:52 Agency Origin Story06:51 Cancer Diagnosis Shock07:58 Emergency Team Handoff09:56 Returning To Work11:18 New Path After Ops13:47 Trauma Informed Leadership15:44 Content Creation Breakthrough20:51 Human Design And Community24:18 Human Design Validation24:34 Weekly Structure Planning25:51 Hunter vs Farmer Marketing28:18 Delegation and Team Fit31:16 Simple Systems That Stick34:23 Vision Board and Next Moves37:03 Selling the Agency Soon39:00 Planning in Uncertain Times42:58 Final Wisdom on Healing

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen catch up on Ellen’s recent London trip, where she visited a friend who works at the British Museum, and Kat shares she’s heading to a women’s business retreat in Point Reyes where she’ll lead a workshop on flexible business systems. They then discuss how they handle being out of office: evolving boundaries over time, communicating availability case by case with clients, relying on standard boundaries (like not replying on certain days), remembering most issues aren’t true emergencies, and taking real breaks to avoid burnout.Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen talk with Lauren Most, founder of Mirror Mirror and former Chief People Officer and Fortune 10 Executive, holding HR leadership positions at GE and Walmart. She shares how imposter syndrome and emotional self-abandonment led her to leave corporate leadership and build a coaching practice for high achievers. Lauren explores “invisible rules,” unconscious beliefs, and why traditional therapy often falls short, outlining her somatic and narrative-based approach to helping clients shift patterns and expand capacity. The episode closes with a reminder that we have more agency than we think and growth starts by looking forward, not back.Lauren Most is an executive advisor and founder of Mirror Mirror, an advisory practice focused on helping senior leaders improve decision-making, performance, and leadership under complexity. With over 15 years of experience in high-growth and Fortune 10 environments, she has served as a Chief People Officer and held leadership roles at companies including GE, Walmart, and Roivant Sciences. Lauren specializes in helping high-achieving leaders build sustainable, capacity-driven performance through systems-level thinking and behavioral science.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Check-in & guest introduction02:00 Lauren's background and what Mirror Mirror coaching does06:00 Shared experiences: intuition, social-emotional learning, imposter syndrome09:26 Self-sacrifice, self-abandonment & what therapy couldn't fix13:00 Invisible rules, culture & looking outside ourselves18:33 Human Design, Reflectors & the name "Mirror Mirror"24:38 The leap: leaving corporate & founding the business29:22 Coaching methodology: the 99%, beliefs as roots & modalities37:45 Stories, states, burnout & growing capacity51:56 Parting wisdom & where to find Lauren

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Ellen and Kat catch up on personal updates and discuss tips for hosting effective workshops or classes online or in person. They note many service-based businesses feel pressure to create workshops or “evergreen” courses as alternative income, but underestimate the time and energy required and the challenge of filling the room. They emphasize building workshops around genuine expertise, clear value, and real audience demand, and suggest partnering with existing communities or events to reduce risk. Kat shares she’s preparing to lead an in-person workshop at a Point Reyes retreat and is adapting her creative operations content for broader business owners. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of  kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

Kat and Ellen kick off season two of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions’ with PR strategist KJ Blattenbauer, founder of Hearsay PR, who makes a bold case that real PR should cost you nothing because earned media means borrowing audiences, not buying them. KJ breaks down how to spot red flags when vetting PR help (run from anyone promising guaranteed placements) and why a business without clarity or operational readiness isn't PR-ready yet. Drawing from an accidental start in crisis communications, she shares the winding path that led her to entrepreneurship and building her own agency. KJ closes with advice to get clear on what you want to be known for and where your audience is, and protect your mornings from tech.KJ Blattenbauer is a publicist and brand strategist with nearly three decades of experience helping founders, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders move from respected to widely recognized. As the founder of Hearsay PR, she specializes in shaping clear narratives the media actually wants to tell, with a track record spanning consumer brands, sports, and crisis communications, placing clients in Forbes, Architectural Digest, Inc., Fast Company, and beyond. She is the two-time bestselling author of Pitchworthy and Pitchworthy: The Workbook, and her own insights have been featured across business, lifestyle, and design media.Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.00:00 Podcast Welcome00:47 Season Two Kickoff01:53 Meet KJ Blattenbauer02:40 PR For Anyone03:48 Astronaut PR Explained04:57 Pay To Play Exposed07:18 Free PR Channels10:18 Choosing A Publicist12:29 PR Myths And Red Flags16:42 When PR Makes Sense20:09 KJ Origin Story21:36 Clarity Drives Recognition22:07 Small Town Reputation Lessons23:17 Why Some Stars Stick23:49 Breaking Into PR25:12 Crisis to Wellness Pivot26:02 Leaping Into Entrepreneurship27:01 Mob Wife Loyalty Mindset28:01 Fear, Regret, and Taking Risks30:18 Doing It for Younger You33:42 Two Books and Daily Routine39:31 Protect Your First Hour42:45 Parting PR Advice and Wrap

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Ellen and Kat share business updates, including their Thursday recording rhythm and a shout-out to Cereal Dreams ahead of market season. Ellen also books a library room to catch up after a hectic few weeks. Kat announces a new venture, Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company she’s co-founding, and walks through early steps like securing shop space, building a website, creating sales materials, and setting up the business structure and partnership agreement.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! Kat is the Founder of kat&co and a Creative Operations Consultant, helping interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, The Quiet Wins.

In this special episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen celebrate their one-year anniversary by reflecting on how they launched the show from opposite coasts, never having met in person, and figured it out as they went. They cover their evolving workflow, hiring an assistant, and why they chose long-form conversation over social media, with a recurring theme of starting before you're ready. They also revisit early nerves, growth as co-hosts, and season two plans including YouTube, Substack, and guest ads, closing with words of wisdom from one year as podcasters.Kat is the Founder of kat&co and a Creative Operations Consultant, helping interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, The Quiet Wins.00:00 Podcast Welcome01:06 One Year Milestone03:31 Why We Started The Podcast07:19 Remote Partnership08:54 Tools And Workflow12:09 Learning As You Go13:59 First Publish Nerves17:52 Sticking With It21:23 Sharing And Listeners25:37 Hosting Growth Lessons27:38 Authentic Flow and Timing29:48 No Script Guest Format31:09 Co Hosting Chemistry34:45 Moments That Stuck36:51 Coffee Chats Come Back40:14 Editing Help and Systems43:52 Do It Differently Next Time46:27 Season Two Experiments50:42 Parting Words of Wisdom53:53 Season Two Send Off

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Ellen and Kat recap their weekends on a tired Monday after the time change, including a trip to see Spamalot,  and they encourage supporting local theater. They discuss recalibrating when Q1 results don't match projections. Kat skips rigid quarterly planning, instead protecting her time (no meetings Mondays/Fridays) and helping clients pinpoint what's driving resentment or stagnation. Ellen is excited about new offerings but worried about client growth while managing caregiving. Kat advises clarifying your ICP, defining success on your own terms, and avoiding urgency-driven marketing that makes business owners feel like they're failing. Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Carrie Sporer, co-founder of SWAIR, a clean, non-aerosol “showerless shampoo” created to work on very sweaty hair with no residue after she and her co-founder Meredith struggled with constant hair washing during marathon training. Carrie shares her shift from luxury accessories sales and operations into product entrepreneurship, how they found a nearby manufacturer willing to develop a custom formula, and the 11-month development process plus early formula and label iterations. She discusses building a mostly bootstrapped business with $75,000 in angel funding, using a 3PL from day one, later switching 3PLs, and relying on freelancers while Meredith keeps a full-time job. Carrie also covers expanding from a hero product to a brand with a leave-in conditioner and a 60-second pre-wash hair mask, handling negative reviews through customer education, and her advice to founders: ask questions and find partners who welcome them.Carrie Sporer is the co-founder of SWAIR, a clean haircare brand for active people best known for its Showerless Shampoo — a first-of-its-kind formula that removes sweat and oil without suds, rinsing, or a blow dry. A Penn graduate with a background in luxury fashion sales, she launched SWAIR in 2020 with co-founder Meredith Krill after the two couldn't find a product that solved their shared post-workout hair frustration, and set out to make it themselves.Kat is the Owner + Operator of kat&co and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!Ellen is the Owner of Ellen Hockley Consulting and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast01:12 Meet Carrie and SWAIR03:30 From Running to Product Idea04:19 Marathon Life as Parents06:41 Finding the Right Lab10:39 Clean Formula and Hair Talk11:41 Packaging and Fulfillment Setup15:01 Bootstrapping and Angel Money16:51 Co-Founder Boundaries and Agreements19:42 Founder Time and Sanity Checks21:27 Why Legal Framework Matters21:38 Partnership Agreements Matter22:59 Contracts Protect Everyone24:31 When Agreements Save Friendships25:43 From Hero to Brand26:25 Leave In Conditioner Benefits27:00 60 Second Speed Mask29:17 Handling Negative Reviews30:50 Fixing Product Education34:14 3PL Logistics Switch35:26 Future Product Roadmap37:41 Founder Superpower Questions39:29 Outsider Mindset Imposter Syndrome40:44 Where to Find Swear41:22 Final Thanks and Sign Off42:03 Podcast Outro and CTA

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Ellen and Kat reunite after a month apart to recap a hectic February marked by dark winter weather, travel disruptions, and family chaos. Ellen shares launching a Substack, redesigning and relaunching her client offerings with help from her VA, managing sick kids, and getting stranded in Dallas during a blizzard, including a stressful aquarium meltdown with her children. Kat describes weeks of nonstop California rain leading to black mold issues, a busy month with a spa visit and an Ohio install, and Valentine’s Day gifts including at-home blood typing kits and a blind wine tasting workshop that felt unexpectedly stuffy. Recording while Ellen is on a jury duty lunch break, they answer a business question about where they do their best work, citing airplanes, airport lounges, libraries, cars, and even hospitals.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Ellen and Kat welcome Nadya Pierre, a fractional HR consulting expert and founder of Soleo Strategies. Together they dive into the complexities of running a business, focusing on the crucial aspects of HR for early-stage startups. The discussion covers the importance of setting up people systems, the challenges of hiring the right talent, and how company culture impacts business outcomes. Nadya shares her personal journey, the significance of having a supportive community, and offers practical advice on managing multiple clients while maintaining work-life balance. Tune in for valuable insights on entrepreneurship, mental health, and the rewarding chaos of making your own path.Nadya Pierre is the founder of Soleo Strategies, partnering with tech, biotech, and AI founders to build scalable leadership, culture, and talent programs. With over a decade leading people operations and human resources from seed through Series B, she specializes in designing inclusive, high-performance cultures and coaching leaders through growth. SHRM-SCP certified and a Bridges Method executive coach, Nadya believes that leading with intention and kindness creates the conditions for lasting success.Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions01:08 Meet Our Guest: Nadya Pierre02:44 Nadya's Journey and Business Insights04:38 Challenges in Hiring and HR12:11 Navigating the Job Market19:59 Scaling Your Business26:48 Setting Goals for the New Year27:38 Balancing Work and Family Time29:35 Managing ADHD and Productivity Tools32:15 Time Management Strategies33:38 Focus Tools and Techniques44:20 Words of Wisdom and Final Thoughts

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' the hosts discuss their recent activities, including TV show recommendations and an in-depth look at their business strategies. Ellen shares her structured approach to planning with her husband, touching on their detailed annual meetings. The conversation shifts to 'woo woo' elements as both hosts delve into their experiences with tarot readings, human design, and astrology, exploring how these tools influence their professional and personal lives. Their discussion highlights the importance of self-awareness and alignment in business and life.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen sit down with Ronniesha Rivera, the owner of Vetted By Design and founder of Alder and Stone. Ronniesha shares her journey from interior designer to business community builder, discussing the challenges of managing multiple enterprises, the importance of trustworthy outsourcing, and the need for authentic connections within the design industry. The conversation covers the intricacies of running a business while balancing personal life and parenthood. Ronniesha also gives insights into her passion for curating a supportive professional community and talks about the value of day-blocking for productivity. The episode concludes with Ronniesha's words of wisdom for entrepreneurs: keep going and see your vision through, emphasizing persistence and dedication.Ronniesha Rivera is the founder and CEO of Vetted By Design, a centralized platform she created to help interior designers easily connect with vetted industry professionals. She also owns and operates Alder and Stone, a full-service interior design studio specializing in mountain homes for active families, a passion influenced by her upbringing in Washington's Pacific Northwest surrounded by natural beauty. Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions01:17 Meet Our Guest: Ronniesha Rivera02:34 Ronniesha's Journey: From Interior Design to Vetted by Design03:56 The Challenges of Running Multiple Businesses06:13 The Birth of Vetted by Design10:42 The Importance of Community and Trust15:31 Navigating Business and Personal Life19:08 The Struggles and Rewards of Entrepreneurship23:54 The Unique Value of Vetted by Design26:19 Embracing Fluidity in Business and Life27:38 Finding Community and Fulfillment28:52 Understanding the Vetted Platform30:53 Balancing Multiple Ventures33:33 The Importance of Outsourcing39:54 Technical vs. Creative Aspects of Design44:35 Words of Wisdom and Final Thoughts

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' the hosts dive into their daily business experiences while navigating personal and professional challenges. They discuss holiday gifting, sharing ideas and plans for client gifts, family traditions, and the stress of finding thoughtful presents. The conversation then shifts to the importance of delegation in business operations. Ellen and Kat explore their own struggles and strategies for effectively delegating tasks to assistants and team members to help scale their businesses. With insights on hiring practices, financial considerations, and the value of networking for finding reliable help, this episode is a frank and relatable discussion for small business owners.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! Kat is the Owner + Operator of  Kat&Co and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!Ellen is the Owner of Ellen Hockley Consulting and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Ellen and Kat welcome Meg Davis, the founder of Explorable Places. They discuss their journeys in entrepreneurship, managing business operations, and the importance of adaptability. Meg shares her experiences of starting a SaaS business that helps teachers book educational field trips, her approach to scaling, and how she balances client relationships. The episode highlights the challenges and rewards of running a small business, mental health in entrepreneurship, and the significance of customer service skills. Tune in for an insightful conversation on making good ideas and bad decisions work in the world of business.Meg Davis is a community leader and entrepreneur who founded Explorable Places in 2015 after years of teaching. She identified a gap in how field trip venues like museums and libraries connect with schools and community organizations. Her platform streamlines the planning process and helps teachers find engaging field-based and virtual learning opportunities that align with their curriculum. She co-founded SAGE with Ellen Hockley. Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions01:06 Meet Our Special Guest: Meg Davis02:35 Explorable Places: The Journey Begins04:38 Challenges and Growth in Entrepreneurship10:37 Balancing Life and Business20:05 Teaching Kids About Money and Responsibility24:26 Future Plans and Aspirations25:34 Pandemic Challenges and Adaptations27:01 Sales Strategies and Overcoming Rejection28:27 Client Relationships and Business Growth33:21 Understanding Client Needs39:31 Personal Stories and Business Insights45:19 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

In this "Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat", Ellen and Kat share updates on their holiday experiences and discuss their plans for the new year. They talk about their busy holiday schedules, the challenges of dealing with illness, and the freezing winter weather. The hosts delve into their business goals, including better delegation, sustainable growth, and achieving balance. They also touch on the importance of mindfulness and being present in different aspects of life. Tune in to hear their exciting plans for the year and learn from their candid reflections and insights.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen welcome Renee Lynn Frojo, owner of a storytelling brand and marketing consultancy firm, A Good Reputation. The discussion revolves around the challenges and chaotic beauty of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in branding. Renee shares her journey from journalism to marketing, illustrating how storytelling can connect people and build authentic brands. The conversation covers the evolution of business models, the significance of community and retreats, and practical advice for navigating business uncertainties. Insights include the necessity of telling difficult stories, the process of branding, and the value of persistence and experimentation in finding the right business approach.Renee Lynn Frojo is a storytelling strategist with over 20 years of experience in journalism, marketing, and the creator economy. Over the course of her career, she profiled San Francisco's startups, small businesses, and influential leaders while building her own food blog and motherhood magazine. Now, Renee runs A Good Reputation, helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs craft narratives that build loyal communities who don't just want what they offer, but love what they stand for.Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions00:43 Post-Thanksgiving Catch-Up01:37 Introducing Renee Lynn Frojo03:11 The Power of Storytelling in Branding07:16 From Journalism to Branding12:40 The Journey of Building a Brand16:17 Challenges and Strategies in Business23:49 The Importance of Processes and Systems24:46 Investing in a Business Coach25:14 The Role of a Psychic in Business Decisions26:15 Giving Permission and Building Confidence27:52 The Power of Storytelling in Business31:23 Personal Stories and Business Identity33:10 The Impact of Retreats and Community Building41:28 Customizing Business Goals and Success42:48 Final Thoughts and Parting Wisdom

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Ellen and Kat discuss the daily challenges of business and home life. Ellen shares a story about a kitchen repair that disrupted meal prep, while Kat deals with a laundry mishap. Ellen then recounts a nightmare Airbnb guest experience over Thanksgiving that involved broken toilets and aggressive demands. They wrap up with a business Q&A on whether proposals should be aesthetically pleasing or straightforward. Tune in for a blend of personal anecdotes and valuable business insights.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the complexities of entrepreneurship and mental health with guest Rikki Goldenberg, an executive leadership and career coach. They discuss the fluid dynamics of small business ownership, the unexpected pivot points that can occur, and how Rikki transitioned into coaching. The conversation covers the essential role of continuous learning, the mix of personal development with professional growth, and the importance of having a supportive network. They also chat about the emotional weight of career changes, the importance of aligning your current self with future goals, and practical advice for integrating personal well-being into daily life. Perfect for anyone balancing the chaos of entrepreneurship while striving for a better work-life balance.Rikki Goldenberg is an ICF-certified executive leadership and career coach specializing in senior professionals navigating career ambition and life changes. She specializes in working with professionals in their 30s and 40s reimagining their relationship with work. Rikki was previously a designer, project manager, design strategist/researcher, and marketing director. Book your Discovery Chat to get started! Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions01:56 Meet Our Guest: Rikki Goldenberg03:14 Rikki's Journey to Coaching09:01 The Coaching Certification Process17:01 Working with Clients: Rikki's Approach21:41 The Importance of Continuous Learning26:35 Balancing Career and Personal Life27:28 Embracing the Generalist Approach27:45 Focusing on Selective Opportunities28:10 The Challenges of Sleep Deprivation28:36 Corporate Coaching and Career Paths29:30 Onboarding and Discovery Calls32:14 Transparency in Pricing34:33 The Emotional Weight of Professional Development40:09 Virtual Coaching and Client Demographics41:08 Reflecting on Business and Retirement49:40 Parting Words of Wisdom52:28 How to Connect with Rikki Goldenberg53:14 Closing Remarks

In this episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts share post-Halloween antics ranging from adorable firefighter tots to spooky hideouts from candy-seeking kids. The conversation then shifts to the 'great email signature debate,' as both hosts discuss the elements they believe make up the perfect professional sign-off, including logos, titles, and those ever-important boundary-setting decisions. A must-listen for anyone balancing business with a bit of fun in between!Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of Good Ideas + Bad Decisions, hosts Ellen and Kat dive into the journey of Brian Lofrumento, the host of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast. Brian shares his inspiring entrepreneurial story, from starting a soccer blog in college that grew rapidly to managing a successful marketing agency and ultimately transitioning to podcasting. They discuss the challenges of running a podcast, the importance of identity and authenticity in entrepreneurship, and how unplanned, organic experiences often lead to the most rewarding outcomes. Additionally, Brian offers insights on handling criticism, managing burnout, and the importance of community building for sustained success. Tune in for an uplifting conversation filled with practical advice and personal anecdotes that resonate with all aspiring entrepreneurs.Brian Lofrumento is the host of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Podcast, one of the top business podcasts in the world. With over 750 episodes and counting at the beginning of 2024, Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur has been inspiring and helping entrepreneurs in over 150 countries, and in addition to being ranked as one of the top 200 business and marketing shows in top charts around the world, the show is ranked as a top 1.5% podcast globally.Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions01:07 Introducing Brian  Lofrumento02:49 Brian's Journey: From Soccer Blog to Business Success07:36 The Evolution of Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur11:46 Navigating Burnout and Delegation18:36 Embracing the Identity of a Podcaster24:42 Identifying as a Runner25:03 Navigating Labels and Identity26:05 The Journey of Building a Business26:58 Starting a Podcast: Overcoming Doubts29:19 The Importance of Being in the Arena32:56 Creating a Community of Entrepreneurs36:01 Embracing Uncertainty and Manifestation37:19 The Power of Consistency and Best Efforts40:45 The Unexpected Path to Success44:35 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

In this episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts discuss their weekend activities, including headshot sessions and family photo shoots. They also dive into the topic of networking and community building, sharing their own experiences and tips for finding and creating supportive business communities. Kat plans to explore local small-town networking opportunities, while Ellen highlights the importance of intentional networking and community cultivation. The episode concludes with practical advice for listeners on finding the right types of networking groups to support their professional and personal growth.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions', co-hosts Ellen and Kat explore the messy middle of running a business with financial consultant Melissa Mittelstaedt. Melissa discusses the importance of getting 'comfy' with money, shedding light on scarcity vs. abundance mindsets, and the often complex relationship between personal and business finances. They dive into practical advice for solopreneurs, including the significance of paying yourself, shifting your money mindset, and understanding the value of the transformations you offer. Melissa also shares her journey from sign language interpreter to financial coach and offers insights into her various programs designed to empower business owners financially. Tune in for a candid, supportive conversation about making your passion profitable and finding financial peace.Melissa Mittelstaedt is a Financial Consultant who helps conscious solopreneurs take ownership of money so they can stop winging it and start creating financial stability in business & life. She loves working with business owners to help them understand that "their financial past doesn't shape their financial future" in a very judgment-free kinda vibe!Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions01:06 Meet Our Special Guest: Melissa Mittelstaedt01:54 Diving into Financial Consulting02:46 Navigating Financial Relationships05:18 Understanding Scarcity and Abundance Mindsets09:39 Generational Money Mindsets15:07 Early Financial Lessons and Family Dynamics20:57 Melissa's Journey to Financial Consulting24:10 The Great Pivot: Finding New Opportunities24:52 Embracing Money and Passion Together25:58 Challenging the Starving Artist Mentality28:40 Mindset Shifts Towards Financial Abundance30:02 Balancing Business and Personal Finances32:07 The Importance of Paying Yourself34:18 Understanding Your Business's Financial Needs41:38 Melissa's Financial Consulting Services45:30 Final Thoughts and Advice

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' the hosts start with a light-hearted conversation about the gloomy weather and nostalgic memories of school mornings. They humorously discuss spooky Halloween decorations and the quirks of self-driving cars. The core topic of the episode is a thoughtful discussion on business transitions, focusing on how to determine if your business is still serving you and at what point you might consider selling, pivoting, or closing it. They share personal anecdotes and practical advice, emphasizing that choosing to transition is never a failure, but rather a learning opportunity.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

Hey there, and welcome back to another episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions'! This week, co-hosts Ellen and Kat dive into the messy middle of entrepreneurship with special guest Amanda Kern, founder of Emerald Creative Content, a boutique digital marketing agency specializing in SEO. Amanda shares the nuances of starting and scaling her business, the importance of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), and the challenges of transitioning from a solopreneur to leading a team. She gives valuable insights on leveraging AI for digital marketing, the art of scripting and manifestation in business life, and the critical need for creatives to write more on their websites. Tune in for an episode filled with practical advice, inspiring stories, and a fresh perspective on digital marketing and business growth!Amanda Kern is the Founder & CEO of Emerald Creative Content - her team of talented creatives work with business owners and marketing agencies to build powerful websites, stunning social media content, and high-performance SEO strategies through content worth sharing. Book a Strategy Call with her to get started! Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas, Bad Decisions 00:51 Introducing Our Guest: Amanda Kern 02:12 SEO and GEO: The Future of Digital Marketing 05:29 The Importance of Text-Based Content 11:57 Scaling a Business: Amanda's Journey 15:11 The Challenges and Rewards of Growing a Team 20:17 Balancing Creativity and Organization 23:24 Bringing on a Full-Time Employee 24:21 Challenges of Event Planning During COVID-19 25:25 Transitioning from Solopreneur to CEO 26:23 The Importance of Team Collaboration 28:12 Finding Joy in Business Roles 30:43 Manifesting Your Ideal Business 36:45 From Teaching to Business Ownership 43:10 The Power of Writing for Your Business 44:24 Conclusion and Parting Advice

In this episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts discuss their weekends, the never-ending tasks of entrepreneurship, and the unique challenges faced by business owners. They touch on the differences between the work-life balance of entrepreneurs and nine-to-five employees. The episode wraps up with discussions on year-end reviews, business goals, refreshing services, and the importance of setting boundaries. The hosts provide insights into their personal and professional lives, offering a candid look into the daily grind of running a business.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions,' your hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the unpredictable journey of business ownership, mental health, and the messy middle of entrepreneurship. They welcome Jessica Murray, founder of Empower, who specializes in helping emerging business owners streamline operations and remove bottlenecks. Jessica shares insights into her work with startups, discussing her transition from Wall Street to tech startups and the challenges of being an operations expert. There’s candid talk about navigating client relationships, the importance of trusting your intuition, and practical tips for managing time and resources effectively. All this, sprinkled with dog stories, closet analogies, and the eternal struggle of finding the right project management tools. Grab your coffee or cocktail, sit back, and let’s figure out this business thing together!Jessica Murray is the Founder of Empower, which partners with small business owners and early-stage startup founders to streamline operations and boost efficiency. Her work concentrates on the delicate balance that founders and owners must find between driving revenue growth and building an operationally sound, profitable business by concentrating on sustainable growth through people, processes and a customer-centric mindset. Fill out the contact form on her website to get started!Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions00:43 Weekly Catch-Up01:22 Introducing Jessica Murray of Empower02:35 Diving into Operations05:51 The Value of an Outside Perspective07:25 Challenges in Business Operations07:56 The Closet Analogy16:04 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship25:21 Balancing Expectations and Communication26:30 Navigating Scope Creep and Transparency28:55 Building Trust and Relationships32:58 Time Tracking and Retainer Management35:11 Choosing the Right Tools for Your Business40:07 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

In this episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' hosts Ellen and Kat delve into the delightful mix of personal anecdotes and business musings. The chat kicks off with Ellen sharing her enchanting custom necklace story, crafted by a long-time friend and jeweler in Jersey City. Kat and Ellen then trade tales of their weekend escapades: Ellen’s family mountain trip and farmer's market outing, and Kat's busy work weekend culminating in a spontaneous visit to a local winery garden. The conversation takes a thoughtful turn as they tackle the important question: 'At what point do you consider your business a business?' With personal experiences and practical advice, they highlight the value of recognizing and celebrating your entrepreneurial journey. Don't miss out on this engaging blend of humor, warmth, and insightful business wisdom!Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas, Bad Decisions,' hosts Ellen and Kat are joined by special guest Ari Rodriguez, co-founder of Seekr Wellness. We dive into the complexities of running a business, mental health, and the importance of community. Ari shares her journey from being a dietician to co-founding Seekr Wellness, a tech business aimed at supporting professional women through life transitions. The discussion includes the significance of questioning one's path, the stages of transition, and the critical role of community in navigating life's changes. Ari also provides insights into her co-founding experience and the deliberate, sustainable growth strategy for Seekr Wellness. Give it a listen for your reminder to engage in rituals over routines and to listen to your body! Ari Rodriguez is the co-founder of  Seekr Wellness and is an award-winning entrepreneur in Women’s Mental Health Innovation. She is dedicated to guiding women through lifes transitions to reclaim their truth, worth, and fulfillment, beyond their body or titles. As a Mental Health Registered Dietitian, Ariana holds a Master of Science in Nutrition from McGill University and a Master of Arts in Psychology in Education from Columbia University’s Spirit Mind Body Institute, where she specialized in Depth and Jungian Psychology.‍Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas, Bad Decisions 01:13 Meet Our Guest: Ari Rodriguez 02:03 Ari's Journey: From Dietician to Wellness Entrepreneur 03:46 Navigating Life Transitions and Self-Worth 05:03 Supporting High Achieving Women 05:36 The Great Resignation and Existential Crises 07:14 The Importance of Flexible Rituals 09:22 Generational Differences in Career and Life Choices 15:37 The Power of Community and Identity Shifts 26:42 The Importance of Community Support 28:04 Navigating Life Transitions 30:11 Building and Maintaining Community 35:55 Creating Supportive Spaces 39:18 Introducing Seekr Wellness 39:47 Seekr Wellness Programs and App 43:52 Co-Founding and Business Insights 50:41 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

Welcome to Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat, a lively discussion where the hosts share the ups and downs of their weekends. Ellen talks about her surprise picnic in Central Park, complete with a delightful catered meal and unexpected roadblocks in the form of Global Citizen Fest. Kat shares about her serene Sunday filled with reading and peaceful ambient sounds. Then, they dive into the business question of the week: ideas for personalized client holiday gifts. Expect plenty of laughter, a dose of reality, and some useful tips sprinkled in along the way. Tune in and join the conversation!Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

Hey there, and welcome back to another episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions'! This week, Kat and Ellen dive into the messy middle of entrepreneurship with special guest Lindsay Ruiz, founder of Human as Usual. Join us as Lindsay discusses the chaos of scaling a business, the importance of maintaining human-centric values, and how she’s translating her 20-year career in organizational transformation into a groundbreaking new venture. From battling founder fears to envisioning a company that stands the test of time, Lindsay offers valuable insights and relatable anecdotes that any entrepreneur can benefit from. Plus, get a sneak peek into Lindsay’s upcoming book, which promises to be a must-read for anyone navigating the ups and downs of starting a business. Grab your favorite beverage and tune in for an episode that's as enlightening as it is entertaining!Dr. Lindsay Ruiz is the Founder of Human as Usual, a firm that works with founders, VCs, and investors looking to scale up with integrity, humanity, and leave a significant impression on the world. She is passionate about partnering with hyper-growth companies that are determined to break the cycle of failure and risk associated with premature or reactive scaling.Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions00:55 Introducing Our Special Guest: Lindsay Ruiz02:40 Lindsay's Journey and Human as Usual04:37 Scaling and Transformation Insights08:15 Challenges and Philosophies in Business Growth16:33 Defining and Operationalizing Company Values26:22 Designing Adaptive Challenges29:03 Navigating Founder Resistance34:27 The Emotional Journey of Founders37:31 Writing a Book on Founding46:42 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

In this mini-episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts discuss the daily challenges of their businesses, sleep woes, parenting, and pet care issues. Then, they dive into the main topic: knowing when to outsource or ask for help in your business. Ellen and Kat talk about the emotional, financial, and logistical aspects of hiring help, whether it's an accountant, marketing assistant, or project contractor. With personal anecdotes and candid insights, this episode offers relatable content for fellow business owners struggling to balance it all.Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

Welcome back to another episode of 'Good Ideas, Bad Decisions.' This episode is hosted solely by Kat, as Ellen takes a break for some family time. Kat is joined by Morgan Montgomery-Rice, the founder of Bloom Bridge Advisors, who shares her journey through the HR and startup space. They discuss the messy middle of running a business, entrepreneurship, mental health, and the patterns that hold us back. Morgan talks about her experiences in HR, the importance of community, and how personal and professional challenges have shaped her journey. Tune in for an enlightening conversation filled with insights and humor!Morgan is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bloom Bridge Advisors⁠ a Fractional HR & Recruiting Partner for Ecommerce Start-Ups. She believes a business is only as remarkable as its people. Her mission is to help growing organizations unlock the full potential of their team by providing expert, personalized HR solutions that drive business results and create workplaces where employees are engaged, valued, and empowered to thrive. ⁠Book a free consultation⁠ to get started. Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:37 Kat Hosts Solo with Morgan01:49 Morgan's Background and Journey04:37 Weekend Recap and Personal Stories09:46 Starting Bloom Bridge Advisors12:42 Entrepreneurial Challenges and Mindset24:22 Diversifying Your Work and Networking25:22 The Importance of Community27:13 Values and Work in Fractional HR27:46 Challenges and Rewards in HR34:03 Falling into HR and Loving Puzzles39:55 The Gray Area in Business Advice44:04 Parting Words of Wisdom

In this mini episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts chat about Kat's new office space and the minor anxieties of setting up a new home. Ellen talks about the challenges of cleaning air conditioning ducts and the state of their home appliances. They delve into the ongoing process of moving, unpacking art, and the realities of suburban life with multiple refrigerators. Our business question this week delves into the complexities of small business accounting and tax prep. Tune in for relatable stories, practical advice, and a few laughs along the way!Don't forget to submit your business questions for future episodes!⁠⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. ⁠⁠Join her newsletter The kat&co Download!⁠⁠Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 

In this episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen are joined by Angie Enger, a sex and self-intimacy coach who shares her unique journey to becoming a coach and the importance of reclaiming pleasure in one's life. Angie dives deep into topics of responsive desire, the significance of individual self-intimacy, and practical tips for couples struggling with connection. Kat and Ellen also discuss the lack of cyclical care for women, the power of small pleasures, and creating intentional moments of connection. This insightful conversation is packed with valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to improve their intimate relationships and overall well-being.Angie Enger is a Sex and Self Intimacy Coach⁠ - She helps women who spend all their time caring for others reconnect with their own pleasure by creating an environment to finally focus on their needs, instead of everyone else’s. Start your work with Angie by completing the form on her website, finding her on  IG or connecting on TikTok.  Join the waitlist for "Welcoming Pleasure" here: http://bit.ly/4mQBdwA The books mentioned in this episode are: Come As You Are (Amazon) (Bookshop.org)Come Together (Amazon) (Bookshop.org)Vagina (Amazon) (Bookshop.org)Kat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes. Join The kat&co Download! Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth.00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions 01:14 Meet Our Guest: Angie, the Sex and Intimacy Coach 02:27 Angie's Journey: From Counseling to Coaching 04:37 Starting a Business and Overcoming Challenges 06:35 The Importance of Self-Intimacy 13:17 Navigating Relationships and Communication 24:21 Angie's Coaching Process and Client Engagement 28:36 Introduction to the Pleasure List 28:56 Simple Pleasures in Everyday Life 29:58 Creating Playful and Romantic Moments 31:14 Yearly Themes and Romanticizing Life 32:40 Connection and Building Relationships 33:26 Upcoming Workshops and Certifications 35:48 Understanding Types of Desire 36:06 Tips for Couples with Responsive Desire 38:10 The Importance of Willingness and Foreplay 39:46 Sexual Values and Connection 43:08 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

In this episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat,' the hosts dive into the relatable chaos and quirks of everyday life. Ellen shares the morning mishap of forgetting her kid's sleep mat for camp, while Kat recounts the hectic packing process for an upcoming move. They then segue into travel plans, with Ellen detailing an upcoming massive family trip and Kat preparing for a Midwest adventure. The hosts also tackle an important question about how new small businesses can engage their local communities, offering practical tips such as networking, joining the Chamber of Commerce, and leveraging co-working spaces.Submit your business questions at the link below for us to tackle on a future episode!⁠⁠⁠Business Question Link⁠

In this episode of 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen welcome Tracy Candido, owner of Wavemaker Coaching and the newly launched podcast 'Hidden Parts.' Together, they highlight the unique struggles and strengths of creative minds and how executive and transformational coaching can help these individuals unlock their full potential. Tracy shares her powerful method of parts work, an approach that addresses the inner voices and mental chatter holding us back. Brimming with warmth, humor, and insightful anecdotes, this conversation is a must-listen for those looking to embrace their creativity and rewire their minds for success. Tune in to hear about Tracy's journey, the importance of emotional intelligence, and practical tips on accepting and fostering creativity.Tracy is the Owner of Wavemaker Coaching - She helps her clients - builders, innovators and creative leaders - craft sustainable careers and lives by aligning their work with their values, embracing their inner wisdom, and taking intentional steps toward what truly matters. She is also the host of the 'Hidden Parts,' a podcast about your mental chatter: the inner voices that shape how you live, work and lead. The books mentioned in this episode are: No Bad Parts by Richard C. SchwartzWired to Create by Scott Barry Kaufman, Carolyn GregoireKat is the Owner + Operator of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kat&co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and brings a unique perspective with her psychology background and experience in creative business operations, making her adept at discussing the intersection of creativity and structured processes.Ellen is the Owner of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellen Hockley Consulting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and offers valuable insights from her extensive experience in building successful small businesses and empowering female entrepreneurs, providing practical advice on business strategy and growth. 00:00 Welcome to Good Ideas and Bad Decisions01:12 Meet Our Guest: Tracy Candido02:29 The Creative Mindset06:13 Embracing Creativity in Children21:14 Overcoming the Fear of Failure30:42 Building New Neural Pathways31:20 Personal Experience with EMDR31:58 The Importance of Self-Compassion32:35 Using Reminders for Positive Change33:31 Client Engagement and Coaching Journey34:02 Transition to Transformational Coaching34:59 Developing a Coaching Business43:16 Creating the Hidden Parts Podcast52:22 Final Thoughts and Words of Wisdom

Welcome to another delightful mini episode of 'Coffee Chats with Ellen and Kat', part of their 'Good Ideas and Bad Decisions' podcast! In this lively session, Ellen and Kat dive into their personal daily rituals and business ins-and-outs. They share laughter over quirky breakfast habits, cute kid anecdotes, and the ubiquitous challenge of task management. Tune in to hear Ellen rave about her high-protein breakfast bowl obsession, Kat's nostalgic memories, and both of their takes on setting healthy boundaries in client work. They also tackle a listener's question about their preferred project management tools, discussing their experiences with software like Notion, Trello, Asana, and others, and emphasize the importance of finding what works best for individual business needs. It's a fun, insightful chat sprinkled with personal stories, laughter, and practical advice.Submit your business questions at the link below for us to tackle on a future episode!⁠⁠Business Question Link