Maestro on the Mic

Everyone is always trying to sell you something. I get it, and I’m not always opposed to it—I sell things all the time—but sometimes I absolutely hate it. There’s no such thing as an “objectively” right or wrong way to do anything, and if someone is telling you so, all they care about is getting […]

If you’re lucky enough to stick with your business for a long time, inevitably you’re going to feel bored. My bestie, Jill, always says that your business isn’t here to entertain you, and she’s right. Your enjoyment of the things in your life will ebb and flow, so why would it be any different for […]

No matter what kind of business you run, you need to be posting content. Content allows consumers to learn, relate, connect, and ultimately build trust with either you and your personal brand, or your business as an entity that has the solution they need. Content is how we stand out in a sea of AI […]

I hate being asked whether or not something is “worth it” because not only is worth subjective, but it’s situation dependent. What’s “worth it” for you may not be for me, or what’s “worth it” if you’re in pain might not be if you’re just trying to gain muscle, and on and on it goes. […]

Somehow we’re back from our second trip to Gstaad, Switzerland to watch a volleyball tournament and each time has been incredible. I’m always looking at my life for things that could make great content, and lo and behold, this trip taught me a few things I wanted to share with you. Let’s chat. Welcome to […]

If you’re running a business of any kind—whether it’s in-person or online, or whether it’s just you or an entire team—you need a website. Pointing customers for social media when they’re looking for business information is not a great solution, and besides, nothing will help you get clear on how to structure your ideas faster. […]

Working on vacation doesn’t always mean that your job is ruining your life. The thing about entrepreneurship is that there’s always *something* you can be doing, and as long as you’re not miserable, I see no reason why you couldn’t bring some work with you. Personally, I’m trying to build the kind of life I […]

There’s something to be said about the nostalgia we have for the past versions of ourselves. I would never in a million years do any of the same shit I was doing in my younger years ever again, but the fact that I did all that before feels like evidence of all the things that […]

Life is hard enough for so many of us, so if you have any joy to spare, share it. There’s a quote I love, and you’ve probably seen me say it before, that says, “when you have more than you need, build a longer table not a higher fence.” It’s foundational to everything I aim […]

Sometimes your ideal clients starts to feel less than ideal. Running a personal brand often means that when you grow as a human being, you outgrow the avatar you used to serve. Not everyone will feel the itch to move on, but for those of us that have felt it, what options are there? Y’all […]

Webinars aren’t dead. Nothing ever truly dies in the online space and more often than not, things come around again many times after they’ve already fallen out of favor. Right now, people want connection. The second best thing to seeing you in person is seeing YOU—your voice, your mannerisms, your quirks—without the confines of an […]

Bigger isn’t always better and sometimes brevity packs a punch. If you want to keep things simple, check this episode out. Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podcast that helps online business owners find their passion, deepen their impact, and build a life that they love. I'm your host, Dr. Shanté Cofield, […]

The internet is dead and we all know it. For the past decade, theories have been made that an increase in algorithms deciding the internet is run has lead to bots running rampant, and I whole heartedly believe those theories.  Of course there are still real people using social media, it’s just a lot less […]

It’s true that many people out there need some urgency and scarcity in order to buy from you, but that doesn’t mean you need to lie whenever you’re selling. Manufacturing false scarcity in order to make more money is the same kind of shit that the greedy fucks who make their money through exploitation do, […]

There are times for doing less, but I’d like to make a case that there are also times for doing more. I don’t know your life, so you’ll have to decide if it’s true for yourself and your life, but sometimes more to do means more structure, which is… well, more better. You don’t always […]

In your business, in your activism, and in your life, you can’t do it all. As a business coach, I’m always telling people to niche down and to focus on one thing at a time, and I know how impossible that feels. When you do a lot of things and you care about a lot […]

The world doesn’t need another Joe Rogan. But that doesn’t mean podcasts are dead, and it doesn’t mean what you have to say is unimportant, either. There are plenty of podcasts out there, but only a small portion of those are actually GOOD, and an even smaller portion of those ever make it past 100 […]

You might have heard of the military or the prison industrial complexes, but they aren’t the only of their kind. I used to think an industrial complex was just a fancy way of saying a large or pervasive system, but what it really is is a self-justifying, self-reinforcing system. These systems purposely create problems just […]

I see a lot of people thinking that starting a Substack is somehow the secret to finding new clients and making good money in your online business, but y’all should know by now that it’s never that easy. Yes, there are people making good money with that platform, but they typically already have an audience […]

Do I really even need to answer the question this title is asking? If you know me at all, you know I’m a big believer in the idea that our businesses are opportunities for us to build a better world—one where our choices are dictated by our values and not by the whims of someone […]

There’s this idea out there that a good subject line is the difference between getting your email opened and getting your email deleted, but is that true? I could have titled this episode something like, “How to write better email subject lines” but that would be making the assumption that subject lines are all that […]

Looking around at the general state of the world might have you wondering if it’s still possible to be successful in your online business. Sure, political and economic uncertainty might have people clutching their wallets a little tighter, but there will always be a market for people looking to buy solutions. I can’t guarantee how […]

When your life, or your business, or the world is falling apart, panic is a common reaction. But panic doesn’t get anyone anywhere, and it certainly doesn’t fix the problem. Even when things are falling apart, we always have a say and there is always something we can do. You can’t save the world, but […]

Outsourcing has it’s place in business and life, but outsourcing everything can be a slippery slope. There’s a massive difference between outsourcing your food vs. outsourcing your taxes vs. outsourcing your thinking. Us human beings work better in teams, but before you go outsourcing every uncomfortable or inconvenient task in your life, maybe stop and […]

We’ve got big changes to make in this world, but to actually make change does not include getting our mobs together and pitchforks out for anyone who dares to be imperfect. Everyone is on their own timeline when it comes to opening their eyes to the shit going on around us. Hating on or judging […]

I don’t know how you’re feeling about the state of things right now, but if you’re thinking, “Fuuuuck, this shit is so annoying and inconvenient, I just want to live my life!” … Me too. We’ve been so heavily trained to outsource almost every little thing in our lives, and now we’re being asked to […]

One thing I love about having my own business is the opportunities I get to connect with some really intelligent, incredibly thoughtful, and all around bad-ass people. In the first (and possibly only!) long episode this year, I’m sharing the light and wisdom of Dr. Jennifer Hutton—aka, Dr. Jpop. What you may or may not […]

Yes, I’m still talking about politics because I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everything in our lives is impacted by politics and it kinda feels like the world is burning down around us. But therein lies the opportunity—just because the government is crashing and burning, doesn’t mean we, the people are. The current system […]

This shit just keeps getting crazier every day, and I don’t need to be any more specific, and you’ll already know what I’m talking about. Sometimes I get asked whether or not you should be sharing about politics on social media, and I understand why some people might be hesitant to do so. While there’s […]

January lasted approximately eleventy-billion years, and it got me thinking. All of this (imagine me gesturing wildly to our lives and the state of the world right now) is a marathon, not a sprint. Life isn’t magically going to get better for us, so if we want to keep going—and we need to!—then it’s more […]

For so many, it would be a dream come true to just be paid to create something that we love. We’ve got to make money to live in this world, so if we want to make money from creating, then we have to professionalize what we do—and not in the boring, traditional, stick-up-your-ass way, but […]

Social media has connected us to more people and more information than we’ve ever had, which means that every day, there’s some new tragedy that we all find out about and it tears people apart. We were never built to be worrying about everything in the world, every moment of the day, but so many […]

There’s this pervasive idea that as you get older, you’ll have no more fucks left to give, but I’ve never had many to begin with. Our time on this earth is already so limited, why wait to give less fucks? Why give any in the first place? Why wait to be happy? You can give […]

It’s a new year—is it time for a new you? There’s never any shortage of advice given during the month of January, but before you run and implement everything that everyone tells you to do, there are a few questions I think you should ask to get a little more discerning on what kind of […]

Friends, we made it. It’s the final podcast episode of 2024 and it’s been a great year. I’m proud to have built a life I love, and if you’re listening, you’re a part of that. Here’s to a brand new year filled with more of the same! Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, […]

At the end of the year, we have a tendency to look forward to the new year or reflect on the previous year, and it’s not a bad thing. There’s always something to be learned in reflection and in goal setting, but there’s tremendous value in being present. How can you expect to change the […]

For the past 5 years, I’ve been choosing a word to focus on that guides me through the calendar year. I’m not one for strict goal setting, but I love having an action-oriented word that I can use to direct my decisions and ensure that I’m always moving in the direction I want to be […]

We’ve made it to the end of 2024, which makes now the perfect time to plan for 2025. I like to plan out the big parts of the year first (which I spoke about on Monday’s episode) and then I get in to planning how I want my weeks to look. I’m a big fan […]

2025 is around the corner, have you planned for it yet? At the end of the year I like to spend time to prepare for what’s next, and the thing I find most helpful when you’re thinking about the future is to look back at the past. Reflecting on 2024 can help you create a […]

The last time I released this episode, we were in the thick of summer. Now, the days are short and cold, and while you know I hate the cold, it’s a great reminder to lean in to the seasons of the year—and our lives. Winter is a time to hunker down, stay warm, and reflect […]

You don’t need my permission, but I’ll give it to you anyways: you’re allowed to run your business however the hell you want. There are so many snake-oil salesmen out there telling you the “right” way to run your business, but the real “right” way is just doing what you like doing, in a way […]

Happiness is both a practice and a choice. Once upon a time I was asked what I do to avoid bad days and ultimately, it boils down to the fact that I make choices that allow for myself to see and experience the things that bring joy as much as possible. If something goes wrong […]

If you know, you know: Jeep drivers wave at other Jeep drivers. It’s something I’ve always loved about owning a Jeep and years ago, I made the decision to always wave first, and that’s where the bigger life lesson lies. Will you be the first to wave—metaphorically, or otherwise—or are you waiting for someone else […]

Dr. Ayonna Procter is many things, but one thing she is NOT is afraid. Yonnie has been a traveling PT, personal PT to 2 Chainz, a game-show competitor, a social media master, and general life-enthusiast. She lives every day channeling what she calls #YonnieStyle— expressing herself creatively and completely with the unique perspective only Yonnie […]

It’s been a few weeks since the US general election and I wanted to take an episode to organize and share my thoughts about everything going on. The outcome of the election, though unsurprising, was disheartening. I don’t except any politician to come save me, but when the side built on hate and ignorance wins, […]

On Monday I shared what I do when I run out of ideas for content, so I thought I could share my creation process when I actually have content I want to make. You never know when inspiration will strike, so I’m always jotting down notes with future ideas and the platforms I want to […]

When it comes to creating content, usually momentum beats motivation every single time. The more times you post, the easier it gets to keep posting, and ideas often lead to even more ideas… but sometimes life gets to life-ing, and you run out of ideas on what to post next. If that’s you, or it’s […]

Feeling guilty about your success happens to all of us. I LOVE my life, but sometimes I feel so guilty that I get to live the way I do while others can’t. But stopping myself from having these good things doesn’t help anyone, doesn’t bring anyone closer to their own goals. Far MOAR good comes […]

Who is your biggest fan? If it’s not yourself, maybe it needs to be. Of course we need others, but when the going gets tough, knowing that you can always count on yourself is what will keep you going. Commit to your own values and your own happiness, so you can show up as your […]

Sometimes the barrier to more success is having *some* success. It’s a champagne problem, but a problem nonetheless—what do you do when you’re so booked and busy that you don’t have any time left to get ahead? Running a business doesn’t have to be chaotic. There are ways to maximize your time and reorganize your […]