This Vermontrepreneurial Life

Patty Tashiro is an author of a book on happiness, and certified in brain health coaching and Pain Reprocessing Therapy. Using her Brain-Mind-Body approach, Patty helps people optimize their brain and minimize their pain.Through her holistic methods, grounded in neuroscience and infused with good-old-fashioned fun, she empowers clients to strengthen their minds, renew their bodies, and enhance overall well-being. Patty offers transformative group coaching programs that focus on improving brain health—such as enhancing focus and reducing brain fog—and addressing chronic pain conditions like migraines and back pain. By blending science-backed strategies with engaging activities, Patty helps participants reclaim their lives and embrace a future filled with purpose and joy.Tune in to hear more about:The role that brain health plays in a business owner’s journeyPatty’s journey to healing and to a business in healingTechniques you can implement right away to improve focus Mindset tips to help with stress, overwhelm and burnoutHow to add in healing practices without adding to an already overwhelming to do listPatty’s take on the unique advantages to business ownership in Vermont And much moreConnect with Patty Tashiro here

Drea is a transplant to Vermont from Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from the BodySoul Massage and Bodywork School in St. Albans, Vermont in 2017. She has partnered with the fantastic team at Cedarwood Natural Health Center in South Burlington where she enjoys working with patients from all walks of life as she supports their chiropractic care with massage and sports therapy. She is certified in Swedish massage, Deep Tissue, Ashiatsu Barefoot massage, Manual Lymph Drainage, Thai Yoga and Soft Tissue Release. She has practiced meditation and energy healing work for over 15 years and is a Master Reiki practitioner. She holds workshops and classes in energy healing, mindfulness meditation, and Thai yoga massage. In 2019 she acquired her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and in 2022 went on to get her 300-hour yoga teacher training with Soma Yoga making her a 500 hour certified instructor. She especially loves teaching Nidra and Restorative yoga, blending massage, aromatherapy, and Reiki into her yoga classes.After contracting Lyme disease, she became passionate about supporting the healing journey of others with the disease and offers support through wellness consultation, manual lymph drainage massage and guided visualization groups.  When she is not working with clients to increase well-being, you can find her playing in her garden, exploring secret waterfalls, dabbling in photography and playing Cajon and singing in her bands in and around the beautiful Green Mountains.Tune in to hear more about:Drea’s journey to healing and to a business in healingTasks you can implement right away to build wellness routinesHow caring for your body and mind are crucial to your business healthIdeas to incorporate meditation, gratitude, and social time into your calendarThe importance of setting wellness goals to stay on trackUnique advantages to business ownership in VermontAnd much moreConnect with Drea: Instagram Facebook LinkedIn WebsiteSelf-massage technique mentioned in the episode:Book mentioned in the episode: Breath by James NestorProductivity app mentioned in the episode: Notion

Claire Wheeler (she/her) is a facilitator of strategy, change, and repair. She is currently working as the Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship with Mercy Connections, designing and delivering small business and self-employment education to a variety of people. Mercy Connections is an educational and social justice organization, founded in 2001 with belief that every person, regardless of life circumstances, deserves dignity, compassion and the opportunity to pursue personal aspirations within a supportive learning community. They help make that happen that through education, tutoring, mentoring, entrepreneurship and radical inclusion.Claire owned and operated RE: WORK LLC, offering strategic design, facilitation, and consulting services for nonprofits and community-based businesses in the Abenaki land called Vermont. Claire is a systems thinker and learner with an insatiable curiosity about how deep mental models impact our experience as human beings and how we can use systems awareness to overcome oppression by designing new systems and ways of working. She holds an MBA in Managing for Sustainability from Marlboro College and a BA in Government from Smith College. Claire resides in Montpelier, Vermont with her partner Petra, cat Xiu Xiu, and enjoys adventuring of all kinds – on mountains, in rivers, into the mind, and through make-believe every Tuesday with her Dungeons & Dragons crew.Tune in to hear more about:What inclusive entrepreneurship means and why it matters to everybodyThe many small business offerings available at Mercy Connections Claire’s extensive business experience and unique lens on what it means to be a “manager” in your businessThe importance of surrounding yourself with peers to cheer you on and give you valuable feedback as you advance your business journeyHow measuring your worth needs to go beyond dollars and revenueUnique advantages to business ownership in Vermont compared to other statesAnd much more!The letterpress mentioned in the episode: https://www.radicalemprints.com/ Mercy Connections website: https://mercyconnections.org/

Sarah Lyman likes to call herself a "marriage alumni" - though some folks use the term "divorcée." She founded PurplCouch to reduce the confusion, loneliness, and stigma around divorce. Applying her extensive background in communications and design, Sarah has filmed experts in law, finance, taxes, and mental health, and woven their advice into online courses that help folks navigate divorce from a place of empathy and strength. She helps people re-frame from "failed marriage" into "fresh start."PurplCouch was selected for the 2023 LaunchVT business accelerator program, and has been featured in SevenDays and the Albany Times Union. Sarah's meandering career path has included nautical archaeology, web and exhibit design, and she holds an M.S. in Food Systems. She loves scuba diving, choral singing, traveling, hiking, and trying new things like watercolor painting and swing dancing. She lives in Vergennes, Vermont.Resources mentioned in the show:www.PurplCouch.com & Instagram @Purpl.CouchSpotify Playlist "Tunes to Go with Your Divorce" - be sure to "like" the playlist :)Vu Le & Nonprofit AFDivorce-related booksVT Small Business Development CenterVT WomenpreneursPurplCouch writeup in Seven DaysMarie Forleo: Marie TV & B-SchoolLaunchVT, a program of the Champlain Valley Chamber of Commerce

BRAHVA was started in a salon chair. Brooke had an appointment with her friend of nearly 10 years and super talented hairstylist, and she was lamenting how she didn't have time to do the back-end tasks her business needed because she was behind the chair 50-60 hours a week. At the time, Brooke was stuck in a 9-5 job that she was overqualified for and severely underpaid at. She realized that if this friend - this talented, brilliant, intelligent friend who owned her own very successful business - was struggling with the administrative tasks she completed day in and day out, surely others were struggling as well. Turns out that was true. Very true. Brooke helps entrepreneurs and solopreneurs with tasks such as email management, forms creation, streamlining business operations, organization and task prioritization, and much more. Brooke has over 15 years of experience in managerial and administrative roles in field such as non profits, medical and health care, education, restaurant and hospitality, athletics, and more. She uses the skills she's amassed throughout her career to help business owners with the sh*t they don't want to or don't have time to do every day. Brooke lives in Middlesex VT with her husband, Daniel, and their two dogs, Khali and Copper. She knits and consumes anything and everything True Crime, Documentary, Thriller or Horror in her spare time, and has a goal to learn how to can and preserve the food she and Daniel are learning to grow on their homestead in the making. Tune in to learn more about:How freeing up space by adding a VA to your team effectively helps businessesHow transparency with your VA team builds a strong bond and helps your bottom lineThe importance of getting everything out of your head and into a system so you can step awayThe unique ways that business owners can thrive in VermontAnd so much more….To learn more visit:InstagramFacebookLinkedInWebsite

Markey Read is an internationally recognized speaker, coach, and consultant, who is committed to helping women get what they want from their lives and businesses. She is the author of several books including Launch, Grow, and Prosper as a Solopreneur, and Leadership Styles. Markey has been supporting enterprising folks getting clarity and moving into more prosperous futures for more than 25 years. Her practical and inspirational approach will help you live the life you truly desire. Tune in to learn more about:How knowing our personality type preferences helps us specialize our services and attract the right clientsHow we can approach marketing, sales, networking, finance, operations and even our work environments using Meyers BriggsMarkey’s insight into why we need to get really clear on who we are and what we offer in order to thrive and prosper, and how this affects our pricingMarkey’s new book that you won’t want to miss as a solopreneur The unique opportunities and challenges of building a business in VermontAnd so much more….To learn more visit the Markey Read Group at mrgrp-us.com.

Isora Lithgow Creations is a BIPOC, Queer, woman-owned wedding and branding photography business passionate about capturing the essence of joy, fun, and vibrancy in every moment. Her mission is to create timeless and authentic photos that capture the unique beauty of her clients and their stories. She aims to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere where her clients feel confident and safe in front of the camera, resulting in photographs that tell stories. Tune in to learn more about:Why professional photography is essential to your businessHow her proven strategy, combined with her talent for making clients feel seen, creates a successful photo shoot Her collaborative method for focusing on the story behind the photo How everything gets easier when you know why you do what you do, who you do it for, where your is business going, and what you need to do to get thereThe inner work required to build confidenceHow business ownership has been a journey of transformation and stepping into her potential and her hope is to do that for her clientsWhen to use iPhone photos and when to hire and when to mixBuild it into your sales/content calendarAnd charge your worth  To learn more or get in touch with Isora Lithgow:https://www.isoralithgowcreations.comInstagram @Isoralithgowcreations

Emily describes her role as the Small Business Advocate for the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) as the bridge between the VT Attorney General’s Office and the Vermont business owner community. She assists with mediating complaints, scam reporting, navigating state government and any other consumer-related issues. She explains how business owners can educate themselves as the number one method of prevention. Emily also reviews protocols for dual authentication that you can put in place to avoid losing money to scam activity. She acknowledges that small businesses are what run Vermont and its economy and wants each of our listeners to know she is here for you. Emily genuinely encourages you to reach out to her for assistance with any problem. For more resources or to contact Emily McDonnell:Website: https://ago.vermont.gov/capBlog: https://blog.uvm.edu/cap/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agcharityclark/Email: [email protected]

Brittany Winfield is the CEO of The Winfield Creative and a social media mentor for women-owned businesses. From her home office in South Burlington, Brittany coaches womenpreneurs how to effectively leverage their online platform, specifically Instagram, using high-level marketing strategies through long-term coaching, short-term consulting, and accessible, virtual classes.Get your device out to follow along this unique Instagram tutorial! Open Instagram and navigate to @thewinfieldcreative as you gain from Brittany’s expertise about:Why Instagram is the platform for the small business community in VT How and when to choose a handle Guidance for your word selectionA cool update to the “link in bio” featureWhy she uses 5 highlights Planning a beautiful feed to share your identity while calling your audience to action A simple photo hackWhat to know about captions and hash tags Why you should pick just ONE of the above strategies to implement at a timeA reminder that social media is about the people you are trying to connect with and other words of wisdom Show notesFollow Brittany on IG @thewinfieldcreativeSubscribe to the newsletter for a 365-day content calendar & planner) at thewinfieldcreative.com/opt-inGo back to school with a brand new syllabus - including FOUR new classes! Learn how to use Canva, build your email list, implement content strategies, and more by signing up at thewinfieldcreative.com/classes

Today’s guest is Kaela Coble, owner of KPC Bookkeeping. Kaela runs a virtual bookkeeping, advising and coaching business out of St. Albans where she lives with her husband, two dogs and one savage murderer of cat. She helps women-identified solopreneurs and micro-business owners to charge what they're worth as they build business that are profitable, joyful and emotionally sustainable. If you don’t have a bookkeeper, tune in to learn how to decide when it’s right for you to outsource to a bookkeeper, whether you use Kaela’s simple formula or go with your gutIf you have a bookkeeper, perhaps you wonder, now what? Hear Kaela’s tips on evaluating your current relationship to take it to the next level or make the rare decision to say goodbyeWhether you have a bookkeeper or not, Kaela emphasizes 2 reports to pay attention to in order to measure your basic business financesWe talk about the widely relatable imposter syndrome and how overcoming it directly affects your bottom lineKaela shares one key indicator that you’re not charging enough and a shocking fact about the wage gapThe importance of paying attention to your money mindset, finding a business bestie and a taking a fresh approach to networkingAmazing tips on bookkeeping including Kaela’s simplified “Profit First” methodKPC Bookkeeping (and book a Discovery call) kpcbookkeeping.com Digital course “Bookkeeping Beyond the Boring” kpcbookkeeping.com/courses Vermont Womenpreneurs https://vtwomenpreneurs.com/ SCORE Vermont https://www.score.org/vermont Center for Women & Enterprise Vermont https://www.cweonline.org/About-CWE/CWE-Vermont

Today’s guest is Kristin Cantu who, along with her husband, is a partner at Well Told Films. She has extensive experience managing projects for companies with a focus on creating community among entrepreneurial women. In addition to her business, Kristin created a mentorship program for women in Central Vermont through ElevateHer and facilitates groups of female entrepreneurs in The Huddle HUB, a virtual support network whose members are invested in each other’s success. She is co-founder of the non-profit Vermont Production Collective that connects the people doing film, video, photography, sound and graphics in our state. You’ll want a notepad and pen for some of the key takeaways that Kristin offers when it comes to video and your business.Tune in to:Hear Kristin describe why telling a story is essential to making connections in your business;How video is one way to share your story;A quick, simple exercise to get your story ideas flowing – not only do I want you to do this, but will you please write to me and tell me how it went?How to get started with DIY video including Kristin’s #1 tip that everyone can do;How to prepare to hire a videographer – and you might be surprised at the money part of this;Tips for getting video onto social media, even if you don’t think it’s for you;Kristin’s insights on why Vermont is a uniquely advantageous place to be an entrepreneur.Well Told Films https://welltoldfilms.com/Trash Tramps https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlZF3TdXxMEBailey Road https://baileyroadvt.com/Soul Simone https://www.soulsimone.com/Montpelier Alive https://www.montpelieralive.com/Vermont Production Collective https://vtproductioncollective.com/ElevateHer https://www.elevatehervt.org/The Huddle Hub https://sayyes.com/the-huddle-hub

Learn all about Vermont Womenpreneurs, co-founded by Mieko Ozeki. It’s networking in a way that works for women AND for Vermonters. Through a combination of virtual and in-person meet-ups, an annual Summit that is NOT to be missed, and workshops targeted at helping your business, you’ll have fun, get the word out about your business, and build skills along the way. Mieko is a storyteller, content creator, business owner, mom, wife, skier, and an extrovert that naturally brings people together. She serves on multiple boards to advocate for agriculture and small businesses. You will not want to miss out on this conversation full of useful resources for your business as well as put the next Vermont Womenpreneurs gathering on your calendar. Mieko Ozeki www.miekoozeki.comRadiance Studios www.radiancestudiosllc.comVermont Womenpreneurs www.vtwomenpreneurs.comVermont Womenpreneurs Summit www.vtwomenpreneurssummit.comThe Better Selves Fellowship at Knoll Farm https://knollfarm.org/better-selves-fellowship/Center for Whole Communities https://wholecommunities.org/Ladies Get Paid https://ladiesgetpaid.com/Greater Burlington Women’s Forum https://www.facebook.com/btvwomen/Bethany Andrews-Nichols https://www.beenanzadesign.com/CWE https://www.cweonline.org/About-CWE/CWE-VermontVermont Businesses for Social Responsibility https://vbsr.org/Sascha Mayer, co-founder Mamava https://www.mamava.com/Mercy Connections https://mercyconnections.org/SBA https://www.sba.gov/district/vermontVSBDC https://www.vtsbdc.org/Co.Starters curriculum https://www.costarters.co/Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies https://vcet.co/Intervale Center https://www.intervale.org/Vermont Women’s Fund https://vermontwomensfund.org/Elisabeth Waller Photgraphy https://www.elisabethwaller.com/

Learn what Vermontrepreneurs should know about the Center for Women and Enterprise; how to benefit from networking when you have a technical assistance provider on your team (and word of mouth works here!); how entrepreneurship bridges economic gaps for women and has a ripple effect to benefit the whole community; why Vermont is a uniquely great place to be an entrepreneur; concrete next steps to learn about business, get involved with peers, and find enthusiastic supporters with Center for Women and EnterpriseCenter for Women and Enterprise www.cweonline.orgTo view all of CWE’s upcoming classes and workshops visit https://www.cweonline.org/About-CWE/CWE-Vermont and click the green “View Upcoming Workshops” button.If you’d like to join CWE’s FREE online community: https://community.cweonline.org/Email Faye Longo [email protected] CWE 802-391-4873Jane Mann Somatic Therapies, LLC: www.instagram.com/janemannsoma/Vermont Secretary of State https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/Vermont Small Business Development Center www.vtsbdc.org/The Vermont Professionals of Color Network www.vtpoc.net/Women Business Owners Network Vermont https://wbon.org/SCORE www.score.org/vermont/local-mentors Vermont Womenpreneurs https://vtwomenpreneurs.com/Mercy Connections https://mercyconnections.org/business-and-entrepreneurshipVT Works for Women www.vtworksforwomen.org/programs/women/employment-support-services/career-mentorThis Way Up Vermont https://thiswayupvt.com/Community Action Agencies https://dcf.vermont.gov/contacts/partners/capsCommunity Navigator Pilot Program www.vtsbdc.org/community-navigator-pilot-program-cnpp/