Mindset & Identity Archives

EP 279: Leveraging Masterminds For Support With Startup Pregnant Founder Sarah Peck

May 12, 2020

Last year, at an in-person gathering of one of the masterminds that we run at What Works, one participant told me that they didn’t really need anyone to tell them what to do with their business. They knew exactly what they should be doing. Instead, they said they needed people to ask why they weren’t doing it.

That’s why they were in the mastermind group.

To me, that’s the perfect illustration of how a mastermind group can support business owners who are committed to—not just learning a new marketing skill or figuring out how to launch a new product—but to becoming a more whole entrepreneur and building a business that works exceptionally well.

I’ve been running mastermind groups of one sort or another for about 5 years and I have a lot to say on the subject. But I didn’t want you to just get my thoughts…

So I invited someone equally as passionate about masterminding as I am, Sarah K. Peck, the founder of Startup Pregnant.

Sarah was on the show before talking about how the Startup Pregnant podcast got started—but the whole business and community of Startup Pregnant has evolved and grown a ton since then. Check out Episode 134 for our original conversation.

Today, Sarah and I jam about masterminding—how we participate in masterminds, how we facilitate masterminds, and how we leverage them in our businesses. We also talk about the role masterminding plays in how you get support as an entrepreneur and we talk through how we structure sessions for the best outcomes.

From Reactive To Proactive

May 7, 2020

I spent some time yesterday looking back on how things have changed over the last 8 or 9 weeks. During the first couple of weeks of escalating headlines and lockdown orders, I was purely reacting--and so were the small business owners in our community. We were...

EP 278: Prioritizing Your Mental Health With Chris Brogan

May 5, 2020

This month, we’re tackling that feeling of loneliness and the different kinds of support we can lean on to feel grounded and whole.

Today, we’re kicking things off with Chris Brogan, an author, speaker, and consultant who has been incredibly forthcoming about his own experience with depression and anxiety. Chris helps business owners feel less lonely by vulnerably sharing what he’s going through on a regular basis and by regularly offering his support to those who are in the throws of mental health challenges.

Post by post, conversation by conversation, Chris is doing his part of reduce the stigma of depression, anxiety, and even failure.

You might know Chris from his New York Times bestselling book, Trust Agents, or maybe you’ve heard him speak on a stage or podcast. He’s an incredibly prolific content creator as well as leader, connector, and all-around friendly guy.

Chris and I talk about how depression and anxiety impact his life and work, how he’s structured his business to work with his mental health challenges, and how he knows what work to push through on and what can be dropped. We also talk about why he’s made such an effort be visible and helpful as he goes through the ups and downs he experiences on a regular basis.

How To Stop Feeling (So Far) Behind

Apr 24, 2020

"I'm so far behind!" Get a few small business owners together and it's only a matter time until you hear that line. Our brains are always a few steps ahead and our execution always feels like it's lagging behind. It might seem absurd to even imagine feeling caught up...

Why I Stopped Setting Goals For My Life & Business… It’s Complicated

Apr 14, 2020

Most small business owners I know have an “it’s complicated” type of relationship to setting goals. They know they’re supposed to set goals for their life and business. They know they’re supposed to make plans to meet those goals. Some do, some don’t. Some set goals...

I Broke Last Night: On Leading, Breaking, Getting Back To Work

Apr 9, 2020

I broke last night. I left my office at 4:48pm, walked down the hall to Sean's office, sat down across from his desk, and felt so very heavy. I picked a fight about dinner. I got grumpy on our evening walk despite it being the most beautiful evening of the year so...

EP 272: Making Your Brand Personal With Stasia’s Style School Creator Stasia Savasuk

Mar 31, 2020

Today, I’m joined by Stasia Savasuk, the creator of Stasia’s Style School. Stasia helps people find the courage, clarity, and congruency to rock their personal style. Stasia’s personal story—and how she’s turned her passion into a thriving business—will shed light on all the hangups you might have about your personal style and the way your personality plays into the brand you’re building.

EP 271: Brand-Building Is More Important Than Ever

Mar 26, 2020

This weekend, I spent money at my local brewery because I want to support them as they try to keep their workers employed. I spent money at a local cafe. And I spent money at Whole Foods, which might be a big corporation but one that does a helluva lot of good for its workers and our local economy.

These brands are really important to me. They represent my home, my friends, and the world that I want to live in. I value their presence and I want to see them thrive.

They’ve worked hard to build brands that truly connect with people.

The small business owners we support at The What Works Network are doing the same. We asked 4 of them to share how they approach brand-building and what they’ve done to create a genuine connection between how they show up and the people they care about.

Now, I want to let you know that each of these contributions was recorded before the outbreak had fully hit North America. But I think sharing them with you and inviting you to think about how you want to approach your own brand-building is more important than ever.

You’ll hear from Layla Pomper from Process-Driven, Lou Blaser from Second Breaks, Julie O’Hara from Hearts & Brains Consulting, and Margy Thomas from ScholarShape.

Let’s get into it!

EP 270: Building A Brand That Defies Stereotypes With 300 Pounds And Running Host Martinus Evans

Mar 24, 2020

My guest today is Martinus Evans, the host of the 300lbs And Running podcast and the founder of the Slow AF Run Club.

Martinus isn’t very “on brand” either if you consider a runner someone wears short shorts and only eats salads. But Martinus is very much a runner. And Martinus has built a brand around rebranding who you think of when you think of a runner.

Today, we’re talking about building a brand that defies convention and stereotypes.

Martinus and I chat about how he got started sharing his journey to become a runner, how his first race changed his own idea of who a runner is, and why Toastmasters played a big part in him finding the confidence to go big. We also talk about dealing with negativity online and why he chose to create the Slow AF Run Club as a standalone community instead of a Facebook group.

EP 269: Co-Creating A Brand In Community With Shameless Mom Academy Host Sara Dean

Mar 17, 2020

The hardest part of rebranding has been rebuilding the idea our customers and community have about who we are and what we do for them.

That process is never a one-way conversation. It’s collaborative and co-creative, especially in a community-based business like ours.

My guest today also runs a community-based business and she’s intimately familiar with the role that her community members play in the brand she’s building.

Sara Dean is the founder and host of Shameless Mom Academy.

As the Shameless Mom Academy podcast started to take off, Sara realized that what she was creating wasn’t just hers. It wasn’t just her sharing her thoughts and stories behind a mic and her audience listening, all from their respective houses, in their separate communities.

No, Shameless Mom Academy was a connection between women wrestling with their identities as mothers and ambitious women. This connection was the real story, the real brand powering an emerging business.

Today, Sara leads the Momentum Mamas membership community, the Tenacious Mamas business & leadership mastermind, and Shameless Mom Con where she brings the whole community together to co-create the foundation of this brand—and celebrate their shameless motherhood.

Sara and I talk about the personal identity crisis that inspired her to start the podcast, how she started with a vision for making a big impact but not making a big business, how she’s leaning into imperfect action, and how the Shameless Mom Academy brand has evolved.

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