The Boss Mom Podcast

As working mothers, we often hold ourselves to an impossibly high standard. How can we break the limits imposed on us by ourselves and an overly critical society? When should we allow ourselves to let go of having full control in every area of life? On this episode, speaker and bestselling author of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, Laura Gassner Otting shares how we can smash our limits. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Stop wasting money being cheap (05:52- 07:16) We tend to think that doing it alone is saving us money, but we could really be doing the opposite if the task at hand is something we're not good at. If we're doing activities that could be leveraged to someone else, outsource. We shouldn't waste our time or money trying to be completely in control. Forget about balance (13:15- 14:01) Being a working mom should be celebrated. Rather than trying to separate certain aspects of our lives from each other in the hopes of creating 'balance', we need to acknowledge every part of ourselves and find ways for each of these parts to align. Create a 'framily' (26:25- 28:21) Having a support system is vital to success. We should be surrounding ourselves with a combination of friends and family who support our dreams and can offer valuable insights on our ideas. Sometimes we get caught up in our blood relative's hesitations, but they shouldn't be controlling our decisions. We have the power to achieve anything we set our minds to, but sometimes our mindsets are shaped by other people's opinions. Learn to identify the people who should have a say in your journey to success. As Boss Moms, our possibilities for success are limitless— but that doesn't mean we have to do it all on our own. Guest Bio- Laura Gassner Otting is a keynote speaker, author and entrepreneur. She speaks with change agents, entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and donors to get them past the doubt and indecision that consign their great ideas to limbo. Laura also delivers strategic thinking, well-honed wisdom, and catalytic perspective informed by decades of navigating change across the start-up, nonprofit, political, and philanthropic landscapes. To find out more about Laura, head to: http://lauragassnerotting.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/heylgo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heylgo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauragassnerotting/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heylgo You can also complete a 15 minute quiz set by Laura at Limitlessassessment.com To purchase a copy of Limitless: How to Ignore Everybody, Carve Your Own Path, and Live Your Best Life, head to: https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-Ignore-Everybody-Carve-your/dp/1940858763/ref=pd_ybh_a_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9B5KQ4NAAV8NKR19M7PW

So many of the issues business owners run into are common problems. What are the mistakes we're making, and how can we stop making them? Where should we be looking for help? On this episode, I'm sharing the mistakes most online entrepreneurs are making, and how to fix them. You can have a ton of passions, but you can't do them all at once. -Dana Malstaff 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Stop focusing on everything. If you pay attention to too many components at once, you'll be more likely to burn out. Before we think about marketing, we need to have a business strategy. Too many entrepreneurs go wrong by having a social media strategy before they develop their business systems. Leverage a community. Don't try to do everything alone- there is so much to be gained from sharing your ideas with others. The world we live in is saturated with information and ideas. While this is exciting, it also has a downside: there's too much noise. Focus your attention on a few ideas, and cut down on the number of people you look to for guidance. Leverage your community, but make sure you're maintaining a focus on one idea and set a strategy for yourself and your business. Too many cooks in the kitchen is never a good idea.

A lot of people want to be entrepreneurs, but aren't sure what their product is. How can you decide what to center your business around? Once you've made the decision, where do you begin the process? On this episode the CEO of Sweet Smell Company, Rachel Ricker shares how she started her own business and what she learned along the way. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Find the problems you want to solve (12:05- 13:26) If you know you want to own a business but aren't sure what your product is, think about the things that interest you. If there's a problem you wish someone would solve, seize the opportunity! Work on finding solutions you would want. There are bound to be other consumers out there who would love to try your alternative. Take advantage of the internet (19:01- 20:44) Research is crucial for any business endeavor, but it doesn't need to be a difficult process. Information is constantly at our fingertips, thanks to the internet. Research the product you want, who can manufacture it, and anything else related to it you can think of. Secure a manufacturer (21:21- 22:57) Once you've decided what you want to produce and have researched it extensively, it's time to choose a manufacturer. Find a company that fulfils all the requirements for your product, and if possible, find one that can go above and beyond the basic manufacturing process. Starting a business is a deeply personal experience, so it's important to make sure your product is close to your heart. Aim to create the item you would love to buy. Research extensively, and be sure to take advantage of the endless information available online. Creating a business is a long process, but it doesn't need to be a tedious one. Guest Bio- Rachel Ricker is the CEO of Smell Sweet Company, committed to providing truly trustworthy organic body products and helping women on their toxin-free journey. She is passionate about helping others make informed decisions on personal care products and raising awareness of the importance of safe ingredients. Rachel is also the Director of Global Transformation for a fortune 50 company and manages her busy household with her husband and two children. To find out more about Sweet Smell Company, head to: smellsweetcompany.com You can also find Sweet Smell Company on social media at: https://instagram.com/smellsweetcompany And: https://www.facebook.com//Smell-Sweet-Company-1080155948832915/ To find out about the Pay it Forward deodorant bundle, visit: https://smellsweetcompany.com/products/pay-it-forward-deodorant-bundle

By nature, entrepreneurs go against the grain of the status quo. How does the public schooling system impact entrepreneurship? What are the benefits of homeschooling to combat this? On this episode, bestselling author and entrepreneur Jadah Sellner shares her experience as a homeschooling mom and a business owner. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode How to start homeschooling (07:12- 10:07) There are a lot of reasons why parents are choosing to homeschool. If you're considering taking this route, make sure you're having serious conversations about it with your children and your spouse. Research and preparation are vital. How the education system is failing future entrepreneurs (14:12- 15:06) In school, kids are taught to focus on the things they're not good at, to excel in all areas. This is incredibly frustrating, as no industry expects people to do well at every job within the business. For entrepreneurs in particular, focusing attention on every area of the job is detrimental to success. Knowing when to step away from your business (27:47- 29:26) Pay attention to your needs and wants. If you're not happy in your business, or don't want to grow it any further, it might be time to step out. You have to be mindful of what you want to do and act intentionally. Entrepreneurship offers freedom. Exercise your ability to step away. As a parent, you want to do what's best for your child. However, when you're a business owner as well, sometimes the thought of homeschooling can be overwhelming. It's a decision that requires research and planning, but the benefits of homeschooling are amazing. Guest Bio- Jadah Sellner is the host of the Lead with Love™ podcast, a TEDx speaker, creator of Love Over Metrics™, Business Growth Incubator and the bestselling author and co-founder of Simple Green Smoothies. As a serial entrepreneur, online community growth strategist and business mentor, Jadah consults companies and personal brands to build communities with love, service, and impact. To connect with Jadah via social media, head to:https://www.instagram.com/jadahsellner/ https://www.facebook.com/jadahsellner To find out about Jadah's products, head to: 5 Step Challenge Roadmap: https://jadahsellner.com/byc-roadmap Love Over Metrics™ waitlist: loveovermetrics.com Jadah's work with me page: https://jadahsellner.com/work/ You can also hear her podcast on: leadwithlovepodcast.com And visit Jadahsellner.com for more information.

As Boss Moms, guilt is a feeling we're all used to. How can you stop guilt from holding you back? What should motivate you to keep going? On this episode, in honor of Independence Day, I'm reminding you to shed your guilt and feel proud of what you've achieved as a Boss Mom. Independence is about standing up and doing it anyway. -Dana Malstaff 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Guilt is normal and bound to happen. While you'll never get rid of it completely, you need to put it aside and not let it control your choices. You are capable and brilliant: the world needs your brain and your ideas. Believe in yourself and allow yourself to do great things. Independence is about action and doing, even when it feels scary. Celebrate yourself for being a Boss Mom, despite it being a scary process. Being a Boss Mom is an exciting journey but it's normal to have moments where you question yourself. Guilt seeps into everyone's lives at some point. The trick is to not let it control your decisions. Be proud of what you've done just by deciding to be a Boss Mom in the first place. Don't forget to help others along the way. Success is about the ripple effect of our actions because we just keep going.

The newsletter is no longer effective, and business owners should start exploring different options. What could you do in place of sending a newsletter? What do you need to keep in mind as you move forward with new types of communication? On this episode, I share why you need to focus on the human aspect of your approach. You need to understand the human beings in your audience. What do they want? -Dana Malstaff 3 Things We Learned From This Episode If you send your audience the same thing at the same time every week, people will switch off. Be careful not to be too consistent. Stop targeting demographics. Think about who your audience is and how your content can exist in their lives. Rationality is unrealistic. As much as we'd like to think business is business, as long as people are involved, it can never be completely rational. No matter how foolproof regular communication might seem, there are significant drawbacks. While algorithms reward consistency, if you're sending out the same communication at the same time each week, you're not going to convert an audience into loyal customers. You'll be at risk of becoming background noise detached from your fanbase. The newsletter is dead: it's time to start looking at real people.

Social media and online platforms have brought a lot of changes to the business world, but many brands are slow in adjusting. How can we build an online persona that connects with our customers? How has the role of the customer shifted? On this episode, author, blogger, and podcaster Mark Schaefer explains why human connection is so important, even with the increasing popularity of virtual spaces. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Respect your customer (07:16- 08:08) Customers are aware that they have more power now than ever before. The problem is, many businesses don't act accordingly. To get ahead with the new consumers, it's vital that businesses respect their customers' time, resources, and spending habits. Build a brand personality and forge real connections (10:19- 11:27) No matter how advanced technology becomes, people trust people. It's important to give your customers a human face they can get to know, like, and trust. Foster loyalty by sharing stories about what you're going through and by being open. Your customer is your marketer (20:37- 21:56) Marketing isn't about the advertisements anymore— it's about the customer. Businesses are no longer able to buy their way in. We all need to start finding ways to assist our client in their daily lives and build real relationships with them. While the customer has always been important to businesses, their influence on the sales process has changed significantly. Build relationships with your customers that ensure that they know you value them. Guest Bio- Michael Schaeffer is a keynote speaker, educator, podcaster and business consultant. Known globally for his work, Michael is celebrated for his approach to marketing and is the bestselling author of six marketing books. Michael is adamant that personal touches are vital for effective marketing in the age of social media. To get in contact with Micahel, head to https://twitter.com/markwschaefer https://www.facebook.com/mark.schaefer3 https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer https://www.youtube.com/user/MWSchaefer You can also email him on mschaefer700@gmail.com Or call him on (865) 456-1939 Head to his website, https://businessesgrow.com for more information on his business, and look at https://businessesgrow.com/mark-schaefer/ to see information about his books and career.

Creating a community can be extremely overwhelming, but there are very specific and strategic ways of thinking and planning that can help us break it down into manageable chunks. What can we do to help people feel like they belong? How can we be more inclusive? How do roles and rules help people feel more comfortable? In this episode, Marie Morris explains how she developed a community in her classroom, and how social media can be a web of support for educators. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Communities of support on social media (07:40-08:46) We can use social media to situate ourselves in a space that is collaborative and non-threatening, whether it's in the business world or in the education world. Instagram and YouTube are spaces where teachers can share and support each other and they can help build our confidence as educators. What we need to put in place to create a community (26:09-28:41) We can begin to create a community when we think about how our physical space functions and what interactions can happen within it. We also need to go beyond the layout by putting clear expectations in place of what is required of every person in every role in the community. How rules help people feel comfortable (28:40-28:53) We need to make ground rules when bringing big groups of people together because when there is uncertainty, people get anxious and afraid of doing the wrong thing. Rules help a community of people know what's expected, which makes them feel more comfortable. As teachers, we can facilitate a holistic shared experience for our students by creating a community. When we create communities for our students, we foster better learning, excitement and retention. Having rules helps them feel comfortable and aware of boundaries. When we build a community, we must think about the physical space as well as the interactions between people. We just need to break it down into specific and manageable steps that work for our context. Guest Bio- Marie Morris is a teacher in the Poway Unified School District, in San Diego, CA, and has been teaching for 12 years. She has taught all four grades of English (9-12), as well as both the performance and technical side of theatre. Marie has a blog, YouTube channel, and Instagram profile focused on classroom teaching. Being part of an online community has changed her perspective on how she runs her classroom as well as her confidence as a professional educator. Her teaching style is energetic and fast-paced, but she constantly checks for student understanding. She likes to engage students with references they can connect with and give students a sense of belonging to her classroom community. Marie earned her BA in French, a Single Subject English teaching credential, and an MA in Theatre Arts all from San Diego State University. Teaching is in Marie's blood. She has been unsure of many things over the course of her life, but of two things she has always been certain - she wanted to be a mom and she wanted to be a teacher. marie@thecaffeinatedclassroom.com https://www.thecaffeinatedclassroom.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thecaffeinatedclass/ https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCaffeinatedClassroom?sub_confirmation=1

Never underestimate the importance of being in touch with yourself and valuing who you are right now. How can you become more in tune with yourself? Should you be working on yourself constantly- or giving yourself some space? On this episode, holistic life coach Shannon Kinney-Düh shares the importance of being at peace with yourself. 3 Things We Learned From This Episode Stop listening to the negative voice in your head (06:00- 08:07) Saying that you're not good at something has a huge effect on your ability to get it done. You hear what you're saying, and start believing that negative voice. Become an observer of your mind and be conscious of what you're saying to yourself. Don't just 'do': you need to 'be' (10:53- 12:27) Ours is a culture of constant 'doing'. We fill up our time trying to do everything and fail to just be in the moment. The problem with this constant doing is that you ultimately risk depleting yourself. Build a healthy foundation (14.47-15.47) For a garden to grow, you have to provide a healthy foundation. Once you've done that, you also need to give it some space to grow on it's own. Treat yourself in the same way: create a good foundation but allow yourself the space to see results. Allow yourself space to breathe and to consider who you really are. Often, we find distractions to avoid feeling certain emotions. The reality is, sometimes we're scared to be truly alone with ourselves. Start accepting the person you are. Awaken to your greatness. Guest Bio- Shannon Kinney-Düh is an holistic life and spiritual coach. She's also a yoga instructor and artist who believes that women need to become more in tune with themselves. Shannon is passionate about teaching women how to unleash their greatness, and to stop shying away from the different seasons of life. To find out more about Shannon, head to: www.afreespiritlife.com. Find her eye pillows on the website here: https://www.afreespiritlife.com/eye-pillows/. Use the coupon code Boss Mom for a 15% discount when you buy 3 or more eye pillows. You can also find Shannon on Instagram at @afreespiritlife And on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AFreeSpiritLife/ To listen to the song Dana references in this episode, head to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53GIADHxVzM

Business owners often bash Facebook for having bad intentions, but if you look at it carefully, Facebook actually wants everyone to succeed. How does Facebook's transparency work in our favor? What targeting tools does Facebook have that makes marketing easier for us? How do Facebook groups help us with engagement? In this episode, I explain why I love Facebook and how authenticity and community are key to building success on Facebook. Facebook has been so exponentially important and instrumental not just in my business, but in my life. -Dana Malstaff 3 Takeaways We may think that the transparency of Facebook works against us as businesses. However, if we run good, authentic, caring businesses, our audience sees it. Facebook rewards this, and it works in our favor. When family and friends engage with our Facebook posts, it limits our ability to be visible to our target audience as similar profiles are targeted for further engagement. We need to engage with the right people in the right way. Facebook groups work better as platforms for engagement. Group members can post and start conversations which also relieves the responsibility of the business as the only contributor. Facebook has changed the way we communicate with each other by allowing us to identify who we are and what we care about, as well as by finding other people who love and care about those same things. By running an authentic and caring business, and targeting and engaging with the right people, we can create a community on Facebook that helps our business be visible and successful.