And She Spoke

We received such amazing feedback for last year’s Thrive Online conference that we knew we had to host one this year too! Tickets are now for sale online for this one-day event on 29 September. We’ll be talking about how to build a lucrative membership model and create a signature offer, as well as hosting a talk by Sadie Nardini on how to stand out on social media, before diving into the topic of building businesses that you love but also feed your bank account. We have invited the same panel along for a talk on Women, Power, and Money: Claire Wasserman, Naomi Clark, and Kelly Diels. Join us for five sessions at 9 a.m. on 29 September, for $27, by booking your ticket today! www.thriveonlineconference.com

Social media is constantly evolving.And keeping up with the trends is challenging for anyone, let alone those of us who actually have a business to run too...For example, recently, Instagram announced that they wanted creators to focus more on reels than images.The meaning of this is simple - videos posts will now receive a MUCH heavier algorithm than image-based ones.When we first heard of this update, we were shocked. Instagram was always, first and foremost, a photo-sharing app, even when it introduced Stories to compete with Snapchat.But now, it feels like the end of an era. We’re officially entering the zone where TikTok-style marketing is the cheapest and most powerful tool we can have in our arsenal.But here’s the tiny problem:  if you’re a millennial like us, TikTok probably gives you nightmares.Let’s face it, there’s a lot to dislike about TikTok - most of it is cringy, confusing, and needlessly shallow.But, we also can’t deny that TikTok is the place to be if you want to market smartly, without creating a huge dent in your bank account.So, how can we use TikTok in a way that aligns with our values?Well, that’s exactly what we’ll be discussing in today’s episode!If TikTok feels like a mangled mess, this episode is for you! We discuss how we feel about TikTok, how we’re planning on using it intentionally (so no pointing and dancing), why we think it’s so addictive, and more!Here’s a peek at what else you can expect:What we love and hate about social media in generalThe terrifying future of huge tech companies deciding how we should market our businessWhy it’s easier than ever to be manipulated by what’s trendingHow to be intentional about using TikTokWhy it’s important to put your big girl pants on as an entrepreneur (even if that means doing things you dislikeOnce you’re done listening to this episode, find us on Instagram (@heymarvelous) and tell us how you’re planning to use TikTok moving forward!Resources:Instagram’s New FocusEleanor Beaton - And She SpokeCatfishing Friends on TikTokNothing Fancy - Alison RomanARQ UnderwearThis week’s Joys: Instead of a hustle this week, we’re bringing you two joys, one for each of us!Our first joy is a cookbook. ‘Nothing Fancy’ by Alison Roman is exactly what it sounds like - a cookbook full of simple recipes that are super delicious!Our second joy is underwear. Not just any underwear, but granny panties. ARQ’s high-rise underwear has been the most comfortable thing we’ve put on our bodies this year and we’re happily willing to shell out $300 to buy multiple pairs in every color (please and thank you). This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

According to Shopify’s CEO, massive growth in the online retail space has arrived 10 years early. We’ve seen thousands of people turn to the internet to supplement their income, create alternate livelihoods, and survive in this post-pandemic world. But, going online isn’t easy, especially for those who’ve spent years working in offices, studios, and other brick-and-mortar spaces. Which is why today, we’re chatting with someone who not only has a successful online shop herself, but who also coaches others on how they can achieve the same success with their own online endeavors - Christina Scalera!Christina got her start as an in-house trademark lawyer for a private kid’s toy store. Though she dreamed of the job when she was in law school, she found the actual thing to be underwhelming and anti-climactic. After experiencing a quarter-life crisis, she decided to quit her job to pursue more creative paths and tried everything from yoga to Etsy. Though none of those paths really worked out, they left her with a lot of valuable experiences. She had to learn how to run a business, start a blog, and even understand how Photoshop worked in those pre-Canva days. And in the process, she started a business that came full circle - connecting her legal expertise with fellow creative entrepreneurs. Today, Christina’s The Contract Shop sells contract templates to coaches, designers, photographers, and small entrepreneurs. And it’s a phenomenon. In this episode, Christina takes us through how to create a great online shop, her opinion on selling digital downloads vs courses, how to price your services, how to turn your service-based business into an online store, and so much more!If you’re new to the online space and want some serious inspiration on creating and developing your own store on the internet, this is the episode for you! Once you’re done listening, find us on Instagram (@heymarvelous) and tell us: how has your online business changed over the past year?Here’s what you can expect from this week’s episode:Christina’s concept of ‘de-commerce’ trainingHow she handles money (and got out of $74,000 of credit card debt)The biggest reasons why online shops don’t sellHer advice on how to grow your audience onlineHow she creates boundaries in her businessAnd more!Resources:Christina Scalera - WebsiteChristina Scalera - InstagramThe Contract ShopThe Contract Shop - InstagramChange Me Prayers - Tosha SilverShopify - 2020 GrowthThis week’s Joy: Describing herself as a ‘horse girl’, Christina finds no greater joy than taking her 3 horses out to graze! To her, watching animals in their natural habitat is incredibly therapeutic.This week’s Hustle: Christina’s hustle advice always blows people’s minds when they first hear it - only follow 1 or 2 mentors at a time. So, if you’re listening to a business podcast, only listen to 1 or 2 and go ALL in on those. Listen to the podcast from the first episode, take notes, and interact with the hosts if possible. According to Christina, following only 2 perspectives is much more helpful than the overload of information that comes with following 20. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Sometimes entrepreneurship feels like a constant uphill climb but it is an endeavor that pays off in the long-run: it’s just about staying the course and ensuring that you get the basics right.In today’s episode, Sandy and Jeni talk about some of the most common reasons why your business is not making as much money as you would like. You’ll learn more about the strategies and mindset shifts that are required to run a successful online business, starting with why focusing on one great offer (rather than trying to provide something for everyone on the planet) is key to success.Sandy and Jeni also talk about transitioning from a brick-and-mortar business to the online space, how to determine what you offer, and how to price it.Here’s a peek at what else we discuss:How, after the excitement of a launch, many entrepreneurs don’t know what the next step is.Accepting that entrepreneurship involves ups and downs and a long-term commitment.The problem of getting the timing of your launch or relaunch wrong.Why it is crucial to keep getting more people onto your email list and into your door.Building the thing you feel like versus the one that solves a problem for a specific kind of person.How you can go about figuring out where the need is to ensure product-market fit.What to look out for when you are not successful in your transition from the off-line to online space.Why the online world requires you to niche down and be even more specific about your quintessential client.Determining your price according to the value you bring to your clients/customers.Examples of the money mindset issues and limiting beliefs that can be holding you back.Resources:Hello BargelloHello Bargello on InstagramBasecampThis week’s Joy: Bargello as a pandemic-friendly hobby.This week’s Hustle: How Basecamp can help you streamline project management in your business.This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Remember when you’d work your tush off just so that you get handed a shiny gold star in front of the whole class? Yeah, us too.Our theory is that this behavior is why so many women in business identify as perfectionists today. When we had a show of hands in our community, there were SO many of you who identified as loud and proud perfectionists.And, we can definitely relate. But, perfectionism has a dark side. And that’s what we’ll be exploring in today’s episode. Tune in to learn more about how to reign in your perfectionism and find the courage to fail (with pride).Here’s what you can expect from this w:Our own struggles with perfectionism How the quest for perfection can damage your businessBaby-steps to help you get over wanting to be perfect 24/7Why we embrace the ‘B minus’ Method Why the perfectionism you picked up at school and uni might not work in business Resources:Seth Godin - Linchpin (and the concept of ‘Ship It’)This week’s Joy: It’s the Peloton Bike! (Tune in to hear about Jeni’s newfound love) This week’s Hustle: Two words - Inbox. Zero. This week, we finally cleared out our inboxes to zero and are actually surprised by how clean and visible our mailbox looks. Mental peace is an added bonus. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

On this re-released episode, we talk about a slightly controversial topic, namely, the value of a wife. Lately we’ve read several articles about the benefits for husbands to have a wife at home or at least in a position where she is still primarily responsible for childcare and the emotional labor that takes place in families. As feminists and entrepreneurs, we felt that it was important to invite this conversation into our community because there still is not enough change happening in this area. Don’t you also need a wife, someone to take care of all the details and homework so that you can focus on your career and on building your business? The first article we’re discussing is “70% of Top Male Earners in the US Have a Spouse Who Stays Home”. Another article we’d like to talk about is titled “What ‘Good’ Dads Get Away With”, which is the other side of the coin. You might have a husband who does a lot more than most husbands and fathers, yet you still find yourself being the primary caretaker and filling in all the gaps in your family’s day-to-day life. Either way, women are still marginalized by gender roles and these seem to be emphasized when we become mothers. This conversation affects almost all of us and it has to be acknowledged that it is still largely an unequal playing field. Something’s got to change!Here’s a peek at what else you can expect:Examples of the silent labor we as women do that we’re not always aware of. How men still have a higher earning capacity in the existing economic structures.   Women’s level of education and ambition take a back seat in modern-day society. The unequal playing field where men have a different set of opportunities than women. The double pressure on women to be home with the kids while also doing a job. Why many women choose to hold back on their own ideals. The gender pay gap as a root cause of women staying home with the kids. Drop the Ball and what women can do to change the patterns of unequal burden.Why women often don’t ask for help.Buying your way out of these part-time family responsibilities as a possible solution.And much more!Resources70% of Top Male Earners in the US Have a Spouse Who Stays HomeWhat ‘Good’ Dads Get Away WithTiffany Dufu's WebsiteDrop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany DufuSoma SystemThis week’s Joy: Soma System, a tool for stressed-out moms.This week’s Hustle: 70% of Top Male Earners in the US Have a Spouse Who Stays Home and What ‘Good’ Dads Get Away WithThis podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

On an average day, we make 35,000 decisions. It can be as simple as deciding what to wear, or what to eat for breakfast, or something a little consequential like deciding to diversify your business revenue streams, or as tense as dealing with conflict.As entrepreneurs, our power comes from being decisive. Making a decision, following through, and knowing when to pivot. Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about the mindset shifts to help you take the stress out of decision-making.Here’s a peek at what else you can expect:How decisions affect the way you live and feelLearning to rely on your intuitionWhy there is no such thing as a wrong decisionHow to stop spinning out from a place of indecision The elements of decision-makingDecisions, choice, and victim-mentalityWhy grit’s a character-traitResources‘5 ways to make tough decisions faster (and not regret them later)’ by Elizabeth Grace Saunders This week’s Joy: Cleo WadeThis week’s Hustle: Bonnie Christine’s Flourish PlannerThis podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Often, the only thing standing between us and where we want to be, is a crippling lack of confidence. Now that might sound like a serious problem.But here’s the good news - in situations like these, only one thing needs fixing. Our mindset.  In business and in life, the fear of failure and the comfort of familiarity can lock us in, prevent us from facing new challenges and experiencing growth. This creates a cycle where we never end up trying new things because we don’t have reason to believe that we’d be good at them. And a mindset like that can quickly lead to stagnation. On today’s episode, we try to turn this mindset problem around by using the 4 C’s of Dan Sullivan’s Multiplier Mindset framework: Commitment to do whatever it takesCourage to do it even when it feels awful and uncomfortableCapability that comes from acquiring new skills Confidence that’s the result of having succeeded at what you set out to do.By changing your mindset, by embracing the discomfort, and by increasing your capability, you can get the job done. And every time you win, your success automatically gives you the confidence to leap higher next time. And before you know it,entrepreneurship might become your path to self-actualization. If we’ve already got you thinking about how 4 steps could possibly turn someone into a different person (it sounds crazy!), tune into today’s podcast on how the Multiplier Mindset made us realize that discomfort is the price of growth. Here’s a peek at what else we discuss:How courage works in real life and how it’s different from gritHow confidence always stems from a past history of successThe difference between confidence and self-confidenceThe importance of being kind and loving to yourself Tools to unpack the tendency to view ourselves negativelyThe need for friends who will call you out when you’re too harsh on yourselfHow women use self-deprecation as a safety net in society ResourcesDan Sullivan - the 4 C's FormulaCal Newport - Digital MinimalismCal Newport - Deep WorkHow to do a thought downloadThis week’s Joy: Our joy is a mask from Rais Case that is shaped like a bandana, and has leather ties that take away the hassle of fussy elastic bands!This week’s Hustle: Our hustle is Cal Newport’s book titled ‘Digital Minimalism’ that examines how people spend time online and how online tech tools work to hijack people’s attention.  This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

If there’s anyone on this planet who can teach you how to be your own hero, it’s undoubtedly this week’s guest. She’s extremely candid, optimistic, and one of the most self-assured people we’ve ever met! Brig Johnson is a full-time life and mindset coach with a mission: helping high-achieving Black women work through their internalized biases, manage their emotions, and unlock their full potential. After spending 38 years (!!!) in nursing (a job she was extremely good at), Brig decided to pursue coaching full-time, and she’s wearing the entrepreneurial shoes with grace, confidence, and compassion. But as you can imagine, convincing herself to take the plunge was quite the process.In this week’s episode, Brig breaks down how she self-coached her way to her big career switch by practicing empathy, being confident in her capability to learn new skills, and creating self-sufficiency. She also talks about the power that comes with acceptance, her ever-evolving business niche, and the philosophy that finally led her to pull the trigger and make that big, bold career change.Here’s what you can expect from this week’s episode:The problem with trying to find fulfillment outside of yourselfBrig’s “year and a half of crazy” as she navigated the idea of coaching full-timeHow giving yourself a worrying window can prevent over-controlling Brig’s refreshing definition of a “high achieving woman” Combating microaggressions with control (personal change>systemic change)The importance of managing your energy and why rest is a revolutionary actBrig’s #1 marketing belief - and what we can take away from it!Brig brings tons of fun to the table and we had a ball recording this episode! Her insights are super relatable, compel you to work towards having your own back, and urge you to hone the power in your hands. If you’re looking to make a career switch yourself or just want a healthy dose of inspiration to take control of your narrative, this episode will feed your fire. So sit back with a cup of tea, and get ready to feel invigorated!Resources:Brig’s Website Brig’s InstagramBrig’s Facebook PageBreakthrough with Brig PodcastThe Life Coach SchoolOura RingThis week’s Joy: Brig believes in the small wins, and her perpetual joy is her PM ritual - a relaxing bath at the end of the day. It’s her way of treating herself and unwinding. This week’s Hustle: Brig’s Oura ring is her favorite business tool right now! Using it to track her heart rate helps her understand her body’s needs and rest effectively. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.

Today’s guest is someone we’ve wanted to speak to for years. In fact, she was one of the first women we knew who not only worked in tech, but also had a thriving career in it. And this was long before we started Marvelous!So, it goes without saying that Sarah K. Peck is a force of nature. She’s the founder of Startup Parent — a company that focuses on the narratives we share (and more importantly, those we don’t) about work, parenting, and motherhood. She’s also the host of the award-winning Startup Parent podcast where she chats with incredible women about business and parenting. And it’s her mission to make parenting easier in the Startup world. Because here’s the deal: Silicon Valley cannot figure out kids. Sarah says it herself, and we couldn’t agree more. In the world of startups where everything revolves around the new and cutting edge, children and paternity plans are still treated like unspeakables. When Sarah first got pregnant years ago, she was the only pregnant female in her startup and things were incredibly tough for her to navigate — she even had to build her own maternity leave from scratch since her company had no infrastructure surrounding it. All of that led her to the question - Where are the pregnant women in tech?That’s when she started interviewing other women about their own experiences with startups and parenthood, which is how her podcast came about. In today’s episode, Sarah talks about her employment history and how she transitioned to entrepreneurship, how she navigated parenting in an uber busy startup environment, the importance of representing diversity of experiences, and so much more!Here’s a peek at what else we discuss:How she worked with her CEO to build a viable maternity programHow she approaches money (and why she’s always had two jobs)Why you earning money and resources is a part of activismWhy you should be raising your rates in your business frequently The difference between bootstrapped companies vs. venture companiesAnd more!As a society, we’ve been indoctrinated in a culture where hiding kids and women at home is normal. Which is why we believe talking about our unique challenges as working parents in startups is so important!ResourcesSarah K.Peck's WebsiteSarah K.Peck's Newsletter Sarah K.Peck's Instagram and TwitterStartup Parent WebsiteStartup Parent NewsletterStartup Parent  PodcastThe Wise Women CouncilSticky Situations (Template Guides) This week’s Joy: We can relate to both of Sarah’s joys - chocolate and swimming pools. She has to eat chocolate everyday and loves getting into the swimming pool to recollect her thoughts and calm her mind. This week’s Hustle: Sarah’s hustle is simple and effective - the Control key on your keyboard. She specifically recommends the CTRL+F keys if you want to find something on a webpage and loves using text replacements as a way to save time. This podcast is brought to you by the Marvelous online teaching platform.Marvelous is an easy-to-use platform that helps you build and sell your own courses memberships and live-streamed programs. Go from idea to open for business in just minutes. Unlike other startups, Marvelous was created by women for women. If you're looking for a simple, streamlined way to build and grow an online business. You can learn more at Marvelous.