What if your most honest, messy self is your greatest writing superpower? In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Baron, bestselling author, essayist, and creative force, to crack open what it really takes to write the book that only you can write.

Jamie has built a body of work that’s at once personal and deeply resonant—from her viral essays to bestselling nonfiction to novels. We unpack how she developed her voice over a decade of trial and error, her ritualistic approach to writing even when the ideas feel impossible, and how she navigates outside expectations while keeping her art grounded.

You’ll come away with intimate access to her creative process, permission to let your work be messy, and inspiration to keep writing even when you doubt.

This episode is brought to you by The Entrepreneur's Death Folder:

If your business couldn’t run without you, that’s a problem—a haunting your assistant from the beyond kind of problem. That’s where the Entrepreneur’s Death Folder comes in. It’s your digital contingency plan: all your logins, contacts, workflows, and need-to-knows in one tidy, shareable place.
Less spooky, more smart. Because peace of mind is the ultimate productivity tool.

Buy Now >>

Find It Quickly:

• 01:09 - Meet Jamie
• 02:14 - System Reboot
• 04:44 - Writing Process and Inspirations
• 16:39 - Navigating the Publishing Industry
• 25:14 - Navigating Trends and Authenticity
• 26:58 - Writing Rituals and Consistency
• 28:41 - Inspiration and Creative Containers
• 31:43 - Transitioning from Social Media to Novels
• 34:19 - Embracing Personal Growth and Change
• 36:38 - The Journey of Self-Work and Writing
• 42:47 - Promoting New Work
• 44:35 - Literary Inspirations and Recommendations

Resources Mentioned:

• What Alice Forgot - https://amzn.to/41OPAJt
• Big Magic - https://amzn.to/47FqfFB
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel - https://amzn.to/47FqfFB
• The Phantom Tollbooth - https://amzn.to/3VetjAZ
• The Westing Game - https://amzn.to/4mdYyY4
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - https://amzn.to/3IjBRDO
• The Happy Ever After Playlist - https://amzn.to/42sygdg

Jamie's Books

• Radically Content (Book) - https://amzn.to/46hcpGP
• Radically Content (The Journal) - https://amzn.to/4piAA0o
• The Alchemy Within - https://amzn.to/4gk6uWp
• Main Character Energy - https://amzn.to/3VeyqkQ
• Charlie Quinn Lets Go - https://amzn.to/3VKj4EC

Connect with Jamie:

• Website: jamievaron.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/jamievaron
• Facebook: facebook.com/jamievaron

If you're hustling so hard that your soul has taken a backseat, you’re going to want to hear this. Today I’m talking with Juliana Tomlinson, a wedding photographer, speaker, and business coach, who had one of the most successful years of her life professionally, yet the hardest emotionally.

She booked her dream weddings, launched big programs, but also hit burnout so severe she didn’t even recognize the warning signs. We talk about how comparison, over‑commitment, and never saying “no” can lead to running on fumes, and what it really looks like to redefine success from the inside out.

Three Key Takeaways:

• How to spot the warning signs of burnout before you crash.
• The systems & habits that actually help.
• Why your business goals should serve your life goals.

This episode is brought to you by The Entrepreneur's Death Folder:

If your business couldn’t run without you, that’s a problem—a haunting your assistant from the beyond kind of problem. That’s where the Entrepreneur’s Death Folder comes in. It’s your digital contingency plan: all your logins, contacts, workflows, and need-to-knows in one tidy, shareable place.
Less spooky, more smart. Because peace of mind is the ultimate productivity tool.

Buy Now >>

Connect with Juliana:

Website: julianatomlinsonphotography.com

Program: julianatomlinsonphotography.com/elevate

Instagram: @julianatomlinsonphotography

Instagram: @julianatomlinsoneducation

Ever wondered why you dread building your email list? What if I told you it's not about spam—it’s about showing up with heart, humor, and strategy?

In this episode, I chat with Dawn Richardson—the product education manager at Flodesk, former software engineer, wedding photographer, and all‑around tech‑meets‑creative powerhouse. She shares how she helps entrepreneurs build email systems that feel authentic, not icky.

This episode is brought to you by The Entrepreneur's Death Folder:

If your business couldn’t run without you, that’s a problem—a haunting your assistant from the beyond kind of problem. That’s where the Entrepreneur’s Death Folder comes in. It’s your digital contingency plan: all your logins, contacts, workflows, and need-to-knows in one tidy, shareable place.
Less spooky, more smart. Because peace of mind is the ultimate productivity tool.

Buy Now >>

3 Key Takeaways:

• Reframing email marketing from sleazy to service: it lives in your subscriber’s inbox (not the public feed), and they're asking to hear from you.
• Tools you’ll love: why Dawn’s Mac‑chooser quiz and countdown‑timer opt‑ins outperform generic freebies—and what you can do today to start using them.
• Automation with personality: welcome sequences, segmentation, and cleaning your list—done with your voice, so it always feels human.

Find It Quickly:

• 01:16 - System Reboot: Fun and Personal Questions
• 03:03 - Email Marketing Fears and Misconceptions
• 05:06 - Personal Experience with Email Marketing
• 08:36 - Effective Email List Growth Strategies
• 13:23 - Email Marketing Frequency and Best Practices
• 17:42 - Cleaning Your Email List
• 18:29 - The Entrepreneur's Death Folder
• 19:04 - Bringing Your Voice into Automations
• 19:29 - Creating an Engaging Welcome Sequence
• 22:56 - Segmenting Your Audience Effectively
• 26:41 - Building Real Relationships with Subscribers
• 31:09 - Getting Started with Flodesk
• 33:56 - Systems Shut Down

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Flodesk - Use Julie's Affiliate Code for 50% Off Your First Year of Flodesk
• @flodesk

Connect with Dawn:

• @itsdawnrichardson
• Techsavvycreative.com

Some episodes entertain. This one will change you. Dr. Gregory Fried’s story is not just about surviving 9/11—it's about everything that came after. As the Executive Chief Surgeon for the NYPD, he wasn’t just a witness; he was a first responder standing at the very edge of collapse. What he saw, what he carried, and what he still remembers is etched into every word of this conversation. Let me introduce you to my father-in-law.

Find It Quickly

• 01:15 - Early Career and Becoming a Police Surgeon
• 02:45 - Rising Through the Ranks
• 07:13 - September 11th: The Day That Changed Everything
• 11:48 - Surviving the Collapse
• 20:33 - Escape and Rescue
• 27:00 - Arrival in Jersey City
• 27:15 - Hospital Recovery and Miscommunication
• 29:21 - Transfer to NYU and Initial Challenges
• 30:37 - Return Home and Medical Diagnosis
• 31:26 - Involvement in Recovery Efforts
• 33:46 - Health Concerns and Documentation
• 35:26 - Exposure to Toxic Dust
• 38:10 - Long-term Health Impacts
• 48:26 - Decision to Retire
• 52:02 - Reflections on 9/11 and Its Legacy

Connect with Dr. Greg

• gfriedmd.com
• Life on The Thin Blue Line

What if the key to growing your business was actually less time online? That’s exactly what we’re diving into with today’s guest, Sarah Erickson, the intentional brand designer behind Sarah Ann Design. Sarah helps creatives build unforgettable brands without living on Instagram.

We chat about the systems she uses to stay mostly offline while still booking dream clients, her Pinterest-first strategy that works 24/7, and the magic of personalized client experiences. If you’ve ever felt like visibility equals value, this episode is your loving but firm wake-up call.

3 Key Takeaways:

• The secret to an evergreen marketing strategy that doesn’t rely on social media
• How to build a systems-driven brand experience that speaks for itself
• The mindset shifts that help you resist the scroll and reclaim your time

Find It Quickly

• 00:14 - Meet Sarah Erickson: Intentional Brand Designer
• 01:25 - Collaborating on Templates: A Fun Project
• 03:18 - Assistive Reboot: Getting Out of a Bad Mood
• 05:51 - Running an Online Business While Staying Offline
• 10:38 - Effective Systems for Client Communication and Marketing
• 18:01 - Reclaiming Attention and Time from Social Media
• 21:28 - Promoting Sarah's Courses and Offerings
• 23:43 - System Shutdown: Romanticizing the Boring

Connect with Sarah

• sarahanndesign.co
• Pinning with Purpose
• Pinterest
• shop.sarahanndesign.co

When you think of templates, do you picture robotic emails that suck all the personality out of your client experience? In this episode, we're joined by Colie James, a Disney-loving client experience strategist and host of the Business First Creatives podcast.

Colie shares why templates get such a bad rap (hint: it’s not the template, it’s how people use them), how to infuse your brand personality into even the most automated workflow, and why voice of customer research is your secret weapon for sounding relatable instead of robotic.

From her favorite must-have templates to the genius way she makes her automated emails feel like a high-touch experience, Colie proves that systems don’t have to mean stiff communication. Templates can actually help you be more personal, consistent, and stress-free.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Why templates often feel cold—and how to fix that
• How to capture your authentic voice (hint: start by talking out loud)
• The three templates every creative needs to have on hand

Find It Quickly

• 00:45 - System Reboot: Fun and Personal Questions
• 02:38 - The Power of Templates
• 04:15 - Infusing Personality into Templates
• 11:38 - Essential Templates for Creatives
• 15:50 - Encouragement and Final Thoughts
• 19:00 - Disney's Operational Excellence

Mentioned in this Episode

• Dubsado
• HoneyBook

Connect with Colie

• coliejames.com
• Email Like You Mean It
• Business-First Creatives
• instagram.com/coliejames

Waiting to adopt is its own kind of emotional limbo—equal parts hopeful and heartbreaking. And if you think you can Google your way through the process? Think again.

Adoption comes with more moving parts than most people realize. Even the most organized parents can quickly find themselves overwhelmed. That’s where Caitlin Phillips comes in—a licensed clinical social worker, adoption specialist since 2009, and co-founder of Hello Baby Adoption Consultants. Caitlin isn’t just a guide; she’s a lifeline for families navigating the uncertainty, paperwork, and emotional weight of domestic infant adoption. She was also the consultant who helped bring our daughter Ellie home.

3 Key Takeaways:

• Why even the most Type A parents can feel petrified in the adoption process
• The difference between an adoption consultant and an agency—and why it matters
• Tools and systems to simplify every step, from home studies to profile books

Find It Quickly

• 00:14 Meet Our Special Guest: Kaitlyn Phillips
• 00:48 System Reboot: Parenting Confessions
• 02:30 Navigating the Adoption Process
• 09:22 Understanding the Home Study
• 18:02 The Emotional Journey of Adoption

Connect with Caitlin

• hellobabyadoptionconsultants.com
• instagram.com/hellobabyadoption

What do a falling skirt, a Love Island soundbite, and a sick emoji have in common? According to storytelling strategist Akua Konadu: everything. They're stories that make an impact.

In this episode, I sit down with Akua—host of the Unbreakable Business Podcast and a master of making micro-moments unforgettable. We talk about how the smallest, most awkward, or most seemingly mundane stories are often the ones that create the deepest connections in your brand. Akua shares why authenticity trumps aesthetics and gives tactical prompts to help you turn everyday moments into powerful content that moves your audience.

Today’s episode will show you that no story is too small to make an impact.

3 Key Takeaways:

• The smallest stories often resonate the most
• The questions that Akua asks when deciding to share a story
• How to relate any story back to your business

Review the Show Notes:

The system reboot (1:12)

Sharing something small that became significant (5:53)

How business owners can notice the moments worth sharing (8:30)

Connecting your story to your audience (10:42)

Shaping a story into content (12:30)

Turning stories into content on the spot (15:58)

Is your story too small to matter? (24:02)

The system shutdown (27:33)

Mentioned In This Episode:

Akua Konadu Website: akuakonadu.com

Akua Konadu Instagram: instagram.com/akuakonadu_

The Unbreakable Business Podcast: podcast.honeybook.com

Julie Instagram: instagram.com/dallasgirlfriday