Good Ideas + Bad Decisions

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen introduce their virtual assistant, Emma Martin, and dig into her career path and her approach to work. Emma shares how she left an academic track after earning an English master’s at the University of Chicago, discovered a love of archival work, and went on to earn a library science master’s at UT Austin while working as an archivist,...

In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Brittany Martin Déjean, a speaker and coach who helps people break free from FOMU, the fear of messing up, which shows up as perfectionism, overthinking, self-punishment, and "superficial confidence." Brittany explains how she helps clients map their unique "FOMU fingerprint" and interrupt th...

In this mini episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen ease into mid-September, comparing fall routines, back-to-school chaos, and their opposite work rhythms. Kat shares how business cards left at a coffee shop turned into a local Napa magazine feature. They get honest about the awkward side of business development, such as cold outreach, follow-ups, unsubscribes, and Ellen's sma...

This week on “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen talk to Frenchie Ferenczi, a business strategist who's built a career out of doing a little bit of everything from hospitality, startups, consulting, and fractional work. She breaks down how she splits her time between fractional roles with Series A/B women's healthcare startups and advisory work for solo founders who need a real tho...

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the whirlwind of packed schedules, from squeezing in workouts to balancing parenting demands between meetings. Kat shares exciting updates, including a new client kickoff, a studio tour, and the launch of her Back Office Design Support brand, plus some quarterly filing logistics. The heart of the episode is...

In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen celebrate Ellen's birthday with a special guest: her dad, Cliff Hockley! Cliff is a 40+ year entrepreneur who co-owned a Portland, Oregon property management company founded in 1972 and sold about five years ago and now runs a real estate consulting firm. He walks through his early career, from lobbying to taking ov...

In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen celebrate Ellen’s birthday as Ellen shares stories from her 10-year anniversary trip to Italy with Danny. They talk gelato, Italian dining culture, and navigating food sensitivities while traveling. Kat also recounts a weekend concert experience, complete with live music and familiar faces. Don't forget to ⁠ su...

In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen talk with Milly Skiles, founder of Milly Skiles Studio, a content marketing strategy studio for health and wellness brands. Milly shares her path from journalism into marketing after stepping away to raise her kids, and how storytelling shapes her approach to helping clients, especially mental health providers, differentiate...

In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen catch up after a chaotic stretch for both of them. Ellen has been managing family illness, the loss of a pet, and travel prep, while Kat is also dealing with difficult family health news, an exciting but stressful shop project, and pet health scares. Kat and Ellen trade thoughts on AI, weighing concerns about its environ...

In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat hosts solo with Christina Hunt, founder of Haus von Albe and a brand/community strategist who also teaches yoga and human design. Christina shares her winding path from Germany, where she left a long-term relationship and pursued yoga training, to Texas, and eventually into a Meta role that built her paid media skills before she launch...

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen catch up on extreme summer weather and shifts in working life. Kat shares updates on Benchwork's shop build-out, including new equipment, improved organization, and the realities of investing in a permanent workspace. Ellen discusses summer childcare, basement renovation plans, and potential business changes to better align wo...

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Callie Exas, a women's health registered dietitian and personal trainer supporting women through hormone health, burnout, and strength training, especially from their early 30s into perimenopause and menopause. Callie shares her path from NYC advertising and teaching spin to earning nutrition degrees, RD licen...

In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen catch up about summer and how it's affecting their lives and businesses. Kat shares news of adopting a senior rescue dog to keep her older dog company, along with the quirks of helping a new pet settle in. Ellen reflects on a hectic start to summer with childcare transitions and shifting routines. They close by discu...

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen talk to Dayna DeStefano , an entrepreneur who has launched and sunset multiple ventures since leaving corporate product leadership in 2019. Dayna shares how that winding path led her to co-own her husband's family commercial cleaning business and now spearhead an acquisition strategy through CleanCo Holdings, buying up comp...

In this mini-episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen discuss how small-town dynamics can intensify business relationships and conflicts. Ellen shares a conflict in her business community and she and Kat conclude that Ellen should focus on showing up authentically rather than dwelling on the conflict. Kat also talks about launching her fabrication company Benchwork with two former co...

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Emily Bissen, founder of  Blue Heron Business Partners , whose work sits at the intersection of business opportunity strategy and human design. Emily, a self-described 4/1 manifesting generator, explains how discovering her own human design gave language to skills she'd always had: reading people, spotting opp...

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen discuss a book, "This Story Might Save Your Life," that mirrors their own podcast experience, then debate whether audiobooks count as reading (spoiler: Kat and Ellen agree that they do). They also explore how to make networking feel less awkward through clear purpose, low barriers, casual formats, and community containers where me...

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen sit down with Emily Oberman, founder of The Content Atelier , a copywriter and content strategist who built a boutique agency around long-form content, newsletters (including Substack), and podcast support after recognizing a gap in the market for writers who actually understand the nuance of founder-led storytelling. The convers...

In this mini-episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen discuss Kat’s first hypnosis session with Kelly Chessen of Hope Rd. Hypnosis that focused on her relationship with money. Kat describes a guided visualization exercise involving inviting past influences on money to a mental table, confronting negative associations, inner-child emotions, and asking money what it needs. Kat feels em...

In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen welcome Vicky Winkler, founder of Wildly Creative Wellness, an art journaling and creative wellness community. Vicky shares how art journaling helped her move from feeling "only okay" to finding real purpose and fulfillment. She describes art journaling as focused on process over outcome with no perfectionism required, and explai...

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen dive into the topic of discovery calls and networking. Kat walks through her approach of offering a single free 30-minute call for prospective clients, collaborators, and general connections alike. Kat and Ellen address client fit, barters and trades, and keeping up a connection. The episode also explores the value of maintaining...

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen talk with Natasha Golinsky, who built a web development agency by hiring a developer despite having no web experience herself. After a stage two breast cancer diagnosis in 2024, she onboarded a trusted former client as project manager, freeing her to focus on business development. Natasha now pursues thought leadership around trauma-in...

In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen catch up on Ellen’s recent London trip, where she visited a friend who works at the British Museum, and Kat shares she’s heading to a women’s business retreat in Point Reyes where she’ll lead a workshop on flexible business systems. They then discuss how they handle being out of office: evolving boundaries over time, commu...

In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen talk with   Lauren Most, founder of  Mirror Mirror  and former Chief People Officer and Fortune 10 Executive, holding HR leadership positions at GE and Walmart. She shares how imposter syndrome and emotional self-abandonment led her to leave corporate leadership and build a coaching practice for high achievers. Lauren explores “invisib...

In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Ellen and Kat catch up on personal updates and discuss tips for hosting effective workshops or classes online or in person. They note many service-based businesses feel pressure to create workshops or “evergreen” courses as alternative income, but underestimate the time and energy required and the challenge of filling the room. They emphasize b...