The System for Everything

If you've ever hovered over the "Buy Now" button with a pit in your stomach and a credit card in hand, this episode is for you. In this episode, I sat down with my personal financial advisor, Michelle Taylor who founded Women in Wealth, to talk about the messy, emotional side of business spending. From $997 unopened courses to aspirational hires we’re not ready for, we unpack how to...

What if your calendar wasn’t just for managing time, but for protecting your energy? In this episode, I sit down with Christi Johnson, business strategist, podcaster, and founder of the Dream Biz Lab. She helps creative and neurodivergent entrepreneurs build businesses rooted in joy, sustainability, and brain-friendly systems. Christi shares how hitting a $10K month almost cost her her mental heal...

If your brand colors (or messaging) don’t spark joy, it’s time for a reboot. This week on System for Everything , I’m joined by Dakota Hersey, founder of More Than Creative. After growing a successful photography business, she’s back to her first love—helping small business owners market and sell their talents authentically.  Dakota doesn’t just design brands that look good. She helps creatives an...

What if your most honest, messy self is your greatest writing superpower? In this episode, I sit down with Jamie Varon, 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...

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 re...

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 f...

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 m...

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 strate...

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 person...

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 sin...

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 ar...

What if your biggest flaw was actually your best feature? It’s a question Molly McCauley had to ask herself—not just once, but repeatedly—on her journey as a neurodivergent entrepreneur.  Molly spent years navigating a system that never quite fit. Once she was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety as an adult, she realized it's time to flip the script. Now she's helping others do the same. 3 K...

Be the calm in everyone else's chaos. Then cry in your car—like a professional. Right? Just kidding. In this episode, I sit down with Julian Leaver, luxury wedding planner and etiquette expert, to talk about what it really takes to stay grounded in a high-pressure, high-image industry. With decades of experience and a client list that spans from Aspen to Paris, Julian is known for delivering...

Ever opened your content calendar, sighed dramatically, and closed the tab? Same. For solopreneurs and small business owners, marketing often becomes the thing we push to the bottom of our to-do list. But what if there was a better way? In this episode of The System for Everything , I sat down with Tayler Cusick Hollman, marketing consultant turned founder of Enji , to talk about the emotional and...

Ever wish your team just got each other? What if the secret to a balanced, high-performing crew was hiding in plain sight—like in their temperament? In this episode of the System for Everything podcast, I talk with Ashley Ebert, a powerhouse in the wedding industry and the founder of The Abundance Group. After scaling her own wedding planning company into a multi-market million-dollar business, sh...

Hot tip for maintaining adult friendships: Move to different cities, never ask who texted last, and consider a blood pact. That’s more or less the system Lauren and I have followed for 17 years—and it’s worked. Today, we’re breaking down how. In this episode of The System for Everything , I’m joined by one of my longest-standing friendships: Lauren Smart. She's a journalism professor, an arts...

What if your business could keep running even when life hits pause? In this episode, I sit down with Dahlia Orth, a systems strategist and HoneyBook Pro, who shares how building intentional workflows helped her reclaim her time and design a business that supports her life... not the other way around. We talk about building boundaries you won’t feel guilty about, systems that run while you rest, an...

Ending a working relationship doesn’t have to be a legal or emotional disaster. I sit down with Paige Griffith, founder of The Legal Paige, to talk about the uncomfortable yet necessary art of business breakups. Paige is a former federal law clerk turned online legal educator, known for making the legal side of entrepreneurship approachable and actionable. We explore why client breakups happen, ho...

If your idea of date night is whispering “ice cream and Netflix?” after the kids are asleep, this episode is for you. I sat down with Camille Whiting of Friday We're in Love , one of my long-time internet inspirations, to talk about how to keep connection, fun, and even spontaneity alive in a long-term relationship—especially when kids, jobs, and logistics are in full chaos mode. Camille and...

Feeling stuck in seasonal sadness? Maybe your cure isn’t in a supplement—maybe it’s in a suitcase. In today’s episode, I’m talking with Sara Dunn—not about SEO, but about a totally different system that’s transformed her life: snowbirding. Yes, we’re talking about skipping winter entirely. Sara breaks down how she and her husband live in two states, manage two homes, and run fully remote businesse...

If you want to figure out your Enneagram type the fast way, just launch a small business. Nothing reveals your core fears like client emails, overdue invoices, and writing your own bio. Today, I’m talking with Enneagram coach, author, and self-awareness cheerleader Ashton Whitmoyer-Ober—aka Enneagram Ashton. Ashton’s a powerhouse in personal growth: speaker, professor, and community builder who he...

Have you ever felt like you're shouting into the void online, hoping for more than a like or a DM? You're not alone—and you're not doing it wrong. You're just building it backwards. In this episode, I sat down with my real-life brunch bestie, Laylee Emadi—a conference host, coach, and the founder of The Creative Educator Conference—to talk all things community-led business . La...

Imagine if your funniest business-savvy friend handed you a life cheat sheet every week. That’s The System for Everything — quick, relatable episodes packed with real tips, real talk, and way too many reality television references. Hosted by Julie Fried, it’s the podcast that proves systems don't have to be boring. If you love practical tips but need them served with a side of sharp wit, this...