Gratitude Geek

What if the thing your body needs most is also the thing you stopped letting yourself do? Award-winning dancer and movement coach Jenny C. Cohen joins Kandas for a conversation about using dance as a healing tool — not as performance, not as exercise, but as a way back to yourself. Jenny danced through chemotherapy, rebuilt her life after cancer, and turned that experience into a business that hel...

The business rules you've been following were never written for you. In this episode, Kandas Rodarte sits down with business coach and author Becky Mollenkamp to explore what it actually looks like to build an ethical, human-centered business as a woman solopreneur — without replicating the extractive system most of us are trying to leave behind. Becky makes a distinction that will stick with you:...

Lesle Lane wasn't supposed to take over her family's photography business. Her brothers were the obvious choice. Commercial and industrial photography in the early 90s wasn't considered women's work — and her family wanted her shooting weddings instead. She said no. And then she spent the next 33 years proving that was the right call. Lesle is the owner of Studio 13 in Indiana, and someone in her...

Do you think your story is too boring to share? PR strategist Lauren Kwedar Cockerell has spent 23 years helping purpose-driven businesses uncover the story only they can tell — and she's here to help you do the same. In this episode of Gratitude Geek, Lauren breaks down what public relations for small business owners actually means (hint: it's not social media), how to stop leading with the surfa...

If you're a woman solopreneur who's been through cancer, divorce, or a major life disruption, your body is keeping score. Chronic stress doesn't just feel bad — it rewires your gut microbiome, tanks your sleep, and quietly undermines your ability to run a business. And most of us were raised to push through it alone. Dr. Sara Love is a licensed naturopathic physician in Oregon with 16 years of pra...

You’re feeling stressed and scattered in your business, but gratitude feels too woo to help. In this episode of Gratitude Geek, Heather Vickery and Kandas Rodarte break down how gratitude builds real clarity and ease—not just forced positivity—for Gen X women solopreneurs. Heather, a transformation coach who’s used gratitude through major life transitions, shows how it fits into business as a prac...

Thinking about starting a podcast? Before you buy the mic and set up the hosting account, you need to hear this conversation. Julie Marty-Pearson has been in podcasting for nearly five years. She helps people launch shows, coaches podcast guests, and hosts three podcasts herself. She also tells people no when a podcast isn't right for them yet. That kind of honesty is exactly why this conversation...

Most women don't find out what breast cancer support resources are available until they're already in crisis. In this episode, Kandas sits down with Gretchen Awad, Executive Director of Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio and Detroit, for an honest conversation about what Komen actually does on the ground — and how to access it. Full show notes + resources: https://kandasrodarte.com/315 Gretchen walks t...

Your broken money story is robbing you blind — and most women solopreneurs don't even know it's happening. In this episode, Bill Cates, author of The Hidden Heist, helps you understand why your money mindset is the real thing holding your business back, not your strategy, not your marketing, and not the economy. Bill has spent 34 years helping financial professionals grow through referrals and has...

Tired of doing everything yourself in your business? Airline founder Ral West shares how she escaped operator overwhelm to build systems, delegate, and sell her company to Alaska Airlines—practical steps even solopreneurs can take today.​ Perfect for Gen X women solopreneurs rebuilding after cancer, divorce, loss, or burnout. Learn non-hustle ways to automate, focus on profit over revenue, and wea...

Feeling the weight of digital overload? Kelsey Green joins Gratitude Geek to break down digital minimalism and practical technology boundaries that help Gen X women solopreneurs reclaim focus and mental health without ditching tech entirely.​ Kelsey shares her journey from tech burnout—thinking she had ADHD—to liberation through Cal Newport-inspired principles: Does your tech serve your values, or...

Have you been earning a great income in a career that secretly drains your soul? In this episode, career coach Rachel Spekman helps Gen X women solopreneurs transition from miserable high-paying jobs to soul-aligned work using gratitude and authenticity. Full Show Notes + Links: https://kandasrodarte.com/311 In This Episode: • Reflect on what actually worked in past careers • Experiment with caree...

How can a vintage reseller build real financial freedom after 40? In episode 310 of Gratitude Geek with Kandas Rodarte, Etsy seller and storyteller Kira Hartley Klinger shares how she turned a vintage fabric side hustle into a six‑figure business growth story for Gen X women entrepreneurs. You’ll hear practical business ideas for women over 40, from smarter shipping and sales tax systems to using...

If you've ever felt guilty raising your rates, struggled with pricing objections, or wondered why clients don't see the value in your work, this conversation with Paul Eric Pape will change everything. Paul is a creative business strategist who's designed custom collectibles for Disney, Universal, and The Tonight Show. After 20 years of proving the "starving artist" myth wrong, he created Gamify B...

Thinking about changing careers—or reshaping your business—after divorce, illness, layoffs, or other life disruptions, but terrified you'll just burn out again? This episode was made for Gen X women solopreneurs (40-60) rebuilding on their own terms, with zero bro marketing vibes. Former AV-rated attorney turned Work-Life Harmony and Leadership Coach Arlene Cohen Miller shares how she moved from t...

When political turmoil in Chile pushed his adopted home “into disarray,” growth hacker and documentary filmmaker Peter Murphy Lewis lost his company, his community, and the life he’d spent 14 years building. In less than two weeks, he and his wife left everything behind and moved back to the U.S. with their three‑year‑old—starting again from his parents’ basement in Kansas.​ In this conversation w...

Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? You're not alone—and it's affecting more than just your physical space. Professional organizer Kerry Thomas reveals how clutter impacts your energy, mental clarity, and productivity, and shares 5 actionable strategies to clear it from your life. In this conversation, Kerry explains the connection between physical clutter, digital overwhelm, and mental/emotional ener...

She’s booked 30,000 podcast interviews, and the guests who actually made money all did one thing differently. In this episode of Gratitude Geek, Kandas Rodarte and Interview Connections founder Jessica Rhodes break down how to turn podcast guesting into real revenue instead of chasing vanity metrics.​ You’ll learn why building real relationships with hosts beats obsessing over audience size, how n...

Are $10K offers really the only path to a successful online business? Writer and community-builder Carol Tice shares why the high-ticket guru model fails most Gen X women entrepreneurs—and what actually works instead: sustainable communities that fit real lives. 00:00 RV Living and Lifestyle Freedom 01:46 Building a $6M Community 07:26 Trust and Online Communities 14:26 How to Launch a Paid Commun...

Podcast predictions for 2026 are already taking shape. In this episode of Gratitude Geek, Kandas Rodarte and Amy Stone dive into the trends that matter most for women podcasters, especially Gen X women building sustainable, story‑driven shows. They unpack fresh data about women‑hosted podcasts, CPMs, and listener growth, then connect it to real‑world decisions about ads, networks, YouTube SEO, and...

When does values-based marketing stop feeling meaningful and start feeling performative? In episode 302 of Gratitude Geek, Kandas Rodarte talks with marketing and public relations veteran Leslie Smith about how solopreneurs can market with meaning without slipping into optics-driven or shallow campaigns. They explore why alignment matters more than visibility, how storytelling builds trust, and wh...

If your goals keep fizzling out by February, this episode is your wake-up call. Award-winning author and goal strategist Debra Eckerling joins me to break down the five essential goal-setting shifts Gen X women solopreneurs must make before 2026. We dig into the real drivers of motivation, the role of personal growth in building momentum, and the overlooked power of celebrating small wins along th...

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains a discussion about suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to a loved one, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or text TALK to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7. Please take care while listening and make sure you're in the right headspace. You are not alone. We Can Do...

Image Cycling - Ursula Mentjes, five-time bestselling author and business growth expert, reveals how to align your subconscious with true desires instead of ego-driven goals. === A note before you listen. Ursula Mentjes passed away on June 19, 2026, at the age of 52. She left behind her husband Tim, her son Lucca, and a community of thousands of entrepreneurs whose businesses and beliefs about the...

Learn how to sell art online without feeling salesy from Miriam Schulman, author of Artpreneur. Discover proven marketing strategies for artists, how to sell art on email, and why traditional business advice doesn't work for creative entrepreneurs selling art online. About Miriam Schulman Miriam Schulman is the author of Artpreneur: The Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Sustainable Living from Your C...