Anxiously Ambitious

Most people think showing up visibly in their business means looking polished, put together, and just like everyone else in their industry. Emily Anderson has spent fifteen years proving that wrong. In this conversation we talk about what actually happens when you keep waiting for perfect, what it looks like to build a business and a creative life on your own terms, and why the most important thin...

The biggest breakthrough in your business probably isn't creating something new. It's seeing what you already have differently. We're told the path to more freedom is simple: create another offer, launch another course, build another income stream. But what if that's the very thing keeping us stuck? In this conversation, Ellie McMakin challenges some of the biggest assumptions in entrepreneurship....

In this episode, Netty shares about the free online community she started, aptly called The Chill Space, built for people who are tired of adapting, masking, and performing just to belong in a group. She walks through the four spaces inside: Open Hours (a no-agenda, body-doubling-friendly drop-in coworking room), The Work (a monthly live guest-led experience), The Clubhouse (the social feed), and...

If you have been avoiding the business side of your creative work because some part of you believes that getting good at it will make you less of an artist, you are not alone and this episode is going to hit close to home. Netty spent years in that exact place, talented at her craft and completely avoiding everything else, and she talks honestly about the belief that was underneath all of it and w...

If you have ever felt like the entrepreneurship world was not built for you, this episode is going to feel like a relief. Netty gets into why building a business as a sensitive creative, an HSP, a projector, or just someone who feels things deeply and needs space to do their best work is genuinely hard, and why that difficulty says nothing about your capacity and everything about a system that was...

She's back — and everything has changed. If you've been here before, you know this show has had a few names. And if you're brand new... perfect timing, because this is the beginning of something that finally feels right. In this episode, Netty tells the full story of rebranding her podcast - twice - and the moment that made everything click. It's an episode about reinvention, about identity, and a...

Send us a text In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious , I’m joined by Ellie Steinbrink — Expert Stylist, Personal Brand Coach & Speaker, and the founder of Style Decoded. Ellie spent over 20 years in marketing and branding before realizing she was on the wrong path. In the messy middle of burnout, part-time work, and even insomnia, she followed a nudge she couldn’t ignore: start posting one ou...

Send us a text What if the bravest business move isn’t a new offer, but finally listening to yourself? In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious, I’m joined by Jana Boyko: entrepreneur, business coach, and creator of the guided journals Bedside Business Plan and Employee to Entrepreneur. Jana shares how she walked away from a shiny advertising career, navigated a painful early partnership breakdown,...

Send us a text What happens when success starts to feel like a performance instead of a life you actually want to live? In this solo episode, I reflect on a recent headline about Lil Nas X and what it reveals about the impossible standards we place on celebrities, on each other, and on ourselves. When he faltered publicly, the world turned his humanity into entertainment. But beneath the scandal w...

Send us a text What does it really mean to “own your story” and how do you decide what’s worth sharing online? In this special live episode of Anxiously Ambitious , recorded at the stunning Greenhouse on Strawberry Lane in Nova Scotia, I sit down with my friend and mentor, Caley Dimmock . Caley is a digital ads expert, educator, and mentor who has built a thriving personal brand rooted in radical...

Send us a text What happens when you leave corporate to find freedom—but end up hustling harder than ever? In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious , I’m joined by Evie Tavares , a copywriter, brand photographer, and creative marketing expert who helps entrepreneurs sell with empathy and show up in a way that feels true. After walking away from a decade in banking during her second maternity leave,...

Send us a text What happens when you walk into a room before you feel ready, not with confidence, but with curiosity? In this episode of Anxiously Ambitious , I’m joined by Crystal Shadwell. Award-winning educator, speaker, podcaster, and co-founder of Something Beyond Mom for an honest conversation about identity, burnout, and the quiet bravery of saying yes before you feel fully prepared. We tal...

Send us a text What if your skincare routine was more than self-care, it was a radical act of self-respect? In this episode, I sit down with Rebecca Ogilvie, founder of Detour Co., to explore how slowing down, embracing imperfection, and building true community can transform your life and business. What We’ll Cover: ✨ Why your skincare routine might be the most important ritual of your day 🌿 The...

Send us a text What if the path to healing and purpose isn’t about fixing yourself but remembering who you’ve always been? In this conversation, contemporary artist and certified Practitioner Chanelle Jefferson joins me to explore how embracing softness, stillness, and even our “weirdness” can become our greatest strengths. What We’ll Cover: -Why your “weird” is worthy and how to reclaim the parts...

Send us a text What if sales didn’t have to feel icky, pushy, or inauthentic? In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Schmidtke, sales coach and former tech sales leader, to talk about how to build a more honest, empowering relationship with selling. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling your business, Kirsten shares a radically refreshing perspective on how to approach sales with more hear...

Send us a text What if your productivity is actually your body’s survival response? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Kathryn Spears to unpack how nervous system dysregulation fuels burnout, perfectionism, and dissociation especially for high-achieving women. What We Cover: Why being “dissociated as f*ck” is more common than you think, and how to spot it The nervous system’s role in b...

Send us a text In this joint episode of Anxiously Ambitious and The Community Podcast , Janette and Kristina are joined by Jodie Heffren, founder of Rooted Woodland. Jodie shares her inspiring shift from nursing to entrepreneurship, where she now curates powerful experiences in nature that foster healing and connection. Through breathwork, hot and cold therapy, and the grounding energy of the fore...

Send us a text What if the signs you’re ignoring are actually guiding you to something better? In this episode, I chat with Laurie Hawkins, coach, strategist, and soulful entrepreneur, about learning to listen to life’s gentle nudges before they become impossible to ignore. What We Cover: Recognizing the "feather, the brick, and the train" and why small nudges matter How to navigate feelings of mi...

Send us a text What does it mean to truly take up space in rooms not built for you? In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with Puja Malhotra, founder and CEO of Roop Creative Agency, to explore how culture, motherhood, and resilience have shaped her journey as a branding expert and entrepreneur. What We Cover:  Why taking up space matters and how to do it even when it feels impossible  Overco...

Send us a text What happens when the business you built to slow down starts to speed up? In this conversation, I’m joined by intuitive entrepreneur and podcast host Jenna Goodhand, founder of Cafèzia Coffee, to explore the tension between ambition and alignment—and what it really means to grow a business that honours your wellness. What We Cover: ✨ The story behind Cafèzia: an anti-hustle coffee...

Send us a text What if the biggest shifts in your business, and your life, happen when you finally let yourself be fully supported? In this episode, I’m joined again by my good friend Kristina Bartold, co-founder of The Social Snippet and High Vibe Women, to reflect on the magic of our first Boss Mode Retreat and share all the details about what’s coming next! What We Cover: ✨ How building real c...

Send us a text What if the joy you're craving doesn’t come from doing more but from finally allowing yourself to do less? In this heartfelt and eye-opening conversation, I’m joined by Andrea Parker, conscious leadership coach, keynote speaker, and co-founder of FunX, who shares how reconnecting to joy and fun isn’t just possible, it’s powerful. What We Cover:  ✨ Why we lose touch with joy—and how...

Send us a text Have you ever felt like the sidekick in your own story? Like you’re doing all the things but still shrinking, still playing small, still waiting for someone to hand you permission to shine? This episode is your sign to stop waiting. Recorded live at High Vibe Women , this conversation with Monique Bryan was a true moment — packed room, big feelings, no filter. We laughed, we cried,...

Send us a text What if the hardest thing you ever did... was stop pushing? In today’s solo episode, I’m talking about a belief that gets wildly misunderstood: slowing down in business. Somewhere along the way, we started equating hard work with self-destruction. But what if there’s a third path? One where you’re still ambitious, still working hard — but you’re not abandoning yourself in the proces...

Send us a text In this episode I’m joined by Carly Ottaway—brand storyteller, founder of Web of Words, and a voice of calm clarity in the noisy world of creative entrepreneurship. After years of helping others shape their stories, Carly is now embracing her own, letting go of perfection, and leaning into presence, purpose, and personal truth. What we cover: ✨ Letting go of control and learning to...