Hustle + Gather, with Courtney and Dana

Courtney and Dana unpack last week's episode with publicist Melinda Jackson ( Apple Podcasts | Spotify ) and her unique approach to public relations, brand consulting, and life in general, including: What's an Eff-You Fund? What would life and entrepreneurship be like sigle and kid-free? What does it mean to manifest fire? Hustle and Gather is hosted by Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell, and is pro...

When Melinda Jackson graduated from college, it was time to move to Los Angeles to get out of North Carolina and onto a bigger stage. But she knew no one, had no job, and had to pay someone $500 to share a room (where she slept on the floor).  But she hustled, had three jobs at once, and eventually worked her way up to a full-time position in PR - working with some of the biggest names in entertai...

Courtney and Dana unpack last week's episode with Jess Ekstrom ( Apple Podcasts | Spotify ), discussing the different seasons of their business and what it means to them personally and professionally. Plus, why starting your second business is scarier than starting your first, why success is situational, and enjoying the journey rather than the outcome.  Hustle and Gather is hosted by Courtney Hop...

Jess Ekstrom started Headbands of Hope back in college, and the demand was more than she could have ever imagined. With the success of her first business comes expectations for her follow-up chapters.  So how has she responded?  Plus, Jess talks about why everyone should create 100-year goals and why you should celebrate the parts of the business you dread.    Watch the full uncut episode, in-pers...

On last week's episode, you heard Larry Long Jr talk about a personal goal that would mean he's made it professionally - golfing in 20 different states. Today, Courtney and Dana talk about what dream personal goals they have, and if they're ridiculous or achieveable. Plus, which sister is better at faking the funk?  And why do we see people stopping when they're three feet from the finish line? If...

In December 2019, Larry Long Jr was comfortable. He had been successful in corporate sales, and even had a few speaking gigs on the side where he would tell the audience to take a chance and follow their dreams. But when he looked in the mirror, he realized he wasn't following his own advice.  So in 2020, he took the scary leap to entrepreneurship. Watch the full uncut episode, in-person and in-st...

When you think about your life, are you an active participant? Or is your life floating away without you - you're there, but you're not taking the oar or rowing in any direction?  And even in your business, are you looking ahead to the future? Or are you just getting through your checklist and surviving today? If you haven't listened to last week's episode with Oh So Cute Designs ' Beth McMillian,...

Oh So Cute Design 's Beth McMillian didn't think she had an artistic voice until she realized that people like art - whatever style it is - because it brings them some kind of joy. Anything that adds goodness or joy or love or beauty or hope to the world - even if it's just within yourself - is worthwhile. Today Beth shares her journey to starting her business and the struggle to mix art with entr...

When you make it to the point where you need to hire your first employees, you've achieved a significant milestone in your business - one that can be completely terrifying. Courtney and Dana talk about their experience. Plus, when is it the right time to ask for help, even for the little things like folding socks? And what reality TV show would you want to go on? If you haven't listened to last we...

Having grown up in the Bahamas, Sugar Euphoria 's Randi Smith knew what it was like to literally live on an island. And sometimes as an entrepreneur, she felt stuck on her own figurative island - until she learned to start asking for help. Hustle and Gather is hosted by Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell, and is produced by Earfluence .  Courtney and Dana's hustles include C&D Events , Hustle an...

After the conversation with Amie Thompson, Courtney and Dana ponder whether or not they would take investment from others in their businesses. It sounds great to have money come in, but what does that mean for control and decision-making?  And then, would they want to invest in other people's businesses? How do you trust someone with your money when you're not sure if they have the same work ethic...

In 2017, Amie Thompson was in a spot in her career where she was working all the time and making great money...except that she never had an opportunity to actually spend it.  So one day she left, with a plan to take six months off and relax.  Six months turned into a year, and when she eventually came back to work, she had an opportunity to run Creative Allies . But for a natural introvert, is tha...

Does the fear of failure keep you up at night?  How about the fear of being a bad boss?  Have you ever wondered if you're leaving your industry in a better place than you found it?  On today's Conversations with Sisters, Dana Kadwell and Courtney Hopper talk candidly about these questions and more. If you haven't listened to the conversation with Palm Sunday 's Lauren Jennings, it's the episode be...

Lauren Jennings dreamed of having her fashion designs in high-end brands, and after graduating from Parsons School of Design, she was on the right path. She found a job working at a large commercial fashion house in New York City - but it was there that she discovered how her designs were actually made - and she wasn't happy about it. Now, Lauren's Palm Sunday focuses on creating custom jewelry th...

On today's Conversations with Sisters, Courtney and Dana talk about learning through their failures, why it's so hard (but necessary) to ask for help from your community, and the challenges of giving your kids more than you had growing up. If you haven't listened to the conversation A Good Day's Jordan Kentris it's the episode before this one, on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or any other podcast app...

Jordan Kentris has a successful invitation, stationery, and experience design company, and he was even named one of BizBash's Most Innovative People in Events 2020 .  But to get to this point, he's made some mistakes - including the way he handled the million dollar wedding of his dreams. Today, Jordan talks to Courtney and Dana about lessons learned, the phoniness AND the authenticity of social m...

On today's Conversations with Sisters, Courtney and Dana encourage everyone listening to not be askholes (tune in to find out what that means!), and whether they need to be saving up for their kids' therapy funds. If you haven't listened to the conversation with Voiceover Superhero Bonnie Williams it's the episode before this one, on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, or any other podcast app. Hustle and G...

Bonnie Williams dreamt of playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, but that never became reality. But, knowing Bonnie loved acting, a friend asked if she would be interested in recording a radio commercial in Southern California, and Bonnie found a new passion: voiceover work. In this episode, hear Bonnie tell the story of how a small pivot reignited her love for her career. If you're dr...

No matter what ladder you're trying to climb, no matter what industry you're going to be at the top of, you have to be able to be a listener and hear constructive feedback.  And yet, why is it so difficult to take feedback?  And why are we so afraid of hurting someone else's feelilngs when we're just trying to help them grow?  Come join us for this special LIVE episode of Hustle + Gather with Wedd...

Do you ever wonder why you hustle every day until you can't, then literally do nothing because you're going through a phase of burnout / depression? But you do it again the next day because you can't stop moving? Maybe you're searching for your own significance, and the key is to find significance in the everyday. If you haven't listened to the conversation Amanda McKay , it's the episode before t...

Amanda McKay didn't have a lot of money growing up, and her mom had to hustle to raise 4 kids.  When Amanda pictured her career, she knew she would get into corporate America, work hard, dress nice, and climb the corporate ladder. But when she finally got her dream job...she hated it and fell into a depression thinking, "is this what I'm going to do for 30 to 40 years?"  If you're drinking along w...

In the intro of each episode, Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell say they "wake up and hustle every day."  That's the life of the entrepreneur - hustling to make that sale, hustling to hire that next employee, hustling to be respected in your industry... But do we know why we're hustling so hard?  Do we even have a why, or are we shooting aimlessly and hoping to hit something? If you haven't listene...

One day Greg Hedgepeth's grandpa took him into the woods, gave him a gun, and taught him an important life lesson that you can't just shoot aimlessly - you need to have a why you do the things you do.  Years later, Greg was working as a professor at Shaw University and as the director of communication at NC State University, plus he had an expensive hobby - running Substantial Magazine . It wasn't...

In today's Conversations with Sisters, Courtney and Dana unpack last week's episode with Nichole Lowe. Specifically, why do we think small sometimes to protech ourselves from rejection?  Plus, everybody's favorite new game, "You Might be an Entrepreneur if..." If you haven't listened to the conversation with SoleLife 's Nichole Lowe, it's the episode before this one, on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, o...

Nichole Lowe had it all in her 20's - she had her own production company where she worked on commercials, documentaries, television shows - and even shows and music videos for Prince. Life was pretty amazing - until she realized it wasn't the life she wanted. Nichole is now CEO of Zoee (formally SoleLife) a tele-coaching and business automation platform to match coaches and clients. If you're drin...