Rise and Shine

This week on Rise and Shine, Abby sits down with Sarah Haynes, Chief Marketing Officer of Shared Drive and founder, mom, and all-around powerhouse. Sarah opens up about her journey from solo entrepreneur to C-Suite leader, the lessons that shaped her along the way, and the habits that keep her grounded while juggling work and family. From redefining "having it all" to making peace with trade-offs,...

In this episode of Rise and Shine , I'm talking with Megan Geyer , owner of Southern Magnolia Home Inspection. Megan shares her journey of building a business that works for her life, not the other way around . We dive into: Building a business to match your personal priorities – creating a career that supports your life, not the other way around. When to advocate and when to accept for the kids –...

Do you ever feel like you're talking, but no one is really listening? In this episode of Rise and Shine , we break down the 3 Cs of communication—Clear, Concise, and Confident —and show you how to use them to make sure your voice is heard, every time. Whether you're leading a team, speaking in meetings, or simply trying to get your point across with your family, mastering these three principles wi...

It's not just what you know, it's who you know. Looking back at my career, almost every major opportunity—from my first internship to my current role—was made possible through referrals, relationships, and networking. Your network won't do the work for you, but it will get you in the door. And in today's world, that door is everything. In this episode of Rise and Shine, I share: My own career jour...

Motherhood doesn't come with a one-size-fits-all manual — and that's exactly what we're diving into in this episode of Rise and Shine . I'm joined by Abbie Mirata for an honest, funny, and heart-filled conversation about what it means to be a mom in our own way. We talk about: Why we're not afraid to talk to our kids like real people How loving big doesn't always mean being at every single event T...

Episode 106 – Focused as a Bee with Sydney & Jones Loflin What if the secret to being more productive—and less stressed—was already modeled in nature? In this episode, I'm joined by the dynamic father-daughter duo Sydney and Jones Loflin , authors of the new book Focused as a Bee . Together, we explore the 6 permissions we can learn from bees to help us manage our time, energy, and focus with more...

In this episode of Rise and Shine , Abby sits down with Jenna Skuza to talk about what it really looks like to grow—both as a professional and as a person. From embracing creativity as a counterbalance to a logic-heavy career, to the importance of reflecting on wins and losses alike, Jenna brings honest insight into the highs, lows, and in-betweens of leadership. Together, they explore why giving...

There are moments that make us. Moments that change our path and challenge us to decide who we are and who we want to be.  Today's guest, Brook Jennings, shares one of her pivotal moments when she found her strength and how she used that as a time to turn setbacks in life into meaningful comebacks.  She shares how everyday she chooses joy and fights for that joy and happiness despite what life bri...

We all face moments when our confidence takes a hit. Maybe you just received tough news, you're gearing up for a big interview, or you're about to present at work. Whatever the situation, a confidence boost is within reach! In this episode of Rise and Shine , I'm sharing 6 powerful tips to help you regain your confidence and show up as your best self. From the magic of practice and the importance...

Rise and Shine is no longer JUST for Women in Homebuilding! The podcast is taking a turn and trusting my gut and opening up Rise and Shine to more topics, more stories and hopefully more impact. This is the first episode where I share a pivotal moment in my life. The moment I was told "You can't have your own kids." And how changing the path not the dream has made all the difference. It's a story...

Hard Doesn't Mean Impossible: Creating Your Own Path with Kerri Paulino   Success isn't a straight line—it's a winding road filled with challenges, opportunities, and moments that test your resilience. In this episode, I sit down with Kerri Paulino, Division President at Meritage Homes , to talk about her incredible journey from intern to executive. Kerri didn't follow a traditional career path—sh...

Today marks the 100th episode and I'm so grateful for the journey, connections and impact that this show has had and it's all thanks to you! This episode is a little different. This is a review of a book I recently read and I wish I had read it YEARS AGO! It shares four keys to building an incredible culture on your team.  We will review the 4 Fish Philosophys from the Book Fish! by Stephen Lundin...

Every year brings it's own set of obstacles and opporutnities. 2024 took me on a journey. This episode I share the 5 BIG lessons I learned in 2024. Create a plan but hold it loosely. When it comes to a fullfilling career it needs to hit three buckets - Job/Industry/People. - Abbie Mirata Be Brave, Don't Settle - Amy O'Connor You can be both! Make your health a priority, always.  I share how these...

Let's have some real talk about the behind the scene challenges of growing your family while also growing your career. Diana Wallace, Owner of Scout, and I share our personal expeirences of facing infertility, pregnancy, leave and raising babies and the impacts this had both personally and professionally. If you are a women exploring getting pregnant - tune to learn form our mistakes! If you are c...

What if I told you there was one magic pill that would grant you and your team 31% more productivity, 37% more sales, 19% more accuracy and decreased turnover as the icing on the cake? Would you take that pill? What if I told you that pill is called happiness. Tune in to today's episode so you can hear how you can build a habit of happiness and leverage that to improve your teams performance.   Di...

Let's have a heart to heart about this all to popular phrase floating around today, imposter syndrome. When we were kids we pretended we were doctors, princesses or fire fighters because we were trying on who we want to be when we grow up. We call it playing make believe.  As teenagers when we tried a new style of clothes or a new friend group and we were called "posers". But in reality we were st...

I love pie and given the chance I will always want another slice. It's the same in sales. If I could get one more sale, why wouldn't I go for it!  Today's episode walks you through the 5 ways you can get more pie, I mean sales! 1. Differentiate yourself from your competitors. 2. Create memorable experiences your customers will share. 3. Always be booking your next appointment (thought I was gonna...

40% of the workforce is set to retire in the next 5-8 years. What that means is our workforce is shifting and therefore so must our leadership. Today's episode is about the skills needed to lead the modern workforce. The top 5 things people are looking for in an employer is.. 1. Trust 2. Growth and Development 3. Impact 4. Collaboration 5. Appreciation In order to provide that you need to have a v...

Today's guest, Chelsea Timmons, shares HER STORY on how she got into homebuilding along with how she has embraced blending and blurring the lines between her personal and professional life.  Being a working parent comes with challenges. Sometimes we work so hard keep our personal lives at home and our professional lives at work. But in those moments we aren't showing up whole or authentically in e...

Today I chat about riding the "New Role Roller Coaster" and how great it feels to get to other side. The secret sauce to getting to the other side is more time and effort in the right places. I think I finally got to the other side and I went from a grind to gratitude.  We have things we "have to do" but they allow us to "get to do" other amazing things. Today I dig into some of the have to's in m...

You write the story, we'll build the set! This should be every builders motto. We are selling more than a house. We are selling the set where families write their stories.  On today's episode of Rise and Shine I rename every room of my house based on what that room means to me. I encourage everyone selling today to become the director. Help your buyers write their story. Who is living where and wh...

Today's special guest is Kim Guley, owner and founder of Builder Boost. Builder Boost is where homebuilders and real Real Estate Agents collaborate! Kim talks to us about: her path into homebuilding how she got the idea for builder boost how they serve homebuilders  how they serve agents how this collaboration can help both parties GROW THEIR IMPACT And all the things working moms and building a b...

We have three main gears in life. 1. Cruise Control 2. Overdrive - Passing Lane 3. Coasting - slow lane I don't think anyone should live in overdrive always.  That is the hustle mentality that I don't subscribe too. I think overdrive is needed for seasons and you need to shift back into cruise control as soon as possible. We also have seasons when we need to coast. It's time to get in the slow lan...

  As we develop in our roles we need our leaders in different ways. Today's episode is a dive into what is called situational leadership. Situational Leadership is the understanding that each person on your team is at a different level of skill and motivation and therefore needs lead differently. I review the four stages of career development; beginner, novice, apprentice and mastery, as well as h...

Culture has been a buzz word for many years in the industry. But what is and what isn't culture and who is responsible for building the culture? Today's guest, Craig Neal, shares his view on culture and spoiler we are all responsible for culture. We also dig into how it's not just women, or parents who want a work/life balance. EVERYONE wants and deserves to be present at home and at work and feel...