The Corporate Dropout

After spending the majority of his career learning what NOT to do as a leader, Mark Raper became the CEO of a public relations agency in 1996. In today's episode, he'll teach you why shared effort needs to equal shared reward, how he doubled then tripled his agency revenue, what emerging agencies need to prepare for in the future and how to work through some difficult but necessary decisions as a...

After being laid off, Andrea Vahl decided to stay home with her son and build a side hustle. She dove into blogs on Facebook advertising but was disappointed when she found a bunch of information that didn't resonate with her. Andrea discovered a hole in the market, and decided to fill it herself. From shoestring budget to full-time business, Andrea helps business and agency owners everywhere get...

First we learned about the Design Sprint, then we solved big problems like a BOSS. Today we're giving you the run-down into what happened when we hosted our very first Design Sprint for a national food client. You'll hear real and raw insight into how we moved the needle for branding a new product in five days (a process that normally takes months) and how you can implement this process into your...

Are you ready to cut through the BS of typical brainstorm sessions that end with, "I'll follow up later," but never actually go anywhere? Today's guest Jake Knapp spent 10+ years at Google Ventures where he created the Design Sprint, a five day "sprint" to get big, complicated projects off the ground. It cuts through the inefficiency of brainstorming to get real consumer feedback - and fast. It's...

Do you roll your eyes when you see another self-help book being promoted all over Instagram? Then you'll love today's guest. Alexis Rockley is author of Find Your F*ckyeah: Stop Censoring Who You Are and Discover What You Really Want , host of the voicemail-style podcast Call Me When You Get This , speaker and career coach. Alexis spent 11 years in the corporate world managing $55+ million dollars...

What does entrepreneurship and nutrition have in common? It's a daily practice, and Danielle Omar, RD, of Food Confidence, shares her insights in today's episode on how food attitudes can reveal your overall mindset. How you do one thing is how you do everything. That's true in Danielle's case, as she has leveled up her business by building a community of enthusiastic repeat customers. In this epi...

For Rachael and April, there is one thing that never steered them wrong: a crystal clear marketing plan. There are 3 surefire ways to knock it out of the park in 2020, and that includes the right goal, the right call to action and the right people. In this episode, Rachael and April talk about planning strategies and why getting out of your bubble and in front of the right people is ultimately wha...

What are you going to do in 2020 to set yourself up to live your dream lifestyle? Listen in as Rachael & April jump into Part 1 of their 3 Episode Series on "Planning for 2020." They discuss the beginning of Mix + Shine, how they fell flat on their behinds, what it was like to make a comeback and how to keep the energy moving forward in a positive (and profitable) way. After tuning in, check out e...

When is timing right? Whenever you say so. Part 2 with Josh Fowler gets personal and covers how Josh started two businesses while adopting a child who requires extra care. Timing is never perfect, but for Josh and Susan, growing their family could never be a wrong answer. In this episode, Josh gets personal talking about family, money, debt, and how to persevere and build your family at the same t...

When opportunity knocks, are you ready to say yes? As a super-connector, Josh Fowler was open to a friend's request to capture a wedding on an iPhone - and the rest is history. Josh and his wife Susan left their full-time jobs to pursue their own businesses, becoming a power couple for photography and videography. In this episode, Josh talks us through early financial hardships in the beginning -...

Therapy is for everyone, and it might hold special power for entrepreneurs, who shoulder a lot of responsibility (and guilt... and stress... and busy-ness). Therapist and entrepreneur Laurie Dierstein shares why therapy helps - and the 4 ways everyone needs to pay better attention to their own needs, both physical and emotional. To learn more, visit the show notes. Connect with Rachael & April on...

When opportunity seeks you out, will you say yes? Brian Maher, Doctor of Physical Therapy, never saw himself as a business owner until a former colleague extended the offer. Brian talks about learning the ropes of getting (and keeping) patients - and one critical step to move and breathe better if you're at a desk all day. To learn more, visit the show notes. Connect with Rachael & April on Instag...

Is September the new January? How have we changed our business based on our podcast interviews? We answer 20 of your top questions and more on this episode with your hosts Rachael + April. PLUS the critical information every entrepreneur needs to keep in mind when they are trying to get new business. To learn more, visit the show notes. Connect with Rachael & April on Instagram!

When we're unhappy, it's never the circumstance or the job - it's us. Melanie Scott is an intuitive coach that helps people stop putting on bandaids and find their deeper calling. Listen for your "aha" - because if you know something isn't right, it means you know deep down you're here for MORE. To learn more, visit the show notes. Connect with Rachael & April on Instagram!

Running a business out of an RV can be every bit as fun and chaotic as you'd think. For Ashleigh Kluck, life on the road is her grand back-up plan. When her family business sold, she knew she had to come up with something all her own. She started Volt Station Media to write killer copy from anywhere and shares tips and tools for writing captions, branding on social media and getting your business...

Most creatives decided they weren't good at math a long time ago - but isn't that the key to the financial freedom that allows you to be creative in the first place? In this episode Jenny Karlsson shares a financial message for creatives: knowing your numbers is power, and knowing your history with money is clarity. Rachael also shares her own money-block breakthrough with Jenny: that making lots...

Entrepreneurship is free of boards, bosses and committees- so get ready to come face to face with yourself. The Corporate Dropout Host April Sciacchitano talks about getting out of the weeds and thinking more broadly. In this episode, Rachael interviews April about making time for being creative - whether through infrastructure or connection in your business. To learn more, visit the show notes. C...

Everyone hates how they look and sound on video.... yet we all know it's where the future of marketing lies. The key to great video? Start recording now (more than you could even publish), and then take a risk and publish something you don't love. Rachael talks to Loud Cat Creative founder Reid Kerley on when you're ready for professional video, what you have to achieve in the first few seconds of...

Throughout her career, Kendyl Wright was asked to please be quiet. Shut up and follow the rules. It didn't suit her - and yet she loved running the BIG events and experiences that Corporate America gave her access to. Kendyl talks about starting an experiential marketing business, working for "big fish" clients - and how she bought a bus on Craigslist and ran a cross-country tour. To learn more, v...

She didn't know that winning a food truck was just the beginning (it was for fun, after all). But that wild ride led Diana Yin to open Poppy + Rose in Los Angeles, now a top-ranked brunch spot in the U.S. Diana shares her secret for hiring a team (and what you'll learn in the first 5 minutes of meeting someone), what to delegate - and why "do what you love" is overrated, and impractical, for entre...

Ken Jacobs has been coaching agency entrepreneurs and leaders for more than 10 years. What's at the root of every growth challenge? Leadership. In this episode, Ken shares how to rise above the day-to-day fray to build a leadership legacy - including setting goals based on your team's feedback and how to call upon your inner Sasha Fierce. To learn more, visit the show notes. Connect with Rachael &...

Alison Maloni was a broadcast journalist who made the jump to CEO of her own PR business. Having lost her mother at just 4 years old, she remembers one lesson she taught her in particular: you have to fight for it. In this episode, she shares how she fights for what matters - and lessons from broadcast journalism, like how to prep for a speaking engagement and pull it off like a pro. To learn more...

Rachael Seda grew up barefoot in Hawaii. She left the beach life and her college boyfriend (now husband) to pursue her marketing career at a non-profit in Washington, D.C., later breaking into agency life before starting her own business in Virginia Beach. That's the bio. The real story starts with a girl who always said "I'll do it if you do it," and learned to trust her gut. This episode introdu...

With talent at the intersection of tech, design and strategy, Sarah Klein is a true triple threat. It's why she was uniquely able to dissect and tackle a long sought-after solution in entertainment: how to buy the things you see on TV. But after years of development, dedication and promising investor interest in Los Angeles, it was simply time to call it. In this episode, Sarah talks us through so...

John Stein's talent for identifying an emerging trend - being open to innovation and aligning his businesses accordingly - has made him a CEO to model after. It's how he keeps Baker's Crust, a pioneer in farm-to-table restaurants, thriving with 7 locations across Virginia. And it's how and why he launched Neighborhood Harvest, a company delivering fresh greens, herbs and more directly to your door...