The Soul Proprietor

In this episode, Curt and Melody sit down with longtime friend and mentor Josh Latimer for a conversation that goes far beyond business strategy. They dig into the uncomfortable side of growth... why leveling up often feels like loss, how identity quietly sets the ceiling for your success, and why confidence has less to do with what you know and more to do with what you’ve proven to yourself. Josh...

Melody’s nearly ready to start a fight club or at least dish out a little “petty justice.” This episode is basically what happens when you hit your late 40s and realize you’re done tiptoeing around fragile egos, especially when being “nice” never seems to work out. Curt and Melody share about a messy neighbor drama, the exhausting rules women are still expected to follow, and where standing up for...

Everyone keeps saying AI should make our work lives easier but is anyone actually working less? This week, Melody and Curt talk about burnout, why faster tech just puts more on our plates, and how even “delegating” can feel like another job. It’s one part therapy session, one part practical experiment in finding sanity as a business owner in the AI age. What They Talk About: Why Melody felt instan...

Curt and Melody are wrestling with what “normal” even means anymore.. especially for Gen X business owners living through the AI revolution. If you’ve ever wondered whether tech is actually making life easier or just making you feel like you’re always chasing your tail, this one’s for you. They dig into overwhelm, nostalgia, adaptability, and whether anyone actually knows what’s real online. What...

Ever wonder what really happens when workaholism, family expectations, and a purpose-driven heart collide? In this episode, Melody and Curt dig into the reality of entrepreneurship with Michael Hinderliter—aka the “power wash guy”—who’s lived through business reinvention, divorce, and the very human challenge of not losing yourself (or your mind) along the way. What We Talk About: The story of how...

Mental health is one of those things entrepreneurs love to ignore, but it sneaks up on all of us (usually in the form of workaholism, anxiety, or quarter-life crises... that somehow become annual). In this part 3 episode with Bobby Walker, Curt & Melody share about their own struggles, childhood trauma, religious dogma, and the ways business ownership can both help and hurt your brain. If you'...

Entrepreneurs love the thrill of chasing the unknown or do they actually crave certainty and stability more than they'd admit? In this episode, Melody and Curt spiral through the chaos, uncertainty, and optimism that seem baked into business ownership. It's a closer look at why we white-knuckle through unpredictability, and whether being “addicted to uncertainty” is actually a badge of honor or ju...

Sometimes you just have a "blah" day and if you’re an entrepreneur, the pressure to stay “on” can make you question everything. This episode is the business owner’s confessional: Melody admits she’s feeling stuck and a little sun-starved, and Curt brings stories of finding creative flow and how wisdom (or sometimes, exhaustion) shapes what actually matters in your workday. They talk through not-so...

Ever felt like your faith got you into business and then one day, it didn’t fit anymore? In this head-spinning, raw, and sometimes hilarious episode, Curt sits down with Bobby Walker (for round two!) to peel back the story of deconversion: from zealous Pentecostal minister to proud atheist, with marriage, business, and “the dark night of the soul” along for the ride. This one’s for anyone who’s ev...

Curt and Melody bring on Bobby Walker for the ultimate "what actually happens when you go from devout faith to atheism AND still try to build a purposeful business?" episode. Imagine three close friends debating God, morality, and whether Coldplay concerts count as spiritual experiences.. without any certainty, plenty of sarcasm, and zero patience for cheap shots. What They Talk About: The moment...

Ever wonder if staying quiet is actually neutral.. or if sometimes, silence is complicit? This week, Melody and Curt digs into the pressure to stay “out of it” when the world feels like it’s falling apart, and what happens when your values bump up against the chaos of politics, family, and business. What They Talk About: Why Melody thinks political fights rarely affect her daily life but the emoti...

Ever catch yourself thinking, “Am I happy, or am I just riding the emotional rollercoaster of everyone around me?” This week, Melody and Curt get brutally honest about the messiness of happiness.. how much of it we actually control, how much is tied up in our relationships (and our businesses), and whether you can ever really keep your emotions in your own sandbox. Melody & Curt Talk About: Wh...

Being present sounds easy, but for entrepreneurs whose brains never stop spinning business plates, it can feel downright impossible, especially when family and holiday expectations crash in. In this episode, Melody and Curt talks about what it really takes to show up for your people, why “just turn your phone off” is terrible advice, and how guilt, workaholism, and that familiar business-owner urg...

Letting people go, holding your team accountable, and figuring out what kind of leader you actually want to be.. none of it’s simple. In this episode, Melody and Curt talks about the messiness of managing people you genuinely care about, the emotional cost of firing, and what happens when your "people-first" values run up against business realities. Expect stories, frustration, a little sparring,...

Ever get that feeling your brain is sprinting in a million directions while the rest of the world is taking a slow stroll? This episode is all about living and thriving with ADHD as an entrepreneur. Melody shares the vulnerable, messy reality behind her diagnosis and running a business with a “sparkly brain,” while Curt brings his undiagnosed-but-oh-so-familiar Ferrari brain energy and the worry,...

Curt and Melody sit down with their friend Meaghan Likes - entrepreneur, accountant, investor, and the human behind the name Meg Likes Money, for a conversation that goes exactly nowhere they expected. Curt tries to talk about capitalism. Meaghan politely shuts that down. And what unfolds is a surprisingly grounded conversation about money, power, obligation, and what’s really driving entrepreneur...

Partnerships sound amazing! Another brain. Shared responsibility. Someone else to help shoulder the weight of building something hard. But what happens when real life tests the agreement you signed on a good day? In this episode, Curt and Melody talk honestly about their own business partnership experiences and what they’ve learned. This isn’t a how-to episode. Although there is advice, there’s no...

What happens when two “sparkly-brained” entrepreneurs sit down to explore what it really means to be a business misfit? In this Special Christmaas episode, Curt and Melody revisit their first-ever podcast conversation, diving into the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, vision, and vulnerability. You’ll hear their candid takes on fighting imposter syndrome, the magic (and madness!) of visionar...

Have you ever wondered how Melody and Curt met and started this podcast? Well, this is your chance to know how everything started! In this special episode, we’re bringing back one of the episodes of Melody’s previous podcast, Business Misfits Podcast, where Curt was one of the guests of Melody. And this is their first-ever recording together! This episode talks about the challenges of entrepreneur...

This week on Soul Proprietor: Does integrity actually pay off in business? Melody and Curt swap stories about reputations being tested, the messy reality of trying to do the right thing, and what it feels like when your best intentions completely miss the mark. The conversation swings between frustrating and funny as they dissect the gap between our noble stories about operating with integrity and...

Curt and Melody get real about how different communities have shaped their lives as entrepreneurs .. from women’s business meetups to sales conferences and even working with international teams. Melody talks about what it felt like to step into new circles and suddenly question where she really belonged, while Curt shares the surprise of joining a sales group he never thought would be “his” kind o...

Certainty feels good. It gives us the illusion of control. But when we hold tight to being “right,” it can make us less open, less curious, and less willing to consider other people’s experiences. That gap can lead us to act in ways that don’t match the values we say we care about. This week, Curt and Melody talk certainty, how religion can shape moral blind spots, when confidence supports leaders...

This year? It’s been a lot . Inflation, AI chaos, hiring struggles, tension in the air... and yet, here comes Thanksgiving, asking us to be grateful . So what does that even look like when your legs are cramping (figuratively or otherwise) and your business is running on fumes? In this special Thanksgiving episode, Curt and Melody take a break from the business to reflect on what it actually means...

Guess What!? We Took The week off... We'll be back next week with a very special Thanksgiving Episode.

This week Curt Kempton and Melody Edwards unpack the hidden cost of caring too much as a business owner. They explore how passion, the very thing that fuels success, can quietly turn into exhaustion and resentment when boundaries aren't in place. Melody shares how taking a week off forced her to see where over-caring had crept in, while Curt reflects on the signs that caring has crossed the line i...