The Visionary Files

Learn more about the incredible entrepreneur behind our April Hey Helen Grant! 🎉 In this conversation, I sit down with Tamara (Mara) Henderson , founder of the Enchanted Immersive Zoological Center (EIZC) , to talk about building one of the most unique educational animal experiences in the country. From serving as a United States Marine and firefighter to launching a hands-on zoological center fo...

If you’ve ever talked yourself out of applying for grant funding because you assumed you weren’t the “right kind” of business, this episode is your reality check. In this breakdown, I'm walking you through exactly how the first Hey Helen Grant winner was selected — and more importantly, how she wasn’t . Industry favoritism? Nope. Revenue bias? Also nope. Platform size, niche appeal, or whether the...

When Lyrik Fryer built WorkPlay Branding, she wasn’t necessarily trying to be disruptive — she just didn’t want to keep living in the adrenaline crash around the revenue model that comes with project-based work. So she did the thing no one else in her industry was doing: she swapped one-off client projects for a high-ticket, yearlong membership model that now meets clients anywhere in the world. B...

What if your next sale wasn’t coming from your funnel, or your content, or your perfectly optimized sales page… but from someone else’s inbox? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Nikki Trailor, has spent the last two years quietly refining. She’s built a relationship-based referral system that now brings in 2–3 qualified high ticket leads every single month taking just two hours per week (talk abou...

Most people think a website redesign is about swapping in some fresh colors, new photos, and fonts that feel “less 2012.” But as Rachel Seid explains, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. What actually makes a site unforgettable — and profitable — comes down to how it looks, how it functions, how it feels, and what it communicates at first glance. In this episode, Rachel walks through her signature...

When Rachel Seid left her nonprofit job to pursue web design, she didn’t know that what began as a scrappy side project would turn into a business that allows her to be fully herself — in her words: loud, passionate, and unwilling to settle for mediocrity. Her early days were filled with $800 websites, cobbled-together code, and the dizzying task of managing every platform under the sun. But throu...

When you tell a story, it's all about the audience. Today's guest, April Pertuis, spent years in TV news learning how to extract the moment that matters — the line that illuminates a room like, well, light. That word kept following her until it became a mandate through LIGHTbeamers: help women turn lived experience into communication that deeply resonate and moves an audience. In this conversation...

Oh heyyyy, long time no talk! In this comeback episode of  The Visionary Files , I’m chatting about what’s really been happening these past four months — the decisions I didn’t plan to make, the ones I  had  to make, and the one choice that catapulted Visionaries into the fastest growth I’ve ever experienced in business. This isn’t a tale of “I burned it all down and came back bette...

When people say relationships are the key to business, it’s usually code for “go network more.” But this episode is the story of what it looks like when relationships are the business model — before social media, before funnels, and before most people reading this could even drive. This is my untold scrappy startup story built on trust, reputation, and the kind of generosity that opens doors you d...

Once upon a time, I hosted a masterclass that had what I thought was a terrible conversion rate — until it wasn't. Not a single person bought on the call. But in the days that followed? EVERY person who attended wound up buying. In this episode, I’m breaking down the four-part framework I’ve used (and taught behind-the-scenes) to drive wildly high conversion rates — ethically, educationally, and w...

This episode is a real-time debrief of a launch that turned out nothing like I expected. I’m unpacking what I thought would be a low-lift, high-reward move and why I had to make a major, unexpected decision mid-way through. Whether you’re in the middle of a launch, gearing up for one, or you’re starting to side-eye the whole launch model altogether, this convo is for you. I’m sharing the behind-th...

I'm giving you a peek inside my funnel mad scientist experiments — the exact strategies that are working so well, they’re setting me up to add 10,000+ people to my list in the next year (if not sooner 😉). I'll walk you through a high level overview of my high-intent lead generation with intentionally designed offers (free and paid) that signal buyer intent before someone ever hops on a...

Ever wondered why some videos effortlessly rack up millions of views while others barely get noticed? In this episode, I sit down with viral video expert and Instagram strategist Jenna to dissect the science (and psychology) behind content that blows up online. From peeling ginger the wrong way to using strategic visual hooks, Jenna shares her step-by-step process for creating viral-worthy videos—...

You know that feeling when you’re meant for more... but you have no effing clue what that more actually looks like? Tracy Matthews has been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and has been a repeat visitor. And lucky for us, she’s spent decades figuring out the art of reinvention. In this episode, Tracy breaks down the three-phase reinvention process that has helped her successfully pivot her caree...

We talk a lot about scaling in the business world – growing bigger, reaching further, making more. But what happens when you realize that bigger isn’t actually better for you anymore? Enter Tracy Matthews. After decades of running multiple seven-figure businesses, she found herself at a crossroads: stay on the path of relentless growth, or embrace a radical shift – *de*scaling. In this candid conv...

Elise Hodge knows a thing or two about words that sell – and building highly strategic funnels. She built her business as a top-tier conversion copywriter, crafting high-converting sales pages and launch copy for clients. But after years of juggling done-for-you services while growing her family (baby #3 is due any day!), she realized she wanted a business model that was more... kiddo + lifestyle...

So, fun fact : If you’ve ever thought, “Ugh, funnels feel so bro-markety and sleazy,” you’re not alone. But here’s the thing – you already have a funnel, whether you call it that or not. The real question is… is it actually working for you? In this episode, I’m diving deep into what’s working in funnels right now (because let’s be real—so much of what used to work just… doesn’t anymore). I’m break...

What does it take to sell over 2,500 low-ticket products in just one quarter? In this episode, I’m breaking down the strategies, numbers, and lessons behind my Q4 results. Whether you’re curious about low-ticket strategies or just want to know what actually converts, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can use in your own business.  What’s Inside This Episode: Why I decided to test...

Is launching dead? In a market that more distrusting (and more distracted) than ever, many people seem to think that launching either no longer works or is no longer worth the effort of lower than ever show up and conversion rates. But as Shannon Matson notes, every time you look at the sun to the west, she's launching again – because it's working for her.  But howwwwww?! *Shakes fist wi...

Buckle up, because this episode is a cautionary tale about how I almost lost my Stripe account (no, but really!). I want to open up for full transparency around  how I navigated the situation to get it back up and running – but also what I'm doing to be prepared if something like this were to ever happen again.  Admittedly this is not exactly the sexiest topic... but I think it's a super...

When financial expert Alyssa Lang first set out in 2015 to do her bar patrons’ taxes, she quickly realized she preferred working with the business owners that owed money – meaning they were profitable – rather than the refund seekers. That realization was the catalyst for uncovering her true business superpower of 'using the right data to make the right decisions’ – and not, surprisingly, ins...

Honey, I'm hooooome! Well hey, friend! It’s been a minute , hasn’t it? This episode is a little different because it’s just me catching you up on everything that’s happened over the last year (spoiler: it’s been a lot ). From rebranding to launching (and kinda tanking) a summit, to rediscovering my direction and passion, I’m sharing the messy, behind-the-scenes journey that led me to where I...

When you are a coach or DFY service provider working with smaller groups of people, it can be  really tempting to move towards passive revenue generation opportunities. For the love, DON’T. The main problem with this advice? It’s being doled out by people who are motivated to sell you straight up LIES. Today we’re taking on three of the biggest offenders we’re hearing, and debunking them all the w...

Today’s episode concludes a fascinating and FUN series of conversations with the women of   Terzakis and Associates by bringing this mother/daughter duo together to speak candidly about what has made their micro-small business consulting firm work…and what hasn’t. They beautifully describe the intentional work it took to cultivate a productive symbiosis between Susan’s strategist mind (always find...

Jessica Terzakis – the ‘Integrator’ half of the dynamic mother+daughter duo that run Terzakis and Associates – jumps into the conversation today about how she was able to shed her W2 mentality as a master-educated high-school teacher and fully embrace her new COO identity in all things entrepreneurship. Jessica details her beginnings as task-master extraordinaire to where she is now, performing as...