Too Legitimate to Quit: Growth Strategies with a Pop Culture Spin

By trying to speak to everyone, we actually speak to no one. Kinda like high school, huh? When we tried to fit in with everybody, we wound up sitting alone. This week Annie P. is joined by copywriting and funnel genius, Breanna Gunn. Although they absolutely would have been besties in grade school, Brea and Annie swear by the power of being polarizing. How else can you expect your "just right" fol...

Let's face it - leaning into your uniqueness can be hard, especially when you aren't sure what exactly is so unique about you, or who out there is looking for your particular brand of special sauce. How can we best explore our own voice, message, and style? Podcasting, duh! This week, Annie P. is joined by podcast and platform expert, Michelle Abraham. Together, they talk about the deep value of s...

Do you lie awake and drive yourself crazy wondering what to do about your email list? Whether you pelt your audience with too much information, forget to message them at all, or are completely baffled by your open rates - this episode is for you. This week, Annie P. sits down with Liz Wilcox - email queen, low-ticket product success story, and walking 90s encyclopedia. Together, they look into how...

What role does intuition play in your business? Whether you believe that your inner voice comes from God or from your lived experience, there are certain problems you just have to feel your way through. You may not identify as "Woo-Woo" - but are you willing to listen to the call of your own truth? This week, Annie P. sits down with Michelle Clarke - coach, unicorn, multimillionaire, and author of...

If you are timid about putting yourself out there, this is a must-listen! So many small business owners crave and fear publicity simultaneously. Does getting some well-deserved attention have to be so overwhelming? Heck no! This week, Annie P. sits down with Jill Lublin - international speaker, author, and all-around lovely person. Jill first provides comfort for the hiccups and hesitations surrou...

There are approximately 9 billion things to consider when you put your message out into the world. What the heck should you say? Which words should you use? Which persona should you play? Does everything have to be so dang dramatic/traumatic? What if folks don't like what you have to say? This week, Annie P. is joined by storytelling expert Seth Erickson. In this jam-packed episode, they discuss w...

If you want to have a thriving small business (not to mention be a good human) in 2021, things like "diversity" and "equity" can't just be buzzwords. They must be chosen, advocated for, and practiced daily. But, how can we go beyond lip service and bring our values into our company culture - even if we aren't hiring and our company culture is just our own attitude? This week, Annie P. is joined by...

What's more important - the plan or the action? When is a rock-solid strategy essential and when is it just a distraction? And how can we rise up against the constant looming threats of perfectionism, procrastination, and doubt? This week, Annie P. is joined by her longtime coach, collaborator & champion, Coach Jennie. She specializes in helping impatiently ambitious people figure out how to s...

Is your business kind enough? Is your marketing loud and bold enough? According to superstar author and business giant Mike Michalowicz, these two questions likely have the same answer. It's phenomenally easy to fall into the trap of dimming your light, hiding from your prospects, or going along with the herd. How can a heart-centered business truly stand out - and profit! - in authentic, proud, v...

How do you view yourself within your business? Are you a small business owner, a founder, a CEO? And how do you claim your business? Is it your purpose, your vision, your livelihood, or just your job? The terms may not vary all that much on paper but they certainly feel different. So often, we downplay our efforts (and our place in our industries) until things are absolutely perfect. But - that pe...

What makes your business truly magical? How can you grab and keep the rapt attention of your prospects? And is it manipulative to do so? This week, Annie P. is joined by mentalist, speaker, and "the greatest thought-leader of all time," Jonathan Pritchard. Jonathan explains why people so seldom own their excellence - even while in active pursuit of it - and cautions us about the damage done by con...

Is "Relationship Marketing" a quantity or quality game? What's more important - leaving a lasting 1st impression or keeping in touch? And how can we stand out in crowded markets - even if we're introverts, camera-shy, or behind-the-scenes-types? This week, Annie P. is joined by her dear friend Nikki Nash, author of Market Your Genius (available 8/24 all over the dang place), podcast host, and bril...

What are your goals for the rest of 2021? What wins would you love to usher in by New Year's Eve? How have your goals shifted thanks to everything we've collectively been through in the last 18 months? This week, Annie P. is joined by the fabulous Debra Eckerling, award-winning author of "Your Goal Guide."  Debra walks Annie through The DEB Method - her strategy for identifying meaningful goals, c...

What the heck does intentionality actually look like? How do you know if you're showing up in a way that fulfills all the labels you've put on yourself? And how can we cut through the noise and connect with our clients, colleagues, and prospects in a way that fosters truth, connection, and joy? This week, Annie P. is rendered speechless by bold, warm, and brilliant Chantelle Andercastle. A busines...

Tell most small business owners you work in sales and they look at you like you have three heads - and that stigma extends to the very act of selling in heart-centered small businesses. We don't want to cheapen our clients' experience or put a price on our gifts - so we market and market and market forever until we ultimately burnout or die. This week, Annie P. Ruggles is joined by the fabulous Ka...

It's been said that entrepreneurs are people that do hard things on purpose. (Yay?) Although it has never been easier to express yourself on a worldwide stage and to profit from your platform - it's still a day-to-day challenge. What lessons are hiding within our own resistance? What tasks or goals are we clinging onto that are simply out of our element? This week, Annie P. is joined by artist, cu...

Buzzword, Buzzword, Word Salad, Credentials. Is this the recipe for compelling copy? HECK NO. We are living in the most connected era ever - which means that your voice can easily reach more people than ever before. But, what should you say and how should you say it? How can you rise above the noise? This week, Annie P. is joined by super-genius and neverending well of 90s pop culture knowledge, K...

"I love my clients!" Hopefully, all small business owners have said this from time to time. But, love is a verb. What does it mean to actually show up for your ideal clients in a loving but still professional way? Are you showering them with gifts of your time, praise, or attention only for your gestures to fall flat? You may not be speaking your clients' love languages correctly! This week, Annie...

Do big dreams require even bigger egos? How much "look at me! look at me!" energy is actually required when you're building a name for yourself? And, what are the differences between showing up, showing off, and just being a big, braggy showboat? This week, Annie P. is joined by the powerhouse known as The Amanda Wagner. Amanda is on a mission to be "at the scale of Oprah" and commands a wealth of...

Who is in charge of your small business? For most of our listeners, the answer is YOU - and yet, you're likely stuck playing by someone else's rules. Why? How can you forge ahead in your life and calling with bravery, passion, grit, tenacity, resilience, and pride? What will change for you when you allow yourself to reinvent and reinvest in our #1 asset - YOU?! This week, Annie P. is joined by the...

Do your clients bring joy into your life - not in the form of the money they give you, but in terms of their presence in your life? Contrary to popular belief, entrepreneurship is a JOB and a freaking hard one. But, surrounding yourself with people that fill you up with laughter, support, or comfort? It can mean the difference between self-employment that feels like a slog and an empire that feeds...

Words matter. Doesn't that feel like the understatement of the year? And yet, when it comes to how we talk to our prospects, our clients, and OURSELVES the language we use so often gets away from us. How can we truly persuade others and motivate ourselves with so much noise in the world? This week, Annie P. is joined by Paul Ross, speaker, author, hypnotist, and more! Paul is a world-recognized pe...

To be a small business owner is to be bombarded with constant advice: well-intentioned on-looker feedback, super expensive pay-by-the-hour expertise, emails from opinionated internet strangers, you know how it goes. What might change for us if we honored our instincts and went with our guts? This week, Annie P. is joined by Keshia Butler-Thomas aka Life Coach Kesh. Keshia is an expert in standing...

How much priority should we put on ourselves as small business owners? If we are the face, the voice, and the visionary of our brands - so why is it so hard to treat ourselves right? Does having clear boundaries and enforcing them make you narcissistic? Today, Annie P. is joined by Naketa Ren Thigpen who is recognized as the #1 Balance & Relationship Advisor in the World. Naketa has a fresh, e...

What's the best way to build a business without burnout? What if you can only dedicate a third of your time to your dream? How do you know if you're doing enough of the right things - and what is just noise? And what does any of it have to do with cake? Today, Annie P. is joined by Holly Marie Haynes, side hustle expert, lifetime Royal Family enthusiast, and creator of The CAKE method. Holly's sys...