The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

Have you ever wished you could just ask an expert, "How the heck do I do this…in simple terms?" That's exactly what I thought as I was planning out 2024 content for The Found Podcast: Why not give entrepreneurs and small business owners an opportunity to ask real questions in real time and get real answers that matter to them? In this episode format called "Coaching Calls," a small business owner/entrepreneur is given an opportunity to submit a question they would like me to answer about marketing, business growth, personal development, or anything that's on their mind! Today's submission is from one of my former coaching clients and friend, Natalie Berning of Berning Acres, who asked, "Should I add Pinterest to my business marketing strategy?" This is a layered question, but it's one I think we all of us should ask from time to time as we develop our marketing strategy and assess its return on investment. Benefits of Incorporating Pinterest in your Small Business' Marketing Strategy Now, my friend this is a very layered question, and as I go into with Natalie, it's not as simple as just starting an account and saying "Hey, let's Pin!" I highly recommend that anytime you add a platform to your marketing toolkit you make sure A: that it is aligned with your ideal audience B: that you have the time to dedicate to the learning and the growth it's going to take to get started on the platform C: that you develop a long-term and short-term plan for how this new platform will serve your business D: especially with Pinterest, begin with the end in mind and map out your customer's acquisition journey That being said, there are lots of reasons a small business could benefit from the addition of Pinterest to their marketing strategy: Visual Discovery: Pinterest is a highly visual platform where users discover ideas, products, and inspiration through images and videos. Small businesses can leverage this visual aspect to showcase their products or services in a visually appealing way, making them more discoverable to potential customers. High Intent Audience: Pinterest users often have high purchase intent, with many actively seeking ideas and inspiration for future purchases. By creating engaging and relevant content, small businesses can connect with users who are actively looking for products or services like theirs, driving traffic and sales. Longevity of Pins: Unlike other social media platforms where content may have a short lifespan, pins on Pinterest can have a long shelf life and continue to drive traffic and engagement over time. This means that small businesses can benefit from ongoing exposure and visibility for their content, even months or years after it's been pinned. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Benefits: Pinterest acts as a visual search engine, allowing users to discover content based on keywords and interests. By optimizing pins with relevant keywords and descriptions, small businesses can improve their visibility in Pinterest search results and drive organic traffic to their website. Referral Traffic: Pinterest is a powerful driver of referral traffic, with users frequently clicking through pins to visit external websites. Small businesses can use Pinterest to drive traffic to their website, blog, or online store, increasing brand exposure and potential conversions. Targeted Advertising Options: Pinterest offers robust advertising options, including Promoted Pins and Pinterest Ads, which allow small businesses to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. This targeted approach can help small businesses reach their ideal customers and drive meaningful results. Steps for Starting out on Pinterest Pinterest isn't just another social media platform—it's a powerful tool for driving traffic, increasing brand visibility, and connecting with potential customers. If you're ready to harness the potential of Pinterest for your business, here are five essential steps to get started: Create a Business Account: The first step to launching your Pinterest marketing strategy is to create a business account. This will give you access to valuable analytics and advertising features that can help you track your progress and reach your goals. Optimize Your Profile: Take the time to update and edit your account's bio section, profile picture, and helpful links. Use this space to showcase your brand personality, share important information about your business, and drive traffic to your website or other online properties. Create Relevant Boards: Next, create boards that align with your content pillars and target audience interests. Use simple, SEO-friendly titles for your boards to help your content get found in Pinterest search results. Organize your boards strategically to make it easy for users to find the content they're looking for. Curate and Repurpose Content: Don't limit yourself to sharing only your own content on Pinterest. Curate and repurpose high-quality content from other cr

When I started thinking about who to have in as a guest expert on the topics of systems and workflows, I knew exactly who my dream interview would be, so I shot my shot and sent an Instagram DM to Holly Haynes….yes. THE Holly Haynes. Holly helps female entrepreneurs create simple, scaleable offers and systems to grow to multi-6 figures without relying on the social algorithm. One of the things I love most about my time with Holly is her authenticity and her willingness to talk about all things business, including: her history in the corporate world and making the transition to side hustler and ultimately CEO getting connected with your community and using their questions and data to help you build a unique framework and business model that is true to your business strategies for scheduling your day and week her favorite tools for getting your time back as a business owner having her Instagram account taken down when she had over 16,000 followers how to "ditch the social drama" and incorporate marketing methods that don't rely on an algorithm This conversation with Holly is so much fun. You're going to learn incredible amounts of information (as I did!), and I think you're also going to fall in love with Holly along the way. Key Takeaways "I feel like on paper, it looks like we went from like zero to a hundred really fast, but I always share: it's almost like you have these little nudges along the way, and you like take a step and then you pivot, and then you take a step and you pivot." "It's all been based on what people are asking, but also, how can we serve based on where people are at." "I had enough corporate experience where I could just step away for a year. If it like all went downhill, then I could just like go back in the workforce." "I always say, if you can control your schedule, you control everything, right? It's all about time and where you're spending your time." "I'm just constantly trying to create this white space because that's where the creativity comes from." "Consistency trumps talent….so if you could pick the thing that you can be consistent about and then add it into your schedule where it doesn't feel like work, or if it does feel like work, it's for an hour, and then you're like moving on, you're going to see much better results." "We use social as, I like to call it like a magazine: it's like the sidecar to the main act. So the main act for us is podcasting and email." "Your home base is usually your email or some sort of nurture sequence or something. Most people get really overwhelmed by setting this up. What I tell them is just pause everything else because this is going to help you so much. When you're on podcast, what do you share? You share this. When you're networking, what do you share? You share this. When you're talking in emails or things like that, this is the thing that's going to do the work for you." "What if my goal was to help a hundred families change their schedule this year, right? Or a hundred families build their dream business? How would that feel as opposed to: I need 10 more clients, right? It just feels different." "You can run your business however you want to." Helpful Links to Items Mentioned in the Episode Jeni's Ice Cream Metricool ClickUp Planner ManyChat ChatGPT Video Ask More About Holly Holly helps female entrepreneurs create simple, scaleable offers and systems to grow to multi-6 figures without relying on the social algorithm. An industry expert and featured Thrive and Entrepreneur.com author with a 20-year business consulting background with Fortune 500 companies, Holly built her now 7- figure business while working full-time, retiring herself and her husband. Holly now runs her strategic coaching business, the Crush the Rush Planner company, and hosts the top 100 Crush the Rush podcast while raising her twin daughters with her husband in Columbus, Ohio. Holly's FREE CEO Week Challenge: https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/ceoweek Listen to Holly on the Crush the Rush podcast: https://www.hollymariehaynes.com/podcast

Time to get tactical, my friends. I love talking about energy and mindset and confidence and habits as much as the next person, but there are seasons for that and there are seasons to work and put your money where your mouth is. April is about taking action here at MKM. It's all about setting up the tools, systems, and workflows that will help you run your small business better, and today I'm starting with introducing you to my 10 Favorite Tech Tools that I rely on day-in and day-out in my business. Disclaimer: These aren't the fanciest, sexiest tools. They aren't going to automate your processes and take you from A→Z in 24 hours, but they are the tried and true tools I've integrated over the course of my seven years in business here at MKM. As I share my favorite tools of 2024, I also share tools that offer similar functions and features that may be better suited for those who are at an earlier stage of business or prefer a different user experience. Let's dive in with my 10 Favorite Tech Tools for small business owners. Slack What is it: Slack is a popular cloud-based collaboration tool designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations. It offers a wide range of features, including real-time messaging, file sharing, project management, and integration with other productivity tools. Overall, Slack is widely used by teams and organizations of all sizes to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity in the workplace. How I use it: Communicating with MKM team members. We love the "Channels" feature that allows us categorize our conversations and file sharing by client. No more losing conversations in long email threads. Everything is easy to find and search and in one place. We operate on the free version of the platform, as it had all the capabilities and functions we needed as a super small team. Heads up: Set up rules, expectations, and boundaries to keep everything on-track and above-board. Link to Slack: https://slack.com/ ClickUp What is it: ClickUp is used by teams and organizations across various industries to increase efficiency, collaboration, and transparency in their work processes. ClickUp is a cloud-based productivity platform designed to help teams and individuals organize and manage their work. It offers a wide range of features and tools to streamline task management, project collaboration, goal tracking, and more. How I use it: Tracking projects, assigning certain team members to projects, assigning and monitoring due dates, time tracking, and project management. There is So. Much. More. you can do with Clickup, and I know I'm merely scratching the surface of its functionality. Heads up: Other apps like Asana and Trello are also helpful for project management. Link to ClickUp: https://clickup.com/ Dubsado What is it: Dubsado is designed to help small businesses and freelancers streamline their operations, improve client management, and enhance productivity. It provides a comprehensive set of tools to support various aspects of running a business, from client acquisition to project delivery and beyond. How I use it: I use Dubsado for preparing, sending and signing client contracts; sending and receiving client questionnaires; scheduling; automated emails; and I used to use it for invoicing and billing. Heads up: Other CRMs like Honeybook, Hubspot, Pipedrive, and Salesforce are also helpful for Customer Relationship Management. Link to Dubsado (and get 20% off your first month or your first year!): dubsado.com/?c=mkm20 Flodesk What is it: Flodesk is an email marketing platform designed to help businesses and creators create visually stunning email campaigns easily. It offers a range of features and templates to assist users in designing and sending emails that are visually appealing and engaging. Flodesk is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and visually appealing email designs, making it a popular choice for small businesses, bloggers, and creators looking to enhance their email marketing efforts. How I use it: I use Flodesk for everything: sending newsletters, sending client emails, creating landing pages, creating sales pages, checkouts for programs, segmenting my audience, and in general, keeping in touch with my clients somewhere off of social media. Heads up: Other email marketing platforms include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, and ActiveCampaign Link to Flodesk (and save 50% on your first year!): https://flodesk.com/c/MOLLYKNUTHMEDIA MetaBusiness Suite What is it: MetaBusiness Suite is a suite of business tools offered by Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook. These tools are designed to help businesses manage their presence and advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other platforms owned by Meta. How I use it: Measuring/monitoring my Facebook and Instagram insights and scheduling posts for myself and my clients. Heads up: Other social media schedulers include Hootsuite, Metricool, Buffer, Later, and Planoly Link to Meta Bu

Today's submission is from an Iowa friend who asked, "How can I create more compelling social media content that converts into sales?" This is a layered question, but it's one I think we all of us should ask from time to time as we develop our marketing strategy and assess its return on investment. Tips for making your social media content stand out for product-based businesses Use multiple images on posts: when viewers see that there are more photos available than they can see from the preview, curiosity takes over and they click through all the images in the post. Each image is logged as one engagement by the social media platforms, and every engagement tells that algorithm that your post is something more people want to see. More clicks = more engagement = more reach. Prioritize candid, real-life images, not just the pretty, curated ones: yes, we live in a world of FaceTune and Photoshop, but what really compels viewers to stop their scroll is something relatable. Think photos that are a little imperfect, backgrounds they recognize from their own community, vignettes that they could picture in their own homes. Incorporate Video: Using video to share new product arrivals, whether in a post, Reel, or Story, will help your viewers get the full effect. Don't feel pressured to do trendy dance moves or spend hours editing and clipping your videos. Just prioritize being helpful and informative as you display your newest items in your shop via video. Listen to today's episode for even more tips! A little more about our guest today… Kimberly Kollasch is the founder and owner of 400 RS Home & Design in Whittemore, Iowa. She is passionate about making homes beautiful and cozy, so through her storefront (both a brick-and-mortar shopping experience and an online store) Kimberly offers seasonal decor and giftables. Not only does she offer brand-new items, but she also has a talent for breathing new life into vintage furniture so it looks modern and perfectly at home in 2024. Learn more about 400 RS Home & Design To find out more about Kimberly and what her business offers, visit https://400-rs-home-design.myshopify.com/ or give them a follow over on Instagram or Facebook If you want to be a guest on an upcoming coaching call Click here to submit your question for Molly: https://forms.gle/LfZzFZgWiDwwehZD7

Amanda Hofman of Go To Market Studio is the "go-to" for creating anti-boring custom merch for your business that will turn heads and keep you top of mind for your ideal clients and customers. Amanda is a wife, human mom of 2, dog mom, and co-founder of Go To Market, her second company in her entrepreneurial career. She and her company create custom-branded merchandise for businesses, authors, podcasters, and more. They're flipping the branded merchandise industry on its head by challenging the age-old practice of sticking the company's logo in the middle of whatever product they are handing out, be it tee shirts, hats, pens, lunch boxes, tumblers, etc. Instead, Amanda and her design team dig into their client's mission, vision, and branding to create designs that represent their values. As a result, they create swag that clients and customers are willing and excited to rep! The other part of the Go To Market model that is revolutionizing the industry hinges on sustainability and inclusion. All their client's online merch shops are print-on-demand, meaning companies don't have to order and store massive quantities of coffee cups, pre-sized tee shirts, and the like. Clients and customers can place their orders online and get the size, shape, color, style that they want. This leads to less waste and more intentional and valued usage of the products. Key Takeaways from Today's Episode "You gotta walk through the suck to get through to the other side." "We expect things to be custom and meaningful and interesting and targeted." "We're focusing on teaching companies…how to make items that really reflect their values. So we're not printing their logo front and center, we're printing something that's meaningful to the business. We're trying to harness the thing that makes a business, an author, a podcaster special." "The other part we're doing is the sustainability piece where everything prints on-demand…everything prints as it's ordered, so that people get what they want in the size, shape, color, style that they want it." "It's really about connection…People aren't connected to your logo, they're connected to ideas. They're connected to the way that you make them feel." "So many business owners want branded merch because they love their brand." "There are risks that we're willing to take and not." "That I feel like we just have to acknowledge it…Entrepreneurship, a variable income is very challenging if you're raising a family. A variable income is challenging, period. And then if you're raising a family, like, I can't imagine that level of stress." "I'm not a failure. I tried something, and it didn't work out." "When a company is giving a gift where there isn't choice, even if it's thoughtful, even if it's beautiful to you, you're still giving a burden to people at some level." Go to Market with Amanda Check out all that Amanda and Go To Market Studio has to offer on their website or connect with her over on LinkedIn for all the updates in her upcoming adventures. Helpful Links Mentioned in the Episode Website: https://gotomarket.studio/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/gotomarketstudio/ Amanda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagoldfinehofman/ Failure Pod Episode: https://mollyknuthmedia.com/2023/09/05/perspectives-from-a-failing-business-owner/ Break an Egg group: https://break-an-egg.ck.page/products/break-an-egg Work Clean Book: https://a.co/d/gvJ03FP

Risk is inherent in life. Every damn day. Whether you decide to stay the same or make a change. Like following the speed limit, or going 5 over…or tinting your driver's windows and getting pulled over by the same state trooper twice now. Like staying at the same 5 pound weights you've been using for 8 weeks, or going up to 8 pounders for this next strength session. Like swiping right or swiping left. Staying at your job with a steady paycheck or going all-in on your business. Each choice above comes with a risk whether you decide to "play it safe" or "take a chance." The risk of following the speed limit may be arriving late to your meeting, while going 5 over could get you a ticket. The risk of using 5 pounders is not seeing the muscle tone as quickly as you'd like, but going up to 8s means you might be sore tomorrow. Swiping right might mean…actually I don't know the difference between swiping right or swiping left, but you get the picture. There isn't necessarily a "right" or a "wrong" choice in any of the scenarios above, but one presents a bigger perceived risk than the other. Taking risk is inherent in life. We can choose to stay the path and follow the course we started down, or we can change along the way. Change is a risk. It's uncomfortable, and it's meant to be. Because part of taking risk is knowing and exploring and pushing what our upper limits are and finding ourselves at the edges of what is possible. Key Takeaways from the Podcast: "Risk is inherent." "March is the season of spring, a sense of renewal, a sense of rebirth, and I don't think it's a coincidence that anytime in my life when I've considered taking a risk or making a change...a lot of it does connect with this season of spring, this month of March." "I really was just testing my upper limits, seeing what is possible...I never would have known what my limits were had I not tried this other path." "Over time by increasing resistance, I increased my threshold of risk, I increased my thermostat of taking chances, and i was proving to myself...what I was capable of." "And it's through some of those "small risks" that we take, that we really do prove to ourselves who we are." "Part of taking risk is knowing and exploring and pushing what our upper limits are." Helpful Links: Sweat Inspire Sisterhood: Virtual + NEW in-person women's fitness and nutrition community The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Get in the MKM Book Club In March, MKM is hosting our third month of the MKM Book Club for entrepreneurs and small business owners who desire community and personal/professional development each month. Our first selection is The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. In The Big Leap, New York Times bestselling author Gay Hendricks reveals a simple yet comprehensive program for overcoming our one barrier to happiness and fulfillment, providing a clear path for achieving our true potential and attaining not only financial success but also success in love and life. To join the MKM Book Club visit mkm.myflodesk.com/marchmkmbookclub

Have you ever wished you could just ask an expert, "How the heck do I do this…in simple terms?" That's exactly what I thought as I was planning out 2024 content for The Found Podcast: Why not give entrepreneurs and small business owners an opportunity to ask real questions in real time and get real answers that matter to them? In this new episode format called "Coaching Calls," a small business owner/entrepreneurs is given an opportunity to submit a question they would like me to answer about marketing, business growth, personal development, or anything that's on their mind! Today's submission is from an Iowa friend who asked, "How do you organize and execute your content creation to support your audience and marketing?" This is a layered question, but it's one I think we all should consider this year more than ever in our business marketing. Strategy is the name of the game in small business marketing in 2024 We are not throwing spaghetti at the wall, friends. We are running a business. And running a business is most enjoyable, profitable, and impactful when we have a clear plan of serving our clients and customers. This translates to our marketing too! We want to make sure that all forms of our business' marketing, whether print materials, social media, on our website, or in face-to-face conversation, is cohesive, clear, and compelling for our ideal clients/customers. As business owners, we don't have time to waste spending hours creating marketing materials and digital content that feels disjointed and confusing, we want to be able to follow a strategic plan that guides our audience so they know about us, understand how we help them, experience a bit of what it's like to work with us, and ultimately choose to become our clients and customers. How do we do this? Start by answering the following: what are your goals? who is your ideal client/customer? how do they spend their time? what do they love? what do they not love? how do you talk to your ideal client/customer? Then move into mapping out what to talk about and what you want to sell on a paper calendar. Jot down important dates and events for the month, assign a theme to the month, and identify various tips, products, or services that tie into that theme so your ideal clients how you help them solve their problems. In today's episode, I provide a variety of examples for planning a social media marketing calendar for both product and service-based businesses so you can have strategy guiding your content creation. A little more about our guest today… Maryann Baldwin is the founder and owner of The Works in Lansing, Iowa. She is passionate about helping entrepreneurs, small business owners and dreamers go after and achieve their goals. Through her business' Office Works, Kitchen Works, and Innovation Works, Maryann helps local dreamers and doers launch, grow, and remain competitive in the business market. Learn more about Lansing Works To find out more about Maryann and what her business offers, visit https://www.lansingofficeworks.com/ or give them a follow over on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn!

Listener, when I was mapping out the first part of the year here at The Found Podcast and decided that February was all about belief and self-confidence, I just KNEW we had to have my friend Coach Kiah in for a guest interview. Kiah Twisselman Burchett is a California cattle rancher turned motivational speaker on a mission to empower others to love themselves deeper, care for themselves better, and find joy in this messy, beautiful, journey of life. Through hosting retreats, motivational speaking, her podcast Climbing with Coach Kiah, and coaching her clients, Coach Kiah helps women cultivate confidence through self-awareness, compassion, curiosity, and growth. As she shares in the episode, Kiah wouldn't always describe herself as "confident," but through all the peaks and valleys of her lived experience, she's learned to lean into her gifts, talents, and dreams, to write her own story. Our time together FLEW by and I just loved where the journey took us in today's episode. Be sure to visit Coach Kiah's website for more, including details on her upcoming Ireland retreat, her Cultivating Confidence free downloadable guide, and more of her energetic and inspirational stories from her podcast. Key Takeaways She calls herself a "California cattle ranch kid," and throughout her life Kiah has found herself coming back time and again to the rural/ag community. Kiah says that a lot of her self-worth over the years was defined by her picture of the "ideal body." Her journey to attain that body over nearly two decades lead to a series of yo-yo fad diets before a pivotal moment caused her to take massive action and reinvent herself and her entire life. Kiah found success in her mental, physical, and emotional wellness when she stopped restricting herself and began celebrating, loving, and nourishing herself with what she needed: "It was more about what would make me feel really good today…and really it was about focusing on the mindset aspect first." "I had no idea where my life would be now, five years ago. And I'm not naive enough to say that I know what the next five years of my life will look like. I don't know, but I'm along for the ride!" "The truth is that I really do believe that every single one of us are the main characters in our own lives, but whether or not we feel that way is another story." "All of us are looking for this prescriptive list…we want someone to tell us what to do…But the question isn't "what do I do?" the question is "how do I think?" and the thinking and the feeling is the hardest part of this journey but it's the most important piece." It's the thinking and the feeling, not the doing, that will ultimately propel us to personal and professional success and belief in ourselves. "We are not even aware of the stories we are constantly ruminating on in the back of our minds." Coach Kiah really believes that journaling and getting those thoughts out on paper is a helpful tool for reflection, self-awareness, and growth. Where is Coach Kiah climbing in 2024? Listen to the full episode to find out! Climb with Kiah Check out all that Coach Kiah has to offer on her website, especially her podcast library and her Cultivating Confidence guide, or connect with her over on IG for all the updates in her upcoming adventures.

Have you ever held yourself back from something because you just didn't think you were "ready yet?" Held yourself back from a promotion? Knocked your pricing down a little bit because you were worried about what other people think? Waited to make a purchase? Bit your tongue instead of spoke your true feelings aloud? Held off until "Monday," "next week," or "next month" to begin a new habit? Ladies, we often are our own worst enemies in holding ourselves back due to imposter syndrome. We feel like we don't have enough education, experience, or preparation, for the next step we're considering and therefore we don't make a move…at all. Imposter syndrome isn't a new concept, and it affects a majority of women in their personal and professional lives. It keeps us small, it has us feeling stuck, and it's time to say, "that's enough of that shit." The antidote to imposter syndrome? Cultivating our belief in ourselves as individuals, moms, wives, aunties, friends, teammates, and business owners. Self-belief doesn't just come from the ground, though. It involves taking messy action so we learn to trust ourselves. Trusting ourselves over time so that we become confident in our abilities, and turning that confidence into an innate belief of who we are and what we are capable of. In today's episode of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, I share some surprising facts about imposter syndrome, actions to take as we begin to flex our trust and confidence muscles, and ultimately how to believe that we have what it takes to be our best selves in 2024. Actions Steps for Stepping into Trust, Confidence, and Belief in Yourself While I wish I could take credit for the following action steps, they are attributed to my friends at The Restoration Project and the article The 4 P's of Imposter Syndrome and How They Impact Women by Lis Cashin. Journal on the following questions: What do I like about myself? What do I know about myself? What seems to come more naturally to me than to others? What positive feedback am I consistently given that rings true to me? Where do I feel most confident in my ability to contribute? What am I best at? What drains my energy? What is difficult for me? What are my weaknesses? Network with people who you identify with the future you and where you're growing into. Find membership groups, peer groups, mentors, community groups, who you can relate with and learn from. Embrace imperfection! Give yourself permission to act when you only feel about 60% ready (don't wait to feel 100% there!) and the grace to know that you WILL make mistakes, and you WILL learn from them to make improvements and get better. Set realistic goals! Hot take: instead of a crazy huge, ambitious, hard to reach goal, knock it down a peg so it is attainable! Then you can celebrate your success, build momentum, and use it to motivate yourself going forward. Helpful Links: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson You are a Badass by Jen Sincero Cultivating Confidence download by Coach Kiah Podcast: Self-Confidence is Bullshit by Coach Kiah Article: Imposter Syndrome Predominantly Affects Women - Here's How we can Overcome It by Cheri Beranek Article: The 4 P's of Imposter Syndrome and How They Impact Women by Lis Cashin Enhancing Our Confidence by Lindsay Leahy Get in the MKM Book Club In February, MKM is hosting our second month of the MKM Book Club for entrepreneurs and small business owners who desire community and personal/professional development each month. Our first selection is The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek. To join the MKM Book Club visit mkm.myflodesk.com/mkmfebruarybookclub

Have you ever wished you could just ask an expert, "how the heck do I do this…in simple terms?" That's exactly what I thought as I was planning out 2024 content for The Found Podcast. Why not give entrepreneurs and small business owners an opportunity to ask real questions in real time and get real answers that matter to them? In this new format called "Coaching Calls," small business owners and entrepreneurs are given an opportunity to submit one question they would like to ask me about marketing, business growth, personal development, or anything that we touch on here at The Found Podcast. When I saw the first submission come in from this friend of the pod, I was so excited! And I knew we had to have her on, not just because she's amazing and her business is so impressive, but also because her question is so relatable and probably on your mind too: "Molly should I add TikTok in 2024 to my marketing tool kit?" Why to Add TikTok in '24 Now, my friend this is a very layered question, and as I go into with Alix, it's not as simple as just starting an account and saying "Hey, follow me now!" I highly recommend that anytime you add a platform to your marketing toolkit you make sure A: that it is aligned with your ideal audience B: that you have the time to dedicate to the learning and the growth it's going to take to get started on the platform C: that you develop a long-term and short-term plan for how this new platform will serve your business In 2024, I do think that TikTok offers a great opportunity for business owners who are product based and are direct to consumer, but I do think there are a few other items to consider before diving into TikTok for business. For example you'll hear me talk with Alix about developing a serial approach to your TikTok videos so there are multiple videos produced in a similar style. You'll also hear me advising Alex on growth strategies and understanding which accounts are already connecting with her ideal client and how she can use some of those accounts to inspire her creativity or guide her content as she grows for her business. If you are asking yourself: "Should I add TikTok to my business marketing?" go ahead and tune into this coaching call, my friend. It's a 20 minute conversation that will really help you as you consider adding a platform to your marketing repertoire in the new year. A little more about our guest today… Alix and I got to know each other in 2021 when she enrolled in the first iteration of MKM Social School, and over the past few years I've gotten to know her and her business a little better. Alix and her husband live in McCook, Nebraska, where together they raise three boys and own and operate Sehnert's Bakery & Bieroc Cafe, a 500-year-old business that originated in Germany. You can here more of her business' evolution and her founder story in Episode 77 of The Found Podcast (which was called Small-Minded when we originally recorded this interview in 2022). Learn more about Sehnert's Bakery Give Sehnert's a follow over on Instagram and Facebook and head to their website to get in contact!

Tis the damn season: the season for writing out our big goals for the new year. Many of us have grown up and built our businesses on the idea that you need to draft big, hairy, scary goals and start tackling them, like yesterday with new methods, strategies, and a whole new you when January 1 rolls around. But the truth is that in reaching goals or pursuing change at any level, success doesn't lie in the audaciousness of the goal itself, but in the habits you put in place to help you reach your goals over time. As James Clear says, "You have to standardize before you optimize." The more you virtualize the beginning of a process and the more you can repeat it, the more you can rewire your brain and make it second nature. Over time, this results in the creation of a habit and allows your body to take over in pursuit of your new goal. In today's episode of The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth, we discuss the procuss of building new habits, how to get them to stick, and helpful tools to help you create new habits in the new year. Establishing a New Habit While I wish I could take credit for the following action steps, they are attributed to the one and only James Clear in his article How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide. Start with an incredibly small habit. Make it so tiny and easy you can't say no. Increase your habit in very small ways. Progressively add resistance, time, and intensity so your willpower and motivation have time to catch up. Break habits into chunks. Don't burn yourself out, that's a one-way ticket to feeling unable to continue. Give yourself smaller milestones that add up to big wins. Get back on track quickly. Aim for consistency over perfection, and never miss twice. Pick a sustainable pace and give yourself time. Track your progress so you can see your results and build confidence. BONUS: (this one is from Molly) put an accountability practice in place. Helpful Links: How to Build a New Habit: This is Your Strategy Guide article by James Clear To Create a Healthy Habit, Find an Accountability Buddy article by Tara Parker-Pope Atomic Habits by James Clear Badass Habits by Jen Sincero The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven R. Covey High Performance Habits by Brendan Burchard You Do You 82 Habit Challenge with Emily Reuschel Get in the MKM Book Club In January, MKM is launching a free resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners who desire community and personal/professional development each month with our MKM Book Club. Our first selection is Badass Habits by Jen Sincero. Badass Habits is a eureka-sparking, easy-to-digest look at how our habits make us who we are, from the measly moments that happen in private to the resolutions we loudly broadcast (and, erm, often don't keep) on social media. Habit busting and building goes way beyond becoming a dedicated flosser or never showing up late again--our habits reveal our unmet desires, the gaps in our boundaries, our level of self-awareness, and our unconscious beliefs and fears. Badass Habits features Jen's trademark hilarious voice and offers a much-needed fresh take on the conventional wisdom and science that shape the optimism (or pessimism?) around the age-old topic of habits. The book includes enlightening interviews with people who've successfully strengthened their discipline backbones, new perspective on how to train our brains to become our best selves, and offers a simple, 21 day, step-by-step guide for ditching habits that don't serve us and developing the habits we deem most important. Habits shouldn't be impossible to reset--and with healthy boundaries, knowledge of--and permission to go after--our desires, and an easy to implement plan of action, we can make any new goal a joyful habit. To join the MKM Book Club visit mkm.myflodesk.com/bookclub

This episode of the found podcast is unlike any other you have heard here before! Number one: we have a guest on the podcast for the first time in months! We are welcoming my sister Jessie Ryan to the pod today, and Jessie brings with her a fresh perspective that we haven't had on the podcast before! Jessie comes to us as a nurse and leader in the health care field. She is part of the University Of Iowa Hospitals And Clinics, and today we really do talk about anything and everything. We wanted this to just be like a fun little conversation between sisters. We are lovingly calling this "Cascade Heights" because, you know, siblings hosting a podcast together with no apparent point…I mean doesn't it just bring you the "New Heights" Jason and Travis Kelsey vibe??? So we're calling it "Cascade Heights" because that's where we came from: Cascade, Iowa. We talk about our upbringing in a small town. We talk about Christmas memories. We talke about the best Christmas gifts we've ever received. We talk about memories of Christmas. FYI: parents you might want to watch out for little ears as you're listening to today's episode! We talk a lot about what computers used to be like. We talked about recording cassettes off the radio. We talk about her work experience and what it means to be a leader, how workplace culture affects the value you feel in the workplace, and how she's really seeing the importance and the emphasis on culture by her own leadership team. So, we talk about a lot of things you know Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Polly Pocket, The Sims, but please know that there isn't really a point. While you won't get a ton of business expertise from today's episode, I hope you get some giggles and some joy! From me to you, happy holidays and I will see you in the new year! Key Links: High School Musical 3 TikTok we reference: https://www.tiktok.com/@giannacervino/video/7310984936809319723?_r=1&_t=8i70RkZ0gUI Polly Pocket set we reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxksHRotU-a/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Loving Family Dollhouse that Jessie references: https://www.ebay.com/itm/364621207003?hash=item54e51e15db:g:E~kAAOSwCnxlS~BM This is what I was picturing in my head: https://www.ebay.com/itm/295959816882?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 The Sims 1 Gameplay: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanplaysthesims/video/7301422497361153312?lang=en The Sims 2 Trailer: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesims2.org/video/7110279272673168645?lang=en Jessie's Barbie Dream House: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenostalchick/video/7251219502149487914?_r=1&_t=8i8DZP8VeWN

149: MKM Wrapped: 2023 Recap If you like me, binged your Spotify Wrapped analysis last week, you are my kind of people. As I swiped through my recap of top songs, top artists, time spent binge listening to Taylor Swift and Zach Bryan and Dax Shepard, and places around the world with listening habits similar to mine (Bozeman, MT), I was inspired to complete my own Wrapped for MKM 2023. In today's episode, we'll break down my top ten things learned at MKM this year, including but not limited to: the power of having a mantra to root into and orient your actions all year long the power of tiny, consistent habits the power of asking "what if?" the power of letting go Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Hey there, listener. In this week's solocast we're tackling the to-do list. Specifically, what is on your list just to do and what is there to make a real difference in your business? How many courses or workshops have we taken without implementing? How many self-help books have we read without helping? How many storage bins have we purchased without doing any organizing? This podcast discusses the difference between action instead of just motion. As small business owners we're always moving. But do our motions move us forward? Key Takeaways Sweat Inspire Sisterhood Drop 10 linked here, follow Erica on Instagram and Facebook "The pursuit of a goal isn't just in managing the mile markers to get us to that end result." "We don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of the systems we put in place as we reach for those goals." - Atomic Habits by James Clear Stack habits you would like to adopt with habits you already have. Consider workshops and education opportunities carefully. Do they put you in ACTION or just in motion? "Motion in a business can look like creating the world's most gorgeous social media content calendar, but it is only motion if you don't actually push publish on the post." Analyze the actions you make regularly and question how the result will help you in the long run. Build a reflection time into you schedule at least once a week to revisit if your actions are moving the needle. Dollars are not your only currency. Also consider how you spend your time and energy. Suneera Madhani of the CEO School Podcast has the method of Do, Delegate, and Delete for determining what tasks to focus on. "Rest is an active choice when you are someone who is ambitious and motivated and driven." Your homework is to TAKE ACTION. Don't just let your next business podcast play, go now and GET STARTED on something you took away from today. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your Lover Era: Video Get ready to see sparks fly across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. Are you ready for it? Today's Intention: Put your face on video if you want to make a connection with your followers. Just last year reels and TikToks were the fast-track to success. Video is no longer guaranteed to go viral, but it remains a great way to connect with your audience. What's working now doesn't require fancy transitions and heavy editing: Try some B-roll background video overlaid with a hook and an insightful, educational caption. Use video to humanize your brand and connect with viewers. Take them behind the scenes on your day-to-day or offer a live Q&A session. Videos can be simple, but it doesn't take a lot to do them well. Seek out good lighting and get a wireless mic for the best sound. The algorithms seem to prefer you to edit within their platform. Otherwise, Camtasia is my favorite software for long-form editing. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your Reputation Era: Captions Get ready to see "sparks fly" across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. "Are you ready for it?" Today's Intention: Get real with our writing and know that there is a way to make it more efficient and engaging. Use ChatCPT to generate a content calendar and captions for your business. It's going to take a little work to train it to "know you," but it can respond with a specific length, objective, and tone for a post. Edit your posts to include words and phrases you typically use and make sure each caption has a hook, body to explain the point, and call to action for what your followers should do next. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your 1989 Era: Storytelling Get ready to see "sparks fly" across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. "Are you ready for it?" Today's Intention: Get real with ourselves about how we need to use storytelling in our marketing if we want people to remember it. I've covered narrative framework in depth in previous episode (Episode 147), but provide a quick refresh here. Think of your social media post, or series of posts, like the plot maps we made in middle school. We need characters, a setting, a problem, and solution. Don't come right at your audience with a "HEY! Buy my product!" Instead, build a story that illustrates how your product or service can solve a problem. You might be a few posts into a series without mentioning your product at all. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your Red Era: Graphics Get ready to see "sparks fly" across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. "Are you ready for it?" Today's Intention: Stop making boring graphics. Ok. Graphics for your social media are NOT the same as the newspaper. You do NOT have to fit ALL your information in one. single. square. Go with a carousel: A multi-image graphics-based post. Each "swipe for more" is an engagement that the algorithm loves. Use Canva to create your graphics with templates. Templates can be found on Canva, Creative Market, or customized with a graphic designer. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your TS Era: Photos Get ready to see "sparks fly" across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. "Are you ready for it?" Today's Intention: Understand and implement what's working right now with photography on social media What's working RIGHT NOW for photos on social media? I share my top tips in today's mini-episode: People stop their scroll for PEOPLE, even if it's hands posing with a product Keep it simple: Unposed and unperfect photos are all the rage. Use multiple images per post Use nostalgic photos Invest in brand photography (@maddiepeschong on Instagram) Consider stock photography (@michellemensing.photography on Instagram) Make your photos pop in just a few taps with preset filters (@randileaphotography on Instagram) Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Your Social Era Get ready to see "sparks fly" across your business' social media platforms! Every day this week on The Found Podcast I'll share quick, actionable tips for engaging content to close out the final quarter of 2023. "Are you ready for it?" Today's Intention: Get real with ourselves about how our social is doing It's easy to get stuck in a rut with our content creation. If you feel like your content is stale and same-old-same, sorry to tell you, but your audience probably feels the same way. The good news is there are no rules and you can absolutely improve to get the impact you're searching for. It's going to take a little risk and a lot of clarity, but I'll be there by your side. This week I'm sharing what works NOW in Q4 on social media. No fluff- just six quick episodes on what you need to hook your ideal follower and engage their attention. Connect with Molly Sign up for the MKM Eras Bootcamp for just $77 Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Hey there, listener. I've shared before that I am (and always have been) a total bookworm. My favorite memories from teaching are getting kids to love reading for reading's sake, not just for points on a quiz. There's something about a great story that makes memories so much more vivid. I can remember exactly where I was, what I was eating, and how I felt while reading a Laura Ingalls book as a fourth grader. I can't tell you the exact title, because memory is like that. We don't always remember the details, but the big picture sticks. In this episode I'm sharing how to use stories to help your big picture stick with your audience by using a narrative framework as your marketing plan. Key Takeaways "It's so easy to forget the specific facts and figures of something but the compelling nature of narratives stay with us." Psychologist Jerome Bruner's research suggests facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered if they are part of a story. In a random group, roughly 40% of people are auditory learners, 40% respond best to visuals, and 20% learn by doing. Stories help each of these types of learners create a mental picture to view in their mind's eye. Book recommendation: Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller There are five elements to a story that our marketing needs as well: Exposition (Introducing your team and location), rising action (sharing problems your product or service could solve), climax (advocating for your product or service), falling action (sharing next steps), and resolution (showing the transformative power of your product or service). "Features or specifics can be forgotten, but story sticks." Frame your business's best or worst moments into the context of a story and bring them into a narrative structure. Choose the right medium like a visual on Instagram, a long-form blog post, or a newsletter series. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram. Reach out by email: [email protected]

Welcome back, listener. In this week's episode of the Found podcast I'm sharing a tale of two vacations. Both are very memorable but only one for good reasons. When Ryan and I went to Texas, that was literally our only plan. Go to Texas. We wanted to be fun and spontaneous but we ended up being absorbed in choosing our next stop or where we would sleep that night. We didn't have the shackles of a schedule, but we didn't have support either. For our South Dakota family vacation, we learned a little. Your girl is still NOT going to have a spreadsheet itinerary, but we at least booked our stays in advance. We listed the landmarks we were excited to see and had a rough idea on which days each event would happen. THAT vacation is remembered for the good things. I share my vacation examples to illustrate a helpful marketing strategy: Begin with the end in mind. Key Takeaways Don't miss the Re-Find mini episode series If you feel lost in the marketing noise you are not alone. According to this survey, the average American sees between 4,000-10,000 ads each day: Double the rate of 2007 and five times the rate of the 1970s! "In order to cut through the noise, your best bet is to make sure that wherever people encounter you, the most effective thing you can do is have cohesiveness." For your customer: Begin with the end in mind. Illustrate the end goal that your product or service can help your client achieve. Paint the destination super clearly. Offer a scenic route or an interstate highway with turn-by-turn directions. Avoid just listing products and services. Instead include them in an overall marketing message that illustrates the final goal. Create marketing that is aligned, cohesive, and moves people down the path to work with you. If you are seeking a scenic route for marketing help, check out the MKM shop at mollyknuthmedia.com/shop. Personalized marketing strategy is my JAM! If you would like the highway route of 1:1 support, email me at [email protected] Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Happy September, listener! I've read that September is the new New Year and I agree. As a mom we're getting back into the routine of life and there is a natural reflection that happens. In this first podcast of September I'm reflecting back on my business "failures" and sharing the lessons I took from them. I can't help myself. My human design profile lines are a 3, have to try things out for myself, and a 5, have to show people what I learned. But that doesn't make it easy. Failure (or what I have perceived as failure in the past) is my biggest fear. I've learned a lot over the last few years and hope you'll find some takeaways in this vulnerable solocast. Key Takeaways It's taken some time for me to be able to talk about my business "failures" from a non-emotional, neutral space, but I'm giving it a try. In this podcast I'm recounting my three biggest failures and what I learned from them. Failure One: Big News in June 2022 (4 min) In June 2022 I had a whole podcast sharing my big news of my realized goal of purchasing an old historic property downtown. Demo was great, but as the time came for making decisions I was totally frozen. Saboteur Assessment (8 min) My saboteur type is avoidance, and avoid I did. I knew in August that this building wasn't right for me but I didn't admit it until winter. Finally in March I met someone with big dreams and a vision for the building. Passing the building on felt right, even though I was ashamed to let go of such a publicly shared goal. "People's businesses pivot. And actually, a sign of a business that has longevity and has stood the test of time, they aren't the same business 5, 7, 15, 20 years down the road that they were when then started out." (13 min) "You set out to save a historic building. You may not have been the person to see it through the whole process, but you still held that building and made sure it went to someone who would care about it. So you did in fact satisfy what you set out to do" - My friend Kara of the BC Barnburner (16 min) Failure Two: Business Finances (18 min) My business grew faster than the systems I had (or didn't have) in place could sustain. I waited way too long to seek help. I'm so grateful for Sheila Hansen and the changes she helped me make. We put so many systems in place, like billing for the month ahead with ACH, but she also made me examine my money mindset. She didn't just do it for me; she coached me through. (25 min) Failure Three: Trying to Out-Hustle (31 min) I thought I could just "Do one more thing" to try to outrun the problems I had with my business administration systems. "There is no way you can outrun the systematic and structural deficiencies of a business by adding more to your plate." (32 min) "Be clear on your end result but be flexible on the path that gets you there." (40 min) P.S. This month marks the 3-year anniversary of the pod! It's taken on some changes over that time, like all good things do, but I'm so grateful for your support. Thanks for listening! Connect Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey there, listener! It's so good to "see" you again! I know I've technically been here all summer, but, in full disclosure, I batch recorded the summer episode way back in April. It's been a great summer and I'm excited to finally be back at the mic. I kept this episode quick to ease my way back in and to really emphasize something I learned this last year or so - the secret sauce to getting found. Key Takeaways A lot of social media content creating (that yes, I have contributed to!) is competitive. Look at me! I'm important! Look what I have! It's time to listen: Get clear on who you are and your values and then start listening. 2022 was my first year without a vision board and it showed. I felt untethered and started things just for the sake of starting them. Getting focused in 2023 has helped me have a more successful year. There is so much content already out there! People feel pulled and stretched in so many ways. Try viewing social media as your flag in the sand where people know where to find you. Reverse the structure of social media. Be listeners first and content creators second. Have you ever had a fabulous offer and heard crickets when you released it? Reverse the structure and be a listener first, content creator second. How did you get your following in the first place? How did you make those people feel heard and valued? Make intentional time to listen but following other accounts, joining groups, or putting a question box in your stories. "Not just prioritizing us getting found, but finding other people online." Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Friends, you will LOVE today's episode with Ruthie Sterrett. We had so much fun and I know it will come through the speakers. Join me as I totally nerd out on all things marketing for small business. I have so much respect for how Ruthie can break down big concepts and make them easily digestible and actionable. This podcast episode is full of takeaways for you to apply TODAY to get not just views, but a real impact. Key Takeaways Ruthie is the face behind The Consistency Corner, a content management and marketing strategy agency for businesses. She offers done for you and done with you marketing plans, courses, and guidance. Ruthie loved her career in retail but needed more flexibility with a growing family. She was able to replace her corporate income in just three months, but had spent the previous 18 months laying the groundwork for that transition. It is SO important to narrow in on your ideal customer and keep them in mind. Stick to your brand's and your personal WHY. Books Ruthie recommends: Onward by Howard Schultz and Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller "The customer is always right, but not everyone is your ideal customer" Ruthie's success equation: (Time + Consistency + Intensity you can maintain) x Belief = Result. If something's not working, brush up on your algebra skills and work backwards from this equation. "Social Media is not a marketing strategy just like a coffee cup isn't coffee. It's a container for your coffee. Social media is a container for your content, which is part of your marketing strategy." "Pick the platforms that you can show up on consistently over time, and really hone in on those as your needle-movers" Attract, nurture, convert: One piece of content cannot do all three One BIG takeaway from today: Check out Ruthie's gift to listeners of a holiday content planner with six weeks of content prompts! Connect with Ruthie Connect with Ruthie on Instagram personally or through her business. Catch her podcast, The Consistency Corner, and find links to all these and more on her website. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

My friends, today you are in for a TREAT with today's guest. Amanda Walker of The Best Damn Coach podcast and program is so fun and brings the ENERGY. She is so great at taking hard to understand concepts and making them clear, concise, and actionable. In this episode we talk about goals, mindset, and reverse engineering outcomes. Key Takeaways Amanda is a Certified Master Coach and became a coach for the first time as a 15-year-old to pee-wee basketball boys. She went on to become a high school teacher and coach, Level 1 Crossfit Coach, Precision Nutrition Coach, Certified Master Life Coach, and NLP and hypnotherapy practioner. Whew! Amanda left teaching after ten years and not feeling tapped in to her full potential. She now coaches coaches to get the best possible results for their clients. Teaching taught Amanda to reverse engineer results, something she brings to coaching today: "What is that outcome that I desire and how can I break that down into smaller steps so that I get there in the end?" How are teachers different than coaches? Teachers give step-by-step instructions but might not help with implementation and planning. Coaches help understand implementation and accountability. "Mindset and the internal work is about 75% of the equation and the other remaining part is strategy." Amanda says to get clear where you want to go, even in the first year, and then thing and act like that future person. Books Amanda recommends: Big Leap by Gay Hendricks and The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Episode Sponsors If you are considering outsourcing bookkeeping or financial services, and intensive day with Sheila Hansen, CPA is THE way to get started. Learn more on Sheila's website on the services tab. (P.S. Sheila has been a guest on the podcast before!) I literally cried happy tears the first time I used Flodesk for my email list. Not only was it BY FAR the easiest platform I had tried, my emails were beautiful and matched my branding! Use my link for 50% off Flodesk. Connect with Amanda Amanda is offering a free masterclass, sign up here. Connect with Amanda on Instagram or Facebook and find more information about working with her on her website. Amanda is the host of The Best Damn Coach podcast. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey there, listener. Welcome to another episode of the Found podcast, and it's going to be a good one! I'm pleased to bring you Carrie Cohen of Carrie Cohen coaching. Her educational background and lived experiences from a practicing psychotherapist to owning her own business are perfect for this audience of female business owners. Our interview focused on the very basics of coaching and therapy, but since we pressed record, Carrie has specialized her services even further to helping married couples and those navigating the struggles of infertility. I know this will be an impactful interview with actionable takeaways for all our listeners. Key Takeaways If you need a fairy godmother for your small business, please meet mine. Megan Knapp provides the virtual assisting services I need to keep my entire business organized. She's now accepting new clients, so reach out at [email protected]. I love having my own business except, well, the business side of things. Payroll, taxes, and billing stresses me out. Gusto takes care of all of that for me. It saves for taxes, automatically files, and reports on my behalf. Get a $100 gift card when you sign up with my link. Carrie's career started after grad school in 1999. She enjoyed clinical work and worked in agencies, foster care, administration, and then in private practice. I love Carrie's analogy of not putting beautiful new flooring over a wet, moldy subfloor. It's important to deal with our underlying issues for our best future. In 2015, Carrie was grappling with the sustainability of her work. She started to realize she was maxed out from a business standpoint. Covid became a silver lining that forced her to reconsider how she was doing business and provided space from obligations to reexamine her life. Carrie recognized her purpose of bringing women together globally. She became certified in nutrition coaching and health coaching. Although she loved clinical practice, it felt stifling for her outgoing personality. Carrie says 80% of serotonin is created in the gut, one example of why she believes a more holistic approach is necessary. She incorporates nutrition and polyvagal theory into her work. "You need some really powerful intervening force that's actually more potent than the hustling experience." Carrie uses the visual of a ladder to explain the different steps of polyvagal theory. "Burnout is living in a chronic state of sympathetic activation." "Most of the things we do to regulate ourselves are things we all do anyway, the difference here is using it intentionally and using it deliberately." "There's one pie and it depends on how many slices there are, but there is only one pie and you have to take from somewhere." "Life is actually really hard and really painful. We need to create the experience of having pleasure, and joy, and interest, and excitement, and passion. Otherwise it won't come. We'll just be doing the thing." Carrie encourages female business owners to reach out and seek help from a coach or therapist. She says so many people feel like a big weight has been lifted in just the first session when few strategies have even been implemented yet. The solution to shame is to expose it. It's important to discuss what is holding you back with a professional. Connect with Carrie I have GOT to learn more about polyvagal theory because it makes so much sense. Carrie offers an introduction to nervous system regulation you can access here. She uses LinkedIn most often and shares some of that content on Instagram.

Listener, if you haven't heard of Dirt Road Candle Co, let me do the absolute honor of introducing you! Michelle Myers is a friend, small business mastermind buddy, and the woman behind the ONLY candle brand I have in my house. In this episode we chat about Michelle's background and future in agriculture and her journey from making candles in her kitchen to building an amazing, authentic brand. Key Takeaways If you need a fairy godmother for your small business, please meet mine. Megan Knapp provides the virtual assisting services I need to keep my entire business organized. She's now accepting new clients, so reach out at [email protected]. Listener, I used a debit card for my business purchases for so long. I heard some buzz about cash back rewards, did some of my own research, and landed on the Capital One Spark Business Card. I love to build my credit and earn money back on purchases I would make anyway. You need to make the best financial decisions for YOUR business, but if you're looking for a great credit card for your small business, learn more here. Michelle has been on the pod before in my small business besties episode. I first started following Michelle on Instagram after her episode on the Rural Revival podcast. Michelle lives in rural Southwest Iowa on her fifth generation family farm. She currently lives in the home she was raised in! Michelle started making candles with a thrifted double boiler in her own kitchen. When candles took over her whole home (literally!) she built a combination candle shed/farm office. Michelles candles started as a hobby but became popular gifts, so she opened an Etsy shop. Her early years were tough. Michelle commuted 50 minutes each way for her full time corporate job and would come home to pack orders. She said she kept her blinders on and focused on her goal. It made that crazy season doable. Michelle is mostly self taught. She gets stuff done and encourages people to not over-research. Community is so important to Michelle's success, especially as a product based business. Getting started in wholesale was a challenge initially. She says to remember that "no" can mean "just not right now." She now sells online retail and wholesale and through Faire, an online wholesale marketplace (aka "Etsy for wholesale"). Michelle's brand is totally her. She really is just sharing her life. She loves and uses her products and adds to her line as a need arises. Her car freshies started when her friend's daughter cried when she couldn't bring her candle in the car! Michelle is educating others about agriculture through her farm tours and open houses. Her fall open house is this August 4th and 5th. Connect with Michelle Michelle's branding is on. point. Shop at her website or follow her across the socials at @dirtroadcandleco (Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok) Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

This episode was recorded on the LAST day of school for my four kiddos. The next week we started our first summer with no formal childcare since I started my business. I love my flexible hours, but honestly, I have flexed them a little too broadly in the past. I'm determined to really be present with my family and soak up this magical summer. That calls for some careful strategy to make sure my business continues to flourish without me. I'm sharing my plan in this week's podcast. Key Takeaways Resources: This episode is best via video, linked here. Follow along in your printable workbook, and access the presentation here. I'm booking eight sessions only with business owners looking to strategically plan and market their business in a short amount of time. Your Power Hour package includes a personal audit of your current strategies, three months of content mapped out, and 10 days of Voxer access. Book yours here. I love having my own business except, well, the business side of things. Payroll, taxes, and billing stresses me out. Gusto takes care of all of that for me. It saves for taxes, automatically files, and reports on my behalf. Get a $100 gift card when you sign up with my link. Clarity: Set a timer and sit with a stack of sticky notes. What do you most want to accomplish this summer? Cataloging: Ask yourself what you already have that is doing well. How can you make things last a little longer? Reduce, reuse, and recycle your content. You don't have to constantly create. Check your insights to see what content has done well, when, and why. Create: Amp up your energy and bring your best self to social. Choose a format that fits your goals, and batch content for efficiency. Convert: Why do you use social media in your business? What goals are you accomplishing with it? Make sure your content has a clear call to action. Be sure that your social media strategy is serving your goals. Your time this summer is precious, so don't waste it on things that aren't converting. Be a real person on social media. People can tell when you are just checking a box. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

If the THOUGHT of legalese brings on hives, this is the episode for you. Sarah Waldbuesser of Destination Legal is passionate about helping coaches and entrepreneurs achieve their dreams in a smart and protected way. This episode is packed with the legal advice every business needs. You'll want to bookmark this one for sure. Key Takeaways Sarah is an advocate for good contracts. She says they're even more important than getting an LLC or insurance. No matter the size or location of your business, contracts build boundaries and set expectations. Remember your website needs a privacy policy, disclaimer, terms of service, and terms of purchase. Destination Legal has different contract templates for different industries. Life coaching has different liability than fitness and nutrition, for example. If you're confused about what services you may need, check out Sarah's starter bundles. You can build as you grow. When to trademark? Sarah says to do the gut check: How would you feel if you received a cease and desist for your signature program? If it would totally rock your business you need to trademark. Should you get an LLC or S Corp? S Corps are for corporations. You can always start with an LLC and move up to an S Corp in the future. The FIRST legal help you need is a contract, LLC comes next. Don't let the LLC stop you from getting started, but a contract is a must. Here is a link to Sarah's free legal checklist for coaches. Connect with Sarah Find Sarah on Instagram, Facebook, and on her business website Destination Legal. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Listener, today you are in for a treat. In this episode I sit down with Jada Dobesh of Selah Space in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jada was recommended to me by a friend who said I would be BLOWN AWAY (in a good way). Let me tell you, I was. Our time together FLEW by and I learned so much in our time together. I know you'll find something here that connects with you. Key Takeaways Content Confident subscription from MKM: More efficient, less stressful, plug and play social media strategy It's hard to fit Jada's job description into a single sentence: She's a spiritual healing facilitator, certified Reiki practitioner, and has a psychology background. She practices at the intersection of three main topics: Spirituality, sexuality, and self-worth. Our society has taught us those three things are not meant to go together, but Jada is helping us unlearn that. As a child of divorced parents, Jada wanted to be a Marriage and Family Therapist. As an undergrad she changed her major to youth ministry. She graduated, got married, and started her career in a single week! Selah is a Hebrew word with no good translation, but means "Stop and think about what the lyrics just said." Jada worked with a spiritual guide and a therapist and noticed she could talk about her sex life with one and her spirituality with another. She knew women would benefit from someone who could help with both. As a youth minister Jada loved working with the moms most. Moms are still her favorite people to work with, especially those for whom everything is "technically fine." We discuss how we can be addicted to busyness and chaos and what that models for our children. "Oh my gosh, how do I not destroy my kids?" Jada offers the program Menstrual Mystics to help us REALLY understand our cycle. She gives a quick breakdown in our episode but ladies, LOOK THIS UP! Jada's socials are linked at the bottom of these notes. Our cycle starts with the first day of your last "period" but there are several periods to a cycle. The Follicular phase mirrors spring and we are flirty, young, and have so many ideas. It's best to not execute on these ideas, but take lots of notes! Ovulation is 3-5 days and is like the full moon of summer. This is the time to communicate, network, interview, and batch content. We are at our BEST. Luteal is our fall. If you struggle with reproductive health, these are the days when you feel it the most. Menstrual phase is what we commonly refer to as our period, and it's time to REST. This is not when we are irrational, it is when we are done with BS and (rightfully!) mad at the world. Jada carefully considers habits that affect hormones. She recommends eating within an hour of waking up, limiting exercise to 30 minutes for most women, and avoiding caffeine during your menstrual period. Lunch is a great time to exercise to prevent an afternoon slump. This interview left me craving more information. Check out Jada's offerings here. I especially love the description for Soul Illume: "You're supposed to take up space, to live your spirit-led life by listening closely to your intuition and honoring its call." I love her response to the saying that you can't pour from and empty cup. She says she prefers the analogy of a champagne fountain where everyone can be served at once. I literally cried happy tears the first time I used Flodesk for my email list. Not only was it BY FAR the easiest platform I had tried, my emails were beautiful and matched my branding! Use my link for 50% off Flodesk. Connect with Jada Check out her offerings on her website or connect with Jada on Instagram.

Hey there, reader! Happy small business week! (And teacher appreciation… and nurse appreciation..) What a travesty that all of these incredible people have to share a single week! This week on the Found podcast we are focusing on you, the small business owner. Or you the entrepreneur. Which is which? Can you be both? This solocast breaks it down. Key Takeaways If you, like me, identify as a creative, you might love the doing and creating in your business but maybe aren't as confident in making money decisions. My friend, Sheila Hansen CPA, is my secret weapon and is booking a limited number of Intensive Days in 2023. If you are considering outsourcing bookkeeping or financial services, this is THE way to get started. I have worked with Sheila in many capacities but especially valued our intensive day together back in October 2021. Learn more on Sheila's website on the services tab. (P.S. Sheila has been a guest on the podcast before!) I used to use the terms "small business owner" and "entrepreneur" interchangeably: "There isn't a better, there is only a different, and that is okay." To describe the difference in the two titles I'm referencing an oldie-but-goodie 10-year-old article from Entrepreneur magazine. "Small business owners have a great idea, while entrepreneurs have big ideas." Small business owners add their own flavor to a blueprint that is already in place, while entrepreneurs think bigger and take more risk and chance. Small business owners have a dependable, repeatable process with margin for profit, and with time and consistency that business will keep them employed and in the mix of the business dealings. Entrepreneurs like profit too but will often answer the little voice that says "what if we try it this way instead." Small business owners are part of the day-to-day and have a direct hands-on role in making sure everything is completed. Entrepreneurs is thinking out far ahead and depending on a team to carry the weight of day-to-day tasks. Small business owners are sentimental with their business while entrepreneurs are focused on scaling and selling. A healthy economy needs both entrepreneurs and small business owners. Your own business sometimes needs you to be a mix of both. I started MKM as an entrepreneur when social media marketing wasn't a thing yet. I moved into the headspace of a small business owner to secure a dependable income and profit for my business. Now I'm enjoying a flow back to a more entrepreneurial mindset and enjoying the ride. I literally cried happy tears the first time I used Flodesk for my email list. Not only was it BY FAR the easiest platform I had tried, my emails were beautiful and matched my branding! Use my link for 50% off Flodesk. Connect Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome to another episode of the Found podcast! I'm excited to bring you someone I met years ago in a mastermind for revitalizing small towns and have since come to consider a friend and one of the smartest people I know. Kara Hammes loves to travel, puts family first, and is an amazing planner and organizer. Professionally, she welcomes guests from all over the country to her multiuse rental property, the Brown County Barn Burner. Key Takeaways We always link contact info at the end of these notes, but seriously, go check out the Brown County Barn Burner's website right. now. It is a must for understanding this amazing property! Kara and her husband designed and built the Brown County Barn Burner in the south central Indiana town of Nashville. The area is known for its beautiful parks. The property includes an event space, four short-term rental apartments, and a commercial space leased to a bike shop. Kara is a big fan of the financial independence movement and used her "FU money" to take a step back from an unenjoyable career. As avid travelers with family and friends, they noticed a gap in the market for large group accommodations in Brown County. They very intentionally designed their space to be the perfect space for vacationing groups. Kara relates to the saying "needing a vacation after the vacation" and works hard to make their rental space the most accommodating place possible. She wants everyone in their groups, especially the organizing-minded moms, to enjoy their stay and really relax. Kara always walks through a space before the guests arrive and tries to anticipate any needs that may arise. She says it's a good weekend if her guests don't need her at all. The decor throughout their spaces is just amazing. Kara very carefully thrifted and sourced each item. Obviously, there is a cost savings to used pieces when furnishing four apartments at once. But she also wants to have a cozy feel of nothing being too precious for the guests to enjoy. "Everything is one of a kind but nothing is irreplaceable." Financial Independence Followup After the interview Kara contacted me with her favorite personal finance resources. Money with Katie and her accompanying podcast JL Collins's stock series, starting with this blog post, or their book A good overview of financial independence and getting started on Mr. Money Mustache (Kara says Pete is a little more hardcore than other resources!) Connect with Kara You haven't checked their website yet? Go there now! Connect with Kara on Instagram. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Welcome, listener to this edition of the Found podcast. In this episode I'm recapping the talk I gave at the University of Northern Iowa's Women In Business Organization's Young Women in Leadership conference. I'm sharing many memories today but an important one is attending a "What is a business major" workshop as an undecided freshman at UNI. As soon as they said I'd have to take macro- and microeconomics I was like, "Peace out!" I was so grateful to be asked back. My talk was for young high school women from all over the state to give a small business entrepreneurial voice to their conference. My freshman business-no-thanks self wouldn't believe where I am today, and that's okay. It's okay to change. Key Takeaways Yes, there is a Spotify playlist. Leadership for me has never been big or grand, it was often leading in small ways and listening to that small voice that wondered "What if?" All I Want Is You: When the lead on my junior high dance team was injured I had to take the front position with little warning. It wasn't a big deal, it was just a job that needed to be done. "I can lead others by leading myself" Yellow: Leadership camp at UNI was such an impactful experience for me. Over the course of a week we learned so much and met so many new friends. There were literal tears when our parents picked up. Jeopardy: I was given the coveted role of FFA Sweetheart as a high school senior which came with the "honor" of providing treats for the 100+ members at each of the remaining meetings for the year. My departing speech was unconventional, but all in good fun. Just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever. You Can't Always Get What You Want: I was devastated to not get the scholarship I needed to attend my first pick college. This song played on the radio at work after I got the hard news. Fancy Like Applebees: Laugh all you want, but Applebees was THE hoppin' place to work in Cedar Falls. I wanted to be a waitress, and I wanted to work at the busiest restaurant in town. Food service taught me SO many people skills. I was able to lead in this position by training others (Which came with a whopping $5 per hour wage AND a free meal!). Reading Rainbow: As a new teacher I struggled with students cramming easy books for easy quiz points. I wanted them to love reading for reading sake. I put out a call on this new thing called Instagram and Facebook for classroom books and collected 500 by the end of the semester! This taught me that rallying people around a cause can help achieve growth. Mama Says: It's okay to change. I became a stay at home mom. Yes, I was a passionate educator, but changing my career doesn't change the passion I put in to that career. "I thought this for a long time but now I learned differently, learned better, and so I'm going to move in that better path." Video Killed the Radio Star: "The story of how I creatively avoided cold call fundraising with my mad video skillz." But seriously, I was involved in a capital campaign for a childcare center in our community. When the time came for cold call donations I just. could. not. We made a video campaign showing how the current center just wasn't working and sharing our vision for the future. It was a huge success! Bo$$: I started my own business that absolutely could have stayed one-to-one service-based forever. Instead, I used all the lessons from all of my leadership roles before to now lead a team of people. A secret to my success is that I didn't keep secrets. I offered free weekly trainings to help small businesses understand more about social media marketing. "Leadership isn't just putting yourself up on a pedestal. Turn around, see who's walking behind you, and give them a hand, so they can do it faster, better, and more efficiently than you did." "The best leaders are not the ones who keep all the secrets to themselves, they're the ones who help others elevate too." Change (Taylor's Version): Change starts with the question: How can we do this differently? As I focus on my words of 2023, Profit and Pruning, I'm asking that of myself. You'll notice some changes coming to the podcast as I prune back to just two episodes per month until August, alternating a solocast with a guest interview. I've also let go of pursuing a physical storefront in my hometown after I got honest about my long term goals. Connect Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Listeners, you are in for a treat with today's guest on the Found podcast. Karoline Rose Bohannan is a multipassionate entreprenuer and rancher in Montana. Her mission is to provide space and resources for cattlewomen and people in agriculture to ensure that operations continue for generations to come. Get your pen (or, in Karoline's case, a pencil!) and paper because her business mind had me floored. You can tell a few times in the recording that I am totally tongue tied by her creative ideas! Key Takeaways Karoline comes from an agriculture-income family in Montana. Health challenges made college at Kansas State difficult, so she moved home and completed an animal science degree at Montana State. When it came time to accept a job, she realized she needed to work for herself. She wanted to work hard, just not for someone else, so she started selling cattle under her own company. Her first summer after college was rough, but she had a break selling cattle through social media in just seven minutes. Eventually seed stock companies approached her and she now does full service marketing. Karoline has three main branches of business: Full service marketing and design through KRose Company, education through Cattlemen U, and Rancher's Daughter, a farm to table resale store. As an Enneagram 8, Karoline is a challenger and loves a fast pace. Being busy for 8 hours is not the same as working for 8 hours. Do the hard hard work. "It takes on average 21 times for someone to see your work before they exchange money with you" Sales is different from marketing. If you are getting rave reviews from your clients but business is down, it is time to seek out more clients. More people need to know who you are and what you sell. Karoline is active in her community with belly up marketing: Volunteering and being involved where people can see you in person and shake your hand. EOS (Entrepreneurship Operating System) has been a game changer. Karoline is eager to learn and seeks input from her team. She says if you have integrity and are hungry you will do well. She is always going back to core values. Coming soon: Karoline is launching a personal brand and planner. Connect with Karoline Find Karoline's personal brand on Instagram which has links to each of her business branches.

There are just not enough Tuesdays in March to showcase all of the kickass female business owners I wish I could. This week's episode features SIX of my business besties. We have been on a Voxer group chat together since the beginning of 2022 and I am so grateful to have the support of these women in my life. I know you'll love them too. Meet the Badass Midwest Business Babes (We don't have a formal name, so that's what I'm going with today!) Lindsy Trotter of Chilled Freezer Meals in Center Point Iowa. She's been in business five years and sends freezer meals all across the country (and just up the road to Cascade!) Sheila Hansen of Sheila Hansen CPA who has been helping female business owners understand their numbers and make confident business decisions for seven years. Erika Hermsen of Sweat Inspire Sisterhood, an online fitness and nutrition community set to open its first brick-and-mortar this year. Marissa Hoffman, co-owner of The Midwest Girl, a shop with THE BEST apparel and goods with Midwest appeal. Maddie Peschong, a personal brand photographer, coach, and host of the Take It Personally podcast. She also rents out studio space to Souix Falls, South Dakota photographers through White Space Studio. Michelle Myers who creates all the good smells for her company Dirt Road Candle Co. Connect Connect with each of my business besties through the links above. Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! This week on the Found podcast I'm so fortunate to sit down with Whitney Kinne and discuss all things fulfillment, intention, and purpose. You know I'm all about that, but Whitney still fills the episode with fresh ideas and advice. She and her husband, Shane, coach professionals on finding the perfect role for them based on their values. She is just a wealth of information and I know you'll get a lot out of this professional who truly cares. Key Takeaways Whitney did our interview from her baby nursery (like, the one she was actually a baby in) turned home office. Her career pivot from higher education to coaching came from a desire to return to her rural roots and live in alignment with her values. She and her husband, Shane, coach individuals and lead team trainings to help people reach harmony between work and family. "Show some leadership:" What started as ordering her own ice cream as a four-year-old became a mantra for Whitney to have courage. She says everyone is a leadership isn't always a big bold move, and little ripples can have big effects. Whitney encourages everyone to evaluate where they can lead: "Where can I have influence and where can I have leadership in the teams or family that I'm a part of?" "Moms are like a thermostat in the home" The first step of coaching with Whitney is asking: What works? What isn't working? What matters to you? Whitney doesn't just list values, she identifies actions that demonstrate that value. She checks in on her actions regularly. Whitney loves working with her husband and appreciates their message coming from a male perspective. Audiences respond well to a man sharing his values of living life with purpose which is a message usually shared by women. Whitney says it's important to establish a routine for checking in with a coach. "Don't mistake movement for progress": Whitney cautions to evaluation if your actions are truly serving your larger goals. What is your first tactical step? Get on LinkedIn if you aren't already, and use something other than your current job title in your bio line. Reach out to Whitney and Shane for coaching using the contact information linked. Connect with Whitney Connect with Whitney on LinkedIn, follow on Instagram, and learn more about coaching on her website. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! This episode has me FIRED UP and my typical Key Takeaways format for podcast notes won't do it justice. Check out my blog for a full breakdown of this statistics-heavy episode. Sources include: More than a million women have left the workforce. The Fed needs to consider them as it defines 'full employment' (Fortune) Women in the Workplace 2022 (McKinsey & Company) 'It's a huge concern': Senior-level women are calling it quits after decades climbing the career ladder (CNBC) Child care providers can be hard to find and costly in Iowa. Here's what you need to know (Des Moines Register) Women in Iowa 2022 (The Iowa Department of Human Rights' Office on the Status of Women) Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Oh man, listener, you are in for a treat. I'm so delighted to welcome Emily Reuschel on the podcast today. Emily focuses on habits, change, and the seasonality of life. I so appreciate that she is open to honestly discuss the struggles and downs of life, especially with her focus on rural women. I'm so proud to give this episode to the world. It's a message I needed and is filled with such hope. Key Takeaways Emily grew up in a small community near St. Louis, studied education, and worked for a time as a teacher. She now lives in rural West Central Illinois with her family on her husband's family farm. Emily's mission is to bring together rockstar women from small towns and help them get clear on what they actually want with tools, habits, and a support system. "If we want cool stuff to happen in our small towns someone has to stand up and do something different that's never been done before." Emily loved teaching and surprised herself by leaving just two weeks before the start of a new school year. She worked as a program director at the YMCA and is so grateful for the experiences she had there. She found herself feeling burned out and had a sense of outgrowing the opportunities available to her and she set out on her own health journey. "I am a girl mom now and I need to figure out what it looks like to love myself into feeling better than I feel." As part of her health journey Emily put together a Facebook group of family and friends to focus on habits. That grew into You Do You 82, her habit support community. Based on her own personal habits, she went from a non-runner to completing a half marathon in six months. "You don't always have to be reaching for more, just reach for intention" "A lot of times we look at more as accumulating accolades or accumulating material things or accumulating accomplishments and knowing that you're made for more is really like knowing you're made for more than just showing up and being a passenger in your life" Emily has been open about her mental health journey after she had a feeling of being surrounded by goodness but cracking from the inside out. She sought therapy and is honest about the hard work that comes with unpacking past traumas. "There is going to be lightness and goodness and freedom in digging in to the other side of this crap and getting on the other side." "If we are the generation that's asking 'am I feeling fulfilled' I think we are also the generation that says it's ok to get help when you know you need it" Books we mention The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan Untamed by Glennon Doyle Connect with Emily Emily offers her You Do You 82 community for free. She has a podcast, Gather in Growth. Learn more about Emily and her retreats on her website and follow her on Instagram (her stories are so good!)

Hey there, listener! I'm sure you have heard that you can either spend time or money, and I'm focusing on that sentiment today. Time is your most precious commodity and in this week's quick solocast I'm sharing what I do to buy back time in my business. Invest in education (programs, courses, workshops) You can save time by learning from a program or course rather than learning everything yourself. In my early days I invested in The Social Media Marketer Society for a year and found it to be very helpful for that state of business. I loved Allie Reeves's Hashtag Like A Boss training. It was just 90 minutes but PACKED with value. I did NOT love an email marketing workshop course I signed up for. I ignored the weird tingles and red flags. Don't do what I did! Implement systems and softwares in the backend of your business Set up as many systems as you can to prevent having to make decisions or lose time finding documents and communication. I share some systems for how we get this podcast to your ears and how we work with our Done For You clients Software my team uses: Clickup, Slack, Dubsado Invest in people Have other people get you where you want to go quicker Shoutout to my AMAZING virtual assistant Megan! She specializes in admin tasks in is such an amazing part of my team. Virtual assistants can be generalists or specialize depending on your needs. Definitely do a vibe check before bringing someone on board! Speaking of VAs, they are so helpful and are a great resource when a full employee isn't a good fit yet. Consider outsourcing to a specialized contractor like a coach. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hello listener! I'm so pumped to bring you THE Jillian Murphy to discuss all things sales and business. Like all of her free content, this podcast is packed with value and encouragement. Jillian brings 20 years of sales experience to online businesses through mentorship and educational materials. She's killin' it with just three years in business for herself and prides herself on amazing results for her clients too. Key Takeaways Jillian considered herself a corporate "ride or die" and absolutely loved the career she built from entry level. She was devastated by job loss in 2020 but immediately picked herself up and started her own business. Eight weeks prior to her layoff she attended a Mastermind with Chris & Lori Harder. She turned to a business coach they suggested and started applying her sales experience to mentoring. Jillian recommends staying with one coach and staying laser focused. "Every time you start over, you are literally starting over" Jillian recommends an open cart/closed cart sales strategy. Open cart closed cart "When you are always available there's no sense of urgency to buy" Jillian has been burned by shiny object syndrome. A poor business coach experience led her to scrutinize business coaches more carefully. She says to ask if the wins they are sharing are from clients, or is it always all about them? She says "A ton of my clients make more than me," and she couldn't be happier. Jillian has an amazing social media presence. She wants to be top of mind at all times and achieves that with daily value-packed posting. She points out that if people are winning with her free content, imagine what they could win by working together! How does she come up with all of the ideas for content? She is constantly adding to her notes app questions she gets throughout the day from clients, masterminds, or in podcast interviews. Those questions become content. Jill encourages us to USE social media instead of just scrolling: "This is the power of being social on social media" Connect with Jillian You will love all that Jillian has to share on Instagram. Follow her links to learn more about her Facebook groups and current offers. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! Thanks for joining me on the Found podcast this week. I know it's February already, but I still think it's a good time to reset. I feel like I spent all of January inundated with everyone else's ideas of how to start the year. Now that we made it through the first month, I'm ready to consider what I want Q1 to look like for my clients and me. This episode will focus on marketing trends I'm leaning in to this year. Key Takeaways "Social media marketing, when done correctly with intention for personal brands, puts you in the driver's seat and you can compete with big names." You don't need to have a huge following for a huge impact and successful business. Link to podcast episode with Nicole Kerns of Hillhouse Diaries "The reason social media was founded in the first place and really took off was that it connected people." Clients demand more now. They expect the convenience that big brands offer along with a personal element. Social media is not just trending, it is necessary. Gone is perfect, polished, and precise. The most effective ads you have interacted with you might not have realized were ads. You don't have to do it all, pick the platform that matches your vibe and meshes well with your business. I've been harping on this for years, but now more than ever: "People are the cornerstone of social media and marketing for 2023" Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey, listener. I just love this week's guest, and if you don't already, you will after this episode. Nicole Kerns is a small town Iowa mom known for her DIYs shared with hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers. She seemed so approachable that I got the guts to DM her and invite her on the show. I'm so thrilled to have her, and yes, she is exactly as awesome as she seems on social media. Key Takeaways Nicole Kerns is a small town Iowa mom of three and self-taught DIYer. She has a mega following, deservedly so, through Hill House Diaries on Instagram and TikTok. Nicole was looking to bring back her identity after years as a stay-at-home mom. She was familiar with Instagram as a consumer but a friend encouraged her to dive in to content creating. She made the goal to inspire others to "just go for it" even if they were scared or nervous. Nicole encourages people to dive in, get messy, and try. Don't wait for the step-by-step tutorial to get something done perfectly, because everything is fixable. From both a strategy and community building standpoint, Nicole says (and I agree!) that followers especially like the not-so-polished stuff. In Social Media 2.0 people are invested. "Day in the life" story series have been very popular for Nicole. Nicole works with a manager and virtual assistant. She says she's willing to hire someone to help than "have a phone constantly in front of my face." But she reminds us she didn't have the help to start, and it's something you can work towards. Connect with Nicole Find Nicole and links to all her socials on her website. She likes Instagram best and has recently started TikTok. Connect with Molly Find me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hi Listener! If you've been around here awhile you have caught on that I'm not always straight laced and professional. I was getting ready to speak once and had to describe my target audience. The best I came up with was like, a teenager business, you know? You can't be a little baby business, you have to know some things. This totally clicked and was such a great way to describe those growing pains we all experience in business. Today's podcast is just me sharing the stages of business with this child development analogy. I hope it helps you to be kind to yourself and find support for whatever stage you find yourself in. It's not super in-depth, just a loose framework, but I think you'll see yourself in one of these stages. Key Takeaways Baby Business These are those survival years! It's time to learn the very basics. If you've seen a baby learn to walk, you know they're going to fall flat on their face a few times. But they pick themselves up and keep trying! I spent a long time in the baby stage as an accidental, even reluctant, entrepreneur. I had a lot of time to play and try new things. I was able to learn from my mistakes and try new things. My journey seeking supplemental income is going to look a lot different from someone seeking startup funding or already working with a team! If you can't spend too much time learning from mistakes, consider getting a coach on board to guide you through. Teenage Business "Okay, I have all of these things that equip me but who am I really? What is the identity that I want to hold?" You are a little more established and confident and it's time to make big life decisions. You're finding boundaries and pushing limits. Young Adults This is me: "I've tested things. I've broken a lot of shit." I've learned that I can't stay out all night without paying for it the next day. There are consequences for my actions and I have to do some un-fun stuff too. According to LendingTree.com, 18.4% of private sector businesses fail in the first year, 49.7% after five years, and 65.5% after 10. It's ok if businesses grow and change! Maybe they took a "gap year" or retrained for a new career. Growth keeps happening. Think of businesses you admire: They all went through tough phases too, we just might not have been paying attention. Connect with Molly Reach out to me, Molly Knuth, on Instagram and Facebook if your young business could use some caregiving (aka mentoring!) through those younger years. Follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listener! I can't wait for you to fall in love with today's guest, Jill Carr. I knew she'd be a fast friend when we first connected on Instagram (with a voice memo, of course! A girl after my own heart!) After our first zoom call I knew I couldn't keep her to myself and had to invite her on the podcast. Key Takeaways: Jill Carr helps rural women extend their voice with podcasting. She offers a variety of services to launch, manage, and grow podcasts. Jill lives with her family on a ranch in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Before launching her own company she discovered podcasts on her 40-minute commute. She became a virtual assistant in 2018 and focused in on podcasting in the last year. Coach Kiah was a VA client and became Jill's first podcast. Jill was hooked! In 2021 she went all in on niching down into podcasting. Jill discusses the challenges of being a mom-treprenuer. She originally became her own boss to have more time with family, but realized it was easy to overextend herself. She learned better boundary setting. Jill says to always remember your "why" by revisiting it every day. It's important to have boundaries and systems. Jill shares three big reasons to consider podcasting. It's so accessible and is always where your audience is. You can take it along with whatever else has to be done like mowing the yard or doing dishes. Connection is the biggest piece of podcasting. You can network with guests, share your voice, and position yourself as an expert. It is so great for building community. Jill says podcasting is the best long-form content tool. You can repurpose content with reels, email newsletters, and blog posts. Jill mentions Emily Reuschel of the Gather in Growth podcast Why bother podcasting when there are millions already out there? Jill says the numbers are deceiving: Only 53% of podcasts produced more than three episodes, 12% have released a new episode in the last quarter, and only 7% in the last month. This leaves fewer than 300,000 "competitors" but remember non all podcasts are for your ideal listener anyway. It's fun to begin but episodes 10-20 are hard! Stick with it and dig in for the long haul. Invest in technical help if you need to. Connect with Jill Find Jill on her website or connect on Instagram Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey listeners! This interview has been a bear to schedule but was SO worth it! We finally got our time zones aligned for Kylie Kelly to join us on The Found Podcast. Kylie is a business coach specializing in helping moms have the maternity leave they want and maintaining a healthy balance after baby. Hosting a virtual summit helped build her social media community from scratch, and now she helps others do the same. Key Takeaways You'll figure out quickly that Kylie is from Australia. Although Australia offers better maternity leave than the United States, where most of Kylie's clients are from, moms trying to balance career and kids is a struggle everywhere. Kylie is mom to two boys and had wildly different maternity leave experiences with each. She wants to prevent women from experiencing a leave like her first, and plan a leave on their own terms. Kylie loved her second maternity leave and returned to work feeling ready. Kylie worked as a wedding photographer before 2020 when Covid caused her clients to cancel. She reexamined what she wanted in a career and felt a tug toward helping moms, especially entrepreneurs, plan for their maternity leaves. Kylie started with an Instagram following that was completely related to her wedding photography. She built community quickly by hosting a virtual summit for expecting mothers. Her first summit had 350 attendees! For her next summit, Kylie had 500 attendees. She had 42 speakers over five days and limited them to 10-15 prerecorded minutes. Having sessions rerecorded allowed Kylie to love on attendees and build community. Kylie's social media strategy is to focus LESS on strategy. She pours most of her energy into her podcast, which she loves for its worldwide connection. She loves to send direct messages and voice memos on Instagram. She feels much more fulfilled and has seen better results by focusing on relationships. Kylie is offering access to a free podcast series to build your social media audience. You can find her podcast This Mama Means Business on Spotify. Connect with Kylie Find Kylie's website at KylieKelly.com or connect on Instagram. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey everybody! I'm so excited for the first episode of the new year! The 365 days ahead of us lay out like an open book. How do we do this life ahead of us? Are you, like me, visualizing what could be? This episode focuses in on what we can be doing now to nuture our best year yet as entrepreneurs. 2022 was a great year for me, but had a lot of internal struggle. I'm excited to start 2023 in a more intentional place and I hope this episode helps you join me. Key Takeaways I prefer intentionality over goal setting. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says for some, the goal setting process becomes empty when the goal is achieved. Life really begins after the goal. I had a six-figure year, and, newsflash, I didn't fundamentally change. "What really changes us is who we are being in the process of attaining that goal." I'm focusing on how I want to feel as I go through my year instead of external goals. "How do we want that success to feel along the way?" I like to ask myself "What would future Molly do?" In a guided meditation with Kelly Brock of Peaceful Performer I had a clear vision of the Me of 2023. I was so peaceful and totally present in the moment! I'm working on making that vision a reality. Identify and record how I feel. Write it down and solidify it. I need to audit my life to identify things that give me more of that feeling and get me closer to that woman I visualized. "If I want things to be different, then I need to be different." I need to give myself grace, margin, and LOTS of reminders. I'm remembering that baby steps are ok! All the best, and blessings in the new year! Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Hey Listener- can you believe we reached the final episode of the year? It's a solocast after a fall chock full of interviews with amazing female guests. I hope you enjoyed the interviews as much as I have! I hope you enjoy this episode too. I'm recapping the year: The wins, the challenges, and proposals for a new metric to evaluate our year… In ways OTHER than wins and challenges. The Wins I checked a big item off my 100 goals list: I bought a building! When I first started MKM I knew my mission was to highlight small towns and give businesses a voice. This milestone was a way to "put my money where my mouth is" and invest in my small town. (Link to the episode about the building) I became a six figure business owner! There's a big difference between revenue and profitability, but this is still a huge win and personal goal of mine. I redefined the brand and focused in on my why (Link to Mariah Danielson episode). "Some Years give you questions. Other years give you answers." Zora Neale Hurston I took a master class with Melanie Ann Layer and adopted some practices like slow mornings and taking time to enjoy the flexibility I built into my business. Challenges Keeping my vision was a challenge and I really struggled with big existensial questions this year. I only had two hair cut/color appointments this year. Ha! My hair isn't important here, it's that I hustled too hard much of the time and lost sight time for my self, friends, and family. Profitability was a challenge. Inflation kicked everyone's butt this year, and it, among other things, was hard on my business too. Things contributing to growth I worked on developing my leadership skills I looked for places where I can be proactive instead of "living my life as a response" I embraced my status as a "teenager business" after my VIP intensive with Sheila Hansen. New metrics for reflecting on our year When did I feel stupid happy? When did I feel at peace? When did I fulfill my calling (or, when did I think, "Holy shit, this is why I do what I do") What was a moment of clarity? A moment you knew you needed to change something? A moment you realized time is fleeting? A moment you realized you are in charge of yourself? A moment you realized just how frickin' lucky you are? A great book? A great movie? (Or Netflix series, shout out to Bridgerton!) A great friendship started this year? A project you finished and were so proud of? Best and worst purchases? Best and worst courses? Big mistakes made? Big moves made? Best workout? That big brave thing you thought you wouldn't do? We made it! I hope you find peace and rest this holiday season and wish you a very happy new year! Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.

Listeners, I'm so pumped for this week's podcast guest. If you're a long time listener of the show, or at least for the last year, you know that I feel so strongly about energy work. I had the opportunity to cross paths with Erin McGuire at the Empower Her Summit this year and knew I had to share her with this audience. Erin is a coach and energy healer through her business Pure Light Healing. And if you're not sure what that means, join me for an enlightening episode. Key Takeaways First things first. What is an energy healer? "I free people to be who they really are because trauma makes you out of survival- it makes you live out not out of who your true self is." Erin emphasizes the importance of listening to your subconscious. Erin says her younger self would "never in a million years" believe her life path, but that her life was changed by awakening to her inner sensitivity. Erin says that "yoga was her gateway drug" into the life of healing she leads today. She earned her yoga certification in 2010 and is a reiki master, reiki master teacher, and life coach. After studying theta brainwave healing for a few years, Erin reached a point where she just couldn't keep it to herself anymore. She started casually helping people and eventually built it into her career. Erin suffered from depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue, but did not find help in typical therapies. Doing deep conscious work, shadow work, and inner child healing brought her healing. A helpful visual: Erin says your subconscious is like a hoarder house, filled with old patterns and belief systems you've picked up in life. We might not even be aware of what we are holding onto that could be holding us back. Erin shares the connection between our thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and actions. Why are you procrastinating? How were you feeling that led you to procrastinate? What thought drove that feeling? On manifestation, Erin says "Simply, just, we create what we think about." And, "You will get more of whatever you focus on" Mentions The book Eat, Pray, Love Holistic Psychologist Nervous System Reset Program The book The Body Keeps The Score Connect with Erin Erin shares most frequently on Instagram and is also on Facebook and TikTok. Find her website at Pure Light Wellness.

Hey there, listener. Join me while I sit back and super fan over today's podcast guest, Whitney Sullivan. At one point I stop and suggest I pay her for a therapy session because she is just that good! We also geek out over our shared interest in (obsession with?) enneagram types and Ted Lasso. Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach based out of Bozeman, Montana. She has a great personal story as a small business owner and has great advice to share. Whitney is a wealth of knowledge and a gift to us listening. Key Takeaways Whitney is a motivational speaker and leadership coach who focuses on topics of connection, purpose, and resilience. She loves coaching new leaders. She is also a certified life coach, enneagram coach, and spin instructor. Whitney spent ten years in higher education and saw herself spending her career there. But the pandemic and changes to her job caused burnout and left her looking for a change. Whitney has been in business for herself for about a year, after an 18-month process of making the switch. "Sometimes it looks like people are making these changes and they just happen overnight but so many things happen behind the scenes before you see the results of those changes." Leaders are important: "70% of employee engagement is based solely on the manager" Whitney reminds leaders to Celebrate. Thank. Praise. "People want to be cared about" A mistake leaders make is not delegating and taking on too many tasks. "We're here to lead action, not take action" People want to be useful and hoarding opportunities can be harmful. Team members see "I can help you all because that's strength but I can't accept help so that's weakness" Resources Closing the Confidence Gap by Kelli Thompson (Whitney's sister!) Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown Five to Thrive by Enneagram Type Connect with Whitney Follow Whitney on Instagram. Schedule a discovery call and learn more about her services on her website. Follow for More Follow me, Molly Knuth on Instagram and Facebook. Or follow Molly Knuth Media on Facebook and Instagram.