Podcasts about mob nation

In episode 215, I share with you one of my favorite business networking groups!  The MOB Nation is a huge group of Mom Owned Businesses from around the US. This group has been extremely supportive and contributed to our amazing growth.  There are 3 virtual networking meetings each week!  Claim your FREE Listing here:  https://themobnation.com?lmref=DL6b-Q Download your FREE guide to the 6 Marketing Musts Guaranteed to Get You More Customers! https://www.tdm-marketing.com/6-marketing-musts Subscribe and Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach and help more mom business owners! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-determined-mom-show/id1463838272  

In this episode, I update you on my favorite things! Our most popular episode ever was a roundup of my favorite tools. This is an updated 2022 version of that episode! 1. Trafft 2. AppSumo 3. MOB Nation 4. Dreamhost 5. SocialBee 6. Envato Elements 7. Podcaster's Kit Download your FREE guide to the 6 Marketing Musts Guaranteed to Get You More Customers! https://www.tdm-marketing.com/6-marketing-musts Subscribe and Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts so we can reach and help more mom business owners! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-determined-mom-show/id1463838272

Kelly Mosser is an Aligned Success Coach and Consultant based in New York City. She supports big-hearted entrepreneurs in optimizing their businesses and doing their inner work so they can explode their impact and income while staying in radical energetic alignment. Kelly is also the host of the Top 10 podcast: “The Aligned Success Show.” Learn more about Kelly. Learn more about The Passionistas Project. Full Transcript The Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to the Passionistas Project Podcast, where we talk with women who are following their passions to inspire you to do the same. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and today we're talking with Kelly Mosser, an aligned success coach and consultant based in New York city who supports big hearted entrepreneurs in optimizing their businesses and doing their inner work so they can explode their impact and income while staying in-radical, energetic, alignment. Kelly is the host of the top 10 podcast, The Aligned Success Show. So please welcome to the show, Kelly Mosser. Kelly: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so honored to be here. You two are just both so inspiring and I'm just already lit up talking to you. So, thank you. Passionistas: Kelly, what's the one thing that you're most passionate about? Kelly: I am the most passionate about helping people do the inner work. Like you mentioned in my bio just now that I think is the key to so many things. And I think it's something that we aren't taught growing up. And I think a lot of us kind of realize it a little bit later on in life and if we had known 10 years, 20 years earlier, not to say things would turn out differently, but maybe we would've had a few fewer hiccups along the way. Maybe we would've had the opportunity to make decisions that were more in alignment with who we truly are and who we truly wanna be. I think there's just so much pressure from the outside and from our parents and our friends and the people we went to high school with and society, TV, magazines, whatever Instagram now. It's wild and I think that there's a real loss of intimacy with self, and that's really what I'm so passionate about doing, cuz I think that really is the foundational building block that everything else gets built on top of. And so that's what I'm the most passionate about in the whole world. Passionistas: So speaking of parents and friends and high school and all that stuff, what was your childhood like? And were you already building these kind of blocks when you were growing up? Kelly: That's a really great question. My childhood was very unique. My father tragically was murdered. Sorry for, trigger warning, was murdered when I was 16 months old in my family home with my whole family home. And that obviously is a really formative experience to have as a young kid. So I actually grew up with a lot of grief around. I grew up with people who were obviously very, you know, very sad, very angry, still, very loving and I'm so in awe by every single member of my family, but there was a lot of grief around and there was a lot of fear because if this can happen in our home, what's gonna happen outside. So I was a very fearful child and I actually didn't know, but I grew. Basically from 16 months old, when that event happened until I was about 21, I had PTSD and I did not know it. So I was operating with a very dysregulated, nervous system, but I adapted to it because it was, it was kind of like, does a fish even realize there's swimming in water? It's just, it's all, you know, kind of thing. I didn't realize there was a more optimal way for me to be living. I didn't realize that other people weren't terrified of everything. I didn't realize that other people weren't anxious 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So that, was obviously a huge event in my life that required years and years of healing from, and it still is really fresh and raw sometimes. But that I would say was the catalyst for understanding how my brain works. Because when I got diagnosed with PTSD, I obviously didn't wanna live in a state of over stimulated, over tax nervous system forever. So I said, I have to figure. How to heal and I didn't choose what happened to my family, but what happens next is up to me. So that's kind of my, my healing story. I fell in love with meditation through my PTSD diagnosis, because I was told that that was something that could help me. And it was really not helpful for a long time. It was, it actually made things, kind of quite a bit worse. And I think that is why people start and stop a lot with meditation. We start when we feel okay. And then as soon as things start to bubble up that feel sticky and icky, we say, you know what, I'm just gonna put this away and I'm gonna turn on Netflix instead because that's less icky to sit with. It's much more comfortable to sit and watch “Bridgerton” than it is to sit with trauma of 20 years.   So that's what led me to meditation, which led me to all of, kind of the inner work that I do now. And the coaching that I do now is really based on intimacy with self nervous system regulation, inner peace. So that's kind of how, how all of this came to be. I do want people to know that that it's possible. Like it's not going to be an easy journey, no matter. Happens to you. And I'm, I'm very much against this idea of like comparing traumas. I think every, every traumatic event is awful. And I think that there is, there's always a step forward for you. There's always, a next step you can take, there's always support available to you. So that is a big part of my message as well. Like you can make it through anything, even though I wish you didn't have to I wish that nobody ever had to go through, you know, those terrible, challenging things, but we do it's life. It's kind of just the nature of what happens here on this planet earth. But yeah, we can always move forward. Passionistas: Was there an event that made you finally decide to figure out how to, how to move past this? Kelly: Definitely. So I grew up in suburban New Jersey, which is, you know, a relatively quiet place. All my siblings were much older, so I had a lot of quiet time, you know, growing up and I liked being alone. I was, I'm a little bit of an introvert, so I always felt like I had my space. And then I moved to New York city after college. And I started working in the corporate world in a very sort of demanding stressful. Maybe a little bit toxic environment. And I was just, I, my anxiety was through the roof. It was just one day I felt like I can't even function, I'm just barely getting through the day. I'm just hanging on by a thread and I have to do something about this because New York city, as it is, is overwhelming the noises that people I'm also very sensitive to energies and sounds like, I think that's all just a product of having such a heightened nervous system my whole life. That I felt very much like a shell of a human being, living in New York, working in this job. And I realized that I was not gonna do very well if this is the life that I continued to live. So that really was the turning point for me. Passionistas: You took a little detour. You said you were in the corporate world, but you went to Georgetown to study and got a bachelor's degree in foreign service. So tell us about that choice and why you wanted to do that and why eventually you didn't. Kelly: Oh, another great question. Wow. You, you all just understand all my, all my juicies questions. I did go to Georgetown. I was really in love with travel and places and people and the world. And so I wanted to study foreign service because I wanted to be a journalist. I thought that was going to be, I'm a huge fan of writing. I love communication and so that felt like the thing that I wanted to do. And then I actually got an internship in a newsroom my senior year and I was like, what am I thinking? This is the worst place for someone with a heightened, nervous system or the history of PTSD. It's like every day in here is another traumatic event. So that didn't work out. But I'm one of those people who I get to say, I really just loved everything that I learned in college. It was amazing and so much fun. So even though my degree doesn't apply to anything that I do now, or really have ever done, except that we did have to learn an entire map of the entire world countries, cities, rivers, lakes, currencies. So that feels like some, some interesting once in a while, I'll have a good jeopardy moment. But other than that, it's a little bit useless, but I had so much fun learning and it, it showed me that, and now I'm continuing my learning journey in a totally different direction, but it just let me be okay with. Learning for the sake of loving the subject and loving the topic and not because I had to go on to, so I let myself just let go of the news dream. It was the worst possible thing. I also think it's interesting. It just proves that your brain wants what it knows and I, because all I had known was like, stress and that's what I was so programmed to thrive inside of that, that's I just chose the most stressful thing I could even fathom. So I'm very glad that I did not choose to pursue that path cuz I don't think I would've. I don't think I would've handled it, but I did get into the business world. I, my first job out of college was for a major retailer working in the buying office and I had a really good time there and just life, you know, it's amazing. You just never know where you're gonna end up. You just never know. You just can't predict it. So you make the best choice that's available to you at the time and say when the next right choice is available, I guess I'll choose that. Passionistas: So you went on this personal journey of exploration. How did you decide to make that a business and to help others? Kelly: It really started as just a passion as my Passionista. It was just a hobby. I was really passionate about helping people who were in kind of similar situations or who were on some sort of healing journey. Um, just supporting them through coaching or whatever it was. And I had. I started to kind of build this just side hustle, air quotes, um, because it was fun. And I had a pretty demanding job at a startup in New York, in the wellness space. And I really loved that, but there's also sometimes this moment where you're doing something that you love and you say, I think there's something that I would love even a little bit more than what I'm doing right now. And I think it's letting a big part of my journey has been letting myself follow those little nudges, even when things are good. Definitely when things are bad. Definitely. I follow I've learned to follow my nudges when things are bad, but even when things are pretty good, I'm like, I wonder if this could be even just a little bit better. So I started building my coaching business on the side and then I realized, wait, I actually have this. Working in strategy and operations the whole time I was in my other roles in my other career. And I realized that I also had that really, I had a lot of skills in that area, too. I had a really strong brain for strategy and operations and I thought maybe I could just combine these two things. Wouldn't that be kind of cool. So I didn't actually go full-time in my business until my mom got very sick in 2020. She's totally fine now thank goodness. But I had to quit my job. I had to move in with her full-time and be her full-time caregiver for about six months. And after that, I was like, well, this is my opportunity to really take a chance on myself and see if I have the chops to do this full-time and create a full-time income and business off of this thing that previously has just been a little side dream. And I'm so glad that I took the chance. Passionistas: Talk a little bit about how you combine spirit science and strategy to give your clients a 360 degree approach to their healing and success. Kelly: Hmm. For me, the spiritual work is kind of the foundational work for everything. And I think about spirituality in a very grounded way. For me, it really just is what is your relationship with yourself? Who are you when your fancy job title gets taken away? Who are you when your Gucci bag gets stolen? Whatever it is like, who are you at the core essence of who you are underneath, even your thoughts and your emotions, the ways that you identify in the world, the roles and responsibilities that you have. Who, what are your values? How do you show up for yourself? How do, what do you think of yourself? So that kind of spiritual element, I think, is so important for anybody. I mean anybody, but especially people who are on a path of entrepreneurship or who are stepping into some sort of leadership role, cuz life's gonna knock you down and you're gonna have not, hopefully not macro failures, but you're gonna have a lot of tiny little failures along the way. And if you don't know who you are and what you stand for those little things that shouldn't be big, things can turn into really big things. So that's kind of where the spiritual work comes in. The strategy piece. I find that, when I'm coaching people, I find a lot of times that the things that they need help with, they think they need help with mindset. They think they need help with, you know, resilience and really a lot of reason, a lot of the time, the reason that they're coming up against so many experiences where they need to be resilient, where they need to really connect with themselves is because they're following a strategy. That's not actually aligned for them. They saw it on Instagram. They bought it in a course and decided, this is my thing. That's this is my ticket to everything I've ever wanted. And when you start with a strategy, that's not actually quite right for you. You need a lot of coaching because it's really hard to get yourself aligned with something that is just not meant for you. So that's where the strategy piece comes in. I find that people need a lot less. Ongoing coaching and mindset work and resilience work and confidence work. When the strategy that they're following is perfectly tailored to their strengths, their values, their goals. And I don't think that there's any strategy that doesn't work. I think absolutely any strategy can be successful for you. As long as it's aligned for you. If it's not aligned, could be the best strategy in the world, it's not gonna work. So those are how those two things kind of go together. Alignment is a word I use a lot, you have to feel aligned and alignment is something that you can actually feel. I'm sure you, we've all had that experience of maybe showing up to a job that we know now wasn't aligned for us, but it's a physical feeling. Your body communicates with you when something's not in alignment. And when something is in alignment feels really good and there's a lot less resistance and things come more easily to you. So it's my goal to get people on that path. That maybe they don't even realize is possible for them. And then to support them in implementing and executing everything that goes along with that, because of course there will still be little moments of resistance and fear is a big thing that comes up a lot. And knowing that the path that I think people really need to follow is the one that is most aligned for them. There's still gonna be challenges along the way. I fell in love with the brain, so I studying about the brain to help myself heal from PTSD was so important. It was like, if I'm someone who, if you tell me to meditate, I'm gonna say no, unless you tell me why on a mechanical level, how is this helping me on a biological physiological level? How is this helping? Then, Now I'm now I'm interested. I have a, I have a lot of Virgo in my chart, so I like need to understand things. Otherwise I can't, I have no interest. So I really got passionate about understanding the brain better and I've taken a few courses now about the brain, um, and I'm going to continue to study neuroscience because I'm just so fascinated by it. And I think it's a really important piece that a lot of people don't understand, but it's such a valuable to understand why your brain does what it does. Why it gets emotionally triggered or activated when certain things happen and how you can coach yourself through those moments of big fear or big self doubt, I think is just so valuable. So those are my, my three pillars that I'm obsessed with. And I think in order to really create whatever kind of success you want, whatever aligned success means for you, cuz it's gonna mean something different to every single one of us. Being able to understand yourself on those levels and have a strategy that is totally aligned for you are just kind of non-negotiables. So that's why I cover those three pillar. Melanie Childers: Hey Passionistas, I'm Melanie Childers, the business coach for feminist entrepreneurs and if you are ready to get off the hustle treadmill and create a sustainable six or seven figure business, head over to Melaniechilders.com, where I've got a free resource on how to have consensual sales conversations that feel amazing for you and your clients, so you can hit the ground running. See you there. Passionistas: Where Amy and Nancy Harrington. And you're listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Kelly Mosser, to learn how to work with her and join the tigers eye community, visit KellyMosser.com. We'd like to take a moment to invite you to the third annual Power of Passionistas summit his September 21st through 23rd, 2020. The three-day virtual event is focused on authentic conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. This unique gathering of intersectional storytellers and panelists harnesses, the power of our rich community of passionate thought leaders and activists to pose solutions to the problems plaguing women and non-binary people today. Tickets are on sale at the PassionistasProject.com. Be sure to register before this special discount rate ends. We'd like to thank our sponsors, Melanie Childer's Master Coach, Graceful Revolution, The Ossa Collective, Teas Drops, Aaron's Coffee Corner, Flourishing Over Fifty, Espanola Real Estate Team, Mermaid's Garden, Sarah Fins Coaching, Tara McCann Wellness, Espera Public Affairs and Trizcom Public Relations. Now here's more of our interview with Kelly. Passionistas: Are there some tips that you have for people that are hearing this and wanna kind of start on this journey that, that are a foundation to get started? Kelly: Absolutely. I think starting to become aware of how your body feels at different moments throughout your week, even throughout your day. So important. I find that the kind of key dynamic that I ask people to look for. Is, does this make me feel expansive and at ease, or is there some sort of contraction going on here? And if you pay a close enough attention, your body is always giving you those cues. Even if you turn on the TV and there's a show on that, you don't like, there's some part of your body that probably feels constricted or cold or tense. So just start to pay attention to how your body's feeling moment to moment throughout your day. Uh, an exercise that I love to direct people to is to actually pull up your calendar from last week. So these are now we're working with memories rather than real live real time situations, which can be a little bit easier to tune into the body for. Go back to last week and go day by day review all of the things that were on your calendar, all of your appointments, fill in how you spent your time after work. What did you do in the morning and go back and actually tune in and notice how your body feels thinking about the memory of that thing. And sometimes it's really helpful to go, oh, I'm thinking about this meeting that I had with this client and my body feels like I would not wanna do this again. If I had to do it again in an hour, I wouldn't wanna do it. There's a message there for you and then, you know, that's your opportunity to do some journaling on it, dig into it, ask yourself what about this didn't feel so aligned for me and you'll start to learn about, oh, it's because I actually don't really love connecting with people one on one I'd much rather connect in a group. This person, this particular challenge that we were working with, I feel very, I don't really feel confident in actually helping people with that kind of challenge. And it brings up a lot of stuff for me. When I think about having to do that, I don't think we stop and think a lot about, those small details to even just optimize what we already love doing. And sometimes, you know, people are in jobs that they really don't love doing and their whole week feels like a one giant contraction, one giant constriction. That's a great sign to, you know, start thinking about maybe making a change and even for people who love what they do, 99% of the time, what's feeling contracted that 1% of the time let's figure out what that is. Let's, you know, see if there's an opportunity for you to get even to a place of even greater alignment, even more ease and fulfillment. So those are, that's just a really simple, practical exercise. And I'm a huge fan of just taking time to sit in silence with yourself every day. It doesn't have to be a fancy meditation. Doesn't have to be a guided meditation. You don't have to empty your mind of thoughts. You just have to sit with yourself with no distractions and see what comes up and that's it. It can just be so simple because I think we are all moving so fast and things come up that we don't fully have the time sometimes to process, or we don't give ourselves the time to process. And then that just gets stored somewhere. So if you can just give all those things, the opportunity to come up and come out, as often as you can, it's not gonna feel as uncomfortable after a little while it takes a little practice, but the discomfort is good. Passionistas: So we were introduced to you at a recent MobCon mini event from Mob Nation and you gave an amazing speech about the history of money and how it relates to your self-worth. And we just thought that that was such a great speech and really mind opening. So could you just like give us a little mini condensed version of that and tell us just the basic philosophy behind what you were saying there. Kelly: Absolutely. So I struggled a lot with this concept of money. When I was starting my own business, I always felt like I was charging too much, even when I was charging $20 for a session, which that was the case at one point. It always felt like money was this very charged conversation and I realized that it's because my self-worth was so deeply connected to my concept, my understanding of money. So I decided to look into the history of money. I was like, why does this thing have such a hold over me? I'm sure it has a hold over other people too, I'm sure, you know, money is the driver of so many decisions that we make. And as I was researching the history of money, it kind of hit me that money is a manmade invention. It's a human construct. Some guy decided, you know what I think we need some sort of money system because the barter system is no longer working at scale, so we need some kind of money system. And for me to just realize that money is a manmade invention and it's not, I think sometimes we, especially if you are familiar with spiritual conversations about money or if you're in sort of tapped into the spiritual community on social media. There's a lot of conversation around money in a way that almost makes it sound like money is like love from the divine or money is confirmation that you are a good person or that you're doing something right. Which is so different to, I know how a lot of older kind of religious dogma talks about money in the complete opposite way. So it's kind of like we're ping, ponging back and forth between money is either the worst thing in the world, or it's the best thing in the world. And, but either way, it's directly tied to this, your morality to who you are as a person. And that just wasn't working for me, so to be able to kind of step out of that conversation and realize that money is just a man-made construct that's moving through a man-made system and humans are imperfect. Humans are imperfect. How could I not be worthy of something that has no inherent value of its own, money does not have in any inherent value. It's only valuable because as a collective, maybe it's not green is valuable and therefore I'm going to put stock in it and work in exchange for it and buy things with it. But money like the actual paper. Has no inherent value. And we used to humans used to trade seashells and cattle and tobacco as commodities, like in exchange of money. And I was just thinking to myself, would I feel this stressed out about money? If it was cattle that we were talking about? No, I wouldn't. So why do I allow it to be such a stressful thing for me now? So, kind of just stepping out of that deep enmesh between my self-worth and money. And just saying money is just a system. It's just a thing that exists made by humans perpetuated by humans. It could not exist tomorrow, but we'd all still be here. How could my self-worth be wrapped up in something like that? And it allowed me to just have a much more kind of experimental relationship with money. It allowed me to really drain the emotion out of my experience out of my relationship with money. And then I felt much more comfortable with it. I just, you know, I decided that my self-worth is constant. No matter how much money I make one month to the next, as entrepreneurs, we're like so focused on monthly revenue and it it's so exhausting and I just don't think that's how it needs to be. So if anyone is listening to this and they're, I'd invite you to think about how emotional is your relationship to money. If it is an emotional thing for you, can you think of it more as just this manmade thing that was invented out of necessity? Your self-worth has nothing to do with it, if money stopped existing tomorrow, you would still be infinitely worthy because you're a human being. How could you not be worthy of something that has again, no inherent value of its own. It's just green paper floating around. So hopefully that, you know, can help somebody who has an emotionally charged relationship with money to just, just experiment thinking about it that way and see if it works for you. If it doesn't by all means, let it go. But it really helped me, especially as someone who's like, this is my job now to make my own money. I don't get a, a paycheck from an employer anymore. So yeah, it's. Been a really interesting reframe for me. Passionistas: So what advice would you have for a woman who like you was trying to figure out how to price their product or service and they just don't know how to do it. Kelly: I think that people put a lot of stock into getting it right the first time. There's a lot of pride around, I want to put something out there and I want it to sell the first time, the way I want it to. And what I would recommend is just, you have to remember that the laws of supply and demand are real. And while you are worth your value as a human being is infinite, what you might be offering to someone is actually subject to the laws of supply and demand. So until you know what the demand for your, good or service is you don't really know how to price it. And I, someone just, someone said this to me once when I was agonizing over, I think it was a, like some kind of coaching package that I was offering. I was like, should it be this number or this number? And they were like, it's a hundred dollars different. How do you, you don't know? You just have to try one. And I was like, oh, I just have to try one and see if this is the price that resonates with the person that I, want to work with who I can help, but I think we, we make it about us. We make our prices about us and we say, we talk about knowing our worth, your worth is infinite. There it is not subject to laws of supply and demand. Your there's no price you could put on anything that you do that would accurately encompass how worthy you are. But I think when we are enmeshed with our pricing and our self-worth and know your worth, and what's my. all of that becomes very murky and muddy. So my advice is find a price that seems to be appropriate. Make sure it feels good in your body when you're talking about it. It takes a little practice sometimes to get used to saying, this is what my price is, but just practice. It just takes practice and then bring it to the marketplace. Just the same way that any company like Coca-Cola brings a new product to the marketplace. They don't know how it's gonna sell. You have to see, you have to experiment. A big, big thing that I stress with my clients is to have a mindset of experimentation. I always like to say, be the chief scientist, treat your business like a science experiment and not a soap opera, because if you treat it like a soap opera, every little decision that you make is going to have an impact on your self-worth and it's gonna bring you down. So how can you just be more of like an inventor, like a scientist who just says, I'm gonna try this. And I'm really curious to see what happens here. That's all you can do. And if you know, you sell out, then maybe your price is too low. If you don't sell any, maybe your price is a little too high. Again, it has nothing to do with you. It has to do with how much, how well people know you, how well you're communicating the value of what you do. There's so many different layers that go into it that I just hate to see people get so caught up in pricing when I would love to. And I think it makes them slow down and take too much time and they think too much about it. And it leads to a lot of self-doubt where my advice is, just get out there with a price and see what happens. And if it's not the right price, you can change it. That's the beauty of having your own business. it's, it's it really is so much more is within your control than you realize. Passionistas: So how can people work with you? Kelly: A few different ways. So I do offer that kind of deep dive strategy consulting for people who are like, I, my business just feels like a mess and I just want it to feel easier and simpler. So I do offer that kind of strategy consulting service for service based businesses. I do have someone on my team who is a retail expert, so she supports retail businesses and product-based businesses with their strategy. And then I also offer kind of ongoing support from a coaching perspective. So that's implementing your strategy. That's what to do when you come up against resistance. That's what to do when an unexpected curve ball gets thrown your way. So there is kind of that those two different pieces and lots of people do choose just one or the other. And a lot of people do choose both. I also have an amazing free membership that used to not be free. And it is just as of last month free and I'm so happy to offer it for free called my tigers eye community, which is like the ultimate one stop shop for inner work. So it's guided meditations, it's amazing live and on-demand workshops led by experts, not just me daily journal prompts. It's, it's just a really good place to start if you're like, I'm curious about inner work, but it feels overwhelming and YouTube is so scary and I'm not gonna spend time searching for things on there. It's a totally free resource, no strings attached free forever. Passionistas: Speaking of doing multiple things, what inspired you to start your podcast? Kelly: I felt very, so I've been a big Instagram girl for the last four years or so. And I started to feel very, like, not so great on Instagram sometimes. Like I could, I only had people's attention for like five seconds and I couldn't fully express what I wanted to say. I'm verbose, as you can tell from this chat, I won't learn from this conversation. I don't shut up. And I feel like I had more to say, and I wanted to provide a deeper level of value for people without them having to pay me anything. Because I feel like Instagram is just a little bit, I don't know. It's just like, it's like the, the bargain version. It's just a little bit cheap sometimes you can only get so much across, but I think there's something so magical, magical about being with people when they're on their dog walks and like being with people when they're commuting to pick up their kids. Like that is so exciting to me and I think that you can just create a better relationship with [00:31:00] people and you can give them more. And so that was why I'm so excited about the podcast world. And I, I love it so far. It feels so fun. Passionistas: So describe your show for people. Kelly: Sure. So my show is called the aligned success show and it is a show that helps entrepreneurs master the magical alchemy between spirituality, neuroscience, and strategy. So we talk about all those different things. Sometimes we talk about all three in one episode, sometimes we go, this episode's really focused on the spiritual. This episode's really focused on the brain. This episode is really focused on strategy and I've had a lot of people tell me that I'm not an entrepreneur, but I really like this podcast anyway. So the strategy piece, is definitely more general. I would say that it applies to more people than just entrepreneurs. There's a lot of good value in there about just finding more alignment in your life, learning how to coach yourself through different kinds of challenges. So, yeah, so it's definitely super valuable for entrepreneurs, but valuable for people who are not entrepreneurs as well.[00:32:00] Passionistas: What's your dream for women? Kelly: Oh my gosh. My dream for women is that we all wake up in a world that where we all get to live lives, that we actually chose for ourselves and we didn't choose them because our parents told us we had to, or because our partners think that we should, or that society told us that we needed to. That would be my dream to just live in a world full of women who really had chosen what their life looks like. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to the Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Kelly Mosser. To learn how to work with her and join the Tigers Eye Community, vVisit KellyMosser.com. Please visit the PassionistasProject.com to learn more about our podcast and subscription box filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire you to follow your Passions. Double your first box when you sign up for a one-year subscription. Remember to get your tickets to the third annual virtual power of Passionistas summit from September 21st through 23rd, 2022. Tickets are on sale now at the PassionistasProject.com. And subscribe to the Passionistas Project Podcast, so you don't miss any of our upcoming inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.  

Tara McCann is a menstrual health coach. Her mission is to help women use the power of their menstrual cycles to tune into what their bodies need. Tara guides women to identify patterns in their menstrual cycles and helps them find ways to support their health. Her goal is for women to live in the flow of their hormones and to stop fighting with the natural functions of their bodies. Learn more about Tara. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.   FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to The Passionistas Project Podcast, where we talk with women who are following their passions to inspire you to do the same. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and today we're talking with Tara McCann, a menstrual health coach who helps women use the power of their menstrual cycles to tune into what their bodies need. Tara guides women to identify patterns in their menstrual cycles, and find ways to support their health so they live in the flow of their hormones and stop fighting with their bodies. So please welcome to the show, Tara McCann. This is such an important topic that no one ever talks about. And we're so grateful that you are joining us today to educate us a little bit and to help us spread the word about something that's so important for women. Tara: It is, and it really isn't talked about very much. And that's one of the things when I do speak on this, women come up to me and I'm like, "why was I never taught this as a child? Why have I, you know, I'm 45 years old and no one ever told me this was happening in my body." And so I think it is valuable information. I think it's been missing from our growth and development and education, and I am on a mission to teach people all of the things. Passionistas: So what's the one thing you're most passionate about? Tara: You know, I think the biggest thing that I'm passionate about is women shifting from just enduring their menstrual cycle to really understanding and knowing themselves in a very different way through their menstrual cycle. It's the space where we tap into our intuition. It's where we are powerful in our wisdom. It's our creative force and power in the world. And for so many of us, we are taught the exact opposite of that. And so really, what I'm passionate about, is telling women about this and watching their growth as they start to understand that. I love women coming through my programs and be like, "oh my God, look what I just did!" And, "I understand this. I understand why I've done this for years." And then they can give themselves grace. They can give themselves understanding, and then they just start to move through the world differently. They're not fighting with themselves anymore. And so I just love supporting women through that transition. Passionistas: So, what was your childhood like? And was this something that you were comfortable talking about with your parents at a young age? Tara: No, not at all. So I probably had a very similar experience to you. Like I think it was fifth grade that they separated the boys and the girls. And the girls went with the nurse and the boys went, I don't know who they went with, but you know, the nurse basically explained, "you're going to have your period, and you're going to bleed and then it's going to hurt. And here's a pad and here's a pamphlet from this, you know, maker of products that is going to tell you all about it." And then that's basically it. And I don't remember having conversations with my mom about it. Definitely not my dad, like that was, you know, not going to talk to him about it for sure. But I don't remember having conversations with my mother about it, like other than, "Hey, I need more tampons" or "Hey, can you go get me some more medicine to take care of my period pain." But there wasn't a lot of conversation about what was going on in my body, how things changed through the month, how it was going to feel. And I think part of it is she was never taught. It wasn't something she was taught. So it was not something she taught me. It was not a conversation we had. And so I had that one experience in school. For me, like my first period, I was so excited. I was like, "oh my God, I'm a woman." And I just had this feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself and that finally I was part of the club or something. It was... and I remember feeling that. But then, as it progressed, it was like, "oh, you're not supposed to feel that way. It's painful." And you know, all the magazines I read as a kid were like, "take this medicine because it's so painful and here's your perfect pad for the blue liquid we pour on it." And you know, all of this messaging from around me and, you know, people teasing you about, "well, what are you on the rag?" And so you want to hide it and the shame and just all those things started piling on. So that initial power and excitement and that feeling I had was just kind of piled on. And it went away and it was hidden for a really long time because I didn't want to talk about it. I was like, "oh no, we don't talk about this. Okay. I can do that." So yeah, that was my early experience with this. And I think that's true for a lot of women in the world. Passionistas: So, you said you didn't start to understand some of the stuff until you were in your forties. So then what was your early career or were you a full-time mom back then? Or what was your earlier years like between, you know, high school and the time you started working with fertility information? Tara: So, you know, I, had my cycle and it was fine. And it was like, I take the Advil for the pain and, and then I just have my cycle and no, I don't like it. And it's a mess. And, you know, just kind of those general feelings of it's something I have to put up with. I didn't have the experience of having really horrific period pain or really heavy flow. It was just... it was there for me. And, you know, it was kind of a nuisance, but not really a nuisance. I didn't have super strong feelings about. But what really started me on this path was my husband and I started having a family, you know, decided to have a family. And in my experience with my cycle, I had always been really regular. And I was healthy. My husband was healthy. I'm like, "oh, we're going to get pregnant, you know, we'll be pregnant in months. You know, just a few months and we'll be pregnant." And months turned into a year, turned into two years, turned into two and a half years and reproductive medicine. But during that time I found menstrual cycle tracking through a book called "Taking Charge of Your Fertility." And so I started paying really close attention to my cycle in the aspect of fertility. Like when am I going to ovulate? And when is the best time that we could get pregnant and just riding that rollercoaster of, okay, "we got to get geared up, you know, I'm going to ovulate soon." And so " we had to go have sex and we gotta be prepared for this." And then that two week wait of just sitting there, like, "am I pregnant? What does that twinge." Or "wait, wait, I don't know what that is." And then that devastating crash when your period comes, like just that utter crash. That like, "oh my gosh, what is wrong with me? Why am I broken? Why can everyone else in the world get pregnant and I cannot?" You know, what's going on? But also having to switch gears really fast, cause guess what? You're going to ovulate again really soon and you've got to get going again. And so it's just this up and down and up and down. And, so that was really challenging. But through that, and through my tracking, I really came to understand my cycle well. And I'm a scientist by nature, and I'm trained as an occupational therapist, so I had worked in occupational therapy for a really long time. So I have a science background and have always been fascinated by the human body and the amazing things that the human body can do. And so I really dug into this. Learning about my cycle and learning what was going on for my body. I knew I didn't have enough progesterone in my cycle, basically. And I had worked with acupuncturists and I had changed what I was eating all through this fertility journey. And we were in reproductive medicine and we were doing intrauterine insemination. And we had come to the last one we were going to do. The next time we tried something, it was going to be IVF. And so in that moment, you know, you're sitting there on the crinkly seat, waiting for your insemination, with the freezing cold room. I don't know why the rooms can't be warmer, you know, shivering in your little thing that doesn't cover your back. And I asked for progesterone. In my mind, I was like, "this is our last chance to try this." And I know this is what my body needs. And so the tracking for me really became that supportive piece that I could advocate for myself. I knew my body and I trusted what I knew about my body. I trusted what the tracking had taught me about my body. And so I said, "can we add progesterone to my regimen this cycle?" And my doctor was like, well, he had already shoved off my charts before. He's like, "I don't need those. I don't need to look at those." Which in his world, he doesn't because he's controlling the situation, right? And that's what that reproductive medicine specialty is about. He's like, "well, I don't think it's going to hurt, but I don't think it's going to help either." He wasn't, "no, you can't do that." But I didn't feel like he was like completely on board with it. But I asked. And I got the progesterone and I got pregnant and we had a baby 10 months later. So, you know, that was what I needed. And so that was really what started this journey with tracking for me. And then my two girls were born pretty close together. And so I had been pregnant or breastfeeding or trying to be pregnant for four or five years. And my health was not great after all of that. And so I went to a health coach and found a health coach for my own health and was like, this is really what I wanted. I wanted this support when I was trying to get pregnant. Like I wanted somebody there every week who I could talk to about what was going on in my own body and who was going to help me. Because I knew my body could do more, but I didn't know what to do at the time. And so I was just trying to Google everything and throw all of it at it. Not hardly having tons of guidance. So I went to coaching school and my first jump into coaching was fertility coaching and helping preconception coaching, you know, people getting ready for pregnancy. And then a couple of years ago, I started talking in the mom-owned business networking group. I started talking about cycles and how you can use your menstrual cycle to be more productive in your business. And women just started coming to me and like," why did I never hear this information before?" And so that really spurred me to broaden my message to menstrual cycles in all ways. And not just fertility though, I still do fertility work and it's very near and dear to my heart. But just also talking in the broader realm of menstrual cycle. Passionistas: Talk more about that concept that tracking your cycles can help you with productivity. Tara: In our menstrual cycles, our hormones shift and change every single day. So there's this, you know, big ups and downs that are happening. And we have grown up in a society where we think we get up in the morning, we go to work, we work all day long and you know, do all our work. We come home, we go to sleep, get up the next morning, rinse and repeat over and over again. Every day should be the same. Our bodies don't work like that. Because we may get up one day and have all of the energy. And then the next day we're like, "where did all that energy go? It's gone." And that's... our hormones are shifting in our bodies and that's shifting what we can do. So, when we're thinking about our periods and the time that we're having our bleed, our hormones are really low. And so that's really kind of a time for quiet and for rest and for that introspection that I talked about. Because the way that our hormones are balanced during that time, it's a great time to evaluate, see what's working and what's not working, and think about what are my intentions for this next month? So it's not that nothing is happening during that time. It's not that you're not being productive. You're being productive in a different way. And then moving through the cycle, the next part of the cycle is after your bleeding, but before your egg is released. And during that time, your estrogen is rising. And during that time, your hormones are supporting you to do things like writing. Or to do things like planning and thinking of big ideas and outlining things. And it's also a really creative time, so brainstorming is really good. And thinking about all the different ways to do something can feel like essence of ease during that time. And then ovulation is that time when you're putting yourself out in the world. And so things like presentations can be really good, or if you have to have a hard conversation with someone. Because of the way your hormones are balanced, you are very open and receptive and your verbal skills are really good. And so if you want to go ask for a raise or if you need to talk to a coworker or a parent or a partner, you know, this is a really great time to kind of plan for those conversations because of the way that you are hormonally supported during that time. And then after ovulation: our luteal phase. So that's the time from ovulation to our next period. That's really a time when we're kind of getting things done, like checking things off the list, detail oriented type things. And so, cleaning out your closet or cleaning out the pantry or. Filing your taxes or doing data entry and things like that can be something that's really supported. So when you start to move through over a longer timeframe, you're getting all the things done, but you're not fighting with yourself to get those things done. And so that's one of the really powerful pieces of understanding how you move through your cycle, understanding what's true for you and what feels like ease and what feels a little harder during different times in your cycle, so that you can think ahead and plan ahead and decide, "oh, you know, I'd really love to record a podcast during my ovulatory time so that I'm speaking and my words are flowing" and things like that. So it really helps you to plan ahead so don't spend so much time fighting with yourself and like, "why can't I get this done today?" I was like, "well, today not may not be the day." But what about in a week from now? You could batch four of your newsletters or whatever that might be. So just thinking about it in a longer, cyclical way that ease is going to come back again. Passionistas: So what is the actual tracking? Is it as simple as "this is the day my period started" and going from there? Or are there other things that you track as well? Tara: When I'm teaching people to track, we start by tracking just two or three things, because there's a lot that you can track depending on what information you are wanting. So you can track your energy levels. You can track your sleep, you can track how does exercise feel? How does your movement practice feel? Do you have food cravings? Are there sometimes you're really hungry or not so hungry? Do you have certain days that you have headaches? So there's a lot of different things, depending on what's happening in your body. One of the places we often start is energy. So what does your energy feel like? How is your energy today? What kind of things did you get done? What felt easy? And then as you move through the cycle, like, okay, where are you in your cycle? Those hormones that shifted and move, what's underlying that. So how do you support your body to flow through that cycle, and to support your body to be able to move through fluidly without forcing things. Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and you're listening to The Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Tara McCann. To learn more about tracking your menstrual cycle and to download the free cycle tracker, visit taramccannwellness.com. If you're enjoying this interview and would like to help us to continue creating inspiring content, please consider becoming a patron by visiting thepassionistasproject.com/podcast and clicking on the patron button. Even $5 a month can help us continue our mission of inspiring women to follow their passions. Now here's more of our interview with Tara. How does what is learned during your work apply to women who are in menopause or post-menopause? Is there still work that they can do? Tara: There is actually. One of the programs I do is actually using the moon as that cyclical rhythm. Because if a woman is post-menopausal or perimenopausal, when their cycle is maybe not consistent anymore, or post-menopausal when they no longer have a cycle. Some women who are on hormonal birth control don't have cycles. You can use that rhythm of the moon to plan and to create that flow of energy and the different tasks that might feel easy so that you're really prioritizing that rest and prioritizing the different types of like creative work or speaking work, or just getting things done. Because as women even if we're not cycling, we have this imprint of the cycle. We have this just knowing of the cycle because we are cyclical beings and we have been, and we've always been. And so tapping back into that cyclical rhythm, you can do that even without having that indicator of having a physical bleed. Like even if you've had a hysterectomy, but you still have your ovaries, you're probably still cycling. You just might not know it because you don't have that indicator. So you can also track with the moon until you figure out what your body's signals are of those different parts of your cycle. That's the other way that I talk about and use tracking. Passionistas: So the best way to get started is to sort of start keeping a journal then of your energy levels, your hunger, your cravings... things like that.? Tara: Yeah, you can. I created just a paper tracker with a paper and pencil because I'm a paper and pencil gal. I like to be able to see that... I like to be able to compare one to the other, right, side-by-side. Because then you can say, oh, look on day 10 of my cycle, this happens. On day 22 of my cycle, this happens. And so you can compare month to month. There's lots of, you know, online trackers out there as well. So if you are a, you know, you want to do it on an app, there's lots of apps out there. Or I've had lots of women create spreadsheets. Sometimes that can get a little expansive because they'll start with like two things. And then they're like, "oh, I wonder about this and this." And suddenly they've got like 15 things that they're tracking every day. And so that's why I recommend, you know, honing in, or what are the most important things that you're wanting to understand about your body in this time and space? And some of the things you can track simultaneously. Like if you're having period pain, that's only going to be on a certain number of days. So you could track period pain with how heavy your flow is, and also your energy level and your sleep, like your sleep patterns and see if that changes. So there's ways to kind of incorporate more than one, cause they may not be on every day. And then once you have like a really good understanding and a really good knowledge of, "oh, my body typically does this around this time," then you can add another layer. Then you can add in, okay how does movement feel? How does it feel when I do a really strenuous exercise during the time that I'm bleeding? Like, does that feel good or does that not feel good? Does that feel supportive or not supportive? And so you can start to understand that too, and plan your movement or other things during the timeframe or during your cycle. Passionistas: Do you have like one or two success stories from the women that you've worked with, where you've seen, like, just this major transformation? Tara: Yeah, there's a couple. So I had one woman who tracked... there's many, but we'll go with a couple. So there was one woman who tracked with me last spring and she had had heavy periods and really debilitating period pain for years and years and years. And she just assumed it was normal... assumed that it was what happened. And so she started tracking with me and shortly into our time together, she had her period. And she got into a situation where she was taking Advil and then she couldn't get the period pain to stop and then was taking more Advil. And just her body got more and more pain. And then she didn't feel good. Got sick. Had to go to the emergency room... was, you know, all of these things. And she had just moved to a new space. So she didn't have an established practice with a doctor. So she couldn't get more pain medication to help alleviate what was going on for her. So, it was that situation that she was kind of stuck with. But she realized in the group setting we were in-- we were in a group of four women-- and another woman in that space had been an ovarian cancer survivor. And so both of us were talking about, you know what, this much pain is not normal. Like there is pain involved. There can be pain involved, but there's a lot you can do to less en that. But this much is a lot and you need to go find someone who will listen to you. And so what tracking did for her, was it really allowed her to advocate for herself. She found a doctor. She found a space where... you know, cause she was within that 30 day period that we were checking together. She's like, "I'm going to have another period. And what am I going to do then? Cause I'm still not established with a doctor." So, you know, she was creating a plan for, "okay, can I talk to my old doctor?" And "how do I take care of myself?" And then she was able to find a really good doctor and get in with them, even though they were further away because she got a recommendation from someone else in the group and was really able to establish care with someone who would listen to her. And so I think that was a really big transformation for her... being able to know what's going on. And, you know, she had gotten some pain medication and then she was like, "oh my gosh, is this what it's supposed to feel like? Is this what it feels like to not be in such excruciating pain? Is this what typically, you know, people experience during a flow? Cause I've never had this little pain before." Passionistas: So aside from the pain, what are some of the other myths about menstruation that really need to be debunked? Tara: So pain is one of them. That's one of the biggest ones that you have to endure your cycle and that it's painful. You know, the other big myths are the shame around it, that it's something you shouldn't talk about. It's something that should be hidden. And one of the women in one of my communities was... her transition over the 30 days with it, she realized that it was just this natural process that her body went through and such forgiveness for her body and understanding that this is something that is natural and wonderful that's happening to her. But she had also had a lot of pain in her cycles as well. And so coming to a different space with what your body feels like. So, you know, shame and the myth of that and wanting to hide it. I think one of the things that I experienced going through my fertility journey was, I think at the beginning we talked about, you know, when you first get your period and you're fearful of pregnancy and like, you don't want to get pregnant and all of that fear that surrounds that. And so, you know, there's birth control and there's ways to prevent pregnancy. And we live in this kind of like, "oh my God, you know, did I have... we had a pregnancy scare" or "I think I might be pregnant even though we're on birth control." And so there's like this holding that happens. And then when we go to get pregnant and we're like, "oh, I stopped the birth control. It'll be fine. I'll just get pregnant right away." Because there's this fear that we could get pregnant at any moment. And then when we stop, we're like, "of course I'll get pregnant right away because I can get pregnant at any moment." And then our bodies have changed, or sometimes we go on... women go on birth control at a very young age because they're having difficulties in their flow or difficulties with pain or heavy periods or things like that. And instead of looking at the underlying cause of what's going on, they're just put on medication, which just kind of masks it. And then when they come off of the medicine to get pregnant, that underlying whatever it was is still there. And their body has to adjust to coming off the birth control and then it takes a long time to get pregnant. And then there's that feeling of "what is wrong with me and what's wrong with my body and why can't I get pregnant?" And so it just kind of piles on top of each other. Passionistas: So how can people work with you? How can women that want to get in touch with you do that? And what services do you offer specifically? Tara: My signature program is called Tracking With Friends, and it's a 30 day program where we track our menstrual cycles together. And we get on together every day, and I give you a little video and a little meditation for you to check in. And then each person gets to do an individual check-in. So we create this sense of community around talking about our periods. Because for so many of us, we don't have a space. There's no space where we can go and talk about it. And so this small community of women-- it's usually three to five women tracking together-- is that community where nothing is TMI. You know, we talk about all the things and it's just this amazing container that happens. And women get to know each other so well and so quickly in this space. And so as we track together, I'm going through with each person, like this is where you are in your cycle. This is what might be going on underlying in the hormones. So this is something you might want to keep track of moving forward. So there's the accountability piece to it. And then once a week, we get together, live on Zoom and talk about, you know, "okay, here's what's going on in your hormones." And I do a little bit of teaching, but it's also just a lot of sharing of all of the things that are happening in cycles. And then I also do one-on-one coaching. So women who really want to dive in and support their hormones and figure out what's going on. So when I talk about, you know, that period pain is really common, but it's not normal. Like we shouldn't be in so much pain. There's a lot we can do to support our bodies with nutrition and the foods we eat and taking care of our gut and taking care of inflammation and sleep and movement and all of those things that I can help women to create and help them understand what's going on. First of all, understanding their own bodies and then making those small shifts that are going to have really big impacts in the way that their cycles flow. Passionistas: You mentioned that you're a member of MOB Nation. So can you talk a little bit about that organization and what it's meant to you? Tara: Yeah. The Mom Owned Business, MOB Nation. And so it's a group of mom owned business owners, entrepreneurs who... it's a supportive network of women. So it's networking, but it's so much more than networking because yes, there is... there's incredible support for your business and, you know, MOB economy. Because you know, the tagline is that "There's a mob for that." Because there is. There's another mom owned business that you can buy from for just about everything. And so our directors have created a directory of mom owned businesses, and so you can find someone to buy from. And so we've created this whole economy where we buy from each other and support each other's businesses. And then even beyond that business support, it really is support for your whole life and your whole being and who you are. And the MOB Alliance, which is the paid version of the MOB Nation is really this close knit group of women who... you know, you can hop on at two in the morning and be like, "this is going wrong and this is going wrong and I can't," you know, "I need somebody." There will probably be another MOB on that can hop on and support you and supporting women through, you know, their grief or closing their business. Or, you know, in this pandemic, it's been an incredible lifeline for staying connected with other business owners, you know, because we've gone virtual and been able to support each other in that way. And so it is a networking group and it is a, you know, supportive life group as well, I would say. So, so much more than just networking. Passionistas: Is there anything else you want women to know that we haven't asked you about? Tara: I think one of the things that we touched on a little bit, but not too much, is the fact that there is this physical piece, there is this hormonal piece to the way that our bodies move and flow. But there's also this energetic, spiritual piece, this connection to our wisdom, that we flow through and that our cycles can be, I don't want to say a tool because that's, you know, tool feels very like masculine. You know, like this is a tool. It's not. It's a process and it's a journey and we can use the, you know, the life and death and rebirth that happens with a cycle, right? Every month our uterine lining sheds, we grow an egg and mature an egg, and then that egg and the lining gets shut again. And then we are reborn again. And so it can be a really supportive process for our growth and expansion in the world. And so not just with that physical cycle, but that creative process that I was talking about. That creation in the world and staying in alignment with the world. And then using that time when things are getting broken down, using our cycle as that supportive, grounding space that we know that even as things break down, you're going to be reborn into what's next. And that the cycle just continues and goes on and that you are always supported by it and with it. And it's that constant companion grounding force for ourselves. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to our interview with Tara McCann. To learn more about tracking your menstrual cycle and to download the free cycle tracker visit taramccannwellness.com. Please visit thepassionistasproject.com to learn more about our podcast and subscription box, filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire you to follow your passions. This quarter's box is a collaboration with the MOB Nation and features products from mom owned businesses. It's the perfect Mother's Day gift for the mother in your life, or a treat for yourself. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code SPRINGGOODIES. And be sure to subscribe to The Passionistas Project Podcast, so you don't miss any of our upcoming, inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.  

About Aria: Aria Leighty founded The MOB Nation™ in 2012 as a networking group. Aria found traditional networking opportunities inaccessible to Mom-Owned Businesses and wanted to create a space of true connection. After years of working with hundreds of Mom-Owned Businesses, Aria realized there was so much more than “MOBS” needed to thrive in life and business. In 2016, Aria brought on a team of Directors to expand and become a hub for all things Mom-Owned Businesses. The MOB Nation™ is now the leading resource for Mom-Owned Businesses providing marketing, networking, education, and a unique community not found anywhere else. The MOB Nation™ has been recognized with several awards and nominations including: Score Small Business Champion OEN Game Changer Award, EYMA International Mum-Owned Business of the Year, IFund WOC Entrepreneur Award American Express Small Biz Champion Award. The MOB Nation™ hosts weekly Virtual events, quarterly mini-conferences, and an annual two-day conference, “MOBCON". Where To Find Aria: The MOB Nation: The MOB Nation Instagram: The MOB Nation

Sara Fins is an accountant, financial coach and mom of two who helps solopreneurs and small business owners discover how simple it can be to take control of their business finances. In doing so, Sara helps them save time, stress less and keep more of the money they earn. Sara is the creator of Easy Business Bookkeeping, a course and system that teaches business owners how to keep track of their business finances and prepare for tax season confidently and with ease. Learn more about Sara. Learn more about The Passionistas Project. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to The Passionistas Project Podcast, where we talk with women who are following their passions to inspire you to do the same. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington, and today we're talking with Sara Fins, an accountant, financial coach, and mom of two. She helps solopreneurs and small business owners discover how simple it can be to take control of their business finances so that they can save time, stress less, and keep more of the money that they earn. Sara is the creator of Easy Business Bookkeeping, a course and system that teaches business owners how to track their business finances and prepare for tax time confidently and with ease. So please welcome to the show, Sara Fins. So Sara, what's the one thing you're most passionate about. Sara: The one thing I'm most passionate about is empowering entrepreneurs to learn to manage the finances of their business, so that they know that they can do it themselves and feel confident in that area of their business. Because I feel like once that's unlocked for them, they can take their business wherever they want it to go. Passionistas: And why is that a passion of yours? Sara: I started out as an accountant in my previous, previous life. And then I went into health coaching and I became a health coach before circling back to do finance coaching. And what I found during that time is that so many of my colleagues were amazing at the coaching. They were so passionate about what they were doing. But when it came to the number side of their business, they were either afraid to look. They didn't know what to do. They felt uncomfortable. They felt overwhelmed by it. And it was preventing many of them from moving forward in their businesses. And so I discovered that. If they had that knowledge, it kind of unblocked a whole new path for them. And they could feel more confident moving forward because they were actually able to make the money they needed to make their businesses businesses as opposed to hobbies. And so that's kind of how I came about that. And I just realized by seeing the transformation in their businesses and their selves, that this was something that could really help them, and then, on the, you know, the ripple effect, help their clients and help other people and other women succeed. Passionistas: Let's take a step back. Tell us about your childhood, where you grew up and were you always interested in math? Sara: So I'm from Long Island, New York. I grew up in Suffolk County and when I was young, there were lots of farms around where I lived. And, you know, over time it's become more suburban. But I went to college in Pennsylvania. And then I studied accounting and I actually, wasn't always interested in numbers. I really was interested in psychology and I was interested in those types of classes. And that's where I excelled. However, the practical side of my brain said, you need to have a good job. So I had an uncle who's an accountant, you know, very successful. And so I thought, Hmm, okay, let me try this. And I went into accounting and I just jumped right in and I graduated with a degree in accounting. And then I went and got my CPA and I worked in various corporate accounting roles in New York City. And then also moved to London and worked in London and lived abroad for a couple of years. And when my daughter was born, I resigned from the position that I was in and went back to school to get my health coaching certification, because that was always something I was really passionate about. And it kind of pulled back in the interest I had in helping people from when I was young. You know, I wanted to be into psychology and helping professions. And I wasn't feeling that from the accounting rules that I was in. And so I, you know, merged my passion for health with my passion for business and helping people. And I started my health coaching practice. Then I ran that practice for 10 years and it went really well. But like I mentioned earlier, I discovered through that time that I could really help from a finance perspective, because what came easy for me in those two areas, other people were struggling with. And so that's kind of the long story of how I got to where I am right now. We moved back from being abroad and have been living in Long Island, more Western Long Island, closer to New York City for the past 10 years now. Passionistas: And what was that time living abroad like? What brought you overseas and did you enjoy that time? Sara: Yes. We really enjoyed that time. I was newly married at the time. My husband and I had just gotten married. And he's actually an accountant as well. We met at work years ago. And so I was working, actually, in a recruiting role, at the time, recruiting accounting professionals. And so he got a job offer with his company to move there and I was able to transfer with the company I was working for at the time. And so, you know, we were young, we had just gotten married. We didn't have any children yet. And so we lived in London for two years. That was so much fun, especially working in an office environment there because it gives you such a different perspective than just being kind of an ex-pat, you know. And then we wound up actually moving to Paris because the company that my husband worked for was, is a French company. He actually still works for them in a different capacity today, and they wanted us to be... wanted him to be in Paris. And so when my daughter, well, I may have jumped ahead a little bit, but my daughter was born in London. So while we were there, we wound up having my daughter. And when she was about six months old, we moved to Paris and lived there for about two years as well. Which was equally amazing. However, we had a little baby, so we didn't do quite as much traveling or quite as many things as we had done in London. But that was the point where I resigned from the company and went back to school for health coaching. It felt like a really good time. I could be home with my daughter while also pursuing this second career of mine. And we came home because we found out we were having our second child and felt like we just needed to be back closer to family. So we were kind of feeling that pull. So that's what, that's what brought us back to the United States. Passionistas: So, now tell us the name of your current company and what services you provide. Sara: Currently, my company is Sara Fins Coaching. And so what I do is financial coaching for solopreneurs, and small business owners. And so the main thing that I offer right now is I have a course called Easy Business Bookkeeping. And in that course, I built a very user-friendly basic spreadsheet template that I teach business owners to use to track their expenses, their revenue, and then categorize everything for tax purposes. And so it's really to help them track everything. Either, if they're not ready to outsource yet to a bookkeeper. You know, many coaches, I find even ones that have been in business for a long time, don't need to, because there's not that much, you know, going on in a business. As opposed to, if you have a company where you're manufacturing products and things like that. And so it's designed to really help them manage their finances and then get ready for tax time. And also use the information, like I said earlier, to have the information they need to know. What offerings they have that they might want to focus on that are bringing them in more money. Where they might be spending, you know, money they don't need to be spending. Or, you know, do they have money to invest in certain things for their business? And so I teach that all within the easy business bookkeeping course. And then I also do offer some one-on-one coaching. If someone really wants to talk through, kind of, how to personalize that very closely for their own business. How to set things up for themselves. And then if they're just at the point where, they just don't want to do it themselves. I help them get set up by taking their information and putting it all into the spreadsheet and getting them ready and then teaching them how to do it on a going forward basis. So what I don't do, is I don't do the bookkeeping for them. Because as I talked about before, it's really bad empowerment. I want to empower business owners to look at those numbers and see what's going on and get really, really comfortable with their business finances. Passionistas: And, you know, money can be an emotional and stressful topic for a lot of people. So how does the psychology and coaching training that you've had over the years factor into the services you provide? Sara: Yeah, absolutely. The coaching training I've had has been invaluable in that respect. And then also, as being a business owner myself and being on the other side of it and running my health coaching practice for so long, I really know what they're going through from that perspective. And although I didn't struggle with the financial management because I went into it having the background in accounting, I understand some of the challenges that come up as well. But yes, what I find is, that a lot of the times, what's keeping business owners from managing their finances or from looking at their finances and getting deep into the numbers is fear, like you mentioned. Either, they're worried that there might not be enough money. They might not be bringing in enough money. They're worried that they just don't have the skills; they don't know how, they have to be a numbers person or an accountant to do that. Or they just don't have time. Right? So I try, in my coaching and in my programs, to create a really safe space, so that, any question they can ask is not a silly question. Everyone has to start from somewhere. And I compare it to, you know, what you've learned in your business and what you bring to your clients you didn't know when you started out, right? So it's something that you cultivated over time. And it's the same with getting comfortable with your finances. You have to start with something little. Just look at your bank statement every month and take a look at what's going on in there and then move on to the next thing. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. And you don't have to. And in fact, you can't be an expert overnight, right? It's impossible. So I try to create a safe space where, they can ask any questions they have, you know. And I have built into my programs... support. You know, we have a Facebook group. They can email me. One thing we also do, is we do monthly money dates. So basically I have a dedicated time each month where we meet on zoom and it's like a study hall just to give the participants time to, you know, look at their numbers. And so that's to create the container so that they actually have a time dedicated to do it. So, yeah, so it's a blend of, kind of, using the coaching skills and then using also my accounting skills to empower them with the knowledge to make decisions about deductions and you know, how do I classify this revenue? How do I classify this expense? The basics of that as well. Passionistas: What do you find is the biggest financial mistake that most small business owners make? Sara: I think the biggest mistake is that they don't become familiar with their numbers. So either they outsource it to a friend, or a partner, a spouse, or, you know, a bookkeeper, which absolutely has its place in certain businesses, I think. But it's really important that, you know, what's going on there yourself. And so technical mistakes can always be corrected, right? Like I was just talking yesterday on one of my classes that if you're categorizing your deductions and you accidentally put it in the wrong category, it's not the end of the world. Like it can always be fixed. But if you don't know what's going on with your business financially, three years down the line, you can wind up not being able to even keep the doors open because you haven't paid attention to what is going on there. And so if you do nothing else, I think it's really important to know what's going on there. And that's the biggest mistake I make is people just kind of turning a blind eye or thinking, oh, I'll deal with it later. Or that it's not as important as it really is. Passionistas: As a female entrepreneur yourself, is there something that you wish you knew when you started your business that you've learned along the way? Sara: Oh, so many things I learned along the way. I mean, again, as it relates to finances, another thing that I see quite often from the women business owners I work with-- and most of the people that I do work with are female business owners-- is that they lack the confidence around numbers. So for whatever reason, whether it was their parents or whether they grew up just... you know, in our society, we're told like math is for boys, numbers are for boys. And that translates into, at least what I see, a lack of confidence around managing that side of their businesses. I hear a lot of times, like, I just want to work with the clients. I just want someone else to do all that stuff for me. You know, it's great to outsource all for that, once you're at a space where you can do that. But it's important to have the confidence yourself around knowing that part of your business. And then also charging what you're worth, because that's another aspect of it. If you don't know that you're not making enough money from this course, and you don't feel like you have the right to kind of ask for that money, you're not going to charge appropriately. So on kind of the same bucket, right? And then you're not going to be able to keep your business sustainable for long enough to keep it, to keep it going. So, yeah, the confidence, I think. And I discovered that, you know, all through my business, that even I had to work on that in some respects. Like when I was making a proposal for, you know, to do a talk or something like that. And it's always kind of like, "oh, well, what's your budget?" You know, something like that, it's hard to sometimes speak up and say, "this is what I charged for X, and this is what I charged for this." and so I think we need to, or at least the clients I see and myself, practice that muscle of kind of standing in the power of saying, "this is what I'm charging and this is why." And it's okay. Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington, and you're listening to The Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Sara Fins. To discover how simple it can be to take control of your business finances, visit sarafins.com. You can hang out with Sara in her free Facebook group, the Easy Business Bookkeeping Community, or on Instagram and Facebook at Easy Business Bookkeeping. If you're enjoying this interview and would like to help us continue creating inspiring content, please consider becoming a patron by visiting thepassionistasproject.com/podcast and clicking on the patron button. Even $5 a month can help us continue our mission of inspiring women to follow their passions. Now here's more interview with Sara Fins. Is there an example of a success story that you've worked with someone who's come to you that was a complete mess and figured it out and flourished? Sara: Yeah, there are a lot of them, which, you know, makes me really happy. I did this business pivot just before COVID and then I kind of took a step back because it wasn't the right time. And I jumped back into it maybe a year-ish should go. And just in that short amount of time, I've seen a lot of transformation. So this has been the first, kind of, full year that many of my clients have been using the system. And so they're coming back to me and letting me know that they're already ready for taxes. So, you know, it's February and they've already got their numbers. Whereas in the past they would spend an entire day with their receipts and trying to, you know, get it all ready in time. And so I've heard a few stories lately about that. How everybody's feeling prepared, and their tax accountants are so happy that they have this, you know, buttoned up thing to show them. I have another client of mine, Lisa, who was using QuickBooks. For those of you who don't know, it's an accounting system that... really it's geared towards accountants, but they also market it towards late people. So a lot of people think, "oh, I have to get this for my business." And then they pay a lot of money to have somebody set it up for them properly, which, you have to have help with that because it's complicated to do it yourself, unless you're an accountant. And then oftentimes it's too much. And so they never do it because every time they think about going into the program and using it, it's very overwhelming. So Lisa was using QuickBooks when she came to me. And she's like, "it's fine, but I never want to do it. I don't have everything up to date in there. It overwhelms me. I'm paying all this money. I don't even need to be paying this money." And so, she started using my program and she came back to me not too long ago about a recent launch that she had. And she said to me, 'I had my best year ever. And I truly believe that if I hadn't been on top of them by finances, looking at those numbers as my launches were happening, and as I was going through, I wouldn't have even had the motivation to push for those higher numbers of enrollments. And I wouldn't have known how well I was doing.' And so at the end of the year, she's like, 'I've made the most money in my business this year than all the other years past. And I think it's in part to my confidence around my finances.' So that's my favorite client to talk about because she's really rocking it. And she got rid of QuickBooks because it wasn't meeting her needs. And so she stopped paying for it. So she saved money on that end too. Passionistas: Financially or not financially, what do you think your best habit is? Sara: I would say my best habit is time management, and that's something I've cultivated a lot over the years. I mean, I think, you know, you learn a little bit each time as you go along, but then as a business owner, you learn it for sure. And then as a parent, and a business owner, you learn it also. Because before I had kids, you know, you feel like you have all the time in the world. But then you have your children and you realize you don't because your schedule is not entirely yours. And so it's gotten very, very good at managing my tasks and managing my time. And when I'm working, I'm working. And when I'm not working, you know, I'm trying not to work. That's, that's another story. But when I'm dedicated to those hours that I'm actually working, I'm really good about prioritizing what I need to do and turning off distractions so that I can just get it done. So that's been a, you know, that's been something I've been cultivating for a number of years. Passionistas: What advice would you give to your younger self? Sara: Don't be afraid to take risks and to be, you know, a little bit risk averse. And I think if I had taken more risks, maybe I would have, you know, gone into psychology, for example, even though it wasn't, in my mind, a safe career, you know. However reason I thought that in my twenties, I don't know. But, you know. So I think taking more risks in my career path and maybe in the jobs I was in and in the earlier stages of my business. I think that would be one thing that I would tell my younger self. And then the other thing that I would tell my younger self is to get help. So when I started my business, I waited too long to reach out to people who could train me to do the things I didn't need to do... that I didn't know how to do. I remember floundering for the first like year in terms of marketing and really just like throwing spaghetti at the wall and trying to figure out what was happening and what I should be doing. And then once I invested in a program that taught me a marketing framework, it was a game changer. So, you know, don't wait so long to reach out for help in the areas that you need support in. Passionistas: Have you ever suffered a professional setback that seemed devastating at the time, but actually ended up being a blessing? Sara: The first company I worked for in my accounting days, went out of business. And at that time, my office wasn't involved in the scandal, a different state, but the whole company closed. And at that time it felt like, "what's going to happen now? Am I going to have a job?" I was in my twenties, you know, I was about to get married. I didn't know what was happening. And then that opened a lot of doors because the next job I took introduced me to, you know, the person who would eventually hire me for the recruiting role. And then that helped me to move abroad. And it just was kind of a domino effect from there. And that enabled me to go back and follow my passion to have my own business. So, yeah, but at the time it was like, "uh oh." Because when I was growing up and when I was in college, you know, your path was you get a job in corporate and you work in New York city and that's what you do for the rest of your life. And so if that hadn't happened, I'm not sure everything would have played out the way it did. Passionistas: When you were a kid, what did your mother teach you about women's roles in society and what are you passing on to your children? Sara: I come from a long line of very strong women. But my grandmother went to college and wasn't super common, you know, back then. And then she also had a job which also wasn't common. My mother always had a job and my parents divorced when I was young. So my mom was, you know, pretty much the one who was running everything and working to support my sister and I. And it was never really taught that you can't do something. You know, my mother was a professional... is a professional. She's a nurse practitioner, you know, she always was all about school and just very supportive in the way that there's really nothing you can't do. And that was the impression I always felt for my sister and myself coming from both my mom and my grandmother, that there was never really a question. Like if I wanted to go to college and become an accountant, then that's what I would do. You know? So I think that that was really helpful in my upbringing, to have such strong female role models. Because it was... from that perspective, it was never a question that I could do what I wanted to do in my professional life. Passionistas: What's your dream for women? Sara: Honestly, my dream for women is that they feel empowered to follow their own dreams. So that might be starting a business, that might not be starting a business. That might be staying home and raising a family. That might be, you know, remaining single, or not having a family. But I want every woman to feel empowered to follow the path that they feel in their heart is the right one for them, instead of feeling the pressures that we have from society to do X. To do Y. Because I think there's a lot of that. And I think it can go both ways too, right? Like in a lot of ways, we're taught to be quiet and stay small and all of that. But then in my house, it was, you can do whatever you want to do, and then you feel the pressure to be a career woman and have, you know, that life. And for myself, I didn't truly resonate with that either because I wound up leaving corporate when my daughter was born. And I just knew that I didn't want to live that life and have kids at the same time. And so, yeah, I think for me, it's for women to feel empowered to follow whatever path they want to follow and be supported by the people around them and then also society. Because as we know the structure of at least in the United States, it doesn't support women in the workforce. That we have those support systems in place to actually do what we want to do and reach our goals. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to our interview with Sara Fins. To discover how simple it can be to take control of your business finances, visit sarafins.com. You can hang out with Sara in her free Facebook group, The Easy Business Bookkeeping Community, or on Instagram and Facebook @easybusinessbookkeeping. Please visit thepassionistasproject.com to learn more about our podcast and subscription box, filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire you to follow your passions. This quarter's box is a collaboration with the MOB Nation and features products from mom owned businesses. It's the perfect Mother's Day gift for the mother in your life, or a treat for yourself. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code SPRINGGOODIES, and be sure to subscribe to The Passionistas Project Podcast, so you don't miss any of our upcoming, inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.

Aria Leighty is the founder of MOB Nation, a networking group she founded in 2012. After finding networking opportunities inaccessible to mom owned business, Aria wanted to create a space of true connection. After years of working with hundreds of mom-owned businesses, Aria realized there was so much more that MOBs needed to thrive in life and business. In addition to The MOB Nation, Aria is a thought leader, trailblazer, and business mentor. For almost a decade, she's combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, wide range of connections, and unique perspectives to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives. Learn more about The Mob Nation. Learn more about The Passionistas Project.   FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to The Passionistas Project Podcast, where we talk with women who are following their passions to inspire you to do the same. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington, and this is our 100th episode of the podcast. We want to take a moment to thank all of the women who have shared their stories and to all of you for tuning in and listening. We hope you've been as inspired by all of these Passionistas, as we have been. We've picked someone very special to be our hundredth guest: MOB Nation founder, Aria Leighty. We were introduced to her by two other women who have been guests on the podcast. Stacy Newman-Weldon, the founder of Adventure Wednesdays and Dr. Melissa Bird, the founder of Natural Born Rebel and the new Heart of the Warrior Program. Not only is Aria today's guest, but we're currently collaborating with her and her incredible community, The MOB Nation, on this quarter's Passionistas Project Pack. As usual, our subscription box is filled with women owned products. But thanks to the MOB, for this installment, they're all from Mom Owned businesses. Aria founded the networking group The MOB Nation in 2012. After finding traditional networking opportunities inaccessible to mom owned businesses, she wanted to create a space of true connection. After years of working with hundreds of mom-owned businesses, Aria realized there were so much more that MOBs needed to thrive in life and business. In addition to building The MOB Nation, Aria is a thought leader, trailblazer and business mentor. For almost a decade, she's combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, wide range of connections, and unique perspective to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives. So please welcome to the show, Aria Leighty. Aria: I love that. Thank you for that intro. Passionistas: We're so excited to have you here. We love Mob Nation. We're huge fans. So Aria, what's the one thing you're most passionate about? Aria: Really getting money into the hands of women and mom owned businesses. I think that that is like the overlying like concept in all of my businesses. All of the things that I do is the intent of redistributing the wealth into really good hearted women and allowing us to tap into that feminine energy of money. Passionistas: And why is that so important to you and what personal experiences have you had that made those things a priority for you? Aria: Well, I have just personally witnessed that it really does change the world. Like when we can redistribute the wealth, it has been proven that when women have more control of the money, they go and they spend it locally. They make more investments, they do more things. They have all the spending power in their family, so they can decide how to use that money to, like I said, change the world, whether it's, you know, outsource and their business to create more jobs, whether it is tipping better, women tip better. Also, you know, it just has more of that cycle of change in the world when women are earning it and spending it. Passionistas: So let's take a step back. Where did you grow up? What was your childhood like? And did your childhood have an influence on these things that you're doing today? Aria: I grew up... I split my time, my whole life has been split between Honolulu, Hawaii, Portland, Oregon, and San Diego, California. My dad was in the Navy. He met my native Hawaiian mother. It was kind of one of those cliche sailor meets a Hawaiian and so we moved around a lot. It's funny that you ask this because I was just asked this. And I said that my childhood was actually very lonely and I spent most of it very alone. And I was like, so I don't think it really had an impact on me. And then I was like, okay, well, duh, it did because I went out and built these massive communities so that people didn't have to do it alone. Passionistas: So let's jump ahead to MOB Nation. What were you doing prior to that? And what led you to create this amazing community? Aria: I had just opened my first brick and mortar location of a kid's art studio called Art a la Carte. I was in Portland, Oregon at the time. And so I was a single mom, single young mom. And my daughter was starting kindergarten and I decided to open a business and I knew that I was absolutely nuts. And I got to this point where I was like, what have I done. This is crazy. And so I started to go out and went to build my business, went to build my network. And I just didn't feel like networking was successful. I couldn't find my people. And I always joke that I was like, I've got to find at least one more. There's gotta be one more mom that was crazy enough to also start a business and balance that with motherhood. And then, you know, thousands of members later, here we are. Passionistas: So what were you experiencing as a mom owned business owner that was unique to what other business owners go through? Aria: I mean, it literally wasn't accessible, like it just wasn't. During times of the day, I felt like I had to take my mom hat off and kind of run a mask when walking into those rooms. At the time, I mean, this was a decade ago. It really felt like traditional networking was kind of like... like the boys club and it was very masculine energy. It was very competitive. There wasn't a lot of like collaboration. Even if there were female centered, women centered circles, it still felt like we were modeling that masculine behavior of competing with each other and one-upping each other. And some of the other traditional networking things... like you can never miss a meeting or you'll get kicked out .And it's, you know, if my daughter has a play or, you know, she's not feeling good, that's coming first before anything else. So that was really what made me start to realize that moms needed so much more than just what was being offered at the time. Passionistas: So how did you go from finding that one other mother, who had started a business, to building this community of thousands of women? What was the process? Aria: Well, first we just started meeting. I mean, it started with a Facebook post, like, "Hey, anybody know anyone else that's doing this?" And we had the first little quote unquote meetup around my dining table. I think there was like six moms, who a couple of them are still members today. Then we started going into a couple of different coffee shops and then people would just hear. Like, you know, word of mouth spread really quickly because it was like, this is unlike anything that I've ever seen. You know, moms are actually collaborating, they're purchasing from each other. It's just, it's a completely different dynamic and energy and the referrals aren't forced. It's a very organic connection. When I brought my kids and they were coloring, you know, during the whole thing. So when we started like really making structured meetups, it was very intentional how I've created them to make sure that everybody walks in feeling seen, everybody leaves feeling heard. Like they made a new friend. Like they got a new connection. Like they had an opportunity to share their pitch and their big ask. And then again on a national level... that just... it went crazy. People were talking on Facebook. Like I joined this group where I went to this event and I saw, you know, my sales doubled within a week. Or, you know, I've never felt this level of community before. And so people started calling and emailing saying, "bring this to Phoenix, bring this to San Diego, bring this, you know, over here to Florida." And so we really just began expanding from there. I had no intention at the time. And Gwen, our COO, was like, "As soon as you asked me to be a part of this, I knew that this was going to grow on a national level." But I really thought it was just going to be community-based. And I'm still shocked all the time when I talk to somebody from across the world now, and they've heard of The MOB Nation. Passionistas: So talk about that process of expanding from being a local community, to taking it online and expanding throughout the country. How did you go about that? Aria: Pre COVID times, we began with bringing on different leadership in the different cities. So the people that would say, "oh, we would love to have this in San Diego." It's like, if you want to lead it and you want to learn the secrets behind it, and you want to create the meet ups in the way that we have created them, and you want to duplicate in that in your area, then come onto our leadership team. And I would travel out there, help train them, help run their first event. So prior to COVID, we were doing 30 in-person events per month across the nation. So there were several nights that would have, you know, one in Bend, Oregon and one in Texas and one in Honolulu. And it was really awesome to know that all of those were happening at the same time with these incredible leaders. Then COVID happened. And it actually was a blessing for us because taking it to the online model... I don't want to say blessing, but you get what I'm saying. It did impact it in a positive way. We were able to make it a lot more accessible and expand the virtual meetups that we were doing to offering those 12 times per month. And so people were able to come and, you know, have that experience. We were luckily able to duplicate that experience that we have and the structure that we have on Zoom. And people that are from small towns that don't get access to that community, people that have online businesses, where they can really benefit from sales from anywhere, they're able to hop on, get that experience, make those connections. Passionistas: I mean, I think one of the most impressive things is this micro economy that you have fostered. So talk about that, and especially during COVID, the benefits that that has had for your members. Aria: That is the thing I'm the most proud of too, is the micro economy. We like, we love to say, "there's a MOB for that." And so that's really what we stand by. We encourage our members to support MOB first. And again, we take that same idea that when moms have more money in their pockets, we can change the world. We can make a difference, we create more jobs. And so being able to cultivate that culture within the group, getting them thinking all the time, what big box purchases can I switch over to mom owned and get this economy going. And we saw, like during COVID, when all of these businesses were shutting down, our members were still seeing the same amount of success, if not more, because now there's so many more people saying, "go support mom owned. It's more important than ever." And even the really, you know, successful businesses were purchasing gift cards from stores, they knew that they would probably never go to because it's in a completely different state just to make sure that those stores were able to remain open on the underside of this. Passionistas: Tell us a little bit about your core team. Cause we know you mentioned Gwen, like you have some women that are kind of the nexus of this organization with you. So can you talk about how you brought them together and the roles that some of them play? Aria: Yes, my people! So I had the MOB and I was running it for about five years... four years before taking it to the next level with the alliance and the paid membership version of the MOB, the up-level next step. And I knew before launching that that I really needed to have a team that was going to be able to support that feeling that I wanted to do. To be able to love on the community. To be able to bring in their zone of genius so I can focus on mine's zone of genius. Because I fully believe in outsourcing and bringing on team, whenever you can. So I actually asked a group of four women. They came into my glittery painted art studio and we sat at this trashed, painted table. We have a picture of it. It's really funny. I was like, I have this idea. I think it's going to really blow up. I think it's going to change the way that networking in business is done. I want you to be a part of it. Gwen... I don't even think I had actually met her in person yet, but she was one of those women around the table. But she was just always showing up in the MOB group and providing so much value, had so much insight. You couldn't help, but just be drawn to her energy. And I was like, this person loves this community the way that I do, and they, you know, are generous and give the way that I want to give as a leader. And Gwen has stuck with me through this entire time. Mori was actually a chapter leader. And people would come in saying, you know, "I was so nervous to go to this Vancouver/Washington event. And Mori made me feel so good. And gave me a hug." Like I was hearing stories every week. Like" Mori made me feel this," "Mori, you know, gave me the best hug." "Or she held my baby so I could, you know, eat a meal." And I was like, I need this to be duplicated so that every member that we have nationwide can feel this level of love. And so I was like, you need to be the VP of membership, but you need to spread this joy throughout the nation. And she has. And still, every week, it's like, "Do you know how cool Mori and Gwen are?" I'm like, yes, thank you. But that's all anybody wants to tell me is like how great those two are. Passionistas: You're listening to the hundredth episode of The Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Aria Leighty. To work with her as a coach and business mentor, visit arialeighty.com to join her alliance of women owned businesses visit themobnation.com. If you're enjoying this interview and would like to help us continue creating inspiring content, please consider becoming a patron by visiting thepassionistasproject.com/podcast and clicking on the patron button. Even $5 a month can help us continue our mission of inspiring women to follow their passions. Now here's more of our interview with Aria. So you mentioned the paid level. Can you talk about the tiers and how women can be a part of MOB Nation? Aria: Yeah. So if you identify as a mother and you have any size business, then we welcome you in. There is a show up level, which means that you're going to show up in then directory. So that's a great first start. If you are just wanting to get that marketing, that visibility, The MOB Nation directory, which is theresamomforthat.com, is the largest mom owned business directory in the nation. So you're going to get that visibility. You're going to get seen. Again, you're going to get our members who wanted to support mom owned first, going there and to look, to see who they can support. If you're really ready to dive in to the community and attend the meetups and, you know, get really invested, then the go up-level is for you. So you can attend all the meetups. You also have coffee chats and pitch practice and goal-setting calls. Our alliance community are really the ones that are super invested. So you know that you're going to be networking and in a private community called MOB Social. Networking with those people that really have the MOB culture on lock. We get a lot of different amazing discounts and opportunities for our members. We partner with amazing people like The Passionistas Project, where we get our alliance members, you know, featured. So there's so many opportunities. The directors team is always looking for more ways to highlight these members and to get them seen and to get more money into their hands. And our glow up members are members that have been a part of our community and are really the outstanding members, like look to these members to see how to have success in this community. And so they apply after a certain amount of time and get their directory listings featured on the website and a lot more benefits. Passionistas: And even if you're not a member of The MOB, you can sponsor a meetup. Right? Tell everybody about that, cause we did that and it was an amazing opportunity. Aria: Yeah, anyone that is really, like aligns with our community culture and wants to get their business or offering in front of our group of amazing members, they can sponsor a meetup. They can sponsor a MOBCON Mini, and be able to hop on virtually to tell our group, and then we share it in our social media platforms. And we take it very seriously, who we partner with and work with because our members have built trust with us. And they know that we only bring them the best of the best, like The Passionistas Project. And so they are, you know, so excited to support these different organizations back that partner with us. Passionistas: What have you learned about yourself from all the work you've done with MOB Nation? Aria: What haven't I learned about myself. I saw a thing that said, if you really want to see where you need to heal, like own a business. That's going to teach you everything that you need to know. So, I mean, it's just completely changed the trajectory of my life, and how I show up, how I connect with people. I think allowing people in and allowing myself to receive community and friendships has been a big blessing for me. And I think I've learned everything about money mindset through working with mom owned businesses and seeing the different stories that we all carry about ourselves that, you know, men just aren't really carrying around about themselves. So, yeah, I've learned all of my important lessons through this project and this mission. Passionistas: Every year, you have a big convention called MOBCON and then a couple of MOBCON Minis. So tell us about those and tell us the plan for the big MOBCON. Aria: So we are having it in person. Yes. Haven't had that since 2019. It's in San Diego, California, the last weekend in September. And it's really the most amazing time where all of our members on a national level have a chance to be in the same room, feed off of each other's energy, learn from incredible speakers. We have a lot of different networking and connection opportunities. And really our intent is to fill your cups personally and professionally. So you're going to walk away with new tools. You're going to walk away with a new, like fire lit under you with new connections, new friends. And you're also just going to have this belief in yourself and walk away that even though you poured all of time, you're still somehow going to walk away feeling like rejuvenated and rested and cared for and loved on. So it's an incredible experience. I think like I cried for like a week after the one in 2019 because it was just... there were so many breakthroughs and so many hugs. And these people are so close and they've never met in person. You know, they've been talking for years across the world and they finally get to sit next to each other and hug and, you know, share a hotel room together. And they're just, they're so stoked. Passionistas: Besides all of this amazing work you're doing with MOB Nation, you also have a very successful coaching and consulting business. Tell us about that and how you work with your clients. Aria: Yeah, so that kind of formed organically. I realized that I was a consultant without even really charging for it or giving it a name. I've just been constantly mentoring different businesses throughout my decade of working with mom owned businesses. So I love to work with creative entrepreneurs and really I help them step into their power. I help them create collaborations, help them step out and show up into the world as the expert and the leader in their industry. Help them really discover and tap into their zone of genius and then stay there so that they can make money from that space. It's something that I really love to do. My favorite thing right now is my new program "Show Up to Go Up." And that's a six week program for those really ambitious, audacious women that are ready to build that power network and to build their name on a national level, get press mentions, all of that fun stuff. And we work through everything from mindset to literally how to network intentionally. And already the women that have gone through that program, like, they are getting more bookings. They are being featured on podcasts. They are making more money within just a few weeks. So it really is a program that I'm really, really proud of. Passionistas: And how can women work with you? How do they sign up for these programs? Aria: They can go to arialeighty.com. I'm actually completely full for one-on-one clients until after MOBCON, which is insane. So the best way to work with me right now is to join that Show Up to Go Up program. I have one launching right now, and then there'll be one late summer/early fall that we'll be launching the next cohort. Passionistas: Do you find that there are limiting beliefs that women tend to have that are holding them back when it comes to business? Aria: Definitely that everything has to be hard. Like that they have to hustle and that everything has to be hard work. That it can't be easy. You know, things around the worth of their value. When we are tapped into that zone of genius because it does come so naturally and easily to us, moms are always like, "well, is it allowed to be this fun? Is it allowed to be this easy? You know, aren't I supposed to work hard and lose sleep and..." No, absolutely not. And then the money, because so many women and so many moms they're doing heart's work, right? Like Passionistas Project is heart's work. You love it. You want to be changing the world. And so a lot of people think that if I'm changing the world, I can't be making a lot of money from it. Which you're allowed to do both. And you'll actually change the world even more if you are making a lot more money. Even just from the people watching you. Like, if we can all be, you know, breaking those limiting beliefs and those stories and those stereotypes down, it gives permission to all the women watching us to also go after what they want and to make a lot of money as well. Passionistas: You talk about tapping into the feminine energy of money. So explain what you mean by that. Aria: So tapping into the feminine energy of money. We have these stories around money that it's like, again, you have to work really hard. You have to sacrifice time with your family in order to, you know, make money. Money is the root of all evil. We've seen a lot of masculine examples of men having money and not doing amazing things with it. But money is a tool. So it's only going to amplify whatever you are, whoever you are. Right? And so when we have control of it, we're doing better things with it. So when I am talking to clients and having them tap into the feminine energy of money, I really have them think "what kind of difference can you make?" Like make an impact list of how you would be spending this money. And that often helps women because they're not looking at it anymore as this toxic thing or this greedy thing. Now they're really seeing it as like, I can be more giving and generous and compassionate. I can make better choices for my family. I can set my kids up to not have to, you know, work so hard and to be able to enjoy their lives. They think of the few things. They write it down and it's like the few obvious things. Okay. I can create some jobs or whatever. But then when they really get into it, it's like, "Oh, I can buy all of my groceries or all of my produce from organic farmers who are not, you know, destroying the earth and who are now taking that money back and being able to contribute to their family." And all of a sudden we're really realizing what an impact we're going to have on the world when we are thinking of it as a positive tool, rather than this greedy thing that we shouldn't have. Passionistas: When you look back at your journey, is there like a moment where things just looked really dark, but they ended up being the catalyst for something really positive? Aria: I think every couple of months I have times where it looks... I gotta be honest. I mean, I just, I don't like to talk about things until I'm on the other side of them or until it's like, you know, a long ways back. But I just went through something where I really honestly thought, back in November, that I was going to just have to shut everything down. I made an investment that looked like it was going to bring the MOB forward. It wasn't everything that was promised. And so it just really looked like, wow, this is not... this is the end. Like I can't keep going financially or emotionally, or, you know, I just don't have it in me physically. So, I mean, four months ago that happened. And before that it was MOBCON 2019. Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. I mean everything. My card got declined checking into the hotel. And I was like, oh my gosh, like we are at our last penny to make this, you know, crazy thing happen. And it all worked out. We had so many members join because of that. We had so many amazing opportunities open. So yeah. But I would say every year, there's one major thing that I'm like, "okay, this is it." Passionistas: What advice would you give to a mother who wants to start her own business? Aria: Don't do it alone. Definitely, I mean, join us for a meetup. Join us in the community so that we can support you. You don't have to start... it's kind of like getting a head start, right? Because you have all of these moms championing you throughout the process and helping you with resources and, you know, getting you there quicker. And I think also, just starting with whatever you have. It doesn't have to be perfect. I think a lot of people want to wait until they're this, or they've accomplished this, or they read this book. But show up now with what you have and evolve in front of your audience. Like I sold out masterminds and sold out clients with Google forms before I even had a website, you know? So you can do it with whatever you have and the world is desperate for what you want to be bringing to life. There's people out there desperate for it. So go start showing up now. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to our hundredth episode and interview with Aria Leighty. To work with her as a coach and business mentor, visit arialeighty.com. To join her alliance of women owned businesses visit themobnation.com. Please visit thepassionistasproject.com to learn more about our podcast and subscription box, filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire you to follow your passion. And remember, this quarters box is a collaboration with The MOB Nation and features products from mom owned businesses. It's the perfect Mother's Day gift for the mother in your life, or a treat for yourself. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code SPRINGGOODIES. And be sure to subscribe to The Passionistas Project Podcast so you don't miss any of our upcoming, inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.

Amy Chin is the founder of Calm Better Days, where she educates clients on CBD, its uses, different delivery methods and figuring out the proper dosage. As someone who has suffered from anxiety and depression, she found great relief with CBD and knew she had to help and educate others. By sharing her personal findings, Amy helps clients find a tailored CBD regime based on needs and lifestyle, so they can dive into their CBD journey and live calm, better days. More about Amy Chin. More about The Passionistas Project. FULL TRANSCRIPT: Passionistas: Hi, and welcome to The Passionistas Project Podcast, where we talk with women who are following their passions to inspire you to do the same. We're Amy and Nancy Harrington and today we're talking with Amy Chin, the founder of Calm Better Days. As someone who suffered from anxiety and postpartum depression, she found great relief with CBD and knew she had to help others understand how CBD could help them in a myriad of ways so she became a CBD educator. Calm Better Days walks clients through what CBD is, what you use it for, different delivery methods and how to find their dosage. Clients also receive a tailored CBD regimen based on the individual's needs and lifestyle, so they can dive into their CBD journey. So please welcome to the show, Amy Chin. Amy: Hi. Hi Nancy. Hi Amy. Thank you for having me on today. Passionistas: We're really excited about CBD and want to learn all about it. Tell us what's the one thing you're most passionate about. Amy: Well, it's cannabis. I'm most passionate about plant medicine. It is a gift that can heal in so many ways. And I think that, you know, as a society, we need to learn to tap into that. And I think that we are gearing into that category as we are learning that, you know, health these days is a integrated health, right. That means eating more plant-based diet, as well as doing your exercise, meditation, getting adequate sleep, all those play a role into our health. Passionistas: And so how does that translate into what you do for a living? Amy: Understanding that everything is integrative, right. I always talk to my clients and remind them that CBD will fast-track your health to where you want it to be, but will slow down depending on your other health lifestyle habits. So for example, let's say two people are battling, you know, hormonal imbalance. And if one is doing everything, having healthy habits in terms of sleep, exercise, diet, and let's say spiritually, they're going to be healthier, faster. However, if one is not adapting to those, you know, healthier lifestyle habits, it will take much longer. So that's how it all relates. And I think that we're all learning that as we go now, especially with COVID around. Passionistas: Well, let's take a little step back. Tell us where you grew up and what your childhood was like. Amy: I grew up in New York City, born and raised right in Chinatown. And being in a Chinese household, we didn't really speak much about health. We didn't speak much about feelings and emotions as well in a Chinese household. So for me, growing up now as a mom and being diagnosed with anxiety and postpartum depression was very new to me. I was very thankful it was diagnosed by my marriage therapist because I was not aware of the symptoms because we never spoke about it in my household. And that's why I love talking about it. Because now that I realize when it was diagnosed, I can then treat it. I can address it and take care of myself. When I didn't know what it was at the time, I just thought, oh, this is part of motherhood. This is something that I have to learn to deal with. And I assumed that this was just how it was. So I was very thankful it was diagnosed. And it was my marriage therapist who recommended CBD to me because I was leaning toward a more holistic life after being a mom. And I was not having good reactions from pharmaceutical meds. So I was very thankful that she did recommend something that was more holistic. And this was about eight years ago. At the time that was when you actually had to get a medical card to get CBD. And I got my card and started taking CBD. And that's when my life changed. It went from that cranky, irritable yelling mom that flew off the handle. And I hated who I was. I hated how I was with my children. And once I started taking CBD, I became so much more patient, so much more present and mindful. I was able to enjoy the time when I was interacting with my kids and realize, oh my goodness, life can be like this. It didn't have to be the way it was before. And when I felt that change in myself, it was so eye opening. I was finally able to respond to the days, you know, challenges instead of reacting. And once I felt that calm and ease, I was just like, I knew that I had to get the word out there. Because I knew that if I one, didn't also knew I had anxiety and postpartum depression, I was sure that other moms out there maybe going through the same thing, and may not be aware of it. And knowing that there's a natural alternative out there with no side effects, it is such a big, great help. And so that's how I started Calm Better Days, to help people find their calm better day. I know we go through that a lot where we're just living and, you know, suffering from something, right. Everyone's suffering from something, whether it's pain, whether it's mental, whether it's, you know, different health conditions. And that's the great thing about CBD is that it can address so many different issues, so many different health issues. You almost wonder how can it be? How can it be so wonderful that it addresses so many different health issues from anxiety, epilepsy, Alzheimers, heart disease, arthritis. It's almost too good to be true, but it really does. Passionistas: So I think there are misconceptions about what CBD is, and especially as it relates to cannabis and marijuana and people getting high and all that. So can you kind of talk about the myth of CBD and clarify for people that are listening, what it is? Amy: Absolutely. So CBD and THC, there are both cannabinoids found in a cannabis plant. And THC is the cannabinoid known to get you euphorically high and CBD does not get you euphorically high. They are however, both cycle active in the sense that if I have depression, a person who takes CBD, their moods and feelings will be elevated in terms of not feeling depressed, however, not intoxicated. So that's the big difference between CBD and THC. And because you don't get that euphoric high with CBD, a lot of people sometimes don't know when it's working. Because with THC, you know it's working when you get that euphoric high. But with CBD, because you're not getting that euphoric high people are like, well, what am I supposed to be feeling? And so I describe it as you know it's working when you're not feeling the negative symptoms that you're normally experiencing. So that can be that anxiety, right. With anxiety might come that overwhelm, that high level of stress, that tightness in your chest, or pain for some people, right. So when you're not feeling those negative symptoms anymore, that's when you know CBD is working. It makes you feel normal, not suffering. CBD is a potent bioaccumulator. So what that means is, it's going to soak up all the toxins in the soil, which can be heavy metal, fungi, mold, pesticide, mycotoxins. These are things we do not want to ingest. So always buy organic. And you know, hemp is such a potent bioaccumulator, they actually planted at Chernobyl to clean up the soil from the radiation. So if you're not buying organic and you're not looking at the certificate of analysis that every quality CBD product comes with, you can be ingesting toxins that will set off at another health condition. Passionistas: Is that what inspired you to found Calm Better Days? And what was the process of starting it? And what's your mission? Amy: I started Calm Better Days at the end of 2019, right before the pandemic started. So what happened was in 2018, the Farm Bill was passed. So CBD was federally legal and you did not need a medical card anymore to buy CBD. So that's when we saw that the market was getting saturated. We saw CBD products everywhere. And I saw two issues for new consumers. And that was one: because CBD was so new, not everyone understood how to properly use CBD to really access the benefits from the plan. And then two: because it's such a saturated market now, finding a safe and quality product was another unknown for new consumers. And so that's when I wanted to address both issues. So, what I do is... people can sign up for a virtual consultation, so it can be done anywhere, any state. And I walk people through the basics because if you don't understand the basics, you're not going to really be able to access and understand the plant fully. So when I say the basics, I mean, what is CBD? How does it work in your body that it can address so many different symptoms? And then walking the person through the different delivery methods between tinctures, edibles, vaporizers. What are their different activation times and how long they last for in your body? Understanding that makes it easier for you to develop a routine that works for you. And then also understanding your dosage. Everybody's dosage is very unique. And we're used to going to a doctor's office, let's say. And your doctor says, let's say you're starting an SSRI. We'll start you on a certain milligram. And the doctor will say, well, come back in a month and let's see how that works, and we'll adjust the dosage if necessary. And with plant medicine, it's no different, except that you're able to... if you're able to track and learn to read what your body is telling you, your body will tell you how much CBD you need. And I teach, you know, people that tracking system so that they can find out what works best for themselves. And lastly, after the education portion, I take a look at your specific health condition to recommend the best products for you. Everybody suffers from different things. And, you know, we're learning that CBD is just scratching the surface. There are other cannabinoids and other turpines that play a role in each product and, and the effect. So if you're telling me your issue is say Crohn's disease or a gut issue, then there is a cannabinoid CBG that is great for that, that will help clean up the gut, promote good gut flora, and also help with digestive issues. But let's say your issue is sleep. Then there is another cannabinoid, CBN, that is great for that. So this cuts down on time and money for the consumer because now they don't have to waste money on thinking, well, I think this product might work for me. And then also, you know, they're finding relief faster because now that they have the products in hand that are right for them, now they know how to use it as well. So that's how Calm Better Days was born and the mission behind it. I also carry about 15 to 20 different brands. And I support and focus on small farmed, women own and BIPOC owned brands. One, I believe that small farm that's where the quality is. I don't believe in, you know, huge commercial grows. The standards are very different, as well as you know, I like to look into the company's mission. I want to make sure that they're really about helping people and growing quality product. And that's why I believe that, you know, especially people new to this industry, right. They may not be aware of the history behind it and what goes on. So I want to steer them toward good quality companies that are, you know, really focus on the quality of the product and really helping people. Passionistas: So how do you go from being diagnosed, that this is a treatment that will work for you as an individual, to gaining all this knowledge that you now have, where you can help other people? What kind of studying and practices did you do to get to this place? Amy: Before I started CBD, I was a cannabis enthusiast. And once I discovered the CBD side, I was just blown away. I was like, is there anything this plant cannot do? And it was when I felt the results with CBD, that I started diving into it myself, doing all the research possible. And once I knew what I wanted to do and start my company, I then became cannabis licensed with Dr. Mary Clifton. She is a board certified internal doctor who specializes in cannabis. And the studies don't stop because every day we're now finding new studies, right? Because now we can study the plant. Before we were not able to study the plant because it was, you know, it's still a Schedule 1 drug, and that's why there are no studies beforehand. But like I was saying, now studies are coming out. So it doesn't stop. And every day there are new industry trends that I need to keep up on. But I love, I love finding out all this information. So I take what I've, you know, been consuming myself for years, as well as the studies that are now available, and apply that to people who are looking for new alternatives to health. Passionistas: Tell us a little bit about the pop-ups that you do.. Amy: So I do a lot of pop-ups. I don't have a brick and mortar store, so I do a lot of pop-ups. Especially at women networking events, because, you know, I am a mom. And I know that moms ,we take on so much that our anxiety and stress is... I think a lot of moms suffer. So I'm hoping one day we'll have a brick and mortar so that I can do more explaining and education in the store. I find that right now, although people are in need of it, I think because we're all so busy right now with COVID and everything is online, we're just too busy to sometimes even have that consultation. Or even too busy to go online to order things. So pop-ups are helpful to be right in front of them. Passionistas: We're Amy and Nancy Harrington, and you're listening to The Passionistas Project Podcast and our interview with Amy Chin. To learn more about her CBD related personal events, group and individual consultations, and pop-ups, visit calmbetterdays.co. If you're enjoying this interview and would like to help us to continue creating inspiring content, please consider becoming a patron by visiting thepassionistasproject.com/podcast and clicking on the patron button. Even $1 a month can help us continue our mission of inspiring women to follow their passions. Now here's more of our interview with Amy. You talked a little bit about the different forms that people can take CBD in. Can you kind of talk a little bit more in detail about that? Amy: So back then the only, not the only, but the most common way was through inhalation, smoking a joint or a blunt. Nowadays, we have vaporizers. And I love vaporizers because one, you're not burning carcinogens. Like before with the joint you had the paper, the flour is all burning and that's consuming carcinogens. Which I want to save my throat, so I don't consume flower anymore in that form, but I do use vaporizers. There's no scent to it. There is no carcinogens in my throat, so it saves my throat. But also I love it because it provides the quickest onset. So you'll feel it within 5 to 10 minutes. And this is great for, let's say a person suffering from panic attacks or anxiety attacks, and they need that quick relief. Or maybe they have severe, intense back pain that they need real quick relief from. The vaporizer will get to that quickest. But I also understand that, you know, for some people they just don't want to inhale anything. And that's where, you know, the industry has been so innovative in the different formats that CBD comes in. So there are edibles. And edibles are gummies, honey, chocolate, anything that needs to go through your stomach and liver to metabolize. But because it has to go through your stomach, it will take much longer to kick in. So it takes about 30 to 90 minutes. But people love it because it's portable. It's easy to consume. You just, if it's a gummy, you could put it in your bag, just pop one when you need it. And, it does last much longer than a vaporizer. It can last from 4 to 6 hours, even 8 hours for some people. So when we think about different delivery methods, you want to think about what's going to make it easy for us to consume on a daily basis. Because then you make it easy as part of your routine. But if you're doing something that you don't like, and it's difficult, then it doesn't become part of your routine. So other formats are tinctures. Tinctures are CBD suspended in MCT oil. And it comes in a bottle with a dropper. And normally you want to drop it underneath your tongue. Hold it there for 60 seconds before you swallow. And that allows it to be absorbed into your bloodstream and will take about 20 to 40 minutes to activate. And will last about four hours. And when I talk about delivery methods, there is a time and place for everything. So what I mean by that is we want to think about our situation, what we need to address, and then also about the place where we're at, right? Because we want it to be easy and convenient. Once I wake up. That's when my anxiety and depression is at its worse, right. It's hard to be motivated. I'm, you know, don't want to get out of bed. And it's hard for me to be focused and productive. So I know right away in the morning, I either use my vaporizer or my tincture because I want to set the tone for my day. And I want it to be quick to get out of that slump and kind of like jumpstart my day. So, I either do one of those two things. And then after that, because I know it lasts for about four hours and I work at home, thankfully. So that's when I take an edible. I pop a gummy right before my lunch, because I know I have a long afternoon ahead and I don't want to have to think about redosing. And I take it right before my lunch, because I want it to go down with the good fat from my diet. Because then your body will absorb more of the CBD and also quicker, versus taking it on an empty stomach where your stomach acids might get to it first, or after a full meal where your liver just has to metabolize more. And then after the gummy wears off is probably around dinner time/after dinner. And it depends on what I need to do. If I need to do more, then I'll dose accordingly. But let's say, you know, I put in a hard day's work. I really want to relax. I don't want to think about work, then I can also do something relaxing, like a tea to kind of like set the mood for my night. Set myself up for good sleep and have a really relaxing night. And that's a great thing about it. Is that now with so many different products, it feels like a self treat. I can do an afternoon little chocolate piece or, you know, have my tea, right. Or maybe it's honey drizzled on top or fruit as my dessert after dinner. So there are different ways of consuming it. And not only that, but after my shower, you know, my muscles usually there's like soreness or stress from my neck down. And I love after a shower putting on a good CBD lotion just to melt all that tension, all that stress away. And that also eases me into my, you know, good nights rest. Passionistas: I think everybody associates weed with patchouli. Like these creams and the tinctures and everything. Do they smell like cannabis or do they come now in like lavender? Amy: They do. They come in so many different formats, so many different scents, and I love it. I have this one by Common Ground and it's bergamot and I love bergamot. And it goes on so smooth, so luxurious. So satiny too. I'm loving the creams that they come up with now because it doesn't smell like cannabis and it goes on so nice. It feels like any other luxurious cream, you wouldn't . Even know that it's, you know, specifically CBD. Not only does it smell great, but it really helps ease that tension, melt away any stress or pain that you may have. It's great because it's anti-inflammatory, which can be acne, rosacea, the redness, right. That's all inflammation. So that takes care of that. It also regulates your sebum control. So back then, when I was hormonally imbalanced, I had horrible cystic acne. My face would get shiny in an hour because I was over producing oil. So the CBD oil helps balance out your sebum. So instead of over-producing oil, it was balancing that out. So now my face doesn't get shiny in an hour. And also my cystic acne, it would hurt less because the CBD oil was taking care of the pain, as well as the inflammation. So CBD facial oil is also anti-aging and anti-oxidant. So it's great for the face. And I use it every day. It's cleaned up my skin regimen. Like before I used to apply so much acne medication, so many different retinals this and that. Now is just double cleanse and the facial moisturizers, CBD facial moisturizer and nothing else. It will take out the puffiness. I have an eye serum. And also for dark spots. Because it quickens the cellular turnover, so the dark spots will fade quicker as well. So it's cut down my steps and products. I love it. I recommend it for everyone. Passionistas: What if someone is on traditional medication? Are there interactions that they should speak with a doctor about before starting a regimen? Amy: Always speak with your doctor especially when you are on pharmaceutical drugs. And on my website, I have a partnership with Leaf411, which is a nonprofit organization of cannabis nurses. So what that means is you can call them and say, you know, you were referred from Calm Better Days. And that makes the call free. You do have to pay for the service, but because I have the partnership, it is free. And what you can do is say, "I am on medication X, Y, Z. Will CBD interact with it?" For the most part, CBD does not interact with most drugs. The only concern is if you are on blood thinners or blood pressure medication. Anything that interacts with grapefruit and you cannot take, CBD works like that grapefruit. It's, an enzyme inhibitor. So that you would have to watch. Passionistas: You talked a little bit about how your personal life has changed from making this discovery. But tell us a little bit more about, kind of, the transformation you personally have made since you started using CBD in this way. Amy: Well, let's see, I've been on it for about, CBD specifically, for over eight years now. Cannabis in general, probably over a decade. So I have now become a more mindful person, definitely more aware about my health. And this was also after becoming a mom, more holistic, more plant-based. Because when I was at my darkest point with anxiety and postpartum depression, that's when my health was out of balance. I was hormonally imbalanced. I wasn't eating right at that time. So during the time when I was consuming CBD was also when I was making healthier lifestyle changes in terms of my diet, more plant-based. And as a mom, you know, I know I'm supposed to exercise more and also get adequate sleep. However, it's very hard to fit those two things in as a busy mom, also running her own company. And I know that, right. And that is why I make sure to take my CBD every day. So at least then my body won't crack from not doing the things that I know I'm supposed to do. If I can, I do try to, of course do it. But in terms of lifestyle, that's how it's changed. I'm more aware of what I do need to do, as well as my mental state. I would say before CBD, I felt like my life felt like, you know, how, when you're that hamster on the hamster wheel and it's constantly going. And you just feel that you have to. And then once I took CBD, it kind of took me out of that hamster wheel and I could see, oh my gosh, I'm that hamster. And it didn't have to be like that. It allowed me to have calmness and mindfulness so I can see and be aware of what goes on in my life. And the funny thing is, you know, they always suggest therapy and all that. And I have been going to years of that and try to practice meditation and yoga, but my mind would not be still. And I just could not tap into it no matter how hard I tried. But with the CBD, I was able to finally tap into that and calm my mind and be aware of everything that was going on, so that now if I take CBD before a yoga session or a meditation, it just enhances that session because now I can really focus in and tap into that. Whereas before I just could not calm my mind to, to focus in on that. Passionistas: Do you find that people are, like who don't get it, who don't understand it personally, like are judgmental about the concept of CBD? And how do you address people who come at you in that way? Amy: Absolutely. I get a lot of people who don't understand it. And that's why I love to talk about it. And I get that they don't understand it. And sometimes it comes with, of course, you don't get it because you don't have the basic fundamentals. And, and that's why I'm here to help you understand that, because I feel that once you understand that, then everything starts clicking. And then after that is you have to experiment and try it. And you know, we've been so conditioned as a society to think that, okay, a doctor is here, they prescribe medicine. And then you just take it blindly, right? And with plant medicine, it's a different approach in that you can do it yourself, but you have to be patient. You have to be open to it and you have to be open to tracking it so that you can tell yourself, well, how much does my body need? But we haven't listened to our bodies in so long that it seems like a new practice. And we have to remember that herbs, cannabis, that was the original medicine of days long ago before pharmaceutical medicine was made in a lab. So we have to understand that that's what we started with and it's going back to that. And I understand sometimes even with the education, it may still be hard to understand. But once that person tries it and they feel it, then that is like, I'm hooked now. Now I want to understand more and dive into it more. And sometimes it's all about finding the right dosage to get you there. Or finding the right product because everyone is going to respond differently to a vaporizer versus a tincture versus an edible. You know, for some people edibles, for whatever reason, doesn't work for them, for their body, their genetic makeup. So sometimes that's when a vaporizer can really help. And I love vaporizers because I find that because of the quick onset, that people really feel it. Where sometimes when they're waiting for an edible to kick in, they forget that they're waiting and then the day goes by and then they're not mindful of, oh, my day actually went by smoother. I wasn't blowing up at everything, right. But sometimes people don't notice that because we're not mindful. We're not reading what our body is telling us. And usually we only hear what our body is telling us when it's screaming, right. And that's when it's like suffering from a pain or suffering from something that happened in our body. Passionistas: From all the people that you've worked with, is there like one specific example that you can think of as like a success story that you're especially blown away by? Amy: Well, right now, a lot of clients are coming to me for sleep issues and stress issues and actually gut issues. Well, gut and mind is all related. So that's why stress and gut health are like hand in hand. And that's why a lot of people are coming for that. But sleep. So I've seen a lot of people come back and say, you know what? I've been getting good sleep. And stress has been lowered. I've had a lot of clients who were on pharmaceutical meds for anxiety, stress, depression, and have weaned off of it. When I hear that they've weaned off of pharmaceutical meds and still feeling great, I am so happy because I know that they're feeling better because they're no longer feeling the side effects from the pharmaceutical drugs. Which was the main reason why a lot of them wanted to get off of that. So when I hear that, I just know that, you know, that makes me feel wonderful that I'm actually helping people feel better. Passionistas: Thanks for listening to our interview with Amy Chin. To learn more about her CBD related personal events, group and individual consultations, and pop-ups visit calmbetterdays.co. Please visit thepassionistasproject.com to learn more about our podcast and subscription box, filled with products made by women owned businesses and female artisans to inspire you to follow your passions. This quarter's box is a collaboration with the MOB Nation and features products from mom owned business. Get a free mystery box with a one-year subscription using the code SPRINGGOODIES. And be sure to subscribe to The Passionistas Project Podcast, so you don't miss any of our upcoming, inspiring guests. Until next time, stay well and stay passionate.  

The Biggest Struggles That Moms In Business Experience We think that as moms we have to be martyrs for our family, and the same for our businesses and self-care is often put to the wayside. Aria helps women in the MOB Nation to start pouring back into themselves. Self-care is a mandatory investment for you to be successful as a parent and in business.  It's important to remember that our happiness doesn't have to come last. And your value isn't dependent on productivity. Even charging your worth is an act of self-care. Self-Worth And Money Mindset As women we get intimidated with all we see online, comparison and imposter syndrome affect our mindset. Without self-worth, we can't have a positive mindset. When we are really good at something, it feels like it comes so naturally so we discount the unique power we have and discount the compensation for it. Just because it comes easy to you, doesn't mean it isn't valuable and worth charging for. If you are struggling to find what it is that you do well, look at the questions people ask you to pick your brain about. It is important to protect your energy and knowledge so that you can save that energy for your own business, your own content. It's important to respect other people's gifts as valuable and to pay for the value, as well as to charge for the value. Compensating women for their gifts and knowledge will help more women succeed. The Common Thread Of Money Mindset What is holding women back from having a positive money mindset? There are many outdated societal stories about money being the root of all evil, etc. Therefore, tapping into the feminine energy around money is how you change to make an impact and change the world. Money is a tool. If we can get more money in the hands of more women who have that good-hearted, empathetic, compassionate vibration, that is how we change the world with our spending power and compensate the world. When you have a good income, you can hire other women. There are many ways we can make a difference by having more money and helping others. You can make a difference and make money and can make an even bigger difference if you make more money. Click here to read the complete show notes and for links referenced. 

Aria Leighty is the Founder and CEO of Mob Nation (Mom Boss Nation), a Thought leader, Trailblazer, and an Award Winning Business Mentor. For almost a decade, Aria has combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, wide range of connections, and unique perspective to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives. Aria helps her clients to get out of their own way, sparkle their mindset, step into their power, and live their dream life. Working with Aria as a business mentor blends consulting, coaching, and cheerleading not found anywhere else. The MOB Nation is an alliance of mom-owned businesses dedicated to empowering women who balance both motherhood and business. Through regular networking, support, resources, and encouragement we believe moms can thrive in both endeavors. Links: www.arialeighty.com, www.themobnation.com, www.instagram.com/arialeighty www.instagram.com/the.mobnation

Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comOr email Mori directly at mori@themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the host:Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Gwen's "What We Learn from Failure" podcastGwen's You Are Going to Fail blog post****Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comOr email Mori directly at mori@themobnation.com Join the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the host:Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

What does giving and receiving support really look like? In the episode Aria, Mori, and Gwen share what real support, boundaries, and acceptance look like. Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode, Aria interviews Vlad Bahtjak, founder of Inadot. Inadot is a platform that focuses on connection and community without the distractions. Learn more about Inadot hereFollow Inadot on Instagram at @inadot_appLearn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the host:Aria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeighty 

In this episode Gwen asks Mori and Aria about their experiences in direct sales. Mori and Aria share tips and ideas for getting the most out of being part of a direct sales company.Aria's favorite products -Mary Kay makeup Color Street nail stripsArbonne body scrubsGwen's favorite products - Pure Haven lemon sugar scrubEpicure meal  helpersStella & Dot jewelry Mori's favorite products -Noonday jewelryBeautyCounter face wipesIsagenix collagen elixirNorwex View all MOB Alliance direct sales listingsLearn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode, Aria interviews Liv Chapman, co-founder & COO Inner Glow Circle, the only all women, all virtual accredited coaching certification program.Learn more about Inner Glow Circle here Access the free Inner Glow Circle trainings Liv mentioned during the podcast hereFollow Inner Glow Circle on Instagram at @innerglowcircle and @thelivchapmanLearn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the host:Aria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeighty 

In this episode, we talk about how to rediscover your spark and get excited about your business again.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode, Aria and Gwen answer questions about social media and how to do it in a way that won't make you hyperventilate!Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they talk about what mom business owners need and why stereotypes of mom business owners are so frustrating. We know MOBs need more than just bath bombs and coffee, but if you're looking for those - shop the MOB directory and support mom business owners building their businesses! www.theresamobforthat.com Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they talk about juggling motherhood and business and owning imperfect perfection. During this episode Gwen and Aria shared two great books you don't want to miss!Love More: 50+ Ways to Build Joy Into Childhood by Shannon LoucksConnect with Courage: Practical Ways to Release Fear and Find Joy in the Places Your Children Take YouLearn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

It has been a wild ride since the MOB Alliance was launched in 2016! Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they share apps and tools to help mom business owners!Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they share networking horror stories and discuss the value of relationship-centered networking.Gwen's Networking Tips podcast can be found here.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Aria Leighty is the Founder and CEO of Mob Nation (Mom Boss Nation), a Thought leader, Trailblazer, and an Award Winning Business Mentor based in Honolulu, Hawaii.  For almost a decade, Aria has combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, wide range of connections, and unique perspective to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives.  Aria helps her clients to get out of their own way, sparkle their mindset, step into their power, and live their dream life.  Working with Aria as a business mentor blends consulting, coaching, and cheerleading not found anywhere else.Find out more about her here: Website: https://www.arialeighty.comInstagram: @arialeighty Instagram: @the.mobnation 

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they share networking horror stories and discuss the value of relationship-centered networking.Gwen's Networking Tips podcast can be found here.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they share why money matters and the impact changing your money story has on your business. A huge thank you to our MOBCON Mini: Money Matters sponsor, Kristen David, founder of Upleveling Your Business. You can purchase her book here.Aria's Money & Mindset Couse can be found here.Connect with Colleen Salchow (she helps you talk to your kids about money) here.Gwen's podcast episode - Why Asking "What Would You Pay for This" is a Terrible IdeaGwen's blog post about pricing can be found here.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode rewind, I am joined by Aria Leighty, Founder & CEO of MOB (Mom Owned Businesses) Nation.  Aria shares her struggles with imposter syndrome and how she started MOB when she didn't even feel prepared to be a leader. She also shares her thoughts on motherhood, the martyr complex, and the power of vulnerability and transparency in business and life. Aria shares: How to stop imposter syndrome in its tracks How to own your power and lead by example Why being a mom martyr is not a badge of honor All about the MOB Nation community Aria is the Founder and CEO of The MOB Nation, a thought leader, trailblazer, and business mentor. For almost a decade, Aria has combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, a wide range of connections, and unique perspective to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives. Aria helps you get out of your own way, sparkle up your mindset, step into your power, and live your dream life. Working with Aria as a business mentor blends consulting, coaching, and cheerleading not found anywhere else. Connect with Aria: https://instagram.com/arialeighty https://instagram.com/the.mobnation https://Arialeighty.com (Original air date: 9.16.20) Stay Connected: Join my community and get my top 5 tips to help you better manage your time, delivered to your inbox today! Learn to master your time now! Connect with my online: Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Support the show and buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/LaWannMoses

Join Aria, Gwen, and Mori as they talk about the MOB's commitment to building relationships  over sharing sales pitches and the impact that has helping businesses grow.Aria shares an amazing testimonial from MOB member Annemarie Ketterman, owner of Whimsy Burrow Children's Resale Boutique.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - MOB Nation VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Crowdfunding is often a popular topic in small business circles, but it isn't as straightforward (or easy) as it may seem. In this episode Gwen, drawing on her experience in managing, consulting, and advising for many crowdfunding projects, shares ten ways to ensure your crowdfunding campaign is a success. The text version (with resource links) can be found at the MOB Nation website here.*******If you're tired of DIY'ing all of your marketing without support, join my Adventures in Marketing Membership group - there are weekly trainings, live coaching, Q&A, resources, and prompts to keep you on track and moving forward with your marketing. We even start each week with a dance party! Join here - www.gwenmontoya.com/membershipIf you'd like one-on-one support, apply for a four week marketing intensive spot here - https://forms.gle/pRVVVEXfEQf9c2u9ALearn more about what I do, access freebies, and find resources on my blog at www.gwenmontoya.com

In this episode Aria, Gwen, and Mori discuss the myth of balance and how the expectation of balance is unrealistic.We shout out the power of hiring a virtual assistant in this episode - you can find a virtual assistant to help you on the MOB Nation directory.A huge thank you to our sponsor for this episode, Kristen David, founder of Upleveling Your Business. Learn more about how Kristen and her team can help you scale your business at the link!  https://www.uplevelingyourbusiness.com/ Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode Aria, Gwen, and Mori discuss how important it is for mom business owners to flip the script in their lives and the impact it can have.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

In this episode Aria, Gwen, and Mori chat about the challenges of being a mom business owner, the value of community, and talk about how the MOB micro economy is changing women's lives.Learn more about the MOB Nation at www.themobnation.comJoin the MOB - www.themobnation.com/joinAttend a Meetup - www.eventbrite.com/o/virtual-meetups-20106574649About the MOB NationThe MOB Nation was created to give mom-owned businesses increased visibility and opportunities to learn from each other, network, share information, and get support from other women who juggle owning a business and being a mom.The MOB has won several awards including a 2016 SCORE Small Business Championship, a 2018 nomination from Oregon Entrepreneurial Network as a Game Changer, a 2018 American Express Small Business Champion award, and 2020 Mum-Owned Business of the Year from EYMA.The MOB holds 8-10 virtual Meetups each month as well as MOBCON, the national conference for mom business owners, and MOBCON Mini quarterly conferences..About the hostsAria Leighty -  MOB Nation founder and CEO​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow moms balancing their own businesses. ​Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes.  When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter, Keilani.Aria is based in Honolulu, Hawaii.www.arialeighty.comConnect with Aria - www.instagram.com/arialeightyGwen Montoya - MOB Nation COOGwen is a marketing strategist, speaker, and podcaster with a passion for working with small businesses.Gwen is a single parent of two, a happy geek, voracious reader, and escapes to the beach whenever she can.www.gwenmontoya.comConnect with Gwen - www.instagram.com/gmontoyapdxGwen's podcast - Adventures in Marketing Mori Holt - VP of MembershipMori lives in Vancouver with her husband and their 3 young children.Connect with Mori - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/

Mothers have proven that they can be both the queen of their household and powerful business leaders. Aria Leighty, the CEO and Founder of MOB nation, shares how the support system of women has brought about more opportunities and the growth of capabilities of each one. It started as a small Facebook group in 2012 but the network has grown across the nation and even worldwide.What you’ll learn:     The story of how Aria’s entrepreneurial journey began.   How networking for women looked like when she started.   Tapping into women entrepreneurs for the feminine energy of networking, relationship building, value and connection.    The Definition of success for Aria.   On bringing women together through the Mob Nation.   The vision and direction for the whole network of the Mob Nation.   Realizing the impact of these women entrepreneurs to the next generation.     The shift to virtual meet-ups  and how it contributed to a broader reach.    Creating a strong support system and raising a heightened awareness of other mom-owned businesses.Links:     Mob Nation Website     Aria Leighty Instagram      Become Unstoppable Challenge     FEM Free Group Facebook     Whitedove Gannon Website     Whitedove Gannon Facebook     Whitedove Gannon Instagram     Whitedove Gannon LinkedIn     Whitedove Gannon Twitter     Whitedove Gannon Email

The courage to step out of one’s comfort zone remains the biggest struggle for women trying to step into their own power. It is an isolated feeling especially when you do not have the mindset that you will succeed. Surrounding yourself with like-minded women ambitious in their game and are supportive with their advice and time can be essential. Not only will they provide support, but they can provide you networking relationships that can help your business grow. Today on the Crushing Chaos Podcast Aria Leighty talks about tools that she uses at The Mob Nation a community where females network and support each other balancing their own businesses For more information on Aria Leighty work at MOB Nation The MOB Nation Website: https://www.themobnation.com/ Aria Leighty’s Website: https://www.arialeighty.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arialeighty/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crushingchaos/message

This week I sat down with Aria Leighty, Founder & CEO of MOB (Mom Owned Businesses) Nation to discuss her story and journey that led her to create the MOB and how she has seen it grow and evolve over the years. Aria shares about her struggles with imposter syndrome and how she started MOB when she didn't even real ready or prepared as a leader. She also shares her thoughts on motherhood and martyr complex and offers suggestions on how to break free from living like a martyr so you can live your dreams and goals. Take a listen, and learn: How she overcame imposter syndrome and stepped into leadership roles How to own your power and lead by example Why you need to let go of martyr mentality All about MOB Nation and the way they help mothers form community and grow in business Aria is the Founder and CEO of The MOB Nation, a thought leader, trail blazer, and business mentor. For almost a decade, Aria has combined her diverse experience, creative ideas, wide range of connections, and unique perspective to help women on the edge of change up-level in their businesses and lives. Aria helps you get out of your own way, sparkle up your mindset, step in to your power, and live your dream life. Working with Aria as a business mentor blends consulting, coaching, and cheerleading not found anywhere else. Connect with Aria: https://instagram.com/arialeighty https://instagram.com/the.mobnation https://Arialeighty.com Offers & Events Use code “morethanamother” for no enrollment fee and ½ off first month of MOB Alliance Membership. Sign up at https://themobnation.com Attend MOBCON 2020, September 27th-28th, 2020 https://www.mobcon.co/ Stay Connected: Join my community and get my top 5 tips to help you better manage your time, delivered to your inbox today! Learn to master your time now! Connect with my online: Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn We are now on YouTube! Tell your friends and family! Join our community on YouTube. Support the show (http://paypal.me/lawannmoses)

Today's guest believes in mom empowerment and  provides opportunities for mom owned businesses. Aria Leighty is a mama of (14) and the Founder and CEO of The MOB Nation, a National Alliance of Mom-Owned Businesses. Aria is also a thought leader, trailblazer, and business mentor.    Aria helps you get out of your own way, sparkle up your mindset, step in to your power, and live your dream life. Working with Aria as a business mentor blends consulting, coaching, and cheerleading not found anywhere else.  She tells mamas to “own their power, share their gifts, and shine their own light” and will be sharing how she does that with her community today. Episode Take Aways:  Challenges of being a parent during a pandemic  How Aria juggles motherhood with a teen and business consulting  How Aria feels the stigma that teenagers are "always difficult" isn't necessarily true  The power of abundance thinking for mamas  How mindset can change your chances of success  Why doing the inner work can change your entire experience in your life and career Why surrounding yourself with positive thinkers and supportive people is really so important  Aria shares her recipe for "success" in business  Mamas! How are you doing during this time of social isolation? Come follow me @soulmammaspodcast where I go live on subjects pertinent to what's going on in the world now, and tools and tips for mama self care during this time.  Find your Soul Mamma Calling in FOUR STEPS FREE PDF Keep an eye out for my new site where you can check out past episodes, free pdf's, coaching links and my NEW COURSE Uncover your Purpose in Ten Steps! Super excited about this one mamas! email me nicole@soulmammas.com for questions.  New PDF on the website https://www.soulmammas.com Pick Up your Freebie on Stepping into your Soul as Mammas today!  Follow me on Instagram here! 

Aria Leighty, from Hawaii, is the founder of MOB Nation, a networking community of almost 11,000, supporting mom-owned and women-owned businesses. We talk about: Women supporting women Abundance - getting paid what you are worth Ditch perfectionism Showing up as the best version of yourself Why self care is so important From just small beginnings in coffee shops in Portland, Oregan, Aria and her team started this network in 2012.  Since 2016 they have grown the programming to over 30 chapters in the U.S., supporting mom-owned and women owned businesses.  Aria talks about 

Inspiring _Empowering_Transformative Welcome to Walking Through Glass: The Podcast. You are invited to ear-hustle on an intimate conversation where we discuss our journey, joys, and diva hacks that help us “walk through glass”. Our conscious conversations are unscripted and real. They tell our stories and share how we do our best to navigate fear, anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, limited beliefs, negative self-talk and other BS (belief systems). Walking Through Glass: The Podcast is not about breaking through the "glass ceiling" it is about the struggle we face as women on our journey which I’ve coined "walking through glass". We are all on the same journey although we may take different paths. No matter what we must #embracethejourney. Please join me in welcoming special guest Aria Leighty. Aria Leighty is a Mindset Coach, Small Business consultant, and the proud Founder of The MOB Nation. Visit her on Instagram or Marco Polo Channels. Aria is also a creative consultant, helping businesses market creatively. Her podcast, the "The Glitter Mindset," launched in the Fall of 2018. ​Aria founded the MOB in 2012 in an effort to create a community and support group for fellow Mommies balancing their own businesses. Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes. When she is not working, she loves spending time with her daughter Keilani. Please LIKE, TELL A FRIEND, and REVIEW Walking Through Glass: The Podcast on Apple Podcast. Thanks in advance. Link Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walking-through-glass-the-podcast/id1454527119 Guest Inquiries: waywithwordmedia@gmail.com Social Media Instagram/Twitter: @drdeenaspeaks

In Episode 40, I discuss why you should be charging more, working on your mindset, and getting rich with Aria Leighty.  Aria is the founder of MOB Nation and a kickass Business Mom! This episode is full of huge takeaways and will empower you to step into your worth!   Connect with Aria here: MOB Nation Website Instagram Facebook MOB Nation Group MOB Nation Facebook Page Thank you so much for listening, be sure to leave a review on your favorite podcast player so this can reach more mom business owners who need to hear it! Show Notes Facebook Community Youtube Channel

On this episode, I have an honest and entertaining discussion with Mori Holt, VP of Membership at MOB Nation and fellow curvy and rocking it mama, about our journey with body image, weight gain and loss, overcoming insecurities and learning to love and accept ourselves as is. Connect with Mori Holt: Find her on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mori.onick Find her on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/msmori46/ About me: I'm Beth Moyer and I'm a coach, an entrepreneur, a makeup artist, a model, a mom and a storyteller. After going through several major traumatic life events back in 2012, I've spent the last several years getting real with myself, facing my BS, growing and healing and rebuilding my life from the inside out. While working in Corporate Finance for a top Fortune 500 company, I began a side-hustle in Network Marketing. Using my unique blend of professional and personal experience, business acumen, emotional IQ and ability to make authentic connections through vulnerability, I have built a large and successful organization which allowed me to take flight and ditch my Corporate Finance career of 18 years. Taking the leap in entrepreneurship a few times over the past 5 years, I'm now pursuing my purpose - empowering women through sharing my life experiences, connecting through conversation and story-telling. My superpower is teaching others how to use their voice unapologetically, get out of their own way and into messy action so they create the life of their dreams and the income they deserve. Connect with me: Check out my website - https://bethamoyer.com/ Find me on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Power-Her-Up-Podcast-with-Beth-Moyer-107238917335350/ Find me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/powerheruppodcast/ and https://www.instagram.com/beth_a_moyer/

Empowered Women, Empower Women! Let’s talk about showing up for your girlfriends, supporting their businesses, and lifting them up. Thank you to our Sponsor! Visit macandmia.com and select SARAO as your stylist to save $20 off your first box. To join The MOB Nation alliance, visit THEMOBNATION.COM Podcast producer- Oneclicklindsey.com

Empowered Women, Empower Women! Let’s talk about showing up for your girlfriends, supporting their businesses, and lifting them up. Thank you to our Sponsor! Visit macandmia.com and select SARAO as your stylist to save $20 off your first box. To join The MOB Nation alliance, visit THEMOBNATION.COM Podcast producer- Oneclicklindsey.com

Isn’t it a beautiful thing when moms support other moms? In this episode, I talk to Aria Leighty, an entrepreneur, party consultant, podcast host, wife and mother. She’s an all around mom boss! Aria is the founder of the MOB Nation based in Portland, Oregon, a community for mom-owned businesses that provides networking, support, and education. Aria loves coffee, sunshine, glitter, and shoes! She shares with us how she started her businesses and balances life as a mom, all while remembering to take care of herself. We hope Aria’s passion for helping other moms inspires you to go support a fellow mom entrepreneur!

First KORE Women Podcast of 2019! This episode features Aria Leighty, founder of The MOB Nation, also referred to as the National Alliance for Mom Owned Businesses. You definitely want to check-out this episode and learn more about this terrific movement and bringing mothers together, who own businesses. This is a place for moms, who own businesses to gain an amazing source of support and it is an opportunity to network with women, who can share their issues, challenges, and successes! Don't miss it!  To find out more about MOB Nation and Aria Leighty go to AriaLeighty.com or TheMOBNation.com

Aria Leighty is the Founder and President of the MOB Nation, a national alliance of mom-owned businesses who come together to network, support, and learn from each other. It was established in 2012. The MOB Nation now has chapters everywhere! Aria is also the proud owner of Art a la Carte mobile, a children’s art program. Aria’s biggest focus is her family: husband Keno, daughter Keilani and stepson Jaiden. Aria's quote on her site: "At first, I wanted to blend in and be more like the business people I was seeing in the community. But I saw so many other women that were hiding their truth. I want to redefine the way women in business are viewed. Especially moms in business - rock your purple hair, tattoos, whatever. You can still be good and professional. https://www.themobnation.com/ FB: @nicole.chittenden.5 Follow Host + Founder all across Social Media @KareenMills. Podcast IG: @BeingMotherhustlerPodcast Listen on iTunes, Spotify or YouTube here. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/beingmotherhustler/support