#60 - An Unconventional Guide To Finding A Sidepreneurship That’s Right For You

Do I have what it takes to start a business? Where do I want to go professionally? How do I get there? These are questions most of us ask ourselves when it’s time for a career change. So how can you take the intangible assets you’ve acquired and map out a new career path? In this “greatest hits” replay, co-hosts Lori Vajda and Nola Boea get the answers from former chef Nikki Sherin, who used her Identity Capital to become an event marketer and marketing lead for one of the largest IT events in the world.

Thanks for Listening!

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In This Episode You’ll Learn 

• How the things you put your time and energy into (identity capital) become what you are known for (your identity).
• Your journey and the elements that have formed who you are, are assets of your Identity Capital you use to purchase’ a new job, career advancement, or entrepreneurship.
• There are many ways to build capital including a degree, your hobby, the books you’ve read, travel and more.  
• How investing in that thing that motivates you, will put you on a path towards a satisfying professional and personal life.

Resources

You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show, (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform (This is an affiliate link)

Do I need to incorporate my side business? Which type of incorporation, S Corp, C Corp, LLC, is the right choice for me and my business? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? These are just a few of the many questions Lori Vajda and Nola Boea had for special guest and business attorney Tanya Bower, a director with law firm Tripp Scott. From protecting your assets to establishing credibility, there’s more to know about incorporating your small business than which corporation to choose. 

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You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show, (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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In This Episode You’ll Learn

• When incorporating your business may not be the right choice. 
• What a prenup is in the world of entrepreneurship and why you need one.
• The main, and maybe even the most important reason, for incorporating your business.
• Why choosing the wrong type of incorporation could cost you personally and financially.

While incorporating your side gig may reduce personal liability, there’s another important reason to do so, as Nola and Lori found out, tax saving. That’s right. Are you a musician on the side? Well, you musical instruments could earn a tax deduction. Photographer, hairstyle or yoga instructor? Yep, your equipment may all be deductible.

Of course you should consult with an accountant or business lawyer before filing your taxes. As attorney Tanya Bower explained, knowledge about incorporation is power, and that power is the ability to know the best way to protect yourself and the future of your business.

Resources

Sign up for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

Plan, Launch, Grow My Business TOOLKIT - 20 bundled tip-sheets, templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

Lori Vajda and Nola Boea discuss the concept of "Saying Yes to the Mess" and share their personal experiences with starting side businesses and embracing the challenges that come with it. They also talk about the importance of taking small steps, being okay with imperfections, and providing support for each other and their listeners. The conversation includes anecdotes, reflections, interviews, and even a guided meditation.
But first, they explain what led them to consider rebranding the podcast.


00:00 Introduction: The Concept of 'Someday'
00:28 The Reality of 'Someday' and Its Impact on Dreams
02:04 Rethinking Our Podcast and Embracing Change
03:08 The Domino Effect of Change and Embracing the Mess
03:35 Overcoming Challenges and Saying Yes to the Mess
05:07 The Journey of Becoming an Entrepreneur
07:24 Our Personal Side Hustle Stories
10:34 The Challenges and Regrets of Having a Side Business
14:08 The Turning Point: Saying Yes to the Mess
21:32 Challenges and Triumphs of Having a Side Business
33:53 The Importance of Support and Encouragement in Entrepreneurship
35:11 Conclusion: Small Steps, Big Effects

Resources

Sign up for “News You Can Use” at StickyBrandLab.com- you'll get hot tips, fresh resources and new podcast episodes delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show  on Apple Podcasts,  Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
​
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The Sticky Brand Lab podcast is undergoing a rebranding overhaul. Co-hosts Lori and Nola explain the reasons behind the rebrand and share hints of what's to come in future episodes. Then, find out the difference between a rebrand and a refresh, and learn five indicators that suggest it may be time to change or update a brand. Hear examples of successful rebrands from various companies. You’ll learn the importance of a cohesive brand identity and the need to stand out from competitors. 

Key Time Stamps
 
00:00 Podcast Update

00:24 Our Rebranding Journey

01:10 Upcoming Interviews and Content

01:32 The Need for a Business Makeover

02:07 Greatest Hits Replay: 5 Signs Your Business Needs a Rebrand

02:37 Understanding Brand Identity

03:18 The Importance of a Sticky Brand

03:48 The Elements of a Complete Brand Identity

04:51 The Difference Between Rebranding and Refreshing

07:22 Five Indicators Your Brand Needs a Makeover

07:36 Examples of Successful Rebrands and Refreshes

18:53 The Risks of Rebranding Too Quickly

21:26 The Financial Implications of Rebranding vs Refreshing

22:19 Conclusion and Call to Action

Resources

Sign up for “News You Can Use” at StickyBrandLab.com- you'll get hot tips, fresh resources and new podcast episodes delivered directly to your inbox.

Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show  on Apple Podcasts,  Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
​
ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

While we've returned from a holiday pause, we're working behind the scenes to create a refreshed show, with new guests and exciting topics. In the meantime, enjoy one of our popular past episodes. Perhaps this is the year to take the plunge and create that app!

You’re not a developer, but you have an innovative idea for a software or maybe a mobile app, now what? How can a non-techie turn a great idea into a viable product without blowing your budget? That’s exactly what Lori Vajda and Nola Boea wanted to know so they sat down with Igor Belagorudsky, Founder and President of Fast CTO. Igor and his team started the company to help people and companies with great software ideas get them built the right way, the first time around.

In this "Greatest Hits" episode, Igor shares his experience, insights and tips so listeners can learn what you need to know about hiring developers, why you don’t want an SOW (statement of work), and how to build a successful tech company.

Thanks for Listening!

If you enjoyed this show, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you’ll never miss an episode. Find out more about us at Sticky Brand Lab

Please connect with us on Facebook!

Business success strategies are in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• Why a poorly executed mobile app or software idea can quickly become a huge bank debt and how you can avoid it.
• The make-or-break steps for finding and hiring the right developer partner to successfully build your app.
• The risky mistake first time startup founders make when coming up with an idea for an app. 
• The 3 reasons you need to treat your app like a business.

Key points Lori and Nola are sharing in this episode:

(5:16.46) While the process of building an app seems pretty straightforward, this one costly mistake often leads non-tech founders to hire the wrong team of developers and programmers. 

(7:48.17) The three primary reasons non-tech entrepreneurs should be wary about signing an SOW and why it usually doesn’t help with getting your idea built.

(11:10.90) Why you don’t want to hire a dev shop that offers project management for free. 

(14:20:20) Before hiring anyone, this is the first thing you should do when considering if your app is worth developing.

(17:12:28) The three main pros and cons of hiring a freelance software developer and hiring a company such as a dev shop.

(19:27:22) The surprising answer to determine whether or not you can tell if a developer is trying to scam you.

Resources 

You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show, (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Fast CTO

Email address: igor@fastcto.com

Connect with angel Investor and CEO, Igor Belagorudsky -  Social Links:

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorbelagorudsky/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lookattheigor/?hl=en 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fastcto 

To Get Igor’s two recipes and quote: Sticky Brand Lab Resource Page

In December 2020, we launched the Sticky Brand Lab podcast with a mission to encourage more women over 40 to become entrepreneurs. The goal is to empower women personally and professionally, leveraging their knowledge and experience into a source of income.  But what does the path to starting your own business really look like? For Tara McKinney, it meant having the courage to be an Ask Muse guest on our show in 2021 so she could get help identifying and articulating her business niche. Then, ready to turn her idea into action, Tara joined our 8-module DIY course, Create, Design and Launch Your Business Website. 

In this episode, Tara returns to the show as Founder of Soul in Service, to fill us in on her entrepreneurial journey and share her struggles, successes, and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. Tara's story is a testament to the courage and resilience required to turn a passion into a successful business.

Thanks for listening! Let’s stay connected!

If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook! 

Would you like to be a featured guest or have your question, comment, or review mentioned? Ask Muse!

Business success strategies are in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode You’ll Learn 

• The power of integrating  rather than compartmentalizing all aspects of ourselves and our varied interests.
• How external challenges can reveal what needs inner healing so you can be an even better entrepreneur.
• How to match your ideal client niche to your unique attributes.
• Email tips for nurturing your existing contacts and growing your customer base.

Key points Lori and Nola are sharing in this episode:

03:39  Tara reveals the value of her Ask Muse sessions
14:01  When you're building your business and then life happens
19:53  How Tara packaged her unique offerings
22:40  Email Marketing for Targeted Audience Reach
30:43  Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
32:34  An amazing definition of a vibrant life

Resources

Tara's websites:

• Soulinservice.co
• Soulinserviceconsulting.com

Free gift from our Podcast Freebies page for episode #163: Soul Freedom Is

Get your Passion to Profit 12-step Guide for only $2.99.
https://my-store-9761601.creator-spring.com/listing/passion-to-profit-12-steps

Sign up  for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Podcast Transcript

This episode of Sticky Brand Lab, may cause you to rethink the popular notion that a specific career passion or purpose is necessary for fulfillment and success. Discussing their experiences, co-hosts Lori Vajda and Nola Boea debate the belief that everyone must find a professional 'higher purpose' or a single career path. Listen in to learn how to think differently about your passion and purpose and how it relates to your business. You’ll get fresh insights on how to redefine success on your own terms, cultivate adaptability, and focus on activities that bring you happiness.

Thanks for listening! Let’s stay connected!

We love hearing your feedback! Write or record your message here.

If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook!

Would you like to be a featured guest or have your question, comment, or review mentioned? Ask Muse!

Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show on Apple Podcasts, Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Business success strategies are in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode, You’ll Learn 

• 13 Questions to ask and considerations to ponder, to better understand your goals, passions, talents, and purpose
• Different ways your values and priorities might show up in a side business. 
• How your life stage may change your passion and purpose - multiple times

Key Points Lori and Nola share in this episode

01:07 Personal Experiences with Unreasonable Career Choice Pressures

02:51 Beliefs About Your Career Passion and Purpose You May Want to Look At

03:59 Do You Need to Find and Follow A Single Passion?

04:56 The Concept of Having a Purpose That Transcends Your Career

06:45 Beware the Influence of Society on Defining Your Purpose

08:23 The Changing Nature of Passion and Purpose Throughout a Vibrant Life

09:38 Does Your Work Define Your Purpose? A Revealing Statistic

12:08 Unconventional Ways to Direct Today's Passion or Purpose Toward a Side Business

13:53 Shape Your Side Business or Career To Conform to Your Current Life Priorities

18:54 Aligning Your Business with Your Values: Considerations & Questions

21:56 Why You Should Compare Your Childhood Passions to Your Adult Career Choices

25:05 When You Go and Go and Go With the Flow

28:17 Embrace Imperfection and Face Your Fears in Pursuing Your Passion

32:03 The Legacy of Passion and Purpose

Resources

Sign up for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

Plan, Launch, Grow My Business TOOLKIT - 20 bundled tip-sheets, templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

Podcast Transcript

We want to express our thanks to you for tuning into our show. You, listener, are the reason we come back every week. And we're so grateful you take the time to connect with us to learn the many facets of becoming a first-time entrepreneur in the second half of a vibrant life.

Speaking of a vibrant life, here at Sticky Brand Lab, we strongly believe in the value of taking time during the holidays, not only for our family and friends, but especially for ourselves. Yet, we know how stress filled the holiday season can be, and finding a little time for self-care can be challenging.

That's why we're gifting you, our listeners, with a relaxing mindful meditation. It comes to us courtesy of our dear friend and past podcast guest, Michele Molitor, CEO and founder of Nectar Consulting. Michele is an executive coach for entrepreneurs and business leaders, as well as hypnotherapist, speaker, and author. Her 15 minute guided gratitude meditation is sure to bring you all of the de-stressing vibes and self-care needed for a peaceful path to a winning holiday celebration. We hope you enjoy it so much that you'll want to bookmark the link to it, which you'll find below, so that you can come back and listen to it again and again.

Thanks for listening! Let’s stay connected!

We love hearing your feedback! Leave or speak your message here.
If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook!
Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show  on Apple Podcasts,  Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Resources

Michele Molitor’s Gratitude Meditation: https://youtu.be/FwcyQU64Zsc?si=Z5O5-Dbazn6ulsyi

https://michelemolitor.com/

Nectar Consulting: https://nectarconsulting.com/

Plan, Launch, Grow My Business TOOLKIT - 20 bundled tip-sheets, templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

Sign up  for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

Podcast Transcript

Ever wondered what distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from those who falter? What if the key to remarkable success lies in a willingness to fail, and to learn from it? In this episode, we take you on a journey through the defeats and victories of some little-known, and some surprising, entrepreneurial figures, unearthing precious insights on how failure and success are intimately intertwined.  We delve into the lessons failure can teach us and how to pivot from it positively. After listening, you may want to shift your perspective about the roadblocks you face, to see them not as a deterrents but as interesting detours on the road to success.

Thanks for listening! Let’s stay connected!
We love hearing your feedback! Leave or speak your message here.
If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook!

Business success strategies are in the works. Come have a listen!

By the end of this episode, you'll learn: 

• How perseverance can pay off... big time. 
• We don't always know the struggles that came before someone's success.
• Why you shouldn't immediately judge an unexpected outcome as a failure.
• Lessons learned from painful comebacks so you don't make the same mistakes.

Just a few of the many key points Lori and Nola are sharing in this episode:

11:02  The story of the struggling girl who got fired and came out on top.
17:49  This entertainer said the wrong thing at the wrong time and shares her refreshing perspective about that big snafu.
27:35 What Nola and Lori have learned from failures.
35:45 Lessons Tim Ferris learned about failure and success.
... and more fascinating stories of setbacks turned comebacks. 

Resources

Plan, Launch, Grow My Business TOOLKIT - 20 bundled tip-sheets, templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

Sign up  for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show  on Apple Podcasts,  Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

Podcast Transcript

What happens when our devices, originally meant to enhance our productivity, start chipping away at our ability to focus? Overwhelmed by a ceaseless flood of information, we find ourselves helplessly trailing from one bright, shiny prospect to another. In this week's episode, hosts Lori Vajda and Nola Boea explore this modern paradox in our new segment, Beyond the Cover: Books for Personal and Professional Growth. Our journey begins with Johann Hari's insightful book, "Stolen Focus", that peels back the layers of our growing struggle with concentration in this digital age.

Thanks for listening! Let’s stay connected!

We love hearing your feedback! Leave or speak your message here

If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook!

Business success strategies are in the works. Come have a listen!

By the end of this episode, you'll learn: 

• How big and fast the mountain of information at our fingertips has grown. 
• How technology has changed the way our brains prefer to take in information.
• The one digital invention that keeps us scrolling and scrolling and scrolling....
• How predictive technology can anticipate your next move.
• The affect technology is having on digitally native children.
• Ways to climb out of the rabbit hole and take control of your tech-induced habits.

Key points Lori and Nola are sharing in this episode:

 4:48 Surprising revelations that made Lori's jaw drop.

14:22 The Multi-Tasking Myth

22:48 The addictive side effect of this one tech improvement

28:03 Pavlovian psychology applies to social media

30:17 How tech affects children

35:13 Solutions to Managing Technology Addiction and Improving Focus

44:44 "Stolen Focus" Recommendation 

Resources

Plan, Launch, Grow My Business TOOLKIT - 20 bundled tip-sheets, templates, worksheets, guides and checklists to get you started on your entrepreneurial journey.

Sign up  for “News You Can Use” at Sticky Brand Lab

Subscribe to Lori and Nola's show  on Apple Podcasts,  Audible, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

ConvertKit: Our #1 Favorite Email Marketing Platform   (This is an affiliate link)

Podcast Transcript