For this weeks conversation in our purposeful pivoting series, Wendy Guth speaks with Laura Ritter of Ritter Farm in Sykesville, Maryland. Wendy and Laura discuss Laura’s pivot from school teacher to co-founder, along with her husband, of Ritter Farm, LLC. Ever wonder what it’s like to manage four children and a working farm? Don’t forget to throw in managing all of this during a pandemic. Join us and find out a little bit more about Laura and her pivot journey.
Purposeful Pivoting with Laura Ritter of Ritter Farm
Laura turned her interests in sustainable farming into a a reality when she went from school teacher to stay at home mom to now CEO of Ritter Family Farms in Howard County, Maryland.
Honey, we bought a farm!
Remember that movie? Honey, we bought a farm?
Well, sustainable farmer Laura Ritter did just that with the assistance of her family-run farm in the middle of Howard County, Maryland. Former public school teacher Laura turned sustainable farmer has sat down to discuss how in times of necessity, we do what we have to do.
This week’s episode is about putting yourself first and prioritizing the rest. Laura Ritter of the Ritter Family Farm talks to Wendy about her most important hat – the “me” hat and why prioritizing and having a clear purpose in what you are trying to accomplish in your life.
So we pose these questions for you – what hats do you wear? Are you living a purposeful life?
The 5 hats that Laura wears
When you are an entrepreneur you wear many hats. The 5 hats that Laura wears are:
Me
Mom
Wife
Business Partner
World Citizen
Let’s talk about the “Me” Hat
What is the “me” hat? It’s remembering who you are. Specifically remembering who you are when it is just YOU.
As a female. As a mom. As an entrepreneur. We can’t think of anything more important to remember!
Purposeful Pivoting with Jen Pasquale of Pride & Grit
Purposeful Pivoting with Jen Pasquale of Pride & Grit
Strengths Coach. Consultant. Military Spouse. Mom of Teens. Champion for Military Connected Entrepreneurs.
And that’s just a few of Jen’s diverse hats that she wears on a regular basis (as if that’s not enough!).
Jen is a self-professed accidental entrepreneur. She created Pride & Grit originally as a blog so that she could tell the stories of seasoned military spouses to give them a voice to share the wisdom and struggles of military life. Later she returned to her consulting roots working with spouses, corporations, and teens to help individuals lean into strengths to be more successful in their world.
About Jennifer Pasquale
Jen is a 16-year active duty military spouse, certified strengths coach, and the founder of Pride & Grit – a Transition Support Organization for Military Spouses. Jen is passionate about helping seasoned military spouses rediscover their identity, embrace their unique strengths, and thrive in their final season as a military family. She’s also the owner of Jen Pasquale Consulting, where she offers strengths coaching and team development workshops to small and large organizations.
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Is there that one thing that you have always wanted to do but are afraid to take the leap?
Did you know that you can learn from and transform your life just by conquering your fears?
Our guest Kristine Goad, owner of Surfing Your Edge Coaching, was just like (what we’re guessing) is you. She started her coaching business on a leap of faith and to conquer a fear.
In today’s episode, Kristine and Wendy talk about women who have that one thing that they want to do but shelve it because they were afraid or didn’t know where to start or just did not have the time.
For so many of us, we may not even realize it was a fear holding us back… it seems more like a distraction from something else important to us, so it’s easily justifiable, right?
As we chat about conquering fears, learning from mistakes and how perfection is not normal, think about what is the one thing that you would love to do but haven’t for one reason or another.
Spoiler alert: Wendy’s is surfing.
But we’d love to know, did something pop into your mind about this? Hit reply and let us know what it is.
About Kristine
Kristine Goad is the Surfing Your Edge Coach. She helps women over 40 break out of their “reality-sized” version of themselves so they can live the bigger, bolder, more badass life they know they were born for.
She’s also the author of the memoir Your Mileage May Vary, and the creator of the Surfing Your Edge Experience and Bigger, Bolder, Badass, a 6-month adventure to help you fall in love with life and be the you you were always meant to be.
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot!
Let’s have a rhetorical raising of hands for if you got starry eyed when starting your entrepreneurial journey – imagining how quickly and easily you’d have success? Even if you flinched and raised a pinky just now, know you are not alone! One of the most irritating beliefs we’ve run into as entrepreneurs that is ever-present even today, is the idea that you can become an overnight success… and the dark flip side, you’re a failure if you don’t achieve this. In this week’s candid interview on the Serendipitous Rebel Podcast, we talk with Tammy Pereira, Facebook Ads expert and CEO of Tammy P about this notion of overnight success and how she took her corporate skills and turned it into a business that is ever changing.
One conundrum Tammy often faces is how to define success in her own business and life, when her whole job is defining success in tangible, black and white measurable ways such as Facebook ads. Listen hear to our discussion around:
How she felt like a foreigner in another land when it came to the online space
How success is not instant but a journey that evolves
How her life shifts (pivots) to meet the next steps in her journey
Spidey sense… a tingly feeling… that inner knowing…
How much do you rely on intuition in your life?
For example, have you ever lost your keys and simply asked out loud for assistance in finding them… And then actually found them?
This week’s guest on the Serendipitous Rebel podcast is empathetic and intuitive Irena Miller, an energy alchemist, who joins us on this episode to tell us how she used inklings and her intuition to pivot from her brick and mortar business to the online space.
In this episode, Irena offers a unique, down to earth perspective to the sacred arts that unlock the mysteries and hunches of the unexplainable. We dive deep into how to use your gut to discover your limitless potential and how to step into the life you were born to live.
Listen in on this candid conversation on how Irena
Has been guiding curious seekers and visionary empaths on how to take rewarding action on their gut instincts
Shines the light on blocked energy that can show up as physical pain, limiting beliefs, self sabotaging behaviors and glass ceilings
This is an episode that you are going to want to sit, listen, and reflect on.
The truth is, we could all lean into our intuition a bit more.
Let us know where you fall on trusting your gut on making decisions.
About Irena
Irena Miller has been an empathic intuitive since birth. Over the last 2 decades as an Energy Alchemist and Spiritual Life Guide, she has been guiding curious seekers and visionary empaths on how to take rewarding action on their gut instincts. She shines the light on blocked energy that can show up as physical pain, limiting beliefs, self-sabotaging behaviors, and glass ceilings. With her logical background as a Decision Science major and her intuitive side as a Reiki Master, Astrologer, Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher, Tarot Reader, and Energy Healer she offers a unique down to earth perspective to learn the sacred arts that unlock the mysteries, hunches, and unexplainable. As a speaker, she offers done-for-you energy healing and trainings at conferences, on-demand courses, and virtual gatherings. With her guidance discover your limitless potential and step into the life you were born to live! Continue the conversation with Irena https://www.irenamiller.com and grab her FREE Gift to YOU http://www.irenamiller.co/getcalm
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot!
If you’ve been an entrepreneur for very long, you know the power of getting your name out and the golden rule of building know, like, trust with your audience.
Can we let you in on a little secret though?
You can build know, like, and trust on social media.
You can build know, like, and trust with blogging.
But … did you know you can build know, like and trust AND catapult it at warp speed via content like a podcast?
A podcast is an amazing way to start your business or even to figure out what your business should be. It’s also a list building tool that helps you grow your reach and it helps give you brand recognition.
But the actual beauty of doing a podcast is, you are figuring things out as you go along. In this episode, we breakdown:
Why we created our podcasts
How empowering it is
Why you should start one
And how you already have what it takes
Now you ask, why would I start a podcast?
A better question is, why not?!
If you have a purpose that you want to bring to light, or something that you love to teach and share, one of the BEST ways to do this is via a podcast.
Have a listen, then hit reply and let us know what your podcast is going to be about.
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot!
She’s a mom, a wife, an entrepreneur, a house manager, a worship leader. I could also add having known Mallory for a number of years right now, an amazing marketing strategist. She currently runs her own marketing agency, Mallory Schlabach formerly known as Girl Boss and is the host of the Marketing Magic Podcast
We are so excited to welcome Mallory Schlabach for our first interview for Purposeful Pivoting.
After working as a journalist for a newspaper after college, it became apparent very quickly that this was not the space for her. Mallory got started in the online space as a coach for moms. After many signs from the universe she began to lean into her marketing degree and started to help other female entrepreneurs learn to love their marketing strategies again.
Q: How did you get started in the online world?
I started out as a journalist in college, and I worked at a newspaper. And I quickly decided that was not for me. So I pitched myself to my dad, who was also an entrepreneur straight out of college and said, “Hey, here’s my resume. Here’s a job opening for a position you do not have that I’m creating, can you hire me?” and he did.
He took a chance on me a long time ago to basically learn the ropes of his business, do all the marketing and grow with it the past 15 years. So really, He sort of introduced me to Jeff Walker Product Launch Formula, Ryan Levesque of the Ask method Shailene Johnson. We started to go into all of their workshops and events and joining their masterminds together. Because we were trying to figure out what was our side thing going to be, we both wanted to do something I had no idea it was possible, he gave me this bug.
I actually started out in the space as like a mom coach, and I was called the happy mama coaching. My thing was, I was going to coach women who were moms who were just overwhelmed with their life. When I started this, my four kids were 1, 3, 5, & 6,- they were all they’re all very close together. And everyone asked me like, why do you do it? How are you so calm and how you did it, us.
I got certified as a life and business coach through IFC, and I was like, I’m gonna coach Moms, I’m gonna save the world. It’s gonna be amazing.
Except for I found the first year, nobody wanted help. They just wanted to bitch and moan about their life, which I get. And I was like, this is not working. I had to save the world. But what I was getting traction on was people would be like, “Hey, can you like, read this copy?”
I’m like, this is not gonna save the world. And so finally, my husband was like, you should maybe just do the thing you’re really good at because it will still help people. And I’m like, it’s not. It’s not worthy. I was like, Fine. I will just put out this thing in a Facebook group. I’ll say I’m doing a free marketing strategy session. Just see what happens. And overnight, I got 54 people applied. I did them all in the span of two weeks. And I was like, dang, I think I have something. And so that’s where the start of me doing an online marketing business happened, was realizing I could step into my strengths, and I could build change the world just wasn’t the same way I envisioned it. And that’s kind of where my online journey has begun.
Q: And was it an instant success or success? In your initial online venture?
Oh, Lord, no, no. And actually, it’s kind of funny, because I would tell you, I was at a retreat this past weekend in Miami with all these really successful business owners. And personally, we’ve had one of our highest grossing months, this month, I spent the weekend in tears still, you know, just, you know, there was just so much emotion. And even though we’ve had our best month, I just felt like a failure still, like today. So even so I think like success I’m learning. It always feels like it’s moving. And so I have to stop chasing success and what success looks like because it’s always a bar that moves.
Q: Were you scared? Every 30 days? Are you scared when you you’ve made pivots?
Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And I always try to be very honest with my team, but also like, not scare them. I have one person on my team who I talk a lot to, and I’m like, “You’re my therapist. today. I just want you to know, this is where I’m really feeling.”
I tried to be really honest about “Hey, guys, we’re going to do this because this happened.” And I don’t ever think it’s a freakout thing. I don’t take you know – clients coming and going and crazy things happening – I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Like I might have emotions freaks out, but we’re gonna get through this together. And so I think for me, I’m always scared. But I tried to be really, really brave about the decisions I’m making. Despite the scariness.
You can listen to more of this amazing interview with Mallory on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or wherever you get your pod on!
About Mallory:
Mallory Schlabach is a marketing strategist with over 15 years of experience guiding six and seven-figure businesses. She’s the CEO of The GirlBoss Agency, her creative digital marketing agency for female entrepreneurs that helps them say goodbye to soul-sucking, boring marketing forever.
Whether she’s helping clients explode their visibility on social media, crafting marketing messaging so compelling clients are throwing money at you, or turning boring websites into lead generating machines, Mallory makes marketing easy, fun and magical for every single person.
She’s the proud mama of 4 humans under the age of 13, two dogs, a guinea pig, and an assortment of fish. She will request tacos as her last meal (and every Tuesday of course) and you’ll find her at 90 years old still wearing hot pink lipstick, heels and hoarding books.
Being a Mom and being an Entrepreneur – what does that look like?
What does that mean? And what choices do you have to make along the way, and why is that even relevant to entrepreneurship?
Before we dive in, we want to set the tone: This is a non-judgmental zone. The choices women make for their families and businesses are personal and very much unique.
It is our desire here to pull back the curtain to how we made the decision as mothers and entrepreneurs and how we got to where we are in our businesses and our business model.
For reference, Wendy is the mother of 16 year old twins, and Krystal is the mother of a 4 year old and a 9 year old at the time of this recording.
The online space can often be predatory to moms
We see it all the time – stay at home moms, or moms that want to stay at home asking for work from home opportunities. Because the balance struggle is real. And often women are at the forefront of having to figure out how to juggle all of the things.
But also too often, the MLM opportunities are the first to pop up and try to grab women. It is a tale as old as time and they go for the jugular. Promising the moon of freedom, flexibility, and a ludicrous income. The reality is often much further from that.
Low entry often means low pay. And when your commission split is 8% on a $15 product, you have to sell and hustle a lot of volume to make that happen.
So does that mean you shouldn’t try to work from home?
Not at all! We’ve written about this and talked about this before – there are a ton of opportunities for moms to run their own businesses. There are a ton of opportunities for moms to start their own businesses where they can leverage their gifts and talents if they know how to systemize well and set up the foundations of their businesses the right way. And that’s what we help entrepreneurs do.
When it comes down to it, life is about making choices.
We’ve spoken in the past about balance as an entrepreneur. When it comes to balancing your business and your family, at the end of the day we are talking about competing priorities. Which one do you put first?
In order to make that decision you have to ask yourself, what are your “Be” Goals? Who is it that you want to be? And how is your business model in alignment with that goal?
Often conflicts arise when our “Be Goals” and what we are making a priority are out of alignment. In the end tough choices have to be made about time and ability in order to fulfill your “Be Goals”
In other words, you can have it all – just maybe not all at once.
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot!
Assessing Your Values & Strengths As An Entrepreneur
How much do you really know about yourself? Scary thought sometimes, right? As personality tests such as Myers-Briggs, and recently the Enneagram, have taken the world by storm – do you take the time to take them? Are you *mildly* obsessed with personality assessments like we are? Here’s something slightly controversial: We don’t think we really have weaknesses.
From here on out, we’re hereby calling them: ‘lesser strengths’.
Rather than looking at something as a weakness that will always be, why not have a growth mindset and look at it as a muscle that can be strengthened and that we can get better at if we put the work in?
And trust us, we doubt you’ve heard about it.
This tool differs from some of the other personality tests out there like Myers-Briggs and Enneagram in that instead of placing a label on your type and putting you into a box, this tool gives a list of universal human values and shows you which ones are your greatest strengths and which ones could use some improvement.
Here is a quick breakdown of our results from our work-cation a few months ago.
What is the difference between a therapist and a business coach?
Another way to think about this could be: What are the red flags you should look at in your coaching relationship?
Mental health and conversations around it are incredibly important. And, dare we say, we are in a mental health crisis in this country. We encourage any one in distress or struggling to RUN, not walk, to book an appointment with a licensed therapist.
Likewise, a business coaching relationship can be incredibly rewarding as an entrepreneur. It can be the thing you need to push your business to the next level, hold you accountable, and give you clarity and a clear path forward.
At no time should a business coach tackle issues with mental health. Coaches do not handle mental health issues, or handle someone in stress. Unless they are also a licensed mental health professional, they are out of line. If you are in distress, or struggling with mental health, that’s work for a therapist.
We like to think of it in terms of having a baseline. A therapist works with you in distress to bring you back to baseline. A business coach works with you from baseline to thriving.
Baseline to Thriving
When you work with a business coach you are forward focused. You are working together towards a goal. If at any time a coach senses that there is something from the past that is stress or trauma induced that needs to be addressed in order to move forward, they should then refer you to a therapist.
Therapists look at old wounds and works to help you heal things from the past that may hold you back. If a coach is working with you in that territory it may be a red flag. A therapist is licensed and credentialed to be able to handle different traumas and issues that can arise from picking at old scabs. A business coach is not trained to handle trauma. Period.
Personal VS Professional
There is a fine line to dance between the personal and professional as an entrepreneur. There are mindset blocks issues that need to be worked around often. There are things from our past that informs how we tackle our professional goals and problems moving forward.
So where is the line?
A coach may help identify blocks or issues that impact your ability to achieve goals, and then will work with you to take steps to move forward. But they do not pick that scab. They do not diagnose. They do not bring up past family dynamics.
If something comes up, they can say “I hear you” and see how we can move forward. But they don’t go backwards to try to figure out what happened in your childhood to bring you here.
Just like any profession, there are bad coaches out there. Buyer beware.
It is so important as a consumer to be aware of what we are buying into. While we at Serendipitous Rebel find coaching to be incredibly helpful and foundational to a being a small business owner (hello! We provide coaching!), we also firmly believe that you need to be aware of a persons credentials before you buy into their program, and know as a consumer where the line is.
We have both found ourselves in uncomfortable coaching situations where our coach has crossed a line. We’ve witnessed coaches cross the line and diagnose other peoples trauma. We’ve witnessed coaches try to tackle other peoples trauma without proper licensing or medical credentials. We’ve witnessed coaches liken themselves to therapist.
NO. NO. NO.
DISCLAIMER: A person’s personal experience with therapy does not make them a licensed therapist, nor does it give them the ability to diagnose other people’s mental health issues.
Just like we don’t seek business advice from our therapists, we don’t ask personal advice regarding our past traumas from our business coach.
It’s important to ask yourself, “What are the dynamics between the coach/client? in this room?”
While we all end up drinking the Kool-aid at some point or another, it’s important to ask yourself before entering in a coaching relationship “What do you notice about power dynamics between a coach and their clients/following?”
Coaching programs can often present themselves similar to cults. While we love the raving fans of Serendipitous Rebel, we would never encourage members to speak poorly about people that have left the program or who have decided to move on and do other things. Likewise, we would be wary of any blind followers in our community that would be afraid to question or push back on tactics that we were suggesting. Finally, we continue to keep in touch with people and cheer for their success even when they are no longer a part of our community. The idea that we would cut them off forever and never keep in touch goes agains why we do this in the first place. However, we have both sat in programs where this kind of behavior runs rampant.
Raving fans are awesome! Blind followers that aren’t allowed to question or leave without being totally ostracized are not.
In the end we are big fans of both coaching and therapy! Both can serve incredibly important functions in your life. Knowing the difference and being able to recognize healthy versus unhealthy relationships only helps you have a more successful outcome in both your personal and professional worlds.
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot!
Grab your free guide now to see if the universe is giving you signs that it’s time to pivot! 
