Anatomy of a Deep Dive Strategy Session
“I would say without hesitation - do it! Even 2 hours with Erika
were well worth it. She asked for my objectives before the session and addressed each one. No matter what stage you are in, a Deep Dive Day with Erika can help.” - Eleanor N.
But what exactly happens in a Deep Dive?
Let me give you the breakdown of how it works:
1. You schedule the Deep Dive. The scheduler allows you to grab a time slot that works for you and is already available on my calendar. No back and forth scheduling!!
2. You outline the outcomes you're hoping for from the session. Some examples from recent sessions:
- Design a typical week, including time for marketing and bookkeeping
- Formulate my business plan for a big shift in direction
- Have a better handle on my offerings and a marketing plan in place
- I need help determining what I really want to do and how to intentionally get there.
3. It's Deep Dive Day!! While each session is personalized, they generally follow this format:
- Review desired outcomes (they often change between booking and day of!)
- I'll walk you through a FULL ON BRAIN DUMP for your business (and the parts of your real life that are affected). The white board really earns her keep during this part!
- We review your current offerings/pricing/messaging
- We get to work on your outcomes - actually DOING things together, not just talking about them.
- We create a “next steps” list for you to follow after the session
Things that happen in about every session:
- I ask hard questions that are keeping you stuck in your business.
- I challenge your mindset AND provide tools/methods to adjust it.
- We take a break to stretch or dance.
- We high-five at least once.
4. After the Deep Dive, I'll send you a recap with pictures of the white board at all stages, any links or contacts I mentioned, and your “next steps” list (with some extra encouragement included!)
It is my TRUE GOAL for each Deep Dive session to have the founder (that's you) leave with clarity and excitement about her next steps and her business.
If you're ready to get a session scheduled - so am I! You can learn more here.
“Erika's insights into the best way for me to work were priceless, even at our first meeting. She led me through a concrete process of valuing my work, which has been one of the
more difficult aspects for me. She also challenged my small thinking in a delightful way that
I could accept and feel excited about. As an entrepreneur at a
time when the economy is not
great and I'm approaching
retirement, I don't always get
this kind of support.
Erika truly provides valuable
insights and concrete steps to success.”
- Eleanor N.
Cheering you on!
- Erika
My most popular offering this year has been my 1:1 Deep Dive Sessions. These are 2- or 4-hour strategy sessions, live or virtual - just you, me and my trusty white board.
“I would say without hesitation - do it! Even 2 hours with Erika
were well worth it. She asked for my objectives before the session
and addressed each one. No matter what stage you are in, a Deep
Dive Day with Erika can help.” - Eleanor N.
But what exactly happens in a Deep Dive?
Let me give you the breakdown of how it works:
1. You schedule the Deep Dive. The scheduler allows you to grab a time slot that works for you and is already available on my calendar. No back and forth scheduling!!
2. You outline the outcomes you're hoping for from the session. Some examples from recent sessions:
- Design a typical week, including time for marketing and bookkeeping
- Formulate my business plan for a big shift in direction
- Have a better handle on my offerings and a marketing plan in place
- I need help determining what I really want to do and how to intentionally get there.
3. It's Deep Dive Day!! While each session is personalized, they generally follow this format:
- Review desired outcomes (they often change between booking and day of!)
- I'll walk you through a FULL ON BRAIN DUMP for your business (and the parts of your real life that are affected). The white board really earns her keep during this part!
- We review your current offerings/pricing/messaging
- We get to work on your outcomes - actually DOING things together, not just talking about them.
- We create a “next steps” list for you to follow after the session
Things that happen in about every session:
- I ask hard questions that are keeping you stuck in your business.
- I challenge your mindset AND provide tools/methods to adjust it.
- We take a break to stretch or dance.
- We high-five at least once.
4. After the Deep Dive, I'll send you a recap with pictures of the white board at all stages, any links or contacts I mentioned, and your “next steps” list (with some extra encouragement included!)
It is my TRUE GOAL for each Deep Dive session to have the founder (that's you) leave with clarity and excitement about her next steps and her business.
If you're ready to get a session scheduled - so am I! You can learn more here.
“Erika's insights into the best way for me to work were priceless,
even at our first meeting. She led me through a concrete process
of valuing my work, which has been one of the more difficult
aspects for me. She also challenged my small thinking in a
delightful way that I could accept and feel excited about. As an
entrepreneur at a time when the economy is not great and I'm
approaching retirement, I don't always get this kind of support.
Erika truly provides valuable insights and concrete steps to success.”
- Eleanor N.
Cheering you on!
- Erika
10.14.25
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My most popular offering this year has been my 1:1 Deep Dive Sessions. These are 2- or 4-hour strategy sessions, live or virtual - just you, me and my trusty white board.
That's Show Business, Baby
True Story - I had zero plans for post-college. I’m talking - with less than a month to go before I donned the cap and gown, I had NO PLAN.
If you know me (or have read a single thing I’ve written), this probably comes as a shock to you. Honestly, I’ve been reflecting on this for decades and I still don’t quite understand the idea that I was just going to graduate and not know what would happen next.*
I do know that I had a half-baked plan to move to New York and try to “make it” on Broadway. Bless sweet baby Erika, because I had no singing or dancing talent, abilities or even training. Blame it on all of the books I read and the movies I watched, but I had a true fantasy of crashing on someone’s couch (reader, I didn’t know anyone who lived in NYC) and getting the part of Kristine in A Chorus Line, because that particular character can’t sing.
Needless to say, that daydream never came to fruition. But I have a deep and abiding love for all things NYC, Broadway and musicals, and I’ve passed it onto my daughter. (I’m a wannabe theatre kid - she is one.)
Through a LOT of show business magic, I recently scored tickets for us to see Leslie Odom, Jr reprise his role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton ON my daughter’s 16th birthday. Extra pixie dust also got us backstage after the show; she and I levitated on the Hamilton stage for almost half an hour while chatting and taking photos with the majority of the cast members. (Oh, and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw who also happened to be there that night - Faith and my kiddo share a birthday!**)
10.5.25
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I’m not saying all this to brag - I’m saying all of this to say -
Every time I watch a Broadway show, I am so damn proud of every member of the cast and crew, onstage and behind the scenes. I think about what it took for them to get to where they are IN THAT MOMENT. Likely a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but also a dedication to a craft, their art and a determination to be the best they can be. I’m like a proud Mom for each and every person as they live out what was likely a dream since childhood.
I’ve spoken about this with a handful of performers I’ve had the chance to meet, and always ask the question - “How often does it hit you that you’re ON BROADWAY?”
And every single one of them has given the same answer - “Every time.”
Listen - being on Broadway may look glamorous, but it’s definitely got drawbacks. Just like entrepreneurship has spreadsheets and sleepless nights and loneliness and daily “what if’s” - the artists that make these shows possible do so through bruised feet, exhausted bodies, lack of time with their friends and family, and a grueling schedule.
Know what else they have in common? Hard work. Dedication to the idea of making the world a better place through purpose and passion. A belief in what they bring to their communities and beyond.
So here’s my question to you - “How often does it hit you that you get to own your own business, be your own boss, and create impact on the world?” If the answer isn’t “Every day” - let’s see what we can do about that.
Cheering you (and all your big dreams!) on - Erika
*what happened next was that a super-selective job I initially didn't get had a last-minute alternate opening and I'm so grateful to the Universe that I was paid to travel and help women across the country - a job that has paid me back every day since.
**Did my daughter say to Tim McGraw - "You're the one Taylor Swift wrote a song about??" Yes, yes she did.
Every time I watch a Broadway show, I am so damn proud of every member of the cast and crew, onstage and behind the scenes. I think about what it took for them to get to where they are IN THAT MOMENT. Likely a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but also a dedication to a craft, their art and a determination to be the best they can be. I’m like a proud Mom for each and every person as they live out what was likely a dream since childhood.
I’ve spoken about this with a handful of performers I’ve had the chance to meet, and always ask the question - “How often does it hit you that you’re ON BROADWAY?”
And every single one of them has given the same answer - “Every time.”
Listen - being on Broadway may look glamorous, but it’s definitely got drawbacks. Just like entrepreneurship has spreadsheets and sleepless nights and loneliness and daily “what if’s” - the artists that make these shows possible do so through bruised feet, exhausted bodies, lack of time with their friends and family, and a grueling schedule.
Know what else they have in common? Hard work. Dedication to the idea of making the world a better place through purpose and passion. A belief in what they bring to their communities and beyond.
So here’s my question to you - “How often does it hit you that you get to own your own business, be your own boss, and create impact on the world?” If the answer isn’t “Every day” - let’s see what we can do about that.
Cheering you (and all your big dreams!) on - Erika
*what happened next was that a super-selective job I initially didn't get had a last-minute alternate opening and I'm so grateful to the Universe that I was paid to travel and help women across the country - a job that has paid me back every day since.
**Did my daughter say to Tim McGraw - "You're the one Taylor Swift wrote a song about??" Yes, yes she did.
Dr's Note
I did NOT have "get Covid in August" on my summer bingo card, but sure enough, two weeks ago, that little pink line told me I did, indeed, have more than a sniffle. My daughter was diagnosed with flu the same day, and as the days went on, other members of my family also fell victim.
What started as a yucky cough overnight turned into a full-blown "can't leave my bed, might as well rewatch Girls 5 Eva (#rip)" for 7 straight days.
The silver lining? My brain was rested, I was offline, and the THOUGHTS STARTED THINKING!
Staying off of email, out of meetings and alone in quarantine, my idea factory was in overdrive. Thank goodness for Post-It Notes (iykyk) - by the time I was feeling well enough to get out of bed, I had a STACK ready to go.
What's the result? My very FIRST paid online offering. One hour a day for five days to learn my GSD* ways. So much of this information exists across my content, but this packages it in a way that busy founders can access it - plus checklists so they can give themselves gold stars!!
I need to do the recordings, but I expect to have this available for purchase starting next week. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll send you the link personally once it's live.
Cheering you on - Erika
8.25.25
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"This generation thinks
they need to do it all alone."
My entire parenting journey has occurred away from family. While our kids are lucky to have a bevy of loving grandparents, aunts and uncles, we've never had the opportunity to have them as part of our day to day lives. If you asked me at any point in the last 17 (!!) years what that's like, I told you that my husband and I just make "it" work. And by "it", I mean chauffeuring as a full-time unpaid job, acting as the cheering section at games, recording plays and being the youngest special guest on (most) grandparent days.
All this to say - I've thought A LOT about what parenting away from your extended family looks like and requires. But for some reason, listing to the IMO podcast, when Michelle Obama said to Tina Knowles - "this generation thinks they need to do it all alone," IT HIT ME HARD.
Because if I get reallllllly honest about it - have we had to do it alone, or did we just think we needed to?*
And how many of us as entrepreneurs are doing the same?
I truly believe that entrepreneurship is an inherently lonely gig. Few start the journey with a team around them - and more often than not, the newfound CEO is sitting atop solo. Decisions, next steps - the bucks stops with them.
Know what makes it easier, 100% of the time?
Community.
But - it takes a true concerted effort to place yourself in community where entrepreneurship is the common thread. It is arguably easier to stay insulated than it is to put yourself "out there" with strangers.
But.
- What if you did?
- What if you truly tried the concept of collaboration over competition?
- What if you had others who understood the hurdles of business ownership and could validate and support you?
- What if you had a circle who celebrated the successes that your family and friends couldn't begin to comprehend?
- What if you didn't think you needed to do it all alone? (link to TAC page)
Cheering you on -
Erika
*I'm going to noodle on the parenting question for a while
8.5.25
"This generation thinks
they need to do it all alone."
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-Michelle Obama
What the Heck is a Tech Stack?
The first time I heard the phrase “tech stack” I was at a conference and I hit up the Google up pretty fast afterwards to figure out what it was*.
Here’s my definition:
Tech Stack (noun) – the software and platforms used to run your business and its automations, billing, contracting, marketing, communication, scheduling, content creation, customer relationship management (CRM), file storage, analytics, and whatever the heck else you do day in and day out.
TLDR - all those subscriptions you pay for.
When you start a business, it’s SUPER tempting to sign up for all the things. Each software brings promises of efficiency, ease and engagement. The reality - it’s REAL easy to sign up for WAY MORE than you actually need. And all of those $20/month subscriptions add up super fast.
We run a pretty lean operation at EB and Aught. We audit our tech stack pretty often, and have figured out work arounds within our favorite systems that help us to get the most out of them. And at the end of the day, these are the ones we use the most:
Flodesk - this is our email marketing platform. It also serves as our checkout for paid events as necessary (we turn that upgrade off and on as needed). It integrates with our website platform, our quiz software AND our customer management tool. Plus, when I say they’re hands on and IN IT TO WIN IT for small biz owners, I mean it. The CEO sat on an hour-long call with my team when they gave us the opportunity to check out some new updates they’re making. This is my TOP recommendation for entrepreneurs, and you can get it for less than anywhere from $0 - $38/month. (this affiliate link will get you 50%off your first year.)
Honeybook - if you need a customer management system to track status, sign contracts or invoice, this is another small business best friend type situation. While it’s not as inexpensive as other items in our tech stack, it costs less than most CRMs out there AND they have a team that is super dedicated to their subscribers. This + Flodesk are a one-two punch for full client and email management. (this affiliate link saves you 30% off your first year)
*I get asked a lot if you can use just one of these. The answer is “kinda.” FD specializes in email, but you could do some pretty significant work around to use it for client management - it just gets clunky the more work arounds you do. And HB specializes in client management - and while it can send emails, it’s not set up to do large blasts. I find that the majority of women I work with can pinpoint if an email platform OR a client management platform is their next best step.
My other favorites right now are:
Descript - an online transcription service that I use to pull text directly from my podcast interviews + Zoom recordings. (free trial here)
ChatGPT - I know there are a lot of feelings on this one - but I can do a coaching call via Zoom, create a transcript with Descript, and chat will create the to do list for both myself and my client - and that is efficiency in motion. I’m content to use this tool for as long as I feel like it’s supporting my business and clients.
And the remainder of my Tech Stack is made up of these work horses:
Google Workspace (email + storage)
Gusto (payroll - cash bonus with this link)
Slack - team + community messaging
Zoom - video calls
Vimeo - video editing
Canva - anything marketing
Skip Funding - grant funding tracker (start here)
ShowIt - website builder (get your first month free)
If there are other platforms or services you’re looking for - let me know. I’ve probably paid for it at some point, or have worked with a client who has. Happy to answer any specific questions via email!
Cheering you on -
Erika
Here’s my definition:
Tech Stack (noun) – the software and platforms used to run your business and its automations, billing, contracting, marketing, communication, scheduling, content creation, customer relationship management (CRM), file storage, analytics, and whatever the heck else you do day in and day out.
TLDR - all those subscriptions you pay for.
When you start a business, it’s SUPER tempting to sign up for all the things. Each software brings promises of efficiency, ease and engagement. The reality - it’s REAL easy to sign up for WAY MORE than you actually need. And all of those $20/month subscriptions add up super fast.
We run a pretty lean operation at EB and Aught. We audit our tech stack pretty often, and have figured out work arounds within our favorite systems that help us to get the most out of them. And at the end of the day, these are the ones we use the most:
Flodesk - this is our email marketing platform. It also serves as our checkout for paid events as necessary (we turn that upgrade off and on as needed). It integrates with our website platform, our quiz software AND our customer management tool. Plus, when I say they’re hands on and IN IT TO WIN IT for small biz owners, I mean it. The CEO sat on an hour-long call with my team when they gave us the opportunity to check out some new updates they’re making. This is my TOP recommendation for entrepreneurs, and you can get it for less than anywhere from $0 - $38/month. (this affiliate link will get you 50%off your first year.)
Honeybook - if you need a customer management system to track status, sign contracts or invoice, this is another small business best friend type situation. While it’s not as inexpensive as other items in our tech stack, it costs less than most CRMs out there AND they have a team that is super dedicated to their subscribers. This + Flodesk are a one-two punch for full client and email management. (this affiliate link saves you 30% off your first year)
*I get asked a lot if you can use just one of these. The answer is “kinda.” FD specializes in email, but you could do some pretty significant work around to use it for client management - it just gets clunky the more work arounds you do. And HB specializes in client management - and while it can send emails, it’s not set up to do large blasts. I find that the majority of women I work with can pinpoint if an email platform OR a client management platform is their next best step.
My other favorites right now are:
Descript - an online transcription service that I use to pull text directly from my podcast interviews + Zoom recordings. (free trial here)
ChatGPT - I know there are a lot of feelings on this one - but I can do a coaching call via Zoom, create a transcript with Descript, and chat will create the to do list for both myself and my client - and that is efficiency in motion. I’m content to use this tool for as long as I feel like it’s supporting my business and clients.
And the remainder of my Tech Stack is made up of these work horses:
Google Workspace (email + storage)
Gusto (payroll - cash bonus with this link)
Slack - team + community messaging
Zoom - video calls
Vimeo - video editing
Canva - anything marketing
Skip Funding - grant funding tracker (start here)
ShowIt - website builder (get your first month free)
If there are other platforms or services you’re looking for - let me know. I’ve probably paid for it at some point, or have worked with a client who has. Happy to answer any specific questions via email!
Cheering you on -
Erika
7.16.25
What the Heck is a
Tech Stack?
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How is My Summer Going?
𝘉-𝘈-𝘕-𝘈-𝘕-𝘈-𝘚 (𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘶𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨).
That is how my summer is going. Very little has gone according to plan:
✨ I had 3 weeks of just me or just me + 1 family member at home in a row.
Yes, that was a lot of extra time to work - but I didn’t account for the extra tasks of running the house + taking care of our dogs on my own. 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔, 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔.
✨ My son and husband went to Asia for 2 weeks, and I managed every.single.one of their many, many, many, many travel mishaps from 13 hours away. 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅, 𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅.
✨ My daughter was on staff at a summer camp for June; she went ahead and signed up for July without telling us first. Which is great for her, but a massive adjustment to an already precarious calendar. 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚.
✨ My husband got a new job (good job honey!) on kind of short notice - it’s wonderful for him and for our family. That said, I’m now picking up the bulk of chauffeuring duty and it’s added a trip to our July calendar. 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡/𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫.
I’m showing up for my family where it matters - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪’𝘴.
My businesses are still running, thanks to my team - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.
I’m catching all of the unexpected balls that are getting tossed at me - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮??
Because entrepreneurship is wonderful in that it allows you flexibility - but it’s also hard in that you have to be comfortable with an ever changing situation. It’s why one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to structure, processes, offers or how success is measured.
What I’ve realized this summer is that I am really good at two extremes - working extremely hard, or not working at all. The in-between - it’s a bit of a mess (see above.)
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬:
I’ve made enough space in my life and business that I’m aware of this
I’ve built the opportunity and resources to keep growing and changing for my version of better.
I’m hitting post on this update and heading to one of my favorite weeks of the year - my whole family (siblings, nieces and nephews) in one place + cold beverages + kiddie pools + a homemade slip and slide + nothing to do but hang.
𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 😉
Here’s to sunshine and summer - EB
That is how my summer is going. Very little has gone according to plan:
✨ I had 3 weeks of just me or just me + 1 family member at home in a row.
Yes, that was a lot of extra time to work - but I didn’t account for the extra tasks of running the house + taking care of our dogs on my own. 𝑩𝒊𝒈 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔, 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔.
✨ My son and husband went to Asia for 2 weeks, and I managed every.single.one of their many, many, many, many travel mishaps from 13 hours away. 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅, 𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅.
✨ My daughter was on staff at a summer camp for June; she went ahead and signed up for July without telling us first. Which is great for her, but a massive adjustment to an already precarious calendar. 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚.
✨ My husband got a new job (good job honey!) on kind of short notice - it’s wonderful for him and for our family. That said, I’m now picking up the bulk of chauffeuring duty and it’s added a trip to our July calendar. 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡/𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫.
I’m showing up for my family where it matters - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪’𝘴.
My businesses are still running, thanks to my team - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.
I’m catching all of the unexpected balls that are getting tossed at me - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮??
Because entrepreneurship is wonderful in that it allows you flexibility - but it’s also hard in that you have to be comfortable with an ever changing situation. It’s why one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to structure, processes, offers or how success is measured.
What I’ve realized this summer is that I am really good at two extremes - working extremely hard, or not working at all. The in-between - it’s a bit of a mess (see above.)
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬:
I’ve made enough space in my life and business that I’m aware of this
I’ve built the opportunity and resources to keep growing and changing for my version of better.
I’m hitting post on this update and heading to one of my favorite weeks of the year - my whole family (siblings, nieces and nephews) in one place + cold beverages + kiddie pools + a homemade slip and slide + nothing to do but hang.
𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. 😉
Here’s to sunshine and summer - EB
7.15.25
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A Birthday Wish
It’s my birthday!
And you know what I want most??
For everyone to be a little kinder to each other AND themselves.
That you’ll take “you’re the boss” to heart in all the best ways.
For everyone to be supported in community.
That those who feel unseen and unknown become seen and known.
For your dreams to become reality. For your purpose to be discovered and run towards. For others to benefit from all the things you bring to the world.
So, yeah, Happy Birthday to me, but I hope you feel celebrated today and every day.
🌟 If you’ve got $5-$5million to spare - I’d love for you to help all of the above goals through a donation to The Women of Knoxville, LLC to help the great work they do.
Cheering you on -
Erika
And you know what I want most??
For everyone to be a little kinder to each other AND themselves.
That you’ll take “you’re the boss” to heart in all the best ways.
For everyone to be supported in community.
That those who feel unseen and unknown become seen and known.
For your dreams to become reality. For your purpose to be discovered and run towards. For others to benefit from all the things you bring to the world.
So, yeah, Happy Birthday to me, but I hope you feel celebrated today and every day.
🌟 If you’ve got $5-$5million to spare - I’d love for you to help all of the above goals through a donation to The Women of Knoxville, LLC to help the great work they do.
Cheering you on -
Erika
5.30.25
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A Note for the Girls Entering High School
I wrote this for my daughter, who is embarking on her freshman year of high school - and wanted to share it with you. Yes, it’s aimed at young teens, but the more I look at it, the more I realize it can apply to any of us.
A note to the girls entering high school...
- Think of it as an adventure – a four year trip into an unknown world. There are plenty of new ideas to discover, places to see and people to meet. And everyone of those will enrich your future life in some way.
- Focus on friendships, not drama. The friends you enter highschool with will always be a part of your memories, even if they are not a part of your every day. There are new friends to be made, if you’re willing to do so. With so many opportunities for activities, sports, interests and more – it is normal for friends to focus on different priorities. This also makes your friend group infinitely more entertaining if you all bring something new and different to the conversations.
- Relationships will always be available in the future. Don’t skip the high school experience in favor of a significant other. While it may happen, it’s easier (and more fun) to let relationships unfold organically while you focus on cultivating true friendships.
- The teachers are there because they want to help you grow and learn. They are not out to get you, or purposefully make your life difficult. While you may not need to know how to calculate a specific equation later in life, the skills you learned about how to study, how to consider and how to solve WILL serve you well. Teachers also do have a sense of humor, despite thoughts to the contrary.
- High school is not the end all be all. Very few kids will be identified as adults the way they were in school. Focus on seeing people for who they are and who they will become – not just as a stereotype.
- Do your homework. Turn in your homework. These two things will result in better grades on their own, which will lead to less hard conversations with the adults in your life.
- Keep a calendar. Know where you are supposed to be and when. Be there on time. See note above about this resulting in less hard conversations…
- The adults in your life have been through this before. While it was different, it was also the same. Every once in a while, grant them the opportunity to lead or guide you through something.
- You are beautiful the way you are. No one will remember tomorrow if you already wore the same thing that week, if your mascara wasn’t perfect, or if you don’t have the name brand something.
- Everyone will remember how you made them feel. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should be kind to them all.
With love to all the girls out there,
Erika
A note to the girls entering high school...
- Think of it as an adventure – a four year trip into an unknown world. There are plenty of new ideas to discover, places to see and people to meet. And everyone of those will enrich your future life in some way.
- Focus on friendships, not drama. The friends you enter highschool with will always be a part of your memories, even if they are not a part of your every day. There are new friends to be made, if you’re willing to do so. With so many opportunities for activities, sports, interests and more – it is normal for friends to focus on different priorities. This also makes your friend group infinitely more entertaining if you all bring something new and different to the conversations.
- Relationships will always be available in the future. Don’t skip the high school experience in favor of a significant other. While it may happen, it’s easier (and more fun) to let relationships unfold organically while you focus on cultivating true friendships.
- The teachers are there because they want to help you grow and learn. They are not out to get you, or purposefully make your life difficult. While you may not need to know how to calculate a specific equation later in life, the skills you learned about how to study, how to consider and how to solve WILL serve you well. Teachers also do have a sense of humor, despite thoughts to the contrary.
- High school is not the end all be all. Very few kids will be identified as adults the way they were in school. Focus on seeing people for who they are and who they will become – not just as a stereotype.
- Do your homework. Turn in your homework. These two things will result in better grades on their own, which will lead to less hard conversations with the adults in your life.
- Keep a calendar. Know where you are supposed to be and when. Be there on time. See note above about this resulting in less hard conversations…
- The adults in your life have been through this before. While it was different, it was also the same. Every once in a while, grant them the opportunity to lead or guide you through something.
- You are beautiful the way you are. No one will remember tomorrow if you already wore the same thing that week, if your mascara wasn’t perfect, or if you don’t have the name brand something.
- Everyone will remember how you made them feel. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but you should be kind to them all.
With love to all the girls out there,
Erika
8.9.24
A Letter for the Girls
Entering High School
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What My Bad Ex-Boyfriend
Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
Take a walk with me down memory lane, where 18-year old Erika, a college sophomore, out in the big old world by herself, is infatuated with her first (and only) college boyfriend…"Brad".
Brad was cute, smart and popular. He could dance like Justin Timberlake and was always the life of the party. Honestly, he was fun. But a quick review of our history reveals some embarrassingly obvious red flags that I didn’t see until decades later.
I love fireflies. Brad knew this, so he caught me one. Then he squished it.
Red flag.
He kept a photo of his ex-girlfriend next to the bed for three of the five years we dated.
Red flag.
His parents kept a picture of him and the ex on their living room wall until who knows when. It’s probably still there.
Red flag.
He didn’t like my family, and my family is DELIGHTFUL.
Red flag.
I had a car, Brad didn’t, and I allowed him to use my car. Good chance he loved the Honda Civic more than he loved me.
Red flag.
Speaking of love…we’d hypothetically bantered around marriage. But four years into our relationship, and he refused to tell me he loved me. And not just refused, but actually said, “I’m not going to tell you I love you.”
Red flag.
I think you get the point. But I was young, in love, and blinded by what I saw as the sure future ahead – marriage, babies, the whole shebang. So with rose-colored glasses, I finished college and spent a year long-distance in a California-based job. Eventually, I was offered the opportunity to move with my job, so OF COURSE, I chose Brad’s town of St. Louis.
We went apartment shopping together, and he was frustrated that I picked one on the opposite side of town as his place. As for me, I was thrilled to finally be in the same city as we unpacked my belongings in the 48 hours I was in the city before hitting the road for a work trip.
The day I was headed to my new home in St. Louis, I got in a pretty terrible car accident, bad enough that I was unable to move for a few hours due to the impact. But in my pain-induced haze, I convinced the hospital to release me to fly home.
I hopped on a plane (actually someone walked me onto the plane and strapped my seatbelt for me), and had a stop over in my hometown of Dallas. My mom raced to the airport to lay eyes on me, took one look, and told me I was coming home with her.
The next day I had to decide – get on a plane back to my “new” home (and Brad), or stay in my Mom’s bed with her taking care of me. I’ll just let you guess which flight I immediately got on in a haze of medication. No surprise, I went to the boy.
Red flag, on me this time.
Brad picked me up, and I just knew that was the beginning of my forever.
He drove me home because I couldn’t drive yet.
He got me in my apartment, because I couldn’t open the door.
He opened my meds for me, because I couldn’t open them.
He helped me get settled on the couch, because I couldn’t lower myself onto it.
And then he dumped me.
Told me he was sorry, walked out the door and left me in a city where I knew
no one and had just left my own mother for.
With the hindsight of time, I have been able to draw the parallels between my relationship with Brad, every job I’ve ever held, and this crazy ride called entrepreneurship.
Let’s step forward a few years, and take a look at mid-20’s Erika, as an employee.
I’m a newlywed, my husband is working on his PhD, and I’m working 60 hours a week for $27,000 a year.
It doesn’t take long for a pattern to emerge.
If I do a good job, my clients like me.
If I do a better job, my boss likes me.
If I work myself to the bone and exceed any and all reasonable expectations – my company owner likes me.
And sometimes, they even tell me I was doing a good job.
So I work as hard as I know how.
I had promotions dangled in front of me, ones that are “not ready just yet”, but of course, if I continue this quality of work then maybe, just maybe, there’s room for advancement in the FAR future, and I just keep working all hours of the day to prove my worth. (Quick callback that I was planning a hypothetical wedding to a man who wouldn’t tell me he loved me. Real tendency to make current plans on a future that doesn’t yet exist, regardless of costs now. Red flag Erika).
My family is telling me I’m working too hard. Their feelings are hurt that I’m ignoring them.
“But they need me,” I say. I’m working hard and I’m being SEEN for it, I say.
In short, I worked myself to the point of complete and utter success with a real strong dose of hatred for my industry, my job, my employers and my own inability to function without validation.
My entrepreneurship journey is a story in and of itself. But I’ll give those years with Brad credit for showing me that:
- You don’t get a return when you pour all of yourself into the wrong person, the wrong project or the wrong job.
- Working towards your own purpose is infinitely more life-giving than working for someone else’s.
- Boundaries don’t exist if you don’t set them – and those who you’re NOT setting them for are the most likely to take advantage of you.
- Just because you’re making everyone around you happy does not immediately equate to you being happy or valued.
- Disruption can be a powerful force for change.
A quick wrap up - three months after Brad bid me goodbye, I met and fell in love with a man I’ve shared 20+ years of marriage and three amazing kiddos with. They are a HUGE part of my entrepreneurship story – but I'll leave that for another day.
Cheering you on -
Erika
Brad was cute, smart and popular. He could dance like Justin Timberlake and was always the life of the party. Honestly, he was fun. But a quick review of our history reveals some embarrassingly obvious red flags that I didn’t see until decades later.
I love fireflies. Brad knew this, so he caught me one. Then he squished it.
Red flag.
He kept a photo of his ex-girlfriend next to the bed for three of the five years we dated.
Red flag.
His parents kept a picture of him and the ex on their living room wall until who knows when. It’s probably still there.
Red flag.
He didn’t like my family, and my family is DELIGHTFUL.
Red flag.
I had a car, Brad didn’t, and I allowed him to use my car. Good chance he loved the Honda Civic more than he loved me.
Red flag.
Speaking of love…we’d hypothetically bantered around marriage. But four years into our relationship, and he refused to tell me he loved me. And not just refused, but actually said, “I’m not going to tell you I love you.”
Red flag.
I think you get the point. But I was young, in love, and blinded by what I saw as the sure future ahead – marriage, babies, the whole shebang. So with rose-colored glasses, I finished college and spent a year long-distance in a California-based job. Eventually, I was offered the opportunity to move with my job, so OF COURSE, I chose Brad’s town of St. Louis.
We went apartment shopping together, and he was frustrated that I picked one on the opposite side of town as his place. As for me, I was thrilled to finally be in the same city as we unpacked my belongings in the 48 hours I was in the city before hitting the road for a work trip.
The day I was headed to my new home in St. Louis, I got in a pretty terrible car accident, bad enough that I was unable to move for a few hours due to the impact. But in my pain-induced haze, I convinced the hospital to release me to fly home.
I hopped on a plane (actually someone walked me onto the plane and strapped my seatbelt for me), and had a stop over in my hometown of Dallas. My mom raced to the airport to lay eyes on me, took one look, and told me I was coming home with her.
The next day I had to decide – get on a plane back to my “new” home (and Brad), or stay in my Mom’s bed with her taking care of me. I’ll just let you guess which flight I immediately got on in a haze of medication. No surprise, I went to the boy.
Red flag, on me this time.
Brad picked me up, and I just knew that was the beginning of my forever.
He drove me home because I couldn’t drive yet.
He got me in my apartment, because I couldn’t open the door.
He opened my meds for me, because I couldn’t open them.
He helped me get settled on the couch, because I couldn’t lower myself onto it.
And then he dumped me.
Told me he was sorry, walked out the door and left me in a city where I knew
no one and had just left my own mother for.
With the hindsight of time, I have been able to draw the parallels between my relationship with Brad, every job I’ve ever held, and this crazy ride called entrepreneurship.
Let’s step forward a few years, and take a look at mid-20’s Erika, as an employee.
I’m a newlywed, my husband is working on his PhD, and I’m working 60 hours a week for $27,000 a year.
It doesn’t take long for a pattern to emerge.
If I do a good job, my clients like me.
If I do a better job, my boss likes me.
If I work myself to the bone and exceed any and all reasonable expectations – my company owner likes me.
And sometimes, they even tell me I was doing a good job.
So I work as hard as I know how.
I had promotions dangled in front of me, ones that are “not ready just yet”, but of course, if I continue this quality of work then maybe, just maybe, there’s room for advancement in the FAR future, and I just keep working all hours of the day to prove my worth. (Quick callback that I was planning a hypothetical wedding to a man who wouldn’t tell me he loved me. Real tendency to make current plans on a future that doesn’t yet exist, regardless of costs now. Red flag Erika).
My family is telling me I’m working too hard. Their feelings are hurt that I’m ignoring them.
“But they need me,” I say. I’m working hard and I’m being SEEN for it, I say.
In short, I worked myself to the point of complete and utter success with a real strong dose of hatred for my industry, my job, my employers and my own inability to function without validation.
My entrepreneurship journey is a story in and of itself. But I’ll give those years with Brad credit for showing me that:
- You don’t get a return when you pour all of yourself into the wrong person, the wrong project or the wrong job.
- Working towards your own purpose is infinitely more life-giving than working for someone else’s.
- Boundaries don’t exist if you don’t set them – and those who you’re NOT setting them for are the most likely to take advantage of you.
- Just because you’re making everyone around you happy does not immediately equate to you being happy or valued.
- Disruption can be a powerful force for change.
A quick wrap up - three months after Brad bid me goodbye, I met and fell in love with a man I’ve shared 20+ years of marriage and three amazing kiddos with. They are a HUGE part of my entrepreneurship story – but I'll leave that for another day.
Cheering you on -
Erika
7.1.24