Doing Business Gently - Online Business, Work From Rest, Midlife Christian Women, Aligned Business

Marta Goertzen - Gentle Business Coach for Women Over 50
  • 5.0 (23)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Doing Business Gently, a podcast for women over 50 who are building a business alongside the real demands of midlife: caregiving seasons, health challenges, big life transitions, and the ever-changing world of entrepreneurship. At some point, many women reach a confusing moment: the business technically works, but something no longer fits. The work feels heavier. The direction feels unclear. What once worked no longer feels aligned. Most business advice says to push harder, scale faster, or start over completely. But there's another way. This podcast explores what it looks like to build a gentle business, one that fits your current season of life, grows from a place of rest, and makes room for the deeper impact you know you're capable of. We talk about finding your voice, reclaiming your clarity, and doing meaningful work without losing yourself in the process. Here we talk about: The messy middle of entrepreneurship Building a business that fits your season of life Finding clarity when direction feels uncertain Doing meaningful work from a place of rest Stepping into deeper impact without the drain of constant hustle If you're a woman over 50 who's ready to stop pushing through and start building something that truly fits who you are right now... you are in the right place. Welcome to Doing Business Gently. Website: https://SelahStudios.co/podcast

  1. 3d ago

    109 | Your business plan needs to include rest (it's not a luxury)

    Rest… too often we view it as something we have to earn in our businesses. It’s time we change that.  We’re kicking off a new series on rest for what I call “the chronically capable entrepreneur”: the ones who show up for everyone else and in the process forget to show up for themselves. I’m sharing five types of rest every entrepreneur needs: mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, and rest from work itself. What You'll Learn: Why "just getting more sleep" rarely solves burnout The five types of rest, and why most of us only think about one Why you are the most valuable asset in your business, not just the person running it How to build rest into your week as an action step, not an afterthought Related Episodes: Episode 1: Why we need to work from a place of rest: https://selahstudios.co/1 Episode 53: Tired? Learn to rest, not quit your business: https://selahstudios.co/53 Links & Resources: Take the What Type of Rest Do You Need quiz: https://itstartswithrest.com/quiz Sacred Rest by Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Rest-Recover-Energy-Restore/dp/1478921676 Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermind

    10 min

  2. Jun 25

    108 | Why Asking "Why" Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do for Your Business Right Now

    Why Asking "Why" Is the Most Powerful Thing You Can Do for Your Business Right Now You've built your business. You've shown up, served your clients, done the work. But somewhere along the way, you may have stopped asking one of the most important questions of all: why? In this episode, Marta shares why asking "why" isn't just a reflective exercise... it's one of the most intentional, purposeful things you can do as a business owner. She gets personal about her own season of questioning, and why not having all the answers right now is actually okay. In this episode, you'll find answers to: Why regularly asking "why" protects you from burnout and misalignment How to apply the "why" question to your products, services, and marketing channels Why your original reason for starting your business may no longer fit, and what to do about it How community and safe spaces can help you dig deeper than you can alone Why you are the most important asset in your business, and how asking "why" helps you protect that RELATED EPISODES:  The Reason You Feel Disconnected From Your Business - EP 104 Disconnected From Your Business? You’re Not Alone - EP 105 Do You Need to Know the WHY Behind Your Business? Maybe, Maybe Not! WORK WITH MARTA:  Gentle Business Mastermind: https://selahstudios.co/mastermind Selah Strategy Sessions: https://selahstudios.co/private-coaching/  MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:  Business Alignment Audit: selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit

    16 min

  3. Jun 18

    107 | There's a Reason You Keep Losing Your Business Voice (here's what actually helped me)

    In this episode of Doing Business Gently, Marta shares what it really looks like to lose your voice in business, not once, but twice, and the concrete steps she took to find it again. She gets honest about what survival mode did to her business during the hardest season of her life, why leaning too hard on outside voices (yes, including AI tools) contributed to the disconnect, and how she rebuilt from there. This episode is part of an ongoing series on reconnecting with your business, and it sets the stage for the upcoming "Confidently Connected" workshop at the end of June. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why losing your voice and losing connection with your business are directly linked The negative cycle that keeps established entrepreneurs stuck, and how to break it The three core practices Marta used to find her voice How AI tools can help or hurt your reconnection process, and how to use them without losing yourself Why better input always leads to better output, from AI tools and from yourself What to expect inside the "Confidently Connected" workshop on June 26, 2026 LINKS:  Confidently Connected Workshop - June 26, 2026 https://selahstudios.co/confidently-connected/  Episode 106: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-a-gentle-business-actually-looks-like-feat-kim/id1691564245?i=1000772176723 The listener survey: https://forms.gle/FHYroAQR61djquN87 My favorite Podcasting tool: https://www.descript.com   TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Welcome and series overview: reconnecting with your business  [00:01:20] How voices get buried: busyness, fear, and survival mode  [00:02:00] Marta's story: "I've outgrown my business" and what that realization changed [00:04:30] The survey that reshaped this series and the upcoming workshop  [00:05:45] Step 1: Journaling... getting below the surface to what's really going on  [00:07:00] Step 2: Conversations and manual analysis, finding themes and patterns  [00:08:30] The second season of survival mode: caregiving, loss, and rebuilding  [00:11:30] Step 3: Recording yourself, and why it works differently than writing  [00:13:00] Using AI tools with your voice as the input, not theirs  [00:17:00] What "Confidently Connected" will cover and how to join

    19 min

  4. Jun 11

    106 | What a Gentle Business Actually Looks Like (feat. Kim Steadman & Shelby DellaRosa)

    In this special conversation, I’m sitting down with two members of the Gentle Business Mastermind, Shelby DellaRosa and Kim Steadman, to talk honestly about what building a gentle business actually looks and feels like from the inside. Shelby is a coach and mentor for women who have walked through caregiving and loss and are figuring out what comes next. Kim is an inspirational author and writer coach who helps other authors get true to their why. Together, they bring candor, humor, and hard-won wisdom to a conversation about voice, boundaries, focus, and the freedom that comes when you stop trying to be everything to everyone. What You'll Learn in This Episode What "a gentle business" means to each of them, and why that definition matters more than any strategy How setting boundaries around who you market to, where you show up, and whose voices you let in has changed their businesses Why narrowing your focus is a mental health decision as much as a business one How caregiving seasons, health challenges, and major life transitions shaped the businesses they're building today The role of community in keeping you on track, off the comparison treadmill, and connected to your own voice Why rest is not the opposite of growth... it's what makes growth sustainable Learn More About the Gentle Business Mastermind at https://GentleBusinessMastermind.com Let's connect:  Website: https://SelahStudios.co Business Alignment Audit:  https://selahstudios.co/alignmentaudit

    40 min

  5. Jun 4

    105 | Disconnected from Your Business? You're Not Alone. Here's the Data

    Something feels off, and it's not your strategy. In this episode, Marta shares early results from a listener survey that stopped her in her tracks: over 80% of respondents said they feel disconnected from their business, even while rating their satisfaction a six or higher. The data confirmed what she's been hearing in conversations and experiencing herself: for a lot of women entrepreneurs, the voice isn't gone... it's buried under noise, AI tools, marketplace confusion, and years of trying everything. Marta shares what the survey revealed, why she pivoted this miniseries based on those results, and why finding your voice and reconnecting with your business is the foundation every strategy has to be built on. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why over 80% of women entrepreneurs feel disconnected from their business, even when they're somewhat satisfied with it The three areas where disconnection shows up most: sales and revenue, health and energy, and a website that no longer reflects who you are Why a buried voice and business disconnection are the same problem showing up in different places How women are actually processing and working through these questions, and what's helping Why feeling disconnected is a starting point, not a dead end, and what to do next Links & Resources: → The Business Alignment and Connectedness Survey: https://forms.gle/RdU8DB7Hkv7jGH5V6 → The Business Alignment Assessment: https://selahstudios.co/audit-optin.html

    15 min
  6. 104 | The Reasons You Feel Disconnected From Your Business Voice

    May 28

    104 | The Reasons You Feel Disconnected From Your Business Voice

    Have you ever sat down to write an email or record a podcast and had absolutely nothing to say? You've done the work, you've shown up, and yet something feels completely off. In this episode, I'm kicking off a new short series exploring why women lose connection with their voice and business, and what that disconnection is actually trying to tell you. I'm sharing a few personal stories from my own entrepreneurial journey, including how a season of family caregiving left her unsure of what to say or how to show up, and how working with a branding coach helped her rebuild from the inside out.  In this episode I'm also walking through the key reasons we lose our voice, the signs to watch for, and why what feels like burnout might actually be misalignment. In this episode, you'll learn: ** The most common reasons entrepreneurs lose connection with their voice (busyness, AI overuse, information overload, fear, and hard personal seasons) ** How to tell the difference between burnout and misalignment ** Why losing your voice is actually a sign of growth, not failure ** How reconnecting with your voice leads to clarity, confidence, and action ** What Marta's personal rebrands taught her about showing up authentically   Connect with Marta:  ** Gentle Business Mastermind: https://GentleBusinessMastermind.com ** Website: https://SelahStudios.co

    17 min

  7. May 21

    103 | 4 Simple Ideas to Keep Your Business Pivot from Losing Momentum

    You made the decision to pivot. You have a plan. Now how do you actually follow through without losing momentum, getting distracted by the next shiny object, or letting the plan quietly collect dust? In this episode, I'm wrapping up the Gentle Business Pivot series by walking you through the practical side of staying on track after the pivot plan is in place. I'm sharing the tools I use myself and with my mastermind members to keep goals front and center, check in consistently, and course-correct before getting too far off track. In this episode you will hear: What the Business Clarity Compass is and why it works as your anchor point in a pivot Why tracking your goals is the missing piece most entrepreneurs skip The weekly business reset: what it includes and why skipping it changes everything How a weekly business meeting with God helps you go deeper than a task list Monthly and quarterly business reviews: what data to look at and why trends matter How the right community provides the gentle accountability that keeps you moving Links Mentioned: ** Weekly Business Reset: https://SelahStudios.co/weeklyreset ** Quarterly Business Review: https://SelahStudios.co/ep-18-achieve-business-clarity-growth-with-quarterly-business-reviews/ ** Business Meeting with God: https://SelahStudios.co/businessmeeting/ ** Gentle Business Mastermind: https://GentleBusinessMastermind.com

    17 min

  8. May 14

    102 | You're Not Lost. You've Outgrown Your Business (Here's What to Do Next)

    Have you ever felt like you've tried everything, new strategies, new courses, new tactics,  and still something feels off in your business? The problem isn't you. You've grown. And it's time your business caught up. In this episode, we’re continuing the Gentle Business Pivot series by walking you through the Gentle Pivot Framework. A four-step process designed to help established women entrepreneurs stop spinning, reconnect with their voice, and build a business that actually fits who they are today. You'll learn what it really means to pause (hint: it's more strategic than it sounds), how to investigate where your business has drifted out of alignment, and how to make intentional, confident changes, without blowing everything up.  If you're tired of second-guessing yourself and ready to build on a solid foundation again, this episode is for you. Take the Business Alignment Audit: https://selahstudios.co/audit-optin.html LINKS & RESOURCES:  Business Alignment Audit: Take the 16-question quiz and get a personalized report: https://selahstudios.co/audit-optin.html Previous episode: "What Is a Gentle Business Pivot + 4 Signs You're Ready for One" Click Here to Listen Previous episode: "How to Find Your Voice Again" Click here to listen Connect with Marta: Website: https://SelahStudios.co Gentle Business Mastermind: https://SelahStudios.co/mastermind    TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Invitation to take the Business Alignment Audit 01:00 — Welcome & series recap: what is a gentle business pivot? 02:00 — Why jumping to new strategies doesn't work (the fractured foundation problem) 03:00 — Introducing the Gentle Pivot Framework: Pause, Align, Pivot, Grow 04:00 — Step 1: Pause — reducing noise and recovering your voice 06:30 — Step 2: Align — investigating your growth and uncovering natural strengths 08:00 — Step 3: Pivot — making thoughtful changes and the Clarity Cycle 10:30 — Step 4: Grow — growing with purpose and avoiding toxic hustle 12:00 — Real-life examples: Marta's story + three mastermind member pivots 20:30 — What's coming next: tracking your growth and staying confident

    21 min
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Welcome to Doing Business Gently, a podcast for women over 50 who are building a business alongside the real demands of midlife: caregiving seasons, health challenges, big life transitions, and the ever-changing world of entrepreneurship. At some point, many women reach a confusing moment: the business technically works, but something no longer fits. The work feels heavier. The direction feels unclear. What once worked no longer feels aligned. Most business advice says to push harder, scale faster, or start over completely. But there's another way. This podcast explores what it looks like to build a gentle business, one that fits your current season of life, grows from a place of rest, and makes room for the deeper impact you know you're capable of. We talk about finding your voice, reclaiming your clarity, and doing meaningful work without losing yourself in the process. Here we talk about: The messy middle of entrepreneurship Building a business that fits your season of life Finding clarity when direction feels uncertain Doing meaningful work from a place of rest Stepping into deeper impact without the drain of constant hustle If you're a woman over 50 who's ready to stop pushing through and start building something that truly fits who you are right now... you are in the right place. Welcome to Doing Business Gently. Website: https://SelahStudios.co/podcast

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