The School of Moxie Podcast

Mary Williams @sensiblewoo
  • 4.8 (17)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

🎧 The School of Moxie Podcast — a Sensible Woo production, hosted by Mary Williams. Most business podcasts are just LinkedIn posts with a mic in front of them. This is not that. School of Moxie uses TV shows and film to have the business conversations nobody else is brave enough to start... about real leadership, real risk, and what it costs to build something that matters when your rent is riding on every decision. Season 1 — The Last of Us. What survival looks like when the old rules stop working and the only way forward is through. Season 2 — Ted Lasso. A solo coaching season about the long game, the brutal middle, and why being the person who genuinely gives a damn is the whole strategy. Season 3 — Real founders, no safety nets, and every guest brings their comfort show to crack open how they run their business under pressure. No freebies, no funnel bait, and no one fake-laughing while they pitch you a course you don't need. Just the kind of honest, sharp, occasionally uncomfortable conversations that remind you why you started... and what it's going to take to finish. Season 3 available on July 29, 2026. Binge responsibly. Hosted by Mary Williams, founder of Sasquatch Media Grounds, Vancouver, Washington. A Sensible Woo production.

  1. Jul 29

    Security Cost Her Everything Else — Veronica Yanhs (Series Finale)

    Veronica Yanhs closes Season 3 of School of Moxie — and she's also the first talent Mary has ever signed at Sasquatch Media Grounds, making this episode a full-circle moment for the show itself. Using Ted Lasso, Hacks, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as a syllabus, Veronica and Mary unpack what it took to rebuild a business and an identity after a controlling long-term relationship ended. This episode also marks the relaunch of Veronica's YouTube channel and kink education brand, Desires Laid Bare — live the same day this episode drops. In this episode: The exact day Veronica realized her business was paying for her lifeWhat health insurance subsidies made possible during her hardest year, and the real cost without themRelaunching Desires Laid Bare to 16,500 subscribers who kept engaging for 3+ years with zero new contentWhy operations — not hustle — is the piece most business programs skipWhy hyperindependence and healthy self-reliance are not the same thingConnect with Veronica Yanhs: Veronica has spent over a decade inside two worlds that rarely share a stage. A Stanford graduate (2012), she cut her teeth in operations and product design, work that led to projects for Apple. Since then, she has consulted for major brands such as Nike as well as a roster of small and mid-sized businesses, helping them build better operations. She has also been part of the kink and BDSM community since 2013, where she learned that the clearest, most rigorously negotiated conversations in the world are not happening in conference rooms. They are happening in scenes. Her flagship training, The Negotiation Table,  is where those two worlds meet.  🌐 Website: http://www.desireslaidbare.com 📱 Follow: https://www.youtube.com/@DesiresLaidBare This is the final episode of School of Moxie Season 3 — but it's not goodbye. This fall, Mary is launching a new studio-based show pulling back the curtain on life at Sasquatch Media Grounds. Subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe so you don't miss it. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  2. Jul 29

    "Enough" Is a Real Business Goal — Rebecca Graves Prowse

    Rebecca Graves Prowse is a potter and the founder of Gravesco, the studio behind the viral "Not today, fascist" mug. Her comfort show, Peaky Blinders, mirrors her business philosophy: gritty, adaptive, willing to pivot the second something isn't working. In this episode: Why Rebecca built a 14-person team, hated it, and scaled back on purposeSurviving a 47% revenue drop last year with a $25 mug flash saleGetting denied a business line of credit because banks wanted her husband's income info — despite her being the sole earnerWhat she pays for health insurance, and why she's weirdly proud to pay itWhy "unlimited growth" isn't the right goal for every founder, and how she defines "enough"Connect with Rebecca Graves Prowse: Rebecca is the founder and potter behind Gravesco Pottery, although lately she spends almost as much time writing and observing human behavior as she does making pottery—often simultaneously. She has an uncanny knack for turning everyday objects into conversations about branding, attachment, and why people will drive past ten stores to find the thing that feels right. She believes the most interesting life lessons are hiding inside ordinary moments, and she’s always happy to follow a weird observation further than most people think is necessary. She’s convinced the best business strategies—and the best pottery—both begin with paying close attention to the people around us.  🌐 Website: https://gravesco.com 📱 Follow: https://instagram.com/gravesco If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  3. Jul 29

    "You Can't Out-Strategize Under-Earning" — Cris Caruso

    Cris Caruso is a fee-only financial advisor who left a big national firm to build an independent practice serving LGBTQ+ people, women breadwinners, and Gen X clients. Her comfort shows — Alias, Wednesday, and 10 Things I Hate About You — set up a conversation about identity, not fitting the mold, and building a business anyway. In this episode: Why Cris documents every business relationship, even collaborations with friendsWhat health insurance actually costs without an employer subsidy (roughly $20-30K/year for two people)How market downturns hit her revenue directly, and how she prepares for itWhy "entrepreneurial poverty" disproportionately hits women, people of color, and queer foundersHer advice for anyone uncomfortable talking about money with collaborators or clientsConnect with Cris Caruso: Cris is Principal, Owner, and Financial Advisor at Savoire Financial, where she provides financial planning focused on LGBTQ individuals, couples, and women decision-makers. With a career in financial services since 2004 and both CRPC and BFA designations, she starts every client relationship by exploring values and vision before ever talking strategy — using behavioral finance to help people navigate the emotional side of money, not just the numbers. Outside the office, she's had a yoga practice since 2004 (certified teacher since 2022) and spends her time near the ocean exploring the East Coast with her spouse, Tina, and their dog, Daisy. 🌐 Website: http://www.savoirefinancial.com 📱 Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/criscaruso/ If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  4. Jul 29

    "Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should" — Jeanne Grabowski

    Jeanne Grabowski coaches high-achieving, high-net-worth entrepreneurs and splits her time in Costa Rica. Her comfort show, Oprah, opens up a conversation about sitting comfortably in uncertainty and meeting people (and yourself) exactly where they are. In this episode: Why Jeanne canceled a $400/month NYC office to hire a $600/month business coach — and how that reallocation changed everythingThe over-leased car that taught her "just because you can doesn't mean you should"What healthcare costs and looks like living as a US expat in Costa RicaThe "expense of keeping the CEO happy" — the unglamorous cost nobody warns you aboutWhy she took a full-time job in 2015 while keeping her practice running, and doesn't see it as a step backwardConnect with Jeanne Grabowski: Jeanne is a Career & Business Strategist who's helped founders, entrepreneurs, and executives turn ideas into profitable, purpose-driven ventures since 2010. She goes beyond strategy — helping founders activate what she calls their "hidden magic" and build the authority and ownership to define success on their own terms. She's supported standout brands like Melissa Wood Health, Electric Picks, and Glamsquad, and co-developed The Creator's Path to Product course with talent agent Jennifer Powell to help creators scale sustainably. Originally from New York, she now splits her time between Costa Rica and Chicago.  🌐 Website: http://www.thefoundersplace.com 📱 Follow: https://www.instagram.com/thefoundersplace_  If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  5. Jul 29

    "You Can't Be Half a Gangster" — Rachel Allen

    Rachel Allen is a brand strategist and copywriter whose comfort show, Supernatural, becomes the framework for a conversation about narrative control, creative risk, and why conditional commitment quietly wrecks businesses. In this episode: Rachel's exact, repeatable process the moment her revenue drops (she's been through it more than once)What health insurance costs for two self-employed adults, no employer subsidyWhy "you can't be half a gangster" — commit fully or don't commit at allThe markers Rachel looks for before she's vulnerable with someone new in businessWhy "your business doesn't have to grind you into burnout to be legitimate"Connect with Rachel Allen: Rachel Allen is a fast-thinking, deeply nerdy marketer with broad-ranging experience in for-profit and non-profit sectors. She’s written for some of the biggest (and smallest) names in business, and excels at marketing that's equal parts data-driven and human-centered. Having run a marketing business for 17 years with clients in 21+ countries, Rachel’s written for some of the top names in entrepreneurship, as well as influencers, brick-and-mortar businesses, and non-profits around the world. Her work has contributed directly to high-ROI launches, leaps in audience engagement, industry awards, relationships with top venture capital firms, and national honors.  🌐 Website: https://www.boltfromthebluecopywriting.com/ 📱 Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelallenwrites/  If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  6. Jul 29

    Plan B Isn't Failure — Eunice Brownlee

    Eunice Brownlee is a narrative strategist who's spent years running her business full-time and location-independent, all while solo-parenting her daughter. Her comfort movie, The Holiday, sets up a conversation about daring to imagine — and build — a wildly different life. In this episode: Why Eunice pushes back on the advice that "Plan B" work distracts from your real goalsWhat it's actually like to run a business with no fixed address — including invoicing clients mid-train-rideLiving out of a storage unit and cutting expenses down to two fixed monthly billsWhat healthcare costs outside the US system, and why she pays for travel insurance insteadWhy "when business is good, people stop doing the thing that brought them business" is the trap to watch forConnect with Eunice Brownlee: Eunice Brownlee is a speaker coach, storyteller, and strategist who helps leaders turn lived experiences into lasting impact. A longtime writer and activist, she knows firsthand that storytelling isn’t just catharsis; it’s strategy that, when done well, is good business.  🌐 Website: http://eunicebrownlee.com 📱 Follow: http://instagram.com/eunicebrownlee  If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  7. Jul 29

    Repeatability Is Scalability — Ashlan Glazier-Anderson

    Ashlan Glazier-Anderson runs a marketing agency and co-hosts the Take the Leap podcast. Her comfort watch — the entire Jurassic Park/Jurassic World universe — sets up a conversation about avoiding the same mistakes on repeat and building systems that actually scale. In this episode: Why Ashlan directly asks prospects and clients for the work she wants, instead of waitingHer milestone timeline: from paying herself back her startup costs to fully replacing her W-2 incomeThe client red flags that are now instant no'sWhat she pays for health insurance, and the bronze-plan trade-offs of self-employmentWhy "repeatability is scalability" and how templatizing her process changed her businessConnect with Ashlan Glazier-Anderson: Ashlan is the founder + CEO of AshbeanPDX, a marketing and communications agency partnering with nonprofits and small businesses making a positive impact in their communities. With 20+ years across agencies, corporations, and nonprofits, she audits what's already working for a client and builds on it — pairing deep marketing strategy with serious technical chops, and working alongside existing teams instead of replacing them. She holds a Master's in Strategic Communications from the University of Oregon and is a Professional Certified Marketer and Certified Digital Marketing Professional. Born in Hawaii, raised in Oregon, now soaking up the sun in Las Vegas with her husband, Jon, and their senior dog, Ahri. 🌐 Website: http://ashbeanpdx.com 📱 Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlan-glazier-anderson/ If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

  8. Jul 29

    Puzzles, Not Problems — Arianna Smith

    This episode's guest, Arianna Smith, is a licensed professional counselor turned copywriter, messaging strategist, and tarot reader. We used her comfort show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as the doorway into a conversation about why business success is never a solo act. In this episode: Why Ari reframes her niche as "the puzzle I never get tired of solving"The two-moment timeline of realizing her business truly paid for her lifePaying off $80,000 in student loans without ever carrying business debtWhat she pays for health insurance as an independent business ownerWhy "do I like this" is the wrong question for business spending — it's "will this ROI"Human design, tarot, and why Ari builds her support team around complementary typesConnect with Arianna Smith: Arianna knows what it's like to build a business that doesn't fit in a box — because hers doesn't either. As a messaging strategist and copywriter, she helps service providers turn what makes them different into words that actually bring in clients. As an IFS Certified Therapist, she works with queer and neurodivergent adults navigating identity and trauma recovery through EMDR, IFS, and tools like tarot and human design. She also offers trauma-informed tarot readings for people facing grief, uncertainty, or big life transitions, and founded Therapist Chillout, a low-key summer networking series for therapists to connect as humans first. Raised in Alaska, now in Denver — and no, she still doesn't need to save that jar. 🌐 Website: https://www.ariannasmith.com 📱 Follow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianna-j-smith/  If you're a business owner who wants help building your own media engine, subscribe at sensiblewoo.com/subscribe. This season was produced and edited by Mary Williams through Sensible Woo and Sasquatch Media Grounds, out of Vancouver, WA. Support the show I'm Mary Williams — host of School of Moxie, and the founder of Sensible Woo.  You can find the full episode archive at sensiblewoo.com/school-of-moxie-podcast, and every link, resource, and guest mentioned in this episode is in the show notes. If this episode was useful, subscribing and leaving a 5-star review is the easiest way to help someone else find it too. Want more?  Sensible Woo is where you'll find the thinking — sensiblewoo.com/subscribe for updates and resources. Or visit me at Sasquatch Media Grounds — that's where the work happens. Until next week: be sensible, be woo, and most of all, be you. 🤗

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🎧 The School of Moxie Podcast — a Sensible Woo production, hosted by Mary Williams. Most business podcasts are just LinkedIn posts with a mic in front of them. This is not that. School of Moxie uses TV shows and film to have the business conversations nobody else is brave enough to start... about real leadership, real risk, and what it costs to build something that matters when your rent is riding on every decision. Season 1 — The Last of Us. What survival looks like when the old rules stop working and the only way forward is through. Season 2 — Ted Lasso. A solo coaching season about the long game, the brutal middle, and why being the person who genuinely gives a damn is the whole strategy. Season 3 — Real founders, no safety nets, and every guest brings their comfort show to crack open how they run their business under pressure. No freebies, no funnel bait, and no one fake-laughing while they pitch you a course you don't need. Just the kind of honest, sharp, occasionally uncomfortable conversations that remind you why you started... and what it's going to take to finish. Season 3 available on July 29, 2026. Binge responsibly. Hosted by Mary Williams, founder of Sasquatch Media Grounds, Vancouver, Washington. A Sensible Woo production.

Information

  • Creator
    Mary Williams @sensiblewoo
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The School of Moxie Podcast
  • Show Website
    The School of Moxie Podcast