Our Entrepreneurial Lives | The Struggle and Strategy of Building a Business

Jen Howat and Erica Bollinger
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Go behind the scenes with agency owners and friends Jen Howat and Erica Bollinger as they have candid conversations about the struggle and strategy behind building and growing a business and life you love. This isn't a highlight reel of success stories. We're having honest conversations most people aren't having publicly. If you're building something, a service business, a product company, a non-profit or a personal brand, this show is for you. The entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely road but you don't have to figure it out alone.

  1. 6d ago

    Priority vs. To-Do: The Difference That Changes Everything

    If you've ever looked at your to-do list and called it your priorities, you're not alone, and this episode is going to change how you think about both. Erica and Jen get into the real definition of a priority, why it's not the same thing as everything on your plate, and why mixing the two up is exactly what keeps you feeling exhausted and behind. Come and discover how to turn a long list into something manageable, including a simple check-in tool for knowing what you actually have the capacity for in any given season. What you'll learn: The real difference between a priority and a to-do, and why confusing them keeps you overwhelmed. A simple framework for checking your capacity before you commit to anything new. Why your priorities aren't just about work, and what that means for how you build your list. A practical approach to turning your priorities into something you'll actually follow through on. Connect with Jen and Erica We'd love to connect with you. Come join us on social media, grab one of our free resources, or find out more about our businesses. Jen Howat, Build it Better Communications builditbetterco.com Instagram: @jenhowat Fill out the Build it Better Scorecard and see what's working in your business and your greatest opportunities for growth. Your report will score you over 8 areas of business and show your top priorities. Visit https://scorecard.builditbetterco.com to get started. Every client travels a path, from first finding you to trusting you enough to invest. Most businesses have at least one gap along that pathway that costs them. Let's find yours. https://audit.builditbetterco.com Do you wonder what's slowing your growth and how to fix it? Join me for a free strategy session and get your personalized Build it Better Blueprint. No catch. Just clarity. https://builditbetterco.com/strategy-call Erica Bollinger, The Mustard Seed Agency themustardseedagency.com Instagram: @themustardseedagency Every 3rd Monday of the Month, The Mustard Seed Agency hosts a free webinar series related to marketing for small businesses: https://themustardseedagency.com/webinar Enter your website below to see exactly where you stand in search: https://themustardseedagency.com/seo-analyzer Find Your Digital Blind Spot. Every small business has one. Find out what's costing you customers and what to fix first: https://tools.themustardseedagency.com/quiz

  2. Sep 22

    Before You Try to Make Another Priority List, Do This

    If you've ever sat down to write out your priorities and realized everything on the list feels equally important, this episode is for you. You'll hear why prioritizing isn't something you figure out once and move on from, why the priorities that worked for you last season might not work for this one, and why most priority lists fall apart because of something that never even makes it onto the page: the mindset running underneath it. This episode will help you ensure your life and business are moving to the beat of the right drum and going in the direction you want to go. What you'll learn: The strategy behind setting priorities.  The critical question that needs to be asked before you get started. What mindset mantras could be a sign that something's off. How to see if any fears, lies, or limiting beliefs are keeping you from choosing your priorities freely. Connect with Jen and Erica We'd love to connect with you. Come join us on social media, grab one of our free resources, or find out more about our businesses. Jen Howat, Build it Better Communications builditbetterco.com Instagram: @jenhowat Fill out the Build it Better Scorecard and see what's working in your business and your greatest opportunities for growth. Your report will score you over 8 areas of business and show your top priorities. Visit https://scorecard.builditbetterco.com to get started. Every client travels a path, from first finding you to trusting you enough to invest. Most businesses have at least one gap along that pathway that costs them. Let's find yours. https://audit.builditbetterco.com Do you wonder what's slowing your growth and how to fix it? Join me for a free strategy session and get your personalized Build it Better Blueprint. No catch. Just clarity. https://builditbetterco.com/strategy-call Erica Bollinger, The Mustard Seed Agency themustardseedagency.com Instagram: @themustardseedagency Every 3rd Monday of the Month, The Mustard Seed Agency hosts a free webinar series related to marketing for small businesses: https://themustardseedagency.com/webinar Enter your website below to see exactly where you stand in search: https://themustardseedagency.com/seo-analyzer Find Your Digital Blind Spot. Every small business has one. Find out what's costing you customers and what to fix first: https://tools.themustardseedagency.com/quiz

  3. Sep 15

    Creating the Right Offers for Your Business

    Have you ever caught yourself calling everything you sell an "offer" without really knowing what that word means? In this episode, Jen and Erica break down what an offer actually is and how it fits into a value ladder, the system that moves someone from a free lead magnet all the way up to your highest-ticket offer. They walk through their own value ladders in detail, share real client examples across different industries, and talk honestly about the upsells they still haven't gotten around to automating.   What you'll learn: What an offer actually is, and why it's more than just deliverables or a discount. What a value ladder is and how it helps grow lifetime customer value. The different types of offers in a value ladder: lead magnets, front-end offers, core offers, subscriptions, upsells, and one-time offers. How to turn something you already have into a lead magnet instead of creating something new. Why giving people too many choices at once can lead to overwhelm and inaction. How deciding what kind of business you want to be (Walmart, Target, or a high-end store) shapes your offer strategy. Do you want to build your own value ladder? Check out our interactive tool. In just 5 minutes you can see the steps you have in place and which rungs have room for a new offer.  Are you interested in attending one of Erica's free webinars? Find out more HERE. Connect with Jen and Erica We'd love to connect with you. Come join us on social media, grab one of our free resources, or find out more about our businesses. Jen Howat, Build it Better Communications builditbetterco.com Instagram: @jenhowat Erica Bollinger, The Mustard Seed Agency themustardseedagency.com Instagram: @themustardseedagency

  4. Sep 8

    Stuck, Scared, or Starting Over: A Business Owner's Guide to Uncertainty

    Are you standing at the edge of starting something new and wondering if you're crazy for taking the risk? Or are you a few years into your business, watching things that used to work stop working, and wondering what to do next? Wherever you're standing, you're not the only one there. In this episode, Jen and Erica compare notes on a theme that kept showing up in their client conversations at the same time — new business owners taking the risk to start, and established owners figuring out what to do when the ground shifts under them. Whichever place you're in right now, they've got something for you. What you'll learn: Why "if you build it, they will come" is a myth — and what actually has to happen after you launch. How to know when an outside opinion is worth following, and when your gut is telling you something different. The mindset shift that helps you stop reinventing the wheel with every client. Why chasing a "perfect" offer or plan can stall your progress. What to do when you feel stuck: the small, practical moves that create momentum again. Why failure in a past business isn't wasted — and how it sets you up for what's next. A simple gut-check for deciding when to pivot versus when to stay the course. Don't forget to check out our episode How to Market Your Own Business When You Are Busy Serving Everyone Else. Interested in attending Erica's webinar?  REGISTER HERE.   Connect with Jen and Erica We'd love to connect with you. Come join us on social media, grab one of our free resources, or find out more about our businesses. Jen Howat, Build it Better Communications builditbetterco.com Instagram: @jenhowat Erica Bollinger, The Mustard Seed Agency themustardseedagency.com Instagram: @themustardseedagency

  5. Aug 25

    Being the CEO of Your Business with Guest Mandi Casey

    Being the CEO of Your Business Are you the CEO of your business, or have you just created another job for yourself? In this episode, Jen and Erica sit down with friend and mentor Mandi Casey to unpack her CEO framework and what it actually takes to lead instead of just work. We get honest about where we still get stuck in the weeds, the mindset shifts that changed things for each of us, and the practical habits that keep a business moving forward instead of just staying busy. What you'll learn: What Mandi's CEO framework stands for — customer journey, executive presence, and operational simplicity. How to start with the end in mind by envisioning where you want your business in three to five years. What "CEO time" is and how to actually protect it on your calendar. How breaking a big goal into small, almost laughable steps creates real momentum. Why getting off course isn't the problem — and how to shorten the time it takes to course-correct. The mindset shift that helps you recognize doing nothing is still a choice. Books Mentioned How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Be Your Future Self Now by Dr. Benjamin Hardy The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Connect with Mandi Website: theminderco.com Join the Elevate Mastermind: An exclusive mastermind for ambitious women ready to rise above the day-to-day, think like a CEO, and scale with intention. Instagram: @the_minder_coach & @thecollectiveok The MindHER Podcast: Listen HERE or on your favorite podcast platform More About Mandi Mandi is a coach and business strategist who helps women create lives that feel purposeful, profitable, and fully their own. She teaches women to lead from alignment by shifting how they think and trusting their intuition. Her philosophy–leadership starts from within–shows up in her coaching, her Elevate Mastermind, and The Collective, the coworking community she runs for women entrepreneurs.

    Being the CEO of Your Business with Guest Mandi Casey

  6. Aug 11

    How to Market Your Own Business When You Are Busy Serving Everyone Else

    Marketing your own business can be surprisingly hard; even when marketing, messaging, or strategy is part of what you do for clients. In this episode, Jen and Erica have an honest conversation about the ways their own marketing has fallen to the back burner and what they're doing to get back into a sustainable rhythm. In this episode, we talk about: Why business owners often put their own marketing last Why paid ads are not the only form of marketing The importance of relationship marketing and intentional networking What belongs in a simple marketing foundation How email lists, websites, Google Business Profiles, and lead capture tools work together Why your lead magnet should lead to a clear next step How to choose marketing activities you can actually sustain Mentioned in this episode: The PESO model: paid, earned, shared/social, and owned media Google Business Profile SEO and AEO Email newsletters Organic social media Lead magnets Value ladders Cold outreach Relationship marketing Next Steps Choose two simple marketing actions you can realistically commit to. Your plan does not have to be complicated to be effective. We'd love for you to share with us what you've decided to do. Send us a note at hello@ourentrepreneuriallives.

  7. Jul 27

    Using AI Beyond Content Creation

    AI is everywhere right now, but many business owners are still only using it for one thing: creating content. In this conversation, Jen and Erica talk about how AI can support your business in much bigger ways; from saving time and organizing ideas to improving systems, handling repetitive tasks, and helping you work more efficiently. They also talk honestly about the temptation to chase every new AI tool, the importance of bringing strategy into the process, and why AI works best when it supports your thinking instead of replacing it. In this episode, we talk about: How many business owners are currently using AI for content creation Why AI can do much more than write blog posts and captions  The difference between using AI as an assistant and using AI as an agent  How to avoid shiny object syndrome with new AI tools  Why strategy matters before using AI in your business  Practical ways beginners can start using AI  How AI can support repetitive tasks, email drafts, brainstorming, SOPs, and website work  Why you should ask AI how it can help you Mentioned in this episode: ChatGPT Claude Gemini NotebookLM Canva HighLevel Manus Zapier Make Google PageSpeed Insights Listener takeaway: You do not have to use every AI tool available. Start with one practical area where AI can save you time or reduce friction, then build from there. Connect: Have a question or example of how you're using AI in your business? We'd love to connect with you. Email us at hello@ourentrepreneuriallives.com.

  8. Jul 27

    Why Every Entrepreneur Needs Community (And How It Led to This Podcast)

    In their very first episode together, Jen and Erica tell the story of how they met — and why two business owners who could easily see each other as competitors chose collaboration instead. It's a conversation that gets right to the heart of why this podcast exists in the first place: community. They talk honestly about the isolation that so often comes with entrepreneurship, what changed for each of them once they got intentional about finding their people, and how showing up consistently for a mastermind and a co-working community reshaped the way they run their businesses, manage their time, and think about their own limitations. In this episode, we talk about: Why business owners often see people in similar industries as competitors instead of collaborators The story of how Jen and Erica met and how their friendship turned into this podcast Why entrepreneurial isolation is so common How joining a co-working community and a mastermind group changed the way Jen and Erica each ran their businesses Why accountability helps you follow through on what matters The difference between a "gap" mindset and a "gain" mindset Why margin matters for creativity and decision-making, and how each of them builds it into a deadline Reframing limitations as a gift and a protection, rather than a flaw to push through Why it's better to commit fully to one community than to spread yourself thin across many Resources Mentioned in this episode: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber The Gap and the Gain by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan Find Your People by Jennie Allen Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and The Emotionally Healthy Church by Pete Scazzero  The Ideal Week concept, popularized by Michael Hyatt   Listener takeaway: If you don't currently have a community of fellow business owners, take one small step toward finding one this week — tour a co-working space, go to a networking event, or reach out to another entrepreneur. And if you already have your people, don't let summer be the season you drift: send a text, show up in small ways, and stay connected. Community is an investment of time, but it pays back in momentum you can't create alone. A reflection from Jen and Erica: This episode is proof of its own point. Jen and Erica met inside the very community they're describing, and what started as two women offering similar services in the same small market — who easily could have kept their distance — grew, through consistently showing up, into a real friendship and now a shared podcast. It didn't happen overnight, and it wasn't the plan when they first met. It happened because they kept showing up. Connect: Take one step toward community this week — reach out to someone in your industry, show up to a networking event, or check in on someone in your circle. Let Jen and Erica know what step you took; they'd love to cheer you on. We'd love to hear from you. You can connect with us at hello@ourentrepreneuriallives.com.

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Go behind the scenes with agency owners and friends Jen Howat and Erica Bollinger as they have candid conversations about the struggle and strategy behind building and growing a business and life you love. This isn't a highlight reel of success stories. We're having honest conversations most people aren't having publicly. If you're building something, a service business, a product company, a non-profit or a personal brand, this show is for you. The entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely road but you don't have to figure it out alone.

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