Good Ideas + Bad Decisions

Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions! Let’s be real - it’s the perfect name for a show hosted by two business owners who have absolutely made both. Between us, we’ve started businesses, burned out, bounced back, and helped other entrepreneurs do the same. We’re here to talk about the messy middle of running a business - entrepreneurship, mental health, and the chaos that comes with making your own path. Join your hosts Ellen and Kat as we candidly share our experiences, answer your burning business questions, and welcome other owners into our emotional support business club.

  1. 2d ago ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 033

    In this mini-episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen tackle the question: are entrepreneurs naturally a little delusional? Their verdict is that building a business takes vision beyond the status quo, comfort with chaos and constant change, and the confidence to keep going even when people brush your work off as a “side project.” They also get honest about the fact that entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, and that you often know pretty early on whether you’re in it for the long haul. And when business hits one of its inevitable dips, they talk about why having fellow business owners in your corner makes all the difference. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  2. Oct 23

    S2E15: Breaking Through a Professional Ceiling and Building Hinsley Circle with Emily and Tyler Hinsley

    In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ hosts Kat and Ellen welcome their first married-couple guests, Tyler and Emily Hinsley, the duo behind Hinsley Circle in Napa. Between them, they’ve worked harvests, hit a professional ceiling, and built something new from the ground up. Tyler shares how his hospitality and wine background led to launching Hinsley Consulting, and how the two teamed up to create a private membership that plans vetted, customized Napa itineraries and brings people together through monthly virtual tastings with winemakers. They also get candid about who their ideal clients are (honeymooners to bachelorettes), why fewer wineries per day is the secret to a better trip, and how to connect with them.  Tyler and Emily Hinsley are the founders of Hinsley Circle, bringing together their shared passion for wine, travel, and meaningful hospitality. With backgrounds spanning Napa Valley hospitality, vineyards, winemaking, and storytelling, they believe the best wine experiences are rooted in the people, places, and relationships behind the bottle. Together, they created Hinsley Circle, a private membership designed to help people experience wine country more personally while creating a place to learn, connect, discover, and share a deeper appreciation for wine.  Join Emily and Tyler for "Napa and France Through the Lens of Grenache," a Hinsley Circle virtual wine tasting on October 27th, 2026. Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:00 Meet the Guests 01:30 How They Connected 03:40 Napa Banter 04:22 Meet Cute to Business 06:29 What Is Hinsley Circle 08:48 Napa Culture and Craft 10:07 Tyler Wine Journey 13:19 Ideal Members and Offers 14:56 Virtual Tastings Explained 17:24 Texas Wine Surprise 19:50 Consulting Origin Story 21:34 From Texts to Hinsley Circle 23:48 Bridge Between Guests and Wineries 25:13 Napa Trip Planning Reality Check 26:33 Locals Nights and Perks 27:57 A La Carte Itineraries and Add Ons 30:37 Wine Collection Chaos 31:33 Parting Wisdom Show Up 36:00 Where to Find Hinsley Circle 37:33 Final Wrap Up

  3. Oct 15 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 032

    In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen tackle the week’s question: what business advice do they choose to ignore? Ellen shares why she tunes out people whose businesses and lives look nothing like hers, while Kat explains why she rejects “pick one lane” in favor of her interconnected ecosystem of overlapping businesses. They close by encouraging listeners to shrug off irrelevant opinions and build a business that fits their life. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  4. Oct 9

    S2E14: Trading Archives for Autonomy with Virtual Assistant Emma Martin 

    In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen introduce their virtual assistant, Emma Martin, and dig into her career path and her approach to work. Emma shares how she left an academic track after earning an English master’s at the University of Chicago, discovered a love of archival work, and went on to earn a library science master’s at UT Austin while working as an archivist, including for the Texas State Bar. After moving to Chicago just as COVID-19 hit and facing uncertain prospects in archives, she temped, then landed in corporate telehealth marketing, where she realized her responsiveness and encouragement weren’t valued the way metrics were. That led her to start her own VA business (and an art practice), where she finds fulfillment in process-building, copywriting, and supporting a variety of clients. Emma also explains why she prefers to stay solo rather than scale, why relationships and soft skills matter so much, and how to reach her at emmamartin.biz. Emma Martin is a Virtual Assistant, artist, and steadfast champion for her clients. She manages their Substack and LinkedIn presence so they don’t have to, helps them find the right words when they’re elusive, and brings order to the proverbial junk drawer. She creates and follows up on the to-do lists that so often become mental roadblocks. Emma does everything from editing podcasts to running Instagrams to sending the emails that fall through the cracks.  She has supported solopreneurs, coaches, and consultants across the arts, wellness, academic, and political sectors, clearing their calendars so they can focus on the expert work they love. Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:47 Meet Emma 01:40 Academia Burnout 03:04 Archivist Life 05:06 Texas State Bar 06:36 Pandemic Move 09:52 Temp to Telehealth 11:43 Becoming a VA 14:32 Autonomy Talk 16:48 Names and Origins 17:45 Entrepreneur Parents 19:34 Mom’s Creative Hustles 20:29 Craft Store at Home 21:15 Paint and Sip Reality Check 22:24 Keeping Art and Money Separate 24:06 Scaling Without Buzzwords 26:19 Favorite VA Tasks 28:21 Career Wisdom Soft Skills 33:46 How to Hire Emma 35:45 Hosts Hype Emma and Farewell 38:03 Episode Outro and CTA

  5. Sep 25

    S2E13: Breaking the Fear of Messing Up (FOMU) and Making Space for Intentional Joy with Brittany Martin Déjean

    In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Brittany Martin Déjean, a speaker and coach who helps people break free from FOMU, the fear of messing up, which shows up as perfectionism, overthinking, self-punishment, and "superficial confidence." Brittany explains how she helps clients map their unique "FOMU fingerprint" and interrupt the cycle through awareness, body-based noticing, and accepting outcomes as they come. She also shares her coaching offerings, including a reported 73% reduction in time lost to FOMU within one group, and talks about her "Intentional Joy Club," which is hosting a throwback '90s karaoke Zoom dance party on September 30. Brittany Martin Déjean is a keynote speaker and coach who helps high achievers interrupt FOMU (Fear Of Messing Up), the cycle of overthinking, self-criticism, and shame around mistakes. Her work grew from 6.5 years at Airbnb, where she trained over 1,000 employees and hosts in disability inclusion and coined the term FOMU. A recovering perfectionist and Harvard alum, Brittany now helps clients reclaim their time, energy, and peace, with clients reducing time lost to FOMU by an average of 73%. She has spoken for organizations including Andersen, NBC Universal, and Deutsche Bank. Check out Brittany's Spotify playlist! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:54 Ghost in the Computer 02:46 Meet Brittany Martin Déjean 03:59 Fear of Messing Up 06:11 Superficial Confidence Explained 10:40 White Knuckling and Body Stress 14:49 Breaking the Spiral Cycle 19:51 Rewriting What Mistakes Mean 21:05 Who Brittany Helps and How 25:16 Proof FOMU Works 26:14 Joy Through Line 28:13 Backstreet Boys Breakthrough 30:15 Karaoke Zoom Party Plan 31:09 Nostalgia Mini Experiments 33:36 Joy Club Invitation 34:45 Being Yourself Publicly 39:04 Make Joy Nonperformative 42:15 Parting Wisdom 43:41 Where To Find Brittany 45:06 Podcast Sign Off

  6. Sep 18 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 031

    In this mini episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen ease into mid-September, comparing fall routines, back-to-school chaos, and their opposite work rhythms. Kat shares how business cards left at a coffee shop turned into a local Napa magazine feature. They get honest about the awkward side of business development, such as cold outreach, follow-ups, unsubscribes, and Ellen's small-steps approach to getting back into it.  Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  7. Sep 11

    S2E12: Juggling Portfolio Careers, Relationship-Based Marketing, and Stand-Up Comedy with Frenchie Ferenczi

    This week on “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen talk to Frenchie Ferenczi, a business strategist who's built a career out of doing a little bit of everything from hospitality, startups, consulting, and fractional work. She breaks down how she splits her time between fractional roles with Series A/B women's healthcare startups and advisory work for solo founders who need a real thought partner, not just another consultant. They also get into how Frenchie markets herself (hint: it's relationships first, social media second), and how a comedy class turned into performing stand-up weekly, working through sets on marriage, midlife, and motherhood. Plus, she offers her hard-earned advice on spotting "too good to be true" business promises before you fall for them. Frenchie Ferenczi is a small business strategist, fractional executive, and growth advisor. Frenchie has worked with 1000s of independent entrepreneurs and brands like The Wing, Origin, Oula, NeueHouse, and more.  Frenchie’s work has been featured in the Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, PIX11, and more. She lives in in New York City with her husband and their two young sons.  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:08 Meet Today’s Guest 02:37 Frenchie’s Career Path 03:40 Who Frenchie Works With 06:27 Explaining Value and Gender 08:42 Marketing Through Relationships 10:48 Getting Into Stand Up 12:40 Writing and Structuring Sets 17:05 Comedy Money and Perks 18:49 Comedy Scene and Persona 24:40 Integrity in Business 28:31 Stage Nerves and Warmups 31:29 Comedy Ambitions 32:35 Weekly Work Split 35:05 Delegation and VAs 39:55 Long Term Goals 42:09 Too Good To Be True 45:00 How to Connect 45:37 Coffee Chats Return 51:23 New Brand Logistics 57:53 Planning and Check Ins 01:08:13 Episode Wrap Up

  8. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 030

    In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the whirlwind of packed schedules, from squeezing in workouts to balancing parenting demands between meetings. Kat shares exciting updates, including a new client kickoff, a studio tour, and the launch of her Back Office Design Support brand, plus some quarterly filing logistics. The heart of the episode is their contrasting approaches to year-end planning, with Ellen favoring structured quarterly reviews and Kat leaning into flexible, monthly gut checks.  Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download. Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions! Let’s be real - it’s the perfect name for a show hosted by two business owners who have absolutely made both. Between us, we’ve started businesses, burned out, bounced back, and helped other entrepreneurs do the same. We’re here to talk about the messy middle of running a business - entrepreneurship, mental health, and the chaos that comes with making your own path. Join your hosts Ellen and Kat as we candidly share our experiences, answer your burning business questions, and welcome other owners into our emotional support business club.

Information

  • Creator
    Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • Show Website
    Good Ideas + Bad Decisions