A Category of One

Leslie Silverman
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to A Category of One: deep, honest conversations with entrepreneurs about how we show up as the truest version of ourselves, both personally and professionally. I’m Leslie Silverman, brand strategist and curious human, and this podcast was born from one belief: when we let our light shine, we give others permission to do the same. Each week, I sit down with founders, creatives, and business leaders to explore identity, ambition, doubt, reinvention, and the uncomfortable growth no one talks about. We go beyond tactics and into: -Authentic leadership -Building a brand aligned with who you are -The inner work behind outer success -Navigating ambition without losing yourself -Becoming a category of one, not by trying to stand out, but by telling the truth If you care about meaningful work and living in alignment with who you actually are, you’re in the right place. New episodes every Wednesday.

  1. 3d ago

    How to Reprogram Your Subconscious for Success with Bri Seeley

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Bri Seeley, creator of Subconscious Success Optimization, who uses hypnosis to help entrepreneurs reprogram their subconscious for success. A mutual friend told us there was no world where we didn't know each other. She was right, and this conversation picked up right where our friendship started. Bri describes the subconscious as the operating system running in the background of your life, mostly installed before you turned eight. For her, that meant beliefs formed before the internet existed were still deciding what kind of business she was allowed to have. Layering positive thinking on top, she says, is like changing the wallpaper on a laptop that still has a virus. We spent time on what she calls the success threshold, the point where your subconscious decides things have gotten unsafe and quietly pulls you back. It helps explain why working harder doesn't always move the needle. Her advice is to look at your results. The walls you keep hitting show you what's running underneath. Bri also opened up about what happened when she turned up the heat on this work in her own life. It reshaped her business and her marriage, and left her living by one standard: greatness or nothing. In this episode: Why affirmations alone can't override beliefs installed in early childhoodThe success threshold and why your subconscious pulls you back to what feels safeBri's garden metaphor for clearing old beliefs before planting new onesWhy rewiring takes 30 days of repetition, not a single breakthroughHow subconscious work can ripple into relationships and other areas beyond businessWhy you can't expand a business without expanding yourselfConnect with Bri Seeley: IG: https://www.instagram.com/briseeley LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bri-seeley/ FB: https://www.facebook.com/bri.seeley Website: https://www.briseeley.com/ Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 01:12 Introduction to Bree Seeley and Her Work 01:41 Exploring Subconscious Success Optimization 01:44 Introduction to Bri Seeley's Journey and Work 03:35 Bri shares her personal story of transformation and subconscious work 05:51 Understanding the subconscious mind and its influence 07:29 Childhood programming and limiting beliefs 10:28 The success threshold and how to raise it 13:27 Signs your subconscious may be holding you back 16:14 The process of subconscious reprogramming through hypnosis 19:09 Practical steps to rewire limiting beliefs 21:58 The importance of consistent practice and repetition 25:14 How subconscious work impacts all areas of life 27:56 Tools and protocols Bri uses for transformation 30:53 The role of growth mindset in success 33:37 Overcoming triggers and subconscious blocks 36:31 Upcoming programs and how to get involved

  2. Sep 23

    How to Apply Improv Principles to Leadership and Team Building with Scott Parker

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Scott Parker, a leadership consultant and team building facilitator who uses improv and juggling to help people communicate better. Scott and I know each other from Steamboat Springs, and we hadn't talked in years. It came out early in the conversation that we both went to college in Buffalo. Scott's business is called Just Go For It, which is a fair description of how he's worked. Stripped down, improv is a practice of receiving someone else's idea instead of shutting it down. That matters more in a conference room than most people expect, because what an employee learns from the first "no" shapes every idea they bring after it. We talk about what changes when the answer is "tell me more," and about the other half of saying yes, which is staying open enough to notice an opportunity when it shows up. Scott has spent years getting people out of their comfort zone without them realizing they left it. When people laugh together, they stop defending themselves, and that's where real communication has room to happen. That idea runs through the Chamber of Commerce he leads in Oregon wine country and the variety show he started in a divided town. I share what volunteering gave me that I never saw coming. Scott closes with what an eighth grade classroom taught him about being the same person no matter what role you're in. In this episode: Why "yes, and" changes which ideas employees bring to their managerHow playfulness gets into work that's usually dryWhat it takes to say yes before you feel qualifiedHow a variety show got a divided town laughing togetherWhat volunteering gives the person doing itWhy you can't be one person in the classroom and another person outside itLinks: Connect with Scott Parker: Website: https://www.scottparkerleadership.com/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-parker-89b62522/ Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 00:19 Introduction to Scott Parker 00:44 The Power of Humor in Leadership 01:01 Introduction and guest background 02:59 The Chief Theater's history and community role 06:07 Scott's move to Oregon and community work 07:56 Integrating playfulness into leadership and consulting 10:47 The power of laughter and connection in community 13:38 Improv and the 'Yes And' approach in teams 16:38 Opportunities from being open and positive 19:37 Scott's community engagement and volunteer work 21:29 The impact of giving back and community involvement 24:11 Personal stories of influence and transformation 27:11 The importance of authenticity and fun in leadership 30:00 Scott's teaching experiences and lessons learned 31:53 The value of being true to oneself in work and life 33:43 Closing thoughts and how to connect with Scott

  3. Sep 16

    How to Turn Loss into a Global Reinvention with Liz Brown Morgan

    Liz Brown Morgan lost her mother, her marriage, and her job in the same six months. What she didn't lose was the instinct to keep moving. In this episode, Liz talks about the one-way flight to Athens that started nine months of travel across eight countries, the six weeks she spent in a sober co-living house outside Valencia, and what it took to feel like herself again after everything familiar was gone. I get into her career path too: wilderness guide, environmental lawyer, functional nutritionist, Chamber of Commerce director, published author, and now the founder of Global Love Ghostwriting, a business built on writing newsletters and welcome sequences for small, mission-driven brands. This conversation moves through grief, reinvention, and the strange gift of being seen fresh by people who only know who you are right now, not who you used to be. It also gets specific and practical: why a newsletter is one of the most underrated tools a business owns, and what actually makes people want to stay subscribed. In this episode: How Liz rebuilt her sense of self after losing her mother, her marriage, and her job at onceWhat nine months of travel and communal living taught her about identityWhy her career path looks nothing like a straight line, and why that matteredHow Global Love Ghostwriting came out of a newsletter she almost didn't want to writeWhy a nurture sequence matters more than most businesses realizeWhat it means to be reflected back to yourself by people who never knew the old version Links: Connect with Liz Brown Morgan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-morgan-food-health-sustainability/ https://globallovewriting.com/ Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 01:12 Introduction to Liz Brown Morgan 01:39 Liz's Diverse Background and Expertise 02:02 Introduction to Liz Morgan's Journey 03:59 Trauma and the Opportunity for Transformation 05:23 Nine Months of Global Travel 06:06 Community Living in Spain 07:58 Diverse Global Community Experiences 09:56 Reinvention and Personal Growth at Any Age 11:58 Energy Flow and Self-Discovery 13:58 Growth Mindset and Lifelong Learning 15:15 Career Shifts and Decision-Making 18:38 Wild Foods and Connection to Nature 19:58 From Nutritionist to Community Builder 26:41 Inspiration for Global Love Ghostwriting 35:40 The Power of Newsletters and Direct Community Engagement 36:48 Closing Remarks and Connect with Liz Morgan

  4. Sep 9

    How to Discover Your Life Purpose Through Scientific Hand Analysis with Jayne Sanders

    Jayne Sanders spent years cycling through successful careers that never quite fit, until a Google search led her to scientific hand analysis and changed the direction of her life. She talks with Leslie about what this practice actually reveals, how it differs from palm reading, and why she believes fulfillment matters more than happiness. This conversation moves through the mechanics of the work itself, from the science behind it to what a session actually looks like, and opens into a bigger conversation about what happens when you finally understand who you are at your core. Jayne shares how the process helped her build a business with clients in 12 countries, and how it continues to shape her decisions 14 years later. In this episode of A Category of One: What scientific hand analysis is and how it differs from palm readingWhy fingerprints, formed before birth, hold information that never changesThe research behind the practice, including a 30,000-person studyHow understanding your own purpose changes your relationships with othersWhat a hand analysis session actually involves, from imprint to summary reportWhy Jayne believes fulfillment is more powerful than happiness Links: Connect with Jayne Sanders: https://www.purposewhisperer.com/ https://www.facebook.com/jaynesanderspurpose/ https://www.youtube.com/@jaynesanderspurposecoachha9768/videos Link for special price of $100 off, total $397. Two options: https://bit.ly/3mrHjUv https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/SWKQ3HBU27BFL Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Hive180 Branding Agency: https://hive180.com Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Scientific Hand Analysis and Its Benefits 01:54 How Hand Lines Mimic Neural Pathways in the Brain 03:48 The Personal Journey to Discover Purpose Through Hand Analysis 05:57 Difference Between Fingerprints and Hand Lines in Analysis 07:54 The Process of Conducting a Hand Analysis and What to Expect 09:57 Scientific Research and Certification of Hand Analysis 11:43 How Hand Analysis Can Impact Relationships and Career 13:34 Client Stories and Transformations from Hand Analysis 15:29 Living a Purpose-Driven Life and Personal Fulfillment 17:08 How to Get Your Own Scientific Hand Analysis

  5. Sep 2

    How to Treat Nervous System Regulation as the Vital Sign of Leadership with Jenn Adamson

    Jenn Adamson built a career that doesn't fit into a single job title. She's a registered nurse, an executive coach, a TEDx speaker, and an author, and on this episode of A Category of One, she explains what all of it actually has in common. Jenn spent years on the front lines of healthcare, including leading a team of 75 nurses through some of the hardest days of the pandemic. That experience shapes the way she now coaches senior leaders and founders. She talks about the moment a doctor walks into a room and everyone's vital signs shift, and how that same effect happens with leaders, whether they realize it or not. Jenn and Leslie get into what it actually takes to lead from a regulated place instead of a performed one. That includes an honest look at ambition, the role ego plays in leadership, and why the most regulated person in a room tends to be the one people trust. In this episode: Why a leader's nervous system state affects everyone around themThe difference between ego that protects and ego that drivesHow to tell if ambition is coming from alignment or from proving somethingWhy journaling became Jenn's most consistent tool for staying regulatedWhat it means to let a calling take more than one form Connect with Jenn Adamson: Website: https://www.jennadamson.com LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamjennadamson/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/iamjennadamson Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 03:25 The connection between leadership health and organizational success 05:24 The importance of openness and adaptability in entrepreneurship 06:00 Marrying diverse experiences to serve a higher purpose 06:48 The essence of entrepreneurship as a solution-oriented mindset 08:07 Maintaining a clear through line in a diverse career 09:45 The journey to giving a TEDx talk 11:01 Transforming clinical insights into leadership principles 13:19 The power of impactful ideas and the TEDx stage 15:14 The significance of authentic inspiration over ego 16:59 Success driven by purpose and intention 18:35 Balancing ego and authenticity in leadership 21:07 The importance of self-connection and trust 23:25 Evaluating actions and making strategic shifts 26:14 The value of white space and strategic thinking 27:48 Journaling and self-reflection practices 30:12 The benefits of pen to paper and self-awareness 32:03 Building trust through self-connection 33:22 Working with diverse industries and leadership levels 34:24 Gratitude and the power of authentic connection

  6. Aug 26

    How to Stop Fearing Menopause and Start Living Fearless with Carey Overstreet

    Carey Overstreet spent years helping people with disabilities live fuller, independent lives before her body forced a different kind of education: a misdiagnosed thyroid condition, a medication reaction no doctor explained, and a realization that healing was hers to build. That search became her five pillars: mindset, macros, muscle, me, and sex. Carey walks through what preserves strength and energy through menopause, and why the conversations women aren't having, about libido, dryness, and what happens to a relationship when no one's talking about it, matter as much as the physical ones. We get into why so much medical advice treats symptoms, not causes, and what it means to advocate for your own body when the answers don't add up. In this episode: Why Carey left a 22-year parks and recreation career to become a menopause coachThe five pillars: mindset, macros, muscle, me, and sexWhat her thyroid diagnosis taught her about advocating for her own healthWhy muscle is "the fountain of youth" during perimenopause and menopauseHow to open the conversation about intimacy and libido with a partnerWhere to find community through her step challenge and free Facebook group Links: Connect with Carey Overstreet: FB: https://www.facebook.com/carey.armbrustoverstreet FB GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/965029681916224  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carey-overstreet-67b70338/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/carey_overstreet YT: https://www.youtube.com/@Carey-OnCoaching Event: https://womensadventureclub.org/mental-health/ Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 01:52 Introduction to Carey Overstreet 02:58 Why menopause is having a cultural moment 03:57 From parks and recreation to health coaching 04:51 Carey's thyroid diagnosis and Graves' disease 07:54 The five pillars of menopause wellness 08:50 Mindset and dropping negative self-talk 09:49 Macros and nutrition during menopause 10:46 Muscle, movement, and metabolism 11:45 Me: sleep, stress, and intimacy 13:37 Carey's coaching programs and community 16:50 Speaking, Toastmasters, and building confidence 19:35 Polkadot Powerhouse and Women's Adventure Club 26:26 Natural approaches vs. medication: pills and skills 30:26 Menopause as a new beginning

  7. Aug 19

    How to Decide If a Move Is Really the Answer with Mariette Frey

    Mariette Frey has moved 20 times in 24 years. She built a framework out of it, not because moving got easier, but because she kept relearning the same lessons. This conversation is about the difference between a move that solves something and a move that just relocates the problem. Mariette walks through her FRED framework (finances, robustness, ecosystem, dreams) and the question she asks every client before anything else: is this a relief move, or is this the only way to get somewhere you actually want to be. She talks about the client who did a "city bake-off," spending a month living in the city he thought he wanted to move to, only to come back realizing he missed his grocery store more than he wanted a new life. We get into the 6 month funk that hits after almost every relocation, the emotional and financial toll of a cross country move, and the difference between choosing a new life and running from an old one. On A Category of One, I sat down with Mariette to talk about what it actually takes to know if you're ready for a big change, and what it costs when you move before you're ready. In this episode: The FRED framework and how to know if a move will actually solve anythingWhy "relief moves" so often become the wrong decisionThe 6 month funk that follows almost every relocationHow to build community and support before you arrive somewhere newWhat it means to reparent the parts of you that want to stay Connect with Mariette Frey: Website: https://movingforsmarties.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/mariettesonthemove LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariettefrey/ YT: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@Movingforsmarties⁩   Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2umVkjMDtrA6xfxmYn3oPD?si=84d5d2edad374b68 Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman YT: https://www.youtube.com/@lesliesilvermanofficial Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 01:48 The Fred Framework 04:05 The evolution of Mariette's moving journey 05:39 The Fred framework for smart moves 08:15 Common moving scams and how to avoid them 11:55 The emotional impact of moving and the six-month funk 15:10 Using parts work to understand your moving motivations 18:35 The importance of intentional decision-making 22:46 Building community before moving 27:28 The role of self-coaching and reflection 32:01 Practical experiments to test readiness

  8. Aug 12

    How to Nurture a Business Through Every Stage of Growth with Heather Roberts

    Heather Roberts didn't set out to write a book. She started a Substack because she needed somewhere to put twenty years of lessons, and what came out was The Nurture Method, a framework built on something she noticed almost by accident: business and parenting run on the same clock. Infancy. School age. Adolescence. And eventually, the moment you have to decide whether to let go. This conversation moves through a business built out of an accidental wrong number, a decorative pillow company that succeeded and nearly broke her, and the decision to work herself out of the CEO role she'd held for twenty years. Along the way, Heather talks about her 72 hour rule for testing big ideas, what she calls "bright and shiny syndrome," and why she stopped trying to build a business the way she was taught a business was supposed to look. In this episode: Why Heather compares scaling a business to watching your kid learn to driveThe 72 hour rule she uses before acting on any big ideaWhat "bright and shiny syndrome" is and how it derails good businessesWhy she spent a year working herself out of her own companyHow getting banned from Amazon became one of her favorite storiesWhat it means to build a business into your life instead of around it Connect with Heather Roberts: https://www.instagram.com/sonowwhatyall/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersroberts/ https://www.tiktok.com/@sowhatnowyall https://www.facebook.com/heatherslosson.roberts www.nowwhatyall.com https://heatherroberts.life/ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nurture-method-heather-roberts/1149899363?ean=9798895762035 Connect with Leslie Silverman: IG: https://www.instagram.com/lesliesilverman/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/ FB:  https://www.facebook.com/leslie.a.silverman Website: https://lesliesilverman.com Chapters: 00:41 The Nurture Method: Balancing Business and Family Life 01:38 Introduction and Heather's Background 05:44 The Accidental Phone Call That Changed Everything 09:07 Trusting the Process and Divine Timing 11:24 The Four Stages of Entrepreneurial Growth 16:23 Showing Up Authentically in Business and Life 20:00 The Power of Vulnerability and Sharing Failures 24:39 Balancing Family and Business: A Personal Perspective 29:25 Following Your Intuition and Exploring New Passions 34:41 The Story Behind The Nurture Method and Book Ban 37:40 Heather's Approach to Authenticity and Success

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5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Welcome to A Category of One: deep, honest conversations with entrepreneurs about how we show up as the truest version of ourselves, both personally and professionally. I’m Leslie Silverman, brand strategist and curious human, and this podcast was born from one belief: when we let our light shine, we give others permission to do the same. Each week, I sit down with founders, creatives, and business leaders to explore identity, ambition, doubt, reinvention, and the uncomfortable growth no one talks about. We go beyond tactics and into: -Authentic leadership -Building a brand aligned with who you are -The inner work behind outer success -Navigating ambition without losing yourself -Becoming a category of one, not by trying to stand out, but by telling the truth If you care about meaningful work and living in alignment with who you actually are, you’re in the right place. New episodes every Wednesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Leslie Silverman
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Leslie Silverman
  • Show Website
    A Category of One

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