A Category of One

Leslie Silverman
  • 5.0 (9)
  • 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. 5d ago

    How to Build a Business That Runs Without You with Jessica Millhiser

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Jessica Millhiser, the founder of J.Mills Consulting and an operations strategist who helps service-based entrepreneurs build businesses that are clear, organized, and intentional. Jessica's work sits at the intersection of structure and intuition, and that combination is rare. We talked about what it actually takes to build a business you can step away from. Jessica took nine weeks off last year and her business grew 34%. That number tells you something, but the conversation underneath it tells you more. It's about how you design a business in the first place, what you stop chasing, and what you let yourself want. Jessica wants to bring hospitality back to the forefront of how entrepreneurs run their businesses. Not hospitality as an industry, but as a posture. The way you treat people. The way your back-end operations show up as front-end client experience. She also opens up about a single intuitive decision she made years ago that changed the entire shape of her life. It's one of those moments in a conversation that you don't see coming. In this episode: Why slowing down is the actual prerequisite for sustainable growthWhat it means to bring hospitality back into a service-based businessHow operational clarity creates space for you to step away from your businessThe difference between time-for-money pricing and value-based pricing, and how to make the shiftWhy your ideal client is probably not you, and what that means for what you charge Connect with Jessica Millhiser: Website: https://www.jmillsconsulting.com/ Operations Audit (Free Resource): https://www.jmillsconsulting.com/operations-health-check LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamillhiser/ 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 Branding Agency: https://hive180.com Chapters: 00:49 Strategies for Building Intentional Businesses 01:06 Introduction to Jessica Millhiser's Work 04:02 The Importance of Intentionality in Business 07:00 Defining Success on Your Own Terms 09:57 Client Journey and Strategic Planning 13:09 Systems and Operations in Business 16:01 Bringing Hospitality into Business 18:44 Navigating Client Relationships and Pricing 21:53 The Shift from Time to Value-Based Pricing 24:52 Trusting Intuition in Business Decisions 27:49 Personal Stories and Life Lessons 30:44 Conclusion and Resources

    39 min

  2. May 27

    How to Reconnect to Your Inner Child Through Creativity with Kelly O'Connell

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Kelly O'Connell, founder of the brand studio Kind & Funny, to talk about creativity, self-expression, and what it looks like to stay connected to the version of yourself that existed before the world started shaping you. Kelly is one of those people who walks into a room and gives everyone else permission to take up more space. She runs a brand studio. She paints over fashion ads. She hosts a monthly Self-Expression Club. She wears a tutu in public sometimes. And underneath all of it is a real practice of meeting herself where she is, of treating creativity as a way home rather than a performance. We talked about how fashion became her daily check-in with who she is, why we don't see other people in our industry as competition, and what changed when she started building a business around being a human first. We also went into her ADHD diagnosis, what she's learned about shame and self-acceptance, and why parts work has been a quiet game-changer. This one moves between the playful and the tender. Kelly is luminous, and the conversation reflects it. In this episode: Why self-expression starts with asking "how do I want to feel today"The shift from scarcity to abundance with peers in your industryWhat an inner child has to do with how you show up at workADHD, shame, and the practice of not doing it aloneHow parts work creates more grace and more roomBuilding a business that sustains you as a human Connect with Kelly O’Connell: Website: https://www.kindandfunny.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/bekindandfunny/ 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: 00:49 The Kind and Funny Brand Shop: Empowering Women-Owned Businesses 01:09 Introduction to Kelly O'Connell and Her Vision 01:33 The Art of Self-Expression 04:17 Fashion as a Personal Brand 07:16 The Power of Community and Collaboration 09:53 Embracing Authenticity and Individuality 12:49 The Self-Expression Club Experience 15:39 Creativity Beyond Boundaries 18:41 Navigating the Entrepreneurial Journey 21:36 Understanding ADHD and Self-Care 24:17 Vulnerability and Connection 27:07 The Journey of Self-Discovery

    31 min

  3. May 20

    How to Let Your Authentic Voice Lead in Business and on Stage with Paula Friedland

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Paula Friedland, licensed counselor, certified life coach, actress, singer, and creator of Soul Speaks, a program she's been teaching in some form for nearly 20 years. Paula's work starts with public speaking but doesn't stay there. It opens into something most people don't expect: a practice of being fully yourself, with one person, in any room. We talked about where Soul Speaks came from. A stand-up comedian with stage fright, a grassroots method, and Paula's own background in musical theater and therapy that she eventually stopped trying to keep separate. We got into what it actually means to find your voice versus find your words, why experienced speakers are often the hardest to teach, and what happens when a room full of people breathes together. There's also a moment in this conversation about showers of appreciation, a practice Paula uses where an audience reflects back the essence they see in a speaker, not the content. It's about receiving. And how hard that is. And why it matters. In this episode: Why finding your voice matters more than finding your wordsThe Soul Speaks method: speaking to one person at a time, even in a crowdHow the "landing breath" changes everything about presenceWhat showers of appreciation reveal about self-worth and receivingWhy experienced speakers are sometimes the hardest to reachHow authentic networking and authentic speaking come from the same place Connect with Paula Friedland: FB: https://www.facebook.com/paula.friedland LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulafriedland/ Website: https://www.soulspeaks.biz/ 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 The Birth of Soul Speaks 02:45 The Intersection of Performance and Authenticity 06:00 Transformational Experiences in Public Speaking 09:02 The Journey from Acting to Coaching 11:52 Growth Mindset and Self-Expression 14:48 The Role of Breath and Somatic Practices 17:50 Receiving Appreciation and Building Connection 21:00 The Importance of Self-Love and Positive Self-Talk 23:44 Competing in Speaking Contests 26:51 Finding Your Voice Over Your Words 29:55 Soul Speaks Salons: A New Networking Approach

    39 min

  4. May 13

    How to Stop Outsourcing Your Worth and Feel at Home in Your Body with Gabby Jockers

    Gabby Jockers is a boudoir photographer based in Colorado, but that description doesn't really cover it. What she actually does is help women figure out what's standing between them and feeling at home in their own bodies, and then create an experience built around that. Not around what a boudoir shoot is supposed to look like. Around what each person actually needs. This conversation goes a lot of places. We talk about how Gabby built a business by asking different questions than her industry was asking: the cookie-cutter shot lists, the heavy editing, the assumption that every woman wants to feel "sexy" in the same way. We talk about body neutrality versus body positivity, and why the difference matters more than most people realize. And we talk about something Gabby brings into her work that most photographers don't: the embodiment practices that help women quiet the inner critic long enough to actually be present for the experience. We also get into what Gabby figured out when she scaled back her bookings. More space didn't mean less. It meant more energy, more creativity, and more passion for the work itself. And why she thinks the pressure to constantly produce is something worth questioning, not just managing. In this episode: Why "empowering" became a word Gabby stopped using and what she does insteadThe difference between body positivity and body neutrality, and why it mattersHow meditation and embodiment practice became part of a photo shootWhat happens when women see their images and realize the session was for them all alongWhy your worth isn't measured by your output and how to actually live that way Connect with Gabby Jockers: Website: https://embodiedartboudoir.com/ The Body Deck: https://embodiedartboudoir.com/the-body-deck/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/embodiedartboudoir/ 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 Understanding Boudoir Photography 03:13 The Unique Approach to Boudoir 06:02 Gabby's Origin Story 12:14 Empowerment and Body Image 17:56 The Body Deck and Affirmations 25:00 Work-Life Balance and Intentional Living

    37 min

  5. May 6

    How to Grow Your Business Through Strategic Partnerships and Referrals with Marie Mack

    Marie Mack showed up to one online networking event, and that's where Leslie met her. One time. The universe was paying attention. In this episode of A Category of One, Leslie sits down with Marie Mack, a business strategist, partnerships expert, and operations consultant who runs two complementary businesses entirely remotely. This conversation covers a lot of ground: how Marie went from blogging in 2014 to building a partnerships methodology, why she stopped copying what worked for other people, and what it actually looks like to show up as yourself in business when the platforms and strategies everyone else is using feel flat. Marie's two businesses reflect two sides of the same instinct. Powerful Online Partnerships (POP) helps consultants, coaches, speakers, and authors grow their visibility through strategic referral partnerships, not ad spend, not cold outreach. Her consulting firm works at the operations level inside larger companies, where she functions more like a chief of staff than a COO: getting the whole orchestra to play together. What runs underneath both is a specific kind of thinking: the belief that abundance is the operating system, not scarcity. That a referral you send out comes back. That the right collaboration doesn't cost you a lead; it multiplies them. In this episode: Why Marie tried every business model that was working for others, and why none of them fitWhat strategic partnerships actually are (and what they're not)How referrals, list swaps, and podcast swaps work as a visibility strategyThe difference between a chief of staff and a COO, and why it mattersWhat it takes to be ready for partnerships, and the honest signs you're not yet Connect with Marie Mack: Website: https://powerfulonlinepartnerships.com/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-mack/ 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 Embracing Change: The Move to Idaho 04:57 The Power of Purging: Creating Space for New Beginnings 08:02 Building a Business Ecosystem: Marie's Entrepreneurial Journey 14:00 Finding Your Flow: The Importance of Intuition in Business 19:56 Powerful Online Partnerships: Collaborating for Success 26:53 Navigating Business Relationships: Referrals and Collaborations 31:45 Conducting Business: The Role of Operations in Success

    36 min

  6. Apr 29

    How to Embrace Your Natural Hair and Stop Treating It Like a Problem with Sadie Hessing

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sat down with Sadie Hessing, a curly hair specialist based in Boulder, Colorado, whose work goes far beyond hair. This conversation started with curls, but it quickly opened up into something deeper. Sadie shares how so many people grow up seeing their hair as something to fix, and what begins to shift when that narrative changes. Not just in how it looks, but in how someone feels walking through the world. We talk about the emotional side of hair, the identity tied to it, and why something that seems surface-level is often anything but. Sadie also walks through how she’s built her business in a way that doesn’t follow the typical path. From evolving her services, to questioning industry norms, to continuing to learn even when there isn’t a clear roadmap to follow. There’s also a thread throughout this conversation around transitions. Hormonal changes, aging, health shifts, even the process of growing something out or letting something go. And how much support people actually need in those in-between stages. If you’ve ever felt like you were supposed to “fix” something about yourself to make it work, this conversation goes there in a real way. In this episode: Why so many people grow up thinking their hair is a problem to solveWhat changes when you start working with your natural texture instead of against itThe emotional and identity layers tied to hairSupporting people through transitions like gray hair, hormonal shifts, or post-chemo regrowthHow Sadie built her business by questioning industry norms and continuing to evolveThe gap in hair education and why she’s exploring trichology Connect with Sadie Hessing: IG: https://www.instagram.com/naturescurlssalon TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naturescurlssalon Website: https://www.naturescurlssalon.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 Hive180 Branding Agency: https://hive180.com 00:00 Introduction  02:39 Embracing Natural Curls: Sadie's Journey 05:33 The Emotional Connection to Curly Hair 08:33 Supporting Transitions: Hormonal Changes and Hair 11:49 Navigating Societal Expectations and Self-Expression 14:35 Innovative Ideas: Education for Parents and Eco-Friendly Practices 17:33 The Passion for Learning and Evolving in Business 20:27 The Importance of Holistic Approaches to Hair Care 23:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    30 min

  7. Apr 22

    How to Find Your Why and Use It as a Decision-Making Tool with Danette Shaifer

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sit down with Danette Shaifer, a coach and certified Why Discovery facilitator through Simon Sinek’s Optimism Company, to explore what it actually looks like to get clear on your why—and then live from it. This conversation started from a shared experience. Danette guided me through my own why discovery process, and what stood out wasn’t just the clarity—it was the permission. Permission to use language that already felt true. Permission to trust what had been there all along. We talk about what happens when you stop “shoulding” yourself, step away from the expected path, and start making decisions from a place that feels aligned instead of prescribed. There’s also an honest look at the in-between. The moments where things don’t feel clear. The pause that feels counterintuitive but ends up being the thing that moves everything forward. In this episode, we talk about: What the why discovery process actually looks like in practiceWhy clarity often comes from someone else reflecting patterns back to youLeaving a successful corporate career without second guessing itThe difference between pushing forward and taking a meaningful pauseLetting go of what you thought your business “should” look likeThe role of intuition vs. structure in decision makingHow self-awareness shows up in both business and personal relationshipsWorking through triggers instead of reacting to themThe shift from hustle into a more intuitive way of workingWhy alignment makes decision making simpler Connect with Danette Shaifer: Website: https://www.florishion.com/empowher LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaiferd/ 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 Embracing Authenticity: The Journey Begins 02:55 The Power of Why Discovery 05:54 Navigating Career Transitions 08:55 Empowering Women in Leadership 11:55 The Importance of Self-Discovery 14:49 Integrating Personal and Professional Growth 17:47 Resilience Through Adversity 20:48 The Role of Parenting in Personal Growth 24:01 Evolving as Entrepreneurs 26:51 The Power of the Pause 30:01 Embracing Feminine Energy 33:07 Connecting Generations 35:49 Calling in Women Leaders

    40 min

  8. Apr 15

    How to Build What You Didn’t Plan and Trust It Anyway with Emily Garcia

    In this episode of A Category of One, I sit down with Emily Garcia, keynote speaker and founder of Tribe Mind Body Wellness, a counseling practice that has grown far beyond what she originally set out to build. This conversation starts with what happens when you pay attention to what’s pulling you, even when it doesn’t make logical sense. Emily shares how her business evolved from a solo practice into a team of 16 without a traditional growth plan, what it looked like to leave a role she felt responsible to stay in, and the moment she knew in her body she had made the right decision. We get into the tension between stability and alignment, how leadership can feel uncomfortable even as you grow into it, and why so much of what she has built came from stepping away long enough to actually hear herself think. There’s also a deeper thread around belonging, relationships, and the idea behind “tribe” — not as a concept, but as something people are actively missing. In this episode, we talk about: The moment she realized staying in her job was no longer sustainableBuilding a business without forcing a growth planWhat it actually feels like to trust yourself in real timeThe difference between logical decisions and internal knowingLeadership, boundaries, and still finding hard conversations hardWhy stepping away created clarity she couldn’t access while busyThe role of relationships in overall wellbeing Connect with Emily Garcia: FB: https://www.facebook.com/emilytribemindbody IG: https://www.instagram.com/tribemindbodywellness/ https://www.instagram.com/emilygarciaspeaks LI: www.linkedin.com/in/emily-garcia-tribe Website (swag too): https://tribemindbody.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 Hive180 Branding Agency: https://hive180.com Chapters: 00:00 The Power of Connection 06:50 Trusting Intuition and Embracing Change 12:35 Building a Supportive Team Culture 18:10 Creating a Holistic Wellness Approach 24:15 Expanding Beyond Therapy: Speaking and Podcasting

    38 min
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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
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Leslie Silverman
  • Show Website
    A Category of One

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