Emily Shimwell — founder of Dine Wilder and co-founder of Graze Wilder Charcuterie — tell us about building a business by relying on your own intuition rather than your business plan. Emily sits down with Mak and shares everything from launching a charcuterie company in four days with a 10-week-old strapped to her chest, to turning down "safe" advice at every turn, Emily walks through what it actually looks like to grow a brand with a north star. We chat about: The Graze Wilder origin story — going from idea to 38 paying customers in 4 days, with zero business plan Why Emily deliberately does the "unscalable" thing first Flow state as a growth strategy — and the very weird Chris Williamson story that proves it Ditching goals for a "north star" — how vision-led (not goal-led) decisions actually work The launch of The Room, her new membership, and why she capped it at 50 people instead of scaling fast Reframing "work" as "the build" — and why that shift changes your energy, not just your mindset The real cost of chasing scale too early, and what to focus on instead (hint: it's the 2 people already in your world) About Emily Shimwell Yorkshire-born storyteller, experience designer, mom of two small humans; Jack and Wilf, now rooted in Squamish, BC. Emily’s a night owl and an early bird, and her energy is unmatched. Gathering is in her bones. Her door is always open, the kettle is always on, and she’ll happily run down the street just to compliment you. She creates spaces where people feel safe, alive, and deeply connected, which is the heartbeat of everything she does. To Emily, the ultimate symbol of connection is the dinner table. That’s why she founded Dine Wilder: curated dinner retreats for women craving more. More depth. More meaning. More real connection. She doesn’t just make things look beautiful. She crafts moments that stay with you long after the last plate is cleared. Connect with Emily Join The Room: https://www.emilywilder.ca/the-room Come to a dinner | https://dinewilderevents.com/ Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/dine.wilder | https://www.instagram.com/_emily_wilder_ Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-shimwell-038937145/ About Makenzie Chilton I'm Makenzie Chilton — business and leadership coach, keynote speaker, and founder of Love Your Mondays. Part tough-love hippie, part forensic psychologist (yes, really), I help people stop asking "what am I doing with my life?" and start building work that actually feels like theirs. I've coached everyone from stressed-out execs to scrappy founders, led workshops across North America, and Cannes Lions with my signature Value Mapping workshop. Every week on the podcast, I bring the same thing I bring to the stage: smart, honest, no-cookie-cutter conversations about work, purpose, and doing something that matters. Connect with Mak Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/loveyourmondays/ LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/loveyourmondays/
