Entrepreneur Encounter

Entrepreneur Encounter
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Entrepreneur Encounter is a weekly podcast designed to support creative business owners in developing the soft skills that lead to lasting, values-aligned growth.Hosted by Dana Johnson, founder of a boutique Pinterest marketing agency for wedding pros and creatives, and Sara Lowell, a consultant specializing in business management & team leadership along with podcast management, each episode explores the mindset shifts, communication skills, and leadership habits that empower entrepreneurs to grow sustainably—without the burnout.Through real stories, practical frameworks, and transparent conversations, Dana and Sara offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to run a purpose-driven business in a constantly changing world.Whether you're building your visibility, managing a team, or simply trying to stay grounded while growing, this podcast is your companion in business and in life.

  1. 1d ago

    What If Being More "Professional" Is Making You Forgettable? | EP 54

    Send us Fan Mail You've changed your shirt four times.Rehearsed the first sentence until it doesn't even sound like words anymore. Hit record, watched it back, hated how you looked or sounded, and deleted it. Again. If that cycle sounds familiar, you're not bad at video. You may have simply convinced yourself that the version of you people actually connect with isn't "professional enough" to represent your business. And that belief can quietly turn your brand into a polished version of something that doesn't actually sound like you. We talk about why so many entrepreneurs edit themselves before they ever give their audience a chance to know them. We swap our natural voice, humor, opinions, and quirks for something that feels safer and more "professional," only to end up sounding like everyone else. Because being professional doesn't mean being personality-free. And hiding the parts of yourself that make you different doesn't necessarily make people trust you more. Sometimes, it just makes it harder for them to connect with you at all. This episode is about finding that balance: showing up professionally without editing yourself out of the picture. What You'll Learn In this Episode  Why "professional" can quietly become code for safe, neutral, and forgettable. When you're constantly trying to sound, look, or act like what you think a business owner is supposed to be, you can lose the very personality that makes your business memorable. Why confidence doesn't have to come before authenticity. You don't need to suddenly become fearless before you start showing up as yourself. Confidence grows through repetition, imperfect attempts, and realizing that nothing terrible happened because you let people see the real you. How to tell whether you're editing for clarity or editing out of fear. Before you rewrite the caption, record the video again, or remove the sentence that sounds most like you, ask yourself: "Am I making this clearer, or am I making myself smaller because I'm worried about how I'll be received?" Maybe the goal was never to become more professional. Maybe it's figuring out what professional looks like when it still sounds like you.  Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  2. Aug 21

    From Needing a Clone to Building a Business That Runs Without You | EP 53

    Send us Fan Mail You hired someone because you were tired of doing everything yourself. You wanted help. You wanted to hand things off. You wanted to finally get some breathing room. So why, three days later, are you back in there redoing their work? If that sounds familiar, you're definitely not the only entrepreneur who's been there. In this episode of Entrepreneur Encounter, we're talking about one of the most common delegation traps: expecting someone to work exactly the way you would. And honestly, it makes sense.You built the business. You know how things are supposed to work. You know the little details, the shortcuts, the preferences, and all the things that live in your head but never actually made it into a process. So when someone else does the work differently, it can feel easier to just take it back. But that's where delegation starts to break down. The problem usually isn't that you hired the "wrong" person. It's that you handed someone a task without giving them the systems, expectations, context, or clear outcome they need to succeed. What You'll Learn In this Episode  Why wanting a "clone" of yourself is actually understandable. When you've built something from the ground up, handing pieces of it to someone else can feel uncomfortable, especially when they don't approach the work exactly as you would. But expecting someone to think like you can make delegation harder instead of easier. Why delegation problems are often really systems problems. If a new team member doesn't know what "done" looks like, where to find the information they need, or how you normally handle a task, they're being asked to fill in the blanks themselves. Clear processes, expectations, and outcomes give people a much better chance of succeeding. How SOPs can help your business run without you. Standard operating procedures aren't about creating a giant manual nobody will ever read. They're about getting the important information out of your head and into a system someone else can actually follow. Before you hire the next person, ask yourself: Am I looking for someone who thinks exactly like me, or am I building a system that allows someone else to succeed without having to be me? Because if your business can only run when you're personally involved in every detail, you didn't really delegate. You just created another job for yourself. Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  3. Aug 14

    You're Not Stuck. You're Solving the Wrong Problem | Critical Thinking for Entrepreneurs | EP 52

    Send us Fan Mail You've made another to-do list. Asked five people for advice. Asked your favorite AI tool. Changed your strategy for the third time this month. Added another idea to the pile. And somehow...The problem is still there. Same problem. Different strategy. If you've ever felt like you're banging your head against a wall in your business, convinced that if you just worked harder, tried something different, or found the right answer, you'd finally get unstuck, this episode might feel a little too familiar. This week on Entrepreneur Encounter, we're talking about problem-solving and critical thinking for creative business owners. Because sometimes the problem isn't that you're not doing enough. It's that you're trying to fix something you haven't fully understood yet. As entrepreneurs, we're often rewarded for taking action. Make the post. Launch the offer. Change the strategy. Try something new. But action isn't always progress. Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is stop and figure out what is actually happening before you try to fix it. In this episode, we talk about how to look beyond the obvious problem, separate facts from the stories you're telling yourself, and slow down long enough to ask better questions. Because solving the wrong problem really efficiently is still solving the wrong problem. What You'll Learn In this Episode:  Why more effort isn't always the answer. More content, more promotion, more offers, and more hustle can feel productive while keeping you from asking the harder question: What's really going on here?How to separate facts from the story you're telling yourself. "It didn't sell" is a fact, while "nobody wants what I offer" is a story, and learning to recognize the difference can lead to much better decisions.The three questions that can help you solve the right problem. Before jumping into fix-it mode, ask: What do I know? What am I assuming? What do I need to learn? Taking ten minutes to work through these questions can save you from spending weeks solving the wrong problem.If you've been trying everything and still feel stuck, this conversation might help you stop spinning your wheels and start looking at the problem differently. Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  4. Aug 8

    Why Staying Calm Under Pressure Is a Skill, not a Personality Trait | EP 51

    Send us Fan Mail Something goes wrong in your business. A client sends an email that instantly raises your blood pressure. A vendor drops the ball days before a launch. A team member brings you a problem they can't solve. In that moment, it's easy to believe that some people are just naturally calm under pressure... and you're not one of them. But what if that's not true? In this episode of Entrepreneur Encounter, we're challenging the idea that staying calm is a personality trait. Instead, we're exploring why calm is a skill, how it's developed, and what it actually looks like when everything around you feels chaotic. Along the way, we share real stories from our own experiences, including a wedding-day crisis involving a DJ who packed up in the middle of the reception and a late-night podcast scheduling panic that could have easily spiraled. Because staying calm doesn't mean you don't feel stressed. It means you know how to respond without letting stress make your decisions. We'll also break down a simple framework you can start using today to strengthen your emotional intelligence, regulate your reactions, and lead with more confidence, even when things don't go according to plan. What You'll Learn in This Episode:  Why calm isn't something you're born with, but a skill you can build through practiceHow self-awareness helps you recognize your emotions before they take overThe difference between urgency and panic, and why focusing on what's within your control changes everythingWhy emotional regulation is different from suppressing your emotionsPractical ways to stay grounded and make better decisions when business gets stressfulIf you've ever caught yourself saying, "I'm just not good under pressure," this episode is for you. The goal isn't to stop feeling stressed. The goal is to stop letting stress make your decisions. Because calm isn't about never feeling overwhelmed. It's about practicing a better response, one moment at a time. Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  5. Jul 31

    Why Leading Yourself Is Harder Than Leading Others | Self-Leadership for Entrepreneurs | EP 50

    Send us Fan Mail You give great advice to your clients.You can quickly spot what's holding them back, help them see a solution, and guide them toward their next step with confidence. But when it comes to your own business? That's a different story. Suddenly you're second-guessing decisions, overthinking every move, and wondering if any of it is actually working. In this episode of Entrepreneur Encounter, we're talking about a skill most entrepreneurs never learn: self-leadership. Because leading yourself is different from leading a client, a team, or a business. It requires self-awareness, intentional decision-making, and the ability to stay grounded when doubt starts getting loud. In this conversation, we break down three key components of self-leadership: • How to identify your core values and use them as a decision-making filter instead of making choices based on pressure, urgency, or fear • How to recognize your patterns while they're happening, so you can stop repeating the same cycles of procrastination, avoidance, overworking, or self-doubt • Why self-compassion isn't lowering your standards, but creating the conditions for real growth and change In this episode, listen for:  Why your core values should guide your business decisionsHow to become more aware of your habits and reactions in real timeThe connection between self-compassion and sustainable growthPractical ways to strengthen your self-leadership as a business ownerWhat would change if you gave yourself the same guidance, patience, and support that you give everyone else?  Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  6. Jul 24

    Your First Client: What No One Tells You About Pricing, Boundaries & Confidence | EP 49

    Send us Fan Mail Landing your first client feels like crossing the finish line, until you realize it's actually the starting line. You celebrate the "yes," hang up the phone, and then the questions hit: What do I do now? Am I charging enough? How much is too much? How do I keep this client happy without giving everything away? In this conversation, we unpack what really happens after you land your first client. It's not a conversation about proposals or onboarding checklists, it's about the mindset shifts that come with getting paid for your work for the first time. Drawing from our own experiences, we explore the habits that many new business owners fall into: overdelivering to prove their value, letting friendly relationships blur professional boundaries, and setting prices that become difficult to outgrow. These early decisions often shape the way you work long after that first project ends. If you've ever struggled to balance great service with healthy boundaries or wondered why raising your rates feels so hard, this episode will help you understand where those patterns begin and how to break them. What you'll hear in this episode: Why overdelivering is often driven by fear, not exceptional customer service.How friendly client relationships can quietly lead to blurred boundaries and scope creep.Why your first pricing decisions can have a lasting impact on your confidence and how to avoid getting stuck there.The mindset shift that matters most when you stop trying to earn permission and start building a sustainable business.Ask yourself:  What did your first client teach you that you're still unlearning today? And if you could go back, what advice would you give yourself? Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  7. Jul 17

    From Agreeable to Assertive: How to Stop Losing Yourself in Client Relationships | EP 48

    Send us Fan Mail You've said yes when every part of you wanted to say no. You've softened your feedback until it barely meant anything, just to avoid making someone uncomfortable. You've held back your real opinion in a client conversation, a team meeting, a collaboration — not because you didn't have one, but because you were afraid it would cost you the relationship. If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. At its root, people pleasing is more of a survival strategy than a character flaw. And for a lot of you, it's worked. Maybe it kept the peace in a household that needed keeping. Maybe it helped you navigate school or a toxic workplace where your safety depended on being agreeable. Maybe it's the thing that made you good at your job — attuned to what people needed, flexible, easy to work with. In psychology and trauma research, there's actually a name for this pattern: the fawn response, coined by therapist Pete Walker. It's considered the fourth stress response alongside fight, flight, and freeze and what makes it different is that it doesn't look like fear. It looks like helpfulness. It looks like warmth. It looks like being the best team player, which is exactly why it's so hard to recognize and so hard to change. Research on people pleasing in driven, high-achieving women has found that fawning frequently coexists with professional success meaning you can be capable and accomplished at work and still lose access to your own voice the moment a relationship feels even slightly risky.  Want to grow your audience without a big marketing budget? We are so excited to introduce the Spotlight Swap. Here is how it works: we feature you in the Entrepreneur Encounter newsletter and you feature us in yours. No complicated partnerships, no big budget. Just two businesses helping each other get in front of new audiences. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, fill out the form below and we would love to swap spotlights with you. 👉Fill out this form here: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828  What to listen for in this episode: Why people pleasing isn't a character flaw but a nervous-system survival pattern and why understanding it intellectually isn't enough to change itThe hidden costs of chronic accommodation: resentment, lost identity, and burnout that shows up in your energy, creativity, and decision-makingSpecific, practical phrases for replacing over-agreement with honest, assertive communication that actually strengthens client trustIf you've been performing a version of yourself to keep everyone else comfortable, ask yourself: what would it cost you to keep doing that for another year — and what might it cost you to stop? Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

  8. Jul 10

    Why Softening Your Feedback Is Costing You Better Work | EP 47

    Send us Fan Mail You just got work back from the contractor you hired and it's not quite what you asked for but it's close enough, so you quietly fix it yourself. Again. You tell yourself it's faster this way, that you don't want to be "that" client, "that" boss, or the person who makes things awkward. So you say nothing, or you bury the real point under so much cushioning that it never actually lands. Then it happens again next week. In this conversation, we unpack why vague, conflict-avoidant feedback is quietly costing you better work, stronger relationships, and a business you can actually trust to run without micromanaging every deliverable.  You’ll hear the real reason feedback feels so hard; it's not a lack of practice, it's the self-awareness and vulnerability it requires and walk through the specific costs of staying vague: redone work, resentment, and team members who never get the chance to improve. Also you’ll learn a simple framework for giving feedback that's specific, timely, focused on the work, and paired with care. Want to grow your audience without a big marketing budget? We are so excited to introduce the Spotlight Swap. Here is how it works: we feature you in the Entrepreneur Encounter newsletter and you feature us in yours. No complicated partnerships, no big budget. Just two businesses helping each other get in front of new audiences. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, fill out the form below and we would love to swap spotlights with you. 👉Fill out this form here: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828  What to listen for in this episode: Why "no worries, this is great, just one tiny thing" actually buries your point instead of protecting the relationship and what to say insteadThe real, hidden costs of vague feedback: doing the work twice, growing resentment, and a contractor or VA who never gets the chance to actually improveA four-part framework for feedback that lands — specific, tied to the work (not the person), delivered close to the moment, and paired with careIf you've been softening feedback into nothing because it feels safer — what is that silence actually costing you, your business, and the person you hired to help you grow it? Support the show Whether you’re looking to grow your visibility through Pinterest Marketing or streamline your Podcast Operations and Team Management, we help business owners and creatives build sustainable systems that work for them, not against them. Want to learn more about how this can work for you and your business, reach out to us! Connect with Entrepreneur Encounter:  Your Free Gift: 20 Min Clarity Map https://entrepreneur-encounter.kit.com/clarity-map    Entrepreneur Encounter Spotlight: https://forms.gle/UMfhMqPQSXDXbU828 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-encounter/  Host Sara Lowell:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/youarerembertllc/ Website: https://www.youarerembertllc.com/ Host Dana Johnson:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/d-m-johnson/ Website: https://ddvirtualmanagement.com/

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5
out of 5
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About

Entrepreneur Encounter is a weekly podcast designed to support creative business owners in developing the soft skills that lead to lasting, values-aligned growth.Hosted by Dana Johnson, founder of a boutique Pinterest marketing agency for wedding pros and creatives, and Sara Lowell, a consultant specializing in business management & team leadership along with podcast management, each episode explores the mindset shifts, communication skills, and leadership habits that empower entrepreneurs to grow sustainably—without the burnout.Through real stories, practical frameworks, and transparent conversations, Dana and Sara offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to run a purpose-driven business in a constantly changing world.Whether you're building your visibility, managing a team, or simply trying to stay grounded while growing, this podcast is your companion in business and in life.

Information

  • Creator
    Entrepreneur Encounter
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Entrepreneur Encounter
  • Show Website
    Entrepreneur Encounter