A Cup of Honest Tea

Debbie Lemonte

Ever wish you could sit down with someone who gets it—the messy middle of building a business, the pivots that change everything, and the systems that actually work? Welcome to A Cup of Honest Tea, where we're spilling the real talk on what it takes to build and scale a creative business. Expect unfiltered conversations about systems that don't suck, mindset shifts that move the needle, and the honest truth about what's working (and what's not). Think of it as catching up with your neighbor's best friend who's got the tea and the receipts. Pull up a chair. We're figuring it out together.

  1. May 18

    Let Your Speaker Page Do The Heavy Lifting

    This week's episode is a special one. It is a full audio version of my Speaker Movement Summit presentation on building a speaker page that converts. In this episode, I walk you through the 7 sections every speaker page needs, from your hero and positioning one-liner to your booking CTA, and exactly why each piece matters to the organizers who are quietly deciding whether to book you. Grab the freebies mentioned in this episode:→ Speaker Page Audit Checklist: LINK→ Showit Speaker Page Templates: LINK Let's connect: @its.debbiej

    14 min

  2. Feb 9

    The Triwizard Tournament: A Project Management Nightmare

    What if I told you that a prestigious international competition that ended with a student's death and Voldemort's return could have been prevented with basic project management? The Triwizard Tournament is one of the most spectacular project management failures in the Harry Potter series. It had everything: high stakes, international collaboration, media attention, a binding deadline and absolutely zero proper planning. No risk assessment. No security protocols. No contingency plans. No communication strategy. Just vibes and hope. In this deep-dive episode, I'm breaking down exactly what went wrong with the Triwizard Tournament and what it teaches us about managing complex projects in our businesses. Because if you've ever launched something without proper planning and watched it spiral into chaos, this episode is going to hit different. In this episode: The 5 catastrophic project management failures of the Triwizard Tournament (and they're all preventable)Why Hogwarts brought back a deadly competition with no risk assessment and what happened because of itHow a compromised selection process should have stopped the entire tournament (but didn't)The complete absence of a communication plan and how it damaged trust with all stakeholdersWhat a proper project management approach would have looked like (and how Cedric might still be alive)How to apply crisis contingency planning to your own business launches and projectsContent note: This series uses Harry Potter as a case study for business operations failures. Familiarity with the Triwizard Tournament storyline enhances the experience but isn't required to get the business lessons.

    22 min

  3. Jan 28

    What Dumbledore Actually Needed Was an OBM

    What if I told you that one of the most brilliant wizards in literary history was actually a terrible operations manager? And that his mistakes are probably the same ones you're making in your business right now? I'm kicking off a new series where we dissect the operational disasters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and extract real business lessons you can actually use. No magic required. In this inaugural episode, I'm breaking down why Albus Dumbledore, visionary leader, strategic genius, beloved headmaster, desperately needed an Online Business Manager. He was juggling four major leadership roles, keeping critical information siloed in his own head, and running an entire resistance movement with zero documentation. When he died? Organizational collapse. In this episode: Why Dumbledore's death caused complete organizational chaos (and what that reveals about single points of failure in your business)The 4 core things an OBM would have done for Dumbledore and how they apply to your business operationsHow to identify if you're the Dumbledore of your business (spoiler: if nothing is documented and you can't take a vacation, you are)The difference between being a doer and being a leader and why you can't scale while doing everything yourselfReal examples of Hogwarts operational disasters: the Triwizard Tournament, the Horcrux plan, and succession planning failuresWhat strategic operations management actually looks like (hint: it's not just task management)Content note: This series uses Harry Potter references and examples to illustrate business operations concepts. You don't need to be a superfan to get the lessons, but it definitely makes it more fun if you are.

    15 min

  4. Jan 28

    How Your Childhood Shows Up in Your Business

    Here's the tea: You can have all the ClickUp templates and automation workflows in the world, but if you don't understand WHY you operate the way you do, you're gonna keep hitting the same walls. This episode is about the thing nobody wants to talk about in business: how the way you were raised shows up in how you run your company. The underpricing. The inability to delegate. The people-pleasing. The perfectionism that keeps you from launching. None of that is random. It has roots. In this episode: The common childhood dynamics that shape how you do business (and why they're both strengths and limitations)How hypervigilance, conditional self-worth, and over-functioning show up in your pricing, boundaries, and client workReal examples of what these patterns look like in business situationsReflection questions to help you identify what you're repeating and what needs to changeA note: This episode discusses childhood emotional dynamics and may bring up feelings. Take care of yourself while listening. Want to process this further? Send me a DM on Instagram @its.debbiej and let me know what landed. This work is vulnerable, and we need community around it.

    21 min

  5. Jan 26

    Business Lessons from a Masked Stalker Romance - Part 3 (The Finale)

    Welcome to the FINAL part of the series where I've somehow turned a book about masked stalkers and body disposal into a legitimate business masterclass. (My life is wild, y'all.) In Part 3, we're wrapping up with Lessons 7-9: why humor is your secret weapon when shit hits the fan, how transparency builds trust faster than any sales tactic, and crisis management when you definitely weren't prepared for the mess you're in. This is for every business owner who's dealt with tech crashes, client emergencies, team members ghosting, or just the general chaos of entrepreneurship. Because the truth is, you can't prepare for EVERY crisis. But you CAN be resourceful, calm under pressure, and willing to handle the uncomfortable stuff without completely spiraling. In this episode: Why bringing personality and humor into your business isn't unprofessional. It's very much strategicThe "dual POV" approach to client transparency that builds trustHow to create a simple crisis protocol so you don't freeze when chaos hits Content note: This series references themes from an adult dark romance novel, including violence and morally gray situations, but focuses on business strategy lessons—not explicit content. Ready for more? Screenshot this episode, tag me @its.debbiej on Instagram, and tell me the weirdest place YOU'VE gotten business inspiration from. I wanna hear your stories. Find me at itsdebbiej.com or slide into my DMs and let's build the systems that'll keep your business running even when life gets chaotic.

    17 min
  6. Business Lessons from a Masked Stalker Romance - Part 2

    Jan 25

    Business Lessons from a Masked Stalker Romance - Part 2

    What if I told you a dark romance novel about a masked internet stalker could teach you more about business operations than most MBA programs? Yeah, I'm serious. In Part 2 of this series, I'm breaking down Lessons 4-6 from Lights Out by Navessa Allen, and no, you don't need to read the book to get the strategy gold. We're talking intentional branding (even when you're anonymous), using your messy past as your superpower instead of hiding it, and knowing when to pivot from what clients asked for to what they actually need. If you've been winging your brand presence, treating your previous career like baggage, or just executing orders without questioning if you're solving the RIGHT problem, this episode will shake some things loose. In this episode: How to audit your brand for consistency (and why it matters more than you think)Why your "failed" past experiences are actually your competitive advantageWhen to course-correct with clients before wasting time on the wrong solutionContent note: This series references themes from an adult dark romance novel, including stalking and morally gray characters, but focuses on extracting business strategy, not plot details.

    16 min

  7. Jan 7

    Business Lessons from a Masked Stalker Romance - Part 1

    Yes, you read that title right. I just finished reading Lights Out by Navessa Allen—a DARK romance with masked stalkers, morally grey characters, and enough chaos to make you question my reading choices. But here's the thing: I found legit business lessons buried in this unhinged book. In Part 1, we're covering three critical lessons every creative entrepreneur needs to hear: Lesson #1: Know Your Niche & Lean Into It Unapologetically Lesson #2: Automation & Systems Keep Things Running When Shit Hits the Fan Lesson #3: Clear Communication Prevents Catastrophes Strategy is EVERYWHERE if you're paying attention—even in the pages of a dark romance novel. Let's get into it.

    20 min
  8. Human First Wedding: The Harm Wedding Pros Don't Know They're Causing

    06/30/2025

    Human First Wedding: The Harm Wedding Pros Don't Know They're Causing

    What if your "professional" client process is actually causing emotional harm? In this powerful episode, Debbie confronts the wedding industry about the systems and language that exclude LGBTQ+ couples, overwhelm neurodivergent clients, and ignore the trauma that many people bring to their wedding day. She shares real stories of couples who felt unwelcome from the very first inquiry form, and challenges wedding pros to move beyond performative inclusion to actually inclusive practices. This isn't about being politically correct—it's about recognizing that love shows up in many forms, and our businesses should be safe spaces for all of them. If you work in weddings, this episode will change how you serve every couple who trusts you with their story.

    14 min
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About

Ever wish you could sit down with someone who gets it—the messy middle of building a business, the pivots that change everything, and the systems that actually work? Welcome to A Cup of Honest Tea, where we're spilling the real talk on what it takes to build and scale a creative business. Expect unfiltered conversations about systems that don't suck, mindset shifts that move the needle, and the honest truth about what's working (and what's not). Think of it as catching up with your neighbor's best friend who's got the tea and the receipts. Pull up a chair. We're figuring it out together.

Information

  • Creator
    Debbie Lemonte
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 298223
  • Show Website
    A Cup of Honest Tea