Build Your Own Fairytale

Kristen Lettini
  • 5.0 (35)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

If life feels like it's not the "happily ever after" you were expecting, you've come to the right place! Around here, you'll hear from women who have paved their own way, outside  traditional 9-5s. Together, we'll learn from their journeys and insights so that we can take steps toward building our own fairytales.  

  1. Race Day Reflections: What My First Half Marathon Actually Taught Me (Solo Episode)

    May 28

    Race Day Reflections: What My First Half Marathon Actually Taught Me (Solo Episode)

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show This one took me a while to process. A few months ago, I ran my first-ever half marathon: the Disney Princess Half Marathon. And while I expected the experience to be about running, I realized pretty quickly it was actually about something much bigger. Trust. Trusting yourself before certainty exists. Trusting the ordinary reps. Trusting that consistency matters even when progress feels invisible. Trusting that you can keep showing up before you fully know how things will turn out. In this episode, I’m sharing the real behind-the-scenes of training for and completing the race — from injuries and superstition, to awkward Main Street moments, to realizing the finish line felt a lot less cinematic than I expected. This isn’t really an episode about running. It’s a reflection on business ownership, consistency, identity, motherhood, courage, and learning to trust yourself a little more every time you try something hard. I think that lesson is going to stay with me a lot longer than the medal.

    21 min
  2. How The Week Junior Built a Trusted Brand for Kids with Andrea Barbalich

    May 14

    How The Week Junior Built a Trusted Brand for Kids with Andrea Barbalich

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show What does it take to build something parents trust—and kids actually love? In this episode, I’m joined by Andrea Barbalich, Editorial Director of The Week Junior, a weekly news magazine designed to help kids ages 8–14 understand what’s happening in the world in a way that’s thoughtful, engaging, and age-appropriate. Andrea shares the behind-the-scenes story of launching The Week Junior in the U.S. in March 2020—right as the world shut down—and what it took to build a brand from the ground up in the middle of uncertainty (and plenty of skepticism about print). From hand-selecting her team to establishing the editorial voice and rhythm of a weekly 32-page publication, she walks through the real decisions that shaped the magazine from day one. We also talk about the responsibility of covering complex, often difficult news topics for children, and how her team approaches that work with care—focusing on clarity, balance, and trust. That trust, built with both kids and parents, has been a key part of the magazine’s growth and impact. This conversation goes beyond publishing. It’s about intentionality, leadership, and what it looks like to build something that truly makes a difference—something that sparks curiosity, builds confidence, and stays with people long after they experience it. Connect + Learn More:  Subscribe to The Week Junior: theweekjunior.com/subscribe  Follow along @TheWeekJuniorUS on Instagram and LinkedIn

    41 min
  3. The Annual Twin Episode: Business, Brain Breaks, and Being 11

    Apr 30

    The Annual Twin Episode: Business, Brain Breaks, and Being 11

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show 👯‍♀️ Special Guests: Sammy & Gracie (my twin daughters) 🗓️ Recorded after Take Your Kids to Work Day 2026 This has quietly become one of my favorite episodes to record every year.  My daughters—11-year-old identical twins—have been on the podcast a few times now, and each year the conversation shifts a little as they get older, more independent, and more aware of what’s going on around them. They’ve grown up watching me leave my corporate job and build this business from home. In past years, they’ve “come to work” with me—but this year, they went to work with their dad instead. So we recorded these conversations separately, and I asked them almost all the same questions. What came out of it was equal parts funny, honest, and surprisingly insightful. There’s a lot we talk about on this podcast—systems, strategy, making your business easier to carry—but this episode is a good reminder that sometimes the simplest perspectives are the ones that stick.

    16 min
  4. Building Something That Doesn’t Fit the Mold with Lynn Harris

    Apr 16

    Building Something That Doesn’t Fit the Mold with Lynn Harris

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show Lynn Harris, a culture-shifting producer, award-winning journalist, and founder of GOLD Comedy, shares her non-linear path from journalism to comedy to building a community-driven business.  We talk about what it really looks like to run a business when you don’t fit the typical “founder” mold — from testing and growing an idea over time to the role of community, the behind-the-scenes realities, and why you don’t need to have the whole path figured out to get started. Learn more about Lynn and GOLD Comedy at goldcomedy.com or follow on Instagram @goldcomedy.  (use code GOLD10PERCENTOFF for 10% off if you join GOLD Comedy)

    36 min
  5. The Follow-Up Gap in Your Business (Solo Episode)

    Apr 2

    The Follow-Up Gap in Your Business (Solo Episode)

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show You’ve had this happen before. A potential client says yes.  You send the quote, contract, or invoice… And then things go quiet. Suddenly the questions start creeping in: Did they change their mind? Did they forget? Should I follow up? This moment is incredibly common in service-based businesses — and it’s where a lot of deals quietly stall. In this episode, I'm walking through the "follow-up gap" — that space between someone saying “yes” and actually completing the next step — and why it often has less to do with interest and more to do with timing, attention, and how we communicate. If you’ve ever hesitated to follow up because you didn’t want to seem pushy, this episode will shift how you think about it. *** Free Workshop: Build a Smarter Document Reminder Strategy in 17hats Design well-timed email and text reminders that feel personal — even though they’re automated. You’ll learn how to: map out reminder timing for quotes, contracts, invoices, and questionnaireschoose between email and text follow-upsrefine your messaging so it sounds like you→ Save your spot

    9 min
  6. The Mental Load of Business Ownership (and How to Lighten It) (Solo Episode)

    Mar 19

    The Mental Load of Business Ownership (and How to Lighten It) (Solo Episode)

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show Running a business comes with a mental load that most people don’t talk about. Not the big projects or strategic decisions — but the constant background tracking: Who still needs a follow-up.Which invoice hasn’t been paid.Whether someone signed their contract yet.Remembering when a client said they’d “get back to you.”None of these tasks take long individually, but together they create a quiet mental load that can make running a business feel heavier than it needs to. So many solopreneurs assume the solution is hiring help — when often the real opportunity is creating better support through systems. 🎧 Listen now to learn how small changes behind the scenes can make your business feel lighter — and a little closer to the fairytale you hoped it would be. ICYMI Episode 144: Start at the Front Door: A Spring Reset for Your Business

    12 min
  7. Start at the Front Door: A Spring Reset for Your Business (Solo Episode)

    Mar 5

    Start at the Front Door: A Spring Reset for Your Business (Solo Episode)

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show Spring cleaning isn’t about crisis. It’s about circulation. In this episode, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at recording during a literal New Jersey blizzard, the decluttering session that unexpectedly boosted my energy, and a confession: I procrastinated this episode harder than I’d like to admit. Because here’s the truth — dust is just deferred decisions. And that buildup? It happens in our businesses too. If things are “technically working,” it’s easy to tolerate small inefficiencies… until the mental load starts to feel heavier than it needs to. So instead of overhauling everything, we’re starting at the front door. I’ll walk you through a simple, tactical place to begin your seasonal edit: your lead management process. What happens when someone fills out your contact form? Are they guessing what’s next? Or are you professional by design? You don’t need a brand-new business. You need to breathe inside the one you built.

    14 min
  8. How to Choose Direction When You Can’t See the Whole Plan (Solo Episode)

    Feb 19

    How to Choose Direction When You Can’t See the Whole Plan (Solo Episode)

    Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the show You don’t always get the full five-year blueprint in business. Sometimes you get a clear season. Sometimes you get a quiet one. And sometimes you hit a speed bump and think… okay, now what? This 10-minute solo episode is a grounded reframe for those moments. Not a checklist. Not a dramatic pivot. Just a steadier way to think about uncertainty, slow seasons, and the in-between chapters of building a sustainable business. If you’ve ever felt tempted to overhaul everything because things felt unclear — this is the episode to come back to. Tune in for a practical mindset shift on choosing direction over certainty, using planning containers (like a 12-week sprint or seasonal strategy), and why long-term business growth requires calm leadership instead of panic decisions. And if you’re curious about the Marketing Planning Reset I mentioned in the episode, you can join the waitlist here. Whether you’re in a clear season or a quieter one, this episode is one to bookmark for the next time you can’t see the whole staircase.

    10 min
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5
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About

If life feels like it's not the "happily ever after" you were expecting, you've come to the right place! Around here, you'll hear from women who have paved their own way, outside  traditional 9-5s. Together, we'll learn from their journeys and insights so that we can take steps toward building our own fairytales.  

Information

  • Creator
    Kristen Lettini
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    153
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Build Your Own Fairytale
  • Show Website
    Build Your Own Fairytale