Friends from Wild Places

Shireen Botha

Business Owner Professionals and entrepreneurs from all over the world come to speak to me and tell me why they do what they do and their vision. I feature a Non-profit Org to spread awareness. I share bookkeeping tips and stories from my life as a business owner. Inspiring other business owners by showing the wild hearts of entrepreneurs and how they cannot be tamed. And just to chat, laugh, and enjoy one another. Shireen approaches business and life, in general, through the lens of wanting to multiply the light in the world. Whether client, colleague, or friend, she has a special understanding of people. Separate from bookkeeping, her Friends From Wild Places podcast serves as a platform for connection where business owners can share their work and life experiences and even their wild hearts and passions in a safe space.  The podcast also allows entrepreneurs to share about nonprofits that have special meaning for them. 

  1. 2d ago

    Garden Patience

    A garden can look perfect and still feel wrong to live in and fixing that is where design becomes personal. We’re joined by Marisa K. Bradley of Marisa K. Bradley Garden Design, who creates outdoor spaces that support the way you actually move through your day. Starting with Audrey Hepburn’s line, “To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow,” we dig into why gardening is the opposite of instant gratification and why patience, soil health, and natural systems matter more than quick cosmetic wins. If you’ve ever felt like you have a “black thumb,” Tanya says the quiet part out loud and Marissa shares the mindset that helps beginners keep things alive and keep going. Marisa K. Bradley Website: http://www.mkbradley.com/Email: marisa@mkbradley.comInstagram: @marisakbradleygardensTel: +1 415 846 9922 Midway through, we take a hard turn into true crime with the murder of Henry Novak and the chilling aftermath: a fabricated story, a chaotic scene, and a response that raises questions about police protocol, bias, and what “protecting the truth” looks like when the victim can’t advocate for himself. We talk through why first responders should prioritize medical triage, how accountability works under pressure, and why body cam footage can change outcomes. Join us as we support the Slide Ranch this month! We close by tracing Marissa’s roots back to Oregon and the grandmother who taught her composting, resilience, and the idea that individual choices add up in sustainability and climate impact. If you care about garden design, sustainable landscaping, outdoor living spaces, or the systems that shape our lives, this one stays with you.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a fresh start, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  2. Aug 22

    Solopreneur Without Going Broke

    Money fear can freeze the biggest dreams. We talk candidly about what it looks like to want a solopreneur life while still needing stability, and how to move forward without blowing up your finances. Our guiding idea is simple and doable: don’t force a dramatic “quit and pray” moment. Instead, build in a straddle season where you keep your current income, carve out focused time, and stack small wins until the next step is obvious. Allison Coleman Website: http://www.acespayments.com/Email: hello@northstarsanctuary.netLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1 Then we zoom out to something bigger than business: service. When you’re stressed or in a dark place, volunteering and supporting a nonprofit can pull your attention outward and help you reset. That’s why we spotlight the Mallory Gaston Foundation in Sausalito, California, a community gym and wellness nonprofit where affordable memberships help fund youth and young adults earning fitness instructor certifications.  Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month! Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s on the edge of a career change, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  3. Aug 15

    Finding Your Voice In Wellness

    You can feel successful on paper and still crave something truer. Allison joins us to share how she went from being born and raised in Toronto to building a new life in the San Francisco Bay Area, following community, coastline, and the creative pulse of innovation. Along the way we talk about what it really takes to restart in a new place, especially when you do not arrive with a ready made network, just a suitcase, a plan, and the willingness to figure it out.  Allison Coleman Website: http://www.acespayments.com/Email: hello@northstarsanctuary.netLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1 From there, we get practical about launching a yoga business in the Bay Area wellness world where options are endless and standing out is tough. Allison explains how she builds trust with new students by finding her voice, not copying the market, and teaching what people actually need: breathwork, slow flow, yin yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga nidra for stress relief, better sleep, mobility, and longevity. We also explore her “strength and stillness” retreat approach, plus how she uses seasons and lunar themes as simple prompts for micro shifts that stick. Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month! Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review telling us what “stillness” would look like in your week. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  4. Aug 8

    What If Your Business Needs A Nervous System Reset

    We’re Shireen and Tanya, and we start by challenging the old assumption that bookkeeping has to be local to be legitimate. Secure remote access, US-based training, and tight processes can deliver the same precision while giving business owners a more flexible, modern partner. If you’re searching for QuickBooks support, virtual bookkeeping, or a practical way to get your monthly close under control, you’ll feel seen. Allison Coleman Website: http://www.acespayments.com/Email: hello@northstarsanctuary.netLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoncoleman1 Then we bring on Allison Coleman, a senior payments advisor with ACES Payments, to talk about the systems behind how money moves. We dig into the real-world friction points that drain time and margin: payment processing, merchant services, payroll, operational workflow, and even access to capital. Allison’s approach is simple but powerful: reduce complexity, cut unnecessary costs, and build a finance stack that supports growth instead of creating daily stress. Join us as we support the Mallory Gaston Foundation this month! If this conversation gives you a new lens on business systems and human sustainability, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  5. Jul 18

    Building A Death Care Business

    A canceled workshop can feel like a punch to the gut, but it can also be the cleanest data you will ever get. We sit down with Jennifer Lares of Mulling Mortition to talk honestly about the unglamorous side of building a funeral service business: ideas that do not land, the sunk cost trap, and the mental work of making cuts without losing your confidence. Along the way, we keep it real and even get into the unexpectedly practical question of what kind of swag actually fits a death care brand. Jennifer Lares Website: Mullingmortician.comTel: +1 352-509-6273Email: Mullingmortician@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lares-a09163302 If you have ever wondered what embalming really is, how the body changes after death, or how simple rituals like shrouding can add meaning, you will leave with clearer language and fewer myths. Join us as we support Operation Solace this month! We also highlight this month’s nonprofit, Operation Solace, founded in San Antonio to help veterans access non-traditional mental health support, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, and to honor lives lost to suicide through powerful Day of the Dead remembrance. We wrap with a quick word association game and ways to connect with all of us after you listen. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  6. Jul 11

    Teaching Death Care With Heart

    Death care looks “quiet” from the outside, but the work is technical, emotional, and relentless and the biggest challenge is often the one nobody admits: not having access to the training you need when a real case demands it. We sit down with Jennifer, the educator and business owner behind Mulling Mortician, to talk about how funeral service professionals actually learn, where skill gaps come from, and what it takes to close them without shame. Jennifer Lares Website: Mullingmortician.comTel: +1 352-509-6273Email: Mullingmortician@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lares-a09163302 We also go behind the brand. Why “mortuary Mary Poppins” fits, how a lighter tone can humanize a profession people stereotype, and what resistance looks like in an industry with gatekeeping tendencies. Then we shift to leadership and mental health: self management, time blocking, the Eisenhower matrix, and the power of “no” as a complete sentence when your creative energy is running out. Join us as we support Operation Solace this month! If you care about better training, better tools, and better care, subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more funeral professionals can find the conversation. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  7. Jul 4

    Proportional Force

    A rainy high school track meet. A crowded tent. One shove that turns into one stab and a teenager sentenced to 35 years. We step into the gray area most headlines skip and ask the uncomfortable question: what does “proportional force” really mean when fear and adrenaline hit faster than thought? We walk through the Texas case involving Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalfe, then weigh the arguments that split the public, from self defense claims to the idea of intentional escalation, and why jury composition and community context can shape how justice feels. Jennifer Lares Website: Mullingmortician.comTel: +1 352-509-6273Email: Mullingmortician@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lares-a09163302 Our guest, Dr. Jennifer Lares, brings a rare perspective as a licensed funeral director and embalmer, a former Navy hospital corpsman in mortuary affairs, an educator, and the founder of Mulling Mortician LLC. She shares what she found when she dug into the case, including the role of rivalry, how narratives harden through social media, and why nuance gets lost once a story becomes national debate about race, justice, and “what should have happened.” Tanya adds a policy lens around weapons on school property and the questions people ask when the physical evidence is as stark as a fatal chest wound. If you care about true crime analysis, self defense law, the death care industry, mortuary science careers, and building a legacy with your work, this conversation will stay with you. Join us as we support Operation Solace this month! Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves hard questions, and leave a review so more listeners can find Friends from Wild Places. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

  8. Jun 20

    What If Real Reform Starts With You

    We dig into what reform can look like on the ground: showing respect to every person who walks through the door, holding boundaries, and refusing to let cynicism turn you into the kind of officer the public fears. Nancy shares how she teaches students to make change the slow way, like turning a battleship, by holding the line on ethics and professional conduct. Then we shift into the human side of heavy work: how to “recharge the battery” with friendships, community volunteering, and routines that bring genuine joy back into your week.  Nancy Alleyne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-a-aa244848/ Nancy also opens up about being a 15-year breast cancer survivor and what that experience taught her about self-care, listening to your body, and why you cannot give from an empty cup. We spotlight two nonprofits that make a direct local impact: Feeding South Florida’s work fighting food insecurity in food deserts and disaster response, plus Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the push to fund research and support families.  Join us as we support Feeding South Florida and American Cancer Society this month! If this conversation moves you, check the links, donate if you can, and help us spread it. Subscribe to Friends From Wild Places, share this with someone who cares about justice, self-care, or community support, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Send us Fan Mail Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEShireen's Bookkeeping Services LLCOutsourcing your bookkeeping to Shireen’s Bookkeeping Services can save you time and money.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show Stay Wild! YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsfromwildplacesWebsite: https://friendsfromwildplaces.buzzsprout.com/Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/friends-from-wild-places/id1619076023Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFWP_podcastLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/friendsfromwildplacespodcast Leave a review!

About

Business Owner Professionals and entrepreneurs from all over the world come to speak to me and tell me why they do what they do and their vision. I feature a Non-profit Org to spread awareness. I share bookkeeping tips and stories from my life as a business owner. Inspiring other business owners by showing the wild hearts of entrepreneurs and how they cannot be tamed. And just to chat, laugh, and enjoy one another. Shireen approaches business and life, in general, through the lens of wanting to multiply the light in the world. Whether client, colleague, or friend, she has a special understanding of people. Separate from bookkeeping, her Friends From Wild Places podcast serves as a platform for connection where business owners can share their work and life experiences and even their wild hearts and passions in a safe space.  The podcast also allows entrepreneurs to share about nonprofits that have special meaning for them.