Margs and Mindset

Barlyssa Lopez
  • 5.0 (5)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Barlyssa have been taking on life's challenges side by side, discovering what works and what doesn't. We're not just addressing past wounds, but also picking up handy skills and strategies along the way to steer our journey forward. We're convinced that no one should have to pilot through these experiences alone. With a common objective, we pondered the most impactful way to extend out support to women of color tackling generational traumas and experiences in solitude. It turned out that launching a podcast is the best conduit to build a supportive community that engages in raw, real and open dialogues that yield authentic growth. But, add tasty margaritas and some laughs for a good time because a good laugh can overcome more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than people realize.

  1. 15H AGO

    Five Years Of Making Magic

    Send us Fan Mail Five years ago we were just hoping a family would say yes to a party proposal we built in Canva. Now we’re celebrating a fifth business birthday with a full-blown brand shoot, a cake that made our jaws hit the floor, and the kind of gratitude that only comes from doing the scary thing and not stopping. We talk through the milestone from the inside out: how time moves like a blink, how “mature business” energy feels different, and how our work shifts when we let it reflect who we really are. We get into creative entrepreneurship choices that sound small but change everything, like giving ourselves permission to make up the rules, build a brand with meaning, and even call ourselves “event magicians” when that’s the truest title. If you care about event planning, brand identity, small business growth, or creative marketing, this one is packed with real talk and lived experience. Then we take you behind the scenes of our biggest branding shoot to date: the timeline, the multiple concepts, the outfit changes, and the intention to time capsule the story. We share why brand photography and video content matter when you’re building trust and telling a consistent story, plus the hilarious reality of filming an MTV Cribs style tour at Slate and realizing that being good at something in real life does not mean you won’t freeze on camera. The heart of it lands on purpose. We honor Mama Adele for seeing our gift early, naming it out loud, and helping set us on a path we couldn’t have predicted. If you’re building something in ROC or anywhere and you need a reminder to keep going one bite at a time, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s chasing a dream, and leave us a review so more people can find the magic. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    43 min

  2. MAY 20

    Vacation Shopping with Kim Della Porta

    Send us Fan Mail A vacation is supposed to feel like relief, not like a second job with 37 browser tabs and a dozen deadlines. We sit down with repeat guest Kim Della Porta, who made a bold career pivot from mom health coach to travel planner, and she tells the honest story of what pushed her to change lanes, what she was afraid it would “mean,” and why this new path finally took off. We get practical about what a travel agent actually does, especially for overwhelmed moms who are already managing everyone’s needs. Kim walks us through her process, from the client who says “take me somewhere warm” to the client who has a specific ship, cabin, and travel month picked out. We talk vacation planning priorities like budget, kid-friendly amenities, excursions, and whether you want to stay on-resort or explore. Then we nerd out on Disney vacation planning details like midnight bookings, 6 a.m. dining windows, and Lightning Lane style timing that can make or break your trip if you don’t know what’s coming. The biggest takeaway is that “vacation shopping” can be part of the memory. When someone you trust curates the best options, answers questions fast, and keeps you on track, the whole experience gets lighter, and you actually arrive excited instead of depleted. We also break down how commissions work so many trips cost you the same as booking direct, plus when some planners charge a planning fee for complex custom itineraries. If you’re dreaming about a cruise, an all-inclusive resort, Disney, Universal, or even a simple weekend away, hit play and start planning smarter. Subscribe, share this with your favorite trip planner, and leave a review telling us where you want to go next. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    43 min

  3. MAY 15

    Big Girls Use Mic Stands Now

    Send us Fan Mail Mother’s Day hits different when your life has chapters you don’t want to erase. We’re sipping margaritas, adjusting to mic stands that somehow make us feel like beginners again, and then we get honest about the real mood behind the holiday: gratitude, love, pressure, and memories that still have weight. We talk about what it’s like to celebrate being a mom while also carrying complicated family relationships and the emotional reality that motherhood didn’t start out the way we imagined. There’s a particular kind of heaviness when the day feels “showy”, when everyone wants to make it big, and your nervous system just wants it to stay simple. We unpack that tension and why it’s okay to love your life now without pretending the past didn’t shape you. Then we zoom out to the season we’re in as parents: milestone after milestone. Dance recital days that leave you exhausted but in awe, high school transition nights that make time feel loud, and taekwondo testing that reminds you your kids are becoming their own people. We keep coming back to one theme: the duality. Being proud and heartbroken at the same time doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong, it means you’re paying attention. If this resonates, subscribe for more real talk, share the episode with a mom who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find us. What part of Mother’s Day feels the most complicated for you right now? Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    29 min

  4. MAY 6

    What If Success Is The Scary Part

    Send us Fan Mail Five years into business sounds like a celebration until someone calls your company “mature” and you realize… oh, this is the livelihood now. We’re sipping margaritas and telling the truth about what that milestone brings up: pride, pressure, gratitude, and the very real question of how to build a sustainable business for the long haul without spiraling into fear. We also get into the brand refresh we thought would be “just new photos,” then quickly became a full identity check. New pictures lead to new website copy, new clarity, and a new standard for how we want to show up as business owners. If you’ve been feeling like your old brand no longer fits, this conversation will help you name what’s changing and why it’s so emotional, especially when you run multiple services and your business keeps evolving. From there, we zoom out into the entrepreneurship mindset that keeps us moving: intentionality over reaction, asking deeper questions, and letting fear ride along without letting it choose the route. We talk about the weird nerves of full-time entrepreneurship, the fear vs excitement reframe, and the reminder we found in our original Dream Big notebook that the process and the vision were always there. If you’re building something in Rochester (ROC) or anywhere else and you want a grounded push to keep going, you’re in the right place. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in a growth season, and leave a review so more builders can find us. What part of success feels the scariest to you right now? Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    38 min

  5. APR 29

    Ebb + Flow

    Send us Fan Mail A grapefruit margarita at 10:30 AM sounds like chaos until you hear the point behind it: we’ve built a life where we get to choose our mornings. That little moment turns into a bigger conversation about entrepreneurship, time freedom, and why your calendar should be a tool instead of a trap. We talk about the never-ending to-do list and how changing the narrative helps us feel less boxed in while still getting real work done. We also go deeper into the mindset shift that “time is made up.” Not as an excuse to avoid responsibility, but as a way to stop letting the clock run your nervous system. We share what it looks like to stay grounded when plans change, why we’re proud of the earlier versions of ourselves who pushed through the hard seasons, and how emotional resilience shows up in everyday moments that used to derail our whole day. Then we pivot into health, wellness, and routines that finally stick. We unpack morning and evening routines, the value of working with a nutrition coach and personal trainer, and why your food story can be tangled up with stress, mental health, and old survival patterns. We also share a very real wake-up call around diabetes risk and lifestyle change, plus the reminder we keep coming back to: you don’t have to like everything you do, but you still have to do it if you want the best version of you. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s rebuilding their habits, and leave a review so more people can find Margs And Mindset. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    31 min

  6. APR 22

    Back To Homeostasis

    Send us Fan Mail Eight courses will do that thing where you show up thinking you’re just going to eat, and you leave remembering who you are. We’re fresh off a North Carolina family vacation and the end of four back-to-back trips, and our bodies are begging for routine, homeostasis, and that simple grounded feeling of being home in our own space. We talk honestly about motherhood, travel fatigue, and why rest can feel like the smartest move you make before a packed season. Then we jump into the private dinner that brought everything together: an elevated Mexican tasting menu with a real story arc, plus craft cocktail pairings that somehow taste exactly like the bartender predicts. We break down the experience course by course, including the dishes we swore we wouldn’t like and then absolutely demolished, and we share the tiny details that made it feel intentional: being seated like guests, being prompted to take the photo, and being pulled into community with total strangers. The deeper takeaway is bigger than food. Telling our story out loud reminds us how far we’ve come, and it reinforces the celebration system we’re building on purpose so we can pour into our business without burning out. If you’ve been stuck in “life is happening to me,” we get into the mindset shift that changes everything: life can happen for you when you choose a new perspective and actually say yes to the moments that refill your cup. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review if the mindset shift lands for you. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    45 min

  7. APR 15

    One Year All In with Aubre Fox

    Send us Fan Mail Getting laid off can either shrink your world or crack it wide open. We sit down with returning guest Aubre Fox exactly one year after she gets pushed into full-time entrepreneurship, and the timing is almost too perfect: the day we record, we’re also processing a fresh layoff on our side. What follows is an honest, grounded 365-day look at how confidence actually gets built, one project, one relationship, and one hard decision at a time.  Aubre walks us through AF Brands and Co, the umbrella that finally makes her work feel clear and bookable: NXT Level Collective, A Fox Interiors, and “Aubre” as a brand for speaking, programming, and creative opportunities. We talk personal branding and business clarity, why “trying things” is not being scattered, and how you know you’ve moved from exploration into alignment. If you’re searching for entrepreneurship advice, solopreneur support, or how to build multiple income streams without confusing your audience, this conversation delivers real examples.  We also get into the culture shift that matters most: no gatekeeping. From CEO circles and retreats to simple moments of asking a friend for the number you don’t know, we explore how community building helps women in business grow faster. Aubre shares what it’s like to book commercial acting work through relationships, what “proof of life” selfies are, and why she’s comfortable saying, “I usually get paid for this.”  If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s building something new, and leave a review so more founders can find the show.  And if you've been thinking about joining the collective but have been on the fence we're here to say DO IT! We even have a discount code to save you 10% off your membership: HOMEMADE10 Meet Aubre Fox Aubre Fox is the founder of AF Brands & Co., where she builds brands that blend creativity, strategy, and community. She also brings her on-camera and creative experience to each company. This includes being featured in commercials, leading brand shoots and promotions, and partnering on events as a creative collaborator from concept through execution. The NXT Level Collective is Aubre’s community for women in business who want real support, real strategy, and zero gatekeeping. Through memberships, events, and curated experiences, it helps women scale with stronger systems, confidence, and connections. A.Fox Interiors is her high-end residential interior design firm, focusing on family-friendly, elevated spaces that feel timeless and functional. The team offers full-service design support from concept to completion, allowing clients to enjoy the process and love the result. If your’re anything like us, you’ll want to be friends with Aubre after this episode! You can follow her journey on: NXT www.thenxtlevelcollective.com ig: @nxt_levelcollective A.Fox Interiors www.afoxinteriors.com ig: @a.fox_interiors Personal Brand / AF Brands & Co www.afbrandsco.com ig: @Aubre_Fox  Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    55 min

  8. APR 8

    Better People

    Send us Fan Mail The calendar flips to spring in Rochester and suddenly it’s go time: events stack up, the pace accelerates, and every tiny crack in your business systems shows up all at once. We’re fresh off a one-day retreat called Scaling For Sustainable Success, and it gives us the exact mindset shift we need to step into busy season without melting down. Not because we find a magic template, but because we realize the real work starts with the person leading the business. We talk about why the most effective business retreat experience we’ve had doesn’t begin with revenue goals or marketing plans. It begins with self-awareness, identity, and leadership. We share how breathwork and visualization keep landing for us, even when we doubt it right before it starts and how releasing old stories changes the way we make decisions, handle pressure, and show up as business owners. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “bad at this” after one messy day, this conversation is for you. Then we bring it straight into real life: four events in three days, a full array of challenges, and a totally different response than we used to have. Instead of spiraling, we problem-solve in the moment, plug holes in our workflows, and treat mistakes like data. Yes, we even talk about the scissors problem and why “buy more scissors” is sometimes the most honest operations strategy. We also share a coaching line that hits us in the chest: you can’t judge your whole career off your worst game. If you’re building a small business, scaling an event business, or craving sustainable success without burnout, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in growth mode, and leave a review with the biggest system you need to build next. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

    35 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Barlyssa have been taking on life's challenges side by side, discovering what works and what doesn't. We're not just addressing past wounds, but also picking up handy skills and strategies along the way to steer our journey forward. We're convinced that no one should have to pilot through these experiences alone. With a common objective, we pondered the most impactful way to extend out support to women of color tackling generational traumas and experiences in solitude. It turned out that launching a podcast is the best conduit to build a supportive community that engages in raw, real and open dialogues that yield authentic growth. But, add tasty margaritas and some laughs for a good time because a good laugh can overcome more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than people realize.

Information

  • Creator
    Barlyssa Lopez
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    138
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Margs and Mindset
  • Show Website
    Margs and Mindset