Good Ideas + Bad Decisions

Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Business

Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions! Let’s be real - it’s the perfect name for a show hosted by two business owners who have absolutely made both. Between us, we’ve started businesses, burned out, bounced back, and helped other entrepreneurs do the same. We’re here to talk about the messy middle of running a business - entrepreneurship, mental health, and the chaos that comes with making your own path. Join your hosts Ellen and Kat as we candidly share our experiences, answer your burning business questions, and welcome other owners into our emotional support business club.

  1. 7h ago

    S2E14: Trading Archives for Autonomy with Virtual Assistant Emma Martin 

    In this episode of ‘Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,’ Kat and Ellen introduce their virtual assistant, Emma Martin, and dig into her career path and her approach to work. Emma shares how she left an academic track after earning an English master’s at the University of Chicago, discovered a love of archival work, and went on to earn a library science master’s at UT Austin while working as an archivist, including for the Texas State Bar. After moving to Chicago just as COVID-19 hit and facing uncertain prospects in archives, she temped, then landed in corporate telehealth marketing, where she realized her responsiveness and encouragement weren’t valued the way metrics were. That led her to start her own VA business (and an art practice), where she finds fulfillment in process-building, copywriting, and supporting a variety of clients. Emma also explains why she prefers to stay solo rather than scale, why relationships and soft skills matter so much, and how to reach her at emmamartin.biz. Emma Martin is a Virtual Assistant, artist, and steadfast champion for her clients. She manages their Substack and LinkedIn presence so they don’t have to, helps them find the right words when they’re elusive, and brings order to the proverbial junk drawer. She creates and follows up on the to-do lists that so often become mental roadblocks. Emma does everything from editing podcasts to running Instagrams to sending the emails that fall through the cracks.  She has supported solopreneurs, coaches, and consultants across the arts, wellness, academic, and political sectors, clearing their calendars so they can focus on the expert work they love. Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:47 Meet Emma 01:40 Academia Burnout 03:04 Archivist Life 05:06 Texas State Bar 06:36 Pandemic Move 09:52 Temp to Telehealth 11:43 Becoming a VA 14:32 Autonomy Talk 16:48 Names and Origins 17:45 Entrepreneur Parents 19:34 Mom’s Creative Hustles 20:29 Craft Store at Home 21:15 Paint and Sip Reality Check 22:24 Keeping Art and Money Separate 24:06 Scaling Without Buzzwords 26:19 Favorite VA Tasks 28:21 Career Wisdom Soft Skills 33:46 How to Hire Emma 35:45 Hosts Hype Emma and Farewell 38:03 Episode Outro and CTA

  2. Sep 25

    S2E13: Breaking the Fear of Messing Up (FOMU) and Making Space for Intentional Joy with Brittany Martin Déjean

    In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Brittany Martin Déjean, a speaker and coach who helps people break free from FOMU, the fear of messing up, which shows up as perfectionism, overthinking, self-punishment, and "superficial confidence." Brittany explains how she helps clients map their unique "FOMU fingerprint" and interrupt the cycle through awareness, body-based noticing, and accepting outcomes as they come. She also shares her coaching offerings, including a reported 73% reduction in time lost to FOMU within one group, and talks about her "Intentional Joy Club," which is hosting a throwback '90s karaoke Zoom dance party on September 30. Brittany Martin Déjean is a keynote speaker and coach who helps high achievers interrupt FOMU (Fear Of Messing Up), the cycle of overthinking, self-criticism, and shame around mistakes. Her work grew from 6.5 years at Airbnb, where she trained over 1,000 employees and hosts in disability inclusion and coined the term FOMU. A recovering perfectionist and Harvard alum, Brittany now helps clients reclaim their time, energy, and peace, with clients reducing time lost to FOMU by an average of 73%. She has spoken for organizations including Andersen, NBC Universal, and Deutsche Bank. Check out Brittany's Spotify playlist! Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:54 Ghost in the Computer 02:46 Meet Brittany Martin Déjean 03:59 Fear of Messing Up 06:11 Superficial Confidence Explained 10:40 White Knuckling and Body Stress 14:49 Breaking the Spiral Cycle 19:51 Rewriting What Mistakes Mean 21:05 Who Brittany Helps and How 25:16 Proof FOMU Works 26:14 Joy Through Line 28:13 Backstreet Boys Breakthrough 30:15 Karaoke Zoom Party Plan 31:09 Nostalgia Mini Experiments 33:36 Joy Club Invitation 34:45 Being Yourself Publicly 39:04 Make Joy Nonperformative 42:15 Parting Wisdom 43:41 Where To Find Brittany 45:06 Podcast Sign Off

  3. Sep 18 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 031

    In this mini episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen ease into mid-September, comparing fall routines, back-to-school chaos, and their opposite work rhythms. Kat shares how business cards left at a coffee shop turned into a local Napa magazine feature. They get honest about the awkward side of business development, such as cold outreach, follow-ups, unsubscribes, and Ellen's small-steps approach to getting back into it.  Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  4. Sep 11

    S2E12: Juggling Portfolio Careers, Relationship-Based Marketing, and Stand-Up Comedy with Frenchie Ferenczi

    This week on “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen talk to Frenchie Ferenczi, a business strategist who's built a career out of doing a little bit of everything from hospitality, startups, consulting, and fractional work. She breaks down how she splits her time between fractional roles with Series A/B women's healthcare startups and advisory work for solo founders who need a real thought partner, not just another consultant. They also get into how Frenchie markets herself (hint: it's relationships first, social media second), and how a comedy class turned into performing stand-up weekly, working through sets on marriage, midlife, and motherhood. Plus, she offers her hard-earned advice on spotting "too good to be true" business promises before you fall for them. Frenchie Ferenczi is a small business strategist, fractional executive, and growth advisor. Frenchie has worked with 1000s of independent entrepreneurs and brands like The Wing, Origin, Oula, NeueHouse, and more.  Frenchie’s work has been featured in the Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, PIX11, and more. She lives in in New York City with her husband and their two young sons.  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:08 Meet Today’s Guest 02:37 Frenchie’s Career Path 03:40 Who Frenchie Works With 06:27 Explaining Value and Gender 08:42 Marketing Through Relationships 10:48 Getting Into Stand Up 12:40 Writing and Structuring Sets 17:05 Comedy Money and Perks 18:49 Comedy Scene and Persona 24:40 Integrity in Business 28:31 Stage Nerves and Warmups 31:29 Comedy Ambitions 32:35 Weekly Work Split 35:05 Delegation and VAs 39:55 Long Term Goals 42:09 Too Good To Be True 45:00 How to Connect 45:37 Coffee Chats Return 51:23 New Brand Logistics 57:53 Planning and Check Ins 01:08:13 Episode Wrap Up

  5. Sep 4 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 030

    In this mini-episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen dive into the whirlwind of packed schedules, from squeezing in workouts to balancing parenting demands between meetings. Kat shares exciting updates, including a new client kickoff, a studio tour, and the launch of her Back Office Design Support brand, plus some quarterly filing logistics. The heart of the episode is their contrasting approaches to year-end planning, with Ellen favoring structured quarterly reviews and Kat leaning into flexible, monthly gut checks.  Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download. Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  6. Aug 28

    S2E11: Growing a Business for 40+ Years with Cliff Hockley

    In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen celebrate Ellen's birthday with a special guest: her dad, Cliff Hockley! Cliff is a 40+ year entrepreneur who co-owned a Portland, Oregon property management company founded in 1972 and sold about five years ago and now runs a real estate consulting firm. He walks through his early career, from lobbying to taking over a family business. He discusses scaling up to 100 employees, diversifying into residential, commercial, and a highly profitable condo division, and the operational risks and SOPs he built after early failures. He also covers staffing strategies, negotiating, and his advice to founders. Cliff Hockley is Principal Broker at SVN | Bluestone and managing member of Cliff Hockley Real Estate Consulting, LLC, bringing 43 years of experience in real estate brokerage and management, including growing Bluestone and Hockley Real Estate Services into a 100-employee firm managing over $2 billion in assets before selling it in 2021. He has authored the book "Successful Real Estate Investing," publishes the QuickFacts newsletter to over 2,300 subscribers, and has coached real estate investors and CEOs nationwide since 2015. His civic contributions include board service with IREM Portland and the Rental Housing Alliance of Oregon, along with multiple industry honors such as IREM's Certified Property Manager of the Year and SVN International's brokerage achievement award.  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, helping interior designers create streamlined, sustainable businesses. She is also the Founder of Back Office Design Support, providing flexible, behind-the-scenes operational support to interior design studios, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication, a custom furniture and millwork company serving the design industry. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, Kat is known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download.  Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:52 Birthday Banter 01:48 Meet Ellen’s Dad 03:10 Family Business Origins 04:38 Early Career Hustle 08:31 Buying the Company 11:55 Money Mindset Shift 13:56 Scaling Staff and Space 17:53 Diversifying the Portfolio 20:44 High Rise Operations 22:59 Condo vs Residential Profits 23:52 Offshoring Customer Service 26:43 Recruiting and Negotiation 28:33 Ethics and Internal Theft 30:13 SOPs and Fraud Controls 34:10 Anchoring in Negotiations 40:55 One Page Business Plan 43:34 Moderation and Overnight Rule 45:08 Closing and Podcast Outro

  7. Aug 21 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 029

    In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," hosts Kat and Ellen celebrate Ellen’s birthday as Ellen shares stories from her 10-year anniversary trip to Italy with Danny. They talk gelato, Italian dining culture, and navigating food sensitivities while traveling. Kat also recounts a weekend concert experience, complete with live music and familiar faces. Don't forget to⁠ submit your business questions⁠ for future episodes!  Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download. Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠.

  8. Aug 14

    S2E10: Storytelling as Strategy with Milly Skiles Studio Founder Milly Skiles

    In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen talk with Milly Skiles, founder of Milly Skiles Studio, a content marketing strategy studio for health and wellness brands. Milly shares her path from journalism into marketing after stepping away to raise her kids, and how storytelling shapes her approach to helping clients, especially mental health providers, differentiate themselves. The conversation covers the value of niching down, building genuine connection beyond online metrics, and using AI thoughtfully as an editorial tool. Milly also talks about her growth plans, from sharpening her sales approach to going hyper-local in the Bay Area.  Milly Skiles is a content marketing strategist with over 20+ years of experience in journalism, marketing, and communications. She helps founders and marketing directors build trust-led marketing that earns the right reputation before the first click. With an editorial understanding of how writing, design, and user experience work together, Milly builds and executes strategies grounded in real-world constraints. Her approach turns scattered ideas into content that compounds over time. She uses AI practically and efficiently while protecting originality, credibility, and voice. Milly currently specializes in health and wellness brands, helping them sharpen their messaging, identify the channels worth their time, and fill them with rich content that converts. Kat is the Founder of kat&co, a Creative Operations Consultant, and the Co-Owner and Director of Operations at Benchwork Fabrication. She helps interior designers and creatives turn ideas into streamlined, sustainable businesses. With a background in psychology and deep experience in creative business operations, she’s known for navigating the intersection of creativity and systems with both strategy and empathy. Join her newsletter, The kat&co Download. Ellen Hockley is a three-time entrepreneur, small business consultant, community builder, and the founder of Ellen Hockley Consulting and SAGE Women. She guides female founders to build intuitive, values-driven businesses aligned with the life they want for themselves and their families. Join her Substack newsletter, ⁠The Quiet Wins⁠. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:15 Meet Milly Skiles 02:13 From Journalism to Marketing 05:16 Storytelling as Strategy 08:38 Niching Down Debate 13:12 Brand Refresh Real Talk 14:09 Building Personal Brand Offline 18:41 AI Tools and Ethics 22:29 Client Acquisition Shift 23:14 Inbound vs Outbound Sales 24:10 Retainers and Niche Focus 25:04 Hyperlocal Bay Area Targeting 27:06 Coaching and Pricing Frameworks 29:31 Cold Outreach and Phone Calls 32:59 Community Networking in Cafes 35:45 Content Strategy Deliverables 38:16 SEO and Annual Content Planning 39:38 Buyers Journey Wayfinding 42:30 Final Wisdom and Where to Find Her 45:44 Episode Wrap and Outro

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Good Ideas + Bad Decisions! Let’s be real - it’s the perfect name for a show hosted by two business owners who have absolutely made both. Between us, we’ve started businesses, burned out, bounced back, and helped other entrepreneurs do the same. We’re here to talk about the messy middle of running a business - entrepreneurship, mental health, and the chaos that comes with making your own path. Join your hosts Ellen and Kat as we candidly share our experiences, answer your burning business questions, and welcome other owners into our emotional support business club.

Information

  • Creator
    Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    70
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • Show Website
    Good Ideas + Bad Decisions