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. 4d ago ·  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.

  2. 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

  3. Aug 7 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 028

    In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen catch up after a chaotic stretch for both of them. Ellen has been managing family illness, the loss of a pet, and travel prep, while Kat is also dealing with difficult family health news, an exciting but stressful shop project, and pet health scares. Kat and Ellen trade thoughts on AI, weighing concerns about its environmental and cognitive costs against how genuinely useful it's been for their small businesses, from troubleshooting and proofreading to organizing scattered ideas. 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.

  4. Jul 31

    S2E9: Rebuilding and Recentering with Haus von Albe Founder Christina Hunt

    In this episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat hosts solo with Christina Hunt, founder of Haus von Albe and a brand/community strategist who also teaches yoga and human design. Christina shares her winding path from Germany, where she left a long-term relationship and pursued yoga training, to Texas, and eventually into a Meta role that built her paid media skills before she launched her own business. She discusses her evolution from Meta ads into broader marketing strategy and fractional CMO work, the exhaustion of chasing algorithms and inconsistent startup budgets, and her advice for founders: prioritize self-knowledge, set boundaries, and take time to recognize your own accomplishments. With 15 years of experience at the intersection of brand strategy and community building, Christina Hunt believes the best marketing doesn't feel like marketing, it feels like belonging. She has built brand communities at Kit and Ace in London, grown boutique fitness brands in one of the world's most competitive markets, directed strategy for global festivals across four continents, and consulted for founders across the US and UK. She now brings her expertise in marketing strategy to brands through Haus von Albe. 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 Intro 00:47 Guest Intro 01:28 Local Banter Catch Up 03:07 Mercury Direct Updates 04:27 Back To Full Time 05:00 How We Met 07:47 Origin Story Germany 10:38 Meta Job And Strategy 15:18 Business Evolution Burnout 20:29 Community Over Algorithms 23:57 Choosing Stability Now 25:41 Evolving Past Identity 26:43 Autonomy Over Micromanaging 28:59 Commute Reality Check 31:54 Office Life After COVID 33:50 Rethinking Career Loyalty 36:22 What’s Next Careerwise 38:42 Know Yourself First 40:54 Slow Down and Reflect 42:53 Where to Find Christina 44:15 Duchess Era Goodbye 45:30 Episode Wrap and Outro

  5. Jul 24 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 027

    In this mini-episode of “Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,” Kat and Ellen catch up on extreme summer weather and shifts in working life. Kat shares updates on Benchwork's shop build-out, including new equipment, improved organization, and the realities of investing in a permanent workspace. Ellen discusses summer childcare, basement renovation plans, and potential business changes to better align work with family life. They also answer a community question on marketing, sharing how referrals, LinkedIn, newsletters, Google Business updates, and a current website help support mostly word-of-mouth growth. 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.

  6. Jul 17

    S2E8: Reframing Health for Women with Registered Dietitian Callie Exas

    In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' hosts Kat and Ellen talk to Callie Exas, a women's health registered dietitian and personal trainer supporting women through hormone health, burnout, and strength training, especially from their early 30s into perimenopause and menopause. Callie shares her path from NYC advertising and teaching spin to earning nutrition degrees, RD licensure, and building a PCOS-informed women's health practice. She discusses shifting diet culture to flexibility over restriction, busting fasting and keto myths, and ditching all-or-nothing movement mindsets, plus her tiered business model spanning insurance-based counseling, labs, glucose monitoring, and personal training. Callie Exas is a registered dietitian nutritionist and fitness expert specializing in women's health and wellbeing. Her own struggles with burnout and body image shaped her core belief: you can't hate your way into a body you love. Since founding her practice in 2018, she's guided clients through a holistic, individualized approach to wellness built on four pillars: sleep, stress, physical activity, and nutrition, all grounded in science and mindful eating. Having navigated her own major life changes, including becoming a mother of two, Callie is passionate about helping clients embrace self-care as an active practice and take ownership of their long-term health.   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 Intro01:12 Meet Callie02:16 Boxing And Friendship04:41 Callie’s Work08:57 Nonlinear Career Path14:36 Diet Culture Reframe18:20 Teaching Body Trust23:00 All Or Nothing Mindset31:20 Business Model Breakdown37:57 Stress Boundaries Health41:10 Final Advice And Wrap

  7. Jul 10 ·  Bonus

    Coffee Chats with Ellen + Kat: Episode 026

    In this mini-episode of "Good Ideas + Bad Decisions," Kat and Ellen catch up about summer and how it's affecting their lives and businesses. Kat shares news of adopting a senior rescue dog to keep her older dog company, along with the quirks of helping a new pet settle in. Ellen reflects on a hectic start to summer with childcare transitions and shifting routines. They close by discussing how the summer season shapes their businesses, from scheduling around camp hours to planning travel and prioritizing rest.  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. Jul 3

    S2E7: Scaling Up with CleanCo Holdings' Dayna DeStefano

    In this episode of 'Good Ideas + Bad Decisions,' Kat and Ellen talk to Dayna DeStefano, an entrepreneur who has launched and sunset multiple ventures since leaving corporate product leadership in 2019. Dayna shares how that winding path led her to co-own her husband's family commercial cleaning business and now spearhead an acquisition strategy through CleanCo Holdings, buying up complementary building service businesses and integrating them with centralized operations and data. She also offers her advice to founders: design your career around your own blueprint, stay simple and focused, and act on what you feel called to do.  Dayna DeStefano has spent nearly 20 years building brands and businesses, from serving as VP of Product at a digital media company acquired by Gary Vaynerchuk to founding multiple ventures, including a branding agency, a consulting company, and a tech literacy media company for women. Today, she splits her time between advising select founders and small business owners on go-to-market strategy and AI implementation, co-owning a portfolio of commercial building services businesses with her husband, and building The Business of Energy, where she writes about using energy as a navigation system for life and work.  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 01:01 Meet Dayna 02:35 Entrepreneur Origin Story 03:11 Agency Success and Burnout 03:44 Web3 Experiment Unblocked 04:43 Co-Founder and New Baby Pivot 05:36 Boring Business Big Money 06:48 AI for Small Business Ops 08:20 Working With Your Spouse 10:52 Commercial Cleaning Niches 12:19 Recession Proof Lessons 13:05 Rinse and Repeat Expansion 14:47 Scaling Local vs National 17:35 Growth Options Ahead 18:14 Roll Up Strategy Focus 19:47 Boomer Seller Deals 23:54 Integrating Acquisitions 28:24 Tech Stack And AI Data 32:02 Selling Data To Robotics 35:33 What Drives Dayna 41:33 Parting Wisdom And Future 44:12 Where To Find Dayna 45:23 Episode Wrap Up

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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
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kat Oldershaw and Ellen Hockley
  • Show Website
    Good Ideas + Bad Decisions