Lead With Heart

Samara Bortz

Hosted by Samara Bortz, Lead With Heart is a podcast for thoughtful entrepreneurs who are building thriving creative businesses without hustle and burnout. We will dig into actionable strategies for marketing, sales, mindset, intentional offer design, spirituality, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, and tapping into creative magic. Lead With Heart is a must-listen for anyone who wants to establish, grow, and scale their dream feel-good business. samarabortz.substack.com

  1. Podcast Guesting as a Feel-Good Marketing Strategy with Candace Dudley

    MAR 5

    Podcast Guesting as a Feel-Good Marketing Strategy with Candace Dudley

    In this episode, I’m sitting down with podcast guesting coach Candace Dudley to talk about a marketing approach that actually feels sustainable — sharing your work on other people’s podcasts. Candace did 50 guest interviews in 2025 and she’s sharing exactly how to find the right shows, pitch yourself, and turn those conversations into lasting growth. What You’ll Learn How to know if podcast guesting is the right visibility strategy for you (and when to wait) The two things every pitch needs: proof you’ve done your homework + niche speaking topics framed as episode titles Why DMs and voice notes get way more responses than email pitches How to align your speaking topics, freebie, and paid offer so the whole thing actually converts Real podcast recommendations for three different types of business owners Resources Mentioned: Candace’s website Her free podcast matchmaking community The Podcasting Mentor podcast Work With Samara Ready to figure out what marketing strategies actually work for you? Book a coaching and mentorship intensive — price increases April 1st. If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a quick rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com

    38 min
  2. How to Make Long-Form Content Creation Easy

    FEB 19

    How to Make Long-Form Content Creation Easy

    Intimidated or overwhelmed by starting a podcast or committing to a weekly newsletter? In this masterclass-style episode, I’m breaking down my exact four-step process for creating podcasts, emails, and Substacks each week—without it eating up my entire schedule or draining my creative energy. What You’ll Learn My four-step content creation process: ideate, write, schedule, execute—and why splitting them up is the secret to actually enjoying it How morning pages (or voice memos, or end-of-day brain dumps) become a goldmine of content ideas you can pull from anytime Why trying to go from idea to published in one sitting is the fastest route to burnout—and what to do instead How to cross-promote between your long-form channels so your content works more strategically for you Resources Mentioned: Substack post on protecting your “idea well” DM me on Instagram to chat about coaching Work Together Ready to build a marketing strategy that actually feels sustainable? Start with a 1:1 intensive or inquire about six-month private coaching containers where we create the strategy, content flow, and business model that fits your season of life. If this episode resonated, it would mean so much if you shared it with a friend and left a rating or review—it helps the show reach more creative business owners who want to build feel-good, profitable businesses with heart.♥️ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com

    30 min
  3. Slow Growth, Bold Pivots, and Legacy Work with Chelsea Riffe

    12/04/2025

    Slow Growth, Bold Pivots, and Legacy Work with Chelsea Riffe

    Today’s conversation with Chelsea Riffe is one of those episodes I already know I’ll come back to. We talk about her early years in sports reporting and corporate sales, the power dynamics that pushed her out of those industries, and how all of her different life and work experiences have shaped the business she runs today: one built on autonomy, spaciousness, and creative control. We also get into slow growth, legacy, indie media, podcast pitching, and what it means to build a body of work that outlives your metrics. And then, my favourite part: a real-time riff where Chelsea helps me connect three seemingly random parts of my life (choir conducting, web design, and oracle cards) into a single throughline. It turned into a whole conversation about attunement, intuition, and the quiet intelligence behind creative leadership. If you’re craving permission to build your business in a way that honours your actual values, this episode is for you. About Chelsea Riffe:Chelsea Riffe is a world traveler and the host of the hit podcast In My Non-Expert Opinion, a Top 1% pod known for bringing transparency around biz, creativity, and travel. She’s also a dedicated Visibility Strategist, helping women take down the patriarchy by taking up space through collabs and guest podcasting. For all the spiritual peeps - she’s an Aquarius Sun, Virgo Moon, Virgo Rising and 6/2 Reflector in Human Design - a VIBE.You can catch Chelsea on a flight, working at a local cafe, or running her podcast weekly! Links: 🦋 Join the January cohort of TEC: https://samarabortz.com/group-business-coaching♥️ Book your Heart Hour (1:1 Intensive) – save $111 for the rest of 2025! https://samarabortz.com/heart-hour💫 Chelsea’s SUPERNOVA Mastermind, starts Feb 2026 🎤 Chelsea’s Pitch Perfect - next round is Spring 2026 Contact Chelsea: Instagram Podcast Website Substack This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com

    1h 37m

About

Hosted by Samara Bortz, Lead With Heart is a podcast for thoughtful entrepreneurs who are building thriving creative businesses without hustle and burnout. We will dig into actionable strategies for marketing, sales, mindset, intentional offer design, spirituality, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, and tapping into creative magic. Lead With Heart is a must-listen for anyone who wants to establish, grow, and scale their dream feel-good business. samarabortz.substack.com