Permission to Kick Ass

Own your awesome with Miranda VonFricken

I had an absolute blast chatting with Miranda VonFricken, the founder of Own Your Awesome – a book series, podcast, and global movement helping women entrepreneurs shine a light on their awesomeness. What would you do if you got laid off from four different jobs in a row? If you're like Miranda, you might just decide you're done with corporate nonsense and it's time to forge your own path. Join us for a candid convo about the power of celebration, the importance of owning your identity, and why hustle culture is overblown BS. Can't-Miss Moments:I've never wanted a confetti cannon more: we brought out the bigguns from the get-go! Miranda shares why she has confetti cannons in her video background (and why my unplanned nap was something to celebrate)... Quintuple whammy: not only did Miranda get laid off from four consecutive jobs, she also lost her younger brother just before losing her last gig. Her story is a powerful lesson on letting go of what you "should" be doing...Out of context quote: "I don't care if I have to be poor for 3 years..."Evidence of awesomeness: turns out Miranda and I have a similar life philosophy, and we've both chosen THIS instead of letting our lives be dictated by head trash... One simple question Miranda recommends to quickly get yourself out of "stuck in the mud" and back into action...Miranda's bio:Miranda VonFricken; Founder of Own Your Awesome!™ A podcast, book series, and global movement attracting and expanding women at work, at home, and online!With over 15 years of leading teams to success in higher education, sales, and human resources, she stopped ignoring the call from her highest self and went “all in” on entrepreneurship. Since then, she has traveled the world connecting, coaching, and consulting students, executives, and organizations who are ready to “Own Their Awesome!” in life and on LinkedIn!Miranda is a certified life & business coach, earned a Master’s in Motivation from Empire State College, and has studied the Science of Happiness at Yale University. She’s an International Women’s Day Featured Speaker and was named 2021 Woman of Empowerment by the YWCA of Northeastern NY.Miranda is called to elevate every woman who has a story, a brand, or a dream and help them shine SO bright it'll be IMPOSSIBLE to ignore and achieve!She’s a wife, a (sports) mom of two, and a positive force in her business community.Resources and links:Miranda's siteMiranda on LinkedInMiranda on InstaSupport the showLet's collab: Book a chat Work with Angie Get the PTKA book Let's connect: Angie’s FB Page Angie on IG Angie on YT If you dig the show and want to help bring more episodes to the world, consider buying a coffee for the production team!

"I have no idea what I'm doing but I'll figure it out" with Robb Munger

Today's guest is Robb Munger, founder of Exodus Place. Robb's an experienced real estate developer and is no stranger to business challenges, but starting Exodus Place proved to be an entirely new kind of challenge. We talked about the raw, real, and often misunderstood world of homelessness and addiction, and Robb does not hold back. He shared his journey from helping a single homeless guy to running the largest transitional housing facility in Michigan, and the lessons he learned along the way may just leave you feeling inspired to go help out wherever you can. Can't-miss moments:The "God moment" - hear what inspired Robb to throw everything he had into Exodus Place, even when he already had so much going on in his life... My beef with asking for help: I get good and ranty about the time I had to swallow my pride and apply for food stamps... Turns out none of us are automatically good at a thing? Robb and I share what we've learned about being brand new (and how to handle it with slightly more grace)... Robb's surprising perspective shift that makes it easier for people to seek out help (I wish I'd had this one back in my unhoused days)...The "water bottle trick" Robb used to help someone struggling with addiction discover an unpleasant truth... and then DO something about it...Robb's bio:Robb Munger, founder of Exodus Place, champions transitional housing for homeless men. With a background in finance, where he established a leading financial company in manufactured housing, Munger’s journey took a pivotal turn when he joined the board of Guiding Light Mission. There, he propelled a struggling rescue mission into prominence and transformed a former state corrections facility into Michigan’s largest non-governmental transitional housing, offering new beginnings to those in need.A former Army Officer, Munger’s commitment to service shines through his philanthropic work and innovative solutions in community development. His collaboration with the Salvation Army and Goodwill in a small town within American City has showcased an innovative approach to addressing homelessness, demonstrating the impactful change that results from combining compassion with action. This initiative, with Munger at the helm, has become a testament to the power of collaborative community efforts in making a tangible difference in people’s lives.Resources and links: Exodus Place Exodus Place on InstaExodus Place on FBExodus Place on YTRobb on LinkedIn Support the showLet's collab: Book a chat Work with Angie Get the PTKA book Let's connect: Angie’s FB Page Angie on IG Angie on YT If you dig the show and want to help bring more episodes to the world, consider buying a coffee for the production team!

Turning an idea into a creative business with Emily Blumenthal

For the first time in PTKA history, I'm interviewing a Handbag Fairy Godmother - Emily Blumenthal! Not only did she patent a handbag silhouette, write a book, teach at FIT, and start a handbag awards event... she's still growing and evolving even now. Emily's journey is a wild ride filled with hustle, pivots, and ‘figure it out as you go’ moments that'll make you feel right at home if you're an entrepreneur or just love a good success story. Can't-Miss Moments:Things to do in your 20s: a handy checklist courtesy of Emily, including such classics as "date a DJ" and "launch a handbag line"... Check and check!"That’s the worst idea ever!” Emily shares how she handled not-so-helpful feedback from her family as she embraced her calling to design handbags...Stroke of genius: the thing Emily did as she was figuring things out the hard way that turned into major leverage (and street cred) later on... Who expects to meet a literary agent while on jury duty? Emily shares a serendipitous moment that led to her first book deal and the birth of the Handbag Awards...The weird mental dividing line Emily had, even after successfully creating and patenting her handbag silhouette (this is something that holds a lot of entrepreneurs back)...Emily's bio:Emily Blumenthal, celebrated as the "Handbag Fairy Godmother" by the New York Times, is a dynamic presence in the handbag industry. As the author of "Handbag Designer 101" and a multifaceted figure encompassing roles as a professor, mentor, designer, and the founder of the Independent Handbag Designer Awards, she has made an indelible impact on the handbag industry with aspiring designers and handbag brands alike. Emily's dedication also extends to kidpreneurship, empowering children of all ages to embrace their inner "Savvy Suzanna." She resides happily in New York City's Lower East Side with her husband and three children.Resources and links: Emily's websiteEmily's bookEmily on InstaEmily on FacebookEmily on YouTubeEmily on LinkedInSupport the showLet's collab: Book a chat Work with Angie Get the PTKA book Let's connect: Angie’s FB Page Angie on IG Angie on YT If you dig the show and want to help bring more episodes to the world, consider buying a coffee for the production team!

Becoming a superstar as a solopreneur with Lisa Robbin Young

Today we've got a real treat – the one and only Lisa Robbin Young is stopping by! Lisa is a self-titled Fusion Creative, and she's on a mission to help micro-business owners and solopreneurs become celebrities in their niche. In this power-packed episode, we dive deep into the world of creative entrepreneurship, the importance of embracing your unique wiring, and the process to becoming a celebrity in your space. Can't-Miss MomentsEver felt like you don't quite fit into one box? Lisa shares her personal journey to discovering the creative entrepreneur spectrum and why someone who's struggling to pick a lane might just be a "fusion creative"...ADHD and entrepreneurship: Lisa shares the surprising connection between the two, and this will make a lot of things instantly more clear (at least for a lot of us ADHDers in biz!)...Breaking down Beyonce: how exactly does one become a superstar? Turns out there's a formula, and Lisa's here to share both the benefits and the downside people rarely discuss... Lisa's "bank balance" analogy will have you fighting the urge to beat yourself up on days when you can't do much...Hop on, hop off: Lisa shares a major perspective shift that will change the way you think about "losing" clients...Lisa's bio:Lisa Robbin Young is an award-winning speaker, best-selling author, and accomplished musician with multiple albums to her credit. Lisa's been featured on Disney+, is the host of Creative Freedom, and founder of Ark Entertainment Media - a business consultancy for mavericks who want to become a celebrity in their niche in a way that works for how they're uniquely wired.Lisa believes that the best way to be truly successful in life and business is to be yourself – warts, sparkles, and all – so you can Own Your Dreams Without Selling Your Soul™.Resources and links:Lisa's website Lisa on InstaLisa on FacebookLisa on YouTubeSupport the showLet's collab: Book a chat Work with Angie Get the PTKA book Let's connect: Angie’s FB Page Angie on IG Angie on YT If you dig the show and want to help bring more episodes to the world, consider buying a coffee for the production team!

Multitalented and multipassionate with Orla Fitzmaurice

What a brilliant chat with Orla Fitzmaurice! We started with web design and then went down the rabbit hole... Orla's path from archaeology nerd to economics graduate to web designer is exactly the delightful meandering I live for. We dove into her take on AI - equal parts excitement and healthy skepticism - and got real about the magic that happens when you let go of perfectionism and actually collaborate with clients. If you identify as multitalented and multipassionate, this convo will show you that you CAN do it all. Can't-Miss Moments:Two ADHD entrepreneurs walk into a podcast: Orla breaks down how her diagnosis changed her approach to design (and how you can embrace the chaos to create something even better)...What in the world does archaeology have to do with web design? Orla shares the surprising link between her past interests and present work (maybe no time spent learning is ever really wasted?)...The great AI debate: Orla and I reveal our thoughts about AI and its impact on creative work. Is it time to embrace our new robot overlords?The magic of co-creation: ever heard of someone designing a whole ass website in real time, live with a client? Orla spills the beans on her unique approach and the incredible results it produces...Orla and I bond over our shared contempt for perfectionism (and reveal why being real and unpolished is actually a much stronger position than "perfect")...  Orla's bio:Designer, strategist and quiet chaos merchant on an infinite quest to promote sustainable and aligned self-employment.I believe in the unique and infinite potential of every single mind on this planet and the importance of self-determination for true creative freedom.  I love to help my clients to discover and illuminate their path to sustainable and aligned self-employment to create true personal freedom.Having worked as a freelance web designer for 20 years a web designer, I have been involved with every side of building a business from idea, design, development, startup funding, business-modeling to sales.  However, as I became more successful, I found myself becoming repeatedly burnt out from the hustle side of running a small agency, constantly moving from contract to contract and struggling to find the time to provide the quality of service I had previously. When I’m not working, daydreaming or taking care of my two monkeys under 4 – I am painting.  Aimless, delicious, self-indulgent, purposeless painting.Resources and links:Orla's websiteOrla on Insta Orla on LinkedInOrla on YouTubeSupport the showLet's collab: Book a chat Work with Angie Get the PTKA book Let's connect: Angie’s FB Page Angie on IG Angie on YT If you dig the show and want to help bring more episodes to the world, consider buying a coffee for the production team!