What Are You Creating?

In this episode of What Are You Creating?, I reconnect with Kathleen Titus, someone I first began working with more than a decade ago. Kathleen originally came into my world through Podcasting A to Z while she was in the early stages of building her entrepreneurial life. What started as an attempt to launch a podcast ultimately introduced her to something that became even more valuable, a community of other entrepreneurs who were trying, struggling, learning and building alongside her. Her entrepreneurial journey began after a successful corporate career in sales, hospitality and international destination marketing. Eventually, she left that career without having the next chapter completely figured out. What followed was Runoga, an early vision combining running and yoga, followed by hands-on race production, marathons, 5Ks, triathlons and event management. Over time, Kathleen discovered that her real strength was marketing. That realization eventually became All Fitness Events, a marketing and consulting company specifically focused on the endurance sports and fitness event industry. This conversation became about much more than entrepreneurship. Kathleen shared openly about realizing that she had spent years shrinking herself to fit within her life and relationship. After her separation and divorce, she began allowing herself to take up more space. During that same season, her business grew from six figures to seven figures and eventually eight figures. At the same time, she was walking through an extraordinary amount of personal loss. Her mother died unexpectedly in 2022. Her father died in 2024. The family home was sold the following year. All of this unfolded alongside the end of her long-term relationship and the process of rebuilding her life. Kathleen talks about grief, therapy, meditation, yoga, rebuilding community, learning boundaries and what she calls developing a “yogic mind.” One phrase has helped ground her through all of it. Everything is exactly as it should be. We talk about what it actually means to “do the work,” rather than simply using that phrase. Kathleen shares how therapy, journaling, books, meditation, yoga and a willingness to examine her own patterns helped her move through shame, grief, codependency and old ways of relating to herself and others. Today, Kathleen says she is thriving. She has purchased a home she had envisioned for herself years earlier. She has rebuilt and deepened friendships. She is showing up as one integrated version of herself rather than changing who she is depending on the room she is in. And she continues to build a business and life that feel increasingly aligned with who she actually is. Some of the things we explore in this conversation include: Kathleen's transition from corporate success into entrepreneurship Why she left a career she was extremely good at without having everything figured out How Runoga eventually evolved into All Fitness Events The unexpected value she received from Podcasting A to Z even though podcasting itself never became central to her business Why curiosity and asking good questions became part of her professional advantage Learning to sell an experience rather than simply selling deliverables Her transition from producing races to marketing them Building and retaining a team that ultimately became one of her greatest sources of support The relationship between alignment and the explosive growth of her business Divorce, grief and losing both of her parents Why healing is not linear Meditation and the idea of developing a yogic mind Learning to stop shrinking and allowing herself to take up space Codependency, boundaries and discovering who she is outside of a relationship What Kathleen means when she says she is now thriving Near the end of our conversation, Kathleen offered a question that I think captures much of what this episode is about. Am I leading my life? Her encouragement is to create a life and business that are actually aligned with you, rather than simply living according to expectations, habits or somebody else's version of what your life should look like. Her closing encouragement was to remain curious and kind, remembering that something difficult may ultimately be leading you somewhere you could not yet see. Books Mentioned Kathleen specifically recommended two books that played a role in her healing and personal growth. Codependent No More by Melody Beattie - Official Book Page The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer - Official Book Page Kathleen also mentioned exploring things such as attachment styles, Human Design, the Enneagram and birth charts as additional tools for becoming more curious about yourself. Connect With Kathleen Titus Kathleen said the easiest way to reach her is through either of these email addresses: [email protected] [email protected] You can also learn more about All Fitness Events / AFE Solutions here: AFE Solutions  

In 2011, Gary Takacs joined my four-week Podcasting A to Z course with an idea for a podcast specifically designed to serve dentists. Gary was certainly not new to his profession at the time. He had started his own dental practice management consulting firm in 1989 after spending the 1980s learning his craft with two larger consulting organizations. His marketing model consisted primarily of writing articles for dental publications and speaking at conferences around the country. Then he discovered podcasting. Gary saw the potential for audio to give him an ongoing way to share useful information with dentists beyond the people who happened to be sitting in the room when he was speaking. That decision changed his business. The Thriving Dentist Show now has more than 760 episodes and has reached dentists in 188 countries. Gary shared that he has published weekly for 748 consecutive weeks without missing a single week. Even more significant is what happened to his business as a result. By 2012, Gary says the number one reason dentists contacted him about his coaching and consulting services was because they listened to his podcast. The podcast also became the number one reason he was invited to speak at conferences. Eventually, those opportunities expanded into an international speaking career. Gary explained that meeting planners could listen to the podcast and essentially "sample" his thinking and communication style before taking the risk of putting him on their stage. What surprised Gary most about podcasting One of my favorite parts of this conversation had nothing to do with downloads, clients, or revenue. Within the first year of producing the show, Gary realized that he would continue podcasting even if nobody listened. Creating the podcast made him a better thinker. It caused him to read more, develop his ideas more deeply, clarify his perspective, and continually work on his own professional development. That is a benefit of podcasting that I believe is often overlooked. Sometimes the person who benefits most from creating the podcast is the person behind the microphone. In this conversation, Gary and I talk about: The first podcast Gary ever listened to and how Podcast Answer Man helped convince him that he could create a show of his own What his consulting business looked like before podcasting existed Why choosing an extremely specific audience can actually create more opportunities rather than fewer Being one of the earliest podcasts specifically serving the dental profession Apple's old "New & Noteworthy" era and the role it played in helping The Thriving Dentist Show gain early exposure Building an international audience that now reaches dentists in 188 countries Why Gary committed to publishing every Wednesday What has allowed him to maintain that consistency for hundreds of consecutive weeks Why Gary says producing the podcast became valuable to him even independent of whether anyone listened How podcasting became a primary source of coaching clients, workshop attendees, and speaking opportunities The unusual intimacy created by audio and the stories Gary has heard from dentists who spent years listening to him during their commutes Why both of us still believe deeply in audio-first podcasting Where video adds value and where Gary believes audio remains the better medium Gary's Less Insurance Dependent Podcast His upcoming Great Minds in Dentistry podcast Why Gary wants Great Minds in Dentistry to highlight people who genuinely love dentistry and inspire others about what is possible in the profession His abundance mindset and why he has actively encouraged other people in dentistry to launch podcasts, even though they could theoretically be considered competitors Why neither Gary nor I believe someone who wants to start an audio podcast in 2026 has "missed the opportunity" Gary told me that he has now watched more than 70 podcasts launch within the dental profession after encouraging others to share their own perspectives. His nickname within that community? The Podfather. And when someone recently asked him whether she was too late to start a podcast, Gary's response captured the spirit of this entire conversation: Jump in. The water's warm. Connect With Gary Takacs The Thriving Dentist Show and Gary's work: https://thrivingdentist.com Email Gary: [email protected] Text Gary: 602-321-1778 Gary specifically invited listeners of this episode to reach out by email or text, so if something he shared encouraged or inspired you, I encourage you to let him know. Connect With Me I'd also love to hear what this conversation stirred up for you. If you've been thinking about starting a podcast but have wondered whether you've waited too long, or if this episode reminded you of something you want to create, send me an email: [email protected] I thrive on hearing how the things I create are making an impact in your life. Until next time, I encourage you to take everything you do to the next level.

 Chelsey Benkner has the kind of story that does not fit neatly into a single category. She is a travel advisor. She is the founder of Ready Jet Go Travels. She is a co-founder of Outwork Collective, a VA company serving travel advisors. She is a wife, a mother of 8, a business owner, a leader, and someone who seems to have a long history of noticing needs around her and then doing something about them. In this conversation, we started with travel. When Chelsey was 16, she went on a mission trip to India. It was only her second time ever being on an airplane. That trip changed the way she saw the world. She told me about driving through villages and being invited into a woman’s home. By American standards, the woman had very little. Her home was small. Her possessions were few. And yet she welcomed them in, sat them down, and served them chai. Chelsey still remembers it as the best chai she has ever had. That moment shaped something in her. Gratitude. Humanity. Generosity. The realization that people can have very little by one standard and still live with a kind of abundance that is difficult to describe until you have experienced it. Then, at 19, Chelsey traveled to Brazil by herself. The day after Christmas, she drove to her regional airport in the snow while her parents wondered if she had lost her mind. She spent New Year’s on the beach in Brazil, had what she described as probably the best New Year’s celebration ever, and added one more layer to the adventurous, self-directed spirit that seems to run through her life. That spirit makes sense when you hear more of her background. Chelsey comes from an entrepreneurial family. Her father owned a petroleum and convenience store business, and she spent years around that world. At one point, the family had around 15 convenience stores. Chelsey worked in or around that business, learning hiring, firing, managing turnover, identifying theft, reading people, and understanding the realities of operating a business with employees. She got married young, around 21. She had her first child just before turning 23. And then her family grew in a way she could not have scripted. Chelsey and her husband gained permanent custody of her cousin’s 2 girls. Around that same season, they had just had their youngest son. Then they found out they were pregnant again. They went from 4 kids to 8 kids in about 20 months. That meant real-life chaos. A new family structure. A new level of responsibility. A house full of children. A vehicle that no longer worked for the size of the family. They had to buy a 15-passenger transit van. And in the middle of all of that, Chelsey was also building a travel business. Ready Jet Go Travels began, as she describes it, “accidentally on purpose.” People kept asking her about the places she had been, the resorts she liked, and whether she would go back. Eventually, she realized she might be able to build a business around helping people travel well. She started with a host agency, then eventually decided she wanted to get her own credentials and build independently. In classic Chelsey fashion, once she decided to do it, she moved quickly. She made the decision around October and had her credentials by December. Of course, December of 2019 was also right before the world changed. Travel shut down in 2020. The business went on pause. Then, after COVID, things began to grow. Eventually, the business was growing faster than she could carry on her own. At the time, Chelsey had 8 kids, a growing travel business, and more responsibilities than she could reasonably manage alone. She hired a virtual assistant named Kathy. At that point, Chelsey’s travel sales were around $150,000. Because travel is commission-based, that did not mean she had $150,000 of income. In fact, she said that nearly every penny coming in from the travel business went right back out to pay Kathy. It was a gamble. It also changed everything. Within 2 years, her sales grew from $150,000 to more than $1 million. Chelsey is clear that this would not have happened without Kathy. And then another “accidentally on purpose” business was born. Chelsey began noticing that other travel advisors were struggling with the same thing. They needed help. They needed support. They needed someone who understood the travel industry, the administrative demands, the attention to detail, and the seriousness of getting things right. A misspelled name on an airline ticket is not a small mistake. It can mean someone does not fly. Chelsey and Kathy began talking about the problem. Kathy lives in the Philippines. Over time, their working relationship had become a friendship. Chelsey has traveled to the Philippines twice, once for Kathy’s wedding and again in March of 2026. As they talked, they began imagining a better way to serve travel advisors and VAs. Outwork Collective was born. Chelsey co-founded the company with 3 business partners in the Philippines. The company trains VAs specifically for the travel industry and matches them with travel advisors who need ongoing operational support. What really stood out to me is that Chelsey is emotionally and ethically invested in the lives of the VAs. She knows their stories. She cares about their stability. Outwork Collective hires VAs as employees in the Philippines, providing benefits, healthcare, and paid time off. Chelsey talked about seeing the way some people treat overseas contractors, hearing stories of VAs not being paid, and feeling protective of the people doing this work. She understands that the dollar stretches further in the Philippines. She also understands that a lower cost of living does not give anyone permission to take advantage of another human being. We also talked about AI. Chelsey is not ignoring the fact that AI may disrupt the VA industry. She is actively thinking about it. She is asking how Outwork Collective can train VAs to use AI well so that they become more valuable rather than obsolete. That is the kind of question founders need to be asking right now. Near the end of our conversation, I asked Chelsey what question she is wrestling with right now as a founder, mother, and leader. Her answer was honest. Balance. She has VAs. She has assistants. She has built support. And still, she said there is no place where you simply arrive and say, “I have work-life balance fully figured out.” Some seasons feel steady. Other seasons find her on the computer from morning to night. Chelsey talks to travel advisors about burnout. She warns people about it. And sometimes, she can feel herself getting close to it too. That may be the part of her story that most entrepreneurs will recognize. You can build the business. You can hire the help. You can create the systems. You can grow the revenue. You can become the person others look to for guidance. And still, the live question remains: How do I build this in a way that is sustainable for the long run? How do I keep the business connected to the family and future it is meant to serve? How do I keep creating without losing myself in the creation? That is why I enjoyed this conversation so much. Chelsey’s story includes travel, entrepreneurship, family, hiring, delegation, leadership, risk, growth, ethics, AI, and the ongoing human question of how to hold a meaningful life and a growing business at the same time. I think you’ll enjoy meeting her in this episode. Listen to this episode of What Are You Creating? with Chelsey Benkner. Links To Follow Chelsey ReadyJetGoTravels.com OutworkCollective.com Chelsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseybenkner  

In this conversation, I sit down with Mike Skiff and ask a simple question: How would you describe what you feel most called to create? His answer came quickly. “Divinely inspired greatness.” From there, we explored the long arc of his journey. From growing up with a vision of becoming a teacher, to entering the military, to developing leadership under pressure, and eventually stepping into the world of business ownership. Mike shares what it was like to transition from the structure of military life into the uncertainty of entrepreneurship. We talk about the mindset shifts required to move from an environment of built-in trust and clear expectations into a world where you must create your own path, your own discipline, and your own results. One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is the tension between planning and execution. Mike talks about the tendency to over-prepare, and the importance of acting on what he calls the “80 percent solution.” That idea alone has the power to unlock momentum for so many people who feel stuck waiting for clarity before they move. We also explore what it looks like to build a business that aligns with the life you actually want to live. Mike shares how he moved from a franchise model into creating his own productized service, helping local businesses generate leads through search and AI-driven discovery. This is a conversation about leadership, identity, execution, and the courage to move forward before everything feels fully figured out. If you’re navigating your own path as a creator, a solopreneur, or someone who feels called to build something meaningful, there is a lot here for you. Links Mentioned Mike’s business: https://getchais.com Mike’s personal site: https://mikeskiff.com Mike’s podcast: https://themikeskiffshow.com Mike’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelskiff  

In this episode, I sit down with Brian and Liz Deacle, the creators behind It’s a Drama and NZ Ahead. This conversation is a real-time look at what it means to build something without having it all figured out. We talk about their journey from running a traditional business to experimenting with blogging, courses, dropshipping, and eventually finding alignment in a completely unexpected way. What stands out most is the shift that happened when they stopped trying to force income and started creating from a place of genuine interest and experience. From there, everything began to take shape. We explore the evolution of their work, how their podcast and content naturally led to a thriving membership community, and what they’ve learned about trust, pressure, and the long game of building something meaningful. This is a conversation about creation as a lived process. If I were to sum up the episode in one line: This is what it sounds like when people stop trying to manufacture a path and start recognizing the one that’s already forming underneath them. And that’s what makes it compelling. Links Mentioned in This Episode It’s a Drama Website - https://itsadrama.com It’s a Drama Podcast - https://itsadrama.com/podcast It’s a Drama YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@itsadrama NZ Ahead Website - https://nzahead.com NZ Ahead Podcast - https://nzahead.com/podcast NZ Ahead YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@nzahead Liz’s Travel Bog Diaries Book - https://amzn.to/3Q5uCmg Liz’s Book on Grief “You Won't Just Cry When They Die” - https://elizabethdeacle.com