Claim OwnershipHere's What I Learned: Ditching Biz-as-Usual for Values, Freedom, and Doing It Your Way
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Welcome to Here’s What I Learned — the podcast for progressive entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses without sacrificing their values, creativity, or capacity. I’m Jacki Hayes: systems strategist, unapologetic smutty romantasy fan, and D&D geek. Around here, we get real about what it actually takes to build a business that fits your life.
Every episode offers something to take with you — sometimes through conversations with values-driven founders, sometimes through solo episodes where I dig into the lessons I’m learning inside my own business. We explore the choices we’re testing, the questions that create clarity, the experiments that move us forward, and the systems that stay simple on purpose.
If you value integrity, curiosity, and time freedom—and you’re looking for inspiration that’s as practical as it is empowering—you’ve found your people. Hit play, and let’s rewrite the rules together.
109 Episodes
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Send a text Six weeks into the 90 day Intentional Engagement Experiment, I have a surprising update: Instagram is the hardest platform for me to consistently have real conversations on right now. Between ads, suggested content, and the “either I only see my favorites or I see Unstable Unicorns ads” problem, it is tougher to stay focused on the people I actually want to build relationships with. In this halfway mark check-in, I share what is working better (hi, LinkedIn and Threads), how I am ...
Send us a text How much of your SEO is hiding in plain sight... inside your images? In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I’m joined by SEO strategist Brittany Herzberg for a real-time experiment: what happens when you stop uploading “IMG4532” and start treating image titles like actual search signals. We get into how Google reads your image file names, what to name them (without turning into a keyword-stuffing goblin), and how to track whether the changes are working using Google Search ...
Send us a text In this episode, I’m joined by Jayci Trujillo, founder of Happy Girl Marketing, for a very practical experiment that sounds simple and gets uncomfortable fast… tracking time. Jayci is in a growth season. More clients, a growing team, bigger decisions. And like a lot of service business owners, she realized she was making those decisions without really knowing where her time was going or what her actual hourly rate looked like once everything was counted. So we designed an exper...
Send a text Onboarding one client is one thing. Onboarding a group is an entirely different experiment. In this episode, I’m joined again by Bridget Baker to unpack what really happens when you try to onboard a group program in a way that feels inclusive, clear, and genuinely supportive without turning yourself into a full-time concierge. Bridget shares what she learned from running her virtual writing retreat, including where things broke down, what surprised her, and how her exp...
Send us a text What happens when you stop letting good conversations get buried in your DMs and actually start paying attention to them? In this episode, I’m joined by Jayci Trujillo of Happy Girl Marketing to kick off Season 10’s first experiment: intentional engagement. We’re talking about tracking conversations on purpose, not to be salesy or weird, but to understand what’s actually helping your business grow. We dig into why being strategic about conversations doesn’t cancel out being hum...
Send us a text This episode is a full, honest debrief of a launch that didn’t convert — and what I learned anyway. I promoted a brand-new workshop more than any other offer I’ve ever put out into the world. I showed up consistently. I talked about it everywhere. And it got zero signups. Instead of spiraling or scrapping the idea entirely, I treated the launch like an experiment. In this episode, I walk you through what I tested, what actually happened, the data I’m paying attention to, and th...
Send us a text As I wrap up Season 9 and look ahead to Season 10, I wanted to do something a little different — a mixtape of the moments and ideas that still shape how I think about work, rest, and doing business differently. These clips remind me why I started Here’s What I Learned in the first place: to have honest conversations about what’s working, what’s not, and how we can build businesses that actually fit us. You’ll hear from some of my favorite past guests whose lessons keep coming u...
Send us a text In this final mixtape edition of Here’s What I Learned, three entrepreneurs share the biggest business lessons they’ve learned since their last visit—covering how to redefine success, simplify operations, and build sustainable systems that actually fit real life. You’ll hear practical insights on shifting from default offers to energy-aligned work, using experiments to “fail faster” and learn smarter, and embracing the natural seasons of business so you can let go of what...
Send us a text This is the second mixtape I'm sharing as we head toward episode ninety-nine. The question this time: How have you evolved as a business owner over the years? You’ll hear short notes on what changed, what stayed, and how that shows up day to day—from editing offers and schedules to trusting your judgment and keeping plans simple enough to follow. If you missed the first mixtape, you can head back and catch it after this one. Topics Redefining “success” so the business sup...
Send us a text This mixtape is one of three I'm sharing as we head toward episode ninety-nine. I asked past guests (and I chime in, too): What’s one experiment you tried in your business that didn’t land the way you expected—and how did you respond? You’ll hear quick stories, what they noticed, and the next moves they made so you can translate the lessons to your own context. Topics: Why energy and scope are part of quality controlKeeping the parts that worked and letting the rest goWh...
Send us a text What if you only marketed your business in ways that actually brought you joy? What if you could ditch the pressure to “be everywhere” and still build a thriving, values-aligned brand? In this episode, I’m joined by M. Shannon Hernandez—founder of the Joyful Business Revolution and messaging strategist for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. Shannon brings a refreshing, radically human approach to marketing that centers joy, energy alignment, and sustainable growth. We di...
Send us a text If leads are slipping and proposals stall, it’s tempting to blame the platform. In this solo episode, I explain why most “tool problems” are really process gaps—and how I use my CARE framework (Clarity, Align, Reduce, Ease) to make the tools you already have work better. I walk you through defining “done,” reducing decision fatigue, setting cues you’ll actually notice, and when it does make sense to pilot new software—without derailing client work. Topics How I gut-check...
Send us a text What if your best marketing strategy isn’t a formula—but your ability to actually care? In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, website strategist and messaging expert Krista Walsh joins me to challenge the “best practices” baked into online business culture. From canine reactivity to content strategy, Krista shares how empathy—not exploitation—is the key to both personal breakthroughs and sustainable marketing. This is a must-listen for service providers who’ve ever felt ick...
Send us a text When we talk about building businesses that work for us, what does that actually mean in practice? This week on Here’s What I Learned, I’m joined by Faith Clarke—organizational culture strategist and co-creator of Feminist Founders—for a deep, energizing conversation about values-led business, strategic collaboration, and how we unlearn the reflex to fix everything... especially when it’s uncomfortable. Faith shares what she’s actively practicing right now: noticing the pull to...
Send a text When your business relies entirely on your energy—how you feel, how focused you are, how much you can give—your systems need to work with you, not against you. In this re-released conversation from the Business with Ease summit, I sat down with strategist and Solopreneur Sisterhood founder Becky McCleery to unpack what it really means to design systems around your natural rhythms—not rigid routines. We talked about: Why “systems” aren’t just tech—they’re everything that helps you ...
Send us a text What if building a successful business didn’t require you to constantly show up, speak louder, or outwork everyone around you? In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I’m joined by Tara Reid—business and marketing strategist for introverted entrepreneurs—who shares how she built a sustainable, visibility-driven business without burning out. We talk about shifting from done-for-you services to scalable offers, how to honor your energy as a core business strategy, a...
Send us a text What does it really look like to build a business around your lived experience, your values, and your bandwidth—especially when capitalism tells you to do the opposite? In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I’m joined by Megan Dowd—equity-centered coach, trademark Word Nerd, and the kind of business owner who doesn’t shy away from nuance. We dive deep into how to dismantle exploitation in your own business, what the online business industrial complex is actually doing to us...
Send us a text What if the way you’re “supposed to” grow your business… doesn’t actually work for you? In this episode, I’m joined by marketing strategist and entrepreneur Sarah Gemmell for a conversation that goes beyond funnels and frameworks. We talk about what it really means to build a business around your strengths, your season of life, and your capacity—especially if you're neurodivergent, caregiving, or just done with the noise. Sarah gets real about breaking up with the industry norm...
Send us a text What does it take to lead a business through seasons of change—and still feel like yourself inside of it? In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, Katherine Danesi joins me for a candid conversation on navigating uncertainty, evolving your offers, and creating a business that honors your actual life. From her days as a Fortune 500 exec to startup COO to systems-driven coach, Katherine has learned the value of doing business her way—and now helps others do the same. We explore ...
Send a text We’ve made it to the end of Season 8—and today, I’m sharing the biggest themes that came up across every conversation I had with this season’s incredible business owners. These aren’t just talking points; they’re real-world lessons from folks who are rewriting the rules of business in ways that actually work for their lives. From rethinking what success really means, to drawing clear boundaries, to ditching outdated norms in favor of joy, sustainability, and alignment—this episode...
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