Send us a text Tech is essential for all small businesses, but many entrepreneurs overlook critical IT security measures until it's too late. Tina Watson, IT consultant with 25 years of experience, shares how proper technology planning can protect your business from devastating data loss and security breaches. • Small businesses are prime targets for hackers precisely because they often lack proper security measures • Security basics include strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and...
Send us a text In this heart-to-heart episode, financial strategist Tremaine Wills of Mind Over Money joins Michelle to unpack the messy, magical world of small business finances. Tremaine shares her FREE Indeed framework and gives a candid look at how pricing too low almost derailed her success. We talk about: The lies we believe about money (and how to unlearn them)The secret to charging what you're really worthWhy building wealth isn’t selfish—and why your goals don’t have to be "for someo...
Send us a text She’s a coach, a marketer, and a relentless champion for her community. Meet Tora Carter, who’s leading the charge to restore one of Lexington’s most historic buildings—the Robert H. Williams Cultural Center. 🎙️ In this episode: The extraordinary story of 15+ Black women who founded an orphanage in 1892How Tora blends roles at Guide Realty, Transy Athletics & the Cultural CenterCreative ideas to serve Lexington’s small businessesWhy the attic space will be your new fave eve...
Send us a text Kelli Gabat, owner of Wildfire Yoga, shares her eight-year journey from corporate worker struggling with anxiety to successful studio owner, teacher trainer, and wellness entrepreneur who recently expanded her business. • Started yoga to help with anxiety and depression while working corporate jobs for over a decade • Beginning with an 800 square foot subleased space before expanding multiple times • Navigated COVID by immediately shifting to virtual without closing, while als...
Send us a text Mickaylyn Conrad shares her vision for Mick's Pot Spot, an accessible and inclusive plant shop designed to be a welcoming space for people with disabilities and their caregivers. Through her personal experience as a special needs mom and her work with the nonprofit A Different World, Mickaylyn recognized the need for spaces where families with disabilities can simply exist without judgment. • Inspired by her own journey as a mom to a child with level three autism and cerebral ...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered what happens when business partners who are married decide to separate? Or how successful entrepreneurs actually manage the chaos behind their seemingly perfect Instagram feeds? This raw and honest solo episode pulls back the curtain on real entrepreneurial life. Michelle Smock delivers a refreshingly transparent update on major transitions happening in both her personal and professional worlds. She shares the thoughtful solution she and her husband Neal...
Send us a text Diana Keating shares her journey as both co-owner of Close to Perfection flower shop and a media executive at WKYT, demonstrating how to successfully balance creative side businesses with full-time careers. Through her partnership with childhood acquaintance Erin Graf, Diana reveals how complementary skills and clear communication create business harmony. • Originally from Illinois, Diana reconnected with high school acquaintance Aaron Graff in Lexington, leading to their flor...
Send us a text Executive coach Katie Neal shares insights on confident communication for women leaders and the importance of understanding your core values to navigate career and life transitions. • Transitioning from PR and communications to executive coaching after 20+ years in the field • Creating "What The 40s" (WTF) - a small group coaching program for women navigating mid-life challenges • Understanding that core values aren't aspirational but what truly drives us at our core • Acknowl...
Send us a text Stephanie Greene, founder of HealthBridge Consulting, shares her journey from 25 years in healthcare leadership to entrepreneurship after hitting burnout and receiving a life-changing ADHD diagnosis at age 49. • Reaching a breaking point at age 50 when comparing her life to her mother's cancer diagnosis at the same age • Realizing her leadership position as Chief Operating Officer wasn't bringing fulfillment despite achieving career goals • Late-life ADHD diagnosis providing c...
Send us a text Terri Paige shares her journey from corporate accountant to healthcare innovator as co-founder of Medical Transformation Center (MTC), a practice focused on cellular medicine and finding root causes of health issues rather than just treating symptoms. After experiencing her own health crisis, Terri's quest to understand gut health, hormonal balance, and cellular function transformed not only her wellbeing but led to creating a revolutionary medical practice with her physician h...
Send us a text Graphic designer Lizzy Wolfe shares practical strategies for creating professional branding on a small business budget, emphasizing the importance of consistency and thoughtful customization. • Come to designers with your mission statement and brand strategy already prepared to reduce costs • Balance your personal brand with your business brand, especially important as your company grows • Customize Canva templates by changing colors and fonts to match your brand for a cohesiv...
Send us a text Anna Shulgina transforms a wellness gap in Louisville into Bodhi Salt Center, a mind-body balance center where families experience holistic health solutions together without compromising relaxation for either parents or children. Her journey from multinational corporate executive to wellness entrepreneur demonstrates how strategic business principles combine with genuine care for human wellbeing to create innovative service models. • Globalist background with fluency in multip...
Send us a text Dasha Grankina's journey from Soviet-born philosophy professor to Louisville wellness entrepreneur reveals the fascinating intersection of Eastern European health traditions and American innovation. With a background managing schools and businesses in Russia, Dasha brings scientific rigor and practical experience to Bodhi Salt, the wellness center she co-owns with Anna Shulgina, that's challenging how Kentuckians think about respiratory health, allergy management, and overall w...
Send us a text A rising star in tech entrepreneurship joins the Small Business Besties podcast today - and he happens to be the host's son! Fifteen-year-old Azra shares his remarkable journey as the youngest participant ever accepted into the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurism at the University of Kentucky's Gatton Business School. This ambitious high school student has already developed "Deductly," innovative software that solves a critical problem for businesses across industries. His s...
Send us a text Selling your business might be the furthest thing from your mind right now, but the steps that make a business sellable are exactly what create profitability and freedom today. Leslie Hassler, founder of Your Biz Rules and business consultant with 17+ years of entrepreneurial experience, joins the show to shatter common misconceptions about business valuation. She explains why emotional attachment to your "business baby" can blind you to how buyers actually evaluate worth. F...
Send us a text What happens when a business interview transforms into a soul-nourishing conversation about life's most challenging transitions? Michelle Smock sits down with Davonna Saier of Davonna INClusive for what quickly becomes an intimate dialogue on navigating personal change, standing in your values, and finding strength during politically turbulent times. This raw and unfiltered conversation opens with Michelle's candid disclosure about her separation and life changes. Rather...
Send us a text How does a corporate manufacturing professional transition into the world of in-home senior care entrepreneur? Sarah Diener, co-owner of Always Best Care Senior Services, shares her remarkable journey from the structured environment of manufacturing to leading a team dedicated to elderly care. In our chat, Sarah opens up about the challenges she faced, including the steep learning curve of managing a business and building a team that upholds the company's values. Listen as she ...
Send us a text Ready to conquer the entrepreneurial world in Fayette County, Kentucky, and beyond? Michelle's tackling this one alone.... because she is super passionate about making sure everyone gets this right. Discover the key steps to launching your business with confidence, starting with the indispensable operating agreement. This episode offers a comprehensive guide to structuring your new venture, revealing why this document is pivotal not just for internal organization but for securi...
Send us a text Ready to take your small business to the next level? Join me, Michelle, as I navigate a thrilling new chapter with Small Business Bestie, marking our one-year anniversary with the launch of Season Two on March 8th! I've decided to pivot from my accounting business to pour my heart and soul into our growing community, and I'm excited to introduce new coaching services designed to empower fellow entrepreneurs. My talented son, Azra, has been hard at work creating incredible tools...
Send us a text Savannah Harover, better known as Digital Savvy, joins us to uncover the latest digital marketing and SEO trends that are transforming the online landscape.💻🌎 You're probably like the rest of us, wondering how AI is reshaping SEO into what Savannah calls "search everywhere optimization"? Get ready to learn how making your website content effortlessly digestible and searchable can set you ahead of the curve as the new year approaches. Savannah shares her secret to balancing ambi...