The Exact Hot Seat Podcast | Episode 13

Featuring: Justine McDonald, Founder of Goal Chasers & Stay at Home Legends

In this 2nd episode of our RRC Polytech Alumni Series, Amanda Buhse and Lisa Thompson sit down with Justine McDonald - an RRC Polytech alum, former marketing manager, and the magnetic force behind Goal Chasers and Stay at Home Legends. What began with a viral planner and a chaotic post-conference breakdown has since evolved into a movement: helping women simplify their businesses, build success on their terms, and reclaim time, autonomy, and ambitio without burning out.

Justine opens up about the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship: the “accidental” launch of her planner business, bootstrapping her way into Jillian Harris’s Jilly Box, and the quiet strength of building with intimacy, intention, and deep community ties. From basement beginnings to supporting 70+ female founders in Manitoba, Justine’s story is packed with unfiltered wisdom and practical clarity for anyone building a life beyond default settings.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Entrepreneurship doesn’t need permission - just a planner and a fire in your gut. Justine’s first launch came out of frustration, burnout, and a refusal to shelf her dreams one more day.

• Connection > Crowds. Whether it’s one-on-one sessions, brown paper strategy days, or gluten-free pizza, Justine believes in small, deep containers over large, impersonal programs. Her model is community-first and referral-powered.

• Her path wasn’t linear and that’s the point. From aspiring kindergarten teacher to marketing manager to in-demand coach and speaker, Justine followed curiosity, not a business plan.

• She’s rewriting the narrative for working moms. The Stay at Home Legends brand is a call to redefine success - balancing ambition with presence, and choosing what motherhood and business look like in every season.

• Real leadership starts in the in-between. Justine shows up for women between the wins and the breakdowns - when confidence is shaky and clarity is foggy. That’s where transformation happens.

🎧 Tune in now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Connect with Justine McDonald: 

🔗 LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gpjy-ASv 
📷 Instagram: https://lnkd.in/gPCfN5ng 
Goal Chasers 🌐 Website: thegoalchasers.com 

Brought to you by our Presenting Sponsor, RRC Polytech! 

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Your Hosts:

👉 Lisa Thompson
🔗 LinkedIn: @lisabrd
📷 Instagram: @lt_wpg

🔗 BRD LinkedIn: @brandrevivaldesign
📷  BRD Instagram: @brdagency.ca

🌐 www.brdagency.ca

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👉 Amanda Buhse
🔗 LinkedIn: @amanda-buhse
📷 Instagram: @abuhse

🔗 C&C LinkedIn: @coal-and-canary
📷  C&C Instagram: @coalandcanary

🌐 www.coalandcanary.com