Is it actually a good idea to turn your personal challenges into a business opportunity… or is that just a romantic story we tell ourselves? 🤔

It’s a question that comes up regularly in my coaching business.

During my recent kōrero with Miah Faumuina, founder of Dulve, it was the perfect time to address it.

In her mid-20s Miah was dealing with hormone and gut health issues, and when she started reading the ingredient labels on the plant-based milks she was drinking, she realised many of them contained highly processed ingredients that didn’t sit well with her. So she did what many curious, slightly stubborn entrepreneurs do… she started experimenting.

Eventually, that idea became Dulve, a plant-based hemp milk designed to be silky, barista-friendly, and free from oils, gums, and added sugars.

But Miah’s story raises a bigger question for all of us in business: Just because you can turn a personal struggle into a business… should you? ✨

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast156

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You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
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Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

This podcast episode is a bit special. 💛

Granted, it’s just me; no guest. But it’s also special in another way.

Unlike what the title may suggest; it’s not a retrospective “here’s what I learned” piece followed by “and this is what you should do”. Instead, it’s a thinking-out-loud, meaning-making moment while I’m still in the thick of figuring it all out. No frameworks, no lessons, no tidy bows.

Just me, in the middle of the messy-ness that comes with a transition phase. I’m no longer the person I was, but I’m still becoming, still finding my way forward.

And I thought, it’d be very insightful for you to be part of that intense but also powerful moment of transition and reflection.

SO, …

No How-To today. ✋ No advice. Just listen👂 and notice what stirs something inside you, see what lands.

Here are five key lessons from 25 years in business, moments where something quietly changed. Not overnight. Not dramatically. But enough to reshape everything after.

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast155

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Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

Discover how to evolve from manager to leader, trust your team, and build a business that thrives without burning you out. Real insights on the podcast with Justine Parsons.

How to Know If You Are a Manager or Leader in Your Business? 🌴

🤔 When you finally take a break, are you frantically checking emails by the pool, putting out fires left, right and centre? Or are you genuinely switching off?

Your answer matters because it says a lot about where you sit on the manager to leader transition.

For many small business owners, stepping away isn’t simple. Even on holiday, the mental load of running a business follows you. If that’s happening, you might still be operating as a manager, not a leader.

But why does that matter?

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast154

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

Looking for ways to get more client referrals and grow your business without spending on ads? It’s possible! In this episode, Sonaya Williams shares proven strategies to build predictable referrals without paid ads, using simple relationship-based systems that actually work.

It’s myth buster time!

“You need ads, funnels, and a big social media presence to scale your business. Referrals, on the other hand, are random. You can’t control them.”

At least, that’s the story. But what if I told you that’s simply not true?

Let’s bust that myth wide open with Sonaya Williams from The CEO Partner https://theceopartner.com. Sonaya is a systems-driven entrepreneur who built her agency powered by a smart strategy to get more client referrals without paid ads.

Meet Sonaya from The CEO Partner

Sonaya is the founder of a thriving consulting agency that helps service- based businesses streamline their operations and scale sustainably. Like me (If you’ve listened to my previous podcasts, you know this is totally my jam), Sonaya believes good systems are the backbone of any successful business.

They are about creating consistent, repeatable and streamlined experiences that guarantee a great outcome. You can find some of the previous podcasts about how to streamline business processes here https://sandrajulian.co/systems-and-processes/, and here,
https://sandrajulian.co/clunky-business-processes/

Spoiler alert: Sonaya’s systems expertise can also help you get more client referrals in a predictable way.

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast153

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandrajulian.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

Tania Niwa shows how to move between cultures without losing your identity. Through listening, storytelling, grounding, and authentic leadership, she bridges worlds while staying deeply connected to her Māori roots. This is her story. 💛

Moving between cultures can feel like dancing on a tightrope: sometimes fun and thrilling, sometimes straight out wobbly and unsettling. My new guest had to learn the importance of holding fast to your roots, even as you stretch into new spaces and come out standing tall at the other end. 🌀✨

📸 Meet Tania Niwa (https://tanianiwa.com/), an incredible Wāhine Māori photographer who built a thriving business in Australia. Then followed the quiet call of home all the way to Taranaki while living the reality of having a foot in each country.

Through her journey, Tania has learned how to move between cultures without losing her identity, and how to lead with authenticity no matter where she stands.

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast152

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandrajulian.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

Pounamu Skelton’s story is one of vision, resilience, and legacy. He uri o Taranaki Maunga, Te Atiawa, Taranaki Tuturu, and Ngāti Ruanui, Pounamu lives on her papakāinga in Onaero, a place her whānau have named Te Rau Orongo “the multiple ways to heal ourselves.”

For more than 24 years, she carried a dream: to live organically and sustainably, close to her tūrangawaewae. Today, that dream has taken shape on five acres of fertile whenua, where every decision is guided by connection to whakapapa and the generations yet to come.

A Multifaceted Business with Purpose ✨

Pounamu’s business journey is as abundant as her māra. She wears many hats:

• Running online and in-person programmes on māra kai and rongoā.
• Consulting with organisations on kai sovereignty and composting projects.
• Speaking on national panels and conference stages.
• Hosting land-based professional development workshops for organisations at her papakāinga.
• And most recently, preparing to launch her own apothecary boutique, bringing natural herbal products to life.

What ties it all together is her unwavering commitment to Hua Parakore, the ancestral philosophy of growing food, medicine, and people in ways that honour the land and the future.

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast151

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

This episode follows the real-life adventure of Charlotte and Natalie, co-founders of Pompom Events & Marketing 🎉. Dive into their journey as partners in business, full of ups, downs, and lots of laughs, to discover practical lessons on the do’s and don’ts of a business partnership. 🚀

Charlotte and Natalie never set out to become business partners. It “just happened”. Meant to be, I call it.

Eight years ago, their story started with kids' birthday parties and school drop-off encounters. Over coffee ☕, they discovered a shared passion for making a difference in their communities. One day, in a bustling café, their lively chat grew so animated it caught the ear of a nearby business owner. That serendipitous moment led to their very first contract. And just like that, Pompom Events & Marketing www.pompom.co.nz was born!

But running a business partnership wasn’t always a walk in the park. Unlike most other partners in business, they’re not a husband-wife duo; they even no longer live in the same city.

Yet, their business partnership thrived where many others fizzled out.

So, what are the pros and cons of a business partnership? And more importantly, what’s their secret sauce?

Continue to read at: https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast150

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandrajulian.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing

Twenty something Ella Sargent from Manawa Māori and Multi Agency explains how Gen Z entrepreneurs are doing things differently and what we can learn from them.

There’s a new kind of entrepreneur on the rise: one who doesn’t wait for permission, doesn’t follow the old rules, and isn’t afraid to experiment. They’re bold, values-driven, and unapologetically online.

That’s Gen Z.

And Ella Sargent is a shining example of what Gen Z entrepreneurship can look like in Aotearoa.

At just 20-something, Ella has built not one but two meaningful, growing businesses: Manawa Māori (https://www.manawamaori.com/) and Multi Agency (https://www.multiagency.nz/) 🌿

Her approach is refreshingly modern, unapologetically purpose-driven, and deeply rooted in her identity.

Let’s explore how Gen Z entrepreneurs are doing things differently.

Continue to read more at https://www.sandrajulian.co/podcast148

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You can send me a message, question, feedback HERE

Work with me
You’ve built a thriving business through hard work and determination, yet you can feel you’re entering a new season. You’re ready for clarity, space, and support that honours your energy and helps you lead in a way that feels calm, intentional, and aligned with who you’re becoming. If you’re seeking a more easeful, intuitive way forward then private 1:1 Coaching is for you. https://sandrajulian.co/work-with-me/

Website: www.sandrajulian.co
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrajulian.co
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sandrajulian.co
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sandrajulian1

Music is Te Kawa o Rongo by Ngāneko Eriwata

Episode edited by LJS Creative Services #PodcastManager

Show notes & blog by Mattie Belsack from Bellbird Writing