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Here's What I Learned: Ditching Biz-as-Usual for Values, Freedom, and Doing It Your Way
Welcome to Here's What I Learned, the podcast for progressive entrepreneurs ready to grow their businesses without sacrificing their values, creativity, or sanity. Hosted by me, Jacki Hayes—a systems strategist, unapologetic smutty romantasy fan, and D&D geek—this show is your go-to space for honest conversations about what it really takes to create a business and life you love.
Each week, we dive into relatable stories and actionable lessons from values-driven leaders who’ve figured out how to scale sustainably while staying true to themselves. Whether you’re managing growth, navigating overwhelm, or rethinking hustle culture, this podcast is here to show you that success doesn’t have to mean burnout.
If you value integrity, autonomy, 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.
Episodes
100 episodes
Evolving as a Business Owner (Mixtape Edition)
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 da...
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Season 9
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Episode 12
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18:11
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Business Experiments That Flopped—And What We Did Next (Mixtape Edition)
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 he...
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Season 9
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Episode 11
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19:45
Joyful Business, Aligned Marketing with M. Shannon Hernandez
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 Herna...
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Season 9
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Episode 10
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32:54
Do You Need a New Tool, or Does Your Process Need Care?
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 yo...
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Season 9
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Episode 9
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10:46
Why Empathy is Your Strongest Copywriting Strategy with Krista Walsh
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 pract...
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Season 9
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Episode 7
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23:02
Building a Business That Includes You with Faith Clarke
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 Femini...
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Season 9
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Episode 7
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31:06
Systems That Flex With You: Designing a Business Around Your Energy
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...
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Season 9
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Episode 6
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18:04
Visibility Without Burnout for Introverted Entrepreneurs with Tara Reid
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 s...
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Season 9
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Episode 5
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24:56
Dismantling the Online Business Industrial Complex with Megan Dowd
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 joine...
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Season 9
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Episode 4
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38:46
Small Shifts That Support You When Work Slows Down
If business feels quieter right now—more space, fewer deadlines—you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not doing it wrong. In this solo episode, I’m sharing the small shifts that have helped me (and the solopreneurs I work with) na...
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9:57
Redefining “Done Right” in Business with Sarah Gemmell
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...
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Season 9
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Episode 2
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26:07
Human Design, Uncertainty, and Strategic Evolution with Katherine Danesi
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, ev...
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Season 9
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Episode 1
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29:00
Season 9 Trailer
What if the way you build your business mattered just as much as what you build?In Season 9 of Here’s What I Learned, we’re shining a light on the path less promoted—the one paved with sustainable practices, nervous-system-frien...
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3:36
Here’s What I Learned in Season 8: Boundaries, Alignment & Growth
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 w...
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Season 8
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Episode 16
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8:28
Balancing a 9–5 and a Business: Real Talk for Multi-Passionate Creatives with Chelsey Newmyer
Can you build a business you love and keep your day job—without burning out?I sit down with Chelsey Newmyer, behavior change specialist and founder of From Overwhelmed to Under Control, to unpack what it really...
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Season 8
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Episode 15
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27:12
The Consent-First Approach to Email Marketing with Bev Feldman
When your inbox values don’t align with your ethics... it’s time to change the rules.In this conversation, Jacki sits down with Bev Feldman—email strategist, tech fairy, and outspoken advocate for human-first systems—to unpack what it re...
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Season 8
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Episode 14
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28:44
Lead Like a Starling: Emergent Strategy Lessons for Solopreneurs with Taina Brown
When your business demands more than your body can give, what do you do? In this episode, I sit down with Taina Brown—personal and professional development coach, somatic facilitator, and strategy whiz—for a powerful conversation on sustainable...
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Season 8
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Episode 13
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35:04
Not Ready to Hire? 5 Strategies That Buy You Time and Energy
What if staying solo didn’t mean staying stuck?This episode is your permission slip to step out of the client-work grind without adding to your payroll. Whether you’ve tried hiring and hated it, aren’t financially ready, or just...
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Season 8
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Episode 12
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11:10
Corporate Habits I Ditched to Build a Life-First Business
I spent years absorbing corporate “best practices”—how to write emails, how to hold meetings, how to pretend I wasn’t a full human while working. It wasn’t until I started working with creative, values-driven solopreneurs (like you) that I real...
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Season 8
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Episode 11
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11:41
Show Up Like a Human (Not a Hashtag) with Jayci Trujillo
What if your social media presence didn’t feel like a chore? In this candid conversation, I’m joined by Jayci Trujillo—founder of Happy Girl Marketing—for a refreshing chat on building flexible businesses, posting like a real human, and designi...
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Season 8
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Episode 10
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32:17
You Can Do Hard Things: Podcasting, Business, and Burnout with Alesia Galati
In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I sit down with podcast strategist and founder of Galati Media, Alesia Galati, to talk about building a values-first business, scaling intentionally, and why it's okay to burn it dow...
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Season 8
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Episode 9
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30:37
Designing a Better Business with ChatGPT (Without Losing Your Voice or Values)
I’m sharing how I’ve been using ChatGPT as a judgment-free, burnout-aware sounding board. Not to write content or automate my business systems, but to help me think clearer and make values-aligned decisions without spiraling into overthinking o...
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Season 8
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Episode 8
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6:11
Tiny Tweaks, Big Payoff: 4 System Shifts for a Smoother Business
In today's episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on four small (but mighty) systems tweaks that have made my business feel smoother, calmer, and way more me. These aren’t shiny new tools or complicated funnels. I’m talking about simple...
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Season 8
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Episode 7
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7:07
Reimagining HR for Small Businesses with Kirsten Ziegler
What happens when an HR pro leaves the corporate grind to build a business rooted in ethics, empathy, and real talk? In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Ziegler, an HR consultant who’s rewriting the rules of people management for small bus...
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Season 8
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Episode 6
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30:31
Ditching ‘Professionalism’: How Work Norms Hold Us Back with Becky Mollenkamp
What if everything you’ve been taught about work, success, and professionalism is actually holding you back? In this episode of Here's What I Learned, I sit down with Becky Mollenkamp, an accountability coach and intersectional ...
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Season 8
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Episode 5
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35:52