Episodes

Every now and then I start seeing a flood of people “taking a break” from Instagram, and I truly believe it’s not the app that’s a problem—it’s how we use it. If you’re using social media to build a brand or a business, you’re going to have to be on Instagram, so you’re going to have to find a way to deal with overwhelm when it comes up because constantly deleting and re-downloading every other day ain’t the way. Overwhelm happens to all of us, so instead of trying to prevent it, you can take a ...

What do you do when you want to burn your entire business down ’til there’s nothing left? I’ve been lucky enough to never want that, but it doesn’t seem like an enjoyable place to be. Running an online business and feeling like you’re going nowhere or that somehow you’re doing it “wrong” can be frustrating, but instead of throwing in the towel, there are a few questions I think you should ask yourself. Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podcast that helps online business owners find ...

I may talk mostly business now, but I am the *Movement* Maestro, and every now and then I like to remind you of that. I’m bringing this episode back from the archives because it felt relevant given the fact that it’s summer and it’s hot as shit outside, so if you’ve ever thought about cold exposure, it’s as good a time as any to try. Look, I’m not about that cold shower life but I did some learning about this a few years back, and while there are plenty of lesser benefits, there’s a lot of great...

Age is just a number—except for when it isn’t. I’ve had some clients wonder if they’re just “too old” to be starting a personal business on Instagram, and it’s a valid question. Even though social media seems to be a “young” persons game (whatever that means), there are millions of people of all ages online. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t care to hear a 20-year-olds advice about things, and I’m sure plenty of others don’t either. Which means they’re waiting for someone who may be “older...

How the hell do you know the “right” way to start an online business venture? Do you start with the thing you care about, or do you do the thing you know will make more money? Does have to be one or the other? Y’all know I’ll always advocate for doing the thing that lights you up, but businesses are build on solving problems, so you need to make sure you can do that before you do anything else. If you’re not sure where to start, start with this episode, where I’m sharing the three essential “E’s...

If you’re like me and you’re building a personal brand, you already know that trust is everything, and when building that trust with your audience, having a direct line of communication with them is golden. Enter: your Instagram comments and DMs. Managing them can seem overwhelming but in my opinion, you’ve got to find a way to figure it out in whatever way that works best for you. Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podcast that helps online business owners find their passion, genera...

Once upon a time, I watched the Disney movie, Soul… and I hated it. It had some pretty egregious racial issues, and on top of that, it had a weird and disappointing take on what it means to be passionate. Letting your passion consume you is, in my opinion, a GOOD thing. If you’re lucky enough to have something that sets your soul on fire, then why wouldn’t you let it consume you? Why wouldn’t you dedicate your life to something that gets you jumping out of bed every morning and pushing you forwa...

If you ever wanted to hear me have a conversation with the Energizer Bunny, then you’ll definitely want to tune in to this episode. Jokes aside, you really do need to hear Dr. Alyssa Olenick’s story because she simply doesn’t stop, and it’s fucking incredible. Y’all know I stay calling for MOAR YOU, and Alyssa has no other modes—it’s more Alyssa, all the time. Maybe for some she’s “too much,” but that’s her super power. By leaning in to and owning that “too much” Alyssa has built something incre...

You need an email list. If your social media disappeared tomorrow, how would you contact any of your people? Share any content? Make any sales? As you know, the Summer Slowdown is coming, so now is the perfect time to focus on building up and growing your business, and one of the best things you can do is set up your email list. This is *the* most comprehensive guide to email newsletters I have: I share why you need one, how to start one, what to use it for, and how to grow it. If you’re ready t...

It happens every year without fail: The Summer Slowdown. But even though it’s nothing new, there’s always someone panicking and crying when business gets a little slower during the warmer months. This year, you’re not going to freak out about it, because I’m preparing you with 7 tips to handle this slow season. Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podcast that helps online business owners find their passion, generate more profit, and build a life that they love. I'm your host, Dr. Shan...

On Monday, I shared about how I really don’t care for being “busy” but it’s still important for me to get shit done. I follow a general schedule week-to-week, but sometimes life doesn’t always go to plan (shocking, I know) and that’s all good, too. As long as I’m setting realistic goals, managing the expectations I have for myself, and do my best to set myself up for success, we’re golden. But as we all know—and as the great prophet, Britney Spears, once said, “You better work, bitch.” Let’s ch...

I do not like to be busy. Maybe in my younger years, I enjoyed having a full calendar a little more, but now every time I hear someone talking about doing more, more, more, more, more, I’m just like, “Ew.” In the entrepreneurial space, people can make you feel like you’re not doing “enough” if you aren’t constantly doing shit, so let me be the one to tell you, if you don’t like being busy, you don’t have to be. Let’s chat. Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podcast that helps online business own...

If you choose to listen to but a handful of my podcast episodes, please let this be one of them. The Instagram algorithms saw fit to bring me and Kathy together, and I can’t help but feel that they actually got it right this time. Kathy's Instagram account may be dominated by pictures of horses, but her background tells a thousand stories, punctuated by leaps of faith and unimaginable success…over, and over, and over again. And honestly, it's just nice to see someone who writes longer Instagram ...

Y’all know I’m all about going all-in on building your best life, whatever that may be. Your best life might be running your own business, but it doesn’t have to be. If having the security of a job at a company you love is part of your best life, then that’s fucking great, too! You can try a million different things, and stop doing those things at any time, and it doesn’t make you a failure—it means you’re wise enough to be realistic about what does and does not bring you joy. That’s something K...

Since Monday’s episode was a Q&A it only felt right for this Thursday Throwback to be another one, but this time all the questions are online business related. Y’all know how much I love talking about business and especially when you folks are the ones asking the questions. Let’s chat. (This episode is a re-run. […]

In April I did a Q&A over on Instagram, and—like usual—you folks came at me with some bomb-ass questions. I answered over there, but you can only say so much within the constraints of social media, so I wanted to have the chance to talk in more detail. I love doing these kinds of episodes, […]

Menopause (and peri menopause) is the new black in the online space, and because of that, no matter where I look, everyone is talking about fat + weight loss. I truly never thought I’d be talking about this (and I hate that I am) but it’s been on my mind and I needed to say something. I truly believe our purpose in this life is to lean in to joy and be happy, but when you spend your whole life worrying about being as small as you possibly can, how could that bring you anything but sadness? I kno...

On Monday we talked about automating Instagram comments and DM’s, but if you’re not getting any engagement, there’s nothing to automate. If your social media comment section is a ghost town, then I have a 5-part answer that’ll help you reflect on the way you’re showing up online and increase your levels of engagement. After all, using Instagram for online business starts with creating relationships, and those relationships start with you leading the conversation. Let’s chat. (This episode is a...

I’m sure you’ve seen one of those posts going around that has some sort of call to action like, “comment the word ‘YES’ and I’ll send you the link!” These creators aren’t sending out links individually, they’ve actually automated their Instagram comments and DMs. It seems like a miracle, especially for those of us who get burnt out from answering the same questions over and over again, so I thought we could talk a little bit about the how’s, why’s, and when’s when it comes to automating on Insta...

This Throwback Thursday episode is a double whammy—it was initially two episodes that I’m rereleasing as one because if you haven’t heard it yet, then you need to immediately, and if you have already heard, well you need to listen again. This conversation, had with none other than my twin, Laura Jean, is the perfect follow-up to Monday’s conversation about the connection conundrum. As human beings, we all want to be seen, heard, and known. If we want that for ourselves, we have to lead from the ...

I spend a lot of time on social media, and I’m sure you do too, so you’ve probably noticed the dumpster-fire that seems to be happening in comment sections everywhere. We all desperately want connection, but it’s turned into anger, judgement, and what-about-ism every time a piece of content exists that isn’t perfectly tailored to our lived experiences. Y’all know I’m solution oriented, so I’m always thinking about what’s to be done about it. I’m not sure there’s ever a “right” answer to make it ...

Today’s episode features a very special guest: Dr. Uchenna “UC” Ossai. If you don’t already know her, get ready, because you're in for one hell of a treat. I’m bringing today’s episode back from the vault because UC is speaking at #BossUp this year, and if you weren’t already convinced about going, you will be after hearing her here. She's just an all around dope human being with an energy that is absolutely infectious and it was awesome to have her on the podcast. UC's upbringing shaped her i...

If you’ve never been to a live event, you need to. And it’s not because the information you’ll get there is just too good to pass up (although, that’s certainly a benefit of live events) but there’s another magic you’ll experience entirely when you’re in the same room with other people who are action takers, just like you. So if you’re never been to a live event, and if you’re an action taker—which I know you are because you listen to this podcast—I hope I’ll see you at #BossUp this fall. It’ll ...

We talked about Threads on Monday and over there, folks be complaining. In my opinion, at the heart of all that bitching, is unhappiness. Some people are committed to being unhappy, but for the most part, I think people don’t know how to make the things that bring them joy a priority. If something matters to you, then you do it. So what are you making time for in your life? Let’s chat. (This episode is a re-run. Original release date was March 25, 2021.) Welcome to Maestro on the Mic, a podca...