Keep Hope Alive Podcast
Keep Hope Alive through the power of knowing who you are as a person and expressing self-love. Life is a journey and with the blank pages we create our story. Keep Hope Alive is about the power of knowledge in today's world. ALL topics are welcomed.
Keep Hope Alive Podcast
Mastering the Art of Work-Life Balance with Hannah's Insights
Meet Hannah Riopelle, the dynamic founder of Green Light Innovation, who turned her Midwest roots and military family upbringing into the foundation of a thriving entrepreneurial career. Hannah's journey takes her from the world of professional development to launching a company that provides bespoke executive support services, focusing on marketing, operations, and project management for small business leaders. Alongside her inspiring professional achievements, Hannah opens up about the personal fulfillment she finds in balancing her role as a mother to two toddlers with her business pursuits.
Crucially, this episode uncovers the often-overlooked issue of entrepreneurial burnout. We dive deep into strategies for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, like the power of time blocking and the necessity of shutting down at day's end to enhance well-being. Hannah shares invaluable insights into how she stays in her creative zone, supported by a strong team, to manage stress and maintain focus. Her personal anecdotes shed light on the importance of setting boundaries and crafting routines that nurture both productivity and mental health.
For those planning a much-needed vacation, we tackle the challenges of delegating tasks and sustaining business operations when stepping away from work. Nadine shares her experiences of juggling a podcasting career with other responsibilities, illustrating the struggle of relinquishing control and trusting others. Discover how effective project management and clear communication can keep the wheels turning even when you're unplugged. We cap off the episode by exploring the vibrant worlds of photography, entrepreneurship, and podcasting, offering a treasure trove of insights into adaptability, personal growth, and standing out in a crowded market.
Brice Harney
Life On Record
Miles of Smiles Entertainment
Richmond Punch
TK Hair Salon
Ogden Ventures LLC
CEO of Ogden Ventures LLC
SnappBandZ
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Love & Light - Keep Hope Alive
This meeting is being recorded. Hi and welcome to Keep Hope Alive podcast. Boy, did we have another great show for you today? Wait a minute. We always have great shows for you at Keep Hope Alive. I have the lovely Ms Hannah Riopelle with us today and she is the founder of Green Light Innovation and we're going to go through her journey of how she got started and what her business is all about and how she helps everybody in the world. Basically, so welcome to Keep Hope Alive, so excited to have you on.
Speaker 2:Thank you, I'm excited to be here. Thank you, nadine.
Speaker 1:You're so welcome. I love your outfit and you know what I got to say. I love your hair too, because it's beautiful that dark. Yes, Well, definitely. Before we get started, I wanted to ask you a question. Okay, so let's pretend we got invited to go to somebody's wedding and you know, us friends were like okay, yeah, we're going to go and we're walking through the ceremony part, but to the right there's, like, this table with something on there that we would have to sign. What is it that we are needing to sign for the couple to know that we were there?
Speaker 2:We will be signing that book.
Speaker 1:The book, yes, perfect, perfect. So one of our biggest sponsors is called Life on Record and what they do is they get rid of that book and they put a vintage rotary phone out for your guests to pick up and leave a message. So you can leave a message for one minute, five minutes, 30 minutes. If it's a wedding, don't do 30 minutes. There's going to be a line of people, but right next to it they also have a QR code and with that QR code your guests can scan that and use their own mobile device to leave the message, either before or after. So when all these messages get collected, they will burn it either on a 12-inch vinyl record or they put it on a key-sake speaker.
Speaker 1:I call it the little boom box. So maybe it's a year from now. They're listening to all their friends and family saying congratulations, or maybe it was a groomsman just being like, hey, it's about time you put a ring on her finger. So either way, it is so fun to have and it doesn't matter for whatever event. You can use it for high school reunions, family reunions, birthday parties. I know we use this, but it was for a football accident. A kid had broken his leg, so all the teammates use that number to call and leave a message and wish him well, so it doesn't matter what the event is. They are wonderful. Their plans start at $99 and you get the phone number, phone number you got to return the phone for one year, so it's great. Check them out at wwwlifeonrecordcom. All right, well, hannah, I'm so excited.
Speaker 2:That's a darling idea.
Speaker 1:I know, isn't it fun, me too yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I'm like, you know I'm going to use it for an event, but I got to plan an event and maybe it would be my son's 16th birthday, but we got a few years down the road for that to happen. But either way, you know so. But yeah, so my question is for you who is Hannah Riott-Powell?
Speaker 2:Well, I am a Midwest girl for the most part. My dad was in the military when I was growing up. So until I was eight we were kind of traveling all over the world with the Navy, but then we landed in mid-Michigan, which is where my parents were from, and I grew up in Michigan and then I went away to school in Ann Arbor, southern Michigan, and then moved back to Genesee County and that's where I met my husband and started out my career at a professional development company for 13 years. So I did all in-person training and then the company decided to move the training online. So I helped to transition all the training from in-person to online.
Speaker 2:So I always tell people that I kind of have a foot in both that like kind of old school business world where standing in front of people and doing the face-to-face, and then a foot in that like digital world. Right Like now we're doing the video recordings and we're doing the podcast and we but I always have the appreciation for being on camera and connecting in that personal way. So kind of a foot in both worlds. So I did that and then last year in 2024, I stepped away from that role to start my own company. So I founded Greenlight Innovation and what I do is I offer high level executive support to small business leaders, so people who are looking for marketing support, operations, project management. What I tell people is the things that you don't want to do or don't have time to do and you can't hire someone to do full time as your right hand, second in command, I can come in and do it for you on that kind of flexible basis. And so that's been really fun because I get to be in a lot of different industries and with a lot of different business owners and really making people's lives easier, which I love.
Speaker 2:And in my career before I worked with a lot of contractors and I saw the good, the bad and the ugly and how that can sometimes be. You can get roped into things you don't want or subscriptions that don't end up being ultimately all that helpful. So I really wanted to offer that flexible experience for people to have exactly what they need, how much they need of it, be able to do it for as long or not long as they need. You know all of that the things that small business owners are really looking for help from somebody who's extremely capable and that I can have the flexibility to have as much or little as I need of it. So that's been really, really fun, and I do a lot of the marketing piece, so helping people get their name out there in their business out there, of which they're very appreciative.
Speaker 2:So it's been a really fun journey. I also have my husband and I have two toddlers, so that was like a big part of the stepping away. I could have that flexibility. I have a three-year-old daughter and an almost five-year-old son who just started preschool this year, so we've been on that rollercoaster ride. So I'm a working mom, I am balancing all of that and I am supporting other entrepreneurs, which I really, really love to do.
Speaker 1:That's me in a nutshell.
Speaker 2:I also have four crazy pets.
Speaker 1:Four crazy pets. Well, four crazy pets I know well, same where I am Now there's a total of three dogs and I tell you when that trash man comes it's like hold your ears because they all think they can get to the trash man. I like to get loud, I can relate yes, it does get loud. Now with your company. So is it more just you, or do you have a group of people that are kind of contracted out through your company?
Speaker 2:So right now it's just me. So I support you. Know everybody that all of my clients are working with me directly. I'm open to as I as I kind of keep having more clients come on. I'm open to you know, I think of it as like bringing in like a gaggle of freelancers, but it's agency style in a sense of like you have that flexibility right and however many hours in a week you want to work with me, but I would just want to have kind of like a conglomerate of great freelancers that people can choose from and still have that flexibility and personal connection. The person that you're talking to and working with and doing the work is all the same person. So right now it's just me, though.
Speaker 1:Well, that's cool because you know, here you get to work with those different companies, like you said. So you know, out of all the things you mentioned marketing operations, probably you know some secretary stuff what is your favorite one? I know mine would be marketing.
Speaker 2:I do.
Speaker 2:I do truly love the marketing, but I think that the piece, the piece that I find is most fulfilling for me is the project management, because if you think about entrepreneurs, the people who are running their own businesses, a lot of times people who've been doing it for some years, like I've had several people tell me in the last couple of months, like Hannah I'm about ready to close the doors and like wrap it up and be done, because I'm just so overwhelmed by all the moving parts and pieces, all the things I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about so for me to be able to, to pull from them all those parts and pieces even if we're not addressing it and like working on it today, but having them live somewhere um, the amount of like, the way that their shoulders go down and they relax when they realize like all this information that was in my head has now been put in somewhere, it has been organized, it's ready and waiting for me and if I have a new like thing or a couple of other things or things I think of, they can just be plugged into there.
Speaker 2:So once that system is set up, it's really just so rewarding and helpful. So I have to say that, like the project management piece is like a true love. I do love the marketing too, because that's just like fun. Design is fun, getting it out to an audience is fun, but I really love helping people feel more organized and more relaxed in that organization for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely, and I can see where these companies are going to be like what a blessing to you because you have helped them immensely. Like clear off their plates, so they have more time. Everything is time management in a company and business. So you know they're just trying to see. You know I want to do this and that I know there was a company I worked for but I was marketing but also the newsletter. He wanted to have that out all the time, which is great. However, it was such a pain to build at times and I was like for me. I was like, okay, does this look good? Does this look good? Yes, let's make a change here, there, there, there. But it was like what? I was hoping the whole project could be done within a few hours, but it always felt like it lingered and lingered and it was like, okay, this is already supposed to be out. I want it out right away.
Speaker 2:So Well, and not to mention, like I, the biggest thing. Well, and you know, this is running a podcast is like you think of all these ideas like, oh, I'm writing this right now, but maybe this would be good for a future one, or that would be good for a future one, and we get really distracted by all those thoughts whirling around, right?
Speaker 2:and there's like if there's nowhere to put them. That just like takes up your life, energy and your, your focus and your ability to like do the thing that's right in front of you. So I just find that when people have the ability to like, okay, I'm taking this out of here and I'm putting it in there, there's like a huge relief that comes with that right. And then when things end up taking longer than you expected, you're like it's okay, Like I have the. I have the space of mind now to deal with it, because everything else is in its place, Like everything else has a home, which is really nice.
Speaker 1:You see, that is really important. I know the first thing when I because I took a little break from podcasting because podcasters do go through a burnout. I just got back but the first thing I bought was a dry erase board and I was like ABC, there's 13 places I'm advertising. So as soon as it gets uploaded to the world, of course they put it on Spotify and YouTube and Apple and iTunes and wherever all these different places. That's great, but what I do is take it to a next level. So it's Facebook, it's LinkedIn, it's Linktree, there is a blue sky.
Speaker 1:Madron is new Pinterest, because you can go straight to the video. People can share it as pins. So YouTube go straight to the video, people can share it as pins. So YouTube, tiktok I think I already said YouTube, instagram, threads I'm just like overwhelmed.
Speaker 1:But as long as I have it listed A, b, c, d, e it becomes a routine and it's like, okay, focus, nadine. Because I know I've never been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD or anything like that, but I can get so distracted and I'm like, no, stay focused. This is what we do. We upload, upload. We made the short, get the email ready for the client, start putting the things in attach and then, before I even take it to the Facebook announcing, I have to make sure that email is being sent out to my client. So you know, but I think, having that routine and the energy to do it, I remember going how long does it take to do all this? It was 45 minutes. And now all these new sites. I'm like okay, I'm at like maybe 55 minutes at the most. Let's just get it done and I will turn my phone over. For some reason, everybody knows me and I'm just like don't call it this time.
Speaker 2:Can't talk right now. Well, oh sorry, go ahead, go ahead. No, go ahead. Well, I was just.
Speaker 2:It was something that you said about kind of that attention deficit piece, and I always think that that's such a hallmark of true entrepreneurs, right, is that you have? Because you have those ideas popping up all the time. Like you are, you are constantly in the energy of creation and like moving forward, and then there's just the other side of it, which is like taking and executing and finishing that Right? So for somebody like you, if you're like I have, I have my whole list and I can keep organized and all of that, and I just find that sometimes it gets people to a place where they're like I love being in that energy of creation and thinking of ideas, and I want this person to come in and be like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Here's my checklist, get it done. Like here's a checklist, get it done, and then I can keep ideating and I can keep doing.
Speaker 2:I always think of it as like the thing that is, that is your superpower, right? Like you want to be in that, the most that you can be. You want to be doing the thing that's your true love, which is often like thinking up new and fun and exciting ideas. So I often think of the attention deficit piece as as much as you kind of need people on your team or in your corner who can then take and organize and take all those thoughts and put them in places and color code them like hello, I can help with that, but you need to be able to be out doing that and like doing the thinking and having that those creative juices flowing. I think so many times when people try and like force themselves, you know, into a different, into a different rut and to get in that mode like having it written down is great, but but so much power comes from you like living and staying in that, in that creative zone.
Speaker 2:So yeah it's just occurred to me, as you were saying, that, like so many business owners are that way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would see where they would actually shut down. Or the classic move of an owner is oh, they're always like. I see especially the men like how am I going to get this done and this done and this done? And that becomes their worryment. And that worryment, of course, will cause stress, anxiety, maybe even depression at times because they don't feel accomplished. So it'd be up to like for your company. Yeah, you're going to be accomplished. Today. You can put a smile on your face today and know that things that you want to done got accomplished and it's out. You're done with it and I know that's going to be the best stress reducer. And you look at people's health and mental health. You're helping that part too, because that is very important. They can go all different ways with this, but your company is based on a good pattern of helping companies.
Speaker 2:So one day, Thank you so much for saying that, nadine.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I mean, I know for me I will lay down. At night. They had to give me sleep medicine. I was telling my doctor I can create like five different companies a night and I would just want to stay up and start doing the marketing plan and let's get it out and I go doc, I can't sleep. So back five years ago they put me on Ambien. That was the biggest mistake of my life. I just got off of it because I love the sleepwalk.
Speaker 1:But, it did stop the creative process down to where I could sleep. I'm on, happily, a new medicine where I don't sleepwalk, but I found a new pattern in me and it's a good one. I think it's positive because I decided to write a book and I decided to go take some courses, so I spend the first two to three hours. I wake up before 30 or five now. The house is quiet, I can focus and it's my creative time and I call it a gift to me, and then I go to bed early. I love that part.
Speaker 2:So Well, I love it. You yeah that you said that because it sounds like you're kind of already. I mean, one of the biggest things that I always recommend to people too, is that time blocking, so doing it in a way that makes sense. So it sounds like you've got your creative time in the morning for a couple of hours and you're really dialed in on that, but you're not trying to do that the entire day because you know that you can't sustain it past those first couple of hours. You're going to do that at the start of your day and then maybe you're going to have your you know podcasts and your appointments all kind of chunked together at a different part of the day, and that's one of the biggest things is to have those the times chunk like that and then to have your downtime, like when you're done, at the end of the day. Those are appointments that you keep with yourself as well when you shut down, so that then your brain can shut down, so you can go to sleep.
Speaker 2:It's easier said than done, because I think we all, if we have our own organization's podcast to run, businesses to run, we are in some ways wired to be on all the time, but it's just not sustainable. I mean, anybody who knows, like you, were talking about the podcast or burnout before we started recording same with you know business owners it's. You can only do so much for so long. So, really like training yourself and and setting up your systems for success is so so critical.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then finding the help so that you can stay in those pieces that are your superpower too. But I'm glad to hear you have a routine that works for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and shutting down is very important at the end of the day, when you call it quits. I want to be done at six. Make it six right, don't bend it backwards. I know I will still have people filling out the form.
Speaker 1:Last night I took a me time. I hung out with a friend and I made him watch one of the podcasts I did on dating and he was intrigued. He was like don't turn it off, I go, I can't watch me. I don't know why. That's the hardest thing, I go. I don't want to hear me. But he was like he enjoyed it so much. But I noticed when I got home you know, of course I jump in my pajamas. I'm like laying down in bed at midnight. Somebody is like sending a message going I'm filling out the form. I got it done and I was like you know people end up not bringing it home but they're trying to catch up on the extras that would help benefit their company and I understand that to a point. But I feel like you know you should be in bed right now. You got another big day ahead of you, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's hard, I think, since we've gotten into that, especially COVID, with like everything being so digital, and so my husband's in the corporate world and he's the same way he said it used to be such a set day, like your workday is set and you have those hours and you go in and then you're done and then you decompress and then that's it until the next morning. But those lines have really kind of such they blurred so much now that we're all used to being online and different time zones and all of that too. So we are having to be really, um, really mindful and intentional about having the boundaries, because you have to almost. It's almost this like uh, act of uh what's the word that I'm thinking of? Um, you're almost like one of the the Looney Tunes ones, right, like oh, so outside of the norm, if you are the one that has like your day and it ends at a certain time and then that's it and you're cut off until the next morning. But you know it's the worst not going anywhere. It's going to be there when you log in the next day too.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, that's just a mindful, intentional piece and not always easy to do, not always easy to do, but you can. Only you can only go for so long without again kind of another, another plug for getting some help for your business right? Because you can only go for so long and it's not sustainable to keep up that pace, to keep up that level. It's not sustainable for business owners to do everything in their business, especially as it grows. You just can't do that forever. You know you have to start delegating and giving to other people too, so that you can keep protecting, like it's sacred, the downtime, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Now, have you ever gotten to a point so far, running this company, you're like, oh, I need to clone myself because I know that is something that I would go through, where the companies I worked for, like, I even felt guilty taking a 15 minute break. I felt I was short. It was the weirdest feeling and I never knew how to explain it. The last company why do you not take the full 15? And I, you know, that was a good question for me because I felt that I was taking time that I really didn't need away and I wanted to bring more to the company. And it was just who I am as a person, had nothing to do with following the rules and stuff. I know there's other people that would oh, I'm great with the 15., I'm going to take the full 15. But to me, I think it's just because I've ran my own companies before. No, no, no, no. Time is of the essence. Let's get back to work, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean for me it's one of those things where it's really interesting, like when I first started the company, of course you're, at least for me I was at the beginning of it and I had so much energy, excitement, momentum, like all these ideas, and I was, I was not practicing what I preach at that point, right, so I was working late and I was working on the weekends and I was working all the time and at a certain point I mean I can speak from experience because then that was no longer sustainable for me.
Speaker 2:But what was interesting is that when I kind of dialed it back and was like I will work during these set hours and then I'll be done in the evenings and I'll be done on the weekends and I'll be, you know, be shifting my brain out of that work mode into that present, like family mode, even though I was working less hours, I was able to get more done in that time. Less hours, I was able to get more done in that time. I I forced breaks on myself by, you know, like having I scheduled them in throughout my day because it's otherwise I won't do it.
Speaker 2:And to be able to eat and do those kinds of things too. But yeah, I definitely I have had that where I was like rushing toward the burnout and then I'm like, oh, look at me now, though, I'm doing less hours and super intentional about it, but I'm able to get a whole lot more done because I can come back in rested, because I am taking my weekend. Now when I have those like entrepreneurial thoughts and like, oh, what about this idea? What about this idea? What about this idea? My, my thing is, I'll just stick them, I'll just email them to myself, I'll just stick them somewhere.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to sit down and do the work, but I'm going to fire it off real quick so that it can all live in a place that I can come back to and again having that system and that management of it. So it lives somewhere, like, even if I'm not going to do anything with it yet, it's going to live somewhere until I decide yes, yay or nay. So that's kind of my way around that. But yes, I have been there where the train was off the rails and we had to rein it back in Exactly Now.
Speaker 1:I know if I was running this huge, big, successful company and I planned this, maybe because I'm so rich right now right, let's say a three-week vacation and I knew I was going to be out of the office. Of course I have my employees working there, I have management there, but I feel like I would want to hire you to overlook that stuff too, make sure everything is getting done and work on a few projects. I think that would be good for business owners when they are planning vacations, to come to your company and say, hey, be my backbone. You know, just kind of make sure things go flow and I want ABCD done. You know, here are the bullet points credentials. You know, this is what I need. And then you go and you run with it here are the bullet points, credentials.
Speaker 1:This is what I need. And then you go and you run with it. They get to enjoy their vacation sitting back having that nice drink at the beach going I'm in heaven now.
Speaker 2:I'm visiting it now. Nadine yes, I actually have one of my clients is actually planning well in advance. They have a vacation coming up this summer and that's part of it is like what is it going to look like? That I can jump in and do Not everything that they can do, because I'm not an expert in their industry, but there are parts of it that I can do. So they're not coming back to a total influx, right? So it's like oh, instead of the full intake sessions, how about I can do partial ones or things like that? So helping them work through, so those creative solutions that maybe you're right, the rest of the team has what they're responsible for and what they're working on and doesn't have that like bandwidth and time and energy, for that is where green light can come in and help as well. Absolutely, yeah, kind of flexibly, for whatever they're, whatever they're needing. So I love when people tell me that their lives are easier because of having worked with me Yay, now, I've been teased before because I've for my show.
Speaker 1:I wanted to either get an intern to help out, like for some of the emails, and help with the promotional stuff and everything like that. Because people go oh my gosh, nadine, you're so busy and you do it all. Don't you get stressed? Do you ever get run down? I'm like, of course I do. And I had one person say, well, if you had that intern and they were doing it all, would you be looking at everything they did and trying to correct it? And I go, maybe. And they're like you're still working, nadine, you don't need to intern right now I was like you are so right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was like because you know, bringing on somebody to, I call this my baby because before podcasts were even a thing, I started a company called Wedcast. I had my own videographer. We would go out and do commercials, but that was expensive and it was interviewing people in the event industry about their companies and getting a word out and I was going to put it on a platform to have all these different interviews. But when podcasts, I had to leave that behind. It was so expensive.
Speaker 1:Podcasts were a thing I was like okay, well, maybe I was a little hesitant and I was teaching people how to get away from abusive relationships, and I'll never forget this. One person wrote hey, I thought you made this a remote show or something. And I go no, I only do it here in Texas, it's in person. Oh, what a bummer. I really needed your help. And I was like, and it just opened my eyes here, everything started to fall apart. Know, I hear this from this person, this and this? And I'm like do I have time to open it up to the world and do this again? I mean, back many years ago it was just meetupcom was getting formed and um, I joined the event planning meetup group, but they kept getting canceled. And then then they were like okay, we want organizers to run these so people can come. And they were like will you be the organizer? Nope, nope, nope, nope. And then I was like why?
Speaker 1:isn't anybody picking up and I did it, and I did it for eight years and then I handed it off and I was like I was proud of myself.
Speaker 2:And I think you hit the nail on the head. I can just hear as you speak about it how much you care about it. And yes, it's true to the little nugget that you said about people who are running and starting their own thing. And doing this from a place that they deeply, deeply care about. Right hand over the reins or even let go of them a little bit to somebody else is incredibly hard. So that's, I think that's why I have the passion for the project management and the communication, Like. There is nothing that I do with my clients that they're not having eyes on. It's why we have the cadence that we do. It's why I meet with them every week. It's why, even if I've been kind of doing similar tasks for them for a while, they still have eyes on it and sign off on it and it's kind of built into the process because I am not wanting to it's.
Speaker 2:It's a, it's a huge responsibility to take on somebody what they care about so deeply and continue putting it out in the world and and continue adding to that and and expanding it. It, you know it has to sound like them, it has to feel like them, it has to be not just approved by them. But like, oh heck, yes, Like I love that. So there is a real element to like the cadence, the communication, the responsiveness and that executive next level that's so important. Responsiveness and that let that executive next level that's so important, you know, because people tell me all the time I hired this person to do this or that or the other thing and I just had a horrible experience with it. And there are people who are just starting out and maybe haven't had that experience, or haven't worked and had a career prior, or haven't had the experience supporting people at that executive level, um and and and I know that people get burned. So it's a big responsibility and one that I don't take lightly. So I hear you on that, I see you on that.
Speaker 2:You're not alone and caring so deeply and not wanting to give it up because I get it.
Speaker 1:It's hard, when you have that passion.
Speaker 2:It's a hard thing to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's very hard. Yeah, it's very hard. And handing off stuff is hard With my company. When I just let it be and said I couldn't afford this, unfortunately I had to witness somebody say, well, I'm going to do the same thing she did and I'm going to make it work. And it felt like say, well, I'm going to do the same thing she did and I'm going to make it work, and it felt like stealing.
Speaker 1:I was like God, this is. But I couldn't do anything about it at all and I was just like I remember I just left it in prayer and said God, you know, this is my baby and my creation. Why would somebody come and try to take it away and tell everybody that it was theirs and it's all them? Well, I watched them not succeed at all and you know I was like quietly in my head okay, we got this, you know. So I'm just happy. Life circled around, it came back and now I'm over 200 interviews. You know it's been a year and a half and I'm just so proud of myself because I knew what I wanted to do and got there. So, but really, really quick.
Speaker 2:I just was going to say you're providing such an amazing opportunity to people too, to get their word out there and have the opportunity to be interviewed, so thank you for that. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you we all work hard in this world. It doesn't matter if it's podcasts authors or therapists, or even business therapist or even business. And then, like I'm calling you almost, like I call you the business runner, coach, person, mentor too, Like you carry all these names, You're forced to be reckoned with, so you should get some raises from those companies that hire you too. So make sure you get invited to all their corporate parties at Christmas time. All right really quick.
Speaker 1:I wanted to go into our next sponsor and that is going to be Snap Bands. I have a Snap Bands on right now. It's this lovely little bracelet. My mantra word on my band says hope. They come with different mantra words. You got hope, you got faith, you've got love, peace, fearlessness. So there's so many different ones. They come in all different colors. Now, what makes this band so unique? The back has this elastic that you would pull out and just thump against your wrist.
Speaker 1:It sends a signal to the brain to help you process if you're having any anxiety, depression, ptsd, no matter what it is. I know I use mine for sleep too, but when you do that little tuck, I always say a little prayer with it, and I'm going to use this as an example. When I go to the hospital, I'm a hard stick, not because I'm not drinking water, it's just that my veins are terrible, they're deep and they can never get me and it feels like eight times. Oh, we found one and I'm like, I'm like feeling so weak by then. We found one and I'm like, I'm like, feeling so weak by then, but definitely I'm like well, I hope and pray that they find my vein the first time around, and so it helps me calm me down. I don't want to have full, full anxiety over about the process of trying to find a vein. So I've been wearing mine for almost a year and a half close, maybe it's been close to two years, but I love it. I love it and you know, with all proceeds they give a portion to those organizations and charity things that help people with the depression and anxiety.
Speaker 1:As I mentioned, one of the mantra words is faith. Now that is a new one. So when you go onto their website and you put in the code, you can put KHA for keep hope alive, and it will give you the word faith and you can choose whatever color you want as well. Now to find out more information about snap bands, I'm going to spell it out too, but go to wwwsnapbandscom. Spell S-N-A-P-P-B-A-N-D-Zcom. All right, let's get back to it.
Speaker 2:And they're super cute, let's get back to it. And they're super cute, they said and they're super cute.
Speaker 1:They are I love mine and people like I have a Pandora on too. They were like, why do you wear two? Well, I go. They both have meaning. I mean, if I wanted another snap band I'm putting on the other end of the Pandora.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Stacking is a thing too. Those yeah, I've seen all those different companies that do the stacking and I have, um, I think it's called like boho. It's for the apple watch and it looks like a bracelet. I love it. I was just like the Like. The stacking is very cute, so make it a comeback this year, but definitely.
Speaker 2:So, as far as taking this to the next level for 25, whether it's going to be something like a book or a podcast or something to be able to connect with more people online, because you are obviously giving so many people a platform, I love the podcast idea. Currently, what I do is on my social media on Facebook and Instagram, every week, week I share free marketing tips and free tech tips, and so right now it's just building that community and kind of seeing what's next. But I'm just going to continue meeting new business owners, seeing what they need and hearing from them, and possibly one thing I have done a little bit this year is some workshops. So thinking about, you know, some online workshops and topics that would be of use, maybe larger webinars for business owners. That is probably going to be in the very near future for Greenlight Innovation.
Speaker 1:So that is so good and, you know, having those future goals and mapping it out, that's the fun part for, like, I feel a lot like you because, yeah, it's just the thrill and the joy and I have gratitude towards it. Like you know, whatever business we get, even when I was doing photography, I remember I was so happy and blessed to get that client and as I would be driving to go to their photo shoot, I made it a point to always pray in the car over the people who are going to be there, over my clients, and just say this is going to be a great, phenomenal photo shoot. I kind of let God guide me and my eyes do speak volumes when I was doing the photography. I've been a photographer over 20 years doing documentary life models. I have this even higher proper Rossi for people magazine through a different company, yeah so, and then I you know I didn't watch much of the bachelor but, um, when Juan Pablo and I think the guy's name was Tim from Fort Worth or I forgot his name the first season they were on, they got like booted off but they had a big party in Fort Worth and they were like would you be the photographer?
Speaker 1:There's expected 500 women coming and I'm like whoa, 500 women. I was like, okay, it was so funny, I got my own security guard, I got my own chair to stand on and you know, you just sit there and you see all these people coming in introducing. Oh, I got to meet you and everything and it was fun for me because I was standing up higher. But getting to just-.
Speaker 2:Isn't it funny, all the-.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:All the different stories and like the different life experiences, and then you get to hear your guests come on and tell theirs. I mean it's just like all the stories just go out into the world in a giant way. It's so fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and they were like Nadine, we need you over here. So that meant I had to get off my chair and move the chair and security guard. But it was so ironic. Juan Pablo did hear that they needed me to move, but it was so funny. He grabbed my hand to help me down and I was like uh-oh, I hope nobody of these girls get mad at that, but it was so funny and I just really appreciated the help and everything. I wasn't asking for help, but it was just the gesture. It made me feel good.
Speaker 1:But being out there in public and loving to help people, when it shows it shows that you have this caring heart and you're actually caring about the company that you work for and you want to provide them the best. So, but working solo like this, I think it eliminates the pressure. It eliminates if there's any micromanaging going on. It eliminates any of the extra stresses that come with a daily job too. To give us more of that creative edge to go out there. And I want to say I'm a builder, I build on that For me and my personality type. I did a disc test. I guess I'm considered what is called an I. I'm the bubbly, outgoing, creative one who just wants to go present all these different ideas and run with it. So if I'm going, like in my term, backwards, it makes it really hard for me to even focus on that kind of stuff and getting the job done. So I'm the go-getter and I bet that's how you are too.
Speaker 2:So it's like one of my favorite quotes about business is like it's not that you have to know exactly what the right thing is, or think it over, overthink it, it's just moving, continuing to move and move fast, right, like if I'm going to fail, I just want to know right away. I'm going to try it, see how it goes. Nope, back to the drawing board. We're going to try this thing, this thing, this thing. I'm just going to keep moving fast. So that's one of the things that I love that keeps me going in my business. Right, I'm just going to keep showing up to things, keep trying different things. This is actually my first podcast, so it's like, okay, we're going to try podcasts and see how that goes. I'm a little late to the game there, but it's just been so fun so I love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember last year when I was working, I noticed websites started creating the link for podcasts. We've been on and I was like, okay, and there was all the talk of AI coming. And so right then, and there last year, okay, nadine, we're going to do AI courses, which I've started. I've got three down and I'm just like, okay, I didn't know this was really out. So I'm learning stuff right now too that I can put on my resume. I don't know if you can attach certificates to your resume, I would love to, but it's just those little things. But seeing that and going, okay, I got to use this to move forward in my marketing strategy. You know plan of how I'm going to bring business in and I always have asked why choose me? And I'm sure with any businesses out there, it's like what makes you different from other people, that you can sell your specialties and what your gift is and really it is a gift and how well you accomplish it. So, yeah, so with the podcast.
Speaker 2:The powerful thing to be able to set yourself apart.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, with the podcast it does take over a majority of your life. So what you're doing, you have a lot on your plate. I will keep bringing you back and I could do your interviews and everything, but it is a lot of work. So, yeah, definitely. Well, I'm so happy for you and I want to make sure our listeners, if they wanted to contact you to hire you or to see what was going on, or maybe if you did coach in one-on-one sessions, you know how can they reach you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I will share the link with you, nadine, to share kind of with the podcast episode. I have a five-minute survey that you can fill out and it's just a little bit about your business to help me get to know you. And then you'll hear from me reaching out about a complimentary, just consult so that we can talk about your business and talk about your needs and see if it could be a fit. So I have that five-minute survey and also my website is hannariopellecom, so H-A-N-N-A-H-R-I-O-P-E-L-L-Ecom and the surveys. On there you can learn all about Greenlight and what we do. And, yeah, I would love to hear from your audience for whoever's interested in getting some really world-class, high-level support.
Speaker 1:That is so cool, I'm so happy you're on our show and everything. And I used I gotta say used to follow and be a fan of Go Blue.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I know it's been an interesting few years. We've had peaks and valleys, but yes, forever Go Blue.
Speaker 1:Forever, go blue, go blue. Yeah, when I was married the first time, he was a big Michigan Wolverine fan. So I did get to visit Ann Arbor and I loved it and we stayed at this hotel. It was connected to a mall and I was like, oh, this is the coolest thing ever. And but I will never forget I had no problems at the time. I went to the bathroom, I left the camera with my husband and when we were leaving I went into the mall and I said, hey, I developed the pictures. I want to look at them when we get on the plane. And he was like I got to tell you something. Are you sure you want to look at all the pictures? And I'm like, yeah, why wouldn't I? And he's like, oh, I did something. And I was like, and I was going through the pictures, he had somebody else take my camera so he could take a picture with all the cheerleaders. I was like you think I'm gonna be jealous over this. Good for you. Why didn't you let me take the picture?
Speaker 2:That's funny.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they have a good cheerleading crew.
Speaker 1:Yes, definitely. Well, I definitely want to catch up with you after a year from now. So follow up. I will get everything posted onto our site. Remember you can go to wwwkeephopealivepodcastcom to view all our episodes. We finally did it. We are over the 200 mark. I'm so excited, so, yay. It's like, oh, balloons and everything. But if you would like to be a guest or like to leave us a message, when you're on the website to the right there is a little place mark that says leave a message, so you can leave a message for Hannah. I'm like sure she gets it, we'll answer. Do those follow-ups? We do have a new group on Facebook for VIPs, so everybody who is getting interviewed has a free membership to this, and the people who sign up will be granted all their special promotions and everything. So you got to check that as well. But other than that, wherever you find your podcast, you'll be able to find us. And until our next show, love and light. Bye-bye, guys.
