Entrepreneur Encounter
Entrepreneur Encounter is a weekly podcast designed to support creative business owners in developing the soft skills that lead to lasting, values-aligned growth.
Hosted by Dana Johnson, founder of a boutique Pinterest marketing agency for wedding pros and creatives, and Sara Lowell, a consultant specializing in business management & team leadership along with podcast management, each episode explores the mindset shifts, communication skills, and leadership habits that empower entrepreneurs to grow sustainably—without the burnout.
Through real stories, practical frameworks, and transparent conversations, Dana and Sara offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to run a purpose-driven business in a constantly changing world.
Whether you're building your visibility, managing a team, or simply trying to stay grounded while growing, this podcast is your companion in business and in life.
Episodes
125 episodes
From Meeting Overload to Meaningful Time: Soft Skills for Smarter Collaboration | EP 12
We’ve all been there, sitting in a meeting halfway through, realizing it could’ve just been an email. We’ve been in those meetings, too, lots of motion, zero progress. In this episode, we decided to change that narrative by pulling back the cur...
•
21:41
Lessons in Leadership: Real Advice for New Managers and Entrepreneurs | EP 11
You know that moment when you realize leading a team feels a lot like parenting? You’re guiding, teaching, and sometimes repeating yourself a hundred times but this time, the “kids” have deadlines and invoices. In this...
•
17:22
How to Build Rapport That Doesn’t Feel Fake or Forced | EP 10
Have you ever looked through your LinkedIn connections and realized you don’t actually know most of them? You’re not alone. In this episode, we peel back the layers of what authentic networking really means, beyond the surface-level me...
•
25:25
How to Have Difficult Conversations Without Burning Bridges | EP 9
Ever held back a conversation for so long that it turned into a ticking time bomb? In this episode, we get real about the messy emotions, mounting overwhelm, and quiet assumptions that can build up when we avoid speaking our truth. From burnout...
•
32:20
When Growth Stalls: What to Do When Your Team (or Clients) Stop Evolving | EP 8
It’s one of the hardest moments as a leader, you pour your energy, knowledge, and heart into helping someone grow, only to realize they’re not moving forward. Maybe it’s a client who resists every strategy you put in place, or a team member who...
•
30:10
Why Great Leaders Ask Questions, Not Just Give Answers | EP 7
She sat at her desk, staring at a list of problems she felt responsible to solve. The pressure was heavy, after all, wasn’t a leader supposed to have the answers? But then came the shift: what if leadership wasn’t about fixing everything, but a...
•
30:31
Building Resilience: Thriving Under Entrepreneurial Pressure | EP 6
Every entrepreneur faces that moment when everything seems to be falling apart, missing files two days before a client deadline, algorithm changes that tank your reach overnight, or technical glitches that threaten your reputation. These scenar...
•
31:45
Understanding Empathy vs Enabling | Why Caring People In Business Care Themselves into Burnout | EP 5
Ever catch yourself spending unpaid hours researching solutions for problems you weren't even hired to solve? There have been times when we both have done exactly that, laying awake worrying about a business when we should have not. We then dis...
•
31:22
How to Time Manage with Time Blindness | Why Your Creative Brain Always Underestimates Projects | EP 4
Does your creative brain underestimate projects? You know that sinking feeling when you confidently tell a client "this will only take 30 minutes" and then find yourself three hours deep in what was supposed to be a quick task? Dana...
•
31:12
Bringing Your Team Back to Reality After Summer Break | EP 3
A hurricane, an unexpected illness, or even the chaos of back-to-school season, sometimes life throws curveballs that force us to step away from work. But what happens when your business can’t stop running just because you need to? In today’s e...
•
37:20
Sustainable Content Creation & Mindset Shifts for Entrepreneurs After Summer Break | EP 2
Picture this: It's the end of summer, and you're staring at your neglected Pinterest account. While other entrepreneurs are frantically trying to catch up on daily social media posts, scrambling to create new content, and feeling overwhelmed by...
•
25:50
Why Letting Go of What's Not Working is the Secret to Business Growth | Ep 1
Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels, trying to juggle all the moving parts of your business, only to end up exhausted and overwhelmed? You're not alone. Sometimes the answer isn't about adding more strategies or doing more things, it's a...
•
23:39
How to Understand Your Audience Beyond Your Own Bias
Ever wondered why your marketing feels like shouting into the void? You're not alone. In this conversation, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial mind trap that keeps businesses stuck in their own heads instead of connecting with their customer...
•
40:04
.png)
How to Set Healthy Business Boundaries and Prevent Entrepreneur Burnout: A Wedding Photographer's Success Story
Are you tired of working weekends, answering client emails at 2 AM, and feeling completely burned out in your creative business? What if you could take eight weeks of vacation while having your highest-earning year yet? Wedding photographer and...
•
38:30
From Burnout to Connection: How Soft Skills and Self-Awareness Can Transform Love & Leadership
In this episode, with Lila Turner, London-based entrepreneur and founder of Relationship Ready, a business that helps high-performing leaders find meaningful love, without turning dating into a KPI checklist.Lila shares her unco...
•
34:13
.png)
How to Create a Smart Exit Strategy Without Losing Your Legacy | Business Valuation & Optimization Tips
Thinking about exiting your business can feel like the end of an era but what if it could be a new beginning instead? In this episode we sit down with Megan Kearney from Exit Factor to unpack what it really means to prepare your busine...
•
22:07
.png)
How Ideal Routines and Soft Skills Fuel Long-Term Business Growth
What happens when you list a service you don’t even know how to deliver... and it takes off? In this episode, Chris M. Walker shares how an experiment turned into a career-defining moment that not only got him out of his 9-to-5 but led...
•
24:41
.png)
Building a Business That Aligns with Your Values-Even When Life Changes Everything
If you’ve ever looked at your child’s care options and thought, “This isn’t enough,” this episode will hit home. Shavon St. Germain saw a gap in early childhood development and decided to fill it—not just for her daughter, but for her entire co...
•
25:12
.png)
Manifesting Momentum: How Energy, Mindset & Emotional Intelligence Fuel Business Growth
Ever felt completely safe with someone within minutes? That’s the power of presence—and today’s guest embodies it. A former anesthetist, she shares how the high-stakes skill of creating instant trust now shapes her approach to business, leaders...
•
40:59
The Secret to Successful Marketing: Building Trust and Serving Your Audience
Marketing often feels intimidating, overwhelming, and sometimes downright confusing for entrepreneurs but what if it didn’t have to be that way? In this episode, Melody Tholstrup, founder of My Size Marketing and marketing coach with 3...
•
38:08
.png)
From Burnout to Breakthrough: How to Protect Your Passion and Mental Health as an Entrepreneur
Ever feel like your creativity gets lost in the hustle of entrepreneurship? Or like the thing you once loved now feels like a burden? You’re not alone. In this episode, we dive into what it really means to create not just for business, but for ...
•
29:00
.png)
From Self-Doubt to Empowerment: Building Confidence and Resilience in the Digital Space
What happens when self-doubt collides with purpose? In this heartfelt conversation, we get real about the often-unspoken truths of entrepreneurship. From tackling imposter syndrome to embracing the discomfort of growth, we share how building co...
•
42:34
.png)
From Daily Habits to Lasting Impact: How Self-Awareness Fuels Success
Have you ever felt stuck, like you’re pouring effort into something with no visible results? It’s frustrating, right? But what if success works like a bamboo tree, growing beneath the surface for years before being a success overnight? The jour...
•
28:37
.png)
How Customer Service Drives Your Business
No matter the industry you’re in, you will always interact with people. Customer Service is more than checking off to-do lists or sending a monthly email update, customer service is what drives your business. On your journey as an entrepreneur,...
•
30:04
.png)
Rewriting Your Identity: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Building a Business You Believe In
The biggest challenge in entrepreneurship isn’t the strategy, it’s believing in yourself. When you step into the unknown, self-doubt creeps in, imposter syndrome tells you you’re not ready, and the fear of failure will hold you back. <...
•
33:22
.png)