Take The Leap
Take the Leap is the podcast where we get real about the rollercoaster that is entrepreneurship and life.
Sure, some folks make running a business look like a walk in the park, but let's be honest – it's more like a wild ride through a theme park with unexpected twists and turns!
Join us your co-hosts, Victoria & Ashlan, as we spill the beans on our own real-life experiences and shine a spotlight on some amazing guests. From the highs of success stories to the lows of epic failures, and hey, we'll even throw in some cringe-worthy, laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments for good measure!
So buckle up and tune in every week for a dose of raw, unfiltered truth about what it's really like to chase your dreams and build a business. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just dipping your toes into the startup world, we've got something for everyone. Even if it's just to make you think, "I'm so glad I didn't do what they did!"
Take The Leap
#113: You Don’t Have to Scale to Be Successful with Liz Ruf
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Ashlan and Victoria sit down with Elizabeth (Liz) Ruf, a strategic marketing advisor who works with higher ed, EdTech, and mission-driven organizations, to talk about taking the leap into entrepreneurship during the COVID chaos era (a truly unhinged time to start a business, 10/10). Liz shares how burnout pushed her to quit without a safety net, what it’s like to run a consulting business through funding cuts in the nonprofit world, and why community isn’t optional when you work for yourself.
Listen if you’re navigating slow seasons, mission-driven marketing, nonprofit reality checks, or you just need the reminder to trust your gut and stop doing business like it’s 2019.
Favorite Takeaways:
- Burnout is a real (and common) catalyst to exploring entrepreneurship. Liz left a demanding higher ed role during the pandemic and built her consulting business from there.
- Entrepreneurship = constant reinvention. You’re adapting to market shifts, client priorities, and funding realities basically every quarter.
- Nonprofits are in a marketing catch-22 right now. Budget cuts reduce marketing support exactly when storytelling and fundraising need to get stronger.
- Show up with solutions. The “1-3-1” method: 1 problem, 3 possible solutions, 1 recommendation.
- Not everyone wants to scale. And that’s valid. Liz calls out the subtle judgment in some startup spaces toward stable, sustainable businesses.
Guest & Host Information:
- Guest, Elizabeth Ruf, Founder & CEO of Elizabeth Ruf Consulting, LLC
- Co-Host, Ashlan Glazier-Anderson, Owner of AshbeanPDX Marketing
- Co-Host, Victoria (Tory) Proppe, Owner of Imagine Marketing Strategies
Connect with Liz:
- Website: http://elizabethruf.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethruf/
Connect with us:
- On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaketheLeap-Today
- On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taketheleap_today
- Find Ashlan:
- Find Tory:
The Course:
The Take the Leap course contains everything you need to know to successfully launch your business now. Sign up today to join the course and get support from Ashlan & Tory who will guide you through your journey as a new entrepreneur.
Sign up here: https://www.taketheleap-today.com/the-course
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