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Fearlessly Female Uncensored
A comedic podcast featuring two friends sharing unfiltered stories and hilarious takes on life as modern women.
Fearlessly Female Uncensored
Serial Entrepreneur, Killing the Business Scene
Click Here to Chat with Us! We're all ears (& probably wine).
Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned pro, tune in for an engaging, sometimes humorous, exploration of juggling multiple ventures and building successful partnerships.
Brittany shares her insights on balancing quality and quantity to steer clear of burnout & how transitioning from corporate environments has brought about more meaningful interactions. Meanwhile, Meghan talks about her passion projects, the unique hurdles she faces, particularly in securing funding & obstacles introverts encounter with traditional networking. Join us as we uncover this chaotic yet thrilling world & our secret sauce of how to manage mixing business with friends!
🎙️fearlesslyfemaleuncensored@gmail.com
Welcome to Fearlessly Female, where two blondes make a right. We are Megan and Brittany, the hosts of Fearlessly Female. This podcast was born out of ambition, drive and a lot of wine. We're two powerhouse comedic women having uncensored conversations about topics that affect women. We're airing all the dirty laundry, so grab your favorite drink and give us a listen, because we're diving into the wild world of serial entrepreneurship. Today We've got hustlers, jugglers and, yes, even some flame outs. Join us on this roller coaster.
Brittany:And remember we're keeping it uncensored. So get ready for the real deal on juggling businesses, navigating partnerships and building a network that won't crumble under pressure like your Nature valley bar. Warning calm your tits. Offense will not be taken here. So grab your favorite drink, burn your bra and let's have a good time.
Meghan:First things first, let's talk about the allure of serial entrepreneurship life, the freedom, the impact, the chance to build empires. It's intoxicating, right.
Brittany:Absolutely. But before you start naming your yacht queen of hustle, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Is being a serial entrepreneur a recipe for success or a one-way ticket to burnout city?
Meghan:Let's dissect both sides. The pro side super long you're diversifying your income, spreading your risk and constantly learning new things, and the independence, freedom, the high of building something from scratch that comes with it. Basically, you're a business ninja, leaving a trail of success in your wake, right.
Brittany:Oh, if only if it was that easy being a ninja master. We can't forget our cons. They're just as spicy. Okay, diversification can be awesome, but you're also looking at stretched resources, potential for neglecting one venture for another and the ever-present risk of entrepreneurial whiplash.
Meghan:Don't forget the mental marathon. Juggling businesses can feel like juggling chainsaws while blindfolded. Burnout is real and it ain't pretty.
Brittany:Oh, my goodness, tell me about it. I guess my biggest recommendation here is quality over quantity. But okay, what does that mean For me? I want to do everything and anything under the sun, so I'll sit there and leave projects half finished, chasing the next high.
Brittany:While managing a corporate job, I got extremely burnt out, and quick. But what I learned, what works for me is one, maybe two businesses that I focus on. So, for example, I own a pool cleaning company and I work on this podcast, but the level of effort for each of them varies, but they also complement each other, so I don't feel burnt out 24-7. And then in parallel I have quote like passion projects, right? So if adventures I want to start, or I'm slowly building, designing a vision, you know, coming up with a budget content ad hoc when I have free time, and then, when I'm ready, I can assess where I want to focus my time and energy. So if I want to put people in places where I've already built up those systems, I can execute on those passion projects more quickly. What about you? Or am I like just crazy?
Meghan:Incredibly accurate, or we're both crazy. So I have my corporate job and this podcast. Of course, this podcast for me is almost therapeutic. The writing of episodes and coming up with topics allows me to really play in a creative space. But I also need to make sure I don't force it. I don't always have ideas on the podcast or the energy or mindset to be working on it, but when I do, I try to take advantage of it and harness it. The other passion project of mine is called Hands on History. I know a few of my friends who are listening are probably groaning because they have heard me talk about this for well decades now and they have seen my super intense passion around it and then also seen it slide away.
Brittany:Oh my gosh, I'm really excited. Okay, so this sounds pretty cool. What is it? Give us like a high-level summary of what this is.
Meghan:So think about like an escape room and and like a murder mystery. But all history themed. So travelers, as I would call them, when they come to my old fashioned brick and mortar place, they get a new identity and costumes and currencies of the time and then they go get immersed in something like Ellis Island or a Japanese internment camp. Much better than watching a silly video and not really grasping what American history is all about.
Brittany:Oh my gosh, that sounds so much fun. I love a good murder mystery and this just like, sounds like way better, especially with the escape room things. I can never figure out the escape room and just get frustrated and want to leave, but this sounds like a lot of fun, so what's? What's stopping you from?
Meghan:launching this Money cashola investors maybe. So I've done so much work on this concept. Really, all that's stopping me is the money to do it. I've started other projects, like an Airbnb, so I can start replacing my corporate income in hopes that one day I can start this business. But to all the listeners out there, if you have connections or ideas on hands-on history, send them my way.
Brittany:I love that. I love that. Okay, so would you say that the pros outweigh the cons, at least for serial entrepreneurship, like specific to certain personalities, like if you thrive on variety and have a fire in your soul for building empires and I don't know, maybe the chaos is worth it.
Meghan:Totally so. For me, it's all about self-awareness. You have to know your strengths and weaknesses before you become a juggling entrepreneur extraordinaire. I'm really proud of myself for saying that Strength. My strengths are being creative, like I work so well in a startup environment. But once a project gets like quote unquote to maintenance, I totally lose passion and interest. Right, and then my all my other weakness is sales. I cannot go out and like sell an idea or get the money. Hence the like paws on hands on history, right, like I'm stuck there. But, brittany, I think you're an incredible example for others managing what this balance looks like.
Brittany:Yeah, I think definitely. The self-awareness is good, like you know, kind of decide what things you're good at, what things maybe not that you're not good at, but don't really have a passion for learning and just figuring out, like you know. Ok, what can I outsource, what can I keep in house? So, speaking of empires, let's get personal. We're both investors, but I'd say our styles are a little bit different. What kind of ventures are you currently juggling? Any juicy details or advice maybe you can share?
Meghan:Oh girl, you know I cannot resist a good tease. So before I mentioned I have an Airbnb. That's my primary business outside working, my corporate job, and it has been such a journey. So I closed on the house on February 28th and I had my first booking on March 20 or March 10th and so like it's probably illegal. Hopefully I don't get in trouble. And so like it's probably illegal, hopefully I don't get in trouble, but I had posted the house on Airbnb for booking before I had closed on it, so I really truly had like 10 days to like get this house up to a working Airbnb. My house was filled with furniture Like I had rearranged my own living room. There was two couches in there, four chairs, like I don't even know how many ceiling?
Meghan:fans. That's a whole other story. The garage was a completely full I. I have a picture, I'll post it on our social media. It was just wild Right, um. But you really have to have thick skin when you do this Right. So to me it was an incredible accomplishment to buy a second home. If you go back to one of our first podcasts of why I left California, it was because I knew I would never be a homeowner there, right. So now you fast forward and I have two homes. So this was a very personal accomplishment to me in running this business.
Meghan:And those first reviews raked me over the coals and it was like completely unnecessary to like. One of them was like you don't have enough pots and pans, girl. I counted there's like six. I don't know what you need for a weekend, but that's way too many, right. And then there was people that talked about the value of the house. It wasn't a good value. I promise you is cheaper than a hotel. I got holes left in the wall. Someone complained that there wasn't a light bulb in the floor lamp. I got this amazing guest book from Brittany beautiful, like you know wood case, front, black paper, beautiful markers, right. And then people would like write horrible things in there. It was just rough.
Brittany:You know, I definitely saw that guest book going a whole lot differently in my mind and I looked at a lot of them and I'm glad I ended up picking the one where you can like add pages to it or, in this case I guess, take them out. But yeah, it just played out a lot differently. But I mean I guess you know it gives us a lot more content now to talk about.
Meghan:Absolutely so. Teaser on the content I am writing a book about the Airbnb stories that I have, but really, in the end, other people are paying for my house. I haven't had to pay for a mortgage personally. It's all being paid for by the bookings, and so you know that thick skin has mattered. It's reminding myself that you know what. It doesn't matter, I'm getting a house out of it. Have some thick skin and move on.
Brittany:Yeah, and I think definitely keeping things in perspective, you know, helps to like. I don't have an Airbnb example. I have more or less like a long-term rental property and I have a property manager there. So my relationship with her and that property is a lot different than yours with the Airbnb. But I also own a pool cleaning company and I'm working on a couple of passion projects on the side, but my main focus right now is just growing the pool cleaning company.
Meghan:Wait a minute. You need to preach it, girl. You are not touting your success like you should.
Brittany:You need to preach it, girl, you are not touting your success like you should, Okay, okay. So I was just really fed up with my corporate job and I was just like a rabid animal, like cornered in. You know, when you see those cats or like mice, like cornered, I'm like I need to get out. I need to get out. I'm like struggling to find a way and I like researched everything and then I came across like this couple of posts on Instagram about buying small businesses. So I'm like, all right, let me you know, I'm up for anything at this point. I hate my job that much. And so I started looking into it more and more and I was like, ok, this pool cleaning company, you know, is relatively profitable. I have enough money to go and buy one, I can take a loan out, you know whatever. I have enough money to go and buy one, I can take a loan out, you know whatever.
Meghan:And the first year that I ran it, I mean I have like a ton of stories about like these people, but the first year I made more in sales than what I ever made in corporate, like either in California or like in Tennessee, and it was just wild. That's awesome. I am so incredibly proud of you and sometimes, like the word proud, like can sound condescending, but we need to change that. Like, I'm incredibly proud of you, but I also know it hasn't been all glamour. So talk to us about some pool stories.
Brittany:Thank you, thank you, yeah, I mean, I'm pretty sure my parents were just like you know, they didn't come out and say it, but they were probably just what the hell is this girl doing? Like I've paid for all the schooling and now she's a pool route. And even when I told my friends they're just like why? But that's the why? So I have all these like funny pool stories.
Brittany:So I work with, you know, hotels, homeowners associations, residentials, and it's very interesting to see the different dynamic between the three different, you know, target clients. I guess the residentials are super easy, like they want to maintain their home, right, because that's their pool, they use it, they have their family there, all that jazz. So super great. But when you start getting into the hotels and the homeowners associations, it's just like absolutely wild because you know, I'm not, you know, in the business of screwing people over. I want to bring them. You know, hey, this is happening. Here's some proactive measures you can take to maintain your pool and all that stuff. You might want to think about it.
Brittany:We live in Florida, right? So it is hot, it is humid, it rains. There's a lot of weather going on in, you know, south Florida, so that breeds like algae, mold. There's a lot of maintenance that goes into, you know, maintaining pools and other parts of your home, and you know, trying to communicate that to somebody in a homeowners association is a lot different, and you know. So I'll bring it up as being proactive, thinking that people want to take care of you, know their community, and then just let it go, let it go, and then the pool turns green or, you know, something happens. This is my favorite. The Department of Health comes in and you've already told them about the things and they shut them down, saying like you cannot operate this pool because it's disgusting, and I'm like, ok, well, I hate to say I told you so, but I can't come out and say I told you so.
Meghan:So that's some awesome validation. I would absolutely love if someone came in and told my guests how ridiculous they were. Again, you're going to have to buy the book or listen to the podcast to hear those stories but I assure you they are classic, classically horrible.
Brittany:Oh, I can't wait to read it. All right, enough about us. Let's talk about navigating some treacherous waters, of doing business with people and navigating those tricky situations. So what's your take on the situation?
Meghan:Honestly. I mean, my dad has said this to me more than a million times at this point. Know, your customers want to have a voice and an opinion and have thick skin and I know I said thick skin, right, but like they've complained about like roosters next door that I really have no control about. You know, just it's. They just have to say something so they feel that they have power and control and you just have to remind yourself. You know what they're paying the mortgage. So either I'm going to fix it or ignore it.
Brittany:I agree, I think having thick skin is super important and not taking anything personally and, you know, just going in with good intentions, Right. Because at the end of the day I think people really just want to feel seen and heard. I mean, you know you're going to get people that are just upset, unhappy. I think going in, trying to understand maybe where that person's coming from, offer a solution, that's a win win. Sometimes it doesn't always work out that way.
Brittany:You also get people that are just angry and whatever happens in their personal life, they just take it out on everybody else. So maybe they're just not worth the headache, right. But for what I do at the end of the year, you know, regardless of whatever the dynamic is, is I send everybody Christmas gifts. It's nothing crazy, nothing, you know, super expensive, but just a little something to remind you. Hey, I'm thinking about you, I appreciate you, I'm trying to grow like a longer long-term relationship with you and I think you know we get so wrapped up in KPIs and sales and making money the day-to-day that we forget how far like little simple gestures go.
Meghan:The KPI reference is key performance indicators. I'm very happy that Brittany hasn't lost all of her corporate lingo. I will tell you, my Airbnb guests are not getting Christmas gifts yet, though I do give them a little welcome gift, which is a surprise when they show up. I love that Just a little something, something Okay.
Brittany:so here's a great topic building a fearless network. I think we all heard, you know, network, network, network, and this is something still to this day I struggle with. Just so, how do you go about building a network without feeling like a used car salesman?
Meghan:Oh my gosh. So honestly, this is not my strength. Many people scoff when I tell them this, but I'm the many people that scoff too.
Meghan:No, like everybody is. I mean, I was talking to my sister-in-law and she's like this is new information. I am so surprised. So I'm an introvert at heart and people never tag me as an introvert, so traditional networking does not work for me. I definitely built one in grad school that's how I met Brittany, so I obviously was able to do that. But in the corporate world I really just rely on my work. People come to me for answers because they know I'm going to get back to them and it may have nothing to do with my job and what I do, but it gets to a point where they just rely on me and trust me, and that's really how I get a trust, a reputation and build my network.
Brittany:Yes, I love that.
Brittany:Authenticity is key, being yourself connecting with people on a genuine level, without ulterior motives or expecting something in return.
Brittany:I'm not trying to get all like spiritual here, but for me I can really read people's energies and vibes like very well, so I really can't explain it, but probably within like a couple of minutes meeting someone I know, this is like a relationship I want to pursue if you're just, you know, a sleazy car salesman or whatever.
Brittany:But for me what I really struggled with was in the corporate setting and networking, because I just felt I always had to censor myself to fit some sort of mold and on top of that I was always being superficial with the interactions, the people that I met, and it was always more like how can this person benefit me? Rather than making a genuine connection. And it wasn't just me meeting them. I also felt it like reciprocated on both ends. But once I moved out of corporate and own my own business, I started to, you know, network a little bit more, just with random people right, like neighbors, bartenders, random people at the gym, and it was just completely 180. I didn't feel the pressure of constantly having to edit myself and I can inquire with other people about what they were doing, ventures they were in, and it was more of a genuine connection.
Meghan:Authenticity and genuinity is key, Also major points for me saying that word correctly, but because it's just honestly so rare nowadays, people are drawn to it. The corporate setting is where I've had some really big success. In a previous role I had no direct reports, but I had over 200 indirect reports and my influence over them was helping them build a better culture at the company. When I was leaving, people were saying things like you know, I've created a legacy. The massive impact. No one can fill your shoes. But I say that to say I was successful because I genuinely cared about people's success, whatever that might look like, and did my best to help them reach that success and then provided answers. If they needed something, I was going to find it and they knew they could rely on me. Building a strong network takes time and effort, but the rewards are worth it. It can open doors to new opportunities, provide valuable advice and even lead to unexpected collaborations.
Brittany:I love this.
Meghan:Well, before we wrap up, let's give our listeners some golden nuggets on finding the right business partner trustworthy, reliable and someone who complements your skill sets or a given Gosh. That sounds a little like dating right, but what else should they look for?
Brittany:For relationships. Personally, in my experience, what it really boils down to is being open and having honest communication, especially in business, sharing the same values, and that you're both aiming in the same direction.
Meghan:So I don't want to ruin the Uncorked and Unwidened podcast for you guys. But Brittany and I have a password for our business relationship. Ultimately, our friendship is more important than business. So if we're going to have a difficult conversation or disagreements, we use the password Hint. It's my least favorite wine, though I would say it's not even wine in my book.
Brittany:Definitely not wine. Above all else, having the right contracts in place to outline you know what you agreed to, right, because you know it's all great when you talk about it, but but really boils down to what's in writing Because you know, you kind of know when to hold them, when to fold them when to walk or run away.
Meghan:Exactly exactly, that's the first and last time you're going to hear us sing, but really that's the golden rule. So Fearlessly, fam. Remember, being a serial entrepreneur is a wild ride. Am Remember, being serial entrepreneur is a wild ride, but with the right mindset, network and definitely a good therapist on speed dial, you can conquer the business world like a boss.
Brittany:If you yourself have ambition, drive and booze in your system, we'd love to hear from you or have you on a guest on our podcast, so feel free to email us at.
