Ep. 49 with Mollie Windmiller | Owner & Founder, Lab MPLS - Reclaiming Your Hue

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good morning, Molly Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
How are you?
I'm well.
How about yourself?
I'm so good.
Thank you for having me today.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Well, it really is my honor, and I know that we
talked about this before westarted the podcast, but there
is just some people who you meetthat exude just warmth and love
and this right amount of energy, and that is you, molly.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
that, literally, is how I feel about you so thank
you, oh my goodness, thank youfor saying that you're welcome,
and I couldn't agree more abouthow I feel about you.
I feel like we became fastfriends.
I I know Thanks to Alex atLowering Corners making the
mompreneur connection.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Isn't it just so wild ?
And that that connectionactually came through another
gal who had been on the podcast,Alicia Price.
Okay, so I had never met Alicia, but got introduced to her
through an insurance agent thatI know who also has been on the
podcast, and she's like you haveto meet Alicia.

(01:09):
Alicia and I got connected andshe was like I'm having this
event, you should come.
And this was even before I hadhad her on the podcast, even met
her, and so I went to her eventfor her new.
It was a grand opening for hernew space right there in loring
park, and that's how I met alex,but we also have another mutual

(01:30):
connection too.
It's like the more we gettogether and chat we it keeps,
the more people we're connectedwith which is a beautiful thing
so I do think it would beinteresting to just share the
other individual that we knowand how that like ties into what
I'm doing, which is real estate.
So would you like to share?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
that well, I are.
We talking about Jacob.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Smith yes.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I feel like we've talked about other people too,
but so let's just be sure.
Oh, my goodness, it's just aname.
That brings me back to reallythe start of where I feel,
really feel like my, my truecareer started.
It was with.
Sotheby's International Realty,and so a little bit of
backstory there from me and withSotheby's, which I'm so excited

(02:16):
for you, kelly, of this newadventure with, oh, what an
incredible brand too, by the way, exactly coming Coming from
somebody who's the brand girly.
Well, and that's what was so funof really how it felt like it
kickstarted my career.
My story with Sotheby's is Iwas their marketing director.
But before becoming themarketing director, I actually

(02:38):
helped build a brand when Iworked at a small creative
agency in Minneapolis for thetwo founders of what was then
called Sky Real Estate.
It was in Sarasota, florida,and there were Minnesota
connections and so I built thisbrand for a luxury boutique real
estate company in Sarasota.
Male and female started thebusiness, still like best

(03:03):
friends with the female founderand you know they had a new
vision for what real estate wasgoing to be and they wanted it
modern.
They wanted good marketing.
Back when you know this wasearly 2000s when real estate
marketing, with me being in thedesign world, was like the
epitome of terrible design.
Like it was like you look atreal estate ads and that is just

(03:25):
the ugliest.
Yeah right, and so look how farwe've come.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
I was just gonna say what an evolution you have seen.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
And it was so fun to be a part of kind of.
You know, they were really theposter child of Sotheby's, to be
honest.
So fast forward.
Only about a year or so Ihelped them with their brand,
went down for the launch party,which was so incredible to see
it all come to life and meetthese people.
But then it was a nice doingbusiness with you.

(03:53):
Best of luck scenario.
They call me a year later andthey're like we're now
affiliated with Sotheby'sInternational Realty.
We'd love to hire you as ourmarketing director.
At that time I was seriouslylike building my single speed
bike to move to Portland Oregon.
Like, okay, what's next?
I'm getting out of Minnesota,but an opportunity like that I
never thought.
I live in Florida, but to workwith a brand like Sotheby's I

(04:17):
couldn't say no, I mean, andwhat they were doing?
So Sotheby's is the auctionhouse to start right.
And then, with all of theseincredible things that they were
bringing into auction, Irealized a lot of times homes
were also part of the thing theyneeded to sell and so they
launched the real estate side.
It is global, there areaffiliates all over the world

(04:39):
and so, of course, with that,you really need to market it on
a higher level of luxury right.
So of course, with that, youreally need to market it on a
higher level of luxury, right?
So they became the affiliate ofSotheby's one year in for
Southwest Florida, and so I hadthe opportunity to move down
there and work with truly likegetting the start of not just
the business itself and watchingthat grow from one office to

(05:01):
three offices, but also to seehow Sotheby's is supporting
these agents, these brokers,with quality marketing, really
strong messaging strategy, andmy job as the marketing director
was to make sure all of thiswas implemented successfully and

(05:23):
cohesively.
Right and, as you know, likeconsistency, keeping things
cohesive and quality I meanthat's what I always say is like
the key elements to a goodbrand.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
And so.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Hey, listeners, take that as a keynote, by the way,
and for real estate right.
And then of course it's for thebrokerage as a whole, for real
estate right, like, and then ofcourse it's for the brokerage as
a whole, like it's showing upuniquely, as you know, sky
Sotheby's in Sarasota and we hadopportunity to kind of shine on
our own outside of whatSotheby's provided.
So it was the greatestexperience for me.
But then one year after that,we built, you know, established,

(06:02):
the Sarasota offices.
We were essentially awarded theMinnesota market.
So that is where Jake comes in.

Speaker 1 (06:10):
Jacob Smith.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
We bring Sotheby's to Minnesota.
I was thrilled to move backhome.
I feel like Minnesotans alwayscome back and Jake was the
office manager from thebeginning and he's still there.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
He's still there and he's the managing broker.
Yes, not only for here inMinnesota, but also for Jackson
Hole too, I want to say that'sright, that's right so yeah, I
mean he's totally making somewaves.
But what was so cool is, eventhough we had been connected

(06:47):
already through Alex, and I wantto say, I don't know if there
was like this like little bit ofarea of time where, like we had
already had our meeting set butwe hadn't met yet, but then,
then Jake was like yes, hey, Ihave somebody who you should
connect with for your podcast,and I think he reached out to

(07:08):
you directly.
He did, and I think we hadalready met at that point, and
it was the best feeling to belike done, Yep.

Speaker 2 (07:16):
I already know we're in love.
Affirmed, affirmed.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
I love it.
It was just so cool, and soyeah, he's.
I mean, I see him every singleday almost, and he's just a gem
as well.
So if you're listening, Jake,we appreciate you a ton.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Yeah, and Kelly, this is big.
I mean just to.
I know I kind of alluded toSotheby's and you know what it
is, but this is a big jump foryou.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
It is yes, and we could talk about that.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
I appreciate it.
I mean, this is what it's about, though, Molly, in terms of
like this podcast.
But then the community that isever evolving and growing from
the podcast, this community ofmompreneurs.
How are we supporting, how arewe lifting up?
How do we just keep encouraging, Because it's already tough
being a mom and it's very toughbeing in an entrepreneurial

(08:15):
space, and when you combine thetwo, that is being a mompreneur
I feel like the odds are againstyou.
But if you have a community ofwomen rallying around you, wow
does it help?
It really does so thank you, Ihonor it and appreciate it, but

(08:36):
let's dive in.
So now we've had about aneight-minute introduction of how
we are connected.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
And I love that because that's so cool.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's everything.
It's so cool.
It's so cool.
But can you share with thelisteners what came first for
you?
I think I might have an idea,but what was it?
Motherhood or was itentrepreneurship?

Speaker 2 (08:54):
It was entrepreneurship, and it started
in 2008.
And so I had a good leg upthere before becoming a mom in
2014 and so yeah, so it's.
And I actually launched twobusinesses during that time.
So I started with WindmillerDesign Group.

(09:16):
That was really kind of likethis, this the step.
It was a leap, but it felt notas big of a leap as maybe for
some, because I was themarketing director at Sotheby's.
We were here back in Minnesotagrowing the offices and just the
business here, and it was justtime for me to make the next

(09:39):
move as a creative yeah, gettingout of just the marketing
director role at Sotheby's arecreative, getting out of just
the marketing director role atSotheby's.
During that time we actuallylaunched what is still here
today and bigger, better thanever, is Artful Living Magazine.
So you know, beyond the day today of working with agents in
their brokerage on the marketingside there, I was also helping

(10:02):
with this quarterly magazinethat has been such a great kind
of I don't know foundation ofsuch a unique way to tell a
story and to promote.
You know, in the middle ofevery single publication is what
is the property brochure?
You know that you might findit's not the single front back,

(10:24):
simple little thing, it is awhole gallery of properties,
which was kind of like how do weposition these gorgeous homes
that we're selling throughSotheby's in a unique way.
And it was this oversized, fitand finish publication um,
gorgeous and glossy that werealized very quickly like we
were fine, it was a freepublication, okay, wow.

(10:45):
But we were finding them athalf price books for two dollars
where it's like, okay, we're onthis.
People didn't want to throwthem away.
They didn't even want torecycle them after they had used
them.
So we knew we were on tosomething to like we're
positioning this publication ina really special way for the
properties that were inside.
But but of course, beyond theproperties were the storytelling

(11:07):
of kind of the information thatgoes beyond selling the homes
that that reader really enjoyed.
So I had Artful Living and Itook that leap and I started
Windmiller Design Group in 2008.
And I kind of left themarketing director role behind
and continued with the artfulliving side of what we were

(11:29):
doing with Sotheby's.
So essentially, both theSotheby's kind of brand as a
whole was still a client, yeah,but then artful living was the
the bigger, first client that Ihad when I went on my own and
honestly, like I call artfulliving my baby before my real
babies, it was a lot.

(11:49):
Yeah, it was a lot and Ilearned a lot from that of just
you know, once I had my realbabies, the true perspective of
the value of time and um, howmuch I poured my heart and soul
into that because I loved it somuch and believed in it.
But once you have the babes,something else obviously becomes

(12:15):
bigger and more important whenyou have a family and these
sweet kiddos to take care of,sweet kiddos to take care of.
And so that shifted, you know,my mindset a bit of how I really
wanted to show up.
Where it's interesting, like,we had the best team women, and
then Frank Roffers, who's thepublisher.

(12:36):
Um, all the women were youngerthan me and, um, so I was the
first to have a babe, but I alsowas like the only designer on
the team, and so when that fallissue needed to go to print, I
had a newborn babe and everyonecame to my house to get that

(12:56):
sent off to print.
And I just did it, I kept goingas you feel like you need to do
when you run your own business,like there was.
I had no team at that point, soI did it, and my mom was there,
of course, to help with Lydia.
But I look back on that andit's like, huh, maybe that

(13:17):
wasn't the best choice, but itfelt like the only choice at the
time and I don't have noregrets, to be honest.
It's just my goal then is tothen make sure that that can
improve as Artful Living.
This was such a startup at thattime.
I mean, we grew and we grew.
It was so exciting, but it'sreally great.

(13:39):
Like Emma, who's now thepublisher there, she just had
her second babe and I ran intoher and she was just coming off
of a three-month maternity leaveand even Mitch, who's their
paternity leave like okay youguys are good, you guys.
This makes my heart happy.
Um, so no shade whatsoever toArtful Living.

(14:00):
It was more of a check-in withmyself of I gotta, I gotta
really figure this out, of howI'm going to be a mom and an
entrepreneur and and changesjust needed to happen that
didn't need to happen beforethen.
So it's good, it's.
It's it's a bigger check-in onbalance and just boundaries and

(14:23):
all of it.
And I think it's reallyinteresting when you compare
entrepreneurship to motherhoodand knowing I have a few years
under, a few more years on theentrepreneurship side than I do
as being a mom, but for both,we're all just trying to figure
it out.

Speaker 1 (14:43):
It's, it's so true.
So I do want to go just alittle off script and ask you
this question, going back tothis moment in time where you
have your.
You've started your businessright, like you've.
You've done the thing, you'veofficially gone out on your own,
yep, and you are, let's say,you're in this moment of

(15:09):
pregnancy, just about toactually have your first baby,
yep, and was there ever in thattime frame where you were like,
should I be doing this?
Is this the right thing?
And I'm talking about theentrepreneurial baby not the
actual baby, the entrepreneurialbaby right.

(15:31):
Because, you had some nice leadup in terms of working with the
Sotheby's brand.
There is a lot ofentrepreneurial skills that were
likely built up in that timeframe.
Right, but it is different.
There's there's somethingdifferent when you truly cut the

(15:54):
cord and go out on your own.
Right, was there?
Was there a moment where youwere like should.
I continue this.

Speaker 2 (16:05):
Never.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (16:07):
Never.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
Let's talk through that.

Speaker 2 (16:09):
Let's talk through that, because you know, I was
already in it for quite sometime and when I was pregnant
with my first, during that timeis when I actually it took a
full year to not birth Lab but,you know, to bring my second

(16:29):
business to life, which is Lab.
And so I which side note todayis Lab's 11-year anniversary.

Speaker 1 (16:39):
Today, yes, today, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (16:43):
And so it's a day where I always think of this
moment that is ingrained in myhead, of driving to the coffee
shop we were going to to launchthe website, to send the emails,
to post the post, and there wasa song on and I, just like you
know when you are pregnant, likeyou know that, like your babe

(17:03):
can hear the things Lydia waswith me.

Speaker 1 (17:06):
I had that moment too , you know in my belly.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
Yes, and I cried, driving to that coffee shop,
like I'm doing it, we're doing,it's happening, yes, and I felt
so, so many emotions, but justso ready for the next, even
though I had a full-timebusiness already happening.
Yeah, there's a lot to saythere too.

(17:27):
Right, like what Lab was goingto provide was, I think, the
thing that was missing for methrough Windmiller Design Group
of just the community and moreconnection with people versus, I
don't want to say justdesigning, but it was more.
It was more of the publicfacing community, the events and

(17:49):
everything that we've we'vebeen doing.
So so, yes, I I have thesewonderful moments, happy, happy
moments of even being pregnantor the first time being pregnant
, launching lab, having theseevents and, like Jess, my vet
and she founded lab with mewould have like almonds in her
bag and you know I'd get alittle like hungrier week and

(18:13):
she'd be like eat your nuts herewe go.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
You know like these moments are not knowing.
You need fuel.

Speaker 2 (18:18):
Yes, and so I fully embraced it and knew I was going
to keep going, because I'vealways really, really loved what
I do.

Speaker 1 (18:29):
And so I didn't.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
who knows, though, once the babe was born that's
what I, you know I didn't knowreally what was going to happen
once she arrived, but when Iknew I was pregnant, and even
launching lab during that time,I never doubted like being able
to do both, or questioning if Ishould, that's so incredible,
which is comforting.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
Totally, totally.
I think you know there's somewomen who may be listening that
fall in the camp of like thecircumstance that I encountered
when I was pregnant and all of asudden those hormones are
running and you're like youstart to doubt everything around
you sometimes, where you'relike is the path I'm going down

(19:12):
with my career truly the paththat I'm supposed to be going
down?

Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (19:15):
And that's like that's the reason I asked the
question is because I'm I'mtrying to gauge, um, truly like,
where do women fall in terms of, like that timeframe of were
you an entrepreneur first orwere you a mother first?
And what's the what's like, thekey indicator for a business to

(19:37):
keep going or to not keep goingRight, Right and um, you know,
like what are the steps to beable to like, continue to push
that boulder down the hill forthe business to keep going Right
?
So that was part of my askthere.

Speaker 2 (19:56):
I think maybe because I had been doing it long enough
where I just couldn't see mylife without the, the, just the
business itself or the people Iwas working with or just the,
the love that I had for it, Umso that was just important, Like
that's also the the indicatorthat was.

Speaker 1 (20:18):
The indicator for me personally was do I truly love
operating in this mortgage space?
Right, I didn't.
I never really loved it.
I never really had true passionaround it, and so I think that
that's like for for individualswho are listening right now if
you're having those doubts andyou're having those like, really
start to explore what thatmeans for you and where does

(20:42):
your purpose truly lie.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
Ignore it because I think, whether it's bigger life
moments and it could bepregnancy, it could be anything
from sick family members or justyour own health, all kinds of
other external things that, oreven I know so many people
because of the pandemic itallowed them.

(21:05):
And I see this as a silverlining.
It allowed them to rethink howthey're showing up, what they're
doing, and I think that's agood thing.
So, whatever that thing mightbe, you know, don't ignore it.
If it's not the thing that youreally love, it doesn't mean
you're going to figure out rightaway what that thing is.
You know to do next, but try tofind it right for sure, right.

Speaker 1 (21:32):
So I want to hit pause on continuing the story of
like that thrush crossing thethreshold into motherhood.
Yes, let's share with thelisteners about the two
businesses yes, like thedifference between the two so
that there's kind of a clear cutidentification between.

Speaker 2 (21:50):
Good idea okay so now there's 2025 and um lab is
officially 11 today.
Um, back in 2019 is when Iactually kind of combined the
two businesses, so lab launchedin 2014.

(22:11):
And um, then it I was jugglingbetween two different businesses
but, honestly, behind thescenes it was the same team.
Um and it's interestingrealizing, like I started Lab
even though I was already prettybusy with my creative agency,

(22:34):
winn-miller Design Group.
So, going back to what you weresaying of like making sure
you're loving what you're doing,I really did love what I did,
but once I kind of startedtalking about this idea for lab,
which started as creativeworkshops, that really excited
me and so it was, I think, likeI said, the thing that was

(22:57):
missing, so that you know thosethings that excite you I then
realized I wanted to do thingsfor lab even more than kind of
the ongoing work for clients.
And I'm like okay, I knew therewas something special there and
I knew that this is somethingthat I really was excited about
and had a lot of passion for,and so we we launched in 2014

(23:23):
and then, you know, went hardfor five years and we had a team
, cause, you know, went hard forfive years and we had a team
because, you know, hadWinn-Miller as well, and in 2019
was when I it was a really,really hard conversation to have
, but had the hard talk with mybusiness partner and I really
hope, at the end of the day, youknow it's a win-win where I

(23:46):
ended up buying her out of thebusiness, and so she because it
was not a full-time job, youknow it wasn't paying us as like
a full-time type of salaryeither, which was great.
But to know how to best moveforward, both from how you spend

(24:06):
your time and how you're goingto make money, I think we kind
of got to that point of likethis might be the best way to
keep moving forward for both ofus, and so that happened in 2019
, with obviously no idea this,this events-based business, was
not going to be able to exist,you know, in 2020.

(24:28):
Um so I'm very, very happy thatconversation happened.
When it did so in 2019, boughtout my business partner and we
folded everything fromWindmiller Design Group under
lab.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
So I.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
Windmiller Design Group is no longer a business
Okay, it's all under lab.
Under lab, um.
We position it now as acreative agency.
You know.
It provides the credibility itdeserves and all the services
that I offered under windmillerdesign group is now under lab
and we really show up as acreative agency.
That is unique, where the breadand butter of what we do is

(25:06):
branding, marketing websites andsupporting small businesses.
But what is really unique froma creative agency standpoint is
that we are here to celebrateand elevate local businesses and
help build them up, and for thesmaller businesses and artists,
we have a whole separate kindof platform called Collective

(25:26):
that we started back in 2016.
There's evolved a lot that Ican get into more, but then the
creative services side is reallyhow you know, we have a team
now of creatives and justindividuals that help keep that
moving forward and supportingthe small businesses, from

(25:47):
branding, copywriting, brandmessaging, website design, email
marketing a lot of great things.
So it's all under one now.

Speaker 1 (25:57):
That's incredible and , as a business owner, you have
highlighted key points of inorder to keep a business running
and operating, there's anevaluation that needs to be
happening.
Yeah, and what that looks likefor individuals sometimes can
vary right but the evaluationneeds to happen and it's it's

(26:22):
wonderful for you to be talkingabout those, those tough
conversations that have tohappen, no matter like if it's
just a tough conversation withyour you know, like the person
that you're working alongsidewith, if it's a smaller business
, right About decisions right ordirectionality or, in this

(26:45):
circumstance you're talkingabout like, the realities of
like.
Should this even be apartnership?
Yeah, and and thankfully, therewas something intuitively
speaking to you, something inthat gut of yours that was like
okay, yeah, I.
I think that we need to cut theties respectfully right

(27:10):
Respectfully cut the ties andthen COVID happened.

Speaker 2 (27:16):
And then that happened.
But you're so right about thatand you know, thinking about
things I've learned in businessand just kind of looking back on
growth, the, the hard questionsto ask or the hard
conversations, do them Likedon't wait, because that was the

(27:40):
hardest thing I I did, um, butlike you said, in my gut I just
really felt like whenever I'mmaking a hard decision, I feel
like it's easier for me to havethat conversation if I can
somehow make it feel like it's awin-win.
Yeah, you know, like truly.

Speaker 1 (27:59):
Not everybody has that skill, Molly.

Speaker 2 (28:02):
So that's really like that helps me a lot and so I
really I approached it that way.
But my gosh, that was hard.
And when, after we talked andthankfully you know, yeah, it
was it was tough, like we builtsomething great together but it
we we handled it well, and um,after that conversation happened

(28:32):
, I was kind of like gosh, whythese conversations need to
happen, why wait and for forboth of us, you know, for for
her, excuse me, her sake as well, and so that was a huge lesson
for me of those hardconversations do need to happen
for you to keep moving forward.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
And sooner rather than later it's deciphering and
having the wherewithal there's abetter word for it, but it's
not coming to mind for me rightnow.
To the discernment.
The discernment is what I'mreally trying to get at, the
discernment of like how quicklycan you get to that as somebody
who's a proverbial peoplepleaser?

Speaker 2 (29:13):
and perfectionist.

Speaker 1 (29:14):
Those conversations can be really hard because I
avoid what's the word.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
I'm looking for Con, like the plague.
Yes, but I think that's why,maybe, being a business owner,
you have to have the hardconversations.
That is why, if I can somehowin my head figure out how to
have this conversation where itdoes feel like a win-win, that
makes it easier.
But you're right, I mean it'stough, but timing is everything

(29:48):
too, and the why don't wait typeof thing.
It's just you know in your gutwhen you just know you can't
wait anymore, I guess.
But yeah, so that happened in2019.
And then we went into thepandemic, where everything that
lab was known for reallycouldn't happen anymore.
We able to take lab talks,which was an event that we did

(30:11):
glass house, um, actually, atthat point we did it every
single month which, um, it's apanel conversation.
There's a moderator andtypically like three people on a
panel that are incrediblepeople in the twin Cities
community doing great things,and so we were able to do some
of those on Zoom, as everyonejust adapted to that new way of

(30:34):
trying to stay connected.
But then, other than that,honestly again silver lining, it
allowed us to just reallylaunch this new website.
That was the new lab, and we'rea creative agency.
This is the work we can do, andwe were able to help so many
people in a time when theywanted to engage in a different

(30:56):
way with their community ortheir clients, when they
couldn't show up in real life,and so marketing, getting in
front of your people online andin unique ways, was necessary.
So it was a wild time, but alsoa time where we could really
emphasize that side of thebusiness, without the event side

(31:18):
kind of competing, I guess, toreally establish that as the
foundation of what Lab was.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
As somebody who's in that true creative space and
branding and marketing, was itat that point that you saw this
just massive integration ofsocial media, your presence on
social media and how you weremarketing for the local
businesses around here Duringthe pandemic?

Speaker 2 (31:47):
Yeah, you know yes and no.

Speaker 1 (31:51):
We always try, or do you just think that there's a
better way than always leaninginto social media?

Speaker 2 (31:56):
100%.

Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yes, there's a way Amen.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
There is a way.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
Because I just have this love-hate relationship with
social media, don't we all?

Speaker 2 (32:06):
I mean, yes, but from a business standpoint too.
Right, if you're a smallbusiness, solopreneur, artist, I
mean, you wear so many hatsalready and if you can't hire
out that person to do yoursocial, it is that just little
monster that's staring at youlike what you gonna post again.
So yes, I it.

(32:27):
It is a tough thing to manageregardless, but I really do feel
like there are.
We, as lab, want to be thething that can help you engage
with your people and not fullydepend on social media.
You, you know.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
Right Cause I suppose there's also this notion and
idea that, like at the drop of ahat that can be gone, it can
Good point and like how, howreal are those connections
Really?

Speaker 2 (32:57):
It can be a first step, it can be a oh, now I know
this business exists and youcan start following and you can
start learning and you can maybe, you know, bookmark that
business for when you might needtheir services or something
right and feel a little bit moreconnected in the know of what's
happening here for local thingsor events or whatever it might

(33:18):
be.
But I just really believe andthis is the foundation of Lab is
creating in-person experiencesand engaging with people in real
life yeah and just honestlyproviding other opportunities
for businesses or just ourcommunity to connect um.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
That's not on social so that's so refreshing to hear
too, by the way, molly, because,um, as as a you know, an
entrepreneur now coming intothis space of real estate, where
social media is blowing up, interms of how agents are

(34:01):
marketing on social media andit's, you know, good, bad or
indifferent, it's just kind ofthe way of that world and, as as
somebody who's in business withtheir husband and we strive to
be integrated into the community, I'm like, oh, there is a

(34:21):
better way and it like we kindof do the proverbial like let's,
let's post, like I'm givingaway our secrets, but like let's
post to ensure that we have thepresence and that you know
clients it's what's the word I'mlooking for Like we're there,

(34:42):
we're present, we're engaged,but at the same time, our job
isn't to be posting on socialmedia.
Our job is to ensure that weare helping our sellers to list
their home, get that home sold,or help a buyer find a home.

Speaker 2 (35:03):
That's such a good point and I think this is so
true for so many of that.
What are we going to post onsocial media today can take over
what actually really mattersabout your business.
So maybe maybe they could kindof go hand in hand of, like,
what are the things that wereally want people to know about

(35:24):
our business and what reallymatters is, you know, improving
your process, creating thatexceptional experience for your
clients.
How can we share that you knowand do that on social, but know
that what really matters is thein-person, the process in person

(35:45):
the process, that experiencethat you're creating to make it
exceptional.
That you know you can't get fromjust a social media post.

Speaker 1 (35:59):
Right.
So those of you who arelistening right now, another
really nice note to jot down,because Molly's giving away
secrets right now.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
Well, and that's something too of like just to go
a little deeper on really justthe foundation of lab.
So we're 11 today and 11 yearsago it took a year to to bring
it all to life, but when welaunched lab, we had three words
that really were the foundationof who we are, what we wanted
to be, and it was create,connect and collaborate.

(36:26):
I think at this point, 11 yearslater, you know the silent C.
There is community, but theconnection and collaboration.
Part of that.
It does go back to theimportance of not feeling like
you should just be doing thingsonline.

(36:47):
But what are those things totruly engage?
And so one area of lab that wedo that for in-person is we do
workshops, and one of theworkshops is our branding
workshop.
I've been doing it for years.
I absolutely love it.
You get a whole workbook towork through.
We work through it together andyou can refer to it always.
But it is figuring that out.

(37:11):
How can you authenticallyengage with your audience?
You know, how do you reallywant to show up?
And it's community pillars.
That is.
What matters is just makingsure that that's a big part of

(37:33):
how you are building your brand,and it's not just checking the
boxes or I also say buckets ofyour marketing buckets, doing
the things, but trulyauthentically engaging with your
audience and building realrelationships.
Otherwise, yeah, social mediagoes away.
Then what, like what are thereal relationships that you

(37:53):
really have?

Speaker 1 (37:54):
Yeah, the authenticity, that word
authenticity and being authenticis really something that I've
always tried to keep, especiallyas it pertains to, like, what
I'm doing for the marketing forthe podcast is how am I

(38:15):
authentically representing youas the guest?
And then how am I authenticallyshowing up to share some of the
things that I've had takeawaysof from you as the guest?
That also pertains to peoplewho are listening as well.
I'm like authentically beingable to show up on video.

(38:36):
To do that can be a drudge butat the same time, because I have
such a key tie to you as theguest, a love and an
appreciation of how youauthentically show up and then
have these gold nugget likedrops of information, I'm like

(38:57):
golden and I can't help myself.
Right, Like so authenticallybeing able to tie in to what
you're doing for business, butthen who you're serving, right,
right, that's so key.

Speaker 2 (39:12):
It is so key and breaking down for you everyone
is different.
What is being authentic, youknow, for you, for some, maybe
showing up on video isn'tauthentic.
Maybe showing up on video isn'tauthentic.
You know, and I think that's areminder too of just the bigger

(39:32):
picture of when you'redeveloping your marketing
strategies or growing yourbusiness and defining success.
You know success is really.
You can't compare yourself toothers.
It's success is really whatfeels really best for you and
how you want to show up toachieve that.

(39:53):
Um, and I think it's so easy tohave all the other things that
are out there kind of get in theway or make you think you need
to be doing it that way.
But if you look at itauthentically, as you, you know,
bring it back.
Yeah, stay true to how you wantto effectively show up as you.

Speaker 1 (40:13):
I like to think of all of that that's happening.
Is it's just noise?
It's just noise happeningaround you and, if you're, if
you can rein it in and have yourum like your guiding principles
as I like to say right.
So I think that this is aperfect segue into talking about

(40:34):
, like, some of those guidingprinciples for you and what that
has looked like, whether it'sspiritually or it's in the vein
of faith or universe.
What has that looked like foryou?

Speaker 2 (40:49):
Yeah, I mean what are your guiding principles?
Yeah, I think what I love aboutthis podcast is it's thinking
about that.
It's my brain goes to both well, for business or for motherhood
, you know, because, again, Ithink so often those two can
kind of be somewhat of the sameof showing up authentically as

(41:13):
yourself and um, I don't knowguiding principles of just there
there, something that I kind oflive by is that everything
happens for a reason.
And so with business, I thinkyou know, there's the hills and
the valleys, the peaks and thevalleys right, and peaks and
valleys for business can be.

(41:33):
You can maybe look at themweekly, you can maybe look at
them monthly or even annually.
Peaks and valleys, as a momcould maybe even be minute by
minute, hour by hour.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
I'm like sitting over there trying not to like bust
out, laughing at the seams,because it truly is like.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Sometimes it feels like it's like millisecond by
millisecond but with that youknow the peaks and valleys and
knowing this, we are all here toembrace it.
It's knowing when you're inthose valleys, in those really
tough times, things will getbetter.

(42:11):
And if it's, you know a momentwith your kiddo screaming
because they can't get something, or who knows that will pass
With business when you're doingthe hard things or if something
isn't going the way you reallyexpected, that it will get

(42:32):
better.
It will take more time, youknow, than most of the things on
the mom's side, but, like froma business standpoint, that
helps me so much when I'm kindof the visionary of the business
, I know what the angle is and Ijust want to get there.
Sometimes things don't go theway you really were hoping.
Sometimes things are justreally hard and during those

(42:56):
hard times those are probablythe growing times and so you
just have to embrace it insteadof being like I can't do this.
This is awful, like you, it's amindset and you have to embrace
those hard times and really seeit as a growth time.
And I think that's in anythingin life really, like even the

(43:17):
mom's side.
So it will get better.
You are learning from it andeven if it's hard, like it will.
You will be better because ofit, or you you'll get out of it.
You will get to the hills andthings will, the peaks and
things will get better.
And that is so helpful for meto remind myself of, and during

(43:39):
the hard times I mean.
Another thing I kind of live byfor all areas of life is like
you got to learn from yourmistakes.
And if it's a business mistake,if it's something that didn't go
the way we expected, it'sshowing up in a way as a leader
where you need to embrace itwith respect, and I'm just

(44:03):
always wanting to try to bringthe positivity to a situation
and learn from it.
So either we know how it's notgoing to happen again or we know
how to just handle it, movingforward with it, not letting us
kind of pull us down but gainmomentum, or just know how we

(44:25):
can keep moving forward,acknowledge it and then know
that we can keep going.
And I just think that is such abig, big reminder too, of just
whether you're a mom or you'remanaging a team.
It's how you show up as thatleader or mom to bring the

(44:47):
positive attitude and to bringthe we can get through this.
What just happened here?
Okay, we talked about it.
Let's move on and keep going.
You just gotta keep going sonormally.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
I ask this question towards the end of the podcast,
which is what's the advice thatyou would give a woman who's
listening and you, literally, Ifeel like you literally just
answered it.
No, it's perfect, literally.
It's perfect, molly, and I willstill ask you that towards the
tail end of this interview.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
Okay, good, I can probably pull up a couple more.

Speaker 1 (45:21):
Yeah, no, something tells me that you'll be able to
pull something out and share it.
It was so beautiful what youjust shared, because, man, that
is.
It's so true, especially assomebody who, like I've
oftentimes in this interviewprocess talking to other guests,

(45:43):
have said, like, as the mother,you really are kind of like the
CEO of the house right, whichmeans that there is this
leadership stance that you needto take, and how can you take
bits and pieces if you are amother first and then deciding
to come into thisentrepreneurial space, right,
like, what are the things thatyou're honing in to as a mother,

(46:08):
the leader that you can carryover into your business, and
vice versa?
If you're an entrepreneur firstand you are, maybe you're
leading the charge, just you asa solopreneur, but you're
leading, you're still leadingyourself through all of that.
Or if you're starting toacquire and you're scaling and

(46:31):
you've got more people and youare then managing and leading a
team.
Like what are those skills?
Like what are the things?
And you beautifullyencapsulated it and shared that.

Speaker 2 (46:45):
So thank you, encapsulated it and shared that,
so thank you.
Of course, I just think,something that I learned early
on starting a business where you, you, you grow right, you start
as an individual and then youbring on a team and um, culture
is everything, and I thinkthat's even going deeper is just
how do I want to show up so Ireally enjoy every day of what

(47:12):
I'm doing?
And then how can I do that tohave my team feel that way too?
And there are a lot of waysthat you can do it.
But it's defining your valuesand how you can show up as that
leader and how you can create aculture for your team.
And this is what I love, again,kind of comparing this to

(47:34):
motherhood.
That's also defining yourvalues as a, as a family, as a,
as a mom.
And how can you because, again,I don't know if it really
matters if you know, yes, I wasan entrepreneur before I'm a mom
, but it is really interestingto compare the two of similar
values, of course, and the samehuman.

(47:56):
But how do I want to show upwhen I am a mom too, of the
values I want to instill and theembracing every day, focusing
on the positivity and I justknow, from a business standpoint
, culture is so important tojust a healthy environment,

(48:17):
right, like how making sure myteam knows, like not just like
having the real lifeconversations, not just the
grind of work, you know,creating that kind of an
environment where we actuallyhave fun with each other, beyond
just the work part, like I wantto enjoy our time together, but
it's also, you know, just forcreating a healthy environment

(48:42):
of like you take those vacationdays, you take that time to go
to your yoga class, just let usknow.
And same with being a mom athome I want my kids to see me
working out, I want my kids toknow I'm going to yoga, I want
my kids to know that healthmatters.
Or again, worker, worker.
Home, let's eat the good food,let's do the good things.

(49:03):
Like it is.
This is our life.
This is work is work, yes, butlike we need to show up and
really create this greatenvironment.
We're there all day, mondaythrough Friday, yeah, and that
is what I think as an owner of abusiness, as an entrepreneur,
it's hard, but if I can make itan environment where I enjoy it

(49:27):
and hopefully my team does too,that is everything.
Why not?
If you have the power to do itlike you also like flexibility,
yay.
Being a business owner, youthink like oh, I can.
I can do whatever I wantwhenever I want, but no, it's
like there's so much.
It's not that like you.
Only wish you had more time todo all of the things.

Speaker 1 (49:46):
It's, it's so true.
I like to say that if we'regoing to, if we're going to just
briefly touch on this umopportunity of flexibility as an
entrepreneur, as a businessowner, it is in those moments
where, if you're a young momlike me and your child is in

(50:06):
daycare and you get that call ohmy gosh, where you're like, I
need, I need to come and pick upmy child because they've, they
have got pink eye, yep, and thenext, like 48 hours flashes
before your eyes yes, so thebeauty in that moment is, thank
goodness I have the flexibilityto be able to pick up my child

(50:30):
with your child at home as wellis something of a different
challenge.
Yeah, yep, yep, yep.
So yes to flexibility, but alsoknowing that when there's

(51:01):
beauty over here, there's alwayssomething else that comes along
with it, and just be preparedfor what that's going to look
like it's a different kind ofchallenge to be able to
quote-unquote balance.

Speaker 2 (51:15):
That sort of flexibility yeah right,
absolutely, and that's so hard,I mean to know the right way to
do it and when you are thatsolopreneur, there isn't
somebody else to do the work foryou.
But yeah, I think it's justmaybe understanding kind of just

(51:36):
the mindset of to get youthrough those moments of just
give yourself a little grace.
You're going to figure outwhat's in front of you and it'll
all get done.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
Yeah, I.
I just in those, in thoselittle moments, I'm like throw a
little prayer up and just bethankful for that flexibility,
but then going all right.
So if I've got to hit pause ona project that I'm working on,
yeah, for instance, what needsto happen on the back end of all

(52:09):
of this in order to ensure thatthat project is is being
completed Right?
And I'm sure that you you'reshaking your head Like you're
like yes.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
I understand that's when I would get those calls.
It was truly, oh my word thatmy calendar for the next 24, 48
hours would flash before my eyes.
You know of just theflexibility, for sure is there,
but there's still a lot of justshifting gears and, okay, I'm

(52:39):
not going to be able to do thesethings.
But to be able to, to be ableto appreciate the fact that you
do it is okay, number one.
This is life and hopefully,whoever those meetings were with
, they get that too.

(52:59):
And establishing with teameveryone like, yeah, this is
life and please help me out andthings keep going and it's fine.

Speaker 1 (53:08):
But yeah, like, who can pick it up?
Um, in this instance, Um, or ifyou are the solopreneur, it's
like all right, really, to yourpoint.
I love that you said shiftingthe gears.
I'm going to shift the gearshere and um, where do I need to
just kind of like remaneuverthis schedule and understand
like things will get doneExactly?

(53:30):
And those clients who you havein that moment if, for whatever
reason, they're notunderstanding.
Yeah, that's an opportunity,yeah, to evaluate something in
your business as well.
Yeah, exactly Okay evaluatesomething in your business as

(53:50):
well.
Yep, exactly.
Okay, I truly love all of thedirectionality that, but let's,
let's go back to that moment intime where you you're about to
have your first child and Ieverything that I love about
this podcast is um talking aboutfolding in motherhood and
entrepreneurship, and you'vedone a beautiful job of that.

(54:11):
But there are these shifts thathappen and I've got my little
flamingo here.
The real like genesis of thisis like finding finding this
thing on social media aboutflamingos and I was like when
flamingos have their babies,they lose all of their color and

(54:32):
then they start to regain thatcolor, reclaim that color.
Hence the reason reclaimingyour hue I love that so much.
Was there this moment that youhad when you had your first or
maybe your second?
How many kiddos?
Two, you have two, two girls,okay.
So, um, your first or yoursecond, where you felt like you
lost some of that like essenceof who you were as a former self

(54:59):
?
Right, yeah, and what did thatlook like for you in terms of
reclaiming a?

Speaker 2 (55:05):
color of yourself.
Yeah, I, you know.
I think I don't have a specificmoment, but I think you know,
being in the at the time when Ihad my first.
I was in an environment where noone else was no one had kiddos,

(55:28):
you know and so there were somany firsts for me and just a
little bit of the unknown foreveryone around me and, honestly
, there might be a little bit ofbeauty to that of, yeah, I'm
just figuring it out and I don'tknow like I'm just going to out
and I don't know like I'm justgonna keep going, type of thing,

(55:49):
and in hindsight, sure, I maybewish that there was a little
bit more um time that I couldhave where I didn't feel like I
needed to be checking in withwork and things like that.
That was tough, like you know,the the whole maternity leave I

(56:12):
always use air quotes when I saymaternity leave so very early
on was like okay, this is real,this is real Um.
And it was also this tornfeeling of I really love what I
do and I really love this kiddo,and so from the very beginning

(56:34):
it was defining ways tointentionally show up for both
and shifting things right awayof after I was home with her for
the first four months and shestarted daycare, not rushing to
daycare, savoring that time inthe morning, just the two of us

(56:58):
of, like you know, and yeah, I'dmaybe get there closer, like
nine-ish, sometimes later, likeit wasn't because I could right
right, I set the meetings and sofinding those moments to not my
gosh getting out the door inthe morning.

(57:21):
I mean now with kiddos in school, it's like it is a constant
rush.
So I'm glad in hindsight,looking back at that, of just
yeah, hope, try not to lose thatpart of my precious time with
her.
Um, but then having thosemoments where I could also just
be alone was like, wow, this ismore precious than ever.
Yes, like if I was at home, ormaybe not with my team.

(57:43):
So, um, yeah, those moments ofjust the losing part of like who
am I?
You know, I think we all dealwith it when you just add that
mom role, but trying to find thebeauty in this new role you're

(58:04):
playing, and so when I wasfeeling losing a bit of me, I
think it was also gaining a bitof this new person that I am.

Speaker 1 (58:12):
I'm gonna cry right, well, it makes me.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
It's that way yeah, and then when I had so being so
intentional, I get like goosiesjust thinking with Lydia in the
morning I get goosies like Ilike can think of the photos I
would take of the outfits I'dput on her and, like you know,
before daycare, like the onemoment before they're dressing
themselves, but like thisintentional time, and then I

(58:37):
would drop her off and then Icould be I don't know if this is
good or bad then I could bebusiness molly, yeah, and I knew
she was in a really safe place.
This was great for her.
I've had my special time andthen went after work.
We called it the golden hourbecause we get home and we'd
have like an hour before we'dhave to put her down to bed.

(58:59):
You know like yeah, you do thedinner and then it's the golden
hour of okay, this is our time,and then we do it again.
But I think if you can be sointentional with those times and
then then I could really devotethat time to do work.
When I dropped her off adaycare and then the best
feeling ever when you go andpick them up and you see that

(59:21):
smile.
But like I, yeah, just knowingthe role you play and play it
when you're in it, I guess.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
Yeah, Ooh, it's giving me the different hats.
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
All the hats.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
Like, yeah, the hats that you wear, right, and I feel
like you're really doing a goodjob of identifying, like the
this was the hat that I wore atthe specific moment in time and
I understood I, for me,personally, I didn't want to
feel like I was rushing to dropher off at daycare and, um,

(01:00:03):
really savoring those moments intime, because I think that the
like at the core of this it'sunderstanding that if you're, if
you're an individual likemyself who is only planning to
have one, yeah, you don't getthat time back.
Right.
Right now you have two, and soyou had another round of being

(01:00:28):
able to go.
Okay, what have I learned fromthis experience and what can I
take away from that to shiftinto this next experience with
my second child?

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
More of a juggle, oh yeah, sure, juggling two and
getting out the door was adifferent experience, but still,
yeah, yeah, trying to keep thatmindset right of just like okay
, these kiddos are, you know,like make it enjoyable, of the
crazy getting out the door, andit just I was so grateful that I

(01:01:02):
kind of instilled that inmyself right away of like please
don't feel like you have torush.
Of course there were some daysyou know where like really
needed to get up, Like that'sjust life, but yeah, that helped
a lot Culture.

Speaker 1 (01:01:16):
I keep thinking like you keep talking about culture,
right, like culture in thebusiness workspace, and then
culture as it pertains to you asa mom within that home space
too, like that.
I feel like that's sort of aresounding theme for you, and
it's so, it's so cool.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
Well, it's funny too with culture of just like.
When you think of culture andyou associate it with family,
there's the deeper dive theretoo, of like your family's
culture, the culture how youwere raised, where you came from
, and that is something.
Every day I channel my mom, butit's also tough because I try

(01:02:03):
to channel my mom, but my mom,when we were little, was a
stay-at-home mom.
She, she is an art, wasn't yetart teacher, so she stopped
working when she had kids to bewith the kids, and then, when we
got older, she went back tobeing an art teacher and so
channeling her energy you youknow, but also knowing like,

(01:02:27):
well, she didn't have to rushoff to work.
She wasn't running a business,but my gosh the culture side of
just the family and myupbringing.
I don't know if this is thecase for all moms.
Are we constantly kind ofcomparing to our upbringing or
what we saw or experienced whenwe were little and how?

(01:02:50):
That pertains to whether wewant to or not how we show?

Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
up.
You know whether it'sconsciously or subconsciously
yeah, there's an evaluationthat's being done and, um, yeah,
like there are the way that youwere raised, um, whether it was
a, it was a positive homeenvironment or not, like that's
instilled, that's within everyfiber of your body, right?

(01:03:15):
And so for some people, theybecome mothers and they're
perhaps unlearning some habitsfrom before or how they were
raised and going.
I'm going to leave some of thatand actually reinstill

(01:03:36):
something.
Or they catch it after they'vehad their children and it's like
oh, oh, wow, okay.
Or, in your case, you're goingOoh, I really like it.
There was just so manywonderful things about my
upbringing that I want tocontinue to fold into how I'm
raising my girls and it's beenbeautiful, it's been really

(01:03:59):
beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Yeah, it's not easy.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
No, it's not.

Speaker 2 (01:04:02):
I will say, motherhood is harder than
running a business for me, likebecause I lead with heart in
everything I do, more than mindI mean the mind's there but like
, yeah, I lead with my heart andI obviously my heart for my
girls are just so, it's so bigand so the business side of

(01:04:25):
things I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:04:26):
They're both hard, but you know the motherhood is
my gosh, go where you want to go, go where you want to go.
I feel like you were startingto go down a specific path.
The business side of thingswith heart is real.

Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
I mean it really is real and I mean that's where,
whether it's my nugget that Iwas going to share at the end of
just it's understanding yourtime versus value.
You know, and there's that sideright, but, like the leading
with, heart for a business.
I just want to help people,yeah, and I just want to help my

(01:05:01):
kids.

Speaker 1 (01:05:02):
And so when.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
I'm like these children.
Just when it doesn't go wellfor them, my heart explodes.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm anempath.
I was just gonna ask you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:13):
I feel like we should ask this question.

Speaker 2 (01:05:17):
I mean, I don't know, do you get diagnosed for that?
I don't even know, but I feellike I might be well.

Speaker 1 (01:05:22):
So I would say like, if you, if you haven't done the
enneagram, oh, I'm a number nine.

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
You're a number nine with a seven, as okay, what a um
wing, seven wing.
Anyway.

Speaker 1 (01:05:33):
I don't know what that means yeah, um, uh,
enneagram two, okay, close threeand um, is it close?
Three and nine, okay so nine ispeacemaker?

Speaker 2 (01:05:47):
Yeah, yeah.
And what is seven Adventure?
I think there's like certainwords, depending on where you're
reading it from.
But, yeah, the peacemaker, Ijust want everyone to be happy,
like you were saying earlier.
Well, that can be hard as a mom, right Like the confrontation
part.

Speaker 1 (01:06:07):
Like that's, you're literally hitting confrontation
all the time as a mom.
Right like the confrontationpart.
Like that's, you're literallyhitting confrontation all the
time as a mom all the time.

Speaker 2 (01:06:12):
You're so right about that, and but how do you show
up effectively, knowing thisconference that you need to be
that person to guide whateversituation you know you're
dealing with um effectively, notjust caving in to make them
happy, well here's.

Speaker 1 (01:06:33):
Here's something we can tie into.
All of this is like we do haveour, our significant others our
spouses to help harmonize thatand balance it.
Perhaps, you know, I I think, um, personally, for me, in our
household, my husband is themore stern one, yeah, and I've

(01:06:57):
had to hone in on being a littlebit more stern with Maddie and
the boys, um, and perhaps goinga little too far in terms of
that sternness.
And Joe goes whoa, whoa, whoa,whoa, whoa, whoa.
I'm the stern one, you're goingto confuse the children, you're

(01:07:17):
going to confuse them and I'mlike, oh okay, you know like you
told me to be stern, Okay.
Sounds good, Um, but you know II think where I want to go with
this is like I think this is anice, opportune moment for us to
talk about what has thatsupport network looked like for
you, both in business andmotherhood?

Speaker 2 (01:07:38):
And I'll let you, I'll turn the tables to you
Absolutely.
That was another thing for sure, of just like it takes a
village.
And people say that right, likewe know that is real, um, and
when, comparing it, you knowboth for motherhood and, uh,
business, entrepreneurship, um,the village, for family.

(01:08:02):
You know you, it's.
You need that support.
You need just the, the husband,perhaps that partner, to come
in to play that different roleor to just as my husband says,
like sometimes, molly, you justhave to kind of have an out of
body experience and removeyourself from the situation I'm

(01:08:23):
like yeah, okay, I'm going towork on that.
That's not as easy for me.

Speaker 1 (01:08:28):
I want to know what he means by that?

Speaker 2 (01:08:29):
Well, kind of almost like kids are having a crazy
moment right.
Just like try to zone it allout, like this too shall pass
type of thing you know of, justlike there's literally probably
nothing I can do.
This kid just needs to get outtheir energy, their emotions,

(01:08:49):
like yeah, do this.
It doesn't really matter evenwhat I say right now.
They're just in this moment andlike I'm gonna have an
out-of-body experience duringthis time and just pretend it's
not happening and I'm gonna comeback in a little bit see how
it's going.

Speaker 1 (01:09:06):
I'm laughing because it's impressive.
I have had um very little ofthose, but when it has happened.
I'm not good at that, I'm kindof giggling about it, because
I'm I'm thinking to that momentwhere I'm like, should I
actually be doing this and justzoning this out, when Maddie is
literally having a tantrum rightnow?

(01:09:28):
I like to say hey, hey, honey,we're having our big emotions
right now.
Do we need to go and hang outin our room?
Oh, you would think the worldwas coming to an end when you
say it's time to go into ourroom and have our big emotions
in our room and she's likethat's just it, like, is there
anything that I can do in thismoment?

Speaker 2 (01:09:47):
Cause that's the.
Maybe the mom in us like, I amthat way too.
Like what can I say?
What can I do?
How do I make them feelcomforted and that everything's
fine, and sometimes like goingback to maybe when I was a kid,
like they just have theseemotions.
They have to get them out andremind yourself of that, but
that is not easy for me.
So Brandon is better, which Ireally admire.

(01:10:13):
But yeah, I think that it takesa village of just the support
and we're learning that more andmore.
It's different type of supportas the girls get older, as
they're going to practices orjust the crazy juggle of you
know, the kids and the afterschool things or whatever it
might be.
It's really great when you havekind of that tight family like

(01:10:36):
group of the friends you knowand their families, the
extension there.
But and same with business, Ithink it's just ultimately you
can't do it alone.
You can't.
You can't do parenting alone,even if you're a single.
Just ultimately you can't do italone.
You can't.
You can't do parenting alone,even if you're a single parent
Like you cannot do that alone.
And there are people that youshould surround yourself with to

(01:10:58):
make it a better experience foryou and a better experience for
your kids, and the more we canjust stay busy and surround
ourselves with great other greatpeople that are good examples
for our kids and things likethat yeah, great.
Same with business.
I know I can't do it alone.
I've been able to grow mybusiness with bringing on
full-time employees andindependent contractors, but

(01:11:19):
also like vendors.
The thing I hate doing the mostis more so of a creative is the
numbers.
So the greatest hire I I meannot the greatest hire ever, but
like my first big hire was abookkeeper game changer.
Yeah, I did not have to worryabout that, unless I really

(01:11:41):
wanted to worry about it theyhandled it they still.
I mean, they do, and I am beyondgrateful of just knowing what
your strengths are and, yeah,who can help you with your
weaknesses, whether it's themeltdown moments or the things
that you're just not that greatat in business.
Um, that's a big one of justdon't do it alone.

Speaker 1 (01:12:05):
I like to think of it this way like, like, if you're
surrounding yourself with an Ateam, whether it's in business
and you know, like you just gavea prime example, a bookkeeper.
Yeah, not everybody, not all ofus who are business owners are
going to go into this, this gameof entrepreneurship, knowing

(01:12:27):
what the heck we're doing withmanaging the books, right.
And if you can find that a teambookkeeper and just like what a
game changer, a lifesaver, too,right.
And so my husband and I talkabout that, with the real estate
side of things and partneringwith key vendors and going how

(01:12:49):
can we continue to elevate thisexperience that sellers or
buyers are having and who's theA-team that we're surrounding
ourself with?
I think it's really importantto do that evaluation as a
business owner, absolutely,really important.

Speaker 2 (01:13:04):
Absolutely.
And people always say hirepeople that are better than you,
where at first, as anentrepreneur, you're like wait
what, like what?
But it is so true and maybeeven shifting that slightly of
just like, hire people that alsoare doing the things that you.
I mean, if you're not good atit, by all means means, you know

(01:13:26):
, find some, or you don't loveit.
Yeah, if I still had to keepdoing those books, I mean, I
really just maybe I would beokay at it.
I don't love it.
I think that I wouldn't enjoyshowing up every day as much as
I do you know Well.

Speaker 1 (01:13:41):
Again, it's like when we were talking about social
media and posting, and if it's adrudge for you, then then like
how can you get your business toa point where you could then go
all right, it's time to hire ona social media manager and
somebody who's like if you don'tlove to create that content, um
, and can't easily do it on in aspace like canva for instance,

(01:14:04):
right like then, yeah's time.

Speaker 2 (01:14:08):
It's a big deal when you can get to that point, in
your career too, of like beingable to hire out, like when you
first starting, it is all thehats you know, and like what hat
are you going to put on someoneelse first?
And hopefully you can keeptaking off those, some of those
hats.
But um, yeah, it's, it's indefining those processes to just

(01:14:30):
hopefully kind of start makingthis somewhat of a well-oiled
machine, to just know how tokeep things going and have your
team, have your people.

Speaker 1 (01:14:41):
So we talked about the peaks and the valleys, right
, mm-hmm, was there ever amoment in the duration of time
that we've talked about thus farwhere you felt like it was
truly like that dark moment foryou and and it doesn't have to

(01:15:02):
equate to like a dark moment- ormaybe just a challenging moment
where you needed to pivot, andhow did you work through that?

Speaker 2 (01:15:10):
Yeah, you know it was .
It was probably like maybe notto say dark moment, but in a way
it felt it was so scary for meand it maybe did feel a little
dark going in to thisconversation with my business
partner that started lab with meand and asking if this was the

(01:15:33):
right next move.
I didn't want to, you know,offend her or that was really a
tough, tough conversation to gointo.
I think I I knew enough in myheart that it was worth an ask
and to start the conversationand I also really did think and

(01:15:53):
hope, like maybe she wants thistoo, but for her too right, like
it's something maybe she neverreally wanted to bring up, I
don't know, maybe with a littlebit of a like, maybe she's also
feeling the same way, it made ita little easier, but you know,
it was a little dark because wehad hit this point of how do we

(01:16:15):
keep going?
And that really felt like theright, right next step.
And and I'm really glad that Ibrought it up and honestly, like
really glad that I brought itup then because we kind of
finalized everything in June of2019.
And then, not long after that,the pandemic hit.

(01:16:37):
So it's just in hindsight,looking back, it was a really
good hard.
It was a hard conversation, butgood time.
I'm glad I didn't wait anylonger.

Speaker 1 (01:16:48):
Yeah, um, to have it well, that is exactly where that
everything happens, for areason exactly exactly, and
timing is everything.

Speaker 2 (01:16:56):
Those are my two big things.

Speaker 1 (01:16:58):
Yeah, absolutely well , I've enjoyed this so far and I
we're not done yet, okay, butwe're gonna start to land the
plane right softly, okay, I want, I would love for you to share
a piece of advice that you wouldgive a younger version of

(01:17:19):
yourself.
Yeah, all that you have learnedthus far in your lifetime yeah.
What's something that's comingto mind that you would love to
like share with that youngerMolly?

Speaker 2 (01:17:34):
Yeah, I think it's the value of your time.
No, no, that your time isvaluable and I learned that, you
know, being somebody thatreally has loved so much what I
do every day in my younger years, well before kiddos.

(01:17:57):
yes, I mean it's crazy thinkingback of the amount of hours I
put into things and maybe thatwas fine and good and normal.
It was also a time when peopleweren't talking about burnout.
You know, I think for me, as ahard working entrepreneur, it
felt like it was just what youhad to do.
You just keep going and as anindividual, without anyone

(01:18:21):
working with me to have thosecheck-in moments.
You know I just clients neededstuff.
I just kept working to get itdone, and so I wish I mean I did
it at.
You know, I eventually did havefriends and people who are also
entrepreneurs, like and otherpeople like, kind of start

(01:18:42):
talking through the value oftime versus you know time,
versus what you're getting, themoney you know like, and
breaking that down.
And even though money is notsomething that drives me, when
you really stop to look at youknow how valuable your time is
and then you realize maybe whatyou're actually making from the

(01:19:02):
amount of time you're putting in.
That's where, as a businessowner, you just it will help you
make those bigger decisions, Irealized.
For me it's just like, oh mygosh, what am I doing?
Yeah, and so it's still hardfor me, of like I know, and for
my team.
I wish we could all make gobsof money you know, know, but

(01:19:25):
like it's.
It's understanding the value ofof you know what we are creating
for our amazing clients, butit's also from an individual
standpoint for my team and justknowing like our time is so
valuable of just I don't wantpeople working late at night,

(01:19:46):
cause that was what I did when Iwas young, I worked every night
at night.
You know, just, it felt I workedso much and I don't know.
Again, it just felt I didn'tknow anything different.
And so I don't have regretsfrom that, from to other people

(01:20:12):
who, you know, maybe aren'tseeing the value and like other
things beyond the value of theirtime and feeling like they have
to just keep working, likemaybe try to pause and realize
like you need to step away andyou need to do other things and
you need to just sleep and alsocreate Like it's not, like I
wasn't, you know, doing funthings and being with my people,

(01:20:36):
but I just I think I maybe didreach a point of burnout at some
point and I never really likefaced it or even allowed myself
to accept that, and because Ijust felt like I had to keep
going.
Um, so yeah, knowing the valueof your time and and who you are

(01:21:01):
.

Speaker 1 (01:21:02):
It's beautiful.
I I felt myself getting so likedrawn into that and having a
very out of body experience in apositive way, and I I think
it's so right and that can be soapplicable to so many different
like circumstances.
Yeah, so it's.

(01:21:22):
It may not necessarily be thatlike working into the like wee
hours of the night, slashmorning Right, but like if
you're spending a ton of timeworking on something that just
isn't getting you the returnthat you were hoping or wishing

(01:21:43):
for Right, then that's anopportune moment to evaluate
your time Right, exactly, right.

Speaker 2 (01:21:51):
Then that's an opportune moment to evaluate
your time, right, exactly.
And I mean, I think, back inthe day, pre-kiddos, and even
when they were little like I, Ijust I somehow was able to do
the late night, yeah you know,but like I just can't, anymore.

Speaker 1 (01:22:02):
Nothing like having you know, like becoming a mom
and understanding then reallythe value of time yes, and that
also that also means likegetting quality sleep yes, you
can, if you can, because thatplays into health, yes, and that
plays into, like, modeling forour children.

Speaker 2 (01:22:24):
Well and exactly, and I think it's just you have to
be in charge of your ownboundaries.
It is only on you you knowwhether you are running a
business or you're not evenworking.
Like you need to set your ownboundaries and there's some
power to that.
Of like today I'm trying it'sstill not easy always for me of

(01:22:47):
like I just want to do all thethings and I'll figure it out.
But like you know, with workthings happening and just
knowing the reality of kind ofwhen I'm I'm putting my time
into work, I kind of had thisrealization like oh, tomorrow's
Friday, I have this meeting andplease know I hate rescheduling

(01:23:08):
meetings, I hate it.
I don't want to be that person,but when I know it's a coffee to
meet someone new, you know it'snot like I can't.
I also can't.
I love those coffees.
I made the decision thismorning of like to make this
week not feel so crazy and toensure I am going to get the

(01:23:31):
things done that I need to getdone that are really important
for work this week.
You know what I got to movethat coffee meeting and I did it
and it felt good, can't wait tomeet that person.
Still, I made sure they knewLike I am really sorry to do
this but, yeah, truly like Ihave to.

(01:23:52):
It's kind of the priorities too, I guess.
So, just so you're not addingtoo much to your plate, it's
okay to just acknowledge thatand not try to do it all.
I was kind of proud of myself,of just like I think a younger
me or just whatever would belike I'll just make it work.
It's fine, I'll make it workand whatever I'll figure out how

(01:24:13):
to get it all done.
But why do that?
I want to be very intentionaland focused and present when I'm
meeting with this person and Ididn't feel like I could be that
if I kept that meeting and so Imoved it.

Speaker 1 (01:24:28):
That's recognition and acknowledgement too, there's
the recognition of how am Igoing to be able to go into this
meeting showing up, how Iauthentically want to always be
able to show up, especially ifI'm meeting somebody for the
first time, that's just it tooright.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
Where I think, at the end of the day, I don't want
them.
I don't want to sound flaky,you know like there's all these
other reasons, like no, I shouldjust keep it.
But at this point in my life, Ineed to look out for me and I'm
not always good at that and sobeing able to make that decision

(01:25:11):
this morning, I'm like, okay,good job.
Like I, I know that I don'treally even know this person,
but like it, like you saidearlier, if they don't
understand that you know, thenmaybe they're not my people.
Yep, so I'm sure she would 100%, 100%.

Speaker 1 (01:25:31):
Yeah, so you had some really incredible advice for a
younger version of yourself, andyou also added in a few other
gold nuggets.
There Are some of those piecesof advice that you just laid out
, something that you wouldprovide a woman who's listening
right now.
Or is there something elsethat's coming to mind that you
just laid out, something thatyou would provide a woman who's
listening right now?
Or is there something elsethat's coming to mind that you

(01:25:52):
would love to go?

Speaker 2 (01:25:54):
hey, I'd love to share this with a woman who's
listening, who perhaps is likethey're nibbling on the edges of
a consideration of a businessand going into that space, and
they're also a mom yeah, I thinkit's we we touched on this a
little bit earlier of just umpriority shift throughout life

(01:26:21):
and so, as you take mom,motherhood being one of them,
things shift and um be open tothe shifts, be open to new
things, be open to finding maybea new role at you know, from a
career standpoint that bestserves you when you are adding

(01:26:45):
other things to your plate, orjust the end of the day, you
know you want to.
I just think it's so importantto love what you do when it's
your career.
You know and maybe your yourpassions and what you really
want to find like your true kindof that purpose for a career
that might shift over because ofexperiences, because you're now

(01:27:06):
a mom and don't, don't um,close those or shut those down.
Like listen to that and I justthink at the end of the day, I
hope, like you love what you do,and if you don't, maybe there's
something else that's out thereand you don't need to know what
it is yet, but just keep thatlittle like know, keep that open

(01:27:31):
and see something might becalling to you or you know it's
community too.
It's like what you're buildinghere, kelly, and it's connecting
like the more people youconnect with.
There's so many ways to connectwith like-minded people.
We're doing this, even just likeit's a little story that we're
doing in our upcoming collectivemagazine of just like so many

(01:27:54):
ways to connect with like-mindedpeople in real life.
The community aspect of justwho are your people?
Yes, and I think sometimes yourpeople find you.
The beautiful thing of being amom is sometimes you're finding
your people through your kids,which is cool too.

(01:28:14):
It's a whole new network ofpeople that they're bringing to
you.

Speaker 1 (01:28:19):
It's pretty incredible.
It really is wildest dreamswould.
I imagine I would be sittinghere doing a podcast that I'm
hosting on my own andinterviewing mothers who are
entrepreneurs, like really, no,I would have never, because the

(01:28:43):
life that I was living, call itfour years ago, five years ago,
wildly different yeah, wildlydifferent, and it just took
experiences and shifts and umshifts in priorities.
There we go in becoming a momyeah, that here's the pathway

(01:29:06):
that this is.

Speaker 2 (01:29:07):
It is the path that led me to sitting here in this
moment, having this conversationwith you and with those shifts
or changes in priority, you know, come just, you know how do you
embrace that and how do youwant to show up and, um, evolve.
I think that's a good reminderof like funny we say this

(01:29:33):
actually in our branding likefrom a business side again, you
know, I love how I'm bringingall of this stuff in that we
talk about in business to themom side of life.
We always say, for business,you always have to be evolving
and I think if you try to applythat as, like you know,
parenting, motherhood, all ofthat, or just like life with a

(01:29:55):
family and sometimes that'sreally hard, like right, but
it's the reality of like rightwhen you figure something out
with your kid then it'ssomething new, like oh okay, so
we're not dealing with thatanymore.
Now it's something different andif you can be very open to just
the shifts and knowing we'reconstantly evolving, whatever

(01:30:17):
this is, and figuring it out aswe go, that might help.

Speaker 1 (01:30:22):
Well, as a creative and as kind of a branding girly.
Maybe you don't like me to sayit like that, but I think that
we can just briefly touch onthis evolution of a woman right,
yeah, yeah.
There can be.
Do not be afraid tore-evolutionize yourself,

(01:30:47):
because you're shifting andyou're changing and the people
who love that new change aboutyou are coming along for the
ride, and those that aren't,they're not going to and maybe
they come back around.
I've had conversations withother guests about this is like
sometimes, when you're goingthrough that revolution and that

(01:31:08):
evolution, that means otherpeople aren't going to come
along for the ride with you.
Yeah, true, and do not beafraid of it.

Speaker 2 (01:31:18):
Right, but new people will Maybe better people will.

Speaker 1 (01:31:23):
It's so true.

Speaker 2 (01:31:25):
It's so true, I think it's just truly, we're always
evolving, you know, and that'sthe beauty of life Knowing,
that's that's living.

Speaker 1 (01:31:36):
We're getting really deep right now.
I love it.
You're so good.
Who would be a good connectionfor you?
Oh, my gosh, personal orprofessional, who would be a
good connection for you?

Speaker 2 (01:31:49):
Ooh, can it just be more of like local small
businesses that want to connectwith a local small business,
other local small businesses andthat community?
Um?
That's a very broad answer.
It's not a specific person, buttruly that um is a big part of

(01:32:14):
just how we want to show up aslab and build this community,
and so it's very exciting thisyear.
What we started in 2016, um,which was a pop-up market called
collective, has evolved so much.
Of course, you know, pandemiccaused for a pause of these

(01:32:35):
markets, um, and then brought itback to be like a full year
membership after the pandemic,because we just needed to
connect as a community and themost beautiful thing about that
was, instead of a one day pop-upmarket, people were signing on
for a whole year of communityand connection and for lab to

(01:32:56):
create awareness for theirbusiness, and I I take the brand
awareness side, the, the, thepromotion side of that so
seriously.
Yeah, but what warmed my heartis I think so many people showed
up more for the community,which was it spoke volumes to
just what really matters at theend of the day, or what people

(01:33:18):
were seeking, you know.
And so this year we're justtaking what we have been
building since 2016 and takingit to a whole.
Nother level of havingcollective be on a dedicated
website all on its own, notunder lab.
Um we are taking our band byannual newspaper and making it
into a magazine.

(01:33:38):
So, going back to my roots withartful living and my passion
for print, and going away fromit's not just social media
people, it's.
There's so many ways that wecan tell your story and engage
with other people that are doinggreat things.
So small businesses that arelooking for community, that are
wanting help promoting theirbusiness, that are local, is my

(01:34:02):
ask.

Speaker 1 (01:34:02):
I guess Beautiful.

Speaker 2 (01:34:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:34:04):
I love it.
What a beautiful ask too, and Iam so excited to see this
evolution of this as well.

Speaker 2 (01:34:13):
Evolving right, it's constantly evolving.
I feel like that's the bigtakeaway from today, and I love
it it's oh my gosh, it's so good.

Speaker 1 (01:34:23):
Yes, it is okay.
So, in this vein, right now,because of, like, so many great
takeaways I've personally hadand I undoubtedly know that
there are there's at least oneperson listening right now that
is going to want to connect withyou, molly.

(01:34:43):
How can they get connected toyou?

Speaker 2 (01:34:45):
Yeah, lots of ways, but I'll start with.
You can go to our website, soL-A-B-M-P-L-S, so labmplscom.
Or same thing for Instagramit's just at L-A-B-M-P-L-S.
That's how you can find just mybusiness.

(01:35:05):
Or you can email me mollyat labmplscom.
I'm molly with an ie.

Speaker 1 (01:35:12):
Yes, just so you know , duly noted, because, like
initially, when we got connected, I was like it is not m-o-l-l-y
no, no, nope, it's unique yep,just like molly.
No, just Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm so appreciative and sothankful for this powerful,

(01:35:34):
amazing conversation, so thankyou.

Speaker 2 (01:35:37):
You made all this happen, thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:35:39):
I appreciate you Well but reminder that this is you
as the guest.
It's your story, and so I justguide.
I'm the host.
I just guide the conversations.

Speaker 2 (01:35:50):
It's all about you, though, so I'm very grateful.
I'm so grateful.

Speaker 1 (01:35:54):
So I hope you have an amazing day.

Speaker 2 (01:35:56):
You too, thank you, thank you.

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Ep. 49 with Mollie Windmiller | Owner & Founder, Lab MPLS

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Ep. 49 with Mollie Windmiller | Owner & Founder, Lab MPLS