Here's What I Learned: Ditching Biz-as-Usual for Values, Freedom, and Doing It Your Way
Welcome to Here's What I Learned, the podcast for progressive entrepreneurs ready to grow their businesses without sacrificing their values, creativity, or sanity. Hosted by me, Jacki Hayes—a systems strategist, unapologetic smutty romantasy fan, and D&D geek—this show is your go-to space for honest conversations about what it really takes to create a business and life you love. Each week, we dive into relatable stories and actionable lessons from values-driven leaders who’ve figured out how to scale sustainably while staying true to themselves. Whether you’re managing growth, navigating overwhelm, or rethinking hustle culture, this podcast is here to show you that success doesn’t have to mean burnout. If you value integrity, autonomy, and time freedom—and you’re looking for inspiration that’s as practical as it is empowering—you’ve found your people. Hit play, and let’s rewrite the rules together.
Episodes
What does it really look like to build a business around your lived experience, your values, and your bandwidth—especially when capitalism tells you to do the opposite?
In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I’m joined by Megan Dowd—equity-centered coach, trademark Word Nerd, and the kind of business owner who doesn’t shy away from nuance. We dive deep into how to dismantle exploitation in your own business, what th...
If business feels quieter right now—more space, fewer deadlines—you’re not alone. And you’re definitely not doing it wrong.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing the small shifts that have helped me (and the solopreneurs I work with) navigate slow seasons with clarity and care. This isn’t about scaling or optimizing every minute of downtime. It’s about noticing what’s already working… and gently building from there.
Wheth...
What if the way you’re “supposed to” grow your business… doesn’t actually work for you?
In this episode, I’m joined by marketing strategist and entrepreneur Sarah Gemmell for a conversation that goes beyond funnels and frameworks. We talk about what it really means to build a business around your strengths, your season of life, and your capacity—especially if you're neurodivergent, caregiving, or just done with th...
What does it take to lead a business through seasons of change—and still feel like yourself inside of it?
In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, Katherine Danesi joins me for a candid conversation on navigating uncertainty, evolving your offers, and creating a business that honors your actual life. From her days as a Fortune 500 exec to startup COO to systems-driven coach, Katherine has learned the value of doing bu...
What if the way you build your business mattered just as much as what you build?
In Season 9 of Here’s What I Learned, we’re shining a light on the path less promoted—the one paved with sustainable practices, nervous-system-friendly marketing, and business models rooted in your values.
This season, we go beyond strategies and into the systems, beliefs, and lived experiences that shape ethical, sustainable growth. You’ll...
We’ve made it to the end of Season 8—and today, I’m sharing the biggest themes that came up across every conversation I had with this season’s incredible business owners. These aren’t just talking points; they’re real-world lessons from folks who are rewriting the rules of business in ways that actually work for their lives.
From rethinking what success really means, to drawing clear boundaries, to ditching outdated no...
Can you build a business you love and keep your day job—without burning out?
I sit down with Chelsey Newmyer, behavior change specialist and founder of From Overwhelmed to Under Control, to unpack what it really takes to do both. From redefining productivity to letting go of the shame around evolving your offers, Chelsey offers insight-rich stories and strategies for creatives who are done with hustle culture and ready...
When your inbox values don’t align with your ethics... it’s time to change the rules.
In this conversation, Jacki sits down with Bev Feldman—email strategist, tech fairy, and outspoken advocate for human-first systems—to unpack what it really means to run email marketing through a lens of consent, clarity, and care.
Bev isn’t here to shame your funnel. She’s here to reframe it.
We talk about walking away from “bro market...
When your business demands more than your body can give, what do you do? In this episode, I sit down with Taina Brown—personal and professional development coach, somatic facilitator, and strategy whiz—for a powerful conversation on sustainable business practices, values alignment, and how Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown transformed the way she leads.
After a health crisis forced her to pause her business ent...
What if staying solo didn’t mean staying stuck?
This episode is your permission slip to step out of the client-work grind without adding to your payroll. Whether you’ve tried hiring and hated it, aren’t financially ready, or just like flying solo—there’s another path. And it starts with systems.
This isn’t about tech for tech’s sake or hustle culture hacks. It’s about building a business that actually works for you.
If y...
I spent years absorbing corporate “best practices”—how to write emails, how to hold meetings, how to pretend I wasn’t a full human while working. It wasn’t until I started working with creative, values-driven solopreneurs (like you) that I realized: a lot of those norms don’t actually serve us.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the corporate habits I’ve consciously unlearned—and how replacing them with ...
What if your social media presence didn’t feel like a chore? In this candid conversation, I’m joined by Jayci Trujillo—founder of Happy Girl Marketing—for a refreshing chat on building flexible businesses, posting like a real human, and designing a social media strategy that works for you. We unpack everything from sourdough starters to sustainable client engagement, content creation myths, and what it actually means ...
In this episode of Here’s What I Learned, I sit down with podcast strategist and founder of Galati Media, Alesia Galati, to talk about building a values-first business, scaling intentionally, and why it's okay to burn it down and start again. We dive into doing business your way, creating sustainable systems, and overcoming imposter syndrome—especially when launching a podcast or trying to grow one without sellin...
I’m sharing how I’ve been using ChatGPT as a judgment-free, burnout-aware sounding board. Not to write content or automate my business systems, but to help me think clearer and make values-aligned decisions without spiraling into overthinking or dumping thousands on a coach every time I hit a fork in the road.
I’ll walk you through how I use it like a meditation app for my business brain:
- to process decisions about...
In today's episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on four small (but mighty) systems tweaks that have made my business feel smoother, calmer, and way more me. These aren’t shiny new tools or complicated funnels. I’m talking about simple shifts that helped me stop fighting my own energy and start designing a business backend that supports the way I actually work.
What next?
- Follow Here's What I Learned on y...
What happens when an HR pro leaves the corporate grind to build a business rooted in ethics, empathy, and real talk? In this episode, I sit down with Kirsten Ziegler, an HR consultant who’s rewriting the rules of people management for small business owners. From navigating the difference between contractors and employees (without a legal headache) to building better hiring practices from the inside out, Kirsten breaks...
What if everything you’ve been taught about work, success, and professionalism is actually holding you back? In this episode of Here's What I Learned, I sit down with Becky Mollenkamp, an accountability coach and intersectional feminist, to unpack the hidden ways oppressive work norms shape our businesses—and how to break free from them.
Becky shares her journey of unlearning corporate conditioning, rejecting the ...
Show Notes:
In this episode of Here's What I Learned, I’m flying solo to talk about one of my favorite nerdy rabbit holes: personality typologies—and how they’ve helped me design a business that actually works with how I’m wired.
I share what it’s like to be an INTJ, Enneagram 5w6, and Manifesting Generator (4/6 profile, sacral authority), and how these frameworks gave me language for my over-analysis, craving for ...
In this episode of Here's What I Learned, I'm joined by Melody Johnson, founder of The Course Consultant, to talk about creating courses, redefining success, and designing a business that truly fits your life.
Melody shares her journey of taking a 10-month break from business after adopting two special needs children—and what it meant to return with a new perspective on offers, availability, and boundaries. W...
In this episode of Here's What I Learned, I sit down with Casey Eade—connection strategist, professional friend-finder, and advocate for low-capacity business owners—to dive deep into authentic engagement, values-driven marketing, and creating sustainable business relationships. Casey shares her fresh take on collaborations, slow business growth, and why engagement strategies should actually work for you, not aga...
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