How to Break the Burnout Cycle and Rebuild With Purpose with Christina Kantzavelos

The Truth About Authenticity and Owning Your Story with Jennifer Griffith

What if the story you are not saying out loud is the one quietly shaping how you lead, price, decide, and show up in your business? In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon sits down with Jennifer Griffith, author, speaker, and host of the About Your Mother podcast. Jennifer’s work explores the relationships and defining moments that shape who people become, and her debut memoir, Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment, offers a powerful lens on motherhood, resilience, abandonment, and rewriting the next chapter without erasing the backstory. Together, Shauna Lynn and Jennifer explore why authenticity cannot be copied from someone else’s framework, how borrowed business advice can pull entrepreneurs away from their real strengths, and why the most meaningful stories often begin in the places people have been taught to hide. Listeners will walk away with a stronger understanding of how to use their own story as a source of clarity, confidence, connection, and business direction. Timestamps: (01:50) - (05:12) - Why hidden scripts shape leadership, pricing, boundaries, and capacity (05:13) - (11:21) - Authenticity, borrowed business advice, and the danger of copying someone else’s strategy (11:22) - (17:22) - How to use case studies, frameworks, and your own why without losing yourself (17:23) - (24:21) - Finding the deeper origin story behind your business, passion, or creative work (24:22) - (31:43) - Negative narratives, reframing painful moments, and using hard stories as fuel (31:44) - (40:23) - Owning your story, identity, family history, and what empowerment really means  Resources: * Book Your FREE Coaching Assessment Call with Shauna Lynn: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/coachme * Learn more about the show: AboutShaunaLynn.com/podcast * Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment by Jennifer Griffith: https://byjennifergriffith.com/the-book/ * Ep 100: Why People Pleasing Is Burning You Out and How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/rwrb-podcast-episodes/people-pleasing * Ep 115: Why the Loudest Business Advice Is Not Always the Smartest Move: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/rwrb-podcast-episodes/loudest-advice Connect with Jennifer Griffith: Learn more about Jennifer: https://www.byjennifergriffith.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.griffith.904/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byjennifergriffith/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ByJenniferGriffith Email: hello@byjennifergriffith.com Jennifer Griffith is an author, speaker, and host of the About Your Mother podcast, where she explores the relationships, family histories, and defining moments that shape people’s lives. Her debut memoir, Both Sides of Then: Finding Love After Abandonment, is a candid reflection on motherhood, resilience, family complexity, and the lasting impact of the stories people inherit and choose to rewrite. Through her writing, podcasting, and speaking, Jennifer invites others to look honestly at both the beauty and the mess of their stories, find connection through shared human experience, and become more empowered by the truth of where they have been and where they are choosing to go next.

The Flip the Box Method for Better Leadership and Connection with Shari Leid

What if connection is not just a nice-to-have in business, but one of the biggest drivers of trust, performance, and growth? In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon sits down with Shari Leid, author, speaker, connection expert, attorney, and founder of the Flip the Box movement. Shari shares how her personal story of being found as an orphaned baby in a cardboard box shaped her lifelong search for belonging, and how that same box became the foundation for a powerful leadership framework rooted in connection. Through her Table for 51 project, Shari traveled to all 50 states and shared meals with women she did not know, uncovering what creates meaningful connection beyond surface-level networking. She explains how disconnection shows up in teams, client relationships, and leadership, and why trust often begins with helping people feel seen. Listeners will walk away with practical ways to strengthen relationships, improve communication, and lead with more clarity, confidence, and care. Timestamps: (01:50) - (04:26) - Why connection is a driver of business performance, not just a buzzword (04:27) - (08:09) - How disconnection shows up in leadership, teams, and client relationships (08:10) - (13:49) - Why connection matters after the pandemic and how Flip the Box began (13:50) - (19:25) - The Flip the Box framework and how it builds trust in leadership (19:26) - (28:00) - Simple ways to help team members and clients feel seen (28:01) - (38:20) - Prioritizing connection, Shari’s retreat, and flipping the story you tell yourself Resources: * Book Your FREE Coaching Assessment Call with Shauna Lynn: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/coachme * Learn more about the show: AboutShaunaLynn.com/podcast * Flip the Box Women’s Retreat - Use code RWRB to save $100 off registration: https://www.sharileid.com/retreat * Table for 51 by Shari Leid: https://animperfectlyperfectlife.com/table-for-51 * The Effective Manager by Mark Horstman: https://amzn.to/4v4RPUz Connect with Shari Leid: Learn more about Shari: https://www.sharileid.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharileidbiz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/an_imperfectly_perfect_life/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shari-leid-51a53b10/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sharileid TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sharileid X: https://x.com/AnImperfectly Linktree: https://linktr.ee/animperfectlyperfectlife Email: Sharileid@sharileid.com Shari Leid is an author, speaker, connection expert, attorney, and founder of the Flip the Box movement. A former litigator, Shari brings analytical thinking, lived experience, and a deep understanding of human connection to her work with leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations. She is the author of Table for 51, a project that took her across all 50 states to share meals with women and explore how connection shapes leadership, belonging, and life. Through her Flip the Box framework, Shari helps professionals turn disconnection into a strategic advantage by strengthening trust, improving communication, and creating relationships that support performance, retention, growth, and meaningful reinvention.

The Real Reason Competitor Comparison Keeps You Stuck

What if watching your competitors is not giving you clarity - but quietly pulling you away from your own business vision? In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon explores the fine line between healthy competitor awareness and toxic comparison. For many service-based entrepreneurs, especially in industries like home staging, interior design, consulting, and coaching, it can feel like everyone is watching everyone. But when competitor research turns into obsession, it can lead to reactive decisions, scattered offers, pricing doubts, and a business that no longer feels aligned. Shauna Lynn breaks down how to learn from others without copying them, why online success is often just a highlight reel, and how to use your own vision, values, differentiators, and client experience as the filter for business decisions. Listeners will walk away with a healthier way to view competitors, stronger questions to ask about their own business, and a reminder that standing out often comes from leaning further into what already makes them different. Timestamps: (01:49) - (06:20) - Why competitor watching is normal, but can quickly become unhealthy (06:21) - (10:36) - The difference between market awareness and competitor obsession (10:37) - (17:22) - Why online success is often a highlight reel, not the full business story (17:23) - (24:15) - How comparison weakens your instincts and disconnects you from your vision (24:16) - (28:43) - Using competitors to clarify your differentiators instead of copying their offers (28:44) - (31:40) - Building from clarity, confidence, and your own version of success Resources: * Book Your FREE Coaching Assessment Call with Shauna Lynn: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/coachme * Learn more about the show: AboutShaunaLynn.com/podcast

Part 6: The Step-by-Step Process of Selling Your Home Staging Business - How to Sell Your Staging Business Mini Series

Thinking about selling your home staging business but unsure what actually happens after you find a buyer? In the final episode of this special mini-series of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon walks through the complete sale process for a home staging business, from the first buyer inquiry to closing day and beyond. While many business owners focus on valuation and preparing their company for sale, understanding how a transaction actually unfolds can make the difference between a smooth transition and a stressful experience. Listeners will learn how information is shared throughout the sale process, what buyers expect at each stage, and why confidentiality, preparation, and timing matter more than most owners realize. Shauna Lynn breaks down key milestones, including teasers, NDAs, prospectuses, buyer conversations, letters of intent, due diligence, closing, and transition support, helping staging business owners understand what lies ahead and how to prepare with confidence. Whether a sale is years away or already on the horizon, this episode provides valuable insight into protecting the business, preserving relationships, and creating more options for the future. Tune in to gain a clearer understanding of the journey from listing to closing and what it takes to successfully transfer the business you've worked so hard to build. Timestamps: (00:08) - (04:46) - Why the business sale process needs a clear deal flow (04:47) - (09:03) - How teasers, listings, and buyer qualifications protect confidentiality (09:04) - (13:43) - When to use NDAs and what belongs in your prospectus (13:44) - (20:42) - How buyer conversations and LOIs move the deal forward (20:43) - (29:52) - What happens during due diligence, closing, and transition support (29:53) - (38:52) - How professionals, bootcamp support, and sale preparation fit together Resources: * Get your "Is Your Home Staging Business Sellable?" eBook free when you use promo code SELL100: https://slsacademy.com/sellready * Learn more about the Sell Your Staging Business Bootcamp (and claim your spot): https://slsacademy.com/sellyourbiz

Part 5: The Systems Every Sellable Home Staging Business Needs - How to Sell Your Staging Business Mini Series

Is your home staging business built on solid systems or just what's stored in your head? In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast mini-series, How to Sell Your Home Staging Business, Shauna Lynn Simon explains why one of the biggest drivers of business value has nothing to do with revenue or inventory. It comes down to transferability. Buyers want confidence that a business can continue without relying on the current owner's memory, instincts, or constant involvement. From pricing and proposals to client communication, warehouse organization, and team responsibilities, Shauna Lynn breaks down the systems that create a more valuable and sellable home staging business. She also shares a simple exercise to identify where your business is too dependent on you and practical ways to start documenting the processes that matter most without creating an overwhelming operations manual. Whether selling is years away or simply a future possibility, this episode will help home stagers build a business that runs more smoothly today while becoming a stronger asset for tomorrow. If this episode resonates, share it with another home stager who is building for long-term success. Timestamps: (00:08) - (04:49) - Why transferability matters more than having everything run without you (04:50) - (09:18) - The difference between an owner-operated business and an owner-dependent business (09:19) - (13:49) - Why systems are more than software and how they support buyer confidence (13:50) - (18:36) - Which systems matter most when preparing your staging business for sale (18:37) - (22:36) - How your team, contractors, and 30-day test reveal what still lives in your head (22:37) - (25:27) - Systems resources, bootcamp support, and what to expect in the final episode Resources: * Get your "Is Your Home Staging Business Sellable?" eBook free when you use promo code SELL100: https://slsacademy.com/sellready * Learn more about the Sell Your Staging Business Bootcamp (and claim your spot): https://slsacademy.com/sellyourbiz * Get help organizing your systems with the Systems Unlocked Business Training: https://slsacademy.com/systemsunlocked