Failing Forward

EP 10 - Britney Branch Britney Branch on Redefining Growth and Protecting Your Energy

In this episode, Bethany chats with Britney Branch, founder of The Boss Up Agency, about building a business from scratch, learning from fast growth, and aligning work with personal values. Britney shares how she pivoted from influencer marketing into full-service social media management during the early months of the pandemic. She talks about setting boundaries as a recovering people pleaser, and why maintaining a business takes more intention than starting one. She also shares personal systems that support her mental health, including structured digital boundaries and routines that protect her energy.  CONNECT WITH BRITNEY BRANCH: Instagram: @ itsbritneynicole_ [https://www.instagram.com/itsbritneynicole_/] The Boss Up Agency website [https://www.thebossupagency.com/] TIMESTAMPS: 01:19 Starting the agency during the pandemic 05:35 First clients and first pivots 09:30 Saying no to misaligned clients 13:40 Hiring, scaling, and hard lessons 19:20 Digital boundaries and mental health 25:20 This or That round ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING: Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing. Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com [https://www.oceanview-marketing.com/]. 🩵 STAY CONNECTED: Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oceanview.marketing] Follow this podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast] 👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big. This episode was produced by ⁠⁠AOLI.fm⁠⁠ [https://www.aoli.fm].

EP 9 - With Meg O’Neill on Social Media Visibility, Motherhood, and Building a Business Her Own Way

Meg O’Neill is a marketing and community-building expert. In this episode, she shares how her career evolved from nonprofit roles to entrepreneurship, how motherhood shaped her choices, and why showing up imperfectly online became her strength. She talks about quitting a job that no longer fit, building a business during a busy season of life, and how her son’s autism diagnosis helped her trust her own path. Meg also shares why she ignores traditional advice like niching down, and how video and personal connection drive her work. CONNECT WITH MEG O’NEILL: Instagram: @megoneill10 [https://www.instagram.com/megoneill10] TIMESTAMPS: 02:10 Early career in nonprofit work 03:16 Realizing that stay-at-home life wasn’t for her 04:10 Starting over in wellness and marketing 05:55 Quitting her job without a plan 08:30 Managing anxiety and burnout 11:04 Setting boundaries with clients 12:52 Parenting and building a business around family 17:10 Why doesn’t she niche 19:32 Using video to grow community ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING: Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing. Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com [http://oceanview-marketing.com].   🩵 STAY CONNECTED: Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oceanview.marketing] Follow this podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast] 👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big. This episode was produced by ⁠AOLI.fm⁠ [https://www.aoli.fm].

EP 8 - Lauren Perna on Turning Burnout Into a More Aligned Career

Lauren Perna spent nearly two decades in the corporate and nonprofit world before launching her own communications agency. Along the way, she navigated high-functioning anxiety, depression, and burnout, and learned how entrepreneurship could be a tool for healing. Today, she leads Lauren Perna Communications [https://www.laurenperna.com/], a content studio serving clients in life sciences and beyond. In this episode, Lauren shares how mental health shaped her path, what finally pushed her to leave her “dream job,” and how building a business around her strengths gave her the freedom to work on her own terms. CONNECT WITH LAUREN PERNA: Website [https://www.laurenperna.com/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mentallyfitfounder/] TIMESTAMPS: 01:15 Living with anxiety and depression 04:20 Leaving her “dream job” 05:50 Taking a year off to reset 07:05 Starting her business during the pandemic 10:45 Experience doubts 13:00 Choosing the right niche and clients 16:05 Building the right team 21:10 If she weren’t a writer, she would be… ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING: Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing. Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com [http://oceanview-marketing.com].   🩵 STAY CONNECTED: Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oceanview.marketing] Follow this podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast] 👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big. This episode was produced by AOLI.fm [https://www.aoli.fm].

EP 7 - Paige Burns on Starting Main Paige Media and Learning to Lead

Paige Burns walked away from a steady in-house video job to launch her own production company, and without a roadmap. Today, she runs Main Paige Media [https://mainpaigemedia.com/], a thriving storytelling studio that works with brands across industries. In this episode, Paige talks about leaving the security of a salaried role, the pressure to do everything perfectly at the start, and the mindset shifts that helped her replace overthinking with action. She also opens up about early mistakes in hiring, learning to give direction without micromanaging, and how she built a business around her strengths, and not her weaknesses. CONNECT WITH PAIGE BURNS: Main Paige Media Website [https://mainpaigemedia.com/] Paige’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mainpaigemedia/] TIMESTAMPS: 01:15 Quitting a full-time job to start her own company 06:08 The pressure to be perfect 08:40 Focusing on one lead only 14:23 Ready to start a business 20:00 First clients 22:55 Hope for the best, plan for the worst 24:20 Putting yourself out of your comfort zone 29:42 The hiring process she got right at first 38:02 Advice for people starting out ABOUT THE HOST, BETHANY FIOCCHI ROOT AND OCEANVIEW MARKETING: Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing. Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com [http://oceanview-marketing.com].   🩵 STAY CONNECTED: Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oceanview.marketing] Follow this podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast] 👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big. This episode was produced by AOLI.fm [https://www.aoli.fm/].

EP 6 - Chris Ronzio on Building Trainual

Chris Ronzio started his first business at the age of 14, pitching corporate clients before he could even drive. Today, he is the founder of Trainual [https://trainual.com/], a rapidly growing SaaS company that helps teams scale through improved onboarding and training processes. In this episode, Chris shares the early mistakes that shaped his approach to business, how he transformed his company into a million-dollar venture, and what he wishes he had done differently in his first year. He also recounts an embarrassing story with Shaquille O'Neal and explains why he encourages young founders to think big. Connect with Chris Ronzio: Chris’ Website [https://www.chrisronzio.com/] Chris’ Podcast: Organize Chaos [https://www.chrisronzio.com/podcast] Chris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chrisronzio/] Timestamps: 00:00  Intro 02:12  Starting a business at 14 04:06  The first big mistake (and client disaster) 07:00  From video production to a scalable system 09:40  Why his 2015 launch flopped 16:54  Running out of money 21:31  Winning a $150K grant 27:26  Network is your networth 30:48  Embarrassing moment with Shaquille O'Neal About the host, Bethany Fiocchi Root and Oceanview Marketing: Oceanview Marketing is a boutique consultancy that helps funded SaaS, tech and service-based startups unlock millions in new revenue through strategic digital marketing, fast execution and experience-backed testing. Led by Bethany Fiocchi Root, the firm specializes in validating product-market fit and building scalable systems for long-term growth. Learn more at oceanview-marketing.com [http://oceanview-marketing.com].  🩵 Stay connected: Follow Oceanview Marketing on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/oceanview.marketing] Follow this podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/failingforward_podcast] 👑 Know someone who’d love this episode? Share it with a friend or teammate who’s building something big. This episode was produced by AOLI.fm [https://www.aoli.fm].