Sarah Cheesman on Freelancing, Showing Up Honestly Online, and Why You're Better Than You Think

Sarah Cheesman on Freelancing, Showing Up Honestly Online, and Why You're Better Than You Think

In this episode of The Art of Becoming, I’m joined by Sarah Cheesman — UK-based copywriter, content strategist, and the founder of Popcorn Content. After more than a decade in financial services marketing, Sarah was made redundant a month before the world went into lockdown — and used that moment to leap into freelance life. Five and a half years later, she’s built a thriving business working with finance and tech companies across the UK, US, and Europe, and become one of the most distinct voices on LinkedIn for working moms and freelancers building businesses on their own terms. Sarah is one of the most refreshingly honest founders I’ve come across online. She opens up about the constant guilt of working motherhood, why most LinkedIn “success” content is performative nonsense, and the mindset shifts she had to make to stop shrinking from her own expertise. Inside the episode, we discuss: * the realities of building a business while pregnant, with a newborn, and now with a school-aged son * why guilt is a constant companion for working moms — and why she stopped trying to fix it * the difference between vulnerability and complaining online — and how to share your real experience without virtue signaling * her advice to her early-career self: trust your voice, trust your skills, and stop assuming everyone can do what you do Sarah’s perspective on building a business honestly, showing up consistently, and refusing to perform success online is exactly the kind of conversation more founders need to hear. If you’ve been in your own way about claiming your expertise, this one is for you. Connect with Sarah * Website: sarahcheesman.co.uk [https://sarahcheesman.co.uk] * LinkedIn: Sarah Cheesman Connect with Nicole * Website: thenicolehart.com [https://thenicolehart.com] * Substack: Built In Her Name [https://thenicolehart.substack.com] * Instagram: @thenicolehart [https://instagram.com/thenicolehart] If this conversation resonated, subscribe to The Art of Becoming, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help other ambitious women find the show. Get full access to Built In Her Name at thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe [https://thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Amanda Vargus on Professional Reinvention and Dressing for Who You're Becoming

In this episode of The Art of Becoming, I’m joined by Amanda Vargus — founder of Wave + Woven, a concierge personal styling service for busy entrepreneurs and high-profile professionals. After nearly two decades in digital advertising, Amanda used the unraveling of the pandemic to leap into a complete career reinvention. Now, four years into building Wave + Woven, she’s one of Boston’s most sought-after stylists and the producer of the city’s annual Runway Ball, a 500-person fashion event benefiting St. Jude. Amanda is one of the most fearless founders I know. We talk about the catalyst that pushed her out of corporate, the realities of building a service-based business with no safety net, and why she believes your wardrobe is the final, often-missing layer of your personal brand. Inside the episode, we discuss: * the three filters every wardrobe needs: your vibe, your shape, and your actual lifestyle * selling with conviction without the ick — and why “buck up, buttercup” might be the realest sales advice of the year * producing Boston’s Runway Ball — and how to take on projects you have no business taking on * her honest perspective on retail, AI, and what brands and stylists are actually doing right now to win * the mindset shift behind dressing for who you’re becoming, not who you’ve been Amanda’s perspective on visibility, conviction, and refusing to shrink — in business or in your closet — is exactly the kind of conversation that gives ambitious women permission to take up more space. If your outer presence hasn’t caught up with the leader you’re becoming, this one is for you. Connect with Amanda * Website: waveandwoven.com [https://waveandwoven.com] * Instagram: @waveandwoven [https://instagram.com/waveandwoven] * LinkedIn: Amanda Vargus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandavargus/] Connect with Nicole * Website: thenicolehart.com [https://thenicolehart.com] * Substack: Built In Her Name [https://thenicolehart.substack.com] * Instagram: @thenicolehart [https://instagram.com/thenicolehart] If this conversation resonated, subscribe to The Art of Becoming, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help other ambitious women find the show. Get full access to Built In Her Name at thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe [https://thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Meghan Houle on Reinventing Recruitment, Pitching with Conviction, and Building in Public

In this episode of The Art of Becoming, I’m joined by Meghan Houle — globally recognized hiring expert, accredited Career and Business Coach, and the founder and CEO of CONCÉ, a next-generation concierge-style hiring platform. After more than two decades placing executives at brands like LVMH, Victoria Beckham, Veronica Beard, and Christian Louboutin, Meghan is reimagining recruitment for the way the industry actually works now. Meghan is one of the most determined founders I know. We talk about what it actually looks like to leap from service-based business owner to tech founder, the financial and emotional reality of building a platform from scratch, and why she stopped people-pleasing in business relationships. Inside the episode, we discuss: * the multi-year evolution from luxury recruiter to tech founder — and the Napa mastermind where CONCÉ finally clicked * what it really costs to build a tech platform from scratch — and her advice on how to avoid burning through cash * the difference between strategic alignment and soul alignment — and why your gut knows the difference * navigating fundraising as a female founder when women receive less than 2% of VC capital * why “people-pleasing in business” always costs you — and the specific moments she’s learned to push back * her advice for entering a job search at the top of your career, not the bottom — and why energy at the start of a new chapter determines how that chapter goes Meghan’s perspective on building boldly, asking for what you’re worth, and refusing to wait for permission to claim your next chapter is the kind of conversation that puts a fire under you. If you’ve been sitting on an idea for too long or quietly waiting for the “right time” to leap, this is your sign. Connect with Meghan * Website: hirewithconce.com [https://hirewithconce.com] + meghanhoule.com [https://meghanhoule.com] * Instagram: @allthingsmeghoule [https://instagram.com/allthingsmeghoule] * CONCÉ Instagram: @hirewithconce [https://instagram.com/hirewithconce] Connect with Nicole * Website: thenicolehart.com [https://thenicolehart.com] * Substack: Built In Her Name [https://thenicolehart.substack.com] * Instagram: @thenicolehart [https://instagram.com/thenicolehart] If this conversation resonated, subscribe to The Art of Becoming, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help other ambitious women find the show. Get full access to Built In Her Name at thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe [https://thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Scout Driscoll on Rest Ethic, Team Loyalty, and the Counter-Culture Way to Build an Agency

In this episode of The Art of Becoming, I’m joined by Scout Driscoll — Founder and CEO of DesignScout, a 22-year-old Chicago-based branding agency, and its beverage-alcohol division, VINT. In an industry rich with heritage of hustle, burnout, and 60-hour weeks, Scout has built something genuinely counter-cultural: a thriving agency with a team whose average tenure is nine years, a company culture rooted in what she calls “rest ethic,” and a leadership philosophy that puts her people first — period. We talk about what it actually takes to build a successful business that gives back to you, and how the counter to the rise-and-grind playbook isn’t slower work — it’s clearer boundaries. Inside the episode, we discuss: * the difference between work ethic and rest ethic — and why most business owners have the equation backwards * the priorities that inspired her team’s nine-year average tenure in an industry known for chronic turnover * the COVID lesson that pushed her to diversify DesignScout into VINT — and why niching down made everything stronger * how to identify the right “key offering” to stake your reputation on (and why she wishes she’d done it sooner) Scout is the kind of leader who proves that you can build something significant — for 22 years and counting — without sacrificing your evenings, your weekends, or yourself. If you’ve been told you have to grind your way to success and quietly wondered if there’s another way, this conversation is the proof there is. Connect with Scout * Website: designscout.com [http://designscout.com] * VINT: vint.studio [http://vint.studio] * LinkedIn: Scout Driscoll [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scout-driscoll/] * Instagram: @designscout [https://instagram.com/designscout] and @vintstudio [https://instagram.com/vintstudio] Connect with Nicole * Website: thenicolehart.com [https://thenicolehart.com] * Substack: Built In Her Name [https://thenicolehart.substack.com] * Instagram: @thenicolehart [https://instagram.com/thenicolehart] If this conversation resonated, subscribe to The Art of Becoming, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help other ambitious women find the show. Get full access to Built In Her Name at thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe [https://thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Amalia Bussard on Pruning the Wrong Work and Growing the Right Vision

In this episode of The Art of Becoming, I’m joined by Amalia Bussard — founder of East Pine Plant Shop and a nature artist who has spent the last five years building a sanctuary in Maine. We talk about what it actually looks like to channel a vision into reality, how to know when something in your business needs to be pruned, and why slow living isn’t a vibe — it’s a survival skill for ambitious women. She opens up about leaving the corporate playbook behind, recognizing the projects that look good on the outside but deplete you on the inside, and learning to trust the visions that have been guiding her since childhood. We get into the importance of pockets — small intentional moments of joy, presence, and quiet — and why the people you surround yourself with either help you trust your intuition or quietly erode it. Inside the episode, we discuss: * the visions Amalia has been receiving since she was a kid — and how she’s learning to channel them into reality through East Pine Plant Shop * her plant-as-life metaphor for knowing what to prune and when (and why “let go to let grow” might be the only mantra you need) * what slow living actually looks like in a fast-moving business, and why pockets of joy matter more than perfect days * how to spot the people who push your growth versus the ones projecting their own fear onto you * navigating change like the seasons — and why your nervous system needs the transition, not just the pivot * her advice for trusting your intuition when the world is making you doubt it Amalia’s perspective on building with intention, honoring your pace, and creating a world worth coming home to is the kind of conversation that changes how you see your own work. If you’ve been feeling pulled toward something bigger but haven’t given yourself permission to claim it — this one is for you. Connect with Amalia * Website: eastpineme.com [http://eastpineme.com] * Instagram: @eastpine.plantshop [https://instagram.com/eastpine.plantshop] Connect with Nicole * Website: thenicolehart.com [https://thenicolehart.com] * Substack: Built In Her Name [https://thenicolehart.substack.com] * Instagram: @thenicolehart [https://instagram.com/thenicolehart] If this conversation resonated, subscribe to The Art of Becoming, share it with a friend who needs to hear it, and leave a review to help other ambitious women find the show. Get full access to Built In Her Name at thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe [https://thenicolehart.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]