What do you get when you mix a high school dropout, a Dell corporate career, and a pandemic-fueled writing spree? A badass romance author who went from side hustle to full-time bestseller.

In this week’s episode, Jess and Jonesy sit down with author and entrepreneur Nikki Castle—who also just happens to be Jess’s longtime friend and former wedding party VIP. Nikki shares how she transitioned from 10 years in corporate sales to becoming a full-time romance writer, building a self-published empire one spicy love story at a time.

They dig into what it really looks like to leave job security behind, how Nikki hit upload on a Word doc and wound up with a global fanbase, and why burnout doesn’t stop just because you’re doing what you love.

We’re talking identity shifts, running multiple businesses, imposter syndrome, self-publishing tips, building a trusted team, and how to avoid letting hustle culture wreck your creative flow.

Whether you’re bookish, business-minded, or just burnt out—this one’s for you.

https://www.instagram.com/nikkicastleauthor/

We’re talking shop (literally) with Jessica of Ocasional Flowers—the faux floral studio in Yardley, PA that’s quietly becoming a local legend. Jess shares how she went all-in on brick-and-mortar, why her silk creations are anything but fake, and how she balances creativity, systems, motherhood, and straight-up hustle.

We dig into:

• Why she opened the store before launching online

• What it’s really like juggling entrepreneurship and parenting

• The power of seasonal planning (and seasonal sanity)

• Learning to delegate without spiraling

• The accidental magic of letting people see you be you

Oh—and why GoDaddy can go… somewhere else.

🌸 Website: occasional-flowers.com
🌸 Instagram: instagram.com/occasionalflowers1
🌸 Facebook: facebook.com/OccasionalFlowersPA
🌸 YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC8I5W6UGHmrOpT6dbQpjxFw

Plain text links:

• https://www.occasional-flowers.com/

• https://www.instagram.com/occasionalflowers1/

• https://www.facebook.com/OccasionalFlowersPA

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8I5W6UGHmrOpT6dbQpjxFw

Guest: Pete Bondarenko | PBAdjusting.com | AdjustingAcademy.com

This week on Minding Our Business, we’re chopping it up with Pete Bondarenko—a man who’s all in on Plan A. Pete’s the founder of PB Adjusting, a public adjusting firm based in Bucks County, PA, and the brains behind the brand new Adjusting Academy, where he’s helping train the next generation of adjusters to build real careers and real wealth in a recession-proof industry.

Pete’s story is nothing short of wild—in the best way. He immigrated to the U.S. from Poland at 16, barely spoke English, and came up through the hustle. From construction and network marketing to real estate and now business ownership, Pete's journey is a masterclass in grit, integrity, and self-made success.

In this episode, we get into:

• What a public adjuster actually does (and why you've probably never heard of one)

• Why there’s huge opportunity in this overlooked career path

• What it means to really bet on yourself

• How to spot opportunity (and why most people miss it)

• The power of side hustles and strategic investing

• Real talk about taxes, burnout, and growing out of your old circle

• How PB Adjusting and Adjusting Academy are helping homeowners and future entrepreneurs win

Pete’s recommended reads:
📚 The Secret
📚 How to Win Friends & Influence People
📚 The Richest Man in Babylon

Links from the episode:
🔗 PBAdjusting.com
🔗 AdjustingAcademy.com

Live from Yardley Harvest Day 2025, Jess and Jonesy set up shop with mics in hand, babies on speed dial, and beer on the brain. This one’s a little messy, totally unscripted, and full of community chaos—aka our favorite kind of episode.

We’re chatting with neighbors, signing up new Yardley Business Association members, and hyping Yardley Beer Fest (October 18!)—the fundraiser that fuels our town’s Christmas parade. Wanna support? Snag your tickets and learn more at YardleyBusiness.com.

Come for the parade talk, stay for the mic-stealing, duck-costume dreaming, and all the ways we show up for our town... even when we’re sweating through our shirts.

🔧 Guest:

Jake Gordon, Yardley Service Center

Instagram | Website

🛠️ Episode Description:

Running a small business ain’t for the faint of heart—and running an auto shop? Whole other level of grit. In this episode, we sit down with Jake Gordon of Yardley Service Center to pop the hood on what it really takes to lead a local service business through chaos, customer demands, and constant curveballs.

Jake gets real with us about launching his shop during the red-zone shutdowns of 2020, navigating the pressure of business ownership while raising a young family, and the balance between staying sane and staying in service. We also kick around some creative (and kinda genius?) local marketing ideas, talk through the myths around auto repair shops, and dig into how transparency builds lifelong customer trust.

We laughed a lot, swapped some tire disaster stories (yes, Jess really is cursed), and reminded ourselves why community matters—on the road and in business.

👀 In this episode:

✨ Our Favorite Quote:

“Sometimes I just need five minutes where nobody’s asking me a question… and I don’t have to answer it with an intelligent response.”

Episode Description:
Sometimes you’ve just gotta hit record—with a mimosa in hand. On this very real Friday morning episode, Jess and Jonesy toast to the chaos, clarity, and caffeine-fueled joy of parenting, business-building, and living life your way (leggings and all).

We talk back-to-school whiplash, reclaiming time as a parent, what self-care really looks like, and why we’re embracing our inner Adam Sandler. Plus, Jess spills on Yardley Beer Fest, her duck costume debut, and the power of doing work that feels like play.

It’s honest. It’s a little messy. And it’s got bubbles.

👀 In this episode:

• Friday energy + mimosa-fueled gratitude

• Back to school = back to business

• Finding your new rhythm when life changes

• Jess’s Yardley duck costume reveal (yes, it’s happening)

• Why in-person podcasting hits different

• Jess squared. Jess cubed. The Spider-Man meme but make it Yardley.

• Mental health and the pressure of being visible in a small town

• “Let them” vs. “How embarrassing for them”

🥂 Our Favorite Quote:
“I’d rather be Jess number three than Jess number nobody.”

💬 Join the convo:
What’s your Mimosa Mindset moment lately? Tag us @mindingourbizpod and tell us what you’re celebrating—even if it’s just making it to Friday.

In this episode of Minding Our Business, Jess and Jonesy sit down with Nicole Garrison and Christina Lees from PA Behavioral Services for a wildly honest, hilarious, and totally relatable convo about what it really looks like to protect your mental health while running a business.

They cover friendship and business boundaries, compartmentalizing chaos, why Zebra Cakes launched their partnership (yes, really), and how even therapists need therapy. This one’s got therapist insight with founder energy. No jargon, just real tools from real people.

Guests:

Nicole Garrison and Christina Lees, licensed professional counselors and co-founders of PA Behavioral Serviceshttps://pabehavioralservices.com

What We Talk About:

Shoutouts:

Bonus: We end with our signature high kick. Always.

What’s one coping tool or mental health practice that actually helps you get through tough entrepreneur days?

This week, Jess and Jonesy sit down with Nicole Cloud—a nurse, a mom, and a mental health warrior—to talk about what it's really like behind the scenes in healthcare. From overnight shifts and pandemic trauma to finding moments of peace and grounding (literally), Nicole gets real about burnout, boundaries, and the small rituals that help her stay afloat. This isn’t just about nurses. It’s about how we take care of ourselves while showing up for everyone else.

Show Notes

In this episode:

• Nicole's journey into nursing and what kept her going

• The emotional toll of healthcare work, especially during COVID

• Secondary trauma and how it shows up (and sticks around)

• Coping strategies Nicole swears by: working out, talking it out, touching grass

• Real talk on intrusive thoughts, burnout, and crying in hospital bathrooms

• Support systems that make all the difference—from coworkers to community gyms

• Why some patients are just... the worst (boomers, we’re looking at you)

• The power of being honest about how you feel—even when it’s messy

Plus: The gang debates pediatricians, primary care, and whether or not you should still be seeing your childhood doctor at 23 (spoiler: probably not).