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Rain or Shine | Marketing & Entrepreneurship Podcast

Rain or Shine | Marketing & Entrepreneurship Podcast

By: Kelsey Reidl | Business & Marketing Coach
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 Rain or Shine isn't just a cute motto you slap on a coffee mug. This is your new operating system. Rain or Shine has been my personal guiding phrase for over a decade, and it acknowledges that there are going to be rainy days.. For all of us, in all seasons. So instead of wallowing in them, why not plant some seeds. Splash in puddles. Know that the sunshine is on its way. Rain or shine also means, lacing up for that 6am run you promised yourself, even when it's pouring and your bed feels like a warm hug. It's hitting publish on that podcast episode, blog post, or business idea even when your inner critic is screaming "it's not perfect yet!" It’s about recalibrating our minds to see that the rainy days are part of life, they are a necessary balance to the sunny days, and to fear them or try to avoid them is just blindness to how the world works. If there’s one quick secret I can share with you before we begin, it’s that consistency beats perfection every …single… time. And the entrepreneurs who WIN aren't the ones who only show up when they feel like it — they're the ones who build the muscle of showing up, even on rainy days.Copyright 2025 Rain or Shine | Marketing & Entrepreneurship Podcast Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 387 From Accountant to Seven-Figure Exit: Building Systems, Scaling Smart, and Starting Over with Staci Millard

    387 From Accountant to Seven-Figure Exit: Building Systems, Scaling Smart, and Starting Over with Staci Millard
    Dec 22 2025
    Quick SummaryStaci Millard shares her journey from burned-out accountant to seven-figure business exit and back to entrepreneurship with Thrive Accounting. This conversation dives deep into the realities of scaling a service business, the identity shifts required to become a true entrepreneur, and why community and human connection are more critical than ever in our AI-saturated world.In This Episode• The pivotal hospital room moment that changed Staci's entire business philosophy • How to remove yourself from your business without losing quality or control • The real difference between being a service provider and being an entrepreneur • Why Staci sold her successful firm for seven figures and what happened during her year "off" • Building Thrive Accounting: Creating a values-aligned business the second time around • Balancing personal brand building with actual business growth • The referral strategy that brings in multiple clients from single sources • Why the future of marketing is community, not algorithms • The biggest money mistake entrepreneurs make (hint: it's about gross margin) • How to talk about money openly without it being weird or salesyKey TakeawaysRemove yourself early: Building systems that allow your business to operate without you isn't just about scaling—it's about creating a sellable asset and protecting your mental health.Service provider vs. entrepreneur: There's a massive identity gap between "I do great work" and "I build businesses that do great work." Recognizing this shift is crucial for growth.Do what you say you'll do: The foundation of referrals isn't asking for them—it's consistently delivering on promises and overdelivering when possible.Lead with value: Whether it's coffee chats, networking events, or social media, always ask "how can I provide value?" rather than "what can I get?"Community over content: In an AI-generated world, genuine human connection and community are becoming the most powerful differentiators in business.Memorable Quotes"I've never been as depressed as I was in that year off. I thought it was gonna be freedom and it was not at all because I no longer had a way of using my gifts and contributing." — Staci on discovering that contribution is core to her identity"Your personal brand really has to coincide with what you're doing and be more about sharing what you're building than simply being about building you. It's gotta be about a business." — Staci on integrated personal branding"We cannot do business if we're not talking to people. Period. End of story." — Kelsey on the non-negotiable need for human connectionResources Mentioned• Book: Making Money is Killing Your Business • Book: 10x is Easier than 2x by Dan Sullivan• Book: The Almanac of Naval Ravikant • Vanessa Van Edwards - Body language and networking expert • Carly Ottaway / Web Awards - "Document, don't create" philosophy • Small Business School Podcast (Staci podcast) - Episode on gross margin and pillars of profitAbout the GuestStaci Millard is a CPA, entrepreneur, and the founder of Thrive Accounting, a firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs experience more joy and freedom in business through strategic financial guidance. After successfully scaling and selling her first accounting firm for seven figures, Staci returned to entrepreneurship to build a values-aligned business focused exclusively on serving fellow business owners. She hosts the Small Business School podcast and is passionate about community, financial transparency, and helping entrepreneurs understand the real numbers that drive business success.Connect with StaciInstagram: @stacimillardPodcast: Small Business School https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-small-business-school-podcast/id1695210366Business: Thrive Accounting https://thriveaccounting.co/Thanks for tuning into this episode. All links, events & offers can be found below.Episode show notes can be found on my website |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/podcastThe WAVE™ Mastermind: where Canadian female entrepreneurs scale from 0-10k / months and 10-50k / months. Learn more about our group + explore upcoming events |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/mastermindWork with me 1:1 as your Marketing Consultant |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/visionary-marketing-coachingRank on Page # 1 of Google with Everyday SEO™ |https://kelseyreidl.lpages.co/seo/ Subscribe to our Email Newsletter |www.kelseyreidl.com/dose
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • 386 How to Know If You Have a Business Opportunity (Not Just an Idea)

    386 How to Know If You Have a Business Opportunity (Not Just an Idea)
    Dec 15 2025
    What does it take to leave a comfortable corporate career and build a food brand from scratch? Adam D'Eramo, co-founder of Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, made the leap from PepsiCo to entrepreneurship over a single lunch conversation with two friends—and hasn't looked back in 12 years.In this episode, Adam shares the unfiltered reality of building a consumer brand: from testing their first product in a college convenience store to watching 75% of their customers disappear overnight during COVID. He breaks down the critical difference between having an idea and having a viable business opportunity, reveals how a persistent team member saved the company by pushing for e-commerce (when the founders resisted), and explains why resilience isn't just helpful for entrepreneurs—it's a prerequisite for survival.This conversation is for anyone wrestling with the "golden handcuffs" of a stable career, wondering if their side hustle could become a real business, or looking for honest insight into what it actually takes to stay alive as an entrepreneur when everything falls apart.In This EpisodeThe pivotal lunch conversation that sparked Awake Chocolate's foundingWhy "golden handcuffs" kept Adam at the breaking point—and how he broke freeThe crucial difference between having an idea and having a business opportunityHow a college convenience store test proved Awake had product-market fitSurviving COVID: Losing 75% of customers in one week and the fight to stay aliveThe team member who persistently pushed for e-commerce (and saved the company)Building a culture where ideas are welcomed and continuous improvement is the standardWhy resilience is the most unglamorized secret of entrepreneurial successKey TakeawaysStart before you're ready: If you're waiting for the perfect moment to leave corporate, allocate time on the side to test your idea. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.Ideas vs. opportunities: An idea becomes a business opportunity when people will pay for it AND you can turn a profit. Market test early and often.Use digital research tools: Concept testing through apps costs just a few hundred dollars and provides feedback in under 24 hours. Awake uses this multiple times per year.Break big problems into small ones: During COVID, Adam and his team focused on solving the problem right in front of them—this week, this month, this quarter—rather than being overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge.Listen to your team: The marketing manager who persistently advocated for Amazon and e-commerce ultimately helped save the business during the pandemic when all physical locations closed.Memorable Quotes"I think the hardest regret for me to carry for the rest of my life would be if I didn't try this. A regret of inaction.""There's no substitute for executing an actual market test. When we found out we were selling 20 bars in a week, it was euphoric.""Are you a quitter? Quitters are losers. If no, then it doesn't look good today, but you've gotta find a way to solve this problem.""I haven't heard a single story that was all sunshine and rainbows. Everybody's had adversity. Resilience isn't just a nice attribute for an entrepreneur, it's a prerequisite.""The biggest strength of our partnership is that we know what we don't know. It's liberating to go find people who have that knowledge and capability."About the GuestAdam D'Eramo is the co-founder of Awake Caffeinated Chocolate, a functional snack brand that launched in 2012. After leaving PepsiCo with his co-founders Matt and Dan, Adam has spent over 12 years building Awake from a campus-exclusive product to a nationally distributed brand available in major retailers across Canada including Costco, Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws, and more. Adam is passionate about entrepreneurship, continuous improvement, and building teams with an entrepreneurial mindset.ConnectAwake Chocolate Website: AwakeChocolate.caInstagram: @AwakeChocolateLinkedIn: Adam D'EramoThanks for tuning into this episode. All links, events & offers can be found below.Episode show notes can be found on my website |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/podcastThe WAVE™ Mastermind: where Canadian female entrepreneurs scale from 0-10k / months and 10-50k / months. Learn more about our group + explore upcoming events |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/mastermindWork with me 1:1 as your Marketing Consultant |https://www.kelseyreidl.com/visionary-marketing-coachingRank on Page # 1 of Google with Everyday SEO™ |https://kelseyreidl.lpages.co/seo/ Subscribe to our Email Newsletter |www.kelseyreidl.com/dose
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    44 mins
  • 385 Building a Mental Performance Business: From Self-Doubt to Success with Cait Leavitt of Mind With Matter

    385 Building a Mental Performance Business: From Self-Doubt to Success with Cait Leavitt of Mind With Matter
    Dec 7 2025

    Quick Summary

    Cait, founder of Mind With Matter, shares her journey from working in Australia to returning to Canada to launch her mental performance and sports psychology business. In this honest conversation, she opens up about overcoming self-doubt, the importance of community, navigating challenging days as an entrepreneur, and why "mind with matter" beats "mind over matter" every time.

    In This Episode

    • Why Cait decided to leave full-time employment to start her own business
    • The pivotal advice that changed her perspective: "The job you want might not exist yet"
    • How she landed a contract with Canada Games (after thinking she'd "never get it")
    • The difference between knowing your values and actually connecting with them
    • Practical strategies for working through tough business days
    • How to discern between fatigue and fear when motivation is low
    • Building community in a new city as an adult entrepreneur
    • Why curiosity and joy are essential tools for getting unstuck

    Key Takeaways

    • Trust the alignment: Instead of forcing outcomes, Cait operates from a place of abundance, trusting that what's meant to work out will work out—and that saying no to misaligned opportunities creates space for the right ones.
    • Community is non-negotiable: From practitioner meetups to supervisor check-ins to honest conversations with friends, Cait credits her support network as essential to her success and mental health as an entrepreneur.
    • "Good enough" is enough: On challenging days, Cait chunks down her tasks and asks, "What do I need to do to be good enough today?" This mindset shift removes the pressure to be extraordinary every single day.
    • Actions precede feelings: Whether building community or starting a business, waiting for motivation or perfect conditions means waiting forever. Taking action creates the feelings you're seeking.
    • Fatigue vs. fear: Learning to distinguish between genuine exhaustion and fear-based resistance is crucial. Cait test: Try working for 10 minutes. If momentum doesn't build, your body genuinely needs rest.

    Memorable Quotes

    "If I didn't try to execute some of these ideas, the pain of regret would be a lot worse than the pain of potentially failing at them."

    "There's a very big difference between knowing your value and connecting with your values."

    "Every car needs coolant. The more I try and push myself to be amazing on this shitty day, the harder it's going to be for me to show up tomorrow."

    Resources Mentioned

    Mind With Matter (Cait's business specializing in mental performance and concussion support)

    Canada Games (where Cait served as mental performance consultant for Team BC)

    Squamish, BC (Cait's current home base and community hub)

    About the Guest

    Cait Leavitt is a sports psychologist and mental performance consultant who specializes in concussion recovery support. After gaining experience working in Australia and with various athletes and teams, she founded Mind With Matter—a practice rooted in the philosophy of working with what is, rather than pushing through at all costs.

    She currently serves clients from Squamish, BC, where she balances her work with her love of mountain biking and cycling.

    Connect

    Website: https://www.mindwithmatter.ca/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitleavitt/

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    41 mins
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