In this episode, Sarah Johnston interviews Dara Erck, the founder of Sam and Leo, a company creating clean teen products with a focus on mental health.

What do we chat about?

Dara's previous career in global health
Transition to entrepreneurship during the pandemic
Identifying a gap in the market for clean teen products.

The Incredible Suite of Products at Sam and Leo
Focus on clean, teen-friendly vitamins and supplements
Addressing mental health needs
Product line includes energy, sleep, immunity, and eye health gummies.
Challenges of educating consumers about a new product category.

Dara’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Challenges of creating a new product category
Navigating manufacturing and distribution.

The Mental Health Focus of the Business
Importance of supporting rather than "fixing" mental health issues
Incorporating mental health awareness into product mission.
Importance of school environment and movement for mental well-being

Business Insights from Launching Sam and Leo
Unique challenges of the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry
Importance of community and collaboration in entrepreneurship.

The Future Vision for Sam and Leo
Expanding product line to include more mental health support
Building a platform for parent and teen education.

Join us for a fun conversation about business, motherhood, and being an entrepreneur!

Visit the Sam and Leo Website HERE
Find Dara and Sam and Leo on Instagram HERE

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

In this solo episode, Sarah discusses her journey as a business owner, reflecting on her first year of entrepreneurship and the recent evolution of her brand and services.

What do we chat about?

The transition from corporate to entrepreneurship. Leaving 12+ years in a corporate career in media marketing and advertising.
Starting the Business. Leveraging a business as a health coach and spurring that into part time operational and marketing work.
The business evolution. Rebranding from Sarah Johnston Wellness to Sarah Johnston LLC. Shifting focus from wellness coaching to broader consulting approaches.
New service offerings. Chatting about individual consulting for personal development and self improvement. Chatting about business consulting in data, marketing, media analytics and operations. Discussing the NEW group program (!!!).
Business challenges and learnings. Sarah reflects on the "building the plane while flying it" feelings. Discussing all of the hiccups and "failures" that required resilience and adaptability.
The rebranding rationale. Why moving away from the word "wellness" made sense, How scaling out this evolution aims for a more holistic approach to success.

The future looks bright as Sarah embraces change.

To quote SJ: "I have never learned more in a job in such a short time, not only about the business world and the industry, but about myself and my ability to persevere."

Visit the new website! www.sarah-johnston.com

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Kayla Crane from South Denver Therapy, a licensed marriage and family therapist. Kayla shares her expertise on couples therapy, trauma healing, and effective communication strategies for healthier relationships.

What do we chat about?

• Kayla's background and specialties as a licensed marriage and family therapist, her work with couples therapy and trauma, and some of her work in EDMR.
• Common relationship dynanics such as the pursuer-distancer cycle and how childhood experiences influence adult relationships.\
• Effective communication strategies, the importance of "timeouts" and leaning into vulnerability.
• Navigating differences in emotional expression.
• Rebuilding connection after having children.
• Trauma-informed couples therapy and the benefits of processing trauma as a couple.

To learn more about Kayla Crane's services, including couples coaching intensives and trauma-informed therapy, visit her website and social media pages.

WEBSITE HERE
INSTAGRAM HERE

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

In this solo episode, Sarah dives deep into the topic of being "one and done" – and her family’s decision to have only one child. With a mix of personal experience, societal observations, and a dash of humor, Sarah unpacks the complexities of family planning in the face of infertility, societal pressure on what a “normal” family looks like, and personal convictions.

What do we chat about?

Coming from a large family but being at peace with the idea of having just one child.

The brutal journey to parenthood, struggling with infertility and IVF, and what it took to get the one.

Reasons for being "one and done". Emotional and physical toll of infertility treatments and pregnancy. Financial considerations (IVF is expensive, y'all!). Feeling complete with their current family dynamic.

Addressing common criticisms and questions about only children.

The pressure to have more children and how she responds.

What else?

Sarah's vivid description of the "romantic" process of trying to conceive: Nothing says "sexy time" like peeing on sticks and trying not to pee on your hands.

The classic "my dog walker's hairdresser's second cousin's best friend's sister got pregnant no problem after IVF" advice. Because clearly, that's a statistically significant sample size.

Join us for the convo!

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

Two CHATTY KATHY's are in the tent with this exciting episode with Liz Lehman of Nourished Families.

What do we talk about? Well....A LOT. As Liz says, "human-ing is HARD". The tent has to agree.

• What is a postpartum doula and how they support new families.
• The challenges of the "fourth trimester" and early parenthood.
• Letting go of perfectionism in parenting and life.
• The importance of self-care and maintaining identity as a parent.
• Honest communication with children about difficult life events.
• Embracing change and evolution throughout different life stages.
• Trusting your intuition as a parent.
• The value of simple acts of kindness and connection.

As Liz's dad noted to her, "The son of a bitch of it all is... life just keeps on going".

What will you take away from this conversation?

• How postpartum doulas provide full family support, not just baby care.
• That it's okay to not love every moment of parenting - it's normal to struggle.
• Why maintaining your identity outside of parenthood is crucial.
• That there is no one "right" way to parent - trust your instincts.
• Why small gestures of kindness can have a big impact. WE AGREE LIZ, WE AGREE!

Find Liz at her website HERE or on the interwebs HERE.

Thanks for tuning in to The Welcome to my Tent Podcast!

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

Welcome back Tenties! This week, Sarah Johnston welcomes the fabulous Claire Ayoub, a filmmaker who's turning Hollywood's beauty standards on their heads. Claire's here to dish about her upcoming movie "Empire Waist" - think "Mean Girls" meets "Project Runway," but with way more body diversity and zero Regina Georges.

What you'll will hear about (Besides the Fact That BMI is BS):

• How Claire went from angsty teen playwright to body-positive film maker.
• How her work on “Gyno Kid” is a comical ode to her gynecologist parents.
• The wild ride of making "Empire Waist” and how it got to where it is today.
• Why seeing diverse bodies on screen is more important than your daily green juice.
• How to make a movie about body image without triggering half your audience.
• The time Claire's mom accidentally revolutionized sex ed (go Claire’s mom!).

To quote our new life coach, Claire: "If the diet industry worked, it would have put itself out of business."

Things that will make you LOL:

• Claire's brief, ill-fated acting career (turns out being typecast as "fat friend #3" isn't super fun).
• The saga of Claire's childhood Xanga blog (pray it never resurfaces).
• Sarah's brief dream of becoming a Rockette (spoiler: being 5'4" is not ideal).

What is next for Claire!?

• "Empire Waist" hits theaters Fall 2024!!
• An educational curriculum that might actually make health class bearable.

Follow Empirewaistfilm and Claire on Instagram for behind-the-scenes peeks, body-positive pep talks, and the occasional fashion emergency. And hey, while you're at it, maybe give your body a high-five

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

In this solo episode, Sarah gets introspective as she approaches her 35th birthday, sharing thoughts on aging, personal growth, and life lessons learned. With being mid-30's, she chats:

• The gift of getting older: Appreciating each year after losing Pop when he was only 72.
• The joy of learning from others: Embracing the fact that you can't know everything.
• Leaning into authenticity: Shedding the people-pleaser persona and embracing her true self.
• The time vs. space conundrum: Why having time doesn't always mean you have the capacity.
• Taking care of your body for the long haul and musings on some of the misuse of her body in prior years (RIP knees).
• Aging gracefully: Embracing changes and resisting societal pressure to look 25 forever.
• The art of not responding: Learning that not everything requires a reaction or is "that deep."

We also chat:

• Sarah's near-miss as a 4th of July baby (Mom tried, but Sarah was too cozy in there. SRY MOM).
• A brief ode to being a 90s kid and watching "weird shit on TV."
• Why bodies are not meant to be static. The only static Sarah has is static cling on her clothes.
• A candid chat about Botox and the internal debate of "Why am I doing this?"

Not everything is a fire drill, especially how the silverware is put away. Save your energy for the stuff that really matters! Like listening to this episode!

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski

In this episode, Sarah Johnston welcomes Andrea Johnson, a leadership coach, speaker, and host of the "Stand Tall and Own It" podcast. Andrea shares her authentic journey from growing up as a missionary kid in Korea to becoming a leadership expert and coach. They discuss the importance of understanding your core values, setting boundaries, and living authentically.

Key Topics:

• Andrea's unique upbringing in Korea and its impact on her life
• Overcoming challenges with food, body image, and eventual gastric bypass surgery
• The journey to motherhood through adoption
• Discovering and honoring your core values, which has become a pivotal part of her coaching and leadership business
• Balancing career and motherhood
• The importance of setting boundaries
• How understanding yourself leads to better leadership

Resources Mentioned:

• Andrea's Core Values Exercise: [link to be added]
• Stand Tall and Own It Podcast
• John Maxwell Leadership Training

Where to Find Andrea:

• Website: theintentionaloptimist.com
• Instagram: @theintentionaloptimist
• LinkedIn: Andrea Johnson
• Podcast: Stand Tall and Own It

You can take Andrea's free Core Values Exercise via her website.

Thanks for listening! To follow along, please find me on instagram HERE, my personal website HERE, or my TikTik HERE.

Music for "Welcome to my Tent" by Rick Sniegowski
Graphics for "Welcome to my Tent" by Sam Sniegowski