Curiosity may have killed the cats, but it SAVED both of our lives 🤣

Within the last year, Shay & I both had a near death experience. Which is WILD because wtf do you mean we LITERALLY both almost died around the same time????? (We always joke that we’re walking parallel paths bc the lessons we learn are always so closely related, it’s freaky.)

We’ve been sitting on these stories for most of the season, waiting until we were ready (and processed enough lol) to actually talk about them. And what came out of it wasn’t what either of us expected. Less “life is short, quit your job” and more “oh shit, I really need to trust my gut, ask for help, and stop acting like I’m a superhero.”

Quick heads up: we get into some intense medical stuff, including pregnancy loss, so listen at your own discretion.

We hope you enjoy the episode 🥳

Included in this episode:

➡️ The tiny breadcrumbs that ended up saving Mariah’s life

➡️ Why you have to advocate for yourself, even when you’re not the expert

➡️ What a grilled cheese taught Mariah about trusting her body

➡️ The hospital bill that blew our minds (and what it taught Shay about fear)

➡️ Holding the “both/and” of really hard experiences

➡️ Why it’s so hard for the helpers to accept help (and actually rest)

➡️ What would you do if you weren’t scared?

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e19

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

When you start diving into the world of spirituality, sometimes it can suddenly feel like you need to wear all white, meditate at 5am, and own 800 crystals to be doing it “right.” How do we know? Shay & I have been there too lolol

Which is why when we met Victoria, we KNEW we had to have her on the podcast.

We met her in person at a business conference and were both instantly impressed by how naturally she blends her spirituality with just being a REAL, grounded ass human. And if you’ve ever felt like you’ve outgrown an old version of yourself, her whole “every identity has an expiration date” philosophy is about to feel like a big exhale.

If the words “divine feminine” make you roll your eyes a lil’ stick around. Victoria reframes it in a way that feels WAY more empowering than pink nails & flowy dresses. Plus we get into rage, play, and why you don’t have to stay in your healing era forever…

Enjoy the episode! 😊

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ Victoria’s journey from corporate girly to starting a mystery school
➡️ Why everyone “drinks the Kool-Aid” at the start of their spiritual journey
➡️ What if play is actually the path to your purpose?
➡️ Why being witnessed by other women is so healing
➡️ Cycle syncing made simple: rest, plan, do, receive
➡️ What to actually do with your rage
➡️ Midlife awakening vs. midlife crisis
➡️ Why femininity includes standing up for yourself
➡️ Balancing feminine flow with masculine structure

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Work with Victoria 1:1 - https://www.victoriamargaux.com/threshold
>> Monarch Mystery School: https://www.monarchmysteryschool.com/
>> Flip the Script with Vic (Podcast): https://www.victoriamargaux.com/podcast
>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Victoria Nielsen is a TEDx Speaker, energy healer, and guide for women at the threshold of who they’re becoming. She works with women who have built lives that look good on paper but can feel, deep down, that something more is asking to be lived. Through embodiment, intuition, ritual, ancient wisdom, and unapologetic truth-telling, Victoria helps women stop outsourcing their knowing and start building authentic lives.

Website: https://www.victoriamargaux.com/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/victoriamargauxnielsen
Instagram (Business): https://www.instagram.com/monarchmysteryschool

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e18

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

Feel like you’re doing ALL the hard things every single day, but STILL can’t seem to bounce back when life gets stressful? Turns out, there might be a simpler fix than you think.

Josh is a career firefighter, a Marine Corps vet, and the founder of Breath & Exposure. He literally showed up to record this podcast episode after a night of back-to-back calls and zero sleep, and he was the calmest person in the room lolol. His take? Your breath is a manual transmission for your nervous system. Annnnnd most of us have never been taught how to drive it.

If you’ve ever said “I’m just not a cold person” (bc SAME), get ready. Josh makes breathwork & cold plunges feel way less intimidating and WAY more doable than you’d think.

Enjoy the episode! 😊

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ Josh’s journey from Marine to firefighter to breath coach
➡️ Why the breath is the anchor of everything (and the lowest hanging fruit)
➡️ Upregulating vs. downregulating & why you need both
➡️ How the ice bath acts as a mirror for your nervous system
➡️ Doing hard things vs. living the soft life
➡️ CO2 tolerance & why it affects way more than you’d think
➡️ Regulating instead of reacting
➡️ The ripple effect of doing your own work

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Josh Hildebrand is the founder of Breath & Exposure, a Marine Corps combat veteran, and a St. Louis City firefighter. After years of struggling with PTSD, depression, and sleep issues, Josh discovered the transformative effects of cold exposure and breathwork. Inspired by his own healing journey, he earned multiple coaching certifications and founded Breath & Exposure to help others improve their mental and physical well-being through mindfulness, breathwork, and cold therapy. Josh lives in St. Louis with his family and credits these practices with making him a better husband, father, firefighter, and coach.

Website: https://www.breathandexposurestl.com/
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/coach_josh_hildebrand/
Instagram (Business): https://www.instagram.com/breathandexposurestl/

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e17

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

Shay here! And this time I get to flip the mic on Mariah.

I’ve watched her take her YouTube channel from tiny to almost 26K subscribers, and TBH I’ve been dying to pick her brain about it since I’m just starting my own channel (and have a few videos I’m still too nervous to post lol).

What surprised me most? Mariah never went viral or built some massive channel. She just kept answering people’s questions with tutorials, and somehow that turned into over half her revenue, long-term brand partnerships with Semrush & Adobe, and a steady stream of clients & email subscribers.

So if you’ve been curious about YouTube but figured you’d need 100K subscribers and a fancy camera for it to be worth it, this one’s for you.

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ How Mariah got her first 1,000 subscribers (and how long it REALLY took)
➡️ Why AdSense is the smallest part of what YouTube actually pays her
➡️ How big brands ignored her pitches, but the “right ones” came knockin’ a year later
➡️ Coming up with video ideas, without burning out
➡️ Creating your own schedule that works for YOU
➡️ The “outdated” YouTube SEO tactic that still works, well
➡️ How to approach titles, thumbnails, and descriptions
➡️ Why a fancier camera might actually tank your views
➡️ The 2-hour experiment to try before you commit to starting a channel

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> The ‘How I got 25k YouTube subscribers...’ newsletter
>> Free download: YouTube SEO Checklist
>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Hiya, I’m Mariah — SEO Consultant, Educator & YouTube Creator. I'm a firm believer that showing up in search engines and organically marketing your business doesn’t have to be as difficult & overwhelming as everyone makes it. Since 2015, I've guided thousands of clients and students to achieve page-one search results through actionable and practical strategies, ultimately inspiring them to take SEO & AI search visibility into their own hands.

Website: https://www.mariahmagazine.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mariahmagazine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahmagazine/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahmagazineco/

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e16

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

Feel like you’ve ALREADY tried all the breathwork sessions, the cold plunges, and the shaking it out, but STILL feel wound up, out of whack or depleted? This episode is for you.

Kim's perspective on the nervous system is SO different from what's floating around online right now. She spent 13 years as a doctor of physical therapy, so she knows the body, but she's also not here to hand you another “hack”. Her take? Your body isn't broken, it's accurate. Annnnnd it's been telling you the truth this whole time.

If you're one of the "smart girls" or "ambitious girls" who's really good at pushing through, get ready. The resilience vs. self-abandonment part of this convo had Shay & I practically in church lol.

Enjoy the episode! 😊

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ Kim's journey from physical therapist to somatic coach
➡️ Why a regulated nervous system doesn't mean feeling calm all the time
➡️ How nervous system regulation got flattened into a "hack"
➡️ Do you need a tool right now, or do you need to change your life?
➡️ Regulating inputs vs. regulating techniques
➡️ What "listen to your body" actually means
➡️ Ambition vs. the hustle or soft life binary
➡️ The difference between resilience & self-abandonment ("I can, but should I?")

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Kim’s $150 Threshold Mapping Day Offer
>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Kim Kimball is a certified somatic coach who helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent women navigate identity transitions-matrescence, midlife, career dissolution, faith deconstruction, and the quiet unraveling that comes with them-so they can stop abandoning themselves and reclaim a life and business that actually fits them.

Using a somatic approach, she coaches women to work with the body as the primary source of truth, listening to it instead of managing or bypassing it, so change can move through them rather than staying one more thing to think their way past.

Kim's work draws on somatics, nervous system tools, and parts work to help women integrate the fragmented parts of themselves: the part that performs and the part that's exhausted, the part that people-pleases and the part that refuses, into something whole.

Website: https://www.kimkimballcoaching.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimkimballcoaching‍ ‍
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimkimballcoaching
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kimkimballcoaching

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e15

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

If you've ever wanted to start making money online but got stuck the second it started feeling complicated, this episode was MADE FOR YOU!

Marie Domon's whole path into this online space started with a random real estate listing gig and a price she basically pulled out of thin air. From there it turned into a local freelance conference that ran for 5 years, a coworking space, and now a totally new pivot she didn't see coming.

So, whether you're thinking about freelancing on the side or going all in, this episode covers the stuff nobody actually tells you: how to find clients without a fancy strategy, why networking still works better than the algorithm, and how to stop overthinking your niche before you even start…

Enjoy the episode!

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ Marie's accidental start in freelancing (and the random opportunity that kicked it off)
➡️ What even IS freelancing, and how is it different then being a “business owner”?
➡️ Saying yes to big opportunities in your messiest chapters
➡️ Why old-school networking still beats chasing the algorithm
➡️ "Choosing your hard" and what that actually means day to day
➡️ Why freelancing might be the most stable job there is
➡️ How to stop overcomplicating your niche when you're just starting out
➡️ Making space (and why closing 1 door opens another)
➡️ Marie's new pivot after 13 years: keeping craft alive with High Spec Club

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Freelancing Females Group (Use code MARIE for 15% off!)
>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Marie Rachelle Domon lives at the intersection of creative strategy, intentional living, and systems building. A natural connector and problem solver, Marie built Western New York's first coworking space and led regional advocacy for independent professionals. Today, she serves as a fractional leader for growing brands in the luxury estate lifestyle industry.

Website: https://www.convergencecoworking.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/marierachelle_
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/mariedomon‍

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e14

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

THIS EPISODE IS A SPECIAL ONEEEEEE!

Mariah here! And I get to interview my own co-host, Shay, about something she’s an absolute genius in and we almost never talk about here.

Shay traditionally does high ticket sales consulting, BUT she's found herself in this whole unique arena of sales that basically never gets talked about in the online business space, and her story is SO different from anything we've covered on this podcast before.

So here’s the tea…

Shay replaced her full-time income by selling other people's trash. So in this episode, we’re diving in deep, exploring wtf all of this means, how she got started, and how YOU can start making extra money online too!

It’s a fun one, I promise.

Enjoy the episode! 😊

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ Shay’s story about how a tennis racket in high school started everything

➡️ Why "selling trash" felt embarrassing before it felt empowering

➡️ Finding the “gaps” in the reselling market

➡️ The different ways to make a business like this, work for YOU

➡️ Why an empty cardboard box sold for $1,200 (and other unhinged flips)

➡️ How SEO keywords works on eBay, Etsy, and even AI search

➡️ Cross-listing and how it tripled Shay's sales

➡️ Building a niche around whatever you're already curious about (yes, even old stuffed animals)

➡️ Where to actually start if you just need some extra cash this month

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Shay is an entrepreneur, sales strategist, and lifelong reseller who has been selling things online since she was a teenager. After years working across e-commerce, branding, and high-ticket sales, she returned to reselling and built it into a full-time income—without turning it into a full-time workload.

Together with her husband, Bobby, she runs The Smarter Reseller, where they focus on higher-value, higher-margin flips and a “work smarter, not harder” approach to the secondhand market. Rather than spending 40 hours a week digging through thrift stores or listing hundreds of low-dollar items, they use research, SEO, e-commerce strategy, and a lot of curiosity to uncover overlooked value in everything from vintage fashion and collectibles to discontinued products, old cardboard boxes, and even vintage diapers.

Their philosophy is simple: the more you know, the more you make. Through The Smarter Reseller, Shay and Bobby are sharing what they’ve learned about spotting value, finding profitable flips, and building a reselling business that supports the life you want to live—not the other way around.

eBay Store:
YouTube:
Instagram:
TikTok:

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e13

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco

There's a version of Leslie's origin story that sounds made up: managing a male review show at a casino leads, somehow, to talent development work for Disney????

But that's kinda the WHOLE point. She didn't take the job because it made sense on paper. She took it because it was in front of her, and she said yes.

This episode is us sitting down with Leslie Jespersen, the brains behind the conference that inspired our last solo episode, to unpack how a career built on saying yes to weird, unqualified, "wait, why would I do that" opportunities turned into an actual expertise: helping entrepreneurs show up as the talent they already are.

We get into what talent development actually means for people who'd rather stay behind a screen, why treating yourself like "the talent" changes how you show up on stage (and everywhere else), and the messy, non-linear path that got her here.

If you've ever second-guessed an opportunity because it didn't fit the plan, this one's for you. Leslie's story is proof that the plan was never really the point.

Enjoy the episode! 😊

In this episode, we explore:

➡️ How managing a male review show led into talent development for Disney & ABC
➡️ The real difference between "speaker coaching" and treating yourself as the talent
➡️ Why Leslie lost money on her own conference (and did it anyway)
➡️ The "know thyself" work that has to happen before anyone else sees you differently
➡️ What entrepreneurs get wrong that comedians and musicians get right
➡️ Why your friends & family may never "get" your business (and how to stop needing them to)
➡️ How showing up as yourself becomes the fastest way to build trust in a noisy, AI-saturated space
➡️ Leslie's advice for saying yes before you feel ready

Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Free Masterclass; Becoming Household Name Material
>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

About the Guest:

Leslie Jespersen is an award-winning keynote speaker, media personality, event producer, and talent developer for entrepreneurs. With a background spanning acting, modeling, television, live production, media, and celebrity talent, she now trains and positions entrepreneurs to become their own version of famous, so people know who they are, what their magic is, and why they should be the one getting the speaking gigs, podcasts, TV, press, and bigger opportunities.

She is the founder of The Everyday Celebrity Event Series & Magazine, BFD TV Network, and is publishing her first book, The Everyday Celebrity, this fall.

Website: https://lesliejespersen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliejespersen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaycelebrity_

Thank you to this season’s sponsor; Adobe Acrobat.

Want an easy place to get access to this seasons information, resources, guests, and more? Check out Curiously Guided’s Season 6 PDF Space: https://go.curiouslyguided.com/s6e12

Play around, chat with AI Assistant, and get everything you need at your fingertips.

Additional Links & Resources Mentioned:

>> Buy us a coffee/support the podcast

Learn more about Curiously Guided:

Curiously Guided, the podcast for intentional business owners & curious minds. Where the outer work meets the inner work, so we can create a life, business, and career that feels deeply fulfilling & wildly aligned.

✨ Website: Curiouslyguided.com
✨ Instagram: Instagram.com/curiouslyguided

Connect with The hosts’ Shay + Mariah:

👉 Shay: saleswithshay.com | @saleswithshay

👉 Mariah: mariahmagazine.com | @mariahmagazineco