Jessica Freeburg turned childhood experiences seeing ghosts into a thriving author platform with nearly 20 years of writing experience and 14 published books exploring paranormal legends, ghost stories, and dark history. As co-host of Darkness Radio and a certified mindfulness coach, Jessica shares how she built her business by writing what she knows, embracing the creepy and unexplained stories most people avoid. In this episode, she reveals her strategy for producing 3–4 narrative nonfiction books per year with co-writer Natalie Fowler by transforming real newspaper reports of paranormal encounters into compelling short stories using Google Docs and color-coded spreadsheets. Jessica also discusses how she built an audience before her first book deal by starting a ghost hunting group of creative professionals, the haunted family heirloom that caused unexplainable activity in her home, and how her creative retreats blend mindfulness, art, writing, and ghost hunts to help people tap into their most human trait: creativity. If you've ever felt your weirdest experiences or deepest passions couldn't become a business, this episode proves that building a platform around what makes you different can lead to a fulfilling and profitable career.

Bill Gschwind lost a $2M equipment rental business in his 40s, then went to law school at 48. Now he runs Minnesota Construction Law Services, spending 50% of his day as a business consultant because he learned most legal problems are really communication failures. He shares "the gauntlet" every entrepreneur runs, why contractors build millions but keep pennies, and why entrepreneurship is the loneliest place in the world. His philosophy: "Keep them with inspiration after they come out of desperation." For contractors and entrepreneurs who need an advisor who's actually walked the walk.

Running a business often means becoming an accidental HR expert, and for many founders, that’s where overwhelm sets in. In this episode, Nicki Leritz, founder of People Solutions Hub, shares how her 20+ years in corporate HR led her to fractional consulting, and why small businesses often outgrow their people systems faster than they realize. We discuss when to seek HR support, the warning signs founders shouldn’t ignore, and how people-first HR can reduce risk and support sustainable growth.