Have you ever had someone believe in you before you fully believed in yourself?

For me, that person was my mentor, Susan.

I first discovered Susan on Clubhouse while I was building Social Curator and trying to figure out the world of SaaS. After months of listening to her advice, I finally worked up the courage to ask her a question—and what she shared helped me raise $555,000 in less than an hour.

But the money isn’t what changed my life. Her belief in me did.

In this episode, I’m sharing the business lessons Susan taught me about focusing on the plan instead of constantly reacting to problems, deciding what to keep, delegate, or let go, and why diluted focus creates diluted results.

And then? EXECUTE.

Because ideas and strategies are great, but they don’t change a business until we act on them.

This episode is also much more personal. I share what happened when Susan unexpectedly entered palliative care and the incredible gift of getting to tell her—in person—how profoundly her mentorship changed my life.

Friend, this episode is about business, but it’s also about something bigger: Tell people what they mean to you. Use what they taught you. And pass it forward.

Click play to hear the lessons from one of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had—and why I believe her impact doesn’t stop with me.

Click play to hear all of this and:

[00:00] Why having someone believe in you can completely change your trajectory

[00:56] How I accidentally found the mentor who would transform my business

[01:48] How one piece of Susan's advice helped me raise $555,000 in under an hour

[03:22] Why founders need to give themselves credit for what's already working

[05:20] How to stop reacting to problems and build around your 12-month plan

[06:29] How to decide what to keep, delegate, or completely let go

[07:14] Why execution matters more than another great idea or strategy

[32:05] Why I finally told my mentor exactly what her belief in me meant

Listen to Related Episodes:

• Strategies that Have Transformed My Business with (My Coach) Susan Sierota
• Eavesdrop on a Private Call with Me and My Business Mentor
• Business Questions Answered: Roundtable Discussion with Brilliant and Successful Women

📧 Join my Newsletter for a weekly cocktail of insider business strategy, personal reflections, and the journey of being a thought leader: https://jasminestar.com/newsletter 📧

For full show notes, visit jasminestar.com/podcast/episode656

Do you know someone who can just…figure it out?

Not enough money, time, information, or resources? Somehow, someway, they MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.

There’s a word for this quality: agency.

And after spending years around successful entrepreneurs, I’ve become convinced that self-agency is one of the most important qualities a business owner can develop.

Because business WILL business. A launch won’t go according to plan. Your website will crash. The algorithm will change. Someone will drop the ball.

The question isn’t whether something unexpected will happen. It’s: What will you do next?

In this episode, I’m breaking down three ways to strengthen your self-agency: ownership, action, and responsibility. I also share a personal story about Dr. Gabrielle Lyon that completely changed how I think about refusing to accept a dead end.

Because self-agency doesn’t mean believing you can control everything.

It means believing that no matter what happens, you can control your next move.

Press play to learn how to stop waiting, start moving, and become the entrepreneur who figures it out.

Click play to hear all of this and:

[00:00] Why “making it happen” might be the most valuable entrepreneurial trait you can develop

[00:52] How self-agency determines whether you wait for circumstances to change or create your next move

[01:56] Why successful business owners find another way when the original plan stops working

[02:52] How Dr. Gabrielle Lyon showed me what extraordinary agency looks like in real life

[05:46] How to assess your self-agency by examining ownership instead of blame

[06:51] Why taking action before you feel completely ready creates clarity

[07:54] How faster decision-making can strengthen your agency

[08:45] Why changing the questions you ask yourself changes what you believe is possible

Listen to Related Episodes:

• How to Create Sustainable Business Success by Prioritizing Your Health with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
• Building a Business (and Marriage) with Your Spouse: Behind the Scenes with my Husband, JD
• 5 Steps to Self-Trust That Change Everything

📧 Join my Newsletter for a weekly cocktail of insider business strategy, personal reflections, and the journey of being a thought leader: https://jasminestar.com/newsletter 📧

For full show notes, visit jasminestar.com/podcast/episode655

For most of my life, we did NOT talk about money. Like…at all.

So when I entered the online business world and heard entrepreneurs openly discussing revenue, investing, and financial goals? Your girl was SHOOK.

It took me years to realize something that completely changed my relationship with money: Money isn’t good or bad. Money is a tool.

In this conversation with financial feminist Tori Dunlap, we go beyond money to talk about entrepreneurship, fear of failure, and recognizing the skills you already have that could become a business.

We also dig into why a saturated market doesn’t mean there isn’t room for you. Because people don’t just buy the cake—they buy from the baker. They don’t just buy the photographs—they hire the photographer.

Your perspective, personality, experiences, and values are part of what makes your business different.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Who am I to do this?” or “What if I fail?” this conversation is for you.

Talk about the money. Ask the question. Share what you know. Start the business.

Friend, there’s room for you.

Click play to hear all of this and:

[00:00] Why talking about money can feel taboo—and how normalizing the conversation changes everything

[01:46] How seeing money as a tool instead of a savior can transform the relationship with wealth

[03:25] Why risking failure can be better than living with regret

[04:30] How to recognize skills that could already be generating income

[05:26] Why a saturated market doesn’t mean there isn’t room for another business

[07:01] How human connection influences buying decisions and builds trust

[07:56] How to show up even when there’s fear of judgment

[08:09] Why building something meaningful is worth the risk of other people’s opinions

Listen to Related Episodes:

• How Women Reclaim Power Through Money with Financial Feminist, Tori Dunlap
• 3 Money Beliefs That Made Me Millions
• The Top 5 Things Successful Women Do Differently

📧 Join my Newsletter for a weekly cocktail of insider business strategy, personal reflections, and the journey of being a thought leader: https://jasminestar.com/newsletter 📧

For full show notes, visit jasminestar.com/podcast/episode654