This week, Nichole and Michelle Puccinelli dive into the intricacies of brand management, operations, and hiring for the digital age. Michelle, the fractional VP of Team Johnson, shares her journey from a high school history teacher to running operations for multiple brands including Instaclub Hub, Marketing Impact Academy, and more. Learn her strategies for hiring the best talent through platforms like Upwork, creating effective SOPs, and utilizing tools like Slack, Asana, and Notion to keep a ...
Sep 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 91
Courtney chats with Ampersand Studios stylist and producer, Bailee Huizenga. Join us as Bailee shares insights into her role at the studio, highlights the importance of authenticity in branding, and discusses pre-production processes for photo shoots. Learn how confidence and expressing individuality play crucial roles in both styling and branding. Bailee also touches on how to feel comfortable in front of the camera and the impact of showing up authentically can have on a business. Brand Person...
Aug 27, 2024•38 min•Ep. 90
In this episode, Nichole and Frannie dive into a comprehensive debrief of their recent launch of Brand Camp and the Easy Fun Brand Club. They discuss the intensity and excitement of their workload, their successful strategies, and candidly share statistics, including revenue generated and ad spend. They explain Brand Camp and their experiences transitioning their community-hosting platform to Mighty . Additionally, they reveal behind-the-scenes details about being featured on Nathan Barry’s podc...
Aug 20, 2024•54 min•Ep. 89
Nichole shares actionable tips on utilizing Instagram to boost sales for small businesses. She emphasizes the importance of taking imperfect action, having a clear strategy, maintaining consistent branding, optimizing the Instagram bio and call to action, utilizing all Instagram features, analyzing performance, and engaging genuinely with followers. With 80% to 100% of her business's success attributed to social media, Nichole highlights various strategies and insights to help small business own...
Aug 13, 2024•30 min•Ep. 88
Join Courtney, Director of Operations as she discusses the importance of operations in small businesses. Dive deep into her new service 'Operations Overhaul' which helps solopreneurs and CEOs streamline processes, set clear goals, and improve workflows. Learn how standard operating procedures, technology stacks, and effective delegation can revolutionize your business. Discover strategies that can enhance productivity and make your business more attractive to potential buyers. Interested in book...
Aug 06, 2024•26 min•Ep. 87
Nichole and Frannie are answering questions submitted on Instagram. They're sharing their favorite books and podcasts, insights on balancing business with motherhood, reminisce about their high-end retail store, and offering tips for networking and starting a marketing agency. Tune in for a fun and enlightening conversation that covers diverse topics from personal style to creating impactful content. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us ou...
Jul 30, 2024•50 min•Ep. 86
Joining Frannie this week is her friend and client, Lisa Roeser, CEO of 50 Flowers. The two discuss their serendipitous meeting and how their friendship has blossomed (pun intended). Liza shares her journey of founding 50 Flowers, an e-commerce platform delivering flowers directly from farms to customers. She speaks about the early challenges, the importance of respecting professional florists, and how her company collaborates within the floral industry. Frannie and Liza also chat about the use ...
Jul 23, 2024•59 min•Ep. 85
This week, Nichole shares compelling insights from 'Brag Better' by Meredith Fineman . She highlights the struggle many, especially women, face with promoting their accomplishments. Nichole shares the importance of reclaiming the term 'bragging' in a positive light. as well as shares how the book encourages readers to be loud, proud, and strategic about their achievements to serve themselves and others better. Stay tuned as we explore how to overcome imposter syndrome and the barriers to self-pr...
Jul 16, 2024•38 min•Ep. 84
Are you scrolling newsfeeds and social feeds all day? Coming up with idea after idea just to sit on them and never take action? Yeah, us too! In this episode, Nichole discusses the common struggle of taking action on business and personal goals. She emphasizes the importance of clear goals, breaking tasks into manageable steps, setting deadlines, eliminating distractions, and seeking support. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www...
Jul 09, 2024•41 min•Ep. 83
The dynamic duo is BACK! This week, Frannie and Nichole chat about Ampersand Studios' unique approach to brand photography. From initial surveys and pre-production planning to the final editing stages, they discuss how they tailor photoshoots to meet each client's brand. The episode also touches on their experience as wedding photographers, how that background influenced their current methodologies, and tips for fellow photographers on streamlining their processes. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us o...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 82
In this episode, Nichole is joined by leadership coach Lisa Desilet where the two discuss the strong connection between leadership and parenting, the broad influence of leaders, and transitioning from an employee to a leadership mindset. Lisa shares her transformation from a third-grade teacher to a leadership and business coach emphasizing nutrition and wellness. The conversation covers key aspects of growing a small business, such as hiring, managing teams, and aligning with business values, w...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 81
This week, Frannie is diving head-first into strategies for simplifying content creation for small business owners. She calls out common struggles like maintaining consistency on social media amidst busy schedules and highlights the benefits of using content formulas. Frannie dishes out all the actionable tips, such as analyzing top-performing content, leveraging daily activities for behind-the-scenes footage, and drawing inspiration from favorite accounts. Need encouragement using a balanced so...
Jun 18, 2024•16 min•Ep. 80
Let's face it, getting back into the groove of things is not as simple as just hitting the record button again. When you're on the wild ride of entrepreneurship and adapting to changes, you may need to put a few things on pause/ We put together a 10-step guide to restarting anything you’ve hit pause on: 1. **Reflect on Why You Stopped**: Figure out what made you stop in the first place so you don’t trip over the same hurdles. 2. **Set Clear Goals**: Use those good old SMART goals to keep your co...
Jun 11, 2024•41 min•Ep. 79
This week, Courtney is taking over! She's talking about her new favorite book, The Book of Beautiful Questions , The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), and how asking the right questions can change how you lead and manage your team! If you've ever felt like you were the human Google of your team, hit a creative block or felt like you were just absolutely failing at leading and managing your team, then this episode is perfect for you! We'll dive into the in's and out's of asking questions an...
Dec 19, 2023•39 min•Ep. 78
This week, we're sitting down with Meagan Allers, head of community and partnerships from Marco Polo. Meagan talks about the power of connecting through the app and her favorite stories of how people worldwide use it to strengthen relationships. In a time when we're increasingly feeling alone, Marco Polo is doing its part to eradicate loneliness by creating a space for people to share thoughts, see their loved ones, and keep communication flowing despite distance. If you're not using Marco Polo,...
Dec 12, 2023•44 min•Ep. 77
We hear you, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. Hiring is scary... but does it have to be? In this episode, Nichole addresses the concerns we hear from clients all the time: "No one will care about my business like I do!" "I can't afford to hire help!" "I just don't trust anyone enough to take over things!" In the early years of Ampersand Studios, Nichole and Frannie's company, they too had those concerns and fears. Listen to hear about our experience with expansion, hiring and overcoming these fea...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 76
In this episode, Frannie sits back down with TikTok viral DJ, Eric Rhodes. We interviewed him last year right before he hit 1M followers. Eric tells us what it's like to have that many followers and the doors that have opened up since his content has gone viral. Follow Eric Rhodes Instagram TikTok Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Nov 28, 2023•42 min•Ep. 75
Last week, Frannie and Nichole had a candid chat about what to do when you think you're being copied and how to handle it gracefully and professionally. In this episode, they continue that conversation but give tips on what to do if YOU'RE the copycat! Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Nov 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 74
Have you ever felt like you're being totally ripped off? It happens a lot in the world of business. What's the difference between being inspired by someone and just plain copying? What even are original ideas anyway? In this episode, Frannie and Nichole have a candid chat about what to do when you think you're being copied and how to handle it gracefully and professionally. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios....
Oct 31, 2023•49 min•Ep. 73
Decisions, decisions, decisions... they're all around us! If you're anything like me, after a long day of making decisions you might explode when your kids ask whats for dinner. If you're being faced with any decisions at the moment, big or small... this episode can serve as your guide. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Oct 30, 2023•45 min•Ep. 72
We're joined by special guest Camille Levi of BA Makeup Company to discuss the common misconceptions around makeup, the connection between looking good and feeling good, and the latest trends. Mentioned in this episode: www.learnmakeup.co www.bamakeupcompany.com Fresh Faces by Frances Social: @bamakeupcompany Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 71
It’s okay if you’re extra… so is avocado. People love avocado. BE AVOCADO! In this episode, Frannie and Nichole reflect on brand experiences they’ve had where the company pulled a “surprise and delight” moment that stuck with them as well as times when they were able to go above and beyond in business to best serve clients and provide an experience that creates loyalists. Join us for a dose of inspiration for how you can start instilling this idea into your business and leave your clients feelin...
Oct 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 70
We're diving deep into the world of brand guides and why they're the unsung heroes of business success. Whether you're a startup, an established business, or just curious about why your favorite brands look so darn good, this is one episode you won't want to miss. Ampersand Brand Guide Template The Unbreakable Brand Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Oct 10, 2023•46 min•Ep. 69
If you have aspirations of being better at talking on stages or just talking in general... which we highly recommend as a living breathing business owner, you're going to want to get out your notebook and get ready for tons of good stuff that will make your storytelling and speaking better across the board. Mentioned in this episode: bestspeech.co/ampersand Glo Atanmo at Craft and Commerce 2022 Follow Mike: bestspeech.co LinkedIn @mpacc on Instagram Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @so...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 68
This week, Nichole sits down with the remarkable Jessica Frew of The Bold Logic. Prepare to be inspired as Jessica candidly shares her journey of transforming a controversial marital situation into a thriving brand. From turmoil to triumph, Jessica now empowers women to conquer their trauma and betrayal, emerging as their most bold and authentic selves. Follow Jessica @heyjessicafrew Husband in Law Podcast The Bold Logic Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_s...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 67
If you're not sick of us talking about how EOS (The Entrepreneur Operating System) has completely changed our businesses, you're not going to want to miss this conversation with the woman behind it all. Jennifer has been doing the work with us here at Ampersand over the past 3 months as we have begun our EOS journey, and on this episode, she gives a high-level overview of what EOS is, who it's for, and why she believes in the power that it gives teams to live their best EOS lives. What is the EO...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 66
Frannie interviews her husband Chris as they remember what it was like when Ampersand was getting started and he was simultaneously launching his restaurant. Hear about how they operate, support each other, and the similarities as well as the differences between their two businesses. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Sep 12, 2023•44 min•Ep. 65
Most people have heard "consistency is key" at least once or twice. But did you know that brand consistency is one of the leading reasons for failed marketing? This week, Nichole dives in to the reasons you need to look closer at your brand to create a consistent message, visual brand and overall consistent business. Brand Persona Quiz Follow us on Instagram: @somethingbusinessy @ampersand_studios Or check us out at www.ampersand-studios.com...
Sep 05, 2023•42 min•Ep. 64
After a decade of photographing weddings, we made the big decision to leave the altar behind and reclaim our golden hours. In 2018, we dove head-first into brand photography and we now own and operate a full-service agency with a team that serves small businesses... and we're not looking back. (Well we are on this episode!) Hear the story about what we learned along the way, why we decided to change our specialty and business model, and why we think wedding photographers make the best brand phot...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 63
This startup story is one you won't want to miss. When Cherie Hoeger saw the need for something that would make huge impact for both people and the earth, she knew she had to get to work. The Saalt story and brand is one that we're so excited to share on the podcast. Cozy up and let's talk about periods, planet, purpose, and of course... Something Businessy. Frannie asks Cherie all of her bleeding questions about how she got the gusto to make this company come to fruition. Follow Saalt on Instag...
Aug 22, 2023•45 min•Ep. 62
