Align. Profit. Impact. (formerly Labor Of Love)

If you know you’re supposed to write a book - if it’s been on your heart, if you keep thinking about it over and over - then you just know. You know you have to write it. In this podcast, Cassandra talks about how she was inspired to start writing and offers concrete action steps towards completing a book. Just like with starting a business, writing starts with figuring out your ‘why?’ Why are you writing a book? For money? As therapy? To leave a legacy? Once you figure out your ‘why,’ you’ve got to ask yourself “what problem does my book solve?” Maybe it’s a problem related to your business or, in Cassandra’s case, maybe it’s about overcoming a part of your story. Sitting on a dream doesn’t do much good; you’ve got to take action. If you truly want to write a book, you’ve got to just write! Even if all you produce in the beginning is one giant, 20,000-word, run-on sentence…it all starts with putting pen to paper. Listen in as Cassandra shares how she birthed her “book baby,” and gives advice on how you can b

Imposter syndrome gets to the best of us. How many times have you taken on a big, scary task and thought “What did I sign up for?” or “Who am I to grow a businesses, write a book, or [insert giant feat here]?” Why do we play the comparison game and give into imposter syndrome, anyways? In this podcast Cassandra talks about how we hold onto failures from our past and carry them with us and let them define us and how we can identify them as limiting beliefs instead of perceived truths. When faced with limiting beliefs, you can either stay in your comfort zone or you can chase big goals and manifest your dreams. Untrue labels from your past will flare up when you consider taking big action in your life, and big goals require massive action. So what will you do? Cassandra believes that by staying in your comfortable status quo, you’d be doing a disservice to your clients, your business, and yourself. She discusses how you can replace the ‘fake it til you make it’ mentality with a ‘growing into it’ mentality, thus

In this podcast Cassandra talks about a key practice she coined and uses in managing her agency: distinguishing between income generating activities and interest generating activities. A lot of new business owners wonder how they can make 10k a month from the get go…but before you can generate significant revenue, you have to look at your offerings. You may have a signature program/service that is a higher ticket item, but you don’t have any other lower price offerings… Maybe you’re not filling your funnel (with things like lower level programs or downloadable freebies), which would create the next generation of clients. Listen in as Cassandra explains the difference between sales activities and interest activities, and the importance of shifting focus between money making projects and awareness functions.

What is your ideal lifestyle and how will you take steps to curate it? In this podcast, Cassandra discusses priorities and money mindset, and how to simplify your life to pursue the multiple business ventures you’ve been dreaming about. What are the things you want and need, and what excess can you live without? Listen in as Cassandra walks you through an exercise in prioritizing values and gives you prompts to meditate on as you consider what lifestyle you want to live.  

If you’re a business owner AND a mama, chances are you’ve felt guilty trying to juggle it all - running a household, raising a child, growing a business, etc… Being a mama-preneur is rewarding, but it’s hard! There are so many different elements to maintain, and some things naturally get brushed aside and neglected in the pursuit of other things. In this podcast, Cassandra shares her own recent experience with business guilt - how her business numbers aren’t where she wants them to be, how she hasn’t been able to hire the number of employees she wanted to, and - as you’ve probably noticed - how the podcast went unpublished for a while. Mamas with businesses are limited in time and resources, which is frustrating and can lead to a comparison cycle with other mamas. Instead of focusing on where other women are succeeding and we’re not, let’s shift our attention to filling up every cup - mom life, business, etc. Listen in as Cassandra shares tips and strategies for how to manage life and avoid mama guilt. For he

“I don’t know what’s going on…” “This is too hard…” “My business isn’t working…” Have you ever thought something like this in regards to your business?  A lot of entrepreneurs give up before they can notice patterns in their business. In this podcast, Cassandra addresses this issue by discussing the concept of seasonality. Specifically, how does seasonality affect your business and your life and how can you cope and push past seasons of discomfort?

In this podcast, Cassandra tackles the frequently asked questions addressing the origination of Milkin’ Cookie and how it has helped to mold her into the entrepreneur she is today. Spanning almost two years, Milkin’ Cookie has helped hundreds of new moms produce greater amounts and higher quality breast milk for their children. Hundreds of cookies each week are ordered, baked, packaged & shipped throughout the United States to desiring moms seeking boosted lactation benefits. 

In this podcast, Cassandra addresses one of the greatest mysteries of any business owner:  how to get it all done! As her husband puts it:  “If everything is a priority then nothing is a priority.” To get to the root of attempting to get it all done, we turn back to the fundamentals. The crucial element is developing a routine for organizing those priorities.

In this podcast, Cassandra examines the subject of profitability within the business marketplace. As portraying a business in as positive a manner as possible is every business owners’ goal, sometimes these claims don’t tell the whole story. Financial figures can be embellished to push a goal or narrative in marketing the business.  What good is a $100,000/year business if your operating expenses are $95,000 before taking a profit?

In this podcast, Cassandra discusses the importance of planning as it relates to your business goals. Items such as the 6-month marketing calendar provide direction and organization to the campaigns any business owner needs for success. Is real-time content the best method for reaching your audience or should you take a more strategized approach to your outreach? Examining which goals you wish to pursue will provide the answers you are looking for.

In this podcast, Cassandra delves into the questions that must be asked when interviewing a perspective business coach. The mentor should be able to elaborate as to what happened to their business and what prompted them to seek a role within the business-coaching world. Cassandra also describes what might be the best coach for you. (Yes, there are a variety of coaches)  Different types of coaches provide varying benefits to you and your business.  A coach should be able to guide you in the direction of whatever your business’ vision happens to be (some business owners simply desire more vacation time with family). Finally, Cassandra identified what sort of red flags a person be mindful of when seeking a business coach.

In this podcast, Cassandra addresses the notion of value and how it relates to the business world with a focus on female entrepreneurs. In a world where income inequality between the sexes has only recently made national headlines, this topic can be very personal for many of us. Examining what unique value and excellence you bring to the table are important in realizing your worth and achieving the compensation you deserve.

In this podcast, Cassandra discusses the crucial aspect of business ownership of prioritizing your life. Might it be setting time aside for family, hobbies, or simply some self-care; this podcast focuses on methods by which you really can have it all. Cassandra first explains how she manages her schedule every week and what priorities are indeed the most important. (Because as we all know, if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority) 

In this podcast, Cassandra describes a key component of the business world: the difference between an entrepreneur and a business owner. Cassandra draws from her own experiences in describing the distinctions of each important role that can be taken and identify which might best suit your goals. All entrepreneurs are business owners while not all business owners are necessarily entrepreneurs (investors, franchisees, etc.). 

In this podcast, Cassandra explains what it means to take the plunge and commit to pursuing your dream. She begins by reflecting on previous podcasts she produced and determined that she should be teaching is her framework. Cassandra's proprietary framework is broken down into three components to provide you a clear path to meeting your goals. These three segments are Alignment, Profit, and Impact.  

In this week’s inspirational episode, we dive into a spiritual journey with Karen Kenney, a writer, speaker, storyteller, and spiritual mentor. Kenney has dedicated her life to helping people overcome limiting beliefs, past traumas, and to live as though nothing bad has ever happened to them. Through her line of spiritual mentoring, she aligns clients with peace and happiness by teaching them that they alone are responsible for how they’re feeling.   At a young age, Kenney experienced a tremendous amount of trauma and grief. As she grew older, she found herself being drawn to the nonviolent belief system that’s inherent in yoga, which began her spiritual journey. She would eventually become a yoga instructor, opening her own studio, and comforting her clients through times of hardship. During this, she realized that she had a passion for mentoring and working to break the negative mindsets that hold people back in their lives.

If you’re struggling with body image, you might find some peace of mind thanks to today's guest, Carrie Montgomery. Carrie Montgomery is a Transformational Style Coach + Body Image Expert and creator of The Somatic Dressing Method which helps women step into true embodiment and empowered confidence. She teaches women to own their true beauty, build confidence, and create a dream image for their business and life. Having worked with New Line Cinema and stars such as Cate Blanchett and Aaron Eckhart, her expertise in film, design, marketing and wellness, along with her love of fashion, allows her to create a holistic experience for personal style. She curates her client’s image, helping women look good and feel good from the inside out. This newfound confidence carrie over to her clients’ brands, elevating their visibility and taking many of them from 6 figures to 7 figures in as little as one year. Her work has been featured on OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Super Soul Sunday with Christiane Northrup, Coastal

This week, we explore the nature of relationships and marriages with the help of Emily Funderbunk, certified counselor and published author. Funderbunk was first inspired to become a therapist after trauma in her childhood caused her to search for answers and understand her own struggles. Through her work, she hopes to reduce the stigma of seeking help and speaking with a counselor.   Funderbunk’s recently published novel, “Through the Storm: Helping Marriages find Healing after Hurt”, provides a seven step survival guide for couples who are going through a crisis within their relationship. Within her book, Funderbunk explains that marriages can often experience storms, or times of upheaval or stress, and offers guidance to readers who may be suffering from them. She also highlights how partners can unintentionally hurt one another, and how you can bring about healing and forgiveness within your marriage. The advice that Funderbunk offers through her book stems from the lessons she learned when she first star

In her first solocast, Cassandra Shuck discusses overcoming obstacles outside of her control and recognizing the uncomfortable nature of expansion states. Shuck also highlights how recent inconveniences might be a sign from a higher power which are pushing us towards our goals. This episode dives into the complex nature of failure in the business world and why we only focus on the positive aspect of individual careers, and not the failure and hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Shuck uses herself as an example of this and dives into her own past failures and how they have helped her grow into a successful entrepreneur.  

We’re in the midst of tax season and this episode features tax expert Nesha Pai. After many years working as a CPA in corporate America, Nesha decided to birth her own firm. She walked away from stability and a steady paycheck because she had a burning desire inside of her to create something bigger then herself. During this time Nesha was going through a divorce and struggling because of the lack of support from her own family. This only made her more driven and focused. Through her struggle she birthed Pai CPA, PLLC, to serve the accounting needs of small businesses. From one initial partnership, Pai CPA, PLLC has garnered and retained close to twenty major middle-market clients. From restaurateurs, professional services, medical services, real estate, and manufacturers. Pai CPA stays true to its roots of entrepreneurial determination and support. In this episode you’ll hear Nesha’s journey and how this generous women puts others needs before hers.