Penny for your Shots

You can love your work, care deeply about your clients, and still put off telling anyone about your offer. Karina Klaus, a sales confidence coach living in Portugal, joins me to talk about why selling can feel so uncomfortable and the beliefs we bring into those conversations.

We talk about the corporate habits that follow us into our own businesses, why a full calendar doesn’t necessarily mean freedom, and making changes without putting every other part of your life on the line. Karina also explains the subconscious-work approach she uses with clients, while we bo...

What happens when you’ve done everything you thought you were supposed to do, and still don’t feel at home in your own life?

Lori Montry knows that feeling. A Harvard Law graduate, former attorney, and now a somatic practitioner and author, she shares how a life built around achievement and other people’s expectations led her to ask what she actually wanted.

We talk about those familiar “good girl” patterns, trying to prove we’re enough, and learning to notice our own needs. Lori shares her perspective on the coping patterns we carry forward and...

After years of taking care of everyone else, what do you want for yourself?

Jen Mentesana knows how easily that question can get buried beneath family responsibilities, work, and being the person who keeps everything going. Her path took her from corporate America to coaching, then into the restaurant business with her husband. Eventually, she realized she had lost touch with the work and interests that made her feel like herself.

Jen joins me for a conversation about finding your way back, making room for joy, and choosing where your time and energy...

What does it take to build a business when your family’s needs have to come first?

For Kymbirley “Kym” Brake, it began in a hospital room. While caring for her daughter, she started helping other parents with taxes and insurance paperwork. That work grew into a business that allowed her to support them both while remaining available for her daughter’s care.

Kym joins me to talk about financial independence, finding confidence in your own abilities, and making business decisions that reflect the life you actually need. We also discuss taxes, asking for prof...

What happens when growth turns the business you wanted into a job you no longer recognize?

Lisa Somers joins me for an honest conversation about building Marketplace Superheroes with her brother, navigating a million-dollar debt, and learning that there is almost always another solution, even when the numbers feel overwhelming.

Lisa shares how she moved from psychology training into entrepreneurship, why she eventually chose a lean team over a large corporate-style structure, and what makes a family business work without damaging the family relationship. We also talk about therapy, confidence, the people you...

What happens when you’ve spent decades understanding fitness and nutrition, and suddenly your own body stops responding the way it always has?

Corry Matthews spent more than 25 years in fitness and nutrition, including competing as a professional bodybuilder. But in her 40s, the strategies she had always relied on stopped working the same way.

We talk about perimenopause, hormones, food, strength training, HRT, changing bodies, and why the answer in midlife isn’t always to simply try harder. We also talk about learning to work with the body you have now and givi...

A lot of us have quietly expected one person to be everything: best friend, travel partner, confidant, our whole social life. It rarely works, and it's not really fair to ask it of anyone.

Rose Lambert has been married twice, twenty-four years the first time, twelve the second. Today she's single, and she says she has more friends than she's ever had in her life. Rose is a professional matchmaker who works with some of the wealthiest clients in the country, and she came to the work sideways, after losing a close friend to suicide...

If something happened to you tomorrow, would the people who love you know where to start, or would they be left guessing?

This week's guest is Lynn Lambrecht, a former aviation executive turned contingency planning advisor whose work started the day she volunteered on airplane crash sites in her 20s. She's since walked her own parents through illness and decline, written a book on getting prepared, and built a career on making a scary-sounding topic feel doable.

In this episode, you'll hear:

Ever notice how "leveling up" always seems to mean doing more? More hours, more offers, more on your plate?

This week, Andrea Engstrom joins me to make the case for the opposite. Andrea's built a business generating six figures a month while working three days a week, and she got there by figuring out exactly what needed to go, not what needed to be added.

In this episode:

- The hot air balloon analogy that reframes what growth actually requires

- How mental load quietly limits what women build

...

Have you ever done something meaningful and kept it to yourself because talking about it felt like bragging?

Lynn Harris is the founder of Gold Comedy, the online school and community helping women and non-binary creators build comedy careers, side hustles, and creative confidence — but this conversation goes way beyond comedy. Lynn and I talk about the real difference between bragging and simply letting people know what you do, and why staying quiet about your gifts isn't humility, it's a habit that keeps you small.

In this episode:

- Wh...

Ever caught yourself wondering if the "safe" job is actually the risky one?

This week I'm sitting down with Melissa Broughton, owner of Busy Bee Advisors and creator of the One Hour Bookkeeper training system, to talk about what it really takes to leave corporate behind and build something that's actually yours. Ten years into her own business, Melissa's found a rhythm most corporate jobs could never offer — the freedom to fly out for her son's college football games every weekend, fire a client who isn't a fit, and build an income on her own terms.

...

Have you ever looked at your own past (a job, a business, twenty years of running a household) and quietly decided that none of it counts toward what you want to do next?

This week I'm sitting down with Sarah Noked, a 20-year Online Business Manager (OBM) and the founder of OBM School, who admits she believed exactly that when she started her own business, even though she'd already run a landscaping company from the ground up.

In this episode, you'll hear:

Have you been telling the same version of your story for so long it started to feel like a performance instead of the truth?

This week I sit down with Elizabeth Brett, a former NBC reporter turned storytelling coach, to talk about what happens when we stop polishing our stories and start telling the true ones.

Elizabeth spent almost a decade shaping thirty-minute interviews into ninety-second segments, covering everything from presidential campaigns to hurricanes, to the Olympics. Somewhere in the middle of that career, she left it all behind after a heartbreak that made her...

How many decisions do we make because we truly want something—and how many do we make because fear, an old belief, or some invisible “rule” tells us we should?

This week, Penny sits down with SL Gillespie for a conversation that starts with golf and goes far beyond the course. They talk about confidence, self-talk, intuition, joy, and the beliefs women carry about success, money, achievement, and what we're “supposed” to do.

SL also shares how she uses EFT (tapping) in her coaching to help women calm the nervous system and work through the beliefs th...

Women are often so busy taking care of everyone else that caring for themselves begins to feel selfish. Cass UK believes self-care isn’t selfish—it’s survival.

After a traumatic childbirth experience nearly cost Cass and her baby their lives, she stopped waiting for the right time and committed fully to the business she had been building alongside her nursing career. In this conversation, Penny and Cass discuss making a change before life forces us to, recognizing the value of the skills we’ve gathered throughout our careers and lives, moving through imposter syndrome, and allo...

Have you ever known exactly what you wanted (or needed) to do, but still couldn’t seem to get started?

ADHD coach and EFT tapping practitioner Barb Hubbard explains why getting started isn’t always as simple as making a list, managing our time better, or trying harder.

We talk about the overlap between ADHD symptoms, chronic stress, sleep deprivation, and perimenopause... And why so many capable women find themselves feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or frozen.

Barb also introduces us to EFT tapping, a simple practice that may help calm the nervous syst...

We spend so much time trying to make our businesses look polished, professional and perfectly put together that sometimes we edit out the very thing people would connect with most: ourselves.

Deanna Dolecki is the president of Blue Duck Agency, where Ashley Ruggeri serves as account director. Together, they also host the Ducks Unplugged podcast—an unscripted mix of business, work, life and the wonderfully ridiculous debates that happen when two women with different perspectives stop trying to sound polished and simply let themselves talk.

Deanna and As...

What if the symptoms you’ve been blaming on stress, aging, or “just life” are actually connected to hormone shifts?

This week, I’m joined by Sarah Norris, a nurse practitioner in urology and a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. Sarah also happens to be my urology provider, and I have been so excited to share this conversation because it touches on so many things women experience but often don’t talk about openly enough.

We talk about peri-menopause, post-menopause, hormone therapy, vaginal estrogen, urinary symptoms, recurrent UTIs, painful sex, libido, testosterone, sleep, bone health, he...

If you've ever hesitated to post about a client win, an award, or even the impact you're making because you didn't want people to think you were bragging...this episode is for you.

One of the things Priya Dua and I kept coming back to in this conversation is how uncomfortable so many women are talking about what they do. We work hard. We care deeply about serving others. But when it's time to share our accomplishments or tell people how we can help, many of us suddenly get quiet.

Priya's expertise is in public...

How do you stay open to people while still trusting your instincts?

In this week's conversation, Tracey Elam and I explore one of the biggest challenges many of us face: balancing discernment with connection.

We talk about the conditioning that shapes our beliefs, the ways fear can quietly influence our decisions, and why staying curious may be one of the most powerful tools we have for creating meaningful relationships.

While we don't see every topic exactly the same way, that's part of what makes this conversation so valuable. It's a reminder...

What if confidence isn't something you find... but something you build?

In this week's conversation, Penny sits down with Jillian Johnson, founder of LEGS (Ladies Executive Golf Society), to explore how connection, community, and a little bit of courage can transform the way women show up in their lives and businesses.

While golf may have brought these women together, this conversation is really about something much bigger: creating opportunities, embracing joy, and stepping into spaces where we may not have always felt invited.

Jillian shares how she went from...

What if the ideas that keep nudging you aren't random at all?

In this special solo episode, Penny shares an exciting preview of what's ahead on Penny for Your Shots and the experiences she's creating for women who are ready for more connection, confidence, courage, and joy.

From upcoming conversations about building confidence through golf and advocating for women's health, to Wine Camp, Sipper Club, and launching Pour Decisions with Penny and Jeff, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to wait until everything is perfect to begin.

Sometimes the bravest...

What if the thing you're supposed to do next doesn't make sense to anyone but you?

Danielle Frank has built a fascinating career that took her from Hollywood publicity to the luxury wine and spirits industry, where she's spent more than two decades representing some of the world's most iconic brands. Along the way, she's made some bold decisions, including ending relationships that no longer fit, walking away from toxic work environments, and finally publishing a book she wrote 14 years earlier.

In this conversation, Danielle shares why trusting your gut is often the first step...

What do you do when a deeply personal heartbreak opens the door to your life’s next purpose?

After watching her mother decline from Alzheimer’s and seeing her father struggle as the primary caregiver, Vicky McGrath realized how many families were navigating aging and dementia completely overwhelmed and unsupported. Instead of saying “someone should help,” she became the person who did.

In this episode, Vicky shares how she started a senior home care business in her 40s with zero healthcare experience and built a company that now supports hundreds of seniors and families...

Feeling stuck lately? You’re not alone.

In this follow-up to last week’s vulnerable conversation about overwhelm, Penny shares gentle, practical ways to begin moving forward again when life feels heavy, messy, or emotionally off.

This isn’t about hustling harder or pretending everything’s fine. It’s about small shifts that help you reconnect with yourself, your joy, and the people you serve.

Through stories, mindfulness practices, sensory grounding, and reflections on community, connection, and Wine Camp memories, Penny offers encouragement for anyone navigating overwhelm, burnout, or uncertainty right now.

In this...

What happens when the woman who’s always encouraging everyone else suddenly feels overwhelmed herself?

In this vulnerable solo episode, Penny opens up about feeling foggy, stretched thin, and unexpectedly emotional after running out of pre-recorded guest episodes and realizing: “Oh… this week it’s just me.”

But what unfolds is a powerful reminder that overwhelm does not mean you’re failing. It often means you’ve been carrying too much for too long.

This conversation is for the women who are:
 • Holding everything together
 • Building businesses while supporting everyone else
 • Feeling stuck...

What if the thing you really needed wasn’t another productivity hack… but a few days away with women who simply get you?

In this solo episode, I’m sharing the story behind Wine Camp and why this experience has become one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Yes, there’s incredible wine. Yes, there’s beautiful scenery. But what happens at Wine Camp goes far beyond tastings and vineyard tours.

It’s about connection.

It’s about friendship.

It’s about women giving themselves permission to slow down, laugh, reconnect...

Why do we hold ourselves back from being seen? Especially when we know we’re meant for more..?

In this episode, Penny sits down with author and book mentor Shauna VanderHoek to talk about the real reason so many women stay stuck: fear of visibility.

Shauna shares her journey from corporate consulting to helping entrepreneurs publish books; and how her own fear of being seen showed up at the exact moment she was stepping into something bigger.

This conversation is about more than books. It’s about becoming the woman who’s willing to be...

What if the life you’re living right now… isn’t the final version?

In this episode, Penny sits down with Diane Farber — her neighbor, friend, and a woman who proves that reinvention doesn’t have an expiration date.

Diane shares her journey from social worker to financial advisor, building a career from scratch in her 40s, and then starting over again in a brand new community in her 80s. Her story is layered with courage, curiosity, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from doing the thing, even when it’s uncomfortabl...

What if your hormones weren’t the problem, but instead were the key to everything?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Aumatma Simmons, a naturopathic doctor who’s spent nearly 20 years studying hormones, fertility, and the deeper wisdom of the female body.

We talk about why so many women feel burned out trying to keep up with systems designed for men—and how understanding your natural cycle can change the way you live, work, and make decisions.

This conversation is both validating and eye-opening. If you’ve ever felt “off,” exha...

If the word “budget” makes you want to pour a glass of wine at 9am… stay with me.

This conversation with the Budget Besties is not about restriction. It’s about freedom.

Shana and Vanessa are on a mission to take the shame out of money and replace it with simple, real-life systems that actually work. Because most women aren’t bad with money... they’ve just never been shown how to manage it in a way that fits their life.

And the best part? You don’t have to give up the things you lov...

Starting over at 50 can feel overwhelming. Or, it can become the beginning of something extraordinary.

In this episode, Belinda Sandor shares how she rebuilt her life during a major transition: divorce, financial stress, and becoming a single mom... and turned it into a thriving virtual assistant business that now gives her freedom and flexibility at 65.

Her story is a beautiful example of what’s possible when women stop waiting for permission and start creating lives that actually fit.

In this episode, we talk about:

What if the moment you’ve been waiting for… is right now?

Karen Ansen joins me for a conversation that will feel very familiar if you’ve ever looked around your life and thought, “Okay… what’s next for me?”

After years of building a career, raising a family, and showing up for everyone else, Karen found herself at a turning point—one that led her to reconnect with herself, redefine her purpose, and create a life and business that truly fit.

This episode is about more than reinvention. It’s about remembering...

If the Finger Lakes isn’t on your travel list yet… it might be after this conversation.

In this episode, I’m joined by Caley McKnight, an enology student at Cornell University who’s immersed in one of the most exciting (and underrated) wine regions in the country. Together, we explore what makes the Finger Lakes so special—and why it’s quickly becoming a must-visit destination for wine lovers.

From cool-climate wines and vineyard life to hidden gems you won’t want to miss, this episode is part wine education, part travel inspiration, a...

Sometimes the thing holding your business back isn’t strategy, marketing, or systems.

Sometimes it’s the patterns you didn’t even know were there.

In this episode of Penny for Your Shots: Conversations & Cocktails with Brilliant Women, Penny sits down with trauma-informed therapist, speaker, and author Dr. Shannon South to explore how our past experiences can quietly shape the way we lead, build businesses, and show up in our lives.

Dr. Shannon shares how hidden emotional patterns can influence everything from the risks we take to the opportunities we avoid. When w...

What if the voice telling you to play small… isn’t telling the truth?

In this episode, Penny sits down with keynote speaker, author, and confidence coach Simone Knego to talk about the stories women tell themselves—and how those stories shape everything from leadership to self-worth.

Simone shares her REAL Confidence Method and a simple mindset reset that helps interrupt the spiral of self-doubt when it shows up (because it always does).

From redefining leadership around the kitchen table to dropping the word “just,” this conversation is full of honest...

What if the dream you’ve been carrying for decades is still waiting for you?

Susan Lienau is 65 years young. She’s spent over 40 years running a small-town bar in northeast Iowa. She’s helped launch a community museum, serves on the city council, co-owns an Airbnb—and somewhere between raising four boys and welcoming six grandchildren, she finally decided to write the children’s book she’d imagined her entire life.

Not because it was convenient.
Not because she suddenly had “extra time.”
But because she realized… if not now, when?

In this episode...

Busy doesn’t mean productive. And exhausted doesn’t mean successful.

In this episode, Peggy Sullivan — former corporate executive turned researcher and speaker — shares what 12 years of data revealed about time poverty, burnout, and the hidden damage of hustle culture.

If you’ve ever felt like there’s never enough time, like your calendar is packed but your goals aren’t moving, this conversation will feel both validating and empowering.

Peggy breaks down:

• What “time poverty” really is
 • How chronic busyness damages health and relationships
 • The productivity myth that keeps high-achie...

You can be busy, capable, and doing all the “right” things—and still feel stuck.

If you’ve ever wondered why your results don’t match your potential, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, Penny sits down with Nada Lena Nasserdeen, founder of Rise Up For You, international speaker, and author. Nada has worked with Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs around the world, helping people build confidence, communicate more effectively, and step into leadership. But what makes her work so powerful is that she’s lived the confidence gaps she now teaches others how t...

If you’re in a season of transition and quietly wondering, “Did I miss my window?”—this episode is for you.

Penny is joined by Julie DeLucca-Collins, confidence coach, author, and fellow podcaster, for an honest conversation about career pivots, self-trust, and why you’re never truly starting over. Julie shares how being laid off during the pandemic became the catalyst for building a purpose-driven business—and how confidence is less about being fearless and more about trusting yourself enough to take the next step.

Together, Penny and Julie explore the quiet strength women often...