Todd Brown, better known to his fans as Kenneth Obi, is an acclaimed narrator of many best-selling fiction books. He started his career thinking he would be the “voice of horror” until an offer came his way that he didn’t really read beyond the books sales figures. With almost 80 titles available on Audible in the M/M romance genre he has put voicing horror aside to go full-time in a genre he never even considered.

Too many stories of burn out, layoff’s, low margins, the inability to never say no, missed vacationed, loss of passion and zero work life balance compelled Jennifer Houston, a 20+ year veteran in the marketing space, to build the business of her dreams. She and her business partner, Sarah Musgrove, problem solvers at heart, created the bench, "your marketing team for the gig economy." The Bench is a deconstructed marketing and branding agency that businesses with in house agency teams, and start-ups with placing fully vetted teams constructed of all freelance talent.

Jef Strauss is the founder and co-owner of Wag N' Wash, a natural pet food and grooming store. He and his partner, Dan Remus, started the business 20 years ago so they could spend more time with their beloved Dalmatian, Geni. Wag N’ Wash Natural Pet Food & Grooming, a full-line specialty retail destination for cats and dogs, has a mission to recognize, promote and foster the positive impact that companion pets and their humans have on each other. Wag N’ Wash provides fresh-baked dog treats, natural food, supplements, full-service grooming and self-wash facilities and toys. Today, there are 18 Wag N’ Wash locations in eight states.

During this week’s Office Hours, we take a candid look at the entrepreneurial loneliness epidemic. In truth, breaking out as an entrepreneur is a singular position where you’re working long hours, and making incredible sacrifices. Allon and I unpack these realities and offer some of our own strategies to bust out of our collective isolation. It’s our hope we can shine a light on the entrepreneurial shadow side and offer support to connect you with our dynamic community of Out Bosses.

Noam Kotucki creates spaces for magic to happen. He does this through his coaching practice where he has already coached over 25,000 people lead more purpose driven lives. Among his successes, he helped fellow entrepreneur, Patryk Wezowski raise over $500,000 in startup funds in less than two months, and supported Ether Perel deliver the 30th most viewed TED Talk. As a university dropout, he has surprised himself when his first book became required reading at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, earning the UK Business Speaker of the Year runner up award, and receiving an honorary degree in Business from Hofstra University.

This week’s office hours session focuses on the importance of attending industry conferences and trade shows. Allon and I specifically talk about how we map out our annual conference schedule, what to consider when planning for them, what to do while attending them, and how to follow-up. We wanted to share this conversation with fellow out bosses to encourage you to invest in yourself, elevate your brand, and then watch your business thrive.

Jessi Purdy is the founder of Fostering Inclusive Cultures, a consulting firm dedicated to improving working cultures through policy design, workforce development and facilitated discussions. Jessi’s experience as a transgender woman transitioning on the job in a customer forward position while living and working in rural communities of Western PA has given her a unique perspective on the ways in which HR and Culture issues intersect with coworkers, vendors & clients. Jessi has published three books of poetry Jessi Purdy is the founder of Fostering Inclusive Cultures, a consulting firm dedicated to improving working cultures through policy design, workforce development and facilitated discussions. Jessi’s experience as a transgender woman transitioning on the job in a customer forward position while living and working in rural communities of Western PA has given her a unique perspective on the ways in which HR and Culture issues intersect with coworkers, vendors & clients. Jessi has published three books of poetry, is a founding member of the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, the first Board Chair of the Lancaster Pride Association, and a member of the Central PA LGBTQ Leaders' Roundtable.

Kristin and Sam are the founders of Swaim Strategies, a fundraising event business that focuses on the power of bringing people together to move missions forward, raise awareness, educate and of course raise serious money. Kristin has a storytelling background as a writer and teacher, and Sam has a production background in theatre and television. Together, they both share a deep passion and history for supporting the nonprofit sector…AND something worth celebrating -- Swaim Strategies celebrates 15 years of business supporting social justice causes with events for a purpose!

On a recent Out Entrepreneur interview, Angelic Williams, Founder + CEO of MyUmbrella, mentioned the importance of celebrating both the big and the small successes we entrepreneurs achieve. Since many of us tend to move the goal posts further down the field as our businesses thrive, Angelic underscored why celebration is so important for our future successes. This Office Hours session builds upon Angelic’s word’s of wisdom, exploring what it means to succeed in business, and once achieved, how do we celebrate it. After you listen, let us know how you celebrate your successes!

Angelic is the Founder and CEO of MyUmbrella, a social networking platform for the LGBTQ+ community rooted in Wellness, Inclusion, Social and Education. She is a third-generation entrepreneur and grew up in a family of small business owners and was intimately involved with the day to day operations. As a result, she’s well versed in the grit and perseverance required to start, sustain and grow a business. Prior to founding her company, she was an architectural designer involved in a variety of projects. She is a San Francisco native and holds a Bachelor of Architecture from California College of the Arts, and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

This week’s office hours expands upon our last session regarding money mindsets. Allon and I specifically compared and contrasted the concept of abundant and scarcity thinking. We wanted to share this conversation with fellow out bosses to help you get your mind right so that you can remain focused, persistent and hopeful about growing your business into one that thrives and exceeds your wildest dreams!

Vanessa is the co-founder of the Trans Love Project. The project was first conceptualized when actor Don Cheadle appeared on Saturday Night Live, making a bold statement with a T-Shirt that read “Protect Trans Kids.” Vanessa wanted to make it possible to be like Don, to be a proud ally for trans youth and LGBTQ+ people of color. And Vanessa sure is a bad ass ally – she’s the parent of an amazing trans son, she is a business owner, and she’s a describes herself as an “accidental activist and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Dan Clements is the co-owner of Sin-able Sweets, a dietetic bakery in which all of the delicious baked goods fit into the American Diabetes Association guidelines for people living with Diabetes. After surviving gastric bypass surgery, Dan recommitted to improving his health sparking the motivation for opening up his bakery with his partner in 2017. Just shy of their two year anniversary, the bakery is rapidly growing and serves customers here in Oregon as well as across the United States.

This week, Rhodes and Allon open up their office hours to friend of the show and “Wizard of Tax,” Jax Wheatley. Together, the group unpacks why “revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, and cash flow is queen.” Whether you are a seasoned business owner, or just thinking about taking the entrepreneurial leap, you’ll gain fresh and meaningful insights of how to manage money flowing into your business, and evaluate the health and sustainability of your business.

Derrick Reyes is the Co-Founder and CEO of Queerly Health. Queerly Health is an online marketplace of LGBTQ+ culturally responsive health and wellness providers, telehealth capabilities, and concierge health services. With a background in LGBTQ+ health, education, and social services, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Derrick knows firsthand how difficult it is for LGBTQ+ people to access basic health related services. They also deeply understand digital health’s potential to create some much needed change.

On this week’s episode, we continue with the show’s Office Hours to support those of us thinking about, starting or growing a business. This week we’ll be discussing how to gracefully transition from an employee to entrepreneur mindset. During the episode, Allon and I discuss strategies on how to shift our mindset to begin thinking like the CEOs and business leaders we were meant to be. Please note the Office Hours Series differs from our normal weekly episodes – on the regular show, I continue to interview business owners sharing their wisdom and guidance with me. If you love these interviews, please know they will continue on this platform every other Tuesday.

Martha Pellegrino is the Founder and Chief Bravissima Officer of Brava Point LLC, a company that helps clients navigate the complex worlds of public affairs and organizational change. Martha specializes in accelerating strategic outcomes, advancing equity, and creating effective teams. Prior to starting her own company, Martha served as the Director of Government Relations for the City of Portland, where she oversaw state, federal and international affairs. She holds a B.A. in English and Philosophy from the University of Illinois, an M.A. in English Literature from the University of East Anglia, U.K., and a J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law. She and her wife Alisa live in SE Portland with their two amazing cats.

This week’s episode introduces a new chapter for the Out Entrepreneur Podcast, as we are launching the show’s inaugural “Office Hours” Series! The Office Hours series features new episodes of the podcast that dive deeper into some of the many themes guests over the past 2+ years have shared. Some of these themes piqued our curiosity and have inspired us to amplify our guest’s wisdom in order to deliver the best business advice, centered around leveraging our rainbow superpowers.

Dr. Steve Yacovelli, aka the gay leadership dude, is the Owner & Principal of TopDog Learning Group, LLC. Steve’s company is a global consulting practice based in Orlando, FL specializing in human learning and performance. Steve is also the author of Pride Leadership, Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King, or Queen of their Jungle.

Robert Turvey has two decades working as a marketing expert. In 2015, he started his business Connecting Your Customers, a marketing agency that connects your ideal and dream customers with your business. Robert appreciates concrete, data driven strategies, and incorporates them into his practice to help his clients’ businesses grow and thrive.