Advertise on podcast: Casa De Confidence Podcast | Grow Your Business, Life and Confidence | with Julie DeLucca-Collins

What happens when the career you've built for decades is no longer the life you want? For years, Marianne DeMello-Smith poured herself into her corporate career. She built relationships, developed leadership skills and created an identity around the work she did. But after organizational changes and a growing disconnect between her career and her personal priorities, she found herself facing a question she hadn't expected. Who am I without my job? In this episode of Casa De Confidence, I sit down with my friend and fellow New England podcaster Marianne DeMello-Smith, creator of Message in the Middle, to talk about what it really means to reinvent yourself in midlife. Marianne shares what happened when she stepped away from her longtime career and intentionally took six months to figure out what came next. We talk about the fear of losing your identity, the importance of transferable skills and why the experiences you've collected throughout your life are more valuable than you might realize. We also explore the habits that helped Marianne make lasting changes to her health, why she's abandoned all-or-nothing thinking and how she's learned to create a life that better reflects her priorities. And yes, I share my own slightly disastrous return to roller skating, which turned into a surprisingly useful lesson about being willing to become a beginner again. One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when Marianne explains why she wants her grandchildren to be able to watch her podcast long after she's gone. For her, reinvention is about the life she's living now and the example she's leaving behind. What You'll Hear Why leaving a longtime corporate career can feel like losing part of yourselfHow Marianne used a six-month career break to reconnect with what matteredWhy your professional skills don't disappear when you change directionA simple childhood reflection exercise to rediscover what brings you joyWhat my roller-skating experience taught me about starting overWhy being uncomfortable is sometimes necessary for personal growthHow Marianne moved away from all-or-nothing thinking about healthy habitsWhat work-life balance actually looks like when your priorities changeHow vision boards and regular self-reflection can keep you connected to your goalsWhy small, courageous steps matter more than dramatic reinventionThe legacy Marianne hopes to leave her grandchildrenOne question every woman should ask herself in midlifeWhether you're considering a career change, navigating an unexpected transition or simply wondering what else might be possible, Marianne's story is a reminder that your next chapter can begin right where you are. 🔗 Connect with Marianne  Website: https://www.messageinthemiddle.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-demello-smith-678b9966/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/106193706/admin/dashboard/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/422430469323847 I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

Have you looked at the calendar lately and thought, "Well, I guess this year didn't go the way I planned"? Maybe you haven't reached your business goals. Maybe you haven't signed the clients you hoped for, launched that offer or made the progress you expected. Before you decide the year is a wash, I want you to consider something. What if the final months of the year aren't too late? What if they're your head start? In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Dan and I are catching up on a few things happening around the Casa, including his birthday, my second-place finish in the first round of America's Top Host and my upcoming Recalibrate retreat in Chester, Connecticut. I'll admit something. Even though finishing second was a wonderful accomplishment, my brain immediately wanted to focus on the fact that I didn't come in first. Sound familiar? That little moment of comparison led us into a bigger conversation about how easily we overlook our progress when we're focused on everything we haven't done. And I've been hearing that same frustration from women business owners who feel like they've run out of time to make this year count. I don't believe that. Dan reminds us that the months we've already lived through have given us experience we can use. And I share a simple approach to building visibility without trying to post everywhere, reach everyone or do a hundred things at once. We also get into Dan's racing analogy, a stolen bagel courtesy of Yogi, and why the dogs apparently have their own agenda whenever we're recording. What You'll Hear Why finishing second made me think about comparison and how quickly we dismiss our accomplishmentsWhat reaching the next round of America's Top Host means to meWhy the final months of the year can be a head start instead of a disappointmentHow to use what you've learned from the past nine monthsWhy trying to speak to everyone can make your business message less effectiveThe importance of knowing exactly whom you help and what changes for themMy simple weekly approach to creating content, connecting with people and becoming more visibleWhy consistency matters more than trying to do everythingHow taking small actions can help build confidenceDan's racing analogy for finishing the year strongA little birthday banter, retreat excitement and everyday life at Casa De CollinsYour Takeaway You don't need to make up for an entire year in the next few months. Look at what you've learned, decide what matters most and choose one action that moves you forward. And remember, you don't have to reach everyone. You need to connect with the people you can genuinely help. Connect with Julie Website: https://goconfidentlycoaching.com America's Top Host: https://tophost.org/2026/julie-delucca-colllins Casa De Confidence: https://casadeconfidencepod.com Thank you for being part of our Casa. Remember, our Casa is your Casa, and we hope you'll keep going confidently in the direction of your dreams. I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What happens when you've spent years becoming successful, only to realize there are parts of yourself you left behind along the way? Sara Byers has led businesses, chaired boards and built the kind of professional life that looks impressive on paper. She's also a poet, writer, speaker and deeply intuitive woman whose life began changing dramatically in 2020 when she could no longer ignore the part of herself that didn't fit neatly inside the identity she had built. And this wasn't the first time Sara had listened to that voice. Years earlier, she walked away from a successful career with Gap and Banana Republic, took a 70% pay cut and returned home to Vermont to join her family's business. There wasn't a logical argument for doing it. She simply knew. Looking back, she calls it one of the best decisions she ever made. Podcast Episode with Sara Byers Our conversation became an exploration of what happens when achievement and intuition meet. Sara and I talk about the identities we create to belong, the parts of ourselves we silence in professional spaces and the strange experience of reaching midlife and realizing we may be ready to shed some of the layers we've accumulated. We also talk about imposter syndrome, perfectionism and the tendency to look at everyone else's strengths while dismissing the gifts that come naturally to us. Sara shares something a fellow CEO once told her when she admitted struggling with imposter syndrome. His response essentially challenged her to consider whether she was also questioning everyone else's judgment in choosing her for the role. That stopped both of us. Because how often have other people already seen something in us that we're still refusing to acknowledge? What You'll Hear Why Sara walked away from a successful career and took a 70% pay cutWhat happened when her professional identity collided with her spiritual lifeHow structure and surrender can exist togetherThe hidden cost of silencing yourself in leadershipSara's experience being the only woman on a boardA completely different way of looking at imposter syndromeWhy we often minimize the things that come naturally to usHow our desire to belong can slowly change the way we show upWhat midlife can teach us about shedding identities that no longer fitSara's journey from perfectionism toward self-acceptanceWhy our failures and messy seasons matterThe idea of creating a “reverse bucket list”How Sara's anxiety existed alongside professional successWhy reinvention doesn't require erasing who you used to beSara's message for the woman wondering whether it's too late to become more of herselfThis conversation is for the woman who has accomplished a lot and is beginning to wonder whether the next chapter might require less proving and more listening. 🔗 Connect with Sara  Website: https://sarasbyers.com/ I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What if working harder isn't the answer? Morgan Hamer knows what it feels like to do everything you're “supposed” to do and still know something isn't right. She built a successful career in commercial real estate, but eventually found herself burned out and disconnected from the life she actually wanted. Instead of walking away from everything she'd built, Morgan started paying attention to what energized her, what felt true to her and what she was ready to leave behind. That shift eventually led her to build a seven-figure real estate portfolio, own a commercial real estate firm and business brokerage, and create Morgan Manifest, where she helps women pursue success without living in a constant state of hustle. Podcast Episode with Morgan Ham… Morgan and I get into the part of success we don't talk about enough: the internal work. What happens when the very beliefs we think are protecting us are actually keeping us small? Morgan calls them “blessing blockers.” Maybe it's, “I can't afford it.” Maybe it's, “There isn't enough demand.” Or the sneakiest one: “I'm not good enough for that.” We talk about how those stories show up in our businesses, why slowing down can sometimes move us forward, and how to tell the difference between following someone else's version of success and creating a life that actually feels like yours. And yes, we go there with intuition, manifestation, divine guidance and Morgan's decision to come out of what she jokingly calls the “woo woo closet.” Podcast Episode with Morgan Ham… What You'll Hear What being “in alignment” actually meansHow Morgan went from burnout to building a seven-figure real estate portfolioWhy working harder isn't always the path to earning moreHow Morgan blends spirituality with practical business decisionsHow to begin trusting your intuitionThe “blessing blockers” that can keep us stuckWhy scarcity and unworthiness don't always sound the way we expectHow to recognize when you're slipping back into burnoutWhy slowing down can be part of your business strategyMorgan's “hell yes or no” filter for boundaries and opportunitiesHow she structures her schedule around her energyWhy success doesn't have to require struggleOne thing I especially loved about this conversation is Morgan's reminder that alignment isn't something we figure out once. She describes it as an ongoing process of noticing what still belongs in your life and what you're ready to shed. Podcast Episode with Morgan Ham… 🔗 Connect with Kenneth & Caroline  Website: https://www.morganmanifests.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgan.manifests/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgan.manifests.hamer/ The Soul-Called Collective Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AmqKineCF/ Free Offer The Hot-Mess to High Vibe Guide for Worn Out Women in Business: https://morgan-manifests.kit.com/e5fcbf9f9b I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

How often do we see something, fill in the missing pieces ourselves and then react to the story we've created? Probably more often than we'd like to admit. Julie and Dan are back together at Casa De Collins for one of those conversations that starts in one place, takes several unexpected turns, and somehow lands on a lesson we probably all need. Julie shares the story of a small business owner who spent years growing an independent bath and body brand, opened a brick-and-mortar location and then discovered that Bath & Body Works was moving in right next door. Cue the panic. But Julie sees another side of the story. What can small business owners learn from situations like this? How do you protect yourself, understand your agreements and, more importantly, stop allowing competition to convince you that there isn't room for you? Because somebody else doing what you want to do doesn't mean you missed your chance. Sometimes it's evidence that there's a market for it. Then Julie shares a viral clip from a San Francisco Giants game that had the internet judging a husband who appeared to let his wife struggle with a baby and food while he sat comfortably in his seat. Julie judged him too. Until she heard the rest of the story. What looked like an inconsiderate husband turned out to be a tiny glimpse into a much bigger story involving exhaustion, grief and a wife intentionally trying to care for her husband. Julie realized she'd filled in all the missing information herself and gotten it completely wrong.  09272026dj That leads Julie and Dan into a conversation about assumptions, comparison, business, relationships and the stories we tell ourselves about what other people must be thinking. They also manage to wander into hurricanes, fall in Connecticut, Julie's upcoming trip to New York City, Brave Moves, ballroom dancing and Dan's unfortunately named favorite pants. Because, well...Casa. In This Episode The difference between leadership and controlWhat Julie learned from Kenneth and Caroline KollaschWhat happens when a major competitor moves in next doorWhy contracts and lease details matter for entrepreneursHow small businesses can differentiate themselves from major brandsWhy competition doesn't mean there isn't room for youThe danger of comparison and despairThe viral baseball video Julie completely misjudgedWhy a few seconds on social media rarely tell the whole storyHow assumptions affect our businesses and relationshipsWhy your fear of being “salesy” may be another story you've inventedRedefining success as we head into Q4Why sometimes we all need to recalibrateAnd, yes, Dan explains “Ballroom Pants”The Big Takeaway Julie sums up one of the biggest lessons beautifully: “If somebody else is doing it, that means that it's possible for you.”  09272026djCompetition doesn't automatically mean stop. And the story you've created about what someone else thinks, wants or intends isn't automatically true. Sometimes we need more information before we decide what something means. I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What can ballroom dancing teach us about marriage, leadership, confidence, business and learning to let go of control? Turns out, quite a lot. Kenneth and Caroline Kollasch met through ballroom dancing, eventually became competitive dance partners, fell in love, got married and built a life together. But their partnership didn't work because they naturally approached life the same way. Quite the opposite. Kenneth describes himself as driven, outspoken and, especially in his younger years, pretty convinced he was right. Caroline tended to avoid confrontation and hold things in. Add different backgrounds, different communication styles and initially very different beliefs, and they had plenty to figure out. What they learned on the dance floor became a lesson for everything else. In this episode of Casa De Confidence, we talk about what happens when two people stop trying to win against each other and start learning how to move together. Caroline shares how she learned to speak up instead of burying what she felt, while Kenneth talks about learning to listen, acknowledge that he could be wrong and give Caroline the space to tell him what he might not want to hear. Their experience illustrates why vulnerability and communication are so closely connected in a relationship. Then we get into one of my favorite parts of the conversation: leading versus controlling. As someone who naturally wants to lead, I asked Caroline what ballroom dancing taught her about stepping back and trusting someone else to guide the movement. Her answer goes far beyond dancing. Sometimes leadership means stepping forward. Sometimes it means trusting. Sometimes it means creating enough room for someone else to step into their role. And sometimes growth begins with admitting that the way you've always done something isn't the only way. Kenneth and Caroline also share how those same lessons show up in entrepreneurship, coaching, managing people and building a business. We talk about finding common ground with people who don't think like you, creating systems for continued growth, asking for coaching and staying willing to learn even when you already have experience. Kenneth also shares what's behind his Business Growth Made Simple Show and why he believes business growth doesn't need to become unnecessarily complicated. This conversation reminded me that life really can be a dance. We're going to miss steps. We're going to step on toes. We're going to disagree about who's leading. But we can learn the steps. And we can keep moving. In This Episode, You'll Hear About How Kenneth and Caroline met through ballroom dancingWhat competitive dancing taught them about relationshipsWhy Caroline believes difficult seasons don't last foreverHow they navigated dramatically different communication stylesWhy forgiveness needs to be paired with honest conversationHow Kenneth learned to listen instead of always trying to be rightWhy Caroline had to learn to speak up instead of stuffing her feelingsThe relationship between humility and confidenceWhy working with people who think differently can make us betterWhat ballroom dancing teaches us about trust and controlWhy leadership doesn't always mean being the person out frontHow lessons from marriage can carry into businessWhy entrepreneurs need coaching, accountability and a willingness to changeKenneth's approach to simplifying business growthWhy podcasts and YouTube can become evergreen business assets🔗 Connect with Kenneth & Caroline  Website: https://kennethcoaches.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/kenneth.coaches LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kennethkollasch Facebook: https://facebook.com/kenneth.coaches YouTube: https://youtube.com/@kenneth.coaches I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What happens when Julie comes home from New York after Podcast Movement with scraped-up knees, a head full of podcast statistics, strong opinions, and approximately 47 things she needs to tell Dan? You get this episode. Dan is back behind the mic, Julie is finally home, Yogi has an injured paw, and before they can get anywhere near the actual topic, there is monkey business, a Times Square wipeout and a brief disagreement over what constitutes an acceptable joke. In other words, welcome back to the Casa. Julie shares what she learned at Podcast Movement 2026 in New York City, including one deceptively simple question: What exactly is a podcast in 2026? As podcasting expands across audio, YouTube, video, social clips and connected TVs, the answer isn't as straightforward as it used to be. Julie and Dan talk about how people discover podcasts today, why short-form clips can annoy audiences while still helping them discover new shows, the growing opportunity for smaller podcasts to attract advertisers, and why committed audiences can matter more than massive download numbers. They also wander exactly where you'd expect them to wander. Dan considers starting a genealogy podcast. Julie shares her appreciation for mentor Ande Lyons and her experience at Podcast Movement. They debate cell phone carriers, discover who actually sang “I Love a Rainy Night,” talk about 9 to 5, celebrate afternoon tea, and share what's happening next in their world. There's also a more serious conversation about family leave, access to care and the importance of looking beyond one source of information when forming opinions. It's informative. It's occasionally educational. It is absolutely off the rails. Basically, it's Julie and Dan. What You'll Hear  Julie's very public fall in Times Square  What Podcast Movement 2026 was really like  Julie's biggest takeaway from the conference  What actually qualifies as a podcast today  Why audio and video aren't competing as much as we think  How social clips are helping audiences discover podcasts  Why smaller, highly engaged audiences are becoming interesting to brands  Dan's idea for a genealogy podcast  Why having a mentor matters to Julie  The value of exposing yourself to information outside your usual sources  Julie's afternoon tea adventure in Manhattan  Dan discovering 9 to 5 approximately 46 years late  Why Julie's cell phone is officially on notice  An update on The Nearly True Adventures of My Bunny Steve Why confidence comes through practiceLinks: Podcast Movement Don't Be Caged By Your Age with Ande Lyons The Nearly True Adventures of My Bunny Steve Brave Moves Amy Scott's Casa De Confidence episode Factor referral link UC Berkeley summary of the Fox News/CNN study I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What if the thing standing between you and sustainable change isn't knowing what to eat? What if it's how you talk to yourself when things don't go according to plan? Amy Scott spent years riding the weight-loss roller coaster. She had struggled with her weight for much of her life, experienced some success with Weight Watchers, regained weight, and eventually reached a point where she wondered if there might be another way. Then, at age 54, Amy lost 80 pounds. But the biggest transformation wasn't simply what happened on the scale. In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Julie sits down with Amy, founder of Lose It ForEver Weightloss Program, to talk about the mindset and daily practices that helped her create sustainable change and eventually become a certified life coach helping other women do the same. Amy takes us back to a trip to the French Alps in her thirties when she wanted to ski but couldn't fit into the available ski boots. She remembers realizing she was too young to begin missing out on experiences she wanted to have. It would still take years before she found an approach that worked for her. Amy and Julie talk candidly about emotional eating, people-pleasing, menopause, body changes, self-confidence, GLP-1 medications, weight-loss surgery, habits, and why starting over every Monday can keep us stuck. They also explore something that applies far beyond weight loss: what happens after you mess up? Do you use it as evidence that you can't do this? Or can you get curious, learn something, and choose the next best step? Amy believes sustainable change isn't created by white-knuckling your way toward a number on the scale. It's built by practicing habits you can imagine continuing for the rest of your life. What You'll Hear Amy's experience losing 80 pounds at age 54The moment in the French Alps that changed how she saw her futureWhy years of dieting didn't create sustainable change for herPhysical hunger versus emotional hungerHow self-compassion interrupts the cycle of overeating and shameWhy you don't have to wait until Monday to start againThe difference between confidence and self-confidenceWhy keeping promises to yourself builds self-trustHow people-pleasing can disconnect women from what they actually wantWhy noticing what you're doing right mattersAmy's “losing or learning” approach to setbacksWhy focusing on daily habits can be more useful than obsessing over the scaleWhat Amy thinks about GLP-1 medications and the emotional side of eatingHow menopause and aging may require experimentation rather than extremesWhy compelling reasons can help you prioritize yourselfHow learning to care for yourself can ripple into your work and relationships🔗 Connect with Amy  Website: https://msha.ke/amyscottlifecoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyscottweightlosscoach/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyscottlifecoaching/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyscott610/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4AEL42ZxLG7OdDiNcQelaw Free Offer This is my Daily Planning Blueprint https://mailchi.mp/b780399dfbd9/daily-planevaluation-form Self Confidence Cure Guide https://mailchi.mp/1ad7a5686caa/self-confidence-cure I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

Julie and Dan are both members of Generation X, but their childhood experiences were worlds apart. Dan grew up in rural Connecticut, where children rode bikes for miles, wandered through multiple towns, and were expected to entertain themselves. Julie grew up in El Salvador and several major American cities, where outside play, community, independence, and even the meaning of “home” looked very different. Their conversation includes plenty of Gen X nostalgia, a few surprising childhood confessions, and an honest discussion about boredom, productivity, fitting in, and learning how to adapt. Julie also shares a deeply personal remembrance of September 11, including what she witnessed while driving toward Long Island, how she helped people contact their families, and what she learned about grief and our capacity to come together during painful moments. In this episode: • Dan reveals where he finally found the missing car keys • Julie and Dan compare city and rural Gen X childhoods • They debate how far children were allowed to roam • Julie confesses to framing her younger sister • They explore why adults have such a hard time being bored • Julie remembers what she witnessed on September 11 • They discuss resilience, differences, and our need to belong Tell us in the comments: Were you raised more like Julie or Dan? Learn more about Julie and the Recalibrate Retreat: https://goconfidentlycoaching.com Visit Casa De Confidence: https://casadeconfidencepod.com I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

You've picked the colors. You've built the website. You've created the offer. Maybe you've even started making money. But have you actually protected the business you're working so hard to build? In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Julie sits down with business and trademark attorney Samantha Bradshaw for a practical conversation about the legal and financial foundations entrepreneurs often push to the bottom of the list. Because let's face it, choosing your brand colors is a lot more fun than thinking about contracts, business entities, bank accounts, liability, copyright and trademarks. Until something goes wrong. Samantha works with first-generation entrepreneurs to help them proactively grow and protect their businesses. She shares how watching a friend struggle to access affordable legal support helped shape the kind of attorney and business owner she wanted to become. Julie and Samantha also dig into something that goes beyond legal protection: Are you building a business, or have you simply created something that pays you? They talk about separating personal and business finances, understanding profitability instead of being distracted by impressive revenue numbers online, using contracts before there's a disagreement, assessing insurance needs, and thinking about where you ultimately want your company to go. Then Samantha gives a refreshingly understandable explanation of one of the most confusing areas for entrepreneurs: copyright versus trademark. What protects your podcast? What about your course? Your business name? Your signature program? Your logo? Your event? And what happens if someone is already using a name similar to yours? Samantha explains why trademarks aren't simply about protecting a business. Trademark law exists in large part to prevent consumer confusion, and the strength of a brand can eventually become an asset with real financial value. In this episode, you'll learn: Why entrepreneurs postpone important legal foundationsThe difference between running a hobby and operating a businessWhy personal and business finances should be separatedHow an LLC or other business structure can help protect personal assetsWhen business insurance may deserve considerationWhy contracts can protect both the business and the client relationshipHow to introduce contracts if you've already started working with clientsWhy revenue and profit are two very different thingsHow the Profit First philosophy can change the way entrepreneurs manage moneyThe difference between copyright and trademarkWhat kinds of content may receive copyright protectionWhat a trademark actually protectsWhy two businesses can sometimes legally use the same or similar namesWhen trademarking a program, brand or event may make senseHow intellectual property can increase the value of a businessWhy your exit strategy matters even if you're nowhere near exitingThe simple trademark search Samantha recommends entrepreneurs do now Samantha's Challenge Before you spend another year building equity in a name, Samantha recommends checking whether someone may already have trademark rights that could create a problem. She walks listeners through searching the USPTO trademark database and suggests testing variations of the core name people use when referring others to your business. Important: This conversation is educational and isn't individualized legal advice. Your specific legal needs will depend on your business and circumstances. 🔗 Connect with Samantha  Website: https://www.inlinelegal.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inlinelegal/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabesq/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InLineLegal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@inlinelegal Free Offer Here’s a 10 min quiz so you can be aware if a trademark is something you could benefit from: https://www.inlinelegal.com/trademarkquiz I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What happens when Julie goes to Key West for Jimmy Buffett weekend and Dan stays home in Connecticut? Apparently, a long-distance Casa De Confidence quickie. Julie joins Dan from the La Concha in Key West, where she's grabbing breakfast with friends Melissa and Dawn before heading out on a boat during the Just a Few Friends celebration honoring the life and legacy of Jimmy Buffett. What starts as a quick check-in turns into a conversation about something much bigger: what happens when someone's legacy continues creating good long after they're gone? Julie shares what she's experiencing in Key West as Jimmy Buffett fans gather to celebrate the music, lifestyle, stories, and generosity that made Buffett much more than a musician to so many people. The celebration isn't only bringing fans together. Julie talks about how the weekend supports charitable causes and brings visitors, energy, and economic activity to Key West during what is typically a quieter time of year. She also shares her visit to Books & Books, where she met authors whose work explores Key West and Jimmy Buffett's legacy, including one writer whose personal loss became part of his own healing journey through writing. And because this is Casa De Confidence, things don't stay serious for too long. There's also a Key West thunderstorm, a restaurant power outage that left Julie and her friends temporarily unable to pay their bill, Dan's questionable memory of Vince Vaughn movies, an accidental conversation about swingers, microphone troubleshooting, and a final warning from Dan: Julie, stay off the jet skis. If you've ever wondered why Jimmy Buffett's influence continues to resonate years beyond the music, this little Casa quickie offers a glimpse into the answer. Legacy isn't only what you accomplish while you're here. Sometimes it's what other people continue doing because you were here. In this episode:  Why Julie is spending Labor Day weekend in Key West  The Just a Few Friends Jimmy Buffett celebration  How Buffett's legacy continues through community and charitable giving  Why the weekend matters to the local Key West economy  Julie's visit to Books & Books  Authors documenting Key West and Jimmy Buffett's story  How writing can become part of healing after loss  A memorable Key West power outage  Julie and Dan's long-distance marriage banter  Why Dan does NOT want Julie anywhere near a jet ski Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and make yourself at home. Our Casa is your Casa. And as always, go confidently in the direction of your dreams. I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What changes as we get older? Maybe it’s less about becoming a completely different person and more about getting clearer on what actually deserves our time. In this Sunday episode of Casa DeConfidence, Julie and Dan are back at the microphones for one of their candid conversations about marriage, midlife, getting older, changing priorities, and creating a life you actually enjoy. It starts, as many Casa conversations do, somewhere unexpected: Julie announces a new bucket-list dream of taking on the Mongol Rally, a wild, choose-your-own-adventure journey across thousands of miles. That leads Dan to ask a bigger question: What mattered to us in our 20s that doesn’t matter nearly as much now? And what have we learned along the way? Dan shares something he wishes he had understood sooner: in his 20s, he didn’t fully understand the power of saying no. Later, he had to learn the power of saying yes. Now, in midlife, he recognizes that a good life requires both. Julie and Dan talk about what it means to trust yourself enough to make your own decisions, how our priorities shift as we age, why some opportunities are worth saying yes to, and why we don’t have to do everything ourselves. They also get into the very real stuff of everyday life: simplifying dinner when life gets busy, Julie’s upcoming trip to Key West for the annual Jimmy Buffett celebration, adventures with their three senior dogs, the never-ending bathroom remodel, and why sometimes the best decision you can make is eating pizza outside on a beautiful New England evening. Because some things in life are fleeting. Maybe living confidently isn’t always about chasing the next accomplishment. Sometimes it’s knowing what matters, saying no to what doesn’t, saying yes to what does, and giving yourself permission to enjoy it without guilt. In This Episode: How priorities change as we get olderWhat we would tell our younger selves about lifeThe power of saying no without guiltWhy learning to say yes matters just as muchCreating a bucket list and choosing new adventuresWhy midlife can bring greater clarity about what really mattersLetting go of the pressure to do everything yourselfMaking intentional choices about your time and energyWhy ordinary moments can become some of the best parts of lifeJulie’s upcoming Key West adventure celebrating Jimmy BuffettMarriage, aging, senior dogs, home renovations, and plenty of Casa DeConfidence banterA Question for You Think about who you were at 21 or 25. What mattered enormously to you then that you don’t care nearly as much about today? And what matters to you now that your younger self never would have understood? We’d love to hear your answer. If this episode makes you laugh, think, or reconsider what deserves a yes or a no in your own life, share it with someone who might need the same reminder. And remember: pick one thing you enjoy and do it guiltlessly. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, make some brave moves, and leave people and the planet better than you found them. I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

Everybody seems to be telling entrepreneurs to write a book. Write it in a weekend. Use AI. Upload it to Amazon. Become a bestselling author. Watch the clients roll in. Except…that’s not quite how it works. This week on Casa De Confidence, Julie sits down with publishing expert Ally Machate, founder of The Writer’s Ally, to pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to write and publish a book that supports your business, serves your reader, and creates lasting impact. With experience that includes working at Simon & Schuster and helping authors navigate the publishing process, Ally challenges one of the biggest assumptions in entrepreneurship: just because you can write a book doesn't necessarily mean you should—or that the book you're planning is the right one. Ally explains why the first question shouldn't be “What should I write?” but rather “What do I want this book to do?” Do you want it to attract clients? Generate speaking opportunities? Grow your email list? Establish thought leadership? Change the way people think about an issue? That answer changes everything. Julie also gets personal about her own publishing experience, including what she would do differently, the emotional reality of receiving developmental edits, and why publishing her book ultimately opened doors far beyond book sales. In This Episode What You’ll Hear Why not every entrepreneur needs to write a bookThe difference between publishing a book and publishing a book people actually want to readWhy identifying your reader comes before writingHow a book can support your larger business strategyWhy your book is a product—not your babyWhat developmental editing actually doesWhy copyediting alone isn't enoughWhere AI can help authors—and where it still falls shortHow to create a transformational journey for your readerThe “macrocosm and microcosm” approach to structuring nonfictionTraditional publishing vs. hybrid publishing vs. DIY self-publishingWhat Ally calls supported indie publishingWhy distribution, ISBNs, Amazon KDP, and IngramSpark matterWhy giving books away can sometimes be smarter than selling themHow books create opportunities for coaching, consulting, speaking, and visibilityWhy becoming a bestseller isn't the only—or even necessarily the best—definition of publishing success One of Ally's most important reminders? “If you're talking to everyone, you're connecting with no one.” Before investing months—or years—writing your book, get clear about the person you're writing for and what you want the book to accomplish. Because the goal isn't merely to become a published author. It's to write the right book. 🔗 Connect with Ally  Website: http://www.writersally.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allymachate/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allysonemachate Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allysonemachate Free Offer https://offers.thewritersally.com/dont-write-the-wrong-book-podcasts/ I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

You asked. You waited. And yes... Handsome Hot Husband is finally back. After a little hiatus from the microphone, Dan returns to Casa De Confidence for the kind of episode longtime listeners know and love: part catching up, part behind-the-scenes conversation, part podcast recommendations—and plenty of completely unplanned Julie-and-Dan detours. Julie and Dan catch up on life at Casa De Collins, including the bathroom remodel that started as a "simple" project and somehow became a new shower, vanity, toilet, flooring, washer and dryer relocation, shower door, lighting...you know, the usual home-renovation mission creep. But there's also some pretty exciting news to celebrate. Casa De Confidence is celebrating six years of podcasting and was named Best Podcast in New England in its category by Women in Podcasting Magazine. Six years of conversations have also created something Julie and Dan never could have predicted when they started: relationships with remarkable podcasters, entrepreneurs, experts, authors, and friends. So this week, they're turning the tables and sharing some of the podcasts they help produce—and genuinely think you should be listening to. They talk about Jane Pilger's Binge Eating Breakthrough as she approaches an incredible 200 episodes; Ashley Capel and Jessica Chariton's hyperlocal Real Estate in the Rockies; Natalie Kime's increasingly personal conversations about caregiving, loss, finances, and end-of-life planning on Chat with Nat; Dr. Kristin Cook's neuroscience-informed parenting conversations on momdoctalk; Michele Weston's chronic illness and patient-advocacy conversations on Beyond My Diagnosis; Mary Foerster's Real Estate Connections; Julia Toothacre's career advice on Control Your Career; and Julie's own daily-ish experiment, Brave Moves. Along the way, Julie opens up about the unexpected realities of becoming a caregiver, Dan explains why he doesn't measure life in milestones, and the two somehow end up planning a 16-day transatlantic cruise, debating geography, discussing AI-generated computer screens, and trying to decide between Guinness, fish and chips, and noodles for date night. Basically, Casa De Confidence is Casa De Confidence again. And that's exactly the point. In This Episode Julie and Dan talk about six years of Casa De Confidence, Dan's return to the microphone, building Casa De Confidence Productions, the unexpected realities of caregiving, what makes a great podcast, why different voices and stories matter, the shows they're currently producing and listening to, Julie's Brave Moves experiment, creating a life with greater intention, and what's next for the show. Plus, there's a little travel dreaming, questionable geography, plenty of teasing, and the return of the banter. Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and make yourself at home. Our Casa is your Casa. I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins

What if making the world a little better didn't require a grand gesture? What if it started with noticing the person standing beside you? In this episode of Casa De Confidence, Julie DeLucca-Collins sits down with author, podcaster, storyteller, and Master of Divinity Kirsten Rudberg for a conversation about spirituality, human connection, storytelling, healing, and finding meaning in the seemingly ordinary moments of life. Kirsten describes herself as a panentheist, believing that everything is sacred and that we live in an intelligent universe with which we can co-create. Her worldview has been shaped by an unconventional childhood spent in Guyana, Pakistan, and the United States, exposing her early to different religions, cultures, foods, traditions, and ways of understanding the world. That curiosity eventually led Kirsten to seminary, despite not identifying with one particular religion. Julie and Kirsten explore what happens when we stop trying to fit spirituality, people, and even ourselves into neat little boxes. They also talk about something remarkably simple that we often underestimate: the power of making another human being feel seen. A compliment to a stranger. Letting someone go ahead of you in line. Buying someone a cup of coffee. Taking the time to listen to a story from someone whose life looks nothing like yours. These "bite-sized blessings" may seem small, but they can create ripples we never get to see. In This Episode What You’ll Hear What panentheism means to Kirsten and how it shapes her worldviewHow growing up in Guyana and Pakistan influenced her openness to different cultures and beliefsWhy Kirsten pursued a Master of Divinity without subscribing to one particular religionHow storytelling can build empathy between people who disagreeWhy Kirsten calls her podcast a "tithe to the universe"The relationship between trauma, healing, resilience, and how we interact with othersWhy being seen can be one of the greatest gifts we give another personHow living in Santa Fe has influenced Kirsten's spirituality and creativityReconnecting with the land and recognizing our responsibility as stewards rather than simply consumersHow words and everyday interactions can create meaningful changeKirsten's unexpected three-year experience of being supported through house-sittingWhy opening our hearts to strangers might be one small way to change the worldKirsten leaves us with a beautifully simple challenge: Talk to a stranger. Be friendly. Be someone others can talk to. Invite people into your sandbox and have fun. Because sometimes the smallest interaction becomes exactly the blessing someone needed that day. 🔗 Connect with Kirsten  Website:https://bytesizedblessings.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edisonsucks1/ I want to hear your thoughts about the show and this episode. Text us here... Support the show Casa De Confidence is a podcast for women navigating midlife reinvention, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Hosted by Julie DeLucca-Collins, the show explores confidence, sustainable business success, visibility, authority building, and aligned growth for women entrepreneurs ready to lead boldly and live intentionally. Through real conversations and practical insights, listeners gain clarity, strengthen confidence, and develop strategies to expand their impact, voice, and opportunities. Liked this episode? Share it with your midlife woman, entrepreneur friends! Love this show? Let us know how we helped you increase your confidence by leaving a review. For more about me and what I do, check out my website. If you’re looking for support to grow your business faster, be positioned as an authority in your industry, and impact the masses, schedule a call to explore if you’d be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. Follow Julie DeLucca-Collins on Instagram at @julie_deluccacollins