What if the words you use (and the stories you tell) are the currency of your career and business? Aurora Winter has built multiple 7-figure companies, won awards for her books, and been featured everywhere from ABC-TV to Oprah Radio. And her thesis is: communication isn't a soft skill. It's the foundation of everything!

In this episode, Colleen and Ashleigh sit down with Aurora to dig into the neuroscience of communication, why your words are quite literally triggering (or killing) buying decisions, and what Steve Jobs knew about storytelling that most people don't. Whether you're trying to grow a business, launch a book, or just get people to actually listen to you, this one's packed!

We talk about why thought leaders need to be authors (even in an AI world), how to turn one idea into multiple streams of income and impact, and why Aurora finally sat down to write the YA fantasy series she's been thinking about since she was nine.

Aurora Winter

🌐 aurorawinter.com 💼 LinkedIn 🎯

Free Quiz — Ready to Launch as a Thought Leader? thoughtleaderlaunch.com

Books & Resources Mentioned

• Turn Words Into Wealth by Aurora Winter
• Magic, Mystery and the Multiverse by Aurora Winter

Work with Maxady Ready to take your next career step? Maxady helps you find the role that actually fits — your skills, your life, your squiggle.

Connect with Your Hosts

• Colleen DelVecchio → LinkedIn
• Ashleigh Beadle → LinkedIn

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You got the flexibility you asked for. But now you're wondering… is working from home actually holding you back?

You're showing up, but you're not in the room where it happens. And when promotion season comes around, out of sight might just mean out of mind!

In this episode, Colleen and Ashleigh ( just our lovely co-hosts this week with no guest!) get real about the remote work dilemma: the freedom it offers and the specific strategies you need to keep your career moving forward when you're not in the office. From closing the visibility gap with leadership to knowing when hybrid is actually the smarter career move, this conversation is practical and can be implemented to your career squiggle ASAP.

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot? Maxady's coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love. 👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts

Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/

Ashleigh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-beadle/

🎙️ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and the courage it takes to evolve on purpose.

What if the career you never planned for turned out to be exactly the one you were meant to have? And what if the teens in your life — the ones navigating big decisions about their futures — can actually teach you everything you need to know about squiggly careers?

We've all had moments where the path we're on suddenly stops making sense. Where the bravest thing we can do is admit it and change course. That's exactly what Kristen Peters-Peterson did, more than once, before finding work that truly aligned with her purpose.

In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Ashleigh sit down with Kristen Peterson, founder of AWren Advisors, an educational consulting practice supporting teens, families, and schools through some of the most pivotal decisions of adolescence. Kristen's career journey — from aspiring wildlife vet to cultural anthropology student to ESPN to boarding school educator to entrepreneur — is an epic squiggle that will resonate with every squiggler listening.

Website: http://www.awrenadvisors.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awrenadvisors/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/AWren-Advisors-LLC/61574810956686/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-h-peterson/ | https://www.linkedin.com/company/awren-advisors

Books & Resources Mentioned 📖 Untangled — Lisa Damour (essential reading for anyone raising or working with teenage girls)

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot? Maxady's coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love. 👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/ Ashleigh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-beadle/

🎙️ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and the courage it takes to evolve on purpose.

Your brand photos might be the most vulnerable thing you'll ever do for your business. And that's exactly the point.

Most women entrepreneurs are walking around with headshots that no longer reflect who they are but images that show who they were three pivots ago. But your photos aren't just marketing assets. They're a signal to the world about who you're becoming, and they have the power to accelerate opportunities before you even open your mouth.

In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Ashleigh sit down with Heike Delmore, personal branding photographer and educator, who helps women entrepreneurs translate their evolving identity into images that actually reflect where they're headed. With a background in international advertising (MasterCard, GM) and a deep study of human behavior and psychology, Heike brings a uniquely intentional approach to the camera.

Heike Delmore is the founder of Delmore Personal Brand Photography. She helps women entrepreneurs capture not just where they are, but who they are becoming — combining her background in international advertising and psychology to coach clients through the vulnerability of being seen and translate their evolving identity into powerful visual stories.

Website: http://delmorephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikedelmore/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heike-delmore-personal-branding-photographer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heikedelmorecoaching/

Books & Resources Mentioned 📖 The War of Art — Steven Pressfield: https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ 🎵 Dallylama Playlists on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ngegi5hi7kn571q5q6phekih8

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot? Maxady's coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love. 👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/

🎙️ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and the courage it takes to evolve on purpose.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. But for some, its exactly the place you need to be.

For over 18 years, Kelly Rochelle Thadison ran Simply Divine Beauty Lounge, learning the hard lessons of entrepreneurship firsthand — cash flow, financial planning, and what it really costs to keep a dream alive. If you're an entrepreneur (or just curious about what it takes), this episode will scratch that itch and leave you with lessons to institute in your business.

In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Jen sit down with Kelly, speaker, author, and founder of The Kelly Rochelle Experience. Kelly shares the raw, honest story of building a business from the ground up, hitting her lowest points, and choosing growth anyways.

Kelly Rochelle Thadison is a speaker, author, and business leader with over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and community leader. She is the founder of The Kelly Rochelle Experience, a platform rooted in personal development, wellness, and leadership. Her self-published book, Becoming After the Breaking, is a testament to her journey of resilience and reinvention.

Follow Kelly: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekellyrochelle/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-thadison21

Becoming After Breaking Book Launch on May 31 in Western Massachusetts: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/becoming-after-the-breaking-tickets-1986717106346?aff=oddtdtcreator

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot? Maxady's coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love. 👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts

Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/

Connect with Jen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pasquale/

Work with Jen: https://www.leadwithcuriosity.co/

🎙️ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and the courage it takes to evolve on purpose.

Stuck in an unhappy career? Wondering if your side gig could become something bigger?

Many professionals stay in jobs that drain them because the leap into something new feels too risky. But sometimes toxic workplaces, mean bosses, and being undervalued become the very push needed to create change.

In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen welcomes Meghan Rothschild, President of Chikmedia, a full-service marketing and PR firm focused on women entrepreneurs and nonprofits.

Meghan shares her squiggly career path—from navigating toxic workplaces, sexual harassment, and not being taken seriously, to turning a long-running side hustle into a successful full-time business.

If you’ve ever questioned whether to stay, speak up, or start over, this episode will help you think differently about change.

About Meghan Rothschild

Meghan Rothschild is the President of Chikmedia, a marketing and PR agency supporting women entrepreneurs and nonprofits. She is a business owner, advocate, and speaker known for helping others communicate boldly and build brands with purpose.

Follow Her on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghanrothschild/

Website: https://www.meghanrothschild.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outwithmeghan/

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot?

Maxady’s coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love.
👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts

Colleen on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/

🎙️ Subscribe for more conversations on squiggly career paths, mindset shifts, and turning career complexity into your competitive advantage.

What if the thing holding your career back… isn’t your ambition but your energy?

In this episode of Embrace the Squiggle, Colleen and Jen dive into a topic every high-achiever needs but often ignores: sleep, energy, and sustainable performance.

They’re joined by Tanessa Shears, a sleep and performance specialist who has spent over a decade helping entrepreneurs and leaders eliminate brain fog, prevent burnout, and build the physical and cognitive capacity to perform at a high level without running themselves into the ground.

But this conversation goes beyond optimization.

After reaching financial independence at 35, Tanessa stepped away from her business and spent 18 months traveling the world with her family. She returned not just rested—but with a completely reset nervous system, a new perspective on hustle culture, and clarity on what sustainable success actually looks like.

We unpack why so many ambitious professionals are unknowingly burning themselves out, how to recognize the early warning signs (even when everything looks “fine” on the outside), and what small shifts can dramatically improve your energy, focus, and long-term performance.

If you’ve been feeling constantly tired, stuck in brain fog, or questioning whether success has to come at the cost of your wellbeing—this episode is your permission to do things differently.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why high-achievers are especially prone to burnout (and how to spot it early)
• What’s actually happening in your body when you experience brain fog
• The hidden cost of hustle culture—and why it stops working
• What a “reset nervous system” really feels like in real life
• Simple, science-backed habits to improve your sleep, energy, and focus
• How to sustain high performance without sacrificing your health

Connect with Tanessa:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanessashears/

Follow her on Substack: https://imbecomingresilient.substack.com/

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot?

Maxady’s coaching services help you navigate uncertainty, embrace your strengths, and build a career you love.
👉 https://www.maxady.com/coaching

Stay in Touch with Your Hosts:

• Colleen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/
• Connect with Jen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-pasquale/
• Work with Jen: https://www.leadwithcuriosity.co/

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations that transform career complexity into your competitive advantage!

What actually counts as an “untraditional” career?

At Embrace the Squiggle, that definition is constantly evolving—and this episode is proof that there’s no one way to build a meaningful career.

This week, Colleen and Ashleigh sit down with Shawn Thornton, founder and CEO of SmartBiz IT, to explore what it really looks like to follow a non-linear path fueled by intrinsic motivation and continuous learning.

Shawn’s career isn’t built on a rigid plan—it’s driven by curiosity, growth, and a mindset he describes as simply being “wired this way.” That internal drive has shaped his journey into entrepreneurship and continues to influence how he leads and scales his business today.

From navigating career moves to launching SmartBiz IT, Shawn shares honest insights into what it takes to build something from the ground up—and why being naturally motivated to learn might be one of the most powerful (and underrated) career advantages.

Whether you’re considering entrepreneurship, pivoting careers, or questioning the traditional path, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to grow on your own terms.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What defines an “untraditional” or squiggly career path
• How intrinsic motivation can shape long-term career success
• Why continuous learning is a key driver for entrepreneurs
• The realities of starting and running a business
• How to navigate career growth without a linear plan

About Shawn & SmartBiz IT:

Shawn Thornton is the founder and CEO of SmartBiz IT https://www.smartbizit.com/ where he helps companies navigate complex challenges like SOC 2 and HIPAA readiness, enterprise security reviews, and cloud modernization. His work sits at the intersection of technology, security, and business growth—helping organizations scale with confidence.

🎯 Want accountability while navigating your career pivot?

Join the Squiggle Huddle with Colleen—a monthly accountability space designed to help you stay focused, aligned, and moving forward in 2026.
👉 https://www.maxady.com/workshops/p/the-squiggle-huddle-monthly-accountability-for-2026-goals

🤝 Stay Connected:

Colleen on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/comara/

Ashleigh on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-beadle/

🎙️ Love squiggly careers, mindset shifts, and real talk about building a career on your terms?
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