In this episode, we're joined by Llance Kezner, the innovative entrepreneur behind Keep Life Tasty. Llance and his wife Lori have transformed family recipes into award-winning food products that do more than tantalize taste buds—they help people manage stress and anxiety through thoughtful nutrition. As the creative force behind multiple Specialty Food Association award winners including Millie's Sipping Broth, Auntie Gretchen's Water Essence, Betty's Seasoning Blends, and AJ's Veggie Shots, llance shares the remarkable journey of building a plant-based, unsweetened product line now found across specialty retail, grocery, food service, and corporate wellness programs.

Llance reveals how the economic downturn of 2009 pushed him and his wife Lori to evaluate their passions and create their own business. What started as a homemade garlic condiment quickly evolved when they unexpectedly won Outstanding Product of the Year at the Fancy Food Show in New York. But their most successful innovation came from Lori's need for a savory, healthy beverage alternative during her teaching breaks. Thus, Millie's Sipping Broth—broth in a teabag—was born, creating an entirely new beverage category that's now carried in thousands of stores including Walmart.

Throughout our conversation, Llance shares invaluable insights about entrepreneurship, from testing products at Seattle's Pike Place Market to landing major retail deals, all while balancing family life with two growing sons. He discusses the unique dynamics of working with your spouse, the importance of keeping your day job until your business is proven sustainable, and how being industry outsiders allowed them to think beyond conventional boundaries. Tune in to discover how persistence, creativity, and staying customer-focused transformed a simple kitchen experiment into a nationwide success story.

Key Topics:

1. From tech sales to food entrepreneur during the 2009 recession
2. The birth of Garlic It and winning a major food industry award
3. How Millie's Sipping Broth came from a teacher's break room need
4. Creating a 5-second pitch that connects with customers instantly
5. The importance of separating innovation from manufacturing operations
6. Testing products at Pike Place Market to refine messaging
7. Lessons learned from competitors' mistakes
8. Balancing marriage and business partnership
9. Involving children in the family business
10. Navigating day jobs while building a side business
11. Getting discovered by Weight Watchers during COVID
12. Landing a Walmart deal among 7,000 competing brands
13. Future plans for corporate break rooms, hospitals, and coffee shops
14. Why you shouldn't quit your day job too soon
15. The value of being an industry outsider with fresh perspectives

Connect with Llance and Millie's Sipping Broth online:

Website: https://www.keeplifetasty.com/

Find more from Courtney Page:

Instagram: @courtneyaustinpage @resume.careers

Website: https://www.resume-careers.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-page-9b473914/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/resume-executive-search-development/

YouTube: @courtneyapage

Interested in 1:1 Coaching? Schedule a Consultation here: https://www.resume-careers.com/contact

Like the podcast? Rate and review the show on the Apple Podcasts app, Spotify, or YouTube!

In this episode, we welcome back Kelly Tolliday, a multi-hyphenate professional who has transformed her passion for travel into a thriving career. Kelly has evolved from her corporate marketing background working with global brands like Kimberly Clark and Dove to becoming a travel advisor, retreat founder, podcast host, and wellness practitioner with over 600 hours of certifications in yoga, meditation, and various wellness concentrations.

Kelly helps clients create unforgettable, transformational experiences around the world through her travel advising business, Rising Nature Retreats, and her podcast "Transform with Travel" - recently named a Top 10 Travel Wellness podcast by Feed Spot. Throughout our discussion, we explore the resurgence of travel advising in a DIY world, the confidence from living authentically, and how sobriety has enhanced Kelly's personal and professional journey.

Tune in to discover how intentionally integrating travel into your life can lead to profound personal transformation beyond your vacation days.

Key Topics:

1. How Kelly's elevator pitch has evolved since her last appearance
   
   
2. Why Kelly added travel agent to her already impressive resume
   
   
3. The shift from "travel agent" to "travel advisor" and what that means
   
   
4. Why travel advising is making a comeback in the age of DIY bookings
   
   
5. How advisors provide expertise beyond what online booking sites offer
   
   
6. Kelly's journey with sober curiosity and how it transformed into full sobriety
   
   
7. How sobriety has influenced Kelly's confidence and career trajectory
   
   
8. Navigating social relationships and travel industry events without alcohol
   
   
9. The global NA (non-alcoholic) movement and its growth in travel destinations
   
   
10. Setting intentions to bring elements of your travel experiences back into everyday life
    
    

Connect with Kelly online:

Website: https://www.transformwithtravel.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly.tolliday/

Podcast: Transform with Travel

Find more from Courtney Page:

Instagram: @courtneyaustinpage

@resume.careers

Website: https://www.resume-careers.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-page-9b473914/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/resume-executive-search-development/

YouTube: @courtneyapage

Interested in 1:1 Coaching? Schedule a Consultation here: https://www.resume-careers.com/contact

Like the podcast? Rate and review the show on the Apple Podcasts app, Spotify, or YouTube!

This week, we sit down with the incredibly talented Alissa Salvatore, an actress, singer, and host from the Bronx, New York. Alyssa shares her journey of pursuing a career in the performing arts while also finding joy and fulfillment outside of the stage and screen.

We kick things off by discussing Alissa's unique path and how she answers the age-old dinner party question, 'What do you do?' Alissa opens up about the challenges of financial and career instability in the acting world and the importance of embracing one's inner voice despite societal pressures to conform to more traditional career paths.

We dive into her fascinating blog, 'The Starving Actress,' which captures her adventures in food and travel, offering a creative outlet amidst the often unpredictable world of acting. Alissa reflects on the pivotal moments that have shaped her career, from her first voice lessons to navigating the tough realities of the industry. We also touch upon how Alissa has overcome bouts of self-doubt and the mental toughness required to stay resilient in such a demanding field.

Alissa's story is a testament to following your gut and never giving up on your dreams. Tune in to hear Alyssa's honest take on balancing ambition, creativity, and happiness, and learn why it's essential to maintain joy and satisfaction in whatever you choose to pursue.

Key Topics:

1. Overcoming shame and embracing who she is and what she does for a living
2. The mental toughness it takes to pivot over and over again
3. How to be resourceful in pursuing something you truly enjoy doing
4. Finding her love for acting and singing at 14
5. Putting happiness at the forefront of her life, even if it doesn't bring the biggest paycheck
6. How Alissa paid for her own voice lessons to pursue her dreams as a kid
7. Figuring out how to keep your soul alive even when you're struggling to pursue your dreams
8. Alissa's first acting gigs after college
9. Managing harsh criticism and feedback in the acting industry
10. Becoming Starving Actress NYC
11. Finding your zone of genius when you've outgrown certain things in your career
12. Getting over a plateau and cutting out things that aren't serving you anymore
13. Setting career goals for yourself
14. Is Alissa happy in her career?
15. Alissa's purpose and how she found it

Connect with Alissa online:

Website: https://www.starvingactressnyc.com/home.html

Instagram: @starvingactressnyc, @alissasalvitore20

Find more from Courtney Page:

Instagram: @courtneyaustinpage

@resume.careers

Website: https://www.resume-careers.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-page-9b473914/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/resume-executive-search-development/

YouTube: @courtneyapage

Interested in 1:1 Coaching? Schedule a Consultation here: https://www.resume-careers.com/contact

Like the podcast? Rate and review the show on the Apple Podcasts app, Spotify, or YouTube!