Out of No Man’s Land: What Happens When Systems Nerds Get in the Same Room (Bonus Episode)

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showRunning a business can feel a lot like working on a puzzle.You’ve got pieces everywhere — ideas, tools, workflows, client needs — and you know they’re supposed to fit together… but sometimes the picture just doesn’t feel complete.With National Puzzle Day coming up, I’m leaning into one of my favorite metaphors and breaking down how puzzles and business are surprisingly similar — especially for solopreneurs navigating the messy middle of growth.In this episode, I’m sharing:Why January can feel overwhelming (even when nothing is “wrong”)A simple PUZZLE framework to help you figure out what’s missingThree different ways people naturally approach building a businessWhy support systems don’t replace your thinking — they protect your progressHow to stop feeling scattered and start placing the right next pieceIf your business feels heavy, incomplete, or just slightly off right now, this episode will help you zoom out, get grounded, and move forward with more clarity.ICYMIEp 140: No Man's Land: Why the Messy Middle Isn't the End of Your Fairytale🎁 17hats Giveaway (through January 25, 2026)If leads, contracts, invoices, or client follow-up feel heavier than they should, this is a great time to explore what better backend support could look like.Details & enter here.🧩 Completing the Puzzle Subscription Looking for a fun, low-pressure way to unwind? A subscription with Completing the Puzzle could be a great fit! They send you a puzzle, you enjoy it, send it back, and move on to the next one (no clutter, no stacks collecting dust). Use code FAIRYTALE for $6 off your first month.🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showThis is a special bonus episode of Build Your Own Fairytale, recorded live, in real life, while I was in Nashville with two of my favorite fellow systems strategists and business friends.What started as a casual “let’s finally get together in person” trip quickly turned into something much bigger — real conversations, honest pushback, whiteboard brainstorming, and one brand-new business idea that went from thought to action in under 24 hours.If you listened to the previous episode about consistency and being stuck in no man’s land, this conversation is the natural next chapter.In this episode, we talk about:How three “competitors” became genuine business bestiesWhy being in the room together still matters (even in an online world)What actually helps ideas move out of no man’s land and into momentumAnd what happens when smart women give each other honest, supportive pushbackYou’ll also hear how this Nashville trip sparked early conversations around creating intentional space for business owners — part strategy, part systems, part breathing room — and why we’re inviting listeners into that conversation from the very beginning.If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what you want to do and actually doing it, this episode is for you.P.S. If the mention of my new offer to support marketing and strategic content planning sparked something for you, join the waitlist here.Learn more and connect with my guests here:Deb Mitzel: debmitzelcreative.com and @debmitzelcreative on IG Nicole Larson: letnicolehelp.com and @letnicolehelp on IG🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showWhat if the hardest part of building a business isn’t the beginning… or the end — but the middle?In this episode, I’m sharing a powerful lesson that hit me in the middle of a long, sweaty run while training for my upcoming half marathon. My instructor introduced the concept of No Man’s Land — the point in a long run where you’re too far from the start to feel excited, but too far from the finish to see the payoff.And honestly? It felt exactly like solopreneurship.We talk about:Why the “messy middle” is where so many business owners get stuckThe mindset shifts that help you keep going when motivation dipsWhy discomfort doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong — it often means you’re growingHow working smarter (not harder) becomes essential as your business growsThe systems that help reduce mental load and create breathing room againAnd to kick off the new year, I’m excited to be partnering with 17hats on a giveaway designed to support solopreneurs in this exact season. One winner will receive a one-year 17hats membership (open to new and existing users), plus a 60-minute 1:1 session with me to help you figure out the best place to start. Enter here.✨ Because the messy middle shouldn’t be the thing that stops you from building your fairytale.🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showAs we wrap up 2025, I wanted to take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate — both the growth of Build Your Own Fairytale and the incredible conversations we shared this year.In this special Best of 2025 episode, I’m revisiting some of the most powerful moments from the podcast — blending guest wisdom with highlights from my most-downloaded solo episodes. From the courage to just start, to the importance of pausing and stacking small wins, to staying rooted in connection and core values as you grow, these lessons perfectly capture what this year was all about.Episodes referenced:Ep# 122 The Art of Starting Over: Michelle Amman's Leap from Education to EntrepreneurshipEp# 138 Building Her Dream Land: How Megan Lewis Turned Disney Magic into a Thriving Nanny BusinessEp# 116 Solo Travel & Solopreneurship: How Kristine Thomason Found Fulfillment as a Freelance WriterEp# 114 Maddy Fero's Fast Story from NASCR to Biz OwnerEp# 118 Beyond the Pool Deck: Erica Beine's Journey from D1 Coach to Wellness EntrepreneurEp# 124 Science, Sugar & Soul: How Grace "Grey" Pak is Redefining CakeEp# 134 Marco Polo's Vlada Bortnik on the Magic of Technology (for Good) & Human ConnectionEp# 135 My Solopreneur Tech Stack: The Essentials That Do It All (Solo)Ep# 133 October Theory: Fresh Starts Aren't Just for January (Solo)Ep# 131 Behind the Scenes: Observations & Lessons Learned from my 1st Collab (Solo)🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showCinderella might have had a fairy godmother—but Megan Lewis built her own magic. ✨At just 24, Megan founded Dreamland Nannies, an Orlando-based childcare company that helps families enjoy the Disney parks stress-free. In this episode, we talk about how she turned her love for kids and theme parks into a growing business serving hotels and families across Central Florida.You’ll hear how Megan: 🎢 Took the leap from college grad to CEO 🪄 Built a team of 20+ nannies across Orlando’s theme parks 💫 Learned that “just start” really is the secret to successIf you’ve ever dreamed of starting something new—or making your own kind of magic in business—this episode is your reminder that fairytales are built one brave step at a time.Connect with Megan at dreamlandnannies.com or follow along on social (Instagram | Facebook | TikTok)🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showIt’s Thanksgiving week — the season of gratitude, chaos, & calendars that somehow manage to fill themselves.If you’ve ever said, “I can’t use an online scheduler… my schedule’s always changing!” or “I don’t want to be boxed in!” — this one’s for you.I’m busting the biggest myths about online scheduling & showing you how a scheduling link doesn’t take away your freedom — it protects it.Spoiler alert: an online scheduler can help you set clear boundaries, avoid double-booking, & give clients an easier way to connect — all while saving you hours each week.If you’ve been hesitant to share your calendar, you’ll leave this episode ready to set one up — and finally feel like your schedule is working for you, not against you.🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showAuthor and entrepreneur Charity Alyse shares the heartwarming story behind Austen’s Shelf, her tiny bookshop on wheels — a Jane Austen–inspired mobile bookstore bringing literary magic to communities across New Jersey.After a health scare reminded her that “someday” isn’t guaranteed, Charity decided to stop waiting and start building. Within weeks, she and her husband transformed a simple trailer into a charming, book-filled escape — complete with wallpaper, shelves, and the warmth of Jane Austen’s parlor.In this episode, Charity shares ALL the details of learning how to run a bookstore — budgeting, inventory, and the steep logistics of transporting and setting up hundreds of books. She also shares the lessons she’s learned about knowing your audience, building community, and staying calm when everything goes sideways (including losing the keys to her bookshop on launch day).Her story is a beautiful reminder that courage, curiosity, and persistence can turn even life’s scariest moments into something extraordinary — and that sometimes, the fairytale begins when you stop waiting for “someday.”Connect with Charity at austensshelf.com or on Instagram (@austensshelf | @charityalyse)🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showIt’s National Checklist Day, which might as well be my personal holiday! In this episode, I’m sharing the tools that keep my solopreneur business organized, my brain calm (mostly), & my systems running smoothly.From my digital checklist in Asana, to client management made easy with 17hats, to two years of weekly newsletters powered by Flodesk, these are the essentials that help me simplify & scale. You’ll also hear about my favorite podcast tools, a few can’t-miss integrations, & why fewer tools that work together beat juggling twenty tabs any day.Resources & Links:Get 50% off your first year with 17hats and Flodesk using these links or code FAIRYTALE.Podcasters & Content Creators: check out Descript and BuzzsproutAdditional platforms mentioned: Google Workspace, Zapier and Canva Grab my Tech Stack PDF hereCheck out all my other freebies mentioned at kristenlettini.com ICYMI Episode 132: Email Marketing Made Simple🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showVlada Bortnik, co-founder & CEO of Marco Polo, the video messaging app, shares what it really means to build technology that helps people feel close, not just connected.Vlada’s journey—from growing up in Ukraine to working at Microsoft to creating one of the most intentional, human-centered apps in tech—reminds us that business can be both purposeful and profitable. She shares how she and her husband built Marco Polo while raising two young kids, how they’ve kept their company values at the center of every decision, and what it looks like to “work joyfully” for the long game.If you’ve ever felt like technology is pulling you away from what matters most, this conversation is a beautiful reminder that it doesn’t have to be that way.Connect with Vlada on LinkedIn and download the Marco Polo app at marcopolo.me. (BTW if you join Marco Polo and want to try the paid version, use my affiliate link to try 2 months free!)🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.

Text Kristen your thoughts or feedback about the showUse October Theory to end 2025 strong & step into 2026 ready!October is the “Second New Year” — the perfect time to reflect, reset, and realign before the year ends. In this solo episode, I share 4 simple steps to make October Theory work for your business: review your 2025 goals, refresh your systems, refine your content calendar, and protect your energy.✨ Links & resources mentioned in this episode:Grab your free step-by-step Asana content calendar guideListen to my full episode on content calendarsBook a free 30-min consult to chat about your backend systemsStay tuned for Black Friday deals on my fav tools like 17hats + Flodesk — join my email list so you don’t miss them🎁 January Giveaway: 1-Year 17hats Membership + 1:1 SupportI’m partnering with 17hats to give away a 1-year membership (open to new and existing users), plus a private 1:1 strategy session with me to help simplify your systems and create breathing room again.✨ Entries close January 25, 2026.👉 Enter the giveaway here.