The Found Podcast with Molly Knuth

We're back with Part 2 of my two-part series on 10 things I know for certain about building a business, not from books or courses, but from almost a decade of living it. If you missed Part 1, go back and listen to Episode 255 first. We covered lessons one through five, and this episode picks up right where we left off. Today we're finishing out the list with lessons six through ten, and honestly these might be the ones that hit the hardest. We're talking money mindset, why you can't do it alone, what a coach actually does for you, giving yourself full permission to change your mind, and the thing I believe most deeply after all of it: this whole founder journey is personal development first. In This Episode: Lesson 6: Finances can be simple (and the money mantra that changed everything for me) The "money flows like water" mindset shift I learned from CPA Sheila Hansen Gina Knox's money waterfall system and why it finally made my finances click Lesson 7: You will not realize your goals entirely on your own. Bring others along. Lesson 8: You will grow faster and go further with a coach, a mentor, or a consultant in your corner How working with Katrina Klooster changed the trajectory of my 2025-2026 transition How podcasting consultant Jill Carr helped me make clearer decisions about the future of this show Lesson 9: You are allowed to change your mind (Surge, Sierra Mist, and why pivoting isn't failing) Lesson 10: This journey is personal development first and a professional endeavor second People and Resources Mentioned: Sheila Hansen, CPA (and past Found Podcast guest) Gina Knox, founder of Small Business Money School (also a past Found Podcast guest) Katrina Klooster, life and leadership coach (another Found Podcast guest - Episode 252) Jill Carr, podcasting consultant (and, you guessed it, a Found Podcast guest!) Miranda (the Found Podcast editor who makes it all happen every week!) Find Molly: Website: mollyknuth.com Instagram: @mollyknuth Email: [email protected] Listen and Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts Did something from this episode (or the last one) land for you? I'd genuinely love to hear it. Reach out on Instagram or send me an email and tell me which lesson resonated most. And if you know a founder who needs to hear this... send them both episodes.

It's a solo cast! It has been a while since it was just me and you, and I'm glad to be back in this format because I have some things to say. This episode was sparked by a moment that happened in March of 2026 at the You Conferences in Cedar Rapids. I was the 3:00 PM speaker and somewhere between the nerves and the sound check and a very unexpected karaoke moment involving Gloria Gaynor, something clicked for me about identity, confidence, and what it actually takes to build something from scratch. So I came here to share 10 things I know for certain about building a business. Not from books. Not from courses. From living it, for almost a decade, through the pivots and the wins and the moments I wish I could do over. This is Part 1. We're covering numbers one through five today, and Part 2 (six through ten) drops next week. In This Episode: The karaoke moment at You Conferences that reminded me to trust myself again Lesson 1: You don't need to reinvent the wheel at the beginning (the unsexy foundation every business actually needs) Lesson 2: Slow down. Then go even slower. But don't stop moving. Lesson 3: Your story is your edge (and why it creates fans before it ever creates customers) Lesson 4: Selling isn't yucky. Talk about your offers. All the time. More than you think you should. Lesson 5: You'll only make as much money as you've built capacity for Resources Mentioned: Gina Knox — money management framework for small business owners Chilled Freezer Meals — local and shipped freezer meal delivery Katrina Klooster — life and leadership coach You Conferences Cedar Rapids — annual women's conference Find Molly: Website: mollyknuth.com Instagram: @mollyknuth Listen and Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts Part 2 drops next week. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it.

Lindsay Leahy is back on The Found Podcast for the third time, and this one is unlike any conversation we've had before. You might know Lindsay as the founder of The Restoration Project, the author of Take It All Apart (a USA Today bestseller!), and someone who has spent the last several years helping leaders and organizations do their most meaningful work. But in this episode, Lindsay shares that she's stepping away from what she built, into something she never saw coming. We talk about the book, what happened after it hit those bestseller lists, and the word that started everything this year: beyond. And then we go deeper into where "beyond" has actually led her, which is a brand new role as the Director of Leadership Formation for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. It's unexpected. It's emotional. It's one of the most honest conversations I've had on this podcast. What You'll Hear in This Episode: The two dark weeks before the book launch that Lindsay didn't expect, and what she found on the other side Client stories from the Take It All Apart process (including Camden, a client stepping into marriage and family while keeping his magic) Lindsay's word of the year: beyond, and the "lay down your nets" moment that changed everything Practical, tactical tools for moving beyond stress, distraction, and busyness (yes, the dumping exercise is back) What it really means to move beyond hustle mode, and why it's ultimately a worthiness issue How a volunteer role inside the Archdiocese of Dubuque turned into a moment she could not say no to What it felt like to surrender a thriving business at the height of its success Why your definition of success doesn't have to look like anyone else's Resources Mentioned: Take It All Apart by Lindsay Leahy (USA Today Bestseller) The Beyond Series on Lindsay's blog: gritgratitudeandgrace.com Beyond Stress and Distraction Beyond Busyness and Hustle Connect with Lindsay: Substack: Lindsay M. Leahy Blog: gritgratitudeandgrace.com Website: lindsayleahy.com (coming soon!) LinkedIn: Lindsay Leahy

This is Brooke's third time on The Found Podcast. Every time she comes back, she brings something that stops me mid-conversation and makes me reach for my notebook. Brooke Fitzgerald is the Energy Builder at The Restoration Project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and as of June 1st, she becomes the sole owner of the practice. She's a coach, a speaker, a mom of two boys, a recovering people-pleaser, and one of the most convicted, passionate humans I get to have in my corner. In this episode, we dig into the work that has defined Brooke's last several years, both personally and professionally. We talk about closing a business, rebuilding an identity, and the deeply human question of: who are you when you're not defined by what you do? What You'll Hear in This Episode: How closing her coffee shop became the lowest (and most clarifying) point of Brooke's life What it actually takes to untether your identity from your work (hint: it takes longer than you think, and that's okay) The Path to Enough framework and why enough is a decision, not an amount The question that makes rooms full of women go completely silent: "Who are you when no one needs anything from you?" Why good enough really is good enough, and what we lose when we demand 110% of ourselves constantly Imposter syndrome reframed: it's not a flaw, it's your courage catching up to your capability The SEA tool for moving from imposter to intentional, and a story about a female CEO that will stop you cold What's next for Brooke and The Restoration Project, including fall retreats, empowerment communities, and a November workshop Connect with Brooke: Website: the-restorationproject.com LinkedIn: Brooke Fitzgerald Upcoming Events with Brooke: MWLN Summit — Muscatine, Iowa (June) Fall Women's Retreats — details coming soon Power of No Empowerment Communities — small groups of 6-8 women November Brunch & Learn Workshop — The Path to Enough for Courageous Leaders Listen & Subscribe: Spotify Apple Podcasts If this episode resonated with you, share it with a woman who needs to hear it. And if you're not yet subscribed to The Found Podcast, now's a great time! New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Have you ever stood in the middle of a life that looks really good on paper and still felt like something was off? Like a quiet voice whispering, this isn't it anymore...and you didn't know what to do with that? This week on the Found Podcast, I'm bringing you a conversation with my own coach, Katrina Klooster, and I think this one is going to land somewhere deep for a lot of you. Katrina is a life and leadership coach who specializes in helping high-achieving women navigate transitions, those in-between seasons when you've outgrown where you are but aren't sure where you're going. After nearly 15 years in education (as a high school Spanish teacher and instructional coach), Katrina followed her own winding, messy, non-linear path into building a coaching practice, and she brings all of that lived experience to the women she now serves. In this episode, we talk about: The moment Katrina knew she had outgrown teaching and why it took her so long to trust that feeling Burnout, shingles, and the culture of self-sacrifice we've normalized in education (and beyond) Why your non-linear path is not something to apologize for The 37-38-year-old awakening many women experience and what's actually happening beneath the surface How high-achieving women get stuck in golden handcuffs and what it takes to break free Why most women aren't afraid of failure...and what they're actually afraid of instead The grief that's woven into growth (and why we don't talk about it enough) What Katrina looks for in a coach and how to know if coaching is right for you Connect with Katrina: Website: katrinaklooster.com Instagram: @katrinaklooster (send her a DM!) Listen & Subscribe: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YACTbRulN4NooX32NgzgV Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-found-podcast-with-molly-knuth/id1530616432 If this conversation resonated with you, share it with a woman in your life who might need to hear it today. And if you're not yet subscribed to The Found Podcast, now is a great time to hit that button so you never miss an episode.