
The Measure of “Success” with Steph Tuss
02/27/23 • 46 min
This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Steph Tuss. Women in particular are burdened with a double edged sword – society tells us that our values are built on being a mother to our children, but it also says we should go out and have a career or business of our own.
Raising children and excelling as an entrepreneur at the same time are two barely synchronizable endeavors. Mothers don't even have to fail in one of these areas to feel mom guilt.
Steph Tuss – CEO of the multimillion-dollar global consulting company Life Is Now, Inc – has been pretty familiar with this mom guilt feeling, all too well.
Before joining Life Is Now, Steph left her career as an educator to launch her own holistic nutrition business, having been inspired by her first daughter’s growing health challenges and her quest for the root cause.
Her sole focus when starting her business was to replace her teacher salary of $37,000/year. In spite of the people around her not being confident that she was going to make it, Steph was willing to do anything necessary to continue forward.
So much so, that she was working early mornings, late nights and weekends – it got to a point where she literally couldn’t do more and started to resent her business. She started her business because she wanted freedom, but ironically, she had created a jail for herself.
Steph realized she was diminishing her returns by not hiring someone to help in her business and with her kids. She let go of mom guilt, sold her business, and joined Life Is Now as the Director of Sales.
She was frequently traveling the world with the new company and during one of their events, she realized her ideal life would involve her daughters traveling with her.
Steph and her husband then made the decision to go for it: They pulled their kids out of school and hired a tutor + nanny that would travel alongside the family, regardless of people constantly questioning their decision.
What does "success" mean to you? What is your vision for your life and business? Listen in!
01:05 Meet Steph and the the unexpected ups and downs of empty nesting
05:20 The issue of hiring and firing and the emotions around the people piece of business and the standards that are agreed upon
10:21 How often do you check in with your team = micromanage vs. good management
14:33 How does a law firm come up with a 3D vision?
18:26 Running a business while running a family
26:00 Let’s deep dive into your mindset!
31:35 Finding so much opportunity on the flip side of a bad thing
41:20 Value conflict and how it will kill your business
Connect with Steph:
Website: https://www.lifeisnowinc.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeisnowinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/life-is-now-inc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeIsNow/videos
Links Mentioned:
- Create your 3D vision for your life video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaoaZdWJLcE
- Challenging Your Mindset With Daivd Neagle https://share.transistor.fm/s/8a8fb056
📹 Watch the interview here.
Resources:
Join the Guild Membership
Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
Follow us on Instagram
Join the Facebook Group
Follow the Facebook Page
Follow us on
This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Steph Tuss. Women in particular are burdened with a double edged sword – society tells us that our values are built on being a mother to our children, but it also says we should go out and have a career or business of our own.
Raising children and excelling as an entrepreneur at the same time are two barely synchronizable endeavors. Mothers don't even have to fail in one of these areas to feel mom guilt.
Steph Tuss – CEO of the multimillion-dollar global consulting company Life Is Now, Inc – has been pretty familiar with this mom guilt feeling, all too well.
Before joining Life Is Now, Steph left her career as an educator to launch her own holistic nutrition business, having been inspired by her first daughter’s growing health challenges and her quest for the root cause.
Her sole focus when starting her business was to replace her teacher salary of $37,000/year. In spite of the people around her not being confident that she was going to make it, Steph was willing to do anything necessary to continue forward.
So much so, that she was working early mornings, late nights and weekends – it got to a point where she literally couldn’t do more and started to resent her business. She started her business because she wanted freedom, but ironically, she had created a jail for herself.
Steph realized she was diminishing her returns by not hiring someone to help in her business and with her kids. She let go of mom guilt, sold her business, and joined Life Is Now as the Director of Sales.
She was frequently traveling the world with the new company and during one of their events, she realized her ideal life would involve her daughters traveling with her.
Steph and her husband then made the decision to go for it: They pulled their kids out of school and hired a tutor + nanny that would travel alongside the family, regardless of people constantly questioning their decision.
What does "success" mean to you? What is your vision for your life and business? Listen in!
01:05 Meet Steph and the the unexpected ups and downs of empty nesting
05:20 The issue of hiring and firing and the emotions around the people piece of business and the standards that are agreed upon
10:21 How often do you check in with your team = micromanage vs. good management
14:33 How does a law firm come up with a 3D vision?
18:26 Running a business while running a family
26:00 Let’s deep dive into your mindset!
31:35 Finding so much opportunity on the flip side of a bad thing
41:20 Value conflict and how it will kill your business
Connect with Steph:
Website: https://www.lifeisnowinc.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeisnowinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/life-is-now-inc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LifeIsNow/videos
Links Mentioned:
- Create your 3D vision for your life video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaoaZdWJLcE
- Challenging Your Mindset With Daivd Neagle https://share.transistor.fm/s/8a8fb056
📹 Watch the interview here.
Resources:
Join the Guild Membership
Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
Follow us on Instagram
Join the Facebook Group
Follow the Facebook Page
Follow us on
Previous Episode

Are Your Clothes Helping You or Hurting You with Melanie Lippman
This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Melanie Lippman. Melanie is an Image Consultant and Personal Branding expert who helps high-powered women in male dominated fields use style to communicate confidence, build connections, and achieve next-level visibility.
Navigating the duality of motherhood and building your firm, Elise chats with Melanie about ‘How style can encapsulate both your leadership and motherhood persona’”. Deep diving into:
- The challenges women face balancing their role as a boss and a mom when it comes to style (and how they can ensure neither get left behind)
- Getting out of the ‘I should wear a suit’ funnel women in law often fall into
- How to discover your own powerful personal style (and put it into action) based on your personal priorities and style goals
- The types of opportunities that women pass up because they don’t have the clothes to suit the occasion
- The transformational impact that showing up authentically as you can has on your career
- And more!
Listen in!
02:00 Meet Melanie who believes that the only way to feel free is to know that it’s yours!
07:28 Finding power in dressing the way you feel is the “real” you ...
09:40 How to pull out peoples' styles of clothes out of them when they are hiding.
14:36 When you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear — what do you do?
19:44 How do finances play a part of dressing yourself
23:33 Hacks and tips for clothes shopping
29:07 “I don't have time to learn how to dress myself”
38:35 Teaching your kids how to dress for themselves
Connect with Melanie:
📹 Watch the interview here.
Resources:
Join the Guild Membership
Meet us in Austin, TX! The ZAPATHON Automation Workshop featuring Kelsey Bratcher! Become a member to purchase your ticket.
Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
Follow us on Instagram
Join the Facebook Group
Follow the Facebook Page
Follow us on LinkedIn
Next Episode

Success As a Mom and a Law Firm Owner with Michelle Bomberger
This week on Maximum Mom, your host Elise Buie is joined by Michelle Bomberger. Michelle founded Equinox in 2005 to provide business leaders a more transparent, responsive, and business focused solution for their legal needs.
Over the past 17 years, she’s morphed the business model to offer a fixed fee General Counsel Services solution giving business leaders the confidence and freedom to include legal in their strategic and tactical planning -- they have a relationship with their lawyer and they know what they are paying, when they'll get a response, and that the solution is right for their business.
It's a tough model to manage and she’s learned a ton about how to make this work for her clients and for her own business. When Michelle started Equinox in 2005, she had a 1 year old at home and was pregnant with her second child.
Michelle’s kids have grown up with Equinox a part of their lives -- but also having their mom in their lives! While they've seen her work a lot over the years - and seen the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur and employer, she’s always been there for them.
Michelle committed early on to picking them up from school, taking them where they needed to go, and participating in what was important to them. These were priorities for Michelle and forced her to make decisions in her business and her life to make these work for her family.
Michelle has an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Notre Dame and a JD/MBA from Northwestern University. She is an active member and member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization and a member of the Board of Bellevue LifeSpring and Youth Theatre Northwest.
04:42 The start of the law firm and having little children
11:55 When the firm office encourages the flexibility needed for motherhood and work
14:07 Strategic misses that are happening right now
17:47 Using fixed price
23:42 Books recommended by Michelle that have really shifted her thinking
29:25 How does Michelle streamline the administrative burden
37:55 Tips for how to succeed in life as “mom” and as a law firm owner!
40:55 Tips for handling email inbox #rabbithole
Connect with Michelle:
Links Mentioned:
- Book: Range by Daivd Epseen
- Book: Traction by Gino Wickman
- Book: Crucial Accountability by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillian, Al Switzler, David Maxfield
- Book: The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
🎧Listen to the podcast here.
📹 Watch the interview here.
Resources:
- Join the Guild Membership
- Subscribe to the Maximum Lawyer Youtube Channel
- Follow us on Instagram
- Join the Facebook Group
- Follow the Facebook Page
- Follow us on LinkedIn
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