The Hectic Podcast

We’re giving you a peek behind the curtain as we wrap season three of The Hectic Podcast. This week’s guest is, well, me! You’ve been reading my words since the beginning, but I’m leaving the keyboard to sit in front of the microphone for our season finale.

My name is Emily Finlay and I’m the creator behind the podcast’s written content. I joined Darryl and Michelle to share a bit about myself and the work I get to do with the Hectic team. We had a blast discussing what we’ve learned from our many guests and what we’re looking forward to in season four. You’ll also hear how the podcast has evolved over the past few seasons as we discovered which stories we wanted to tell.

I’m so excited to share my experience with the podcast and I hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording. Thanks for another amazing season! See you in season four!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. What I hope every listener gets from the podcast’s written content, particularly the weekly companion blog.
2. Why Hectic is my perfect client and how I discovered what I wanted from my business partnerships.
3. About this season’s common thread of knowing yourself and leaning into your strengths.
4. That self-work can and should be a normal part of every day, plus tips for approaching it in a healthy way.
5. How starting counseling just before this season began has affected me and the way I approach the podcast’s weekly blogs.
6. The story behind the podcast’s rebrand in season three, including how I may have unknowingly saved it from disaster (No, Darryl, there was no witchcraft involved).
7. All of the things we each love about the podcast and our work in it.
8. An easy way to build each other up and be sunlight to those around us.
9. A sneak peek at everything coming next season.
10. Darryl’s request for our amazing listeners, who we’re so grateful for!

A few episodes that we reference as we wrap:
Dr. Dom
Beth Waterman
Other team members of the podcast:
Audio engineer Tate Luck
Video editor Ryan Weir
Graphic designer Leah Deal

When this week’s guest is talking about the projects he’s accomplished, you’ll never hear “I.” Alexander Diner, brand designer and founder of Shapemaker, is a true team player, giving credit to everyone involved in his impressive projects. This humility, plus his dedication to positivity and gratitude, makes every interaction an absolute joy.

We connected this week to talk about life and work, the realities of having bad days and the passion that keeps him going. Alexander’s been a key part of some of my favorite projects and I can’t wait for you to hear why.

In today’s episode, you’ll hear:

1. About Alexander’s personal struggles to bring peace and productivity to his life and work.
2. What he loves about chaotic projects and the challenges they present.
3. His love for passionate collaboration and the thrill of collective work.
4. The reasons you should always be a strong advocate for your ideas, projects, and decisions.
5. Why the discovery process is “Phase Zero,” the most important part of every project.
6. ...and why it’s critical to get your clients on board with extensive research efforts.
7. About “prayerful thought” and why it’s an essential part of Alexander’s daily routine.
8. How gratitude goes hand-in-hand with confidence when a client puts their company in his hands.
9. Ways you can use day-to-day conversations to get clients involved in the work you’re doing for them.
10. Why Alexander really effing loves his job.

This week we’re joined by the other half of the Cultivating H.E.R. Space podcast, Dr. Dominique Broussard! In keeping with the spirit of their podcast, we explored the importance of making space for ourselves and others throughout every season of life.

Whether she’s making herself a safe space for her nieces or using her own safe space to celebrate all that she’s accomplished, Dom understands the power of having a place where you can fully be yourself. She shares what she’s learned in her life and through her career as a college professor and licensed psychologist, giving us ways to grow with grace in our own journeys.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why being unapologetically black is an important part of who Dr. Dom is, plus what that means to her.
2. How being a safe, judgment-free space for her nieces is helping them develop the confidence and freedom to be themselves from a young age.
3. The ways she and Terri are using their podcast to grant the same space to other black women, using conversation to invoke healing, empowerment, and resilience.
4. How she teaches her college students and clients to seek out the safe spaces that already exist in their circles (hint: communication is key).
5. To have grace for yourself when the lifelong process of learning to identify and communicate what you need doesn’t always look like progress.
6. Why hearing the same things from multiple people is essential to building a holistic picture of the advice, topic, or issue you’re dealing with.
7. About the importance of mental diversity and how it can improve our journeys.
8. The many reasons you should celebrate and recognize what you’ve learned from each stage of your life as you transition into a new chapter.
9. How those around you benefit from your investment in self-mastery and self-discovery.
10. Dr. Dom’s three favorite phrases that she uses to guide her journey.

Find Dr. Dom's practice here: https://www.drdominiquebroussard.com/
Listen to the Cultivate H. E. R. Space Podcast here: https://herspacepodcast.com/

All good tattoos start with a story. The same can be said for brands. For David Peterson, my guest this week, this idea was the inspiration behind his company, Tat2 Marketing Group. Together with his business partner Tammy and their crew, they help companies learn how to promote and share their stories.

During our conversation, David shares his love of analytics and data. As the “left brain” of his partnership, he uses his passion for understanding why things work to get big results for his clients. He also offers tips to help you do the same, no matter your field of work.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. The cool entrepreneurial story behind Tat2 Marketing Group.
2. How asking clients “Why?” helps him find the best angle for marketing that sees results.
3. Why using and following the data is a critical, but often overlooked, part of marketing.
4. Plus, how freelancers in any field can use this advice to improve their work.
5. Why discovering what he sucked at helped David get into the work he does now.
6. What we get wrong about the things that do or don’t make a person creative.
7. Why building partnerships with people who are strong in your weaknesses can help you grow in business.
8. How owning who you are can lead to wild success.
9. And what we can learn about authenticity from kids.
10. Tips for knowing when you need to structure your business better to empower growth.

Are you dissatisfied with your life or the season you’re in? Do you wish you could just pinpoint the reason you’re stuck so you can change it? If so, this is the episode for you.

This week, we were joined by Madeleine Dore, the author of one of our favorite books, “I Didn’t Do the Thing Today.” During our conversation, we explored the ways routines can take over our lives and how ruts can show us what we need to change. Madeleine shared how curiosity can be our greatest weapon. We also got a great reminder that resting for rest’s sake is just as important as the things we do.

This conversation was filled with warmth and laughter from the moment we met. Madeleine has so much to share from what she’s learned and how she’s living it out. After listening, don’t forget to check out the link to the book below so you can keep finding your own way of being in the world!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. About our weekly ruts and routines and what we’re learning from them.
2. How to get curious about your ruts and routines so you can see the value in both.
3. Why routines often lead to feelings of failure rather than the control they’re supposed to create.
4. How to find your own way of being when it’s not supported by the world around you.
5. Plus, how trying to be the person you want to be can become its own illusion of perfection.
6. The importance of being a sponge and embracing the sweetness of doing nothing.
7. Why we need these periods of absorption to have seasons of squeeze.
8. Tips for letting go of the guilt that comes with rest and appreciating downtime as an opportunity to absorb.
9. That comparison can be the flipside to curiosity, using what you learn from others to deplete you rather than feed you.
10. Why Madeleine wants to inspire people to be more curious about each other, ourselves, and our stories.

Find Madeleine on Instagram and on her website, where you’ll also find her book, “I Didn’t Do the Thing Today.”

The "Flexible checkbox" approach of Austin Kleon can be found here.
You can find “Master Your Emotions” here.