In this episode Lauren and Tiago join us to talk about how their recent move from the US to rural Mexico has reshaped their family, business, and mental health. How does a tight community of fellow entrepreneurs, affordable support, and a screen-free lifestyle that feels like the 90s change the way they view work and life? We loved this conversation about cross-cultural living, annual reviews as a “technology” for investigating life, and the value of vulnerability and real human connection in an AI-driven world.

Tiago's Links

• Building A Second Brain
• Forte Labs

Lauren's Links

• Lauren's Substack
• Beyond Acceptance (Book)

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Lauren Valdez - Guest
• Tiago Forte - Guest

Fellow Notion consultant, self-described “ops artist,“ and generally just one of our favorite people, Alex Antoszek joined us for a conversation about what matters in tech work: his path from photography to the Notion world, why he runs his consulting practice “more like a therapist for business owners,” and his honest skepticism about AI from inside an increasingly AI-first ecosystem. Also: the value of “strategic imbalance,” Poland’s post-Soviet growth story, and why the most durable value in tech is the human stuff a machine can’t replicate.

Links

• Work, Balanced
• Balanced Systems

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Alex Antoszek - Guest

Lianna Patch is a conversion copywriter and comedian whose greatest dream is to make customers pause, smile, and click (in that order). She’s written for Freshbooks, Igloo, Manly Bands, Loop Returns, Flaviar, and ProductHype, and regularly speaks at ecommerce and software conferences around the world, even when they ask her not to.

Lianna joined us to discuss why humour and “makin’ em laugh” makes business fun and creative. Of course, we couldn’t have a convo about copywriting without discussing the impact of AI on writing, and the existential weight of the industry on the craft. We get into candid territory about depression, burnout, and structuring work around unpredictable energy flows. How might we bring more joy and laughter to the insanity of the everyday ebb and flow of our experience?

Links

• Punchline Copy

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Lianna Patch - Guest

Susan Boles is a security officer turned fractional CFO/COO whose consultancy, Beyond Margins, is centered on helping people run calmer businesses. She's now pivoting towards Unpublic, which helps online creators protect their privacy and safety—born from realizing her rare combo of security background and creator experience positioned her uniquely to address the harassment, doxing, and stalking risks that come with building parasocial relationships as a public figure online.

In this episode we discuss how she's navigating the slow, messy process of shifting what she's known for, why Beyond Margins is giving way to Unpublic, and how she designs her work around illness and neurodivergence using work cycles with built-in rest periods and intentional amounts of space.

Links

• Unpublic
• Beyond Margins

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Susan Boles - Guest

In this episode, we chat with Megan J. Robinson, a guide and leader who helps people and organizations rediscover how humans actually work so they can live and lead with purpose. We explore themes like the impact of AI on identity and purpose, the role model crisis, and the need for authenticity and vulnerability. We also dig into the significance of community feedback and sustainable systems in navigating life's complexities. Megan also shares her perspectives on the evolving nature of work and creativity, advocating for a more fluid approach to goals and purpose.

Links
- R21.5 x Megan J. Robinson
- YouTube

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Megan J. Robinson - Guest

In this conversation, Alex Hillman shares his journey from web developer to co-founder of Indy Hall, one of the first co-working spaces in the United States, exploring how community building, meaningful relationships, and iterative learning have shaped his entrepreneurial path.

Links

• Indy Hall
• 10k Independents

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Alex Hillman - Guest

Jessica Abel shares her extensive journey as a creative, starting as a cartoonist and evolving into a business coach for creatives. She discusses her experiences in the comics industry, the challenges of making a living as an artist, and the importance of teaching business fundamentals to aspiring artists. The conversation highlights the need for creatives to adapt their business models and find ways to support their artistic practices while navigating the complexities of the art market.

Links

• Website
• Autonomous Creative Conference

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Jessica Abel - Guest

In this episode, we dive deep with Rob Hardy, a writer whose "devotional pursuit of a more beautiful internet" has led him to craft powerful manifestos that challenge the status quo. Rob shares his journey from filmmaker to manifesto writer, including the emotional roller coaster of entrepreneurship and his transformative experience writing "The Source", an article on perfectionism that resonated deeply with Ben and Marie.

Links

• Ungated Life
• Ungated Media
• Manifestory

Takeaways

• Metrics and views destroy what makes the internet meaningful—connecting with our unique people
• Manifestos contain three elements: articulating what's wrong, envisioning what's possible, and building a bridge between them
• Perfectionism oscillates between shame and grandiosity, while healing happens in the uncomfortable valley between
• Community support systems show us our struggles aren't unique and we don't need to face them alone
• Sustainable businesses start from safety, not scarcity, which leads to chasing metrics and "best practices"
• Writing a manifesto transforms the creator by forcing confrontation with deeper values and identity
• Manifestos help startups clarify values, improve decisions, guide hiring, and attract aligned customers
• Creating from conversation rather than control allows for genuine connections and surprising insights

Creators & Guests

• Marie Poulin - Host
• Benjamin Borowski - Host
• Rob Hardy - Guest