Her Success Story cover art

Her Success Story

Her Success Story

By: Ivy Slater Slater Success Coaching
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Ivy Slater interviews gutsy business women as they share their success journey.Ivy Slater 2018 Economics
Episodes
  • Embracing Opportunity: How Vivienne Wagner Turned a Side Hustle into a Thriving Agency

    Embracing Opportunity: How Vivienne Wagner Turned a Side Hustle into a Thriving Agency
    Jun 29 2026
    This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Vivienne Wagner. The two talk about navigating the journey from side hustle to scaling Houndstooth Media Group, the evolution of digital marketing from SEO to AI-driven search, and the importance of building a values-driven team. In this episode, we discuss: How Vivienne Wagner started Houndstooth Media Group at her dining room table, transforming a personal blog into a full-scale digital marketing agency.What the arrival of AI-driven search (AEO, AIO) means for digital marketing, SEO, and how businesses are found online today.When Vivienne Wagner realized she needed to bring in help and start building a virtual team to handle growing client demand.Why recognizing the value of your skills is crucial for pricing and business growth, plus the importance of having mentors or external voices to help see your worth.How clarity on core values like integrity, kindness, thankfulness, loyalty, and humor helps Houndstooth hire the right people, choose the right clients, and build a strong company culture. Vivienne Wagner is the founder and CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, a digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists, she helps mid-sized businesses transform their websites into revenue-driving hubs by combining SEO expertise with the latest in AI-driven optimization. Known for her ability to make complex marketing concepts accessible, Vivienne speaks on how businesses can position themselves to be found by both human audiences and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Her agency's approach not only boosts visibility and organic traffic but also reduces dependence on paid ads, giving business owners the freedom to scale more sustainably. Vivienne frequently works with decision-makers who need trusted marketing leadership—either because they don't have in-house expertise or want a sharper second opinion on their current strategy. She offers a structured starting point through her SEO & AI Optimization Audit, which helps companies uncover hidden opportunities, identify weak points, and gain clarity on the steps needed to compete in today's search-driven landscape. Outside of work, Vivienne enjoys life with her husband and extended family of four grown sons. Known for her mix of humor, candor, and genuine care for the people she works with, she brings the same energy into her professional world that she does into her personal one. As a guest, she is direct, insightful, and engaging—ready to share practical strategies for AI-optimized marketing, building strong website foundations, and scaling digital strategies for long-term success. Back-story Vivienne Wagner never set out to start a marketing agency. With a degree in Public Administration, she began her career in city and state legislation, then moved into public affairs—essentially marketing for political movements. After stepping away from that world to be a stay-at-home mom, she found an unexpected new path. In the late 2000s, a friend introduced her to blogging. What started as a personal online journal—funny stories about her four boys, commentary on societal events, and the occasional DIY project—became Vivienne's crash course in the power of search and inbound marketing. A "private rant" she posted about a controversial radio contest unexpectedly drew strangers to her blog, teaching her firsthand how traffic finds content online. From there, she dove into the early "mommy blogging" community, grew an audience, and began monetizing through SEO, social media, and partnerships—long before influencer marketing became mainstream. In 2013, a friend in luxury real estate asked her to ghostwrite blogs and manage social media. Vivienne quickly saw that the brokerage's marketing efforts were missing the mark, pitched a proposal to overhaul their strategy, and spent six months rebuilding their entire department. Word spread, and soon individual agents wanted her help too. By January 2014, what started at her dining room table had grown into Houndstooth Media Group. Today, Houndstooth is a team of 16 specialists serving mid-sized businesses across industries. The agency is known for helping clients build solid digital foundations—prioritizing organic growth, SEO, and quality content before chasing shiny new trends. Vivienne's philosophy is simple: SEO will always matter, even as it evolves, and valuable content will always win, whether it's created by human hands or generated by AI. As a podcast guest, Vivienne brings humor, candor, and clear-eyed expertise. She speaks on the evolution of digital marketing, what AI means for business owners, and how companies can stop "flying blind" and finally feel confident in their marketing strategy. HMG bio Houndstooth Media Group is a boutique digital marketing agency based in Southern California. With a team of 16 specialists across the country, the agency helps mid-sized businesses turn their ...
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    26 mins
  • Lee Powers' Path: Transforming Trauma into Whole-Person Health Advocacy

    Lee Powers' Path: Transforming Trauma into Whole-Person Health Advocacy
    Jun 22 2026

    This week, Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Lee Powers. The two talk about Lee Powers' extraordinary journey from a critical care patient to a wellness entrepreneur, the power of personalized medicine through tools like DNA cheek swabs, and the importance of advocacy and a whole-person approach to navigating today's complex healthcare landscape.


    In this episode, we discuss:

    • How Lee Powers transformed a traumatic personal experience as a patient into a unique business model focused on personalized medicine and patient advocacy.

    • What it means to approach healthcare using both clinical expertise and human compassion, and why that combination is crucial for better outcomes.

    • When Lee realized the traditional healthcare system often fails to treat patients as unique individuals, she set out to fill that gap herself.

    • Why a simple cheek swab to analyze your DNA can make a dramatic difference in how medications affect you, based on your unique genetic makeup.

    • Who benefits from a health advocate? Anyone navigating a complicated health challenge or supporting a loved one in the medical system should consider working with someone who understands both the human and clinical sides.

    • What actions the average person can take to advocate for themselves in today's healthcare environment, including the importance of having an advocate present during medical decisions.

    Lee Powers is a nurse, health advocate, and speaker dedicated to helping individuals improve their health, build resilience, and thrive through personalized wellness strategies. Combining clinical expertise with a compassionate, whole-person approach, she empowers people to take an active role in their physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

    With a background in critical care nursing and advanced healthcare training, Lee brings a practical and relatable perspective to modern wellness. Her mission is to help individuals create sustainable habits, strengthen resilience, and embrace personalized approaches to health that support long-term vitality, performance, and quality of life.

    Lee Powers RN

    Speaker • Advocate • Educator • Author
    ICUiCare™ Founder
    Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) & Critical Care Recovery
    Functional & Integrative Health | Healthcare That's Human

    Email: Lee@LeePowersRN.com
    Website: https://LeePowersRN.com
    Oxford Talk Speaker: Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)
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    25 mins
  • Summer Reset: Enhancing Life and Business with Strategic Mid-Year Adjustments

    Summer Reset: Enhancing Life and Business with Strategic Mid-Year Adjustments
    Jun 15 2026

    In this episode, Ivy Slater chats with us about the importance of taking a mid-year pause to assess our business and personal growth. She explores how reviewing key strategies—like finances, marketing, sales, and people—can help us identify what's working, address what's not, and set the stage for the rest of the year.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • How to use the end of the second quarter as an opportunity to reflect on your business performance and make strategic adjustments.
    • What key business areas should be assessed: financial strategy, marketing strategy, sales strategy, and people strategy—the "four wheels" that keep your business moving.
    • When to conduct a review: now, at the close of the second quarter, halfway through the year.
    • Why coming from a place of curiosity and taking a higher-level look at your business enables consistent results and long-term fulfillment.
    • What personal habits and activities can bring joy and balance to the work/life equation—like gardening, visiting farmers markets, or enjoying the outdoors.

    Ivy Slater is a professionally certified business coach, speaker, best-selling author, and podcast host. After owning and operating a 7-figure printing business, having been in the industry for 20 years, she started Slater Success, which focuses on developing great leaders and facilitating business growth and expansion. Ivy holds masterminds and retreats with her private client base and corporate training on communication and strategic planning. She speaks nationwide on the topics of leadership, sustainable growth, relationships and sales.

    Best Selling Author of From the Barre to the Boardroom

    Website: https://slatersuccess.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivyslater/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slatersuccesscoaching

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyslaterssc/

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/slatersuccess/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/SlaterSuccessCC

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ8b1sGnADlpFE2NrqUfToQ?view_as=subscribe
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    5 mins
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