In this episode, host Kelsey sits down with Lauren Murdoch, founder of Murdoch Marketing, a fractional marketing consultancy based in Burlington, Ontario. Lauren shares the raw, messy, and ultimately inspiring story of leaving a burnout-inducing corporate career, taking her family to New Zealand for four months, and coming home to build a business rooted in clarity, community, and genuine strategy. This is a must-listen for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone who has ever felt the pull toward something more aligned — but wasn't sure how to get there.

• How Lauren went from corporate marketer to fractional marketing consultant after 15 years
• The 1:00–3:00 AM panic attacks that finally pushed her to quit
• Why she spent months saying yes to everything — and what it unlocked
• The real story of how her family made four months in New Zealand happen (no big bank account required)
• Her first fractional client — and why he showed up at a golf simulator
• Why going viral is NOT the goal — and what actually generates revenue
• The simple marketing moves most small business owners skip entirely
• How co-hosting workshops became her most powerful visibility strategy
• Why she hopes she never goes viral

1. It's never the right time to take the leap — but if the desire is there, dig in and figure out how to make it work. The right conditions rarely just appear; you have to engineer them.
2. In the early days of a new business, saying yes to everything isn't reckless — it's research. Clarity comes from doing, not planning.
3. The best marketing starts with one thing: being relentlessly clear about who you are, what you offer, and telling people exactly what to do next.
4. Optimize before you add. Before building a new offer or platform, look at what you already have and ask if it's been given a real chance to work.
5. Getting out of your office and into rooms — events, coffee chats, workshops — is still one of the most underrated business development strategies that exists.

• "You will always find reasons not to do something. It's never a good time."
• "Don't go try to do five to ten channels. Pick two. Get really good at those."
• "I genuinely hope I don't go viral — because that's not the fastest path to building a real business."

• Murdoch Marketing website:murdochmarketing.ca
• Lauren’s Instagram:@itslaurenmurdoch
• Kelsey's Website: www.KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey's Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• July 23rd Burlington Event: Cocktails, dinner & speakers on inner self and outer style — checkmurdochmarketing.ca for details
• New Zealand Work From Heart sabbatical program (mentioned in context of Lauren's employer's policies)

Lauren Murdoch is the founder of Murdoch Marketing, a fractional marketing consultancy helping entrepreneurs and small business owners build clear, effective marketing strategies. After 15 years scaling companies in corporate marketing, she left to build a business and life that actually fit — including a four-month family adventure in New Zealand. She's based in the Burlington/Hamilton area of Ontario and works with clients across Canada.

Consistency isn't about doing everything all at once — it's about doing the right things, repeatedly, in a way that's actually sustainable. In this solo episode, your host breaks down the real reason most people fall off the wagon, introduces a powerful Venn diagram framework for diagnosing consistency blocks, and walks through a practical goal-mapping method you can use starting today.

• Why modern productivity advice sets you up to fail at consistency
• The Cambridge Dictionary definition of consistency — and why it might surprise you
• The difference between healthy evolution and self-sabotaging reinvention
• Why "big burst" entrepreneurs burn out before they ever see compounding results
• The tortoise and the hare: what it actually takes to win the long game
• The Time–Energy–Money Venn diagram for diagnosing why you're inconsistent
• The "never break the chain" calendar method (and how the host has used it for 15+ years)
• How to set 1–3 outcome-based goals and map them to a strategy, a why, KPIs, and support systems
• Why the path of least resistance is the secret to long-term consistency

1. Stop trying to be consistent with everything at once. Pick one focus per season and stack habits intentionally over time.
2. Use the Time–Energy–Money Venn diagram. If two of three are present, you can be consistent. If none are, eliminate or defer the goal until the conditions change.
3. The "never break the chain" method works — but only for goals that genuinely matter to you. Meaning fuels the mark on the calendar.
4. Map every goal to four elements: the goal itself, the strategy, the why, and your KPIs. This eliminates decision fatigue and keeps you on track.
5. Consistency is the path of least resistance — by design. Build systems and get support so that showing up becomes the easiest choice, not the hardest.

• "It's not the entrepreneurs who work the hardest who succeed — it's the ones who show up consistently, so they're always top of mind."
• "Structure your life so that consistency is the path of least resistance."
• "If you have no time, no energy, and no money to invest in support, you're not going to be consistent. That's not a character flaw — that's math."

• Kelsey's Website: www.KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey's Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• The One Thing by Gary Keller — goal-setting and focus
• Jerry Seinfeld's "Never Break the Chain" method — visual habit tracking
• F45 Training — referenced as an example of removing decision-making from a fitness routine
• Factor Meals — referenced as an example of outsourcing for consistency

Kelsey Reidl is an entrepreneur, fractional CMO, and host of Rain or Shine (formerly Visionary Life). She's been podcasting for 8 years, helping entrepreneurs show up consistently and build sustainable businesses. She runs the Wave Mastermind and specializes in marketing strategy, website design, and business growth. Kelsey is a mom to a 2-year-old, an avid mountain biker, and a firm believer in the "rain or shine" mentality.

Matt Diamante — founder of the Hey Tony Agency — joins host Kelsey for a candid conversation about his winding path from process server to band member to SEO expert. Matt breaks down the foundational steps any small business owner can take to rank on Google, explains how AI search is changing content strategy, and shares the simple daily habit that transformed his referral-only agency into a content-driven machine.

• How Matt accidentally fell into marketing while trying to promote his band
• The unusual jobs (process server, film crew) that shaped how he runs his agency
• Growing an alternative lifestyle blog from zero to 4 million monthly visitors — and what it taught him about hooks
• The origin story behind the name "Hey Tony"
• The three SEO fundamentals every small business needs: Google Business Profile, a multi-page website, and topical authority
• Why most SEO vendors are scamming small businesses — and how to protect yourself
• The AI prompt Matt uses to write unique, expert-driven blog posts in one hour
• How SEO is evolving in the age of ChatGPT and AI search engines
• What two books pushed Matt to post on social media every single day in 2023
• Why he doesn't batch content — and why he thinks you shouldn't either

1. Every page on your website is a door. Service-based businesses should have a dedicated page for every service they offer. If Google doesn't see it, it doesn't know you offer it.
2. Use AI to extract your expertise, not replace it. Instead of asking ChatGPT to "write a blog post," prompt it to interview you with 10 questions and answer in voice mode. The result is genuinely unique content that reflects your experience.
3. Get to the point faster. In the age of AI search, content that buries the answer under a long preamble will lose. Lead with the answer, then go deeper.
4. Reviews require a system, not willpower. Build a consistent ask into every completed transaction. You can incentivize leaving a review — just not a five-star one specifically.
5. Consistency beats perfection. Matt went from 4 hours per video to 5–10 minutes by posting every single day. The skill builds. The ideas flow. Just start.

• "I believe the world is built on small businesses. If I can help good people grow through SEO, they can hire more staff, create jobs, send their kids to college. If I want to make the world a better place, I can do that one small business at a time." — Matt Diamante
• "SEO is just solving somebody's problem. How do I fix this myself? That's a blog post. How do I hire someone? That's a service page." — Matt Diamante
• "That's basically how you run a business. You set up a printer in your car and you figure out how to do this more efficiently." — Matt Diamante

• Instagram: Search @heytonyagency or Matt Diamante
• ???? Get Found by Matt Diamante — Matt's plain-English SEO book for small business owners
• ???? The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
• ???? Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk
• ???? AnswerThePublic.com — tool for finding customer questions to write blog posts around
• ???? ChatGPT / Claude — recommended AI tools for blog post creation
• ???? Hey Tony Inside — Matt's community for small business owners doing their own SEO
• ???? Google Business Profile — free local SEO tool for any brick-and-mortar or service-area business

Matt Diamante is the founder of Hey Tony Agency, a Canadian digital marketing agency specializing in SEO for small businesses. After growing an alternative lifestyle publication to 4 million monthly visitors, Matt channelled those hard-won content lessons into building an agency, a community, and a book — all aimed at helping small business owners get found online without getting scammed. He has posted on social media every single day since January 2023.

In this candid solo episode, Kelsey Reidel breaks down four mindset shifts she's observed over nearly a decade in business — distinctions that separate entrepreneurs who stay stuck from those who keep growing. Inspired by a morning hike and a Marco Polo conversation with two long-time entrepreneur friends, Kelsey shares real scenarios, personal stories, and honest reflections on what it actually takes to build a sustainable business.

• Why "junior" vs. "experienced" has nothing to do with how long you've been in business
• The real purpose of your first event, launch, or marketing experiment (hint: it's not profit)
• Why experienced entrepreneurs still slide into DMs — and why you should too
• How to turn every "no" into a source of intelligence rather than a source of shame
• The emotional regulation strategies that keep seasoned entrepreneurs from spiraling when things go sideways

1. Your first event is a research project, not a revenue event. Kelsey grew her events from 10 women in a free coffee shop to 80 women at a sold-out, fully sponsored venue — one small step at a time. Start with three people if you have to.
2. The unscalable work is where the business actually gets built. No matter how big your email list, DMs, coffee chats, and personal follow-ups still move the needle. The most successful entrepreneurs never stop doing this work.
3. "No" means "not yet" — treat it like data. Every objection tells you something your messaging isn't addressing. Get curious instead of shutting down.
4. One hard week isn't a business crisis. The experienced entrepreneur has systems to process difficult events without letting them derail the entire plan.
5. You are your business's biggest cheerleader. The moment you start to believe it's not working, your revenue reflects it. Protect your confidence fiercely.

• "Hosting your first event is never about profiting on day one. It's about brand-building, visibility, relationship-building, and market research — all rolled into one."
• "The experienced entrepreneur never outgrows the unscalable stuff. They just get more intentional about it."
• "When people say no, it usually means 'not yet,' or 'I don't have the information I need.' Get curious — don't shut down."

• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. & John Archambault — Kelsey's go-to reminder that it's A to B, not A to Z
• Marco Polo app — Kelsey's favourite tool for voice-note conversations with business friends
• Rain or Shine event in Prince Edward County — July 17th (details on Kelsey's Instagram)

Kelsey Reidl is an entrepreneur, fractional CMO, and host of Rain or Shine (formerly Visionary Life). She's been podcasting for 8 years, helping entrepreneurs show up consistently and build sustainable businesses. She runs the Wave Mastermind and specializes in marketing strategy, website design, and business growth. Kelsey is a mom to a 2-year-old, an avid mountain biker, and a firm believer in the "rain or shine" mentality.

Sonya Szabo is a Canadian business lawyer, former café owner, and entrepreneur who has never done things the conventional way — and that's exactly why it works. In this episode, she returns to the Rain or Shine podcast after eight years to share the full arc of her story: building and selling the Vic Café, going to law school at forty, battling imposter syndrome, and ultimately creating a law practice that reflects her values instead of the industry mold.

• How Sonya opened the Vic Café at 35 with three kids — and led with boundaries from day one
• Why she hired a manager before opening the doors
• The highs and hard realities of running a brick-and-mortar restaurant for eight years
• Going back to law school at forty and navigating four years of imposter syndrome
• The "90-year-old self" exercise Sonya uses to make every major decision
• Her "quit week" in 2025 — what triggered it and what brought her back
• Why in-person relationship-building has been her most effective marketing strategy
• What Zebo Law does and how to work with Sonya

1. Know your priorities before you open your doors. Sonya put a note in her very first employee handbook that said she was a mom first — and that transparency set the tone for every working relationship that followed.
2. Build the business around your strengths, not your job description. She hired a manager before opening and stayed focused on owner-level decisions from the start.
3. Your vision isn't a prediction — it's a decision-making filter. Sonya doesn't hold her vision because she expects it to happen exactly as planned; she holds it because it tells her what to say yes and no to.
4. Think about your ninety-year-old self. When you filter decisions through who you want to be at the end of your life, the noise clears fast.
5. A "quit week" isn't the end — it's a signal. Panic means something isn't working. Go back to your values before you go anywhere else.

• "Before we even opened our doors, we hired a manager. Traditionally that would have been the owner's job — but I knew I needed to outsource that and just be the owner."
• "When I hold a decision up against my vision and ask, 'Will this bring me closer to where I want to go?' — the answer tells me whether to say yes or no."
• "When people started connecting me and 'lawyer' together, you could see the relief on their faces — like, finally, a lawyer who doesn't make me feel belittled. Someone who makes me feel empowered."

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber (referenced)
• Sonya's Instagram: @askmeaboutcontracts
• Sonya's Website: sonyaszabo.com
• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• First Rain or Shine episode featuring Sonya
• Voxer app — walkie-talkie voice messaging

Sonya Szabo is a Canadian business lawyer and the founder of Zebo Law, where she helps entrepreneurs and business owners navigate contracts, corporate structure, trademarks, and more — in language they can actually understand. After eight years running the Vic Café in Prince Edward County and selling it in 2023, Sonya went to law school at forty and built a practice rooted in her own experience as a founder, parent, and entrepreneur.

In this candid solo session, Kelsey answers your top marketing questions — covering pricing strategy, how to evaluate cold PR pitches, and what to do when your Instagram feels scattered and purposeless. Woven throughout are honest life updates: navigating her second pregnancy, the power of accountability, and how to embrace change as an entrepreneur.

• Why accountability partners (and assistant nudges) are the secret to getting things done
• How pregnancy #2 has looked very different — and why Kelsey is packing her calendar before mat leave
• Debating winter babies vs. summer babies (she genuinely wants your input)
• The Picasso story and what it teaches you about price vs. value
• How to know if your prices are too low, too high, or just right
• The truth about cold pitch emails — when to say yes and when to run
• A step-by-step Instagram strategy for business owners who feel scattered
• The four-part Instagram sales funnel: Create, Connect, Collect, Convert
• Why showing up imperfectly beats waiting for perfect every time

1. Accountability changes everything. You'll cancel on yourself, but you won't cancel on someone else. Use that psychology intentionally — schedule with others, hire coaches, or create external check-ins to move your biggest projects forward.
2. Pricing is a gut check. If you feel undervalued after every transaction, your prices are too low. If you feel like you're ripping someone off, they may be too high. When it feels like a mutual exchange of value — you've nailed it.
3. Evaluate cold pitches with your wallet and your gut. Only pay for media opportunities you're 100% okay losing. Ask for traffic stats, audience demographics, and backlink terms. Some are incredible; many aren't.
4. Brand pillars create consistency. Before you open Instagram again, define 3–4 content pillars — at least one professional, one personal — and some rules for what you won't post. Decision fatigue is the enemy of consistency.
5. Don't stop at "create." Most business owners post and walk away. The real magic is in connecting with your audience, collecting intel on what they need, and then actually making an offer.

• "Picasso was pricing based on his value. He's put in thousands and thousands of hours — so to charge on an hourly basis simply does not make sense."
• "Once you make that leap, you can then decide: is this the right place for me, or do I need to keep moving forward? That's what you do through life — you just keep turning the next page."
• "The ratio of people who show up and create good content is probably 1% of Instagram users. The people who want to consume? Probably 99%. So yes, it feels competitive — but the opportunity is massive."

• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• InstaSales Course — Kelsey's four-hour Instagram sales funnel course (free for podcast listeners — DM "InstaSales" to @kelseyreidell on Instagram)
• Wave Mastermind — Kelsey's business mastermind community
• Yahoo! News — Referenced as an example of a paid media placement that converted to high-ticket clients

Kelsey Reidl is an entrepreneur, fractional CMO, and host of Rain or Shine (formerly Visionary Life). She's been podcasting for 8 years, helping entrepreneurs show up consistently and build sustainable businesses. She runs the Wave Mastermind and specializes in marketing strategy, website design, and business growth. Kelsey is a mom to a 2-year-old, an avid mountain biker, and a firm believer in the "rain or shine" mentality.

Adam Morka is the entrepreneur behind Trail Hub, a 142-acre events and recreation destination in Durham Region, Ontario built on the site of a former ski hill. In this episode, Adam breaks down how he drove 170% year-over-year revenue growth using a multi-channel marketing strategy, the hard lessons that came with scaling fast, and why his bet for 2026 is simple: elevate your brand.

• How Adam's background as a professional mountain bike racer and Olympic-athlete coach shaped his entrepreneurial mindset
• The morning routines and calendar blocking habits that keep Adam performing at a high level — even on two hours of sleep
• Why content marketing and digital visibility are non-negotiable for any business or professional in 2026
• The step-by-step marketing strategy behind Trail Hub's triple-digit year-over-year growth
• Why event marketing is one of the best ROI-generating strategies available (with a real-world case study from supplement brand BPN)
• The operational growing pains that come when marketing works too well
• Adam's one-word marketing bet for the next 12 months: brand elevation

• Schedule everything that matters. Adam's morning workout, family time, and personal development are all on his calendar — not left to chance. If it's not scheduled, it's not a priority.
• Marketing results lag behind effort. Trail Hub didn't see significant impact from their revamped digital marketing until 6–12 months after launch. Set realistic expectations and stay consistent.
• Event marketing pulls double duty. Well-executed events can run at break even or a profit AND generate content and brand awareness that keeps paying off long after the event.
• More impressions, fewer conversions. Most businesses convert only 2–2.5% of website traffic. Trail Hub hit 10% — but it required 375,000 annual website visits to get there. Volume of impressions matters.
• Elevate your brand deliberately. Consumers in 2026 are investing in brands they share values with. Get clear on who you are as a brand and constantly raise the bar — your marketing spend becomes more efficient and your customer quality improves.

• "If everything matters, nothing does. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. — Adam Morka (referencing Alex Hormozi)"
• "The standards you hold your organization to are essentially the business you create — the same way the standards you hold yourself to create the life you live. — Adam Morka"
• "Event marketing truly is one of the best marketing spends a business owner can make. If you do it properly, you can run the event at break even or a profit — and you're also getting the content and awareness out of the event itself. — Adam Morka"

• LinkedIn: Adam Morka
• Instagram: @adammorka
• Trail Hub: trailhub.ca
• Kelsey’s Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• HubSpot — CRM and email marketing platform used at Trail Hub
• Bloom — paid media marketing agency (Toronto & Montreal)
• BPN — supplement company; referenced as an event marketing case study
• The Four Burner Theory — framework for life prioritization
• Alex Hormozi — entrepreneur and author; quote referenced

Adam Morka is the driving force behind Trail Hub's explosive growth, bringing over a decade of experience spanning professional mountain bike racing, Olympic-level athlete coaching, and tech company scaling. He joined the family business in May 2023 and has since grown revenue by triple digits year-over-year through a relentless focus on digital marketing and brand building.

Quick Summary:

Kelsey sits down with Jodie, founder of Root and Bloom Therapy, for an honest, heartfelt pregnancy Q&A. They cover everything from why Kelsey waited 20 weeks to announce, to the emotional weight of miscarriage, the art of letting go when you're a type-A entrepreneur, and what intentional postpartum self-care really looks like the second time around.

In This Episode:

• Why Kelsey waited until 20 weeks to announce her second pregnancy — and the business fears behind the decision
• The fear of losing clients when you announce a pregnancy as a self-employed entrepreneur
• Kelsey's miscarriage journey and the conception story she wasn't expecting
• The importance of "sitting in the pit" with someone rather than rushing past grief
• Why her second pregnancy has felt completely different from her first
• Preparing mentally and emotionally for birth and postpartum — with a toddler in the mix
• Navigating the relationship with her son Freddy during this major family transition
• Kelsey's worries this time vs. last time: what's changed and what hasn't
• Outsourcing and asking for help — finally
• Postpartum self-care rituals: the daily micro-moments that actually make a difference

Key Takeaways:

1. You don't owe anyone your news in real time. Holding sacred moments close — pregnancy, health, family milestones — is a boundary, not a secret. Processing privately first is a gift you give yourself.
2. Surrendering control isn't weakness — it's wisdom. In fertility, in business, and in parenting, the outcomes we most want rarely come from forcing them.
3. Grief deserves a witness, not a fixer. When someone is in the pit, what they often need most is someone willing to come sit in it with them — not offer a ladder too soon.
4. Know your joy list before the fog sets in. Write down the five to ten micro-moments that fill your cup before postpartum arrives, because you won't remember them when you're in the thick of it.
5. Values aren't static — and that's okay. Checking in weekly with what this season is asking of you is more sustainable than rigidly holding one set of priorities.

Memorable Quotes:

• "It was never a secret — there are just parts of life so magical that you want to hold them tight to your heart for a little bit." — Kelsey
• "Sometimes what you need is for someone to come into the pit and sit in the pit with you — not try to make you feel better, just help you not feel so alone." — Jodie
• "Going back four months, I would not have chosen to process all of that by myself. It was a lot of unnecessary rumination." — Kelsey

Resources Mentioned:

• Root and Bloom Therapy: rootandbloomtherapy.ca
• Root and Bloom on Instagram: @rootandbloomtherapyservices
• Kelsey’ Instagram: @KelseyReidl
• Kelsey’s Website: KelseyReidl.com
• Kelsey's newsletter: kelseyreidl.com/newsletter
• "Surviving Life with a Toddler" Workshop: End of June in Brantford (in partnership with Grant Kids Therapy)

About the Guest:

Jodie Muir is the founder of Root and Bloom Therapy, offering individual and couples therapy with specialized training in perinatal mental health — all things pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood. She is passionate about helping people navigate the emotional complexity of expanding their families, and recently launched workshops in the Brantford area for parents of toddlers.