About
Business owner, personal brand evangelist, dog rescuer (nine and counting), accidental comedian, and unapologetically, Bode.
Musings Writer
Meet Bode
I’ve been running 8THIRTYFOUR for almost 20 years, and I still find new ways to trip over my own feet. I like to blame my ADHD for the chaos, pace and nine rescue dogs (apparently I have no self-control). I started Small Biz Musings because business ownership is a wild ride, and I wanted a place to share the failures, lessons learned, and to show up authentically – the only way I know how.
I coach and speak on personal branding because I know what it’s like to build a business from scratch, to say yes to things you have no business saying yes to, and to figure it out as you go. My talks and workshops are equal parts strategy, storytelling, and “here’s what not to do unless you want a good story for later.” I believe in showing up, giving more than you take, and never pretending you have it all together, because nobody does, and that’s where the good stuff happens.
Pull up a chair if you want real, lots of laughs, and a dog photo or ten.
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It’s the work no one notices or thanks you for. It’s evenings and weekends spent cleaning, organizing, filing, fixing, moving, and trying to catch up.
It’s calling the City because your garbage can is missing a lid, or waiting for the security company to come because there is a fault in your system, it’s shoveling the sidewalk every morning and weekends...it’s replacing bulbs in lights, scrubbing scuff marks off walls, washing windows...and it’s never ending.
Small business ownership is really hard, all-consuming, and only other owners truly get it. #personalbranding #smallbusiness
Saturday office days, @8thirtyfour all decked out, Lessons from Bobby by Chris Matthews and a happy hour with the family I chose.
Say no. This is your reminder to make space for you; protect your mental health. You are not responsible for anyone else’s happiness.
Important announcement: I have brought the bangs back.
This announcement is brought to you by early 2000s Bode.
I started out with a blessing, then I explained how much bigger mine is than the patriarchy and then we got uncomfortable discussing systemic gender bias in lending.
Our first Uncomfortable Community Conversation did exactly what I hoped - acknowledged the issue, gave voice to the stories, and we recognized the power WOSBs have when we stop being nice and start getting real. If you’re not with us, you’re against us and we won’t tolerate the discrimination and double standards.
Speaking of bias, let’s talk about lending. WEDNESDAY - November 19th, @rebelnell - RSVP at the link in my profile.
Keep being loud, ladies. Keep making them uncomfortable. Tear through every room they told you wasn’t yours. Take up more space than they ever imagined possible—and watch the mediocre men shrink to fit the corners they built for everyone else
Any time I can share my infinite wisdom from my 46 years on this earth…I’m all about it.
@b.razor.scharp gave me access to his Gen Z @calvinuniversity class to tell them why they need to give a F about personal branding and why they need to own their weird and share it with the world. We need it.
