Free Agent with Meg Schmitz

Hosted by Meg Schmitz

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Episodes

221

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Inspiring conversations with real people who took the leap into business ownership, franchising, and freedom. Hosted by franchise guru, consultant and trusted small business advisor, Meg Schmitz. If you're looking to make the next phase of your life the best phase, this podcast is for you. From corporate refugees and executives tired of the desk job life, to entrepreneurs and investors looking for more support in their business journey, you'll hear from real people who stepped into the unknown, took control of their destiny and became their own boss.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 11, 2026Episode 2253 min

Ep 8.22 The Long Bet

Most people wait until they have certainty before making a move. Bob Dalton's story is a reminder that the biggest opportunities often appear long before the rest of the world recognizes them—and the people who benefit most are those willing to act before the outcome is guaranteed. If you're questioning what's next in your career, your investments, or your future, this conversation will challenge how you think about risk, timing, and the power of betting on a vision before everyone else sees it.

June 4, 2026Episode 1949 min

Ep 8.21 The Money Conversation Most Families Never Have

Money touches every part of life—our relationships, our confidence, our choices, and sometimes even our deepest fears. In this conversation, Jeannie Dougherty shares how personal loss, family dynamics, and hard-earned financial lessons shaped her understanding of what true financial independence really means. If you've ever avoided a money conversation, inherited financial stress, or wondered whether you're truly prepared for what's next, this episode is for you.

May 21, 2026Episode 1950 min

Ep 8.19 She Had The Title But Lost Herself

Sara Bell spent years doing what high performers are taught to do: achieve more, carry more, push through more. From the outside, the title looked impressive. But underneath the success was exhaustion, pressure, and the quiet realization that constantly holding it all together was costing her more than she wanted to admit. In this episode of the Free Agent Podcast, Sara and I unpack the invisible weight so many strong women carry — identity, ambition, burnout, reinvention, and the complicated truth that sometimes the life you worked hard to build no longer feels like home.

May 14, 2026Episode 1847 min

Ep 8:18 Burnout Woke Her Up

For years, Kate Lewis did everything right on paper—career, responsibility, success. But beneath the surface, the pressure of holding everything together led to a deeper realization: burnout wasn't the problem... it was the warning sign. In this episode of the Free Agent Podcast, Kate shares the honest conversation more high-achieving women are starting to have about identity, exhaustion, reinvention, and what it means to finally choose a life that can hold you too.

May 7, 202645 min

Ep 8.17 Women, Money, and What's Changing

Money is changing—and women are at the center of it. In this episode, Barbara Provost joins Meg to unpack the Great Wealth Transfer and what it means for how women think about income, control, and long-term security in today's economy. If you're reconsidering how your current path fits into that shift, this conversation will help you see your options more clearly.

April 30, 2026Episode 1648 min

Ep 8.16 When Hard Work Stops Paying Off

Mike DeJong did everything the traditional path told him to do—work hard, stay loyal, keep climbing. But when the payoff no longer matched the effort, he started asking a better question: what if ownership is the smarter move? In this episode, Mike shares what pushed him to rethink security, how he researched franchising, and what professionals need to see before making their next move.

April 23, 2026Episode 1516 min

Ep 8.15 She Built a Business Buyers Wanted

Most businesses spend years chasing customers. Catherine Wilson built one where demand kept rising, forcing her to solve a rarer problem—how to grow capacity without breaking the business. In this episode of Free Agent Podcast, she shares what made her company attractive to buyers, why she chose to work with a business broker instead of handling the sale alone, and what owners often miss when it's time to exit.

April 16, 2026Episode 1246 min

Ep 8.14 Fake Security vs Real Ownership: Why she never looked back

A lot of smart people are quietly wondering if the version of security they trusted still works. In this conversation, Camille Hamilton reflects on leaving corporate life, building something of her own, and how freedom often comes with stress, responsibility, and rewards no paycheck can replicate. If you've been feeling the tension between staying where you are and becoming who you're meant to be, this one will feel familiar.

April 9, 2026Episode 1342 min

Ep 8.13 What No One Tells You About Reinventing Yourself Mid-Career

You don't get the luxury of guessing when the stakes are this high. My conversation with Leah Rosen pulls back the curtain on what it really looks like to reinvent yourself mid-career, when income, identity, and responsibility are all on the line. If you've been waiting for certainty before making a move, this will challenge you to rethink what "safe" actually means.

April 2, 2026Episode 1222 min

Ep 8.12 You're Not Stuck, You're Standing Outside The Room

You're not stuck—you're standing on the edge, waiting to feel certain before you step in. In this conversation with Chad Coe, Meg exposes the quiet habit high performers fall into: trying to think their way into clarity instead of getting close enough to see what's real. If you've been circling the decision but not moving, this will show you what's actually holding you back and why the next move isn't more research; it's engagement.