Margs and Mindset

Hosted by Barlyssa Lopez

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Episodes

149

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Barlyssa have been taking on life's challenges side by side, discovering what works and what doesn't. We're not just addressing past wounds, but also picking up handy skills and strategies along the way to steer our journey forward. We're convinced that no one should have to pilot through these experiences alone. With a common objective, we pondered the most impactful way to extend out support to women of color tackling generational traumas and experiences in solitude. It turned out that launching a podcast is the best conduit to build a supportive community that engages in raw, real and open dialogues that yield authentic growth. But, add tasty margaritas and some laughs for a good time because a good laugh can overcome more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than people realize.

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60 recent

August 12, 2026Episode 14850 min

Daily Glimmers with Sarah Joy

Send us Fan Mail A tiny moment can change the temperature of an entire day and you do not have to pretend everything is fine to feel it. We’re joined by Sarah Shellard, founder of Just Joyful Boutique and creator of the Daily Glimmers Gratitude Journal, for a grounded conversation about joy as a practice, not a performance. Sarah also runs Joy Speech Language Pathology, so we get a rare look at how a service-based career and a product-based business can feed each other without draining your nervous system. We talk candidly about burnout in helping professions, why “just list three things you’re grateful for” can feel empty, and how glimmers offer a more honest path. Glimmers are tiny, unplanned moments of joy that can exist alongside stress, grief, and frustration. Sarah shares how her journal uses rotating prompts, emotion check-ins, goals, and reflective “glimmer missions” to keep people engaged and to make gratitude journaling feel doable instead of repetitive. We also touch on the polyvagal roots of the term, her care in avoiding toxic positivity, and why resilience is often built in small, consistent reps. Then we zoom out to entrepreneurship: messy action, habit-building tips you can actually use, and what it looks like to set SMART goals and reevaluate them quarterly as you grow. Sarah also opens up about her next expansion moves, from wholesale distribution to hospital gift shops, and the values behind wanting big-box buyers to carry the product. If you’re into gratitude journaling, mindset shifts, nervous system regulation, or building a values-led small business, you’ll leave with practical ideas and a calmer perspective. If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a glimmer, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

August 5, 2026Episode 14732 min

Pour Into Yourself

Send us Fan Mail Your stomach hurts, your calendar is full, and the old version of you would still push through because “that’s what high performers do.” We start there and trace how one small decision to honor the body opens up a much bigger conversation about mindset, self-trust, and sustainable success. If you’re tired of living by a ruminating to-do list, this one will feel like a deep exhale. We unpack what it means to be incredible at checking boxes while still forgetting to check in with yourself. Awareness becomes the hinge point: noticing how we feel, asking better questions in the morning, and separating what our brain wants from what our body can actually handle. Along the way, we connect the dots between gentle self-leadership, habit change, and why self-care is not another task to “get done” but a way to live. Then we get practical about entrepreneurship and small business growth. We share how a difficult Q2 forced a deep dive into our operations, why outgrowing your systems is a sign your business is working, and how leaning on mentors and community helps you stop spiraling. The unexpected takeaway: when we release pressure, scarcity, and desperation, the business starts “businessing” again and abundance has room to show up. If you know you’re ready for a new emotional base camp, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s been pushing too hard, and leave a review so more business owners can find these conversations. What’s one way you can honor yourself today? Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

July 29, 2026Episode 14638 min

The Real Entrepreneur Life with Erika Sorbello

Send us Fan Mail You can hit a lifelong goal and still feel completely wiped out. That’s the honest thread running through our conversation with Erika Sorbello, owner of Gallery Salon in Rochester, New York, who’s back on the mic with us after a huge shift: she officially moved into a custom-painted space at One Public Market and purchased the building she’d been chasing for years. It’s a milestone that screams success, but the reality is more layered, more human, and a lot more useful than a highlight reel. We talk through the seven-year path to commercial building ownership, the last-minute change in her search that made the right property appear, and the whirlwind negotiation that followed. From there, the conversation turns to what happens after the keys are yours: the endless to-do list, the pressure of being both stylist and employer, and the behind-the-scenes work of maintaining a thriving salon business while trying to protect your time, relationships, and nervous system. We also get real about team turnover and the modern salon industry shift toward suites and solo entrepreneurship. Erika shares why employees leaving can feel like grief, how exit interviews help her lead with more clarity, and why she still chooses mentorship even when it hurts. If you care about leadership, entrepreneurship, small business growth, and building culture that lasts, this one will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with a business owner who needs it, and leave a review with the moment that hit you hardest. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

July 22, 2026Episode 14534 min

When A Penguin Turns Into An Owl

Send us Fan Mail A dream starts with penguins in a parking lot, then flips into owls the moment you get closer and months later an intuitive massage therapist describes the exact same penguin-to-owl vision without any context. We sit with that mind-blowing “how could she know that?” moment and unpack what it reveals about intuition, healing, and the kind of connection that doesn’t fit inside a neat logical box. If you love dream interpretation, symbolism, and personal growth stories that feel real, this one hits. We also keep it grounded in everyday life: summer entrepreneur schedules that ignore routine, swapping margaritas for water, and the truth that showing up messy still counts. Birthday week brings its own identity questions, like wondering if your spark disappeared and realizing it might just need an everything shower, a little self-care, and permission to celebrate again. We talk authenticity, Leo energy, and why confidence can be a mirror that helps other people feel safer being themselves. Then we go deeper into meaning making: tattoos as intentional milestones, not random decisions, and how honoring past versions of yourself builds a stronger foundation for who you’re becoming. We land on a clear intention for the year, choosing joy and releasing anger and sadness without waiting for life to fall apart again. If you’re navigating healing, aging, community, and mindset work, you’ll leave with language for what you’re feeling and a push to claim what you want next. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs more joy, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

July 15, 2026Episode 14442 min

The Goddess Afterglow

Send us Fan Mail Fourteen women. One house in the woods. Four days that somehow feel like a whole new chapter. We’re fresh back from our second Goddess Gathering weekend, and the first thing we want to tell you is the truth most people skip: right before we left, we panicked. The doubt crept in, our bodies begged us to stay home, and we still packed the car and went because growth always seems to ask for a little free-fall. What happened next is the reason we can’t stop talking about it. We unplugged in a way that felt almost rebellious, phones left on tables, shoulders dropping for the first time in a long time. The retreat had enough structure to feel held and enough freedom to let real connection happen. Deep conversations popped up everywhere, people said things out loud for the first time, and the “sister wound” started to heal in real time. We also share the mycelium metaphor that hit us hard, a reminder that women’s community is a network that feeds everything we’re trying to build. Then we bring it home to the real world with accountability. We talk intentions, the backpack metaphor for all the invisible weight we carry, and why not feeling alone can be the biggest form of healing. Barb goes on the record with a commitment to meditation, and Lyssa talks about owning her intuition enough to share the tools with her partner and family. We close with “I Am Her,” the mindset shift that turns waiting into choosing, plus a story about impatience that made us rethink forcing the timeline. If you’ve been craving a women’s retreat, deeper friendship, nervous-system calm, or a reset that actually sticks, press play. Then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

July 8, 2026Episode 14346 min

Moonwater and Mindset

Send us Fan Mail Two days can change the way you run your business and the way you run your life, but only if you’re willing to get honest first. We sit down with margaritas in hand, still processing a three-hour VIP day with our business coach that left us feeling like different people. The surprising part was not a shiny new tactic, it was the inner work that cracked everything open: naming the fear, saying the quiet stuff out loud, and finally admitting what we actually want. We talk about the full moon timing that pushed us to try a moon water ritual, how releasing a limiting belief can feel awkward and also wildly effective, and why “I don’t know what I’m doing” is a story we refuse to carry anymore. From guided subconscious work to a body-based sway test that challenged our skepticism, we unpack what it means to trust your energy, your intuition, and your own capacity as a business owner. Then we take it to the beach for a walking meditation with our kids nearby and strangers everywhere, and we learn a simple truth: most people are not thinking about you, and even if they are, you still get to choose yourself. We connect the dots between spirituality, mindset, meditation, habit change, and entrepreneurship, and why community support is often the fastest path to clarity. If you’re craving business clarity, a mindset reset, and practical motivation you can feel in your body, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in a pivot, and leave us a review so more people can find Marks And Mindset Podcast. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

July 1, 2026Episode 14229 min

Content Day

Send us Fan Mail We thought we were hosting a simple content day for vendors to get fresh brand photos. What actually happened was a full-body reminder that community is the real growth hack, and that the best business strategy sometimes looks like a room full of women telling the truth over good food. We talk through how we pulled this off fast (three weeks fast), why our masculine energy had to carry the logistics, and how the feminine side still showed up through creativity, openness, and play. The biggest surprise was watching vendors who had never met connect like they already belonged together. The conversations quickly moved past marketing and into real life: motherhood, balance, identity, fear, excitement, and the courage it takes to start a small business. If you’re building in Rochester, NY or anywhere else, this is a real-world look at why finding your people early can beat years of grinding alone. We also share the behind-the-scenes details that made the day work: arriving early to settle, letting nature set the tone at a Lake Ontario property, and creating space where nobody is stuck in emails or client fires for a few hours. Then we give flowers to the kind of photographer who does more than “take pictures” and actually holds space, documents confidence, and leaves a lasting thumbprint on a brand. And yes, we end with the funniest disaster of the night: one last thing to take off the wall, one chair, gravity, and a snap that still hurts to laugh about. If this hit home, subscribe, share with a friend building a business, and leave a review so more people can find Marks And Mindset Podcast. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

June 24, 2026Episode 14134 min

RIP Tea Cups

Send us Fan Mail The scariest sound isn’t metal on metal, it’s fragile vintage teacups crashing forward when you slam on the brakes and realize how close you just came to a real accident. We’re kicking off Friday with margaritas and a story that’s way too fresh: a reckless turn, a full car of one-of-a-kind vintage teacups and plates, and that split-second moment where your body goes straight into survival mode. We talk about the heartbreak of losing irreplaceable pieces we’ve collected for years and why, in an event planning and party rental business, “stuff” is never just stuff. Then we take the bigger lesson: how do you show up when something goes wrong and it’s not your fault? We break down the mindset muscle we’ve built over time, taking a breath, assessing the damage, and making a different choice so one bad moment doesn’t hijack the next 12 hours. We reflect on what 141 episodes of showing up has taught us about emotional regulation, self-awareness, and the kind of maturity that only comes from practice. From there, we pivot into tools that prove your growth: flipping back through journals, revisiting old archives, and even remembering our early audio diary days. We also share what’s lighting us up right now, a creative content day that’s turning into community building, mentorship energy, and collaboration with mostly women-owned businesses, including moms doing it all. If you’re building a service-based business, craving connection, or trying to become the contractor of your life, this one will land. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

June 17, 2026Episode 1401 hr 13 min

From Climate to Camera with Britten Evans

Send us Fan Mail A hurricane, a climate change speech, and a pink margarita might not sound like the start of a photography career, but that’s exactly where this story leads. We sit down with Britten Nicole of Britten Nicole Photography, the artist who shot our branding content day and made us feel more like ourselves on camera than we ever thought possible. If you’ve ever dreaded being photographed, struggled to trust a creative partner, or felt like your personal brand doesn’t match who you are now, you’ll hear yourself in this conversation. Britten shares her origin story from Florida’s Gulf Coast, the loss and meaning wrapped up in her grandparents’ home, and how Hurricane Charlie became a catalyst that pushed her toward environmental science, public speaking, and a decade of nonprofit work. Then we get real about burnout, leaving politics behind, and picking up a camera as a way back to joy. We talk about what makes branding photography feel safe, why “awkward” often means you’re on the edge of something powerful, and how the right images can mark a true level-up moment in your business. We also go deep on manifestation and journaling with moon cycles, new moon intentions, and solstice rituals, including how Britten wrote down a specific six-month plan and received the exact money she needed to go full time. The second half turns into a needed reminder about alone time, nervous system care, and treating self-care like a real business expense, especially for moms and entrepreneurs carrying a lot. If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a push to be seen, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Guest Info: Website: www.brittennicole.com Instagram: @brittennicole Email: hello@brittennicole.com Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

June 10, 2026Episode 13927 min

Aging Hits Different

Send us Fan Mail Your knees crack after the gym, you blink, and your “baby” is suddenly 10. That’s the kind of emotional whiplash we’re sitting in today: the very real physical shift of aging in our 40s paired with the even bigger parenting shift of raising kids who don’t need us the way they used to. It’s tender, it’s messy, and it’s also strangely beautiful. We talk honestly about what it takes to stop mothering on autopilot and start adjusting to this new phase: giving kids more responsibility, letting them make mistakes, and learning when helping becomes hindering. We share how therapy language helped us name the change, why it feels like we’re “playing catch up” sometimes, and how we’re practicing self-care and mindset work while our bodies demand more intention than they did in our 20s. Then we zoom out to the bigger question: surviving vs thriving. When you’ve lived in survival mode, it’s hard to imagine the future. When you finally have space to breathe, you realize your kids can dream, plan, and know themselves in ways you never got to. We also tell the quince dress shopping story that cracked our hearts open, and we unpack what a “rich life” really means: not just money, but values, freedom, authenticity, gratitude, and refusing to let comparison steal your peace. If this conversation hits home, subscribe, share it with a mom who needs a little hope, and leave us a review so more women can find this community. What season are you in right now: surviving, thriving, or somewhere in between? Music Track: Building Dreams by Aylex Source: https://freetouse.com/music Copyright Free Background Music

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