The Visionary Files

Hosted by Adriane Galea

Business Entrepreneurship

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137

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Do you ever hear about a business having wild success or achieving *the coolest* result and think, "how the eff did they do that?" Yeah… us, too! That’s why we created The Visionary Files™ podcast! We publish weekly case study-style episodes to ask successful biz owners all of our (and probably your) burning questions so we can dig deep into the strategies, tactics, mindset, and metrics behind what worked and what didn’t.

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October 26, 202634 min

Grant Tips from Our October Winner Who is Rethinking Women’s Hormonal Health with Amara Onwukaeme

Meet our October Hey Helen Grant winner, Amara Onwukaeme 🎉 She’s the founder and Chief Estrogen Officer of Femigist, and she’s building the hormonal wellness brand she couldn’t find when she needed it most. Amara has dealt with hormonal imbalance since high school. First it was acne, then hair loss in college, then facial hair in her mid-20s, and every time she ended up bouncing between prescriptions, the beauty aisle, and cosmetic treatments to solve what was really one issue. So she built Femigist, a symptom-first brand that treats hormonal imbalance from the inside out AND takes care of what women actually see in the mirror. In this conversation we get into why she formulates for the most underserved consumer first, what she tells pitch judges who ask for data that doesn’t exist yet, and why she’s chosen grants and pitch competitions over investors (for now). She also shares the grant-writing advice I wish every single applicant would hear, and I add a few things from our side of the table too. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode Why Amara builds “symptom first” instead of “category first,” and how that shapes every product she makes The practical reason she formulates for women of color first, and why that makes the product better for everybody What she says in pitch competitions when judges ask for market data that nobody ever bothered to collect Why she’s intentionally kept investors out of her business while she’s still learning her market What her ORIGINAL use of funds was (it wasn’t flashy) and why it still won The one section of a grant application where you should absolutely say more Why “this will save us money” can be just as compelling as “this will make us money” Where Femigist is headed next, plus a retail partnership she can’t name yet 👀 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Amara: Visit Femigist on the web Femigist Three-Step Chin Kit Femigist on TikTok (@xoxofemigist) Femigist on Instagram (@femigist) Connect with Amara Onwukaeme on LinkedIn Next steps: Apply for the Hey Helen Grant Learn more about the V-List entrepreneur awards program

October 6, 202642 min

BTS of Growing a 7-Figure Brand in One Year: Part 2 - How I Solved for Growth

I said I'd tell you how I actually solved for seven-figure growth, and this is that episode. Spoiler-free version: it wasn't marketing, and it wasn't sales (shocking, I know 😅). This is Part 2 of my seven-figure series. I'm walking you through the exact assessment I give my Visionmind members – the Vision Anchor Assessment – and I'm doing it out loud, on my own business, with my real answers. Growth and scale are two different things, and before you can do either one on purpose you have to find the roadblock standing between where you are and where you're going. I'm sharing the questions, the scoring, the one change that fixed our community overnight, and the thing I realized while swimming laps that's about to change how my team works. What you'll learn: The difference between growth and scale (and why most of us are chasing the wrong one at the wrong time) Why your "vision anchor" is the thing that clears the road – and why it's a GOOD thing, even though the word sounds heavy The two questions that come before everything else – if you answer yes to either one, do not pass go How raising my community price by about 2.5x, without touching a single word of copy, solved a retention problem completely Why "simple scales, complicated fails" applies whether you're at zero or eight figures The sneaky way selling two offers to two different buyers stalls your growth (web designers, this one's for you) How sunk cost fallacy keeps you holding plates you're allowed to put down The one-to-ten mindset scale I use, and what an 8 out of 10 told me about myself The fastest way to get your team to "read your mind" (hint: it involves recording yourself and handing it to AI) Goldfish finance syndrome – and a feeder fish named Finny who grew to the size of his tank The Vision Anchor Assessment Start here – if either answer is yes, solve it before anything else: Are you charging enough? Are you trying to do too many things? Then answer every question through the lens of what you actually want: The way I’m marketing and generating leads isn’t consistent enough: # The way I’m marketing and generating leads isn’t sustainable: # I don’t like the way I’m marketing and generating leads: # My sales are not consistent enough: # The way I’m selling isn’t sustainable: # I don’t like the way I’m making sales: # I don’t believe it’s possible: # I don’t trust myself to do it: # It doesn’t feel safe to have it: # I would need a bigger team: # I’ll be doing way too much work: # (If you have a team) I don’t have the right team: # Everything already feels like it’s breaking: # Everything already feels disorganized / duct taped together: # I don’t have enough time: # I would need so many more clients/customers and there’s no way I could do that with what’s available to me now: # My work is too custom for each buyer: # The vision I have for where I want to be one year from now would be amazing because: I would finally be able to pay myself properly: # I would finally be able to keep more of the revenue I make: # I would finally have higher profit margins: # I would finally be able to pay my team better: # The money I make could finally work for me: # Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10!

August 13, 202635 min

BTS of Growing a 7-Figure Brand in One Year: Part 1 - The Origin Story + All the Tea

In this first episode of a multi-part series, I’m taking you back through the origin story year that forced me to stop building the business I thought made sense and would help people – and finally build the one I *actually* wanted. There was an almost-fatal tooth infection discovered because of a dream (yes, really), internet drama, a moment on my couch that changed everything, and the decision to build Visionaries around one concept: generosity really is the whole strategy. And while that decision worked spectacularly, it did not make everything easy. This episode gives you context for the story behind the seven-figure growth Visionaries has built to – before we get into exactly what worked, what did not, and where all of this is going next in the future episodes in the series. What’s Inside This Episode The bizarre series of events that made the first half of 2025 feel less like the beginning of a breakout business year and more like the universe had bad jokes on me The dream I had that I think saved my life?! The business I *thought* I was building before Visionaries took over – and why being genuinely good at something turned out not to be a compelling enough reason to keep doing it The thing that became the easiest decisions operationally for me, even though it is objectively the most complicated thing inside the company What happened when I changed my community membership model structure (spoiler: it was a hot mess) How selling community has been dramatically harder than selling education for me, despite having decades of experience selling expertise, strategy, and transformation My road-trip realization that convinced me to eliminate an entire layer of the business even though it was quite profitable The initiative I launched while privately wondering whether I was being a little bit ridiculous to even do it – that become one of the most rewarding things I've done What years of reviewing grant applications taught me about the quiet credibility signal that can make someone’s accomplishments land differently on paper The Visionaries initiative that has been by far the hardest, messiest, most stressful thing to build – and why none of that has made me want to stop doing it Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10!

June 30, 202647 min

Grant Writing Tips + Meet the Hey Helen Grant Winner for April

Learn more about the incredible entrepreneur behind our April Hey Helen Grant! 🎉 In this conversation, I sit down with Tamara (Mara) Henderson , founder of the Enchanted Immersive Zoological Center (EIZC) , to talk about building one of the most unique educational animal experiences in the country. From serving as a United States Marine and firefighter to launching a hands-on zoological center focused on STEM education, conservation, and unforgettable animal encounters, Mara’s story is one of resilience, vision, and determination. We also dive into what winning the Hey Helen Grant meant for her business, how the funding is already making an impact, and the realities of applying for grants as an entrepreneur. If you’ve ever wondered how to write a stronger grant application, stay motivated after rejection, or build a business around an unconventional dream, this conversation is for you. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, educator, nonprofit founder, grant seeker, animal lover, or simply someone chasing a big vision, I hope this interview reminds you that sometimes all it takes is one person believing in your dream. --- 📌 Handy Links 👉 Apply for the Hey Helen Grant 👉 Learn more about the Enchanted Immersive Zoological Center --- 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 Introduction 00:30 Meet April Hey Helen Grant winner Tamara Henderson 02:00 Building a hands-on immersive zoological center 05:30 How the grant is helping the business grow 07:00 Turning STEM into STEAM through creativity 09:30 What visitors experience at the zoo 17:30 Working with children and special needs groups 20:00 The surprising therapeutic benefits of animals 22:00 What winning the Hey Helen Grant meant 25:00 Grant writing advice and applying multiple times 31:00 Common grant application mistakes 35:30 Tips for writing a stronger grant application 41:00 Media outreach advice for entrepreneurs 47:00 Final encouragement

February 10, 202621 min

BTS of Choosing Our $10,000 Grant Winner and How Applications Were Evaluated

If you’ve ever talked yourself out of applying for grant funding because you assumed you weren’t the “right kind” of business, this episode is your reality check. In this breakdown, I'm walking you through exactly how the first Hey Helen Grant winner was selected — and more importantly, how she wasn’t . Industry favoritism? Nope. Revenue bias? Also nope. Platform size, niche appeal, or whether the business felt “cool enough”? Completely irrelevant. What did matter was something far less glamorous and far more controllable: the clarity of the application itself. If you’ve ever wondered what grant reviewers are actually scanning for once they’re 50 applications deep, this episode delivers the answer (at least for me!). Resources mentioned: Learn more and apply for the Hey Helen Grant Learn more about the grant winner, CeCe Cheng, and her company, ShareWell Access my grant training (no opt in required!) . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode What I noticed almost immediately once I started reading applications — and how fast unclear ideas got eliminated The real reason traction matters (and why you don’t need customers yet to prove it) What most founders think impact means — versus how reviewers actually recognize it Why saying [insert big flashy statement here] works against you unless you can back it up with receipts The framework I use to evaluate grants that founders can reverse-engineer for themselves . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10!

October 15, 20251 hr 7 min

How She Disrupted Her Industry's Revenue Model (and Built a 7-Figure Business Her Own Way) with Lyrik Fryer

When Lyrik Fryer built WorkPlay Branding, she wasn’t necessarily trying to be disruptive — she just didn’t want to keep living in the adrenaline crash around the revenue model that comes with project-based work. So she did the thing no one else in her industry was doing: she swapped one-off client projects for a high-ticket, yearlong membership model that now meets clients anywhere in the world. But what looks effortless from the outside was built on systems, spreadsheets, and a ruthless commitment to structure. In this conversation, we get into how she engineered consistency and how she used systems to create freedom and high profit margins. If you’ve ever looked at your calendar and thought, “there has to be a saner way to do this,” you're going to love this conversation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode Why Lyrik stopped chasing $6K projects — and how it gave her a seven-figure business that also regulated her nervous system Lyrik's rule and financial threshold that keeps profit margins tight The #1 thing she swears by for running a thriving business and managing a team Why she thinks creatives need to stop hiding from numbers — and the straight-shooting pep talk she gives to anyone who does The trade-off between instant cash and recurring revenue — and why patience paid off What Lyrik looked at to flip her revenue model then turn it into a global operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lyrik Fryer is the co-founder of WorkPlay Branding, a tech-enabled creative production company redefining how brands scale their visual presence. With a background in PR and advertising, she has led creative campaigns and produced content for major brands and entrepreneurs including Target, Kajabi, Kate Northrup, Selena Soo, Jordan Gill, and Ellen Yin. Through WorkPlay’s signature WorkPlay Method™, she has helped businesses drive six- and seven-figure launches while building world-class creative ecosystems. Her expertise has been featured in Business Insider, where she shared her vision for merging luxury-level creative direction with technology to democratize high-impact branding for entrepreneurs and enterprises alike. Beyond WorkPlay, Lyrik is also the founder of Gloss Up, a beauty brand merging modern luxury with community-driven storytelling. Known for blending strategy, storytelling, and aesthetics, she continues to scale creative platforms that empower both brands and the next generation of creatives worldwide. Connect with Lyrik: On Instagram @workplaybranding Connect with Lyrik on Instagram directly @lyrik.fryer On the web at workplaybranding.com Book a call for your business branding!

October 8, 202550 min

The Referral System That Generated Over $100,000 with Just TWO Hours of Work per Week with Nikki Trailer

What if your next sale wasn’t coming from your funnel, or your content, or your perfectly optimized sales page… but from someone else’s inbox? That’s exactly what today’s guest, Nikki Trailor, has spent the last two years quietly refining. She’s built a relationship-based referral system that now brings in 2–3 qualified high ticket leads every single month taking just two hours per week (talk about ROI!). . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode The quiet 2-hour-a-week routine that’s generated $100K+ in revenue in the last two years alone How a single message inside a Facebook group led to a full inbox, an $8K client, and multiple passive product sales — literally overnight Why you should never assume a competitor won’t refer clients to you — and the $60K proof that changed her mind The subtle way Nikki initiates cold DMs without feeling like a bro marketer How she vets potential partners without asking invasive questions — and the casual touchpoints that reveal everything she needs to know Nikki's system for following up and staying top-of-mind for her partners without being annoying or needy The single most overlooked piece of a successful referral system — and why ignoring this costs you more than you realize . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nikki Trailor is a launch + funnel strategist who helps coaches and course creators add 5-6 figures to their monthly revenue, without launching new offers or increasing their ad spend. She's a roller skater, puzzle addict, and dance-obsessed marketing nerd who's on a mission to help more online CEOs scale their business while maintaining a spacious calendar. Connect with Nikki: Say hi on Instagram @nikki_trailor Register for Nikki's FREE masterclass on How to DOUBLE Your Launch or Funnel Revenue

September 25, 202519 min

The 4 Elements That Make a Website (or Any Marketing Asset) Actually Convert with Rachel Seid

Most people think a website redesign is about swapping in some fresh colors, new photos, and fonts that feel “less 2012.” But as Rachel Seid explains, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. What actually makes a site unforgettable — and profitable — comes down to how it looks, how it functions, how it feels, and what it communicates at first glance. In this episode, Rachel walks through her signature 4 “alities” framework and shows how those four layers completely transform the way a site performs. From design decisions that make a business instantly more relatable, to the subtle cues that communicate a brand’s value proposition without a word — this is a crash course in building a website that works harder than you do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode The biggest misconception business owners have about what makes a website “work” — and why looks are only a fraction of the formula The subtle difference between a website that looks polished and one that actually gets people to take action Why most competitors' sites looks the same industry-wide — and how injecting personality can instantly separate you from them The often-ignored piece of branding that makes your website feel forgettable instead of magnetic The hidden role of imagery and why sometimes, the images you're using are doing you a serious disservice . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Seid is a Squarespace web designer and Head Honcho at Bright Seid Design. She is obsessed with creating beautiful, functional websites that are easy for business owners and small teams to manage themselves. Her web design process establishes genuine personal connections with her clients that enable her to build personality-packed websites that feel as authentic as they do professional. Today she helps solopreneurs, small businesses, and non-profits build simple, easy-to-use websites that become powerful marketing tools to attract and convert dream clients. Connect with Rachel: Website: https://www.brightseiddesign.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsbrightseid LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelseid/ View Rachel's services and book a call to work together

September 23, 20251 hr 13 min

How She Went From Selling $800 to $10,000+ Packages (and Understanding Marketing That Actually Does What You Want) with Rachel Seid

When Rachel Seid left her nonprofit job to pursue web design, she didn’t know that what began as a scrappy side project would turn into a business that allows her to be fully herself — in her words: loud, passionate, and unwilling to settle for mediocrity. Her early days were filled with $800 websites, cobbled-together code, and the dizzying task of managing every platform under the sun. But through trial, error, and a knack for reading how people actually think and behave, she found her zone of genius: building personality-packed Squarespace sites that don’t just look good, but actually work. What sets Rachel apart isn’t just her technical skill. It’s the way she weaves adaptability, storytelling, and human psychology into every stage of her business. From managing the tension between feast-and-famine cycles to designing a sales process that makes prospects feel seen before they even sign, Rachel has built a company rooted in freedom and fun — two things she refuses to compromise on. In this episode, she opens up about how she’s reshaped her pricing, her sales strategy, and her confidence, all while proving that sustainability in business comes down to one thing: flexibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode The disconnect Rachel noticed between “cool” brands and her nonprofit events, and what it revealed about marketing strategy The unusual thing that gave Rachel a sharper edge in web design than a traditional marketing degree ever could The messy first years of taking “any project under the sun” and the moment she realized it wasn’t sustainable The accidental $8,700 project that taught her to expand her perception of what clients were willing to pay How motherhood forced a dramatic overnight price increase — and how she was able to support selling at such higher rates The difference between selling $800 and $3,600 websites and $10,000+ websites — and how she changed her entire sales process to match Why Rachel starts every call with a visual presentation — and how customizing slides with tiny personal details helps her close The four “alities” Rachel uses to design sites that actually convert — that you can use to get your site to convert better . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rachel Seid is a Squarespace web designer and Head Honcho at Bright Seid Design. She is obsessed with creating beautiful, functional websites that are easy for business owners and small teams to manage themselves. Her web design process establishes genuine personal connections with her clients that enable her to build personality-packed websites that feel as authentic as they do professional. Today she helps solopreneurs, small businesses, and non-profits build simple, easy-to-use websites that become powerful marketing tools to attract and convert dream clients. Connect with Rachel: Website: https://www.brightseiddesign.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrsbrightseid LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelseid/ View Rachel's services and book a call to work together

September 17, 20251 hr 12 min

Adding $97,800 in Revenue in One Year from Speaking and Impactful Storytelling with April Pertuis

When you tell a story, it's all about the audience. Today's guest, April Pertuis, spent years in TV news learning how to extract the moment that matters — the line that illuminates a room like, well, light. That word kept following her until it became a mandate through LIGHTbeamers: help women turn lived experience into communication that deeply resonate and moves an audience. In this conversation, we dig into how she rebuilt her career around that idea and why speaking — keynotes, workshops, the mic in a room full of decision-makers — became her highest-leverage growth engine. April walks through how she wrote a keynote, practiced until it lived in her body, and then turned intention into a tracker that led to 25 talks and ~$100k in back-end revenue in a year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ⭐️ Love this episode? We'd GREATLY appreciate a 5-star review! ⭐️ . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s inside this episode The counter-intuitive first question great storytellers ask themselves before they write a line and why it changes which story you pick A simple gut-check that trims the indulgent details no audience needs — and keeps the right ones that create resonance The “scar vs wound” filter for vulnerable stories so your audience feels moved rather than responsible for your emotions The four-part speaker engine April built and how to know where your own bottleneck is A year of stages, $97,800 in revenue, and what actually drove the dollars on the back end How April repackages the same core ideas for different rooms with simple, small tweaks The “speaker flywheel” metaphor that keeps bookings compounding — and when to tap it again to maintain momentum . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connect with Adriane and Visionaries! Let's be friends on the 'gram – @visionariesonline or @adrianegalea Connect on Linkedin – with Adriane or Visionaries Visit us on the web at visionaries.co Join the community! Learn more about The Visionaries Collective Join us live in Los Angeles from Sept 27-20 for Visionary – ticket sales close September 10! . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Adams Pertuis is a Visibility and Media specialist. She is in the business of storytelling. Her philosophy is “everyone has a story” and she’s fascinated with getting to the Core of what that story is. April’s career spans more than 30 years as a journalist, producer, writer, and positive encourager. She is an award-winning video journalist who has worked for CBS Television, HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, and numerous private industries where she has interviewed thousands of people and crafted their story as a result. Today, April works with people and brands to help them tell their story in a more authentic way so they can reach more customers, attract new clients, grow their audience, and ultimately tap into their true power. April leads retreats, workshops, and storytelling symposiums throughout the year to take women on a storytelling journey — helping them tap into their authentic voice and learn the power of their words. Her motto is “when we share our stories, we shine our light” — and her goal is to have women share their journey more openly so it may inspire others to do the same. Connect with April: On Instagram On LinkedIn On Facebook On the web at lightbeamers.com Get April's FREE story formula guide