Your Best Friends in Business en © Copyright 2026 Stacie & Madie. All Rights Reserved. What happens when two best friends who’ve built multiple businesses together decide to stop keeping the good stuff to themselves? Join co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder — the team behind West and Main Homes and a growing roster of businesses they’ve built from scratch — for the kind of conversations most founders only have behind closed doors. Each episode opens with a real-time business update (the wins, the chaos, the things that are very much still in progress), then brings in a founder who’s building for the long game for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the decisions that actually shaped their company. Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need, Your Best Friends in Business blends candid interviews, opinionated debates about what works and what definitely doesn’t, and the kind of practical takeaways that only come from people who are still in it. No TED Talk polish. No highlight reel. Just real founders, real decisions, and real talk. Come for the strategies. Stay for the honesty. Leave with a reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it! https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/4e91da24-6ff0-11f1-845c-8724c630d84c/image/49c72454ac3e8326820708358d9914a5.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Your Best Friends in Business episodic Stacie & Madie | Pod People What happens when two best friends who’ve built multiple businesses together decide to stop keeping the good stuff to themselves? Join co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder — the team behind West and Main Homes and a growing roster of businesses they’ve built from scratch — for the kind of conversations most founders only have behind closed doors. Each episode opens with a real-time business update (the wins, the chaos, the things that are very much still in progress), then brings in a founder who’s building for the long game for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the decisions that actually shaped their company. Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need, Your Best Friends in Business blends candid interviews, opinionated debates about what works and what definitely doesn’t, and the kind of practical takeaways that only come from people who are still in it. No TED Talk polish. No highlight reel. Just real founders, real decisions, and real talk. Come for the strategies. Stay for the honesty. Leave with a reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it! What happens when two best friends who’ve built multiple businesses together decide to stop keeping the good stuff to themselves?

Join co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder — the team behind West and Main Homes and a growing roster of businesses they’ve built from scratch — for the kind of conversations most founders only have behind closed doors. Each episode opens with a real-time business update (the wins, the chaos, the things that are very much still in progress), then brings in a founder who’s building for the long game for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the decisions that actually shaped their company.

Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need, Your Best Friends in Business blends candid interviews, opinionated debates about what works and what definitely doesn’t, and the kind of practical takeaways that only come from people who are still in it.

No TED Talk polish. No highlight reel. Just real founders, real decisions, and real talk.

Come for the strategies. Stay for the honesty. Leave with a reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it!

]]> Stacie & Madie | Pod People production@podpeople.com Earning Authority in the Age of AI with Molly McKinley  Molly McKinley has launched craft kits, pitched Oprah, built a marketing consultancy, and made just about every partnership mistake there is to make along the way. Now she's using AI as her editor, teaching the next generation of women entrepreneurs at Meredith College, and reviving a decades-old dream of a tea house she once put on ice. Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with Molly to talk about the messy realities of business partnerships, how to build real authority instead of gaming the algorithm, and why "done is better than perfect" still applies even when AI can do the work for you. In this episode [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: delegating as an entrepreneur, and why none of them have ever had an assistant [00:03:00] — Molly McKinley intro: from lemonade stands to a marketing consultancy [00:04:00] — Early ventures: Crafty Girls Keepsake Kits and an appearance on Oprah's Next Million Dollar Idea [00:05:00] — Why the marketing business became the business, even though it wasn't the passion project [00:06:00] — Falling into sales at AdWorks, and why relationship-driven selling never felt like selling [00:09:00] — Redtail: the partnership mistakes, the lessons, and what she'd do differently [00:11:00] — Meeting business partner Shelley Leslie, and designing the "breakup" before signing anything [00:13:00] — Advice for putting a partnership agreement in writing, even without a lawyer [00:16:00] — The AI and visibility debate: can you build genuine authority, or does it favor whoever has more resources? [00:18:00] — Earning authority through content clusters instead of "gaming" AI [00:20:00] — The ethical tension: watching AI replace roles she once paid people to do [00:22:00] — Her current tech stack: Semrush, Claude, and Claude Cowork [00:23:00] — Using AI as an editor while writing her book, "Trust and Authority" [00:25:00] — Teaching entrepreneurship students to problem-solve first, then bring in AI [00:28:00] — The Intentionalities story: a tea house passion project put on ice [00:29:00] — A live case study with Mutt's Sauce founder Charlynda Skills sparks a new idea [00:30:00] — Becoming founding director of the Entrepreneurship and Impact Center at Meredith College [00:33:00] — Deciding to hand the tea house over to students to run and reinvent [00:38:00] — How she landed the entrepreneur-in-residence role at Meredith [00:39:00] — Mantra of the week: "So hum," and "everything great starts as somebody's daydream" Show Notes: Molly McKinley Meredith College Entrepreneurship and Impact Center Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW @Your Best Friends in Business Follow @YourBestFriendsInBusiness on Instagram Stay Connected: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/  https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/  http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full 1 2 Stacie & Madie | Pod People  Molly McKinley has launched craft kits, pitched Oprah, built a marketing consultancy, and made just about every partnership mistake there is to make along the way. Now she's using AI as her editor, teaching the next generation of women entrepreneurs at Meredith College, and reviving a decades-old dream of a tea house she once put on ice. Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with Molly to talk about the messy realities of business partnerships, how to build real authority instead of gaming the algorithm, and why "done is better than perfect" still applies even when AI can do the work for you. In this episode [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: delegating as an entrepreneur, and why none of them have ever had an assistant [00:03:00] — Molly McKinley intro: from lemonade stands to a marketing consultancy [00:04:00] — Early ventures: Crafty Girls Keepsake Kits and an appearance on Oprah's Next Million Dollar Idea [00:05:00] — Why the marketing business became the business, even though it wasn't the passion project [00:06:00] — Falling into sales at AdWorks, and why relationship-driven selling never felt like selling [00:09:00] — Redtail: the partnership mistakes, the lessons, and what she'd do differently [00:11:00] — Meeting business partner Shelley Leslie, and designing the "breakup" before signing anything [00:13:00] — Advice for putting a partnership agreement in writing, even without a lawyer [00:16:00] — The AI and visibility debate: can you build genuine authority, or does it favor whoever has more resources? [00:18:00] — Earning authority through content clusters instead of "gaming" AI [00:20:00] — The ethical tension: watching AI replace roles she once paid people to do [00:22:00] — Her current tech stack: Semrush, Claude, and Claude Cowork [00:23:00] — Using AI as an editor while writing her book, "Trust and Authority" [00:25:00] — Teaching entrepreneurship students to problem-solve first, then bring in AI [00:28:00] — The Intentionalities story: a tea house passion project put on ice [00:29:00] — A live case study with Mutt's Sauce founder Charlynda Skills sparks a new idea [00:30:00] — Becoming founding director of the Entrepreneurship and Impact Center at Meredith College [00:33:00] — Deciding to hand the tea house over to students to run and reinvent [00:38:00] — How she landed the entrepreneur-in-residence role at Meredith [00:39:00] — Mantra of the week: "So hum," and "everything great starts as somebody's daydream" Show Notes: Molly McKinley Meredith College Entrepreneurship and Impact Center Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW @Your Best Friends in Business Follow @YourBestFriendsInBusiness on Instagram Stay Connected: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/  https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/  http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com  Molly McKinley has launched craft kits, pitched Oprah, built a marketing consultancy, and made just about every partnership mistake there is to make along the way. Now she's using AI as her editor, teaching the next generation of women entrepreneurs at Meredith College, and reviving a decades-old dream of a tea house she once put on ice.

Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with Molly to talk about the messy realities of business partnerships, how to build real authority instead of gaming the algorithm, and why "done is better than perfect" still applies even when AI can do the work for you.


In this episode

  • [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast

  • [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: delegating as an entrepreneur, and why none of them have ever had an assistant

  • [00:03:00] — Molly McKinley intro: from lemonade stands to a marketing consultancy

  • [00:04:00] — Early ventures: Crafty Girls Keepsake Kits and an appearance on Oprah's Next Million Dollar Idea

  • [00:05:00] — Why the marketing business became the business, even though it wasn't the passion project

  • [00:06:00] — Falling into sales at AdWorks, and why relationship-driven selling never felt like selling

  • [00:09:00] — Redtail: the partnership mistakes, the lessons, and what she'd do differently

  • [00:11:00] — Meeting business partner Shelley Leslie, and designing the "breakup" before signing anything

  • [00:13:00] — Advice for putting a partnership agreement in writing, even without a lawyer

  • [00:16:00] — The AI and visibility debate: can you build genuine authority, or does it favor whoever has more resources?

  • [00:18:00] — Earning authority through content clusters instead of "gaming" AI

  • [00:20:00] — The ethical tension: watching AI replace roles she once paid people to do

  • [00:22:00] — Her current tech stack: Semrush, Claude, and Claude Cowork

  • [00:23:00] — Using AI as an editor while writing her book, "Trust and Authority"

  • [00:25:00] — Teaching entrepreneurship students to problem-solve first, then bring in AI

  • [00:28:00] — The Intentionalities story: a tea house passion project put on ice

  • [00:29:00] — A live case study with Mutt's Sauce founder Charlynda Skills sparks a new idea

  • [00:30:00] — Becoming founding director of the Entrepreneurship and Impact Center at Meredith College

  • [00:33:00] — Deciding to hand the tea house over to students to run and reinvent

  • [00:38:00] — How she landed the entrepreneur-in-residence role at Meredith

  • [00:39:00] — Mantra of the week: "So hum," and "everything great starts as somebody's daydream"

Show Notes: Molly McKinley

Meredith College Entrepreneurship and Impact Center

Don't miss an episode! Subscribe NOW @Your Best Friends in Business

Follow @YourBestFriendsInBusiness on Instagram

Stay Connected:

https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/  https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ 

http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com


]]> 2508 no From Bark to Business with Meg Meyer What happens when you say yes to a Publix deal and have absolutely no idea how to fulfill it? Meg Meyer, founder of The Bear & the Rat, built a dog ice cream brand the hard way: dog parks, Shark Tank, and a whole lot of frozen logistics nightmares.  Now, she's been in it for 17 years with her husband, and she's not here to make it look easy. This is what building for the long game actually looks like. She’ll discuss the bets that paid off, the ones that didn't, and the moments you just have to laugh at later.  Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with real founders making real decisions, and Meg is one of the best (and first one!) yet. In this episode: [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: opening a bar & bistro, IKEA dinnerware wins [00:04:00] — Meg Meyer intro: how she and Madie met at ad agency Sukel [00:05:00] — The origin story: a non-creative label, a NYC conference, and the invention of Square [00:07:00] — Where the dog ice cream idea came from (spoiler: Matt, age 8, and a sick mini poodle) [00:08:00] — The Bear & the Rat name, and how two dogs brought Meg and Matt together [00:09:00] — Shark Tank: early season, the Scrub Daddy moment, what the show really did for the brand [00:13:00] — The freezer space problem, distribution challenges, and finding a manufacturer [00:17:00] — The Publix story: saying yes before they could deliver [00:22:00] — Regrets, channel conflict, and the pressure to please everyone [00:25:00] — Expanding into shelf-stable meal kits and the power of subscription [00:33:00] — Marketing dog probiotics: science vs. fun, and knowing your customer [00:36:00] — Working with your spouse: different styles, same desk, and a soundproofed closet [00:38:00] — Exit plans, investor relationships, and raising entrepreneurial kids [00:44:00] — Mantra of the week: "It sucks to suck" Stay Connected: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/ https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com/ Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full 1 1 Stacie & Madie | Pod People What happens when you say yes to a Publix deal and have absolutely no idea how to fulfill it? Meg Meyer, founder of The Bear & the Rat, built a dog ice cream brand the hard way: dog parks, Shark Tank, and a whole lot of frozen logistics nightmares.  Now, she's been in it for 17 years with her husband, and she's not here to make it look easy. This is what building for the long game actually looks like. She’ll discuss the bets that paid off, the ones that didn't, and the moments you just have to laugh at later.  Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with real founders making real decisions, and Meg is one of the best (and first one!) yet. In this episode: [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: opening a bar & bistro, IKEA dinnerware wins [00:04:00] — Meg Meyer intro: how she and Madie met at ad agency Sukel [00:05:00] — The origin story: a non-creative label, a NYC conference, and the invention of Square [00:07:00] — Where the dog ice cream idea came from (spoiler: Matt, age 8, and a sick mini poodle) [00:08:00] — The Bear & the Rat name, and how two dogs brought Meg and Matt together [00:09:00] — Shark Tank: early season, the Scrub Daddy moment, what the show really did for the brand [00:13:00] — The freezer space problem, distribution challenges, and finding a manufacturer [00:17:00] — The Publix story: saying yes before they could deliver [00:22:00] — Regrets, channel conflict, and the pressure to please everyone [00:25:00] — Expanding into shelf-stable meal kits and the power of subscription [00:33:00] — Marketing dog probiotics: science vs. fun, and knowing your customer [00:36:00] — Working with your spouse: different styles, same desk, and a soundproofed closet [00:38:00] — Exit plans, investor relationships, and raising entrepreneurial kids [00:44:00] — Mantra of the week: "It sucks to suck" Stay Connected: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/ https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com/ What happens when you say yes to a Publix deal and have absolutely no idea how to fulfill it? Meg Meyer, founder of The Bear & the Rat, built a dog ice cream brand the hard way: dog parks, Shark Tank, and a whole lot of frozen logistics nightmares. 

Now, she's been in it for 17 years with her husband, and she's not here to make it look easy. This is what building for the long game actually looks like. She’ll discuss the bets that paid off, the ones that didn't, and the moments you just have to laugh at later. 

Stacie Staub and Madie Linder sit down with real founders making real decisions, and Meg is one of the best (and first one!) yet.

In this episode:

  • [00:00:00] — Show intro & hosts introduce the podcast

  • [00:01:00] — Group chat catch-up: opening a bar & bistro, IKEA dinnerware wins

  • [00:04:00] — Meg Meyer intro: how she and Madie met at ad agency Sukel

  • [00:05:00] — The origin story: a non-creative label, a NYC conference, and the invention of Square

  • [00:07:00] — Where the dog ice cream idea came from (spoiler: Matt, age 8, and a sick mini poodle)

  • [00:08:00] — The Bear & the Rat name, and how two dogs brought Meg and Matt together

  • [00:09:00] — Shark Tank: early season, the Scrub Daddy moment, what the show really did for the brand

  • [00:13:00] — The freezer space problem, distribution challenges, and finding a manufacturer

  • [00:17:00] — The Publix story: saying yes before they could deliver

  • [00:22:00] — Regrets, channel conflict, and the pressure to please everyone

  • [00:25:00] — Expanding into shelf-stable meal kits and the power of subscription

  • [00:33:00] — Marketing dog probiotics: science vs. fun, and knowing your customer

  • [00:36:00] — Working with your spouse: different styles, same desk, and a soundproofed closet

  • [00:38:00] — Exit plans, investor relationships, and raising entrepreneurial kids

  • [00:44:00] — Mantra of the week: "It sucks to suck"


    Stay Connected: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/ https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ http://yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com/

]]> 2705 no Why These Two CEOs Keep Building Businesses They Love Join best friends and co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder as they pull back the curtain on building multiple businesses, bringing you inside honest conversations with founders who are doing the same. Each episode blends real-time business updates, candid interviews, and refreshingly unfiltered debates about what actually works (and what definitely doesn't). Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need. Come for the tactics, stay for the honesty and leave with practical takeaways, fresh perspectives, and the reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it! In this episode: 0:00 — Trailer Intro 0:20 — Meet Stacie & Madie 0:45 — How West + Main Homes Started 1:10 — Blue Nest Coffee Origin Story 1:30 — Spring House Pilates & West Way Lending 1:55 — What This Show Is Really About 2:15 — Who This Show Is For Website: ⁠https://www.yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/, https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ Mon, 29 Jun 2026 22:23:00 -0000 trailer 1 Stacie & Madie | Pod People Join best friends and co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder as they pull back the curtain on building multiple businesses, bringing you inside honest conversations with founders who are doing the same. Each episode blends real-time business updates, candid interviews, and refreshingly unfiltered debates about what actually works (and what definitely doesn't). Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need. Come for the tactics, stay for the honesty and leave with practical takeaways, fresh perspectives, and the reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it! In this episode: 0:00 — Trailer Intro 0:20 — Meet Stacie & Madie 0:45 — How West + Main Homes Started 1:10 — Blue Nest Coffee Origin Story 1:30 — Spring House Pilates & West Way Lending 1:55 — What This Show Is Really About 2:15 — Who This Show Is For Website: ⁠https://www.yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/, https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/ Join best friends and co-founders Stacie Staub and Madie Linder as they pull back the curtain on building multiple businesses, bringing you inside honest conversations with founders who are doing the same.

Each episode blends real-time business updates, candid interviews, and refreshingly unfiltered debates about what actually works (and what definitely doesn't). Part strategy, part survival guide, and entirely the kind of conversation most business owners desperately need.

Come for the tactics, stay for the honesty and leave with practical takeaways, fresh perspectives, and the reminder that there’s no perfect way to build a business so just build it!


In this episode:

  • 0:00 — Trailer Intro
  • 0:20 — Meet Stacie & Madie
  • 0:45 — How West + Main Homes Started
  • 1:10 — Blue Nest Coffee Origin Story
  • 1:30 — Spring House Pilates & West Way Lending
  • 1:55 — What This Show Is Really About
  • 2:15 — Who This Show Is For

Website: ⁠https://www.yourbestfriendsinbusiness.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourbestfriendsinbusiness/, https://www.instagram.com/stacieandmadie/

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