Good Shift

With Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar, founders of Good Girl SnacksThis is a masterclass in how to start a business and build momentum fast.In this episode of Good Shift, I’m joined by Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar, best friends and co-founders of Good Girl Snacks, the brand behind the viral Hot Girl Pickles.Just a few years ago, they were working corporate jobs with zero business experience. Just 3 years later, their pickles have built a cult following online and landed on shelves at Whole Foods, Erewhon, Bristol Farms, GoPuff, and Nordstrom.In this conversation, Leah and Yasaman share the real story behind the leap: from spotting a TikTok trend, to building in public, to trusting their gut before they felt ready and they share how you can do the same. 

I submitted Good Shift to the podcast awards (!) and as part of that, I had to put together a 15-minute highlight reel to showcase what the pod is all about.It’s a great place to start if you’re new here, or to send to a friend who’s thinking about a career shift, hating their job, or feeling stuck on what’s next.Enjoy my friends and cross your fingers for me for the awards!

In this episode, I sit down with Alexa Gray - founder of Social Bloome and one of the formative early team members at Olipop, where she helped shape the brand into one of the fastest-growing wellness companies in the U.S.With a background spanning nonprofit work, photography, brand building, and now her own agency, Alexa’s path has never been linear, but it’s always been purpose-led. We talk about how to make confident career moves (even when they don’t make sense on paper), the mindset needed to leave a “successful” job, and what it really takes to build a business rooted in authenticity and community.Whether you're navigating your own pivot or dreaming about starting something new, this conversation is packed with real insights and practical encouragement.In this episode, we cover: ✨ How to make bold career moves with confidence 💼 Leaving a job you’re doing well in and why it’s okay 🚀 Alexa’s experience working at an early stage start-up and how to know if that enviroment is right for you 💡 Building a business (and community) from scratch 📱 Launching an app with no tech background  🛠 Her go-to habits for staying grounded and moving through hard momentsConnect with Alexa:Alexa's Linkden Social Bloome Follow Good Shift: Instagram → @goodshiftpod 

In this episode, I sit down with best friends, co-founders, and first-time entrepreneurs Elan Halpern and Kiki Couchman, who traded high-achieving careers in tech and private equity to start a probiotic yogurt company from scratch — without burning it all down overnight.They talk candidly about the slow build of misalignment, how they reframed leaving “successful” jobs without guilt, and the three key pillars they used to figure out what was next (Elan’s 3 Ps: passion, product, pay). We unpack what it means to make a shift on your own timeline, how your career can shape your identity (without permission), and why being “obsessed” with your work actually matters.If you’ve ever felt stuck in a role that everyone else admires, or wondered whether a side idea could be something more — this episode will meet you where you are.In This Episode, We Cover:🎯 The signs of career misalignment 🧠 The mindset shifts that made leaving corporate jobs possible🧪 The “experiments” they ran to build conviction before quitting💼 How your job can silently shape your identity over time🛠️ Elan’s 3 Ps framework for deciding what to do next🚪 How to exit the “first job” without throwing away everything you’ve built👯‍♀️ The power of building in public and treating your community like a co-founder💬 The uncomfortable part of starting over (and how to speak about it confidently)🔗 Links & Resources:Follow Elan & Kiki’s journey on Instagram: @eatbeny Book recommendation: Be Ready When Luck Happens by Ina GartenWant the framework Elan used? Listen out for the 3 Ps: Passion, Product, Pay

Have you ever felt the pull toward something totally different but held back because it seemed too weird, too impractical, or just too far off your current path?In this episode, I sit down with Belinda Price, who left behind travel agency life to milk cows on a dairy farm and eventually made a bold, purpose-fueled shift into one of the most misunderstood (and profound) careers: death doula.We dive into:How to make unconventional career moves when fear and judgment show upWhy your gut instinct won’t leave you alone (and why that matters)The 5 regrets people have on their deathbed and what they mean for your careerBuilding a business from scratch in an emotional, under-resourced industryWhat it actually looks like to work in death and what it teaches you about living🧰 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:💬 Belinda’s Work:Leaving Legacies – Belinda’s End-of-Life Doula Practice https://www.leavinglegacies.co.nzBelinda’s Podcast: Dying to Know📚 Reflection Tools:The Five Regrets of the Dying Based on the book by Bronnie Ware (referenced by Belinda)How We Feel App Free mobile app to track and name your emotions Great for understanding emotional patterns when considering career shiftsKnowing Your Connection Cards A 54-question card deck created by Belinda to help spark conversations around values, life reflections, and legacy Available on her website: https://www.leavinglegacies.co.nzReflection Letter Exercise A guided self-awareness tool where you gather strengths-based feedback from 20 people across your life (colleagues, friends, family, past clients). Used in Belinda’s positive psychology studies.🎓 Courses Mentioned:Diploma of Positive Psychology From The Langley Group Institute – helped spark Belinda’s pivot into her doula workMicronutrients and Brain Health Course University of Canterbury – explored holistic wellbeing and brain nutrition