Entrepreneurship can open the door to freedom, but only if you build it with clarity and intention. For social entrepreneurs, the challenge is even greater: creating meaningful impact while maintaining personal well-being. When growth becomes constant and every decision seems to serve the mission but drain the person behind it, one raw question remains: What does freedom really look like?

In this episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur, Dr. Trisha Bailey sits down with Bennett Maxwell, serial entrepreneur, franchise mentor, and mental health advocate. From selling knives and solar panels to co-founding Dirty Dough, Bennett has built, scaled, and sold multiple businesses while learning firsthand what happens when success comes at the expense of health, relationships, and peace of mind.

Bennett now helps entrepreneurs build wealth and freedom through franchising, while keeping mental and physical health at the forefront. He explains how franchising can be a powerful way for impact-driven entrepreneurs to scale sustainably without burning out, and why success depends on creating a business that is structured, replicable, and simple enough for others to run.

Tune in and listen to the seventy-third episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur to hear how Bennett redefined success, protected his well-being, and turned franchising into a platform for freedom, purpose, and joy.

• (3:00) How Bennett’s early sales experience and mindset shaped his path to entrepreneurship
• (6:30) What inspired him to move from sales to co-founding and building his own companies
• (9:20) How mental exhaustion from overwork reshaped his approach to business
• (11:50) The turning point that shifted his focus from chasing money to prioritizing health and fulfillment
• (17:00) Why therapy and emotional awareness are powerful business tools
• (20:30) Why mental health must be part of every entrepreneur’s growth strategy
• (24:50) The basics of franchising and how to know if your business is franchisable
• (29:00) The biggest misconceptions entrepreneurs have about franchising
• (32:40) Why every entrepreneur should “run it like you’ll franchise it”
• (33:30) Smart, creative ways to expand without raising large amounts of capital

Connect with Bennett Maxwell:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Listen to the Deeper Than Dough podcast

Resources:

• My new book! Mindset Matters
• Quiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?
• Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist

​

Let’s Connect!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneurship is rarely linear. It is full of resets, pivots, and unexpected lessons. The real challenge is not just growing a business but doing it in a way that reflects your values and leaves space for joy, family, and resilience.

In this episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur, Dr. Trisha Bailey is joined by Jennifer Ann Johnson, founder of True Fashionistas, business coach, podcast host, and author of the Amazon bestseller Grace and Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur. From her beginnings in a small Minnesota farm town to building Florida’s largest lifestyle resale store, Jennifer shares her story of resilience, reinvention, and the mindset shifts that helped her move through challenges with strength and confidence.

You will hear how Jennifer defines grace as living in alignment with who you want to be remembered as, and grit as the daily determination to keep going despite obstacles. She reveals her process for identifying core values, the importance of creating “pink spaces” in your calendar, and why assuming positive intent can transform both business and life.

Tune in and discover how to stop being your own harshest critic, live intentionally through your values, and build a business that is both sustainable and soul-aligned.

In this episode, you will learn:

Jennifer’s early journey from small-town roots to serial entrepreneur (04:00)

What a lifestyle resale store really is and why it matters for sustainability (06:40)

The meaning of grace and how it helps you live in alignment with your legacy (08:50)

Why grit is essential for pushing through obstacles and finishing what you start (12:40)

How to uncover and clarify your core values with practical questions (15:00)

Why values are dynamic and evolve (20:10)

What is a “pink space” and how to create it intentionally in your calendar (23:20)

The power of assuming positive intent in business and leadership (28:20)

Why laughter, fun, and family connection are cornerstones of resilience (30:30)

Jennifer’s “why” and how she models resilience for her children and community (34:10)

Connect with Jennifer Ann Johnson:

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Listen to The Confident Entrepreneur podcast

Grace & Grit: Becoming a Confident Entrepreneur

True Fashionistas

Resources:

My new book! Mindset Matters

Quiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?

Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist

​

Let’s Connect!

Website

LinkedIn

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perfection is exhausting. Growth doesn’t have to be linear. And sometimes, choosing good over great is the most radical, life-changing decision you can make as an entrepreneur.

In this episode, I’m joined by Heather Campbell, author of Good Is Amazing, founder and CEO of Ready, Set, Recover, and a former media executive who has made a career and a life out of giving herself and others permission to release the pressure of perfection.

Heather’s work helps people recover from surgery by focusing on the non-clinical aspects of healing that often go unaddressed. However, her wisdom extends far beyond health: it is about how we navigate pressure, tune out our inner critic, and create space for joy and authenticity in our lives and businesses.

Tune in and listen to the seventy-first episode of Avant-Garde Entrepreneur. You will hear how to let go of what is not serving you, how to stop minimizing your worth with small words like “just,” and why celebrating the little things every single day is the key to building a meaningful life.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why “good” really is amazing, and how striving for “perfect” holds you back (07:40)
• The simple framework Heather uses to stay happy and healthy (08:10)
• A practical way to support yourself with daily joy rituals (19:40)
• How to silence your inner critic (23:10)
• When to quit, let go, and create space for what is truly right (28:20)
• Why, sometimes, the most powerful answer is a simple “huh” (37:30)
• The power of the word “just” and why you should eliminate it from your vocabulary (44:50)

Connect with Heather Campbell:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Website

Resources:

• My new book! Mindset Matters
• Quiz! What’s Your Social Entrepreneur Style?
• Avant-garde Entrepreneur Academy Waitlist

​

Let’s Connect!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.