🌟 Episode Length: 10 minutes, 34 seconds

💬 In This Episode

If the new year feels like a fresh start, I want you to hear this first… you don’t have to have everything figured out yet.

In this episode, I’m sharing a grounded “back to basics” reset for creative business owners. Whether you’re starting for the first time, or you’ve been building for a while and you want a fresh, steady start, this is about creating a clean foundation that feels supportive… not overwhelming.

I’m also sharing real reflections from Pretty Pineapple Bead. How survival mode impacted my creativity. How inventory and pressure buried my “why.” And how reconnecting with simplicity helped me show up in a way that’s actually sustainable.

🔍 What You’ll Hear

✨ Why a fresh start doesn’t require a perfect plan🧠 How survival mode can make even the things you love feel heavy🌈 What it looks like when your “why” gets buried… and how it comes back💛 Why clarity comes from being specific, not trying to speak to everyone📓 How lighter structure can create more consistency than rigid plans🌿 Why simplicity isn’t smaller… it’s sustainable

💬 Quote to Remember

“The path forward doesn’t have to be dramatic. It just has to be honest.”

💛 Let’s Connect

If you’re starting this year feeling unsure, overwhelmed, or quietly hopeful… you’re not doing it wrong.

You don’t need perfection. You don’t need pressure. You don’t need to rush.

And if this episode helped you, I’d love it if you shared it with a biz bestie, left a quick review, or reposted it on social. Every share helps Sparkle & Shine reach more creative women who need a steadier start 💛

🌟 Episode Length: 14 minutes, 22 seconds

Before you open a brand-new planner or start setting goals for the new year, this episode invites you to pause and get honest.

If 2025 felt messy, heavy, inconsistent, or like survival mode, you are not behind. You are not doing it wrong. And you are definitely not alone.

In this episode, I walk you through a practical, grounded framework for planning 2026 from reality instead of pressure. I share real examples from my own business, Pretty Pineapple Bead, and explain why planning from energy, alignment, and capacity matters more than pushing harder or dreaming bigger.

This episode is not about fixing yourself. It is about learning from what actually happened and using that awareness to plan your next year with clarity and compassion.

✨ Why planning from survival mode requires a different approach🧠 How the start of 2025 shaped the rest of my year in unexpected ways⚡ What it really means to plan around energy, not ambition🎨 How creative burnout, overplanning, and perfectionism showed up for me🌈 Which parts of my business felt aligned and which ones felt forced📉 Why visibility felt heavier online and easier in person📅 How to think about structure and systems without rigidity📓 Reflection questions to help you plan 2026 with clarity and compassion

“You cannot plan a growth year if you’re still judging yourself for a survival year.”

You do not need to plan your entire year today.

Sometime this week, set aside a few quiet minutes and journal through these questions:

• What season was I actually in this year?

• What drained my energy?

• What gave me energy?

• What do I want more of in 2026?

• What do I want less of?

Those answers are your starting point.

I will also be sharing a planning worksheet on Substack to help guide you through this process step by step. But even without it, the framework in this episode is enough to begin.

✨ If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a biz bestie, leave a review, or repost it to your stories. Every single share helps Sparkle & Shine grow and helps more women feel supported in their business journey.

Until next time,keep showing up with heart,keep trusting yourself,and keep shining ✨

🌟 Episode Length: 9 minutes, 28 seconds

Before you jump into planning for a new year, this episode invites you to pause.

If 2025 felt heavier, messier, or different than you expected, you’re not behind — and you’re not alone. In this short but powerful guided reflection, Cassandra walks you through how to look back on the year without judgment, notice what actually happened in your business, and create clarity before moving forward.

This episode is not about hustling harder or fixing everything. It’s about awareness, honesty, and giving yourself permission to reflect before you plan.

✨ Why rushing into planning without reflection often leads to burnout🧠 How to look back on 2025 without labeling it as “good” or “bad”🎯 Real examples from Pretty Pineapple Bead — including inconsistent sales, mindset shifts, and letting go of misaligned ideas💬 Reflection questions to help you notice patterns, growth, and energy changes🌱 Why progress doesn’t always show up as revenue or milestones📓 A simple journaling challenge to help you prepare for intentional planning in 2026

“If things aren’t working, that’s not proof you’re bad at business — it’s proof that you’re learning.”

🎯 This week’s reflection challenge:Set aside 15 quiet minutes over the next few days.Grab your journal, open your notes app, or record a voice memo, and journal through the reflection questions shared in this episode. No pressure. No perfect answers. Just notice what comes up.

✨ Coming next:In the next episode, we’ll take what you uncovered during this reflection and turn it into a grounded, intentional plan for 2026. That episode drops Friday, December 26.

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a biz bestie, leave a quick review, or repost it on social. Every share helps Sparkle & Shine grow 💛

🌟 Episode Length: 9 minutes, 39 seconds

We all have those weeks where life gets heavy, energy drops, and showing up feels impossible... even when you want to stay consistent. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the honest story of why I skipped last week’s recording, how I navigated the guilt that followed, and what truly happens when you give yourself permission to rest instead of forcing creativity.

You’ll hear what my break actually gave me: clarity, inspiration, connection... and how to return to your business with confidence, not shame.

If you’ve ever felt behind, guilty, or nervous about taking a pause… this one is for you.

• 🧠 Why skipping a week doesn’t ruin your consistency

• 💛 The difference between avoidance and intentional rest

• 🤍 How honoring your energy strengthens your long-term success

• ✨ A magical craft show moment that led to two heartfelt custom jewelry sets

• 🎁 A beautiful act of community generosity (and how it inspired me to pay it forward)

• 🧵 How reconnecting with a hobby like crocheting a handmade sweater brought back joy and creativity

• 🌿 Why rest is often the reset your business truly needs

• 📓 Four journal prompts to help you reconnect with your own energy & direction

“Consistency isn’t about never missing a week. Consistency is about returning.”

This week, choose ONE thing you want to come back to... no pressure, no perfection required.

It could be:✨ Posting again✨ Working on your website✨ Answering emails✨ Creating something just for joy✨ Or intentionally choosing rest

Take one small step, then send me a DM @sparkleandshinepodcast or tag me in your story so I can cheer you on.

And if you want to go deeper with this week’s journal prompts, they’re waiting for you in today’s Substack post.

Please share it with a biz bestie, leave a review, or repost it to your stories.Every single share helps this podcast grow & helps more women feel supported in their business journey. 💛

🌟 Episode Length: 8 minutes, 39 seconds

Somehow… we’ve already made it to Episode 30.

And over the course of creating these thirty episodes, I’ve learned more than I ever expected... about business, clarity, showing up, starting over, and trusting myself even when things feel quiet or uncertain.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing 30 quick, real, zero-fluff lessons that have shaped me as a creator, a business owner, & a podcaster. Whether you’re cooking, traveling, or simply trying to catch your breath during this holiday week, this episode is meant to give you clarity, comfort, and a spark of confidence for whatever comes next.

This isn’t a recap or a highlight reel. It’s real talk from the heart.

✨ Clarity vs. consistency — and why one matters more🎙️ Why your voice is more powerful than algorithms🌈 How messy action moves you farther than perfect planning💛 The truth about slow growth and silent audiences🎨 Creativity, comparison, & finding alignment again🧠 The mindset shifts that make business feel lighter🚀 The lesson that will move you forward this week

“You don’t wake up confident — you become confident by showing up.”

🎧 This Week’s Listener Challenge:Choose one of the thirty lessons and let it guide you for the next seven days. DM me on Instagram or leave a comment on Substack and tell me which one you picked. I’d love to cheer you on.

If this episode brought you clarity or encouragement, please leave a review or share it with a biz bestie. Every share helps Sparkle & Shine grow.

🌟Episode Length: 11 minutes, 50 seconds

Have you ever tried so hard to “do business the right way” that you accidentally lost the joy, the playfulness, and the YOU behind your brand? If you’ve ever felt weighed down by strategy, expectations, or comparison, this episode is going to feel like a grounding exhale.

Today, I’m sharing the three guiding principles that anchor my business and help me find my way back anytime I feel overwhelmed or disconnected. These aren’t buzzwords... they’re the values that shape every decision I make: Creativity, Color & Confidence.

You’ll hear the real, honest stories behind how each one has shown up in my business, how they helped me through messy seasons, and how you can define your own guiding principles to help you build a business that feels aligned, expressive, and completely YOU.

✨ The moment creativity pulled me out of a year-long creative block🌈 Why color is the emotional heart of my brand (and why toning it down backfired)💛 How confidence shows up behind the scenes of being a small business owner🧠 How your values can guide decisions when strategy feels overwhelming🎨 Why creativity in business is so much more than just “making things”💸 How repricing became a major confidence turning point📝 Five journal prompts to help you define your own guiding principles

“Creativity dies when you turn it into a punishment. Creativity thrives when you let it be a permission slip.”

🎯 This week’s listener challenge:

• Define your own 3 guiding principles.
• What three qualities ground you, inspire you, or help you feel like your fullest self in business?
• Name them, describe them, own them — and then:

➡️ DM me at @sparkleandshinepodcast or tag me in your stories. I’d love to cheer you on.➡️ Want to go deeper? Join me over on Substack, where every episode comes with extended reflections… and paid subscribers get access to weekly printables that go along with each episode.

💛 If this episode encouraged you, please leave a review or share it with a biz bestie. Every share helps this podcast grow.

🌟 Episode Length: 7 minutes, 55 seconds

If your brain feels like a glitter explosion right now — ideas everywhere, plans half-started, and zero clear direction — you are so not alone.

In today’s episode, I’m getting really honest about what it feels like to hit mid-November without a holiday plan, without the momentum you hoped for, and with a to-do list that could wrap around the North Pole. We’re talking about the pressure, the comparison, the “shoulds,” and how to rebuild clarity when everything feels chaotic.

This isn’t a pep talk — it’s real talk with gentle guidance to help you breathe, reset, and find one small step forward during a messy season.

• 💭 Why the holiday pressure hits so hard for small business owners

• 📌 The spiral of “shoulds” that make us feel behind

• 🧠 How planning can become a comfort zone (and why follow-through feels impossible)

• ✨ A simple four-step “mini-reset” to regain clarity

• 🧘‍♀️ How to shift from overwhelm into tiny, doable momentum

• 📝 Journal prompts to ground your mind & reset your expectations

• 💛 Why messy seasons don’t mean you’re failing — they mean you’re human

“You don’t have to do everything perfectly. You just need to decide what matters most this week and take one small step toward it.”

Pick one focus area for the week — sales, content, or organization — and create a three-step micro-plan you can actually follow through on.

Write it down, say it out loud, or share it with a biz bestie.Then tag @sparkleandshinepodcast and tell me what you’re focusing on.Let’s hold each other accountable to imperfect but powerful action. ✨

✨ Join my Substack community — the coziest corner of Sparkle & Shine where I share deeper stories, weekly challenges, printables, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and the real, unfiltered journey of building a creative business.You can subscribe (free or paid!) and hang out with me there: sparkleandshine.substack.com

📸 Instagram: @sparkleandshinepodcast📧 Email: sparkleandshinepodcast@substack.com

If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, please leave a review, share with a fellow creative business owner, or repost on social.Every share truly helps this small but mighty podcast grow — and I’m so grateful for you. 💛

🌟 Episode Length: 8 minutes, 3 seconds

💬 In This Episode:You know that weird, quiet moment before everything speeds up... the calm before the holiday storm?Your to-do list is buzzing in the back of your mind, but for now, there’s a stillness, almost like your business is holding its breath.

In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how I’m navigating that in-between space, the pause before the chaos, and how I’m learning to protect my peace, trust my pace, and prepare for the busy season ahead without losing myself in the process.

From re-tagging over 1,000 pieces of jewelry for upcoming markets to juggling three brands and finding content consistency, I’m getting real about what this season actually looks like behind the scenes...messy, imperfect, and still so full of progress.

🔍 What You’ll Hear:

🎁 The truth about what “holiday prep” really looks like behind the scenes🧠 Why peace isn’t laziness — it’s a smart strategy to avoid burnout📆 How scaling back on events is helping me stay focused and creative💬 The reality of imperfect consistency and learning to give yourself grace✨ A reminder that quiet progress is still progress

💬 Quote to Remember:“Peace doesn’t mean laziness. It’s a strategy so you don’t burn out.”

💛 This Week’s Listener Challenge:Pick one small thing you can prep now that your future self will thank you for later.It could be updating your booth checklist, photographing your products, or mapping out your next two social posts.

One small, intentional step towards calmness.

✨ Let’s Connect:Come hang out with me on Substack to find creative biz reflections, behind-the-scenes stories, and printable resources to keep you inspired this season.

You can also find me on Instagram @SparkleAndShinePodcast — DM me anytime! I’d love to hear how you’re preparing for your own busy season.