The Bubbles Effect

What happens when a recovering attorney becomes a tech founder…and builds a business around celebration? 🥂
In this Friday Bubbly Convo, I’m joined by Jessica Lerner Halperin, founder of Swankey, a party-planning app designed to bring more ease, joy, and calm back to life’s celebrations.
Jessica shares her journey from a lifelong legal career into entrepreneurship after navigating deep grief, the loss of her mother, the pandemic, and a major life pivot she never saw coming. What started as a frustration with how chaotic party planning had become turned into a bigger mission: helping people celebrate the small things, the big things, and everything in between. ❤️
We talk about resilience, building a business later in life, stepping outside your comfort zone, why founders today have to show up online, and how social media and marketing have changed so much in just the last few years. We also get into the emotional side of celebration, why perfection is overrated, and how people remember how you made them feel far more than the napkin color.
Jessica is thoughtful, funny, wildly smart, and yes… she also gave us some unexpectedly helpful “party therapist” legal wisdom along the way.
In this episode, we cover:
Jessica’s pivot from corporate attorney to tech founder

How grief and the pandemic reshaped her path

The story behind Swankey and why she built it

What founders need to know about marketing today

Why people want to connect with the face behind the brand

How to celebrate meaningfully without the pressure of perfection

A few smart things to keep in mind when working with vendors

This one is for the entrepreneurs, the hosts, the pivots-in-progress, and anyone who could use a reminder to celebrate life while we’re living it.
Connect with Jessica + Swankey here: www.swankey.com

What if the real edge in business, leadership, and life isn’t moving faster… but slowing down?
In this conversation, I’m joined by Morgan Rich, coach and author of The Invitation Beyond: Reclaiming Healthy Masculinity. Morgan’s work focuses on helping people reconnect with what they already know to be true, by stepping out of the noise, building daily practices, and learning how to navigate uncertainty with presence and clarity.
We talk about what he calls “training for the unknown,” and why learning to be present in everyday moments can become one of the most powerful tools for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone trying to navigate a busy, complicated world.
Morgan shares how small daily practices, even just five minutes of quiet reflection or breathwork, can help us regulate our nervous systems, make clearer decisions, and reconnect with the person we actually want to be.
We also dive into:
• Why awareness is the first step to meaningful change• How simple practices can build resilience in uncertain moments• The surprising connection between slowing down and better leadership• Why modern culture makes presence harder, and more important, than ever• Practical ways to start reconnecting with yourself today
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stretched thin, or like you’re constantly moving but not always aligned with what matters most… this conversation is a powerful reminder that clarity often comes when we pause long enough to listen.
Grab your coffee (or your bubbles 🥂) and join us for this thoughtful, grounding conversation.
You can learn more about Morgan and access his resources at: https://morganrich.com

In this quick Monday episode of The Bubbles Effect Podcast, I’m sharing a little marketing update and one mindset reminder that stuck with me this week.
On the marketing side, there’s been a lot of chatter in the AI world over the past few days. Apparently more than a million users left ChatGPT over the weekend after news that OpenAI will allow the U.S. Department of Defense to deploy its AI models within classified networks. That sparked a pretty big reaction online, with a lot of people exploring other tools like Claude and a few others.
Since I talk about AI quite a bit, and even built my custom GPT, Stella, inside ChatGPT, I think it's interesting to watch how quickly things can shift in the tech world. I share a little about the differences I’ve noticed between ChatGPT and Claude, especially when it comes to things like messaging, content ideas, and brand voice.
Then on the mindset side, I share something that really stuck with me during my run this morning while listening to the classic book As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. It’s a really short read from 1903, but the message is timeless. ✨
One line in particular stood out to me: “The world is your kaleidoscope.”
It’s a reminder that while the world can feel pretty chaotic sometimes, the perspective we choose to take still matters. Our thoughts shape our emotions, our habits, and ultimately the direction of our lives.
So this episode is just a quick check-in to start the week with some marketing news, a little mindset, and a reminder that even small perspective shifts can make a big difference.
And quick note: the Bubbles Effect Newsletter will now be going out every other Saturday instead of weekly. If you want to join, you can sign up at nb.marketing/resources
Thanks for listening, and I hope you have a great week!

What if the fastest path to financial freedom isn’t launching something new… but buying something that already works? 🤔
In this week’s Power Hour, I’m joined by Tim Delaney, entrepreneur, real estate investor, and host of Business Buying for Financial Independence, to talk about the real power behind business acquisition.
More than a decade ago, Tim bought a small local business with almost no experience and very little cash down. That one move changed everything. 🍷
And here’s what we unpack in this short, high-impact conversation:
⚡ Why “I don’t have enough money” is usually a myth
⚡ How SBA loans and seller financing actually make deals possible
⚡ The massive opportunity created by retiring business owners
⚡ Why you should never go in and overhaul a successful business on Day One
⚡ How Tim used early YouTube videos inspired by Gary Vaynerchuk to grow his wine & liquor store
⚡ And why engaging on social media might matter more than constantly posting
We also talk brick-and-mortar vs. franchises, evergreen YouTube strategy, and the confidence hurdle that keeps most people from ever making the leap.
If you’ve ever thought about:
Owning a business

Creating financial independence

Or stepping into something already profitable instead of building from zero

This Power Hour will expand what feels possible.
Because sometimes the boldest move isn’t starting from scratch.
It’s stepping into momentum. 💥
Connect with Tim here: https://powerofbiz.com

Happy Friday, y'all! Which means, it's time for a classic bubbly conversation 🥂This week I sit down with rhythm-loving speaker and music therapist Casey Muse to talk about something we don’t discuss nearly enough as entrepreneurs: regulation, resilience, and the power of rhythm. 🎶
Casey believes the brain listens better when the hands are moving, and once you hear him explain it, you’ll never think about leadership, trauma, or discipline the same way again. 🫶
We dive into:
How rhythm and neuroscience work together to regulate the nervous system

Why trauma isn’t just a “red flag,” but information your body is holding

The connection between memory, emotional response, and leadership

What resilience actually looks like when momentum disappears

Why discipline, not motivation, is the real key to long-term success

And the quiet truth behind “you’re just not good enough yet” (in the best way)

Casey shares his journey from drumming on pots and pans at age two to building a music therapy practice, mentoring young men through his programs, and speaking nationally about rhythm, regulation, and resilience. 🥁We also talk entrepreneurship, storytelling as marketing, weekly cigar rituals, Dutch Bros coffee, and flip the script at the end so he interviews me back (which was way more fun than I expected!).
This one is deep, honest, a little nerdy (in the best neuroscience way), and packed with perspective for any business owner who’s ever felt overwhelmed, burned out, or like their momentum disappeared.
If you’ve been pushing nonstop without pausing to regulate your own nervous system… this conversation might be your reminder. ❤️

Connect with Casey here: [email protected]