Shows
Unlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik37. How to Build a Product BusinessWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to start a product business in 2026, this episode is for you. Today I'm sharing what it actually looks like to build a product business, and I have a lot to say because I've had a jewelry business since 2017. Whether you want to sell clothing, toys, peanut butter, or furniture, there are big picture decisions that every new business owner needs to think about upfront. And this episode will help you do just that. If you lo...
2026-02-1045 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik36. Struggling With Confidence? Listen To This.Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to make a big shift in your career and start your own business in 2026, but you're strggling with confidence and anxiety, this episode is for you. We'll discuss a real psychological principle called "liminal space" and I hope it sheds so much light on what you're feeling. You'll walk away from this episode saying, "Wow, this explains so much. What I'm feeling is completely normal." If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button...
2026-02-0214 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik35. How To Build A Service BusinessWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to start a service business in 2026, this episode is for you. I'm sharing how it actually looks to build a service business from scratch - so whether you want to start a consulting business, a coaching business, a styling business, a solo therapy practice, or any other service-based business, you'll learn what elements you need to launch. And spoiler alert: you don't need a website. If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button or...
2026-01-2629 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik34. Let's Unlock Why You're Stuck In A Job You HateWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you're stuck in a job that you don't like, and you can't seem to escape, this episode might unlock the root cause. If external changes haven't fixed the issue (new company, new role, new boss), it's time to look within. I hope this episode unlocks your next career chapter! If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button or plus sign in your podcast app. This will subscribe you to the show so you never miss...
2026-01-1931 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik33. Three Things You Can Do Right Now To Start Your BusinessWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to start a business in 2026, this episode is for you. I'm sharing 3 free things you can do this month to get started. If you do these things in the next 2 to 3 weeks, I promise you will end January with some real momentum. If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button or plus sign in your podcast app. This will subscribe you to the show so you never miss an episode, and it also ha...
2026-01-1219 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik32. Why Starting A Business Can Feel Like An Identity CrisisWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! Have you ever said to yourself, "Why does quitting my job and starting a business feel so incredibly hard?" This episode might hold the key. I'm sharing the identity crisis we feel when we go from employee to entrepreneur. And unfortunately it can be painful at times. If you aren't aware of the identity shift that needs to happen when you make this career shift, you might interpret the pain as "I'm not meant for this", when really your identity...
2026-01-0619 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik31. Want To Start A Biz In 2026? Let's Take A Little Pressure Off Your New Year's ResolutionWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! In this episode, I'm talking about New Year's resolutions and what I think yours should be if your goal is to quit your job and start your own business like I did. I think this episode will help take all the pressure off. Cheers to becoming an entrepreneur in 2026! If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button or plus sign in your podcast app. This will subscribe you to the show so you never miss an...
2025-12-2909 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik30. Why I Closed My Brick And Mortar StoreWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this episode I'm sharing why I closed my brick and mortar jewelry store and went back to website only. Creating a business is a journey, and it requires experimentation to figure out what you like, what you don't like, what works, and what doesn't work. This episode also illustrates why you shouldn't feel compelled to get your new business...
2025-12-2229 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik29. Myth Busting: Why Lower-Priced Items Aren't Easier To SellWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this episode I'm talking about pricing. If you're new to business, you might think it's easier to sell lower priced products and services compared to high ticket items. But that's a myth. We'll dive into why that is, and also talk a little about Black Friday 2025 performance at the beginning of the episode. If you loved this ep...
2025-12-1530 min
The Freight Coach Podcast1343. #TFCP - From Frustration to Freedom: Turning Freight Challenges Into Wins!How do you actually build a sustainable growth and lasting sales strategy in freight? Mike Mikulik from SPI Logistics is back and live to share how they're driving real year-over-year growth by doubling down on existing customers, tightening up their cold-calling strategy, and investing heavily in tech that actually moves the needle! We discuss how respecting people's time builds long-term trust, why agent recruitment needs to be transparent, fast, and rooted in support, and how SPI's push into international air and ocean freight is helping agents deepen their book, navigate supply chain volatility, and stay competitive in...
2025-12-0933 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik28. Is Your Inner Child Driving Your Career Choices?Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. We're going deep in this episode and I'm sharing a vulnerable story about how the patterning I developed in childhood showed up in my career. If you feel trapped in your career, unable to escape, and nothing's working, this episode might be a game-changer for you. This is the kind of deep work you'll find in my new membership program...
2025-12-0842 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik27. BTS: How I'm Growing My New Biz Instagram AccountWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm sharing a little behind the scenes of my brand new mentoring business - specifically, how I'm growing my brand new business Instagram account. If you're curious what starting a new business actually feels like, listen in. I'll be doing a few episodes like this over the next month or two but this will be your...
2025-12-0130 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik26. SPECIAL EPISODE: Why My New Membership Is Unlike Any OtherWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. This is the last episode in my three-part series introducing my new business! I'm peeling back the layers of my mindset and strategy membership program, where you'll learn not only how to build your dream business but also how to become the person who can lead it. I'll also be sharing why having a community of like-minded high-achieving women to...
2025-11-2427 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik25. SPECIAL EPISODE: The Journey Begins With My Private Podcast SeriesWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. We're picking up where we left off last week and I'm sharing more about the launch of my new business! If you are stuck in a career that looks great on paper, but leaves you unfulfilled and you're ready to chase that dream business idea that's been calling your name, tune into my private podcast series "Quit + Create." Over 6 episodes...
2025-11-1817 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik24. SPECIAL EPISODE: Unlocking Your Next ChapterWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm announcing the launch of my new business! I am so excited to finally share what I've been working on behind the scenes for the past few months. If you are stuck in a career that looks impressive on paper, but doesn't feel as good as it looks - and you're ready to stop ignoring the...
2025-11-1021 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik23. Wonder How You'll Ever Find Time To Work On Your Biz While Working Your 9-5? Listen to this!Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. If you've ever said, "How in the world will I ever find time to work on my dream business idea while working my 9-5?!" then this episode is for you! I started my business back when I worked as a busy lawyer, so if I can do it, you can do it too. I've also got a little trick to...
2025-11-0319 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik22. Want To Start A Business But Don't Know What Kind? Start HereWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. A lot of people have told me: I want to start a business, but I have no idea what kind I'd start! If you resonate with that statement, today's episode is for you! I'm going to give you two key strategies for identifying what kind of business might bring you both fulfillment and revenue! If you loved this e...
2025-10-2717 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik21. Why Retirement Isn't The Solution To The Job You HateWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm talking about retirement. Too many people say, "I hate my job but I'm just going to work hard and retire early." I'll share why this isn't a great life strategy, provide multiple reasons why this logic is faulty, and tell you why changing the way you think about work is the first step in the...
2025-10-2019 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik20. Fear of Failure: One Actionable Step You Can Take To Overcome ItWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm talking about fear of failure. This is a completely normal fear - everyone struggles with it at one time or another. Fear of failure is a complicated, layered topic, so today we're going to start by discussing just one actionable step you can take towards overcoming fear of failure. If you have a lot of...
2025-10-1427 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik19. The Number One Mistake I See New Business Owners MakingWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm sharing the number one mistake I see new business owners making. And it's so easy to avoid this mistake! If you've been dreaming of starting your own business, don't miss this episode. If you loved this episode, please hit the follow button or plus sign in your podcast app. This will subscribe you t...
2025-10-0623 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik18. How To Deal With Unsupportive Friends and FamilyWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, we're talking about negativity and criticism. As you start to tell the important people in your life that you want to quit your traditional job and start your own business, you're bound to encounter at least one unsupportive person who may be very negative and critical too. It's important to be prepared for this because it's...
2025-09-2918 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik17. What FINALLY Motivated Me To Quit After 11 Years As a LawyerWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, we're going deep. I'm sharing what finally propelled me to say "I quit" and start my own business, after spending 11 long years as an attorney and hating every minute of it. I hope you'll gain something so valuable out of this episode because I don't want you to waste 11 years like I did. You can always...
2025-09-1518 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik16. Two Things That Are Absolutely Critical For Business SuccessWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm sharing two things that are absolutely critical when starting a new business. If you nail down these two things in the beginning, you are setting yourself up for success. Without them, your business is going to fall flat and your marketing is not going to make an impact on the clients and customers you most...
2025-09-0822 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik15. 3 Reasons To Be Encouraged About Starting A Business Right NowWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place. In this week's episode, I'm sharing three reasons why it's an amazing time to be starting a business right now. I always try to be honest with you about the realities of starting a business because it's a lot more challenging than most people expect. But in this week's episode, I want to share a healthy dose of optimism about...
2025-09-0220 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik14. "Marketing" Is Not A Dirty WordWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! In this week's episode, we're talking about marketing and why it's so critical to your business. Many small business owners feel uncomfortable around marketing, so we're busting some myths and some stigmas first. Then we'll talk about various marketing channels you might want to consider for your own business and I share what's worked for me. If you l...
2025-08-2523 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik13. What Are You A Match For?Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job, change your career, or start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! We go deep in this week's episode. It might just help you find the key that unlocks why you haven't been able to take steps torwards your dream life yet. This episode is certain to be full of ah-ha moments for you so listen in a quiet place or on a walk, and plan to do some...
2025-08-1818 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik12. How Much Does It Cost To Start A Business?Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job, change your career, or start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! In this week's episode, I want to answer a question I get asked quite a bit and that's this, "How much does it cost to start a business?" This episode will get you going in the right direction so you can evaluate how much it might cost to get your business idea off the ground! I...
2025-08-1122 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik11. It Is Possible To Do Work You LoveWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job, change your career, or start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! In this week's episode, I want to address a sneaky little belief that might be holding you back and that's this: you believe work is supposed to be dreadful, annoying, bad, [insert your choice adjective here]. If you truly believe that, finding a more aligned and happier career is going to be difficult for you because you...
2025-08-0415 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik10. You Don't Need $1 Million to Live Your Dream LifeWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job, change your career, or start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! In this week's episode, we're talking about money again, and how we are taught to prioritize it above all else when making career decisions. That's why people will tell you you're crazy if you quit your stable job to pursue a dream job! There are other things that matter, and it just takes some intentionality to identify...
2025-07-2817 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik09. How To Find The Motivation To Make A Big Career ChangeWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job, change your career, or start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! Making a massive career change can be hard. So in today's episode I am sharing two ways to find the courage and motivation to make a big change in the hopes it'll propel you towards action. It's time to stop daydreaming about your future and start taking smalls steps toward it, and I've got you the entire...
2025-07-2117 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik08. Three Personality Traits You Need To Be A Business OwnerWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, you've found the right place! In today's episode, I share three personality traits you need to be a successful business owner. I used to think anyone could start their own business if they just had the passion and the heart, but after eight years of small business ownership, I no longer feel that way. I think you need to be built a certain way or...
2025-07-1419 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik07. Why My First Business Failed But My Second SucceededWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, but have no idea where to begin, you've found the right place! In today's episode, I explain why my first jewelry business failed, but my second jewelry business succeeded. I have reflected on this so much over the years, and it all boils down to one thing that I bet will surprise you. If you want to start your own business someday, this episode is...
2025-07-0722 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik06. What If Your Business Fails?Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, but have no idea where to begin, you've found the right place! In today's episode, I am talking about failure. I have quite a bit of experience with this, as my first jewelry business actually failed after just one year and I had to go back to being a lawyer. Yep, that's right! The business I've been running for the past 8 years called grace + hudson...
2025-06-3022 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik05. Practical Small Business ResourcesWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! If you want to quit your job and start your own business like I did, but have no idea where to begin, this episode is for you. I'm sharing my top resources for aspiring small business owners. These are the tools and teachers I learned from when I started my business eight years ago, and I think you'll find them valuable too. From online business school to courses about Instagram ads and email marketing, I'll share the teachers, websites, podcasts...
2025-04-2825 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik04. How To Find Your PassionWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! Do you want to quit your job or change careers, but have no idea what job or career would bring you joy? Are you desperate to find your passion, but just can't seem to locate it? If so, this episode is for you! First, I'll share how I found my passion in jewelry making back when I was a lawyer. It was definitely a divinely orchestrated experience when I least expected it! Next, I'll share several...
2025-04-2113 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik03. Money Money Money (Part 2)Welcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! In this episode, we're picking up where we left off last week. If you haven't listened to espidode 2 yet, go ahead and do that now because it'll set you up for this week's episode! We've identified all of those negative money beliefs and stories holding you back from pursuing your dream, starting your own business, or changing careers. Now, we've got to dismantle them and replace them with more positive money stories. I'll share some of the most p...
2025-04-1418 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik02. Money Money MoneyWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! In this episode, we're talking about money. Money is the number one block to starting your own business, pursuing a dream, or changing careers to do something more fulfilling. I went from a type-A, perfectionist lawyer to a more free-spirited jewelry business owner, so trust me when I tell you that money is one area I had to work on during my own journey! First, we'll talk about the definition of wealth. I'll share my personal definition, and h...
2025-04-0721 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy Mikulik01. The Life ChecklistWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here. If you want to quit your job or start your own business, you're in the right place! In this episode we're talking about something I call the "life checklist." I'll explain what that is and how I discovered it while working at a prestigious law firm in New York City. So many people unconsciously chase this checklist or some version of it, thinking that happiness will finally be waiting for them at the end of the list. But...
2025-03-3117 minUnlikely Choices by Stacy MikulikStart Here: Welcome to the Unlikely Choices PodcastWelcome to Unlikely Choices! I'm Stacy, the former lawyer turned jewelry designer, and I am so glad you're here! In this first episode, we're touching on the heartbeat of this show: that amazing things can happen when you have the courage to challenge the status quo, change your perspective, and make an Unlikely Choice or two so that your life reflects YOU. I'll share a little about me, the major Unlikely Choice I made in 2017, and what you can expect from this podcast. To stay in touch, subscribe to the Unlikely Choices email list! Get notified of n...
2025-03-1315 min
Holistic Career ChangeCareer-Changer Series: From Law to JewelryIn the first Career-Changer Series interview, I chat to Stacy Mikulik - a lawyer turned jewelry business owner.In this episode Stacy takes us on a journey and shares the details of her career transition journey - the good, the bad, the serendipitous and so much more that lead her to now owning a successful jewelry business grace+hudson. In this episode you will learn:-about the one pivotal moment that woke Stacy up and made her realise that life is temporary and she has no excuses to NOT pursue...
2021-02-221h 31
The Former Lawyer PodcastStacy MikulikOn today’s show, Sarah talks with Stacy Mikulik. Stacy is a former lawyer who is now a jewelry designer and the owner of grace + hudson jewelry. In this conversation, Stacy shares: The danger of paying too much attention to what other people are saying about your career without listening to yourself as well; Why law school was a bad fit for her from the start; The confusion she felt about why anyone would want to be a biglaw associate; How inspiration from a shop she visited on vacation propelled her into the world of jewelry-making; The...
2019-09-231h 05