All episodes

Ep.84 Consistency That Fits Your Real Life and Builds Your Personal Brand

Ep.84 Consistency That Fits Your Real Life and Builds Your Personal Brand

19m 4s

Host Ivana Ivanek discusses how new, bigger goals often feel “impossible,” especially around consistent content creation and personal branding, and argues that action—not overthinking—compounds results.

She shares her own journey of believing it was impossible to live by the ocean, delaying for 10 years, then committing to opportunities that led her from Greece to Southeast Asia to living in Curaçao, while acknowledging imperfect realities like bureaucracy, fatigue, and shifting priorities. Ivana reframes consistency as something that must be redefined with changing identities and circumstances, like adjusting an exercise routine from her athlete days to now.

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Ep.83 The Leadership Identity Shift - with Navid Nazemian

Ep.83 The Leadership Identity Shift - with Navid Nazemian

44m 29s

In this episode, Ivana Ivanek connects with leadership expert Navid Nazemian to unpack what really happens when high performers step into leadership roles. Drawing from decades inside global companies like Adidas, GE, and Vodafone, Navid reveals why even the most capable leaders struggle when the stakes rise—and what’s missing in how we prepare them.

Together, they explore the inner and outer game of leadership, the six qualities that define extraordinary leaders today, and why burnout is more common at the top than we think. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone growing a business, building a personal brand, or stepping...

Ep.82 Why Personal Branding is No Longer Optional

Ep.82 Why Personal Branding is No Longer Optional

26m 4s

In this episode, Ivana Ivanek shares a raw and honest behind-the-scenes look at her recent move to Curaçao and the deeper lessons it revealed about business, identity, and personal branding.
She breaks down why personal branding is no longer optional in today’s saturated market and why most people aren’t held back by strategy, but by fear, self-judgment, and identity blocks.

If you’ve been struggling to show up online, feel “weird” on camera, or worry about what people think, this episode will help you understand what’s really holding you back and how to move through it.

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Ep.81 How to Stop Procrastinating - with Robin J Emdon

Ep.81 How to Stop Procrastinating - with Robin J Emdon

38m 39s

Host Ivana Ivanek welcomes Robin J. Emdon to the Online Business by Design podcast to unpack chronic procrastination and how it quietly blocks progress, growth, and energy, especially for entrepreneurs building an online business and personal brand.

Robin shares how he recognized his own long-term procrastination after taking 10 years to finish a part-time degree, then connected it to costs across health, finances, relationships, and career.

He explains procrastination as an “inside job,” driven by survival wiring (limbic system) overriding rational planning (prefrontal cortex), and describes three “ingredients” for productivity.

They discuss practical momentum-building through understanding energy patterns, using a...

Ep.80 Building an Online Business: Hypnotherapy and Avoiding Burnout - with Dr. Jennifer Schlueter

Ep.80 Building an Online Business: Hypnotherapy and Avoiding Burnout - with Dr. Jennifer Schlueter

32m 10s

Host Ivana Ivanek welcomes hypnotherapist and Magic and Miracles podcast founder Jennifer Schlueter to discuss traveling while building an online business, staying grounded, and doubling down on full potential.

Jennifer shares her path from a small town in Germany to studying and working in the US, feeling inspired by the “anything is possible” mindset, and deciding after a hypnosis session to quit her job and travel.

She explains hypnotherapy as a relaxed state that helps access and release unhelpful patterns and fear, making decisions feel clearer. The conversation covers handling parental and societal judgment, reducing comparison by limiting social media...

Ep.79 Why Social Media Engagement Matters (and Simple Ways to Improve It)

Ep.79 Why Social Media Engagement Matters (and Simple Ways to Improve It)

16m 31s

Host Ivana Ivanek debugs social media myths by explaining what engagement is, why it matters, and best practices to improve it.

She shares a personal story about moving from Barcelona to Austria and deciding to return to the Caribbean, emphasizing taking responsibility for decisions despite others’ judgment.

Using a client example, she explains how focusing only on lead generation can create a large follower count but near-zero engagement, which undermines trust for potential clients, collaborators, podcast hosts, and speaking opportunities.

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Ep.78 Building a Personal Brand While Living on the Road - with Mariah on MacInnes

Ep.78 Building a Personal Brand While Living on the Road - with Mariah on MacInnes

49m 26s

Podcast host Ivana Ivanek interviews Australia-based marketer Mariah McInnes about content marketing, what makes good content, and how to tell better stories while building a personal brand online.
Mariah shares her path from corporate marketing to freelancing and digital nomad life, including quitting her job during COVID, a major surgery after discovering rare neuroendocrine cancer, and how recovery led her to meet her partner, who now complements her business skills.

They discuss living and working from a car and then a bus, resilience through business setbacks, and Mariah’s practical storytelling approach: align content to a sales goal and content strategy,...

Ep.77 Why a Business Bestie & a Social Media Presence Matter

Ep.77 Why a Business Bestie & a Social Media Presence Matter

17m 18s

Host Ivana Ivanek shares a mindset shift and strategic move for building an online personal brand people trust and buy from while running a business alongside a nine-to-five.

After feeling tired during a busy stretch in Vienna, she reflects on a coffee chat with her peer Karina about resting without seeing it as failure, handling fear of judgment and silent rejection from others, and how some people—including partners—may not support your vision.

Ivana’s immediate action step is to get a “business bestie” and actively cheer for peers so support is reciprocal. Strategically, she frames social media as a “digital business...

Ep.76 The ROI of Prioritizing Health - with Dr. John Torrens

Ep.76 The ROI of Prioritizing Health - with Dr. John Torrens

40m 0s

Host Ivana Ivanek welcomes Dr. John Torrens to discuss the return on investment entrepreneurs gain by prioritizing mental, physical, and spiritual health instead of hustle culture.

Torrens shares how rapid company growth led him toward burnout, pre-diabetes, inflammation, poor sleep, and an ADHD diagnosis, prompting him to treat his health as an experiment and reject “hero” grind worship that can resemble addiction.

He explains practical sleep-first habits—tracking sleep data, managing light exposure with blue-blocking glasses and morning sunlight, using infrared sauna, eating earlier, avoiding alcohol within hours of bed, and exploring grounding—and describes how better sleep improves creativity, decision-making, relationships,...