In this solo episode, JJ breaks down how to move through the powerful momentum of the Fire Horse year without burnout by focusing on just three aligned priorities. Rather than getting swept up in urgency, overcommitment, or scattered action, she shares how to use this high-energy cycle for sustainable expansion through identity, intentional creation, and body-led balance. This conversation is your reminder that success this year comes from congruence, not doing more. If you're ready for guided support, join JJ's free 14-Day Manifestation Challenge starting April 1st at JJFlizanes.com/14day, and download her Metabolic Makeover program (a $500 value) completely free at JJFlizanes.com/mm using the code JJFREE.

JJ welcomes Sheila Donohue for a conversation that blends entrepreneurship, lifestyle, and the art of curated Italian wines and foods. Sheila shares how her company, Verovino, sources small-batch, farm-made wines, olive oils, and specialty foods—many not readily available in the U.S.—and delivers them to both consumers and businesses across America.

• Meet Sheila in Bologna: Sheila shares her life in Bologna, Italy, where she's lived since 2001, and how Italy shaped her expertise and relationships with producers.

• What Verovino does: Verovino curates and imports authentic, sustainably made, small-batch products—primarily from Italy, plus select producers from other countries and California—selling B2B and direct-to-consumer.

• From fintech to food & wine: Sheila explains her background in financial technology (fintech), her sommelier training in Italy, and how her personal immersion in artisan food culture inspired the company.

• Starting from a "clean slate": In 2017, after major life changes, Sheila began building Verovino—funded through savings—and took early action by importing product and going door-to-door to find customers.

• How the business grows: Sheila emphasizes the importance of continuity (repeat business), building scale, and covering operating expenses. She explains how an omni-channel strategy helps stabilize the business:

  • Distributors nationwide

  • Wine stores & restaurants (especially in California)

  • Direct-to-consumer shipping across the U.S.

  • Corporate gifting & events

• Marketing & education that compounds: Verovino invests in education and storytelling through digital marketing—especially their blog and YouTube channel—to build long-term brand trust and demand.

• Product philosophy: As a sommelier-led team, Sheila curates for variety and distinction: reds, whites, rosés, orange wines, sparkling (dry and sweet), plus standout olive oils—including single-varietal olive oils with specific pairing profiles.

• Events as a growth engine: Sheila shares how tastings, fundraisers, private events, and collaborations introduce people to the products—because tasting creates appreciation and connection.

• Specialty foods: The conversation highlights a Piedmont hazelnut producer offering toasted hazelnuts, caramelized hazelnuts, hazelnut creams, pasta, and pestos—plus JJ's enthusiasm for pistachio cream and clean ingredients.

• Wine club & gifting: Sheila describes Verovino's monthly or quarterly wine club, curated shipments with insider notes and stories, and a growing trend of gifting memberships (including personalized letters).

• Gift sets: Verovino offers curated gift sets—popular in December—and a standout option that pairs wine + olive oil, plus expanded options for non-wine drinkers.

• A second brand line for broader appeal: To avoid being pigeonholed and to meet different market needs, Sheila shares how Verovino expanded into a separate line for more "recognizable" wines, including Prosecco and kegs—ideal for events and high-volume restaurant service.

• Advice for new producers: Sheila emphasizes the need to stand out in a crowded market—especially as the wine industry faces headwinds—and to clearly differentiate your product and message.

• JJ connects her own journey as a winemaker (High Vibrational Wines) and discusses why she values small-batch, purpose-driven production over mass distribution.

• A fun community collaboration emerges: JJ invites Sheila to co-create a March event in Ojai with "Women Behind the Business: Real Conversations," potentially adding a wine tasting experience—and they discover their birthdays are both in March.

• Website: Verovino.com

• YouTube: Vero Vino

• Instagram & Facebook: VeroVinoGusto
  
  

Closing: JJ encourages listeners to explore Verovino for personal discovery, gifting, and creating meaningful food-and-wine experiences that bring "a taste of Italy" home.

In this episode of West Coast Women Rising, JJ sits down with photographer Leigha Smith to talk about building a creative business with both artistry and strategy. Leigha shares her journey from managing her husband's social media to stepping into her own identity as a sought-after headshot, branding, and family photographer.

They unpack what it really looks like to create a "year-long content gallery" in a single shoot—planning locations, outfits, and image variety so entrepreneurs can show (not tell) their brand online. Leigha also talks networking with intention, early client-getting strategies (Facebook groups, collaborations, pop-up headshot events), and why authenticity matters more than ever in the age of AI images.

Plus, Leigha previews her 2026 goals, including a new collaboration called The Archetype Approach (leadership + style + photography) and expanding into larger corporate branding packages.

Topics Covered

• How Leigha found photography through composition + creativity

• Branding photos that support your content for the entire year

• The difference between "headshots" and true "brand storytelling"

• Networking as community (not desperation marketing)

• AI photos vs. real connection and trust

• 2026 plans: The Archetype Approach + corporate rebrands

Guest Info
Leigha Smith Photography http://leighasmithphotography.com (headshots • branding • family)
Find Leigha on Instagram/Facebook

In this episode of West Coast Women Rising, JJ Flizanes and co-host Tawney Noriega welcome community member Marieki Quinn (MQ Admin Services) for a real-time conversation about what happens after you get triggered—and what it looks like to stay in relationship instead of cutting people off.

Marieki shares how listening to past episodes ("Having Hard Conversations" and "Why Women Are Dangerous") brought up a deep mirror around worthiness, feeling seen/heard, and the inner "I'm not doing enough" loop. Instead of making it about the hosts, she names the spiral, uses her tools (movement, prayer, emotional processing), and comes back to the conversation with honesty.

Together, they unpack how misunderstandings are often wound-activated stories—not facts—and how emotional responsibility, clean communication, and supportive relationships can turn contrast into connection. You'll also hear practical language around boundaries, "should-ing" yourself, and why learning to identify feelings + unmet needs can change everything.

In this episode of West Coast Women Rising, JJ Flizanes sits down with Olivia King of Jade Lotus Holistic Healing to explore the powerful connection between gut health, grief, and root-cause healing. Olivia shares her journey from a 15-year career in accounting to holistic nutrition after losing her mother to pancreatic cancer—an experience that forced her to reevaluate what truly matters. Together, they discuss how many people normalize symptoms like bloating, fatigue, brain fog, acne, and digestive distress, and why guessing based on symptoms often fails. Olivia explains how functional lab testing—such as GI-MAP stool testing, MRT food sensitivity testing, and blood inflammation markers—helps uncover the real drivers behind chronic issues and allows for truly personalized healing.

JJ and Olivia also dive into the gut-brain connection, highlighting how inflammation and microbiome imbalances can influence cravings, mood, focus, energy, and even ADD/ADHD-type symptoms. They emphasize that healing is not about deprivation, but intentional replacement—temporarily removing inflammatory foods, rebuilding the gut, and reintroducing foods with awareness. With real client success stories and practical insights, this conversation invites listeners to stop settling for "normal" discomfort and instead explore a more empowered, data-driven approach to health, vitality, and long-term well-being.

https://jadelotusholistichealing.com/

As we move into 2026, we're standing in a powerful energetic transition. While the calendar year has begun, the Fire Horse doesn't officially arrive until February 17, meaning we're still completing the wisdom of the Year of the Snake.

In this episode, JJ explores what she calls The Year of Conscious Becoming—a time to shed outdated identities, patterns, and ways of operating before momentum accelerates. The Snake teaches discernment, honesty, and intentional release, while the Fire Horse brings passion, visibility, leadership, and forward movement. Together, they invite us to move into 2026 with clarity instead of chaos.

This conversation is an invitation to approach the year authentically, intentionally, creatively, and passionately—serving yourself first so you can serve others more powerfully.

Mentioned in this episode:

• 🎧 Free Metabolic Makeover program: http://jjflizanes.com/mm

• 🎙️ Podcasting as a Business Growth Engine course: http://jjflizanes.com/podcasting

✨ If you feel called to shed a skin and consciously step into what's next, this episode will help you set the tone for the year ahead.

In this episode of West Coast Women Rising, JJ Flizanes sits down with Dianna Terry—branding photographer, content creator, and attraction marketing strategist—to talk about what it really takes to grow a business sustainably. Dianna shares how she went from the restaurant industry (including management and event programs) into entrepreneurship, how COVID forced her "side hustle" to become her main hustle, and why personal growth is the ceiling for business growth.

Together, JJ and Dianna explore the deeper layer behind marketing and visibility: alignment. From setting boundaries and saying "no" to the wrong opportunities, to creating content that feels like you (instead of a polished version that doesn't match real life), this conversation is a permission slip to lead with truth, community, and the energy underneath everything you're building.

What You'll Hear In This Episode

• How Dianna "watched" VCBW for a year before joining—and what finally shifted
• Why she chose to offer value first by capturing a VCBW event (and how that opened doors fast)
• Her business evolution: from restaurant management → single mom with 3 jobs → creative side hustle → full-time business owner
• The reality of COVID: losing three incomes in 48 hours and pivoting through skill-building and reinvention
• The mindset shift that changed everything: business doesn't have to be hard to be valuable
• "Your business will only grow as much as you do personally"—and why that's not optional
• Boundaries in business: why saying yes to everything is not abundance
• Dianna's story of identity, timing, and learning to trust intuition (even without "proof")
• ADHD diagnosis later in life and the unraveling of "shoulds" in how we work, dress, market, and lead
• Content that converts: meeting people at the heart, not just selling outcomes
• Why "perfect" branding can backfire if it doesn't match the real experience of working with you
• The energetic truth: if you hate creating content, people can feel it
• JJ's take on communication, the long game of podcasting, and "the energy underneath" as the real driver of results

Key Quotes

• "Your business will only grow as much as you do personally. Full stop." — Dianna Terry
• "Saying yes to everything is not abundance." — Dianna Terry
• "People need to be seen first. The outcome is the last little bit." — Dianna Terry
• "It's less about what you're doing and more about what's fueling what you're doing." — JJ Flizanes

About Dianna Terry / Blue Steele Media

Dianna Terry is the founder of Blue Steele Media, where she helps women entrepreneurs build brands that feel aligned, real, and magnetic. Her work includes branding photography, lifestyle content capture, website support, and attraction marketing strategy—focused on helping clients stop chasing trends and start creating from authenticity.

Dianna specializes in capturing the essence of what her clients do, building robust content libraries (images + video) that can be repurposed into consistent, heart-centered marketing.

How to Work With Dianna

Dianna's best starting point is her content capture experience—a one-day shoot designed to build a full library of aligned assets. She also supports strategy and community-based content opportunities, including collaborative event concepts to make content easier and more fun.

Connect:

• Website: bluesteelmedia.com
• Instagram: @bluesteelmedia

JJ reconnects with longtime friend and homeopath Avghi Constantinides (yes—at Trader Joe's!) for a timely conversation on natural immune support during the holiday season and beyond. Avi breaks down what homeopathy is, how it differs from symptom-only approaches, and shares her go-to homeopathic "flu season trio" that many of her clients use for prevention and support. Then the conversation shifts into entrepreneurship: how Avi built a thriving private practice, launched a school, and why quick follow-up and responsiveness can make (or break) a business.

• How a chance reconnection at Trader Joe's led to Avghi joining the community and landing on the show

• Avghi's origin story: from the UK to South Africa to the U.S.—and the epiphany that shaped her life's work

• What homeopathy is: treating the whole person (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) vs. "one symptom = one drug"

• What to expect in a first homeopathic appointment (and why it goes deep)

• Why the "why now?" question matters (and how life events can be connected to symptoms)

• Avghi's 3 core remedies for flu season support:

  • Influenzinum (homeopathic version of the current flu strain, taken weekly through flu season)

  • Briar Rose (often used for upper respiratory/chest vulnerability)

  • Thymuline/Thymulin (to support immune function / T-cell support)

• How to use these remedies: weekly use + extra doses for travel, exposure, or "I feel something coming on" moments

• Combo remedies for cough/cold: why they can help, and why a persistent cough may require a professional to individualize care

• Avghi's work supporting first responders and community efforts during the 2025 California fires

• The "business side" for solopreneurs:

  • How Avghi marketed herself before social media (networking groups, local referrals, in-person education/booths)

  • Why fast follow-up wins trust and clients (and how slow response loses them)

  • The importance of "boots on the ground" visibility and community service

• Avghi's school pathways: foundational learning for personal use or a full practitioner track

• A practical takeaway: build a home remedy cabinet/first-aid kit so you're prepared for acute situations

• Avghi's practice: HomeopathyForLife.com

• School: LASchoolofHomeopathy.com (site may still display the former name during the transition)

• Email: avghi@homeopathyforlife.com

First Aid Homeopathy List: JJFlizanes.com/firstaid