My glorious unicorns,

I’ve got a doozy of an episode for you! I sit down with my longtime friend + collaborator Tamara Protassow to talk about the gloriously messy topic of hiring friends or family in your biz. Spoiler: it can get sticky, sparkly, and sometimes disastrous.

We’re serving it up with plenty of laughs, brutal honesty, and the emotional lessons we’ve learned— sharing our own stories, the emotional truths, and the rare magical moments when it actually works. You’re in for a treat!

You can expect these ear-gasm goodies:

  • 🦄 Tam shares her journey as a creativity coach and long-time collaborator in Leonie’s world.

  • 🩵 How we met: The fateful tea meetup that led to years of collaboration (and some chaotic planner adventures).

  • ❓The Big Question: “Should you hire friends or family?” (can you guess my answer? It rhymes with smabsolutely smot!)

  • ✨ I share stories of heartbreak, lost friendships, and the painful lessons that followed.

  • 😔 Why it fails: misaligned expectations, power dynamics, blurred boundaries, and emotional baggage.

  • 👁️ Tam’s insider view: How she separates roles, keeps boundaries clean, and treats employment as a privilege rather than a power play.

  • ⭐ How I make it work now with clear communication and an exit strategy that keeps friendships in tact

  • 🫰 The emotional cost: Why mixing love, money, and work can trigger every wound you’ve ever had.

  • 💎 The rare exceptions: Brene Brown and Denise Duffield-Thomas—proof it can work, but only with deep self-awareness and constant effort.

  • 🔥 My gratitude for the lessons learned and the friendships that survived the fire.

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Hope you adore listening as much as we loved creating!

big love,