Iconoclasting

About Iconoclasting

The road not traveled can be rockier, but it also teaches you more. Hear from people who had unconventional and non-linear pathways into what they do now, how they got there, and why it matters that they rejected the norms and focused on how to build what fits for them.

Publisher

Sarah Smith

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Feb 2026

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

22 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   EP 22 - Iconoclasting with Nina Lubarski

   What does working in professional kitchens and on farms have to do with building brands for purpose-driven small businesses? For Nina Lubarski, it turns out everything. In this episode of Iconoclasting, I sit down with Nina Lubarski, founder of Humm House, who took a deeply nonlinear path through environmental science, farming, and professional cooking before landing in branding and visual identity work. Nina helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs build brands rooted in their values, and her approach starts from the inside out: who you are, what you stand for, and how that translates visually to the people you actually want to reach. This is one of those conversations that made me rethink what branding really means, and why the most authentic brands are never built from a template. Here's what we cover: ✅ Nina's journey from chef and farmer to brand strategist and founder of Humm House ✅ Why the physical realities of kitchen and farm work shaped how she thinks about creative work ✅ What handcrafted branding looks like in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated design ✅ How Nina finds and represents the many facets of a founder's identity visually ✅ Why aligning your clients with your core values is a business strategy, not just a philosophy ✅ Her four core values at Humm House: care, communication, connection, and integrity ✅ How to differentiate yourself in a crowded market by understanding your industry landscape ✅ Her work with female founders and what authentic personal branding actually requires ✅ Why experimentation and systems are both necessary for sustainable creative growth ✅ Nina's brand clarity session offer — 25% off for Iconoclasting listeners The line I keep coming back to: "Developing the brand personality starts inward." 🔗 CONNECT WITH NINA: 🌐 Website: https://hummhouse.com (https://hummhouse.com) 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/humm.house (https://instagram.com/humm.house) ✨ Brand Clarity Session (25% off for listeners): https://hummhouse.com/brand-clarity (https://hummhouse.com/brand-clarity) 📌 Subscribe to Iconoclasting 📲 Follow me on Instagram: @iconoclast_innovations_llc ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Nina Lubarski 01:57 Nina's Journey from Chef to Branding 06:29 Handcrafted Branding in an AI World 09:40 Finding Identities and Representing Those Visually 15:27 The Importance of Aligning Your Clients with Your Values 18:03 Nina's Advice for Nontraditional Pathways 🔑 KEYWORDS: purpose-driven branding, visual identity for small business, handcrafted branding, brand strategy for female founders, AI and creative industries, authentic personal branding, Humm House, brand clarity, values-based business, Iconoclasting podcast

2. 

   25 Sept 2026

   EP 21 - Iconoclasting with Alyssa Moorhead

   Marketing gets all the attention, but sales is what actually keeps your business alive. And nobody makes that case better than Alyssa Moorhead. In this episode of Iconoclasting, I sit down with Alyssa Moorhead, lead generation strategist and host of The DM Sales Gal podcast, who built a done-for-you lead generation business after leaving corporate life and navigating a deeply personal journey through sobriety. Alyssa breaks down the real difference between marketing and sales, why ethical practices in lead generation are non-negotiable, and what it actually looks like to hand someone else the keys to your personal brand without losing what makes it yours. This conversation goes places most business podcasts won't. And I think that's exactly why it's worth your time. Here's what we cover: ✅ The difference between marketing and sales, and why conflating them is costing you revenue ✅ What done-for-you lead generation actually involves and who it is right for ✅ Why trusting someone else with your personal brand does not have to be scary ✅ Alyssa's path from corporate life to entrepreneurship and what pushed her to make the leap ✅ Her ten-year sobriety journey and how it shaped the way she runs her business ✅ How to build trust through content and visibility before you ever pitch anything ✅ Why impersonating clients in DMs is a hard no, and what ethical lead generation looks like instead ✅ Managing leads at scale without overwhelming yourself or your pipeline ✅ The role of face-to-camera content in building real connection with your audience ✅ Advice for anyone on a nonlinear path who has not given up on what they really want to do The line I keep coming back to: "Don't give up on what you really want to do." 🔗 CONNECT WITH ALYSSA: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssa_l_moorhead/ (https://www.instagram.com/alyssa_l_moorhead/) 🎙️ The DM Sales Gal Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dm-sales-gal/id1551234567 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dm-sales-gal/id1551234567) 📌 Subscribe to Iconoclasting 📲 Follow me on Instagram: @iconoclast_innovations_llc ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction and Alyssa's Background 01:55 The Difference Between Marketing and Sales 06:44 Trusting Someone Else With Your Personal Brand Doesn't Have to Be Scary 11:38 Alyssa's Journey to Entrepreneurship 14:23 Alyssa's Ten-Year Sobriety Journey 19:19 Alyssa's Advice on Nonlinear Pathways 🔑 KEYWORDS: done-for-you lead generation, marketing vs sales, personal branding, authentic content strategy, DM sales strategy, ethical lead generation, sobriety and entrepreneurship, women in business, nonlinear career path, Iconoclasting podcast

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   EP 20 - Iconoclasting with Jenn Smukler

   If your body is sending you signals you keep ignoring, this episode is the one to listen to. In this episode of Iconoclasting, I sit down with Jenn Smukler, holistic health coach and founder of Alive Unlocked, who left corporate America after her body started telling her something was deeply wrong. Jenn breaks down what burnout actually looks like before it becomes a crisis, why so many high-achieving women miss the early warning signs, and what a multifaceted, strategic approach to wellness really means in practice. This is not a conversation about bubble baths and taking more vacations. This is about learning to read your body before it forces you to stop. Here's what we cover: ✅ Jenn's journey from corporate America to holistic health coaching ✅ What burnout really looks like — and why it sneaks up on you slowly ✅ The physical signs your body gives you long before rock bottom arrives ✅ How to learn your body's specific responses to stress before they become serious ✅ How to recognize burnout in the people around you — not just yourself ✅ Why disconnecting is not optional if you want to sustain long-term performance ✅ The role of immigrant experience and cultural background in how we process stress ✅ Why strategic boundaries and self-awareness are the foundation of real wellness ✅ Jenn's advice for anyone on a nonlinear career path considering a pivot toward purpose The soundbite I cannot stop thinking about: "Burnout is a slow trickle, not an overnight event." 🔗 CONNECT WITH JENN: 🌐 Website: https://aliveunlocked.com (https://aliveunlocked.com) 📝 Substack: https://aliveunlocked.substack.com (https://aliveunlocked.substack.com) 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/alive.unlocked (https://instagram.com/alive.unlocked) 💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jensmukler (https://linkedin.com/in/jensmukler) ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Jenn Smukler and Her Journey 06:13 What Burnout Really Looks Like 11:35 Learning Your Body's Responses (Before Rock Bottom) 15:14 How to Recognize Burnout in Your Loved Ones 20:27 The Importance of Disconnecting 23:03 Jenn's Advice on Nonlinear Pathways 🔑 KEYWORDS: burnout recovery, holistic health coaching, corporate burnout, stress management for women, recognizing burnout signs, wellness coach, career pivot to wellness, mental health for entrepreneurs, Alive Unlocked, Iconoclasting podcast

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings