Hosted by Samara Bortz, Lead With Heart is a podcast for thoughtful entrepreneurs who are building thriving creative businesses without hustle and burnout. We will dig into actionable strategies for marketing, sales, mindset, intentional offer design, spirituality, balancing motherhood with entrepreneurship, and tapping into creative magic. Lead With Heart is a must-listen for anyone who wants to establish, grow, and scale their dream feel-good business.
samarabortz.substack.com (https://samarabortz.substack.com/s/lead-with-heart?utm_medium=podcast)
The Rulebook I Threw Out to Build My Six-Figure Design Studio
Part storytime, part masterclass! In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how I went from charging $1,500 for two-week websites to running a six-figure design studio within a year and a half.
Even if you’re not a designer, the framework behind this pivot is the same process I’ve used in every iteration of my business — and it’s what I teach inside the HEART Method.
This episode covers:
The real numbers and frustrations from my early designer days (and why more leads weren’t the fix)
What happened when I threw out someone else’s rulebook and built offers around my actual strengths
The positioning shift that made me stand out in a very crowded industry
How restructuring my offers changed my income, my capacity, and my satisfaction overnight
The messaging and audience growth strategy that brought in aligned clients without the scramble
Why this framework works for any industry — not just design
Work Together
Samara’s filling 6-month coaching and mentorship containers for July and August kickoffs. DM to chat (https://www.instagram.com/samara.bortz/) or apply here (https://samarabortz.com/private-mentorship).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com (https://samarabortz.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
9 Apr 2026
Ask These Questions Before Hiring a Mentor or Coach
Not every coach is the right coach for you, and finding a good fit matters way more than finding the most impressive sales page.
In this episode, I’m breaking down the most important things to look for when you’re hiring a mentor or coach, including a checklist of questions to bring to the discovery call.
You’ll learn:
Why safety is the non-negotiable foundation of any coaching relationship
How to tell the difference between coaching, strategy, and consulting (and which one you actually need right now)
What to look for beyond the money wins
The personality, communication, and container structure questions most people skip
Exact questions to ask on a discovery call to find out if it’s truly a fit
Save this one for whenever you’re ready to invest in support!
Work together
Most of my long-term mentorship clients start with a 1:1 Intensive (https://samarabortz.com/heart-hour) to make sure the fit is right. Or, apply for 1:1 mentorship (https://samarabortz.com/heart-hour) if you’re ready to go all in.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com (https://samarabortz.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
2 Apr 2026
How I'm Prepping My Coaching and Design Business for Maternity Leave
I’m pregnant with baby number two, and this time, I’m prepping my business for maternity leave very differently.
In this episode, I’m walking you through the full compare-and-contrast: what I did before my first son was born, what worked, what left me scrambling, and exactly what’s changing for round two:
Why wrapping up all client work before leave created a tough financial and momentum gap
The longer-term containers and design partnerships I’ve set up for a smoother return
How a four-month marketing ghost left me rusty and talking to a cold audience
The batching, VA support, and content systems I’m building to keep things flowing while I’m off
The identity shift that completely rebuilt my business after my first baby, and why I’m open to it happening again
If you’re heading into a big life change (maternity leave or not!), this is your permission slip to let your business shift with you.
Work Together
Samara’s filling 6-month coaching containers for July and August kickoffs. Join before the end of March for big savings! DM to chat (https://www.instagram.com/samara.bortz/) or apply here (https://samarabortz.com/private-mentorship).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit samarabortz.substack.com (https://samarabortz.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Inside a recent episode
Permission to Pivot: Interview with Isobel Griffin
Published 30 Jan 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] No, it just will look like for you. So I write when I graduated high school, I went to school to be an EMT paramedic or it was an EMT. So it was a one year program. I went into that right out of high school. I thought I liked, I was interested in health and medicine and things like that. I liked the shorter school period. I liked how active and like different each day would be. So I went into that for a year. And then at the end of your year of school, you have a four months practice come where you're in an ambulance, you're going out on calls, you're essentially working as an EMT. And during that period is when I realized that 18, I did not have the emotional skills or to be able to kind of not even just cope and process some of the things I was seeing, but also have to be that person in these emergencies and these traumatic situations that people turn to for answers. […]
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