The Business of Belonging: NAWBO Columbus Conversations

About The Business of Belonging: NAWBO Columbus Conversations

Welcome to the NAWBO Columbus Podcast where women business owners rise together. This podcast is your front-row seat to the stories, successes, and strategies of the powerhouse women behind the Columbus chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Each episode features dynamic conversations with NAWBO members, entrepreneurs, leaders, and change-makers who are growing businesses, building community, and driving advocacy for women in business. Whether you’re a current member, a curious listener, or a woman ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship, you’ll find inspiration, insight, and connection here. Tune in for behind-the-scenes stories, real talk about running a business, and the powerful network that helps make it all possible. Together, we’re not just building businesses, we’re shaping the future for women entrepreneurs.

Publisher

NAWBO Columbus

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2025

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

10 of 23 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Collaboration, Community, and Creating Opportunities with Babiya Polk EP 22

   Host Yasmine Robles interviews Babiya Polk about leading with purpose, fostering collaboration, and creating opportunities for women business owners.

2. 

   15 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   From Corporate Healthcare to Holistic Healing with Krista Guagenti

   On this episode of The Business of Belonging, host Rhonda Peterson welcomes Krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique, to share the remarkable story behind her business and mission-driven approach to wellness. Krista opens up about the 30-year journey from dreaming about a healing retreat for families impacted by cancer to building one of the few luxury spas in the country with a fully oncology-certified staff. Drawing from her background in healthcare, chemistry, medical device sales, and entrepreneurship, Krista shares the persistence, resilience, and intentional leadership required to turn setbacks into stepping stones. The conversation explores wellness, compassionate leadership, business scalability, and creating a brand rooted in healing and purpose. KEY POINTS Krista’s dream of creating a wellness retreat for families facing cancer began when she was a teenager and was inspired by deep empathy and compassion for patients and caregivers. After being denied funding multiple times, Krista strategically built business experience through franchise ownership before launching Panacea. Panacea’s oncology-certified staff is trained to safely care for guests with cancer diagnoses and other complex health conditions through customized treatments and compassionate service. Krista emphasized the importance of building strong leadership teams, systems, and operational processes in order to scale a high-touch luxury wellness business. The conversation also explored Krista’s personal approach to wellness, including sleep, clean living, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, golf, and creating intentional moments of restoration. Krista’s entrepreneurial journey is a powerful reminder that vision, persistence, and purpose can coexist in business. Her story demonstrates how meaningful impact often comes from staying committed to a mission long before the world can see the final result. Connect with Krista Website LinkedIn Connect with Rhonda Website LinkedIn

3. 

   16 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   From Leadership to Entrepreneurship: Creating Cultures That Flourish EP 20

   Check out resources and events here Bethany George, VP of Roundtables for NAWBO Columbus and founder of The Sales Mystique, sits down with Amy Lahmers, founder and president of Flourishes Consulting, to explore leadership, team alignment, and the realities of building a business. Amy shares her journey from higher education and nonprofit leadership into entrepreneurship, along with the mindset shifts required to grow a people-centered organization. The conversation highlights the importance of aligned teams, the value of community for entrepreneurs, and how intentional leadership practices can create sustainable growth and stronger cultures. Key Points Careers aren’t linear, they’re journeys shaped by passion, purpose, and evolving opportunities Starting a business can feel like jumping off a cliff, but leaning into possibility creates growth Aligned teams are built by getting everyone moving toward shared goals with clarity and trust HR audits can serve as a powerful tool for understanding and improving people practices Entrepreneurs often wait too long to bring in support and try to do too much themselves Strong culture comes from shared wins, recognition, and involving teams in the mission Community is essential for business owners to avoid isolation and gain mutual support Leadership growth accelerates when women collaborate and learn from each other This episode reinforces that leadership isn’t just about strategy, it’s about people, clarity, and connection. When leaders invest in alignment and community, growth becomes a natural outcome rather than a constant struggle. Connect with Bethany Website LinkedIn Connect with Amy Website LinkedIn

Inside a recent episode

Collaboration, Community, and Creating Opportunities with Babiya Polk EP 22

Published 1 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Yes. So what is one opportunity that you believe women entrepreneurs need to take greater advantage of within their professional communities? Well, you know what the buzz is right now in this community is technology. The AI space, it's some are embracing and some are not. And my concern personally for us women is we need to figure out how to embrace it in our business because we are going to be left behind and we are already behind as it is. And we need to catch up. And this is just going to make us further down on this totem pole of whatever outcome we're trying to scale in our business. So if I have to say it is technology, it's not going away. […]

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Books guests

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