301. From 40 Guitar Students to Two Thriving Businesses: How Rachel Lipson Built Multiple Income Streams Without Burning Out
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Release Date: 10/07/2025
The Game On Girlfriend Podcast
Only 3% of venture capital funding goes to women-owned businesses. But here's the thing—it's not because your idea isn't good enough. It's because of foundational mistakes you're making before you even apply. Business strategist Ms. Cat (Catherine Mitchell) joins Sarah to break down exactly what keeps women entrepreneurs from accessing the billions in funding that's actually available. From choosing the wrong business name to using your personal Gmail account, these structural errors are disqualifying you before funders even look at your pitch. Ms. Cat walks through the NAICS code trap, why...
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Have you ever felt burned out? Not the "I don't feel like working today" kind—but the deep burnout where you're gaining weight you can't explain, nothing brings you joy, and you're hanging on by your fingernails just trying to get through each day? Former family law litigator Wendy Meadows knows this intimately. After years of fighting in courtrooms and bringing that combative energy home, she made a shift that changed everything. She became a health and wellness coach, discovered how coaching could transform her legal practice, and eventually left litigation for collaborative law and...
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You're posting consistently. Writing newsletters that take hours. You've got the degrees, certifications, and experience. But when someone searches for what you do? You're nowhere. If you've ever thought, "I've tried everything and nothing works," this conversation is for you. Sarah sits down with Carrolee Moore, founder of the Podcast Pitching Society, to unpack what it actually means to be visible—especially as a woman entrepreneur in a digital world full of noise. From the Currency of Visibility framework to using AI without losing your voice, Carrolee shares why authentic visibility...
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What happens when your whole world burns down—literally—and it turns out to be the start of your real life? In this deeply personal episode, Sarah sits down with Melanie Rhora, founder of The Phoenix Path, to explore how burnout, perfectionism, and people-pleasing can mask as success—until something forces you to pause. Melanie shares how a devastating house fire cleared the way for profound transformation, how she rebuilt her life by honoring her truth, and how she now helps high-capacity women recognize burnout signs and set real boundaries without guilt. Because when life burns down,...
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Happy 2026! Welcome to your first episode of the year. If you're tired of tearing everything down and rebuilding from scratch every January, this episode is for you. We're building on momentum this year, not starting over. In this New Year's solo, I'm sharing my word of the year and why it took me forever to land on it. You guys, this word is shaping not just my business, but the energy, strategy, and focus behind every decision this year. But this episode isn't just about one word—it's about honoring what's already working and building from it. Whether you're craving clarity in your...
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Turning the calendar doesn't reset your nervous system. All the vision boards in the world won't rearrange your limiting beliefs about money. So what about the money? In this final episode of 2025, I'm getting vulnerable about the money fears that keep women entrepreneurs stuck financially—including my own. You'll hear exactly what happened when I confronted my hidden fear: "If I become truly wealthy, will people think I'm a bad person?" The truth? You can only earn at the speed of safety. When your nervous system feels unsafe, you physically cannot show up at the level required to grow your...
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What if money isn't as "real" as we think it is? This week, Sarah talks to spiritual coach, tour leader, and money mindset mentor Halle Eavelyn about the deep, often hidden beliefs that shape women's relationships with wealth. From a life-changing awakening in Egypt to writing The Passive Income Power Plan, Halle shares how she helps women remember their power—and step fully into it. Here's something wild: women couldn't open their own bank accounts until 1974. Today, we still receive only 3% of venture capital funding. These aren't just statistics—they're symptoms of deep programming...
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In this quiet but powerful close-to-the-end-of-the-year episode, I'm inviting you into a deeper kind of reflection: not a noisy checklist of goals, but a wholehearted look at what your life and work have really been built on—and what needs to shift. I'm writing this after attending a funeral, and after finding out my Aunt Wendy passed away. Some of you met her in episode 148. Through these stories of grief and loss, I'm exploring how pause can bring clarity, and how to choose a slower, more intentional path into the new year. Whether you're a business owner, a creative, or simply someone...
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You know that idea pulling at your heart? The one you immediately follow up with "who am I to do this?" Carrie Rich had one of those ideas while mopping hospital floors as a graduate student. She didn't wait until she had it all figured out. She cracked a joke in an attendance meeting. Made one bold ask. Then another. Then another. Now? Her work has impacted 11.6 million lives across 70 countries through the Global Good Fund. But here's what really changed everything for Carrie: a stack of napkins pushed across a desk and one question - "Do you have a financial life plan?" At 25 years old, her...
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What does it take to build your dreams when the path isn't easy? In today's episode, I sit down with Sarai Martinez—a rising voice in beauty and TV—to chat about perseverance, passion, and what it really takes to build something meaningful as a woman of color. Sarai shares her natural love for self-care and fashion, how those early interests evolved into public-facing work, and how she's navigating the challenge-heavy path of entrepreneurship with power and grace. We dig into identity, confidence, and what happens when you don't wait until you "have it all figured out" to go for it. ...
info_outlineSarah sits down with Rachel, a spirited creative and entrepreneur, to talk about how she followed two passions and turned them into thriving businesses: a music school and a travel company. Rachel shares the real behind-the-scenes of transitioning from preschool teacher to founder of Blue Balloon School and Brooklyn Family Travelers.
What You'll Learn
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Why burnout actually led to business clarity
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Rachel’s struggles with delegation—and how she’s learning to let go
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Lessons from crossing industries (guitar to global travel?! Yes, really.)
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How to manage multiple businesses and still live the dream (with boundaries!)
Related Episodes You Might Love
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Ep. 294: Scale Your Business Without Burning Out with AnnMarie Rose https://sarahwalton.com/scale-business-without-burnout/
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Ep. 131: How Do You Grow a Business When Your Schedule Is Crazy? https://sarahwalton.com/grow/
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Ep. 207: Let Your Ambition Fly with Monique Allen https://sarahwalton.com/ambition/
Connect with Rachel Lipson
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Blue Balloon School → www.blueballoonschool.com
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Brooklyn Family Travelers → https://www.brooklynfamilytravelers.com/
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Free family travel tips → https://www.instagram.com/bkfamilytravelers/
About Rachel Lipson
An entrepreneur, songwriter, educator, points and miles expert, and avid family traveler, Rachel is the founder and CEO of two companies: Blue Balloon Songwriting for Small People (a songwriting school for kids) and Brooklyn Family Travelers, a platform dedicated to helping families travel meaningfully and affordably (mostly on credit card points!) with kids in tow.
Rachel has been featured dozens of times in various publications, including the New York Times, New York magazine, The New York Post, Time Out, Forbes, Bloomberg, Condé Nast, Inc., Success, and more. She has appeared on many podcasts and panels and has built multiple successful businesses in the fields of music, entrepreneurship, travel, and education.
Rachel lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with her husband, two kids, and a pup, and while she loves traveling the world, there is no place like home.
Free gift from Sarah
Book a free 15-minute call to explore working together: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=13047670&appointmentType=34706781
Ready to shift from chasing to receiving in your business? Book your call with Sarah today and discover how The Abundance Academy can help you scale with soul, strategy, and sanity.
Work with Sarah
Apply for The Abundance Academy group coaching program https://sarahwalton.com/abundance-academy/
Connect with Sarah
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Website: https://sarahwalton.com/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesarahwalton/
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You can check out our podcast interviews on YouTube, too! http://bit.ly/YouTubeSWalton
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About Sarah Walton
Sarah Walton is a business coach specializing in helping women entrepreneurs overcome internal barriers to success. With a background in trauma-informed coaching and nervous system regulation, she takes a holistic approach that addresses both mindset and tactical business skills. Featured on The Today Show and speaking at women's conferences worldwide, Sarah has helped hundreds of women build profitable, sustainable businesses aligned with their values while healing the deeper blocks that keep them playing small. She's the creator of The Money Mindset Course, The Abundance Academy, and Effortless Sales, and the host of the 5-star-rated Game On Girlfriend® Podcast, becoming the go-to source for women who want to build businesses that honor both their ambition and their nervous system's need for safety.