From Numbers to Strategy: How Anastasia Ristovska, co-founder of Books at Ease, Helps Businesses Thrive (S9:Epi 255)
Release Date: 09/22/2025
What Did Your 2025 Teach You? (S9:Epi 268)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
As the year comes to a close, Cooper Alexander and Mary Sullivan, co-founders of Sweet but Fearless, invite you to pause and reflect on what this past year really asked of you. What one pattern repeated itself and quietly ran the year. The one that drained your energy levels, delayed decisions, or kept things heavier than they needed to be. You’re not to judge yourself or the pattern but just recognize and understand it. Patterns form to protect us, but once we recognize them, we don’t have to keep living inside them. Mary and Cooper talk through patterns many women leaders see again and...
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Self-Care Is Survival: Dr. Marcia Harris, A Trailblazing OB-GYN on Wellness and Women’s Health (S9:Epi 267)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this podcast, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with pioneering OB-GYN, Dr. Marcia Harris, Medical Director of Wellness Restoration Center, who shares her journey through healthcare as the first Black woman to train in obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. She reflects on pursuing many interests with a “try it and see” mindset, honoring how far she’s come, and following her passion. They also discuss burnout, her shift toward wellness and restoration, and why self-care is survival, not selfishness. This conversation underscores the...
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Go Be You with Jennifer Kaplan, Owner, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing (S9:Epi 266)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this podcast, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Jennifer Kaplan, Owner, Evolve Public Relations and Marketing, to explore what it really takes to follow your passion and why the journey often requires a few calculated risks along the way. Jennifer shares her unapologetic philosophy that fear is the real “F-word,” the one that keeps too many of us from stepping into what we truly love. Together, Mary and Jennifer dive into protecting your most expensive commodity, your time, and embracing the power of saying no without guilt. This episode is a reminder that the...
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Put Yourself Out There: DREAM with Diane Strand, CEO of JDS Studios (S9:Epi 265)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this important conversation, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Diane Strand, CEO of JDS Studios, who has built her career on the belief that opportunities aren’t found, they’re created. Diane discusses her signature DREAM framework (Direction, Realization, Evaluation, Action, Momentum) and explains how clarity, consistency, and courage fuel lasting success. She encourages leaders to present themselves as the person they aspire to be, to show up even when it feels uncomfortable, and to fully embrace being seen and heard. A powerful conversation for anyone ready...
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When Career Challenges Make You Better with Lisa Levy, Founder of Lcubed Consulting (S9:Epi 264)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this important conversation, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Lisa Levy, Founder & Disruption and Innovation Catalyst, Lcubed Consulting, about the challenges we all face throughout our careers — the speed bumps, pivots, and unexpected twists that shape who we become as leaders. Together, they explore how growth happens when we commit to reading, continual learning, and doing the things that make us uncomfortable. It’s all about stretching ourselves so we can step into the leaders we’re meant to be. Lisa Levy is the Founder and CEO of Lcubed Consulting,...
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Go For the Green with Nancy Griffin, CEO & Founder of Women, Worth & Wellness (S9:Epi 263)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this important conversation, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Nancy Griffin, CEO and Founder of Women, Worth & Wellness. Nancy attributes her decades of success to personal courage, determination, and a deep sense of joy, especially when championing women’s health and wellness. Since founding Women, Worth & Wellness in 1994 as a Private Client Wealth Advisor, she has dedicated her career to helping women strengthen both their net worth and self-worth. Nancy brings her signature mix of warmth, wisdom, and empowerment to this episode as she and Mary break...
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No More Layers: Shedding Limiting Beliefs to Lead with Purpose with Martine Cohen (S9:Epi 262)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this podcase episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with transformational coach and author, Martine Cohen to explore how adversity can become the catalyst for reinvention. Martine shares insights from her book , where she uses the metaphor of “layers” to reveal how fear, conditioning, and limiting beliefs keep us from accessing our true potential. Together, they discuss why the first step in any meaningful pivot is to look inward, to lead yourself before leading others. Martine emphasizes the importance of being proactive, investing in yourself, and...
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Rewiring Self-Sabotage with Bizzie Gold, Mental Health Innovator and Author (S9:Epi 261)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, sits down with Bizzie Gold, mental health innovator, speaker, and author of Your Brain Is a Filthy Liar. Using a science-backed approach to Brain Pattern Mapping, Bizzie exposes how your mind manipulates you into believing the same comfortable lies, all while making your life harder than it needs to be. Together, they talk about why most self-sabotage begins in childhood and how labels can become convenient excuses that block real growth. Bizzie is a trailblazing innovator in emotional rewiring, blending cutting-edge technology...
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The Power of the Pause with mindset coach and founder of the Pause Method, Karen Bartholomew (S9:Epi 260)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Karen Bartholomew to explore her transformative Power of the Pause methodology, a step-by-step framework designed to help you redesign your next chapter with intention and courage. Karen believes our greatest superpower is curiosity, and that failure isn’t a setback but a gift that reveals what truly matters. Through her Pause Methodology, she shares how to slow down, reflect, and create space for growth, clarity, and reinvention. Whether you’re navigating a career pivot, a personal transition, or simply craving a...
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From Wrong Jobs to Right Lessons: Navigating Career Detours with Brooke Lively, Founder and President of Cathedral Capital (S9:Epi 259)
Sweet but Fearless Podcast
In this episode, Mary Sullivan, co-founder of Sweet but Fearless, talks with Brooke Lively, founder and president of Cathedral Capital, about the twists, turns, and unexpected detours that shape a fulfilling career. Together, they explore how finding where you belong often means recognizing that the right company is one whose core values truly align with your own. Brooke shares how each job, whether it’s a perfect fit or a painful mismatch, can teach you something valuable. Even a challenging boss can become a guidepost, showing you the kind of leader you aspire to be. As Robert Frost wrote,...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Sweet but Fearless podcast, co-founder, Mary Sullivan, talks with Anastasia Ristovska, co-founder of Books at Ease and Next Generation Bookkeeping Academy, focusing on the financial foundations every business needs to thrive. Anastasia shares her journey from corporate accountant to building two successful businesses dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized companies, especially in the digital space, with financial control and clarity.
She highlights why leveraging relationships is just as critical as the numbers, and why systems and processes must be in place from the start to avoid costly mistakes down the road. Anastasia also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her work training international accounting professionals in U.S. business principles and communication skills, helping to fill a growing gap in skilled financial talent.
It’s an inspiring conversation about strategy, structure, and the courage to build something that lasts.
MORE ABOUT ANASTASIA RISTOVSKA:
LinkedIn: Anastasia R.
Website: Books At Ease
ABOUT SWEET BUT FEARLESS:
Website - Sweet but Fearless
LinkedIn - Sweet but Fearless