E312. My Tattoo Horror Story: When Politeness Goes Too Far
Release Date: 05/29/2025
E337. 5 Reasons New Hires Fail in Small Business (Part 2)
April Garcia's PivotMe
You know what’s more expensive than a bad hire? A great hire you set up to fail. Welcome, Pivoter! In Part 2 of this series, April dives into the five most common reasons new hires fail in small businesses — and, more importantly, how to stop repeating those mistakes. Drawing from Who, Topgrading, and real small-business case studies, she unpacks what actually derails your new hires: lack of clarity, rushed processes, weak onboarding, and the avoidance of tough calls. This episode is your small-business hiring playbook — practical, tough-love, and designed to help you build a team that...
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E336. Bad Hires & Moving On Fast in Small Business (Part 1)
April Garcia's PivotMe
You know what’s worse than making a bad hire? Making a bad hire… and then wasting weeks of your life obsessing over it instead of moving on. That’s like tripping on a rock and then deciding to camp there forever. Welcome, Pivoter! Today, April tackles one of the most expensive, frustrating, and inevitable parts of running a business — bad hires. If you’ve been in business long enough, you’ve made one. We all have. The financial loss hurts, but what’s even more costly is how long we stay stuck — replaying the mistake instead of moving on to our next right decision. In this...
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E335. REP: Stop Judging Younger You: Lessons from Energy & Shadow Work
April Garcia's PivotMe
You’re not mad at your past self because she failed — you’re mad because she didn’t know what you know now. But guess what? She’s the reason you know it. In this episode of PivotMe, April takes listeners on a transformative journey through her recent experience with energy and shadow work—a deep dive into the hidden layers of self-judgment, compassion, and growth. Through personal reflection and powerful mindset shifts, April reveals how she uncovered her own inner critic — “The Judge” — and how it was quietly sabotaging her progress. If you’ve ever replayed your old...
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E334. REP: Where Have I Given Away My Power?
April Garcia's PivotMe
You’re not powerless — you’re powerful. But every time you blame someone or something else for where you are, you hand that power away like spare change. Welcome, Pivoter! In this episode, April tackles a hard truth: sometimes, the biggest thing standing between us and our goals isn’t circumstance — it’s our excuses. We dive deep into the concept of Radical Responsibility — the practice of owning every part of your life and business that you can control. Because until you do, you’ll stay stuck in patterns of blame and frustration, waiting for external forces to change what only...
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E332. Stop Settling: Hiring and Keeping A-Players in Your Small Business
April Garcia's PivotMe
Let me tell you the most expensive hire you’ll ever make—it’s not the one with the highest salary. It’s the wrong person you keep around too long. And if you think you can turn a C-player into an A-player with your already maxed-out schedule—you’re living in a Disney movie, not running a business. Welcome, Pivoter! Today we’re talking about A-players—why your small business can’t afford not to hire them, how to attract them without corporate budgets, and why tolerating C-players is the fastest way to tank your team and your sanity. April shares a story about a client...
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E331. Where Leaders Drop the Armor: Inside Collaborate 2025
April Garcia's PivotMe
You know what no one tells you about being a leader? It’s lonely as hell. Everyone looks to you for answers, for calm, for direction — but where do you go when you’re running on fumes? Welcome, Pivoter. Let’s get real. In this raw and emotional episode, April takes us behind the scenes of Collaborate 2025, where high performers and leaders came together to do something rare — drop their armor. No posturing, no highlight reels, no pretending to “have it all together.” Just truth, connection, and conversations that matter. This is a reflection on what happens when leaders stop...
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E330. REP: Your Boss Is an A-Hole, Entrepreneurism
April Garcia's PivotMe
You left your 9-to-5 to have freedom — but now your new boss (you) is harsher, more demanding, and pays you less than the old one ever did.” In this episode of PivotMe, April gets real about the dark side of entrepreneurship — when the very business you built for freedom becomes the reason you feel chained. Through raw conversations and personal stories, April exposes the dangers of blurred boundaries, overwork, and the toxic traits of our own “inner boss.” From Selena’s powerful reflection on losing control of her schedule to April’s candid self-checks, this episode will...
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E329. REP: Mindset is Your Superpower: Unlocking Determination & Growth
April Garcia's PivotMe
You’ve already done hard things. You’ve overcome challenges that should have stopped you — but they didn’t. So why would you doubt what you can do next? In this powerful episode, April dives into the game-changing role of mindset and determination in building a life you’re proud of. Through inspiring stories — including world champion Siri Lindley’s journey — April explores how adopting a growth mindset unlocks your potential, reframes failure as fuel, and drives personal and professional success. This isn’t just about thinking positive — it’s about training your mind to...
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E328. Mid-Year Reset Are You Happy with Your Trajectory?
April Garcia's PivotMe
Here’s the deal—if your last quarter looks exactly like your first three, will you actually be happy with where you land in December? Or will you be scrambling like a college kid trying to write a 20-page paper the night before it’s due? In this episode, April dives into one of the most overlooked success tools — the mid-year check-in. You don’t have to wait until December to panic-sprint toward your goals. Right now is the perfect time to pause, assess, and pivot if needed so you can end the year exactly where you want to be April shares why so many entrepreneurs and high performers...
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E327. You’ve Already Done the Impossible—What’s Your Next 4-Minute Mile?
April Garcia's PivotMe
You’ve already done impossible things. So why are you doubting your next mountain when you’ve outrun the odds more times than you can count? April challenges listeners to stop underestimating themselves by revisiting their own “4-minute miles.” Just as Roger Bannister shattered the barrier once thought impossible, you too have overcome odds that most people never thought you could. April dives deep into reframing past wins as fuel for future breakthroughs—and shows you how to apply this mindset shift to the mountain in front of you now. Key Takeaways: The Bannister Effect: Once...
info_outlineIn this raw and hilarious episode of PivotMe, April shares an intensely personal story—her tattoo horror story. But beneath the ink and regret lies a powerful message about people-pleasing, distraction, and the cost of staying silent in critical moments. From battling through a brutal year to permanently marking her comeback on her body, April takes us through a decision made during emotional exhaustion and what it taught her about boundaries, voice, and recovery.
Key Takeaways:
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💥 Politeness Can Be Dangerous: When you override your inner voice to be agreeable, especially in pivotal moments, the cost can be higher than you think.
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🌊 The Season That Tried to Drown Her: April opens up about a year full of personal storms—grief, heartache, and mental health struggles—that left her gasping for air and seeking meaning.
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💡 Tattoo as a Symbol: Hoping to commemorate resilience, April chose to get a “Still I Rise” tattoo. What followed was anything but empowering.
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✋ Red Flags and Regret: When the artist changed the design and she didn’t push back, April knew she was ignoring her intuition. Why? Because she didn’t want to seem rude.
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🎨 Creative Fix: The redemption arc? April launched a design contest on 99Designs to creatively “rescue” the tattoo—with entries from artists across the globe.
Notable Quotes:
“It's hard to believe that the fear of offending can be stronger than the fear of pain, but you know what? It is.” — The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
“I wasn’t drunk—I was just too exhausted to fight for better.”
“Politeness may not kill you, but it can leave permanent ink on your back.”
Challenge to Listeners:
Where are you silencing your voice just to keep the peace? Is your desire to be agreeable costing you something important—your boundaries, your standards, your truth?
This week:
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Speak up in a moment where you’d normally stay quiet.
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Revisit a decision made during emotional exhaustion—do you need to correct it?
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Stop letting politeness override your instincts. Especially when something’s permanent.
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👉 www.theaprilgarcia.com/collaborate2025
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