Support AND/BOTH: Help us offset production costs while we're growing

In today's episode, Ashley chats with Amy LeClaire, co-owner and president of franchising at Sit Still Kids, shares her journey from magazine publishing in NYC to scaling boutique fitness with Bar Method to revolutionizing the children's haircare industry. In this conversation, Amy discusses how she's built multiple franchise businesses while raising two kids, the importance of work-life integration over balance, and why she believes there's a huge untapped market in specialized services for children. She opens up about navigating the messy middle of parenting teens, the changing landscape of education and career paths, and how taking exceptional care of yourself isn't selfish—it's essential for showing up as your best self in all areas of life.

What You'll Learn

• How to identify and capitalize on underserved markets (like the 1:92,500 ratio of kids' salons to children under 12)

• The difference between building a business versus building a brand, and why that distinction matters for scalability

• How to navigate major career transitions while growing a family without sacrificing either

• Why work-life integration beats work-life balance, and how companies like Bar Method pioneered flexible work cultures long before it was trendy

• The reality of franchise development and what it takes to scale from one location to 150+ nationwide

• How to maintain your entrepreneurial edge while co-parenting teens who are figuring out their own paths

• Why the traditional college-to-career pipeline might not be the best option for every kid (and the alternatives worth considering)

• The importance of modeling resilience and showing your children that adults are still learning and growing too

• How to practice "exceptional self-care" as a busy parent and business owner without guilt

• Why intuition is an underrated but essential business skill, and how to develop your ability to spot trends before they become mainstream

Connect with Amy LeClaire

Website: sitstillkids.com

Instagram: @sitstillkids

Sit Still Kids is expanding to New England with locations opening in the Boston area and Providence!

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

Support AND/BOTH: Help us offset production costs while we're growing

In this candid and eye-opening conversation, Ashley welcomes Angie Anger, a self intimacy and sex coach, to the And Both Podcast. Angie shares her non-linear journey from counseling and corporate marketing to becoming a coach who helps women and femmes reconnect with their bodies, pleasure, and self-worth—especially through the lens of motherhood and long-term partnership. With empathy, humor, and a refreshing dose of honesty, they discuss desire types, communication barriers, emotional labor, and how parenthood reshapes intimacy. Angie reminds us: you’re not broken, you’re just human.

What You’ll Hear:

• The difference between responsive vs. spontaneous desire (and why most women aren’t broken)
• Why connection and self-intimacy matter more than scheduled sex
• How shifting your mindset from performance to play can transform your relationship
• The sex spiral of doom that many moms fall into—and how to break it
• How motherhood, aging, and identity shifts influence desire and pleasure
• Why Angie only works with individuals and not couples (and how it helps)
• Real talk on body image, communication breakdowns, and the dishes fight
• Coaching insights that help moms reclaim their pleasure on their own terms
• Angie’s advice for the mom who feels unseen, unsexy, and unsure where to start
• A preview of part two: how to talk to your kids about sex, bodies, and consent

Connect with Angie:

IG: @angieengercoach

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/

Support AND/BOTH: Help us offset production costs while we're growing

Ashley Blackington welcomes Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, for a rich conversation on motherhood, entrepreneurship, and building a life and business that actually works. Julie shares her journey from lawyer to mom of six to label mogul, and all the messy, meaningful moments in between. She opens up about flexible work, raising independent kids, and the unfiltered truth of growing a business out of a basement into a beloved international brand. Expect inspiration, humor, and hard-won wisdom from someone who’s done it all, with a label for literally everything.

What you’ll learn:

• What inspired Julie to leave law and launch Mabel’s Labels with her sisters
• How entrepreneurship evolved alongside raising six kids (yes, six!)
• The mental load of motherhood and how to protect your identity through it
• Real talk on flexibility, burnout, and the myth of #BossMom
• The role of community, visibility, and mentorship in building a sustainable business

Questions answered in this episode:

• How do you balance entrepreneurship with parenting, especially in the early years?
• What conversations and sacrifices are required when leaving a traditional career?
• How did Julie and her co-founders grow Mabel’s Labels without social media?
• What lessons does she share with new founders and mompreneurs today?
• How can women show up as leaders and still prioritize their families?

Connect with Julie Cole:

• Website: mabelslabels.com/juliecole
• Instagram: @juliecole
• LinkedIn: Julie Cole
• Book: Like a Mother: Birthing Businesses, Babies, and a Life Beyond Labels

Connect with Ashley:

Website: https://dovetaildesigns.co

Podcast website: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/

AND/BOTH Community: https://www.andbothpodcast.com/andboth-community

Dovetail® App: https://airtable.com/appn6w6IWipJYIuA3/pagZys7UnECzM46iJ/form

Social:

Instagram: @dovetailapp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/