What if it’s Incredible Beyond Our Wildest Dreams? | Leslie Silverman

In this raw and inspiring episode of Lioness Conversations, I sit down with the incredible Leslie Silverman, co-founder of Hive 180, for a conversation that will stir your soul and challenge you to trust your own inner knowing.

Leslie shares her courageous journey from a high-stakes corporate life in Manhattan to creating a purpose-driven life and business in Colorado. Together, we explore what it truly takes to make a "180" turn in your life — to leave behind what no longer serves you and step into something aligned, authentic, and powerful.

✨ We talk about the fear that holds women back from making bold moves and the freedom that comes from asking, “What if it’s incredible beyond our wildest dreams?”
✨ Leslie opens up about walking away from a toxic environment — both in business and in marriage — and how those decisions became acts of self-preservation that unlocked healing and new beginnings.
✨ We dive into the practices that keep her grounded (like gardening and nature), the quiet conviction of feminine strength, and the role of expanders — those people who call us higher and remind us of what’s truly possible.

This conversation is an invitation to trust yourself, choose courage over comfort, and surround yourself with people who expand your vision. Leslie’s story is proof that when you honor your values and take the leap, life can become more beautiful than you ever imagined.

Connect with us here!
Leslie Silverman
https://hive180.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-silverman-hive180/

Jen Porter
https://www.jenportercoach.com/
www.linkedin.com/in/jenportercoach

CHAPTERS:
00:00 Introduction to Lioness Conversations
02:46 The Importance of Self-Care
05:41 The Birth of Hive 180
08:33 Breaking Away from the Status Quo
11:35 Trusting Your Intuition
14:01 Navigating Life Changes
17:04 The Power of Gratitude
19:41 The Journey of Self-Discovery
22:47 Finding Strength in Vulnerability
25:40 The Impact of Relationships on Self-Trust
28:32 Embracing Change and New Beginnings
34:19 Facing Family Challenges and Making Tough Decisions
38:51 A Journey of Rebirth and Self-Discovery
42:20 Building Trust and Openness with Children
46:38 Embracing Courage and Resilience
49:39 The Power of Expanders in Personal Growth
53:11 Seeking Support and Building Connections
57:48 Attraction and Openness to Possibilities
01:01:11 The Clarity of Feminine Strength

Creators and Guests

Host

Jen Porter

Corporate leader turned entrepreneur, I created "Lioness Conversations" to amplify the voices of extraordinary women—leaders who have faced fear, overcome challenges, and are now shaping the world with their work. This podcast is a space for courage, truth, and deep inspiration. My mission is to empower women to be brave, leading with confidence and joy, to do the most meaningful work of their lives.

Guest

Leslie Silverman

As the unapologetically bold co-founder of Hive 180, Leslie Silverman empowers certified professionals and women to break free from blend-in branding and lead with the clarity, confidence, and vision of their authentic selves.

What is Lioness Conversations: Brave Stories of Women Leaders & Female Founders | Women leading with confidence, empowerment, entrepreneurship, innovation, impact?

Welcome to Lioness Conversations, the podcast dedicated to uncovering and celebrating the extraordinary stories of women who embody fierce strength, tender hearts, and a relentless drive to make a difference in the world. 🦁✨

Leadership | Empowerment | Women in Business | Women Entrepreneurs | Female CEOs | Female Founders | Women-led Businesses | Glass Ceiling | Mentorship for Women | Venture Capital for Women | Female Leadership Development | Innovation | Entrepreneurial Women | Breaking Barriers | Role Models | Women in Tech | Female Business Owners | Women-owned Startups | Networking Opportunities

Jen Porter (00:00)
Hey, Lioness, welcome to the show, Lioness Conversations, where we help women be brave to lead with confidence and joy and to find your path to the most meaningful work of your life. I'm your host, Jen Porter, leadership and empowerment coach for ambitious and heart-centered women who are ready to change the world. You can find out more about my work and the Lioness community at jenportercoach.com.

Today we have the one and only Leslie Silverman. Leslie is the unapologetically bold voice behind Hive 180, a brand transformation studio she co-founded to help certified professionals break free from bland, blend in branding. With over 25 years of experience spanning Harper's Bazaar, New York City ad agencies and her own entrepreneurial ventures.

Leslie brings both creative edge and grounded strategy to every conversation. Known for her irreverent wit, no-nonsense energy, and sharp strategic instincts, Leslie helps experts own their story and show up with clarity and confidence. She's especially passionate about guiding women who are ready to lead with vision, not just credentials. Whether she's on a podcast, in a client session, or sharing insights behind the scenes,

Leslie empowers others to stop playing small and start positioning themselves with authority and alignment. Leslie, welcome to the show.

Leslie Silverman (01:34)
Thank you so much for having me, Jen. I'm so happy to be here.

Jen Porter (01:38)
I think you're a soul sister because everything that you're talking about resonates with me. And I know we had to stop ourselves from our pre-conversation because we were diving into all of these concepts that were just so compelling. And we want to share that with the audience.

Leslie Silverman (01:50)
just too quick. Absolutely,

absolutely. I felt that from the first time we connected.

Jen Porter (01:58)
Yeah,

yeah, thanks so much for making time to do this. you know, just to let people know, like this podcast is about celebrating women and the brave steps that they've made, the good work that they're doing in the world, but also so that listeners can realize that it wasn't always easy. you haven't just arrived and now you've figured everything out. You actually still have brave steps to take.

and there's more to do. And so I wanna share your story, where you are today, but also how you got there and then where you're headed in the future. So it's all about that brave lioness inside of us and helping that emerge, not just for us, but for others, because there's important work for all of us to do in this world.

Leslie Silverman (02:46)
Absolutely. And I think when we can be vulnerable and share some of our struggles that have led to our successes, just, gives permission. It's part of sisterhood. It helps build up others. And you never know when someone who is maybe can resonate with one of your lows and it gives them hope. It gives them that vision of, well, gosh, if she could overcome that, then I can too. And it's expansive and supportive to hear. So I am.

Happy to be as vulnerable, open, and authentic as I can in sharing with your community my story.

Jen Porter (03:20)
Thanks Leslie. So before we get into Hive 180, what I wanna know is like, I have this, know, so many people are struggling. Like there's a lot in the world that's hard, but there's a lot that's really good and there's a lot to love too. So I'm just curious as we start, what are the things in life that are really lighting you up right now?

Leslie Silverman (03:42)
Yeah, you know, it's really foundational and might sound really simple, but it is huge and not something that I always prioritize. But my self-care and making it a priority, I mean, I work out for longevity and wellness, and I really enjoy preparing healthy organic foods. I joined my neighborhood community garden this year.

Jen Porter (04:00)
mess.

Leslie Silverman (04:08)
I've been growing my own vegetables and so just, you know, really sitting in meditation and making time for the foundational things that I can control when the world is crazy and things don't really make sense and you don't know what to do and it can be overwhelming. Those grounding things and tapping in are ways that I can approach life and my day from a grounded, happy place.

And not in a Pollyanna way. I mean, I understand that bad things happen, but by taking a beat, taking a breath and staying grounded, that's really helpful. love music. I love any kind of live music and dancing and moving my body and just sort of letting loose a bit in that way is really supportive. those are the couple of things that come to mind.

Jen Porter (04:35)
So good.

I love

that. And those things are simple and accessible to us, right? I've heard about grounding. like, grounding is here for me, but I actually, think it just like went more down here when I heard you talk about those things, because I don't think I realized the connection between the ground.

and being grounded. I've heard it is what I'm saying. Like I've heard those things. These things are good. Walk around barefoot in the grass. But when you talk about the food and the planting and the working in the earth, tilling the soil and working in the soil, I'm like, that is so grounding, especially when...

Leslie Silverman (05:26)
Yeah

Jen Porter (05:41)
things are spinning around us in the world and would love for us to get caught up in the, you know, in the whirlwind and the cycle of that.

Leslie Silverman (05:48)
Yeah.

Yeah. And also, you know, being based in Colorado, I spend a lot of time in the woods. I love to hike and just get out there amongst what I affectionately call my tree friends. I've been known to hug a tree on occasion. Sometimes passerbys are unsure what's really going on, but you know, you can feel their energy. It's real.

Jen Porter (06:00)
Yeah.

I

love trees. Trees are deeply meaningful for me. And I think about sometimes I wish they could talk in a way that I could hear because they stories to share, right? They've seen so much over years and years and years, way longer than our lifetime. And they just, give us, it gives us so much. I mean, from a physical standpoint and emotional standpoint, everything.

Leslie Silverman (06:19)
Right? They do.

EW!

Yes.

Yes.

Jen Porter (06:37)
Yeah, I'm in Colorado too, so you know we get it. There's a lot to love here in Colorado with the outdoors. So tell me about Hive 180. What are you focused on in this season with your business?

Leslie Silverman (06:50)
Yes,

so I have had quite an evolution in business, just completed year nine. So, you know, starting year 10, I have one business partner. He is like my little brother and we met working in a different environment that became.

not supportive and not aligned with our core values. There was not, you know, trust, honesty and teamwork happening in a way that was really supportive. And so part of what our whole mission and vision was birthed from, you know, a really challenging time where we were like, we want more and we want to break away from that situation and, launch on our own. so that sort of became our business mantra.

you know, for our clients is helping them break away. And so, so we are branding strategists and web developers. And the way we differentiate ourselves from a lot of other people who might seemingly offer the same service is that we say we're a partner, not a vendor. So I work with people who want to break away from their industry status quo in different ways. It doesn't mean you're leaving a bigger company to start on your own, but it could be that, or it could be, you know,

potentially you're a lawyer, let's say, and instead of offering all the traditional legal approaches that you believe are status quo for your industry, you're like, I'm not wearing a navy blue suit and I wanna help people in these ways and I want to let my colorful vision of what my business is shine and not have to fit in the box of what I think my industry expects me to be. And so through our, start.

every client relationship with a strategy session where we just do a ton of listening, asking tons of questions. We call it a brand buzz. And we ask them so much, not just about, you know, what their preferences are aesthetically, but what they want to accomplish. What are their pain points? What industry struggles are they having? What personal struggles are they having? What do they want their work life to look like? What types of ideal clients do they want to partner with? And

You know, a lot of times I don't think people realize that they have permission to answer that. You don't have to take every client that knocks on your door. When you're an entrepreneur, you can curate and call in the types of client relationships you want, regardless of what service it is that you're offering. So when we start from that really deep, authentic, connected, inspired space, we're then creating assets that are so aligned.

and so helpful for those business owners to then call in their ideal clients. When their clients come to their website or see their branding, they are unequivocally like, this is for me. So that's what lights us up.

Jen Porter (09:45)
And why did you call it Hive 180?

Leslie Silverman (09:49)
That is a fun story. So, you know, we didn't want to just be in the box again with these companies that are like, you know, Colorado web marketing or something super, you know, straightforward like that. We wanted it to be sort of, you know, creative and edgy and people to be like, ooh, Hive180 So for us, a hive is a flurry of activity and then 180 is a new direction.

Jen Porter (10:00)
you

Leslie Silverman (10:16)
So at the time that we started, you know, we were excited and in a flurry of activity and just really vibing with like bees and hives and honey. And we play into the buzz and the, you know, stickiness and, know, we all need bees to survive. So a little bit of fun around that. And then, you know, 180, just a new direction. It was a new direction for us. And that's what we wanted to bring, a new direction to our clients in the industry.

Jen Porter (10:43)
And I think about those 180s in our life. I don't call them 180s, but that's what they are. we look back at the history of our own life, those are usually the milestones we're talking about, is when we made those 180 moves. Whether it was internal, a mental shift, or a geographic location shift, it could be anything like that. I want to get back to...

Leslie Silverman (10:47)
Yeah.

Jen Porter (11:09)
what you first said when you started describing your business and the transition that you made and why you made it. Because I think there's a lot of entrepreneurs that are listening and there's a lot that want to be entrepreneurs. it's in them but what I find is that it's scary, right? We have a hard time making that leap from where we are even as painful as it might be.

We know it and it's at least it feels a little bit stable even if we hate it. And yet there's something inside of us that calls us toward, gosh, what if? We have a vision, we have a dream and it's inside of us but the fear holds us back from actually accessing it and giving it a try.

And most of that, if you boil it down, mean, there's people, I guess people lean on the financial piece. It's like, I don't know how the financial piece is going to work, but it's actually something deeper within us that holds us back. So this is where I want to connect with you on that, on your story there. Because what I heard you say is things weren't supportive. Where you were, it wasn't, it wasn't a good environment for you to thrive. It wasn't working for you. And there were some things that were going on.

that weren't in alignment with your own values and ethics. And so can you talk more about that particular part of the story and what was it that got you to a place of like, I'm actually gonna do something different, because doing something different is not easy.

Leslie Silverman (12:42)
It's not, it's not easy. And you know, we, we can settle right into the safety of what we know. And it is scary to take chances. And as humans, we can either say, okay, if I take this chance and it goes wrong, then all of these things. But what if we lean into the other side? What if we, what if we are greater and you know,

better beyond our wildest dreams and imagination, right? And so I tend to, you know, lean into a cup half full outlook in life, even though I am practical and you do have to, you know, survive and provide for yourself and all of that. But it was at a point where, you know, hey, life is short and we were, we were really unhappy and

Basically, my now business partner and I, you know, were, our unhappiness was growing and growing day by day. And he actually came to me and said, you know what? I can't do it anymore. And it's a matter of self preservation for me. And I'm thinking of moving on. But you and I, we could do this. I mean, we have really, really beautiful.

balance of skill sets that we bring. And so he is more, you know, tech oriented coding and design, and I am more conceptual and extroverted and people oriented. And so I really nurture all of our client relationships and, and he does a lot of the brilliant behind the scenes work, but he was like, we can do this. I believe in us. And it took a tiny nudge from him, but you know, at that

point, I could have either said, well, you know, see ya. I had worked at that company long before him and I could have continued to stay. But I saw that little crack, that door, right? That little light in that crack popping open. And I just decided, you know, to push it open and walk through. And I went through all of the, you know, worst case scenarios in my mind. And I just recognized that I don't think I have anything to lose here.

What if it's incredible beyond our wildest dreams? And so I have not looked back from that choice. I trusted myself and realized that no matter what happened, that I would be okay.

Jen Porter (14:57)
What if it goes great?

Well, and that's a theme for you that I wanna get into a little bit more. But first, I'm recognizing that a lot of times when people are in this place in their lives where they're considering making a big change, they're in their heads, right? And so some of this wasn't intellectual discernment for you. You're analyzing, right? You're processing, you're thinking, you're imagining. But don't you think it's more of a heart gut?

decision to like you have to you got to get past the just the thinking about it and you you have to check the deeper parts of self in order to at least for me I have to get to that place of clarity before I can make a decision or make a big take a risk was it like that for you?

Leslie Silverman (15:59)
A million percent. Trusting my gut, trusting my intuition is something that was a big part of my life. And I think we'll get into that story the first time that came up for me. But I lost my way a little bit from listening to my gut and trusting my intuition. And when I finally came back to it, it felt like coming home to myself. And now I let that lead so many of my decisions because our conscious mind is a tricky thing.

Jen Porter (16:20)
Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (16:26)
It will tell us almost what we want to hear. You know, it will rationalize and you know, our brain is there to protect us, right? And the whole like fight or flight instinct. So it's going to try and be like, that's new. That does not feel safe. But when we can take a breath and settle in and, you know, trust our deeper knowing, then answers can arise.

Jen Porter (16:43)
Yes.

Leslie Silverman (16:51)
that allow us to be a little braver, a little more bold and understand that it is okay to take those risks.

Jen Porter (16:59)
Yeah, so the brain, there's so many things that we could talk about about the brain, but the thing that's on my mind right now is that the brain is always gonna look for evidence for what our thought is, like whatever that thought pattern is. So let's say it's the worst case scenario, it's thought, right? We're playing out, okay, what's the worst thing that could happen? Our brain is gonna look for the evidence to support that.

Leslie Silverman (17:03)
Yeah.

Yes.

Jen Porter (17:23)
And so we actually, it's like an intentional shifting or like looking around something from multiple lenses to say, okay, yeah, I see that, but what's the best thing that can happen? What's possible if this goes well? So the brain starts to look for what could go right. So back to the deeper parts, like the gut, the heart, the soul, spirit, whatever you wanna call it.

Can you talk about how you engage with your intuition at that stage so that people can start to maybe get familiar with how their intuition works too?

Leslie Silverman (17:56)
Sure. And, you know, I will say just pinging off of what you just mentioned about the brain looking for evidence, we have a choice. So even though we consciously recognize that we're going to that worst case scenario and the brain is looking for that through line, we also have the choice to look at the through line of evidence that's on the positive. So one of like the tactics that I, you know, used then that applies even now is I know that

For example, all of the clients that we had at that time at that business were from my relationships and my nurturing strong relationships and people's trust and involvement with me and how I showed up in the community at large. so I was bringing all of the business in to that company and

So I knew that we could do that for ourselves as well, that I did not need, you know, the structure of what we had there was nothing that was supportive that we couldn't do without. it was, was someone who didn't value what I brought. And so it was up to me to protect that and be boundaried and say, I value myself. I believe in myself. I have evidence that I can.

you know, bring in clients and successfully work with companies and we do beautiful work and we know what we're doing. And so, you know, if you can separate and you know, journaling is a great tool. know in today's technology, people do audio stuff or they talk to their AI therapist or they, you know, type, but if you can, there's something that also triggers when you can put pen to paper.

that just starts surprising you that it will come out. That's a way to get into your intuition. And when you just start free writing about whatever you're thinking, you're going to realize how much of it, you know, is within you. What is, I mean, is that like a Wizard of Oz thing? was within you all along. But it's, but it's true. I mean, that could be looked at as a story about intuition and trusting yourself and instead of, you know, always looking outside for the answers, right? Recognizing that we have what we need.

Jen Porter (20:09)
I want to just put an exclamation mark on that tool that you're mentioning because I find that writing things down, our brain connects with that when we're writing with our hand differently than if we're typing or doing audio text. And what I have found is that

when we write things down, it takes it from that spinning place in our head and it starts to make sense of it, but it also loses power. Or if it's something that's like, what am I afraid of? If I say, okay, this feels scary, what am I afraid of? And I write it down, it's like, well, that's overcomeable. It's that's solvable. And so that's why I say it loses power. So it's a huge tool.

Leslie Silverman (20:34)
F.

Alright.

Jen Porter (20:50)
that we can all use when we're in the middle of anything that's significant or we're just sort of spinning in our heads.

Leslie Silverman (20:56)
couldn't agree more, 100%. And you know, the financial, I do a lot of work on my money story. I have a lot of subconscious limiting beliefs from childhood and how I was raised. And I've done a lot of work on getting my nervous system to sort of settle into, first of all, you know, being comfortable with a certain level of financial success, but also feeling safe to know how much, you know, privilege

that I have. I I get to choose the organic food. It's not like I've ever felt, you know, risk of going hungry or not having a roof over my head. And sometimes I think we can forget and not that, you know, we have to go around feeling like, I'm lucky that I get to eat because some people in the world can't eat. I'm not, I'm not saying that, but I'm saying sometimes our own worst case scenarios are like, am not, I not only am I fine? I'm like here.

from fine, there's all of this gain, right? And maybe I want to be here, but like, there's so much gratitude. And when you can lean into the gratitude and appreciation for all of the things that you have and recognize how deeply you are provided for by yourself or the universe or the world or whatever word you want to use, then it almost mates taking some of those chances or leaning into your intuition feel safe.

Jen Porter (22:18)
Yeah, yeah. I love to say, you know, it is well. Like, it is well, and everything's good. And also, this is really powerful, is to say, I'm right where I need to be. I'm right where I'm supposed to be. Because we wanna rush through our journey, you know, or probably wanna get to where we wanna go quicker. But in truth, we're all right where we're supposed to be, and all it takes is the next, the very next brave step. That's it.

Leslie Silverman (22:24)
It is well.

Yeah, sometimes it feels like something that I have to repeat to myself quite often is that it's not my job to figure out like the huge outcome over here, right? It's my job to just keep taking the next aligned step. And instead of like, how am I gonna, I mean, obviously as business owners, we have projections and we have to lean into data and numbers and this is my outcome and these are my goals, but.

When I get overwhelmed with how am I going to get X number of clients or X number of revenue by this date and all of that, that's not helpful in any way. But when I can celebrate one incredible connection call with somebody or one amazing client pitch at a time, then it's almost letting go and trusting and leaning into, I use the word universe, that's my connection to something bigger than me, but I trust that the universe

has my back and then if I just keep leaning in and trusting that I'm doing, you know, aligned, authentic actions that the outcome will come and not be so worried about this that I'm missing all of the steps prior. And so I really agree with your statement on that for sure.

Jen Porter (23:59)
So let's talk more about the intuition. did you, it sounds like you trusted yourself maybe when you were younger, you kind of lost yourself, and now you've discovered it for me. I don't know, I haven't done an assessment, but I don't think I ever learned it until I was starting in my 30s to trust myself. And it's something I'm growing in more and more. But what was your story around trusting yourself?

Leslie Silverman (24:02)
Okay.

Yeah, so the first time I think I really truly leaned into it, I lived in Manhattan when I graduated from college and I just couldn't wait. I always wanted to live in the big city and I was just, you know, wide-eyed, excited, believed I could accomplish anything and was able to establish myself. Now, this was before the internet, so I wasn't a web developer yet because there really wasn't websites yet.

But I worked in publishing and I had some phenomenal opportunities to work at Hearst and Conde Nast and a life that many would envy. I had an incredible West Village apartment. I was wearing high fashion clothes and living this fabulous life. And as I started tapping into my own spirituality and

connection to myself and source and, know, growth mindset is a term that we use, you know, commonly today, or at least in circles like yours and mine, because that's sort of who we call in and who we like connecting with. But it didn't use, there didn't used to be that type of language quite as much, you know, in the early nineties. And so, but that is what was happening. I was developing a growth mindset and,

starting to redefine success outside of materialistic things like a great job title or a great apartment. And so I had the opportunity to travel to Colorado. I had never been here before and something magical happened. The connection to nature. They say there's like a beautiful curse in this area that once you come, you can't ever leave because it's just so spectacular. But something kept

pulling at me that there was a different way of life. And so I went back to New York after that trip, but I, the wheels kept spinning and something deep inside me. just listened to my gut and it didn't make sense on paper at all to leave my life there. mean, I had a relationship and the apartment and the job and all of those things. And when I visualized what my life would be like there, when I looked at my boss who rode the train,

an hour and a half each way to work and had a big house upstate and had paid a nanny to raise, you know, his children and had this life. I was like, I do not aspire to be like that person. What am I even doing? And what do I want for myself? And so I made a beautiful choice and chose me and trusted. And no matter what anybody said, I didn't care. Something in me told me this was the right choice. And I left.

all of that life behind. And I remember saying to myself, it's not going anywhere. It will be here, right? And I probably said that to myself when I started my own company. If it doesn't work out, I'll just go get a job. I mean, I'm resourceful. I'm going to figure it out. So that's what happened when I left New York. New York is not going anywhere. The jobs here aren't going anywhere. If it doesn't work out, I can come back. And you know what? It's been 26 years.

Jen Porter (27:29)
Amazing. Well, it's true.

Leslie Silverman (27:30)
So, I mean, but you know, and

when I say I lost connection with that for a while, I got married and started a family. have two children in their 20s and I was actually married to their father for 20 years who...

Jen Porter (27:44)
Was that a New York relationship? Started in Colorado, okay.

Leslie Silverman (27:47)
Colorado. When I moved to Colorado,

I met my now ex-husband. so, so there were years during that, you period when I sort of lost that connection to self.

Jen Porter (27:59)
What happened to why were you losing that connection?

Leslie Silverman (28:03)
Yeah, so well, so my ex-husband is an alcoholic. And so being in a what I will call codependent alcoholic marriage slowly chipped away at me. And I didn't realize that, you know, hindsight is 20, 20. So I can look back and articulate it way better than I could when I was sort of in the trenches. And so it just kind of snuck up on me slowly because, you know, when we were all young, we were all, you know,

having a great time and then, you know, as we had children and I outgrew, you know, having the cocktails and the let and loose and all of that sort of lifestyle that you have when you're, you know, younger and grew into, you know, building a family and building a career and having, you know, children and everything, he kind of went the opposite direction. And so

I was just very focused on the children and felt like I could, you know, protect them better from within for, I don't know if that was good or bad, but there was a lot of codependency happening for me. I loved him and thought I could, you know, make it better. and, so I stayed in that sort of constant fight or flight for many, many years where I just never knew what state of,

existence there would be when he got home every night. He is a professional chef, so there were late hours and I never quite knew what was happening, if he would come home drunk or sober or what type of mood. And I just tried to hold it all together for everyone. And so I was not in a state of self-care physically or emotionally. And I was focused on my daughters and focused on kind of keeping it all together for a long time.

Jen Porter (29:54)
And so how, so, and you're gonna share the transition, because you kind of woke up maybe. And so I'm curious, like the age of your, you have two girls, right? So what were their ages at this time that you're starting to realize, I don't know that this is sustainable. And you talked about truth, being honest, telling the truth.

Leslie Silverman (30:03)
I do.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. So when they were about 14 and 16, there were some hard truths that I just had to look at that I could, the gaslighting, the verbal abuse and the, you know, some, some things occurred that I could no longer turn the other cheek. And I recognize I was trying to kind of hold out until they were out of the house.

Jen Porter (30:39)
Sure.

Leslie Silverman (30:39)
But

a couple of things happened that led me to, again, just lean into my intuition and be like, that's it. I draw the line in the sand. I choose me, I choose us, and this has to end right now. And I think something bigger was at play for me because this was right before COVID. And so we did not spend COVID locked down with an alcoholic. So the girls opted to live with me full time. They were very...

aware of what was going on. And we had high levels of communication between us. And I, you know, never wanted to make them feel like they couldn't still, you know, spend half their time with their father if that's what they chose. And they chose not to. And so the three of us moved into our own space and had this like beautiful, cathartic experience during COVID where we, you know,

were rewarded for trusting ourselves. I mean, they were like, it's about time. I was like, well, I was a little too close to it to see and I thought I could protect better. And you know what? And here's something that I think would be helpful for your listeners, whether they are involved with an addict or whether they're thinking about it in business or any other way. What I did not see at the time, which I now see clearly is this was the best thing for him too. Because when he lost his whole entire family,

Jen Porter (31:57)
Hmm.

Leslie Silverman (32:00)
That was his rock autumn and he is sober now.

Jen Porter (32:04)
Yes.

Leslie Silverman (32:05)
It took that, nothing short of that forced his sobriety. And so he is six years sober. We are amicable co-parents. can come together for our kids are adults now they're in their twenties, but we can share their successes. We took them to college together. We shared their college graduations together. And we are still a family when it comes to our children.

Jen Porter (32:08)
It was good for him too.

Leslie Silverman (32:34)
and providing for them and communicating their best needs, even in their twenties. So it ended up being the best thing for him as well, even though I, you know, that expression, I couldn't see the forest for the trees. And so sometimes, you know, it's not selfish to put ourselves first or trust ourselves because we can't pour into others if our cup is empty. And I was bone dry. I had given all I had to give. And so by

trusting myself and doing what was best for me, I was able to show up healthier for my children. And then ultimately he was able to show up for himself and do some work that he really needed to do and made some choices for himself that have turned out to be really wonderful.

Jen Porter (33:21)
So were you aware that you had lost connection with your yourself as you were at that point of of leaving?

Leslie Silverman (33:28)
I was, I was, I recognized, I think that, I think I had that epiphany of when did I stop trusting myself? When did I stop trusting my, I knew that I had to leave. I knew it for a long time. And I remember just saying, when did you stop trusting yourself and knowing, and even looking back at some of my journals from that period in time.

And I was writing about it to myself. Like, I know that this is incredibly unhealthy and I know that I can't go on like this and I need to make change.

Jen Porter (34:06)
How did

you know when the time was right for that change? Because there's a lot of people, it's not just you, right? It's your daughters, it was your husband. And so there was a lot that, there were a lot of consequences to a decision like that. What was it that happened that caused you to say, it's time, it's now?

Leslie Silverman (34:19)
Yeah!

You know, there was a couple of final straws. One was a family vacation where my father had already passed away and my mother was bringing us all together in California where my sister lived. And she was treating the entire family to a wonderful trip together. And his drinking was at an all time.

terrible level and his behavior and his ability to function really. And I told him that I didn't want him to come on the trip. said, you know what? I don't want you to come because it's embarrassing. And this is supposed to be a wonderful time to spend with family. And it's just, you're not up for it, you know? And so he, you know,

did what he did many times and broke down and cried and promised to do better and be different and said that this was his, know, he recognizes that something has to change and he promises he's going to change and that he will not have a sip of alcohol on the trip and really wants to be with the family and that he was ready to quit drinking. And so we went on the trip together and he brought a bunch of

shots, small little mini travel alcohol in his suitcase. And so without even looking for it, I quickly, you he thought he could, you know, I mean, it's obvious when someone's drinking, when you're around them and you know them that well. And so, you know, he, he of course had not kept that promise. And then, you know, some other

promises that he had broken to me became evident during that trip. And so I held on until the day I made the decision on that trip and I told my sister out loud, I divulged everything to her. I mean, she was, you know, understood exactly what was going on because of past family vacations. She had seen it all in action for many years. And I said to her, I'm telling you out loud so that someone's accountable. I'm accountable to myself.

And you are my trusted companion. And I'm just telling you, like the minute we land back in Colorado, you know, I'm leaving him. And so, and so I think somehow by committing to myself and then going to someone who I really trust that I knew had my best interest at heart and saying it out loud. And, and then when we got back, I did, I told him that it was over and that, you know, he needed to leave and

He did, but had nowhere to go, had no friends, had no support system. And so then me and the girls left. And so we were blessed to have a lot of friends who gave us safe places to stay until I could find us a place. And I did too, right? Like that was just the trusting and the knowing, like I'm going to figure this out.

I don't have to have all the answers, but again, that taking one step of aligned action. So I found us an immediate safe place to stay in a friend's caretaker unit. And it was open for a month until they had family coming. So we stayed there with what we needed. And it was like the best feeling the first night sleeping there. And then I went and tried to find us a place to live. And it was, you know, we were living at the time in a resort town and there was limited housing available.

but I just trusted that it was gonna work out and we were gonna find a place. And so I just kept looking and we did. We found an awesome three bedroom. It was very important that for me that the girls each have their own space, their own room to make, have a safe space for their own energy, their own feelings, their own to like tuck away and be able to, you know, deal with their own emotions. And then it was beautiful because we ended up spending COVID there. And so they had their own space.

and they could do their schooling there and I could work from home there and the three of us. Actually, it ended up, you know, even though it was a scary time for all of us in the world then, beautiful growth and expansion happened for us during that time.

Jen Porter (38:39)
So what has happened since then? So you made this major decision in your life to start over in some ways. And what has that journey been like for you personally since then?

Leslie Silverman (38:51)
feel like it was like a rebirth. I feel like it was a coming back to myself. Just it showed me once again that I could really trust myself and provide for myself and show up for myself and that I'm resilient and that I can figure it out. I'm always going to be okay. I can figure it out. And so

At that time, I already had my own company. And so we stayed in that mountain community and got the girls through high school and they both graduated from there. And when they both went off to college, I moved down to what we call the front range. So I moved down to the Denver metro area from the mountains and bought my own place. And again, a three bedroom home because I always felt like, you know, one of my daughters said to me so beautifully one time,

I asked her, think if she missed her home, the childhood home where they had lived their whole life. Cause my, you know, ex-husband stayed there and we, moved on and she put her hand on my heart and said, this is where my home is. so we, so we built a new home here. And so it's a three bedroom home where they both had their own spaces. And now one of my daughters owns her own home with her.

Jen Porter (39:56)
So beautiful.

Leslie Silverman (40:08)
partners close to you. So I just turned her room into my office recently. But proving to myself that I could overcome that was character building. And it made me even trust myself more. But it also reminded me how important it was to not lose sight of that. Because everywhere you go, there you are. one other, lots of expressions.

Jen Porter (40:08)
close to me.

Leslie Silverman (40:37)
But one other expression that I really love is you are the love of your life. So if you're not loving yourself, other people can't love you to the best of, you know, their ability if you're not loving yourself. And so I spent a couple of years doing all the work on myself, emotionally, physically, leaning into some of that self-care routine that I talked about at the opening and understanding that if

I'm taking care of me and I am coming from this healthy, amazing place, then I just have so much more overflow to give to the people that I love. And so my children are both thriving in their own lives and communities where they live and the business is growing. I mean, we are having challenges like a lot of businesses right now economically, but I trust in myself and my business partner and we'll always figure it out. And then I'm in.

a wonderful new loving romantic relationship with a man that I was able to really come in knowing what my core values are, what I want out of a relationship, what I choose in a relationship to build a partnership that's really, really aligned and something that I never knew could exist at this level. So that's also really beautiful.

Jen Porter (41:55)
So, curious about what your daughter said, like you moved really quickly past that really powerful statement that she made. My heart is your heart, my heart is within you. Or my home is within you. What was it that you did in your life to create an environment where your daughter believes that, lives that?

Leslie Silverman (42:04)
I know.

Yes.

Yeah, yes, thank you. There was a long time I couldn't say that without crying because it's just so beautiful and special. ⁓ Both of my daughters, what I have instilled from them, in them, their whole life, even when we were struggling with their dad, I worked really hard to be open and honest with them and allow them to see what was happening around them without parentifying.

Jen Porter (42:29)
How beautiful!

Leslie Silverman (42:50)
because it wasn't their job to fix it. It wasn't their job to fix me or save me. I'm the parent, I'm here, I protect you. I show up for you, but I wasn't masking the truth. So they saw their father's disease, they saw him suffer, they saw him make bad choices. They saw me make bad choices. I was, you know, honest with them.

about what was going on once they were old enough to sort of understand alcoholism. And by no means was I perfect. I made plenty of mistakes that I, you know, would do differently. Just, you know, probably would have left it in different timing and all of that. But again, everything happens, you know, I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I needed to get that low to see. And, you know, maybe if they had been younger and he had gotten partial custody, he would not have gotten sober. Right. And so

if they were not old enough to have a voice and be like, no, we don't want to live with you because of your behavior. So everything worked out the way it was supposed to, but I have nurtured a relationship with them that is built on trust and openness and vulnerability and always have encouraged them to really check in with themselves and be the truest version of them. One story is one of my daughters, both were

really into sports and there was one season that she did not make the volleyball team due to a coach that was maybe a little harsh or not her ideal person. we honored the sadness and the loss about not making that team. And then we talked about how to handle there may be

roommates or teachers or bosses or other people who you come across in life who maybe don't do the right thing or don't make choices in a loving kind, educated way that you would have them make them. And so how do you build resilience and how do you handle that? And so the way it worked was there was like the school team and then there was the club team. And so when club tryouts came along, she was really...

Jen Porter (45:01)
Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (45:06)
apprehensive about trying out. And I remember saying to her, does that person decide that you're a volleyball player or do you decide that you're a volleyball player? You decide, you get to decide. So are you, are you a volleyball player? Are you someone who wants to play volleyball? And she's like, I really love it. I really want to. And so that I think would have been a really resilient memory for her.

in a time that she had to be brave and strong. It's hard as a kid to be left out or not make the team. And so not only did she try out for club, she crushed it. She got moved up to the top team after a couple games because she is an awesome volleyball player. And I think there was something, I think she just didn't get along with that coach ⁓ at the time of the tryouts was right when we had just moved out and we're going through our separation. So she had a lot of

Jen Porter (45:57)
Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (46:04)
personal emotional stuff happening. And so I was so thrilled that she, you know, took that opportunity to be brave and have resilience and do it. And it paid off. And that was, you know, her learning and exercising that muscle of like, I can do this. I can advocate for myself. I get to choose. And it was phenomenal. It was phenomenal. And so, and I did. And then, know, I

Jen Porter (46:05)
Thank

You're you base lionesses

Leslie Silverman (46:33)
next school year and she tried out again for that same coach and she made the team.

Jen Porter (46:39)
is courage. Well, when do you remember being the first time you had to express your lioness energy?

Leslie Silverman (46:40)
Yeah, yes, so I think.

I am going to say when I went to college, I think, because in high school, I grew up in a town where I was a little bit different than everybody. I grew up in upstate New York and I'm just, you know, I mean, I'm Jewish. I've got this big curly hair. I've got this really gregarious personality. And I went to this school that was sort of...

a little more preppy and a little more homogenous. And I just was super into fashion. So I just dressed really funky and different than everybody. And I mean, I just didn't technically fit in. I had my own sort of, you know, random friend group. But some people have these just amazing high school memories of, you know, being on whatever team or whatever squad or having their greatest friend group or whatever. And I struggled a lot socially in high school.

And I got really good grades and did well academically, but I just didn't. I knew there was something more in me. I'm like, these aren't my people. not being, I'm not being recognized or, or I don't feel connected to people. Like I know that I should be. And so when I went to college, I decided who I was going to be. I decided that I was going to seek out the type of friendships I wanted.

and that I was gonna seek out the social life I wanted. I made that happen. I mean, I literally, you know, pushed my comfort zone and, you know, just, I made it happen for myself. And I had the best time and the best friends and the best experiences. And still to this day, I have amazing friendships that I created during that time. And I know that...

I made that happen for myself. I was not going to just, you know.

Jen Porter (48:32)
What,

what rose up in you? What was the catalyst for you making that like intentional decision of you're gonna do college differently?

Leslie Silverman (48:41)
Yeah, I mean, it sounds strange and I don't know that anyone's ever, that I've ever actually put this into words. But as you're saying, asking me this, and we've been talking so much about our intuition and our inner knowing, I feel like I just knew that I was like meant for more, right? And I don't want to lean into, I mean, it's such like a high school term to be like popular or whatever.

didn't mean popular like I needed recognition from other people, but just alignment, right? Like just being recognized for my best version of self and having people who celebrate me that I could also celebrate. Just having a big group of aligned friends who celebrated me that we could do it for each other like my first sisterhood, you know?

Jen Porter (49:30)
Well, and so I want to talk about the expanders because this is how you've lived your life and you're living it now. So tell us about what expanders are.

Leslie Silverman (49:39)
Yeah. So, so for me, an expander is someone who encourages you to be the best version of yourself and through doing that shows you what's possible. Right. So like, here's a really common example that people can identify with. If you play a sport or like I ski, when I ski with someone who's better than me,

I ski better and faster and keep up with them and have like a better day maybe on the slopes than if I, if I'm the best skier in the group, it's a much different dynamic than if, so I like surrounding myself with people who inspire me, who are successful in business, who share, you know, my aligned values, who, who, you know, inspire me to be an even better version of myself or so, you know, some people, right? Like,

A shift I've made in my current life that maybe I wasn't wise enough to know when I was way younger is when you feel jealousy or envy about somebody, all that really is is that's an expander. That's a mirror. That's an opportunity. Instead of feeling jealous of that person, look at them and go, my gosh, if she has that, I can have that. How amazing is that? How do I tap into this person? How do I connect with them to sort of up level, right?

And so for me, expanders are people who lead with their heart, who are tapped into their intuition, who inspire me to be the best version of myself and push me to want to be better. So I don't know, is that how you look at it too?

Jen Porter (51:01)
Yeah.

I love it. know, recently what I've been saying, and I'm connecting this with your word, expander, is there are people in my life who call me higher.

and they do it in my own vision, like I'll share a vision with them. I'll share something that I'm working on or something in my life and they will put some context around it and call out things that I hadn't seen in myself yet, but they'll elevate that vision for me so then I can see it. And there are specific people in my life this year that are doing that.

And I'm so thankful for them. I need them because I'm limited in my thinking. I'm limited in my imagination. And so they will call out things that elevate my own understanding of self, my own vision, even my own understanding of what I'm doing in the world. It's like, it does matter. I am doing those things, but they call me higher.

Leslie Silverman (52:22)
Yes, I love that they call you higher Exactly right. And I visualize like an expander, right? Helps you expand. so calling you hire, it's like exactly that. And so I really love it.

Jen Porter (52:29)
Yes, that's exactly what it is. Well,

so what I don't think I've ever shared on the podcast is that back kind of logistics, I always have these lioness women like you.

complete the form, it's a lioness form and it gives me all this information and it gives me the foundation for knowing more about your story and having this conversation. One of the things you've shared in there is about, one of the questions I ask is basically like who has been the biggest influence in your life or who are the people that have helped you along your journey? And you had something really interesting to say, I've never heard anybody say it like this, but you said I had to seek out my help.

I actively sought out people in my life to help me and so you talked about you know therapists and friends and so talk will you talk about that because sometimes I think people especially in this day and age feel really isolated feel pretty set apart lonely disconnected so it may be helpful for them to hear how did how have you gone about finding your people

Leslie Silverman (53:34)
Yeah. So I think it's twofold. think one thing is remembering that everybody is scared. We are all scared. We're all scared to walk into a room. I've been doing a lot of networking. So I moved to a new community two years ago. And, you know, we went from having a brick and mortar office in a town where we knew everybody and my business partner moved to Fort Collins. moved to Denver and we

converted to home offices. And so I was going into rooms where I didn't know anybody, networking events, other social settings. Everyone is afraid. So if you are just the first person to walk up to people, I would just walk up to people who looked like they were maybe a close knit group of friends having a conversation and say, hello, I'm new here. And I just wanted to say, hi, people welcome you. Everyone's afraid. So

So it goes both ways right now that I'm more established in some of these networking groups. If I see somebody who looks shy or nervous walking in, I'll go out of my way to be like, are you new here? I think just recognizing that we are all in it together and also conversely.

When I had the strength to leave my marriage, I suddenly had a lower tolerance for other things that were not aligned. So I was able to take a hard look at some of my other relationships. And that was with a couple friends and a couple clients who just didn't share you and I had talked about core values, who maybe didn't share my core values or who were not in alignment with my life.

I'm not saying I stopped being friends with, you know, people are allowed to be going through a hard time and I'm all in to support friends who are in alignment with me when they're having a hard time. And I recognize that there were a couple of people that I was sort of just friends with out of obligation who weren't kind or giving or loving or supportive or trustworthy or bringing in the qualities that I really have worked so hard to nurture. And so I was like,

I don't need to give energy to this relationship. I am not obligated either to work with clients who don't value our expertise. And you know, one of the things I realized, kind of like when I said it was better for my ex-husband in the long run too, because he ended up getting sober, what I have recognized is maybe I'm freeing up that friend to find a better friend for them. Maybe they have...

Jen Porter (56:04)
Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (56:05)
somebody

who they're more aligned to it. So instead of making it your burden, trust that sometimes it's for the higher good and it's good for everyone. And then when you again are staying more aligned with yourself and your own true values, not only will you be ready to attract the right fit people, but you you have nothing to lose in reaching out to find those people in your life. And so if you need help, you can ask for help.

be it a therapist or a different type of, you know, coach, energy worker, whatever. I mean, I always say, could I do my own taxes? I could, but it does not bring me joy. It is not my zone of genius. So I would rather hire an accountant to do that. I use that line with clients about web development, but you know, we can be proud and open about doing that with our emotional wellbeing. If you don't know how to use the gym, you hire a personal trainer.

hiring people to help us with our emotional and spiritual growth should be equally open and accessible and be proud of that. But through just being super open at these networking groups and super excited, even you and I like met on LinkedIn and then had a conversation.

just to see if we were in alignment for me to come on the podcast. And we became fast friends just from being open and talking. So don't be afraid to talk to people or compliment people. Have you ever noticed if you're even online to go to the restroom in an event and you say to the woman in front of you, like, I love your shoes. Who doesn't like a compliment for a choice they've made? Say it if you think it. Just to feel seen, acknowledged.

Jen Porter (57:33)
Yep.

a lot. It's just like unseen.

Leslie Silverman (57:55)
You know, spread the love a little bit.

Jen Porter (57:57)
Totally. I want

to talk about attraction because I think there and it goes back to what you said about we don't always have to figure out the how. I think the how paralyzes us and holds us back and we were never going to know the full plan. We can try but but we're never going to know the full the full plan and what I find is that if we are clear about what it is that we need

Leslie Silverman (58:11)
you

Yeah. Yeah.

Jen Porter (58:26)
for clear on our lack, meaning this is an area that I need to grow in. This is a need that I have and I need to access this. When we are aware of what our needs are and we're open to receiving it, things and people come. And it's like opening ourselves up to the possibility of having our needs met.

Leslie Silverman (58:43)
Pessss

Jen Porter (58:52)
so that when it comes we can see it.

Leslie Silverman (58:55)
Yes, yes. And taking that one step further, being honest enough with ourselves to let our own guard down about maybe where we are either suffering or not amazing at something or whatever. Like when I have a lull in my business, I don't say, well, you know, I mean, I'm working super hard and I'm doing all this outreach to find clients. I say to myself, okay.

Jen Porter (59:05)
Yeah.

true.

Leslie Silverman (59:25)
Where am I resistant that I could shift or are there opportunities that I'm not leaning into in the best way or being open to that reflection from either my business partner or my romantic partner and being open because I want to be the best version of myself. so, you know, getting defensive or not being willing to take constructive loving criticism only hurts you also because

you know, sometimes other people can see things clearly with a little distance. And so I love that level of feedback from people. mean, you know, if a client says no to me, I lean into it as an opportunity. Like maybe we just weren't aligned and they'll find somebody who's more. But I also like to ask like, okay, you know, that's cool. For my client journey, it's super helpful for me to understand why you made that choice.

Jen Porter (1:00:03)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (1:00:22)
And it's never

what we think. We make up a story sometimes like, it was the money or I didn't do the right thing in my pitch or whatever. it could, more often than not, it's never what I think it is. And so being curious is a great quality.

Jen Porter (1:00:35)
Totally. Yes. It's

a great quality.

Leslie Silverman (1:00:40)
And for growth mindset especially, you have to be curious.

Jen Porter (1:00:44)
Definitely, definitely. speaking about the lioness, so I define the lioness as feminine strength, grace, and power. And you said something that I wanna share and have you expand on it. It really, it just spoke to me. You said, it taught me, you're talking about making this big decision, transition in your life, it taught me that feminine strength isn't soft or loud, it's clear.

It's the quiet conviction to say this isn't working. I deserve better.

I love that, feminine strength isn't soft or loud, it's clear. So, and you've talked about clarity, like you do a lot of clarity in your work, helping people get super clear. Tell me about clarity, what does that mean to you?

Leslie Silverman (1:01:30)
Yeah, I think again, using the word curious again, I think in order to be clear, we have to be willing to sit in the quiet, to get curious, to be vulnerable, to let the guard down and to really be honest with ourselves first. Because I think often, you know,

I've been guilty over time of having what I will call masculine energy, right? Which is reactive and louder and jumping to whether it's like, defend or on the offense. And what I realized is when I do take a breath, slow down, contemplate and come from a place of deeper knowing, I am a clear communicator.

I am clear on my intention and then we end up with better results, right? And I think one of the things that I try to bring to my work all the time is I don't know when it had to be so separate that like this is who we are personally and this is who we are in business. Like I throw that out the window. I do not care. You shouldn't have to keep, you know, all of your personal parts of yourself, you know.

Jen Porter (1:02:29)
Yeah.

Leslie Silverman (1:02:51)
pushed down during work. mean, yes, you can be a professional human being, but who I am is who I am everywhere. And so that clarity either makes me for people or not for people. And so that's is truly authentically what I try to dig out of my clients, because that's how they can stand out in the marketplace. If there are, you know, 20 people in a room who do what they do.

Jen Porter (1:02:58)
Yeah.

Hmm.

Leslie Silverman (1:03:16)
I wanna help them distinguish and that has to come from who we are.

Jen Porter (1:03:21)
And clarity brings confidence. When we're clear ourselves, then we can be clear with others and we can show up more powerfully because we're not questioning who we are, what are we doing, am I doing it right? It's like, no, this is who I am. This is what I'm about. This is what's important to me in the world. And this is what you can expect when you get me.

Leslie Silverman (1:03:34)
Yeah.

And it's okay to sometimes say, you know what? I'm really not sure. Let me think about that. Let me sit with that and get back to you, right? Or I don't know all the answers just because I have clarity. And that I think encourages confidence as well, just the truth.

Jen Porter (1:04:05)
Mm-hmm. The truth. Yeah.

Well, Leslie, I have thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and I know that others are going to gain a lot from what you've shared and the tools that you've talked about. And just the journey that you've been on, I know that listeners are going to resonate with because we all have been there in these situations that are uncertain. We want to take big risks. We're, you know, learning how to trust our intuition more so that we can

live the fullness of life that we're designed for? How can people find you and connect with you?

Leslie Silverman (1:04:36)
Yes, well, thank

you. First of all, thank you for having me and for creating a safe container for me to be able to show up so authentically and vulnerability with you. I really appreciate it. And my website is hive180.com. And lately, socially, I've been hanging out on LinkedIn a lot. So Leslie Silverman on LinkedIn and also on Instagram. So any one of those three ways, my website.

my Instagram or my LinkedIn. I love, I just love connecting with new people all of the time. So reach out, say hi. And if this has helped you in any way, I'm so glad.

Jen Porter (1:05:13)
and who would be an ideal client for you?

Leslie Silverman (1:05:16)
So I say I like to work with certified professionals who want to break away from their industry status quo. And so I've worked with lots of consultants, lawyers, doctors, accountants, people in the sort of fractional space right now is a huge, you know, industry trend where people are maybe offering fractional CFO, CMO services, but need a personal brand to establish themselves.

independently. And then, you know, I also have a ton of experience working with larger companies, nonprofits and the like. So if you are curious, I'm always excited just to have a get to know you call to see if there's alignment.

Jen Porter (1:05:57)
I love it. And I love that you have a buzz. Is it called a buzz call? A brand buzz call. I love that. I love this language around your business and what you do and how you help people.

Leslie Silverman (1:06:01)
A Brands Buzz is our strategy session. Yes.

Thank you.

Jen Porter (1:06:10)
Well,

check Leslie out, connect with her on LinkedIn, get her her website, hive180.com and check out what she's doing and reach out. mean, Leslie's put it out there. She's ready to have a conversation. She loves meeting new people. So thank you so much, Leslie, for being here and sharing your story and being brave and courageous and inspiring us to do the same.

Leslie Silverman (1:06:32)
thanks Jen, it's been an absolute pleasure.

Jen Porter (1:06:36)
All right, well I hope you've enjoyed this episode. Feel free to share some feedback. If you have a lioness and someone whose story should be highlighted and elevated through this podcast, reach out to me and let me know. In the meantime, the lioness in me sees the lioness in you.