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Bare It All with Linnsey is where nothing is off limits. From thriving in recovery to building businesses, raising kids while chasing dreams, diving deep into mental health, and making a real difference in the world — we talk about it all. This podcast is raw, real, and completely unfiltered. Whether you’re healing, hustling, or just trying to make it through the day, you’re in the right place. We’re here to inspire, empower, and remind you that you can rise from anything.
At seven, you're eating out of a trash can
Stephanie Mearse:Yep.
Linnsey Dolson:Homeless behind an apartment complex. And tell me how you went from that to a self made millionaire at 35.
Stephanie Mearse:So one of my ultimate goals now is to show other people how to do that. Just because you come from a really rough start doesn't mean that you're stuck there. I'm all about that Elle Woods vibe and bringing the Elle Woods vibe to business.
Linnsey Dolson:A cute blonde can walk in a room and close a
Stephanie Mearse:deal. Yes. You changed their life. You made their life better. And that in itself, don't know about you, but when I say, oh, wow.
Stephanie Mearse:I just helped somebody get to the million dollars that was trying to hit that. Oh, gosh. I just made somebody's life better.
Speaker 3:Like, looking at you, when you just told me, was like, wait, what? Yeah. Like, you No way. Guess.
Linnsey Dolson:Welcome to Bare It All with Linnsey. I have the cutest guest, Stephanie. Hi.
Speaker 3:So excited you're here, please. So excited.
Linnsey Dolson:She got the memo. She's super cute and pink, and I wore freaking blue today. You guys, I'm not even feeling this outfit. Like, I put it on, but I was running late, and now I'm like, I just I feel like I didn't dress for the occasion.
Stephanie Mearse:Well, I feel like you look amazing
Speaker 3:regardless of your pink or blue. But I
Stephanie Mearse:do love the pink vibes for sure.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my you're so cute. When she walked in, was like, oh my god. I I love the vibes. The sparkly shoes, like, you know.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, yes. The sparkly shoes complete the outfit.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my gosh. And we just had a quick little meeting in the bathroom, and I got to hear just a little glimpse of your story Yeah. And it is insane.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. It
Linnsey Dolson:is crazy. And I'm so excited that we get to deep dive into it.
Speaker 3:Like Yeah. Looking at you, when you just told me, I was like, wait. What? Yeah. Like, you no way.
Speaker 3:Never guessed.
Linnsey Dolson:So thank you so much for being on here. And I I wanted you just to share a little bit about, like, your life today, and then I want us to talk about what that was like. Absolutely.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. So I'm very fortunate with my life today. I always wanted a hallmark life, and I kind of made that a reality, actually. Right. And so well, not kind of.
Stephanie Mearse:I really did make it into reality. So I'm really excited about it. I went from, literally, like, wondering, what do I
Linnsey Dolson:want in life to, okay. I know exactly
Stephanie Mearse:what I want. I wanna be that boss girl that gots everything hap you know, gets everything happening and And so I am now a vice president of an investment firm, a president of a nonprofit I'm sorry, of, a consulting firm, and then also work on many boards of directors of nonprofits. I'm a treasurer for a large company. I work with, a $100,000,000 or more pretty consistently. And so it's pretty exciting.
Stephanie Mearse:I have a cute little home in, Temecula. Not little. A cute home in Temecula. You know, the Mercedes, the boy and the girl, been married for twenty three years, you know, kind of the whole ordeal.
Linnsey Dolson:Built the Hallmark life. Yes. I did.
Speaker 3:Good for you.
Stephanie Mearse:Was, you know, all about stability. Now I see it now that I'm older. But Of course. I'm all about that Elle Woods vibe and bringing that Elle Woods vibe to business. And I I I still to this day, even though I've been the vice president for fifteen years, I actually have noticed that I still to this day get asked, are you the secretary?
Speaker 3:I'm like, really? Really? I can hire you.
Stephanie Mearse:And so it's just entertaining to say the least. But what I have to say is, let's bring in the beautiful blonde girls into the
Linnsey Dolson:fun tarp all the the business and fun and everything else, and I
Stephanie Mearse:feel like it makes life so much better.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay. There's such thing as pretty privilege.
Stephanie Mearse:There is.
Linnsey Dolson:I if you don't think it's
Stephanie Mearse:true, you're bullshitting yourself. Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:A cute blonde can walk in a room and close a fucking deal.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:Like, I no. If you're telling me no, then I'm gonna keep asking because somebody will tell me yes. Exactly. Right? Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:Always. Girl. Girl. I it is a thing. It is thing.
Linnsey Dolson:I and you got it going on.
Stephanie Mearse:Thank you, darling. Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:So I I get it. I love it. Okay. So I have to hear about this story. Oh, yes.
Linnsey Dolson:About I just a few little details in the bathroom that, like, you shared with me really already touched me because I'm like, oh my gosh. I can connect. But even I was on a different side of it. So can you share? Like, I don't know exactly where you wanna start
Speaker 3:with that,
Linnsey Dolson:but I gotta hear it.
Stephanie Mearse:Absolutely. So I'm happy to share. So, I feel very fortunate, in the sense that I went through a lot as a child. That not part that part was not fortunate, but I feel very fortunate to come through what I've come through. Right.
Linnsey Dolson:And so what It turned you into who you are today, though. Yeah.
Stephanie Mearse:It really did. So as a child, unfortunately, both of my parents were drug addicts. My mom was, on heroin, and my dad was on, I think either cocaine or something like that, something along those lines. I never really saw my biological father, honestly, very often. And so at in between this time frame of my mom being massively on drugs, she was not herself.
Stephanie Mearse:She so when she was very, very when she was sober, she's a very wonderful mom. She does amazing job. Like, she really cared. Right? But when she was on drugs, she was a completely different person.
Stephanie Mearse:And so I I attest that to the drugs, and I understand she didn't do what she did knowingly, fully, if that makes any sense. So she did traffic me. She did a lot of things that were very inappropriate. We lived on the streets. I lived next to a trash can for a long time.
Stephanie Mearse:I ate of a trash can when I was a little kid, which is not the best thing in the world to say, but it's true. And I went through phases where I couldn't take showers. I was made fun of at school all the time because I never had any other clothes or anything like that. But at 7.5 years old, I actually called my grandmother. It was kind of an angel moment.
Stephanie Mearse:I saw like a Hallmark movie or something through a window at an apartment complex because we're living at this, like, dumpster area, like and I literally went up and said to this neighbor that I had met once, I think. I was like, can I use your phone, please? And I somehow magically remembered my grandma's number.
Linnsey Dolson:Wow.
Stephanie Mearse:No idea how I did this, you guys. Like, legitimately. And at 7.5 years old, I called my grandma. Was like, this is not okay. We haven't seen my mom in a month.
Stephanie Mearse:Like, she's on a bender. Can you come get us? And me and my sister were living on the streets. And so I said, you know what? That's I'm done with this.
Stephanie Mearse:So I ended up testifying against my mother in court at 7.5 years old and got adopted at eight years old. And adopted well, adopted ish at eight years old by my aunt uncle. Now things weren't perfect from there, honestly, but sure in the heck was a lot better because we had a place to live, we had food to eat, we had showers, like the basic stuff. And it's amazing how those little things can make such a big difference. And I remember at 7.5 years old thinking, I want a homework life.
Stephanie Mearse:I want a homework life. You know? And and that's the life that I built for myself. So
Linnsey Dolson:So at to back up a little bit, when you say and you can only just feel as much as you're comfortable getting into. Yeah. When you say you were trafficked, what what does that look like? I hear so I work with addicts and alcoholics all the time. And the amount of women that I talked to that were trafficked, but in so many different ways, anything from their parents, all the way to boyfriends Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:To pimps, to all the things, what did that look like?
Stephanie Mearse:So it never got to that level. It was more of, like, we just always stayed with drug dealers Okay. In places and stuff. And then their friends would hang out with us, and then she wouldn't say that what they were doing, and then they would do things. Sure.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. I don't really remember a lot of it, quite frankly, because it happened so often. And I don't remember a a lot. I think my mind might have just kinda pushed a lot of it out. Right.
Stephanie Mearse:But quite frankly, it was I tried to tell I told her, you know, this is this isn't okay. And she said, oh, no. That's not happening to you. So, of course, I was like, oh, maybe it's not and but it's happening at night. I'm pretty sure.
Stephanie Mearse:Like, I'm feeling seeing, you know. Right. So it was just an interesting time in my life for sure.
Linnsey Dolson:Right. Well, when the parent I mean, kids get dragged through just hell. Mhmm. Like, when people get sober, they don't realize that, yeah, you need to heal, but your kids need to heal too. Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:The crap that the kids go through and the parent dealing with the parent's addiction is insane.
Stephanie Mearse:It is.
Linnsey Dolson:And so many times, they're sexually assaulted. There's molestation. There's all that because of the people that they are surrounded by. Yes. Because they're put into, like, these trap houses with dope dealers, with all these things, and they're not watched.
Stephanie Mearse:No.
Linnsey Dolson:They're left alone. There's nobody to stand up for protect them. They're so vulnerable. Yeah. And so
Stephanie Mearse:I exactly what happened. And that's really what it was. And maybe she didn't really fully care or recognize that's what what's happening, but she was being paid. So in in drugs. So I'm I wanna say that she knew.
Stephanie Mearse:You know? And and and I had I actually had a really great breakthrough with my mother at when I was about 18 years old. She she decided that she wanted to try to have a relationship with me and my sister. And so we had an honest conversation just saying, you know, I forgive you for what you put me through. I'm ready to move on.
Stephanie Mearse:Can we develop a relationship from here forward? And she said, absolutely. Because she would cry every single time she got on the phone. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
Stephanie Mearse:Because she got sober for a little bit. And and I just said, you know what? I appreciate that you are seeing and hearing where I'm coming from, but I really genuinely just want a relationship. Let's build it from here. So when she was sober, we started to develop a relationship.
Stephanie Mearse:I forgave her. I moved on. And I have no ill will or anger toward her in my heart at all. None. Then she got back on drugs again and did other things that were inappropriate.
Stephanie Mearse:So at that point, it was now, well, I've learned my lesson. Now we move on.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Well, it's wild because, like, there's so many things that people do in their addiction that they would never do. I gave birth to two children pause talks for meth in their system. Meaning like, I smoked meth the whole pregnancy. And sober?
Linnsey Dolson:Like, you better not even smoke a cigarette near my kid.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna kick your ass. Don't look at my kid like that. Don't talk
Linnsey Dolson:to my kid rude. But the fact that I sat there with the most precious innocent little babies in my stomach and smoked meth Yeah. The whole time. Yeah. Gave birth to them.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Got them taken from me at the hospital, like, over and over. Those are things, like, I would never Right. Do normally, but you're so checked out. Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:You're so numb and not making excuses because, it doesn't make excuses for the things that happened. Right. But so many things happen with children in the crossfire because the parents are so checked out. They're high. They're loaded.
Linnsey Dolson:They're drunk. They're all the things. So your mom got sober for a little bit, and you were able to kinda build a relationship.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. Yeah. Which was really nice, honestly. And she even got to healing for you too. It was.
Stephanie Mearse:It really, really was. Yeah. And it even got to a point where she got a chance to meet my son, which was really nice.
Speaker 3:That's huge.
Stephanie Mearse:She started to have a relationship with him, and then she went back onto drugs. And so, unfortunately, she still hasn't met my daughter, which is a little bit of a disadvantage.
Linnsey Dolson:She's so she's still out there. Yep. She's still out there. Long was she sober for?
Stephanie Mearse:About six or seven years, which was really nice. It was really nice to be able to have a relationship with her. Right. And my sister did too, which was really great. And and but my father, I still don't really have a relationship with because all he ever asked for is money.
Stephanie Mearse:I just say, okay. Sorry, dad. Like, good luck.
Linnsey Dolson:And he's still in his addiction, obviously. Yeah. Because that's definitely that kind
Stephanie Mearse:of behavior. Absolutely. Which is so disappointing because I I always have I've always said, if you're sober, you can hang out with the kids. You can absolutely spend time with the kids. Be sober, and you can spend time with the kids.
Stephanie Mearse:We'll spend time with you. We'll hang out with you. Just don't do drugs in front of my kids or around them or be high when you meet them. And I don't think that that's too much to ask because they do very inappropriate things when they are on drugs. Oh, no.
Stephanie Mearse:And so, unfortunately, they just have chosen not to go that route. And that's okay because that's their choice. But my kids are so loved by the family that I've kinda created, quite frankly, because I have so many, like, step family members that are not my actual family members biologically, that my kids are so loved by so many different grandparents, aunts and uncles, love I mean, just nothing but love.
Linnsey Dolson:That's amazing.
Stephanie Mearse:Nothing but love.
Linnsey Dolson:That's and it's really their loss. Like, the reality, I have six kids and only one of them, even their dad is involved. Mhmm. Because obviously, when you're in your addiction, you have kids with the drug dealer and you get you know?
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:So it's like their loss though. Yeah. You know, the three oldest, his dad, their dad's still in prison. The other two's dad's, like, some still a drug dealer out there.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:And it's like their loss, but my kids are so freaking loved. Like, are so loved.
Stephanie Mearse:The best.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my gosh. It's their loss.
Stephanie Mearse:I I I totally agree with that 1000%.
Linnsey Dolson:It's their loss.
Stephanie Mearse:And here's the other thing that I'm noticing very quickly is, at least for me, maybe not everybody Yeah. But what I've noticed is a lot of people some people grow up, and some people just don't. And that's okay. Some people just stay in whatever space they wanna be in and they're, like, acting like they're 16 or 15. And some people say, oh, no.
Stephanie Mearse:I'm 45. Let's make sure that I present myself as a 45 year old that I want to be, that I want to accomplish and achieve. And that is essentially where I'm trying I'm I'm absolutely gone to, but next leveling it up as I go if I can.
Linnsey Dolson:Totally. And you know what's wild is I just opened a treatment center not that long ago, so I'm kinda I'm learning a lot about addiction. I'm learning a lot about just the behaviors, all of it. Yeah. And how you talk about, like, people don't seem like grown up.
Linnsey Dolson:There's like multiple ways. So Mhmm. Sometimes people just start doing drugs so young
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:That they stop maturing. Yes. But a lot of it is mental health.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. A thousand percent.
Linnsey Dolson:Mental health. So there's so many people I don't know your mom's situation, but there's so many people that their mental health condition or what they're going on going on with them prevents them from actually, like, being able to properly recover Yes. Or being able to, like, adult properly. Absolutely. Like, things like getting a home Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:Being able to pay bills Yes. Being able to raise children. Yes. Like, I've met so many women that they're like, with their mental health Mhmm. They're almost just incapable of doing everything it takes to actually raise children Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:And to run a home Absolutely. Or to run a business or to thrive in a career. Mhmm. And thank god there's so much, you know, different medications out there, all the things to help with mental health, but they also have to be willing because there's a lot of people with mental health that don't think they have it. They don't think they have it.
Linnsey Dolson:So you
Stephanie Mearse:know? They just think that it's normal to to do those things. Right. So and I am with you 1000% on that because my I think my mom started drugs when she was, like, 16 Yeah. And a bunch of other my family members in the same situation, and they're at that same maturity level.
Stephanie Mearse:And I'm just kinda 100%. That's interesting because I've never done a drug in my entire life on purpose, at least, I should say. Because as a kid, when somebody injects you with something, you you don't have a choice. Right? And so but as an adult or somebody who's over 18, I never chose ever to do a drug in my entire life.
Stephanie Mearse:And it was primarily because I was scared out of my mind that I was gonna end up going to doing what my mom did. Well, because you've seen it. I've seen it. And it not good. It was not good.
Stephanie Mearse:And, honestly, I I give her props because she is a good person when she's not on drugs. She's a great person. I love her so much.
Linnsey Dolson:How long has she been back in her addiction?
Stephanie Mearse:Oh gosh. So since my daughter so at least ten years.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, shit. So she got six years sober, and she's been back out there for ten
Stephanie Mearse:years. At least six years. Yeah. Ten years. Because my daughter's 10 now, so it's like, oh my gosh.
Stephanie Mearse:I can't believe it just time goes by really fast.
Linnsey Dolson:It's such a living hell too when I see people in their addiction because I know that feeling.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:People don't realize that nobody hates the addict more than the addict hates their self.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, yeah. Like I believe that.
Speaker 3:1000%.
Linnsey Dolson:No. I have never found an addict that is out there that's like, this is fucking amazing. At first, it is. At first, it's fun. Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:But they are miserable. Yeah. It is a living hell.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. Because you're trying to get away from something.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Like A 100%.
Stephanie Mearse:It's not you trying to be like, look. Let me just have fun. It's also like, oh, no. Something's underlying here.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, huge. And then you got the guilt, the shame, the all of it. You know? And you just feel so stuck.
Stephanie Mearse:Absolutely. Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:We need to get your mom in my program.
Stephanie Mearse:Well, she's, so she doesn't live anywhere near here. No. And I honestly don't even have her phone number or anything anymore. So I'm definitely gonna be praying for her. I already prayed for her a lot at my church praying for her too.
Stephanie Mearse:But, ultimately, ultimately, my goal in this life is to show that it's possible. Just because you come from a really rough start doesn't mean that you're stuck there. And I was a millionaire before I was 35. So one of my ultimate goals now is to show other people how to do that and and navigate what that really truly looks like. Because when you have no money and are living on the streets, guess what?
Stephanie Mearse:You don't get you don't learn how to do those things. You know? Money is not something that is just taught to you when you're of that class. You know what I mean? 100%.
Stephanie Mearse:And so I wanna teach other people how to do it, that's why I teach college students how to how to do, finances. I'm at the Boys and Girls Club teaching on finances all the time.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my god. Have you come to my program and do a group on finances for the clients. That would be so good.
Stephanie Mearse:That would be so much fun. And, actually, I'm working on my fifth book right now. So I have, four other books already, two Amazon bestsellers and one world record holder.
Linnsey Dolson:Look at you.
Stephanie Mearse:I know. I'm a little crazy.
Linnsey Dolson:I I just have to have a lot of energy.
Stephanie Mearse:So I'm like, oh my gosh. Let's get stuff done. You
Linnsey Dolson:know? Love that. I love that. Are you ADHD?
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, super.
Linnsey Dolson:Girl, same. Super. Fucking superpower. No. You're good.
Linnsey Dolson:Superpower. People are
Stephanie Mearse:like superpower if you use it right. The problem is some days I'm like, I can't focus. But there's a lot
Linnsey Dolson:of days where I'm like, I can get a 100 things done in one day. I you have to have a proper team Yeah.
Stephanie Mearse:When you have ADHD.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. So, like, you need to have somebody that you can call and be like, hey. I have new ideas. Blah blah blah blah. And they, like, jot that shit down and organize it.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:Put it into steps.
Stephanie Mearse:And I'm Otherwise, we'll
Linnsey Dolson:I don't do paperwork. Oh, I hate paperwork. Paperwork. I'm I don't type shit up. I'm not putting anything in the system.
Speaker 3:I'm not
Linnsey Dolson:all the I'm like the visionary. Right? Yeah. This is where we're going. Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:Now I need you guys to drive the ships and, like, put things in that order because my brain doesn't work that way. Yeah. ADHD I swear the most successful people I know in the world have ADHD. Oh, super. It's a superpower.
Stephanie Mearse:100%. Yep. Yep. Yep. And I also feel like so my last book, this one I'm writing right now, actually, I'm about halfway through writing it, and it's something that I felt very inspirational to write for the first time, like, where I was like, okay.
Stephanie Mearse:I have to do this. It's literally about spirituality and money and how the flow of money is done. And there's a few books out there that are very good, but this is a very different energy and vibe and a little bit more god related in regards to money too. So it's it's gonna be a very, unique book. I'm pretty excited about that.
Stephanie Mearse:That's awesome. Most importantly, I'm I love being out teaching other people on how to do basic financials. Like, basic financials, investment banking, if they're willing to listen and get to that level of, how do I start a small company and build it up to multimillion dollars or go to an IPO or go to an a merger and acquisition?
Linnsey Dolson:To have you come. That's I'm so excited. The stuff
Stephanie Mearse:that I already do. And I help people with their p their very large books to be able to sell those those stocks called PPMs. So I just do kinda all of that fun stuff, you know?
Linnsey Dolson:So I wanna back up real quick. I wanna talk about how you became a millionaire by '35. I think financial freedom is so important. Mhmm. Especially like for a woman.
Linnsey Dolson:My life changed when I started making money. Mhmm. And it's like people think it's the money they're chasing. It's actually the freedom that comes with it. Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:The freedom to live life on my terms. Mhmm. And I can look at you and tell you're the same as me. Like, I have to have a lot of money because I like expensive shit.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. I do. Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:I like expensive shit. I do not like to not be able to get something I want. Mhmm. Yeah. That was a spoil my kids.
Linnsey Dolson:Like, I need money to live the lifestyle that I live. Absolutely. Financial freedom is a game changer. It is. So I wanna hear how you became a millionaire by '35 because we back up and at seven, you're eating out of a trash can
Stephanie Mearse:Yep.
Linnsey Dolson:Homeless behind an apartment complex Yeah. Aunt and uncle adopted you. Yes. Yeah. And that was a struggle, but a little better.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. And tell me how you went from that to a self made millionaire at 35.
Stephanie Mearse:Absolutely. So, well, I went and got my bachelor's degree and my master's degree. And right after I got my master's degree, I decided to go into the workforce again. And I actually interviewed with this wonderful gentleman for six hours, not exactly on I just it was a good vibe. You know?
Stephanie Mearse:Was a good energy. I was like, let's go. Let's talk. You know? And and so almost immediately, I I just connected really well with this gentleman.
Stephanie Mearse:We we for work purposes, and it was just wonderful. So I started working for him shortly after, and I'm not even joking. I when I first started, I was like, I'm gonna work part time. You're gonna pay me a lot of money, and that's where we're at.
Linnsey Dolson:And he's like, okay. I'm like, okay. Then this
Stephanie Mearse:is meant to be. Awesome. Okay. For for perfect. So as time goes on, a little bit ling a little bit longer, a little bit longer, and he's like, you realize you're afraid of everything.
Stephanie Mearse:Right? And I was like, what are you talking about? I'm not afraid of anything. I've covered blah blah blah. And he's like, just write a list of everything that you're afraid of.
Stephanie Mearse:And I'm like, okay. Fine. And so I actually broke down and actually wrote my list of everything I was afraid of. It was, like, pages and pages long of stuff I was afraid of. And the first two things I was afraid of were planes.
Stephanie Mearse:I was used to get hysterical on planes. Like, not crying, like laughing. Getting the entire plane laughing with me. Not joking. My girlfriends could attest to it.
Stephanie Mearse:And the other one was heights. So I would go upstairs, even just a couple stories, and I'd see through the slots and be holding on to the side like I was gonna die. I was so afraid of heights. So guess what he did? He said, I'm taking you skydiving.
Stephanie Mearse:And I was like, okay. Like, if this is gonna help me get to next level, sure. You know? So we went skydiving. I said, you know what?
Stephanie Mearse:I'll be the first one out of the plane and be that leader. And I was with the whole team at the firm I work for. And so I went skydiving, ever since then, I said, let's go. And I have had no no nothing hold me back. Not no fears hold me back at all.
Linnsey Dolson:Fear kills more dreams than anything else in the world. I tell my clients that all the time.
Stephanie Mearse:Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:Fear is a fear is just like anxiety.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:It's the anxiety behind, and it comes from a lot of times trauma. Yes. All of these things. Yes. But learning to do it scared.
Linnsey Dolson:Uh-huh. Learning to do it hungry. Learning to do it tired. Learning to do it worried. All of those things, but still do it anyway is the cheat code
Stephanie Mearse:to life. It is.
Linnsey Dolson:It really is. Overcoming fear.
Stephanie Mearse:It was. And it and it really was genuinely. So he had already done some pretty cool stuff. Like, he had climbed a bunch of really big mountains, and he's done all heli skiing. Have you heard of that before where they drop you off in a helicopter onto a mountaintop and just ski down the I think I I don't have that skill.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay? So he's an adrenaline guy.
Speaker 3:Yes. Yes.
Stephanie Mearse:And so but he was also in the finance world, and so he actually was a millionaire before he was 30. And I said, show me what you did. And so I just followed success, did exactly what he told me to do because he's already done it. So follow success, and now I show other people exactly how I achieved it by learning from somebody who's already a millionaire.
Linnsey Dolson:See, that's what you do. I I tell people, like, when I do business coaching, find somebody. If you wanna do a certain thing, find the best person in that and learn everything from them. Don't reinvent the wheel.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? So I so right away, you found somebody, a mentor in that area Yeah. And he mentored you. So where would you where did you make your first million from?
Stephanie Mearse:Private equity, actually. Okay. So I'm a big fan of private equity deals. Investment banking. It's so much fun.
Stephanie Mearse:I know it's such a random thing to say, but it really is a lot of fun. And I love dealing specifically in a couple of oil deals. Actually got to go see my oil wells that we are part of.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh, that's cool.
Stephanie Mearse:So that's fun for me. I also was a part of a real estate deal that I had a really good time, like, building a subdivision and stuff. And there's a lot of other private equities that I work into, a marketing company, litigation finance, that kind of stuff. And that's where I ended up growing my my net worth very quickly.
Linnsey Dolson:I love that. Yeah. You know, I really think I remember the for like, my goal for a while was, like, I just wanna make a million in a year. I want and we wanna hit 1,000,000 a year. And then once you hit a million, it's so much easier after that.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? That first hurdle. Yes. That first million is honestly the hardest to make. Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:And then once you're past that first million, it's it's way easier.
Stephanie Mearse:It is so much easier. And I don't know about you, but like when I notice like like, abundance flows, then it's like, oh, even more abundance. Oh, even more abundance. But when as soon as I get into a mindset that's like, oh, things are really hard, it gets hard. It's all about that mindset of making sure that that abundance comes in.
Stephanie Mearse:Because once you've made a million dollars, you're like, oh, that really wasn't as hard as I thought it was.
Linnsey Dolson:And it's not even as much money as
Speaker 3:you thought right now. There I remember thinking like a million making a million dollars or, like, a million dollars in sales is so much in a year, and then you're like,
Linnsey Dolson:it's not even that much. It wasn't as much as you thought.
Speaker 3:It's not.
Linnsey Dolson:It's not. You're like, oh shit. But you know, it's it's a great goal. Yeah. A great
Stephanie Mearse:start for sure.
Linnsey Dolson:It is a huge start and you're right. It's like starts flowing in and then you like, I feel like I teach manifestation. So
Speaker 3:I love manifestation. Oh, That
Stephanie Mearse:is how I got there.
Linnsey Dolson:Okay. Why that's why I got there. Yes.
Speaker 3:I started listening to these wonderful Amazing.
Linnsey Dolson:Have you guys have you seen the ones on, like, YouTube? They're free. And it literally goes health, wealth, happiness, blah blah blah blah.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. Has pictures of all of these beautiful health.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. It's all about getting yourself there and seeing where you wanna be in five years. Right? So for me, I that's how I also did it too was watching and following a mentor who did it before, who proved to me that it's possible, made me get out of
Stephanie Mearse:my fear bubble. And then I also he also said to start doing these men these manifestation videos.
Linnsey Dolson:I was like, thank you, Jesus. And then, of course, you know, going
Stephanie Mearse:to church helps and everything else. But that was, like, a huge one for me. I listened to it every morning. Million dollars. Million Million dollars.
Stephanie Mearse:Now I'm like, 20,000,000. 20,000,000. 20,000,000. Like, that's my
Linnsey Dolson:next goal.
Stephanie Mearse:You know? Yes. For me personally, not for the companies. And so, you know, it's all about that, like, next step, next goal. And there's so much more to it too.
Stephanie Mearse:Like, I love sound baths. I love I love I mean, I love all of it. Okay? Yeah. But the manifestation, I think, is one of the biggest and most exciting parts of
Linnsey Dolson:what you're saying, for me at least,
Stephanie Mearse:is and I would love to know more about what you do for your manifesting because to me, that is key. Keys keys keys to success right I
Linnsey Dolson:love it. And really, like, with me, it's visualizing it.
Stephanie Mearse:Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:So like, I love to manifest when I drive. Yeah. I visualize that shit. Like, because I'm driving and my brain's always going. Going.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. So like I visualize exactly what I want down to the t. Yeah. You know, like a year ago, I moved to San Diego.
Stephanie Mearse:Okay.
Linnsey Dolson:And as soon as we moved here, I had this idea that I wanted to start a treatment center. And so like I just started manifesting it and we were able to start it and grow it and it's like doing incredible already. We're ready to take over the next door building because we already outgrew our building and we've been in business like three months.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh my gosh.
Linnsey Dolson:That's amazing.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I was
Linnsey Dolson:telling the clients because I teach I was teaching a scripting class to them. So man scripting is manifesting backwards.
Speaker 3:Interesting.
Linnsey Dolson:So you write it out as though like, thank you universe for giving me the $7,000,000 in my savings account. Oh. Thank you universe for this. And you're actually writing it as though it's already yours.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, I love that.
Linnsey Dolson:And so I've been having them do scripting. And I was talking to them about how, like, I manifested you guys. Like, I manifested a treatment center. I manifested these clients that I get to pour into
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:That I get to work with every day. And, you know, manifesting Huge. Is a game changer. I will shit you not like I know that anything I manifest and want, I can I can get? It's pretty much like like life is rigged in my favor.
Stephanie Mearse:That's exactly how I Exactly.
Speaker 3:It's like it's so wild.
Stephanie Mearse:I don't know about you but for me, I like doing really random stuff. Okay? Like random stuff. So one of the things that I really wanted to do next was be in a movie, a Hallmark movie. I'm not gonna lie.
Stephanie Mearse:And
Linnsey Dolson:I could see it.
Stephanie Mearse:And guess what? I'm gonna be
Speaker 3:in a Hallmark movie. What? What? It was it
Stephanie Mearse:was so random. I was like, and now my next one's gonna be meeting Jessica Simpson for lunch once. I'm just saying. That's gonna be No.
Linnsey Dolson:The other one.
Speaker 3:Shit, girl.
Linnsey Dolson:I there is nothing. Mine, I wanna do reality TV.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh my god. I was
Linnsey Dolson:I was supposed to do one on Netflix.
Stephanie Mearse:Are For finance for our financial firm. And I was like, oh, no. I can't do that because it's against some of the regulations. So I like, oh,
Linnsey Dolson:but if you wanna
Stephanie Mearse:get into it, I know I know people.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Girl, hook me up. I wanna do one where I get people and I get them like off the street that I re help them get them into treatment, rebuild their life. I wanna work with dentists to fix their teeth, tatt oo removals for like gang tattoos, helping them get their children back, helping them get housing, and like follow their whole journey of recovery. And not just like get sober and that's great, but no, like get sober and let's go after everything you've ever wanted Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:In life. Right? I love that. We don't need to get sober and just go work at Walmart. Like Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Let's get sober and start a fucking business. Yes. You know? Love that.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. That's a great idea.
Linnsey Dolson:I know. I'm pumped.
Stephanie Mearse:I love it. Very cool.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. So manifesting that. So Netflix,
Stephanie Mearse:you can give
Linnsey Dolson:me a call.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, that's wonderful. I love it. Well, when you wanna get there, let me know because I already know how to
Linnsey Dolson:do all
Stephanie Mearse:of that.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. Girl, we're gonna talk after.
Stephanie Mearse:The whole nine yards.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Let's do it. Let's do it. So that that's definitely one of the things I'm manifesting about right now. So what are some of the things you're manifesting right now?
Stephanie Mearse:Okay. So one is, well, I have a lot of things that I'm actually manifesting right now because I'm a little bit of a different space in my life where I'm like, you know, I have been this boss girl for a long time. I've made a lot of money. I've had all the pretty titles. I've been on all of the the boards of directors and and helped so many kids.
Stephanie Mearse:I am all about helping kids off the streets. Like, that understandably. Right? So that's one of my jams.
Linnsey Dolson:Which there's a huge connection for that.
Stephanie Mearse:Huge connection. So needed.
Linnsey Dolson:And so needed. You know? And so, one of
Stephanie Mearse:my biggest manifestations right now, honestly, is I want to, continue to build specifically my little consulting firm because I really love helping small businesses grow to really large ones and getting them onto the markets. I just find it so much fun. That's huge. And I also really enjoy I really also enjoy doing working with my current clients and all of the the clients at the firm, growing them and making them multimillionaires as well. And, my other really big manifestation is, being in a movie and, you know, that kind of stuff.
Stephanie Mearse:So I just I have, like, really random ones right now and a little bit more travel. I love traveling. Same. I do a lot
Linnsey Dolson:of stuff. Yeah. Yes.
Stephanie Mearse:And I love Europe. So I my next
Linnsey Dolson:Oh my god. I think you're my soul sister. I think so too. Yes.
Speaker 3:I love it. As soon as you walked in, I was like, oh, okay, queen. I see you. I connect already.
Stephanie Mearse:Love it. But one of the places I really wanna go is, I really wanna go to Germany and go to Oktoberfest. I wanna go to Ireland. I wanna go, you know, and just see
Linnsey Dolson:kinda where some of
Stephanie Mearse:my heritage is. That would just be fun to me.
Linnsey Dolson:But That's awesome.
Stephanie Mearse:I'm I'm excited about kind of where my next next parts are coming in. I'm doing a few $50,000,000 projects, and I'm just I'm very excited.
Linnsey Dolson:Look at you.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. I love Again, I have a lot of energy, and I'm gonna use it in the right way.
Linnsey Dolson:Good. Love that so much. That but that ADHD and just the high energy all over the place. The the most successful people I know are that way. They're the visionaries Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:And then they have the right team to put all that into place. Exactly. Right? To organize the kind of chaotic thoughts. Exactly.
Linnsey Dolson:I'm just like driving. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that's it. But everybody needs to keep everything organized as it's driving. Yeah.
Stephanie Mearse:And I don't know about you, but, like, if I don't, like, what's the word? Basically, just give off some
Linnsey Dolson:of my work, like, to the accountants or to the the things that I don't like doing that other people are good
Stephanie Mearse:at and are stars at. I noticed myself
Linnsey Dolson:being like, why am I doing this? This is terrible. Can I please just have you do the accounting work?
Stephanie Mearse:Or can you please and and I know how to do it. So it's not that I
Linnsey Dolson:don't know how. I just don't enjoy it, you know? I It's not
Stephanie Mearse:my it's not my
Linnsey Dolson:my Delegate.
Stephanie Mearse:Mean Delegation. That's the word I was
Linnsey Dolson:looking delegating.
Stephanie Mearse:Girl. Oh, feel it.
Linnsey Dolson:I read this book. An old business coach I was working with gave me this book to read called Who Not How. And it's all about not how am I gonna do it, who's gonna do it for me basically. Oh, love And it's all about just building the right team that everybody's doing it. But I'm the exact same way.
Linnsey Dolson:I'm not typing shit up. Even
Stephanie Mearse:I talk text.
Linnsey Dolson:I don't do laundry. I don't clean. I don't because that shit takes a lot of time. I'd rather put it into pumping into a business or spending time with my kids. Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. Right?
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. I Well, think that's also important too is something you're touching on a very big part of that because Right. When you're a businesswoman and you have so much going on, your time is more valuable than than just saying, oh, I'm gonna clean the floors today when somebody else can do that for half what you make
Linnsey Dolson:or or whatever One it 100%.
Stephanie Mearse:I'm I'm with you on that. I I I still do my laundry, but I, I do have somebody come in and clean my house.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. No. Seriously, anything that you can delegate yeah. Seriously, anything like that that you can delegate Yeah. Time is precious.
Linnsey Dolson:It is. And you only get so much and so I don't I choose to spend my time on like a projects. Right? Have you ever done I know a coach that I worked with that had me right at that same time that they gave me the who not how because I was really struggling with like trying to do it all Mhmm. And because I want it done perfect.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. And Yes. And then not getting as much done because I have so much little busy work.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:So they had me keep track of everything I did in a day for like a month.
Stephanie Mearse:Mhmm.
Linnsey Dolson:And then we separated it a, b, and c. Right? I only did a items. B and c, you can pay somebody to do.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:A items are stuff that, you know, you're the visionary, like it needs to be done by you. And those a items also included the time with your children.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:So basically, does it make me happy? Does it make me money?
Stephanie Mearse:Yes.
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Exactly. B and C can be hired out and can be assigned. Yes. And it's such a game changer.
Stephanie Mearse:It is a game changer. I did the same thing with my, my business coach too.
Speaker 3:Did you? Okay. Yay.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah. She was like, you are busy all the time. What are you doing? And I do a million things in a day Right. Or nothing.
Stephanie Mearse:You know, it's
Linnsey Dolson:one or the other. And, in the million of
Stephanie Mearse:the day, I'm like, oh god. I just got a million things done. And she's like, but what made you money? What made you happy? And I'm like, oh, jeez.
Linnsey Dolson:Yes. Okay,
Stephanie Mearse:Stephanie. Do better about delegation right now.
Linnsey Dolson:I know. No. Delegating is is a game change. It's such a game changer changer because like, and then as you get I feel like it really falls into that working smarter not harder as well because Yes. Like the more successful you get, the more you can do less physical work but still make bigger money moves.
Linnsey Dolson:So true. Or bit, you know, bigger decisions, bigger ideas, like all of these things. And so like, it's incredible because like I travel with my kids, we do stuff and I can just be on the phone and like, my kids are like, you're always on your phone, but that's actually I'm actually making money. Like, I am running businesses Exactly. Like, from my phone because I that's where I'm able to delegate.
Linnsey Dolson:I'm able to manage what's getting delegated.
Stephanie Mearse:Absolutely.
Linnsey Dolson:All of that.
Stephanie Mearse:And the nice part about where we what what where we're at in life right now in the sense of, like, technology. Right? Right. So I don't know. Back in the day, they probably didn't have the opportunity to be like, hey.
Stephanie Mearse:I'm gonna go to Greece with my family and still be on the phone making money while I'm in Greece. I don't know
Linnsey Dolson:if that was even possible. Right?
Stephanie Mearse:Because it wasn't. Hell no. I I'm in Paris, and I'm taking phone oh, it just made $50,000 today. Awesome. Okay.
Stephanie Mearse:That was worth my time. You know? Or whatever it is. And anybody who knows me knows I barely take time off work. And when I do finally take time off, it's usually to be with family.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. Like, it's purely to be with family and also to be on a boat in a lake because I love being on boats. So
Linnsey Dolson:Right? Something that makes you happy. Yes. Technology is insane. It is.
Linnsey Dolson:With all the technology we have at our hand, with automations Mhmm. With AI, ChatGPT, all the things. Yes. Like, you have women today or people today
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:Have more opportunity Mhmm. At entrepreneurship, at success, at all of that. I feel like it is so much easier today and at reach Yes. Than ever.
Stephanie Mearse:Oh, a thousand percent. And there's so much more support from what I can tell 100%. Women. I'm gonna talk about women specifically here. So I ran I've ran a, women's group.
Stephanie Mearse:It's a women's empowerment group called Empower Hour. And we got up to about 1,900,000 followers roughly or so and had nine branches at one point right before COVID. And it was all about how can we support one another? What can we be doing to make a difference? No caddy.
Stephanie Mearse:No none of this underhanding backstabbing stuff. It was purely I love that. One another. And one of
Linnsey Dolson:the things that we learned really quickly was, okay. So if you are really good at that, let me give you that, and I'll take this,
Stephanie Mearse:and we'll be helping each other. And it's it's like next level. And that's where the technology came into play because that's when one of my friends was like, oh, here, you have to hear about AI and what this is. I'm like, aren't they gonna take over the world? Like, I don't know if that that's a good idea.
Stephanie Mearse:And then I realized, oh, no. I love it. Like, I love it. I love AI.
Linnsey Dolson:Oh. Oh,
Stephanie Mearse:yeah. Because it makes my life so much easier.
Linnsey Dolson:It could be like, AI is like having a takes place of a couple full time employees. Yes. The things it can do or automations. Mhmm. Automations and automated softwares will take place a multiple
Stephanie Mearse:A thousand percent.
Linnsey Dolson:Time employees.
Stephanie Mearse:Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:If you don't you have a business and you don't have automations and you're not using AI in your business, you're leaving a lot of money on the table.
Stephanie Mearse:Yes. You are. Yeah. It's definitely, since some people have a hard time getting up with those times, and I totally understand that.
Linnsey Dolson:And then you hire somebody who knows.
Stephanie Mearse:You hire somebody else.
Linnsey Dolson:That's right. Then you hire somebody who knows. Like, if I'm finding somebody in, like, delegating to it, I wanna find somebody that knows more about that than I do.
Stephanie Mearse:Thousand percent.
Linnsey Dolson:Teach me. Yep. Either teach me or do you know, show me. I don't know how to do it, but this is what I want. Here's my end results.
Linnsey Dolson:How do we get there with Absolutely.
Stephanie Mearse:I feel that 1000%. And that's why I like what I do for finance because not a lot of people know a lot about in the, institutional and, investment banking world. And so I love teaching small people with small businesses grow to this next level businesses. It just makes me so much it makes me so happy because I know how to do it. And so when
Linnsey Dolson:people actually listen to me, I'm like, hey. Cool.
Stephanie Mearse:This is awesome. People are listening to me. And then I find out that a lot of people listen to me, and I'm like, oh, this is a lot. But it's all in good. Like, it's all good.
Stephanie Mearse:Well, you it
Linnsey Dolson:like fills your cup. Right? It yes.
Stephanie Mearse:It makes me happy. It makes my heart soar. I love it.
Linnsey Dolson:Yeah. No. I love that too. I love the teaching people and then seeing them grow. So like my recovery, you know Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:But so it's a bonus around recovery and we're drug and alcohol and mental health and I love it. Like I love going in and working with the clients. Yeah. I love calling them on the weekends and checking on them. I love seeing them come in and at times they're broken Yeah.
Linnsey Dolson:And just seeing the light come back on Yeah. And seeing them get their shine back Yeah. And seeing them reconnecting with their kids and like all of these amazing gifts that recovery gives you. Oh. I love that.
Linnsey Dolson:Like to me, it doesn't feel like work. Like fills my cup. Yes. I love that. Like, I get just as much out of it as the person I'm pouring into.
Stephanie Mearse:A thousand percent. Well, because you just changed their life. Yeah. You changed their life. You made their life better.
Stephanie Mearse:And that in itself, I don't know about you, but when I say, oh, wow. I just helped somebody get to the million dollars that was trying to hit that. Oh my gosh. I just made somebody's life better. This is so great.
Stephanie Mearse:It's such a good feeling. So I feel you 1000%. It is
Linnsey Dolson:so great. Is the best. Well, before we come to an end, I want you to tell us a few things. So I wanna know the names of your books Okay. Where we can find them, and how they can find you on social media.
Linnsey Dolson:Absolutely. So, my books are, my first two are
Stephanie Mearse:called women of perfection perfectly imperfect is the first one because I'm the perfectionist. I love
Linnsey Dolson:that name.
Stephanie Mearse:And then the second one is perfect the same, but it's a journaling experience. So I actually made it more of a journaling experience for my second book. Oh, how cool. My third book was oh, empowered women of Empower Hour, and I let several ladies of the Empower Hour group that I told you about tell their story. Just tell a chapter of their story of how they overcame diversity issues or whatever it was, obstacles.
Stephanie Mearse:And all of the money goes back to a nonprofit called The Butterfly Element that helps women and children on the streets. And then my fourth book is, three hundred and sixty five Days of Dark Secrets, and that's the one that actually won, the world record for the most authors in different countries in one book.
Linnsey Dolson:So freaking cool.
Stephanie Mearse:So much fun. Totally didn't expect that. But all of them are on Amazon. I'm a fan of that. And how people can find me, they can go to my website which is stephaniemears.com or come see me on Instagram or Facebook.
Stephanie Mearse:I'm I'm I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty blunt on what I am on Facebook and Instagram. I just I am who I am and
Linnsey Dolson:I love that.
Stephanie Mearse:And that's that's getting a little little Elle Woods vibe over here. Just saying.
Linnsey Dolson:I love it. Well, thank you so much for coming on and I will also tag you on that so they will have your social tag. Yes. Love you guys.