What does it take to build a life and business from the ground up?

Solana Lewis is a World Champion powerlifter, TEDx speaker, author of Why Women Should Powerlift, coach, and entrepreneur. But her journey didn't start with confidence or knowing exactly where she was going.

In this conversation, Solana opens up about struggling with confidence and communication growing up, discovering powerlifting, and becoming a world champion at 21. She shares how she used podcasting to develop her voice, built her coaching business through consistency and networking, and learned to keep going even when entrepreneurship felt lonely.

We also talk about why women should powerlift, how to turn your passion into opportunities, and the importance of focusing on the actions that move you closer to your goals.

This is a conversation about persistence, growth, and taking the next step even when you haven't figured everything out yet.

Follow Solana on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/solana_lifts/ and check out her book, Why Women Should Powerlift, and her podcast, The Power in Lifting.

Follow and subscribe to From the Ground Up with Esther for more conversations with people building businesses, pursuing their passions, and creating something meaningful.

What if your story doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth sharing?

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Esther, I sit down with Carl Michel, founder of Young Exekutive, to talk about finding your voice, embracing your story, and becoming the person God has called you to be.

Carl shares openly about insecurity, trying to fit in, learning to become comfortable in his own skin, and realizing that he didn’t need to have the most dramatic story or have everything figured out to make an impact.

We talk about faith, purpose, success, relationships, consistency, and the importance of becoming the example you may have never had.

One of the biggest reminders from our conversation: you don’t have to be at the finish line to help someone who is just getting started.

If you’re building something, finding your voice, or figuring out what your next step looks like, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Carl Michel / Young Exekutive:
YoungExekutive.com | @YoungExekutive

This episode is proudly supported by:

🚗 Detail4days.com LLC — A mobile car detailing service serving Fairfield County, CT. From full details and stain removal to ceramic coatings, polishing, and headlight restoration, they bring the service directly to you.

📱 FollowOut — An app created to help you discover and connect with local experiences, businesses, and what’s happening around you.

Thank you for supporting the local businesses that support From the Ground Up with Esther.

Follow From the Ground Up with Esther for more real conversations about faith, growth, entrepreneurship, and the people building from the ground up.

Esther welcomes Ashley, a digital creator and community-builder, who shares her authentic path from marketing professional to influential content creator. You’ll discover how Ashley transformed her Sunday musings into engaging content that encourages exploration and supports local businesses. She reveals the challenges she faced as a single homeowner in a society often expecting couples to share these milestones, and how her candid approach resonated with many.

We break down key insights around:

- The unexpected joy of community building and how Ashley’s platform encourages others to discover their surroundings.

- Ashley’s unique 321 format, where she interviews locals in a fun, engaging way, making their stories accessible and inviting.

- The importance of embracing imperfection in content creation—how Ashley learned to iterate quickly and authentically share her journey with her audience.

Understanding Ashley’s mission is crucial—she’s not just sharing her experiences; she’s redefining what it means to connect in a digital age. Ignoring these insights could mean missing out on the creativity and collaboration that can elevate your own community or content. Embrace the power of authenticity and local exploration, and see how it can transform not only your content but also your connections.

Perfect for aspiring content creators, local business advocates, or anyone looking to infuse more joy into their everyday lives. Tune in now and get inspired to reclaim your Sundays and your community with Ashley's vibrant storytelling!

Make sure to follow Ashley & Esther

https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

https://www.instagram.com/sundays.with.ash/

Thank you to our Episode Sponsors:

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En esta conversación me siento con el Dr. Daniel Manrique, médico colombiano especialista en Otorrinolaringología, Cirugía de Cabeza y Cuello y Cirugía Plástica Facial, Estética y Reconstructiva.

Hablamos de su historia desde Bogotá hasta Connecticut, los retos de construir una carrera en otro país, la importancia de la disciplina y la perseverancia, y su deseo de servir a la comunidad hispana.

También conversamos sobre salud, cirugía estética, educación al paciente, propósito y fe.

Una conversación que nos recuerda que detrás de cada profesión hay una historia, y que muchas veces el camino que no entendíamos termina llevándonos a un lugar que no imaginábamos.

“Aquí estoy para poderles ayudar.”

🎙️ Suscríbete a From the Ground Up with Esther para escuchar más historias de personas que están construyendo desde la raíz.

https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

https://www.instagram.com/danielmanriquemd/

What happens when the noise around you becomes louder than your own voice?

In this special episode, Esther sits down with Brittany Balise, founder of Above the Noise, to talk about anxiety, confidence, identity, faith, purpose, and the experiences that shape how we see ourselves.

Brittany shares her personal journey with anxiety from childhood, how dance became an important outlet for her, and how her relationship with God helped her recognize and challenge the lies she had believed about herself.

As a dance instructor and co-director of Jate Dance Studio, Brittany has spent years working closely with children and teens. Through those relationships, she saw the need for safe spaces where young girls could talk, build confidence, and learn how to rise above the noise around them.

Through Above the Noise, Brittany combines life coaching principles, journaling, interactive activities, and dance to help pre-teen and teen girls build a stronger foundation and better understand who they are.

In this conversation, Brittany and Esther discuss childhood experiences, anxiety, social media, comparison, confidence, the power of words, faith, and why we all need people in our lives who remind us who we are.

This episode is for young girls, women, parents, and anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by the voices, opinions, and expectations around them.

You are not your thoughts. You do not have to earn your worth. And the noise you are experiencing does not have to define your future.

Connect with Brittany and Above the Noise on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/above_the_noise & with Esther @ https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

What is your money story?

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Esther, Esther sits down with financial planner and financial coach Genesis Garcia, also known as I Am Reign Garcia, for an honest conversation about money, mindset, faith, and financial freedom.

Genesis shares how growing up in an immigrant family shaped the way she viewed money and how her journey led her to become passionate about financial education and helping others understand their relationship with money.

Together, they discuss limiting beliefs, financial habits, the importance of cash flow, saving, creating additional income streams, and why changing your financial life often starts with changing the way you think.

They also talk about the unique financial challenges women can face, the importance of asking for help, overcoming fear, taking action, and building a stronger financial future.

This episode is a reminder that your current financial situation does not have to define your future.

You can learn.
You can change.
You can start small.
And you can build something different.

Because sometimes, changing your financial future starts with asking one important question:

What do I believe about money?

Connect with Genesis

https://linktr.ee/Iam_reign_garcia

Connect with Me:

https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

What happens when a family decides to combine their skills, experiences, and passion for community to build something that can help local businesses?

In this episode of From the Ground Up with Esther, I sit down with Jordan Dudley, his father Chuck Dudley, and his cousin Tyler Knight, the family behind Follow Out.

We talk about the journey that led them to create Follow Out, a platform designed to help bring people to local businesses, events, and places in their communities.

Jordan shares how his passion for supporting local businesses started long before Follow Out, while Chuck talks about his lifelong experience in film and production. Tyler shares his journey through music, creativity, and the influence of his family.

One of the biggest themes throughout our conversation is the belief that every business has a story—and that story can bring people closer to the business.

We also talk about family, purpose, entrepreneurship, community, overcoming setbacks, and what it means to build something that isn't simply about making money, but about helping people.

A conversation about building from the ground up, staying connected to your purpose, and creating something that helps people show up for one another.

Listen to the full conversation and get to know the people behind Follow Out.

Follow out :

https://followout.tv/

https://www.instagram.com/followout_/

Follow Esther and share your story :

https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

¿Nuestra relación con el dinero comienza mucho antes de nuestro primer sueldo?

En este episodio de From the Ground Up with Esther, converso con Genesis Reign Garcia, coach financiera y creadora de Reign Haus de Abundancia, sobre dinero, familia, cultura, mentalidad y legado.

Genesis comparte una experiencia de su adolescencia que cambió para siempre su relación con el dinero y la llevó a cuestionar patrones financieros que pueden pasar de una generación a otra.

Hablamos sobre cómo sanar nuestra relación con el dinero, establecer límites financieros, buscar educación financiera, entender el crédito, ahorrar, invertir y comenzar a construir un legado.

También conversamos sobre los desafíos particulares que pueden enfrentar las mujeres latinas al navegar las finanzas en Estados Unidos y sobre la importancia de tener conversaciones sobre dinero dentro de nuestras familias.

Y una pregunta que queda durante toda la conversación:

¿Qué pasaría si dejáramos de pensar en pequeño y empezáramos a construir la vida que realmente queremos?

Una conversación sobre dinero, pero también sobre identidad, familia, sueños y abundancia.

🎙️ From the Ground Up with Esther
Conversaciones reales sobre las historias, decisiones y experiencias detrás de lo que estamos construyendo.

Encuentra a Genesis aqui:

https://linktr.ee/Iam_reign_garcia

Connectate conmigo :

https://www.instagram.com/fromthegroundupwithesther/

#community #espanol #dinero