The launch of the No Mercy Business Podcast came as a surprise to everyone involved, especially me! As someone who hardly engages with the podcasting realm for entertainment, I never thought for a second that I would start my own, let alone a solo show! But the more that I have dug into the business world and life as an entrepreneur, the more I have found the need.
The need to have a place to connect with other female entrepreneurs who are ready to move their business to the next level, the need to connect with others who have been in our shoes before and the need to have networking so we don’t all have to completely start over from square one. Thus, the No Mercy Business Podcast was born.
My dream with the podcast is to connect with female entrepreneurs from all over and learn more about their businesses: their struggles, failures, highs and lows. I want to dig deep with each guest and also shed light on some common misconceptions as women in business.
So pour yourself a glass of whatever you crave & hit play while we dig into Episode 1.

Episode 1 Welcome to the Podcast, Meet your host!:
Welcome to the No Mercy – Business Coaching Podcast with Emily A Woodruff, the podcast that walks you through managing your own small business through the highs and lows. We’ll talk with small business owners from all over the U.S. and share insights on how to help manage your business, without the extra fluff, and connect with other women just like you. Lets dive in.
Hey everyone, My name, as you may have guessed it, is Emily A Woodruff. I want to take the time to share my business journey thus far and help you to get to know who’s behind the microphone.
I’ve always had a knack for design and color theory. I love pairing fun colors together, working with elements that don’t seem like they belong and pairing them. My dad tells me nearly every time I finish a project, “Em, I didn’t know where you were going in the beginning but I KNEW you would figure it out and it would be amazing when it was done. You always do a great job.” I started exploring design when I joined the high school yearbook team. Then I started creating Open House invitations for friends’ graduation parties and I was appointed the Yearbook Editor the following year. I took a few artsy courses in college but mostly abandoned my design dreams.
I began pursuing photography after I took a black and white film course in college and owned my first SLR. I started down the same route, doing sessions for friends at super low costs and finally booking some weddings. I took several online courses, watched tons of trainings and tutorials, followed photographers and read plenty of books and articles on the art of photography. I fell in love with it. Eventually, my husband and I purchased a second property that had a little run down trailer on it, which turned into my studio. I filled it with props, prints of my work, a desk- a real desk! I had a space that was just mine and I was so thrilled. Business was really thriving and I was loving every second of it. Enter 2020 and Covid.
Covid literally killed my photography business. Not solely because the trade was shut down by our governor, but business just really started to dwindle. It made me doubt my abilities, made me doubt my purpose, I got VERY close to selling off my props, lenses and cameras and just stepping away completely. Spoiler alert, i’m still doing photography.
A friend of mine launched her full time web design business and started hiring me for small design tasks. I recognized an excitement and thrill in myself that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. I looked forward to those emails and eventually, started creating products on my own.
Currently, I have multiplied my own pinterest views by over 6 times and am taking on new clients for my design business. I specialize in logo design and branding for women in small business and i absolutely love it.
I can’t wait to bring some of my industry friends on the show with me in the next few weeks. We have a lineup that includes finances, small business coaching, course creation, starting your own podcast or business and so much more. My hope is to help you to connect with other people in the industry who can meet the needs of your business. We don’t all have to struggle just because we are business owners. My goal is to link arms with as many women in business as possible and truly help one another to make our businesses thrive.
SO with this super short introductory episode, I want to leave you with this: You can do great things and I want to help empower you to do them. As you are working to fulfill your dreams, keep an idea bank on hand- whether that be a google doc, a small journal you keep in your bag, a notepad in your phone- keep an ongoing list with you so that you can add or address items as they come about.
I’d truly love to hear from you and learn where you are coming from. Tell me about your small business or the business you are dreaming of! I’d also love to have you join my free online community on Facebook, just search Girls in Business – Emily A Woodruff. You can post your daily biz struggles in there or connect with other women just like us and link arms as we move forward in the girlboss world.
Thanks for being here with me today, we’ll chat soon.
Show Links:
Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll
License code: PUNVFPIYAPDWVUDB
Transcribed by Otter.ai
Girls in Business Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/721080359037147
Social:
www.Facebook.com/emilyawoodruffbusiness
www.pinterest.com/emilyawoodruff
Learn more about Emily A Woodruff:
www.emilyawoodruff.com