What happens when a kidney stone saves your life and challenges you to chase your dreams? That's exactly what happened to James Bobetsky — known to most of Wichita as DJ Carbon. After 21 years in the corporate world, a cancer diagnosis, a surprise reconnection with his biological family, and a pandemic, Carbon made the leap to full-time DJ at 40. And he hasn't looked back since.HighlightsOak Grove Radio 98.5 out of Minneapolis now airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM — a shoutout to the station for helping expand the show's reach beyond the podcast worldDJ Carbon (James Mlavsky) has been a full-time DJ for seven years, based in Wichita — doing events, weddings, corporate gigs, and deeply embedding himself in the city's cultural sceneCarbon grew up on Long Island, NY, immersed in vinyl records, hip-hop, punk, and ska before moving to Wichita his senior year of high school — a move he initially hated and now wouldn't trade for anythingHe breaks down what it really means to "know your audience" and "read the room" — and why a DJ who shows up with a pre-planned set isn't really DJingA kidney stone led to a cancer diagnosis in 2018 — and while waiting for surgery, he discovered his biological family through 23andMe. Within six months: cancer surgery, meeting blood relatives for the first time, and getting marriedHe went full-time as a DJ in November 2019 — right before COVID — and pivoted to selling robot lamps to survive the shutdownCarbon has donated his time to dozens of nonprofits including Tallgrass Film Festival, American Cancer Society, Blood Cancers United (Wine About Cancer), Wichita's Littlest Heroes, Wichita Animal Action League, and the Humane SocietyFive days after kidney surgery — gauze, scars and all — he showed up to DJ a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society because he personally needed to be thereHis "DJ 101" social media series shares life and business lessons under the guise of DJ wisdom, and has generated more response than almost anything else he's postedHe names Carry Nation & The Speakeasy, Rudy Love Sr. and Jr., and the late Jenny Wood as the soundtrack of KansasChapters0:03 – Radio Shoutout: Oak Grove Radio 98.5 airs the podcast1:27 – Show Intro & Tease: Introducing DJ Carbon2:44 – Meet DJ Carbon4:03 – Life as a Full-Time DJ5:35 – Music Roots and Influences8:39 – New York to Wichita11:14 – Keeping Up With Music16:04 – Know Your Audience21:39 – Going Full-Time After Cancer26:35 – Origin of DJ Carbon27:58 – Aux Cord Versus DJ29:47 – Nonprofit DJ Impact31:54 – Surgery Gig Dedication35:50 – Branding and Visibility38:37 – Family Life Balance37:57 – Consistency and Corporate Bookings38:37 – DJ 101 Mentorship41:09 – Kansas Soundtrack Picks44:32 – Where to Find DJ Carbon46:06 – Hosts Reflect on DJs47:40 – Where in the Rectangle? (State Parks Edition)48:05 – Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park50:38 – Mushroom Rock State Park52:15 – Elk City State Park54:38 – Final WrapResources MentionedOak Grove Radio 98.5 (Minneapolis) – oakgroveradio.com (airs Ask a Kansan every Sunday at 9 AM)DJ Carbon – Facebook, Instagram and  https://djcarbon.com/Wichita River Festival – https://wichitariverfest.com/Tallgrass Film Festival – tallgrassfilm.orgWichita's Littlest Heroes – wichitaslittlestheroes.comWichita Animal Action League – https://waalrescue.org/Humane Society of the United States – https://kshumane.org/Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy – https://www.cnsict.com/Rudy Love Sr. & Rudy Love Jr. – https://rudylove.com/Jenny Wood – https://jennywoodmusic.com/Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net

What if the path that didn't work out was actually the one preparing you for exactly where you're supposed to be? Career and leadership coach Jenna Bottolfsen joins me for a conversation about the unexpected pivots, restarts, and pauses that shape us — and why the thing you thought was a setback might actually be the most important step in your story. Jenna went from 25 years in corporate HR to a failed first attempt at entrepreneurship right as COVID hit, back to corporate, and then into the unexpected opportunity of purchasing an established business. She now runs Wallace Associates, helping people navigate career transitions, clarify their value, and take confident next steps. This conversation is full of practical tools and permission-giving perspective for anyone sitting with uncertainty about what comes next.HighlightsWhy "detours are signs too" — and how Cleo Wade's poem frames the entire conversationThe difference between a failure and a learning opportunity, and why Jenna refuses to use the word failureHow letting go of a corporate title is often the hardest — and most necessary — first stepThe role values and purpose play when someone feels stuck or out of alignment in their careerWhy Jenna starts every client conversation with, "What got you into this field in the first place?"The power of "five seconds of insane courage" — and how you don't have to be brave for long, just long enoughTwo practical tools: the "You Are Here" exercise and the Worst Case Scenario spiralWhy "expectations are the killer of joy" — and how loosening them opens the door to forward movementThe mindset shift from "this has to be forever" to "what's my next right step?"How a friend's grief over a missed promotion led to the realization that the job she didn't get was actually protecting what mattered most to herChapters0:00 — Introduction & About Jenna2:02 — Detours Are Signs (Cleo Wade poem)2:44 — Milestone Catch-Up3:44 — Jenna's COVID Leap & Return to Corporate4:52 — Buying Wallace Associates6:07 — Resilience After Setbacks8:10 — Five Seconds of Courage10:26 — Audra's First Business Lesson12:35 — Detours & Alignment15:39 — Questions for When You're Feeling Stuck20:09 — Letting Go of Identity24:55 — The "You Are Here" & Worst Case Scenario Tools28:19 — The Next Right Step Mindset31:33 — Closing: Loosen Your ExpectationsResources MentionedIn a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade — the book Audra references and from which she reads the "Detours are signs too" poemWallace Associates — Jenna Bottolfsen's career and leadership coaching businessThe Next Right Thing podcast Want to learn more?The ThreadBe sure to follow me @audradinell on Instagram and LinkedInThis show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.

What do you charge when you've never run a business before — and everything you know about pay comes from a day job where someone else set the number? That question paralyzes so many side hustlers before they ever land their first client. Let's cut through the anxiety and build a real pricing framework you can use starting today.Hourly rates feel safe because that's how employees think — but they secretly punish you for getting better. Project-based pricing flips the equation and focuses on what your client actually cares about: the result, not the clock. Whether you're offering a service, selling handmade goods, or building a digital product like an ebook or online course, you'll walk away with a starting point, a formula for building in margin, and the confidence to quote your price without flinching.HighlightsHourly rates create an "efficiency penalty" — the better and faster you get, the less you earnShift from selling your time to selling the transformation and result you deliverUse a price floor formula: estimated hours × $25/hr + materials, then add 20–30% buffer for margin and surprisesKeep your math private — clients don't need to see your cost breakdown, just the totalNever negotiate down from your quoted price; discounting attracts the wrong clientsBefore sending any quote, do the "dad math" — is this project worth the time away from your family?Physical goods have hidden costs (listings, packing, shipping runs) that must be factored into pricingDigital products like ebooks and online courses should be priced on the time savings and transformation they provide — not the cost to create themYour day job is a strength here: you're not desperate, so you don't have to take every projectChapters0:19 — Pricing anxiety intro: what do I even charge?1:32 — Why you should switch to project-based pricing2:28 — Recording studio example: selling results, not hours4:13 — The hourly rate trap and the efficiency penalty5:34 — How to set your price floor7:25 — Adding a buffer and profit margin8:31 — Quote confidently — no discounts, no negotiating9:56 — Do the "dad math" before you send the quote11:37 — Hidden costs in physical goods12:51 — Pricing digital products by value, not cost15:28 — Wrap up and next stepsBe sure to subscribe and leave us a review!For more information about The Side-Hustle Dad, visit our website at https://thesidehustle.dadRemember, build the business, but be the dad!This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net.

Are you chasing more customers while the real money problem hides in plain sight?What if the hustle for new customers is actually costing you more than it's earning you? The #1 lie business owners tell themselves is "if I could just get more customers, everything would be better." But more customers without the right foundation can mean more chaos, more cost, and still no profit at the end of the month. In this episode of Second Act Business Owner, we break down why fixing what you already have — your pricing, your retention, and your profit strategy — is the real path to a thriving second act.HighlightsThe #1 money lie business owners tell themselves — and why it sounds so believableWhy doubling revenue doesn't always mean doubling profitThe questions you need to ask before chasing a single new customerHow a real therapy business eroded its margins by mismanaging 1099 vendor relationshipsThe 75/25 rule: why it costs dramatically more to get a new customer than to keep an existing oneWhy your greatest opportunity might be the customer already sitting in front of youThe profit account strategy: how to protect your earnings from disappearing into daily operations"Revenue is vanity, profit is sanity" — what that really means for second act business ownersChapters0:34 – The Money Lie1:13 – Why More Customers Fails1:56 – Fix Pricing and Retention2:59 – Keep Customers Profitably3:55 – Costly 1099 Vendor Trap5:26 – Revenue Vanity, Profit Sanity6:08 – Profit Systems and Accounts8:06 – Second Act Focus and WrapWant to get more help from Lee with your business? Visit her website: https://leegray.actioncoach.com/This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network. For more information, visit ictpod.net.

What does it take to build something you never planned for? Schrene Davis didn't set out to own three cosmetology schools — she was just trying to find a way out of a small town in Western Kansas. From a cheerleading scholarship and a cosmetology license she almost let expire, to becoming one of the early franchisees of Paul Mitchell Schools when there were fewer than five in existence, her journey is a masterclass in staying open to where life leads you.We talk about what it was really like building a school from the ground up, why the Springfield, Missouri model didn't translate to Wichita the way she expected, and how the industry — and the students walking through her doors — have fundamentally changed. We also get honest about the challenge of staying relevant as you get older in an industry that moves fast, and what it means to lead a school full of 18-year-olds who have a very different relationship with work than we did.HIGHLIGHTSSchrene describes her path as "accidental leadership" — no long-term vision, just a series of open doors she walked throughGrowing up in Holcomb, Kansas (graduating class of 39), she had no roadmap for college — until a boyfriend's football career took her to Missouri StateShe worked at a chain salon and booth rent while finishing her general education, and credits older mentors in those salons for her early growthBefore Instagram, building clientele meant beating the streets and handing out business cards — and there's something to be said for thatShe became a Paul Mitchell sales rep and discovered the school concept at a national gathering — and was immediately convinced it was what the industry neededWith only ~5 schools open at the time, she partnered with friends, secured a family investor, and opened in Springfield in 2005Springfield became their most successful school — profitable from day one — but replicating that success in Wichita proved much harderThe perception challenge in Wichita: Eric Fisher had already set a high bar, so the Paul Mitchell school wasn't the surprise it had been in SpringfieldThe shift in how families view cosmetology school: student loan debt has changed everything — now parents are more likely to celebrate a one-year skilled trade path"If you want it, it's there" — she's direct with prospective students that success requires cultivating relationships, not waiting for clients to appearGen Z students have reshaped how she thinks about fun, flexibility, and what motivates people to show upStudent-run teams (student council, "Be Nice or Else" community team) give students a voice and keep them investedThe aesthetics program is in year two and finding its groove after a messy year one of "discoveries"The emotional rollercoaster of being a service provider — riding the waves of a client's best and worst days — is something not everyone is built for, and she prepares students for thatCHAPTERS0:43 — Meet Schrene Davis1:00 — Small Town Beginnings2:12 — Choosing Cosmetology3:10 — Early Lessons in School4:03 — College and Moving5:15 — Salon Life and Mentors7:02 — Before Instagram Hustle9:13 — From Stylist to Rep10:46 — Discovering Paul Mitchell Schools14:21 — Launching the First School17:16 — Springfield Success Model18:59 — Wichita Market Reality21:13 — Cosmetology Culture Shift22:34 — What It Takes to Succeed24:00 — Fast Track Licensing25:00 — Career Paths Beyond Cutting26:30 — Spotting Student Potential28:06 — Old School Cosmo Rules29:26 — Teaching Color Confidence31:04 — Staying Relevant Over Time31:50 — Gen Z Work Life Shift33:45 — Student-Led School Culture37:11 — Launching Aesthetics Program40:50 — Rollercoaster Behind the Chair42:18 — How to Apply and Connect43:22 — Final Thanks and WrapRESOURCES MENTIONEDPaul Mitchell The School Wichita — paulimitchelltheschoolwichita.edu (find them on Instagram and TikTok @paulmitchelltheschoolwichita)FAFSA — Federal financial aid application mentioned as a resource many prospective students are unaware ofTo learn more about Utopia Modern Salon Suites, visit our website at https://utopiamodernsalon.com/ or follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn!If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe and share with a friend!