Just over FOUR YEARS AGO I interviewed David Dominé about his book, 'A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City'. The local Louisville gay scene and characters figure prominently in the story. Stay tuned for big news from David and HBO. In the meantime, watch his interview: https://youtu.be/A7CDRKZR PS- This book inspired my disco ball obsession. Or, at the very least, added fuel to the fire. #ilovegaybars #GayBarchives #gayKY

Happy Tuesday Syndicate Family, Let's welcome to the group our newest member all the way from Serbia, @Darko Živkov Popov Give him a warm welcome and Darko, take a minute to go to our "Introductions" tab and let us know a little about yourself and how we can help each other grow. For today's 'Tools to Grow,' I want to talk a little bit about podcasting. It came up in our ALL Member Coffee Chat yesterday, and since it's in my wheelhouse, I thought I would post about it today. As an lgbtq podcaster for over 10 years now, I have seen the benefits of both sides of the microphone, from the podcaster's perspective and the guest's. Podcasting isn’t just “content.” It’s a visibility accelerator, a trust builder, and a relationship magnet, especially for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, creatives, and service providers. Here’s why both hosting and guesting on podcasts are powerful tools to grow your business or service: The Power of Being a Podcast Guest When you’re a guest, you borrow trust instantly. You’re stepping into an audience that’s already warmed up. Why it works: - You position yourself as an expert without pitching - You reach new, aligned audiences fast - You build credibility through conversation, not ads - You create reusable content (clips, quotes, reels) - You form real relationships with hosts and communities It's really a low lift, high visibility, and big authority energy to bring to your business or service. The Advantage of Hosting Your Own Podcast When you host, you control the narrative, and the ecosystem around your brand. Why it works: - You become the connector in your industry - Your brand grows through consistency and familiarity - Every episode builds long-term trust and discoverability - Guests often turn into collaborators, clients, or referrals - Your podcast becomes a lead generator, not just a show When you actually host your own podcast, you’re not chasing visibility, you’re creating it. By the way, the real growth happens when you do both:

I found myself clicking through a new member's website and discovered that their business is NGLCC Certified LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) — which is a truly remarkable milestone. I’m currently in the middle of putting in my own application for LGBTBE certification through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), which has been an unexpected but awesome journey so far. (nglcc.org) I also wanted to highlight this for anyone here who might be interested in becoming certified as a queer-owned business and didn’t know this pathway existed — because I definitely didn’t until recently. I’ll be honest — there was a part of me that did hesitate about being openly LGBTQ-owned in a field like healthcare, especially as a newer business. But then I was like, “If someone is turned off by that, they’re probably not someone I’d enjoy working with anyway,” and honestly, it probably filters out the exact people I’d hate collaborating with… so win-win. I'm curious what other people's experiences are with this. For folks who are certified or further along in your journey: what else am I missing? Other certifications, networks, resources, or opportunities that actually made a difference for you? I’d love to hear what’s been useful in your experience.

Happy Sunday Success Syndicate Family. I hope you all had a fantastic week and are ready to have an even better one ahead. I am ready with all the ingredients for my famous Superbowl Guacamole, one of the few sportsball days I celebrate. Here's this week's topics that are on my hot list..... This week we have TWO Coffee Chats. On Monday, is our ALL MEMBER 2nd Monday Coffee Chat ,and on Thursday is our PREMIUM/VIP Coffee Chat. Both at at 10am US Eastern Time Zone. I hope you have a chance to pop in on one, if your busy schedules allow. We will be discussing how to help make the Syndicate better to match YOUR goals for being here and what you would like to see posted. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Our Guest Interview this week is with Business Coach, Matt Gerlach. Matt left the 7 figure marketing company he founded, after experiencing health issues, stress and burnout. He now has re-focused his life and goals and is helping other high-performing CEO's and Entrepreneurs, bring balance to their work and life. We also talked about his fantastic concept of "Friday Brunch," where he brings togethers up to 10 others for just conversation about life. An idea, I am hoping to bring to my area here in NE Ohio soon. You can watch our interview or read the transcript below and check out his work on his website at www.mattgerlach.com _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ We had a great Coffee Chat this past week, where we talked about ways to help members grow in their businesses and relationships here at the Success Syndicate, and what we can do to facilitate that. We have lost a little bit of our momentum we had in the first month, and we are officially in Month 2, and want to keep growing and adapting to the needs of our community. YOUR participation will help with that. I know we are all busy, but try to take 5 minutes every other day or so to catch up here in the Syndicate, read about what's going on with members, make a connection with a new member or friend, and let us know what we can do as a group to help you.

You don’t have to hustle harder to be worthy of success. You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to prove your value by burning yourself out. This week, let your business, brand, or creative work feel a little more like care and a little less like pressure. Check in with what you’re building: Is it supporting you… or just demanding more from you? Motivation Today, show your work some love by choosing one small, kind action: - send the follow-up - finish the draft - update the bio - ask for help - or simply step away when your energy says “enough” 💖 What’s one small way you’re showing your work some love this week? Progress doesn’t have to hurt to count. Consistency grows best when it’s rooted in care. #MondayMotivation #ValentinesWeek #QueerBusiness #LGBTQCreators #SuccessSyndicate