We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bethany Hawkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bethany below.

Alright, Bethany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

One of the largest risks I have taken in my life was creating this business. Having a degree in criminal justice is not the foundational information needed for working in audio! However, I knew it was the right move for me.

After spending almost 20 years in the criminal justice system, I knew I wanted to create a business that I loved and gave me the opportunity to choose who I wanted to work with and who wanted to work with me. I also knew I wanted to created podcasts that were either going to inspire or entertain.

I am fortunate that my risk has allowed me to do that and then some.

Bethany, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Three years before I left my corporate job to create this business, I was introduced to podcasts. My coworker and friend knew my love for Levar Burton and introduced to Levar Burton Reads. I then began exploring other podcasts where women like me spoke about microaggressions in the work force and how they started their businesses. Listening to those women speak on those two topics changed my life. I knew my calling was no longer in criminal justice but in podcasting. After much deliberation and course purchasing to learn how to podcast and create a business, I gave my resignation letter and I never looked back.

The things I am most proud of is not only having a sustainable business but the people I have the opportunity to work with. I get to create an abstract idea and manifest it into what some of my clients have been thinking about FOR YEARS! It is truly an honor to combine the ideas of my clients and the skillset of my team and create something better than my clients ever imagined.

In Crackers In Soup, we work on everything from producing podcasts to launching podcasts to podcast management. This year, we have also begun coaching podcast business owners so we can help them thrive and be successful in their podcasting business.

My entire brand is based on love. Love for what we do. Love for our clients. Love for the team I have created.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I truly believe the three things that have helped me build my reputation within this market is my integrity, my skill set and my passion. My team and I try our hardest to deliver the best high-end experience possible for not only our clients but to whomever we meet. If we are doing a seminar, if I am moderating a panel discussion, if I am working one-on-one with coaching clients, I try to give them the most information combined with the most energy. I want them to leave our time together knowing more and hopefully, they smiled or laughed at least once during that engagement.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Thus far, this is my most favorite question! I am OBSESSED with my team. I never fake that I do all of this alone. I honor and appreciate my time and I never tire of telling them that. My longest team member, Sharoline Galva (who is also the genius behind the stellar designs of Crackers In Soup) has been with me for 2 years. We have experienced so much together from business highs and lows to life highs and lows. She is truly my right hand.

My second longest team member, Luisa Olarte, has been with me for over a year! She is the genius behind the copywriting on my Instagram and Facebook account.

I am in the process of looking for an editor and a virtual assistant.

I have been intentional about finding team members that are either women of color or true allies of women of color.

My advice for managing my team and keeping high morale is

#1. Make sure they are your people! Can you share good and bad times with them? Can they share good and bad times with you?
#2. Make sure they are trustworthy.
#3. Make sure you articulate your expectations and they understand your expectations.
#4. Create an environment where they can speak to you if you were offensive. You are not infallible. You will make mistakes. But let them know you respect them when they share your mistakes with you.
#5. Tell them THANK YOU! I mean. Seriously. They are doing all the things. Sometimes saying: THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE YOU can mean the world to someone!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://crackersinsoup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcrackersinsoup/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bcrackersinsoup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crackersinsoup/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/crackers_in
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1oxEb8jQlDIpLP_t87y_AA

Image Credits
All of the images and cover art were created by Crackers In Soup, LLC