Living The Red Life - From Shih Tzus to CEO: Scaling Through Chaos

Episode Date: May 22, 2026

She didn’t start with a polished business plan. She started with fear, uncertainty, and a single step forward. In this episode of Living the Red Life, Barbara Parker breaks down how she turned small beginnings into expanding ventures across empowerment coaching, podcasting, and business growth. As she builds infrastructure, launches new verticals, and steps into leadership, she reveals the mindset shifts behind real entrepreneurial momentum. From marketing on Craigslist to scaling operations and building a personal brand, this conversation dives into empowerment, networking, and business strategy. It’s a raw look at what it takes to grow while still in the middle of the climb.Key Takeaways • Small, imperfect starts build real entrepreneurial confidence • Empowerment grows through collaboration and like-minded environments • Scaling a business requires constant reinvention and delegation • Networking exposes blind spots and accelerates growth • Personal energy management is critical for long-term successNotable Quotes • “The person you are today is going to be thankful for all the crap you had to claw through.” • “When you get into a room of like-minded people, you feed off each other.” • “I just keep finding new jobs after I give away the old ones.” • “Dating is a numbers game. Business is too.” • “Take care of yourself so you can take care of others.”Connect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

The person you are today is going to be thankful for all the crap that you had to claw through to be the person you are because it's going to make sense. It won't make sense now, but later it will because all things work together. So let's talk about empowerment. You're clearly defined, empowered, and you're still in your early phases. To me, in the universes that I like to operate in, you're far more advanced. But in this reality, what is it like to? to be empowered and share that energy of empowerment.

It's great because when I... My name's Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the Red Life, ditch the Blue Pill, take the Red Pill, join me in Wonderland and change your life. Welcome back to another episode

of the Living Your Legacy podcast, Red Life Edition. For Insight Success, I am Ray Gutierrez, from Shih Tzu's to Empowerment. Barbara Parker, everyone. Barbara, you are quite the woman in power and a legacy maker. How does it feel to be both? Exhausting. I can tell.

Yeah. But, you know, great because it's something about beating a untrodden path. And, you know, you do it, you're alone, and then you figure out, oh, wait, where's everyone? Okay, that's why I'm alone. I'm the first one of my people to be doing this. So it's kind of cool. Well, welcome to The Abyss. We're successful people stand alone.

Yes. You're a special case besides being an inner circle member. You did a Legacy Maker's episode first. And now you've done a Women Empower episode. Yes. There's got to be a ying and a yang. There's a change to you. Yes.

Talk about that evolution between the two episodes. So I am more tired because, you know, I am still the queen of delegating and then finding new jobs for myself at the um company. So like now I'm the podcast editor, recorder, the host, the, yeah, and, uh, now doing the fashion line and doing, expanding the transportation department. So like, I just keep finding new jobs after I give away the old ones. Right on. So yeah. I always like to car, parmentalize myself between years or decades and like currently the person in this chair is 20, 1983 to 2020 version Ray. From 2020 to 2025, Ray is a different version of Ray that I don't monetize yet. So you're getting

this version of Ray. What version are we getting of you? Future past tense. What what what frequency we are we are, Barbara? Um, besides tired. Right. Um, we are getting probably the birth of. Um, so everything is in its infancy. I'm building. building the infrastructure, and I can't wait to see this thing become a teenager. I mean, my six-year-old is, like, doing amazing things. And I'm like, oh, you're going to school. You can write your name. Like, I'm excited.

So, you know, I can't wait to see what happens in the next five to ten years. Very cool. Yeah. Talk about your experience today. What are we going to learn about your episode in Women in Power versus what will learn about you and legacy makers? So, legacy makers, you get that very. professional Barberside as I've gone through several of the masterminds and learned that I need to lean into my story, which I've always avoided because I don't like to cry in front of

people, especially not strangers. And y'all didn't get me this time. You got me last time. But it was me leaning into my story and telling pieces of my story that no one knows, probably not even people that are really close to me. Wow. So yeah. I got to jump right into it.

How was it like having your first business being shih Tzu's? Are raising shih Tzu's or adopting shih Tzu's? So I don't know if I can cuss, but I mean, it was kind of shitty, you know. But it was, you know, the safest thing for me because it was me overcoming my fear. So, you know, it's easy to not be afraid of tiny, tiny dogs, especially when you made them. And so it was interesting because I was like, can I really do this? And when we had the litter of one, I was like, I thought dogs had more dogs than this. And so it was like, that's okay.

I can learn how to take care of a puppy. And, you know, we did all the things. It's a vibe. We sold it. And then they had more litters. And it was like, oh, then I was constantly getting calls. And I'm like, we don't have another litter for like another two months. We got to wait for them to go.

She's pregnant now. You got to wait. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and then people being impatient. So it was like, oh, you know, it was my first. I didn't know it at the time, but it was the first time I was learning how to market. Because Craigslist was a thing.

And then they suddenly took down that section of Craigslist. And other sections of Craiglis as well, sorry. Oh, yeah. The more fun parts of Craigslist. And the other one, what was it, back page or something? Yes. Yeah. I love you.

They took away all those things. Only the weirdos little back page. Yes, continue. A whole single for a time, you know. Uh-huh. You know, I'm going to say. I have many stories that haven't been told. None of them involve back page.

But. Oh, she found a Laura. Barbara found a handcuffs. I love talking about sex. Oh, man. Yeah. That's a side quest project. I don't know.

Like, when you're dealing with healthy relationships. There's one of your exes. right now. I'm out of you. Right. Right. They seem to come right back. Like, why are you here again? Like, yeah. You know, when you're dealing with intimate relationships, sex is a big part of it, and so many times

people have been taught not to talk about it in a professional setting. So being someone who's open to talk about those things, my staff feel like staff is shocked. The clients are shocked, and they're like, wait, is it really okay? Do you have sex with your partner? Not talk about sex. And sometimes that's the case. They don't even feel comfortable talking to their partner.

Yeah, it's funny because when we talk about back page, and so you immediately know, oh, I understand. Like, I used to hobby in San Francisco. And, like, it was such an amazing, beautiful community of artists that understood what they were quite doing. And we obviously gravitated towards each other. And we understood we're in the exact same hustle. Yeah.

We're all gypsies. Right. Right. We're all very much gypsies. So the fact that we go back to the back pages of the world is like, oh, oh yeah, right on. And that was the Bay Area that I thrived in. And, like, it was such an amazing, beautiful community.

So happy that I was part of that. Do you want to talk about some of your experiences in the back page reality? Or should we move forward into empowerment? Well, I was always looking. So when I was single, I was looking for different things, you know. And I had to embrace where I was in a moment. When I got divorced, I was not a person who was ready to be an everyday partner. Like, that was, that seemed like torture and it was overwhelming and it was too much and I just wasn't willing to do it.

Sure. So I had to learn today, do I want interesting conversation? Do I want, you know, a scratching post? Yeah. And so figuring out where I was was like, hey, this is where I was like, hey, this is where I am today. Yeah, I don't like you. I won't be talking to you again. And I learned how to date because when I was on plenty of fish and Black Planet and all, like I was simultaneously on all of these dating apps. And so I would literally schedule them like for this four hours of my day,

I'm going to not get kidnapped, but I'm going to meet all these weirdos. And so, And so... Building leads and closing. Exactly. Exactly. Right. And I tell people all the time, dating is a numbers game. If you never leave your house, how are you going to meet somebody?

You have to meet more people and you have to figure out, you know, everybody's not going to be a spouse. Stop thinking, oh, I'm going to go on a date and they have to be perfect. Like, no, you're putting too much stress on you and the date in a situation. Figure out, is this a person you even want to have another conversation with? Like, look for friends. They're not friends like, oh, nice meeting you. We want different things and go on about your business.

And so many times I find that women that have their own businesses feel overwhelmed because they're not as needy as their counterparts. And they're like, well, I'm busy and he wants my time. And so they don't even attempt to date because they feel like it's a waste of their time. But if you're looking for someone to hang out with, it's less stressful. And you're like, hey, we both like going to concerts. Yeah. Now you got somebody talk to about the music.

It's not, oh, I have to marry this person because I went to a concert with them. Like, you're doing too much and too short of a time. Yep. It's only coffee, ma'am. Just. And there's also the other extreme, a decade ago in the Bay, it was very common to do that and be like, we're very busy. We don't have time to be in a relationship. But we do have time to hang out.

Yeah. Yada, yada, yada. And then you're like high. the next morning, like, all right, cool. Right. Your name again? Yeah. Well, not that bad.

Not that bad. At least we'd know each other's first name. Right. But no, but you would stay at this tribe and it was just like, oh, dude, I had a rough day. Let's grab a drink. And you would just know that you were going to go through a therapeutic session with a friend, a colleague. That was a little more than that. Yeah.

But you understood, like, it's not emotional. It's not intimate. It's just released because we're adults. We operate at a different level. And we understand that we are consuming energy. and we're just driving together, which is why when I hobbyed, I was like, oh, cool, you guys are all CEOs,

entrepreneurs, and you love the hustle. The best times I've had are sitting at a bar with a friendly and just sizing all the clients going, oh, that guy's that. And then we operate, and you're essentially talking to a salesperson. Yeah. To the highest, highest potential degree

because they're vulnerable, high, intelligent, sharp, and they will probably kill you if you mess with them. So let's talk about empowerment. You're clearly defined, empowered, and you're still in your early phases. To me, in the universes that I like to operate,

and you're far more advanced. But in this reality, what does it like to be empowered and share that energy of empowerment? It's great, because when I get into an environment of like-minded people, you feed off each person. other. And you're like, oh, well, I can see how you can take that to the next level.

Like, when I was just envisioning doing a podcast, one of my friends was like, oh, well, you need to have a table. I'm like, what do I need a table for? I think I just need mics. And he's like, well, it's for product placement. It's like, oh, because you need to monitor. I was clueless when I was just thinking about it. And he helped me take it to another level. And then, you know, when he's talking about he's going to build out his space, I'm like, like, hey, put this here, put that there. And so when you have someone who's striving for the same things, you feed each other because you can see each other's blind spots,

and it makes you just better, makes them better, and then you share that with everyone around you. And then the world actually benefits from your just random conversation that lasted 10 minutes. Yep, yep. So yeah. We call it networking. But no, but you're absolutely right.

you start attracting folks, a lot of folks that think like you. You start the magnet. If you look down the microscope, it's exactly the same thing. We're starting to attract and we start to become a legion. Or as Leo's like to say,

a pride. Or if you're a bird of prey, a murder of crows. Like, we can go down the list here. It's just like, what's your power animal? Where do you stand? There's still power in you. I think I'm going to stick with the murder.

I like it. It's dark. It's dark. Yeah. I like it. I like it. Yeah. But there's like an empowerment in that darkness because it makes you feel like stoic. It makes you feel like, yeah,

I belong in this space. Now, murdering the Odomy. Yeah, exactly. You're killing it. Man, what? What a thought? A murder? What? Yeah. If there was only a palace where we all can celebrate being killers of her own reality. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Anyway, if there's anything

in October. Cool. Dot, dot, dot, dot. To be continued. So let's talk about evolution. We're obviously ascending on live in front of your eyes. What do you feel? Some people call it the Holy Spirit.

Some people call it an orgasm. So I don't know. What energy is thriving in you when you are performing or, as we like to call it, empowering? Just joy. I have a gift of hoping for things that someone can't see. And so when they are like, hey, all these things, I got 15 things I got to get done. I'm like, okay, well, if we take these three things off, you're spending the most energy on them.

Now you can free yourself up to do this, this, and this. Like, I've had clients who were spending like six hours a day stalking their boyfriend. Oh, God. And I'm like, do you know what you could do with those six hours? Put that into yourself. Here's Canva. Right. Oh, Canva is the dark tunnel.

No, no Canva. No more Canva. No, it's a creative trigger. I think you're pro, pro Canva. You're very, very, very, very that. It's like, oh my gosh. Like, I can make this even better. Yeah, yeah.

Everyone's like crying about AI. I'm like, Canva's put out entire Photoshop artists. Oh, God. If you can't, you're, oh, man. Yeah. If you're perfectionist, Canva is not your friend. No, no. It'll be beautiful, but it is not your friend.

It's too many pieces and parts to put together. Do you like, like, you should just view your grid so you can lock into a grid. I'm a line perfectionist, you can kind of tell in the studio. So I'm pro-canva for the simplicity, but I'm also like anti-camera because it's like, it's too simple. I'm like, ah, no. It's quick. It's quick and dirty. Quick, quick and dirty.

The far perfectionist is just a lot more dirty. Figma. Have you used Figma? No. Figma is the bomb. Try Figma. Oh, yeah. The first thing you got to do, try Figma.

I love Figma. Like, Figma is basically, it's just like, if you're into Photoshop, but into U.X and UI design and, like, understanding the flow of how it's, how it feels when you glide through an app, Figma is the shit. Oh, wow. You're just like, oh, it's like technically beautiful, but easy enough where you're just like gridded it out. You can hand it to a web developer, a PDF designer, a deck,

and it's all Figma. And you can just grab it and place it right in it. It's all layered out. And you just give everything up. This does this. When this does that, that null. You click on this, this activates, and you can on Figma.

Trust me. Yeah. You're going to have fun. Oh, I know. See, I got to hang out with this murder more often. I love him, my love. So how can people find you? How can people find your dark passenger?

We can be found in Akron, Ohio. We've got a couple of different sites. We're in about 10 different sites right now. But primarily our office is in Akron, Ohio. But also online at BF Empowerment, Queen B.L. Parker. and powerfully broken that airs every Friday at 9 a.m. Powerfully broken.

On most streaming systems in YouTube. So I'm rarely available. I love it. Can you give us one like amazing ending where it's like turning pain into power? Like, because you're all about understanding the energy of that is pain and the necessities of being broken

and then being rebuilt. Yeah. the person you are today is going to be thankful for all the crap that you had to claw through to be the person you are because it's going to make sense. It won't make sense now

but later it will because all things work together. Yeah, and my advice to that is once you see them, they'll see you and once you understand really how energy works and how we're all in this together. Yeah. You're on your...

your path to be an entrepreneur. Just get ready to grow and ascend. And once you connect, they'll connect right back to you. Trust us. Yeah. Yeah. Any closing comments how we wrap up our Friday in the Red Life podcast? Take care of yourself so you can take care of others, but you cannot take care of

others if you're not taking care of yourself. Hydrate. Yes. That is in rest. Don't be me. Go to sleep. Take a nap. And don't be mean to yourself.

Stop being mean to yourself. Isn't that right, Ray? That's right, Ray. Right? I was like, oh, I'll be nicer. It's the perfectionist in me. If you ask someone for help and they're mean to you, it's because they really need it and to embarrass to admit it. Yeah, yeah. All right, enough. With that, this is Barbara Parker. I'm Regancierge. This is Inside Success.

Living the Red Life.