From Shih Tzus to CEO: Scaling Through Chaos

Summary

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

Host: Rudy Mawer (with Ray Gutierrez)
Guest: Barbara Parker
Release Date: May 22, 2026

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Episode Theme Overview

This episode captures Barbara Parker’s evolution from her humble entrepreneurial beginnings breeding Shih Tzus to leading multiple businesses and embracing chaos as part of her growth story. The conversation delves deep into the realities of personal and professional transformation, empowerment, and “turning pain into power.” It’s a candid, energetic exchange that blends concrete business lessons, discussions about empowerment, personal anecdotes, and practical advice on how entrepreneurs can scale while staying true to themselves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Journey from Shih Tzus to CEO (04:07–06:30)

• Barbara’s First Business: She shares her initial foray into entrepreneurship by breeding Shih Tzus, highlighting how overcoming her fears and facing new challenges became lessons in marketing and resilience.
  • “I didn't know it at 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...” (05:07–05:14)
• Reflection on adaptability and learning foundational business lessons in unexpected places.

2. Embracing Empowerment & Evolving Identity (01:49–03:17, 11:10–12:45)

• Transition and Growth: Barbara discusses constantly taking on new roles in her company, highlighting the tension between delegation and the instinct to “find new jobs.”
  • “I am still the queen of delegating and then finding new jobs for myself at the company...now I’m the podcast editor, the host...doing the fashion line and expanding the transportation department...” (01:53–02:22)
• On Early Empowerment: Empowerment is feeding off like-minded people, seeing each other’s blind spots, and propelling each other forward.
  • “When I get into an environment of like-minded people, you feed off each other and you're like, ‘Oh, well, I can see how you can take that to the next level.’” (11:10–11:17)

3. Authentic Storytelling and Vulnerability (03:24–03:57)

• Leaning Into Personal Story: Through mastermind experiences, Barbara learned the value of vulnerability and sharing her journey as part of building a legacy.
  • “As I've gone through several masterminds...I need to lean into my story, which I've always avoided because I don't like to cry in front of people...” (03:24–03:44)
• Encouragement for listeners to own their story – even the hard and emotional parts.

4. Dating, Professional Identity, and Boundaries (07:10–09:32)

• Experiences Post-Divorce: Barbara’s adventures in dating—managing time, setting boundaries, and approaching relationships with the same pragmatic lens as entrepreneurship.
  • “I had to learn today, do I want interesting conversation? Do I want, you know, a scratching post? ... I was simultaneously on all these dating apps. And so I would 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.” (07:36–08:20)
• Dating as Lead Generation: She draws direct parallels between business and dating, emphasizing the importance of volume, clarity in intentions, and not putting excessive pressure on relationships.
  • “Dating is a numbers game. If you never leave your house, how are you going to meet somebody?... Figure out, is this the person you even wanna have another conversation with? Look for friends...” (08:26–08:55)

5. The Power of Entrepreneurial Circles & “Building Your Murder” (12:11–12:45)

• Support Systems: Both speakers stress how essential it is to build a network of similarly driven, creative professionals.
  • “We start to become a legion, or as Leos like to say, a pride. Or if you're a bird of prey, a murderer of crows. Like we—we can go down the list here. What's your power animal?” (12:11–12:41)
  • Barbara responds in kind: “I think I’m going to stick with the murder. I like it. It’s dark.” (12:38–12:41)
• The lighthearted embrace of darkness as a form of empowerment and realism.

6. Turning Pain Into Power (16:24–16:58)

• Barbara closes with a powerful reflection:
  • “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 gonna make sense. It won’t make sense now, but later it will, because all things work together.” (16:37–16:58)

7. Practical Tools and Advice (09:15–15:41)

• Platform & Tool Talk: Spirited discussion on tools like Canva and Figma. Their pros and cons for entrepreneurs and perfectionists.
  • “If you're perfectionist, Canva is not your friend...It’s too many pieces and parts to put together.” (14:33–14:41)
  • Encouragement to “try Figma” as a design tool that strikes the right balance for growth-focused founders. (15:02–15:39)

8. Self-care for Entrepreneurs (17:20–17:38)

• Both speakers emphasize the necessity of self-care.
  • “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.” (17:20–17:26)
  • “And don't be mean to yourself... It's the perfectionist in me.” (17:33–17:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Standing Alone as a Pioneer:
  “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.” – Barbara (01:11–01:31)
• On Delegation & Self-awareness:
  “I am still the queen of delegating and then finding new jobs for myself at the company.” – Barbara (01:53–01:59)
• Dating = Lead Generation:
  “Dating is a numbers game. If you never leave your house, how are you going to meet somebody? ... Everybody’s not going to be a spouse. Stop thinking, ‘Oh, I’m gonna go on a date and they have to be perfect.’... Figure out, is this the person you even wanna have another conversation with?” – Barbara (08:26–09:15)
• Turning Pain Into Power:
  “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 gonna make sense...all things work together.” – Barbara (16:37–16:58)
• On Community and Support:
  “When I get into an environment of like-minded people, you feed off each other and you’re like, ‘Oh, well, I can see how you can take that to the next level.’” – Barbara (11:10–11:17)
• On Self-care:
  “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.” – Barbara (17:20–17:26)

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Important Timestamps

• Intro & Early Empowerment: 00:00–02:47
• Legacy vs. Women in Power Episode Differences: 03:24–03:57
• First Business (Shih Tzus): 04:07–05:14
• Dating & Boundaries, ‘Lead Generation’ Analogy: 07:10–09:32
• Entrepreneurial Circles: 11:10–12:45
• Tool Talk: Canva & Figma: 14:09–15:41
• Turning Pain Into Power: 16:24–16:58
• Self-care & Self-compassion Advice: 17:20–17:38

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How to Find Barbara Parker

• Akron, Ohio – local office
• Online at: BF Empowerment Queen, BL Parker, and Powerfully Broken podcast (Fridays at 9am, available on major streaming platforms and YouTube) – (15:54–16:24)

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Final Takeaways

• Growth through struggle is essential: The hardships and “clawed through chaos” moments are the bedrock of later success.
• Empowerment comes from community and vulnerability: Reaching higher often involves mutual support and candid sharing of setbacks and hopes.
• Entrepreneurs must prioritize self-care: Longevity and success depend as much on resting and kindness to self as on relentless hustle.
• Embrace the chaos: The wildest, most unpredictable aspects of entrepreneurship are often the best training ground.

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Transcript

[A]

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.

[B]

So let's talk about empowerment. You're clearly defined, empowered, and you're still in your early phases. Yeah, 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 be empowered and share that energy of empowerment?

[A]

It's great, because when I.

[C]

My name is 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.

[B]

Welcome back to another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast, Red Life Edition. For Inside Success, I am Ray Gutierrez. From Shih Tzus to empowerment, Barbara Parker, everyone. Barbara, you are quite the woman in power and the legacy maker. How does it feel to be both?

[A]

Exhausting.

[B]

I can tell.

[A]

Yeah. But, you know, great, because it's something about beating an 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.

[B]

Well, welcome to the abyss where successful people stand alone. Yes, you're a special case. Besides being an inner circle member, you did a Legacy Makers episode first, and now you've done a Women in Power episode. Yes. There's gotta be a yin and a yang. There's a change to you.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Talk about that evolution between the two episodes.

[A]

So I am more tired because, you know, I am still the queen of delegating and then finding new jobs for myself at the company. So, like, now I'm the podcast editor, recorder, the host, the. Yeah. And 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.

[B]

Right on. So, yeah, I always like to compartmentalize myself between years or decades. And, like, currently the person in this chair is 2020. 1983 to 2020 version. Ray. From 2020 to 2025 Ray. It's 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 are we are Barbara, besides tired.

[A]

Right. We are getting probably the birth of. So everything is in its infancy. I'm 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.

[B]

Very cool.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Talk about your experience today. What are we going to learn about your episode in Women in Power versus what we'll learn about you and legacy makers.

[A]

So legacy makers, you get that very professional barber side. 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.

[B]

Wow. So, yeah, I gotta jump right into it. How was it like having your first business being shih tzus or raising shih tzus or adopting shih tzus?

[A]

So I don't know if I can cuss, but, I mean, it was kind of shitty. You're a shit. 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 mate 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 survived, 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 gotta wait for them to go. She's pregnant now. You gotta wait. 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 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 Craigslist as well.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

Oh yeah, the more fun parts of Craigslist. What was it, Back Page or something?

[B]

Chris.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I love you.

[A]

They took away all those things.

[B]

Only the weirdos on Back Page. Yes, continue.

[A]

I was single for a time, you know.

[B]

Uh huh.

[A]

You know, I'm gonna say I have, I have many stories that haven't been told. None of them involve that page, but.

[B]

Oh, she found.

[A]

Barbara found the handcuffs talking about sex. So like, oh man.

[B]

Yeah, all right. That's a side quest project.

[A]

Oh no. Like when you're dealing with healthy relationships,

[B]

there's one of your exes right now, I'm out of here.

[A]

Right, right. They seem to come right back. They just like, why are you here? Again? Like, yeah, I love it. 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? I'm like, 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.

[B]

Yeah. It's funny because when we talk about Backpage, 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. We're all gypsies.

[A]

Right? Right.

[B]

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, 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? And.

[A]

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. It was too much and I just wasn't willing to do it.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

So I had to learn today, do I want interesting conversation? Do I want, you know, a scratching post? And so figuring out where I was 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.

[B]

Yeah. And so building leads and closing. Exactly.

[A]

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 gonna go on a date. And they have to be perfect. Like, no, you're putting too much stress on you and the date and the situation. Figure out, is this the person you even wanna 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.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But if you're looking for someone to hang out with, it's less stressful. And you like, hey, we both like going to concerts.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now you got somebody to talk to about the music. It's not, oh, I have to marry this person because I went to a concert with them for, like, you're doing too much in too short of a time.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

It's only coffee, ma'. Am. Just.

[B]

And then 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.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yada, yada, yada. And then you're like, high five the next morning. Like, all right, cool.

[A]

Right? Your name again.

[B]

Yeah. Well, not that bad. Not that bad. At least we. At least we'd know each other's first name. Right? But no, but you would stay in 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.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But you understood like, it's not emotional, it's not intimate, it's just release. Because we're adults, we operate at a different level and we understand that we are consuming energy and we're just thriving together. Which is why when I hobbied, 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, with, with a friendly. And just sizing all the clients going, oh, that guy's. And I'm like. And then we operate and you're essentially talking to a salesperson. Yeah, the two. The highest, highest potential. Agreed. Because they're vulnerable, high intelligent, sharp, and they, 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. Yeah, to me, in the, in the universes that I like to operate in, you're far more advanced. But in this reality, what is it like to be empowered and share that energy of empowerment?

[A]

It's great because when I get into an environment of like minded people, you feed off each 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, something. He's like, oh. Cause you need to monetize. 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 gonna build out his space, I'm 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.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And then the world actually benefits from your just random conversation that lasted 10 minutes.

[B]

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, and 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 Leos like to say, a pride. Or if you're a bird of prey, a murderer of crows. Like we 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.

[A]

I think I'm going to stick with the murder. I like it. It's dark.

[B]

It's dark. Yeah, I like it.

[A]

I like it. Yeah.

[B]

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

[A]

belong in this space, not murdering the old me.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. You're killing it, man. What? What a thought. A murder. What?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If there was only a palace where we all can celebrate being killers of our own reality.

[A]

Anyway, there's anything in October. Cool.

[B]

Dot, dot, do. 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,

[A]

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 gotta 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.

[B]

Oh, God.

[A]

And I'm like, do you know what you could do with those six hours? Yeah.

[B]

Hell, yeah.

[A]

Put that into yourself.

[B]

Here's Canva, right?

[A]

Oh, Canva is the dark tunnel. No, no Canva. No more can.

[B]

No, it's a creative trigger. Either you're pro, pro Canva. You're very, very, very, very that.

[A]

It's like, oh, my gosh. Like, I can make this even better.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Everyone's, like, crying about AI. I'm like, canvas. Put out entire Photoshop artists. Oh, God. If you can't, you're. You're. Oh, man.

[A]

Yeah. If you're perfectionist, Canva is not your friend. No, no, it's. It'll be beautiful, but it is not your friend. It's too many pieces and parts to put together.

[B]

Do you like. Like, you should just view your grid so you can lock it into a grid? Because I'm a line perfection, as you can kind of tell in the studio. So, yeah, I'm pro Canva for the simplicity, but I'm also, like, anti Canva because it's like, it's too simple. I'm like, ah, no, it's quick.

[A]

It's quick and dirty.

[B]

Quick, quick and dirty.

[A]

The far perfectionist is just a lot more dirty.

[B]

Sigma, have you used Figma?

[A]

No.

[B]

Figma is the bomb. Try figma. Oh yeah. The first thing you gotta do, try Figma. I love Figma. Like Figma is basically, is like if you're into Photoshop, but into UX and UI design and like understanding the flow of of how it feels when you glide through an app. Figma is the shit.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[B]

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 and 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.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're gonna have fun. Oh, I know.

[A]

See, I gotta hang out with this murder more often.

[B]

I love him. My love. So how can people find you? How can people find your Dark Passenger?

[A]

We can be found in Akron, Ohio. We got a couple of different sites. We're in about 10 different sites right now, but primarily our office is in Akron, Ohio.

[B]

Right on.

[A]

But Also online at BF Empowerment Queen, BL Parker and Powerfully Broken that airs every Friday at 9am Powerfully broken on most streaming systems and YouTube. So readily available.

[B]

I love it. Can you give us one like, amazing ending where it's like turning pain into power? Because you're all about understanding the energy that is pain and the necessities of being broken and then being rebuilt.

[A]

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 gonna make sense. It won't make sense now, but later it will cause all things work together.

[B]

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, you're on 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.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

Any closing comments? How we wrap up our Friday in the Red Life podcast?

[A]

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.

[B]

Hydrate.

[A]

Yes. That is in the rest don't be me. Go to sleep. Yeah, take a nap.

[B]

And don't be mean to yourself. Stop being mean to yourself. Isn't that right, Ray? That's right, Ray.

[A]

Right. I was like, oh, I'll be nicer. It's the perfectionist in me.

[B]

If you ask someone for help and they're mean to you, it's because they really needed and too embarrassed to admit it. So, yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

All right. Enough with that. Yes, this is Barbara Parker. I'm Ray Gutierrez. This is Inside Success Living the Red Life.