The Level Up Podcast w/ Paul Alex

Episode: How a Single Mom Built Multiple Empires and Changed Her Life Forever | Guest: Tasha Antell

Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Paul Alex Espinoza
Guest: Tasha Antell

Main Theme

This episode features the inspiring journey of Tasha Antell, a single mom who overcame a traumatic childhood and personal adversity to build multiple successful businesses. Tasha shares her story of survival, resilience, entrepreneurship, and family, while offering practical advice for aspiring business owners. The episode is rich with actionable strategies, powerful mindset shifts, and motivating anecdotes on how anyone can start from nothing, scale, and build an impactful life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tasha’s Background and Resilience

[00:52–02:21]

• Tasha recounts her difficult upbringing: abusive stepfather, addicted mother, periods of homelessness, raising a younger sister, and hustling multiple jobs as a teenager.
  • Quote:
    “My stepfather was very physically abusive. My mother was an addict... When we were evicted from our home, I was 16. I slept in the dumpster. Then I would get up to school, shower at school, and pretend like everything was ok. I had to. I had no other option.” (Tasha, 00:52)
• Tasha frames her hardship as a reason to succeed, not an excuse to fail.
  • Quote:
    “No matter what you've been through, you can use it as an excuse to fail or a reason to succeed.” (Tasha, 15:11)

2. Entrepreneurial Journey: Birth of the Olive Cleaning Company

[03:12–07:16]

• Transition from stay-at-home mom to single mother of three, with no degree and re-entering the workforce.
• Serendipitous start in janitorial cleaning when her ex-sister-in-law needed her house cleaned.
• Realization: One three-hour cleaning for $300, better than job offers at $17/hour.
  • Quote:
    “I went and cleaned that house... made 300 bucks, fed my kids for the week. And then the next day... another job, another $300... That’s it. This is what I’m doing.” (Tasha, 06:09)
• Faith as inspiration: named business after the biblical olive branch.
• From 1 job to 20, now 25 staff and 400 jobs per week.

3. Building and Systemizing Multiple Businesses

[03:02, 07:16–12:39]

• Key to managing six businesses (exiting three): robust systems and processes, strong team, delegation.
  • Quote:
    “If you have a solid enough system, then the processes take care of everything. You create this system that is operating on its own.” (Tasha, 03:12)
• Learning by doing, mistakes as teachers; became a coach to help others avoid costly errors.
  • On hiring:
    “Wrong person, wrong seat. And hire slow and fire quick.” (Tasha, 10:58)

4. Coaching Others and Mindset Transformation

[12:02–14:24]

• Coaching not industry-specific, but focused on the universal principles of business and mindset.
• Story of helping a videographer client break out of underpricing and scarcity to exceed income goals.
  • Quote:
    “If they don’t [see your value], they’re not your clients... He not only made the goal we set for him but surpassed it by quite a few thousand dollars.” (Tasha, 13:19)

5. Family, Motherhood, and Work-Life Harmony

[18:56–23:24]

• Dismisses the myth of “work-life balance”—advocates for harmonious integration through intentional family communication.
• Weekly family meetings to discuss schedules, needs, and support.
  • Quote:
    “I do not believe in work-life balance...I think there can be work-life harmony... We sit down as a family and we have our family meeting and we discuss what our week looks like.” (Tasha, 19:28)
• Learning from mentors: leaving business at the door to be present for family.

6. Visionary Leadership and Delegation

[23:24–24:00]

• Tasha identifies as a "visionary," not an implementer—focuses on what she excels at, delegates the rest.
• Advocates “time inventory” to identify tasks to outsource.
  • Quote:
    “If you want to be big and you want to do big things, find the things that you’re not good at...and then see what you can offset to someone else.” (Tasha, 23:40)

7. Beginner Masterclass: Steps to Start a Service Business

[24:00–26:47]

• Top 5 Steps for New Entrepreneurs:
  1. Structure business properly (holding companies, foundational set-up).
     • Quote: “We cannot build a skyscraper of a business on a foundation built for a tiny house.” (Tasha, 25:12)
  2. Focus on lead generation/marketing (organic at first is fine).
  3. Find a mentor to shorten the learning curve.
     • Quote: “Business is the cha cha. Sometimes it is one step forward and two steps back.” (Tasha, 25:43)
  4. “Love the dance”—embrace challenges as part of entrepreneurship.
  5. Create “spoke” businesses—related ventures that support and stabilize the main business.

8. Scaling & Diversification: The “Spoke” Model

[26:59–29:34]

• Multiple companies orbiting her main business: IT solutions, in-house marketing, biomedical, and a chemical company for organic hypochlorous acid.
• Emphasis on innovation and creating new markets.

9. Recent Accolades and Motivation

[29:34–30:57]

• Featured on the cover of Forbes Canada.
• Reflection on growth: always advancing toward next-level self; endless pursuit of potential.
  • Quote:
    “You should always look at yourself on the top of stairs, and always be going after that person...and then create a new person.” (Tasha, 29:58)

10. Mindset for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

[31:11–32:55]

• Tasha credits “imposter syndrome” as a tool for growth, not something to avoid.
  • Quote:
    “If you have imposter syndrome, learn to love it. ...The only thing you have to do is start.” (Tasha, 31:41)
  • “Get excited about not knowing the next step. ...If I am not striving to do something I don’t know how to do, I am not growing.” (Tasha, 32:54)
• She overcame a lack of formal education, started with a GED, then graduated valedictorian—proving credentials aren’t required to start.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There is nothing stopping you from achieving everything you ever wanted. The only person that is stopping you is you.” (Tasha, 30:56)
• On motherhood and impact:
  “At the end of the day, I can fail in business, but I will not fail at being a mom and I will not fail at being a wife.” (Tasha, 21:59)
• On using adversity as fuel:
  “She [my mother] was my role model of what I did not want to be...I took everything she taught me, and I flipped it...They’re not going to be given obstacles—they’re going to be given opportunities.” (Tasha, 18:24)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Tasha’s childhood & resilience: 00:52–02:21, 15:11–18:56
• Becoming an entrepreneur: 03:12–07:16
• Building and systemizing businesses: 10:06–12:02
• Coaching & mindset: 12:39–14:24
• Balancing family and business: 18:56–23:24
• Time management, delegation, visionary role: 23:24–24:00
• Beginner steps to service business: 24:00–26:47
• Diversification & scaling with “spoke” businesses: 26:59–29:34
• Accolades and bigger mission: 29:34–31:11
• Mindset advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: 31:11–32:55

Where to Find Tasha

• Instagram: @iamtashaantel
• Facebook: Tasha Antell
• TikTok: @iamtashaantel
• Website: tashaantel.com (offering free 30-min consults for listeners)

Closing Takeaways

• Use adversity as a reason to rise, not as a justification to shrink.
• Systems, solid team members, and personal growth enable scaling multiple businesses—even as a busy parent.
• Mentors and learning from others’ mistakes shortens the entrepreneurial learning curve immensely.
• You don’t need to have it all figured out—just start, embrace the unknown, and grow into every new challenge.
• Seek harmony, not impossible “balance,” between business and family.
• Keep evolving: “You vs. You” is the ultimate game.

This summary captures Tasha’s remarkable transformation and the lessons she imparts for anyone ready to “level up” in life or business. Her story is proof that beginnings do not determine endings—and that mindset, grit, and action change everything.