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Travis
Travis Makes Money podcast. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to the Travis Makes Money podcast, where it's our mission to help you make more money. On this episode of the show, I have a new friend, Bonnie Schutz. After nearly three decades as a corporate executive assistant, she knows what it means to spend years supporting powerful rooms behind the scenes before realizing she belonged at the table. And now in her second act, she worked through imposter syndrome, stepped into her founder CEO seat, and started Tandem Resource Sol, a US based remote administrative support recruiting firm. She also hosts Delegate Delegate to elevate Get Shit Done, a podcast about leadership, delegation, and strategic growth. And her newest venture, Preferred Service Pros, is a vetted B2B directory connecting business owners with trusted service providers. Bonnie, what's up? Welcome to the show.
Bonnie Schutz
Hey, nice to see you, Travis. Thank you for having me today.
Travis
Of course. I love the story of the second act here, but before we get into that, I want to go way back in. Tell me the first time that you ever made a dollar that you were shocked or surprised or excited by.
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah, so when I went out on my own, I was kind of shocked by the fact that people started reaching out to me that wanted to work for me. And I was kind of shocked by the evolution of my business from like a freelancer type thing and, you know, independent recruiter to an agency. So I was kind of shocked when I was able to make money owning an agency. Like, never in a million years did I think I would have people working for me like that.
Travis
What was your, what was your kind of intention getting into the workforce? Were you wanting to go the route that you went? Was it sort of a series of events that drove you that way?
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah, no, I, I didn't want to start that way. I wanted the traditional old J O B, you know, and just kind of sit there and work till I retire kind of thing. But I think as a woman of a certain age, like me, you get a little older in that corporate career and you're like, I'm tired of this bs. I kind of want to get out there and do on my own and stop making others look better and do it for myself. And so I say my stars kind of aligned. I was an empty nester. I was just kind of. Everything was just kind of working. My husband had the insurance, all the things, and some stupid person. My last job, I'll just say, kind of ticked me off. And that's what kind of put me out. I was like, okay, I'm doing this. Went up to my boss, said, you know what? I'm going to be just like you when I grow up. I'm going to build a multimillion dollar company and leave you. So, bye. About a. I gave him a month's notice. We left with a party. Went out with a bang. Yeah. So that's how I got there.
Travis
And how. How old were you when you quit that job?
Bonnie Schutz
I was 48 years old.
Travis
Wow. Congrats to you. That's awesome.
Bonnie Schutz
Thank you.
Travis
This is the beautiful thing about entrepreneurship, right? Like, compare it to other potential opportunities where you can make a lot of money. And this is really, like, the only one where, like, the playing ground is level for the most part. Obviously there are maybe people who have different advantages or privileges or things like that, but for the most part, though, anybody at any age, for any reason can start any business and see success in it. You know what I mean? Like, you don't have to come from this university. You don't have to have these innate talents or these freak genetics. It's just like you're willing to jump in and give it a shot, then you can also figure it out and do really well with it.
Bonnie Schutz
I came from the university of hard knocks, I like to say, and I still made it. I mean, you know, whatever your definition of making it is, to me, I made it.
Sponsor/Ad Reader
Yeah.
Bonnie Schutz
Even though.
Sponsor/Ad Reader
Well.
Travis
And to be fair, that is the definition. You know what I mean? That's the cool. Another cool thing about it is, like, you get to decide what that means for you. You know what I mean? There's plenty of small business owners in the country who never gross more than half a million a year, but they're happy as hell working for themselves and doing their thing and making their money and supporting their family without a boss. And you get to define terms.
Bonnie Schutz
Exactly. For me, it was just like, you know, I need to replace my income and be my own boss. That was success for me. And when I hit that and then started getting up there and then dollars, that didn't hurt.
Travis
Yeah, exactly. Were you. Were you a little scared or cautious at first?
Bonnie Schutz
Not so much scared, more excited. Honestly, I think as a woman gets older, she just kind of like, you know, like, what else can I do? What else can I prove to the man. Sorry. That I still do, you know? And so I think I was kind of excited and just the way things unfolded and how I've become this accidental entrepreneur now, like, having, like, I count the podcast as a business. So I say like three businesses at the moment. Like, just the launch of the newest one. And like, it's like, what? So I had some imposter syndrome going on into the podcasting world, because who wants to listen to me? It was the kind of the thing I would think, but, you know, I've had a good followership in the last year and a half, so I can't complain. And then a little imposter syndrome, getting on stages, things that I never would have done as an executive assistant in corporate. I was always behind the scenes, Bonnie on the spot, you know, just kind of whatever I had to do at the, you know, sitting next to the boss. And that was all I ever did before. So I. That was a bit of imposter syndrome to.
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Bonnie Schutz
Get rid of.
Travis
So tell me about the first money that you started making with this venture. Was it through network relationships? Were you marketing, getting leads? Like how did you actually get your first few paying clients in the door?
Bonnie Schutz
A hundred percent networking. And it was kind of an abstract thought to me because I didn't have to network when I had a corporate job, you know. But one thing I did do, unknowing that it was ever going to help me in the future was I never burned bridges. And all the old bosses I used to support who were successful business owners, I kept in touch with, I kept that LinkedIn connection and I started reaching out to those People, how did you do it? Because I had no idea how to build a business. I reached out. I wasn't shy. I just reached out and said, how do you do this? And they were there for me and they like to talk about how they got there. And so I think they're the ones that started to refer me out in the beginning. It's almost been a decade now. So if I can think back, they were the ones that referred me out and then told me that I needed to start networking and I needed to start meeting people. So I joined groups of what I like to call my people. So the women over 40. And I found a woman's group called Second Act Women. And they were in the exact same spot as me. We were all like corporate dropouts that were just trying to figure out what we can do in this next act. And I figured out the value of networking because still to this day, I still get referrals from them.
Travis
Well, like you said though, too, you were sort of doing it on accident the whole time that you were working your job. Right, but. But that's the different. But that's the people who didn't do networking well are the ones who understand that principle, that if you just treat people right over a long enough period of time, people will want to help you. You know, like, you don't have to trick people into helping you. You don't have to, you know, present yourself as a different version of yourself, or you don't have to have all these accolades and things like people in my experience anyway. And if you're around the right type of successful people, the majority of successful people that I have met are very helpful people. Like, they want to be helpful. They want the other people succeed. They're not. There's this kind of like weird thing in culture that suggests that because somebody's successful, it's only because they were willing to put other people down and step on hands on the success level. And yeah, just have not really experienced that. And to be fair, maybe it's because I intentionally avoid those types of people. And you're probably the same, but.
Bonnie Schutz
Same.
Travis
Yeah, but yeah, you treated people right over a long enough period of time. And then when you come to them and say, hey, I want to do this, yeah, they want to help. They want you to do well, sometimes
Bonnie Schutz
it's a bit of delayed gratification, I'll say. But if you just stick to it and have a little perseverance and stay continuously talking and building the relationships, that's what's always worked for Me?
Travis
Yeah.
Bonnie Schutz
And just like in a podcast, you know, like this. My podcast has been my pride and joy since I started it because, you know, working at home, isolated, that kind of thing, I'm a people person and being able to talk to people like this has just built that. Bonnie Brand, I guess you would say, more so in the thought leadership realm and the, you know, subject matter expert kind of areas that.
Travis
That women group that you were talking about, was this like a paid membership mastermind thing or how did you find this?
Bonnie Schutz
It was actually an organization, just kind of a community that I live in Denver, Colorado area, and we have something called the Denver Startup Week every year. And I think it's Colorado Startup Week now. But as I was just starting, not knowing what to do, I heard about that. And it's a whole week in downtown Denver where you go and you just. They have different cycles and things for founders and for people like scaling and all these things. And so I just went to the ones that were kind of women centric because I just thought that again, my people would support me the most. And I just happened to listen to one of that. The two that were running it put on a session and it just hit me like, wow, you are my. I've got to follow you. And I did. And it is now a community that has a yearly membership fee, you know, a good old Facebook group and all the things. And then they have events, cocktails, receptions, and yearly. It's called Biz lifecon that they have every year. So I go to that and stay there because they've been my tried and true ever since I did it the first time.
Travis
Was it a difficult decision to make the initial investment into a group like that? Did it. Did it come across your mind as strange or like, oh, this is weird. Like, should I do this?
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah, this one wasn't hard to swallow. This one wasn't too expensive. I did eventually join another one that was for six, seven and eight figure business women. So that you knew. I knew that I wanted to be in the room with people that were making more money than I was and learn from them. Now that one cost me a little more. That one was a little bit more for me to swallow at the time. I was like, I'm like, okay. Then I just kept thinking back to when I was younger and I. They used to say, you got to spend money to make money. And I was like, no, you don't. I can do all this. But no, I mean, it was worth every penny to pluck out the people from that organization. That I really vibed with and can learn from and can partner and collaborate with now.
Travis
Yeah, because that's the thing, right? Like, you can do it by yourself. You could. You know what I mean? Like, that's an option. But like, why, like, why would you make it more difficult? Like, because people get caught up in that investment and think that, you know, like, well, I, I, I could put this into advertising or I could put this into infrastructure business. Like, why am I spending money to go to this other. And it's just like, okay. But you take away one thing from somebody.
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah.
Travis
Who's doing eight figures in their business, who looks at the problem that you're coming across as, as though, you know, I always likened it to, I remember my son one time, he was, he was an infant at the time. I was probably maybe a year, year and a half, something like that. And he, you know those little, those little toy balls with the shapes that are cut out into them and they have to put the shape into the right hole. And I saw him struggling for like two minutes. And as a parent, it's like the worst thing ever to watch your kid struggle. But you also know that that's what you have to do is let them figure it out. So I'm watching him for like two or three minutes, just trying to like put this upside down triangle in the triangle hole. And just like could, not quite, he was just like, he couldn't figure. So after like 3, 4 minutes, I finally just like reached down and I tweaked it a little bit and then he pushed it right in. And I was like, the, the men picture to me was like, that's me as an infant business owner. I'm over here struggling like crazy for months on end, looking at this problem and trying to shove this upside down triangle in the hole. And then somebody with an eight figure business has come along. Just be like, oh, yeah, just go like that. And you're good.
Bonnie Schutz
I love analogies that are visuals like
Travis
that years of time. Yeah. It's crazy.
Bonnie Schutz
That's a perfect example. And there were so many women that I met that have been where I was and had already solved that problem. And then I get to my solution so much quicker.
Travis
Exactly.
Sponsor/Ad Reader
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Travis
what it was about.
Sponsor/Ad Reader
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Travis
about the new business. So what is the difference between the two of these? Why start the Preferred Service Pros?
Bonnie Schutz
Y that's the accidental entrepreneur thing. You know, I just wanted to do my one business and then I was reached out to on LinkedIn and a DM to do the podcast and I said what the heck, I'm going to spend some money, invest in myself, in this consultant and her team. And I'm glad I did. And then the conversations, you probably can relate to this a hundred percent. All the conversations I was having and all the solutions and like you said, tips and tricks and best practices that they were sharing with with me and with the audience just made me want to give back. And here's that thing where I'm the one that's wanting to give back. And so Preferred Service Pros is a B2B service provider directory of pre vetted people that have either been on my show or that I've gone through a big old checklist and done my due diligence to prove them worthy, I guess, of of my referrals and not just me, but anybody else that's on the list. So it's that vetted list and people that I want to just share and sing from the mountaintops that they're awesome, you know, and just share it out there. So there's a couple different levels and different visibility that that I can provide them and a lot of it's through the podcast. So I just thought that was a nice, easy, seemingly perfect way to pay it forward to all the people that have been on the show.
Travis
So what you're saying is everybody should start a podcast.
Bonnie Schutz
There you go. Yes. It's been great. And I never, like, like 10 years ago. No way.
Travis
I always love interviewing podcasters, too, because you got the setup, you got the mic, you got good audio quality, good video, you know how to talk. It's always a much more fun conversation.
Bonnie Schutz
It is. I love when we, like, reciprocate, you know, come on my show. You come on your show.
Travis
Yeah, exactly.
Bonnie Schutz
We do the co show. I just did a recent show with another podcaster. Yeah, we're the extroverts. We're the ones that can hold the combo and keep it going, I guess.
Travis
Yeah, exactly. What other benefits has the podcast brought you?
Bonnie Schutz
It definitely has brought that brand recognition to my first company and now I think, to the second company, because the following is growing faster in the second company than it grew in the first. And then the trust that I think people are putting in me because I've been in it now for a decade, I guess. But I think the podcast has just proven myself to others that maybe have doubted me, maybe in my corporate career, and I kind of like that. Yeah, I kind of like it for sure. Why not? Yeah, I'm okay after this corporate life. Long time ago now.
Travis
Yeah, exactly. More than okay, it seems like. Tell me about. Tell me about the first company, Tandem Resource Solutions. What exactly do you do? How do you help people?
Bonnie Schutz
Absolutely. So, you know, as I said, I was an executive assistant forever, and I was talking to my bestie at my last job, Michelle, and she was the recruiter at that office. And so we sat in her office one day, like, sick of the corporate grind that we were in, like, what can we do? So we started Tandem as a recruiting agency because she said she was the recruiter. She took me under her wing and taught me how to recruit. And she's like, you've been an admin for almost 30 years. Why don't you recruit admin roles? I'm like, yeah, I've been through enough interviews, Lord knows. So, yeah, let's do it. So we started as a side hustle, just recruiting. She had the contacts. We found it really difficult to make it, help it grow until that time that I had those conversations and I decided to leave my job and give it a hundred percent. I went out and gave it a hundred percent. She couldn't. She was in a different place in life. And that happens. Timing is everything. I went a hundred percent and I started like. I. The first thing I realized was, I don't know how to sell, how do you find clients? How the heck do I do this? How do I get into companies that already have HR departments and recruiters? And. And so that was a big challenge. I thought, well, what can I fall back on to get a paycheck in between recruitments? I'm like, well, I've been an executive assistant for 30 years. What can I do with those transferable skills? And said, well, I'd heard this is back in 2017, mind you. I'd heard of virtual assistants, and I was like, I think they are simply a call center in the Philippines. I had no idea what they were. And so I just kind of kept that in the back of my head. And I was looking at a Craigslist ad for something to buy something, and I saw an ad for a virtual assistant. And so I'm like, okay, I'm going to apply, because what am I When my bosses are traveling and I'm at their desk at home, I'm a virtual assistant. And so I sold myself that way and got the job. And so I became this VA. And then I put it out there on my LinkedIn that tandem resource Solutions was not just a virtual or not just a recruiting firm. It was a virtual assistance agency or virtual assistance provider because it was just me. And my. I like to say my virtual walls fell over because the most of my connections that I had, the majority of my connections were executive assistants. And they were all like, how on earth did you get to work for yourself? And how do you work from home? Yeah, I want to work for you. And that's when I was like, me, I'm just a secretary. Why don't it work for me? But I. I accepted it. I wrapped my arms around them. Virtual arms, I say, and started the agency that way because I had that network. It was amazing.
Travis
Can you talk about overcoming that imposter syndrome? When you develop this sort of identity over 20 years or 30 years of being this thing, like, I, like, you know, what to call yourself. People ask you what you do, you tell them what you do. Like, it becomes difficult to separate who you are from what you do at some point when you're just used to regurgitating the same answer over and over again.
Bonnie Schutz
And then.
Travis
And then you get that, though. You get that. And that that holds a lot of people back. Is that that feeling that you got of like, I'm just a secretary. Why do you want to do this with me? And that by itself, for some people, it stops. It stops right. Like, the build stops right there. As soon as they tell Themselves. That thing like, I'm just a secretary.
Sponsor/Ad Reader
Yeah.
Travis
And then they'll just be like, go find somebody else. What. What made it for you? What. What made it to where you were? Like, this is historically what I have done, but I will not allow that to dictate the next phase of my life.
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah. I'm not gonna say it was something profound or something revelation or woke up one morning and said, screw y'. All. You know, you want me? No, it was. I go back to that network. It was being around in a room of women, like, taking a chance on myself, as shy as I was, and going in there and listening to their stories and being, like, motivated by them. And then I aged. I aged a little more, and you get a little older, a little wiser, and you just keep pulling on that. That corporate experience. And look, thinking of the people that were leading those multimillion dollar companies, and you're just like, dang it, I'm as old as that guy. I can do that, too. And it just kind of. It starts to slowly unfold. I think in my. In my case, it slowly unfolded. And I just. You know, now 10 years in, I'm like, hey, I got lots of confidence. I didn't used to have, but I think it really did. You know, bottom line is it started with my network of people. I really found my people, and it helped.
Travis
What would be the challenge that you would issue to somebody listening who might be still one foot in the corporate world? They're trying to get out of it, and they're just. They're. They're a little. They're a little scared. They're a little hesitant.
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the best thing I could say is to pull that phrase from Nike. Just do it and do it before you're 48. If you're young enough to do that, do it. I mean, like, I look back and I think about, why didn't I do this sooner? And it was that imposter syndrome, that fear of not being good enough, the fear of not having the college degree from Harvard or whatever, or all that other experience that I didn't have. My tip would be, think about the corporate skills that you have or had and what. How you can transfer them and they can become consulting, they can be services, recruiting, training, speaking, all the things. And just do it.
Travis
Yeah. Bonnie, I appreciate you so much for. For the work you do in the world, for being an example for so many women out there, so many people out there in general who. Who crave the second act and maybe might even be like in the position where they're maybe pointing the finger and jealous a little bit of the younger generation at the multitude of opportunities at their fingertips and say, I wish I would have had this when I was younger, but alas, I was born in 1972 or whatever. So just it's not in the cards for me.
Bonnie Schutz
We didn't have it.
Travis
Not possible for me, you know. But then you have people like you who just go like, well, why isn't it possible for me I could also do this? So I appreciate the work that you do in the world besides the podcast delegate to elevate. Where can people go to get more from you?
Bonnie Schutz
Yeah preferred service pros.com, the newest, latest and greatest Bonnie Schutz S C H U T Z on LinkedIn I'm very active on LinkedIn. Love to network as I've kind of portrayed it. And I connect. I'm an open, open networker pretty much, so I love to connect with people there. And don't be afraid to just email or call, text. Do your thing.
Travis
Love it. Appreciate you so much for taking the time to join me on the show today, Bonnie. Everybody else tuning in. Remember, money only solves your money problems, but it's usually easier to solve the rest of your problems when you got a little bit of money in the bank. So let's start there. Here on the Travis Makes Money podcast. Thanks for tuning in. Catch you guys next time. Peace.
Bonnie Schutz
Thanks Travis.
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Episode: INTERVIEW | Make Money by Turning Your Corporate Experience Into Your Second Act with Bonnie Schutz
Date: August 8, 2026
Host: Travis Chappell
Guest: Bonnie Schutz (Founder & CEO, Tandem Resource Solutions; Host, Delegate Delegate to Elevate Podcast; Founder, Preferred Service Pros)
This episode dives into how you can leverage decades of corporate experience—particularly as an executive assistant or in similar behind-the-scenes roles—into a thriving "second act" as an entrepreneur. Bonnie Schutz shares her journey from a traditional corporate path to building multiple businesses, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the practical strategies she used to make networking, brand-building, and community essential components in her success.
[08:32 - 11:06]
[11:27 - 15:06]
[18:07 - 20:42]
[20:42 - 23:24]
[23:24 - 25:09]
[25:09 - 26:02]
Bonnie’s advice: "Just do it—and do it before you’re 48 if you can."
She urges listeners to look at their corporate skills and see how they can be turned into real, profitable businesses or consultancies.
On redefining worthiness:
"I came from the university of hard knocks, I like to say, and I still made it." — Bonnie [03:51]
On starting late:
"If you're young enough to do that, do it. I mean, like, I look back and I think about, why didn't I do this sooner? And it was that imposter syndrome..." — Bonnie [25:20]
Travis’s encouragement:
"Money only solves your money problems, but it's usually easier to solve the rest of your problems when you got a little bit of money in the bank." — Travis [27:06]
Find Bonnie Schutz at:
This episode is a powerful reminder that your experience, network, and willingness to step into discomfort can create an entirely new, fulfilling second act—no matter your age or background.