Living The Red Life

What happens when a creative mind refuses to stay inside the box? In this episode of Living The Red Life, Adria Nicole Laxson shares the mindset, persistence, and unconventional decisions that helped her build successful brands, acquire businesses, and create a one-of-a-kind destination in Oklahoma. From teaching herself web design during the early days of the internet to becoming the owner of a nationally recognized product brand and launching multiple ventures, Adria reveals how creativity became her greatest business advantage. She discusses product innovation, entrepreneurship, branding, authenticity, and the lessons learned from decades of building businesses across retail, design, hospitality, and e-commerce. This conversation is packed with insights for entrepreneurs looking to turn bold ideas into lasting success while staying true to who they are.
Key Takeaways
• Creativity can become a powerful competitive advantage in business.
• Success often comes from persistence long after others would quit.
• Learning new skills creates opportunities that compound over time.
• Authenticity becomes a strength when you stop trying to fit into someone else's expectations.
• Great entrepreneurs combine vision, execution, and adaptability.
Notable Quotes
• "I just always feel like I want to accomplish something."
• "I can't fit in this box."
• "I just gave up caring about that stuff and became authentically me."
• "Never let fear be a decision maker."
• "When you find your passion, don't just follow it. Grab it at every corner."

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What does it take to keep a 135-year-old business alive in a world dominated by e-commerce, automation, and constant disruption? In this episode of Living The Red Life, two fourth-generation entrepreneurs reveal how they stepped into leadership during one of the most difficult periods in their family’s history and transformed a historic department store into a thriving community destination. Amanda "AJ" Ashenbrenner and Theresa Kronforst share the mindset, resilience, and unconventional decisions that helped them modernize without sacrificing the values that built their legacy. From customer experience and retail innovation to family business leadership and community impact, they discuss the strategies that continue to attract customers, build loyalty, and keep a hometown institution relevant for future generations.
Key Takeaways
• How to modernize a family business without losing its identity
• Why customer experience beats convenience in today's retail world
• The importance of adapting during economic and industry disruption
• How two sisters successfully transitioned into leadership roles
• Why community relationships remain a powerful competitive advantage
Notable Quotes
• "The sale is 95% listening to the customer."
• "Change is the only thing that stays the same."
• "People are coming in for the experience."
• "We are the experience."
• "Each day brings the unknown, but also the chance to rise to it."

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Most entrepreneurs follow the rules. Jennifer Witmyer decided to question them.
As the founder of Archwood Soapery and Filthy Vegan, Jennifer built a fast-growing clean beauty brand by challenging everything she thought she knew about skincare, haircare, and the products consumers trust every day. After facing thyroid cancer, chronic health issues, and years of unanswered questions, she began noticing patterns others ignored. Those discoveries led her down a path that exposed misleading marketing claims, hidden ingredients, and the surprising realities behind the beauty industry.
In this episode, Jennifer shares how resilience, pattern recognition, and relentless curiosity helped her turn personal adversity into a mission-driven business focused on transparency, sustainability, and consumer trust.
Key Takeaways
• Why pattern recognition became Jennifer's greatest entrepreneurial advantage
• How personal health challenges inspired a business mission
• The truth behind common beauty industry marketing claims
• Why transparency creates stronger customer trust than branding
• How questioning accepted norms can uncover massive opportunities
Notable Quotes
• "Look for the patterns."
• "There is a pattern to every single thing in life."
• "Eco-friendly is not a measurable thing."
• "Strength isn't something you're born with. You build strength one hard day at a time."
• "There is a better way."

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What happens when you become a millionaire three times, lose everything, and still refuse to quit?
In this episode of LIVING THE RED LIFE, Benedette Diaferia, founder of B DIAFERIA CPA PC, shares the mindset, financial strategies, and life philosophy that helped her rebuild after devastating business betrayals, financial losses, and personal challenges. Known for her unconventional tax planning, outside-the-box thinking, and commitment to helping entrepreneurs build real wealth, Benedette reveals why most people focus on getting rich when they should be focused on creating lasting wealth. From saving clients hundreds of thousands of dollars to overcoming setbacks that would stop most people in their tracks, she shares practical lessons on entrepreneurship, financial independence, accountability, and resilience.
Whether you're building a business, navigating financial uncertainty, or searching for a better definition of success, this conversation delivers powerful insights that challenge conventional thinking.
Key Takeaways
• Wealth is far more than money and includes health, relationships, time, and purpose.
• Entrepreneurs have greater control over their financial future than traditional employees.
• Failure is often the tuition paid for future success.
• Accountability and integrity create long-term opportunities and trust.
• The ability to start over is one of the greatest advantages an entrepreneur can develop.
Notable Quotes
• "I've been a millionaire three times over. Lost it all. Started again."
• "You have to love what you do. If you love what you do, money will come."
• "Rich comes and goes. Wealth stays."
• "Don't be the smartest person in the room. Be the one who learns the most."
• "Failure is not the end. It's the price of education."

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What happens when two veterans decide to build a gym that feels more like a mindset movement than a fitness center?
In this episode of Living The Red Life, Trevor and Samantha Pellerin share how they transformed an abandoned building into Psychotic Iron Athletic Club, one of the fastest-growing gyms in New Mexico. Drawing from military service, law enforcement, entrepreneurship, bodybuilding, and personal adversity, they reveal the mindset, discipline, and relentless execution required to build a business that members describe as therapy.
From PTSD and personal struggles to creating a five-star fitness community, Trevor and Samantha explain why success starts in the mind, how they built a powerful brand through experience-driven design, and why they're now preparing to expand nationwide through franchising.
This conversation explores fitness entrepreneurship, gym business growth, mindset development, leadership, personal transformation, and building a brand people genuinely believe in.
Key Takeaways
• Success begins with mindset long before business growth or physical transformation.
• Creating a unique customer experience can outperform larger competitors.
• Building a business around passion creates stronger long-term commitment.
• Community and relationships drive member retention more than equipment alone.
• Taking calculated risks is essential for building a meaningful legacy.
Notable Quotes
• "This is where people come to fight their demons."
• "If you're not going to do it, no one's going to do it for you."
• "The whole purpose of you being there is to build a better you."
• "Every membership we get gets poured directly back into our facility."
• "This isn't a paycheck. This is passion and drive."

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