A gentle place to begin your podcast — no pressure, no performative productivity, no need to be "ready."

Start Small Studio

Welcome to Start Small Studio — a soft space to begin.

You don’t need a polished plan or perfect idea to walk through the door.
You just need a place that meets you gently—where small steps count, and messy beginnings are more than welcome.

Everything here was made for the tender, tangled middle:
the “I think I want to make something” days,
the “what am I even doing?” spirals,
the “can I really share my voice?” wobbles.

Inside the studio, there’s no pressure to have it all figured out.
Just spacious tools, kind conversations, and steady support you can return to as often as you need.

So take a breath. Let your shoulders drop.
Then pick the thing that feels doable—or just a little bit curious.
You’re not behind. You’re right on time.

This doesn’t have to stay stuck.

Each offer includes a note to help you choose with care—because even small steps can shift something big.

start small radio
$Free

Pull up a chair, pop in your earbuds, and feel your way into it.

Short, scrappy audio episodes that feel like part pep talk, part permission slip. Perfect for the days when you're full of ideas, stuck in a swirl, or just wondering if your voice belongs here.

"It felt like someone was saying what I didn’t know how to ask for."

✨ Includes a special Where to Start intro episode — a 5-minute warm welcome to help you navigate the feed, notice what resonates, and gently choose your first listen based on how you’re feeling today.

“Marissa cut through the overwhelm with easy-to-understand next steps.”
— Allison Weiss

Mess-essary Mic Check GPT
$17

Your kind, always-there creative co-pilot.

A low-pressure, high-compassion space to talk things through with a smart, supportive GPT built to understand your messy, meaningful process.

Sort the swirl. Spark clarity. No right answers — just real reflection that helps you notice what’s true, untangle a stuck thought, or finally name the thing you’ve been circling around.

✨ Includes a short companion audio from Marissa to help you use it gently and make it your own
✨ Reusable anytime you’re feeling stuck, swirly, or curious again
✨ Bonus: Follow-up email with a gentle nudge + next-step reflection prompt

The Mini Studio Session
$77

A 30-minute call for when you’re circling something small-but-loud.

Not every creative fog needs a full map. Sometimes you just need a quick, steady hand to walk with you through one knot, one block, one decision.

This is a half-hour coaching session to help you:

  • Think out loud without overthinking

  • Get unstuck around one specific piece — an idea, a name, a question

  • Leave with a tiny, true next step

✨ Bonus: Apply your Mini Studio fee toward a full Studio Session if you decide to keep going

“Marissa gave me the tools to take bold action.”
— Garland Fuller

The Studio Session
$275

A 60-minute session to clear the fog and take your next true step.

You don’t need a full plan. You don’t even need a clear idea.
You just need a place to land and listen for what’s ready to emerge.

We’ll meet gently and shape something together:

  • Clarify your idea (even if it’s just a hunch)

  • Name your next step — the one that actually fits how you move

  • Leave with a light, doable plan and a clearer path

✨ And to support you after we talk, you’ll also get:

  • A short, simple post-call summary (so you don’t have to take notes)

  • Reflection prompts for momentum without pressure

  • BONUS: Full access to the Mess-essary Mic Check GPT

Returning for more? Ask about sliding-scale follow-up sessions — no pressure, just support when you need it.

The Studio Series
$395

A soft, spacious path for creatives who want steady support and room to explore.

Includes:

  • Mess-essary Podcasting Private Feed (Free)

  • Unlimited use of the Mic Check GPT

  • Three Studio Sessions: one to explore, one to refine, one to anchor and adjust

  • Bonus: Behind-the-scenes private audio + reflection guide

Perfect for the quietly committed creative who’s ready to start soft — maybe with a voice memo, maybe with a swirl of ideas — and wants space to explore, return, and adjust with care. One call to open the path, another to walk it, and a final one to root the rhythm.

“I explored different options, got clear on my direction, and launched my podcast.”
— Gail Austin

The door I opened for myself
(and left open for you)

I didn’t mean to become the person in the middle of the mess, I just always found myself there.

In high school, when our band director died suddenly, everything felt wobbly. There were schedules, uniforms, competitions—and a lot of people looking around asking, “Now what?”

So I made a website.

It wasn’t fancy. But it was something. A place people could go to find the next step, the new rehearsal time, the tiniest sliver of structure in the grief. I didn’t know it then, but I was building more than a site—I was building a way forward, one page at a time.

Years later, during a very different kind of chaos, I posted in a Discord server about Ted Lasso. Just a quick thought. A little love letter to the tenderness of it all. People responded. I kept going. Before I knew it, I had a podcast. Not because I planned it. Because it felt good to make meaning in public.

That’s the throughline, I think:
I create what I need, and then I leave the door open in case someone else needs it too.

It took me a while to realize this is the work:

  • Translating the mental and emotional swirl—the tangle of ideas, doubts, and half-formed clarity—into something shapeable

  • Offering a scaffold—something flexible and supportive to build with you—rather than handing over a rigid answer

  • Naming my own not-knowing, while still sharing what’s helped me, so we can shape your version together.

That’s what I do now.
Not from a pedestal. From the middle of the mess, with you.

If your creative life feels like a mix of clarity and chaos—if you’ve built beautiful things but they’re starting to outgrow their containers—you’re not behind.
You’re at a threshold.

You might already be noticing it:

  • The time you used to spend making is now spent maintaining

  • The systems meant to support you feel heavier than the work itself

  • You have more clarity than ever… but still feel tangled when you sit down to create

That doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means the version of your work you’ve grown into is asking for new scaffolding—not a teardown, just a thoughtful renovation.

You’re not looking for someone to fix it all.
You’re looking for someone to see it with you.

That’s where I come in.

I help you translate all that you've made into systems that support your energy, your values, and the next version of your work.


So you can return to creating—with more ease, more trust, more room to breathe.

I’m not here to tell you what to do.
But if you’re standing at that edge thinking, “I could really use a collaborator right now” — I’m here.

Let’s figure out the next right shape together.

 Still Wondering
If This Is for You?

You might be thinking . . .

  • That’s why nothing here is rigid. You can pause, shift, and return anytime.

  • That’s the whole point — we’ll shape it together.

  • Same. That’s why we make the structure fit you.

  • You don’t have to be fearless to begin.

You’re not alone, here’s what people are saying:

  • I can plan further out and not feel like I’m always one step behind.

    "Thanks to Marissa's work, I can plan further out and not feel like I'm always one step behind where I need to be! She has helped me see where and how to implement systems that actually help me and make content creation, organization, planning, and publishing so much easier."

    Priscilla Thomas
    Words by Priscilla, Write On Founder

  • Marissa gave me the tools to take bold action.

    "Builder of visions and project management maven! Working with Marissa has been a pleasure. She took my vision and made it a reality by setting up what I needed and giving me the tools and resources to take bold action. Stop procrastinating and book a call."

    Garland
    Podcast Host and Community Builder

  • Marissa cut through the overwhelm with easy-to-understand next steps.

    "Marissa jumped right in and helped me to organize my thoughts, prioritize what comes first, and break down the work into manageable tasks was EVERYTHING. She cut through the overwhelm with easy-to-understand next steps, thorough updates, and regular check-ins to ensure we kept on track to our launch date."

    Allison Weiss
    Women Speak CRE Founder

  • I explored different options, got clear on my direction, and launched my podcast.

    “I came to Marissa with a rough idea and a lot of uncertainty. I thought I needed someone to help me make it happen—but what I got was so much more.

    She listened deeply, asked thoughtful questions, and helped me uncover what I actually wanted to build. With her support, I explored different options, got clear on my direction, and launched my podcast.

    A good consultant helps you meet your goals. A great one helps you exceed them. Marissa is that kind of great.”

    Gail Austin
    Claiming Space Podcast

Want to Talk It Out?

I'm Marissa — and if you're not sure what you need, you're not alone.
Email me with where you're at. No pitch. Just a kind reply.

Wherever you are — swirling, stalling, or softly stepping forward — there's a space for you in the studio.
Whenever you're ready to begin — even just a little — I'll be here.