Business Accelerator

As part of Rooted in Revenue's Accelerator series Susan Finch sits down with Michelle Calascibetta, an innovative entrepreneur who transformed a school bus into a mobile educational kitchen called "Flora the Farm Bus” for her business Farm Bus Bistro. Michelle combines her background in environmental education, farm-based learning, and her family roots in Montessori teaching to bring hands-on culinary education to students across the Rogue Valley. Learn how she's built her unique business, FarmBusBistro.com, and why she's joining the Accelerator program to take her venture to the next level. From teaching forest ecology to empowering children with essential life skills through cooking, Michelle shares her journey of turning her passion for food, plants, and education into a thriving mobile business.
LINKS
https://www.farmbusbistro.com/home
https://www.instagram.com/farmbusbistro/
http://facebook.com/farmbusbistro
 
About Our Guest:
Michelle Calascibetta is an innovative culinary educator who seamlessly weaves together her experience in organic farming and teaching through The Farm Bus Bistro. After developing educational programs at Jean's Urban Forest Farm while pursuing her graduate studies at Portland State University, Michelle found her calling in sharing the joy of growing, cooking, and eating good food. She has since created unique Culinary Arts programs at both the Medford Montessori School and The Valley School of Southern Oregon, where students collaborate to prepare nourishing meals for their school communities. Through The Farm Bus Bistro, Michelle continues to inspire learners of all ages to connect with and celebrate the abundant local food landscape of the Rogue Valley.

Are you dreaming of turning your side passion into a thriving business? In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, host Susan Finch sits down with Becky Esquibel, founder of Experience Joy, who's doing exactly that. As a nuclear medicine technologist by day and travel consultant by choice, Becky shares her remarkable journey of transforming her love for travel planning into a business that's seen a staggering 1600% growth in just one year.
What makes Becky's story particularly compelling is her practical approach to business growth. Rather than making a risky leap, she's strategically building her travel consultancy while maintaining her stable hospital position. She opens up about navigating the challenges of a growing client base, the importance of investing in professional services from the start, and how joining a women's business accelerator program is helping her plan her transition to full-time entrepreneurship.
Whether you're considering starting a side business or looking to scale your existing one, Becky's insights on balancing growth with stability, setting professional boundaries, and the value of women's business networks offer a realistic roadmap for success.
Experience Joy

In this episode of Rooted in Revenue, we explore the powerful role of community in business growth with Jessica Monarch, a women's health empowerment coach. As she transitions from stay-at-home mom to business owner, Jessica reveals why she chose to step out of isolation and into a women's business program called The Accelerator – despite her initial hesitation about whether she "belonged" in such a space. There is no doubt now.
Through our candid conversation, Jessica shares how finding the right community has helped her move beyond generic business advice to develop authentic marketing strategies aligning with her healing values. She offers a refreshingly honest look at the difference between working in and owning your business, emphasizing how peer support helps navigate this crucial transition.
Whether you're questioning if you should invest in yourself through community programs, struggling to find your authentic voice in business, or simply feeling alone in your business journey, Jessica's story illuminates why real growth requires more than just solo effort – it takes the right support system and community of fellow women business owners who understand your challenges.
Find Jessia Monarch here.
Learn more about the Elevated Networking Society here.
Susan Finch on LinkedIn
 
Business Development & Identity:
#WomenInBusiness
#SmallBusinessOwner
#BusinessGrowth
#WomenOwnedBusiness
#SmallBizGrowth
Community & Support:
#WomenSupportingWomen
#BusinessCommunity
#WomenInBizNetwork
#BusinessMentorship
#WomenEntrepreneurship
Personal Growth & Development:
#BusinessConfidence
#PersonalGrowth
#ProfessionalDevelopment
#BusinessJourney
#GrowthMindset

Welcome to a special series on Rooted in Revenue, where we're documenting something extraordinary happening in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. Today we're kicking off our coverage of an innovative women's business accelerator program that's transforming lives and businesses in the region.
We're sitting down with the four remarkable women behind this initiative: Arin Fugate, who transformed a local networking group into a thriving community; Lisa Manyon, a global marketing strategist and content expert; Angelica Owens, a business strategist specializing in delegation and authentic sales; and Lany Sullivan, a systems and growth expert who helps tie it all together.
What started as a casual monthly meetup has exploded into a 2,000-member strong community of women supporting women, and now they've launched an intensive business accelerator program called, "The Accelerator." Over the coming months, we'll follow the journey of their first cohort of 16 participants, documenting their transformations, challenges, and successes.
This is more than just business education – it's about breaking down barriers, challenging money mindsets, and creating a sustainable model for women's economic empowerment that starts at the local level but has global implications.
Stay with us as we begin this journey, starting with our conversation with the four visionary women who brought The Accelerator to life.
Learn more about the Elevated Networking Society here.