Explore every episode of the podcast Promote Yourself to CEO | Small Business Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authentic Growth Beyond Revenue with Michelle Mercurio | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:52:17 | |
I need you to meet Michelle Mercurio. She's one of those rare people who refuses to pick a lane—and that's exactly what makes her brilliant. In this conversation, we dig into why the traditional business advice to "niche down" might actually be killing your ability to show up as yourself. Michelle's built a career that spans branding, community building, teaching, and yes, witchy practices—all tied together by two powerful threads: understanding who we are and how we relate to one another. What I love most about this episode is how Michelle reframes growth itself. We're so conditioned to think growth means up, up, up—more revenue, bigger team, next level. But what if growth is actually a spiral? What if coming back to familiar patterns isn't regression but evolution? We explore how to shed decades of conditioning that taught us to smooth out our edges and fit in, why elevator pitches actually kill connection, and what it really takes to build authentic community (spoiler: it requires showing up even when it's uncomfortable). If you've ever felt like you're supposed to be further along or you're doing it wrong because you don't fit the mold, this one's for you.
• Why Michelle describes growth as a spiral rather than a ladder—and what that means when you feel like you're revisiting the same challenges you thought you'd already overcome • The real danger of trying to fit in as a small business owner—how smoothing out your edges to belong actually makes you invisible in the marketplace • What neuroplasticity research reveals about conditioning—and why it takes intentional effort to break free from the patterns that keep us playing small • How elevator pitches kill connection instead of creating it—Michelle shares her "Ditch the Pitch" approach that uses questions as hooks instead of titles and credentials • The truth about successful people that nobody talks about—hint: they're just the ones who didn't quit (but Michelle draws an important line about what you should quit) • Why you can't just show up once and expect community to happen—what it really takes to find your people and build genuine relationships in business • The one action you can take today to build authentic community—Michelle's practical suggestion for anyone feeling isolated in their business journey Connect with Me:
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| From Watercolors to Life Design: Evolving Your Business with Ashley Jablow | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:37:49 | |
The best entrepreneurial stories rarely start with a grand vision. They start with a rug being pulled out. That's Ashley's story. A layoff. A pandemic that destroyed her in-person business overnight. So she did what many of us do in crisis—she picked up watercolors and created. A hundred days worth. Except it took two years to finish. When Ashley came to me, I saw what she couldn't see herself: a hundred pieces of unique, marketable content in a space flooded with generic coaches. She resisted. Hard. Tears and all. But here's what changed everything: clarity isn't something you force. It's something you create conditions for. Once Ashley stopped waiting for perfection and started building in public, the momentum came fast. Seven months from a wine bar idea to four finished books. If you've got something incomplete sitting in your files, or you're wondering if your "weird" skill could be your real differentiator—listen in.
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Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| Are You The Bottleneck? It's Time to Fire Yourself! | 07 Aug 2025 | 00:59:15 | |
My entrepreneurial dad taught me that you have to fire yourself from every other position in your business. But when you first start your business, you have to wear so many hats: customer service, bookkeeper, tech person, assistant, and so on. So it can be quite challenging to let go of some of the roles as you grow your business and your team. Today kicks off a new podcast series that discusses how you can become more productive and focuses as a CEO. And in this episode, I talk about how to redefine your role as CEO of your business so you don’t become the bottleneck that holds everything up. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:56 - Why is it so difficult to let go of the other roles and stay in your CEO lane as your business grows? 7:07 - Founder of Spanx, Sara Blakely, gave insight on how she had to learn to get out of her own way. 12:05 - You being the bottleneck in your business has this unintended consequence as well. 13:06 - How can you start redefining your role as CEO? I reveal the first thing I did and some red flags that signal you’re getting in the way. 17:29 - I discuss the role of the traditional CEO in defining their business’s vision. I also share my favorite exercise to get clarity on your business’s vision. 22:00 - CEOs also have a responsibility to set the culture for the company. I talk about one of the values I’ve had for my business since the beginning. 26:36 - What’s the difference between how corporate CEOs go about creating the strategic plan for their business vs. small business CEOs? 28:49 - I discuss how running a small business team contrasts with running a large company team and how that’s reflected in my business. 31:53 - This final role-playing piece for CEOs is one of the most difficult. It’s the one thing you can’t outsource. 38:35 - Where do you need to put your time, energy, and attention so that you can focus on generating business growth and results? To get clear on this, here are some questions to ask yourself. 48:44 - I share how the avenues where I focus my time, energy, and attention on show up in my business every week and month. 56:15 - How do I divide up my time between doing all the things I’m focused on in my business? Mentioned In This Episode Connect with Me:
Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| How to Use Collaborations to Help Your Business Thrive in Uncertain Times with Jordan Gill | 13 Jul 2023 | 00:40:24 | |
Are you staying ahead of the marketing shifts that affect your business? Trends come and go--like Myspace, which was once all the rage, but isn’t even in the marketing conversation anymore. What once was effective becomes less so, like you’re seeing on certain social media platforms. But if you wait too late to get ahead of the shifts and change your approach, you’ll find yourself struggling to get your business back on track. So what can you do now? Getting in front of other people’s audiences is one of my favorite ways to create more visibility for myself and my clients. Not through cold pitching, though, but building relationships and creating collaborative partnerships. And today as we continue our conversation on visibility in your business, I have the perfect expert to talk about collabs on the show! In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, my friend Jordan Gill is back to talk about how you can leverage collaborations in your business. You’ll learn about ways in which you can form these partnerships, how to ensure you make it beneficial for both sides, and what the future of collaborations might look like soon. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 9:53 - What was the thought process behind Jordan’s creation of Ready Set Collab? 14:41 - I talk about my own experience with collaborations vs. hiring a PR team to pitch for me. 17:05 - What are the different kinds of collabs you can engage in as a CEO? Jordan discusses a few. 22:17 - Jordan talks about how to sustain your energy over the long haul when doing collaborations for the first time. 27:52 - There’s one big thing that most people miss when going after collabs. Jordan reveals what it is. 29:40 - What is coming next in the world of collaborations, and what should you pay attention to? 34:29 - What about using AI tools like ChatGPT for collabs? Jordan shares how she and her Ready Set Collab members use it. Mentioned in How to Use Collaborations to Help Your Business Thrive in Uncertain Times
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| How a Visibility Experiment Can Help Jumpstart or Grow Your Business with Megan Gersch | 06 Jul 2023 | 00:36:45 | |
The world of marketing and sales is shifting. Some of the strategies you’ve used may not be as effective as they used to be (or work at all anymore). But one thing does remain the same: visibility. One of your biggest jobs as CEO is getting the word out about your offers, products, programs, and services. And giving yourself a little experiment or challenge can help you get more eyeballs on your business. CEO Collective member Megan Gersch is incredible at getting visibility! She ran a challenge for herself on Tik Tok, and what started as a goal of 100 turned into over 262 potential clients, which sparked a lot of momentum for her bold brand and website design company for creatives. In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, we kick off a new podcast series about visibility for small businesses. Today, you’ll hear Megan describe her experiment and learn about how doing a similar challenge can help you gain visibility and insight into what your potential clients are actively looking for. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:28 - What is Megan’s approach when helping people create a brand that stands out? She reveals the common mistake too many make with their branding. 10:32 - Megan talks about her experiment with doing website design reviews on Tik Tok. What were the two biggest issues she found? 15:39 - Megan discusses the impact of her experiment on her business and how she feels about using it as a promotional technique. 20:22 - Megan shares how she got visibility through two other avenues and why Tik Tok has been such a great strategy for her business. 25:40 - The amount of creative business assets you need can be a challenge. How does Megan’s VIP day strategy help you launch in days instead of months? 28:55 - What has it been like for Megan inside of The CEO Collective? How has she and her business benefited and changed? Mentioned in How a Visibility Experiment Can Help Jumpstart or Grow Your Business with Megan Gersch
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| Growing Your Business When You Need to Take a Step Back with Dr. Lisa Griffith | 22 Jun 2023 | 00:34:18 | |
If you had maternity leave or a health emergency requiring you to be away from your business for a couple of months, could your business handle it? Could it even survive? Let’s say, for instance, that you’re a chiropractor who injures her wrist and can’t work on clients for 12 more weeks. That’s where Dr. Lisa Griffith (my chiropractor, client, and friend for the last three years) found herself...and that happened after she’d taken a 12-week maternity leave from her practice the previous year. But not only did her business make it through, it’s growing! So how did she do it, especially as an entrepreneur who has to work face-to-face and be hands on (quite literally) with her clients? Today on the show, Dr. Lisa talks about how she transitioned into having her own practice, grew her team, and continued to grow her business despite the maternity leave and the injury necessitating time away. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, you’ll learn many insights into how you can continue to grow your business and keep it running when you need to step away from someone who’s done it twice in back-to-back years. You’ll also discover how to communicate big changes in your business to your clients in ways that’ll get them excited and an example of layering support in your business for when you need time off. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:12 - How did Dr. Lisa and I get connected, and what was going on in her practice at the time? 10:57 - Dr. Lisa did something smart with her practice that also served as kind of a full circle moment. 12:48 - How did Dr. Lisa arrange things for maternity leave in her practice for her second pregnancy? 16:20 - Entrepreneurs sometimes fear people won’t follow them when they move. Dr. Lisa discusses how she got clients to move along with her brand. 20:48 - What is coverage in the health care world, and how did Dr. Lisa utilize it for her business while on her maternity leave? 25:10 - Dr. Lisa talks about what she's been able to work on now that she’s pulled back on her overall hours. 28:16 - What has been Dr. Lisa’s experience with The CEO Retreat and the 90-Day plan? Mentioned in Growing Your Business When You Need to Take a Step Back with Dr. Lisa Griffith
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| How a Mid-Year Review Can Help You Achieve Your Goals | 01 Jun 2023 | 00:48:18 | |
“What questions do I ask myself in a review? What do I do when I sit down to check my progress? How do I adjust my plan?” We’re almost at the midway point of the year which is the perfect time to do a review of your business. But not everybody knows where to start when it comes to doing a review, and these are the types of questions I get when working with clients. What if you’re not sure if you’re on track with your goals? Don’t worry! With my framework, you can figure out whether or not you’re still on pace to meet your goals for the year. In this episode of the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, I walk you through a mid-year review. You’ll learn the questions you need to ask yourself to help you determine what is and isn’t working in your business and how you can start planning for the second half of the year. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:00 - Look at each goal you set at the start of the year and ask yourself these questions. I discuss a couple of mine. 10:39 - What goal am I not currently on track to reach? Here’s one I’ve been struggling with lately. 14:42 - The next step in the mid-year review process involves digging a little deeper with a month-by-month review. Answer these key questions. 25:22 - What has worked so far this year? (And what has flopped? I reveal why something going wrong isn’t always because you did something wrong). 33:28 - Your leading and lagging metrics are two of the most important things in your business to wrap your head around. 36:10 - Is there a gap in your revenue at this mid-way point? If so, here’s what you can do. 38:17 - Plan for the rest of the year with these four questions to ask about each month remaining. 44:22 - So many entrepreneurs struggle because they overcomplicate this! To wrap up, I offer this one final piece of insight. Mentioned in How a Mid-Year Review Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
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| Bonus! 5 Small Business Mentors Reveal What's Working Right Now | 16 May 2023 | 00:45:57 | |
The rumors are true - the world of entrepreneurship and small business is rapidly changing. And what may have worked in 2016 or even 2020 is no longer as effective.
Want to learn more and apply to the next cohort of The CEO Collective? Get all the details about how you can work with our team at https://theceocollective.com/apply/ Connect with Me:
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| The 90 Day CEO Operating System Masterclass | 01 May 2023 | 01:23:40 | |
If you're already crossing that big $100K milestone and looking at $250K, $500K, and beyond, you need different information and advice than the businesses that are brand new, but the more you grow, the less public information you're going to find. Connect with Me:
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| How to Get Yourself Ready to Hit High-Growth Mode In Your Business | 23 Feb 2023 | 00:48:47 | |
For the last 15 years, I’ve seen so many people come and go. I’ve seen so many people start out with dreams and ambitions, only to burn themselves out and take years to recover from the impact. But you know in your heart and soul that you’re meant to be an entrepreneur. And I want you to have long-term success, instead of sacrificing it with a short-term view. It’s why I wanted to create this “Truth About Scaling” podcast series. So now, that brings me to the final installment. In this episode, I break down some final key things to consider and implement when you’re ready to shift into high-growth business mode. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:58 - Are you ignoring or passing off parts of your business that you don’t understand? I discuss why that’s a mistake. 11:39 - You need to understand these indicators to know whether or not your marketing is working in your business. 14:05 - What’s another area where women entrepreneurs play small because they’re not considering it at all? 17:23 - Keep it simple, keep it sane, and keep it strategic. I reveal the trap entrepreneurs often fall into that only complicates their business. 24:01 - What common habit have I seen over the years from women entrepreneurs that holds them back? Inside The CEO Collective, we know this happens and are prepared for it. 28:25 - If you don’t allow your business to develop these two important pieces before attempting to scale, then you’ll end up in a cycle of catastrophic growth. 35:02 - I reveal one of the biggest disconnects I see between business owners and why you need your own CEO support team. 40:05 - Personal success teams are another crucially important aspect to being a CEO with sustainable business growth. 45:15 - It’s easy to look at marketing material out there and think that growth is linear. But is it really? Mentioned in How to Get Yourself Ready to Hit High-Growth Mode In Your Business
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| Want to Scale Your Business As a Franchise? Get the Scoop with The Scout Guide | 29 Dec 2022 | 00:48:44 | |
Business franchises are everywhere! You see several in the form of fast food chains whenever and wherever you get off the interstate. And while I’ve talked about scaling your business on the show before, I haven’t gone deep into more traditional ways to do it like this. Today, I’ve invited The Scout Guide co-founders Susie Matheson and Christy Ford onto the podcast. They’ve built an enterprise that showcases small businesses nationwide for people in their own cities, with the help of over 70 local entrepreneurs. In this episode, you’ll hear some incredible takeaways as they talk about their journey, which you can learn from even if you’re not interested in turning your business into a franchise. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 1:22 - I give a short introduction to The Scout Guide. It actually started near my town of Richmond, VA. 8:29 - How did Susie and Christy come up with the idea for The Scout Guide? Listen as they describe exactly what it is they do. 11:20 - A lot of people think of traditional print advertising as dead. Why has The Scout Guide turned that idea on its head, and how does it complement social media marketing? 20:18 - The Scout Guide is also a resource (and source of inspiration) for small business entrepreneurs across the country. Christy and Susie explain how. 23:43 - Why did the co-founders decide to pursue a franchise model instead of doing everything themselves? 28:22 - Susie and Christy discuss some considerations when making the jump from owning a single business to forming a franchise. 33:03 - The key to making a franchise work is what also makes it easier to sell your business down the line. 37:11 - What did the co-founders struggle with as they launched their franchise? They talk about getting clear on your long-term vision and setting yourself up for success. 43:21 - What’s next on the horizon for The Scout Guide? Christy and Susie reveal their ultimate goal. Mentioned in Want to Scale Your Business As a Franchise? Get the Scoop with The Scout GuideConnect with Me:
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| Why Referrals Are STILL the Gold Standard | 22 Dec 2022 | 00:39:48 | |
Social media and online marketing and content creation strategies are wonderful and I use them. But... business grows at the speed of relationships. If you’ve heard it’s impossible to scale a referral-based business or that you shouldn’t rely on referrals for your business, then tune in as me and my Operations Director Amber Kinney expose these myths.
Amber can certainly vouch for this promotional strategy as she’s built her business entirely on referrals. So we have a conversation about how referrals are here to stay, can serve as one of the best things you do for your business, and cover five key strategies to think about so your business can become referrable.
On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:
6:23 - Amber briefly discusses a little bit about her business.
9:29 - Is it sustainable to only have a referral-based business? Amber shares her thoughts on the matter.
12:21 - Growing too fast has its consequences. Amber reveals two must-have components for a referrable AND scalable business.
17:07 - How does Amber get referrals? It’s such a simple, casual process.
18:48 - With referrals, a lot of the heavy lifting in vetting both sides (the client and the CEO) is done for you. We discuss the reasons why.
22:46 - Why do some people really struggle with referrals? It’s tied to the transactional feeling of relationships that lack buildup.
27:04 - We talk about how we’ve networked, made connections, and built relationships as introverts to stay on top of our game.
32:28 - Amber offers some final advice to wrap up the interview.
34:23 - I end the episode with a quick summary of the five key things Amber and I talked about regarding building a more referral-based business.
Mentioned in Why Referrals Are STILL the Gold Standard
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| Power of Strategic Collaborations for Business Growth with Danielle Wiebe | 15 Dec 2022 | 00:43:39 | |
One of the biggest things you need to plan for your business in the coming new year is marketing; how are you going to get more visibility? I’m a bit biased because I love using podcast interviews as a marketing tool. But how do you get started with pitching yourself for podcast interviews, especially if you don’t have a team to help you? Luckily, Danielle Weibe, the founder of the Business Babes Collective, knows how and is here to share it with us as my special guest today! She’s doing something that’s so accessible for many people. In this episode, she talks about how she’s able to consistently land more interviews, opportunities, and visibility for her business by pitching really, really smartly. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 8:21 - What is the Business Babes Collective, and how did Danielle get started in business? 14:50 - Danielle and I talk about why it takes an abundance mentality and a strategic approach to make collaborations work effectively. 19:34 - How does Danielle define collaborations vs. partnerships, and how does she increase her chances of creating them for her business? 24:30 - I reveal the red flags I often see when others try to pitch themselves as a guest on my show. What did Danielle do differently to get my attention? 28:18 - Too many treat business relationship building like speed dating. Danielle discusses how being pleasantly persistent over quite some time secured a collaboration. 33:22 - Sometimes, you have to get creative to secure a collab. Also, be careful not to fall into this trap when on the receiving end of opportunities. 35:00 - What is Danielle’s process for finding the right people to work with? She goes through it, step-by-step. 39:05 - I add my own tip that works especially well if you’re a beginner or trying to collaborate with someone with a bigger audience. Mentioned in Power of Strategic Collaborations for Business Growth with Danielle Wiebe
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| 5 Ways to Maximize Every Investment You Make in Your Business | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:32:41 | |
Are you investing time, energy, and money into your business but not always seeing the return? You're not alone—and it's time we have a real conversation about how to actually get results from those big decisions. In this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO, Racheal Cook breaks down 5 essential strategies to make the most of every investment—whether you're hiring, signing up for a program, attending an event, or investing in a rebrand. You’ll learn how to: ✅ Make smarter decisions BEFORE you spend a dollar If you've ever felt disappointed by a course, coaching program, team member, or service provider—or just want to be more intentional with your resources—this episode is packed with honest insights and practical advice to help you stop wasting money and start getting results. This isn’t just about ROI—it’s about stepping fully into your CEO role. 🎧 Press play now to learn how to turn every investment into real momentum in your business. Connect with Me:
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| Why Underpricing (and Overdelivering) Is Creating Business Burnout | 08 Dec 2022 | 00:31:19 | |
We women entrepreneurs keep underpricing ourselves when offering the same service or product as our male counterparts. On average, we price up to 20% less. When I first heard that, I was blown away! Pricing is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to adjust your business trajectory and make it more sustainable. I’ve seen it in my business and those of my clients. So in this episode, I discuss why properly pricing your offers is the first step to designing a successfully sustainable business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:36 - What is the feast or famine zone, and does your business fall into it? Discover the two biggest reasons why businesses in this zone struggle to compete. 8:40 - I demonstrate how underpricing can easily lead to overworking by using the example of a wedding photographer. 12:18 - Taking the wedding photographer example further, this simple step is an easy way to improve your profitability and ease burnout. 14:42 - What if you want to double your rates? You need to take a deeper look at these factors in your business. 17:42 - Pricing impacts other aspects of your business. Michalowicz’s Profit First percentages can help you figure out the math to meet your revenue goal. 20:43 - I push back against the hype of online gurus who have a certain mindset about pricing. There’s a reason why I primarily work with service providers. 23:50 - What if you’re not used to selling at a higher price or booking multiple sessions at a time per client? 26:55 - Here’s why you don’t need a large audience to get enough clients for your higher-priced programs and services. I give you a behind-the-scenes look. 28:52 - Keep these questions in mind as you crunch your numbers. Mentioned in Why Underpricing (and Overdelivering) Is Creating Business Burnout
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| How the Current Hustle Culture Creates Entrepreneurial Poverty for Women | 01 Dec 2022 | 00:27:51 | |
Celebrity entrepreneurs don’t do any favors with all their hustle talk, and despite everything you hear about escaping burnout and hustle culture, too many women entrepreneurs still can’t escape. They desperately need the cash flow in their business right now. So if you’re struggling to get your business working on all cylinders, keep listening. Today’s episode kicks off a new series to help you break free from entrepreneurial poverty of time, energy, and money so you can attain the sustainable success you desire. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:06 - People prescribe this antidote too often to the burnout problem. It’s creating a FOMO culture for an increasing number of women. 4:55 - I discuss the entrepreneurial poverty of time and what it looks like for women business owners. 9:42 - Energy poverty is HUGE right now. How does this impact you as a female entrepreneur? 13:07 - While lack of money is easy to point to, it doesn’t just have an effect on you financially. 14:16 - I see so many women in the middle stage of their business succumb to this cycle. Why do some stay stuck in it for years? 17:17 - I quickly overview what’s coming up next in this new podcast series of episodes. As mentioned in How the Current Hustle Culture Creates Entrepreneurial Poverty for Women Connect with Me:
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| How Gratitude Helps You Build Your Business Connections & Community with Shannon Siriano Greenwood | 24 Nov 2022 | 00:39:55 | |
A couple of years ago, I received an invitation to a thank you party via email. That incredibly heartfelt invitation gave me the best feeling and became the catalyst for a friendship and business contact. In this Thanksgiving Day episode, the woman behind that email, Shannon Siriano Greenwood, is back on the show. She and I talk about how gratitude can have a huge impact on and should be the driving force behind your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:23 – I read the entire email from Shannon that caused me, a super introvert, to dress up and attend a restaurant downtown. 8:54 – Shannon discusses how she and I met. She calls it our own little love story. 14:53 – When did Shannon realize that bringing people together was her strength? She discusses why the realization didn’t come quickly. 20:25 – Shannon reveals a huge component of making connections and building relationships. It looks different from most people’s image of networking. 22:48 – What’s even better than a typical referral? All it takes is a simple mindset shift to see it, and it definitely has a huge effect on your business. 25:53 – We talk about how we remember to touch base and stay in contact with people. 31:04 – Why does Shannon get invited to a lot of things? She’s already done five podcast interviews this month without having to pitch herself. 34:32 – Shannon reveals the purpose behind her new program that brings women together. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| Why Lean Into the Service Side of Business? Re-Visiting with Angie Trueblood | 17 Nov 2022 | 00:37:07 | |
Angie Trueblood came to me years ago when she wanted to go all in on her idea. She’d learned how to pitch herself to podcasts as an interview guest and had the idea to do the same for other entrepreneurs. As someone in the podcast space who was in the target market for her services, she was the first person I saw talking about something like this in 2019. So, of course, I had to have her on the show (and immediately hire her after)! Now, Angie’s back to give an update on what’s happening in her business now and how it’s changed since she’s become part of The CEO Collective. In this episode, she talks about the service side of her business and why she’s making the choice to do the opposite of what so many other service-based entrepreneurs are doing. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:20 - What was business like for Angie in the summer of 2019 (before life as we knew it shifted drastically)? 12:02 - Angie reveals how the rinse and repeat process of the 90-Day planner impacted her business that year. 14:49 - Angie talks about what it’s like for her to have both group programming and a service up for offer in her business. 19:48 - Resistant to growing an agency for so long, Angie is leaning towards the service side of her business more. Why? 25:54 - People worry that growing a service-based business means more time and energy spent in the business. How does Angie find balance? 28:51 - Here’s something you need to know as a service provider looking to create and launch a course or membership. 33:42 - What excites Angie the most in this next stage of her business? Mentioned in Why Lean Into the Service Side of Business? Re-Visiting with Angie TruebloodConnect with Me:
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| CEO Confession Take Two: From Bullied to Vibrant Business Community with MegAnne Ford | 10 Nov 2022 | 00:43:02 | |
Certain subjects are polarizing, and I’m not just talking about the usual topics like politics or religion. The last time I had MegAnne Ford on the show we discussed the dark side of visibility she experienced through her coaching business…her parenting coach business. As you can imagine, parents have particular thoughts about raising their (and sometimes others’) kids. And someone took umbrage to what MegAnne had to say that they bullied and essentially stalked her! She’s come out on the other side of it, though, and years later she’s still here and visible as ever. In this episode, she talks about how she’s developed a community around her coaching and continued to grow her business since then. If you’ve had to deal with a bully, suffered vulnerability hangovers, or fear putting yourself out there due to the potential backlash over a disagreement, then you’ll want to listen in! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:17 – I first met MegAnne a few months after she started her business. She talks about how she stumbled into it. 9:27 – What was MegAnne’s first year in business like? She realized she had to make this shift. 12:35 – MegAnne discusses how she developed her popular frameworks for parents. 15:14 – Building and nurturing a community has become a huge part of MegAnne’s business. She reveals how. 19:11 – How did MegAnne get into using Instagram stories and Tik Tok to gain visibility? 28:12 – MegAnne reveals what drew her to join The CEO Collective and talks about her prior “$18,000 learning experiment.” 33:37 – Before The CEO Collective, there was the Sweet Spot Strategy. Here’s why shutting it down benefited me and my clients tremendously! 38:16 – With her larger audience now, what does MegAnne have planned for her coaching business in 2023? Mentioned in CEO Confession Take Two: From Bullied to Vibrant Business Community with MegAnne Ford
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| What Business Wins Can Happen In a Year? Revisiting with Sarah Young | 03 Nov 2022 | 00:39:59 | |
We all love hearing success stories. If you’ve listened to this podcast since August of 2021, you may remember Sarah Young and her accounting business. Back then, she was about a year into her experience with The CEO Collective. Now a year later, she’s back! And she’s here to let us know what happened after she shared her success story on the show. Today kicks off a series I’m doing with clients who’ve taken part in my flagship program. In this episode, Sarah talks about what’s changed in the last year, the incredible wins she’s enjoyed in her business, and how she plans to move forward with even more success. As you listen, you’ll come away with some major takeaways and lessons to implement in your own business! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:24 - Sarah recaps how she started her business and changed it over a period of a couple of years. 11:53 - What’s happened in Sarah’s business since she last guested on the show? And how has it affected her husband? 16:54 - Sarah talks about the support she now has behind the scenes of her business and areas where she wants to improve. 19:24 - How has Sara’s business evolved to incorporate two different audiences? She discusses her trial and error process. 23:47 - Sarah reveals where she wants to go next in her business. It highlights the missing wealth piece for so many women entrepreneurs. 28:44 - As an entrepreneur, you may think you know what diversifying your income means. Here’s what it really means. 31:11 - What’s coming up for Sarah in 2023? She reveals what she plans to prioritize for the coming new year. 34:35 - Sarah made this mindset shift that can benefit you as an entrepreneur. Mentioned in What Business Wins Can Happen In a Year? Revisiting with Sarah Young
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| Do You Have a Month-by-Month Profit Plan for 2023? | 28 Oct 2022 | 00:29:45 | |
Forgetting to consistently market and prioritize making sales? What about letting your schedule get so out of control that you don’t give yourself any time off for months on end? Or chasing every next shiny object instead of focusing on what works in your business? What you suffer from, dear entrepreneur, is a lack of plan implementation. In the final part of this year’s Best Year Ever challenge, you’ll discover how to take all the insight from the previous episodes and turn them into an actionable 12-month profit plan for 2023. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:32 - How does my 5-part framework (attract, engage, nurture, invite, and delight) form the foundation for your 12-month plan? 11:20 - Here’s where I start when I’m mapping out my 12-month big picture profit plan. 15:12 - Discover how to plan out what you’re going to sell and when you’re going to sell it. 20:31 - What’s one easily forgettable thing you need to keep in mind throughout this process? I reveal what it is. 24:49 - To wrap up, I give you this reminder as you go about planning things out for the first time. Mentioned in How to Set Goals You Can Actually Follow Through On?
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| How to Set Goals You Can Actually Follow Through On? | 27 Oct 2022 | 00:21:42 | |
You tell yourself, “This year, I’m gonna do it!” You write down your business goal. You put it where you can see it constantly. You’re determined to reach that pinnacle you’ve set for yourself this time! A few months later... you’ve forgotten about it or given up on it. We tend to only set goals once a year, and that’s one of the reasons why goal setting often doesn’t work for most people. On day 4 of this series, I take a different approach to goal setting to help you establish business milestones you’ll actually follow through on in 2023. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:16 - Many of us have such a love/hate relationship with goal setting. Why does it fail so often? 5:18 - As you brainstorm all of your potential goals for the new year, refrain from doing this. I also offer a huge tip to ensure you don’t miss out on key things. 7:07 - I go through the process of making sure you have the business systems you need set up before taking on additional projects. 10:45 - I talk about how I apply my five-part systems process to my own business. 13:58 - Once you’ve brainstormed, how can you narrow your goals down to five for the year? What will it take to make each goal happen? 15:48 - One of the most important pieces of the puzzle involves thinking about how you’re setting yourself up for success. Think of it like a marathon. 17:55 - What if you have more than five goals you want to accomplish? Here’s what I do. 18:35 - Finally, I encourage you to do this as you complete the BYE workbook. Mentioned in How to Set Goals You Can Actually Follow Through On?
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| Is Your Business by Default or by Design? | 26 Oct 2022 | 00:18:14 | |
Are you constantly running your business in emergency mode? You might be running your company by default instead of by design, constantly putting out fires and working crazy long hours. But panic as a business strategy isn’t a wise recipe for success. So in this episode, I talk about how to design a business that works for you and runs like clockwork in 2023. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:39 - I give a quick recap of the Best Year Ever series thus far. 5:45 - What does personal and professional success mean to you? Here are some things to keep in mind. 9:23 - Who are the dream clients you want to focus on attracting and attaining in 2023? 10:25 - Time to shift into money mode! But you don’t want to pull a revenue goal out of thin air here. 14:29 - The final thing you want to look at as you go through this process of (re)creating your business by design. Mentioned in Is Your Business by Default or by Design?
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| What does your dream 2023 look like? | 25 Oct 2022 | 00:16:46 | |
With our hustle and bustle culture, we’re always in danger of burning ourselves out. The last couple of years, however, have made it even worse. It always feels like there’s something going wrong in the world--pandemics, war breakouts, etc.--that can have an effect on our business, causing us to worry about its future. No matter what’s happening in the world, though, you can still build your dream business. This Best Year Ever series can help you get clarity about what you want to experience right now. In this episode, I dive into the second challenge and it’s a powerful one! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:40 - Today’s the day you jump into your time machine! What do I mean? 5:25 - I reveal the best place to start as you go through today’s exercises. This is all about getting intentional. 6:59 - I give an example of how you can go through this exercise (with a little insight from my own life). 8:53 - Keep it simple. Sometimes you can dream so big that you overwhelm yourself and get frustrated. 10:36 - My company’s #1 value is putting life before business. How can your business support the life you want? 12:41 - This is when you bring some numbers into play. I talk about how doing so affects me and my family. Mentioned in What does your dream 2023 look like?
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| You Have a Revenue Goal - Now What? | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:39:07 | |
After setting a revenue goal for your business, the next question on your mind might be, “How do I actually reach my goal?” If that’s you, then you’ll love this episode! In it, I dive even deeper into the actual math behind your revenue goal using real numbers to help you determine what to sell, at what price point, and to how many clients or customers. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:26 - I explain why figuring out how to hit your revenue goals can get a little tricky, especially if you follow so-called guru advice. 10:11 - You have to understand your sales conversion rate which varies based on what you’re selling, to who, and at what price point. 12:26 - What kind of sales call conversion rate do I see among people, even those without much sales experience? 14:53 - Let’s take a look at conversion rates of some other popular promotional methods. 22:56 - How do I know that the price point advice too many “gurus” give to entrepreneurs isn’t necessarily based on any real data? 27:39 - I discuss the biggest problems I see with offering a one-session service and my minimum price point recommendation for your signature offer. 31:39 - Here’s how building a baseline revenue with a higher-end offer can help you grow your income down the line, without sacrificing your time or salary. 34:55 - Remember this about each product, program, or service you create for your business. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| Ready To Plan Your Best Year Ever? | 24 Oct 2022 | 00:17:01 | |
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s not just time to look ahead in your business. This is also a good time to reflect on your progress over the last year. So many entrepreneurs don’t reach their goals because they keep running up on the same obstacles over and over. If that’s you, let’s not do that again. Instead, let’s start planning your best year ever! In this episode, I kick off my annual five-part series where I walk you through the same strategic planning process I’ve used for over 20 years and shared with thousands of women entrepreneurs to help create a solid action plan for 2023. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:31 - Do this before you listen to the episode. It’ll help you follow along as I dive into the first BYE challenge. 6:19 - Doing this helps you determine the best course of action as you shift your business. It’s a move professional athletes understand well. 8:30 - Do you need assistance answering the questions for this challenge? Using these tools can help. 9:38 - Here are a few key questions to ask yourself to get really clear on what’s gone on in your business. 11:14 - As you go through this exercise, you’ll start seeing patterns that bring up more questions to ask. 13:44 - Double down or let go? I share some scenarios where you might want to do either. Mentioned in Ready To Plan Your Best Year Ever?Connect with Me:
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| An Unconventional Approach to Goal Setting with Tara McMullin | 20 Oct 2022 | 00:59:22 | |
As we head towards the end of 2022, we look forward to setting aims for the incoming new year. But sometimes, goal setting can be a pain in the neck! Everybody’s trying to tell you that you should do this or that: create a seven-figure business (or several), gain millions of social media followers, etc. It can leave you feeling frustrated and like you’re shooting yourself in the foot! But what if there was another way? My friend Tara McMullin has a unique view on goal setting. In this episode, we discuss her latest book What Works and why it’s so radically different from what most people think about when it comes to goal setting. So if you’re like me and have a love/hate relationship with setting goals, then you’ll love this conversation! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:54 - What led Tara to radically shifting her relationship with goal setting? 9:57 - The struggle over goal setting really boils down to this belief, and social media and news just reinforce it. 13:35 - How are goals like “cultural technology”? Tara describes how goals can affect your values and how you think of yourself. 16:27 - Tara and I discuss how society has reached the point where following the usual goal setting advice is such a challenge (and one that can actually cause more harm than good). 32:14 - So how do we move forward and do goal setting differently? Tara reveals the process step-by-step and warns about “value hijacking.” 40:52 - What does personal growth without striving or being beholden to harmful cultural systems look like? 43:00 - Tara and I discuss the low-stakes way she went about making commitments for herself over recent years. 49:41 - This low-stakes approach can translate into business too, like my six-month Tik Tok experiment. I describe my approach to using the social media site. 51:00 - Tara mentions a couple of important things to keep in mind when it comes to your projects and plans. Mentioned in An Unconventional Approach to Goal Setting with Tara McMullinConnect with Me:
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| Is Your Business Aligned With YOU? | 13 Oct 2022 | 00:26:15 | |
Are you running a business that works for you? Or does your business have you running in circles? So many entrepreneurs think that reaching a certain income level will make things easier and finally give them the life they want. Too many of them wonder if it’s really worth it and just want to burn their business to cinders in frustration and start fresh. Hold up before you burn it down or drastically change anything because you hope someone else’s approach will finally strike gold! We’re winding down the year 2022 and gearing up to help entrepreneurs have their best year in 2023 with the next launch of the Best Year Ever Challenge. So to prepare for it, in this episode I discuss five things to strategically think about to align your business so that it truly works for you as an individual, instead of you for it based on what others tell you to do. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:19 - What’s your definition of success? I reveal the first area of alignment to think about when deciding what success looks like for you. 9:15 - I discuss the second area of aligned success to look at. I used to struggle with this one! 10:42 - The third area naturally fits us as entrepreneurs and is especially helpful in the beginning. But you’ll want to limit yourself here, and I reveal why. 13:02 - How do you want to feel in your business? I share my thoughts, including what luxurious felt like to me at the time I first went through this exercise. 17:48 - A lot of people talk about flow but not about what it truly looks like. I discuss one area of my personal life where I’ve made sure ease and flow show up. 20:51 - This final thing to take a look at is usually the first thing we entrepreneurs dismiss. But it’s your biggest competitive advantage. Mentioned in Is Your Business Aligned With YOU?
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| Why A Digital Course Won't Recession Proof Your Business, and What Will Instead | 06 Oct 2022 | 00:31:40 | |
So many people use the threat of an incoming recession to fear-bait you. They promise that they have the answer (in the form of a product, a free email course, etc.) on how to recession-proof your business. But they’re all about increasing their sales, not giving you useful information. A digital course, high-ticket program, or 37-step email funnel won’t save your business from suffering the effects of an economic downturn. I’ll tell you what will, though--without you having to join my list or purchase anything from me first! In this episode, I reveal the three areas you need to pay attention to so that your business will be prepared to weather the storm of a recession. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:38 - Take a look at money management in your business. Here’s why you need to be ahead of the curve on this. 9:02 - How can you prepare for the worst case scenario (clients dropping out like flies and sending you into a sudden cash crunch)? 12:37 - When it comes to investing in your business, it’s important to be very discerning. Here’s what I mean. 15:36 - What’s the biggest culprit behind so many small businesses slowing down during an economic downturn? If you’re especially dependent on referrals, heads up! 22:32 - Don’t be afraid to add this into your marketing. It’ll help make you and your business stand out. 24:09 - What’s the simplest, easiest way to make more sales? I reveal a few things I’m thinking about and implementing on a regular basis in my own business. 29:25 - I went through a lot of stuff in this episode. But I recap what I most want you to take away from it. Mentioned in Why a Digital Course Won’t Recession-Proof Your Business and What Will InsteadConnect with Me:
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| Is Your Business REALLY Working for You? | 29 Sep 2022 | 00:41:54 | |
You make yourself available to your clients constantly. They can email or text or call you 24/7, and you make it a priority to respond to them as soon as possible. And you might even be making great money in the process! From the client's perspective, this sounds great. But while the constant availability works for them, it means your business isn’t really working for you. Today, I talk with CEO Collective member Dr. Libby Wilson whose functional medicine practice looked great on the surface with successful clients and cash flow. But she had to make shifts so that she could truly have freedom in her business to enjoy life. In this episode, she talks about how she turned things around over the last year to ensure that her practice not only works for her clients but also for herself and her family. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:25 - Who is Dr. Libby Wilson, how does she help her clients, and where was she struggling in her business before joining the CEO Collective? 7:55 - Hustle culture created this health issue for Dr. Libby. She had to fix the root cause and talks about how the 90-Day Planner helped. 13:07 - Content creation is a major sticking point for a lot of entrepreneurs. Dr. Libby has a 12-month rinse-and-repeat content calendar, so how does she do it? 16:29 - Dr. Libby reveals something she does for her practice and that every entrepreneur needs to apply in their business. We discuss what it is and why it’s so important. 22:34 - Watching how my business runs behind-the-scenes helped Dr. Libby get away from making herself constantly available to clients. What changes did she make in her practice as a result? 30:04 - Dr. Libby discusses how making the adjustments to her business has improved her life and her mindset. 36:30 - To wrap the show, Dr. Libby reveals what she’d say to anyone thinking of joining The CEO Collective. She also briefly discusses her new book and how she works with clients. Mentioned in Is Your Business Really Working for You?Connect with Me:
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| Scaling Your Business When You Want to Move From Solopreneur to CEO Level | 22 Sep 2022 | 00:50:47 | |
Not every entrepreneur wants or needs to scale their business. And that’s okay! But if you do want to go through this third stage of business, then you’ll have to show up differently than you did in either of the previous two stages. In this final part of my business growth series, I talk about what it looks like to scale and the foundational habits, tasks, and mindset needed for success at this point in your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:41 - What’s often missing from the conversation about scaling your business? 8:21 - You’ll need to put this in place when you’re ready to move beyond a lifestyle business. 13:14 - I talk about the “lifestyle creep” I see with a lot of entrepreneurs. 15:13 - What’s your vision, and why do you want your business to grow? 17:16 - You’ll need to plan further ahead and undergo this focus shift as your company expands. 22:28 - What do the most consistently-growing and fastest-growing businesses do that others don’t? 25:04 - I discuss the necessity of uncomplicating your business and how to dramatically increase your visibility as you scale. 31:37 - This next piece of the puzzle is where some people drop the ball. But it’s the easiest place to start getting support. 33:09 - People will often use a rebrand opportunity as a distraction. So when should you wait to level up your branding? 38:45 - I talk about sales as you scale, specifically making the process as “rinse and repeat” as possible while maximizing your profits. 46:26 - Along with leadership skills, your business growth success depends on your personal development too. Why? Mentioned in Scaling Your Business When You Want to Move From Solopreneur to CEO Level
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| 4 Key Systems That Set the Stage for a Successful, Manageable Business | 15 Sep 2022 | 00:45:03 | |
Getting lackluster results from the same strategies that the experts insist will work for those who work it? You’re not the problem, and neither is the strategy. Your business just might not be ready for that particular step. In episode two of this Business Growth Checklist series, I want to hone in on the second stage of business and how to stabilize it with the implementation of four key systems. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:38 - The second stage of business doesn’t get enough credit because of this untrue assumption. 7:44 - What’s the biggest challenge in this stage of business, and why? 10:35 - Implementing this plan is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business in this stage. 14:04 - I reveal a couple of recommendations to make sure you’re doing CEO level work instead of day-to-day busy work. 16:27 - What’s an additional puzzle piece that can make your business run smoother? 21:04 - Make sure you have this marketing framework in place. I go through it step-by-step. 27:30 - Once you’ve stabilized your business, what will your next offer look like? Here are some ideas. 29:39 - At this point, you may also want to internally streamline your business too. I discuss my favorite ways to do this. 33:05 - I’ve added something new to the checklist because of seeing how stressed out so many entrepreneurs were about money in their business. 39:30 - Make sure you have this kind of team in place, as well. It’s not a matter of when (not if) you’ll have to use it. 40:26 - One final thing I recommend before you try to get to stage three of your business. Mentioned in 4 Key Systems That Set the Stage for a Successful, Manageable BusinessConnect with Me:
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| Get Your Business In Check with the Business Growth Checklist | 08 Sep 2022 | 00:31:46 | |
You’ve taken course after course or tried strategy after strategy and still aren’t where you want to be in your business. You’re frustrated and confused because other people seem to get results but not you! Building a business is hard enough. But it’s even more difficult when you don’t know what the big picture is supposed to look like. It’s like trying to build one of those 1000-piece puzzles without ever looking at the front of the box to see what it should look like in the end. Years ago, I created the ultimate Business Growth Checklist but have completely overhauled it recently with even more insight and resources. In this episode, I kick off a three-part series that covers each of the three core stages of business growth and what to do for each so that your company has a solid footing each step of the way. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:13 - What I heard over and over again that inspired me to create the Business Growth Checklist 4:40 - A quick overview of the three stages outlined in the checklist 6:29 - Revealing the first stage of business and its biggest challenge 9:27 - Strategies that work best for stage one of your business 12:32 - Walk-through of critical actions steps for the first stage 15:19 - Questions for each specific new offer in your business 18:25 - Why you’ll want to keep your starter offer as simple as possible 22:09 - One of the best things I did when I got started and highly recommend 26:12 - Your goal in implementing the 5-part marketing system in stage one of your business Mentioned in How to Get Your Business In Check for a Solid Foundation
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| How to Profit From VIP Days with Jordan Gill | 01 Sep 2022 | 00:30:23 | |
Sometimes, you just wish you could do several months worth of things in a single day. You’ve felt it in business and probably other areas like health or personal development, too. What if you could do that as an entrepreneur for others? You’ve more than likely seen VIP days as a revenue stream for client-based businesses. But instead of making it an add-on to your business, what if you could turn that concept into the main offer of your business? Today I have Jordan Gill of Systems Saved Me who has made VIP days the cornerstone of her company. In this episode, we dive into the upside of having a VIP day offer in your business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:04 - Why is Jordan so passionate about VIP days versus other types of service offers? She tells her story. 8:21 - Jordan describes what she did for VIP clients and the kind of entrepreneur VIP days are especially well-suited for. 12:45 - What VIP day ideas has Jordan seen from others? She reveals what any VIP day offer (including the more intangible ones) really comes down to. 16:21 - Jordan discusses what she did during her three-day workweek, including the non-VIP client days, and what. 18:22 - Jordan shares what she dislikes most about the retainer business model and how a VIP day offer helps mitigate it. 21:38 - What can attendees look forward to in Jordan’s upcoming Done In a Day virtual conference? 25:18 - How can you know if VIP days are a good fit for you as an entrepreneur? Jordan reveals a couple of things you’ll want to consider. Mentioned in How to Profit From VIP Days with Jordan Gill
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| Winging It Isn’t a Business Growth Strategy | 25 Aug 2022 | 00:31:47 | |
What’s the antidote to inconsistent cash flow and clients in your business? Having a solid plan certainly helps, but too many entrepreneurs are just winging it in hopes of finding success. In this episode, I deliver a little tough love and talk about how to figure out the kind of plan you need in place for your business to grow. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 1:25 - What do most entrepreneurs do first when wanting to create the freedom and flexibility they desire? I explain why it’s a backward approach and a short-term solution. 5:08 - You find true freedom with a certain level of control in your business. I clarify what I mean by control here, because a lot of people might have mixed feelings on it. 7:39 - What do you need to have in place to get consistent cash flow and clients? I reveal the first of several different components necessary. 10:28 - The second component is one where a lot of people trip up. There’s a common trap entrepreneurs can fall into here as well, and I discuss how to avoid it. 14:23 - Having these two things in your business makes predictable profits so much easier to obtain. I explain how. 18:44 - How can you ensure that your team helps you create sustainable revenue, freedom, and flexibility? Without a plan here, things can become chaotic very quickly. 25:36 - I talk about another key thing to keep in mind as you’re working with your team to grow your business. Show Links
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| How to Set the Right Revenue Goal for Your Business | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:42:02 | |
There’s a tale that’s rarely told in the business world. It’s a tale of two companies. Both make seven figures annually. But the business owners behind them receive a vastly different amount of money as actual take-home pay. What happens once money comes into a business? Where does it go from there? The lack of real disclosure on this in online entrepreneurial circles has led to lots of people focusing solely on revenue goals, not their business’ actual profitability. So in this episode, I break it all down, talk some numbers, and tell you exactly what it means to have a six-figure take home income, not just a six-figure business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 3:29 - How much time do you have to invest in your business? Here’s how to take a look at your situation to see what works best for you. 7:16 - How much energy do you have available to you? And what do you need to do to maintain it? 9:48 - Instead of pulling a revenue goal out of thin air, ask yourself this question. I reveal the right way to come up with your number and a free resource you can use. 14:28 - I briefly mention why defaulting to your last salary as your revenue goal won’t work. 15:55 - I talk about what goes into running a business, how to use that information to reverse engineer your target, and a super simple way to figure out your revenue goal. 23:46 - Setting aside a little bit of your profits every month really starts to change the game and your perspective. I break down some percentages in detail. 31:08 - I look at the math behind a $100,000 annual revenue goal and how much you really need to earn to make that your take-home pay. 36:27 - How much tax are you going to pay at this point? This is where you’ll want to get yourself a good CPA. 39:10 - Before wrapping up, I go over the biggest piece of misinformation about growing a bigger business. It stops many from setting a higher revenue goal. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| How Taking It Easy Can Ramp Up Your Business Success with Letitia Walker | 18 Aug 2022 | 00:29:55 | |
It’s really easy for you to add complex layers to your business as it grows. But sometimes you gotta pause and simplify things in order to amplify your results. This has been the secret to success for so many of my clients, including yoga studio owner Letitia Walker. In this episode, she shares how she simplified her business’s infrastructure to maximize her results. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:35 - Letitia talks about her business journey. What is her yoga business, and how did she get started? 7:50 - Initially, Letitia didn’t see herself as a CEO. She discusses how being part of the CEO Collective changed that. 13:35 - Letitia reveals how she found virtual assistants for her studio and the mindset that makes it easier. 17:44 - What has forgoing the $10 and (most of) the $100 tasks allowed Letitia to focus on these days to help grow her business? 22:41 - Letitia discusses the two things she’s most excited about in her business right now. Show Links
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| Fired Up & Focused Challenge - Day 5 | 12 Aug 2022 | 00:23:24 | |
Ready to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com Connect with Me:
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| Fired Up & Focused Challenge - Day 4 | 11 Aug 2022 | 00:23:28 | |
Ready to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com Connect with Me:
Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| Fired Up & Focused Challenge - Day 3 | 10 Aug 2022 | 00:23:48 | |
Ready to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com Connect with Me:
Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| Fired Up & Focused Challenge - Day 2 | 09 Aug 2022 | 00:21:36 | |
Ready to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com Connect with Me:
Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| Fired Up & Focused Challenge - Day 1 | 08 Aug 2022 | 00:14:56 | |
Ready to Fully OWN Your Role as CEO? It starts with the Fired Up & Focused Challenge! Over these 5 days, I’m sharing a strategy to help you find more time to work ON your business (ya’ know, those $1K - $10K Revenue Generating Activities) vs. IN the day to day grind. To get the full challenge videos, workbooks, exercises, transcripts, and bonus content - join at firedupandfocused.com Connect with Me:
Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week! | |||
| How the Happiest Musician Built a Predictably Profitable Business with Jennet Ingle | 16 Jun 2022 | 00:42:55 | |
“You won’t make any real money doing that!” Has someone said something like that to you when you revealed you want to pursue a creative career in something like art or music? So many people stop chasing their dreams because they’re afraid they won’t be able to make it work. Today, I chat with one of the founding members of The CEO Collective, Jennet Ingle, who took her talent as a musician and turned it into a sustainable business. If you’re a creative person, you’ll love our conversation in this episode! On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:36 - You’d be surprised to know this about me. It’s why it always makes me happy to see others in musical careers. 6:29 - Traditional paths for musical majors are few and heavily guarded. Jennet reveals how she’s forged her own path. 10:20 - What was Jennet doing when she first came into my world and joined The CEO Collective? It’s such a niche thing that snowballed. 16:05 - Jennet reveals the surprising audience receptive to her programs and how the pandemic actually made it easier to reach and teach them. 21:05 - What’s happened for Jennet since she initially got serious about turning her passion into a business? 25:26 - Jennet offers wisdom for those who feel they can’t have a career or business as a musician/creative person due to their fear of financial insecurity. 28:27 - Jennet discusses what she learned from The CEO Collective that helped her solidify her business’s direction. With such a niche business, she found it indispensable! 33:45 - How do Jennet’s musician friends feel about what she’s created? She reveals what’s most unfamiliar to them about what she does. 35:02 - I ask Jennet a couple of questions about her CEO Collective experience. She talks about habits she’s kept and the biggest challenge she overcame. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| How a Mid-Year Review Can Help You Achieve Your 2022 Goals | 02 Jun 2022 | 00:28:43 | |
How are you doing on those 2022 goals you set at the beginning of the year? We’re almost at the midway point of the year. But if you’ve gotten off track with your goals, don’t worry! In this episode, I walk you through a mid-year review to help you figure out what is and isn’t working and how you can start planning for the second half of 2022. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 2:42 - Look at each goal you set at the start of the year and ask yourself these questions. I discuss a few of mine, including a big one accomplished already. 6:07 - What goal am I not currently on track to reach? I’ve had this one on my to-do list for two years! 8:24 - The next step involves digging a little deeper and doing a month-by-month review. I reveal how I do it. 14:27 - Answer these questions to really get a handle on what you’ve noticed in your review. 20:53 - Plan for the rest of 2022 with these four questions to ask about each month remaining. 25:38 - So many entrepreneurs struggle because they overcomplicate this! To wrap up, I offer this one final piece of insight. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| Increasing Profit and Decreasing Burnout: A Case Study with Sarah Young | 26 May 2022 | 00:46:13 | |
Undercharging and over-delivering can be a challenging habit to break. You have to come to terms with the idea of increasing your prices and overhauling your packaging structure. If you’re like my guest today and feel nervous about raising your prices, then listen up because I have a real-life case study for you! I interview CEO Collective member Sarah Young about her journey over the last 18 months where she increased her price points, decreased burnout, positioned herself differently than other bookkeepers and CPAs, and now enjoys her business more than ever. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 6:15 - What did Sarah’s business look like before she joined The CEO Collective? She reveals what prompted her to get into business for herself. 10:11 - Sarah feels like her pricing story is a little embarrassing, but she tells it anyway. Everybody has the same struggles, especially women. 14:27 - After some research, Sarah started raising her prices but still found herself burning out. Then something happened in January 2021 that changed her business. 21:28 - What did existing clients think after Sarah raised her price points? She discusses repackaging herself for higher-paying clients and framing a response to those who could no longer afford her. 27:13 - Sarah reveals something she had to come to terms with as she rebuilt her business from the ground up. 28:48 - Where did Sarah find higher-level clients willing to invest at her prices? If you think it’s super complicated, think again. 32:08 - Sarah shares what she sees happening financially with fast-growing businesses when they underprice themselves. 36:09 - How do you build in profitability in your pricing, especially as you hire and grow a team? Sarah offers her insight. 42:47 - Sarah shares what’s been the best part of being a member of The CEO Collective. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| Saying YES to Being a Fully Supported CEO with Michelle Clayton | 19 May 2022 | 00:44:04 | |
We’ve all heard the conditioned messaging about how to achieve success: Pull yourself up by your bootstraps! No one’s going to work as hard or care as much about your business as you. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. If you’ve been struggling with this mindset and haven’t allowed yourself to be fully supported in your business, then this episode should help change your mind. I interview my client Michelle Clayton, who’s the founder of WeLetHerFly.com and a member of The CEO Collective. We discuss how she finally stepped into her CEO role by surrounding herself with support and made mindset shifts in her business that allowed her to get out of the feast or famine cycle that traps so many entrepreneurs. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:18 - Your branding can affect your ability to show up in your business the way you want. How? 9:03 - What happened when Michelle decided to increase her pricing? 13:16 - Your pricing communicates certain things about your business, product, or service. 16:02 - Michelle has undergone another big shift in her business while in The CEO Collective. It’s something I’ve often discussed on the show. 20:07 - How has Michelle’s role as CEO changed? And what did she do to stay creatively inspired when the well ran dry? 26:46 - I ask Michelle a couple of lightning round questions to wind down the show. 30:08 - Michelle discusses why anyone on the fence about joining The CEO Collective should just go ahead and do it. 36:12 - I recap some key things about how Michelle pulled her business out of the feast or famine cycle.
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| Why a Big Enough Business Is Key to a Business & Life You Love | 03 Jul 2025 | 00:38:10 | |
You’ve seen the hype about small business and entrepreneurial success out there. It’s unreal! Not a day goes by when I don’t see photos of fancy cars, vacations, oodles of cash, and the typical success catch phrases that come with them on my social media. Here’s the conundrum, though: when your business crosses into the territory of making seven or eight figures, it can quickly become less about doing what you love and more about grinding things out as an entrepreneur to meet demand. So does bigger actually mean better for you? Or is big enough... enough? In today’s episode, I talk about why I believe in creating a big enough business to create an actual business and life you love. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:54 - I discuss what it was like growing up around entrepreneurs, and the surprising information I recently learned from my mother. 8:16 - Why should you beware of creating a business that grows too fast? I tell you what I’ve seen from businesses that experienced hyper growth. 10:02 - I retell a parable about a CEO and a fisherman that illustrates my point. 12:47 - I describe the time I was at a crossroads when I first heard the parable and the realization I came to after some reflection. 15:30 - The big questions I want you to ask about your revenue goals, and defining a Big Enough Business, the kind that loves you back. 17:10 - An early lesson in my business that serves as an example of why NOT to model your version of success after someone else. 20:05 - An example of what my "Big Enough Business" looks like and why it serves me in creating a business and life I love. 23:55 - How being intentional allows me to succeed without sacrificing my life and without causing me to be in a constant state of emergency in my business. 25:20 - How a big enough business allows you to live in your business sweet spot, and stop dreading Monday morning. 27:50 - How a big enough business and building a business and life you love will mean you must know your non-negotiables. 29:40 - Does focusing on a big enough business, mean you lack ambition? 34:00 - The questions I want you to ask to define your big enough business. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| Double Your Revenue Using a Most Crucial Business Asset with Layne Lyons JD | 05 May 2022 | 00:44:24 | |
When you need to grow your business, what do you do? Do you lock out the rest of the world and brainstorm new products, programs, or service ideas yourself, like so many entrepreneurs do? Big mistake! When you try to expand your business this way, you’re cutting out 100% of one of your most crucial assets: your existing customers and clients. In this episode, my guest and CEO Collective member Layne Lyons tells us about how she’s on track to double her business by getting actual input from those already familiar with her business. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 5:17 - Layne describes her business before it underwent an amazing transformation and reveals her first business bottleneck. 9:39 - What did Layne do to resolve her first bottleneck? What was her experience like after she started putting some boundaries in place? 13:12 - Layne shares what it felt like to finally increase her price points and offers advice to those on the precipice of doing the same. 15:53 - A new offer has opened the door for Layne to double the revenue from her business. She reveals what it is and the journey she went on to get here. 21:31 - What happened when Layne launched her new offer? This demonstrates why asking your existing client base for new ideas is the easiest way to build your next offer. 25:21 - Layne describes how she and her business are different now thanks to the changes she’s implemented. 34:21 - How was Layne’s experience joining The CEO Collective? She offers an inside look. 37:09 - To wrap up, I highlight a few points Layne made about streamlining and simplifying her business to the point where she now works less and enjoys her life more. Show Links
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| 3 Key Strategies to Grow Your Business | 28 Apr 2022 | 00:40:17 | |
As a business growth strategist for over 15 years, I’ve constantly heard and seen something that grates on my nerves. So many so-called experts always hype up the latest tools and tactics that grow your business by some measly amount every year. But why only settle for five or ten percent annual growth when you can double it instead? You don’t have to, which is why in this episode I reveal my three key strategies to help you rapidly grow your business (doubling or even tripling your revenue) with half the effort. On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO: 4:35 - I dive into the first strategy right off the bat. You can do it quickly, without engaging in more marketing or attracting extra sales. 9:31 - What’s the most common concern I often hear when I advocate my first strategy? One of my clients recently went through this. 13:55 - I discuss one final key thing to think about when it comes to strategy #1. Women entrepreneurs especially need to pay attention to this! 18:00 - Key strategy #2 involves increasing this aspect of your business. It does come with a couple of caveats, though. 25:13 - What’s the correlation between consistent business growth and time spent on marketing and sales activity? 26:24 - I reveal the last strategy to double your revenue with half the effort. It involves something a lot of entrepreneurs forget. 30:58 - Retention is a huge thing that leads to results, and I talk about the myriad of ways in which that helps your business growth. 33:25 - What happens after your clients have achieved the big promise of your signature offer? 37:08 - To wrap up the episode, I quickly recap the strategies. Show Links Connect with Me:
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| My Go To Strategy to PLAN for Predictable Profits | 21 Apr 2022 | 00:26:39 | |
If you’re anything like me, there comes the point in your business where your business needs to step up to support you and support your family if you’re going to stick with it. We all got through those startup stages of our business where we knew it was going to take awhile to figure things out and to get people in the door. Once you get a little bit further along on your journey and you’re ready to make this your full-time focus, you need your business to pay you a real paycheck. No one loves to run a business that can’t support the entrepreneur running it. This is why it’s so, so important to have a game plan for how you’re going to design that predictably profitable business. But the statistics show us that most women do not have a predictably profitable business. Over 75% of women entrepreneurs do not earn more than $50,000 a year. And most entrepreneurs shut the doors within the first couple of years. If you are committed to making your business truly work for you and work for your family, you have to have a real profit plan to make it work before you get so burnt out that you throw in the towel. https://rachealcook.com/profit-plan/ Connect with Me:
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