THE STERN TRUTH: Business Unfiltered Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:09:32 -0400 https://thesterntruth.buzzsprout.com en-ca © 2026 THE STERN TRUTH: Business Unfiltered yes 7b4a5b75-5402-565b-b85a-a76d38b5fc92 marshall@marshallstern.net Marshall Stern episodic false The Stern Truth: Business Unfiltered is the no-BS podcast for overwhelmed small business owners & entrepreneurs who are tired of the noise, the hype, and the so-called “experts” telling them how to grow their business. Hosted by Marshall Stern, a seasoned business owner and coach with over 35 years of experience, this podcast cuts through the confusion to bring you real, practical advice that actually works.


If you feel stuck, exhausted, and like you’re doing it all alone—this is for you. Each episode delivers honest conversations, actionable strategies, and straight talk about what it really takes to grow and lead a thriving business. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just The Stern Truth you need to move forward with confidence.

It's time to stop spinning your wheels and start leading your business like the unstoppable force you are.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Small business, entrepreneurship,small business owner, Marshall Stern marshall@marshallstern.net https://storage.buzzsprout.com/wqewywgw2i5pxm6u2kdsu5pwhyn9?.jpg THE STERN TRUTH: Business Unfiltered https://thesterntruth.buzzsprout.com Ep. 98 The Stern Truth: Lead Where You Stand with Julie Schniers Ep. 98 The Stern Truth: Lead Where You Stand with Julie Schniers Julie Schniers is a team culture consultant and leadership growth coach, as well as a speaker and an author. She spent 13 years coaching speech and debate at high school in Texas, eventually leading them to be in the top 5% in the nation. And, interestingly enough, it was her former students who pushed her towards what she’s doing now.

Now, Julie runs keynotes and workshops on leadership. What she teaches is that in business, it’s tied to the self first. "You get what you give" is something she brought up too. If you’re leading people but you’re a Negative Nancy, don’t be surprised if your whole team ends up that way.

We also talked about a pattern we often see in small business owners, and something I say all the time, and that’s to 1) let go of the work that drains you, and 2) fall in love with the process.

Julie’s first golden nugget is that your circle of influence is a hula hoop that follows you everywhere. Everyone is a leader, so how do you want to be remembered? We also dig into why communication and connection go hand in hand, with Julie stressing how important it is to put your phone down and make eye contact, even on a Zoom call.

Her final nugget is one a classic here on the Stern Truth, and one I say a lot – stay curious. Ask open-ended questions with your team, your clients, your kids, and especially in conflict. The moment you think you have it all figured out is the moment you stop growing.

Get in touch with Julie here:
Website: www.julieschniers.com

Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Julie Schniers is a team culture consultant and leadership growth coach, as well as a speaker and an author. She spent 13 years coaching speech and debate at high school in Texas, eventually leading them to be in the top 5% in the nation. And, interestingly enough, it was her former students who pushed her towards what she’s doing now.

Now, Julie runs keynotes and workshops on leadership. What she teaches is that in business, it’s tied to the self first. "You get what you give" is something she brought up too. If you’re leading people but you’re a Negative Nancy, don’t be surprised if your whole team ends up that way.

We also talked about a pattern we often see in small business owners, and something I say all the time, and that’s to 1) let go of the work that drains you, and 2) fall in love with the process.

Julie’s first golden nugget is that your circle of influence is a hula hoop that follows you everywhere. Everyone is a leader, so how do you want to be remembered? We also dig into why communication and connection go hand in hand, with Julie stressing how important it is to put your phone down and make eye contact, even on a Zoom call.

Her final nugget is one a classic here on the Stern Truth, and one I say a lot – stay curious. Ask open-ended questions with your team, your clients, your kids, and especially in conflict. The moment you think you have it all figured out is the moment you stop growing.

Get in touch with Julie here:
Website: www.julieschniers.com

Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19897294 Tue, 06 Oct 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2700 entrepreneur podcast, entrepreneur, business podcast, small business, small business podcast, small business owner, leadership, team culture, communication in business, small business podcast, business podcast, leadership coach 2 98 full false Ep. 97 The Stern Truth: Scaling Your Business with Joshua Gould Ep. 97 The Stern Truth: Scaling Your Business with Joshua Gould Are you ready for gold nugget after gold nugget? Then this episode with Joshua Gould is for you.

Joshua is the CEO of thebigword, a translation and interpretation company. He’s an entrepreneur, an investor, a dad, and a husband. Make no mistake, though; he’s been through recessions and the pandemic and made his way out the other side, when so many business owners haven’t.

He admits that it’s a different kind of mindset than when you own a business. He even has his own word for an entrepreneur already inside a business - intrapreneur. Got to say, I love it. It’s the beginning of a true entrepreneurial spirit. 

Joshua tells us about a time he started a janitorial services business and admits that he lost money on keyword advertising at first. Eventually, after some learning more about ads, and several thousand dollars later, they figured out how to create a full-fledged strategy that worked. 

Like I said, it's golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode. When you’re young, take risks. Get comfortable with rejection. Once you get comfortable with it, those risks are more of a numbers game. He mentions one of my favourites which is to be of service to others, not for money or for a fee - ask what you can do for them. 

Joshua hammers home to have no regrets. You don’t want to be thinking about the “what ifs.” You can’t have an ego when you start a business, so his advice is to stay humble but stay confident.

Get in touch with Joshua here:

Website: www.thebigword.com
Email: contact@joshuagould.com
LI: linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ 

Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Are you ready for gold nugget after gold nugget? Then this episode with Joshua Gould is for you.

Joshua is the CEO of thebigword, a translation and interpretation company. He’s an entrepreneur, an investor, a dad, and a husband. Make no mistake, though; he’s been through recessions and the pandemic and made his way out the other side, when so many business owners haven’t.

He admits that it’s a different kind of mindset than when you own a business. He even has his own word for an entrepreneur already inside a business - intrapreneur. Got to say, I love it. It’s the beginning of a true entrepreneurial spirit. 

Joshua tells us about a time he started a janitorial services business and admits that he lost money on keyword advertising at first. Eventually, after some learning more about ads, and several thousand dollars later, they figured out how to create a full-fledged strategy that worked. 

Like I said, it's golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode. When you’re young, take risks. Get comfortable with rejection. Once you get comfortable with it, those risks are more of a numbers game. He mentions one of my favourites which is to be of service to others, not for money or for a fee - ask what you can do for them. 

Joshua hammers home to have no regrets. You don’t want to be thinking about the “what ifs.” You can’t have an ego when you start a business, so his advice is to stay humble but stay confident.

Get in touch with Joshua here:

Website: www.thebigword.com
Email: contact@joshuagould.com
LI: linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ 

Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19828056 Tue, 22 Sep 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2431 entrepreneur podcast, entrepreneur, business podcast, business scaling, small business scaling, scaling your business, business scaling, small business podcast, business investor 2 97 full false Ep. 96 Welcome to Season 2 and Back to Business Time! Ep. 96 Welcome to Season 2 and Back to Business Time! It’s Season 2! I’ve intentionally decided to start this new season in September. Summer is a slower time for most entrepreneurs and small business owners. But when it comes to September, it’s back to business. What are you doing to prepare for it?

Do you have a plan in place? How will you stay accountable for these next four months? Life gets in the way, and you might not even know what to do.  Business can be lonely, but you don’t have to do it alone.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unfocused, you might need guidance, like a coach or an accountability group. Come join us in the ONtreprenuer Inner Circle before September 15th. If you’re hearing this after September 15th and are still interested, reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net.  

My tips for the next four months are to help you get clarity. Decide what the remaining four months will look like. What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? Where are you with your goals that you set in January?  Work backwards to figure out the "how” that can help set you up for success. 

Stop being reactive. Just like one of my episodes in Season 1, use the power of 10 seconds. Slow down, really think about what’s happening, and use that pause as either a mini-break or an opportunity to plan your next move. 

Step into the leadership role that your business needs you to be, instead of just being an employee of your company. Have a leader’s mindset. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Use time blocking—when it’s done right, it’s a powerful system.

We’ve got some great guests coming up on Season 2. We’ll have even more gold nuggets coming up to share with everyone. We’ve only got four more months left of 2026, so let’s make the most of them.


Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s Season 2! I’ve intentionally decided to start this new season in September. Summer is a slower time for most entrepreneurs and small business owners. But when it comes to September, it’s back to business. What are you doing to prepare for it?

Do you have a plan in place? How will you stay accountable for these next four months? Life gets in the way, and you might not even know what to do.  Business can be lonely, but you don’t have to do it alone.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unfocused, you might need guidance, like a coach or an accountability group. Come join us in the ONtreprenuer Inner Circle before September 15th. If you’re hearing this after September 15th and are still interested, reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net.  

My tips for the next four months are to help you get clarity. Decide what the remaining four months will look like. What do you want to achieve by the end of the year? Where are you with your goals that you set in January?  Work backwards to figure out the "how” that can help set you up for success. 

Stop being reactive. Just like one of my episodes in Season 1, use the power of 10 seconds. Slow down, really think about what’s happening, and use that pause as either a mini-break or an opportunity to plan your next move. 

Step into the leadership role that your business needs you to be, instead of just being an employee of your company. Have a leader’s mindset. Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Use time blocking—when it’s done right, it’s a powerful system.

We’ve got some great guests coming up on Season 2. We’ll have even more gold nuggets coming up to share with everyone. We’ve only got four more months left of 2026, so let’s make the most of them.


Do you have requests for episode topics? Feel free to send any feedback or questions about the Stern Truth to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19755280 Tue, 08 Sep 2026 03:00:00 -0700 651 business podcast, small business podcast, entrepreneur podcast, entrepreneur, small business owner, business focus, ONtrepreneur Inner Circle, entrepreneur group, small business group 2 96 full false Ep. 95 The Stern Truth: Does Your Story Serve You? With Alex Garnier Ep. 95 The Stern Truth: Does Your Story Serve You? With Alex Garnier Ep 95 is the final episode of Season 1 of The Stern Truth! I can’t believe that we’ve done a full season, and what a year and a half it’s been.

In today’s Season 1 finale, it’s all about stories. It shapes who we are and how we show up in the world. We control more of it than we might think. Alex Garnier, a character animator, is a master of storytelling himself and sees obstacles more as a fascination and not a roadblock.

Alex started off in art school, then pivoted to animation school, and later into the animation industry. He learned a lot more about what characters want and what they are meant to pursue through his time in animation. Think about it for a minute, my friends - have you ever seen a cartoon character without a goal?

There’s a strong benefit in telling our own story as a business owner. Alex goes on to explain that when you share it with people, there’s the emotional connection that needs to be there. The core values help Alex to shape the story of the who behind the businesses.

We get into how you can utilize storytelling in business, not necessarily to get more clients but to get to that next step in business. One tip Alex has is to make the experience of telling your story unique to each prospective client. How you present yourself makes all the difference.

Alex’s golden nugget from the episode is so beautiful that you’ll have to tune in to hear it. But I will leave you with one he gave right before the end, and that is to show your passion to people; the connection will come naturally.


Get in touch with Alex here:

LI: @alexgarnierstoryteller
Email: alexgarnierstoryteller.pro@gmail.com 

September 8th is the premiere of Season 2 of The Stern Truth. Tune in to get even more of the inspiring stories about entrepreneurs and small businesses that you love.

Have feedback or questions about this or any episode of the Stern Truth? Send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Ep 95 is the final episode of Season 1 of The Stern Truth! I can’t believe that we’ve done a full season, and what a year and a half it’s been.

In today’s Season 1 finale, it’s all about stories. It shapes who we are and how we show up in the world. We control more of it than we might think. Alex Garnier, a character animator, is a master of storytelling himself and sees obstacles more as a fascination and not a roadblock.

Alex started off in art school, then pivoted to animation school, and later into the animation industry. He learned a lot more about what characters want and what they are meant to pursue through his time in animation. Think about it for a minute, my friends - have you ever seen a cartoon character without a goal?

There’s a strong benefit in telling our own story as a business owner. Alex goes on to explain that when you share it with people, there’s the emotional connection that needs to be there. The core values help Alex to shape the story of the who behind the businesses.

We get into how you can utilize storytelling in business, not necessarily to get more clients but to get to that next step in business. One tip Alex has is to make the experience of telling your story unique to each prospective client. How you present yourself makes all the difference.

Alex’s golden nugget from the episode is so beautiful that you’ll have to tune in to hear it. But I will leave you with one he gave right before the end, and that is to show your passion to people; the connection will come naturally.


Get in touch with Alex here:

LI: @alexgarnierstoryteller
Email: alexgarnierstoryteller.pro@gmail.com 

September 8th is the premiere of Season 2 of The Stern Truth. Tune in to get even more of the inspiring stories about entrepreneurs and small businesses that you love.

Have feedback or questions about this or any episode of the Stern Truth? Send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19695048 Tue, 25 Aug 2026 03:00:00 -0700 1956 usiness podcast, small business podcast, entrepreneur podcast, business storytelling, business inspiration, entrepreneur, small business owner 1 95 full false Ep. 94 The Stern Truth: The Power of 10 Seconds Ep. 94 The Stern Truth: The Power of 10 Seconds A few weeks ago, I was rushing to a meeting and stopped for coffee first. Being in a hurry, I wanted to get my coffee as soon as possible. The barista took a bit of extra time to write something on the cup, and, to be honest, I was agitated. Until I looked at the cup.

A small message that took 10 seconds to write changed my day. It changed my attitude. Even in a rush, I slowed down and took in that moment of kindness.

Like I say often, we need to slow down in order to speed up. Maybe it is 10 seconds or 10 minutes, or longer. Not everything has to be so rushed and reactive, especially in a small business.

Take 10 seconds to think about our day ahead. Just 10 seconds to plan it and set the intention. Or, better yet, use 10 seconds and interact with your customers or clients to make it count. I guarantee you’ll see a difference. 
 

What would your 10 seconds look like? I would love to hear the answer. Comment below or send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> A few weeks ago, I was rushing to a meeting and stopped for coffee first. Being in a hurry, I wanted to get my coffee as soon as possible. The barista took a bit of extra time to write something on the cup, and, to be honest, I was agitated. Until I looked at the cup.

A small message that took 10 seconds to write changed my day. It changed my attitude. Even in a rush, I slowed down and took in that moment of kindness.

Like I say often, we need to slow down in order to speed up. Maybe it is 10 seconds or 10 minutes, or longer. Not everything has to be so rushed and reactive, especially in a small business.

Take 10 seconds to think about our day ahead. Just 10 seconds to plan it and set the intention. Or, better yet, use 10 seconds and interact with your customers or clients to make it count. I guarantee you’ll see a difference. 
 

What would your 10 seconds look like? I would love to hear the answer. Comment below or send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19615585 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 03:00:00 -0700 465 small business owner, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneur podcast, business practice, small business, networking practices, small business customers 1 94 full false Ep. 93 The Stern Truth: The Only Way to Grow with Amariah Murdock Ep. 93 The Stern Truth: The Only Way to Grow with Amariah Murdock Amariah Murdock describes herself as your black bubbly partner in success. As a business owner of her company INFINTEXEC, entrepreneur, mom, wife, and podcaster, she has a busy life yet keeps her bubbly self going.

As a postpartum new mom, she was trying to navigate business and motherhood and, like most new mothers, found it hard. Her podcast “Mompreneurs Making Moves” allowed her to put out questions about motherhood and managing it all.

Speaking of managing it all, Amariah goes over a few things that allow her to manage everything. She also doles out golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode, like take off the labels and the narratives that people put on us, and there’s so much more to success than money.

I note the similarities between her and me and how passionate we both are about servant leadership. The value that it brings to both the giver and the receiver is insurmountable. We also both especially emphasize how positive connections, not relationship arrogance, should be one of the things we strive for in business.

Amariah also gets into one of her biggest struggles, which is imposter syndrome. The way she puts it is that most people with imposter syndrome have a fear of being found out—"What if they know I’m still learning?” As long as you’re learning, you’re not left behind, which is a compliment to something I always say: we need to fall in love with the process, not the goal.

One of the last golden nuggets Amariah gave was this: the way you show up changes the world. I couldn’t agree more. Believe me, you’ll need the whole pad of paper and a pen for this episode.

Connect with Amariah here:

Website: www.infinitexec.com
LI: @amariahmurdock
FB: @@INFINITEXEC
Podcast: mompreneursmakingmoves.com 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Amariah Murdock describes herself as your black bubbly partner in success. As a business owner of her company INFINTEXEC, entrepreneur, mom, wife, and podcaster, she has a busy life yet keeps her bubbly self going.

As a postpartum new mom, she was trying to navigate business and motherhood and, like most new mothers, found it hard. Her podcast “Mompreneurs Making Moves” allowed her to put out questions about motherhood and managing it all.

Speaking of managing it all, Amariah goes over a few things that allow her to manage everything. She also doles out golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode, like take off the labels and the narratives that people put on us, and there’s so much more to success than money.

I note the similarities between her and me and how passionate we both are about servant leadership. The value that it brings to both the giver and the receiver is insurmountable. We also both especially emphasize how positive connections, not relationship arrogance, should be one of the things we strive for in business.

Amariah also gets into one of her biggest struggles, which is imposter syndrome. The way she puts it is that most people with imposter syndrome have a fear of being found out—"What if they know I’m still learning?” As long as you’re learning, you’re not left behind, which is a compliment to something I always say: we need to fall in love with the process, not the goal.

One of the last golden nuggets Amariah gave was this: the way you show up changes the world. I couldn’t agree more. Believe me, you’ll need the whole pad of paper and a pen for this episode.

Connect with Amariah here:

Website: www.infinitexec.com
LI: @amariahmurdock
FB: @@INFINITEXEC
Podcast: mompreneursmakingmoves.com 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19581666 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2470 small business owner, small business, imposter syndrome, growing your business, executive assistant, business partner, mompreneur, small business moms, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneur podcast 1 93 full false Ep. 92 The Stern Truth: The Power of Downsizing With Lisa Catallo Ep. 92 The Stern Truth: The Power of Downsizing With Lisa Catallo Lisa Catallo is a mom, a grandma, a podcaster, a clinical counsellor, has a group practice, and is a coach for therapists. She is a woman of many hats, so she knows that prioritizing her life is a must.

Right off the bat, Lisa mentioned how downsizing helped her through a rough transitional period in her life. She was burnt out, with the lease coming up on her practice space, and going through personal issues. Lisa found the power in downsizing.

When Lisa was trying to manage two businesses at once, her own business coach said that she couldn’t give her full attention to both. She eventually agreed but is still emphatic that downsizing is not quitting - think of it more like scaling down. As I like to put it, sometimes, we need to slow down in order to speed up. 

A self-admitted late bloomer as an entrepreneur, that didn’t stop Lisa. We both agree that it’s never too old to pivot or to grow in a new direction. Growth doesn’t stop at some magical age.

To cap off the episode, Lisa gave incredible golden nuggets, particularly to her younger self. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. The hardest things you do can be so fulfilling. Don’t do it all in isolation. Do the opposite of what you thought success was because, in the long run, it’s worth it.  


Get in touch with Lisa here:


Website: www.grouppracticenetwork.ca
Email: lisa@grouppracticenetwork.ca
Podcast: Empowered to Lead 
IG: @grouppracticenetwork
FB: @grouppracticenetwork 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Lisa Catallo is a mom, a grandma, a podcaster, a clinical counsellor, has a group practice, and is a coach for therapists. She is a woman of many hats, so she knows that prioritizing her life is a must.

Right off the bat, Lisa mentioned how downsizing helped her through a rough transitional period in her life. She was burnt out, with the lease coming up on her practice space, and going through personal issues. Lisa found the power in downsizing.

When Lisa was trying to manage two businesses at once, her own business coach said that she couldn’t give her full attention to both. She eventually agreed but is still emphatic that downsizing is not quitting - think of it more like scaling down. As I like to put it, sometimes, we need to slow down in order to speed up. 

A self-admitted late bloomer as an entrepreneur, that didn’t stop Lisa. We both agree that it’s never too old to pivot or to grow in a new direction. Growth doesn’t stop at some magical age.

To cap off the episode, Lisa gave incredible golden nuggets, particularly to her younger self. It’s going to be a bumpy ride. The hardest things you do can be so fulfilling. Don’t do it all in isolation. Do the opposite of what you thought success was because, in the long run, it’s worth it.  


Get in touch with Lisa here:


Website: www.grouppracticenetwork.ca
Email: lisa@grouppracticenetwork.ca
Podcast: Empowered to Lead 
IG: @grouppracticenetwork
FB: @grouppracticenetwork 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19545248 Tue, 28 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2577 small business owner, small business, business priorities, business burnout, small business owner burnout, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneur podcast, entrepreneur burnout 1 92 full false Ep. 91 The Stern Truth: Time to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone? Ep. 91 The Stern Truth: Time to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone? Why do we stay in our comfort zones? Is it because we’re scared to move forward into the unknown?

When we step outside of our comfort zone, we tend to grow. If we push ourselves, we tend to grow. I know I grew after I closed my sign and graphics business and focused on my coaching business and this very podcast. 

That commitment to change is what I call an ONtrepreneur Method shift, going from being uncomfortable being uncomfortable to being comfortable being uncomfortable. If that doesn't make sense, stay with me.
I made the decision last year to step into the uncomfortable. I chose to start speaking more. Opportunities came up this year, and I couldn’t be more excited about them. It goes back to episode 88, the “Leap of Faith Day” episode with Carmen Leibel where we both took significant “Leaps of Faith” to change our careers. We did something different to go after our respective passions, and those leaps paid off.
So, my question to you is, what does that look like for you? What could that leap of faith be for you? And what I think is the most important question - is it time for you to step outside of your comfort zone? 

There’s no better time than now.

I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Why do we stay in our comfort zones? Is it because we’re scared to move forward into the unknown?

When we step outside of our comfort zone, we tend to grow. If we push ourselves, we tend to grow. I know I grew after I closed my sign and graphics business and focused on my coaching business and this very podcast. 

That commitment to change is what I call an ONtrepreneur Method shift, going from being uncomfortable being uncomfortable to being comfortable being uncomfortable. If that doesn't make sense, stay with me.
I made the decision last year to step into the uncomfortable. I chose to start speaking more. Opportunities came up this year, and I couldn’t be more excited about them. It goes back to episode 88, the “Leap of Faith Day” episode with Carmen Leibel where we both took significant “Leaps of Faith” to change our careers. We did something different to go after our respective passions, and those leaps paid off.
So, my question to you is, what does that look like for you? What could that leap of faith be for you? And what I think is the most important question - is it time for you to step outside of your comfort zone? 

There’s no better time than now.

I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19509550 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0700 634 small business owner, small business, comfort zone, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneur podcast, business motivation, business mentor, small business mentorship, small business opportunities 1 91 full false Ep. 90 The Stern Truth: Level Up Your Leadership & Business With Lucas Mattiello Ep. 90 The Stern Truth: Level Up Your Leadership & Business With Lucas Mattiello My guest this time around on the Stern Truth is Lucas Mattiello of Level Up Living. Lucas has worked through anxiety and doubt through the years to put himself out there and level up his leadership. That created the impetus for helping others build their confidence through speaking and increasing their visibility. 

We talk about how a big responsibility of business owners is to be seen, to let others know they exist. Lucas and I go deep into this topic during this episode, because, really, you can’t help people if they don’t know you exist. As a business owner, as a leader of any kind, you need to put yourself out there.

Leadership, at least my definition of it, is what you do when no one else is watching. The quiet, behind-the-scenes work you do that no one sees when you are creating a path for yourself and others. 

Lucas started his business for a few reasons, one of them being that there was no public speaking training program at universities. Another part of it was bringing in the mental health aspect to confident leadership. Lucas has struggled with this first-hand, but that lived experience turned out to be a strong asset for him.

Lucas’ golden nuggets were so useful, and even things I’ve mentioned on the Stern Truth before. Talk about problems and be there to help them. Be of service to others. Show your authentic flavour. Embrace polarity because not everyone will like you.

I drop a few golden nuggets in here too. One was a quote that I was reminded of during our talk: "The best time to have planted a tree was 30 years ago. The second-best time is now.” And don’t skip the hot tub at the gym because you might get some great ideas in there. 

Connect with Lucas here:

Website: levelupliving.com 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> My guest this time around on the Stern Truth is Lucas Mattiello of Level Up Living. Lucas has worked through anxiety and doubt through the years to put himself out there and level up his leadership. That created the impetus for helping others build their confidence through speaking and increasing their visibility. 

We talk about how a big responsibility of business owners is to be seen, to let others know they exist. Lucas and I go deep into this topic during this episode, because, really, you can’t help people if they don’t know you exist. As a business owner, as a leader of any kind, you need to put yourself out there.

Leadership, at least my definition of it, is what you do when no one else is watching. The quiet, behind-the-scenes work you do that no one sees when you are creating a path for yourself and others. 

Lucas started his business for a few reasons, one of them being that there was no public speaking training program at universities. Another part of it was bringing in the mental health aspect to confident leadership. Lucas has struggled with this first-hand, but that lived experience turned out to be a strong asset for him.

Lucas’ golden nuggets were so useful, and even things I’ve mentioned on the Stern Truth before. Talk about problems and be there to help them. Be of service to others. Show your authentic flavour. Embrace polarity because not everyone will like you.

I drop a few golden nuggets in here too. One was a quote that I was reminded of during our talk: "The best time to have planted a tree was 30 years ago. The second-best time is now.” And don’t skip the hot tub at the gym because you might get some great ideas in there. 

Connect with Lucas here:

Website: levelupliving.com 


I would love to hear your feedback on this or any episode. Send any comments or questions to me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19476265 Tue, 14 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2247 small business owner, small business, business leadership, management consulting, small business leadership, level up your business, mental health in business, small business podcast, entrepreneur 1 90 full false Ep. 89 The Stern Truth: What Are You Pushing For? With Julia Pazmandy Ep. 89 The Stern Truth: What Are You Pushing For? With Julia Pazmandy Julia Pazmandy believes that there are three parts to every human - the body, which is physical; the mind, logic and ego; and the soul, which is heart, passions and feelings. She takes these three parts to help people create an awareness of who they are and what they want.

In this episode, we talk about how that relates to burnout in entrepreneurs and small business owners. Julia says that money is a driving force and that we exchange our energy for it. And she’s experienced it herself, during a time she was running two businesses, basically running on coffee and vibes.

A frightening experience and a hospital visit turned things around for Julia. She got spiritual, and she got serious about changing her life.

Julia gives us a few signs of burnout to watch out for that she saw in herself. And, as always in an episode of the Stern Truth, she gave us some insightful golden nuggets. Once you’re secure, you feel more confident. Once you're confident, you perform better. I can’t tell you how much I agree with this golden nugget. 

“What are you pushing for?” is a question that Julia presents to people to simply get them aware. What is your goal? Why are you working so hard? This leads so well into what I always say, that everything goes back to your “why.”

This is another episode where you’ll want a paper and pen handy, my friends. Julia knocks it out of the park, one after another, golden nugget after golden nugget, reminding us balance doesn’t mean equality. It’s all about being present with others.

Connect with Julia here:

Website: joy-place.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-pazmandy-732928206
Instagram: @your_joyplace 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Julia Pazmandy believes that there are three parts to every human - the body, which is physical; the mind, logic and ego; and the soul, which is heart, passions and feelings. She takes these three parts to help people create an awareness of who they are and what they want.

In this episode, we talk about how that relates to burnout in entrepreneurs and small business owners. Julia says that money is a driving force and that we exchange our energy for it. And she’s experienced it herself, during a time she was running two businesses, basically running on coffee and vibes.

A frightening experience and a hospital visit turned things around for Julia. She got spiritual, and she got serious about changing her life.

Julia gives us a few signs of burnout to watch out for that she saw in herself. And, as always in an episode of the Stern Truth, she gave us some insightful golden nuggets. Once you’re secure, you feel more confident. Once you're confident, you perform better. I can’t tell you how much I agree with this golden nugget. 

“What are you pushing for?” is a question that Julia presents to people to simply get them aware. What is your goal? Why are you working so hard? This leads so well into what I always say, that everything goes back to your “why.”

This is another episode where you’ll want a paper and pen handy, my friends. Julia knocks it out of the park, one after another, golden nugget after golden nugget, reminding us balance doesn’t mean equality. It’s all about being present with others.

Connect with Julia here:

Website: joy-place.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-pazmandy-732928206
Instagram: @your_joyplace 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19442451 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2497 small business owner, small business, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur burnout, small business owner burnout, entrepreneur performance 1 89 full false Ep. 88 The Stern Truth: June 30 is Leap of Faith Day With Carmen Leibel Ep. 88 The Stern Truth: June 30 is Leap of Faith Day With Carmen Leibel It’s June 30th, what Carmen Leibel and I have dubbed Leap of Faith Day!

Carmen is my guest on this episode. She started as a news anchor in Edmonton, Alberta, but, during the pandemic, she grew concerned about the isolation she was seeing. For Carmen, there was a lack of strong communication and leadership, and she knew that she could help.

It wasn’t easy for Carmen to change her career – in fact, it stressed her out to take the leap. Leaving a stable job with a great network wasn’t easy. But with cheerleaders in her corner like her family and her business coach, she took a huge risk. She started up a pilot program with the goal of helping kids feel more comfortable speaking in front of others.

The goal that Carmen had was to create more confident communicators. Carmen’s business, Project Five, helps people understand their voice and feel confident using it. Now, she’s helped over 5,000 youth and hundreds of professionals, proving that her big risk paid off.

Carmen leaped into a new career while I shut down my sign business, locking the doors for the last time. Two different leaps but both with satisfying paths. We both knew that June 30th held significance for us, and that’s why we’ve named it Leap of Faith Day.

Carmen gave golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode: bet on yourself, believe in yourself, and listen to your gut. And know your audience! I really love that one because anyone, and I mean anyone, can benefit from better communication.


See Carmen’s work here:

Website: www.projectfive.ca

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s June 30th, what Carmen Leibel and I have dubbed Leap of Faith Day!

Carmen is my guest on this episode. She started as a news anchor in Edmonton, Alberta, but, during the pandemic, she grew concerned about the isolation she was seeing. For Carmen, there was a lack of strong communication and leadership, and she knew that she could help.

It wasn’t easy for Carmen to change her career – in fact, it stressed her out to take the leap. Leaving a stable job with a great network wasn’t easy. But with cheerleaders in her corner like her family and her business coach, she took a huge risk. She started up a pilot program with the goal of helping kids feel more comfortable speaking in front of others.

The goal that Carmen had was to create more confident communicators. Carmen’s business, Project Five, helps people understand their voice and feel confident using it. Now, she’s helped over 5,000 youth and hundreds of professionals, proving that her big risk paid off.

Carmen leaped into a new career while I shut down my sign business, locking the doors for the last time. Two different leaps but both with satisfying paths. We both knew that June 30th held significance for us, and that’s why we’ve named it Leap of Faith Day.

Carmen gave golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode: bet on yourself, believe in yourself, and listen to your gut. And know your audience! I really love that one because anyone, and I mean anyone, can benefit from better communication.


See Carmen’s work here:

Website: www.projectfive.ca

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19403168 Tue, 30 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2500 small business owner, small business, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, leadership in business, communication in business, business communication, leadership communication, public speaking 1 88 full false Ep. 87 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Alex Papaconstantinou Ep. 87 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Alex Papaconstantinou My guest on this Business Therapy Thursday episode is Alex Papaconstantinou. Alex is a  somatic educator and body worker, bridging the gap between bodywork and psychotherapy. She’s turned more of her attention to this business in the last year and tells us how she wants to feel less scattered.

Alex admits it’s still early in her career and has a lot to learn. She says there’s so much noise and doesn’t know what to look at or what advice to follow.

Our discussion gets into how overwhelmed with choices you are when you own a business. For instance, those “programs” that cost $20,000 and can help you grow your business to nine figures? Watch out for those ones.

Sustainability in her own business is something Alex brings up a few times this episode. Alex herself has been invited to teach at universities, offers in person and online sessions, intensives, and group work but wants to feel less scattered. Some great advice I’ve gotten (and given) is to slow down to speed up. You don’t need to stop everything, but slowing down brings you a better understanding of what’s happening.

I tell Alex to not feel the pressure to do everything. Pick a primary focus, then make a list of everything else you need to do and put those tasks into different months, while holding yourself accountable for them. Accountability can be incredible to help you focus and reach your growth goals while still showing up authentically. 


Join us at the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle and get great insights from other business-minded people: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> My guest on this Business Therapy Thursday episode is Alex Papaconstantinou. Alex is a  somatic educator and body worker, bridging the gap between bodywork and psychotherapy. She’s turned more of her attention to this business in the last year and tells us how she wants to feel less scattered.

Alex admits it’s still early in her career and has a lot to learn. She says there’s so much noise and doesn’t know what to look at or what advice to follow.

Our discussion gets into how overwhelmed with choices you are when you own a business. For instance, those “programs” that cost $20,000 and can help you grow your business to nine figures? Watch out for those ones.

Sustainability in her own business is something Alex brings up a few times this episode. Alex herself has been invited to teach at universities, offers in person and online sessions, intensives, and group work but wants to feel less scattered. Some great advice I’ve gotten (and given) is to slow down to speed up. You don’t need to stop everything, but slowing down brings you a better understanding of what’s happening.

I tell Alex to not feel the pressure to do everything. Pick a primary focus, then make a list of everything else you need to do and put those tasks into different months, while holding yourself accountable for them. Accountability can be incredible to help you focus and reach your growth goals while still showing up authentically. 


Join us at the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle and get great insights from other business-minded people: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19391953 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2867 small business owner, small business, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, Business Therapy Thursday, business focus, small business accountability, small business goals 1 87 full false Ep. 86 The Stern Truth: The Power of Co-Leadership With Adera Angelucci Ep. 86 The Stern Truth: The Power of Co-Leadership With Adera Angelucci The “ships” and the “shifts” are what we’re getting into in this episode with my guest Adera Angelucci -  leadership, entrepreneurship, and the shifts that come with them. And Adera promised to be as unfiltered as possible. 

Adera is a speaker, a coach, an author, and media strategist. From cruise ships to carrying the Olympic torch across Canada, you would have thought she’s seen and done it all. But she also started a video production company with her partner, which eventually put her on a path to where she is today. 

The second book that Adera wrote explores how leaders can be seen and heard when they co-lead. One of the biggest opportunities in entrepreneurship and small business is leadership. But it starts with simply putting yourself out there, with self-leadership and self-discovery.

I can’t count on one hand how many golden nuggets Adera gives us in this episode. Go within when you need to figure out which opportunities will serve you best. Keep a healthy cash flow (always an important business aspect, no matter what.)

We also get into how business owners often put themselves in a box to keep themselves safe. To break out of that box, she says to listen to the voice inside of you. It’s your intuition, and it will always lead back to your “why.”

Check out Adera’s businesses and books here:


Coaching Business: www.aderaangelucci.com
Video Production Company: www.spirocreative.ca
“Co-Leadership” Book: https://a.co/d/00GkrhvD
“Free Spirit” Book: https://a.co/d/0dIV06Ep
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aderaangelucci
Instagram: @aderaangelucci
Facebook: facebook.com/LightUpwithAdera

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> The “ships” and the “shifts” are what we’re getting into in this episode with my guest Adera Angelucci -  leadership, entrepreneurship, and the shifts that come with them. And Adera promised to be as unfiltered as possible. 

Adera is a speaker, a coach, an author, and media strategist. From cruise ships to carrying the Olympic torch across Canada, you would have thought she’s seen and done it all. But she also started a video production company with her partner, which eventually put her on a path to where she is today. 

The second book that Adera wrote explores how leaders can be seen and heard when they co-lead. One of the biggest opportunities in entrepreneurship and small business is leadership. But it starts with simply putting yourself out there, with self-leadership and self-discovery.

I can’t count on one hand how many golden nuggets Adera gives us in this episode. Go within when you need to figure out which opportunities will serve you best. Keep a healthy cash flow (always an important business aspect, no matter what.)

We also get into how business owners often put themselves in a box to keep themselves safe. To break out of that box, she says to listen to the voice inside of you. It’s your intuition, and it will always lead back to your “why.”

Check out Adera’s businesses and books here:


Coaching Business: www.aderaangelucci.com
Video Production Company: www.spirocreative.ca
“Co-Leadership” Book: https://a.co/d/00GkrhvD
“Free Spirit” Book: https://a.co/d/0dIV06Ep
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aderaangelucci
Instagram: @aderaangelucci
Facebook: facebook.com/LightUpwithAdera

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19373192 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2271 small business owner, small business, small business podcast, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, co-leadership, leadership in business, business leadership, intuition in business, leadership skills 1 86 full false Ep. 85 Bonus Episode - The Stern Truth: The Power to Slow Down in Order to Speed Up With Atrina Kouroshnia Ep. 85 Bonus Episode - The Stern Truth: The Power to Slow Down in Order to Speed Up With Atrina Kouroshnia If you’ve been grinding away and wondering why the hustle isn't producing results, you’ll love the advice you get from our guest in this episode.

Atrina Kouroshnia is a self-employed mortgage broker. She’s been in the mortgage business for around 14 years. But a few years ago, what started as a personal journey inward transformed into another part of her business: bioenergy healing and women's embodiment coaching.

We get into what bioenergy healing actually is (and yes, we talk about the "woo-woo" factor.) Atrina explains why self-regulation is the ultimate real growth strategy for entrepreneurs and what it looks like to slow down when the world tells you to go faster.

Atrina shares how years of operating at full speed took a toll on her, as she became short-tempered, dysregulated, and even developed hives. The way Atrina puts it is that her inner work didn't just help her personally; it changed the way she does business now.

We also dig into losing momentum and how it holds business owners back from achieving their goals. Atrina says if you lose momentum, you lose meaning. When things get hard, go back to your purpose, your real "why," or your anchor to turn setbacks into growth instead of failure.

Her golden nugget is to stop being the "chill" one. Set clear boundaries and expectations in your business relationships, and this can help attract people who are aligned with how you work. That’s smart business advice AND smart mindset advice.


Get in touch with Atrina here:

Energy Healing Website: www.atrinak.com
Energy Healing IG: @atrinak_

Real Estate Website: www.mortgagebyatrina.com
Real Estate IG: @mortgagebyatrina.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> If you’ve been grinding away and wondering why the hustle isn't producing results, you’ll love the advice you get from our guest in this episode.

Atrina Kouroshnia is a self-employed mortgage broker. She’s been in the mortgage business for around 14 years. But a few years ago, what started as a personal journey inward transformed into another part of her business: bioenergy healing and women's embodiment coaching.

We get into what bioenergy healing actually is (and yes, we talk about the "woo-woo" factor.) Atrina explains why self-regulation is the ultimate real growth strategy for entrepreneurs and what it looks like to slow down when the world tells you to go faster.

Atrina shares how years of operating at full speed took a toll on her, as she became short-tempered, dysregulated, and even developed hives. The way Atrina puts it is that her inner work didn't just help her personally; it changed the way she does business now.

We also dig into losing momentum and how it holds business owners back from achieving their goals. Atrina says if you lose momentum, you lose meaning. When things get hard, go back to your purpose, your real "why," or your anchor to turn setbacks into growth instead of failure.

Her golden nugget is to stop being the "chill" one. Set clear boundaries and expectations in your business relationships, and this can help attract people who are aligned with how you work. That’s smart business advice AND smart mindset advice.


Get in touch with Atrina here:

Energy Healing Website: www.atrinak.com
Energy Healing IG: @atrinak_

Real Estate Website: www.mortgagebyatrina.com
Real Estate IG: @mortgagebyatrina.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19357657 Thu, 18 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2078 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, small business, small business podcast, Canadian entrepreneur, mortgage broker, bioenergy healing, momentum in business, business relationships, work-life balance 1 85 full false Ep. 84 The Stern Truth: Re-Release - How To Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer Ep. 84 The Stern Truth: Re-Release - How To Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer This is a first for me! I have a re-release from last year, episode 16. The thought behind re-releasing is to give an important reminder of keeping momentum up during a busy time like summer.

I reinforce that summer isn’t stalling your business. In fact, it can be more of a time for you to work ON your business. If you’re intentional, if you plan, you can build it.

From leadership development to new systems or batch learning, get creative. I’ll give you some strategies in this episode to maintain your growth in the summer. Take advantage of the downtime to play around before the September rush.

Whether your summer looks like time off or it’s your busy time of year (if that’s the case, you probably already have a great rhythm), plan. Plan for the busy, or plan for the lull. We live in seasons, and so does our business.


Keep building that momentum this summer along with other focused business owners – join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> This is a first for me! I have a re-release from last year, episode 16. The thought behind re-releasing is to give an important reminder of keeping momentum up during a busy time like summer.

I reinforce that summer isn’t stalling your business. In fact, it can be more of a time for you to work ON your business. If you’re intentional, if you plan, you can build it.

From leadership development to new systems or batch learning, get creative. I’ll give you some strategies in this episode to maintain your growth in the summer. Take advantage of the downtime to play around before the September rush.

Whether your summer looks like time off or it’s your busy time of year (if that’s the case, you probably already have a great rhythm), plan. Plan for the busy, or plan for the lull. We live in seasons, and so does our business.


Keep building that momentum this summer along with other focused business owners – join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19350756 Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 1339 small business, small business owner, entrepreneur, small business podcast, entrepreneur podcast, business strategy, business owner, business leadership, momentum in business, productivity, summer business, business strategy 1 84 full false Ep. 83 The Stern Truth: Fall Back in Love with Your Why (& Your Business) With Stephanie Gross Ep. 83 The Stern Truth: Fall Back in Love with Your Why (& Your Business) With Stephanie Gross Bumby Wool is a custom merino wool manufacturer located in Red Deer, Alberta. As the owner, Stephanie Gross proudly shares within the first three minutes that she’s had two employees for around 16 years. That says a lot about her leadership skills!

Stephanie’s roots come from selling Girl Guide cookies, working the Dairy Queen drive-through, eventually starting her own business. And Stephanie has been through a lot in her 18 years of business. COVID, moving to a commercial space, tariffs, so many ups and downs, just like any business.

She felt like nothing was working in her business. She started attending the Catalyst Club (shoutout to Kelly Kennedy!) along with myself and other business owners then went deeper -  Stephanie looked into what she was doing in her business and why she was doing it, and began making incredible changes and meeting big goals. 

When Stephanie mentions that quitting is not an option for her, I bring up how it may be just the wrong path that we’re on. Your gut can lead you down a wrong path but you can’t let fear stand in your way. 

We also touch on your “why,” a common theme here on the Stern Truth. Most owners forget the reason they started their businesses, but we always need to dig deeper than “more money” or “more freedom.” Your business “why” has to align with your personal “why,” because it’s pretty obvious when they don’t. 

Stephanie’s got some great golden nuggets to share throughout this episode, and one I really liked was to know your gut instincts. Really hone in on it. Once you recognize what your gut is telling you, you can put your ego aside and fill the gaps.

Connect with Stephanie here:

Email: letscreate@bumbywool.com 

YouTube: youtube.com/@bumbywool8197
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steph-gross-bumbywool/ 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Bumby Wool is a custom merino wool manufacturer located in Red Deer, Alberta. As the owner, Stephanie Gross proudly shares within the first three minutes that she’s had two employees for around 16 years. That says a lot about her leadership skills!

Stephanie’s roots come from selling Girl Guide cookies, working the Dairy Queen drive-through, eventually starting her own business. And Stephanie has been through a lot in her 18 years of business. COVID, moving to a commercial space, tariffs, so many ups and downs, just like any business.

She felt like nothing was working in her business. She started attending the Catalyst Club (shoutout to Kelly Kennedy!) along with myself and other business owners then went deeper -  Stephanie looked into what she was doing in her business and why she was doing it, and began making incredible changes and meeting big goals. 

When Stephanie mentions that quitting is not an option for her, I bring up how it may be just the wrong path that we’re on. Your gut can lead you down a wrong path but you can’t let fear stand in your way. 

We also touch on your “why,” a common theme here on the Stern Truth. Most owners forget the reason they started their businesses, but we always need to dig deeper than “more money” or “more freedom.” Your business “why” has to align with your personal “why,” because it’s pretty obvious when they don’t. 

Stephanie’s got some great golden nuggets to share throughout this episode, and one I really liked was to know your gut instincts. Really hone in on it. Once you recognize what your gut is telling you, you can put your ego aside and fill the gaps.

Connect with Stephanie here:

Email: letscreate@bumbywool.com 

YouTube: youtube.com/@bumbywool8197
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steph-gross-bumbywool/ 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19301836 Tue, 09 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2315 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, small business, small business podcast, your business why, business leader, business networking, business authenticity 1 83 full false The Stern Truth on What's Holding Your Business Back The Stern Truth on What's Holding Your Business Back Back in November, when I was planning my 2026, I set a personal theme for the year: become comfortable being uncomfortable. If something felt a little scary, a little outside my comfort zone, I committed to doing it anyway. One particular area I wanted to grow was in-person speaking.

I do this all the time on Zoom, on my podcast, in my own house to my family, but getting in front of live groups took intentional effort. I’m happy to say that, recently, I had the privilege of speaking at a business owner networking event in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The room was filled with entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. My talk was on the Stern Truth on Growth, what’s really holding your business back, and how to fix it. I introduced the ONtrepreneur Method and walked through five key shifts that will change everything in your business.

The feedback I received in the week that followed was overwhelmingly positive, and it lit a fire under me. So, I am bringing that workshop online.

On June 11th at 11AM PDT, I’m hosting a live, interactive Zoom workshop called “The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back.” I’ll be asking questions, looking for feedback, and working through these five shifts together with you.
 

Becoming comfortable being uncomfortable is something every entrepreneur needs to work on. That discomfort is usually where the growth is.

Register for the June 11th workshop. If you can’t make the live, we’ll send out a replay. Grab a spot for The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/what-s-really-holding-your-business-back-

And if you want to connect with other business owners in the meantime, join us for our monthly Connect and Collaborate Zoom on June 18th at 11AM PDT: https://marshallstern.net/landing/connect-collaborate-2026

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Back in November, when I was planning my 2026, I set a personal theme for the year: become comfortable being uncomfortable. If something felt a little scary, a little outside my comfort zone, I committed to doing it anyway. One particular area I wanted to grow was in-person speaking.

I do this all the time on Zoom, on my podcast, in my own house to my family, but getting in front of live groups took intentional effort. I’m happy to say that, recently, I had the privilege of speaking at a business owner networking event in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The room was filled with entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. My talk was on the Stern Truth on Growth, what’s really holding your business back, and how to fix it. I introduced the ONtrepreneur Method and walked through five key shifts that will change everything in your business.

The feedback I received in the week that followed was overwhelmingly positive, and it lit a fire under me. So, I am bringing that workshop online.

On June 11th at 11AM PDT, I’m hosting a live, interactive Zoom workshop called “The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back.” I’ll be asking questions, looking for feedback, and working through these five shifts together with you.
 

Becoming comfortable being uncomfortable is something every entrepreneur needs to work on. That discomfort is usually where the growth is.

Register for the June 11th workshop. If you can’t make the live, we’ll send out a replay. Grab a spot for The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/what-s-really-holding-your-business-back-

And if you want to connect with other business owners in the meantime, join us for our monthly Connect and Collaborate Zoom on June 18th at 11AM PDT: https://marshallstern.net/landing/connect-collaborate-2026

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19276496 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 03:00:00 -0700 459 small business owner, entrepreneur, business growth, small business podcast, entrepreneurship, business mindset, comfort zone, business coaching, ONtrepreneur 1 82 full false Ep. 81 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Chad and Ambri Ep. 81 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Chad and Ambri On today’s Business Therapy Thursday episode, I sit down with Ambri and Chad, co-owners of Vallee Sausage in Chilliwack, BC. Vallee Sausage is a butcher shop, sausage production facility, and European deli that their community absolutely loves. Ambri and Chad purchased Vallee Sausage from its previous owner, who ran everything himself alongside one long-time employee. But they never had any SOPs in place.

When that employee left, sales dropped and stress went up. Chad and Ambri were left holding the reins of a business with no documented systems, no standard operating procedures, and a whole lot of personal history between them.

We get into the difference between perfectionism and having high standards in this episode. Ambri talks about how she runs a tight ship and wants things done right; Chad says he would rather have things done fast. And the two of them clash over something as simple as how bacon is packaged in the display case.

We also dig into the very real challenge of running a business when a personal relationship has broken down. I commend both of them for even getting to this point, because the emotional weight of a previous relationship while trying to keep a business alive is no small thing.

A big takeaway from this session is the importance of clearly defined roles and responsibilities. We wrap up with a set of action steps for them to do, like building out SOPs starting with health and safety (this is a butcher shop, after all), defining partner roles and responsibilities, and looking at better systems for custom orders.

Vallee Sausage fills a real need in the Chilliwack community, and Ambri and Chad clearly believe in what they've built. As Amber learned, and so deftly shared with us, failure is not a bad thing, because business is always moving forward. Lucky for Vallee Sausage, it’s moving forward with two of them.


Interested in joining the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle? Join me and other business owners who are working towards real growth in this incredible community: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle


If you want to be a guest on a future Business Therapy Thursday session, reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net and we'll see if it's a fit.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> On today’s Business Therapy Thursday episode, I sit down with Ambri and Chad, co-owners of Vallee Sausage in Chilliwack, BC. Vallee Sausage is a butcher shop, sausage production facility, and European deli that their community absolutely loves. Ambri and Chad purchased Vallee Sausage from its previous owner, who ran everything himself alongside one long-time employee. But they never had any SOPs in place.

When that employee left, sales dropped and stress went up. Chad and Ambri were left holding the reins of a business with no documented systems, no standard operating procedures, and a whole lot of personal history between them.

We get into the difference between perfectionism and having high standards in this episode. Ambri talks about how she runs a tight ship and wants things done right; Chad says he would rather have things done fast. And the two of them clash over something as simple as how bacon is packaged in the display case.

We also dig into the very real challenge of running a business when a personal relationship has broken down. I commend both of them for even getting to this point, because the emotional weight of a previous relationship while trying to keep a business alive is no small thing.

A big takeaway from this session is the importance of clearly defined roles and responsibilities. We wrap up with a set of action steps for them to do, like building out SOPs starting with health and safety (this is a butcher shop, after all), defining partner roles and responsibilities, and looking at better systems for custom orders.

Vallee Sausage fills a real need in the Chilliwack community, and Ambri and Chad clearly believe in what they've built. As Amber learned, and so deftly shared with us, failure is not a bad thing, because business is always moving forward. Lucky for Vallee Sausage, it’s moving forward with two of them.


Interested in joining the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle? Join me and other business owners who are working towards real growth in this incredible community: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle


If you want to be a guest on a future Business Therapy Thursday session, reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net and we'll see if it's a fit.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19245649 Thu, 28 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2677 small business owner, entrepreneur, business therapy, business structure, entrepreneurship, standard operating procedures, small business partnership, business partnership, business coaching, Business Therapy Thursday 1 81 full false Ep. 80 The Stern Truth: Energize Your Business With Yulia Yumalova Ep. 80 The Stern Truth: Energize Your Business With Yulia Yumalova In this episode, I sit down with Yulia Yumalova, a flexibility and movement coach with 14 years of experience. Yulia, who has built a fully location-independent business, has run studios in Bali, delivered workshops around the world, and now teaches completely online. Her journey is a great example of what entrepreneurial freedom looks like when you build your business around your life.

What I love about this conversation is how Yulia connects physical health directly to business performance. She talks about how small business owners are grinding away at their desks, draining their energy on the wrong activities, and wondering why they feel burnt out. Yulia experienced this herself when she had her own studio and a growing team.

One of the golden nuggets she shares in this episode is something I am absolutely stealing for myself: if it is not in your calendar, it does not exist. Yulia time-blocks everything, including a dedicated window she calls her "anger block,” which, wow, how inventive! Setting aside time to be angry is a golden nugget if I’ve ever heard one.

Yulia also walks us through a desk-friendly movement routine you can do during a call or between tasks. The connection between how you hold your body physically and how you show up mentally in your business is real, and Yulia breaks it down in an easy-to-understand way.

Her final golden nugget is to stay curious, something I live by as well. Keep asking questions, keep exploring, and never assume you have it all figured out.

Send the word FLEXIBILITY to Yulia through LinkedIn or Instagram, and she will send you more about her pillars of flexibility.

Website: https://balibodyclub.my.canva.site/cv-website
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yulia-yumalova-a04283168
IG: @bali.body

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this episode, I sit down with Yulia Yumalova, a flexibility and movement coach with 14 years of experience. Yulia, who has built a fully location-independent business, has run studios in Bali, delivered workshops around the world, and now teaches completely online. Her journey is a great example of what entrepreneurial freedom looks like when you build your business around your life.

What I love about this conversation is how Yulia connects physical health directly to business performance. She talks about how small business owners are grinding away at their desks, draining their energy on the wrong activities, and wondering why they feel burnt out. Yulia experienced this herself when she had her own studio and a growing team.

One of the golden nuggets she shares in this episode is something I am absolutely stealing for myself: if it is not in your calendar, it does not exist. Yulia time-blocks everything, including a dedicated window she calls her "anger block,” which, wow, how inventive! Setting aside time to be angry is a golden nugget if I’ve ever heard one.

Yulia also walks us through a desk-friendly movement routine you can do during a call or between tasks. The connection between how you hold your body physically and how you show up mentally in your business is real, and Yulia breaks it down in an easy-to-understand way.

Her final golden nugget is to stay curious, something I live by as well. Keep asking questions, keep exploring, and never assume you have it all figured out.

Send the word FLEXIBILITY to Yulia through LinkedIn or Instagram, and she will send you more about her pillars of flexibility.

Website: https://balibodyclub.my.canva.site/cv-website
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yulia-yumalova-a04283168
IG: @bali.body

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19223931 Tue, 26 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2523 small business owner, entrepreneur, productivity, business performance, entrepreneurial freedom, business burnout, delegation, small business podcast, body and business, business mindset 1 80 full false Ep. 79 The Stern Truth: Navigating Entrepreneurial ADHD With Hannah Cummins Ep. 79 The Stern Truth: Navigating Entrepreneurial ADHD With Hannah Cummins If you’ve ever found yourself jumping between tasks without finishing any of them, reorganizing your desk instead of doing the work, this episode is for you.

My guest on this episode is Hannah Cummins, an ADHD micro-coach based out of Manchester, UK. The daily micro-coaching sessions are a quick but powerful four minutes with her clients. Four minutes—I know that sounds wild (and yes, I asked her about it.)

As Hannah put it, if you reflect every day, you have better days. That container for daily self-reflection activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that gets dulled down by both ADHD and constant distractions. Getting on that day level, as she calls it, helps you spot patterns that either set you up for success or derail you.

When it comes to accountability, one of Hannah’s golden nuggets is to find someone to hold up a mirror. Social accountability is so much more powerful than setting reminders for yourself. Whether that’s a coach, a mentor, or an accountability partner, having someone to reflect your patterns back at you makes all the difference.

Hannah’s concept of knowing your “smoke alarm” – the behaviour that tells you you’re off track—is an incredibly practical takeaway. Distraction and procrastination almost always come from a lack of clarity or fear. Like Hannah says, fear shrinks in the light of consciousness. When you bring it to the surface, you can move through it.

And, of course, Hannah left us with so many more golden nuggets, like leaving the all-or-nothing mindset behind, focusing on the 0.1% action you can take today. Driving all the way to the gym and sitting in the parking lot still counts for the 0.1%!

Contact Hannah here:

Website: https://www.expressocoaching.com/hch
Email: hannah@expressocoaching.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hannah-cummins-2a078382/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> If you’ve ever found yourself jumping between tasks without finishing any of them, reorganizing your desk instead of doing the work, this episode is for you.

My guest on this episode is Hannah Cummins, an ADHD micro-coach based out of Manchester, UK. The daily micro-coaching sessions are a quick but powerful four minutes with her clients. Four minutes—I know that sounds wild (and yes, I asked her about it.)

As Hannah put it, if you reflect every day, you have better days. That container for daily self-reflection activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that gets dulled down by both ADHD and constant distractions. Getting on that day level, as she calls it, helps you spot patterns that either set you up for success or derail you.

When it comes to accountability, one of Hannah’s golden nuggets is to find someone to hold up a mirror. Social accountability is so much more powerful than setting reminders for yourself. Whether that’s a coach, a mentor, or an accountability partner, having someone to reflect your patterns back at you makes all the difference.

Hannah’s concept of knowing your “smoke alarm” – the behaviour that tells you you’re off track—is an incredibly practical takeaway. Distraction and procrastination almost always come from a lack of clarity or fear. Like Hannah says, fear shrinks in the light of consciousness. When you bring it to the surface, you can move through it.

And, of course, Hannah left us with so many more golden nuggets, like leaving the all-or-nothing mindset behind, focusing on the 0.1% action you can take today. Driving all the way to the gym and sitting in the parking lot still counts for the 0.1%!

Contact Hannah here:

Website: https://www.expressocoaching.com/hch
Email: hannah@expressocoaching.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hannah-cummins-2a078382/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19205185 Thu, 21 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2819 small business owners, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business podcast, business owners with ADHD, ADHD as an entrepreneur, small business productivity 1 79 full false Ep. 78 The Stern Truth: Stop Pitching Your Services and Do This Instead Ep. 78 The Stern Truth: Stop Pitching Your Services and Do This Instead We’ve all seen it. We’ve all heard it. We’ve probably even all done it. That constant barrage of selling your services right off the bat. 

My friends, we need to stop constantly pitching. Not to sound like an infomercial, but there is a better way. Let’s take the old way of selling - ABC, Always Be Closing. What if we tried a new ABC, Always Be Connecting?

I go headfirst into an example of buying a timeshare in Whistler. The way that timeshare was first presented to me didn’t sound like a pitch; instead, the salesperson was genuinely interested in me, my wife, and what our future looked like. 

I also go into why discovery calls shouldn’t immediately go into services. Why offer something to someone if you don’t know about them yet? As my mentor once said (and I often repeat), “Be interested, not interesting.” Ask people questions. Connect. Listen. It’s the best business strategy out there. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> We’ve all seen it. We’ve all heard it. We’ve probably even all done it. That constant barrage of selling your services right off the bat. 

My friends, we need to stop constantly pitching. Not to sound like an infomercial, but there is a better way. Let’s take the old way of selling - ABC, Always Be Closing. What if we tried a new ABC, Always Be Connecting?

I go headfirst into an example of buying a timeshare in Whistler. The way that timeshare was first presented to me didn’t sound like a pitch; instead, the salesperson was genuinely interested in me, my wife, and what our future looked like. 

I also go into why discovery calls shouldn’t immediately go into services. Why offer something to someone if you don’t know about them yet? As my mentor once said (and I often repeat), “Be interested, not interesting.” Ask people questions. Connect. Listen. It’s the best business strategy out there. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19185256 Tue, 19 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 702 small business owners, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business podcast, business connection, business networking, small business networking 1 78 full false Ep. 77 The Stern Truth: The Power of Deeper Questions With Karli Grove Ep. 77 The Stern Truth: The Power of Deeper Questions With Karli Grove Business can be deep, and Karli Grove is here to prove it. 

For episode 77, I have Karli Grove of Kantency Consulting as my guest. Katency is a consulting firm that focuses on organizational change. As Karli puts it, 180 changes are hard, but they don’t have to be.

Her advice is to find the source resistance in your business and change it. This can require reading between the lines (because not all resistance points are obvious) and even some negotiations. 

I pose a loaded question to Karli during this episode: what do you think is missing in business? She comes back with a loaded answer too: empathy. Karli believes in the power of asking questions and truly getting curious to get to that “secret sauce.” Not everything has to be so black and white, and questions get deeper.

Our conversation reminded me of something my own mentor said: “Be interested, not interesting.” Get interested in others. Be curious and ask those questions to get to know them on a deeper level. 

Karli gets real with us and tells us how accountability as an entrepreneur is one of her biggest challenges. Giving herself her own consequences is something she admits was difficult for her. She says what helped her was setting up systems and gives an amazing example with how she reads 50 books every year, while travelling! 

Her golden nugget is that body language is extremely important when it comes to communication. You’re only getting a certain amount of the context with text or voice memos - she gives some great statistics on the episode that are fascinating, so don’t miss out!


Get in touch with Karli here:

Website: kantency.com
LinkedIn: @karligrove 

 

Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. It’s a community of your peers that can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Business can be deep, and Karli Grove is here to prove it. 

For episode 77, I have Karli Grove of Kantency Consulting as my guest. Katency is a consulting firm that focuses on organizational change. As Karli puts it, 180 changes are hard, but they don’t have to be.

Her advice is to find the source resistance in your business and change it. This can require reading between the lines (because not all resistance points are obvious) and even some negotiations. 

I pose a loaded question to Karli during this episode: what do you think is missing in business? She comes back with a loaded answer too: empathy. Karli believes in the power of asking questions and truly getting curious to get to that “secret sauce.” Not everything has to be so black and white, and questions get deeper.

Our conversation reminded me of something my own mentor said: “Be interested, not interesting.” Get interested in others. Be curious and ask those questions to get to know them on a deeper level. 

Karli gets real with us and tells us how accountability as an entrepreneur is one of her biggest challenges. Giving herself her own consequences is something she admits was difficult for her. She says what helped her was setting up systems and gives an amazing example with how she reads 50 books every year, while travelling! 

Her golden nugget is that body language is extremely important when it comes to communication. You’re only getting a certain amount of the context with text or voice memos - she gives some great statistics on the episode that are fascinating, so don’t miss out!


Get in touch with Karli here:

Website: kantency.com
LinkedIn: @karligrove 

 

Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. It’s a community of your peers that can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19136298 Tue, 12 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2247 women in business, small business owners, small business owners, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business podcast, business consulting, business abroad, communication in business, business communication, business curiosity 1 77 full false Ep. 76 The Stern Truth: How to Build Sustainable Growth With Katie Eberman Ep. 76 The Stern Truth: How to Build Sustainable Growth With Katie Eberman “Simply by Katie” is what Katie Eberman goes by online. What she does in her business and her journey as an entrepreneur, however, is anything but simple.

Like most of us entrepreneurs, she had a persistent idea—supporting small businesses. Even with caring for little ones at home that she was taking care of, Katie still missed the kind of fulfilling work she used to do. She eventually landed on doing website design and copywriting, specifically for women in the small business space. 

Katie talks passionately about helping female entrepreneurs, seeing it as a reflection of herself. What she really wants is for women to feel proud to send their clients or prospects to their websites. 

Katie also notes that business owners don’t want to say they’re building a brand because it sounds too big of a vision. To me, this brought up another reminder to get clear on your “why”; the “why” is what’s powerful enough to get you to do what you do. 

We get into the systems that Katie uses so that she can be there in both her work and life. This brings up a challenge that I have for you, my friends. I want you to send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net and let me know your strategies for separating your work and life. 

Katie has golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode, but she gave us one that might be the best golden nuggets yet. Katie says, just start. Don’t overthink, because when you’re in the action, you’re not worrying about what will go wrong. An incredible reminder that we can all build on.  

Connect with Katie here:

Website: simplybykatie.com
Email: hello@simplybykatie.com
Instagram: @simply_by_katie 


Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. It’s a community of your peers that can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> “Simply by Katie” is what Katie Eberman goes by online. What she does in her business and her journey as an entrepreneur, however, is anything but simple.

Like most of us entrepreneurs, she had a persistent idea—supporting small businesses. Even with caring for little ones at home that she was taking care of, Katie still missed the kind of fulfilling work she used to do. She eventually landed on doing website design and copywriting, specifically for women in the small business space. 

Katie talks passionately about helping female entrepreneurs, seeing it as a reflection of herself. What she really wants is for women to feel proud to send their clients or prospects to their websites. 

Katie also notes that business owners don’t want to say they’re building a brand because it sounds too big of a vision. To me, this brought up another reminder to get clear on your “why”; the “why” is what’s powerful enough to get you to do what you do. 

We get into the systems that Katie uses so that she can be there in both her work and life. This brings up a challenge that I have for you, my friends. I want you to send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net and let me know your strategies for separating your work and life. 

Katie has golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode, but she gave us one that might be the best golden nuggets yet. Katie says, just start. Don’t overthink, because when you’re in the action, you’re not worrying about what will go wrong. An incredible reminder that we can all build on.  

Connect with Katie here:

Website: simplybykatie.com
Email: hello@simplybykatie.com
Instagram: @simply_by_katie 


Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. It’s a community of your peers that can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19123082 Tue, 05 May 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2401 women in business, women entrepreneurs, women small business owners, mompreneur, small business owners, small business owners, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business podcast 1 76 full false Ep. 75 The Stern Truth: Leveraging LinkedIn in Just 15 Minutes with Ashley Leeds Ep. 75 The Stern Truth: Leveraging LinkedIn in Just 15 Minutes with Ashley Leeds My guest on this episode is Ashley Leeds, known as The 15 Minute Guy, and, wow, just wow. Ashley dropped so many insights about LinkedIn that I could not wait to get this episode out.

Ashley joins me from Devon, England, and he helps founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners get visible on LinkedIn in just 15 minutes a day. Ashley does the math for us all—15 minutes a day, five days a week, over a year adds up to 65 hours on the platform. It's an action that might seem small, but it can have a big effect.

Less than 5% of LinkedIn users create content. That means if you start showing up consistently with posts, you are immediately ahead of 95% of people on the platform. Ashley's advice is to pick a specific day and time, stick to it, and let your audience anchor to you.

We get into the real strategy behind commenting. Ashley recommends commenting on at least 10 posts a day. Not a boring “I agree” but adding a bit of your personality while adding value.

A surprising few tidbits that Ashley also shared: hashtags on LinkedIn are now deprecated, so don’t use them. Your profile photo should be a close-up of your face with a coloured background, because 70% of users are on mobile. Polls are a wildly underused tool, not just for engagement but for gathering real data on your audience and then following up in a personal way.

This episode with Ashley is just non-stop golden nuggets. Grab a pen and paper, tune in, and start thinking about how just 15 intentional minutes a day could transform your visibility.

Connect with Ashley here:

Website: www.just.15mins.day
LinkedIn: @ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy
Take the Free Assessment Here: www.just.15mins.day/score  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> My guest on this episode is Ashley Leeds, known as The 15 Minute Guy, and, wow, just wow. Ashley dropped so many insights about LinkedIn that I could not wait to get this episode out.

Ashley joins me from Devon, England, and he helps founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners get visible on LinkedIn in just 15 minutes a day. Ashley does the math for us all—15 minutes a day, five days a week, over a year adds up to 65 hours on the platform. It's an action that might seem small, but it can have a big effect.

Less than 5% of LinkedIn users create content. That means if you start showing up consistently with posts, you are immediately ahead of 95% of people on the platform. Ashley's advice is to pick a specific day and time, stick to it, and let your audience anchor to you.

We get into the real strategy behind commenting. Ashley recommends commenting on at least 10 posts a day. Not a boring “I agree” but adding a bit of your personality while adding value.

A surprising few tidbits that Ashley also shared: hashtags on LinkedIn are now deprecated, so don’t use them. Your profile photo should be a close-up of your face with a coloured background, because 70% of users are on mobile. Polls are a wildly underused tool, not just for engagement but for gathering real data on your audience and then following up in a personal way.

This episode with Ashley is just non-stop golden nuggets. Grab a pen and paper, tune in, and start thinking about how just 15 intentional minutes a day could transform your visibility.

Connect with Ashley here:

Website: www.just.15mins.day
LinkedIn: @ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy
Take the Free Assessment Here: www.just.15mins.day/score  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19092035 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 3110 small business owner, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business purpose, business clarity, small business ownership, LinkedIn for business, LinkedIn tips, business networking 1 75 full false Ep. 74 The Stern Truth: Is Your Business Serving Your Life? Ep. 74 The Stern Truth: Is Your Business Serving Your Life? This episode is shorter but still impactful. It’s a solo episode because I’ve had wonderful guests lately. But this one asks the question, Is your business serving your life?

As always, grab a paper and pen. Write down the question, Is my business serving my life? Is it serving me financially, in terms of freedom, to do what I truly love? Or is it not serving my life? Do I feel trapped?

Get back to why you started your business. What was your “why?” Sometimes we forget why we started our business. We might get stuck in that employee mindset. Come back to that “why,” why you do what you do.

I invite you to take my Business Energy Reset. If your business is serving your life, that’s fantastic, and I’d still love to hear from you. But, if not, there’s an opportunity for change there. Take one step forward.

Email me “yes, it is” or “no, it’s not” at marshall@marshallstern.net or grab the Business Energy Reset here: https://marshallstern.net/page/business-energy-quiz 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> This episode is shorter but still impactful. It’s a solo episode because I’ve had wonderful guests lately. But this one asks the question, Is your business serving your life?

As always, grab a paper and pen. Write down the question, Is my business serving my life? Is it serving me financially, in terms of freedom, to do what I truly love? Or is it not serving my life? Do I feel trapped?

Get back to why you started your business. What was your “why?” Sometimes we forget why we started our business. We might get stuck in that employee mindset. Come back to that “why,” why you do what you do.

I invite you to take my Business Energy Reset. If your business is serving your life, that’s fantastic, and I’d still love to hear from you. But, if not, there’s an opportunity for change there. Take one step forward.

Email me “yes, it is” or “no, it’s not” at marshall@marshallstern.net or grab the Business Energy Reset here: https://marshallstern.net/page/business-energy-quiz 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19072111 Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 592 small business owner, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business podcast, business purpose, business clarity, small business ownership 1 74 full false Ep. 73 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Earl Thomas Ep. 73 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Earl Thomas It’s another Business Therapy Thursday, and this one might hit home for anyone who has ever second-guessed their pricing. I sit down with Earl Thomas, host of the VOICE POWER podcast, and we have an honest and energizing deep dive into pricing confidence.

 Earl has been podcasting for six seasons, reaching listeners across countless countries and cities. But he came to me with the challenge of feeling confident when it comes time to name his price.

 He and I go over the three things needed for someone to work with you—desire, the ability to pay, and the willingness to pay. If all three aspects aren’t there, they’re not your client.

We also dig into the idea of releasing yourself from the outcome. There’s real power in showing up to a conversation and being focused on service rather than landing the sale. Clarity breeds confidence. When you have clarity on your pricing, your process, your ideal client, and your follow-up plan, the confidence follows.

 Earl even shares a golden nugget of his own, being “passionately confident and confidently passionate.” That's the exact energy that lands clients, builds audiences, and grows businesses. People know passion when they see it.

I also get into when to bring up pricing. Talking about it too early, before you’ve made a real connection, turns everything into a negotiation. In small business, the relationship has to be the priority. The price is just a detail that comes after.


Connect with Earl Thomas, aka “The Voice” here:

Website: www.earlthomasthevoice.com
Podcast: voicepower.buzzsprout.com
LinkedIn: @earlthomasthevoice
Facebook: @EarlThomasTheVoice
YouTube: @EarlThomasTheVOICE

 
If you’re interested in a Business Therapy Thursday session, shoot me an email to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s another Business Therapy Thursday, and this one might hit home for anyone who has ever second-guessed their pricing. I sit down with Earl Thomas, host of the VOICE POWER podcast, and we have an honest and energizing deep dive into pricing confidence.

 Earl has been podcasting for six seasons, reaching listeners across countless countries and cities. But he came to me with the challenge of feeling confident when it comes time to name his price.

 He and I go over the three things needed for someone to work with you—desire, the ability to pay, and the willingness to pay. If all three aspects aren’t there, they’re not your client.

We also dig into the idea of releasing yourself from the outcome. There’s real power in showing up to a conversation and being focused on service rather than landing the sale. Clarity breeds confidence. When you have clarity on your pricing, your process, your ideal client, and your follow-up plan, the confidence follows.

 Earl even shares a golden nugget of his own, being “passionately confident and confidently passionate.” That's the exact energy that lands clients, builds audiences, and grows businesses. People know passion when they see it.

I also get into when to bring up pricing. Talking about it too early, before you’ve made a real connection, turns everything into a negotiation. In small business, the relationship has to be the priority. The price is just a detail that comes after.


Connect with Earl Thomas, aka “The Voice” here:

Website: www.earlthomasthevoice.com
Podcast: voicepower.buzzsprout.com
LinkedIn: @earlthomasthevoice
Facebook: @EarlThomasTheVoice
YouTube: @EarlThomasTheVOICE

 
If you’re interested in a Business Therapy Thursday session, shoot me an email to marshall@marshallstern.net.  

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19054695 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2587 small business owner, entrepreneur, pricing confidence, business therapy, podcast host, small business pricing, Business Therapy Thursday, entrepreneurship, sales mindset, business coaching, ONtrepreneur Inner Circle, small business growth 1 73 full false Ep. 72 The Stern Truth: The Missing E in STRAT GY With Daria Ionescu Ep. 72 The Stern Truth: The Missing E in STRAT GY With Daria Ionescu Daria Ionescu knows strategy. She actually started off her career with in-house marketing. A little bit of branding, digital marketing, and some social media. What she found was missing in all of this was the real strategy behind it, so she started her own company.

Now, her strategy consulting business, Lume Strategy, takes people from Point A to Point B to hit their target audience. Even though she’s been in business for less than a year, one Stern Truth Daria learned is how introspective entrepreneurship can make you.

In this episode, we also get into falling in love with the process. As small business owners, the best thing you can do is to NOT do the things that drain you. My advice to Daria (and all of you) is to write down those drains so that when the time comes to add in team members, those tasks can easily be passed to them.

Daria gets into the age-old business question, “What is strategy?" Empathize with your team. Understand where they’re coming from. Find the solutions for them, get to the root of the issue, then make a plan—a strategy—to fix it.

One of Daria’s many other Stern Truths is that as an entrepreneur, your brain never stops. It can feel like you’re never off the clock. Being more disciplined, using strategies like time-blocking, and being able to adapt can all help you manage a mind that never seems to turn off.

Daria reminds us of something we all know but sometimes forget—marketing is very psychological. Knowing the motivations of why people take actions, or why they don’t, is a big part of any strategy, and it starts with empathy, that missing E in strategy. After that comes the trust, the most important part of the entrepreneurial puzzle. 


Connect with Daria here:

Website: www.lumestrategy.ca
Email: daria@lumestrategy.ca
IG: @itslumestrategy
LinkedIn: @daria-ionescu-492098232

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Daria Ionescu knows strategy. She actually started off her career with in-house marketing. A little bit of branding, digital marketing, and some social media. What she found was missing in all of this was the real strategy behind it, so she started her own company.

Now, her strategy consulting business, Lume Strategy, takes people from Point A to Point B to hit their target audience. Even though she’s been in business for less than a year, one Stern Truth Daria learned is how introspective entrepreneurship can make you.

In this episode, we also get into falling in love with the process. As small business owners, the best thing you can do is to NOT do the things that drain you. My advice to Daria (and all of you) is to write down those drains so that when the time comes to add in team members, those tasks can easily be passed to them.

Daria gets into the age-old business question, “What is strategy?" Empathize with your team. Understand where they’re coming from. Find the solutions for them, get to the root of the issue, then make a plan—a strategy—to fix it.

One of Daria’s many other Stern Truths is that as an entrepreneur, your brain never stops. It can feel like you’re never off the clock. Being more disciplined, using strategies like time-blocking, and being able to adapt can all help you manage a mind that never seems to turn off.

Daria reminds us of something we all know but sometimes forget—marketing is very psychological. Knowing the motivations of why people take actions, or why they don’t, is a big part of any strategy, and it starts with empathy, that missing E in strategy. After that comes the trust, the most important part of the entrepreneurial puzzle. 


Connect with Daria here:

Website: www.lumestrategy.ca
Email: daria@lumestrategy.ca
IG: @itslumestrategy
LinkedIn: @daria-ionescu-492098232

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-19033170 Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2718 small business owner, entrepreneurship, business leadership, entrepreneur, small business podcast, strategy, strategic thinking, empathy in business, trust in business, strategy in business 1 72 full false Ep. 71 The Stern Truth: What is Your MORE With Denise Frenette Ep. 71 The Stern Truth: What is Your MORE With Denise Frenette Denise Frenette is all about the “more.” She’s not specifically about having more things and having more nice dinners (which she admits she does love). The "more" that Denise is talking about is the balance between running a business and having what you truly want in life. She even wrote a book on it, aptly titled "MORE".

An entrepreneur several times over, Denise never felt like she fit into the typical “9-5” corporate box. She talks a lot in this episode about grit and determination. As Denise puts it, the ability to see a vision and bring it into detail and make it "more" takes a lot of grit and just as much confidence.

One of the reasons Denise got into business for herself was that she saw how things were done in her industry and thought, I could do it better myself. I’m sure that her eye for detail, passion for wellness, and entrepreneur parents helped too.

Denise shares an incredible story about a former employee. Although now a competitor, this former employee admitted to Denis that she didn’t know what it took to run a business. Denise encouraged this person to keep going, driving home the kind of grit that it takes to run a business.

There were so many great golden nuggets and Stern Truth’s in this episode, but one of Denise’s best golden nuggets is that there’s more to life than just business. Take an honest look at all aspects of your life. Even though you might be successful in one area, you don’t want to miss the boat on what life is about.


Connect with Denise here:
Website: https://www.denisefrenette.com/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Denise Frenette is all about the “more.” She’s not specifically about having more things and having more nice dinners (which she admits she does love). The "more" that Denise is talking about is the balance between running a business and having what you truly want in life. She even wrote a book on it, aptly titled "MORE".

An entrepreneur several times over, Denise never felt like she fit into the typical “9-5” corporate box. She talks a lot in this episode about grit and determination. As Denise puts it, the ability to see a vision and bring it into detail and make it "more" takes a lot of grit and just as much confidence.

One of the reasons Denise got into business for herself was that she saw how things were done in her industry and thought, I could do it better myself. I’m sure that her eye for detail, passion for wellness, and entrepreneur parents helped too.

Denise shares an incredible story about a former employee. Although now a competitor, this former employee admitted to Denis that she didn’t know what it took to run a business. Denise encouraged this person to keep going, driving home the kind of grit that it takes to run a business.

There were so many great golden nuggets and Stern Truth’s in this episode, but one of Denise’s best golden nuggets is that there’s more to life than just business. Take an honest look at all aspects of your life. Even though you might be successful in one area, you don’t want to miss the boat on what life is about.


Connect with Denise here:
Website: https://www.denisefrenette.com/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18995711 Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2767 small business owner, entrepreneurship, business leadership, entrepreneur, business coaching, small business podcast, more in business, more in life, wellness entrepreneur, business success 1 71 full false Ep. 70 The Stern Truth: How Resilience and Teamwork Drive Business Growth With Stephanie Lehr Ep. 70 The Stern Truth: How Resilience and Teamwork Drive Business Growth With Stephanie Lehr Business ownership is a spectrum. A business owner and an entrepreneur are not the same. I drop these golden nuggets, and more, on Stephanie Lehr’s new podcast, The Stephanie Lehr Show (which is episode 70 of The Stern Truth.)

Stephanie is a relationship coach. In starting her new podcast, I had the honour of being her first guest. She and I get into a variety of topics. We even discuss how, during my leadership coach training, I really wasn’t leading at home and how it took me some time to realize that. 

We go over what happened during the pandemic when I was faced with the decision to keep my team or let them go. My leadership mindset is “these are my people,” so I kept them on. Thankfully, it worked out, since safety signage was a priority at that time.

I also get into the difference between being an entrepreneur and being a business owner. My friends, they are NOT the same thing. A lot of business owners are really buying themselves a job, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you want to grow, you have to step into that ONtrepreneur mindset. Building something that lasts is the challenge.

Stephanie asked me about the best compliment I have ever received, and it has stayed with me ever since. A fellow coach told me, in front of a group, that I make people feel safe. Not impressive, not intimidating, not polished. Safe. As a coach, just as a person, that was a compliment I’ll always cherish.

Like the title of this episode says, it takes resilience, teamwork, and a community to make a business grow.

Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle if you’re looking for that kind of supportive community. https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Learn about Stephanie and her show here:
Instagram: @stephanielehrofficial
LinkedIn:  @stephanielehr
Website: stephanielehr.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Business ownership is a spectrum. A business owner and an entrepreneur are not the same. I drop these golden nuggets, and more, on Stephanie Lehr’s new podcast, The Stephanie Lehr Show (which is episode 70 of The Stern Truth.)

Stephanie is a relationship coach. In starting her new podcast, I had the honour of being her first guest. She and I get into a variety of topics. We even discuss how, during my leadership coach training, I really wasn’t leading at home and how it took me some time to realize that. 

We go over what happened during the pandemic when I was faced with the decision to keep my team or let them go. My leadership mindset is “these are my people,” so I kept them on. Thankfully, it worked out, since safety signage was a priority at that time.

I also get into the difference between being an entrepreneur and being a business owner. My friends, they are NOT the same thing. A lot of business owners are really buying themselves a job, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you want to grow, you have to step into that ONtrepreneur mindset. Building something that lasts is the challenge.

Stephanie asked me about the best compliment I have ever received, and it has stayed with me ever since. A fellow coach told me, in front of a group, that I make people feel safe. Not impressive, not intimidating, not polished. Safe. As a coach, just as a person, that was a compliment I’ll always cherish.

Like the title of this episode says, it takes resilience, teamwork, and a community to make a business grow.

Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle if you’re looking for that kind of supportive community. https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Learn about Stephanie and her show here:
Instagram: @stephanielehrofficial
LinkedIn:  @stephanielehr
Website: stephanielehr.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18970513 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2602 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business leadership, business resilience, business mindset, entrepreneur journey, business coaching, people-first leadership, work-life harmony 1 70 full false Ep. 69 The Stern Truth: The Oi's of Business & Leadership With Kim Long Ep. 69 The Stern Truth: The Oi's of Business & Leadership With Kim Long Kim Long is my guest on this episode of the Stern Truth. As a registered psychologist in Alberta with a teaching background, Kim was inspired by her family of helpers to get into the field of psychology, despite some “oi’s” along the way, Covid being a big one.

Through our conversation, I tell him how post-secondary experience teaches business but it doesn't teach entrepreneurship - things like cash flow, ROI, or COGS are more on-the-job lessons.  

Leadership was a big factor for Kim when starting her practice. Nurturing her team while keeping her professional standards, combatting leader loneliness, and consistent learning have allowed Kim to build her team.

Imposter syndrome (yes, it’s everywhere) comes up in our conversation, another of Kim’s “oi’s”. She digs deep and gets to the root of leadership. One of her golden nuggets is that leadership is all about building the capacity of your team so they can grow and shine.  

Let me tell you, my friends, it doesn’t get easier. Imposter syndrome can be a lifelong feeling. And guess what? More people have it than you think. Ask yourself, is what I believe true? If you look at the old you vs. the new, 2.0 you, what were your action steps to get there? 

Another terrific golden nugget that Kim gave was one I love - if you’re worrying about your leadership, you’re probably a better leader than you realize. 

The Stern Truth of being a leader? Just keep going, keep showing up, and take time to reflect on your own growth.

 
Get in touch with Kim here:

Website: www.dochaspsych.com

IG: instagram.com/dochaspsych
Facebook: facebook.com/DochasPsych
YouTube: youtube.com/@DochasPsych

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/dochas-psych


If you’re feeling the “oi’s” of business, lonely, or isolated, and want those like-minded business people, check out our ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Be my guest and see what the community looks like: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Kim Long is my guest on this episode of the Stern Truth. As a registered psychologist in Alberta with a teaching background, Kim was inspired by her family of helpers to get into the field of psychology, despite some “oi’s” along the way, Covid being a big one.

Through our conversation, I tell him how post-secondary experience teaches business but it doesn't teach entrepreneurship - things like cash flow, ROI, or COGS are more on-the-job lessons.  

Leadership was a big factor for Kim when starting her practice. Nurturing her team while keeping her professional standards, combatting leader loneliness, and consistent learning have allowed Kim to build her team.

Imposter syndrome (yes, it’s everywhere) comes up in our conversation, another of Kim’s “oi’s”. She digs deep and gets to the root of leadership. One of her golden nuggets is that leadership is all about building the capacity of your team so they can grow and shine.  

Let me tell you, my friends, it doesn’t get easier. Imposter syndrome can be a lifelong feeling. And guess what? More people have it than you think. Ask yourself, is what I believe true? If you look at the old you vs. the new, 2.0 you, what were your action steps to get there? 

Another terrific golden nugget that Kim gave was one I love - if you’re worrying about your leadership, you’re probably a better leader than you realize. 

The Stern Truth of being a leader? Just keep going, keep showing up, and take time to reflect on your own growth.

 
Get in touch with Kim here:

Website: www.dochaspsych.com

IG: instagram.com/dochaspsych
Facebook: facebook.com/DochasPsych
YouTube: youtube.com/@DochasPsych

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/dochas-psych


If you’re feeling the “oi’s” of business, lonely, or isolated, and want those like-minded business people, check out our ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Be my guest and see what the community looks like: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18933881 Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2151 small business owner, entrepreneur, business growth, business leadership, small business coaching, entrepreneurship, business growing pains, business loneliness, imposter syndrome 1 69 full false Ep. 68 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with David Wallace Ep. 68 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with David Wallace We’re back with another Business Therapy Thursday, and this one is extra special. David Wallace, owner of Around the Block Butcher & Market in Ottawa, was first featured on Episode 23. We talked about his incredible entrepreneurial journey through the pandemic. Now, a year later, David is back, and this time, we go deeper.

Around the Block just celebrated 13 years in business, and David has built something truly special with his wife and business partner, Chantelle. He came into this episode with a lot on his mind—where to direct resources, how to lead more effectively, and how to break the tunnel vision from being deep in the day-to-day grind.

David describes success as having the right systems, the right team, and the freedom to take two full weeks off and actually enjoy it. He and Chantel took their first week off in years back in January, and it went fine. So, what’s stopping them from doing more of that?

David also opened up about the challenge of that last 10%. He’s a self-described 90-percenter, great at getting things almost done, but the follow-through is where the wins live.

We tackled the concept of “CEO Day," a dedicated block day each week where David can step away from the counter, close the office door, and work ON the business instead of IN it. Not for clients, not for staff, not for urgent orders. Just David, his vision, and the clarity to grow his business.

The Stern Truth of this episode is that “later” is not a strategy. Things don’t slow down, so you need to specifically create the time and space. As a business owner, YOU have to be the one to make the change.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> We’re back with another Business Therapy Thursday, and this one is extra special. David Wallace, owner of Around the Block Butcher & Market in Ottawa, was first featured on Episode 23. We talked about his incredible entrepreneurial journey through the pandemic. Now, a year later, David is back, and this time, we go deeper.

Around the Block just celebrated 13 years in business, and David has built something truly special with his wife and business partner, Chantelle. He came into this episode with a lot on his mind—where to direct resources, how to lead more effectively, and how to break the tunnel vision from being deep in the day-to-day grind.

David describes success as having the right systems, the right team, and the freedom to take two full weeks off and actually enjoy it. He and Chantel took their first week off in years back in January, and it went fine. So, what’s stopping them from doing more of that?

David also opened up about the challenge of that last 10%. He’s a self-described 90-percenter, great at getting things almost done, but the follow-through is where the wins live.

We tackled the concept of “CEO Day," a dedicated block day each week where David can step away from the counter, close the office door, and work ON the business instead of IN it. Not for clients, not for staff, not for urgent orders. Just David, his vision, and the clarity to grow his business.

The Stern Truth of this episode is that “later” is not a strategy. Things don’t slow down, so you need to specifically create the time and space. As a business owner, YOU have to be the one to make the change.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18901559 Thu, 26 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2275 small business owner, entrepreneur, business therapy, business growth, tunnel vision, business leadership, small business coaching, entrepreneurship, work-life balance 1 68 full false Ep. 67 The Stern Truth: The Power of Being in Flow and Alignment with Melodie Dewsbury Ep. 67 The Stern Truth: The Power of Being in Flow and Alignment with Melodie Dewsbury Melodie Dewsbury is a passionate entrepreneur and founder of The Paper Fox Collective, a marketing agency in Mission, B.C. Her journey took her from entrepreneur to corporate life to teaching and back to entrepreneurship. This time around, she’s got clarity, confidence, and a whole lot of momentum.

Melodie shares how she reinvented herself after stepping back from her first business and spending years in corporate roles that just didn’t fit. When the mismatch started showing up physically, she knew it was time to listen to that gut feeling.

We get into the difference between fear and intuition and why that distinction matters for big business decisions. Melodie’s golden nugget on this? Is this a limiting belief, or is everything in my being telling me this isn’t right for me?

 We also talk about community, something Melodie has always been passionate about creating. From running knitting clubs in her first year of teaching to building an online community of 2,000 female entrepreneurs, she just gets people together. And as I always say, being around other entrepreneurs who truly get it makes all the difference.

 On the marketing side, Melodie drops a golden nugget every founder needs to hear: you don’t need to be on every platform. Pick the spaces where you can show up consistently and authentically. If dancing on TikTok isn’t you, don’t do it.

Melodie’s episode itself is a golden nugget. So if you take anything from this episode, take it from Melodie that sometimes stepping back is exactly what you need to step forward with more power.


Connect with Melodie here:

www.thepaperfoxcollective.com
Instagram: @thepaperfoxcollective
LinkedIn: @melodie-dewsbury
Facebook: @melodydewsbury 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Melodie Dewsbury is a passionate entrepreneur and founder of The Paper Fox Collective, a marketing agency in Mission, B.C. Her journey took her from entrepreneur to corporate life to teaching and back to entrepreneurship. This time around, she’s got clarity, confidence, and a whole lot of momentum.

Melodie shares how she reinvented herself after stepping back from her first business and spending years in corporate roles that just didn’t fit. When the mismatch started showing up physically, she knew it was time to listen to that gut feeling.

We get into the difference between fear and intuition and why that distinction matters for big business decisions. Melodie’s golden nugget on this? Is this a limiting belief, or is everything in my being telling me this isn’t right for me?

 We also talk about community, something Melodie has always been passionate about creating. From running knitting clubs in her first year of teaching to building an online community of 2,000 female entrepreneurs, she just gets people together. And as I always say, being around other entrepreneurs who truly get it makes all the difference.

 On the marketing side, Melodie drops a golden nugget every founder needs to hear: you don’t need to be on every platform. Pick the spaces where you can show up consistently and authentically. If dancing on TikTok isn’t you, don’t do it.

Melodie’s episode itself is a golden nugget. So if you take anything from this episode, take it from Melodie that sometimes stepping back is exactly what you need to step forward with more power.


Connect with Melodie here:

www.thepaperfoxcollective.com
Instagram: @thepaperfoxcollective
LinkedIn: @melodie-dewsbury
Facebook: @melodydewsbury 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18880987 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2615 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business reinvention, business mindset, marketing strategy, limiting beliefs, intuition in business, small business marketing, business community 1 67 full false Ep. 66 The Stern Truth: Year of the Horse and Your Business Success Ep. 66 The Stern Truth: Year of the Horse and Your Business Success 2026 is the year of the horse, so, of course, I have to revisit my story about going to a horseback riding ranch. The story in this episode might sound familiar, but believe me, it’s important, so it bears repeating.

I was in a beautiful open field with around 25 other people. I wanted my horse to go faster, so I tried to smack the reins, ignoring the signs that told me this horse didn’t want to go fast. Well, one smack did it, and the horse went so fast that I narrowly missed a tree branch. 

The instructor came up after asking how I was, and I said okay. They said I could ride on the back of their horse the rest of that day. To that, I said, nope, I am getting back on that horse. And I did.

Looking back, I shouldn’t have ignored the signs that were right in front of me. He gave me the over-the-shoulder looks and was slowing down, but I was burying my head in the sand. I was dead-set on leading that horse.

Never overlook the signs that are there, no matter what part of life we’re talking about. Think about your finances. We have no idea what our numbers look like, yet we wonder why we don’t make payroll. We ignore those past due invoices, but that doesn’t get us any closer to our goals.

Take a few minutes to think about where you are in your entrepreneurial journey - financially, with your team, with your customers, with the economy. What feels wrong? Are there signs that you need to change something?

You might think you’re leading a horse, but sometimes, they lead you, and that's when you need to make a change.

If you’re a small business owner who’s running on the hamster wheel, feeling isolated, and watching great ideas collect dust, I invite you to the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Join other driven entrepreneurs and me and get mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to make growth happen: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> 2026 is the year of the horse, so, of course, I have to revisit my story about going to a horseback riding ranch. The story in this episode might sound familiar, but believe me, it’s important, so it bears repeating.

I was in a beautiful open field with around 25 other people. I wanted my horse to go faster, so I tried to smack the reins, ignoring the signs that told me this horse didn’t want to go fast. Well, one smack did it, and the horse went so fast that I narrowly missed a tree branch. 

The instructor came up after asking how I was, and I said okay. They said I could ride on the back of their horse the rest of that day. To that, I said, nope, I am getting back on that horse. And I did.

Looking back, I shouldn’t have ignored the signs that were right in front of me. He gave me the over-the-shoulder looks and was slowing down, but I was burying my head in the sand. I was dead-set on leading that horse.

Never overlook the signs that are there, no matter what part of life we’re talking about. Think about your finances. We have no idea what our numbers look like, yet we wonder why we don’t make payroll. We ignore those past due invoices, but that doesn’t get us any closer to our goals.

Take a few minutes to think about where you are in your entrepreneurial journey - financially, with your team, with your customers, with the economy. What feels wrong? Are there signs that you need to change something?

You might think you’re leading a horse, but sometimes, they lead you, and that's when you need to make a change.

If you’re a small business owner who’s running on the hamster wheel, feeling isolated, and watching great ideas collect dust, I invite you to the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Join other driven entrepreneurs and me and get mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to make growth happen: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18855884 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700 965 small business owner, small business, business success, entrepreneurship, small business podcast, scaling your business, small business podcast, solopreneur business, small business growth 1 66 full false Ep. 65 The Stern Truth: When and How to Grow Your Team with Tedi Bezna Ep. 65 The Stern Truth: When and How to Grow Your Team with Tedi Bezna Tedi Bezna is the proud owner of an all-woman marketing agency. Searchlight Digital specializes in SEO, Google Ads, website content, anything to get you searched. She’s had Searchlight for eight years and counting and is still growing.

Like many of our guests, Tedi was raised by entrepreneurs. That feeling of doing something for herself inspired her from a young age—she even sold plums from her backyard tree as one of her first business ventures.

A self-professed lover of the “nerdy” stuff, Tedi gravitated towards spreadsheets and numbers and eventually went into SEO. Tedi says it’s an amazing marriage of the numbers, the data, and the storytelling that creates something that connects with people.

Tedi also saw some downsides of working for someone else, which led her to start her own business (who hasn’t been there, right?). She was inspired by reading Dan Martell’s “Buy Back Your Time,” which inspired her to hire an admin assistant. As a business owner who wants to scale, you need to get a team behind you, and you need to let go.

Her team is something Tedi expresses a lot of gratitude for. Because she took risks and hired capable people that she trusts, that was exactly how she was able to make Searchlight Digital successful.

One of her most potent golden nuggets was the many ways she stays connected to other business owners, from Masterminds to a Slack group to just talking with her entrepreneur father. Tedi says it’s interesting to see the commonalities, as well as the areas of focus, that people from different businesses deal with.

The list of golden nuggets in this episode is almost endless. Hire strategically. Have a financial buffer available. SOPs set people up to succeed. Hire a bookkeeper, an accountant, a CFO, someone to handle the finances. You never outgrow personal growth. Seriously, I’m missing some, so go listen to the episode.

Connect with Tedi here:
Website - www.searchlightmarketing.ca
Instagram - @searchlightdigital

Dan Martell’s “Buy Back Your Time” - https://www.buybackyourtime.com/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Tedi Bezna is the proud owner of an all-woman marketing agency. Searchlight Digital specializes in SEO, Google Ads, website content, anything to get you searched. She’s had Searchlight for eight years and counting and is still growing.

Like many of our guests, Tedi was raised by entrepreneurs. That feeling of doing something for herself inspired her from a young age—she even sold plums from her backyard tree as one of her first business ventures.

A self-professed lover of the “nerdy” stuff, Tedi gravitated towards spreadsheets and numbers and eventually went into SEO. Tedi says it’s an amazing marriage of the numbers, the data, and the storytelling that creates something that connects with people.

Tedi also saw some downsides of working for someone else, which led her to start her own business (who hasn’t been there, right?). She was inspired by reading Dan Martell’s “Buy Back Your Time,” which inspired her to hire an admin assistant. As a business owner who wants to scale, you need to get a team behind you, and you need to let go.

Her team is something Tedi expresses a lot of gratitude for. Because she took risks and hired capable people that she trusts, that was exactly how she was able to make Searchlight Digital successful.

One of her most potent golden nuggets was the many ways she stays connected to other business owners, from Masterminds to a Slack group to just talking with her entrepreneur father. Tedi says it’s interesting to see the commonalities, as well as the areas of focus, that people from different businesses deal with.

The list of golden nuggets in this episode is almost endless. Hire strategically. Have a financial buffer available. SOPs set people up to succeed. Hire a bookkeeper, an accountant, a CFO, someone to handle the finances. You never outgrow personal growth. Seriously, I’m missing some, so go listen to the episode.

Connect with Tedi here:
Website - www.searchlightmarketing.ca
Instagram - @searchlightdigital

Dan Martell’s “Buy Back Your Time” - https://www.buybackyourtime.com/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18802966 Tue, 10 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0700 2527 small business owner, small business, entrepreneurship, small business podcast, scaling your business, scaling small business, SEO business, small business podcast, solopreneur business, small business growth, agency growth 1 65 full false Ep. 64 The Stern Truth: Clarity Breeds Confidence as a Business Owner with Michael Morrison Ep. 64 The Stern Truth: Clarity Breeds Confidence as a Business Owner with Michael Morrison There are a lot of business coaches, podcasters, mentors, and entrepreneurs out there. Michael Morrison has done all of it.

Michael is a business coach, business loan officer, and podcaster from Oklahoma. His main goal is to get business owners unstuck when they reach a point that they just can’t grow anymore on their own.

I saw so many similarities between his story and mine – starting businesses, exiting, and coaching, all around a similar timeline. He and I also have similar thoughts on what business owners need most of all, and that is clarity.

His background is harrowing and an example of overcoming great adversity. Michael never let that stop him from growing into a culture-driven business owner.

Initially, it was a business coach who encouraged Michael to get into coaching. He saw the potential in him, which Michael took and ran with. Now, he coaches small business owners about how to grow, how to operate, the pitfalls, and the opportunities they come across.

One incredibly simple but effective golden nugget he left in this episode was to write things down. If it's something that you're going to do, again, time and time again, writing it down makes it easy to create that repeatable process.

Michael also advises not to follow the trends in business. Spend the time learning the basics. Once you have those down, pick up the phone and go get clients. Hire professionals who know what you don’t know. Wise advice from a man who has done it all. 

Get in touch with Michael here:

Website: https://www.michaeldmorrison.com
LinkedIn: @/michaeldmorrisonokc
YouTube: @michaeldmorrisonokc
Facebook: @businessownershipsimplified
Instagram: @businessownershipsimplified

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> There are a lot of business coaches, podcasters, mentors, and entrepreneurs out there. Michael Morrison has done all of it.

Michael is a business coach, business loan officer, and podcaster from Oklahoma. His main goal is to get business owners unstuck when they reach a point that they just can’t grow anymore on their own.

I saw so many similarities between his story and mine – starting businesses, exiting, and coaching, all around a similar timeline. He and I also have similar thoughts on what business owners need most of all, and that is clarity.

His background is harrowing and an example of overcoming great adversity. Michael never let that stop him from growing into a culture-driven business owner.

Initially, it was a business coach who encouraged Michael to get into coaching. He saw the potential in him, which Michael took and ran with. Now, he coaches small business owners about how to grow, how to operate, the pitfalls, and the opportunities they come across.

One incredibly simple but effective golden nugget he left in this episode was to write things down. If it's something that you're going to do, again, time and time again, writing it down makes it easy to create that repeatable process.

Michael also advises not to follow the trends in business. Spend the time learning the basics. Once you have those down, pick up the phone and go get clients. Hire professionals who know what you don’t know. Wise advice from a man who has done it all. 

Get in touch with Michael here:

Website: https://www.michaeldmorrison.com
LinkedIn: @/michaeldmorrisonokc
YouTube: @michaeldmorrisonokc
Facebook: @businessownershipsimplified
Instagram: @businessownershipsimplified

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18758199 Tue, 03 Mar 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2396 small business owner, small business, business systems, entrepreneurship, small business podcast, business systems, business operations, repeatable process, culture-driven business, business culture, small business culture 1 64 full false Ep. 63 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Steve Hayek Ep. 63 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Steve Hayek It’s another Business Therapy Thursday. This is a story so many small business owners will recognize. I sit down with Steve Hayek, a home inspector in year seven of his business, and he is still doing almost everything himself. 

He’s got real growth happening for his company, All Branch Inspections, along with a solid reputation, and referrals coming in organically. But like so many entrepreneurs I work with, he’s stuck in a 90/10 split - 90% working IN the business, barely 10% working ON it.

Steve tells how the marketing, business development, and all the repetitive conversations are his biggest drains when it comes to his day-to-day. It comes with the territory of growing a client base. Walking him through the Energy Audit, we find that his systems and automations need to get out of his head and into his business.

We dug into exactly what’s been sitting on Steve’s to-do list, things like a proper client intro email, follow-up templates for buyers' and sellers' agents, and a buyer and seller checklist. He already knows what needs to go in them. Steve just needs to block the time and treat those tasks just the same as client work. 

We also talked about a hidden revenue opportunity that most solo business owners completely overlook. Simply put, it’s reaching out to clients or prospects after your initial meeting. A simple, repeatable process that just needs to be built once.

Steve already knew what needed to be done. Sometimes we just need an accountability partner, and that’s exactly what Business Therapy Thursdays are for.

If you’re a small business owner who’s running on the hamster wheel, feeling isolated, and watching great ideas collect dust, I invite you to the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. A small group of driven entrepreneurs who get real mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to make growth happen. Find out more here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s another Business Therapy Thursday. This is a story so many small business owners will recognize. I sit down with Steve Hayek, a home inspector in year seven of his business, and he is still doing almost everything himself. 

He’s got real growth happening for his company, All Branch Inspections, along with a solid reputation, and referrals coming in organically. But like so many entrepreneurs I work with, he’s stuck in a 90/10 split - 90% working IN the business, barely 10% working ON it.

Steve tells how the marketing, business development, and all the repetitive conversations are his biggest drains when it comes to his day-to-day. It comes with the territory of growing a client base. Walking him through the Energy Audit, we find that his systems and automations need to get out of his head and into his business.

We dug into exactly what’s been sitting on Steve’s to-do list, things like a proper client intro email, follow-up templates for buyers' and sellers' agents, and a buyer and seller checklist. He already knows what needs to go in them. Steve just needs to block the time and treat those tasks just the same as client work. 

We also talked about a hidden revenue opportunity that most solo business owners completely overlook. Simply put, it’s reaching out to clients or prospects after your initial meeting. A simple, repeatable process that just needs to be built once.

Steve already knew what needed to be done. Sometimes we just need an accountability partner, and that’s exactly what Business Therapy Thursdays are for.

If you’re a small business owner who’s running on the hamster wheel, feeling isolated, and watching great ideas collect dust, I invite you to the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. A small group of driven entrepreneurs who get real mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to make growth happen. Find out more here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18741274 Thu, 26 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2354 small business owner, entrepreneur, business therapy, solopreneur, business systems, time blocking, automation, follow-up strategy, hidden revenue, business accountability, entrepreneurship, small business podcast 1 63 full false Ep. 62 The Stern Truth: Close More Sales By Doing This Ep. 62 The Stern Truth: Close More Sales By Doing This You’ve already seen the title. This episode is a DOOZY, I promise you. 

We always default back to spending, spending, spending on marketing. Facebook Ads, Google Ads, money on your storefront or your interior. But there’s a huge gap that stops you from closing sales. 

That’s the failure to connect with your prospects. 

Are you connecting with your customers? Let’s even take a step back from that - are you connecting with your team? Are they just a number?

I share a story of going to a Nissan dealership with my friend, looking to purchase a Pathfinder, and immediately being ignored. No greeting. The staff was hanging out, smoking, not paying any attention to us, and we left. A classic example of a business that really doesn’t want to take your money.

A great book that I recommend is “Everyone Communicates Few Connect” by my mentor, John Maxwell. He says that connection is what makes you feel heard, comfortable, and understood. For me, the price of that Pathfinder didn’t matter, but the connection wasn’t there. I wasn’t heard, let alone seen. I was uncomfortable, and I definitely wasn’t understood. So I walked.

Part of connecting is listening. It’s being interested and not interesting. Be curious and connect with your people, be it your clients, your team, or your inner circle.


If you’re looking for your own inner circle with mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle might be for you. Check out more here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> You’ve already seen the title. This episode is a DOOZY, I promise you. 

We always default back to spending, spending, spending on marketing. Facebook Ads, Google Ads, money on your storefront or your interior. But there’s a huge gap that stops you from closing sales. 

That’s the failure to connect with your prospects. 

Are you connecting with your customers? Let’s even take a step back from that - are you connecting with your team? Are they just a number?

I share a story of going to a Nissan dealership with my friend, looking to purchase a Pathfinder, and immediately being ignored. No greeting. The staff was hanging out, smoking, not paying any attention to us, and we left. A classic example of a business that really doesn’t want to take your money.

A great book that I recommend is “Everyone Communicates Few Connect” by my mentor, John Maxwell. He says that connection is what makes you feel heard, comfortable, and understood. For me, the price of that Pathfinder didn’t matter, but the connection wasn’t there. I wasn’t heard, let alone seen. I was uncomfortable, and I definitely wasn’t understood. So I walked.

Part of connecting is listening. It’s being interested and not interesting. Be curious and connect with your people, be it your clients, your team, or your inner circle.


If you’re looking for your own inner circle with mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle might be for you. Check out more here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18720871 Tue, 24 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 760 business connections, sales in business, more than marketing, small business podcast, business coaching, small business coaching, business connections, business relationships, small business connections, small business networks 1 62 full false Ep. 61 The Stern Truth: From Click to Close: Why Marketing Alone Doesn’t Convert with Meghan Simington Ep. 61 The Stern Truth: From Click to Close: Why Marketing Alone Doesn’t Convert with Meghan Simington  As a Fractional CMO, Meghan helps clients make their marketing roadmaps on a part-time basis. She connects the dots between their CRMs, qualified leads, social media, and email marketing. From click to close, Meghan is there.

She started out as an entrepreneur in her 20s. She bought a franchise, sold it all across Canada, and learned about business along the way. She’s also had retail stores, has put on conferences, and has worked with consumer-packaged goods. As busy as she was, she eventually found her niche with real estate.

One of the biggest challenges Meghan has faced is asking for the budget. Even with the Golden Triangle of project management in mind, the quality might not be there and articulating that to clients can be tough. Meghan says that learning from the gaps and improving for the future is key.

I bring Meghan up to speed with my story from Episode 2, “Why Marketing Can Fail You.” Long story short, big marketing budget but no customer service. As Meghan puts it, you can lose people in 3 or 4 days, and in that time, you’ve lost their trust.

Meghan left us with two great golden nuggets. One, building community is the new flex. And two, niche down to talk to exactly who you want to talk to. Mine for this episode? Let pregnant raccoons lie.  

That personal touch, within a few days, makes all the difference. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your marketing budget.

 

Get connected with Meghan here:

Website: https://meghansimington.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-simington/

 

Listen to The Stern Truth Episode 2, “Why Marketing Can Fail You”: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/16770813

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]>  As a Fractional CMO, Meghan helps clients make their marketing roadmaps on a part-time basis. She connects the dots between their CRMs, qualified leads, social media, and email marketing. From click to close, Meghan is there.

She started out as an entrepreneur in her 20s. She bought a franchise, sold it all across Canada, and learned about business along the way. She’s also had retail stores, has put on conferences, and has worked with consumer-packaged goods. As busy as she was, she eventually found her niche with real estate.

One of the biggest challenges Meghan has faced is asking for the budget. Even with the Golden Triangle of project management in mind, the quality might not be there and articulating that to clients can be tough. Meghan says that learning from the gaps and improving for the future is key.

I bring Meghan up to speed with my story from Episode 2, “Why Marketing Can Fail You.” Long story short, big marketing budget but no customer service. As Meghan puts it, you can lose people in 3 or 4 days, and in that time, you’ve lost their trust.

Meghan left us with two great golden nuggets. One, building community is the new flex. And two, niche down to talk to exactly who you want to talk to. Mine for this episode? Let pregnant raccoons lie.  

That personal touch, within a few days, makes all the difference. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your marketing budget.

 

Get connected with Meghan here:

Website: https://meghansimington.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meghan-simington/

 

Listen to The Stern Truth Episode 2, “Why Marketing Can Fail You”: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/16770813

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18672788 Tue, 17 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2206 fractional CMO, chief marketing officer, fractional chief marketing officer, business efficiency, business marketing, marketing your business, small business podcast, business coaching, small business coaching, business connections, business relationships 1 61 full false Ep. 60 The Stern Truth: How Business Development Can Help Your Business with Kelly Kennedy Ep. 60 The Stern Truth: How Business Development Can Help Your Business with Kelly Kennedy Kelly Kennedy started his company, Capital Business Development, five years ago, and he hasn’t stopped since. As an expert in business development, he has the itch to talk about it—like so many of us podcasters, he started his own, the Business Development Podcast.

What is business development, though? Kelly says that it strategically brings in new revenue to your business by first focusing on the right opportunities. As he explains, it’s not the same as sales, which includes closing. It’s that valuable relationship building that comes before the sale.

In this episode, we also touch on getting ghosted. As small business owners and entrepreneurs chasing growth, we’ve all been there. Kelly says it’s all about the conversations with the right people - that, and follow-up, is what will open those opportunity doors. 

Kelly goes over the art of the LinkedIn request. First, identify the industry, then connect with the right people. After that, keep up the consistency of your connection requests. Connection is the name of the game for online growth.

Kelly is also a coach and started his own program, which, through some incredible connections, became what’s called the Catalyst Club. As he and I both know, leadership is lonely, and we welcome any space where leaders can help leaders.

There are so many golden nuggets in this episode – two that Kelly drives home are to manage your time and do a critical once-a-week follow-up with connections. Business owners, you won’t want to miss this incredible episode.

Connect with Kelly here:

Website: kellykennedyofficial.com
Business: capitalbd.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial
Podcast: businessdevelopmentpodcast.ca 


Be my guest at the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. If you’re feeling lonely, like the decisions you make feel heavy, a community of your peers can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Kelly Kennedy started his company, Capital Business Development, five years ago, and he hasn’t stopped since. As an expert in business development, he has the itch to talk about it—like so many of us podcasters, he started his own, the Business Development Podcast.

What is business development, though? Kelly says that it strategically brings in new revenue to your business by first focusing on the right opportunities. As he explains, it’s not the same as sales, which includes closing. It’s that valuable relationship building that comes before the sale.

In this episode, we also touch on getting ghosted. As small business owners and entrepreneurs chasing growth, we’ve all been there. Kelly says it’s all about the conversations with the right people - that, and follow-up, is what will open those opportunity doors. 

Kelly goes over the art of the LinkedIn request. First, identify the industry, then connect with the right people. After that, keep up the consistency of your connection requests. Connection is the name of the game for online growth.

Kelly is also a coach and started his own program, which, through some incredible connections, became what’s called the Catalyst Club. As he and I both know, leadership is lonely, and we welcome any space where leaders can help leaders.

There are so many golden nuggets in this episode – two that Kelly drives home are to manage your time and do a critical once-a-week follow-up with connections. Business owners, you won’t want to miss this incredible episode.

Connect with Kelly here:

Website: kellykennedyofficial.com
Business: capitalbd.ca
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial
Podcast: businessdevelopmentpodcast.ca 


Be my guest at the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. If you’re feeling lonely, like the decisions you make feel heavy, a community of your peers can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18650488 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2361 business growth, business development, small business growth, LinkedIn, small business development, business coaching, small business coaching, business connections, business relationships, small business connections, small business networks 1 60 full false Ep. 59 The Stern Truth: How to Really Build and Grow Your Business Ep. 59 The Stern Truth: How to Really Build and Grow Your Business I’ve seen business owners throwing a lot of money at their marketing. But when prospects come to their door, their systems aren’t there. The experience doesn’t measure up to what was advertised.

So how can we wow our customers SO much that they come back over and over again?

The people and systems that create the experience hold so much weight. If you’re pushing out marketing without the processes or customer service, you’re throwing your money away. Not only that, your revenue just won’t increase, your business won’t grow, and you’ll stay stuck.

My daughter and I recently had a “wow” experience at a Hilton Garden Inn in Edmonton. She had jaw surgery, and her healing involved applying ice to her face 8 times a day. No freezer in the room, so I was constantly switching out ice packs (you’re never done being a dad.) I ended up apologizing to the front-end staff each time, thinking I was putting them out.

But at one point, something switched. The front-end staff really showed concern. They asked how she was doing. The restaurant team adapted their menu for her. They showed that they truly cared.

I want to give them a shoutout because the way we were treated, with such incredible care and concern, was such a “wow.” It was a memorable experience because of that care.

I want to ask, are we doing that with our own clients? Do we really care about them? Are we showing them empathy when we need to? After this episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to these episodes. They go more into what I’ve talked about today, including what not to do:

Ep. 2 The Stern Truth: Why Marketing Can Fail You: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/16770813

Ep. 14 The Stern Truth: Business & Life Lessons from a Lifeguard: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17197255  

Ep. 34 The Stern Truth: Are You Making It Easy for Your Clients to Do Business With You?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17784578

My question to you is, are you and your team showing up once you have your client? Are you wowing them or caring for them? The most powerful marketing that you can have is your exceptional customer service.


The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is a group that gives you mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game. Achieve your goals this year with the support you deserve: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I’ve seen business owners throwing a lot of money at their marketing. But when prospects come to their door, their systems aren’t there. The experience doesn’t measure up to what was advertised.

So how can we wow our customers SO much that they come back over and over again?

The people and systems that create the experience hold so much weight. If you’re pushing out marketing without the processes or customer service, you’re throwing your money away. Not only that, your revenue just won’t increase, your business won’t grow, and you’ll stay stuck.

My daughter and I recently had a “wow” experience at a Hilton Garden Inn in Edmonton. She had jaw surgery, and her healing involved applying ice to her face 8 times a day. No freezer in the room, so I was constantly switching out ice packs (you’re never done being a dad.) I ended up apologizing to the front-end staff each time, thinking I was putting them out.

But at one point, something switched. The front-end staff really showed concern. They asked how she was doing. The restaurant team adapted their menu for her. They showed that they truly cared.

I want to give them a shoutout because the way we were treated, with such incredible care and concern, was such a “wow.” It was a memorable experience because of that care.

I want to ask, are we doing that with our own clients? Do we really care about them? Are we showing them empathy when we need to? After this episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to these episodes. They go more into what I’ve talked about today, including what not to do:

Ep. 2 The Stern Truth: Why Marketing Can Fail You: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/16770813

Ep. 14 The Stern Truth: Business & Life Lessons from a Lifeguard: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17197255  

Ep. 34 The Stern Truth: Are You Making It Easy for Your Clients to Do Business With You?: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2453923/episodes/17784578

My question to you is, are you and your team showing up once you have your client? Are you wowing them or caring for them? The most powerful marketing that you can have is your exceptional customer service.


The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is a group that gives you mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game. Achieve your goals this year with the support you deserve: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18597445 Tue, 03 Feb 2026 03:00:00 -0800 741 small business owner, entrepreneur, sales strategy, business growth, revenue optimization, revenue growth, customer service in small business, entrepreneur customer service, business mentorship, ONtrepreneur Inner Circle, business leader 1 59 full false Ep. 58 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Hanan Alameh Ep. 58 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Hanan Alameh It’s been a while since our last Business Therapy Thursday session, but we’re back. Our guest on this episode is Hanan Alameh, who’s looking for guidance on where to take her business next and the steps to do it.

Hanan has a luxury charcuterie board business she runs in Ottawa called Pretty Eats by Hanan. And she knows exactly where she wants to go—by the spring of 2028, she wants to have her own location, a café, while still catering.

I kick off our conversation by reminding Hanan that she actually knows more about business than she thinks. Pretty Eats also had its one-year anniversary, so it’s an ideal team for Hanan to be here and get the guidance she needs for her business.

As we go deeper into our session, Hanan reveals even MORE goals, like eventually turning her business into a franchise and writing a book. I love the big goals and vision Hanan has. And this is exactly the type of passion great business owners have, where they fall in love with the goals. But growth happens when you fall in love with the process.

Hanan opens up about how fear has held her back throughout her life and how, at 42 years old, she's finally ready to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams without a backup plan. We tackle the concept of "doing it scared" and taking action despite fear, but not recklessly.

One of the biggest challenges we uncover is Hanan's perfectionism. She's detail-oriented and creative, but she admits that hiring employees terrifies her because she feels like "an artist letting someone else draw a painting. " I help to explain the critical difference between perfectionism and having high-quality standards.

If you're an entrepreneur struggling with fear, perfectionism, or feeling like you're not good enough, here's something I told Hanan that might resonate with you: the business will grow as much as you grow.

See more about Hanan’s Ottawa and area business here:
Facebook: facebook.com/prettyeatsbyhanan
 Instagram: @prettyeatsbyhanan

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is a group that gives you mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game. Achieve your goals this year with the support you deserve: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Liking “The Stern Truth?” Rate us, review us, and subscribe!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s been a while since our last Business Therapy Thursday session, but we’re back. Our guest on this episode is Hanan Alameh, who’s looking for guidance on where to take her business next and the steps to do it.

Hanan has a luxury charcuterie board business she runs in Ottawa called Pretty Eats by Hanan. And she knows exactly where she wants to go—by the spring of 2028, she wants to have her own location, a café, while still catering.

I kick off our conversation by reminding Hanan that she actually knows more about business than she thinks. Pretty Eats also had its one-year anniversary, so it’s an ideal team for Hanan to be here and get the guidance she needs for her business.

As we go deeper into our session, Hanan reveals even MORE goals, like eventually turning her business into a franchise and writing a book. I love the big goals and vision Hanan has. And this is exactly the type of passion great business owners have, where they fall in love with the goals. But growth happens when you fall in love with the process.

Hanan opens up about how fear has held her back throughout her life and how, at 42 years old, she's finally ready to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams without a backup plan. We tackle the concept of "doing it scared" and taking action despite fear, but not recklessly.

One of the biggest challenges we uncover is Hanan's perfectionism. She's detail-oriented and creative, but she admits that hiring employees terrifies her because she feels like "an artist letting someone else draw a painting. " I help to explain the critical difference between perfectionism and having high-quality standards.

If you're an entrepreneur struggling with fear, perfectionism, or feeling like you're not good enough, here's something I told Hanan that might resonate with you: the business will grow as much as you grow.

See more about Hanan’s Ottawa and area business here:
Facebook: facebook.com/prettyeatsbyhanan
 Instagram: @prettyeatsbyhanan

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is a group that gives you mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game. Achieve your goals this year with the support you deserve: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Liking “The Stern Truth?” Rate us, review us, and subscribe!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18581123 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2764 small business owner, entrepreneur, business therapy, perfectionism, entrepreneurship, catering business, business growth, business fear, small business challenges, entrepreneurial mindset 1 58 full false Ep. 57 The Stern Truth: Where is Your Hidden Revenue Opportunity? with Doug C. Brown Ep. 57 The Stern Truth: Where is Your Hidden Revenue Opportunity? with Doug C. Brown I sit down with Doug C. Brown of CEO Sales Strategies in this episode. He and I talk about how to increase your revenue and increase the growth trajectory of your business.

He first started his business journey when he was a kid working with his dad. That turned into working for a company owned by Tony Robbins. During his time there, Doug was able to do something amazing – look at the numbers, see where money was hiding, and free it up to make the company grow from $9 million-$27 million in just 18 months 

Doug breaks down the power of finding hidden revenue with his own example, simply changing the sales script, the company dropped their refund rate to less than 1% within 48 hours. That’s something that ads and marketing just can’t do.

We dive into one of Doug's many golden nuggets, speed to contact. He emphasizes that waiting even five minutes to respond to a lead versus one minute can drop your conversion rate significantly. Take the lead and show your prospect that you're a real person who cares. Start to build that trust from the first interaction.

Doug also tackles follow-up strategy, which is something so many small business owners struggle with. And the golden nugget on follow-up frequency: it's only creepy when it's not value-laden.

Doug shares something from a mentor that is a great golden nugget – “Whatever you try in life will take 2-3 times longer and cost two to three times more than you think.” But if you have someone helping you be more effective and efficient, it might only take 1-2 times what you thought. And it’s exactly why you need outside perspectives on your business, whether it's a coach, mentor, a group, or someone like Doug, who finds those hidden revenues.

Grab a pad of paper and a pen (I know I say that all the time) because the golden nuggets in here are so incredible. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do.

Connect with Doug here:
www.ceosalesstrategies.com
doug@ceosalesstrategies.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123  

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is launching soon. If you need mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, check out the program: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Liking “The Stern Truth?” Rate, review, and subscribe!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I sit down with Doug C. Brown of CEO Sales Strategies in this episode. He and I talk about how to increase your revenue and increase the growth trajectory of your business.

He first started his business journey when he was a kid working with his dad. That turned into working for a company owned by Tony Robbins. During his time there, Doug was able to do something amazing – look at the numbers, see where money was hiding, and free it up to make the company grow from $9 million-$27 million in just 18 months 

Doug breaks down the power of finding hidden revenue with his own example, simply changing the sales script, the company dropped their refund rate to less than 1% within 48 hours. That’s something that ads and marketing just can’t do.

We dive into one of Doug's many golden nuggets, speed to contact. He emphasizes that waiting even five minutes to respond to a lead versus one minute can drop your conversion rate significantly. Take the lead and show your prospect that you're a real person who cares. Start to build that trust from the first interaction.

Doug also tackles follow-up strategy, which is something so many small business owners struggle with. And the golden nugget on follow-up frequency: it's only creepy when it's not value-laden.

Doug shares something from a mentor that is a great golden nugget – “Whatever you try in life will take 2-3 times longer and cost two to three times more than you think.” But if you have someone helping you be more effective and efficient, it might only take 1-2 times what you thought. And it’s exactly why you need outside perspectives on your business, whether it's a coach, mentor, a group, or someone like Doug, who finds those hidden revenues.

Grab a pad of paper and a pen (I know I say that all the time) because the golden nuggets in here are so incredible. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do.

Connect with Doug here:
www.ceosalesstrategies.com
doug@ceosalesstrategies.com
www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123  

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is launching soon. If you need mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, check out the program: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Liking “The Stern Truth?” Rate, review, and subscribe!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Audible

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18573938 Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2781 small business owner, entrepreneur, hidden revenue, sales strategy, business growth, follow-up strategy, lead conversion, business metrics, business coaching, revenue optimization 1 57 full false Ep. 56 The Stern Truth: The Power of Failing Forward with Audree McIvor Ep. 56 The Stern Truth: The Power of Failing Forward with Audree McIvor Audree McIvor went from running a cannabis store to owning a counselling clinic. And this isn’t her first time around the business block - this is her third business, so she has a lot of golden nuggets to share.

She’s quite comfortable with being active, moving from industry to industry (maybe it’s the mom in her). Audree even works part-time at another clinic to make sure she’s growing and learning to make her practice even better.

One business mantra that she understands well is that you will fail but accepting that failure is a big piece of growth. Some people get comfortable being comfortable but that’s where the learning, the growth stops. Failing is part of the growth mindset, whether we like it or not. 

We also get into coming out of your “safety bubble” and how to, essentially, fail forward. That risk that you take, whether it’s a business or a relationship or whatever it is, is a challenge, and Audree emphasizes that it takes patience to sit with that discomfort.

Be realistic about what you want and take time to plan your goals. That planning is an investment in your future self. Have a network to support you for WHEN you fail. These are just a few of the golden nuggets Audree gave us this episode and they are truly golden.

Sometimes, failure is the only option because you step outside of your comfort zone. But let me ask you this - what if you fail forward?

Connect with Audree here:

Website: www.momentouscounselling.ca

Email: audree@momentouscounselling.ca


The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is launching shortly. If you need mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, check out the program here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Audree McIvor went from running a cannabis store to owning a counselling clinic. And this isn’t her first time around the business block - this is her third business, so she has a lot of golden nuggets to share.

She’s quite comfortable with being active, moving from industry to industry (maybe it’s the mom in her). Audree even works part-time at another clinic to make sure she’s growing and learning to make her practice even better.

One business mantra that she understands well is that you will fail but accepting that failure is a big piece of growth. Some people get comfortable being comfortable but that’s where the learning, the growth stops. Failing is part of the growth mindset, whether we like it or not. 

We also get into coming out of your “safety bubble” and how to, essentially, fail forward. That risk that you take, whether it’s a business or a relationship or whatever it is, is a challenge, and Audree emphasizes that it takes patience to sit with that discomfort.

Be realistic about what you want and take time to plan your goals. That planning is an investment in your future self. Have a network to support you for WHEN you fail. These are just a few of the golden nuggets Audree gave us this episode and they are truly golden.

Sometimes, failure is the only option because you step outside of your comfort zone. But let me ask you this - what if you fail forward?

Connect with Audree here:

Website: www.momentouscounselling.ca

Email: audree@momentouscounselling.ca


The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is launching shortly. If you need mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals, check out the program here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18534614 Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2492 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business growth, business mindset, business-minded, failing in business, failing forward, counselling business, business resilience, business BC 1 56 full false Ep. 55 The Stern Truth: Improving Your Results With Your Own Inner Circle Ep. 55 The Stern Truth: Improving Your Results With Your Own Inner Circle What’s next for the new year? You’re probably thinking that every January. I have a suggestion for you that so many business owners don’t utilize. 

Would you like to improve your results this year? (You probably do.)

Do you have times when you feel lonely in your business and you’re doing everything yourself? (I bet you are. I know I’ve felt that.) 

My suggestion is to have an inner circle. Not a circle of friends or family, but a group of trusted advisors, confidantes who are in the same business-minded boat as you.

It’s not a strategy. It’s not a tool. Simply put, it’s community, and it can make all the difference between staying stagnant in your business and seeing the results you want.

When you join a community of like-minded businesspeople, an inner circle, you know you're around people who really get it. These are the people that are just like you, small business owners and entrepreneurs with goals they’re working towards.  

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is just that. It’s a new program for a small group of entrepreneurs. With this group, the aim is to create a community that supports each other and keeps one another accountable—we want to step up our game and achieve their goals this year! 

I invite you to really open your mind to the possibilities of what that inner circle can do for you and your business and what that can look like. You can’t do everything alone, and, frankly, sometimes, you need that push to get started.

Find out more here if you’re interested in joining the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> What’s next for the new year? You’re probably thinking that every January. I have a suggestion for you that so many business owners don’t utilize. 

Would you like to improve your results this year? (You probably do.)

Do you have times when you feel lonely in your business and you’re doing everything yourself? (I bet you are. I know I’ve felt that.) 

My suggestion is to have an inner circle. Not a circle of friends or family, but a group of trusted advisors, confidantes who are in the same business-minded boat as you.

It’s not a strategy. It’s not a tool. Simply put, it’s community, and it can make all the difference between staying stagnant in your business and seeing the results you want.

When you join a community of like-minded businesspeople, an inner circle, you know you're around people who really get it. These are the people that are just like you, small business owners and entrepreneurs with goals they’re working towards.  

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is just that. It’s a new program for a small group of entrepreneurs. With this group, the aim is to create a community that supports each other and keeps one another accountable—we want to step up our game and achieve their goals this year! 

I invite you to really open your mind to the possibilities of what that inner circle can do for you and your business and what that can look like. You can’t do everything alone, and, frankly, sometimes, you need that push to get started.

Find out more here if you’re interested in joining the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18494911 Tue, 13 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 721 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business growth, business resilience, business mindset, business-minded, business community 1 55 full false Ep. 54 The Stern Truth: Two Styles. One Mission. Unstoppable Growth with Alison and David Setton Ep. 54 The Stern Truth: Two Styles. One Mission. Unstoppable Growth with Alison and David Setton In this unique episode, I sit down with a dynamic duo, Alison and David Setton, who are not just business partners but life partners as well. 

For over 10 years, I've watched both of them navigate their entrepreneurial journeys, and now they've joined forces in financial services with an ambitious vision to build an agency of 100 associates.

Alison shares her move from engineering to financial services. Admittedly, she said she wasn’t naturally entrepreneurial. Eventually, she “caught” that fervor from David.

David himself opens up about his struggles with ADHD, feelings of "not being good enough," and how gratitude and meditation have become essential tools for success. David also shared, with raw honesty, the emotional toll of entrepreneurship and how he's learned to get back up quickly after setbacks.

Their golden nuggets are powerful: Alison emphasizes giving first without expecting reciprocation. David's advice? When you get knocked down, take immediate action. 

Their different strengths create the perfect and unstoppable balance in the partnership. Alison is analytical and steady; David is visionary and action-oriented. A great match all around. 

You’ll find the beautiful messiness of entrepreneurship in this episode, from the self-doubt to different money backgrounds to the power of having someone who believes in you. If you're wondering whether you need a partner in business or just someone to support you, this episode will give you pause for thought.

Connect with David and Alison here:

Email: david@settongroup.ca, alison@settongroup.ca 

Website: www.settongroup.ca 



We have a new group program for business owners coming in January called the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. This program includes ongoing masterminding, mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals. If you’re interested, see more here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle   

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this unique episode, I sit down with a dynamic duo, Alison and David Setton, who are not just business partners but life partners as well. 

For over 10 years, I've watched both of them navigate their entrepreneurial journeys, and now they've joined forces in financial services with an ambitious vision to build an agency of 100 associates.

Alison shares her move from engineering to financial services. Admittedly, she said she wasn’t naturally entrepreneurial. Eventually, she “caught” that fervor from David.

David himself opens up about his struggles with ADHD, feelings of "not being good enough," and how gratitude and meditation have become essential tools for success. David also shared, with raw honesty, the emotional toll of entrepreneurship and how he's learned to get back up quickly after setbacks.

Their golden nuggets are powerful: Alison emphasizes giving first without expecting reciprocation. David's advice? When you get knocked down, take immediate action. 

Their different strengths create the perfect and unstoppable balance in the partnership. Alison is analytical and steady; David is visionary and action-oriented. A great match all around. 

You’ll find the beautiful messiness of entrepreneurship in this episode, from the self-doubt to different money backgrounds to the power of having someone who believes in you. If you're wondering whether you need a partner in business or just someone to support you, this episode will give you pause for thought.

Connect with David and Alison here:

Email: david@settongroup.ca, alison@settongroup.ca 

Website: www.settongroup.ca 



We have a new group program for business owners coming in January called the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. This program includes ongoing masterminding, mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals. If you’re interested, see more here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle   

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18407009 Tue, 06 Jan 2026 03:00:00 -0800 2595 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business partnership, married entrepreneurs, work-life balance, financial services, business growth, business resilience, business mindset, couples in business 1 54 full false Ep. 53 The Stern Truth: Your Year in Review Ep. 53 The Stern Truth: Your Year in Review Welcome to your year in review! In this episode, I encourage you to look back at the year, see what you achieved, or what you didn’t, and why that happened.

Looking back is the only way that we can move forward. Even if you didn’t have a plan or didn't write down any goals, I want you to reflect on your year. Think about the goals you set out, if you achieved them, and how you did that. Were they measurable results? How did you achieve them?

It may have been the steps you executed. Maybe it was the processes that you implemented. Or maybe it was the accountability, coming back day after day to work tirelessly on that goal.

You might be saying, but Marshall, I didn’t achieve my goals. Then let’s ask a few more questions.

What are you currently doing that feels productive but isn't actually moving your business forward? If you could do one thing over the next 90 days to achieve your goals, what would that be?

Ask yourself what you can commit to on a daily and weekly basis that can create momentum to get you the results you want. Focus on what lights you up, and that commitment, that zone of genius, will come naturally.

 

We have a new group program for business owners coming in January 2026 called the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. This program includes ongoing masterminding, mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals. If you’re interested, see more information here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Welcome to your year in review! In this episode, I encourage you to look back at the year, see what you achieved, or what you didn’t, and why that happened.

Looking back is the only way that we can move forward. Even if you didn’t have a plan or didn't write down any goals, I want you to reflect on your year. Think about the goals you set out, if you achieved them, and how you did that. Were they measurable results? How did you achieve them?

It may have been the steps you executed. Maybe it was the processes that you implemented. Or maybe it was the accountability, coming back day after day to work tirelessly on that goal.

You might be saying, but Marshall, I didn’t achieve my goals. Then let’s ask a few more questions.

What are you currently doing that feels productive but isn't actually moving your business forward? If you could do one thing over the next 90 days to achieve your goals, what would that be?

Ask yourself what you can commit to on a daily and weekly basis that can create momentum to get you the results you want. Focus on what lights you up, and that commitment, that zone of genius, will come naturally.

 

We have a new group program for business owners coming in January 2026 called the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. This program includes ongoing masterminding, mentorship, coaching, accountability, and encouragement to step up your game and achieve your goals. If you’re interested, see more information here: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18389564 Tue, 30 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800 863 business consistency, business goals, small business goals, small business achievement, small business podcast, entrepreneur goals, entrepreneur help, small business help, growth mindset 1 53 full false Ep. 52 The Stern Truth: Stop Fighting the Chaos with Diana Dinh Ep. 52 The Stern Truth: Stop Fighting the Chaos with Diana Dinh Diana Dinh, mom of four, financial strategist, and business owner, is my guest on this episode. In her life she has found that when trying to make everything easier, that’s what can actually make things harder.

Her advice is to take things as they come. Diana is a great example of that, with four kids, a husband, and her own business. She says don’t fight the chaos. See it as it comes and deal with it.

As a mother/business owner, Diana saw a gap in the networking space for young professional moms like her. She closed that gap when she created Mama Masterminds, an intentional community where business-minded moms have time to connect and bond over something as simple as a pizza.

So HOW does she deal with it all? For her, it boils down to the four S’s. Self, strategy, systems, and support. Admittedly, at first, she wasn’t an expert at balancing all these S’s. The inner work that she’s done is something she credits as helping her be successful.

Our discussion gets into the “act as if” mindframe. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s easy—act like the person you want to be. We even play a game where I shoot her common business terms, and she explains the “act as if” behind it.

Diana gave us so many golden nuggets from this episode. Make time for the things that are important to you. If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me. And a special message to the mom entrepreneurs is to recognize how much power you already have in yourself.

 

Want to connect with Diana? Check out her Facebook group, her podcast, or connect on LinkedIn.

 

Mama Mastermind Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialmamamasterminds/about/

Diana's podcast "Mama Masterminds": https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mama-masterminds/id1721418663

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsdianadinh/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Diana Dinh, mom of four, financial strategist, and business owner, is my guest on this episode. In her life she has found that when trying to make everything easier, that’s what can actually make things harder.

Her advice is to take things as they come. Diana is a great example of that, with four kids, a husband, and her own business. She says don’t fight the chaos. See it as it comes and deal with it.

As a mother/business owner, Diana saw a gap in the networking space for young professional moms like her. She closed that gap when she created Mama Masterminds, an intentional community where business-minded moms have time to connect and bond over something as simple as a pizza.

So HOW does she deal with it all? For her, it boils down to the four S’s. Self, strategy, systems, and support. Admittedly, at first, she wasn’t an expert at balancing all these S’s. The inner work that she’s done is something she credits as helping her be successful.

Our discussion gets into the “act as if” mindframe. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s easy—act like the person you want to be. We even play a game where I shoot her common business terms, and she explains the “act as if” behind it.

Diana gave us so many golden nuggets from this episode. Make time for the things that are important to you. If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me. And a special message to the mom entrepreneurs is to recognize how much power you already have in yourself.

 

Want to connect with Diana? Check out her Facebook group, her podcast, or connect on LinkedIn.

 

Mama Mastermind Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/officialmamamasterminds/about/

Diana's podcast "Mama Masterminds": https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mama-masterminds/id1721418663

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsdianadinh/

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18358665 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800 2925 mom entrepreneur, mom business owner, small business owner, business owner podcast, business podcast, business mindset, business mindframe, business community, mompreneur 1 52 full false Ep. 51 The Stern Truth: Lessons from Turning 50 Ep. 51 The Stern Truth: Lessons from Turning 50 What’s on your Business Bucketlist, the things that you want to achieve in your business? Maybe you haven’t even looked at it for a while. In this episode, I talk about my own Business Bucketlist item that came to fruition in 2025—this very podcast.

I talk about the lessons that I’ve learned over 50 episodes of the Stern Truth. As some of you might know, about 10 years ago, I had another podcast. I stopped around episode 20, but I always wanted to get back on the podcast horse. And at the beginning of this year, I did, with some amazing assistance along the way.

Since this is Business Unfiltered, I’ll be honest and let you know that this podcast was the ultimate in “I will when” procrastination. I made a list of what I wanted to do in January 2025 and this podcast was near the top of the list of what I wanted to accomplish.

I never got around to making a specific timeframe or plan. Not until I took my own 1-person entrepreneur retreat, which gave me the clarity I needed about what I REALLY wanted to do.

 “Launch the podcast by December 2025” was on the top of my Business Bucketlist. I knew what didn’t work, and I was ready to loop in a team so I could focus on the coaching, the conversations, and the relationships within the podcast.

I made a clear vision of what I wanted. I built a team. I focused on what lights me up and fell in love with the outcome. Above all, I was consistent, and I built something I’m proud of.

Even if you didn’t look at the title and say, “Wow, Marshall, you look great for 50!” I’m always glad to have you here listening or watching, my friends. 50 episodes is a true milestone in my book.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> What’s on your Business Bucketlist, the things that you want to achieve in your business? Maybe you haven’t even looked at it for a while. In this episode, I talk about my own Business Bucketlist item that came to fruition in 2025—this very podcast.

I talk about the lessons that I’ve learned over 50 episodes of the Stern Truth. As some of you might know, about 10 years ago, I had another podcast. I stopped around episode 20, but I always wanted to get back on the podcast horse. And at the beginning of this year, I did, with some amazing assistance along the way.

Since this is Business Unfiltered, I’ll be honest and let you know that this podcast was the ultimate in “I will when” procrastination. I made a list of what I wanted to do in January 2025 and this podcast was near the top of the list of what I wanted to accomplish.

I never got around to making a specific timeframe or plan. Not until I took my own 1-person entrepreneur retreat, which gave me the clarity I needed about what I REALLY wanted to do.

 “Launch the podcast by December 2025” was on the top of my Business Bucketlist. I knew what didn’t work, and I was ready to loop in a team so I could focus on the coaching, the conversations, and the relationships within the podcast.

I made a clear vision of what I wanted. I built a team. I focused on what lights me up and fell in love with the outcome. Above all, I was consistent, and I built something I’m proud of.

Even if you didn’t look at the title and say, “Wow, Marshall, you look great for 50!” I’m always glad to have you here listening or watching, my friends. 50 episodes is a true milestone in my book.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18359590 Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800 745 small business owner, entrepreneur, business focus, business momentum, entrepreneurship, business growth, small business podcast, entrepreneur podcast, business mindset, grow your business 1 52 full false Ep. 50 The Stern Truth Turns 50: The Team Behind the Mic Ep. 50 The Stern Truth Turns 50: The Team Behind the Mic It’s the 50th episode of the Stern Truth! I almost can’t believe it. The guests I have are a bit different than my usual guests.

For this special 50th episode, we have Jordan Eaton, CEO and founder of BOSS Assistants (who was also on episode 13,) and Lindsey Molyneaux, BOSS’ social media manager and podcast manager. They have helped me make the podcast what it is.

I had a podcast about 10 years ago but barely made it past episode 25. The BOSS Assistants team and I work together so well, and this podcast is living proof that a good team can help you get to where you want to go in your business.

What really kicked my butt into gear to create this podcast was the accountability this team brought with them. We work well together, and we all help each other reach our goals. Having people like that in your business is truly priceless.

We also get into the benefits of hiring out vs. hiring in-house. Either way, it’s an investment, a cost of both money and time. But, on the other side of the coin, there's a huge cost in NOT getting the proper guidance or getting an expert to help you, and that's missing out on opportunities. 

Jordan and Lindsey even give a few golden nuggets to the table. The little tasks add up. The first impressions make a difference. The most important one of the episode—it’s all about building a team. It’s the best money you will ever spend.

Focus on what you do best, and let someone else, like BOSS Assistants, do the rest.

Get in touch with Jordan here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-eaton/

Website: bossassistants.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s the 50th episode of the Stern Truth! I almost can’t believe it. The guests I have are a bit different than my usual guests.

For this special 50th episode, we have Jordan Eaton, CEO and founder of BOSS Assistants (who was also on episode 13,) and Lindsey Molyneaux, BOSS’ social media manager and podcast manager. They have helped me make the podcast what it is.

I had a podcast about 10 years ago but barely made it past episode 25. The BOSS Assistants team and I work together so well, and this podcast is living proof that a good team can help you get to where you want to go in your business.

What really kicked my butt into gear to create this podcast was the accountability this team brought with them. We work well together, and we all help each other reach our goals. Having people like that in your business is truly priceless.

We also get into the benefits of hiring out vs. hiring in-house. Either way, it’s an investment, a cost of both money and time. But, on the other side of the coin, there's a huge cost in NOT getting the proper guidance or getting an expert to help you, and that's missing out on opportunities. 

Jordan and Lindsey even give a few golden nuggets to the table. The little tasks add up. The first impressions make a difference. The most important one of the episode—it’s all about building a team. It’s the best money you will ever spend.

Focus on what you do best, and let someone else, like BOSS Assistants, do the rest.

Get in touch with Jordan here:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-eaton/

Website: bossassistants.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18301578 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800 2188 small business, small business owner, business podcast, business growth, building a team, building your business, entrepreneur, virtual assistant, social media for business, social media manager, business accountability 1 50 full false Ep. 49 The Stern Truth: Business Hacks with Leslie Hacker Ep. 49 The Stern Truth: Business Hacks with Leslie Hacker Aside from having one of the coolest names, Leslie Hacker has a keen business sense.

Leslie started her marketing and PR business in 2015 while taking care of her sick parents. She prefers to call herself a consultant and a communicator, since that’s really at the core of what she does.

The episode gets into the idea of being uncomfortable, which, let’s be real, no one really likes. But for Leslie, she knows that when businesses do the same thing over and over, those things eventually won’t work.

We talk over the analogy of putting your oxygen mask on when you’re on an airplane before helping others. One of Leslie’s golden nuggets (which I’m calling Business Hacks for this episode) is that her work is better when she has oxygen.

Leslie told us how she’s noticed that when she works with a company that she’s a customer of herself, that’s when she’s most passionate about the job. For her, that’s when it’s more than just money.

That being said, we also get into being cautious with your passion. It could take you down a dark path. The businesses and clients that we work with, or that anybody works with, for that matter, might not always be a fit. We have to be careful where our passion takes us and discern from that to make the most of our time and energy.


Get in touch with Leslie here to book a strategy session:

Website: hackercommunications.com 
Instagram: @hacker_communications

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Aside from having one of the coolest names, Leslie Hacker has a keen business sense.

Leslie started her marketing and PR business in 2015 while taking care of her sick parents. She prefers to call herself a consultant and a communicator, since that’s really at the core of what she does.

The episode gets into the idea of being uncomfortable, which, let’s be real, no one really likes. But for Leslie, she knows that when businesses do the same thing over and over, those things eventually won’t work.

We talk over the analogy of putting your oxygen mask on when you’re on an airplane before helping others. One of Leslie’s golden nuggets (which I’m calling Business Hacks for this episode) is that her work is better when she has oxygen.

Leslie told us how she’s noticed that when she works with a company that she’s a customer of herself, that’s when she’s most passionate about the job. For her, that’s when it’s more than just money.

That being said, we also get into being cautious with your passion. It could take you down a dark path. The businesses and clients that we work with, or that anybody works with, for that matter, might not always be a fit. We have to be careful where our passion takes us and discern from that to make the most of our time and energy.


Get in touch with Leslie here to book a strategy session:

Website: hackercommunications.com 
Instagram: @hacker_communications

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18267715 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0800 2230 small business owner, entrepreneur, business focus, business momentum, entrepreneurship, business growth, marketing business, entrepreneurship tips, business mindset, grow your business, business growth tips, business hacks 1 49 full false Ep. 48 The Stern Truth: If Not Now, When? Ep. 48 The Stern Truth: If Not Now, When? We’re coming up to the beginning of a new year. I often hear “I will when” around this time of the year. 

Oh, but you’re waiting for the economy to get better, holding on until the new year, or hoping the timing will be better when the kids are grown. There’s so many excuses to not do it. The question I have to ask you is, “If not now, when?” 

The “I’ll do this later” mindset quickly turns into procrastination. That’s exactly when we lose the opportunities that are present to us.

Look back on 2025. Were you in your comfort zone the whole time? We get so comfortable with just being comfortable. We don’t grow. We’ve stopped remembering why we do it. Or maybe it’s not important to us anymore. 

Our competitors aren’t slowing down. They still have their marketing. They’re not stopping their lead gen. If we pause and don’t keep that momentum going, our competitors will lap us (and no one wants that!). 

The Kickstart Lab 2026 can help you get out of your comfort zone. This is a 90-day block where we review what’s worked, what didn’t, and why, and clarify what we want for 2026.

Success leaves clues. Follow them so you can achieve what you want to achieve in 2026. We kick off December 1st, so grab your spot here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/2026-kickstart 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> We’re coming up to the beginning of a new year. I often hear “I will when” around this time of the year. 

Oh, but you’re waiting for the economy to get better, holding on until the new year, or hoping the timing will be better when the kids are grown. There’s so many excuses to not do it. The question I have to ask you is, “If not now, when?” 

The “I’ll do this later” mindset quickly turns into procrastination. That’s exactly when we lose the opportunities that are present to us.

Look back on 2025. Were you in your comfort zone the whole time? We get so comfortable with just being comfortable. We don’t grow. We’ve stopped remembering why we do it. Or maybe it’s not important to us anymore. 

Our competitors aren’t slowing down. They still have their marketing. They’re not stopping their lead gen. If we pause and don’t keep that momentum going, our competitors will lap us (and no one wants that!). 

The Kickstart Lab 2026 can help you get out of your comfort zone. This is a 90-day block where we review what’s worked, what didn’t, and why, and clarify what we want for 2026.

Success leaves clues. Follow them so you can achieve what you want to achieve in 2026. We kick off December 1st, so grab your spot here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/2026-kickstart 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18233021 Tue, 25 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800 577 small business owner, entrepreneur, business focus, growth mindset, business momentum, entrepreneurship, business growth, entrepreneurship tips, business mindset, grow your business, business growth tips 1 48 full false Ep. 47 The Stern Truth: Special Episode 2026 Kickstart Growth Lab Ep. 47 The Stern Truth: Special Episode 2026 Kickstart Growth Lab This might be the shortest episode of the Stern Truth yet, and maybe even one of the most important.

2026 is right around the corner. This is your wake-up call. It’s a Stern Truth, and it’s saying, “It’s not your goals that are causing you to fail; it’s the unmanaged chaos in your business.” 

I’m introducing you to the Kickstart Growth Lab 2026. It’s a new six-week group experience to build a powerful 90-day growth plan. Kickstart will give you the momentum, accountability, and consistency to move forward.

We kick off December 1st, and seating is limited. But those of you who sign up first can get the fast-action price, so grab your spot here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/2026-kickstart 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> This might be the shortest episode of the Stern Truth yet, and maybe even one of the most important.

2026 is right around the corner. This is your wake-up call. It’s a Stern Truth, and it’s saying, “It’s not your goals that are causing you to fail; it’s the unmanaged chaos in your business.” 

I’m introducing you to the Kickstart Growth Lab 2026. It’s a new six-week group experience to build a powerful 90-day growth plan. Kickstart will give you the momentum, accountability, and consistency to move forward.

We kick off December 1st, and seating is limited. But those of you who sign up first can get the fast-action price, so grab your spot here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/2026-kickstart 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18221118 Thu, 20 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800 162 small business owner, entrepreneur, business in motion, business minded, entrepreneurship, business growth, business foundations, business mindset, entrepreneur mindset, grow your business 1 47 full false Ep. 46 The Stern Truth: How to Maximize Your Marketing with Melissa Guenette Ep. 46 The Stern Truth: How to Maximize Your Marketing with Melissa Guenette Grit. Determination. A little bit of delusion. These are the things that our guest, Melissa Guenette, says help make businesses successful. On the other side of the coin, self-doubt was one of the things that Melissa initially faced when she created her company, A-List Media Solutions. But she didn’t let that stop her from growing. 

Melissa also started her business quite suddenly, without laying down a foundation first. As we all know, small businesses have to strike when the iron is hot, and Melissa was no different. She faced a challenging start, but when you grow a business, that’s the only guarantee.

Trial and error was the name of the game when starting A-List. That helped her to focus on what she does best, leveraging clear and concise messaging to get more traditional media exposure. She also believes in the power of experiential marketing to make that personal, real-life connection, one that can’t be replicated online. 

We discuss how to make processes that make your clients' lives easier—once you make those processes, they’ll keep coming back to you. Like I said in Episode 34, the best businesses are the ones that make it easy to give them your money. 

Melissa gives so many great golden nuggets during this episode. One of them is to slow down and don’t take on ALL the clients you can. Develop foundations to expand your team and your business. Another is to have a great media kit to send to other businesses. 

We even found we had a shared golden nugget—keep track of your wins. Whether it’s a WINS folder on a drive or a handwritten Brag Book, just note them. Write down those wins. It keeps limiting beliefs at bay and shows you how amazing your business truly is. 

Curious about what Melissa does? Contact her at media@alistmediasolutions.com  


Get inspired and stay accountable with the Momentum Accountability group. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net to join as a guest for no cost. See more here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Grit. Determination. A little bit of delusion. These are the things that our guest, Melissa Guenette, says help make businesses successful. On the other side of the coin, self-doubt was one of the things that Melissa initially faced when she created her company, A-List Media Solutions. But she didn’t let that stop her from growing. 

Melissa also started her business quite suddenly, without laying down a foundation first. As we all know, small businesses have to strike when the iron is hot, and Melissa was no different. She faced a challenging start, but when you grow a business, that’s the only guarantee.

Trial and error was the name of the game when starting A-List. That helped her to focus on what she does best, leveraging clear and concise messaging to get more traditional media exposure. She also believes in the power of experiential marketing to make that personal, real-life connection, one that can’t be replicated online. 

We discuss how to make processes that make your clients' lives easier—once you make those processes, they’ll keep coming back to you. Like I said in Episode 34, the best businesses are the ones that make it easy to give them your money. 

Melissa gives so many great golden nuggets during this episode. One of them is to slow down and don’t take on ALL the clients you can. Develop foundations to expand your team and your business. Another is to have a great media kit to send to other businesses. 

We even found we had a shared golden nugget—keep track of your wins. Whether it’s a WINS folder on a drive or a handwritten Brag Book, just note them. Write down those wins. It keeps limiting beliefs at bay and shows you how amazing your business truly is. 

Curious about what Melissa does? Contact her at media@alistmediasolutions.com  


Get inspired and stay accountable with the Momentum Accountability group. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net to join as a guest for no cost. See more here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18181416 Tue, 18 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800 2422 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business growth, business foundations, business mindset, small business marketing, marketing entrepreneur, grow your business 1 46 full false Ep. 45 The Stern Truth: Perfectionism Can Be a Business Killer Ep. 45 The Stern Truth: Perfectionism Can Be a Business Killer What holds you back in your business? I bet that the first thing that comes to mind is money. But often, that’s not what’s really holding you back. In today’s episode, I go over the two things that stall your business - perfectionism and procrastination.

As a small business owner, of course you want everything to be perfect. You want your business to look great online. You want your processes completely finished. You want to give your clients the perfect product or service. But that’s playing it too safe, and that’s not realistic.

Holding onto that perfectionist mindset so tightly will actually end up killing the momentum that you’ve built. It stalls your business growth. It costs you time and money. And it will eventually cost you opportunities.

Then that perfectionism can show up as procrastination, delaying until things are exactly in the right place. Entrepreneurs have a perfection problem, and I know how to help this - just start.

Tune in to learn how to change that mindset, even when you don’t feel quite ready. “Done” is always better than “perfect.”


Learn how to get out of perfection and into action with the Momentum Accountability group. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net to join as a guest for no cost. See more about the group here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> What holds you back in your business? I bet that the first thing that comes to mind is money. But often, that’s not what’s really holding you back. In today’s episode, I go over the two things that stall your business - perfectionism and procrastination.

As a small business owner, of course you want everything to be perfect. You want your business to look great online. You want your processes completely finished. You want to give your clients the perfect product or service. But that’s playing it too safe, and that’s not realistic.

Holding onto that perfectionist mindset so tightly will actually end up killing the momentum that you’ve built. It stalls your business growth. It costs you time and money. And it will eventually cost you opportunities.

Then that perfectionism can show up as procrastination, delaying until things are exactly in the right place. Entrepreneurs have a perfection problem, and I know how to help this - just start.

Tune in to learn how to change that mindset, even when you don’t feel quite ready. “Done” is always better than “perfect.”


Learn how to get out of perfection and into action with the Momentum Accountability group. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net to join as a guest for no cost. See more about the group here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18145971 Tue, 11 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800 791 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, perfectionist, procrastination, business growth, business mindset 1 45 full false Ep. 44 The Stern Truth: Golden Nuggets to Ellevate Your Business with Elle Jimeno Ep. 44 The Stern Truth: Golden Nuggets to Ellevate Your Business with Elle Jimeno In this powerful episode, I sit down with Elle Jimeno of Ellevate Creative. I have to say, this conversation absolutely blew me away. 

Elle shares her journey of building a business after being laid off. Her former employer actually ended up becoming her first client. Talk about life handing you lemons! 

The real, unfiltered challenges of being a small business owner while raising children don't seem to be obstacles for Elle. It’s more like a guiding force and an opportunity to be a role model not only for her children but for herself as well. 

One of the biggest golden nuggets from this episode is Elle's perspective on discomfort. As a natural introvert, she pushed herself to network and connect with her community. It’s her desire to get out of discomfort, she says, that fuels her every single day. 

Every entrepreneur faces the “struggle of the juggle.” Whether that’s personal challenges or showing up as a business leader, Elle’s honest approach and passion are undeniable in this episode.

Connect with Elle here:
Website: https://ellevatemybiz.com/
Instagram: @ellevatemybiz
Email: info@ellevatemybiz.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this powerful episode, I sit down with Elle Jimeno of Ellevate Creative. I have to say, this conversation absolutely blew me away. 

Elle shares her journey of building a business after being laid off. Her former employer actually ended up becoming her first client. Talk about life handing you lemons! 

The real, unfiltered challenges of being a small business owner while raising children don't seem to be obstacles for Elle. It’s more like a guiding force and an opportunity to be a role model not only for her children but for herself as well. 

One of the biggest golden nuggets from this episode is Elle's perspective on discomfort. As a natural introvert, she pushed herself to network and connect with her community. It’s her desire to get out of discomfort, she says, that fuels her every single day. 

Every entrepreneur faces the “struggle of the juggle.” Whether that’s personal challenges or showing up as a business leader, Elle’s honest approach and passion are undeniable in this episode.

Connect with Elle here:
Website: https://ellevatemybiz.com/
Instagram: @ellevatemybiz
Email: info@ellevatemybiz.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18101963 Tue, 04 Nov 2025 03:00:00 -0800 2454 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, work-life balance, business growth, business discipline, imposter syndrome, founder, business mindset 1 44 full false Ep. 43 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with JC Valeros Ep. 43 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with JC Valeros It’s another entrepreneur deep dive in this Business Therapy Thursday session. On this episode, we sit down with JC Valeros to see where her blocks are and how we can unblock them.

JC had been in the world of business operations for years. She launched her new business last year. When I ask JC what she thought was holding her back, her answer was the lack of belief in herself.

JC tells us how it starts with doubt, and it goes further down this rabbit hole of uncertainty. Life got challenging for her, and she started to think about her wants and identity, and with that came the fear. Like with other Business Therapy sessions, I remind her about going back to her “why.” 

Before our session, she created an in depth plan for her business, something that needs consistency. And using a calendar to time-block and schedule her day is something JC has committed to doing. It might seem simple, but it helps her stay consistent. 

We touch on a few action items that she can do to support her business launch in the next month. We also go over her hopes for what her business will look like a month from now.

The lack of belief is something I commonly hear in these Business Therapy Thursday sessions and in my Momentum group sessions. It’s the idea of “I don’t know if I can do this.” So, if you’re feeling this way, please remember that it’s so normal. Reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net if you’re interested in joining our supportive Momentum business owners’ group.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s another entrepreneur deep dive in this Business Therapy Thursday session. On this episode, we sit down with JC Valeros to see where her blocks are and how we can unblock them.

JC had been in the world of business operations for years. She launched her new business last year. When I ask JC what she thought was holding her back, her answer was the lack of belief in herself.

JC tells us how it starts with doubt, and it goes further down this rabbit hole of uncertainty. Life got challenging for her, and she started to think about her wants and identity, and with that came the fear. Like with other Business Therapy sessions, I remind her about going back to her “why.” 

Before our session, she created an in depth plan for her business, something that needs consistency. And using a calendar to time-block and schedule her day is something JC has committed to doing. It might seem simple, but it helps her stay consistent. 

We touch on a few action items that she can do to support her business launch in the next month. We also go over her hopes for what her business will look like a month from now.

The lack of belief is something I commonly hear in these Business Therapy Thursday sessions and in my Momentum group sessions. It’s the idea of “I don’t know if I can do this.” So, if you’re feeling this way, please remember that it’s so normal. Reach out to me at marshall@marshallstern.net if you’re interested in joining our supportive Momentum business owners’ group.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18099878 Thu, 30 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2835 business owners, business owner group, small business owner, small business development, business podcast, business podcast host, business mentor, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur podcast 1 42 full false Ep. 42 The Stern Truth: How Saying NO Can Grow Your Business Ep. 42 The Stern Truth: How Saying NO Can Grow Your Business Before I recorded this episode, I was in a Momentum Accountability group session. This group of business owners always amazes me with their support and their stories. This session was no different and actually had me change gears about the topic of the episode.

The conversation we had was around time blocking, boundaries, and being intentional with your time. Specifically, saying “no.”

One of our members was having to cancel plans to service their client. This member didn’t want to say “no” because they thought they were missing out on an opportunity. 

The Stern Truth is, if we’re always saying “yes” to everything, it prevents us from getting where we want to be. It pulls us in the opposite direction. We overpromise. We overcommit. And then we burn out. 

My own golden nugget that I always come back to is, what’s your why? Why did you start your business? Flexibility, or maybe freedom? How flexible or free are you if you’re always saying “yes”?

It is possible to say “no” and still transform your business. The next time an opportunity comes up, ask yourself if it’s in line with what you truly want, knowing what fits. That's having a real business mindset.


Our Momentum Accountability is a group of incredible, supportive business owners that meets twice a month. For more information, visit https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Before I recorded this episode, I was in a Momentum Accountability group session. This group of business owners always amazes me with their support and their stories. This session was no different and actually had me change gears about the topic of the episode.

The conversation we had was around time blocking, boundaries, and being intentional with your time. Specifically, saying “no.”

One of our members was having to cancel plans to service their client. This member didn’t want to say “no” because they thought they were missing out on an opportunity. 

The Stern Truth is, if we’re always saying “yes” to everything, it prevents us from getting where we want to be. It pulls us in the opposite direction. We overpromise. We overcommit. And then we burn out. 

My own golden nugget that I always come back to is, what’s your why? Why did you start your business? Flexibility, or maybe freedom? How flexible or free are you if you’re always saying “yes”?

It is possible to say “no” and still transform your business. The next time an opportunity comes up, ask yourself if it’s in line with what you truly want, knowing what fits. That's having a real business mindset.


Our Momentum Accountability is a group of incredible, supportive business owners that meets twice a month. For more information, visit https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18069554 Tue, 28 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 726 entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, business owner group, business owner support, small business owner, entrepreneur, small business, business leader, business mindset 1 42 full false Ep. 41 The Stern Truth: What is it Really Costing You? With Flora Gordon Ep. 41 The Stern Truth: What is it Really Costing You? With Flora Gordon Flora Gordon has always been creative. As a child, she started off drawing, and that led her to become a graphic designer. She drew her entrepreneurial inspiration from her aunt and ended up launching her own business in 2015.

We get into how she got started with her graphic design business and wind up talking about the challenges that can come with entrepreneurship, like operating while dealing with health issues, bringing on new team members, and having a vision vs. being a leader.

Flora and I discuss how the “do it all yourself” mindset costs entrepreneurs money, time, opportunities, and growth potential. Being smarter with those resources and reaching out for help to manage them is the best way forward.

When these types of questions and challenges come up, the best thing to do is turn to an expert. They have seen the economic shifts. They can guide you through the challenges. The best ones even open up a whole network of other people to help you.

Flora’s golden nugget from this episode? Everything that you're going through, someone else has gone through too. And a bonus golden nugget from Flora—build your expertise by learning from other professionals.  


Connect with Flora here:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/floragordon (*please mention that you heard her on the Stern Truth!)
Instagram: instagram.com/imageimageagency
www.imageimage.agency 


Our Momentum Accountability is a group of incredible, supportive business owners that meets twice a month. For more information, visit https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Flora Gordon has always been creative. As a child, she started off drawing, and that led her to become a graphic designer. She drew her entrepreneurial inspiration from her aunt and ended up launching her own business in 2015.

We get into how she got started with her graphic design business and wind up talking about the challenges that can come with entrepreneurship, like operating while dealing with health issues, bringing on new team members, and having a vision vs. being a leader.

Flora and I discuss how the “do it all yourself” mindset costs entrepreneurs money, time, opportunities, and growth potential. Being smarter with those resources and reaching out for help to manage them is the best way forward.

When these types of questions and challenges come up, the best thing to do is turn to an expert. They have seen the economic shifts. They can guide you through the challenges. The best ones even open up a whole network of other people to help you.

Flora’s golden nugget from this episode? Everything that you're going through, someone else has gone through too. And a bonus golden nugget from Flora—build your expertise by learning from other professionals.  


Connect with Flora here:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/floragordon (*please mention that you heard her on the Stern Truth!)
Instagram: instagram.com/imageimageagency
www.imageimage.agency 


Our Momentum Accountability is a group of incredible, supportive business owners that meets twice a month. For more information, visit https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-18043543 Tue, 21 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2680 entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, small business owner, entrepreneur, inspiration, graphic design business, small graphic design business, graphic design company, business vision, business leader, business mindset 1 41 full false Ep. 40 The Stern Truth: Navigating Through Challenging Times: The 3 D's! Ep. 40 The Stern Truth: Navigating Through Challenging Times: The 3 D's! I’m going to get real with you. Businesses are struggling right now. Brick and mortars are having a challenging time with their sales. You have probably seen how the economy is struggling, and you’re experiencing that struggle too.

Or maybe you’re thriving. That’s awesome, and I really applaud you for that. Small business growth is something to be proud of.

In this episode, I talk about the three D’s that can get you through those dark times and even through the good times. These three D’s are really what makes a business owner mindset.

Desire – the deep drive to be a success in your business. Determination/dedication – the commitment that works with the desire. Decisive action – taking the actions to move forward.  

Okay, maybe it’s more like four D’s, but the point is, they all point you forward. Owning and running a business is not linear. There are ups, there are downs, and there are times when you’re stable. 

Dig into these D’s again and again, not just once, to help you get you where you want to be in business.

 

I’m inviting you to be a guest in our next Momentum Accountability group, starting October 20th. This group of incredible business owners meets twice a month. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net or go here for more info: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I’m going to get real with you. Businesses are struggling right now. Brick and mortars are having a challenging time with their sales. You have probably seen how the economy is struggling, and you’re experiencing that struggle too.

Or maybe you’re thriving. That’s awesome, and I really applaud you for that. Small business growth is something to be proud of.

In this episode, I talk about the three D’s that can get you through those dark times and even through the good times. These three D’s are really what makes a business owner mindset.

Desire – the deep drive to be a success in your business. Determination/dedication – the commitment that works with the desire. Decisive action – taking the actions to move forward.  

Okay, maybe it’s more like four D’s, but the point is, they all point you forward. Owning and running a business is not linear. There are ups, there are downs, and there are times when you’re stable. 

Dig into these D’s again and again, not just once, to help you get you where you want to be in business.

 

I’m inviting you to be a guest in our next Momentum Accountability group, starting October 20th. This group of incredible business owners meets twice a month. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net or go here for more info: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17992665 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 749 grow your business, business growth, business owner mindset, small business owner, business accountability, grow your business 1 40 full false Ep. 39 The Stern Truth: Business Tips, the Ted Lasso Way! Ep. 39 The Stern Truth: Business Tips, the Ted Lasso Way! Today's episode is completely different from our regularly scheduled podcast. Recently, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Coala Studio Podcast with Rounak Sardesai.

Rounak and I talked about all things small business and entrepreneurial growth, the “Ted Lasso” way. I liken myself to Ted Lasso because his coaching philosophies are always true golden nuggets.I do encourage you to Google Ted Lasso before this episode to understand the reference. Even if you don’t, you’ll understand what I’m getting at.

I talk with Rounak about one of my earliest entrepreneurial ventures (and failures), my environmental t-shirt business. I also share valuable lessons I’ve learned through the years, like how my first employee taught me to stay in my lane as the leader and how my sign company survived years of bumps in the road.

Business owners are strong, and what makes them their strongest is a leadership mindset, belief in themselves and their team, and taking consistent action. Two more golden nuggets I share: don’t ignore your business numbers, and, something I always drive home, surround yourself with the right people.


This was a special experience for me because I got to share my story, my own highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Thank you again to Rounak and to Coala Studios for having me!


The ONtrepreneur Growth Academy starts October 8th. Interested in attending? Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Today's episode is completely different from our regularly scheduled podcast. Recently, I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Coala Studio Podcast with Rounak Sardesai.

Rounak and I talked about all things small business and entrepreneurial growth, the “Ted Lasso” way. I liken myself to Ted Lasso because his coaching philosophies are always true golden nuggets.I do encourage you to Google Ted Lasso before this episode to understand the reference. Even if you don’t, you’ll understand what I’m getting at.

I talk with Rounak about one of my earliest entrepreneurial ventures (and failures), my environmental t-shirt business. I also share valuable lessons I’ve learned through the years, like how my first employee taught me to stay in my lane as the leader and how my sign company survived years of bumps in the road.

Business owners are strong, and what makes them their strongest is a leadership mindset, belief in themselves and their team, and taking consistent action. Two more golden nuggets I share: don’t ignore your business numbers, and, something I always drive home, surround yourself with the right people.


This was a special experience for me because I got to share my story, my own highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Thank you again to Rounak and to Coala Studios for having me!


The ONtrepreneur Growth Academy starts October 8th. Interested in attending? Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17941868 Tue, 07 Oct 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3213 small business owner, entrepreneur, founder, business coaching, leadership, team building, business strategy, small business, entrepreneurship, business growth 1 39 full false Ep. 38 The Stern Truth: Leading with Passion with David Greaves Ep. 38 The Stern Truth: Leading with Passion with David Greaves Grab a pen and piece of paper. You’ll want to get all the golden nuggets from this episode.

It is my pleasure to have my good friend, David Greaves, on this episode of the Stern Truth. We have known each other for nearly 50 years and have seen each other go on some amazing journeys.

David and I were in the lawn care business together at one point. Throughout his journey in business, David found his way to his current position as the Executive Director of Friends of JNF Canada.

He had an epiphany about working with the Jewish community instead of for himself. It came to him in an unlikely place, while he was coming out of a bobsled (making it to two world championships, I might add!). 

It’s not always roses and sunshine when it comes to leadership. David lets us in on his struggles throughout school and his life. Not wanting to be left behind, he took that as motivation, and those struggles ultimately shaped who he is.

Passion, teamwork, vision, leadership, family, respect, and your team. It's clear these are what make everything worthwhile for David. 


Want to have David speak at an event? Email him at David@theunlikelyolympian.com 



The ONtrepreneur Growth Academy starts October 8th. Interested in attending? Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Grab a pen and piece of paper. You’ll want to get all the golden nuggets from this episode.

It is my pleasure to have my good friend, David Greaves, on this episode of the Stern Truth. We have known each other for nearly 50 years and have seen each other go on some amazing journeys.

David and I were in the lawn care business together at one point. Throughout his journey in business, David found his way to his current position as the Executive Director of Friends of JNF Canada.

He had an epiphany about working with the Jewish community instead of for himself. It came to him in an unlikely place, while he was coming out of a bobsled (making it to two world championships, I might add!). 

It’s not always roses and sunshine when it comes to leadership. David lets us in on his struggles throughout school and his life. Not wanting to be left behind, he took that as motivation, and those struggles ultimately shaped who he is.

Passion, teamwork, vision, leadership, family, respect, and your team. It's clear these are what make everything worthwhile for David. 


Want to have David speak at an event? Email him at David@theunlikelyolympian.com 



The ONtrepreneur Growth Academy starts October 8th. Interested in attending? Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17907300 Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2796 business motivation, business savvy, leadership, leadership podcast, leadership motivation, entrepreneur, leadership journey 1 38 full false Ep. 37 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Alicia McKee Ep. 37 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Alicia McKee Should you focus on your local community or scale online to reach a broader audience with bigger budgets? This is the crossroads many small business owners face, and it's what this Business Therapy Thursday session is all about.

I sit down with Alicia McKee this episode. Alicia is a digital marketing specialist, and she’s been toying with this decision for over a year. In her previous job, she learned how Facebook ads helped get people to see the videos they made.

 Alicia's torn between serving her tight-knit community and pursuing the bigger corporate clients. She’s also juggling two kids, running monthly music circles, and building an app with her dad. Quite the busy business owner!

Through our conversation, we learned about her relationship with money and how that might be a limiting belief for her business. Alicia was mentioning how businesses “can’t afford” her services before even having a conversation with them.

When I asked her why she invested in that expensive Facebook Ads strategy program, she told me she was investing in herself. I also walk her through a critical mindset shift to view her own services as an investment instead of a “cost.”

When you’re a small business owner, you don't have to choose between authenticity and profitability. Find your people. Show up. Genuinely serve them. Show them that you’re worth the investment.

 

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Should you focus on your local community or scale online to reach a broader audience with bigger budgets? This is the crossroads many small business owners face, and it's what this Business Therapy Thursday session is all about.

I sit down with Alicia McKee this episode. Alicia is a digital marketing specialist, and she’s been toying with this decision for over a year. In her previous job, she learned how Facebook ads helped get people to see the videos they made.

 Alicia's torn between serving her tight-knit community and pursuing the bigger corporate clients. She’s also juggling two kids, running monthly music circles, and building an app with her dad. Quite the busy business owner!

Through our conversation, we learned about her relationship with money and how that might be a limiting belief for her business. Alicia was mentioning how businesses “can’t afford” her services before even having a conversation with them.

When I asked her why she invested in that expensive Facebook Ads strategy program, she told me she was investing in herself. I also walk her through a critical mindset shift to view her own services as an investment instead of a “cost.”

When you’re a small business owner, you don't have to choose between authenticity and profitability. Find your people. Show up. Genuinely serve them. Show them that you’re worth the investment.

 

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17893135 Thu, 25 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3067 small business owner, entrepreneur, business authenticity, digital marketing, small business, business therapy, limiting beliefs, local business, online business, business growth 1 37 full false Ep. 36 The Stern Truth: How the ONtrepreneur Method Can Be a Game Changer Ep. 36 The Stern Truth: How the ONtrepreneur Method Can Be a Game Changer Are you showing up in your business and in your life?

I recently hosted a masterclass about the ONtrepreneur Method. In that masterclass, we went over the four shifts and the foundation for this method. The participants were wonderful, but there were multiple people who signed up and were no-shows.

It happens. Life happens. It was a free event. But at the end of the day, it’s their loss. They didn’t show up to get that knowledge. The replay is always there, and the insights are always valuable.

All that aside, I explore two extremes of business ownership: being an employee and being an entrepreneur. You see a certain amount of growth as an “employee” of your own business. But you’re not scaling. You need to step into the entrepreneur mindset.

I share how I stopped doing everything myself, pivoting to build systems, hire team members, and focus on real leadership. That’s the clarity piece. That’s the vision. That's how you show up.

That’s the ONtrepreneur Method.

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Are you showing up in your business and in your life?

I recently hosted a masterclass about the ONtrepreneur Method. In that masterclass, we went over the four shifts and the foundation for this method. The participants were wonderful, but there were multiple people who signed up and were no-shows.

It happens. Life happens. It was a free event. But at the end of the day, it’s their loss. They didn’t show up to get that knowledge. The replay is always there, and the insights are always valuable.

All that aside, I explore two extremes of business ownership: being an employee and being an entrepreneur. You see a certain amount of growth as an “employee” of your own business. But you’re not scaling. You need to step into the entrepreneur mindset.

I share how I stopped doing everything myself, pivoting to build systems, hire team members, and focus on real leadership. That’s the clarity piece. That’s the vision. That's how you show up.

That’s the ONtrepreneur Method.

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at marshall@marshallstern.net. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17868765 Tue, 23 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 723 small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneur mindset, entrepreneur system, business inspiration, business challenges, small business processes, small business systems, small business podcast, small business advice 1 36 full false Ep. 35 The Stern Truth: Gamifying Your Business with Karyne Bailey Ep. 35 The Stern Truth: Gamifying Your Business with Karyne Bailey Karnye Bailey started Oceanside Entertainment from $20 and a dream. 20 years later, she has two stores, 5 employees, and is still growing her business.

When Karyne started her journey, she asked herself, "What’s my passion? What do I love to do?" She was inspired to start something out of what brought her joy.

Not only is she an expert in games, but she’s also an expert at gamifying her business. We go over how working towards the goal of winning with the proper steps makes business more fun, just like a game. She’s not shy about saying how much she loves to win! It’s the same in games as it is in business.

We talk about the mindset of when you encounter a stumbling block. Just like in life, they will happen in business. As Karyne says, stumbling blocks are the opening for a breakthrough.

Our conversation reminded me of “The Secret” and how the message of manifesting your dreams can be misconstrued. Manifesting your success leads is important, but that’s only part of it. The steps you take, the work you do, the goals with timelines are what make those goals achievable. Without those steps, it’s harder to win the game.

Karyne gives us her golden nugget for this episode – “Just go for it." If you fail, so what? Our failures are not failures if we learn from them. Game on, Karyne!


Connect with Karyne here:

Instagram: @oceanside__entertainment
Facebook: @oceansideentertainmentbc
Email: oceansidebooksbc@gmail.com


It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass, “From ‘Hard & Draining’ to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits” on Sept 17th. Sign up below:
https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Karnye Bailey started Oceanside Entertainment from $20 and a dream. 20 years later, she has two stores, 5 employees, and is still growing her business.

When Karyne started her journey, she asked herself, "What’s my passion? What do I love to do?" She was inspired to start something out of what brought her joy.

Not only is she an expert in games, but she’s also an expert at gamifying her business. We go over how working towards the goal of winning with the proper steps makes business more fun, just like a game. She’s not shy about saying how much she loves to win! It’s the same in games as it is in business.

We talk about the mindset of when you encounter a stumbling block. Just like in life, they will happen in business. As Karyne says, stumbling blocks are the opening for a breakthrough.

Our conversation reminded me of “The Secret” and how the message of manifesting your dreams can be misconstrued. Manifesting your success leads is important, but that’s only part of it. The steps you take, the work you do, the goals with timelines are what make those goals achievable. Without those steps, it’s harder to win the game.

Karyne gives us her golden nugget for this episode – “Just go for it." If you fail, so what? Our failures are not failures if we learn from them. Game on, Karyne!


Connect with Karyne here:

Instagram: @oceanside__entertainment
Facebook: @oceansideentertainmentbc
Email: oceansidebooksbc@gmail.com


It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass, “From ‘Hard & Draining’ to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits” on Sept 17th. Sign up below:
https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17817763 Tue, 16 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2183 small business owner, entrepreneur, business inspiration, business challenges,, small business processes, small business systems, systems for small business, small business podcast, small business advice, retail business 1 35 full false Ep. 34 The Stern Truth: Are You Making It Easy for Your Clients to Do Business With You? Ep. 34 The Stern Truth: Are You Making It Easy for Your Clients to Do Business With You? I spent almost an hour and a half on hold with my cable company the other day. Marshall, what a waste of time, you might be thinking. But it was costing me and my family an extra $20 a month.

I was cancelling an extra channel. It just isn’t something we need anymore. I prepared myself, put the phone on speaker, and waited almost an hour and a half to talk to someone. 

They need to take a note out of Amazon’s customer service playbook. Whether you love them or not, Amazon has incredible customer service: they make it easy for you to return items, they have their online chat readily available, and they always as for feedback. 

Self-serve is a much easier way to do business, but we also need to think about how easy we make it for customers to cancel. Think about your business for a second. Is it as easy to buy as it is to return? If not, your systems and processes need to be revisited.

My point? Treat someone like a long-term client if you want them to be one. Let’s make it easier for people to do business with us.


It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.


Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 17th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I spent almost an hour and a half on hold with my cable company the other day. Marshall, what a waste of time, you might be thinking. But it was costing me and my family an extra $20 a month.

I was cancelling an extra channel. It just isn’t something we need anymore. I prepared myself, put the phone on speaker, and waited almost an hour and a half to talk to someone. 

They need to take a note out of Amazon’s customer service playbook. Whether you love them or not, Amazon has incredible customer service: they make it easy for you to return items, they have their online chat readily available, and they always as for feedback. 

Self-serve is a much easier way to do business, but we also need to think about how easy we make it for customers to cancel. Think about your business for a second. Is it as easy to buy as it is to return? If not, your systems and processes need to be revisited.

My point? Treat someone like a long-term client if you want them to be one. Let’s make it easier for people to do business with us.


It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.


Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 17th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17784578 Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 807 small business owner, entrepreneur, business challenges, business customer service, small business processes, small business systems, systems for small business, small business podcast, small business advice 1 34 full false Ep. 33 The Stern Truth: Systems & Scaling for Sanity with Megan Fraser Ep. 33 The Stern Truth: Systems & Scaling for Sanity with Megan Fraser Megan Fraser has got it maid. Yes, you read that right – M-A-I-D. She’s the owner and CEO of Maid Fantastic, a cleaning company that services the Fraser Valley.

I sit down with Megan to see how she’s faring in business six years on. It’s a huge milestone for her as an entrepreneur. We dive into how she grew up with entrepreneurs in her life as role models and how that set her on her path.

Megan was previously in a sales job but found it too difficult to balance with motherhood. She took over a cleaning business and ended up loving it.

Maid Fantastic now has eight technicians and is still growing. Considering that staffing was one of her biggest challenges, I’d say Megan is doing well in facing that challenge.

The most fulfilling part for her is making and keeping those strong customer relationships. She credits strong systems to helping keep her work life and personal life balanced. And guess what one of her golden nuggets of advice is? “Invest in a project management tool.”

We talk about how treating your customer like a number is the worst thing you can do in business. True leadership is caring about your customers and wanting their success just as much as your own.

Megan’s last golden nugget is to dream bigger and don’t let your limiting beliefs hold you back. Wise words to live by.

 

Get in touch with Megan here:

https://maidfantasticcleaning.ca
info@maidfantasticcleaning.com
Linkedin: @maidfantastic
Instagram: @maidfantastic
Facebook: @maidfantastic 

 

It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.

Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 10th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Megan Fraser has got it maid. Yes, you read that right – M-A-I-D. She’s the owner and CEO of Maid Fantastic, a cleaning company that services the Fraser Valley.

I sit down with Megan to see how she’s faring in business six years on. It’s a huge milestone for her as an entrepreneur. We dive into how she grew up with entrepreneurs in her life as role models and how that set her on her path.

Megan was previously in a sales job but found it too difficult to balance with motherhood. She took over a cleaning business and ended up loving it.

Maid Fantastic now has eight technicians and is still growing. Considering that staffing was one of her biggest challenges, I’d say Megan is doing well in facing that challenge.

The most fulfilling part for her is making and keeping those strong customer relationships. She credits strong systems to helping keep her work life and personal life balanced. And guess what one of her golden nuggets of advice is? “Invest in a project management tool.”

We talk about how treating your customer like a number is the worst thing you can do in business. True leadership is caring about your customers and wanting their success just as much as your own.

Megan’s last golden nugget is to dream bigger and don’t let your limiting beliefs hold you back. Wise words to live by.

 

Get in touch with Megan here:

https://maidfantasticcleaning.ca
info@maidfantasticcleaning.com
Linkedin: @maidfantastic
Instagram: @maidfantastic
Facebook: @maidfantastic 

 

It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.

Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 10th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17749625 Tue, 02 Sep 2025 03:00:00 -0700 1857 entrepreneur, leadership, limiting beliefs, business leadership, business accountability, small business owner, business podcast, entrepreneurship, business challenges 1 33 full false Ep. 32 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Bonnie Fitz Ep. 32 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Bonnie Fitz I sit down with Bonnie Fitz, founder of Differentiate Marketing, in this Business Therapy Thursday session.

We define what would move the needle most for Bonnie and her business. She's unsure of where to take her marketing agency and turned to me for help to find the best place to start.

She’s been in business since 2022 because she wanted to make an impact while feeling free as an entrepreneur. Bonnie knows she wants to adjust her pricing to create more of that freedom. It’s the fear of rejection that really gets to her.

As entrepreneurs, we crave the support of other people. At the same time, we need to shape ourselves and our futures. And Bonnie certainly knows how—she took an unfortunate incident and turned it into a love of jiu-jitsu.

We get into the concept of self-acceptance and the value of valuing yourself. Once you have that belief in yourself, that confidence to take those strides, it becomes easier to grow your business and your life how you want.

Learn those hard but important lessons from the past. Step forward into the life you want to make for yourself.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I sit down with Bonnie Fitz, founder of Differentiate Marketing, in this Business Therapy Thursday session.

We define what would move the needle most for Bonnie and her business. She's unsure of where to take her marketing agency and turned to me for help to find the best place to start.

She’s been in business since 2022 because she wanted to make an impact while feeling free as an entrepreneur. Bonnie knows she wants to adjust her pricing to create more of that freedom. It’s the fear of rejection that really gets to her.

As entrepreneurs, we crave the support of other people. At the same time, we need to shape ourselves and our futures. And Bonnie certainly knows how—she took an unfortunate incident and turned it into a love of jiu-jitsu.

We get into the concept of self-acceptance and the value of valuing yourself. Once you have that belief in yourself, that confidence to take those strides, it becomes easier to grow your business and your life how you want.

Learn those hard but important lessons from the past. Step forward into the life you want to make for yourself.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17744086 Thu, 28 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2516 entrepreneur, marketing business, leadership, business leadership, business accountability, business confidence, small business owner, business podcast, entrepreneurship, business challenges 1 32 full false Ep. 31 The Stern Truth: How Business Therapy Can Help Ep. 31 The Stern Truth: How Business Therapy Can Help What is Business Therapy, really?

If you’ve listened to the Stern Truth before, you may have listened to a Business Therapy Thursday episode before.

The long and short of it came from a deep coaching session months ago. I was with a client, and she mentioned how it felt like “business therapy” and not just coaching. What a compliment!

I got to thinking after this. As business owners, and even as people, we get in our own way. Our habits dictate our thoughts, and our thoughts dictate our actions. We need that partner to keep us accountable.

It is information overload when you’re running a small business. Most likely, there’s more out there that you don’t need than what you do need. You need to use the information you have.

Those who have done Business Therapy sessions with me have found clarity and actionable steps through them. Email marshall@marshallstern.net and use the subject line “Business Therapy” if you’re interested in a session on or off air.

I would love to help you get to be the leader you’re meant to be.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> What is Business Therapy, really?

If you’ve listened to the Stern Truth before, you may have listened to a Business Therapy Thursday episode before.

The long and short of it came from a deep coaching session months ago. I was with a client, and she mentioned how it felt like “business therapy” and not just coaching. What a compliment!

I got to thinking after this. As business owners, and even as people, we get in our own way. Our habits dictate our thoughts, and our thoughts dictate our actions. We need that partner to keep us accountable.

It is information overload when you’re running a small business. Most likely, there’s more out there that you don’t need than what you do need. You need to use the information you have.

Those who have done Business Therapy sessions with me have found clarity and actionable steps through them. Email marshall@marshallstern.net and use the subject line “Business Therapy” if you’re interested in a session on or off air.

I would love to help you get to be the leader you’re meant to be.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17730276 Tue, 26 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0700 635 leadership, entrepreneur leadership, business leadership, business accountability, small business owner, the stern truth, business podcast, entrepreneurship, business challenges 1 31 full false Ep. 30 The Stern Truth: Building a Business By Design with Sandra Flora Ep. 30 The Stern Truth: Building a Business By Design with Sandra Flora My guest on this episode is Sandra Flora of Sandra Flora Home Design. Sandra wears many hats as a business owner and interior decorator. It was during the pandemic when she had that lightbulb moment of starting her own business. 

She initially had doubts when starting out and even kept it a secret from her family and friends. Since then, she’s been off and running.

Sandra navigated the challenges that are all too familiar when it comes to running a business—social media, portfolios, networking, and the uncertainty that comes with starting out. But through that in-person customer connection, Sandra tells us how she solidified her confidence and her clientele. 

“Trust yourself” is one of the golden nuggets that Sandra gives. That trust starts from simply listening, and we talk about how listening is a skill that goes a very long way in any kind of business.

I always say this, but Sandra also reinforces that knowing your “why” is what will give you the confidence to just go for it. Be like Sandra, face the challenges head-on, and go for it.

Connect with Sandra here:

Website: https://www.sandraflorahomedesign.ca/

Instagram: @sandraflorahomedesign

Facebook: @sandraflorahomedesign
Email: sflora34@hotmail.com


It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 20th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> My guest on this episode is Sandra Flora of Sandra Flora Home Design. Sandra wears many hats as a business owner and interior decorator. It was during the pandemic when she had that lightbulb moment of starting her own business. 

She initially had doubts when starting out and even kept it a secret from her family and friends. Since then, she’s been off and running.

Sandra navigated the challenges that are all too familiar when it comes to running a business—social media, portfolios, networking, and the uncertainty that comes with starting out. But through that in-person customer connection, Sandra tells us how she solidified her confidence and her clientele. 

“Trust yourself” is one of the golden nuggets that Sandra gives. That trust starts from simply listening, and we talk about how listening is a skill that goes a very long way in any kind of business.

I always say this, but Sandra also reinforces that knowing your “why” is what will give you the confidence to just go for it. Be like Sandra, face the challenges head-on, and go for it.

Connect with Sandra here:

Website: https://www.sandraflorahomedesign.ca/

Instagram: @sandraflorahomedesign

Facebook: @sandraflorahomedesign
Email: sflora34@hotmail.com


It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 20th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17665971 Tue, 19 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2181 small business owner, small business, business challenges, business unfiltered, interior decorator, small business success, resilience, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur 1 30 full false Ep. 29 The Stern Truth: It’s Time to Stop Horsing Around and Grab the Reins Ep. 29 The Stern Truth: It’s Time to Stop Horsing Around and Grab the Reins I share a rather interesting story on this episode of the Stern Truth. It’s the true story of when I went to a horseback riding ranch years ago.

The day started off with the instructor teaching us how to guide the horse. As we ride, I’m in the middle of the pack. We reach a big open field, and I end up passing a big oak tree to the right.

I wanted to go into the field, but the horse turned right, straight into the tree, which had a huge, dangerous branch sticking out. The branch ended up clipping my shoulder, and I was thrown to the ground.

The instructor stopped and came back to check up on me. They said I could go back with them on their horse or that I could lead it back. I said I’m going to climb back on that horse. And I did, literally AND figuratively. At that moment, I had a choice, and I made the harder one.

Maybe you've been kicked off your own proverbial horse in your business. You could even be questioning if this is the time to quit, give in, try to get a regular 9-5, and get out of the entrepreneurial world.

If you’re busy taking care of your customers yourself, you’re not growing your business. You have to eventually ask yourself, is it better to pack it in? Or is there a better way to do my business?

There will always be times that we’ll be knocked off the horse. It’s up to you to either stop riding or get back on the horse and choose a different path.

Invest in yourself because, my friends, that is always an investment that pays off.


It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 13th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I share a rather interesting story on this episode of the Stern Truth. It’s the true story of when I went to a horseback riding ranch years ago.

The day started off with the instructor teaching us how to guide the horse. As we ride, I’m in the middle of the pack. We reach a big open field, and I end up passing a big oak tree to the right.

I wanted to go into the field, but the horse turned right, straight into the tree, which had a huge, dangerous branch sticking out. The branch ended up clipping my shoulder, and I was thrown to the ground.

The instructor stopped and came back to check up on me. They said I could go back with them on their horse or that I could lead it back. I said I’m going to climb back on that horse. And I did, literally AND figuratively. At that moment, I had a choice, and I made the harder one.

Maybe you've been kicked off your own proverbial horse in your business. You could even be questioning if this is the time to quit, give in, try to get a regular 9-5, and get out of the entrepreneurial world.

If you’re busy taking care of your customers yourself, you’re not growing your business. You have to eventually ask yourself, is it better to pack it in? Or is there a better way to do my business?

There will always be times that we’ll be knocked off the horse. It’s up to you to either stop riding or get back on the horse and choose a different path.

Invest in yourself because, my friends, that is always an investment that pays off.


It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 13th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17636248 Tue, 12 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0700 994 small business owner, small business, business leader, business unfiltered, small business success, resilience, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur 1 29 full false Ep. 28 The Stern Truth: Down but NOT Out in Business & Life with Norm Hayes Ep. 28 The Stern Truth: Down but NOT Out in Business & Life with Norm Hayes On this episode, we have Norm Hayes, founder of Genie Senior Services. He’s the CEO, or Chief Enthusiasm Officer, of Genie, and especially good-natured about the callouts he gets when he walks into a bar (a bit of an old “Cheers” joke).

Norm saw a huge gap when it came to the process of moving his mother into a retirement home. Packing, downsizing, setting them up in their new home, even down to hanging up pictures, was too much for one person. That’s when a lightbulb went off in Norm’s head. 

Through personal hardships and a few tries at entrepreneurship, Norm realized his dream business in 2013. Even better, he came to the conclusion that he needed to work ON his business instead of in it. 

After his business partner stepped away a few years ago, Norm reached out for help. One of his great golden nuggets was, “Bring in people who are smarter than you,” and it worked—Genie now has 11 franchise locations and is set to open more across Canada.

Our talk goes into the importance of being resilient in business. Another golden nugget Norm leaves us with is that success comes from how you treat people. People don’t remember the price of the bill; they remember the experience of a heart-centered business.

To get in touch with Norm, visit the Genie Senior Services website:

https://genieseniorservices.com/ 


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting August 6th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> On this episode, we have Norm Hayes, founder of Genie Senior Services. He’s the CEO, or Chief Enthusiasm Officer, of Genie, and especially good-natured about the callouts he gets when he walks into a bar (a bit of an old “Cheers” joke).

Norm saw a huge gap when it came to the process of moving his mother into a retirement home. Packing, downsizing, setting them up in their new home, even down to hanging up pictures, was too much for one person. That’s when a lightbulb went off in Norm’s head. 

Through personal hardships and a few tries at entrepreneurship, Norm realized his dream business in 2013. Even better, he came to the conclusion that he needed to work ON his business instead of in it. 

After his business partner stepped away a few years ago, Norm reached out for help. One of his great golden nuggets was, “Bring in people who are smarter than you,” and it worked—Genie now has 11 franchise locations and is set to open more across Canada.

Our talk goes into the importance of being resilient in business. Another golden nugget Norm leaves us with is that success comes from how you treat people. People don’t remember the price of the bill; they remember the experience of a heart-centered business.

To get in touch with Norm, visit the Genie Senior Services website:

https://genieseniorservices.com/ 


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting August 6th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17600528 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 03:00:00 -0700 1885 small business owner, small business, business heart, business leader, business unfiltered, small business success, franchise, resilience, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur 1 28 full false Ep. 27 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Laura Hudson Ep. 27 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Laura Hudson We’re back with another Business Therapy Thursday session. My guest on this episode is Laura Hudson of La Alegria Media.

Laura started her journey as a clothing business and moved on to digital marketing. After launching her own business in October 2024, she wanted to feel more stable as an entrepreneur. She jumped at the opportunity to connect through a Business Therapy Thursday session.

Laura took inspiration from her father and uncle, who started their own businesses, but was wary; according to some of her family members, only a perfect person could start their own business. This left Laura asking herself, can I be perfect like that?

Through our discussion, Laura and I dive into what it means to be a business owner. Anyone can own a business. It’s leadership that makes the difference. 

Laura has dreams of where she wants to take her business in the future. We get into how we can get in our own way when it comes to achieving our goals. We also discuss the process of pushing through failures and the huge impact finances have on your business.

The big lessons in this session that I wanted Laura to take away were to keep it simple and be clear on how you can help your clients. Showcasing your skillset can feel uncomfortable at first, but once you live in it, your confidence grows.

Connect with Laura here:

https://la-alegria-media.com/ 

Instagram: @laalegriamedia


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> We’re back with another Business Therapy Thursday session. My guest on this episode is Laura Hudson of La Alegria Media.

Laura started her journey as a clothing business and moved on to digital marketing. After launching her own business in October 2024, she wanted to feel more stable as an entrepreneur. She jumped at the opportunity to connect through a Business Therapy Thursday session.

Laura took inspiration from her father and uncle, who started their own businesses, but was wary; according to some of her family members, only a perfect person could start their own business. This left Laura asking herself, can I be perfect like that?

Through our discussion, Laura and I dive into what it means to be a business owner. Anyone can own a business. It’s leadership that makes the difference. 

Laura has dreams of where she wants to take her business in the future. We get into how we can get in our own way when it comes to achieving our goals. We also discuss the process of pushing through failures and the huge impact finances have on your business.

The big lessons in this session that I wanted Laura to take away were to keep it simple and be clear on how you can help your clients. Showcasing your skillset can feel uncomfortable at first, but once you live in it, your confidence grows.

Connect with Laura here:

https://la-alegria-media.com/ 

Instagram: @laalegriamedia


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17582654 Thu, 31 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3277 entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business owner, small business, business confidence, business leader, business unfiltered, small business success, leadership, vision 1 27 full false Ep. 26 The Stern Truth: I Was So Over My Business with Jessica Weismiller Ep. 26 The Stern Truth: I Was So Over My Business with Jessica Weismiller A few weeks back I did a Part 1 of a three-part series, “Have You Lost the Passion for Your Business?” This episode is Part 2, and it’s a little different. I have a guest joining me to share her own story of getting the passion back.

Jessica Weismiller of Your Steel Toed Bookkeeper is my special guest on this episode. Jessica started her company in 2014 as a single mom. After coming back after a maternity leave in late 2024, she felt obsolete in her own business. 

The passion wasn’t the same as when she first started her business, so she reached out to me. We came up with great insights through working together. From navigating Covid changes to deeply understanding her clients, Jessica knows her current position in her business is valuable.

She’s accustomed to getting people out of those deep financial holes. Jessica tells us how her company helps get her clients over the financial humps. Guiding them through financial situations they can’t get out of themselves is what truly energizes Jessica and her team.

I myself am well-known not to sugarcoat things for those who I work with, and Jessica is no different. Hard conversations and big challenges need guidance. Businesses need a budget and cash flow. And leadership needs accountability, trust, and, sometimes the most important, guidance.


Contact Jessica here:

jessica@ystb.ca

www.yoursteeltoedbookkeeper.com/


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August, running for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

 
https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> A few weeks back I did a Part 1 of a three-part series, “Have You Lost the Passion for Your Business?” This episode is Part 2, and it’s a little different. I have a guest joining me to share her own story of getting the passion back.

Jessica Weismiller of Your Steel Toed Bookkeeper is my special guest on this episode. Jessica started her company in 2014 as a single mom. After coming back after a maternity leave in late 2024, she felt obsolete in her own business. 

The passion wasn’t the same as when she first started her business, so she reached out to me. We came up with great insights through working together. From navigating Covid changes to deeply understanding her clients, Jessica knows her current position in her business is valuable.

She’s accustomed to getting people out of those deep financial holes. Jessica tells us how her company helps get her clients over the financial humps. Guiding them through financial situations they can’t get out of themselves is what truly energizes Jessica and her team.

I myself am well-known not to sugarcoat things for those who I work with, and Jessica is no different. Hard conversations and big challenges need guidance. Businesses need a budget and cash flow. And leadership needs accountability, trust, and, sometimes the most important, guidance.


Contact Jessica here:

jessica@ystb.ca

www.yoursteeltoedbookkeeper.com/


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August, running for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

 
https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17554319 Tue, 29 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2540 entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business owner, small business, business strategy, business coaching, business mentor, business unfiltered, small business success 1 26 full false Ep. 25 The Stern Truth: Business Strategy with Kendra Vyse Ep. 25 The Stern Truth: Business Strategy with Kendra Vyse On this episode of the Stern Truth, we have Kendra Vyse, founder of Clear Direction Advisors. Kendra takes us through her journey of starting as an accounting practice that eventually turned into a business strategy and consulting firm. 

Accounting itself can be taxing (pun intended), but Kendra tells us how she found a way to take her knowledge and put it towards a new passion. She and I talk about the expectations we need to set when you run your own business, with both clients and vendors. When you’re a small business owner, accountability is everything.

Kendra gives wise advice about what to do if someone doesn’t understand their financials. We get into the importance of cashflow as well as the obligations we have if we choose to hire employees. 

She also highlights the importance of boundaries in her professional life. For her, the end of the day is the end of the day, no matter what. 

I’ve coached Kendra and seen her through some of the changes that defined her business. It’s so rewarding to me to see her thriving and helping people in a way that energizes her the most.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. 


Get in touch with Kendra here:

https://www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/

experts@cleardirectionadvisors.com



I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> On this episode of the Stern Truth, we have Kendra Vyse, founder of Clear Direction Advisors. Kendra takes us through her journey of starting as an accounting practice that eventually turned into a business strategy and consulting firm. 

Accounting itself can be taxing (pun intended), but Kendra tells us how she found a way to take her knowledge and put it towards a new passion. She and I talk about the expectations we need to set when you run your own business, with both clients and vendors. When you’re a small business owner, accountability is everything.

Kendra gives wise advice about what to do if someone doesn’t understand their financials. We get into the importance of cashflow as well as the obligations we have if we choose to hire employees. 

She also highlights the importance of boundaries in her professional life. For her, the end of the day is the end of the day, no matter what. 

I’ve coached Kendra and seen her through some of the changes that defined her business. It’s so rewarding to me to see her thriving and helping people in a way that energizes her the most.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it. 


Get in touch with Kendra here:

https://www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/

experts@cleardirectionadvisors.com



I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17527561 Tue, 22 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2616 entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business owner, small business, business strategy, business coaching, business mentor, business unfiltered, business boundaries 1 25 full false Ep. 24 The Stern Truth: Have You Lost the Passion For Your Business? Part 1 Ep. 24 The Stern Truth: Have You Lost the Passion For Your Business? Part 1 Have you fallen out of love with your business? Or do you feel like you lost the passion for your business? You aren’t alone in that feeling.

In Part 1 of this series, I explore what I believe are the two main reasons we end up losing that passion. 

The first is the drains that we feel from all the things we do for our businesses. Certain aspects of our businesses can zap us of energy and keep us from building. The second is forgetting your “why”, the reason you started your business.

Speaking to those drains, they can be a huge part of how you run your business. My Business Energy Reset helps define your biggest drains, show you how to fix them, and realign your focus to grow faster. It’s a quick assessment and many business owners have found value in it (email me at Marshall@marshallstern.net if you’re interested). 

The drains can stem from the ping-pong of administrative activities, from emails to invoicing to sales. That’s not a long-term growth strategy for anyone. What works is leveraging our strengths, being intentional with our time, and leaning on our community.

Be sure to tune into Part 2 of this series, “Have You Lost the Passion For Your Business?”, coming very soon!


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Have you fallen out of love with your business? Or do you feel like you lost the passion for your business? You aren’t alone in that feeling.

In Part 1 of this series, I explore what I believe are the two main reasons we end up losing that passion. 

The first is the drains that we feel from all the things we do for our businesses. Certain aspects of our businesses can zap us of energy and keep us from building. The second is forgetting your “why”, the reason you started your business.

Speaking to those drains, they can be a huge part of how you run your business. My Business Energy Reset helps define your biggest drains, show you how to fix them, and realign your focus to grow faster. It’s a quick assessment and many business owners have found value in it (email me at Marshall@marshallstern.net if you’re interested). 

The drains can stem from the ping-pong of administrative activities, from emails to invoicing to sales. That’s not a long-term growth strategy for anyone. What works is leveraging our strengths, being intentional with our time, and leaning on our community.

Be sure to tune into Part 2 of this series, “Have You Lost the Passion For Your Business?”, coming very soon!


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17485143 Tue, 15 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 889 entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business owner, business passion, business drains, mentorship, business coaching, business mentor, business unfiltered 1 24 full false Ep. 23 The Stern Truth: Navigating the Pandemic and Expansion with David Wallace Ep. 23 The Stern Truth: Navigating the Pandemic and Expansion with David Wallace It’s been over 5 years since the pandemic. We all know what happened then. Businesses and business owners struggled. Some shut down while others thrived.

David Wallace, owner of Around the Block Butcher & Market, sits down with me to talk about that time. For his business, the pandemic only brought more people in. The safeguards and the media attention helped increase their customer base, which David is very grateful for. 

David took his experience from his very first job at Rona Hardware to his time in Vancouver and mixed it with his pure love of food. One of David’s lessons from the previous owner was “customers first”, something he and his staff still practice every day. 

From working with a marketing agency to navigating the financing, we talk about his takeover of the Mom & Pop butcher shop. A small but mighty team led to expansion with a bigger and just as phenomenal team. He took that team and ran with them while making Around the Block his own. 

I bring it all back to culture. Some people stay while some people go. The accountability to the people on your team, the ownership of your role as a leader, speaks volumes to them.

Becoming an employer is only one stop along your entrepreneurial journey. David’s golden nugget is, be the best version of yourself to cultivate the best path for your business.

Get in touch with David:

www.aroundtheblockbutcherandmarket.ca
hello@aroundtheblockbutcherandmarket.ca 
Instagram: @atbbutcherandmarket
Facebook:@aroundtheblockbutcher


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s been over 5 years since the pandemic. We all know what happened then. Businesses and business owners struggled. Some shut down while others thrived.

David Wallace, owner of Around the Block Butcher & Market, sits down with me to talk about that time. For his business, the pandemic only brought more people in. The safeguards and the media attention helped increase their customer base, which David is very grateful for. 

David took his experience from his very first job at Rona Hardware to his time in Vancouver and mixed it with his pure love of food. One of David’s lessons from the previous owner was “customers first”, something he and his staff still practice every day. 

From working with a marketing agency to navigating the financing, we talk about his takeover of the Mom & Pop butcher shop. A small but mighty team led to expansion with a bigger and just as phenomenal team. He took that team and ran with them while making Around the Block his own. 

I bring it all back to culture. Some people stay while some people go. The accountability to the people on your team, the ownership of your role as a leader, speaks volumes to them.

Becoming an employer is only one stop along your entrepreneurial journey. David’s golden nugget is, be the best version of yourself to cultivate the best path for your business.

Get in touch with David:

www.aroundtheblockbutcherandmarket.ca
hello@aroundtheblockbutcherandmarket.ca 
Instagram: @atbbutcherandmarket
Facebook:@aroundtheblockbutcher


I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17450646 Tue, 08 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2939 entrepreneurship, entrepreneur, small business owner, small business owner problems, entrepreneur pandemic, small business culture, small business team, business risks 1 23 full false Ep. 22 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Jessica Lowen Ep. 22 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Jessica Lowen It’s another Business Therapy Thursday Session! In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jessica Lowen, founder of TM Events and Promotions, for an unfiltered deep dive into a familiar challenge small business owners face. That critical time when you make the leap from solo entrepreneur to employer.

As a small business owner running her event planning and staffing agency single-handedly for eight years, Jessica is at a critical crossroads. She knows she needs to hire support staff. She's drowning in administrative tasks, feeling overwhelmed, but the fear of hiring her first employee is paralyzing her growth.

I walk Jessica through the familiar "Energy Audit". Regular listeners of the Stern Truth will be familiar with it but what we do is identify which activities drain you versus energize you as an entrepreneur. 

What Jessica and I uncovered during our session is that a whopping 50% of her workday goes to tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, hiring, and social media management. These are ALL things that could, and should, be delegated to an assistant.

We explore the loneliness of being a one-person show, along with the control issues that plague small business owners. Jessica and I explore the importance of trusting yourself, and why it’s just as important as trusting others when building your team.

This episode is raw, honest, and deeply relatable for any founder who's ever felt scared to take that next step. I hope this episode makes any other small business owners looking to scale beyond yourself feel seen, heard, and less alone.

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> It’s another Business Therapy Thursday Session! In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jessica Lowen, founder of TM Events and Promotions, for an unfiltered deep dive into a familiar challenge small business owners face. That critical time when you make the leap from solo entrepreneur to employer.

As a small business owner running her event planning and staffing agency single-handedly for eight years, Jessica is at a critical crossroads. She knows she needs to hire support staff. She's drowning in administrative tasks, feeling overwhelmed, but the fear of hiring her first employee is paralyzing her growth.

I walk Jessica through the familiar "Energy Audit". Regular listeners of the Stern Truth will be familiar with it but what we do is identify which activities drain you versus energize you as an entrepreneur. 

What Jessica and I uncovered during our session is that a whopping 50% of her workday goes to tasks like bookkeeping, invoicing, hiring, and social media management. These are ALL things that could, and should, be delegated to an assistant.

We explore the loneliness of being a one-person show, along with the control issues that plague small business owners. Jessica and I explore the importance of trusting yourself, and why it’s just as important as trusting others when building your team.

This episode is raw, honest, and deeply relatable for any founder who's ever felt scared to take that next step. I hope this episode makes any other small business owners looking to scale beyond yourself feel seen, heard, and less alone.

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17425600 Thu, 03 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3436 small business owner, entrepreneur, founder, small business, delegation, hiring, business growth, event planning, solo entrepreneur, business scaling 1 22 full false Ep. 21 The Stern Truth: The Number ONE Thing That May Be Holding You and Your Business Back Ep. 21 The Stern Truth: The Number ONE Thing That May Be Holding You and Your Business Back What do you want to achieve? Is it what you SAY you want to achieve? Be honest. 

Now ask yourself, what is holding me back from achieving what I truly desire?

In this episode, I go over the common hurdles that small business owners and entrepreneurs face in achieving their goals. The struggles that hold them back are all too common.

If you do every role under the sun to make your business work, you’ll get burnt out. 

Cashflow can be a killer, and many entrepreneurs and small business owners live in a bubble of ignorance when it comes to their finances. 

Working and trying to grow without systems in place can stop a lot of businesses from growing.

All of these have one thing in common – going at it alone. I say, make a tribe, be in a group, join a team of entrepreneur friends, or get a mentor. It makes such a difference. 

I get into why your daily agenda can be your outline for success (inspired by my mentor, part of my tribe, John Maxwell). I also talk about the way that administrative tasks can drain us and take us further away from the needle. 

There are so many ways that you can be sabotaging your own business without meaning to, but I’m here to help with that. I even share what I think stalled me in the past. This is the NUMBER ONE thing that might even be stalling your business right now. 

Grab a pen and a paper for this episode, write down the key points, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help being the leader you’re meant to be. 

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> What do you want to achieve? Is it what you SAY you want to achieve? Be honest. 

Now ask yourself, what is holding me back from achieving what I truly desire?

In this episode, I go over the common hurdles that small business owners and entrepreneurs face in achieving their goals. The struggles that hold them back are all too common.

If you do every role under the sun to make your business work, you’ll get burnt out. 

Cashflow can be a killer, and many entrepreneurs and small business owners live in a bubble of ignorance when it comes to their finances. 

Working and trying to grow without systems in place can stop a lot of businesses from growing.

All of these have one thing in common – going at it alone. I say, make a tribe, be in a group, join a team of entrepreneur friends, or get a mentor. It makes such a difference. 

I get into why your daily agenda can be your outline for success (inspired by my mentor, part of my tribe, John Maxwell). I also talk about the way that administrative tasks can drain us and take us further away from the needle. 

There are so many ways that you can be sabotaging your own business without meaning to, but I’m here to help with that. I even share what I think stalled me in the past. This is the NUMBER ONE thing that might even be stalling your business right now. 

Grab a pen and a paper for this episode, write down the key points, and don’t forget to reach out if you need help being the leader you’re meant to be. 

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17406544 Tue, 01 Jul 2025 03:00:00 -0700 1096 entrepreneur, entrepreneur growth, strategic growth, small business entrepreneur, small business owner, leadership, leadership qualities, entrepreneur mentorship, small business mentorship, mindset 1 21 full false Ep. 20 The Stern Truth: Money Mindset with Alma Tarelli Ep. 20 The Stern Truth: Money Mindset with Alma Tarelli Mindset matters, especially when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Your strategic edge comes when you get to those limiting beliefs, embrace your fear, and run with it.

We welcome accountant Alma Tarelli to this episode of the Stern Truth. Alma has been an accountant for 23 years and shares her passion of a true winning mindset, especially when it comes to money. 

She captivated the audience at the 2024 ONtrepreneur Growth Summit speaking about the scarcity and abundance mindset. Alma understands the fear that holds people back and the inner work that helps them become aware of patterns, exactly what she helps her clients do.

I go back to Episode Six, “I Will Win” to note how similar our messages are. “I will win when”. The personal, transformative growth comes when you finally make a decision and stop playing the Waiting Game.

Her simple but effective advice is to practice something for 40 days to be excellent at it. The joy of the effort, Alma says, helps you enjoy the result.

One Alma’s many golden nuggets from this episode? Do the inner work to create an abundance mindset. I encourage you to do the same by asking yourself, what’s my intention?

Connect with Alma here:

www.almatarelli.com
support@almatarelli.com
Instagram: @abundance_with_alma  

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Mindset matters, especially when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Your strategic edge comes when you get to those limiting beliefs, embrace your fear, and run with it.

We welcome accountant Alma Tarelli to this episode of the Stern Truth. Alma has been an accountant for 23 years and shares her passion of a true winning mindset, especially when it comes to money. 

She captivated the audience at the 2024 ONtrepreneur Growth Summit speaking about the scarcity and abundance mindset. Alma understands the fear that holds people back and the inner work that helps them become aware of patterns, exactly what she helps her clients do.

I go back to Episode Six, “I Will Win” to note how similar our messages are. “I will win when”. The personal, transformative growth comes when you finally make a decision and stop playing the Waiting Game.

Her simple but effective advice is to practice something for 40 days to be excellent at it. The joy of the effort, Alma says, helps you enjoy the result.

One Alma’s many golden nuggets from this episode? Do the inner work to create an abundance mindset. I encourage you to do the same by asking yourself, what’s my intention?

Connect with Alma here:

www.almatarelli.com
support@almatarelli.com
Instagram: @abundance_with_alma  

 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting in August running for 4 weeks. Email me to get your spot before they’re gone - Marshall@marshallstern.net.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17361080 Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2532 abundance mindset, entrepreneur, entrepreneur growth, strategic growth, small business entrepreneur, small business owner, entrepreneur mindset, money mindset, growth mindset, change mindset 1 20 full false Ep. 19 The Stern Truth: Navigating Imposter Syndrome Ep. 19 The Stern Truth: Navigating Imposter Syndrome Have you ever found yourself believing that someone is incredibly successful? You visit their website and are wowed, but also feel… intimidated? Out of their league? Just not good enough? That’s imposter syndrome.

Small business owners often think they’re going to fail, or that they can’t even do it to begin with. So many people underestimate what they can’t do that they don’t focus on what they can do. 

As an entrepreneur for over 30+ years, I know those limiting beliefs. I’ve seen them and I’ve helped people break through them. 

In this episode of “The Stern Truth”, I reflect on a client who revealed her apprehension about her online presence. Her imposter syndrome told her it wasn’t polished enough, that she wasn’t ready to put it out to the word. Eventually, she came to realize it didn’t need to be right from the start. Just start.

This episode challenges our own perceptions of our abilities, reinforces that pace is personal, and really underlines that we should ENJOY the entrepreneurial journey. 

After all, the first two letters of imposter are I-M. So tell yourself “I am”. 

“I am ready.” 

“I am capable.” 

“I am moving forward.”

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Have you ever found yourself believing that someone is incredibly successful? You visit their website and are wowed, but also feel… intimidated? Out of their league? Just not good enough? That’s imposter syndrome.

Small business owners often think they’re going to fail, or that they can’t even do it to begin with. So many people underestimate what they can’t do that they don’t focus on what they can do. 

As an entrepreneur for over 30+ years, I know those limiting beliefs. I’ve seen them and I’ve helped people break through them. 

In this episode of “The Stern Truth”, I reflect on a client who revealed her apprehension about her online presence. Her imposter syndrome told her it wasn’t polished enough, that she wasn’t ready to put it out to the word. Eventually, she came to realize it didn’t need to be right from the start. Just start.

This episode challenges our own perceptions of our abilities, reinforces that pace is personal, and really underlines that we should ENJOY the entrepreneurial journey. 

After all, the first two letters of imposter are I-M. So tell yourself “I am”. 

“I am ready.” 

“I am capable.” 

“I am moving forward.”

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17332194 Tue, 17 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700 988 imposter syndrome, entrepreneur, small business, small business owner, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship struggles, entrepreneurial journey, limiting beliefs 1 19 full false Ep. 18 The Stern Truth: The Power of a Team with Jenny Randhawa Ep. 18 The Stern Truth: The Power of a Team with Jenny Randhawa Jenny Randhawa is a small business owner and entrepreneur. She owns three blow dry bar locations, aptly called Blo, in the Lower Mainland. Her entrepreneurial journey started in 2007 but hasn’t stopped yet. 

I talk with Jenny in this episode about juggling her early years with her kids with balancing her franchise. She talks about building the business by leading her team and how putting the systems in place helped her locations grow.

We get into the impact that COVID had on her business. Being more open and flexible with scheduling allowed her and her team to maintain business, even becoming more successful, over lockdown. 

Jenny’s confidence in her business may have been shaken but has never been broken. She strongly believes in being accountable and open with a growth mindset. The importance of being able to pivot is a great lesson that Jenny shares.

I put Jenny on the spot to ask, “What would you say to someone who can’t make payroll or pay their rent?”. Tune in to this episode to hear what she has to say.

Reach out to Jenny below:

Email: jen@bloblowdrybar.com
Website: www.bloblowdrybar.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Jenny Randhawa is a small business owner and entrepreneur. She owns three blow dry bar locations, aptly called Blo, in the Lower Mainland. Her entrepreneurial journey started in 2007 but hasn’t stopped yet. 

I talk with Jenny in this episode about juggling her early years with her kids with balancing her franchise. She talks about building the business by leading her team and how putting the systems in place helped her locations grow.

We get into the impact that COVID had on her business. Being more open and flexible with scheduling allowed her and her team to maintain business, even becoming more successful, over lockdown. 

Jenny’s confidence in her business may have been shaken but has never been broken. She strongly believes in being accountable and open with a growth mindset. The importance of being able to pivot is a great lesson that Jenny shares.

I put Jenny on the spot to ask, “What would you say to someone who can’t make payroll or pay their rent?”. Tune in to this episode to hear what she has to say.

Reach out to Jenny below:

Email: jen@bloblowdrybar.com
Website: www.bloblowdrybar.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17308718 Tue, 10 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2329 small business owner, entrepreneur, work-life balance, business systems, entrepreneurship struggles, growth mindset, accountability, business growth, business processes 1 18 full false Ep. 17 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Aubrey Barnes Ep. 17 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Aubrey Barnes In this Business Therapy Thursday session, I sit down with Aubrey, a small business owner who runs both a digital marketing agency and a dog waste service company. As an entrepreneur managing multiple ventures, Aubrey faces a challenge that many founders know all too well – she excels at delivering for her clients but struggles with accountability when growing her own business.

The interesting psychology of why small business owners find it easier to show up for others than for themselves is something we discuss. During our conversation, Aubrey shares her journey as a founder who started her digital marketing business while recovering from cancer treatment. She shares how she's learned to navigate online business courses and the overwhelming amount of "get rich quick" schemes that flood the entrepreneur space.

Aubrey and I explore the critical difference between being lazy and lacking clarity on your "why". This important distinction is something every small business owner needs to understand because, really, they can be different sides of the same entrepreneurial coin. 

I challenge Aubrey to examine what truly drives her and help her understand that accountability isn't about laziness, but about not having a deep enough connection to her business goals.

The accountability gap holds so many small business owners back from scaling. If you find yourself procrastinating on business development and just focusing on client work, tune in to this helpful episode.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this Business Therapy Thursday session, I sit down with Aubrey, a small business owner who runs both a digital marketing agency and a dog waste service company. As an entrepreneur managing multiple ventures, Aubrey faces a challenge that many founders know all too well – she excels at delivering for her clients but struggles with accountability when growing her own business.

The interesting psychology of why small business owners find it easier to show up for others than for themselves is something we discuss. During our conversation, Aubrey shares her journey as a founder who started her digital marketing business while recovering from cancer treatment. She shares how she's learned to navigate online business courses and the overwhelming amount of "get rich quick" schemes that flood the entrepreneur space.

Aubrey and I explore the critical difference between being lazy and lacking clarity on your "why". This important distinction is something every small business owner needs to understand because, really, they can be different sides of the same entrepreneurial coin. 

I challenge Aubrey to examine what truly drives her and help her understand that accountability isn't about laziness, but about not having a deep enough connection to her business goals.

The accountability gap holds so many small business owners back from scaling. If you find yourself procrastinating on business development and just focusing on client work, tune in to this helpful episode.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Buzzsprout-17269955 Thu, 05 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700 4012 small business, small business owner, founder, entrepreneur, accountability, digital marketing, business growth, service business, business development, entrepreneurship 1 17 full false Ep. 16 The Stern Truth: How to Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer Ep. 16 The Stern Truth: How to Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer I know how challenging summer months can be for entrepreneurs. In this episode, I share eight proven strategies that have helped me and countless other founders maintain momentum when clients and prospects are off enjoying their vacations.

Focusing on systems, new marketing plans, and furthering your leadership development is the name of the game in the summertime. I talk about batch learning and automation strategies and connecting creatively with clients during their downtime.

I go into why summer is the perfect time to prepare for that crucial back-to-business September rush. This is the perfect opportunity for successful business owners to use slower periods to work ON their business rather than just working IN it.

I also share details about an upcoming summer program designed to help small business owners maintain momentum and connection during these slower months. If you're a small business owner struggling with those frustrating out-of-office messages and feeling like your business is stuck in summer slowdown mode, this program is for you. 

I'll walk you through practical approaches that any entrepreneur can implement, from embracing the seasonal shift to creating summer hours that work for your family.

Let’s turn your summer into one of your most productive and strategically valuable times of the year. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I know how challenging summer months can be for entrepreneurs. In this episode, I share eight proven strategies that have helped me and countless other founders maintain momentum when clients and prospects are off enjoying their vacations.

Focusing on systems, new marketing plans, and furthering your leadership development is the name of the game in the summertime. I talk about batch learning and automation strategies and connecting creatively with clients during their downtime.

I go into why summer is the perfect time to prepare for that crucial back-to-business September rush. This is the perfect opportunity for successful business owners to use slower periods to work ON their business rather than just working IN it.

I also share details about an upcoming summer program designed to help small business owners maintain momentum and connection during these slower months. If you're a small business owner struggling with those frustrating out-of-office messages and feeling like your business is stuck in summer slowdown mode, this program is for you. 

I'll walk you through practical approaches that any entrepreneur can implement, from embracing the seasonal shift to creating summer hours that work for your family.

Let’s turn your summer into one of your most productive and strategically valuable times of the year. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17270437 Tue, 03 Jun 2025 03:00:00 -0700 1306 small business, small business owner, founder, entrepreneur, business owner, leadership, momentum, productivity, summer business, business strategy 1 16 full false Ep. 15 The Stern Truth: Getting Through the Hard Sh*t with Chanel Rodrigues Ep. 15 The Stern Truth: Getting Through the Hard Sh*t with Chanel Rodrigues In this raw episode, I sit down with Chanel from Success Story Marketing to pull back the curtain on what it's like being a small business owner in the marketing world. As a solopreneur who transitioned from partnership to running her business solo, Chanel shares the brutal honesty that most entrepreneurs are afraid to discuss.

She and I go over the all too familiar imposter syndrome that plagues even the most successful business owners. We also explore how the polished marketing facades we see online often hide the real struggles happening behind the scenes. Chanel opens up about her experience at a high-level entrepreneur retreat in Victoria, where she tearfully found herself in the bathroom, feeling completely out of her depth among multi-million dollar founders.

As a marketing professional whose job is to make other small business owners look perfect online, Chanel reveals the irony of feeling like a fraud herself. We discuss how authenticity has become her secret weapon. Her authenticity is showing up as her real self, in jeans instead of suits, swearing in her content, and being genuinely vulnerable with clients.

Chanel shares her daily practices that keep her grounded as a solopreneur. From team meditations to gym routines, she takes us through her day, explaining why surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs who understand the journey is crucial for surviving in business.

Listen to this episode if you want to hear more about the importance of building a supportive community, prioritizing self-care without guilt, and reframing the toxic "grind culture" mentality.

Connect with Chanel here:

https://successstorymarketing.com/
chanel@successstorymarketing.com
Instagram: @successstorymarketing

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this raw episode, I sit down with Chanel from Success Story Marketing to pull back the curtain on what it's like being a small business owner in the marketing world. As a solopreneur who transitioned from partnership to running her business solo, Chanel shares the brutal honesty that most entrepreneurs are afraid to discuss.

She and I go over the all too familiar imposter syndrome that plagues even the most successful business owners. We also explore how the polished marketing facades we see online often hide the real struggles happening behind the scenes. Chanel opens up about her experience at a high-level entrepreneur retreat in Victoria, where she tearfully found herself in the bathroom, feeling completely out of her depth among multi-million dollar founders.

As a marketing professional whose job is to make other small business owners look perfect online, Chanel reveals the irony of feeling like a fraud herself. We discuss how authenticity has become her secret weapon. Her authenticity is showing up as her real self, in jeans instead of suits, swearing in her content, and being genuinely vulnerable with clients.

Chanel shares her daily practices that keep her grounded as a solopreneur. From team meditations to gym routines, she takes us through her day, explaining why surrounding yourself with other entrepreneurs who understand the journey is crucial for surviving in business.

Listen to this episode if you want to hear more about the importance of building a supportive community, prioritizing self-care without guilt, and reframing the toxic "grind culture" mentality.

Connect with Chanel here:

https://successstorymarketing.com/
chanel@successstorymarketing.com
Instagram: @successstorymarketing

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17228387 Tue, 27 May 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2489 small business, small business owner, founder, entrepreneur, solopreneur, marketing, business owner, imposter syndrome, mental health, authenticity 1 15 full false Ep. 14 The Stern Truth: Business & Life Lessons From a Lifeguard Ep. 14 The Stern Truth: Business & Life Lessons From a Lifeguard I share one of the most transformational moments in my leadership journey in this episode of “The Stern Truth”. I had a powerful encounter with a hotel lifeguard named José who completely changed my thoughts on leadership. We often focus heavily on marketing and attracting new customers in business, but fail to deliver consistent excellence throughout the customer experience.

This young lifeguard José went far beyond his job description, helping my anxious daughter, picking up after others, and creating an exceptional customer experience that kept my family returning for years. This powerful story shows how leadership is more than the title you have and lies in the actions you take when nobody's watching.

For entrepreneurs struggling with employee management and customer retention, I explain how finding and nurturing this "Jose mindset" can transform your company culture and create growth. This mindset serves as a business lesson to demonstrate why customers return to businesses - simply put, they feel valued and cared for.

Here’s a challenge for fellow small business owners: instead of focusing on marketing, create memorable EXPERIENCES for customers. This is how you develop a leadership mindset and build the kind of business that customers can't wait to return. 

Tune in to this episode to learn how to master your own "Jose mindset", no matter what title you have. Exceptional leadership starts, and ends, with an exceptional customer experience.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I share one of the most transformational moments in my leadership journey in this episode of “The Stern Truth”. I had a powerful encounter with a hotel lifeguard named José who completely changed my thoughts on leadership. We often focus heavily on marketing and attracting new customers in business, but fail to deliver consistent excellence throughout the customer experience.

This young lifeguard José went far beyond his job description, helping my anxious daughter, picking up after others, and creating an exceptional customer experience that kept my family returning for years. This powerful story shows how leadership is more than the title you have and lies in the actions you take when nobody's watching.

For entrepreneurs struggling with employee management and customer retention, I explain how finding and nurturing this "Jose mindset" can transform your company culture and create growth. This mindset serves as a business lesson to demonstrate why customers return to businesses - simply put, they feel valued and cared for.

Here’s a challenge for fellow small business owners: instead of focusing on marketing, create memorable EXPERIENCES for customers. This is how you develop a leadership mindset and build the kind of business that customers can't wait to return. 

Tune in to this episode to learn how to master your own "Jose mindset", no matter what title you have. Exceptional leadership starts, and ends, with an exceptional customer experience.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17197255 Tue, 20 May 2025 09:00:00 -0700 1017 small business, leadership, entrepreneurship, customer experience, business growth, employee training, business mindset, business sustainability, customer retention 1 14 full false Ep. 13 The Stern Truth: The Struggle of the Juggle with Jordan Eaton Ep. 13 The Stern Truth: The Struggle of the Juggle with Jordan Eaton In this special episode of The Stern Truth, I sit down with Jordan Eaton, CEO of BOSS Assistants. She shares her real struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship while juggling family life. Jordan also reveals her journey of building a successful virtual assistant business over the past three years while raising two young children.

Having experienced the overwhelm of entrepreneurship myself, I appreciate Jordan's candid insights about the "struggle of the juggle" and how she manages it all. She reveals her strategy of delegating tasks that drain her energy, particularly bookkeeping which she admits to avoiding completely in her first year—because "later never came."

Jordan offers pragmatic advice for small business owners feeling overwhelmed, emphasizing the importance of building a reliable team, detaching from outcomes, and implementing time-blocking. She even schedules family time as non-negotiable "meetings" in her calendar to create boundaries that support her business growth and personal wellbeing.

We also touch on my Business Therapy Thursday sessions as well, and why the connection with other entrepreneurs, the “chat” with someone who gets it, is important.

This episode aims to give listeners a better understanding of what Jordan calls a "life-first business", one that you run instead of it running you. 

Get in touch with Jordan Eaton:

bossassistants.com

linkedin.com/in/jordan-eaton

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this special episode of The Stern Truth, I sit down with Jordan Eaton, CEO of BOSS Assistants. She shares her real struggles and triumphs of entrepreneurship while juggling family life. Jordan also reveals her journey of building a successful virtual assistant business over the past three years while raising two young children.

Having experienced the overwhelm of entrepreneurship myself, I appreciate Jordan's candid insights about the "struggle of the juggle" and how she manages it all. She reveals her strategy of delegating tasks that drain her energy, particularly bookkeeping which she admits to avoiding completely in her first year—because "later never came."

Jordan offers pragmatic advice for small business owners feeling overwhelmed, emphasizing the importance of building a reliable team, detaching from outcomes, and implementing time-blocking. She even schedules family time as non-negotiable "meetings" in her calendar to create boundaries that support her business growth and personal wellbeing.

We also touch on my Business Therapy Thursday sessions as well, and why the connection with other entrepreneurs, the “chat” with someone who gets it, is important.

This episode aims to give listeners a better understanding of what Jordan calls a "life-first business", one that you run instead of it running you. 

Get in touch with Jordan Eaton:

bossassistants.com

linkedin.com/in/jordan-eaton

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17146989 Tue, 13 May 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2211 small business owner, entrepreneur, work-life balance, outsourcing, virtual assistant, burnout prevention, time management, delegation, business systems, entrepreneurship struggles 1 13 full false Ep. 12 The Stern Truth: Breaking Through Your Blocks - Business Therapy Thursday with Almas Shareef Ep. 12 The Stern Truth: Breaking Through Your Blocks - Business Therapy Thursday with Almas Shareef Many small business owners struggle with the same challenges - undercharging, imposter syndrome, and fear of rejection. I dive deep with entrepreneur Almas Shareef to uncover the mindset blocks holding back her marketing agency. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, we explore how childhood experiences shape our business decisions, especially when it comes to pricing and self-worth. 

Together, we work through the critical question "Why not me?" and develop practical strategies for breaking through these barriers. I share my tried-and-true approach for challenging negative self-talk and help Almas understand how to confidently step into her leadership role. This Business Therapy episode is perfect for entrepreneurs who know they should charge their worth more but feel that block every time they try.

When it comes to business growth, your actions and commitment are everything - aligning your personal “why” with your business goals is key for entrepreneurs to build through, and in spite of, challenges.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Many small business owners struggle with the same challenges - undercharging, imposter syndrome, and fear of rejection. I dive deep with entrepreneur Almas Shareef to uncover the mindset blocks holding back her marketing agency. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, we explore how childhood experiences shape our business decisions, especially when it comes to pricing and self-worth. 

Together, we work through the critical question "Why not me?" and develop practical strategies for breaking through these barriers. I share my tried-and-true approach for challenging negative self-talk and help Almas understand how to confidently step into her leadership role. This Business Therapy episode is perfect for entrepreneurs who know they should charge their worth more but feel that block every time they try.

When it comes to business growth, your actions and commitment are everything - aligning your personal “why” with your business goals is key for entrepreneurs to build through, and in spite of, challenges.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17118818 Thu, 08 May 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3683 small business, entrepreneur, business coaching, mindset blocks, self-worth, pricing strategy, confidence, business growth, holistic marketing, leadership 1 12 full false Ep. 11 The Stern Truth: How to Navigate Your Business & Life when Sh*t Happens Ep. 11 The Stern Truth: How to Navigate Your Business & Life when Sh*t Happens I know firsthand that being a small business owner means facing unexpected challenges head-on. On this episode, I tackle a topic most entrepreneurs avoid discussing - how to navigate your business when life throws you curveballs. 

My personal journey of losing loved ones is something I touch on, while emphasizing the need to step back when we feel the call. Small business owners, just like in their personal lives, must take radical responsibility rather than falling into victimhood when facing setbacks. Whether it's losing clients, dealing with difficult employees, or managing personal tragedy, I provide actionable strategies for founders to build resilience. 

Entrepreneurs might isolate themselves during tough times, and I explain why they shouldn’t, and how finding the right support network or business coach can be transformative/

This episode is a reminder that the best kind of entrepreneurship comes from developing the mental fortitude to weather any storm and emerge stronger. 


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I know firsthand that being a small business owner means facing unexpected challenges head-on. On this episode, I tackle a topic most entrepreneurs avoid discussing - how to navigate your business when life throws you curveballs. 

My personal journey of losing loved ones is something I touch on, while emphasizing the need to step back when we feel the call. Small business owners, just like in their personal lives, must take radical responsibility rather than falling into victimhood when facing setbacks. Whether it's losing clients, dealing with difficult employees, or managing personal tragedy, I provide actionable strategies for founders to build resilience. 

Entrepreneurs might isolate themselves during tough times, and I explain why they shouldn’t, and how finding the right support network or business coach can be transformative/

This episode is a reminder that the best kind of entrepreneurship comes from developing the mental fortitude to weather any storm and emerge stronger. 


Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17102752 Tue, 06 May 2025 03:00:00 -0700 847 small business, business mentor, entrepreneur, resilience, radical responsibility, small business owner, founder, business coaching, accountability, entrepreneurship 1 11 full false Ep. 10 The Stern Truth: The Big Shifts with Rhiannon Franz Ep. 10 The Stern Truth: The Big Shifts with Rhiannon Franz I sit down with Rhiannon Franz from REVIVE Marketing in this episode of The Stern Truth. She discusses her entrepreneurial journey from corporate advertising to small business ownership. I was fascinated by her story, including her initial side hustle as an Airbnb host that taught her the fundamentals of running a business while maintaining her corporate job.

Rhiannon shares her own Stern Truth - the stark differences between working in high-pressure corporate environments and founding her own marketing strategy business. We talk about her experience in advertising, working with major brands at top agencies, and how those skills transferred to entrepreneurship. She reveals that her ultimate business superpower is developing strategic plans to help small business owners clarify their vision and achieve their goals.

We also discuss the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, the importance of investing in business coaches, and why knowing when to outsource is crucial. Rhiannon gives advice to business owners trying to "DIY" everything and the mindset shift needed to move from player to coach.

If you’re a founder looking to scale, an entrepreneur considering making the leap from corporate, or a small business owner struggling to find your marketing voice, this episode will help you to navigate major business shifts and understand the value of expert support.

Connect with Rhiannon here:

www.rhivivemarketing.com
Rhiannon@RhiViveMarketing.com
Free Gift: https://www.rhivivemarketing.com/cash-out 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I sit down with Rhiannon Franz from REVIVE Marketing in this episode of The Stern Truth. She discusses her entrepreneurial journey from corporate advertising to small business ownership. I was fascinated by her story, including her initial side hustle as an Airbnb host that taught her the fundamentals of running a business while maintaining her corporate job.

Rhiannon shares her own Stern Truth - the stark differences between working in high-pressure corporate environments and founding her own marketing strategy business. We talk about her experience in advertising, working with major brands at top agencies, and how those skills transferred to entrepreneurship. She reveals that her ultimate business superpower is developing strategic plans to help small business owners clarify their vision and achieve their goals.

We also discuss the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, the importance of investing in business coaches, and why knowing when to outsource is crucial. Rhiannon gives advice to business owners trying to "DIY" everything and the mindset shift needed to move from player to coach.

If you’re a founder looking to scale, an entrepreneur considering making the leap from corporate, or a small business owner struggling to find your marketing voice, this episode will help you to navigate major business shifts and understand the value of expert support.

Connect with Rhiannon here:

www.rhivivemarketing.com
Rhiannon@RhiViveMarketing.com
Free Gift: https://www.rhivivemarketing.com/cash-out 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17059954 Tue, 29 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2337 small business, entrepreneurship, marketing strategy, business coach, business shifts, small business owner, founder, brand strategy, side hustle, business growth 1 10 full false Ep. 9 The Stern Truth: Do You Have a Busyness or a Business? Ep. 9 The Stern Truth: Do You Have a Busyness or a Business? In this episode, I tackle a critical question every entrepreneur faces: Do you have a business or a "busyness"? I dive into how entrepreneurs get caught in the trap of being busy without being productive. I share insights on becoming a more intentional and mature business owner instead of working exhausting hours with little to show for it.

I also introduce the concept of an Energy Audit - a powerful tool we use with private and momentum coaching clients. This audit identifies activities that drain versus those that energize you. My recommendation? Examine your daily agenda. As my mentor John Maxwell says, "Your success is determined by your daily agenda". This will provide actionable steps to help you restructure your day around revenue-generating activities that invigorate rather than exhaust you.

The Stern Truth is that building a successful, sustainable business requires focus, intentionality, and the courage to build a team rather than trying to do everything yourself. I challenge you to take immediate action toward transforming your "busyness" into a true business, supporting the lifestyle you desire.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this episode, I tackle a critical question every entrepreneur faces: Do you have a business or a "busyness"? I dive into how entrepreneurs get caught in the trap of being busy without being productive. I share insights on becoming a more intentional and mature business owner instead of working exhausting hours with little to show for it.

I also introduce the concept of an Energy Audit - a powerful tool we use with private and momentum coaching clients. This audit identifies activities that drain versus those that energize you. My recommendation? Examine your daily agenda. As my mentor John Maxwell says, "Your success is determined by your daily agenda". This will provide actionable steps to help you restructure your day around revenue-generating activities that invigorate rather than exhaust you.

The Stern Truth is that building a successful, sustainable business requires focus, intentionality, and the courage to build a team rather than trying to do everything yourself. I challenge you to take immediate action toward transforming your "busyness" into a true business, supporting the lifestyle you desire.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-17022245 Tue, 22 Apr 2025 10:00:00 -0700 806 small business owner, entrepreneur, business coaching, productivity, team building, business growth, time management, entrepreneurship, business strategy, focus 1 9 full false Ep. 8 The Stern Truth: Value the Small Things with Jeanette Martin Ep. 8 The Stern Truth: Value the Small Things with Jeanette Martin I sit down with Jeanette Martin, a business relationship strategist and social media whisperer who delivers powerful mic drop moments about authentic connection in business. Jeanette shares her philosophy of "give, give, give to ask". She explains why building genuine relationships should be at the core of your business strategy, as opposed to focusing solely on marketing.

Both Jeanette and I know how challenging it is to stand out and make meaningful connections. She reveals why your credibility is now built in the comments across social media and how small talk can lead to big business opportunities. Jeanette emphasizes that entrepreneurs need to mirror their authentic selves online over creating separate business personas.

Jeanette's approach to social media as a relationship tool rather than a marketing platform will transform how you approach your online presence. This episode provides practical strategies to show up authentically and leverage social connections to grow your business. Whether you're struggling to grow your small business or looking to deepen customer relationships as a founder, you’ll find something for you in this episode.

Connect with Jeanette!

Website: mybcconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: @jeanetteymartin
Facebook: @mybcconsulting
Instagram: @mybcconsulting
X: @mybc_consulting

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> I sit down with Jeanette Martin, a business relationship strategist and social media whisperer who delivers powerful mic drop moments about authentic connection in business. Jeanette shares her philosophy of "give, give, give to ask". She explains why building genuine relationships should be at the core of your business strategy, as opposed to focusing solely on marketing.

Both Jeanette and I know how challenging it is to stand out and make meaningful connections. She reveals why your credibility is now built in the comments across social media and how small talk can lead to big business opportunities. Jeanette emphasizes that entrepreneurs need to mirror their authentic selves online over creating separate business personas.

Jeanette's approach to social media as a relationship tool rather than a marketing platform will transform how you approach your online presence. This episode provides practical strategies to show up authentically and leverage social connections to grow your business. Whether you're struggling to grow your small business or looking to deepen customer relationships as a founder, you’ll find something for you in this episode.

Connect with Jeanette!

Website: mybcconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: @jeanetteymartin
Facebook: @mybcconsulting
Instagram: @mybcconsulting
X: @mybc_consulting

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16984535 Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:00:00 -0700 2291 small business owner, entrepreneur, social media strategy, authentic connections, business relationships, networking, online presence, founder, relationship marketing, small business growth 1 8 full false Ep. 7 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Pauly Barker Ep. 7 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Pauly Barker In this special bonus episode, I sit down with Pauly Barker. Pauly is a talented marketing strategist who's struggled with the all-too-common entrepreneurial challenge – doing everything herself. Through our candid conversation, I helped her reconnect with her "why".  We uncover the blind spots preventing her from building a business that truly serves her life. 

I walk Pauly through exercises to identify energy-draining activities, create an outsourcing plan, and prepare her to transition from solopreneur to mature business owner. We tackle the common fear holding many entrepreneurs back: "I'll outsource when I have more revenue". This is a circular trap that keeps business founders working 10-hour days and missing valuable family time. 

If you’re a small business owner ready to stop being the player and start being the coach of your company, you will want to tune in to this episode.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this special bonus episode, I sit down with Pauly Barker. Pauly is a talented marketing strategist who's struggled with the all-too-common entrepreneurial challenge – doing everything herself. Through our candid conversation, I helped her reconnect with her "why".  We uncover the blind spots preventing her from building a business that truly serves her life. 

I walk Pauly through exercises to identify energy-draining activities, create an outsourcing plan, and prepare her to transition from solopreneur to mature business owner. We tackle the common fear holding many entrepreneurs back: "I'll outsource when I have more revenue". This is a circular trap that keeps business founders working 10-hour days and missing valuable family time. 

If you’re a small business owner ready to stop being the player and start being the coach of your company, you will want to tune in to this episode.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16946575 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0700 3846 small business owner, entrepreneurship, solopreneur, business coaching, outsourcing, founder burnout, leadership development, work-life balance, business strategy, time management 1 7 full false Ep. 6 The Stern Truth: What is Your "I Will When" Ep. 6 The Stern Truth: What is Your "I Will When" Today, I share powerful personal stories about the dangerous mindset of "I will when" that holds so many entrepreneurs back. 

From nearly losing valuable team members because I delayed firing a toxic employee, to almost sinking in a kayak because I ignored warning signs, these experiences taught me crucial business leadership lessons. 

My experience in small business taught me that postponing important decisions until some future conditions are met often leads to preventable crises. I challenge fellow business owners to identify what they're putting off in their business—whether it's hiring help, seeking mentorship, or outsourcing tasks—and act now, before you start to sink.

The journey of entrepreneurship is beautiful when we surround ourselves with the right support and address problems proactively.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Today, I share powerful personal stories about the dangerous mindset of "I will when" that holds so many entrepreneurs back. 

From nearly losing valuable team members because I delayed firing a toxic employee, to almost sinking in a kayak because I ignored warning signs, these experiences taught me crucial business leadership lessons. 

My experience in small business taught me that postponing important decisions until some future conditions are met often leads to preventable crises. I challenge fellow business owners to identify what they're putting off in their business—whether it's hiring help, seeking mentorship, or outsourcing tasks—and act now, before you start to sink.

The journey of entrepreneurship is beautiful when we surround ourselves with the right support and address problems proactively.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16905485 Tue, 08 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0700 1041 small business, entrepreneur, business owner, leadership, founder, mentorship, decision-making, business coaching, proactive management, entrepreneurship 1 6 full false Ep. 5 The Stern Truth: What is an Octocornpreneur? with Brittany Rhodes Ep. 5 The Stern Truth: What is an Octocornpreneur? with Brittany Rhodes As a business coach with over 35 years of experience, I've heard countless entrepreneurs say they don't have enough time. I sit down with Brittany Rhodes - what I call an "octocornpreneur" - who juggles three thriving businesses while raising two children and maintaining a busy personal life.

Brittany shares her secrets for managing multiple ventures simultaneously without losing her sanity. She reveals how building solid systems and surrounding yourself with the right team are fundamental to her success as a small business owner. We discuss the importance of leadership that puts people first and how authenticity is crucial when delivering to your clients.

What makes Brittany's entrepreneurial journey so inspiring is her ability to create sustainable businesses that don't require her to sacrifice family time. She shares wisdom about overcoming fear that holds some founders back and explains why you should "only do what you can sustain."

If you're an entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed by your workload or a small business owner looking to scale without burning out, this episode is for you. Get relevant insights from someone who's mastered the balance act of business and life.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> As a business coach with over 35 years of experience, I've heard countless entrepreneurs say they don't have enough time. I sit down with Brittany Rhodes - what I call an "octocornpreneur" - who juggles three thriving businesses while raising two children and maintaining a busy personal life.

Brittany shares her secrets for managing multiple ventures simultaneously without losing her sanity. She reveals how building solid systems and surrounding yourself with the right team are fundamental to her success as a small business owner. We discuss the importance of leadership that puts people first and how authenticity is crucial when delivering to your clients.

What makes Brittany's entrepreneurial journey so inspiring is her ability to create sustainable businesses that don't require her to sacrifice family time. She shares wisdom about overcoming fear that holds some founders back and explains why you should "only do what you can sustain."

If you're an entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed by your workload or a small business owner looking to scale without burning out, this episode is for you. Get relevant insights from someone who's mastered the balance act of business and life.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16901187 Wed, 02 Apr 2025 03:00:00 -0700 2006 small business, entrepreneur, founder, leadership, work-life balance, systems, team building, business growth, multiple businesses, time management 1 5 full false Ep. 4 The Stern Truth: Are You Charging for Your Worth or Your Value Ep. 4 The Stern Truth: Are You Charging for Your Worth or Your Value In this powerful episode, I share a crucial mindset shift that could transform your business immediately. After an eye-opening coaching session, I decided to change course and address something I see too often: small business owners undercharging based on their self-worth rather than the value they provide.

I dive into why tying your prices to your perceived self-worth is a dangerous trap, leading to burnout, attracting the wrong clients, and, ultimately, quitting. Instead, I challenge you to focus on the transformation and outcomes you create for your clients. Whether you help them generate more revenue, save time, reduce stress, or achieve better health - that value is what you should be charging for, not your personal feelings of worth.

I share practical advice on shifting your pricing mindset to reflect your true impact. Start attracting clients who respect your work and creating a sustainable business model that serves both you and those you help. It's time to step into your power as not just a business owner, but a business leader.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this powerful episode, I share a crucial mindset shift that could transform your business immediately. After an eye-opening coaching session, I decided to change course and address something I see too often: small business owners undercharging based on their self-worth rather than the value they provide.

I dive into why tying your prices to your perceived self-worth is a dangerous trap, leading to burnout, attracting the wrong clients, and, ultimately, quitting. Instead, I challenge you to focus on the transformation and outcomes you create for your clients. Whether you help them generate more revenue, save time, reduce stress, or achieve better health - that value is what you should be charging for, not your personal feelings of worth.

I share practical advice on shifting your pricing mindset to reflect your true impact. Start attracting clients who respect your work and creating a sustainable business model that serves both you and those you help. It's time to step into your power as not just a business owner, but a business leader.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16861615 Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0700 603 Small Business Owner, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur, Business Mindset 1 4 full false Ep. 3 The Stern Truth: Taking a Leap of Faith in Business with Russ Harlow Ep. 3 The Stern Truth: Taking a Leap of Faith in Business with Russ Harlow In this episode of The Stern Truth, I sit down with fellow entrepreneur and small business owner Russ Harlow of Reliable Remediation. As a restoration business founder who made the journey from franchise to independent ownership, Russ shares invaluable insights about the entrepreneurial path that every small business owner needs to hear.

We dive deep into Russ's transition from being a franchisee to launching his own independent business, the challenges of understanding business financials, and why being technically skilled doesn't automatically translate to business success. Russ candidly discusses how he grew his restoration company while balancing family needs, the importance of taking leaps of faith in business, and why building systems is crucial for creating a saleable asset rather than just buying yourself a job.

As entrepreneurs, we both share our experiences with the franchise world, the myth that technical expertise equals business acumen, and how building a strong team around you is essential for sustainable growth. Russ also emphasizes the value of continuous learning and recommends business books that have transformed his approach.

If you're a small business owner feeling isolated in your journey, overwhelmed by the financial side of business, or struggling to grow beyond your technical skills, this episode offers honest, unfiltered advice from someone who's lived through these challenges.

Listen through to the end for Russ's biggest small business myth-buster and his book recommendations for entrepreneurs looking to level up their business knowledge.

https://reliableremediation.com/

Email:  russ@reliableremediation.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this episode of The Stern Truth, I sit down with fellow entrepreneur and small business owner Russ Harlow of Reliable Remediation. As a restoration business founder who made the journey from franchise to independent ownership, Russ shares invaluable insights about the entrepreneurial path that every small business owner needs to hear.

We dive deep into Russ's transition from being a franchisee to launching his own independent business, the challenges of understanding business financials, and why being technically skilled doesn't automatically translate to business success. Russ candidly discusses how he grew his restoration company while balancing family needs, the importance of taking leaps of faith in business, and why building systems is crucial for creating a saleable asset rather than just buying yourself a job.

As entrepreneurs, we both share our experiences with the franchise world, the myth that technical expertise equals business acumen, and how building a strong team around you is essential for sustainable growth. Russ also emphasizes the value of continuous learning and recommends business books that have transformed his approach.

If you're a small business owner feeling isolated in your journey, overwhelmed by the financial side of business, or struggling to grow beyond your technical skills, this episode offers honest, unfiltered advice from someone who's lived through these challenges.

Listen through to the end for Russ's biggest small business myth-buster and his book recommendations for entrepreneurs looking to level up their business knowledge.

https://reliableremediation.com/

Email:  russ@reliableremediation.com

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16820624 Wed, 19 Mar 2025 04:00:00 -0700 1770 business owner, small business, franchise to independent, restoration industry 1 3 full false Ep. 2 The Stern Truth: Why Marketing Can Fail You Ep. 2 The Stern Truth: Why Marketing Can Fail You In this episode, I tackle one of the biggest mistakes we entrepreneurs and small business owners make today: relying too heavily on marketing without having proper systems in place. 

Drawing from my 35+ years of experience growing multiple businesses, I reveal the stark difference between businesses that just advertise and those that truly serve. You'll hear why the business owner who answers the phone and solves problems will always win against competitors with flashy websites but poor follow-through.

If you're a founder or small business entrepreneur looking to grow sustainably, I offer practical wisdom on creating systems that turn marketing leads into loyal customers. Discover how to balance your marketing efforts with excellent customer service, and why this approach is essential for surviving economic downturns when competition intensifies.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In this episode, I tackle one of the biggest mistakes we entrepreneurs and small business owners make today: relying too heavily on marketing without having proper systems in place. 

Drawing from my 35+ years of experience growing multiple businesses, I reveal the stark difference between businesses that just advertise and those that truly serve. You'll hear why the business owner who answers the phone and solves problems will always win against competitors with flashy websites but poor follow-through.

If you're a founder or small business entrepreneur looking to grow sustainably, I offer practical wisdom on creating systems that turn marketing leads into loyal customers. Discover how to balance your marketing efforts with excellent customer service, and why this approach is essential for surviving economic downturns when competition intensifies.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16770813 Wed, 12 Mar 2025 06:00:00 -0700 832 1 2 full false Ep. 1 The Stern Truth: Introduction Ep. 1 The Stern Truth: Introduction In my first episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered, I introduce you to my brand new podcast where I'll be delivering straightforward, no-fluff business advice based on my 35+ years of entrepreneurial experience.

Perfect for small business owners and entrepreneurs, my episodes will be covering essential business topics including leadership, mindset, hiring, firing, finances, marketing, lead generation, and the work-life balance challenges I call "the struggle of the juggle."

Whether you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey or looking to scale your existing business, this podcast offers practical insights you can implement immediately.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> In my first episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered, I introduce you to my brand new podcast where I'll be delivering straightforward, no-fluff business advice based on my 35+ years of entrepreneurial experience.

Perfect for small business owners and entrepreneurs, my episodes will be covering essential business topics including leadership, mindset, hiring, firing, finances, marketing, lead generation, and the work-life balance challenges I call "the struggle of the juggle."

Whether you're just starting your entrepreneurial journey or looking to scale your existing business, this podcast offers practical insights you can implement immediately.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

]]> Marshall Stern Buzzsprout-16734469 Wed, 05 Mar 2025 08:00:00 -0800 716 1 1 full false