You’ve probably heard the saying: “The rich get richer during a recession.”

But here’s the truth: It’s not the crisis that makes people successful—it’s their preparedness.

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I share one of the best lessons I’ve learned from Dan Sullivan of Strategic Coach:

Luck will come. Opportunities will show up. The real question is—will you be ready?

Using real examples from the COVID lockdowns, I talk about how some entrepreneurs didn’t just survive—they came out stronger. They grew their businesses by:

• Focusing in on their core clients
• Trimming unnecessary expenses and complexity
• Adding new services that created lasting revenue streams
• Finding themselves with less competition and more market share after the dust settled

I also talk about the opportunity sitting right in front of us today, during the current financial squeeze—and how those who are prepared (with cash reserves, low debt, and a clear plan) will be the ones who grow while others retreat.

If luck is where preparation meets opportunity, then this episode is your invitation to get prepared—because opportunity is coming.

The only question is: Will you come out stronger… or set back?

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I talk about one of the biggest mistakes business owners make: running their business by story instead of by numbers.

The problem with stories—especially the ones we tell ourselves—is that they’re often wrong.

We tell ourselves things like:

• “My clients can’t afford to pay more.”
• “I’m working as hard as I can.”
• “I’m doing everything right, but it’s just not working.”

But those are stories, not facts.

If you’re not running your business by numbers, you’re running it by feelings—and feelings are a terrible business strategy.

In this episode, I share:

• Why we avoid numbers (and why that’s dangerous)
• The six key metrics every business owner must track (from my book The Simple Six)
• How to build a scoreboard that tells you exactly where your biggest problems—and greatest opportunities—are hiding
• How to break down these metrics into simple, actionable steps for yourself or your staff
• Why tracking numbers creates fairness, clarity, and real progress

If you want to grow your business without guesswork or stories, this episode will show you how to build your scoreboard—and use it.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

We’ve all heard that we should “have a growth mindset.” But what does that actually mean in business—and how do you practice it?

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I break down the difference between a growth mindset and a scarcity mindset, and explain how most of us were raised to believe in competition, limitation, and fear of loss. The truth? Business isn’t a zero-sum game. Success isn’t finite. And when we focus on collaboration instead of competition, everyone wins.

I’ll give you:

• A clear definition of what a growth mindset really is
• 3 ways service-based entrepreneurs can “grow the pie” with their staff, their peers, and their clients
• Practical mindset exercises to apply during moments of jealousy, frustration, or fear
• Daily practices to help you build a growth mindset like a skill—not a slogan

If you want to shift from fear to abundance, from turf wars to teamwork, this episode will show you how.

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I give full credit to Keith Cunningham, author of The Road Less Stupid, for one of the clearest insights I’ve ever heard about culture:

“Culture is what you tolerate.”

It’s not about nap rooms, Red Bull in the fridge, or inspirational posters. Culture is shaped by what we allow, what we ignore, and how we interact with each other—especially when things get uncomfortable.

Here’s what I cover:

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• Why most companies unintentionally build a culture of mediocrity
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• How to tell if your “rules” are just suggestions
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• The real drivers of culture: accountability, clarity, consistency
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• Why culture is built one relationship at a time—not between people and “the business”
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• What to do about that top performer who’s killing your culture
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This episode will help you reframe what culture actually is—and give you the tools to rebuild it from the inside out.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I talk to business owners who feel like they’re pushing harder than ever but getting the same—or worse—results.

Maybe your sales have plateaued. Maybe retention’s dropping. Or maybe your business just doesn’t feel fun anymore. It feels heavy. Slow. Like you’re pushing a rope uphill. You remember when it used to feel easier, and you’re wondering what changed.

Here’s what happened: your business got bloated.

As businesses grow, we tend to add staff, rules, services, pricing tiers, processes, platforms—until we’ve got a mess of well-meaning ideas that are actually slowing us down. The solution isn’t to work harder. It’s to simplify.

It’s time to go back to chicken and rice.

Just like an elimination diet helps reset your body and identify what’s causing harm, simplifying your business helps restore momentum. In this episode, I share:

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• Why simplicity scales faster
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• How complexity creeps in and slows you down
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• Real examples from my own companies
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• A simple system you can use to “reset” your business
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• Five things you can do today to identify inefficiencies
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• Why Tinker-phase entrepreneurs need this more than anyone
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If you feel stuck, tired, or over-complicated, this episode will help you reset, refocus, and rebuild momentum—without burning yourself out.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I talk about how it feels to take one step forward in your business—only to get pulled one step back.

Most entrepreneurs think they have a growth problem. But the real issue? Shrinkage. You make progress… and lose it. Over and over. I share why that happens and how to fix it.

The solution is to hit "Save Game"—by building a staff playbook made up of clear, repeatable SOPs. That way, when the unexpected happens—and it will—you don’t lose all your progress.

I share 5 examples of how this works in real businesses, walk through a step-by-step method to write your first SOP, and tell the story of how creating one simple SOP (a cleaning checklist) helped me finally start moving two steps forward.

If you’re tired of starting over, listen in. It’s time to hit Save Game.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I talk about one of the most common breakdowns in founder-led businesses: lack of clarity. Too often, CEOs and founders assume that once is enough when it comes to communicating vision, expectations, or processes. But the truth is, if your team doesn’t seem to "get it," it’s not a people problem—it’s a clarity problem.

I share why founders need to repeat their message often, in multiple ways, and constantly work toward clarity instead of novelty. I draw from my experience coaching athletes and building teams to explain how repeated, clear communication builds confident, capable staff—and how the absence of it creates fear, mistakes, and burnout.

If you're constantly frustrated that no one "gets it," this episode is for you. Say it again. Say it louder. Say it differently. And keep saying it until your team can say it back to you.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Podcast Script: Why Business Leaders Should Be Coaches, Not Captains

Intro Music Fades In

Host: Welcome to BusinessIsGood, the podcast where we explore the ideas and practices that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create lasting success. I’m your host, Chris Cooper. Today, we’re tackling a big question: should you lead your business as a “captain” or as a “coach”?

To illustrate this, I want to start with a story from hockey. Bobby Hull, nicknamed “The Golden Jet,” was one of the greatest players to ever lace up skates. Known for his blazing speed and powerful slap shot, he dominated as a player in both the NHL and WHA.

But Hull also took on a rare challenge: he tried to be both a player and a coach at the same time while leading the Winnipeg Jets in the WHA during the early 1970s. He had incredible success as a player and later achieved even greater success as a coach, but his tenure as both didn’t work out the way he—or the Jets—had hoped.

Segment 1: The Player-Coach Dilemma

Bobby Hull’s time as a player-coach highlights an important leadership lesson: you can’t do both jobs effectively at the same time. As a player, your focus is on performance—executing plays, scoring goals, and being in the action. But as a coach, your role is to oversee the big picture, strategize, and make tough decisions to guide the team to success.

Even some of the most celebrated names in hockey, like Larry Robinson, achieved greatness as both players and coaches—but never at the same time. Why? Because these are two fundamentally different roles that require completely different mindsets and skill sets.

Segment 2: The Captain vs. Coach Paradigm in Business

This same distinction applies in business. Many entrepreneurs try to lead as captains when they really need to be coaches.

Let’s break this down:

1. Limited Perspective on the Ice:
2. When you’re in the trenches with your team, you can only see what’s directly in front of you. You don’t have the big-picture context that a coach has from the bench. In business, this means getting too caught up in day-to-day operations and losing sight of long-term strategy.
3. Emotional Proximity:
4. As a captain, you’re shoulder-to-shoulder with your team. This camaraderie can make it hard to make tough decisions—like moving someone to a different role or cutting an underperformer. A coach, however, has the necessary distance to prioritize what’s best for the organization as a whole.
5. Distraction by Small Tasks:
6. Captains are busy tying their skates, taping their sticks, and focusing on their personal performance. Coaches are busy drawing up game plans, scouting opponents, and thinking about how to improve the team. In business, staying stuck in “captain mode” means you spend too much time on the wrong things—handling tasks that someone else could do instead of focusing on growth and vision.

Segment 3: Why Being a Coach Wins in Business

Here’s the truth: real leadership isn’t about scoring the most goals. It’s about enabling your team to win.

As a coach, your job is to:

• Make hard decisions that benefit the whole organization.
• Delegate tasks and trust others to execute them.
• Hold your team accountable and provide constructive feedback.
• Focus on strategy, vision, and the next big opportunity.

Many entrepreneurs default to being captains because it’s what they know—it’s comfortable. They’re great at doing the work, but they shy away from the harder, more abstract job of coaching. But this mindset limits growth. Your business can’t scale if you’re always on the ice.

Think about it: players are replaceable. You can hire someone else to score goals. What you...