What if your first real job was owning the business?

At 18, Shelby McFarland gave up a full-ride scholarship to co-own a window tint and sign shop. She earned respect from employees twice her age, learned hard lessons about hiring friends, left a failed partnership, and started over with nothing.

That restart became The Marketing Broker. Today, she serves startups, small businesses, and Fortune 500s with one philosophy: authenticity beats experience, and heart-led marketing wins.

In this conversation, we unpack: → Earning respect as a young business owner → Building culture through radical transparency → The BOSS framework and 3 C's of leadership → How motherhood sharpened her leadership → Real advice for first-time founders

This is leadership forged in the trenches.

Connect with Shelby:
themktgbroker.com
@themktgbroker
Get her book: "Market Like a Boss" at shelbysmarketingbook.com

CONNECT WITH SHELBY:
Website: themktgbroker.com
Instagram: @themktgbroker & @bossbabe_shelby
Book: shelbysmarketingbook.com
Email: broker@themktgbroker.com

ABOUT THE PODCAST: Consulting from the Couch is a podcast about leaders, what makes them tick, and the challenges they face. Hosted by Steve Goodson, featuring genuine conversations with exceptional leaders.

Website: blcconsultingllc.com
Email: steve@blcconsultingllc.com

Brought to you by BLC Consulting, LLC.

KEYWORDS/TAGS

Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Small Business, Marketing, Authentic Leadership, Young Entrepreneurs, Business Ownership, Startup Advice, Heart-Led Marketing, Company Culture, Work-Life Integration, Women in Business, First-Time Founders, Business Strategy, Servant Leadership, Transparency, Credibility, Confidence, Consistency, BOSS Mindset, Marketing Agency, Fortune 500, Startups, Steve Goodson, Shelby McFarland, Consulting from the Couch, BLC Consulting

What does purpose-led leadership look like when the service territory where you are the electric provider stretches farther than your population? In this episode of Consulting from the Couch, we sit down with Roanoke Electric Cooperative CEO Marshall Cherry to explore how a hometown leader is redefining what’s possible for rural North Carolina.

From his early days in member services to a 32-year journey into the CEO chair, Marshall shares the mentors, crises, and tough calls that shaped a leadership philosophy built on transparency, listening, and measurable results. We dive into the co-op’s modern member engagement model—why “seven-by-seven” communication works, where AI supports service without replacing the human touch, and how face-to-face member meetings rebuild trust in communities that have felt overlooked.

You’ll also hear the inside story of Roanoke’s grid modernization efforts, advanced metering investments, targeted energy-efficiency upgrades, and the bold decision to build a fiber backbone and launch their own broadband company. The result? Local service that outperforms national companies and creates the foundation for workforce development, telehealth, education, and small business growth.

Looking ahead, Marshall’s Connect 2030 strategy outlines a roadmap for “gig-connected communities” ready for mid-scale load growth, job creation, and long-term regional vitality.

Whether you care about cooperative leadership, rural innovation, or the future of energy and broadband, this conversation delivers the practical insight and hope that local action still matters.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share with someone who cares about community, leadership, or the future of rural development.

Some communities grow because a big investor arrives. Others, like Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Onslow County, grow because small decisions, rooted in service, continue to accumulate.

In this episode of Consulting from the Couch, banking/finance veteran and community builder Scott Riggs joins us to unpack how microloans, partnerships, and servant leadership are powering new jobs and stronger neighborhoods across Onslow County.

We explore the Community Business Loan Fund, a gap-financing model that helps small owners who aren’t “bank-ready” turn good ideas into payroll. Riggs also takes us behind the scenes of Project Frontier, the coalition effort that brought Amazon’s last-mile facility to the community—a blueprint for how readiness and relationships beat luck every time.

From honoring mentors to launching Capital Connections, Scott shares a grounded vision for what real community growth looks like: quality of life, balanced work, and opportunity that lasts.

Run Time: 36 minutes

Capital Connections
Scott Riggs, Founder
https://rsriggsassociates.com/
(910) 340-2306
scott@rsriggsassociates.com