Andrew Frazier, CFA and author of "Running Your Small Business Like a Pro," recently shared his insights on the Dear Business Coach podcast about the critical elements that separate struggling entrepreneurs from successful business owners. With over 15 years of experience working one-on-one with more than a thousand business owners, Frazier emphasized three fundamental areas where most businesses fail: understanding their most important job, managing numbers effectively, and positioning for growth financing. "Many business owners don't know their most important job," Frazier explained, stressing that "their most important job is sales and marketing" and recommending "at least two hours a day you need to spend doing sales and marketing."

He noted that fear of numbers often becomes an entrepreneur's "Achilles heel," stating, "If you don't have numbers, how are you going to measure how you're doing? How are you going to improve?"

Through his "masterpreneur playbook," Frazier guides business owners through five critical steps from startup to scale, addressing the sobering reality that "one out of a thousand businesses ever does that successfully" and "maybe 5% of businesses ever work on their business successfully." His approach goes beyond traditional bookkeeping services, offering what he describes as a "coach-sultant" relationship that helps entrepreneurs develop "the knowledge or the leadership skills" necessary to create businesses "that can run without you and that can be scalable."

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Business strategist Jessica Yarbrough is challenging B2B coaches and consultants to break free from the pricing limitations that keep them trapped in what she calls the “sea of sameness.” Speaking on the Dear Business Coach podcast, Yarbrough revealed that many established professionals have been leaving significant money on the table—often for years.“I’ve had people come to me who’ve been at the same revenue for three or ten years before they come and say, ‘Okay, I’m done.’”She explained that this stagnation leads to resentment when professionals know they’re undercharging. The solution lies in embracing what Yarbrough calls “ultra high-end” services—packages ranging from $50,000 to $400,000 and beyond—which demand a fundamental shift in mindset and strategy.“No one is going to volunteer to pay you more money,” she emphasized, describing how one client produced “a million dollars in profit, not revenue” for their consulting client while charging “next to nothing.”The key to commanding premium rates isn’t just raising prices—it’s delivering a truly transformational, outcome-based service with flawless execution:“It has to be transformational. It has to be outcome-based and you absolutely need to have your eyes dotted and your tees crossed when it comes to delivery.”For coaches and consultants ready to make this leap, Yarbrough recommends a selective, high-integrity approach:“I reject on average 50% of all applications that come through,” she said, because “it’s very important to me that I do business with people that I like and that I feel I can help.”Yarbrough invites professionals to connect with her on LinkedIn where she shares daily content, or visit Jessica.com/influence to download her free "Ladder of Influence" resource.

"Send me a message on LinkedIn. Let me know you heard me on the show and I'll accept your invite," she offers, though she cautions that her selective process means "it's got to be a match" for both parties to move forward.Big News! We are partnered! Get your deals in the link in your subscriber email;)

In a world where burnout plagues high-performing environments, energy coach Adam Barney offers a refreshing perspective on leadership that focuses on internal motivation rather than external competition. "I help emerging and executive leaders take all of the natural energy rhythms that we have inside of ourselves, the energy boosts and the drains and optimize that to higher efficiency," explains Barney, author of "Make Your Own Glass Half Full: The Empowered Path to Optimism and Autonomy." Drawing from his over 20-year nonlinear corporate marketing career, Barney emphasizes that true leadership isn't about working alone but working aligned. "Autonomy from my perspective isn't about working alone. It's about working aligned. Knowing where your energy flows best and having the confidence to choose your own path," he notes. This approach has proven effective, as Barney shares that "leaders who recharge see an upwards of at least 25% in their engagement as leaders" through simple tools like deep breathing, taking walks, and finding personal recharge rituals. For leaders seeking sustainable success, Barney's philosophy centers on building systems that support your vision rather than chasing someone else's version of success, ultimately creating that ripple effect of positive energy that transforms not just individual careers but entire organizations.

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Writer and Activities Director Josh Urban believes in the transformative power of starting small to achieve big creative goals. "The idea is harnessing the power of short form projects," Urban explains, noting that "if you start with a little bit you segment your improvement you put it out to get a quick turnaround time." Rather than diving into massive undertakings like novels, Urban advocates for building creative muscles through shorter works: "if I can spend 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there and I can write an article I can write an essay and write a poem then you can put those together so it takes away that excuse for not starting." His approach proved successful when he authored "Cities on a Hill," a collection documenting life in nursing homes during COVID lockdowns, after a resident told him in a dream "we wrote a book and we sold a million copies." Urban's philosophy extends beyond writing to any creative or business endeavor: "if you see a problem and you can use your particular talents and skills to solve it that's a good path to pursue." Through his blog, published three times weekly, and his community work, Urban demonstrates how consistent short-form content can build meaningful connections and create lasting impact. Ready to transform your creative process?

Visit joshurban.com to discover more insights on turning small projects into significant achievements.

Thank you to Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea in downtown Roanoke, Virginia for lighting us record in your coffee shop!

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Harvard graduate and Goldman Sachs alum Injil Muhammad Jr. is revolutionizing how Gen Z professionals navigate early career challenges through his company Buddle. After experiencing firsthand the disconnect between academic preparation and workplace reality, Muhammad recognized that "there's so many aspects that just have nothing to do with your academic preparation or expertise because it's just a different environment." His solution addresses three critical soft skills often overlooked in traditional education: self-advocacy ("You have to actually advocate for yourself and make sure that you have the visibility"), strategic networking, and time management. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z entered the workforce during unprecedented times—experiencing remote work as the norm rather than a perk, and facing AI automation of traditional entry-level tasks. Muhammad's framework distinguishes between coaches (peers 2-4 years ahead), mentors (advisory relationships), and sponsors (advocates who "speak for you when you're not in the room"), providing a systematic approach to professional relationship building. For Gen Z professionals struggling with workplace transition or companies looking to better engage their junior talent, Muhammad's active LinkedIn presence offers valuable insights five times per week, and comprehensive resources are available at buddleplatform.com.

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Allen Evitts, a seasoned project manager with nearly three decades in technology, recently shared insights from his extensive career spanning telecommunications, business analysis, and education on the Dear Business Coach podcast. "I'm a project manager have been a project manager for nearly 30 years in technology," Evitts explained, describing his journey from theater production to corporate project management. His unique background includes working on groundbreaking projects like the original iPhone launch, which he revealed "was originally launched by AT&T... we called it Project Bob."

Drawing parallels between his early theater work and project management, Evitts noted that "when you're producing directing theater live theater it's very close to the same skill set as a project manager because you have a concrete deliverable that you're trying to accomplish you have a time frame and a deadline." Now transitioning into education and instruction, Evitts emphasizes a fundamental principle for project professionals: "every day when I get up... as a project manager trying to get things done you look at it as you know am I organizing more... or is it communicate... or is it leadership." His philosophy centers on embracing the process rather than just focusing on outcomes, stating "you have to find the small victories along the way and if you're trying to do something you really do have to enjoy getting up in the morning and doing the work." With a book in development focusing on his "organization communication leadership kind of triad," Evitts encourages interested professionals to connect with him, saying "if you reach out and say that you saw me here um I will definitely take your call and call you back and or text you back."

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Scott Jacobson of Onward Equity has transformed his approach to real estate investing by discovering the power of passive investment strategies. "I discovered that I could essentially hire someone else to do all the work and still get almost the same financial returns," explains Jacobson, who evolved from managing individual rental properties to leading commercial real estate syndications. Through his experience, he realized that traditional real estate ownership often becomes "almost like another job," but passive investing allows investors to diversify away from the day-to-day management while remaining in real estate as an investment class. "I really feel like an educated investor is the best type of investor," Jacobson notes, emphasizing his commitment to transparency by providing monthly newsletters and quarterly financial updates to keep investors informed about their investment performance. His philosophy centers on the belief that "most people don't even know that this kind of opportunity exists" in alternative asset classes beyond traditional stocks and bonds. To learn more about passive real estate investment opportunities, visit onward-equity.com and download Jacobson's free ebook "The Top 10 Reasons to Be a Passive Real Estate Investor" by entering your email when the popup appears on the website.

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Elite Business Architect Annie Harmon brings three decades of C-level experience to help coaches and CEOs build profitable, scalable businesses through her unique "aligned performance business blueprint." Drawing from her extensive IT management background, Annie explains, "I'm a really good process person from the IT department that I had my background in, so I was able to develop processes that are easy to follow and repeatable and help the customer gain new clients." Her approach goes beyond typical business coaching by focusing on the human element: "The whole idea behind the call is to build trust and build the relationship so you spend quite a bit of time right up front building that relationship with a potential customer so that you can gain trust and ease their mind through the conversation." After retiring from a 35-year IT career, Annie discovered that traditional coaching courses "left holes in the processes," prompting her to create her comprehensive system that takes clients "from branding all the way through to the sales conversation so that they feel confident and are able to enroll clients easily." Her methodology emphasizes sustainable growth through strategic time management, as she shares: "I use a six-week block for all my work and break goals down into six-week blocks, and that's the way I teach it to my clients so that they can get more accomplished in a year." Ready to transform your business with proven processes?

Visit Annie at anniesharmon.com to book your consultation and access free resources including her business launch guide and hidden talent assessment – because as Annie believes, "you can't accomplish everything that you need to accomplish in your life without setting up some kind of goal and some kind of vision and breaking it down into bite-sized pieces."

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