What does it really take to start and grow a business when you don’t have all the answers?

In this energizing conversation, Chuck sits down with Jessica Agopian, founder of 33 Services & Consulting and multi-center Sylvan Learning franchise owner, along with 3to5 Club facilitator Mark Bellestri, to unpack what it means to lead with action instead of anxiety.

Jessica shares how she went from employee to owner, opened her first Sylvan center, expanded to a second location, and continues to scale, all without waiting for perfect conditions. The discussion dives into why momentum matters more than mastery, how systems beat hustle, and why most of business success has far less to do with industry expertise than people think.

Together, Chuck, Jessica, and Mark explore the mindset shift that separates stalled business owners from builders who keep moving forward, especially when things feel uncertain, messy, or unfinished.

If you’ve ever felt stuck waiting to be “ready,” this episode will challenge that thinking and remind you why movement creates clarity, confidence, and growth.

• Why you don’t need everything figured out before you start
• The difference between being a craftsperson and being a business owner
• How systems, culture, and leadership drive scalable growth
• Why execution beats perfection every time
• How confidence is built after action—not before

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Jessica Agopian is the founder of 33 Services & Consulting and a multi-center Sylvan Learning franchise owner. Known for culture-driven growth, community engagement, and connection-based sales, she helps teams thrive while building businesses that scale through systems, not hustle. Jessica is passionate about intentional leadership, strong processes, and creating organizations that change lives.

Connect with Jessica: jessica@sylvaneducation.com

Gratitude may not sound like a business strategy, but science says otherwise.

In this thought-provoking solo episode, Chuck Blakeman takes a purposeful left turn to explore how gratitude directly impacts business performance, leadership effectiveness, and long-term success. Backed by neuroscience and real-world data, Chuck breaks down why emotional intelligence (EQ), not IQ or technical skill, is the true predictor of business success, and how gratitude is one of the fastest ways to grow it.

You’ll learn why:

• 90% of top performers have high EQ—not high IQ
• EQ drives over half of job performance and long-term success
• Gratitude practices measurably improve health, resilience, joy, and income

But here’s the twist:

Chuck explains why traditional gratitude lists don’t actually make us more grateful—and what does work instead.

This episode introduces a powerful, neuroscience-backed gratitude practice focused on receiving gratitude, not just expressing it. Chuck walks you through a simple, repeatable method that can be done in just a few minutes a week and can literally reduce stress, inflammation, threat detection, and burnout while increasing clarity, meaning, and joy.

🎧 Tune in and discover why gratitude isn’t “soft” it’s a serious competitive advantage.

Most business owners don’t lose sales because of pricing, competition, or skill, they lose them because they don’t follow up.

In this powerful and energizing episode, Chuck reconnects with Lynn Whitbeck, CEO of Petite2Queen, host of Claim Your Career Crown, and widely known as the Queen of Joyful Sales, to unpack the real reason follow-up fails and how you can fix it starting today.

Lynn shares the staggering truth:

80% of all sales are made by the 20% of people who follow up. If you’re not in that 20%, you’re giving business to someone else.

Together, Chuck and Lynn dive into:

• How follow-up builds real relationships (not pressure)
• The mindset traps that stop people from reaching out
• What to do when you think “it’s been too long”
• How to deliver value so you never sound pushy
• Lynn’s simple, proven follow-up system that actually gets responses
• Creative follow-up touches that make you stand out (yes… even fax!)
• Why “no” usually means “not right now” — and how to stay top of mind

Chuck and Lynn also share real-life stories of long-term follow-up that turned into major opportunities, reminding us why consistency, recency, and frequency win in sales every time.

If you’ve ever felt awkward, inconsistent, or unsure about following up, this episode gives you a practical, joyful roadmap to do it well and close more clients by genuinely serving them.

Listen now and become part of the 20% who actually win the business.

Get Lynn’s Free Resource: Download her Get More Clients Checklist at petite2queen.com/checklist

New here? Catch Lynn’s first appearance on the podcast: Making Sales Joyful — scroll back and listen!