Entrepreneurship can be lonely. But what if loneliness isn't actually the biggest problem?

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph Rubio gets to the root of why running your business in isolation can quietly make everything harder—from decision-making and creativity to planning, growth, and your ability to see what's actually happening in your business.

Because when you're the CEO, marketer, salesperson, strategist, client success department, and occasionally the person responsible for unclogging the metaphorical toilet… it's incredibly easy to become too close to the problem. And when you're too close to the problem, your assumptions can start sounding like facts.

One slow month becomes "this isn't working." One client objection becomes "nobody can afford this." One exciting idea becomes "I need to pivot my entire business." One frustrating offer becomes "this offer is dead."

That's where the right community can change everything. Not a room full of people who automatically tell you you're brilliant. A room full of people who can ask better questions.

Relevant to this episode:

If this episode hit home, chances are you need dedicated space to think like the CEO your business needs in community with others who can call the blind spots you cannot see.

👉Map the future of your business in community at The Rooted Reset

https://www.stephrubio.com/rooted-reset-business-planning-retreat

The Rooted Reset is an intimate women's business planning retreat where we step away from the day-to-day, evaluate what's actually working, and build a clear plan for the year ahead. You'll leave with decisions made, priorities aligned, and confidence in where you're headed next.

💛 Come say what's up to Steph on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

In this episode, Steph talks about:

1. Why loneliness is the symptom, but isolation is the actual business problem
2. How working alone can create blind spots, slow decisions, and amplify fear
3. Why having the right people in the room can help you separate patterns from noise and make sharper decisions
4. Why reflection and planning aren't automatically objective when you're doing them entirely on your own
5. How the right community becomes a strategic business asset—not just a place to belong

A few memorable moments

"Loneliness is the symptom. Isolation is the actual business problem."

"Isolation gives every decision more authority than it actually deserves."

"Better decisions do not always come from someone giving you the answer. They often come from someone asking you more questions so that you come to a better decision yourself."

"The right community is also a strategic business asset."

"You are never supposed to carry every decision, question, fear, data point alone, close to your chest, by yourself."

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph challenges the hustle mentality that keeps entrepreneurs stuck in reactive mode and explains why creating intentional space to think is one of the highest-level responsibilities of any CEO.

If every decision is made while you're distracted, overwhelmed, or chasing urgency, you're not leading—you're reacting.

Steph shares why strategic planning isn't about predicting the future. It's about making better decisions with the information you already have, creating planning rhythms that support long-term growth, and finally leading your business instead of letting it lead you.

If you're tired of feeling like everything is urgent, this episode will completely change the way you think about planning.

💛 Connect with Steph on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why the quality of your business depends on the quality of your decisions.
2. The hidden cost of never creating space to think strategically.
3. How reactive leadership creates unnecessary chaos.
4. Why not making a decision is still making a decision.
5. The difference between urgency and importance.
6. How to build planning rhythms that actually support growth.
7. The four planning rhythms every CEO should have:
8. How to create a decision filter so you're no longer chasing every opportunity.

Memorable Moments

"The quality of your business is determined by the quality of the decisions you make."

"The quality of your decisions is determined by how much space you have to think."

"Not making a decision is still making a decision."

"We keep solving today's problems instead of preventing tomorrow's."

"Information without processing becomes noise."

"Space is where pattern recognition happens."

"Distance creates perspective."

"If thinking is part of your job, that time belongs on your calendar."

In this episode, Steph breaks down why reflection isn't a luxury reserved for slow seasons—it's one of the most profitable leadership habits you can build.

Because better businesses aren't built by people who simply work harder. They're built by CEOs who pause long enough to replace assumptions with evidence.

You'll learn how to evaluate where your time, energy, and money are actually producing results, identify what's quietly draining your business, and make confident decisions based on data instead of panic.

If you've been feeling like you're doing everything and somehow getting nowhere, this episode is your permission slip to zoom out before you sprint into another six months.

Mentioned in this Episode

🌿 The Rooted Reset

If this episode hit home, chances are you need dedicated space to think like the CEO your business needs.

The Rooted Reset is an intimate women's business planning retreat where we step away from the day-to-day, evaluate what's actually working, and build a clear plan for the year ahead. You'll leave with decisions made, priorities aligned, and confidence in where you're headed next.

👉 https://www.stephrubio.com/rooted-reset-business-planning-retreat

💛 Connect with Steph on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why activity compounds just as much as strategy
2. The hidden cost of staying "busy"
3. How reflection stabilizes your nervous system and your business
4. Questions every CEO should ask during a quarterly or mid-year review
5. How to know what to keep, stop, simplify, and start
6. Why data—not emotion—creates confident leadership

Memorable Moments

"Activity compounds just as much as strategy does."

"Reflection isn't about looking backward. It's about collecting evidence to make better decisions moving forward."

"Pausing to reflect is how we replace assumptions with evidence."

"Data is how you stabilize and act on reality instead of reacting on emotion."

"Reflection isn't something you've earned after the work is done. That's where you start and where you end as a CEO."

In this episode, Steph sits down with email marketing strategist Melissa Seideman, CEO of Not Another Email Company, to unpack why email marketing is still one of the highest ROI tools available for entrepreneurs—and why too many business owners are leaving money on the table.

Melissa shares the exact strategies her clients use to average 50.7% email open rates and 6.64% click rates—far above industry averages.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Run to get Melissa's free email audit (are you kidding me): https://notanothervirtualassistant.com/offers-nav/free-audit/

Keep up with Melissa

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notanotherva

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@notanotherva

Need to start your email list or maybe just migrate to THE email marketing platform that makes design, connection, & conversion easy? Get 25% off your first full year of Flodesk.

Together, Steph and Melissa dive into:

1. Why your email list is more valuable than your social following
2. The welcome sequence mistake costing businesses thousands
3. How to write subject lines people actually open
4. Why funnels aren't dead—they just need to evolve
5. The Rule of Three that dramatically improves click rates
6. Why engagement matters more than list size
7. What happened when Melissa unexpectedly lost access to Instagram for five days

If you've been relying on social media to grow your business, this conversation might completely change the way you think about marketing.

In This Episode

✔ Why industry averages are misleading

✔ How to improve your email click rate

✔ The biggest welcome sequence mistakes

✔ Why list size isn't the metric that matters

✔ How to use segmentation to increase sales

✔ The dangers of building your business on rented land

✔ Why email is still the highest ROI marketing channel

Memorable Quotes

"I'd rather have a smaller list that's engaged than a bigger list that doesn't buy."

"Stop chasing the algorithm. Own your audience."

"Funnels aren't dead. Bad funnels are."

"People open emails because they know, like and trust the sender—not because of luck."

"Your business deserves an audience you actually own."

Continue the Conversation

Steph brings the realist of the real to help you grow in business and in life. Keep up with her Shenanigans via email:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph sits down with entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Small Business Sister Circle founder Stephanie Ross for a conversation every ambitious business owner needs to hear.

Together, they unpack the realities of entrepreneurship beyond the highlight reel—the storms, the pivots, the growth pains, and the unexpected lessons that shape us into stronger leaders.

Stephanie shares the inspiration behind her book Seasons of a Soulpreneur, including the difficult decision to walk away from a decade-long business, the lessons she learned navigating uncertainty, and why some of the hardest seasons of business ultimately became her greatest gifts.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed, behind, burnt out, or questioning your path, this episode is your reminder that growth isn't linear and you're probably doing better than you think.

Connect with Stephanie Ross

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieleaross/

Grab a copy of her book: https://www.stephanieleaross.com/?page_id=1024

Continue the Conversation with Steph Rubio

Join Steph's email list to learn all you need to grow & scale your business:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

Join The Rooted & Relenltess Mastermind:

https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

In This Episode, We Discuss:

1. Why entrepreneurship is often more difficult than social media makes it appear
2. The four seasons of business growth: planting, growing, storms, and harvest
3. How to recognize when a storm is actually an opportunity
4. The danger of isolating yourself during difficult seasons
5. Why community matters most when things feel hard
6. How motherhood changes the way we build businesses
7. The difference between sustainable growth and hustle culture
8. Creating rhythms, routines, and rituals that support resilience
9. Why your business journey shouldn't be compared to someone else's

Memorable Moments

"You're not failing. You're just in a different season."

"Do not isolate yourself in the storm."

"My storm became my superpower."

"The harvest is in glimmers."

"You are building in a way that makes sense for you."

"Something better has always opened on the other side of every storm."

In this episode, Steph shares the realization that opportunity often comes with barriers many people don't see.

From caregivers and parents to people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, financial limitations, and countless other responsibilities, not everyone has the same ability to travel, attend conferences, or spend days away from home.

That doesn't make them any less deserving of access to the information, relationships, and education that help businesses grow.

This episode explores:

1. Why in-person events are making such a strong comeback
2. The opportunities that happen through real-world connection
3. The hidden privilege behind "just get in the room"
4. Why protecting the integrity of online business matters
5. How accessibility impacts entrepreneurship
6. Why Steph created the Relentlessly Real Business Panel

Because building a healthy business community means making sure opportunity doesn't only belong to the people who can board the plane.

Grab your ticket to the June panel:

https://www.stephrubio.com/relentlessly-real-business-panel

Continue the conversation - join Steph's email community:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

Memorable Moments

"Ten minutes talking to you and I know more about you than six months online."

"Not everyone can get in the room physically. That doesn't make them any less deserving of the information."

"Working online and building virtual businesses has changed lives."

"If someone can attend fifteen events and I can attend two or three, the growth trajectory changes."

"We have to keep this information accessible to people who need it, want it, deserve it, and simply have different life circumstances."

"When we keep the online industry healthy, people stay in business. And when people stay in business, we all have business."

Key Takeaways

In-Person Connection Matters

Relationships often accelerate faster face-to-face than they do online.

Access Is Not Equal

Not everyone has the same freedom, resources, caregiving support, health, finances, or circumstances.

Online Business Changed Lives

Remote entrepreneurship created opportunities for parents, caregivers, and people who otherwise may never have been able to participate in traditional business environments.

We Need Both

The future isn't choosing between online and in-person experiences. It's creating both.

Accessibility Is a Business Issue

Making information available only through expensive or inaccessible channels limits who gets to grow.

What happens when people start looking to you for answers?

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph shares an unexpected realization: somewhere along the way, she became a community leader. And with that comes responsibility.

As more business owners turn to trusted voices for recommendations, guidance, and perspective, Steph explores what it means to hold that trust carefully—especially in an online industry overflowing with conflicting advice, fear-based marketing, and constant noise.

This conversation digs into the weight of influence, the importance of discernment, and why nuanced conversations matter now more than ever. Steph also shares the vision behind her new quarterly virtual panel: a space where business owners can hear honest conversations from people actively building businesses, making decisions, and navigating a rapidly changing market in real time.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by contradictory advice or questioned who to trust online, this episode is for you.

Links Mentioned In the Show:

Join the panel on June 25th: https://www.stephrubio.com/relentlessly-real-business-panel

Live to the Event Series w/ Taylor Smith,Start with Episode 1

On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/event-series-part-1-tips-on-how-to-choose-events-that/id1821487374?i=1000752877055

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HS9IWyjXy4UsrUwezG9xc?si=bxWDnNSBTRy44W0Z6TaTvQ

In This Episode

1. The responsibility that comes with influence and recommendations
2. Why online business owners keep getting pulled off course
3. The problem with fear-based marketing and guru culture
4. Why nuance is missing from many online conversations
5. How real conversations help business owners make better decisions
6. The vision behind Steph's new quarterly virtual panel
7. What it takes to build trust in a rapidly changing market

Memorable Moments

"One thing about me, baby. If I see something, I'm gonna say something."

"It's not only my money, time, and energy on the line anymore. It's my community's too."

"People are consuming content all day that makes them feel like they're falling short."

"Two people can be growing on the same trajectory while using completely different tactics."

"The goal isn't to fearmonger. The goal is to have real conversations about what's actually happening."

"You're going to stabilize your nervous system when you stop listening to every polarizing opinion online."

Key Takeaway

The businesses that thrive won't necessarily be the ones consuming the most information. They'll be the ones learning how to think critically, filter noise, and make decisions from a grounded place instead of reacting to every trend, headline, or hot take.

Continue the Conversation

📩 Join Steph's email list for strategic insights and behind-the-scenes leadership conversations:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

A lot of the self limiting beliefs keeping you stuck weren't actually your beliefs. They’re inherited. Absorbed. Repeated so often by other people that eventually they started sounding like truth.

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph gets brutally honest about the comments, relationships, and experiences that shaped her self-worth for years — from being told she’d always be “white trash” to believing she wasn’t capable of more. But this isn’t a revenge story.

It’s a story about realizing the life you want is actually possible when you stop letting other people’s limitations dictate your future.

Steph shares:

1. The mindset shifts that changed everything
2. How survival mode fueled her growth
3. Why self-limiting beliefs usually aren’t yours to begin with
4. The importance of boundaries and support systems
5. What it looks like to step into the identity of the person you want to become
6. Why clarity is the first step toward creating the life you actually want

This one is raw, emotional, empowering, and probably going to make you want to burn your old belief system to the ground.

Memorable Moments

“A lot of the problems in your business and your life stem from your self-limiting beliefs… but they didn’t start as yours.”

“It was me all along.”

“You can do actually any freaking thing you want.”

“If you set this crazy big terrifying target and never reach it, you’ll still be happier marching toward it than pretending you never wanted it.”

“Don’t let the notions of insecure idiots dictate your life.”

Resources & Links

Access Your Terrifying Vision Experience. Because getting where you want to go starts with knowing where that is: https://www.stephrubio.com/your-terrifying-vision?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Connect on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio?utm_source=chatgpt.com