Episode Summary

In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alisha Bean, a long-time client turned mastermind member, to talk about what actually breaks when a business grows—and why most founders don’t realize the real problem until they’re already overwhelmed.

This conversation digs into the moment where things are technically “working,” but everything feels harder: communication is messy, systems are duct-taped together, the founder is back in the weeds, and the business starts pulling more instead of giving freedom.

Steph and Alisha unpack the difference between growth and scaling, the danger of 20-step workflows that require constant founder approval, and why hiring support doesn’t magically remove responsibility—it changes how leadership shows up.

1. What “leaks” look like in a growing business—and why patching them stops working
2. The most common presenting problems (communication + systems) vs. the real root causes
3. Why your 20-step process is quietly sabotaging your ability to scale
4. The difference between growth (more volume) and scaling (more efficiency + stability)
5. How to delegate without losing awareness—and why that’s the actual CEO move
6. Why hiring an executor isn’t “magic” (and what to expect when you do)
7. The identity shift Alisha experienced going from “the shoes are too big” to fully owning her expertise
8. Alisha’s best advice for service providers building in a noisy, comparison-heavy online space

1) “It’s working” isn’t the same as “it’s built to scale.”

Most businesses do work… until they don’t. If your systems were set up for one level of volume, they’ll start breaking when you grow. That’s not a personal failure—it’s a systems mismatch.

2) Duct tape is not a long-term strategy.

When your backend is 15 tools “kind of” talking to each other, leaks are inevitable: missed handoffs, duplicated work, rising software costs, and team confusion.

3) Simplifying is scaling.

If a process takes 20 steps and 10 approvals from you, you don’t have a workflow—you have a founder chokehold. Cutting it down (and pre-approving decisions) is how you stop being the bottleneck.

4) Delegation doesn’t mean “checking out.”

Stepping out of execution doesn’t mean you stop knowing what’s happening. You keep awareness, build trust, and create clear lanes so your team can move without you micromanaging.

5) Confidence changes your marketing.

Alisha shares how proving the concept (to herself and the right clients) changed how she showed up—no more “hoping” people believe in her… just telling the truth about what she’s already doing.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisha.bean.obm/

Keep up with Steph:

Pop into my DM's on IG and tell me what you're up to: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Join the Mastermind and grow with us: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alissa Mills, aka The Luxe Momager—an Online Business Manager who left a demanding corporate role after a life threatening wake-up call and rebuilt her life and career around what actually matters.

This conversation is about far more than operations and management. It’s about choice, sustainability, leadership, and the luxury of designing a business that supports your life, not the other way around.

Alissa shares her journey into entrepreneurship, the realities behind “effortless” online success, and why care, presence, and authenticity are the foundation of any business that’s meant to last.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The pivotal moment that pushed Alissa out of corporate and into entrepreneurship
2. Why social media makes business look easier (and faster) than it actually is
3. The misconception that CEOs need to do everything themselves
4. Choosing your “hard” instead of defaulting to burnout
5. Delegation as a leadership skill—not a weakness
6. Letting go of perfection and building a brand rooted in care and humanity
7. Why authenticity beats polish every single time
8. Redefining luxury as choice, not aesthetics

A moment that hits hard:

Alissa opens up about realizing her business isn’t just about skills or services—it’s about making sure no one feels alone while building something meaningful. That clarity reshaped not only her brand, but how she shows up as a leader, a mom, and a human.

If you’re building a service-based business, wrestling with imposter syndrome, or feeling the pressure to have it all figured out already—this episode is a deep exhale and a reality check in the best way.

Follow along with Alissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theluxemomager/

Keep up with Steph's Shenanigans and keep your business game sharper than an Iron's Chef's favorite know:

Tons of free, strategic advice from Steph's over two decades of experience straight to your inbox: https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

And please, make yourself comfortable in my IG DM's. I love a good voice note ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph breaks down one of the most overlooked stakeholder groups in business: Your Biz Buddies.

These are the people who have never paid you, never hired you, and never collaborated with you—yet still recommend you, refer you, and do not hesitate to associate their reputation with yours.

This episode is a quick, grounded reminder that your reputation is doing more selling than your marketing ever will. And mad encouragement to give a little extra love and care to the people who support you even when it's not directly monetary, sending you referrals and opportunities like it's their job.

In This Episode, We Cover:

1. What “Biz Buddies” actually are (and why they matter)
2. How referrals from Biz Buddies convert faster than cold leads
3. Why trust—not transactions—is the foundation of these relationships
4. Simple, human ways to care for Biz Buddies without making it weird
5. How reputation quietly becomes your most powerful growth engine

Key Takeaways:

1. Biz Buddies lead people to you without being asked
2. Trust is pre-built when someone drops your name
3. These relationships save time, energy, and emotional labor
4. You don’t manufacture them—you earn them
5. How you move matters more than what you sell

Notable Quotes:

1. “Your reputation is your revenue.”
2. “Biz Buddies exist because of how you move, not what you sell.”
3. “You don’t manufacture these relationships—you earn them.”

What’s Coming Next:

The Stakeholder Experience series continues with:

1. Your Team — contractors, W-2s, and support roles
2. Yourself — because yes, you are a stakeholder too

Loved This Episode?

Support ya girl by subscribing, sharing, and leaving a review. That Biz Buddy support, ya feel me?

Then, shoot me a message on IG and tell me how I can do the same for you: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Oh and..

This pod isn't the only place I drop this good good. Get on my email list where I send two emails per month: Steph's Shenanigans all about what I'm loving, loathing, learning, and all the good stuff and The COO Edit where we get strategic and practical about staying one step ahead in your biz. https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

In this Clarity Coven feature episode, Steph sits down with Jaci Schreckengost—writer, market, speaker, and author of Housewarming Parties—for a conversation that blends messaging strategy, creative identity, and what it actually takes to stop operating from survival mode.

This episode is a masterclass in becoming impossible to ignore online—without burning yourself out, reinventing the wheel every week, or sanding down your personality to fit an algorithm.

It’s also a powerful behind-the-scenes look at what stakeholder experience looks like in action: spotlighting clients, honoring their growth, and letting their work speak for itself.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

1. Why finding (and refining) your brand voice is less about being “revolutionary” and more about repetition and consistency
2. The biggest misconception in content marketing—and why saying the same thing over and over is actually your competitive edge
3. How getting to know yourself again is the key to a happier life and more fulfilling business
4. Why repurposing isn’t lazy—it’s strategic (and saves your sanity)
5. The difference between creating from fear vs. creating from joy
6. How clarity in your vision expands your identity—and your capacity
7. Why letting people dislike you is not a branding problem, it’s a branding strategy
8. What happens when you stop building from survival mode and start designing intentionally

Memorable Moments & Mic-Drop Lines

1. “Repetition is how people know you know your stuff.”
2. “You don’t need every post to be revolutionary—consistency builds authority.”
3. “It’s wild to see what’s possible when I’m not terrified.”
4. “You’re not just cutting people out—you're cutting the wrong people out and the right people in.”

About Jaci

Jaci Schreckengost is a writer, marketer, and speaker focused on helping brands find (or refine) their voice, effectively tell their stories, and become impossible to ignore online. She is also the author of a her debut poetry collection, Housewarming Parties.

Connect with Jaci

1. Instagram: @schreckengostcreative
2. Website: jacischreckengost.com
3. Book: Housewarming Parties

Steph’s Takeaway

This conversation is a reminder that clarity creates expansion. When you stop building from fear and start building from intention, your work gets better, your messaging gets clearer, and your business finally feels like it fits.

Come grow with Jaci and Steph inside Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph continues the Stakeholder Experience Series by breaking down why collaborators and brand partners aren’t just “nice connections” — they’re stakeholders who directly influence your reputation, revenue, and future opportunities.

Because collaborations don’t just get you seen. They get you trusted.

And when you manage these relationships intentionally, they become a growth engine: warmer leads, shorter sales cycles, referrals, and opportunities flowing to you — without the constant hustle.

✨ In this episode, Steph covers:

1. Why collaborators and brand partners matter (and how they either pay you directly or get you paid)
2. The different types of collaborators you should treat as stakeholders:
3. Visibility & content collaborators

   (podcast guests, IG Lives, newsletter swaps, co-created resources)

4. Events & education partners

   (workshop hosts, speakers, retreats)

5. Brand & revenue partners

   (sponsors, affiliates, UGC, software/tool partnerships)

6. Why collaborations create instant trust — and how that accelerates credibility and conversions
7. The difference between being discovered vs introduced (and why it changes everything)
8. How collaborators become informal salespeople when you follow through
9. Why you don’t need a bad reputation to lose opportunities — you just need an uncertain one
10. How collaborators validate your thought leadership publicly and help your positioning land faster

🧠 The 5-part framework: How to create a great collaborator experience

1. Define the scope

   Roles, ownership, timelines, expectations, and boundaries

2. Communicate everything

   Silence breeds uncertainty — and uncertainty erodes trust

3. Execute with boring reliability

   This is where your reputation is actually built

4. Add intentional EXTRA

   Voice notes, gratitude, sharing impact — without burning out

5. Follow through + future loop

   Close the loop, share results, and plant seeds for repeat opportunities

This episode isn’t about doing more collaborations. It’s about doing fewer, aligned opportunities, better.

Because people pay (and refer) the ones they trust to execute, not just teach. And your collaborators are the ones saying your name in rooms you’re not in.

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind

High-touch group coaching meets mastermind roundtable style for service-based business owners ready to stabilize, scale, and lead with steadiness and discernment:

👉 https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Book a Decision Intensive

A 90-minute intensive to stop reacting on emotion and start building strategically, by design:

👉 https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

Connect with me on Instagram → @virtually_stephrubio

👉 https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Meet Kat Jackson, aka Kopilot Kat—a tech solutions architect and founding member of the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind. Kat brings tailored tech solutions to help service-based business owners stop forcing themselves into tools that were never designed for how they actually work.

1. Kat’s evolution from VA → OBM → Tech Solutions Architect
2. Why most business owners end up with too many systems—and worse experiences for their clients, themselves, and their teams
3. The difference between having a CRM and actually managing client relationships
4. Why human-centered systems matter more than trendy tools
5. When spreadsheets stop working—and how to know you’re ready for a CRM
6. Kat’s FEWA Framework for choosing the right CRM:
7. Flexibility
8. Experience
9. Workflows
10. Analytics
11. The real danger of industry-specific tools that box you in
12. Why analytics matter way earlier than most service providers think
13. How poor systems quietly break your client experience (and your sanity)
14. The mindset shift that unlocked Kat’s clarity, confidence, and momentum inside the mastermind
15. Why alignment and passion directly affect your marketing and growth
16. Advice for women building service-based businesses: removing self-imposed limits and letting yourself go full “delulu” (on purpose)

1. You are the CRM. The tool just supports how you build relationships.
2. Systems should bend to your business—not the other way around.
3. Custom workflows > one-size-fits-all tech stacks.
4. If you don’t love the work, your audience can feel it.
5. Most limitations aren’t logistical—they’re inherited beliefs you’ve outgrown.

1. Website: https://kopilotkat.com/contact/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kopilot.kat/?hl=en
3. YouTube: Tech breakdowns, CRM education, and system deep dives: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVy6ctueaIM0gc3LRCV_m7A

Join Steph & Kat:

Want the same kind of clarity, confidence, and grounded decision-making you heard in this episode? Join me and Kat inside of the Rooted & Relentless mastermind. Where breakthroughs happen on any given Tuesday: https://www.stephrubio.com/groupcoachingwaitlist

Summary

In this inaugural episode of 'Rooted and Relentless', Steph Rubio shares how Rooted & Relentless was born, a peek behind the curtain of her journey of becoming a business strategist, starting with a history of her entering the workforce at the ripe old age of 16, emphasizing the importance of mindset, personal growth, and the relentless pursuit of your dream life - because you only get one. She discusses her experiences in sales and operations, the significance of understanding business strategy, and how personal identity plays a crucial role in success as an entrepreneur. The episode invites listeners to embrace their unique paths while remaining true to themselves.

Takeaways

• Real change happens when you bet on yourself.
• You're building a life, not just a business.
• Growth is possible on your own terms.
• I've been working since I was 16 & found my love of operations over many years in the workforce.
• Strategy is the why and the what.
• Mindset is a necessary component for many years to come.
• Being rooted means staying true to who you are.
• Your roots can be moved, they can change with you.
• You have a front row seat to my journey.

In this episode, Steph delves peels back the curtain on a characteristic many business owners miss, showcasing self-leadership as the foundation it is for lasting business success. She discusses how self-awareness, ownership, alignment, and resilience are crucial for growing a sustainable business. Steph shares personal insights and practical advice on leading yourself before leading others shedding light on the fact that if you run a business, you do lead others, even if it's not an internal team.

Follow Steph on IG: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Get the deets straight to your inbox for what Steph's currently loving, learning, loathing along with a CEO edit to sharpen your strategy & bite-sized business tips that keep you scaling without selling your soul: https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect