Rural entrepreneurship is not a niche story or a lifestyle choice but a high-stakes engine for job creation, community survival and the future of Colorado’s economy.

This episode features a candid conversation with Brittany Romano of Startup Colorado about what entrepreneurship in rural communities actually requires when access to capital mentorship and networks is limited. Drawing from her own experience as a rural founder Brittany explains why many Colorado startups remain in a prolonged startup phase and how rural business growth depends on long-term support rather than quick wins. What happens when strong businesses fall into the missing middle between small business and venture scale? How do founders build momentum when funding and advisors are harder to reach?

The conversation also reframes rural economic development as essential to statewide competitiveness rather than philanthropy. Startup Colorado’s work highlights why small business support in rural areas sustains jobs, strengthens communities and makes it possible for people to live and work across the state. For listeners interested in startup funding in Colorado or building companies outside major metros this episode offers a grounded perspective on why rural entrepreneurship deserves serious attention.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Rural Entrepreneurship Matters for Colorado’s Economy

05:40 The Real Challenges Facing Rural Entrepreneurs

10:54 Access to Capital and the Rural Funding Gap

17:00 Building Strong Startup Ecosystems Outside Major Cities

23:40 How Listeners Can Support Rural Founders and Communities

Links:

Visit Howdy Partners

Bridge Entrepreneurs Network Colorado

Connect with Brittany Romano:

Connect with Brittany on LinkedIn

Visit the Startup Colorado website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Visit HiveCast

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Most business plans fail before the first meeting because they use last year’s results to decide what is possible next.

Sarah sits down with Debbie King, business strategist, executive coach, and author of Loving Your Business, about future self business planning as a more effective approach to strategic planning for entrepreneurs who want to learn how to stop letting past results limit your future business growth. Debbie questions the habit of treating prior performance as a ceiling and invites a different starting point for planning that begins with identity, belief, and vision. If your current results reflect who you have been, what changes when you plan from who you are becoming?

The discussion turns to the quiet beliefs leaders carry about themselves, their teams, their market, and their offer, and how those beliefs shape decisions long before strategy enters the room. Which assumptions feel true simply because they are familiar? What might open up if you challenged them before pulling your team into the process? Debbie introduces the “How can we?” framework as a way to create forward motion without waiting for certainty, and the episode offers a grounded reset for entrepreneurs who want their 2026 planning to feel clear, focused, and genuinely expansive.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Future Self Business Planning for 2026

03:02 Why Past Results Limit Future Business Growth

09:01 How Beliefs Shape Business Results

17:57 Strategic Planning Begins With Inner Work

26:58 The “How Can We” Framework for Expansion

44:09 Decide, Act, Evaluate, Iterate

Connect with Debbie King:

Visit the Loving Your Business website

Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Jason Janz challenges the entire playbook of nonprofit work by showing how long haul commitment and leader backed philanthropy can actually move families out of poverty. His approach sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing and offers a real-time look at how a for-purpose business model can fuel meaningful social impact through strong organizational culture and long-term vision.

Jason explains why CrossPurpose prioritizes deep relational work over broad but shallow programming and how that choice shapes everything from team dynamics to fundraising strategy to the overall health of the communities they serve. He reflects on the influence of his own upbringing, the mentors who shifted his understanding of leadership, and the decision to grow a mission-driven organization that thinks like a high-performance company without losing sight of human dignity. The conversation raises essential questions for any founder: What happens when you commit to one person’s success with the same rigor you bring to your own enterprise? How do you build trust when donors want evidence and families want genuine care? What does wellbeing look like inside a team tasked with solving hard human problems?

Jason also offers a candid perspective on fundraising through shared vision rather than transactions and explains why transformational partnerships outperform traditional tactics. He invites entrepreneurs to consider the power of leader backed philanthropy and the role they can play in shaping generational change. The episode becomes a thoughtful reflection on leadership, purpose, and the kind of steady commitment that strengthens families, organizations, and entire communities.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction to Conscious Entrepreneurship

03:14 The Mission and Model Behind CrossPurpose

06:00 Jason’s Personal Story and Leadership Philosophy

08:58 Deep vs Wide: A Different Approach to Social Impact

17:59 Transformational Fundraising and Donor Partnership

25:51 Advice for Future Nonprofit Founders

Connect with Jason Janz:

Visit CrossPurpose

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Few moments expose a leader’s true confidence faster than the stare of a camera lens.

Karin Reed, founder of Speaker Dynamics, brings forward a clear view of why virtual communication rattles even seasoned leaders and what presence actually requires when the usual cues disappear. She points to a familiar pattern: people become smaller, flatter, or overly polished once the lens becomes the audience, and those shifts quietly shape how trustworthy or grounded they appear. The conversation asks an important question for anyone leading through a screen: what builds credibility when connection feels harder to access?

Karin’s insight centers on the qualities that make leaders feel real on camera. Authentic expression carries farther than perfect delivery. Natural movement brings energy back into the voice. Audio quality influences how intelligent and credible someone seems. Early interaction sets the tone for participation. These elements are less about technique and more about the leader’s willingness to show up with a steady, human presence that invites others in.

The conversation ultimately challenges leaders to rethink executive presence for a virtual world. Confidence becomes easier to project when leaders stop performing and start communicating with the same clarity and ease they rely on in person. The screen changes the environment, but it doesn’t change what people want from a leader: someone they can hear, follow, and trust.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Leadership Communication in a Virtual World

01:55 Karin Reed’s Path to On-Camera Expertise

09:59 Eye Contact and Connection in Virtual Meetings

15:35 Body Language That Builds Executive Presence

24:10 The MVP Framework for Strong Virtual Communication

29:46 Why Production Quality Shapes Credibility

35:20 Authenticity and Executive Presence

Connect with Karin Reed:

Visit Speaker Dynamics

Connect with Karin on LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

If you are wondering if you should work with your husband or wife, or for tips and tricks to stay married when you work together, you are in the right place today! When married partners work together, the business is never “just business.” Working in a #familybusiness is a dynamic that impacts the partners at home and at work, and it impacts everyone in the company, too.

Kaley Warner Klemp, co-author of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership and The 80/80 Marriage, discusses actionable tips to help partnerships thrive. She shares suggestions for aiming for generosity rather than fairness, why clear roles protect both the relationship and the business, and how spouses can repair after conflict when you are doing it in front of the whole company.

They discuss the quieter questions leaders rarely ask out loud. How do power dynamics shift when work and home blend so closely? What do employees notice before the couple does? What helps a team feel steady when conflict between partners surfaces in real time?

Kaley offers tools for conversations, visible repair, and the kind of leadership that supports long-term wellbeing for the couple and the company. It’s a grounded look at working with your partner in a way that strengthens both the business and the relationship behind it.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Marriage and Business Dynamics

03:00 Conscious Leadership in Action

06:12 The 80/80 Marriage Framework

12:10 How Couples Affect Team Culture

17:59 Power Dynamics at Work and at Home

29:52 Repairing Conflict in Front of Your Team

Connect with Kaley Warner Klemp:

Visit Kaley’s Website

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Work–Life Integration, Conscious Leadership, and Values-Aligned Staffing are at the heart of this conversation with entrepreneur, Scott Britton. Scott shares how he went from Princeton, Forbes 30 Under 30, and a startup sold to Salesforce to realizing that no amount of achievement could fix the feeling of being reactive, stressed, and out of sync inside his own life.

He talks about the moment he began treating his reactions as data instead of flaws, and how that simple shift helped him see the patterns driving his stress and decision-making. Scott walks through his “freedom log” practice that any conscious leader can start using immediately, the difference between emotions and long-running patterns, and how everyday triggers at work can become practical entry points for awareness instead of something to hide or power through. Work stops being separate from inner growth and starts to become one of the most honest places to see what is actually going on inside you.

Scott also shares how this path led to his book Conscious Accomplishment and to Conscious Talent, a staffing company that connects talent with companies committed to both professional excellence and inner work. For founders and leaders who feel like they have “outgrown” the company they built, his story offers a grounded look at what it means to bring more of your inner life into how you hire, lead, and shape culture.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• The point where external success stopped working for Scott and what he noticed next
• How he uses the “freedom log” to track triggers and unpack the stories underneath them
• Why work can be one of the most powerful places for real inner growth
• Practical ways to bring more authenticity into leadership without blowing up your culture overnight
• How Conscious Talent supports values-aligned staffing for leaders who care about both results and inner development

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Introduction

05:09 Scott Britton’s Turning Point and Inner Shift

07:55 How Business Becomes a Spiritual Dojo

17:51 Emotional Awareness Tools for Leaders

18:45 Why Scott Created Conscious Talent

31:30 Values-Aligned Hiring and Modern Leadership

Links

Connect with Scott Britton:

Scott’s book: Conscious Accomplishment

Learn more about Scott's Projects:

ConsciousTalent.com

https://linktr.ee/scottbritton

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm.

Appreciation can lift a team or quietly erode it, and Sarah Lockwood breaks down why the difference often comes down to whether people feel genuinely seen.

In this solo episode, she explains why the usual holiday scramble for company gifts rarely creates the connection leaders intend and why Thanksgiving offers a clearer moment for gratitude that feels personal instead of performative. Sarah shares how a simple note or a small, thoughtful gesture can shift how someone experiences their work, and she challenges leaders to consider what their gifts say about their culture. A day of rest signals care, a learning budget signals curiosity, and a mismatched gift signals a gap between stated values and lived values. She also covers the practical side of appreciation with tools like Goody that let teams choose their own gift while still giving leaders room to add a personal message.

Sarah closes by reminding listeners that recognition works best as a steady habit. Even one specific thank you can strengthen trust, and she encourages leaders to pause, notice one meaningful contribution, and send a message that proves someone’s effort didn’t go unseen.

Episode Breakdown:

• 00:00 The Art of Meaningful Employee Appreciation
• 01:25 Why Thanksgiving Is the Perfect Moment for Team Appreciation
• 04:05 The Power of Specific and Authentic Gratitude
• 06:10 Choose Gifts That Reflect Your Company Values
• 07:02 A Practical Tool for Personalized Corporate Gifting (Goody)
• 08:09 Make Recognition a Habit, Not a Holiday Task

Links:

Goody

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

The Conscious Entrepreneur

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

The story you tell yourself as a leader becomes the culture your team lives in, and Nataly Kogan shows how to rewrite that story with agency, awareness, and action.

Sarah sits down with Nataly Kogan for a grounded conversation about entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing—how the way we think shapes the way we lead. Nataly shares how to “talk back to your brain,” a practice that helps quiet fear, interrupt unhelpful patterns, and create space for better choices. They discuss how mindset ripples through an organization, shaping how teams respond to uncertainty and whether they lean toward anxiety or possibility.

Nataly offers simple tools to help leaders edit their thoughts and reframe challenges as creative prompts. What story are you telling your team right now—and is it one that invites courage, clarity, and connection? This episode is a reminder that leadership starts in the mind, but it comes to life through the stories we choose to share.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Nataly Kogan on Entrepreneurship and Wellbeing

04:15 Why Confidence Follows Action

07:06 The Power of Agency in Times of Change

09:07 How to Talk Back to Your Brain

14:24 Reframing Negativity and Building Constructive Beliefs

18:04 From Obstacles to Possibilities

26:01 The Edit Your Thoughts Practice

34:01 Creating a Culture of Possibility in Business

42:56 Leading with Clarity, Courage, and Humanity

Connect with Nataly Kogan: Visit Nataly Kogan’s Website

Connect with Nataly on LinkedIn

Connect with Sarah Lockwood:

Visit HiveCast

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Connect with The Conscious Entrepreneur:

Visit The Conscious Entrepreneur website

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on LinkedIn

Follow The Conscious Entrepreneur on Instagram

Subscribe to The Conscious Entrepreneur on YouTube

HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast.

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm