Most small business owners stay trapped in the same cycle: long hours, low margins, unreliable income, and a business that falls apart the moment they step away. Today’s guest broke that pattern in a spectacular way.

In this episode, host Jeremy Shapiro sits down with David Hilton, a former studio owner who transformed a struggling family business into one of the top 10 photography companies in the entire country, scaled it across multiple locations, and took it to a high seven-figure exit — all while working normal hours and taking four weeks of vacation every year.

David reveals the exact steps that took him from:

• A single, owner-dependent studio

• To a business that multiplied sixfold in the first year

• To multiple profitable locations

• To a company that ran without him

• To an exit timed perfectly at the market peak

Inside this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why trying to serve “everyone” was killing the business

• How niching down unlocked pricing power and demand

• Why premium pricing attracts better customers, higher margins, and stronger loyalty

• The difference between growth and profitable growth

• How to build systems that remove you from daily operations

• The real reason a second location destroys most businesses — and how David survived it

• How to spot the constraint that’s quietly blocking your revenue

• How to prepare a company for a major sale years before the exit

David’s story shows what happens when you stop chasing volume, start focusing on profit, and use systems to create freedom. His approach works in nearly any industry — not just photography — because the fundamentals don’t change.

🎧 If you want to grow, step back from daily chaos, or build a business you can eventually sell, this episode gives you the roadmap.

👉 Connect with David Hilton:

• David Hilton on LinkedIn⁠
• Spark (Book on Amazon)

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, ⁠⁠Your Business Growth Playbook

Feeling stuck in your business is exhausting. When expenses rise faster than revenue, when hustle stops working, and when you’re grinding without getting ahead — everything feels heavier. Today’s guest knows that cycle all too well.

In this episode, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Wes Schaeffer — The Sales Whisperer — who rebuilt his business after facing repeated stalls, income instability, and burnout. Instead of trying to outrun every setback, Wes made a series of strategic shifts that changed the entire trajectory of his business.

Inside this conversation, Wes breaks down how he:

• Hit multiple plateaus and turned each one into a launchpad
• Shifted from unpredictable income to dependable monthly revenue
• Rebuilt his sales approach using clarity, boundaries, and value-driven communication
• Cut out anxiety-driven work and focused on what truly moves the needle
• Stopped doing low-value tasks and invested in systems that run without him
• Created recurring revenue streams that cover his bills even on days he doesn’t work

Wes also reveals the mindset shifts that made the difference — from pricing confidence to removing desperation from the sales process. His story is proof that progress doesn’t come from doing more; it comes from doing the right things consistently.

🎧 Listen in to hear how Wes built a business that supports his family, funds their lifestyle, and gives him real control over his time.

👉 Connect with Wes:

• Wes Schaeffer on LinkedIn
• Wes Schaeffer on YouTube
• WesSchaeffer.com

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, ⁠Your Business Growth Playbook

When a devastating accident left Ryan Crownholm in a wheelchair and the housing market collapse wiped out his income overnight, his business looked finished. Instead, he used the setback to rebuild smarter.

In this episode, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Ryan, a U.S. Army veteran turned entrepreneur, who transformed crisis into growth. From hauling junk to becoming America’s largest swimming pool removal contractor, Ryan reveals which of the key strategies from Your Business Growth Playbook turned struggle into sustainability.

You’ll hear how he:

• • Pivoted from general contracting to a high-margin niche business
  • Used data (not guesswork) to uncover hidden profit opportunities
  • Built bulletproof systems that scaled without him on site
  • Escaped the “Hustle Trap” and built a business that ran on metrics
  • Doubled revenue year over year — by doing less, not more

• Ryan’s story proves that sometimes losing control of your business is the best thing that can happen to it.

• 🎧 Tune in to learn what Ryan did that can transform any business — even in a downturn.

  👉 Connect with Ryan:

  • RyanCrownholm.com
  • Dirtmatch.com
  • MySitePlan.com
• • The Hustle Trap: A How-To Guide for Doing Less and Making More with Your Business
  • LinkedIn: @RyanCrownholm
  • Instagram: @RyanCrownholm
  • X / Twitter: @RyanCrownholm

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  📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook