Above The Business

In this solo episode, Bradley Hamner applies the college sports transfer portal concept to one of the most consequential decisions a growing business faces: when recruiting, are you going after someone who has already done the work, or someone with the raw ingredients to develop? Most business owners never make that choice deliberately, and it costs them.

Bradley walks through real hiring decisions from his own companies, including an office manager brought in specifically for her existing experience and a sales rep recruited directly from a competitor. He explains the reasoning behind both hires, why the next sales hire in that same business will target potential instead of production, and what signals to look for when making that call.

This episode moves beyond hiring tactics and into recruiting mindset. Are you clear on what a role actually requires before you start looking? When you go after experience, is that a deliberate choice or a default? And how does the current stage of your business shape which approach makes more sense? If you are actively expanding your team and want a clearer framework for making smarter hiring decisions, this episode is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day. They optimize your applicant tracking system, post job listings, and source candidates through social media and local communities.

With their continuous recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks specializes in digital marketing solutions designed for business owners who want measurable results. Their team supports companies through paid advertising, SEO, and strategic marketing systems that help generate consistent leads.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, SEO, content, social media, and paid advertising, then provides actionable recommendations. If you partner with them, all setup fees will be waived.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale without their constant involvement.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Kevin Lawrence, entrepreneur, coach, and author of Your Oxygen Mask First and The Four Forces of Growth. Kevin shares how his path from early entrepreneurial hustles to decades of coaching business owners shaped the frameworks he now teaches around growth, leadership, and long-term business performance.

They discuss what has not changed in business despite the rise of AI and new technology, and why the core principles of solving customer problems, hiring the right people, and building strong margins still matter most. Kevin also explains how many leaders unintentionally optimize their businesses for efficiency instead of growth, and why that shift can quietly flatten momentum over time.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into how leaders think. How do you know whether you are building for growth or simply fixing problems? What does it take to keep your business moving forward without burning yourself out? And how do you balance the operational demands of today with the strategic thinking required for the future?

If you care about sustainable growth, sharper leadership, and building a business that can scale without draining you, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Learn more about Kevin Lawrence and Lawrence & Co: https://www.lawrenceandco.com/

Check out Kevin’s books: https://lawrenceandco.com/resources/books

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://www.coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

In this solo episode, Bradley Hamner unpacks a question he was recently asked at the BlueprintOS’ Beat the Odds retreat: what is the real difference between good business owners and great business owners? After reflecting on years of working with small business owners and building businesses himself, he shares the answer he has landed on.

Bradley explains that the difference is not simply marketing skill, sales ability, or even hiring talent. Great business owners develop a ruthless ability to identify what actually matters in the business, then stay focused on it long enough to remove the bottleneck that is holding growth back.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into discernment. What is the real needle mover in your business right now? Are you solving the right problem, or just reacting to noise? And can you stay focused on the right thing long enough to create real progress? If you want to sharpen your ability to identify what matters and act on it, this episode is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

1. The Goal by Eliyahu M Goldratt: https://a.co/d/04ccnE1J

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day. They optimize your applicant tracking system, post job listings, and source candidates through social media and local communities.

With their continuous recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks specializes in digital marketing solutions designed for business owners who want measurable results. Their team supports companies through paid advertising, SEO, and strategic marketing systems that help generate consistent leads.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, SEO, content, social media, and paid advertising, then provides actionable recommendations. If you partner with them, all setup fees will be waived.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale without their constant involvement.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Michael Jacobson, founder of French Florist, to talk about what it looks like to spot opportunity in a struggling industry and build a modern business around it. Michael shares how he went from corporate consulting into the floral industry, first by trying to help his uncle sell a flower shop, then by realizing the entire industry faced the same structural problems.

They discuss how Michael approached an old and fragmented category with a different lens, combining technology, supply chain, and marketing to transform unit economics and build a scalable model. The conversation also explores what it takes to turn a single underperforming location into a multi-location business with franchise ambitions, while still staying focused on the customer experience.

This conversation moves beyond business turnaround tactics and into entrepreneurial thinking. How do you recognize real opportunity in an overlooked market? What does it take to challenge assumptions in a legacy industry? And how do you build a business that creates both financial upside and a platform for something bigger than yourself?

If you care about finding opportunity where others see limitations, building better systems, and creating a business with long-term potential, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Learn more about French Florist: https://www.frenchflorist.com/

Learn more about their franchise opportunity: https://www.frenchfloristfranchise.com/

Reach out to Michael: [email protected]

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://www.coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

In this solo episode, Bradley Hamner speaks directly to the business owner who feels like everything is getting harder at the exact moment the business should be working. He shares a recent conversation with a founder who was ready to burn it all down, even though the business was actually performing well and tracking toward a strong year.

Bradley unpacks the ceiling of complexity that often shows up between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in revenue. This is the stage where the team grows, systems need to mature, and the founder’s job begins to change. What feels like failure is often the pressure of leveling up.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into the emotional reality of building a business. What if the moment you want to quit is actually the moment right before the breakthrough? And what if the complexity you are facing is not proof that you are failing, but proof that the business is growing? If you have ever felt like a fraud while trying to lead a growing company, this episode is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day. They optimize your applicant tracking system, post job listings, and source candidates through social media and local communities.

With their continuous recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks specializes in digital marketing solutions designed for business owners who want measurable results. Their team supports companies through paid advertising, SEO, and strategic marketing systems that help generate consistent leads.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, SEO, content, social media, and paid advertising, then provides actionable recommendations. If you partner with them, all setup fees will be waived.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale without their constant involvement.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Michael Zipursky, co-founder of Consulting Success, entrepreneur, and advisor to consultants building firms around their expertise. Michael shares his journey from starting businesses in high school to building and selling multiple companies, and explains why so many business owners stay stuck inside the work instead of designing the business they actually want.

They discuss the difference between growth and scale, why many founders fail to define what success really looks like for them, and how that lack of clarity creates friction when it comes to team building, systems, and leadership. Michael also explains why documenting the nuance of how work gets done is critical if you want to transfer knowledge, build leverage, and reduce dependence on the founder.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into intentionality. What kind of business do you actually want to build? Are you hiring to relieve today’s pressure or to support the future you want? And how do you get the business out of your head and into systems that allow others to help carry it forward?

If you care about building a business with more clarity, leverage, and long-term alignment, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Learn more about Michael Zipursky and Consulting Success: https://www.consultingsuccess.com/

Connect with Michael Zipursky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zipursky/

Thanks to our sponsors

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://www.coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

Many business owners invest in marketing without having a clear way to measure what is actually working. They know money is going out, but they do not always know which channels are producing leads, customers, and real returns.

This episode is the third and final part of a three-part marketing series. After covering marketing plans and marketing metrics, Bradley Hamner now walks through how to build a simple marketing dashboard that gives visibility into performance over time. He explains how to track spending by channel, monitor leads and customer acquisition, and measure return on investment in a way that supports better business decisions.

This conversation focuses on the discipline of measurement. What should go on a marketing dashboard? How do you know if a channel is working? And how can tracking trends over time help you invest more confidently? If you want a simple way to understand your marketing performance, this episode is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day. They optimize your applicant tracking system, post job listings, and source candidates through social media and local communities.

With their continuous recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks specializes in digital marketing solutions designed for business owners who want measurable results. Their team supports companies through paid advertising, SEO, and strategic marketing systems that help generate consistent leads.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, SEO, content, social media, and paid advertising, then provides actionable recommendations. If you partner with them, all setup fees will be waived.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale without their constant involvement.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Matt Jonza, co-owner of Direct Clicks and longtime digital marketing operator, to talk about what has changed in marketing for small business owners. From the rise of AI-driven ad platforms to shifts in search behavior and lead quality, Matt breaks down what business owners need to understand if they want their marketing to actually support growth.

They discuss how digital advertising has evolved, why SEO and AEO still rely on many of the same fundamentals, and what owners should know about reviews, fresh content, and question-and-answer sections on their online profiles. Matt also explains why direct response and branding need to be approached differently depending on the stage of the business.

This conversation moves beyond tactics and into decision-making. How much should you invest in marketing? What should early-stage businesses prioritize? And how do you balance quantity of leads with quality of leads while still building a business your team can actually support?

If you want a clearer view of what digital marketing should look like for a growing small business, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/insurancequotesmn/

Learn more about Direct Clicks: https://www.directclicksinc.com/

Thanks to our sponsors

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://www.coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.

Marketing plans provide direction, but without the right metrics, it becomes difficult to know whether your strategy is actually working.

This episode is part two of a three-part marketing series. After covering marketing plans in part one, Bradley Hamner now focuses on the core marketing metrics every small business owner should understand. He explains how to measure cost per lead, customer acquisition cost, and lifetime value, and why these numbers are essential for making informed growth decisions.

This conversation moves beyond planning and into measurement. How much should it cost to acquire a customer? What is the relationship between lifetime value and acquisition cost? And how do these metrics influence your ability to scale? If you want to make smarter marketing decisions backed by data, this episode is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day. They optimize your applicant tracking system, post job listings, and source candidates through social media and local communities.

With their continuous recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks specializes in digital marketing solutions designed for business owners who want measurable results. Their team supports companies through paid advertising, SEO, and strategic marketing systems that help generate consistent leads.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, SEO, content, social media, and paid advertising, then provides actionable recommendations. If you partner with them, all setup fees will be waived.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale without their constant involvement.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with David Barnett, consultant, author, and longtime advisor on buying and selling small businesses. David shares his path from early interest in business to working in Yellow Pages sales, business brokerage, banking, and eventually building a consulting practice focused on helping people buy and sell Main Street and lower middle market companies.

They discuss how buyers think about business value, why multiples are only the first pass in evaluating a deal, and what separates a business that is merely profitable from one that is actually sellable. David also explains the difference between SDE and EBITDA, why systems matter so much in a sale, and how terms can be more important than headline price.

This conversation moves beyond valuation and into ownership itself. What makes a business attractive to a buyer? How do systems and delegation increase both freedom and enterprise value? And why do so many owners build businesses that only a younger version of themselves could buy?

If you care about building a company that is easier to run, easier to grow, and eventually easier to sell, this conversation is for you.

Visit https://workshop.blueprintos.com to register for the upcoming Above The Business workshop.

Learn more about David Barnett: https://www.investlocalbook.com/

Listen to David Barnett’s Small Business podcast: https://www.investlocalbook.com/p/in-media.html

Find David Barnett’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=David+C.+Barnett&i=audible&ref=dp_byline_sr_audible_1

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner, leading a large and stable team of top-performing professionals. Today, he shares the systems, delegation strategies, and specialization methods he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at:

https://www.coachpconsulting.com

Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every business day, optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that drive real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit and actionable recommendations.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect by building systems, teams, and operations that scale.