Above The Business

Marketing is one of the most confusing areas for many small business owners. While sales may come naturally, deciding how much to invest in marketing and where to allocate those dollars often feels unclear.

This episode kicks off a three-part series focused on helping business owners build a clearer marketing foundation. In part one, Bradley Hamner breaks down what a marketing plan actually is and how to build one in a simple, practical way. He explains how to determine your marketing budget based on revenue targets, why your budget should inform your strategy, and how to think about allocating dollars across different marketing channels.

This conversation focuses on bringing clarity to marketing decisions. How much should you invest in marketing? Should you prioritize direct response or branding? And how do you create a plan that supports growth without overcomplicating the process? If you want a straightforward framework for building your marketing plan, 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 Hamner sits down with Megan Reitz, researcher, speaker, and author focused on dialogue in organizations. Megan shares insights from years of studying why people speak up, why they stay silent, and how leaders influence both through the way they show up.

They explore how leadership presence affects team communication, why most leaders overestimate their listening skills, and how everyday signals can either invite ideas or shut them down. Megan also explains how habits, attention, and curiosity shape whether meaningful conversations actually happen inside organizations.

This conversation looks at what prevents honest dialogue and how leaders can create space for it. How do you encourage feedback without intimidating your team? What signals are you sending in meetings? And how do you address the “elephant in the room” before silence turns into resentment?

If you want to improve how your team communicates, invite better feedback, and create an environment where people feel safe to speak up, this conversation is for you.

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

Learn more about Megan Reitz: https://www.meganreitz.com

Connect with Megan Reitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/

Check out her latest book – Speak Out, Listen Up: https://a.co/d/090esprL

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 people start a business because they want freedom and flexibility. The ability to decide what to work on, when to work on it, and who to work with is a powerful motivator for entrepreneurs.

In this solo episode, Bradley Hamner explores a tension many small business owners experience as their company begins to grow. The same people who started a business to avoid being told what to do often find themselves responsible for building structure, systems, and processes inside the organization.

Bradley explains why this tension becomes especially noticeable in the $300K to $1M stage of business growth. At this point, the business owner is no longer just selling and producing results. The team is growing, expectations increase, and the business begins asking for clarity, consistency, and routine.

This episode offers a mindset shift for business owners who feel caught between the desire for freedom and the responsibility to build structure. The discipline to create systems and processes is not what limits freedom. It is what eventually makes it possible.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly and access the Above The Business Toolkit.

https://blueprintos.com/assets

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

https://www.amazon.com/Buy-Back-Your-Time-Unstuck/dp/059342297X

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

https://www.amazon.com/E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280

Traction by Gino Wickman

https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837

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 Amy Sandler, principal coach at Radical Candor, podcast host, and former chief marketing officer. The conversation explores how emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and communication shape leadership, especially for business owners who are trying to lead well under pressure.

They discuss why feedback can feel threatening, why leaders often get defensive in the moment, and how asking for feedback can build trust before giving it. Amy also explains how mindfulness, curiosity, and emotional regulation help leaders show up more effectively in conversations with their teams.

This conversation moves beyond communication techniques and into the awareness behind them. What does it mean to challenge directly without shutting people down? How can leaders create safety while still being clear? And how do you build a culture where feedback becomes part of growth instead of something people avoid?

If you care about leading with more clarity, giving better feedback, and building a healthier culture inside your business, this conversation is for you.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

https://blueprintos.com/assets

Learn more about Radical Candor here: https://www.radicalcandor.com/

Join the Radical Candor community: https://community.radicalcandor.com/

Connect with Amy Sandler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amysandler/

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. Save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying traditional hiring fees or commissions.

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 where their team reviews your website, social media, SEO, content, 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 solo episode, Bradley Hamner explores a powerful idea he first encountered in The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham: the Bathrobe Theory of Business. The concept is simple. One size does not fit all. What works for one business may not work for another, especially when companies are operating at different stages of growth.

Bradley breaks down the four stages he commonly sees in small business growth, from startup through acceleration, and explains why the blueprint for running a business must evolve at each stage. The role of the owner, the structure of the team, and the systems that support the company all change as revenue grows.

He also shares a real example from a conversation with a $100M exterior remodeling company and explains how smaller businesses can learn from much larger organizations without trying to copy their strategies directly.

This episode is a reminder that the goal is not to replicate another company’s playbook. The goal is to extract the principles that apply to your stage of business and build a blueprint that fits your own organization.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

https://blueprintos.com/assets

The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham

https://a.co/d/0dP23yXZ

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 their 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, hands-off 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 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, their team provides comprehensive digital marketing support to help your business grow.

Exclusive offer for listeners:

https://directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness

Get a free marketing campaign audit where their team reviews your website, social media, SEO, content, 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 Brian Kiley, an insurance agency owner and longtime business leader with more than three decades of experience across multiple industries. From running bike shops to founding a nonprofit ministry and now leading an insurance agency, Brian shares the winding path that shaped his perspective as a business owner.

They discuss the realities of the early years in business and the lessons Brian wishes someone had shared with him sooner. The conversation explores topics like slowing down as a leader, stepping out of the day-to-day whirlwind to think strategically, and the importance of defining core values before a company begins to grow.

This conversation also explores the practical systems that help businesses grow. Brian shares how building scorecards and tracking the right metrics can change how leaders manage performance and make decisions.

If you are building a business and looking for practical insights from someone who has spent decades learning through experience, this conversation is for you.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

Learn more about Brian Kiley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-w-kiley/

Check out the book referenced in the conversation, The 4 Disciplines of Execution:

https://www.amazon.com/4-Disciplines-Execution-Achieving-Wildly-Important/dp/145162705X

Check out the sales book Brian mentioned, SPIN Selling:

https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-Selling-Neil-Rackham/dp/0070511136

Referenced by Bradley: The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham

https://a.co/d/0g14dJCu

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. Save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying traditional hiring fees or commissions.

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 where their team reviews your website, social media, SEO, content, 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 of Above The Business, Bradley Hamner reflects on a simple question he learned from mentor Sean Block that continues to influence how he approaches business and leadership.

Bradley explains how two questions, “What matters?” and “What are you going to do about it?”, can guide strategic planning at every level of a company. Whether thinking about a three-year vision, annual objectives, or the next 90 days, these questions help business owners focus on the actions that move the organization forward.

The episode also highlights the importance of surrounding yourself with other business owners who are committed to growth. With the right environment, leaders can reflect on past results, clarify their priorities, and create alignment for the next stage of their business.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

Coach P Consulting

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

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. Save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying traditional hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks

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 where their team reviews your website, social media, SEO, content, 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 allow the business to scale.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Dr. Matt Paden, founder of Great Days Leadership and former executive vice president at Lipscomb University. The conversation explores how leadership development actually happens inside organizations and why self-awareness plays a central role for business owners.

They discuss the difference between leadership knowledge and leadership wisdom, and why leaders benefit from reflection, feedback, and strong leadership models. The conversation focuses on how entrepreneurs can turn leadership ideas into habits that influence culture, decision making, and team development.

This conversation moves beyond leadership techniques and into the mindset behind them. What does it mean to lead with self-awareness? How does a business owner create a culture where honest feedback is welcomed? And how can leaders continue growing even when they are the ones at the top?

If you care about becoming a better leader while building a stronger organization around you, this conversation is for you.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

Pre-order Dr. Paden’s new book, The Core: Eight Principles for Building Strong, Authentic Leadership here: https://greatdaysleadership.com/the-core/

Learn more about Great Days Leadership: https://greatdaysleadership.com/

Check out the referenced book by Kim Scott, Radical Candor: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509

Thanks to our sponsors

Coach P Consulting

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

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. Save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates without paying traditional hiring fees or commissions.

https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com

Mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Direct Clicks

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

About Above The Business

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 Friday solo episode, Bradley Hamner explores a powerful concept from the book The Gap and The Gain and how it applies to small business owners who constantly feel like success is always just out of reach. As goals get closer, the horizon seems to move. What once felt like progress suddenly feels like it’s not enough.

Bradley explains how this mindset shows up in business and why many entrepreneurs unintentionally “move the goalposts” on themselves. Instead of recognizing real progress, they focus only on what still hasn’t been achieved.

He shares a practical way to break that cycle by creating intentional moments to look back at progress. From weekly reflection to quarterly planning and annual review, Bradley explains how leaders can measure the gain without letting the target constantly shift.

If you’ve ever felt like your success keeps moving further away the closer you get, this episode will give you a better framework to measure progress and lead with clarity.

Visit blueprintos.com/assets to register for the upcoming Above The Business Quarterly.

Thanks to our sponsors

Coach P Consulting

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 through weekly training calls and mentoring. Be sure to mention you heard about it on the Above The Business Podcast.

Direct Clicks

Direct Clicks is built by business owners, for business owners, offering custom marketing solutions including paid search, SEO, and social media management to drive real results. Take advantage of their exclusive listener offer: a free marketing campaign audit with actionable recommendations, and if you partner with them, all setup fees are waived.

Autopilot Recruiting

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve staffing challenges by handling hiring for you, from optimizing your applicant tracking system to posting jobs and sourcing candidates daily. Save time and reduce hiring costs while receiving pre-screened candidates, and mention Above The Business Podcast when you reach out.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: Link

About Above The Business

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.

Bradley sits down with Greg Crabtree — CPA, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits, and founder of a consulting practice that grew from a $1M local firm to a $7M national operation — for a candid, data-driven conversation about what it actually takes to build a profitable business in today's economy.

Greg shares what 40+ years of working with entrepreneurs has taught him, why the old playbook no longer applies, and what the numbers say is separating thriving businesses from struggling ones right now.

Pay yourself a market-based wage. Greg's research is clear: every time a business owner raises their salary to a true market wage and builds profitability on top of it, they make more money — far exceeding the payroll tax cost. It's behavioral economics: you fight harder to protect payroll than you do to protect profit.

Stop spending money to save on taxes. If you didn't need that piece of equipment for 52 weeks, you don't need it now. You can't spend a dollar to save 40 cents and come out ahead. Make more money and pay the tax — that's how you build wealth.

The growth-gets-you-out-of-jail strategy is broken. In a no-growth economy, you can't count on revenue to bail you out of over-investing in people, technology, or overhead. The move: cut costs to get profitable with what you have, then grow.

The black hole has expanded. Greg's 100-company model shows the toughest profitability squeeze is now hitting the $3M–$10M range — not just the $3M mark. Businesses in this zone are incurring enterprise-level costs without enterprise-level scale.

Management efficiency is the separator. The businesses pulling ahead right now are lean on management labor. Many are early AI adopters — using software agents to do more with the same dollars and freeing up management bandwidth to actually use data rather than just collect it.

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.