Anchored Leadership: For Business Owners Ready to Lead and Not Just Manage

In this episode of Anchored Leadership, Kari Lotzien sits down with Kelly Kennedy, founder and CEO of Capital Business Development, host of The Business Development Podcast, creator of the Catalyst Club Community, and founder of the Business Development Mastery Coaching Program. With nearly two decades of experience in sales and business development, Kelly brings a grounded, practical perspective on what it really takes to grow a business with consistency and confidence.

Kari and Kelly explore why great service alone is not enough, how business owners can move past the discomfort of direct outreach, and why structure, follow-up, and community are essential pieces of sustainable growth.

Key Topics Discussed:

This episode is a reminder that business development does not need to feel pushy, complicated, or disconnected from your values. At its best, it is about being strategic, building relationships, following up with intention, and creating systems that keep your business visible even when life gets full.

For small business owners, especially those in service-based businesses, this conversation is a practical nudge to stop waiting for referrals to do all the heavy lifting. Your reputation matters, but so does your willingness to be seen, ask clearly, and follow through consistently.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

Kelly Kennedy is the Founder & CEO of Capital Business Development, host of The Business Development Podcast and I Used To Work There, creator of The Catalyst Club Community, and founder of the Business Development Mastery Coaching Program. Known by many as The Podfather and the Hope Dealer, Kelly brings nearly two decades of sales and business development experience to helping entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and business leaders build better systems, create real momentum, and grow with confidence.

Connect with Kelly and learn more about his incredible work here:

Websites:
https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com
https://www.capitalbd.ca 

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial/

Podcasts:
https://thebusinessdevelopmentpodcast.captivate.fm/listen
https://iusedtoworkthere.com/listen

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Most business coaching falls into one of two camps.

Hustle culture: scale faster, push harder, your only limit is your mindset.

Affirmation culture: you're amazing, you've got this, here's your permission slip.

Neither one asks the hard question. And for established owners who have already done the work of building something real, neither one is actually enough.

In this episode, Kari gets honest about the gap she sees in the coaching and leadership development space, why the hardest person to lead in your business is you, and what it actually looks like when someone asks the question that makes you go quiet for ten seconds before you answer.

That pause? That's where the real work happens.

Key Topics Discussed:

If you’ve been feeling like the usual advice (work harder, think bigger, stay positive) isn’t quite enough anymore, this episode offers a different perspective. Not more tactics, not more validation, but a deeper level of reflection. The kind that changes how you lead, how you decide, and ultimately how your business supports your life.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

Find the hours you didn't know you were losing and get the Time Leak Toolkit:  https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811. For capable, experienced business owners who are always busy but never feel caught up. You want to know exactly where your time is disappearing and more importantly how you can get it back. 

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There comes a point in business where the question quietly shifts. It’s no longer just about growth, efficiency, or what the next opportunity is, it becomes something deeper: is this still right for me?

In this episode, Kari reflects on a pattern she’s seeing across experienced business owners, and in herself. Beneath conversations about time, systems, and leadership, there’s a quieter layer emerging. A shift from building and pushing forward…to listening, adapting, and intentionally designing what comes next. This is not about starting over. It’s about recognizing that the version of success you built your business on may not fully fit the person you’ve become.

Key Topics Discussed:

This episode is an invitation to pause not to slow everything down, but to create just enough space to hear your own thinking again. Because at this stage, the answers you’re looking for are rarely found in another strategy or framework. They come from being honest about what fits now, what no longer does, and what you actually want to build moving forward.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

Find the hours you didn't know you were losing and get the Time Leak Toolkit:  https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811. For capable, experienced business owners who are always busy but never feel caught up. You want to know exactly where your time is disappearing and more importantly how you can get it back. 

Work with Kari: 

Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor: 

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What happens when you’re leading a business, supporting a team, and suddenly stepping into the role of caregiver for an aging parent?

In this episode, Kari sits down with nurse advocates Pam and Linda of Nurse Advocate Consulting to unpack one of the most emotionally and logistically complex seasons many business owners face.

This is not just about healthcare; it’s about leadership under pressure.

They share real stories from decades of experience supporting families through Alzheimer’s, cancer, and unexpected health crises. You’ll hear what most families aren’t prepared for, why the system feels overwhelming, and how to navigate it without losing yourself or your business, in the process.

If you’re part of the “sandwich generation” or know this season is coming, this conversation will give you both clarity and relief.

Key Topics Discussed:

This is one of those seasons that asks more of you than you expected and not just as a business owner, but as a human being. If you take nothing else from this conversation, let it be this: you don’t have to figure it all out in the middle of a crisis. Start the conversations. Put a few simple systems in place. Ask for support sooner than you think you need it. Because the goal isn’t to carry all of this perfectly, it’s to navigate it in a way that protects your capacity, honours your family, and allows you to keep leading your business without losing yourself in the process.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

Connect with Pam and Linda and learn more about her incredible work here:

Website: www.yournurseadvocateconsulting.com/about-us/

Read their book “Cracking the Hospice Code: Your Nurse Advocates Debunk the Top 10 Misconceptions of Hospice”

Find the time you need right now. The Time Leak Toolkit

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If you pride yourself on being available, responsive, and always there for your clients and team… this episode might challenge you.

Because what feels like great leadership - being approachable, overdelivering, always saying yes, might actually be the reason you feel constantly pulled, behind, and unable to step into true leadership.

In this episode, Kari breaks down the subtle (and very human) ways business owners train their clients and teams to treat their time, and how those patterns quietly create overwhelm, inconsistency, and even resentment.

This is not about becoming rigid or unavailable. It’s about becoming aligned.

If you’ve ever felt like you can’t catch up, can’t step away, or can’t get to the “big picture” work your business needs…this episode will help you see why.

Key Topics Discussed:

At some point, this stops being about time management and starts being about leadership. Not the kind that looks good on paper, but the kind that holds under pressure. You don’t need to become less supportive, less generous, or less available - you just need to become more consistent. Because the truth is, your business will always rise or fall to the standard you model. And when you start protecting your time with the same care you’ve been giving everyone else, you don’t just get your hours back, you finally create the space to lead the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

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One of the most common things small business owners say is: “I just need more time.”

But what if the real issue isn’t the big commitments on your calendar, it’s the small moments that quietly steal your attention throughout the day?

In this episode of Be the Anchor, Kari invites you to take a closer look at where your time is actually going. Many entrepreneurs plan well, set priorities, and build thoughtful to-do lists, yet still end the day feeling like nothing meaningful moved forward.

The truth is that the biggest drains on your time rarely show up on your calendar. Instead, they appear as quick questions, interruptions, late meetings, and small tech distractions. Individually, they seem harmless, but together they create the feeling that your day disappeared.

Kari explores the idea of “time leaks” - tiny gaps where minutes slip away unnoticed. When you become aware of these patterns, you can start reclaiming time for leadership, strategy, and meaningful work.

You’ll also learn how reclaiming just 15 minutes a day can add up to more than 60 hours in a year, enough to change how you run your business and your life.

This episode isn’t about productivity hacks. It’s about awareness first. Once you see where your time is leaking, you can make better decisions about where your attention belongs.

If you’ve ever ended the week wondering where your time went, this episode is for you.

Key Topics Discussed:

If you’ve been feeling like there’s never enough time, this episode is an invitation to slow down and take an honest look at where your minutes are actually going. The goal isn’t to become more productive overnight or to squeeze more into your day. It’s simply to become aware of the small leaks that quietly drain your time and energy. When you start to notice those patterns, even reclaiming fifteen minutes a day can create meaningful space - for leadership thinking, for strategy, or simply for a little more breathing room in your life. Your time is one of your most valuable resources, and learning to protect it is one of the most important leadership skills you can build.

During this episode, Kari introduces The Time Toolkit, a simple and structured process designed to help business owners identify where their time is actually going.

The toolkit walks you through a short four-day audit to help uncover the small interruptions and patterns that quietly steal your time. In less than an hour of total work, many business owners discover opportunities to reclaim five or more hours per month.

You can find the Time Toolkit link here:

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

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Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor: 

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In this conversation, Kari sits down with keynote speaker and author Steven Langer to challenge the idea that work-life balance is the goal. Steven makes the case that balance is a trap: it frames work and life as competing forces, sets an unrealistic 50/50 standard, and leaves high performers stuck in guilt and pendulum-swinging.

Instead, Steven introduces work-life coherence, a practical way of living and leading where your work and life fit together and make sense for the season you’re in. Using relatable analogies (the seesaw, the sailing captain, and the hill vs. plateau), they unpack how to create space for complexity, protect your “fulcrum” (health), and lead teams (especially remote teams) with intention, clarity, and trust.

Key Topics Discussed:

If work-life balance has felt like a hamster wheel with a guilt soundtrack, this episode offers a better target: coherence, a way to lead and live that makes sense for the season you’re in, while protecting the health and systems that make your success sustainable.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.

Steven doesn’t just motivate, he equips audiences with clear, authentic tools they can actually use. Whether speaking to executives, frontline teams, or leaders, people leave feeling seen, understood, and ready to lead and live with intention.

His keynotes tackle real-world pressures and offer actionable ways to build healthier workplaces and more coherent lives. If you want clarity and forward momentum, Steven Langer delivers.

Connect with Steven and learn more about his incredible work here:
www.wellbydesign.ca
www.linkedin.com/in/steven-langer-b9b64945

Get his book here: wellbydesign.ca/coherence-compass-book

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If you tend to avoid conflict, smooth things over, or jump in to fix problems yourself, this episode is for you.

As your business grows, tension and discomfort don’t mean something is broken; they’re signs that your business is evolving. In this episode of Be the Anchor, Kari explores the critical (and often uncomfortable) shift from being a capable problem-solver to becoming a true leader.

You’ll learn why avoiding hard conversations keeps you stuck in reaction mode, how fixing problems for your team actually limits their growth, and what leadership looks like when responsibility is shared instead of absorbed.

This episode is a continuation of the recent conversation about becoming the bottleneck in your business and what it really takes to move from management into confident, sustainable leadership.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why conflict and tension are not signs of failure but indicators of growth
• The predictable stages of business ownership: provider → manager → leader
• How “being helpful” can quietly keep you stuck fixing instead of leading
• The hidden cost of avoiding hard conversations in your business
• Why leadership is about developing people, not preventing problems
• A real-world example of addressing performance issues without micromanaging
• How naming standards and impact builds ownership and accountability
• Why asking questions is more powerful than giving answers
• The role of space, calm, and regulation in effective leadership conversations

You’re not behind. You’re evolving.

Learning how to lead through discomfort calmly, clearly, and without carrying everything yourself is one of the most important shifts a business owner can make. And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

If this episode resonated, let it be an invitation, not to push harder, but to pause. To step back just enough to lead forward.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—start building a business that works for you—not just because of you.

 

Work with Kari: 

• Anchored Leadership Academy
• Private Business and Leadership Coaching

Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor: 

• Website: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd
• Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Linked In: Kari Lotzien

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve built a strong reputation, hired good people, and still feel like everything runs through you - this episode is for you.

In this continuation of last week’s conversation, Kari dives into what happens after you realize you’ve become the bottleneck in your business. Not because you’re doing something wrong, but because leadership has quietly been squeezed into the margins of your day.

This episode explores why clarity doesn’t come from trying harder, working faster, or stacking better systems on top of an already full plate. It comes from something most business owners avoid: creating space.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why being deeply involved in the day-to-day makes it nearly impossible to lead well
• The hidden cost of making leadership decisions “in the margins”
• How service-based owners end up holding two full-time jobs: revenue generator and leader
• A real story from Kari’s own business, and the moment she realized her leadership was the constraint
• Why your team may feel uncertain or disengaged even when everything “looks fine”
• The renovation analogy that perfectly explains why growth feels so hard at this stage
• Why peers, perspective, and protected space are essential for the next level of leadership
• How slowing down can feel uncomfortable and why it’s often the most productive move you can make

Leadership at this stage isn’t about becoming more efficient, more productive, or more resilient. It’s about recognizing that the way you’ve been operating (the pace, the proximity, the constant availability) is no longer serving the business or the people in it.

If you’re feeling worn down, unclear, or quietly frustrated, that’s not a personal failing. It’s information. It’s a signal that leadership needs space, not squeezed into the margins between clients, emails, and late-night notes.

You don’t need all the answers right now. You don’t need a perfect plan. What you need is altitude. Space to think. Space to see patterns. Space to lead with intention instead of reacting in real time.

And most importantly, you don’t have to do that alone. Leadership gets lighter, clearer, and more effective when it’s done in the right rooms, with people who understand the weight you’re carrying.

If this episode resonated, let it be an invitation, not to push harder, but to pause. To step back just enough to lead forward.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—start building a business that works for you—not just because of you.

 

Work with Kari: 

• Anchored Leadership Academy
• Private Business and Leadership Coaching

Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor: 

• Website: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd
• Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Linked In: Kari Lotzien,

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve built your business by being reliable, responsive, and indispensable but now feel like things won’t move unless you do, it may be time for a leadership shift.

In this powerful solo episode, Kari speaks directly to business owners who are feeling stretched thin, not quite burnt out, but heavy with responsibility. You’ll hear stories, practical insights, and compassionate coaching about what to do when you realize you’ve become the bottleneck in your business.

This episode gives you permission to step back, reassess, and redesign your leadership, without guilt.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why your competence might be quietly holding your business back
• The difference between being needed and being effective
• How to shift from being the go-to problem solver to building decision-making capacity in your team
• A powerful script you can use to start coaching your team to think critically
• How the lack of systems, not trust, creates team dependence
• Real-life client stories that show how these dynamics play out and how to fix them

If you’re starting to feel like everything in your business runs through you, that no decision gets made without your input, that your team is waiting on you, and that you’re constantly “just checking one more thing” this episode was your permission slip to pause and rethink.

You haven’t done anything wrong. In fact, your business has likely grown because of your care, your consistency, and your competence. But now, your leadership needs to evolve with your business. It’s time to move from being the anchor that holds everything together to becoming the anchor that stabilizes and empowers a team to grow and lead alongside you.

Remember: your goal isn’t to be indispensable. Your goal is to build something that doesn’t fall apart when you exhale.

 

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—start building a business that works for you—not just because of you.

 

Work with Kari: 

• Anchored Leadership Academy
• Private Business and Leadership Coaching

Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor: 

• Website: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd
• Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca
• Linked In: Kari Lotzien

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.