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

In this episode, Kari explores the hidden challenges that come with the very freedoms that attract us to working online. Whether you’ve transitioned a traditional team to remote work or started your business virtually from day one, you’ll learn why flexibility, low overhead, and casual hiring processes can actually create roadblocks to scaling your team and how to overcome them. Kari draws from her own experience leading in-person, hybrid, and fully virtual teams to offer practical tips for building structure, fostering connection, and maintaining strong communication in a remote environment.

You’ll discover the five key areas that can make or break your virtual team’s success—and how to assess where your business might be vulnerable. Plus, Kari shares a free quiz to help you measure your remote team’s strength and pinpoint your focus areas for growth.

Key Topics Discussed:

• How freedom and flexibility can create unpredictability for your team.
• Balancing low overhead with investing in the right tools for collaboration.
• Building culture and connection in a virtual team through intentional onboarding.
• Avoiding the pitfalls of under-communication in the name of “not being too corporate.”
• Why the dream of passive revenue requires active leadership—especially early on.

Leading a virtual team can be incredibly rewarding, but it takes more than great hires and flexible schedules to make it work long-term. By putting structure behind your freedom, fostering connection, and communicating with intention, you can build a remote team that’s not only productive, but also deeply engaged in your mission. Take the quiz, identify your growth opportunities, and start leading your virtual team with clarity and confidence.

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.

In this inspiring and refreshingly candid episode, Kari is joined by longtime colleague and friend, Melanie Harris—CEO and physiotherapist at Functional Therapy, a thriving pediatric practice in Alberta. Melanie shares her journey from reluctant entrepreneur to confident business leader, opening up about the emotional and practical challenges of leaving behind secure employment, scaling a purpose-driven business, and redefining leadership in healthcare.

Together, Kari and Melanie reflect on the real, behind-the-scenes experiences of transitioning from clinician to entrepreneur: the late nights, the self-doubt, and the joy work that keeps them going. If you’re a healthcare provider thinking about starting your own business—or you’ve already taken the leap—this episode is packed with wisdom, laughs, and reminders that you’re not alone.

Key Topics Discussed:

• From clinician to CEO: Melanie’s non-linear path into entrepreneurship
• Saying yes to everything: How she navigated the early stages of solo practice
• Building a team from the bleachers: The magic of hiring from unexpected places
• Owning your job vs. building a business: Knowing when to let go and delegate
• Scaling smart: Becoming a vendor, hiring subcontractors, and embracing growth
• The CEO identity shift: Redefining productivity and learning to trust your team
• Creating a second level of leadership: Training coordinators and building in mentorship
• The emotional side of leadership: Balancing heart-led decisions with strategic thinking
• Investing in community and support: How peer groups and coaching changed her trajectory
• Joy work and intuition: Redefining success on your own terms

Melanie’s story is a powerful reminder that building a business—especially in healthcare—requires more than strategy. It takes heart, resilience, and a community of support. From her kitchen-table startup days to leading a thriving, values-driven team, she shows us that leadership is not about doing it all, but about learning to let go and trust the people around you.

If you're navigating your own shift from service provider to CEO, be sure to grab the Free 5-Systems Foundation Checklist—it’s a practical tool to help you streamline your business and free up your time so you can focus on your own version of joy work.

Because the business you build should work for you.

Connect with Melanie and her team:
Website: www.functionaltherapy.ca
Phone: (780) 977-4222
Email: [email protected]

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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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.

Is your summer slipping away while you’re still glued to your business? If you dreamed of afternoons with your feet up, reading a book, or spending unrushed time with family—but instead feel constantly interrupted by client calls, emails, and shifting schedules—this episode is for you.

Kari shares practical strategies and mindset shifts to help you reclaim the rest of your summer without sacrificing your business. From setting clear boundaries with clients to adjusting your summer hours based on actual client behavior, Kari walks you through simple, actionable steps to give yourself permission to truly step away and enjoy the season.

Whether it’s carving out an afternoon off or restructuring your weekly schedule, these tips will help you reset your nervous system, protect your revenue, and (finally!) feel like the business owner you set out to be.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why stepping away—truly unplugging—is essential for both you and your business
• How to shift your mindset from guilt to permission when taking time off
• Smart ways to adjust your summer hours without losing clients
• The “buffer block” strategy for handling reschedules while maintaining boundaries
• How to optimize your schedule for both flexibility and profitability
• Communication tips for keeping clients happy while you enjoy your time off

You started your business for freedom, flexibility, and the chance to design a life you love—not to feel chained to it, even in the middle of summer. Give yourself permission to slow down, step away, and enjoy the moments you’ve been dreaming about. Whether it’s an afternoon at the beach, reading a book in the sunshine, or simply taking a deep breath without your phone in hand, these little resets matter. Your business will be better for it, and so will you.

And if you’re ready to make stepping away easier, grab my Free 5-Systems Foundation Checklist. It’s designed to help you create simple, reliable systems so your business can run smoothly—even when you’re taking that well-deserved break.

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.

Welcome to Part 3 of Kari Lotzien’s special mini-series designed for healthcare professionals navigating the world of business. In this episode, Kari—business and leadership coach and former occupational therapist—guides listeners through one of the most crucial decisions in private practice: when and how to scale.

Drawing from over two decades of firsthand experience building and selling a multidisciplinary healthcare practice, Kari opens up about the strategic thinking and mindset shifts required for sustainable growth. Whether you're overwhelmed as a solopreneur or eager to take your next step, this episode delivers practical frameworks and grounded advice.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Know Before You Grow: Revisit Episode 1 for essential systems to solidify your business foundation, and Episode 2 for mastering ethical and effective sales in health and wellness.
• The “Messy Middle”: Kari shares personal insights about the tension between the excitement of growing a team and the fear of losing control over client experience and brand integrity.
• The CEO Shift: Before hiring, step away from the frontlines to reflect on your long-term vision, strengths, and the roles you want to delegate.
• 3 Ways to Scale:

1. Vertical Scaling: Hiring another clinician to replicate your service. Do it cautiously—create a waitlist and clear client expectations to prevent internal competition.
2. Lateral Scaling: Add complementary services (e.g., massage therapy in a chiro clinic). Ideal for creating integrated, client-centered care.
3. Foundational Scaling: Hiring admin staff. Often overlooked, but a crucial early investment to free your time and increase profitability.

• Avoid Desperation Hiring: Make hiring decisions from a place of strategy, not burnout. Build a financial buffer and plan onboarding intentionally.
• Leadership Matters: Transitioning into leadership requires new skills—clear communication, expectation setting, and structured onboarding. Passion and purpose should guide your job postings and team-building efforts.

Scaling a business isn't just about growth—it's about building a vision that serves both your clients and your life. Take your time, plan intentionally, and remember that every great leader started where you are right now. You've got this!

Download your Free 5-Systems Foundation Checklist and start strengthening the core of your healthcare practice today. Whether you're just starting or already scaling, these essential systems will help you reclaim your time, protect your energy, and set your business up for long-term success.

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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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
• LinkedIn: Kari Lotzien

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

In this episode, Kari Lotzien continues her miniseries for healthcare professionals transitioning into business ownership. Drawing from over two decades of experience as an occupational therapist and successful private practice owner, Kari dives into the crucial topic of sales—a frequently overlooked but essential aspect of healthcare entrepreneurship.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your client onboarding process, this episode is packed with insights you can use today.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Mindset Shift Around Sales: Sales is not about being pushy—it's about making your services known to those who need them. In healthcare, sales equals hope and access to help.
   
• Common Sales Mistakes:
  
  • Shying away from selling due to discomfort with money.
  • Undercharging and overdelivering, leading to burnout and blurred boundaries.
  • Leading with credentials instead of clear, relatable messaging.
     
• Sales Strategy Tips:
  
  • Clearly define your ideal client and communicate benefits over qualifications.
  • Develop a predictable service process and communicate expectations from the outset.
  • Be transparent in your pricing and set boundaries to avoid resentment and confusion.
     
• Practical Sales Conversations:
  
  • Explore client challenges, offer specific solutions, and clarify treatment timelines and commitments.
  • Avoid overwhelming new clients with too much information at once.
  • Use client onboarding as a key tool in creating predictable cash flow and stronger referrals.
     
• Follow-Up Systems:
  
  • Implement structured follow-up to ensure potential clients don’t fall through the cracks.
  • Don’t make assumptions—ask clients how and when to follow up.

If sales feel uncomfortable or unclear, you're not alone—but you can shift your mindset and create systems that bring more ease, income, and impact.

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
• LinkedIn: Kari Lotzien

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

In this powerful kickoff to her special mini-series, Kari Lotzien, business and leadership coach and former occupational therapist, shares how her personal journey from solopreneur to successful healthcare business owner and eventual seller informs her mission to support others on the same path.

This episode focuses on the foundations healthcare providers need to build a sustainable, scalable business. Drawing from both real-world experience and formal training, Kari shares the mindset shifts and five core systems that lay the groundwork for growth—without burnout.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Clinician-to-CEO mindset shift: Why many healthcare business owners don't even realize they're running a business—and what needs to change.
• Revenue vs. freedom tension: Why the “more clients = more revenue” model keeps you stuck, and how to shift toward building a real business.
• Avoiding burnout: Kari shares her early mistakes and how better systems can help you avoid working nights, weekends, and during family time.
• The five foundational systems every practice needs:
  • Client scheduling – automate and protect your time and boundaries from day one.
  • Financial tracking – know your numbers and what “enough” looks like for you.
  • Decision-making support – don't grow alone; why finding your community or coach matters.
  • Workflows – get systems out of your head and into repeatable processes.
  • Client education – set expectations early with policies, boundaries, and clear communication.

Download your Free 5-Systems Foundation Checklist and start strengthening the core of your healthcare practice today. Whether you're just starting or already scaling, these essential systems will help you reclaim your time, protect your energy, and set your business up for long-term success.

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other purpose-driven leaders find this message.

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

DOWNLOAD your checklist for this episode:

5-Systems Foundation Checklist

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

In this episode, Kari Lotzien opens up about a growing desire many entrepreneurs feel—but rarely voice: the longing for a slower pace in life and business. As summer approaches, Kari explores the deep benefits of embracing “slow leadership”—a philosophy that allows you to lead with clarity, presence, and purpose, without sacrificing profitability or success.

She dives into her personal journey from hustle to intention, and shares practical signs of “speed creep” that may be costing you more than you realize. From high blood pressure and fractured relationships to poor business decisions and burnout, Kari reveals the hidden cost of operating in overdrive—and the extraordinary rewards of slowing down.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why the urge to hustle harder is a lie
• What slow leadership really looks like—and why it works
• Personal consequences Kari faced from living in constant overdrive
• How presence, curiosity, and better decision-making stem from intentional space
• Signs you may be experiencing “speed creep” in your business and life
• Why slow doesn’t mean less profitable (and real client stories to prove it)
• The neuroscience behind slowing down and heightened awareness
• How simplifying your offerings and systems can increase impact and profit
• 5 powerful coaching questions to reclaim space and sustainability in your work

If this episode resonated with you—or made you think of a friend or fellow business owner who’s running on fumes—please share it. Help us build a community of sustainable, values-driven businesses that thrive in the long term.

Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps other purpose-driven leaders find this message.

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

DOWNLOAD your workbook for this episode:

The Power of Slow Leadership Workbook

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In this heartfelt and timely episode, Kari reflects on the emotional weight of recent events—including the divisiveness surrounding the Canadian federal election—and extends a warm, empowering message to the often-overlooked "quiet leaders." These are the behind-the-scenes anchors of our families, communities, and businesses. Through personal insight and grounded storytelling, Kari outlines the five powerful traits of quiet leadership, how they’re making a difference, and why now more than ever, we need them to step forward. If you’ve ever felt too quiet to lead or worried your impact isn’t big enough, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• What defines a quiet leader and why their presence matters
• The 5 key superpowers of quiet leaders:

1. Deep Listening – noticing tone, breath, and emotion
2. Thoughtful Decision-Making – taking time to consider long-term impact
3. Steady Energy – being a calming, predictable presence
4. Empathetic Relationship Building – connecting without an agenda
5. Long-Term Vision – prioritizing sustainable impact over immediate gains

• Common challenges quiet leaders face (like being underestimated or pressured to "speak louder")
• A powerful message of encouragement: Be visible where it matters most.

If this episode speaks to you—or reminds you of someone who needs to hear it—share it. Tag a quiet leader and let them know their voice matters. And if you’re ready to deepen your leadership journey, join us in the Anchored Leadership Academy.

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.

In this episode of Be the Anchor, Kari Lotzien invites you into her recently decluttered workspace to explore the power of spring cleaning your business—physically, digitally, and with your time. If you've been feeling buried by the "stuff" of entrepreneurship—sticky notes, digital files, or calendar clutter—this episode delivers tangible steps to create space and welcome in new energy and opportunities.

Topics Covered:

• Physical Clutter: How to clear your desk, drawers, and mystery notes using the Pomodoro Technique and Kari’s favorite old-school file folders.
• Digital Declutter: Simple steps to clean your inbox, delete old Zoom files, organize Google Drive and Dropbox, and cancel unused software subscriptions.
• Time Clean-Up: Identifying leaks in your calendar, letting go of outdated commitments, and prioritizing your most profitable and fulfilling tasks.
• Energetic Reset: Kari shares how aligning with seasonal rhythms and her own renewed energy helps fuel creativity and progress in business.

Get the  Spring Cleaning Your Business Checklist
 

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.

In this episode of Be the Anchor, Kari Lotzien invites small business owners to pause before making the life-altering decision to walk away from their business. Through five reflective questions, Kari shares personal insights and practical tools to help entrepreneurs navigate burnout, stress, and evolving business challenges. If you're at a crossroads and wondering whether to shut it down or shake it up, this episode is your lifeline.

Topics Covered:

• How to reconnect with your “why” and explore what’s changed
• Why thoughts of quitting aren’t always a red flag—they might be a call for change
• The difference between burnout and being misaligned with your current role
• How to examine your financial, emotional, and energy needs honestly
• The path from overwhelm to reigniting your passion through leadership

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.