You’ve spent weeks, maybe months, building the “perfect” sales funnel. But the high-ticket clients you want still aren’t showing up. What if the problem isn’t your funnel, but the strategy itself?

What if there's a more direct path to landing premium clients?

Ann Carden, an entrepreneur who has built and sold seven companies, argues that the marketing systems needed to attract high-end clients are fundamentally different from conventional funnels.

Her method is about building influence and creating undeniable value, not just another automated sequence.

Discover:

🟣 How to build a business that can grow without you (so you can actually sell it)

🟣 Why you can't see your own value and are likely undercharging for your services

🟣 How to find high-value opportunities with existing clients instead of chasing new leads

🟣 The mindset shift that gives you control over your business, regardless of the economy

Connect with Ann:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncarden-business-consultant-coach/

https://www.youtube.com/anncarden

https://annlcarden.com/

Connect with Becky on CoachFinder:

https://coachfinder.ai/coaches/becky-hayman

🔗 Save hours with top business hacks every Friday:

https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

1:00 - From Corporate Career to $15 and a Dream

1:49 - How She Built a Global Business Before Google Existed

2:57 - The Secret to Building Businesses You Can Actually Sell

4:42 - The “McDonald’s Method” for Scaling Your Team

6:15 - “Charge What You’re Worth” Is Bad Advice. Do This Instead.

7:30 - The 2008 Recession Hit. I Risked Everything on This “Crazy” Idea.

11:10 - While They Shut Down, I Found My Unfair Advantage

12:18 - The #1 Skill for Thriving in a Bad Economy: Innovation

15:29 - The $4k Machine I Turned Into a $25k Offer (& a Million-Dollar Business)

18:21 - Your Message Is Wrong: How to Sell the ROI, Not the Features

22:25 - This Is My Primary Revenue Driver (And It’s Not What You Think)

24:50 - A Belief About Business That Kept Me Small

28:08 - How to Find Hidden Gaps in the Market Right Now

30:04 - Selling to a Desire vs. Selling to a Problem

33:47 - The Easiest Money Is Hiding Here (And It’s Not New Clients)

36:18 - Where to Find Ann Carden

#Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy #RecessionProof #StartupStory #ScalingBusiness #HighTicketSales #MarketingMindset #PricingStrategy #FemaleEntrepreneur #BusinessGrowth #SalesSuccess #SmallBusiness #EconomicCrisis #SuccessMindset #AnnCarden #TheBDPodcast

That task you keep putting off? It’s not your fault.Procrastination isn't a character flaw but a subconscious program running your life, designed to make you run from discomfort. But what if you could override that program in under 60 seconds?Former Daimler Truck employee Bogdan Cristian Neag was trapped by these same cycles of procrastination and self-doubt. He discovered that the secret to taking action isn't motivation; it's a physiological switch.He walks us through the exact 8-breath exercise he uses to shut down the inner critic, detach from the fear of failure, and enter a state of instant focus.

Discover

🟢 The hidden programming running your life

🟢 Healing cancer with energetic methods

🟢 Why most people are breathing wrong

🟢 Breaking generational curses through conscious breath

🟢 The real reason you're procrastinating (and how to stop)

Connect with Bogdan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bogdanneag/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMpaEdtMFkdEQKu5uiUQMA/videos

https://x.com/neagbogdanc

Connect with your PERFECT coach at CoachFinder.ai

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:18 - The Journey from Corporate to Breathwork Coach

04:19 - Personal Growth and Healing Through Breathwork

07:15 - The Power of Breathwork in Stress Management

09:20 - Practical Breathing Exercises for Focus and Calm

13:32 - Lessons from Influential Mentors in Personal Development

17:27 - The Legacy of Ancestors and Personal Growth

17:58 - The Role of Coaching in Personal Development

21:22 - Understanding Stress and Its Misconceptions

23:54 - Transforming High Pressure into High Performance

27:17 - Procrastination vs. Perfectionism

30:14 - Embracing Uncertainty and Gratitude

33:44 - Unconventional Healing Methods

37:56 - Living Intentionally: Breathe and Live

40:37 - Practical Advice for Everyday Life

The clock was ticking. 72 hours. $2,000. Or her mother wouldn’t make it.For nine months, Prima Jope had followed all the rules of building an online brand and had made nothing. She was just another aspiring entrepreneur posting into the void, feeling like the world's best-kept secret. Then, crisis hit.In three days, with everything on the line, she threw the guru's rulebook out the window and discovered a brutal truth about selling that no one talks about.It’s a secret that turned her panic into $2,000 cash , and eventually, a multiple six-figure business.

Discover

🟣 The "House on Fire" method — the art of finding the one single problem your customer will pay anything to solve RIGHT NOW

🟣 Why your "nice-to-have" offers are being ignored

🟣 How to become the only person they're willing to trust with their money, even if they've never heard of you

Connect with Prima

https://www.skool.com/theworldsbestkeptsecretorbit/about

https://www.linkedin.com/in/prima-jope-22a2271b2/

Connect with Becky on CoachFinder

https://coachfinder.ai/coaches/becky-hayman

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:28 - The "Success Code" My Dad Gave Me; I Rejected It

05:20 - 72 Hours to Find $2,000... Or My Mom Dies

08:50 - The Practical Steps I Took When I Froze in Panic

10:40 - How I Found My First $2K Client in a 100-Person Facebook Group

14:04 - The 4 Words That Accidentally Launched My Coaching Career

15:34 - The "House on Fire" Secret: Stop Selling Vitamins to Your Clients

19:56 - A "House on Fire" Can Be a Good Thing

26:21 - The Man Who Paid $6,000 To Get Into My World (And Then Became My Husband)

30:50 - Finding Your Audience's "House on Fire"

33:52 - How My Family Reacted When I Quit My "Good Job" for Facebook

38:57 - The Real Reason I Finally Quit My Corporate Job

45:28 - Can Anyone Be An Entrepreneur?

52:54 - The Brand Inside Me is Bigger Than Oprah's

They told her she was running marketing. He told her she was failing.In one meeting, a single, brutal question from a Motorola executive forced Laura Patterson to confront the devastating truth: everything she thought was marketing was a lie. Her work was being thrown in the trash. Sound familiar? You’re busy. You’re chasing shiny objects, playing pinball with your budget, and creating AI content you think is helping. But what if it’s all just doing more damage, faster?

Discover

🟣 The hardware store analogy that reveals the fatal flaw in your AI strategy

🟣 Why your company is selling products to the wrong people

🟣 The simple question that unlocks true customer loyalty

Connect with Laura

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurapattersonvem/

[email protected]

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

03:02 - Austin's Gold Rush: When You Could Get a Job By Spelling "Marketing"

04:31 - 9/11 & The Dot-Com Bust: Forging a Business in Fire

09:37 - My Boss Ignored Me. It Changed My Career Forever.

15:52 - The Wallet Fallacy: Why You're Selling to the Wrong Person

17:51 - A Simple Framework to Read Your Customer's Mind

19:36 - The "Circle of Traction" a Customer Begged Her to Write

24:01 - The Grit Crisis: Why Today's Smartest Minds Quit When It Gets Hard

25:44 - Drowning in Data? You're Asking the Wrong Question.

29:43 - The AI Bandsaw: Doing More Damage, Faster

35:54 - Will AI Take Your Job? The Uncomfortable Truth.

38:00 - Rapid Fire: MQLs Must Die, Triathlons & The Best Advice I Ever Got

39:05 - Connect with Laura

They told you to biohack your way to health. They sold you on supplements, wearable tech, and quick fixes.Here's the truth: the secret to unlocking peak performance, boundless energy, and true longevity isn't in a pill or a machine, but in the one organ that everyone, including your doctor, is ignoring? Meet Nurse Doza and Baldo, the renegade entrepreneurs who went from a broom closet to treating superstars like Shaq by shattering every rule in the book. They built an empire on one "terrible" business decision: giving away their most valuable services for free. In this episode, they expose the fatal flaw in the modern wellness industry and reveal the shocking truth about your liver—the body's master controller for your brain, hormones, metabolism, and energy. You'll discover why you can't outrun the need for fundamental sleep and sunlight , why elite athletes swear by their controversial methods , and the simple, at-home changes that can regenerate your body's most vital engine. Start with Nurse Doza’s FREE 14-Day Liver Reset course mentioned in the episode.

Discover

🟣 The fatal flaw in the modern wellness industry

🟣 Facts about the body's master controller for your brain, hormones, metabolism, and energy

🟣 Why you can't outrun the need for fundamental sleep and sunlight

🟣 Why elite athletes swear by their controversial methods

🟣 Simple, at-home changes that can regenerate your body's most vital engine

Connect with Nurse Doza and Baldo

https://www.nursedoza.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebaldogarza/

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:18 - The "We Made It" Moment (ft. Shaq)

02:35 - The "Free B12 Shots" Gamble That Broke All The Rules

04:39 - IV Drips vs. Pills: The Brutal Truth About Absorption

05:41 - Why Men with Tattoos Are Terrified of Needles

08:27 - Designing a Clinic That Feels Like a House Music Bar

10:14 - The #1 Myth About Holistic Health

11:51 - The Performance Secret of Pro Athletes & Celebs

13:46 - Side Effects? "You'll Have More Energy & Better Sleep."

15:11 - Biohacking: Are We Really Going to Live to 120?

19:29 - The Organ You're Ignoring

22:43 - How to Survive 70-Hour Work Weeks Without Burning Out

24:23 - A 6-Step Morning Routine For An Unstoppable Day

26:56 - Your Body's Regenerating Super-Organ

30:51 - Is It Too Late? Can a Damaged Liver ACTUALLY Heal?

34:25 - How to REALLY Track Your Liver Health (The Fart Test)

37:51 - The Future of Wellness is NOT What You Think

40:49 - The Coming Dopamine Crisis We Aren't Ready For

43:24 - What We Learned from the CEO of Whole Foods

45:50 - The Health Festival That Sparked Million-Dollar Deals

51:30 - Your 3-Step Quick-Win Health Checklist

51:56 - Where to Find the "Netflix of Health & Wellness"

How do you go from an orphanage in Norway to sending your art to space?Aisha Makara didn’t just dream. She rocketed her dreams into reality. In this episode, she describes her gripping journey from the pain of abandonment to the triumph of creation, sharing how she turned travel, art, and audacity into a life that defies gravity — literally.You’ll hear how she hitchhiked across continents, rose above heartbreak and rejection, and dared to send her paintings to Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson and saw them launch into orbit.Aisha's journey isn't just a passport full of stamps; it's a vibrant testament to what happens when you bravely pick joy, even when fear is knocking loud and clear.

Discover

🟢 How Aisha turned a childhood of struggle into a life of unstoppable exploration

🟢 The mindset shift that allowed her to pitch billionaires to launch her art

🟢 Why saying “yes” to your dreams is more powerful than any “no” you’ll hear

🟢 The raw truth about leadership, community, and what really matters

🟢 A roadmap for turning vision boards into living, breathing realities

Connect with Aisha

aisha.today

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:12 - Introduction to Aisha Makara

01:53 - Aisha's Journey from Orphan to Artist

04:03 - The Power of Travel and Self-Discovery

08:36 - Creating Opportunities and Overcoming Challenges

14:21 - The Importance of Gratitude and Mindset

19:33 - Choosing Joy and Authenticity in Life

22:21 - Navigating Fear and Embracing Change

23:26 - Choosing Growth Over Comfort

26:43 - The Trade-offs of Success

27:08 - Future Aspirations and Leadership

30:22 - The Nature of Leadership

34:06 - The Role of Women in Leadership

37:18 - Manifesting Dreams and Intentions

41:41 - Embracing Playfulness and Joy

Everything you thought you knew about leadership might be just performative.Jim Fielding’s journey from Disney’s boardrooms to coaching in the real world is a tale of radical authenticity, crushing doubt, and finally, finding your voice. In this episode, he reveals how he learned to stop dimming his light, and how you can too.👉 From feeling othered in secret to reclaiming your story👉 From silent self-doubt to sharing the truth even when it terrifies you

Discover

🟣 Why embracing “I don’t know” might be your greatest strength

🟣 How to lead without faking it—and still keep your team’s respect

🟣 Why your quirks and otherness might be your superpower

🟣 And the leadership lesson that saved Jim’s career

Connect with Jim

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimfielding/

https://www.hijimfielding.com/https://www.instagram.com/hijimfielding/

The Searchlight is a weekly briefing on leadership, venture, and building in the age of AI. Every Friday.https://thesearchlight.com/subscribe

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

01:14 – From Disney to DreamWorks: The Pivotal Move

02:55 – Why Jim Left the C-Suite for Coaching

05:32 – ‘All Pride, No Ego’: Living Your Truth

09:03 – Generational Shifts: Out & Proud

13:47 – Coaching Beyond Labels: Everyone Has a Story

22:21 – Bridging Gaps Without Creating More

29:02 – The Superpower of Not Knowing

33:38 – Where Great Ideas REALLY Come From

38:37 – Leading Authentically Without Losing Yourself

41:02 – Managing Your Inner Voices

45:50 – AI, Change & The Future of Leadership

51:48 – When It’s Time to Leave: Don’t Dim Your Light

57:04 – What’s the Question No One Asks?

58:32 – Reflecting on the Journey: Finding Peace & Power

Amazon’s boldest ideas begin as fiction. Every billion-dollar innovation starts with a fake press release and a brutal six-page narrative. No pitch decks. No roadmaps. Just a high-stakes pressure test before a single line of code gets written.In this episode, Marcelo Calbucci—former Amazon exec and startup veteran—unpacks the company’s most powerful internal tool: the PR FAQ framework. It’s the same process behind products like Alexa and Kindle, and it's now being used by scrappy founders to de-risk their biggest bets.Discover:🟢 The strategies behind one of the world's most successful companies🟢 The exact process Amazon uses to validate ideas and ensure product-market fit🟢 The "Working Backwards" methodology that minimizes risk and maximizes impact🟢 How to truly understand your audience and their hidden needs🟢 How to apply Amazon's principles to your own venture, regardless of your size or budgetConnect with Marcelo:https://www.theprfaq.com/authorhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelocalbucciwww.calbucci.com🔗 Save hours with top business hacks every Friday:https://thesearchlight.com/subscribeTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:09 - Insights from Amazon's Executive Experience04:16 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs06:58 - The PR FAQ Framework Explained11:35 - Recommended Reading for Entrepreneurs15:24 - The Power of Writing for Clarity16:23 - Understanding Customer Needs17:17 - Qualitative vs Quantitative Data19:50 - The PR FAQ Framework in Product Development22:24 - Working Backwards: The Amazon Approach23:36 - Amazon's Experimentation Culture24:48 - Leadership Attributes for Success26:10 - The Risks of Skipping the PR FAQ28:26 - The Importance of Alignment in Teams30:00 - Accelerating Startup Discovery32:42 - Common Mistakes Founders Make34:24 - Differences Between Accelerators and Venture Studios35:29 - The Learn, Write, Listen Loop38:46 - The Process of Writing a Book39:53 - Overcoming Writing Reluctance#AmazonSecrets #StartupGrowth #InnovationStrategy #Entrepreneurship #BusinessMindset #ProductDevelopment #CustomerCentric #LeadershipLessons #TechStars #VentureCapital #SmallBusinessSuccess #PRFAQ #WorkingBackwards #BusinessStrategy #TheBDPodcast

You’re about to hear why elite MBAs from Stanford and Harvard are quietly ditching tech startups and heading straight for plumbing companies, dental clinics, and pool cleaning businesses.Sounds insane? It’s not. These “unsexy” small businesses are part of a little-known investment model—Search Funds—that's delivered higher returns than venture capital, private equity, and public markets for decades.In this episode, veteran investor Jon Staenberg tells us the hidden engine behind the next trillion-dollar wealth transfer. Discover:🟣 Why the best-performing asset class is flying under Wall Street’s radar🟣 How the “Silver Tsunami” is unlocking generational wealth🟣 The mental toughness required to succeed in ETA and why most people fail🟣 How Search Funds beat VC at its own game (with fewer risks and more alignment)Connect with Jon:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonstaenberg/https://staenberg.com/https://www.agatehound.fund/🔗 Save hours with top business hacks every Friday:https://thesearchlight.com/subscribeTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:04 - The Origins of Search Funds11:41 - Transitioning from Venture Capital to Search Funds15:22 - Understanding the Agate Hound Fund16:42 - Global Opportunities in ETA18:42 - Search Funds vs. Micro Private Equity20:15 - Communicating Risk and Returns22:50 - Lessons from Venture Capital26:02 - The Importance of Team Dynamics26:20 - Eastern Philosophies in Business28:00 - The Future of Search Funds31:49 - Democratization of Search Funds33:08 - Support Systems for Searchers34:17 - Developing Leadership Skills36:25 - Creating Community in Entrepreneurship#SearchFunds #ETA #EntrepreneurshipThroughAcquisition #SmallBusinessAcquisition #PrivateEquity #MicroPrivateEquity #StanfordBusiness #HarvardBusiness #WealthTransfer #BabyBoomerBusiness #InvestmentStrategy #UnsexyBusinesses #HighReturns #FundofFunds #TheBDPodcast

They’re calling it “quiet quitting,” but it’s a symptom of a deeper, more insidious problem HR still isn’t addressing. You feel it, your team feels it, and it's killing productivity. This isn't about laziness but about a fundamental disconnect between what companies think employees want and what truly drives them to stay or to silently disengage. Lisa Maree-Blumenfeld, an HR consultant who's seen the inner workings of giants like Lyft and Blue Shield, shares the unfiltered truth. Discover:🟢 The critical missteps HR makes that lead to mass exodus🟢 Why current policies are backfiring🟢 What actually builds loyalty and trust in today’s volatile workforceIf you're a leader struggling with turnover, or an employee wondering why you feel invisible, this episode exposes the broken system and offers a path forward.Connect with Lisa-Maree:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamareeblumenfeld/https://www.linkedin.com/company/retainhr/🔗 Save hours with top business hacks every Friday:https://thesearchlight.com/subscribeTimestamps:00:00 - Intro01:45 - Debunking HR Myths04:47 - The Financial Impact of HR07:55 - HR in Different Company Sizes10:37 - Essential HR Functions for Startups12:33 - The Fractional HR Model16:16 - The Need for Communication in HR18:52 - The Importance of One-on-Ones22:11 - Balancing HR Requirements and Company Culture22:42 - Culture vs. Compliance: Walking the Legal Tightrope24:55 - Remote Work Dynamics28:30 - Understanding Executive Motivations for On-Site Work32:32 - Navigating HR Functions for New Businesses34:07 - The Complexities of Work Visas and Employee Rights40:55 - The Unpredictability of Human Behavior in the Workplace47:52 - The Role of AI in HR and Employee Connection#QuietQuitting #EmployeeRetention #HRProblems #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipFails #EmployeeEngagement #FutureOfWork #ToxicWorkplace #CareerGrowth #HumanResources #BusinessInsights #ManagementTips #UnspokenRules #WorkLifeBalance #CorporateTransparency