Business Mastery Podcast

By Dawn Kennedy

Business is dynamic. And everything affects you and your business. Fight with your mother-in-law? Mindset struggle? Market Changes? YUP. So, we're going to talk about it all. No topic is off

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FAQs about Business Mastery Podcast:

How many episodes does Business Mastery Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 233 episodes available.

Business Mastery Podcast episodes:

August 12, 2026 233. “Debt and Leverage” with Emily Reeves
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Dawn talks with Emily Reeves, VP of Capital Solutions at Bridge Marketplace, about when debt and leverage make sense for businesses doing roughly $100,000–$500,000 in revenue and why founders either avoid debt or take on harmful “easy money.” Emily explains how loan pricing reflects risk, contrasting hard-to-get bank loans, SBA loans (cheap but heavily collateralized with personal guarantees, spouse guarantees, liens, and long-term consequences), and higher-cost options like merchant cash advances that can effectively reach 100–200% APR. They discuss asset-based lending tied to receivables, inventory, equipment, or real estate, the importance of knowing your numbers and having a clear use for funds, debt service coverage ratio, and how tighter lending has fueled private credit. Emily also covers preparing to borrow proactively, what happens in distress (workout departments), and considerations for buying businesses, including seller financing and lending based on current—not future—value.
In this episode....
Who is Emily Reeves and whom does she serve? (01:09)
Why Owners Fear Debt (01:50)
Easy Loans Trap (02:58)
Risk And Pricing Basics (04:00)
Bank Loans Reality (04:25)
SBA Loans Fine Print (05:45)
Beyond SBA Asset Lending (09:52)
Equity Versus Debt (10:56)
Bootstrap Or Big Raise (11:44)
Know Your Numbers (12:36)
Proactive Debt Strategy (14:35)
How Lenders Underwrite (15:45)
Debt Service Coverage (16:42)
Assets When Unprofitable (18:00)
Two Camps On Leverage (18:31)
Banks Tighten Up (19:18)
Private Credit Boom (19:56)
More Diligence Needed (21:02)
Founders Know Numbers (21:11)
Preparing For Debt (22:40)
Finding The Right Lender (23:31)
When Business Hits Distress (24:31)
Workout Departments Explained (25:27)
Shame And Support Resources (27:15)
Buying Businesses With Debt (30:16)
Seller Financing Reality Check (32:40)
Where To Find Emily (34:31)

Emily Reeves’ Info:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyelizabethreeves/
Website: www.bridgemarketplace.com

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
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For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
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37min
August 05, 2026 232. “Hub and Spoke Operations” with Damon Flowers
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Dawn talks with Damon Flowers,a seasoned entrepreneur, advisor and Fractional Growth Operator committed to helping business owners overcome obstacles and reach new heights of personal and business freedom. Damon serves $1–$30/50M small-to-mid-sized businesses, about operations streamlining as a modern hub-and-spoke model where operations becomes the core engine serving marketing, sales, fulfillment, finance, and support. Damon explains that decades of outsourcing business functions to disconnected tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Stripe, DocuSign, Asana, etc.) left no central “core,” forcing founders and key staff to act as the human integration layer, which breaks down amid rapid innovation, volatility, and faster decision demands. He argues the operational hub should hold business context (vision, values, brand, customers, market signals), roles, SOPs, and a live knowledge base to create alignment, speed pivots, and offload decisions. They discuss deploying agentic AI in the operational core—trained like staff, introduced via sandboxing, and used to maintain SOPs—so humans can spend more time with customers and thinking strategically, not firefighting.
In this episode....
Who is Damon Flowers and whom does he serve? (00:54)
Operations As Engine (01:06)
Why Old Model Breaks (03:33)
What Ops Covers Now (05:54)
Alignment Analogies (09:38)
AI In The Core (14:29)
Agentic AI Roles (19:30)
SOPs And Knowledge Base (24:33)
Why Pendulum Swings Back (28:16)
Where To Find Damon (34:17)
Final Takeaways And Close (35:50)

Damon Flowers' Information:
Website: https://modernoperators.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonflowers/

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
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38min
July 29, 2026 231. “Organic Growth by Presenting to Close” with Joel Bauer
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Dawn talks with Joel Bauer, a 45-year live-event and conversion expert, about why “presenting to close” and organic growth are increasingly important as audiences become desensitized to AI-driven, low-trust marketing and expensive paid ads. Bauer argues businesses must deliver immersive, emotionally compelling experiences, teach real value up front, and lead with authenticity, proof, and guarantees rather than exaggeration. He outlines a practical organic system: clarify the problem you solve (financial, emotional, or physiological), use short video testimonials and a simple 12-page QR-linked “book” to build authority, capture leads via phone/text and direct mail, and run low-cost quarterly events where 25–40% may convert.

In this episode…

Who is Joel Bauer and whom does he serve? (01:28)
Live Events Authority (01:34)
Low Trust Marketing (03:32)
AI And Human Value (05:14)
Teach Not Tease (06:20)
Ad Spend Pitfalls (10:12)
Three Market Categories (11:30)
Authority Through Books (13:13)
Sensory Communication (15:01)
Authenticity And Image (18:45)
Murse Pitch Demo (22:52)
Follow Up And Events (27:14)
Rinse Repeat Conversions (30:05)
Proof Driven Marketing (30:32)
Offline Beats Noise (31:30)
Trade Show Reinvention (33:24)
Projecting The Solution (34:38)
Crowd Creation Props (38:48)
Self Selection Strategy (43:12)
Fast Event Setup (45:26)
Organic Sales Proof (49:41)
Where To Find Joel (51:19)
Humanity Final Word (53:49)

Joel Bauer’s Information:
Website: https://joelbauer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelbauer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/joelbauer

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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55min
July 22, 2026 230. “Financial Infrastructure and Due Diligence” with Jeffrey Glick
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Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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40min
July 15, 2026 229. “Irresponsibly Digital” with Abe Kasbo
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Dawn talks with Abe Kasbo, CEO of Verasoni, about “irresponsibly digital” marketing and why businesses should think critically before increasing platform spend. Abe describes the shift from legacy media to digital since 2005 and argues marketing is behavioral science, but digital pushes businesses toward clicks, ROAS, and vanity metrics while neglecting brand, reputation, and the fact that many small businesses rely heavily on word of mouth. He warns of bots, fake traffic, ad fraud, low organic engagement, and platform “black boxes,” citing Facebook purging large numbers of accounts and concerns about fabricated “digital friends.” They discuss the real cost of “free” social (time), Google’s recurring prompts to raise budgets, and the need to audit audiences. Abe shares a case where webinars, email capture, and trade shows grew a company’s email list from 3,000 to 148,000 and boosted revenue, emphasizing human-focused, integrated strategies.
In this Episode....

Who is Abe Kasbo, and whom does he serve? (00:44)
Origins of Irresponsible Digital (01:09)
Marketing Beyond Clicks (02:46)
From Legacy to Trackable Ads (03:59)
Creative vs Metrics Trap (06:11)
Organic Reach Reality Check (07:06)
Free Social Costs Time (09:32)
Scheduling Tools and Algorithms (11:24)
Ad Fraud and Fake Accounts (14:35)
Auditing Vanity Metrics (18:29)
Email and Webinars Win (20:51)
AI Ads and Nutrition (23:33)
Organic Relationships Matter (25:28)
Black Box Ad Transparency (27:53)
AI Search Slippery Slope (32:55)
CTV and Direct Mail Return (35:56)
Book Plug and Big Takeaways (39:00)
Digital as Business Tax (40:34)
Human Loop Closing (42:57)

Abe Kasbo’s Information:
Website: https://verasoni.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abe-kasbo-3828913/
Book: https://irresponsiblydigital.com/

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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45min
July 08, 2026 228. “Founder-Led Marketing” with Matt Watson
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Dawn talks with Matt Watson, CEO of Full Scale, about founder-led marketing and how to build trust in a low-trust environment where reviews and feedback can be manipulated. Watson explains that buyers look for trust signals beyond company reputation, making founders’ personal brands and thought leadership increasingly important, especially for smaller companies competing with big-name vendors. He advises founders to consistently share opinions, industry insights, customer stories, and a mix of business and entertaining content on one or two key platforms (he focuses on LinkedIn, a newsletter, and a podcast), and notes that commenting thoughtfully on major industry leaders’ posts can grow an audience faster than publishing. He also discusses using AI to synthesize a founder’s existing body of work to create unique, authoritative content for social and websites, including E-E-A-T signals for search.
In this Episode....
Who is Matt Watson and whom does he serve? (01:03)
Why Trust Drives Buying (01:48)
Building Trust Online (03:48)
Personal Brand Pivot (06:09)
Repeatable Content System (07:57)
Opinions And Your Tribe (10:06)
Personality And Platforms (13:18)
Best Known Not Best (14:22)
Authenticity Without Oversharing (15:25)
Audience And Content Mix (21:00)
Pick One Or Two Platforms (23:56)
Grow By Commenting (28:22)
Awareness Versus Nurture (31:42)
Trust Signals For Search (36:45)
Using AI To Reuse Archives (39:25)
Where To Find Matt (41:13)

Matt Watson's Information:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/
Website: https://fullscale.io/about-us/

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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44min
July 01, 2026 227. “Ask Better Questions” with Garrett Maroon
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Dawn talks with Garrett Maroon, a Southeast Virginia real estate agent of 12+ years, about weighing key variables to build a business aligned with who you are rather than following cookie-cutter industry advice like cold calling or buying leads. Garrett explains he filtered every tactic through whether it fit his wiring and whether it gave or drained energy, ultimately mastering a relationship- and referral-based system that he refined over three and a half years while still achieving early success (27 homes year one, 50 year two) despite being told it wasn’t possible. He credits consistent inputs, building trust through consistent care, and asking better, constrained questions—sparked by his wife’s “under 40 hours” challenge—for sustainable results across market shifts. He also discusses coaching, cutting nonessential activities, and changing entrenched habits with patience and focus.
In this Episode....
Who is Garrett Maroon and whom does he serve? (00:45)
Rejecting Cookie Cutter Real Estate (01:24)
Energy Audit and Personal Fit (02:58)
Early Wins and Long Runway (04:25)
Pushing Back on Shoulds (09:02)
Markets Change Trust Stays (12:00)
Proving 50 Deals Under 40 Hours (15:46)
Define Success With Constraints (19:21)
Naivete That Sparked Focus (21:57)
Guardrails Create Freedom (22:43)
Question the Hours Myth (23:29)
Resetting a Busy Business (25:21)
Why Change Takes Time (28:39)
Belief and a North Star (31:46)
Elimination Beats Guessing (36:04)
Rebuilding the Titanic (38:47)
Ten Year Overnight Success (41:55)
Where to Find Garrett (42:37)
Garrett Maroon's Information:
Website: https://www.garrettmaroon.com/about-garrett
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-maroon-50b06135/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulagent
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/gmaroon/?_rdc=1&_rdr#
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrettmaroon/
Podcast: https://thefaithfulagent.buzzsprout.com/

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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45min
June 24, 2026 226. “Being the Human in Business” with Brian Thompson
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Dawn talks with financial planner Brian Thompson of Brian Thompson Financial about founders staying in control of their businesses without fusing their identity to the company. Brian explains that businesses can start “driving the ship” on their own momentum, so leaders should build with intention by clarifying mission, vision, and values—both personally and for the business—and repeatedly testing them in everyday decisions. They discuss what to do when personal values evolve out of alignment with the business, including changing the business or letting it go without viewing it as failure, and how to handle external pressure from family and others. Brian emphasizes focusing on process over results, celebrating progress, using practices like journaling and gratitude, embracing emotional humanity in leadership, and recognizing that AI can’t replace genuine connection.
In this Episode....
00:49 Who is Brian Thompson, and whom does he serve?
02:06 Founder Identity Shift
03:13 Personal Values Work
04:18 When Values Change
07:02 Handling Outside Opinions
10:47 Revisiting Values Often
12:28 Build Measure Learn
14:16 Process Over Results
17:13 Celebrate the Climb
19:17 Gratitude and Journaling
24:18 Authentic Leadership
26:40 AI and Human Connection
33:02 Evolving Relationships
34:18 Wrap Up and Where to Find

Brian Thompson’s Information:
Website: https://btfinancial.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianthompsonfinancial/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063574958343#
X: https://x.com/BrianFinancial

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
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38min
June 17, 2026 225. “Humanity of Business” with Graham Skidmore
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Dawn talks with Graham Skidmore about keeping humanity at the center of business amid rapid AI adoption. Graham argues AI should augment human agency like a calculator, not replace people, and warns that capitalism’s push for efficiency can overlook effectiveness, empathy, and stewardship. They discuss how one-size-fits-all systems in education and workplaces stifle human potential by forcing people into a “box,” and how companies often treat empathy as a tool to persuade others to conform rather than truly valuing different perspectives. Graham suggests using AI to remove heavy-lifting tasks so employees can contribute to creative problem-solving, and recommends making idea-sharing a requirement through mechanisms like innovation days or internal “shark tank” pitches. They also address ethical concerns about job displacement and the need to define limits on profit-driven automation.
In this Episode....
Who is Graham Skidmore and whom does he serve? (00:49)
AI as a Tool (01:11)
Empathy and Stewardship (03:24)
Breaking the Box (03:48)
Personalized Potential (06:41)
Bridging Perspective Gaps (09:32)
Empathy as a Mask (12:21)
Unlocking Innovation Safely (15:31)
AI to Free Thinking (17:32)
Making Input Required (21:20)
Individualized Learning Example (25:02)
Grow the Box (27:02)
Where to Connect (27:51)
Ethics Beyond Optimization (29:17)

Graham Skidmore’s Information:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-skidmore/
Website: https://harmonyhealthinstitute.com/meet-your-facilitators/

Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
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31min
June 10, 2026 224. “Crowdfunding for Capital” with Carolyn K. Haeler
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Dawn talks with Carolyn Haeler, CEO and founder of Mightylicious, a gluten-free cookie company, about using crowdfunding as a nontraditional way to finance growth in CPG. Carolyn shares how she bootstrapped early production, landed Whole Foods quickly, used personal credit lines to manage early cash flow, then secured TD Bank loans as purchase orders grew and co-manufacturing introduced net-30 payment gaps. She explains why growth in grocery often requires significant upfront capital for inventory, distributor requirements, and costly free-fill programs, creating a chicken-and-egg challenge with national distributors and anchor accounts. After unsuccessful angel outreach during COVID, she launched a regulated crowdfunding campaign, warning about unprofitable marketing agencies, built a base of 4,000 equity investors, and raised $5M, which helped her access major distributors, brokers, and broader retail expansion across 43 states.
In this Episode....
Who is Carolyn Haeler and whom does she serve? (00:42)
Bootstrapping To Whole Foods (01:26)
Loans And Growth Ceiling (03:21)
CPG Cash Flow Reality (04:53)
Shelf Fees And Free Fill (06:14)
Choosing Crowdfunding (08:32)
Marketing Pitfalls (10:29)
Running A Reg CF Raise (11:4)
Equity And Investor Terms (15:00)
Raising Five Million (15:59)
Doors Open With Distributors (16:22)
Crowdfunding Legitimacy (19:31)
Where To Buy Cookies (20:42)

Carolyn Haeler’s Information:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpotz/
Website: https://republic.com/mighty-monkey
Support the show
Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP
Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo
Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy
For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com
Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/
Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources
Support the show
SUPPORT THE SHOW

Order Dawn’s book, The Profit Accelerator for Small Business ...
...more
24min

FAQs about Business Mastery Podcast:

How many episodes does Business Mastery Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 233 episodes available.