Business Over Cocktails - Behind the Business - Real Talk with Female Entrepreneurs

How do you get commercial clients for a local service business when ads bring in leads but no sales? In this Business Chaser coaching session, Lauren Najar sits down with Frances, co-founder of Simply Laundry NWI, a pickup and delivery laundry service in Northwest Indiana that started from a weekend argument over who would do the laundry.

Frances already gets residential clients through referrals, community events, and Facebook. Now she wants to land more B2B clients like med spas, salons, fitness and Pilates studios, chiropractors, and banquet halls. Lauren walks through how to position a small business as the premium choice against big corporate competitors, going beyond the price sheet to the emotional reasons business owners buy.

You’ll learn:

• How to position your service as premium and cost-effective long term
• A daily social media engagement strategy for relationship-based lead generation
• How to use a free trial offer to bridge the gap from stranger to client
• Why hosting your own event can beat attending networking events
• How to find where your ideal clients actually hang out
• Content ideas that build authority and show value

If you run a local service business and want more commercial clients without relying on paid ads, this episode is for you.

Connect with Frances:

website: SimplyLaundryNWI.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581645779737

instagram: @simplylaundrynwi

linkedin:  www.linkedin.com/in/frances-jurishi

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
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On this special episode of Business Over Cocktails, the tables are turned. Podcast strategist Liz Chapman, who helped launch this show, interviews host Lauren Najar with questions she didn’t see ahead of time.

After eight years in business, Lauren shares what she’s learned about building real business relationships without ulterior motives. She explains why she releases the outcome in sales conversations and has even told clients not to renew with her. Liz and Lauren also talk about what goes into curating in-person retreats and dinners where strangers become genuine connections, and why her 2021 mastermind felt like checking a box while her current Growth & Connect Mastermind was built for the exact people in it.

Lauren also opens up about the harder side of relationships in business: managing former coworkers after a promotion, partnerships where the weight wasn’t shared, and her darkest day in business, when a more successful peer used her DM scripts and left her feeling invisible.

If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or community builder who wants to grow through authentic connection instead of pushy sales tactics, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Liz:

Instagram - www.instagram.com/liz_chapman_podcastmanager
Website - lizchapmanco.com

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

Struggling to figure out what to post, where to post it, and what actually works? You don’t have a posting problem — you need a content marketing strategy. In this Business Chaser, Mariah McInnes of Content Queen breaks down her 7-step CONTENT framework to help small business owners and entrepreneurs stop guessing and start posting with purpose.

Mariah clears up the biggest myth first — why “posting from the heart” isn’t a strategy, it’s a posting plan — then walks through her full framework: connecting with your audience and vision, optimizing the right channels for your funnel, nailing down what you want to be known for, telling stories that make your content stick, repurposing across platforms, building a repeatable process, and testing what works. If questions like “what do I post?”, “which platform should I be on?”, or “should I really be on Threads?” have ever stalled you, this episode gives you the structure to answer them yourself.

In this episode:

• Why a content strategy isn’t the same as a posting plan
• The 7-step CONTENT framework, start to finish
• How to deeply understand your audience (beyond demographics)
• Choosing the right channels for each stage of your funnel
• Why storytelling makes your content 22x more memorable
• Repurposing, process, and testing so content actually gets done

Connect With Mariah:

Instagram (Mariah): https://www.instagram.com/mariah_contentqueen 

Audio Guide (content strategy podcast): https://sales.contentqueenmariah.com/content-guide 

Our Signature Content Bootcamp Program:https://www.contentqueenmariah.com/content-marketing

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

What happens to your business — and your sense of self — when life completely changes course? In this episode, host Lauren Najar sits down with Mariah McInnes, founder of Content Queen, who built her business while surviving cancer and now runs it full-time from a bus traveling Australia. It’s an honest conversation about resilience, reinvention, and designing a business and life on your own terms.

Mariah shares her journey from a corporate PR job and a party-girl lifestyle in Melbourne to freelancing her way to location freedom — and how a cancer diagnosis in her twenties reshaped her priorities, her relationships, and her identity. She and Lauren, both cancer survivors, open up about the parts no one prepares you for: feeling lost, losing people who don’t understand, and finding meaning on the other side. They also dig into why the hard days of entrepreneurship still beat a toxic 9-to-5, how Mariah built a business around deep client trust instead of endless scaling, and why choosing a life that fits you matters more than chasing someone else’s version of success. Whether you’re navigating a hard season, dreaming of more freedom, or rethinking what success means, this one will stay with you.

In this episode:

• Building and running a business while navigating a health crisis
• From corporate to location freedom — the digital nomad path
• How a life-altering experience reshapes identity and priorities
• Why the hard days of entrepreneurship beat a toxic day job
• Building a business on client trust instead of constant scaling
• Redefining success on your own terms

This episode includes personal conversation about cancer and loss. Pour a drink, pull up a seat — this one goes deep.

Connect with Mariah:

Instagram (Mariah): https://www.instagram.com/mariah_contentqueen 

Audio Guide (content strategy podcast): https://sales.contentqueenmariah.com/content-guide 

Our Signature Content Bootcamp Program:https://www.contentqueenmariah.com/content-marketing

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

Think you need more leads? You probably don't — you need to find the leak. In this action-packed Business Chaser, host Lauren Najar breaks down why "I just need more leads" is almost never the real lead generation problem, using real hangups submitted by people inside her current Lead Generation Challenge.

Lauren walks through three real scenarios — the newer business owner who needs clarity, not leads; the service provider having great conversations that never convert; and the one worried her repeat clients want something new every year — and diagnoses what's actually broken in each. She covers why listening is 75% of selling, how to make an invite feel like the obvious next step instead of pushy, what "qualified lead" really means (hint: you decide), and why confidence usually isn't the gap — clarity is. Plus a client case study of going from scattered and exhausted to booked out for a year and a first 20K month. If lead generation feels like a grind, this episode will help you find the one thing to fix first.

In this episode:

• Why "more leads" is rarely the real problem
• Three lead generation scenarios — and the real gap in each
• Why listening is most of selling, and how to invite without being pushy
• What "qualified lead" actually means
• Why clarity, not confidence, is usually the missing piece
• A client's path from scattered to booked out and a 20K month

Your homework: write down your last five leads and mark where each one stalled — then DM Lauren @laurennajar or @businessovercocktails and she'll help you reignite it.

This episode mentions the Lead Generation Sprint, Lauren's 4-month 1:1 coaching program — now open for enrollment (link in show notes).


1:1 Lead Generation Sprint Program - https://www.honeybook.com/widget/lauren_najar_coaching_llc_175029/cf_id/680ee0e9eaeec3002de2acc0

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

What if a business conference had zero speakers, a moon bounce, and sent you home with work already done? In this episode, host Lauren Najar welcomes back Lucy of My Write Hand Woman — her first-ever repeat guest — to talk about reinventing the business conference and the event marketing behind her no-speaker "business carnival," the Proximity Marketplace, coming to Austin.

Lucy breaks down why she ditched the traditional speaker-and-salad conference format, how her expert tables give attendees one-on-one strategy instead of generic advice from a stage, and the "implementation lounge" that helps you leave with something actually built — a filmed video, an automation, a refined plan — not just nine pages of notes you'll never use. She and Lauren get real about why so many well-marketed events disappoint, how to design for client experience instead of Instagram photo ops, hand-matching attendees for real connections, and how to market an event authentically without hard requirements or hype. If you host events, attend them, or want to build something people actually remember, this one's full of ideas.

In this episode:

• Why traditional speaker conferences leave attendees overwhelmed and empty-handed
• The no-speaker "carnival" model and how expert tables work
• Building an "implementation lounge" so people leave with work done
• Designing for client experience over Instagram photo moments
• Marketing an event authentically (and hand-matching attendees)
• Why going to events solo can be the most valuable move

Pour a drink and pull up a seat — let's reinvent the conference.


Connect with Lucy:

Check out The Proximity Marketplace: (Use code LAUREN for $53 off!)
 https://www.theproximitymarketplace.com/ 

Find out which carnival ride is your event personality: https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/6a95c3e9ed80e128df63847d 

Learn more about My Write Hand Woman: https://www.mywritehandwoman.com/ 

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

Going to networking events and hosting your own — but not turning those connections into paying clients? In this live coaching episode, host Lauren Najar sits down with Angela Grabczak, certified business coach and founder of The Collaborative Edge Coaching, to work through one of the most common struggles for service providers: how to convert networking and event relationships into real revenue without feeling salesy.

Angela opens up about wearing too many hats as a new coach, and Lauren coaches her through where to focus first, why hosting great events isn't enough if you never position yourself as the person to hire, and how to make the ask feel like a natural extension of the conversation instead of a hard pitch. They dig into the mindset block of giving all your value away for free, why sales gets easier when you lead with genuine intention to help, and how to stop siloing your events, social media, and coaching so they all feed each other. If you're a coach, consultant, or community builder who's great with people but hesitant to sell, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• How to convert networking and event connections into paying clients
• Selling without being salesy — making the ask feel natural
• Why hosting events isn't enough if you don't position yourself as the expert
• The trap of giving all your value away for free
• Focusing your energy when you're wearing too many hats
• Letting events, social media, and coaching feed each other

Pour a drink and pull up a seat — let's turn conversations into clients.

Connect with Angela:

Schedule an Appointment Here:  calendly.com/agrabczak-focalpointcoaching

Website: www.angelagrabczak.focalpointcoaching.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Connect On My Socials:

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

TikTok

YouTube

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

After 8 years in business, here's what actually builds a business that lasts — and why slow, sustainable growth beats the flashy launches you see online. In this solo episode, host Lauren Najar celebrates eight years as a business coach with an honest reflection on comparison, FOMO, burnout, and the "smoke and mirrors" of online success.

Lauren shares the real story behind her journey — from chasing the "location independent" dream that never fit her, to crashing and burning under a coach who handed her a checklist, to finally finding staying power by owning her specialty in lead generation and sales. She talks candidly about why so many high earners quietly disappear, why money wins aren't a marketing strategy, how to quiet the noise and get back to basics, and why the real block for most business owners isn't knowledge — it's mindset. If you've ever felt behind, like you're not doing enough, or tempted by everyone else's highlight reel, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• Why slow, sustainable growth beats quick launches and viral money wins
• Overcoming comparison and FOMO in a noisy online space
• Why "back to basics" is what actually makes you money
• The mindset block that keeps capable business owners stuck
• Finding what works for you instead of chasing every strategy
• Building a business without sacrificing your health or your life

Pour a drink and pull up a seat — let's talk staying power.

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

Why do so many pet influencers go broke — and what separates them from the ones building six-figure businesses? In this Business Chaser, Ashley of Petfluencer Secrets breaks down how pet influencers and content creators actually make money, and the framework she teaches hundreds of creators to scale from hobby to real income.

Ashley walks through why most influencers quit at the "90-day hump," how to treat your content like a business from day one, and the real numbers behind brand deals at every follower stage — from your first paid video to five-figure partnerships. She explains why engagement matters far more than follower count, how to turn one-off brand deals into recurring multi-month contracts, and why diversifying your income across brand deals, the YouTube Partner Program, TikTok Shop, and affiliates is the key to a sustainable creator business. If you want to make money as a pet influencer or content creator, this is your quick-hit roadmap.

In this episode:

• Why most pet influencers quit within 90 days — and how to push past it
• Treating your content like a business (yes, her cat has an LLC)
• What brands actually pay at each follower stage
• Why engagement beats follower count every time
• Turning one-off brand deals into recurring multi-month income
• Diversifying your income streams as a content creator

Pour a drink and pull up a seat — let's talk creator income.


Connect with Ashley:

https://petfluencersecrets.com/

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.

Ever wondered how people actually make money as pet influencers? In this episode, host Lauren Najar sits down with Ashley, founder of Petfluencer Secrets and the owner of the world's most famous Manx cat, to break down how she turned cute cat videos into a six-figure content creator business. Ashley shares the full journey — from posting pet photos for fun, to earning her first brand deals, to coaching hundreds of pet influencers on how to grow and monetize their channels.

They get into how the pet niche is different from typical influencer advice, the many ways creators actually earn money (brand deals, affiliates, creator funds, and more), and how Ashley priced and scaled her coaching without a marketing background. Ashley also opens up about the mindset shift that changed everything — learning to believe anything is possible, letting go of the need to control every outcome, and building a daily gratitude practice that carried her from a physical therapy doctorate and $70K of student debt to a business she loves. Whether you want to turn your pet into an influencer, build a creator business, or just need permission to bet on a "crazy" idea, this conversation will fire you up.

In this episode:

• How to make money as a pet influencer (and the many ways creators earn)
• Why the pet niche needs a different content strategy than other influencers
• Turning a viral moment into a real, monetized business
• Pricing and scaling coaching with no marketing background
• The "faceless" influencer path for people who don't want to be on camera
• Mindset, manifestation, and gratitude as business tools

Pour a drink and pull up a seat — this one's a fun one.


Connect with Ashley:

https://petfluencersecrets.com/

Upcoming Events:

Growth & Connect Events - https://laurennajar.myflodesk.com/hb2a0mwbqw

Save 25% with Flodesk - https://flodesk.com/c/OR8VKL

Let’s Stay Connected:
→ Follow Lauren on Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurennajar
→ Learn more or work with me: www.laurennajar.com
→ Follow Business Over Cocktails on IG: www.instagram.com/businessovercocktails
→ Attend Growth & Connect retreats & events: www.instagram.com/growthandconnect

🎧 Subscribe & Review:
Love the episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who needs a business boost and a good chat over a cocktail.