CEO Amplify | Sustainable Business Strategies for Small Business Owners

Goal setting isn’t just about making a list for the new year — it’s about creating a clear, focused path that actually leads to growth. In this episode, Donna shares how to stop chasing too many goals and start setting the right ones. You’ll learn how to identify what your business truly needs, focus on a few high-impact priorities, and design systems that turn your goals into results.

Resource:💡 Download the Dream Big, Plan Smart Workbook to follow along and set clear, achievable goals for 2025.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to focus on a few priorities instead of everything at once

• The difference between setting goals and building systems that last

• How to identify what your business needs most right now

• A realistic approach to goal setting that builds momentum, not burnout

• How to plan for growth that aligns with your life and values

If you’re ready to set goals that actually move the needle, this episode will help you plan smarter and make the upcoming year your most intentional yet.

Welcome back, small business owners! Are you building a business that supports your dream life—or one that drains it? In today’s episode, we’re diving into how to align your business with your life goals. First, we'll define what success means in your life outside of your business, and then you'll learn practical steps to evaluate your business and shape it to fund the life you want. When your business supports your life, rather than your life supporting your business, you can gain the freedom you envisioned when you started your business.

This is the third episode of the Dream Big, Plan Smart series. If you missed the beginning, listen to episode 78, where we reflected on the past year, and episode 79, where we envisioned what we want life to look like one year from now. Those exercises gave us clarity on where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go. You'll also want to download the Dream Big, Plan Smart workbook (ceoamplify.ca/dream-big) so you can follow along with the exercises.

If you want to go further into planning your revenue to support your life, you'll be interested in the Get Paid Like A CEO Toolkit: ceoamplify.ca/get-paid

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 Build a business that supports you rather than draining you.

01:44 Previous episodes in the series.

02:56 Dreams of freedom not coming to fruition.

05:26 Decide what success means for your life outside of your business.

09:24 Success inside your business: decide what you need to let go of.

Welcome to the second episode in the Dream Big, Plan Smart series! Today, we’re diving into something I think is both exciting and deeply important—designing your year. But this isn’t just about setting business goals or hitting revenue targets. It’s about stepping back to dream bigger and creating a life you love, supported by a business that works for you. This approach draws inspiration from Cameron Herold’s Double Double, where he encourages looking three years ahead to design your future. But instead of focusing on three years, we’re zeroing in on just one. A year is tangible—it’s close enough to feel achievable but long enough to create meaningful change. Listen in and learn a technique for visualizing your ideal life, then choosing the upgrades you can implement to make that dream a reality this year.

Resources I mentioned:

The Get Paid Like A CEO calculator: ceoamplify.ca/getpaid

Dream Big, Plan Smart workbook to guide you through this series (be sure to start on the first episode!): ceoamplify.ca/dream-big

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 Design the lifestyle you want and make that dream a reality.

02:26 Designing your year goes beyond revenue and even beyond your business.

03:05 Visualize your ideal day 1 year from now.

04:30 Think about what intentional change you can make.

07:04 Narrowing down to your business.

07:46 Evaluate whether you have the revenue to support your ideal life.

As we kick off the new year, many of us feel the pull of possibility and motivation to set ambitious goals. January often brings a sense of renewal, making it the perfect time to reflect, dream big, and plan smart. I'm starting the year with the Dream Big, Plan Smart series—a step-by-step process to help you create a year you can look back on with pride and satisfaction. In this first episode, we’ll explore why planning matters and how reflecting on the past year can set the stage for a more intentional and impactful 2025.

Download the Dream Big, Plan Smart Workbook here to follow along with the reflection and planning activities for each week of the series. https://ceoamplify.ca/dream-big

Timestamp Overview:

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Welcome back, business leaders! As we enter 2025 (yes, I'm counting today even though it's December 31st), today is a chance to remember everything that you've accomplished in the last year. Maybe you reached your goals for the year or made significant leaps in revenue, but even if you didn't have a major accomplishment, acknowledge that just keeping your business running is a success. You're the only one who knows all the hard work, disappointments, and doubts you've endured to keep your business' wheels turning. Even if no one else has noticed, you can, and I can too. Take a moment to congratulate yourself. You didn't give up on running your business this year, even though it was hard, and that's something to celebrate.

Join the Profitable Small Business Club, a low-cost community of mentorship and accountability where you can reach your income goals without burning out. ceoamplify.ca/profit 

Thinking about how to create the life you want next year, both in and outside of your business? Listen in to my series on planning your year with purpose and get ready to realign your strategy, starting with visionary goals, then narrowing them down to monthly tasks you can hold yourself accountable for. Start here with episode 26! https://ceoamplify.ca/podcast/ep-26-the-ceo-s-guide-to-planning-a-successful-year

Keep shining on your entrepreneurial path for 2025!

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Enjoyed this episode? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to rate and leave a review.  Your feedback not only means the world to me, but it also helps us reach more entrepreneurs like yourself who are ready to amplify their businesses.

Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Let’s continue the conversation:

Join the CEO Amplify Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ceoamplify

Systems and processes are vital to your business excellence, but they won't get you very far without one thing that only you can provide: leadership. In this episode, I'll tell you about three team communication challenges that visionary leaders face and how you can overcome them by establishing shared purpose. This way, you can avoid simply jumping in to give an order or fix the problem, and foster a culture of bottom-up accountability where your team can have open conversations with you. Lead your team with purpose by seeing them as working with you, not just for you.

This episode is a replay of Episode 37 from earlier this year.

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 Mutual purpose and dialogue enhance your team's performance

03:46 Systems are not a complete answer

06:00 Team members that hold each other accountable

07:40 3 consistent communication challenges

10:01 Top-down approach undermines your scalability

11:59 Difficult conversations with your team

16:47 Reflection questions to keep in mind

Would you like individual help on how to build a business that you can step away from, knowing you have trustworthy systems and a responsible team in place? If so, consider booking a strategy session with me where we'll search for and solve the #1 obstacle holding your business back. https://ceoamplify.ca/ops

Are you working harder than ever but still feel stuck in your business? It’s a frustrating place to be—pouring in endless hours and energy but not seeing the results you deserve. Here’s the thing: the formula you’re using to run your business might be broken, and it’s costing you more than just profit. Relying solely on your own time and effort may make sense at first, but it makes you the bottleneck to business growth, and it's a one-way ticket to burnout. What if there’s a better way? What if you could work fewer hours, scale your business, and boost your profit margins—all without sacrificing your health or freedom? Let’s dive into why this outdated formula is holding you back and how you can replace it with a smarter strategy.

Want more guidance? This is exactly what we focus on in the Profitable Small Business Club. Join us to reach your income goals while working 25 hours or less per week. Visit www.ceoamplify.ca/profit to learn more.

Failure. It’s one of those words that makes many of us cringe, especially when it comes to our businesses. But what if failure wasn't something to avoid, but a powerful tool for growth? Instead of letting setbacks hold us back, we can reframe them as valuable opportunities to learn and propel ourselves forward. We'll start by looking at the science of how our brains handle failure, and then we'll talk about how to understand the situation as simply another opportunity to try.

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 Reframing failure as growth tool for entrepreneurs.

02:32 What happens in our brains when we fail.

03:46 Mark Rober's "Super Mario" experiment.

05:27 Setting arbitrary goals only creates failure opportunities.

06:53 Reframe projects as an experiment.

09:57 Lower your expectations. Don't expect overnight success.

12:11 Avoid self-labeling, think objectively.

15:23 Failure is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Looking for an accountability experience that will let you learn and grow with other business owners? Join me in the Profitable Small Business Club for less than a dollar a day and learn how to reach your business goals while working less hours. Learn to set realistic goals paired with actionable plans that you can achieve! https://ceoamplify.ca/profit

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Are you juggling so many tasks that you’re one email away from burnout? Many business owners think handling everything themselves shows strength, but it’s often the fastest road to exhaustion. If you’re ready to step off the hamster wheel and let your business work for you, not the other way around, this guide breaks down the four key steps to build systems that keep your business running smoothly—even when you’re not involved in every detail.

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 If you're constantly overwhelmed, mindset might be holding you back.

01:58 Systems that allow your business to run without you

03:06 Don't wait for the right time to set up systems

05:31 Systems let you handle tasks without relying on a certain person

06:22 Identify your biggest frustrations

07:04 Document the process

08:57 Stress-test your system

10:09 Refine and improve

12:05 Three reasons why systems will benefit your business

In the world of entrepreneurship, feeling stuck can sometimes feel like part of the journey. Perhaps you've said, "I'm not hitting my income goals" or "My business isn't where I want it to be." But what if a simple shift in language could change everything? Enter the power of yet. Adding yet to your statements—“I’m not there yet”—transforms them from closed doors to windows of possibility. It’s a small change with a big impact, shifting you from frustration to a growth mindset. Find out how embracing yet can empower you to celebrate progress, transform failure, and keep moving forward. Success might be closer than you think!

Timestamp Overview:

00:00 "Yet" transforms frustration into possibility.

02:36 Change your focus from what you haven't done to what you could do in the future

04:27 Believe that growth, success and progress are possible in your future

05:41 Example of shifting your mindset

07:29 Celebrate the small wins

08:17 Make an effort to keep learning and growing consistently

09:08 When setting goals, be patient with yourself

11:37 Surround yourself with people who believe in your potential

13:11 Failure leads to learning and eventual success

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Enjoyed this episode? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don’t forget to rate and leave a review.  Your feedback not only means the world to me, but it also helps us reach more entrepreneurs like yourself who are ready to amplify their businesses.

Questions? Comments? Let’s continue the conversation over in the CEO Amplify Facebook Group.

Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you.