Sara Nay didn't walk into Duct Tape Marketing as CEO — she started as an intern. Sixteen years later, she leads the company and has co-authored Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models, a book that challenges the traditional agency model and makes the case for why small businesses should own their marketing rather than outsource it entirely.

Bradley Jacobs sits down with Sara to unpack what it actually takes to build a scalable marketing strategy — starting with the foundational work most businesses skip. Sara walks through Duct Tape Marketing's "Strategy First" process: brand audits, competitive research, ideal client profiling, and the Marketing Hourglass framework — a model designed to guide customers from awareness all the way through referral. She also shares her perspective on AI's role in marketing today, how to use it as a thought partner rather than a content-generation shortcut, and why generically AI-written content is one of the biggest threats to brand differentiation right now.

The conversation also covers LinkedIn best practices for B2B founders, the importance of tracking beyond vanity metrics, and why packaging your services into a defined offer — rather than doing everything for everyone — is what allows you to scale without burning out.

Sara's journey from introvert who dreaded public speaking to CEO running a 15-person team is a masterclass in growth mindset, intentional discomfort, and showing up consistently.

Connect with Sara Nay: LinkedIn | ducttapemarketing.com 📖 Book mentioned: Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models by Sara Nay

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

I'm making a major shift in this podcast's direction, and I want to bring you along for the journey. After six years of supporting fractional executives and independent consultants, I'm broadening the focus to serve all founders—because the challenges we face are universal. Whether you're selling expertise, building a product, or launching an agency, the emotional journey is remarkably similar: self-doubt, distractions, procrastination, and the constant question of sustainability.

This pivot stems from a simple realization—I'm most passionate about supporting people who are truly committed to the founder journey. The tactical advice will continue, but I'm placing heavier emphasis on emotional regulation, navigating self-doubt, and building structures that work for your life. Because here's the truth: incredibly smart, hardworking people still struggle to bring products to market and build sustainable businesses. The only real failure is giving up.

Founders are the backbone of innovation, solving the next generation of problems. But this journey forces you to face your fears, habits, and identity. I'll be sharing my own struggles with distraction and avoidance, and we'll navigate this together. Founders supporting founders—that's what this is about.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 Welcome and podcast direction shift

01:15 Why independent consulting became my passion

03:20 The key distinction between consultants and founders

05:45 Moving toward the emotional founder journey

07:30 What holds founders back from success

09:10 My personal struggle with distraction

11:40 Business as self-development journey

13:25 Why founders supporting founders matters

15:50 My advisor mistake early at Mylance

18:05 The rebrand and what's coming next

19:30 Mylance Stratus updates and LinkedIn power

20:45 Final thoughts and signing off

Most entrepreneurs fail because they separate systems from soul, treating purpose and profit as opposing forces instead of complementary partners. Scott Abbott, founder, CEO, best-selling author, and coach with 35 years of experience building and scaling companies worldwide, joins Bradley Jacobs to dismantle this myth.

Scott shares hard-earned lessons from raising $15 million in venture capital during the dot-com era, admitting he once didn't know the difference between a P&L and a BLT. Through conducting over 10,000 coaching sessions, he's developed practical frameworks that transform leadership theory into actionable utilities. His books "Boss Up" and "Boss Up Moments" focus on the nine core competencies that create sustainable business operating systems.

The conversation explores why fractional work offers superior flexibility over traditional employment, with Scott advocating for a 65-70% contractor to 30-25% W2 employee split for optimal business health. Bradley and Scott discuss embracing hard things, doing work you don't want to do, and building measurables into every role—even for solopreneurs. They tackle AI integration, avoiding premature hiring, and revenue diversification strategies, including Scott's example of a semi-retired coaching friend earning $150K annually while maintaining additional income streams.

The core message: success isn't permanent and failure isn't fatal, but good systems, structure, alignment, and smart goal-setting dramatically improve your odds of building a business that serves both your purpose and profit margin.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction to Scott Abbott

00:46 - What makes Scott different as coach

02:40 - Biggest entrepreneurial roadblocks

04:15 - Marrying purpose with profit

06:57 - Accountability for solopreneurs

08:53 - Installing systems as discipline

11:30 - Core competencies framework

14:45 - AI integration for businesses

18:20 - Avoiding premature hiring decisions

21:35 - Fractional vs full-time employees

24:50 - Multiple income stream strategies

28:10 - Progress over perfection mindset

31:45 - 65/70 contractor to W2 ratio

33:13 - Fractional work flexibility benefits

36:16 - How to work with Scott Abbott

37:44 - Final words on systemization

39:50 - Closing remarks

I'm marking the 100th episode by sharing a candid reflection on the emotional ups and downs of building Mylance over six years. I recently told my business coach something surprising: I wasn't feeling motivated to work on the business. Not burned out, just disconnected from the daily work. The breakthrough came from a simple question he asked: what business activities do you actually love?

The answer revealed I genuinely enjoy talking to customers, building software, writing content, analyzing metrics, and designing products. The problem wasn't the work itself—it was my fixation on outcomes like revenue growth and retention metrics. When we chase numbers instead of connecting to our purpose, motivation evaporates. I share how refocusing on what I love (solving problems for fractional professionals and building meaningful tools) reignited my passion and paradoxically drives better business results.

This episode challenges the "I'll be happy when" mindset that plagues founders. The bar for happiness is surprisingly low once basic needs are met, and external milestones never truly satisfy because there's always a next goal. True fulfillment comes from aligning daily activities with your zone of genius, serving customers you genuinely care about, and separating your identity from business outcomes. I encourage you to spend 1% of time setting goals and 99% identifying the activities you're amazing at that solve problems you care about—because that's when both joy and success follow.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 Introduction to Episode 100

00:48 Business at core: solving problems

01:36 Honest truth about founder journey

02:17 When motivation disappears

02:45 Activities Bradley actually loves

03:23 Focusing on why vs outcomes

04:21 The trap of milestone thinking

05:06 Money doesn't equal happiness

05:55 It's never going to be enough

06:52 The cliche about enjoying journey

07:46 The paradox of detachment

08:25 Applying paradox to business

08:56 Bradley's independent consulting win

09:44 Why Mylance was started

10:22 Building sustainable businesses

10:38 Introduction to Stratus product

11:26 Energy shift changes everything

12:03 Separating identity from outcomes

12:34 Aligning business with purpose

13:15 You won't love every part

14:23 Building business models all day

14:39 Final thoughts on fulfillment

15:08 Check out Mylance and connect

Building a sustainable solopreneur business requires more than just expertise – it demands intentional business development and strategic time management. Business coach Jenni Gritters, author of The Sustainable Solopreneur, joins Bradley Jacobs to discuss the frameworks that prevent the common "year three wobble" that derails many independent professionals.

Jenni reveals why successful solopreneurs should cap client work at 25-30 hours weekly, dedicating significant time to relationship building and business development. She shares insights on moving beyond referral-dependent revenue models, developing sustainable marketing strategies, and the importance of optimizing for joy alongside financial goals. The conversation covers practical strategies for avoiding the "panic hustle" cycle and building business systems that support long-term growth and fulfillment.

Learn More: Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Welcome and Jenni Gritters Introduction

00:26 - Writing The Sustainable Solopreneur Book

01:41 - Accountability and Book Creation Process

02:13 - Defining Sustainable Business Practices

02:56 - The Year Three Business Wobble

03:43 - Intention vs Flexibility Framework

04:36 - Transitioning from Expert to Business Owner

05:26 - Sustainable Business Development Time

06:21 - 25-Hour Work Week Structure

07:31 - Avoiding the Panic Hustle Cycle

08:24 - Relationship Building vs Marketing

09:42 - Overcoming Marketing Resistance

11:01 - Moving Beyond Referral Dependency

12:35 - Pricing and Value Communication

14:26 - Time Management and Energy Allocation

16:35 - Building Sustainable Revenue Systems

18:22 - Financial Planning for Solopreneurs

20:15 - Mindset and Belief Work Importance

22:48 - Managing Business Growth Phases

25:31 - Client Boundary Setting Strategies

27:49 - Revenue vs Joy Optimization

30:12 - Chosen Storms Philosophy

32:43 - Strategic Joy and Magnetic Selling

34:04 - Entrepreneurship as Chosen Storms

36:12 - Jenni's Services and Programs

37:24 - The Worldbuilders Ecosystem

38:16 - Closing and Contact Information

Every founder faces the same paradox: you need to project confidence to attract clients, while internally battling imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Bradley Jacobs gets real about the emotional challenges of building a business and how your limiting beliefs directly impact your growth.

Discover how subtle self-sabotage—like settling for convenient guests instead of ideal ones, or using AI shortcuts instead of going the extra mile—keeps your business smaller than it could be. Bradley shares nervous system regulation techniques, practical frameworks for getting comfortable with scale, and how to balance vulnerability with the confidence your clients need to see. This is essential listening for any fractional executive or B2B founder navigating the messy middle of business growth.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 Introduction and episode overview01:42 Why founders get it differently01:57 We're all just figuring it out02:50 How founders hold businesses back03:50 The cost of showing up at 70%05:13 Bradley's corner-cutting patterns06:00 Nervous system work for scaling07:23 The body knows when it's unsafe07:32 Exercise: picture 10x growth09:40 Building systems for scale09:56 Making safety and possibility real10:50 Learning from delusional founders12:45 Marrying confidence with humanity13:57 What holds you back in life14:26 Owning your growth edges14:56 Authenticity in the AI age15:17 Closing thoughts

In this powerful follow-up conversation, Ellie Holbert returns to share her remarkable first year as an independent consultant. Just 10 months after launching MPAC Advisory Services, Ellie has not only exceeded her corporate salary by 30-50%, but built a pipeline worth 11X her former income—with 96 active opportunities.

What makes Ellie's journey even more compelling is how she achieved these results. After taking her own employee engagement survey and "failing," she made a counterintuitive decision: instead of working harder, she started taking better care of herself. The result? Her business grew faster. She now takes every Friday off to spend with her daughter, has landed six active clients (five inbound), and does only work that's completely aligned with what she loves.

Bradley and Ellie dive deep into the mindset shifts that fueled this growth—from creating capacity by letting go of misaligned work, to understanding that limiting beliefs set the upper boundary for what's possible. Ellie shares her framework for consistent business development, the spiritual and practical elements of building a fractional practice, and why "the universe cannot hand you the next chapter while your hands are gripping the last." This conversation goes beyond tactics to explore the deeper personal transformation required to build a thriving independent consulting business.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 Welcome back Ellie Holbert

00:50 Journey recap: corporate to consulting

02:47 10 months in business success metrics

04:17 Intentional life planning for 2026

05:16 Flexibility trap: when freedom isn't

06:37 Taking own employee engagement survey

07:22 Business development strategy overview

10:10 LinkedIn approach and ICP targeting

15:32 Saying no to misaligned opportunities

19:45 Creating capacity for better clients

24:18 Mindset work and limiting beliefs

28:56 Spiritual aspects of business growth

33:41 Upper limits of what you believe

38:08 Progress through surrender & alignment

39:27 Why behind taking business risks

40:02 Pipeline results: 96 opportunities

41:40 Macro environment isn't an excuse

42:41 Coaching independent consultants

43:14 Final thoughts and gratitude

Closing out 2025 with complete transparency about what worked, what failed, and what I'm taking into the new year. As the founder of Mylance, I'm sharing the three strategies that drove real results—52 consecutive podcast episodes, powerful automation systems, and a game-changing business pivot—alongside the three patterns I'm leaving behind in 2025.

This is about more than reflection. It's about going narrower and deeper in 2026: serving one customer (B2B founders and fractional executives), solving one problem (consistent LinkedIn presence), and delivering one solution (our LinkedIn thought leadership tool). If you've struggled with consistency, focus, or saying no to distractions, this episode offers a roadmap for building a more sustainable, profitable consulting practice.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 Welcome and episode introduction

01:23 What worked: consistency in marketing

01:50 Publishing 52 episodes and 300+ posts

02:42 Systems that enabled consistency

03:18 Using AI and automation strategically

04:22 Airtable automation example

05:38 Why motivation isn't enough

06:25 Long-term content nurturing customers

06:35 Major business pivot from lead gen

07:01 Challenges serving fractional executives

07:33 Narrowing to one customer and tool

08:22 What didn't work: accommodating everyone

08:55 Setting clear boundaries with customers

09:31 Serving B2B founders on LinkedIn

10:01 Leaving behind "pick your brain" calls

10:36 Protecting time for building

11:17 Why we create content instead

11:39 Internal and external distractions

12:10 Discipline for deep focused work

13:02 Morning deep work effectiveness

13:31 Going narrower and deeper in 2026

14:14 Check out the LinkedIn tool

14:45 Content strategy and voice learning

15:01 Invitation for an incredible 2026

This Christmas, forget the tactics and tools. Your fractional business needs 10 foundational gifts from you—and they're all within your control. In this episode, I break down the vision, honesty, systems, and self-trust required to build a six-figure fractional practice.

Whether you're struggling with imposter syndrome, tolerating low-value clients, or lacking consistency in your marketing, this episode will help you identify where you're holding your business back and what you need to change in 2026. I'll share why raising rates creates client alignment, how nervous system regulation improves decision-making, and why systems beat motivation every single time. If you're ready to step into full ownership of your fractional business and trust yourself to figure it out, this episode is your roadmap.

Learn More:Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/

00:00 - Introduction to Christmas episode

00:32 - Gift #1: Vision for your business

02:10 - Gift #2: Letting go what doesn't serve

03:22 - Gift #3: Higher rates create alignment

04:35 - Gift #4: Nervous system regulation

05:48 - Gift #5: Confidence over imposter syndrome

07:15 - Gift #6: Honesty with yourself

08:52 - Gift #7: Systems create reliability

10:45 - Gift #8: Consistency over perfection

12:51 - Gift #9: Clear point of view

13:06 - Gift #10: Ownership and self-trust

14:20 - Mylance evolution and closing thoughts

In this episode, we dive deep into the strategies fractional executives need to break through revenue plateaus and build truly scalable businesses. Ann Carden shares her framework for creating a "million-dollar offer" by getting laser-focused on what you do best and who you serve.

I explore with Ann why so many fractionals undervalue and undersell themselves, often losing money even on six-figure engagements. She breaks down how to price based on the actual value you create—whether that's helping clients generate an extra million in revenue or significantly cutting costs. The key insight? High-level buyers purchase outcomes, not your time.

We also tackle the mindset shifts required to scale, from letting go of control to investing in mentorship. Ann explains how systems and automation can buy back your time, and why building strategic partnerships requires strong positioning and credibility. This episode is essential for any fractional professional ready to stop trading time for money and start building real wealth.

Learn More:
Scale your fractional practice: https://mylance.co
Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/
Connect with Ann Carden: https://annelcardin.com and https://expertinyou.com
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anncarden-business-consultant-coach/

00:00 - Introduction to Ann Carden

01:07 - Simplify to scale: The million-dollar offer

02:18 - Getting focused on your true expertise

03:38 - Pricing strategies for fractionals

05:31 - Building value-based offers

07:34 - Revenue vs profit in pricing

10:22 - Structure options for scaling

12:47 - Retainer pricing mistakes

15:27 - Transitioning from retainers

17:47 - Moving to project-based work

20:03 - Overcoming price objections

22:24 - Creating urgency and scarcity

24:42 - Mental blocks holding you back

27:03 - Investing in mentorship and growth

29:23 - Systems and automation for freedom

30:49 - Creating SOPs for your business

32:31 - Strategic partnerships and collaboration

34:22 - Final advice: Think like a business owner

35:25 - How to work with Ann Carden