Abi Asija sits down with Norman Plotkin, CEO of a multi-clinic traditional Chinese medicine practice, to explore how he expanded a 29-year-old clinic into three locations, including a traditional Chinese medicine-based wellness spa.

Key Insight: Growth isn't always about getting more leads. Norman's biggest opportunity is maximizing the capacity and potential of the locations he already has before expanding further.

The discussion explores how the wellness spa became a profitable experiment, generating similar or higher revenue with fewer patients through membership packages.

Abi also breaks down why improving customer experience, sales follow-up, fast response times, and package upsells can help the business reach capacity without immediately increasing ad spend.

Norman shares his plans for corporate wellness memberships, which could help fill the spa's treatment beds and classes through employer-sponsored wellness programs.

The episode also tackles shiny object syndrome and whether Norman should continue experimenting with new ventures or double down on the traditional Chinese medicine model that he already knows works.

Viewers will learn how to identify growth opportunities within an existing business, maximize current capacity, and decide when expansion is actually the right move. To learn more about Norman's work or get in touch with him, you can visit Norman's websites at tianchaoherbs.com and violetwellnessspa.com.

Abi Asija sits down with Jeanine Lum, founder of an innovative wine bag business, to explore how a unique product can become a scalable and profitable company. Jeanine shares how losing wine to heat damage inspired her to design a wine bag with interlocking ice packs that protects the wine inside the bottle, not just the bottle itself.

Jeanine explains how the business generated around $31,000 in revenue last year and her goal of at least tripling that figure. The biggest constraint right now is having enough financial structure and capital to invest in marketing. The conversation explores the company's current sales channels and where the biggest opportunities for growth may be.

Key Insight: The product already has a strong differentiator, but the business needs a more scalable customer acquisition strategy. Online sales are currently the biggest source of revenue, while farmers markets, wineries, networking, referrals, and other relationships have also helped generate sales.

The conversation breaks down the company's marketing strategy, including Meta ads, SEO, email marketing, networking, influencer opportunities, and winery partnerships. Abi challenges the use of generic product advertising and explains why founder-led marketing could be a stronger approach, using Janine's personal story and the problem that inspired the product to create more authentic and difficult-to-copy advertising.

Abi also explains the importance of understanding customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV). The strategy involves continuously A/B testing different advertising angles to find winning messages, while referral bonuses can help increase customer acquisition when there are fewer opportunities for repeat purchases.

The discussion also explores how Janine can increase the value of each customer through additional products and accessories, while building stronger referral opportunities. Abi and Jeanine discuss promotional email campaigns, recurring offers, winery referral bonuses, and ways to turn founder conversations into authentic testimonials that can also be used as marketing content.

Viewers will learn how Jeanine can turn a differentiated wine product into a stronger growth engine through founder-led advertising, A/B testing, email marketing, referrals, strategic partnerships, and customer testimonials. The conversation provides a practical roadmap for reducing acquisition costs, increasing customer value, and scaling the business beyond its current sales channels.

Abi Asija sits down with Greig Watts, co-owner of DWB, a songwriting and music business that has evolved from a royalty-driven model into a growing business built around mentorship, coaching, music production, and songwriting camps.

Greig shares how the changing music industry has affected the traditional royalty model and why DWB is increasingly focused on coaching and mentorship. While royalties still provide credibility, coaching and mentorship have become the more profitable side of the business, creating an opportunity to build a more scalable and predictable growth strategy.

Key Insight: DWB's biggest constraint right now is not the product,  it's generating enough qualified leads. The company previously relied heavily on organic demand, Facebook connections, word of mouth, and referrals, but Greg explains that this organic demand is starting to slow down.

The conversation breaks down DWB's current customer acquisition strategy, including its Facebook audience, email list, networking meetings, paid advertising, and word-of-mouth referrals. Abi also identifies four different ways the business can market its offers: one-to-one warm, one-to-one cold, one-to-many warm, and one-to-many cold.

A major opportunity comes from DWB's experience with Eurovision. The team has had 18 Eurovision entries over the last 11 years, giving them a powerful credibility and proof-based marketing angle. Abi explains why this achievement should become the central hook for their advertising rather than simply promoting a generic songwriting networking event.

The discussion also explores DWB's ideal customers, particularly aspiring songwriters between roughly 35 and 55 who have established careers in other industries but still want to pursue songwriting.

Greig explains DWB's offer structure, including six-month group mentorships, in-person songwriting camps, courses, music production, and one-to-one support. The mentorship typically includes groups of six to nine people, while camps are held in different locations, with the UK being particularly profitable.

The conversation goes deeper into pricing, positioning, and the idea of creating a more compelling Eurovision-focused offer. Abi and Greig discuss making the offer more benefit-driven, creating a stronger guarantee, using testimonials as proof, and potentially shifting from a fixed six-month program toward a recurring monthly model.
AI is also beginning to affect songwriting, creating uncertainty around how the industry will evolve. Greg explains that AI has disrupted songwriting but has not eliminated the need for human expertise, while DWB continues to explore opportunities across Eurovision, K-pop, and other areas of the music industry.

Viewers will learn how DWB can turn its Eurovision track record into a powerful marketing advantage, generate more qualified leads, improve its offer, build recurring revenue, and adapt its songwriting business to a rapidly changing music industry. You can reach out Greig to [email protected].

Abi Asija sits down with Stewart Cohen of Superstock, a media licensing company with more than 32 million digital assets across photography, fine art, and video. Stewart shares his journey rebuilding the 50-year-old business and his goal of growing revenue from $1.5 million to $10 million.

Key Insight: Superstock’s biggest challenge is generating consistent awareness and qualified demand in a competitive market. Improving outbound sales and turning its large content library into predictable revenue are key opportunities.

Superstock sends around 150,000 emails per month, but response rates remain limited. The conversation explores how more targeted messaging could better connect with high-value prospects and their specific visual content needs.

The discussion also highlights Superstock’s ideal customers, including book publishers, advertising agencies, movie studios, and documentary filmmakers. These businesses have a strong and recurring need for licensed visual content.

Recurring revenue is another major focus. With roughly 90% of the business being transactional, Stewart and Abi discuss how a compelling subscription offer could create more predictable revenue and increase customer lifetime value.

The conversation also covers competition from larger companies like Getty, Shutterstock, and Artlist, as well as how Superstock can differentiate itself through unique collections, research services, and strong contributor relationships.

AI is changing the visual content industry, and Superstock is exploring ways to integrate its library into AI-powered search through an MCP server. Viewers will learn how Superstock can improve sales, build recurring revenue, compete in a changing market, and adapt its business for the rise of AI. To connect with Stewart, email [email protected] or visit superstock.com.

Abi Asija sits down with Arky Jones, creator of Personality Peek, a platform designed to help people understand their traits, behaviors, relationships, and personal growth. After more than a decade of research and development, Arky’s biggest challenge is turning his 64-archetype system into a sustainable business.

Key Insight: Arky’s strength as a creator has also become his biggest obstacle. Instead of marketing the finished product, he continues adding features and content. Abi suggests shifting from low-priced reports to a premium coaching service built around Arky’s unique methodology.

Personality Peek uses the Archetypal Spectrum Model, or ATSM, which combines modern traits, Jungian archetypes, and real-life situations. Users receive one of 64 archetypes and percentage-based results across six dimensions, showing that personality is a snapshot that can evolve over time.

The platform receives roughly 300 to 1,000 daily views, mainly through SEO. About 15 to 18 visitors take the test, five to seven sign up, and one to three purchase the $3 report. Despite positive feedback, the business generated less than $1,000 over the previous year while carrying ongoing expenses.

Abi highlights the risks of depending on Google traffic, competing with established brands, and moving customers from a $3 product to a $200 consultation. He recommends making one-on-one coaching the main offer, with the assessment, courses, and workbooks included as supporting resources.

Arky’s greatest value may be helping people identify blind spots, understand old habits, focus on what they can control, and improve their relationships. Abi recommends testing the offer with Arky’s warm network and using his personal brand and podcast to attract future coaching clients.

Viewers will learn why strong feedback does not always create a profitable business, how AI is changing personality tests and online courses, and why premium offers need measurable results. To learn more from Arky, search for Personality Peek and take the free personality quiz.

Abi Asija sits down with Maxim Shapiro of Novateur Capital, a commercial real estate finance advisory and placement expert who helps real estate developers and operators secure the capital they need for acquisitions and development projects. Through debt and equity placement, Maxim connects clients with lenders, investors, family offices, private equity firms, and other institutional capital sources. His biggest business challenge is scaling demand generation while balancing the time-intensive nature of networking, relationship building, and managing client opportunities.

Key Insight: Maxim has built a successful capital advisory business by combining decades of real estate experience, deep industry relationships, and strategic networking. While traditional brokerage relies heavily on transaction-based fees, Novateur Capital has expanded into a retainer-based advisory model that creates more predictable revenue while allowing clients to build stronger long-term capital relationships.

Maxim explains that Novateur Capital operates at the intersection of real estate advisory and brokerage by helping developers find both debt and equity capital. Instead of simply connecting buyers and sellers, the company helps clients navigate the capital markets by identifying the right lenders and investors for their specific projects. Their compensation model includes success fees for completed financing transactions as well as monthly retainers for ongoing advisory services.

A major part of Maxim’s growth has come from building relationships through conferences, industry events, and long-term networking. He shares how attending targeted real estate conferences allows him to schedule multiple conversations with developers, investors, and capital providers, creating opportunities through genuine relationship building rather than traditional cold outreach. Many of these relationships eventually develop into retainer clients or future financing opportunities.

Maxim also discusses how his partnership has helped accelerate the business. By combining his expertise in debt financing with his partner’s experience in equity markets, they are able to provide a more complete solution across the entire capital stack. Their partnership allows them to leverage different strengths, expand their network, and handle more opportunities than either could manage individually.

Through Novateur Capital’s retainer model, Maxim helps real estate operators prepare their deals, identify suitable capital sources, and build relationships with investors and lenders before they urgently need funding. He explains why waiting until a deal is already under pressure can limit options, while building capital relationships early creates better opportunities for future growth.

Viewers will learn how commercial real estate financing works, why developers need both debt and equity partners, how relationship-driven businesses create opportunities, and how a specialized advisory model can help companies scale. To learn more from Maxim, visit novaturecapital.com or email [email protected].

Abi Asija sits down with Dr. Thomas Trautmann of Happy Brains, a coaching and training expert who helps business owners and executives become unforgettable in eleven seconds by applying neuroscience-based communication strategies. He helps leaders understand how decision-makers think, improve their messaging, ethically persuade prospects, and create stronger business relationships. His biggest business challenge is generating more qualified leads while scaling beyond LinkedIn as his primary acquisition channel.

Key Insight: Dr. Thomas has built a powerful lead-generation system through LinkedIn by combining targeted outreach, consistent content, relationship building, and human conversations. However, his biggest opportunity is expanding his acquisition channels through cold email, podcast visibility, and a simpler customer journey that converts more qualified prospects into clients.

Dr. Thomas explains that most businesses make the mistake of focusing their messaging on their products, services, and themselves. Instead, effective communication requires understanding the decision-maker's perspective and creating messaging around their needs, challenges, and desired outcomes. By shifting the conversation toward the customer, businesses can become more memorable and improve their ability to build trust.

Through his workshops and coaching programs, Dr. Thomas helps clients identify the right decision-makers, understand what triggers buying decisions, and apply neuroscience-based tools to improve communication. His one-day workshops are often followed by ninety days of coaching to ensure clients implement the strategies, build accountability, and create lasting changes instead of returning to old habits.

A major part of Dr. Thomas's growth has come from LinkedIn, where he uses Sales Navigator to target founders, CEOs, and business owners who match his ideal customer profile. His process combines automated outreach with personalized conversations, valuable content, and relationship-building. While automation helps create opportunities at scale, he emphasizes that trust and conversion still come from authentic human interaction.

Dr. Thomas also shares the importance of refining offers and simplifying marketing systems. With multiple lead magnets and programs, his next growth opportunity is creating a clearer path for prospects, improving lead quality, and adding new channels such as cold email and podcast appearances to reduce dependence on one platform.

Viewers will learn how neuroscience can transform sales communication, why speaking to the true decision-maker matters, how LinkedIn can become a consistent lead-generation engine, and how businesses can combine technology with human connection to grow. To learn more from Dr. Thomas, visit happy-brains.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Abi Asija Sits down with Heather O'Brien of Heal with God, a Spirit-led healing coach, minister, author, and podcast host who helps Christians hear God's voice and address what lies beneath anxiety, shame, trauma, and other persistent struggles. Her main business challenge is converting a growing audience into committed clients while improving participation, transformation, retention, and referrals.

Key Insight: Heather's greatest opportunity is not placing more people into a low-priced group program. It is delivering exceptional value to a smaller number of qualified clients through a premium, personalized offer, then inviting successful clients into an alumni community that supports continued growth and multiplication.

An always-open program can weaken urgency and make attendance feel optional. When clients miss coaching sessions, they are less likely to complete the work, experience meaningful results, renew their membership, or recommend the program. Clear start dates, limited availability, and incentives tied directly to attendance can strengthen commitment and improve outcomes.

Heather can increase perceived value by creating personalized coaching plans instead of relying on a single standardized path. A structured assessment at the beginning and end of the engagement can document each client's progress, demonstrate the transformation, and generate credible proof that strengthens future sales conversations.

A premium offer should make the path to results feel faster and easier while reducing the buyer's risk. Heather can combine customized coaching, text support, books, course materials, and accountability with clear bonuses, a meaningful guarantee, genuine urgency, and limited capacity. Tiered options can also give clients a practical choice between core, enhanced, and premium levels of support.

The sales process should begin with a valuable 30-minute consultation rather than sending every prospect directly to a free workshop. Automated qualification around budget, authority, need, and timing can filter out poor-fit leads before they reach Heather's calendar. Personalized reminders and a clear next meeting booked before each call ends can improve attendance and keep qualified prospects moving forward.

Viewers will gain a practical framework for replacing volume-driven coaching with premium delivery, measurable transformation, stronger client commitment, and a community of true advocates. To learn from Heather, listen to the Heal with God Podcast or reserve a seat at her free workshop at healwithgodworkshop.com.

Abi Asija sits down with Tom Hunter of Story Recruitment, a specialist accounting and finance recruitment firm helping Australian tech, fintech, and deep tech startups hire first finance leaders, first CFOs, and senior finance executives. The core challenge discussed is growing a recruitment business by consistently attracting high-quality clients while maintaining a premium, relationship-driven approach.

Key Insight: Recruitment becomes easier to scale when trust and authority are built before a hiring need exists. Tom explains how providing free advice, market insights, and valuable resources helps create inbound opportunities and positions him as a trusted advisor rather than just another recruiter.

A focused niche creates a stronger competitive advantage. Story Recruitment specializes in first CFO hires, first finance hires, and senior finance roles for startups and growing technology companies. By understanding the unique challenges of early-stage businesses, Tom can provide a more targeted recruitment process and build stronger relationships with both companies and candidates.

LinkedIn has become a major growth engine for Story Recruitment. Through consistent posting, meaningful engagement, and building a network of more than 30,000 followers, Tom has created a highly targeted audience of finance professionals and business leaders. His “story posts” transform recruitment opportunities into compelling narratives that highlight companies, missions, and career opportunities while generating strong inbound interest.

Personal branding and content also drive client acquisition. Tom shares how LinkedIn, referrals, and The CFO Track Podcast help create trust with founders, CEOs, and finance leaders. Instead of leading with a sales pitch, he focuses on providing market insights, salary guidance, and free advice, allowing relationships to develop before a company is ready to hire.

A premium recruitment model can create better outcomes for both clients and candidates. Tom explains why retained search allows for deeper partnerships, stronger commitment, and a more thorough hiring process compared to traditional contingency recruitment. By investing more time into understanding the company, creating executive briefs, and mapping the market, Story Recruitment delivers a higher-quality search experience.

Technology and automation help Tom maintain a lean and efficient business. By using AI tools, automation, market mapping systems, and a small support team, he can scale his impact without building a large agency. Viewers will gain a practical framework for using LinkedIn to build authority, creating trust through value-driven content, designing a specialized recruitment offer, and growing a profitable relationship-based business.

Tom Hunter, Story Recruitment - first-CFO and first-finance-hire search for Australian tech, fintech and deeptech startups. Host of the CFO Track Podcast. You can find Tom at: https://storyrecruitment.com.au.

Abi Asija Sits down with Adriana Vaccaro of Culture Redesigned, an organizational culture strategist who helps growing organizations strengthen leadership, improve employee engagement, and build scalable teams through behavioral science and data analytics. The core challenge is simplifying a complex consulting service into a clear, urgent offer that generates more qualified sales.

Key Insight: Culture consulting becomes easier to sell when it is connected directly to financial outcomes. Instead of leading with tools, analytics, or broad capabilities, Adriana can position her work around helping mid-market companies increase revenue and reduce costs by improving engagement, strengthening managers, and lowering employee turnover.

A focused ideal customer profile makes every part of the sales process more effective. The strongest fit is a US organization with 50 to 500 employees, especially one experiencing leadership gaps, disengagement, or performance challenges. Narrowing the message around training and leadership development also aligns the offer with the service currently producing the most new business.

Adriana already has a valuable warm audience through referrals, speaking engagements, LinkedIn, and her email list. Personalized Loom videos can turn engagement signals into meaningful conversations by addressing a prospect's specific challenges. This approach builds trust without relying on aggressive follow-ups and provides immediate feedback on which problems and offers create the strongest response.

Better qualification can protect Adriana's time and improve close rates. Using budget, authority, need, and timing criteria before a discovery call helps identify whether a prospect can make a decision, has a real business problem, and is prepared to invest. Qualified conversations can then focus on measurable outcomes, implementation, and return on investment.

Before spending money on cold advertising, Adriana can test positioning and offers across her warm network. Tracking which emails earn clicks, which LinkedIn posts generate engagement, and which calls convert will reveal the most urgent market need. The final offer should make the outcome fast and easy to understand while reducing risk, adding relevant bonuses, and using genuine urgency and limited capacity.

Viewers will gain a practical framework for simplifying a sophisticated service, connecting culture initiatives to business performance, qualifying stronger prospects, and converting an existing audience into revenue. To connect with Adriana, find Adriana Vaccaro on LinkedIn or email her at [email protected].