In this episode of Nothing Small About Business, host Sara Press sits down with Beth Mazza, author of Entrepreneur Like a Mother, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build a business as a woman entrepreneur and mom. Beth breaks down how to design a business around your life instead of the other way around, why networking and a trusted "kitchen cabinet" of advisors matter more than any funding round, and how she pushed past imposter syndrome to write her book and grow her brand. This episode is a must-listen for founders scaling a business, women in entrepreneurship, and anyone balancing motherhood and career while building something of their own — packed with practical business strategy, leadership lessons, and real talk on using AI to work smarter, not harder.

Perfect for fans of: business podcasts for women, founder interviews, small business growth strategy, entrepreneurship and motherhood, women in leadership podcasts.

Beth Mazza is the author of Entrepreneur Like a Mother and an advocate for women building businesses that fit their real lives.

Loved this episode? Subscribe to Nothing Small About Business, leave a review, and share it with a founder in your circle. For more on scaling your business with intention, follow Sara Press and Press Edit on Instagram: @withsarapress

Host Sara Press sits down with fashion entrepreneur Cydney Mar to talk QVC success, product development, and the market feedback every founder needs to hear.

In this episode of Nothing Small About Business, host Sara Press interviews fashion and product development expert Cydney Mar about her journey from national figure skater to successful entrepreneur and QVC seller.

Cydney walks Sara through the life-changing accident that redirected her career, how she built her first fashion business from the ground up, and what it actually took to land, and succeed, on QVC. The conversation covers product development, market feedback, branding, and manufacturing, along with the strategic planning every entrepreneur needs before launching a product.

Whether you're building a fashion brand, developing a new product, or trying to break into retail and TV shopping, this episode is full of practical startup tips and business strategy you can use right away.

• Cydney Mar's journey from competitive figure skating to fashion design
• The accident that changed the course of her career, and how she rebuilt
• Starting a fashion business from the ground up, grassroots style
• Breaking into TV shopping and building a QVC success story
• Product testing, quality control, and working with manufacturing partners
• The most common mistakes early-stage entrepreneurs make
• Navigating regulatory and product testing hurdles
• Branding and marketing tips for product-based businesses
• Why understanding your customer matters more than your own opinion
• Balancing innovation with practicality in product development
• How to build a sustainable, resilient business model

• "I was hit and I thought I was going to bleed out."
• "I feel very lucky for how my life has turned out."
• "The market never lies, it tells you what they love."

• 00:00 Introduction to Cydney Mar's inspiring story
• 02:01 The life-changing accident and recovery process
• 03:49 Transition from skating to fashion design
• 05:49 Starting her own fashion business grassroots style
• 07:53 Journey into TV shopping and QVC success
• 12:12 Insights into product testing and quality control
• 16:50 Helping entrepreneurs develop and launch products
• 21:06 Common mistakes and how to avoid them
• 25:00 Navigating industry regulations and testing
• 30:04 The importance of market feedback and pivoting
• 34:03 Final tips for aspiring entrepreneurs

• Lake Mitchell shares how her background in industrial engineering, accounting, ROTC, and the National Guard shaped her approach to business
• She explains the through line in her career: strategy, structure, discipline, and execution
• Why networking only works if you actually follow up after the event
• When business owners should start thinking about tax strategy
• Why the first 1 to 3 years are usually about profitability, not advanced tax planning
• The difference between a tax preparer and a true tax strategist
• Why business structure comes before tax tactics like paying kids or using the Augusta rule
• How real estate can create tax advantages through depreciation, cost segregation, and 1031 exchanges
• Why tax strategy depends on individual factors like W-2 income, business income, marriage, dependents, and risk tolerance
• How Lake built her business through brand trust, not just niche targeting
• Why content should attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones
• The time-blocking and boundary habits that help her protect energy and stay consistent

00:00 - How Sara and Lake met through networking and follow-up
01:09 - Lake’s background in engineering, accounting, military service, and bodybuilding
02:42 - How a braiding business taught her marketing and communication
04:41 - Lessons from ROTC and becoming a first lieutenant in the National Guard
06:36 - The common thread across all of Lake’s careers: strategy and discipline
07:04 - When business owners should start thinking about tax strategy
08:46 - The income threshold where basic tax strategies start to matter
09:58 - Why the biggest mistake is hiring a preparer instead of a strategist
11:34 - Why tax strategy is not one-size-fits-all
12:05 - Why structure has to come before tactics like paying kids or the Augusta rule
13:40 - Real estate tax advantages from cost segregation and year-one losses
15:00 - Why 1031 exchanges help reduce capital gains exposure
16:21 - Retirement planning, cash balance plans, and building assets
18:53 - How Lake stays current on tax law and IRS changes
20:09 - When amending past returns makes sense and when it is not worth it
21:18 - The importance of finding a CPA who can explain strategy in plain language
22:22 - How Lake built her tax business from personal brand trust
24:06 - Why her brand spans health, wealth, family, and fitness
25:45 - Niche versus alignment: solving a real problem for the right client
27:54 - Learning to love all parts of business, including marketing and content
28:29 - How content can attract ideal clients and repel bad fits
29:29 - Why coaching and mentorship helped her become a stronger entrepreneur
30:26 - Lake’s time-blocking routine and protected calendar
31:33 - Why turning off work is a muscle that improves with practice
32:37 - Advice on choosing advisors who have actually been where you want to go
33:42 - Where to find Lake and reach out directly

Most networking advice tells you to go to more events, collect more business cards, add more connections. Dana Flanagan says that's exactly backwards.

In this episode, Sara Press talks with Dana Flanagan, founder of The Authority Architect and Capital Society, about what actually works when it comes to building your personal brand and growing the right relationships, not just more of them. After two decades building businesses and strategic relationships across real estate, entrepreneurship, finance, and media, Dana has built her career on a simple idea: it's not about how many powerful people are in the room, it's about what happens because the right people were introduced.

We get into:

- Why most networking fails, and what it actually means to network effectively instead of just often

- How to build authority and a personal brand online without adding to the noise of generic advice and recycled frameworks

- The difference between visibility and credibility, and why social media should build one, not just chase the other

- How curated, quality-first networking creates opportunities that traditional events and cold outreach never will

- Practical ways to start building your own authority and network more intentionally, no matter what stage your business is at

If you've ever left a networking event with a stack of business cards and nothing to show for it, or you're trying to figure out how to actually use social media to build credibility instead of just noise, this conversation will change how you think about both.

Guest: Dana Flanagan, Founder of The Authority Architect and Capital Society

Host: Sara Press, founder of Press Edit and host of Nothing Small About Business. [email protected]

Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and its about to hit America with the same enthusiasm.

In this episode, Sara Press talks with Ben Nichols, founder and CEO of Padel22, about building an entire sport's business and culture from the ground up in a market that barely knows it exists. Ben spent nearly 20 years running communications for some of the biggest names in global sports, including Formula 1 and international anti-doping, (WADA) before a single game of padel on a work trip to Dubai changed the direction of his career. He's now one of the leading voices behind padel's growth in the US, working with organizations like the Pro Padel League, Taktika, and Playtomic to build the sport into a real business, not just a trend.

We get into:

- What padel actually is, how it's different from paddle tennis, and why the pronunciation debate matters more than people think

- Ben's path through F1 and anti-doping communications, and what stepping way outside his comfort zone taught him about growth

- Why padel's rise globally offers a blueprint for the US padel market, and where the US is still behind

- How a sport builds an ecosystem: courts, brands, media, and community, all at once

- The business and investment opportunities opening up in padel right now, from real estate to media rights

- Why Ben sees padel as more than a sport, and more like a social platform people build their lives around

If you're into sports business, sports marketing, or just want to understand why everyone is suddenly talking about padel, this is the conversation to start with.

Guest: Ben Nichols, Founder & CEO of Padel22

Host: Sara Press, founder of Press Edit and host of Nothing Small About Business

[email protected]

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KEYWORDS

padel, padel sports, sports marketing, sports industry, padel business, US padel market, padel community, sports entrepreneurship, sports innovation, padel growth

Sara shares insights from 40 episodes of her podcast, including tips for pitching guests, starting a podcast, and effective on-camera setup. She discusses lessons learned, how to build a podcast foundation, and ways to leverage podcasts for marketing.

Follow Sara on LinkedIn and Instagram

Email: [email protected]

podcasting, podcast tips, guest pitching, content creation, marketing, podcast setup, mini-series, audience engagement

Effective guest pitching strategies

Building a consistent podcast foundation

Using mini-series for marketing

Technical setup for on-camera podcasts

Lessons learned from 40 weeks of podcasting

takeaways

Always research your guest and show before pitching.

Consistency in podcast publishing builds credibility.

Use mini-series to repurpose content and attract clients.

Don't over-prepare; let conversations flow naturally.

Good social media following doesn't guarantee podcast success.

sound bites

"Make sure you are actually a good fit for the show"

"Promote the episode on your end for a win-win"

"Don't over-prepare and script your show"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and episode overview

02:54 Promoting your episode effectively

05:06 Why consistency matters in podcasting

06:00 Starting a mini-series for business marketing

07:26 Lessons from running a business-focused podcast

09:19 Technical tips for on-camera recording

11:16 Avoiding over-preparation and scripting

13:32 Using podcasts to market your business

15:20 Equipment tips for recording quality audio and video

16:20 Encouragement to put yourself out there

Most people who get a shot at reality TV stardom either make it big or fade out quietly. McKenzie Lyng did neither. She turned a season of Golf Channel's Big Break into the spark for a company that now runs thousands of events a year and pays out millions of dollars to female professional golfers chasing the LPGA dream.

In this episode, Sara Press talks with McKenzie about her path from competitive golfer to founder and entrepreneur, and what it actually took to build BackSwing Golf Events into one of the largest on-course fundraising companies in the industry. This is a conversation for any business owner who's ever had to build something from a moment that didn't go the way they planned.

We get into:

• What happened on Golf Channel's Big Break, and how that experience became the idea behind BackSwing Golf Events
• The jump from professional athlete to founder, and the entrepreneur mindset shift that came with it
• How BackSwing grew into a multimillion-dollar business supporting other female professional golfers financially
• What it takes to scale a small business into thousands of events a year without losing the mission behind it
• Lessons for any founder or business owner turning a personal passion into a real, sustainable company

If you're a founder, small business owner, or entrepreneur who's ever wondered how to turn a single opportunity into a real business, this episode is packed with insight.

Guest: McKenzie Lyng, CEO and Co-Founder of BackSwing Golf Events Website: backswinggolfevents.com Instagram: @backswinggolfevents Facebook: BackSwing Golf Events TikTok: @backswinggolfevents YouTube: @backswinggolfevents

Host: Sara Press, founder of Press Edit and host of Nothing Small About Business Podcast: Nothing Small About Business on Apple Podcasts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarapresspodcast Instagram: @withsarapress

Most agency founders can get their business to $1 million. Almost none of them know how to take it to $10 million, and Nick Avaria says that gap is exactly where he lives.

Nick is the founder of Agency Acquisitions, where he's bought and sold seven agencies and consulted with dozens more on how to scale profitably without burning out their founders or their teams. In this episode, Sara Press sits down with Nick to talk about what actually separates agencies that scale from agencies that stall, and why the skills that get you to $1 million are often the exact opposite of the skills that get you to $10 million.

We get into:

• How Nick has bought and sold seven agencies, and what he looks for in a business worth acquiring
• Why scaling an agency from $1M to $10M requires a completely different skill set than founding one, and why most founders are better at one than the other
• The real cost of founder burnout, and the mindset shift that prevents it
• How to know which tasks to outsource before they burn you out, and why "I can do it faster myself" is the trap that keeps founders stuck
• What agency owners get wrong about growth, profit, and scaling a small business past its first plateau

Whether you're a founder trying to break past $1 million, an agency owner thinking about an exit, or just building a business and wondering when to start delegating, this conversation is full of practical, real-world scaling advice.

Guest: Nick Avaria, Founder of Agency Acquisitions Website: agencyacquisitions.io LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickavaria Instagram: @nick.avaria YouTube: Nick Avaria - Agency Acquisitions

Host: Sara Press, founder of Press Edit and host of Nothing Small About Business Podcast: Nothing Small About Business on Apple Podcasts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarapresspodcast Instagram: @withsarapress

Former NBA G league President, youngest Burger King Franchisee and now author and business consultant, Peter Ricciardi joins Sara Press today and shares how thinking counterintuitively and focusing on customer and employee experience can dramatically boost your business success. Learn practical strategies, mindset shifts, and real-world examples to transform your approach and avoid costly mistakes.

HOST: Sara Press

LinkedIN:

Instagram

• Pete Ricciardi’s background: From Penn student to youngest Burger King franchisee and NBA G League President
• The importance of mindset shifts in business: focusing on customers and employees over personal preferences
• The power of counterintuitive thinking: simplicity, narrowing focus, and challenging “we’ve always done it this way”
• How to leverage customer experience for retention and word-of-mouth marketing
• Pricing strategies: testing, understanding value, and avoiding underpricing or overpricing
• The significance of employee appreciation and retention to improve overall business performance
• Creating the “oasis” experience, as exemplified by Buc-ee's and Chick-fil-A
• Practical ways to identify and implement marketing, communication, and operational improvements
• The importance of asking the right questions and questioning assumptions in business planning
• The benefits of reading and rereading reflective, action-oriented books like Mind Shift Profit Lift

• Mind Shift Profit Lift - Pete Ricciardi's book on transforming business mindset
• Connect with Pete Ricciardi:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Website

Sara sits down with Jimmy Moore as he shares his inspiring journey from martial arts and military service to building a successful fintech company that champions small businesses. Discover lessons on resilience, leadership, and innovative payment solutions that can transform your business approach.

business growth, payment processing, small business, fintech, leadership, resilience, martial arts, entrepreneurship, innovation, flow culture

"Never give up, no matter what."

"Be present where your feet are."

"Revisit your purpose and why you do it."

Chapters

00:00 Jimmy Moore's Journey to Entrepreneurship

02:59 Building Flow Business Solutions

06:00 Scaling the Business: Strategies and Relationships

09:01 Understanding the Fintech Landscape

12:01 Lessons from Martial Arts and the Army

15:04 Mindset: Never Give Up

17:56 The Importance of Team and Community

21:00 Navigating Business Challenges

22:25 Navigating the Payment Processing Landscape

32:01 Lessons from Martial Arts: Mental Toughness in Business

40:46 Purpose-Driven Work: Finding Your Why

Host: Sara Press: @withsarapress

FlowBiz Solutions - https://flowbizsolutions.com

Flow Cares Foundation - https://flowcares.org

LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/jimmymoore

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jimmymoore