In this episode, Steph shares the realization that opportunity often comes with barriers many people don't see.

From caregivers and parents to people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, financial limitations, and countless other responsibilities, not everyone has the same ability to travel, attend conferences, or spend days away from home.

That doesn't make them any less deserving of access to the information, relationships, and education that help businesses grow.

This episode explores:

1. Why in-person events are making such a strong comeback
2. The opportunities that happen through real-world connection
3. The hidden privilege behind "just get in the room"
4. Why protecting the integrity of online business matters
5. How accessibility impacts entrepreneurship
6. Why Steph created the Relentlessly Real Business Panel

Because building a healthy business community means making sure opportunity doesn't only belong to the people who can board the plane.

Grab your ticket to the June panel:

https://www.stephrubio.com/relentlessly-real-business-panel

Continue the conversation - join Steph's email community:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

"Ten minutes talking to you and I know more about you than six months online."

"Not everyone can get in the room physically. That doesn't make them any less deserving of the information."

"Working online and building virtual businesses has changed lives."

"If someone can attend fifteen events and I can attend two or three, the growth trajectory changes."

"We have to keep this information accessible to people who need it, want it, deserve it, and simply have different life circumstances."

"When we keep the online industry healthy, people stay in business. And when people stay in business, we all have business."

In-Person Connection Matters

Relationships often accelerate faster face-to-face than they do online.

Access Is Not Equal

Not everyone has the same freedom, resources, caregiving support, health, finances, or circumstances.

Online Business Changed Lives

Remote entrepreneurship created opportunities for parents, caregivers, and people who otherwise may never have been able to participate in traditional business environments.

We Need Both

The future isn't choosing between online and in-person experiences. It's creating both.

Accessibility Is a Business Issue

Making information available only through expensive or inaccessible channels limits who gets to grow.

What happens when people start looking to you for answers?

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph shares an unexpected realization: somewhere along the way, she became a community leader. And with that comes responsibility.

As more business owners turn to trusted voices for recommendations, guidance, and perspective, Steph explores what it means to hold that trust carefully—especially in an online industry overflowing with conflicting advice, fear-based marketing, and constant noise.

This conversation digs into the weight of influence, the importance of discernment, and why nuanced conversations matter now more than ever. Steph also shares the vision behind her new quarterly virtual panel: a space where business owners can hear honest conversations from people actively building businesses, making decisions, and navigating a rapidly changing market in real time.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by contradictory advice or questioned who to trust online, this episode is for you.

Join the panel on June 25th: https://www.stephrubio.com/relentlessly-real-business-panel

Live to the Event Series w/ Taylor Smith,Start with Episode 1

On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/event-series-part-1-tips-on-how-to-choose-events-that/id1821487374?i=1000752877055

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HS9IWyjXy4UsrUwezG9xc?si=bxWDnNSBTRy44W0Z6TaTvQ

1. The responsibility that comes with influence and recommendations
2. Why online business owners keep getting pulled off course
3. The problem with fear-based marketing and guru culture
4. Why nuance is missing from many online conversations
5. How real conversations help business owners make better decisions
6. The vision behind Steph's new quarterly virtual panel
7. What it takes to build trust in a rapidly changing market

"One thing about me, baby. If I see something, I'm gonna say something."

"It's not only my money, time, and energy on the line anymore. It's my community's too."

"People are consuming content all day that makes them feel like they're falling short."

"Two people can be growing on the same trajectory while using completely different tactics."

"The goal isn't to fearmonger. The goal is to have real conversations about what's actually happening."

"You're going to stabilize your nervous system when you stop listening to every polarizing opinion online."

The businesses that thrive won't necessarily be the ones consuming the most information. They'll be the ones learning how to think critically, filter noise, and make decisions from a grounded place instead of reacting to every trend, headline, or hot take.

📩 Join Steph's email list for strategic insights and behind-the-scenes leadership conversations:

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

A lot of the self limiting beliefs keeping you stuck weren't actually your beliefs. They’re inherited. Absorbed. Repeated so often by other people that eventually they started sounding like truth.

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph gets brutally honest about the comments, relationships, and experiences that shaped her self-worth for years — from being told she’d always be “white trash” to believing she wasn’t capable of more. But this isn’t a revenge story.

It’s a story about realizing the life you want is actually possible when you stop letting other people’s limitations dictate your future.

Steph shares:

1. The mindset shifts that changed everything
2. How survival mode fueled her growth
3. Why self-limiting beliefs usually aren’t yours to begin with
4. The importance of boundaries and support systems
5. What it looks like to step into the identity of the person you want to become
6. Why clarity is the first step toward creating the life you actually want

This one is raw, emotional, empowering, and probably going to make you want to burn your old belief system to the ground.

“A lot of the problems in your business and your life stem from your self-limiting beliefs… but they didn’t start as yours.”

“It was me all along.”

“You can do actually any freaking thing you want.”

“If you set this crazy big terrifying target and never reach it, you’ll still be happier marching toward it than pretending you never wanted it.”

“Don’t let the notions of insecure idiots dictate your life.”

Access Your Terrifying Vision Experience. Because getting where you want to go starts with knowing where that is: https://www.stephrubio.com/your-terrifying-vision?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Connect on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio?utm_source=chatgpt.com

What if the biggest growth strategy in your business isn’t more content, more marketing, or more visibility… but how people feel after working with you?

In this conversation, Steph sits down with now friend (who started as a client) and operations powerhouse Kendra Harris, a self-described “business doctor of organization,” to unpack the concept of stakeholder experience — and why your reputation might be your most powerful revenue engine. Kendra is one of the most intentional service providers I met and every time I get a thoughtful little something extra I know takes her time, I'm always left shocked how she can manage it while also managing a client load and living the life of a mother of 5 kids.

From leaving a 15-year teaching career to building a six-figure business in under two years, Kendra shares the real story behind sustainable growth: intentional relationships, thoughtful systems, and showing people they matter. This episode is equal parts strategy and humanity — because business growth isn’t just operational… it’s relational.

Aspiring new VA's:: Kendra is proud to offer affordable coaching to new and aspiring VAs:

https://www.kendraharris.co/coaching

💌 Join Steph’s email list (Steph’s Shenanigans + The COO Edit):

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

⚡ Work directly with Steph — Decision Intensive:

https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

1. Why client experience alone isn’t enough — and what stakeholder experience really means
2. How thoughtful gestures create long-term referrals without constant marketing
3. The mindset shift required to leave security and bet on yourself
4. Why systems make personalization scalable
5. How being remembered turns into predictable revenue
6. The difference between transactional service providers and trusted partners
7. Why “extra effort” is actually elite business strategy

“When you’re remembered, you get referred.”

“Nothing comes without risk — but growth lives on the other side of belief.”

“I don’t just want clients. I want relationships.”

“Your reputation becomes your greatest revenue engine.”

“Being thoughtful isn’t fluff — it’s strategy.”

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph Rubio unpacks the very real phenomenon of “Maycember” and why it matters to more than just mompreneuers and parents alone.

This isn’t just a conversation about parenting busy seasons. It’s about understanding the rhythms of your audience, planning your business around real human capacity, and creating strategy that actually meets people where they are instead of pretending everyone has unlimited time, energy, and brain space year-round.

Steph breaks down:

1. Why buyer behavior changes seasonally
2. How to anticipate summer slowdowns strategically
3. What service providers should actually focus on during slower seasons
4. Why backend operations matter more than flashy marketing during certain quarters
5. How calm leadership creates sustainable growth
6. The strategic planning framework most small business owners skip entirely

This episode is part business strategy, part reality check, and part permission slip to stop marketing like every month functions the same.

“You have to know the business rhythms of your ideal client just like you need to know yours.”

“Your audience isn’t ignoring you. They may just not have the brain space right now.”

“Stop selling like it’s March.”

“Summer isn’t the time to disappear. It’s the time to shore up your backend.”

“Stable calm leadership means knowing your people, knowing their rhythms, and planning accordingly.”

“Business has seasons. So do buyers.”

1. Seasonal buyer behavior affects engagement, sales, and decision-making
2. Parents of school-aged kids often experience “May-cember” and summer capacity shifts
3. Strategic planning should account for audience energy, not just business goals
4. Summer can be the perfect operational cleanup and preparation season
5. Q3 and Q4 momentum depends heavily on what gets prepared beforehand
6. Strategy is about timing, context, and market awareness — not just tactics

Explore The Rooted Reset retreat

https://www.stephrubio.com/reverse-engineering-vip-day?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Connect on Instagram - Steph is a voice note Kween

https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Scaling your business shouldn’t cost you your sanity but for a lot of women, it does.

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph sits down with systems strategist and business coach Katelyn Hamilton to unpack the truth behind “scaling” and why so many entrepreneurs are burning out chasing it.

Here’s the reality: more clients, more offers, more revenue… isn’t scaling. It’s just more.

This conversation breaks down what sustainable growth actually looks like, how to build systems that give you your time back, and why your capacity—not your ambition—is the real constraint in your business.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, resentful, or like your business is running you instead of the other way around, this is a cannot miss episode because we'll reframe the way you think and leave you with actionable takeaways to know better then do better.

If you enjoyed this conversation, why step here.

Continue the Conversation

Take Katelyn's Leadership Assessement: https://katelynhamilton.myflodesk.com/leadership-self-assessment

✨ Join the waitlist for The Rooted Reset so you can plan ahead like a Leader:

https://www.stephrubio.com/reverse-engineering-vip-day

💌 Join Steph’s email list (aka the good stuff):

https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

Key Takeaways

1. Scaling ≠ adding more. It’s increasing efficiency and capacity without increasing effort.
2. Burnout isn’t just being tired—it’s losing interest, energy, and clarity.
3. Systems and automations are not “nice to have”—they’re how you buy back your time.
4. Sustainable growth means your business supports your life—not competes with it.
5. Capacity isn’t fixed—it’s hidden in inefficiencies.
6. Pausing to evaluate your business is not failure—it’s leadership.

Memorable Moments & Soundbites

“You don’t scale by adding more—you scale by doing what you already do better.”

“Burnout is when you wake up and think… what am I even doing this for anymore?”

“You can’t scale adding more manual work to your plate.”

“Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is pause.”

“Your business should support your life—not the other way around.”

“Capacity isn’t gone—it’s hidden in inefficiency.”

In this episode, Steph pulls back the curtain on the most overlooked growth strategy in your business: you.

If this episode hit, here’s where to go next:

1. ✉️ Get on Steph’s email list because it's the real real about life & business in a way that you can actually absorb & implement like all the time:

   https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

2. The place to start is getting crazy clear on what you actually want (and why it feels terrifying):

   https://www.stephrubio.com/your-terrifying-vision

After powerful conversations at Power Table Live, one truth kept surfacing—most women are building businesses that rely on them… while completely neglecting themselves. Steph breaks down what it actually looks like to treat yourself as a stakeholder in your business, why “self-care” isn’t fluffy—it’s foundational—and how prioritizing yourself directly impacts your revenue, relationships, and long-term sustainability.

This is the episode that will challenge how you think about productivity, success, and what it really means to build a business that lasts.

Key Takeaways

1. Why your reputation = your revenue (and how your experience shapes both)
2. The concept of stakeholder experience—and why you belong in that category
3. How neglecting yourself quietly sabotages your business growth
4. Why 30 minutes a day can radically change your life (and business)
5. The real reason you struggle to prioritize yourself (hint: it’s not time)
6. How to communicate your needs without guilt—and actually stick to them
7. Why boundaries aren’t selfish—they’re protective

Memorable Moments

“Your reputation is your revenue.”

“If you can’t sustain, the business can’t sustain.”

“I give my kids what they need 23 and a half hours a day. The other 30 minutes? That’s mine.”

“Boundaries aren’t the point. They protect what you value.”

“You’re not lacking time—you’re lacking permission.”

Collaborations aren’t just a “cute visibility play”—they’re one of the most powerful ways to accelerate trust, authority, and revenue in your business.

In this episode, Steph pulls back the curtain on what actually makes collaborations work—and why most people are leaving massive opportunities on the table.

We’re talking about:

1. Why borrowed trust is more valuable than new eyeballs
2. How collaborations shorten your sales cycle (yes, really)
3. The systems that make you easy to work with (and rebooked)
4. And the secret sauce that turns a one-time collab into referrals, intros, and bigger rooms

Because getting invited into the room is one thing…But what people say after you leave? That’s the game changer.

Continue the Conversation

If this episode hit—don’t just nod your head. Let's do something with it.

💥 Audit your collaboration workflow or build one that actually converts:

👉 https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

🧠 Want more strategic thinking like this in your inbox (without the fluff)?

👉 https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

Key Takeaways

1. Collaborations = credibility exchanges, not just visibility
2. Borrowed trust gives you instant authority by proximity
3. Warm leads from collaborations convert faster than cold audiences
4. Being “easy to collaborate with” is a system, not a personality trait
5. Reliability gets you invited back—but intentional EXTRA makes you unforgettable

Memorable Moments (Soundbites)

“Collaborations aren’t just about visibility—they’re about borrowed trust.”

“When someone collaborates with you, you’re being introduced, not discovered.”

“Being easy to collaborate with isn’t a personality trait. It’s a process.”

“Reliability gets you invited back… but it doesn’t make you unforgettable.”

“It’s not about getting in the room. It’s about what people say after you leave it.”

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most underleveraged growth strategies in business: how you treat the people who have already paid you.

Because your clients should be your best marketers, easiest sales, strongest social proof and most reliable revenue stream. Instead, most business owners are stuck chasing new leads while ignoring the goldmine sitting right in front of them.

We’re talking about how to:

1. Turn client experience into a referral engine
2. Re-engage past clients (aka the easiest money you’ll ever make)
3. Create “extra” moments that make you unforgettable
4. Build a business where your reputation walks into rooms before you do

If you’re tired of spinning your wheels with marketing, this episode will change how you think about growth—completely.

And if you want the original episode introducing this entire concept, you can listen in here:

On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/22-introducing-stakeholder-experience-your-client-experience/id1821487374?i=1000745924692

On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Udhvkv2383IHqPlaVCe5j?si=yqw97TgqQPOXQraB9YhBfQ

Key Takeaways

1. Client retention is 5–25% more cost-effective than acquisition
2. Referrals are free, high-converting marketing
3. Your current clients are your most powerful social proof
4. Past clients are one of the most overlooked revenue opportunities
5. “Delivering what you sold” is the baseline—not the differentiator

Memorable Moments (Soundbites)

“Delighting the hell out of your clients makes your marketing easier—and cheaper.”

“Your clients should be saying your name in rooms you’re not even in.”

“Delivering what you sold is the bare minimum.”

“Your reputation is your revenue.”

“You have a pool of people who already trust you… just sitting there.”

“People that are remembered get referred.”

Strategic Links & Next Steps

If this episode lit a fire under you, here’s where to go next:

✨ Decision Intensive (BEST FIT for this episode)

If you’re sitting on too many ideas and not enough clarity, this is your move.

→ https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

✨ Your Terrifying Vision (Lead Magnet)

Get clear on what you actually want to build—and stop playing small.

→ https://www.stephrubio.com/your-terrifying-vision

✨ Join My Email List (Steph’s Shenanigans + The COO Edit)

For strategic thinking + unfiltered insights twice a month.

→ https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

If part one cracked open the identity shift from “I'm just a VA” to CEO, this episode is about what it actually takes to build a business that doesn’t depend on you doing everything.

Because the truth is, you don’t scale by working more. You scale by working differently, more efficiently.

In part two, Fran Moore and I break down what it really looks like to grow from VA to agency owner without becoming the bottleneck in your own business. We’re talking niching (ew, yeah, I know), systems, delegation, and the hard (but necessary) shift out of “everything queen” energy into something that’s actually sustainable.

If you’ve been feeling stretched, stuck, or like your business can’t grow without you… this is the episode you’ve been waiting for.

1. Why being an “everything queen” is blocking your ability to scale
2. How to choose a niche that actually supports growth (not just trends)
3. What makes a business repeatable—and why that’s the key to scaling
4. How to delegate without overcomplicating it
5. The difference between growing a business and scaling one
6. What it really takes to build an agency that doesn’t rely on you

“If it’s not repeatable, it’s not scalable.”

“You can’t be an everything queen and build an agency.”

“Delegation is a skill—you just have to practice it.”

“Nobody dies. Everyone is fine.”

“Your business does not have to be your hobby.

Apple:

Spotify:

If you’re sitting there thinking, “okay… but how do I actually do this?”—this is exactly the work we do inside my Mastermind so join us & let's do this shall we?

https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Twice a month, I send out what I’m loving, learning, and what’s actually working behind the scenes in business:

👉 https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fransmoore
2. Podcast: Franly Advice

Hit that SSR:

Subscribe. Share. Review.

And if you know someone stuck in “everything queen” mode… send this their way.