Rooted & Relentless

This one’s for the event hosts (yes, your ears are probably burning 🔥). In Part 3, Taylor and I break down what it actually takes to deliver a stellar stakeholder experience—not just for attendees, but for speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers… everyone who has a stake in the success of your event.

We talk communication, long-term planning, project management, boundaries + deadlines, and what to do when something inevitably goes sideways.

Key takeaways

1. Communication is queen. Anticipate what people will ask/need and answer it before they have to chase you.
2. Stakeholder experience isn’t just attendees. Speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers all need clear expectations + direction.
3. Clarity kills chaos. Agenda, logistics, dress code, where to go, what to bring, what happens next—spell it out.
4. Add “a little extra.” Simple touches (hotel recs, food spots, post-event follow-up tips) make you memorable and referable.
5. An event is a project. Treat it like one. If it has more than 10 steps, it needs a project plan (and this has… a lot more than 10).
6. When you mess up: own it + solution it. Acknowledge it, communicate clearly, explain what happened (when helpful), and make it right.
7. Use the 5x5 rule. If it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes spiraling—just handle it with care.

LISTEN IN ORDER:

Part 4 NEXT on The Power Table Podcast: Protect Your Safety & Sanity at Events

🔗 On Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-table-with-taylor-smith/id1775769731⁠⁠

🔗 On Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4q9nlArV18b80rwqtIV2ik?si=6ca4396028474f22⁠⁠

MORE:

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Get in THE room to be in: Power Table LIVE ! It's April 22-23, 2026 in Destin, Florida. Get your ticket here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://20132019--thepowertable.thrivecart.com/the-power-table-live/

Send me a DM on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio/⁠⁠⁠

TAYLOR:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorsmithonline/

Website: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/

In Part 1 of this 4-part series with Taylor Smith, we break down how to evaluate events before you buy the ticket so you’re not leaving your family, spending real money, and walking back to your hotel room wondering what just happened.

This episode lays the foundation for everything that follows.

Key takeaways

1. If the math doesn’t math, pay attention. Big attendance promises with chaotic marketing and short runway are a red flag.
2. Clarity isn’t a transformation. If the event promise is a pile of buzzwords, you’re allowed to be skeptical.
3. You should know who the room is for. If the host can’t clearly answer “who is this event for?”… that’s your answer.
4. Social proof matters (even for first-time hosts). Green flag: smaller in-person iterations before going “big conference.”
5. Set your goal before you go. Education? Connections? Exposure? Your goal determines what “worth it” looks like.
6. Sometimes the smartest move is not attending. FOMO and “mutual support” aren’t business strategies.
7. Aspirational vs operational events: Look at content + structure (workshops, networking, hot seats) and even how VIP is built.

LISTEN IN ORDER:

Part 2 NEXT on the Power Table Podcast: How to Be a Standout Attendee & Actually Realize A ROI

🔗 On Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-table-with-taylor-smith/id1775769731⁠⁠

🔗 On Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4q9nlArV18b80rwqtIV2ik?si=6ca4396028474f22⁠⁠

MORE:

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Book your 1:1 Decision Intensive: https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

Get in THE room to be in, Power Table LIVE, April 22-23, 2026 in Destin, Florida: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://20132019--thepowertable.thrivecart.com/the-power-table-live/

Send me a DM on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio/⁠⁠⁠

TAYLOR:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorsmithonline/

Website: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/

Episode Summary

In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alisha Bean, a long-time client turned mastermind member, to talk about what actually breaks when a business grows—and why most founders don’t realize the real problem until they’re already overwhelmed.

This conversation digs into the moment where things are technically “working,” but everything feels harder: communication is messy, systems are duct-taped together, the founder is back in the weeds, and the business starts pulling more instead of giving freedom.

Steph and Alisha unpack the difference between growth and scaling, the danger of 20-step workflows that require constant founder approval, and why hiring support doesn’t magically remove responsibility—it changes how leadership shows up.

1. What “leaks” look like in a growing business—and why patching them stops working
2. The most common presenting problems (communication + systems) vs. the real root causes
3. Why your 20-step process is quietly sabotaging your ability to scale
4. The difference between growth (more volume) and scaling (more efficiency + stability)
5. How to delegate without losing awareness—and why that’s the actual CEO move
6. Why hiring an executor isn’t “magic” (and what to expect when you do)
7. The identity shift Alisha experienced going from “the shoes are too big” to fully owning her expertise
8. Alisha’s best advice for service providers building in a noisy, comparison-heavy online space

1) “It’s working” isn’t the same as “it’s built to scale.”

Most businesses do work… until they don’t. If your systems were set up for one level of volume, they’ll start breaking when you grow. That’s not a personal failure—it’s a systems mismatch.

2) Duct tape is not a long-term strategy.

When your backend is 15 tools “kind of” talking to each other, leaks are inevitable: missed handoffs, duplicated work, rising software costs, and team confusion.

3) Simplifying is scaling.

If a process takes 20 steps and 10 approvals from you, you don’t have a workflow—you have a founder chokehold. Cutting it down (and pre-approving decisions) is how you stop being the bottleneck.

4) Delegation doesn’t mean “checking out.”

Stepping out of execution doesn’t mean you stop knowing what’s happening. You keep awareness, build trust, and create clear lanes so your team can move without you micromanaging.

5) Confidence changes your marketing.

Alisha shares how proving the concept (to herself and the right clients) changed how she showed up—no more “hoping” people believe in her… just telling the truth about what she’s already doing.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisha.bean.obm/

Keep up with Steph:

Pop into my DM's on IG and tell me what you're up to: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Join the Mastermind and grow with us: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alissa Mills, aka The Luxe Momager—an Online Business Manager who left a demanding corporate role after a life threatening wake-up call and rebuilt her life and career around what actually matters.

This conversation is about far more than operations and management. It’s about choice, sustainability, leadership, and the luxury of designing a business that supports your life, not the other way around.

Alissa shares her journey into entrepreneurship, the realities behind “effortless” online success, and why care, presence, and authenticity are the foundation of any business that’s meant to last.

In this episode, we cover:

1. The pivotal moment that pushed Alissa out of corporate and into entrepreneurship
2. Why social media makes business look easier (and faster) than it actually is
3. The misconception that CEOs need to do everything themselves
4. Choosing your “hard” instead of defaulting to burnout
5. Delegation as a leadership skill—not a weakness
6. Letting go of perfection and building a brand rooted in care and humanity
7. Why authenticity beats polish every single time
8. Redefining luxury as choice, not aesthetics

A moment that hits hard:

Alissa opens up about realizing her business isn’t just about skills or services—it’s about making sure no one feels alone while building something meaningful. That clarity reshaped not only her brand, but how she shows up as a leader, a mom, and a human.

If you’re building a service-based business, wrestling with imposter syndrome, or feeling the pressure to have it all figured out already—this episode is a deep exhale and a reality check in the best way.

Follow along with Alissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theluxemomager/

Keep up with Steph's Shenanigans and keep your business game sharper than an Iron's Chef's favorite know:

Tons of free, strategic advice from Steph's over two decades of experience straight to your inbox: https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

And please, make yourself comfortable in my IG DM's. I love a good voice note ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph breaks down one of the most overlooked stakeholder groups in business: Your Biz Buddies.

These are the people who have never paid you, never hired you, and never collaborated with you—yet still recommend you, refer you, and do not hesitate to associate their reputation with yours.

This episode is a quick, grounded reminder that your reputation is doing more selling than your marketing ever will. And mad encouragement to give a little extra love and care to the people who support you even when it's not directly monetary, sending you referrals and opportunities like it's their job.

In This Episode, We Cover:

1. What “Biz Buddies” actually are (and why they matter)
2. How referrals from Biz Buddies convert faster than cold leads
3. Why trust—not transactions—is the foundation of these relationships
4. Simple, human ways to care for Biz Buddies without making it weird
5. How reputation quietly becomes your most powerful growth engine

Key Takeaways:

1. Biz Buddies lead people to you without being asked
2. Trust is pre-built when someone drops your name
3. These relationships save time, energy, and emotional labor
4. You don’t manufacture them—you earn them
5. How you move matters more than what you sell

Notable Quotes:

1. “Your reputation is your revenue.”
2. “Biz Buddies exist because of how you move, not what you sell.”
3. “You don’t manufacture these relationships—you earn them.”

What’s Coming Next:

The Stakeholder Experience series continues with:

1. Your Team — contractors, W-2s, and support roles
2. Yourself — because yes, you are a stakeholder too

Loved This Episode?

Support ya girl by subscribing, sharing, and leaving a review. That Biz Buddy support, ya feel me?

Then, shoot me a message on IG and tell me how I can do the same for you: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Oh and..

This pod isn't the only place I drop this good good. Get on my email list where I send two emails per month: Steph's Shenanigans all about what I'm loving, loathing, learning, and all the good stuff and The COO Edit where we get strategic and practical about staying one step ahead in your biz. https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

In this Clarity Coven feature episode, Steph sits down with Jaci Schreckengost—writer, market, speaker, and author of Housewarming Parties—for a conversation that blends messaging strategy, creative identity, and what it actually takes to stop operating from survival mode.

This episode is a masterclass in becoming impossible to ignore online—without burning yourself out, reinventing the wheel every week, or sanding down your personality to fit an algorithm.

It’s also a powerful behind-the-scenes look at what stakeholder experience looks like in action: spotlighting clients, honoring their growth, and letting their work speak for itself.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

1. Why finding (and refining) your brand voice is less about being “revolutionary” and more about repetition and consistency
2. The biggest misconception in content marketing—and why saying the same thing over and over is actually your competitive edge
3. How getting to know yourself again is the key to a happier life and more fulfilling business
4. Why repurposing isn’t lazy—it’s strategic (and saves your sanity)
5. The difference between creating from fear vs. creating from joy
6. How clarity in your vision expands your identity—and your capacity
7. Why letting people dislike you is not a branding problem, it’s a branding strategy
8. What happens when you stop building from survival mode and start designing intentionally

Memorable Moments & Mic-Drop Lines

1. “Repetition is how people know you know your stuff.”
2. “You don’t need every post to be revolutionary—consistency builds authority.”
3. “It’s wild to see what’s possible when I’m not terrified.”
4. “You’re not just cutting people out—you're cutting the wrong people out and the right people in.”

About Jaci

Jaci Schreckengost is a writer, marketer, and speaker focused on helping brands find (or refine) their voice, effectively tell their stories, and become impossible to ignore online. She is also the author of a her debut poetry collection, Housewarming Parties.

Connect with Jaci

1. Instagram: @schreckengostcreative
2. Website: jacischreckengost.com
3. Book: Housewarming Parties

Steph’s Takeaway

This conversation is a reminder that clarity creates expansion. When you stop building from fear and start building from intention, your work gets better, your messaging gets clearer, and your business finally feels like it fits.

Come grow with Jaci and Steph inside Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph continues the Stakeholder Experience Series by breaking down why collaborators and brand partners aren’t just “nice connections” — they’re stakeholders who directly influence your reputation, revenue, and future opportunities.

Because collaborations don’t just get you seen. They get you trusted.

And when you manage these relationships intentionally, they become a growth engine: warmer leads, shorter sales cycles, referrals, and opportunities flowing to you — without the constant hustle.

✨ In this episode, Steph covers:

1. Why collaborators and brand partners matter (and how they either pay you directly or get you paid)
2. The different types of collaborators you should treat as stakeholders:
3. Visibility & content collaborators

   (podcast guests, IG Lives, newsletter swaps, co-created resources)

4. Events & education partners

   (workshop hosts, speakers, retreats)

5. Brand & revenue partners

   (sponsors, affiliates, UGC, software/tool partnerships)

6. Why collaborations create instant trust — and how that accelerates credibility and conversions
7. The difference between being discovered vs introduced (and why it changes everything)
8. How collaborators become informal salespeople when you follow through
9. Why you don’t need a bad reputation to lose opportunities — you just need an uncertain one
10. How collaborators validate your thought leadership publicly and help your positioning land faster

🧠 The 5-part framework: How to create a great collaborator experience

1. Define the scope

   Roles, ownership, timelines, expectations, and boundaries

2. Communicate everything

   Silence breeds uncertainty — and uncertainty erodes trust

3. Execute with boring reliability

   This is where your reputation is actually built

4. Add intentional EXTRA

   Voice notes, gratitude, sharing impact — without burning out

5. Follow through + future loop

   Close the loop, share results, and plant seeds for repeat opportunities

This episode isn’t about doing more collaborations. It’s about doing fewer, aligned opportunities, better.

Because people pay (and refer) the ones they trust to execute, not just teach. And your collaborators are the ones saying your name in rooms you’re not in.

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind

High-touch group coaching meets mastermind roundtable style for service-based business owners ready to stabilize, scale, and lead with steadiness and discernment:

👉 https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Book a Decision Intensive

A 90-minute intensive to stop reacting on emotion and start building strategically, by design:

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

Connect with me on Instagram → @virtually_stephrubio

👉 https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

Meet Kat Jackson, aka Kopilot Kat—a tech solutions architect and founding member of the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind. Kat brings tailored tech solutions to help service-based business owners stop forcing themselves into tools that were never designed for how they actually work.

1. Kat’s evolution from VA → OBM → Tech Solutions Architect
2. Why most business owners end up with too many systems—and worse experiences for their clients, themselves, and their teams
3. The difference between having a CRM and actually managing client relationships
4. Why human-centered systems matter more than trendy tools
5. When spreadsheets stop working—and how to know you’re ready for a CRM
6. Kat’s FEWA Framework for choosing the right CRM:
7. Flexibility
8. Experience
9. Workflows
10. Analytics
11. The real danger of industry-specific tools that box you in
12. Why analytics matter way earlier than most service providers think
13. How poor systems quietly break your client experience (and your sanity)
14. The mindset shift that unlocked Kat’s clarity, confidence, and momentum inside the mastermind
15. Why alignment and passion directly affect your marketing and growth
16. Advice for women building service-based businesses: removing self-imposed limits and letting yourself go full “delulu” (on purpose)

1. You are the CRM. The tool just supports how you build relationships.
2. Systems should bend to your business—not the other way around.
3. Custom workflows > one-size-fits-all tech stacks.
4. If you don’t love the work, your audience can feel it.
5. Most limitations aren’t logistical—they’re inherited beliefs you’ve outgrown.

1. Website: https://kopilotkat.com/contact/
2. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kopilot.kat/?hl=en
3. YouTube: Tech breakdowns, CRM education, and system deep dives: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVy6ctueaIM0gc3LRCV_m7A

Join Steph & Kat:

Want the same kind of clarity, confidence, and grounded decision-making you heard in this episode? Join me and Kat inside of the Rooted & Relentless mastermind. Where breakthroughs happen on any given Tuesday: https://www.stephrubio.com/groupcoachingwaitlist

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph sits down with Rachael Perry, founder of Chateau Marigold and one of the founding members of the Clarity Coven inside the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind.

What starts as a conversation about content creation quickly turns into something much deeper: grief as a catalyst, motherhood as a driver, boundaries as a business skill, and why relationships—not hacks—are the real growth strategy.

Rachael shares how losing her father sparked her passion for documentation and storytelling, eventually leading her to build a business that helps founders create content that feels good and performs—while saving clients an average of 60 hours a month. (Yes, sixty. Go ahead and mentally spend that time however you want. Reading fantasy novels is encouraged.)

Together, Steph and Rachael unpack:

1. Why most people struggle with content (and it’s not because they’re “bad at it”)
2. The mindset shift that instantly quiets comparison and imposter syndrome
3. Why connection > conversion in today’s marketing landscape
4. How interest-based media is changing the way we build audiences
5. What it actually looks like to edit your business when growth starts to feel heavy
6. The rarely-talked-about loneliness of entrepreneurship—and why safe rooms matter
7. How Rachel made hard decisions, cut misaligned clients, and landed more aligned ones
8. Why relationships will take your business farther than any funnel, giveaway, or gimmick

Connect with Rachael

Follow Rachael and keep up with her brilliance on Instagram

👉 @chateaumarigold

Hang with Steph

Want the same kind of clarity, confidence, and grounded decision-making you heard in this episode? Join me and Rachael inside of the Rooted & Relentless mastermind. Where breakthroughs happen on any given Tuesday: https://www.stephrubio.com/groupcoachingwaitlist

Get the deets straight to your inbox for what Steph's currently loving, learning, loathing along with a COO edit to sharpen your strategy & bite-sized business tips that keep you scaling without selling your soul: https://stephrubio.myflodesk.com/letsconnect

Your support helps this community grow—and keeps these conversations happening.

In this episode of Rooted & Relentless, Steph kicks off the Stakeholder Experience Series by breaking down why your clients are more than just the people currently paying you and why past clients and even your clients’ clients are part of your business ecosystem too.

This conversation reframes client experience as a leadership responsibility, not a customer service task.

Because when you truly lead your client relationships, the ripple effect shows up everywhere: retention, referrals, reputation, revenue — and the kind of impact your business has beyond you.

In this episode, Steph covers:

1. Why client experience is a strategic ripple effect, not a “nice to have”
2. How dazzling your clients fuels retention, referrals, and easier marketing
3. The real difference between managing clients and leading the relationship
4. Four practical ways to elevate your client experience without overgiving:
5. Clear communication & expectation setting
6. Proactive leadership (anticipating needs, not waiting for direction)
7. Being EXTRA on purpose (without burning out)
8. Evolving alongside your clients as they grow
9. Why silence creates stories — and how unspoken expectations quietly erode trust
10. How to normalize feedback early and often (and turn it into better offers)
11. The overlooked power of re-engaging past clients
12. Why your work enables your clients’ impact — and how that responsibility compounds

This episode is about more than client satisfaction.

It’s about building a reputation that carries you into rooms you’re not in.

Because when people feel held, guided, and genuinely cared for — they stay, they buy again, and they tell everyone.

🔗 Want to step deeper into my world?

If this episode had you nodding along, you’ll love these next steps:

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind Waitlist. High-touch coaching for service-based business owners ready to stabilize, scale, and lead with clarity
https://www.stephrubio.com/groupcoachingwaitlist

Book a Decision Intensive to Nail Your Client Experience Strategy. A 90-minute intensive to make Client Experience a priority, design your path to doing so, walk away with a clear, actionable plan to make it happen
https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

Connect with me on Instagram → @virtually_stephrubio: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio
Come tell me how you’re being EXTRA for your clients.