Award-winning business consultant Lauren Goldstein pulls back the curtain on one of the most expensive mistakes business owners make: promoting the wrong people into leadership roles.

In this episode, Lauren breaks down the critical difference between A-players and worker bees, reveals the five risky promotion profiles that business owners keep elevating, and shares the two core elements of real leadership DNA that you can't teach or fake.

You'll learn the exact three questions to ask before promoting anyone, the simple fix to reward both ICs and future leaders, and what to do if you've already promoted someone who isn't cutting it.
This episode is packed with tangible strategies to help you recognize who actually has leadership DNA, set your entire team up for success, and stop bleeding money and talent because of mis-aligned promotions.

If you've ever wondered whether your top performer should become a manager or if you're currently dealing with a promotion that's not working out, this episode will give you a clear path forward.

Here's what's waiting in the episode:
[00:00] The $350K promotion mistake
[02:19] Why promoting from within often backfires
[04:43] A-players vs. worker bees: Understanding the critical difference
[07:09] The exit interview that revealed catastrophic leadership failures
[09:32] The 5 risky profiles to stop promoting  
[11:55] What real leadership DNA actually looks like
[14:12] The 3 questions to ask before promoting anyone
[18:06] How to fix promotion mistakes (the conversation that sucks but saves you)
[22:49] The silent killer of teams
[25:13] The fix

Mic Drop Moments: 
1. "There's a massive difference between wanting someone to be a leader and them actually having the DNA to lead effectively."
2. "The number one job of a leader is to create other leaders, not just manage people or delegate tasks, create other leaders."
3. “Just because someone knows where all the bodies are buried doesn't mean they can lead the living.”
4. “Resentment infects the team faster than pink eye at preschool."

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

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Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is who 7- and 8-figure business owners call when they’re stuck in the weeds of success and need their business to truly run without them.

She is an award-winning business consultant and advisor.  As the founder of Golden Key Partnership, a boutique business consulting firm, she has spent the last decade behind the scenes of high-growth small businesses, fixing broken team dynamics, untangling operational chaos, and helping leaders reclaim their time and sanity.

Nicknamed The Biz Doctor® (how this podcast got it's name), Lauren doesn’t do surface-level advice. She diagnoses what is actually holding the business back, then builds custom strategies that create clarity, capacity, and a culture that scales.

Her work has helped some of the most respected small business owners build companies they actually enjoy running again. 

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to small business owners and Fortune 500 companies alike, such as Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners have the freedom they started their business for, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Let's be honest: you're spending half your week in meetings that accomplish very little.

You know the ones. Someone drones on about updates that could've been a Slack message. Eight people sit there while two hash out something irrelevant. You walk out wondering "what did we just accomplish?" and immediately get pulled into another one.

Meanwhile, the actual work that would grow your business and create momentum? Squeezed into the margins because your calendar looks like Tetris designed by a sadist.

Here's what most people aren't saying: your meetings are probably broken. And it's likely costing you momentum, focus, and your team's sanity; not to mention your profitability. 

The good news? This is SO fixable.

Whether you're dealing with meeting overload, ineffective leadership meetings, or a team drowning in calendar chaos, there's a better way to run your meeting and your business.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact framework I use with my clients to cut the meeting madness. The four types of meetings you actually need, the metrics worth tracking, and how to give your team their time back.

Here's what's waiting in the episode:

• [2:40] The 4 meeting types that create real momentum (not more busy work)
• [1:29] Why "leadership meetings" with everyone on the call tend to accomplish very little
• [3:53] The 3 questions that surface problems before they become dumpster fires
• [6:16] How to stop tracking vanity metrics and watch the numbers that better predict what's coming
• [10:15] The 1-3-1 rule that stops meetings from turning into complaint sessions

The average employee spends 103 hours per year in unnecessary meetings. Woof. That's three full work weeks per person your team could spend shipping products, closing deals, and going home on time. Your meetings don't have to suck. Let The Biz Doctor® show you how to fix them.


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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is who 7- and 8-figure business owners call when they’re stuck in the weeds of success and need their business to truly run without them.

She is an award-winning business consultant and advisor.  As the founder of Golden Key Partnership, a boutique business consulting firm, she has spent the last decade behind the scenes of high-growth small businesses, fixing broken team dynamics, untangling operational chaos, and helping leaders reclaim their time and sanity.

Nicknamed The Biz Doctor® (how this podcast got it's name), Lauren doesn’t do surface-level advice. She diagnoses what is actually holding the business back, then builds custom strategies that create clarity, capacity, and a culture that scales.

Her work has helped some of the most respected small business owners build companies they actually enjoy running again. 

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to small business owners and Fortune 500 companies alike, such as Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners have the freedom they started their business for, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Struggling with networking or cold outreach that feels awkward, pushy, or ineffective? You're not alone, and good news! There is a better way.

In this episode of The Biz Doctor®, award winning business advisor and consultant, Lauren Goldstein sits down with connection and relationship-building expert Michael Roderick to break down how to build genuine business connections, increase referrals, and grow your network without sleazy tactics or social anxiety.

Michael shares his proven framework for meaningful outreach that creates trust, sparks curiosity, and opens doors to partnerships and opportunities.

Unlock how to shift from transactional networking to authentic connection so you can confidently reach out, grow your business, and build influence —> even if you’re introverted or hate “traditional networking.”

It's time you got people talking about you when you're not in the room (in a good way!). 

Episode Highlights 00:52 — Why authentic networking matters in business growth

02:10 — Michael’s journey from teacher to Broadway producer + the power of reputation
04:15 — The “pendulum problem” in outreach 
06:45 — Why sparking curiosity is more powerful than chasing access
17:42 — The Disarm → Ask → Offer connection framework for high-trust outreach

Mic-Drop Quotes
 “Your network grows faster when people talk about you in rooms you’re not in.”
 “Access isn’t the problem ... interest is.”
 “Disarm first. Curiosity opens more doors than pressure ever will.”

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is who 7- and 8-figure business owners call when they’re stuck in the weeds of success and need their business to truly run without them.

She is an award-winning business consultant and advisor.  As the founder of Golden Key Partnership, a boutique business consulting firm, she has spent the last decade behind the scenes of high-growth small businesses, fixing broken team dynamics, untangling operational chaos, and helping leaders reclaim their time and sanity.

Nicknamed The Biz Doctor® (how this podcast got it's name), Lauren doesn’t do surface-level advice. She diagnoses what is actually holding the business back, then builds custom strategies that create clarity, capacity, and a culture that scales.

Her work has helped some of the most respected small business owners build companies they actually enjoy running again. 

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to small business owners and Fortune 500 companies alike, such as Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners have the freedom they started their business for, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

In this episode of The Biz Doctor®, host Lauren Goldstein shares how to transform outdated org charts into powerful tools for workflow efficiency, leadership development and team alignment.

You'll learn how to design organizational structures that reflect how work actually flows - not just who reports to whom - and why separating individual contributor and leadership growth paths is key to retaining top talent.  

Lauren also dives into the fast evolving world of AI in business, revealing how AI agents are reshaping teams, automating repetitve tasks and unlocking productivity and profit potential for modern companies and how you can leverage them to stay ahead.  

Episode Highlights
{02:45} Why traditional org charts fail.  And how to make yours a living, strategic document.
{08:20} The two essential questions every leader must ask before assigning managers.
{15:10} Creating dual promotion paths to keep ICs motivated and engaged.
{23:30} How "workflow org charts" eliminate bottlenecks and build agile teams.
{33:40} The rise of AI agents - how to integrate them to save hours and scale smarter

Mic-Drop Quotes

"Org charts aren't about hierarchy - they're blueprints for how work flows and how people thrive."
"Most A players don't leave companies, they leave managers."
"AI agents don't need vacations.  They just get sh*t done, so leverage them to protect your people."

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

In this episode of The Biz Doctor, host Lauren Goldstein reveals how to build a high-performance company culture that boosts profits, protects margins, and frees up your time as a business owner. Forget surface-level perk.  Real business culture is about clarity, communication, and connection. Lauren shares the three culture levers that directly impact team performance, retention, and profitability. With practical strategies and real client case studies, this episode is your roadmap to creating a culture that attracts top talent, accelerates decision-making, and drives sustainable business growth. If you’re looking to improve team retention, scale without burnout, and boost business profitability, this is the playbook you need.

Episode Highlights

• [01:51] Why culture is the “operating system” of your business.
• [04:11] Case study: The cultural blind spots costing a multimillion-dollar company time and money.
• [06:33] Aligning traits, values, and accountability to create a high-performance team.
• [08:18] Lever 1: Building clarity at the company, team, and individual levels.
• [13:00] Lever 2: Connection—how to link individual goals to business growth and retention.

Mic-Drop Quotes

• “Culture isn’t an HR buzzword—it’s the oxygen your business breathes.”
• “Weak culture is a silent killer; strong culture protects profits and accelerates results.”
• “Most people don’t leave companies—they leave cultures that don’t value or empower them.”

-------------------------

If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

What if the thing you think makes you a good leader is actually what's keeping your business stuck?

Here's a hard truth: You might be the reason your team can't succeed without you.

In this eye-opening episode, Lauren shares a statistic so shocking it explains why even thriving businesses feel stuck in first gear. She reveals the hidden costs of what most leaders think is "being helpful" and why your best managers might actually be your biggest bottleneck.

But here's the twist; the solution isn't what most leadership experts tell you to do.

Lauren introduces a counterintuitive approach that transforms permission-seekers into decision-makers. She'll share the exact framework that's helping business owners finally step away from the daily chaos without everything falling apart and quietly transform how smart leaders build their teams.

If you've ever wondered why you're still the go-to answer to every question despite having capable people on your team, this episode will change how you lead forever.

Ready to turn your middle managers into effective and autonomous leaders?

Episode Highlights

• [2:30] The Gallup statistic that changes everything about management
• [4:45] Why promoting top performers often backfires spectacularly
• [8:57] The key to shift you from chief problem solver to having a team of autonomous problem solvers
• [12:21] The delegation ladder that creates real autonomy
• [17:06] The "one-three-one rule" that stops problem dumping forever
• [19:27] Shadow Swap Fridays implementation guide

Mic-Drop Quotes

• "Your number one job as a leader is to create other leaders; enabling them by being their Google is not going to get you the freedom you want, or deserve."
• "High performing salespeople rarely, if ever, make truly effective leaders. Two different skill sets, two different motivations."
• "If your managers aren't leading effectively, you'll lose more than just profits. You're losing time, money, and potentially good people to subpar management."

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Are your quarterly leadership meetings a drain on time and energy?  Or are they a catalyst for growth?

In this episode of The Biz Doctor, award winning business consultant Lauren Goldstein shares her proven playbook to transform leadership meetings into high impact strategy sessions that fuel momentum, deepen trust and align your executive team.  

Discover four powerful exercises designed to boost collaboration, sharpen business strategy and ensure your leaders leave with clarity, accountability and renewed focus for the quarter ahead.  

Episode Highlights:

• (02:10) - How this kind of trust creates stronger, more collaborative leadership teams.
• (04:15) - The peer feedback framework that builds accountability and strengthens executive performance. 
• (06:30) -  Re-align your leadership team with the "Top 5 Traits" exercise to reinforce company values. 
• (13:40) - Using SWOT analysis to drive business strategy and identify growth opportunities. 
• (16:50) - The overarching shift to keep your team aligned and focused after your quarterly. 

-------------------------

If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Leadership without micromanaging starts here. Middle managers often feel invisible and stuck, and your margins pay for it. 

In this episode you learn a simple way to hand off work, set decision rights, and build manager autonomy without getting dragged into every decision.

There is one shift that lifts output within a week.

Tune in for more business fixes from The Biz Doctor®, Lauren Goldstein, and listen now to see how the M.I.D.A.S. Method lets teams run without you.

Also, don't miss our other episode designed to lift you out of the messy management: From Operator to Owner —> The Freedom Formula.

Episode Highlights:

01:30 Why middle managers decide margin and freedom
03:50 The M.I.D.A.S. Method overview
06:13 Coaching cadence that cuts turnover
08:30 The 1-3-1 rule for better decisions
10:42 Shadow to sunlight rotations
13:08 The 3x3 alignment pulse
15:36 Decision escalation cheat sheet
17:48 360 calibration coffee chat

Mic-Drop Quotes

• “You’ll never have a scalable business if you’re the only one making decisions.”
• “Leadership is mastering the art of letting go without losing control.”
• “If your team isn’t empowered and autonomous, you don’t have a business, you have a job dressed up as one.”

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5-Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Losing people is draining more than time and money, it is one of the biggest threats to a business, and something that needs to be fixed fast. Tune in to discover the CARGO framework to slash churn, keep A‑players aboard, and create a happier, healthier, and more successful culture.

Retention isn't just an HR buzzword or metric.  It's a business imperative.  It’s the pulse of your business.  It is the canary in the mine.  It is a profit lever most founders ignore. 

In this episode, Lauren Goldstein breaks down the true cost of employee turnover and shares her proprietary "CARGO" framework to help you retain top talent and build a thriving team.  

With real world stats, personal ancedotes and tangible tactics, this episode is your go-to guide for improving team loyalty, engagement and longevity... not to mention a culture that keeps top talent and saves you a ton of time and money on hiring in the long run. 

Highlights:

• 01.24:  Why retention is the secret to business success (with shocking turnover stats)
• 03:35:  Top 4 reasons employees leave - and how to prevent them
• 05:50:  Introduction to the CARGO framework for retention
• 10:56:  How strong onboarding can increase retention by 69%
• 22:27:  The power of clarity, capacity and capability in avoiding burnout

Rapid Fire Takeaways:

• Replacing an employee can cost up to 200% of their salary.  Retention is your ROI strategy.
• 42% of employee turnover is preventable with proactive leadership and communication.
• The CARGO model gives leaders a structured, human centered roadmap for retention.
• Monthly check ins and onboarding plans are not optional.  They are foundational.
• Knowing your team's personal and professional goals drives loyalty and growth. 

Mic Drop Moments:

"Unshared expectations are nothing more than premeditated resentments"
"Retention starts before the offer letter is signed, not after."
"If you don't know your team, you can't keep your team." 


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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5 Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.

Episode Snapshot

You’ve built a successful business, and now you’re ready to shift from operator to owner so you can have more of the freedom you started your business for. 

Tune in to learn the keys to unlock your freedom. 

This episode gives you a proven framework that will help you bridge the gap between operator to owner so your business can scale without you feeling like it is all on you. 

If you are ready to see just how good it can get, this episode is for you. 

What We Cover

00:45 Freedom Formula decoded
02:23 Operator vs Owner mindset shifts for success
07:05 Painting your vision of freedom
14:02 Profitability levers that scale
21:18 1‑3‑1 rule: Unleashing autonomy

Rapid-Fire Takeaways

• Freedom starts with unshakeable clarity in your vision, A‑players, lean systems, and predictable profit levers
• Design your Super Bowl roster that crushes your weak spots so you stay in genius
• Simplicity scales; chaos torches margin
• Block admin days and theme your week to buy back white space fast
• Deploy the 1‑3‑1 rule so your team solves problems without you

Mic-Drop Quotes

• “Freedom is a formula, not a fairy tale.”  
• “Unshared expectations are just premeditated resentments.”  
• “Chaos kills margin; simplicity prints cash.”  

Resources Mentioned

• Golden Key Scorecard – Define the role once, hire right every time.
  https://www.goldenkeypartnership.com/scorecard/
• Episode 86 – Creating a More Autonomous and Successful Team 
• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell - https://amzn.to/4o57Sja

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If you enjoyed this episode and it sparked something in you, please give us a 5 Star rating/review and share this with your friends and fellow business owners.  

Also, don’t forget to subscribe so you are the first to get notified when our next episode is live and ready for your ears.

-------------------------

Meet your host. Lauren Goldstein is founder and CEO of the award-winning and globally-recognized business consulting firm, Golden Key Partnership.

Her clients lovingly call her “The Biz Doctor®” (which also happens to be the way this podcast got its name). Her superpower is helping 7-figure service-based entrepreneurs uncover what is keeping them stuck in the trenches of their business, so that they can have more freedom, profitability, impact, success, happier teams, and can breathe a much needed sigh of relief.

She’s been featured in Thrive Global, Huff Post, Authority Magazine and is a trusted expert to Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Nike, and AT&T, among others.

For more from Lauren, and to learn more about her signature diagnostic framework or how she helps business owners get out from under their business, visit her website GoldenKeyPartnership.com.

You can also connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

The Biz Doctor Podcast is produced by Story Studio Network.