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In this Flashback Episode of The Business Game, hosts Jamie and Dan revisit a standout conversation with Joshua Altman, founder of Beltway Media, to unpack the psychology behind messaging that sells versus messaging that quietly kills trust and conversions.

Joshua, a fractional Chief Communications Officer, explains how behavioral science and analytics shape perception in both B2B and B2C communication. From brand trust to reputation management, this episode breaks down why logic alone doesn’t persuade, and how the right words influence decision-making at a subconscious level.

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or leader responsible for how your business is perceived, this episode offers timeless insights that are even more relevant today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why certain words trigger action while others repel buyers
• How psychology impacts messaging more than features or logic
• The role of perception in building brand trust
• How to align internal and external communication
• Why clarity beats cleverness in high-stakes messaging

This is a must-listen if your marketing sounds right… but isn’t landing.

Connect with Beltway Media:
Website: https://beltway.media/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaialtman/

We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today!

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Business Game, hosts Steve Plummer and Lisa DeAngelis sit down with Steven Woods, founder and CEO of Stirlingshire, to unpack how the financial system really works and why many everyday investors feel left behind.

Steven shares his journey from Kansas City to Wall Street, walking away from a lucrative advisory career with no safety net, and the hard lessons he learned along the way, including what it’s like to lose seven figures in a single day. He explains why much of modern finance is unnecessarily complex, how incentives inside large firms shape investor outcomes, and why transparency and alignment matter more than ever.

The conversation also explores Steven’s simple “grocery store” analogy for understanding the stock market, why people often underestimate how much money they’ll need in the future, and how technology and AI are changing the role of financial advisors - making them more effective rather than obsolete.

Whether you’re a founder, advisor, or someone trying to build more confidence around money and investing, this episode offers a grounded, honest perspective from inside the industry.

You’ll hear about:

• Steven Wood’s path from Wall Street intern to founder & CEO
• Why he built Stirlingshire to better align advisors and clients
• What losing seven figures in a day teaches you about risk
• Why finance often stays opaque and who benefits from that
• The biggest money assumption most people get wrong
• How AI is improving advisor decision-making and efficiency
• The mindset shift beginners need to start investing sooner
• Lessons elite institutions don’t teach about running real businesses

Connect with Steven Woods - Stirlingshire:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stirlingshireinvestments/ 
Website: https://www.stirlingshire.com/ 

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Want to clip long-form content into shorts in one click? Receive 25 % off OpusClip, the same tool we use to turn episodes into shareable clips. support the show and save: https://www.opus.pro/?via=93d640 The Business Game is proud to be an official OpusClip affiliate. 

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Thanks to Smoothx for sponsoring this episode.  Smoothx, your global power connector, Visit  https://www.smoothx.com/ to get started.  

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This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

What if the best leadership advice isn’t to lead at all?

In this episode of The Business Game, we explore a powerful, counterintuitive approach to leadership, leading from the bottom, prioritizing connection over content, and having the hard conversations most leaders avoid.

Our guests share why leadership isn’t about hierarchy or ego, how avoiding small issues creates big problems, and why servant leadership builds stronger, more resilient teams - especially in modern, distributed workplaces.

If you’re a founder or leader who wants to build trust, clarity, and real momentum, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership.

Connect with our Guests:

Shantanu Bhattacharya, Founder & CEO of Cyber Cure:
Website: https://siometrix.com/
LinkedIn:   / shantanuprofile  

Annabel Hay, Founder & CEO of Clutch Glue:
Website: https://clutchglue.com/
LinkedIn:    / annabel-hay-a057ba125  
Socials: @annabel_hay ‪@clutch_glue‬ 

Stacey Hylen - Business Coach & Certified AI Consultant:
Website: https://staceyhylen.com/
LinkedIn:   / staceyhylen

Ryan Cassin, Co-founder of Superpowers:
Website: https://superpowershq.com/
LinkedIn (Ryan):   / ryancassin  

Curtis McCullom - Bespoke Human Potential Coaching:
Website: https://www.bespokehumanpotentialcoac...
LinkedIn:   / curtis-mccullom   

Greg Wilkes - CEO of Develop Coaching:
Website: https://developcoaching.co.uk 
https://developcoaching.com.au 
https://develop-coaching.com  
LinkedIn:  
Facebook:   / developcoach   
Instagram:   / greg.wilkes.coach   
LinkedIn:   / greg-wilkes

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We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today! 

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Thanks to Smoothx for sponsoring this episode.  Smoothx, your global power connector, Visit  https://www.smoothx.com/ to get started.  

_________

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

Your Sales Team Isn’t the Problem. Your Leadership Is - and in this episode, Drew Norton breaks down why almost every stalled business comes back to the person at the top.

Join The Business Game, A Podcast That Moves The Needle as we sit down with business coach and co-founder of The Everyday Leader, Drew Naughton. 

From leading yourself before you lead anyone else, to fixing broken sales teams and toxic dopamine loops, Drew breaks down why almost every growth problem can be traced back to leadership or systems – and what to actually do about it. If you’ve ever blamed “the market” or “there are no good people out there”, this conversation will hit uncomfortably close to home in the best possible way.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

* Why every stalled business usually has one of two root issues: leadership or systems (and how to tell which one you’re really facing).
* The 3 A’s of leadership Drew uses in high-pressure moments – Acknowledge, Ask, and Agreements – to calm chaos and move teams forward.
* How to build and keep a high-performing sales team, from hiring and culture to training and real accountability (beyond “just sell more”).
* The dark side of dopamine for founders and sales leaders – and how Drew rewired his habits, health, and family life after chasing targets nearly broke him.
* What “leadership creates freedom” actually means, and why your people should feel less anxious – not more – when you walk into the room.

Connect with Drew Norton - The Everyday Leader:
Website: https://theeverydaysalesleader.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theeverydaysalesleader/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeverydaysalesleader/

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We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today! 

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Thanks to Tala Offshore for sponsoring this episode. For all your remote staffing needs, visit www.talaoffshore.com

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This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

This ONE shift saves $1M+ by owning your tech stack instead of renting SaaS tools in real estate.  

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Wise, President of Wise Capital, to explore how owning your tech stack, building in-house proptech, and using AI, IoT and predictive maintenance can transform Class C multifamily and affordable housing. 

From his background in Naval Special Warfare and law, to building property management platforms and hardware that beat off-the-shelf solutions, Chris explains why the future of real estate investing, property management and asset protection is a systems and intelligence problem—not a construction problem. 

Perfect for real estate investors, syndicators, fund managers, property operators and founders across the US, Midwest and beyond who want to future-proof their portfolio against the coming AI and tech corrections.



In this episode, you'll discover:

* How Chris Wise builds $40 smart locks in-house instead of paying $1,200-$6,000 for third-party property technology solutions
* AI predictive maintenance that caught a $1 million foundation problem before purchase using software instead of traditional inspectors
* Why Class C multifamily properties (20-60 units) offer hidden investment opportunities that institutional investors and mom-and-pop shops both overlook
* The truth about conversational AI in property management—how to avoid hallucinations and implement automation that tenants actually use
* Why owning your tech stack protects you from future corrections—lessons from a Navy SEAL turned attorney turned PropTech founder on building vs. renting technology

Connect with Christopher Wise - Wise Investment:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-wise-wiselawllc/
Website: https://www.investwisecap.com/

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Want to clip long-form content into shorts in one click? Receive 25 % off OpusClip, the same tool we use to turn episodes into shareable clips. support the show and save: https://www.opus.pro/?via=93d640 The Business Game is proud to be an official OpusClip affiliate. 

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Thanks to Trafftrak for sponsoring todays episode. They keep businesses on track so your schedule never hits a red light! Head to trafftrak.com to get started 

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

Leadership Expert Dave Clare Reveals Why "Growth" Is Actually KILLING Your Business

Join The Business Game, A Podcast That Moves The Needle. In this episode, they sit down with leadership expert and Circle Leadership CEO Dave Clare to talk honestly about what modern leadership really takes. Dave shares why “growth at all costs” and hustle culture burn out good people, how to line up culture, strategy and leadership so they actually support each other, and why purpose has to be more than words on a wall. If you’re a founder, CEO or leader who wants a team that performs without everyone living at the office, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode, you'll discover:

* Why "fake it till you make it" is the worst leadership advice and what to do instead to become an authentic leader
* How growth-focused businesses fail and why evolution-first strategy creates sustainable success without burnout
* The difference between corporate slogans and true business purpose—and why purpose must drive every decision
* Dave Clare's monkey bar theory for letting go of old habits to grab new leadership opportunities
* Why knowing doesn't equal doing in leadership development and how to bridge the gap between knowledge and transformation

Connect with Dave Clare - leadership coach:
Website: https://www.circleleadershipglobal.com/
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/prophetforpurpose/?enhance=null

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We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today! 

_________

Thanks to Tala Offshore for sponsoring this episode. For all your remote staffing needs, visit www.talaoffshore.com 

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This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

How to Escape the 80-Hour Work Week: Kirsten Graham's Outsourcing System

Join hosts Kalena Stano and Steve Plummer on The Business Game, a podcast that moves the needle as they sit down with Kirsten Graham, co-founder of Six Figure Business Coaching. They uncover the outsourcing strategies that transform overwhelmed entrepreneurs into empowered business owners. Kirsten reveals why burnout is optional, how to hire virtual assistants before you hit breaking point and the exact systems that help small business owners delegate effectively without losing control. 

In this episode, you'll discover:

* Why hiring when you're maxed out is a disaster
* The cultural communication mistakes that sabotage virtual assistant relationships
* How SOPs (standard operating procedures) become the backbone of scalable growth
* Why treating your business like a business means delegating your $5/hour tasks
* Real client success stories: from 3 years of backlog bookkeeping to podcast launches in weeks

Connect with Kirsten Graham - Six Figure Business Coaching:
Website: https://sixfigurebusinesscoaching.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstengrahamsfbc/ 

Want to clip long-form content into shorts in one click? Receive 25 % off OpusClip, the same tool we use to turn episodes into shareable clips. support the show and save: https://www.opus.pro/?via=93d640 The Business Game is proud to be an official OpusClip affiliate. 

Thanks to Trafftrak for sponsoring todays episode. They keep businesses on track so your schedule never hits a red light! Head to trafftrak.com to get started 

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

Join hosts Steve Plummer and Kalena Stano on The Business Game, A Podcast That Moves The Needle. 

In this episode, they sit down with 40-year sales veteran Walter Crosby, CEO of Helix Sales Development and host of the Sales and Cigars podcast, to unpack what truly separates elite sales performers from the rest. From surviving 400 cold calls a day in New York City commercial real estate to building high-performing sales teams across the US, Australia and beyond, Walter reveals how to sell without losing your soul, rewire your mindset for rejection, and turn sales into a values-driven, high-revenue career. Perfect for business owners, entrepreneurs, sales leaders, SDRs, B2B sales teams, and founders who want more pipeline, better conversions, and sustainable revenue growth.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

In this episode, you’ll discover:

* Why over 50% of salespeople should quit (and how to know which side you’re on)
*The mindset shift that turns constant rejection into six-figure sales success
* How to build a high-performing, ethical sales culture that doesn’t burn people out
* The real difference between being liked vs. being respected in sales conversations
* How great sales leaders use coaching, fundamentals, and motivation to drive revenue growth year after year

Connect with Walter Crosby - Helix Sales Development:
Website: https://helixsalesdevelopment.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walterlcrosby/ 

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We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today! 

_________

Thanks to Smoothx for sponsoring this episode.  Smoothx, your global power connector, Visit  https://www.smoothx.com/ to get started.  

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

From living in his car to running a multi-million dollar PR agency, here's how JJ Carter turned credibility into cold, hard cash.

Join hosts Kalena Stano and Steve Plummer on The Business Game, a podcast that moves the needle, as they sit down with JJ Carter, founder and CEO of GLDN PR. Learn JJ's proven strategies for getting featured in top publications like Forbes, Business Insider, and major podcasts without paying for placements. Plus his unique approach to crisis management, social media content strategy, and turning PR into actual revenue growth for your business.

In this episode, you'll discover:

* How to build credibility and authority online in 30 days using free PR strategies and podcast appearances
* The 33% content framework for LinkedIn and social media: credibility-driven, authority-driven, and personality-driven posts
* Why traditional PR firms fail to move the needle and how to use media placements to increase revenue and close sales
* JJ Carter's exact playbook for starting from zero: landing Forbes features, press releases, and building third-party validation
* Crisis management secrets: how to respond to negative publicity, handle controversy, and turn disasters into opportunities for brand growth

Connect with JJ Carter - Founder of GLDN PR:
Website: https://www.gldnpr.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jj-carter-aa293119b/

Want to clip long-form content into shorts in one click? Receive 25 % off OpusClip, the same tool we use to turn episodes into shareable clips. support the show and save: https://www.opus.pro/?via=93d640 The Business Game is proud to be an official OpusClip affiliate. 

Thanks to Trafftrak for sponsoring todays episode. They keep businesses on track so your schedule never hits a red light! Head to trafftrak.com to get started 

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level. 

Send us Fan Mail

What if you could charge 40% more than your competitors and only work 90 minutes per week in your business?

Join hosts Steve Plummer and Lisa DeAngelis on The Business Game, a podcast that moves the needle, as they sit down with Vance Morris, ROI specialist and founder of the Deliver Service Now Institute. Vance reveals how he transformed Disney's world-class customer experience systems into a blueprint for small business success. Whether you're in professional services, trades, or any commoditized industry, this episode delivers actionable strategies for customer experience excellence, business automation, premium positioning, and marketing differentiation that will transform how you compete in your market.

In this episode, you'll discover:

* How to win customers in the first 7 seconds using Vance Morris' "Moment Zero" customer experience framework
* Why systems create freedom—the exact process Vance used to reduce his business involvement to just 90 minutes per week
* Premium pricing strategies that allow you to charge 40% more than competitors without losing customers
* Disney's secret to customer loyalty and how to adapt theme park experience principles for Main Street businesses
* The apples-to-oranges comparison chart that eliminates price shoppers and positions you as the only choice in your market

Connect with Vance Morris - Deliver Service Now Institute:
Website: https://vancemorris.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vancemorris

We're excited to be able to offer our Business Game community an affiliate link for their HubSpot sign ups! HubSpot is the #1 CRM tool on the market - making managing clients and customer details easier than ever! Using our link to get started on Hubspot helps to support our work here at The Business Game: http://go.try-hubspot.com/Z6Eq50 start your free trial today! 

Thanks to Tala Offshore for sponsoring this episode. For all your remote staffing needs, visit www.talaoffshore.com 

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking and purchasing through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work.

Support the show

Thank you for listening to The Business Game, where real founders break down the real levels of business.

Whether you're building at Level 1 ($0–$1M) or scaling through Level 6 and beyond, this show is designed to help you understand exactly where you are, and what it takes to level up.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow and leave a review. It helps more founders find the roadmap.

For full episodes, level breakdowns and behind-the-scenes content, follow us on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

Want to identify your level or learn more about The Business Game framework?
Visit www.thebusinessgamegroup.com

It's time to Level Up!

We’ll see you at the next level.