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Beyond Pay-to-Play: Candice Smith on Authentic Visibility, Traction, and the AMORE Framework

What happens when you realize that paying for visibility is just amplifying a message that isn't working?

In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur, I sit down with Candice Smith, MEd — founder of French Press PR and creator of the VizDev™ Framework — to tackle the uncomfortable truth about the modern PR machine: visibility alone isn't the goal. Traction is.

And we go well beyond traditional marketing tactics.

Candice gets incredibly personal about her unconventional path to PR. We explore her experiences navigating privilege and identity as a biracial woman, her time in Teach for America, and the deeply emotional realization of becoming a new mother and questioning the legacy she is leaving behind.

We also dig into the critical difference between getting attention and gaining traction, the dangers of AI-driven inauthenticity, and why throwing money at the algorithm is a losing game if your foundational story isn't right. Candice breaks down her signature AMORE framework for building brand visibility, and we discuss why a feature on Good Morning America might actually do less for your business than a post on a micro-blog.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that in an increasingly automated world, our humanity, our relationships, and our ability to genuinely connect are our most valuable assets.

In this episode:

• The critical difference between empty visibility and actual traction
• Why pay-to-play marketing is often just amplifying broken strategies
• Candice’s deeply personal journey from education and ed-tech to PR
• The AMORE Framework: 5 channels to build authentic visibility
• Why community is the ultimate antidote to an AI-driven, attention-based economy
• The danger of outsourcing our critical thinking to the algorithm

About Candice Smith

Candice Smith, MEd is the founder of French Press PR and creator of the VizDev™ Framework, a comprehensive system that diagnoses how visibility functions before tactics enter the picture. Candice works with scaling founders and mission-driven organizations to replace scattered exposure with structured authority — converting attention into trust and trust into revenue.

Connect with Candice

📝 Take the VizDev™ Quiz: https://bit.ly/vizdev

🌐 Website: https://www.frenchpresspr.com/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicecourtneysmith/

Ready to build differently?

If this conversation has you asking what your business is really in service of — and what needs to shift next — explore the Alignment Lab.

🚀 Learn more about the Alignment Lab: https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/alignment-lab

About The Inspired Entrepreneur

The Inspired Entrepreneur exists to challenge the assumptions we've inherited about business, leadership, and success, and explore whether there's a better way.

If this conversation resonated with you: 

⭐ Follow the podcast. 

⭐ Leave a review. 

⭐ Share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur or leader.

Because maybe the future of business isn't about working harder. Maybe it's about building businesses—and lives—that allow us to thrive.

#TheInspiredEntrepreneurPodcast #VizDevFramework #ScalingFounders #MissionDriven #BrandAuthority #PRStrategy #MarketingStrategy #StructuredAuthority #BusinessVisibility #TargetAudience #SmallBusinessGrowth #BuildingTrust #RevenueGrowth #BrandVisibility #BrandTraction #StorytellingForBusiness #InspiredEntrepreneur #VisibilityStrategy #MarketingWithPurpose #BrandTrust #CandiceSmith #HumanConnection #BusinessScaling

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Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

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Beyond Profit First: Mike Michalowicz on Purpose, Freedom and Building a Business That Serves Your Life

What happens when a founder stops treating hustle as the price of success and starts letting purpose lead?

In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur, I sit down with Mike Michalowicz — entrepreneur behind four multi-million-dollar companies and bestselling author of Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, and All In.

And we go well beyond business tactics.

Mike and I explore what it really looks like to build a business differently — to be led by purpose, question the glorification of hustle, create real financial and personal freedom, and remember that the business is meant to support the life, not become the whole life.

Mike gets incredibly personal about his own experience with workaholism and the moment at his son’s final track meet that made him realize just how much he had been missing.

We also dig into the thinking behind Profit First and Clockwork, why Mike believes the entrepreneur’s real job is to create jobs, the difference between financial freedom and financial independence, and the purpose underneath everything he does: *eradicating entrepreneurial poverty.*

And somewhere in the middle, something completely unexpected happens involving Mel Robbins. You’ll have to listen for that one.

This conversation lit me up — and it is one of those conversations that may have you looking at your own business, and your own life, a little differently.

In this episode:

* Why purpose can become the compass for everything you build

* The hidden cost of hustle and workaholism

* Mike’s emotional wake-up call at his son’s track meet

* The behavioral thinking behind Profit First

* Why founders need to build businesses that can operate without them

* Financial independence vs. financial freedom

* Why Mike believes entrepreneurs are creators of jobs

* What Mike is doing now through The Prosper Group

About Mike Michalowicz

Mike Michalowicz (my-CAL-o-wits) is the entrepreneur behind four multi-million-dollar companies and the author of bestselling business books including Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, and All In. He is also the creator of The Money Habit, host of the hit podcast Becoming Self Made and television series 4 Minute Money Maker, and a former columnist for The Wall Street Journal.

His purpose: *eradicate entrepreneurial poverty.*

Connect with Mike

📚 Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, All In 🌐 https://www.mikemichalowicz.com/ 

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikemichalowicz/ 

👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMichalowiczFanPage/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemichalowicz/ 

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/mikemichalowiczofficial 

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikemichalowicz

Ready to build differently?

If this conversation has you asking what your business is really in service of — and how to build it more intentionally around the life you actually want to live — explore Inspired Business Performance and the Alignment Lab.

Learn more about the Alignment Lab:
 https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/alignment-lab

About The Inspired Entrepreneur

The Inspired Entrepreneur exists to challenge the assumptions we've inherited about business, leadership, and success, and explore whether there's a better way.

If this conversation resonated with you:

⭐ Follow the podcast.

⭐ Leave a review.

⭐ Share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur or leader.

Because maybe the future of business isn't about working harder.

Maybe it's about building businesses—and lives—that allow us to thrive.

Music Credit: “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

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The Hustle Lie: Recovery Isn't Retreating. It's Reloading.

What if one of the biggest assumptions we've inherited about business and success simply isn't true?

What if working longer doesn't create better results?

What if exhaustion isn't the price of achievement?

And what if recovery isn't a retreat from success—but one of the very things that makes sustainable success possible?

In this Season Three finale of The Inspired Entrepreneur, Deborah Hartnett sits down with entrepreneur, business owner, and author John Briggs to challenge one of the most deeply rooted beliefs in modern business culture: that hustle is the path to growth.

Drawing from his upcoming book, Take Breaks. Work Better., John shares the science behind sustainable performance, the surprising research that inspired the 3.3 Rule, and why intentional recovery may be one of the most overlooked competitive advantages available to entrepreneurs and leaders.
But this conversation isn't really about taking breaks.

It's about challenging the assumptions we've inherited about business, leadership, and success, and exploring whether there's a better way to build a business and a life.

In this episode, we explore:
• Why hustle culture has become so normalized.
• The science behind focus, recovery, and sustainable performance.
• The surprising research that inspired the 3.3 Rule.
• Why measuring impact often matters more than measuring hours.
• How intentional breaks can increase productivity and profitability.
• What high-performing teams have in common.
• The hidden cost of chronic busyness.
• Why presence may be one of the greatest gifts we can give our families and ourselves.
• How to build success without sacrificing the life you're trying to create.

One of my biggest takeaways:
Perhaps we've inherited a story that says success requires sacrifice, exhaustion, and endless hustle.
I'm not convinced that's true.
I've spent more than a decade working alongside business owners and leaders, and I've experienced something different. I've watched people build thriving businesses while becoming more present in their leadership, their relationships, and their lives.
It isn't always easy.
It takes intention.
It takes practice.
But I know there's another way.
And I think you'll hear that possibility woven throughout this conversation.

Connect with John Briggs:
📚 Take Breaks. Work Better.
🌐 https://incitetax.com/
📸 Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/therealjohnbriggs/
💼 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs/
📺 YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@therealjohnbriggs/

About The Inspired Entrepreneur
The Inspired Entrepreneur exists to challenge the assumptions we've inherited about business, leadership, and success, and explore whether there's a better way.

If this conversation resonated with you:
⭐ Follow the podcast.
⭐ Leave a review.
⭐ Share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur or leader.
Because maybe the future of business isn't about working harder.
Maybe it's about building businesses—and lives—that allow us to thrive.

Music Credit: “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

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Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.

What if the thing missing from your leadership isn’t more discipline, more strategy, or more productivity?

What if it’s play?

Somewhere along the way, many entrepreneurs stop playing. And without realizing it, they become a little less creative, less connected, less curious, and less alive. In this episode, Deborah explores what happens to a human being — and to a business — when play disappears, and what becomes possible when it comes back.

Inspired by her conversation with Mia Sundstrom from the National Institute for Play, Deborah unpacks why play is not childish, but biological. It is part of how we reconnect with creativity, spaciousness, innovation, and ourselves.

This episode also features a special edition of The Founder’s Pulse, where Deborah interviews young entrepreneurs between the ages of 8 and 13 at the Temecula Children’s Business Fair. Their honesty, creativity, and relationship to mistakes may reveal something many adult founders have forgotten.

In This Episode, Deborah Explores:

• The Biology of Play: Why play is not childish, but biological — and how it helps the brain access creativity, connection, and new ideas.
• The Cost of Constant Pressure: How years of urgency, responsibility, and output can narrow creativity, disconnect us from aliveness, and make business feel like one endless performance review.
• The Nervous System and Creativity: Why some entrepreneurs may not have a creativity problem, but a nervous system problem — and why spaciousness matters more than we think.
• Play as a Leadership Practice: How play interrupts performance mode and brings founders back to presence, curiosity, connection, and human-centered leadership.
• The Founder’s Pulse: Children’s Business Fair Edition: Real reflections from young founders on creativity, mistakes, confidence, collaboration, and what adults can learn from the way kids build.

🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🔹 Why Hustle Isn’t Fulfillment: The subtle ways entrepreneurs can build successful businesses while quietly disconnecting from their own lives.

🔹 When Life Becomes Something You Manage: Deborah shares what happens when responsibility takes over and play, wonder, and presence slowly disappear.

🔹 The Difference Between Pressure and Aliveness: Why success should not cost you your creativity, curiosity, or humanity.

🔹 What Kids Know About Creativity: Young entrepreneurs share how they turn mistakes into something new, trust themselves, collaborate, and keep joy in the process.

🔹 The Business Case for Play: Why creativity, experimentation, humor, imagination, and psychological safety are not distractions from performance — they are part of what makes sustainable performance possible.

🔹 A New Inquiry for Founders: Instead of only asking, “How do I grow this business?” Deborah invites us to ask, “What conditions am I creating for human beings to actually thrive?”

Featured in The Founder’s Pulse:

Eva – Eva’s Rosy Art

Connor – Connor’s Arts and Crafts

Harper Turnbull – Bubblicious

Cecilia – Cecilia Sensations

Emma & Aaron – Diamond Dugout Collectibles

Addie – Silk & Scales

🔗 Connect with Us:

Website: www.inspired-bp.com
The Alignment Lab: https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/alignment-lab
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

✨ Ready to Build with Intention?

If this conversation opened something up for you, and you are realizing you do not need another productivity app as much as you need a different way of operating, come find out how you can join us inside The Alignment Lab.

Inside the Lab, we practice building and leading from a place that is more intentional, sustainable, present, and alive.

Because alignment is not about perfectly balancing everything all the time.

It is the practice of continuously returning to yourself while you build.

✨ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔! ✨

Disclaimer: The Inspired Entrepreneur podcast and content posted by Deborah Hartnett is presented solely for general information, educational, and inspirational purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical, mental health, legal, or business advice for any situation and should seek the assistance of qualified professionals for any such conditions or decisions.

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

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Season 3 Episode 7 | You Don't Need More Strategy - You Need More Play

Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.

In the relentless pursuit of growth, we have been conditioned to believe that rest is a reward and play is a luxury. We push harder, optimize longer, and build cultures around a dangerous, unspoken ideology: that continuous, grinding work is the only path to scale. But what if the very thing you are stripping out of your calendar is the exact catalyst you need for your next breakthrough?

In this episode, we're joined by Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play. As a former Division 1 gymnast and granddaughter of play researcher Dr. Stuart Brown, Mia dismantles the myth that playfulness opposes professionalism. This conversation is a wake-up call for "go-mode" founders, proving true innovation can't be forced—it must be played with.


*In This Episode, Mia Opens Up About:*
*- The Biological Imperative: *How her grandfather’s study of mass murderers revealed that play is not a learned behavior, but an ancient, sub-cortical necessity embedded in our brains—just like our need for oxygen and sleep.
*- The High-Achiever’s Trap:* The pivotal realization during her gymnastics career that holding onto outcome-driven pressure was slowly stamping out the joy, and how letting go of the metrics unlocked her greatest freedom.
*- Escapism vs. True Play:* A vital framework for distinguishing the deep, state-altering power of authentic play from the numbing, long-term detriments of social media and addiction.
*- The Paradox of Serious Play:* Why granting yourself the permission to be silly and laugh at your mistakes is the most potent, psychologically safe way to command respect and ground your team.


*🔗 Connect with Mia Sundstrom *

Website: https://www.nifplaystore.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playinstitute/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-national-institute-for-play/posts/?feedView=all
YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@NI-FPlay

📘 Featured Resource: The Play Journal
We have a brand-new Play Journal that includes 90 days of reflection and practice to help you create healthy, sustainable habits around play.
Grab yours here: https://www.nifplaystore.org/

*𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:*

Website: www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

*✨ Ready to Build with Intention?*
If you are ready to stop circling the same problems and actually shift what’s underneath them, let's move past the surface.
*👉 Discover Your Path:* Take The Aligned Pathway Assessment tool: https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/assesment-page
*👉 Dive Deeper:* Visit our Alignment Lab for more resources: https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/alignment-lab


✨ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔! ✨

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317)
© PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.

Success in business is often framed as a lack of discipline, the wrong strategy, or needing to "try harder." But if you are doing the work and not seeing the results you know are possible, we need to look deeper. In this episode we explore If your business isn't working the way you want it to, perhaps it’s not the business. Perhaps it’s you.

In This Episode, Deborah Explores:

• The Safety Mechanism
• The Sneakiness of Avoidance
• The Identity Ceiling
• The Bike and the Bond

Featured in The Founder's Pulse:

Eric Cruz - Progressive Health & Performance 

https://www.instagram.com/progressive_hp/

https://www.facebook.com/progressivehealthperformance

Vivian Welch Vivians IO

https://www.facebook.com/Vivians.AI.CRM

Instagraminstagram.com/vivians.io

 Zachary Bach. Real Estate Agent 

Instagraminstagram.com/zbhomes

www.facebook.com/Zacharywjbach

Vincent Shields Epic Dog Academy. 

linktr.ee/epicdogacademy

Instagraminstagram.com/epicdogacademy

Faceookfacebook.com/epicdogacademy

Elyse Montanez - Life Of The Barty 

https://www.facebook.com/lifeoftheBARty

Instagraminstagram.com/lifeofthebarty

🔗 Connect with Us: 

Website: www.inspired-bp.com

The Alignment Lab: https://www.inspiredbusinessperformance.com/alignment-lab

Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance 

Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

✨ Ready to Build with Intention? If you are ready to stop circling the same problems and actually shift what’s underneath them, let's move past the surface. Join us in the Alignment Lab to practice aligned action in real-time.

✨ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔! ✨

Disclaimer: The Inspired Entrepreneur podcast and content posted by Deborah Hartnett is presented solely for general information, educational, and inspirational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis or treatment. Users should seek the assistance of qualified professionals for any such conditions or decisions.

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.

In this powerful episode, we are joined by Dr. Jason Branch—executive performance coach, licensed therapist, and creator of the 3 Parallels framework. Dr. Jay specializes in taking leaders where they most fear to go: into "the basement." This conversation is a roadmap for the high-achiever who has realized that the very strengths that got them here are the same ones preventing them from getting there.

🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🔹 The "Basement" Rule: Why you are required to deal with your own "stuff" so you don’t project it onto your team. 

🔹 Why the "Old Self" Screams: How perfectionism and past patterns drown out the "whisper" of your future self. 

🔹 The Three Indicators of Business Friction: How to diagnose if you have a systems issue, a process issue, or a people issue. 

🔹 Identity Death: What specific parts of a founder’s identity must die for the next level of leadership to emerge. 

🔹 The 16-Second Shift: Why presence is the ultimate tool for breaking through neuro-pathway "walls." 

🔹 Gator University: The mission behind decolonizing leadership and creating spaces for true self-mastery.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Jason Branch

• Website: www.DrJbranch.com
• Community: Gator University
• Podcast: The 3 Parallels Podcast
• Social: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

🔗 Connect with Us:

• Website: www.inspired-bp.com
• Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
• Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

✨ Ready to Build with Intention?

If you are ready to stop circling the same problems and actually shift what’s underneath them, let's move past the surface.

👉 The Alignment Lab: A space for founders to practice aligned action in real-time. Join the Lab 👉 One-to-One Coaching: High-touch, direct work for leaders ready to face their "basement." Only 15 spots available annually; 4 currently remaining.

✨ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔! ✨

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

Send us Fan Mail

You know what no one tells you about building a business?

You can be working all day… and still not be moving anything forward.

Your calendar is full. Your mind is busy. Your to-do list never ends.
 But underneath it all is the question: Is this actually working?

In this episode, Deborah Hartnett unpacks one of the most common challenges founders face—being constantly busy, yet deeply misaligned. Because businesses don’t stall from lack of effort… they stall from lack of alignment.

Episode Summary

In this grounding conversation, Deborah explores the difference between activity and aligned action—why so many founders feel stuck not because they’re doing too little, but because their energy and focus are fragmented.

Blending science, strategy, and real founder insights, she reveals how cognitive overload, task-switching, and reactive decisions quietly drain clarity, creativity, and momentum.

Through the Founder Pulse segment, entrepreneurs echo the same truth: growth doesn’t come from doing more, but from simplifying and aligning what matters most.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Busy vs. Aligned — why productivity doesn’t always equal progress
• Cognitive Overload — how fragmentation impacts performance
 • The Illusion of Momentum — why “doing more” can still keep you stuck
• Founder Identity — when busyness becomes self-worth
• Scaling Through Simplicity — why less often scales better
• Aligned Decision-Making — focusing on what truly matters
• Structure + Soul — balancing systems with values
• The Maturity Shift — moving from urgency to intentional leadership

Founder Pulse Segment Featuring:

Nancyrose Hernandez
🌐 Employment Law Attorney & Business Owner
📱 Facebook: @lawofficeofnancyrosehernandez
📸 Instagram: @lawofficeofnancyrosehernandez

Abel Dominguez
🌐 Temecula Valley Junk Pickup & Victory Dumpster Rentals
📱 Facebook: @TemeculaValleyJunkPickUp
📸 Instagram: @temeculavalleyjunkpickup

Alex Kowalkoski
🌐 Prime Media Consulting
📱 Facebook: @PrimeMediaConsulting
📸 Instagram: @primemediaconsultinginc

Julie Seal-Gaustad
🌐 JSG Action Coach
📱 Facebook: @JSGActionCoach
📸 Instagram: @jsgactioncoach

Robert Welsh
🌐 Vivians.io
📱 Facebook: @Vivians.AI.CRM
📸 Instagram: @vivians.io

Scaling Through Simplicity: Simple scales better than complexity.

Aligned Decision-Making: Focus on what truly matters most.

Structure + Soul: Align systems with your values.

The Maturity Shift: Choose intentional over urgent.

#ConsciousLeadership #FounderIdentity #BusinessStrategy #AlignedGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #ScalingSimplified #LeadershipDevelopment #InspiredEntrepreneur

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

Send us Fan Mail

You’ve probably heard the advice: bootstrap your business.
And you’ve probably also heard: raise capital and scale fast.

But what many founders struggle with is knowing which path is right for them.

In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur Podcast, Deborah Hartnett sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and startup advisor Heidi Luerra to explore the real differences between bootstrapping and raising investment—and the business fundamentals founders often overlook.

Drawing from more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Heidi shares what it takes to build a company from the ground up, the lessons she learned growing RAW Artists Inc. from her kitchen table into an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company, and why strong business fundamentals matter before pursuing funding.

𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗪𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲:

Bootstrapping vs. Raising Capital
Key differences between building with your own resources and bringing in outside investors.

The Reality of Building from Zero
Heidi’s journey growing RAW Artists from a kitchen-table idea into a global company.

Founder Fundamentals
Why understanding business operations, sales, and development matters before raising funding.

The Investor Perspective
What angel investors look for when evaluating startups.

Democratizing Access to Funding
How platforms like Cherub help connect founders with investors.

Resilience in Entrepreneurship
The mindset founders need to build and sustain successful companies.

About Our Guest

Heidi Luerra is a bootstrapping founder, startup advisor, angel investor, and speaker focused on entrepreneurship, fundraising, and business development.
She built RAW Artists Inc. from $0 into a multi-million-dollar company with 65 employees and four global offices, earning recognition on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list.

She now serves as VP of Community & Partnerships at Cherub, helping connect fundraising founders with angel investors and expand access to funding opportunities.

Connect with Heidi
Website
www.HeidiLuerra.com

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

LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiluerra/

Newsletter
Building Bold — A No-Nonsense Newsletter for Bootstrappers
https://heidiluerra.substack.com

 #InspiredEntrepreneur, #Entrepreneurship, #StartupFounders, #Bootstrapping, #StartupFunding, #AngelInvesting, #BusinessGrowth, #FounderJourney, #InspiredEntrepreneurPodcast 

✨ Remember to like, subscribe, and share this episode with fellow entrepreneurs! ✨

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett

Send us Fan Mail

You know what no one tells you about building a business?At some point, you will feel yourself start to shut down. You aren't quitting or failing, but you're caring less, trusting less, and feeling less connected to the people you serve. You tell yourself it’s just "professionalism," but underneath, it’s actually protection. In this episode, Deborah Hartnett confronts the reality that businesses don't break because strategy fails first—they break because the founder’s heart closes first.

Episode Summary
In this raw and confronting conversation, Deborah unpacks the moment founders stop leading from love and what it costs the business. Using the lenses of science, soul, and strategy, she explains how the brain’s amygdala kicks in during times of uncertainty, shifting our leadership from "partnership" to "protection."

The episode also takes us out of the studio and onto the streets to hear from everyday entrepreneurs about the role of love in their work. From the kitchen of a restaurant to the floor of a furniture store, these founders prove that love isn't just a sentiment—it is a vital business strategy that translates into service, synergy, and sustainability.

𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗪𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲:
The "Bracing" Response: How subtle internal pull-backs are broadcasted to your clients before you even speak.

Co-Regulation in Business: The neurological reality that we don't just hear each other; we feel each other’s energetic state.

The "On the Street" Segment featuring:

Porsche Mystique Steele – Mystique Rose Publishing Services

Cristina Bailey – Signarama Temecula & Fully Promoted

Hari Sharma – Zen Curry & Grill

Erin Eickhoff – The Jab Lab Aesthetics & Wellness

Eileen Caulfield – The Task Fairy

Paul Rangel – Sofa Spectrum Furniture

Love vs. Softness: Why leading with love actually makes you more useful and allows for harder, more honest conversations.

The Practice of Reopening: How to catch yourself in real-time when you start to guard, and shift back into service.

#ConsciousLeadership #FounderIdentity #BusinessMaturity #PerformanceCoaching #InspiredEntrepreneur #SelfMastery #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadWithLove

✨ 𝑹𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆, 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒔! ✨

Support the show

Music Credit:
 “Who I’ve Always Been” by Beza, licensed via PremiumBeat (License #7089927, Order #5573317) © PremiumBeat.com / Shutterstock Canada, ULC

Legal Disclaimer:
This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please consult qualified experts for medical, legal, mental health, or business matters. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐬:

Website :www.inspired-bp.com
Instagram: @inspiredbusinessperformance
Facebook: @deborahannhartnett