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What happens when an investor swears off banks, personal guarantees, and risky one-and-done deals? Chris Prefontaine rebuilt from the 2008 crash by creating a bank-free model that produces cash now, cash monthly, and cash at exit.

Summary:

Chris Prefontaine, founder of Smart Real Estate Coach, shares how losing everything in 2008 forced him to rewrite the rules of real estate. He now buys through owner financing and subject-to deals, prioritizes principal-only terms, and structures every transaction around his trademark “three paydays.” We unpack his lead-gen engines, VA-driven metrics, airtight legal processes, and why his coaching model includes revenue-share and real in-the-trenches support. This episode is packed with practical takeaways on scaling, staying safe legally, and building a legacy business with grit, patience, and clear expectations.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS 

• Setting new rules after losing everything in 2008
 • Buying without banks: owner financing & subject-to explained
 • Why principal-only terms matter more than price
 • The three paydays and how each creates predictable income
• Lead gen from expired, FSBO, FRBO, and free-and-clear lists
• How VAs drive outreach, metrics, and conversion consistency
• Legal must-haves and choosing the right attorneys
• Coaching that includes revenue-share and deal support
• Building a family-run team and long-term legacy
• Who succeeds: grit, patience, and realistic timelines

🔗 Guest Links

• Free Books: https://wickedsmartbooks.com/safari

• Smart Real Estate Coach: https://smartrealestatecoach.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisprefontaine/

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

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What happens when you lose everything in 2008—and still choose to pay everyone back? Rob Stephenson rebuilt not just a business, but a reputation that now wins national NARI COTY awards.

Summary:

Rob Stephenson, founder of Stephenson Construction, shares how leaving engineering, moonlighting in rental units, and surviving the 2008 collapse shaped his disciplined, integrity-first approach to design-build. We unpack his early pivots from art and engineering, learning the trades out of necessity, brand lessons from Target, and how a move to Atlanta unlocked new opportunity. Rob breaks down practical pricing, cash flow, licensing, and client selection—plus a DIY cautionary tale involving a wet metal roof, no tie-off, and a painful lesson learned.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS 

• How growing up in Philadelphia sparked his love for home projects
 • Art vs. engineering at Tuskegee — and the early career pivots that followed
 • Learning every trade through rental-unit trial by fire
 • Building the first spec home, licensing insights, and partnership lessons
 • The 2008 crash: overleverage, failure, and choosing integrity over shortcuts
 • Moving to Atlanta and how Target taught him branding discipline
 • Building a design-build team that wins national COTY awards
 • Story proof: why case studies beat sales pitches
 • Cash flow, pricing, and client fit — practical rules that keep you alive
 • Quickfire picks: E-Myth for Contractors, basements, and service pet peeves
• DIY disaster: the wet metal roof and the importance of safety tie-offs

🔗 Guest Links

• Website: https://www.stephensonconstructionllc.com

• NARI Directory: Search “Stephenson Construction” on NARI.org

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsstephenson/

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
 • LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
 • Website | https://chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

What happens when a regulatory attorney trades Wall Street stress for barber-chair swagger? Jessica shows how instinct, culture, and system design built a luxury grooming brand that outlasted the copycats.

Summary:

Jessica, founder of Mad Men Barbershop, shares how she turned gut calls, culture, and brand discipline into a multi-location grooming experience that grew stronger through competition and COVID. We unpack instinct-based decision-making, the split between creative vision and operational discipline, scaling culture across shops, and how social media keeps both clients and staff accountable. Jessica also opens up about writing Pivot And Slay and Selfish Is A Superpower, and speaks candidly about ambition, parenting, identity, and the practical hiring and vibe-setting tactics that keep her team aligned. This episode is all about building a lifestyle brand that stands the test of time—no matter who tries to copy it.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS 

• Founding Mad Men Barbershop as a lifestyle brand, not a commodity
 • Why instinct often beats perfect plans in early entrepreneurship
 • How Jessica handled copycats—and why doubling down on culture works
 • COVID shutdown survival decisions and reopening timing
 • Scaling vibe, expectations, and accountability across multiple locations
 • Writing Pivot And Slay and Selfish Is A Superpower
• How ambitious women navigate identity, parenting, and business growth
• Hiring, training, and culture-setting that keeps standards high

🔗 Guest Links

• Website: https://pivotandslay.com

https://www.madmenbarbershop.com
 • Instagram: @pivotandslay
 • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thejessicadennehy-7b629a201
• Books: Pivot And Slay & Selfish Is A Superpower (Amazon)

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
 • LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia
• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

thetrustedtoolbox.com 

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

What happens when small businesses stop fearing AI—and start using it to remove friction, boost margins, and strengthen customer trust?

Summary:

We trade fear for facts and show how real small businesses put AI to work without losing the human touch. From “Tina” the chatbot to contact-center triage, sales coaching, and smarter inventory planning, we map where humans still lead—and where bots quietly drive efficiency, speed, and margin growth.

We also dig into the changing labor market, the disappearance of entry-level tech roles, and why care, therapy, and spiritual support will remain human-only. If you’re a small business owner wondering how to test AI tools safely and ethically, this episode gives you real-world examples and a simple rule: AI drafts, humans decide.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS 

• AI chat handling after-hours inquiries with clean human handoffs
 • Why call centers are giving way to contact centers + chat automation
 • Sales coaching using recorded ride-alongs & feedback loops
 • What shifting market signals show across demographics
 • The vanishing entry-level pipeline in tech roles
 • Three domains AI won’t replace: caregiving, therapy, spiritual roles
 • Why small companies have the edge in testing emerging AI tools
 • Seasonal forecasting + inventory insights from real case studies
 • Google vs ChatGPT and the new research habits
 • A simple operational rule: AI drafts; humans decide

🔗 Guest Links

• W Rxsolution: Worxsolution.com
• Veloci Technology Group: velocitechnology.group
• WFH with Two Guys: Find on LinkedIn

linkedin.com/in/dennisjackson10

linkedin.com/in/https://www.linkedin.com/company/wfh-with-2-guys/posts/

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast
 • LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
 • Website | https://chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

🎧 The Small Business Safari

TITLE: From Anchorage to National: Niches, GEO, and Growth | Jennifer Christensen

Hook in Body:
What happens when ethical AI meets small business marketing? Jennifer Christensen built a national agency from Alaska, proving that data, discipline, and heart can scale together.

Summary:
Chris Lalomia and Alan Wyatt sit down with Jennifer Christensen, CMO and co-founder of a national marketing agency, to unpack how failure fuels leadership and how GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) helps small businesses show up in AI search. From building a brand in Anchorage to serving clients nationwide, Jennifer shares how AI can speed up delivery without sacrificing integrity.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)
• Turning early business failures into leadership lessons
• Expanding from a small market to national reach
• Choosing niches based on results, fit, and margins
• Using AI for speed while keeping human quality control
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AI search visibility
• Launching campaigns in days, not months
• Building trust through ethical AI practices

🔗 Guest Links
• Website: https://sparkstorymarketing.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferchristensenak

 • GEO Training: Free monthly sessions at think-anchorage.com/geo

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia

• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

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From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

What happens when a corporate sales leader swaps the corner office for family time — and ends up building two thriving brands instead?

Summary: A former tech sales leader shares how losing a franchise became the best thing that ever happened. From setting boundaries that shaped the business model to launching a manufacturing arm that wins architectural specs, this episode dives into the discipline, strategy, and relationships that fuel sustainable growth without burnout.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)
• why family hours set the business model
• lessons from a franchise territory loss
• supplier training and hiring for skill transfer
• early pricing discipline and margin traps
• choosing commercial over residential for predictability
• operating as a subcontractor to general contractors
• launching a manufacturing brand alongside installs
• winning specs with AIA CEUs and a spec builder
• pacing growth to protect reputation and delivery
• building a multi-generational team and future exit options

🔗 Guest Links
• Website: www.awningsaboveus.com

• Website: www.skyscapecanopies.com

 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-french-9928351/

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/
• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Summary:
Jeremy LaDuke, founder of Epic Nine, dives into the attention economy and why bold, memorable branding outperforms safe, copycat marketing. He explains how small businesses can set honest budgets, track what really matters, and build brand familiarity that drives conversion — even without perfect attribution. From Liquid Death’s creative risk-taking to networking tips for introverts, Jeremy shares practical lessons every entrepreneur can apply to grow with authenticity and courage.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSmallBusinessSafari

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)
• Disruptive branding lessons from Liquid Death
• Defining SMART goals and budget honesty
• Risk appetite and creative differentiation
• Attribution reality and measuring what matters
• Branded search as a proxy for awareness
• Lower, mid, and top-funnel investment strategy
• Climb Club for sub-$2M businesses
• Networking tactics for introverts
• When to use CTAs vs. pure brand
• Distinctive assets: names, themes, mascots

🔗 Guest Links
• Website: https://epicnine.com

• The Climb Club: https://theclimbclub.com

• Book “Climb”: https://theclimb.guide
or Amazon

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyladuke/

 • Book Rec: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/

• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

• Website | www.safaripodcast.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Hook in Body:
Chris and Greg met at Accenture and were implementing call center solutions at the nations largest banks, their friendship has been over 30 years and we are excited to share the journey that Greg has taken to this point.

Summary:
Greg, CEO of Timbers Resorts, shares how he went from Corporate Consultant to Real Estate Business Owner life of ownership, service, and decisive leadership. Luxury fractional ownership vs. timeshare, resilience after hurricanes, and how we leveraged a position within the company to be able to move into an ownership position as the previous owner looked to retire.

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)
• Surviving the consulting grind and owning outcomes
• Why the 2006–2007 thesis said do not develop
• Service as strategy in luxury real estate development and operation
• Timeshare vs. fractional ownership with deeded interests
• Referrals as a growth engine and cost of acquisition

 • Italy and Hawaii builds, permits, and GC replacement
 • Buying the company while honoring legacy
 •  Practical on risk, and decisive leadership

🔗 Guest Links
• Website: TimbersResorts.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-spencer-1630044/
 • LinkedIn: “All you have to do is drop Chris Lalomia”

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | Chris Lalomia

• Website | chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

🎧 The Small Business Safari – Episode Title
Profit Over Revenue: How 4 Corners CFO Turns Chaos into Clarity

Hook:
We dig into profit over revenue, how service businesses should structure their books, and why capacity-based budgeting beats guesses.

Summary:
Danielle Hendon, founder of 4 Corners CFO, shows how niching, clean reconciliations, and cash flow forecasts turn anxiety into action. From culture vs. process tension to bottom-up budgeting, Danielle reframes accounting from a headache into a strategic growth tool. Learn why people costs belong in COGS, how capacity-based metrics expose underutilization, and what separates a weak bookkeeper from a real CFO partner.

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)
• Culture vs. process tension reframed around scalable profit
• Revenue obsession challenged by profit-first thinking
• People costs placed in COGS for real gross margin
• Capacity-based revenue and utilization metrics
• Bottom-up budgeting tied to activities, not accounts
• Expense buckets as required, perks, and investments
• Pricing flat fees to capture efficiency gains
• Segregation of duties and clean reconciliations
• How to spot a weak bookkeeper fast
• Niching into law firms and selling with specifics
• Cash flow forecasting that includes taxes and timing

🔗 Guest Links
• Website: 4cornerscfo.com

 • Special Page: 4cornerscfo.com/smallbusinesssafari

https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-hendon/

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari
• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislalomia/

• Website | https://chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.

Send us a text

Marika Ponton, CPA and founder of Profit Truths, shares how she built, sold, and pivoted her way to helping business owners find clarity, profit, and calm. From Big Four beginnings to entrepreneurial coaching, Marika reveals how small business owners can master their numbers, reallocate marketing spend, and finally take control of cash flow.

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
The Small Business Safari on YouTube

💡 GOLD NUGGETS (Key Moments)

• Big Four lessons that translate to small business grit
• Why networking beats waiting for franchise leads
• Subfloor to sales: detailed quotes as a differentiator
• Selling while you’re the rainmaker and still getting value
• Financials that tell a story buyers trust
• Marketing spend benchmarks by industry and region
• Fixing gross profit before chasing net profit
• Judgment-free coaching and honest KPI dashboards
• Cash flow tactics, payroll timing, and owner salary
• Benchmarking, reallocating ad spend, and growing margin

🔗 Guest Links

Marika Ponton – Profit Truths
• Website: https://profittruths.com

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marikaponton

🌍 Follow The Small Business Safari

• Instagram | @smallbusinesssafaripodcast

• LinkedIn | Chris Lalomia

• Website | chrislalomia.com

From the Zoo to Wild is a book for entrepreneurs passionate about home services, looking to move away from corporate jobs. Chris Lalomia, a former executive, shares his path, discoveries, and tools to succeed as a small business owner in home improvement retail. The book provides the mindset, habits, leadership style, and customer-oriented processes necessary to succeed as a small business owner in home services.