In this episode of the Business Builder Series, Staci kicks off a four-week reflection journey designed to help small business owners assess their year with honesty and clarity. She dives into what truly mattered in your CEO role, where your time created value, and why busyness isn’t the same as leadership. This conversation sets the foundation for stepping into a more intentional, spacious, and empowered CEO identity in the year ahead.

Key topics covered:

• Why end-of-year planning doesn’t work for most small business owners (and the better time to do it)
• The identity shift from doing everything to becoming the visionary your business actually needs
• How overfilling your calendar keeps you in survival mode instead of strategy mode
• The difference between familiar work that feels good and high-value work that moves the business
• How to spot where you provide unique value and where you’re draining your CEO energy
• Why letting go of control (the right way) is the key to scaling sustainably

Challenge:

Do a three-day mini time audit. Track everything you do, highlight tasks that drain you or don’t require your unique skill set, and identify your bottom 10%. Then decide what to automate, delegate, or eliminate.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

In today’s episode of Small Business School, Staci sits down with Jen  Szpigiel, founder of Becoming Iconic and editor-in-chief of Iconic Magazine, to explore her 20-year entrepreneurial journey. Jen shares how motherhood shaped her path, how she built a thriving personal brand across industries, and why reputation and relationships became the driving forces behind her lasting success. This conversation brings both strategy and heart, opening a powerful window into what it truly takes to build something iconic.

Key topics covered:

• The pivotal moment that pushed Jen from corporate marketing into entrepreneurship
• How she built her first multi 8-figure beauty and wellness brand long before “coaching” existed
• The identity shift of young motherhood, and the ache that sparked her desire to build something of her own
• Why pivoting triggered criticism…and how her reputation carried her through it
• The surprising truth about visibility and why relationships matter far more than algorithms
• Jen’s simple, highly effective daily practice for nurturing meaningful connections
• The difference between genuine relationship-building and transactional networking
• Why long-term nurturing leads to clients who arrive at exactly the right time
• The emotional maturity required to show up in the DMs without expectation or entitlement

Jen reminds listeners that iconic brands aren’t built overnight, they’re built through consistency, integrity, and genuine relationships that compound over years.

Connect with Jen:

Instagram: @becomingiconic @iconicmagazine__

Website: www.becomingiconic.co

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! In this solo episode, Staci opens up about the emotional and mental pressure that often shows up at the end of the year, especially with nonstop promotions, Black Friday offers, and all the “start next year strong” messaging. She shares how she personally navigates that overwhelm and what it looks like to stay grounded, intentional, and confident instead of reactive or comparison-filled.

Key topics covered:

• Why year-end sales and “start your year right” messaging can trigger overwhelm for business owners
• How to tell when an investment truly aligns with your goals…and when it’s just FOMO talking
• The role of emotional leadership in your spending and decision-making
• Why looking at how far you’ve come can shift your entire mindset
• The habits Staci adjusts during busy seasons to protect her mental space and stay intentional online

Staci reminds listeners that entrepreneurship is a long-game, one where you get to choose your pace, your inputs, and your peace, no matter what season you’re in.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

In this episode of the Business Builder Series, Staci explores the mindset shift every founder must make in order to scale: letting go of the “hero” role. She reveals why jumping in to fix every problem feels productive, but ultimately turns you into the bottleneck that slows your business down. Staci walks through how to empower your team to think, make decisions, and take ownership, so your business can grow beyond your capacity. This short episode is packed with practical mindset shifts, leadership tools, and a simple homework assignment that will transform how you lead your team.

Key topics covered:

• How the “hero habit” gives founders a dopamine hit while secretly sabotaging growth
• The surprising reason being the go-to person can stunt your team’s confidence and capability
• Why answering questions quickly keeps you reactive instead of strategic
• How shifting from “fixer” to “coach” unlocks speed, trust, and team autonomy
• Staci’s favourite leadership questions that train your team to think—not just do
• The culture transformation that happens when ownership becomes expected
• The “monkey on your back” analogy and how to stop taking on everyone else’s problems
• How to know when a recurring issue needs a system, and when it doesn’t
• Why letting your team try (and sometimes fail) once saves you countless hours forever
• The mindset shift from control to trust that separates solopreneurs from true leader

Challenge:

1. When someone brings you a problem, do NOT solve it.
    Ask a follow-up question instead — guide them, don’t fix it for them.
2. Make a list of the top three things you’re still manually fixing.
3. Choose one of those three and create a system for it.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! In today’s episode, Staci sits down with marketing expert Kelsey Reidl to unpack why marketing feels so confusing right now, and why so many business owners feel stretched thin trying to keep up. Kelsey breaks down what’s really happening in the industry, what’s actually working, and how small business owners can stop the scatterbrain approach and start making intentional, aligned marketing.

Key topics covered:

• Why marketing feels harder than ever—and why that confusion is totally justified.
• The surprising return to “old school” tactics that are outperforming digital noise.
• Kelsey’s concept of “scatterbrain marketing” and how to escape it for good.
• A powerful framework to decide exactly which platforms you should (and shouldn’t) be on.
• The truth about campaigns, experts, and why the real answer always comes back to one simple question.

This episode reminds business owners that clarity comes from connection—and that the most effective marketing is always rooted in relationships, not algorithms.

Connect with Kelsey:

Instagram: @kelseyreidl

Website: kelseyreidl.com

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! In today’s episode, Staci opens up about an eye-opening conversation she had with her makeup artist—one that inspired an important reminder for every entrepreneur: there is no single “right” way to build a business. She breaks down the pressures of comparison, the myths glamorized on social media, and why success metrics must be personal, not inherited from other people’s goals. Staci explores the realities of both solo and team-based business models, emphasizing that each path is equally valid when aligned with the life you want to live.

Key topics covered:

• Why there’s no single blueprint for building a successful business, and how believing there is might be holding you back.
• The surprising truth behind “polished” businesses on social media (and why the behind-the-scenes reality might shock you).
• How countless entrepreneurs end up making less money after hiring a team, and what no one talks about.
• The real cost of building a luxury brand—and why it’s not the right strategy for everyone (despite what big-name gurus preach).
• The hidden power of running a simple, lean, wildly profitable solo business from your basement.
• How to finally figure out what your version of success is—so you stop chasing someone else’s goals.
• Why curiosity is the most underrated skill in business conversations—and how it leads to better advice and better decisions.

This episode is your reminder that the most fulfilling business is the one that is aligned with your lifestyle, values, and definition of success—and that supporting each other’s unique paths creates a healthier, more empowered entrepreneurial community.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

In this episode of the Business Builder Series, Staci explores a common challenge many small business owners face as they grow: the desire to be liked by their team so deeply that it gets in the way of actual leadership. She breaks down what it looks like to step into the role of a true coach, why clarity matters more than being the “nice boss,” and how avoiding discomfort can quietly limit a business’s growth.

Key topics covered:

• Why early hires often feel like family and how that impacts leadership
• The difference between kindness and people-pleasing
• How lack of clarity, expectations, and boundaries can sabotage a company’s ability to scale
• What it means to lead from the “coach’s view” and see the full picture
• Key traits of strong leadership: direct communication, accountability, and empathy with boundaries
• Why respect comes before likability, and why that order matters
• The risks of avoiding tough conversations or feedback to keep everyone comfortable

Challenge:

Listeners are encouraged to identify one area where their desire to be liked is causing them to avoid leadership. They should write down the tough conversation, feedback, or boundary they’ve been avoiding, and note what could become possible if they addressed it.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! In this episode, I get real about one of the biggest traps service-based business owners fall into: competing on price and service. It might work when you’re just starting out, but it becomes a fast track to burnout, razor-thin margins, and a business that can’t scale. I walk through why this model stops working, what really happens behind the scenes, and how to shift into pricing and delivery that actually support long-term growth.

Key topics covered:

• Why “more for less” works in startup mode but becomes dangerous during scale-up
• How underpricing slowly erodes your margins, your team capacity, and your quality of service
• What happens when your clients expect more while you’re earning less
• The four things to compete on instead of price: clarity, results, experience, and integrity
• Real world examples—from accounting to daycares—of how pricing models impact sustainability
• How tech and systems can support a “more for less” feel without sacrificing margin

At the end of the day, sustainable business isn’t about being the cheapest—it’s about being the clearest, the most consistent, and the most confident in the value you bring.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

In this episode of the Business Builder Series, Staci gets real about what it looks like to lead well when you’re stuck in the “messy middle” of business, beyond the fun startup phase but not yet in a smooth, scalable rhythm. She shares how leadership in chaos doesn’t require perfect systems or a cleared calendar… just intention, clarity, and small but powerful shifts in how you show up every day.

Key topics covered:

• Why waiting “until things calm down” keeps you stuck in chaos
• The power of micro-moments in leadership (and why meetings aren’t always the answer)
• Building CEO time into your schedule—even if it starts with just 30 minutes
• Clear communication vs. constant availability (and why the latter leads to burnout)
• Delegating the how while owning the why so your team can act without you

Even in the weeds, you can lead with intention and plant the roots that will support your next level of growth.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.

Welcome back to Small Business School! Let’s talk about something that confuses almost every entrepreneur at some point — tax installments. In this episode, I’m breaking down what they are, when you owe them, and how to handle them without stress or surprise bills from the CRA. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re being asked to pay tax before year-end, or what happens if you skip an installment, this episode is for you.

Key topics covered:

• What tax installments actually are (and why they’re not “extra” tax)
• When CRA requires you to start paying installments — and how to find your specific deadlines
• What happens if you skip or delay a payment
• When it might make sense to use your line of credit to pay installments
• How to plan ahead so taxes stop feeling like a surprise

At the end of the day, it’s not about fear — it’s about being informed so you can make empowered decisions with your money.

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.