Should you focus on your local community or scale online to reach a broader audience with bigger budgets? This is the crossroads many small business owners face, and it's what this Business Therapy Thursday session is all about.

I sit down with Alicia McKee this episode. Alicia is a digital marketing specialist, and she’s been toying with this decision for over a year. In her previous job, she learned how Facebook ads helped get people to see the videos they made.

 Alicia's torn between serving her tight-knit community and pursuing the bigger corporate clients. She’s also juggling two kids, running monthly music circles, and building an app with her dad. Quite the busy business owner!

Through our conversation, we learned about her relationship with money and how that might be a limiting belief for her business. Alicia was mentioning how businesses “can’t afford” her services before even having a conversation with them.

When I asked her why she invested in that expensive Facebook Ads strategy program, she told me she was investing in herself. I also walk her through a critical mindset shift to view her own services as an investment instead of a “cost.”

When you’re a small business owner, you don't have to choose between authenticity and profitability. Find your people. Show up. Genuinely serve them. Show them that you’re worth the investment.

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at [email protected].

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

Are you showing up in your business and in your life?

I recently hosted a masterclass about the ONtrepreneur Method. In that masterclass, we went over the four shifts and the foundation for this method. The participants were wonderful, but there were multiple people who signed up and were no-shows.

It happens. Life happens. It was a free event. But at the end of the day, it’s their loss. They didn’t show up to get that knowledge. The replay is always there, and the insights are always valuable.

All that aside, I explore two extremes of business ownership: being an employee and being an entrepreneur. You see a certain amount of growth as an “employee” of your own business. But you’re not scaling. You need to step into the entrepreneur mindset.

I share how I stopped doing everything myself, pivoting to build systems, hire team members, and focus on real leadership. That’s the clarity piece. That’s the vision. That's how you show up.

That’s the ONtrepreneur Method.

Learn the ONtrepreneur Method at the ONtrepreneur Growth Academy, starting October 8th. If you’re interested in attending, email me at [email protected]. 

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

Karnye Bailey started Oceanside Entertainment from $20 and a dream. 20 years later, she has two stores, 5 employees, and is still growing her business.

When Karyne started her journey, she asked herself, "What’s my passion? What do I love to do?" She was inspired to start something out of what brought her joy.

Not only is she an expert in games, but she’s also an expert at gamifying her business. We go over how working towards the goal of winning with the proper steps makes business more fun, just like a game. She’s not shy about saying how much she loves to win! It’s the same in games as it is in business.

We talk about the mindset of when you encounter a stumbling block. Just like in life, they will happen in business. As Karyne says, stumbling blocks are the opening for a breakthrough.

Our conversation reminded me of “The Secret” and how the message of manifesting your dreams can be misconstrued. Manifesting your success leads is important, but that’s only part of it. The steps you take, the work you do, the goals with timelines are what make those goals achievable. Without those steps, it’s harder to win the game.

Karyne gives us her golden nugget for this episode – “Just go for it." If you fail, so what? Our failures are not failures if we learn from them. Game on, Karyne!

Connect with Karyne here:

Instagram: @oceanside__entertainment
Facebook: @oceansideentertainmentbc
Email: [email protected]

It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass, “From ‘Hard & Draining’ to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits” on Sept 17th. Sign up below:
https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

I spent almost an hour and a half on hold with my cable company the other day. Marshall, what a waste of time, you might be thinking. But it was costing me and my family an extra $20 a month.

I was cancelling an extra channel. It just isn’t something we need anymore. I prepared myself, put the phone on speaker, and waited almost an hour and a half to talk to someone. 

They need to take a note out of Amazon’s customer service playbook. Whether you love them or not, Amazon has incredible customer service: they make it easy for you to return items, they have their online chat readily available, and they always as for feedback. 

Self-serve is a much easier way to do business, but we also need to think about how easy we make it for customers to cancel. Think about your business for a second. Is it as easy to buy as it is to return? If not, your systems and processes need to be revisited.

My point? Treat someone like a long-term client if you want them to be one. Let’s make it easier for people to do business with us.

It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.

Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 17th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

Megan Fraser has got it maid. Yes, you read that right – M-A-I-D. She’s the owner and CEO of Maid Fantastic, a cleaning company that services the Fraser Valley.

I sit down with Megan to see how she’s faring in business six years on. It’s a huge milestone for her as an entrepreneur. We dive into how she grew up with entrepreneurs in her life as role models and how that set her on her path.

Megan was previously in a sales job but found it too difficult to balance with motherhood. She took over a cleaning business and ended up loving it.

Maid Fantastic now has eight technicians and is still growing. Considering that staffing was one of her biggest challenges, I’d say Megan is doing well in facing that challenge.

The most fulfilling part for her is making and keeping those strong customer relationships. She credits strong systems to helping keep her work life and personal life balanced. And guess what one of her golden nuggets of advice is? “Invest in a project management tool.”

We talk about how treating your customer like a number is the worst thing you can do in business. True leadership is caring about your customers and wanting their success just as much as your own.

Megan’s last golden nugget is to dream bigger and don’t let your limiting beliefs hold you back. Wise words to live by.

Get in touch with Megan here:

https://maidfantasticcleaning.ca
[email protected]
Linkedin: @maidfantastic
Instagram: @maidfantastic
Facebook: @maidfantastic 

It’s back to business in September. Join us for the Masterclass or the MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability group. Check the links below to sign up.

Masterclass: From “Hard & Draining” to Renewed Passion & Higher Profits –  Sept. 10th
 https://marshallstern.net/page/from-stuck-to-renewed-profit

MOMENTUM Mentorship Accountability – Starts Sept. 15th https://marshallstern.net/page/momentum

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

I sit down with Bonnie Fitz, founder of Differentiate Marketing, in this Business Therapy Thursday session.

We define what would move the needle most for Bonnie and her business. She's unsure of where to take her marketing agency and turned to me for help to find the best place to start.

She’s been in business since 2022 because she wanted to make an impact while feeling free as an entrepreneur. Bonnie knows she wants to adjust her pricing to create more of that freedom. It’s the fear of rejection that really gets to her.

As entrepreneurs, we crave the support of other people. At the same time, we need to shape ourselves and our futures. And Bonnie certainly knows how—she took an unfortunate incident and turned it into a love of jiu-jitsu.

We get into the concept of self-acceptance and the value of valuing yourself. Once you have that belief in yourself, that confidence to take those strides, it becomes easier to grow your business and your life how you want.

Learn those hard but important lessons from the past. Step forward into the life you want to make for yourself.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

What is Business Therapy, really?

If you’ve listened to the Stern Truth before, you may have listened to a Business Therapy Thursday episode before.

The long and short of it came from a deep coaching session months ago. I was with a client, and she mentioned how it felt like “business therapy” and not just coaching. What a compliment!

I got to thinking after this. As business owners, and even as people, we get in our own way. Our habits dictate our thoughts, and our thoughts dictate our actions. We need that partner to keep us accountable.

It is information overload when you’re running a small business. Most likely, there’s more out there that you don’t need than what you do need. You need to use the information you have.

Those who have done Business Therapy sessions with me have found clarity and actionable steps through them. Email [email protected] and use the subject line “Business Therapy” if you’re interested in a session on or off air.

I would love to help you get to be the leader you’re meant to be.

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

My guest on this episode is Sandra Flora of Sandra Flora Home Design. Sandra wears many hats as a business owner and interior decorator. It was during the pandemic when she had that lightbulb moment of starting her own business. 

She initially had doubts when starting out and even kept it a secret from her family and friends. Since then, she’s been off and running.

Sandra navigated the challenges that are all too familiar when it comes to running a business—social media, portfolios, networking, and the uncertainty that comes with starting out. But through that in-person customer connection, Sandra tells us how she solidified her confidence and her clientele. 

“Trust yourself” is one of the golden nuggets that Sandra gives. That trust starts from simply listening, and we talk about how listening is a skill that goes a very long way in any kind of business.

I always say this, but Sandra also reinforces that knowing your “why” is what will give you the confidence to just go for it. Be like Sandra, face the challenges head-on, and go for it.

Connect with Sandra here:

Website: https://www.sandraflorahomedesign.ca/

Instagram: @sandraflorahomedesign

Facebook: @sandraflorahomedesign
Email: [email protected]

It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 20th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

I share a rather interesting story on this episode of the Stern Truth. It’s the true story of when I went to a horseback riding ranch years ago.

The day started off with the instructor teaching us how to guide the horse. As we ride, I’m in the middle of the pack. We reach a big open field, and I end up passing a big oak tree to the right.

I wanted to go into the field, but the horse turned right, straight into the tree, which had a huge, dangerous branch sticking out. The branch ended up clipping my shoulder, and I was thrown to the ground.

The instructor stopped and came back to check up on me. They said I could go back with them on their horse or that I could lead it back. I said I’m going to climb back on that horse. And I did, literally AND figuratively. At that moment, I had a choice, and I made the harder one.

Maybe you've been kicked off your own proverbial horse in your business. You could even be questioning if this is the time to quit, give in, try to get a regular 9-5, and get out of the entrepreneurial world.

If you’re busy taking care of your customers yourself, you’re not growing your business. You have to eventually ask yourself, is it better to pack it in? Or is there a better way to do my business?

There will always be times that we’ll be knocked off the horse. It’s up to you to either stop riding or get back on the horse and choose a different path.

Invest in yourself because, my friends, that is always an investment that pays off.

It's the last call for the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series and we have a session starting August 13th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]

On this episode, we have Norm Hayes, founder of Genie Senior Services. He’s the CEO, or Chief Enthusiasm Officer, of Genie, and especially good-natured about the callouts he gets when he walks into a bar (a bit of an old “Cheers” joke).

Norm saw a huge gap when it came to the process of moving his mother into a retirement home. Packing, downsizing, setting them up in their new home, even down to hanging up pictures, was too much for one person. That’s when a lightbulb went off in Norm’s head. 

Through personal hardships and a few tries at entrepreneurship, Norm realized his dream business in 2013. Even better, he came to the conclusion that he needed to work ON his business instead of in it. 

After his business partner stepped away a few years ago, Norm reached out for help. One of his great golden nuggets was, “Bring in people who are smarter than you,” and it worked—Genie now has 11 franchise locations and is set to open more across Canada.

Our talk goes into the importance of being resilient in business. Another golden nugget Norm leaves us with is that success comes from how you treat people. People don’t remember the price of the bill; they remember the experience of a heart-centered business.

To get in touch with Norm, visit the Genie Senior Services website:

https://genieseniorservices.com/ 

I’m excited to bring back the ONtrepreneur Bonfire Series. It’s a ZERO cost series starting August 6th and runs for 4 weeks. Sign up here:

https://marshallstern.net/landing/bonfire

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: [email protected]