Unstuck your Business

A great idea can spark a project. What helps you carry it through to the finish?

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith Duran and Inez Nazario-Vega welcome business operations strategist Shauna VanderHoek for a practical conversation about turning ideas into a workable plan.

They explore how purpose, priorities and team capacity shape a project's progress—and why choosing software is only one part of the process.

In this episode:

• Decide which ideas deserve your attention now.

• Break a large project into manageable first steps.

• Choose tools your team understands and will use.

• Help your team connect their work to the bigger picture.

• Use milestones to recognize progress and maintain momentum.

Takeaway: Give the right idea a clear purpose, realistic resources and a next step someone can own.

Connect with Shauna: https://askshauna.com/

A new client signs on, and your first thought is, “How am I going to handle one more thing?”

You’re grateful for your business. You believe in what you do. But somewhere along the way, the business you wanted started requiring more than you wanted to give.

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith and Inez have an honest conversation about something entrepreneurs don’t always feel comfortable admitting: sometimes, we resent what it takes to keep our businesses running.

Speaking from their own experiences as business owners, they explore how outdated pricing, scope creep, constant availability, and too many responsibilities can turn meaningful work into a source of frustration.

Together, they discuss:

• How to recognize the difference between a difficult season and a recurring problem that needs attention.

• Why wanting more revenue while dreading more clients is a signal to examine how your business operates.

• How clearer boundaries, better support, and changes to your services can make growth feel more manageable.

Your takeaway: Finish the sentence, “I resent my business most when…” Then choose one thing within your control and schedule the action or conversation needed to change it.

You can be proud of what you’ve built and still decide that parts of it need to work differently.

Resource mentioned: Wondering whether you’re ready to delegate? Explore Inez’s Are You Ready for a VA? assessment.

Being exceptional at your craft doesn’t automatically prepare you to run a business.

Many entrepreneurs start companies because they’re talented at delivering a product or service—not because they love managing finances, building systems, leading employees, or reviewing performance reports.

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith and Inez speak with Rob Young, founder of Stage 3 Group and author of Stage 3 Success, about the skills business owners need beyond their craft.

After spending 20 years in the high-tech corporate world, Rob left an 80-hour workweek behind and began renovating historic homes. While working alongside talented contractors and tradespeople, he noticed a recurring problem: They knew their craft, but many had never been taught how to navigate the business behind it.

Rob shares his three essential business functions:

• Making the product

• Getting the customer

• Navigating the business

He also introduces his Know, Monitor, and Do framework and explains how business owners can identify the best and highest use of their time and talent.

In this conversation, we discuss how to recognize when you’ve outgrown your current way of operating, monitor the numbers that matter, improve meeting efficiency, and focus your energy where it creates the greatest value.

Listen to Episode 122 and learn how to move beyond being great at your craft to becoming a more confident business owner.

Connect with Rob and explore his resources:

• Visit the Stage 3 Group website

• Read Rob’s book, Stage 3 Success

• Connect with Rob on LinkedIn

• Complete the free Business Health Assessment

• For Central Ohio business owners: Register for the free Build a Biz Workshop—From Chaos to Control, a five-week program beginning September 25 at Innovate New Albany. Space is limited to 20 participants.

Talking to your CPA shouldn’t feel like you need an accounting degree just to participate in the conversation.

Yet many capable business owners feel intimidated, embarrassed, or unsure of what to ask when finances come up. That uncertainty can prevent them from getting the guidance they need to make informed decisions and plan for growth.

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith and Inez speak with Kirsten Graham, owner of 6 Figure Business Coaching, about how business owners can communicate more confidently with their CPAs and take a more active role in their financial health.

Kirsten explains why you don’t need to understand every detail to have a productive financial conversation. Instead, you need a basic understanding of your numbers, the confidence to ask questions, and financial professionals who are willing to help you understand your options.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why so many business owners feel intimidated by their CPAs
• What you should understand about your finances before a CPA meeting
• How to prepare so you leave the conversation with greater clarity
• The different roles of a bookkeeper and a CPA
• Why separating personal and business finances matters
• How year-round financial conversations can support better business decisions
• One manageable step you can take if you’ve been avoiding your numbers

Kirsten also shares a practical framework inspired by Profit First and explains how better financial habits can help business owners feel more prepared, empowered, and in control.

Connect with Kirsten and learn about her bookkeeping, virtual assistant services, and upcoming tax optimization masterclass at lessmathmoremoney.com.

Listen to Episode 121 and learn how to approach your next CPA conversation with more confidence—and better questions.

UYB 120: Stop Starting. Start Finishing.

Entrepreneurs are idea people.

We see opportunities everywhere—a new offer, a new marketing strategy, a new course, a new system, a new project. And starting something new feels good.

But what happens when constantly starting keeps us from ever seeing the results of what we’ve already begun?

In UYB Episode 120, Stop Starting. Start Finishing., Edith and Inez explore why entrepreneurs are so drawn to new ideas, how “shiny object syndrome” can quietly derail progress, and why the answer isn’t to stop having ideas—it’s learning how to evaluate them.

They discuss the importance of looking at data before declaring something isn’t working, giving strategies enough time and consistency to produce results, and asking whether you actually have the resources to take on something new.

And sometimes, the right decision really is to stop.

Finishing doesn’t always mean completing what you originally planned. Sometimes it means consciously deciding that something no longer belongs in your business.

The goal is to make a decision about the unfinished projects you're carrying:

Finish it. Schedule it. Delegate it. Or eliminate it.

Got another great idea competing for your attention?

Before you change direction, take our free Shiny Object Test. It will help you slow down the excitement long enough to evaluate whether that new opportunity actually deserves your time and resources—or whether your attention belongs with what you've already started.

Take the free Shiny Object Test

Then listen to UYB 120: Stop Starting. Start Finishing., follow Unstuck Your Business on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with an entrepreneur who always has another great idea.

One final challenge: What could happen if, for the next 90 days, you measured your progress by what you finished instead of what you started?

BONUS: Take the Shiny Object Test

Summer is winding down, routines are shifting, and for many business owners, this season can feel like a second January.

But does getting back into a productive rhythm have to mean slipping back into hustle mode?

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith and Inez talk about what an end-of-summer business reset can actually look like. They explore the difference between being busy and being productive, how to decide what really deserves your attention before the end of the year, and why protecting your energy, priorities, and personal life matters just as much as setting new goals.

They also discuss shiny object syndrome, boundaries, clarity, and the importance of asking not only what you want the rest of 2026 to look like—but how you want it to feel.

The takeaway: the opposite of hustle isn’t laziness. It’s intentionality.

You can be ambitious, productive, and committed to growth without treating exhaustion like proof that you’re doing enough.

Listen to UYB 119: The End-of-Summer Business Reset, then follow Unstuck Your Business on your favorite podcast platform and share the episode with another business owner who could use a reset.

UYB 118: Why Clarity Comes First: The Neuroscience Behind Getting Unstuck

BONUS Grab it today!!: https://unstuckyourbusinesspodcast.com/framework

What if the reason you're stuck isn't that you don't know enough—but that your brain is working hard to keep you exactly where you are?

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith Duran and Inez Nazario-Vega welcome back executive coach and Optimal Mindset founder Gigi Santiago to explore Clarity, the first pillar of the Unstuck Your Business Framework.

Gigi brings a neuroscience-based perspective to a challenge almost every entrepreneur faces: knowing what we want to accomplish while still struggling to move forward.

We talk about how the brain responds to uncertainty and change, why fear and limiting beliefs can keep us in familiar patterns, and how intentionality helps us move from simply reacting to consciously choosing our next step.

You'll hear us discuss:

• Why clarity has to come before strategy and action

• How the brain's protective mechanisms can create resistance to change

• The difference between being busy and actually making progress

• How to recognize voices and beliefs from the past that no longer serve you

• Why entrepreneurs need to separate their personal identity from their business

• How visualization and intentional routines can help reinforce goals

• Why having a longer-term vision—including a five-year plan—changes the decisions you make today

And there's more to come.

Gigi Santiago will also be joining us as a featured speaker at the Unstuck Your Business Summit on September 15, where we'll go deeper into the lessons behind the UYB Framework.

Listen to the episode, follow Unstuck Your Business on your favorite podcast platform, and share this conversation with an entrepreneur who could use a little more clarity about where they're headed next.

BONUS ALERT: Sign up for Savvy, Stable and Secure Challenge: 4-day event starting 8/17-8/20

Register at: https://go.amygreenefc.com/savvy

What if the biggest obstacle to growing your business isn't how much money you're making... but how well you understand where it's going?

Many entrepreneurs work tirelessly to increase revenue, yet still feel stressed about cash flow. They wonder why there's never enough left over, despite bringing in more business than ever before.

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith Duran and Inez Nazario-Vega welcome financial coach Amy Green for a practical conversation about the money habits that separate thriving businesses from struggling ones.

Amy shares why business owners often lose sight of their finances, how unnecessary subscriptions and impulse purchases quietly erode profits, and why reviewing your numbers regularly is one of the most empowering habits you can develop.

• Why understanding your cash flow is more important than simply increasing revenue.

• How to identify hidden expenses that may be draining your profits.

• Why setting aside money for taxes, slow seasons, and future investments creates greater stability.

• The value of creating regular "money dates" with your business.

• How to avoid chasing every new tool, app, or marketing trend.

• Why paying yourself a reasonable salary is essential for long-term business success.

• How tracking your time can reveal what's actually producing revenue—and what isn't.

• Why your financial numbers are simply information, not a measure of your worth.

One of our favorite reminders from Amy is that financial confidence doesn't come from avoiding your numbers—it comes from understanding them.

When you communicate consistently with your money, you make better decisions for your business and yourself.

Technology has changed the way we run our businesses. With tools like Google, ChatGPT, and AI assistants, answers are available in seconds. But are we relying on technology so much that we're overlooking one of our greatest business assets—our relationships?

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith Duran and Inez Nazario-Vega explore why your existing network often holds the wisdom that no search engine or AI tool can provide.

You'll discover why entrepreneurs frequently hesitate to ask for help, how meaningful conversations can uncover opportunities you never considered, and simple ways to reconnect with the people already in your circle.

• Why AI and Google are great for gathering information—but not wisdom.
• How your existing network can help you solve business challenges faster.
• The biggest mindset barriers that keep entrepreneurs from reaching out.
• Why networking should be about learning, not selling.
• Practical ways to reconnect with LinkedIn contacts and business acquaintances.
• How simple coffee conversations can lead to unexpected opportunities.

The strongest businesses aren't built by the people with the best search skills—they're built by the people who cultivate the strongest relationships.

If you've been trying to solve every problem on your own, this episode is your reminder that someone you already know may have the insight you're looking for.

Listen now and discover how combining today's technology with genuine human connection can help you make smarter business decisions.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow Unstuck Your Business, leave us a review, and share your biggest takeaway in the comments. We'd love to hear how your network has helped move your business forward.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Have you ever had a great business idea but hesitated to share it because you were afraid someone would steal it?

You're not alone.

For many entrepreneurs and inventors, the patent process feels overwhelming, expensive, and full of legal jargon. As a result, too many innovative ideas never make it to market—or worse, they're shared too soon without the proper protection.

In this episode of Unstuck Your Business, Edith Duran and Inez Nazario-Vega sit down with Joe Mischler, Co-Founder of Stratton Street Litigation Funding, to demystify patent protection and help entrepreneurs understand how to protect their ideas before launching them into the world.

Joe explains why filing early matters, the difference between provisional, utility, and design patents, and how today's AI tools can help with research—but not replace the expertise of a patent professional.

• Why the U.S. operates under a first-to-file patent system.

• How a provisional patent application can give you valuable time to refine your invention.

• The differences between utility patents and design patents.

• When it's safe to begin pitching your invention to manufacturers and investors.

• How AI tools like Claude, Grok, and Google Patents can assist your research.

• Why filing a patent yourself may cost more in the long run.

• How patents protect both physical and digital innovations.

• What patent litigation funders look for before investing in infringement cases.

Whether you're developing a product, designing a new process, or simply curious about intellectual property, this episode provides practical guidance to help you make informed decisions before investing significant time and money.