Build A Better Business

 What to Do When the Forecast Wasn’t Part of the Plan. You planned the trip. You booked the activities. You pictured the views. And then it rained. In this episode of Notes from the Window Seat , I talk about what happens when the weather refuses to cooperate—and why disappointing conditions don't have to ruin an expensive or long-awaited trip. After spending the better part of a week in Irel...

What if you could have help with the logistics and still have time to wander on your own? You want to see more of the world, but maybe you don't want to plan every transfer or navigate every unfamiliar city alone. And you don't want to follow a crowd from one landmark to the next. Is there a way to travel somewhere between those two experiences? In this episode of Notes from the Window S...

 What If You Get on the Wrong Train?   What happens when you realize you’re headed in the wrong direction in an unfamiliar place?  Getting on the wrong train can feel like a disaster—especially when you’re somewhere unfamiliar, don’t speak the language and have somewhere you’re supposed to be. But are you facing an emergency or simply a temporary problem that needs to be solved? In this episode of...

How one small “Why not?” can change a trip—and perhaps more than the trip. When you hear the word adventure travel , do you picture something physically demanding, dangerous or completely outside your comfort zone? It doesn't have to be. You do not have to be fearless, physically daring or willing to sleep on the side of a mountain to have an adventure. Sometimes adventure begins when you fin...

When I first met Lucy, she was hiding in the corner of a room, shaking. I sat on the floor, talked quietly and waited. Twenty minutes later, she looked at me. Eventually, she took a treat. Then, after nearly an hour, she came over and sat beside me. Five months later, Lucy is still learning to trust. Loud noises, thunder, unfamiliar people and other dogs frighten her. But there are also glimpses o...

We Aren’t Getting Anywhere....... Why does everything we do have to be productive? We track our steps. Set reading goals. Fill our travel itineraries. Turn hobbies into side hustles. Even relaxation can become something we're supposed to optimize. But what if enjoyment is enough? In this episode of Notes from the Window Seat , I start with a simple walk with my dog Lucy—one that sometimes doe...

What are you looking for as you move through your day? On a beach I've walked for years, I rarely pick up shells anymore. But I'm always looking for sea glass—those tiny pieces of white, green, and occasionally blue glass that have been softened by years in the surf. Finding one feels a little like discovering treasure. But I've realized the real gift may not be finding the sea glas...

Why awe, wonder, and a little perspective can make life feel bigger.  When was the last time you stood somewhere that made you realize just how small you are? Not insignificant. Not unimportant. Just small. In this episode of Notes from the Window Seat ,  I travel from the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu to the vast landscape of the Azores and the quiet of a freshly covered ski slope to explore thre...

What Have You Stopped Noticing? The longer we're around something, the less we tend to see it. The neighborhood we drive through every day. The people we've known for years. Even the sunrise we've promised ourselves we'll stop to watch "someday." In this episode of Notes from the Window Seat , I explore why familiarity makes remarkable things feel ordinary—and how cur...

Why is the window seat the best seat on the plane? Most people would say it's because of the view. But what if it's something much deeper? In this episode of Notes from the Window Seat , I explore why I always chose the window seat—and how that simple choice has become a philosophy for travel, photography, business, and everyday life. Along the way you'll discover three lessons the...

Welcome to the first episode of Notes from the Window Seat . In this special episode, Marty shares the story behind the podcast's new name and the journey that inspired it. What began as conversations about business and leadership has grown into something broader—a place to explore travel, leadership, curiosity, and the everyday moments that quietly change the way we see the world and ourselv...

Most business leaders have a dashboard. Revenue.  Profit.  Labor costs.  Sales.  KPIs. Those numbers matter—but what if they're only telling part of the story? In this episode, I'll challenge a common leadership assumption: that measuring more numbers automatically leads to better results. Instead, you'll discover why many of the most important drivers of business success never appe...

Every business owner has stories they tell themselves. "No one wants to pay my prices." "I can't find good employees." "Marketing doesn't work." "I'm too small to compete." But what if those aren't facts? What if they're simply stories that have been repeated so often, they've become accepted as truth? In this episode we explore...

Every leader knows they need to have difficult conversations. The problem isn't knowing what to say. The problem is waiting so long to say it. In this episode, we explore why good leaders often avoid honest performance conversations, how assumptions slowly replace curiosity, and why employees are sometimes written off before they've ever been given a real opportunity to succeed. You&apos...

Most business owners and executives think taking time off is the challenge. It's not. The real question is whether you've built a business that allows you to step away without everything grinding to a halt. In this episode, we explore why vacation is one of the greatest leadership tests you'll ever take. If the thought of being unavailable for a week fills you with anxiety, this conversation isn't...

Leadership is often discussed in terms of strategy, accountability, communication, and performance. But there is another side of leadership that rarely gets discussed. The emotional labor. Every day, leaders carry concerns that extend far beyond their own responsibilities. They absorb stress, navigate conflict, support struggling employees, make difficult decisions, and remain steady during uncert...

Most leadership books teach us how to manage performance. Few teach us how to lead people through life's difficult seasons. Illness. Family emergencies. Caregiving responsibilities. Burnout. Loss. Major life transitions. Yet those moments often define a leader far more than any strategy meeting, quarterly review, or company initiative ever will. In this episode, we explore why employees rarel...

Most business owners spend their time worrying about external threats: Competition - Economic uncertainty - Labor shortages  - Regulations  - Technology changes While those challenges are real, they are rarely what ultimately determines whether a business thrives or struggles. In this episode, we explore the internal threats that quietly undermine organizations from the inside...

Most leaders can easily identify defensiveness in employees. Far fewer recognize it in themselves. As leaders rise within an organization, something dangerous begins to happen: they receive less honest feedback. Team members become hesitant to challenge ideas, question decisions, or bring forward concerns. Over time, the leader unknowingly becomes insulated from the truth. In this episode, we...

Most leaders spend their lives asking questions about growth, strategy, revenue, and performance. But the people who build meaningful businesses—and meaningful lives—eventually begin asking different questions. In this episode we explore three deceptively simple questions that can profoundly influence your leadership, well-being, and future success. These aren't productivity hacks or leadersh...

Most workplace communication problems are not people problems. They’re structure problems. In this episode I break down why smart leaders still confuse their teams — and how great communication is really about creating clarity, structure, and alignment. If your meetings feel chaotic, your project updates ramble, or your team constantly needs clarification, this episode will help you reth...

I bet there is a decision sitting on your desk right now. You’ve thought about it. You’ve talked about it. But you haven’t made it. Not because you can’t—but because you’re waiting to be sure. In this episode, we break down one of the most critical leadership tradeoffs: 👉 Certainty vs. Speed You’ll learn why waiting for the “right” decision often creates more risk than moving forward—and how to m...

Do you have employees who keep asking for more money? At first, it feels like a compensation issue. Over time, it starts to feel frustrating. But what if the real problem isn’t the asking? In this of the Podcast, we talk about what repeated compensation conversations are actually telling you about your business—and why they’re often a sign of something deeper. Because most small businesses do...

At some point in your business, you face a decision most leaders don’t even realize they’re making: Do I lead this moment… or protect how I’m perceived in it? In this episode, we explore one of the most common—and costly—leadership tradeoffs: Being liked vs. actually leading. This isn’t about being harsh or aggressive. It’s about understanding how the desire to be liked can quietly create: Or...

Most businesses think they have a customer service problem. They don’t.   They have a service design problem. In this episode, we break down why the WOW factor isn’t about personality, effort, or telling your team to “go above and beyond.” It’s about building a system that makes exceptional experiences consistent. Inside this episode: The real reason your team isn’t delivering consi...