Built To Last: Business With Marra McDonald

If you’ve ever wanted to expand your offers but worried your audience wouldn’t “get it” — this episode is for you. This week on Built to Last, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes conversation with a client who’s ready to grow her business but afraid of confusing her audience. We unpacked how to expand your offer suite without losing clarity, connection, or credibility and how to root every new offer i...

You’ve evolved, your business has grown, and people know your name but imposter syndrome still whispers that you’re not “ready.” In this episode, Marra dives into a powerful conversation from her mastermind about what happens when we start to outgrow the beginner version of ourselves. You’ll hear: The client story that inspired this week’s topic How to recognize when you’ve outgrown old beliefs Wh...

his week’s episode is a little different — less “how-to” and more heart-to-heart. After a deeply reflective year filled with both personal and professional shifts, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s been happening behind the scenes: the challenges, the lessons, the pivots, and the exciting new direction for my business and this podcast as we head into 2026. If you’ve been wondering what’s next...

You can’t scale what’s already draining you. In this episode, we’re talking about what it  actually  takes to build a coaching offer that grows sustainably — one that supports your clients while protecting your energy, capacity, and freedom. If your current offer requires constant access, overdelivering, or carrying every client’s success personally, this episode is your permission slip to rebuild...

Everyone talks about scaling but few talk about how it actually feels once you’re in it. In this episode, I’m breaking down what  scaling sustainably  really looks like in daily life — not just in revenue or visibility metrics, but in the way your business feels, functions, and supports your energy. We’ll explore the difference between the  old way  of scaling (hustle, chaos, and constant output)...

Feeling overwhelmed by Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, email, and podcasts? You’re not alone. Most business owners think growth means showing up everywhere but that often leads to burn out and watered down messaging. In this episode, I share how marketing simplicity can help you get visible, build trust, and convert clients—without the overwhelm. You’ll learn: The  three core marketing platforms  you...

In business, we’re often told the answer to growth is “more.” More offers. More platforms. More hours. But more doesn’t always equal better — it usually equals burnout. In this episode of  Built to Last , I’m diving into what I call  The Myth of More in Business Growth  — why chasing “more” keeps so many entrepreneurs stuck, and what to focus on instead if you want your business to feel sustainabl...

Welcome to the first episode of " Built To Last: Business With Marra McDonald". I am Marra, a business growth consultant and sustainability mentor, and in this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my 2025—a year full of challenges, lessons, and transformations. From navigating personal hardships like infant botulism, medical debt, and family loss, to maintaining client retention...

You don’t need another podcast teaching you the latest hack or overnight trick You need a business that actually lasts — one that grows with you, fuels your life, and doesn’t burn you out Welcome to Built to Last . I’m Marra McDonald — a business growth consultant and online business sustainability mentor for entrepreneurs who are done chasing quick wins and ready to build something sustainable. E...

In this raw, honest, and heart-led episode, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes season that led me to completely shift how I run my business—and ultimately gave life to the After Hours Club. When my daughter faced a serious health crisis, everything changed. The long work blocks? Gone. The perfectly planned schedules? Out the window. What I was left with were short windows of time—twenty minutes her...

Welcome back to Late Night CEO! If you're tuning in while juggling dishes, curled up in bed, or squeezing this in between everything else—you’re exactly where you need to be. In tonight’s episode, we’re digging into a challenge so many of us face:  what to focus on when it all feels urgent . If you're building a business with limited time (like just an hour a day), this one's especiall...

A $50K sales month? That’s great—but it doesn’t tell me how  sustainable  your business is. What does? How you handle the season that comes after the high. Every real business goes through periods of slower sales. But the difference between businesses that survive and those that spiral?  How they use the “low” season to build their next level. Tonight, I’m breaking down: 🔹 Why slow seasons are of...

Tonight, we’re diving into a topic that’s been on my mind after a fire conversation over on Threads— investing in coaching from a place of empowerment.  Too often, we’re told we  have  to invest in a coach to succeed, but let’s be real—you don’t  need  to do anything. The real magic happens when you  want  to invest, when you see coaching as a way to amplify what you already have rather than a sho...

Ever felt like you had to work during “normal” hours to be taken seriously in business? Same. For the longest time, I tried to squeeze my work into the typical 9-5 schedule, thinking that working nights or weekends meant I had no boundaries. But here’s the thing—I work  one full day a week and about an hour a day  the rest of the time, and I still run  two businesses, serve 27 clients, and show up...

Ever found yourself having a business breakthrough at the most random moment? That was me today as I was sitting in the Red Robin parking lot, drooling over fries. It hit me: Business is a lot like ordering fast food. Some days, we crave the comfort of what we know—quick wins, familiar strategies, and safe choices. Other days, we’re ready to take a risk and try something new. In this episode, I’m...

If your goal is to increase your recurring income, signing more clients might not be the answer. In this episode, I’m breaking down a simple yet powerful client retention strategy that has helped me achieve an 87% retention rate—and brought my clients their highest income months yet. You’ll learn: ✅ Why only 18% of businesses have a retention strategy (and why you NEED one) ✅ How a simple review...

Things feel very heavy right now, and to be honest with you, I was not even going to make a podcast episode tonight; but then I remembered this: My brand is all about navigating the ups and downs and entrepreneurship together and not only normalizing it, but growing as a leader through it all. So instead, in this episode , I will be telling you what is going on in life, and how I am handling it wh...

Today on a client call, I literally threw out a 3 month launch plan that was 10 pages long that my client and I worked on. Why? Because all it was doing was causing my client stress. Instead, we made a four step launch plan and she is walking away excited to put it out into the world. This is your reminder that you can be unconventional in how you run a business. Signed the late night CEO. Website...

So today's mastermind call just hit different. Everyone was engaged, everyone walked away with an actionable step to implement in their business, and the coaches have clarity in how we can hold people accountable in the implantation process. This got me thinking-- how often do people join masterminds expecting this, but walk away with only getting calls where they had 5 minutes to ask questions? I...

My job is not to tell you what to do, its to give you the tools necessary to help you reach your fullest potential, and thats what I help my clients do as they make their own programs Today, we are breaking it down more Until next time, goodnight  Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://marra-mcdonald.mykajabi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://marramcdonald.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/ma...

From watching my 5 month old daughter fight for her life with botulism, to also making 25k in sales, this is the why behind sustainable business growth. My philosophy we can build a sustainable business when we get intentional with our offers, marketing, messaging, and always growing in our leadership. Until next time, goodnight  Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://marra-mcdonald.mykajabi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

I didn't post on social media today, and that used to send me into a spiral-- but just because I was not visible on Instagram today, doesn't mean I was not showing up The same can be said about YOU when YOU might not show up a day, or two, or even three, Today's business growth is all about the mindset. I hope it finds the right people Until next time, goodnight  Website: ⁠⁠⁠ https://m...

So where do I even start with all of this lol. Today I was talking to someone over on Instagram and I began to talk about my transition from virtual assistant to blogging agency and they stopped me to say “wait, you were a service provider?”  GIRLLLLLL not only was I an online service provider, I still am! I just added coaching onto my title.  So today, I wanted to tell you more about my story.  F...

For the longest time, I actually hid what set me apart. I had a coach I really looked up to in the online space tell me, “you should really hide the fact you work nights and weekends, it screams you don’t have boundaries” so I did; but do you know what that actually did? Made me not have boundaries.  I was actually working nights and weekends so I could portray to the online space that I was actua...

Goodevening my late night CEO's! Today's episode is all about my shit show of a day today and how despite all of that, my clients still thrived, I still had inquiries, I built relationships, and I still grew in business. I don't say all of this to say "look how amazing I am", I do it to show you how simple business growth can be. Does it mean it is easy? No. It is damn hard, but it does not need t...