Business Muscle

On today’s episode, we sit down with Danielle Gertner — keynote speaker, self-mastery mentor, and the powerhouse MC hyping up crowds at HYROX events around the world. Danielle shares how she went from fitness coach to one of the most recognizable voices in the HYROX community, what it’s really like behind the scenes at one of the fastest-growing fitness competitions, and how she helps people “Own...

If you’ve ever set a goal on January 1st and completely forgotten about it by February, this episode is your roadmap to changing that. We break down the science-backed truth about how your brain actually creates motivation (hint: it’s not from the finish line… it’s from the pursuit ), and we teach you the simple, practical framework you can use to build goals that finally stick. You’ll learn how t...

On today’s episode, we sit down with Mike Schifino, Founder and Creative Director of Holy Cow Ice Cream Café, a Massachusetts ice cream empire with locations across the North Shore and Cape Cod. Mike shares how he turns wild flavor ideas into small-batch, in-house creations, balances gourmet innovation with classic favorites, and navigates the challenges of growing a food business while maintainin...

If you’ve ever felt like building a business as a woman comes with a rulebook full of fear, guilt, and “you can’t do that”… this episode is going to flip all of that on its head. Today, we’re breaking down the biggest lies women are told about business — from needing tons of money to start, to thinking everyone is your competitor, to believing you can’t be a mom and a successful business owner. We...

On today’s episode, we sit down with C White, Head Coach of Bentley University Women’s Basketball, a powerhouse leader known for building high-performance teams, developing confident athletes, and creating a championship-level culture both on and off the court. Coach White shares her journey from player to coach, the pivotal moments that shaped her leadership style, and the mindset shifts that hel...

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs feel stuck: spending time on the wrong things. Most business owners are buried in busywork — the tasks that feel productive but don’t actually move the needle. Meanwhile, the real growth drivers sit untouched at the bottom of the to-do list. We break down how the 80/20 rule applies to your business, why your brain gravitat...

Today we welcome back our first-ever repeat guest, Meaghan St. Marc, the powerhouse founder behind REV’d. Meaghan shares exciting updates on taking REV’d to the next level through franchising, the lessons and challenges of scaling a business, and how her leadership style has evolved while maintaining culture and consistency across multiple locations. She also dives into balancing entrepreneurship,...

Selling high-ticket packages used to freak us out — until we realized that seeing fewer people with higher-value packages actually helps clients hit their goals faster. In this episode, we walk through how we sell with confidence: from the discovery call, to educating clients on why structured care works, to using pricing sheets, staying quiet at the right moments, and offering simple payment plan...

If you’re pregnant, trying, or just postpartum, this episode is your ultimate guide to the pelvic floor during pregnancy. Ariel, a pelvic floor physical therapist and co-host of the show, breaks down exactly what you should be doing in each phase — from early pregnancy awareness, to second-trimester strength, third-trimester labor prep, and early postpartum recovery. We bust the biggest myths, cov...

On this episode, we chat with Katie Santarelli and Mandy Foote, the moms behind Moms Night Out , a podcast that grew from a simple group chat into a wildly relatable, award-winning show with over 100,000 downloads! By day, Katie is a commercial real estate broker and hockey coach, and Mandy is a pharmacist. By night, they produce every episode themselves, partner with brands like Nordstrom Rack an...

How you start and end each day sets the tone for everything in between — and in this solo episode, Elise shares the exact routines that keep her grounded, focused, and performing at her best as a mom and multi-business owner. From the science behind H₂ water and amino acids to practical habit stacking hacks, Elise breaks down her morning and nighttime rituals that support energy, recovery, and lon...

Today we’re joined by Isaac Lewis from ANCORE Training Systems, a company that grew from a grad school project in a Swampscott garage to supplying pro teams in the NHL, NBA G League, and PGA Tour, with products now shipped to over 65 countries. Isaac shares the origin story of ANCORE, including how he and co-founder Nathaniel got started, their first prototypes, and the lessons learned from early...

If you ever end the day wondering where your time went, this episode is for you. Today, Ariel is sharing the exact tools and habits that help herwork smarter, not longer, and save hours every week. From time blocking and time audits to prioritizing the three “needle movers” that actually move your business forward, plus email templates, social media scheduling, and using Loom instead of endless me...

Today we’re talking with Caroline Pineau, CEO and Owner of Stem in Haverhill, MA. Caroline began her entrepreneurial journey at just 22, opening her first business, The Yoga Tree, and later launched Stem in 2020 as the 42nd licensed cannabis shop in Massachusetts. Since then, she’s grown the business to 25 employees, scaled production, and even navigated civil litigation successfully along the way...

Solo episode with our co-host Ariel today! Scaling from solopreneur to business owner is one of the hardest—and least talked about—phases of entrepreneurship. In this episode, Ariel breaks down why the solopreneur stage feels so good, the growing pains that come with maxing out your time and revenue, and the mindset shift needed to move from doing everything yourself to leading a team. We’ll cover...

In this episode, we sit down with Kristen Bonito, founder of The Mom Comm—soon to be rebranded as Momentum ! Kristen shares how what started as a stroller bootcamp side hustle evolved into a thriving brick-and-mortar studio, a growing run club, and a full team of instructors supporting over 60 women. She gets real about the messy middle of business growth while raising kids, how she built communit...

Solo episode with our co-host Elise today! “Passive income” sounds glamorous, but in today’s episode, Elise shares why it usually starts with sweat equity and late nights. In this episode, she dives into why active income is king for reliable cash flow, faster feedback, and building skills that compound over time. You’ll hear the reality of ratios—thousands per month from a business versus the tri...

Today we’re chatting with Simone Bernstein, founder of barre3 Brookline and Spark Permanent Jewelry—two women-led brands built on creativity, community, and resilience. In this episode, Simone shares how she went from college graduate to fitness studio owner, what it was like to open a second studio just before the pandemic, and how shutting it down—and navigating a traumatic subtenant experience—...

Everyone’s talking about AI, but do you actually know how to use it effectively? In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly how we use ChatGPT every single week across multiple businesses and consulting projects—no theory, just practical examples. We cover: How we use ChatGPT as a brainstorming partner for podcast topics, class ideas, event names, and captions. Drafting polished emails in minute...

Derek Durkin started with eight clients in the basement of a gym—and now runs Train Full Send, a high-impact group fitness business with two thriving locations. In this episode, he shares how he went from structural engineer to Barry’s trainer, to launching his own virtual platform during COVID, and eventually building out his dream space in Needham Heights!  We talk about what it takes to sc...

Starting a small business is no joke, and the stats prove it: most don’t make it past five years! But what’s behind that number isn’t just bad luck. In this episode, we’re breaking down the real reasons small businesses fail—and more importantly, how you can avoid falling into the same traps. From unclear target markets to poor cash flow management, we walk through the most common issues that sink...

Courtney Little was helping people heal long before wellness became trendy. A Clinical Nutritionist and founder of Courtney Little Wellness, she’s been guiding clients through personalized, root-cause healing since 2007. In this episode, Courtney shares how she built her business before the industry really existed—and how her own personal health journey has shaped everything she offers today. We t...

You can have the best service, product, or offer in the world—but if no one knows about it, it doesn’t matter. In this episode, we’re digging into why marketing often falls to the bottom of the list for small business owners and what to do about it. Visibility isn’t optional, and you don’t need to be everywhere—you just need to show up where it counts! We’ll walk you through simple, effective mark...

Today we’re joined by Jessica Dion, founder of Zest —a coworking space made for wellness entrepreneurs. What started as a scribbled idea during a Business Muscle session is now a fully launched space, built with heart, grit, and a whole lot of self-belief. Jessica takes us behind the scenes of building something from scratch, including what surprised her, what scared her, and what she had to unlea...

If you’ve ever second-guessed a choice, delayed a decision, or felt overwhelmed by too many options—you’re not alone. Decision-making is one of the most overlooked yet crucial business skills. In this episode, we unpack how to treat decision-making like a muscle, and give you tools to start making smarter, faster, and more confident choices. We break down types of decisions you face daily (strateg...