Grow Your Local Business

Social media is always changing and 2026 is going to be a pivotal year for local business owners who want to stand out, get found and get hired... and Leslie predicts it will be EASIER than ever. She's breaking down her top social media predictions for 2026, including what’s shifting with AI content, why duplicating trends are fading and why social media SEO is now non-negotiable if you want...

There’s been a lot of buzz about Instagram Trial Reels lately. Creators are calling them “the new cheat code,” “the best feature Instagram has ever released” and “the fastest way to reach new people.” But… do they actually work for local business owners? Leslie is breaking down exactly how Trial Reels work, what makes them so powerful and (most importantly) how to use them to grow your local audie...

After auditing hundreds of local Instagram accounts, Leslie discovered a simple buyer psychology principle that changes everything: comfort and familiarity create sales. In this episode, you'll learn how “zooming out” in your marketing (literally and figuratively) helps new potential clients see themselves in your space and working with you, feel at ease and take action faster. In this episod...

If you’ve ever had those days (or weeks) where you just can’t seem to find your motivation — this episode is for you. In this coaching-style conversation, I share a real moment with one of my students inside The Localpreneur Academy®. She’s a full-time educator growing a home organizing business, and lately she’s been struggling to find the energy and motivation to keep showing up. Sound familiar?...

Have you ever stopped yourself from posting, networking or asking for support… all because of your competitors? I see this all the time with local business owners. Instead of making decisions based on their best clients, they make decisions based on fear of what their competitors might think, see or copy. Competitor-based decisions don’t fuel growth. They limit it. In this episode, I break down th...

You can get fully booked in a year or less. I see my clients do it all the time. Some even in just a few months. But most local business owners never make it there. Not because they aren’t talented or hardworking… but because they’re stuck in a cycle that keeps them spinning their wheels. Tune into this episode to learn: The vicious "busy" cycle that keeps so many business owners unbooke...

When you’re just starting your business, one of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to market yourself without client work, testimonials, or a portfolio to share. Most business owners get stuck thinking they have nothing to post or say, which only keeps them spinning without clients. In this episode, I’ll show you why that’s not a problem at all and how to move forward with simple, effectiv...

So many local business owners get stuck behind the scenes waiting until everything looks perfect and “ready” before they start putting themselves out there. The problem is that waiting costs you time, energy and clients. In this episode, I’m breaking down the things you don’t actually need in order to start making money. I’ll share what really matters when you’re trying to land those first clients...

In this Most Valuable Podcast episode, we’re exploring the lifetime return on investments you make in your business. And not just money investments but also time and energy investments. How will your actions and commitments pay off in the future? What are the longterm benefits of sticking with something even when it doesn't feel like it's working at first or even when you fail a lot in t...

Unfortunately, most Instagram growth advice out there is designed for influencers and online businesses — not local service providers. That’s why so many local business owners waste so much time posting Reels, chasing views and trying every challenge they see online… only to end up with more industry peers or strangers from around the world following them instead of the people who can actually hir...

Do you ever feel like marketing or "create social media post" just keeps getting added to the bottom of your to-do list? You want to be consistent, you know it’s important, but between working with clients, working in your business and everything else, it never seems to get done. Here’s the truth: you’re not going to “find” extra time. You have to make it. And when you learn how to think...

In the re-release of this MVP ( Most Valuable Podcast ) episode, I'm teaching a tool called "The Minimum Baseline" to help you create more consistency in your local marketing and business. This coaching tool is a game changer. The idea behind The Minimum Baseline is it's the smallest, doable amount of anything you can commit to. Your brain will tell you it's not enough. It...

In this episode, you’ll see why captions are one of the most powerful tools you have for turning local followers into paying clients and how to make yours work harder for you. Captions aren’t filler or an after thought. They’re how you get discovered, connect with your most ready-to-buy audience and move people to take action now . And yes, people ARE reading them - I have the data to prove it! An...

In this episode, I’m walking you through what fully booked local marketing actually looks like and how to start showing up that way now, before the results are even here. This isn’t about faking it. It’s about shifting into the energy, presence and authority of the go-to expert in your city so you can attract the clients who are ready now. Tune into this episode to learn: Why embodying the confide...

When you’re learning something new in your local business like marketing on social media, selling, creating content, or pitching yourself, it’s easy to feel frustrated and want to quit when the results don’t come fast enough. This episode unpacks what’s really going on in those moments and the three specific emotions you can lean into to keep going instead of quitting. Tune into this episode to le...

There's a new Instagram update that allows Google and other search engines to index all your content, including posts, reels and videos. In this quick episode, I’m breaking down what Meta’s new update means for your local business — and how to make sure your Instagram bio and posts are set up to show up on Google when local people are searching for what you offer. We’ll cover: What changed wi...

In this episode, we’re talking about troubleshooting and problem-solving in your business and getting crystal clear on whether the reason you’re not getting results is because of a knowledge gap or an execution gap. Tune into this episode to learn: How to diagnose whether your marketing problem is due to missing skillsets or implementation Why saying “I don’t know” keeps you stuck and what to ask...

In this Most Valuable Podcast episode re-release, I’m sharing best practices on how to show up in local facebook groups as a business owner to promote your business, offer value and be of service in your community. Tune into this episode to learn: The 4 things your Facebook profile must have visible when you're engaging in groups How to show up as the local go-to expert in Facebook groups How...

When the people closest to you don’t understand your business or believe in what you’re building, it can slowly chip away at your own belief — making you second-guess your decisions, stay small, or lower your goals... Whether it’s your partner, your parents, a friend, or even a fellow business owner… it’s normal to want their support. But what do you do when you don’t get it? In this Most Valuable...

Most local business owners spend a lot of time thinking about how people don’t want to pay them — and it’s hurting their energy, marketing and sales. But what if you flipped the script? What if you started believing you’re someone your community loves to pay? In this episode, we’ll talk about how that one belief changes the way you price, promote, and show up — and how to build real evidence for i...

Instagram has changed a lot since I first shared The Local Instagram Formula in 2022 — and so have the strategies I teach. After working with hundreds of business owners, auditing accounts across every industry, and answering thousands of Instagram questions… I’ve refined this formula and turned it into something even more effective. In this episode, I’m walking you through the foundational 5-part...

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should be using an Instagram Business account or a Creator account — this quick episode will give you the clarity you need! This is a question I recently answered inside The Localpreneur Academy because many local business owners and service providers get stuck deciding which is “better” — and whether they should start a whole new account or switch from personal...

This episode is a reminder that how you think about getting clients changes everything. If you’ve been waiting for local people to find you, posting inconsistently, or doing a lot of busy behind-the-scenes work without real results… this one’s for you. Leslie breaks down the mindset shift from hoping to expecting —and what that shift looks like in your day-to-day marketing, energy, and actions. In...

Today’s guest, Jordon Egelston, is a former nurse and mom of two who now runs a fully booked social media management business serving rural small businesses in Upstate New York. In this episode, we talk about what’s really working for local marketing in small towns — and how Jordon proved you can build a thriving business, no matter how rural your area is. Tune into this episode to learn: Why most...

Overthinking is one of the biggest reasons local business owners never get their content out to their followers. In this episode, we’re talking about different ways overthinking shows up in your content creation process -- and what to do about it so you can get more visible in your city, stay consistent and build local demand. Tune into this episode to learn: 5 sneaky ways overthinking shows up in...