The Green Ledger - Tips for a Sustainable Small Business

(The Second Episode in Our 3-Part AI Series)  In Episode 17, we answered the question: "Is AI even worth it for a business my size?" Now it's time for the next question: Where does AI actually belong in a small business? The answer may surprise you. It usually isn't your biggest marketing campaign or your most creative project. It's the repetitive, tedious work you do over...

(The First Episode in Our 3-Part AI Series)  Many small business owners think they're still deciding whether to adopt AI . The reality? Your team may already be using it. In this episode, we explore why the real question isn't "Should I use AI?" but rather: "Am I using AI on the right problems, with the right safeguards?"  ✔️  A Few AI Tools to Look Into (organized by...

🎙️ Stay or Go? When Your Vendor Keeps Letting You Down A Framework for One of the Hardest Calls in Small Business: Cutting Ties or Giving It One More Chance Every small business owner eventually faces this question: "My vendor keeps letting me down. Should I give them another chance or find someone new?" It's not an easy decision because vendor relationships are rarely just business...

A Plain-Language Guide to Building a Simplified Business Continuity Plan for a Small Manufacturer Ever downloaded a business continuity plan template… opened it… and immediately closed it again? You’re not alone. In this episode, we talk about why most business continuity plan templates feel overwhelming for small businesses, and how to create a version that’s practical, usable, and tailored to yo...

A last-minute production shutdown can feel like a nightmare, especially right before a peak sales period. In this episode, we walk through exactly what to do when a critical partner (like a co-manufacturer or key supplier) suddenly becomes unavailable, and how to protect your business, your relationships, and your revenue. 👥 Who This Is For  CPG brands working with co-manufacturers   Food & b...

You’re minding your business… and suddenly a retailer, supplier, or article starts talking about EPR . What is it? Does it apply to you? And should you be worried? In this episode, I break down Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and California’s SB 54 in plain language - what it means, who it applies to, and what small businesses need to do now. Because this isn’t going away… but it’s also not...

🎙️ Episode 12: Season 2 Kickoff - A New Format, Your Questions, Real Answers Welcome back to The Green Ledger – Tips for a Sustainable Small Business . Season 2 starts here, and it’s going to look a little different. In this episode, I share a bit of the real story behind Season 1: what worked, what didn’t, and what I kept hearing from you. Because while Season 1 gave you the foundation , Season 2...

You’ve made it to the end of the season, and if you’re like most small business owners, that’s no small thing. In this final episode, I share what really went into creating this podcast season, and how each episode builds toward a bigger goal: helping you create a business that’s not just reactive, but resilient by design. Whether you’ve taken action already or just been tuning in while doing dish...

You’ve worked hard this year - cut waste, trained your team, switched suppliers, maybe even implemented a backup plan. But here’s the question: can you actually prove any of it made a difference? If a customer, lender, or even your own family asked,  “What difference did it make?” or “How is your business really making an impact?”, would you have a clear answer, or just a vague feeling?  In this e...

You’re probably wasting 20–30% of your resources without even realizing it. That’s money down the drain, literally. In this episode, I share Rachel’s story, who discovered that her rising utility bills weren’t just bad luck… they were bleeding her profits dry. The good news? Simple changes helped her cut costs, reduce waste, and start saving money she could finally put to better use, like giving a...

What do you do when your sales vanish overnight? The answer may not be in your warehouse - it may be in your neighborhood. In this episode, I share a powerful real-world story of how collaboration saved multiple small businesses during a crisis. From there, we dig into why community relationships aren’t just feel-good extras, they’re a core part of your business resilience strategy . If you’ve eve...

What happens when your best people walk out the door? For many small businesses, it’s not just a staffing issue, it’s an operational crisis. Are you one of them? In this episode, I share Maria’s story, a bakery owner whose staffing changes triggered far more than a few job postings. Recipe failures, broken supplier relationships, and overwhelmed teams quickly followed. If you’ve ever felt like you...

Are Your Suppliers Helping or Hurting You? Your business depends on other businesses, but do you really know if your suppliers are supporting your goals… or quietly undermining them? In this episode, I share the story of a bakery owner blindsided by a last-minute supplier collapse, just as her busiest season was kicking off. And then I zoom out to look at the bigger picture: how to evaluate, stren...

You lock your front door at night, but is your business data just as protected? In this episode, I share why cybersecurity is a sustainability and business resilience issue every small business owner needs to take seriously. Through real-life stories I walk you through the six most common cyber threats and five essential “digital door locks” you can install, even if you don’t have an IT department...

How to focus your time, energy, and resources where it counts most - for your business and for the world around you. 💡 In This Episode: ... I introduce a powerful concept called double materiality - a simple, strategic way to set your business priorities by looking at what affects your business, and what your business affects. We’ll explore: The difference between business continuity, risk manage...

This won't come as a surprise to you - something always goes a little sideways when you run a business. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay in reaction mode. In this episode of The Green Ledger , we take a big step toward building true business resilience by breaking down risk management into a simple, 3-step framework made for small businesses (no corporate-speak here). Whether you run a...

Welcome to The Green Ledger - Tips for a Sustainable Small Business What if your business could do more than just survive uncertainty - what if it could thrive because of it? In this opening episode, I share the real story behind why I started this podcast and how I came to believe that sustainability is not just a feel-good add-on; it’s a smart business strategy. You’ll hear about my personal jou...

When disaster strikes, will your business be ready - or scrambling? Wildfires, tariffs, equipment failures, a sick employee, even a lost shipment - small businesses face disruptions all the time. But here’s the thing: most don’t have a real plan to deal with them. In this episode of The Green Ledger: Tips for a Sustainable Small Business, we’re digging into one of the most underrated but essential...