The Small Business School Podcast

Welcome back to Small Business School! In today's episode I have a dream guest! I'm thrilled to be chatting with Jaclyn Johnson, the powerhouse behind Create and Cultivate. She launched and sold two companies before the age of 35 and from starting a marketing firm in her 20s to founding Create and Cultivate she has so many stories and lessons learned about scaling and exiting businesses....

Hey Small Business School, Today, I’m sharing some real talk about my recent decision to let go of a contractor and the valuable lessons I picked up along the way. Whether you're dealing with a fractional COO, a VA, or any subcontractor, I hope these insights will help you manage your team and expectations more effectively! Topics Covered: Pay attention to those early warning signs and trust...

Hey Small Business School, come be a fly on the wall as I break down a conversation I had with a business owner who’s been scaling rapidly in just six months, and I’m excited to share some of the top behind the scenes insights with you! Topics Covered: Building a strong company culture means aligning your team with your values and expectations. It’s about making sure everyone operates like you wou...

Hey Small Business School! In today's episode, I'm thrilled to dive into a great conversation with Susan Dennison. Susan is a small business owner from Ottawa, her husband and her have been Tim Hortons owners for the last 21 years. As a diversification strategy, Susan recently purchased two retail travel agencies called Expedia Cruises. Susan has two grown sons and sits on the Board of D...

Welcome back to Small Business School, in today’s episode, I share some hard-earned wisdom from my years as an entrepreneur. If there's one thing that can make or break your business, it's understanding your true costs and the value of your time. Whether you're just starting out or already scaling, this insight is crucial for ensuring long-term business success. Let's get into...

Hey Small Business School! Today I am coming to you from a hotel room with my best friend, Kristina Bartold! After hearing her on a recent episode of The Chris Harder Show I was inspired to ask her about the crucial step in business of understanding what your customers want. Together we dive into actionable tips to help you connect with your ideal clients and create content online that resonates w...

Welcome back to the Small Business School Podcast, I’m your host Staci Millard and today I am so excited to have Janna Carlson on the show! Janna is the co-owner of Studio Rocket Web Design with her husband, Jeremy. Together they build 2-week high-converting websites on Squarespace that help small business owners book more clients and find greater ease in their marketing. Janna and Jeremy moved to...

Join me on this episode of Small Business School as we get into navigating the growth stages of a scaling a business. I am going to be sharing my own experiences and struggles of scaling and exiting businesses. So let’s get into it! Topics Covered: The three growth phases, the transition from operational involvement to strategic leadership. The temptation to revert to familiar tasks versus pushing...

In this episode of Small Business School, I want to break down the misunderstood relationship between social media metrics and business success, they are not the same thing! My Instagram metrics have been down the last few weeks and in this conversation I am sharing why that is totally okay with me!  Topics Covered: Understanding social media metrics and the impact of engagement frequency on growt...

Hey Small Business School, today on the podcast I have Selina Gray! Selina is a CPA who worked for nearly a decade as a Controller for two international public companies managing large finance teams across 12 countries. An unexpected auto-immune diagnosis created a life-altering wake-up call in 2011, and Selina founded her own Company. Now as an International Speaker & Business Mentor, Selina...

Hello entrepreneur friends! Welcome to Small Business School, today we are tackling the summer slowdown head-on with practical strategies to keep your business thriving during quieter business months of the year. This takes some planning so tune in to ensure you are prepared to thrive! Here’s what you need to know: Topics Covered: Scheduling proactive downtime in spring to strategize for the summe...

Hey Small Business School! Today I am going to cover the strategic use of consultants in business growth. We are going to discuss why it matters and when you should consider making this important shift! I think this is an often overlooked decision that can make a huge difference in the development of your business, let get into it! Topics Covered: Initial reliance on personal time and energy versu...

Hey Small Business School family! I am so honored to be joined by the amazing Adriana Fierastrau! Adriana runs an Online Business Management company helping small businesses and entrepreneurs systematize their business for maximum efficiency and profit. Three years ago, Adriana swapped her legal hat for that of entrepreneur, striking out to negotiate her own happiness and live life on her own term...

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today I am so excited to get to podcast with my sister! My sister, Kelsey Clevett recently quit her corporate job and embarked on her small business journey as an energy healer and life coach. Together, we explore the nuances of our upbringing, entrepreneurship, embracing intuition, and finding your path in business! Topics Covered: My sister Kelsey shares he...

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today’s episode addresses a common topic for entrepreneurs, but I strongly believe that taking action against burnout is one of the most important changes you can make in your business! Parents and entrepreneurs alike often feel the weight of endless tasks and stress cycles that don’t seem to break. During this busy time of year let’s dive into some practical...

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today I'm thrilled to have Brianna Goslin, a mortgage agent and educator based in Muskoka, Ontario, on the show. She is passionate about teaching Canadians what they don't learn in school about their home loan. Catch Brianna on YourTV Muskoka, where she hosts Let's Talk About Money (streaming on all podcast platforms). Together we’re diving int...

Hey Small Business School, In today’s episode I wanted to share my fascination with a company called Yacht Water I’ve recently learned about started by Arlen Hamilton. I think their marketing and crowdfunding strategy is genius and can inspire you in your own business journey! Topics Covered: Learn about Arlen Hamilton's innovative venture, Yacht Water, and its unique market positioning. The...

Welcome back to Small Business School! Today I am sitting down with the amazing founder of Buttercream Clothing, Candice Munro! After having her first child, Candice started baking cakes for friends and family as a means to contribute to family income and be able to stay home with her small children. When she couldn’t find a cute, vintage-style apron that she loved, she decided to sew a custom apr...

Small Business School! In this episode, I want to get home the idea that when it comes to your business processes, simple and efficient systems are best. From leveraging the power of simplicity to embracing the "lazy" approach, in this episode I’m going to explore how to work smarter, not harder, for better results in your business! Topics Covered: The importance of creating repeatable s...

Hey Small Business School! I am pumped for the conversation I get to share with you today with my friend Janette Downie! Janette is a Co Founder of Space Creatorz, a fractional marketing team, the host of “Cool, Calm and Rich” podcast, and a huge advocate for female founder wellness. Together we are talking about life and business with all the success, and not the burnout. This is something the tw...

Hey Small Business School, In this episode, we are diving deep into the journey of entrepreneurship and why it's crucial to focus on the rise of successful business figures rather than just their current status. Drawing from my own experiences growing businesses I am going to share how to apply the right advice at the right stage of your business! Topics Covered: The difficulty of clearly exp...

In this episode of Small Business School, I am so excited to be joined by Maddie Walden! Maddie runs Madeline Walden Co., a Instagram Management business that offers Content & Mindset Coaching, and Content Creation Services to those who are mainly using Instagram as their business & Marketing platform. She is a passionate entrepreneur, dedicated mom of two, and social media expert. With a...

Welcome back to Small Business School, I’m your host Staci Millard and today I wanted to talk to you about feeling that you’re close to the edge of your capacity and burnout is around the corner. I feel like that’s where I’m at these days and I know that my family and my business both suffer when I’m burnt out! So in this episode I am going to share my personal insight on recognizing the signs of...

Hey Small Business School! A recent trend I have been noticing is people coming to me thinking that they need these complicated (and expensive) financial plans in order to get out of debt or achieve their goals, when in reality it can be a lot more simple than that! So in this episode I wanted to break down some of the myths and complexities of financial planning and encourage you to get back to b...

Small Business School! So excited for today’s episode with Mel Abraham! Mel is a CPA, entrepreneur, ‘money mentor’ and bestselling author. Together we are diving into the intricacies of personal finance and the mindset shifts needed to achieve financial freedom. We are getting into building wealth, managing debt, and living a purpose-driven life, so you won’t want to miss the insight and actionabl...