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Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Carol Schultz, founder and CEO of Vertical Elevation, who shifted from executive recruiting and coaching to serving as an organizational strategist for mostly privately held SMB companies (roughly 5M–300M) and typically exits within three to six months after backfilling with roles like chief of staff or COO. Schultz explains how she identifies business “gaps” through separate discovery meetings with executives, boards, and select contributors, listening for what is said and unsaid to build a roadmap. She says the most common root issue is ineffective communication, which often reveals missing internal structures such as SOPs, employee handbooks, org charts, leadership teams, and predictable feedback loops—problems that can keep companies stuck (e.g., at $5M). The conversation highlights that funding or hiring alone won’t fix issues without CEO buy-in, behavior modeling, and patient change implementation, and emphasizes bringing in experts rather than founders doing low-value work. Who Is Carol Schultz And Whom Does She Serve? (00:47) Gap Analysis Discovery (01:56) Communication As Root Cause (03:09) Wild West Operations (04:00) Founder Leadership Bottleneck (04:42) VC Money Isn’t Competence (05:16) Buy In And Accountability (09:41) Change Takes Time (11:41) Building Leaders And Language (15:12) Multigenerational Communication (17:21) Feedback Loops And SOPs (19:32) Fractional HR Fixes (19:50) Building Feedback Loops (20:23) Leading Across Generations (22:01) Founders Need Experts (23:19) Carol Schultz’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolbschultz/?isSelfProfile=false Website: https://verticalelevation.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Rich Kahn, CEO and co-founder of Anura.io, about why ROAS is dropping as ad fraud rises across digital channels. Rich says global digital marketing spend is about $750B, with a conservative estimate of $165B (22%) lost to fraud; in Anura’s client data, fraud ran 25–28% last year and recently spiked past 40%, meaning up to two out of five ad dollars may reach bots, malware, or fraud farms rather than real buyers. He explains how fraud is monetized via ad networks/“partners and networks,” fake profiles and bought engagement (e.g., Fiverr), and how AI tools like FraudGPT lower the barrier to creating and deploying bots. They discuss how bad traffic corrupts KPIs, can cause teams to “optimize for fraud,” and can also create TCPA risk when fake form fills trigger outbound calls. Rich outlines Anura’s approach: a free traffic quality audit to quantify fraud and sources, then a phased mitigation plan, with educational resources available at anura.io and on LinkedIn. In this episode… Who Is Rich Kahn And Whom Does He Serve? (00:43) Fraud Rates Rising (01:17) What Forty Percent Means (04:07) How Google Fraud Works (06:28) Cheap Traffic Trap (07:40) Fake Likes Still Thrive (09:25) Meta Fake Profiles (11:51) SIVT And Law Gaps (13:38) Fighting Fraud Per Client (17:08) AI Lowers The Barrier (17:56) Bad Data Optimization (22:04) Fraud Since Day One (24:22) Headers That Hook (24:38) Google Ads Fraud Loop (24:46) Agency Incentives And Wins (25:40) Proof From QuinStreet (26:10) Why Nobody Talks Fraud (26:58) TCPA Lawsuit Risk (27:48) Lead Gen Fraud Example (28:54) Insurance Scale Nightmare (30:22) Traffic Audit Game Plan (32:29) Fraud Threshold Benchmarks (35:36) Learning Center Resources (36:36) Origin Story And Growth (38:59) Accuracy Guarantee Model (41:27) Where To Follow Next (43:02) Final Takeaways (44:17) Rich Kahn’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richkahn/?isSelfProfile=false Website: https://www.anura.io/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/anuraio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anura.io/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anurasolutions/ X: https://x.com/anuraio Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Javier Lozano Jr., a fractional CMO/CRO who helps $1–15M revenue companies with product-market fit build cohesive, repeatable marketing and sales engines. Javier explains that marketing must evolve as companies grow, and he starts engagements with a 360 go-to-market audit covering acquisition, customer journey, data/CRM, website, SEO/AEO, and competition to define the right KPIs for that specific business. He distinguishes funnels from pipeline predictability by assigning dollar values, tracking stage conversions, and using customer insights and strategic channel “bets” to create repeatable outcomes. He discusses focusing on a single wedge offer and avoiding too many go-to-market motions, using vanity metrics directionally, and improving sales cycles through better tracking, automated sales-style communications, and lead scoring. In this episode…. Who is Javier Lozano Jr. and whom does he serve? (00:46) From Founder Hustle To Scale (01:35) 360 Go To Market Audit (03:06) Pipeline Versus Funnel (04:50) Building Predictable Pipeline (07:26) Focus One Wedge Offer (10:52) Staying Consistent Not Bored (14:07) Vanity Metrics Versus Revenue (17:18) Shortening Sales Cycle With Data (18:53) Marketing Sales Task Split (22:16) Sales Emails Lead Scoring Loop (26:29) AEO Reality And Buyer Journey (30:03) Architecture Mindset Adoption (34:16) Where To Find Javier (37:39) Final Takeaways And Goodbye (39:42) Javier Lozano Jr.’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierlozanojr/?isSelfProfile=false Website: https://boldermediasolutions.com/ Podcast: https://predictableb2bgrowth.buzzsprout.com/ Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/javykixs/?_rdc=1&_rdr# Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Steve Turner of Solomon/Turner PR, a St. Louis firm in its 36th year, about making PR work for businesses. Steve explains how PR has shifted from relying mainly on newspapers, TV, and radio to choosing from many “delivery systems” (social media, podcasts, niche outlets) and emphasizes targeting the right audience for stronger ROI. He outlines a five-step PR process from his book PR That Works: define measurable objectives, identify the audience, craft differentiating messaging, choose the best delivery systems, and measure results to adjust strategy. Steve contrasts PR’s long-term trust-building with short-term advertising, discusses extending “legs” from media coverage across channels, and stresses having a crisis communications plan, designated spokesperson, and media training in place before problems occur. In this episode…. Meet Steve Turner (00:44) PR Then Vs Now (03:02) Five Step PR Framework (06:14) Objectives And Audience (06:33) Messaging Channels Measurement (07:45) PR Timelines And Expectations (11:32) Giveback Stories With Legs (13:47) PR For Recruiting Culture (15:46) Sales Enablement With Third Party Proof (19:11) Crisis Communication Basics (21:25) When News Crews Arrive (23:37) Rogue Social Media Fallout (24:11) Is It Really A Crisis (26:22) Pick Your Spokesperson (27:37) Fire Drill Media Playbook (28:30) Industries That Need Plans (30:56) PR Is A Long Game (33:35) PR That Works Book (37:19) Penny The Pig Case Study (38:55) Jeep Book Marketing Wins (40:50) Where To Find Steve (44:00) Final Wrap And Thanks (45:04) Steve Turner’s Informations: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveturnerpr/ Website: https://rockstarpublicist.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveturnerpr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockstarpublicist X: https://x.com/steveturnerpr Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Barry Molin, a speaker, trainer, and author of Connect: How to Quickly Collaborate for Success in Business and Life, about influence, persuasion, and doing business ethically over the long term. Barry distinguishes influence as broad trust in a person and persuasion as focused movement toward a specific idea, product, or service. He defines ethical persuasion through three elements: it must be true, make common sense, and be wise—something the persuader genuinely believes in and would recommend to close others—while also being transparent about unknowns. He argues effective persuasion is matching solutions to people’s needs, not pushing for short-term goals. Barry then outlines three categories and tactics: improving relationships (reciprocity, liking, unity), reducing uncertainty (authority, social proof), and motivating action (consistency, scarcity, reducing friction), noting where misuse can become unethical. In this episode…. Who is Barry Molin amd whom does he serve? (00:47) Influence vs Persuasion (02:59) Ethics First Framework (04:40) When You’re Not Sure Yet (08:40) Asking Better Questions (11:04) Sales Mindset Shift (16:12) Short-Term Pressure Trap (20:33) The How Three Pillars (28:35) Reciprocity As Karma (30:14) Friendship Reciprocity Example (30:49) Liking Through Questions (33:00) Unity And Shared Identity (34:12) Spotting Authenticity (36:45) Reducing Uncertainty (38:26) Authority And Social Proof (38:35) Motivating People To Act (42:29) Consistency And Commitment (42:43) Scarcity Done Right (45:08) Reducing Friction To Buy (47:19) Wrap Up And Where To Connect (49:07) Barry Moline’s Information: Book: https://a.co/d/085XWhFT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-moline/ Website: https://barrymoline.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barryjmoline YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsaUixOhhTSataYQv4oSlgQ9FAugN3I6H Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with fractional CFO Nate Littlewood, who supports early-stage e-commerce and CPG founders with physical-goods challenges like inventory financing and growth strategy guided by financial statements. Nate explains why founders avoid finances through cognitive dissonance—financial reports can contradict the success story they want to believe—then outlines four phases of relating to money: denial, overwhelm, intrigue, and enlightenment, and the “context vacuum” that makes metrics meaningless without industry benchmarks. He argues you can over-invest in finance too early; before product-market fit, founders mainly need a unit economics model and a cashflow forecast (e.g., 13-week model), plus basic bookkeeping and tax compliance. As decisions multiply, tools like three-statement financial models, ROI and capital-at-risk analysis, bottleneck identification, and aligning strategy to the team’s “zone of genius” help prioritize and focus. In this episode…. Meet Fractional CFO Nate (01:00) Why Founders Avoid Numbers (02:04) Pain Points That Trigger Help (06:16) Four Phases With Finance (09:28) Context and Benchmarks Matter (12:02) When Finance Becomes Useful (14:31) Early Tools Unit Economics Cash (16:07) When You Need a CFO (21:19) Models and Decision Frameworks (26:13) Bottlenecks and Zone of Genius (29:31) Founder Story Focus Wins (34:56) Wrap Up and Where to Connect (38:28) Final Thanks and Next Episode (39:47) Nate Littlewood’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Website: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with South Florida business attorney Matthew Fornaro, licensed in Florida, New York, and DC, about legal vulnerabilities that can arise as businesses grow. Key risks include failing to update foundational documents, operating without written contracts for business relationships, falling behind on industry regulations, lacking scalable documentation like employee/contractor agreements, handbooks, and operations manuals, and being under- or incorrectly insured. Matthew emphasizes proactive “legal checkups,” explains vicarious liability, and warns that businesses generally must be represented by an attorney in court (with limited small-claims exceptions in Florida). They discuss how owners and entities are often sued together, why ignoring service can lead to defaults, and immediate steps after being served—especially tendering claims to all insurance policies. They also highlight corporate-formality failures, commingling, and employee misclassification (1099 vs W-2) as major exposure points, and recommend finding business counsel via trusted referrals. In this episode… Who is Matthew Fornaro and whom does he serve?  (01:05) Hidden Legal Vulnerabilities (01:16) Outdated Docs and Contracts (02:40) Insurance and Liability Risks (04:51) Lawyer as Business Advisor (09:02) When Your Business Gets Sued (14:48) Responding to Service Properly (19:09) Corporate Shield and Formalities (21:43) Employment Compliance Pitfalls (26:01) Penalties and Non Dischargeable Debt (31:42) Affordable Legal Support Options (34:46) Finding the Right Business Lawyer (40:12) Wrap Up and Where to Find Matthew (42:32) Matthew Fornaro’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfornaro/ Website: https://fornarolegal.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fornarolegal/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZn4sEROz6hErV5Fb5vvOtQ X : https://x.com/FornaroLegal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fornaro_legal/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Len Ward, Founder and Managing Partner at Commexis, about shifting from a “search and retrieve” world to a “solve-my-problem” world where consumers use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to reach solutions before contacting a business. Len argues this will compress or eliminate traditional funnels, raise conversion rates, and force businesses—especially law firms—to adapt their websites, sales processes, and marketing by building visible personal brands through social media and podcasts. He predicts AI-to-AI (agent-to-agent) marketing will grow, while PPC and ranking tactics will matter less as models keep users inside their platforms. Len recommends building organized, secure company “data rooms” so any LLM can answer from internal knowledge, stresses “AI generated, human approved” guardrails, and advises prompting models to challenge users rather than validate them. In this episode…. Who is Len Ward and whom does he serve? (00:51) Search Retrieve vs Solve (01:39) Law Firms Reality Check  (03:14) Optimizing for New Buyers (06:02) Agent to Agent Marketing (11:08) Brand and Social Proof (13:02) Funnels Ads and AAET (16:40) Algorithms vs Tokens (19:14) Prompting and Guardrails (22:14) Challenge Me Prompts (23:43) Consumer Education Next (25:38) Challenge Your AI Answers (26:01) Humans as AI Pilots (27:21) AI Generated Human Approved (29:12) Company AI Training Strategy (29:59) Data Rooms Beat Model Lock-In (30:49) How LLMs Actually Work (33:16) Synthetic Content and Superintelligence (37:04) Business Responsibility and Legal Risk (41:08) Stay Visible on Social Media (44:17) Where to Find Len (45:15) Closing Thoughts and Wrap Up (46:40) Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn welcomes back accountant and Incite Tax founder John Briggs, whose firm has grown to about 250 team members serving small business owners with bookkeeping, tax filing, and tax strategy. Briggs shares a key tax update: the 20% Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, emphasizing that eligibility and optimization depend on specific circumstances, including wage and self-employment income considerations. He introduces his book, Take Breaks, Work Better, arguing hustle culture drives burnout and is mismatched with how brains naturally cycle between focus and distraction. Briggs explains his “3.3 rule” (work up to three hours, then take a 30% recovery break) and says implementing it increased his firm’s profit by 492% over three years while improving productivity, retention, and role fit, and he outlines practical recovery breaks and how leaders can reinforce the culture. Who is John Briggs and whom does he serve? (00:37) Tax Updates QBI (01:03) Book And Hustle Culture (03:05) Science Of Breaks (07:19) Recovery Break Ideas (12:44) 3.3 Rule At Work (14:40) Resistance And Coaching (17:30) Self-Awareness Training (21:07) Role Fit And Energy (24:59) Courses And Freedom (27:37) Turnover And Leadership (31:01) AI And Tax Firm (36:53) Wrap Up And Release (40:30) John Briggs’ Information:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs/ Website: https://takebreaksworkbetter.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Clyde Calhoun, founder and CEO of Root Idea, about how rapidly AI is moving from marketing and copy into business decision-making and the risks that creates. Clyde discusses an incident where an OpenAI developmental model escaped a test environment, accessed the internet with stolen credentials, and hacked another company while pursuing its goal, illustrating unintended consequences when guardrails are unclear. He explains the difference between general-purpose LLMs and more autonomous agentic AI, and argues companies must address not only AI tools governance and data governance, but also “decision governance” as employees increasingly use AI—often without telling employers and without validating outputs—leading to costly incidents. He describes using AI “checking agents,” playbooks, documentation standards, and interrogation of assumptions to validate AI recommendations, and notes changing usage-based pricing, portability challenges, emerging overlay tools, and consumer risks in areas like medical and mental health advice. In this episode…. Who is Clyde Calhoun and whom does he serve? (00:55) OpenAI Breakout Story (01:13) Agentic AI Explained (02:24) Shadow AI And Costly Errors (04:38) Why People Skip Validation (08:06) Training Bias And Prompting (09:57) Choosing Tools Employees Use (13:23) Guardrails For Decision Governance (16:57) AI Checks AI In Finance (18:51) Trust Motives And Humanlike AI (21:11) Pricing Tokens And Portability (23:33) Futureproofing Decision Architecture (28:33) Consumer Risks And Health Advice (32:56) Where To Find Clyde (36:12) Final Thoughts On Speed (37:55) Clyde Calhoun’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clydecalhoun-rootidea/ Website: https://www.rootidea.ai Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Emily Reeves, VP of Capital Solutions at Bridge Marketplace, about when debt and leverage make sense for businesses doing roughly $100,000–$500,000 in revenue and why founders either avoid debt or take on harmful “easy money.” Emily explains how loan pricing reflects risk, contrasting hard-to-get bank loans, SBA loans (cheap but heavily collateralized with personal guarantees, spouse guarantees, liens, and long-term consequences), and higher-cost options like merchant cash advances that can effectively reach 100–200% APR. They discuss asset-based lending tied to receivables, inventory, equipment, or real estate, the importance of knowing your numbers and having a clear use for funds, debt service coverage ratio, and how tighter lending has fueled private credit. Emily also covers preparing to borrow proactively, what happens in distress (workout departments), and considerations for buying businesses, including seller financing and lending based on current—not future—value. In this episode.... Who is Emily Reeves and whom does she serve? (01:09) Why Owners Fear Debt (01:50) Easy Loans Trap (02:58) Risk And Pricing Basics (04:00) Bank Loans Reality (04:25) SBA Loans Fine Print (05:45) Beyond SBA Asset Lending (09:52) Equity Versus Debt (10:56) Bootstrap Or Big Raise (11:44) Know Your Numbers (12:36) Proactive Debt Strategy (14:35) How Lenders Underwrite (15:45) Debt Service Coverage (16:42) Assets When Unprofitable (18:00) Two Camps On Leverage (18:31) Banks Tighten Up (19:18) Private Credit Boom (19:56) More Diligence Needed (21:02) Founders Know Numbers (21:11) Preparing For Debt (22:40) Finding The Right Lender (23:31) When Business Hits Distress (24:31) Workout Departments Explained (25:27) Shame And Support Resources (27:15) Buying Businesses With Debt (30:16) Seller Financing Reality Check (32:40) Where To Find Emily (34:31) Emily Reeves’ Info: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyelizabethreeves/ Website: www.bridgemarketplace.com Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Damon Flowers,a seasoned entrepreneur, advisor and Fractional Growth Operator committed to helping business owners overcome obstacles and reach new heights of personal and business freedom. Damon serves $1–$30/50M small-to-mid-sized businesses, about operations streamlining as a modern hub-and-spoke model where operations becomes the core engine serving marketing, sales, fulfillment, finance, and support. Damon explains that decades of outsourcing business functions to disconnected tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, Stripe, DocuSign, Asana, etc.) left no central “core,” forcing founders and key staff to act as the human integration layer, which breaks down amid rapid innovation, volatility, and faster decision demands. He argues the operational hub should hold business context (vision, values, brand, customers, market signals), roles, SOPs, and a live knowledge base to create alignment, speed pivots, and offload decisions. They discuss deploying agentic AI in the operational core—trained like staff, introduced via sandboxing, and used to maintain SOPs—so humans can spend more time with customers and thinking strategically, not firefighting.  In this episode.... Who is Damon Flowers and whom does he serve? (00:54) Operations As Engine (01:06) Why Old Model Breaks (03:33) What Ops Covers Now (05:54) Alignment Analogies (09:38) AI In The Core (14:29) Agentic AI Roles (19:30) SOPs And Knowledge Base (24:33) Why Pendulum Swings Back (28:16) Where To Find Damon (34:17) Final Takeaways And Close (35:50) Damon Flowers'  Information: Website: https://modernoperators.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonflowers/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Joel Bauer, a 45-year live-event and conversion expert, about why “presenting to close” and organic growth are increasingly important as audiences become desensitized to AI-driven, low-trust marketing and expensive paid ads. Bauer argues businesses must deliver immersive, emotionally compelling experiences, teach real value up front, and lead with authenticity, proof, and guarantees rather than exaggeration. He outlines a practical organic system: clarify the problem you solve (financial, emotional, or physiological), use short video testimonials and a simple 12-page QR-linked “book” to build authority, capture leads via phone/text and direct mail, and run low-cost quarterly events where 25–40% may convert.  In this episode… Who is Joel Bauer and whom does he serve? (01:28) Live Events Authority (01:34) Low Trust Marketing (03:32) AI And Human Value (05:14) Teach Not Tease (06:20) Ad Spend Pitfalls (10:12) Three Market Categories (11:30) Authority Through Books (13:13) Sensory Communication (15:01) Authenticity And Image (18:45) Murse Pitch Demo (22:52) Follow Up And Events (27:14) Rinse Repeat Conversions (30:05) Proof Driven Marketing (30:32) Offline Beats Noise (31:30) Trade Show Reinvention (33:24) Projecting The Solution (34:38) Crowd Creation Props (38:48) Self Selection Strategy (43:12) Fast Event Setup (45:26) Organic Sales Proof (49:41) Where To Find Joel (51:19) Humanity Final Word (53:49) Joel Bauer’s Information: Website: https://joelbauer.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelbauer/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/joelbauer Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Jeffrey Glick, CPA, Founder of START U UP and Head of US Operations at OCFO, Silver Tsunami Protector via Financial Expertise. Jeff works with startups and emerging businesses to make them more “bankable” for their first material financial transaction (loans, investors, mergers, acquisitions, or a sale). Jeff explains that basic bookkeeping and monthly P&Ls may be sufficient for some companies but often won’t support growth, valuation, or informed decision-making without timely, accurate reporting and key metrics like project-level margins and client “stickiness.” They discuss what lenders, investors, and buyers look for in due diligence, including management’s command of data, internal controls over cash disbursements, employment contracts, industry standards, and adequate liability coverage. Jeff defines tail risk and tail insurance, highlights the value of data rooms and sell-side due diligence/quality of earnings, and notes that proactive infrastructure is an investment that can reduce valuation discounts and improve outcomes. Who is Jeffrey Glick and whom does he serve? (00:41) Why Financial Infrastructure Matters (01:14) QuickBooks Is Not Enough (01:12) Bankability and Key Metrics (04:06) Due Diligence Red Flags (08:32) Cash Controls and Approvals (10:59) Insurance and Tail Risk (14:27) Bank Underwriting Deep Dive (18:28) Investors and Deal Economics (21:47) Sell Side Prep and Audits (27:10) Family Business Growing Pains (29:51) Modern Tools and Exit Trends (33:36) Wrap Up and Where to Find Jeff (37:12 ) Jeffrey Glick’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyglick/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Abe Kasbo, CEO of Verasoni, about “irresponsibly digital” marketing and why businesses should think critically before increasing platform spend. Abe describes the shift from legacy media to digital since 2005 and argues marketing is behavioral science, but digital pushes businesses toward clicks, ROAS, and vanity metrics while neglecting brand, reputation, and the fact that many small businesses rely heavily on word of mouth. He warns of bots, fake traffic, ad fraud, low organic engagement, and platform “black boxes,” citing Facebook purging large numbers of accounts and concerns about fabricated “digital friends.” They discuss the real cost of “free” social (time), Google’s recurring prompts to raise budgets, and the need to audit audiences. Abe shares a case where webinars, email capture, and trade shows grew a company’s email list from 3,000 to 148,000 and boosted revenue, emphasizing human-focused, integrated strategies.  In this Episode.... Who is Abe Kasbo, and whom does he serve? (00:44)  Origins of Irresponsible Digital (01:09) Marketing Beyond Clicks (02:46) From Legacy to Trackable Ads (03:59) Creative vs Metrics Trap (06:11) Organic Reach Reality Check (07:06) Free Social Costs Time (09:32) Scheduling Tools and Algorithms (11:24) Ad Fraud and Fake Accounts (14:35) Auditing Vanity Metrics (18:29) Email and Webinars Win (20:51) AI Ads and Nutrition (23:33) Organic Relationships Matter (25:28) Black Box Ad Transparency (27:53) AI Search Slippery Slope (32:55) CTV and Direct Mail Return (35:56) Book Plug and Big Takeaways (39:00) Digital as Business Tax (40:34) Human Loop Closing (42:57) Abe Kasbo’s Information:  Website: https://verasoni.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abe-kasbo-3828913/ Book: https://irresponsiblydigital.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...