Advertise on podcast: Grow Your Local Business

Today we’re talking about creating certainty to buy because every customer needs a certain level of confidence before they say yes. They need to believe you can deliver, believe the result is possible for them and believe the experience will go the way they want it to go. In this episode, I break down three simple ways to create more certainty in your marketing and I share real stories from my own life to show you exactly how a missing process can destroy buyer confidence instantly. In this episode you’ll learn: How to build certainty in you as the local go-to so people know you're the best choiceHow to build certainty in your audience so they believe they can have/achieve what you're offeringWhy sharing your process is one of the fastest ways to increase certainty (and how a clear process removes buyer anxiety)Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

I’m sitting down with my student Tyler Blankenship, a home technology contractor in Durham, North Carolina. Six months ago when he joined The Localpreneur Academy, his business felt like a rollercoaster. Some weeks he’d get calls… some weeks it was crickets. Even though he’d been in business for 4 years, he wasn’t getting the traction he expected. He would "panic market" and make his to-do list a mile long to reach clients. But once he joined The Localpreneur Academy, he constrained his marketing plan, focused on mastering ONE skill that could create consistent leads and committed to showing up from a totally different identity. And within 6 months… He's fully booked with a month-long waitlist He landed his biggest project ever (10x bigger!) And his confidence is on a completely different level In this episode, he's sharing how you don’t need more tactics... you need a simpler plan + the belief to stick with it. Mentioned in this episode: Work with Tyler at Elevate TechnologiesFollow him on Instagram @elevatehometech and on FacebookWork with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

I genuinely think it’s going to get easier and easier to stand out as the local go-to in your city... even if your industry feels saturated. And it’s not because you found the perfect viral hook or used the trend of the week. It’s because the people who are going to win in 2026 and beyond are the ones creating original content. The content that sounds like you, feels like you and can’t be replicated. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s been happening online over the past few years (hello AI content + viral trend overload)… and how you can use this moment to become the one people remember, trust and choose locally. Because reaching people and standing out are NOT the same thing. And I want you to be remembered. In this episode you’ll learn: Why AI content + viral trends have made everyone’s marketing look “good”… but also made it way harder to stand out (and what to do instead)The real difference between reaching more people and standing out as the local go-to they actually remember and trustThe simple mindset shift that helps you step into your authority as the expert in your cityMentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

“If you’re not embarrassed by who you were 12 months ago, you didn’t learn enough.” In this episode, Leslie shows you why that cringe is proof you’re growing and how to use it to make the next 12 months your biggest growth year yet. In this episode you’ll learn: Why you might not be changing fast enough and how to fix itHow to speed up your learning curve by increasing your reps, especially with content and visibilityHow to stop doing the same things over and over and getting the same resultsMentioned in this episode: Follow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallWork with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram Following If you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 locals to actually find you. In this episode you’ll learn: Why AI content is increasing fast, but audiences are craving the real you (and how to use AI without losing your voice)Why viral trends are starting to burn your audience out and how original content will help you become the local top choice faster and easier than everWhy social media SEO matters more than ever in 2026Mentioned in this episode: Join The Local Instagram FormulaFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallWork with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 audience (not just rack up views from random people across the country). In this episode you’ll learn: The biggest mistake local business owners make with Trial Reels and why their content is getting shown to non-local audiencesHow to optimize your Trial Reels for local discovery using keywords, location cues, messaging and clear city-specific hooksA simple script you can use to call out your city inside a Trial Reel to attract the exact people you want following youMentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 episode you’ll learn: Why close-up content isn’t enough and how it may actually be keeping new local clients from buying.The psychology behind comfort-based marketing and how helping people visualize your full experience increases conversions.Simple ways to “zoom out” and show your space, process, and personality in a way that builds trust and gets people excited to work with you.Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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? You’ll hear the exact coaching I gave her and the mindset shift that can change the way you approach your business when you’re tired, busy or just not feeling it. Because nothing has gone wrong when you’re not motivated. You just need to learn how to create commitment from your thoughts... not wait for motivation to show up. This episode will help you see that you can do hard things, even without motivation… and that consistency, success, and growth come from deciding who you want to be and honoring that decision again and again. In this episode you’ll learn: How to shift from waiting for motivation to generating commitmentHow to make decisions ahead of time so you can show up even when you don’t feel like itHow to build evidence that you can do hard things in business and in lifeMentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingEpisode 63: Leaving My Full-Time Job and Facing My Worst Case ScenarioIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 the 4 ways competitor-based decision making shows up and how it secretly holds you back from growing. From pulling back on content, to skipping networking events, to changing your prices or offers just to “keep up,” to even avoiding support and education opportunities - these are the decisions that are keeping you invisible. I’ll show you how to shift out of this so you can grow your business with confidence faster. In this episode you’ll learn: How focusing on your competitor stops you from marketing, networking, selling and growingHow to make business decisions based on your best clients (not your competitors) so you can grow faster.The mindset shifts that help you show up as the go-to in your city.Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 unbooked and underearningWhy people feel productive but they've stalled their progressWhat it actually looks like to break this cycle and finally start filling your calendar with clients.Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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, effective marketing that gets you out of the “no clients yet” stage much faster. Tune into this episode to learn: How to market without client proof, result photos or testimonialsPractical examples of ways to create content and show your expertiseA simple 3-step framework you can use daily to get visible and start booking clientsMentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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, along with stories from my own journey and examples from my students who kept it simple and booked faster. You’ll hear: Why over-preparing can slow you down more than help youClient examples of booking first clients without “professional” setupsThe mindset shift that will help you stop hiding and start meeting people todayMentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyThe Local Instagram Formula Mini CourseFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 the beginning? Tune into this episode to learn: The common mistake of trying something once, not seeing instant results, and quitting before it ever has the chance to workHow to shift your perspective so “failed” attempts turn into future winsThe evaluation → tweak → implement cycle that compounds your growth over time Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingIf you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 hire them. In this episode, I’m breaking down why those “sexy” Instagram tips don’t work for local businesses and what to focus on instead if you want to attract real paying clients in your city. Tune into this episode to learn: Why viral growth doesn’t equal local growth and how it can actually hold you back from getting clientsWhat makes 100 local followers more valuable than 1,000 random ones (and how to reframe the way you think about growth)The core actions you need to focus on to consistently attract local followers and why the system matters more than any single tactic Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram Following If you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.

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 about your time differently, marketing stops feeling like an afterthought and starts becoming one of the most important things you do to grow your business. Tune into this episode to learn: Why marketing is one of the two most important things to focus on in your businessThe power of using open client spots to market yourself, get visible and book more clientsThe simple time-management shifts that help you stay consistent, stop overthinking, and finally get your marketing done Mentioned in this episode: Work with me inside The Localpreneur AcademyFollow me on Instagram @‌lesliepresnallDownload my Free Guide: How To Grow Your Local Instagram FollowingEp 91 - How Long Your Marketing Takes If you’re ready to grow your local business and bring in a steady stream of clients, you need to check out The Localpreneur Academy. Click here to join me inside. Rate, Review & Follow: “I LOVE listening to the episodes, especially since they’re focused on local businesses and it’s not just generic marketing advice.” If you love the show too, please leave a rating and review. This helps me reach more people just like you who want to reach more local people and create a business they love.