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Business Credit Done Right: Funding Growth Without Personal Risk

February 13, 2026 by angishields

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Cherokee Business Radio
Business Credit Done Right: Funding Growth Without Personal Risk
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In this episode of Cherokee Business Radio,  Joshua Kornitsky sits down with Darren Crosby, Founder of Crosby Business Consultants, to explore a game-changing approach to business funding. Darren shares how business owners can build credit tied to their EIN—not their personal Social Security number—allowing them to access capital without personal guarantees. Drawing from his own experience of losing a business during COVID, Darren explains how smart financial structuring can protect personal assets while supporting long-term growth.

Brought to you by Diesel David and Main Street Warriors

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Darren-CrosbyDarren Crosby is the founder of Crosby Business Consultants, where he specializes in helping business owners access capital and build financial resilience without putting their personal assets at risk. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience spanning mortgage, restaurants, real estate, franchises, and retail, Darren has successfully grown multiple companies to multi-million-dollar revenues—and has also experienced the devastating consequences of personal guarantees when economic disruption struck.

After being forced into bankruptcy following the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on his thriving golf cart rental business, Darren discovered a critical gap in how most business owners approach credit and capital. Today, he’s dedicated to ensuring other entrepreneurs avoid the same fate by teaching them how to build true corporate credit profiles tied to their EIN, not their personal credit.

Darren’s approach focuses on three core areas: establishing strong corporate credit that separates personal and business assets, securing $300K to $5M in growth funding without personal guarantees, and providing strategic tools and resources that support sustainable scaling. His work is driven by a deep belief that small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and he’s committed to equipping owners with the financial infrastructure they need to build lasting success. TT-Logo

Through Crosby Business Consultants, Darren brings both his hard-won lessons and his strategic expertise to help business owners make smarter financial decisions that support growth while protecting what matters most.

Episode Highlights

  • Building Business Credit the Right Way
    Many business owners believe they already have business credit, but if their name appears under the company name on the account, it’s likely tied to their personal credit. Darren explains how to establish true EIN-based business credit that reports properly to Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax Business, and Experian Business.
  • From Bankruptcy to Breakthrough
    After growing a golf cart rental company to nearly $2.5 million in revenue, Darren was forced into bankruptcy when COVID wiped out 90% of his revenue overnight. That experience reshaped his mission—helping other entrepreneurs separate personal assets from business risk.
  • The 9–10 Month Path to an 80 Business Credit Score
    Darren outlines a structured process that typically takes 9–10 months to build business credit to an 80+ score (the equivalent of an 800 personal credit score), unlocking access to capital based on business spend—not tax returns or personal guarantees.
  • Using Credit Strategically for Growth
    From funding franchise startups to breaking through revenue ceilings by hiring staff, Darren shares real examples of business owners using non-PG credit strategically—not recklessly—to fuel expansion and increase ROI.
  • The Best Time to Apply for Credit
    One of the biggest takeaways: “The best time to apply for credit is when you don’t need it.” Darren emphasizes preparing during stable times so businesses are positioned to respond quickly to opportunity—or unexpected disruption.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Woodstock, Georgia. It’s time for Cherokee Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Joshua Kornitsky: Welcome back to Cherokee Business Radio. My name is Joshua Kornitsky. I’m a professional implementer of the entrepreneurial operating system, and I’m your host here on Cherokee Business Radio. Before we get started, I’ve got a great guest today, but I always want to mention the fact that today’s episode is brought to you in part by the Community Partner Program, the Business RadioX Main Street Warriors defending capitalism, promoting small business, and supporting our local community. For more information, please go to Mainstreet Warriors. Org and a very special note of thanks to our title sponsor for the Cherokee chapter of Main Street Warriors. Diesel David, Inc. please go check them out at diesel. Com. And as I said, I’ve got a great guest today. Uh, Darren Crosby. Darren is the founder of Crosby Business Consultants. His work focuses on helping business owners think differently about capital access, financial structure, and long term operational resilience. He operates at the intersection of funding strategy and business stability for growing companies. He helps leaders make smarter financial decisions that support growth without increasing personal risk. Welcome. I’m so happy to have you, Darren.

Darren Crosby: Hey, thanks for having me.

Joshua Kornitsky: It’s a pleasure. So I’m going to jump right in and ask you, what on earth do you mean by supporting growth without increasing personal risk?

Darren Crosby: Oh, great. Great question. Um, you know, I’ve been an entrepreneur for 20 plus years, owned three different businesses, And, um, during my time owning those, you know, obviously I was getting access to capital, be it work capital lines of credit and whatnot, but I always had to sign personal guarantees. And because I just thought that was how it worked.

Joshua Kornitsky: Sure.

Darren Crosby: Isn’t it. And and, uh, about a year and a half or so ago, I stumbled across this platform where you can build the business credit profile tied to their Ein, and it gives the business owner access to capital without any personal guarantees, separating their personal assets from the business.

Joshua Kornitsky: I had no idea that type of thing even existed.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And, um, I didn’t either. And, you know, as I always say, nobody opens a business saying, let me just drive this car right into the ditch.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right.

Darren Crosby: They think everything’s going to be up and to the right, and five years down the road, they’re going to be doing $10 million a year in revenue.

Joshua Kornitsky: I wish we all sure hope so. Yeah.

Darren Crosby: And but something like Covid could happen where your business gets decimated. And that’s what happened to me. I had a golf cart company that I bought in 2013. We were doing about $900,000 a year in revenue. Grew it up to when we closed the books on 2019, we were just shy of $2.5 million in revenue. Love the business, loved my clients. Had what I thought was a phenomenal business model. But then Covid threw a nasty curveball at me. I had the largest rental fleet of golf carts in Atlanta, and 90% of our revenue was rentals to all the festivals and events around town.

Joshua Kornitsky: Wow.

Darren Crosby: And so the beginning of March. March 6th, 2020. I’ll never forget the date, right as we were ramping up for our busy spring season in a matter of about four hours. I had every festival event and summer camp cancel on me. I had a 20,000 square foot warehouse space that I stored the 250 golf carts in. Landlord wasn’t willing to work with me and so unfortunately, I had to bankrupt the company and I had to file personal bankruptcy as well because I was personal guarantor on an owner held note, as well as a quarter million dollars line of credit that I used to add carts to the rental fleet. And so when I stumbled across this, I was like, every business owner needs to take advantage of this because you never know when there might be something hugely negative that impacts your business and keep your personal credit, your personal assets intact.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right. Well, and it doesn’t correct me if I’m wrong, but it doesn’t even have to be a negative thing. It could be a need for growth or a need for expansion, where you’ve got to get hands on capital. And and if your PG personal guarantee for all of it, there’s there’s a limit somewhere, right. So so help us understand as best you can understanding that obviously circumstances dictate everything. Right. How long the business has been there. There’s there’s a million factors. But what are what are some of the major things that are part of securing credit in this, in this fashion.

Darren Crosby: So on a daily basis I speak with business owners and they tell me I already have business credit, I’ve got a platinum Amex for business or I’ve got a chasing for business. And I asked him, I said, is your name right underneath the company name? I go, yeah, like check out your Experian report. It’s being reported there, right? A huge misconception is people think just because they have that business credit card, or they got an auto loan for one of their fleet trucks in the business name that still get reported to the credit bureaus. Um, only about 5% of the financial institutions in America intentionally. And that’s the key word, intentionally report a positive payment history to the three business bureaus Dun Bradstreet, Equifax for business, and Experian for business. If you miss a payment, they’ll gladly report the negative, of course. And so I’ve got a platform where we go through, set up the foundation of the business, the little things like making sure the current business address matches what what’s on file with the secretary of state.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right.

Darren Crosby: You have an actual business email. It’s not a Gmail account.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right?

Darren Crosby: Um, you have an actual physical address that is not your home address, and there’s ways to get virtual addresses that appear as if they’re maybe a business address. And then one of the things that is mind boggling to me, a hot button with the business credit bureaus, is that the business number is registered with 411. Really, when was the last time anybody used 411?

Joshua Kornitsky: I didn’t even know it still existed.

Darren Crosby: I a couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a kid who was he was like 29, 30 years old. And we were having this discussion about building the business credit for his business. And I told him, you know, 411 and he just there was this blank stare. I’m like, let me guess, you’ve never heard of it? He’s like, no. But, um, and then from there, just lining everything up where we’re registering the business with all three bureaus, most business owners, probably 99% of business owners I talked to are already registered with Dun and Bradstreet, but they don’t think about registering with Equifax or experience for business. And the reason that’s important to register with all three is then when they go out to apply for credit, be it a corporate credit card, working capital line of credit fuel card, those financial institutions aren’t necessarily reporting to all three bureaus. Some of them might only report to 1 or 2. And then from there, it’s just a process of applying for credit, using it responsibly, and going up the steps of the ladder and getting to a point where their business credit score is 80 or higher as the scores go from 0 to 100.

Joshua Kornitsky: Thank you for clarifying that, because it doesn’t sound pretty, doesn’t sound really impressive on the consumer scale.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And um, so an 80 credit score on the business side of things, is the equivalent of having an 800 credit score on the personal.

Joshua Kornitsky: That makes sense.

Darren Crosby: And when they cross that threshold of 80 or higher, what’s interesting is the amount of credit they have access to has nothing to do with tax returns, nothing to do with Parnell’s balance sheets. It’s all based on a multiple of the monthly spend of the business.

Joshua Kornitsky: Okay.

Darren Crosby: And they end up getting roughly ten x the monthly spend and where that can be hugely beneficial for a business owner because they might have a line of credit with Wells Fargo or Truist.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right.

Darren Crosby: But in all likelihood, it’s going to be a smaller credit limit than what they can get at that ten x multiple.

Joshua Kornitsky: And so I have a lot of questions. The first one that jumps out is, um, as as you meet a prospective client and talk with them, and you just gave us a list of 4 or 5 different things are, you know, as an example, getting listed with four one, one. Um, if you put a million bucks on the table right now, I couldn’t tell you how to do that. And I’m a pretty technical guy, so I assume those are things that you helped them with. Yeah. Because. Yeah. Because there’s no clear direction. Right?

Darren Crosby: Yeah. We’ve got our software program is, you know, it’s kind of a DIY for the business owner, but the majority of the time I hop on a call and I help them as they’re going, you know, as they’re getting over each of the hurdles trying to finish, finish the race. But we’ve got two tutorial videos in there that tell them what they’re going to do, point them in the right direction. We’ve got an AI bot that we coached up with something like 35,000 ebooks.

Joshua Kornitsky: Oh, wow. Okay.

Darren Crosby: And so it really, even though it’s more of a do it yourself program, it’s really like a guided tour through the process.

Joshua Kornitsky: And the answers are there if you need it. Sounds like so. That’s great. So the next question that occurs to me, um, assuming that you’ve gone through that, that onboarding package and gotten through things, um, is it like consumer credit in that you, you then need some time with payment history?

Darren Crosby: Um, so the whole process to get to that promised land of 80 or higher. Um, takes about nine months, 9 to 10 months.

Joshua Kornitsky: Uh, okay. So not a ridiculous compared to getting financial loans from a bank. It’s about the same depending. Right. Um.

Darren Crosby: So it’s a lot quicker than building your personal credit because, like, think about it. You’re 18. You want to go buy a car. Your parents are cosigning. Yeah, because you have no credit history. Well, it could take seven, eight, even ten years until you’ve got a 750 or an 800 credit score. Because when you’re first getting that credit card and your university mailbox, it’s probably a $500 credit.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right. Because nobody wants to take a chance. Yeah. That’s that’s actually a really valuable piece of information for for people to know, because time to harness it into productive value for you, where you’re able to, uh, float money that’s not directly tied to your PG is huge. Um, and in the time that you’ve been doing this, have you had success at, uh, you know, are there specific size organizations that are better suited for it? Is what what size, what what sizes have you worked with as far as just dollar Amounts.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. Um, I would say the majority of my clients are between the 1 to 10 million revenue range.

Joshua Kornitsky: Okay.

Darren Crosby: Got a couple of outliers. Um, I’ve got one company that’s going through the process right now. Uh, they’re about two and a half years old, and last year they did about 450,000 in top line revenue. Okay. Um, and then I’ve got a custom home builder out in Boulder, Colorado. Um, that if anybody’s listening, looking at building a home in Boulder, Colorado, check out some construction. He happens to be my little brother, but, um, he he doesn’t touch at home for less than $3 million, and his top line revenue is about 40 million a year.

Joshua Kornitsky: That’s fantastic. And it sounds like it’s much more about the recurring payment, um, activity than it is about the longevity of the organization. I mean, longevity, I’m sure doesn’t hurt you. Being a 20 year old company is never a bad thing. But if you’ve got ten months of of revolving credit history that they see, I imagine that’s what they base their initial assessments on. Yeah.

Darren Crosby: Uh, to your point about, uh, Lincoln business longevity. I had one client that, uh, she’s up in, um, Memphis, and she went through the process, started about, I guess, almost two years ago. Her LLC has not generated $1 in revenue, has never filed a tax return. She went through the process and put all of her personal expenses on the cards that she was getting for her LLC.

Joshua Kornitsky: Okay.

Darren Crosby: Paid for it out of her personal account. But groceries. She’s got three young kids, and, um, she’s now at a point where she’s got access to $100,000 line of credit. And her reason for going through that journey is her husband. Is an EMT. And as I mentioned, they got three young kids and he’s like, I want to be present with my kid’s life and ours. That an EMT works are brutal.

Joshua Kornitsky: They are.

Darren Crosby: And so what they’re doing is he’s identified a, uh, ground guys franchise, just a little landscaping franchise. They’re using that $100,000 to pay the upfront franchise fee, purchase a truck and trailer and lawn mowers, weed whackers, whatever else you need to run a landscaping business, and doing all that without a personal guarantee and able to to launch the business faster.

Joshua Kornitsky: That’s that’s amazing. But you also said something that I think is important to to draw focus to. Obviously, you don’t have to be in the state of Georgia for this to work. It sounds like you do business. Is there any state you don’t work in?

Darren Crosby: Uh, I can do business in all 50 states.

Joshua Kornitsky: That’s fantastic, because that’s the other piece that, uh, a lot of folks that might hear this would be. Well, that’s great, except I don’t live there, you know? And it sounds to me like the the opportunity that you’re bringing is game changing on a lot of different levels. Do you have any. That’s a great story. Do you have any other stories without sharing private information, uh, of where this has made a significant difference?

Darren Crosby: Yeah, I’ve got a, um, another company. I’ve, I’ve helped, um, their, uh, graphic design slash swag promo business. And, um, he’s going through the journey of building up his business credit, but he also got an upfront working capital on a credit that has a personal guarantee on it. When he finishes the process of building the business credit, he’s going to close out that one and get a working capital line of credit without the PG. But his company, he told me, he said, Darren, you know, I’ve kind of hit this glass ceiling of about a million and a half in revenue, right? Growth isn’t for a lack of business coming in. I just don’t have enough employees to handle the business constrained resources.

Joshua Kornitsky: He can’t go higher.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And he’s like, if I could add 4 or 5 employees. We could take this business to the next level. That’s going to be maybe a quarter million dollars in annual salary. But at 1.5 million in top line revenue, the financials don’t support bringing on a quarter million.

Joshua Kornitsky: Sure.

Darren Crosby: And so he’s gonna float payroll off of the line of credit he’s getting, because as he told me, he said, I know if I can add these additional employees, I’m going to see an ROI in 4 to 5 months. And then my forward looking trajectory is going to be roughly 2.5 million, right.

Joshua Kornitsky: So it absolutely makes sense for him.

Darren Crosby: Yeah.

Joshua Kornitsky: Yeah that’s a great example.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And you know, I was having a conversation with a lady a couple of weeks ago. She’s a, um, fractional CFO.

Joshua Kornitsky: Mhm.

Darren Crosby: And we got into the conversation about debt and how people are afraid to take on debt. And, and also talking about there’s good debt and there’s bad debt. Bad debt is just going to buy a motorcycle or Jeep to drive on the weekends and put it in the business name. Good debt is like the example I just gave you, where they’re using it to strategically grow the business.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right.

Darren Crosby: And, you know, I’ve got a pool supply company I’m working with. His impetus for going through the process is he’s got an SBA loan on the building that his company is located in. Well, the SBA, they sink their teeth into everything, and they’ll put a lien on your house. And he’s like, it keeps me up at night knowing I’ve leaned on my house. And if something were to happen to the business.

Joshua Kornitsky: It’ll cost him everything.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And so he’s in the process of refinancing the SBA loan into a regular real estate term loan without any personal guarantees. Well, I told him, I said, while you’re at it, you ought to get a working capital line of credit. And he’s like, well, I don’t have any debt. That’s great. I’m not telling you to take on debt, right? But think of it as in case of emergency break glass.

Joshua Kornitsky: Right?

Darren Crosby: Because you never know when you’re going to have a slowdown. And when you do have a slowdown, you probably needed money two weeks ago.

Joshua Kornitsky: It’s an excellent point. And I’ve seen that in in real time because when you realize you need it, it’s already too late.

Darren Crosby: Yeah. And a bank isn’t going to want to extend credit to you.

Joshua Kornitsky: Certainly not when you’re two weeks past the time you needed the money. Yeah, because there’s a whole bunch of implications to that concept of already, you know, the horses are already out of the barn. Yeah.

Darren Crosby: And it kind of goes back to the old adage, the best time to apply for credit is when you don’t need it.

Joshua Kornitsky: Yeah, absolutely. And and it’s about it sounds to me like it would be something that, with good financial guidance, would just be a great way to prepare your organization for both positive and negative rapid change. Yeah. Because because you I always like to think on the positive side of it, that rather than you get hit by a bus that you won the lottery. You know, maybe, uh, some great business opportunity comes your way. And I’ve seen this with my own clients where too good of a business opportunity they couldn’t afford to take advantage of because they didn’t. They didn’t have the resources, the capital, the the inventory, whatever it was, in order to satisfy the order that came in and the amount of time it would have taken them to put it together was longer than the buyer was willing to wait.

Darren Crosby: Right.

Joshua Kornitsky: Um, so the only other question that jumps to my mind with something like this is, is what? What? So obviously reaching out to you and we’ll get the links to publish. What are some things that that a business that’s hearing this that has interest. What can they do to get prepared to talk to you?

Darren Crosby: There’s really not a whole lot of prep. You know, I, I as I tell folks, I’m like, look, it’s worth 20 30 minutes of your time. I can show you how the process works, walk you through a demo, and if you don’t see value in it at the end of the call. No harm, no foul. We walk away as friends and maybe you see value in it down the road. But, um, my initial phone call is typically tell me a little bit about your business, where you are, where you want to be, what’s going well and what are some pain points. And then just kind of let the conversation flow from there. You know, because as I mentioned, I’ve been a business owner for 20 plus years. I’ve always been very passionate about small, medium sized businesses. And so now I just try to bring all my experience, the home runs and strikeouts to the table.

Joshua Kornitsky: Sure, that’s a great way to.

Darren Crosby: Help a business owner make smart decisions because as as we all know, there’s plenty of business owners that are bringing a great product or a great service to market, but they have no idea how to run a business.

Joshua Kornitsky: Uh, could not agree more because they’re great at what they do, but what they do probably doesn’t have much to do with running a business, whether they’re whether they’re in the trades, whether they’re in finance, they’re great at what they do. But that doesn’t mean they know how to run the business, right?

Darren Crosby: And so that’s where I just try to help them out, because it pains me to see when a local business goes out of business.

Joshua Kornitsky: Sure. And the single biggest reason that I’ve generally seen is lack of capital. I mean, that’s it that ultimately, if you distill it down to the root cause for why they shut the doors is they couldn’t afford to stay open. Yep.

Darren Crosby: 100%.

Joshua Kornitsky: And and this sounds like a really, really, uh, fantastic opportunity for business to, at the very least, explore if it’s an avenue for him.

Darren Crosby: Yeah.

Joshua Kornitsky: So, Darren, what’s the best way for people to get Ahold of you?

Darren Crosby: Um, my website is Darren dot a r e n t r y t u r I n g dot ai. And my email is d Crosby. Crosby at t j corporate credit.com.

Joshua Kornitsky: And we’ll publish both of those along with the interview. So people didn’t get a chance to write it down. They’ll be able to click on it and go right from there. Well, I certainly learned a lot today. Darren and I certainly have some folks that I want to introduce you to because I think, at the very least, they owe it to themselves to explore what else is available to them. Uh, and without that PPG on it, that would probably appeal to to most business owners that have been at this for a while. Yeah. Um, my guest today has been Darren Crosby. He’s the founder of Crosby Business Consultants. His work really focuses on helping business owners think differently about capital access. And I have to tell you, Darren, I learned a lot. I really appreciate your time and I really hope everybody gives you a call.

Darren Crosby: Um, and thank you again for for having me on here.

Joshua Kornitsky: Absolutely. I do want to remind everybody that today’s episode is brought to you in part by the Community Partner program, the Business RadioX Main Street Warriors defending capitalism, promoting small business, and supporting our local community. For more information, please go to Mainstreet Warriors. And a special note of thanks to our title sponsor for the Cherokee chapter of Main Street Warriors Diesel David, Inc. please go check them out at diesel. David. Com. My name is Joshua Kornitsky. I am a professional implementer of the entrepreneurial operating system known as EOS, and I’m your host here on Cherokee Business Radio. Thanks for joining us. We’ll see you next time.

BRX Pro Tip: How Business RadioX® Solves a Business Coach’s 3 Biggest Challenges

February 13, 2026 by angishields

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BRX Pro Tip: How Business RadioX® Solves a Business Coach’s 3 Biggest Challenges

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tip. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, we’ve had the pleasure of serving a great many different constituencies, professionals, in the professional services arena. How would you describe the benefit? What can we do? What do we do for business coaches, you think?

Lee Kantor: Well, business coaches are an important constituent for us. We have business coaches as clients. We’ve helped a lot of them. We’ve interviewed thousands of them over the years. So, I think I’m pretty confident that we understand their business pretty well. And I think that being part of the Business RadioX Network and Studio Partner Program can help them in three specific areas.

Lee Kantor: And usually, I think these are the three biggest challenges for most business coaches. Number one, it’s finding and retaining clients. Business RadioX has a proven system that keeps your pipeline full of right fit clients who are excited to meet you. Number two, establishing credibility. Business RadioX does a great job in building trust and credibility, which is crucial for success for a business coach. We quickly show our clients how to become an indispensable, trusted authority and valued member of the local business community.

Lee Kantor: And number three, differentiating a business coach in a crowded marketplace that’s filled with lots of business coaches. So, standing out in a crowded field can be challenging. But by partnering with us, you will quickly become one of one in your community. You will become the go-to resource when it comes to connecting people. You’re going to have a very diverse network of businesspeople in a variety of industries. You’re going to be the person who knows everyone and the person everyone wants to connect with and know. And if you want to learn more about how Business RadioX can really transform your business marketing and grow your coaching practice, please contact us today.

BRX Pro Tip: 2 Sales Tips for Introverts

February 12, 2026 by angishields

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Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here. Lee, you have gone on record as being an introvert. Talk a little bit about being effective in a selling profession as an introvert.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, I classify myself as a super introvert. I’m beyond the average introvert. That’s just my personality. And because of that, I kind of, that was the impetus for me to create the Business RadioX model to help me sell more effectively by having my best prospects come to me rather than me going out to find them and try to interact with them. I was trying to leverage my introversion to best serve myself.

Lee Kantor: So, things that I find that are effective when you’re an introvert and you also have sales responsibility is you have to leverage your ability to be a good listener. Sales is more about asking the right questions than it is on being super friendly and outgoing because ultimately your prospect wants to solve a problem. So, if you’re able to focus on using active listening and discovering what your prospect really, really wants and what they really, really need, then you can determine if you’re a good fit for them.

Lee Kantor: So, using your active listening skills and your ability to be patient and really understand a person’s problems is super important when it comes to sales because remember, ultimately your prospect wants to solve a problem. They don’t want to make a friend. And a lot of extroverts believe that, that they have to be a friend first. And then, if they’re a friend, then they can sell them something. In my opinion, it’s better to be a problem solver rather than a friend when it comes to selling.

Lee Kantor: And that leads me to number two, you have to use your problem-solving skills. If you can use your critical thinking skills to connect dots in the way that most other people can’t, that’s going to help you become more effective. And once you’ve determined that you can help someone, then be generous and share some innovative ways to solve their problem, be seen as a problem solver, and that makes you a valuable resource for your prospect, that makes them want to do business with you.

Lee Kantor: And so, if you can lean on your listening and problem-solving superpowers to help more people get the outcome they desire, you will sell more and it’ll be done with less stress and it’ll keep you being more true to yourself and not kind of fighting this introversion, but kind of using it as a superpower.

BRX Pro Tip: Offense Gets Headlines: Defense Wins Championships

February 11, 2026 by angishields

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BRX Pro Tip: Offense Gets Headlines: Defense Wins Championships

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you. Lee, talk a little bit about the relationship between offense and defense in business.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Well, in sports, offense typically gets the headlines but it’s the defense that wins the championships. And I think that in business, it works in a similar manner. In business, your offense is typically your sales and marketing, and your defense is your operations. If you’re great at selling someone something but terrible at keeping them, then you’re not going to make it. Your business is going to fail. And winning a sale is exciting and fun, and everybody gets really energized from that happening, and it’s critical in order for your business to survive, but if you can’t deliver value, and you can’t keep your client happy, you’re not going to be able to succeed for any length of time because, ultimately, what you want to have happen is every time you have a client, you would like them to refer another client to you or at least somebody who could be a client. And if you don’t have an engine that kind of builds a future clients from your existing clients, it’s going to be really difficult for you to grow your business over time.

Lee Kantor: So, you know, a lot of times we’re investing all of our time and resources on the sales and marketing side of our business, but you really got to invest resources on the operational side of your business, the things you’re doing for customer success to keep them happy, the things you’re doing to keep your team energized and motivated, the things you’re doing to help you really build a foundation, so that as you do grow, you’re able to absorb these clients, keep them happy, keep them getting the outcomes they desire, and keeping your business thriving, and successful and growing.

The Power of Coachability: Turning Feedback into Action for Business RadioX®

February 11, 2026 by angishields

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In this episode of Scaling in Public, hosts Lee Kantor and Stone Payton, joined by coach Trisha Stetzel, reflect on the first 30 days of their 90-day Business RadioX® plan. They discuss lessons learned, the impact of coaching, and the integration of AI tools to improve outreach and processes. The conversation highlights the importance of coachability, relationship-building, and actionable feedback. Together, they explore strategies for engaging partners, gathering insights, and adapting their approach, emphasizing collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement as they work toward their business goals.

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Trisha Stetzel is a leadership coach, strategist, and trusted conversation partner for founders and leadership teams navigating growth, transition, and complexity.

Her work sits at the intersection of leadership clarity and execution. Trisha helps leaders slow down long enough to ask the right questions, align around what truly matters, and move forward with focus and accountability. She is known for creating space for honest dialogue, challenging assumptions, and guiding leaders from vision to practical action.

With experience across executive coaching, organizational development, and business storytelling, Trisha brings both structure and humanity to her work. She believes sustainable growth comes from clarity, discipline, and a willingness to learn in real time, not from shortcuts or surface-level solutions.

Trisha’s coaching style is direct, thoughtful, and grounded. Leaders often describe her as calm, insightful, and deeply present, someone who helps them see what’s already there and act on it with intention.

Connect with Trisha on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Episode Highlights

  • Reflection on the first 30 days of a 90-day business plan for Business RadioX®.
  • Progress and lessons learned from coaching experiences.
  • Importance of decision-making and prioritization in business activities.
  • Value of being coachable and integrating coaching insights into daily operations.
  • Use of AI tools to enhance processes and analyze data for continuous improvement.
  • Strategies for effective communication and relationship-building with partners and coaches.
  • Need for gathering feedback from existing partners to inform future actions.
  • Emphasis on taking immediate, actionable steps to advance business goals.
  • Balancing ambition with pragmatism in outreach and collaboration efforts.
  • Importance of trust and support within the coaching relationship to foster growth.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from our flagship studio in Atlanta, Georgia. This is scaling in public. The next 100 Business RadioX markets, featuring founders Lee Kantor and Stone Payton, along with some of America’s top coaches, helping them grow the network with real strategy, real lessons, and real accountability all shared in public. To learn more about the proven system that turns podcast interviews into a perpetual prospecting pipeline through generosity, not gimmicks, go to brx.com And download the free Business RadioX playbook. Now here’s your host.

Stone Payton: Welcome to another exciting and informative edition of Scaling in Public. Stone Payton, Lee Kantor here with you. Please join me in welcoming back to the Business RadioX microphone. Our lead, our mentor in this project, coach Trisha Stetzel. How are you?

Trisha Stetzel: Oh my gosh, Stone, I’m so excited. And you know, it’s been a few weeks. You had a couple other coaches come in and I can’t wait to hear how things are going. It’s fantastic to be back with you guys today.

Stone Payton: Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. You guys ready? Absolutely. I know we only have a limited amount of time together, so before we jump in, uh, I’m gonna set some. Just a simple container for today and what that looks like. So we’re 30 days in, and this is a 90 day plan, right? This is our first season of this. Uh, I’ll call it experiment. Right. This fun thing that we’re doing in the background, scaling in public. Um, so this session isn’t about new strategy. It’s about reflection and course correction, or looking ahead to the actions that you want to take in the next 60 days, because we’re 30 days in. So the goal is really to gain some clarity on how you see the next 60 days going. I like to call this in my coaching practice the stop and reassess session. So we’re really just going to kind of stop, reflect and then look forward if that’s cool with you guys. Um, so why don’t we start with reflecting on the first 30 days when you think back to where you were 30 days ago, what feels different now?

Lee Kantor: Stone, you want to take that?

Stone Payton: Well, for me, what feels the most different? And there are a few things, but the most different is just a a renewed degree of focus on this objective. It’s real easy for me and maybe some others who are listening to get really excited about something. And then. And then a nice shiny object pops up over here and you forget about this. But I personally feel like I’ve had more direct focus, more consistent energy toward a specific set of objectives than I have in a long time. So it’s helped me achieve some clarity and focus. That’s the biggest shift I see for me personally.

Trisha Stetzel: Nice. Thank you Stone. Lee?

Lee Kantor: And for me, I think, um, it’s just honing in on activities that are that we’re trying and we’re actually executing and we’re tweaking. So we’re doing more activities and we’re getting more data, and then we’re adjusting based on what we’re learning from the data. So I’m excited about that moving forward of just more kind of focused activity. That’s it feels like it’s moving the needle.

Trisha Stetzel: I really? You guys are using coaching language? This is so much fun. I’m like, yes, this sounds amazing.

Lee Kantor: We hang out with a lot of coaches. Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: So I love this. So you talked about, uh, Stone, the renewed focus and Lee for you, it’s the execution, right. And it’s not like giant things. It’s really looking at what you’re doing and making those small adjustments. So the execution is getting closer to where you want to be. What about this. So that’s thinking what about the actual decision making or the prioritizing. Do you feel like the conversations that you’ve had are creeping into how you’re making decisions or even prioritizing those activities you’re focused on?

Stone Payton: Well, I don’t know about prioritizing, but I feel like we we’ve taken more action on more things a lot faster and in some cases not even necessarily consulting each other to the nth degree on it before we do something. You know, I’m real comfortable with what Lee’s doing. Lee’s comfortable with what I’m doing. And, um, but the way that is, um, kind of, uh, come to express itself like we’ve gotten one of the themes has been lean on people who have already benefited from being a part of this thing and get them to help you evangelize. And, uh, and, I mean, we jumped on that with all fours, and we’re seeing those results. We have people who are revitalized from the conversation, and they are reaching out and evangelizing for us and creating, you know, more opportunities to have these conversations. And that’s I mean, that’s real time. That’s real.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. I love that. Lee at thoughts around the decision making.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. So for me, what um, from each session we’ve kind of gleaned what we feel was an aha moment maybe. And then when we’ve kind of thought about it. We tried to create action around it and, um, and, and I feel like we’ve really made major strides in honing in on some of the topics that we covered in terms of ideal client and how to make us, uh, you know, make the sale easier and how to, um, communicate the value in a way that, uh, people are grasping faster. And, and every time we got that kind of aha moment, we just really took it seriously and tried to create operations or execution around it. Um, so that’s the part that has really got me excited. And it’s now it’s become so integrated as part of our kind of work week and our and our time that I look forward to these sessions, you know, to get that next aha moment so that we can just get closer and closer to systematizing everything so that we are getting kind of those predictable results based on, you know, activities that are generating those results in, you know, kind of over and over again.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Yes, I love this. And so shout out to Maggie Ishak and Mike Brunnick for those coaching sessions that they’ve had with you guys. I would love to. And I think it’s worth doing here if people are curious, like what is your experience been having uh, or being coached? I’ll call it live. Right. Uh, these coaches are coming in and they’re actually coaching you on their expertise or the thing that they do best in their own practice. For you guys, what has that experience been like? Because I remember way back when we started this project, you both said you were going to be coachable. So how has that experience been?

Stone Payton: I feel like we’ve lived into that. I feel like we’ve lived up to that promise so far. You may get a different perspective from the coaches, but I feel like that we have been very coachable and there’s so many of these aha moments. And because our antenna are up, sometimes things just reveal themselves that I don’t think would have made it through all the clutter. And like this idea of of removing risk. I really, you know, we wanted to we got the idea to sort of like, what can we do to lower the risk of teaming up with us, or at least exploring this. And it turns out with just turning a few dials, we can eliminate the risk and have people completely comfortable before they make a financial investment. And much of a time investment in exploring this further. And, you know, prior to this, I would have never even put that much energy into trying to lower the risk. And now we’ve we’ve all but removed the risk. I mean, it’s, you know, so to me that’s that’s just gold. Absolutely gold.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. So I’m going to spin it just a little bit different because you said in the beginning you like to be challenged. So as you reflect back on the coaching sessions, can you give us some examples on a couple of things that you’ve been challenged on that made you think differently?

Lee Kantor: Sure. Um, I think that, um, and I think this came up in Maggie’s when she said, can we make she said that it would have been great if Business RadioX was around when she started, because that would have helped her launch. And we were talking about how to create, um, the experience of Business RadioX kind of like a Sirius XM when you buy a new car, um, uh, where it’s just there. And then if you want to continue it, you just pay for it. Um, and that was something that we had never considered, um, even thought in that direction. And when she’s just brought it up, It was one of those things where I hadn’t thought about it. It hadn’t occurred to me at all. And then once I thought about it, it it kind of I was able to come up with. Okay, now I can see how that could work. And we just have to figure out how to make it work. And that was an area where it was out of the blue for me. Did not it didn’t occur to me. And um, and I was able to, I think, be coachable in the sense that I’m open to it and let’s see how to make it work. And then we landed on something that we felt pretty confident about moving forward, that we have now a way to make that work. So I don’t know. I mean, some people might think that’s kind of a like confrontationally challenge, but I think it’s just kind of thinking challenge where I’m something occurred that I wasn’t thinking about, and I was open to exploring it.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh, the beauty of coaching. You know, I heard some things about you guys from the other coaches. You guys are great when it comes to being coachable, so you’re definitely living up to the promise that you gave me all those weeks ago, which is very exciting.

Lee Kantor: So did they say, because this is one of my things that I’m a paranoid of my own personality is I don’t want to be a defensive. Are they? Did you hear any feedback from that standpoint? Because that’s something I’m trying to work on.

Trisha Stetzel: No, not at all. And Lee, I have been on the other side of that as the coach in one of our early sessions. And you’re not you don’t come off as being defensive at all, just asking thoughtful questions. And that doesn’t make you defensive. It it really helps us as coaches realize you need more clarity around what it is that we’re talking about, and we appreciate that. I think it’s fantastic for you to come back at us and say, well, I’m not sure what what exactly does that mean or what might that look like? And then we talk through it. Right. I think it’s great.

Lee Kantor: All right. I just yeah, just working on that.

Trisha Stetzel: Any bad things yet? Now I’m gonna come back around after your 60 days and we’ll see. We’ll see. Uh, how about if it’s okay with, um, shifting from the thinking, reflection and the things that were happening and, um, some things that were very interesting to you. Let’s talk about actions or even non-actions. What kinds of things? And you’ve we’ve started this conversation already, but let’s dig a little deeper. What kinds of things came up that you’re taking action on that are a priority for you right now?

Lee Kantor: Um, I’ll go first. One of the big things that we’re taking action and this has been a dramatic shift, is that we are we’ve implemented a weekly email, uh, to the four constituents that were focused on coaches, associations, franchises and then kind of our general database. And we’re writing emails to each of those each week. Um, and then what I’m doing, I, you know, I’m, I like systems and I like process. So, uh, the system is I write them on Saturday. Um, my VA, um, sends them out on Monday. She reports back on some key metrics on Friday. I take those key metrics and I take the emails and I dump them into AI, and then it makes recommendations, and that allows me to iterate and adjust the, you know, kind of fine tune the, uh, the communication for my writing on Saturday. And then it’s kind of rinse and repeat. So, um, it’s really I’m excited because I like process and I’m excited because I get to use AI, and and AI loves data, so I’m able to give them kind of content and data. It helps with analysis and makes recommendations. And then we’re able to, you know, kind of do it again. And we’ve done it probably since the beginning of this project.

Stone Payton: So this is one that I bristled with, but only internally. I did not voice my concern partially to be coachable, but also I just chose not to voice my concern. But I have never been one to communicate very frequently using email, you know, and I get emails a lot and they don’t make me mad or anything. But I have never been one to say, okay, let’s do a weekly email, let’s do more email marketing. And Lee has for some time, and I bristled with it internally. I didn’t voice a thing, but it’s working. It is working. People are responding and like and Lee crafted. While I was gone, I was off playing in Ireland for a couple of weeks. He crafted another note that, I mean, it really looked like more like one of these marketing emails to me. And I looked at that and said, man, okay, I’m glad. I’m glad I saw this. And you know, that’ll help me respond. And that email is that it’s working and people are scheduling time to have a conversation with me. And I’m like, well, I’m really glad we’re doing that. But I would have never done it on my own in a million years, ever.

Trisha Stetzel: Owen says. No more spam in my inbox. Well, I will tell you guys, I’m on your mailing list and I love what I’m seeing. And I didn’t realize, Lee, until you just mentioned it, that it is something new and one showed up in my inbox recently that said, we fixed the things that was stopping you from booking and I love that email. I was just searching for it. I’m like, I know I have this really great email in my inbox. So by the way, if anyone’s listening and you want a piece of that, you should reach out to Lee and Stone to get on their mailing list and have a conversation with these gentlemen about the work that they’re doing, which is.

Lee Kantor: And and for me, the AI component of this has been instrumental. The the ability for AI to take the like. First it recommended to keep track of certain metrics. Then and then then the my VA keeps track of those metrics every week. And then to take that analysis and then kind of be able to then move it into creating the content and then be able to test and say, okay, well, how did we do like that? That the thing you’re referring to was we were getting a ton of people saying, I’m going to book. And then they never booked. And then the AI is like, let me see your booking page. And then so I submitted the booking page to the AI and they’re like, this is the problem, change your booking page. So now we’ve changed the booking page and we’ll see if that really makes a difference. But and it seems to because anecdotally Stone and I saw a couple people book now. Um, and I think that for people who are on the fence about AI, I think they really should do some experiments around it because it is very powerful and it’s able to to analyze and synthesize data that you may be missing just because you can’t kind of keep in your head the quantity of data that it can.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. And by the way, coaches who are listening to this show, did you hear that Lee’s using AI and not replacing the coaching with AI. We are not being replaced by AI. For those of you who thought we were. Uh, it’s still very beneficial to have these types of conversations with human beings for the accountability piece. Right? And thinking outside of the box. But AI is the most amazing tool. Lee, I’m on board with you. I know you and I have, uh, done some work exchanging prompts and the results from those prompts over the course of getting this project launched as well. Um, stone, anything else bubbling up for you from an action that you committed to in the last 30 days through coaching?

Stone Payton: Well, there’s a couple I think that weren’t mentioning. One is AI. So to date I have dived into AI and asked it a ton of hunting, fishing and archery questions, but I haven’t and I really do all this. And what I need to do, I think, is when I’m having these conversations, you know, I get the zoom AI summary. I could even record some if I wanted to. When I’m. Then what I need to do is pour that into AI and say and say, you know, help me get better. What? What else should I be asking? What should I leave off the the table? And so one of the things I’m definitely going to do going forward is start using it more for business and not just make it, you know, leads thing, which is easy to do, right. Oh that’s leads thing. So, so that’s uh, that’s one also in terms of building relationships with coaches. You know, we we eat our own cooking. So we reach out and invite them to come on a show, invite them to have a conversation about coming on the on the show. And there was a point at which I told Angie, I said, I’m getting buried. Stop doing the Pre-call just put them on the show. And and what I found was one not as many books, but also it took that much longer to forge the relationship where, just like we preached, just like we have our clients do. There’s so much relationship building that can happen in that initial pre-call. I mean, it’s almost a discovery call if you’re in the coaching, right? And so that we turn that switch back on and that made a difference almost immediately. So those are two things that are on my brain to, you know, to put into action.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Well and something you asked though earlier was what haven’t we done. And this is something that came up in the conversation we had right before we started recording. And I think that it’s important that we kind of do a better job in in its poll our existing partners and kind of, um, go back to them and start asking them questions like, you know, what can we learn from your actual experience using our platform? And we’re not getting that data. And I think that’s an important thing that we should be doing. You know, sooner than later is going to the partners out there and then, you know, asking them, okay, what’s working, what’s not, where are you seeing success, where, you know, any good stories of success or any challenges? And, um, you know, we don’t have that many, so it’s not impossible. But I think it’s something that we should be doing. Uh, because I’ll be honest, several of the coaches have asked about that and we haven’t done it.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, so it sounds like even though this was not an action taking coaching meeting today or session, uh, that there are some activities that are spawning up out of this conversation as well, which means we’re making great progress. So in that vein, that same vein, we some of the things that you’re not doing, what are some of the things that you may have talked about in some of the sessions that sound like a really great idea, but you’ve had to table them for now because it’s not a priority. It’s something that sounds good. You may want to look at it later, but what if you put to the side, at least for now, and thinking about something you want to circle back to later?

Lee Kantor: Well, the biggest thing is that. And the biggest aha. And the biggest lever we think for growth is to find a coaching organization to partner so we can pilot this idea that has come up on several of the coaches, and we haven’t done that yet. We haven’t reached out to any of the organizations yet to pilot anything. And that that to me has the greatest upside. And we haven’t done anything with it yet other than identify a bunch of coaching organizations, Identify, uh, some coaches within it that we have a relationship with, but we haven’t kind of, uh, you know, taken that last step. The the last mile and, you know, going up to them and saying, do you want to do this or not? And and that’s where I think the biggest opportunity in the next 60 days are we need to get more nos. You know, we need to get more people, um, saying no, you know, we have to ask for more business. And the more no’s we get, the more yeses we’ll get.

Trisha Stetzel: Uh, I love how. How did you know we were gonna flex into this? What are we doing for the next 60 days, Lee?

Lee Kantor: Well, I mean.

Trisha Stetzel: Read my mind.

Lee Kantor: Um, but, um. But that that’s to me, um, you know, and and the coaching has helped us kind of create this sense of urgency around doing that.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. So it you have done something, you’ve taken action. You’ve made your list. You know that you want to go do this. So in thinking about moving that needle, if that is a priority for the two of you, or even just for you, Lee, what is the next first step you can take to get that ball moving down the hill?

Lee Kantor: Well, I mean, well, the two balls are the, you know, kind of pulling the existing coaches. So we have to do something where we’re having communication with them to ask them what we want to need and if they would be willing to share it. Uh, that has to happen. And then regarding the coaching organizations, the strategy that we kind of landed on is to identify champions within each of those coaching organizations. Uh, reach out to them, uh, create some sort of an opportunity for them to live into what we’re recommending and then have them go back to those coaching organizations are a part of in order to make that introduction to us. So to find a champion within it, that can be a bridge to us. And rather than us coming up kind of as a cold email or a cold relationship, to go in through somebody who’s already part of it. Um, and we have taken steps in that regard in 1 or 2 of the organizations.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Nice stone. What’s bubbling up for you?

Stone Payton: Well, you know, and maybe, maybe I’m a little too quick just to lean on what works at the local studio level. But to me, it makes perfect sense that somewhere in that equation, one of those steps could be that, you know, that coaches that coaches in that system has had a great experience getting to know us. We interviewed them all that stuff, and they tell the CEO or the CMO of XYZ credentialing organization or whatever that, and I have a call with them, and the first thing I’m doing with them is the first thing I do with everybody is just try to help them and and have the frame of helping them get ready to have a conversation about their organization, about the value of being credentialed about all of that, and be a little not be quite as cagey around and maybe communicate fairly early in that relationship when appropriate, that, hey, you know, we want to do this thing. We want to we want everything you’re experiencing and your coaches are telling you, we want to make it easy for you to provide that for your coaches. Here’s why it’d be good for you. Here’s why it’d be good for us.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, so the two big things, the two big themes that I’m hearing here are the two balls, rightly, as we talk about pushing them down the hill, not up the hill, down the hill, because that’s way easier. Uh, one is surveying your current. We’ll call we’ll call them current clients. Right? Your your studio partners on what they need and what are they getting back? And then two having conversations. So of those two things I get, we could run them in parallel. But if we’re talking about bandwidth and what comes first which one has priority in thinking about time? How much time do you need to invest in either one of those things? And can you push that ball halfway down the hill in the next couple of weeks? One of them.

Lee Kantor: Um, for sure, we can do the partner one. Um, I think we can figure that out. Uh, and that will get done. The second one is we are making some inroads, but, um, we haven’t gotten kind of the the buy in necessary for them to feel comfortable, um, for a variety of reasons. But, um, that one’s going to be harder, I think, to execute.

Stone Payton: But it’s the most important. It’s the one that’s going to provide the biggest return.

Lee Kantor: Right? That has the biggest upside 100%.

Trisha Stetzel: So I’m going to take my coach hat off and put on my collaborator hat, because we’ve been doing a lot of collaboration together. And I was just thinking about something outside of the box, sitting on the other side as a champion. Could you put together a. I’m going to call it a package. It’s not really. It’s probably an email where you take my show, the one that we recorded together, not one that I’m doing right, but the one where Lee and I had a conversation about my business. You put that in the email or however you want to deliver it, with a nice email that someone can just send to the person like you do all the work for us. So you send over, um, a request to me and you say, hey coach, I would love if you would share your show and some of the information about Business RadioX partnering with your organization. Would you be willing to do that? If we provide you with what you need to send? And I would say, of course. And so you build this nice piece of work, which is the interview. Maybe it’s not the whole interview, because whoever’s receiving it doesn’t want to hear the whole thing, but a link to the whole interview and a clip that they can watch quickly in less than two minutes with an email that I can just copy and paste directly to the people that we want to get it in front of in the first place. So using me as a champion, but you doing all the work for me. I’m just throwing it out there as a collaborative, um, thought, what do you guys think?

Lee Kantor: Yeah, I mean, I’m for trying, so I want more no’s. So that’s I mean, I’m for trying pretty much anything that makes sense. So that makes sense. So, uh.

Trisha Stetzel: Well, I.

Lee Kantor: Don’t.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. And I don’t know that it’s time intensive. Stone, what do you think?

Stone Payton: Well, I think enough of the idea that I’m writing it down, which means I want I want to do it. And then I think, you know. And this time, I won’t leave it all to Lee. But maybe Lee could start with telling AI we’re going to do this. You know, what should we say and like. And I like your idea. Make make the full length interview accessible. Maybe get a really strong clip, maybe even a clip that includes them talking about why they’re so glad that they’re part of XYZ organization. Right? So, you know, and they’ll enjoy that part. And then thinking through, okay, what do we want to say in the email. You know, we probably don’t want to pounce on them with all fours and say, and you know, we want to pilot this with 15 of your best coaches or 15 of your marginal coaches. I don’t know, it might be good to do give me five of your best and five that are going to leave if we don’t fix them. But, uh, no, I think it’s a fantastic idea. And I think once I think the energy is, is crafting the note, tweaking it and then but, I mean, we have the systems to get it to the people and I mean, everybody we’ve interviewed, I mean, this is why the thing works so well. They will they will do it. I mean, I’d be really surprised if nine out of ten we asked to do it won’t turn around and do it. Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: And so many of us want to help, but it takes a whole lot of work for me to craft that note and for the next person to craft that note and the next person. If you guys are willing to do that for us, it makes it so much easier. Right. Uh, to, to just put our own little spin on it and then send it off instead of trying to craft it from scratch.

Stone Payton: Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. So I’m putting my coach hat back on. I’m glad that we got to collaborate on that. I, um, I’d love to hear from the two of you. What? What do the next 60 days look like? So I want you to reflect on the first 30. What kinds of. And I’m talking about the business, like closing business. So, Stone, I’m going to come to you first. What kinds of conversations have you had? How are you adjusting those and how are you going to get to more no’s so that we can get to the yeses?

Stone Payton: So I am adjusting with a little more attention toward, you know, let’s it all sounds great. I love the idea. I do think we would all win in this equation. And, you know, I don’t know about you. This is me just talking quotes. You know, I’m a little bit risk averse. So I think let’s do everything we can. Let’s just take the risk out of it for right now and just let’s validate some assumptions and some things that I’m sharing with you that work, and then actually have them engage in some of those key activities, like inviting people to be on Saint Louis Business radio or just say, you know, I’m working with Business Radio, get them on the High Velocity Radio show. And so that they can see firsthand and do it in such a way that if they don’t end up pulling the trigger, they’re still in a good light, they still tried to help somebody out. And then and because because I think we’ll find out first, you know, if they’re not, if they won’t go out and invite a dozen people, you know, then they’re not ready and they’re not that interested anyway. If they invite a dozen people, that’s just a nice thing somebody’s trying to do. So we can we can design the language. We have the language, you know? Hey, I’m teaming up with Business RadioX to, you know, you know, just a couple of sentences. Be delighted, you know, and just just set that up and see you just get the interest level when they see when the vast, the vast majority will have success if they do it. When they see that, I think that’ll really take the risk down for them and they’ll benefit regardless.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Lee, how about you? Have you, um, adjusted the way that you’re interfacing with people who could be potential studio partners?

Lee Kantor: Yeah, along the lines of kind of piggyback on what Stone was saying, something that we had talked about and that, um, was to, to make the, um, like when Stone’s talking to a person, like, let me pick your brain for a second here. Um, Stone’s having this kind of follow up conversation with somebody who’s gone through a show and, um, kind of explains in a general manner how this could work. Usually we say something along the lines in that conversation, You know, you don’t just test it like go send a note to ten people, like Stone said. 12 people about being a guest. See who responds. So instead of just kind of leaving it open ended like that, but to challenge them to say, okay, how about open your LinkedIn right now? I’ll drop in the chat the note, send it to five people right now, and then, you know, in a day or so, let us know if anybody kind of responds back and just make them do it right now. Like don’t wait for them to do it when the mood strikes them. But just say, here, I’ll drop it in the chat. Send this note. We know the note that works. See what happens. Five people just go through your LinkedIn about let’s share screens. Let’s drop five of these right now. And I think if people do that they’re going to see how this can work without thinking too much and just doing. And then even if if they don’t want to work with us, we’ll still interview them. They’re never, you know, there’s no risk. That’s what we’re talking about, of removing the risk. So if we do that relentlessly with coaches and just have them when we have a follow up, do that five times, they’re going to see that this could work. They’re going to get enough data in those five to say, oh, what if I did 20? What if I did 50? What if I did 100? Then they’re going to they’re going to be closer to giving us a yes or a no.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. And they’ll actually see it working real time.

Lee Kantor: Right. So I mean, you talk to people after your shows, you tell me if you had an activity like that, how many would say, all right, I’ll do that. I’ll drop five notes. What do I have to lose? Like there’s no risk. It takes a minute to send those five notes. I’m going to just drop it in the chat. Just cut and paste it into your thing and send it five times. Let’s go. Yeah. You know, people will do that, right?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Most most of nine out of ten. Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: A lot of people would do it. And then, you know what’s going to happen when they do that? Because you’ve sent that note.

Trisha Stetzel: I people will respond, yeah, that sounds amazing. You want to hear all about me? Of course I do.

Lee Kantor: Right? So that’s the thing where we feel we’re closer to having the system in place to be able to kind of execute at scale. If we just get more people to have that conversation, more people to take that action, more people will see how it works and that it does work and that we’re not just another one of these people that are saying, you want more leads, you know?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I’ll just drop a little testimonial in here, in my experience. And I shared something with you guys earlier today that’s happened, which is really amazing. And it’s, you know, the what do they call that seven seven relationships removed from Kevin Bacon I don’t know. Anyway, I had, um, an amazing coach and yes, by the way, I’m a coach. For those of you who don’t know me, I had an amazing coach, uh, leadership coach on my show, uh, the Houston Business radio show last spring, and she just dropped a note in my inbox introducing me to someone who is interviewing coaches for a giant project. I would first. I would have never met her had I not reached out. Like what Lee was talking about, saying, hey, would you like to be on my show? And two, I created so much trust with her during the process that she introduced me to someone that she trusts, and then I automatically have more credibility with that person that she introduced me to. And I’m in the process and it’s really cool. So, um, there is so much less friction when you can invite someone to have a conversation and it’s all about them and they, they don’t feel like they’re being sold to. That’s just the bottom line, right? We’re highlighting these amazing people and they for with and they have this content that they can use forever. All right. I’m off my soapbox. Thank you for the opportunity. All right, so as we close, we talked about a lot of things today. And I know I said at the beginning this was not actually about action, but we did talk about some of those actions or activities. So I would love to hear from both of you. Uh, between now and your next session. We’re doing these every week. So over the next week, what is one action or activity that you can either do or at least start before the next session next week? Who’d like to go first?

Stone Payton: Well, we just had another one of those where this idea of having them do it right then and there is, is a little more frontal than my typical approach with people. I’m usually a little slower, so it feels assertive and it feels like a little more salesy right, than I’m used to. And I’m going to do it, you know what I mean?

Trisha Stetzel: Okay.

Stone Payton: I’m not gonna not do it. I am going to do it. I’m gonna do it right there when they’re on the thing. And, you know, look, if I get a whole bunch of pushback, then we might reevaluate. But if it’s like what’s been happening recently, it’s going to work, and I’m going to be glad that I did it. But I’m just acknowledging to you right up front, it feels a little assertive, right? Like a just like the email did.

Lee Kantor: I mean, let’s get Tricia’s. Does it feel assertive to you. Like does that feel can you is there a way that you could, um, frame what I described in your conversations with people after the fact? Uh, after they’ve kind of, if they’re curious as a way to take that action without feeling salesy.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. It’s the language that you use. Look, I, I’m, I want to help you. And so if we do this little activity together, I really feel like you’ll understand how powerful this process is. So bear with me. I have a little activity. Can I get your buy in? And they’re going to go, well, maybe. What is it? Right. Most people. Well, what is it? Well, I’m just going to ask you to send five direct messages to people that you know, not people that you don’t know know. Or maybe you want them to message people that you they don’t know, whatever that is. Right? But give them some direction and say, here’s the message. You can make it your own. And I just want you to copy and paste it five times to five people. And then I’m going to check back in with you in a couple days and see what kind of response you got. That to me and the way that I’m bringing it to you, hopefully it doesn’t feel salesy at all.

Stone Payton: It didn’t feel salesy to me when you said it. So, see, so I have like this preconceived notion that it’s all sales. Yeah.

Lee Kantor: Right. But for me it has to be in they have to do it. Let’s do it together. Now. I want it to be. Let’s share screens and let me see your LinkedIn together. Let’s pick five. And here’s the note. And I want to see them send it five times like that. So we got to get to that. Be the activity in a way that’s elegant.

Trisha Stetzel: And, you know, you have to use the language that you’re comfortable with. And another thing that you could do, you know, there is such a thing as a three way DM. You could have them three way the message and you could be copied on it instead of screen sharing, because there’s some people who are uncomfortable with that. Right? It could just be send it three way I got your back. Let’s see what happens. Now. I’m writing along with you. Now I’ve taken even more risk off your plate because I’m willing to be there with you. It’s all in the way you present it, right? It’s all in the way that you present it. Okay, so Stone is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. I like it, this is good. Okay. And, Lee, what about you?

Lee Kantor: Um, I’m gonna come up with a way to survey the coaches that we. I mean, the partners that we have so that we can get the information that we need in order, um, to kind of number one, to nurture who we have and doing what they’re doing, but also to learn from what’s working, what’s not, uh, to be able to take from some, some of those learnings away, um, from them. So that will happen this week.

Trisha Stetzel: Fantastic. Okay. How was this for you guys?

Stone Payton: Fantastic.

Lee Kantor: It’s always great. I always feel energized. And I’m so appreciative that you, um, are being so generous with us to kind of quarterback this, um, this series. And, uh, so I can’t thank you enough for all that you’re doing to help us.

Trisha Stetzel: Uh, I learn every time I get on the call with you guys, whether it’s through this project and coaching or the weekly check ins that we have together. It is, um, a very, not just a meaningful project that we’ve been working on but also relationship and I we all, I hope, have that kind of trust with each other where you know I got your back. How about that.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. And we have yours.

Trisha Stetzel: I know you do. All right, gentlemen, thank you again for your time today. I appreciate it and look forward to hearing your next coaching session.

Stone Payton: Thank you Trisha. We will keep you posted.

Speaker1: Thanks for listening to Scaling in Public the next Business RadioX 100 markets. Are you ready to enjoy a steady stream of discovery calls? And finally, stop being a best kept secret? It’s time to step out of the shadows and watch your coaching business grow. Let’s fill your calendar ten discovery calls in a month, guaranteed. Go to Birr to download the free Business RadioX playbook.

Unlocking Atlanta: Your Guide to Meaningful Networking Connections

February 10, 2026 by angishields

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Unlocking Atlanta: Your Guide to Meaningful Networking Connections
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In this episode of Greater Perimeter Business Radio, Lee Kantor interviews Andre Albritton, General Manager of Networking Only Atlanta. Andre shares how his platform helps Atlanta professionals discover and navigate over 120 weekly networking events via a curated newsletter. The discussion covers tips for effective networking, the importance of intentional connections, and strategies for both newcomers and seasoned networkers. Andre also explains the platform’s growth, its use of Substack for subscriptions, and his vision for expanding across Georgia, all while emphasizing the value of community and relationship-building in Atlanta’s dynamic business scene.

Andre-AlbrittonAndre Albritton is a serial entrepreneur and community builder focused on content, connection, and city-level impact.

He’s the founder of Networking Only Atlanta, a fast-growing platform that helps business and creative professionals navigate Atlanta’s networking landscape through a weekly newsletter, curated events, and strategic partnerships. His work centers on helping people be more intentional about where they show up, who they meet, and how they turn conversations into real opportunities.

Andre has a background spanning insurance, marketing, and community engagement, and has previously served in leadership roles with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals. Networking-Only-Atlanta-logo

Outside of work, he’s a student of history, a supporter of small businesses, an anime enthusiast, and someone who genuinely enjoys being outdoors and exploring Atlanta. His approach to networking is practical, people-first, and grounded in the belief that the right room can change your trajectory faster than any résumé tweak.

Connect with Andre on LinkedIn and follow Networking Only Atlanta on Facebook.

Episode Highlights

  • Overview of Networking Only Atlanta and its purpose in simplifying networking event discovery.
  • Description of the weekly newsletter featuring over 120 business and creative professional events.
  • Discussion on the challenges of finding quality networking events and the importance of intentional networking.
  • Strategies for newcomers and seasoned networkers to effectively engage at events.
  • Insights on the significance of following up after networking events to build relationships.
  • Advice on understanding local networking culture and adjusting approaches accordingly.
  • Common networking mistakes and how to avoid them for better professional image.
  • The role of event costs in networking and the misconception that higher fees guarantee better connections.
  • Exploration of the potential for expanding Networking Only Atlanta beyond the local area.
  • Emphasis on the importance of community engagement and subscriber growth for the platform’s success.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Greater Perimeter. It’s time for Greater Perimeter Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Greater Perimeter Business Radio. And this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have the general manager with Networking Only Atlanta, Andre Albritton. Welcome.

Andre Albritton: Hey, Lee, thanks for having me back, man. It’s good to see you.

Lee Kantor: Well, it’s great seeing you. For folks who aren’t familiar, can you share a little bit about networking only? How are you serving folks?

Andre Albritton: Yeah. So overall, Lee, how this platform shows people is essentially I sent out a newsletter every Sunday and it has about maybe 120 plus events for business and creative professionals. Typical events would be like general networking, chamber of commerce, events, seminars, workshops, conferences, summits.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. There’s a lot going on. Right?

Andre Albritton: Yeah, exactly. So, you know, I just try and focus, like from Riverdale all the way up to Alpharetta, and then I’ll go past that.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, because it can go forever. So what was the genesis of the idea? What got you going with this?

Andre Albritton: So in all honestly, it’s never a good story, but it’s the story. So this is my fifth business. And for me, I like owning businesses. I treated somewhat of a hobby most of the time. And for this one, quite frankly, I was just bored last year. So I’m an independent adjuster for those big insurance claims. And the last one I worked was in North Carolina, February 2025. And after that, that was kind of it. So I had a lot of time on my hand. And, you know, I’ve been in Atlanta since 2012. And one thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes you go to an event, it says networking, but the moment you get inside, it’s like loud music, hookahs in the air. There’s no name tags, right? It’s just like, ah, I fell for another Atlanta trap again.

Lee Kantor: And it’s hard for folks out there because there are so many choices. It’s hard to know what are the right things to go to and invest your time, energy, and especially in Atlanta traffic. You know, that’s you got to choose wisely.

Andre Albritton: Agreed. You really do. And I try to make it as easy as possible for people. So from what I learned is most people don’t get the list. They spent maybe 30 minutes to an hour and they kind of plan it out for the whole month.

Lee Kantor: Oh, really? So they’re trying to get ahead. But sometimes these things just pop up like a week or even shorter sometimes.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, they do. So like the newsletter. You’ll have the new events added in there. So I think some people probably still come back. But like I would say, they get the majority of the cake and then once they come back for like other other events, it’s like the icing on top.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you finding I’m sure you’re finding this, that there’s so much kind of niche networking, like there’s some that are just tech, you know, tech kind of events or there’s some that are more general business. Like, do you kind of segment them for different kind of topics or areas of interest?

Andre Albritton: Yeah I do. And you’re right, there’s definitely a lot of niche focused ones. And I kind of like those events the best because it tells you what you should expect. But yeah, so on the list, if I’m going in order from memory, it’ll start with general networking events. Then I’ll move to Chamber of Commerce events. Then I’ll go to industry professional events, then charities and galas, then the breakfast and the luncheons and dinners. Then I go to seminars and workshops. So I try to segment for everyone. That’s in the sense of, hey, if I want to do a workshop, I want to learn more. There’s an area for that. If I want to get more connected with the chambers, there’s an area for that. If I want to do like some general networking, there’s an area for that as well.

Lee Kantor: And then it even gets even more narrow than that. Right. Like you can have I mean, I’ve seen women medical like, you know, there’s like super niches within niches.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. I’m not getting that niche yet.

Lee Kantor: But it just that’s why it’s overwhelming for most people. They don’t even know where to begin. So I guess, do they? Do most people start at the chamber? Is that kind of a good starting point for if you were recommending someone to get into networking for the first time.

Andre Albritton: You know, for the first time, I’d say the general networking events are just fine, because with that, you’re going to meet a lot of different people from a lot of different fields, and you can then say, okay, this general specific audience is okay for me, like maybe for a realtor, that might be good for them, but maybe find out through the networking side, just say, hey, I want more serious people. I do tend to find them in the chambers as well because these are more established businesses. They pay the actual fee to be a part of this club. So it’s like, okay, now I’m more prepared for serious networking. Then it’s like, okay, the chamber events make sense. The lunches and dinners that make sense. Yeah. For just starting out, I think just general networking is just fine. Just to get used to it, see the land, see how you feel about it, and see how you move throughout the networking process.

Lee Kantor: Now, are there, um, free events on your list or are they all do you have to pay to go to, uh, some of these events? Like, how do you do you share that information?

Andre Albritton: Not yet. Maybe one day. But, um, you know, right now information. That’s when people have to do their own homework, right? Kind of like, is this event for you? But yeah, eventually I probably will do those or at least have like a little parentheses that says free, right. But you know, for now.

Lee Kantor: But right now there’s I mean, there’s quite a few that you have to pay. Right? That’s not unusual in today’s world, is it?

Andre Albritton: No, not at all. And there’s always like that conception. It might be a misconception, honestly, that the more you pay.

Lee Kantor: The better. Yeah.

Andre Albritton: So for me personally, I’ve seen it work both ways. I think if you’re just intentional about your networking, you’re actually meeting with people after the networking event. You’re doing everything you should do. You’ll get value from the free events and you get value from the paid events. But yeah, to be in Atlanta network, it does cost.

Lee Kantor: Well, whether you’re paying for the event or a drink or a food or whatever at the event. Right.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. And, um, you know, funny enough, last year I did a lot of networking events, so I cut back on my drinking. Cut back on the eating out, too, because.

Lee Kantor: You know, you save some money, I’m sure.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. So it’s only mocktails from now on. Hopefully.

Lee Kantor: Now. Um, is there a strategies you would recommend someone who has never done this before? Like how would you go about kind of walking into a room with a bunch of people you don’t know? Is there some do’s and don’ts you’ve picked up over the years?

Andre Albritton: Yeah for sure. And you know, you always have to be cognitive of where you are. So I say this for like the out of towners, let’s say you’re from New York City. If you come to an event in Atlanta, you might want to be a little bit more cordial, a little bit nicer, because, you know, the South, we like to chit chat before we talk about business. Right? New York City, that’s like straight to the business side, right? And another tip I’ll give is for introverts. And I use this quite often. Like anytime I go to a new event, I’ll find someone who’s just kind of by themselves. I’ll talk to them first and like, leave at that moment. When you’re talking to someone at a networking event, it’s like that little pause after the conversation. So right when that happens, I say, hey, do you want to join another conversation with me? I now have a best friend for the whole event, and we’ll just go from this group to that group to that group.

Lee Kantor: And then, um, do you find that there are people from out of town that maybe are here for a conference or maybe a work thing that they go explore networking? And that sounds like an interesting strategy I haven’t heard before.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, I think they do. I’ve definitely seen it often. So I, I go to a lot of conferences because of my business.

Lee Kantor: Right.

Andre Albritton: But when I do, I really I’ll invite people out to say, hey, there’s another event going down this way. You want to come with me? Yeah. And like most of the times I say, yeah, I’m in Atlanta. I came to network. I came to learn. They try to get as much as they possibly can. So I see it pretty frequently.

Lee Kantor: And then for the person, that’s the kind of maybe have been in business for a while and is good at networking, is there a different way to kind of attack these events? Are you trying to? Is there any kind of maybe pre homework you do ahead of time to see who’s there to see. Okay I’m going to meet Bob. That’s who I’m really interested in meeting and I’m not you know it’s great there’s 100 people here. But I really want to get to know Bob.

Andre Albritton: Excellent question. And yes, I personally do. So before I go to an event. If I don’t know about it, I’m going to the Instagram page. I’m going to the Facebook page because I want to see the culture or people in suits, or can I just dress down right? And then I won’t go to the the board on the website and I’ll say, okay, who do I really want to meet in my business? I like to meet the membership chairs. And then just to make sure I’m just introducing the event coordinators just so they can keep sending me the events if they want. Sure. So yeah, I definitely do my homework. I think everyone should because like if you have a goal and you know what you’re looking for in a networking event, networking in Atlanta, it gets a lot easier. It’s kind of like dating. If you don’t know what type of person you want to date.

Lee Kantor: It’s going to be hard. You can have a lot of misses.

Andre Albritton: Exactly. But you know, once you got it, got it down a little bit better, you get better data experience.

Lee Kantor: And your your hit rate goes up. Yep. Now, um, we talked a lot of what to do. There’s some things you recommend not doing. Are there some don’ts that you see that maybe kind of people new to this just make? Or maybe people who aren’t good at it are making?

Andre Albritton: Uh, so one big don’t is know your tolerance when it comes to liquor. I’ve seen it happen. Like, um, someone will come in, they’ll like pretty nice, pretty gentle. And then maybe after two drinks, it’s like a whole nother.

Lee Kantor: A little more aggressive.

Andre Albritton: Just a little bit. So that’s definitely one. And I mentioned this a little bit but selling first because and again it’s probably another misconception. But from my experience. And you let me know yours. But when I go to a networking event, most of the times the people you talk to that’s not really going to be your client. They tend to kind of give the word about you later on. Once you build that consistency and you become relatable to them, right? But, you know, a lot of times I go to the networking events and people will just try to sell me. I think the main major culprits usually are like the life insurance people. I’m also for life insurance every single time. Unfortunately, it kind of sounds like the same. So I always say that too, in the sense I understand how you sound to other people. Try it out on your friends and say, hey, how would this make you feel at a networking event? Because, you know, at the end of the day, people want to know what you do. But I don’t think anyone really likes to be sold to at the end of the day.

Lee Kantor: Right. It’s not like people are handing credit cards to people and buying stuff at the end of a networking event.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, exactly.

Lee Kantor: Like, you have to have kind of a longer term kind of view of relationship building. It’s not transactional. If you’re I would think attacking this as a transaction, you’re not going to be a very good networker.

Andre Albritton: You won’t make it long.

Lee Kantor: And people will be like, avoid that guy because he’s trying to sell everybody everything.

Andre Albritton: And that’s another thing too, even though Atlanta has like all these people moving inside, even though the city’s full. Atlanta is a small city, like we’ll probably all two degrees away from each other. It’s like if one person does this at an event, people will remember that the next time because it is a small professional city now.

Lee Kantor: Okay, let’s play out a scenario. You’re at an event, you meet like do you have a target? Like, okay, at the end of the day, you know, there’s 100 people here I want to meet five. Do I want to meet 25? Like, is there a target in your head? Is there a ratio? Like, what’s a good amount of people to interact with at a given event? Or is it just like you just kind of take it as it comes?

Andre Albritton: It always depends on the business. So like, my business is pretty different because that’s because the people that are likely going to be my clients are the ones who are at the networking events. So for me, it’s all about the numbers game. I try to make as many relationships as I can to provide that value, which is always key. But then I say, okay, well, after I met someone, it’s like, okay, you guys want to join another conversation with me, right? Let’s go.

Lee Kantor: So then you go there. But are you are you trying to go okay. Like, how do you decide if that was a good event for you.

Andre Albritton: For me, I was based off of how many people I shook hands with and how many people I felt actually listened to me in the sense they were curious about what I do. So if I go to the event, it’s like maybe four people, which actually did happen.

Lee Kantor: Four people at the whole event.

Andre Albritton: At the whole event. And let me tell you.

Lee Kantor: Maybe that was good, right? If two of them are turned into clients, that’s a win, right?

Andre Albritton: It was. And like, in a sense, we got a chance to build relationships deeper, right.

Lee Kantor: Because that’s a lot of time together.

Andre Albritton: Exactly. So no, like one guy, he told me about the LinkedIn newsletters. I had no idea about it. I might have found out about it maybe one day, but I found out from him that day. Right? And I put that on the website. So now I got a LinkedIn newsletter. It’s like even those, like the small events almost think about what actually take away from it. And you know, I’ll be honest with those free food. That’s a plus.

Lee Kantor: Now. Um, after event, is there a strategy like okay, so you go to an event, you meet. Whatever. 222 however many people you meet, is there a strategy of following up that you recommend?

Andre Albritton: Yes and no. Again, always depends on what business you’re in because like for some businesses you might be saying, hey, this needs to be more relationship based. So that might be in the sense, oh, I’m going to check in on them periodically. Uh, but my personal one is why wouldn’t I get home? Probably within about 48 hours. I’m going to send them some type of email, and it’s usually I’ll remember them in the sense of like, hey, I remember what we talked about. I remember if we just talked briefly, I would love to learn more. And I always try to provide value inside the email and more importantly, which everyone I think should be doing is I try to set up a coffee date where we can just have a chance, just chit chat. Even if even if it’s on the phone. Let’s chit chat. Just talk.

Lee Kantor: Uh, so you’re trying to kind of accelerate the relationship if it’s somebody worth pursuing?

Andre Albritton: Yeah, definitely.

Lee Kantor: But you’re not having coffee with everybody or you go broke.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, exactly. Um, so no, it’s definitely about being intentional and always goes back down to like, what are your goals for the business? So if someone is someone I really need to know, like they have an organization, they have events. I want to do my best to get some type of coffee with them or meet up with them.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned earlier that you’re a serial entrepreneur, that you’ve started several businesses. Can you talk to the person out there that maybe is in a corporate job? Like you’re like, you have a day job. Job, right? And that’s not only this networking thing. Can you talk about how, um, how to do that, how to kind of launch a new business from a place of, okay, this is my day job, job, but I really want to see if this thing can take off. How do you kind of, you know, test it to see if there’s any traction. And then if you start getting traction, how to kind of lean into it a bit.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. So I’ll use my past business actually. So before this I was a financial influencer by accident. It was not planned in any way, but I was working at State Farm. And like I said, when I get bored, I tend to start a business. So with this one, I was just posting financial topics online and I can see the traction from my followers at that point. So like my personal account, that became the business account. Eventually I had to make my own personal account. But the business side, I can see the traction in the sense like people are interested, they’re commenting. There’s some engagement. Same for the networking. Only side to where I can see that engagement. So okay, this has legs to run. And ultimately, you know, you’re gonna have to sacrifice. You won’t be able to go out as much because you got work to do. Right. So some of you money’s gonna go missing because you gotta support the business, right? You know, at the end of the day, it’s just really sacrifice. But someone’s just kind of new trying to figure out what it might look like. I always just say, get started. Like, my favorite quote about entrepreneurship is entrepreneurship is jumping off a cliff, building your wings along the way.

Lee Kantor: So when you’re saying traction, like, how are you defining traction? Is it I post something and one person gives me a thumbs up. Is that traction or is traction that oh, that one post got, you know, 500 impressions or 1000 impressions?

Andre Albritton: Definitely that one. So, you know, if someone says like 2 to 3 people and that’s like consistent. And I tried it out for maybe 3 to 5 months and I tried different ways to market, I’m just gonna assume, hey, maybe the need is just not there right now. So I thought I’d never can. Only Atlanta if the need wasn’t there back in March. And like, I tried up until June and there’s still no major tractions just like maybe a few likes, a few followers, a few views of the website. I call it a day. So hey, maybe this isn’t as good idea as it was inside of my head, right?

Lee Kantor: But what was so? Was there a number that you were like, okay, this is real? Or did you start asking for money? And people were like, hey, I’ll pay you. So then you’re like, that’s a good signal that if someone’s willing to pay, then it that’s that’s traction by itself.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, you’re definitely right. That’s like the key traction I would love to have more of. But I think the major one that did it for me, at least with this brand, was people wanted to learn more about it.

Lee Kantor: So they were saying, hey, what else you got? Or is there, is there any like here in Decatur? Or they were asking you like for things like that so that you knew that there was interest, but maybe they weren’t being served by what you had, but they were interested. If you were near them.

Andre Albritton: You know, the major interest I would say is when I was going to the networking events, people would see the list and I don’t post myself online. I’d be shy sometimes, right? But when they found out I host the list, they said, oh wow, I use that list all the time. It’s amazing. So I said, that’s been the biggest traction. You know, my theory about Atlanta is if you have a big enough audience, the money will come alongside one way or the other, right? Like this city, someone’s going to try and give you some money for some promotion.

Lee Kantor: So now you’re the way that it works is they subscribe and then it’s delivered every week via email. Is that how the business works?

Andre Albritton: Yeah. So the platform I use now is called Substack and there’s two versions. So there’s a free version. That’s why general networking and the chamber events. Right? So I have that for those people just because I if you’re still new to it, you’re probably not going to the charities or the galas. You’re probably not going to the dinners or the luncheons yet for the paid version. Then that’s for the full list. And I’m also on the list. There’s like the summits, the conferences and the Expos, kind of like more people want to be a little bit more niche. And then again, I probably need to charge more for it. But right now the subscription is $50 for the whole year. And then they’ll get the newsletter every Sunday. And if you want to go on the website, there’s a lot of other resources. So I post some business loans, grants, programs, nearby conferences because like there’s some good ones in Savannah. There’s some good ones in North Carolina.

Lee Kantor: And then is your vision of this is to, um, kind of put these newsletters all over the country. Is that how you see this growing?

Andre Albritton: Maybe one day I tried doing Miami networking only, but it was too tough to like to.

Lee Kantor: Do it remotely. Yeah. It’s hard.

Andre Albritton: And also there’s a culture to it. It’s like being in Atlanta. I’ve been here since 2012.

Lee Kantor: Right. So, you know, you got the lay of the land here, you know, where all the good stuff is.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. So I know the good organizations and more importantly, I know the major red flags. Right. If an event starts, it starts at six and ends at one. That’s a party, right?

Lee Kantor: That’s not a networking event.

Andre Albritton: But.

Lee Kantor: There’s not a lot of networking at one 1:00 in the morning.

Andre Albritton: Yeah. It can’t be. So no, I mean, the major goal honestly, and this is ideally speaking, but one of two things might happen. One, if the state of Georgia ever wants to buy me out and manage it themselves for like, the small businesses and promote their own events, I’m all game for that, right? Two would be just to do networking only Georgia and just have that name change so I can cover Savannah, Valdosta, Macon, Blue Ridge. Georgia’s a big city.

Lee Kantor: A big state, right? And there’s other pockets outside of Atlanta.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, exactly.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, so what do you need more of? Are you just trying to get more people on the list so that they can learn about the different networking events out there.

Andre Albritton: Ultimately, yes. So my major goal these days is I got this one link to the Substack, and that’s all on one platform. Explains everything makes my job a lot easier, right? So I when I talk to event organizers, I do a trade off. I say, hey, I’m more than willing to advertise your event, my newsletter. You send this link to your members who go to the event. After that. I feel pretty paid right there.

Lee Kantor: Right?

Andre Albritton: But, you know, ultimately just getting people to the list because, you know, the value speaks for itself. And again, it’s a small city. People talk in Atlanta.

Lee Kantor: Now. Can you share why you chose Substack as a platform rather than all these other kind of platforms that are out there?

Andre Albritton: Yeah. Very good question. Substack made it easier and it made it more of a community vibe. So I can put on these notes, kind of like Twitter. I can do a chat on there. I can do groups, I can do different segments of the newsletter. And, you know, AI is pretty big. It’s the big word of the this you ain’t last year? Sure, but I can see AI really taking my job in a sense, because it keeps getting better. So I was like, I have to get ahead of it and create a community. And also put in my own opinion for the event, say, hey, these events are pretty good. I will check these out. So yeah.

Lee Kantor: It allowed you to kind of personalize it and create humanity around it, not just kind of a computer generated list.

Andre Albritton: Yeah, that’s a very good way to put it. And also it did make my job easier. So I I’m not good at selling. I always like for the park to sell itself. So now on the list, like I said, there’s two versions. So go from the general networking to the chamber and then there’s a paywall. So if someone wants to try it, they can for like free seven three days or just pay the $50 for the year. So I don’t have to worry about selling anymore, like the value is just.

Lee Kantor: Built in and then and they can just stay for free forever for the general list. They don’t have to pay anything unless they want the more kind of robust list.

Andre Albritton: Yep. You got it. And you know, also with the free versions, I have this section on the site now called the Knowledge Desk. So I have industry leaders kind of just writing about AI topics, wellness and networking tips. So I’m looking to grow that out as well.

Lee Kantor: And if somebody wants to connect and learn more what’s the best way to do that.

Andre Albritton: Best way you can Google me. Um, just Google networking. Only Atlanta. It should pop up. I paid good money for it. Uh, you can also find me on Instagram under the same name. And of course the website is WWE.

Lee Kantor: Com and that’ll get them to the Substack.

Andre Albritton: Yep. Correct.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Andre Albritton: I appreciate you, Lee. You’re doing more important work than me. I love you.

Lee Kantor: I don’t know about that. Well, thank you again for sharing your story. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Greater Perimeter Business Radio.

How to Prepare Your Business for Acquisition: Tips from Tribe Equity Partners

February 10, 2026 by angishields

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Veteran Business Radio
How to Prepare Your Business for Acquisition: Tips from Tribe Equity Partners
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In this episode of Veteran Business Radio, Lee Kantor talks with Jordan Inman, co-founder of Tribe Equity Partners. Jordan shares how he and fellow veteran James Maxwell built Tribe by acquiring and growing small businesses, starting with janitorial and lumber companies in Oregon. The discussion covers their hands-on leadership style, the importance of clean financials and documented processes for acquisitions, and their mission to mentor aspiring business owners—especially veterans—by providing support, guidance, and financial backing to help them succeed in entrepreneurship.

Tribe-logo

Jordan-InmanJordan Inman is the co-founder of Tribe Equity Partners, where he supports portfolio company leadership through strategic guidance and direction.

Prior to founding Tribe, he served as an Infantry Officer in the United States Marine Corps, an experience he credits with shaping his foundational understanding of leadership and complex operations.

Jordan is an alumnus of Harvard University via the Executive Education Program and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Chapman University, where he was a student-athlete on the football team.

He and his wife enjoy spending time with family and friends while raising their three wonderful children.

Connect with Jordan on LinkedIn.

Episode Highlights

  • Overview of Tribe Equity Partners
  • Focus on acquiring small businesses, including specific industries like janitorial services and lumber remanufacturing.
  • The process of partnering with individuals to help them acquire their own businesses.
  • Importance of preparation for business owners considering selling, including maintaining clean financial records.
  • Evolution of acquisition strategies and criteria for selecting businesses.
  • Insights on the transition period after an acquisition and the role of previous owners.
  • Emphasis on the significance of documented processes and systems for smooth business transitions.
  • Discussion on the mentorship and support offered to aspiring business owners, particularly veterans.
  • The challenges and rewards of small business ownership.
  • The importance of leadership qualities and resilience in successful business ownership.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Veterans Business Radio, brought to you by ATL vets, providing the tools and support that help veteran owned businesses thrive. For more information, go to ATL vetsource. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here another episode of Veterans Business Radio and this is going to be a good one. Today’s episode is brought to you by ATL vets. Inspiring veterans to build their foundation of success and empowering them to become the backbone of society after the uniform. For more information, go to ATL vets. Today on the show, we have the co-founder of Tribe Equity Partners, Jordan Inman. Welcome.

Jordan Inman: Hey, it’s great to be on the show. Thanks, Lee.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about Tribe Equity Partners. How are you serving folks?

Jordan Inman: Yeah. So Tribe Equity Partners was started about four years ago with myself and my partner, James Maxwell, two veterans. James is a Navy guy. He started out in the Marine Corps and then went to the teams and was a Navy Seal. I did eight years as a marine Corps officer on the infantry side of the house. And we decided four years ago that we were going to partner up and buy our first company. So we bought a janitorial services company. And that just kind of took off. That did so well that we we ended up purchasing a lumber remanufacturing company locally here as well. And now today tribe is we’re one of the largest employers in Central Oregon. And what we do now is we actively seek individuals like ourselves who are in the business of of trying to hunt down their own business to acquire, and we take a minority stake and partner with them and help guide them through the process and financially back some of these people.

Lee Kantor: So what kind of was the impetus to to do this, or did you each have kind of normal other jobs and then said, hey, let’s do this entrepreneurial thing, or were you just always involved in entrepreneurial ventures?

Jordan Inman: You know, for my partner and our journeys are slightly different. I got out of the Marine Corps in 2015, largely due to the fact I had my first child, and that was just kind of a turning point for me and picking my direction. I loved the military. I would have stayed in, but made a choice to focus on being a father more so than continuing to serve. And so I ended up falling in in the corporate world for a, uh, a home builder. And I did that for a fair amount of time. But it what I learned going through the transition from active service just to the civilian world, is. It was a lot harder of a transition than I was expecting. And, um, it just didn’t feel like I was in the right place working in kind of a corporate environment. And that’s kind of. When I reconnected with James, we both joined the Marine Corps around the same time, and James was actually going to Berkeley at the time, and he was taking classes on how to acquire a business. And we started talking about it, and we decided just to kind of take a shot and buy our first company, and that’s exactly what we did.

Lee Kantor: So what was kind of the criteria of choosing a company? What did you have an idea? Or you just kind of fell into the first one and just started kind of coming up with a philosophy after that?

Jordan Inman: You know, we had we did have our criteria, which is it’s pretty standard if you’re if you’re looking to buy a small business, you know, we had a certain EBITDA margin. We wanted we wanted a long established business. Um, business to business was was something we’re looking at looking for. Reoccurring revenue is obviously great, but to be honest, we were just so open to getting in the door that we we just knew we wanted to buy a business. We weren’t going to be picky. We knew we wanted it to be local so we could get our, our hands in, uh, eyes kind of on the business and be a part of it. And so the, the first, one of the first opportunities that came up was this janitorial company. And, and because we didn’t care about necessarily the industry too much, uh, we just jumped right in and, um, it turned out to be a pure blessing. One of the best things that’s ever happened to me personally.

Lee Kantor: Now, moving forward to the present, are you still is the criteria still the same or are you now? Are you more are you less industry agnostic now or more industry agnostic? Has anything changed?

Jordan Inman: Uh, yes. That’s a great question. Um, one of the core lessons we learned from our first acquisition was, um, if you’re gonna buy a company, you might as well go big. Um, because the the lift and the work it takes to take over a small company, uh, is is the same as a is a bigger company. So, um, you know, we have our, our EBITDA margin now, the companies that we would look at are roughly around a million. Um, that’s kind of the bottom line threshold. Um, and that’s just because, you know, in the janitorial company we bought, it was um, margins were extremely, um, high. It was a great, great business. But the reason the margins were so high was because the owner, uh, was the owner operator. And she really did so many jobs within the company. And we’ve spent four years building out management team, middle, middle layers of of leadership. Um, and it has been, um, a bit of a knife fight getting that company up off the ground and getting it to a true, uh, company that’s really strong and able to kind of survive on its own without one single point of failure.

Lee Kantor: So are there any kind of lessons, uh, that you can share with maybe business owners that want to be acquired or, um, maybe aspiring businesses that just are kind of struggling, and maybe there’s some things you’ve learned on how to quickly turn around a business.

Jordan Inman: Yeah. So I think the first question, if you’re even thinking about getting acquired, you need to start years before, um, that date actually hits. So I would start prepping now. Um, a lot of the companies that we look at, um, you know, the cleaner, the books, um, the more removed and owner is from the company. Um, just just if the company’s bolted down, um, and can prove it. Um, your company’s automatically going to be more valuable. And so if you’re thinking about selling your business, um, you really the preparation it takes, it should start years before you actually sell the company. Um.

Lee Kantor: But when you say cleaner books, you mean there’s a kind of church and state, uh, between your personal and the business?

Jordan Inman: Yeah. You know, in, in the small business world, um, you know, it can be common to, to have a lot of personal expenses on the books. It can even be common to, to not really be tracking things as well as maybe you should, um, you know, things like doing, you know, cash deals or I would say ill advised because you can’t prove it. You can’t track it. Um, you just want to have a history of clean performance, uh, for as long as possible. And, um, if it’s time for you to, you know, you want to exit and sell your business, um, getting those things, you know, all the administrative side of the house and getting your documentation squared away. Uh, it really takes a long time, and it’s a heavy lift. So my recommendation to anybody thinking about selling their business is to is to lean into that, you know, at least a year before, uh, before they actually do. So.

Lee Kantor: So a lot of, um, especially small business people think they’re, um, kind of winning when they’re hiding a lot of stuff, uh, maybe for tax reasons. But in the case of when it’s time to sell, you need all that stuff documented in order to get the highest price to exit.

Jordan Inman: Absolutely. I mean, it’s a it’s a double edged sword. So, um, you know, the, the when my partner and I go in and we look at these companies and we’re looking at the financial information, um, you know, the strength of the company can be seen on a balance sheet or a PNL or, um, you know, looking at the cash flows and if, um, a business owner is taking discretionary earnings and maybe sheltering stuff in other places to avoid taxes. It’s just going to be tricky to kind of show and prove us kind of the true performance of that company. Um, so it just needs to be thought about ahead of time.

Lee Kantor: Now, when you’re working, um, with a seller, are you are they expected to kind of be a bridge for you for a period of time, or is this something that. Hey, here, we closed and see you later. Bye.

Jordan Inman: Um, you know, I think everybody’s kind of got their own idea on how that should go. I think from from my opinion. And, um, you know, just what we’ve experienced as a team is that the fastest way to starve a dog is to have two people in charge of feeding it. And so when a previous owner is is in the seat during a transition period, the team is going to have a hard time understanding, um, who’s actually leading that company? Uh, if you go in and acquire it, you know that that is now your skin in the game. That’s your baby. So for us, the smoothest transitions have been going in acquiring a business, um, and having a, the shortest possible time with the previous owner to do turnover, uh, and then get that individual out of the seat, um, just so the team can feel more supported with a single point of contact as far as the leadership goes. Um, because it can be confusing. Um, if that gets stretched out too far.

Lee Kantor: And then along the lines in that regard, is that the better that they have kind of standard operating procedures documented in systems in place, the easier that transition will be from you to you guys, right?

Jordan Inman: Yeah, it’s a infinitely smoother the more processes and systems that are, that are in place. Uh, it just makes everything a lot easier than, you know, sometimes knowledge is just captured in the head and it has never been written down. Um, it just makes things more time consuming and a little more gray.

Lee Kantor: So if you were advising a company that’s thinking about getting ready to sell, that would be so clean the books and then start documenting all the processes and procedures.

Jordan Inman: Yeah, I’m just just making sure they’re established. And, um, you know, it’s not just captured inside somebody, somebody’s head. And just as they’re about to leave, um, there’s definitely a lot of prep that goes into, um, selling your business.

Lee Kantor: And that’s why you say to start early, because the sooner you start working on this stuff, the sooner you’ll be ready.

Jordan Inman: Yeah, absolutely. And really what? You know, what my partner and I are doing is we’re on the acquisition side, so we’re on the buy side. Um, to date, we have not sold anything ourselves. We’re just, you know, accustomed to looking at a lot of these businesses as we always search for our next acquisition and, and really, um, today we’re looking to sponsor, uh, other individuals who are doing their own search. Um, so the dynamic is changing quite a bit for us.

Lee Kantor: So what do you mean by that? Sponsor other people.

Jordan Inman: You know, the for James and I, we’ve we’ve been very fortunate, um, and we’ve had a lot of success going in, in, in buying a small business. That’s something that has been a life changing opportunity for both of us. Um, we went from the military, which was a space, um, that we were able to, you know, be a part of a small team, small group environment. And, um, there’s a lot of fulfillment being a part of a small team and just getting in there and, and, you know, sweating it out with the guys leading small groups, um, in small businesses, really kind of given that back after we transitioned out of the military. And so it’s a really it’s just been a, a fantastic fit for us. Um, financially it’s been fantastic. Lifestyle wise, being a small business owner is, um. It’s perfect. You know, my my son had a day off at school, um, a couple days ago, and he’s able to come to work with me. Um, he can look at, you know, invoices with me, and we practice his math, um, on real life scenarios. Get to see his dad, actually, um, kind of working real time.

Jordan Inman: And so all these things have been a real blessing for us. And what we realized is, is, is, um, we could keep going and keep acquiring more businesses. Um, that is one way for us to grow. Um, but a more fulfilling way is to find an individual that’s very similar to, to like what James and I were, you know, 4 or 5 years ago, who has this vision of wanting to go acquire their own company? Um, it’s a scary thing. And it’s not it’s not easy. Anybody who tells you you can just go buy a business and it’s all roses Is shouldn’t be trusted. Um. It’s a it’s a huge lift. It’s a massive endeavor. And, um, you know, if we can partner with people, um, and help coach them through that whole process and be a part of their journey that, you know, that’s, um, it’s really a win win. And I can’t think of anything that’s that’s more fulfilling than than that. Um, so that’s kind of the direction we’re, we’re currently heading right now.

Lee Kantor: So you’re looking for kind of the next Jordan in another market and to help them kind of acquire their first business.

Jordan Inman: Yeah, absolutely. And to be honest, it could even be in the same market. Um, you know, James and I believe that we don’t need to blow somebody else’s candle out to make ours shine brighter. Um, there’s more than enough to go around. And, um, you know, if we can partner with individuals who are who are hungry, eager, eager to Eager to learn. Um, and they just they just might need some help, you know, because it’s, uh, again, it’s not the easiest thing to go out, acquire a company. Um, it’s even harder post-close when you actually take a company over, um, we can we can mentor. Um, we can, we can guide them through the entire process from start to finish. Um, we can be a long term partner. We can financially help and, uh, financially back people if they need it. Um, and it’s just, you know, it’s a very fulfilling, rewarding spot for us to find ourselves in, um, and it’s really, you know, it’s a lot of it has to do with giving back at this point.

Lee Kantor: So you’re looking for, I guess if you were looking for kind of the, the ideal would be somebody that’s a veteran from the veteran community that is maybe like you were maybe frustrated with where you were or felt unfulfilled in some areas and think that if they could own and operate an existing business, you can help them kind of assess the risk, help them choose wisely so they’re not jumping into something that maybe they shouldn’t and then even financially back them. Possibly, um, if they make a choice that they can’t afford.

Jordan Inman: Yeah, absolutely. And, and, um, we actually sat down at the turn of the year and, and we kind of thought about what the ideal qualities of a, um, somebody who we think would be successful acquiring their own business and, um, one they got to be all in because, you know, once you acquire a business, there is no going back. Um, so they have to know themselves that it’s, it’s kind of their path that they want. Um, it’s not something we, we ever want to talk anybody into. Um, two, they got to understand that, um, leadership is, you know, it’s by example. Um, there’s a lot of people who think that you can acquire a business and kind of do it passively, and and things are going to go well. Um, my partner James and I, we think the opposite. We think you need to be engaged. You know, you got to lead from the front. Um, you have to be present to win. Um, you gotta understand the importance of team. And, you know, James and I could have each individually gone and bought our own businesses. Um, but business is a roller coaster. You know, there’s so many ups and downs and, uh, having a partner kind of have your back is so critical, um, in the down periods. You know, it’s the worst times. Never feel that bad when you have somebody to share it with. And then the up periods, it’s so much more fun to celebrate with somebody. And there’s been so many times where I found myself kind of in the trenches, uh, working on a project in a business.

Jordan Inman: And, uh, you know, my partner James is kind of sitting in Overwatch, and he’s able to look out for me on the bigger picture, or vice versa. We’re able to to jump in and call time out. Hey, you know, I need a bit of a break here. Um, and, you know, James and I can move in and out of these companies very fluidly. And so I think the right person needs to kind of understand that it’s business is not a it’s not a solo sport. Um, to be successful, you kind of need a team. Um, and then the last thing is, is you gotta have some resilience if you’re going to buy a business and be successful. Um, resilience can be shown in many ways. Some of the, um, you know, some people have MBAs and they have military background, and I think that’s a form. But there’s there’s a lot of forms of resilience out there. Maybe, maybe it’s somebody who, um, has lost a lot of weight and overcome that kind of a challenge. Um, but you gotta have a certain grittiness to you, um, to kind of withstand the test of time. Um, so that’s kind of what we look for. And to be honest, we we don’t just look for veterans. Um, we’re open to to really anybody. Um, James and I are both veterans, so it’s easy to relate if you are a veteran now.

Lee Kantor: Um, when you’re, when you’re, um, working on the companies you talked about kind of leading from the front are, is are you or and or James, are you become the CEO of the company or do you, um, put managers in place and you’re kind of on the board of the company, like, like what do you mean by leading from the front since you are involved in so many companies now?

Jordan Inman: Yeah. So that’s another good question. Um, I guess you could say we’re kind of like CEOs. Um, we we are not super huge on titles. Um, you know, we, uh, we I think there’s a, a lot of people get hung up on their own title. Um, so we would never call ourselves CEOs, but, you know, our day to day looks very much, um, Um, no days the same. We definitely set the vision and the strategy. Uh, we hold our annual, quarterly and kind of weekly team meetings. Um, but we have people in place who are managing and operating kind of the day to day. Um, but at any given time, James and I, you know, we might need to float in or out and cover down on different challenges that might arise. Um, you know, we could find ourselves in a boardroom, uh, pitching something to bankers. We could be talking to lawyers about something at one point. Or we could be down literally scrubbing toilets next to one of our team members. Uh, because they’re having a bad day. Um, we float in and out, um, and do kind of a variety of different roles. Um, but we are very much hands on, very much engaged, very much available for our team, uh, as much as we can.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there a story amongst the acquisitions you’ve done so far that kind of encapsulates the potential of what, um, kind of working with you could become for somebody out there.

Jordan Inman: Um. Yeah. I mean, the the opportunity is endless and small business. If somebody were to acquire a company, um, you know, if I’m answering your question, hopefully the right way. Um, you know, James and I have achieved a certain level of, uh, financial freedom, flexibility, um, and just a lifestyle, um, that we have chosen, um, and all those things, like, that’s the, I think the positive side to, uh, being successful in small business. Um, you know, the other side of that is, is, um, we’re always on we’re always, you know, we’re working around the clock. At any given point in time, there’s no shortage of issues. You know, our lumber company right now, um, we’re working through some cash flow issues in the janitorial company. We’re working through some some mid-level leadership type issues. Um, and so I think for the right person that has the right mindset and, uh, the work ethic and the drive, small business can be the most rewarding and freeing, uh, career that you could possibly choose. Um, hopefully that answers your question.

Lee Kantor: So what do you need more of? How can we help you?

Jordan Inman: Um, if if there’s anybody out there who is interested in going out and they feel that the path for them is to go be a small business owner and they have no support and they they just want somebody to talk to. Um, please don’t hesitate to reach out to to James or I, um, you can find us on, um, we’re all over LinkedIn. We have a company website, uh, Tribe Equity Partners.com. Um, you can shoot us an email info at Tribe Equity Partners.com. Um, we really spend the majority of our time working in and out of our businesses and just trying to help the next person achieve what we’ve achieved, because to us, that’s that’s the most fulfilling thing we can, we can possibly do.

Lee Kantor: Now, what about the person that’s thinking about exiting? Are you interested in conversations with that person, or is it something that you start dealing with once you got the right partner in place?

Jordan Inman: You know that’s not that’s not necessarily our lane. Um, there are plenty of professionals and experts who who solely help people, um, when they’re getting ready to sell. Um, I can always share if somebody, you know really wants to talk about it, I can always share the things that I’m seeing from a buy side. Um, but really, you know, James and I are in the business of of acquiring businesses that are just local. Um, and the reason we, we stay locally focused here in bend, Oregon, is because we like to be hands on. We actually like to physically be present. And then the rest of the time is really spent, um, helping others out nationally, uh, go acquire their own business.

Lee Kantor: Good stuff. So if somebody wants to learn more about Tribe Equity Partners, is there a website? Is there a best way to connect?

Jordan Inman: Yeah, just hit the website. Ww Partners.com, um, you know, or reach out to us to our email addresses on the website. Uh, or you can hit us up through LinkedIn.

Lee Kantor: All right. Well, Jordan, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Jordan Inman: I really appreciate the, uh, the opportunity to be here. Um, and I love what what you’re doing as well, uh, the veteran community is a is a very special community.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Veterans Business Radio.

BRX Pro Tip: Self Awareness Test

February 10, 2026 by angishields

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BRX Pro Tip: Self Awareness Test
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BRX Pro Tip: Self Awareness Test

Stone Payton: And we are back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, today’s topic is self-awareness.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. Most successful people think they’re self-aware. And, you know, here’s a little test that you can see how self-aware you are. Just imagine this scenario. Something bad has happened. If that something bad is happening to you or to somebody you know, do you attribute that something bad to just bad luck or is it that that person was being an idiot?

Lee Kantor: Usually, when it’s you, you’re like, “Oh, darn, that bad luck happened.” But if it’s a stranger, it’s like, “What a moron. How could they do such a silly, dumb thing?”

Lee Kantor: And that’s usually attributed to a kind of lack of self-awareness. If something bad happens to other people, you think they’re morons. But if it happens to you, it’s just bad luck and you give yourself and your friends a lot more grace usually than you do a stranger. Or even in today’s social media world, any type of rival or somebody who believes the opposite of you, you don’t give them any grace at all.

Lee Kantor: So if you want to be more self-aware, try giving other people the same benefit of the doubt that you’re giving yourself or your friend. That is probably closer to the reality of the situation. You know, if you’re giving yourself grace for something bad that’s happened, try giving that same grace to people that you don’t know, or maybe you’re not even a big fan of.

The Power of Perspective: Shifting Mindsets for Better Leadership Conversations

February 9, 2026 by angishields

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In this episode of High Velocity Radio, Joshua Kornitsky interviews leadership coach and author Kirsten Ross Vogel. Kirsten shares her journey from a 35-year HR career and personal adversity to coaching leaders, especially in EOS and family businesses. She discusses overcoming internal barriers like fear and guilt, the importance of clear communication, and navigating difficult conversations. Kirsten emphasizes the human side of leadership, normalizing vulnerability and conflict, and offers practical strategies for building trust and objectivity within organizations. She also highlights her resources for leaders seeking to improve their communication and leadership effectiveness.

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KRVHSKirsten Ross Vogel coaches leaders to build high performing teams and eliminate the friction that can happen while scaling….or working with family.

Gain from the knowledge & proven strategies she’s shared with thousands of leaders for more than 30 years working with passionate leaders in privately held companies, family businesses and non-profits.

You are closer than you realize to the business and team of your dreams!

Tired of feeling that you’ll never get your employees to do what you need? Frustrated with employee bickering and backstabbing and all the customer complaints? Today is your chance to transform that forever.

Kirsten Ross Vogel, is known to many as the “Drama Free Queen”.

She’s the Author of “Defeat Team Drama Now” and “From People Problems to Productivity” and has been featured as an expert for media such as: NBC Nightly News, Fox 2 News, National Public Radio and for publications such as Entrepreneur Magazine, Working Mother Magazine and Crains.

Kirsten shares simple, actionable leadership, communication & selection strategies that help leaders generate a clear direction, defeat employee drama and focus their teams on productivity and great service.

Rosemary Batanjski, Business Owner Says: “I had a difficult time with staff compliance and expectations. By implementing Kirsten’s strategies I got my team on board and working well together. Customer service has improved dramatically and our profits are up!”

And, according to Gino Wickman, top selling author of Get a Grip and Traction, “Finding a great coach is a difficult task but Kirsten is one of those great ones.”

For more than 30 years Kirsten has helped leaders generate focused, motivated, teams that work well and produce more.

Proud owner of Focus Forward Coaching, a leading coaching and culture correction firm, she launched her business more than 16 years ago and generated success as a single mom to two young boys.

Kirsten is the undisputed expert on how to move from Resigned, Resentful and Overwhelmed to Focused, Engaged and Empowered.

The Impact Academy 

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Episode Highlights

  • Transition from a career in human resources to leadership coaching.
  • Personal experiences influencing coaching philosophy, including overcoming an abusive marriage.
  • Importance of clear communication in leadership and overcoming internal barriers.
  • The role of fear and guilt in leadership and how to navigate difficult conversations.
  • The significance of normalizing feelings of fear and uncertainty among leaders.
  • Focus on working with EOS businesses, family-owned companies, and privately held businesses.
  • Challenges unique to family businesses, including communication and relationship dynamics.
  • The importance of objectivity in feedback and communication.
  • The role of language in shaping interactions and perceptions in leadership.
  • The value of conflict in leadership dynamics and the need for healthy disagreement.

About Your Host

BRX-HS-JKJoshua Kornitsky is a fourth-generation entrepreneur with deep roots in technology and a track record of solving real business problems. Now, as a Professional EOS Implementer, he helps leadership teams align, create clarity, and build accountability.

He grew up in the world of small business, cut his teeth in technology and leadership, and built a path around solving complex problems with simple, effective tools. Joshua brings a practical approach to leadership, growth, and getting things done.

As a host on Cherokee Business Radio, Joshua brings his curiosity and coaching mindset to the mic, drawing out the stories, struggles, and strategies of local business leaders. It’s not just about interviews—it’s about helping the business community learn from each other, grow stronger together, and keep moving forward.

Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn.

Transcript-iconThis transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

 

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.
Joshua Kornitsky: Welcome back to High Velocity Radio. My name is Joshua Kornitsky. I’m a professional implementer of iOS and your host here today I am joined by a friend and an incredible guest, Kirsten Ross Vogel. She’s a leadership team coach and an author who has worked with individuals and organizations navigating growth, complexity, and change. Her work really focuses on helping leaders communicate clearly, build credibility, and create meaningful impact. Kirsten brings a thoughtful, grounded perspective shaped by deep experience in leadership development and coaching, and she’s really known for her her blend of practical insight and human centered leadership. She’s worked with EOS, with EOS implementers, and with our community since literally the beginning of EOS. So welcome, Kirsten. I’m deeply honored to have you here, I really am.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Thanks so much for having me. And I love that we’re getting to do this today. I know we got I got to see you in Detroit. It’s been a little over a year ago now, so.
Joshua Kornitsky: It’s good to see how the time flies for sure. Um, well, let’s begin at the beginning. Would you share your origin story? Tell us where what brought you to the world that you now function in and, and maybe even a little bit of the ancient lore of EOS.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Oh, goodness. Okay. Um, well, so my story is maybe a little outside of what you normally expect with someone starting a business, but, um, so my background team and resources, master’s degree, senior certified human resource professional over 35 years. I hesitate to say, but, um, you started.
Joshua Kornitsky: At age three?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah, exactly, exactly. But, uh, this business actually was born out of my need to get out of an abusive marriage, um, over 25 years ago. And so I, you know, I’d always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I had been working for others for a period in human resources. But as part of the kind of the trajectory of that difficult marriage, um, I was not working, and I needed to. I had two small boys, and I knew I needed to get out. And so during that period, I checked with some of my trusted advisors and said, what is it that you see in me that I might not be seeing in myself? And over the course of that first week of exploring with trusted advisors, I had several people tell me I should be a coach. Now, keep in mind this is the early 2000, so coaching wasn’t well known at that point and I had not heard of it. So I had to hit Google, right? Uh, but once I did that and saw the descriptions of what coaches did. I realized that I had been accidentally coaching people my whole life. Um, to date myself even more. Um, you know, Ann Landers, if anyone knows.
Joshua Kornitsky: I know who she was.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Um, they used to call me the Ann Landers of the high school, because people would come to me with their issues and their problems and their communication snafus, and I would help encourage and motivate, etc.. And so, um, anyway, when I saw the description, I knew that this was that thing I’d been yearning for. Um, I knew it was my purpose. And so, uh, I took a coaching class, read a book Co-active coaching, and took on a couple of just freebie clients to test the waters they made transformation. And that was it. I created my website, you know, the name focus for coaching, created my website and launched my business. And I was able to file for divorce about six months or so later.
Joshua Kornitsky: Wow. So it really did begin your life anew.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: It really did. And so that’s what I mean. Like, it’s probably not the optimal time, um, to start a business. I was definitely kind of beaten down. And, you know, again, it’s been a number of years, so a lot of healing has happened. But it was great because it, you know, it gave me the opportunity to be there for my two boys and, um, you know, and make a living to support us and provided the flexibility that I needed to help them heal and help myself heal.
Joshua Kornitsky: Well. And I know one of the things, obviously, with that human resources background, you you have a different perspective than most people will when looking at, uh, what I would describe as as human related challenges. Right. But communication is really your strength. How how did that skill, how did the communication skill evolve to impact on the HR side of things? And and really, I guess that’s the birth of your coaching, right. Because you’re bridging gaps.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yes, absolutely. And, you know, the underlying issue and kind of everything with human dynamics is our communication. And it starts with, you know, it’s not just how we’re communicating to others, but also what are we communicating to ourselves. And that’s really kind of at its core, our mindset. And so, um, it was really born out of continuing, you know, and from human resources, a human resource perspective. Um, you know, I can tell someone, you know, have a progressive discipline process or a good attendance policy. But the problem is, many leaders are have barriers to actually utilizing those tools. They’re good tools to have. But so the coaching is how do you communicate clear expectations. How do you, um, have correction conversations with employees? And one of the big stop gaps for leaders in, uh, engaging in those conversations is they have fear and guilt. And so the internal barriers that they have are stopping them from doing the things that they need to do. So the coaching really is helping people maneuver through their own fears and guilts of engaging in what they find to be uncomfortable conversations. And, um, so what they’re telling themselves internally, which also creates our nonverbals, um, and how to strategize about really engaging in whether it’s, you know, a huge negotiation that you’re going to into or just having a conversation with an employee. How do we show up as leaders, feeling fully empowered? Because we’re we’re leading with our strengths, we’re focused on our intentions, and we realize that we’re not ultimately responsible for the reactions that others have about the conversation as long as we’re showing up well.
Joshua Kornitsky: So I think you’re bringing to light, uh, an assumption I had made. Right? Which means lots of people make, because my assumption was that the bridge you were building was. Hey, executive. Hey, VP. Hey, director, let me help you learn the skills you need in order to do these things. But it sounds like you’re starting at a much more foundational level of. Let’s make sure you understand that what you think you are alone in feeling is pretty normal, is. I ask that as a question, right?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah. Yes. And sometimes that’s part of it. We can normalize it. So now, you know, I certainly don’t want my clients to or anyone listening. Don’t beat yourself up about the things that, you know, stand in the way of you showing up. Well. Et cetera. In conversations or allowing yourself to avoid difficult or uncomfortable conversations. Um, I say that people often create, um, reasons that excuses that feel like valid reasons, but really aren’t. But yes, it’s so normal. The number of times that I have worked with a high level leader and to overcome their people pleasing, um, you know, who would thunk? Who would have thunk, right?
Joshua Kornitsky: Well, and it really is kind of eye opening for you to share that because, you know, the, the veneer, the the outward facing appearance is all confidence and confidence in Polish. Right? And it’s somewhat, um, really humanizing to understand that behind the veneer, there might be a little bit of sweat and some knocking knees, all.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Kinds of stuff.
Joshua Kornitsky: Yeah. And you’re telling me that’s normal?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah. I mean, and I don’t even think the goal is to remove that. The goal is to have that, not stop us. And so I, you know, we can’t shut down our brain in those uncertainties and, and, you know, but we work the muscle and we get more and more confident in going and having what we find to be uncomfortable conversations. But yet my work is definitely a combination of teaching strategies. Um, either, you know, HR kinds of things or strategies I’ve created over the decades, um, or I’m a bookaholic, you know, information coming out of that. But then to me, the coaching piece is, is all the internal barriers. So we need to bust those, um, so they can utilize the strategies that I’m teaching.
Joshua Kornitsky: I think that that’s a really insightful, uh, footnote to something that’s a much bigger deal. Uh, and I say that because, truthfully, it’s sort of an eye opener for me because I think, like a lot of people, we assume at some level magical confidence comes. Right. That that when I am leading XYZ organization or this many people that I, I know how to do that and it doesn’t make me sweat and it doesn’t bother me. And I think that it does help anybody that hears this to know that that not only is it normal, but there are other techniques, there’s tools, there’s resources that you can help them understand better how to cope with. And somebody long, probably before books were even written, said something to the effect of, you know, courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s it’s understanding the fear and doing it anyway. Right. Is acknowledging that I’m afraid and doing it anyhow.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yes. And don’t waste energy beating yourself up for something that is normal that so many people go through. It’s just don’t be stopped. Now, I don’t know if this is folklore, um, but I believe it to be true. Um, Barbra Streisand, who we all, you know, well, I think everyone still knows. Maybe certain people who are much younger might not know her, but, like, you know, um, the Queen, uh, on huge stages. Well, I’ve heard that she actually has huge stage fright and would become physically ill before going out on stage.
Joshua Kornitsky: Wow.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: So what are some of the things that separate her from those who don’t get on big stages. Is that not that she didn’t have the fear that she overcame it and she just did it anyway.
Joshua Kornitsky: That’s, uh, we’ll have to look more into that one.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah.
Joshua Kornitsky: The one don’t know. The one that I know for sure, because I’ve heard it from his own mouth in interviews, is that Harrison Ford is, like, painfully shy, despite the fact that he always plays these very up front characters. If you see him in an interview, he’s uncomfortable as can be.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah. And I think it was one of the Backstreet Boys or something. Again, I don’t follow the boy bands, but like one of, you know, one of them was also very, you know, had a lot of stage fright and anxiety, etc..
Joshua Kornitsky: So and I guess they worked through it with folks like you. That’s fantastic. So let me ask at a high level, Kirsten, what types of groups and organizations and people do you typically work with?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Um, I work largely with, uh, businesses running on iOS. Uh, so part of my story is. Yeah, is, uh, I’ve actually known Gino Wickman since before it was iOS, and worked with a number of the clients in the book traction. One of my first clients was actually in that book, and that’s how I met him originally was because the client said, we’re working with this guy, and we that’s all he was back then, you know this guy. So we need you to know and understand his process. But, uh, so, uh, you know, through that, that’s kind of the start of my business was, you know, Gino.
Joshua Kornitsky: That’s great.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Starting to refer me business. Um, and other EOS implementers now. But, um, I love working, um, in and around the nooks and crannies of EOS running businesses, but really, any privately held, uh, business and a lot of family businesses, uh, anywhere where leaders are having difficulty, there’s just clunkiness issues, barriers to executing on what they’re trying to make happen in their business. And, uh, the people side of that can just add an extra complexity. And certainly in family business, uh, the relationship slash communications slash discomfort in conversations and decisions that can ignite. So I do a lot of work with family businesses. You know, Uncle Charlie’s wreaking havoc in the. Sure. And you don’t know what to do about it. Uh, visionaries. Integrators really having a lot of friction. Um, yeah. So that’s that’s how I work with.
Joshua Kornitsky: Well, and leaving names out of it. I even brought you, uh, asked you to talk with one of my clients in a family business because, um, let’s just say the the dynamics of every family business, in my experience, are wildly different. Uh, and they were having a fairly common problem. And their problem was it’s hard to draw a line between doing right by the business and doing right by your family. I think is a good way to sum that issue up. And and is that a common? Is that a common engagement for you where where people are sort of torn?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Absolutely. And, you know, sometimes it’s I know what the right things are to do, but I just am too afraid to do it. I mean, we’re going to get back to that fear thing again. Um, you know, have those conversations and, uh, make some difficult decisions, prepare for the, the discussions that need to happen, etc.. But yeah, lots of family business. You know, there’s more at stake, uh, you know.
Joshua Kornitsky: Because.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: You want to still have things Thanksgiving together.
Joshua Kornitsky: Right in, in in the words of, of one of my family clients. Yeah, I know, I, I might need to fire the this person or that person, but when the sun comes up the next day, it’s still my brother or my sister or my cousin. Right. And and that doesn’t change. Even if it’s for the best. For the business.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yes. You know, I can share just a recent example of a family business that I’ve been working with. And, um, it was a little unique one because it was actually a son owned the business and the father was working there. But, um, you know, in this scenario, initially, the person I was coaching was taking lots of things personally versus being objective. So I had to coach around, um, building objectivity and how they were perceiving circumstances. And thank goodness that we did that work, because ultimately, um, some shifts happened in the business and they had to make some difficult decisions. And, you know, I don’t want to go into the specifics too much, but thank goodness that the family was able to be objective and realize they were business decisions that were difficult and they didn’t need to impact the family relationships.
Joshua Kornitsky: Well, and you hit a great word there, right? Because it’s in you’ve got to treat it as an objective situation, not an emotional situation. And and without asking you to to share anything private of any of your clients, what’s, what’s an example maybe of of that type of a Transformation. How do you what I know that the ultimate answer and I say this all the time is it depends. But in a in a scenario you can think of, what are some of the ways that you might 1 or 2 of the ways you could help them change that perspective, to not take it personally, because I would say that’s the biggest bucket I encounter is where where legitimate iOS centered, uh, constructive feedback is, is not heard as feedback is not heard as constructive. Um, it’s an attack. Um, and it’s not ever meant to be an attack.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Right. So, um, so in coaching clients who are worried about someone perceiving it as an attack, the difficult conversation that I keep referring to, um, one of the things I coach around is making sure that, um, we don’t take responsibility for someone else’s response to the conversation, so I can’t dictate whether or not someone’s going to take it personally when I’m being objective. The only thing I can do is lean on my good intentions for the business. Now, of course, yes, there’s more at stake, and we want, and we hope that someone in our family can can see it as objective and not personal or consequences or punitive or any of that. So all we can do is, um, focus on how we’re communicating in terms of though, if I’m working on with the person who is taking things personally, it is a shift. Tell yourself a different story, um, about the the information that you’re taking in and see it as fact based, um, how it’s it’s really a mindset thing. And the story we tell ourselves is, is what I’ll say, um, about what we’re hearing. Um, and so I’m trying to think of a way to um, so in those scenarios, uh, yeah. The person communicating don’t be stopped by the, the fear of how someone might react if they have a tendency to take things personally, just know like that’s on them, that’s their emotions to modulate and deal with and and all of that. But if you can stay up on this sturdy platform as you communicate, uh, versus getting defensive, etc., when someone’s taking it personally, um, you’re leaving the door open for hopefully more constructive communication going forward. Um, but so.
Joshua Kornitsky: I mean, thank you that, that I think that says a lot and, and the logical question and I’m a word geek. I can’t help it. My mom’s librarian retired.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yeah.
Joshua Kornitsky: Uh, how important is language and the right language in those types of dialogs?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: 100%. I mean, I was just helping someone prepare for a big negotiation, and we so I when I’m coaching, like, I love humans, they’re they’re hilarious. And so we got laughing though because the words that he was planning on using worse, you know, would have ignited so much, probably defensiveness and frustration and the person he was about to communicate with. Um, we need to focus on the words were, again, words we’re communicating out, but also internally, you know, I’ll share about if I have time. A very quick story about this was a number of years ago, but I was working with a client who, um, had a really difficult job because she was, um, she was working with children who had very high physical and mental challenges and often had to work with the schools to try to get these children resources. And she came to me and said, it’s an injustice. It’s an injustice. She was, in her mind, dealing with injustices multiple times a week. Most of us will not deal with an injustice over a lifetime, sure, but when you’re using that word internally, how are you showing up to those conversations? You’re in battle. You have your gear on. You’re defensive. You’re pushing. And so the fix was for her to shift the words that she was saying. I pointed that out. That’s a huge, huge word. What if you could come from a different perspective that they just have limited resources, that they want to help these kids just as much as you do? They want to lock arms with you. And, you know, so you’re to find creative solutions to getting these resources. By the next week, she had already had dramatically improved interactions with all the schools that she had dealt with in that previous week, just because she was showing up better. And the good news is that’s within our control.
Joshua Kornitsky: Absolutely. Well, and I think the what you just put your finger on that again, I think is is incredibly helpful for, for anyone that that takes the time to listen to you express this to them, is that reframing of the internal monologue really is critical because, as you said, your body language if Injustice. Using your example is such a strong word. You have to physically manifest if that’s what you think it is in here. Your body language is going to be, I imagine, pretty aggressive.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: And what does that ignite in the other person you’re talking to? They also have to protect. Right. And now we’re not really communicating. Yeah. Yeah. We’re both through our swords in the sand and you know and we’re both stuck. We’re not actually having a conversation.
Joshua Kornitsky: So do you ever do any type of and this is my term. But like de-escalation of those situations because I’ve seen organizations grind to a stop at the leadership team level. Shockingly. Right. Because A wants this and B wants that. And you know, there’s no they I use the terminology bridge all the time and there’s no bridge between them because one of them usually sometimes both of them have no interest in building it.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Yep. I have done several situations like that just in the last year. Yes, absolutely.
Joshua Kornitsky: So there is hope is what you’re really saying?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: 100%. There is. Yes. Um, and it’s either, um, you know, the best way for me to work on that help with that is to meet individually with those who are stuck. Again, I’m the kind of the puppet masters behind the scenes, like helping them different perspectives strategize about how to show up different ways to communicate. A lot of times that can fix it. If not, I will facilitate. Um, in in over 30 plus years of facilitating, I’ve never lost control of a conversation. So I can say with confidence that they will reach a resolution in whatever topic we choose. Um, and that’ll be a real life topic that they’ve been stuck on. But also I will communication coach along the way and have them make commitments for how they’ll communicate in the future.
Joshua Kornitsky: A lot of what you’re sharing Resonates with me as an EOS implementer because, uh, at the risk of of making a connection, whether it’s there or not is so much of it is that that openness and honesty that’s that’s critical to EOS. And forgive me, I just came back from doing three different annuals. It all goes back to the Lencioni trust pyramid and vulnerability based trust, but it really is. If if there’s no trust, there’s not going to be healthy conflict and.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: 100%.
Joshua Kornitsky: And is conflict. Let me ask you this so that people can hear it from someone other than than Patrick Lencioni and myself. Is conflict always a bad thing?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: No. If you’re not having conflict, you know, when you think about the integrator visionary, how many times have we all seen a visionary integrator getting along swimmingly? No. Getting along swimmingly. Guess what’s happening? Either that business is going in too many directions too quickly, or moving way too slow. They should both be uncomfortable because they need to be moving through the discomfort and negotiating to the middle ground of visionary and integrator. So we’re not moving as quickly as the visionary wants to go. We’re not moving as slowly as the integrator wants to go. Um, and so that middle ground is perfection. And so yeah, if you’re not having disagreements people are silent. And that’s also not good.
Joshua Kornitsky: That that resonates with me in particular, coming out of the annual season and the fact that, um, I will run into a visionary integrator duo where the the integrator has given up, meaning that that the visionaries, irrespective of gender, the visionaries forcefulness. Because let’s face it, it was that forcefulness that pushed that organization into being correct. But sometimes the integrators just give up. And I always try to suggest that. What you know, you know, if you don’t believe that’s the right path. Go to that vto go to that blueprint. Right. And if the blueprint says we all agreed not to do this, then your answer is that’s the hill you got to die on.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Right? And the problem is that some time, you know, the the sometimes that visionary often that visionary is in the CEO seat and, or they’re the business owner. And so they have like on paper a lot of power and from experience a lot of power. But if you’re going to fully implement, uh, EOS, they have to give away some of that power to that integrator, because ultimately that integrator is a very important part of the equation. And if you’re still doing what you were doing in the visionary seat, right. The integrator. Yeah, the integrators got that deciding vote. They’re the ones that are operationalizing and bringing reality into the decision making equation. Like you have to give them power.
Joshua Kornitsky: So I want to ask how and I’ll, I want to be sensitive to your time, but I want to ask this question because it it it is born from what we were just discussing, iOS or not, iOS always helps, right? But iOS or not, is there an inherent power dynamic when you have an owner dealing with anybody who’s not an owner?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Well, not inherent, but it’s a leadership skill that they like a muscle. They may need to work because, you know, in lots of privately held businesses, I mean, my favorite place to play is like the crazy entrepreneurs that are so passionate about either the business, you know, the service or the whatever they’re selling, whatever they’re selling, they’re passionate about that. And they muscled their way through the beginning, um, and maybe hired some family members to, you know, minimize that gap, you know, and because that’s who they trust and we love one another and all of that. Uh, but so there’s a way that you lead, though, when it’s when you’re just muscling your way through, uh, the communication can be clunky. You can move in a lot of directions, but as you get bigger, you have to transform how you’re leading. And so some will do that, but most need some help.
Joshua Kornitsky: And that’s a perfect place for me to ask Kirsten, how do people get Ahold of you?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Um, well, I would love to hear from people who listen to this podcast. And, uh, you can go to my website, Focus Forward Coaching. Com is my website where you can find, um, you know, if you want to grab do a little virtual coffee, you can grab a spot on my calendar. Um, that’s probably the best way. I’m on LinkedIn, too. Is Kirsten Ross Vogel. Uh, I do also have, um, my Impact Academy, which is, uh, a place where I have, you know, over the decades. I have lots of, you know, video, audio, PDF downloads, etc.. And so, uh, if you want to just go in there and access all of that, you can go to defeat the drama.
Joshua Kornitsky: Which is also, I think, the name of your book, isn’t it?
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Oh, one of my books is Defeat Team Drama. Now and then, the other ones. From people problems to productivity. The health professional’s guide to leading well.
Joshua Kornitsky: Yeah, and those are both on Amazon if anyone wants to buy them. Yep. Fantastic. Well, I can tell you that I certainly learned a couple of things today because it being in the US implementer means you have to exist outside of an organization. You, no matter how much you care about them, no matter how much you want their success, you are not part of that team on a day in, day out basis. And while I have my own background and experience, knowing that I can now move forward, telling the leadership teams that I’m working with that what they’re feeling is normal and that there’s some help and some hope. That’s a big deal. So thank you. That was a that was a pretty invaluable piece of information that I hope everybody takes to heart. Um, it’s been an absolute joy chatting with you. Thank you so much. Um, let me just remind everybody that today my guest is Kirsten Ross Vogel. She’s a leadership coach and author who works with individuals and organizations. You heard how she navigates growth, complexity, and most importantly, leadership and communication. Uh, I think that anybody who runs into a problem in a family business and a non-family business, uh, that that has a communication roadblock should reach out. Kirsten, I can’t thank you enough for your time.
Kirsten Ross Vogel: Well, thank you so much for having me.
Joshua Kornitsky: It’s been an absolute pleasure. Thank you for joining us here on High Velocity Radio. I’m Joshua Kornitsky professional EOS implementer and your host. We’ll see you next time. Thank you.

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