angishields, Author at Business RadioX ® Page

BRX Pro Tip: Eliminating Friction Points

August 19, 2026 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Eliminating Friction Points

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BRX Pro Tip: Eliminating Friction Points

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips, Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, I feel like you are particularly adept at identifying friction points in processes and helping people remove them. But what’s your secret, man? What’s your process for that?

Lee Kantor: Well, I make a point to not just continually adding things. And I think that’s a mistake that a lot of folks do. They think that growth means addition. And sometimes growth means subtraction. And it’s important to always kind of take inventory about the things that you got in and around your life, whether it’s processes and systems, and seeing where you can remove things. Because what happens over time, especially as we become more affluent as a society, we’re constantly adding or we’re never subtracting.

Lee Kantor: So every unnecessary form, confusing email meeting, they complicate things, creating more friction, creating more bureaucracy. Small improvements might be insignificant, but they just compound, and it affects the relationship and the experience down the road.

Lee Kantor: So today, identify one point of friction, remove it.

BRX Pro Tip: Look for Patterns

August 18, 2026 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Look for Patterns

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BRX Pro Tip: Look for Patterns

Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips, Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you. Lee, this strikes me as particularly good counsel for anyone who’s leading, selling, really anyone who wants to continue to cultivate and strengthen the relationship, but it’s simple, look for patterns.

Lee Kantor: If you’re a leader, this should be one of your superpowers, because pattern recognition is critical. Every client conversation is going to include valuable information if you’re paying attention. You got to be able to pay attention and you have to be able to connect dots. If you’re hearing the same question over and over, that’s not a coincidence. That’s a pattern that you should be recognizing and seeing if you can take advantage of it or leverage it. That’s the market telling you what people need. So, pay attention.

Lee Kantor: And internally from your organization, something that you might notice is if someone’s asking you the same question over and over again, that might be something that you should be investing some time and energy and a problem that you should be solving. You know, those kind of questions that happen over and over again are critical business intelligence, that the smart leaders are going to figure out a way to solve that problem, and to then bring it to the fore in terms of helping other people understand that you have that solution that they’re looking for.

Lee Kantor: So, start kind of keeping tally and writing down maybe some of the questions that clients or prospects are asking you, and look at them from a researcher standpoint and look for some commonality or a common thread that ties them all together, and see if this is something that you and your organization can solve for people. Because if more than one person is talking about it or asking questions about it or inquiring about it, that’s probably a problem that could be solved, and you might be the right person to solve it.

Lauren Jefferson: Build Systems, Not Just Better Copy

August 17, 2026 by angishields

Houston Business Radio

Lauren Jefferson: Build Systems, Not Just Better Copy

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Lauren Jefferson is a faith-driven entrepreneur, strategic copywriter, and the visionary founder of FocusCopy®. Guided by the core belief that business is built on relationships, simplification, and systems, Lauren has dedicated her career to helping businesses articulate their value in their unique voice with clarity and scalability.

Since 2019, FocusCopy® has operationalized messaging for high-growth service providers who want more efficiency and profitability. As your team and client roster grow, communication gaps quickly become revenue leaks. FocusCopy® transforms your brand message into a repeatable, strategic system – plugging the holes in your client journey and turning your messaging into a high-yielding revenue engine.

When she isn’t steering the ship at FocusCopy® or collaborating with clients on game-changing copy, Lauren can be found embracing the beautiful chaos of motherhood, exploring new ways to serve her community, and mentoring emerging entrepreneurs.

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/focuscopy/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-jefferson/
Website: http://focuscopy.com

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio is my pleasure to introduce you to my long time friend Lauren Jefferson, who is the co-founder and CEO of FocusCopy. Lauren is a faith driven entrepreneur, strategic copywriter, and systems thinker who helps high growth service businesses transform their messaging into scalable business assets. Rather than treating copy as a one time marketing project, Lauren helps organizations build messaging systems that strengthen every customer interaction, eliminate communication gaps, and fuel long term growth as a business owner, wife and mom, she also understands firsthand the challenge of the challenge of leading a growing company while having navigating life’s unexpected demands. Lauren, welcome to the show.

Lauren Jefferson: Glad to be here. Yeah, I was just thinking before the show, we’ve known each other for almost seven years in the fall.

Trisha Stetzel: Seven years. Yeah. That’s crazy. And we met in B and I, I think that was our first encounter.

Lauren Jefferson: Well, yeah, I had just launched FocusCopy and, you know, maybe 2 or 3 months beforehand. And here we are about to celebrate our seven year anniversary in August.

Trisha Stetzel: That is amazing. And happy anniversary. That is a very big feet when it comes to being a small business owner. And we’ve seen the ups and downs and the ins and the outs and the becoming a mom and a wife and all the things, right?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. All of the things. Yeah. I always thought entrepreneurship was supposed to be a linear, like you just go up and up and up and it has not been that way. Well, I tell everybody that mentor now like, hey, absolutely scrap and rebuild.

Trisha Stetzel: Well, and we like to call those challenges opportunities.

Lauren Jefferson: Yes.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. For learning. So before we jump into our content for today, or even just having a conversation around your business and all of the things that you’re doing for your clients, tell us just a little bit more about who you are.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. So like you said, I’m a CEO and co-founder of Folks Copy. We’ve been doing this for almost seven years. I have two amazing little boys, one and three years old. And so things are a little chaotic, but it’s it’s so much fun. Um, got my degree in entrepreneurship from University of Houston, um, their Wolff Center for entrepreneurship. And so I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. And so it took me through this whole wild journey until we figured out, okay, let’s focus on copywriting. And that’s when we started. But obviously, AI has changed the game a lot over the last couple of years. So we’ve reinvented ourselves over the past year and a half or so. And so that’s where we are today. And that’s the description you just read.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. I so we’re just going to go straight there with you because AI has really changed, uh, the marketing landscape almost overnight. We know. I mean, it’s moving fast on my side, I’m sure even for you and the business that you’re in, things have shifted so much. So where do you believe AI adds the most value and where should businesses still rely on human touch?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, that’s a great question. Ai can do a lot. It’s proven to be I think it’s called the Turing test, like how it can imitate a lot of what humans can do. And so as we’ve kind of reinvented ourselves, we’ve figured out, okay, what can I do? Like we’re not going to be competing against AI. I’m not that fast. I’m not don’t have, you know, who knows how much computing power that they have, um, to be able to do that. But then where do we step in? And so humans really thrive on strategy, on creativity, on thinking outside the box. Where does AI can take all of that and run it? And so the big thing that we’ve figured out is let’s build all the documentation for AI to run accurately and efficiently versus writing. You know what’s commonly known as AI slop. Um, we don’t want that at all. So we’re able to really train AI now with the stuff that we produce, um, and document and use our brains and being really creative. Um, so it kind of goes hand in hand. But yeah, it’s been four years now since ChatGPT really took the world by storm and really became commercialized. And so we’ve been studying it a lot. User behavior is changing. We’re seeing the pendulum swing back to humans already in the past six months. But things change every week now.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, I know. I can’t even keep up with it. And I’m so glad that we have people like you out there trying to harness that because I and I think that that’s a really good word for it, is just harnessing the power and also knowing the capabilities of what it can actually produce for you. I’ve never heard AI slop, and I’m just going to have to use that later or language or whatever you said. I was like, yeah, it is slop. It is terrible.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. I saw one graphic the other day that kind of it’s so beautifully illustrated, the struggle that’s going on. So pre AI, you have a small amount of ideas and then a small amount of execution. Like we were kind of the execution was really the bottleneck. Now we have a ridiculous ton of ideas, but we still have the same 24 hours. And so and then it’s trying to figure out like, how do you execute? How do you fix what AI is executing? And like, you know, making sure that it’s all accurate. And so now the whole ideation stage is your bottleneck to figure out what’s actually useful. And so it’s interesting how things have changed. And I think that’s where us humans can really lean into and using our discernment, using our knowledge, using our experiences and expertise to really steer the ship.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. So let’s take a little deeper dive into this whole writing thing or what we’re getting out. And you talk a lot about, um, building messaging systems instead of just simple copy. It’s not just words on a piece of paper. Yeah. Right. Uh, but this messaging system. So what does that mean? First off, and why is it so important for businesses that want to scale?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. As we were looking at reinventing the wheel because we write blogs, we’d write newsletters, website, copy all that, and then it would end there. And it didn’t translate from the marketing over to sales over to your operations or your fulfillments over into how you cross, sell, upsell, down, sell. How do you turn your clients into referral generators? And so we started looking at the client journey as a whole and finding gaps in your client journey as it pertains to messaging. And so we’ve systemized a lot of that starts a lot with documentation and figuring out, okay, how, what do we need to say? How do we need to say it? Who do we need to say it to? How do we respond and be proactive in our messaging? And then how do we get every single person on our team that’s communicating to communicate with our voice? And so I always use the example of, you know, even you sending an invoice, it should reiterate the benefits of working with you and how excited you are and really reducing some of that buyer’s remorse that way. They’re actually excited to pay the invoice versus looking at that as another expense.

Trisha Stetzel: I love that. I never even thought about that. But your voice should show up there as well.

Lauren Jefferson: Every single piece of communication should go out.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, interesting.

Lauren Jefferson: But how do you train non-writers or non marketers how to do that. And that’s where the systems come into play.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Very interesting. So let’s take a little bit deeper dive because my experience with you and focus copy was old school. This is like before, before we had all the systems. So there was a lot of work on both of our ends. I had a lot of work that I needed to deliver to you so that you could speak in my voice and write the messaging. How has that relationship with your clients changed with this technology that you have now?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, a lot of it comes down to accountability and just having somebody to extract whatever’s in your head, organize it in a clear and concise fashion and then telling you, hey, we’re not going to focus on that because that’s not your goal and that does not serve you like this is a shiny penny. We’re going to leave that on the side. We’re going to put it up there. Um, we may completely trash it or we may just leave it up on the shelf. Um, and then we direct you in producing. So now we build out a whole 90 day roadmaps. That way we are very, very clear on, okay, what are we going after? What are we actually doing? And then how are we going to get there?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Okay. I love that. And you told me before we started recording today that you get to spend more time with your clients.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. Yeah. We’re going deeper. Very, very deep. Whereas before, I mean, uh, with the old model, we’d do a handful of blogs or newsletters or do a website copy project. And yeah, we are able to get deep as part of our process. But I want to see businesses really transform. I want to see people able to build businesses. I actually serve them in their life versus, you know, suck the life out of you and then you’re burnt out and you aren’t able to live in your personal life as well as your business life.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Work to live instead of live to work. I’ve heard that one before. Um, all right, so tell me, uh, let’s take a little bit deeper dive into what focus copy does your business, what is your business doing for its clients and who are you serving?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. So we serve high growth service providers that are in some sort of operational transition. So that can mean they are doing a massive, uh, process transformation and fixing something in their business, whether that’s onboarding or their whole marketing system or whatever the case is, they’re working something on a process. Um, it could also look like they are adding a new offer or in some sort of M&A deal or multi generational transition. So something’s happening on the operation side, and they don’t know how to translate that onto the marketing. And that’s usually how they define it. They don’t realize that our messaging is going to go through the entire client journey. Um, but that’s kind of where we start at. And so we start with a, what we call a priority stage action plan. We assess their entire client journey, figure out the problem area and where we need to focus on first, build a 90 day roadmap and then we go in and execute it.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. Okay, I love that. So I know that there are some folks who are already interested in having a follow on conversation with you, learning more or even connecting. What’s the best way for them to do that?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. So you can follow me on LinkedIn. Um, I’m very active over there. You can send an email to L jefferson@focus.com, and you can learn everything that we’re doing over@focus.com. I provide a lot of resources over there, um, on our blog, whether it’s our revenue engine diagnostic, which is a whole client journey assessment, that type of thing. So there’s a lot of different places where you can find me online.

Trisha Stetzel: And be on her distribution list because I have received so many, uh, blogs, articles, even just emails that have a plethora of information in them. And I appreciate you sharing so much information out there. And you really help us as clients stay organized and keep us on track. Keep us on track.

Lauren Jefferson: That’s, that’s my joy. That’s my joy is holding that accountability. Um, so yeah, I have a blast writing our newsletter. Um, we call it the coffee roasts. We’re a little coffee addicted over here, so.

Trisha Stetzel: Only a little, only a little coffee.

Lauren Jefferson: A little. Yeah. Um, so.

Trisha Stetzel: All right, I want to take a circle around to you doing everything. You’ve been through it all. Uh, and I might, I might even use the word burnout. You might not, but it happens.

Lauren Jefferson: Absolutely. Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: So talk about that journey for you as an entrepreneur, a wife, a mother, a doer of everything and taking care of everyone. What, what did that look like? And how is it different now?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. So I mean, we’ve been as big as having six copywriters underneath me. So I mean, it’s a pretty good size team. And I learned very quickly I don’t like managing. And so we created a lot of systems. I know shocker as an entrepreneur, um, you know, not wanting to be or not wanting to be boss and then not wanting to boss. Um, and so we created a lot of internal documentation, had a lot of things that felt more like conversations versus directing. And I found team members that wanted to work on their selves. And so everybody worked remote. There was no office hours or anything like that. Some people would write copy at three in the morning and I was like, cool, as long as you hit your deadline, we’re good. And so it was really, really great. But definitely when we got into some of the more people issues, that’s where it sucked the life out of me. And so, um, and that was all pre-baby too. And so once the babies came in, that became a lot different because now my time was limited. I wasn’t able to do sales. And so when you don’t have the sales, then it became a cash flow issue keeping on employees. And so, um, even as you know, late as last year, it, you know, everything, thankfully not thankfully kind of imploded in the business the week I actually gave birth to my second son. And so, but it provided me a great opportunity to be like, okay, unfortunately, we’re going to have to, you know, severely reduce hours of my, um, full time copywriter, but it allowed me so much bandwidth to think about, okay, what is this business actually going to look like now? What’s the next stage? And so, um, I heard one person say the other day, he’s like, yeah, you’re going to rebuild your business several times. I’m like, nobody talks about that. How you can just scrap everything and rebuild. And that’s totally okay.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. It is okay. I like to call it zero based thinking. You’re just going to start over and, you know, take all of the opportunities that you learned in the past and implement that into your, your new plan. Yeah.

Lauren Jefferson: And so now we’re going to be, you know, I’ve built this massive network. And so now it’s, I’m going to focus on the strategy and the high level. If we need more writers, I have a ton of writers that we can pull off the bench. But then also, uh, we have one project right now that requires PR. I’m not a publicist, nor do I have any expertise in public relations. I know a little bit to be dangerous but don’t know how to execute it. And so we pulled one of our PR partners on. And so she’s white labeling underneath us. And it’s going to be a great engagement. So we’re going to see a lot of fruit from that. And so really using my people versus Relying only on me to know it all.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Yeah. All right, let’s talk about networking. That has been. That’s one. That’s the way how we met. And two, that has always been a big part of who you are as an entrepreneur. So let’s talk about networking. How important has it been and have there been ebbs and flows in that space as well?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. We were talking before we hit record. Um in Q two. I met with 200 new people and over 100 existing people in my network. And so it was exhausting as an entrepreneur or as an introvert rather, um, which people always think I’m an extrovert. Nope. Don’t want to be in a room. Um, I’d much rather have a one on one conversation with you. And so it does take a lot of time. So I dedicate seasons for we’re going to push a lot of networking. But then in the seasons where I’m not pushing networking, like Q3 is going to be a little lower on networking and so severely limited my calendar and all that, but I’m still continuing it. I still have those consistent relationships where I’m pouring into, um, but the big thing that’s really helped me in networking is having automations. And so every, you know, 3 to 6 months, every single person that I have a virtual coffee with will get an email, hey, we need to reconnect. And that’s how we’ve been able to maintain a relationship over, you know, almost seven years now. And I’ve had multiple other people where, you know, three, four, five, six years where it just started with one networking event turned into virtual coffee. And then we’re passing thousands and thousands of dollars between each other.

Trisha Stetzel: That’s amazing. And I’m always jealous that you chose a different BNI chapter than the one that I was in. I’m just saying, you know, it was really cool about that though, is you had your network and I had my network and we were able to even expand networks that way. I’m curious, are you doing all of your networking one on one now, or do you belong to an organization where you’re doing group networking?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, I do belong to the connective. It’s a virtual B2B networking group. And so that’s been really good. I’ve only been a member for now about three months, but, um, met some really, really incredible people. Higher level people than I was tapping into previously. And so it’s been really good. Um, and that’s how I found like one of our new PR partners, but I’m also really intentional about keeping the relationships to like, I have Houston marketing Alliance, for example. And so there’s six of us marketers that we’ve been meeting with each other for at least once a month for four years now. And we know all the highs and lows of each other. So that’s kind of the one group where I’m like really, really deep on that. And so I’m trying to pick out my people in a networking group. Like I’ve picked you, for example, from our BNI days to we’re going to go deep on this relationship. I’m going to try to figure out how to send you business. You’re going to figure out how to try to send me business. But also we’re just going to be friends and figure out how to support each other as entrepreneurs.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. How important is it to have the right people in the room? So one of my favorite books is Who’s in Your Room? Uh, coauthored by Ivan Meissner. Again, bringing it back one more time. I know, shout out. Um, how important is it to have the right people in the room or surround yourself with the right people as you move through this journey that you’ve been on?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. Critical. And sometimes it will take you meeting 200 new people to find those people. And so, um, as much as I’d love to say every single of those conversations that I had in Q2 were amazing, and a lot of them were, but there’s definitely a couple that stood out. And so it’s, I have them on like a strict follow up to where it’s like, okay, we’re actually trying to find some sort of project to work on together. And so I want to go deep as quickly as possible, but you can’t go deep with everybody. So you kind of have to pick and choose your people who you align with. And I find that when I find those people, we align spiritually. We align life stage or just like emotionally or experience wise. And so figuring out, okay, what’s going on? Do we connect with each other on a personal level? If so, you’re more likely going to do business.

Trisha Stetzel: Absolutely. And making sure that a lot of them are bigger, better, faster, stronger than you. So that we learn from them. Right. I heard you say that a lot of these people that you’re meeting with from this one group are at a different level, and that also matters.

Lauren Jefferson: Oh, yeah. I had a conversation just this morning. He was like, okay, you’re talking about this. What about, you know, blowing up this inflection point and like just giving me advice of how I can better have these virtual coffees. I’m like, we’re going to take that and we’re going to apply that. So, um, you know, that’s just a quick lesson from this morning in a virtual coffee. And so really trying to find people that are not only behind you. And so you can pick them up quicker. But then also people that are ahead of you that can pull you up. And so I find it when you approach networking, it’s more of like a mutual giving and receiving becomes a lot more fruitful for everybody involved.

Trisha Stetzel: Absolutely. I, and I know that you’ve been very involved in mentoring and bringing those up behind you. So tell me a bit about that work. If you’re still. Yeah, you’re involved in that and what that really does for you as an entrepreneur.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. So I still mentor for the Wolf Center for entrepreneurship, which is the number one undergraduate entrepreneurship program in the nation. I think they’re now up to like 6 or 7 years in a row. Um, so really, really great program. But I mean, they take these students through the wringer for 18 months. They own you. And I say that from experience and it’s the best experience, greatest personal development, um, that you will ever deal with. And so, um, yeah, I get a student every year and I walk with them for 18 months or every other year, I guess, and I walk with them for 18 months, and then I continue their relationship on afterwards. And so whatever they’re going with, whether they become an entrepreneur immediately after or whether it takes a couple of years, like for me, it took a couple of years after I graduated to start my own business. And I actually started my business my first year of mentoring, which was kind of fun to like walk her through. And then my next, um, mentee or sorry, my mentee was, um, the one where it was trying to figure out how to be a mom. And so she got to see that whole experience. And so just, we’re figuring it out together. And so I don’t act like an expert in all things. I’m still learning every single day. And so it’s just having someone come along and see what it actually looks like and taking them out of the classroom.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. I love that, and I love that you’re still giving back to the community. It’s such a blessing to have people like you in our community. And by the way, the last time you were on the show, Lauren, we were highlighting serving the community. And I think we talked all about the Wolf Center. So if you guys want to know more about that, uh, well, center for entrepreneurship, if you guys want to learn more about that, just pop over to our past episodes of the Serving the Community series. All right. I want to circle back around to because I, I see a theme that keeps coming up here is you do a lot and you’re still doing a lot. Yes, you have symptoms, but you’re still mentoring, you’re still running a business. You’re a mom of two boys. You’re a wife. You are networking. Uh, one of the book recommendations that you sent over to me was rest. Why you get more done when you work less? What have you learned about the relationship between rest and productivity?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, I mean, motherhood has been the biggest adventure. Um, when I had my first son. Becoming mom was the biggest identity shift for me and I struggle with it. Like have pretty severe postpartum depression. Um, didn’t know what was going on, didn’t know who Lauren was or where Lauren was. And so, um, was trying to figure out that. And so, um, coming from that, I realized like to work effectively, you don’t necessarily need to work, you know, the 40 hours or the 60 hours or the 80 hours, 90 hours that I was working before I had kids. Um, and so you don’t have to work that much in order to be productive in order to be profitable. And so I do have a lot of systems, but I’ve also identified what activities do I actually like doing. And so there’s a lot of this, whether it’s connecting with people, whether it’s mentoring, whether it’s writing, um, I genuinely enjoy that. And so I always call it in my play time. And so it’s like the boys will be playing out in the playground and, you know, 9000 degree weather and I’ll be out on the patio and I’ll be, you know, doing my work and watching them or, you know, I’ll take a break and we’ll go do X, Y, Z with the boys. And so, um, creating space for me to do that has been the greatest blessing, but also opportunity for me to give space for my brain to even think. Um, I saw one thing that was saying, you should pick up a hobby that doesn’t even require a computer like gardening or like something more tactile. And it actually helps the CEOs and an entrepreneur’s brain to give space to actually think.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Okay, so I have permission to garden. That’s what I heard out of all of that. I heard like, I have permission to garden that. And, and that is something that I, I truly miss a lot of days recently is just stepping away to do something that I would, I would call it mindless where you don’t, It doesn’t require thinking.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah.

Lauren Jefferson: And it’s it’s amazing. Like, I love weeding, which I would have never said, and I don’t really like dirt, but like, it has been great and like, even like doing the dishes or even cooking. Like I love cooking like a big homemade meal every single night. And like that time is my me time. And I’m able to think and oftentimes like, I’ll, you know, write a little note on my phone of like, okay, we’re going to think about that, dump it, we’re going to continue on and make sure we’re not starting a fire or something. Um, so, but, um, creating space. So, you know, just creating the life that you actually want to live. We don’t always have to work the same way everybody else works. And I think that’s kind of the cool thing about entrepreneurship is you get to build your life and it doesn’t look like everybody else’s and shouldn’t should look like yours shouldn’t.

Trisha Stetzel: That’s right. And there are seasons in all of that. Yeah.

Lauren Jefferson: Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, postpartum. That’s a very unique season. Um, and dealing with little boys. And so oftentimes my boys will hop up in meetings and it’s like, if anybody on the other side of the camera doesn’t enjoy that, I’m like, you’re probably not my people.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, exactly. I think the last time you and I connected, one of them had lipstick or something. I don’t, I don’t.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. Oh my gosh, I remember that there was lipstick all over the couch all over. And so like, it was just like, it’s the couch, it’s the face. It’s, you know, whatever. We’re still getting stains out. But like, it was just like, you’re going to do what you’re going to do. And everything’s, you know, I words are a powerful thing. So like, I’ve been training myself. Try not to say chaos. Um, but it’s an adventure. It’s fun. There’s never a dull moment.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I really appreciate you being on with me today and I have I would love for you to. If you could just pick one thing from our conversation today to leave the listeners or hope that the listeners picked up on today. What would it be?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is you can build a business that works for you. And a lot of that starts with documentation and building in systems and then imagining what you actually want your life to look like.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Oh, that’s so powerful. Yes, absolutely. So where can the listeners learn more about Focused copy and the work you’re doing?

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah. You can find out everything on Focused copy.com. Um, and then if you want to have a conversation, let’s have it. Let’s book that virtual coffee. So connect with me, either email at Lauren or L jefferson@focus.com or on LinkedIn. Let’s start the conversation.

Trisha Stetzel: Lauren, I’m so glad that you came on with me today. This has been so much fun.

Lauren Jefferson: Yeah, it has been. Thank you.

Trisha Stetzel: We need to catch up again. Maybe we’ll have to do another episode of who Knows What. We’ll figure it out.

Lauren Jefferson: Who knows what color lipstick can we get out?

Trisha Stetzel: We’ll just go back to zero based thinking. I’m sure there’s something we can talk about. This is amazing. Again, I really appreciate you taking the time.

Lauren Jefferson: Absolutely. Thank you.

Trisha Stetzel: All right, you guys, that’s all the time we have for today. If you found value in this conversation that Lauren and I had, please share it with a fellow entrepreneur, veteran or Houston leader ready to grow. And be sure to follow, rate and review the show. It helps us reach more bold business minds just like yours and your business. Your leadership and your legacy are built one intentional step at a time. So stay inspired, stay focused, and keep building the business and the life you deserve.

April Martini: The Courage to Be Fully Known

August 17, 2026 by angishields

Beyond the Uniform

April Martini: The Courage to Be Fully Known

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April Martini is a TEDx speaker, certified life coach, and US Army veteran who has spent the last decade doing the most radical thing she has ever done: getting curious about herself.

After 18 years in corporate America, rising to senior leadership in customer success and operations, she walked away in 2025 to build a business around the work that actually changes lives. That decision was not impulsive. It was the result of more than a decade of doing her own deep work, the kind that requires you to get honest about the stories you are carrying, where they came from, and how they are showing up in everything you do.

Her coaching practice works with women navigating hyper independence and self-abandonment rooted in generational trauma. Her keynotes bring that same unflinching honesty to conference stages and business audiences.

April’s signature message is that authenticity is not a practice. It is a prerequisite. You cannot perform your way into a life or a business that fits. You have to know who you actually are first, and most people have never done that work.

Her TEDx talk, “The Risk of Being Unknown,” was delivered in April 2026 to a response she did not expect. Audience members told her she had told their story. That is the point. The work is not about April. It is about what happens when someone finally sees themselves clearly.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmartini/
Website: http://www.aprilmartini.com

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Houston, Texas. It’s time for Houston Business Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Trisha Stetzel: Hello, Houston. Trisha Stetzel here bringing you another episode of Houston Business Radio. Beyond the Uniform Series. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my guest today, April Martini, a TEDx speaker, certified life coach, US Army veteran and founder of April Martini Coaching. After serving six years in the Army, she spent nearly two decades leading teams in corporate America. April made the courageous decision to walk away from a successful executive career to build a business focused on helping women discover who they truly are beneath the expectations of others through her coaching, keynotes and her powerful Ted talk. The Risk of being unknown. April helps leaders uncover the stories shaping their decisions so they can lead with greater authenticity, confidence, and purpose. April, welcome to the show.

April Martini: Thank you so much for having me.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m super excited about first meeting you through the no network. Like there is no better KNOW network that I found this year. And it’s been such a blessing to meet people like you.

April Martini: Same same. I was, um, you don’t meet a lot of female veterans in spaces like that. So when I heard there was another one in the room, I had to find you.

Trisha Stetzel: And we did. And we’re here now. So tell us a little bit more about who you are, April.

April Martini: Yeah. So I, as you said, um, I am now an entrepreneur and I’ve been doing so for about two years. Um, and what got me here was, you know, the last 44 years of life. So, um, grew up with a ton of childhood trauma in and out of foster care dealt with different types of abuses there. Grew up with an alcoholic father and grandmother who was very close to us. And, um. Didn’t do too hot in school when dealing with all of that. So when it came time to graduate, I, uh. Was not going to go to college right away. So the Army was it? Um, I knew that was going to get me out of that small town, and I knew it was the best choice for me at the time. So I spent six years in the military with time in Korea and a deployment to Baghdad. And then I also got to work on the the personal staff of the chief of staff of the Army at the Pentagon. So, um, some exciting things there. Um, and then I jumped from there to corporate America and spent, like you said, almost two decades of climbing that ladder and working my way up and, um, spending a lot of time in client success roles, account management roles. I was always client facing and, um, woke up one day a couple years ago and just didn’t feel like I was making the impact I wanted to make anymore. Um, so my team deserved a better leader at the time. And because I was just kind of waking up and rinse and repeating, so I took the chance to walk away and go build something that meant something to me. Um, and I’ve always wanted to use my story in order to turn it into good and help people. So, um, especially women. And that’s what I do today.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Okay. So if I’m counting, right, it’s about 26 years worth of experience before you jumped into this brand new entrepreneurial space and opening your own business, what did you learn over those 26 years that helped you get this beautiful piece of work that you’re doing now off the ground?

April Martini: I would say resilience and, um, and taking risks, uh, being okay with taking risks is the big one. Um, it is risky to step away. I mean, I have children, I have a couple in college, I have a 12 year old, I have a husband and all the things that come with that dogs mortgage, all the bills. Um, so I needed to take a strategic risk and that 26 years showed me that I was capable and that I was worthy of it and that I can do hard things and I can figure out whatever it is I want to figure out. So, um, with the right mindset, that’s, that’s what I, that’s what I did.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow. So over the last two years building this business, what have you learned?

April Martini: Um, I have learned that, um, being your own boss is not all rainbows and butterflies, um, especially coming from the military, something that I needed and like really thrived in when it came to the military was that discipline and that structure and that, um, time management, you almost didn’t even have to think about time management because it was kind of done for you. It was built in and I really thrive in that environment. Um, I really like that. So when I stepped away, at first, I just kind of looked around and was like, but who’s going to tell me what I’m supposed to be doing? So I had to quickly figure that out, um, and build in my own structure, which was, um, took a little bit, uh, because you, you kind of look around and you’re like, well, what do I do next? Like, how do I build a business from scratch? And I had to decide, um, early on what was revenue producing action versus non-revenue producing action. I think a lot of entrepreneurs get stuck in that. Um, well, what about my branding? And what about my website? And like, those are important. Um, but they’re not gonna, they’re not making you any money. So you gotta be smart about what you do. And when you do it and how much time you spend.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Talk about the transition from always knowing what needed to get done during a day to being your own boss and being a mom. And I’m assuming maybe working from home and taking care of all the things. So tell me more about that experience and doing all the things that women do. When we open businesses and we’re moms and we’re wives. And how is that for you?

April Martini: I would say my calendar is my favorite tool because I block everything. And yes, we have a lot on our plates, but if you are diligent about putting it on your calendar, even if it is taking the dogs for a walk, even if it is prepping for dinner, whatever it is, your business meetings, your your self-care time, you know, when I’m going to meditate or when I’m going to go to the gym, or when I’ve got to pick up my kid in carpool, everything lives on my calendar and you have to find a slot for it, and you’ve got to live, live and die by that calendar. I would say that’s, that’s the biggest key to my success at least.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Yeah. And learning and learning what the ROI is behind each of the things that you’re choosing. I heard you say that, right? What is the return that I’m getting where I’m spending my time? It is. It’s a hard shift to move from, you know, exactly what you’re going to wear and what you’re going to do to now what I can do the laundry, I can go outside, I could. Yeah. I love your calendar.

April Martini: You have to get real about, um, how your default operating system too. So like, if something doesn’t go my way business wise, I will then be like, well, you know what? I, I can go do the laundry and that’s going to feel like a win to me. So you have to like take a step back and be like, how do I default into who do I, who do I become when things aren’t going exactly how I want them to go? Um, because you want to feel like you’re winning at something. Like you got something done today. And so when something in the business world doesn’t quite shake out, my default is to go do something in the home that will be able to be checked off my list. Like I got something done. And while it feels good for a second, you know, the next couple of days after you’ve fallen behind on things for your business. And the reason why is because you stepped away and decided to fall into a comfort zone. So you it’s, there’s a lot of, um, getting curious about why you do things, taking a look at your, your default patterns and your habits and why you do the things you do.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, so I was kind of feeling okay about doing laundry in the middle of the day. And then it was like, but wait a minute.

April Martini: Why am I doing it in the middle of the day?

Trisha Stetzel: Yes, exactly. Um, I want to go a little bit deeper into something that you said to me when we met a few weeks back, which is authenticity isn’t a practice. It’s a prerequisite. Yeah. That’s so powerful to me. So tell me what you mean by that.

April Martini: I’ll unpack it a little bit. So the the biggest example I think we have right now is, um, thinking about social media and we all follow, you know, an influencer or a celebrity or a coach or someone out there that we really admire, and we probably know almost too much about their lives, and we start to compare ourselves and we’re like, oh, well, she’s doing this particular morning routine. Let me do the same one, and then maybe my life will look like hers. Or she takes these particular supplements or, you know, fill in the blank. You try and copy these people and your life doesn’t magically turn into theirs. And you’re wondering, what, why? Why can’t I get it right? And what I mean by authenticity is a practice and not a prerequisite is you have to be authentic to you first, and then decide which of those practices are going to make it stick in your life and move the needle in your life. You know, you hear a lot of things out there around, um, movement and working out and that working out in the morning is the best time. Okay, well, if you’re not a morning person and you try to work out in the morning and three weeks later you just stop going in the morning, now you feel like a failure, you feel like you’re not getting it right. When you know what. If it doesn’t matter when you move your body, if you move your body, you’re winning. So do it when it’s right for you. And if you lean into who you are and you pick up on your authenticity, then then adding the practices in that makes sense for you will be where you see the needle moving.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. Okay. So you in your practice, uh, help women uncover the authenticity. Blind spot. So tell me more about you and your practice and how someone might recognize their living according to someone else’s expectations as you were talking.

April Martini: Yeah. It’s all going to come down to what feels like alignment. Alignment is the big word I would use. If you are waking up every day and something still feels off, if you are finding yourself responding to life in the same way, and then you sit back, you know, 20 minutes later, a day later, and you’re like, I don’t know why I keep doing that. Then there’s probably a blind spot that you’re not seeing. And the biggest thing the most I say this a lot. The most radical thing I’ve ever done is get curious about who I am because I’ve uncovered a lot of goodness, but I’ve also uncovered some really bad habits that came from having a traumatic experience in life and responding to the world in a way that it served me at the time. It protected me from those traumatic experiences. But it doesn’t serve me now in a space where I’m trying to be more intentional and healthier. And so I’ve gotten very curious about why I do what I do, and I’ve uncovered a lot of blind spots that way.

Trisha Stetzel: Wow. All right. Tell me a little bit more about your practice and who you serve.

April Martini: Yeah. So I typically help women, the ones that usually are attracted to all of my content are, um, probably above the age of 30. They’ve lived some life, they’ve done some things. They’ve Likely had some sort of trauma in their life, which is why they, um, now find themselves trying to unpack some of their habits and their triggers and their trauma responses. Um, and they’re just feeling stuck. Um, and they’re not really sure why or what to do or what, how to move the needle. And, um, you know, I always think about we have our girlfriends, right? And we have the ones who will be really honest and raw with us. However, there are still things in our lives that if you say it even to your best friend, she may remember it in a way that, like, you don’t want her to remember it that way, and I’m that safe space. So I’m the judgment free, safe space. You come and you unpack it with me and we will figure it out. And then you can go and live your best life at that point. Um, I love that.

Trisha Stetzel: I’m like, okay, April, what’s your number? For real, though, I know that there are some, um, listeners that are really into what you’re talking about today. And they would love to learn more or even connect with you. April. So what is the best way to do that?

April Martini: Sure. There’s a couple of ways. My website is April martini.com. And from there you can book a free discovery call, which I lovingly call off the record. Um, and we can dive in and see if we’re a good fit. And, um, you can also find me on Instagram, April t Martini or find me on LinkedIn.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. Fantastic. I’m loving your last name. I know you probably likely married into it, but I did like this. Could feel good.

April Martini: Oh yeah. I make the joke all the time to my husband that I married him for his name. Like I can I can market that name. I can, I can use some branding around that.

Speaker 4: You can?

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah, absolutely. Okay. I have, I want to dive into this Ted talk that you did because when you and I met a few months back, I think it was that same week you were actually going to be on stage, and I’m really excited to unpack it. So tell me about your talk. Uh, I want to know more about the talk, but would love to hear a little bit about your experience leading up to getting on stage.

April Martini: Yeah. So I will first unpack the experience. I volunteered with Ted a year ago and got to see all the behind the scenes of how it works and what it looks like and the work that goes into it. And, um, I got to see how nervous everyone is all day long, like waiting for their time to go on stage. So at that point, I knew if I ever get the chance to do this, I do not want to go last. I want to be first. So I carried that experience with me into applying for TEDx apex. And I found out right before the holidays that I that I got it and I was super pumped. Um, we once the holidays were over, it was a little busy during that time, so we didn’t really start any training, but towards the. Towards the end of January we started having weekly check ins with everyone in the cohort and we had quite a large cohort, 20 people, I believe, spoke that day, which is, which is almost double what they typically have in a day. Um, so our cohort was big, we met with, um, our curator and we did a lot of training and figuring out like all the best practices.

April Martini: And we also were, were given, um, a speaker coach and I had a couple of sessions with her and worked through my, my speech. And then the day came and I got to be number one. So while that was a little nerve wracking, it was also like the perfect thing because I could just be done. Um, I remember standing backstage and it was time to go and I was so nervous, um, as one would be doing Ted. And I just remember my legs started moving before my brain told them to. And then I saw myself standing on the red dot and I knew I just had to start talking. So, um, and I did it and, um, everyone afterwards was very lovely. They told me I did a great job, but I knew I had to wait for the video to see because I completely blacked out on stage and just had to hope and pray that it turned out well.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay, and now that you’ve had the opportunity to see it back, how does that feel?

April Martini: So good. Um, it went off perfectly. I, um, it was really important for me to get up there and tell that story. Um, a lot of it centered around the relationship that I had with my father and how that impacted the rest of my life. And, um, my stepmom and both my sisters were able to be in the room, which was a surprise. I didn’t know they were coming. Um, they, they were there. And um, afterwards they were all very complimentary that I didn’t just tell my story. I told theirs too. And that was pretty powerful for me. Um, I talked about, you know, envisioning him standing or standing in our living room and kind of laughing at me and telling me things that he certainly said out loud many times, which was that I was ugly, that I was stupid, that I would never amount to anything. And that inner voice became my own inner voice, and that required me to build up this armor around me that didn’t let anyone in. And I could never actually be vulnerable enough to allow others to truly know who I was. And I talked about what that what, what then happens when you don’t, when you aren’t known, when you’re not truly known, you alienate so many good people and so many experiences in your life. Um, and to be truly known is one of the top, I think, experiences that a human can have. So, um, I wanted to make sure that people understood that there’s a risk there for not allowing that armor to come down.

Trisha Stetzel: Mhm. So the risk in our brain of being vulnerable always seems so much heavier than the risk of actually being known. Yeah. And the name of April’s talk, you guys, is the risk of being unknown. So, April, if someone wants to catch the full talk, where’s the best place for them to find it?

April Martini: Youtube is is exactly where it’s hosted by by Ted. So you can go on YouTube and search my name and you’ll find it very easily. It is also linked on my website, so you’ll find it there too.

Trisha Stetzel: Okay. And we need to support April. So you guys go out, find it on YouTube, make some comments, like it and share it with other people who, who need to hear April’s story. I want to talk a little bit about that story that we all carry around with us. And the risk of being vulnerable in our brain feels so heavy compared to what you just described, which is, um, the risk of being unknown. So tell me more about the work and your personal experience in the struggle between those two things.

April Martini: I was just so afraid of being judged, or not being liked, or being exactly who my father told me I was. Um, and it took a really long time for me to identify that, that inner voice that I had as his, because it had been put, it had been put on me for so long as a child that it was it really did sound like me for the longest time. And it didn’t take it took it took until I went to start going to therapy for me to finally realize that’s not true. And whose voice is that? And once I recognized whose voice it was and I identified it, it was one of those things that, like, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And then I was able to start deciding what is truth and what isn’t, what is fact, where’s the evidence? And if there was no evidence, then it wasn’t true. And it wasn’t something that had to constrain me or keep me down and growing out of that. Um, it’s still, I still, you know, we talk about healing and trauma. Just because you go to therapy doesn’t mean it goes away. You just become better equipped at handling it. So I still put in my own practices today on a regular basis where I have to. In the talk, I also ask the question, am I unsafe or am I uncomfortable? And you have to decide, am I really in an unsafe situation right now that I need to see myself out of? Or am I just a little uncomfortable because I haven’t? This is unknown territory, or I need to be a little vulnerable, or I need to let someone in and I ask myself that question on a regular basis.

Speaker 4: Mhm.

Trisha Stetzel: How important has it been for you to allow others to hear your story?

April Martini: In the beginning, I really thought it did come from a, I don’t want to say a selfish place because it didn’t feel selfish, but I really just I was like, if I tell my story, it’s going to have such an impact. And the more I’ve told it, the more I’ve heard. That’s also my story too. Almost every single time I’ve spoken, I’ve had that feedback. That’s my story, too, where I was walking around thinking that there’s no way anybody else has this story that I’ve got, which on one hand is, um, it makes me kind of sad that other people have such a traumatic story as well. And not that I was naive to think that there weren’t other trauma stories. We all have something, but, um, but then it also makes me feel really proud that, um, not everyone is given the opportunity to say their story out loud. And some people don’t want to. Some people are afraid and some people need someone to have a voice and have the courage and the strength to say it out loud so that they at least know they’re not alone. And so that’s where I’ve settled into this space of I want people to know that they aren’t alone. They don’t need to be afraid, and that bigger and more beautiful things are out there.

Speaker 4: Um.

Trisha Stetzel: I love what you’re doing in your practice and so many of us leaders and particularly women spend so much time taking care of everyone else that they rarely pause to do this self-examination. What’s one simple practice that listeners can take away today that you recommend for becoming more self-aware before they make the next big decision?

April Martini: Sure. I always like to say remaining curious. Um, and that can be, that can, that can turn into a very big journaling day, which, which isn’t what you’re asking for, but it could. But I think if. So for example, if I’m in a conversation with my husband and we aren’t seeing eye to eye, and I respond in a way that’s, um, you know, a gut reaction. And I didn’t pause to think about it first. I might walk away. 20 minutes later and be like, I know that that response was not going to get the response that I then wanted. Um, so why did I do that? And I think just remaining curious about why. So whether it’s a conversation or a situation you find yourself in, just it’s typically that we’ve responded in a certain way. And that says a lot about like our behaviors say a lot about past, the past and how it’s driven us to who we are today. So I would say remaining curious, it doesn’t have to turn into a full journaling thing, but just ask yourself why? Like, why do I think I keep doing that thing that I do or, or responding that way or acting like that? Or, um, I think asking yourself why is very important.

Speaker 4: I think this circles us right back.

Trisha Stetzel: To authenticity, which is where this whole conversation started before, whether it’s self-examination and being authentic with ourselves, but also being authentic outwardly so that people know exactly who you are, which is what your talk is about, right? And sharing your story. So why do you believe authenticity is such an important foundation for effective leadership and long term business success.

April Martini: I’m a firm believer that unless you are operating from a truly authentic place, then alignment will not find you. And when alignment doesn’t find you, you’re making decisions based off of things that do not make sense to your your core of who you are. So, um, maybe you’re making decisions solely based off of, um, a business expectation or numbers or, um, you know, goals that you may have, but how, you know, you almost need to work from both ends of the spectrum. So what are your goals and expectations and numbers over here for business? And then when you think through how do I want to show up in the world and then trying to find that meeting in the middle space of how do I stay aligned and also meet these expectations? Um, I think when you shove away how you’re really feeling about something and you just keep plowing through and keep pushing to these goals that you have or these numbers that you need to meet. You wake up one day thinking, I feel really burned out. I don’t feel like this is like I hit this number, but it doesn’t feel good. And it’s because you got there being misaligned. And I think if you just step back for a second and come back to your core and come back to who you are and why you are that way, um, and sometimes you’re going to uncover things that you don’t want to continue to carry with you, which is fine. Um, but at least you identified it and now you can start to shift that mindset or that, that reaction or that response that you have. Um, and then you finally come to a place where the alignment feels good and you can move forward with that.

Trisha Stetzel: Yeah. And by the way, listeners, this is exactly what April does with the people that she takes on a journey. And this has been such a fantastic conversation. April. There’s so many, uh, even beyond nuggets, but so much good information. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing. I can’t wait to go see the full talk. Uh, I know it is. I’m sure over the top. Amazing. I have one last thing for you, and this is going to be the hardest question of all, which is if our listeners could just take one thing, just one thing away from the conversation that you and I had today. What would you want that to be?

April Martini: I would say that, um, going back to the remain curious and do not be afraid of vulnerability. That that, that vulnerability is weakness. That is not that vulnerability is the most courageous thing I’ve ever done. And it came from me being curious about who I am.

Trisha Stetzel: Oh my goodness, this has been so much fun. I can’t wait to have you back on the show, because I’m sure there’s something else that we need to talk about, I’m sure. Thank you so much for your time. So one more time, if folks are interested in connecting with you, uh, or even taking this journey with you. What is the best way for them to find you.

April Martini: On the website? April martini.com. You can book a free discovery call there. Uh, you can find me on Instagram at April T Martini, or you can find me on LinkedIn by searching my name, April Martini.

Trisha Stetzel: Awesome. Thank you so much, I appreciate you.

April Martini: Thank you so much for having me.

Trisha Stetzel: All right, you guys, that’s all the time we have for today. If you found value in this conversation that April and I had, please share it with a fellow entrepreneur, veteran or Houston leader ready to grow. And as always, we need you to follow, rate and review the show. It helps us reach more bold business minds just like yours and your business. Your leadership and your legacy are built one intentional step at a time. So stay inspired, stay focused, and keep building the business and the life you deserve.

BRX Pro Tip: Your Best Clients Already Know Someone You Should Know

August 17, 2026 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Your Best Clients Already Know Someone You Should Know

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BRX Pro Tip: Your Best Clients Already Know Someone You Should Know

Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips, Lee Kantor and Stone Payton here with you. Lee, I think we all, at least intellectually, realize that you can really expand your network and expand your influence if you tap into the clients you’re already serving so well. But say more about that.

Lee Kantor: I think that not looking towards your existing clients as a way to grow is a mistake. And I think that so many organizations and so many leaders lean on marketing to attract strangers. And they value a stranger more than they value their existing clients.

Lee Kantor: But to me, the easiest and best ways to prospect is always to start with your clients, your happy clients. Those people know people. First of all, they know you and they like you, and they trust you, and they know other people. So, sometimes your next client is literally one introduction away from your current client. So, instead of asking somebody, “Do you know somebody?” just in general, ask them specifically, “Who is one person that would benefit from a conversation with me?” Get specific. Specific questions. Produce specific referrals.

Lee Kantor: So today, try reaching out to one happy client, have a conversation and ask for one specific introduction.

From Apprenticeships to Advocacy: The Comprehensive Support System of the Arizona Builders Alliance

August 14, 2026 by angishields

Association Leadership Radio

From Apprenticeships to Advocacy: The Comprehensive Support System of the Arizona Builders Alliance

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In this episode of Association Leadership Radio, Lee Kantor speaks with Kim Davids, President and CEO of the Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA). Kim shares her background in civil engineering and general contracting before transitioning into association leadership. She discusses the ABA’s mission to educate, advocate, and support Arizona’s commercial and industrial construction community through networking, political advocacy, and workforce development. With over 300 member companies and apprenticeship programs enrolling hundreds of students, the ABA offers resources for all levels. Kim emphasizes that engagement is key to maximizing membership benefits and professional growth within the industry.

Kim Davids serves as the President and CEO of the Arizona Builders Alliance, bringing over 20 years of construction industry experience to her role.

Her career trajectory exemplifies dedication and expertise, progressing through key operational positions at some of the region’s largest general contractors including Clayco, The Weitz Company, and W.E. O’Neil Construction. Upon graduating college with a degree in civil engineering, Kim started as a Project Manager/Superintendent and worked up to Project Executive, General Manager, and Vice President.

Kim’s leadership has consistently driven year-over-year growth in regional offices, leveraging her extensive project execution experience.

Her influence extends beyond her immediate role, as evidenced by her membership in various industry-relevant organizations such as YPO, a global community of over 35,000 chief executives across 150 countries, her board membership at Valley Partnership and participation in the Business Journals Leadership Trust and Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Follow Arizona Builders Alliance on LinkedIn.

Episode Highlights

Overview of the Arizona Builders Alliance (ABA) and its mission
Importance of education and workforce development in the construction industry
Benefits of membership in the ABA for individuals and companies
Advocacy efforts and political engagement related to construction regulations
Overview of apprenticeship programs and their role in workforce training
Tailoring educational programs to meet industry needs
Engagement strategies for members to maximize their involvement
Networking opportunities and community building within the construction sector
Personal growth and leadership development through association participation
The impact of the ABA on member companies and individuals in the construction industry

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix.

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Association Leadership Radio. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor hear another episode of Association Leadership Radio. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, Business RadioX. If you’re a business coach or a consultant who’s tired of being a best kept secret, set up a call with Stone Payton at brookstone.com to unlock your perpetual prospect pipeline. Today on the show, we have the president and CEO with the Arizona Builders Alliance, Kim Davids. Welcome.

Kim Davids: Thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, I am excited to get to learn about your association. Tell us about the ABA, what’s your mission purpose and how you serve them, folks.

Kim Davids: So the Arizona Builders Alliance, also known as the ABA, is a premier trade association for commercial and industrial contractors in the state of Arizona. Our vision is to be the leading voice of Arizona’s construction community, serving as the catalyst for growth, development and transformation. And our mission is that we are driven by our members and we educate, advocate and support free enterprise through integrity, collaboration, and camaraderie.

Lee Kantor: So what’s your backstory? How’d you get involved in a leadership position with this great organization?

Kim Davids: Well, in a former life, I used to work for a general contracting company. I have a civil engineering degree from the University of Illinois, and in 2007, I moved out to the Arizona market. Perfect timing right before the downturn. And it worked for a handful of general contracting companies used to run the southwest region for an international company, and during that time I went through many of the ABA education programs. I taught for the ABA programs and also served on the board. So when the opportunity came or a leadership role within the organization, it just seemed fitting to to jump right in and see if I could give back to the industry in the state of Arizona.

Lee Kantor: So when you took over in the leadership capacity, what were some of the kind of the low hanging fruit you wanted to take care of right at the start?

Kim Davids: I think some of the things to start, we pride ourselves on our education focus, and we’ve been the ABA since 1994, and we have some very specific flagship programs that have been tried and true and legacy programs. And I think they’ve been amazing for the workforce, but really wanted to just find out what our industry leaders and their employees and their team members needed. And so a relook at some of the curriculums to make it a little bit more current, leaving the legacy of the program intact, but really trying to revamp and, and bring in, you know, as, as we’re constantly changing more technology, different aspects, uh, you know, workforce shortages, all of that, just some real world applications into those programs versus just more kind of textbook standard, you know, repeating the same curriculum year after year.

Lee Kantor: So how big is the kind of the membership base for the ABA? Like how many, uh, how many kind of builders and people within those industries are there right now in Arizona.

Kim Davids: We currently have over 300 member companies, and that is comprised of probably about a 70/30 split between general contractors and subcontractors being 70% and about 30% on what we call affiliate members that are all of the supporting, whether it be vendors, staffing companies, insurance, finance, all of the different aspects that aren’t specifically, uh, construction companies, but support the industry as a whole.

Lee Kantor: Now, for folks who are out there doing the work but aren’t yet a member, can you share some of like, what’s your elevator pitch to them about why it’s important for them to get involved with the association?

Kim Davids: My elevator pitch is that a lot of people think that because we are a trade association that you cannot. It’s not a place where you can find work or you’re not gonna, you know, get that next job. Um, I, I challenge that theory and that thought because we only get better together when you are in a room of your peers, um, all different, you know, shapes and sizes and makeups of whether it’s family owned Esop corporations, um, regional, local, um, you know, you know, we have, we have an office in Phoenix, we have an office down in Tucson. We’re, we’re statewide. And I think bringing people together is paramount to what the ABA offers. We, we help educate each other. We help support each other. Uh, we, we, you know, some subcontractors get their next job with a GC together, some GCS, if they’re either too busy or don’t do a certain type of work, we’ll, we’ll recommend other general contractors. So it’s not necessarily a, you know, owner owner, um, space where contractors will come and actually, you know, sign up their next project, but they will find partners and true peers to help grow and make us better together. And that is what the importance of the ABA brings to anyone who isn’t currently a member.

Lee Kantor: Now, when an organization joins, um, the association, is that something where their employees get the benefit of their also members, or is it something they have to join separately?

Kim Davids: No, you’re absolutely. Uh, it’s the, the member, uh, company is, um, all of the employees that belong to that member company are members. So it is not a per individual basis. It’s per company.

Lee Kantor: And that just by itself, that should be a no brainer, right? If you work for any organization that’s a member, it only benefits you by going and taking advantage of all the great resources you provide.

Kim Davids: Absolutely.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you seeing that trickle down or the. Are the employees taking advantage of the membership to the degree you’d like them to in a.

Kim Davids: In a time where workforce is very tight. We are finding that while people want to come and participate and education is just one facet of what the ABA does, we have, um, community service, uh, opportunities, we have committees, other ways to give back. We have events and networking. We have a lot of people that are, are very engaged within the ABA, but also have their day jobs and, um, may not be able to come to all of the different facets. So whether you have a passion to, um, you know, for, for personal growth, to take some of our education or if you want to give back with our community service and other aspects, there’s, there’s many ways to get involved and with a lot of new contractors moving to Arizona. What’s interesting is we are finding that if employees from one company have joined a different company, those employees are the advocate for the A, B, A, and talking to their new employer that is new to the market, saying you need to be a part of the A, B, A, we want to get involved. And this is where we. We like to spend some of our, our time and, and efforts.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. I’m with you 100%. This is one of the things, especially for young people that are new to any industry really to be involved in the trade association, even a little bit is better than not being involved at all, because this is a chance for you to demonstrate leadership skills. You can volunteer, you can take leadership positions and demonstrate your worth and your passion and your desire and your work ethic in front of people that could be hiring you. Maybe not today, but tomorrow or a year from now.

Kim Davids: Well, I think what’s also important is, is all of our education or the majority of our education is volunteer based. So it’s an opportunity as people go through our programs, they can then come back and actually be the teachers in those programs. Um, and also within our committees and on our boards that we have, there are definitely leadership opportunities. So really it’s an opportunity to just engage and integrate yourself within the construction industry. And, and I couldn’t agree more with your assessment.

Lee Kantor: Now you mentioned advocacy. Can you talk a little bit about, um, how that plays out for a member? Like how are they benefiting from your advocacy efforts?

Kim Davids: So right now we are in our second year of, uh, a political action campaign, both from, uh, at the state level. We also have federal PACs, um, that we, that we, uh, can contribute to. But we had started two years ago a, uh, pet, two political action campaigns where one you can support individually, and then also another one where you’re, uh, the corporation or the company that you, um, that you’re employed by can support. And what, what advocacy does is as we’re trying to navigate, um, our, our free enterprise and, um, our, our focus of construction within, uh, the state of Arizona when bills are passed or at least brought to light, we are there on the front lines, working with the other associations in the state to ensure that we are fighting for what’s best for the construction community. Sometimes what, what is very surprising or was surprising to me when I took on this role is a lot of our lawmakers and and. Congressmen and senators don’t always understand the implications of the way that a bill is written. So we have the opportunity to go and meet with them, have them come in and speak to our boards and to our our classes, and talk about what it really means to be a construction company within the state of Arizona. And so that opportunity for us to be that partner, have those connections, really support the candidates that are for construction, pro development, pro, pro construction industry really helps move the needle and keep Arizona a place that will continue to be a booming construction market for years to come.

Lee Kantor: Right. It’s how many times does a politician just do something and not really speak to experts that can explain maybe some of the unintended consequences of their actions. I mean, I think it’s so important for leaders like yourself to explain. You know, when you knock this domino over, there’s going to be an impact somewhere else. And this is what could happen. Uh, just to have some awareness of what, you know, they can be doing something that maybe make political sense, but it can really affect people down the line.

Kim Davids: Absolutely. And one thing that we found out in the last election cycle, I mean, in the state of Arizona, you end up getting this book of bills and how to vote and whether it’s for construction or not. We do a simple education class of bring your ballot, and we’re going to go through every single bill. And if you vote yes, this is the ramification. If you vote no, this is the ramification. I mean, it’s very overwhelming when you get, uh, some of these things that, that come to you and you think you’re voting one way, the way that it’s written because it’s written to kind of confuse you, but it really helps you understand, um, just the simple, the simple jargon of okay, what, what does this really mean long term? Um, when we vote this way, because it’s really important that, you know, the public needs to have a voice and, and their vote matters. And we’re here to try to help people understand, um, how to make that more simple and, and impactful.

Lee Kantor: And, and to your point, you do need help because these things are written in a way that, like you said, it seems like on purpose that it says one thing but means something else. A lot of the time.

Kim Davids: Yeah. Sometimes can seem that way.

Lee Kantor: Now, can you talk a little bit about the apprenticeship programs? Because I think that’s so important in today’s, um, as one of the choices when it comes to education and a way to get somebody ready to enter the workforce. Can you talk about, uh, that kind of work and how you help that, uh, happen for folks?

Kim Davids: Yeah. We currently have, um, an electrical apprenticeship program have been running that for quite some time. We just started or restarted our mechanical apprenticeship program. Um, we recently just moved into a new 200 zero square foot facility. So we have all of our educational opportunities, whether it be, um, the more technical and soft skill and leadership, um, education content I talked about earlier and our apprenticeship program under one house or under one roof and the opportunity for us to then scale what we offer to our member companies. And, and you don’t have to be a member of the ABA to actually enroll into our apprenticeship program, but we have the opportunity now to, to get creative with how we offer the classes currently or in the past, it has been only in the evenings from 5 to 7 at night. And mind you, these men and women go to work all day and then they go to school. By night they do a Monday, Wednesday and a Tuesday. Thursday. So now that we are, um, under one roof, we have the opportunity to prevent, to provide some hybrid opportunities to maybe do one day a month, maybe stack it up, we’re really able to reach out to the companies that are putting employees through our program to find out what they need.

Kim Davids: And we are trying to figure out a way to best suit those needs with the flexibility that we have in our new space. But the electrical apprenticeship program has, uh, right now, we are currently at 350 people enrolled for the fall semester. So we are growing and we are excited about the future of, of that program and starting with a smaller class on the mechanical program. Um, but really excited about bringing that, um, offering more opportunities for those two specific trades in the future. It’s interesting when when people come to us and say, you know, this is what we need. We need to train our, our, our skilled staff. And, um, really, how can you help us? We are now at a point where we can work with them and get, uh, make that happen because we have the resources and the space available to, to really give back to our, our companies.

Lee Kantor: Now, are you saying that as an area of opportunity for the companies in Arizona where they where maybe with your help, uh, either creating the actual curriculum or partnering with maybe one of the, um, colleges or trade organizations to that the, the organization, the company can say, hey, we need more workers like this and help them actually create a curriculum that helps deliver that after the person graduates. Is that something that you try to facilitate for your corporate members?

Kim Davids: Absolutely. Um, you know, our apprenticeship program, we were, uh, previously under the NCER curriculum and we switched over to Mike Holt. And that curriculum allows us a little bit more flexibility, more hands on approach versus textbook. And really the idea is continuing education, uh, for, for the apprentices as they become journeymen. And really beyond giving them that opportunity for what is it like in the field, you know, that those, those true soft skills, those leadership focused elements that really get lost when you’re, you’re focusing on all the technical aspects of an apprenticeship program.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, it’s a total win win, in my opinion. I mean, this is something where the organization wins and then the, the person, the individual wins. I mean, they’re getting the skills and the knowledge. And then the organization might be getting an employee. So everybody is coming out ahead from this.

Kim Davids: Yeah. And what’s interesting is when you’re going through an apprenticeship program, you have to be employed and have on the job training, on the job hours. And while most of our individuals are sponsored by their companies, there are a number of people that are self-pay. And so they are themselves taking this initiative to advance and further themselves within their own careers.

Lee Kantor: So they’re investing in themselves.

Kim Davids: Yes.

Lee Kantor: Now, um, what advice would you give somebody like you came into Arizona from elsewhere? Can you share, like if you were, um, giving advice to somebody else who was doing what you were doing, what’s the best way to plug in and get the most out of a membership of the Arizona Builders Alliance? How would you kind of recommend them going about kind of getting the most juice from the squeeze of being a member?

Kim Davids: I it’s all about engagement. I mean, I’m a firm believer of you, you, you, you get what you give and if you. We have some low hanging fruit. We have some mixers. We just did one last Thursday. Over 200 people showed up to go to one of our our premier trade partners association or offices. Um, and it’s just an opportunity for people to showcase their business, um, getting involved on a, on a committee giving back. That’s where you learn, uh, from, from your peers and get more social aspect. Obviously, I’m a proponent of education. I still teach some of our classes. Um, I was just in a meeting before this talking about, you know, what, what different curriculum and, and content we can provide, what do people need? And how can we be that solution for our members? Um, really just, you know, stop by, we’re here every day. We love to have our members here in our office and just talk to any of us. We’ll, we’ll figure out a way to get you plugged in, whether it be from the event side, whether you’re here in the Phoenix Valley or if you’re down in Tucson, um, really just come by and we’ll figure out the best way to, to get you involved.

Lee Kantor: Now, what is it? If I own a business, a construction business in Arizona, I’m not yet a member. Um, I call you up. What is the conversation like? You. It sounds like you can create some bespoke benefits to my firm based on what I need. And then you can give extra benefits to my employees because they become members. There’s. It sounds like what you’re offering is a lot more than, hey, join this association. Like it sounds pretty bespoke.

Kim Davids: Yeah, I think each. I mean, you have to think about it. Some of the contractors that are moving to Arizona, they’re large national and sometimes international companies. So they may not need, um, you know, certain education, they may have different trainings within their own organization. Um, so they may not need some of the education content, but or maybe some of the leadership, uh, cohorts that we have. But we do offer other, you know, interview prep and other different resources. And so maybe they’d want to tap into that or they’re just looking to network and find new trades. So come to one of our mixers and come to some of our events and, um, get the name out that you’re actually here in town. Um, others don’t have. They’re a smaller operation and they don’t have any of the training. And so we serve as that resource for them. So we really try to listen to what each member is looking for or what they think they need. Um, within the, the state, as they, as they’re here, whether they’re, they’ve been here for decades or they’re, they’re new and we try to figure out how to best, um, serve them, uh, all the way from the C-suite down to the, you know, the, the entry level positions in their company.

Lee Kantor: Now, is there a story you can share that maybe illustrates the impact that your association has on a company. You don’t have to name the organization, but maybe share the challenge they came to you with and how you were able to help them maybe get to a new level.

Kim Davids: Mm. Um, I mean, I feel like that happens every day, whether it be in, in micro situations or, or, or big situations. Um, from, you know, an advocacy standpoint, um, you know, the big topic this year has been project labor agreements and folks have come in and said, listen, we’re up against X, Y, z project and we really need some help and some resources to help us move this along, um, in the other direction. And we’ve done that. We’ve also had, um, individuals graduate from some of our education programs and stand up and give speeches at our graduation ceremony at the end of the day and talk about how, impactful and motivating the class was and inspirational to themselves and their career. So while while I feel like we want to make a bigger difference on at, at the company level, I, I don’t want to overstep the, the focus on how we are impacting individuals every single day, um, regardless of, of how they’re involved with the A, B, A.

Lee Kantor: And you yourself are a success story. Somebody coming in from outside to now leading the organization. I mean, that speaks volumes about you.

Kim Davids: It actually, it’s funny, I, I think back to how did I get here? But I, you know, as a, as a member company, uh, you know, I, I would volunteer, I went through the courses and sat on the board and it’s, it’s an association near and dear to my heart. And now I have the opportunity to give back. So it’s really quite, quite the privilege.

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

Kim Davids: Uh, I think this is great getting getting this opportunity to talk about, you know, what we stand for and the impact that we we hope to make. It’s not about us, it’s about our members. And thank you for this opportunity to, um, showcase us. And hopefully from this, we’ll get some, some interested people, uh, knocking on our door and coming in to say hello.

Lee Kantor: Well, if somebody wants to connect with you or somebody on the team, what’s the website? What’s the best way to connect?

Kim Davids: Uh, the website is AZ builders.org.

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

Kim Davids: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

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

BRX Pro Tip: How to Deliver Exceptional Service

August 14, 2026 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: How to Deliver Exceptional Service

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BRX Pro Tip: How to Deliver Exceptional Service

Stone Payton: And we are back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, today’s topic, how to deliver exceptional service.

Lee Kantor: Yeah. We’ve been harping on customer service and service in general for a while now, and I think it’s so important. I’ve been really reading a lot about this, and I want to share some of the highlights from some of the top books that I’ve been reading that are talking about taking customer service to new levels. So, the books that I’m going to be referring to are one from the Disney Institute called Be Our Guest; one from Shep Hyken, The Amazement Revolution; and I think one from Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness. So, let’s get started. Here we go.

Lee Kantor: So, from Be Our Guest from the Disney Institute, they recommend making every touchpoint magical. So, that’s something that they do obviously at the Magic Kingdom and that’s kind of their philosophy. So, is there anything you can be doing in your business to just think about whenever there’s an interaction between you and your clients, can you kind of level that up a little and make it special, or magical, or surprise and delight them? Is that possible? So, you don’t have to do it for every single touchpoint, but just think about all the touchpoints you have between your clients and see if there are ways that you can kind of make it a little more special.

Lee Kantor: Now, from the book The Amazement Revolution by Shep Hyken, he is a big proponent of building community with your customers. Now, from that standpoint, is there any way that you can be building community with your customers? Is there ways to bring them all together? Is there ways for you to, you know, create customer panels or customer get togethers? We had a host of one of our shows do a breakfast every year with all of the guests that they had on the show as a way to build community. Is there anything you could be doing in your business to bring your customers together to build that level of community?

Lee Kantor: From the book Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, the guy behind Zappos, he wants to create a culture that focuses on happiness, and he believes happy employees make for happy customers. So, is that something you can be focusing in on? What can you be doing to make your employees happier so that they can deliver that level of service happily to your customers?

Lee Kantor: And then, here’s a bonus one from the Customer Rules by Lee Cockerell, he says treat every customer like a regular. If they’re not a regular yet, they could be. So, think about ways that you can make that new customer feel more like they’re an old customer and that they’re special.

Lee Kantor: So, these books are a great starting point for your library on delivering exceptional customer service. I recommend checking them out. And I think you should be really thinking about creative ways that you can elevate your customer service so you can further differentiate yourself from your competition.

BRX Pro Tip: Two Common Sources of Self Sabotage

August 13, 2026 by angishields

BRX Pro Tips

BRX Pro Tip: Two Common Sources of Self Sabotage

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BRX Pro Tip: Two Common Sources of Self Sabotage

Stone Payton: Welcome back to Business RadioX Pro Tips. Lee Kantor, Stone Payton here with you. Let’s talk about two of the most common sources of self sabotage.

Lee Kantor: Yeah, as part of a growth of a leader, of an entrepreneur, you know, there’s danger all around you. But sometimes the danger is within, and that we have to fight these kind of self saboteurs that are within ourselves. I think that one of the most common self saboteurs is that inner worrier. That person or part of you that sees all the negative possibilities and potential dangers that are out there.

Lee Kantor: And those dangers and negative possibilities are both real and imagined. Sometimes that discourages us from taking action, and we really have to be clear that are we not taking action because there really is a danger or there really is a negative possibility, or are we just afraid? So that inner worrier within ourselves is important, kind of, to be aware of and to kind of manage. The second self saboteur that a lot of folks have to deal with is that inner critic who thinks that we’re an impostor, who thinks that we’re not qualified or we’re not ready to take on this challenge ahead. You have to be able to ignore that voice and go boldly forward. The worst case scenario is rarely fatal.

Lee Kantor: It is much better to take an action and then kind of deal with the ramifications of it, than it is to not take that action and pull the trigger when the time comes. So I think that if you can manage these two self saboteurs, you’re going to have a much better chance of success. Leading is difficult, you know. Running an organization, creating something from nothing is difficult. So if you have these two common self saboteurs kind of working against you, it makes it that much harder. So be aware that they exist and fight through them. You can do it.