Send a text

In this episode of The Small Business Big Insights Podcast, Eric sits down with leadership coach and former consultant Annika Friesen to unpack what truly drives sustainable growth for entrepreneurs. Annika shares why fast-scaling businesses prioritize intentionality over volume, consistency over intensity, and long-term relationship building over transactional networking. Drawing from her experience in global consulting and executive coaching, she explains how clarity in decision-making, values, and personal definitions of success can dramatically change how leaders show up in their businesses and avoid the burnout traps so common in hustle culture.

The conversation dives deeper into leadership plateaus, delegation fears, and the hidden cost of burnout on judgment, performance, and long-term business health. Annika challenges entrepreneurs to ask uncomfortable but necessary questions, including whether they may be the bottleneck holding their business back. She also demystifies coaching, explains how accountability accelerates growth, and shares insights from her upcoming book MBA Unlocked, a practical guide to career transformation. This candid discussion offers business owners practical frameworks to lead with confidence, protect their energy, and build companies that support both performance and life.

Timestamps

 00:00 Introduction and episode overview

 01:42 Meet Annika Friesen

 02:37 What fast-scaling entrepreneurs do differently

 06:53 Growth myths and the hustle trap

 09:48 Why businesses plateau and how to break through

 12:07 Delegation, hiring, and letting go

 19:43 The real leadership cost of burnout

 27:22 Shifting leadership identity and mindset

 32:04 How coaching works and who it’s for

 36:54 Annika’s upcoming book MBA Unlocked

 39:15 The uncomfortable truths entrepreneurs need to hear

 43:23 How to connect with Annika

Follow Annika Friesen on LinkedIn

The book waitlist page is here: https://annikafriesen.com/book-waitlist/

Hosted by Eric Saumure (https://ericsaumure.com )