Better Business for Small Business Leaders
Better Business for Small Business is the go-to podcast for entrepreneurs looking to get 1% better in their business every day. Hosted by Chrissy Myers, CEO of AUI and Clarity HR, each episode dives into real-world stories and expert insights from resilient small business owners who blend passion, purpose, and philanthropy to drive success.
Episodes
40 episodes
Alice Rhodes Shares How to Replace a Group Plan Without Leaving Your Team Behind
Your health insurance renewal hits, and suddenly the math doesn’t work: premiums climb faster than inflation, one big claim can blow up a small group plan, and specialty drug costs keep stacking the deck against predictability. We talk through ...
Stephanie Smith Talks About Your Best Opportunities Come From People You Trust
The next big break in your career probably won’t come from a perfect strategy deck. It’ll come from a person who trusts you, remembers you, and is willing to make an introduction when the moment is right. That’s why we dig into relationship bui...
Julie Wheeler On The Hidden HR Problems That Show Up When Small Businesses Scale
Your business starts growing, and you think the hard part is sales, operations, and delivery. Then the real friction hits: the people side. The mood changes, long-time employees get uneasy, new hires shift the dynamics, and suddenly, “we’ve alw...
Alice Rhodes Talks How Small Businesses Cut Health Insurance Costs with Self Funding
Your health insurance renewal shows up, and the numbers feel unreal. The cost jumps again, nobody can clearly explain why, and you are left trying to protect your team’s benefits while your budget gets squeezed. We sit down with Alice Rhodes, V...
How Jim Barlett Broke The $3M Ceiling With Forward-Looking Finance
Growth feels great until it starts to choke your cash and your calendar. We sit down with Jim Bartlett, Navy mission commander turned e-commerce founder and now Area President at Focus CFO, to unpack how owners stop firefighting and start leadi...
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Sue Grabowski's Take On Why Your Nephew Should Not Run Your Ads
Quit a stable job, tell your boss you’re going home, then get asked if they can become your first client—how’s that for a plot twist? We sit down with communications leader Sue Grabowski to chart a three-decade journey from magazine keylining t...
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How Zhao Liu Went From Solo Hustle To Scalable Team
What if one smart hire could flip your business from constant scramble to controlled scale? That’s the spark behind our conversation with Zhao Liu, the operator-turned-founder of ZL Workforce, who transformed an eight-year solo grind into a dat...
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Marc Lee Shannon on How Resilience and Systems Transform a Creative Career
The myth says a creative life runs on inspiration; the truth is that it runs on timing, resilience, and a reliable system. We sit down with guitarist and former VP of Sales Marc Lee Shannon to map the dirt roads that led from LA session work to...
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Playing The Long Game: Alicia Jarboe on Values, Community, And Sustainable Growth
What if your best marketing isn’t marketing at all, but the way you show up when it costs you? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Alicia Jarboe, the Worcester-based realtor and nonprofit leader who proves that relationships, not tran...
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Building Unshakable and Intentional Leaders with Janet Kendall White
What if the difference between a resilient culture and a fragile one is a single intentional choice? We sit down with Janet Kendal White, author of Unshakable Leadership and founder of Berkshire Group, to unpack how real leadership moves beyond...
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Small Starts, Strong Bonds: Why Mutually Beneficial Partnerships Win According to Chris Canova
Collaboration only works when both sides win—and when you can prove your value every single day. That’s the lens Chris Canova brings as he walks us through how Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates (JOG) scaled from a small team to 70+ staff across ten cou...
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Erika Hill on Positioning Self and Closing the Generational Gap
Confidence doesn’t show up on command; it grows after courage. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Erica Hill, the creator of Positioning Self—a coaching framework that turns soft skills into daily, practiced habits for interns, first...
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Broker or Broken? Finding the Right Health Insurance Partner with Alice Rhodes
Do you know what your health insurance broker actually does? Most small business owners assume their broker simply shops for the cheapest rates, but that's just skimming the surface of what a true strategic benefits advisor should provide.<...
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Julie Wheeler Breaks Down What Company Culture Really Means
Do your employees dread Sunday nights because they have to return to your workplace on Monday morning? That's one of the clearest signs your company culture needs attention, according to HR expert Julie Wheeler.In this eye-opening conve...
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Simple Solutions for Complex Business Problems with Adrienne Wilkerson
"There's always a solution. It might be over, might be under, might be around, or straight through." These words of wisdom from Adrienne Wilkerson, co-founder of Beacon Media + Marketing, perfectly capture the mindset needed to navigate what sh...
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When to Hire HR? Julie Wheeler Shares a Better Option for Growing Businesses
Reaching that 15-30 employee threshold brings a crucial decision for business owners: is it time to hire a dedicated HR person? Before taking that leap, Julie Wheeler of Clarity HR makes a compelling case for considering fractional HR services ...
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Alice Rhodes on Why Most Small Businesses Get Employee Benefits Wrong
The difference between a struggling small business and a thriving one often comes down to how they approach employee benefits. Most business owners think they have benefits figured out—but as Alice Rhodes, Vice President of Employee Benefits at...
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Why Digital Accessibility Matters for Everyone: Elizabeth Orley is Back Another Wake-up Call
Are you unwittingly turning away potential customers because of an inaccessible website? Digital marketing expert Elizabeth Orley shares her personal awakening to the importance of accessibility after breaking her arm and suddenly finding herse...
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HR Doesn't Always Say No: Breaking HR Stereotypes with Julie Wheeler
Ever find yourself dreading those human resources responsibilities that come with running your business? You're not alone. Many small business owners view HR as a necessary evil – a department that exists to say "no" and create endless rules. J...
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How to Win the Talent War with Strategic Insurance Plans with Alice Rhodes
Ever wonder why finding a good health insurance broker feels impossible, especially as a small business owner? Alice Rhodes from AUI pulls back the curtain on the often-mysterious world of employee benefits with refreshing candor and deep exper...
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How Bill Snow Built Multiple Successful Businesses by Finding His White Space
Bill Snow's entrepreneurial journey begins with a moment many of us can relate to—a family vacation derailed by car trouble. That frustrating experience sparked a revelation that transformed his career path and led to multiple successful busine...
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Finding Purpose After Entrepreneurship: Gary Sirak Talks About Retirement Without Dying
Ever wonder what happens when entrepreneurs who've poured their hearts into building businesses finally step away? Financial advisor Gary Sirak tackles this crucial question head-on, revealing why some business owners literally die shortly afte...
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Why Culture Fit Matters More Than Money When Choosing Your Business Path with Terese McGroarty
Freedom of choice may be entrepreneurship's greatest gift. While corporate employees rarely select their colleagues, business owners—especially franchisees—can intentionally choose their culture and community. This powerful insight anchors our ...
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Leadership Lessons from 10,000 Small Businesses with Erika Hill
What happens when you take a successful small business owner and give them the tools to think bigger? The transformation can be extraordinary.Most entrepreneurs reach a critical point where they've mastered the startup phase but feel st...
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Saving Squirrels and Building Bold Brands with Julie Gates
Ever wondered how embracing quirks and a dash of humor can lead to entrepreneurial success? Julie Gates, a real estate investor and property manager from Savannah, Georgia, enlightens us with her fascinating journey. Julie's story ...
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