A New Ambition

25: Breaking the busy cycle: why business owners avoid what matters most. An interview with Nicole Keleher

Krista Williamson

Today, I’m sharing a conversation I had with Nicole Keleher on her podcast Customer Connect.

We dig into something almost every business owner struggles with — avoiding the everyday work that actually keeps the business running, and why stepping into small visibility moments feels harder than it should.

This isn’t a conversation about discipline or motivation. It’s about how your brain works when you’re overwhelmed, why certain tasks feel heavier than they are, and how to make them easier without forcing yourself into systems you’ll abandon in a week.

We also talk about the connection piece — why your presence, your face, and your voice matter more than perfect strategy, and how customer experience is shaped long before someone checks out on your site or walks into your business.

This episode meets you where you are: busy, stretched, committed, and ready for work to feel more aligned and less reactive.

More about Nicole:
Nicole Keleher is a retail and customer experience strategist who spent 17 years running a highly successful seasonal retail business. She now works with independent retailers and service-based business owners to simplify their marketing, strengthen customer connection, and build experiences that actually drive profit.

Through The Retail Marketers Hub and her podcast Customer Connect, Nicole focuses on practical, usable strategies that make running a small business easier,  not more overwhelming.

To connect with Nicole:

Instagram: @theretailmarketers

Website: theretailmarketers.com

YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@theretailmarketers


To connect with Krista:

Website: kristawilliamson.com

Facebook: @kristawilliamsoncoaching

Instagram: @kristawilliamsoncoaching

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