Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business

• 1164: Why you're losing sales... and how storytelling can fix it w/ Mitchell Schuckman

  Mitchell Schuckman spent nearly four decades at a global accounting and consulting firm, but his story is anything but typical. In this episode, we celebrate the launch of his new business—and his book—that showcase his passion for coaching, leadership, and the art of storytelling. From redefining sales through empathy to making career pivots that align with purpose, Mitchell’s journey is packed with lessons for any entrepreneur who wants to lead authentically and connect meaningfully.Whether you're an executive, a coach, or a creative entrepreneur, this episode will challenge you to think about business not just as numbers—but as people, stories, and moments that matter.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🧠 Why sales isn't about "selling"—it's about relating through empathy and curiosity🗣️ How to use personal storytelling to win more business and deepen relationships🛠️ Mitchell’s formula for turning everyday experiences into client-converting stories🪞 How to help clients untangle personal and professional challenges with clarity🎯 The mindset shift from “winning vs. losing” to “learning and growing”🧩 What triggers meaningful change in business—and how to identify them in yourself📚 The behind-the-scenes process of launching a book using stories + AI📝 About the Guest Mitchell Schuckman is the founder of The Schuckman Group, an executive coaching and leadership development firm launched after a successful career as a partner at a global consulting firm. He’s a professional certified coach, sales strategist, and now author of I'll Tell You a Great Story: Building Closer Relationships and Winning in Business Through Storytelling. Mitchell brings a uniquely human approach to business – blending empathy, storytelling, and decades of leadership experience to help others succeed with clarity and confidence.🎯 Guest’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Be your authentic self. Approach others in business with empathy and curiosity.”🔑 Key Takeaways from His Advice: ✔ Authenticity builds trust—and trust builds business ✔ Empathy and curiosity are the new power skills in sales and leadership ✔ You’ll succeed faster by embracing who you truly are instead of trying to “perform” business📢 Memorable Quotes “Selling is relating. If you care about people, you can be great at sales.” – Mitchell Schuckman “Our whole lives are stories—your job is to find the ones others can see themselves in.” – Mitchell Schuckman “I never lose. I either win or I learn.” – Mitchell Schuckman💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Reframe sales as relationship-building—ask better questions, listen deeper ✅ Start collecting your own stories—every experience can become a teaching moment ✅ When facing business stress, zoom out and separate personal vs. professional challenges ✅ Don’t wait for January 1st—use today as your fresh start to reach the next level🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit The Schuckman Group’s WebsiteConnect with Mitchell on LinkedInFollow The Schuckman Group on Instagram

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• 1163: ALL the secrets of a tech stack (and tech STRATEGY!) that can help you GROW and SCALE w/ Azunna Anyanwu

  In this episode, we’re diving into the mind of a three-time CIO and CTO who’s taken his decades of experience leading top 100 firms and brought it straight to small business owners like you. Azunna Anyanwu is the founder of The Agile CIO, where he helps entrepreneurs strategically and tactically harness tech to scale smarter—not just faster.Azunna doesn’t just understand tech—he understands how to align it with business growth. From streamlining operations to embracing AI with intention, this episode is a masterclass in thinking big while staying lean. Whether you’re tech-savvy or tech-averse, Azunna will change how you view your systems, workflows, and scalability.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🔌 The difference between a CTO and CIO—and why it matters for your business🛠️ How to map your tech stack and identify overlapping tools that are wasting time and money🧩 Why every small business should conduct a systems + workflow audit🤖 How to approach AI with a “fast follower” mindset (and avoid bleeding-edge distractions)🧱 The power of aligning technology decisions with long-term business goals💼 How Azunna built his own business tech stack using the same framework he uses for clients⏳ Why “just-in-time planning” is the agile secret weapon for sustainable growth📝 About the Guest Azunna Anyanwu is the Founder of The Agile CIO and an award-winning technology executive with over 20 years of experience in IT operations, cybersecurity, and technology strategy. A trusted advisor and servant leader, he helps organizations strengthen their tech operations and close critical cybersecurity and IT gaps.Azunna has held CIO and CTO roles at three Top 100 accounting firms and previously served as Director of IT for a federal government contractor. He began his career in Big 4 consulting, delivering solutions for state and federal agencies.His broad expertise spans business process reengineering, strategic planning, and technical leadership across both public and private sectors.Azunna holds degrees in Computer Science from Harvard University and The Johns Hopkins University, along with an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology.🎯 Guest’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Embrace the journey. The ups and downs will grow you, and you’ll discover strengths you didn’t know you had.”💡 Key takeaways from Azunna's advice:✅ Entrepreneurship isn’t linear—success comes from staying committed through the highs and lows✅ You don’t need all the answers to start—just a willingness to learn and iterate✅ If you’re solving a real business problem, there’s always someone who needs your help📢 Memorable Quotes“Technology is just a means to an end. It has to make sense for your business goals.” – Azunna Anyanwu“Don’t fall for the shiny object—start with the problem and build your tech around that.” – Azunna Anyanwu💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Conduct a tech + systems audit to identify inefficiencies and overlaps ✅ Create a roadmap before chasing new tools—prioritize what actually moves the needle ✅ Define your “just-in-time” systems list: what you’ll need next quarter, not next year ✅ Approach AI with purpose—identify a business challenge first, then see if AI solves it🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit The Agile CIO’s WebsiteConnect with Azunna on LinkedIn

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• 1162: Regain Control, Achieve Clarity, and Unlock Growth in Your Business w/ Kris Rohman

  In this powerful episode, Kris Rohman—founder of ROH Consulting—dives deep into the operational, cultural, and leadership challenges that entrepreneurs face as they grow. With a background in marketing and operations for Fortune 100 companies and experience as a COO and President, Kris shares the frameworks he now uses to help founders regain control and scale sustainably. This conversation is packed with real talk about the messy middle of entrepreneurship, what it really takes to build a high-performing team, and how to avoid common pitfalls as you grow.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🧭 How to regain control of your business and define a clear path for growth📊 Why culture and accountability—not just sales—are the backbone of scaling🛠️ How to implement operational systems like EOS to create team alignment👥 What strong culture actually looks like—and how to build it through trust💸 Why scaling too fast without infrastructure is a hidden risk for founders🔁 How to structure weekly, quarterly, and annual goals for real momentum🤝 Why you can’t be both visionary and integrator—and how to delegate the right way📝 About the Guest Kris Rohman is the founder of ROH Consulting, specializing in helping business owners streamline operations, align teams, and drive sustainable growth. With over 20 years of experience leading marketing initiatives for Fortune 100 companies and scaling businesses through strategic initiatives, Kris delivers hands-on expertise and proven frameworks to unlock efficiency and growth.🎯 Kris’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs “Always bet on yourself—because if you trust yourself, you’ll figure out the way.” Key takeaways from this advice: ✔ Trusting yourself is foundational to making bold entrepreneurial moves ✔ Challenges are inevitable, but betting on yourself gives you the drive to push through ✔ Success comes from believing in your value and your ability to adapt📢 Memorable Quotes “Investing inward allows you to grow outward.” – Kris Rohman “Culture isn’t perks—it’s trust. That’s the real foundation.” – Kris Rohman “You can’t just push sales to solve your problems. Growth needs infrastructure.” – Kris Rohman💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Audit your business quarterly: what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to shift ✅ Use a scorecard to track weekly metrics that signal momentum and health ✅ Clarify your unique ability—and delegate anything outside of it ✅ Don’t just write core values—live them as a leadership team ✅ Build trust as the foundation of your culture, not just fun perks🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit ROH Consulting’s WebsiteConnect with Kris on LinkedIn

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• 1161: BE LAZIER! Time to think in WORKFLOWS rather than TASKS w/ Aarti Anand

  If you're still trying to do everything in your business manually, this episode is for you. Aarti Anand is the founder of Kodenyx AI, where she helps B2B CEOs and founders automate the most time-wasting parts of their business using intelligent AI agents. From lead nurturing to client onboarding, her systems run like a 24/7 team without the burnout, mood swings, or payroll.But this episode goes far beyond tech—it’s about mindset, lifestyle design, and challenging outdated beliefs about entrepreneurship. Aarti shares how she left a 15-year product leadership career to create a freedom-first business that aligns with her values, family, and vision. If you’re ready to work less and achieve more, don’t miss this conversation.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🤖 How to build AI agents that do the heavy lifting in your sales process (without sounding robotic)🧠 The mindset shift that every modern entrepreneur needs to thrive in the AI era🚪 The drip matrix that reveals which business tasks you should automate or delegate💡 Why identifying your top 3 bottlenecks is the first step to scaling with ease💬 How prompt engineering and internal SOPs turn AI into a top-performing team member🧭 Why “thinking in workflows, not tasks” leads to exponential growth🌍 How to build a location-independent business that supports your dream lifestyle📝 About AartiAarti Anand is a dedicated mother of three and the proud owner of two dogs, balancing her family life with an impressive career as a product leader spanning nearly fifteen years. Her passion for innovation led her to venture into entrepreneurship, focusing on integrating AI into business workflows. This transition provided Aarti with the freedom to oversee her work from anywhere, aligning with her desire to prioritize her family and personal values. Her journey reflects a commitment to both professional success and being present for her growing children, aging parents, and cherished pets.🎯 Aarti’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs“Have your ‘why’ so clear that even on the days you want to give up, you still hang on and take one step forward.”Key Takeaways from Aarti's Advice: ✔ Your “why” is the anchor that keeps you steady during the hardest days ✔ Don’t chase money—chase the lifestyle and impact you truly want ✔ All it takes is one action to break through confusion and build momentum📢 Memorable Quotes“If you have SOPs that can train a human, we can turn them into an AI agent that runs your business while you sleep.” – Aarti Anand“Don’t automate the parts of your business that light you up—automate what drains you.” – Aarti Anand💡 Actionable Takeaways✅ Identify the 3 biggest bottlenecks in your business before implementing AI✅ Use the drip matrix to categorize what to automate, delegate, or do yourself✅ Train AI agents using your SOPs, marketing material, and Loom transcripts✅ Focus on workflows that generate revenue while freeing up your time✅ Adopt a mindset of “solution-seeking” instead of clinging to old ways of working🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Kodenyx AI’s WebsiteConnect with Aatri on LinkedIn

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• 1160: Bringing COLLABORATION, processes, and organization to fix an industry of chaos w/ Carl Nelson

  What if the process of renovating or building your home could actually be smooth, collaborative, and even enjoyable? That’s the mission Carl Nelson is on. With a background in architecture for national giants like Starbucks and McDonald's, Carl is now transforming the residential construction industry through his company, Visual.In this episode, you’ll discover how Carl is redesigning not just homes—but the entire process behind them. From developing smarter systems to embracing transparency and collaboration, Carl’s entrepreneurial journey is packed with insights for anyone looking to build a business that solves big, broken problems.💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business🛠 How to identify industry pain points and build a business that fixes them💡 Why clarity, transparency, and systems are your secret weapons in any service-based business🤝 How to build collaborative tools that streamline client experience and reduce overwhelm🧠 Why mindset and self-awareness are key to staying resilient as a founder🏗 How to bring enterprise-level professionalism into small business service models🧭 Why patience is your biggest asset when building a business that disrupts the status quo📝 About Carl Carl Nelson is an architect and entrepreneur with experience in both residential and commercial construction. After working with household names like Starbucks and McDonald’s, Carl saw an opportunity to bring the same high standards of efficiency and clarity to the fragmented world of home construction. Through his company Visual, Carl guides homeowners through a four-step design and construction journey using custom systems and tools he developed from decades of experience. He’s on a mission to transform the customer experience in remodeling and building—and he's not afraid to challenge the outdated norms of the industry.🎯 Carl’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs“It takes longer than you think. You just have to have patience.” – Carl NelsonKey Takeaways: ✔ Big impact takes big time—so set long-term expectations ✔ Patience isn’t passive; it’s a strategy for growth ✔ Progress comes through small, continuous refinements📢 Memorable Quotes“Most people expect remodeling to be a nightmare. We’re on a mission to change that.” – Carl Nelson“Every time I get a new bid, it’s more expensive than the last. We need to make remodeling smarter and more affordable.” – Carl Nelson“Skateboarding taught me everything about business—falling, learning, repeating.” – Carl Nelson💡 Actionable Takeaways ✅ Build processes that make your client’s experience easier—not harder ✅ Use tools like Smartsheet or Notion to centralize communication and data ✅ Seek out collaborators who are aligned with your mission—not just your price point ✅ Focus on solving real problems, not chasing short-term trends ✅ Embrace the mindset of iteration: tweak, test, improve, repeat🔗 Links & ResourcesVisit Visual’s WebsiteConnect with Carl on LinkedIn

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