Ah, interns. The promise of inexpensive (or even free) labor as you’re growing your business, especially when you’re in that hard point between having too much work to do yourself but not having extra revenue to hire someone. But, there’s a catch. Interns come with responsibilities for you as the business owner (as well as legal regulations). My guest Isabella Johnston is known as the “intern whisperer.” She has trained dozens of interns in her company and is now getting ready to release a software program that will make it easier for businesses to find interns and for interns to find opportunities. What should you look for in an intern? What are realistic expectations? What do you as the business owner need to have in place before you’re ready for an intern? Isabella and I talk all about this and more in this podcast episode. About My Guest: Isabella Johnston owns Pivot Business Consulting where she consults in process innovation and improvement, onboarding, and servant leadership. She facilitates workshops and training in leadership, team building and 360 communication. She is called the intern whisperer because of the customized intern programs that help businesses and nonprofits bridge their process gaps. She is the creator of Intern Pursuit, a software program that is an end-to-end recruitment and management program to help business owners manage the intern process with ease. Highlights: Paid vs unpaid interns What you need to have as a business owner before you bring on an intern What you can realistically expect interns to be able to do Your role as a mentor The differences between an intern and a virtual assistant (VA) Links: Isabella’s website = https://www.pivotbusinessconsulting.com/ Intern Pursuit software platform = http://www.internpursuit.com Connect with Isabella on LinkedIn and Twitter Isabella’s articles on LinkedIn Join the free Speaking Your Brand community at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/join/. Say hi to me on Twitter @CarolMorganCox Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review! JOIN US: Our in-person Speaking Accelerator Workshop is coming up in Downtown Orlando on October 30, 2025. Create and practice your signature talk in one day using our proven framework, so you can confidently share your message and attract more opportunities. It's a fun, supportive environment where you get personalized feedback, professional photos, and more. Limited to 15 attendees. Get the details and secure your spot at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/orlando/.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.