What Works

EP 341: Taking Better Care Of Each Other with Wanderwell Founder Kate Strathmann

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Wanderwell founder Kate Strathmann and I unpack how our personal values often don’t line up with economic forces—and ho...

EP 340: Managing As An Introverted, Anxious, and Autistic Boss: Tara’s Interview On The Rebel Therapist With Annie Schuessler

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How I decide what roles to hire for (and why understanding our team structure is key)* When it’s time increase capacity b...

EP 339: Hiring For The Upside With Small Business Co-Pilot Founder Podge Thomas

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why management specialist Podge Thomas believes your team should be your biggest asset* How to prepare to hire—and how to...

Q&A: What Content Should Be Free? And What Should Be Paid For?

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you know what content should be free? And, what should be paid for? This month, we’ve been talking all about building an audience a...

EP 338: Why Staying Small Leads To Big Results

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month, we’ve explored finding customers and building an audience—which are not the same things. Every business needs to find custom...

EP 337: Connecting With Stories With Tell Me A Story Founder Hillary Rea

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why storytelling is good for business and how it can help you build your audience* Why you don’t have to squeeze your sto...

EP 336: Marketing Without Scale With Brand Strategist Felicia Sullivan

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why brand strategist Felicia Sullivan doesn’t bother with using social media to find clients* How she uses coffee dates t...

EP 335: Finding The Right Strategy To Market Your Business with Savvy Social Podcast Host Andréa Jones

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How social media marketing expert Andréa Jones balances two different marketing strategies for her agency and for her memb...

EP 334: Creating Mental Space With Simple Changes

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the ROI on mental space? What would it be worth to you to get some peace of mind? What would you be willing to do to alleviate a...

EP 333: Simplifying Social Media Content Creation With Andréa Jones and Tara McMullin

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What Works is all about exploring what’s really working for small business owners. Because there are a lot of assumptions and misconceptio...

Q&A: How Do You Make A Big Change To Your Business Model?

23 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you make a big change to your business model without making it harder than it has to be? How do you navigate sunsetting an...

EP 332: Maybe Simplicity Is Just A Dream…

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I’m convinced that every entrepreneur has a fantasy business that they daydream about. It’s free from all of the baggage and assumptions...

EP 331: Embracing Simplicity With Brigitte Lyons & Sophy Dale

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Sophy Dale decided to let go of 2 of her 3 businesses and just focus on one and why figuring out a novel distribution s...

EP 330: Letting Go Of Complication With Brigitte Lyons & Sophy Dale

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Sophy Dale ended up running 3 separate businesses—and what made her realize it was all too complicated* How Brigitte ...

EP 329: The Anatomy Of An Opportunity

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes it can feel like you don’t find opportunity, opportunity finds you. But even then, it’s the fact that you were paying attentio...

EP 328: Navigating The Crossroads With Business Coach Justine Clay

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How business coach Justine Clay decides whether or not to pursue an opportunity* Why she starts with feelings first and how...

EP 327: Building A Financially Sustainable Business Model With Systems Saved Me Founder Jordan Gill

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Jordan Gill used data and experience to set competitive prices for her business operations firm* Why she focused on ser...

EP 326: Creating Sustainable Structures & Systems With Superscript Marketing Founder Anna Wolf

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why SuperScript Marketing founder Anna Wolf started her niche content marketing agency aimed at the financial service indus...

EP 325: When Opportunity Meets Sustainability With Tara McMullin

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What if your biggest opportunity didn’t involve doing more but doing less? What if scaling back and simplifying wasn’t only a way to mak...

EP 324: 4 Patterns That Make Relationship-Building A Challenge

25 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A big part of how I do what I do is by spotting patterns. As a podcaster, I’m looking for the patterns in the stories my guests tell m...

EP 323: Get To Know Your Neighbors With Rebelle Founder Shannon Siriano Greenwood

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do you know your neighbors? Sean and I know a couple of ours—but most are strangers. At this point in time, not knowing your neighbors ...

EP 322: Building A Stronger Team With Productive Flourishing Founder Charlie Gilkey

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I didn’t start a business because I was excited about managing people. I wasn’t dreaming of hiring a team while I was writing blog posts...

EP 321: Designing A Remarkable Customer Experience

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Exceptional customer service.” I’m sure you’ve heard those words uttered during a training session for a retail or service industry...

EP 320: Making Your Business Your #1 Ally

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Businesses are all about relationships, right? Sure, I think we can all agree on that to one extent or another. But what exactly do we me...

EP 319: Why Our Plans Need More Margin

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Margin is space—the space between and around. There is the margin of a page, of course. And there is the margin around the border of a for...

EP 318: Writing The 2nd Draft With Sell From Love Author Finka Jerkovic

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What Sell From Love author Finka Jerkovic learned from the process of writing her book’s first draft* How she determined ...

BONUS: Finding Your Podcasting Rhythm With The Standout Podcast Club

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Flow. Rhythm. Consistency. These are all words we want to associate with how we do our work, but so rarely can we actually describe a week ...

EP 317: Leveraging LinkedIn With The Pocket PhD Founder Emily Crookston

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How The Pocket PhD founder Emily Crookston started leveraging LinkedIn after the pandemic threw a wrench in her public spea...

EP 316: Planning For Parental Leave With Startup Society Founder Gillian Perkins

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Startup Society creator Gillian Perkins prepared for her recent parental leave* What her normal 20-hour workweek looks ...

EP 315: How I’m Planning For 2021 at What Works & YellowHouse.Media

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What Works founder Tara McMullin shares how she’s planning for 2021 at both What Works & YellowHouse.Media, as well a...

EP 314: Discovering Who You Want To Become With Modern Leaders Co-Founder Melissa Emler

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Modern Learners Chief Learning Office, Melissa Emler, grew to meet the challenge her business faced leading thousands o...

EP 313: Focusing On What You Can Control With Co-Creating Inclusion Founder Alethea Fitzpatrick

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Co-Creating Inclusion founder Alethea Fitzpatrick navigated this year by focusing on what she could control and letting...

EP 312: Surfing The Ebbs & Flows with The Change Agency Founder Valerie Black

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How coach & strategist Valerie Black led herself through a year of ups & downs* The practices she uses to find her ...

EP 311: Finding The Full Body Yes With Being Boss Host Emily Thompson

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Emily Thompson, host of Being Boss & founder of Almanac Supply Co, led herself through a year with plenty of twists...

EP 310: Unlearning Default Thoughts With Financial Coach Keina Newell

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How financial coach Keina Newell realized she had a mindset problem–plus all the ways she tried to make things work wit...

EP 309: How To Change Your Perspective

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’re going to hear from four small business owners who have learned to see things in a new way–to shift their perspective–and as...

EP 308: Leveraging Old Skills & Learning New Ones With Bouquet Stock Photography Founders Dana Kaye & Felton Kizer

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Dana Kaye  and Felton Kizer came together to build a stock photography business–and the important mission behind...

EP 307: Mastering A New Model With The Light House Founder Christianne Squires

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Christianne Squires created The Light House, a community for contemplative leaders, and how it differs from her first b...

EP 306: Finding A New Way To Communicate With Writer Kris Windley

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How writer Kris Windley learned illustration skills to level up the way she communicates* The process she uses to figure ou...

EP 305: How To Keep Speaking Up (Even When Things Go Wrong)

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I have a confession to make. This month, I committed to speaking up on Instagram Stories every day. I pledged to share something–not neces...

EP 304: Speaking To New Audiences With Rebel Therapist Founder Annie Schuessler

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Rebel Therapist podcast host Annie Schuessler found her voice as a podcaster—and how her show has evolved over time* ...

EP 303: Creating A Curated Newsletter With #jesspicks Creator Jessica Williams

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Jessica Williams created #jesspicks, the curated weekly newsletter for sidehustlers who love their day job* How each ed...

EP 302: Connecting With Confidence with Brand Builders Academy Creator Suz Chadwick

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I started my very first blog back on Xanga in 2003. I might be your internet grandma. I used my Xanga blog to share what I was thinking a...

EP 301: Taking A Stand With Tell Me A Story Founder Hillary Rea

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Tell Me A Story founder Hillary Rea realized that she’d let her message get watered down* Why trying to please people...

EP 300: Celebrating A Milestone With Emily Thompson, Elsie Escobar, Jessica Kupferman & Tara McMullin

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is our 300th episode of What Works! To celebrate, What Works host Tara McMullin and top podcasters, Emily Thompson (Being Boss), Elsie ...

EP 299: How To Design Your Own Sales System

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Very few small business owners start out as confident sales people. In fact, selling is quite often a new business owner’s #1 fear. Man...

EP 298: Creating A Less Harmful Sales System with Wanderwell Founder Kate Strathmann

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This show is called What Works for a reason. Sometimes it’s a declaration: this is what worked for this small business. And often, it’s ...

EP 297: Selling A New Program With Proof To Product Founder Katie Hunt

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Katie Hunt adapted her largely events-based business in the wake of Covid-19* Why a product she’d been working on sin...

EP 296: Putting The Humanity Back In Sales With Lawyer Autumn Witt Boyd

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How attorney Autumn Witt Boyd discovered that she’d over-automated the sales process for her law firm* The adjustments th...

EP 295: It’s Always A Work In Progress

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The market is constantly changing. New technology, new trends, new players. We can either treat the constant changing and uncertainty as ...

BONUS: Refining How I Offer Business Support Over The Long-Term

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Hey, it’s Tara McMullin, and this is a special bonus episode of What Works, the show that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how small bus...

EP 294: Refining Your Offer With SpeakEasy Cooperative Founder Michelle Markwart Deveaux

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode * Why voice teacher Michelle Markwart Deveaux refined her offer from a pay-for-service model to a value pricing model* How tha...

BONUS: Why We Chose Productized Services For YellowHouse.Media

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Sean and Tara McMullin chose to “productize” their full-service podcast production offer at YellowHouse.Media… an...

EP 293: Offering Bespoke Services With Flaunt Your Fire Founder India Jackson

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Flaunt Your Fire founder India Jackson takes a strategic approach to offering custom service packages without getting o...

BONUS: How I Created 2 New Offers When People Asked Me, “What’s Next?”

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How a significant life change for What Works founder Tara McMullin turned into an idea and then several iterations of offer...

EP 292: Figuring Out What’s Next For Your Offer With LOE Collective Founder Alisha Robertson

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode * How Alisha Robertson got the idea for The LOE Collective, a membership community supporting women business owners* The proce...

EP 291: Reply Hazy. Try Again.

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I had a Magic 8 ball when I was a kid. I wouldn’t say that I relied on it in any serious way… but, when my kid brain was trying to proce...

EP 290: Discovering Your Vision With Ginkgo Public Relations Founder Cher Hale

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What led Ginkgo Public Relations founder Cher Hale to move from Las Vegas to Portland, Oregon* How she took her business fu...

EP 289: Leading Through Uncertainty with &yet CEO Sarah Avenir

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How Sarah Avenir took on the role of CEO for digital development & strategy agency, &yet* Why Sarah considers herse...

EP 288: Rethinking Your Business Amidst Change With Second Breaks Founder Lou Blaser

07 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why I chose “embrace uncertainty” as one of my commitments for 2020 and how it’s served in this wild year* How Charli...

EP 287: The Things We Thought We Knew About Money

30 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How we think about money impacts what we do with money. And for many of us, what we think about money is influenced by narratives, framework...

EP 286: Pricing For The Future With Fire + Mineral Jewelry Founder Tiffany Whipps

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Fire + Mineral founder Tiffany Whipps shares how she’s gone from willy nilly pricing to pricing for the future of her com...

EP 285: Going All In With Strategist Marie Poulin

16 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * The webinar that changed everything for strategist Marie Poulin* Why she decided to go “all in” on creating content a...

EP 284: Pricing On A Sliding Scale With Corpus Ritual Founder Jennifer Patterson

09 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why grief & trauma worker Jennifer Patterson prices a significant portion of her work using a sliding scale* How a sl...

EP 283: Taking Stock Of Our Evolving Relationships To Money with Tara & Sean McMullin

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode * The single most important lesson Tara McMullin learned about money in the last 5 years* How that lesson rippled through her ...

EP 282: Finding Support Through Coaching With Wholehearted Coaching Founder Shirin Eskandani

26 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What happened with coach Shirin Eskandani got the call for her dream job–singing in Carmen at the Met* How she discover...

EP 281: Business Support Comes In All Shapes & Sizes

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Leading a business can be lonely. I noticed just how disconnected business owners are when I started my very first website way back in 2009....

EP 280: Thriving With High Functioning Anxiety With The Happier Approach Host Nancy Smith

19 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How licensed professional counselor & therapeutic coach Nancy Jane Smith learned to navigate high-functioning anxiety w...

EP 279: Leveraging Masterminds For Support With Startup Pregnant Founder Sarah Peck

12 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Startup Pregnant founder Sarah K. Peck started organizing mastermind groups & experiences before she was even a bus...

EP 278: Prioritizing Your Mental Health With Chris Brogan

05 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Bestselling author & business consultant Chris Brogan shares how depression and anxiety impact his experience as an ent...

EP 277: 3 Tools These Small Business Owners Swoon Over

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The tools I use to run my business have come a long way in the last decade. Back then, I had to do most things manually. Now, integrations a...

EP 276: Tools For Building An Online Personal Training Business With Holly Myers and Arryn Grogan From Lift With Holly & Arryn

28 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * How personal trainers Holly Myers and Arryn Grogan use systems and software to run a thriving online coaching business* Why...

EP 275: Tools For Building A Copywriting Agency With Content Bistro Founder Prerna Malik

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * The process Prerna Malik, founder of Content Bistro, uses to create effective copy for her clients* Why she keeps her tools...

EP 274: The Tools That Power A Content-Driven Business With Grit Host Jessica Stansberry

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What tools Jessica Stansberry uses to run her content-driven business* How she knows when it’s time to switch tools and w...

EP 273: The Tools We Use To Run a Podcast Production Agency with YellowHouse.Media Co-Founders Sean and Tara McMullin

07 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Sean and Tara McMullin, co-founders of YellowHouse.Media share the tools they use to run their podcast production agency* S...

EP 272: Making Your Brand Personal With Stasia’s Style School Creator Stasia Savasuk

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

My brand is more “me” than ever. Which is funny because, up until 2017, my brand was my name. That year, I made a conscious effort to...

EP 271: Brand-Building Is More Important Than Ever

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

People are still spending money. It’s a message I’ve shared over and over again over the last 2 weeks. Not everyone is spending money…...

EP 270: Building A Brand That Defies Stereotypes With 300 Pounds And Running Host Martinus Evans

24 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Why Martinus Evans started running in the first place* How his idea of a runner changed at the starting line of his first r...

EP 269: Co-Creating A Brand In Community With Shameless Mom Academy Host Sara Dean

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * Shameless Mom Academy founder & host Sara Dean shares how her brand developed over time and in partnership with her com...

SPECIAL: COVID-19 And The Impact On Small Business Owners

14 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Well, things are weird out there. We’re all wondering how the coronavirus pandemic will shape our lives and work in the months (or year...

EP 268: Creating A Focused & Intentional Brand With Alyssa Catalano from Studebaker Metals

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In This Episode: * What Studebaker Metals stands for as a brand and how that shapes the choices they make about product, marketing, and messag...

EP 267: Leveling Up With Customer Feedback with Mighty Networks Gina Bianchini

03 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Gina Bianchini has been leading a slow & intentional brand evolution at Mighty Networks* Why customer feedback has...

EP 266: Building An Inclusive Community With Whole30’s Melissa Urban & Dr. Carrie Kholi-Murchison

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * The day Melissa Urban realized she needed to do more to make the Whole30 community more inclusive* Why she’s chosen to b...

EP 265: Leading Differently With MicroConf Co-Founder Rob Walling

18 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * What values are woven through Rob Walling‘s many ventures* Why he started MicroConf and how it’s a direct reaction to ...

EP 264: Leading A Growing Community With Rebelle Founder Shannon Siriano Greenwood

11 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * The “fetal position” moment that led Shannon Siriano Greenwood to start Rebelle* Why belonging, inclusivity, vulnerabi...

EP 263: Turning Your Values Into Action With Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coach Erica Courdae

04 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * The frustrating situation that led Erica Courdae to go on her own and create Silver Immersion, an inclusive hair and beaut...

EP 262: Honing Your Craft Using Smart Project Management With Kickass Conferences Founder Isaac Watson

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Kickass Conferences founder Isaac Watson manages massive projects like organizing a conference* The 5 phases that each...

EP 261: 5 Project Management Tools These Small Business Owners Can’t Do Without

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * 5 small business owners share the project management tools they can’t live without* Why each tool is the right fit for t...

EP 260: Tracking Complex Projects With On-Demand CFO Christina Sjahli

21 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why clear client communication helps on-demand CFO & cash flow analyst Christina Sjahli manage her complex financial p...

EP 259: Managing The Creative Process With Brooklyn Book Doctor Founder Joelle Hann

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Brooklyn Book Doctor founder Joelle Hann manages the process of book writing for her clients* What her book coaching e...

EP 258: Managing Multi-Layer Projects With Kaye Publicity Founder Dana Kaye

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Kaye Publicity founder Dana Kaye plans and manages multi-layer book publicity projects* The tools she uses to track pr...

EP 257: End-Of-Year Mailbag Episode With Tara McMullin

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve had a helluva year here at What Works. We’ve talked to over 100 small business owners, published more than 80 episodes, and tackled 1...

EP 256: Discovering What You Need From Your Business With BrainSpace Optimized Founder Hailey Thomas

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

★ Support this podcast ★

EP 255: Taking Stock & Setting New Intentions With Podcasting Advocate Elsie Escobar

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why podcast advocate Elsie Escobar created a personal process for looking back over the year and setting her intentions fo...

EP 254: Transforming Your Business Model With Growth & Impact Strategist Toi Smith

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why Toi Smith made the shift from virtual assistant to online business manager to growth & impact strategist* How she ...

EP 253: Discovering The Joy of Missing Out With Inkwell Press Founder Tonya Dalton

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How The Joy Of Missing Out author Tonya Dalton discovered the stories and self-talk that were keeping her from really enjo...

EP 252: Making New Clients Feel At Home With SmartStart Founder Linda Lopeke

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why SmartStart founder Linda Lopeke has every potential client complete a rigorous application* How she sets expectations ...

EP 251: Teaching Customers How To Use Your Product One At A Time With Tyme Iron Creator Jacynda Smith

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Tyme founder Jacynda Smith manages 100-200 individual consultations with new customers each week* Why these personaliz...

EP 250: Creating Wildly Fun Client Experiences With Allie LeFevere

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * Why Obedient Agency co-founder Allie LeFevere believes so strongly in the power of humor to build a brand and market a pro...

EP 249: Standing Out With Exceptional Customer Experiences With Project Army Founder Viktor Nagornyy

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Nitty-Gritty: * How Project Army founder Viktor Nagornyy discovered his opportunity in the website support & hosting market* The reaso...