What happens when your side hustle is an instant hit… and then starts falling apart the moment you scale it?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with William Holston to unpack the hard lesson behind an early product success that almost collapsed under real-world demand. William shares how a backyard charity carnival inspired a breakout game idea, how early customer demand validated the concept fast, and how scaling with the wrong materials created a wave of product failures, refunds, and hard decisions.

Instead of hiding from the problem, William made customers whole, rebuilt the product in steel, raised the price, and created a more durable business model with add-ons, repeat purchases, and a stronger market position.

You’ll hear about:

✔︎ How a “dunk tank without 500 gallons of water” became a real business

✔︎ Why MVP success does not guarantee scale-ready execution

✔︎ The difference between top-line excitement and true

profitability

✔︎ What to do when product quality starts breaking trust

✔︎ Why William chose refunds over reputation damage

✔︎ How rebuilding the product in steel led to a premium price

increase

✔︎ The role of add-ons, consumables, and repeat purchases in improving margins

✔︎ What his later national study found about stress, fatigue, distraction, and business mistakes

This episode is a strong reminder that one bad scaling decision does not have to end the business—if you are willing to protect trust, learn fast, and rebuild the model the right way.

👉 Connect with William Holsten

William Holsten on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-holsten

Mistake Risk Quiz: https://MistakeRiskQuiz.com

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook: https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybookChapters:

00:00 Scaling Loan Blunder

01:23 Dunk Tank Problem

02:28 Pitch Burst MVP

04:10 Early Demand Surge

05:13 Wow Moment Differentiation

06:30 Customers And Channels

07:26 Quality Crisis Hits

09:52 Refunds And Retrench

10:28 Steel Redesign Win

13:06 Pricing And ROI

15:07 Upsells And Consumables

17:12 Goof Proof Testing

20:43 From Games To Research

24:11 STORM And SAFER

27:44 Study Surprises

28:49 Advice And Routines

32:25 Looking Back Lessons

34:34 Using The Risk Quiz

35:46 Recap And Where To Go

36:40 Final Thanks And Subscribe

Keywords: William Holston, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, product failure, product scaling, MVP, minimum viable product, pricing strategy, premium pricing, refunds and reputation, customer trust, entrepreneurship, business mistakes, risk management, mistake prevention, product market fit, side hustle growth, add-on sales, repeat purchases, innovation, small business lessons

#podcast #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #PricingStrategy #ProductDevelopment #riskmanagement

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop! https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook

What do you do when you’ve built an award-winning, nationally recognized firm… and still can’t find profit?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Lance Cayko (F9 Productions) to break down a counterintuitive turnaround: instead of hiring more people and chasing bigger volume, Lance capped headcount, tightened operations, and used pricing strategy to change the economics of the business.

You’ll hear how Lance and his team created an “expedite” option that cut delivery time in half—and in many cases, prospects happily paid double. He also shares what happened when they raised fees (including for repeat clients), tracked time and KPIs at the employee level, and built a real feedback loop between architecture and construction to reduce field issues and improve outcomes.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

✔️ Why “busy” doesn’t mean profitable (and how to prove it with time tracking)

✔️ The hidden ceiling around headcount and customer service quality

✔️ A simple premium “speed” add-on that converts fast

✔️ How a 25% fee increase landed with clients (and why most didn’t blink)

✔️ The culture play: revenue visibility, shared targets, and 5-star review tracking

✔️ Why vertical integration (design + build + development) changes margins

✔️ The mindset shift: hearing “no” is part of winning long-term

If you’re stuck at a plateau, drowning in overhead, or afraid to raise prices—this episode is a practical playbook for making profit without piling on more staff.

👉 Connect with Lance Cayko

Lance Cayko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-cayko-1227031a/

Lance Cayko on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@FishingWithLance

Lance Cayko on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fishingwithlance/

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook

Chapters:

00:00 The “half the time, double the fee” moment

01:12 Meet Lance Cayko + the profit problem

03:05 Builder-first background and why it matters in design

06:10 Design-build as a differentiator and feedback loop from the field

09:05 Early survival mode and building systems for volume

12:20 Tiny house project, viral growth, and big brand opportunities

16:35 Vertical integration: architect + builder + developer

20:10 The confusing plateau: busy team, no profit

23:40 Time tracking, KPIs, and finding the real leak

27:10 Why headcount growth can break customer service

30:05 Raising fees and the “attorney letter” model

33:10 The expedite add-on: faster timeline, higher fee

37:05 Premium pricing vs race-to-the-bottom thinking

40:20 Revenue transparency: the office thermometer + reviews

44:10 Hiring lessons: training, standards, and culture

47:30 Turning losses into profit with better pricing mechanics

51:10 Advice: hear “no,” take ownership, and protect the model

54:40 Where to find Lance + wrap-up

Keywords: Lance Cayko, F9 Productions, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, premium pricing, price increase, value-based pricing, expedite fee, faster delivery, profit margins, service business profitability, time tracking, KPIs, architecture firm growth, design build, vertical integration, headcount cap, customer service, operations strategy, revenue transparency

#podcast #PremiumPricing #ProfitTurnaround #ExpediteFee #ServiceBusinessGrowth #DesignBuild

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop! https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook

Most successful podcasts aren’t just about the guests—they’re about the preparation behind the scenes. In this special Behind the Scenes episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, host Jeremy Shapiro reveals the proven episode planning system that transforms ordinary conversations into compelling stories that resonate with your audience. If you’re tired of aimless recordings and want to craft episodes that hook listeners from the first second, this episode is your blueprint for intentional, impactful content.

Delve into Jeremy’s step-by-step process for designing episode plans that set a clear narrative arc and ensure every conversation feels structured, yet natural. You’ll discover how he screens guests with laser precision—using application forms, pre-interview calls, and in-depth research—to find stories that truly fit his show’s focus on entrepreneurs who broke through a growth plateau. Jeremy shares how to tease out those pivotal moments that turn an average episode into a story worth sharing.

We break down the core components of a standout episode plan—crafting unique titles that draw curiosity, developing a compelling backstory that hooks listeners, and plotting questions to highlight a guest’s transformation. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of aligning the episode arc with your show’s format, using research (books, social profiles, bios) to deepen the conversation, and preparing a flexible outline that keeps the dialogue engaging and dynamic.

Why does this matter? Because skipping planning often leads to scattered, forgettable episodes. With a strategic framework, you can elevate your podcast’s quality, attract better guests, and deliver content that truly impacts your audience. Jeremy’s approach isn’t about strict scripting—it's about creating a roadmap to guide authentic dialogue while maintaining clarity and focus.

Perfect for podcasters serious about quality, guest-driven shows, or entrepreneurs wanting to harness the power of storytelling—this behind-the-scenes look reveals how meticulous planning directly correlates with audience growth, guest satisfaction, and content longevity. If you’re ready to stop winging it and start producing episodes that stand out, listen now. Your audience—and your metrics—will thank you.

Recommended Resources:

• Subscribe to Your Business Growth Podcast today!
• David's podcast ⁨Firing the Man
• Brad's podcast Beyond a Million

Keywords: Podcast Planning, Episode Structure, Guest Screening, Narrative Arc, Podcast Growth, Storytelling Techniques, Entrepreneur Success, Audience Engagement, Podcast Tips, Content Strategy

#PodcastPlanning #EpisodeStructure #GuestScreening #NarrativeArc #PodcastGrowth #Storytelling #EntrepreneurSuccess #AudienceEngagement #PodcastTips #ContentStrategy #podcast #bts #behindthescenes #behindthemusic

Chapters:00:00 - Why episode planning enhances podcast quality00:30 - Jeremy’s three main guest sourcing methods00:59 - Simplifying the guest intake and screening process01:27 - Crafting the initial episode concept from applications02:23 - Conducting pre-interview calls to shape the narrative03:44 - Selecting stories that illustrate overcoming business growth plateaus04:51 - Setting up for research: author bios, social media, and other background info06:17 - Filtering pitches: understanding proper fit for your show07:08 - Prepping for episode creation after research and interviews08:04 - Deep research: exploring books, social media, and website content09:00 - Developing effective episode titles and hooks10:00 - Structuring the narrative arc: from origins to lessons learned11:04 - Defining call-to-action points for guests12:01 - Sharing detailed episode plans with guests for feedback12:30 - How a flexible outline improves natural conversation flow13:26 - The value of structured prep vs. winging it14:26 - Final encouragement to develop your own episode planning process

🛎️ Subscribe to Your Business Growth Podcast today!

What do you do when your business is profitable, referrals keep coming in, and yet every “yes” means longer days, more stress, and less of your life?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Simone Little, who hit that breaking point while running a growing VA agency. The money looked great, but... her life didn’t.

Simone made a bold call: a six-week sabbatical where she let all clients go with no promises… so she could rebuild her business model from the ground up.

Simone shares how she shifted from selling tasks to selling outcomes as a fractional COO, using a five-part business framework, a deep-dive audit process, and firm boundaries that protect strategic thinking time.

The result: more revenue, less chaos, a healthier team, and a business that can keep moving while she steps away.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why burnout isn’t solved by “more self-care” (it’s structural)
• The real reason agencies break: capacity without planning
• How Simone used a sabbatical to redesign her life and business
• The pivot from VA work to fractional COO strategy and leadership
• Her 5 core business areas: sales/marketing, team, CEO development, operations, finance
• The 4-hour business audit that reveals what’s costing time, money, and culture
• How boundaries protect outcomes (and how to get clients to respect them)
• The KPIs Simone watches: leads, revenue, tech spend, and capacity planning

If your business depends on you for everything - and you’re tired of paying for growth with your health - this episode will give you a clear way to rebuild with structure, team leverage, and calmer execution.

👉 Connect with Simone Little

• Chief Alignment Agency: https://www.chiefalignmentagency.com/explore
• Simone Little on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesimonelittle
• Simone Little on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesimonelittle/

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, https://www.youtube.com/@YourBusinessGrowthPlaybook

Chapters:

00:00 Taking a Risk: The Start of a Sabbatical

00:16 Understanding Burnout: A Structural Issue

00:42 Guest Introduction: Simone's Breaking Point

01:31 Simone's Entrepreneurial Journey: From Hair Salon to VA Agency

03:25 Challenges of Rapid Growth: Burnout and Overwork

07:41 The Turning Point: Taking a Sabbatical

10:53 Redesigning Life and Business: Post-Sabbatical Insights

13:13 Transition to High-Level Strategy: Discovering the COO Role

18:37 Implementing Strategic Changes: Client Success Stories

23:01 Meeting KPIs and Value-Based Pricing

23:49 Challenges of Transitioning Business Models

24:56 Enforcing Boundaries for Business Health

25:48 Personal Boundaries and Client Communication

29:51 Inspiration to Prioritize Well-being Over Hustle

33:24 Helping Founders Overcome Bottlenecks

37:27 Unexpected Benefits of Value-Based Products

41:51 Key Performance Indicators for Business Success

44:37 Conclusion and Contact Information

Keywords: Simone Little, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, VA agency, virtual assistant agency, burnout recovery, business systems, SOPs, delegation, team building, capacity planning, fractional COO, operations strategy, business audit, boundaries for entrepreneurs, scaling service business, leadership, KPI dashboard, profit planning, operations management

#podcast #FractionalCOO #BurnoutToBusiness #AgencySystems #CapacityPlanning #FounderBoundaries

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

What do you do when you move to a new city, revenue stalls, debt starts stacking up—and the idea of getting a job suddenly feels real?

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Nick Bonitatibus to break down how Nick went from general “video marketing for small businesses” (his words: “classic mistake”) to committing to one clear niche.

Nick shares the turning point where he opened Indeed, looked at jobs for less than five minutes, and decided Plan B was done. From there, the growth came from two key moves.

You’ll hear about:

• Why “helping everyone” makes selling harder
• How focusing on senior care created referrals and authority
• The shift from DIY courses → coaching → “digital directing” (done-with-you execution)
• What changed once Nick rebuilt the offer around client follow-through
• Why more sales conversations solved more than funnel tweaks
• How systems + delegation improved margins and reduced chaos
• The mindset: action creates clarity, and clarity makes selling easier

🎧 If you’re stuck between “I need revenue now” and “my offer isn’t clicking,” this episode will give you a simple path forward.👉 Connect with Nick Bonitatibus

• Website: https://www.thedigitalchamps.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDigitalChamps
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalchamps/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx4wiQ6uo6Wi5LpwPWewNCw
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjboni/
• LinkedIn Business Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalchamps/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedigitalchamps

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook

Chapters:

00:00 The Struggles of Starting a Business

01:31 Finding a Niche in Senior Care

03:52 From DIY to Done-for-You Services

11:58 The Turning Point: Moving to San Diego

15:48 The Importance of Niching Down

20:06 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

22:53 The Power of Testing and Iteration

25:03 Overcoming Sales Aversion

25:48 Aligning Your Offer with Customer Needs

27:27 The Importance of Niching Down

29:22 Pricing Strategies and Customer Value

35:59 Systematizing Your Business

42:40 Advice for New Entrepreneurs

45:18 Reflecting on the Journey

48:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Keywords: Nick Bon, Nick Bonitatibus, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, senior care marketing, home care marketing, niche marketing, niching down, video marketing strategy, sales calls, offer creation, service business growth, done with you services, systems and SOPs, delegation, pricing strategy, premium offer, referrals, entrepreneurship mindset

#EntrepreneurLife #BusinessOwner #ServiceBusiness #NicheMarketing #SalesCalls #BusinessCoaching #OfferCreation #MarketingStrategy #ScaleYourBusiness #BusinessSystems #SOPs #Delegation #ContentMarketing #HomeCareBusiness #SeniorCare

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

What do you do when you’re running one of the top programs in the world—but realize staying there means slow decline?

Andrew Ackerman faced that exact moment. As a leader inside one of the world’s most respected startup accelerators, he saw the writing on the wall: the market was crowded, competition was scaling faster, and doing “more of the same” wouldn’t win.

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast⁠, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Andrew to break down how a blank-sheet rethink led to a category-defining pivot—and how redefining the customer unlocked growth almost overnight.

You’ll hear how Andrew:

• Recognized the danger of being “top five” in an oversaturated market
• Stopped competing with giants and found a place to win outright
• Identified unmet supply and unmet demand hiding in plain sight
• Rebuilt the entire program model from scratch
• Shifted from early-stage startups to more mature companies
• Changed pricing, structure, and messaging to fit a new ICP
• Learned why messaging fails even when product-market fit exists
• Used customer interviews to validate the pivot before launch

Andrew also shares lessons from reviewing more than 10,000 startups, investing in over 70 companies, and turning years of experience into his book The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey.

🎧 Tune in to learn why growth often comes from stepping sideways—not pushing harder—and how redefining your market can make everything easier.

👉 Connect with Andrew Ackerman:

• www.andrewbackerman.com
• Andrew Ackerman on LinkedIn
• The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey on Amazon

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, ⁠Your Business Growth Playbook

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Startup Dilemma

01:22 Meet Andrew Ackerman: From COO to Investor

01:50 The Birth of Bunk One: Revolutionizing Summer Camps

03:49 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Early Growth

07:05 Transitioning to Venture Capital and Accelerators

13:12 Redefining the Accelerator Model

15:53 Niching Down: The Path to Becoming Number One

25:33 The Blank Slate Moment

25:57 Liberating Experience of Redefining Business

26:17 Considering a Career Shift

26:33 Developing a New Business Model

27:43 Market Research and Validation

32:06 Implementing the New Model

33:41 Unexpected Benefits of Niching Down

36:41 Advice for Business Owners Facing Decline

40:05 Reflections and Lessons Learned

42:14 The Entrepreneur's Odyssey Book

48:45 Where to Learn More About Andrew

Keywords: Andrew Ackerman, business strategy, market repositioning, niche strategy, accelerator model, startup growth, business pivot, redefining your market, category creation, customer discovery, ICP strategy, startup accelerators, venture investing, entrepreneurial leadership, business reinvention, scaling strategy, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey

#podcast #marketdominance #accelerator #startup #startuplife #ycombinator #strategicpivot #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth #MarketNiching #startupsuccess #innovation #productdevelopment #businessstrategy #customerengagement

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

In 2019, Damien Zamora hit the lowest point of his life.

After decades as a serial entrepreneur - helping over 300,000 businesses get online and generating more than $500 million in revenue - his company began to spiral. Overhead ballooned. Focus disappeared. Debt stacked up. Lawsuits loomed. Key partners walked away. Payroll became impossible.

Then came the personal tragedy.

In this episode of Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro sits down with Damien for a raw, honest conversation about collapse, clarity, and rebuilding from the ground up.

You’ll hear how Damien:

• Took over every executive role when the company began unraveling
• Faced more than $1 million in business debt and near insolvency
• Asked for mentorship for the first time—and followed hard advice to stop the bleeding
• Slashed SaaS expenses from $36,000/month to $5,000/month
• Narrowed his focus back to one core offer instead of chasing new ideas
• Doubled monthly recurring revenue to stabilize the business
• Used content, community, and consistency to reduce churn
• Found renewed growth by leaning into done-for-you services and data-driven offers

This episode is a masterclass in leadership during crisis - and a reminder that rebuilding doesn’t start with innovation. It starts with focus, discipline, and clarity.

🎧 Tune in to hear how Damien held his team together, walked away from distractions, and rebuilt momentum when everything pointed toward failure.

👉 Connect with Damien Zamora:

Damien Zamora on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damienzamora/

https://gomobilesolutions.com/

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook

Chapters:

00:00 The Lowest Point: A Million Dollars in Debt

02:03 The Entrepreneurial Journey Begins

03:39 The Internet Toolbox: A Game Changer

06:02 Navigating the Dot-Com Boom

15:13 The Rise of Go Mobile Solutions

19:15 The 2019 Crisis: Personal and Professional Challenges

23:59 Navigating Financial Challenges

24:15 Life-Changing Event in Costa Rica

24:59 Sweat Lodge Revelation

25:44 Refocusing Business Strategy

27:12 Impact of COVID-19 on Business

27:59 Expense Reduction and Revenue Doubling

32:52 Strategies to Reduce Churn

34:41 Happy Hour Series and Community Engagement

39:11 Launching New Products and AI Integration

41:58 Building a Championship Team

44:08 Advice for Entrepreneurs

46:28 Tracking KPIs and Ensuring Growth

49:10 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Keywords: Damien Zamora, business recovery, business collapse, entrepreneur comeback, recurring revenue, cutting expenses, reducing churn, leadership during crisis, business debt recovery, mentorship for entrepreneurs, business pivot, mobile app business, content marketing strategy, KPIs for founders, Your Business Growth Podcast, Jeremy Shapiro, scaling after failure, business resilience, subscription business

#podcast #leadership #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessTurnaround #DebtToSuccess #StrategicPivot #LeadershipLessons #BusinessInnovation #OvercomingChallenges #EntrepreneurialInsights #BusinessGrowth

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!

If you’re not growing, you’re dying - and in e-commerce, the “one winning product” trap can kill a business fast.

In this episode of ⁨Your Business Growth Podcast, host Jeremy Shapiro sits down with David Schomer, CEO of Build Grow Scale and host of Firing The Man to break down how he went from a stalled business headed toward bankruptcy to building an Amazon operation with 1,000+ ASINs and a system that supports predictable, profitable scaling.

David shares the strategy that pulled him out of multiple plateaus: consistent product launches - plus the financial discipline most sellers ignore. He explains why revenue is a vanity metric, why net income is what matters, and how to avoid launching products that were doomed from day one using his “fail on paper” method.

You’ll hear how David:

• Built his first e-commerce cashflow selling textbooks, then transitioned into private label
• Used product launches as a growth engine — and felt the pain every time he paused
• Managed cashflow constraints with low MOQ negotiation, better payment terms, and U.S. manufacturing
• Avoided bad launches with a simple rule: 3x landed cost pricing (or he won’t sell it)
• Systemized launching with a 60-step checklist + videos so products ship with minimal owner involvement
• Uses the 80/20 rule to focus on the few products producing most profits — and retire the rest
• Thinks about premium pricing, bundles, and upsells instead of racing to the bottom
• Tracks metrics like gross profit after ad spend and conversion rate to keep growth profitable

If you sell physical products online - Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, or anywhere else - this episode is a masterclass in building a catalog that prints profit instead of stress.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to build a product launch machine, protect margins, and keep your business growing even when competitors pile in.

👉 Connect with David Schomer:

• David Schomer on Instagram
• David Schomer on YouTube
• David Schomer on Facebook
• FiringTheMan.com

📊 Hosted by: Jeremy B. Shapiro, Host and Author, Your Business Growth Playbook⁩

Keywords: David Schomer, Build Grow Scale, Firing The Man, e-commerce scaling, Amazon FBA, Amazon seller, product launch strategy, launching products on Amazon, cash conversion cycle, MOQ negotiation, payment terms, landed cost, profit margins, net income, fail on paper, 80 20 rule, SKU strategy, ASIN catalog, premium pricing, bundle strategy, upsells, conversion rate optimization, ad spend profitability

#podcast #amazon #amazonproducts #fba #amazonfba #firingtheman #ecommerce #dropshipping #etsy #shopify #shopifydropshipping

🔔 Subscribe today to get notified of new episodes, interviews, and shorts when they drop!