One of the areas of small business coaching where we’ve specialized over the past two decades plus has to do with transitioning the business from one generation to the next. As you might imagine, over that time we’ve come across just about eve

Thankful for Jack

Nov 23rd, 2023 17m 20s

You might have noticed that it’s been a few weeks since we’ve dropped a podcast. It’s the first time in nearly 8 years of recording Dirty Secrets of Small Business that we’ve missed a week. We have some sad news to report. My business partne

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Jeremy Orsky of Ohio Collision Group

Oct 26th, 2023 2h 4m

In This EpisodeToday we were joined on the show by business owner Jeremy Orsky of Ohio Collision Group. Jeremy was an MVP client for nearly 8 years and we had a lot of fun and tremendous success together! During the show today Jeremy shared

Is It Good For The Boss To Be Around?

Oct 19th, 2023 33m 51s

With all the battles going on to get workers back in the office, we started to think of the good old days when folks would complain that the boss is never around or the opposite, they never leave! But our question today is bigger than that. I

How Do I Put My Stamp On The Company

Oct 12th, 2023 36m 45s

One of the great things about buying vs. starting a company is that when you buy a business you have some history and some things established. Things like customers, vendors, and employees. When starting out you have to build everything from

I Did It My Way, Phil Billick of Valley Ridge Farms

Oct 5th, 2023 1h 29m

Today we were joined on the show by business owner Phil Billick of Valley Ridge Farms. Phil was one of MVP’s earliest coaching clients with a prior company he started and he is also Jack’s nephew! During the show today Phil shared his story o

How Do I Decide If I Should Stay Or Go After Selling My Business?

Sep 28th, 2023 40m 46s

The good news is you’ve gotten that offer you can’t refuse and you are going to sell your company. Now the question is what do you do next? Do you stay on with your company after the acquisition? Do you ride off into the sunset? Do you star

When Is The Best Time To Find And Pursue New Opportunities?

Sep 21st, 2023 43m 16s

How many times have you uttered the phrase, “I don’t have time!”? If you’re like most of us, it’s likely been hundreds or even thousands of time…just this year! Way too many small business owners utter that same phrase when we talk with them

How Do I Know When To Jump In To Save My Spouse From Drowning?

Sep 14th, 2023 35m 36s

One of the things we talk about often when it comes to business partners is the timing of difficult discussions. This is especially important when those business partners are also life partners because you’re going to be seeing this person aft

Bird In The Hand: Ben Ihde of Wild Birds Unlimited

Sep 7th, 2023 1h 31m

Today we were joined on the show by business owner Ben Ihde of Wild Birds Unlimited. Ben was a coaching client of MVP for several years and is a repeat guest on Dirty Secrets of Small Business (see link below for his February 14, 2019 appearanc

How Do I Know What To Do After Selling My Business?

Aug 31st, 2023 53m 28s

In This EpisodeIf you think it feels lonely being a small business owner, just wait until after you sell your business. There are even fewer people who can relate to that. Especially if you sell the business for enough money and you don’t ha

How Quickly Should I Know My New Hire Is The Right One?

Aug 24th, 2023 24m 46s

Making the decision to hire someone can be very stressful on a small business owner. What if we pick the wrong person? Can we truly afford to add someone else to the payroll? What will we do if we don’t hire someone? How soon will we know w

What Are You Retiring To?

Aug 17th, 2023 47m 15s

Are you ready for retirement? I can’t wait for retirement!! Can I retire now? Everywhere you look you can find someone trying to give you advice on retirement. But as a small business owner, retirement is likely something you’re not looking

Growth: Joe Butler of Prescription Fitness and Butler Wellness Group

Aug 10th, 2023 1h 29m

Today we were joined on the show by business owner Joe Butler of Prescription Fitness and Butler Wellness Group. Joe was a coaching client of MVP for almost a decade. During the show today Joe shared some of the key moments in his growth from

How Important Is Timing When Having Tough Discussions?

Aug 3rd, 2023 39m 58s

Can’t I just say it! Why can’t I just tell them how I feel? These and many other thoughts have likely gone through your head at some point. Perhaps you are frustrated or feeling some pressure and you’re just about to burst! Take a deep brea

Would You Take It If They Gave It To You?

Jul 27th, 2023 38m 46s

Ever bought a company before? What, no one’s ever asked you that question before? Any guess what the top response is when we ask someone if they’ve ever bought a company before? Some version of, “I don’t have the money/big pile of cash.” We

How Do I Sell My Company?

Jul 20th, 2023 26m 44s

Is it time to sell your company? What does it even mean to be ready to sell your business? I mean people talk about it like it’s common knowledge or something. It’s to the point that you almost feel silly asking the question.

How Do I Respond To Being Out of My Routine?

Jul 13th, 2023 27m 45s

One of the best things about summer is the chance to have some vacation time. It’s a chance to break up the monotony of your day-to-day and add some different type of chaos and excitement to your world. But one of the drawbacks is that vacati

How Do I Get Comfortable Trying New Things?

Jul 5th, 2023 34m 38s

One of the great things about being a small business owner is there are new things popping up all the time. A key success factor for any small business owner is being able embrace and respond to these new challenges and opportunities. But gro

Does Your Business Have A Profit Plan?

Jun 29th, 2023 36m 18s

Does your business have a plan to make money on purpose? This might seem like a strange question, but in our several decades of working with and advising small business owners we have found that the vast majority don’t have this plan in place.

How Do I Make Sure I Sell My Business To The Right Buyer?

Jun 22nd, 2023 37m 34s

After you’ve been in business for a few years, one of the strangest things starts to happen. You’ll begin to get inquiries from folks who will say they are interested in buying your company. If you’re like most small business owners, you’ll t

How Do I Avoid Power Struggles With My Spouse & Business Partner

Jun 15th, 2023 32m 20s

We know, this might sound a bit dramatic. Like the power struggles between good and evil! But this can be a big challenge for couples who are also business partners. So if you aren’t aware of the power dynamics that are happening in your bus

How Do I Keep Business and Personal Separate When Working With My Spouse?

Jun 8th, 2023 26m 46s

Depending who you talk with, many people think it’s crazy to work with your spouse or significant other. One of the biggest concerns we often hear is this idea of separating business from personal stuff. You know that famous phrase, “It’s not

Should A Business Partnership Be Until Death Do Us Part?

Jun 1st, 2023 43m 59s

It can often feel like your business partner is your “work spouse” because you typically see so much of each other that you can finish each other’s sentences. But does this mean that like marriage that a business partnership should be until on

Why Doesn’t Every Small Business Owner Have A Business Coach?

May 25th, 2023 36m 10s

This might seem like a strange question, but think about the question if you were to substitute attorney or accountant or insurance person for the phrase business coach. Wouldn’t you be surprised to learn a business owner friend doesn’t have a