Profit by Design

We have a special episode for you today! A few weeks ago, Dr. Sabrina was invited to a webinar in the Pumpkin Planners Rock Facebook Group to consider this important question: “Is your business killing your relationship?” We’ve found that this topic resonates deeply with small business owners everywhere, because we all fear that our commitment to our work is taking over our lives, killing our marriages, and damaging our relationships with loved ones. We are bringing you this webinar to increase understanding about entrepreneurial burnout and to prevent your business from becoming the uninvited third party in your relationships. If you want to show up fully present in your most important relationships, this episode is for YOU. It could change your life!Donna Leyens is the president and co-founder of Pumpkin Plan Your Biz. She is on a mission to save small businesses from extinction by providing tools, strategies, training, and support to business professionals who want to make a big impact as small business growth strategists. This mighty team of strategists uses The Pumpkin Plan Action Guide, a business growth program Donna developed based on the methods in the book, The Pumpkin Plan, written by her co-founder, Mike Michalowicz. Pumpkin Plan Strategists help small businesses not just stay afloat but also scale and grow in both profitability and size, while giving the owner time for life and relationships. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights:The mission of the Pumpkin Plan programThe early warning signs that your business is damaging your relationshipThe trap: Being physically present and mentally “checked out” with our familiesHow to know when your business is taking up way too much of your mental spaceYou’re not a bad person if you’re a burned-out entrepreneur! (Our Better Business, Better Life Assessment is the only tool that measures burnout in entrepreneurs and the health of their businesses.)Burnout: A combination of all the small things and stressors we absorb (Listen to the cold, hard facts that our research has shown.)Dr. Sabrina’s story (Listen to learn why this mission is a personal one.)Entrepreneurs are disconnected at home. Why?We need to value our time differently. (Are you working on $10,000 an hour activities? Download your chart now!)Are your team members working from their strengths?What are the $10,000 an hour activities in your relationships? Nothing else matters!Action steps to start today: Recognize that limits drive innovation and creativity, completely turn off your phone in the evenings and on weekends (Do you need a “Work supports life” sticker?), and ask your loved ones what would be going on if your relationship were at a “10.” Resources:Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to identify what may be keeping you stuck and killing your relationships!

Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a leadership and culture issue. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling sits down with repeat guest and leadership expert Dov Baron to explore the growing epidemic of loneliness within organizations, and why it’s quietly eroding trust, engagement, and A-player retention. You’ll learn why high performers often feel the most disconnected, how loneliness shows up at work, leadership behaviors that create real belonging, and what business owners must do now to protect culture and retain their best people. If you’re leading a team and wondering why motivation, loyalty, or connection feels harder than it should, this conversation is a must-listen for you!Dov Baron has been twice named as one of the world’s Top 30 Global Leadership Gurus in Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers. He has presented to companies and organizations worldwide, including the United Nations, the Department of State, the World Management Forum in Iran, the US Air Force, and the Famed Servant Leadership Institute. His focus on human behavior and neuroscience has made him the world’s leading authority on Emotional Source Code and the Anatomy of Meaning. Dov is the bestselling author of One Red Thread: How to Find the Purpose Already Woven Into Your Life and Fiercely Loyal: How High-Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top Talent. He is the creator and host of The Dov Baron Show Podcast, previously known as Leadership and Loyalty. It was named the #1 podcast for Fortune 500 executives by Apple Podcasts. The Dov Baron Show has featured hundreds of hours of interviews with top leaders, scientists, theologians, military intelligence officers, and artists. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights:The loneliness epidemic, “The Great Pause” of 2020, our unhealthy “normal,” and the $7 trillion impact on the global GDPBeing isolated vs. being lonelyThe hidden costs of the loneliness epidemic to businesses and organizations in innovation, creativity, and communityIn 2015, Dov said, “Starting a business requires building a community.” Now, he says, “Start by building a community, and then put a business in it.”A culture of belonging is different from feeling like you “fit in.”Protecting your business from an AI takeover happens with relationships and emotional connections.Your humanity is your best tool.Understanding the Emotional Source Code (what drives an individual or organization) and how it relates to immutable laws, core values, behaviors, and identityUnderstanding the Anatomy of Meaning (“We tell ourselves ‘rational lies’ about our emotional responses.”)Dov’s free gift for listeners: The Loneliness Tax Report (Click here.)Resources:Connect with Dov BaronWebsite, The Loneliness Tax Report, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, The Dov Baron Show Podcast, One Red Thread, and Fiercely Loyal: How High-Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top TalentReady to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️.

If you’re worried about giving employee raises when revenue is tight, you’re not alone. In this episode, we explore ways to reward your team without putting your business at risk. You’ll discover smart ways to structure raises when cash flow is limited, how to communicate compensation changes without hurting morale, and strategies to retain top talent even when money is tight. If you’re a business owner trying to balance people and profits, this episode will give you practical steps you can implement now. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling to learn smart, sustainable strategies for handling raises without jeopardizing your business. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights:Balancing an uncertain economy with the need to take care of your A-playersThe problem when a business owner isn’t cashing their paychecks in order to give employee raisesTake an honest look at your team, identify your A-players, and give raises accordingly. (Underperforming “warm bodies” do not deserve a raise.)Strategies for protecting you, the business owner. These are a priority for a sustainable business.Maintaining profitability is the #1 priority; all other decisions flow from that foundation.More money is NOT the goal for many A-players; time flexibility and freedom often matter more.Learn to structure an A-player’s work schedule around the delivery of their key result.A team member’s perspective from Melissa: time flexibility and freedom matter most!Considerations for a growing business (Don’t grow your payroll across the board!)Have conversations with your A-players to find out what matters most to each of them. An action step to take today: prioritize systemization for each A-player’s role (Guard against being hostage to any A-player.)Need more support to confidently grow your business? We can help! Book a call with us today! Resources:Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️.Join the Tap the Potential Community on Mighty Networks: www.tapthepotential.com/group

Does the idea of taking a real vacation make you anxious instead of excited? If stepping away for even a day feels risky, the thought of taking four whole weeks probably feels impossible—but it’s not. You don’t need a massive team or endless cash flow to make it happen. In this week’s episode, we’re breaking down the exact systems, delegation strategy, and leadership habits you need to build NOW, so you can confidently step away later. You’ll discover the first thing to fix if your business can’t run without you, how to train your team to make decisions while you’re unplugged, and why your business actually grows when you’re not in it every minute. If you want 2026 to be the year you take a real break, the kind where you sleep, rest, and reset, you don’t want to miss this episode with Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling. Join us!Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production.Show Highlights:The biggest irony about the 4 Week Vacation®️process: Our businesses grow and flourish more when we take time off.Our promise to every one of our clients: A fully unplugged, 4 Week Vacation®️within 12 monthsYour time is worth $10,000 an hour! Download your free Chart of $10,000 Activities now!Our “handoff” of the tasks associated with podcast production, and how it works for usDelegating effectively benefits everyone.Steps in effective delegation:Allow the team member to own the task's outcome.Give the team member space to simplify the processes and systems they work with.Watch your A-players learn how to delegate for themselves.Creating accountability and “vacation-testing” your businessOrganizing the business around the sweet spot—and hiring to support that processA streamlined business makes it easy to hire the right A-players.The truth about a 4 Week Vacation®️: It provides job security, sustainability, a good culture, and fresh creativity/innovation.The game you cannot play to win: Cut it out, and play a different game.Register now for the Coach Approach program for a very different 2026 for you and your business.Resources:Download your free, updated copy of the Chart of $10,000 an Hour Activities today!Our Coach Approach program can be life-changing for your business, team, and personal life. Find out more today!Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today!Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️.Join the Tap the Potential Community on Mighty Networks: www.tapthepotential.com/group