Experience Leadership - The Small Business Podcast

Why Business Owners Become the Bottleneck (And How to Fix It)

with Rory Prendergast

Most business owners don’t have a time problem.
They have a decision hoarding problem.

If you’re working 60+ hours a week, constantly firefighting, answering the same questions over and over, and feeling like the business grinds to a halt the moment you step away—this episode is for you.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, Marc is joined by Rory Prendergast, a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold three multi-million-dollar businesses, scaled a franchise across three continents in one year, and quite literally run his business while sailing across the Atlantic—without phone or email.

We unpack why SOPs don’t work the way you’ve been promised, why “common sense” disappears the moment someone becomes an employee, and why most owners accidentally become the bottleneck that keeps their business stuck.

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

4-minute systems audit for next steps https://www.simplebusinesssense.com/4minuteaudit

About Rory

Rory Prendergast is on a mission to “Make Bigger Lives”—and he does it by helping business owners escape the grind and reclaim control of their time. Having built and sold 3 multi-million-dollar businesses and launched a global franchise in just one year, Rory knows firsthand the pain of working 60+ hours a week while your business runs you. 

Today, Rory helps founders systemize their entire business in 90 days using his One Page Framework System—empowering teams to make better decisions, take ownership, and run operations without constant oversight. He teaches owners how to work on their business instead of in it, creating self-managing teams, a culture of accountability, and processes that actually stick. 

From clarifying leadership frameworks to turning SOPs into actionable systems, Rory’s approach is practical, real-world, and designed to free owners from the day-to-day while scaling their operations and profits. He lives by the principle that the best businesses don’t rely on a single visionary—they rely on empowered teams, clear decision-making, and leaders who know when to step back. 

Connect with Rory

roryprendergast.com 
team@roryprendergast.com 
https://www.instagram.com/rorysbox/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruaidhriprendergast/ 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Mvo-uZvIZys_pyEy745IQ

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The Financial Freedom Mistake Too Many Entrepreneurs Make

with Rebecca Irey

Many small business owners are working harder than ever, earning more than ever, and still wondering why financial freedom feels like a carrot tied to a treadmill.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, Marc sits down with Rebecca Irey, founder of Blue Skye Financial, to challenge one of the most expensive assumptions in small business: that if the business keeps growing, the owner will eventually be financially free.

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

About Rebecca

Rebecca Irey is the founder of Blue Skye Financial and a financial advisor on a mission to help women break free from financial dependence and confusion. She works with women, families, and entrepreneurs to design tax-efficient retirement strategies and long-term wealth plans that prioritize independence and legacy. Rebecca believes financial literacy is power—and that women deserve a seat at the head of the financial table. 

Connect with Rebecca

www.blueskyefinancial.com 
rebecca@blueskyefinancial.com 
Facebookfacebook.com/blueskyefinancial 
Instagraminstagram.com/blueskye_financial
LinkedinBlue Skye Financial | LinkedIn YoutubeBlue Skye Financial"

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The Leadership Layer Every Growing Business Needs

with Nick Avaria

Your company may have a strong plan, a decent strategy, and a team that works hard every day.

So why is scaling still so painfully slow?

For many small and mid-sized businesses, the problem is not the product. It is not the market. It is not even the effort.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, Marc sits down with Nick Avaria, an agency growth and leadership scaling expert who has bought and sold seven agencies and helped scale multiple companies into the seven- and eight-figure range.

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

About Nick

Nick has spent over a decade as an agency owner, and scaled multiple agencies past multiple 7 and 8-figures per year. He has bought and sold 7 agencies and is no stranger to merging leadership teams and company cultures. His philosophy is simple: Make more profit, re-invest that into training for your staff, they perform better, so you pay them more (above market, preferably), hire new top performers to inject new energy into your team, and repeat. 

Nick started consulting with other agency owners when he saw how burnt out his peers were while trying to scale and working 60+ hours per week. He wants them to see their hard work pay off so they can grow fantastic work places where employees and clients can thrive, all while spending less time behind their desk. 

He has been in (and still is in) the trenches, he still owns agencies, and now he’s finally found a system that consistently scales agencies at high profits.

Free 30-minute audit:  https://www.agencyacquisitions.io/book-a-call/

Connect with Nick

https://www.agencyacquisitions.io/ 
nick@agencyacquisitions.io 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickavaria/ 
https://www.instagram.com/nick_avaria/ 
https://www.youtube.com/@AgencyAcquisitions

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The Science of Making It Without Losing Yourself

with Trevor G. Blake

Too many business operators and managers are trapped in a dangerous cycle of stress, overwork, reactive decision-making, and burnout.

They believe that success requires constant sacrifice. Longer hours. More pressure. Less sleep. Fewer boundaries. A calendar that looks like it lost a bar fight with a spreadsheet.

In this episode, Trevor G. Blake challenges the traditional hustle-culture model and shares how business leaders can build high-performance companies through clarity, focus, emotional resilience, and sustainable operating habits.

About Trevor

Trevor G. Blake is a physicist, serial entrepreneur, and internationally bestselling author of Three Simple Steps. Over the course of his career, he built and sold multiple companies collectively valued at more than $600 million while challenging the traditional “burnout and hustle” model of success.
Today, Trevor teaches entrepreneurs and professionals how to improve performance, clarity, leadership, and emotional resilience through practical principles rooted in psychology, neuroscience, and focused execution. His work has impacted audiences worldwide through books, mentorship programs, and transformational education.

Connect with Trevor

https://scienceofmakingit.com/ 
https://www.tiktok.com/@the.science.of.making.it?lang=en 
https://www.instagram.com/the.science.of.making.it/ 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorgblake/

 

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How Business Leaders Can Create Real Value with AI

with Dr. Fern Halper

Business leaders everywhere are being told they need to “use AI” before they get left behind. Wonderful. Helpful. Not terrifying at all.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, Marc sits down with Dr. Fern Halper, Founder of the AI Foundations Group, VP and Senior Research Director for TDWI, and author of Data Makes the World Go ’Round: The Data, Tech, and Trust Behind AI Success. Together, Marc and Fern explore why AI adoption is not just a technology issue. It is a leadership issue, a data issue, a trust issue, a workflow issue, and, yes, sometimes a “maybe we should stop clicking buttons and call this a strategy meeting” issue.

About Fern

Dr. Fern Halper is VP and Senior Research Director for TDWI and founder of the AI Foundations Group. She has spent more than two decades researching analytics, data management, governance, and artificial intelligence, and has been recognized as a Top 50 Thought Leader in Agentic AI. Fern is a widely respected industry speaker, researcher, and author who has written several well-known technology books, including Cloud Computing For Dummies and Big Data For Dummies. Her latest book, Data Makes the World Go ’Round, explores the organizational, operational, data, and governance foundations required for successful enterprise AI adoption.

Her book: Data Makes the World Go ’Round: https://zurl.co/ifEKL 

Connect with Fern

 www.aifoundationsgroup.com
LinkedIn - fbhalper (www.linkedin.com/in/fbhalper) 

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Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working — And How to Fix It

with Sacha Awwa

Is your small business wasting money on marketing that is not generating consistent leads, customers, or revenue?

In this episode of Experience Leadership, Marc sits down with Sacha Awwa, Marketing Strategy Expert, founder of Sacha Awwa Marketing Group, co-founder of My Marketer Mentors, and host of the Uncomplicate It podcast.

About Sacha

Marketing strategist Sacha Awwa, founder of Sacha Awwa Marketing Group (SAMG) and host of the Uncomplicate It podcast, is on a mission to stop small businesses from wasting money on the wrong marketing strategies. Her podcast dives into the “why” behind founders’ journeys and explores the ever-changing marketing landscape with fellow experts.“Every day, I see brilliant entrepreneurs spending on strategies that were never built for them,” Sacha says. “They choose popular tools over the right ones for their stage of growth. That cycle ends now.”With a background in design and a sharp analytical mind, Sacha’s path took her from agencies to tech startups, where she mastered blending customer-focused strategy with real-world execution. She’s also the co-founder of My Marketer Mentors, a community built by small business owners for small business owners, helping them confidently navigate the marketing landscape.SAMG brings clarity, strategy, and results to businesses that need it most.

Connect with Sacha

www.mymarketermentors.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachaawwa
https://www.instagram.com/uncomplicate__it

 

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Manager Mistakes That Kill Team Trust

with Paul Leon

New managers don’t usually set out to become toxic. They don’t wake up, sip their coffee, and say, “Today, I shall destroy team morale before lunch.” But it happens.

In this episode of Experience Leadership, Marc sits down with Paul Leon, host of The Manager’s Mic Podcast, to explore the accidental habits that kill rapport between managers and their teams.

This conversation is especially valuable for newer people managers in sales, customer service, operations, hospitality, retail, and other people-facing businesses where relationships drive results. Because here’s the expensive problem: many team members don’t leave because of the company logo on the building. They leave because of the person they report to.

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

About Paul

Paul Leon is the host of The Manager’s Mic Podcast, where he helps managers, leaders, and business owners improve the way they communicate, sell, lead, and build trust with their teams.

Having worked with more than 500 companies, Paul brings a practical, real-world perspective to the challenges people managers face every day — especially newer managers who were promoted because they were great at the job, but were never really trained to lead people.

His work focuses on helping managers build rapport, strengthen team relationships, improve sales conversations, and create healthier workplace cultures without burning themselves out in the process.

Paul’s own story adds another layer to his message. Once a college dropout, he is now completing his MBA in April 2026, proving that growth is not about where you start. It is about what you are willing to learn, apply, and improve.

Through The Manager’s Mic, Paul gives leaders practical tools, honest insights, and real strategies to help them become the kind of managers people want to follow.

Connect with Paul

https://www.themanagersmic.com/ 

LinkedIn -   / paulleon   
YouTube -    / @managersmicpodcast   
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/share/14QTEM... 

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How Leaders Can Spark Initiative Without Burnout

with Allan Moore

Most organizations are sitting on a gold mine of untapped talent—and they don’t even know it.

Employees feel boxed in. Managers are overwhelmed. HR can’t possibly uncover every hidden skill, curiosity, or ambition inside the building. The result? Motivated people slowly disengage… not because they lack drive, but because they don’t see a door worth walking through.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, Marc sits down with international keynote speaker, storyteller, and unapologetic rule-bender Allan James Moore to tackle a deceptively expensive problem: how do you get people to take any step—no matter how small—toward their goals and purpose?

Al introduces his powerful WWPCD mindset — “What Would a Party Crasher Do?” A practical, human approach to career growth that encourages employees to explore opportunities horizontally and vertically without waiting for permission. Because growth doesn’t always come with an invitation.

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

About Allan

Allan James Moore is a safety and motivational keynote speaker like no other. A storyteller and career keynote speaker, Moore got his start doing open mics at comedy clubs. He would go on to lead one of the most unique, off-beat careers imaginable, including being an exotic dancer, a professional soccer player, a Mandarin interpreter and translator, a kindergarten teacher and even a hand model among other unique experiences and occupations. He holds a Master of Arts in Leadership degree and has travelled to over fifty countries and worked on four different continents, managing diverse workforces in both English and Mandarin, and has held leadership positions in safety for more than twenty years at Fortune 500 companies such as Stanley Black and Decker and Wood Group. 

Connect with Allan

allanjamesmoore.com 

About Your Host, Marc Haine

Author, Speaker, Facilitator and Coach, Marc Haine, will help your teams ignite their passions. Working with him, you'll be able to support your leaders to recentre their focus and drive continuous improvement through connected and engaged employees. You will realize your competitive advantage with a connected purpose and consistency of customer experience across your brand. 

 

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Why Leaders Must Rethink Talent Development in the Age of AI

with Melissa Jenner

Most organizations don’t have a retention problem… they have a misdirected growth problem.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, we tackle one of the most misunderstood—and expensive—leadership challenges in business today: why the wrong people leave, and the wrong people stay.

Thrive HR on 12 May at 2pm MT a webinar on“How to adapt your workforce to AI” - all are welcome, here is link to register https://my.demio.com/ref/BYmTTlq6tTYf...  Attendees will have an opportunity to receive a free audit of their workforce and opportunities.

About Melissa Melissa

Jenner is the Founder of ACTVO®- the world’s first Ai-enabled Career Navigation System, designed for self-directed people and teams. The problem it solves? How to independently improve your performance, build new skills on the job, see what you’re next job or gig should be - and how to mobilize and move jobs & careers easily - in a workforce adapting to AI. She’s a former Global Leader in Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft and Barclays, based across 3 continents (US, UK & Australasia) with lived leadership experience in Fintech, Banking, Government Services, Design & Marketing. Latterly she has spent the past decade turning a ‘side-hustle’ into two successful businesses - Start Now and Actvo. Through these businesses she has worked with thousands of people worldwide - professionals and organizations on how to design effective career strategies, pivots, design new businesses, guided workforce transformation, and turned her highly effective methodology & IP for Career Design, into a fully digital, AI-guided process offered to the market to democratize access to career guidance/coaching - for a starting price of $10 per month. Melissa is also the Author of Emotional Leadership and a Leading voice on the intersection of careers, identity, and the future of work in the age of AI. She spends her time between the mountains of Queenstown in NZ’s spectacular Central Otago, and in Denver / Boulder - Colorado’s emerging Startup hubs.

Connect with Melissa

https://www.actvo.ai/

melissa@actvo.ai   / melissa-jenner-actvo   Website: https://www.actvo.ai/ Personal Website: http://www.meljenner.com/ Substack: https://meljenner.substack.com/

 

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You Didn't Hire the Wrong People. You're Just Destroying the Right Ones

with Allison Al-Khemia

Most leaders don’t have a hiring problem. They have a clarity problem.

In this episode of Marc Haine Live, I sit down with Allison Al-Khemia, Executive Advisor and creator of the Holographic Model of Leadership™, to unpack why team underperformance, disengagement, slow decision-making, and even revenue plateaus may have less to do with bad hires and more to do with unresolved leadership pressure.

Check out Allison's session on April 29th: What Got You Here Will Cripple You There™" on how to grow effectively without working harder: https://www.alchemywithallison.com/wh...

Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com

About Allison

Allison Alkhemia is an executive advisor to founders and senior leaders navigating complexity, growth, and high-stakes decision-making. With 22 years of coaching under her belt, she is the creator of the Holographic Model of Leadership™ — a framework built on the principle that whatever is unresolved in a leader gets distributed outward through everything they touch, and amplified by growth. Her work focuses on reducing leadership drag, helping organizations clarify authority, distribute decision-making, and move forward without sacrificing standards or control. Since 2021, Allison has advised leaders across professional services, medical, finance, fintech, and nonprofit environments. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with her three sons.

Connect with Allison

www.allisonalkhemia.com
Allison Carney Baker (Al-Khemia) - LinkedIN
@alchemywithallison - IG

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