In this episode of Small Business Pivots, host Michael D. Morrison talks with Molly Ruland, Founder & CEO of Heartcast Media, a Washington D.C.–based full-service podcast production agency now operating from Costa Rica. Molly shares how small business owners can start, grow, and monetize a podcast the right way — focusing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization), AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and genuine relationship-driven content instead of chasing downloads. 💡 You’ll learn: • How ...

Tired of hearing that cold calling is dead? Patrick William Joyce, CEO of Outboundless, joins Small Business Pivots to debunk the biggest myths in outbound sales and explain why human-to-human calling is still one of the most effective ways to grow a business in 2025. From his early career as a math teacher in Boston to running a high-performance outbound SDR agency, Patrick shares how he built resilience through rejection, what most businesses get wrong about outbound sales, and why personal...

In this episode of Small Business Pivots, host Michael D. Morrison, Founder & CEO of BOSS, sits down with Kristi Chaves, a seasoned business coach with over 11 years of experience helping service-based entrepreneurs grow and scale online the non-conventional way. Kristi shares her journey of building her business organically without the “corporate safety net,” focusing on client retention, transformational coaching, and marketing that plays to your strengths. From overcoming mindset block...

Small Business Pivots with Michael D. Morrison welcomes Tania P. Brown, a Job Exit Strategist from Lawrenceville, Georgia, who helps women over 40 build a confident path from corporate life to self-employment freedom. In this inspiring episode, Tania shares her journey from growing up in Brooklyn, to military service, to financial services, and ultimately into entrepreneurship. She breaks down: ✅ Why financial strategy is the key to leaving your 9 to 5 without going broke ✅ The di...

What does it really take to adapt in business when the rules keep changing? In this episode of Small Business Pivots, host Michael D. Morrison sits down with Dave Burnett, founder of AOK Marketing and PromotionalProducts.com, to unpack 27 years of entrepreneurial lessons in sales, marketing, and digital pivots. From handing out free samples for Bacardi in college to building one of Canada’s most recognized SEO and digital marketing firms, Dave reveals: How to spot the exact moment you n...

Send us a text What if your business decisions weren’t based on gut feelings or bank balances—but on clear daily insight? In this episode of Small Business Pivots, entrepreneur Leigh Angman introduces the SPRUCTIS Framework—eight pillars (systems, processes, redundancy, urgency, communication, technology, integrity, and sales) designed to help small and medium-sized businesses turn insight into action. Leigh shares: How he transformed a struggling restaurant into a $6M operation using simple ...

Send us a text What does it really take to reach — and stay in — the top 1% of your field? Legendary speaker and bestselling author Jim Cathcart shares the exact mindset, daily habits, and career strategy that took him from “likable ordinary guy” to National Speakers Association President, Professional Speakers Hall of Fame inductee, Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame (London), and author of 27 books including The Acorn Principle, Relationship Selling, and Mentor Minutes: How to Reach the Top...

Send us a text What does it really take to grow a small business from two people in a tiny Alaska office to a 30-person, multi-state digital marketing agency? In this episode of Small Business Pivots, host Michael Morrison interviews Adrienne Wilkerson, co-founder and CEO of Beacon Media + Marketing, a nationwide digital agency specializing in mental health and addiction recovery marketing. Adrienne opens up about the struggles of entrepreneurship—burnout, hiring mistakes, and control issues—...

Send us a text What if the secret to better sales isn’t selling harder—but helping buyers feel safe enough to buy? In this episode of Small Business Pivots, I sit down with St John Craner, founder of Agrarian Rural Marketing, to explore a fresh, psychology-driven approach to sales that flips traditional methods upside down. Drawing on his unique background—farm life in rural England combined with decades of psychology and sales expertise—St John explains why most sales training fails: it acti...

Send us a text From Sleep Apnea Clinics to Better Health Coverage — Lessons from Building Four Businesses In this episode of Small Business Pivots, host Michael Morrison sits down with Ernest Diaz, founder of Better Coverage Consultants, to unpack the hard-earned lessons from a lifetime of entrepreneurship. Ernest has built four successful companies — from launching sleep apnea clinics across multiple states to now helping small businesses and self-employed individuals access private health i...

Send us a text Jimmy Owens, Founder & CEO of Design Tunnel in Oklahoma City, has spent over 14 years helping businesses transform their brand through strategic, high-quality video production. In this episode, he explains why video isn’t just a tool—it’s a clarity accelerator that forces you to define your message, tighten your focus, and show up professionally. You’ll learn: Why most DIY videos fall flat—and what separates them from intentional contentThe production process every business...

Send us a text Struggling to turn business goals into consistent action? Discover why 95% of entrepreneurs fail to achieve their intentions and how one small business owner cracked the code to 25x income growth in just 4 years. In this episode of Small Business Pivots, entrepreneur John Mitchell reveals the missing secret hidden in Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" - the bestselling business success book read by over 150 million people. At age 50, despite running multiple ventures, John w...

Send us a text What if the very business you built to create freedom is the one keeping you stuck? In this must-listen episode of Small Business Pivots, Andy Seeley—Founder & CEO of Creatively Disruptive—uncovers why so many small business owners end up trapped in demanding roles instead of running true businesses. With over a decade of experience helping 120+ small businesses scale through smart marketing and strategic leadership, Andy explains the critical mindset shift from technician ...

Send us a text What if the pirates of the high seas never disappeared — they just moved online? According to cybersecurity expert and Oklahoma City business owner Josh Cochran, that's exactly what's happened. In this must-listen episode of Small Business Pivots, Josh shares how today’s cybercriminals use AI-powered tactics to quietly infiltrate your business, steal sensitive data, and redirect payments — sometimes without you noticing for months. Josh is the owner of Diverse CTI, a leading ma...

Send us a text Discover the mental edge that sets elite performers apart with Gary Chupik, Founder & CEO of Elite Mindset Nation. In this powerful episode, Gary shares his unexpected journey from ordained minister to high-performance mental coach after experiencing severe burnout in 2017. He reveals how his pastoral background became his superpower, helping him guide professional athletes and top business leaders toward lasting success. Gary challenges the common belief that motivation fu...

Send us a text Every website click is a chance to win a new customer — but are you actually converting those visitors into paying clients? In this episode, we sit down with Trevor Levine, founder of Marketing Experts and a direct response copywriting powerhouse since 1998. Trevor has spent decades helping businesses transform lukewarm website traffic into loyal buyers — without spending a dime more on ads. Trevor breaks down the biggest conversion killers and reveals what really drives people...

Send us a text Your business might show a healthy profit on paper — but why does your bank account still feel empty? In this eye-opening episode, Avi Pinsky, founder & CEO of Pinsky Consulting and a sought-after fractional CFO, uncovers the hidden reasons so many business owners struggle with cash flow despite seeing "profits" in their statements. Avi explains the real difference between profit and cash, breaking down the three essential financial statements every business owner needs to ...

Send us a text What if your business was designed to give you freedom—not take it away? In this powerful episode of Small Business Pivots, I sit down with Scott Jarred, Founder & CEO of Invst, to unpack how he went from growing up in Section 8 housing to achieving financial freedom—and how he’s now helping other entrepreneurs do the same. 🔑 Scott shares the one mindset shift that transformed everything: stop building a job and start designing a business that works for you. We dive deep in...

Send us a text Could your successful business become a franchise? Or better yet—should it? In this insightful episode of Small Business Pivots, Dr. Tom Dufore, CEO of Big Sky Franchise Team, breaks down what it really takes to franchise your business—and why franchising isn’t the right fit for everyone. With over 21 years of experience in franchise development as both a franchisor and franchisee, Tom shares the three must-haves every business needs before considering franchising: Profitabilit...

Send us a text Want to stop chasing one client at a time and start influencing hundreds with a single message? Public speaking may be the most overlooked growth tool in your business—and Robert Kennedy III is here to change that. In this episode of Small Business Pivots, I sit down with Robert Kennedy III, professional speaker, coach, and Founder of Kennetik Kommunications, to talk about how small business owners can harness the power of public speaking to grow visibility, credibility, and re...