The Small Business School Podcast

Welcome back to Small Business School, in today’s guest episode I am joined by Megan Golightly, founder and CEO of Simplified Inc., widely recognized through her popular Instagram handle @gosimplified.
Since 2008, Megan has led her team in empowering individuals to declutter, organize, and embrace simplicity. Her work spans organizing projects of all sizes and collaborating with families for remarkable home transformations. With a background in psychology and a passion for neuroscience, Megan's books highlight the relationship between our brains and the spaces we inhabit. Her online community, inspired by her tips, tricks, guides, and transformative before-and-afters, has grown to hundreds of thousands of followers. Megan frequently organizes Canadian celebrities' homes and is a sought-after speaker at home shows and corporate events across Canada. She has been featured by Chatelaine, Global News, and the CBC!
In this episode, we dive into the importance of staying aligned with your mission, prioritizing value, and setting boundaries in business and life. Whether you're managing a team, starting a project, or organizing your home, tune in, there are nuggets of wisdom here for you!
Topics Covered:

• Megan’s journey of reinvention and how she discovered her passion for organizing.
• How starting an Instagram account propelled Megan’s business growth.
• The importance of asking questions, seeking experts, and being curious.
• Overcoming challenges in scaling a business, building a team, and managing overwhelm.
• Megan’s strategic approach to collaborations and leveraging social media for success.
• The significance of providing value in every interaction and avoiding "filler" content.
• Recognizing personal strengths and building a team that complements your weaknesses.
• Exploring the neuroscience behind procrastination and how to overcome mental blocks.
• Balancing the drive for growth with the need to protect mental health and boundaries.
• Lessons on mindful consumerism and curating what (or who) earns a place in your space.
• Why celebrating small wins can reduce anxiety and keep you climbing the ladder of success.
• How organization and decluttering can transform not only your home but your mindset as an entrepreneur.

Join us for an honest, relatable, and inspiring conversation packed with actionable advice for small business owners navigating growth and change.
Connect with Megan!
Megan’s Links:
Instagram
Website
Explore Megan's How To Guides

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.
To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.
Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

Hey Small Business School fam, I wasn’t sure if I was going to record this episode because it’s so personal and not as relevant to business. Though I decided to because it matters to me and it touches on the human experience that affects us all in life and in business. I was recently given the life altering diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum and it has had a profound impact on my life and business. So I wanted to share my journey with you!
Topics Covered:

• How a therapy session led to a surprising and insightful diagnosis in my life.
• Rethinking Autism as an Adult and breaking down old stereotypes.
• How this diagnosis reshaped my relationships, self-perception, and business strategies.
• Leveraging my strengths and acknowledging my weaknesses to create a more effective and authentic work environment.
• The importance of connecting with others who share similar experiences for mutual support and growth.

Behind our business personas we are all unique humans. Let's embrace self-discovery and celebrate uniqueness together!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.
To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.
Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

One of the tools I used to help build my business was reading books. Books changed how I did business and I implemented so many of the lessons I learned from them. So today, I’m going to share with you a few of my favorites to help you grow your business as well!

The books I will be sharing with you today are books that affected my overarching idea of how business worked for me and changed how I did things. These are books that defined my work structure to make it what it is now. They’ll help you improve your business skills and have a clear business plan.

Books I cover:

2:13 - These three books really help you get clear on what your business looks like, where you’re going and what your goals are. These books are: The One Thing by Gary Keller, The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, and The Vivid Vision by Cameron Herold.

5:35 - If you want to know how to build a business or what the thing to do next is, then there are two books for you to read: Making Money is Killing Your Business by Chuck Blakeman, and Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell.

9:29 - If you are in early business or you feel like your skills are rusty, you should read Business Made Simple by Donald Miller.

11:01 - The two most important parts of business are how to bring in the money and how to keep the money. The one book that changed how I did this is Copywriting Secrets by Jim Edwards.

These 7 books are great reads and will improve how you do business. They will help you get clear on what your business is, what your next steps should be, and how to understand your target client. Happy reading!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.
To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.
Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

In this episode of Small Business School, I’m reflecting on a family trip to visit my Grandparents that sparked a lot of thoughts about purpose and sustainability for me.
Leaving me with the question, how can we shape our businesses for long term, sustainable success, and a better future?
Topics Covered:

• The significance of having purpose beyond retirement and how it keeps us engaged.
• Reflections on the durability of older products versus today’s disposable culture.
• The impact of consumerism post-World War II and the shift towards sustainability.
• The role of women in business and the importance of giving back to communities.
• Hope for a future where we prioritize sustainability and community over mere profit.

Join me as I navigate these thoughts and envision a more purposeful and sustainable future for business and life!
Hear from innovative small business experts paving the way for Canadian Small Businesses at the Canadian Small Business Summit!
Find all the information you need here!

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.
To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.
Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!

In this episode of Small Business I get the chance to chat with Renée Warren, award-winning entrepreneur, angel investor, author, speaker, and founder of We Wild Women, a PR agency revolutionizing how female-led businesses shine in the media spotlight. Renée is not just a leader; she's a visionary, innovating how women can achieve unprecedented visibility and success. As host of the top-rated podcast "Into The Wild," she interviews successful entrepreneurs, sharing actionable authority-building advice from those who have successfully done it before. Outside the hustle, she enjoys time with her Irish Twin sons, CrossFit, drumming, and being her husband, Dan Martell's number one cheerleader!
I am so excited to dive into our conversation of the power of systems, both in business and personal life, and how they can actually enhance creativity and freedom, not stifle them. You’ll love her tips on creating structure without losing that all-important flow, let’s dive into it!
Topics Covered:

• Renée’s unique approach to blending “masculine” systems with a “feminine” flow, for a balanced life.
• How routines in the home and business free up mental space, making room for more important decisions.
• Setting personal boundaries and delegating tasks with confidence.
• Overcoming the mental hurdles of “worthiness” and letting go of menial tasks.
• How Renée and Dan Martell have systematized family time, work life, and self-care.
• The "Pink Skirt Project"; Renée's immersive event concept focused on empowering women to set their own definitions of success.
• Daily practices that help build resilience, confidence, and gratitude.
• The importance of follow-ups in PR and networking.
• Practical advice on building in-person connections, creating a press page, and leveraging social media for growth.

Tune in for Renée’s take on structuring life without sacrificing spontaneity, and walk away with practical tips on creating systems that work for you!
Connect with Renée!
Renee’s Links:
Instagram
Podcast
Get Covered: PR For Small Business Book
Free Proven Email Pitch Strategies
The Pink Skirt Project

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
The School for Small Business Podcast is a proud member of the Female Alliance Media.
To learn more about Female Alliance Media and how they are elevating female voices or how they can support your show, visit femalealliancemedia.ca.
Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!