Promote Yourself to CEO | Small Business Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs

• From Watercolors to Life Design: Evolving Your Business with Ashley Jablow

  Send us a textThe best entrepreneurial stories rarely start with a grand vision. They start with a rug being pulled out.That's Ashley's story. A layoff. A pandemic that destroyed her in-person business overnight. So she did what many of us do in crisis—she picked up watercolors and created. A hundred days worth. Except it took two years to finish.When Ashley came to me, I saw what she couldn't see herself: a hundred pieces of unique, marketable content in a space flooded with generic coaches. She resisted. Hard. Tears and all.But here's what changed everything: clarity isn't something you force. It's something you create conditions for. Once Ashley stopped waiting for perfection and started building in public, the momentum came fast. Seven months from a wine bar idea to four finished books.If you've got something incomplete sitting in your files, or you're wondering if your "weird" skill could be your real differentiator—listen in.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:The accidental entrepreneur — Ashley's family had three generations of business owners. She wanted nothing to do with it until a layoff left her no choice.When crisis creates clarity — A pandemic wiped out her revenue overnight. She started painting. Two years later, she had 100 finished watercolors and no plan.What I saw that she couldn't — A hundred pieces of unique, ready-made content. Ashley saw uncertainty. I saw her competitive advantage.The two-year gap between finishing and knowing — Completed the paintings in 2022, knew her path in 2024. Here's what she learned about waiting for clarity.Building in public before you're ready — Ashley announced her journal plan on LinkedIn, tagged 200 people, took pre-orders before writing a word.Why smaller commitments actually work — Instead of writing all four at once, she took pre-orders for volume one, wrote it, then repeated. The structure got it done.Your market is telling you something — People kept asking about her art, not her coaching. She listened to that signal instead of resisting it.Connect with Me: Instagram: @racheal.cook TikTok: @rachealcookmba LinkedIn: @rachealcook YouTube: @the_ceo_collective Website: The CEO Collective Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  --------  

  37:49

  --------

  37:49
• What to Focus on First

  Send us a textYour revenue is down. Sales have slowed. And every time you log into social media, you're hit with another wave of news that makes you want to throw your entire business plan out the window and start over.But here's what most business owners don't realize: when things slow down, the problem is rarely everything. It's usually just one or two key levers that need your attention. The CEOs who come out stronger on the other side? They're the ones who can diagnose the real issue instead of burning it all down in a panic.In this episode, I'm walking you through the exact framework I use with my CEO Collective clients to figure out what actually needs fixing in your business. We're talking about the four levers that directly impact your revenue, how to identify which one is causing your slowdown, and why changing everything at once is the worst move you can make right now.This isn't about working harder or doing more. It's about working smarter and focusing your energy where it will actually move the needle. Because sales slowdowns don't mean your business is broken. They mean it's time to make a strategic CEO-level decision.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:The leaky bucket problem - Why you might be bringing in new clients but still losing revenue (and the one metric that will tell you if this is happening in your business)Product-market fit in uncertain times - The three scenarios where adjusting your offers makes sense, and when a "bite-sized" entry point could be the bridge between hesitant buyers and long-term clientsThe messaging shift nobody's talking about - Why aspirational content stops converting when the economy gets shaky, and what your audience is actually searching for right nowThe visibility dilemma - How to stay visible when you're burned out on social media, plus the "Follow-Up Friday" strategy that's working for service-based business owners right nowThe science experiment approach - Why changing one variable at a time is the only way to actually know what's working (and what's not) in your businessClient retention as your secret weapon - The case study of a CEO Collective member whose revenue dropped even though new client numbers stayed the same, and what we discovered when we looked under the hoodConnect with Me: Instagram: @racheal.cook TikTok: @rachealcookmba LinkedIn: @rachealcook YouTube: @the_ceo_collective Website: The CEO Collective Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  --------  

  34:41

  --------

  34:41
• Too Many Decisions, Not Enough Clarity

  Send us a textYou know that feeling when you open your closet and somehow have nothing to wear—even though it's packed full? That's what running your business feels like right now. Not because you lack options, but because you have too many of them.Fresh off our CEO Retreats, I've been hearing the same thing from small business owners across the country: they're stuck. Not on client work—they're confident there. But on the CEO-level decisions that could make or break their next year. The ones about pricing, team, strategy. The decisions they keep putting off because "what if I'm wrong?"Here's what nobody talks about: this isn't a confidence problem. It's not an effort problem. It's decision fatigue, and it's eating up your cognitive capacity before you even get to the decisions that matter. Every morning you're starting with a tank of mental fuel, and by the time you need to make the big call, you're running on empty.In this episode, I'm breaking down why wait-and-see mode is costing you more than you realize, what Steve Jobs and Barack Obama understood about preserving brain power, and the one tool that's going to help you cut through the noise: your CEO decision matrix. If you've been spinning your wheels on a decision you know you need to make, this one's for you.In This Episode:Why small business owners feel economic shifts first—and what that reality means for the decisions sitting on your desk right now that you've been avoidingThe cognitive capacity trap: I'm breaking down how your morning routine, chronic illness, or last night's sleep actually determines how much decision-making power you have today (and why this changes everything)What prolific leaders do differently when it comes to preserving mental energy for strategic decisions—it's not about working harder, and the examples might surprise youThe real cost of "wait and see" mode—I'm sharing what I've witnessed happen when small business owners delay tough conversations about team, pricing, or strategy, and why your options shrink instead of expandHow too many options create paralysis—your packed closet explains exactly what's happening in your business, and once you see this pattern, you can't unsee itThe CEO Decision Matrix framework: I'm walking you through the filtering system that uses your vision and values to help you make tough calls faster and with more confidenceConnect with Me: Instagram: @racheal.cook TikTok: @rachealcookmba LinkedIn: @rachealcook YouTube: @the_ceo_collective Website: The CEO Collective Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  --------  

  26:07

  --------

  26:07
• Organize Your Digital Clutter with Tracy Hoth

  Send us a textYou know that sinking feeling when a client asks for "that document we worked on last month" and you have absolutely no idea where you saved it? Or when you're paying your team to sit idle while you frantically search through folders trying to find the resources they need?If you've ever felt like the organized, professional front you present to the world is hiding a complete digital disaster behind the scenes, this episode is for you. Tracy Hoth, professional organizer turned business coach, reveals why most entrepreneurs struggle with organization (hint: it's not because you're "naturally messy") and shares her surprisingly simple system that works whether you're a solopreneur or managing a team.This isn't about buying fancy software or overhauling your entire business overnight. Tracy breaks down the exact five-folder system she uses with clients to eliminate the constant search-and-rescue missions that are quietly draining your productivity and confidence. She also shares the "wonderful one" concept that could save you hours every week and the maintenance habit that takes less than five minutes but keeps everything running smoothly.Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your own business? Tracy's practical approach might just be the missing piece that transforms your behind-the-scenes chaos into a well-oiled machine.In This Episode:• The "Monica's Closet" phenomenon — Why most business owners look perfectly organized on the outside while drowning in digital chaos behind the scenes• Tracy's five essential business folders — The stupidly simple filing system that works for Google Drive, Canva, email, and every other platform you use daily• The hidden cost of disorganization — How being unable to find files is masquerading as "bad time management" and costing you money in team productivity• The "wonderful one" rule — Why choosing a single hub for everything eliminates decision fatigue and stops files from multiplying across devices• SPASM method revealed — Tracy's 17-year-old organizing process that works for physical spaces, digital files, and even overwhelmed brains• The maintenance secret — The simple habit-stacking technique that keeps your system running without constant overhauls (spoiler: it ties to something you already do)Connect with Me: Instagram: @racheal.cook TikTok: @rachealcookmba LinkedIn: @rachealcook YouTube: @the_ceo_collective Website: The CEO Collective Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  --------  

  28:38

  --------

  28:38
• Finding Your Big Business Idea with Jessica Sato

  Send us a textEver feel like you're constantly tweaking your business but nothing quite clicks? Like you're a plant that's outgrown its pot but you keep trying to make it work anyway?You're not alone. And more importantly, there's a reason why all that surface-level fixing isn't working.In this conversation with Jessica Sato, we dig into why successful entrepreneurs hit this wall—and what actually needs to happen to break through it. Jessica works with impact-driven female entrepreneurs who've built something good, but know there's something bigger calling them forward.This isn't about another rebrand or website refresh. It's about the deep work that most people skip because it feels too slow, too introspective, or too "nice to have." But here's what Jessica and I both learned the hard way: you can't shortcut this process.We talk about the moment you realize your current container is too small, why "good enough" can be the enemy of extraordinary, and how to find that through line that connects everything you've built into something cohesive and compelling.If you've been in business for 5+ years and something feels off—even if you can't put your finger on what—this conversation will give you language for what you're experiencing and a path forward that doesn't involve starting over.On this episode of Promote Yourself to CEO:• The accidental TEDx discovery that shifted Jessica's entire approach to helping entrepreneurs find their big ideas• Why your "expertise overwhelm" is actually the problem—and the umbrella framework that cuts through the confusion• The two unmistakable signs you've outgrown your current business model (hint: one involves a lot of frustrated tweaking)• The root-bound plant analogy that explains why no amount of "window dressing" will fix a foundational misalignment• Why successful entrepreneurs resist the deep work that would actually solve their problems (spoiler: it's not what you think)• The difference between copywriters and messaging strategists—and why working with the wrong one keeps you stuck• Rachel's honest breakdown of her two major business evolutions and what triggered each shift• The "good enough" trap that keeps mid-stage entrepreneurs from doing the work that would unlock their next level• How Jessica's Egypt retreat idea emerged from a dream and why discomfort might be exactly what your business needsConnect with Me: Instagram: @racheal.cook TikTok: @rachealcookmba LinkedIn: @rachealcook YouTube: @the_ceo_collective Website: The CEO Collective Subscribe & Review: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 🎤 Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week!

  --------  

  38:25

  --------

  38:25

Más podcasts de Economía y empresa

Podcasts a la moda de Economía y empresa

Acerca de Promote Yourself to CEO | Small Business Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs