HerBusiness

HerBusiness (Host: Suzi Dafnis)
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated weekly

Your Business. Your Rules. You didn't start your business to work around the clock, burn out, or follow someone else's rules. This podcast is for WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS ready to step out of the grind and build businesses that deliver FREEDOM, FULFILMENT and FINANCIAL SUCCESS — ON YOUR TERMS. Welcome to the path that has already helped tens of thousands of women break free from hustle culture and create profitable, sustainable businesses THEIR way. Welcome to the HerBusiness Podcast! I'm Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness — the most COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY for women growing SIX AND SEVEN-FIGURE BUSINESSES in ways that feel ALIGNED with what they truly want. Each week, I'll share how to stop "winging it" and ditch the traditional rulebook, so you can finally design your ideal business — one that delivers consistent income and the lifestyle you love. Every. Single. Day. You'll also hear inspiring conversations with world-class entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors — including Amy Porterfield, Gabby Bernstein, Seth Godin, Kim Kiyosaki, Danielle LaPorte, Stu McLaren, Dan Martell, and many more. If you want sustainable strategies to grow without burnout… If you want clarity around money, mindset, marketing, and offers that truly convert… If you want a waitlist of buyers without sleazy sales tactics or endless hustle… Then, you're in the right place. Together, we'll explore both the inner game and the outer strategies of business growth, giving you the tools to create lasting success — according to what matters most to YOU. It's time to do business differently. Your Business. Your Rules. Grow a Business that Works for YOU!

  1. 3 days ago

    378: Sell Your Business or Rebuild It? What Every Established Woman Entrepreneur Eventually Asks

    Should you sell your business, rebuild it, or just burn it all down? This is a common fork almost every established business owner reaches, often without warning. Suzi Dafnis unpacks why the question of whether to sell your business tends to show up around year eight, nine, or ten of running a business — not because something's gone wrong, but because you've finally built something durable enough to ask whether you actually want it. Suzi walks through why all three impulses — to sell your business, burn it down, or start over over — usually point to the same root cause: not the business, but the operating system it's still running on. The one you built years ago, under different conditions, with different resources, as a different version of yourself. Using the story of a woman she calls Julia, an agency owner who nearly sold her fifteen-year business before realising what she actually wanted wasn't out, it was a different "in". Suzi introduces a fourth option nobody names: not selling, not burning it down, but rebuilding the woman running the business first, and letting the business follow. You'll hear about the cost of sanding yourself down to be taken seriously over a decade-plus in business, and why the edge you learned to soften is often the same edge that made the work feel alive in the first place. Suzi reframes the whole decision: the real question isn't sell your business, burn it down, or rebuild it — it's what you'd build, or keep, if you stopped editing yourself down to fit it. Suzi closes with three questions worth sitting with over the next week — not to answer immediately, but to write down honestly:  What am I relieved to lose if I sold this, and what am I afraid to admit I'd miss?  What am I actually craving when I imagine burning it down and starting from zero? And,  If I stopped editing myself down to run this, what would I change about how I lead tomorrow? Suzi also shares a first look at Majestic, a new experience she's building for women exactly at this fork. Applications open this October, and you can join the list now at majestic.herbusiness.com. Also in this episode: a listener shoutout to Carol Robertson of Ms Property Melbourne, who left a review after our episode on visibility, and a reference back to that earlier conversation on being more visible.  Check out the How Being More Visible Helps More Customers Choose You episode. What You'll Discover In Episode 378: Sell Your Business or Rebuild It? What Every Established Woman Entrepreneur Eventually Asks Why the thought, "Should I sell it, burn it down, or start over?" tends to arrive around year eight, nine, or ten… and what it's actually signaling The difference between a business that's thriving and one that's durable, and why so many women reach "successful" before they let themselves ask who it's thriving FOR How all three impulses usually trace back to the same root cause, and why that it actually great news for you The "operating system" idea: how a business can scale for a decade while still running on the assumptions of a version of you who no longer exists The fourth option almost nobody names, and why it all begins with the woman running the business rather than the org chart or the offer suite The cost of sanding yourself down to be taken seriously, and how to tell whether your edge is gone for good… or is just waiting for permission to come back Three questions worth sitting with this week A first look at Majestic, the new experience Suzi's building for women standing at exactly this fork, with applications opening in October Mentioned in this Episode: The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Full episode summary and resources – Episode 378 Show Notes @herbusiness on Instagram and Facebook

  2. 2 Sept

    377: ASK SUZI - What If You Treated Your Next Business Move Like a Rehearsal?

    What if your next business move didn't have to be performance-perfect? What if, instead, you started treating that next business move like a rehearsal? In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, Suzi Dafnis answers a listener question that almost every experienced business owner asks eventually: "How do I know if I'm building the RIGHT next thing?". On the surface, it sounds like a question about strategy… Should I create this program? Or this new product?  Should I change my business model? Should I pursue this opportunity?  Should I hire for this? Should I move into a different market?  Should I finally retire this thing that has worked for years but that I don't really want to do anymore? Underneath, it's really a question about certainty: How do I know this will work before I begin? So many business owners get caught up in uncertainty, putting their next move on pause to get it perfect. In order to take the pressure of yourself and your business, start treating your next move as a rehearsal. It doesn't need to be perfect the first time. In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, Suzi Dafnis reveals exactly why taking that first step forward is the most important you can take, no matter how imperfect it may be. You don't always think your way into the next version of your business. Sometimes you have to live your way into it. What you'll discover in Episode 377: What If You Treated Your Next Business Move Like a Rehearsal? Why so many business owners strive for perfection, and the reason that perfection can hold you back from growth (and doing what you love) How to embrace uncertainty, and see it as a sign for what genuinely new work feels like The trick experience can play on us, and why the very success that should free us to experiment starts giving us reasons not to The real difference between performing and rehearsing — and which to value more Why you can't always think your way into the next version of your business, and instead live your way through it What "work" actually means, and why a first version that doesn't meet your expectations is exactly the feedback you need The questions to sit with to tell whether an idea genuinely feels wrong, or you just want certainty before you begin Mentioned in this Episode: The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Full episode summary and resources – Episode 377 Show Notes @herbusiness on Instagram and Facebook

  3. 26 Aug

    376: The Hardest Promotion in Business Is the One Nobody Gives You as a Business Owner

    In every other career path, promotions and raises are the status quo. But promotion in business — in your own business — is entirely up to you. The shift from doer to leader is something you have to notice, and then choose, for yourself. In this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, Suzi Dafnis is revealing what she calls the "invisible promotion"… and how to recognise the moment your business has outgrown the version of you that built it, and starts asking for someone new. The signs are easy to miss when you're in the day-to-day. You're working harder than ever, but your impact feels plateaued. Your team waits on you before making any decisions. You can't switch off even when you're not technically working. What you'll discover in Episode 376: The Hardest Promotion in Business Is the One Nobody Gives You as a Business Owner Why founders never get told they've been promoted in business, and how to recognise that you're past due for one The signs your business has quietly outgrown the role you're still playing Why being the person with every answer is a trap you may have set for yourself How to shift from rescuing your team to coaching them (+ three simple questions to use) Why clarity (NOT better people) is usually what an overwhelmed business is really missing A simple two-column exercise that reveals what only you can do versus what you've simply always done Mentioned in this Episode: The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Full episode summary and resources – Episode 376 Show Notes

  4. 19 Aug

    375: How to Get Clear on What You Really Want in Business and Life, with Bonnie Wan

    Get clear on what you really want in business and life, with Bonnie Wan. Most of us are never taught, as business owners, to define what "success" really means. We hear other people's interpretations. We see examples before us. We're trained to just chase the next milestone, to meet everyone else's expectations, to build our businesses from the outside in… And then, when we reach the top — we wonder why the view feels strangely empty. In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, Suzi Dafnis sits down with brand strategist and author Bonnie Wan to talk about a different way to get clear on what you REALLY want in business and life. Bonnie explores what a Life Brief is, and how you can turn the same clarifying lens companies use on their strategies inward, onto your own life and leadership style. Bonnie Wan has spent three decades distilling global brands down to their essence. And she calls it 'atomic clarity'. During this episode, she shows how that same clarity is essential for women to incorporate into their own journeys in business — in how you lead, what you say yes and no to, and how you define success on your own terms rather than following a script written by someone else. What You'll Discover in Episode 375: How to Get Clear on What You Really Want in Business and Life, with Bonnie Wan What a "Life Brief" is, and why getting clear on what you really want is an act of leadership, not a luxury only some business owners get The difference between execution and vision, and what stepping into leadership actually asks of you What leading from the inside out means (and why it makes your business stand out, instead of blending in with your competition) How to notice your "gripping issues" — the questions that surface in the shower, or on your drive home — and why you should really start listening to them The real distinction between knowledge and knowing… and why the answers you're looking for are usually behind the questions you've been avoiding How to redefine success without burning down everything you've built The single most reliable compass you can have… and how to identify when something lights you up How to get clarity and a definition of what you really want in business… and in life About Bonnie Wan, Author of The Life Brief Bonnie Wan is the creator and author of The Life Brief, a practice that helps people navigate life's big decisions with clarity, creativity, and courage. The Life Brief applies the art and science of brand strategy to how we live our lives — and helps define what you really want out of business and life. A 30-year career brand strategist turned life strategist, Bonnie helps some of the world's most iconic companies innovate from a place of purpose and guides everyday people on living with greater intention and imagination. She has been named Chief Strategy Officer of the Year, one of 100 Women to KNOW in America, and an Eames Institute's Curious 100. Mentioned in this Episode: The Life Brief : A Playbook for No-Regrets Living by Bonnie Wan Connect with Bonnie Wan: www.thelifebrief.com Bonnie Wan's LinkedIn Profile The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Full episode summary and resources — Episode 375 Show Notes

  5. 12 Aug

    374: ASK SUZI - I'm Feeling Tired and Overwhelmed. How Do I Stay Connected to My Business?

    I'm Feeling Tired and Overwhelmed. How Do I Stay Connected to My Business? How to stay connected to business... even when you're feeling overwhelmed. In this Ask Suzi episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, Suzi Dafnis answers a very common listener question: "I'm so tired and overwhelmed from events outside my business. Is there something I can to to stay connected to business and get me back into focus?" Our lives are not isolated from our businesses. As business owners, they are interwoven. So often when things happen in our personal lives, the business can take a hit as well. So if you're feeling drained by something right now — health, family, the uncertainty in the world, your body going through changes — this episode is for you. Instead of asking "How do I get motivated again??", ask yourself this instead: "What is one small way I can show up for myself to stay connected in business today?" How to Stay Connected to Business — Even When Life Has Other Plans When you're feeling overwhelmed as a small business owner, small acts of showing up for yourself can bring you back to the reason WHY you started your business, and respark your energy. Reaching out to one past client to see how they're going Sending one follow-up email Commenting thoughtfully on a few posts from your community Writing down three ideas for a future project Recording a quick video sharing something you've learned Spending twenty minutes on a piece of marketing Booking a coffee with someone you've been meaning to connect with Reading one chapter of a book that inspires you (it doesn't have to be about business) Business is Built in Seasons We imagine successful business owners stay connected to business 365 days of the year. Unlimited energy. Unwavering devotion. But they're not. Every business has seasons. Growth, creativity, consolidation, and seasons where life simply needs more of your attention elsewhere. You don't have to fight the season. It's okay to navigate through it, accepting it for what it is. What You'll Discover in Episode 374: "I'm Feeling Tired and Overwhelmed. How Can I Stay Connected to Business?" Why feeling overwhelmed in business is often about life outside the business... not lost motivation The one question that lowers the pressure and helps you stay connected to business A list of small, doable ways to show up when your energy is low Why you should lower the bar (not RAISE it) when life feels heavy The difference between slowing down and stepping away completely How to talk to yourself more kindly when the inner critic gets loud Why business is built in seasons, and how to navigate them The truth about motivation — and why confidence always follows action, not the other way around How to stay connected to business even when it feels like life around you won't stop throwing curveballs. Mentioned in this Episode: The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Full episode summary and resources — Episode 374 Show Notes Liked Episode 374: I'm Feeling Tired and Overwhelmed. How Do I Stay Connected to Business? Check out these recent episodes: How to Simplify Your Business and Put Down the Weight You're Carrying How to Know Your Customers (and Why Most Founders Stop Listening) with Michele Hansen I've Built a Successful Business… So Why Do I Want More? Can Your Business Run Without You? Signs You're the Bottleneck & Systems That Fix It – with Kristin Skinner How to Delegate Without Losing Control of Your Business (Even the Work You Think Only You Can Do) How Being More Visible Makes It Easier for Customers to Choose You

  6. 5 Aug

    373: How to Know Your Customers (and Why Most Founders Stop Listening) with Michele Hansen

    Ready to know how to know your customers so deeply your business never loses touch as it grows? In this episode, Suzi Dafnis talks with Michele Hansen, who bootstrapped Geocodio into a multimillion-dollar business (without outside funding!), about why understanding your customers is the real foundation of a business that stands the test of time. Michele Hansen is the author of Deploy Empathy: A Practical Guide to Interviewing Customers, and she practises what she teaches. If more than TWO weeks go by without a customer conversation, she says, she doesn't feel like herself. That habit of structured listening (yep, not systems, not SOPs) is what has kept her business relevant and thriving for over a decade. This is a conversation about staying close to the people you serve, making sharper decisions based on their behaviour, and leading without becoming the bottleneck in your business. If you've ever wondered how to know your customers well enough to make confident calls about your marketing, pricing, offers, and more… Michele is the expert to hear from. Why Knowing Your Customers Is the Foundation of Everything So many businesses rely on systems, procedures, and SOPs. Or, we simply do things the way we always have done them. But Michele makes the case that it's something else entirely: evidence and customer insights. She uses a jobs-to-be-done framework to give customer interviews structure — what they've tried before, what they're really trying to accomplish, and why other things haven't worked. She shares why running those conversations are essential at every stage of the customer lifecycle, from prospects to ten-year clients. Learning how to know your customers (and talk to them) keeps you connected to who they are and how their needs change over time — instead of guessing, or worse, building from a gut feeling and the noise of what competitors are doing. What You'll Discover in Episode 373: How to Know Your Customers (and Why Most Founders Stop Listening) Why structured listening is the secret lifeblood of a resilient business The jobs-to-be-done questions that make customer interviews easy Michele's "two-week rule" for staying connected to customers A simply scoring system for deciding what to build, change, or stop The real cost when founders stop listening (and the "HIPPO" problem) Why you need to start saying, "I am NOT an airport." (I LOVE this.) The chessboard question for the highest-value use of your time. What it really means to operationalise empathy… and what boundaries are needed How Michele bootstrapped Geocodio to millions on her own terms Mentioned in this Episode: Learn more about how to know your customers and use audience research in Michele's book: Deploy Empathy Check out how Geocodio can help your business. The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules Liked Episode 373: How to Know Your Customers (and Why Most Founder Stop Listening)? Check out these recent episodes: How to Simplify Your Business and Put Down the Weight You're Carrying I've Built a Successful Business… So Why Do I Want More? Can Your Business Run Without You? Signs You're the Bottleneck & Systems That Fix It – with Kristin Skinner How to Delegate Without Losing Control of Your Business (Even the Work You Think Only You Can Do) How Being More Visible Makes It Easier for Customers to Choose You

  7. 29 Jul

    372: How to Simplify Your Business and Put Down the Weight You're Carrying

    On Episode 372, we're talking about how to simplify your business and finally put down the weight you've been carrying. Because that's the reality for so many women business owners, isn't it? The business, no matter HOW successful, or how big of a team, or how many years we've been 'in it' for… there is a heaviness to it. When all of the decisions rest on you, and all of the tasks come across your desk, and everyone is looking to you for the perfect answer. In this episode, Suzi Dafnis shares how to simplify your business so you can put down that invisible weight — and why learning how to simplify your business is the real path to your next season of growth. If you looked at your business from the outside, from your clients' point of view, you'd likely say everything's going well. But underneath that? You're carrying too much — too many decisions, too many responsibilities, too many things that stopped being fun a long time ago. After more than 30 years in business, Suzi found herself running something successful that had suddenly become… heavy. So she did something about it: rebranding, simplifying the membership, walking away from a profitable program, lowering prices to what they were 20 years ago because it felt right, and redesigning how the whole business operates. The result wasn't a smaller business. It was a lighter business. And, it became a business that felt more aligned than it had for years. This is a conversation about a different kind of business growth… growth that doesn't come from adding MORE, but from putting thing DOWN. Why Your Business Feels Heavy (and Why Business Owner Overwhelm Is Real) Businesses rarely become heavy overnight. They become heavy one little decision at a time. You say yet to one more client than you have time for. You add one more offer. You keep one more responsibility because it's easier than explaining it to someone else. You stay on one more platform than you want to, because that's what everyone is doing. That slow accumulation is what business owner overwhelm actually looks like — and it's why so many women end up as "Chief Everything Officer" instead of CEO. Head of sales, marketing, finance, tech, operations, customer service, HR… all at once. That growth, without structure, just means more weight on your shoulders. How to Simplify Your Business: Delegate, Decide, Ditch, Redesign Almost every meaningful shift Suzi made came down to one of four actions. She delegated the things that no longer needed her. She made decisions she'd been sitting on for far too long. She ditched what had served its purpose. And she redesigned parts of the business to reflect who she is today (instead of who she was ten years ago). Every one of those moves is how you simplify your business and make it feel lighter… and usually… it's when the business actually grows. Not because you are WORKING harder, but because you finally, finally have the capacity to lead. What You'll Discover in Episode 372: How to Simplify Your Business and Put Down the Weight You're Carrying Why businesses become heavy one decision at a time — and how to spot it before burnout does The difference between being a CEO and a "Chief Everything Officer" The four places heaviness most often hides (and how to make them lighter) Why walking away from a profitable, well-loved program was one of Suzi's best decisions How lowering prices actually removed pressure instead of adding it The four moves behind a lighter business: delegate, decide, ditch, redesign Why marketing feels heavy when it's performative… and energising when it's authentic The one question to ask before you write another post or answer another email One Question to Sit With This Week: What am I carrying that no longer belongs to me? And what's one small thing I could actually put down today? Mentioned in This Episode: The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules The Growth Shift: The Decisions That Change Everything Valerie Khoo — check out her work and art here Liked Episode 372: How to Simplify Your Business and Put Down the Weight You're Carrying? Check out these recent episodes: I've Built a Successful Business… So Why Do I Want More? Can Your Business Run Without You? Signs You're the Bottleneck & Systems That Fix It – with Kristin Skinner How to Delegate Without Losing Control of Your Business (Even the Work You Think Only You Can Do) How Being More Visible Makes It Easier for Customers to Choose You

  8. 22 Jul

    371: Can Your Business Run Without You? Signs You're the Bottleneck & Systems That Fix It – with Kristin Skinner

    Can your business run without you? Discover the signs that you're the bottleneck of your business with organisational systems expert, Kristin Skinner. Every business owner eventually asks themselves one question: Why does everything still come back to me? Every task. Every decision. Every question from the team. Let's talk about how to create systems that build a business that can run even when you're away — so you can confidently answer "yes" to the question, "Can your business run without you?" In the first few years of business, we're used to doing everything ourselves. But most business owners don't shift how they opperate as they grow, which creates a business that is fully owner-dependent. That business can still be successful. It can still be profitable. It can still thrive. But it all relies on the energy of one person: you. Kristin Skinner is here to help your business run without you, and she's got a pretty impressive resume of doing the same for others. She has spent twenty years scaling design organisations across Fortune 100 companies, leading teams from 30 to 12,000 people. She's helped scale companies including Expedia Group, Chase, Capital One, Adaptive Path, and Microsoft, and she's the co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs. Today, she helps leaders redesign the systems in their businesses so the bsuienss can fun like a machine, while the owner gets to be human (instead of superhuman). Can your business run without you? You'll be able to answer after this episode. Kristin shares the signs you've become the bottleneck, how to run a diagnostic on your business to see if it can run without you, and the systems that let you finally get out of the day-to-day. Capable leaders often don't fail because they lack determination. No one doubts the work-ethic of business owners, or the grit. But too often, business owners build businesses that require them to be at the centre of everything in order to keep things running. And the solution to that is never to 'just work harder'. It's to build the systems around you for support, so you get to take on the CEO role, while the business works in the details. Can Your Business Run Without You? Here's What You'll Discover In This Episode: The clearest sings that you've become the bottleneck in your own business. How to honestly answer the question "Can your business run without you" by running Kristin's test. Why "I've explained this a dozen times" is a glaring red flag that you've got a structure problem to deal with. The calendar test — and how to spot the "work about work" eating up 60-70% of your week. Why the decisions you make don't stick… and the three things every decision needs to get follow-through. Kristin's People, Practice, Programs framework for designing a business that scales and can run without you. How to build a living operating system (vision, principles, strategy, roadmap) that you can actually use. When to tweak your business… versus when to rethink the whole system. The one blind spot that keeps experienced women owners stuck being the "invisible infrastructure". If you'd like to have these kinds of conversations with ambitious women who understand the realities of building a business over the long term, learn more about the HerBusiness Growth Network at HerBusinessNetwork.com. More Episodes to Help You Grow a Business That Doesn't Rely on Just You: How to Delegate Without Losing Control of Your Business (Even the Work You Think Only YOU Can Do) I've Built a Successful Business… So Why Do I Want More? Strong Like Water: The Leadership Shift That Strengthens Your Business Foundations — with Laila Tarraf Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The Calendar Test: Reveal the hidden organizational friction through meeting management. Download the free PDF here.  The Decision Velocity Test: Track your decision-making speed to diagnose coordination debt. Download the free PDF here. The Organizational X-Ray: A comprehensive diagnostic across all 12 qualities with a complete implementation roadmap and hands-on guidance. Learn about the X-Ray here. Join The Growth Network today at the founding-member price of just $37/month at HerBusinessNetwork.com

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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Your Business. Your Rules. You didn't start your business to work around the clock, burn out, or follow someone else's rules. This podcast is for WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS ready to step out of the grind and build businesses that deliver FREEDOM, FULFILMENT and FINANCIAL SUCCESS — ON YOUR TERMS. Welcome to the path that has already helped tens of thousands of women break free from hustle culture and create profitable, sustainable businesses THEIR way. Welcome to the HerBusiness Podcast! I'm Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness — the most COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY for women growing SIX AND SEVEN-FIGURE BUSINESSES in ways that feel ALIGNED with what they truly want. Each week, I'll share how to stop "winging it" and ditch the traditional rulebook, so you can finally design your ideal business — one that delivers consistent income and the lifestyle you love. Every. Single. Day. You'll also hear inspiring conversations with world-class entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors — including Amy Porterfield, Gabby Bernstein, Seth Godin, Kim Kiyosaki, Danielle LaPorte, Stu McLaren, Dan Martell, and many more. If you want sustainable strategies to grow without burnout… If you want clarity around money, mindset, marketing, and offers that truly convert… If you want a waitlist of buyers without sleazy sales tactics or endless hustle… Then, you're in the right place. Together, we'll explore both the inner game and the outer strategies of business growth, giving you the tools to create lasting success — according to what matters most to YOU. It's time to do business differently. Your Business. Your Rules. Grow a Business that Works for YOU!

Information

  • Creator
    HerBusiness (Host: Suzi Dafnis)
  • Years Active
    2010 - 2026
  • Episodes
    427
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright HerBusiness®
  • Show Website
    HerBusiness

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