Profit by Design

Dr. Sabrina Starling
  • 4.8 (28)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

You work hard in your business. On the Profit by Design Podcast, we ask the BIG question: What has your business done FOR YOU lately? Join Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist™ and founder of Tap the Potential weekly, as she brings you tips, tools and strategies to support YOU in making intentionally profitable AND sustainable business decisions to live the lifestyle you desire. After all, work supports life, not the other way around. Dr. Sabrina is the author of the The 4 Week Vacation® and the How to Hire the Best Series. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.

  1. 405: Your Business Is Affecting Your Relationships More Than You Think

    22h ago

    405: Your Business Is Affecting Your Relationships More Than You Think

    You started your business to create a better life and to have more freedom, flexibility, and time with your loved ones. But somewhere along the way, the business started consuming more of you than you ever expected. Even when you’re physically present with others, your mind is still at work because you’re answering messages at dinner, thinking about work problems during family time, and mentally carrying the business everywhere you go. The hardest part is that most business owners don’t realize how much their relationships are being affected until they are already exhausted. You may try to rationalize and normalize the takeover of your life until you realize that you are missing special moments that you can’t get back. You can’t solve this problem with better boundaries alone; the real issue is that your business relies too heavily on you emotionally and operationally. You don’t need to care “less,” but you need stronger leadership inside your team, operational clarity, defined ownership, scalable systems, and reduced owner dependency. This is what sustainable success looks like: a business that supports your life rather than consuming it. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling and Melissa Kay break down why entrepreneurs struggle to truly unplug, how owner dependency affects relationships, the hidden emotional cost of carrying the business alone, and what actually creates more freedom and presence. Sustainable success should allow you to enjoy your life — not disappear inside your business. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Melissa’s look back at how things used to be in hustle cultureThe truth: Our kids know; we can’t hide it from them.Dr. Sabrina’s experience of prioritizing family first after trying it the other way“Our limits force innovation and creativity.”Do you need to refine your to-do list? Download your chart of $10,000 an hour activities now!Dr. Sabrina’s story of experiencing trauma, grief, and living a life of no regrets.Lessons learned from burnout about reconnecting with yourself FIRSTBeing aware of the neglected side of businessYour next step? Join our next Jumpstart and find out how to free up 10 hours of your week right away! Resources: Book a call with our team to start building a business that supports your life! Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    24 min
  2. 404: If You Know Something Has to Change…This Is Your Next Step

    Jun 4

    404: If You Know Something Has to Change…This Is Your Next Step

    “This sounds exactly like my business. I’m exhausted. Everything still depends on me. I know something has to change.” If you’ve responded with any of these realizations while listening to this series, this conversation is for you. Awareness is important, but awareness alone doesn’t change anything if you’ve tolerated stress, carried too much weight, stayed stuck in operational chaos, or hoped things would somehow improve over time. Eventually, there comes a point where you realize that your business can’t continue operating this way—not if you want sustainable growth, freedom, and a business that actually supports your life. The truth is that most entrepreneurs weren’t taught how to reduce owner dependency, build leadership, create operational accountability, develop scalable systems, and step out of daily firefighting. Because of that, they stay stuck in patterns that slowly become unsustainable, and most don’t seek support until they are completely overwhelmed. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling explain why awareness alone doesn’t create change, the hidden reason owners stay stuck for years, what sustainable business growth actually requires, how to stop carrying the full weight of the business alone, and what happens inside our Jumpstart program. Most business owners stay stuck because they try to solve structural problems with more personal effort. There is a better way to create real freedom inside your business. Join us to learn more! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Your overwhelm creeps up on you.We can make a difference by offering the support you need. An example of Dr. Sabrina’s work with a client in getting to the root of the problem.A breakdown of common hiring mistakes–and how to get it rightHaving the right systems in place helps your operations flow smoothly and effectively.Understanding A-players, the sweet spot, and their key results–while watching for communication gapsThink of Tap the Potential as a comprehensive solution for your business. Join our upcoming Jumpstart, where you can sample what it’s like to be in our program. Resources: If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck and build a business that supports your life, join our Jumpstart or book a call with our team. Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    23 min
  3. 403: Everything Still Runs Through You — Here’s Why

    May 28

    403: Everything Still Runs Through You — Here’s Why

    If you step away for a few days, does everything slow down? Decisions pile up. Your team waits. That’s not a time problem–it’s a dependency problem. If decisions route back to you and ownership isn’t clear, your team can’t step up. Your team isn’t the issue; it’s the system. The only way you can stop being required for every decision is for your team to take ownership, and that requires clear decision-making, defined roles, and proper leadership development. In this episode, you’ll discover why high-performing entrepreneurs become the bottleneck, how over-functioning limits team ownership, the hidden cost of being needed for everything, why delegation alone doesn’t solve the problem, what self-managing teams actually require, and the structural shifts that create time freedom and profitability. If your business depends on you for everything, this conversion will help you understand what’s really happening–and what needs to change. If you’re ready to stop carrying all the load in your business, join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Recognizing “the slippery slope of self-doubt” (Think about the seesaw!)Better leadership at the top results in having better team members.Kaitlyn’s perspective on balancing high-functioning owners and a team of A-playersSteps to creating ownership and empowerment on your team:Clear decision-makingClearly defined rolesLeadership developmentAmazing results we are seeing from clients in our Leadership BootcampWant to put your profitability on steroids? We can help it happen!We teach you how to unclench your fist and let go of decision-making; it’s easier than you think!What to expect when you join our programJoin our upcoming free workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) Click here for more info! Resources: If you’re realizing this isn’t burnout—it’s structure, join us in our workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) We’ll show you exactly how to redesign your business so it no longer depends on you. Register here. Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    27 min
  4. 402: You’re Not Burned Out — Your Business Is Designed to Depend on You

    May 21

    402: You’re Not Burned Out — Your Business Is Designed to Depend on You

    What if the reason you feel exhausted isn’t that you’re doing too much, but because your business is designed in a way that requires you to do everything? You’ve tried taking time off, hiring more people, and getting more organized, but nothing has changed. You’re still the one solving problems, making decisions, and holding everything together. You’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re stuck. Your business is structured around you, and when everything flows through you, you don’t get relief, space, or time to lead. The key isn’t working less, but it’s about redesigning how your team operates. When that shifts, your team will step up, problems will stop stacking up, and you will get time back. In this episode, you’ll discover why burnout is a symptom (NOT the root problem), the hidden ways businesses become owner-dependent, why high-performing entrepreneurs become the bottleneck, what needs to shift to create real time freedom, and how sustainably profitable businesses are intentionally designed. Trust us–no amount of rest will fix a business that still requires you to carry it all. If your business looks successful on paper but feels exhausting in real life, this conversation will help you understand why—and what to do next. Ready to build a business that supports your life? Join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling now. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Stepping out of the weeds to redesign your businessFrom Dr. Sabrina: An example of a business owner stuck in fear-based leadership.Treating surface-level problems doesn’t help you get unstuck.Our action plan supports you in real time.One step at a time gets you closer to change. There is no magic pill.The difference between entrepreneurs who burn out vs. profitable businesses with a thriving, healthy business owner (It all comes down to systems and a willingness to invest in coaching.)Info about our upcoming free workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) Click here for more info!Understanding the dangers of unprofitable revenue Resources: If you’re realizing this isn’t burnout—it’s structure, join us in our workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) We’ll show you exactly how to redesign your business so it no longer depends on you. Register here. Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    26 min
  5. 401: 400 Episodes Later: How to Build a Profitable Business That Supports Your Life

    May 14

    401: 400 Episodes Later: How to Build a Profitable Business That Supports Your Life

    It’s hard to believe, but we’ve recorded 400 episodes of Profit by Design! After working with thousands of business owners, we can tell you this: most owners do not have a revenue problem–they have a design problem. They built businesses that depend on them to survive, and that catches up with them in the form of the survival trap and burnout. Thank you so much for showing up here with us every week to build a better business and better life. We are so honored to celebrate 400 episodes with you. Your time is so valuable, and we thank you for trusting us to be a part of your journey. This community means everything to us! From our work with thousands of business owners, we’ve learned that work should support life, profit creates freedom, A-players change everything, most owners are solving the wrong problem, and you’re too close to your business to see it clearly. The owners who transform the fastest aren’t the smartest or hardest-working, but they’re the ones willing to stop guessing and seek support. If your business looks successful on paper but feels heavy in real life, it may be time for a different path. We can help! Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Feeling maxed out? You may be on the brink of the next wrong step on the treadmill of burnout!Is your business overweight? (Here’s how to know!)Hiring the wrong person when you’re not ready is a big mistakeEvery business decision needs to support profitability.Dr. Sabrina’s commitment to a minimum of a 3:1 return on the investment of business coaching with Tap the Potential, solving the hiring problem, and giving business owners time freedomThe 4 Week Vacation book: Your guide to creating NO key team member dependency in your business (including you, the business owner)Making the most of the time with your children and other loved ones–so you live with no regrets.We are here to make your business profitable, but it’s more important to us to help you build a life worth living.Successful entrepreneurs vs. burned-out entrepreneursThe reason we are NOT industry-specific in our coachingProof that our clients are happy: Our Net Promoter Score is 93! (The average American company has an NPS of 20!)Ready to make a change? Register for our free Jumpstart workshop on June 2-4. Click here for more info! Resources: Book a call with Kaitlyn today, and let’s identify what’s keeping you stuck, where you’re the bottleneck, and what to focus on next in your business. Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    30 min
  6. 400: You Know You’re Burned Out—Now What?

    May 7

    400: You Know You’re Burned Out—Now What?

    If you’ve realized from our last episode that you’re burned out, the worst thing you can do next is try to “push through” or just take a vacation. Why? Because burnout isn’t the real problem; it’s just a signal that your business still depends on you in ways it shouldn’t. If you’ve tried taking time off, but you come back to the same problems, you know you haven’t fixed anything. Your team still needs you for decisions, you don’t trust things to run without you, and you feel stuck between “keep going” and “something has to change.” The bad news is that this is very hard to fix alone, because you can’t see your own blind spots, you’re too close to the business, and you usually default back to old patterns. You are stuck in survival mode! The real issue isn’t your workload; it’s how your business is structured around you. The good news is that once you fix the problem, everything else gets easier. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling break down why burnout is a symptom (not the root problem), what’s actually keeping you stuck, the hidden ways you’ve become the bottleneck, and what needs to change to create real-time freedom for you. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: To defeat burnout for good, you need more than “surface-level band-aids.”You can check in with yourself and get your burnout score: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment today!Are you ready for your mood, overall health, and well-being to improve? We can help!Melissa’s perspective on strategic business coaching and real burnout solutionsGroup coaching allows you to be surrounded by peers who totally understand your challenges.Listen to our proven results and imagine yourself in these scenarios: a 700% increase in time off, doubled profits, and a 55% increase in owner’s pay.Why not invest in yourself? You are worth it, and your loved ones are worth it, too!Examples from Dr. Sabrina of a client recovering from burnout with a remarkable transformationStacking the wins with small steps that lead to big changeThe next step is to stop trying to figure this out on your own. Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to stop the burnout cycle! Resources: Book a call with Kaitlyn today! We’ll walk through what’s keeping you stuck, where you’re still the bottleneck, and what needs to change to build a sustainably profitable business that doesn’t rely on you for everything. Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    25 min
  7. 399: The Hidden Signs of Burnout Every Business Owner Misses

    Apr 30

    399: The Hidden Signs of Burnout Every Business Owner Misses

    Burnout doesn’t always look the way you think it does. You may be showing up, getting things done, and leading your team. Underneath it all, however, you’re exhausted and have very little patience, working with a brain that won’t shut off, and the thought of handling “just one more problem” feels heavier than ever before. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. High-performing business owners don’t crash overnight; burnout builds slowly as you normalize the stress, push through the fatigue, and tell yourself to just get through this “busy season.” The sad fact is that most business owners don’t realize they are burned out until their energy, relationships, or health force them to pay closer attention. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling as they share how to redesign your business so it doesn’t rely on you for everything. You’ll learn how to start with awareness and evaluate where your time is going, how decisions are being made, and what you’re still holding onto that your team should own. Once you see the problem, you can change it, and you don’t have to keep running your business at the expense of your life. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Awareness is the first step in defeating burnout!Common signs of burnout:Resentment for your businessEmotional detachmentDecision fatigueMelissa’s perspective: A major sign of business owner burnout is being stuck in daily tasks instead of focusing on your $10k-an-hour activities.Entrepreneurs surveyed reported astounding statistics on burnout.What business owners report in our Better Business, Better Life Assessment: mood swings, stress, isolation, irritation/annoyance, discouragement, and a greater risk for depression, divorce, and substance abuseReal solutions for burnout begin with having the right support system in place.You can start with the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to stop the burnout cycle! Resources: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment today!

    21 min
  8. 398: Why Your Culture Isn’t Producing A-Players — and How to Build One That Does

    Apr 23

    398: Why Your Culture Isn’t Producing A-Players — and How to Build One That Does

    You’ve hired talented people, so why aren’t they performing like A-Players? Why does it still feel like you have to double-check everything—like your team waits instead of leads, accountability is inconsistent, and you’re still the one carrying the standard? The real issue isn’t your people—it’s the culture they’re operating in. A-players don’t just show up; they respond to the environment you create. Even highly capable individuals can hold back, wait for direction, and avoid ownership when the culture lacks clarity, leadership, and trust. That’s why so many business owners feel frustrated, even after hiring “good people.” If you’re ready to build a team that truly takes ownership, this is where we start. Join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling as they unpack what’s happening in your culture, leadership, and structure—and map out the shifts you need to make right now. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Understanding the characteristics of A-players and what they really needCulture isn’t what you say—it’s what you tolerate. Are you supporting leadership, clarity, and trust?The startling statistic: Most businesses mishire at a rate of 75%.Enhanced communication creates a successful onboarding process.Steps to become an employer of choiceYour internal state shapes your external leadership.A-players don’t want to be managed; they want to be trusted.The best retention tool is to promote from within AND attract future A-players.Ask yourself, “What do I need to elevate my business culture?”Your lean and mighty team is a vital part of your profitable business!If you want A-players, you have to become the leader they follow.Ready to lead differently and talk with someone who understands the challenges of building your business culture? Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: When you reach out to our strategist team, we will map out what needs to shift for you in a clear, step-by-step process. Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart Your Business! You’ve built a successful business—but it’s still running you. Join us to reclaim 10 hours a week and finally step into your role as the owner—register now: https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart.

    25 min
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4.8
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

You work hard in your business. On the Profit by Design Podcast, we ask the BIG question: What has your business done FOR YOU lately? Join Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist™ and founder of Tap the Potential weekly, as she brings you tips, tools and strategies to support YOU in making intentionally profitable AND sustainable business decisions to live the lifestyle you desire. After all, work supports life, not the other way around. Dr. Sabrina is the author of the The 4 Week Vacation® and the How to Hire the Best Series. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Sabrina Starling
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    411
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Profit by Design

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