Business on Top with Kaeli Lindholm

Kaeli Lindholm
  • 5.0 (134)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Business on Top is the podcast for visionary women founders leading without a playbook—rewriting outdated business rules and building powerful, life-first companies in a world that has not yet caught up to how women lead today. Each episode explores the real work of leadership: identity expansion, decision-making under pressure, structural growth, and the messy realities behind building companies that create both profit and freedom.

  1. 5d ago

    Bonus: Leadership Lesson 19: Growth vs. Safety: How Do You Know Which One to Choose?

    In this bonus replay episode, I'm revisiting one of my favorite conversations from the Fierce Factor: one of the most dangerous myths women are taught about success, that "playing it safe" is the responsible choice. This conversation was sparked by a reflection on 2016, the year I started KLC and the year my brother passed away, and a question that stopped me in my tracks: Is my life truly better because I chose growth over safety? What I've learned over the past decade is this: safety is often conditional, and comfort can be far more limiting than risk. I take you back to my corporate career at Bayer Healthcare, a role that looked secure by every traditional measure. Great pay, benefits, prestige, and a clear path forward… until one unexpected call from HR shattered the illusion of stability. That moment changed how I understand security, responsibility, and agency, especially for women. We'll talk about why big companies are often romanticized as "safe," why small business ownership is framed as risky, and how that mindset shows up when women build their own companies. I'll also share a powerful story about growth, discomfort, and why the very tension we try to avoid is often what prepares us for our next level. If you're craving expansion but feel stuck optimizing for familiarity instead of fulfillment, this bonus replay is your invitation to rethink what safety really means, and to consider whether the boldest move might actually be the most responsible one. READY TO PUT AI TO WORK IN YOUR BUSINESS? Join us for our upcoming AI Workshop designed to help founders use AI to save time, streamline their business, and get more done. 📅 September 16, 2026 | 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET Register now! Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Bonus: Leadership Lesson 19: Growth vs. Safety: How Do You Know Which One to Choose?

  2. Aug 31 ·  Video

    Episode 18: Best Practices for Raising Your Prices

    If the thought of raising your prices makes you want to crawl under a rock, this episode is for you. In this episode of Business on Top, I'm breaking down why premium pricing is such an important part of building a profitable, sustainable business, and how to know when it's time to increase your prices without disrupting the client experience. I'm walking you through the signs that your pricing is out of alignment, from rising operating costs and shrinking margins to clients expecting discounts or becoming less aligned with the experience you want to provide. I'm also sharing the practical strategies I use with our highest-level clients to evaluate margins, identify your most valuable offers, communicate a price increase with confidence, and stop making decisions based on what you think your clients can or can't afford. Because your clients aren't buying a transaction. They're investing in transformation. And if you want to build a business with strong profit margins, exceptional client experiences, and the freedom to serve fewer clients at a higher level, your pricing needs to reflect the value you actually provide. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Download my Price Increase Communication Template → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 18: Best Practices for Raising Your Prices

  3. Aug 24 ·  Video

    Episode 17: What Would Kaeli Do? The Leadership Questions Every Founder Should Be Asking

    In this special episode of Business on Top, I'm answering real questions from women navigating the complexities of growing and scaling their businesses. I'm sharing my candid perspective on the biggest mistake I see seven-figure founders making, whether work-life balance is actually possible, how to build a business that supports your life, and what to do when your partner doesn't understand or support your business investments. I'm also breaking down what I would look at first if someone handed me a million-dollar med spa and sharing why I believe the value of coaching goes far beyond what you learn in the curriculum. For me, it's about proximity, perspective, and surrounding yourself with people who expand your belief in what's possible. If you're building a business and want it to support the life you actually want to live, this episode is full of honest insights, practical questions, and a few hard truths I think every ambitious founder needs to hear. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 17: What Would Kaeli Do? The Leadership Questions Every Founder Should Be Asking

  4. Aug 17 ·  Video

    Episode 16: Your Performance is Built in Practice

    In this episode of Business on Top, I'm getting a little more personal and reflecting on the experiences, failures, discipline, and perseverance that have shaped the leader I am today. I spend so much time focused on growth and what's next that I rarely stop to recognize the experiences that gave me the skills and confidence to pursue those goals in the first place. In this episode, I talk about the importance of acknowledging the wisdom we've already earned through the challenges, failures, and moments when we had to get back up and keep going. I also share a personal story from my childhood and competitive soccer years, where I learned one of my most important lessons about leadership: your performance in the game is built through what you do in practice. The discipline and consistency we develop when no one is watching ultimately determine how we show up when it matters most. This episode is a reminder to give yourself credit for who you've already become, and to recognize that the experiences that shaped you are the foundation for everything you're capable of becoming next. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Learn more about Aesthetic Business School → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 16: Your Performance is Built in Practice

  5. Aug 10 ·  Video

    Episode 15: Clinical Expertise Won't Build Your Business

    I believe one of the biggest challenges in the aesthetics industry isn't clinical skill, it's business education. In this episode of Business on Top, I'm sharing why so many talented providers struggle with leadership, finances, hiring, and scaling their practices, despite being exceptional at what they do. If you've ever felt confident in the treatment room but uncertain reading your financials, leading a team, or making strategic business decisions, this conversation is for you. I dive into why this gap exists, how it keeps high-achieving founders stuck, and why mastering your craft isn't enough to build a sustainable, profitable business. I also share why I created Aesthetic Business School, a six-week accelerator designed to give aesthetic founders the practical business education they never received in school. We'll talk about leadership, financial literacy, hiring, KPIs, operations, and the mindset shift required to step into the role of CEO. My goal is to help you stop relying on talent alone and start building a business that creates freedom, impact, and long-term success. If you're ready to think like a business owner, not just a provider, this episode is for you. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Learn more about Aesthetic Business School → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 15: Clinical Expertise Won't Build Your Business

  6. Aug 3 ·  Video

    Episode 14: Part 2: The Six Stages of Entrepreneurial Business Growth

    In Part 2 of this series, I'm continuing the conversation around the six stages every business moves through and the leadership evolution required to successfully navigate each stage of growth. As your business grows, your role as a founder has to evolve. The strategies, habits, and decisions that helped you build your business are not always the same things that will help you scale it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the final four stages of business growth: Toddler, Teenager, Young Adult, and The Zone, and the mindset shifts required to move from being the person who does everything to the leader who builds something that can thrive beyond them. I'll share why founders often get stuck in "management by interruption," how constantly solving problems for your team can unintentionally create dependency, and why true leadership is about developing people who can think, decide, and lead without you. We'll also talk about navigating growth, protecting your culture, making intentional decisions about what to add and what to eliminate, and building a company where leadership exists at every level. The ultimate goal isn't to become unnecessary. It's to become irreplaceable in a completely different way. Because extraordinary businesses aren't built by founders who do everything forever, they're built by leaders who evolve alongside the business they're creating. In this episode, I also share why we created Aesthetic Business School, a six-week program designed to help aesthetic and wellness founders build the leadership, systems, and business foundations required to move from exceptional provider to exceptional CEO. If you're ready to build a business that creates more impact, more freedom, and more sustainability, this episode is for you. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Learn more about Aesthetic Business School → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 14: Part 2: The Six Stages of Entrepreneurial Business Growth

  7. Jul 27 ·  Video

    Episode 13: Part 1: The Six Stages of Entrepreneurial Business Growth

    I've learned that every stage of business growth requires a different version of you as a leader. Just like parenting, your role evolves over time. The way you lead your business in the beginning is not the way you lead a million-dollar company, a growing team, or a business designed to give you your life back. In Part 1 of this two-part series, I'm sharing one of the biggest lessons I've learned from working alongside hundreds of founders: businesses don't outgrow strategy first, they outgrow leadership. I'm breaking down the first two stages of business evolution, Birth and Infant, and the leadership shifts required to move from leading yourself and doing everything alone to trusting other people with pieces of your vision. If everything still depends on you, growth feels heavier instead of easier, or your business cannot function without constant access to you, this episode is for you. In This Episode, I Cover: Why businesses outgrow leadership before strategy What leadership looks like in the Birth and Infant stages How the habits that help you survive can eventually keep you stuck Why being needed is not the same as being successful How to stop being the bottleneck and start creating capacity The question isn't just, "How do I grow my business?" It's: "Who do I need to become so my business doesn't outgrow me?"   Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube → Learn more about our NEWLY LAUNCHED 6-week program, Aesthetic Business School → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 13: Part 1: The Six Stages of Entrepreneurial Business Growth

  8. Jul 20 ·  Video

    Episode 12: Your Business Can Only Grow as Far as Your Operating System

    Last week, I released a 7-part series on operational excellence, and the response was incredible. So many founders reached out saying these conversations completely shifted the way they think about growth, leadership, and building a business that doesn't rely on them for everything. So, I wanted to bring the entire series together in one place. In this episode, you'll hear all seven parts back-to-back as we dive into the systems, leadership, and operational frameworks that I've seen transform businesses over the last decade of working alongside hundreds of founders as they've crossed their next million-dollar milestone. If you've ever felt like your business can't function without you, your team constantly needs your approval, or growth has started to feel more exhausting than exciting, this episode is for you. Together, we'll explore: What systems actually are (and why software isn't one of them) The difference between systems, processes, and SOPs Why founder dependency keeps businesses stuck The five core operating systems every million-dollar business needs Why accountability starts with clarity How broken systems break great people And why operational excellence is the foundation for building a Life-First Business My hope is that this episode helps you stop reacting to your business and start intentionally designing one that creates more consistency, more profitability, more freedom, and ultimately, more life. If this series resonates with you, I'd also love to invite you to join me inside the 90K in 90 Days Strategic Planning Masterclass, where I'll walk you through building a focused 90-day plan to strengthen your business, increase profitability, and create sustainable growth without sacrificing the life you're building it for. Resources → Watch this episode on YouTube →  Download the Ultimate Practice Growth Audit to uncover the hidden operational, leadership, and financial opportunities inside your business. → Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Blueprint → Learn more & book a call with our team to learn if the POP Leadership Academy is right for you! → Follow Kaeli on Instagram: @kaeli.lindholm

    Episode 12: Your Business Can Only Grow as Far as Your Operating System
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5
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About

Business on Top is the podcast for visionary women founders leading without a playbook—rewriting outdated business rules and building powerful, life-first companies in a world that has not yet caught up to how women lead today. Each episode explores the real work of leadership: identity expansion, decision-making under pressure, structural growth, and the messy realities behind building companies that create both profit and freedom.

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