Become Your Own Boss: Tips for Starting and Growing Your Own Small Business

Monica Allen
  • 5.0 (76)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Dive into entrepreneurship with Monica Allen, an entrepreneur with over 23 years of business ownership. This podcast is for you if you desire to start your own business & defy the odds of failure or you are less than 5 years into your business & desire to grow your revenue and profit. Learn from diverse entrepreneurs and experts about marketing, team dynamics, finances, social media, and more. Entrepreneurship might feel isolating at times, but with this podcast by your side, you'll never walk alone. Elevate your business game and master your entrepreneurial life and truly become a BOSS.

  1. 1d ago

    320 - How to Stop Being Your Business’s Best Employee

    When was the last time you spent an entire workday actually leading your business instead of simply running it? Small business owners often start by doing everything themselves. That hustle can build a business from nothing, but as the company grows, staying involved in every task can keep the owner from doing the work only a CEO can do. In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica explores the difference between leading and managing a business and why entrepreneurs can easily find themselves stuck in the weeds. Drawing from her own experience and leadership concepts from her doctoral studies, Monica shares practical ways business owners can protect their CEO seat, even without a large team or Fortune 500 resources. She also challenges listeners to examine where their time is really going and make one meaningful change that creates more room to lead. Episode Quote: The distance between number one and number two is always a constant. If you want to improve the organization, you have to improve yourself and the organization gets pulled up with you. That is a big lesson. ~Indra Nooyi What you will learn in this episode How to identify the work that only you can do as the CEOHow to audit your calendar to uncover where your time is really goingHow to delegate outcomes instead of simply assigning tasksHow to document processes before handing them to someone elseHow to recognize when you have slipped back into the weedsHow to protect more time for strategy, innovation, and long-term thinking Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠ This week, Monica challenges every business owner to review the last two weeks of their calendar and choose one task, decision, or process to move off their plate. Ready to spend less time buried in the weeds and more time leading what you built? Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Become Your Own Boss, and leave a review to help more entrepreneurs discover the show.

  2. Sep 4

    319 - How You Can Make Your Business Easier for Customers to Choose?

    In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica explains why social media and a business’s online presence do more than attract followers or generate leads. They help potential customers decide whether a business is credible enough to earn their trust. Monica explores the important difference between simply being visible and showing evidence that a business can deliver. She shares how recent work, behind-the-scenes content, customer reviews, testimonials, and a well-maintained digital presence can build confidence before a sales conversation ever happens. She also challenges business owners to look at their online presence from a customer’s perspective and identify small changes that could make the next step toward a purchase much easier. Episode Quote: Credibility comes from results. Everything else is just marketing. ~Richie Norton. Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Take the Brand Experience Audit Questions answered What is the difference between visibility and credibility?What are potential customers looking for when they research a business online?How can social media influence a sale even when it didn’t generate the lead?What types of content demonstrate expertise instead of simply promoting services?How can reviews and customer stories become valuable marketing content?Why does an outdated digital presence create doubt?How can small businesses use their size and personality to build trust?What should business owners look for when auditing their online presence? ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠ Your next customer may already be checking you out. Listen to this episode to discover how to give them more reasons to trust what they find. Then subscribe to Become Your Own Boss and leave a review to help more entrepreneurs find the show.

  3. Aug 28

    318 - Why You Don’t Have to Be First to Win?

    What if someone else already has your business idea? Does that mean you’re too late? Not at all. In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica Allen challenges the pressure entrepreneurs feel to be first to market. Drawing from more than 20 years of building her own businesses, she shares how studying existing competitors helped her uncover opportunities to improve customization, customer service, packaging, and the overall buying experience. Monica explains why competition can actually validate an idea, and why simply offering the same thing isn’t enough. She shares a practical approach entrepreneurs can use to spot gaps in an existing market and give customers a compelling reason to choose them. Episode Quote: Competition is a good thing; it forces us to do our best. ~ Nancy Pearcey Questions answered: Is it better to be first to market or follow an existing business model?What can entrepreneurs learn by becoming a competitor’s customer?How can a small business stand out against larger competitors?What should entrepreneurs look for when studying the competition?How can customer experience become a competitive advantage?Why can entering an established market actually be beneficial?How does a business stay different when competitors begin copying what works? Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠

  4. Aug 21

    317 - The Business Asset that Every Entrepreneur Must Protect

    After an annual physical reveals that her cholesterol is trending in the wrong direction, Monica gets an important reminder: business owners cannot separate their health from the health of their businesses. Entrepreneurs protect equipment, monitor finances, track sales, and create systems to prepare for problems, but they may postpone the very things that protect their own well-being. In this episode, Monica shares why preventative care deserves a place in every entrepreneur's business strategy. She explores the connection between personal health, leadership, and business continuity while challenging business owners to put themselves back on their priority lists. Episode Quote: Being healthy is a success that many people forget to celebrate. ~ OurMindfulLife.com Questions answered Why should personal health be part of a business continuity plan?What can preventative healthcare teach entrepreneurs about monitoring their businesses?How can business owners prioritize health when everything feels urgent?What example does an always-working leader set for a team and family?Where can entrepreneurs start if they have been putting their health last? Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠ Your business needs a healthy boss behind it. Listen to this episode for a reminder to protect the person who built the business in the first place. Then subscribe to Become Your Own Boss, leave a rating and review, and share the episode with another entrepreneur who needs this message.

  5. Aug 14

    316 - Will You Step Into Growth When Change Gets Uncomfortable?

    Change can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and even emotionally exhausting. In this throwback episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica shares why this message remains just as important today. Drawing from changes in podcasting, her business, and her family, Monica explores what happens when the familiar is no longer an option. For entrepreneurs, change can show up through new technology, industry requirements, staffing, the economy, or unexpected shifts in a carefully made plan. Instead of retreating to what feels safe, Monica encourages business owners to recognize the opportunity hidden inside discomfort. She shares practical strategies for adjusting their mindset, staying persistent, protecting their well-being, and continuing to move forward even when moving forward feels hard. What you will learn in this episode How to shift your mindset when change feels overwhelmingHow to become more adaptable when your business or industry changesHow to stay persistent when you feel tempted to give upHow to embrace a new normal instead of wasting energy fighting itHow to strengthen your emotional resilience during seasons of constant changeHow to prioritize yourself while navigating business and personal transitionsHelpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠

  6. Aug 7

    315 - Do Your Customers REALLY Know What You Do?

    Business owners spend so much time inside their businesses that it’s easy to assume customers, friends, and referral partners understand everything they sell. But that assumption could be costing them sales. In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica shares an eye-opening experience that made her question how well people understand her own business. She explains why repetition is essential in marketing, how educating customers can create new opportunities, and why business owners shouldn’t assume that one purchase means a customer understands everything else they offer. Monica also gives listeners a simple challenge that can uncover surprising gaps in their marketing—and reveal opportunities hiding in plain sight. Episode Quote: Cultivate visibility because attention is currency. Chris Brogan Join me at the Ideas to Income Summit What you will learn in this episode: How to discover what people actually know about your businessHow to use repetition to make your products and services memorableHow to educate customers without simply promoting finished workHow to turn existing customers into opportunities for additional salesHow to train referral partners to recognize the right opportunities for your businessHow to audit your website for clearer messagingHow to use a “Did You Know?” series to highlight overlooked services⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠

  7. Jul 31

    314 - Are You Showing Your Work but Hiding Your Expertise?

    In this episode of Become Your Own Boss, Monica shares a simple customer interaction at Zeus’ Closet that sparked a major marketing realization: business owners often show their work without teaching customers what they know. After more than 20 years in business, Monica discovered that something that seemed incredibly basic to her was not obvious to her customers. That knowledge gap revealed an opportunity every entrepreneur can use. Monica explains how answering common questions, clearing up misunderstandings, and teaching customers about an industry can turn everyday knowledge into valuable marketing content. More importantly, educational content can establish authority, build trust, and give customers another reason to choose your business over the competition. Episode Quote: Don’t just show people what you do. Teach them what you know. Episode Sponsored by: ⁠⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment⁠ What you will learn in this episode How to identify customer questions that can become educational contentHow to turn common misunderstandings into marketing opportunitiesHow to demonstrate expertise without giving away your “secret sauce”How to use educational content to build trust and authorityHow to create simple content from knowledge you already haveHow to make your expertise more visible to potential customersHelpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠ Your knowledge is part of the value your business provides. Listen to this episode to discover how Monica is rethinking content at Zeus’ Closet—and how one simple shift could change the way potential customers see your business. Listen now, subscribe to Become Your Own Boss, and leave a rating and review to help more entrepreneurs discover the show.

  8. Jul 24

    313 - How You Can Turn Customer Frustration Into Business Growth

    In this episode, Monica explores how unclear pricing, surprise charges, poor communication, and unanswered questions can slowly chip away at customer trust. She shares how entrepreneurs can use their own frustrating experiences as customers as free consulting for their businesses. Instead of competing only on price, business owners can create an advantage by making it easier for customers to understand what they’re buying, what it costs, and what happens next. Sometimes, one small change in the customer journey can make a major difference. Episode Quote: Building a good customer experience does not happen by accident. It happens by design. ~Clare Muscutt What you will learn in this episode How to identify uncertainty in your customer journeyHow to make pricing and expectations clearerHow to turn frustrating customer experiences into business lessonsHow to improve communication with first-time customersHow to build trust by reducing surprises and confusion Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss ⁠Take the SIMPLE Life Assessment Sign Up for the ⁠Level Up Living Newsletter⁠ ⁠KICKSTART YOUR BUSINESS PROGRAM⁠ ⁠⁠Monica's FREE ebook⁠⁠: 11 Essential Secrets for Small Business Success Get your⁠ ⁠Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠⁠ Ready to create a customer experience built on trust? Listen to the full episode, subscribe to Become Your Own Boss, and leave a review to help more entrepreneurs discover the show.

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Dive into entrepreneurship with Monica Allen, an entrepreneur with over 23 years of business ownership. This podcast is for you if you desire to start your own business & defy the odds of failure or you are less than 5 years into your business & desire to grow your revenue and profit. Learn from diverse entrepreneurs and experts about marketing, team dynamics, finances, social media, and more. Entrepreneurship might feel isolating at times, but with this podcast by your side, you'll never walk alone. Elevate your business game and master your entrepreneurial life and truly become a BOSS.

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