Spark Good Podcast

Stephanie Malon-Rufi
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Discover how business can ignite positive change in the world on the Spark Good Podcast. Join us as we delve into strategies, stories, and insights that empower purpose-driven entrepreneurs seeking to 'do business' differently. Host Stephanie Malon-Rufi, MBA, brings 20+ years working within and as a consultant for social businesses from the start-up phase to scaling and experience as a holistic leadership coach. From innovative approaches to profit and purpose alignment to practical tips for creating a positive social impact, Spark Good Podcast offers inspiration and guidance. Plus learn how to nurture your own well-being, change traditional rules that might be holding you back, and thrive in your role as a social business owner. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, aspiring business owner, or simply curious about the intersection of business and social impact, the Spark Good Podcast has something for you. Join our community of changemakers as we inspire, inform, and empower you to make a meaningful difference in the world through your business.

  1. Oct 21

    #59: You Were Never Meant to Build Your Business Alone

    What if needing support isn’t a sign that you’re falling short—but a sign that you’re ready to lead your business differently? Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for being independent, resourceful, and able to figure things out. But those strengths can become liabilities when they convince us that we should be able to build and grow our businesses alone. The truth is, most successful people have an invisible ecosystem of support behind them. A Sustainable CEO doesn’t measure her capability by how much she can carry alone. She intentionally builds the strategic, practical, emotional, and personal support that allows both her and her business to keep growing. In this episode, Stephanie explores why capable entrepreneurs resist asking for help, the many forms support can take, and how to choose support that strengthens your agency rather than creating dependency. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the myth of the self-sufficient entrepreneur can keep business owners stuck.What may be underneath the belief that you “should” be able to figure everything out yourself.Why support offers more than information—and can provide perspective, accountability, capacity, and faster decision-making.How to recognize the return on support beyond immediate revenue.The five types of support that can make up your CEO support ecosystem.What to consider before investing in a coach, consultant, specialist, team member, or other form of support.Why support should be treated as part of your business infrastructure—not merely an emergency response to overwhelm or burnout.Learn more about Stephanie and Spark Good: www.sparkgood.net FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #59: You Were Never Meant to Build Your Business Alone

  2. Sep 24

    #58: The Rhythms That Keep Your Business Moving Forward

    What keeps your business moving forward when there are always new ideas, priorities, and demands competing for your attention? The previous episode covered the difference between collecting more information and actually using what you already know. But implementation doesn't happen by accident. It requires rhythms that help you step out of the day-to-day, pay attention to what's happening, and intentionally decide what comes next. In this episode, Stephanie shares four essential business rhythms—weekly, monthly, 13-week, and annual—that help you gain perspective, make better decisions, and keep your business moving in the direction you actually want it to go. In this episode, you'll learn: Why sustainable businesses need consistent rhythms, not just good plans.How a weekly CEO practice helps turn ideas into action.What to review each month to learn from your numbers, time, and energy.Why 13-week planning creates a more manageable horizon for choosing your priorities.How annual visioning helps keep your business aligned with the life and impact you want to create.Why these rhythms aren't just operational—they also help you grow into the CEO your business needs.If you're ready to stop relying on hustle and start building a business that's profitable, intentional, and sustainable, I'd love to invite you to join the Sustainable CEO Foundations waitlist. Join the waitlist: https://unique-author-9818.kit.com/sustainableceo FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #58: The Rhythms That Keep Your Business Moving Forward

  3. Sep 17

    #57: Stop Collecting Business Ideas and Start Using Them

    Have you ever reached the end of a program, course, or membership and realized you barely used it? As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to keep collecting information: another program, another podcast, another set of templates, another strategy we’re certain we’ll return to eventually. But there comes a point when more information stops being the answer. Your business may not need more effort—or even more ideas. What you may need is a reliable rhythm for putting what you already know into practice. In this episode, I explore why we keep signing up for new programs and seeking new answers, how every investment is also a commitment of our time and capacity, and why insight alone doesn’t change the way we operate our businesses. In this episode, you’ll hear: Why we accumulate more information than we can realistically implementHow to distinguish a strategic investment from a form of avoidanceWhy every program requires more than a financial investmentHow to evaluate new opportunities through clarity, capacity, and consistencyWhy rhythms are what turn knowledge into practiceYou don’t need to work through every course you’ve purchased or finally organize every resource you’ve saved. Start by choosing one thing that matters now, creating space for it, and putting it into practice. Because information alone won’t change your business. What creates change is what you choose to implement, practice, and return to consistently. If you're ready to stop relying on hustle and start building a business that's profitable, intentional, and sustainable, I'd love to invite you to join the Sustainable CEO Foundations waitlist. Join the waitlist: https://unique-author-9818.kit.com/sustainableceo FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #57: Stop Collecting Business Ideas and Start Using Them

  4. Sep 10

    #56: I Barely Marketed My Business for a Month—Here’s What Happened

    What happens when life takes more of your capacity than you expected—and your business plans fall by the wayside? After a month filled with family responsibilities, client commitments, and work related to personal matters, I opened my marketing dashboard expecting to see everything I hadn’t done. Instead, the numbers revealed something different. In this episode, I share what August taught me about the difference between time and true capacity, why tracking both lead and lag measures matters, and how consistency creates momentum that doesn’t disappear the moment you need to step away. We’ll explore: The difference between lead measures—the actions you control—and lag measures—the results that followWhy today’s results aren’t necessarily coming from today’s workHow underestimating life’s demands can lead us to overestimate our business capacityWhy having time available doesn’t always mean you have the mental or emotional capacity to use itHow months of consistent effort can continue working for you during a lower-capacity seasonWhy consistency isn’t about executing perfectly for 52 straight weeksHow a strong foundation, supportive rhythms, and accumulated momentum make a business more resilientReady to Build a Business That Can Hold Your Growth? If you're ready to stop relying on hustle and start building a business that's profitable, intentional, and sustainable, I'd love to invite you to join the Sustainable CEO Foundations waitlist. Join the waitlist: https://unique-author-9818.kit.com/sustainableceo FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #56: I Barely Marketed My Business for a Month—Here’s What Happened

  5. Aug 2

    #55: The 4 Shifts to Becoming a Sustainable CEO

    What if building a sustainable business isn't about eliminating the chaos—but building a business that can actually handle it? Many entrepreneurs picture a sustainable business as one where everything is perfectly organized, every system is in place, and nothing ever falls through the cracks. But that's not reality. The difference isn't whether challenges happen. It's whether your business can absorb growth, change, and unexpected obstacles without requiring you to sacrifice yourself in the process. In this episode, Stephanie shares the four mindset and leadership shifts that move you from simply running a business to leading one as a Sustainable CEO. These shifts will help you build a business that's not only profitable—but one that can support both your growth and the life you're trying to create. In this episode, you'll learn: Why every business is messy—and why that's not the real problem. How to move from constantly reacting to intentionally leading your business. Why your time and energy are some of your business's greatest assets—and how to protect them. The difference between chasing revenue and building lasting profit. Why growth without capacity eventually leads to burnout. How building rhythms, priorities, and planning cycles creates a more resilient business. Mentioned in this episode The Sustainable CEO philosophy 13-Week Planning Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Sustainable CEO Foundations Ready to Build a Business That Can Hold Your Growth? If you're ready to stop relying on hustle and start building a business that's profitable, intentional, and sustainable, I'd love to invite you to join the Sustainable CEO Foundations waitlist. Join the waitlist here! FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #55: The 4 Shifts to Becoming a Sustainable CEO

  6. Jul 23

    #54: 5 Signs Your Business Isn't as Sustainable as It Looks: The Difference Between Growth and Sustainability

    Most entrepreneurs assume that if revenue is growing and clients are saying yes, their business must be healthy. But what if that's not the whole story? In this episode, Stephanie explores a reality many business owners experience but rarely talk about: a business can look successful from the outside while being quietly unsustainable on the inside. Before diving into five common warning signs, Stephanie makes an important distinction. Every business is messy. Challenges, disruptions, difficult seasons, and unexpected opportunities are part of entrepreneurship. The goal isn't to build a business that never experiences chaos. The goal is to build a business that can absorb disruption without falling apart. You'll learn how to recognize the difference between normal business messiness and the patterns that may be making your business increasingly dependent on your energy, availability, and sacrifice. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why busyness can become an unhealthy part of your identity How growth can sometimes mask burnout instead of solving it What it means to build "rest infrastructure" into your business How to recognize when you're operating reactively instead of proactively Why becoming the bottleneck in every decision can limit growth The difference between normal business challenges and unsustainable patterns How structure—not hustle—creates long-term sustainability 💡 Looking for more support implementing 13-week planning and building the habits of a Sustainable CEO? Learn more about Stephanie's coaching and resources at www.sparkgood.net. FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #54: 5 Signs Your Business Isn't as Sustainable as It Looks: The Difference Between Growth and Sustainability

  7. Jul 14

    #53: What It Really Means to Be a Sustainable CEO

    What if creating lasting impact isn't just about building a better business—but about becoming a more sustainable leader? When Stephanie launched Spark Good, she did so with a simple belief: business can be a powerful force for good in the world. Over the years, working alongside mission-driven entrepreneurs only strengthened that conviction. But it also revealed something she hadn't fully understood at the beginning. The entrepreneurs creating the greatest impact were often the ones sacrificing the most. In this episode, Stephanie shares the evolution of her thinking—from helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses to helping them build businesses that can sustain both their mission and themselves. She introduces the concept of the Sustainable CEO and explores why long-term impact requires more than strategy, marketing, and hard work. If you've ever felt exhausted by the demands of entrepreneurship, struggled to balance growth with well-being, or wondered whether success always has to come at a personal cost, this episode offers a different perspective. Mentioned in This Episode 💡 The Sustainable CEO Framework 💡 Spark Good Consulting & Coaching 💡 Looking for support building a business that creates lasting impact without burning you out? Learn more about Stephanie's coaching, workshops, and resources at www.sparkgood.net. If this episode resonated with you, subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another entrepreneur who needs this reminder: you don't have to sacrifice yourself to make a difference.   FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #53: What It Really Means to Be a Sustainable CEO

  8. Jul 9

    #52: Why I Plan My Business in 13-Week Cycles

    What if the key to building a more sustainable business isn't working harder—but changing the rhythm of how you work? Many entrepreneurs plan for the year ahead with the best intentions, only to find themselves overwhelmed, reactive, and scrambling to hit goals by the end of the quarter. While The 12 Week Year has long been one of Stephanie's favorite business books, over the years she's made one important shift to the framework that has fundamentally changed how she plans, leads, and grows her business. In this episode, Stephanie shares why she plans in 13-week cycles instead of 12, how this approach creates greater focus and accountability, and why intentionally building time to reflect, regroup, and recover isn't a luxury—it's a leadership practice. If you've ever finished a quarter feeling exhausted or immediately launched into the next one without stopping to celebrate, learn, or reset, this episode will introduce a more sustainable way to lead your business. In This Episode You'll Learn: Why annual planning alone isn't enough to create consistent progress The biggest lessons Stephanie has taken from The 12 Week Year How shorter planning cycles help you stay focused and proactive Simple CEO rhythms that reduce reactivity and create momentum Why measuring your progress should inform your decisions—not define your worth The difference between treating rest as a reward and designing it into your business Why Stephanie believes the 13th week is one of the most important weeks of every quarter Mentioned in This Episode 📚 The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington 💡 Looking for more support implementing 13-week planning and building the habits of a Sustainable CEO? Learn more about Stephanie's coaching and resources at www.sparkgood.net.   FREE LIVE TRAINING — NOVEMBER 11 Before You Create Your 2027 Plan, Make These 3 Shifts Ready to grow your business without simply adding more to your plate? Join me for a free live training where we'll explore three important shifts to help you lead more strategically, focus on what matters, and create a stronger foundation for growth in 2027.

    #52: Why I Plan My Business in 13-Week Cycles
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Discover how business can ignite positive change in the world on the Spark Good Podcast. Join us as we delve into strategies, stories, and insights that empower purpose-driven entrepreneurs seeking to 'do business' differently. Host Stephanie Malon-Rufi, MBA, brings 20+ years working within and as a consultant for social businesses from the start-up phase to scaling and experience as a holistic leadership coach. From innovative approaches to profit and purpose alignment to practical tips for creating a positive social impact, Spark Good Podcast offers inspiration and guidance. Plus learn how to nurture your own well-being, change traditional rules that might be holding you back, and thrive in your role as a social business owner. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur, aspiring business owner, or simply curious about the intersection of business and social impact, the Spark Good Podcast has something for you. Join our community of changemakers as we inspire, inform, and empower you to make a meaningful difference in the world through your business.

Information

  • Creator
    Stephanie Malon-Rufi
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Spark Good Podcast
  • Show Website
    Spark Good Podcast