Business Building Blocks Podcast

Kristina Schmitt
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

We’ll talk about all things that will make your business better like personal and professional development, leadership, healing, parenting, wellness of your mind, body, and spirit…What?? Not the list you expected?? Tune in and walk with my guests and I on a journey toward improving yourself that will not only get you better business results but will get you the life you want. 

  1. 1d ago

    Why Great Leadership Takes More Than a One-Day Workshop

    Send us Fan Mail Why does leadership training fail to create lasting behavior change? Leadership development requires more than learning new skills—it requires practice, systems, and reinforcement. In Episode 118 of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt explores why traditional leadership training often doesn't stick and what business owners, managers, and manufacturing leaders can do to turn leadership knowledge into lasting behavior change. Have you ever attended a leadership workshop, learned valuable techniques, and returned to work determined to do things differently—only to fall back into your old habits? The inbox is full. Meetings are waiting. Problems need solving. And suddenly, everything you learned feels difficult to apply. Kristina shares a lesson from her own corporate leadership experience: Leadership training isn't really about training. It's about behavior change. In this episode, you'll discover: Why leadership knowledge doesn't automatically translate into changed behaviorWhy traditional one-day leadership workshops often struggle to create lasting resultsHow to move from learning leadership techniques to applying them in real situationsThe four essential elements of meaningful leadership developmentHow practice, systems, feedback, and accountability reinforce new leadership habitsWhy developing great leaders requires ongoing commitment rather than a one-time eventThe Four Elements of Lasting Leadership Development Knowledge — Learn what to do.Practice — Apply it repeatedly in your real working environment.Systems — Make desired leadership behaviors easier and more consistent.Reinforcement — Build feedback, accountability, recognition, and support into the process.Leadership development isn't about collecting more information. It's about replacing old habits with new behaviors that create lasting change. If you're a business owner, manufacturing leader, or people manager investing in leadership development, this episode will help you rethink what effective leadership training should look like. Watch or Listen to Episode 118 https://youtu.be/gC-elqVR8jI Watch the full episode and explore more practical leadership insights from the Business Building Blocks Podcast. Subscribe to Kristina Schmitt Development for practical leadership guidance on people, process, team development, and building a successful business without sacrificing what matters most. #KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipTraining #BehaviorChange #LeadershipSkills #LeadershipCoaching #PeopleLeadership #LeadershipGrowth #LeadershipEffectiveness #EmployeeDevelopment #ManagementTraining #OrganizationalDevelopment #BusinessOwners #ManufacturingLeadership ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  2. Sep 23

    The Help Your Business Needs with Joe Valentic

    Send us Fan Mail What if your business needs more expertise—but not necessarily another full-time hire? In Episode 117 of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt talks with Joe Valentic, Founder and CEO of Catholic Fractional Executive Services, about a different way businesses can access experienced leadership and specialized expertise. Joe shares how fractional executive services can help organizations bring in experienced professionals on a recurring or project basis, whether they need help accelerating growth, filling a leadership gap, strengthening a specific function, or supporting a founder who has reached the point where they can't do everything themselves. They explore: • What fractional executive services actually mean • How fractional leadership can help growing businesses • When a business might benefit from fractional expertise • Supporting founders who have become the bottleneck • Filling executive roles during periods of transition • Bringing experienced finance, marketing, operations, IT, AI, and sales expertise into an organization • Why an outside perspective can help a business rethink how it's structured • Working Genius and identifying the gifts and gaps within a team • Joe's vision for building a Catholic economy And then the conversation goes somewhere you might not expect from a discussion about business growth. Joe and Kristina talk about prayer, discernment, faith, and the role of God's gifts in leadership. Joe shares a simple phrase that captures much of his approach: “Prayer is good for business.” It's a conversation about getting the right help for your business while also asking a deeper question: How do we use the gifts we've been given to lead, serve, and build something meaningful? 🎧 Listen to the Business Building Blocks Podcast and explore more leadership resources at https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/pocast Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YmQ2Eug7pak Listen Here: The Help Your Business Needs with Joe Valentic Connect wtih Joe Valentic Website: https://catholicexecs.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-valentic Email: joe@catholicexecs.com #KristinaSchmittDevelopment #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #FractionalExecutive #BusinessStrategy #WorkingGenius #FaithAndBusiness #CatholicLeadership #Entrepreneurship ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  3. Sep 16

    Why Being Too Busy Is a Leadership Problem

    Send us Fan Mail Too busy for leadership? That may be exactly why your business needs leadership development right now. In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina Schmitt explores what actually changes when a business gets serious about leadership—and why waiting for things to “settle down” can keep you stuck in the same cycle of chaos. Many business owners say they’ll work on leadership after the next project, after hiring another employee, after the busy season, or when the equipment problems finally calm down. But what if some of the problems keeping you too busy are actually symptoms of leadership gaps? Kristina breaks down common signs, including: Constant equipment breakdowns“He’s great, but…”Always being behindLots of ideas but nothing getting implementedWorking overtime all the timeNobody making decisions without youConstantly reminding peoplePoor communicationManagers who aren't managingConstant interruptionsMeetings without resultsDelegating work and eventually taking it backShe also explains what “working on leadership” actually means: Leader self-awarenessImproved delegationImproved focusBetter time management, goals, and strategyImproved feedbackImproved communicationWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cayg4LBqRAI Listen Here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/19813483-why-being-too-busy-is-a-leadership-problem.mp3?download=true Leadership isn't a project you complete. It's an operating discipline. When leadership becomes intentional, the first change isn't necessarily revenue. The leader's day changes first. Then the team changes. Then the business changes. Better leadership can lead to clearer expectations, greater ownership, stronger accountability, better execution, improved customer experience, and more capacity for growth. The question to ask yourself is: What is consuming my time right now? Look honestly at your calendar and your day. Where are you firefighting? Where are you being interrupted? Where are people waiting for you? What keeps coming back to your desk? Those may be clues about where your leadership systems need attention. Learn more about Kristina Schmitt Development and the Leadership Operating System at kristinaschmitt.ca. #LeadershipOperatingSystem #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessLeadership #BusinessGrowth #SmallBusinessLeadership #LeadershipTraining #BusinessStrategy #TeamDevelopment #KristinaSchmittDevelopment ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  4. Sep 9

    What Would Fall Apart If You Left Your Business for 30 Days?

    Send us Fan Mail Every business runs on systems — whether you built them intentionally or not. In this episode, we explore the hidden leadership systems already shaping how your team communicates, trusts, and performs — and why most leaders don't even realize they're missing one. Using the "dark hallway" story, we illustrate what it feels like for employees when feedback and direction are inconsistent: stress, hesitation, quiet quitting, or going rogue. Then we walk through what changes when a leader builds a real rhythm of check-ins, feedback, and follow-up — and why that rhythm (not more meetings) is the key to a confident, engaged team. In this episode, you'll learn:  ✔️ Why every business already has systems, planned or not  ✔️ The difference between a process system and a leadership system  ✔️ How inconsistent leadership creates stress, disengagement, and turnover  ✔️ The "6 critical questions" every leader needs to get clear on  ✔️ Where to start building your own Leadership Operating System (LOS) This October, Kristina is launching a brand-new Leadership Operating System (LOS) program. Learn more here: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/leadership-operating-system 🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every week. 👉 Visit https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca for coaching, resources, and more. Listen Here: What Would Fall Apart If You Left Your Business for 30 Days? | Kristina Schmitt Development Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IpgKlqI2iVA In this episode, you'll learn: • Why every business already has systems • The difference between intentional and unintentional systems • What leadership systems actually look like • How communication cadence can reduce interruptions • Why consistency matters for employees and customers • Why you can't improve what isn't defined • How to identify where your business depends too heavily on you • How leadership systems can help your business operate more independently If this episode helped you, like, subscribe, share it with another business leader, and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Learn more about Kristina Schmitt Development and the Leadership Operating System at kristinaschmitt.ca. #LeadershipSystems #BusinessSystems #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #TeamDevelopment #SmallBusinessLeadership #BusinessBuildingBlocks ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  5. Aug 26

    Why Strategy Isn't the First Step in Business Growth

    Send us Fan Mail Everyone says to start with strategy — figure out where you're going, then build the plan. But there's a problem: the people creating the strategy are part of the system they're trying to fix. In this episode, we explore why leadership development has to come before — and continue alongside — strategic planning. — Why "start with strategy" is incomplete advice — How self-awareness changes the strategy you create — The problem with generic core values — Why strategic anchors should reflect who leaders actually are — How leadership shapes the quality of the strategic conversation — Why trust is the multiplier behind execution — The caveat: leadership doesn't have to be "finished" first — The real first question every leader should ask If you're planning your next strategy session or wondering why your last one didn't stick this episode will change how you approach it. 📺Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TJmGx8fVzSc 🎧Listen here: https://kristinaschmitt.ca/podcast 🚀Direct Download: Why Strategy Isn't the First Step in Business Growth ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/ 🎧 Subscribe for new episodes every week. 🌐 Visit kristinascmitt.ca to learn more and work with Kristina. #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessStrategy #StrategicPlanning #Leadership #SmallBusinessGrowth #ExecutiveCoaching #TrustInLeadership ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  6. Aug 19

    Why Self-Awareness Is a Competitive Advantage

    Send us Fan Mail The best leader is the self-aware leader — it's a concept Patrick Lencioni and John Maxwell have both talked about, and in this episode Kristina Schmidt breaks down exactly what it means, why it matters, and how to actually build it. You'll learn: ✔️What self-awareness really means (hint: it's not a checklist) ✔️Why chasing other people's definition of success leaves you unsatisfied ✔️The four stages of emotional intelligence: self-understanding, self-control, understanding others, and building relationships ✔️How your blind spots and natural reactions to stress and feedback shape the way you lead ✔️Why Working Genius is one of the fastest ways to get insight into yourself ✔️How daily self-reflection, journaling, and identifying your core values build long-term clarity Why self-awareness is the foundation of every strong relationship, team, and business If you've ever wondered why some situations drain you while others energize you, or why you react the way you do under stress, this episode will help you understand yourself — and lead — better. 🎧 Subscribe for new episodes of Business Building Blocks every week. 📺Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bGqm0jf1of8 🎧Listen here: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca/podcast 🚀Direct Download: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/19668600-why-self-awareness-is-a-competitive-advantage.mp3?download=true 🌐 Learn more at kristinascmitt.ca #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkingGenius #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #SelfAwareness #EmotionalIntelligence #BusinessOwner #LeadershipCoach #KristinaSchmittDevelopment ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  7. Aug 12

    Why Your Business Growth Is Creating More Work for You

    Send us Fan Mail Leadership Ceiling is the hidden barrier that prevents many business owners from scaling their business. In this episode, leadership coach Kristina Schmitt explains why growing your business requires growing as a leader—and how to stop becoming the bottleneck in your organization. If you're a business owner, manager, or manufacturing leader who is working longer hours but not seeing greater results, this episode is for you. In this episode of the Business Building Blocks Podcast, Kristina introduces the concept of the Leadership Ceiling—the point where your business can no longer grow because your leadership hasn't evolved to match its new demands. You'll discover: Why hiring more people doesn't always solve capacity problemsHow technical expertise can become your biggest leadership limitationWhy many leaders unintentionally become the bottleneck in their own businessThe difference between delegating tasks and developing capabilityThe four leadership shifts that help businesses grow sustainablyHow to redefine your role as your business growsAs businesses grow, the leadership role must change too. The skills that helped you build your company may not be the skills that will help you scale it. If you're constantly jumping back into technical work, solving everyone's problems, or carrying the mental load of the organization, this episode will help you identify what's keeping your business dependent on you—and what to do next. The next stage of business growth isn't about working harder. It's about becoming the leader your business now needs. Watch & Listen Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AdErvubzeoA Listen to the Business Building Blocks Podcast: Why Your Business Can't Grow Until You Change as a Leader If this episode helped you think differently about leadership and business growth, subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, culture, people development, and building businesses that thrive without depending on one person. #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipMindset #BusinessGrowth #BusinessLeadership #LeadershipCoaching #SmallBusiness #ManufacturingLeadership #BusinessBuildingBlocksPodcast #KristinaSchmittDevelopment #Delegation #BusinessStrategy #TeamDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #OrganizationalHealth #Leadership ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

  8. Aug 5

    What Systems Should Every Leader Have in Place? | Kristina Schmitt Development

    Send us Fan Mail We've been talking about scaling and chaos over the last few episodes — and the antidote to chaos is systems. In this episode, Kristina Schmitt breaks down exactly which leadership systems you need to grow your business without losing momentum or your best people. You'll learn: Why dashboards, annual reviews, and yearly strategy sessions are events — not systemsThe 3 Roles of a Leader: creating and communicating a vision, developing your team, and getting resultsHow SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, Customers) helps you build a true closed-loop systemWhy James Clear's "systems over goals" idea from Atomic Habits applies directly to leadershipThe 6 critical questions to get clear on your strategyThe order to build your meeting systems: 1:1s → weekly tactical → daily stand-up → quarterly strategicWhy you can't build every system at once — and where to start insteadIf you're a business owner or leader feeling like you're doing "all the right things" but still not getting consistent results, this episode gives you the roadmap. 📩 Want support building these systems in your business? Email kristina@kristinaschmitt.ca or visit kristinaschmitt.ca to get in touch. 🎧 Subscribe to Business Building Blocks for more episodes on leadership, systems, and scaling without chaos. 📺Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HEQ4iQy-INk 🎧Listen here: kristinaschmitt.ca/podcast 🚀Direct Download:  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2256331/episodes/19601501-what-systems-should-every-leader-have-in-place-kristina-schmitt-development.mp3?download=true #LeadershipSystems #BusinessBuildingBlocks #ScaleWithoutChaos #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #OrganizationalDevelopment #ScalingABusiness #ExecutiveCoaching #TeamDevelopment #BusinessSystems #LeadershipDevelopment #KrisinaSchmitt Development ✨Stay Connected with Kristina: 🌐Website: https://www.kristinaschmitt.ca 📺YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@KristinaSchmittDevelopment 📸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinaschmitt.ca/ 💼LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-schmitt-development/ 🚀Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristinashmittdevelopment/  ✨ Introducing Smooth Start: The New Hire Success Kit A simple, proven framework to help leaders bring new hires up to speed in 90 days without adding more work to your calendar.  👉 Get the Smooth Start Kit — Only $97 📅 Ready to talk about how to build that kind of culture in your team or family? Book a free 30-minute consultation: https://tidycal.com/1gvq821/30-minute-meeting ✨ FREE RESOURCES ✨ Unlock the blueprint for leadership success – download your FREE Ultimate Leadership FRAMEWORK: 7 Steps to Building a Successful...

See All (118)

Ratings & Reviews

About

We’ll talk about all things that will make your business better like personal and professional development, leadership, healing, parenting, wellness of your mind, body, and spirit…What?? Not the list you expected?? Tune in and walk with my guests and I on a journey toward improving yourself that will not only get you better business results but will get you the life you want. 

Information

  • Creator
    Kristina Schmitt
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Business Building Blocks Podcast
  • Show Website
    Business Building Blocks Podcast