THE STERN TRUTH: Business Unfiltered

Marshall Stern
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  • Entrepreneurship

The Stern Truth: Business Unfiltered is the no-BS podcast for overwhelmed small business owners & entrepreneurs who are tired of the noise, the hype, and the so-called “experts” telling them how to grow their business. Hosted by Marshall Stern, a seasoned business owner and coach with over 35 years of experience, this podcast cuts through the confusion to bring you real, practical advice that actually works. If you feel stuck, exhausted, and like you’re doing it all alone—this is for you. Each episode delivers honest conversations, actionable strategies, and straight talk about what it really takes to grow and lead a thriving business. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just The Stern Truth you need to move forward with confidence. It's time to stop spinning your wheels and start leading your business like the unstoppable force you are.

  1. Ep. 89 The Stern Truth: What Are You Pushing For? With Julia Pazmandy

    6h ago

    Ep. 89 The Stern Truth: What Are You Pushing For? With Julia Pazmandy

    Julia Pazmandy believes that there are three parts to every human - the body, which is physical; the mind, logic and ego; and the soul, which is heart, passions and feelings. She takes these three parts to help people create an awareness of who they are and what they want. In this episode, we talk about how that relates to burnout in entrepreneurs and small business owners. Julia says that money is a driving force and that we exchange our energy for it. And she’s experienced it herself, during a time she was running two businesses, basically running on coffee and vibes. A frightening experience and a hospital visit turned things around for Julia. She got spiritual, and she got serious about changing her life. Julia gives us a few signs of burnout to watch out for that she saw in herself. And, as always in an episode of the Stern Truth, she gave us some insightful golden nuggets. Once you’re secure, you feel more confident. Once you're confident, you perform better. I can’t tell you how much I agree with this golden nugget.  “What are you pushing for?” is a question that Julia presents to people to simply get them aware. What is your goal? Why are you working so hard? This leads so well into what I always say, that everything goes back to your “why.” This is another episode where you’ll want a paper and pen handy, my friends. Julia knocks it out of the park, one after another, golden nugget after golden nugget, reminding us balance doesn’t mean equality. It’s all about being present with others. Connect with Julia here: Website: joy-place.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/julia-pazmandy-732928206 Instagram: @your_joyplace  Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    42 min
  2. Ep. 88 The Stern Truth: June 30 is Leap of Faith Day With Carmen Leibel

    Jun 30

    Ep. 88 The Stern Truth: June 30 is Leap of Faith Day With Carmen Leibel

    It’s June 30th, what Carmen Leibel and I have dubbed Leap of Faith Day! Carmen is my guest on this episode. She started as a news anchor in Edmonton, Alberta, but, during the pandemic, she grew concerned about the isolation she was seeing. For Carmen, there was a lack of strong communication and leadership, and she knew that she could help. It wasn’t easy for Carmen to change her career – in fact, it stressed her out to take the leap. Leaving a stable job with a great network wasn’t easy. But with cheerleaders in her corner like her family and her business coach, she took a huge risk. She started up a pilot program with the goal of helping kids feel more comfortable speaking in front of others. The goal that Carmen had was to create more confident communicators. Carmen’s business, Project Five, helps people understand their voice and feel confident using it. Now, she’s helped over 5,000 youth and hundreds of professionals, proving that her big risk paid off. Carmen leaped into a new career while I shut down my sign business, locking the doors for the last time. Two different leaps but both with satisfying paths. We both knew that June 30th held significance for us, and that’s why we’ve named it Leap of Faith Day. Carmen gave golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode: bet on yourself, believe in yourself, and listen to your gut. And know your audience! I really love that one because anyone, and I mean anyone, can benefit from better communication. See Carmen’s work here: Website: www.projectfive.ca Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    42 min
  3. Ep. 87 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Alex Papaconstantinou

    Jun 25

    Ep. 87 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday With Alex Papaconstantinou

    My guest on this Business Therapy Thursday episode is Alex Papaconstantinou. Alex is a  somatic educator and body worker, bridging the gap between bodywork and psychotherapy. She’s turned more of her attention to this business in the last year and tells us how she wants to feel less scattered. Alex admits it’s still early in her career and has a lot to learn. She says there’s so much noise and doesn’t know what to look at or what advice to follow. Our discussion gets into how overwhelmed with choices you are when you own a business. For instance, those “programs” that cost $20,000 and can help you grow your business to nine figures? Watch out for those ones. Sustainability in her own business is something Alex brings up a few times this episode. Alex herself has been invited to teach at universities, offers in person and online sessions, intensives, and group work but wants to feel less scattered. Some great advice I’ve gotten (and given) is to slow down to speed up. You don’t need to stop everything, but slowing down brings you a better understanding of what’s happening. I tell Alex to not feel the pressure to do everything. Pick a primary focus, then make a list of everything else you need to do and put those tasks into different months, while holding yourself accountable for them. Accountability can be incredible to help you focus and reach your growth goals while still showing up authentically.  Join us at the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle and get great insights from other business-minded people: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    48 min
  4. Ep. 86 The Stern Truth: The Power of Co-Leadership With Adera Angelucci

    Jun 23

    Ep. 86 The Stern Truth: The Power of Co-Leadership With Adera Angelucci

    The “ships” and the “shifts” are what we’re getting into in this episode with my guest Adera Angelucci -  leadership, entrepreneurship, and the shifts that come with them. And Adera promised to be as unfiltered as possible.  Adera is a speaker, a coach, an author, and media strategist. From cruise ships to carrying the Olympic torch across Canada, you would have thought she’s seen and done it all. But she also started a video production company with her partner, which eventually put her on a path to where she is today.  The second book that Adera wrote explores how leaders can be seen and heard when they co-lead. One of the biggest opportunities in entrepreneurship and small business is leadership. But it starts with simply putting yourself out there, with self-leadership and self-discovery. I can’t count on one hand how many golden nuggets Adera gives us in this episode. Go within when you need to figure out which opportunities will serve you best. Keep a healthy cash flow (always an important business aspect, no matter what.) We also get into how business owners often put themselves in a box to keep themselves safe. To break out of that box, she says to listen to the voice inside of you. It’s your intuition, and it will always lead back to your “why.” Check out Adera’s businesses and books here: Coaching Business: www.aderaangelucci.com Video Production Company: www.spirocreative.ca “Co-Leadership” Book: https://a.co/d/00GkrhvD “Free Spirit” Book: https://a.co/d/0dIV06Ep LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aderaangelucci Instagram: @aderaangelucci Facebook: facebook.com/LightUpwithAdera Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    38 min
  5. Ep. 85 Bonus Episode - The Stern Truth: The Power to Slow Down in Order to Speed Up With Atrina Kouroshnia

    Jun 18

    Ep. 85 Bonus Episode - The Stern Truth: The Power to Slow Down in Order to Speed Up With Atrina Kouroshnia

    If you’ve been grinding away and wondering why the hustle isn't producing results, you’ll love the advice you get from our guest in this episode. Atrina Kouroshnia is a self-employed mortgage broker. She’s been in the mortgage business for around 14 years. But a few years ago, what started as a personal journey inward transformed into another part of her business: bioenergy healing and women's embodiment coaching. We get into what bioenergy healing actually is (and yes, we talk about the "woo-woo" factor.) Atrina explains why self-regulation is the ultimate real growth strategy for entrepreneurs and what it looks like to slow down when the world tells you to go faster. Atrina shares how years of operating at full speed took a toll on her, as she became short-tempered, dysregulated, and even developed hives. The way Atrina puts it is that her inner work didn't just help her personally; it changed the way she does business now. We also dig into losing momentum and how it holds business owners back from achieving their goals. Atrina says if you lose momentum, you lose meaning. When things get hard, go back to your purpose, your real "why," or your anchor to turn setbacks into growth instead of failure. Her golden nugget is to stop being the "chill" one. Set clear boundaries and expectations in your business relationships, and this can help attract people who are aligned with how you work. That’s smart business advice AND smart mindset advice. Get in touch with Atrina here: Energy Healing Website: www.atrinak.com Energy Healing IG: @atrinak_ Real Estate Website: www.mortgagebyatrina.com Real Estate IG: @mortgagebyatrina.com Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    35 min
  6. Ep. 84 The Stern Truth: Re-Release - How To Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer

    Jun 16

    Ep. 84 The Stern Truth: Re-Release - How To Keep Momentum in Your Business During the Summer

    This is a first for me! I have a re-release from last year, episode 16. The thought behind re-releasing is to give an important reminder of keeping momentum up during a busy time like summer. I reinforce that summer isn’t stalling your business. In fact, it can be more of a time for you to work ON your business. If you’re intentional, if you plan, you can build it. From leadership development to new systems or batch learning, get creative. I’ll give you some strategies in this episode to maintain your growth in the summer. Take advantage of the downtime to play around before the September rush. Whether your summer looks like time off or it’s your busy time of year (if that’s the case, you probably already have a great rhythm), plan. Plan for the busy, or plan for the lull. We live in seasons, and so does our business. Keep building that momentum this summer along with other focused business owners – join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/page/ontrepreneur-inner-circle Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    22 min
  7. Ep. 83 The Stern Truth: Fall Back in Love with Your Why (& Your Business) With Stephanie Gross

    Jun 9

    Ep. 83 The Stern Truth: Fall Back in Love with Your Why (& Your Business) With Stephanie Gross

    Bumby Wool is a custom merino wool manufacturer located in Red Deer, Alberta. As the owner, Stephanie Gross proudly shares within the first three minutes that she’s had two employees for around 16 years. That says a lot about her leadership skills! Stephanie’s roots come from selling Girl Guide cookies, working the Dairy Queen drive-through, eventually starting her own business. And Stephanie has been through a lot in her 18 years of business. COVID, moving to a commercial space, tariffs, so many ups and downs, just like any business. She felt like nothing was working in her business. She started attending the Catalyst Club (shoutout to Kelly Kennedy!) along with myself and other business owners then went deeper -  Stephanie looked into what she was doing in her business and why she was doing it, and began making incredible changes and meeting big goals.  When Stephanie mentions that quitting is not an option for her, I bring up how it may be just the wrong path that we’re on. Your gut can lead you down a wrong path but you can’t let fear stand in your way.  We also touch on your “why,” a common theme here on the Stern Truth. Most owners forget the reason they started their businesses, but we always need to dig deeper than “more money” or “more freedom.” Your business “why” has to align with your personal “why,” because it’s pretty obvious when they don’t.  Stephanie’s got some great golden nuggets to share throughout this episode, and one I really liked was to know your gut instincts. Really hone in on it. Once you recognize what your gut is telling you, you can put your ego aside and fill the gaps. Connect with Stephanie here: Email: letscreate@bumbywool.com  YouTube: youtube.com/@bumbywool8197 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steph-gross-bumbywool/  Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    39 min
  8. The Stern Truth on What's Holding Your Business Back

    Jun 2

    The Stern Truth on What's Holding Your Business Back

    Back in November, when I was planning my 2026, I set a personal theme for the year: become comfortable being uncomfortable. If something felt a little scary, a little outside my comfort zone, I committed to doing it anyway. One particular area I wanted to grow was in-person speaking. I do this all the time on Zoom, on my podcast, in my own house to my family, but getting in front of live groups took intentional effort. I’m happy to say that, recently, I had the privilege of speaking at a business owner networking event in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The room was filled with entrepreneurs at all stages of their journey. My talk was on the Stern Truth on Growth, what’s really holding your business back, and how to fix it. I introduced the ONtrepreneur Method and walked through five key shifts that will change everything in your business. The feedback I received in the week that followed was overwhelmingly positive, and it lit a fire under me. So, I am bringing that workshop online. On June 11th at 11AM PDT, I’m hosting a live, interactive Zoom workshop called “The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back.” I’ll be asking questions, looking for feedback, and working through these five shifts together with you.   Becoming comfortable being uncomfortable is something every entrepreneur needs to work on. That discomfort is usually where the growth is. Register for the June 11th workshop. If you can’t make the live, we’ll send out a replay. Grab a spot for The Stern Truth on What’s Really Holding Your Business Back here: https://marshallstern.net/landing/what-s-really-holding-your-business-back- And if you want to connect with other business owners in the meantime, join us for our monthly Connect and Collaborate Zoom on June 18th at 11AM PDT: https://marshallstern.net/landing/connect-collaborate-2026 Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/ Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges. Get in touch in the comments or head to... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

    8 min
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About

The Stern Truth: Business Unfiltered is the no-BS podcast for overwhelmed small business owners & entrepreneurs who are tired of the noise, the hype, and the so-called “experts” telling them how to grow their business. Hosted by Marshall Stern, a seasoned business owner and coach with over 35 years of experience, this podcast cuts through the confusion to bring you real, practical advice that actually works. If you feel stuck, exhausted, and like you’re doing it all alone—this is for you. Each episode delivers honest conversations, actionable strategies, and straight talk about what it really takes to grow and lead a thriving business. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just The Stern Truth you need to move forward with confidence. It's time to stop spinning your wheels and start leading your business like the unstoppable force you are.

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