THE STERN TRUTH: Business Unfiltered

Marshall Stern
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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. 76 The Stern Truth: How to Build Sustainable Growth With Katie Eberman

    1D AGO

    Ep. 76 The Stern Truth: How to Build Sustainable Growth With Katie Eberman

    “Simply by Katie” is what Katie Eberman goes by online. What she does in her business and her journey as an entrepreneur, however, is anything but simple. Like most of us entrepreneurs, she had a persistent idea—supporting small businesses. Even with caring for little ones at home that she was taking care of, Katie still missed the kind of fulfilling work she used to do. She eventually landed on doing website design and copywriting, specifically for women in the small business space.  Katie talks passionately about helping female entrepreneurs, seeing it as a reflection of herself. What she really wants is for women to feel proud to send their clients or prospects to their websites.  Katie also notes that business owners don’t want to say they’re building a brand because it sounds too big of a vision. To me, this brought up another reminder to get clear on your “why”; the “why” is what’s powerful enough to get you to do what you do.  We get into the systems that Katie uses so that she can be there in both her work and life. This brings up a challenge that I have for you, my friends. I want you to send me an email at marshall@marshallstern.net and let me know your strategies for separating your work and life.  Katie has golden nugget after golden nugget in this episode, but she gave us one that might be the best golden nuggets yet. Katie says, just start. Don’t overthink, because when you’re in the action, you’re not worrying about what will go wrong. An incredible reminder that we can all build on.   Connect with Katie here: Website: simplybykatie.com Email: hello@simplybykatie.com Instagram: @simply_by_katie  Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle group. It’s a community of your peers that can help you break through your challenges. Get practical tools, accountability, honest dialogue, and more: 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

    40 min
  2. Ep. 75 The Stern Truth: Leveraging LinkedIn in Just 15 Minutes with Ashley Leeds

    6D AGO

    Ep. 75 The Stern Truth: Leveraging LinkedIn in Just 15 Minutes with Ashley Leeds

    My guest on this episode is Ashley Leeds, known as The 15 Minute Guy, and, wow, just wow. Ashley dropped so many insights about LinkedIn that I could not wait to get this episode out. Ashley joins me from Devon, England, and he helps founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners get visible on LinkedIn in just 15 minutes a day. Ashley does the math for us all—15 minutes a day, five days a week, over a year adds up to 65 hours on the platform. It's an action that might seem small, but it can have a big effect. Less than 5% of LinkedIn users create content. That means if you start showing up consistently with posts, you are immediately ahead of 95% of people on the platform. Ashley's advice is to pick a specific day and time, stick to it, and let your audience anchor to you. We get into the real strategy behind commenting. Ashley recommends commenting on at least 10 posts a day. Not a boring “I agree” but adding a bit of your personality while adding value. A surprising few tidbits that Ashley also shared: hashtags on LinkedIn are now deprecated, so don’t use them. Your profile photo should be a close-up of your face with a coloured background, because 70% of users are on mobile. Polls are a wildly underused tool, not just for engagement but for gathering real data on your audience and then following up in a personal way. This episode with Ashley is just non-stop golden nuggets. Grab a pen and paper, tune in, and start thinking about how just 15 intentional minutes a day could transform your visibility. Connect with Ashley here: Website: www.just.15mins.day LinkedIn: @ashley-leeds-15-minute-guy Take the Free Assessment Here: www.just.15mins.day/score   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

    52 min
  3. Ep. 74 The Stern Truth: Is Your Business Serving Your Life?

    APR 28

    Ep. 74 The Stern Truth: Is Your Business Serving Your Life?

    This episode is shorter but still impactful. It’s a solo episode because I’ve had wonderful guests lately. But this one asks the question, Is your business serving your life? As always, grab a paper and pen. Write down the question, Is my business serving my life? Is it serving me financially, in terms of freedom, to do what I truly love? Or is it not serving my life? Do I feel trapped? Get back to why you started your business. What was your “why?” Sometimes we forget why we started our business. We might get stuck in that employee mindset. Come back to that “why,” why you do what you do. I invite you to take my Business Energy Reset. If your business is serving your life, that’s fantastic, and I’d still love to hear from you. But, if not, there’s an opportunity for change there. Take one step forward. Email me “yes, it is” or “no, it’s not” at marshall@marshallstern.net or grab the Business Energy Reset here: https://marshallstern.net/page/business-energy-quiz  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

    10 min
  4. Ep. 73 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Earl Thomas

    APR 23

    Ep. 73 The Stern Truth: Business Therapy Thursday with Earl Thomas

    It’s another Business Therapy Thursday, and this one might hit home for anyone who has ever second-guessed their pricing. I sit down with Earl Thomas, host of the VOICE POWER podcast, and we have an honest and energizing deep dive into pricing confidence.  Earl has been podcasting for six seasons, reaching listeners across countless countries and cities. But he came to me with the challenge of feeling confident when it comes time to name his price.  He and I go over the three things needed for someone to work with you—desire, the ability to pay, and the willingness to pay. If all three aspects aren’t there, they’re not your client. We also dig into the idea of releasing yourself from the outcome. There’s real power in showing up to a conversation and being focused on service rather than landing the sale. Clarity breeds confidence. When you have clarity on your pricing, your process, your ideal client, and your follow-up plan, the confidence follows.  Earl even shares a golden nugget of his own, being “passionately confident and confidently passionate.” That's the exact energy that lands clients, builds audiences, and grows businesses. People know passion when they see it. I also get into when to bring up pricing. Talking about it too early, before you’ve made a real connection, turns everything into a negotiation. In small business, the relationship has to be the priority. The price is just a detail that comes after. Connect with Earl Thomas, aka “The Voice” here: Website: www.earlthomasthevoice.com Podcast: voicepower.buzzsprout.com LinkedIn: @earlthomasthevoice Facebook: @EarlThomasTheVoice YouTube: @EarlThomasTheVOICE   If you’re interested in a Business Therapy Thursday session, shoot me an email to marshall@marshallstern.net.   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

    43 min
  5. Ep. 72 The Stern Truth: The Missing E in STRAT GY With Daria Ionescu

    APR 21

    Ep. 72 The Stern Truth: The Missing E in STRAT GY With Daria Ionescu

    Daria Ionescu knows strategy. She actually started off her career with in-house marketing. A little bit of branding, digital marketing, and some social media. What she found was missing in all of this was the real strategy behind it, so she started her own company. Now, her strategy consulting business, Lume Strategy, takes people from Point A to Point B to hit their target audience. Even though she’s been in business for less than a year, one Stern Truth Daria learned is how introspective entrepreneurship can make you. In this episode, we also get into falling in love with the process. As small business owners, the best thing you can do is to NOT do the things that drain you. My advice to Daria (and all of you) is to write down those drains so that when the time comes to add in team members, those tasks can easily be passed to them. Daria gets into the age-old business question, “What is strategy?" Empathize with your team. Understand where they’re coming from. Find the solutions for them, get to the root of the issue, then make a plan—a strategy—to fix it. One of Daria’s many other Stern Truths is that as an entrepreneur, your brain never stops. It can feel like you’re never off the clock. Being more disciplined, using strategies like time-blocking, and being able to adapt can all help you manage a mind that never seems to turn off. Daria reminds us of something we all know but sometimes forget—marketing is very psychological. Knowing the motivations of why people take actions, or why they don’t, is a big part of any strategy, and it starts with empathy, that missing E in strategy. After that comes the trust, the most important part of the entrepreneurial puzzle.  Connect with Daria here: Website: www.lumestrategy.ca Email: daria@lumestrategy.ca IG: @itslumestrategy LinkedIn: @daria-ionescu-492098232 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

    45 min
  6. Ep. 71 The Stern Truth: What is Your MORE With Denise Frenette

    APR 14

    Ep. 71 The Stern Truth: What is Your MORE With Denise Frenette

    Denise Frenette is all about the “more.” She’s not specifically about having more things and having more nice dinners (which she admits she does love). The "more" that Denise is talking about is the balance between running a business and having what you truly want in life. She even wrote a book on it, aptly titled "MORE". An entrepreneur several times over, Denise never felt like she fit into the typical “9-5” corporate box. She talks a lot in this episode about grit and determination. As Denise puts it, the ability to see a vision and bring it into detail and make it "more" takes a lot of grit and just as much confidence. One of the reasons Denise got into business for herself was that she saw how things were done in her industry and thought, I could do it better myself. I’m sure that her eye for detail, passion for wellness, and entrepreneur parents helped too. Denise shares an incredible story about a former employee. Although now a competitor, this former employee admitted to Denis that she didn’t know what it took to run a business. Denise encouraged this person to keep going, driving home the kind of grit that it takes to run a business. There were so many great golden nuggets and Stern Truth’s in this episode, but one of Denise’s best golden nuggets is that there’s more to life than just business. Take an honest look at all aspects of your life. Even though you might be successful in one area, you don’t want to miss the boat on what life is about. Connect with Denise here: Website: https://www.denisefrenette.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

    46 min
  7. Ep. 70 The Stern Truth: How Resilience and Teamwork Drive Business Growth With Stephanie Lehr

    APR 7

    Ep. 70 The Stern Truth: How Resilience and Teamwork Drive Business Growth With Stephanie Lehr

    Business ownership is a spectrum. A business owner and an entrepreneur are not the same. I drop these golden nuggets, and more, on Stephanie Lehr’s new podcast, The Stephanie Lehr Show (which is episode 70 of The Stern Truth.) Stephanie is a relationship coach. In starting her new podcast, I had the honour of being her first guest. She and I get into a variety of topics. We even discuss how, during my leadership coach training, I really wasn’t leading at home and how it took me some time to realize that.  We go over what happened during the pandemic when I was faced with the decision to keep my team or let them go. My leadership mindset is “these are my people,” so I kept them on. Thankfully, it worked out, since safety signage was a priority at that time. I also get into the difference between being an entrepreneur and being a business owner. My friends, they are NOT the same thing. A lot of business owners are really buying themselves a job, and there is nothing wrong with that. But if you want to grow, you have to step into that ONtrepreneur mindset. Building something that lasts is the challenge. Stephanie asked me about the best compliment I have ever received, and it has stayed with me ever since. A fellow coach told me, in front of a group, that I make people feel safe. Not impressive, not intimidating, not polished. Safe. As a coach, just as a person, that was a compliment I’ll always cherish. Like the title of this episode says, it takes resilience, teamwork, and a community to make a business grow. Join the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle if you’re looking for that kind of supportive community. https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle Learn about Stephanie and her show here: Instagram: @stephanielehrofficial LinkedIn:  @stephanielehr Website: stephanielehr.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

    43 min
  8. Ep. 69 The Stern Truth: The Oi's of Business & Leadership With Kim Long

    MAR 31

    Ep. 69 The Stern Truth: The Oi's of Business & Leadership With Kim Long

    Kim Long is my guest on this episode of the Stern Truth. As a registered psychologist in Alberta with a teaching background, Kim was inspired by her family of helpers to get into the field of psychology, despite some “oi’s” along the way, Covid being a big one. Through our conversation, I tell him how post-secondary experience teaches business but it doesn't teach entrepreneurship - things like cash flow, ROI, or COGS are more on-the-job lessons.   Leadership was a big factor for Kim when starting her practice. Nurturing her team while keeping her professional standards, combatting leader loneliness, and consistent learning have allowed Kim to build her team. Imposter syndrome (yes, it’s everywhere) comes up in our conversation, another of Kim’s “oi’s”. She digs deep and gets to the root of leadership. One of her golden nuggets is that leadership is all about building the capacity of your team so they can grow and shine.   Let me tell you, my friends, it doesn’t get easier. Imposter syndrome can be a lifelong feeling. And guess what? More people have it than you think. Ask yourself, is what I believe true? If you look at the old you vs. the new, 2.0 you, what were your action steps to get there?  Another terrific golden nugget that Kim gave was one I love - if you’re worrying about your leadership, you’re probably a better leader than you realize.  The Stern Truth of being a leader? Just keep going, keep showing up, and take time to reflect on your own growth.   Get in touch with Kim here: Website: www.dochaspsych.com IG: instagram.com/dochaspsych Facebook: facebook.com/DochasPsych YouTube: youtube.com/@DochasPsych LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/dochas-psych If you’re feeling the “oi’s” of business, lonely, or isolated, and want those like-minded business people, check out our ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Be my guest and see what the community looks like: 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

    36 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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