The DoneMaker Podcast

Zivko Dodovski
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

The DoneMaker Podcast invites guests who are business experts, from marketing to scaling a business, to how to develop a strong leadership team. In every episode, our guests dive deep into business growth strategies, productivity improvements, marketing and social strategies, and personal or leadership development techniques. Your entrepreneurial journey doesn't have to be a lonely one - we're all in this together. New episodes launch every week.

  1. 5d ago

    There's $100K of hidden profit in almost every small business

    There's $100K of hidden profit in almost every small business. Jacob Lehtonen, CEO of Rising Yields, builds financial systems, clean books, and clear profit visibility for small business owners through his Doc Profit approach. In this episode, you'll discover why he hands every employee an "X-Ray Worksheet" to expose the gap between what the owner thinks is happening and what is really happening. You'll learn why 2% improvements across 12 areas add up to serious profit, and why over-leverage is the number one way "million-dollar" businesses end up broke. If you're scaling a business on revenue alone, you need this conversation before Q1.In This Episode, You'll Learn:- Why "did you build a business or buy yourself another job?" is the first question every owner should answer- How the X-Ray Worksheet exposes perception vs. reality in your company, and why managers can't be in the room- Why you can't make the engine go faster with a broken gear: fix your SOPs before chasing profit- How 2% gains in 12 areas (costs, pricing, leads, upsells, bundling) add up to $100K+- What to demand from any agency or vendor before you pay: real, redacted client ROI- Why profit is the domino that knocks over all the others, including your valuation- When to push hardest: why Q4 is the start of the last 100 days, not the slow seasonWhether you run a 5-person team or a 50-person company, profitability is what gives you control. This business podcast for small business owners, CEOs, and entrepreneurs connects clean financials and strong systems to real business growth. That foundation is what makes LinkedIn outreach, B2B lead generation, and a healthy sales pipeline actually pay off.#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #Profitability #SmallBusinessFinance #CashFlow #BusinessSystems #Q4Strategy---------------------------------ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.Chapters:0:00 Did you build a business or buy yourself a job?0:52 Meet Jacob, CEO of Rising Yields1:20 From military logistics to sales3:18 Why bookkeepers can't tell you how to stop being broke4:47 When "sales problems" are really ops problems5:40 The Doc Profit physician's approach6:33 The X-Ray Worksheet: perception vs. reality8:00 How to get honest answers from your team10:44 Fix the broken gear before you speed up the engine12:18 Why 2% in 12 areas adds up to big profit13:09 Clean books come first14:30 Payroll, auto-pay, and other cash flow mistakes16:49 How to vet vendors: demand real ROI19:27 The lion analogy: don't let your needs take over21:22 Profit is the domino that knocks over all the others23:30 Create, build, and sell systems24:28 Why "million-dollar" agencies barely break even26:13 Be the only choice, not the best choice27:22 The $8M debt company nobody would buy30:12 How to find $100K of hidden profit33:14 The Q4 playbook: plan Q1, push hard now35:56 The beginning of the last 100 days36:40 Why November and December close the most deals39:34 Don't be a commodity40:35 How to work with Jacob

  2. Oct 19

    The 4 Colors That Control Your Team’s Performance

    Earl Hoeg, founder of PeopleFirst, Insights Discovery partner, and TEDx speaker, breaks down the colour energy system Canadian SME leaders use to cut “relational friction” out of their teams. You’ll discover why your hardest conversations aren’t always with your opposite, why a high performer can be quietly burning out in the “right” role, and why this tool should never be used to hire. Earl even reveals Zivko’s own profile live and uses it to unpack a real partner frustration that had nothing to do with results.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:- What the 4 colour energies are: Fiery Red (results), Sunshine Yellow (ideas), Earth Green (relationships), and Cool Blue (detail)- How to spot someone’s preference in one conversation by asking two questions: are they talkative or quiet, and do they decide with the head or the heart?- Why two people with the same colour energy can clash harder than opposites, and how to “land the plane” when ideas keep flying- Why a leader forced to operate outside their preference feels stressed, and how to build in time to recharge- The “Give an F” framework for remote and hybrid teams: Focus, Flexibility, Foundation, and Frameworks- Why Insights Discovery is a preference system, not a competency test, and should never be used for hiring- How a shared team language turns difficult conversations into respectful, objective onesIf you’re a small business owner, entrepreneur, or CEO leading a lean team, this business podcast episode shows you how better relationships drive better results. Whether you’re scaling a business, running LinkedIn outreach, or building a B2B lead generation team without paid ads, how your people communicate decides how fast you grow. This is CEO advice you can use in your next team meeting.#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #InsightsDiscovery #TeamCommunication #Leadership #RemoteTeams #WorkplaceCulture---------------------------------ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.Chapters0:00 Why 4 million minutes at work matter0:52 Meet Earl Hoeg of PeopleFirst1:18 What is the Insights Discovery system?3:06 Why connection at work isn't soft3:57 How the 20-minute assessment works5:20 Preferences, not boxes6:36 Fiery Red: be brief, be bright, be gone8:12 Sunshine Yellow: involve me9:39 Earth Green: show me you care11:40 Cool Blue: give me the details13:16 Which colours show up in which roles14:18 Introverts vs extroverts: where you get your energy17:54 Zivko's profile revealed23:08 Did you marry your psychological opposite?24:40 Diagnosing a real partner frustration28:38 When two Sunshine Yellows clash30:08 Relational friction and a shared team language32:22 Give an F: making remote and hybrid teams work35:32 Why you shouldn't use it for hiring36:58 The stress of leading outside your preference40:06 Final takeaways41:35 How to reach Earl

  3. Oct 11

    The New Way To Build Startups In The Post AI World

    Muhammad Salman is the CEO of DevSouq, helping SaaS founders ship faster with senior engineering teams.Before that, he went 1.5 years without a single client, paid a BDR and a lead gen agency for 6 months with nothing to show for it, then landed his first deal himself using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You’ll discover why he stopped hiring remote sales reps, the two questions that decide whether you actually need custom software, and how one AI calling agent replaced a 100-person tier one support team.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:- Why an agency’s “10 projects or we work for free” guarantee still left them with zero clients- How 20-hour days on LinkedIn Sales Navigator landed DevSouq’s first client in under 2 months- Why Muhammad moved his sales team from remote to in-office, and what changed after- How to work backwards from your reply rate (2 positive replies per 5,000 contacts) to hit your meeting goals- The 2 questions to ask before paying for custom software instead of a simple n8n automation- What startups, SMEs, and enterprises are actually asking developers to build with AI right now- How to tier AI models by subscription price so premium users get the higher accuracy modelIf you’re a small business owner or founder trying to build a predictable sales pipeline, this episode shows what cold outreach and LinkedIn strategy look like when nothing is working yet. It’s a raw entrepreneur podcast conversation about business development, organic LinkedIn lead generation without ads, and the entrepreneurial mindset it takes to keep going. Plus, you’ll get a clear CEO’s view on when AI automation beats custom development for scaling a business.#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #CustomSoftware #AIAutomation #SaaSFounders #SalesNavigator #VibeCoding---------------------------------ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.Chapters:0:00 Vibe coding, n8n, and what clients want now0:52 Meet Muhammad Salman, CEO of DevSouq1:34 From Fiverr freelancer to Android engineer5:01 Leaving his job to build his own company6:38 The first 2 years with no sales pipeline7:43 Losing his first client to an underperforming hire9:59 How his CTO and co-founder joined12:38 Hiring a BDR: 3 months, zero results13:22 The lead gen agency that promised 10 projects15:20 Taking over sales himself17:04 20-hour days on LinkedIn Sales Navigator19:40 Why founder dedication sets the bar for your team20:38 Landing 3 clients and growing the team21:51 The email SDR who quit right after warm-up25:02 Why he stopped hiring remote sales reps27:03 Building a multi-channel process: SEO, email, LinkedIn28:24 Never quit, and know your numbers30:08 What startups and SMEs are asking developers to build32:55 The AI calling agent that replaced tier one support35:06 What enterprises need from custom software35:54 Custom software vs a simple automation38:07 AI loops, model choice, and tiered pricing40:51 How to work with Muhammad

  4. Sep 29

    Sales vs. Retention: Why You Need to Integrate Them Early

    Brendan McAdams is a sales coach, author of Sales Craft, host of Let's Chat Health Tech, and founder of Kiinetics, where he helps health tech companies build long-term relationships with hospitals, health systems, and health plans. In this episode, you'll discover why he tells founders to qualify prospects as hard as prospects qualify them. You'll also learn why closing at any cost quietly kills retention, and how one founder found real traction by pivoting from hospitals to pharma. If you sell complex B2B deals with multiple decision-makers, this is the relationship-first playbook most sales teams skip.In This Episode, You'll Learn:- Why you should talk to buyers before you build, and understand their problem before you pitch- What a stalled pipeline is telling you, and when to re-niche instead of starting over- How qualifying your prospects protects you from expensive, difficult clients- Why bringing account management into the sales cycle builds trust and makes handoffs smooth- How to map the full customer journey, from implementation to multi-year partnership- The value-reminder reports that keep every department aware of the results you deliver- Where AI is gaining ground in healthcare, like revenue cycle management, and where adoption will stay slowWhether you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, or CEO chasing bigger B2B deals, this episode shows that trust and retention drive business growth, not pushy closing tactics. The same principles power organic LinkedIn outreach, B2B lead generation, and a sales pipeline built on relationships instead of ads. It's a must-watch for anyone scaling a business through long-term partnerships.👉 Get clients from LinkedIn: https://tidycal.com/donemaker-sales/donemaker-referall-call#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #EnterpriseSales #HealthTech #CustomerRetention #AccountManagement #ComplexSales---------------------------------Brendan McAdams's contacts:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanmcadams/Website: https://www.kiinetics.com/---------------------------------ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.

  5. Sep 14

    How To Build A Brand AI Can’t Copy

    Chris Fulmer, CEO of Brand Auditors with 17+ years in brand development and brand strategy, is back for part 2 to show you exactly how AI strips the uniqueness out of a brand one "yes, I agree" at a time. You'll hear the real story of a client whose AI-guided rebrand quietly erased his differentiation, why the "high-converting landing page" AI builds for you is now a low-converting one because everyone has it, and the implicit-learning trap that makes small business owners start sounding like ChatGPT without noticing. If you're a CEO trying to turn a 4-person marketing team into 50 with AI tools, this episode will save you from the failure Chris sees most.In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why loading a small marketing team with AI tools fails in most cases, and the "post 10 times a day" trap behind itHow AI led a real client's rebrand off course, from stripping his USP to picking his color paletteWhat "implicit learning" is and why you're absorbing AI-isms every time you brainstorm with itWhy the AI-generated landing page everyone is using is quietly killing conversionsThe banned-words list, the em-dash problem, and why your brand guidelines now need an AI-usage pageHow to start with ONE process, run two models against each other, and test before you publishWhat a brand actually is (hint: not a logo and fonts) and why Ray-Bans still sell on a 1986 movieHow a brand audit starts with your value proposition, not your colors — and why most websites don't state it at allWhy a brand refresh is a quarterly or annual process, not a 90-day sprint, and why frontline staff must be in the roomThis is essential CEO advice for small business owners and entrepreneurs using AI for content, marketing, and LinkedIn strategy in 2026. On The DoneMaker Podcast we cover B2B lead generation, LinkedIn outreach, and small business growth without paid ads — and Chris makes the case that in a sea of sameness, a human-built brand becomes your biggest edge for organic leads. If you want a sales pipeline that doesn't sound like everyone else's, start here.👉 Get clients from LinkedIn: https://tidycal.com/donemaker-sales/d...📚 Free Resources to build a sales pipeline: https://donemaker.vista.page/#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast#BrandStrategy #AIMarketing #BrandAudit #ValueProposition #AIContent

  6. Sep 10

    One Podcast Episode = 100 Content Assets (The System)

    One 30-minute podcast = 100 pieces of content — and 0 listeners still gets you almost all the benefit.Michael Mollenhauer, president of 1to1 Network, host of the nationwide "Make It Easy for People to Give You Money" radio show, and fractional CMO, is back for part 2 — and this time he lays out the exact system he sells to attorneys, realtors, and contractors: a custom podcast at the heart of the entire marketing plan. You'll learn why he stopped competing with every other digital agency, how one recording feeds YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Spotify, reels, and blog posts at once, and why the podcast transcript beats blogging for SEO and AEO when page one takes 12–18 months the old way. You'll also hear the one-sentence USP test that most small business owners fail — and the objection-killer he uses on "I'm shy" that works every time.In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why every business owner's pain is the same (no customers, or the wrong ones) and how a podcast cures itHow to turn one episode into ~100 assets for every social platform, podcast channel, and your blogWhy podcast transcripts get you into Google answer results faster than 8–12 months of blog postsThe "which competitor should I go talk to?" line that ends the "I'm shy" objection on the spotHow to plan 3 months of episodes in advance from 15 customer questions — and why you never batch more than 2 a dayWhat platforms actually hold attention for a 20-minute show (Facebook and LinkedIn) vs. short-form (TikTok, X, Instagram)The USP rule: if it doesn't start with "we are the only" or "no one else can," it's not a USPWhy your listener count doesn't matter — the podcast's job is content that displays your USPIf you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, or CEO trying to build a sales pipeline without paid ads, this episode of The DoneMaker Podcast shows you how to make organic content the engine of your B2B lead generation. Michael's approach pairs perfectly with LinkedIn outreach and a clear LinkedIn strategy, one conversation becomes your business development machine. Practical CEO advice on small business growth, entrepreneurial mindset, and getting organic leads that keep coming.👉 Get clients from LinkedIn: https://tidycal.com/donemaker-sales/d...📚 Free Resources to build a sales pipeline: https://donemaker.vista.page/#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast#PodcastMarketing #UniqueSellingPoint #AnswerEngineOptimization #ContentRepurposing #FractionalCMO

  7. Sep 1

    He replaced a $1,200/mo tool, his VAs, and an entire QA role with Claude (But Drew The Line Here)

    Jason Hunt is back on The DoneMaker Podcast. He's the co-founder of Merged Media and a fractional CMO for emerging brands, and since his last episode, he's rebuilt his agency around AI. Three screens, two Claude sessions running at once, scheduled tasks optimizing Meta campaigns and pulling client reports while he's on stage at conferences. But the real lesson isn't efficiency. You'll discover why Jason measures AI on quality of output, not cost savings (tokens aren't cheap), why his best-performing ads still come from shower thoughts instead of prompts, and exactly where he draws the line on AI-generated testimonials and UGC before it torches customer trust. We also settle the AEO/GEO debate for local SEO, unpack why LinkedIn ads still lose to Meta on lead cost, and get the real reason your radius-targeted ad "reached someone in Boston." If you're a small business owner or CEO building a sales pipeline without paid-ad guesswork, this is the playbook. In This Episode, You'll Learn: - Why Jason optimizes AI for quality of output, not cost, and why he says tokens are expensive but the QA role no longer exists- How a Meta campaign launcher "skill" bakes in ICP, pain points, and ad angles so no new employee ever needs retraining- What his business partner built in-house after a third-party ad connector jumped from $150 to $1,200/month overnight- The exact line on AI testimonials and UGC that makes buyers ask "what else are you lying about?"- Why perceived effort on LinkedIn beats copy-paste AI messaging, and how to use AI to cut 1,000 prospects down to the 100 worth writing by hand- The 50-conversions-a-week rule Meta's algorithm needs, and why optimizing for video views kills your conversions- Why local SEO hasn't changed, why people still Google the map pack, and how published papers and PR feed AI models- The "three-headed monster" of Google Ads, Meta retargeting, and local SEO that gets an accountant chosen over competitors 👉 Get clients from LinkedIn: https://tidycal.com/donemaker-sales/donemaker-referall-call 📚 Free Resources to build a sales pipeline: https://donemaker.vista.page/#DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #AIForBusiness #MetaAds #LocalSEO #FractionalCMO #ClaudeAI #DigitalMarketing---------------------------------Guest Jason Hunt's contacts:Website: merged.ca Newsletter: jayhunt.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socialmediaspeaker/--------------------------------- ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.

  8. Aug 31

    The future of advertising isn't AI. He got 17,000 verified views from ONE backpack in 2 hours.

    17,000 verified views from ONE backpack in 2 hours — this founder is closing the loop between billboards and digital ads. Gastón Corbala — father, builder, tech junkie, and founder of The Backpackster — came out of two years in stealth with a CTO, stabilized hardware, an Intel edge-AI partnership, and a CES booth. In this episode you'll discover why out-of-home advertising has run on assumptions for 100 years, why bot traffic is projected to outnumber human traffic online next year, and how a backpack with a screen turns venues, stadiums, and trade shows into a new revenue stream with zero infrastructure. You'll also hear the unfiltered founder story: manufacturers calling him crazy, losing his father mid-build, and the mindset shift that kept the vision clear. If you're building something nobody understands yet, you'll be behind without this one. In This Episode, You'll Learn: - Why The Backpackster pulled 17,000 verified views at a World Cup activation — from one camera- How a $4,000 backpack ad competes with a $25,000 trade show booth- What "wisdom is crystallized pain" means for founders facing rejection and disbelief- Why you're projecting your pain onto your startup as a "savior" — and how to separate the two- How to build partnerships by knocking on doors until the "you're crazy" turns into "I'm in"- Why Gen Z wants to control what they see, and how physical media wins that shift- The hybrid human-plus-tech future Gastón bets on instead of full automation 👉 Get clients from LinkedIn: https://tidycal.com/donemaker-sales/donemaker-referall-call 📚 Free Resources to build a sales pipeline: https://donemaker.vista.page/ #DoneMakerPodcast #LinkedInOutreach #B2BLeadGeneration #SmallBusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #OutOfHomeAdvertising #FounderMindset #StartupJourney #CES2027 #FutureOfAdvertising #AdTech--------------------------------- Gaston Corbela's contacts:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gastoncorbala/Website: https://thebackpackster.com/--------------------------------- ABOUT DONEMAKER:Make easy business decisions by filling your sales funnel with LinkedIn Organic Outreach. No data scraping, no outreach automations, no AI messages. The entire process is done manually + weekly strategy call with a dedicated account rep.Chapters: 0:00 Intro — "Wisdom is crystallized pain"0:53 Meet Gastón Corbala, founder of The Backpackster1:37 Two years in stealth: CTO, stabilized hardware, CES launch3:00 How The Backpackster makes venues money with zero infrastructure9:18 World Cup activation: 17,000 verified views in 2 hours11:22 The Intel partnership and edge AI11:54 Loneliness, loss, and staying clear on the vision17:31 Knocking on doors and building the team20:03 How advertising is changing: OOH, bot traffic, and Gen Z25:55 Why physical experiences win as AI takes over work27:21 Robots vs. people: the hybrid future31:23 What makes a company people want to work for33:58 How to reach Gastón35:02 Closing

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About

The DoneMaker Podcast invites guests who are business experts, from marketing to scaling a business, to how to develop a strong leadership team. In every episode, our guests dive deep into business growth strategies, productivity improvements, marketing and social strategies, and personal or leadership development techniques. Your entrepreneurial journey doesn't have to be a lonely one - we're all in this together. New episodes launch every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Zivko Dodovski
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    94
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Zivko Dodovski
  • Show Website
    The DoneMaker Podcast