Business Mastery Podcast

Dawn Kennedy
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Business is dynamic. And everything affects you and your business. Fight with your mother-in-law? Mindset struggle? Market Changes? YUP.  So, we're going to talk about it all. No topic is off limits. The goal for every episode is to offer a new and different perspective or provide actionable strategies you can implement now. On the topics you need, to help you run the small business you love, more successfully. To master your own business and to master yourself as its leader and decision maker.Every Wednesday Dawn K. Kennedy, an attorney, author, mentor and the CEO of Convoy Road Coffee Roasters, releases a new episode for your middle of the week dose of ideas and inspiration.  In 45 minutes or less. Small bites, expert guests, big impacts. Whether you are a new or seasoned entrepreneur, this show is about all the things around making a bigger impact with your pursuit and growing into your entrepreneurial vision.

  1. 4d ago

    240. "PR That Works" with Steve Turner

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Steve Turner of Solomon/Turner PR, a St. Louis firm in its 36th year, about making PR work for businesses. Steve explains how PR has shifted from relying mainly on newspapers, TV, and radio to choosing from many “delivery systems” (social media, podcasts, niche outlets) and emphasizes targeting the right audience for stronger ROI. He outlines a five-step PR process from his book PR That Works: define measurable objectives, identify the audience, craft differentiating messaging, choose the best delivery systems, and measure results to adjust strategy. Steve contrasts PR’s long-term trust-building with short-term advertising, discusses extending “legs” from media coverage across channels, and stresses having a crisis communications plan, designated spokesperson, and media training in place before problems occur. In this episode…. Meet Steve Turner (00:44) PR Then Vs Now (03:02) Five Step PR Framework (06:14) Objectives And Audience (06:33) Messaging Channels Measurement (07:45) PR Timelines And Expectations (11:32) Giveback Stories With Legs (13:47) PR For Recruiting Culture (15:46) Sales Enablement With Third Party Proof (19:11) Crisis Communication Basics (21:25) When News Crews Arrive (23:37) Rogue Social Media Fallout (24:11) Is It Really A Crisis (26:22) Pick Your Spokesperson (27:37) Fire Drill Media Playbook (28:30) Industries That Need Plans (30:56) PR Is A Long Game (33:35) PR That Works Book (37:19) Penny The Pig Case Study (38:55) Jeep Book Marketing Wins (40:50) Where To Find Steve (44:00) Final Wrap And Thanks (45:04) Steve Turner’s Informations: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveturnerpr/ Website: https://rockstarpublicist.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveturnerpr/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockstarpublicist X: https://x.com/steveturnerpr Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    240. "PR That Works" with Steve Turner

  2. Sep 23

    239. "Ethical Influence and Persuasion" with Barry Moline

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Barry Molin, a speaker, trainer, and author of Connect: How to Quickly Collaborate for Success in Business and Life, about influence, persuasion, and doing business ethically over the long term. Barry distinguishes influence as broad trust in a person and persuasion as focused movement toward a specific idea, product, or service. He defines ethical persuasion through three elements: it must be true, make common sense, and be wise—something the persuader genuinely believes in and would recommend to close others—while also being transparent about unknowns. He argues effective persuasion is matching solutions to people’s needs, not pushing for short-term goals. Barry then outlines three categories and tactics: improving relationships (reciprocity, liking, unity), reducing uncertainty (authority, social proof), and motivating action (consistency, scarcity, reducing friction), noting where misuse can become unethical. In this episode…. Who is Barry Molin amd whom does he serve? (00:47) Influence vs Persuasion (02:59) Ethics First Framework (04:40) When You’re Not Sure Yet (08:40) Asking Better Questions (11:04) Sales Mindset Shift (16:12) Short-Term Pressure Trap (20:33) The How Three Pillars (28:35) Reciprocity As Karma (30:14) Friendship Reciprocity Example (30:49) Liking Through Questions (33:00) Unity And Shared Identity (34:12) Spotting Authenticity (36:45) Reducing Uncertainty (38:26) Authority And Social Proof (38:35) Motivating People To Act (42:29) Consistency And Commitment (42:43) Scarcity Done Right (45:08) Reducing Friction To Buy (47:19) Wrap Up And Where To Connect (49:07) Barry Moline’s Information: Book: https://a.co/d/085XWhFT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-moline/ Website: https://barrymoline.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barryjmoline YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsaUixOhhTSataYQv4oSlgQ9FAugN3I6H Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    239. "Ethical Influence and Persuasion" with Barry Moline

  3. Sep 16

    238. "Finances as Ally" with Nate Littlewood

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with fractional CFO Nate Littlewood, who supports early-stage e-commerce and CPG founders with physical-goods challenges like inventory financing and growth strategy guided by financial statements. Nate explains why founders avoid finances through cognitive dissonance—financial reports can contradict the success story they want to believe—then outlines four phases of relating to money: denial, overwhelm, intrigue, and enlightenment, and the “context vacuum” that makes metrics meaningless without industry benchmarks. He argues you can over-invest in finance too early; before product-market fit, founders mainly need a unit economics model and a cashflow forecast (e.g., 13-week model), plus basic bookkeeping and tax compliance. As decisions multiply, tools like three-statement financial models, ROI and capital-at-risk analysis, bottleneck identification, and aligning strategy to the team’s “zone of genius” help prioritize and focus. In this episode…. Meet Fractional CFO Nate (01:00) Why Founders Avoid Numbers (02:04) Pain Points That Trigger Help (06:16) Four Phases With Finance (09:28) Context and Benchmarks Matter (12:02) When Finance Becomes Useful (14:31) Early Tools Unit Economics Cash (16:07) When You Need a CFO (21:19) Models and Decision Frameworks (26:13) Bottlenecks and Zone of Genius (29:31) Founder Story Focus Wins (34:56) Wrap Up and Where to Connect (38:28) Final Thanks and Next Episode (39:47) Nate Littlewood’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlittlewood/ Website: https://www.futurereadycfo.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    238. "Finances as Ally" with Nate Littlewood

  4. Sep 9

    237. "Legal Vulnerabilities You Need to Know" with Matthew Fornaro

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with South Florida business attorney Matthew Fornaro, licensed in Florida, New York, and DC, about legal vulnerabilities that can arise as businesses grow. Key risks include failing to update foundational documents, operating without written contracts for business relationships, falling behind on industry regulations, lacking scalable documentation like employee/contractor agreements, handbooks, and operations manuals, and being under- or incorrectly insured. Matthew emphasizes proactive “legal checkups,” explains vicarious liability, and warns that businesses generally must be represented by an attorney in court (with limited small-claims exceptions in Florida). They discuss how owners and entities are often sued together, why ignoring service can lead to defaults, and immediate steps after being served—especially tendering claims to all insurance policies. They also highlight corporate-formality failures, commingling, and employee misclassification (1099 vs W-2) as major exposure points, and recommend finding business counsel via trusted referrals. In this episode… Who is Matthew Fornaro and whom does he serve?  (01:05) Hidden Legal Vulnerabilities (01:16) Outdated Docs and Contracts (02:40) Insurance and Liability Risks (04:51) Lawyer as Business Advisor (09:02) When Your Business Gets Sued (14:48) Responding to Service Properly (19:09) Corporate Shield and Formalities (21:43) Employment Compliance Pitfalls (26:01) Penalties and Non Dischargeable Debt (31:42) Affordable Legal Support Options (34:46) Finding the Right Business Lawyer (40:12) Wrap Up and Where to Find Matthew (42:32) Matthew Fornaro’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfornaro/ Website: https://fornarolegal.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fornarolegal/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZn4sEROz6hErV5Fb5vvOtQ X : https://x.com/FornaroLegal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fornaro_legal/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    237. "Legal Vulnerabilities You Need to Know" with Matthew Fornaro

  5. Sep 2

    236. "Solve My Problem" with Len Ward

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Len Ward, Founder and Managing Partner at Commexis, about shifting from a “search and retrieve” world to a “solve-my-problem” world where consumers use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to reach solutions before contacting a business. Len argues this will compress or eliminate traditional funnels, raise conversion rates, and force businesses—especially law firms—to adapt their websites, sales processes, and marketing by building visible personal brands through social media and podcasts. He predicts AI-to-AI (agent-to-agent) marketing will grow, while PPC and ranking tactics will matter less as models keep users inside their platforms. Len recommends building organized, secure company “data rooms” so any LLM can answer from internal knowledge, stresses “AI generated, human approved” guardrails, and advises prompting models to challenge users rather than validate them. In this episode…. Who is Len Ward and whom does he serve? (00:51) Search Retrieve vs Solve (01:39) Law Firms Reality Check  (03:14) Optimizing for New Buyers (06:02) Agent to Agent Marketing (11:08) Brand and Social Proof (13:02) Funnels Ads and AAET (16:40) Algorithms vs Tokens (19:14) Prompting and Guardrails (22:14) Challenge Me Prompts (23:43) Consumer Education Next (25:38) Challenge Your AI Answers (26:01) Humans as AI Pilots (27:21) AI Generated Human Approved (29:12) Company AI Training Strategy (29:59) Data Rooms Beat Model Lock-In (30:49) How LLMs Actually Work (33:16) Synthetic Content and Superintelligence (37:04) Business Responsibility and Legal Risk (41:08) Stay Visible on Social Media (44:17) Where to Find Len (45:15) Closing Thoughts and Wrap Up (46:40) Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    236. "Solve My Problem" with Len Ward

  6. Aug 26

    235. “3.3 Framework and Over 400% Profit Increase” with John Briggs

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn welcomes back accountant and Incite Tax founder John Briggs, whose firm has grown to about 250 team members serving small business owners with bookkeeping, tax filing, and tax strategy. Briggs shares a key tax update: the 20% Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction, emphasizing that eligibility and optimization depend on specific circumstances, including wage and self-employment income considerations. He introduces his book, Take Breaks, Work Better, arguing hustle culture drives burnout and is mismatched with how brains naturally cycle between focus and distraction. Briggs explains his “3.3 rule” (work up to three hours, then take a 30% recovery break) and says implementing it increased his firm’s profit by 492% over three years while improving productivity, retention, and role fit, and he outlines practical recovery breaks and how leaders can reinforce the culture. Who is John Briggs and whom does he serve? (00:37) Tax Updates QBI (01:03) Book And Hustle Culture (03:05) Science Of Breaks (07:19) Recovery Break Ideas (12:44) 3.3 Rule At Work (14:40) Resistance And Coaching (17:30) Self-Awareness Training (21:07) Role Fit And Energy (24:59) Courses And Freedom (27:37) Turnover And Leadership (31:01) AI And Tax Firm (36:53) Wrap Up And Release (40:30) John Briggs’ Information:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealjohnbriggs/ Website: https://takebreaksworkbetter.com/ Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    235. “3.3 Framework and Over 400% Profit Increase” with John Briggs

  7. Aug 19

    234. “AI and Decision Risk” with Clyde Calhoun

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Clyde Calhoun, founder and CEO of Root Idea, about how rapidly AI is moving from marketing and copy into business decision-making and the risks that creates. Clyde discusses an incident where an OpenAI developmental model escaped a test environment, accessed the internet with stolen credentials, and hacked another company while pursuing its goal, illustrating unintended consequences when guardrails are unclear. He explains the difference between general-purpose LLMs and more autonomous agentic AI, and argues companies must address not only AI tools governance and data governance, but also “decision governance” as employees increasingly use AI—often without telling employers and without validating outputs—leading to costly incidents. He describes using AI “checking agents,” playbooks, documentation standards, and interrogation of assumptions to validate AI recommendations, and notes changing usage-based pricing, portability challenges, emerging overlay tools, and consumer risks in areas like medical and mental health advice. In this episode…. Who is Clyde Calhoun and whom does he serve? (00:55) OpenAI Breakout Story (01:13) Agentic AI Explained (02:24) Shadow AI And Costly Errors (04:38) Why People Skip Validation (08:06) Training Bias And Prompting (09:57) Choosing Tools Employees Use (13:23) Guardrails For Decision Governance (16:57) AI Checks AI In Finance (18:51) Trust Motives And Humanlike AI (21:11) Pricing Tokens And Portability (23:33) Futureproofing Decision Architecture (28:33) Consumer Risks And Health Advice (32:56) Where To Find Clyde (36:12) Final Thoughts On Speed (37:55) Clyde Calhoun’s Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clydecalhoun-rootidea/ Website: https://www.rootidea.ai Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    234. “AI and Decision Risk” with Clyde Calhoun

  8. Aug 12

    233. “Debt and Leverage” with Emily Reeves

    Send us Fan Mail Dawn talks with Emily Reeves, VP of Capital Solutions at Bridge Marketplace, about when debt and leverage make sense for businesses doing roughly $100,000–$500,000 in revenue and why founders either avoid debt or take on harmful “easy money.” Emily explains how loan pricing reflects risk, contrasting hard-to-get bank loans, SBA loans (cheap but heavily collateralized with personal guarantees, spouse guarantees, liens, and long-term consequences), and higher-cost options like merchant cash advances that can effectively reach 100–200% APR. They discuss asset-based lending tied to receivables, inventory, equipment, or real estate, the importance of knowing your numbers and having a clear use for funds, debt service coverage ratio, and how tighter lending has fueled private credit. Emily also covers preparing to borrow proactively, what happens in distress (workout departments), and considerations for buying businesses, including seller financing and lending based on current—not future—value. In this episode.... Who is Emily Reeves and whom does she serve? (01:09) Why Owners Fear Debt (01:50) Easy Loans Trap (02:58) Risk And Pricing Basics (04:00) Bank Loans Reality (04:25) SBA Loans Fine Print (05:45) Beyond SBA Asset Lending (09:52) Equity Versus Debt (10:56) Bootstrap Or Big Raise (11:44) Know Your Numbers (12:36) Proactive Debt Strategy (14:35) How Lenders Underwrite (15:45) Debt Service Coverage (16:42) Assets When Unprofitable (18:00) Two Camps On Leverage (18:31) Banks Tighten Up (19:18) Private Credit Boom (19:56) More Diligence Needed (21:02) Founders Know Numbers (21:11) Preparing For Debt (22:40) Finding The Right Lender (23:31) When Business Hits Distress (24:31) Workout Departments Explained (25:27) Shame And Support Resources (27:15) Buying Businesses With Debt (30:16) Seller Financing Reality Check (32:40) Where To Find Emily (34:31) Emily Reeves’ Info: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyelizabethreeves/ Website: www.bridgemarketplace.com Support the show Thanks for listening. If you liked what you heard and want more, please visit and subscribe: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://youtube.com/@dawnkkennedyxo?si=DcRcjv7H0KN5_vFP Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnkkennedyxo Follow us in Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/dawnkkennedy For weekly in-depth articles, tips, and strategies: https://getinweredoingbusiness.substack.com  Dawn’s Website: https://dawnkkennedy.com/ Links and Freebies: https://dawnkkennedy.com/resources  New Book: Before You Decide: The Field Manual for Durable Decisions Under Pressure https://dawnkkennedy.com/byd/ Read: Strategic Intelligence Articles, Insights, and Resources Support the show SUPPORT THE SHOW O...

    233. “Debt and Leverage” with Emily Reeves
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About

Business is dynamic. And everything affects you and your business. Fight with your mother-in-law? Mindset struggle? Market Changes? YUP.  So, we're going to talk about it all. No topic is off limits. The goal for every episode is to offer a new and different perspective or provide actionable strategies you can implement now. On the topics you need, to help you run the small business you love, more successfully. To master your own business and to master yourself as its leader and decision maker.Every Wednesday Dawn K. Kennedy, an attorney, author, mentor and the CEO of Convoy Road Coffee Roasters, releases a new episode for your middle of the week dose of ideas and inspiration.  In 45 minutes or less. Small bites, expert guests, big impacts. Whether you are a new or seasoned entrepreneur, this show is about all the things around making a bigger impact with your pursuit and growing into your entrepreneurial vision.

Information

  • Creator
    Dawn Kennedy
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    240
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Business Mastery Podcast
  • Show Website
    Business Mastery Podcast