Business from Scratch

Abbye McGee
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  1. 5d ago

    Building a Business That Works Even When You Take a Break to Rest | Ep 49

    If you’ve ever said, “I’ll rest when things slow down,” this episode is for you. And honestly, it’s for me, too. With the holidays approaching, I’m talking about the habit so many of us have of running ourselves into the ground and treating time off like something we still haven’t earned. I’m sharing why rest belongs in your business plan and how to recognize when you’re running low. Dreading your inbox, struggling with small decisions, snapping at your team, or feeling resentful toward the business you built? Those are signs worth paying attention to. Exhaustion affects our creativity, our patience, and the decisions we make every day. We’ll walk through four practical ways to make a break actually happen: putting it on the calendar first, communicating with customers and your team, preparing work in advance, and getting specific about what being “off” means. “I’ll try not to work too much” is a wish, but a boundary needs an actual plan. If this is your busiest season, small rest still counts. A real lunch away from your phone, a walk, or an evening with a firm stopping time can make a difference. We’ll also talk about the guilt that comes with stepping away and giving yourself the same kindness you’d offer someone you love. Your assignment this week: block your time off and choose one small daily act of rest for the next seven days. You deserve to enjoy the thing you’ve worked so hard to build. Let’s make room for that before January. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  2. Oct 20

    Why Your Best Quarter Can Still Feel Like a Cash Crunch | Ep 48

    Your sales look great. You’re busier than ever. So why does your bank account feel like it missed the memo? In this solo episode, I’m talking about the Q4 cash flow squeeze and why even your best quarter can leave you scrambling to pay the bills. Between inventory, holiday advertising, extra help, and clients who pay “after the holidays,” money can leave your account long before the revenue catches up. I’ve been there, and it can make a successful season feel surprisingly stressful. I’m walking you through a simple weekly cash flow forecast: what’s in the bank, what’s coming in, and what’s going out. We’ll cover how to map out your fixed expenses and seasonal spending, use realistic income estimates, and plan around when payments actually arrive. The goal is to find your lowest cash week early enough to do something about it, whether that means splitting up an order, sending invoices sooner, or holding off on a big expense. We’re also talking about holiday promotions and why more orders don’t automatically mean more money left over. Before you offer a discount, you need to understand how much more you’ll have to sell to make it worthwhile, and whether you can actually handle that volume. And because your bills don’t take a break after December, we’re looking ahead to January, too. I’ll share how to figure out your cash cushion, set aside money for the slower weeks, and keep your forecast useful with a quick weekly check-in. You built a business. A spreadsheet is not going to beat you. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  3. Oct 13

    REPLAY: Why Rest Is a Leadership Skill | Ep 11

    Today, we are bringing back one of our favorite episodes to share with you again. Rest is skill so valuable we want to reflect on it's power in our every day lives as business leaders. In this episode, I talk honestly about one of the hardest leadership lessons I’ve had to learn as a founder: how to take time off without feeling guilty. I share why so many business owners - especially women - struggle with rest, how guilt gets tied to productivity, and why our teams often mirror the behavior we model. Through my own experiences of burnout and exhaustion, I explain how refusing to rest doesn’t make us noble leaders - it quietly teaches our teams to ignore their own needs too. Timestamps (00:00) — Intro (02:07) — Founder Burnout Reality (04:18) — Rest As Leadership (06:31) — Building Rest Rhythms (08:57) — Stop Glamorizing Burnout (10:24) — Releasing Founder Guilt (12:58) — Modeling Sustainable Leadership About the Show Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy. Connect with Abbye LinkedIn ⁠⁠Instagram Website Find the Show Here: YouTube Apple ⁠⁠⁠Spotify

  4. Oct 6

    Your Q4 Reality Check: What to Finish, What to Move, and What to Let Go | Ep 47

    It’s officially Q4, and if your first thought is, “Wait, how did we get here already?” you’re in good company. In this solo episode, I’m walking through an honest year-end reality check so you can finish the year feeling steady and head into January with an actual plan. We’re looking at your real numbers, what happened to those January goals, and why “different than planned” doesn’t automatically mean you’re behind. I share a simple way to sort what’s still doable, what deserves a place on next year’s calendar, and what you’re allowed to let go of because it never really fit the business or life you want. Then we’re narrowing your focus to three goals: one for money, one for systems, and one for you as an actual human outside your business. Each needs a concrete next step, because a number you like the sound of isn’t much of a plan. You don’t have to sprint into the holidays proving something to anyone. You just need to get honest about where you are and intentional about where you’re headed. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  5. Sep 29

    Buying a Business and Making It Your Own w/ Nigel Wilson and Michael Ussery | Ep 46

    When Nigel Wilson bought The Ibis from Matt and me, he got more than just a coffee shop and bar. He took on a business with an established identity, a team, and a community of people who already loved it. So as the new owner coming in he had to decide what to keep, and what needed to change. In this episode, I sit down with Nigel and Michael Ussery of Brand Engine to talk about The Ibis’s first year under new ownership. Nigel shares what surprised him about the acquisition and what led him to consider a rebrand. Michael walks us through the discovery process and how they translated a new vision into the website, social media, and the experience of walking through the door. I get to ask the questions I’ve been curious about as the person who built the original version of The Ibis. It’s a conversation about the practical decisions behind an acquisition and rebrand, and what it feels like to watch something you created become someone else’s. If you’ve bought a business, are considering a rebrand, or are figuring out how to let go of something you built, I think you’ll find a lot in this conversation. I’m proud of what The Ibis was, and I love seeing what Nigel and his team are making of it now. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  6. Sep 22

    How to Build a Business Partnership That Actually Works | Ep 45

    Business partnerships can be incredibly valuable, but they’re also more complicated than splitting the work and sharing the profits. In this episode, I’m breaking down what it actually takes to build a partnership that works, both legally and personally. We’ll talk about the different business structures, what belongs in a strong operating agreement, and why a casual handshake can leave both partners vulnerable. I’m also sharing what I’ve learned from co-owning Starling with Matt Ray, one of my oldest friends. We made the decision early that our friendship would come before the business, but protecting that relationship takes honest conversations, clear roles, shared financial visibility, and systems that keep resentment from quietly building. Whether you’re considering starting a business with someone or you’re several years into a partnership without much on paper, this episode will help you ask better questions, prepare for the uncomfortable possibilities, and create a structure that protects both the business and the people behind it. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

  7. Sep 15

    Small Shifts, Better Leadership, and a Healthier Business w/ Angela Conicelli | Ep 44

    In this episode, I’m joined by Angela Conicelli, life and leadership coach and founder of Work of Life. Angela works with leaders, overthinkers, and ambitious humans who feel stuck, are navigating a pivotal moment, or simply need help figuring out what comes next. We talk about why coaching isn’t about someone handing you the answers. It’s about asking the right questions until you uncover the answer that is actually right for you and turning that clarity into forward motion. Angela also shares practical ways to move between work and life with more intention, including her simple practice of “release tension and set intention.” We get honest about overthinking, powering through difficult seasons, leading a healthy team, and the emotional weight business owners often carry home with them. More than anything, this conversation is a reminder that you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Whether you need help making a decision, developing your leaders, supporting your team, or building a business that works with the life you want, the right support can change everything. Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy. Learn more about Work of Life at https://work-of-life.com

  8. Sep 8

    Is Your Business Actually Ready to Scale? | Ep 43

    Everyone  wants to scale, but wanting to grow and being ready to scale are two very different things. In this episode, I’m breaking down what scaling actually requires and the four signals that can help you determine whether your business is ready: consistent demand, operational independence, healthy numbers, and repeatable processes. I also talk about the mindset shift that happens when you move from doer to architect. Scaling means learning to trust your people, build systems that work without you, and solving the structural problems behind the day-to-day fires. Finally, I’m sharing five practical places to start, including documenting your processes, identifying your biggest constraint, hiring ahead of demand, strengthening your financial foundation, and focusing on one scalable offer at a time. Scaling can be one of the most exciting chapters in your business, but only if you build the foundation before adding more floor! Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

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About

Business From Scratch with Abbye McGee is for people who are building a business while rebuilding their life. Abbye, a single mom and three-time founder, shares clear and honest talk about the real work behind mindset, money, identity, and daily life when you start from zero. The show gives you steady guidance, simple steps you can use right away, and real conversations with founders, creatives, and friends who built their own way. Each week helps you focus, test ideas, and keep moving even when the process feels messy.

Information

  • Creator
    Abbye McGee
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    50
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Abbye McGee
  • Show Website
    Business from Scratch

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