Diamond Effect - Strategies to Scale Your Service Business as a Sellable Asset

Maggie Perotin
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

This podcast helps service-based entrepreneurs and business owners scale their businesses in any economy without overworking or overwhelm. The goal is to create an asset you can sell while enjoying life as you build it. Here, you turn your business into a client-attracting gem and become a high-performing CEO. About the Host:Maggie Perotin is the founder of Stairway to Leadership. As an international business and leadership coach, Maggie helps service-based business owners start, grow, and scale their businesses without overworking or being overwhelmed.   With her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, her clients scale while transforming into high-performing CEOs of their businesses.This is what USA Today wrote about this model in the article titled: "How Stairway to Leadership is turning small businesses into high-profit ventures.""(...) her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, she helps her clients align their mindset, business strategy, and high-performance habits to transform their businesses from an unreliable source of income to a super-productive client-attracting gem. Maggie adds that she uses all her knowledge and experience to help her clients grow their businesses in a strategic and innovative way while supporting them in building a successful business that consistently attracts their ideal clients. She specializes in helping them build a brand that showcases their uniqueness to reach their full potential, becoming the powerful CEO they’re capable of being."      Maggie has over 15 years of experience in corporate leadership in various business domains and coaching. She holds an executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute.   Maggie lives in Toronto, Canada, with her blended family with four kids. She loves spending time in nature, traveling, reading, dancing, good food, and giving back. To learn more, head to www.stairwaytoleadership.com To work with Maggie and gain break-through clarity on why your business isn't scaling- schedule a free 50-min consultation https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call

  1. 11h ago ·  Bonus

    Maggie's Moment - FIFA World Cup Edition - MM 261

    The world's best soccer players don't perform at the World Cup level by accident. They treat their body and mind as their biggest asset.  They are pros just like you are a pro in business.  That's why a week at the cottage in August won't restore you if you're not taking care of yourself the other 51 weeks of the year. Today's Maggie's Moment is your reminder of why taking care of yourself is not a luxury but a must-do for all business owners.

    5 min

  2. 3d ago

    How Divorce, Burnout, and 18 Years in Corporate Made Me the Coach Whose Clients Get Amazing Results - EP 260

    What makes a great business coach? It's not just certifications or years of experience. It's the combination of everything life has thrown at them, and what they did with it. In this personal episode, Maggie pulls back the curtain on the story behind her coaching philosophy, why she combines business consulting with coaching and high-performance habits, and the 7 unique things that make her the coach her clients can't stop raving about. If you've ever wondered what makes Maggie different, this is the episode to listen to. What You'll Learn: Why business strategy alone will never be enough to get you results, and what's missingHow Maggie's parents' divorce at age 11 shaped her ability to read people and coach with precisionWhy being introverted and intuitive are actually superpowers in the coaching roomHow corporate burnout led Maggie to high-performance coaching, and why she now brings it to every clientThe difference between a consultant and a coach, and why Maggie bridges bothThe 7 unique skills and experiences that combine to make Maggie's coaching unlike anything else on the marketWhy Maggie's free consultation feels nothing like a sales call and everything like a coaching session Resources & Links Mentioned: 🎯 Book your FREE complimentary consultation with Maggie: https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call-1 📧 Stop the Lull Challenge — Build a complete email sales sequence in 5 days using AI. Available July 13–17, 2026 - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stop-the-lull-build-an-email-sequence-in-5-days-and-make-sales-this-summer-tickets-1990959977889  (If you're listening after July 2026, book the free consultation instead) Connect with Maggie: 🌐 Website: https://stairwaytoleadership.com 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggie.perotin.s2l/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-perotin-business-and-leadership-coach/ 🎙️ Subscribe to the Diamond Effect Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts

    28 min

  3. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    What to do when summer is slow for business - MM 260

    Stop the Lull is a 5-day live challenge for service-based business owners who are done letting summer be their slow season. In one hour a day, you'll build a complete email sales sequence using AI  tailored to your offer, written in your voice, scheduled, and ready to go by day five. No tech experience needed. No paid tools required. Just five focused hours and you walk away with a sales asset that works for you all summer long. 📅 July 13–17, 2026  ⏰ 12–1 pm EDT daily  💰 $93 CAD Registration link - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stop-the-lull-build-an-email-sequence-in-5-days-and-make-sales-this-summer-tickets-1990959977889 See you there!

    4 min

  4. Jun 26

    Client Acquisition for Service-Based Businesses. The Complete System Most Owners Are Missing - EP # 259

    Are you doing all the right things to get clients, like networking, posting on social media, and asking for referrals, but your revenue is still inconsistent? The problem might not be your effort. It might be that your client acquisition strategy is fragmented, and the pieces aren't working together as a system. In this episode, Maggie Perotin breaks down her Client Acquisition Engine - the complete three-part framework she uses with her clients inside the Sustainable Scale System to help service-based business owners get clients consistently, without overworking themselves or burning out. You'll walk away knowing exactly what a complete client acquisition system looks like, where your gaps are, and what to fix first. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why treating marketing, nurturing, and sales as separate strategies is costing you clients and moneyThe 3 buckets of a complete Client Acquisition Engine and why most business owners are missing at least oneWhen to use organic marketing vs. paid marketing and why jumping to paid too early is a costly mistakeThe surprising statistic about how many of your leads are actually ready to buy right now (hint: it's not many, and what to do about the rest)Why email marketing is one of the most underutilized and most powerful tools in a service businessHow your sales process structure directly impacts your conversion rate, and what to change to close more clients with the same leadsThe real cost of not having a client acquisition engine, and how to calculate what your gaps are costing youWhy growing too fast without preparing your delivery side can hurt your brand, your clients, and your teamResources & Links Mentioned: 🎯 Book your FREE complimentary consultation with Maggie — she'll review your client acquisition strategy, identify your gaps, and tell you exactly what to fix: https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call-1 📧 Stop the Lull Challenge — Build a complete email sales sequence in 5 days, one hour a day, using AI: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stop-the-lull-build-an-email-sequence-in-5-days-and-make-sales-this-summer-tickets-1990959977889 (Available for July 2026 only; if you're listening after July 2026, book the free consultation instead) Connect with Maggie: 🌐 Website: https://www.stairwaytoleadership.com/  📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggie.perotin.s2l/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-perotin-business-and-leadership-coach/   🎙️ Subscribe to the Diamond Effect Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts About Maggie Perotin: Maggie Perotin is an international business and leadership coach, founder of Stairway to Leadership, and host of the Diamond Effect Podcast. With 20+ years of corporate leadership experience managing complex, fast-paced service operations across North America, Maggie brings a uniquely systems-driven and results-focused approach to coaching service-based business owners. She helps her clients build profitable, sellable businesses through her Sustainable Scale System without burnout, without overwhelm, and without leaving money on the table. If this episode helped you, please: ⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more business owners find the show 📤 Share this episode with a fellow service-based business owner who needs to hear it 🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode

    36 min

  5. Jun 22 ·  Bonus

    The Three Core Values Behind My Brand. And How They Can Transform Your Business - MM 259

    Before strategy, before marketing, before anything else — the businesses that scale sustainably start with one thing: their foundation. In this Maggie's Moment, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my brand and sharing the three core values that drive everything I do. Where they came from, why they matter, and what they mean for you as a business owner. Courage. Excellence. Simplicity. Three values. Three stories. And one question I want to leave you with by the end. Hit play. It's a tremendous value in just a few minutes.  Ready to Define Your Foundation? If you're building or scaling a service business and you haven't clearly defined your values, vision, and mission, that's exactly where we start. Reach out and let's talk about what your foundation looks like and how to build on it. 🌐 Https://stairwaytoleadership.com

    8 min

  6. Jun 19

    How to Find Clients During the Summer Slow Season Using Email Marketing - EP 258

    Does Your Service Business Slow Down Every Summer? You're not alone. Most service-based business owners experience a summer lull — fewer inquiries, slower conversions, and that uncomfortable feeling of watching your calendar empty out while hoping things will pick back up on their own. But here's the truth: crossing your fingers is not a strategy. In this episode of the Diamond Effect Podcast, Maggie Perotin breaks down exactly why your business doesn't have to slow down this summer, and the one tool most service business owners are completely underusing to attract clients, build relationships, and make consistent sales no matter the season. That tool? Email marketing. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why service businesses experience a summer lull — and what separates owners who thrive anyway from those who don'tThe "three types of business owners" quiz — which one are you this summer?Why do you already have a goldmine of potential clients sitting in your contacts right nowHow email marketing works even if you're not techy, not a writer, and have never sent a marketing email beforeWhy email marketing delivers the highest ROI of any marketing strategy — and why it works especially well for service businessesHow to use AI to write emails in your voice in minutes (even if English isn't your first language)Why your email list is an asset you OWN — and why that matters more than any social media followingThe mindset shifts that stop most business owners from ever starting (and how to overcome them fast) Key Takeaways: Only 9% of people are ready to buy at any given moment. The other 91% need time, consistency, and trust — and email is how you build all three without relying on an algorithm. You don't need to be techy or a great writer. Your clients don't need elaborate designs or perfectly crafted copy. They need to feel like you understand them. That's it. Your email list is yours forever. Social media platforms can disappear or ban your account overnight. Your email list is a business asset you own and control. Email marketing works for every service business. If your industry isn't using it much — that's an advantage, not a reason to skip it. Busy does not equal productive. If you're too busy to work on strategies that bring in new clients, you're too busy for your business to grow. The Summer Lull Is Optional The business owners who struggle every summer are the ones solving the wrong problem: taking courses, tweaking their website, waiting for the economy to shift. Meanwhile, the owners who thrive are the ones doing the work to get visible in front of the clients who are already out there looking for exactly what they offer. Your potential clients aren't all on vacation. They're in your inbox, in your contact list, on your email list — waiting to hear from you. Join Maggie and her clients for Stop the Lull: Build an Email Sequence in Five Days and Make Sales This Summer. A live 5-day online workshop — July 13–17, one hour per day at noon EST REGISTER HERE - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stop-the-lull-build-an-email-sequence-in-5-days-and-make-sales-this-summer-tickets-1990959977889 In just five hours across the week, you will: Overcome every mindset block around email marketingGet clear on your offer, your messaging, and your ideal clientBuild a complete, ready-to-send email sequence tailored to your businessUse AI-powered prompts to write every email fast — in your voiceSchedule and send your sequence by Day 5 Investment: $93 CAD  Registration link here - https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/stop-the-lull-build-an-email-sequence-in-5-days-and-make-sales-this-summer-tickets-1990959977889 Timestamps [00:00] Summer is here — and so is the lull[02:00] Why hoping for a better summer won't cut it[03:30] The three types of business owners quiz — which one are you?[06:30] The one strategy that changes everything[07:30] The goldmine you're sitting on right now[09:30] Objection #1: "It's too hard and I'm not techy"[12:30] Objection #2: "People get too many emails already"[14:30] Objection #3: "I'm not a writer"[17:30] How AI makes email marketing fast and easy[19:00] Objection #4: "Email doesn't work in my industry"20:00] Objection #5: "I don't have time"[23:00] Why email marketing is your highest-leverage business activity[25:00] Introducing Stop the Lull: the 5-day experience[27:00] What happens each day of the event[31:00] Who this is for and what you'll walk away with[33:00] Why summer is actually the perfect time to do this Connect With Maggie Website:  stairwaytoleadership.com  Email:  maggie@stairwaytoleadership.com  Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a service business owner who needs to hear it.

    36 min

  7. Jun 15 ·  Bonus

    Email Marketing for Service Businesses. How to Nurture Leads and Convert More Clients - MM 258

    You're showing up. You're networking. You're posting. But the leads aren't converting the way they should. Here's what's missing — and it's simpler than you think. Only 9% of people are ready to buy at any given moment. The other 81%? They need nurturing. And email is how you do it — consistently, personally, and without relying on an algorithm. Your email list is an asset you own. No platform can take it away. If you've been sitting on a list you haven't touched — or you've been thinking about starting — this one's for you. 👇 DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn, and I'll help you keep it simple. #EmailMarketing #ServiceBusiness #ScaleYourBusiness #BusinessGrowth #ClientAttraction #MarketingStrategy #WomenInBusiness #EmailList #NurtureYourLeads

    4 min

  8. Jun 12

    “What’s Possible Now?” Turning Midlife Disruption Into Your Next Chapter with Teresa Fox - EP 257

    What happens when the plan you thought you were building your life around suddenly changes? In this episode of the Diamond Effect Podcast, Maggie sits down with Teresa Fox, a former corporate leader who reinvented herself in midlife and is now a luxury travel advisor based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Teresa shares a grounded, honest look at what it really takes to go from corporate structure to entrepreneurial life and how to turn disruption into an opportunity doorway. This conversation is for the high-achieving woman who’s done “the right thing” for years… and is now asking a new question: What now? In this episode, we talk about - The identity shift from corporate expert to business owner, and what Teresa carried over from corporate that helped her succeed fast, and what she had to relearn from scratch - How structure, routines, and boundaries can actually create more freedom when you work from home - Teresa’s relationship-building “secret sauce” (and why curiosity is a business advantage) - Making the best of unexpected circumstances: how COVID, early retirement, and a delayed franchise plan opened a new path - Decision-making, intuition with how Teresa thinks about saying yes to opportunities — without saying yes to everything The conversation ends with a peek into Teresa’s world of luxury travel: what all clients really want now (hint: it’s not just nicer hotels) Listen for these moments: The mindset reframe that helps Teresa move from disappointment to possibility The subtle difference between being “busy” and being responsible for your own results Why returning to familiar places (in travel and in life) can still be a form of growth Connect with Teresa via website: https://slyfoxtravels.com If you’re in a season where something didn’t go to plan — a job change, a pivot, a life transition — let this episode remind you that disruption doesn’t have to mean derailment. Your next chapter might not be what you planned… but it can still be the right one. Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform (and on YouTube), and if you do,  share your biggest takeaway. More about my Guest: Teresa Fox knows that reinvention doesn't come with a roadmap. After building a successful corporate career spanning more than two decades in sales and leadership, she made the bold decision to pivot into entrepreneurship and luxury travel, creating a business that aligns with her values, strengths, and vision for the next chapter of life. Today, Teresa is a luxury travel advisor and entrepreneur who designs extraordinary experiences for discerning travelers around the world. She also serves as South Florida Chapter Lead for Fora Travel, where she builds community among local advisors and fosters relationships with global travel partners. Her work is rooted in the belief that meaningful connections and transformative experiences have the power to change lives. Drawing on her own experience navigating uncertainty, career change, and personal growth, Teresa brings a practical and refreshing perspective to what it really takes to pivot in midlife and build a life that feels more authentic than the one you left behind. In this conversation, Teresa shares lessons on embracing change, trusting yourself through transitions, and finding opportunity in unexpected places.

    35 min
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5
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15 Ratings

About

This podcast helps service-based entrepreneurs and business owners scale their businesses in any economy without overworking or overwhelm. The goal is to create an asset you can sell while enjoying life as you build it. Here, you turn your business into a client-attracting gem and become a high-performing CEO. About the Host:Maggie Perotin is the founder of Stairway to Leadership. As an international business and leadership coach, Maggie helps service-based business owners start, grow, and scale their businesses without overworking or being overwhelmed.   With her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, her clients scale while transforming into high-performing CEOs of their businesses.This is what USA Today wrote about this model in the article titled: "How Stairway to Leadership is turning small businesses into high-profit ventures.""(...) her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, she helps her clients align their mindset, business strategy, and high-performance habits to transform their businesses from an unreliable source of income to a super-productive client-attracting gem. Maggie adds that she uses all her knowledge and experience to help her clients grow their businesses in a strategic and innovative way while supporting them in building a successful business that consistently attracts their ideal clients. She specializes in helping them build a brand that showcases their uniqueness to reach their full potential, becoming the powerful CEO they’re capable of being."      Maggie has over 15 years of experience in corporate leadership in various business domains and coaching. She holds an executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute.   Maggie lives in Toronto, Canada, with her blended family with four kids. She loves spending time in nature, traveling, reading, dancing, good food, and giving back. To learn more, head to www.stairwaytoleadership.com To work with Maggie and gain break-through clarity on why your business isn't scaling- schedule a free 50-min consultation https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call

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