Here2Elevate

Suzanne
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  • Entrepreneurship

 Here2Elevate with Suzanne Hopson  Running a business and leading people are among the hardest jobs in the world. Here2Elevate is the podcast for business owners, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving.  Each episode dives into the real conversations leaders need to have, covering accountability, leadership, culture, sales, business development, and living a life they want. Using decades of experience in growing businesses and people, this is meant for those willing to learn, innovate, and learn the core disciplines that successful business operating systems have. No fluff, no theory. Just practical strategies and honest insight to help you run your business and your life better.  Vision guides. People build. Execution wins. 

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Marketing Challenges and Fractional Solutions EP 005

    In this episode of Here2Elevate, Suzanne sits down with Daryl Smith, founder of Nexify Marketing Consulting and a former multifamily CMO, to unpack why how you structure your message matters just as much as the message itself.   Most small and mid-sized businesses already have strong language about what they do. The problem is where it lives. Daryl explains how features end up at the top of a website while the benefits and proof customers are looking for sit two or three clicks down, and how to rebuild that messaging architecture without losing the founder's vision.   Suzanne and Daryl also dig into marketing as both art and science in the age of AI, how to be found when buyers ask ChatGPT who to hire, when a rebrand is worth it, the difference between advising, consulting, and fractional work, and how to earn a wary client's trust quickly.   Key Moments:   ·       0:50 – Why most businesses have the right words in the wrong structure   ·       3:46 – The features, benefits, and proof pattern Daryl sees in every client   ·       9:45 – Marketing as art and science in the age of AI   ·       12:48 – How to get found in AI search and the new “SEOs”   ·       15:27 – When a rebrand makes sense, and when it doesn't   ·       20:17 – Advisor, consultant, or fractional: three lanes, three different jobs   ·       28:22 – How to build trust quickly with a wary client   Golden Episode Nuggets:   💎  Most small businesses already have the right words. What's missing is the structure.   💎  Lead with benefits and proof, not features. Don't make visitors click twice to find what they came for.   💎  A rebrand only works when it's tied to a five to ten year business plan, not just a fresh look.   💎  AI rewards the people who know what they're asking it for, so start with a clear objective.   💎  Advisor, consultant, and fractional are three different lanes with three different deliverables.   💎  Trust starts with listening, then showing you heard by tying a written deliverable to what the client asked for.    About Our Guest:  Daryl Smith is the founder of Nexify Marketing Consulting, where he helps small and mid-sized businesses and vendors position their brands through clear messaging architecture. He spent more than 25 years in multifamily and progressive marketing roles, including many years as a CMO, before launching Nexify.  His approach starts with what is already working in a client's message, fills in what is missing, and protects the vision behind the business along the way. Daryl is a graduate of the founding cohort of the Elevated Fractional credentialing program, a published author, and is currently writing his second book.   Resources Mentioned: Nexify Marketing Consulting, Daryl's messaging and brand positioning firmElevated Fractional (TEF) Credentialing Program from Here2Elevate, with the next cohort launching in January Fractionals on Deck, Here2Elevate's partner platform for fractional professionals   Quote of the Episode: “Creating something just for the sake of creating something isn't helpful. You want to create a mark and identity that has something behind it.” – Daryl Smith   📝Leave a review and let us know: what's one thing on your website you'd move higher on the page this week? Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  2. Oct 20

    Navigating Distress in Investment Real Estate EP 004

    In this episode of Here2Elevate, Suzanne Hopson sits down with Mike Hills, who runs Capital Markets at Atlas Real Estate, fresh off the Blueprint conference, to ask a question every owner and operator should be willing to answer: what do the people who work for you get besides a paycheck?  Atlas manages 6,400 rental units and built that portfolio organically, without private equity or growth by acquisition. Mike explains why the company stopped buying for three years, how it is buying again by going after financial distress instead of operational distress, and what a culture of discipline looks like when you say no as often as you say yes. He and Suzanne also get into using AI and real-time data to scale across markets, why fear is what holds most leaders back, and how Atlas teaches both employees and residents to build wealth through real estate.  If you’re a business owner trying to grow without losing control, or a leader who has been waiting for the right moment to loosen up on technology, this conversation is a practical look at how to scale with discipline and keep your people with you by choice.  Key Moments: ·       3:55 – Pencils down for three years, and why Atlas is buying again by targeting financial distress ·       7:45 – How Atlas opens new markets and scales with technology ·       12:24 – Why property manager health and owner health matter as much as resident experience ·       15:04 – A culture of discipline: empowered, accountable, and clear on the two things that matter most ·       19:02 – Why fear is what keeps leaders from using AI ·       25:35 – Entrepreneurship is about options, and teaching employees and residents to own real estate   Golden Episode Nuggets:   💎  Buying financial distress on a strong asset is different from buying a building that needs fixing   💎  Patience is a discipline, and the ability to say no is part of it   💎  Bad news faster and first: get problems to the person who can solve them   💎  The real obstacle to AI is fear, and the first step is admitting it   💎  If you want people to come to work with you, give them something beyond the paycheck   About Our Guest:  Mike Hills runs Capital Markets at Atlas Real Estate, a vertically integrated real estate company founded in 2008 that manages 6,400 rental units across ten states. He has been with Atlas for 13 years, joining as the second employee, and the company has grown organically without private equity backing. Mike is also an individual investor who, with his wife, owns more than 40 rental units.  If you want to talk through scaling, opening new markets, or investing in distressed real estate, Mike says he is happy to have the conversation.   Quote of the Episode:  “I want you to come to work not for me, but with me.” – Mike Hills   📝  Leave a review and let us know: what’s one thing you could give your team this year besides a paycheck? Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  3. Sep 30

    If You Don't Have a Money Plan, You're Reacting EP 003

    In this episode of Here2Elevate, Suzanne Hopson sits down with Margo Masri, founder of Heartfelt CFO, to ask a question every business owner should be willing to answer: Are you reacting to your money or leading it?  After 20 years in accounting and tax, Margo shares why she believes the finance industry is built to look backward, and why she now pushes clients to make decisions before the numbers come in. She and Suzanne talk about treating money mistakes as clues instead of failures, what happens when decisions are made for tax reasons instead of for the life you want, and simple ways to shift your day, from tracking your time to doing the hard thing first.  If you’re a business owner who is busy, making money, and still not getting the time and freedom you wanted, this conversation offers practical ways to start leading your money by design.   Key Moments: ·       2:45 – Why the finance industry is built to be reactive, and what it means to lead by design ·       7:25 – Wearing a badge of honor for what you do wrong: your mistakes are keys and clues ·       11:24 – Why accountants become the expense, and what a proactive partnership changes ·       16:20 – No money plan? The plan will take you: betting on yourself and doing your own math on debt ·       22:35 – A second-by-second look at your day, and the client who found four and a half hours ·       23:41 – Work backward in four to six steps: change the steps, not the goal    Golden Episode Nuggets:   💎  It’s never what you come for, it’s what you’re really looking for underneath   💎  Your money mistakes are keys and clues to your next step   💎  As long as you don’t have a money plan, the plan is going to take you   💎  Decisions made only for tax reasons can leave you with plenty of money and not much happiness   💎  Bring in your accountant before the decision, not after    About Our Guest:  Margo Masri is the founder of Heartfelt CFO, a finance and tax firm that started five years ago as Margot’s Bookkeeping. After 20 years in accounting and tax, beginning at a top five accounting firm, she now helps business owners make decisions from a proactive, lead-by-design mindset instead of reacting to what the numbers report after the fact.  Margo shares her own money journey openly, including buying her first home on her own and building toward two homes and passive investments, because she wants people to see that the road is never perfect for professionals either.   Quote of the Episode:  “As long as you don’t have a money plan, the plan is going to take you.” – Margo Masri   📝  Leave a review and let us know: what’s one decision you want to make on purpose this week instead of by default? Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  4. Sep 30

    Are You Leading by Telling or by Enabling? EP 002

    In this episode of Here2Elevate, Suzanne Hopson sits down with her friend and fellow fractional executive Keith Misner, who brings 40 years of commercial real estate leadership, to ask a question every business owner should be willing to answer: Are you leading by telling or by enabling?  Keith shares why he chose fractional work after a long career: pick the people and the assignments, own one to three outcomes, and teach the team so they can keep going after he leaves. Then he and Suzanne dig into the leadership lessons behind it, including why asking beats telling, how a culture can outlast the leader, and why humility and letting go are harder than they sound.  If you’re a business owner working to lead instead of run everything yourself, or you’re thinking about bringing in a fractional executive, this conversation shows what it looks like to lead by enabling. Key Moments: ·       3:53 – Why Keith chose fractional: own a few outcomes, teach the team, and leave them able to carry on ·       12:03 – Talk less, ask more: what leading a sales organization taught him about leading ·       15:55 – Owning the results and leaving the process behind so the team can keep improving ·       19:39 – How to stay true to the assignment and avoid scope creep ·       21:32 – Three kinds of leaders, and the one who leads by enabling people to try, fail, and learn  ·       30:28 – Delegation, humility, and why it’s hard to let go    Golden Episode Nuggets:   💎  The best leaders tell stories and lead by enabling others to try, fail, and learn   💎  The more questions you ask, the smarter and more impactful you become   💎  Own the results while you’re there, then build the process so the team can keep improving   💎  A culture built with time and care can last long after the leader leaves   💎  Delegation, learning, and humility are part of leading well    About Our Guest:   Keith Misner has spent 40 years in commercial real estate, leading large brokerage operations at top national brands and running transactions, portfolio, and investment management activities, mainly in the multifamily space. Today he works on his own terms as a fractional executive and is investing in manufactured housing, a sector he sees following the path multifamily took years ago.  Keith is the founder of Attainable Housing Collective, an investment advocacy and education company for manufactured housing. He also contributes to the Elevated Fractional certification program and is part of the Fractionals on Demand community.  Quote of the Episode:   “The best leaders are the ones that tell stories, never tell anybody what to do.” – Keith Misner 📝  Leave a review and let us know: where could you enable your team this week instead of telling them? Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  5. Sep 30

    Are You the Bottleneck in Your Own Business? EP 001

    In this episode of Here2Elevate, Suzanne Hopson sits down with Mark Shippe, founder of Shippe Consulting Group, BOS-UP coach, and fellow builder on the Here2Elevate leadership team, to ask a question every business owner should be willing to answer: Are you the bottleneck in your own business?  Everybody thinks they have a sales problem. After years at the intersection of sales and operations, Mark shares what he sees instead: the real issue is often the people, the structure, or the owner’s own role. He and Suzanne talk about why owners who hand off the work and step away watch engagements stall, why owners who take every problem back leave their teams afraid to decide, and how a leader who can admit a mistake builds a team that steps up.  If every decision still lands on your desk, or you’ve brought in help and stepped out of the room, this conversation is a clear look at what it takes to stop running the business and start leading it.  Key Moments: ·       1:22 – Why everybody thinks they have a sales problem, and why they often don’t ·       3:43 – Meeting people where they’re at: why real help starts with the person, not a system ·       7:48 – Why the work won’t stick unless the owner stays involved  ·       13:25 – The instinct to take it all back the moment something goes wrong ·       17:10 – How trust turns into a team that makes decisions and holds itself accountable ·       20:49 – Why an owner who admits a mistake gives everyone else permission to stretch   Golden Episode Nuggets: 💎  Everybody thinks they have a sales problem, but the real issue is often people, structure, or leadership   💎  Real help starts by meeting people where they’re at, not by handing over a one-size-fits-all system   💎  If the owner isn’t involved in the work, the change won’t stick   💎  When an owner takes over every time something goes wrong, people stop making decisions on their own   💎  When a leader admits a mistake, the whole team gets permission to stretch   About Our Guest:  Mark Shippe is the founder of Shippe Consulting Group, where he works directly with small and medium-sized business owners to find the real issues holding their companies back. His background spans sales and operations, including years in disaster restoration and franchising, and he brings a whole-company view instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. Mark is also a BOS-UP coach and a builder on the Here2Elevate leadership team.  If you want to talk through where sales and operations meet in your business, Mark is happy to have the conversation. Sometimes the answer is that you’re already doing the right things and just need to give them more time.    Resources Mentioned:  Mark Shippe, Shippe Consulting Group (www.shippeconsulting.com) and connect with Mark on LinkedIn.  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie   Quote of the Episode:  “You’re creating that structure where people just won’t make decisions on their own.” – Mark Shippe   📝  Leave a review and let us know: what’s one decision you could hand back to your team this week? Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  6. Sep 27

    Here2Elevate Trailer

    You didn't build this business to feel stuck in it. If your team isn't executing at the pace of your vision, if you're not sure you have the right people in the right seats, or if you have this quiet fear that the world is moving forward without you -- that's not a you problem. That's a structure problem. And structure can be fixed. Here2Elevate is hosted by Suzanne Hopson, founder and CEO with 25+ years inside growing businesses helping leaders finally get out of their own way. Each episode gets into the operational clarity, leadership shifts, and structural changes that help you stop running the business and start leading it. This is not motivational content. This is operational seriousness for leaders who are done surviving their own success. Check out our Cool Tools at here2elevate.com.

  • 1 Trailer
    5 Episodes

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About

 Here2Elevate with Suzanne Hopson  Running a business and leading people are among the hardest jobs in the world. Here2Elevate is the podcast for business owners, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders who are ready to stop surviving and start thriving.  Each episode dives into the real conversations leaders need to have, covering accountability, leadership, culture, sales, business development, and living a life they want. Using decades of experience in growing businesses and people, this is meant for those willing to learn, innovate, and learn the core disciplines that successful business operating systems have. No fluff, no theory. Just practical strategies and honest insight to help you run your business and your life better.  Vision guides. People build. Execution wins. 

Information

  • Creator
    Suzanne
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Here2Elevate
  • Show Website
    Here2Elevate