Profit by Design

Dr. Sabrina Starling
  • 4.8 (28)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

You work hard in your business. On the Profit by Design Podcast, we ask the BIG question: What has your business done FOR YOU lately? Join Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist™ and founder of Tap the Potential weekly, as she brings you tips, tools and strategies to support YOU in making intentionally profitable AND sustainable business decisions to live the lifestyle you desire. After all, work supports life, not the other way around. Dr. Sabrina is the author of the The 4 Week Vacation® and the How to Hire the Best Series. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.

  1. 387: Loneliness, Leadership, and Retaining Your Best People for Small Business Owners with Dov Baron

    3D AGO

    387: Loneliness, Leadership, and Retaining Your Best People for Small Business Owners with Dov Baron

    Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a leadership and culture issue. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling sits down with repeat guest and leadership expert Dov Baron to explore the growing epidemic of loneliness within organizations, and why it’s quietly eroding trust, engagement, and A-player retention. You’ll learn why high performers often feel the most disconnected, how loneliness shows up at work, leadership behaviors that create real belonging, and what business owners must do now to protect culture and retain their best people. If you’re leading a team and wondering why motivation, loyalty, or connection feels harder than it should, this conversation is a must-listen for you! Dov Baron has been twice named as one of the world’s Top 30 Global Leadership Gurus in Inc. Magazine’s Top 100 Leadership Speakers. He has presented to companies and organizations worldwide, including the United Nations, the Department of State, the World Management Forum in Iran, the US Air Force, and the Famed Servant Leadership Institute. His focus on human behavior and neuroscience has made him the world’s leading authority on Emotional Source Code and the Anatomy of Meaning. Dov is the bestselling author of One Red Thread: How to Find the Purpose Already Woven Into Your Life and Fiercely Loyal: How High-Performing Companies Develop and Retain Top Talent. He is the creator and host of The Dov Baron Show Podcast, previously known as Leadership and Loyalty. It was named the #1 podcast for Fortune 500 executives by Apple Podcasts. The Dov Baron Show has featured hundreds of hours of interviews with top leaders, scientists, theologians, military intelligence officers, and artists. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: The loneliness epidemic, “The Great Pause” of 2020, our unhealthy “normal,” and the $7 trillion impact on the global GDPBeing isolated vs. being lonelyThe hidden costs of the loneliness epidemic to businesses and organizations in innovation, creativity, and communityIn 2015, Dov said, “Starting a business requires building a community.” Now, he says, “Start by building a community, and then put a business in it.”A culture of belonging is different from feeling like you “fit in.”Protecting your business from an AI takeover happens with relationships and emotional connections.Your humanity is your best tool.Understanding the Emotional Source Code (what drives an individual or organization) and how it relates to immutable laws, core...

    47 min
  2. 386: The Real Reason Most Business Owners Don’t Have a Life Outside Work

    JAN 29

    386: The Real Reason Most Business Owners Don’t Have a Life Outside Work

    Do you know the real reason most business owners don’t have a life outside work? It’s because of the survival trap. This is what happens when you take on clients, projects, or work outside your sweet spot, just to cover payroll, patch cash flow gaps, or respond to immediate crises. There is a better way! In this episode, you’ll discover how the survival trap subtly steals your time, energy, and freedom; why working in your sweet spot is the only way to grow and enjoy your business truly; and practical steps to move from survival mode to strategic, high-value leadership. If you’re a business owner ready to reclaim your time, refocus on what should be on your plate, and finally build a business that supports your life (instead of owning it), this episode is for you. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: The ONE essential piece of strategy that is missing if you don’t have a life outside your work: a visionIf you, the business owner, don’t know where you’re going, your team members have no idea where they are going.Melissa’s perspective on a business owner’s vision being the guiding light for every team memberMake your team members the hero of your story; this creates maximum engagement.Melissa’s fulfilling work with clients in helping them create their visionsUsing your clear vision to help drive decisions in your business (instead of “survival trap” thinking)Working from your vision offers sustainable solutions to current challenges AND the future.Focus on the wins. (What we focus on, grows!)Your vision gets you out of reactive mode.Need Melissa’s help in creating your vision? We can help with a Vision Creation Session! Book a call with us today! Or email Melissa: melissa@tapthepotential.com. Resources: Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️a href="https://www.tapthepotential.com/pledge" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    25 min
  3. 385: How to Handle Employee Raises When Revenue is Low (Business Owner Strategies)

    JAN 22

    385: How to Handle Employee Raises When Revenue is Low (Business Owner Strategies)

    If you’re worried about giving employee raises when revenue is tight, you’re not alone. In this episode, we explore ways to reward your team without putting your business at risk. You’ll discover smart ways to structure raises when cash flow is limited, how to communicate compensation changes without hurting morale, and strategies to retain top talent even when money is tight. If you’re a business owner trying to balance people and profits, this episode will give you practical steps you can implement now. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling to learn smart, sustainable strategies for handling raises without jeopardizing your business. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Balancing an uncertain economy with the need to take care of your A-playersThe problem when a business owner isn’t cashing their paychecks in order to give employee raisesTake an honest look at your team, identify your A-players, and give raises accordingly. (Underperforming “warm bodies” do not deserve a raise.)Strategies for protecting you, the business owner. These are a priority for a sustainable business.Maintaining profitability is the #1 priority; all other decisions flow from that foundation.More money is NOT the goal for many A-players; time flexibility and freedom often matter more.Learn to structure an A-player’s work schedule around the delivery of their key result.A team member’s perspective from Melissa: time flexibility and freedom matter most!Considerations for a growing business (Don’t grow your payroll across the board!)Have conversations with your A-players to find out what matters most to each of them. An action step to take today: prioritize systemization for each A-player’s role (Guard against being hostage to any A-player.)Need more support to confidently grow your business? We can help! Book a call with us today! Resources: Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacationa href="https://www.tapthepotential.com/pledge" rel="noopener...

    22 min
  4. 384: What to Look for in an Accounting Firm with Tammy Little

    JAN 15

    384: What to Look for in an Accounting Firm with Tammy Little

    Most business owners wait way too long to get financial support, not because they don’t need it, but because they think their books are too messy, too far behind, or too embarrassing to hand over to a professional. In this episode, Tap the Potential’s Lead Strategist, Melissa Kay, talks with Tammy Little about precisely what you should look for in an accounting firm, and why you’re more ready for help than you think! We cover the difference between a bookkeeper, accountant, controller, and CFO (and who you actually need; the essential systems and processes to make your finances easier, more efficient, and more organized; why waiting until the end of the year to prepare for taxes is the fastest way to lose money and add stress; and how the proper accounting support creates clarity, confidence, and real profit. If you want to stop feeling behind, stop guessing, and finally get your financial house in order, this episode is your roadmap to a better future. Join us! Tammy Little is the owner of FTC Group and Summit Accounting Partners, a full-service accounting firm for small, medium, and large businesses. All of their services are virtual, making their top-notch services accessible to companies nationwide. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Understand the terminology: CFO, accountant, bookkeeper, controller, etc. (“What do I really need?”)Common reasons that business owners don’t have financial supportThe process when Tammy’s firm comes in to help clean up the financial messYou will feel safe and relieved when a qualified financial professional takes the reins!Think you can’t afford an accountant? You can’t afford NOT to have one!Tammy’s philosophy of systems and operations is to know each client and their business as a true partnerConsiderations in looking for an accountant: your comfort level, their range of offerings/services, communication, and the level of trust you have with themSigns that you need accounting help NOW!Tammy’s one thing she gives to every client: peace of mind Resources: Connect with Tammy Little: Summit Website, My Ghost Crew Website, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Download your free, updated copy of the a href="https://www.tapthepotential.com/10k"...

    28 min
  5. 383: How to Plan Your 4 Week Vacation®️ in 2026 (Without Your Business Falling Apart)

    JAN 8

    383: How to Plan Your 4 Week Vacation®️ in 2026 (Without Your Business Falling Apart)

    Does the idea of taking a real vacation make you anxious instead of excited? If stepping away for even a day feels risky, the thought of taking four whole weeks probably feels impossible—but it’s not. You don’t need a massive team or endless cash flow to make it happen. In this week’s episode, we’re breaking down the exact systems, delegation strategy, and leadership habits you need to build NOW, so you can confidently step away later. You’ll discover the first thing to fix if your business can’t run without you, how to train your team to make decisions while you’re unplugged, and why your business actually grows when you’re not in it every minute. If you want 2026 to be the year you take a real break, the kind where you sleep, rest, and reset, you don’t want to miss this episode with Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling. Join us! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: The biggest irony about the 4 Week Vacation®️process: Our businesses grow and flourish more when we take time off.Our promise to every one of our clients: A fully unplugged, 4 Week Vacation®️within 12 monthsYour time is worth $10,000 an hour! Download your free Chart of $10,000 Activities now!Our “handoff” of the tasks associated with podcast production, and how it works for usDelegating effectively benefits everyone.Steps in effective delegation:Allow the team member to own the task's outcome.Give the team member space to simplify the processes and systems they work with.Watch your A-players learn how to delegate for themselves.Creating accountability and “vacation-testing” your businessOrganizing the business around the sweet spot—and hiring to support that processA streamlined business makes it easy to hire the right A-players.The truth about a 4 Week Vacation®️: It provides job security, sustainability, a good culture, and fresh creativity/innovation.The game you cannot play to win: Cut it out, and play a different game.Register now for the Coach Approach program for a very different 2026 for you and your business. Resources: Download your free, updated copy of the a href="https://www.tapthepotential.com/10k" rel="noopener...

    27 min
  6. 382: Be a Gift Through Your Leadership: Small Habits That Create Big Impact on Your Team

    JAN 1

    382: Be a Gift Through Your Leadership: Small Habits That Create Big Impact on Your Team

    Are you feeling the pressure to do all the things this holiday season: gifts, events, wrapping up the year, and taking care of everyone? What if the most meaningful gift you could give wasn’t something you could buy? What if you discovered how small, intentional leadership actions, like encouragement, clarity, trust, and honest feedback, are the greatest gifts you can offer your team and yourself? In this episode, you’ll learn why encouragement has 5x the retention power of any holiday bonus, how clarity resets stress and boosts A-player performance, the trust-building habits that create a self-managing team, and the one type of feedback that acts like rocket fuel for A-players. Dr. Sabrina Starling and Melissa Kay explain how to be the kind of leader who brings peace, stability, and purpose to your workplace; you can do it simply by showing up in the right way. Join us now to learn how. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: We don’t want teams who are simply waiting for their next bonus; we want A-players who celebrate working with us year-round. Melissa paints a picture of what it’s like on the Tap the Potential team Dr. Sabrina’s highest aspirations for her teamTaking care of ourselves, as leaders, is essential before we can effectively take care of our teams. Being a gift from your gifts supports the retention of your A-players.An important statistic (from Gallup): Well-recognized employees are 45% less likely to have changed businesses 2 years later. Create a safe, supportive environment where your team members can share ideas–and make it a habit.Show up as a thinking partner with curiosity–not judgment.The Coach Approach program teaches you the language of support and curiosity.Teaching your A-players the coaching conversation model helps you shine as a leader.Tips to create a self-managing teamHow feedback can support your best A-players: acknowledge the fact that you see them showing up from their strengths, and invest in them by offering them opportunities to grow and learn. Resources: Learn more about the How to Hire the Best Course by clicking this link. Our Coach Approach program can be life-changing for your business, team, and life. Find out more today! Ready to take your life back from...

    28 min
  7. 381: If I Could Give Every Business Owner One Gift…

    12/25/2025

    381: If I Could Give Every Business Owner One Gift…

    Are you craving more time, more freedom, and a team that actually takes ownership? Dr. Sabrina says, “If I could give every business owner one gift, it would be the ability to empower your leadership team to run the business without you.” In this week’s episode, she shares the gift she wishes every entrepreneur would receive: the confidence, structure, and support to step back and let your team step up. Melissa Kay shares her gift, too: a simple yet powerful time strategy to help you identify your $10K-per-hour activities, along with the exact way to help your team members identify their $10K-per-hour activities–so that everyone operates in their zone of genius. This is how a business becomes scalable. This is how leaders get their lives back. This is how A-players emerge. Join us now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: What better gift is there than time to slow down and savor life?Dr. Sabrina’s wish for every business ownerThe difference between doing “good things” at work and doing those things that really move the needle forward with massive leapsThere is NO reason not to have A-players on your team!Melissa’s gift to business ownersThe first step to taking back your time from your businessDownload your Chart of $10,000 an Hour Activities now!Growth does NOT mean the business owner working more hours!Finding team members’ strengths so they can do the tasks that are “a light lift with big results”Being intentional about team members working on tasks that leverage their strengths so that big leaps forward can take placeTime strategy is better than time management.Reach out to us for help! Book a call with us today! 2026 can be the year when everything turns around for you! Resources: Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today! Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week...

    25 min
  8. 380: Strategic Planning Series Part 2 of 2

    12/18/2025

    380: Strategic Planning Series Part 2 of 2

    Do you want to work fewer hours each week? We can get you on track to make it happen! Take charge now and plan ahead for a healthier, happier 2026 as a business owner. When you join our Better Business Better Life program, our guarantee to you is that you will shave 10 hours off your workweek, go home at a set time each day to be fully unplugged and present with your family, and take your weekends off. We guarantee all of these things to happen within the first 30 days of our program! If you want 2026 to be a better year than 2025, book a call with us today! Let’s jump into Part 2 of our Strategic Planning Series. We are outlining the structure, tools, and techniques to guide your success. Grab your Strategic Planning Workbook and your Annual Business Planner (available here!), and join us to design more intentionally for 2026! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production.  Show Highlights: Circumstances change; your mindset is the key to success!Mere survival action will put you right back where you are a year from now. Evaluate your Wheel of Life and your levels of satisfaction.Identify your immutable laws by using powerful questions.Two key aspects of your business: Identify the sweet spot of your business and plan your profitability for the next year.What profit and owner’s pay are hiding in plain sight in your business right now?Your opportunity to reach out for help is NOW!Dr. Sabrina’s instructions for using the Strategic Planning Workbook for its greatest potential, along with the Annual Business PlannerEnvision the life you can look forward to in 2026! Resources: Download your Strategic Planning Workbook and Annual Business Planner now! Click here. Ready to take your life back from your business? Want more time for what matters most and more money in your bank account than ever? Book a call with us today!  Master your time and profit! Give us 20 minutes of your time, take the Better Business Better Life Assessment, and receive a free paperback copy of my book, The 4 Week Vacation®️. Join the Tap the Potential Community on Mighty Networks: www.tapthepotential.com/group  Mentioned in this episode: Jumpstart the New Year! Spending too much time working and not paying yourself enough? In 30 days, you could reclaim 10 hours a week and finally enjoy weekends — while your business runs well without you. Click here to join us for the free Better Business Better Life Jumpstart: How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) happening Feb 3rd and 4th >>> tapthepotential.com/jumpstart Show up for yourself.

    20 min
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4.8
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

You work hard in your business. On the Profit by Design Podcast, we ask the BIG question: What has your business done FOR YOU lately? Join Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist™ and founder of Tap the Potential weekly, as she brings you tips, tools and strategies to support YOU in making intentionally profitable AND sustainable business decisions to live the lifestyle you desire. After all, work supports life, not the other way around. Dr. Sabrina is the author of the The 4 Week Vacation® and the How to Hire the Best Series. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Sabrina Starling
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    393
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Profit by Design

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