Small Business Big Visibility

Jason McKenzie
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

Are you a small business owner seeking effective, efficient, and profitable ways to grow your business without the overwhelm? Welcome to "Small Business Big Visibility", the podcast dedicated to empowering adventurous entrepreneurs like you to simplify marketing, reduce stress, and boost revenue. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, we dive into a topics from different angles, providing actionable insights, innovative strategies, and easy-to-implement tools. Our mission is to help you focus on what truly matters: your passion, your family, and your freedom.

  1. How to Turn Your Referral List Into a Referral Team

    23h ago

    How to Turn Your Referral List Into a Referral Team

    A list of 50 potential referral partners isn't a referral team. It's a list. And most small business owners stop there, then wonder six months later why no referrals ever came in. The conversion from list to team is a four-step process, and most people skip the middle two steps entirely. In this episode, I'll walk through the actual sequence: the warm introduction or cold ask (and how to make the ask specific enough to get a yes), the first meeting (where most people blow it by pitching when they should be asking), the giving phase that builds the relationship before any business is exchanged, and the second meeting that turns a connection into a formal referral partnership. I'll also cover what to do if your target partner already has a full referral network (don't walk away, ask to be the backup), and the calendar trick that keeps the follow-up from falling through the cracks.This is the fifth episode in the referral engine series. Previous episodes covered the bigger reframe of networking for partners instead of clients, the giver mindset that makes referrals flow, identifying who your real referral partners are, and the different types of referral relationships (upstream, downstream, cross). After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners build great lists and then sit on them. The owners who actually generate referrals aren't the ones with the longest contact lists. They're the ones who turn five or ten of those contacts into a working team. CHAPTERS:0:00 A list isn't a referral team0:32 Why most business owners leapfrog the middle steps1:04 Step 1: The warm introduction or cold ask2:13 What to say in a cold ask (and what not to)3:00 Step 2: The first meeting (ask, don't pitch)4:50 Spending 80% of the first meeting listening5:35 Step 3: Give before they've earned it6:38 The follow-up window that matters7:14 Step 4: The second meeting and formalizing the partnership8:14 What to do if they already have a full referral network9:32 What's coming next in the series MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:🎧 Earlier in the referral engine series: Stop Networking for Clients. Network for Partners.🎧 Earlier in the referral engine series: The 3 Tests for Spotting a Real Referral Partner. ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY:A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable.Episode 406

    10 min
  2. The 3 Tests for Spotting a Real Referral Partner

    Jun 2

    The 3 Tests for Spotting a Real Referral Partner

    Most small business owners can't name five people who could realistically send them a referral every month. And that's exactly why their networking isn't working. They're showing up at events being polite to everyone, hoping the right relationships will just emerge from the chaos. They almost never do. In this episode, I'll walk through the three tests that separate a real referral partner from a polite acquaintance: whether they serve the same clients at a different stage of the customer journey, whether you'd actually refer business back to them (the reciprocity test), and whether they're at a similar stage of business growth to you. I'll cover real examples (wedding photographer + wedding planner, residential plumber + real estate agent, small business accountant + banker), and walk through the journey-mapping exercise that turns these tests into an actual list of 5-20 specific people you should be building relationships with. This is the third episode in the referral engine series. Episode one covered the bigger reframe of networking for partners instead of clients. Episode two covered the giver mindset that makes those partnerships work. This episode is about identifying exactly who those partners should be. After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners network themselves to exhaustion because they were meeting everyone instead of meeting the right people. Random networking produces random results. Targeted networking produces a referral engine. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Can you name five people who could refer you every month? 0:41 Why most small business owners can't answer that question 1:26 Random networking produces random results 1:53 Test #1: Do they serve the same clients at a different stage? 2:49 Real examples: photographer, plumber, accountant 4:10 Test #2: Would you refer business back to them? 5:07 Why referrals are reputation 5:46 Test #3: Are they at a similar stage of business to you? 6:25 The journey-mapping exercise to build your target list 7:10 What's coming next in the series ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 405 #SmallBusinessOwner #ReferralMarketing #SmallBusinessNetworking

    7 min
  3. How to Identify Your Top 5 Referral Partners

    May 28

    How to Identify Your Top 5 Referral Partners

    Most small business owners can't name five people in their network who could realistically send them a referral every month for the next year. If you can't either, you're spending your networking time at random. Random networking produces random results. In this episode, I'll walk through three quick tests that separate your actual referral partners from polite acquaintances you happened to meet at a networking event. The first test is whether they serve the same client you do at a different stage of that client's journey (the wedding planner for the photographer, the real estate agent for the plumber, the banker for the small business accountant). The second is whether you'd be willing to refer business to them. The third is whether they're at a similar stage of business to you, because the most powerful referral relationships compound when both partners grow together. Then I'll walk you through a customer journey exercise that gives you a real list of who you should actually be targeting in your networking time. This is the third episode in the referral engine series. Episode one covered networking for partners instead of clients. Episode two covered giving first. This episode is where you actually identify who those partners are. After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners spend years networking with the wrong people because they never sat down and defined the right ones. This is the exercise most business owners skip, and it's why their networking never produces what they're hoping for. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Can you name five people who could send you referrals every month? 0:41 What happens when you can't answer that question 1:33 Why random networking produces random results 1:53 The 3 tests that separate real referral partners 2:08 Test 1: Same client, different stage of the journey 2:49 Examples: wedding planner, real estate agent, banker 4:05 Test 2: Would you be willing to refer business to them? 4:48 Why referrals are reputation 5:20 Test 3: Are they at a similar stage of business to you? 6:25 The customer journey exercise: building your real list 7:01 What's coming next in the series ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 404 🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/ #SmallBusinessOwner #ReferralMarketing #SmallBusinessNetworking

    8 min
  4. Stop Asking for Referrals. Start Giving First

    May 26

    Stop Asking for Referrals. Start Giving First

    Why do some small business owners get a steady stream of referrals while others, doing the same amount of networking, get nothing? The difference usually isn't talent or charisma. It's one specific mindset shift in how you show up to every conversation. In this episode, I'll walk through why givers build referral pipelines that compound for years while takers burn out their network in months, what "give first" actually means (it's not what most people think), and the three-word rule for giving in a way that actually generates business back: specific, valuable, and unsolicited. I'll also cover the trap that turns giving from a habit into a transaction, and how to use it as a real test against your own last five networking conversations. This is the second episode in the referral engine series. Episode one covered the bigger reframe of networking for partners instead of clients. This episode covers what to actually do in those partner conversations once you're there. After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners burn through their network because they were always looking for what they could get. The owners with steady referrals years later aren't the most outgoing or the best closers. They're the ones who figured out, intentionally or by accident, that the giving comes first and the receiving takes care of itself. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Why some business owners get referrals and others don't 0:48 The pattern: two business owners, same networking, different results 2:25 What happens when you walk in looking for what you can get 3:01 What happens when you walk in looking to give value 3:55 Why givers get referred and takers don't 4:00 What "give first" actually means (and what it doesn't) 4:41 The three-word rule: specific, valuable, unsolicited 6:23 The real estate agent example: giver vs. taker in action 7:07 The trap that destroys giving (keeping score) 7:50 A quick test: your last five networking conversations 8:33 What's coming next in the series MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🎧 Earlier in the referral engine series: Stop Networking for Clients. Network for Partners. ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 403 🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/ #SmallBusinessOwner #ReferralMarketing #SmallBusinessNetworking

    9 min
  5. Stop Networking for Clients. Do this instead

    May 21

    Stop Networking for Clients. Do this instead

    Most small business owners network for the wrong reason. They walk into a room looking for clients. They leave with nothing. Six months later, they've spent thousands of hours and zero dollars made, and they conclude networking doesn't work. The truth: networking works fine. The version most small business owners practice is broken. In this episode, I'll walk through three broken assumptions costing small business owners thousands of hours: that more events equals more clients, that the people in the room are your prospects, and that good work earns referrals automatically. Then I'll cover the three shifts that actually build a referral engine, including why 5 strong referral partners outperform 50 weak acquaintances every time, who actually belongs in your referral ecosystem (it's rarely who you think), and the follow-up cadence that separates business owners with steady referrals from the ones still chasing every new networking event. This is the first episode in a new series on building a referral engine for your small business. We'll cover who your actual referral partners are, how to find them, how to build the relationship, and how to keep it producing over years. After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners burn out on networking before they ever figured out what it was for. The owners who win at this aren't more outgoing or more charming. They're playing a completely different game. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Have you been networking for months with nothing to show? 0:33 Meet Bob: six months of effort, zero clients 1:24 Broken assumption #1: more events equals more clients 2:33 Broken assumption #2: the people in the room are your prospects 3:54 Broken assumption #3: good work means referrals show up automatically 4:46 Shift #1: measure depth, not events attended 5:09 Shift #2: identify your actual referral ecosystem 6:13 Shift #3: treat referral partnerships as long-term assets 6:48 The follow-up mistake that kills most networking relationships 7:21 What's coming in the rest of this series MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🎧 Coming next in the referral engine series: identifying your real referral partners ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 402 🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/ #SmallBusinessOwner #ReferralMarketing #SmallBusinessNetworking

    8 min

  6. May 19

    Trust Is the New Currency. AI Is Burning It

    Trust is becoming the most valuable currency in business, and AI is accelerating its erosion. People can spot a fake response, a cloned voice, or an AI-written book within paragraphs, and the moment they do, you're done. The fix isn't to avoid AI. It's to be transparent about exactly where you're using it. In this conversation with Andrea Peer and Susan Leonardson, founders of Geekout Connect, we cover how the trust deficit is reshaping marketing, why the uncanny valley is hardwired into human psychology (and what that means for AI clones, fake testimonials, and generic AI content), and what it actually takes to deliver results in an environment where customers default to skepticism. Andrea brings a PhD in human-computer interaction and 18 years in corporate R&D working with Fortune 100 brands. Susan came up through her parents' garage door business, eight years of network marketing, and a freelance design career that led her into building course experiences for online experts. They share the partnership philosophy that's kept their business together for three and a half years (most don't last six months), and why the future of online courses is about results, not promises. This episode runs longer than the typical Small Business Big Visibility solo. If you're focused on the AI and trust angle, the conversation gets there in the second half. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Meeting Andrea and Susan 1:36 Favorite concerts and the music question 4:14 Susan's journey: from garage door business to design freelancer 10:55 Andrea's journey: merchant marine, Air Force, PhD, and ayahuasca 17:07 How two competitors became partners 23:38 What kept the partnership alive when most don't last six months 31:13 The temperament tool that helped them work together 33:46 What they actually do: building learning experiences for online experts 41:31 Why most online courses don't deliver results 44:00 Trust as currency in the AI era 47:51 The uncanny valley and why fake content kills credibility 50:21 The transparency rule for using AI 54:08 Where to find Andrea and Susan MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🌐 Geekout Connect: https://geekoutconnect.com 🎧 The We Are Human Podcast: https://wearehumanshow.com 🧠 The temperament assessment they reference: https://whatsmycore.com ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 401 🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/ #AIForSmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #TrustInBusiness

    51 min
  7. AI Isn't About Tools. It's About How Work Gets Done

    May 14

    AI Isn't About Tools. It's About How Work Gets Done

    The future of AI isn't about which tool you use. It's about how work gets done, and four specific shifts are already underway that will reshape what running a small business looks like over the next few years. In this episode, I'll walk through the four shifts I'm betting on: AI filling the gaps where software couldn't and humans had to (the systems shift), smaller teams producing dramatically more output through unprecedented leverage, faster delivery times that may actually drive prices down across whole categories, and a move from humans doing the work to humans designing the work while AI executes it. I'll also flag what's NOT changing. The foundational pieces of business (trust, relationships, reputation, real value) survive every technology shift, and "everything's changing so fast I can't keep up" is mostly an illusion. This is part of the AI for Small Business miniseries, a run of episodes on what AI actually changes for small business owners, what's worth using, and what's a waste of time. After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of business owners burn out chasing every new tool that came out. The owners who win the next five years won't be the ones with the biggest AI stack. They'll be the ones who got clear on their systems first, then pointed AI at the right problems. That's the playbook. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Where is AI actually going? 0:43 The two wrong reactions: all-in vs. head-in-the-sand 1:30 The real shift: it's not about tools, it's about how work gets done 2:24 Shift #1: AI fills the gaps software couldn't 3:38 Shift #2: Smaller teams, bigger output (and possible deflation) 5:21 Shift #3: Faster expectations and what they do to pricing 6:25 Shift #4: From doing the work to designing the work 7:05 What's NOT changing: the football field metaphor 8:36 Bad tools and failed bets are part of every innovation cycle 9:13 Why smaller businesses might actually win this era MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: 🎧 Earlier in the AI for Small Business miniseries: Stop Using AI as a Tool. Start Using It as an Employee. 🎧 Earlier in the AI for Small Business miniseries: Don't Start with AI. Start with the Problem. ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY: A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable. Episode 400 🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/ #AIForSmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #SmallBusinessMarketing

    10 min
  8. Why College Programmers Aren't Getting Hired Anymore

    May 12

    Why College Programmers Aren't Getting Hired Anymore

    Most small business owners are still using AI like a fancy search engine — asking it questions, getting answers, doing the work themselves. That's not where AI is anymore. The next phase is already here, and it's something different entirely.In this episode, I'll walk through what agentic AI actually means in practice: instead of you asking it a question, you give it a goal, and it takes the steps to complete the work. I'll cover real examples — how agentic AI is replacing entry-level programming jobs, the tools available right now that can answer your phones, schedule appointments, and update your CRM, and what most small business owners can already do with platforms they may already be paying for like High Level and Gmail. I'll also flag where the risk lives, including OpenClaw — a tool getting massive attention but explicitly not the right starting point for non-technical owners.This is part of the AI for Small Business miniseries — a run of episodes on what AI actually changes for small business owners, what's worth using, and what's a waste of time.After 15+ years helping small businesses get more visible, I've watched plenty of owners stay stuck doing $20-an-hour work because they couldn't afford to delegate it. Agentic AI changes that math. The shift isn't whether to use AI — it's whether you're using it to answer your questions or to actually do your work.CHAPTERS:0:00 What if AI didn't just write — what if it actually worked?0:36 Quick refresher: what agentic AI is0:55 The shift from responding to doing1:06 The programmer hiring collapse — one example of agentic AI in action2:03 Email management as an entry point2:28 OpenClaw — what it is and why most owners should stay away (for now)3:37 What agentic AI needs from you: context, process, and tool access3:53 An AI system that answers calls, schedules, and updates the CRM4:55 What you can start using today5:12 Using High Level for chatbots and phone calls5:46 Why agentic AI quality is on a hockey-stick curve right now6:46 How to ask AI to recommend agentic tools for your specific weak pointsMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:🎧 Earlier in the AI for Small Business miniseries: 3 AI Employees You Can Hire This Week🎧 Earlier in the AI for Small Business miniseries: How to Use AI Without Losing Your VoiceABOUT SMALL BUSINESS BIG VISIBILITY:A podcast for small business owners who want practical, real-world strategies to grow without burnout. Hosted by Jason McKenzie — founder of Boise Web and a 15+ year veteran helping small businesses become more visible, more profitable, and more sustainable.Episode 399🔗 https://smallbusinessbigvisibility.com/#AIForSmallBusiness #SmallBusinessOwner #SmallBusinessMarketing

    8 min
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About

Are you a small business owner seeking effective, efficient, and profitable ways to grow your business without the overwhelm? Welcome to "Small Business Big Visibility", the podcast dedicated to empowering adventurous entrepreneurs like you to simplify marketing, reduce stress, and boost revenue. Hosted by Jason McKenzie, we dive into a topics from different angles, providing actionable insights, innovative strategies, and easy-to-implement tools. Our mission is to help you focus on what truly matters: your passion, your family, and your freedom.

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