MindShift Podcast

lelandiben

MindShift Most people know how to start a business. Few know how to build one that thrives without depending on them. MindShift is the podcast for business owners who are ready to think differently about leadership, growth, systems, profitability, and creating a business that lasts. Hosted by business coach and entrepreneur Lee Iben, each episode features candid conversations with successful business owners, founders, and industry leaders who share the mindset shifts, hard lessons, and practical decisions that changed the trajectory of their businesses. Whether you're leading a family business, scaling a growing company, preparing for succession, or simply trying to get out of the daily grind, MindShift delivers real-world insights you can apply immediately. You'll hear conversations about leadership, culture, hiring, accountability, financial performance, marketing, succession planning, AI, innovation, and the realities of business ownership that rarely get discussed. If you're ready to stop working in your business and start leading it, welcome to MindShift. Because the business changes the moment the owner's thinking changes.

Episodes

  1. Aug 28 ·  Video

    Episode 4: Laura Christensen Discusses Building A Practice That Can Outlast You

    What happens when you realize that being great at what you do and building a great business are two very different things? In Episode 4 of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Laura Christensen, founder of Acupuncture of Iowa, to talk about the evolution of a business she has built over more than three decades. Laura’s journey didn’t begin with a grand plan to become an entrepreneur. Her practice grew organically—from seeing a few patients in her home to operating a thriving clinic in a building she now owns. Along the way, she had to learn the parts of business that don’t come with professional expertise: understanding the numbers, hiring the right people, creating systems, delegating responsibilities, managing her time, and building a culture that reflects what makes her practice unique. Now, Laura is entering another important transition. She’s preparing to bring another acupuncturist into the practice—not simply to add capacity, but to begin transferring decades of knowledge, experience, values, and patient care to someone else. That leads to a bigger question for every business owner: Have you built a business that can continue without you, or have you simply built a job that depends on you? Lee and Laura discuss the mistakes, lessons, and mindset shifts that happen when you stop thinking only like the technician and begin thinking like the owner—and why building something that can eventually carry on without you may be one of the most important responsibilities of ownership. In this episode: Making the shift from practitioner to business owner Why understanding your numbers reduces stress Learning to delegate before you’re forced to Hiring lessons that often come through failure Creating systems without losing the personality of the business Protecting culture as you bring new people aboard Moving from owner dependency toward succession Why lifelong learning remains essential at every stage of business Laura’s story is a reminder that building a business is itself a skill—and you don’t have to know how to do all of it when you begin. You have to be willing to keep learning.

  2. Aug 6

    MindShift with Lee Iben featuring Jennie at Studio H2O

    From Army Officer to Business Owner: The Mindset Shift No One Warns You About What happens when a West Point graduate, Army officer, and combat veteran suddenly finds herself responsible for leading a multi-generation family business? In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Jennie Wunderlich, co-owner of Studio H2O in Iowa City, for an honest conversation about the emotional and mental transition from employee to owner. Jennie shares how serving in Afghanistan and Iraq prepared her for leadership, but not for the unique weight of business ownership. Together, they discuss the realities few people talk about: • Why owning a business feels completely different than working in one • The responsibility of leading employees whose livelihoods depend on your decisions • Learning to balance humility with accountability • Managing culture, expectations, and difficult conversations • Why KPIs and accountability aren't micromanagement • Adapting to AI, technology, and constant change • The loneliness many business owners experience—and how to overcome it • The grit required to build something that lasts for generations Whether you're launching your first business, leading a family company, or preparing for succession, this conversation offers practical wisdom and reassurance that every owner needs to hear. You are not alone. And the mindset required to own a business is different from the mindset required to work in one. Subscribe to MindShift for candid conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders about the decisions, challenges, and mindset shifts that build enduring businesses.

  3. Aug 5 ·  Video

    MindShift with Lee Iben featuring Jennie with Studio H2O

    From Army Officer to Business Owner: The Mindset Shift No One Warns You About What happens when a West Point graduate, Army officer, and combat veteran suddenly finds herself responsible for leading a multi-generation family business? In this episode of MindShift, Lee Iben sits down with Jennie Wunderlich, co-owner of Studio H2O in Iowa City, for an honest conversation about the emotional and mental transition from employee to owner. Jennie shares how serving in Afghanistan and Iraq prepared her for leadership, but not for the unique weight of business ownership. Together, they discuss the realities few people talk about: • Why owning a business feels completely different than working in one • The responsibility of leading employees whose livelihoods depend on your decisions • Learning to balance humility with accountability • Managing culture, expectations, and difficult conversations • Why KPIs and accountability aren't micromanagement • Adapting to AI, technology, and constant change • The loneliness many business owners experience—and how to overcome it • The grit required to build something that lasts for generations Whether you're launching your first business, leading a family company, or preparing for succession, this conversation offers practical wisdom and reassurance that every owner needs to hear. You are not alone. And the mindset required to own a business is different from the mindset required to work in one. Subscribe to MindShift for candid conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders about the decisions, challenges, and mindset shifts that build enduring businesses.

About

MindShift Most people know how to start a business. Few know how to build one that thrives without depending on them. MindShift is the podcast for business owners who are ready to think differently about leadership, growth, systems, profitability, and creating a business that lasts. Hosted by business coach and entrepreneur Lee Iben, each episode features candid conversations with successful business owners, founders, and industry leaders who share the mindset shifts, hard lessons, and practical decisions that changed the trajectory of their businesses. Whether you're leading a family business, scaling a growing company, preparing for succession, or simply trying to get out of the daily grind, MindShift delivers real-world insights you can apply immediately. You'll hear conversations about leadership, culture, hiring, accountability, financial performance, marketing, succession planning, AI, innovation, and the realities of business ownership that rarely get discussed. If you're ready to stop working in your business and start leading it, welcome to MindShift. Because the business changes the moment the owner's thinking changes.