Locally Owned

The Street Smart Entrepreneur
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Locally Owned — We are the go-to podcast for small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners who want to master the art of goal setting and turn their visions into reality. Each episode dives into actionable strategies for achieving success, featuring interviews with real SMB owners who are in the trenches, getting it done. What makes us different is that we bring real local business owners to the show who are prepared to share stories of their business journey. You will hear real events and situations that they figured out how to overcome and thrive. Strategies that work for Fortune 500 companies are not actionable for local businesses. When you listen to an episode, you will learn how to set goals, implement effective business strategies, and overcome obstacles, stay motivated, and build bigger goals helping you reach your dream company. None of the ideas and strategies expressed here are out of reach to the local business owner. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale, this podcast is packed with practical advice to help you achieve your goals.

  1. 2d ago

    Ep 42 "Making Mustard Modern: A Young Leaders Vision For A Century Old Family Business

    In this episode of Locally Owned, Dave interviews Luke Desmond, vice president of Weber’s Mustard, a fourth-generation Western New York family business. Luke describes growing up working on the production line as a kid, learning every step of making and shipping products, and later pursuing a biology degree and urgent care work during COVID where he documented over 15,000 patients and faced days of up to 300 patients per shift. After being accepted to PA school, he chose instead to join Weber’s, influenced by student debt concerns, the company’s legacy, and the possibility it would be sold. Luke shares family stories about early grassroots marketing, the company’s near-collapse after the founder’s stroke, and his parents’ revival beginning in 1997. He explains how he modernized Weber’s through a rebuilt e-commerce website, social media expansion, collaborations like a New York Chips flavor, sampling and promotion strategies to grow beyond Buffalo, and considerations for a careful rebrand while preserving the iconic identity.The 5 Mindset Shifts Guide to Building A Business That Runs Without You00:00 Luke Desmond01:17 Growing Up at Weber's10:28 Family, Loss, and Revitalizing the Company14:29 Choosing Between Medicine and the Family Business21:31 Taking the Leap into Weber's29:04 Modernizing Weber's: Website and Social Media35:27 Expanding Beyond Buffalo39:25 Rebranding and the Future of Weber's56:30 Lessons in Trust and Leadership01:01:20 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Weber'sOrder Weber Products

  2. Aug 3

    Ep 41 The Customer Is NOT Always Right!

    The Customer Is NOT Always Right: The Real Origin of the Rule (And What to Use Instead) | Locally OwnedIn this mini episode of Locally Owned, the host argues that “the customer is always right” is misunderstood, explains its origins in the late 1800s/early 1900s as a marketing strategy to protect customers in an era of inconsistent goods and no return policies (often attributed to Marshall Field by 1905), and offers a better rule: “right is always right.” He shares lessons from running a service business, including a complaint-handling policy of empathizing first, giving a cooling-off window, investigating by talking with employees, and making things right only when a mistake actually occurred. He contrasts respectful, legitimate customers with those seeking freebies, encourages owners to stand their ground when needed, and urges businesses to create clear, company-wide policies for handling unhappy customers while giving both customers and employees the benefit of the doubt.00:00 Customer Always Right00:32 Show Welcome Update03:05 Rule I Disagree With04:05 My Better Rule05:46 Origins Of The Phrase09:41 Early Mistake Story11:45 Complaint Handling System14:47 Spotting Good Bad Clients19:15 Trust And Takeaways20:40 Policy And Wrap UpIf you would like to be a guest on the show please email me at dave.p@yourgoalmind.comRanked #8 in Million Podcasts Top 100 Small Business Podcasts in the UShttps://www.millionpodcasts.com/small-business-podcasts/Ranked #5 in Million Podcasts Top 20 Main Street Business Podcasts in the UShttps://www.millionpodcasts.com/main-street-business-podcasts/Check out Million Podcasts here: www.millionpodcasts.com

  3. Jul 24

    Why No One Wants To Dance With You

    2026 Q2 M&A Report: Why Buyers Are Growing but Deals Are Down (And How to Make Your Business Sellable)In this mini episode of Locally Owned for small to mid-sized business owners, the host breaks down insights from the 2026 Q2 M&A report: the buyer pool and the number of owners looking to sell are growing, yet overall purchases are down 10% from last quarter. With 10,000 baby boomers retiring daily—owning 12 million businesses worth $10 trillion and often lacking successors—the episode warns that businesses not built to sell risk going extinct as sophisticated, well-capitalized buyers avoid risk and demand verifiable books, SBA-loan qualification, and “earnings durability.” The host explains how rising costs are driving a 3% decline in both revenue and cash flow when owners absorb increases instead of pricing accordingly, and urges owners to get a professional valuation this week to understand where they stand and build an exit plan before the “silver tsunami” hits.00:00 Q2 M&A Wake Up Call01:09 The Ballroom Metaphor01:56 Boomer Exit Crisis02:58 Build To Sell New Normal05:08 Silver Tsunami Reality Check07:25 Crowded Buyers Picky Deals09:17 Earnings Durability Matters09:41 Pricing Power And Margins12:03 SBA Readiness And Leverage13:59 Winners Vs Marginal Businesses15:15 Get A Valuation This Week17:12 Final Call Ride The Wave

  4. Jul 17

    Surrender to Success

    For most of his life, Jacob believed blessing could be earned.He grabbed. He negotiated. He outworked. He outmaneuvered. And by almost every worldly measure, he became successful.But it wasn't until he wrestled with God—and walked away with a limp—that he finally discovered the secret he'd been chasing all along.In this solo episode, Dave explores one of the most misunderstood stories in Scripture and what it teaches every entrepreneur about success, surrender, and trust.If you've ever felt like you're working harder than ever but still carrying the weight of your business on your shoulders, this conversation is for you.Because the greatest obstacle to God's work in our lives isn't a lack of talent or effort.It's the illusion that we can build the life we want without fully trusting Him.You may discover that what you've been calling success... God has been calling surrender all along.https://www.millionpodcasts.com/small-business-podcasts/https://www.millionpodcasts.com/main-street-business-podcasts/

  5. Jul 9

    Ep. 38 New Normal - Start With The End In Mind

    Build a Sellable Small Business: Start With the End in Mind (Locally Owned Mini Episode)In this mini episode of Locally Owned, the host explains why selling a small business will eventually become the expected “normal,” much like cultural shifts toward safer, smarter standards over time. He argues that most owners build lifestyle businesses custom-fit to themselves—like prescription sunglasses—making them difficult to sell because a buyer can’t step in and earn the same without the owner. Using Stephen Covey’s “start with the end in mind,” he recommends filtering decisions through whether they make the company more attractive to a buyer, and outlines common obstacles: lack of knowledge, fear of delegating quality, not having guidance, and ego around asking for help. He compares building a sellable business to investing wisely in a 401k and promotes a webinar on five key mindset shifts to build toward a real sale on your terms.00:00 Mini Episode Setup00:50 Old Normals Story03:44 Selling Becomes Normal04:24 Lifestyle Business Trap06:44 Start With End07:32 Why Owners Avoid It10:12 Sellable Makes Better10:48 401k Business Analogy12:58 Desperation Vs Prep14:15 Webinar Invitation15:08 Final Mindset Push16:08 Closing Message

  6. Jul 2

    Ep 37 The Business They Never Planned to Build

    In this episode of Locally Owned, I interview Jenise and Dell Burton, founders of SugarPlum Kids Spa and Salon in Trussville, about leaving a burned-out teaching career and a capped-out corporate IT path to build a kid-focused spa and natural hair salon. They share how fasting and prayer led to an unexpected business idea sparked by their five-year-old daughter’s request for a spa party, why they “moved in silence” before opening, and how their risk-taker/planner dynamic strengthened both their marriage and their business. They explain how the concept evolved from parties into a steady revenue model through kids’ natural hair services, why systems and culture matter for customer experience, and what they learned about hiring, leadership, and not letting fear stop the first step.00:00 Meet the Burtons01:06 Life Before the Leap02:05 Corporate Ceiling and Burnout07:01 Chasing Greater Together11:03 Dreamer vs Planner12:34 A Five Year Old Spark16:28 Prayer Fasting and Clarity19:31 What SugarPlum Kids Is25:00 Moving in Silence28:53 Finding the Right Location31:31 All Inclusive Spa Parties32:59 Parents Relax Party34:00 Target Market Word Mouth35:31 Business With Spouse42:05 Same Team Mindset43:26 Hardest Startup Season46:20 Systems Standards Culture47:56 Handling Crying Kids51:28 Hiring Leading Staff56:42 Owner Designs Experience58:32 Lessons Opening Day59:36 Where To Find Them01:00:23 Do It Dont Fear01:03:45 Final Wrap WebinarWebinar Registration Link: https://yourgoalmind.net/webinar-registration

  7. Jun 29

    Ep 36 Escape the Owner Trap: Build a Business That Runs Without You (Team & Systems Roadmap)

    Escape the Owner Trap: Build a Business That Runs Without You (Team & Systems Roadmap)The script uses an ocean undertow metaphor to explain the “owner trap,” where small business owners start with energy and simplicity but get pulled into doing technical work, admin/sales, and higher-level management all at once, becoming the bottleneck that causes many businesses to stagnate or fail. It argues most failures aren’t due to effort or talent but to not recognizing this cycle and the unsustainable load on the owner. The solution is a mindset shift from being the worker to building a company on teams and systems, hiring in the right order: first a technician (and document training), then a customer service rep to run the office, with the owner acting as operations manager. Next steps include hiring two outside sales reps to drive growth and later an operations manager, ultimately creating a business that can run without the owner and is more valuable to sell.00:00 Ocean Undertow Metaphor01:07 The Owner Trap Explained01:37 Sobering Failure Stats02:36 Day One Simplicity03:33 Reality Hits Fast06:20 Hiring Makes It Worse07:41 Three Jobs One Rope09:07 Mindset Shift To Systems10:16 The Unsustainable Cycle11:00 Build The Team In Order13:35 Stay In Your Lane15:36 Scaling Beyond The Trap17:01 Ocean Revisited Hope17:59 Don’t Stop Halfway18:49 Build A Sellable Business19:35 Final Challenge And WrapWebinar Registration Link: https://yourgoalmind.net/webinar-registration

  8. Jun 11

    Ep: 35 - Stop Settling: How Great Companies Find Great People

    Why Hiring Feels Impossible (and the Surprisingly Simple Fix) | Conner Klassen on Home Service HiringThe host of Locally Owned interviews Conner Klassen, founder of Home Service Hiring, about why local business owners struggle to find and keep good employees. Drawing from his upbringing in a family window-cleaning business and a year of 100% turnover, Conner argues the core issue isn’t a lack of good people but insufficient applicant volume and weak screening. He explains that hiring is sales—selling opportunity—and shares how social media ads can generate hundreds of applicants, shifting owners from desperation to selection. He emphasizes reputation and how businesses treat people, plus a vetting rule of “multiple people, multiple channels, multiple days” to uncover red flags early. Conner also shares lessons from repeated sales failures, outlines how his company screens applicants and provides a 45-day good-fit guarantee, and offers his book The Ten Hiring Sins.00:00 Hiring Myth Busted01:06 Meet Conner Klassen04:17 Turnover Wake Up Call07:20 Genius With 1000 Hands09:18 Recruiting Is Volume12:12 Good People Are Rare15:30 Define Your Ideal Hire17:23 Social Ads For Applicants20:20 Sales Nos To Lessons27:59 Reputation Recruits Talent32:08 Multiple People Days Channels36:31 Pre Interview Screening39:21 Gold Refining Analogy40:47 Boredom Needs Challenge44:57 Mentor Challenge Accepted47:45 Learning Facebook Ads50:01 From Skill to Business52:47 Courage Over Readiness55:14 Beyond Indeed Recruiting58:29 Weeding and Shortlists01:01:46 Good Fit Guarantee01:04:39 How to Work Together01:06:56 Host Closing ReflectionsConnect with Conner:Home Service Hiringhttps://homeservicehiring.comNeed help figuring out the next stage of leadership in your business?If you've reached the point where you know more of the same isn't the answer, but you're not sure whether you need an office manager, operations manager, salesperson, or something else entirely, let's talk. Click the "Let's Talk" link in the show notes and schedule a conversation. I'd love to help you identify the next step toward building a business that can grow beyond you.Let's Talk:https://calendly.com/dpastor-streetsmartentrepreneurship/discovery

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5
out of 5
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About

Welcome to Locally Owned — We are the go-to podcast for small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners who want to master the art of goal setting and turn their visions into reality. Each episode dives into actionable strategies for achieving success, featuring interviews with real SMB owners who are in the trenches, getting it done. What makes us different is that we bring real local business owners to the show who are prepared to share stories of their business journey. You will hear real events and situations that they figured out how to overcome and thrive. Strategies that work for Fortune 500 companies are not actionable for local businesses. When you listen to an episode, you will learn how to set goals, implement effective business strategies, and overcome obstacles, stay motivated, and build bigger goals helping you reach your dream company. None of the ideas and strategies expressed here are out of reach to the local business owner. Whether you're just starting out or looking to scale, this podcast is packed with practical advice to help you achieve your goals.

Information

  • Creator
    The Street Smart Entrepreneur
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Locally Owned