The Entrepreneur's Roadmap

Kendra Vyse - Clear Direction Advisors
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

The Entrepreneur's Roadmap is a podcast for service-based business owners who are ready to stop guessing and start building intentionally. Hosted by Kendra Vyse - business strategist, third-generation entrepreneur, and second-generation accountant - each episode covers the real work of building a service business that pays you well and grows in a direction you chose. Topics include offer strategy, financial clarity, team building, systems, and the mindset behind sustainable growth.

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    What Your Numbers Are Really Telling You

    Most service providers look at their financial statements once a year - when their accountant prepare their tax return. That's not financial clarity. That's avoidance. And it's costing you.What We Cover In this episode, we get into what your financial statements are actually for - and it's not just taxes. We cover: ● The difference between profit and cash flow (and why confusing them can shut your business down) ● What your P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statement are each telling you - in plain language ● Why your bank balance is not your profitability ● How to set up a monthly money check-in that actually tells you something useful ● The metrics beyond the financial statements - capacity, productivity, client acquisition cost - and why they matter for growth decisions   Your numbers are not there to judge you. They're there to helpyou run your business. Links and Resources ● Free Guide - Five Key Strategies to Scale YourService-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale ● Work with Kendra - Clear Direction Advisors: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com ● Book a discovery call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session Connect with Kendra ● LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ ● Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors ● Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors

    26 min

  2. Jun 22

    Why Isn't My Business Growing? The Four Real Reasons Service Businesses Stall

    A plateau doesn't always feel like a crisis. Sometimes it just looks like another month with the same revenue as the last one, and the one before that. If that pattern has been going on for a year, it isn't stability. It's a signal worth paying attention to.   What We Cover In this episode, we get into the four real reasons service businesses stall and why most business owners are diagnosing the problem wrong.   We cover: What a plateau actually means - and why the definition matters before you try to fix anythingPricing gaps - including grandfathered clients and contracts with no annual increase built in Offer confusion - and why unclear messaging keeps ideal clients from finding their way to youCapacity ceilings - and the difference between growing your business and scaling itMissing systems - what they are costing you, even when you can't see the impact yet  If you've been wondering why your business feels stuck and why growth has stalled, this episode gives you a clear framework for figuring out which problem is actually yours.   Links and Resources EP04 | Is Your Offer Suite Designed for Profit or Did It Just HappenEP06 | Why Your Business Stalls: The Systems Problem Holding You BackFree Guide: Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscaleWork with Kendra -- Clear Direction Advisors: www.cleardirectionadvisors.comBook a discovery call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session  Connect With Kendra LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisorsSubstack: substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors  If this episode resonated, follow The Entrepreneur's Roadmap so you don't miss what's coming next, and if you know another service provider who needs to hear this, share it with them.

    26 min

  3. Jun 15

    Why Real Business Experience Beats Any Certification

    Marshall Stern has been in business for over 35 years. He built a sign and graphics company for 29 years and decided to sell it. He ran coaching and mentoring alongside that company for 14 of those years. He is now coaching full-time, and the way he talks about business, people, and decisions is worth your full attention. In this episode, Marshall shares the decisions that shaped his journey, including why he refused to lay off his team at the start of COVID when everyone told him he should, why he hired a new salesperson in August 2020 when business was still at 50%, and what he has learned about real leadership versus the kind that looks good on paper. We also get into what actually gets in the way of business growth, why a bank balance is not the same thing as financial health, and why real experience in the trenches will always outrank a certification. Marshall holds nothing back. This one is worth listening to more than once. In this episode: The decisions that defined Marshall's entrepreneurial journeyWhy he refused to lay off his team during COVID - and what happened because of itHiring counter-cyclically: taking the leap when nobody else wasWhat actually blocks business growth more than anything elseWhy your bank balance is lying to you about your business healthWhy real experience in the trenches beats any certification Links and Resources Free Guide: Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscaleWork with Kendra at Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.comBook a discovery call:https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-sessionConnect with Marshall: Website: ⁠www.marshallstern.net⁠LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/marshallstern/⁠Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/marshallstern/⁠Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup⁠Connect With Kendra LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisorsSubstack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors

    1h 3m

  4. Jun 8

    Why Your Business Stalls: The Systems Problem Holding You Back

    If your business grinds to a halt the moment you step away, you don't have a capacity problem. You have a systems problem. And that's actually good news, because systems are fixable. In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Roadmap, we get intoone of the most common reasons service providers hit a ceiling - not because they lack clients or opportunities, but because the business is built entirely around their personal involvement in every single piece of the process. Key takeaways from this episode: Why being the bottleneck in your own business is a growth ceiling, not a badge of honourThe three things in your business that actually require your specific expertise (and why most owners dramatically overestimate this list)Five areas to look at when building systems: client onboarding, service delivery, financials, communication, and offboardingWhy systems aren't about removing the human element - they're about protecting itWhat it actually looks like to walk into work on a Monday morning and trust that your business is runningIf you're doing everything yourself and wondering why youcan't seem to get ahead, this one is for you. Links and Resources • Free Guide: Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale • Work with Kendra at Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.com • Book a discovery call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session Connect With Kendra • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ • Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors • Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors Follow and subscribe so you don't miss next week's episode on making your first (or next) hire a strategic decision rather than a rescue mission.

    22 min

  5. Jun 1

    How to Build a Strategic Growth Plan That Makes Every Business Decision Easier

    Most service business owners know they need a strategy. What they don't have is a practical framework for building one they'll actually use. In this episode, Kendra Vyse walks through her five-part growth roadmap that turns strategic thinking into real decisions - covering what your plan needs to contain, why starting with goals is not actually the right first step, and how her GAP Framework (Growth Action Plan) works in practice with real service businesses. If you've been making decisions in your business without a clear framework to run them through, this episode is your starting point. What We Cover Why an honest assessment of your current position matters more than your goals, and why most business owners skip itThe five components every strategic growth plan needs to be useful when decisions have to be madeHow the GAP Framework structures the roadmap-building process for service-based businessesWhat changes about how you operate when every decision has a filter to run throughLinks and Resources Free Guide -- Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscaleWork with Kendra -- 1:1 Advisory: www.cleardirectionadvisors.comStrategic Growth Lab (September cohort): www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/group-programBook a Discovery Call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-sessionConnect With Kendra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisorsSubstack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisorsDon't forget to follow The Entrepreneur's Roadmap so you never miss an episode.

    23 min

  6. May 25

    Is Your Offer Suite Designed for Profit or Did It Just Happen?

    If you're a service provider who stays busy but never quite hits the financial results you're working toward, your offer suite might be the problem, and most people never stop to look at it. In this episode, Kendra breaks down the difference between an offer suite that was built with intention and one that simply accumulated over time. Because for most service providers, it's the second one, and it's quietly capping their revenue, their margins, and their ability to scale. You'll walk away from this episode knowing how to evaluate what you're currently offering, which offers deserve your time and energy, and what to look for when your offer suite needs a serious rethink.   In this episode: - The three questions to ask about every offer you currently have - Four signs your offer suite is working against you - Why your most popular offer and your most profitable offer are often not the same thing - How a clear, intentional offer suite becomes one of the fastest levers for growth This is the kind of strategic clarity that changes how you talk about your business, how you price your work, and how you scale without burning out. Links and Resources • Free Guide - Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale • Work with Kendra and Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.com • Book a discovery call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session   Connect With Kendra • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ • Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors • Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors

    20 min

  7. May 18

    You Can't Grow What You Don't Understand: Getting Clarity on Your Business Finances

    There is a version of a service business that looks successful from the outside - full calendar, consistent clients, steady revenue - and is quietly in trouble on the inside. Not because the business is failing, but because the owner doesn't actually know where they stand financially. They have a feeling. They have a rough idea. But they don't have the numbers. Financial avoidance in service businesses is not about being bad with money. It's about not knowing where to start, feeling like the numbers will reveal something uncomfortable, and keeping busy enough that looking closely never feels urgent. Until it does. This episode is about changing that. Not by becoming an accountant, but by understanding three specific numbers that give you the financial clarity to make every other strategic decision from a position of knowledge rather than assumption.   What You'll Get From This Episode • You'll understand why financial avoidance is a strategy problem, not a personality flaw • You'll learn the three numbers that matter most for a service business and what each one tells you • You'll be able to answer the question: is my business model actually working, and if not, where is the problem   Episode Highlights Revenue Is Not Profit and Confusing Them Is Expensive A business can generate strong revenue and still leave its owner underpaid, under-resourced, and with no financial buffer. Revenue tells you how much came in. Profit tells you whether your business model is working. Until you know your actual margin, not roughly, but the actual number, you cannot make sound decisions about pricing, capacity, or growth. The Three Numbers That Change Everything Profit margin, cash flow pattern, and cost per client. These are not complex accounting concepts - they are the three lenses that tell a service business owner whether their business is actually functioning as a financial engine or just as a vehicle for staying busy. Once you know all three, decisions about pricing and offers become significantly clearer. What Financial Clarity Actually Changes Getting clear on the numbers is not just a financial exercise. It changes how you price, what offers you prioritize, when you hire, and how you think about growth. Business owners who understand their numbers make fewer reactive decisions and more intentional ones because they have a foundation to make them from.   Resources and Links Mentioned • Free Guide — Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business: cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale • Work with Kendra at Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.com • Book a discovery call:https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session   Connect With Kendra • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ • Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors • Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors   If you want to start getting clearer on your numbers, grab the free guide - Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business - linked in the show notes above. And follow The Entrepreneur's Roadmap for the next episode, where we look at whether your offers are actually working for you.

    19 min

  8. May 18

    Why Growth Without a Plan Is Just Expensive Chaos

    You can have a great revenue month and still wonder where the money went two weeks later. That's not a cash flow problem, it's a strategy problem. And it's more common than most service providers want to admit.   What We Cover • Why busyness and strategy are not the same thing - andthe real cost of confusing them • The question that reveals whether your business actually has a strategy or just a to-do list • The three components every service business plan needsto be useful in practice • What changes when a business moves from reactivedecision-making to intentional strategy   Links and Resources • Free Guide - Five Key Strategies to Scale YourService-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale • Join the Podcast Update List: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com (sign up at the bottom of the page) • Work with Kendra and Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.com • Book a discovery call:https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session   Connect With Kendra • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ • Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors • Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors If this episode resonated, grab the free guide in the shownotes - Five Key Strategies to Scale Your Service-Based Business. And subscribe and follow The Entrepreneur's Roadmap so you don't miss the next episode.

    14 min

  9. May 18

    Welcome to The Entrepreneur's Roadmap

    If you're a service-based business owner who's working hard,growing revenue, and still wondering why it doesn't feel like enough, this show was built for you. Welcome to The Entrepreneur's Roadmap. I'm Kendra Vyse, and this is where we get into the practical side of building a service business that pays you well and grows in a direction you actually chose. What We Cover • Who this show is for, and whether you're in the right place • Kendra's background and why the accountant-turned-strategist lens makes this different • The five topic areas: strategy, financial clarity, offers, team, and systems • What's coming up in the first episodes and how to makesure you don't miss them • How to work with Kendra if you want to go deeper Links and Resources • Free Guide - Five Key Strategies to Scale YourService-Based Business: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/5keystrategiestoscale • Join the Podcast Update List: www.cleardirectionadvisors.com/contact-us/ (sign up at the bottom of the page)• Work with Kendra and Clear Direction Advisors:www.cleardirectionadvisors.com • Book a discovery call: https://tidycal.com/cleardirections/discovery-session Connect With Kendra • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kendravyse/ • Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/cleardirectionadvisors • Substack: https://substack.com/@cleardirectionadvisors If this episode resonated, follow The Entrepreneur's Roadmap wherever you listen to podcasts and sign up for the weekly newsletter at www.cleardirectionadvisors.com to get the strategy conversation delivered to your inbox every week.

    14 min

  10. May 1

    The Entrepreneur's Roadmap Trailer

    If you're running a service-based business and growth feels like it's happening to you instead of because of you, this is for you. The Entrepreneur's Roadmap is a podcast for service providers who are ready to grow and scale without burning out. Over the coming weeks, you'll hear conversations and insights on strategy, financial clarity, building the right team, creating systems that actually work, and what it really takes to grow and scale a business that aligns with your goals and your vision. This trailer is a quick introduction to what's ahead. The full show launches soon. Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode.

    3 min

Trailer

About

The Entrepreneur's Roadmap is a podcast for service-based business owners who are ready to stop guessing and start building intentionally. Hosted by Kendra Vyse - business strategist, third-generation entrepreneur, and second-generation accountant - each episode covers the real work of building a service business that pays you well and grows in a direction you chose. Topics include offer strategy, financial clarity, team building, systems, and the mindset behind sustainable growth.

Information

  • Creator
    Kendra Vyse - Clear Direction Advisors
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kendra Vyse - Clear Direction Advisors
  • Show Website
    The Entrepreneur's Roadmap