E268 | A BTS Look at My Story and the Windy Road to Lean Scaling
Release Date: 02/17/2026
E272 | Why We Undervalue Our Services and How to Reframe Pricing
Simplify to Scale Show
Are you wondering how your skills affect your pricing and positioning? Do you feel your work isn’t valued enough? Or are you thinking about how AI and changing business trends impact what you offer? In this episode, I talk about how people see your work and how that shapes pricing, packaging, and positioning. From recent conversations with founders, I noticed a pattern: many undervalue their talents, especially when the work comes naturally or is something they love. I share why we sometimes underplay our strengths and practical ways to show the real value of what we do. By focusing on...
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E271 | Embracing the Experimentation Cycle in Your Business This Year
Simplify to Scale Show
What does it really mean for this year to be a year of experimentation? How can you adapt your business to continual changes in the market? What practical strategies make experimentation feel productive instead of chaotic? In this episode, I guide you through the ongoing cycle between experimentation and optimization in business. I share insights about embracing rapid feedback loops, micro-adjustments, and staying responsive to shifting client needs. I highlight the importance of gateway offers and tailoring entry points for clients, and I encourages you to stay anchored in your core...
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E270 | How to Successfully Scale Solo with Pia Silva
Simplify to Scale Show
Have you wondered how to scale your business without building a big team? Are you curious about strategies that focus on profit and personal fulfillment? Are you searching for ways to charge more, deliver faster, and simplify your business model? In this episode, I sit down with Pia Silva, who specializes in helping experts scale solo and maximize their impact. She is the founder of No BS Mastery where she teaches boutique agencies, consultants, and coaches the No BS Business Model for $250K-$500K+ with freedom and ease Together we discuss practical frameworks for increasing profitability,...
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E269 | How AI Is Reshaping Service Business Models and What to Shift
Simplify to Scale Show
Are you wondering how to future-proof your service-based business? Curious about how AI is reshaping client expectations and pricing? Want to know what shifts are coming your way from the large-scale enterprise world? In this episode, I share the latest trends and strategies that are emerging in big business and will soon make their way into the small business space. I highlight how time is becoming less of a factor in pricing, especially as AI tools dramatically speed up workflows. I explore how to rethink offers to be outcome and value-focused, the importance of dialing in your processes,...
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E268 | A BTS Look at My Story and the Windy Road to Lean Scaling
Simplify to Scale Show
Have you ever wondered how your path can twist and turn in unexpected ways? Do you ever feel like you need everything figured out before making big moves? Curious about what it’s really like to scale a business from humble beginnings? In this episode, I open up about my winding journey from launching Connecticut’s first espresso bar to building a thriving jewellery brand, and eventually growing Lean Scaling Co. I share real stories about learning through mistakes, creating new ideas, and managing the pressures of juggling multiple ventures. Along the way, I reflect on lessons learned in...
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E267 | The Impact of Your Wellbeing on Your Business with Kristin Sitek
Simplify to Scale Show
What if your vitality was the true engine behind your business growth? How can tuning into your physical and emotional well-being transform your approach to leadership? Are you ready to rethink your strategies for scaling by starting with yourself first? In this episode, I sit down with energy alchemist and functional health practitioner Kristin Sitek to explore the deep connection between health and business. She has a unique ability to tune into both the physical body and the deeper emotional and energetic patterns that drive chronic symptoms. By blending the science of functional...
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E266 | How to Partner Together to Simplify and Scale in 2026
Simplify to Scale Show
Are you ready to finally get out of the day-to-day in your business? Wondering what steps it truly takes to simplify and scale in a way that lasts? Curious about how visionary founders and right-hand leaders create sustainable success together? On this episode, I am joined by Jessica Maine, and we share a behind-the-scenes look at Lean Scaling Company and Strategic Ops Institute, revealing the approaches and small pivots that help founders design businesses not dependent on themselves. We explore the importance of having both the right systems and the right people, how to structure teams and...
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E265 | Grow Your Business Working Only 16 Hours a Week with Sarah Olivieri
Simplify to Scale Show
Could doing less help you achieve more? How do you design a business that fits your life, not the other way around? What if your optimal work week was just 16 hours? On this episode, I welcome Sarah Olivieri, creator of the Impact Method, to explore how she consistently runs a profitable business with only 16 hours of work each week. Sara is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth. She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and changemakers who want more clarity, more joy, and...
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E264 | The Energetics of Simple Sustainable Scaling
Simplify to Scale Show
What if scaling your business actually gave you more personal freedom, fulfillment, and energy? Are you wondering how to balance your own growth with your business needs? Curious about becoming the visionary leader your next chapter requires? In this episode, I share my approach to sustainable scaling, focusing on both practical strategies and personal alignment. I talk about defining your rich, fulfilled life, understanding where your needs and your business's needs overlap, and how to set up the support that keeps you focused on what you love. I also open up about how working through inner...
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E263 | Leading a Soul-Aligned Business with Natalie Cutsforth
Simplify to Scale Show
How do you define success for yourself in business and life? What does it take to create an aligned company that truly fits who you are? How can your energy shape your next chapter? In this episode, I sit down with Natalie Cutsforth to explore the journey of simplifying to scale and making authentic choices in your work. She is a clairvoyant shamanic reader, healer, mentor, and author. She has channeled over 6,000 private sessions worldwide, helping clients release blocks, reclaim their power, and align with their soul’s calling. Natalie shares her transition from a fast-paced...
info_outlineHave you ever wondered how your path can twist and turn in unexpected ways? Do you ever feel like you need everything figured out before making big moves? Curious about what it’s really like to scale a business from humble beginnings? In this episode, I open up about my winding journey from launching Connecticut’s first espresso bar to building a thriving jewellery brand, and eventually growing Lean Scaling Co. I share real stories about learning through mistakes, creating new ideas, and managing the pressures of juggling multiple ventures.
Along the way, I reflect on lessons learned in team building, creative direction, and operational improvements. I talk about scaling my jewellery brand to international success, the challenges that arose, and how blending my creative and strategic sides helped transform my businesses. As I walk through the pivotal moments and hard decisions, I hope my story encourages you to embrace your unique path and persistent curiosity.
I’d love to hear your own winding journey! Join the conversation and let’s keep inspiring each other to scale with intention and simplicity!
In this episode, I explore:
- The Winding Journey of Entrepreneurship
- Corporate Experience & Consulting
- Scaling a Creative Business
- Pivots and Focusing
- Importance of Focus and Letting Go
Founders: Are you ready to get out of the day-to-day operations of your business?
Start by joining me inside our next Scale Simpler workshop, where I help you discover the hidden factors keeping you stuck in the day-to-day.
Then join me in Extraction, where we'll spend 4 weeks together developing your founder extraction roadmap to help you finally get out of the day-to-day of the business without things falling apart.
Register for Scale Simpler at https://www.leanscaling.com/scaleworkshop and Extraction at https://www.leanscaling.com/extraction
Fractionals & Consultants: Ready to become the strategic partner that small businesses can't imagine scaling without?
Apply for our Chief Strategy and Operating Officer (CSOO) certification and become licensed to leverage our Lean Scaling System™ to simplify how you scale your clients' businesses (and your own) and step into the role founders are increasingly searching for.
Learn more at https://www.strategicopsinstitute.com/certification
Fractionals, Consultants, & Leaders: Ready to deepen your strategic leadership skills and differentiate your services to stand out in a crowded market?
Join our SOL Collective community, THE private space centered on strategic leadership, AI enablement, and defining your signature positioning for those who partner with small to mid-sized businesses.
Learn more at https://www.strategicopsinstitute.com/collective
Have questions? Want to explore partnering together to scale your business? Connect with me on my personal Instagram @cristagrasso or LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.
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