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040: Scaling Smart: Practical Advice for Small Business Owners with Sebastian Stahl

Essential Ingredients Podcast

Release Date: 03/27/2025

058: What Does ‘Regenerative’ Really Mean? Your Food Label Decoder with Anthony Corsaro show art 058: What Does ‘Regenerative’ Really Mean? Your Food Label Decoder with Anthony Corsaro

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“It's all about labels, it's all about claims, and it's all about certifications. Regenerative is a mess. It's a hot mess. ... I can understand, articulate, and define it really easily, but the average consumer, I don't think, can for a myriad of reasons.... The entire reason regenerative agriculture was created is the beauty of it being a transition tool to improve conventional agriculture. The challenge is it's super easy to greenwash if it's not legit, and it's really easy to lower the bar as low as possible.” —Anthony Corsaro   Ever picked up a carton of “regenerative” eggs...

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057: Wellness Without the Hype: Food Fixes for Brain Fog, Bloat, and Blah Days with Elissa Goodman show art 057: Wellness Without the Hype: Food Fixes for Brain Fog, Bloat, and Blah Days with Elissa Goodman

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“Life is so crazy, and you just want to be able to live it to the fullest and the best you can.” —Elissa Goodman   Everyone’s selling the next big wellness fix—but what if the real answers are simpler than you think?  We’re bombarded with superfoods, supplements, and miracle diets, but the truth is, most of us are still searching for what really works. If you’re tired of chasing trends and want to feel genuinely good in your body, you’re in the right place. Returning guest, Elissa Goodman’s journey from chronic illness to vibrant health is proof that real change...

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056: Working Moms Incorporating Sustainability Into Family Life with Daniela Kratz & Shirin Aryanpour show art 056: Working Moms Incorporating Sustainability Into Family Life with Daniela Kratz & Shirin Aryanpour

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“Simplicity was something I learned from my family and grew up with. The fact is, you do not need fancy food, you do not need a huge variety of food. You can have some potatoes, and you can have one vegetable, and you make a brothy sauce with the vegetables, and you pour it over the freshly cooked potatoes. It can be so comforting and nourishing. So simplicity is something that is important for us to understand.” —Daniela Kratz   “I grew up in a household where we cooked together. Cooking was a way of connecting for us. Culturally, food is a language of love, poetry, and respect...

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055: Reframing Sustainability: Discover the Positive, Empowering Way Forward with Charlie Sellars show art 055: Reframing Sustainability: Discover the Positive, Empowering Way Forward with Charlie Sellars

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“To be an effective climate optimist and person who cares about sustainability, you need equal parts of two different ingredients. The first is inspiration, because if you don't believe you can make a difference, and if you don't believe that what you do matters, then you're not going to try. You also need the other ingredient of empowerment. If you are really, really encouraged to try to make a difference, but you're not given the tools or the knowledge, then all that energy dissipates and becomes wasted.” —Charlie Sellars   What if sustainability wasn’t a burden, but an...

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054: Noodles Without the Guilt: Comfort Food Gets a Healthy Makeover with Jonathan Carp show art 054: Noodles Without the Guilt: Comfort Food Gets a Healthy Makeover with Jonathan Carp

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“An interdisciplinary approach to medicine is probably the way the future is going to go. There will be dieticians and a whole host of different people involved in helping someone to heal.” —Jonathan Carp   For too long, we’ve been told that health comes in a medicine bottle or a doctor’s office, but what if the real power lies in the food we choose every day? If you’ve ever felt frustrated by quick fixes that don’t last or wondered how to make healthy changes that actually stick, you’re not alone—and this episode is for you. Dr. Jonathan Carp is a board-certified...

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053: Making Business Personal: Lessons from 30 Years of Conscious Entrepreneurship with Susan and Brad Black show art 053: Making Business Personal: Lessons from 30 Years of Conscious Entrepreneurship with Susan and Brad Black

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“In the old days, families worked together, like on a farm, and that's the model we wanted to create for ourselves at EO Products.” —Brad Black    Most businesses die because they chase profits instead of purpose—a raw, honest truth that cuts to the core of entrepreneurial burnout and lost passion. A lot of entrepreneurs pour their hearts and soul into a business, only to become a slave to spreadsheets and profit margins. But what if there was another way?   Brad and Susan Black, co-founders of , are pioneering entrepreneurs who transformed a passionate curiosity...

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052: Beauty Decoded: Skincare Truths, Sunscreen Myths & Brand-Building Wisdom with Carmine Montalto show art 052: Beauty Decoded: Skincare Truths, Sunscreen Myths & Brand-Building Wisdom with Carmine Montalto

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“You can’t be all things to all people, and a brand can’t be all things to all people. A brand can be as big as it gets with tons of money supporting it. But, there has to be a point of difference to stand out to consumers.” —Carmine Montalto   Most beauty founders drown in a saturated market, chasing viral trends while struggling to build brands that resonate. They sacrifice authenticity for algorithms, forgetting that true loyalty starts with a razor-sharp point of view—not pink packaging or empty promises.  Carmine Montalto is a NYC-based brand strategist with 25 years...

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051: Marketing Mythbusters: What Really Makes Customers Buy with Jeff Greenfield show art 051: Marketing Mythbusters: What Really Makes Customers Buy with Jeff Greenfield

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“The truth is, when you start checking out other brands, you will start to notice how inconsistent they are. So just by being consistent, you're already ahead of the game.” —Jeff Greenfield.    Most entrepreneurs are drowning in a sea of marketing noise, desperately trying to be heard while burning through limited resources with little measurable return. But the real battle isn't about having the most sophisticated tactics, but about crafting a message so compelling that it cuts through the digital clutter and speaks directly to our ideal customer's deepest desires and unspoken...

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050: Skin Deep: The Surprising Power of Natural, Locally-Sourced Beauty Products with Nancy Rimbergas show art 050: Skin Deep: The Surprising Power of Natural, Locally-Sourced Beauty Products with Nancy Rimbergas

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“You follow your passion, and when you have a purpose behind it, everything becomes a little bit clearer.” —Nancy Rimbergas   Clean beauty isn't just another Instagram hashtag—it's a real movement that starts with actually caring about what we're putting on our skin. Every lotion, cream, or serum is like a tiny decision that ripples out, affecting not just our body, but the whole planet. We're not just buying products anymore; we're voting with our dollars, pushing brands to be real about their ingredients, and showing the beauty industry that we want something better. Nancy...

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049: NASA's Dental Care Secret: Saving Teeth with Eco-Friendly Space-Age Tech with Belinda Lau show art 049: NASA's Dental Care Secret: Saving Teeth with Eco-Friendly Space-Age Tech with Belinda Lau

Essential Ingredients Podcast

“I had to find that niche, that core community of people who were trying to solve the same problems that I was and who were passionate about the solution. But if I hadn’t found that, I think it would be tough to try to keep promoting your product and your brand without actually knowing where it fits.” —Belinda Lau    Every toothpaste tube and toothbrush we've ever used might still be existing somewhere on this planet! Plastic dental care products are silent environmental destroyers, with each toothbrush lingering for about 500 years in landfills and oceans.  Belinda Lau,...

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Founder Resource Series

 

Episode Description:

“My advice for people that are wanting to shift or starting out is to just jump in the water. Once you're there, you're going to figure out how to swim.”  —Sebastian Stahl

 

A lot of startups crumble within their first year—a stark reminder that dreams alone cannot sustain a business. But the difference between survival and surrender often hinges on adaptability, strategic thinking, and the courage to pivot when the path becomes uncertain.

Sebastian Stahl is a battle-tested entrepreneur who has navigated the complex terrains of restaurants and marketing, transforming setbacks into strategic victories. With a rich background spanning multiple industries, he brings a unique perspective on building sustainable businesses and helping entrepreneurs break through their most challenging obstacles.

Tune in as Justine and Sebastian deconstruct the entrepreneurial code, revealing raw survival strategies, marketing game-changers, personal growth blueprints, mentorship secrets, and the critical mindset shifts that can turn potential business failures into extraordinary success stories.



Meet Sebastian: 

With over 19+ years in the hospitality industry, Sebastian has owned and operated multiple restaurant concepts and served as the Head of Marketing and Partner at an award-winning restaurant group in South Florida operating six brands. Sebastian’s track record speaks for itself. He has helped numerous restaurants around the country transform their business and drive revenue growth. His approach is not just about short-term gains but also about building a solid foundation for long-term success.

Sebastian’s mission is to help restaurant owners gain freedom in their business. His wealth of experience, combined with his strategic mindset and creative flair, make him an invaluable asset for any restaurant owner looking to elevate their brand, attract new customers, and ultimately achieve sustainable growth. When he is not working you can find him at home hanging out with his wife and playing with his daughter Annika.

 

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Episode Highlights:

01:13 Falling in Love with the Restaurant Biz

06:55 Navigating a Growing Business 

11:14 Overcoming the Blind Spots  

18:53 The Impact of Building Relationships on Business 

31:12 How to Survive the First Year of Business 

37:56 Just Keep Doing

40:04 The Road to Becoming a Good Leader