Peaks & Valleys Playbook: What to Do When Business Is Slow (and When It’s Slammed)
Release Date: 11/12/2025
How and WHY You Need to Turn People Away
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Not every lead deserves your time, and not every dollar is worth what it costs you. In this episode, we talk honestly about why turning people away is one of the most important skills you can build as a business owner. We break down how to qualify prospects, set non-negotiable minimums, and stop bending over backward for people who aren’t aligned with your goals, values, or process. We share a real email exchange that proves exactly why boundaries matter, how misaligned clients reveal themselves early, and how clear communication actually protects both sides. Tune in to learn how protecting...
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What Flipping Burgers Teaches You About Building a Business
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Before we ever ran a high-end business, we picked rocks in farm fields, flipped burgers at the county fair, mowed lawns, landscaped, and parked luxury cars as valets. None of those jobs were glamorous, and most of them weren’t fulfilling, but every single one taught us something we still rely on today. In this episode, we break down the business lessons hidden inside menial work, from understanding value over cost, to pricing projects instead of hours, to learning why not every job is meant to feel inspiring. We also talk about unrealistic expectations around fulfillment, why work ethic...
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Signs You’re Undervaluing Your Business
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Has anyone ever told you to raise your prices and your immediate response was to explain why that won’t work? That reaction alone might be the clearest sign you’re undervaluing your business. In this episode, we break down the most common signs your business is quietly operating from a place of undervaluation. We talk about how these habits train clients to treat your work as less valuable than it actually is, the difference between cost and value, why premium clients don’t want bargains, and how discount-driven businesses train customers to only show up when there’s a deal. Get ready...
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The Dream Client Blueprint: Boundaries That Create Respect, Higher Profit, and Referrals
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Scope creep. No-shows. “Quick questions.” If any of that just triggered you, press play. In this episode, we’re talking about how to “train” your clients so they actually respect your time and follow your process. We share the real boundaries we’ve built, why we’re obsessed with clarity (and paper trails), and the small, subtle tweaks that make people take you seriously without you having to be a jerk about it. Expect some laughs, a few strong opinions, and a whole lot of “we learned this the hard way” moments, because nothing inspires a better system like getting burned once...
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How to Turn Google & Local Media Into a Marketing Machine & Get Found WITHOUT Paid Ads
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Feel like you “should” be running ads, but you’re not even sure what’s working… or if you can afford it? In this episode, we share the mistake most small business owners make paying for marketing way too early, and the free (or almost free) marketing moves that actually move the needle for a high-end, service-based business. We’ll walk you through how to set up your Google Business Profile the right way, what your website really needs to convert local clients, how to think about social media without chasing every trend, and how to use earned media (local TV, magazines, radio,...
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The Tax Guy Who Embezzled From Us, Red Flags We Ignored & What We Did to Fix It
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Most entrepreneurs worry about getting more clients, not getting burned by the people who are supposed to be “on their side.” In this episode, we share the full story of how our longtime tax preparer secretly stopped paying our payroll taxes, how it spiraled into years of penalties, fear, and cleanup, and what we did to finally get out of it. We walk through the red flags we missed, why “no news” from your tax person is not good news, and the exact steps we took to switch firms, negotiate repayment, and get our business and personal finances back on solid ground. If you’ve ever felt...
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How to Set Goals You’ll Actually Accomplish
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Most entrepreneurs only celebrate when something huge happens, and that isn’t often enough. In this episode, we talk about Thanksgiving, gratitude, and why small and repeatable wins are the things that prevent burnout and keep momentum alive. We share how we set realistic goals, how to reward yourselves when you hit them, and ways you can start celebrating even if cash is tight. Tune in to celebrate more, stress less, and enjoy the business you’ve built. Happy holidays ahead! Highlights 00:00 Holiday sign-offs and the mood before Thanksgiving. 07:30 Why gratitude is hard for...
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They Don’t Care Why It Went Wrong: How to Talk to Clients When Things Go Sideways
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Blame might feel satisfying in the moment, but it is quietly torching your reputation, your team culture, and your profit. In this episode, we unpack why the buck really does stop with you as the business owner, and how owning that actually gives you more control, not less. We walk through real stories from our shop and our clients where shipping disasters, customs delays, and vendor mishaps could have turned into finger pointing, and instead became opportunities to reinforce trust and integrity. You will learn how to talk to clients when things go sideways without throwing your team or your...
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What You Really Mean When You Say You Can’t Afford It
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Most business objections that sound like “I can’t afford that” are really a priorities problem, and the language we use matters. In this episode, we talk about why saying you can’t afford something hides the real decision, how to reframe tough choices through your priorities lens, and why that clarity makes saying “no” easier and more profitable. We share examples (vacations, trainers, hires, branding) and a few stories from the shop that reveal how thinking in priorities changes decisions, simplifies sales conversations, and helps you run the business you actually want. Get ready...
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Our Biggest Business Pet Peeves That Make Your Brand Look Cheap (And How to Avoid Them)
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We’ve seen a lot over 15 years of running a high-end small business, and some of the things business owners do (including things we used to do) make your brands look way less premium than they actually are. Some of the stuff you think is “nice,” “humble,” or “on trend” is actually making your business look low-end. In this episode, we talk about the business-owner pet peeves that quietly communicate insecurity instead of authority and the signals clients pick up on that communicate whether you’re confident, insecure, or trying too hard. Tune in and see which of these pet peeves...
info_outlineFeeling whiplash from the peaks and valleys in your business? In this episode, we share a practical playbook for riding the inevitable ebbs and flows without panic or price-slashing. You’ll learn how to plan for slow seasons, what to focus on when you’re slammed, and why margin (not volume) is your real recession insurance. We also break down smart ways to raise prices, swap discounts for value-adds, and “train” clients to buy at full price. You’ll walk away with clear actions to stabilize cash flow, protect profit, and make better decisions so you can enjoy the busy seasons and actually leverage the slow ones.
Highlights
00:00 Why uncertainty is guaranteed and how to prepare instead of panic.
02:10 Peaks & valleys 101: identifying your predictable busy/slow seasons.
05:00 Bad Business Advice of the Day: “The customer is always right” (what’s actually true).
08:15 Busy season game plan: rinse-and-repeat rhythm, protect focus, avoid new strategy sprawl.
11:30 Slow season strategy: what to work on vs. what to intentionally ignore.
14:25 Why staying cheap repels premium buyers (steakhouse analogy).
17:40 When to raise prices (and why Q4 slowdowns can be the perfect window).
20:30 Promos that attract loyal clients instead of bargain hunters.
26:45 How constant promos “train” customers—and how to retrain for full-price buying.
29:20 Case example: pairing a premium purchase with a complimentary add-on (win-win promo).
32:00 Margin as insurance: why profit discipline makes downturns survivable.
35:15 What not to do when it’s slow.
37:40 Lessons to make your business recession proof.
40:05 Your “CEO list” for slow weeks.
48:30 Action checklist: raise prices, plan value-adds, calendar your slow-season projects.
Resources + Links
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