Staying True to Your Values Builds a Profitable Business When Growth Gets Hard with Jessica Lowery
Release Date: 01/17/2026
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S6:E20 Most entrepreneurs fail because of what happens in their head AFTER the market shifts. Queue Up Episode This week on Small Business Stories, Dr. LL sits down with Chris Prefontaine, founder of Smart Real Estate Coach, to unpack what happens after financial collapse, and the guts (along with everything else) that it takes to rebuild. If people don’t trust you, they won’t follow you. If you don’t trust yourself, you won’t move. Chris shares how the 2008 crash wiped him out financially, the four-year mental spiral that followed, and how creative real estate became the vehicle for...
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Small Business Stories
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Authority, AI & the Illusion of Growth Hacks with Matthew Mamet
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S6:E17 Everyone wants the shortcut. No one wants to hear there isn’t one. Queue Up Episode This week on Small Business Stories, Dr. LL sits down with technical advisor and business coach Matthew Mamet to unpack what AI is actually changing and what it is not. If people don’t trust you, they won’t buy from you. If they can’t distinguish your expertise from a bot, they won’t remember you. Matthew brings perspective from the dot-com era through today’s LLM shift, explaining why growth hacks fail and why authority now matters more than ever. 👤 Guest Matthew Mamet Technical Advisor...
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Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole: 100% Bonus Depreciation with Madeleine Raiford-Holland
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S6:E16 If you keep hearing about the short-term rental tax loophole but it feels confusing, this episode makes it easy-peasy to understand. We unpack how 100% bonus depreciation can create big paper losses that may offset active income when structured correctly. Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Overview A lot of smart, high-earning people are trying to “do the right thing” financially, but they are quietly stuck in analysis...
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Trust, Reinvention & Resilience with Athena Brownson
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S6:E15 What happens when the thing you built your identity around disappears? Queue Up Episode This week on Small Business Stories, Dr. LL sits down with former professional skier turned Denver real estate agent Athena Brownson. She's incredible! Introspective, resilient, and inspirational. Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athenabrownsonrealtor_/ If people don’t trust you, they won’t hire you. If they don’t see the real you, they won’t connect with you. Athena’s journey moves from elite athletic performance through devastating injuries and chronic Lyme disease to...
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Luxury Consignment Store Tips in Naples, Florida | Jennifer Johnson
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S6:E14 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Most founders are carrying more than they admit, and still trying to look “put together” while the ground shifts underneath them. In 2026, it is easy to confuse polish with progress, and busyness with momentum. This episode lives in that quiet gap between how entrepreneurship is pictured and how it is actually lived. It is also a reminder that the story people see is rarely the full story....
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A Business Coach for Women: Building an Uncommon Beautiful Life in Mallorca with Jenna Harrison
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S6:E13 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Overview A lot of founders are stuck because their identity is still anchored to safety, approval, and “the responsible choice.” So the goalposts keep moving. The bank balance is never enough, the timing is never right, and the dream stays theoretical. This shows up as overwork, over-functioning, and businesses that look “successful” but feel misaligned and unsustainable. 👤 Guest...
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How to Sell Art Online and Make a Living as an Artist in the AI Era with Tim Packer
Small Business Stories
S6:E12 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Overview Sometimes the issue is not your talent. It is that people cannot verify it fast enough to feel safe choosing you. In a world where AI can generate endless output, the quiet problem becomes trust, proof, and what feels “real.” This episode sits inside a recurring Season 6 thread: capable people getting overlooked because their credibility is not legible at first glance. If you have...
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Digital Media for Small Business: Earned Media and Trust Signals in AI Search with Larissa Banting
Small Business Stories
S6:E11 Loralyn Mears, PhD, aka “Dr. LL,” brings you thoughtful conversations with entrepreneurs and small business leaders navigating visibility, leadership, and growth. Thank you for being here. Overview There’s a subtle moment many business owners miss: when growth doesn’t stall because of effort, but because clarity slips. The work still happens, but the signal becomes harder to read. Over time, audiences feel unsure how to describe what you actually do. This episode sits inside a recurring pattern Dr. LL sees across businesses that are active, capable, and quietly misaligned. 👤...
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When growth gets hard, shortcuts start to look tempting. This conversation is about what happens when you don’t cave into the pressure to take shortcuts. Dr. LL chats about wellness in keeping with January's theme.
👤 Guest: Jessica Lowery Founder, The Power of Elderberries Values-driven wellness entrepreneur and product innovator
⚠️ Core Problems Discussed Growing a product business without compromising integrity Navigating debt, lawsuits, and emotional burnout Standing out in crowded wellness and supplement markets
🥡 Practical Takeaways Why clarity of values matters more than speed How reframing product positioning can save a struggling launch What real customer trust looks like beyond marketing claims
⏱️ Timestamps 02:44 – Why an 8-year-old business still thinks like a startup 05:19 – Pivoting when COVID shut retail doors 11:06 – When customers reject your product and what to do next 16:53 – Purpose as an anchor during lawsuits and debt 29:51 – The non-negotiable rule for long-term brand trust
🔖 Who This Episode Is For Small business owners who need a little help Consultants and coaches building trust online Solopreneurs who feel stuck but still care deeply about what they’re building
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