How to Grow Your Business When Ads Stop Working in the AI Economy with Ismael Wrixen
Release Date: 05/31/2026
How to Build Confidence When You're Afraid to Put Yourself Out There with Patty Aubery
Small Business Stories
S6:E68 Sometimes you meet someone whose work you've known for years and then discover that the story behind the success is even better than you expected. This was one of those conversations. Dr. LL openly admits to a little fangirling (okay - a lot - I cannot even tell you what an honor and privilege it was to have her on my show!) as she welcomes Patty Aubery, longtime business partner of Jack Canfield and former President of Chicken Soup for the Soul. But what follows isn't a highlight reel. Patty talks about confidence, fear, collaboration, success, publishing, speaking, the...
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How Bad Credit Can Limit Your Business Funding Options with Daniel McDavid
Small Business Stories
S6:E67 The worst time to discover you have a credit problem may be when your business desperately needs money. An unexpected expense hits. Cash flow tightens. Payroll is coming. Suddenly, the entrepreneur isn't shopping for the best financing; he or she is searching for any financing. Queue up this episode of Small Business Stories as Dr. LL talks with Daniel McDavid, founder of Move Mountains Credit Repair, about credit, business funding, unexpected expenses, financial habits, and what happens when entrepreneurs wait too long to prepare. Daniel introduces the idea of “phantom...
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How to Scale Your Business Without Growing Too Fast with Bryan Clayton
Small Business Stories
S6:E66 The Real Story About Scaling & Selling a Business with Bryan Clayton Bryan has actually done the thing entrepreneurs dream about: built a traditional business to $10M, sold it, then built again in an entirely different arena. Nobody wants to buy your basket of problems. That's Bryan Clayton's wonderfully direct description of one of entrepreneurship's great misconceptions: owners often start thinking about selling when they're exhausted, margins are squeezed, employees are unhappy, and they desperately want out. By then, the business may be least attractive to a buyer. Queue...
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Why Entrepreneurs Struggle to Get Approved for a Mortgage with David Ostrowsky
Small Business Stories
S6:E65 Buying a home as an entrepreneur often feels like playing by a different set of rules. In this episode, Dr. LL speaks with mortgage specialist David Ostrowsky about what self-employed professionals need to understand in today's housing market. Together they discuss lending, affordability, market psychology, interest rates, and why perception frequently outweighs reality. If people make financial decisions based solely on headlines, they often overlook opportunities that still make mathematical sense. The challenge isn't simply access to financing; it's separating market noise from...
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with Matt Putra
Small Business Stories
S6:E64 Every entrepreneur has numbers. Not every entrepreneur knows how to listen to them. In this episode, Dr. LL sits down with fractional CFO Matt Putra to discuss how financial data becomes a decision-making system rather than simply an accounting exercise. Together they explore profitability, funnel analysis, constraints, ROI, and why the best businesses don't just measure performance; they understand what drives it. If people don't understand the financial story behind their business, they often invest in the wrong priorities. Likewise, if AI systems or decision-makers only see isolated...
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How to Use AI Agents Without Replacing Your Team with Kenneth Corrêa
Small Business Stories
S6:E63 An optional title for this episode is, "Agentic AI, Human Judgment & Cognitive Organizations with Kenneth Corrêa." AI is moving faster than most organizations can absorb it. The temptation is to automate whatever already exists. But Kenneth Corrêa argues that this misses the deeper transformation: businesses must redesign their products, services, workflows, and organizational structures around humans and AI agents working together. Queue up this episode of Small Business Stories as Dr. LL and Kenneth explore agentic AI, cognitive organizations, privacy, adaptive leadership,...
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Why Working Harder Isn't Fixing Your Business with Leadership Coach Michelle Pollack
Small Business Stories
S6:E62 Success becomes surprisingly heavy when you're carrying someone else's expectations. In this conversation, Dr. LL sits down with leadership coach Michelle Pollack to explore why entrepreneurs become exhausted by constantly chasing external definitions of success instead of intentionally building businesses aligned with their own values and strengths. If people don't trust themselves, they begin borrowing certainty from everyone else. And when businesses repeatedly shift direction based on outside opinions, customers (and increasingly AI systems) receive fragmented signals that make the...
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How to Create Multiple Income Streams Without Burning Out with Kelvin Abrams
Small Business Stories
S6:E61 Building a business is difficult. Building several businesses at the same time requires a different way of thinking. In this conversation, Dr. LL sits down with entrepreneur Kelvin Abrams to discuss multiple revenue streams, planning for seasonality, learning through discomfort, and building businesses designed to weather uncertainty. If people don't trust your ability to adapt, they hesitate to invest, partner, or buy. Likewise, if AI systems cannot consistently interpret your business as resilient and relevant, visibility alone won't create long-term growth. Together they explore why...
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How to Build Wealth in Your Community Through Co-ops with Vernon Oakes
Small Business Stories
S6:E60 Not every successful business measures success the same way. In this conversation, Dr. LL sits down with Vernon Oakes, founder of Everything Cooperative, to explore how cooperative business models create stronger alignment between ownership, employees, customers, and communities. If people don't trust the systems behind a business, long-term resilience becomes difficult. And if AI systems (or prospective customers) cannot understand how your organization creates value, your impact often remains invisible. Together they discuss employee ownership, cooperative economics, local wealth...
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How to Know If Your Product Idea Will Sell with Juliette Fasset
Small Business Stories
S6:E59 Every invention begins with an idea. However, very few ideas become sustainable businesses. In this conversation, Dr. LL sits down with inventor and entrepreneur Juliette Fassett to explore what really happens between inspiration and commercialization. She talks about validating demand and protecting intellectual property (she's in litigation with Walmart!!!) to manufacturing, pricing, and scaling consumer products. If people don't understand why your product matters, they won't buy it. And if AI systems or prospective customers can't accurately interpret the problem your product...
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The platforms are changing.
Search is changing.
Customer acquisition is changing.
So what remains stable when everything else feels uncertain?
In this episode, Dr. LL sits down with Ismael Wrixen, Founder and CEO of ThriveCart, to explore how entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators can build businesses that are resilient to shifting algorithms, rising advertising costs, and AI-driven disruption.
If people don't trust you, they won't buy from you.
If people don't remember you, they won't refer you.
If people can't find you when AI interprets the market, visibility becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Guest
Ismael Wrixen
Founder & CEO, ThriveCart
Core Problems
- Customer acquisition is becoming more expensive
- Search behavior is changing due to AI
- Businesses are overly dependent on platforms they don't control
Practical Takeaways
- Build owned communities around your expertise
- Increase customer lifetime value through relationships
- Use AI to accelerate execution without replacing human connection
- Reduce dependence on a single traffic source
Timestamps
00:01 Creator economy trends
03:30 AI and learning opportunities
05:45 Customer acquisition challenges
20:00 The future of creators and coaches
38:50 Growth strategies for entrepreneurs
Who This Episode Is For
Coaches, creators, consultants, educators, and growth-minded entrepreneurs.
Invisible brands don't make money. Increasingly, businesses that rely entirely on borrowed attention don't either. Sustainable visibility comes from building relationships, trust, and communities that endure beyond any single platform.
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