Why Customers Don't Buy - and What to Do with Jason Fishman
Release Date: 07/08/2026
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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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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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with Matt Putra
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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
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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
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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
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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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Every customer journey begins long before someone clicks "buy."
In this conversation, Dr. LL sits down with Jason Fishman, founder of Digital Niche Agency, to explore how customer trust is built through repeated interactions, thoughtful messaging, and data-informed marketing, not isolated campaigns.
If people don't trust what they see, they won't move forward. And if AI or prospective customers misinterpret your business, visibility alone won't produce growth.
Together they discuss why conversion rates depend on more than traffic, how AI is reshaping buyer research, and why consistent communication across every customer touchpoint has become a competitive advantage.
Core Problems
- Low conversion despite strong traffic
- Inconsistent customer journeys
- Misunderstanding how buyers make decisions
Practical Takeaways
- Build trust before expecting conversions.
- Use analytics to understand real customer behavior.
- Design marketing around relationships instead of isolated campaigns.
Timestamps
00:00 Why customers hesitate
03:00 Trust through multiple touchpoints
12:15 AI and modern buying behavior
24:10 Learning from customer data
37:40 Creating loyal customers
Who This Episode Is For
Founders, growth leaders, marketers, agencies, and entrepreneurs scaling customer acquisition.
At STEERus, we continue to observe that visibility without understanding rarely creates lasting growth. Businesses become easier to choose when every touchpoint reinforces the same clear, credible signal.
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