589 – The Referable Client Experience with Stacey Brown Randall
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
Release Date: 12/01/2025
603 – 5 Tips for Better Emails
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
Practical email writing techniques that help small business owners communicate more clearly, get faster responses, and reduce costly misunderstandings. Show Notes Page: Email is still the primary communication tool in most small businesses, yet it’s one of the most overlooked skills. In this episode, Henry shares five simple but powerful tips to help you write better emails that get faster responses, reduce misunderstandings, and improve your professional credibility. You’ll learn how to: Communicate your message clearly and quickly Structure emails so they are easy to scan ...
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602 – Why Your Business is Stuck
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
How profitability and scalability constraints in your business model keep you stuck and how to diagnose and remove them to finally grow. Show Notes Page: If your business feels stuck - you are working hard but not breaking through - you may be dealing with hidden constraints in your business model. In this episode, Henry Lopez explains why most small businesses don’t fail outright but instead get trapped in a perpetual startup stage. The root cause is often not effort or resources, but structural limitations in profitability or scalability or both. Henry breaks down the two pillars of a...
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601 – 2026 Franchise Trends with Giuseppe Grammatico
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
The latest in key franchise trends, including AI-driven efficiency, stronger franchisor support, and high-demand service industries. Show Notes Page: Franchising continues to evolve rapidly driven by advancements in AI, operational efficiency, and a renewed focus on franchisee success. In this episode, Henry Lopez is joined by franchise expert Giuseppe Grammatico to break down the most important trends shaping today’s franchise landscape and what they mean for aspiring business owners. A major shift highlighted in this conversation is the increased level of support franchisors are...
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600 – Create Your Own Category with Kevin Maney
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
How small business owners can escape price-driven competition by redefining their market and creating a new category instead of competing in crowded spaces. Show Notes Page: Many small business owners enter crowded markets and end up competing primarily on price. But according to author and business strategist Kevin Maney, there is another path: create your own category. In this conversation, Henry Lopez speaks with Kevin Maney about the ideas in his latest book “The Category Creation Formula.” The discussion explores how entrepreneurs can redefine the problem they solve and...
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599 – When Should You Outsource Your Bookkeeping?
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
When to outsource your bookkeeping, how outsourcing compares to hiring an in-house bookkeeper, and best practices for working effectively with a bookkeeping service. Show Notes Page: Knowing when to outsource your bookkeeping is an important decision for small business owners. As your business grows, bookkeeping becomes more complex, more time-consuming, and more critical to making informed decisions. In this episode, Henry Lopez is joined by bookkeeping expert Jodi Arrant to discuss when it makes sense to outsource your bookkeeping instead of doing it yourself or hiring a bookkeeper...
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598 – Do Your Leaders Know the Score?
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
If your leaders don’t know how they’re measured, you can’t expect consistent performance or real ownership. Show Notes Page: Frustrated with inconsistent performance from your managers or senior team members? The issue may not be motivation, it may be measurement. In this episode, Henry Lopez breaks down why leadership performance problems often stem from a lack of role clarity, measurable outcomes, and transparent KPIs. Without clearly defined metrics, even highly motivated leaders drift. Expectations become subjective. Feedback becomes emotional. And performance becomes...
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597 – Why Your Business Will Sell
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
Five practical reasons your small business will sell and how to intentionally build long-term exit value. Show Notes Page: Most business owners say they want to sell one day but very few actually build a business someone would want to buy. In this episode, Henry Lopez outlines five practical reasons your business will sell and the disciplines required to build exit readiness long before you’re ready to exit. A sellable business isn’t created at the moment you decide to sell - it’s built over years through intentional design. Henry shares the five core elements that...
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596 – Marketing in the AI Era with Shannon Bailey
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
How AI is reshaping small business marketing and why clear positioning and strong messaging matter more than ever. Show Notes Page: Branding and messaging expert Shannon Bailey shares her entrepreneurial journey and explains (starting at 11:10) why clear positioning and concise messaging are essential in the AI-driven marketing era. As AI tools like ChatGPT reshape how customers search for information, small business marketing is entering a new era that rewards clarity over cleverness and positioning over fluff. In this episode, Henry Lopez chats with branding and messaging strategist...
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595 – Plan to Succeed, but Prepare to Fail
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
Planning improves your odds of success, but accepting risk, making decisions with incomplete information, and learning quickly from failure are what ultimately move a business forward. Show Notes Page: Planning is essential to building a successful small business, but it doesn't eliminate risk or guarantee success. In this episode, Henry Lopez explains why business owners must plan to succeed while also being prepared to fail, and how accepting uncertainty is a prerequisite for growth. Henry breaks down the role of planning in both startups and existing businesses, explaining how business...
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R423 – Overcoming Decision Paralysis
The How of Business - How to start, run, grow and exit a small business.
How to overcome Decision Paralysis - assessing risk, limiting over analysis, and taking action are essential to moving a business forward. Show Notes Page: Decision paralysis keeps entrepreneurs stuck, and learning how to assess risk, limit over analysis, and take action is essential to moving a business forward. Decision paralysis, often called analysis paralysis, can quietly stall a small business or prevent an entrepreneur from ever getting started. In this episode, Henry Lopez and guest co-host David Begin unpack why decision paralysis happens, how it shows up differently in big...
info_outlineA referable client experience is the key to earning organic referrals, and Stacey Brown Randall joins the show to break down how small business can get referrals without asking.
Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/589-stacey-randall-referable-expereince/
In this episode, Henry Lopez welcomes back referral expert Stacey Brown Randall to explore how small business owners can generate referrals naturally, without asking.
Stacey shares insights from her new book, The Referable Client Experience. She explains why great work alone doesn’t create referrals, and why the emotional experience you deliver matters just as much as the deliverables themselves.
Stacey breaks down the three stages of the client experience - new, active, and alumni - and how relationship-building touchpoints in each stage make clients feel seen, supported, and confident referring you.
“Great work gets you repeat business,” Stacey notes, “but relationships get you referrals.”
Henry and Stacey also discuss how to identify referral “hot zones,” reinforce relationships without being pushy, and create organic moments where referral seeds can be planted authentically.
Whether you’re a consultant, creative, coach, or service provider, this episode will help you map your client experience, balance work vs. relationship touchpoints, and strengthen the natural referral engine inside your business.
Stacey Brown Randall is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and referral strategist who teaches business owners how to generate referrals naturally, without asking, manipulating, or creating awkward moments. Her newest book, The Referable Client Experience, expands her proven framework for building a referral-rich business through intentional client experience design.
This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com