Episode 193: Building a Business that Runs Without You with Melinda Emerson
Release Date: 12/08/2025
Episode 216: How to Build a Powerful Network That Creates Wealth and Opportunity
Business by Referral Podcast
Michael Rebelo's BIO: Michael Rebelo is the Founder of Ever Forward Capital Partners, a multifamily real estate investment firm focused on helping investors build long-term wealth through apartment investing. After becoming passionate about financial education and entrepreneurship at a young age, Michael chose to pursue business and real estate instead of the traditional college path. His journey was inspired by watching his mother work tirelessly while facing many of the same financial challenges millions of Americans experience today, including retirement uncertainty and inflation. That...
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Episode 215: How to Build a Business That Thrives Without You with Todd Krause
Business by Referral Podcast
Todd Krause's BIO: Todd A. Krause is the owner of The Cleaning Authority – Fishers, where he grew the business from $1.8 million in revenue to more than $4 million while building a diverse team and a thriving workplace culture that prioritizes people, performance, and long-term success. His leadership approach has earned multiple industry recognitions, including Franchisee of the Year honors. Todd holds an MBA and is a Certified Public Accountant, with more than three decades of experience leading and growing businesses across multiple industries. Over the course of his career, he founded...
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Episode 214: How to Build Wealth, Resilience, and Demand for Your Business with Joel Salomon
Business by Referral Podcast
Joel Salomon's BIO: Joel is a Finance, Mindful Money Expert and Prosperity Coach who helps others overcome obstacles standing in the way of their financial freedom. He’s an award winning TEDx speaker, workshop facilitator and frequent television and podcast guest. As a former manager of a $700 million portfolio, the creator of his own successful hedge fund and the author of three best-selling books, he has learned that the true foundation of wealth is a mindset of gratitude, love and service. In this episode, Virginia and Joel talked about How Joel became a professional money manager...
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Episode 213: Aligning with Your True Energy to Build a Business That Works for You with Carla Wainwright
Business by Referral Podcast
Carla Wainwright's BIO: Carla Wainwright is a Holistic Wellness Coach and Midlife Alchemist who supports women 40+, including entrepreneurs and leaders, to sustain vitality, clarity, and resilience through midlife transitions. Her work weaves metabolic and hormonal health, nervous system regulation, and embodied self-awareness to help women feel strong, connected, and at home in their bodies while navigating full, demanding lives. With a background in biology, homeopathy, and over two decades in the healing arts, Carla bridges evidence-informed science with lived, somatic experience. She...
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Episode 212: Leadership Success Tools with Denice Hinden
Business by Referral Podcast
Dr. Denice R. Hinden's BIO: Denice R. Hinden, PhD, MCC, is a leadership coach, mentor coach, and organizational advisor who has built a 25+ year consulting and coaching practice largely through trusted professional relationships and referrals. She is co-founder of Managance Coaching, where she partners with mission-driven leaders and organizations to strengthen leadership capacity, navigate complex transitions, and build healthy organizational cultures. Her work integrates brain capacity frameworks, neuroscience-informed practices, and a neurodiversity-informed lens grounded in inclusive...
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Episode 211: Creating a Business That Supports Your Life with Debra Russell
Business by Referral Podcast
Debra Russell's BIO: Debra Russell is 5’ of Heat!” exclaimed one participant after seeing her speak. An MBA and business coach with over 2 decades of experience, she has helped hundreds of passion-based entrepreneurs create profitable businesses doing what they love. Working with arts and entertainment industry professionals, professional athletes and entrepreneurs doing what they love as a business, she helps them systemize their business and improve their productivity so they are running their business and their business isn’t running them! As a speaker, she’s appeared at...
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Episode 210: The Importance of You Being You with Melissa Bishop
Business by Referral Podcast
Melissa Bishop's BIO: Live RAW with Melissa Bishop a trauma-informed coaching space built on my RAW Methodology—inspired by my own trauma journey and the wisdom I earned through lived experience—focused on Real Talk, Authentic Growth, and Lasting Wellness. I help you cut through the fluff, get honest about what’s really going on, and release what’s been keeping you stuck—mind, body, and spirit. You’ll get practical tools you can use in real life, plus tailored support so your growth is sustainable and actually sticks. In this episode, Virginia and Melissa talked about ...
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Episode 209: Building Your Tribe for Business Growth with Fabienne Marneau
Business by Referral Podcast
Fabienne Marneau's BIO: Fabienne Marneau is an intuitive business strategist, transformational mentor, and Healing Soul Alchemist with over four decades of experience helping entrepreneurs and leaders uncover the hidden patterns that silently sabotage success. Known as the “Ghostbuster of Hidden Patterns,” she helps clients release unconscious blocks, reclaim clarity and confidence, and align their business with their authentic purpose. Fabienne blends deep healing practices with practical strategy to support sustainable growth and meaningful impact. Through her Emotional Self-Care...
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Episode 208: The Power of Choice in Business with Zen Benefiel
Business by Referral Podcast
Zen Benfiel's BIO: Zen Benefiel is a transformational leadership coach and organizational strategist who helps leaders turn purpose into measurable performance. A former aerospace operations lead managing $7M in monthly shipments by age 26, he specializes in simplifying complex systems into practical leadership habits that build trust, improve decisions, and drive results. Zen is the host of the One World in a New World interview series and author of 40+ books. Through his work with Be The Dream and Team Partnering, he equips leaders with frameworks that align strategy, culture, and...
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Episode 207: Be the Trusted Voice of Choice with Mitch Axelrod
Business by Referral Podcast
Mitch Axelrod's BIO: A 47 year entrepreneur, speaker, trainer, advisor and 5 time #1 Wall St. Journal, Barnes & Noble and Amazon best-selling author of The NEW Game of Business™, The NEW Game of Selling™ and the forthcoming book, The NEW Game of Service™. Mitch has delivered 4,000 seminars, workshops, keynotes, executive briefings, webinars and coaching clinics to a million people on business, entrepreneurship, sales, leadership, values, life skills and intellectual property. His clients include IBM, AT&T, Citibank, Prudential, MetLife and thousands of small, medium and...
info_outlineMelinda Emerson's BIO:
Melinda F. Emerson, widely known as SmallBizLady, is America’s #1 Small Business Expert. As CEO of Quintessence Group, she has spent over two decades helping small business owners achieve sustainable growth through strategic marketing, sales training, and business development. Melinda reaches more than 1 million entrepreneurs weekly through her online channels, blog, and podcast, SmallBizChat.
She is the bestselling author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months and Fix Your Business. A highly sought-after keynote speaker, Melinda has worked with major brands including Verizon, FedEx, VISA, and Google, and has been featured by Forbes, The New York Times, and CNN. Dedicated to ending small business failure, she delivers actionable advice that empowers entrepreneurs to start and scale businesses that work.
In this episode, Virginia and Melinda talked about:
- How Melinda got her entrepreneurial journey
- How Melinda’s faith has kept her moving forward
- Melinda’s #1 networking tip
- How to become your own boss
Takeaways:
- Can your business run without you?
- Follow your divine calling
- Say YES to what’s in front of you
- Surround yourself with people who will not let you quit
Connect with Melinda on her social media accounts to learn more about her work and insights into networking effectively:
LinkedIn URL: www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson
Facebook URL: www.facebook.com/smallbizlady
Instagram URL: www.instagram.com/smallbizlady
Connect with Virginia: