E332. Stop Settling: Hiring and Keeping A-Players in Your Small Business
Release Date: 10/16/2025
E348. Why Fixing Your Weaknesses Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead)
April Garcia's PivotMe
Most high performers aren’t stuck because they lack discipline. They’re stuck because they’re trying to fix things that were never meant to be their strengths. That’s not growth — that’s burnout with a productivity planner. In this episode of PivotMe, April dismantles one of the most persistent myths in personal development: that success requires being “well-rounded.” Drawing from strengths psychology, Gallup research, and real-world high performers, April explains why obsessing over weaknesses produces minimal return — and why leverage, not balance, is the real driver of...
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E347. What’s Your Unfair Advantage? (And Why Ignoring It Is Costing You)
April Garcia's PivotMe
You can list your weaknesses on demand. But when someone asks, “What’s your unfair advantage?” — you freeze. That hesitation? That’s the real problem. Welcome, Pivoter. In this episode of PivotMe, April challenges one of the most common and costly habits high performers have: obsessing over gaps instead of leveraging strengths. Most people can tell you exactly where they fall short — where the market is crowded, where they’re behind, why it’s harder for them than everyone else. But ask them to name their unfair advantage, and everything stops. This episode reframes what an...
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E346. 12 Weeks: Why Your Goals Are Taking So Long (And How to Fix That)
April Garcia's PivotMe
A year sounds ambitious… but it’s also the adult version of saying, “I’ll start on Monday.” And Monday never comes. Welcome back, Pivoter. Last week, April introduced your 4 Rocks — the four non-negotiable outcomes that actually matter this year. In this episode, she takes it one step further by challenging a deeply ingrained habit that quietly kills momentum: thinking in twelve-month timelines. Drawing inspiration from The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran, April reframes how high performers should approach execution — not by lowering goals, but by shortening the runway. This...
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E345. Your 4 Rocks for 2026: The Only Goals That Actually Matter
April Garcia's PivotMe
Hope is not a strategy. And “like” belongs on Facebook, not in your goal plan. Welcome, Pivoter. The calendar has flipped and the year is officially underway. While most people are already drifting away from resolutions they made in a rush, this episode is about doing something different. In this episode of PivotMe, April walks you through how to define your 4 Rocks for 2026 — the four non-negotiable outcomes that will determine whether next December feels like a victory lap or another year that “flew by.” These are not wish-list goals. Not “someday” ideas. They are the pillars...
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E344. REP: Word of Intention for New Year
April Garcia's PivotMe
If your year feels scattered, it’s not because you lack discipline — it’s because you’re missing direction. One word can change that. In this episode of PivotMe, April dives into the transformative power of choosing a Word of Intention for a specific season of life and aligning it with your 4 Rocks. Instead of chasing yearly resolutions that fade by February, April makes the case for planning life in 12-week blocks — a system that creates clarity, focus, and momentum. Through personal stories and real-world examples, she shows how a single word can act as a filter for decisions,...
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E343. The Holiday Pivot: 3 Moves to End the Year Strong
April Garcia's PivotMe
Everyone else is “winding down.” You’re deciding whether next year is accidental… or intentional. In this timely end-of-year episode of PivotMe, April breaks down three powerful holiday pivots that separate small-business owners who strategically recharge from those who collapse into January already behind. This isn’t about hustling through the holidays. It’s about protecting margin, deepening connection, and quietly positioning your next big year while everyone else naps. If you want to close the year like a leader and step into the next one with clarity instead of chaos,...
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E342. Ask These 10 Questions Before 2026
April Garcia's PivotMe
If you’re staring at the end of the year thinking, How is it December already? and Why does it feel unfinished?—this episode is for you. Before you sprint into next year, we’re hitting pause. Because clarity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s designed. In this reflective yet action-driven episode of PivotMe, April walks you through 10 powerful questions designed to help you close the year with intention and step into the next one with clarity and momentum. These aren’t fluffy prompts. They’re clarity grenades. Too many people drag old patterns into a new year and wonder why...
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E341. What Movie Are You Directing This Year?
April Garcia's PivotMe
If next year were a movie, what kind of film would it be? Action? Adventure? Redemption? A rom-com with questionable decisions and a killer soundtrack? Whatever it is — here’s the truth: no magical hand is writing it for you. You get to take the damn pen. You’re the writer, the director, and the lead. In this follow-up to The Hero’s Journey, April hands you the director’s chair for your own life. Too many leaders and entrepreneurs drift into another year by default — replaying the same story, following the same plot, repeating the same dialogue. But what if 2025 wasn’t a sequel?...
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E340. Your Hero's Journey: Which Of The Stages Are You In?
April Garcia's PivotMe
Every great movie has that moment — the hero face-down in the dirt, bleeding, doubting, wondering if they’ve got anything left. That’s not the end of the story. That’s the middle. So if you’re there right now — business messy, life loud, wondering if you’ve blown it — you’re not failing. You’re in your Hero’s Journey. In this powerful episode of PivotMe, April unpacks The Hero’s Journey — that timeless storytelling arc that shows up in every great movie, book, and… your own life. From Luke Skywalker to Moana to Rocky, this universal path of struggle, transformation,...
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E339. Thanksgiving Gratitude, Growth, and the People Who Helped You
April Garcia's PivotMe
Many of us are in seasons of change — different tables, new dynamics, empty chairs, or brand-new beginnings. But no matter what this year looks like, gratitude still belongs here. In this deeply personal Thanksgiving episode, April invites you to slow down, reflect, and find gratitude — even when life looks different. She opens up about vulnerability, growth, asking for help, and the power of gratitude — both for the people who carried you and for the resilient, evolving version of you. Through heartfelt storytelling, humor, and honesty, this episode reminds us that Thanksgiving isn’t...
info_outlineLet me tell you the most expensive hire you’ll ever make—it’s not the one with the highest salary. It’s the wrong person you keep around too long. And if you think you can turn a C-player into an A-player with your already maxed-out schedule—you’re living in a Disney movie, not running a business.
Welcome, Pivoter! Today we’re talking about A-players—why your small business can’t afford not to hire them, how to attract them without corporate budgets, and why tolerating C-players is the fastest way to tank your team and your sanity.
April shares a story about a client whose new hire made a $100,000 mistake—and the hard truth that followed: leadership is not optional. If you want to scale, grow, and protect your bottom line, you must learn how to identify, nurture, and protect your A-players.
🔑 Key Takeaways
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The Real Cost of C-Players: The wrong hire doesn’t just cost salary—it costs mistakes, morale, and momentum.
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Coach Up, Not Down: You’ll never turn a C-player into an A-player. Focus your time on developing high B-players into rockstars.
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The Peter Lesson: If you don’t have time to manage, hire someone who will—or you’ll pay tuition to the “School of Bad Hires.”
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Use Your Small-Biz Advantage: You can attract top talent by selling vision, growth, and impact—not just perks or paychecks.
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Culture Over Comfort: Protect your A-players by cutting the dead weight early. A slow “maybe” on a poor performer kills culture faster than a firing ever will.
📌 Actionable Items
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Audit Your Team: Identify who’s an A, a high B, and a C. Coach the Bs. Release the Cs.
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Sell the Vision: In every job post and interview, clearly articulate your mission and how their work makes an impact.
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Train Like They’re A-Players: Once you hire strong people, invest in them. They’re multipliers for your business.
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Be Ruthlessly Selective: Don’t settle just to fill a seat. The wrong fit costs far more than the right hire’s paycheck.
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Reward Results: Use flexible pay, autonomy, and recognition to keep A-players challenged and loyal.
You don’t need a Fortune 500 budget to hire A-players—you need clarity, courage, and standards. Small businesses that win big are the ones that protect their culture and refuse to tolerate mediocrity.
“You don’t need average players. You need A-players. Invest in your Bs, protect your As, and stop letting C-players sink your ship.”
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🔥 Step Into the Room with April Garcia This is your chance to secure a complimentary 20-minute strategy call with one of the most sought-after performance and business coaches. Bring your biggest challenge, and walk away with clarity, strategy, and next steps. Opportunities like this don’t come often. Claim your spot now before they disappear.
👉👉 Connect with April here:
Website: https://www.theaprilgarcia.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AprilGarciaPivotMe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theAprilGarcia/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theaprilgarcia