After a short hiatus, Christy Smallwood returns with fresh insights for 2025! She shares the highs and lows of the past year—from major business shifts to personal challenges—and how she’s rebuilding with purpose.
In This Episode: ✔ Why the podcast took a break ✔ Lessons from unexpected setbacks ✔ Merging multiple businesses into one powerful brand ✔ Setting boundaries to create space for strategy ✔ How a phased approach fuels growth ✔ The content strategy keeping Christy top of mind
If you’re an entrepreneur navigating change, this episode is packed with real talk and practical strategies to help you move forward with confidence!
As mentioned in the episode, Christy Smallwood consolidated multiple businesses into a single, powerful brand. Although unifying different identities can be a challenge this transformation enhances efficiency, messaging, and market impact.
After a short hiatus, Christy Smallwood returns with fresh insights for 2025! She shares the highs and lows of the past year—from major business shifts to personal challenges—and how she’s rebuilding with purpose.
In This Episode: ✔ Why the podcast took a break ✔ Lessons from unexpected setbacks ✔ Merging multiple businesses into one powerful brand ✔ Setting boundaries to create space for strategy ✔ How a phased approach fuels growth ✔ The content strategy keeping Christy top of mind
If you’re an entrepreneur navigating change, this episode is packed with real talk and practical strategies to help you move forward with confidence!
As mentioned in the episode, Christy Smallwood consolidated multiple businesses into a single, powerful brand. Although unifying different identities can be a challenge this transformation enhances efficiency, messaging, and market impact.
Entrepreneurship has guided Perry Allison his entire life. Bringing value to the marketplace, being resourceful, and seeing opportunities to grow himself have made our guest the business owner he is today. Perry shares his story of removing burnout and transforming his business by transforming the way he thinks and approaches leadership.
PERRY’S BIO
As the CEO of several service-based companies, Perry Allison now supports entrepreneurs achieve greater freedom & results, by optimizing the quality of their company’s processes, people & performance. Having been homeless during most of his teenage years, pursuing financial stability was essential and caused him to start his first business in 2009, at just 19 years old. With no financial resources, Perry was able to grow his organization from being a one-person operation, into a multiple seven-figure entity which continues to independently thrive. The POWEROP Method was born in 2018 when Perry recognized, that in order for his company to grow, he would need to be more than just an OPERATOR of his business, but a business OWNER with an exceptional strategy of advanced leadership, operational, and systems capabilities. Today, Perry helps business owners implement The POWEROP Method, with three essential goals in mind; 1) to make the business a more valuable & sellable asset, 2) to position the company to scale beyond current fixed limitations and 3) to multiply the owner out of the day-to-day, providing greater freedom, joy and purpose.
Connecting
Over Cocktails - An Interview with Jennifer Brian, Make & Muddle
On this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy interviews Jennifer Brian, Cocktail Evangelist, to find what it took to create Make & Muddle as a unique addition to the spirits industry. The two discuss everything from Jennifer’s love of hosting to her favorite drink experiences and the really good things that can happen over a good pour.
Jennifer’s BIO
With over 25+ years in the hospitality business as a caterer and mixologist specializing in luxury events and intimate gatherings, Jennifer Brian is the Cocktail Evangelist here to spread the good news about booze! Her cocktail company, Make & Muddle, produces a line of all natural craft cocktail mixers in Louisville, KY designed to do the heavy lifting in a mixer so that folks can have a delicious, three-ingredient craft cocktail from their home. Additionally, Jennifer is the founder of Jennifer Brian Events and is an Executive Bourbon Steward.
Small Business And Tourism Making Communities Stronger
On this episode Christy and her guest, Janette Marson discuss how small business impacts and is impacted by tourism.
Janette’s Bio
Tourism industry executive Janette Marson is the President and CEO of ShelbyKY Tourism in Kentucky. Prior to her post with ShelbyKY Tourism, Marson was the Executive Director of the Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission in Russell County, Ky. With a vast career in marketing, advertising, broadcasting and public relations, Marson is also the President of the Kentucky Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus and holds a Travel Marketing Professional Degree from STS Marketing College at the Univ. of North Georgia and an Advanced Certificate in Tourism.
3 Key Activities to do for marketing in your business each year
It’s a new Marketing Mavens episode for Small Business Success Talk! Grab your note-taking tools and get ready to focus on setting yourself up for success in the coming year(s).
Designing the future through mentoring with Liz Toombs
In this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Liz Toombs, Owner and Designer of PDR Interiors, talks about successfully running and growing her business for almost two decades and the passion to mentor young women in business through her niche work with Sorority houses across the U.S.
BIO Liz Toombs is known as the go-to decorator for sorority interiors on college campuses. The work of Toombs and the PDR Interiors team can be seen on over 90 campuses spread across 22+ states. A leader in the decorating industry for nearly two decades, Toombs is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta. Mentoring women is a keystone of PDR, something Toombs learned to value through her fraternity experience. Helping to preserve that experience for current and future members of women’s organizations is what drives Toombs to focus on sorority housing projects. In addition to PDR’s vast work in Greek housing, the firm also offers comprehensive services for private residences. A trusted media resource, Toombs is quoted in notable outlets including The Huffington Post, The Associated Press and Realtor.com. She and the company were featured on MSNBC’s “Your Business” in a profile about the brand’s business acumen. Additionally, Toombs launched and hosts the “Sorority Chat” podcast, which features interviews with leaders in the national Greek system. Toombs resides in Lexington, Ky., where she is very involved in giving back to the community through the Junior League and other local charities. She created The Mary Estes Memorial Scholarship in honor of her mother, who passed away from cancer in 2012. The scholarship is awarded annually to a Univ. of Ky. College of Agriculture, Food and Environment student who has lost a parent from cancer. Toombs enjoys exercising, spending time on Lake Cumberland and almost always has a book in her hands. She shares her home with her husband, Billy, and their frequently Instagrammed dogs, Wendel and Bartlet.
Southern Cravings and Learning To Grow A Digital Business with Anna Kate Goshko
On this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy interviews Anna Kate Goshko, Owner & Creator of SouthernCravings.com. Learn about this digital business that isn’t just about recipes, it’s about SOUL food. And Anna Kate shares some of her challenges, and best advice for being in business. Plus, you know there’s going to be a good story or two!