Category: Education

Featuring Christy Smallwood, host.

Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur… until they discover what entrepreneurship actually requires.

In this solo Christy’s Corner episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy Smallwood pulls back the curtain on the realities of entrepreneurship. Forget the overnight millionaire promises and social media hype—this conversation is about what it really takes to build a business that lasts.

You’ll discover:

• The difference between an entrepreneur, a business owner, a solopreneur, and an owner-operator

• Why emotional resilience is one of the most valuable business skills you’ll ever develop

• The mindset that separates long-term entrepreneurs from people chasing the next shiny idea

• The support team every entrepreneur should build—including accountants, attorneys, bankers, mentors, and networking communities

• Why your business should support your life—not become your entire identity

Whether you’re just thinking about starting a business or you’ve been running one for years, this episode will challenge you to think differently about growth, leadership, freedom, and success.

If you’re tired of business advice built on hype and want practical conversations from someone with more than 30 years in marketing, leadership, and strategic planning, you’re in the right place.

Subscribe for more interviews with successful business owners, entrepreneurs, and industry experts, plus practical business strategy you can put into action immediately.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step forward.

📌 Subscribe for more real conversations about business, mindset, and momentum

Continue the conversation by joining the Success Builders Launchpad Community HERE.

Featuring Charmaine Powell, The Cultivated Growth Network

Most business owners know they need more customers—but few have a clear process for turning leads into loyal clients.

In Episode 23 of Small Business Success Talk, Christy Smallwood sits down with sales strategist Charmaine Powell, founder of The Cultivated Growth Network, to discuss how intentional sales systems create sustainable growth.

After spending 25 years in corporate sales leadership, Charmaine discovered that her greatest passion wasn’t simply selling—it was coaching and developing people. That passion led her to launch The Cultivated Growth Network and create her S.E.E.D.S. framework for sales success.

Together, Christy and Charmaine explore:

• Why growth is cultivated—not accidental
• The relationship between marketing and sales
• Building a customer journey that earns trust
• Why coaching matters more than training alone
• How networking creates opportunities for growth
• Avoiding the trap of relying too heavily on AI-generated messaging
• Why celebrating small wins is essential to long-term success

If you’ve ever wondered why leads aren’t converting, or why your sales process feels inconsistent, this episode will help you create a strategy that serves both your customers and your business.

Because success isn’t just about reaching the destination—it’s about recognizing the progress you make along the way.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step forward.

📌 Subscribe for more real conversations about business, mindset, and momentum

Continue the conversation by joining the Success Builders Launchpad Community HERE.

Featuring Dave Charest, Small Business Growth with Constant Contact

Email isn’t dead. It’s just being used wrong.

In this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy sits down with Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Growth at Constant Contact, to break down how email marketing—when powered by storytelling—becomes one of the most effective drivers of business growth.

With decades of experience helping small businesses succeed, Dave shares why:

• Email is still one of the highest ROI marketing channels
• Most businesses fail because they focus on “what” instead of “why”
• Storytelling is the missing link between attention and conversion

From internal podcasts to preserving founder stories, Dave reveals how authentic storytelling builds trust, drives engagement, and ultimately increases revenue.

You’ll learn:
✔ Why email marketing still outperforms social media for conversions
✔ How storytelling builds stronger customer relationships
✔ The difference between transactional emails and transformational emails
✔ How to turn your business story into consistent marketing content
✔ Simple ways to improve your email strategy immediately

If you’re sending emails that aren’t getting opened, clicked, or converting—this episode will show you what’s missing.

📩 Get your copy of the Small Business Now Report from Constant Contact HERE.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step forward.

📌 Subscribe for more real conversations about business, mindset, and momentum

Continue the conversation by joining the Success Builders Launchpad Community HERE.

Featuring Dave Charest, Small Business Growth with Constant Contact

Email isn’t dead. It’s just being used wrong.

In this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy sits down with Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Growth at Constant Contact, to break down how email marketing—when powered by storytelling—becomes one of the most effective drivers of business growth.

With decades of experience helping small businesses succeed, Dave shares why:

• Email is still one of the highest ROI marketing channels
• Most businesses fail because they focus on “what” instead of “why”
• Storytelling is the missing link between attention and conversion

From internal podcasts to preserving founder stories, Dave reveals how authentic storytelling builds trust, drives engagement, and ultimately increases revenue.

You’ll learn:
✔ Why email marketing still outperforms social media for conversions
✔ How storytelling builds stronger customer relationships
✔ The difference between transactional emails and transformational emails
✔ How to turn your business story into consistent marketing content
✔ Simple ways to improve your email strategy immediately

If you’re sending emails that aren’t getting opened, clicked, or converting—this episode will show you what’s missing.

📩 Get your copy of the Small Business Now Report from Constant Contact HERE.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step forward.

📌 Subscribe for more real conversations about business, mindset, and momentum

Continue the conversation by joining the Success Builders Launchpad Community HERE.

Featuring Amy Torres, Director of Marketing Inc, and Collin Bonsey, Coach with Southwestern Consulting

What does it really take to grow a business today?

In this episode of Small Business Success Talk, Christy sits down with Amy Torres, owner of Director of Marketing, Inc., and Collin Bonsey of Southwestern Consulting to break down the real relationship between marketing and sales—and why most businesses get it wrong.

This conversation goes beyond theory and dives into what actually drives results.

You’ll hear:

• Amy’s journey building a marketing firm focused on strategy that converts
• Collin’s work in sales coaching and behavior-driven growth
• Why marketing without sales (and vice versa) falls flat
• The biggest mistakes business owners make when trying to grow
• How to create real conversations that lead to revenue

A major theme?
👉 Growth doesn’t come from more tactics—it comes from alignment.

As highlighted throughout the conversation, success is less about doing more and more about doing the right things consistently—especially when it comes to communication, relationships, and follow-through.

If you’re a business owner tired of spinning your wheels with marketing that doesn’t convert or sales that don’t stick—this episode will give you clarity on what to fix first.

🎧 Listen now and take your next step forward.

📌 Subscribe for more real conversations about business, mindset, and momentum

Continue the conversation by joining the Success Builders Launchpad Community HERE.