You already know indecision is costing you. What you probably haven't done is calculate exactly how much.

In this episode, I'm walking you through the decision debt audit, a structured process I built after watching highly capable, established business owners sit stuck on the same decisions for months. We're going through five categories of common business decisions, attaching real dollar amounts to the ones that have been sitting unresolved, and diagnosing the specific blocks keeping each one open.

If you've been meaning to make a decision that keeps getting pushed, this is the episode that will finally move it.

[00:00] – Why indecision is a business expense and how to calculate the true cost of decision debt

[02:24] – What the decision debt audit is and who it's built for

[04:22] – Why highly capable, multi-six-figure entrepreneurs are the ones most affected by open decisions

[06:35] – How to run the audit: grab your notebook and open to a fresh page

[08:25] – Category 1: Offer and program structure decisions that haven't been finalized

[10:51] – Category 2: Pricing decisions, including overdue price increases and underpriced offers

[13:32] – Category 3: Team and operations, from underperforming hires to missing SOPs

[15:55] – Category 4: Marketing and messaging, platform decisions, launch plans, and content that hasn't shipped

[18:45] – Category 5: Big-picture business model and direction decisions

[21:17] – How to calculate the dollar cost of each open decision and total your decision debt balance

[35:06] – The seven blocks that keep smart entrepreneurs in decision paralysis

[49:20] – Solo problems vs. room problems: how to know which intervention you need

[01:00:21] – Introducing The Decision Room mastermind and what it's designed to do

1. "Your business moves at the speed of the slowest decision you're not making."

2. "The cost of staying stuck in indecision looks completely different once you see the actual dollar amount. It's just another line item on your P&L."

3. "The information you actually need to make a better decision lives on the other side of making the next best decision. You won't get it until you take action."

4. "You cannot read the label from inside the bottle. That's what happens when you're making decisions that require objective input and a perspective you don't have access to from where you're standing."

5. "Unmade decisions don't stay neutral. They accumulate. They compound. And at best, next year's version of that number stays the same. More likely, it grows."

6. "The smartest people struggle most with indecision because they see too many angles. The people who don't struggle are usually the ones who aren't seeing the full picture."

7. "A decision that feels like a verdict on your identity is almost never actually about the decision. It's about what your brain has decided that choice means about who you are."

• The Decision Room Mastermind – Apply Now (applications close June 19th or when 15 spots fill)

• Previous episode: Why Smart Entrepreneurs Struggle to Make Decisions

• DM me MASTERMIND on Instagram @laura.schoenfeld

• Take the CEO Type Quiz

If this episode landed, follow the podcast, leave a review, and send it to a business owner who's been putting off a decision they already know the answer to.

What if the reason your messaging stopped converting isn't that your strategy is off, but that you've slowly diluted yourself into something so safe and palatable that no one can tell why they should pick you?

Today I'm joined by messaging expert Megan Yelaney, a business strategist who has worked with over a thousand coaches to help them find what she calls their distinctive edge.

We talk about the slow drift into vanilla messaging that happens to most experienced business owners after big growth or big life changes, why courses and evergreen funnels stopped feeling right for both of us after becoming moms, and how Megan rebuilt her entire business around the one thing she always loved doing.

We also get into the difference between a niche and an edge, why your pre-business life is one of the most underused parts of your story, and how to translate something complex about who you are into a marketable phrase that people actually understand. Megan even runs a mini coaching session on me in real time to show how this works, which was both clarifying and slightly humbling.

If you've been feeling like your content sounds like everyone else's, or like you've lost the thread of what made people choose you in the first place, this conversation will give you a way back to it.

• [00:00] – Why polished messaging often signals that something deeper is off

• [03:43] – Megan's journey from network marketing to health coaching to building a multi-million dollar business

• [07:11] – What happened when business success and a struggling marriage collided

• [08:22] – The trap of "vanilla messaging" and how disclaimer culture diluted her brand

• [09:27] – The identity shift after becoming a mom of twins, and why the prepared business model didn't fit anymore

• [14:30] – Why the course-and-funnel model felt off even when it theoretically should have worked

• [19:08] – The exact framework Megan uses to find a distinctive edge: story, framework, and ideal client

• [22:25] – The simple client audit exercise that surfaces the through line in your work

• [28:58] – Why personality and approach often matter more than uniqueness of method

• [38:30] – Megan coaches me live on identifying my own domino belief

• [44:00] – Why you need to give yourself permission to experiment with messaging language

1. "Your message gets so diluted and so vanilla because you're trying not to offend anyone, and the result is you stop sounding like yourself entirely."

2. "I had built a business around the person I used to be when I was coaching, and the second I came back from maternity leave I realized I didn't want to talk about any of it anymore."

3. "If someone landed on your page right now, would they be able to say what you do differently or why they would choose you over anyone else? If the answer is no, that's the work."

4. "Your distinctive edge is the trifecta of your story, your framework, and your ideal client. There's never going to be a copy of all three at once."

5. "You don't have to reinvent the wheel for your method to be unique. The personality you bring, the approach you take, and the lived experience behind it are doing more of the work than the framework itself."

6. "Most people try to leave their pre-business life out of their story, when that's actually the part that makes them the obvious choice over someone without that background."

7. "If you're not excited at the thought of making twenty or thirty thousand a month from this offer, then it's not just a money problem. The offer itself isn't right."

• Megan's Main Character Energy private podcast series

• Follow Megan on Instagram

• Megan's podcast, Business Not As Usual (where Laura was a recent guest)

• CEO Type Quiz: https://www.lauraschoenfeld.com/quiz

If this conversation gave you something to work with, follow the podcast, leave a review if it lands, and send it to someone whose messaging has been feeling a little too safe lately.

At a certain point in your business, it becomes obvious you cannot keep doing everything yourself and expect to keep growing. You need support. But what happens when hiring a team actually makes your business less profitable and more complicated?

In this episode, I'm joined by Brittany Braswell to unpack a smarter, more sustainable way to delegate without immediately jumping into expensive hires. We're talking about how to leverage interns strategically so you can get out of the weeds, protect your profit margins, and build real systems that support long-term growth.

If you've ever felt stuck between burnout and overhiring, this conversation will give you a completely new way to think about building a team.

[03:19] Brittany shares how her early experience with interns shaped her entire business model
[06:15] Why most people have a negative experience with interns and what usually goes wrong
[09:07] The biggest mistake that turns internships into a time drain instead of a business asset
[11:21] How defining clear roles and repeatable tasks changes everything
[12:32] Why a simple training process eliminates constant hand holding
[16:09] The mindset shift high-performing CEOs need to delegate effectively
[20:05] How internships force you to build systems and stop doing everything yourself
[21:16] Why you should not wait until things are perfect before delegating
[23:38] The role of structure in protecting creativity and increasing efficiency
[26:02] How to decide between hiring paid help or starting with interns
[29:04] Why repetition helps interns become faster and better than you at certain tasks
[30:39] Examples of tasks Brittany successfully delegates like blogging and research
[33:24] Where to find high quality interns and how to attract the right people
[35:15] What Brittany looks for in the application and hiring process
[41:54] What motivates unpaid interns to do great work
[50:20] How overhiring paid team members can destroy your profit margins
[51:25] Using interns to support paid team members and increase efficiency

"Interns become a really fantastic way to force you into some structure and force you into some systems and push you out of that mindset of 'it's faster for me to just do it myself.'"

"Having really clear roles, a simple repeatable training process, and defined tasks removes the hand holding and protects your mental capacity as a CEO."

"If you get stuck in the mindset of 'it's faster for me,' it's not actually faster if you have to do it forever. Delegation is what creates long term efficiency."

"Most tasks in your business do not require a high level of expertise and when someone does them repeatedly, they often become faster and better at them than you."

"People want to learn from you even if you are just a few steps ahead and that value exchange is what makes internships so powerful."

• Brittany's Free Limited Podcast Series: Learn how to start delegating and building a team of interns
• Intern Accelerator Program: Step by step support to launch your internship program in 8 to 10 weeks
• Connect with Brittany on Instagram: @brittanybraswellrd
• Take the CEO Type Quiz: lauraschoenfeld.com/quiz

If this episode got your wheels turning, make sure to follow, rate, and leave a review. It helps more business owners find conversations like this. And if you know someone who is stuck doing everything themselves, share this episode with them.

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn't a lack of strategy but the very system you've been taught to rely on?

In this episode, I'm diving into the concept of the Ozempic economy, a cultural pattern where we're sold fast relief from discomfort instead of real, lasting solutions, and how it's shaping the online business world.

From constant optimization to the promise of instant results, this model keeps entrepreneurs stuck in cycles of dependency, always chasing the next fix.

I'm sharing how this dynamic played out in my own business, how I spent years investing in strategies, scaling systems, and chasing milestones that looked successful but felt completely misaligned. Plus, I'm sharing what changed when I stepped out of that cycle.

If your business has been feeling heavier, more complicated, or less like you, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth and show you why your next level might come from doing less, not more.

Timeline Highlights

[00:00] – The real reason your business feels off and why it's not a strategy problem
[00:01] – Introducing "the Ozempic economy" and how it shows up in business coaching
[00:05] – The rise of instant results culture and emotional "quick fixes"
[00:10] – How coaches sell relief instead of real transformation
[00:18] – The cycle of dependency and why so many entrepreneurs stay stuck
[00:23] – Why adding more strategies isn't solving the problem
[00:30] – My personal story of chasing seven figures and building the wrong business
[00:38] – The breaking point and realizing optimization wasn't the answer
[00:45] – What aligned coaching should actually look like
[00:46] – The question that will change how you approach your next move

Top Quotes from the Episode

1. "What if your business feels off not because you're missing a strategy, but because you've been stacking strategies on top of a model that was never built for you in the first place… and no amount of optimizing is going to fix that?"
2. "You end up dependent on the thing you bought instead of actually solving the problem for the long term, which means you keep paying for relief instead of ever creating real results."
3. "The pursuit of control through constant optimization is actually a loss of control, because you're being taught that the answer always lives outside of you."
4. "I was chasing a seven-figure year that didn't even reflect the life I actually wanted, just the version of success I had been taught to want."
5. "The default answer is always to add more, more strategies, more systems, more support, because that's what's easiest to sell, even when it's not what you actually need."
6. "You cannot optimize your way out of building the wrong thing, and the longer you try, the more time, money, and energy you pour into something that was never a fit."
7. "What if the answer to your discomfort isn't adding more, but having the courage to delete what was never a fit in the first place, even if you've already invested everything into it?"

Links & Resources

• CEO Type Quiz: https://lauraschoenfeld.com/quiz
• Kyla Scanlon's Substack (mentioned in the episode)

If this episode resonated with you, make sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who's ready to build a business that actually fits their life.

If you've been feeling overwhelmed by all the "shoulds" in online business, what platform to use, how to show up, what strategy is "working right now," this conversation is going to feel like a breath of fresh air.

In this episode, I sit down with Julie Ciardi to unpack what's actually happening in the online space right now, why so many entrepreneurs are feeling burned out by traditional social media, and what it looks like to build a business that's rooted in your voice instead of the algorithm.

We also dive into the rise of Substack as a powerful alternative for creating real connection, long-form thought leadership, and sustainable growth without feeling like you're stuck on a content hamster wheel.

We also explore how Human Design can help you stop second-guessing your messaging, trust your natural way of communicating, and finally feel confident in how you show up. If you've been craving a simpler, more aligned way to grow your business, this episode is for you.

• [00:04:36] – Julie's journey from IBM VP to entrepreneur and why she rejected the traditional social media path early on

• [00:07:14] – Why she refused to get on the "content hamster wheel" and chose a different growth strategy

• [00:10:24] – The moment Substack clicked and why she originally didn't want anything to do with it

• [00:12:14] – Why Substack is more than a newsletter platform and how it works as a full media hub

• [00:13:05] – The return of organic reach and why it's working differently here

• [00:14:30] – The hidden impact of ads and algorithm-driven feeds on your nervous system

• [00:16:44] – How Substack simplifies content creation and replaces multiple tools and workflows

• [00:19:30] – The reality of current content workflows and why they feel so overwhelming

• [00:21:01] – The culture shift on Substack and why collaboration and real connection matter

• [00:25:21] – Why your best buyers may be leaving traditional platforms and what that means for your strategy

• [00:29:15] – Why being early on emerging platforms creates massive opportunity

• [00:30:17] – Why repurposed content falls flat on Substack and what actually works instead

• [00:41:19] – How Human Design reveals your natural communication style and builds confidence

• [00:50:41] – Why most marketing advice only works for certain people and not others

• [00:53:32] – The danger of following the wrong strategy and how to come back to what works for you

"I'm a seven-figure founder who did not build my business on organic social media. I made that decision early on because I wanted to spend my time creating thought leadership for my clients, not performing like an actor or comedian just to grow on Instagram."

"When I discovered what Substack actually was, I felt like I struck gold because it's not just a newsletter platform. It's your media company, your publishing house, your podcast host, your video platform. It's everything in one place."

"Organic reach is still possible on Substack, and in eight years of business I had never grown organically. So to show up there, just being myself and speaking long-form, and then see it explode, that was a completely different experience."

"You don't pick a niche anymore. You pick a soapbox. When you speak from conviction and actually say what you believe, you naturally repel the wrong people and call in the right ones."

"When someone has clarity and confidence in what they're here to say, they will say it. Your body will actually tell you the best way for you to communicate, whether that's writing, speaking, or video."

• Julie's Substack and main hub

• Substack by Design Podcast

• Take the CEO Type Quiz

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who's ready to build their business in a way that actually feels like them.

It's my 39th birthday, and instead of just reflecting on the past year, I'm sharing something that has completely shifted how I think about business, decision-making, and personal alignment.

In this episode, I'm diving into how your birth chart can offer powerful insights into how you're actually wired to operate, and what that means for building a business that truly works for you.

We're unpacking why so many entrepreneurs feel stuck, burned out, or inconsistent (even when they're doing "all the right things"), and how misalignment, not lack of discipline, is often the real issue.

I'm also sharing how this lens has transformed my own business decisions, from how I structure my offers to how I show up as a leader, and how you can start using it to build a business that feels as good as it performs.

• [00:00] – Why my birthday always sparks a deeper reset (and why Q2 is when things actually take off for me)
• [02:47] – The moment I realized birth chart data was scarily accurate and why I couldn't ignore it
• [07:16] – Why I trust this more than most personality tests I've ever used
• [10:01] – What a birth chart actually is (and how to use it without "spiritualizing" it)
• [16:09] – The decision-making mistake that was quietly sabotaging my business
• [19:57] – How outsourcing my decisions cost me time, money, and momentum
• [22:10] – Why my energy works in intense bursts (and why consistency-based models failed me)
• [24:05] – The real reason my revenue declined when I switched to an "evergreen" model
• [26:11] – The uncomfortable truth about likability and how it was hurting my business growth
• [31:21] – Why my business is designed for slow, sustainable authority, not fast growth
• [33:26] – How I knew popular marketing strategies weren't a fit (even when they "worked" for others)
• [39:16] – Why podcasting is my most powerful marketing tool and converts better than anything else
• [44:56] – Why relationship-based selling works better for me than cold audiences or ads
• [47:08] – The surprising way money is tied to my identity and how that shapes my pricing
• [54:34] – The intuitive skill I've been underestimating (and how this tool validated it)
• [58:53] – Why misalignment, not effort, is the real bottleneck in your business
• [01:04:01] – The costly mistake of copying other people's strategies and how it pulled me off track
• [01:05:01] – The key questions to ask yourself to uncover where your business is out of alignment

"The level of clarity and accuracy that I found [in analyzing birth charts] was just something that I couldn't ignore."

"If I'm waiting and deliberating and seeking more input, this isn't something that actually makes my decisions better. If anything, it actually makes them worse."

"Most standard business models are built with the assumption that you should be able to put consistent, steady, daily output into your business, and that model is not a fit for me."

"If I want to kill my business and just run it into the ground, the goal is that I should try to be more likable."

"When your business model doesn't fit your design, you often experience it as a personal failure, rather than a failure of the business model."

• Apply for The Advisory
• Take the CEO Type Quiz
• Birth Chart Tools:
  • https://astro-seek.com
  • https://astro-charts.com

If this episode got you thinking about how you're actually wired to run your business, take that as a sign to explore it further.

And if you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to follow, rate, share, and leave a review! It helps more people discover the show and build businesses that truly fit who they are.

I'm unpacking a pattern I keep seeing with smart, successful entrepreneurs who are doing everything right, and still ending up burned out, stuck, or even making less money.

I dive into what really happens when you commit to a business model that was never designed for you, and why following "proven" strategies can quietly pull you further away from your strengths.

I also share a very personal behind-the-scenes look at my own business evolution: what I changed, what I got wrong, and the moment I realized I had built something that didn't actually fit me.

If you've ever questioned your direction, your decisions, or your ability to grow, this episode will help you reframe what's really going on, and show you a way forward that actually works for you.

• "They didn't end up worse because they were lazy or gave up. They ended up worse because they were good students of the wrong formula."

• "If you hired a coach, followed everything they said, and it didn't work… that's not a personal failure. It's a diagnostic failure."

• "You can be working harder than ever, putting in more time, more money, more effort, and still be going a hundred miles per hour in the wrong direction."

• "At some point, you stop trusting yourself… because you've outsourced your instincts and let someone else become the CEO of your business."

• "It's not that you're incapable of building a successful business. It's that you've been trying to force yourself into a model that was never designed for you."

• [00:00] – Why successful entrepreneurs can still end up worse off

• [03:06] – The hidden cost of implementing the wrong business model

• [05:18] – Why "success leaves clues" can actually mislead you

• [10:53] – The moment your business starts draining more than it gives

• [15:49] – My personal experience with an Evergreen model that didn't fit

• [28:25] – The trap of overbuilding teams too early

• [36:20] – Losing trust in yourself—and how to rebuild it

• [43:02] – Rebuilding your business around your natural strengths

• [49:08] – Why profit, energy, and alignment matter more than revenue

• CEO Type Quiz: https://lauraschoenfeld.com/quiz

• Apply for 1:1 Advisory

• DM "advisory" on Instagram for more details

If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone who needs to hear this message. And if you enjoyed it, don't forget to follow, rate, and leave a review—it really helps more people find the show. See you next week! 🎙️