Category: Podcast Episodes

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Susan Hubbard, founder of Herculean HR, LLC, shares how she provides crucial HR services tailored for small to mid-sized businesses, helping them navigate employee relations, compliance, recruitment, and succession planning.

Susan is a strong advocate for contingency planning, emphasizing the importance of a backup plan in case a business leader can no longer run operations. Her expertise extends to regulatory compliance, payroll, performance management, and employee handbooks, helping businesses stay legally protected and operationally efficient. She also advises on worker classification, helping companies avoid costly missteps between W-2 employees and 1099 contractors. Susan’s passion for helping businesses stems from a lifelong commitment to serving others — a path that led her from an early interest in psychology to becoming a trusted HR consultant.

Key Takeaways

• Herculean HR helps small to mid-sized businesses with compliance, recruitment, and succession planning.
• Susan emphasizes contingency planning for when a business leader can no longer run operations.
• She helps companies navigate worker classification to avoid costly W-2 vs. 1099 missteps.

Learn more at herculeanhr.com.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Sheila Marie Williamson of Haiman Hogue PLLC discusses the critical importance of estate planning to protect families from unnecessary legal and financial burdens.

Sheila explains that without proper planning — such as wills, trusts, and business structuring — families can face costly and public probate proceedings, guardianship disputes, or financial vulnerability. She also addresses a common myth: that trusts are only for the wealthy, describing how they can provide privacy and ease for families during difficult times regardless of estate size. As a faith-based firm, Haiman Hogue prioritizes education, free consultations, and long-term client relationships, aiming to help people feel informed and empowered as they plan for their legacy and loved ones.

Key Takeaways

• Proper estate planning helps families avoid costly, public probate proceedings and guardianship disputes.
• Trusts aren’t just for the wealthy — they can offer privacy and ease for families of many estate sizes.
• Haiman Hogue emphasizes education and free consultations to help clients make informed decisions.

Learn more at haimanhogue.com.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Adam Tunks of First Person Capital explains how his firm focuses on preserving wealth through commercial real estate loan investments, offering investors stability and monthly returns rather than long-term speculative growth.

Unlike traditional private equity or venture capital, First Person Capital focuses on short-term commercial real estate loans designed to generate consistent income. Their primary clients include nonprofits, endowments, and foundations that prioritize capital preservation and steady cash flow to fund their missions. Adam highlights the firm’s strategic partnership with Graham Mortgage Corporation, which originates and manages these loans, and shares the example of a foundation that has invested with their founder since 1985 as a demonstration of the model’s long track record.

Key Takeaways

• First Person Capital focuses on short-term commercial real estate loans built for capital preservation and steady income.
• Their primary clients are nonprofits, endowments, and foundations that prioritize stable cash flow.
• A strategic partnership with Graham Mortgage Corporation originates and manages the underlying loans.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Trey Rush of PayTechPlus shares his expertise on payment processing risks and solutions for business owners. Trey explains that many businesses unknowingly expose themselves to financial risk by using standard payment platforms like Stripe or Square, which lack proper underwriting and can result in sudden account holds or chargebacks.

He specializes in helping high-risk industries — such as marketing agencies, contractors, CPAs, and other service-based businesses — navigate these challenges through customized payment solutions, compliance strategies, and tender-based pricing. Trey emphasizes the importance of understanding dispute risk, implementing clear refund policies, and being proactive rather than reactive when it comes to payment security. With over a decade in the industry, he’s focused on protecting small businesses from the pitfalls of poorly matched payment processing.

Key Takeaways

• Standard payment platforms can expose businesses to sudden account holds and chargebacks without proper underwriting.
• PayTechPlus specializes in customized payment solutions for high-risk industries like agencies, contractors, and CPAs.
• Clear refund policies and proactive dispute management reduce payment security risk.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Neetu Rishi, Founder and CEO of The Success Door, shares how her journey began with a deeply personal experience — helping her introverted daughter adapt to a new life in the U.S. by focusing on her strengths in poetry and dance, which led to a confidence-boosting book publication.

That realization became the foundation of Neetu’s business: empowering youth and adults by nurturing their strengths to build self-esteem and skills in public speaking, writing, and entrepreneurship. Through her programs, she has helped nearly 279 students become published authors, expanding her reach through online courses, school partnerships, and corporate training. She emphasizes authenticity in writing, steering students away from AI-generated content so they develop and keep their own unique voice.

Key Takeaways

• The Success Door grew out of Neetu’s personal experience helping her daughter build confidence through poetry and dance.
• Nearly 279 students have become published authors through her programs.
• She emphasizes authentic writing and steers students away from AI-generated content to preserve their own voice.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Dan Klonowski, a financial advisor at Thrivent, discusses the balance between financial responsibility and strategic debt management, distinguishing his approach from Dave Ramsey’s strict anti-debt philosophy.

Dan emphasizes the importance of personalized financial planning, noting that while frameworks like Ramsey’s provide a solid foundation, they can’t offer individualized, situation-specific advice. His expertise centers on working with nonprofit professionals, teachers, and church leaders — people driven by long-term missions who understand planning for others but often neglect their own personal financial well-being. He shares his journey from teaching to financial advising, highlighting his ability to simplify complex financial concepts and build long-term relationships with clients, including a success story about helping a family consolidate and strategically repay debt by reassessing their budget and priorities.

Key Takeaways

• Dan emphasizes personalized, situation-specific financial planning over one-size-fits-all frameworks.
• He specializes in working with nonprofit professionals, teachers, and church leaders.
• His background in teaching helps him simplify complex financial concepts for clients.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Noah Dunn, founder of Seize Your Success, shares his passion for coaching and personal development, emphasizing the importance of ‘success skills’ for individuals, businesses, and now, middle schoolers.

Noah describes how his own career transition from project management to coaching inspired his focus on leadership, communication, and goal-setting workshops. His latest initiative, Teen Success Lab, equips middle schoolers with time management, decision-making, and confidence-building tools to navigate their futures. Recognizing the need for professional development in small businesses, he also provides corporate workshops that enhance team dynamics, negotiation, and active listening — key factors that drive growth and efficiency.

Key Takeaways

• Seize Your Success offers leadership, communication, and goal-setting workshops for individuals and teams.
• Teen Success Lab equips middle schoolers with time management, decision-making, and confidence-building skills.
• Corporate workshops focus on team dynamics, negotiation, and active listening to drive business growth.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, James Jenkins of RiskWell shares his approach to helping clients identify and plan for threats, solve problems, and build a solid risk management and insurance program as the foundation of a healthy business or real estate investment operation.

James works primarily with high achievers who are building ambitious things and need a risk management partner who thinks the same way they do. His philosophy centers on continual self-improvement and a genuine drive to see his clients win, not just sell them a policy. The conversation also touches on storytelling in business, referencing Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework as a resource for communicating value clearly.

Key Takeaways

• A solid risk management and insurance program is the foundation of every healthy business and real estate operation.
• James works with high-achieving clients who need a risk partner aligned with their ambitions.
• Clear storytelling, like the StoryBrand framework, helps businesses communicate their value.

Learn more at riskwell.com.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Warren Sager of Assured Strategy Business Coaching joins the show to talk about the practice of business coaching and how it helps owners build stronger, more sustainable companies.

Warren works with business owners to bring structure and strategy to day-to-day decision-making, helping them step back from the daily grind to focus on the bigger picture. His coaching approach is built around accountability and practical planning, giving clients a clearer path toward their business goals.

Key Takeaways

• Business coaching brings structure and accountability to strategic decision-making.
• Warren helps owners step back from daily operations to focus on long-term growth.
• Assured Strategy Business Coaching is built around practical, goal-oriented planning.

Learn more at assuredstrategy.com.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.

On this episode of Growing Your Business with Buddy Broyles, Amber Gaige, founder of Far Beyond Marketing, shares her approach to simplifying marketing for entrepreneurs and franchisees. Her boutique, white-glove agency based in McKinney, Texas, customizes marketing strategies to align with clients’ operational goals, offering services that range from local branding to data-driven analytics.

Amber describes a ‘ridiculously easy’ marketing philosophy designed to take the mental stress off business owners. As one of only 600 professionals certified in the Donald Miller StoryBrand framework, she draws on a global network of certified guides to help clients get clear, effective messaging. A third-generation entrepreneur and author of The Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook: Stop Being Duped by Ineffective Marketing, Amber brings both personal experience and industry expertise to help businesses of all sizes make informed marketing decisions, including how AI fits into a modern marketing strategy.

Key Takeaways

• Far Beyond Marketing is a boutique, white-glove agency based in McKinney, Texas, customizing strategy to client goals.
• Amber is one of only 600 professionals certified in the Donald Miller StoryBrand framework.
• She’s the author of The Far Beyond Marketing Guidebook: Stop Being Duped by Ineffective Marketing.

Want your business story told this well? Book a free intro call with Blue Mic Studios and we’ll help you plan an episode that turns your expertise into content that attracts customers.