On the Up and Up

Kira chats with Adrienna McDermott, founder of Ava and the Bee, about what it takes to build a successful wedding industry business. Adrienna shares about her journey from solopreneur to running a full-blown marketing agency – and the lessons she learned along the way about scaling with intention and why treating your people right is the right way to grow your business.Whether you're a wedding pro or just someone who loves a good entrepreneurial success story, this episode is full of insights, laughs, and relatable moments.Links MentionedFind Ava & The Bee and all their incredible resources at: https://avaandthebee.com/

Ever wondered if social media is actually making a difference in your business, or if it’s just another time suck? 🤔 In today’s episode of On The Up & Up, we answer this question with Emma Tessler, founder of Ninety-Five Media. Emma’s been in the social media game since back when Instagram was all filtered food pics and sepia sunsets (we’ve come so far!). She’s seen firsthand how social has evolved from an afterthought to a make-or-break marketing tool, and she’s here to spill all the tea.If you’re a small business owner feeling overwhelmed by the ever-changing social media landscape, this episode is your guide. We cover:How social media influences 74% of buyers’ decisions (yep, that many!), making it a key player in your business’s success.What she thinks about the advice floating around saying, “You can totally scale your business without social media.” (Spoiler alert: She has thoughts).How to build a seamless brand experience on social media while still keeping it personal and relatable.The evolution of social media marketing and how it’s changing the way small businesses create content in 2024.The #1 key performance indicator Instagram looks at for their algorithm – so you know where to focus your energy for max impact.Her advice for founders who are ready to transition their social presence from “It’s just me!” to a full-blown company brand now that they’ve got a team backing them up.Her take as an agency owner on building, managing, and leading a team.Whether you’re thinking about transitioning from a personal brand to a company presence or figuring out how to streamline your content creation, this episode offers tangible tips, like:Leveraging trending content your way.Using Instagram DMs as a powerful sales tool (hint: there’s more money in your DMs than you might think!).If you want to level up your social game and align your brand for 2025, this episode is packed with strategies you can start using now!Links MentionedExplore Ninety Five Media’s services, sign up for their value-packed newsletter, and get into their free “Master Your Marketing” course: https://ninetyfivemedia.co/ Follow Ninety Five Media on IG @ninety.five.media Tune into the Ninety Five Media Podcast, Stop Scrolling Start Scaling: https://ninetyfivemedia.co/category/podcast/

Did you know the average business owner wastes 250 hours a year on tasks that could be automated? Today’s guest, Rachael Mueller, Fractional COO & Systems Expert, is here to help you reclaim that time. She’s an organization fanatic and aims to make herself obsolete for her clients by setting up sustainable systems, tools, and automations so your business runs smoothly – without needing constant oversight.PLUS, since this *is* an HR podcast, we talk about how operations experts can stay independent without risking compliance classification issues (think: good contracts, defined scope, solid boundaries). And for the business owners listening, this is your reminder to make sure you’re treating your working relationships with external experts the right way to keep things above board.Tune in to learn how processes, tools, and automations can make you fall in love with your business again!Links Mentioned: Connect with Rachael on IG: @hay.rachaelRachael’s Website: https://heyrachael.com/

I always tell you to hire based on the role, not just the person you want... but today, I’m eating my words! At least I’m an honest hypocrite 😉In this episode, I’m excited to introduce you to Ashley Mina, our newest team member at Paradigm. The moment I met Ashley, I knew we had to work together, so I created a whole new department just for her! (I know, do as I say, not as I do!)Ashley’s here to share her insider insights about recruiting for small businesses. We got into:My fears around creating a whole new service and departmentAshley’s transition from high-volume corporate recruiting to small business recruitingBalancing a “sales mindset” with a quality candidate experienceWhy small businesses should prioritize the candidate experience while hiringTrends Ashley is seeing in candidates applying to our clients’ small businesses vs. corporate rolesThe perks of using an external recruiter and hiring tips for DIY-ersRed and green flags in job descriptionsAshley’s advice for building diverse teams, even if you don’t come from a diverse backgroundTune in to hear all of Ashley’s insider tips, why she’s such an amazing fit for our team, and how she can help yours! Links Mentioned:Episode 82: Are These 5 Biases In Hiring Sabotaging Your Dream Team? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-82-are-these-5-biases-in-hiring-sabotaging-your-dream-team/id1661939979?i=1000661034302 Find Ashley’s online: Your Work Wife Ashley (https://www.yourworkwifeashley.com/) Follow Ashley IG at @yourworkwifeashley Interested in our recruiting services? Learn more here! https://the-paradigm.com/recruiting 

Leadership is one of the biggest responsibilities you’ll take on in your career. But when you nail it, you don’t have to do it all yourself. You can actually hand off some of those people management duties to someone else (hello, delegation!).As long as you’ve set your future leaders up for success first. That’s what today’s episode is all about: laying the groundwork so you can confidently pass the torch.We’re giving practice advice about:✨ What to look for when identifying future leaders✨ How to keep your company culture intact when someone else steps up✨ The must-haves before delegating any team managementTune in now!Links Mentioned: If you’re catching this before 9/30/24, you’ve still got time to save $200 and lock in exclusive access to mentorship, coaching, and community inside People On Purpose. This is our signature management and leadership training program, and it won’t be available in this format or price until next year, so don’t miss out!https://the-paradigm.com/people-on-purpose

We’ve all been sold a big fat lie: that the ability to lead is something everyone’s born with.Let’s talk about this is not only untrue, but it’s also kind of dangerous.Plus, we’re also exploring the real difference between leadership and management. (Yes, they’re not the same thing, even though we tend to use them interchangeably around here.) Let’s clear up the confusion and talk about what it really means to be an effective leader and manager.Links MentionedTake advantage of our special promo pricing for People On Purpose, AND get access to our exclusive community to enhance your learning: https://the-paradigm.com/people-on-purpose *Expires on 9/30

It’s here! The fifth edition of People On Purpose®, our signature leadership and management training program, has officially launched – and I want to dive into it.But don’t worry, this episode isn’t a sales pitch. I’m not here to talk you into POP, but to share the philosophy behind POP and why I built it the way I did. Understanding that philosophy gets to the heart of what real leadership training is all about.The biggest takeaway? People On Purpose® isn’t for everyone – and that’s by design. It’s built for managers and leaders who align with our core values, which I’ll be unpacking in today’s episode.Tune in now to find out more!LINKS MENTIONED:Join People On Purpose® today: https://the-paradigm.com/people-on-purpose Read more about the People On Purpose® Philosophy: https://the-paradigm.com/pop-philosophy/ 

If the thought of having a tough conversation with someone you manage makes you want to bolt , you’re not alone - and there’s actually a ton of science behind it.Our brains aren’t exactly wired to enjoy this part of management. In fact, they’re working over time to convince us to avoid sitting down for that challenging chat with an employee.  Today we’re talking about what’s really happening in our brains when we’re faced with an employee issue: from the fight-or-flight response and cognitive dissonance to social conditioning, negativity bias, emotional regulation challenges, and fear of the unknown. We’ll also talk about a framework for recognizing when a difficult conversation is exactly what’s needed to solve a problem, and how to build the confidence to tackle it head-on every single time.LINKS MENTIONEDTackling Tough Conversations Masterclass: https://the-paradigm.com/tackling-tough-conversations If you want to hear even more science behind the challenges of leadership, check out our recent episode on unconscious biases in hiring: “Ep. 82: Are These 5 Biases in Hiring Sabotaging Your Dream Team?” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-82-are-these-5-biases-in-hiring-sabotaging-your-dream-team/id1661939979?i=1000661034302

Most leaders don’t wake up planning to fail their teams, but sometimes it happens unintentionally. And one of the biggest culprits is a lack of common leadership language and management philosophy across the organization. When everyone’s on a different page and speaking a different language, silos start forming, and your team struggles to collaborate effectively. This is especially risky in those critical stages of small business growth when scaling your team is key to unlocking your company’s full potential.I get it - this sounds super abstract. That’s why in today’s episode, I’m sharing real-world stories that brought this concept to life for me, and I think will for you too.Whether you’re managing a team within a larger corporation or leading one your own business, this episode is packed with insights on how to create a consistent, clear, and direct leadership language that will set everyone up for success. Links MentionedTake the quiz to discover your People Leadership Archetype and start leading more authentically: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz

Last week, we kicked off a 5 day plan to go from a day-to-day manager to a trusted leader who knows how to boost your team’s profitability and productivity. If you missed that deep dive of the first 2 steps - reflect and observe - make sure you go back and catch that one too! Today, we’re wrapping it up with the 3 final steps:Unite your team with shared values and a common language. Give each team member a voice in their success. Build a plan that connects your team’s individual goals with the big-picture organizational wins. Remember, how you lead when everything’s running smoothly—aka when your team is crushing it and the vibes are on point—is a whole different game from leading in the thick of challenges.Waiting until the house is on fire to deepen your self-awareness as a leader or sharpen your skills is not the move. The time to do this work is when things are steady. That’s what keeps those fires from turning into full-blown infernos.LINKS MENTIONEDDownload the freebie: “5 Day Plan To Go From Manager To Trusted Leader.” https://the-paradigm.com/5-day-plan-to-leadership Take the quiz to discover your People Leadership Archetype and start leading more authentically: https://the-paradigm.com/quiz Catch up on the first 2 steps in last week’s episode: “Ep. 89: [Part 1] 5 Steps To Go From Manager To Trusted Leader”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-89-five-steps-to-go-from-manager-to-trusted-leader-part-1/id1661939979?i=1000665270028