Small Business Straight Talk | Productivity, Time Management, Mindset, & Business Strategies

Amber De La Garza, The Productivity Specialist For Small Business Owners
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Oct 27, 2025 • 1h 19min

400 | SPECIAL The Real Struggles, Lessons, & Growth: Behind The Business Of Amber De La Garza

Today is a very special episode—our 400th episode! Instead of me giving you the straight talk this week, the tables are turned and I get interviewed by my marketing content creator. Come behind the scenes of my business with me to learn about my personal journey, the entrepreneurial struggles you usually don't hear about, and what I've learned over 400 podcast episodes and 15 years of business ownership. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why & How I Started My Business ✔ The Multitude Of Sacrifices It Required ✔ The Biggest Fears I Had While Building The Business ✔ How My Business Has Evolved Through The Years ✔ The Challenges That Acted As Catalysts For Those Transformations ✔ Which Strategic Decisions I Made In Order To Grow ✔ The Lessons I've Learned & Where I'm Going Next ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/400 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Oct 20, 2025 • 1h 4min

399 | From Near-Death To $55 Million In Sales: Behind The Business With Kris Dehnert

I sit down with the CEO of Dugout Mugs, Kris Dehnert, to pull back the curtain on the inner workings of his successful business and dive into his entrepreneurial journey that took him from a near-death experience to making $55 million in sales. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How Kris Ended Up Manufacturing Mugs Out Of Baseball Bats ✔ What Mistakes He Made Along The Way To Making $55 Million In Sales ✔ Kris' Process For Determining Where The Puck Is Going To Go ✔ His Advice For Business Owners Who Wants To Unclutter Their Lives ✔ The Checkboxes Kris Looks At Before Pulling Triggers On Opportunities ✔ The Leadership Wisdom He Relies On To Keep Winning ✔ What's Next For Kris & His Business To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/399 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Oct 13, 2025 • 26min

398 | The One Question That Changes Everything In Your Business And Life

Discover the transformative question that can reshape your entire approach to business and life. Learn why many entrepreneurs overlook this crucial foundation, often leading to burnout and damaged relationships. Explore the difference between chasing revenue and having a clear vision of success. Amber emphasizes that defining what success truly looks like empowers strategic decision-making. Plus, get tips on creating balance between business achievements and personal well-being through thoughtful planning.
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Oct 6, 2025 • 1h 19min

397 | Replacing Yourself In Your Business: A Client Case Study With Myrna Everett

I sit down with Myrna Everett, the CEO of Home Vogue Interiors, to dive deep into her evolution from running a successful business on the front end but headed toward a breaking point on the back end, to running a successfully business on both the front end and back end, AND in a strategic way that has essentially made replacing herself possible. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Stressful Reality Of Being A One-Woman Show ✔ How Myrna Overcame The Deep-Seated Resistance To Delegation And SOPs ✔ Why Documenting Systems Must Precede Successful Hiring ✔ The Time Myrna Spent Away From Her Business Which Proved Its Scalability ✔ Her Plan To Successfully Transition From Operational Expert To Full-Time CEO ✔ Myrna's Experience Attending My In-Person VIP Business Blueprint Events ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/397 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Sep 29, 2025 • 1h 6min

396 | When Visionaries Face Operational Realities: Behind The Business With LuAnn Nigara

In this special Behind The Business episode I sit down with Author, Keynote Speaker, host of A Well-Designed Business and Window Treatments for Profit Podcasts, LuAnn Nigara, to peel back the curtain on what it took to evolve from the CEO of WindowWorks to her current career roles, and discuss what it now takes to face operational realities in her businesses as a creative visionary. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Genesis of LuAnn Nigara, Inc. ✔ Why She Considers Herself A Creative Entrepreneur & Visionary ✔ What She Learned Over 4 Decades In Business ✔ What It Takes To Get Into The Boardroom Of Directors ✔ The Ah-Ha's LuAnn Received Through Coaching With Amber ✔ What's Next For LuAnn ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/396 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Sep 22, 2025 • 1h 2min

395 | Hidden Revenue Leaks Part 2: Real Businesses, Real Leaks, Real Solutions

I dive into the messy reality of how revenue leaks actually show up when you're running a business day-to-day and divulge real-world solutions to the pricing, billing, and operational issues causing them. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How Your Commute Can Become An Unpaid Customer Service Hotline ✔ The Revenue Leaks That Could Be Showing Up In Your Business Daily ✔ How You Might Be Sabotaging Your Billing & Business Model ✔ Ways Your High Efficiency Could Actually Be Penalizing Your Profitability ✔ The Importance Of Building Upon An Operational Foundation ✔ The Freedom That Comes From Shifting To Reward Efficiency ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/395 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Sep 15, 2025 • 49min

394 | Hidden Revenue Leaks Part 1: Digging Deeper To Uncover Profits

I dive into the five levels of revenue leaks that compound into massive losses year after year and show you exactly why most "fixes" don't actually fix anything. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Separates Successful Business Owners From Those Who Stay Stuck ✔ The 5 Revenue Leaks That Most Business Owners Miss ✔ What Must Be Done To Acquire Lost Revenue ✔ The Time-Money Connection Most Business Owners Miss ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/394 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Sep 8, 2025 • 41min

393 | Tax Secrets: How To Keep More Of Your Money With Mark J. Kohler

I sit down with "America's #1 Small Business Tax Lawyer" - the Founder and CEO of Main Street Tax Professionals, Mark Kohler, to dive into how you can utilize little known business tax secrets to keep more of your hard-earned money. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ A Great Summertime Tax Tip That Can Make Yours Better ✔ What Flow Through Taxation Is ✔ Why Converting From An LLC To An S-Corp Can Save You On Taxes ✔ At What Point You Should Convert (Yes, There's A Specific Moment) ✔ The Payroll Action You Should Be Making Quarterly ✔ How To Pay Your Kids Through Your Business ✔ The Crossroads Of Crypto & Small Business ✔ Advice For Creating A Trust ✔ How That Coincides With An LLC & Those Protections ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/393 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Sep 1, 2025 • 46min

392 | Regulating Your Nervous System With Michelle Grosser

I sit down with trial-attorney-turned coach, Michelle Grosser, to dive into actionable strategies and practical tools to overcome stress, regulate your nervous system, and unlock peak performance in all aspects of your business and life. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What A Dysregulated Nervous System Looks Like ✔ How It Impacts Your Business If Left Unchecked ✔ The Primary Function Of Your Nervous System ✔ How To Communicate Safety To Your Body ✔ The Impact Of Your Window Of Tolerance ✔ How To Use Your Breath To Get Out Of Fight Or Flight ✔ Other Tools To Return To Baseline Stress Level ✔ The 3 Easy Habits That Make A Major Difference ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/392 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call
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Aug 25, 2025 • 1h 22min

391 | The Real Reason You're Always 'So Busy'

I dive into the real reason you're always 'so busy,' digging deep into the underlying beliefs that keep you in this frantic, reactive cycle. I go into how society has programmed us to believe that being busy equals being virtuous, productive, and secure, talk about why those beliefs are a trap, and divulge how to make the necessary shift from reactive to intentional. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Underlying Beliefs Making You Feel Like You Must Always Be "Busy" ✔ How "Toxic Busy-Ness" Impacts Your Health, Relationships & Business ✔ Ways Constant Busy-Ness Is Undermining Your Expertise ✔ How Shifting To Intentionality Requires Changing Your Mindset & Business Model ✔ Strategies To Notice Your Default Response & Create Space For What Matters ✔ What True Success Is Really About ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/391 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call

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