
Small Business Straight Talk | Productivity, Time Management, Mindset, & Business Strategies
If you’re a small business owner who wants to learn effective business strategies, improve time management, and elevate productivity to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most, this podcast is for you!
Amber is a sought-after coach, trainer, speaker, writer and the creator of Leverage Lab®. Amber gives small business owners the straight talk on what it takes to reduce stress, be productive, and grow your business.
Tune in and subscribe to get the straight talk on productivity, time management, business systems, leading your team, strategic decision making, and mindset. Also hear Amber interview guests about their expertise and insights on other business topics.
Want one-on-one business support? Get coached on productivity, time management, business systems, leading your team, strategic decision making, and mindset so you can reduce stress, reclaim time, and increase profits during private coaching sessions with Amber tailored specifically to help you and your small business succeed! Head on over to https://www.AmberDeLaGarza.com/Coaching for more info!
Latest episodes

Sep 18, 2023 • 55min
297 | Dumping The Head Trash That's Killing Your Productivity With Renie Cavallari
I sit down with the My guest on today’s episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I sit down with the CEO and Founder of Powered by Aspire, Renie Cavallari. Renie is an expert at helping people defeat their head trash so it stops holding them back from reaching their potential in their business and life. Tune in and learn how to dump your head trash that’s killing your productivity and sabotaging your success! What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How Head Trash Affects Our Work And Business ✔ 3 Ways To Deal With It Effectively ✔ How To Make The Necessary Shift To The Other Side Of Your Brain ✔ The 5 Questions That Allow You To Start Your Day On The Connected Side Of Your Emotional Brain ✔ Advice For Self-Motivation And Improving Productivity ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/297. 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

Sep 11, 2023 • 31min
296 | Back To The Basics Of Growing Your Business
In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into numerous ways you can stay true to yourself and take your marketing and visibility back to the reliable basics, all so you can strategically nurture your past and current client relationships and continue building long-term success. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Most Important Marketing Principle To Remember ✔ Ways To Simplify Your Marketing & Visibility ✔ A Breakdown Of Common Relationship Builders ✔ Marketing Systems That Can Level Up Your Business ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/296. 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

Sep 4, 2023 • 57min
295 | Planning For What’s Possible: A Client Case Study With Ellen Nystrom
I sit down for a indepth client case study interview with the owner of interior design firm Ellen Nystrom Design. Ellen and I take a look back at her successful planning for, execution of, and return from a two-month sabbatical. Like many of us, Ellen had been feeling burned out post-Covid and while stepping away from her business for two months seemed impossible at first glance, her prudent planning and support helped her make it possible and then, her reality. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Ellen’s Fears She Dealt With Prior To And During The Sabbatical ✔ The Work She Did To Overcome Those Fears ✔ How I Played A Role As Her Business Coach ✔ How Ellen Defines Productivity Now Vs. Prior To Her Time Away From her Business ✔ Ways Taking Her Sabbatical Impacted Ellen And Her Business ✔ What She Learned About The Impossible ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/295. P.S. 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

Aug 28, 2023 • 36min
294 | 6 Steps To Create & Maintain An Organized Digital File System
Learn how to create and maintain an organized digital file system with ease. Discover the cost of a disorganized file system, simple steps to create an organized one, and tips for long-term success. Explore the purpose of Work in Progress and To Be Filed folders and learn tips for batch renaming and filing documents.

Aug 24, 2023 • 4min
BONUS Invite: Calling All Design Professionals!
Calling all newbie and seasoned designers, builders, window treatment specialists! In this episode, I personally invite you to join myself, LuAnn Nigara, and many other top industry experts to LUANN NIGARA LIVE November 5-8, 2023 in Orlando, Florida… This is a 2 ½ day event that will give you the opportunity to work ON your business, get help solving challenges, and meet other design professionals who you can connect with. This year LUANN NIGARA LIVE is going to be about Health and Wealth! A Well-Designed Business within a Well-Designed Life. I’ll be there too as a speaker helping you turn your conference "a-ha" moments into wins in your business by making your learning actionable so you can maximize your health and wealth. It’s going to be a spectacular event you won’t want to miss. But don’t just take it from me. Tune in to this episode to hear a message directly from LuAnn Nigara, the host of the event… And get your tickets here => LuAnnLive.com

Aug 21, 2023 • 49min
293 | De-Escalating Conflicts The Fastest & Most Effective Way With Doug Noll
Doug Noll, highly experienced mediator passionate about de-escalating conflicts, discusses emotional invalidation, competency, reflecting emotions, and deescalating conflicts in customer relationships. They also explore the impact of conflicts on small business owners and highlight the power of empathy in leadership. Resources and offerings for conflict deescalation and emotional competency are shared.

Aug 16, 2023 • 26min
292 | Are You Overcomplicating Your Business?
In this episode of Productivity Straight Talk, I dive into the tendency of many business owners to overcomplicate their businesses and discuss strategies to simplify your business so it is less overwhelming and more enjoyable. What You Will Discover: ✔ How You’re Sabotaging Yourself In The Name Of Efficiency ✔ How I Use The Insights Feedback Loop To Simplify My Business ✔ Important Questions To Ask Yourself ✔ How To Stop Overcomplicating Your Business ✔ So Much More! I hope you enjoy this week’s episode 292 | Are You Overcomplicating Your Business? Now let’s get to the straight talk! P.S. 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

Jul 31, 2023 • 56min
291 | From Maximalist To Minimalist: Choosing To Run A Cozy Small Business With Lydia Lee
I sit down with Work Reinvention Coach & Solopreneur Strategist at Screw The Cubicle, Lydia Lee, to dive into her entrepreneurial journey that started with building a large, successful business that wasn’t in alignment with her personal goals and ended with her strategically running a cozy small business she loves that enables her to chase the sun. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Lydia’s Motivating Factor To Leave Corporate For Entrepreneurism ✔ Ways Her Business Grew Organically Instead Of Forcing It ✔ How She Knew The First Business Model She Tried Wasn’t In Alignment ✔ Why She Eventually Settled On The Cozy Business Model She Did ✔ The Evident Power Of A Sabbatical ✔ The Importance Of Executing Check-In Points ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/291. P.S. 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

Jul 31, 2023 • 19min
290 | The 4 D's Of Prioritizing Your Tasks & Projects
I dive into a simple method to make your task list more manageable and prioritize the tasks and projects on it, so you can stay focused on the activities that will help you achieve your goals. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why There Is A Need For A Method To Manage Your Tasks & Projects ✔ The Beliefs That Are Clouding Your Decision Making ✔ What The 4 D's Of Prioritizing Your Tasks & Projects Are ✔ How To Apply Them To Your Task List ✔ What Results You’ll See When You Use Them Consistently ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/290. P.S. 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

Jul 24, 2023 • 48min
289 | Using AI To Hire For The Skills Your Business Needs With Robyn Grable
I sit down with the Founder and CEO of Talents ASCEND, Robyn Grable, to dive into how AI is being used by businesses all over the world to successfully source, recruit, and hire quality talent. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why Task-Focused Job Descriptions Don’t Work ✔ Why Job Boards Are No Longer Cutting It ✔ Where To Find Quality Candidates If Not Indeed.com ✔ Ways AI Can Be Utilized In Hiring ✔ How Robyn’s AI For Hiring Business Works ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/289. P.S. 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