

Building a Business that Lasts
Jay Owen
Many businesses are started every day, but the number that lasts the test of time is much lower. So what separates the businesses that last and those that don't? With this podcast, we intend to find out. Each week, we'll feature conversations with business owners who have lasted the test of time to gather stories, tips, and ideas, that will help others grow.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 11, 2025 • 48min
Win at Work and Succeed at Life with Michael Hyatt
Join bestselling author and speaker Michael Hyatt, a former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, as he shares wisdom on building a successful life and business. He discusses the importance of intentional living and setting boundaries to achieve the 'double win' of work-life balance. Explore the evolving dynamics of parenting and nurturing adult relationships with children. Plus, Michael dives into how AI can enhance productivity without sacrificing humanity, emphasizing practical applications for small businesses and personal growth.

Jul 16, 2025 • 43min
Scaling from $46k to $20m+ in just a few Years
What does it take to grow a business from $46K to $16M in just five years?Beth Lachance, founder and CEO of GMVA (Global Medical Virtual Assistants), joins Jay Owen to share her incredible story of rapid growth, purposeful leadership, and how saying “no” to distractions helped her say “yes” to scale.In this episode, you’ll learn:How to rethink your systems for 10X growthWhy imposter syndrome might actually be a strengthHow to build culture with 1,300+ remote workersThe power of niching down—and staying focusedWhat work-life balance really looks like as a founder\Beth’s journey proves that sustainable growth is possible when you combine vision with values—and listen to your gut.Learn more about GMVA at https://gmva.com.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Jul 9, 2025 • 54min
Building a Partnership That Lasts: The HW Contracting Story
The founders of HW Contracting share their 15-year journey from getting laid off to building a successful roofing business together, highlighting the realities of partnership, narrowing business focus, and balancing work with family life.• Started business out of necessity after both being laid off during economic downturn• Initially took on any construction jobs that would pay the bills• Made difficult transition to narrowing focus exclusively to roofing• Learning to say "no" to projects outside their specialty was challenging but transformative• Compared $20k bathroom remodel taking six weeks versus $20k roof installation completed in one day• Hired consultant to help define clear partner roles and responsibilities• Building systems that allow the business to function without the founders' constant involvement • Creating lanes of responsibility prevents conflict and builds clarity• Trust between partners is essential for long-term success• Reject "work-life balance" in favor of a "work-life blender" approach• Being fully present in the moment whether at work or with family• Entrepreneurship provides unique flexibility despite its demandsDo the right thing for the customer every time, and your business will be on solid ground.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Jan 13, 2025 • 1h 9min
The Reality of Growth: Leadership and Transformation with Craig Carder
In the FIRST episode of 2025, Craig Carder from C3 Medical Device joins us to share the raw, unfiltered truth about the struggles and sacrifices of entrepreneurship.We dive into the challenges of letting go, building effective leadership, and creating systems that drive growth. Craig opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped his journey, revealing how resilience and adaptability are key to lasting success.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Aug 5, 2024 • 45min
Letting Go of Control: The Importance of Leadership, Systems, and Processes with Emily Floyd
Welcome to another episode of Building a Business that Lasts! In today's episode, we have an insightful conversation with Jay Owen, a successful entrepreneur, about the challenges and triumphs of building an enduring business while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.Join us as Jay shares his personal struggles with email addiction and the steps he takes to disconnect and trust his team while on vacation. We also delve into the importance of personal growth and self-care practices, such as meditation and gratitude, for entrepreneurs.Throughout the episode, Jay and our host, Emily Floyd, discuss the common challenge of facing imposter syndrome as successful business owners. They share their experiences of learning to overcome this by realizing that perfect communication is not always necessary and by seeking support from others.We also explore strategies for acquiring new business, the importance of persistence and learning from failures, and the difficulties of balancing client service with business development. Jay and Emily highlight the challenges of hiring and leading effective leaders, both internally and externally.Emily shares her own inspiring journey of transitioning from working in retail to running a successful pediatric medical billing business in Dallas. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's strengths, surrounding oneself with a supportive team, and achieving significant business milestones while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.Stay tuned as we discuss the cultural belief that entrepreneurs must do everything themselves and the importance of delegating tasks, implementing standard operating procedures, and building a great management team aligned with the same vision.Join us for this engaging conversation filled with valuable insights and practical advice for building a business that lasts!00:00 Transitioned from retail to pediatric billing business.05:10 Fulfillment in business comes from passion.08:18 Need an operator to ensure process compliance.10:18 Hiring based on shared vision and passion.13:42 Improving processes through intentional and clear assignments.18:31 Leading leaders requires a different skill set.22:07 Overcame imposter syndrome, connected with industry leaders.25:50 Trial and error leads to success.29:50 Balancing scalability with doing the unscalable.31:54 Entrepreneur milestones led to finding needed structure.33:45 Entrepreneurs need rest for success and balance.38:39 Asking how to maintain boundaries with clients.41:46 Request password, delegate, prioritize, delegate to team.44:00 Video offers business tips, free resources, subscribe.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Jan 31, 2023 • 56min
Business as a Ministry with Mike Sharrow
What does it look like to run a business as a ministry? Is it possible in today's complex political climate? In this episode, Mike Sharrow, CEO of C12, talks through that topic along with other strategies to help leaders and entrepreneurs build a business without being stressed out, worn out, and ready to quit. C12 if a Christian business forum that meets monthly all over the world to help leaders build a great business for a greater purpose. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Nov 22, 2022 • 53min
The Ultimate Sales Machine with Amanda Holmes
Getting the right sales strategy in place is more important than ever. On this episode, I talk to Amanda Holmes, CEO at Chet Holmes and daughter of the author of The Ultimate Sales Machine. A framework used by thousands of businesses around the world to double their business. https://chetholmes.com/ch4/Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Sep 27, 2022 • 50min
The Difference Between a Vendor and a Partnership with Tim Burke
What’s the difference between a vendor and a partnership? Why should you care about your ROI or LTV in marketing — what even are those? How do you transition from traditional marketing to digital marketing? We talk about all these things and more on this episode.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Aug 30, 2022 • 20min
Vision, Passion, and Future - 904Now Interview
Listen into my interview on the 904Now internet show where I talk about business growth, teams, vision, passion, and future. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Jun 16, 2022 • 42min
Own Your Past, Change Your Future with Dr. John Delony
Hustle, run, charge ahead, and pull yourself up by your bootstraps! So much of entrepreneurship is like this, but if we're not careful, we can end up mentally unwell faster than we think. When that happens it affects everyone around us. It's easy to end up in a place where our past and false stories are crafting the narrative of our life that isn't helpful or healthy. In this episode, I talk with Dr. John Delony from Ramsey Solutions about how we can own our past and change our future. This conversation will create value for all leaders, owners, and entrepreneurs. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com