Business Breakdown

Yi Lin Pei is a Product Marketing Coach and Advisor and the Founder of Courageous Careers.In this conversation, Yi Lin shares her journey from being a civil engineer to becoming an entrepreneur in the field of career coaching and product marketing. She discusses the pivotal moments that led her to start her own business, including how she turned a side-business into a full-time business,  the importance of understanding client needs and how that translates into your service offerings and the power of referrals in growing her business. Yi Lin also shares some of the lessons of her journey, including the importance of trusting your own gut, aligning your business to your personal values, as well as how she has made pivots in her business, and the lessons she’s learned from those pivots so far. Website: https://www.courageous-careers.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilinpei/

Justin Reinert is a Facilitator, Author, and Podcast Host with over 20 years of experience in talent development. In this episode of The Business Breakdown, Justin shares his journey from working in corporate talent roles at companies like Oracle and HSBC to launching his own business. He discusses the challenges of finding a niche, the evolution of his work in executive coaching and leadership development, and how he’s helping startups scale their talent strategies. Al and Justin also explore the importance of structured goal-setting and navigating entrepreneurship with intention. Website: www.performanceacceleratedlearning.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/justinreinertCreating Belonging Book: https://amzn.to/3YWeqDa

In this episode of The Business Breakdown, we chat with Melody Wilding—executive coach, keynote speaker, and author—to discuss her entrepreneurial journey. From starting as a therapist to building a thriving coaching business, Melody shares how she found her niche with “Sensitive Strivers,” developed scalable offerings, and transitioned from one-on-one coaching to group programs and courses. We dive into her approach to business diversification, the power of pattern recognition, and how she balances impact with sustainabilityMelody’s Book: https://managingup.comMelody’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melodywilding

Welcome back to the Business Breakdown podcast. After a successful first season, we’re back for season 2. In this episode, Al Dea, podcast host shares some reflections from season 1, and previews season 2 of the Business Breakdown podcastLinksAl’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/

Editor’s Note: This is a replay of a popular episode from Season 1.Stephanie Movahhed is an Executive and Business Coach, and the Founder of Stephanie Movahhed Coaching. In her coaching practice, Stephanie works with leaders and executives to improve their mindset to achieve their greatest goals. During our conversation, Stephanie shares critical lessons she’s learned along the way in building her executive coaching business, including emphasizing the importance of saying no and the need to overcome scarcity mindset as an entrepreneur. She also highlights the value of using your network to grow your business and shares personal stories of how her network connections led to opportunities.LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smovahhed/Website: https://www.stephaniemovahhed.com/ 

Editors Note: This is a replay of a popular episode from Season 1.Mark Heydt is a Co-Owner of Stoke Leadership, a leadership development firm. After 2 decades in corporate HR and leadership development Mark made the leap to start his own business, focused on "building better bosses." During our conversation, Mark spoke about how he was able to go off on his own, first as a solo leadership development business owner, and then pivoting to forming a partnership with his co-Founder and starting Stoke Leadership. LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-heydt/Website: https://stokeleadership.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markheydt/ 

Editors Note: This is a replay of a popular episode from Season 1.In this episode of the Business Breakdown Podcast, Al Dea interviews Andy Storch, keynote speaker, author, and facilitator and Community Builder. During the conversation, Andy shares his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons he's learned, and how he built his business through thought leadership and personal branding. The conversation covers various topics including his career pivot, the importance of self-reflection, and how he managed to run his own business successfully by leveraging his strengths. Andy also delves into how writing books and building a business around his strengths has helped him develop his business as a keynote speaker, corporate trainer and facilitator, and Leader of an Online Community.LinksWebsite: https://andystorch.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/ 

In this solo episode of the Business Breakdown podcast, host Al Dea shares an invaluable lesson he's learned during his journey in entrepreneurship. Reflecting on his experiences during his first full year of running a leadership development consulting firm, Al emphasizes the importance of consistent business development and seeking help from others who have already solved similar challenges. Tune in to discover how resourcefulness and a commitment to learning can fuel your growth as an entrepreneur, ensuring you never face an empty calendar again. 

In this special holiday episode of the Business Breakdown podcast, Al shares a valuable framework called the 'Activities and Outcomes Exercise.' Drawing from insights gathered throughout the season, Al D delves into the importance of aligning daily activities with intended outcomes to achieve business success. By focusing on key aspects like revenue, client engagement, and personal goals, Al offers practical steps to help entrepreneurs navigate priorities and make informed decisions. Whether you're struggling with choice overload or unsure of where to focus your efforts, this episode provides actionable advice to streamline your approach and enhance your productivity. Tune in to learn effective strategies that can drive your business forward in the coming year.

In this special solo episode of The Business Breakdown, host Al Dea opens up about his journey from corporate product marketer to full-time entrepreneur in leadership development. Al shares candid insights into what it takes to transition a side hustle into a thriving business, the lessons learned along the way, and the essential role of "people smarts" in building a successful service-based enterprise. He also discusses the importance of intentional relationship-building, refining business systems, and staying focused on what truly matters. Whether you're a solopreneur or running a small consulting or coaching business, this episode offers actionable advice and inspiration to help you scale your impact and navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.LinksAl’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/Al’s Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/