Building a Business that Lasts

Win at Work and Succeed at Life with Michael Hyatt

What does it take to build a business that lasts—without losing yourself or your family along the way? Michael Hyatt, bestselling author, speaker, and business leader, joins Jay Owen to share his journey of turning around companies, setting boundaries, and creating a life of intentional success. From leading as CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers to building Full Focus with his daughter as CEO, Michael has lived out the “double win”—winning at work and at home. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why most people “drift” through life—and how to design yours with intention The turning point that helped Michael redefine success and protect his family Practical ways to set boundaries that create freedom, not constraints How to navigate parenting through every season, from kids to adults Where AI fits in business and life—and how to use it without losing your humanity Michael’s story proves that lasting success isn’t about working more hours—it’s about leading yourself first, setting clear boundaries, and building a legacy that matters. Learn more about Michael’s work at https://fullfocus.co and his new AI newsletter at https://aibusinesslab.ai. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

• Transcript
• Chapters

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 growth Why imposter syndrome might actually be a strength How to build culture with 1,300+ remote workers The power of niching down—and staying focused What 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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

• Transcript
• Chapters

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 demands Do the right thing for the customer every time, and your business will be on solid ground. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

• Transcript
• Chapters

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

• Transcript

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

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 Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

5 Things You Must Know Before You Build an App

A lot of people are looking for different kinds of apps for their business. Every now and then people think, “I can’t find an app that does what I need. I need to build a custom app". Along the way, I’ve seen people do that really well and not really well. I’d like to give you a few tips that will help you build an app successfully. If you are thinking about building an app, there are 5 things you need to know before you start. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Is Traditional or Digital Marketing Better? Featuring Ali Guy

Lots of folks want to know where to put their marketing dollars. After all, they're limited and we want them to be effective. Ultimately, your marketing should help you get attention and acquire customers. If it's not doing that, it's just a massive waste of time and money. But where should you focus those efforts? Traditional or Digital? In this episode, I interview Ali Guy, the Senior Marketing Account Manager to explore that question and what she's learned through years in the business that can help you. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Creating a Non-Profit that Lasts with Sherri & Dean Porter from Hunger Fight

We are usually talking to for profit businesses, but creating a non-profit from scratch has a lot of similarities. You need a mission, you need to get people on board, you need systems and processes, and so much more. On this episode, I talk to Sherri & Dean Porter who have distributed over 13 MILLION meals to kids here in Florida over the last 9 years at Hunger Fight. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

The Business Playbook with Chris Ronzio

Most business leaders and owners find themselves stuck in the whirlwind of business. The path out of that is with a clear business playbook that outlines your systems and processes in a way that others can follow. In this episode, I talk to the CEO of Trainual.com and author of The Business Playbook, Chris Ronzio. He gives practical strategies on how to finally get systems and processes that work for you and your business. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Pivot, Pivot, Pivot & Lightning the Hamster with Hannah Evans

This internal team member interview is with our Coaching Operations Manager, Hannah Evans. She started in one role, is in a totally different one now, has led major live events, and deals with my chaos. We talk about how to delegate well, how to work with an assistant, what it's like to plan a major event, and how to pivot into new roles and opportunities — oh, and Lightning the hamster. We hope this interview gives you inside insights that help you and your team grow. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Scaling an Agency with Jon Tsourakis

There's a big blue ocean of opportunity out there and on this episode, I talk to fellow agency owner, Jon Tsourakis. We talk about how he was fired from the family business at a young age, he once increased a product cost from $500/mo to $3500/mo overnight and much more. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Business, Family, and Marriage - How to Juggle it All!

Many entrepreneurs end up feeling burnt out and that often takes a toll on their marriage and family. In this episode, I share a special Q&A my wife and I did at a recent event we hosted on the topic of Business, Family, and Marriage. We answer specific questions about what's worked (and not worked) for us to not only have a thriving business but a thriving marriage after nearly two decades. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

The Tension of Transition from Doer to Director with Travis Sutphin

On this episode I talk to Travis Sutphin, Director of Development at Business Builders. Travis started here 6 years ago as a developer and today runs the entire development department. We talk about his move from WV to FL, the transition from developer to director, our systems and processes, and the tension required to propel an organization forward. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

5 Key Elements to Marketing

A lot of people spend a lot of money on marketing that doesn't work. Is your marketing plan making you money or draining your resources? In this episode, I talk about the 5 key elements you need to be successful in marketing for your business. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Building with Collaboration over Competition with Tyler Pigott

Many business leaders obsess over their competition. On this episode, I interview a "competitor" in our space because we both believe that collaboration is more valuable than competition. We talk about how to build an agency (or any business) over time, what pitfalls we've run into, and how to care well for those around you as a leader. Tyler Pigott, founder of Lone Fir Creative is my guest on this episode. Send us Fan Mail Support the show Listen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com