BusinessManagementEntrepreneurship

Profit by Design

Dr. Sabrina Starling

You work hard in your business.
On the Profit by Design Podcast, we ask the BIG question:
What has your business done FOR YOU lately?

Join Dr. Sabrina Starling, The Business Psychologist™ and founder of Tap the Potential weekly, as she brings you tips, tools and strategies to support YOU in making intentionally profitable AND sustainable business decisions to live the lifestyle you desire. After all, work supports life, not the other way around. Dr. Sabrina is the author of the The 4 Week Vacation® and the How to Hire the Best Series.

Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential Production.

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Thursday · 22 min
420: Why your Business Can’t Run Without You
This episode is part of the Best of The Profit by Design Podcast series. It is one of our most requested and downloaded episodes, and we've heard that it's helped business owners with some of their biggest challenges. Is your business completely dependent on you? If you take a vacation, will everything fall apart? If so, you are in the Business Owner Dependency Trap, and today’s episode reveals how to get out of it, change everything, and take your life back from your business. Business owners can escape survival mode by identifying the sweet spot of their business—the point at which profitability, freedom, and sustainability finally align. We have proven that working with fewer clients often increases profit, letting go of the wrong work creates growth, and systems (not hustle) create freedom. Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling will teach you about the Business Owner Dependency Trap and help you build systems that enable your business to run without you. The truth is that working less and serving fewer clients often leads to greater profitability and sustainable growth. Join us to learn how to change everything and take your life back from your business! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Work less with fewer clients to INCREASE your profitability! The beautiful facts about what our clients are achieving in the Better Business Better Life program: 95% achieve more time off and more money in their bank account in the first 12 months! Identifying the sweet spot of your business is essential. One recent client more than quadrupled their profit in only 12 months by identifying their sweet spot! Melissa explains the process to identify the sweet spot of your business and build the right systems to support you. Spending marketing dollars without a clearly defined sweet spot is like “throwing spaghetti at the wall.” Determine who your ideal clients are. Melissa shares an example of a recent client call and how they worked together to reduce her work week to 15 hours! Resources: Take our Better Business Better Life Assessment to determine your level of burnout and receive a complimentary call with the next steps you need to take in your business to support your life.
September 17 · 25 min
419: How to Build a Business That Runs Without You
What if the reason you feel exhausted isn’t that you’re doing too much, but because your business is designed in a way that requires you to do everything? You’ve tried taking time off, hiring more people, and getting more organized, but nothing has changed. You’re still the one solving problems, making decisions, and holding everything together. You’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re stuck. Your business is structured around you, and when everything flows through you, you don’t get relief, space, or time to lead. The key isn’t working less, but it’s about redesigning how your team operates. When that shifts, your team will step up, problems will stop stacking up, and you will get time back. In this episode, you’ll discover why burnout is a symptom (NOT the root problem), the hidden ways businesses become owner-dependent, why high-performing entrepreneurs become the bottleneck, what needs to shift to create real time freedom, and how sustainably profitable businesses are intentionally designed. Trust us–no amount of rest will fix a business that still requires you to carry it all. If your business looks successful on paper but feels exhausting in real life, this conversation will help you understand why—and what to do next. Ready to build a business that supports your life? Join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling now. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Stepping out of the weeds to redesign your business From Dr. Sabrina: An example of a business owner stuck in fear-based leadership. Treating surface-level problems doesn’t help you get unstuck. Our action plan supports you in real time. One step at a time gets you closer to change. There is no magic pill. The difference between entrepreneurs who burn out vs. profitable businesses with a thriving, healthy business owner (It all comes down to systems and a willingness to invest in coaching.) Info about our upcoming free workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) Click here for more info! Understanding the dangers of unprofitable revenue Resources: If you’re realizing this isn’t burnout—it’s structure, join us in our workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) We’ll show you exactly how to redesign your business so it no longer depends on you. Register here.
September 10 · 21 min
418: How to Build a Self-Managing Team That Doesn’t Depend on You
Are you stuck feeling like your business can’t run without you? Wouldn’t you love to have a team that manages itself? In this episode, you’ll hear what happened when Dr. Sabrina stepped back, and Melissa Kay took full ownership of delivery. Spoiler alert: the coaching didn’t just stay on track, but it got even better! You’ll discover why giving your team autonomy is the key to growth and freedom and how stepping back creates space for innovation and improvement. We’re providing practical steps you can follow to build your own self-managing team. If you’ve ever worried about losing control by stepping back, join us to learn how your business can actually grow stronger without you. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Dr. Sabrina’s insights from Melissa Kay’s extended vacation: A self-managing team IS possible! A-players are intrinsically motivated and are whole, competent, capable, and complete. Building your self-managing team requires specific action steps, such as asking, “What is most important?” as part of your structured approach. The environment you want is a calm, curiosity-driven, well-oiled machine powered by a learner mindset. Our programs, Leadership Bootcamp and Coach Approach, are designed for A-players who are ready to be equipped to support your vision. Our clients want step-by-step instructions. Building your self-managing team takes a clear vision, specific expectations, targeted KPIs to track progress, and a delivery promise. Exceeding your clients’ expectations is classic A-player thinking. Building trust in your team Check out our courses on hiring, leadership, and team development. Book a call with us if you don’t know where to start! Resources: If you're ready to build a business that gives you more profit AND more freedom, join me for the FREE Better Business Better Life Jumpstart Workshop: How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and Pay Yourself More!). https://www.tapthepotential.com/jumpstart. We will begin September 22nd.
September 3 · 22 min
417: You Love Your Business. But It’s Taking Too Much From You. Part 2
When we go into business as an entrepreneur, there almost always comes a point when it starts to take over our lives. We began our dive into this topic in our last episode, and we’re continuing in this second part of the discussion. Kaitlyn Adelle and Melissa Kay begin this episode by offering a behind-the-scenes look at Tap the Potential’s Better Business, Better Life program. If you’re on the fence about joining the program, this is the episode you need to hear! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: What it feels like to begin the Better Business, Better Life program: “I’m no longer alone on an island.” The problem when a business owner tries to do “all the things” Being with like-minded people who understand your struggles but want you to succeed is everything to an overwhelmed entrepreneur. Work fewer hours and achieve better results! It IS possible! Our results are unmatched: 95% of our clients achieve the promised results. (Our proven results are based on client feedback.) Imagine getting back a chunk of your time and spending it with your family. Our Better Business, Better Life Assessment is the place to get started! Melissa and Kaitlyn share stories of hope from real clients. We exist to give business owners hope again. What is it costing you to wait? Giving us five hours a week could give you your life back. Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: Ready to build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it? Book a call with Kaitlyn at www.tapthepotential.com.
August 27 · 25 min
416: You Love Your Business. But It’s Taking Too Much From You. Part 1
You love your business, but is it taking too much from you? Most entrepreneurs didn’t start a business because they wanted to work all the time, carry every decision, or spend their evenings thinking about what still needs to get done. They started because they wanted to build something meaningful and have freedom in their lives. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Kaitlyn Adelle are having a real conversation about what it means to take your life back from your business–and why we believe you can build a successful, profitable business without sacrificing the life you’re building it for. If your business is successful but still depends too heavily on you, this conversation is for you. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Melissa’s perspective on the mission of Tap the Potential and what they want to accomplish in the lives of entrepreneurs The importance of celebrating wins with our clients Time with your loved ones is one thing you can’t get more of once it’s gone. Kaitlyn’s perspective on the mission to allow entrepreneurs to have more LIFE Using motivators to hold our clients accountable The common struggles most business owners face: overworking, underperforming team members, untracked KPIs, and insufficient job descriptions and onboarding plans, The root of the overwhelm is a systems-and-people problem. Addressing the higher-level problem is key. Resources: Ready to build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it? Book a call with Kaitlyn at www.tapthepotential.com.
August 20 · 23 min
415: Why Your Team Doesn't See the Business Like You Do (And How to Change That)
“If everyone on my team cared about this business as much as I do, we would be unstoppable.” If you’ve ever had that thought, you are not alone. But here’s the leadership shift that changes everything: Your team doesn’t need to care about the business the way you do; they need to understand how their work creates value. If your team members have never been shown what success really looks like, how their role impacts profitability, how to solve problems rather than waiting for direction, and why their contribution matters—they will remain task-focused instead of becoming the business builders you want (and need) them to be. In this episode, Kaitlyn and Melissa discuss why ownership isn’t a personality trait but a leadership skill to be developed. When your team understands the impact they have on the business, everything changes. They will stop simply completing tasks and will start improving the business. Join us to discover how to help your team think like leaders without expecting them to think like owners. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Powerful questions to ask so your team members understand their roles If you don’t have clarity, your team will not have clarity. Every team member has their own $10,000 an hour activities. Understanding ownership is the key. (It’s a skill to be developed.) Your business impact > job descriptions The benefits of extended owner vacations for your team: opportunities for growth, trust, and alignment Your immutable laws are the key to attracting the right team members AND the right clients and customers. Leadership Bootcamp: an amazing opportunity for your A-players If you want your team to understand their impact and how their work creates value, book a call with us today! Resources: If today’s conversation made you realize your business depends too much on you, take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment. In about 10 minutes, you’ll discover the biggest constraint keeping your business from supporting your life.
August 13 · 24 min
414: How to Turn Payroll Into Your Biggest Profit Driver
What if payroll wasn’t your biggest expense, but your biggest profit driver? The most profitable business owners don’t focus on keeping payroll costs under control, but they help every person on their team create more value. The difference in perspective about payroll is everything. If your team members don’t know what success looks like and how they create value, solve problems, and make decisions, they become very expensive task-doers. If you develop leaders instead of simply managing employees, your team begins to solve problems before they reach you, improve the customer experience, eliminate costly mistakes, increase efficiency, and create more profit without adding more work to your plate. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Kaitlyn Beaver are sharing why the most profitable businesses have a leadership development strategy that dissolves payroll problems. Join us now to learn how your team can make your business stronger every single day. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Supporting your team and driving profit for your business Your team members’ time is worth $10,000 an hour, too! (Do they know your vision, mission, and purpose?) Find where profit is leaking with your team and turn it into growth and opportunities. A personal example from Kaitlyn’s career when she was looking for a chance to grow Creating roles based on what your business needs Turning payroll into your profit driver requires alignment among your vision/mission/values, team members’ roles, their key results, and KPIs. Helping your team members shine as they achieve (and exceed!) their key results If you want to turn your payroll into your biggest profit driver, book a call with us today! Resources: If today’s conversation made you realize your business may be relying too heavily on you, take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment. In about 10 minutes, you’ll discover the biggest constraint holding your business back and learn where to focus next.
August 6 · 27 min
413: The Hiring Mistakes We See Every Single Week
The hiring mistakes we see every single week have nothing to do with finding “good people.” We’ve noticed the same patterns over and over again: hiring too fast because you’re overwhelmed, settling because you need a body in a position, writing job ads that attract the wrong candidates, and expecting new hires to “figure it out.” Is it any wonder why your turnover rate is high? The truth is that hiring challenges are rarely just hiring challenges. They are often leadership challenges. In this episode of the Profit by Design podcast, Kaitlyn and Melissa pull back the curtain on the conversations we’re having with business owners every week. We share the most common hiring mistakes we see, why they happen, and what the best business owners do differently to build an A-player team. If you’re frustrated with hiring and wonder why your team isn’t performing the way you’d hoped, this conversation is for you! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Our How to Hire the Best program helps you stand out as an employer of choice. Avoid costly hiring mistakes. Melissa’s perspective on hiring with intention (“What does my company need right now?”) Writing job descriptions vs. job advertisements Hiring for skills vs. hiring for character Your business culture should be obvious to anyone who applies for a job! Understanding how to implement an A-player development plan with one-to-one check-ins on their goals, successes, and trajectory Common mistakes by business owners: not blocking off time to welcome a new team member, not having human connection as part of your onboarding process, and not building a culture of community on your team A magic question to ask any team member: “How might I support you?” If you are up against hiring challenges, book a call with us today! Resources: And if today's conversation has you thinking, "I can totally relate to this," don't stop there. Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to discover the biggest constraint keeping your business from supporting your life. In about 10 minutes, you'll have a clearer picture of where to focus next. 👉 tapthepotential.com/assessment
July 30 · 21 min
412: What the Best Business Owners Do Differently
What separates the business owners who thrive from those who stay stuck? After coaching hundreds of business owners, we’ve noticed that those who create the biggest transformations aren’t necessarily the smartest, the busiest, or the ones working the longest hours. In this week’s episode, Melissa Kay and Kaitlyn Beaver pull back the curtain on the patterns they see every day while coaching business owners and leading conversations with entrepreneurs across the country. You’ll learn the mindset shifts that lead to sustainable growth, what the best business owners do that others overlook, the habits that create stronger teams and better leadership, and why some owners grow with confidence. In contrast, others stay stuck in survival mode. Join us for an honest conversation about what we have learned from the business owners building businesses that truly support their lives. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Top mindset shifts for sustainable growth: (Hint: Working less is more!) Create space for innovative thinking. Focus on $10,000-an-hour activities. Taking “time off” doesn’t just mean going on vacation. The value of time audits in pinpointing your issues Delegation is a true gift to your team members. It fosters growth AND trust. Clear systems make delegation easier! Do you know the sweet spot of your business? Examples from Melissa of giving clients a better life ONE small step forward can make the biggest difference in your business and your life! Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment today! Resources: If this conversation leaves you wondering what your next step should be, take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment. It will help you identify the biggest opportunity in your business so you can stop guessing and start building a business that truly supports your life. Work should support your life–not the other way around!
July 23 · 22 min
411: How I Prepared My Business for a 6-Week Vacation
What if you could step away from your business for six weeks… and everything kept running? For many business owners, even taking a long weekend feels impossible. It’s not because you don't have a great team or you don’t work hard enough. It’s because your business still depends on you for too many decisions. The freedom you’re looking for isn’t found by working harder; it’s built through intentional leadership, clear systems, and a self-managing team. In this episode of the Profit by Design Podcast, Dr. Sabrina Starling shares how she prepared her business for her 6-week vacation—and the lessons every business owner can apply to create more time, more freedom, and a more sustainably profitable business. Imagine signing off for six weeks and returning to a more confident team, a business that’s still growing, and a life that finally feels aligned with why you became an entrepreneur in the first place. Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina to learn how to make this dream a reality in your business! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Dr. Sabrina’s hard rule about “no takebacks” after delegating tasks for her vacation Practical steps of vacation preparations for Dr. Sabrina (How she prepares her team) The key to creating a sustainable business and job stability for your team Focus on key results for team members. Dr. Sabrina’s mandate to her team about using AI for repetitive activities The incredible results our clients are experiencing because of innovation and creativity Melissa’s example of freeing up her time by offloading tasks to others The business owner’s trap: “I am the ONLY one who can do this.” Give your team members more confidence, ownership, and job stability! Ready to discover what’s keeping your business dependent on you? Find out more about our Better Business, Better Life program. Learn how to slash ten hours off your work week! Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to identify your biggest opportunity to create more time freedom, stronger leadership, and a sustainably profitable business! Work should support your life–not consume it!
July 16 · 23 min
410: The Business is Growing. Is Your Life?
Could your business survive without you for six weeks? For most business owners, the answer is NO. It’s not because they aren’t capable, but because the business has been built to depend on them. If taking a week off feels impossible, it’s a sign that you’re carrying too much of the business on your shoulders. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling shares how she prepared to take a six-week vacation without her business missing a beat. It’s not about working harder before you leave; it’s about building the right systems, developing a self-managing team, and leading in a way that creates true freedom. Imagine coming back from vacation refreshed, instead of returning to chaos, missed opportunities, and a mountain of problems waiting for you. That’s what happens when you intentionally build a business that supports your life. The measure of a healthy business isn’t how hard the owner works, but how well the business performs when the owner steps away. In this episode, you’ll discover why owner dependency is limiting your growth, the leadership shifts that make time away possible, how to build trust and accountability with your team, the systems every business needs before the owner can truly unplug, and why taking extended time away is one of the best tests of a healthy business. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Dr. Sabrina is on the brink of a six-week vacation! Hear her explain how she prepared. What we are risking when we don’t prioritize vacations “What is your biggest fear if you were away for two weeks?” Melissa’s perspective, as a team member, on Dr. Sabrina’s vacations The #1 reason you should take vacations is so that your team can grow and break their dependency on you. The key to preparing for an extended vacation is to have the right systems in place. “What 20% of my effort gets 80% of my results?” “What 20% of what you do in your life produces 80% of your impact on those you love?” Getting your business shrunk down to size–not taking over your life! Ready to take your life back from your business? Need help knowing where to start? Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to identify the next steps toward creating a sustainably profitable business that gives you more time, more freedom, and more peace of mind.
July 9 · 23 min
409: Every Time You Rescue Your Team, You Make the Problem Worse
How many times this week have you answered a question your team could have figured out, fixed a mistake because it was faster, rewritten an email before it went out, or jumped in because you didn't want something done wrong? Most business owners don't realize they're doing it, but every time you rescue your team, you make the problem worse. When you step in and solve a problem your team could solve, you unintentionally train dependency. Ownership isn't built when leaders provide answers. Ownership is built when leaders develop thinkers. Join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling as they unpack this topic today and offer proven, practical strategies for being the leader your team needs. Join us! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: The simple truth about business owners and the compulsion to be problem solvers The right leadership skills will help you to NOT over-function. The value in having clear expectations, measurable and monitored results, and accountability on your team Lack of clarity leads the business owner to rescue the team, which creates business owner dependency. Does your team feel safe and supported? Are you holding your team in a place of competence or incompetence? Dr. Sabrina’s examples of leadership skills in action from Tap the Potential clients The cumulative “snowball” effect of a coaching culture Ready to stop rescuing your team? Need help knowing where to start? Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: If you’re listening and realizing that you’ve become the answer for everything, you’re not alone. Most business owners were taught how to work hard, but very few were taught how to coach. That’s exactly why we created Coach Approach. Inside this program, you’ll learn how to: -develop critical thinking -build ownership -create stronger leaders -stop carrying every decision yourself. We will help you identify where dependency is showing up and where ownership is breaking down. Enroll now in Coach Approach and start building a team that thinks, solves problems, and takes ownership without everything routing back to you. Your business should support your life–not require you to carry it every day!
July 2 · 22 min
408: Why Your Team Isn’t Taking Ownership (Even If They’re “Good”)
You’ve hired smart people, so why does it still feel like every question comes back to you? Mistakes keep happening, and your team waits for direction before moving forward. You’re not imagining it, because this scenario is far too common among business owners who build teams but still end up carrying the emotional and operational weight of the business themselves. You hired, trained, delegated, and tried to empower your team. However, it’s exhausting that everything still depends on you, especially for high-performing business owners who genuinely care about doing things well. The truth is, this isn’t usually a hiring problem; it’s a structural ownership problem. Your team may not be underperforming; they may simply be responding to the environment around them. Ownership is built intentionally, and only then can your business become scalable and finally give you some breathing room. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling and Kaitlyn Beaver break down why good employees still struggle to take initiative, the hidden leadership and system gaps creating owner dependency, why delegation alone isn’t fixing the issue, and how to build a team that leads without routing everything back to you. We help business owners build sustainably profitable businesses that support life rather than consume it. Join us! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Shifting the dynamic and solving problems at the root instead of putting band-aids on the issues Our Coach Approach program helps you learn to build a coaching culture and a team that takes ownership. Building a mindset around curiosity The goal is for a business owner to say, “I trust my team, and I can delegate to them.” Team members who “come alongside” vs. team members who are “across the desk” In your team members’ emotional bank accounts, are you making more “deposits” or “withdrawals”? (Aim for a 9:1 or at least a 7:1 ratio of deposits to withdrawals.) Ask yourself, “How many problems have I solved in the last two days?” (If it’s more than one, YOU need to be in Coach Approach.) Need help knowing where to start? Book a call with Kaitlyn today! Resources: Ready to stop carrying everything alone? Join our upcoming Free Jumpstart workshop!
June 25 · 43 min
407: Is Your Business Killing Your Relationship?
We have a special episode for you today! A few weeks ago, Dr. Sabrina was invited to a webinar in the Pumpkin Planners Rock Facebook Group to consider this important question: “Is your business killing your relationship?” We’ve found that this topic resonates deeply with small business owners everywhere, because we all fear that our commitment to our work is taking over our lives, killing our marriages, and damaging our relationships with loved ones. We are bringing you this webinar to increase understanding about entrepreneurial burnout and to prevent your business from becoming the uninvited third party in your relationships. If you want to show up fully present in your most important relationships, this episode is for YOU. It could change your life! Donna Leyens is the president and co-founder of Pumpkin Plan Your Biz. She is on a mission to save small businesses from extinction by providing tools, strategies, training, and support to business professionals who want to make a big impact as small business growth strategists. This mighty team of strategists uses The Pumpkin Plan Action Guide, a business growth program Donna developed based on the methods in the book, The Pumpkin Plan, written by her co-founder, Mike Michalowicz. Pumpkin Plan Strategists help small businesses not just stay afloat but also scale and grow in both profitability and size, while giving the owner time for life and relationships. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: The mission of the Pumpkin Plan program The early warning signs that your business is damaging your relationship The trap: Being physically present and mentally “checked out” with our families How to know when your business is taking up way too much of your mental space You’re not a bad person if you’re a burned-out entrepreneur! (Our Better Business, Better Life Assessment is the only tool that measures burnout in entrepreneurs and the health of their businesses.) Burnout: A combination of all the small things and stressors we absorb (Listen to the cold, hard facts that our research has shown.) Dr. Sabrina’s story (Listen to learn why this mission is a personal one.) Entrepreneurs are disconnected at home. Why? We need to value our time differently. (Are you working on $10,000 an hour activities? Download your chart now!) Are your team members working from their strengths? What are the $10,000 an hour activities in your relationships? Nothing else matters! Action steps to start today: Recognize that limits drive innovation and creativity, completely turn off your phone in the evenings and on weekends (Do you need a “Work supports life” sticker?), and ask your loved ones what would be going on if your relationship were at a “10.” Resources: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to identify what may be keeping you stuck and killing your relationships!
June 18 · 20 min
406: Why Burned-Out Business Owners Make Fear-Based Decisions
Burnout doesn’t just make you tired; it changes how you show up and lead. When you’re constantly emotionally exhausted and under pressure, you make reactive decisions instead of strategic ones, and you hold onto control because everything feels risky. You avoid hard conversations, say YES when you should say NO, and lead from a place of urgency, fear, and survival mode rather than clarity and confidence. The hardest part is that most high-performing business owners don’t even realize it’s happening, because they are still functioning, still producing, and still carrying the business. They’ve lost their peace, perspective, energy, and trust in themselves. If this resonates with you, you’re not alone! The solution isn’t taking time off, but it’s rebuilding your relationship with yourself that can change everything in your business. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling unpack how burnout affects decision-making, why high performers normalize emotional exhaustion, the connection between self-leadership and business growth, and how to lead from clarity rather than fear. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Real-life examples from Dr. Sabrina about fear-based decisions and the “dumb tax.” The cost of losing the ability to think strategically is making reactive decisions. Creating boundaries, leading proactively, and NOT overfunctioning You can’t say YES to every opportunity! Melissa’s perspective on better relationships and strategic thinking about self-care Melissa’s powerful question: “If the relationship with myself is a 10, what am I experiencing?” Dr. Sabrina’s revelation about grief and love Another powerful question: “If I took care of myself the way I care for others, what would I be doing for myself?” Let go of hustle culture! Our clients experience a 700% increase in time off, a 215% increase in profit, and a 55% increase in owner’s pay–in the first year with us! Your next step? Take our Better Business, Better Life Assessment. Click here to do it today! Dr. Sabrina’s gold nugget for today: “As you head into this weekend, fully unplug from your business. Just do it.” Resources: Take the Better Business, Better Life Assessment to identify what may be keeping you stuck in survival mode!
June 11 · 21 min
405: Your Business Is Affecting Your Relationships More Than You Think
You started your business to create a better life and to have more freedom, flexibility, and time with your loved ones. But somewhere along the way, the business started consuming more of you than you ever expected. Even when you’re physically present with others, your mind is still at work because you’re answering messages at dinner, thinking about work problems during family time, and mentally carrying the business everywhere you go. The hardest part is that most business owners don’t realize how much their relationships are being affected until they are already exhausted. You may try to rationalize and normalize the takeover of your life until you realize that you are missing special moments that you can’t get back. You can’t solve this problem with better boundaries alone; the real issue is that your business relies too heavily on you emotionally and operationally. You don’t need to care “less,” but you need stronger leadership inside your team, operational clarity, defined ownership, scalable systems, and reduced owner dependency. This is what sustainable success looks like: a business that supports your life rather than consuming it. In this episode, Dr. Sabrina Starling and Melissa Kay break down why entrepreneurs struggle to truly unplug, how owner dependency affects relationships, the hidden emotional cost of carrying the business alone, and what actually creates more freedom and presence. Sustainable success should allow you to enjoy your life — not disappear inside your business. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Melissa’s look back at how things used to be in hustle culture The truth: Our kids know; we can’t hide it from them. Dr. Sabrina’s experience of prioritizing family first after trying it the other way “Our limits force innovation and creativity.” Do you need to refine your to-do list? Download your chart of $10,000 an hour activities now! Dr. Sabrina’s story of experiencing trauma, grief, and living a life of no regrets. Lessons learned from burnout about reconnecting with yourself FIRST Being aware of the neglected side of business Your next step? Join our next Jumpstart and find out how to free up 10 hours of your week right away! Resources: Book a call with our team to start building a business that supports your life!
June 4 · 20 min
404: If You Know Something Has to Change…This Is Your Next Step
“This sounds exactly like my business. I’m exhausted. Everything still depends on me. I know something has to change.” If you’ve responded with any of these realizations while listening to this series, this conversation is for you. Awareness is important, but awareness alone doesn’t change anything if you’ve tolerated stress, carried too much weight, stayed stuck in operational chaos, or hoped things would somehow improve over time. Eventually, there comes a point where you realize that your business can’t continue operating this way—not if you want sustainable growth, freedom, and a business that actually supports your life. The truth is that most entrepreneurs weren’t taught how to reduce owner dependency, build leadership, create operational accountability, develop scalable systems, and step out of daily firefighting. Because of that, they stay stuck in patterns that slowly become unsustainable, and most don’t seek support until they are completely overwhelmed. In this episode, Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling explain why awareness alone doesn’t create change, the hidden reason owners stay stuck for years, what sustainable business growth actually requires, how to stop carrying the full weight of the business alone, and what happens inside our Jumpstart program. Most business owners stay stuck because they try to solve structural problems with more personal effort. There is a better way to create real freedom inside your business. Join us to learn more! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Your overwhelm creeps up on you. We can make a difference by offering the support you need. An example of Dr. Sabrina’s work with a client in getting to the root of the problem. A breakdown of common hiring mistakes–and how to get it right Having the right systems in place helps your operations flow smoothly and effectively. Understanding A-players, the sweet spot, and their key results–while watching for communication gaps Think of Tap the Potential as a comprehensive solution for your business. Join our upcoming Jumpstart, where you can sample what it’s like to be in our program. Resources: If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck and build a business that supports your life, join our Jumpstart or book a call with our team.
May 28 · 25 min
403: Everything Still Runs Through You — Here’s Why
If you step away for a few days, does everything slow down? Decisions pile up. Your team waits. That’s not a time problem–it’s a dependency problem. If decisions route back to you and ownership isn’t clear, your team can’t step up. Your team isn’t the issue; it’s the system. The only way you can stop being required for every decision is for your team to take ownership, and that requires clear decision-making, defined roles, and proper leadership development. In this episode, you’ll discover why high-performing entrepreneurs become the bottleneck, how over-functioning limits team ownership, the hidden cost of being needed for everything, why delegation alone doesn’t solve the problem, what self-managing teams actually require, and the structural shifts that create time freedom and profitability. If your business depends on you for everything, this conversion will help you understand what’s really happening–and what needs to change. If you’re ready to stop carrying all the load in your business, join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Recognizing “the slippery slope of self-doubt” (Think about the seesaw!) Better leadership at the top results in having better team members. Kaitlyn’s perspective on balancing high-functioning owners and a team of A-players Steps to creating ownership and empowerment on your team: Clear decision-making Clearly defined roles Leadership development Amazing results we are seeing from clients in our Leadership Bootcamp Want to put your profitability on steroids? We can help it happen! We teach you how to unclench your fist and let go of decision-making; it’s easier than you think! What to expect when you join our program Join our upcoming free workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) Click here for more info! Resources: If you’re realizing this isn’t burnout—it’s structure, join us in our workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) We’ll show you exactly how to redesign your business so it no longer depends on you. Register here.
May 21 · 23 min
402: You’re Not Burned Out — Your Business Is Designed to Depend on You
What if the reason you feel exhausted isn’t that you’re doing too much, but because your business is designed in a way that requires you to do everything? You’ve tried taking time off, hiring more people, and getting more organized, but nothing has changed. You’re still the one solving problems, making decisions, and holding everything together. You’re not doing anything wrong, but you’re stuck. Your business is structured around you, and when everything flows through you, you don’t get relief, space, or time to lead. The key isn’t working less, but it’s about redesigning how your team operates. When that shifts, your team will step up, problems will stop stacking up, and you will get time back. In this episode, you’ll discover why burnout is a symptom (NOT the root problem), the hidden ways businesses become owner-dependent, why high-performing entrepreneurs become the bottleneck, what needs to shift to create real time freedom, and how sustainably profitable businesses are intentionally designed. Trust us–no amount of rest will fix a business that still requires you to carry it all. If your business looks successful on paper but feels exhausting in real life, this conversation will help you understand why—and what to do next. Ready to build a business that supports your life? Join Kaitlyn Beaver and Dr. Sabrina Starling now. Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Stepping out of the weeds to redesign your business From Dr. Sabrina: An example of a business owner stuck in fear-based leadership. Treating surface-level problems doesn’t help you get unstuck. Our action plan supports you in real time. One step at a time gets you closer to change. There is no magic pill. The difference between entrepreneurs who burn out vs. profitable businesses with a thriving, healthy business owner (It all comes down to systems and a willingness to invest in coaching.) Info about our upcoming free workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) Click here for more info! Understanding the dangers of unprofitable revenue Resources: If you’re realizing this isn’t burnout—it’s structure, join us in our workshop, How to Reclaim 10 Hours per Week (and pay yourself more!) We’ll show you exactly how to redesign your business so it no longer depends on you. Register here.
May 14 · 28 min
401: 400 Episodes Later: How to Build a Profitable Business That Supports Your Life
It’s hard to believe, but we’ve recorded 400 episodes of Profit by Design! After working with thousands of business owners, we can tell you this: most owners do not have a revenue problem–they have a design problem. They built businesses that depend on them to survive, and that catches up with them in the form of the survival trap and burnout. Thank you so much for showing up here with us every week to build a better business and better life. We are so honored to celebrate 400 episodes with you. Your time is so valuable, and we thank you for trusting us to be a part of your journey. This community means everything to us! From our work with thousands of business owners, we’ve learned that work should support life, profit creates freedom, A-players change everything, most owners are solving the wrong problem, and you’re too close to your business to see it clearly. The owners who transform the fastest aren’t the smartest or hardest-working, but they’re the ones willing to stop guessing and seek support. If your business looks successful on paper but feels heavy in real life, it may be time for a different path. We can help! Join Melissa Kay and Dr. Sabrina Starling now! Profit by Design is a Tap the Potential production. Show Highlights: Feeling maxed out? You may be on the brink of the next wrong step on the treadmill of burnout! Is your business overweight? (Here’s how to know!) Hiring the wrong person when you’re not ready is a big mistake Every business decision needs to support profitability. Dr. Sabrina’s commitment to a minimum of a 3:1 return on the investment of business coaching with Tap the Potential, solving the hiring problem, and giving business owners time freedom The 4 Week Vacation book: Your guide to creating NO key team member dependency in your business (including you, the business owner) Making the most of the time with your children and other loved ones–so you live with no regrets. We are here to make your business profitable, but it’s more important to us to help you build a life worth living. Successful entrepreneurs vs. burned-out entrepreneurs The reason we are NOT industry-specific in our coaching Proof that our clients are happy: Our Net Promoter Score is 93! (The average American company has an NPS of 20!) Ready to make a change? Register for our free Jumpstart workshop on June 2-4. Click here for more info! Resources: Book a call with Kaitlyn today, and let’s identify what’s keeping you stuck, where you’re the bottleneck, and what to focus on next in your business.

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