Scott Maderer: The Night He Planned to Crash—And What Saved Him

“If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or quietly carrying more than you admit — this episode is for you.”   Scott Maderer’s story isn’t about hustle, hacks, or financial shortcuts. It’s about what happens when pressure, debt, and silence collide — and how one honest conversation can change everything.   In this episode, Steve and Scott unpack:   • The night Scott realized he was heading toward a breaking point • How debt and shame quietly erode marriages and mental health • Why stewardship is about management, not ownership • The mindset shift that turned survival into purpose • How small habits create massive long-term change • Why money problems are rarely just money problems • How aligning time, talent, and treasure unlocks clarity and peace   This is a raw, grounded conversation about responsibility, faith, and building a life that actually works — from the inside out.   👉 Free stewardship resources and next steps: https://inspiredstewardship.com/growimpact

“If you take the owner out… what do you have left?”   That’s the question that stops most founders cold.   Because the hard truth is: a lot of businesses don’t fail… they just can’t be sold. They’re profitable. They’re busy. They’re even “successful.” But the second the owner steps away, everything stalls—sales, delivery, decisions, cash flow.   In this episode of Grow Your Impact, Income & Influence, Steve Werner talks with Steve Feld—who’s built and operated 7 businesses, helped 900+ companies, and sold a company in 18 months—about how to build a business that can run without you and command real value when you’re ready to exit.   Steve and Steve cover:   ☕ The “Vacation Test” that instantly reveals whether you own a business… or the business owns you 📈 Why “great revenue” can still mean a worthless company (if the owner is the system) 🧭 How to create a simple business plan in a weekend—without the corporate fluff 🎯 The real KPI game: how to find the one critical number that drives everything else 🧱 What buyers actually want: systems, processes, SOPs, people, and proof 🧨 The “yellow light = no” rule that eliminates shiny objects and restores momentum ⏱️ Why time-blocking strategy (2 hours/week) can change your company faster than hustle ever will 💰 The underrated skill most entrepreneurs avoid: reading financials (and why it creates instant clarity) 🧩 The unexpected exit option: how selling pieces of a business can beat selling the whole thing 🤝 How joint venture partnerships can help your company keep operating—even when you’re not there   If you’ve ever thought, “One day I’ll sell this business…” this episode will help you build toward that day on purpose—not by accident.   👉 Grab Steve Feld’s book and resources at BizCoachSteve.com and connect with him on LinkedIn.

“Don’t propose marriage on the first date.”   Catharine O’Leary might be talking about email marketing… but if you’ve ever sent a “book a call” link to cold subscribers and heard crickets, you already know exactly what she means.   Catharine spent 25+ years doing market research for major brands—helping them understand what people actually want and how they decide. Then she became an entrepreneur… and ran into the same problem so many founders face:   You know you need a list. But building one (that actually engages) can feel slow, confusing, and painfully techy.   In this episode of Grow Your Impact, Income & Influence, Catharine breaks down what really creates an engaged list—and how to get your first 1,000 subscribers without throwing money at ads or spending years doing it one person at a time.   Steve and Catharine cover:   📩 Why “build your list fast” often builds a list that doesn’t care (and how to avoid the ghost-town list problem)   🧲 What a lead magnet is supposed to do (hint: it’s not a discovery call—and it’s not a “buy my $7 thing” ambush)   🏁 The fastest path to a real quick win that makes subscribers trust you enough to take the next step   🔥 How to write emails people actually read (even if you “aren’t a writer”)   🤖 Where AI helps—and where it hurts when you’re trying to sound like a human, not a brochure   🎯 Why segmentation beats “more content” (and how to find the 3AM problem your audience is actually worried about)   🚫 Why most entrepreneurs shouldn’t run ads yet (and what to do instead so you’re not lighting money on fire)   👥 Thousand Person Tribe: a cold-traffic shortcut to your first 1,000—without tech overwhelm, confusion, or calendar chaos   If you’re building an audience from scratch (or your list is growing but not converting), Catharine will help you stop guessing—and start building a list that actually pays attention.   👉 Want to try Catharine’s system and get your first 100 leads? Check the links in the show notes for TPT Gift / Thousand Person Tribe.

“Most people aren’t failing financially… they’re just flying blind.”   Daniel Rodgers spent 20 years running high-stakes programs at Microsoft and Google—where you don’t get to guess your way to success.   Then he took that same program management mindset and used it to build his own “escape plan” to financial freedom… and retired earlier than he planned.   This episode is for anyone who wants their time back—but doesn’t want to live on ramen, obsess over stock picks, or feel overwhelmed by “money math.”   Steve and Daniel cover:   🧭 The real reason financial freedom feels hard: you don’t have visibility, metrics, or a plan (and that creates anxiety)   🎮 How Daniel “gamified” retirement by treating it like a launch—complete with KPIs, forecasting, and checkpoints   🧠 The Ostrich Effect: why smart people avoid looking at finances (and how to break the cycle fast)   📊 The tool most people are really paying advisors for—and why Daniel gives his version away for free   💳 Debt vs. investing (the blunt truth): why you don’t “out-invest” high-interest debt—and what to do first instead   🧾 Why budgeting feels like punishment (and how to reframe it as an audit that buys you freedom)   🛍️ The 3 categories of spending—and how to cut costs without giving up what you actually love   🚪 The “unlocked prison door” moment: why people stay in jobs they hate—even after they’ve reached their number   🧪 The retirement “dry run” Daniel recommends before you quit (so you don’t panic, backpedal, or get bored)   If you’ve ever thought, “I make good money… why do I still feel trapped?”—this conversation will flip a switch.   👉 Learn more about Daniel’s book, podcast, and free toolkit at EscapeTheClock.com

What happens when the system tells you to be patient… while your health is declining?   In this powerful and unexpected conversation, Steve Werner sits down with Mark Burnett—an entrepreneur who was diagnosed with both Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s and told the standard solution would take a decade (if it ever arrived at all).   Instead of waiting, Mark went searching.   He breaks down how he uncovered international research, tested a natural approach on himself for six months, and went from Stage 3 Parkinson’s to running a marathon. Along the way, he made a bold decision to turn his personal solution into a company—without cutting corners or hiding behind hype.   In this episode, you’ll hear: Why “wait 10 years” is not a strategy when your health is on the line The difference between symptom management and personal responsibility How Mark approached research like an entrepreneur—not a patient What it took to earn trust in a skeptical supplement industry Why transparency, medical testing, and lived proof matter more than marketing The unexpected business lessons that came from building a mission-driven company   Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a caregiver, or someone navigating uncertainty, this episode challenges how we think about health, innovation, and what’s possible when you refuse to accept the default answer.   👉 Learn more about Mark’s journey and research at MyBrainRestore.com

“You don’t scale with more tactics — you scale with aligned relationships.”   That idea sits at the heart of this conversation with Mark Porteous, known as The Soul Connector — and it explains why so many partnerships fail before they ever have a chance to work.   This isn’t a hype-filled JV episode.   It’s a grounded, honest conversation about why most collaborations collapse, how transactional thinking kills long-term growth, and what it actually takes to build partnerships that create impact and income — without burning trust or your audience.   Steve and Mark cover:   🤝 Why most partnerships fail (even when both people have good intentions)   🧭 The difference between transactional JVs and soul-aligned collaborations   🚫 Why list size matters far less than values, delivery, and trust   🔑 What it really means to be “JV-ready” (and why most people aren’t)   📈 How to grow through collaboration without ads, pressure, or manipulation   🌱 Why aligned partnerships create more ease, longevity, and freedom than hustle-driven growth   If you’ve ever felt frustrated by joint ventures, burned by collaborations, or unsure how to grow without selling your soul — this episode will give you a completely different framework for partnership and scale.   👉 Learn more about Mark’s work, the Soulful Leadership Retreat, and his partnership ecosystem at MarkPorteous.com

If you’ve ever wondered why some parts of your business feel effortless while others feel like constant drudgery, today’s episode delivers the answer. Steve sits down with international speaker, consultant, and human-behavior expert Carly Pepin to unpack the unseen value systems driving every move you make in your business.   Carly explains why entrepreneurs stall when their actions conflict with their internal hierarchy of values — and how realigning those values with business strategy immediately eliminates procrastination, burnout, and self-sabotage.   From building scalable systems to reframing dreaded tasks like sales and marketing, Carly shows you how to use your personal wiring as jet fuel instead of a drag on your success. What You’ll Learn   ✔ Why businesses plateau even when the strategy is “right” Carly explains how internal misalignment — not lack of skill — is the real growth bottleneck.   ✔ How values determine motivation, productivity, and stress Your brain will NOT sustain actions that conflict with your highest values. Carly breaks down why.   ✔ The link between systems and personal freedom Most entrepreneurs resist systems because they think it makes them replaceable. Carly shows why the opposite is true.   ✔ How to “link” tasks you avoid to values you love A real example of turning a sales-averse entrepreneur into an inspired relationship-builder.   ✔ Why leaders must make themselves replaceable And how doing so increases your value inside the company.   ✔ How to identify your real values (not the ones you wish you had) Plus, how Carly uses Dr. John Demartini’s method to help clients achieve rapid momentum. Timestamps   00:00 — Why entrepreneurs stay stuck in the weeds 01:00 — Carly’s path from skincare company to human behavior expert 04:00 — Why systems don’t restrict you — they free you 07:00 — The fear behind “being replaced” 10:30 — Leadership, delegation, and working on (not in) the business 12:00 — What values actually are — and why you must know yours 15:00 — How misaligned values create procrastination 18:00 — Live linking example: turning “sales” into “connection & impact” 22:00 — Why acting wasn’t her client’s real dream — and how values revealed the truth 26:00 — How to use the Values Assessment to design a fulfilling and scalable life 30:00 — Where to connect with Carly and access her free tools Guest Resources   Carly Pepin Website & Coaching Podcast: Built For This Free Gift Link: https://www.westcoastgrowthadvisors.com/podcast-gift About Carly Pepin   Carly is an international speaker and consultant specializing in leadership, human behavior, and scaling businesses through aligned strategy and psychology. She equips entrepreneurs with systems, frameworks, and behavioral insights that help them operate from clarity instead of chaos — designing businesses and lives that feel fulfilling, not forced.

Most entrepreneurs are brilliant at generating income—and terrible at turning it into lasting wealth.   In this episode, Steve sits down with Ian Noble, founder of RunSteady Investments, who went from operating a 14-location dry cleaning business in Austin to exiting and going all-in on passive real estate: mobile home parks, private lending funds, and other low-risk, cash-flowing deals.   Ian shares how he quietly built a portfolio alongside his business, why he loves “boring” 7–8% returns, and how smart owners are using depreciation and K-1s to stop tipping the IRS every year.   You’ll hear: From dry cleaner to deal maker How Ian grew up in the family business, took over 14 locations with 90+ employees, and used every extra dollar to buy single-family and commercial properties on the side. The real problem with “reinvest everything” Why so many owners end up with big revenue and almost no assets—and the simple habit change that would’ve saved Ian (and his clients) years of stress. Why mobile home parks beat single-family rentals (for him) Limited supply, long-term residents, and lot rent that appreciates like a business—not like a house. Ian explains why he sees manufactured housing as a quiet winner in the affordability crisis. Passively investing vs being a landlord Fleas, broken toilets, and midnight calls versus wiring money into a deal run by a professional operator. Ian compares his active rentals with his passive syndications—and why he’s leaning heavily toward passive now. How he thinks about returns and risk Why “slow and steady” 7–8% cash flow plus depreciation often beats chasing 18% projections, and how he decides what’s “safe enough” to put his own family’s money into. What to look for in an operator The questions Ian asks before wiring a dollar: track record, failures, communication cadence, background checks, and why “this can’t fail” is his favorite red flag. Using real estate to keep more of what you make How depreciation, cost seg studies, and K-1s can offset income from your investments—and why you still need a sharp CPA to help you do it right. Where to put the extra cash in your business Why many owners sit on $200K–$400K in a checking account “just in case,” and how Ian thinks about using private lending funds and other “parking garages” instead.   If you’re a business owner sitting on cash, paying a painful tax bill every year, and wondering how to actually build wealth outside your company, this episode will give you concrete next steps—and better questions to ask before your next investment. If you're interested in this, you can click on Ian's links below: Free Passive Investing in Real Estate Cheat Sheet: go.runsteadyinvestments.com/grow-your-impact-podcast Join My Passive Investor Mailing List: runsteadyinvestments.com/investor-club LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iannoble1/   Instagram: @ian_invests  

When an AI platform declared his agency effectively worthless, Wes Towers had a choice: panic… or pivot. In this episode, Wes—founder of Uplift 360—reveals how he transformed that gut-punch moment into a strategy that’s helping brands stand out more than ever.   Discover why “Search Everywhere™” matters now, how AI is actually elevating human connection (not replacing it), and the simple shifts that help your brand show up with authenticity across every platform—without sounding like everyone else’s AI-generated noise.   If you want your audience to feel you, trust you, and choose you, this episode is your new playbook.   If you're interested in this or if you'd like to connect with Wes, check out his links below: https://uplift360.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/westowers/

In this episode of Grow Your Impact, Income & Influence, Steve sits down with real estate entrepreneur and coach Mike Deaton to unpack his journey from burnt-out corporate executive to seven-figure land investor.   Mike reveals: How a layoff from Microsoft became the catalyst for total lifestyle freedom Why vacant land is his favorite “invisible” asset class (no tenants, no toilets, low overhead) The simple business model he and his wife used to replace their W-2 income How owner financing turns land flips into predictable monthly cash flow What you actually need to get started (capital, time, and realistic expectations)   If you’re an entrepreneur who makes good money but isn’t building wealth, this episode will show you a low-drama, high-leverage way to put your cash to work.   Here's a link to Mike's free book: https://flippingdirt.us/freedom/