Reader —

In just two weeks, The Business You Really Want podcast will celebrate its first anniversary. What started as a simple but bold premise — you don't have to burn your business to the ground to build something sustainable — has grown into 52 episodes of real talk about what entrepreneurial success can mean.

Today, episode 52 drops. In it, Tonya Kubo and I reflect on what we've learned in our first year of co-hosting. But we're not just looking backward. For the next month, we're featuring our top 4 most downloaded episodes with fresh perspective — diving deeper into what's changed, what we've learned since, and how our thinking has evolved on those popular topics.

Speaking of evolution...

Your Business Reality Check Awaits

Remember how I mentioned in June that too many entrepreneurs get stuck thinking every decision is permanent? Well, here's a decision that definitely isn't: the choice to keep pretending your business stress is “just part of entrepreneurship.”

It's not.

On Aug. 20, Tonya and I are hosting Business Reality Check — a free business advising session where we stop the performance and start dealing with what's real.

We'll look at:

• Whether your business is actually working for you (or if you're just working harder to keep it afloat)
• The behind-the-scenes bottlenecks everyone else misses
• What's really draining your energy and why
• Small shifts that could create surprisingly big improvements

Most importantly, you'll walk away ready to act.

Only one person took advantage of the opportunity in July, and they got almost a full hour of FREE advising on their product pricing and positioning. They couldn't believe their luck!

And because we had 45 minutes or so to explore their sales, customer journey, and product costs and pricing, we were able to go deep on what’s considered a fair wage for the work they do and why.

Their homework was to figure out the true cost of fulfillment so they could price their products appropriately for the market and the value it provides to consumers. So often, I find business owners forget to include their own time when factoring the cost of fulfillment on their offers.

I can’t wait to check in with this entrepreneur this week to see what they’ve discovered about their products.

Want mine (and Tonya’s) brains on your business next month? Join us from 10 to 11 a.m. Pacific on Aug. 20. We aren’t recording the session, so you can feel comfortable discussing the nitty gritty of what you’re facing. Register here.​

Come ready to be honest about what's not working. Leave with specific next steps to make your business more sustainable.

What It Means to Build the Business You Really Want in 2025

Throughout August, I'll be going live on LinkedIn to explore what it really takes to build a sustainable business in 2025. These will be practical conversations with women in business brave enough to discuss the realities that make or break entrepreneurial success.

I’ll share specifics once we have the dates scheduled. Send me a connection request and you’ll be among the first to find out.

Tune In: The Business You Really Want

Our most recent episodes tackle the questions you're probably thinking but might not be asking out loud:

• ​One Year of Real Talk: What We've Learned About Building the Business You Really Want​
• ​Creating Consistent Revenue Without the Drama​
• ​From Task Rabbit to Brain Trust: The Real Secret to Effective Delegation​
• ​Creating Moments That Matter for Clients​

New episodes drop every Tuesday on all podcast players and YouTube. And for the next month, keep listening as we revisit our top episodes with fresh insight.

Worth Noting...

→ We’ll be opening enrollment to the Weekly Course of Action late next month. Join the waitlist here, or book a call with me to discuss other options.

The business you really want isn't built overnight. It's built through honest conversations, smart decisions, and the courage to build something that actually fits your life.

— Gwen