Small Business Pivots

Stuck in your business and not sure what's next? Small Business Pivots delivers honest, real-world conversations with entrepreneurs and business owners who've made bold moves to grow, adapt, and build something that lasts. Hosted by nationally recognized business coach and keynote speaker Michael D. Morrison, each episode goes beyond the highlight reel. Guests share the real turning points, hard lessons, and strategies that actually moved the needle, whether they were chasing six figures or scaling past seven. With 140+ episodes and ranked in the top 10% of podcasts globally, Small Business Pivots drops every Wednesday, giving small business owners a trusted weekly resource to help them grow. Each week you'll hear real conversations about: Small business marketing, branding, and social media Sales strategies, referral networks, and building partnerships Leadership, hiring, team culture, and systems<

Small Business Pivots is a business podcast hosted by Michael D. Morrison, with 162 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Michael D. Morrison hosts Small Business Pivots, a business show with 162 episodes published.

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  Episode #164

  Your Employees May Not Be the Problem—Your Leadership Might Be | Meredith Bell

  Sep 30, 202646 min

  What if the employee problem frustrating you isn't entirely an employee problem? When employees aren't performing, aren't engaged, or don't seem committed, it's easy for business owners to point outward. Meredith Bell suggests starting somewhere else: Look in the mirror. Meredith is President and Co-Founder of Grow Strong Leaders , a company she has built alongside her two business partners for 35 years. For more than three decades, she's studied what it takes for leaders not only to change their behavior—but to make those changes last. In this episode of Small Business Pivots , Michael D. Morrison and Meredith explore how leadership has evolved from command-and-control management to a more collaborative approach built around self-awareness, communication, listening, trust, and genuinely understanding the people you lead. Meredith explains why one of the most valuable questions a business owner can ask an employee is: "What's one thing I could do to be a better leader for you?" But asking isn't enough. Great leaders must be willing to hear the answer without becoming defensive, making excuses, or immediately trying to prove they're right. You'll also hear how 360-degree feedback can reveal leadership blind spots, why confidence and humility can coexist, how your own thoughts influence workplace relationships, and why great leaders create an environment where people feel valued and capable of growing. Meredith also shares lessons from an unusually successful 35-year business partnership , including why shared values matter, how partners can stay in their lanes without competing, why ego can destroy collaboration, and how direct feedback can actually strengthen relationships. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why employees may respond differently to today's leadership styles • How to recognize your leadership blind spots • The role self-awareness plays in becoming a better leader • One question every leader should ask employees • Why listening may be a leader's most important communication skill • How confidence and humility work together • Why leaders need to set their egos aside • How to give and receive feedback without becoming defensive • What 360-degree feedback can reveal about your leadership • Why employee development requires more than an assessment • How to help employees stretch and grow • What 35 years of business partnership teaches about trust • Why shared values matter in business partnerships • How business partners can navigate conflict • Why sustainable leadership development takes practice over time If you find yourself wondering why employees won't simply do what they're supposed to do, this conversation offers a different question: What might they need from you as their leader? Support the show 1. Want professional business coaching with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com 2. Want to set up a FREE business consultation with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/consultation Connect and follow the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison to learn how to grow a successful business : - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDMorrisonOKC - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc Email the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison: Michael@MichaelDMorrison.com

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  Episode #163

  You Don't Need More Leads—Fix Your Sales Process First | Phil Risher

  Sep 23, 202637 min

  Think your business needs more leads? You may be solving the wrong problem. Small business owners often assume growth requires more marketing, more advertising, and more leads. But what happens when those leads are being poured into a leaky bucket? Phil Risher says before spending another dollar generating leads, business owners need to understand what happens to the opportunities they already have. Phil is the Founder and CEO of Phlash Consulting , where he helps home service businesses between $1 million and $10 million scale. His clients averaged 27% revenue growth last year, and his journey includes helping a home service company grow from $3 million to $5 million while increasing profit from approximately $300,000 to $1.2 million. In this episode of Small Business Pivots , Michael D. Morrison and Phil break down the numbers, systems, and strategies business owners need to stop guessing about growth. Phil shares the five numbers he uses to diagnose why a business is stuck, including leads, jobs, estimates sent, estimates closed, and new customers. He explains why booking rate and close rate matter before increasing marketing spend—and why businesses need to measure actual return on ad spend instead of celebrating cheap leads that don't become customers. You'll also learn the four fundamental ways businesses generate leads, why local B2B referral partnerships can outperform expensive advertising, and how a CRM becomes essential as a company grows. The conversation also explores one of the biggest shifts happening in marketing: AI search . Phil explains why answering real customer questions through useful content may help businesses become discoverable as consumers move from traditional search results toward AI-powered conversations. Phil also shares his own experience getting stuck while building Phlash Consulting, why trading time for money limited his growth, how productizing his services changed the business, and why moving from a scarcity mindset toward buying back his time helped his company double. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why more leads won't fix a broken sales process • The five numbers that can diagnose where your business is stuck • How to calculate and improve your booking rate • Why your estimate close rate matters • The four fundamental ways to generate leads • How to build local B2B referral partnerships • Why return on ad spend matters more than cost per lead • How cold leads require a different sales process • Why every lead needs to enter your CRM • How follow-up prevents opportunities from disappearing • How AI search is changing business discovery • Why answering customer questions creates valuable content • How AI agents can improve business efficiency • Why trading time for money eventually limits growth • How to buy back your time as your business grows • Why what gets you to $1 million may not get you to $10 million If you're spending more money on marketing but aren't seeing the revenue growth you expected, this episode may help you find the leak before you buy more leads. Support the show 1. Want professional business coaching with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com 2. Want to set up a FREE business consultation with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/consultation Connect and follow the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison to learn how to grow a successful business : - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDMorrisonOKC - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc Email the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison: Michael@MichaelDMorrison.com

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  Episode #162

  Are You the Bottleneck in Your Business? How to Get Unstuck | Mark Skalla

  Sep 16, 202651 min

  Are you the reason your business can't grow without working more hours? Many small business owners don't realize they're stuck. Revenue may be coming in, customers may be happy, and the company may even be growing—but the owner is still doing too much, making too many decisions, and filling every gap in the business. Mark Skalla has lived it. After building a successful digital agency, Mark discovered that many of the problems holding his clients back were the same problems he had experienced himself: knowing when to hire, covering payroll, building systems, delegating effectively, creating predictable revenue, and getting the founder out of the middle of everything. Today, as founder of Fulcrum Fractional , fractional COO and CMO, certified EOS Integrator, and author of The Leverage Point , Mark helps founders identify and eliminate the bottlenecks preventing their businesses from growing. In this episode of Small Business Pivots , Michael D. Morrison and Mark break down practical ways business owners can determine where they're stuck and begin building a company that doesn't depend on them for everything. Mark explains why a simple time accountability exercise can expose hidden bottlenecks, why owners often make the wrong first hire, and why hiring to eliminate something you hate doing isn't necessarily the same as hiring to grow the company. They also explore the systems every small business should have, how to create predictable customer acquisition, when to document processes, why employees should own outcomes instead of simply following processes, and how KPIs and simple scorecards give owners the clarity they need to make better decisions. You'll also hear why growth and scaling aren't the same thing , how systems inevitably break as companies become larger, and why great leadership begins with clarity. In This Episode You'll Learn: • How to recognize when you've become the bottleneck • Where business owners should actually spend their time • A simple time audit for identifying low-value work • Why hiring for relief can be a costly mistake • How to hire for business growth instead • Which systems every small business needs first • Process ownership vs. outcome ownership • How to create more predictable revenue • Why KPIs and scorecards create better decisions • How to give employees clarity and accountability • The difference between growing and scaling a business • Why systems must evolve as a company grows • How better leadership starts with clarity If you're working 50 or 60 hours a week, constantly filling gaps, or wondering why your business isn't growing despite all the work you're putting into it, this episode will help you identify where your time—and your business—may be getting stuck. Support the show 1. Want professional business coaching with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com 2. Want to set up a FREE business consultation with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/consultation Connect and follow the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison to learn how to grow a successful business : - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDMorrisonOKC - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc Email the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison: Michael@MichaelDMorrison.com

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  Episode #161

  Do You Have the Right People in the Wrong Roles? | Michelle Kozin

  Sep 9, 202642 min

  What if your employee problem isn't actually an employee problem? Small business owners often say they can't find good people. But what if you already have talented people—and they're simply in the wrong roles? In this episode of Small Business Pivots , Michael D. Morrison talks with organizational strategist Michelle Kozin, Founder of Predictive Advisors, about using behavioral intelligence to make better people decisions, define roles more clearly, improve hiring, reduce turnover, and build teams around how people are actually wired to work. Michelle explains why an "A player" isn't universally an A player. The right person must be in the right role at the right time for your organization. You'll hear why moving a detail-oriented employee into networking or sales can lead to burnout and turnover, why trying to hire a "unicorn" can create unrealistic expectations, and how understanding an employee's motivation zone can change the way you lead. Michelle also explains how behavioral assessments such as Predictive Index can help owners define roles before hiring, evaluate candidates beyond experience and qualifications, identify gaps on existing teams, and better understand the dynamics between founders and business partners. The conversation goes beyond hiring into leadership, change management, employee motivation, business partnerships, and the identity shift owners must make as their companies grow. If you're struggling with hiring, employee performance, retention, team dynamics, or constantly wondering why people won't "just do what they're supposed to do," this episode may change how you think about your team. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why an A player in one role can struggle in another • How to put the right people in the right roles • Why role clarity should come before hiring • The danger of trying to hire a "unicorn" • How an employee's motivation zone affects performance • Why forcing people outside their natural wiring can cause burnout • How behavioral assessments can improve hiring decisions • Why people resist organizational change • How to motivate different employees differently • What the Platinum Rule can teach business owners about leadership • How behavioral intelligence can help business partners and co-founders • Why managing your focus may matter more than managing your time • Why human connection becomes even more important in an AI-driven world Support the show 1. Want professional business coaching with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com 2. Want to set up a FREE business consultation with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/consultation Connect and follow the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison to learn how to grow a successful business : - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDMorrisonOKC - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc Email the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison: Michael@MichaelDMorrison.com

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  Episode #159

  How to Scale a Service Business: One System at a Time | Jeff Gabelsberg

  Aug 26, 202644 min

  What does it actually take to go from being an owner doing everything yourself to building a scalable business with multiple locations, employees, systems, and a leadership team? Jeff Gabelsberg, founder of Jolly Goat Garage Doors, knows because he's lived it. Jeff returns to Small Business Pivots to share what has happened since his previous appearances—including growing Jolly Goat Garage Doors to six locations across Oklahoma, building a team of more than 20 people, adding a commercial division, and entering a strategic partnership designed to fuel continued expansion. But Jeff didn't start there. For years, he was essentially a one-man operation—answering calls, selling jobs, installing garage doors, handling warranties, and struggling to create consistent income. At one point, he drove to a big-box store prepared to give up entrepreneurship and take a job. He never walked through the door. Instead, Jeff began asking successful business owners for help and implementing what he learned one system at a time . In this episode, Michael D. Morrison and Jeff break down the practical changes that helped transform the business: documenting processes, creating a hiring roadmap, delegating work, investing in professional branding, building a training program, implementing performance-based pay, tracking KPIs, and developing people who could help the company grow beyond its founder. If you're a contractor, home-service business owner, or entrepreneur who feels trapped working in the business, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to build a company that can grow beyond you. In This Episode You'll Learn: • How to start building systems when you're doing everything yourself • Why documenting one process can change your business • How Jeff created a roadmap for hiring and delegation • When hiring your first employee can actually create more capacity • Why professional branding became a major growth investment • Performance-based pay and KPIs for service businesses • How training systems improve consistency and scalability • Why strategic partnerships aren't the same as private equity • How to stop overwhelming yourself with everything that needs fixing • Why implementing one thing can start a snowball of business growth Support the show 1. Want professional business coaching with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com 2. Want to set up a FREE business consultation with the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison? https://www.michaeldmorrison.com/consultation Connect and follow the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison to learn how to grow a successful business : - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelDMorrisonOKC - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldmorrisonokc/ - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeldmorrisonokc Email the podcast host, Michael D. Morrison: Michael@MichaelDMorrison.com

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