Anchored Leadership: For Business Owners Ready to Lead and Not Just Manage

85 - Building Business Development Systems That Actually Move the Needle with Kelly Kennedy

In this episode of Anchored Leadership, Kari Lotzien sits down with Kelly Kennedy, founder and CEO of Capital Business Development, host of The Business Development Podcast, creator of the Catalyst Club Community, and founder of the Business Development Mastery Coaching Program. With nearly two decades of experience in sales and business development, Kelly brings a grounded, practical perspective on what it really takes to grow a business with consistency and confidence. Kari and Kelly explore why great service alone is not enough, how business owners can move past the discomfort of direct outreach, and why structure, follow-up, and community are essential pieces of sustainable growth. Key Topics Discussed: * The difference between sales, marketing, and business development Kelly shares how he first discovered business development after being offered the role early in his career and realizing there were very few resources available. That gap eventually became the fuel behind his podcast and coaching work.   * Why great service is not enough to grow a business We talk about the trap many service-based business owners fall into: believing that if they provide excellent service, referrals will naturally keep the business growing. That can work for a while, but it often leaves major opportunities on the table.   * Making time for business development Kelly recommends blocking dedicated time each week for focused business development activities. Not scrolling, not posting into the void, not hoping the phone rings, but intentionally reaching out, making connections, and asking for the next step.   * Getting comfortable with “no” One of the biggest mindset shifts in this episode is learning to see a no as useful information, not personal rejection.   * The power of strategic follow-up Kelly explains why one email or one call is rarely enough. People are busy, inboxes are crowded, and timing matters. Consistent, respectful follow-up is not pestering when it is done with professionalism and purpose.   * Using podcasting and social media to build visibility We discuss how podcasting can build credibility, create warm introductions, and allow people to understand how you think long before they ever book a call. Kelly also shares why LinkedIn and Instagram have become important tools in his business development strategy.   * Creating community without making yourself the centre of the room Kelly shares the story behind Catalyst Club and why he wanted to create a lower-barrier, remote-first community where business owners and experts could connect, learn, and support each other.   * Structure creates flexibility One of the strongest leadership takeaways from this conversation is that calendars, systems, batching, and planning ahead do not restrict freedom. They protect it. Kelly shares how he uses planning, content buffers, and focused calendar blocks to keep multiple businesses and podcasts moving. This episode is a reminder that business development does not need to feel pushy, complicated, or disconnected from your values. At its best, it is about being strategic, building relationships, following up with intention, and creating systems that keep your business visible even when life gets full. For small business owners, especially those in service-based businesses, this conversation is a practical nudge to stop waiting for referrals to do all the heavy lifting. Your reputation matters, but so does your willingness to be seen, ask clearly, and follow through consistently.   Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-anchor-strategies-and-support-for-small/id1703826597] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6HUR2d5SsN6Ov1KwzzJnpv?si=877f4d7fd99d4337] - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.   Kelly Kennedy is the Founder & CEO of Capital Business Development, host of The Business Development Podcast and I Used To Work There, creator of The Catalyst Club Community, and founder of the Business Development Mastery Coaching Program. Known by many as The Podfather and the Hope Dealer, Kelly brings nearly two decades of sales and business development experience to helping entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and business leaders build better systems, create real momentum, and grow with confidence. Connect with Kelly and learn more about his incredible work here: Websites: https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com [https://www.kellykennedyofficial.com/] https://www.capitalbd.ca [https://www.capitalbd.ca/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellykennedyofficial/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-kennedy-cbd/] Podcasts: https://thebusinessdevelopmentpodcast.captivate.fm/listen [https://thebusinessdevelopmentpodcast.captivate.fm/listen] https://iusedtoworkthere.com/listen [https://iusedtoworkthere.com/listen]   Work with Kari:  * Anchored Leadership Academy [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/anchored-leadership-academy/] * Private Business and Leadership Coaching [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/private-business-leadership-coaching/] Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor:  * Website: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.betheanchor.ca/] * Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd [https://www.facebook.com/betheanchorltd] * Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.instagram.com/betheanchor.ca/] * Linked In: Kari Lotzien [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-lotzien-1094b561/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

84 - Nobody Is Asking You the Right Questions

Most business coaching falls into one of two camps. Hustle culture: scale faster, push harder, your only limit is your mindset. Affirmation culture: you're amazing, you've got this, here's your permission slip. Neither one asks the hard question. And for established owners who have already done the work of building something real, neither one is actually enough. In this episode, Kari gets honest about the gap she sees in the coaching and leadership development space, why the hardest person to lead in your business is you, and what it actually looks like when someone asks the question that makes you go quiet for ten seconds before you answer. That pause? That's where the real work happens. Key Topics Discussed: * The Two Dominant Coaching Styles (and Their Limits) Kari breaks down what she sees as the two most common approaches in the coaching space: hustle culture and affirmation culture. * Why “More” Isn’t Always the Right Answer For owners past the startup phase, the challenge is rarely effort or discipline. The real question becomes: Am I focused on the right thing? Kari highlights how few frameworks actually pause long enough to ask this and why that gap matters. * The Power of the Right Question (and the Silence That Follows) The most impactful coaching doesn’t come from giving answers, it comes from asking the kind of question that makes someone stop and think. Kari explains why that 10–20 second pause is not a problem to fix, but a signal that someone is accessing deeper clarity. * The Hardest Person to Lead Is You Leadership isn’t just about managing a team or improving communication. Kari challenges listeners to look inward- at patterns, habits, and decisions that are often running on autopilot.  * A Real Example of Misaligned Growth Through a client story, Kari illustrates how a strong, logical growth strategy can still be the wrong decision if it doesn’t align with the life the owner is trying to build. * Practical Ways to Create Better Thinking Space This isn’t about overanalyzing everything. Kari shares simple, practical shifts: taking a breath before responding, allowing silence in conversations, using open-ended “what” questions, and resisting the urge to jump in with answers too quickly. If you’ve been feeling like the usual advice (work harder, think bigger, stay positive) isn’t quite enough anymore, this episode offers a different perspective. Not more tactics, not more validation, but a deeper level of reflection. The kind that changes how you lead, how you decide, and ultimately how your business supports your life.   Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-anchor-strategies-and-support-for-small/id1703826597] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6HUR2d5SsN6Ov1KwzzJnpv?si=877f4d7fd99d4337] - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you. Find the hours you didn't know you were losing and get the Time Leak Toolkit:  https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811 [https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811]. For capable, experienced business owners who are always busy but never feel caught up. You want to know exactly where your time is disappearing and more importantly how you can get it back.  Work with Kari:  * Anchored Leadership Academy [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/anchored-leadership-academy/] * Private Business and Leadership Coaching [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/private-business-leadership-coaching/] Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor:  * Website: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.betheanchor.ca/] * Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd [https://www.facebook.com/betheanchorltd] * Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.instagram.com/betheanchor.ca/] * Linked In: Kari Lotzien [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-lotzien-1094b561/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

83 - The Shift: Designing Your Business To Fit Your Life Today

There comes a point in business where the question quietly shifts. It’s no longer just about growth, efficiency, or what the next opportunity is, it becomes something deeper: is this still right for me? In this episode, Kari reflects on a pattern she’s seeing across experienced business owners, and in herself. Beneath conversations about time, systems, and leadership, there’s a quieter layer emerging. A shift from building and pushing forward…to listening, adapting, and intentionally designing what comes next. This is not about starting over. It’s about recognizing that the version of success you built your business on may not fully fit the person you’ve become. Key Topics Discussed: * The underlying question many business owners are facing: Am I still building the right thing for who I am now? * How learning evolves as you grow - shifting from structured, external input to slower, more reflective, experience-based insight * The difference between chasing growth and intentionally designing a business that fits your life * Why high-performing owners often default to old patterns, and how awareness allows you to interrupt them earlier * What it really means to adapt at this stage of business, when life, relationships, and energy all carry more weight * The shift from building systems for efficiency to building systems that create ease and sustainability * How holding things more loosely allows your team, systems, and decisions to actually work better * The role of a steady nervous system in making strong, grounded leadership decisions * Understanding the natural rhythm of leadership, when to push, when to act, and when to step back and reflect * A deeper look at what it means to be “anchored” as a leader - not perfect, but aware, steady, and intentional This episode is an invitation to pause not to slow everything down, but to create just enough space to hear your own thinking again. Because at this stage, the answers you’re looking for are rarely found in another strategy or framework. They come from being honest about what fits now, what no longer does, and what you actually want to build moving forward. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-anchor-strategies-and-support-for-small/id1703826597] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6HUR2d5SsN6Ov1KwzzJnpv?si=877f4d7fd99d4337] - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you. Find the hours you didn't know you were losing and get the Time Leak Toolkit:  https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811 [https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811]. For capable, experienced business owners who are always busy but never feel caught up. You want to know exactly where your time is disappearing and more importantly how you can get it back.  Work with Kari:  * Anchored Leadership Academy [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/anchored-leadership-academy/] * Private Business and Leadership Coaching [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/private-business-leadership-coaching/] Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor:  * Website: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.betheanchor.ca/] * Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd [https://www.facebook.com/betheanchorltd] * Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.instagram.com/betheanchor.ca/] * Linked In: Kari Lotzien [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-lotzien-1094b561/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

82 - Caring for Aging Parents When You're the One Everyone Leans On with Nurse Advocates Pam Dunwald and Linda Kritikos

What happens when you’re leading a business, supporting a team, and suddenly stepping into the role of caregiver for an aging parent? In this episode, Kari sits down with nurse advocates Pam and Linda of Nurse Advocate Consulting to unpack one of the most emotionally and logistically complex seasons many business owners face. This is not just about healthcare; it’s about leadership under pressure. They share real stories from decades of experience supporting families through Alzheimer’s, cancer, and unexpected health crises. You’ll hear what most families aren’t prepared for, why the system feels overwhelming, and how to navigate it without losing yourself or your business, in the process. If you’re part of the “sandwich generation” or know this season is coming, this conversation will give you both clarity and relief. Key Topics Discussed: * Why caring for aging parents often catches business owners off guard * The emotional load of guilt, uncertainty, and responsibility, and how to navigate it * The hidden complexity of healthcare systems, insurance, and care coordination * How to divide responsibilities within families (like you would in a business) * Practical strategies to protect your time while still showing up for your family * Why systems, communication, and planning are essential in caregiving * The importance of including your loved one in decision-making * What advance directives and healthcare power of attorney really mean, and why they matter * How to avoid crisis-mode decision-making with proactive planning * The role of a healthcare advocate and how they can support your family This is one of those seasons that asks more of you than you expected and not just as a business owner, but as a human being. If you take nothing else from this conversation, let it be this: you don’t have to figure it all out in the middle of a crisis. Start the conversations. Put a few simple systems in place. Ask for support sooner than you think you need it. Because the goal isn’t to carry all of this perfectly, it’s to navigate it in a way that protects your capacity, honours your family, and allows you to keep leading your business without losing yourself in the process. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-anchor-strategies-and-support-for-small/id1703826597] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6HUR2d5SsN6Ov1KwzzJnpv?si=877f4d7fd99d4337] - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you.   Connect with Pam and Linda and learn more about her incredible work here: Website: www.yournurseadvocateconsulting.com/about-us/ [https://yournurseadvocateconsulting.com/about-us/] Podcast:www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthcare-redefined-advocating-for-aging-adults-and/id1834004821 [http://www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthcare-redefined-advocating-for-aging-adults-and/id1834004821] LinkedInLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/your-nurse-advocate-consulting-llc/ [http://www.linkedin.com/company/your-nurse-advocate-consulting-llc/] Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourrnadvocate/ [https://www.instagram.com/yourrnadvocate/] Facebook: www.facebook.com/YourRNAdvocate/ [https://www.facebook.com/YourRNAdvocate/] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@yournurseadvocateconsulting/ [https://www.youtube.com/@yournurseadvocateconsulting/] Read their book “Cracking the Hospice Code: Your Nurse Advocates Debunk the Top 10 Misconceptions of Hospice” [https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Hospice-Code-Advocates-Misconceptions/dp/B08YDCSL5P] Find the time you need right now. The Time Leak Toolkit [https://kari-lotzien.mykajabi.com/pl/2148756811]   Work with Kari:  * Anchored Leadership Academy [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/anchored-leadership-academy/] * Private Business and Leadership Coaching [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/private-business-leadership-coaching/] Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor:  * Website: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.betheanchor.ca/] * Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd [https://www.facebook.com/betheanchorltd] * Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.instagram.com/betheanchor.ca/] * Linked In: Kari Lotzien [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-lotzien-1094b561/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

81 - Your Availabiilty is Costing More than You Realize / Time Management for Overwhelmed Owners

If you pride yourself on being available, responsive, and always there for your clients and team… this episode might challenge you. Because what feels like great leadership - being approachable, overdelivering, always saying yes, might actually be the reason you feel constantly pulled, behind, and unable to step into true leadership. In this episode, Kari breaks down the subtle (and very human) ways business owners train their clients and teams to treat their time, and how those patterns quietly create overwhelm, inconsistency, and even resentment. This is not about becoming rigid or unavailable. It’s about becoming aligned. If you’ve ever felt like you can’t catch up, can’t step away, or can’t get to the “big picture” work your business needs…this episode will help you see why. Key Topics Discussed: * Why constant availability is not the same as strong leadership * How you unintentionally train clients and team members to use (and misuse) your time * The difference between planned time vs. pulled time, and why it matters * How overdelivering can quietly create inconsistency and confusion in your business * The hidden ways leaders undermine their own systems and team expectations * Why your team culture is shaped by what you model - not what you say * How small, “harmless” exceptions lead to long-term overwhelm and resentment * What shifts as you move from service provider > manager > leader * Why leadership requires protected, focused time, and how most owners lose it * A simple 3-day audit to uncover where your time is actually going At some point, this stops being about time management and starts being about leadership. Not the kind that looks good on paper, but the kind that holds under pressure. You don’t need to become less supportive, less generous, or less available - you just need to become more consistent. Because the truth is, your business will always rise or fall to the standard you model. And when you start protecting your time with the same care you’ve been giving everyone else, you don’t just get your hours back, you finally create the space to lead the business you’ve worked so hard to build. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-the-anchor-strategies-and-support-for-small/id1703826597] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/6HUR2d5SsN6Ov1KwzzJnpv?si=877f4d7fd99d4337] - start building a business that works for you, not just because of you. Work with Kari:  * Anchored Leadership Academy [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/anchored-leadership-academy/] * Private Business and Leadership Coaching [https://www.betheanchor.ca/work-with-me/private-business-leadership-coaching/] Contact Kari Lotzien | Be the Anchor:  * Website: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.betheanchor.ca/] * Facebook: BeTheAnchorLtd [https://www.facebook.com/betheanchorltd] * Instagram: BeTheAnchor.ca [https://www.instagram.com/betheanchor.ca/] * Linked In: Kari Lotzien [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kari-lotzien-1094b561/] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.