The Founder's Table: Real Talk on Marketing and Strategy for Entrepreneurs

13 // End of an Era (Part 2): The 5-pillar check-in

You cannot out-hustle a misalignment between your business and the buyer who actually exists today. In Part 2 of this end-of-an-era series, I'm walking you through the five things that have to be right before any funnel, automation, or content sprint deserves a minute of your attention. This is Part 2 of the End of an Era series. If you haven't listened to Episode 12 yet, start there. That's where I unpack what's actually shifted and share the real-life client example of this framework in action. In this one, I'm giving you the framework itself: the five-pillar check-in to run on your own business before you reach for another tool or tactic. Offer, buyer, positioning, message, marketing strategy all pressure-tested against who your buyer is right now, not who they were in 2022. * Why "my funnel isn't converting" is almost never actually a funnel problem * The five pillars to audit before you scale any system * The competitor most founders forget to position against (and it's not who you think) * How to tell whether your offer has drifted out of step with your buyer * The honest check-in question that decides whether you keep going or course correct Don't miss: * End of an Era Part 1 * Book a (100% no pressure) virtual coffee chat: https://mise-en-plan.moxieapp.com/public/coffee-chat-virtual [https://mise-en-plan.moxieapp.com/public/coffee-chat-virtual] * Work with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-reset [https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-reset] * Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan [https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan]

12 / The End of an Era: Why your marketing stopped working

Something is shifting in online business, and adding another funnel won't fix it. The Season 2 kickoff is the conversation I have been have over and over with clients for months. The buying environment that built most of our businesses from 2020 to 2024 is over. In this episode I walk through what has actually changed about your buyer, why a systems fix is not the answer, and tell a client story that shows what to do instead. This is Part 1. Part 2 brings the framework. What you'll hear: * The four real reasons your marketing stopped working (none of them are your funnel) * The speaker system metaphor that explains why your systems can be perfect and still feel off * Why your biggest competition right now is the option of doing nothing * A real client story about starting with the buyer instead of the product * What is coming in Part 2 Your Next Steps * Work with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-reset [https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-reset] * Connect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan [https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan] * Book a free consultation: https://www.miseenplan.com/contact [https://www.miseenplan.com/contact]

11 // The "Other" AI: How Agentic AI Frees Up Founders to Sell Smarter with Eamon Graziano

In this episode of The Table, we sit down with Eamon Graziano of B&E Consulting to talk about the “other” AI—agentic AI—and how growth-stage founders can use it to make sales and processes cleaner, more efficient, and way more sustainable. If you’ve been pouring energy into using AI for copy and content while your actual bottleneck is a messy, manual sales process, this conversation will give you a much more useful way to think about where AI actually belongs in your business. What we cover: * Why most founders are over-indexing on generative AI for content, and underusing AI where it matters most: sales workflows and operations. * The biggest pitfalls Eamon sees when small and mid-sized businesses try to “add AI” without a real process underneath (hello, tool-hopping and chaos). * What agentic AI actually is and how it can qualify leads, handle repetitive follow-up, and keep your CRM updated so humans can focus on high-leverage conversations. * Why you should treat AI like a new hire: building clear SOPs, over-communicating details, and always keeping a human off-ramp in your sales process. * The key metrics and time studies Eamon recommends to tell if AI is truly helping your sales, not just adding more noise or cost. Links and resources: * Connect with Eamon on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eamon-graziano/] * Learn more about B&E Consulting [https://bneconsulting.ai/] * Connect with Dani on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellehenneberger/] * Learn more about Mise en Plan [https://www.miseenplan.com] If this episode sparked ideas about how AI could support your sales process (instead of just writing more content), subscribe to The Table so you don’t miss upcoming conversations on sustainable, founder-friendly growth. And if you know a founder who’s overwhelmed by AI right now, send this episode their way. See you on the next episode - I'll save you a seat!

10 // Innovation as a Daily Practice: How to Focus, Adapt, and Stay Ahead with Jolly Pradhan

Innovation isn’t just for billion-dollar tech teams in glass towers. It’s also for the solopreneur at her kitchen table, the mid-sized company trying to keep up, and the human behind the business figuring out what’s next. In this episode of The Table, Dani and innovation strategist Jolly Pradhan dig into how big-company innovation principles translate directly into the everyday decisions you make in your business and your life, so you can keep adapting without burning out. In this episode, we get into: * What innovation really is (beyond the jargon) and why even tiny shifts in your offers, operations, or habits count. * How big tech thinks about R&D—and how to scale that thinking down for small businesses and solopreneurs. * The 90/10 reality of innovation: most experiments won’t “hit,” and why that small percentage that does can change everything. * Why “solutionizing” too fast wastes time, money, and emotional energy, whether you’re a global company or a team of one. * Using real customer voice to guide your next move instead of guessing what people want. * How to apply innovation thinking to your own career, burnout, and personal pivots—not just your products. * A grounded definition of innovation you can actually apply to your current season, regardless of business size. * Simple ways to spot where a small, strategic change could unlock more ease or effectiveness in your work and life. * Permission to innovate in manageable steps, adapt as you go, and still feel like you’re moving forward. Meet our guest Jolly Pradhan is the founder of End-to-End Innovation Consulting [https://www.endtoendinnovation.co/] and has spent 15+ years guiding complex tech and AI products from idea to launch as a systems engineer and product leader. She specializes in connecting dots across teams and timelines to bring bold, customer-centered solutions to life in fast-changing markets. Links & Resources * Connect with Jolly on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jollypradhan/] to learn more about her work and innovation insights. * Explore Dani’s work at Mise en Plan [https://www.miseenplan.com] if you’re ready to refine your messaging, offers, and strategy for your next innovation. Hit follow/subscribe so you never miss The Table. I'll save you a seat!

9 // 2026 Small Business Predictions: Marketing, AI, and What’s Changing This Year

2026 already feels…weird. AI is everywhere, the economy and politics are shaky, social media feels like a slot machine, and your customers are more cautious and more skeptical than ever. In this solo episode of The Table, marketing strategist and small business owner Dani Henneberger shares 9 shifts she’s watching this year and what they actually mean if you’re a small, thoughtful business that still wants to feel human while you grow. You’ll hear about: * How to use AI as support without outsourcing your voice * Why social is no longer your whole strategy (and what to focus on instead) * The rising importance of relationships, referrals, and real community * How shifting economics, politics, and consumer priorities should shape your offers * Why this messy moment might actually be the start of a small business renaissance If you’ve been feeling the wobble but also sensing there’s opportunity in all of this, this one’s for you. Work with Dani: Want help making sense of this for your own business? Dani’s VIP Days are designed for seasoned founders who need clearer positioning, aligned messaging, and a marketing plan that doesn’t feel like a second job. * Learn more about VIP Days [https://www.miseenplan.com/marketing-strategy-vip-day] * Join The Table Live [https://miseenplan.myflodesk.com/marketing-cohort-optin] (small-group founder dinners): [link] * Share your own 2026 predictions or questions: DM Dani on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan] or LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellehenneberger/]