In Part 1 of this 4-part series with Taylor Smith, we break down how to evaluate events before you buy the ticket so you’re not leaving your family, spending real money, and walking back to your hotel room wondering what just happened.

This episode lays the foundation for everything that follows.

Key takeaways

1. If the math doesn’t math, pay attention. Big attendance promises with chaotic marketing and short runway are a red flag.
2. Clarity isn’t a transformation. If the event promise is a pile of buzzwords, you’re allowed to be skeptical.
3. You should know who the room is for. If the host can’t clearly answer “who is this event for?”… that’s your answer.
4. Social proof matters (even for first-time hosts). Green flag: smaller in-person iterations before going “big conference.”
5. Set your goal before you go. Education? Connections? Exposure? Your goal determines what “worth it” looks like.
6. Sometimes the smartest move is not attending. FOMO and “mutual support” aren’t business strategies.
7. Aspirational vs operational events: Look at content + structure (workshops, networking, hot seats) and even how VIP is built.

LISTEN IN ORDER:

Part 2 NEXT on the Power Table Podcast: How to Be a Standout Attendee & Actually Realize A ROI

🔗 On Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-table-with-taylor-smith/id1775769731⁠⁠

🔗 On Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4q9nlArV18b80rwqtIV2ik?si=6ca4396028474f22⁠⁠

MORE:

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Book your 1:1 Decision Intensive: https://www.stephrubio.com/small-business-consulting

Get in THE room to be in, Power Table LIVE, April 22-23, 2026 in Destin, Florida: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://20132019--thepowertable.thrivecart.com/the-power-table-live/

Send me a DM on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio/⁠⁠⁠

TAYLOR:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorsmithonline/

Website: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/

This one’s for the event hosts (yes, your ears are probably burning 🔥). In Part 3, Taylor and I break down what it actually takes to deliver a stellar stakeholder experience—not just for attendees, but for speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers… everyone who has a stake in the success of your event.

We talk communication, long-term planning, project management, boundaries + deadlines, and what to do when something inevitably goes sideways.

Key takeaways

1. Communication is queen. Anticipate what people will ask/need and answer it before they have to chase you.
2. Stakeholder experience isn’t just attendees. Speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers all need clear expectations + direction.
3. Clarity kills chaos. Agenda, logistics, dress code, where to go, what to bring, what happens next—spell it out.
4. Add “a little extra.” Simple touches (hotel recs, food spots, post-event follow-up tips) make you memorable and referable.
5. An event is a project. Treat it like one. If it has more than 10 steps, it needs a project plan (and this has… a lot more than 10).
6. When you mess up: own it + solution it. Acknowledge it, communicate clearly, explain what happened (when helpful), and make it right.
7. Use the 5x5 rule. If it won’t matter in 5 years, don’t spend more than 5 minutes spiraling—just handle it with care.

LISTEN IN ORDER:

Part 4 NEXT on The Power Table Podcast: Protect Your Safety & Sanity at Events

🔗 On Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-table-with-taylor-smith/id1775769731⁠⁠

🔗 On Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4q9nlArV18b80rwqtIV2ik?si=6ca4396028474f22⁠⁠

MORE:

Join the Rooted & Relentless Mastermind: https://www.stephrubio.com/themastermind

Get in THE room to be in: Power Table LIVE ! It's April 22-23, 2026 in Destin, Florida. Get your ticket here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://20132019--thepowertable.thrivecart.com/the-power-table-live/

Send me a DM on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio/⁠⁠⁠

TAYLOR:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorsmithonline/

Website: https://www.taylorsmithonline.com/

Episode Summary

In this Clarity Coven feature, Steph sits down with Alisha Bean, a long-time client turned mastermind member, to talk about what actually breaks when a business grows—and why most founders don’t realize the real problem until they’re already overwhelmed.

This conversation digs into the moment where things are technically “working,” but everything feels harder: communication is messy, systems are duct-taped together, the founder is back in the weeds, and the business starts pulling more instead of giving freedom.

Steph and Alisha unpack the difference between growth and scaling, the danger of 20-step workflows that require constant founder approval, and why hiring support doesn’t magically remove responsibility—it changes how leadership shows up.

1. What “leaks” look like in a growing business—and why patching them stops working
2. The most common presenting problems (communication + systems) vs. the real root causes
3. Why your 20-step process is quietly sabotaging your ability to scale
4. The difference between growth (more volume) and scaling (more efficiency + stability)
5. How to delegate without losing awareness—and why that’s the actual CEO move
6. Why hiring an executor isn’t “magic” (and what to expect when you do)
7. The identity shift Alisha experienced going from “the shoes are too big” to fully owning her expertise
8. Alisha’s best advice for service providers building in a noisy, comparison-heavy online space

1) “It’s working” isn’t the same as “it’s built to scale.”

Most businesses do work… until they don’t. If your systems were set up for one level of volume, they’ll start breaking when you grow. That’s not a personal failure—it’s a systems mismatch.

2) Duct tape is not a long-term strategy.

When your backend is 15 tools “kind of” talking to each other, leaks are inevitable: missed handoffs, duplicated work, rising software costs, and team confusion.

3) Simplifying is scaling.

If a process takes 20 steps and 10 approvals from you, you don’t have a workflow—you have a founder chokehold. Cutting it down (and pre-approving decisions) is how you stop being the bottleneck.

4) Delegation doesn’t mean “checking out.”

Stepping out of execution doesn’t mean you stop knowing what’s happening. You keep awareness, build trust, and create clear lanes so your team can move without you micromanaging.

5) Confidence changes your marketing.

Alisha shares how proving the concept (to herself and the right clients) changed how she showed up—no more “hoping” people believe in her… just telling the truth about what she’s already doing.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisha.bean.obm/

Keep up with Steph:

Pop into my DM's on IG and tell me what you're up to: https://www.instagram.com/virtually_stephrubio

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