You don’t own a business. It owns you. If your company cannot run without you, you do not have freedom. You have a job with a new title.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rafael Pinho to challenge one of the biggest myths in entrepreneurship. Many founders say they want growth, scale, and freedom. But they build businesses that depend on them for every decision, every client, every fire drill. That is not leverage. That is burnout waiting to happen.

If you feel stuck in 24/7 mode, this conversation will hit home. If your revenue depends on you being in the room, this episode is for you. It is about rethinking what growth really means and how to build real, transferable value.

Rafael breaks down the difference between market value, business value, and transferable value. Alyssa reflects on the “thrill of the solve” and the quiet pride many entrepreneurs feel when they carry too much. Together, they unpack what it takes to step out of the center and build something that can live beyond you.

Why you should listen:

You will learn how to stop being the bottleneck in your own company. You will understand why delegation is a mindset shift, not just a hiring decision. You will see how tracking numbers and building systems protects your future.

Three key takeaways:

1. If you are solving every problem, you are capping your growth. Delegate the tasks that are not your highest and best use.
2. Build systems and track your numbers. Growth is not a feeling. It is math.
3. Transferable value matters. If your biggest client only stays because of you, your business is fragile.

Resources and people mentioned:

Rafael Pinho on LinkedIn

TD Pine Advisors

Free business growth assessments at tdpineadvisors.com

Connect with Alyssa Nolte:

alyssanolte.substack.com

linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte

This is about rethinking the future of customer relationships by first rethinking the role you play inside your own business.

The future is live. And if you still think digital is safer, cheaper, and smarter… you may be missing what customers actually want.

Dawn Farrow joins Alyssa Nolte to rethink the future of customer relationships through one bold idea: live, in-person experiences are not going away. They are growing. From concerts and festivals to pop-ups and brand events, people crave connection. They want to feel something real. If you sell anything, that matters.

This conversation is for founders, marketers, and leaders who feel stuck in a digital-first world. If you are tired of fighting ad algorithms and rising CAC, this episode will challenge how you think about risk, growth, and loyalty.

Why listen?

Because emotion sells. Because fandom drives revenue. Because your customers want more than clicks.

3 Key Takeaways

1. The experience economy is booming. Live events and in-person experiences are one of the fastest growing industries in the world. People want memories, not more stuff.
2. Fandom creates sales. When people feel connected, they tell others. That social proof can drive real revenue. Dawn shares how strong word of mouth can lift ticket sales by 30 percent.
3. Start small and focus on feeling. You do not need a massive event. A 15-person meetup can work. The real question is simple: how do you want your customers to feel?

Dawn Farrow works across the experience economy, supporting marketers who sell live events, theater, festivals, and immersive experiences. She also runs an in-person conference in London and leads training for experience marketers.

Connect with Dawn Farrow on LinkedIn. Follow On Sale Group on Instagram.

Connect with Alyssa Nolte on LinkedIn. Subscribe to Alyssa Likes to Talk on Substack.

If you care about rethinking how brands build real relationships, this one will stay with you.

Should you own a business someday?

Not someday as a dream… but as a real plan.

Scott Elliott believes every professional should pause at different stages of life and ask one hard question: Does business ownership belong in my future? Alyssa Nolte pushes back, shares her own leap into entrepreneurship, and explores what it really means to build something that can outlast you.

This conversation is about more than side hustles. It is about rethinking the future of customer relationships, income, and legacy. If you have ever felt the itch to start something, this one will hit.

Why listen?

Because most people never stop to ask if they are building a job… or building an asset. Scott and Alyssa unpack the difference between consulting, franchising, and true ownership. They also talk about timing, risk, family, and what freedom actually looks like.

Three key takeaways:

• Ask “why” before you start. If your reason is fast money, stop. Real ownership starts with clarity, not hype.
• Not all businesses are created equal. A consulting gig depends on you. A well-run franchise or service company can run without you.
• The right answer might be no. Scott shares why he often guides people away from franchising if it is not a fit. Good advice is not about pushing deals. It is about long-term success.

If you are climbing the corporate ladder… or quietly dreaming of something else… this episode will challenge you to think bigger.

Resources and People Mentioned:

• Scott Elliott, New Chapter Consulting
• Alison Wood Brooks, author of Talk
• Cisco
• Salesforce
• Amazon Web Services
• Great Clips
• McDonald’s

Connect with Scott Elliott at NewChapter.llc or on LinkedIn.

Connect with Alyssa Nolte on LinkedIn or find her Substack, Alyssa Likes to Talk

Fake it till you make it is dying. Customers are tired of the smoke and mirrors. They want honesty. If you are building a business and feel pressure to look bigger than you are, this conversation will hit home.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Chris Brown to talk about why people are thirsty for honesty and how authenticity can be a real business strategy. They dig into sales, marketing, social media, and the tension between needing cash and doing what is right for the customer. This is about rethinking the future of customer relationships through trust, not performance.

If you care about long term growth, brand trust, and building a business you can stand behind, you should listen.

Here are three key takeaways:

1. Honesty builds trust faster than hype Chris shares how a consultative sales approach wins more respect than pushing a bad fit. Saying “we are not the right partner” can actually create stronger relationships.
2. Fake it till you make it has limits Early stage founders often say yes to everything. Alyssa and Chris talk about when that works and when it creates your worst client nightmares.
3. Culture shapes authenticity They explore how honesty looks different across the US, the UK, Latin America, and Asia. Understanding cultural norms can change how you lead global teams and manage expectations.

This conversation is for founders, sales leaders, and operators who want to build real credibility in a noisy world.

Resources and people mentioned:

1. Charlie Munger
2. Warren Buffett
3. Good Charlie’s Almanack
4. Steven Bartlett and The Diary of a CEO
5. James Clear and Atomic Habits
6. Obvious Adams

If you are rethinking how you show up in business, this one is worth your time.

Accessibility is not a side project. It is a growth strategy hiding in plain sight. If you think accessibility is just about compliance, this conversation will change your mind.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Max Ivey to rethink what accessibility really means for business growth. Max makes the case: when you improve website accessibility and inclusion, you improve user experience, SEO, AI visibility, hiring power, and long-term customer loyalty. This is not charity. It is smart strategy.

If you care about revenue, customer experience, brand trust, or building a modern company, you should listen. Accessibility affects more people than you think. And many businesses are missing a massive, loyal market because they are overwhelmed or unsure where to start.

Three key takeaways:

1. Accessibility improves growth metrics. Better heading structure, alt text, captions, and clean code help search engines and AI understand your site. That means more organic traffic and better rankings.
2. Inclusion builds loyal customers. People with disabilities, aging consumers, and even left-handed users notice when companies try. They reward brands that make the effort. Loyalty, referrals, and long-term value follow.
3. You do not have to be perfect. Start with progress. Look at customer support complaints. Invite feedback. Make accessibility a process, not a one-time checklist.

Max also shares why companies that embrace accessibility attract purpose-driven talent. Younger employees want to work for brands that live their values. Accessibility becomes a hiring advantage.

Resources and people mentioned:

• Eric Weihenmayer, author of The Adversity Advantage
• David Steele, poet from the UK
• Less Annoying CRM
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
• TheAccessibilityAdvantage.com
• Max Ivey on LinkedIn

This is about rethinking the future of customer relationships. When you include more people, your business gets stronger.

AI is not just a Silicon Valley story. It is showing up in plumbing trucks, remodel crews, and job sites everywhere. This conversation rethinks who will actually lead the next wave of AI adoption and why it might surprise you.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Grant Fuellenbach to challenge the idea that AI belongs only to tech companies. Together, they unpack why blue collar and home service businesses may be better positioned to win with AI than most white collar teams. If you think AI is too complex, too technical, or not built for hands-on work, this episode will either prove you right or make you seriously rethink it.

You should listen if you care about practical AI, real-world adoption, and how better communication can create better customer relationships without adding more work.

Key takeaways

1. Blue collar businesses are using AI where it actually matters, like scheduling, estimating, and customer communication
2. AI can help trades charge a premium by improving clarity, follow-through, and trust with customers
3. You do not need to be tech savvy to start. Simple tools can create big gains when time and labor are tight

People and resources mentioned

• Notebook LM by Google
• ChatGPT
• Beyond the Bid podcast
• Go First Consulting

Rethinking the future of customer relationships starts by rethinking who AI is really for.

Buying leads is not the only way to grow. Cold calls are not the price of entry. This conversation challenges one of the most common myths in entrepreneurship and offers a simpler, more human path forward.

Alyssa Nolte sits down with Billy Sammons to rethink how relationships actually drive business growth. Billy makes the case that warm markets work from day one, even if you think you “don’t know enough people.” Instead of chasing strangers, he explains how to give real value, build trust, and grow through community. This is about rethinking the future of customer relationships by starting warm, staying genuine, and playing the long game.

You should listen if cold outreach makes your skin crawl, if buying leads feels wrong, or if you want a way to grow that actually feels like you. This is practical, grounded, and built for people who want results without selling their soul.

Key takeaways

1. You do not need cold calls or paid leads to start a business. Warm markets can work immediately.
2. Giving value only works if it is real, useful, and not a hidden sales trick.
3. Simple, repeatable actions done consistently beat complex marketing plans every time.

People and resources mentioned

• Live Local Warm Marketing website
• Five Day Warm Marketing Challenge
• Diary of a CEO podcast

Customer service is not becoming fully automated. It is becoming more human.

In this conversation, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rick DeLisi to rethink what AI is actually good at and where it clearly falls short. The big myth. That you can plug in AI and replace your entire support team. Rick explains why that idea breaks customer trust and how the real opportunity is using AI to support people, not erase them. If you care about experience, efficiency, and trust, this one is worth your time.

Rick brings decades of experience working with financial institutions and customer service teams. Together, he and Alyssa dig into what works, what backfires, and how companies can rethink the future of customer relationships without annoying their customers or burning out employees.

Why listen

This episode helps you stop chasing shiny AI promises and start building customer experiences that actually work. You will walk away with a clearer mental model for when AI helps, when humans matter most, and how to balance both.

3 key takeaways

1. About half of customer questions are simple and can be handled well by AI. The other half need a human. Mixing those up hurts trust.
2. AI works best when it helps agents do their jobs better, not when it tries to replace them entirely.
3. Being proactive can turn into being annoying fast. Good customer experience means reading the room.

This episode is part of The Growth Signal, a show focused on rethinking the future of customer relationships through real stories, real work, and real tradeoffs.

People and resources mentioned

• Rick DeLisi
• Glia
• Dan Kelley, CEO and co-founder of Glia
• Matt Dixon
• The Effortless Experience