Most small business owners are naturally great at sales — it's their business, their passion, and they've lived it from day one. The problem? What lives in their head is almost impossible to transfer to a team.

In this episode, Bradley sits down with Nikki Rausch, founder of Sales Maven and author of The Selling Staircase, to talk about what it actually takes to build a sales team that performs without you. From structure and tonality to training, coaching, and the metrics that actually matter — this one is packed.

Nikki Rausch is the founder of Sales Maven and has spent over 25 years in professional sales — rising from her first job (landed via a college project) to becoming the top-producing rep in North America for one of the largest companies in the world. After discovering neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and its power to transform how we communicate, Nikki left the corporate world to teach relationship-based selling to entrepreneurs. She's now helped hundreds of business owners close more sales without feeling pushy or inauthentic. She's also the host of the Sales Maven podcast and the author of three books, including The Selling Staircase.

1. Website: yoursalesmaven.com.
2. Free Training: yoursalesmaven.com/above.
3. Podcast: Sales Maven (available wherever you listen to podcasts).

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive...

What if the reason you feel stretched thin has nothing to do with how much time you have — and everything to do with where you're putting it? In this episode, Bradley breaks down one of the most impactful exercises a small business owner can do: the time and energy audit. He traces the idea back to its roots, makes the case for why energy matters just as much as hours, and gives you a clear framework for getting started.

Books & Resources Mentioned

• Buy Back Your Time — Dan Martell.
• The Effective Executive — Peter Drucker.
• Alex Hormozi (time study concept).
• Alex Charfen / EPT (Entrepreneurial Personality Type).

Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

In this episode of the Above the Business podcast, Bradley sits down with Dustin Booth, a successful small business owner who's navigated the challenging journey from burnout to building a thriving, sustainable business. This conversation is part of our Small Business Blueprint series, where we unpack the real strategies that business owners use to grow from under $500K to over $2M in revenue.

Dustin shares his honest blueprint for business owners who've experienced burnout or felt unfulfilled despite outward success. Discover how he's built a scalable business by focusing on team development, strategic recruiting, and the often-overlooked connection between personal wellness and business performance.

Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

Ever feel like your notes, files, and ideas are scattered everywhere? You're not alone. In this episode, Bradley tackles one of the most common challenges for business owners: personal knowledge management. From books and podcasts to conference notes and client materials, learn where to put everything so you can actually find it when you need it. Bradley shares his proven three-system approach that will help you optimize for retrieval, not just organization.

Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

"At the very core of everything we do is about meeting and exceeding expectations."

Marc Haine shares how theatrical principles can transform your small business's customer experience. Drawing from his unique journey from hospitality consultant to stage actor, Marc reveals why most businesses fail to meet basic customer expectations and provides practical strategies to elevate every customer touchpoint.

Marc Haine is the author of Lights, Camera, Action and a former hospitality industry fixer with 25 years of experience working with hotels, casinos, and restaurants.

• Marc Haine's website: markhaine.com (free touchpoint assessment available).
• Book: Lights, Camera, Action by Marc Haine.

Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Your best hours are going to fires. Decision fatigue is real. And your team senses it.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

Bradley Hamner breaks down a powerful lesson from Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" documentary about the fundamental difference between playing to win versus playing not to lose—and how this mindset shift can transform your business leadership.

Register Now! Lead Yourself First: February 24th - an Above The Business Workshop

FREE workshop for business owners who planned well but are running on fumes.

You set the goals in January. You aligned the team. You built the plan.

But six weeks in, you're exhausted.

Your best hours are going to fires. Decision fatigue is real. And your team senses it.

Here's the truth: Your business won't grow beyond you until you lead yourself first.

Join Bradley for a FREE 2-hour workshop on February 24th at 10 AM CST.

You'll build your Personal Operating System, Decision Framework, Energy Protection Plan, Role Clarity Matrix, and 90-Day Accountability Structure.

Space is limited. https://blueprintos.com/assets

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.

"Does your behavior match your stated objectives? If you claim you want to scale the business but you have no framework or capacity building plan in place, there's a disconnect." - Chris Papin.

What if your business struggles aren't about working harder—but about whether your daily actions actually match what you say you want to achieve? In this conversation, Bradley sits down with Chris Papin, attorney and CPA, to explore the critical gap between stated objectives and actual behavior in business.

Chris shares his framework for thinking about business decisions through three lenses: personal, community, and client impact. He unpacks why most business owners don't truly understand their financials (and why that's costing them), the business judgment rule that separates smart decisions from lucky ones, and why Tom Brady's success on offense came from his defensive genius.

If you've ever felt out of alignment with your own goals or wondered why your numbers don't reflect your stated priorities, this episode will give you a fresh perspective on getting above your business.

What Working Above the Business Means to Chris:

"It's gonna shift during where I am in the life cycle of my business. But what it means to me is I go back to the original vision. I have kind of three components that are in my vision: There's a personal piece, there's a community piece, and then there's a client-side piece.

The personal piece is the internal me, my team, the objectives there. The community is elevating others. Obviously we want to take care of our clients. If I focus on those three pieces and really recognize what's at stake and work my business to achieving those objectives, I'm above the business doing the right things I need to do as a business owner to steer people to those objectives.

Fully knowing that I am also the licensed professional where I have to be in my business from time to time to do that too. I'm okay with that because that's what I signed up for, but that distinction matters because I do have to step out of my technician's role to get up into that entrepreneurial role."

This episode of Above the Business is for business owners who are ready to stop reacting and start leading with clarity, intention, and alignment between what they say they want and what they actually do.

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll...

Time to bring back a word you probably don't use enough in your business: quotas. In this solo episode, Bradley breaks down why setting specific, measurable, time-bound performance goals for your team isn't just a sales concept—it's a clarity tool that transforms how you coach, manage, and drive results across your entire organization.

"How did your sales team perform as a percent to quota in January? If they had to sell 50 widgets and they sold 55, they were over 100% to quota."

Setting defined timeframes and defined outcomes creates the foundation for effective coaching and accountability. When your team knows exactly what's expected, you can coach them toward specific targets instead of vague goals like "do more."

Visit BlueprintOS.com to learn about the 2026 Above The Business Workshops, our coaching programs, and resources designed specifically for small business owners who want to build systematic, scalable operations that don't require your constant presence.

Thanks to our sponsors...

Coach P found great success as an insurance agent and agency owner. He leads a large, stable team of professionals who are at the top of their game year after year. Now he shares the systems, processes, delegation, and specialization he developed along the way. Gain access to weekly training calls and mentoring at www.coachpconsulting.com. Be sure to mention the Above The Business Podcast when you get in touch.

Autopilot Recruiting helps small business owners solve their staffing challenges by taking the stress out of hiring. Their dedicated recruiters work on your behalf every single business day - optimizing your applicant tracking system, posting job listings, and sourcing candidates through social media and local communities. With their continuous, hands-off recruiting approach, you can save time, reduce hiring costs, and receive pre-screened candidates, all without paying any hiring fees or commissions. More money & more freedom: that’s what Autopilot Recruiting help business owners achieve. Visit https://www.autopilotrecruiting.com/ and don't forget to mention you heard about us on the Above The Business podcast.

Direct Clicks is built is by business owners, for business owners. They specialize in custom marketing solutions that deliver real results. From paid search campaigns to SEO and social media management, they provide the comprehensive digital marketing your business needs to grow. Here’s an exclusive offer for Above The Business listeners: Visit directclicksinc.com/abovethebusiness for a FREE marketing campaign audit. They’ll assess your website, social media, SEO, content, and paid advertising, then provide actionable recommendations. Plus, when you choose to partner with them, they’ll waive all setup fees.

About Above The Business:

Above The Business is hosted by Bradley Hamner, founder of BlueprintOS, and focuses on helping small business owners transition from Rainmaker to Architect. Each week, Bradley shares frameworks, interviews successful entrepreneurs, and provides actionable insights for building businesses that run without you. Whether you're doing $300K or $3M in revenue, this show will help you get above your business and design the systems you need to scale.