Episodes

  • Ep. 22: How to Build a Brand You Can Sell for Millions with Stevey Arroyo

    Ep. 22: How to Build a Brand You Can Sell for Millions with Stevey Arroyo
    Jul 7 2026
    Most founders treat their brand as a magnet for attention, never as an asset with a price tag. Stevey Arroyo builds his whole practice on the opposite idea: if you've built a brand, you should be able to sell it. In this conversation he walks Aditi through how brand becomes measurable enterprise value, why the exit starts years before the sale, and how to detach your identity from the business so the thing you built can outlive and outearn you.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsThe big "if": "If you've built a brand, sell the brand" starts with a real condition. Not every business needs a brand to succeed, but the founders who build one from the start hold an asset most never price.Captain to fleet: Founders go down with the ship because their identity is welded to it. The shift is owning a fleet of standalone assets so one can be sold, one can soar, and your nervous system is protected either way.Tangibility and valuation: Stevey works to the ISO 10668 brand valuation standard. The boring, tangible side is legal, financial, and behavioral, not color palettes or taglines. Own the trademark, sell for a premium, prove recurring revenue.Princess Diana's ring: The same sapphire ring fetches 50 quid on Facebook Marketplace and 50 million at Sotheby's. Value is subjective. Selling a business is no different: the right room and the right people set the number.Recurring revenue de-risks the multiple: People don't want the drill, they want the hole. Repeat customers and lifetime value prove demand over time, which justifies a higher multiple. Pimlico Plumbers built that brand and sold for a fortune; the man in the van across the street can never sell.Behind the BreakthroughStevey Arroyo is the founder of The Brand Exit, a brand equity advisory that helps premium lower-mid-market businesses raise their exit value through brand strategy, positioning, and ISO 10668-aligned valuation. His work sits where branding, commercial strategy, and M&A meet, turning intangible brand equity into enterprise value a buyer can understand, trust, and pay a premium for.His route there was anything but linear. He studied product and industrial design across England and Australia, then became a multi-award-winning competition bartender who treated every drink as a product and every serve as a marketing campaign. From there he moved through business development for a creative agency, then into technology and product management to shovel in the skill he was missing. At 30 he combined branding, product, sales, and tech into one practice built around a single anchor: every business ends, so prepare for that ending and sell the brand when you do.The Guest Said It Best“The way we define brand is what makes a customer choose you over your competitors and pay more for that pleasure.”“When a founder becomes an entrepreneur, they go from the captain of their ship to owning the fleet.”“If you break down what a multiple actually is, it's the promise of future net profit.”“It's not the drill that they want, it's the hole.”“Systems beat hustle every time, but you've got to hustle to create the systems.”“You've been the warrior, now become the sensei.”Key TakeawaysAdmit you'll sell one day. The first stage is acknowledging that at some point you may want to sell. That admission is what unlocks optionality; without an exit strategy, you don't have the option.Prepare years ahead, not weeks. Three years out is ideal and puts you ahead of the game. Under one year makes you a forced seller with a pack of wolves waiting. Preparation is what lets you dictate time, terms, and price.Protect the brand legally first. If you don't own the brand, you can't sell it. A proper trademark search might cost just north of two grand; the cost of not doing it is a disgruntled party filing your name and putting you on the back foot.Build recurring revenue and lifetime value. Repeat purchases and customers who climb through your ecosystem prove demand and de-risk the buyer. That is the financial and behavioral evidence that justifies a premium multiple.Reduce key man risk. Separate your personal brand from the business brand, build systems others can run, and hire the right people so the business works without you. Then sell on the up, while the line is still climbing.A Question for YouIf you decided today that you might sell your business seven years from now, what would you start protecting, systemising, and detaching from right now, and what is it costing you to keep the whole thing resting on you?Take the Next StepStevey helps established founders turn brand equity into exit value, starting with a brand audit that maps strengths, weaknesses, and gaps against the legal, financial, and behavioral standard. If you're beginning to imagine an exit, his work is a strong place to start treating your brand as the asset it already is.Website: https://thebrandexit.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveyarroyo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Ep. 21: Secrets to an Epic Personal Brand Photoshoot with Laverne Wyatt

    Ep. 21: Secrets to an Epic Personal Brand Photoshoot with Laverne Wyatt
    Jun 30 2026
    Most founders are still using a photo that is three to five years old. It no longer matches who they are, so they show up less and quietly shrink the vision. Laverne Wyatt fixes this for a living, and as this conversation shows, it is rarely about the photos. It is about closing the gap between who you are inside and how you appear to the world.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsShame sharing: When your visuals do not match your ambition, you post out of obligation. That image carries an energy of shame, reads as amateur, and pulls in clients and revenue at that level.Like attracts like: A four-year-old photo shows a half-capacity version of you, so it draws opportunities at that level. Raising the price or retweaking the landing page does not fix it if the image stays the same.The invisible founder: Smart, ambitious people talk themselves out of being seen. The real barrier is fear of the camera and the risk of a result they cannot use.Discomfort is the signal: If a pose feels comfortable, you are probably slumping. The slight strain of holding it right is the first sign you will look good on camera.She cannot make you like yourself: An hour into a shoot, a client kept hunting for flaws. Laverne named it. She can handle the styling, posing, and lighting, but not the self-criticism. The client shifted, relaxed, and the photos changed.Behind the BreakthroughLaverne Wyatt is a brand photographer and strategist and the founder of Onbrandia. After more than 23 years in brand design across Norway, South Africa, and global markets, she saw that what founders were missing was not better photos. It was a process built around who they are becoming.She shoots on location across Europe in natural light, with no filters and no AI editing. Her work combines brand strategy, styling, and direction so the result is a set of usable assets, not just nice pictures. She is known for making the process fun and for helping founders feel safe in front of the camera.The Guest Said It Best“You need to look like the price you want to charge now.”“My job is to hold a vision of who I see them becoming.”“I can put makeup on you, help you, show you how to sit, what to wear, all of those things. But I cannot help you to like yourself.”“The only reaction that matters to me is, wow, is that me?”“Technology is not a miracle, it's not going to save us. Everyone thinks a new technology is going to save them. You have to focus on emotions.”Key TakeawaysAudit your assets for gaps. Review your website, LinkedIn, posts, and speaker sheets first. The goal is a usable shot list, not 30 nice photos you cannot use.Plan before you shoot. A good shoot starts weeks earlier with a strategy session and a founder questionnaire. That work sets the location, wardrobe, and direction so the day itself feels safe.Build a signature look around your brand colors. You do not need a whole new wardrobe. Add a few core pieces and brand-colored accessories so you still feel like yourself while sending the right cues.Practice your poses in advance. Run through poses in the mirror to build muscle memory. Expect mild discomfort on the day. That strain means you are doing it right.Do the inner work too. Styling cannot replace self-acceptance. Deciding you are worth showing up as your best self is what makes everything else land.A Question for YouThink about the photo you keep using because updating it feels risky. What is that old image costing you in visibility and opportunity, and what would change if you let yourself be seen as the founder you are becoming?Take the Next StepLaverne creates founder photoshoots planned and shot on location across Europe. Visit her site to download her guide to professional poses, then book a Photoshoot Strategy Call.Website: https://www.onbrandia.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/laverne_ws/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lavernewyatt/ ________________________________________________________________________________Connect with Making of an EmpireThank you for tuning in to another episode of Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.Connect with Aditi:Website: https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Ep. 20: How to Protect Your Cash Flow and Get Paid with Zakia Khalid

    Ep. 20: How to Protect Your Cash Flow and Get Paid with Zakia Khalid
    Jun 23 2026
    Every business owner knows the sick feeling of an unpaid invoice. The work is done, the relationship was good, and then the payment simply does not come. Zakia Khalid recovers that money for a living, and she does it without the baseball bat. This conversation is about asking for what is yours, and why doing so is not the thing that damages a relationship.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsIt takes two hands to clap: Chasing an invoice four times does not make you the one harming the relationship. The party who stopped honouring the agreement took the first step.Are they really your best client? A customer who places lots of orders but never pays on time may not be the asset they appear to be.The compounding cost: An unpaid bill costs twice: once for the work already done, and again for the time and energy spent chasing it.The missing S: One client chased payment for ages with no reply. She had been sending invoices to an email address missing a single letter. Once corrected, the payment came through.Pay the small businesses first: Aditi shares her own early policy of letting a large telecom bill default before ever leaving a small supplier waiting, because the small business feels it and the giant does not.Behind the BreakthroughZakia Khalid is an independent solicitor, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, specialising in debt recovery and litigation from pre-action conduct through to enforcement. Her model is built around accessibility and affordability, giving small and medium-sized businesses the kind of legal support that larger firms often price out of reach.She is a trusted partner to finance companies, debt collection agencies, and businesses across the UK and internationally, known for clear, commercially sound advice that favours resolution over the courtroom. She also hosts the podcast Calm the Conflict: The Art of Resolution.The Guest Said It Best“It takes two hands to clap.”“Are they actually your best customer if they are not paying you on time?”“Time is energy. So give it, put it in the hands of a specialist.”“It can be done with compassion. It can be done with grace, debt recovery. It doesn’t have to be all ugly.”“Don’t be afraid to ask for what is yours.”“Every business deserves to be paid for the work that they do.”Key TakeawaysReframe who is harming the relationship: If you have chased politely and repeatedly, you are not the one putting the relationship at risk. The non-payer already did.Build a one-page credit control process: Write down when invoices go out, when reminders follow, and the point at which you escalate. Most digital invoicing tools can automate the reminders for you.Make payment terms and methods crystal clear: Put your terms, any late penalties, and your bank details plainly on the invoice or in a signed contract. Vague or unsigned agreements make recovery slower and harder.A formal demand signals seriousness: A solicitor’s letter before action shows the other side you are ready to take the next step, and it often moves you up a long line of waiting creditors.Pick up the phone before sending another email: When a larger client stalls, the finance team is often detached from the work. Speaking directly to the people you work with moves things faster than another reminder in the inbox.A Question for YouThink about the invoice you have been putting off chasing. What is really stopping you from picking up the phone today, and what would it take to ask, plainly, for what is already yours?Take the Next StepZakia helps businesses recover unpaid invoices and trains credit control teams across the UK, including those contracting with parties abroad. She also hosts the podcast Calm the Conflict: The Art of Resolution, on mediation and alternative dispute resolution, available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.Website: www.zakiakhalidlaw.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zakiakhalid/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/40xJaA8cXxnLhHWkvCJT9U?si=c1256d6870214eaf _______________________________________________________________________Connect with Making of an EmpireThank you for tuning in to another episode of Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.Connect with Aditi: Website: https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/ Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Ep. 19: Resetting Your Most Crucial System with Bassam Alaujan

    Ep. 19: Resetting Your Most Crucial System with Bassam Alaujan
    Jun 16 2026
    What does it take to climb 25 years to the top of the corporate world, managing director, CEO, every box ticked, and discover the summit is empty? In this episode, Aditi sits down with executive performance advisor Bassam Alaujan for a conversation about the moment external success and internal collapse arrived at exactly the same time. This is not a story about slowing down. It is a story about learning to regulate the one system every leader runs on and most never think about: themselves.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsThe Top of the Mountain Moment: Bassam ticked every box on the way to managing director and CEO, then reached the summit and found nothing he was looking for. Why arriving felt like emptiness, not victory.The Double Hit: How a near-bankruptcy and a divorce landing at the same time became the rock bottom that forced him to stop and ask what he was actually doing.The Untamed Horse: Bassam's image for the mind, and the gym-like, repeat-it-daily practice of nervous system regulation that turns it from master into servant.The Reset Between Meetings: Why five minutes of breathing between one meeting and the next is the difference between showing up clear and exploding on whoever happens to be in front of you.Running From or Running Toward: The question Bassam puts to clients caught in the hamster wheel, and why most people would rather not know the answer.Behind the BreakthroughBassam Alaujan spent 25 years building companies, teams, and a career that looked, from the outside, like it was working. He served as Managing Director of JCDecaux Saudi Arabia, Director General of the Saudi Exports Development Authority, and CEO of a fintech startup. Along the way he navigated near-bankruptcies, led through COVID, and delivered results under sustained pressure. What the results didn't show was the cost. When that gap became impossible to ignore, it began a different kind of investigation, one combining performance neuroscience with intensive contemplative practice, including silent retreats and breathwork immersions.Today, Bassam works as an Executive Performance Advisor and Coach. He works with CEOs and senior leaders who are performing at a high level and beginning to sense it isn't sustainable. His focus is the physiological foundations of leadership performance: sleep, nervous system regulation, and cognitive load. He holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, is fluent in Arabic, English, and Japanese, and is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The Guest Said It Best"You can't control every outcome. The only thing you can do is show up and be the best version of yourself." "When I reached the top of the mountain, I did not find what I was looking for." "The problem is that our mind is giving us that perceived fear that we are living in, but the reality is not.""Lonely is when I don't feel heard, when I don't feel seen, when I don't have people who feel what I feel." Key TakeawaysAwareness is the Starting Point: You cannot change a pattern you cannot see. Becoming the witness of your own thoughts and body sensations is where every shift begins.Regulation is a Muscle, Not a Mood: Breathwork and presence aren't one-off fixes. Like training in a gym, they're built through daily repetition until returning to centre becomes the default.Mind What You Consume: The information you take in shapes your nervous system the way food shapes your body. What you scroll before sleep becomes the first thing your mind reaches for at dawn.Bookend the Day with Gratitude: Opening on gratefulness fills your cup. Opening on your to-do list puts you in deficit, owing more than you have to give.Enough Safety to Drop the Mask: Find the one person, coach, mentor, or friend, you feel safe enough around to take off every cape and hat. That, not advice, is where the real work gets done.A Question for YouBassam reached the top of everything he was chasing and found it empty, then rebuilt by getting still rather than getting more. So if you paused right now and honestly asked yourself what you are running from, or running toward, what would the answer be?Take the Next StepBassam runs an Elite Performance advisory practice for CEOs and senior leaders who are performing at a high level and sensing it isn't sustainable. If that's you, his work is built for exactly that moment.Connect with Bassam: Website: https://bassam.alaujan.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bassamalaujan _________________________________________________Connect with Making of an EmpireThank you for tuning in to another episode of Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.Connect with Aditi: Website: https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/ Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Ep. 18: How to Set and Achieve Exponential Goals with Rickson Dsouza

    Ep. 18: How to Set and Achieve Exponential Goals with Rickson Dsouza
    Jun 9 2026
    What does it take to go from 138 kilograms, 80-hour work weeks, and $2 million of debt to running across the Sahara Desert, building a team of 13, and writing life insurance cover for families worth half a billion dollars? In this episode, Aditi sits down with her long-time collaborator Rickson Dsouza for a conversation seven years in the making. This is not a story about overnight success. It is a story about radical clarity, earned one hard decision at a time.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsThe Misguided Ambition Phase: Rickson's name for the season of his life where more transactions, more hours, and more hustle felt like the only path forward. And why the data eventually proved that wrong.The Neil Moment: A chance conversation at a Strategic Coach session in Toronto that rewired everything Rickson believed about how a business should work. Four deals a year. $4 million in revenue. A completely different game.The Debt That Sharpened the Focus: How $573,000 of debt compounding at 30% per annum forced Rickson to stop saying yes to the wrong clients and start engineering a model built for the right ones.The 60 Appointments Bank: How Rickson structures his entire year around 60 client appointments, a fixed number with a specific goal attached. And why that constraint has produced more results than 132 transactions ever did.Your Bad Day is Someone Else's Best Day: Rickson's closing philosophy on comparison, mentorship, showing up, and trusting a process that has delivered 18 consecutive years of Top of the Table results.Behind the BreakthroughRickson Dsouza is the founder of Successio Global, a Dubai-based succession planning and advisory firm helping high and ultra-high-net-worth entrepreneurs protect and transition their wealth with clarity and purpose. With over 25 years of experience, he specialises in legacy and succession planning, large-value life insurance, and cross-border solutions for family businesses across the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.A 23-year MDRT member and 18-time consecutive Top of the Table qualifier, Rickson is also the founder of Successio Academy, creator of The Advisors Growth Program, and bestselling author of Take CONTROL: The Financial Advisor's Guide to Exponential Income Growth. His mission is to put 5 million financial advisors through his programme and have $3 billion of life insurance in force by 2030.Beyond the business, he is a two-time Marathon des Sables finisher, an Ironman-distance athlete, and a firm believer that the discipline required to finish a race across the Sahara and the discipline required to build a legacy business are, at their core, exactly the same thing.The Guest Said It Best"There is a limited amount of time. Even if you want to say there's 14 hours a day available to work, even then, it's still limited.""I didn't come up with any solutions on my own. I just looked at people who were more successful than I was, figured out what they were doing, and just copied and pasted that solution.""Do you need to be doing everything just because you can do it? Or wouldn't it be amazing to be in your zone of excellence, in your unique ability space, and be able to delegate everything else?""Your bad day is somebody else's best day. What you're calling your situation today is somebody else's ideal situation. They want to be in your shoes."Key TakeawaysClarity of Audience is a Revenue Strategy: Rickson went from 132 transactions a year to 4 new clients a year, and grew his income significantly in the process. Knowing exactly who your right fit client is and having the discipline to wait for them is not a luxury. It is the model.The God Complex Will Cost You: The belief that you are the only person who can do the work is the single biggest bottleneck in most businesses. Rickson's team of 13 is not overhead. It is the engine that allows him to show up in his zone of genius every time.Let the Data Lead: Rickson does not set goals based on ambition alone. He sets them based on what the previous year's data tells him is possible and necessary. That removes ego from the equation and keeps the process honest.Enough is Not a Weakness: Knowing when you have done what you set out to do, and choosing not to chase more for the sake of it, requires more discipline than growth. Rickson calls it thinking from abundance, not from comparison.Find Your People and Show Up: Mentors, coaching programmes, honest conversations. Rickson credits the rooms he chose to be in as much as the decisions he made inside them. The right support group does not just encourage you. It pulls you forward.A Question for YouRickson built 18 consecutive years of Top of the Table results not by doing more, but by getting clearer. Clearer on his client, his process, his team, and his definition of enough. So what is the one area of your business right now where more clarity, not more effort, would make the biggest difference?Take the Next StepRickson's book Take CONTROL: The Financial ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 17: The Missing Pillar: Why Accountability Alone Isn’t Enough with Rebecca Scoular

    Episode 17: The Missing Pillar: Why Accountability Alone Isn’t Enough with Rebecca Scoular
    Jun 2 2026
    The most ambitious version of you already exists. She is not waiting in the future. She is already in the room. In this episode, Aditi sits down with Rebecca Scoular, founder of Progress Partners, to explore what it actually takes to build a business without losing yourself in the process. Think less noise, more clarity. Less isolation, more community. And a whole lot more permission to stop.Let's Dive Into the HighlightsThe Thinking Gap: Why the most successful entrepreneurs are not the ones working hardest, but the ones who protect space to think clearly, make better decisions, and lead from a calmer place.Failure as a Filing System: Rebecca and Aditi unpack why the best entrepreneurs do not just survive failure, they mine it for wisdom and reframe it as the most honest teacher in the room.The Mindset Muscle: Is a growth mindset coachable? Rebecca makes the case that it absolutely is, and shares the simple daily practice inside Progress Partners that trains the brain to find the win, even on the hardest days.The Energy Flow Framework: Why time management alone is only half the system. Rebecca introduces her framework for matching the energy you bring to the tasks that need it, so nothing important gets your leftovers.The Accountability Levels: From a soft check-in to a full level five 'no excuses' sprint, Rebecca explains how to choose the right kind of accountability for where you actually are, not where you think you should be.Behind the BreakthroughRebecca Scoular has spent over two decades in rooms with entrepreneurs. She has seen what separates the ones who thrive from the ones who stall, and it rarely comes down to strategy. It comes down to clarity, the courage to ask for help, and the willingness to stop long enough to actually think.She is the founder of Progress Partners, an invitation-only community built on three pillars: clarity of thinking, accountability, and the kind of peer community where egos get left at the door and real relationships take their place. Through weekly sessions, in-person workshops, and structured accountability, Rebecca has created a space where founders can step off the treadmill, see their businesses clearly, and move forward with confidence.Her approach is not about adding more to your plate. It is about creating the conditions where you can finally access the answers you already have inside you.The Guest Said It Best"If you've got anything where you think it's perfect, you're in trouble.""The best entrepreneurs out there are the ones that have probably failed the most. And they see themselves not as failing, but as having an opportunity to learn.""You have the answers inside of you. That's really what coaching is. It's just drawing the answers out of you.""If you don't take a break, your body's going to do it for you."Key TakeawaysSpace is a Strategy: Protecting time to think is not a luxury, it is the foundation of every good decision. If you are always in the doing, you are running the business blind.Reframe Before You Move On: Processing failure is not wallowing. It is the work. Moving straight past it means carrying it into your next decision, from a scarcity headspace.Wins Are a Daily Practice: Waiting until the end of the year to acknowledge progress is too long. Small, daily wins compound into a mindset that is genuinely resilient, not just performing resilience.Match Energy to Task: Switching between tasks that need different energy types is one of the most draining things you can do. Batch by energy, not just by time.The Right Community Changes Everything: Accountability only works when there is genuine respect, likability, and a shared rhythm. The wrong room is worse than no room.A Question for YouRebecca says that the future version of you is not out there somewhere in the distance. She is already inside you right now. So what would it look and feel like if you stopped chasing that version of yourself and started making decisions as if you were already her?Take the Next StepReady to find your community? Rebecca's work through Progress Partners is designed for established business owners who are ready for their next level, without burning out to get there.Connect with Rebecca:Website: https://progress-partners.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-scoular-14763a7/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scoularrebecca/________________________________________________________________________Connect with Making of an EmpireThank you for tuning in to another episode of Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.Connect with Aditi:Website: https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/ Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Episode 16: Pivoting for Growth with Susanne Todnem

    Episode 16: Pivoting for Growth with Susanne Todnem
    May 26 2026

    Aditi sits down with Susanne, the visionary founder of Poynt, to challenge the "hustle harder" narrative that keeps so many entrepreneurs stuck. This episode is a masterclass in the courage required to dismantle a successful but draining business model to make room for a scalable, high-profit empire.


    Let’s Dive Into the Highlights

    • The Cinnamon Bun Trap: Why being "the best" at a service you no longer enjoy is the fastest way to stall your growth.
    • The 30-Hour Work Week: How Susanne has successfully maintained a four-day work week for a decade while serving top-tier corporate clients.
    • Revenue vs. Profit: Understanding why a smaller, leaner business can often result in a much larger personal take-home pay and more freedom.
    • Auditing for Autonomy: How to transition from being the person who "does the work" to the person who "leads the strategy."


    Behind the Breakthrough

    Susanne spent a decade building a high-performing agency before realising she was on a "merry-go-round" of execution-based tasks. By radically pivoting toward strategic advisory and board positions, she reclaimed her vision and scaled her influence without increasing her hours.

    A "forever learner" and former PayPal specialist, Susanne has founded five companies and invested in nine startups. Today, as the General Manager at Poynt, she bridges the gap between high-level marketing and AI for the energy and IT sectors. Beyond the boardroom, she is a Keynote Speaker, a Podcast Producer, and a Lecturer at the University of Stavanger and BI.


    The Guest Said It Best

    "Don't let fear run your business."

    "The most important thing is just to get started, right?"

    "It's scary obviously, but it's also necessary sometimes to do the scary things"

    "I want to be proud of the work that I do and if I know that I'm not creating a change anymore then I don't want to be there"



    Key Takeaways

    1. Efficiency is a Choice: If you give yourself a 40-hour window, tasks will expand to fill it; restricting your time forces you to be more effective.
    2. Profit is the Only Real Metric: High revenue is a vanity metric if your costs, and your stress levels, are equally high.
    3. The Goal is Autonomy: A true empire should serve the founder's life, allowing for freedom of time and the “audacity” to say no to misalignment.
    4. Leverage Modern Tools: AI shouldn't just be a convenience; it should be the engine that automates your "low-value" tasks so you can focus on your unique genius.


    A Question for You

    Susanne proves that efficiency is a choice, not a luxury. If you were forced to run your entire empire in just 30 hours a week, what 'faffing around' would you have to cut today to make it work?

    Connect with Susanne:

    • Website: www.poynt.no
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todnem/
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susannetodnem/
    • Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/no/podcast/avdelingsm%C3%B8te/id1506734170
    • Sign up to On Poynt here: https://www.poynt.no/nettbutikk/medlemskap


    Connect with Making of an Empire

    Thank you for tuning in to Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.


    Connect with Aditi:

    • Website:https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/
    • Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 1 min
  • Episode 15 - Make Communication Your Superpower with Ty Hoesgen

    Episode 15 - Make Communication Your Superpower with Ty Hoesgen
    Jan 31 2025

    The Help Me Unlock Podcast has been rebranded to Making of an Empire. Same magic, same awesome guest line-up, just a bit of that empire energy!

    --

    Have you ever felt like you were "stuck" with the personality you were born with? Aditi sits down with communication coach Ty Hoesgen to challenge the idea that confidence and charisma are fixed traits. In this episode, we explore how communication is actually a muscle you can build one "rep" at a time to transform how you show up in your business every single day.


    Let’s Dive Into the Highlights

    • The 3C Success Formula: Ty breaks down his core model for professional growth: Confidence, Charisma, and Clarity.
    • The "Gym" of Communication: Aditi and Ty discuss why improving your speech is exactly like lifting weights; you might not see the "muscle" immediately, but consistent reps lead to a total transformation.
    • Unfamiliar vs. Unauthentic: That "fake it till you make it" feeling is usually just the discomfort of doing something new. If a habit feels weird, it’s likely just unfamiliar, not a sign that you're being untrue to yourself.
    • The "Point-Reason-Point" Method: A simple structure to ensure your main message is the first and last thing people hear.


    Behind the Breakthrough

    Ty Hoesgen didn’t start as a "natural" leader; he grew up as a shy kid on a small farm, often letting his sister do the talking for him. His turning point came during a painfully embarrassing boardroom meeting where he realised that "getting by" wasn't enough. By obsessively researching and practicing, he discovered that communication is a learnable skill that can radically advance your career—a journey he now helps others navigate through the Advanced Growth Institute.


    The Guest Said It Best

    “Stop trying to be interesting and start being interested.”

    "The people who are the best communicators, they're the ones who get the promotions. They're the ones who get the raises. They're the ones who get the opportunities."

    "When you take up space, you're telling the world, and your own brain, that you belong there."

    "Your body language speaks before you even open your mouth. It's the first thing people notice, and it's the thing they remember the most."


    Key Takeaways

    1. Confidence is Two-Sided: It involves the external (voice/body language) and the internal (the belief that you are worthy of being listened to).
    2. Stop Consuming, Start Experimenting: Reading books won't make you a better speaker; you have to put the tools into practice in real conversations.
    3. The Power of Recording: Record your sales calls or meetings; you’ll notice "autopilot" habits like rapid blinking or "ums" that you never knew existed.
    4. Active Listening is a Superpower: Use the phrase "It sounds like..." to mirror back what you’ve heard, which builds trust and clarifies misunderstandings immediately.


    A Question for You

    If you look at the leaders you admire most as you build your own empire, is it their technical knowledge you're drawn to, or the way they make you feel when they speak? What is one 'behavior' of theirs—like a confident pause or a warm smile—that you can start practicing in your own meetings this week?



    Take the Next Step

    Ready to find your voice? You can find Ty’s free 7-day course, Speaking Like a Confident Leader, at howtospeakbetter.com.

    Connect with Ty:

    • Website: https://www.advancedgrowthinstitute.com/
    • LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tyhoesgen
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tyhoesgen/


    Connect with Making of an Empire

    Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Making of an Empire! Our mission is to help you unlock the tools you need to build a business and a life that reflects your highest potential.

    Connect with Aditi:

    • Website: https://www.plentitudestrategy.com/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditijnewey/
    • Substack: https://substack.com/@aditijnewey



    Show More Show Less
    59 mins