Business Roundtable

Hosted by David W. Carr

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145

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the Business Roundtable Podcast , hosted by David Carr of Steward Your Business. This engaging and informative podcast series is dedicated to helping business owners, and entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of running a successful enterprise. Each episode features David Carr and a roster of industry experts, including regular contributors like Curtis Cochran, who bring their wealth of experience in mergers and acquisitions, organizational health, and team building. Dive into discussions that cover a broad range of topics essential to business growth and sustainability. From strategic planning and preparation to understanding the cycles of business ownership, the podcast provides invaluable insights into evaluating, enhancing, and exiting business ownership. Listeners can expect practical advice on scaling businesses, managing finances, and creating a culture that aligns with company goals. What sets this podcast apart is its focus on actionable strategies combined with real-world experiences. The conversations often delve into the importance of providing more value than the dollars earned and the necessity of adaptability in a rapidly changing business landscape. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, the Business Roundtable Podcast is vital for staying ahead in today's competitive market. Join David Carr and his guests as they explore the art of making a business profitable but also enjoyable and sustainable. Tune in for your dose of inspiration, guidance, and tools to make 2024 and beyond a resounding success for your business ventures. Become a podcast supporter at just $2 a month at https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support .

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60 recent

June 15, 202643 min

Why More Visibility Might Just Be More Noise

Most business owners think PR is about getting featured. More placements, more visibility, more attention. Ronica Cleary says that is exactly where it goes wrong. Visibility without a strategy behind it is not a win. It is just noise.Ronica is the founder and CEO of Cleary Strategies and a former White House correspondent who spent years in newsrooms before building her agency. In this conversation with David Carr she pulls apart what PR actually is, and why chasing placements so often backfires. Your business alone, she says, is rarely newsworthy. The real work is figuring out what is.She walks through the period of discovery her team runs with every client, turning a founder's story into four to six clear pillars, why a guarantee of a set number of placements every month is a red flag, why she personally turned down a media hit that looked like an obvious fit, and how thinking like a producer instead of a publicist is the difference between a pitch that lands and one that dies in an inbox. Running underneath it is the Steward Your Business idea that PR is not just about getting attention, it is about being ready for it.You will walk away able to tell whether your own message would hold up once it lands, and with a simple self-check to see whether you are even ready for PR.Connect with Ronica Cleary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronica-cleary/Cleary Strategies: https://www.clearystrategies.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

June 12, 202638 min

Leading With Purpose When Your World Turns to Ashes

What do you do when your world turns to ashes? In one season, Elaine Lankford faced a yearlong attack on her character, lost her father, and watched her husband get a cancer diagnosis. Then, on a mission trip, she heard God whisper, "Go home and raise up my daughters."That whisper became She Steps Forward. Elaine is the founder of She Steps Forward Coaching and the nonprofit She Steps Forward International, and she spent over 16 years in nursing before coaching women into their callings. A certified John Maxwell Team member, she now mentors women through the hardest first years of building a business, ministry, or nonprofit, in the United States and across Africa.In this conversation, she and David Carr talk about leading with purpose through adversity, why a God-sized dream is supposed to feel bigger than you, and the confidence gap and comparison game that keep capable women stuck. She shares the picture of Mary and Elizabeth from Luke 1 that anchors her work: who is pouring into you before you step forward, and who are you pouring into? Running underneath it is the Steward Your Business conviction that leading yourself well is where everything starts.You will walk away with permission to dream bigger and a simple first step to take when you feel the pull toward something more.Connect with Elaine Lankford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-lankford/She Steps Forward Coaching: https://www.shestepsforwardcoaching.comShe Steps Forward International: https://shestepsforwardinternational.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

June 2, 202640 min

Why Your Business Can't Run Without You

Most owners think they have a people problem, a time problem, or a strategy problem. Usually, it's none of those — the business is just built to keep everything flowing back to you.Carol Schultz, Founder & CEO of Vertical Elevation, has spent 30 years as a recruiter and executive coach, helping CEOs stop being "hostages" to their own companies. In this conversation, she unpacks founder's syndrome, why "just hire the right person" rarely works (hint: you're the common denominator), and the succession mindset that separates owners who scale from owners who stay stuck.She also walks through her Organizational Scaffold System — a roughly 12-week process that closes gaps in communication, accountability, and structure, and then places a chief of staff to act as the CEO's copilot. Plus, a simple pen-to-paper exercise you can start this week to see where your time really goes. Carol Schultz — author of "Powered By People," Inc., and CEOWORLD columnist, host of "Authentically Successful."Website: https://verticalelevation.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolbschultz/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 14, 202637 min

Before You Deploy AI, Ask These Questions — Or Pay the Price | Jill Stover Heinze

You are moving fast on AI. Your team is experimenting. You are deploying tools. But you have not asked the critical questions that will determine whether you are building competitive advantage or exposing your business, your people, and your customers to serious risk.Jill Stover Heinze has spent her career helping organizations think through complex technology decisions. When generative AI hit the market, she realized that speed was replacing judgment. Companies were racing to deploy without asking basic questions about data, bias, security, privacy, and alignment with their values. She created an AI Trust Architecture framework to help leaders slow down and ask the right questions before deployment, not after something breaks.In this episode, David Carr and Jill break down what responsible AI governance actually looks like in practice, which questions every leader should be asking right now, and why slowing down is not falling behind.In this episode:Why most organizations are making Band-Aid decisions about AI instead of building intentional governanceThe fundamental difference between speed and readiness in AI deploymentWhat data flows you should be questioning in every AI tool you considerHow to identify and evaluate bias before it impacts your customersThe role of privacy and permissions in responsible AI adoptionHow to align AI decisions with your core values and business strategyWhy your instinct that something is not right about an AI implementation deserves serious attentionThe four AI horizons framework for asking the right questions at each stageAbout Jill Stover Heinze: Jill Stover Heinze is an AI Trust Architect and founder of Saddle-Stitch Consulting. With a background in user research, product strategy, and library science, Jill has spent over two decades helping Fortune 500 companies and institutions think through complex technology decisions. She is currently the Responsible AI Program Director at the American College of Financial Services and has championed AI governance functions across multiple organizations. Her approach combines human-centered design with rigorous risk assessment.You cannot build trust in AI by rushing its deployment. You build it by asking hard questions, being transparent about limitations, and aligning technology decisions with human values. That is what governance is actually for.If this episode made you realize you have been moving too fast on AI without asking the right questions, that is the conversation to have with your team this week. Share this with one leader who needs permission to slow down. Links mentioned in this episode:Jill Stover Heinze on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-stoverheinzeSaddle-Stitch Consulting: https://www.saddlestitchconsulting.comAI Horizons Framework: Available through Saddle-Stitch ConsultingThe American College of Financial Services Responsible AI Program: https://theamericancollege.eduBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 13, 202639 min

You're Making Yourself Obsolete — Here's How to Become Indispensable in the AI Era | Nikki Barua

You built your career on accumulating knowledge, protecting your territory, and holding onto status. That strategy made sense in the old world. In the AI era, it is making you invisible.Nikki Barua has spent 25 years leading large-scale transformation at Fortune 500 companies and building high-growth businesses as a serial entrepreneur. What she has watched happen in real time is a fundamental shift in how power works. Old power was currency you hoarded it, protected it, and held on tight. New power is current; it flows, it democratizes, and the more you give away, the more valuable you become. AI has accelerated this shift dramatically. And for Gen X leaders like you, that means everything you were taught about success is now working against you.In this episode, David Carr and Nikki break down why holding on to knowledge, status, and control is making leaders obsolete, what new power actually means in practice, and how to completely reimagine your business and your leadership before the window closes.In this episode:Why Gen X leaders trained on old power principles are at the highest risk of becoming invisibleThe difference between old power and new power, and why AI has fundamentally changed the equationWhy incremental thinking will destroy your business in the exponential AI eraHow to think in terms of zero resource constraints to unlock exponential visionThe 90-day sprint methodology for building momentum and collective confidenceWhy waiting for certainty is actively ensuring your failureOne action item you can take today to stop waiting and start reinventingAbout Nikki Barua: Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and CEO of FlipWork, a platform transforming organizations into agentic enterprises where people and AI collaborate. With 25 years of experience in digital transformation and organizational change, Nikki has advised Fortune 500 companies and built multiple high-growth businesses. She is the author of Beyond Barriers and is recognized as a thought leader on reinvention, leadership, and the human future in the AI era.The most powerful technology on Earth is still the human being. But that human has to be visible. They have to be sharing their wisdom. They have to lead with influence, not hoard knowledge. That is what we believe at Steward Your Business.If this episode made you realize you have been holding on to things that are making you obsolete, that is the conversation to have with yourself right now. Share this with one Gen X leader who needs to hear it.Links mentioned in this episode:Nikki Barua on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibaruaFlipWork: https://www.flipwork.aiNikki's Weekly Newsletter: https://www.nikkibarua.com/newsletters/reinvention-roadmap/subscribeBeyond Barriers book: https://www.nikkibarua.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 12, 202640 min

Small Businesses Don't Need to Be Large to Be Massive | Chip Higgins on Momentum

Most business owners believe they need to get bigger to be successful. Chip Higgins believes the opposite and forty years of banking experience backs him up.Chip Higgins spent four decades in banking, working directly with thousands of small business owners. What he observed was that size had almost nothing to do with success. Some of the most impressive businesses he worked with were small. What made them exceptional was momentum a real, measurable force that operates according to the laws of physics, not metaphor. In his book The Bizzics Way, Chip distills momentum into one equation borrowed from physics: mass times velocity. The businesses that understood this equation and intentionally built both dimensions thrived. Those that didn't eventually hit a wall.In this episode, David Carr and Chip break down what momentum actually is, why most business owners confuse activity with progress, and the three variables every leader must get right to build a business that lasts.In this episode:Why momentum is not a metaphor but a real force operating in your business right nowThe energy equation: how to assess where your personal energy is and how it impacts everything elseWhat direction means and why clarity about where you are going is non negotiableThe difference between mass and scale and why small businesses can be massiveWhy leadership is learnable and how developing yourself is the foundation of everything elseHow to identify whether your business is building linear momentum or just spinning in circlesAbout Chip Higgins: Chip Higgins is the founder of Bizzics and author of The Bizzics Way: Powering Your Small Business to Maximum Momentum. With over forty years of experience in banking and business leadership, Chip has advised thousands of small business owners on strategy, growth, and sustainable success. He is a founding member of the John C. Maxwell Team of certified leadership coaches and continues to blend practical business wisdom with transformational leadership coaching.Every business needs momentum. Not luck, not timing, not a better product. Momentum. And momentum requires both mass and velocity. That is exactly what we are building at Steward Your Business.If this episode made you realize your business is spinning in circles instead of building forward momentum, that is the conversation to have. Share this with one leader who needs to hear it. Links mentioned in this episode:Chip Higgins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiphiggins-072a754Bizzics: https://www.chiphiggins.comThe Bizzics Way book: https://www.chiphiggins.comEnergy Check resource: https://www.chiphiggins.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 11, 2026Episode 13545 min

The Body Your Business Runs On Is Breaking Down — Here's How to Fix It | Bryan Hardy

Your business is demanding everything you have. Your body is paying the price. And by the time you realize how much damage you've done, it may be too late to avoid the crash.Bryan Hardy nearly died at eighteen from a ruptured appendix and spent his twenties rebuilding his health from the ground up. What he learned in that process — and what he has spent the last decade helping other high-performing men discover — is that energy, digestion, mental clarity, and physical vitality are not luxuries. They are the foundation that everything else in your life is built on. When your body breaks down, your business, your relationships, and your leadership all break down with it.In this episode, David Carr and Bryan break down why men in their forties and fifties are running on empty, what's actually causing the fatigue and brain fog that feels permanent, and the micro-aligned habits that create real change without requiring you to become obsessed with optimization or rigid protocols.In this episode:Why your body has been sending you warning signs for years and what you have been ignoringThe three biggest mistakes high-performing men make that keep them stuck in cycles of fatigue, digestion issues, and burnoutHow gut health directly impacts brain fog, energy, motivation, and even your ability to leadWhy sleep is the one thing that moves the needle faster than anything elseThe science behind isolation and why connection is as critical to your health as what you eatTwo action items you can implement today that will create real change without requiring perfectionAbout Bryan Hardy: Bryan Hardy is the founder of Revitalized Man, a coaching program that helps fathers, founders, and professionals reclaim their energy, fix their digestion, and rebuild their vitality without extremes. A Certified Holistic Nutrition Practitioner with over a decade of experience, Bryan has personally overcome severe health challenges and now works with men who know they are capable of more but are being held back by fatigue, brain fog, and burnout.You cannot lead what you will not steward. And you cannot steward your business if you are not stewarding your body. That is what we believe at Steward Your Business.If this episode made you realize your body has been trying to tell you something you have been ignoring, that is the conversation to have. Share this with one man who needs to hear it. Links mentioned in this episode:Bryan Hardy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-hardyb4662875Revitalized Man: https://www.revitalizedman.comBryan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revitalizedmanBryan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revitalizedmanBryan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/revitalizedmanBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 8, 2026Episode 13445 min

Why Most Leaders Aren't as Credible as They Think — And What to Do About It | Mitchell Levy

Most leaders believe they are credible. Most have never actually tested that assumption — and the gap between how they see themselves and how others experience them is costing them trust, influence, and opportunity.Mitchell Levy has spent decades in Silicon Valley coaching executives, writing 65 books, founding 20 companies, and interviewing hundreds of thought leaders to answer one deceptively simple question: what does it actually mean to be credible? What he found is that credibility is not just about being trusted. It is about being trusted, known, and liked — and most leaders are quietly failing on at least one of those three dimensions without knowing it. In this episode, David Carr and Mitchell break down the Executive Abundance framework, the Clarity Formula, and why the first step to becoming a more credible leader has nothing to do with your marketing and everything to do with how you show up before the camera turns on.In this episode:Why credibility is defined as being trusted, known, and liked and what most leaders get wrong about all threeThe Clarity Formula: how to articulate where you are executing on your purpose in ten words or lessWhy 90 percent of people never find their purpose and what to do insteadHow Executive Abundance reframes leadership success across five stakeholder groups beyond just investors and revenueThe connection between AI, human empathy, and why replacing people with bots is a credibility problem not just a technology decisionTwo things you can do today to immediately become more credible as a leaderAbout Mitchell Levy: Mitchell Levy is a 2x TEDx speaker, executive coach, Global Credibility Expert, and international bestselling author of 65 books. A member of Marshall Goldsmith's exclusive 100 Coaches program, Mitchell has founded over 20 companies in Silicon Valley, coached hundreds of executives, and helped more than 1000 leaders and organizations articulate their purpose in ten words or fewer. He is the creator of the Executive Abundance framework and is currently completing his doctorate. Most leaders know they should be building trust with their teams and clients. The harder question is whether the way you show up every day is actually earning it. That is the work we do at Steward Your Business.If this episode made you think about how your team and your clients actually experience you, share it with one person whose honest feedback you have been avoiding. Links mentioned in this episode:Mitchell Levy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchelllevyWebsite: https://mitchelllevy.comExecutive Abundance: https://www.executiveabundance.comCredibility Nation: https://www.credibilitynation.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 7, 2026Episode 13341 min

Your Team Is Telling You What's Broken — You're Just Not Hearing It | Polly Watt and Mike Vos

Most leaders think they know what's happening inside their organization. Most are wrong and the gap between what they believe and what's actually true is where talent exits, projects stall, and money quietly disappears.Polly Watt and Mike Vos are the co-founders of WattNext.ai and the creators of ViVo Pulse, an AI-powered organizational diagnostic tool that interviews your entire team in the time it takes a consultant to talk to eight people. What comes out the other side is something most business owners have never had: the actual truth about what is working, what is broken, and who is holding things together or quietly tearing them apart.In this episode, David Carr sits down with Polly and Mike to break down why most leaders are solving the wrong problems, what organizational friction is really costing companies, and how AI is making deep organizational diagnostics accessible to businesses that could never afford traditional consulting.In this episode:Why leaders consistently overestimate their organization's health and what the perception gap between executives and frontline staff actually looks likeHow ViVo Pulse interviews up to 60 people an hour with full anonymity and turns those conversations into 134 scored data pointsThe four most common breakdowns in growing companies: systems, processes, leadership, and knowledge managementWhy the cost of unresolved organizational friction almost always dwarfs the cost of diagnosing itHow private equity, VCs, and banks are using organizational diagnostics as part of due diligenceWho this tool is built for and the minimum company size that makes it workAbout Polly Watt and Mike Vos:Polly Watt is the CEO and co-founder of WattNext.ai, with a background in global learning and development spanning Microsoft, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and EY. Mike Vos is co-founder of WattNext.ai, an accomplished business strategist and senior executive with a track record of driving growth and operational excellence. Mike blends deep marketing acumen with a passion for elegant problem-solving through AI-driven solutions, helping leadership teams unlock hidden potential, align strategy with execution, and create lasting organizational transformation. Together, they built ViVo Pulse to give leaders the organizational truth that traditional consulting has always promised but rarely delivered.When your people have the answers and no safe way to share them, the organization pays the price. Getting to the truth faster is what Steward Your Business is built around, too.If this episode made you wonder what your team would say if they could really speak freely, that is worth exploring. Share this with a fellow leader who is flying blind. Links mentioned in this episode:Polly Watt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pollywattMike Vos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeavosWattNext.ai: https://www.wattnext.aiViVo Pulse Sample Report: https://wattnext.ai/doc/ViVoPulseDiagnostic_ExampleFullReport_TechScaleInc.pdfFriction Calculator: https://friction-wattnext.netlify.appBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business

May 6, 2026Episode 13248 min

No Plan Is a Plan to Fail | Marc Daniels on Strategy That Actually Gets Executed

Most business owners have goals. Very few have a plan. And according to Marc Daniels, that difference is costing them everything.Marc L. Daniels has spent over 45 years building, turning around, and scaling companies across 16 countries. He helped grow Diligent from a two-customer startup to a $941 million acquisition. He turned a bankrupt company into $80 million in revenue. He has seen every version of a business that runs on ambition alone and no strategic foundation. What he finds every single time is the same problem: smart, talented people running companies without a real plan.In this episode, David Carr and Marc break down why most business plans fail before they start, what the nine components of a real strategic plan actually look like, and how to build a weekly execution rhythm that keeps your strategy alive all year long rather than collecting dust after January.In this episode:Why a spreadsheet forecast is not a strategy and what the difference actually costs youThe four core components every strategic plan must have to survive contact with realityHow to identify and ride emerging market trends before your competitors see them comingWhy your plan needs to be rebuilt every quarter in today's business environmentHow to run a weekly execution meeting that drives accountability without destroying moraleThe one thing you can do today to stop drifting and start building a business with directionAbout Marc L. Daniels: Marc is a globally recognized business strategist, executive coach, and the founder of MarcLDaniels.com. Known as the Billion Dollar Coach, Marc has guided hundreds of companies through strategic planning and hands-on execution across more than 16 countries. He is the co-founder of Diligent, which sold for $941 million, and has served as COO, CMO, and CEO across more than a dozen companies since launching his first business at age 19.Most leaders know what they want their business to become. The hard part is building the system that actually gets you there. That is the work we do at Steward Your Business.If this episode hit close to home, share it with the leader on your team who keeps saying they will get to the plan next quarter. Links mentioned in this episode:Marc L. Daniels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-ldaniels-231456a3Website and Entrepreneurial Readiness Assessment: https://www.marcldaniels.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-roundtable--6049255/support.Connect with Steward Your Business:Book a Leadership Clarity Call: https://calendar.stewardyourbusiness.com/ccCall: +1 909.404.9865Website: https://stewardyourbusiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwcarrWatch more episodes and subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@steward_your_business