This podcast helps service-based entrepreneurs and business owners scale their businesses in any economy without overworking or overwhelm. The goal is to create a valuable asset you could sell (if you wanted to) while enjoying life and freedom as you scale it. Here, you turn your business into a client-attracting gem and become a high-performing CEO. About the Host: Maggie Perotin is the founder of Stairway to Leadership. As an international business and leadership coach, Maggie helps service-based business owners start, grow, and scale their businesses without overworking or being overwhelmed. With her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, her clients scale while transforming into high-performing CEOs of their businesses. This is what USA Today wrote about this model in the article titled: "How Stairway to Leadership is turning small businesses into high-profit ventures." "(...) her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, she helps her clients align their mindset, business strategy, and high-performance habits to transform their businesses from an unreliable source of income to a super-productive client-attracting gem. Maggie adds that she uses all her knowledge and experience to help her clients grow their businesses in a strategic and innovative way while supporting them in building a successful business that consistently attracts their ideal clients. She specializes in helping them build a brand that showcases their uniqueness to reach their full potential, becoming the powerful CEO they’re capable of being." Maggie has over 15 years of experience in corporate leadership in various business domains and coaching. She holds an executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute. Maggie lives in Toronto, Canada, with her blended family with four kids. She loves spending time in nature, traveling, reading, dancing, good food, and giving back. To learn more, head to www.stairwaytoleadership.com To work with Maggie and gain break-through clarity on why your business isn't scaling- schedule a free 50-min consultation https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call
Listen to episodes
60 recent
August 17, 20264 min
How to Overcome the Mind Slump When Business Is Slow - MM 267
The slow season isn't what's hurting your business. The mind slump is. Last week I coached several entrepreneurs — at completely different stages of growth — dealing with the exact same thing. Business was quiet. And instead of taking action, they were sitting in their heads, doing nothing, believing every story their brain was throwing at them. In this Maggie's Moment, I'm sharing the three-step approach I coached them through — so you can grow your business even when things feel slow. In This Episode Why the stories your brain tells you during slow periods are keeping you stuck — even when they feel true Where 90% of your time should go when you're not delivering services How to build a plan in advance This One Is For You If... Business is slower than you'd like right now You find yourself doing nothing during quiet periods You want a simple framework to stay in action even when motivation is low And if you want my help with building a strategic marketing and sales plan that will work even in slower seasons, book a complimentary consultation here .
August 14, 2026Episode 26632 min
AI Won’t Save Your Business. But It Will Expose What’s Broken About It - EP # 266
The Truth About AI Nobody Is Talking About Everyone is rushing to implement AI. Automate the emails. Automate the onboarding. Automate the follow-ups. And yes, AI is a genuinely powerful tool. I use it in my own business, and I teach my clients how to use it well. But here's what I think we're not talking about enough. AI doesn't fix a broken business. It exposes one. And if you automate what's already broken, AI will make those problems move faster, and at a larger scale. In this episode, I'm sharing five things AI is going to expose in your business, and what you need to fix before you start automating anything. What You'll Hear in This Episode: The biggest misconception about AI — why "what can AI do for me?" is the wrong first question, and what to ask instead. 5 things AI will expose in your business - listen to find out what they are 5 questions to ask yourself before you automate anything — a practical framework for knowing whether your business is actually ready. Accelerator vs. multiplier — the distinction that will change how you think about AI entirely. What a business worth owning actually looks like — and why that's the real conversation AI is forcing us to have. The Key Idea to Take Away AI amplifies what's already there. Great process plus AI equals great process, faster. Broken process plus AI equals broken process, faster. The businesses that will benefit most from AI aren't the ones with the most sophisticated tools — they're the ones with clean data, clear processes, defined ownership, and strong foundations. This Episode Is For You If... You're thinking about implementing AI in your business but aren't sure where to start You feel like your business is growing but getting messier at the same time You're the bottleneck in your business and everything runs through you You want to build something that works — with or without AI Happy listening!
August 10, 20264 min
How to Ensure your Q4 Numbers Make 2026 the Best Year Yet - MM 266
Many business owners slow down in summer and wonder why Q4 is slow. The two are connected. What you do today shows up in your results 60-90 days from now. In this Maggie's Moment, you'll learn what to do so that your Q4 2026 is the best one yet.
August 7, 2026Episode 26526 min
Should You Hire a Business Coach or a Business Consultant? Here's How to Decide - EP # 265
Are You Looking for a Coach or a Consultant? Most business owners aren't entirely sure. And honestly, most don't know they need both until they've tried one without the other and wondered why the results didn't stick. In this episode, I'm breaking down what coaching and consulting actually mean in the traditional sense, where they differ, where they fall short on their own, and why the combination of both is what produces real, sustainable business growth. What You'll Learn from This Episode: The traditional consulting model — what it is, what it does well, and the one critical gap that prevents strategies from ever getting implemented. The traditional coaching model — what it actually means to be coached, why pure coaching isn't always enough for a business owner who needs direction, and what makes it so powerful when combined with the right expertise. Why most entrepreneurs need both — and what happens when they only get one. How I work — why I call myself a business coach but bring 18+ years of corporate and entrepreneurial expertise directly into my work, and why I give both strategic direction and deep mindset support in the same engagement. Real client results — what this combination actually produces in practice. How to know what you need — three honest questions to help you figure out what kind of support would move your business forward right now. This Episode Is For You If... You've invested in coaching or consulting before and felt like something was missing You know what you should be doing but can't seem to do it consistently You're looking for support to grow your business faster and simpler and want to make an informed decision You're curious about what business coaching actually involves beyond accountability calls Book a complimentary consultation to explore what the right support looks like for your business → https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call-1
August 3, 20265 min
Fully Booked Is Not the Finish Line. Why Service Business Owners Need to Think Bigger - MM 265
Is "Fully Booked" Really the Goal? Being fully booked feels like success. And in many ways, it is. But if you are the only one delivering your service, every dollar you make still requires your direct time and energy. That's not a business. That's a job you created for yourself. In this Maggie's Moment, I'm challenging one of the most common — and costly — mindsets I see in service-based business owners: the belief that fully booked is as far as they can go. In This Maggie's Moment: Why being fully booked is a milestone, not a destination The real opportunity that owning a business gives you — and why so many people never tap into it The limiting beliefs that keep talented, successful business owners stuck at their income ceiling A real client story that shows how a path to scaling always exists — even when it seems impossible Why not exploring how to scale isn't playing it safe. It's leaving wealth on the table. This One Is For You If... You're at or near fully booked and not sure what comes next You've told yourself your business "can't be scaled" The idea of building a team or changing how you operate feels overwhelming You haven't yet allowed yourself to ask — but what if I could? Connect with Maggie: https://stairwaytoleadership.com
July 31, 2026Episode 26430 min
9 Books That Changed My Life And Why I'm Recommending Them to You - EP # 264
This One's a Little Different. I read a lot. Business books, self-development, the occasional novel on vacation. And for years, people have been asking me — clients, colleagues, family — what I actually recommend. So today I'm sharing nine books that didn't just teach me something. They genuinely shifted how I think, how I lead, how I show up as a business owner, a coach, a mom, and a partner. But here's what makes this list different from every other "books I love" episode out there. I'm not just telling you what the books are about. I'm telling you why I read them, what was happening in my life at the time, and what specifically changed because of them. Because that context is what makes a recommendation actually useful. A Few Hints of What's on the List: A mindfulness book that turned a self-proclaimed non-meditator into a convert and started everything else on this list. A business fable about team dysfunction that I used to turn around one of the most broken teams I'd ever inherited, without replacing a single person. A book that gave me permission to admit I'd been shrinking in rooms I'd earned the right to be in. A classic that completely dismantled the hidden belief that being ambitious and being a good person are somehow in conflict. And one that will completely change how you set goals, in a way that feels counterintuitive until it suddenly makes total sense. That's just five. There are four more, including one on money that has nothing to do with strategy and everything to do with the beliefs quietly running your financial decisions. Who This Episode Is For: Anyone who loves books and is always looking for the next great read Entrepreneurs who want to understand the mindset and inner work behind building a successful business Leaders who want to grow their teams, their confidence, and their thinking Anyone who has ever felt held back by self-doubt, money blocks, or fear of thinking too big After You Listen Have you read any of these? Is there a book that changed your life that you'd recommend? Find me on Instagram or LinkedIn, I'd love to add it to my reading list. 📧 maggie@stairwaytoleadership.com 🌐 https://stairwaytoleadership.com
July 27, 20265 min
My lesson of Building Self-Trust as an Entrepreneur - MM 264
There's a skill that sits beneath every strategy, every decision, every bold move you make in your business. And most people don't talk about it nearly enough. Self-trust. In this Maggie's Moment, I'm sharing one of the biggest and most personal lessons from my entrepreneurship journey. One that's deeply connected to why I left corporate in the first place, and why it still surprised me when I got here. Has self-trust been a journey for you in your business? I'd love to know — drop a comment or send me a message (on IG or LinkedIn - links below). This one is close to my heart. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-perotin-business-and-leadership-coach/ https://www.instagram.com/maggie.perotin.s2l/
July 24, 2026Episode 26326 min
The Blueprint vs. The Box: How I Tailor My Coaching to Every Client - EP # 263
Most business coaches hand you a box and tell you to fit inside it. Maggie does something different. In this episode, Maggie pulls back the curtain on the philosophy behind the Sustainable Scale System — why she built it, how it works (showcasing three different client stories), and why the same proven framework produces completely different starting points for every client she works with. If you've ever wondered how Maggie actually works with her clients — this is the episode to listen to. What You'll Learn: Why most business owners unknowingly piece together disconnected strategies and why that keeps them stuck The difference between a holistic business framework and a rigid one-size-fits-all formula The research-backed reason your business can only grow as far as your thinking can grow Why being too prescriptive as a coach can actually hurt clients, and what Maggie does instead How the same system produced completely different starting points for three very different clients What never changes across every client Maggie works with, and what always adapts Why scaling without systems is one of the most common and costly mistakes service-based business owners make Resources & Links Mentioned: 🎯 Book your FREE complimentary consultation with Maggie and find out exactly which part of the Sustainable Scale System™ you need most right now, https://www.stairwaytoleadership.com/ Enjoyed this episode? ⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 📤 Share with a fellow business owner who's tired of random strategies that don't add up to real growth
July 20, 20264 min
Doing It Scared - MM 263
In this Maggie's Moment, I'm getting real about fear in entrepreneurship: what it actually is, why waiting for it to go away is keeping you stuck. Then I share three practical steps to help you move forward anyway. Every time you grow, every time you reach for the next level, you'll face something you've never done before. Your brain won't love it. But the business owners who get where they want to go aren't the ones born fearless; they're the ones who learn to move forward anyway.
July 17, 2026Episode 26237 min
What Most Business Owners Can Learn About Success from Elite Athletes - EP # 262
This Summer, Sports Gave Me a Masterclass in Business FIFA World Cup. Wimbledon. Blue Jays baseball. A live WNBA game with my daughter. This summer, sports has been everywhere, and as I watched these incredible athletes compete, I kept seeing the same parallels to what we face as business owners every single day. The grind. The setbacks. The comebacks. The quiet years before the big moment. The hard seasons nobody talks about. In this episode, I'm sharing seven lessons from the world of elite sports that apply directly to building and scaling your business — drawn from athletes whose stories stopped me in my tracks this summer and connected to real moments from my own journey and my clients'. Some of these will challenge how you see where you are right now. Some will give you permission to keep going. All of them are worth a listen. In This Episode, You'll Hear About: A 40-year-old athlete who became one of the most talked-about figures at this year's FIFA World Cup — and what his story means for every entrepreneur who's ever doubted their timing What the world's current number one tennis player did after one of the most shocking losses of his career A Toronto Blue Jays star having the hardest season of his career — and the business lesson hiding in plain sight What my daughter and I witnessed live at a WNBA game that perfectly captures what building a business actually feels like What You'll Walk Away With A mindset shift for wherever you are in your business journey right now Real perspective on comparison, hard seasons, and resilience The reminder you might need to keep going — and keep playing Complimentary consultation with Maggie — if this episode resonated and you want to talk about where you are in your business, what's feeling hard, and what's possible, book your complimentary consult with maggie here - https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call-1 Or visit her website: https://stairwaytoleadership.com
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