Small Business Straight Talk | Time Management, Productivity & Business Strategy

Hosted by Amber De La Garza

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444

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Oct 2026

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About the show

If you're a successful, busy small business owner who wants the straight talk on self-leadership, personal productivity, financial clarity, operational efficiency, team leadership, and business strategy to maximize profits, reduce stress, and make time for what matters most, this top 1% podcast is for you! Tune in and subscribe to hear Amber deep-dive into business topics, provide actionable strategies, and interview guests about their expertise and business insights, so you can get results and succeed in business.

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60 recent

November 2, 2026Episode 43323 min

438 | Best Of Always Be Ready To Hire

If you don't take time to fully prepare for the inevitable loss of employees, you'll be forced to make time for it down the line, possibly at the most inconvenient of times. Empower yourself and set your business up for success by doing the work now. I dive into ways you can take back the power in your business owner-employee relationship and I provide actions you can take so that you'll always be ready to hire. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ What Being Ready To Hire Looks Like ✔ The Repercussions Of Not Being Ready ✔ Questions To Ask Yourself To Prepare For The Hiring Process ✔ What Difficult Conversations Need To Be Had ✔ Tips For Finding The Right Person Faster ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/201 P.S. Want to discover what's most holding you back in business and receive a personalized playlist to help you overcome those specific challenges? It only takes a few minutes to take the Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get on the path of taking your leadership and business to the next level! And… If you want help managing your time, creating efficiency, making a new hire, reducing the stress and overwhelm of running a business, or making strategic decisions that will help you level up your business, I'd like to talk to you. Let's discuss how we can partner together to help you get unstuck, reduce stress, and determine a clear path to increased profits! Schedule your Discovery Call

October 26, 202618 min

437 | Best Of How A Rapid Fire Power Hour Can Get You Back On Track

I introduce a strategy I use every week like clockwork to clear my task list so I can have more focused time to invest in my highest value activities. I dive deep into how you can keep low-value tasks from inundating you and running your week, discuss the immediate, positive effects of completing your weekly Rapid Fire Power Hour, and walk through the three questions to ask to determine which tasks should be completed during your Power Hour. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔️ The Best Way To Knock Off Tiny Tasks And Gain Momentum In Your Work ✔️ How Repurposing Just One Hour A Week Can Diminish The Monday Blues ✔️ A Sure-Fire Strategy To Minimize Distractions So You Can Be Ready To Tackle Anything ✔️ So Much More! I hope you enjoy my episode on doing a Power Hour and encourage you to start scheduling your own on a weekly basis. Now let's get to the straight talk! To access resources and links from this episode, visit https://amberdelagarza.com/119 P.S. Not sure what's holding you back? Take my free Next Level Business Owner Quiz to find out exactly where to focus. No fluff, just clarity. AmberDeLaGarza.com/QUIZ And… If you're tired of carrying the weight of unmade decisions and ready to get unstuck, I'd love to talk. Schedule a discovery call at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Call

October 19, 2026Episode 43633 min

436 | Best Of Step One: Admit You're The Problem

I dive into a topic I am so passionate about and that's taking ownership of whatever is holding you back from success. I talk about not judging yourself, but observing then empowering yourself to change your circumstances for the better. And it all starts with admitting you might just be the problem. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why Your Days Seem To Get Hijacked ✔ The Solution To Many Of Your Challenges In Business ✔ What Factors Influence Your Productivity ✔ Which App That Will Make You're the Most Productive ✔ So Much More! P.S. If you're tired of struggling to hold boundaries, communicate with confidence, or lead your team without constantly feeling frustrated, I'd love to help. Let's talk about what it would take to finally lead with clarity instead of chaos. Schedule your Discovery Call And... Take my Next Level Business Owner Quiz to find out what's most holding you back and get a personalized playlist to help you solve those pain points!

October 12, 202629 min

435 | Best Of Slowing Down To Go Fast

I dive into four easy ways of slowing down in order to move faster and more effectively toward your goals, despite their outward appearance of being counterproductive. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Benefits Of Slowing Down Even When You Don't Want To ✔ The First Thing To Go When Things Get Busy ✔ What Happens When You Invest In Others ✔ Why You Go Into Fire-Fighting Mode And How To Stop ✔ So Much More! P.S. Not sure what's holding you back? Take my Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get a personalized playlist to help you solve it. AmberDeLaGarza.com/QUIZ

October 5, 2026Episode 43444 min

434 | Best Of 3 Steps To Making Business Boundaries Successful

In this episode of Small Business Straight Talk , I walk you through how to do just that using my three-step framework I teach my clients - clearly identifying your boundaries, lovingly and clearly communicating them, and holding them. Following this framework consistently will help you achieve your goals quicker while preserving your sanity. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Numerous Benefits Of Establishing Boundaries ✔ My 3-Step Framework To Making Business Boundaries Successful ✔ The Missteps Small Business Owners Make With Boundaries ✔ How To Know What You Need To Show Up Your Best ✔ Why Others Are Confused About Your Boundaries ✔ So Much More! P.S. Want a strategy partner in your corner as you realign for the back half of the year? Schedule Your Discovery Call at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Call And… Not sure which area to focus on first? Take the Quiz to find your next best move at AmberDeLaGarza.com/QUIZ

September 28, 2026Episode 43320 min

433 | Best Of A Powerful Vision For Your Business And Life

I dive into the importance of having a vision for your business and a vision for your personal life. I also discuss everything you need to know about creating a vision board to effectively inspire you on your good days and stressed-to-the-max days, and keep you on track toward your goals! What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Ways Vision Boards Can Successfully Transform Into Your Reality ✔ How To Design Your Vision Board To Work For You ✔ Where To Put Up Your Vision Board And Why ✔ Exactly What To Put On Your Vision Board ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/214 P.S. Not sure where to focus first? Take my free Next Level Business Owner Quiz to find out exactly what's holding you back and what to prioritize next. → Take the quiz at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Quiz And… If you're ready to stop being the bottleneck and start building a team that actually runs without you, I'd love to talk. Schedule your Discovery Call at AmberDeLaGarza.com/Call

September 21, 2026Episode 22522 min

432 | Best Of If It's Not A 'Hell Yes!', What Is It?

I dive into one of the biggest reason business owners are constantly overwhelmed - they're simply taking on too many projects, meetings, partnerships, team members, and clients that aren't a 'hell yes,' which forces them to spend too much time, energy, and money trying to make them work - and discuss what to do instead. In this episode of Small Business Straight Talk , I dive into the issue of taking on too many projects, meetings, partnerships, team members, and clients that don't align with your vision of success' and talk about raising your standards by setting the bar at 'hell yes' for everything you choose to undertake. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ How To Raise Standards In Your Business And See Immediate Results ✔ What Happens When You Settle For 'I'll Make It Work' ✔ Tips For Hiring Your Next Team Member ✔ What To Do When A 'Hell Yes' Becomes A 'Hell No' ✔ How My Client Sidestepped A Potential Disaster ✔ So Much More! P.S. Ready to stop being buried in the day-to-day and start thinking strategically about where your business is going? I'm currently at capacity with coaching clients, but I'm still taking discovery calls. Let's see if we're a fit to partner together. If we are, you'll be first in line when a spot opens. Schedule your Discovery Call And… Want to find out what's most holding you back? Take my free Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get a personalized playlist to help you solve your biggest pain points. Take the Quiz

September 14, 2026Episode 43130 min

431 | Best Of Red Flag Clients Recognizing The Warning Signs

I dive into strategies to recognize red flags in both potential clients and current clients and lay out what to do about them to make sure you're not sabotaging your business and personal life. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Potential Client Red Flags To Watch Out For ✔ Current Client Red Flags Not To Ignore ✔ Why You're Turning A Blind Eye To Red Flags ✔ The Repercussions Of Ignoring Them ✔ Strategies For Saying No To Red Flag Clients ✔ Tips For Firing Red Flag Clients ✔ So Much More!

September 7, 2026Episode 43032 min

430 | Best Of Firefighter: Whose Fires Are You Putting Out in Your Business?

I dive into the concept of firefighting in your business, get to the bottom of who is at fault for many of the fires taking up your time and energy, and offer solutions so you can stop being a part-time firefighter IN your business and get back to working ON your business. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ The Types Of Fires You're Often Putting Out In Your Business ✔ Why & How They're Are Happening ✔ Who Is At Fault For Many Of Them ✔ What You Can Do To Prevent Those Fires ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, click on https://AmberDeLaGarza.com/240 . P.S. Not sure what's holding you back? Take my Next Level Business Owner Quiz and get a personalized playlist to help you solve it. AmberDeLaGarza.com/QUIZ

August 3, 2026Episode 42926 min

429 | Encore: All Or Nothing, Now Or Never

Why can't I get started? Even when you know exactly what you want, something keeps stalling you out. In this week's episode of the Small Business Straight Talk Podcast, I'm bringing back a favorite because the message is just as true today: getting stuck usually isn't a willpower problem, it's a thinking pattern. What You'll Discover In This Episode: ✔ Why All Or Nothing Thinking Quietly Sabotages Your Goals ✔ How To Spot The Thought Pattern Before It Stalls You Out ✔ The One Question That Breaks The Now Or Never Cycle ✔ What Path Of Least Resistance Looks Like In Your Business ✔ So Much More! To access resources and links from this episode, visit AmberDeLaGarza.com/429 P.S. If you've been telling yourself real change in your business is all or nothing, now or never, let's talk about what's actually possible right now. Head to AmberDeLaGarza.com/Call to schedule a Discovery Call. And… Take my free Next Level Business Owner Quiz to find out exactly what's holding you back. AmberDeLaGarza.com/QUIZ