Uncomplicating Business with Sara Torpey

Hosted by Sara Torpey

Business

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Episodes

191

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Business gets WAY less complicated when you keep it human. In the Uncomplicating Business world, we use a simple, flexible four-part framework—ground, plan, connect, sell—to help you simplify decisions, set (and keep!) effective timelines, and show up consistently without burning out. You’ll hear bite-sized solo episodes and thoughtful interviews that turn messy challenges into actual actions, from pricing with confidence to building trust with yourself, your offers, and your community. Come for the clarity, stay for the momentum. Let's create *functional success* - where successful businesses are one part of our successful lives - together.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 18, 2026Episode 1512 min

How to Uncomplicate Success: Fall Edition

This episode is for you if you feel like the real new year starts in September, and August is the moment to get ready for it (hello, teacher-friends ;)). For a lot of us, September through November is when we make the most progress all year. It's energizing, it's productive, and FLIES. And it means what you do (or don't do) in August actually matters. Today I'm sharing four simple things to do in the next few weeks so that when fall hits, you're already in motion: Three things you'll take away: --> Reconnect first. --> Sketch a fall plan and connect it to your offers. --> Before you add anything, take something off. Short, practical, and worth 12 minutes of your August. Ready for that? Listen on! Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

August 4, 202613 min

How to Reset Your Business in Under an Hour

This episode is for you if August has you feeling like it might be time to look at your business with fresh eyes - annnnnd you don't want to blow everything up in the process. A reset isn't about destruction - nope, It's about straightening the piles, putting away the chaos, and getting clear on where you are before you decide where you're going. Today I'm walking you through exactly what I do for myself every August - a simple recalibration that takes about less than an hour and leaves you with a real plan for the second half of the year. Three things you'll take away: *Start with25+ successes before you touch anything else. Your brain will tell you there are only five. It's wrong. Sit with it, let it percolate, and for the love, do. not. skip. this. step - knowing what's working makes you far less tempted to tear everything down. *Data without context is just nonsense numbers. Revenue, client counts, list growth - they don't mean much on their own. Adding context is where the real story is, and it's almost always better than you think. The reset isn't just about what to do or even to stop doing - it's about how you want the next six months to feel. Do more of / do less of / do none of is the framework, but the feeling question is what makes your decisions actually stick. This one's practical, fast, and something you can do with a notebook and a half hour. Let's go!! Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

July 23, 2026Episode 1345 min

The Alternative to Multitasking with Nadine Elsasser

This episode is for you if you're exhausted from all of the multitasking, you've done all the ways 'they' told you to do it different and you're still second-guessing yourself. My guest Nadine Elsasser spent 30+ years in corporate boardrooms in New York and London - and just as many years quietly in the world of intuition and deep inner work. Today she's a spiritual and transformational coach, and this conversation is a good one. Three (of the 92389) things you'll take away: Multitasking isn't a superpower — intuitive prioritization is, and they are not the same thing Your intellect and intuition aren't in competition — but one of them needs to be in charge first It's not "trust again" — it's trust deeper, and that changes everything about how hard it feels Ready for an amazing conversation and a deep breath? This is for you. Listen on! Find Nadine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-elsasser-consultant/ AND now on Substack (!): https://nadineelsasser.substack.com/p/a-return-to-writing?r=447v5m Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

June 16, 2026Episode 1218 min

How to get Unstuck: 6 Three-Word Questions Every Business Owner Needs

This episode is for you if you ever feel stuck, off track, or like your brain is running the show - and not in a good way. The other day, a client told me that the questions with the fewest words are always the most powerful ones. So I sat down and wrote out the questions I ask clients over and over again... the ones that create real change, real movement, and real progress. Turns out, not a single one of them is longer than three words (who knew?!). Today I'm sharing all six: What's working? (The one I lead with every single time, and yes, there's a reason for that) Is it true? (The assumption-challenger your brain really doesn't want to hear) What's the evidence? (Because your emotional brain and your data are often telling very different stories) Does it matter? (The fastest way to cut your to-do list in half) Why not? (The question I should have tattooed on my forehead) Now what? (The one I'm asking a lot of clients right now as we head into the second half of the year) These are post-it note questions. They're simple on purpose. And at least one of them is exactly what you need right now. Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab (Summer bonuses available through the end of June!) Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

June 2, 2026Episode 1114 min

The Messy Middle vs. Actually Hard: How to Tell the Difference

This episode is for you if you've been telling yourself "business is just hard"... and wondering if that's actually true, or if maybe you're making it harder than it has to be (doh). There's a real difference between the natural messiness that comes with growth (and yes, success is messy; no that's not the problem!) and the kind of hard that happens when you're taking 30 steps when 3 would do. Today we're talking about how to tell which one you're in. I'm sharing four common ways business owners turn the messy middle into an uphill battle: The role your expectations are secretly playing The gap between your plan and your actions (and what's actually creating it) What connection — or the lack of it — is doing to your momentum The confidence disconnect that makes selling feel way harder than it needs to The question I keep coming back to - one I learned from a colleague at Encyclopedia Britannica, of all places - is: what's the problem you're actually trying to solve? Because when you can answer? Everything else gets a lot simpler. You don't need to berate yourself to success. You don't need to be shoving yourself uphill. But you do need someone willing to ask you the hard question - because trust me, we are ALL very good at ducking it. Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

May 19, 2026Episode 1013 min

Simplifying Chaos: 3 Questions for Busy Business Owners

This episode is for you if your business is *technically* working… and it still feels like you’re running at full tilt, 24/7. You’re helping people, making money, and seeing results - and also wondering, “Why does this still feel so hard?” As our businesses grow, some things get lighter and others get a LOT heavier. There are more decisions, more offers, more moving parts, and more pressure to “do it again” because it’s worked before. When it gets heavy, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything is broken – it just means it’s time to simplify. Today I'm sharing three grounding + simplifying questions I use for myself and my clients, and we’ll talk about how to stop reinventing the wheel, trust what’s already working, and make your business feel like you again... just without burning yourself out. Remember - you’re not doing it wrong. Feeling maxed out usually means your business has outgrown how you’ve been running it. Here is the link to the event Kim and I are doing together on 5/20: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/higherprices Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

May 5, 2026Episode 947 min

High Ticket Sales for Helpers and Healers with Kim Kiel

In this episode, I’m talking with sales and messaging expert Kim Kiel about something so many helpers and healers struggle with: charging 'high ticket' prices for the work you love to do. We're talking through what it really means to treat sales as an act of service, why raising your prices isn't you being greedy, and the way niching down helps simplify sales and selling. If you’re worried you’re charging too much, offering way too much for free, or scaring people off with your prices, this conversation is for YOU. A few of the key takeaways: --> Sales as an exchange of value and a way to help people get what they actually need, it gets a lot easier to show up, build relationships, and invite people into paid work. --> Raising your prices to reflect your expertise and the transformation you provide doesn’t just support you -- it ALSO attracts more committed clients and gives you more room to offer scholarships, discounts, or free resources in a sustainable way. --> Getting clear on who you’re for and speaking to the folks who are already close to a yes makes your messaging sharper, your offers clearer, and your sales conversations a lot less stressful. Ready for these and more? Listen ON! Join our Here is the link to the event Kim and I are doing together on 5/20: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/higherprices Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

April 21, 2026Episode 812 min

What’s In the Way? How to Turn Stuck Plans into Progress

In this episode, we're talking about one of sneakiest places business owners get stuck: the GAP between thinking about what we want to do and actually doing it. We're talking about passive planning (the thinking and mapping things out) and active planning (putting those plans on your calendar and into motion), and how to bridge between the two. Three key takeaways: --> Passive vs. active planning: Both are essential—thinking time and calendar time—and progress depends on connecting them with clear decisions. --> It's mindset AND strategy: Sometimes the issue is time or tools, but also? It can be doubts like “no one will want this,” which stop you from even trying. -->Your calendar is a decision tool: Giving your business “client-level” space on your calendar is one way to create the structure that turns plans into revenue. Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

April 7, 2026Episode 745 min

Stop Pelting People with Pitches: Invitational Selling with Kristen Sobel

In this episode, I talk with my friend and *expert* sales coach Kristen Sobel about how to make sales human, honest, and maybe even kind of fun (?!). We talk through what sales really IS (relationship-building and trust) versus what we’re all afraid it is (pushy, gross, or slimy), and talk through the invitational version of selling that we both teach clients - which does NOT require pelting anyone with pitches. Kristen shares her uber-simple approach to sales through mindset, systems, and habits, and we get into the obstacles we ALL have including perfectionism, over-delivery, and all the sneaky ways we avoid selling—even when we want our businesses to grow. My favorite takeaways: Sales = Trust (Empathy + Authority) Sales is about FIT on both sides. If sales calls keep stalling,it's not that you’re “bad at sales.” Ready to avoid selling less and instead have sales and selling be a normal, sustainable part of running your business? Listen on! Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass

March 24, 2026Episode 616 min

Seven Crazy-Simple, High-Impact Tips for Business Growth

In this episode, I’m sharing seven crazy simple yet high-impact tips that can make a real difference in how your business feels and grows. These are small ideas pulled straight from real & recent client conversations, and they'll help you as much as they helped my clients :). The goal in this episode (and always, really) is to help you see that you don’t need to make giant changes or become someone you're not to succeed - - you just need simple, consistent practices that you can actually stick with. For example... Don’t bury the lead—be clear and direct first. Simple priorities have to live along side your long, overwhelming lists. Your business grows through discomfort and seasons. Ready for the whole list? Listen on! Join the Uncomplicating Business Lab Community: https://www.torpeycoaching.com/thelab Grab your free masterclass here: https://torpeycoaching.kit.com/freemasterclass