Upleveling

What if the biggest thing holding your business back is you?

In Part 2 of “If I Bought Your Business Today,” we break down how we would audit an owner’s time, automate inefficient processes, evaluate the competition, and build a more intentional marketing strategy.

From protecting time for revenue-generating work to figuring out where your last 10 customers actually came from, this episode is about creating a busine...

What would I do if I bought your business today?

Season 2 of Upleveling kicks off with a practical look at the first moves I’d make to uncover where a business is really making or losing money. In part one, we’re digging into gross profit margin, employee production, rework, and pricing, plus the financial details many business owners overlook.

If you want a more profitable business, these are three areas worth examining ...

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at the key themes from a women’s leadership panel Joy recently moderated.

We dive into shifting limiting beliefs, navigating imposter syndrome, and learning how to ask for more in your career or business. We also talk about building a better relationship with money, understanding the trade-offs that come with growth, and why embracing tools like AI is no longer optional.

If you’re ...

This episode breaks down some of the most impactful business books for entrepreneurs, organized by where you are in your journey, from leadership and scaling to sales, marketing, and team building. It’s not just about what to read, but when to read it, with a key reminder that growth eventually shifts from learning to execution. If you’re feeling stuck, this episode will help you focus on what actually moves your busine...

In this episode of Upleveling, we explore one of the most important yet overlooked drivers of business success: culture. We break down the five C’s of building a culture people want to stay in: core values, communication, cadence, caring personally, and challenging directly. If you want to attract great people, keep your best employees, and build real momentum in your business, this episode will show you how to create culture...

In this episode, we’re talking about the friction that comes with growth and why discomfort is often a sign you’re moving in the right direction. From raising prices and setting boundaries with legacy clients to introducing KPIs for your team and evolving personally, upleveling will create resistance. The key is learning to hold your standards, reflect well, and stay aligned with the leader your next stage requires.&nbs...

In this episode of Upleveling, Joy sits down with wisdom-led mindset coach Vicki Baird for a powerful conversation on what it truly takes to uplevel, starting from within. They explore the growing pains of leadership, reframing failure, letting go of perfectionism, and building self-trust as your business grows. This episode is a must-listen for ambitious business owners who want to grow sustainably without losing alignment, conten...

At the start of a new year, Joy shares how structure, not more effort, is often the key to real business growth. In this episode, she breaks down how Aligned CPA uses EOS, the Entrepreneurial Operating System, to create clarity, focus, and accountability through vision, quarterly priorities, and scorecards. If you are feeling busy, overwhelmed, or stuck despite working hard, this episode will help you understand how the right opera...

In this episode, we’re calling out the bullsh*t we’re not taking into 2026. From winging our days and doing everything ourselves to tolerating bad clients, weak leadership, and unclear goals. This isn’t about New Year’s resolutions; it’s about raising standards, leading with intention, and making disciplined decisions that actually move the business forward. If you’re ready to stop playing small ...

At the end of every year, business owners rush to set new goals — bigger revenue, better margins, more time back. But most small businesses don’t have a goal problem… they have an issues problem. In this episode, we break down why traditional goal-setting often fails and why issues-based planning is a far more powerful approach for growing businesses.

You’ll learn the real difference between goals, issues, a...

Taxes shouldn’t blindside you every April—and if they do, it’s time to fix the process. In this episode of Upleveling, we dive into the mindset shifts and simple strategies that will help you avoid tax surprises, protect your cash flow, and make confident financial decisions year-round. From building a tax-saving cadence to why $0 tax bills might actually be hurting your long-term goals, this episode is a must-lis...

Great teams don’t happen by accident—they’re built through intentional onboarding, clear expectations, and continuous development. 

In this episode, we break down how to design a 30/60/90-day plan, instill your company culture, build strong systems, and use KRAs and KPIs to guide performance. Learn how to equip your team with the tools and clarity they need to thrive—because when your people grow, your b...

Hiring the right person for the right role isn’t luck—it’s a system. In this week’s episode of Upleveling, we continue our People Framework series by walking you through a proven hiring playbook. From building a written hiring plan to screening for values and using a final decision checklist, you’ll learn how to stop winging it and start running a repeatable process that ensures you hire once, right.&n...