Mastering Business Skills

As we begin to wrap up our first season of Mastering Business Skills, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, our amazing listeners. Your support, feedback, and the stories of how certain episodes sparked new ideas or inspired change in your businesses have meant the world to us. What started as a show for practical business a...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Sharon Savage and Erin Alli welcome Pauleen Murphy, founder of Politan Marketing and seasoned fractional chief marketing officer. Pauleen shares her expertise in helping founder-led businesses scale more effectively, covering everything from emotional leadership transitions to the syst...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Sharon Savage and Erin Alli are joined by Erika Dickstein, CEO of Spring Insight, a forward-thinking marketing strategy firm. Erika dives deep into the evolving landscape of digital marketing, from the rise of AI-driven search to the persistent challenges of maintaining meaningful onli...

Warning: Some adult language used. Please use headphones if you have littles around!

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Sharon Savage and Erin Alli sit down with Maggy Sterner, an expert brand messaging coach known for her s...

In this episode, Sharon Savage and Erin Alli sit down with Bill Duguay, executive coach and former CEO, to unpack what it really means to lead effectively, without carrying the weight alone. Bill shares how his journey from civil engineer to construction leader laid the groundwork for his no-nonsense, field-tested approach to leadership...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Rob Manne, founder of Inflectiv, to explore how growing companies can turn their CRM, marketing, and sales tools into real revenue. Rob shares how his team helps businesses optimize platforms like HubSpot and AI to streamline operations, improve forecasting, and make smarter decisions.

From his early days in PR and marketing to building a consultancy that bridges strat...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Thomas Howard, Business Development Director at Brightway Advisors, to explore the intersection of financial operations and authentic relationship-building. With over two decades in banking and a passion for strategic networking, Thomas shares how businesses can move beyond basic bookkeeping to unlock meaningful insights and sustainable growth.

From managing numbers to...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Anitra Deen, networking strategist, fractional COO, and founder of Anitra Deen Consulting. Anitra shares how she helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners turn casual connections into strategic business development. From building infrastructure for follow-up to understanding your sales cycle, Anitra offers actionable insights that move businesses from stuck t...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Frank Scearbo, a credit card processing expert with a background in banking, accounting, and business advisory services. Frank shares how he helps business owners navigate the often confusing world of merchant services, ensuring they get the lowest possible cost on every transaction while receiving top-tier customer support.

With over 20 years in the industry, Frank br...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Dan Collins, founder of Franchisee First Advisors, to explore how franchising can be a powerful path to financial freedom, legacy-building, and lifestyle flexibility.

With over 30 years in the franchise world, Dan shares what makes a franchise truly worth investing in, how to avoid costly mistakes, and why the right fit matters more than flashy concepts.

💡 What You’ll...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Ashlee Berghoff, to talk about the systems that help entrepreneurs turn big ideas into sustainable success.

Ashlee shares how she helps event-based businesses move from 7-figure chaos to 7-figure profit by building operational infrastructure that actually works. From simple systems to complex human dynamics, she breaks down how to create structure without sacrificing c...

In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Michelle Correnti, CEO and founder of Correnti Marketing, a branding and digital marketing agency that helps professional service providers transform complex expertise into clear, compelling messaging.

Michelle shares how she built her agency around the belief that service-based businesses thrive when their brand reflects not just what they do, but who they are. From v...

In this episode of the Mastering Business Skills podcast, hosts Erin Alli and Sharon Savage sit down with Jennifer Gillman, founder and CEO of Gillman Strategic Group.

A former lawyer turned candidate-facing recruiter, Jennifer specializes in helping attorneys find their “exact right perfect fit” law firm opportunities that align not only with their professional goals but also with their personal well-being.

Jennifer shares how she...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Erin Alli and Sharon Savage welcome Shannon Carriere—an “HR without the fluff” expert who brings a global perspective and a pragmatic approach to solving complex people problems. With experience spanning manufacturing, healthcare, finance, construction, and beyond, Shannon specializes in guiding leaders through sticky, urgent, and high-stakes HR challenges with cl...

Episode Summary: In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, hosts Erin Alli and Sharon Savage sit down with Ed Keohan—executive coach, advisor, and president of Clarity and Impact Coaching—to explore what it really takes to help businesses grow and thrive.

With over 30 years of leadership experience in industries ranging from food and beverage to medical diagnostics, Ed shares how his transition from corporate executive to certi...

Episode Summary: In this inspiring conversation, Erin and Sharon sit down with Ashlan Glazier-Anderson—a Professional Certified Marketer and Certified Digital Marketing Professional with over 18 years of experience—to talk about building authentic, effective marketing strategies that fit each client’s unique strengths. Ashlan shares her journey from corporate and agency work to launching her own business, Ashbeam PDX Marketing, and...

📌 Episode Summary: In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with Sharon Sobel—founder of Picture This Video—to explore how she transformed her passion for video production into a sustainable business that has evolved alongside changing technology and client needs.

With over two decades of experience in educational and nonprofit media, Sharon shares how she transitioned from cable television and school system produ...

📌 Episode Summary: In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, we sit down with award-winning public relations expert Andrea Pass, founder of Andrea Pass Public Relations. With decades of experience across national media, consumer products, nonprofits, authors, and more, Andrea shares her journey from dreaming of a broadcast career to building a thriving PR agency—and the powerful relationships that fueled her path.

She dives in...

📌 Episode Summary: In this episode of Mastering Business Skills, Erin Alli talks to Brad Eisenberg, founder of Be Lean, to talk about the real work of scaling a service-based business—and how to navigate the “messy middle” where growth becomes complex, chaotic, and sometimes overwhelming.

Brad shares his entrepreneurial journey from launching a bike-sharing startup in college to becoming COO of a fast-growing company, and ultimate...