Is it really possible to build a million-dollar business without hiring staff?

Yes—and it’s happening more often.

In this episode, I explore how solopreneurs are using AI, automation, and smart systems to run lean, efficient, and scalable businesses without employees. We’ll break down the steps to systemize, optimize, and automate your business, and share real-world examples of solo founders who are doing it right now.

In this episode:

• Why the more valuable you are to your business, the less valuable your business is to others
• The 3-step method to replace yourself: Systemize → Optimize → Automate
• What “robots” actually are in 2025 (hint: not humanoids with wheels)
• How tech replaces management: no training, no turnover, no emotional labor
• Case Studies:
• 🐶 Jasmine, the pet salon owner who uses automation to rebook, upsell, and deliver loyalty rewards
• 📊 Daniel, the remote bookkeeper running 35 clients solo with automated onboarding and reporting
• 🏋️‍♀️ Carla, the coach who replaced staff with Trainerize, Stripe, bots, and weekly voice notes

Key Quote:

Takeaway:

We’ve left the Information Age. Welcome to the Augmentation Age—where you can build smarter, faster, and leaner by augmenting yourself with technology.

Canada’s universal healthcare system is a source of pride—but it’s breaking under the weight of rising demand, longer wait times, and shrinking access to services. In this episode, I ask a tough but necessary question: could introducing a paid tier actually save our healthcare system?

We explore:

• Why the current public model isn’t sustainable
• The myth of the “two-tier” system—and the four real quadrants that exist today
• How private options can actually reduce pressure on the public system
• Data-backed examples of care that improved when delisted (chiropractic, physio, eye care)
• How this model could encourage more doctors to enter the field, especially in family practice
• How it could attract foreign-trained physicians
• Why Canadians are already paying for care elsewhere—and why that’s a problem

Finally, I leave you with three questions to challenge your perspective:

1. What if a family wanted to pay for their loved one’s private addiction treatment?
2. What if private care required public service from doctors?
3. What if we could double our number of physicians in 10 years?

This isn’t about abandoning universal healthcare—it’s about saving it.

The Information Age brought prosperity, access, and knowledge to billions. But that era is ending. In this episode, I argue that the Information Age has already given way to a new era: The Augmentation Age.

We no longer need to know everything—AI tools and digital memory hold that for us. Knowledge workers are being replaced. Google doesn’t send us to information; it delivers the answer. Designers, coders, lawyers, and writers are being augmented—or automated.

So what’s next? We explore the new economy of augmented labor—where hands-on skills matter again, trades thrive, and entrepreneurs are free to build leaner, faster businesses with AI as their co-pilot. I share how we’re already augmenting our bodies and minds—digitally, chemically, and mechanically—and what this means for the future of work, leadership, and strategy.

Whether you're a business owner, coach, or creative, this episode will help you understand what's ending—and what to do next.

🔧 Topics covered:

• Why the knowledge economy is fading
• How AI is replacing—but also empowering—creators
• Why labor and trades will thrive
• What entrepreneurs should automate first
• The power of early adoption in the Augmentation Age

📌 Takeaway:

You don’t need to fear AI—you need to build with it. Systemize, automate, and get ahead of the curve.

Sault Ste. Marie is at a tipping point.

In this long-form episode, I explore the six critical challenges our city is facing—and how we can turn the tide. From economic fragility to the drug crisis, from government reliance to leadership voids, I offer bold but achievable ideas to help the Sault thrive again.

This isn’t political. It’s personal. And it starts with honesty, unity, and hope.

Why our population, wages, and workforce are in decline

What’s actually working to reduce drug use (hint: we can borrow from Vancouver and Portugal)

Why government grants and consultants won’t save us

What comparing Sault, ON and Sault, MI reveals about entrepreneurship

Why hope is the greatest growth strategy of all

How leadership (using the CALM model) can unite us around a real plan

📚 Sources (select highlights; full links in show notes):

Opioid death rates – Ontario

Portugal’s Drug Policy Model – Drug Policy Alliance

[Insite Vancouver – CMAJ & The Lancet](https://www.cmaj.ca, https://www.thelancet.com)

Sault College & Algoma U international student stats – SooToday

Building permit values – City of Sault Ste. Marie

Employment data – Statistics Canada

Let’s save the Sault—together.

🔗 businessisgood.com

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

What if your business could grow without more risk or more work?

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I unpack the powerful concept of intrapreneurialism—where staff build businesses inside your business. It’s not just delegation or profit-sharing; it’s about giving your team a platform to grow something remarkable while you both win.

I’ll define what intrapreneurialism really is, break down the value for staff and owners, and share five real-world examples from service industries (including one from the fitness space). Plus, I’ll give tips for structuring revenue-sharing and avoiding common pitfalls like overpaying, underexplaining, or doing too much of the work yourself.

If you're a founder who wants to scale impact and reward great people—without adding overhead or stress—this episode will show you how.

🔗 businessisgood.com

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Description:

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, we delve into the timeless wisdom of Sun Tzu's The Art of War and explore how its principles can be applied to today's service-based businesses. Discover how to:

• Leverage strategic deception to outmaneuver competitors.
• Prepare thoroughly to ensure victory before entering the market.
• Seize opportunities proactively to multiply success.
• Achieve victories without direct confrontation.
• Gain deep self-awareness to navigate business battles effectively.

Tune in to learn how ancient military strategies can provide a competitive edge in the modern business landscape.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Over the last six months, I’ve worked with five different business coaches to simplify my company and refocus on what matters.

I’ve talked to experts, mapped out plans, brainstormed strategies—until yesterday, when executive coach Dennis McIntee said something that stopped me cold:

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I unpack the hard truth:

👉 Knowing what to do isn’t enough.

👉 Learning and planning can become avoidance strategies.

👉 Change only happens when you act.

You’ll learn:

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• The two-part process of change: decision + action
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• The sneaky ways entrepreneurs avoid action (even when they know better)
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• Why the smarter you are, the easier it is to rationalize waiting
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• Five tactical tips to move from stuck to started
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• How to stop circling the hard decisions and just do the thing
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If you’ve been circling a big decision, this episode is your call to break the loop.

The opportunity is there—but only you can act on it.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you think: “To grow, I need to do more—more marketing, more ads, more promotions.”

But Keith Cunningham, author of The Road Less Stupid, has a smarter answer:

In this episode of BusinessIsGood, I walk you through Cunningham’s Growth Funnel—a five-step roadmap to growth that puts your energy where it matters most.

We cover:

✅ Why keeping more customers is your #1 growth priority

✅ How to increase referrals and repeat purchases without adding overhead

✅ Why your success rate (certainty of outcome) matters more than you think

✅ Where to tighten your sales process before dumping more money into ads

✅ When it’s finally time to scale lead generation—and when it’s not

This episode is about simplifying your focus and multiplying your results by doing the right thing at the right time.

And if you want to go deeper, I highly recommend reading The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham—it’s one of the best entrepreneur books out there.

Connect with Chris Cooper:

Website - https://businessisgood.com/