• Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories is back for Season 4
    Nov 27 2025

    Hey entrepreneurs! Your favorite hosts Jannese Torres (Yo Quiero Dinero & Financially Lit!) and Austin Hankwitz (Rate of Return & Rich Habits) are back for Season 4 of “Mind the Business: Small Business Success Stories", brought to you by iHeartMedia’s Ruby Studio in partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

    This time around, we're diving deep with more exciting small business owners at the cutting edge of their fields. We'll be discussing overcoming challenges and celebrating successes – as well as practical takeaways from utilizing AI, to automating services, to time management, and all the other things that come with being your own boss. Join us for another inspiring season to hear from the entrepreneurs themselves how they’ve found their success, and learn about the grit, elbow grease, and know-how required to get your own business off the ground – and how QuickBooks on the Intuit platform can help, all in one streamlined place.

    Listen to new episodes every other Thursday beginning December 4th and discover what it takes to run a business that not only survives, but thrives!

    To learn more about how you can outdo it with Intuit QuickBooks, visit: quickbooks.com/mtb

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    2 mins
  • Pushing Past Stagnation & Business Plateaus
    Apr 17 2025

    Hitting plateaus is a common milestone in business, but there’s a difference between stability and a rut. In the last installment of this season, we’ll dive into the ways small business owners push beyond plateaus and find new ways to achieve revenue growth. Jannese and Austin wrap up their time in Nashville, Tennessee with a wonderful visit to N.B. Goods to speak with owner Camille Alston. Camille details the times where she hit a wall with profits, the strategies she implemented to increase revenue, what worked, what didn’t, and the important lessons she learned in the process. You won’t want to miss this informative final chapter!

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    QuickBooks.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    30 mins
  • Strategic Growth: Knowing When to Scale Your Business
    Apr 3 2025

    Building a thriving business isn't always about rapid expansion. When should you hit the accelerator on growth, and when should you pump the brakes? Jannese and Austin are in Nashville, Tennessee to talk with Taku Zhou and Sibusiso Ajayi of TKZ Architecture LLC to explore this crucial entrepreneurial crossroads. The duo shares candid insights from their journey building TKZ Architecture, revealing the moments they knew it was time to scale – and importantly, when it wasn't. They discuss how they balanced the allure of growth against the need to strengthen their foundation through refined workflows, established protocols, and market positioning. Tune in as we unpack the strategic decision-making that goes into sustainable business expansion and learn the telltale signs that you're ready for growth and how to execute that transition successfully.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    QuickBooks.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    30 mins
  • Integrating AI Efficiency + Human Connection to Better Your Business
    Mar 20 2025

    AI isn't about replacement – it's about enhancement. Austin and Jannese travel to Tampa, Florida to meet Alexa Kritis Mancuso, founder of Alexa Kritis Events, who reveals how she masterfully blends artificial intelligence with the personal connection essential to event planning. Discover how Alexa shares how she leverages AI platforms to handle routine tasks as well as showing clients how she can bring their creative visions to life. Like QuickBooks, there’s a perfect combination of AI-driven processes and human expertise that can help free up your time to make more money and focus on the things that matter.

    Whether you're AI-curious or AI-cautious, Alexa explains how to harness this technology to boost your bottom line while creating deeper connections with your customers.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    QuickBooks.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    31 mins
  • Understanding Taxes as a Newly Formed Small Business - Part 2 of the Small Business Starter Kit
    Mar 6 2025

    In our second installment of the Small Business Starter Kit series - we’re tackling a topic that’s sometimes tricky, sometimes confusing, but ever-present: taxes. Hosts Austin and Jannese have an insightful conversation with entrepreneur Isabella Rosal who started 7th Sky Ventures, an exporter and distributor of craft spirits, beer, and wine. Having lived and worked in two different countries and started a company in a heavily-regulated field, Isabella is no stranger to navigating the paperwork-laden and jargon-infused maze of properly understanding taxes for a newly formed small business. Join us as she shares her story and provides valuable insight into how to tackle your business’ taxes - so they don’t tackle you.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    QuickBooks.com



    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    28 mins
  • The Next Round: Finding Capital for Continued Growth
    Feb 20 2025

    Most people understand the importance of raising capital to start a business, but securing additional funding after launch can be just as crucial for reaching the next level. Jannese and Austin discuss the strategies and challenges of finding ways to raise more capital to give your business a booster where it needs it most. The hosts chat with one of Nashville’s most exciting rising stars, Kenzie Wesp, who started Trueform Fitness at an incredibly young age. Learn about her journey and how she turned an opportunity into a thriving business that continues to flourish.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    QuickBooks.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    31 mins
  • Using Data to Shape Your Future
    Feb 6 2025

    In business, every decision you make can change the trajectory of your company - so it’s important to be as informed as possible. The intel you collect as you learn and grow is vital to informing how and why you run your business in the future. On this episode, hosts Jannese and Austin share their own experiences with using data to inform the paths they carve forward as they sit down with Brandon Littleton who started Bag Lady’s Fry Joint with his brother. The two started their business from scratch, with just a family recipe and an idea. Join us as Brandon explains how hard lessons - and hard data - inform the decisions they’ve made so you can do the same with your own findings.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    Quickbooks.com



    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    26 mins
  • The SB Starter Kit - Everything You Need or Need to Know to Get Your Business Off the Ground (Part 1) - Trademarks, Patents, LLCs and SCorps
    Jan 23 2025

    Step one for starting a small business is often coming up with an exciting idea. But what is step two? Step three? Steps four through launch and beyond? On our second episode, and first iteration of our Small Business Starter Kit Series, Austin and Jannese visit The Candle Pour to chat with founders Misty and Dennis Akers. They’ll tell our hosts about how they got their business off the ground and about all the things that go with it: from incorporation to trademarks. Join us as they detail how they went from Grand Idea to Grand Opening.

    Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:

    Quickbooks.com

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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    35 mins