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The Business Behind Your Business

The Business Behind Your Business

By: Paul Sweeney
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Conversations to help your business grow and thrive.
It’s like having your own board of expert advisors in your pocket.

The Business Behind Your Business is the go-to podcast for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone looking for practical business ideas and strategies. Hosted by Paul Sweeney, each 15–30 minute episode dives behind the scenes of real businesses to uncover the challenges, solutions, and strategies that drive success.

Whether you're exploring how to make money, launch a new venture, or scale your existing business, our expert guests share actionable insights on entrepreneurship, marketing strategies for small business, financial planning, leadership, and more.

From startup tips to advanced business strategy, we bring you the tools and advice you need to build a thriving business — one smart decision at a time.

© 2025 The Business Behind Your Business
Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Why Sales Don’t Equal Success (and What to Focus on Instead)
    Sep 29 2025

    Are you chasing sales but still struggling to see money in the bank? In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business Podcast, financial strategist and Profit First professional Pam Jordan explains why focusing on revenue alone is a dangerous trap for business owners. Instead, she shows you how to get radically intentional about profit—because at the end of the day, it’s not what you make, it’s what you keep.

    Dive into the crucial differences between sales, profit, and cash flow, and why so many business owners confuse them. You’ll discover how to shift your mindset and your numbers so your business works for you, not against you.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:

    • Why sales don’t equal success—and how to avoid being “rich but broke”
    • The critical difference between profit and cash flow (and why both matter)
    • How to price your products and services based on real profitability
    • Practical steps to apply the Profit First method in your business
    • Why knowing your numbers is essential to scaling, exiting, or building legacy wealth
    • How to stay profitable even when external challenges force you to pivot

    If you want to stop leaving profit to chance and start building a business that delivers financial freedom, this conversation is packed with insights you can apply immediately.


    Pam Jordan is the CEO of Pivot Business Group. With her no-nonsense approach and expertise in financial analysis and strategic growth, Pam has become a driving force behind the success of fast-growing companies. With over 20 years of experience in assisting small businesses, Pam has mastered the art of translating the story of numbers to empower entrepreneurs. With her guidance and expertise, Pivot Business Group is dedicated to helping businesses reach their destinations while ensuring their financial engines run smoothly.

    Pam is also a wife and mom to 3 kids.

    www.pamjordan.com

    LinkedIn

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    28 mins
  • From Idea to Market: How to Use Intellectual Property to Drive Growth
    Sep 22 2025

    If you’ve ever had a great idea for a product or brand but weren’t sure how to protect it—or whether it was even worth pursuing—this episode will change how you think about intellectual property. In this conversation, Paul Sweeney speaks with Jeff Holman, founder of Intellectual Strategies, who combines engineering, law, and business expertise to guide innovators from concept to commercial success.

    Jeff breaks down the essentials of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, and explains how small and medium businesses can use these tools strategically—not just to defend their creations, but to drive growth. You’ll learn why intellectual property should be part of your business plan from day one, how to validate your ideas without overspending, and the critical steps to avoid infringing on someone else’s rights.

    The episode also explores the dangers of skipping early-stage legal checks, the complexities of international IP protection, and how the “fractional legal team” model can give growing businesses big-company legal expertise at a fraction of the cost. Whether you’re a start-up founder, an inventor, or a scaling business, this is a masterclass in protecting your innovation and building with confidence.


    Jeff Holman helps founders, innovators, and scaling companies solve one of the most frustrating problems in business: how to navigate legal, business, and strategic decisions without burning time, money, or momentum. As the founder of Intellectual Strategies, Jeff created the Fractional Legal Team model—designed specifically for start-ups and growth-stage companies who need expert legal help without the overhead of a full-time legal department.

    But legal is only part of the picture. Jeff is one of the rare advisors who blends the rigor of an engineer, the precision of an attorney, the perspective of an MBA, and the scrappy mindset of an entrepreneur. For over two decades, he’s worked with companies across SaaS, ecommerce, consumer products, and technology—helping founders not just protect what they’re building, but strategically grow it. Jeff’s guiding principle—both in business and in life—is simple: “Innovate with Confidence.” It’s not just a slogan; it’s the objective that drives how he supports his clients, how he operates his own business, and how he shows up for his family.

    Whether it’s guiding a founder through IP strategy, helping a leadership team build a real business strategy, or navigating a complex deal, Jeff’s focus is always on turning complexity into clarity—and helping people take bold, confident action toward what they’re building. When he’s not translating between the worlds of legal, tech, and business, Jeff speaks on topics like business strategy, innovation mindsets, and how companies can use fractional services to scale smarter.

    LinkedIn

    www.intellectualstrategies.com

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    36 mins
  • The Prosperity Plan: Preparing Your Business for the Next Generation
    Sep 15 2025

    Succession planning isn’t just about passing on a business—it’s about protecting your legacy, preserving value, and ensuring the people you care about aren’t left scrambling when you’re gone.

    In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with Rob Ferguson, seasoned CEO, trusted advisor, and founder of Ferguson Alliance, to unpack the essential steps for building a strong succession plan. Rob shares why waiting until you’re “ready to retire” is far too late, how to avoid the “founder’s trap” where the business can’t function without you, and why intangible assets—your brand, relationships, systems, and culture—are often worth more than your tangible ones.

    You’ll learn how to start planning from day one, create a business that can thrive without your daily involvement, and transition smoothly to the next generation or a buyer while keeping your purpose intact. Whether you plan to sell, hand over the reins to family, or keep the business in the community, this episode offers practical strategies and a mindset shift that will help you secure the future of your hard work.

    Get Rob's free eBook, The Prosperity Plan.


    Rob Ferguson has been a trusted advisor to family businesses since 2010. Prior to becoming an advisor, Rob had a distinguished career in leadership – including ten years as a CEO at two different companies. One was a public company with $300 million in revenue, the other a family business with $100 million in revenue where he successfully managed the restructuring and sale of the company. Rob has led companies through 10x growth, helped turn struggling companies around, and has conducted more than $100 million in acquisitions.

    Rob's company, Ferguson Alliance, is on a mission to increase the lifespan of family businesses. Rob believes that with the right foundation in place, businesses can live infinitely.

    LinkedIn

    www.ferguson-alliance.com

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    32 mins
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