If your leaders don't know how they're measured, you can't expect consistent performance or real ownership.

Show Notes Page: https://598-do-your-leaders-know-the-score/

Frustrated with inconsistent performance from your managers or senior team members? The issue may not be motivation, it may be measurement.

In this episode, Henry Lopez breaks down why leadership performance problems often stem from a lack of role clarity, measurable outcomes, and transparent KPIs.

Without clearly defined metrics, even highly motivated leaders drift. Expectations become subjective. Feedback becomes emotional. And performance becomes inconsistent.

Henry explains the difference between expectations and KPIs and why outcomes, not activity, must be measured.

He walks through:

How to define company-level KPIs first

How employee KPIs must roll up to business goals

Why 2 to 5 KPIs per leader is the right number

The importance of transparency in formulas and data sources

Why ownership requires control

How KPIs improve engagement, fairness, and accountability

As Henry says, "If employees don't know how you measure their performance, you can't expect them to win."

If you want stronger leadership, clearer accountability, and more consistent results in your small business, this episode provides a practical framework you can implement immediately..

This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

Five practical reasons your small business will sell and how to intentionally build long-term exit value.

Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/597-why-your-business-will-sell/

Most business owners say they want to sell one day but very few actually build a business someone would want to buy.

In this episode, Henry Lopez outlines five practical reasons your business will sell and the disciplines required to build exit readiness long before you're ready to exit. A sellable business isn't created at the moment you decide to sell - it's built over years through intentional design.

Henry shares the five core elements that dramatically increase sellability:

A scalable, repeatable offer
Predictable and recurring revenue
Documented systems
Owner independence
A credible growth story

Visit the show notes page for this episode to download the Business Sellability Scorecard.

Referencing ideas from Built to Sell by John Warrillow, Henry reinforces the principle that "a sellable business is a productized business" - one with clearly defined and standardized offerings instead of highly customized one-off projects.

Whether you plan to sell or not, building a sellable business creates greater freedom, stronger profitability, and more control over your future.

This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com

How AI is reshaping small business marketing and why clear positioning and strong messaging matter more than ever.

Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/596-shannon-bailey-marketing-and-ai/

Branding and messaging expert Shannon Bailey shares her entrepreneurial journey and explains (starting at 11:10) why clear positioning and concise messaging are essential in the AI-driven marketing era.

As AI tools like ChatGPT reshape how customers search for information, small business marketing is entering a new era that rewards clarity over cleverness and positioning over fluff.

In this episode, Henry Lopez chats with branding and messaging strategist Shannon Bailey, founder of Make Progress Strategies. Shannon begins by sharing her entrepreneurial journey, from a career in sales and corporate leadership to launching her own consulting firm, and what led her to take that leap into business ownership.

We then explore how AI is changing marketing. Shannon explains why AI doesn't make marketing more technical, but more strategic. As AI platforms synthesize and recommend businesses instead of simply listing search results, vague positioning and generic messaging get exposed quickly.

We discuss why small businesses may actually benefit in this shift, how earned authority now matters more than SEO tricks, and why niching down expands your reach instead of limiting it. Shannon also shares practical steps you can take today, including how to test your visibility using AI tools themselves.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by AI disruption, this conversation will help you refocus on the fundamentals: clear messaging, strong positioning, and speaking directly to your ideal client, while also offering inspiration from Shannon's own path into entrepreneurship.

Shannon Bailey is a strategist and branding and messaging expert. She is the founder of Make Progress Strategies, where she helps small businesses and nonprofits clarify their value proposition, align brand positioning with growth objectives, and build strategic marketing plans that drive action.

This episode is hosted by Henry Lopez. The How of Business podcast focuses on helping you start, run, grow and exit your small business. The How of Business is a top-rated podcast for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Find the best podcast, small business coaching, resources and trusted service partners for small business owners and entrepreneurs at our website https://TheHowOfBusiness.com