<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><?xml-stylesheet href="https://feeds.captivate.fm/style.xsl" type="text/xsl"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><atom:link href="https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-thriving-entrepreneur/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><title><![CDATA[The Thriving Entrepreneur]]></title><podcast:guid>34635b1b-db10-55b3-a9c9-b054e922baa7</podcast:guid><lastBuildDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:40:44 +0000</lastBuildDate><generator>Captivate.fm</generator><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><copyright><![CDATA[Copyright 2023 David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></copyright><managingEditor>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</managingEditor><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff.

What is the best way to ask yourself in order to make real progress and find the path that is best for you?
What are the best questions to think about the challenges that you face as an entrepreneur while running the business that you started?

Rachelle and David use their decades of experience founding and running businesses to help other founders and entrepreneurs with how to think about those problems, so the answer and direction you take is right for you.

No fortune cookie wisdom, no one-size-fits-all listicles that every entrepreneur should do every morning before waking up, just ways to think about your journey in your business and personal leadership.

A new episode is published every Friday.
We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET

More about us and how we support entrepreneurs & founders:
David Foster | [www.davidafoster.com] | [www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster]
Rachelle Leerling | [www.growtribute.com] | [www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling]]]></itunes:summary><image><url>https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg</url><title>The Thriving Entrepreneur</title><link><![CDATA[https://the-thriving-entrepreneur.captivate.fm]]></link></image><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><itunes:owner><itunes:name>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author><description>Thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff.

What is the best way to ask yourself in order to make real progress and find the path that is best for you?
What are the best questions to think about the challenges that you face as an entrepreneur while running the business that you started?

Rachelle and David use their decades of experience founding and running businesses to help other founders and entrepreneurs with how to think about those problems, so the answer and direction you take is right for you.

No fortune cookie wisdom, no one-size-fits-all listicles that every entrepreneur should do every morning before waking up, just ways to think about your journey in your business and personal leadership.

A new episode is published every Friday.
We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET

More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:
David Foster | [www.davidafoster.com] | [www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster]
Rachelle Leerling | [www.growtribute.com] | [www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling]</description><link>https://the-thriving-entrepreneur.captivate.fm</link><atom:link href="https://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com" rel="hub"/><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:category text="Business"><itunes:category text="Entrepreneurship"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Business"><itunes:category text="Management"/></itunes:category><podcast:locked>no</podcast:locked><podcast:medium>podcast</podcast:medium><item><title>How entrepreneurs avoid being bottlenecks in their own businesses</title><itunes:title>How entrepreneurs avoid being bottlenecks in their own businesses</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Ever wondered why some businesses hit roadblocks that slow down progress?</p><p>In this episode, we're diving into how entrepreneurs can (unintentionally) become a bottleneck in their business.</p><p>What you will discover:</p><ul><li>How do you differentiate between a bottleneck and just regular delays?</li><li>Why do these roadblocks even pop up in the first place?</li><li>Practical solutions to tackle these bottlenecks head-on</li></ul><br/><p>Timestamps:</p><p>- Evidence of bottlenecks caused by founders - employee feedback, comparing to competitors, mapping out processes on paper (00:02:03)</p><p>- Psychological reasons bottlenecks happen - ego, "that's how we've always done it", startup hangover mentality (00:11:07)</p><p>- Figuring out why the bottleneck exists before trying to implement change (00:12:11)</p><p>- Looking at your role in the bottleneck by reverse engineering the process (00:13:04)</p><p>- Building a business that can run without your constant oversight (00:14:05)</p><p>- Embracing the identity change as your business grows - moving from "doing" to guiding and optimizing (00:17:21)</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ever wondered why some businesses hit roadblocks that slow down progress?</p><p>In this episode, we're diving into how entrepreneurs can (unintentionally) become a bottleneck in their business.</p><p>What you will discover:</p><ul><li>How do you differentiate between a bottleneck and just regular delays?</li><li>Why do these roadblocks even pop up in the first place?</li><li>Practical solutions to tackle these bottlenecks head-on</li></ul><br/><p>Timestamps:</p><p>- Evidence of bottlenecks caused by founders - employee feedback, comparing to competitors, mapping out processes on paper (00:02:03)</p><p>- Psychological reasons bottlenecks happen - ego, "that's how we've always done it", startup hangover mentality (00:11:07)</p><p>- Figuring out why the bottleneck exists before trying to implement change (00:12:11)</p><p>- Looking at your role in the bottleneck by reverse engineering the process (00:13:04)</p><p>- Building a business that can run without your constant oversight (00:14:05)</p><p>- Embracing the identity change as your business grows - moving from "doing" to guiding and optimizing (00:17:21)</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-entrepreneurs-avoid-being-bottlenecks-in-their-own-businesses]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">77533223-69de-491f-9650-ecb1655cd3ad</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/3282c006-5bc4-4fee-ade9-ae7004ea4e96/TTE-037-A-converted.mp3" length="21499475" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>22:27</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>Are entrepreneurs addicted to being busy?</title><itunes:title>Are entrepreneurs addicted to being busy?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Do you catch yourself being addicted to being busy?</p><p>As an entrepreneur, we definitely are juggling a lot of different aspects of business.</p><p>But being addicted to being busy, is a whole other level. </p><p>And because you are always (trying to be) busy, you might be missing out on some big opportunities, pivots or important decisions.</p><p>In today’s episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore:</p><p>1. What are we calling “busy” here?  What does that mean?</p><p>2. Why our culture supports and encourages being busy</p><p>3. Why is being busy seen as a good thing? </p><p>4. What are the dangers of being busy all the time?</p><p>5. What is an appropriate and effective level of engagement?</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | w<a href="https://ww.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ww.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/ | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you catch yourself being addicted to being busy?</p><p>As an entrepreneur, we definitely are juggling a lot of different aspects of business.</p><p>But being addicted to being busy, is a whole other level. </p><p>And because you are always (trying to be) busy, you might be missing out on some big opportunities, pivots or important decisions.</p><p>In today’s episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore:</p><p>1. What are we calling “busy” here?  What does that mean?</p><p>2. Why our culture supports and encourages being busy</p><p>3. Why is being busy seen as a good thing? </p><p>4. What are the dangers of being busy all the time?</p><p>5. What is an appropriate and effective level of engagement?</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | w<a href="https://ww.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ww.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/ | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/are-entrepreneurs-addicted-to-being-busy]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">c7afb04d-2b63-469a-b84a-6ee4add91807</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 29 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/2c343c45-0a7b-4444-9169-efd5054bc15a/TTE-036-A-converted.mp3" length="25172414" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>26:17</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>Entrepreneurs: make a habit of discovering why you&apos;re wrong.</title><itunes:title>Entrepreneurs: make a habit of discovering why you&apos;re wrong.</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Are you sometimes wrong about something? As an entrepreneur and leader, it is hard to have to admit we aren’t always right. </p><p>What does that do to our authority? To our decision-making and business direction? Or even reputation in the market?</p><p><br></p><p>Whilst it is tempting to always look right, it doesn’t serve us. In today’s episode we explore the difficulty of not always being right, and how to make a habit of discovering when you are wrong.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll discover:</p><p><br></p><p>- Why do we instinctively resist the idea that we might be wrong?</p><p>- What’s the danger of an entrepreneur being wrong (and not knowing it)?</p><p>- How can we (not them) recognize that we are wrong?</p><p>- What if someone is wrong about us being wrong?</p><p>- What are the benefits of this habit?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="https://www.davidafoster.com|" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com|</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/ | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you sometimes wrong about something? As an entrepreneur and leader, it is hard to have to admit we aren’t always right. </p><p>What does that do to our authority? To our decision-making and business direction? Or even reputation in the market?</p><p><br></p><p>Whilst it is tempting to always look right, it doesn’t serve us. In today’s episode we explore the difficulty of not always being right, and how to make a habit of discovering when you are wrong.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll discover:</p><p><br></p><p>- Why do we instinctively resist the idea that we might be wrong?</p><p>- What’s the danger of an entrepreneur being wrong (and not knowing it)?</p><p>- How can we (not them) recognize that we are wrong?</p><p>- What if someone is wrong about us being wrong?</p><p>- What are the benefits of this habit?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="https://www.davidafoster.com|" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com|</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/ | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/entrepreneurs-make-a-habit-of-discovering-why-youre-wrong-]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">09dffc08-38d6-4401-974f-7fed7308cfcc</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 15 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/6c817a96-bdfe-4344-abf0-bac9c11062b4/TTE-035-A-1-converted.mp3" length="24240417" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>25:18</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>What happens when entrepreneurs take things too personally?</title><itunes:title>What happens when entrepreneurs take things too personally?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Do you take things personally in business?</p><p>We are all human, and it can be hard to stay objective when there is criticism or success coming our way. Or when our idea doesn’t get chosen. Or, when we are too invested in what we are building.</p><p>Taking things too personally can hurt us - and the business itself.</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the dangers of personalizing business events and its impact on decision-making, relationships and results. </p><p>What you will discover:</p><p>- Why we take business things personally in the first place</p><p>- What can go wrong when we take things too personal</p><p>- How to deal with our personal investment in business</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you take things personally in business?</p><p>We are all human, and it can be hard to stay objective when there is criticism or success coming our way. Or when our idea doesn’t get chosen. Or, when we are too invested in what we are building.</p><p>Taking things too personally can hurt us - and the business itself.</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the dangers of personalizing business events and its impact on decision-making, relationships and results. </p><p>What you will discover:</p><p>- Why we take business things personally in the first place</p><p>- What can go wrong when we take things too personal</p><p>- How to deal with our personal investment in business</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/what-happens-when-entrepreneurs-take-things-too-personally]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">1cafc890-bd27-4ac4-9fe9-c6d2735c6cb3</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 Sep 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/a5755eb7-4620-4361-bfae-23cdcfd3dff3/TTE-034-Personal-A-converted.mp3" length="20530365" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>21:26</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>The entrepreneur&apos;s valuable balance between data and intuition</title><itunes:title>The entrepreneur&apos;s valuable balance between data and intuition</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Are you struggling to strike the right balance between data-driven decision-making and relying on your intuition?</p><p>What happens if you rely too heavily on either your business’ data or your personal intuition?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the critical role of balancing data and intuition in decision making.</p><p>You will discover:</p><p>- Objectivity: The pros and cons of data-driven decisions and the dangers of relying solely on hard data.</p><p>- Gut feeling: The pros and cons of intuition-based decisions - the power of intuition.</p><p>- Real-life business examples of being out of balance in your decisions</p><p>- How to balance data and intuition effectively so you can navigate decisions with more confidence.</p><p>- Some questions to ask yourself to make better business decisions</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you struggling to strike the right balance between data-driven decision-making and relying on your intuition?</p><p>What happens if you rely too heavily on either your business’ data or your personal intuition?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the critical role of balancing data and intuition in decision making.</p><p>You will discover:</p><p>- Objectivity: The pros and cons of data-driven decisions and the dangers of relying solely on hard data.</p><p>- Gut feeling: The pros and cons of intuition-based decisions - the power of intuition.</p><p>- Real-life business examples of being out of balance in your decisions</p><p>- How to balance data and intuition effectively so you can navigate decisions with more confidence.</p><p>- Some questions to ask yourself to make better business decisions</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/the-entrepreneurs-valuable-balance-between-data-and-intuition]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">8194c0e2-2ca2-4fc6-99db-55b1168c648b</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/8f2d0e65-ca1e-47c1-ac7b-7c0420c00a9f/TTE-033-DataIntuitionmp3-converted.mp3" length="21727578" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>22:41</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>Why entrepreneurs need a real vacation</title><itunes:title>Why entrepreneurs need a real vacation</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Are you able to go on vacation without feeling guilty? Many entrepreneurs are not able to fully turn off their head and disconnect from their businesses while trying to relax with their loved ones.</p><p>While our high level of feeling responsible is a sign of caring about our cause, it can start to be counterproductive when it comes to taking time off.</p><p>If you are not fully present with your vacation, you aren’t really relaxing and not coming back recharged. Neither are you enjoying your time away - rather, you feel restless and want to get back to your laptop ASAP.</p><p>How do we avoid this from happening? How can we truly benefit from a break?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the topic of taking a vacation and the struggles that most entrepreneurs face when doing so.</p><p>You will discover:</p><ul><li>the reason most entrepreneurs can’t really take a vacation</li><li>why both you AND your business need you to take off</li><li>what not being able to turn off says about your business foundations</li><li>how to take a vacation and come back recharged (the right way)</li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: <a href="https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you able to go on vacation without feeling guilty? Many entrepreneurs are not able to fully turn off their head and disconnect from their businesses while trying to relax with their loved ones.</p><p>While our high level of feeling responsible is a sign of caring about our cause, it can start to be counterproductive when it comes to taking time off.</p><p>If you are not fully present with your vacation, you aren’t really relaxing and not coming back recharged. Neither are you enjoying your time away - rather, you feel restless and want to get back to your laptop ASAP.</p><p>How do we avoid this from happening? How can we truly benefit from a break?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the topic of taking a vacation and the struggles that most entrepreneurs face when doing so.</p><p>You will discover:</p><ul><li>the reason most entrepreneurs can’t really take a vacation</li><li>why both you AND your business need you to take off</li><li>what not being able to turn off says about your business foundations</li><li>how to take a vacation and come back recharged (the right way)</li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>Free resources and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | Free Tool: <a href="https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://unchained-score.scoreapp.com/</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/vacation]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">53a04e47-5860-429c-90be-26cf6c84febd</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/0ce8d6d1-01ae-4f7e-b244-b63e25b61256/TTE-032-A-converted.mp3" length="31577112" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>32:58</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>An Entrepreneur&apos;s Ego: Friend or Foe?</title><itunes:title>An Entrepreneur&apos;s Ego: Friend or Foe?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>The ego has a bad rep. However, it is also helping us achieve much in our business. </p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the delicate balance between self-assured confidence and the pitfalls of excessive ego in the entrepreneurial realm.</p><p>What you will discover:</p><p>- Ego as a Double-Edged Sword: why it’s good &amp; why it’s bad</p><p>- Why we need our ego &amp; why is it holding us back too</p><p>- Balancing Personal Identity and Business Success</p><p>- Steps to take working with your ego</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The ego has a bad rep. However, it is also helping us achieve much in our business. </p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore the delicate balance between self-assured confidence and the pitfalls of excessive ego in the entrepreneurial realm.</p><p>What you will discover:</p><p>- Ego as a Double-Edged Sword: why it’s good &amp; why it’s bad</p><p>- Why we need our ego &amp; why is it holding us back too</p><p>- Balancing Personal Identity and Business Success</p><p>- Steps to take working with your ego</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/an-entrepreneurs-ego-friend-or-foe]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">b062c302-bf6e-4ae2-95ac-e2fb72862df5</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 21 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/a08a7b2e-6f2e-494b-bbdc-0a582f2a2a92/TTE-031-A-converted.mp3" length="30037543" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>31:22</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>The power of entrepreneur&apos;s thinking time</title><itunes:title>The power of entrepreneur&apos;s thinking time</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Do you allocate enough ‘thinking time’?</p><p>In this episode, we uncover the secret weapon of successful entrepreneurs: time to think. Whilst it often ends up on the bottom of our list, it should actually be prioritized.</p><p><br></p><p>Thinking time unlocks the power of uninterrupted reflection, strategic planning, and problem-solving. Often, the headspace created allows us to make sharper decisions and get clearer on challenges or the future vision.</p><p><br></p><p>If you’re doubting the importance of taking time out to think, be sure to listen to this episode.</p><p><br></p><p>What you will learn:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><br></li><li>why thinking time is often neglected and undervalued,</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>why you need to integrate more thinking time</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>how integrating more of it can accelerate your business.</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you allocate enough ‘thinking time’?</p><p>In this episode, we uncover the secret weapon of successful entrepreneurs: time to think. Whilst it often ends up on the bottom of our list, it should actually be prioritized.</p><p><br></p><p>Thinking time unlocks the power of uninterrupted reflection, strategic planning, and problem-solving. Often, the headspace created allows us to make sharper decisions and get clearer on challenges or the future vision.</p><p><br></p><p>If you’re doubting the importance of taking time out to think, be sure to listen to this episode.</p><p><br></p><p>What you will learn:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><br></li><li>why thinking time is often neglected and undervalued,</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>why you need to integrate more thinking time</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>how integrating more of it can accelerate your business.</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/the-power-of-entrepreneurs-thinking-time]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">a82d16a4-2843-488e-9aae-26981be87453</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jun 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/df1c1afa-b700-4c62-958d-7eba4b6e5611/23-16-21.mp3" length="55607716" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:58</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>What happens when entrepreneurs are outside their zone of genius?</title><itunes:title>What happens when entrepreneurs are outside their zone of genius?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>At the beginning stages of business, you often work from your Zone of Genius: doing what you love and are great at. The value you add is your company’s gold or even its USP.</p><p>The more mature your business becomes, the more you might find yourself moving away from it, or even delegating this Genius to others.</p><p>As you transition towards leadership, you might find yourself doing things you aren’t so good at (yet).</p><p>So do you still do things that you add massive value with? And how do you find a new Zone of Genius that fits the business’ stage? How important is using your Zone of Genius really?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle discuss how to navigate your Zone of Genius in your business’ journey. What it is and how it changes over the course of your business’ growth.</p><p>What you will learn:</p><p>- What your Zone of Genius is, and how it makes your business stand out</p><p>- How to transition from your Zone of Genius to leadership</p><p>- Getting out of your Zone of Genius and the effect on your satisfaction</p><p>- How knowing your team’s Zones of Geniuses is beneficial</p><p>- Rediscovering your Zone of Genius after becoming a leader of your company</p><p>- …and much more!</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At the beginning stages of business, you often work from your Zone of Genius: doing what you love and are great at. The value you add is your company’s gold or even its USP.</p><p>The more mature your business becomes, the more you might find yourself moving away from it, or even delegating this Genius to others.</p><p>As you transition towards leadership, you might find yourself doing things you aren’t so good at (yet).</p><p>So do you still do things that you add massive value with? And how do you find a new Zone of Genius that fits the business’ stage? How important is using your Zone of Genius really?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle discuss how to navigate your Zone of Genius in your business’ journey. What it is and how it changes over the course of your business’ growth.</p><p>What you will learn:</p><p>- What your Zone of Genius is, and how it makes your business stand out</p><p>- How to transition from your Zone of Genius to leadership</p><p>- Getting out of your Zone of Genius and the effect on your satisfaction</p><p>- How knowing your team’s Zones of Geniuses is beneficial</p><p>- Rediscovering your Zone of Genius after becoming a leader of your company</p><p>- …and much more!</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/what-happens-when-entrepreneurs-are-outside-their-zone-of-genius]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">238e6e86-6b15-4d41-b75d-1c98bf6faf26</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 12 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/57bfe9b5-e747-419f-be2b-7f59b9aea95c/23-09-11.mp3" length="78185872" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>40:43</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>What happens when an entrepreneur&apos;s employees don&apos;t get along?</title><itunes:title>What happens when an entrepreneur&apos;s employees don&apos;t get along?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>As an entrepreneur, you know that managing a team is never easy. One of the biggest challenges you might face is dealing with employee conflict. </p><p>So how do you handle employee conflict? How do you make sure things don’t escalate and hurt your company’s productivity, reputation, or culture?</p><p>On the other hand - when is employee conflict beneficial for your company? And how can you make best use of it?</p><p>In our latest podcast episode, David &amp; Rachelle be discussing how to harness the power of conflict and turn it into a force for positive change. </p><p>What you’ll learn:</p><ul><li>What the cause of employee conflict can be</li><li>What about conflict - disagreements, different goals, or methods - is good?</li><li>What about that conflict is bad, or detrimental?</li><li>How to referee the conflict &amp; resolution </li><li>How to guide employees to resolve conflict themselves, productively.</li><li>And much more!</li></ul><br/><p><a href="http://bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu/x4280.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Foster Wallace's commencement speech "This is Water."</a></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | [www.davidafoster.com](http://www.davidafoster.com) | [www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/)</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | [www.growtribute.com](http://www.growtribute.com) | [www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling)</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As an entrepreneur, you know that managing a team is never easy. One of the biggest challenges you might face is dealing with employee conflict. </p><p>So how do you handle employee conflict? How do you make sure things don’t escalate and hurt your company’s productivity, reputation, or culture?</p><p>On the other hand - when is employee conflict beneficial for your company? And how can you make best use of it?</p><p>In our latest podcast episode, David &amp; Rachelle be discussing how to harness the power of conflict and turn it into a force for positive change. </p><p>What you’ll learn:</p><ul><li>What the cause of employee conflict can be</li><li>What about conflict - disagreements, different goals, or methods - is good?</li><li>What about that conflict is bad, or detrimental?</li><li>How to referee the conflict &amp; resolution </li><li>How to guide employees to resolve conflict themselves, productively.</li><li>And much more!</li></ul><br/><p><a href="http://bulletin-archive.kenyon.edu/x4280.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">David Foster Wallace's commencement speech "This is Water."</a></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | [www.davidafoster.com](http://www.davidafoster.com) | [www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/)</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | [www.growtribute.com](http://www.growtribute.com) | [www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling](http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling)</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/what-happens-when-an-entrepreneurs-employees-dont-get-along]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">f80b46d6-29ba-4342-b45f-4e12f36c4276</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/586a37f4-395f-45bd-a2ab-b15a68e69ad0/23-12-19.mp3" length="83463861" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>43:28</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>What happens when entrepreneurs identifies with their business?</title><itunes:title>What happens when entrepreneurs identifies with their business?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Is your business your baby? If yes, what does that say about your emotional attachment to your company? And is that a good thing?</p><p>As entrepreneurs, we are wired to CARE. Care about our business, team, clients, and the outcomes. Unfortunately, many of us take it too far. Meaning we get emotionally attached to what happens in the business. Or worse, we try to control the outcomes in the business in order for it to be aligned with our emotions. We end up getting triggered - badly triggered. Causing us to be extra stressed, moody, mentally unavailable, or unable to lead or perform.</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore emotional attachment to our business and the consequences of this.</p><p><strong>Quotable:</strong></p><p>DF: “Identifying with your struggle at work means that your problems there determine who you think you are.”</p><p>RL: “Who am I without work, without my business?”</p><p>DF: “Take some of your power back, and say this is what I’m choosing to do.”</p><p>RL: “When you are trying to control outcomes, you have such a big emotional attachment to what happens.”</p><p><strong>What you will learn:</strong></p><p>- What identifying with your business looks like in practice</p><p>- What healthy attachment is &amp; the benefits of it</p><p>- What unhealthy attachment is &amp; the dangers of it</p><p>- How to care but still be efficient and healthy</p><p>- Questions to ask yourself to explore whether you are too attached and what to do about it</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is your business your baby? If yes, what does that say about your emotional attachment to your company? And is that a good thing?</p><p>As entrepreneurs, we are wired to CARE. Care about our business, team, clients, and the outcomes. Unfortunately, many of us take it too far. Meaning we get emotionally attached to what happens in the business. Or worse, we try to control the outcomes in the business in order for it to be aligned with our emotions. We end up getting triggered - badly triggered. Causing us to be extra stressed, moody, mentally unavailable, or unable to lead or perform.</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle explore emotional attachment to our business and the consequences of this.</p><p><strong>Quotable:</strong></p><p>DF: “Identifying with your struggle at work means that your problems there determine who you think you are.”</p><p>RL: “Who am I without work, without my business?”</p><p>DF: “Take some of your power back, and say this is what I’m choosing to do.”</p><p>RL: “When you are trying to control outcomes, you have such a big emotional attachment to what happens.”</p><p><strong>What you will learn:</strong></p><p>- What identifying with your business looks like in practice</p><p>- What healthy attachment is &amp; the benefits of it</p><p>- What unhealthy attachment is &amp; the dangers of it</p><p>- How to care but still be efficient and healthy</p><p>- Questions to ask yourself to explore whether you are too attached and what to do about it</p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/what-happens-when-an-entrepreneur-identifies-with-their-business]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">bbf2b93a-a32b-4447-ad5d-bf9b963cd8ff</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Apr 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/88bc6247-49f9-4d42-9562-ca39935ef8b2/23-14-14.mp3" length="72051067" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>37:31</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>The benefits of an entrepreneur&apos;s negative attitude.</title><itunes:title>The benefits of an entrepreneur&apos;s negative attitude.</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>When we think of successful entrepreneurs, we often envision someone who is relentlessly positive and optimistic. However, some argue that having a negative attitude can actually be beneficial for entrepreneurs.</p><p>A negative attitude can provide motivation to improve and prevent complacency, among other benefits. By acknowledging weaknesses and potential threats, entrepreneurs may be better equipped to adapt and grow their businesses.</p><p>In this episode, we explore the idea of a negative attitude in entrepreneurship and its potential benefits.</p><p><strong>What you will learn:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>The difference between a negative attitude vs being realistic</li><li>The benefits of having a negative attitude in business</li><li>Why pop culture’s emphasis on staying positive has its dangers</li><li>Why entrepreneurs should strive to be forward-thinking and confident</li></ul><br/><p><strong>Quotable:</strong></p><p>RL: “When we live in only in positivity, it becomes quite dangerous.”</p><p>DF: “The first question to ask yourself is - a I being realistic?”</p><p>RL - “When we overvalue the high of the rollercoaster, we don’t see how low we can go after that.”</p><p>DF: “When delivering negative feedback to an employee, the question is: how do I walk this person through getting better?”</p><p>RL: “Negativity is not the whole sauce of the improvement, it’s the trigger.”</p><p>DF: “If you draw your focus temporarily on the negative, you’re more likely to come up with a solution instead of an excuse.”</p><p>Overall, we will challenge conventional wisdom about positivity and encourage entrepreneurs to embrace a more nuanced approach to mindset in business.</p><p>Mentioned in this show: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driving-leadership/id1615299375?i=1000554746022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Driving Leadership podcast on the Diversity of Diversity</a></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When we think of successful entrepreneurs, we often envision someone who is relentlessly positive and optimistic. However, some argue that having a negative attitude can actually be beneficial for entrepreneurs.</p><p>A negative attitude can provide motivation to improve and prevent complacency, among other benefits. By acknowledging weaknesses and potential threats, entrepreneurs may be better equipped to adapt and grow their businesses.</p><p>In this episode, we explore the idea of a negative attitude in entrepreneurship and its potential benefits.</p><p><strong>What you will learn:</strong></p><p><br></p><ul><li>The difference between a negative attitude vs being realistic</li><li>The benefits of having a negative attitude in business</li><li>Why pop culture’s emphasis on staying positive has its dangers</li><li>Why entrepreneurs should strive to be forward-thinking and confident</li></ul><br/><p><strong>Quotable:</strong></p><p>RL: “When we live in only in positivity, it becomes quite dangerous.”</p><p>DF: “The first question to ask yourself is - a I being realistic?”</p><p>RL - “When we overvalue the high of the rollercoaster, we don’t see how low we can go after that.”</p><p>DF: “When delivering negative feedback to an employee, the question is: how do I walk this person through getting better?”</p><p>RL: “Negativity is not the whole sauce of the improvement, it’s the trigger.”</p><p>DF: “If you draw your focus temporarily on the negative, you’re more likely to come up with a solution instead of an excuse.”</p><p>Overall, we will challenge conventional wisdom about positivity and encourage entrepreneurs to embrace a more nuanced approach to mindset in business.</p><p>Mentioned in this show: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/driving-leadership/id1615299375?i=1000554746022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Driving Leadership podcast on the Diversity of Diversity</a></p><p>A new episode is published every other Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/the-benefits-of-an-entrepreneurs-negative-attitude-]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">af78b503-d0ae-41f0-816f-537bedde0aa3</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Mar 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/43241f9e-808b-4d2f-8ccf-12fc6814ae91/23-18-02.mp3" length="78233520" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>40:45</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How boundaries make entrepreneurs more effective</title><itunes:title>How boundaries make entrepreneurs more effective</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>As entrepreneurs, it's easy to get caught up in the busyness of building a successful business, often at the expense of ourselves and our performance. We people-please and put clients before ourselves just to make it happen. But are we actually being effective?</p><p>In this episode, we explore what is not having sufficient boundaries costing you - opportunity-wise and efficiency-wise. And what if you were to would put up stronger boundaries, what would that mean to your business’ success?</p><p><br></p><p>In today’s episode, David &amp; Rachelle will cover:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><br></li><li>What boundaries truly are</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>The importance of setting work boundaries</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>Clarifying what you are trying to do and what makes you effective</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>What you say to yourself</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>Making boundaries before you start</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>How to be clear with yourself and others</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>How not communicating your boundaries means not having any</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>A list of things to observe</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>As always, you can expect practical examples and thought-provoking questions to ponder upon.</p><p><br></p><p>Feel free to reach out to David and/or Rachelle to further discuss this topic.</p><p><br></p><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff. A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As entrepreneurs, it's easy to get caught up in the busyness of building a successful business, often at the expense of ourselves and our performance. We people-please and put clients before ourselves just to make it happen. But are we actually being effective?</p><p>In this episode, we explore what is not having sufficient boundaries costing you - opportunity-wise and efficiency-wise. And what if you were to would put up stronger boundaries, what would that mean to your business’ success?</p><p><br></p><p>In today’s episode, David &amp; Rachelle will cover:</p><p><br></p><ul><li><br></li><li>What boundaries truly are</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>The importance of setting work boundaries</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>Clarifying what you are trying to do and what makes you effective</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>What you say to yourself</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>Making boundaries before you start</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>How to be clear with yourself and others</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>How not communicating your boundaries means not having any</li><li><br></li><li><br></li><li>A list of things to observe</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>As always, you can expect practical examples and thought-provoking questions to ponder upon.</p><p><br></p><p>Feel free to reach out to David and/or Rachelle to further discuss this topic.</p><p><br></p><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff. A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-boundaries-make-entrepreneurs-more-effective]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">c6f76b55-dd4b-4c65-b83f-cf2a851a783c</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/3ef9869a-0599-471e-9a38-ee70d1add07c/23-19-16.mp3" length="55080252" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>28:41</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can an entrepreneur simplify their business?</title><itunes:title>How can an entrepreneur simplify their business?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Have you complicated your business over the years?</p><p>While a business starts with 1 great idea &amp; simple processes, we scatter our business in many directions later on.</p><p>We tend to overcomplicate our business with new strategies, tools, and long processes, and by (still) offering products &amp; services that don’t perform.</p><p>Most additions are often unimportant, irrelevant, or just making things messy.  It becomes harder to operate without proper clarity on an overview of the business. Resulting in overwhelm, harder decision-making, and confused leadership. All in all, it’s a recipe for failure and burnout.</p><p>So how can entrepreneurs go back to simplicity?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle discuss:</p><ul><li>How business complexity happens</li></ul><br/><ul><li>What complexity has to do with your ego</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>What effects complexity has on your business leadership</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>What effects complexity has on your business outcomes</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>Where to start to get back to simplicity</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>Why you have to be brutal &amp; bold</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><p>Feel free to reach out to David and/or Rachelle to further discuss this topic.</p><p><br></p><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff. A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you complicated your business over the years?</p><p>While a business starts with 1 great idea &amp; simple processes, we scatter our business in many directions later on.</p><p>We tend to overcomplicate our business with new strategies, tools, and long processes, and by (still) offering products &amp; services that don’t perform.</p><p>Most additions are often unimportant, irrelevant, or just making things messy.  It becomes harder to operate without proper clarity on an overview of the business. Resulting in overwhelm, harder decision-making, and confused leadership. All in all, it’s a recipe for failure and burnout.</p><p>So how can entrepreneurs go back to simplicity?</p><p>In this episode, David &amp; Rachelle discuss:</p><ul><li>How business complexity happens</li></ul><br/><ul><li>What complexity has to do with your ego</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>What effects complexity has on your business leadership</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>What effects complexity has on your business outcomes</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>Where to start to get back to simplicity</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>Why you have to be brutal &amp; bold</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><p>Feel free to reach out to David and/or Rachelle to further discuss this topic.</p><p><br></p><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff. A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-an-entrepreneur-simplify-their-business]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">aa855a85-d01b-4d52-88ad-fd6ee5560280</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/6dd22796-33a3-4bfc-bed5-2fbbe9cb8b5f/23-09-01.mp3" length="67486117" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>35:09</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>Why letting employees truly own their job is beneficial to entrepreneurs</title><itunes:title>Why letting employees truly own their job is beneficial to entrepreneurs</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>How often do you blame your team for not functioning at 100%?</p><p>Do you feel too involved in the day-to-day?</p><p>While it is easy to point fingers and try to control the operations, it is counterproductive.</p><p>For your business and for you.</p><p>Leading your team is a skill that needs to be mastered.</p><p>If you want to spend most of your time working ON your business, enhancing it is paramount.</p><p>The solution comes down to doing the following:</p><p>Make sure employees can own their job.</p><p>What we discuss:</p><p>- What owning a job looks like</p><p>- How to give employees the ownership they need and deserve</p><p>- What you can do to make them work without your interference</p><p>- How you can let go of control more</p><p>- How giving them ownership benefits you</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/davidfoster</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | www.growtribute.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How often do you blame your team for not functioning at 100%?</p><p>Do you feel too involved in the day-to-day?</p><p>While it is easy to point fingers and try to control the operations, it is counterproductive.</p><p>For your business and for you.</p><p>Leading your team is a skill that needs to be mastered.</p><p>If you want to spend most of your time working ON your business, enhancing it is paramount.</p><p>The solution comes down to doing the following:</p><p>Make sure employees can own their job.</p><p>What we discuss:</p><p>- What owning a job looks like</p><p>- How to give employees the ownership they need and deserve</p><p>- What you can do to make them work without your interference</p><p>- How you can let go of control more</p><p>- How giving them ownership benefits you</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/davidfoster</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | www.growtribute.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/why-letting-employees-truly-own-their-job-is-beneficial-to-entrepreneurs]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">6d19bf13-9cd4-4b40-99e5-8c82bfec6a9c</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/28cc59c5-b800-4b6c-8cb9-87b24006c46d/23-08-25.mp3" length="30262671" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>15:46</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How an entrepreneur can encourage criticism and alternative views?</title><itunes:title>How an entrepreneur can encourage criticism and alternative views?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>As the leader of your business, often people aren’t honest with you. Yes-nodding might be part of your everyday business life. Or, they are not completely open about how they feel.</p><p>The people around you have their reasons for not speaking up.  Their feedback on your leadership, or your ways of working, might be detrimental to their job.</p><p>Yet, a business can only grow from learnings and new ways of thinking. The people on the job can sense things you cannot. And more views can lead to breakthroughs in processes, products, customer journeys, or simply the day-to-day company culture.</p><p>So it’s time to open up to alternative views and see the benefits of more pairs of eyes on your business…</p><p>On Thursday, the Thriving Entrepreneur’s 15 Minutes will be about “How entrepreneurs can encourage criticism and alternative views”.</p><p>What we discuss:</p><ul><li>The difference between clear leadership and my-way-or-the-high-way</li><li>How to know if you are keeping criticism and alternative views under the rug</li><li>How to ask for feedback and criticism from your team</li><li>How to create a safe space and a culture of progressive feedback</li><li>What to change about your attitude and behavior in order to let feedback in</li><li>How your company can benefit from new views and new ways</li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | www.growtribute.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As the leader of your business, often people aren’t honest with you. Yes-nodding might be part of your everyday business life. Or, they are not completely open about how they feel.</p><p>The people around you have their reasons for not speaking up.  Their feedback on your leadership, or your ways of working, might be detrimental to their job.</p><p>Yet, a business can only grow from learnings and new ways of thinking. The people on the job can sense things you cannot. And more views can lead to breakthroughs in processes, products, customer journeys, or simply the day-to-day company culture.</p><p>So it’s time to open up to alternative views and see the benefits of more pairs of eyes on your business…</p><p>On Thursday, the Thriving Entrepreneur’s 15 Minutes will be about “How entrepreneurs can encourage criticism and alternative views”.</p><p>What we discuss:</p><ul><li>The difference between clear leadership and my-way-or-the-high-way</li><li>How to know if you are keeping criticism and alternative views under the rug</li><li>How to ask for feedback and criticism from your team</li><li>How to create a safe space and a culture of progressive feedback</li><li>What to change about your attitude and behavior in order to let feedback in</li><li>How your company can benefit from new views and new ways</li></ul><br/><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | www.davidafoster.com | www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</p><p>Rachelle Leerling | www.growtribute.com | www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-an-entrepreneur-can-encourage-criticism-and-alternative-views]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">edc376a2-13e1-48e9-aca9-6ac44ad32d0d</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/4cb4c47d-270a-448a-8444-62376868bca6/26-23-18-39.mp3" length="29822977" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>15:32</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>Why people pleasing as an entrepreneur is bad for business.</title><itunes:title>Why people pleasing as an entrepreneur is bad for business.</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Some entrepreneurs/founders see their people-pleasing behavior as a badge of honor. Giving the investors, team and other stakeholders what they think they need. Yes, sometimes sacrifices (against ourselves) need to be made for the sake of business success. But it shouldn’t be the normal behavior we leaders and entrepreneurs have. While being nice and staying on speaking terms is what we want to achieve by doing so, often it has a counter effect. And that is hurting your business.</p><p>For instance:</p><ul><li>The hard conversation about a disagreement is not held between you and another founder. Avoiding it makes matters worse. The elephant in the room is blown up, while it could’ve easily been solved.</li><li>You don’t want to lose your position, status or pride by communicating something, while that is exactly what is happening behind your back.</li><li>Your team member is not doing his/her work right. That causes your customer to get low-quality service. You avoid the conversation as you believe feedback can only be done in a harsh way and that would hurt him/her personally.</li></ul><br/><p>So the question of today’s episode is: Why is <s>only</s> people pleasing as an entrepreneur/founder bad for your business?</p><p>Things David &amp; Rachelle talked about:</p><ul><li>The kind of culture that comes from a people-pleasing leader</li><li>The inevitable disagreements between founders/leaders is good</li><li>Why some co-founders don’t talk about the hard stuff (anymore) and the effects of that</li><li>Why not being open, honest and authentic hurts your business results</li><li>How people pleasing is choosing others over yourself and knowing better</li><li>How to stay in connection with the other party while in that hard conversation</li></ul><br/><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff.</p><p>New episodes are published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some entrepreneurs/founders see their people-pleasing behavior as a badge of honor. Giving the investors, team and other stakeholders what they think they need. Yes, sometimes sacrifices (against ourselves) need to be made for the sake of business success. But it shouldn’t be the normal behavior we leaders and entrepreneurs have. While being nice and staying on speaking terms is what we want to achieve by doing so, often it has a counter effect. And that is hurting your business.</p><p>For instance:</p><ul><li>The hard conversation about a disagreement is not held between you and another founder. Avoiding it makes matters worse. The elephant in the room is blown up, while it could’ve easily been solved.</li><li>You don’t want to lose your position, status or pride by communicating something, while that is exactly what is happening behind your back.</li><li>Your team member is not doing his/her work right. That causes your customer to get low-quality service. You avoid the conversation as you believe feedback can only be done in a harsh way and that would hurt him/her personally.</li></ul><br/><p>So the question of today’s episode is: Why is <s>only</s> people pleasing as an entrepreneur/founder bad for your business?</p><p>Things David &amp; Rachelle talked about:</p><ul><li>The kind of culture that comes from a people-pleasing leader</li><li>The inevitable disagreements between founders/leaders is good</li><li>Why some co-founders don’t talk about the hard stuff (anymore) and the effects of that</li><li>Why not being open, honest and authentic hurts your business results</li><li>How people pleasing is choosing others over yourself and knowing better</li><li>How to stay in connection with the other party while in that hard conversation</li></ul><br/><p>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling are founder and entrepreneur coaches.  We have weekly thought-provoking discussions about how to thrive as an entrepreneur. No fluff.</p><p>New episodes are published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a></p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/why-people-pleasing-as-an-entrepreneur-is-bad-for-business-]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">b7c9fcac-bd68-4d3c-94d9-6e963ffb3edd</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2023 12:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/2efd6647-3a71-4de1-9337-4b36c54d465c/13-23-11-18.mp3" length="60067341" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>31:17</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can an entrepreneur practically avoid being overwhelmed?</title><itunes:title>How can an entrepreneur practically avoid being overwhelmed?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Are the problems in your business rooted in being overwhelmed?  How can you tell?</p><p>What do you have to decide or how do you make sure that you’re not becoming overwhelmed and justifying it?</p><p>We know the benefits of being on top of our game: if you are not continually overwhelmed, the work you do, the unexpected challenges and bumps in the road will be less of a challenge.  You’ll make better decisions, more quickly and make better progress.</p><p>But how do you get there?</p><p>Or, maybe better put, how do you keep from getting overwhelmed every day?</p><p>Where are you with feeling overwhelmed as a founder or entrepreneur?</p><p>----</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are the problems in your business rooted in being overwhelmed?  How can you tell?</p><p>What do you have to decide or how do you make sure that you’re not becoming overwhelmed and justifying it?</p><p>We know the benefits of being on top of our game: if you are not continually overwhelmed, the work you do, the unexpected challenges and bumps in the road will be less of a challenge.  You’ll make better decisions, more quickly and make better progress.</p><p>But how do you get there?</p><p>Or, maybe better put, how do you keep from getting overwhelmed every day?</p><p>Where are you with feeling overwhelmed as a founder or entrepreneur?</p><p>----</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-an-entrepreneur-practically-avoid-being-overwhelmed]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">de6ba125-a34e-4040-a26d-4973c40c2cc2</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/b5b978cb-064c-4938-9791-6f2453af540e/How-can-an-entrepreneur-avoid-overwhelm.mp3" length="15809658" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>16:28</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can your 2023 goals survive an entrepreneur&apos;s life?</title><itunes:title>How can your 2023 goals survive an entrepreneur&apos;s life?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Much of a founder’s direction can be characterized as “hope beyond reason” (with a nod to Bruce Springsteen for the phrase).</p><p>But where is hope’s limit?&nbsp;At what point does reason rule, no matter how hard we hope?</p><p>As founders, we create and develop something that many people would consider out of reach, too difficult, or not worthwhile.&nbsp;But we do it anyway, and with perseverance, guidance, support, and luck, we can be successful.</p><p><br></p><p>But sometimes we fail.</p><p><br></p><p>And a lot of times, the trap is that the startup hustle culture tells us that reason’s resistance to achieving lofty goals is less powerful than it actually turns out to be.</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Much of a founder’s direction can be characterized as “hope beyond reason” (with a nod to Bruce Springsteen for the phrase).</p><p>But where is hope’s limit?&nbsp;At what point does reason rule, no matter how hard we hope?</p><p>As founders, we create and develop something that many people would consider out of reach, too difficult, or not worthwhile.&nbsp;But we do it anyway, and with perseverance, guidance, support, and luck, we can be successful.</p><p><br></p><p>But sometimes we fail.</p><p><br></p><p>And a lot of times, the trap is that the startup hustle culture tells us that reason’s resistance to achieving lofty goals is less powerful than it actually turns out to be.</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-your-2023-goals-survive-an-entrepreneurs-life]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">761201c9-965c-4100-b2ef-3fcb59cbf9b6</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 23 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/8ba6c168-6f43-4a30-b3e1-867102eab5bf/TE-2023-Goals-R1.mp3" length="13952731" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>14:32</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How important is an entrepreneur&apos;s mission statement? (LinkedIn Live)</title><itunes:title>How important is an entrepreneur&apos;s mission statement? (LinkedIn Live)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>How do you know where your business is headed?</p><p>Does the day-to-day demand determine your path?</p><p>How do you know where to head?</p><p>Well, you have a mission statement.  Right there on the website, with a bold headline and crafted prose.</p><p><br></p><p>But really, what does a mission statement do?  How important is it?</p><p><br></p><p>Rachelle and David take on this very topic this Thursday (courtesy of Jack Bradley’s question).</p><p><br></p><p>Last week we talked about how an entrepreneur can communicate vision in everyday actions, and in a bit of a backwards direction, this week we are talking about how important the mission statement really is.</p><ul><li>Who is the mission statement for?</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>How can an entrepreneur craft and use a mission statement?</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>How does that mission statement inform your priorities and what your employees do?</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>What is your experience with mission statements?  Do you use one?  Did you once?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How do you know where your business is headed?</p><p>Does the day-to-day demand determine your path?</p><p>How do you know where to head?</p><p>Well, you have a mission statement.  Right there on the website, with a bold headline and crafted prose.</p><p><br></p><p>But really, what does a mission statement do?  How important is it?</p><p><br></p><p>Rachelle and David take on this very topic this Thursday (courtesy of Jack Bradley’s question).</p><p><br></p><p>Last week we talked about how an entrepreneur can communicate vision in everyday actions, and in a bit of a backwards direction, this week we are talking about how important the mission statement really is.</p><ul><li>Who is the mission statement for?</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>How can an entrepreneur craft and use a mission statement?</li></ul><br/><p><br></p><ul><li>How does that mission statement inform your priorities and what your employees do?</li><li><br></li></ul><br/><p>What is your experience with mission statements?  Do you use one?  Did you once?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-important-is-an-entrepreneurs-mission-statement]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">08c9ad51-820f-41f2-94af-eb987015b693</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/4b50a686-2719-4e19-8f8a-377a2f1e6886/Mission-Statement-Edited.mp3" length="15160633" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>15:48</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs communicate vision in everyday actions? (Live)</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs communicate vision in everyday actions? (Live)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>Do you sometimes wonder whether the people you work with understand what you’ve laid out as a vision for the business you started?</p><p>Does what you see and hear day to day reflect what your business is all about?</p><p>Many founders and entrepreneurs have similar concerns and questions.  People are working, but sometimes the direction of that work isn’t heading in the same direction.</p><p>Fair questions to ask:</p><p><br></p><p>Why would the people who work with you understand the vision you have for the business you started?</p><p><br></p><p>Thursday Rachelle and David ask how a founder can communicate his or her vision through everyday actions, and why communicating that way is often much more important than a page on the website or what you say during onboarding a new employee.</p><p><br></p><ul><li>What is the “experience of you”?</li><li>Is there a difference between what your vision is and what employees understand?</li><li>What can you look for in your own business to understand what’s happening with this?</li></ul><br/><p>We stick to 15 minutes on LinkedIn so you can get valuable insights quickly.</p><p>No fluff.</p><p>No fortune cookie wisdom.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you sometimes wonder whether the people you work with understand what you’ve laid out as a vision for the business you started?</p><p>Does what you see and hear day to day reflect what your business is all about?</p><p>Many founders and entrepreneurs have similar concerns and questions.  People are working, but sometimes the direction of that work isn’t heading in the same direction.</p><p>Fair questions to ask:</p><p><br></p><p>Why would the people who work with you understand the vision you have for the business you started?</p><p><br></p><p>Thursday Rachelle and David ask how a founder can communicate his or her vision through everyday actions, and why communicating that way is often much more important than a page on the website or what you say during onboarding a new employee.</p><p><br></p><ul><li>What is the “experience of you”?</li><li>Is there a difference between what your vision is and what employees understand?</li><li>What can you look for in your own business to understand what’s happening with this?</li></ul><br/><p>We stick to 15 minutes on LinkedIn so you can get valuable insights quickly.</p><p>No fluff.</p><p>No fortune cookie wisdom.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-communicate-vision-in-everyday-actions]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">0e0161f0-b78d-4d41-b4a7-929a70982d2e</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/d8e1fc58-e30c-4f4f-9914-13eb62ff03cd/TE-Vision-everyday-actions-edited.mp3" length="15937201" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>16:36</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs inspire employees?</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs inspire employees?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>In order for your business to succeed, every employee must be inspired to work to the best of their ability.</p><p>Right?</p><p>We are often asked in a variety of ways how to inspire and motivate employees.&nbsp;How do we get them to understand the importance of what we want and what we are trying to do?</p><p><br></p><p>It’s true that founders and entrepreneurs often have to clearly communicate their dream and mission to those around them - customers, investors, and employees.</p><p><br></p><p>But *how* we communicate this, and the relationship it has with your employees can be the difference between a successful path and a frustrating one.</p><p><br></p><p>This week Rachelle and David discuss</p><p><br></p><p>- What is behind employees’ motivations</p><p>- How to look at what you’re doing with employees</p><p>- Questions to ask to discover the meaning for your employees</p><p>- Why just “trading your money for their time” rarely works out very well.</p><p><br></p><p>Where do you struggle with motivating employees?</p><p><br></p><p>What has worked for you?&nbsp;What hasn’t?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In order for your business to succeed, every employee must be inspired to work to the best of their ability.</p><p>Right?</p><p>We are often asked in a variety of ways how to inspire and motivate employees.&nbsp;How do we get them to understand the importance of what we want and what we are trying to do?</p><p><br></p><p>It’s true that founders and entrepreneurs often have to clearly communicate their dream and mission to those around them - customers, investors, and employees.</p><p><br></p><p>But *how* we communicate this, and the relationship it has with your employees can be the difference between a successful path and a frustrating one.</p><p><br></p><p>This week Rachelle and David discuss</p><p><br></p><p>- What is behind employees’ motivations</p><p>- How to look at what you’re doing with employees</p><p>- Questions to ask to discover the meaning for your employees</p><p>- Why just “trading your money for their time” rarely works out very well.</p><p><br></p><p>Where do you struggle with motivating employees?</p><p><br></p><p>What has worked for you?&nbsp;What hasn’t?</p><p><br></p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-inspire-employees]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">c9663909-f27e-447a-a59e-127e3a227e91</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/69d69a16-8b72-4ec1-8b79-8dac091cefae/TE-10-How-can-entrepreneurs-inspire-employees-R1.mp3" length="14988852" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>15:37</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs be thankful - and why?</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs be thankful - and why?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>In this Thanksgiving episode, Rachelle and David discuss the reasons how a founder can be thankful - and why.</p><p>Everything in the universe is a combination of dark and light, and being able to see both is a superpower when it comes to running the business you started.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this Thanksgiving episode, Rachelle and David discuss the reasons how a founder can be thankful - and why.</p><p>Everything in the universe is a combination of dark and light, and being able to see both is a superpower when it comes to running the business you started.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-be-thankful-and-why]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">ab2a9e7f-1bff-40a8-ac05-66779f82fffd</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 25 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/8fa4afdc-0ff0-4496-8cd3-bd735d6d612f/How-can-entrepreneurs-feel-thankful.mp3" length="16883809" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>17:35</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs recognize their own limitations in business?  (LinkedIn Live)</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs recognize their own limitations in business?  (LinkedIn Live)</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>As a founder and entrepreneur, how do you decide what hat <em>not</em> to put on at work?</p><p>If you don’t have a structure for figuring out your limits and ways to deal with them, you could be flirting with a lot of problems.</p><p>We are responsible for so much of the business when we start it - sometimes all of it in the first days.</p><p><br></p><p>But we are not all equally skilled at different specialities.  Some of us are better and more efficient at different areas, we have accumulated different skills and knowledge over time, and how well we perform at certain areas is different from person to person.</p><p><br></p><p>This week, Rachelle and David will discuss ways we can think about our limits in business.</p><ul><li>What can I ask myself to evaluate my limits?</li><li>How to expand those limits, and when should I?</li><li>How can we evaluate our limits vs. interests vs. needs?</li><li>What is the benefit and cost of framing decisions about our limits before we take a path, and how do we change?</li><li>Are the necessary costs of working at our limit a net benefit or cost?</li></ul><br/><p>How do you manage your limits and what would improvement look like?</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a founder and entrepreneur, how do you decide what hat <em>not</em> to put on at work?</p><p>If you don’t have a structure for figuring out your limits and ways to deal with them, you could be flirting with a lot of problems.</p><p>We are responsible for so much of the business when we start it - sometimes all of it in the first days.</p><p><br></p><p>But we are not all equally skilled at different specialities.  Some of us are better and more efficient at different areas, we have accumulated different skills and knowledge over time, and how well we perform at certain areas is different from person to person.</p><p><br></p><p>This week, Rachelle and David will discuss ways we can think about our limits in business.</p><ul><li>What can I ask myself to evaluate my limits?</li><li>How to expand those limits, and when should I?</li><li>How can we evaluate our limits vs. interests vs. needs?</li><li>What is the benefit and cost of framing decisions about our limits before we take a path, and how do we change?</li><li>Are the necessary costs of working at our limit a net benefit or cost?</li></ul><br/><p>How do you manage your limits and what would improvement look like?</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-recognize-their-own-limitations-in-business-linkedin-live]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">82d1e630-4d23-491d-8d64-ece9d0ad7226</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/fa21fa48-0a05-4ad2-9952-ca0f83579bbe/How-can-entrepreneurs-benefit-from-acknowledging-limits-in-busi.mp3" length="15762494" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>16:25</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs work on their business instead of for it?</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs work on their business instead of for it?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>As a founder or entrepreneur, how do you know you are working on the right thing?</p><p>Running a business is a difficult task, but working on the right thing is often more important than just working hard in general.</p><p>Being able to distinguish and then consciously decide between the urgent and the important is a critical skill for a founder.  Sorting that takes:</p><ul><li>Effective delegation</li><li>Identifying inefficiency</li><li>Working on the biggest obstacles</li><li>Getting honest feedback from teammates and mentors</li></ul><br/><p>This is what Rachelle and David discuss: how entrepreneurs can work on their businesses instead of just for them.</p><p>Working in your business looks like direct client work, bookkeeping, and resolving employee issues.</p><p>Working ON your business looks like planning, learning new skills, and developing repeatable processes.</p><p>As captains of our own ships, we need to maintain them <em>and</em> guide them.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As a founder or entrepreneur, how do you know you are working on the right thing?</p><p>Running a business is a difficult task, but working on the right thing is often more important than just working hard in general.</p><p>Being able to distinguish and then consciously decide between the urgent and the important is a critical skill for a founder.  Sorting that takes:</p><ul><li>Effective delegation</li><li>Identifying inefficiency</li><li>Working on the biggest obstacles</li><li>Getting honest feedback from teammates and mentors</li></ul><br/><p>This is what Rachelle and David discuss: how entrepreneurs can work on their businesses instead of just for them.</p><p>Working in your business looks like direct client work, bookkeeping, and resolving employee issues.</p><p>Working ON your business looks like planning, learning new skills, and developing repeatable processes.</p><p>As captains of our own ships, we need to maintain them <em>and</em> guide them.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-work-on-their-business-instead-of-for-it]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">d68e17ef-2821-4923-aedc-47d122a8b831</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Nov 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/873b8cc1-59b9-4af5-b214-215b00b6261e/How-can-entrepreneurs-work-on-their-business-instead-of-for-it-.mp3" length="14017097" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>14:36</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can entrepreneurs truly rest?</title><itunes:title>How can entrepreneurs truly rest?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>How can entrepreneurs and founders truly rest without feeling guilty?</p><p>There is no way to make good decisions, day after day, if you are exhausted, overly stressed and unable to focus.</p><p>The answer is to rest - to spend time away from work, your computer and the associated demands, and to fully engage in something other than work.  But it’s not always easy for an entrepreneur or founder who is building a business that demands attention.</p><p>But if we don’t spend regular time away from work, everything suffers - your mental health, your physical health, your relationships and the business itself.</p><p>Rachelle and David will spend 15 minutes helping people with <em>how</em> to think about taking time away from work, and the guilt that sometimes stops us.</p><ul><li>What questions can you ask yourself to evaluate your energy?</li><li>How to figure out and then disarm the guilt or pressure that keeps us at our desk too long.</li><li>Things to watch about yourself, so you can make the best decisions for you.</li></ul><br/><p>In the series “Thriving Entrepreneur’s 15 minutes”, founder and entrepreneur coaches David Foster and Rachelle Leerling discuss practical insights in order to run a thriving business.</p><p>We believe that a great company starts with leading yourself first. That’s why we both enthusiastically coach entrepreneurs and founders to step into their leadership and invest in themselves.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How can entrepreneurs and founders truly rest without feeling guilty?</p><p>There is no way to make good decisions, day after day, if you are exhausted, overly stressed and unable to focus.</p><p>The answer is to rest - to spend time away from work, your computer and the associated demands, and to fully engage in something other than work.  But it’s not always easy for an entrepreneur or founder who is building a business that demands attention.</p><p>But if we don’t spend regular time away from work, everything suffers - your mental health, your physical health, your relationships and the business itself.</p><p>Rachelle and David will spend 15 minutes helping people with <em>how</em> to think about taking time away from work, and the guilt that sometimes stops us.</p><ul><li>What questions can you ask yourself to evaluate your energy?</li><li>How to figure out and then disarm the guilt or pressure that keeps us at our desk too long.</li><li>Things to watch about yourself, so you can make the best decisions for you.</li></ul><br/><p>In the series “Thriving Entrepreneur’s 15 minutes”, founder and entrepreneur coaches David Foster and Rachelle Leerling discuss practical insights in order to run a thriving business.</p><p>We believe that a great company starts with leading yourself first. That’s why we both enthusiastically coach entrepreneurs and founders to step into their leadership and invest in themselves.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-entrepreneurs-truly-rest]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">80d8939f-30ea-45bb-a6b1-20c16df8c71d</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 28 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/8e58ffe8-1ca7-43bd-b5d8-23cda9270bb3/04-TE-Truly-Rest-Edit.mp3" length="14231510" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>14:49</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item><item><title>How can an entrepreneur stay happy during tough times?</title><itunes:title>How can an entrepreneur stay happy during tough times?</itunes:title><description><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;"How can entrepreneurs stay happy during tough times?"</p><p>This topic isn't easy to tackle...</p><p>We all know that business isn't all fun and games.</p><p>But we should be very aware of the mental states it causes.</p><p>Are you present with your partner?</p><p>Are you able to detach from business stress?</p><p>Becoming emotionally resilient to whatever happens in business is key to thriving entrepreneurship.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;"How can entrepreneurs stay happy during tough times?"</p><p>This topic isn't easy to tackle...</p><p>We all know that business isn't all fun and games.</p><p>But we should be very aware of the mental states it causes.</p><p>Are you present with your partner?</p><p>Are you able to detach from business stress?</p><p>Becoming emotionally resilient to whatever happens in business is key to thriving entrepreneurship.</p><p>A new episode is published every Friday.</p><p>We also go live on LinkedIn every Thursday 10:30 EST / 16:30 CET</p><p><br></p><p>More about us and how we support entrepreneurs &amp; founders:</p><p>David Foster | <a href="http://www.davidafoster.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.davidafoster.com</a> | <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/-david-foster/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/-davidfoster</a></p><p>Rachelle Leerling | <a href="http://www.growtribute.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.growtribute.com</a> | <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.linkedin.com/in/rachelleleerling</a> </p>]]></content:encoded><link><![CDATA[https://davidafoster.com/how-can-an-entrepreneur-stay-happy-during-tough-times]]></link><guid isPermaLink="false">166a2f47-033d-4d0f-ad6d-832b09399511</guid><itunes:image href="https://artwork.captivate.fm/4392ebcf-c5b3-47e9-9520-7e0aa6c9bc19/z_VS7_EbdExLaQ8tz9-Pvcqu.jpg"/><dc:creator><![CDATA[David Foster & Rachelle Leerling]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2022 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><enclosure url="https://podcasts.captivate.fm/media/54637da3-0bb2-4096-9bc7-fdeeb23b06ee/02-TE-Staying-Happy.mp3" length="14866390" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:duration>15:29</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType><itunes:author>David Foster &amp; Rachelle Leerling</itunes:author></item></channel></rss>