How to Lead with Happiness, Hope, and Human Connection—Even in Tough Times

If you're a small or medium business owner struggling with team morale, leadership challenges, or just the daily grind of running a business, this episode is for you. In this inspiring conversation, Dr Calvin Lawrence Jr—a seasoned educator, leadership expert, and author of The Happy Leader—shares the powerful case for leading with joy, purpose, and genuine human connection.

You'll learn how to cultivate a resilient and motivated team culture, even during adversity. Dr Lawrence offers deeply relatable insights and real-world leadership strategies that don’t require big budgets—just big hearts. He reminds us that strong leadership is less about titles and more about influence, trust, and consistency.

🔑 In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why relationships are the foundation of strong business leadership
• How to lead a team with positivity—especially when business gets hard
• The power of mentorship (and why it’s a two-way street)
• How to rebuild trust and culture when your team has been let down
• Why failure, handled right, can be your best teacher

Whether you lead a team of two or twenty, this episode will help you step into a leadership style that creates loyalty, resilience, and success—without losing your soul in the process.

Get Dr Lawrence's book here: The Happy Leader

Dr Calvin Henry Lawrence Jr is a nationally respected leadership expert, motivational speaker, and author of "The Happy Leader: Relatable Stories of Influence and Hope". With 41 years of experience in K-12 and higher education, he’s the founder of CalvinLawrenceSpeaks, where he inspires audiences through messages on leadership, mentorship, and purpose. A former teacher, coach, and college dean, Dr Lawrence believes relationships are the foundation of leadership. He holds a doctorate from Baylor University and speaks regularly at schools, conferences, and faith-based events across the US.

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www.calvinlawrencespeaks.net

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Imagine waking up to find your website gone, your email list inaccessible, or your brand’s identity being misused online—and you have no idea how to take it back. That’s the nightmare too many business owners face because they’ve unknowingly handed over control of their digital assets. In this episode of The Business Behind Your Business, host Paul Sweeney sits down with Paige Wiese, founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, to help you make sure that never happens to you.

Paige draws on over 15 years of experience helping business owners protect their online presence to share eye-opening stories and a simple, effective strategy for taking back control. Whether you're a start-up founder or a seasoned business owner, this episode is your wake-up call—and your game plan.

🎯 Listen now to learn how to:

• Identify the full scope of your digital assets (spoiler: there are more than 200!)
• Avoid common mistakes that lead to losing domains, websites, or social media accounts
• Create a reliable system for documenting logins, licenses, and third-party tools
• Reduce risk during employee turnover or vendor transitions
• Set up brand protection policies that safeguard your business now and in the future
• Use Paige’s free Brand Protection Checklist to start assessing your exposure today

This episode is packed with practical advice you can implement right away to keep your brand safe, your systems organized, and your business growing.

Paige Wiese is the founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, a top-ranked Denver-based marketing agency that develops high performance websites and digital marketing strategies for businesses nationwide. With 16 years of industry experience, Paige has seen companies and CEOs struggle to manage and maintain their assets through growth or transition. She has recently developed a proprietary digital asset management service to track and protect companies’ over 200 data points. Paige is a dedicated speaker and mentor on the topics of brand protection and business growth.

Get your free Digital Asset Assessment

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Why should you care about restructuring your business—especially when things seem to be going fine? Because waiting for a crisis to act could be the most expensive decision you ever make. In this episode, turnaround expert James Martin reveals why restructuring isn’t just a last resort—it’s a powerful tool for transforming challenges into competitive advantage.

If you're a business owner navigating market volatility, rising interest rates, or internal growing pains, this episode is essential listening. James Martin shares practical insights that can help you see beyond short-term survival and into long-term strategic transformation—before a crisis forces your hand.

What you’ll learn:

• Why restructuring isn’t just for failing businesses—and how proactive changes can secure long-term success
• How to identify early warning signs that your business may need to pivot
• The importance of strategic alignment with all stakeholders, including suppliers and lenders
• How to build trust-based supplier relationships that foster resilience, not risk
• Lessons from leading companies through 9/11, the 2008 crash, and COVID-19 disruptions
• Why avoiding tough conversations (especially with banks and management teams) can backfire
• And how every business challenge—even a staffing crisis or regulatory change—can become a strategic opportunity

With clear, actionable advice and real-world examples, this episode shifts your mindset from damage control to strategic agility. Don’t wait for trouble to find your business—listen in and learn how to turn challenge into opportunity.

James F. Martin, CPA, is the founder and managing partner of ACM Capital Partners and an internationally recognized expert in corporate turnarounds, having restored or created over $800 million in value for private companies. With more than two decades of experience, he has led organizations through complex restructurings, raised over $500 million in capital, and overseen transactions exceeding $250 million. Martin has served as interim CEO, CFO, and board advisor across a range of industries, delivering strategic renewal, debt restructuring, and operational transformations—even amid major economic disruptions. A CPA with an MBA from Emory University and a finance degree from Florida State University, he is also seasoned in bankruptcy processes, court-appointed receiverships, and ABC assignments.

www.acmcapitalpartners.com

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