Small Business Survival Conversations
Small Business Survival Conversations is the weekly podcast designed to empower entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners who are fighting every day to build, grow, and sustain their businesses in a noisy and unpredictable world.
Hosted by Anna Steinfest, business strategist, entrepreneur, and founder with decades of experience helping small businesses thrive, this show delivers practical wisdom, mindset fuel, and real-world strategies that small business owners can actually use.
What to Expect Every Week
Monday Morning Motivation
Kickstart your week with a powerful story—drawn from timeless fables, real business lessons, or classic wisdom—paired with three actionable steps you can apply immediately. Each episode is crafted to help you regain focus, protect your momentum, and make better decisions as a small business owner.
These episodes are short, energizing, and packed with practical insight. Think of it as your weekly dose of clarity, courage, and direction.
Occasional Expert Interviews
Throughout the season, Anna welcomes entrepreneurs, industry experts, and community leaders who share their experiences, failures, wins, and lessons learned. Whether you’re looking to scale, pivot, or simply survive another day of running a business, these conversations offer the guidance and encouragement you need.
Who This Podcast Is For
This show is built for:
• Small business owners
• Solopreneurs
• Startup founders
• Women-owned businesses
• Community-based and service-based entrepreneurs
• Anyone navigating growth with limited time, resources, and support
If you’re building a business from the ground up—and learning as you go—you’re in the right place.
Why Listeners Love This Podcast
• Practical, real-world strategies (no fluff)
• Story-driven insights that stick
• Weekly motivation designed specifically for small business owners
• Action steps in every episode
• Honest conversations about what it really takes to survive and grow
• Encouragement without sugarcoating
Running a small business is not easy — but you don’t have to do it alone.
Subscribe now and start your week with inspiration, direction, and the tools to keep moving forward.
Small Business Survival Conversations
Your journey. Your grit. Your growth.
Episodes
217 episodes
S3E86: Play Your Hand — The Monday Message Every Small Business Owner Needs
You are not behind. You are not broken. You are playing a different hand. This episode is a straight-talking, honest conversation about comparison, fairness, and what it actually takes to build something real when the odds aren't in your ...
S3E85: Unlock Growth: The 5 Whys Method Every Small Business Owner Needs
Start your week with clarity and intention in this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations. Host Anna Steinfest breaks down the powerful “5 Whys Method,” originally developed by Toyota founder S...
S3E84: The Truth About Slow Business Growth (Most People Quit Here)
Nothing Is Working? Think Again. | Monday Morning MotivationIn this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we explore the powerful story of the bamboo tree—a simple but life-cha...
S3E83: Stop Killing What’s Working in Your Business (The Golden Goose Lesson)
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we dive into the classic story of The Golden Goose—and what it teaches us about business growth, consistency, and smart decision-making.T...
S3E82: How to Stay Steady When Your Business Feels Uncertain
Feeling like a deal falling through is the end of the world? Discover the "Maybe So, Maybe Not" philosophy and learn why the strongest founders stay steady when things don't make sense.
S3E81: From Fear to Fight Mode: The Mike Tyson Mindset Every Small Business Owner Needs
What does it really take to pivot as a small business owner when everything feels uncertain?In this powerful episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we sit down with Ken Dobrowski, founder of
S3E80: Small Business Survival: What to Do When the Storm Hits
When challenges hit your business, how do you keep going? In this episode of the Small Business Survival Conversation Podcast, we share Monday morning motivation for small business owners through a powerful story about staying steady in d...
S3E79: The Giant Leap – Why Your Business Needs Magic Beans
What if the story of Jack and the Beanstalk was actually a blueprint for building and scaling a small business?In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, we break ...
S3E78: The Big Bad Wolf vs. Your Business: Why 'Good Enough' Isn’t Enough Anymore
Monday morning is for architects, not just dreamers. If you’ve been feeling like you're working harder but your business still feels "flimsy," this episode is for you. We’re converting a childhood story into a masterclass on Small Business R...
S3E77: The Hidden Test Every Small Business Owner Is Taking
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode, Anna shares a powerful fable about a young boy, three wishes, and the hidden test that most leaders never realize they are taking.At first, the wishes seem simple: health, financial security, st...
S3E76: The Tao of Success: Why Patience and Persistence Matter More Than Talent in Small Business
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we explore The Tao of Success — the true path to building a sustainable and resilient small business.But what does “Tao” mean? Simply put...
S3E75: From $5,000 to Billionaire: Sara Blakely’s Spanx Story & the Power of Simple Ideas
What if your next big business breakthrough is hiding inside a small frustration?In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we dive into the inspiring story of Sara Blakely, founder ...
S3E74: Survival Isn’t the Win: What Small Business Owners Must Do After the Crisis
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, host Anna Steinfest shares a powerful business lesson inspired by the Grimm fairy tale The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean<...
S3E73: Build to Last: The Power of Slow Growth for Entrepreneurs
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, host Anna Steinfest shares a powerful lesson inspired by the folktale The Bamboo Turtle — a story that reminds small...
S3E72: Slow and Smart Wins the Race: A Small Business Strategy Lesson
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, host Anna Steinfest shares a powerful business lesson from the classic Grimm fairy tale The Hedgehog and the Hare—a ...
S3E71: Run Your Race — Why Comparison Is Holding Your Business Back
In today’s Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, we’re talking about one of the biggest silent killers of momentum for small business owners: comparison.Somewhere right now, so...
S3E70: Think Like an Octopus: How Small Business Owners Can Adapt, Survive, and Win
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, host Anna Steinfest uses one of nature’s most intelligent creatures—the octopus—to deliver powerful lessons for small business own...
S3E69: If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going, Any Road Will Do
The first Monday of the new year is the most important planning moment for small business owners—and most skip it.In this episode of Monday Morning Motivation on the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, host ...
S3E68: The New Year Reset: Focus, Discipline, and Growth for Small Businesses
As the year comes to a close, many small business owners find themselves wishing for more — more time, more clients, more growth. But real progress doesn’t come from wishing. It comes from focus, discipline, and intentional action.In thi...
S3E66: Hard Truths Small Business Owners Need to Hear for 2026
In this raw and honest episode of Small Business Survival Conversations, Anna Steinfest is joined by two of her longtime friends and fellow entrepreneurs — Clinton Smith and Quasan Shaw. Together, they’ve walked th...
S3E65: The Power of Focus: How Small Business Owners Can Create Momentum This Week
In this week’s Monday Morning Motivation, host Anna Steinfest breaks down the real reason many small business owners feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or stuck—lack of focused energy. Inspired by the “Power of Focus” principles, this...
S3E64: Never Underestimate Your Own Potential
This week, host Anna Steinfest brings a powerful business lesson from the classic Grimm Brothers tale Hansel and Gretel. In a world where small business owners are often underestimated—by competitors, customers, or even themselv...
S3E63: Trust Your Own Eyes: Why Small Business Owners Must Think for Themselves
In this Monday Morning Motivation episode of the Small Business Survival Conversations Podcast, Anna Steinfest shares a powerful story that every entrepreneur needs to hear — the tale of a humble hot dog seller who let someone else’s f...
S3E62: The Cost of Distraction — Stay on the Path
In this week’s Monday Morning Motivation, host Anna Steinfest revisits the timeless story of Little Red Riding Hood to explore how distractions can derail small business success.Through this fable-inspired reflection, A...
S3E61: Don’t Hand Your Enemies the Arrow: How Small Businesses Self-Sabotage — and How to Stop
In this week’s Monday Morning Motivation, host Anna Steinfest draws wisdom from Aesop’s timeless fable The Eagle and the Arrow to help small business owners recognize the hidden ways they self-sabotage.Learn how distrac...