The Small Business School Podcast
Ready to leave the small business struggle behind? The “School for Small Business” podcast supports small business owners in scaling a business that is profitable, purposeful, and doesn’t leave you burnt out. No matter whether you run your business online or you own a brick-and-mortar, you can expect our world class experts to support you with mindset, tactics, and everything in between so you can have the business you dreamed of. Based on our lived experience, we know that small business CAN be easy and we are here to show you how.The “School for Small Business” is hosted by Staci Millard, a CPA by trade with over 15 years of experience seeing the behind the scenes of thousands of small businesses. After growing and selling her first 7 figure business, Staci has been on the ground running - mentoring small businesses and working to increase success rates. Staci strongly believes you don’t need to have gone to business school to be successful so you can expect nothing but simple, impactful advice. Tune in each Tuesday for a new 30 minute or less episode of nothing but valuable advice to help you grow your small business. We are so excited for you to be on this journey with us!
The Small Business School Podcast
Business Builders (Pt.24) Building a Values-Driven Culture
Hey friend, welcome back to Business Builders! Today, I’m diving into one of the most overlooked (but crazy important) pieces of running a small business: culture. I’m sharing what I’ve learned from years of building and rebuilding teams—because here’s the thing—every business has a culture. The real question is: are you shaping it with purpose, or letting it form on its own? I’ll walk you through how to lead intentionally, live out your values, and build a business people want to be part of.
Key topics covered:
- Why every business has culture—even if you’re a team of one
- How to stop letting chaos set the tone and start leading with calm, grounded intention
- The difference between a list of values and a lived-out culture (hint: one’s not a poster on the wall!)
- How to define core values that actually matter—and model them daily
- What to do when culture drifts and how to reset without shame
If you’ve ever said, “I just wish my team thought more like me,” this episode is your roadmap. Let’s build something that feels like us, together.
Challenge
- Define your core values – Choose the values that truly matter to your business (not just fluffy words). Pick the ones that will actively shape your culture.
- Pick one value to focus on – Choose just one that you want your business to be known for.
- Write a sentence that describes what that value looks like in action – Make it clear and tangible.
- Start noticing where that value is already showing up – In your actions, your team’s actions, and how you serve your clients.
- Reinforce it – Call it out when you see it, celebrate it, and use it to guide your decisions and feedback.
Mentioned in this episode: If you are running a business in Canada and you need help with all the things accounting related, but more importantly understanding the numbers I invite you to check out https://thriveaccounting.co/
Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.
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Head over to my website https://www.stacimillard.com/ to grab your FREE copy of my Profit Playbook and receive 30 innovative ways you can add more profit to your business AND the first step towards implementing these ideas in your business!
