The Inspired Entrepreneur
What if being a business owner didn’t require hustle and burnoutThe Inspired Entrepreneur is a podcast for purpose-driven, conscious business founders who want to grow profitable, aligned, and soul-satisfying businesses — without burning out or selling out.Hosted by master coach and strategist Deb Hartnett, the show blends science-backed strategies, transformational mindset work, and practical tools for entrepreneurs building with intention. With a mix of solo episodes and insightful conversations featuring founders who are creating success without sacrificing their peace, purpose, or values, Deb helps you reconnect with what matters, align your energy and strategy, and lead a business that elev...
The Power of Presence: Why Leadership Is Felt Before It's Heard
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The Power of Presence: Why Leadership Is Felt Before It's Heard
Featuring John K. Bates | The Inspired Entrepreneur Podcast — Season 4
What if the most powerful thing you communicate has nothing to do with the words you say?
Before you speak, people are already experiencing you.
Your energy. Your presence. Your confidence. Your uncertainty. And perhaps most importantly, how you see yourself and the people in front of you.
In this deeply human and thought-provoking conversation, Deborah Hartnett sits down with executive communication ex...
Beyond Pay-to-Play: Candice Smith on Authentic Visibility, Traction, and the AMORE Framework
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Beyond Pay-to-Play: Candice Smith on Authentic Visibility, Traction, and the AMORE Framework
What happens when you realize that paying for visibility is just amplifying a message that isn't working?
In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur, I sit down with Candice Smith, MEd — founder of French Press PR and creator of the VizDev™ Framework — to tackle the uncomfortable truth about the modern PR machine: visibility alone isn't the goal. Traction is.
And we go well beyond traditional marketing tactics.
Candice gets incredibly personal about...
Beyond Profit First: Mike Michalowicz on Purpose, Freedom and Building a Business That Serves Your Life
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Beyond Profit First: Mike Michalowicz on Purpose, Freedom and Building a Business That Serves Your Life
What happens when a founder stops treating hustle as the price of success and starts letting purpose lead?
In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur, I sit down with Mike Michalowicz — entrepreneur behind four multi-million-dollar companies and bestselling author of Profit First, Clockwork, The Pumpkin Plan, and All In.
And we go well beyond business tactics.
Mike and I explore what it really looks like to build a...
The Hustle Lie: Recovery Isn't Retreating. It's Reloading.
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The Hustle Lie: Recovery Isn't Retreating. It's Reloading.
What if one of the biggest assumptions we've inherited about business and success simply isn't true?
What if working longer doesn't create better results?
What if exhaustion isn't the price of achievement?
And what if recovery isn't a retreat from success—but one of the very things that makes sustainable success possible?
In this Season Three finale of The Inspired Entrepreneur, Deborah Hartnett sits down with entrepreneur, business owner, and author John Briggs to challenge on...
The Business of Play Because hustle isn’t fulfillment
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The Business of Play Because hustle isn’t fulfillment.
Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.
What if the thing missing from your leadership isn’t more discipline, more strategy, or more productivity?
What if it’s play?
Somewhere along the way, many entrepreneurs stop playing. And without realizing it, they become a little less creative, less connected, less curious, and less alive. In this episode, Deborah explores what happens to a human being — and to a business — when play disap...
You Don't Need More Strategy - You Need More Play
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Season 3 Episode 7 | You Don't Need More Strategy - You Need More Play
Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.
In the relentless pursuit of growth, we have been conditioned to believe that rest is a reward and play is a luxury. We push harder, optimize longer, and build cultures around a dangerous, unspoken ideology: that continuous, grinding work is the only path to scale. But what if the very thing you are stripping out of your calendar is the exact catalyst you need for your next breakthrough?
In this episode...
Season 3 Episode 6 | You’re Not Running Your Business—Your Past Is
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Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.
Success in business is often framed as a lack of discipline, the wrong strategy, or needing to "try harder." But if you are doing the work and not seeing the results you know are possible, we need to look deeper. In this episode we explore If your business isn't working the way you want it to, perhaps it’s not the business. Perhaps it’s you.
In This Episode, Deborah Explores:
The Safety MechanismThe Sneakiness of AvoidanceThe Identity CeilingThe Bike and the BondFe...
Season 3 Episode 5 | The Inner Work of Leadership: Why You Can’t Scale What You Won’t Face
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Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.
In this powerful episode, we are joined by Dr. Jason Branch—executive performance coach, licensed therapist, and creator of the 3 Parallels framework. Dr. Jay specializes in taking leaders where they most fear to go: into "the basement." This conversation is a roadmap for the high-achiever who has realized that the very strengths that got them here are the same ones preventing them from getting there.
🧠 What You’ll Hear in This Ep...
Season 3 Episode 4 | From Busy to Aligned: The Real Path To Scaling Your Business
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You know what no one tells you about building a business?
You can be working all day… and still not be moving anything forward.
Your calendar is full. Your mind is busy. Your to-do list never ends.
But underneath it all is the question: Is this actually working?
In this episode, Deborah Hartnett unpacks one of the most common challenges founders face—being constantly busy, yet deeply misaligned. Because businesses don’t stall from lack of effort… they stall from lack of alignment...
Season 3 Episode 3 | Why Most Businesses Stay Stuck: The Basics Founders Skip (with Heidi Luerra)
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You’ve probably heard the advice: bootstrap your business.
And you’ve probably also heard: raise capital and scale fast.
But what many founders struggle with is knowing which path is right for them.
In this episode of The Inspired Entrepreneur Podcast, Deborah Hartnett sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and startup advisor Heidi Luerra to explore the real differences between bootstrapping and raising investment—and the business fundamentals founders often overlook.
Drawing from more than two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Heidi shares what i...
Season 3 Episode 2 | The Hidden Cost of Closing Your Heart as a Founder
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You know what no one tells you about building a business?At some point, you will feel yourself start to shut down. You aren't quitting or failing, but you're caring less, trusting less, and feeling less connected to the people you serve. You tell yourself it’s just "professionalism," but underneath, it’s actually protection. In this episode, Deborah Hartnett confronts the reality that businesses don't break because strategy fails first—they break because the founder’s heart closes first.
Episode Summary
In this raw and confronting conversation, Deborah unpacks the mome...
Season 3 Episode 1 | Bet Everything on Love: The Leadership Skill Founders Are Missing (with David Cunningham)
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Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs. In this powerful episode, Deborah is joined by David Cunningham, a man she has known for over two decades who has worked alongside some of the world’s most influential spiritual teachers and humanitarians. While most founders believe that influence is a byproduct of strategy, intelligence, or authority, this conversation challenges that paradigm.
David and Deborah dive into why love is not just a "nice-to-have" sentiment but the most practical and effective leadership skill available. If you’ve ever felt that you are brilliant at what you do b...
Season 2 Episode 6 | Closing the Year Intentionally: Why Slowing Down Is a Founder’s Greatest Advantage
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Season 2 Episode 6 | Closing the Year Intentionally:Why Slowing Down Is a Founder’s Greatest Advantage
Welcome home, inspired entrepreneurs.
As we wrap up an incredible second season, we are closing out with a conversation that serves as the perfect bridge into your end-of-year reflection. In this season finale, Deborah sits down with Leslie Valmonte—systems strategist, educator, and founder of Bridge5D—to explore why the "power of pause" isn’t just a luxury; it is a leader’s most competitive advantage.
Leslie opens up about the pivotal
Season 2 Episode 5 | When Gratitude Becomes Who You Are - A Conversation on Leadership & Letting Go
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When Gratitude Becomes Who You Are - A Conversation on Leadership & Letting Go
Gratitude isn’t something you do — it’s a place you lead from. And when it becomes your foundation, everything changes: how you show up, how you connect, and how you build trust that lasts.
In this heartfelt and powerful conversation, Deborah sits down with Jonathan Montez — husband, father of four, entrepreneur, and Lead Organizer of TEDx Temecula.
Jonathan shares the pivotal moments that reshaped his life:
● Choosing sobriety
● Letting go of control
Season 2 Episode 4 | Why Your Gratitude Practice Isn’t Working — And What’s Possible When It Does.
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Why Your Gratitude Practice Isn’t Working — And What’s Possible When It Does
Most people think they’re practicing gratitude… but they’re really just thinking grateful thoughts. And that’s exactly why it isn’t changing how you feel, how you lead, or how you show up.
In this episode, I break down the moment I realized I had gratitude completely backwards — and how one small, unexpected moment in my kitchen showed me what embodied gratitude actually is.
Embodied gratitude isn’t a mindset exercise. It’...
Season 2 Episode 3 | Human in the Middle: How Founders Can Use AI WithoutLosing Themselvess
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In a business world obsessed with speed, data, and hustle, we're overlooking the one competitive edge AI can never automate: the silent, potent frequency of your own Being.
This episode is for every leader and entrepreneur feeling the burnout of constant doing. We move beyond mindfulness as a mere "break" and dive into the tangible science and sacred wisdom of Stillness as Strategy.
We sat down with Vivian Welsh, Co-founder of Vivians.io, to discuss the critical challenge facing founders today: staying grounded in your human core while navigating...
Season 2 Episode 3 | Human in the Middle: How Founders Can Use AI WithoutLosing Themselvess
In a business world obsessed with speed, data, and hustle, we're overlooking the one competitive edge AI can never automate: the silent, potent frequency of your own Being.
This episode is for every leader and entrepreneur feeling the burnout of constant doing. We move beyond mindfulness as a mere "break" and dive into the tangible science and sacred wisdom of Stillness as Strategy.
We sat down with Vivian Welsh, Co-founder of Vivians.io, to discuss the critical challenge facing founders today: staying grounded in your human core while navigating the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence...
Season 2 Episode 2 | The Frequency of Being: The One Human Advantage AI Can’t Replace
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In a business world screaming for more—more speed, more data, more hustle—we’re losing connection with the one competitive edge AI can never automate. It’s not in your tech stack or your business plan. It’s the silent, potent frequency of your own Being.
In this episode, we move beyond mindfulness as a "break from work" and dive into the tangible science and sacred wisdom of Stillness as Strategy. We’ll explore how tuning into your fundamental state of presence reshapes your decisions, your leadership, and your ability to create in...
Season 2 Episode 1 | The Intelligence of the Heart. How to Lead with Presence in the Age of AI
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The Intelligence of the Heart. How to Lead with Presence in the Age of AI
In a world obsessed with speed, data, and optimization, we’re losing touch with the most powerful business system we have—one that AI can never replicate. It’s not in your tech stack or your strategy doc. It’s the quiet, intelligent wisdom beating in your chest.
Have you ever had an opportunity that looked perfect on paper, but a whisper in your heart said, “something’s off”? That’s Heart Intelligence. And learning to trus...
Season 1 Final Episode | The Sacred Pause: The Most Important Episode I’ve Recorded (So Far)
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In this real-time reflection, Deborah Hartnett shares a pivotal moment in her journey.
With vulnerability and clarity, Deb opens up about an unexpected team transition happening in the middle of launching her biggest offer yet: The Inspired Profit & Growth Accelerator. Rather than powering through, she chooses to pause with intention, modeling grounded leadership in the face of disruption.
This short episode is an invitation to embrace the sacred power of pausing, not as a sign of weakness, but as a gateway to clarity, alignment, and transformation.
<...
Season 1 Episode 9 | Who’s Really Running Your Business? Meet the Invisible Saboteur Costing You Peace, Power & Profit
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Who’s Really Running Your Business? Meet the Invisible Saboteur Costing You Peace, Power & Profit
Have you ever found yourself spiraling over something that didn’t even happen, but your nervous system swears it did?
In this raw and revealing episode, Deborah Hartnett exposes the silent saboteur that might be secretly running your business: your distorted lens. Those old, subconscious stories shaped by fear, comparison, or childhood conditioning.
Through neuroscience, personal reflection, and a practical 3-step model, Deb walks you through how to break free from reactive lead...
Season 1 Episode 8 | The Truth About Your Bottleneck: It’s Not Your Business, It’s You
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What if the real thing holding your business back… is you?
In this powerful episode, Deborah Hartnett takes us into the truth most founders avoid: when we over-identify with the grind, we become the bottleneck. From a behind-the-scenes story of two seven-figure business owners stuck in the cycle of overwork, to neuroscience-backed insights on over-functioning, this episode is a compassionate yet clear-eyed invitation to lead differently.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, stretched too thin, or trapped in being “essential,” this is your reminder: you weren’t born to be the glu...
Season 1 Episode 7 | Why Am I Still Empty? : The Hidden Cost of Not Evolving as a Business Owner
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You’ve built the business. You’ve hit the milestones. But why do you still feel empty?
In this raw and powerful episode, I talk with Scott Thornton—entrepreneur, poet, and cycle breaker—about what happens when outward success hides inner collapse.
Quitting alcohol didn’t solve everything; it cracked him open. From burnout to breathwork in a plumbing office, Scott shares the messy, beautiful truth of doing the inner work.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this all there is?”—this episode is your mirror, your roadm...
Season 1 Episode 6 | The Messy Middle: How to Lead Yourself When You Want to Quit
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What if the messy middle isn’t the breakdown, but the becoming?
In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of a grueling 21-mile hike and show you how it became the perfect mirror for what it means to stay in the game when business gets hard, messy, and uncertain.
If you're in a season where your momentum has fizzled, your direction feels unclear, and you're quietly questioning whether you can keep going, this episode is for you.
You’ll learn how to lead your...
Season 1 Episode 5 | Before the Breakthrough: What Nobody Tells You About True Transformation
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In this powerful solo episode, host Deborah Hartnett dives into what transformation really looks and feels like—before the glow-up, before the clarity, before the confidence. This isn’t about tips or tools. It’s about the truth.
If you’ve been feeling tired of performing, proving, or just pushing through—this is your turning point. Deborah peels back the curtain on the emotional weight many founders carry and the invisible wall you hit when your old identity can’t carry your future vision.
She shares...
Season 1 Episode 04 | The Success Trap: A Therapist’s Truth About Entrepreneurs & Mental Health
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In this episode, host Deb Hartnett and guest Veronica Cisneros, a licensed marriage and family therapist, discuss the mental health challenges faced by entrepreneurs. They delve into the dark side of hustle culture, the loneliness of leadership, and the importance of breaking toxic patterns. Veronica shares her personal experiences and insights on how to recognize and address anxiety, burnout, and trauma for high-achieving women. This conversation is raw and unfiltered, offering practical advice for building a business that aligns with your values and supports a fulfilling life. Listeners are...
Season 1 Episode 3 | The Line Between More & Enough: Why Nicole Spencer Sold Her 7-Figure Business | Hosted by Deborah Hartnett
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In this episode, Deborah sits down with Nicole Spencer, founder of Authentic Conversion, who built a multi-seven-figure online coaching business rooted in integrity—and then made the bold decision to walk away.
Nicole shares her journey from high school teacher to personal trainer, to fitness studio owner, and finally to a highly successful online business coach. Together, they dive deep into what it means when your soul outgrows your strategy, how to build a business with an exit in mind, and why alignment matters more than hustle.
💡 Get r...
Season 1 Episode 1 | Welcome to The Inspired Entrepreneur: Where Ambition Meets Soul — Welcome Home| Hosted by Deb Hartnett
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You’re not behind. You’re just in the fog that comes with doing something real.
In this very first episode, Deborah Hartnett, founder of Inspired Business Performance, shares the real story behind why The Inspired Entrepreneur podcast was born—not from a business plan, but from a lived experience of starting over, choosing integrity over comfort, and creating a business that aligns with a life that matters.
This isn’t your typical business podcast. This is for founders who crave strategy and soul. Growth<...
Season 1 Episode 2 | When Purpose Meets Profit: The Myth of Sacrifice | Hosted by Deborah Hartnett
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What if the hustle isn’t the dream—but the distraction?
In this powerful solo episode, host Deborah Hartnett exposes the toxic myth that hustle equals success. Sharing her personal journey from high-performance consultant to purpose-led entrepreneur, Deborah unpacks how burnout, divorce, and motherhood became catalysts for redefining success on her own terms. This episode isn’t just about business—it’s about coming home to yourself.
Whether you're scaling your business or questioning the cost of your current path, this episode will help you reconnect...
