Spark Good Podcast

What if the thing holding your business back next year has nothing to do with your business plan?

It's that time of year when entrepreneurs start thinking about fresh goals, bigger ambitions, and everything they want to accomplish in the year ahead. And while planning is one of the most valuable things you can do for your business, there's something that even the best plan can't fix.

In this episode, Stephanie shares why she's such a believer in planning, the surprising freedom that comes from having a plan, and a firsthand experience with a business...

Are you building the business you want—or the one you think you’re supposed to build?

With so many voices telling you what success should look like, it can be hard to trust a different path. Especially when that means reconsidering something you’ve worked hard to create.

In this short, personal episode, I share why this topic is close to my heart—and a recent conversation that reminded me how much meaning we attach to the way our businesses unfold.

If you’re questioning your next step or feeling like your business s...

When your business isn’t giving you the results you want, is your first instinct to ask more of yourself?

Work longer. Post more. Create another offer. Find another revenue stream.

It’s an understandable response—especially when hard work and resourcefulness have helped you get this far. But adding more can leave you with a heavier workload while the underlying problem remains.

In this episode, explore why doing more feels reassuring, how a promising idea can become another source of overwhelm, and what to examine before committing your time and energy.

You’...

What if needing support isn’t a sign that you’re falling short—but a sign that you’re ready to lead your business differently?

Entrepreneurs are often celebrated for being independent, resourceful, and able to figure things out. But those strengths can become liabilities when they convince us that we should be able to build and grow our businesses alone.

The truth is, most successful people have an invisible ecosystem of support behind them. A Sustainable CEO doesn’t measure her capability by how much she can carry alone. She intentionally builds the strategic, practical...

What keeps your business moving forward when there are always new ideas, priorities, and demands competing for your attention?

The previous episode covered the difference between collecting more information and actually using what you already know. But implementation doesn't happen by accident. It requires rhythms that help you step out of the day-to-day, pay attention to what's happening, and intentionally decide what comes next.

In this episode, Stephanie shares four essential business rhythms—weekly, monthly, 13-week, and annual—that help you gain perspective, make better decisions, and keep your business moving in the direction you...

Have you ever reached the end of a program, course, or membership and realized you barely used it?

As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to keep collecting information: another program, another podcast, another set of templates, another strategy we’re certain we’ll return to eventually. But there comes a point when more information stops being the answer.

Your business may not need more effort—or even more ideas. What you may need is a reliable rhythm for putting what you already know into practice.

In this episode, I explore why we keep signing up for n...

What happens when life takes more of your capacity than you expected—and your business plans fall by the wayside?

After a month filled with family responsibilities, client commitments, and work related to personal matters, I opened my marketing dashboard expecting to see everything I hadn’t done. Instead, the numbers revealed something different.

In this episode, I share what August taught me about the difference between time and true capacity, why tracking both lead and lag measures matters, and how consistency creates momentum that doesn’t disappear the moment you need to step away.

W...

What if building a sustainable business isn't about eliminating the chaos—but building a business that can actually handle it?

Many entrepreneurs picture a sustainable business as one where everything is perfectly organized, every system is in place, and nothing ever falls through the cracks. But that's not reality.

The difference isn't whether challenges happen. It's whether your business can absorb growth, change, and unexpected obstacles without requiring you to sacrifice yourself in the process.

In this episode, Stephanie shares the four mindset and leadership shifts that move you from simply running a bu...

Most entrepreneurs assume that if revenue is growing and clients are saying yes, their business must be healthy.

But what if that's not the whole story?

In this episode, Stephanie explores a reality many business owners experience but rarely talk about: a business can look successful from the outside while being quietly unsustainable on the inside.

Before diving into five common warning signs, Stephanie makes an important distinction. Every business is messy. Challenges, disruptions, difficult seasons, and unexpected opportunities are part of entrepreneurship. The goal isn't to build a business that never experiences...

What if creating lasting impact isn't just about building a better business—but about becoming a more sustainable leader?

When Stephanie launched Spark Good, she did so with a simple belief: business can be a powerful force for good in the world. Over the years, working alongside mission-driven entrepreneurs only strengthened that conviction. But it also revealed something she hadn't fully understood at the beginning. The entrepreneurs creating the greatest impact were often the ones sacrificing the most.

In this episode, Stephanie shares the evolution of her thinking—from helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses to help...

What if the key to building a more sustainable business isn't working harder—but changing the rhythm of how you work?

Many entrepreneurs plan for the year ahead with the best intentions, only to find themselves overwhelmed, reactive, and scrambling to hit goals by the end of the quarter. While The 12 Week Year has long been one of Stephanie's favorite business books, over the years she's made one important shift to the framework that has fundamentally changed how she plans, leads, and grows her business.

In this episode, Stephanie shares why she plans in 13-week cy...

"We're not starting over. We're resetting — moving forward with greater awareness, understanding, and wisdom." - Stephanie Malon-Rufi

It's easy to let a busy first half of the year stand in for a good first half of the year. What's harder — and more valuable — is actually stopping to check.

In this episode, Stephanie walks through a five-step mid-year check-in built for the halfway point of the calendar year: Reflect, Evaluate, Sort, Edit, and Take Action (RESET). Rather than waiting until December to look back, Stephanie makes the case for building reflection into a regular rhythm — and shows wh...

What happens when the business model you carefully designed doesn't work the way you expected?

For many entrepreneurs, that moment can feel like failure. But often, it's actually an invitation to pay attention, adapt, and build something even stronger.

In this episode of the Spark Good Podcast, Stephanie sits down with Marlee James, founder of Reviving Roots, a holistic mental health and wellness organization centered on Black wellness in Minneapolis. Marlee shares her entrepreneurial journey—from launching a solo therapy practice to building a thriving community-centered organization that now serves clients through therapy, workshops, retreats, co...

It's easy to see the risks that come with change. What's harder to see is the cost of not changing.

In this episode, Stephanie shares the story of a business owner who appeared to have a thriving, growing business—but beneath the surface was a pattern many entrepreneurs know all too well: saying yes to every opportunity, staying busy, and working incredibly hard without a clear strategy for growth.

What began as a request for marketing help quickly revealed deeper challenges around profitability, capacity, focus, and decision-making. Through this real-world example, Stephanie explores the hidden co...

You set the goals. You bought the planner. Maybe you even created the color-coded spreadsheet.

And yet... a few months later, you're wondering why you're off track.

Most entrepreneurs assume the problem is a lack of discipline, accountability, or a better strategy. But what if the real issue isn't the goal itself?

In this episode, Stephanie explores a different possibility: that many business goals fail before they ever have a chance to succeed because they're built on a foundation that isn't strong enough to support them.

If you've ever found yourself...

You're booked. You're busy. Clients are coming in. On the surface, things look good.

But if you're honest with yourself, are you building a profitable business—or have you simply created a very demanding job? 

In this episode, Stephanie tackles a topic many service-based business owners avoid: profit. Not revenue. Not sales. Profit. The kind that allows you to pay yourself consistently, build a sustainable business, and stop relying on hustle every time cash gets tight.

You'll hear why so many entrepreneurs unknowingly fall into the "hustle trap," how busyness can disguise deeper fin...

This episode explores the shift that changes everything for service-based business owners — and it's probably not what you think. If you've been stuck trying new tactics, tweaking your offers, or working harder without seeing the traction you want, this conversation will help you step back and look at what may actually be holding your business back.

Stephanie shares why so many entrepreneurs stay trapped in "operator mode," constantly delivering and reacting instead of truly building a business that can grow sustainably. She introduces the foundational mindset shift that needs to happen, why it matters so much, and ho...

If you've ever told yourself you're "too busy" to look at your business finances — or found yourself dreading that annual tax time reckoning — this episode is for you. Stephanie gets honest about a pattern she carried for years and what it was really costing her, not just financially but in the confidence and clarity she brought to her business every day.

In this episode Stephanie shares three practical starting points for building a healthier relationship with your numbers — including one that most financial advice completely skips over. If you've ever wanted to feel more grounded, clear, and in con...

We all start a new quarter, a new season with the best intentions — a solid plan, clear goals, and real motivation to make it happen. But what if the thing slowing you down isn't your strategy or your schedule? In this episode, Stephanie introduces the 13-week cycle framework and her Sustainable CEO Framework to help you set up your next season with clarity, realistic expectations, and the right rhythms to stay consistent.

And then there's the thing nobody really likes to talk about. There's a hidden friction that quietly creeps into so many entrepreneurs' plans — especially for thos...

If you've ever ended a long workday wondering how you were so busy—and yet feel like nothing really moved forward—you're not alone. In this episode, Stephanie Malon-Rufi digs into one of the most frustrating experiences entrepreneurs face: working constantly without seeing the traction, revenue, or momentum you know is possible.

She unpacks five common patterns that quietly keep business owners stuck, even when they're doing "all the right things." From scattered focus to hidden habits that drain your progress, this conversation will help you start recognizing what might be getting in your way. More importantly, it o...

In this episode of the Spark Good Podcast, Stephanie invites you into an honest conversation about something every entrepreneur faces—but few plan for: diminished capacity. Whether it's global uncertainty, community disruption, or personal grief, there are seasons when you simply cannot operate at full speed. Instead of pushing harder or pulling away entirely, what if there was a steadier way to lead?

Stephanie introduces a practical framework to help you discern what truly needs to be protected when your time and energy are stretched thin. You'll hear reflections from her own recent season of loss, patterns sh...

In early 2026, many business owners are navigating an environment where everything feels urgent. Between economic shifts, social disruption, and the everyday pressures of entrepreneurship, it can feel like your attention is constantly being pulled in a dozen directions. In this episode, host Stephanie Malon-Rufi builds on her recent conversation about reactive vs. responsive leadership and tackles a practical question: What do you actually do when everything feels urgent?

She explores what's happening in your brain under stress, why urgency narrows your thinking, and how decision fatigue quietly chips away at strong leadership. Then she shifts into practical...

In early 2026, showing up as a business owner has felt different. Living in the Twin Cities amid increased ICE presence, host Stephanie Malon-Rufi shares she has been grappling with a question many business owners are facing: How do we lead when the world feels on fire? In this episode, she unpacks the difference between reacting and responding — and why that distinction matters more than ever for entrepreneurs. She explores what happens in our brains when under pressure, how values anchor us in crisis, and what proactive CEO leadership actually looks like in real time. If you've been wondering how to...

Take courage friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear,
and the stakes are very high. Take courage. 

For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.

By Wayne B. Arnason

In this joint episode of the Social Change Leaders Podcast and Spark Good Podcast, longtime collaborators and friends Stephanie Malon-Rufi and Traci Warnberg-Lemm reunite to name the moment we're living in — and talk honestly about how we need to keep showing up.

This podcast discusses what it's actually been like living and working in Min...

As the year winds down, many entrepreneurs fall into one of two traps — either pushing harder than ever to "finish strong," or checking out completely until January.
But what if the smartest CEOs do something different?
What if your reset for 2026 actually starts now?

In this final episode of the Q4 Reset Mini-Series, Stephanie brings everything together — from finding focus to building consistency — and walks you through a simple 3-step framework to review, refocus, and reset your business before the new year begins.

You'll hear:
✨ A quick recap of all four episodes in the Q...

Big bursts of hustle can get attention — but consistency builds real growth.

In this episode, Stephanie explores what it really takes to move beyond the endless hustle cycle and build steady, sustainable momentum in your business. She shares why those short bursts of energy often lead to burnout — and how small, repeatable CEO habits can help you create stability, clarity, and calm progress instead.

You'll learn:

Why hustle might create momentum, but consistency sustains it

How overworking and "feast-or-famine" patterns drain your focus and profits

The core CEO habits that...

If you're ending the day wiped out — even when you're not working 70-hour weeks — you're not alone. So many entrepreneurs assume exhaustion comes from long hours or hustling too hard. But there's another, quieter culprit that drains your energy and keeps you feeling behind.

In this episode, I share the surprising reason so many business owners feel stretched thin, the subtle warning signs to watch for, and small but powerful shifts you can make now to reclaim your energy and finish the year strong.

You'll walk away with a fresh lens on why you're so tire...

As entrepreneurs, we're constantly pulled in a hundred directions — by clients, opportunities, and the never-ending to-do list. But what if being scattered isn't just happening to you… what if it's a choice you're unknowingly making?

In this episode of the Q4 Reset Mini-Series, Stephanie challenges a deeply ingrained belief about "being busy" and invites you to rethink how you decide what matters most in your business. If you've ever felt like you're reacting instead of leading — or wondered why momentum feels so hard to sustain — this conversation will spark a powerful shift in perspective.

Tune in to ex...

Every fall, entrepreneurs tend to go one of two directions:
they either push harder than ever trying to squeeze every last win out of the year…
or they quietly give up, telling themselves it's too late to make a difference.

Both approaches can derail your momentum.

In this kickoff to my 5-part Q4 mini-series, I'm sharing what I've learned about finishing the year strong — including why I stopped running year-end planning sessions in frantic December (and what I do instead now).

If you want to end 2025 with intention and step into 2026 clea...

Labor Day marks more than just a holiday—it's a reset point. New rhythms. Fresh routines. A chance to step into the final stretch of the year with renewed energy.

But here's the question: How are you showing up in your business right now?

In this episode, Stephanie shares why she's shifting the Spark Good Podcast into intentional seasons (instead of forcing a weekly grind) and introduces a brand-new framework: The Four Entrepreneurial Types.

Are you constantly hustling and burning the candle at both ends?
Overflowing with ideas but struggling to gain tr...

What if the structure you're resisting is the very thing that could set you free?

In this episode, Stephanie Malon-Rufi explores how planning like a CEO—with clear focus and intentional structure—can reduce overwhelm, eliminate distractions, and help you build sustainable momentum in your business. Whether you feel like to-do lists are running the show or you're great at planning but struggle to follow through, this conversation will reframe how you approach your time and energy.

Stephanie shares:

Why traditional to-do lists often fail entrepreneurs

How a 90-day planning rhythm help...

Know Your Numbers, Own Your Business - Part 2 of the "Small Shifts, Big Payoffs" Series for Becoming a Sustainable CEO

What if understanding your business numbers could be the key to the clarity, freedom, and impact you're craving?  In this episode, Stephanie pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked habits of early-stage and mission-driven entrepreneurs: tracking your numbers.

Whether you're a social entrepreneur, creative service provider, or growing consultant, this episode will shift the way you think about money, metrics, and the CEO role you're stepping into.

We're not talking s...

Part 1 of the "Small Shifts, Big Payoffs" Series for Becoming a Sustainable CEO

If you've ever ended your workday wondering, "What did I even get done today?"—this episode is for you.

We're kicking off a brand-new 4-part series exploring the small, intentional shifts that can lead to big results in your business. In today's conversation, Stephanie unpacks what it really means to step into the role of CEO—even if you're a team of one—and why shifting from reactive to proactive might be the most important move you can make this year.

You...

In this episode of the Spark Good Podcast, host Stephanie Malon-Rufi explores what it really means to "do it scared"—to take bold action even when confidence is nowhere in sight. Drawing inspiration from a weekend of meaningful experiences, Stephanie unpacks how these moments reveal powerful truths about entrepreneurship.

She dives into the psychology of confidence, including:

Why confidence is a skill and not a prerequisite.

The Confidence Loop framework: how action, not belief, leads to results and growth.

Albert Bandura's Self-Efficacy Theory and four key sources that help you believe in...

How to Hit Reset on Your Business Without Starting Over

Spring is a powerful season of renewal — and it might be the perfect time for a reset in your business. In this episode, Stephanie explores why so many entrepreneurs find themselves feeling stuck, scattered, or unsure about what's really moving the needle by Q2 — and what to do about it.

You'll learn how to recognize signs that you might need a reset and hear four specific business scenarios that call for a strategic pause and pivot. Whether you're juggling too many offers, contemplating a pivot, stuc...

Feeling stuck in your business? You're not alone. Many entrepreneurs find themselves caught between hustling non-stop without seeing results or feeling distracted by endless ideas but struggling to follow through. In this episode, host Stephanie Malon-Rufi unpacks why this happens—and what you can do to get back on track.  

Tune in to discover the two missing ingredients  that can help you move forward with clarity and momentum. Plus, Stephanie shares an exciting new opportunity designed to support entrepreneurs in creating sustainable success without burnout. Don't miss it!

Join Focus + Flow Program for Entrepreneurs: https://www.s...

Feeling stuck in your business, exhausted from juggling endless tasks, and unsure if you're making real progress? You're not alone. Many entrepreneurs unknowingly fall into hidden traps that keep them spinning their wheels—traps that drain energy, stall growth, and leave them wondering if success is even possible. But what if breaking free wasn't as complicated as it seems?

In this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on three of the biggest obstacles holding entrepreneurs back—and revealing practical shifts that can make all the difference. Whether it's escaping the loneliness of entrepreneurship, cutting through the noise to f...

After a season of big personal transitions, I'm back—and more committed than ever to strengthening this entrepreneurial community. In this episode, I talk about why, in uncertain times, it's more important than ever for entrepreneurs to lean in, stay connected, and focus on building sustainable businesses. I also share what's next, including my Focus + Flowprogram, designed to help you move from overwhelm to clarity with the right strategy, support, and community.

In this episode, you'll learn:
✅ Why staying connected is key to navigating uncertain times
✅ A personal update on what's been happening behind the scenes...

In this episode of the Spark Good Podcast, host Stephanie Malon-Rufi explores the power of focusing on a 90-day timeframe for achieving business goals. She emphasizes that this short-term focus—often referred to as 90 days or three months or 12 weeks—can lead to significant long-term success. Drawing on insights from her favorite book, The 12 Week Year, Stephanie explains how setting clear, specific goals within this timeframe fosters clarity, direction, and adaptability.

Stephanie outlines three key benefits of a 90-day focus, offers practical steps for implementing a 90-day plan, including creating SMART goals and developing an actionable timeline that...

On this episode host, Stephanie Malon-Rufi, dives deep into one of the most crucial aspects of entrepreneurship—finding focus. If you're an entrepreneur who feels pulled in multiple directions, wears too many hats, or finds it hard to narrow down on the one thing that will move the needle in your business, this episode is for you. Stephanie shares 10 powerful questions that will help you gain clarity and determine where to focus your energy for at least 90 days. With so many ideas, inspiration, and tasks coming at you, it's easy to feel scattered. But real business growth requires focus, tr...