How I Built My Small Business

Anne McGinty

Welcome to 'How I Built My Small Business,' where we dive deep into unfiltered conversations with guests who've carved out their own path to success. But, we're not only about the creation of businesses. Alongside entrepreneurs, I also chat with specialists offering perspectives that'll benefit anyone striving to lead.This is a creative outlet and a way to share knowledge from incredible people.My guests share the raw, heartwarming details of their experiences with one goal in mind: to provide real insight that'll help others.By listening to these interviews and stories, my hope is that you find even one little takeaway that sparks or inspires your path.While most of my guests rake in $1 million to $20 million net profit a year, some make more and some make less, but there is a lesson worth learning in each one. I also bring in special guests from brokering and mergers, mindset and meditation, entertainment and marketing, among others. So, the line-up is diverse in niche, experience and perspective - and so, so fun.But, here's the kicker - every single one of my guests has started their own business at some point in their journey.Thank you for listening.

  • 33 minutes 32 seconds
    Alexa D'Agostino - Secrets to go from $0 to 7-8-9 FIGURES from a Serial 6x Exit Entrepreneur

    Today, Dr. Alexa D’Agostino is coming on the show to share insights on how to build a company from six to seven figures or seven to eight.

    Alexa founded her first official company at 18 and went on to build and then exit multiple businesses achieving over nine figures in exits by the age of 30.

    As a part of her journey, she has raised over $100m for charities worldwide.

    As the CEO of Thynk Consulting Group, Alexa specializes in scaling businesses through strategic marketing, sales, and leadership development. Her expertise has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    25 February 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 51 minutes 51 seconds
    Hayes Hitchens - MOONDANCE ADVENTURES: Unplugging Teens with Life-Changing Adventure Travel

    In today’s episode, Hayes Hitchens talks with us about his journey starting and building Moondance Adventures.

    Moondance is a teen adventure travel program that sends over 2000 teenagers each summer on trips across five continents and over twenty countries with a commitment to foster personal growth, leadership skills, problem solving, decision making and a love for the outdoors.

    For some backstory, Hayes was the dean of students and director of summer programs at my school and I remember him talking about starting Moondance Adventures when I was in the 7th grade.

    So, this is a super meaningful reconnection and WOW - to see what he has accomplished is just so inspiring and heart-warming.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    18 February 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 53 minutes 53 seconds
    Dr. Megan Lyons - Stop Burnout Before It Starts: Staying Healthy and Happy

    Today we have Dr. Megan Lyons on the show to talk about recognizing early symptoms of burnout, ways to optimize your health, and fix the root causes of illness.

    Megan is a Harvard graduate with two Master’s degrees, two Board Certifications, and a Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition. She is a passionate health and wellness expert, inspiring others to feel their healthiest and happiest. 

    In 2014, Megan pivoted from the management consulting business world to follow her passion for wellness by opening The Lyons' Share Wellness.

    Since then, Megan and her team have amassed over 15,000 hours of 1-to-1 nutrition consulting with clients internationally, providing personalized guidance to help individuals achieve their health goals.

    Megan is the hosts of a top podcast on health and wellness, “Wellness Your Way with Dr. Megan Lyons,” where she shares insights and tips for living a healthier life, and publishes informational articles on The Lyons’ Share website weekly.

    She speaks widely at conferences, corporations, and organizations.

    Check-out Megan's free download file, where you can take a short quiz designed to give you a head start at figuring out if your symptoms are suggestive of any common pattern that Megan sees at The Lyons' Share Wellness!



    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    11 February 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 43 minutes 59 seconds
    Andy Hunter - Saving Indie Bookstores: The Innovated Model Behind BOOKSHOP.ORG

    Andy Hunter is the founder CEO of bookshop.Org 
    In todday's episode, he talks about his innovative solution to save indie bookstore.

    Quoting the New York Times, “The rapid rise of Bookshop.org during the shutdown has been hailed as a boon for independent stores.” B-Labs announced the company as one of the “best for the world,” and in the top 5% of all B-Corps.

    The business model is brilliant on so many levels, and I can’t wait for you to hear what he has to share.

    Andy is also the co-creator of the websites: Literary Hub, Electric Literature, Crime Reads, and BookMarks - combined annual readership of about 30 million people. And, worked as an independent publisher at Catapult, Counterpoint and Soft Skull Press.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    4 February 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 50 minutes 56 seconds
    Alexandra Janelli - HYPNOTHERAPY: What Celebrities and CEOs Know That You Don’t

    Today we’re joined by Alexandra Janelli, a leading hypnotherapist and founder of ModrnSanctuary, an alternative beauty and wellness spa and winner of Philadelphia Magazine’s 2024 “Best of Philly.”

    She is also the founder of My Burble, a transformative app designed to help users overcome stress, anxiety, sleep issues, and other personal challenges through tailored guided visualizations and meditations.

    As one of New York City’s premier hypnotherapists, Alexandra has guided Academy Award-nominated actors, renowned photographers, singers, and executives toward meaningful transformation. Her work has been featured in top publications like The New York Times, Elle, Oprah Magazine, Men’s Fitness, and Forbes.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    28 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 14 minutes
    HIGHLIGHTS Geoff Smart Episode

    I’m trying something new this week by releasing a shortened highlights episode alongside the full one. It’s designed for those of you who may not have time to listen to the whole episode—perfect for a quick commute or a busy day.

    To be honest, it’s more work, and my ADD brain isn’t entirely convinced this idea is worth continuing, but I wanted to experiment and see how it goes.

    I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you like and appreciate the highlights version, or should I stick to full-length episodes? Your feedback will help me decide if this format is a keeper. Thanks for being flexible as I try this out!

    ------------
    In the full-length episode, we discuss why building and scaling a business—and achieving more freedom and free time—starts with the “who” in your business.

    Our guest, Dr. Geoff Smart, is the Chairman and Founder of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm specializing in helping companies make high-impact hiring and leadership decisions. With over $100 million in revenue, ghSMART’s hiring strategies are in high demand because they deliver results.

    If you’ve ever wondered, “Who is the world’s expert on hiring?”—just ask ChatGPT, and Geoff Smart’s name will surely come up. He’s the New York Times bestselling author of Who, Leadocracy, and Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success.

    Geoff’s mission is to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world. His expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, and he’s a regular contributor to Psychology Today.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    24 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 53 minutes 3 seconds
    Geoff Smart - The Power of WHO from New York Times Bestseller

    Today we’re diving into why building and scaling a business—and achieving more freedom and free time—starts with the “who” in your business.

    Our guest, Dr. Geoff Smart, is the Chairman and Founder of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm specializing in helping companies make high-impact hiring and leadership decisions. With over $100 million in revenue, ghSMART’s hiring strategies are in high demand because they deliver results.

    If you’ve ever wondered, “Who is the world’s expert on hiring?”—just ask ChatGPT, and Geoff Smart’s name will surely come up. He’s the New York Times bestselling author of Who, Leadocracy, and Power Score: Your Formula for Leadership Success.

    Geoff’s mission is to help leaders amplify their positive impact on the world. His expertise has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, and he’s a regular contributor to Psychology Today.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    21 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 2 minutes 45 seconds
    Season 2 of How I Built My Small Business Coming January 21

    🎉 Season 2 of How I Built My Small Business is Coming January 21!

    Get ready for more thought-provoking stories, expert wisdom, and actionable advice to help you grow in both business and life.

    This season, I’m sharing conversations with incredible guests, including:

    • Ru Hill (Surf Simply Resort): Discover why his impactful business model and unique perspective earned him an invitation to speak at MIT’s Sloan School of Business.

    • Dr. Megan Lyons (The Lyons Share Wellness): A Doctor of Clinical Nutrition specializing in functional medicine and integrative nutrition to discuss combating burnout, optimizing health, and fixing the root causes.

    • Hayes Hitchens (Moondance Adventures): Hear how he creates life-changing adventure travel experiences for over 2,000 teens every summer, spanning 20+ countries across five continents—moments he hopes they'll call “the best days of their lives.”

    Our season opener features Geoff Smart, international best-selling author of Who, the #1 book on hiring for over a decade (globally).

    I'm incredibly selective about guests. For every hundred or so pitches, I might choose one. The rest? I find them through my own research and life experiences - reaching out directly because I have a sincere interest in learning from them.

    🎧 Follow the show now so you don’t miss an episode—and don’t forget to share it with a fellow learner!

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    14 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 8 minutes 57 seconds
    Bite-Sized Life Wisdom: 4 of 4

    Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized! I’m Anne McGinty, host of the show. While full-length guest episodes are on hold for the holidays, I’ve prepared a collection of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired until Season 2.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    10 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 8 minutes 38 seconds
    Bite-Sized Business Insights 4 of 4

    Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized!

    I’m Anne McGinty, your host. While we take a break from full-length guest episodes for the holidays, I’ve curated a series of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired.

    Each bite-sized episode features a collection of powerful snippets from interviews, organized by topic for easy listening.

    Stay tuned for quick insights to fuel your business and personal growth!

    Season 2 drops the week of January 25, 2025.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    7 January 2025, 12:00 pm
  • 9 minutes 3 seconds
    Bite-Sized Life Wisdom: 3 of 4

    Welcome to How I Built My Small Business: Bite-Sized! I’m Anne McGinty, host of the show. While full-length guest episodes are on hold for the holidays, I’ve prepared a collection of short, impactful episodes to keep you inspired until Season 2.

    Subscribe on Apple Podcast , Spotify or YouTube.

    Let’s connect!

    Subscribe to my newsletter: Time To Live: Thriving in Business and Beyond

    Website: https://www.annemcginty.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annemcginty

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annemcgintyhost


    3 January 2025, 12:00 pm
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