<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:psc="http://podlove.org/simple-chapters" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Balls Deep with Michael McNish — the podcast that goes all the way in. Business, mindset, marketing, and real conversations with no filter and no filler. Part talk show, part masterclass, entirely too entertaining to skip.</p>]]></description><link>https://www.michaelmcnish.com</link><generator>Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)</generator><lastBuildDate>Sat, 16 May 2026 07:57:05 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://api.riverside.com/hosting/Jyxm60XZ.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><author><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></author><pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:56:42 GMT</pubDate><copyright><![CDATA[2026 Michael McNish]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><ttl>60</ttl><category><![CDATA[Business]]></category><category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category><itunes:author>Michael McNish</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Balls Deep with Michael McNish — the podcast that goes all the way in. Business, mindset, marketing, and real conversations with no filter and no filler. Part talk show, part masterclass, entirely too entertaining to skip.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Michael McNish</itunes:name><itunes:email>michael@michaelmcnish.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Business"><itunes:category text="Marketing"/></itunes:category><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep: UNCUT — Caitlyn Muir | What Happened After We Stopped Recording]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>We wrapped the episode…<br />Then kept talking.</p><p>This wasn’t meant to be released.</p><p>What started as a simple “you’re such a good interviewer” turned into one of the most honest parts of the entire conversation.</p><p>No structure.<br />No agenda.<br />Just real talk.</p><p>This is the part you don’t usually get to hear.</p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">103c4700-592b-444b-aefc-c497d1c66d09</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:22:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/03aff81609b86766e93ffd985fa2f45eadc52a41065a6123724b20760334303b/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxMDNjNDcwMC01OTJiLTQ0NGItYWVmYy1jNDk3ZDFjNjZkMDkiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjllMDI5Zjg4YTk4N2JlNGM4NTFmNmM2L2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTE2X18yLTE0LTQ4Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="28402355" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/103c4700-592b-444b-aefc-c497d1c66d09/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;We wrapped the episode…&lt;br /&gt;Then kept talking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This wasn’t meant to be released.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What started as a simple “you’re such a good interviewer” turned into one of the most honest parts of the entire conversation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;No structure.&lt;br /&gt;No agenda.&lt;br /&gt;Just real talk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is the part you don’t usually get to hear.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:19:43</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:title>Balls Deep: UNCUT — Caitlyn Muir | What Happened After We Stopped Recording</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>bonus</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep with Caitlyn Muir | She Went Viral… But That’s Not The Point  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>She posted one clip…<br />It hit <b>1.2 million views</b> and brought in thousands of followers.</p><p>But that’s not even the interesting part.</p><p>In this episode, I sit down with Caitlyn Muir — business coach, salon owner turned educator — and we go deep on what actually drives growth in business (and why most people stay stuck).</p><p>We get into:</p><ul><li>Why being “nice” in business doesn’t work</li><li>Masculine vs feminine energy (and why it matters more than people think)</li><li>The real reason most business owners are underpaid and overworked</li><li>Fear, self-doubt, and why people avoid the truth in their numbers</li><li>The mistakes that nearly cost Caitlyn everything (and what she learned from them)</li></ul><p>This one’s part business, part mindset, part real-life experience.</p><p>No fluff. Just what actually works.<br /><br /><b>Takeaways</b></p><ul><li>Most business owners are massively underpricing (and don’t realise it)</li><li>Fear shows up as avoidance — especially around money and decisions</li><li>You need both structure <b>and</b> self-awareness to grow</li><li>Your first business must work before you try to scale</li><li>Who you partner with can make or break everything<p></p></li></ul><p><b>Chapters</b><br />00:00 Introduction<br />02:30 The viral clip that changed everything<br />08:30 Masculine vs feminine energy in business<br />14:00 Fear, public speaking, and growth<br />20:00 Why most people stay stuck<br />27:00 Business failures and hard lessons<br />36:00 The reality check most owners avoid<br />54:00 Core business principles that actually matter<br />01:00:00 Time, money, and value<br />01:08:00 Motivation, mindset, and self-coaching</p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">398f4695-1c16-4e62-90e3-e33dc69df3b5</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:35:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/6c6c4e0abcb7906c76826a45400f0c0aeec8d9a839cf149308799fcd479edbd8/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIzOThmNDY5NS0xYzE2LTRlNjItOTBlMy1lMzNkYzY5ZGYzYjUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkYmFmMzFlZWZhMTIyNGVkMDMxNzAxL2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTEyX18xNi00MS01My5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="117746146" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/398f4695-1c16-4e62-90e3-e33dc69df3b5/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;She posted one clip…&lt;br /&gt;It hit &lt;b&gt;1.2 million views&lt;/b&gt; and brought in thousands of followers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But that’s not even the interesting part.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I sit down with Caitlyn Muir — business coach, salon owner turned educator — and we go deep on what actually drives growth in business (and why most people stay stuck).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We get into:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why being “nice” in business doesn’t work&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Masculine vs feminine energy (and why it matters more than people think)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The real reason most business owners are underpaid and overworked&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Fear, self-doubt, and why people avoid the truth in their numbers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The mistakes that nearly cost Caitlyn everything (and what she learned from them)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;This one’s part business, part mindset, part real-life experience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;No fluff. Just what actually works.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;b&gt;Takeaways&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Most business owners are massively underpricing (and don’t realise it)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Fear shows up as avoidance — especially around money and decisions&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;You need both structure &lt;b&gt;and&lt;/b&gt; self-awareness to grow&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Your first business must work before you try to scale&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Who you partner with can make or break everything&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;00:00 Introduction&lt;br /&gt;02:30 The viral clip that changed everything&lt;br /&gt;08:30 Masculine vs feminine energy in business&lt;br /&gt;14:00 Fear, public speaking, and growth&lt;br /&gt;20:00 Why most people stay stuck&lt;br /&gt;27:00 Business failures and hard lessons&lt;br /&gt;36:00 The reality check most owners avoid&lt;br /&gt;54:00 Core business principles that actually matter&lt;br /&gt;01:00:00 Time, money, and value&lt;br /&gt;01:08:00 Motivation, mindset, and self-coaching&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:21:46</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Balls Deep with Caitlyn Muir | She Went Viral… But That’s Not The Point  </itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep with Bernard Canavan | Is AI Going to Make You Redundant?]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Most people are either hyping AI… or fearing it.</p><p>But what’s actually real?</p><p>In this episode, I sit down with Bernard Canavan — a veteran in the creative industry — and we go deep into what AI is actually doing to design, marketing, and business.</p><p>Not the hype.</p><p>Not the headlines.</p><p>The reality.</p><p>We get into:</p><p>Why AI can generate… but not evaluate<br />The real threat to creatives (and it’s not what you think)<br />Where AI actually replaces jobs — and where it doesn’t<br />The difference between fast, cheap output… and real creative thinking<br />Why authenticity might become MORE valuable in an AI world<br />And the uncomfortable question…</p><p>Are we heading toward a world of “good enough”… instead of great?</p><p>This is a raw, honest conversation about technology, creativity, and where humans still matter.</p><p>If you’re in business, marketing, or anything creative…</p><p>You need to hear this.</p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">9603f5eb-3d54-4ce1-a0cf-2acd11a76eb4</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:10:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/e6b1006a5d21e985e42d9a22af91d871592cd988045363755ebb4c2f7f7e9eff/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5NjAzZjVlYi0zZDU0LTRjZTEtYTBjZi0yYWNkMTFhNzZlYjQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljYTExNDUxNTczNzk3Y2Y1YzYxNGU3L2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTMwX183LTU5LTMzLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="138324157" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/9603f5eb-3d54-4ce1-a0cf-2acd11a76eb4/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Most people are either hyping AI… or fearing it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what’s actually real?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I sit down with Bernard Canavan — a veteran in the creative industry — and we go deep into what AI is actually doing to design, marketing, and business.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not the hype.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not the headlines.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The reality.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We get into:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why AI can generate… but not evaluate&lt;br /&gt;The real threat to creatives (and it’s not what you think)&lt;br /&gt;Where AI actually replaces jobs — and where it doesn’t&lt;br /&gt;The difference between fast, cheap output… and real creative thinking&lt;br /&gt;Why authenticity might become MORE valuable in an AI world&lt;br /&gt;And the uncomfortable question…&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are we heading toward a world of “good enough”… instead of great?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is a raw, honest conversation about technology, creativity, and where humans still matter.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re in business, marketing, or anything creative…&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You need to hear this.&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:36:03</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>4</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Balls Deep with Bernard Canavan | Is AI Going to Make You Redundant?</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep with Ben Simkin | Why Most People Are Using AI Completely Wrong]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Most business owners think AI is the advantage.<br /></p><p>Faster copy. More content. Better systems.<br /></p><p>But what actually happens?<br /></p><p>They get average… faster.<br /></p><p>In this episode, I sit down with Ben Simkin — entrepreneur, marketer, and one of the sharpest operators I know — and we go deep into what AI actually is…<br /></p><p>And what it isn’t.<br /></p><p>Not a shortcut.<br /><br />Not a magic button.<br /><br />And definitely not a replacement for thinking.<br /></p><p>We unpack:<br /></p><p>Why ChatGPT gives average answers (and how to fix it)<br />The difference between using AI… and training it<br />Why most business owners are solving the wrong problems<br />The concept of constraints — and how to actually grow a business<br />Why you don’t create demand… you channel it<br />The identity trap that keeps people stuck in their business<br />How AI is changing the game (and where it’s overhyped)<br /></p><p>And the big one…<br /></p><p>Why AI doesn’t give you an edge — it just amplifies the one you already have.<br /></p><p>If you’re using AI… or thinking about it… This will change how you see it.</p><p><br />Ben has been behind some of the most successful marketers and businesses in Australia — and now he’s building AI tools that give operators a serious edge.<br /></p><p>If you want to see what he’s working on:<br /></p><p>👉 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.themastermind.com.au/" target="_blank">https://www.themastermind.com.au/</a><br />👉 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/benjaminsimkin/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/benjaminsimkin/</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">6ba35ef8-0263-41d0-8ab1-81a7ecd96a4f</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 03:15:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/1dbd3c7ec0e7a66b164b499aa5e0d221a9e1693ef880bb8d78b1b1cce0bf9042/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI2YmEzNWVmOC0wMjYzLTQxZDAtOGFiMS04MWE3ZWNkOTZhNGYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljNzQxNjFlMGM3OWFlNzYzMTQyOGRmL2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTI4X18zLTQ4LTAubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="86535253" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/6ba35ef8-0263-41d0-8ab1-81a7ecd96a4f/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Most business owners think AI is the advantage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Faster copy. More content. Better systems.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what actually happens?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They get average… faster.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, I sit down with Ben Simkin — entrepreneur, marketer, and one of the sharpest operators I know — and we go deep into what AI actually is…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And what it isn’t.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not a shortcut.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not a magic button.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And definitely not a replacement for thinking.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We unpack:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why ChatGPT gives average answers (and how to fix it)&lt;br /&gt;The difference between using AI… and training it&lt;br /&gt;Why most business owners are solving the wrong problems&lt;br /&gt;The concept of constraints — and how to actually grow a business&lt;br /&gt;Why you don’t create demand… you channel it&lt;br /&gt;The identity trap that keeps people stuck in their business&lt;br /&gt;How AI is changing the game (and where it’s overhyped)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And the big one…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why AI doesn’t give you an edge — it just amplifies the one you already have.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re using AI… or thinking about it… This will change how you see it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ben has been behind some of the most successful marketers and businesses in Australia — and now he’s building AI tools that give operators a serious edge.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you want to see what he’s working on:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;👉 &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.themastermind.com.au/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.themastermind.com.au/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;👉 &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/benjaminsimkin/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/benjaminsimkin/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:00:06</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Balls Deep with Ben Simkin | Why Most People Are Using AI Completely Wrong</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep with Cheryl Leong | Systems Aren’t Sexy… But They’ll Turn You On]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Most business owners start a business for freedom.<br /><br />More money. More time. More control.<br /></p><p>But what actually happens?<br /></p><p>They become the bottleneck.</p><p><br />In this episode, I sit down with Cheryl Leong — a systems and growth expert who helps businesses turn chaos into clarity — and we go deep into the real reason most businesses stay stuck.<br /></p><p>Not because they lack leads.<br /><br />Not because they lack skill.<br /><br />But because they are the system.<br /></p><p>We unpack:</p><ul><li>Why “more leads” won’t fix your business</li><li>The hidden cost of being the busiest person in the room</li><li>Why systems aren’t sexy… but are everything</li><li>The identity trap that keeps founders stuck doing everything</li><li>How to actually start systemising (without overwhelm)</li><li>Where most people get it completely wrong with AI and automation<br /></li></ul><p>And the big one…<br /></p><p>Why most people <i>know</i> they need systems — but still don’t do it.<br /></p><p>If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like your business can’t run without you…<br /></p><p>This one will hit.<br /></p><p><b>Connect with Cheryl Leong:</b></p><p>If you’re sick of being the bottleneck in your own business… this is what Cheryl does. She helps founders install the systems and structure so the business can actually run without them.<br /></p><p>Check her out here:<br />👉 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://thegrowthhub.io/" target="_blank">https://thegrowthhub.io/</a><br />👉 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongcheryl/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongcheryl/</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">48a776e1-940f-4a17-b876-36b19e853f1a</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:53:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/0e19e314e73b03f516610607285ef730d9d23af9430eb60dadec2772d7654edb/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI0OGE3NzZlMS05NDBmLTRhMTctYjg3Ni0zNmIxOWU4NTNmMWEiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljNzNhYTc4ZjkxZDlhNGI2MzdlMjk2L2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTI4X18zLTE5LTE5Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="88778440" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/48a776e1-940f-4a17-b876-36b19e853f1a/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Most business owners start a business for freedom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;More money. More time. More control.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But what actually happens?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They become the bottleneck.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In this episode, I sit down with Cheryl Leong — a systems and growth expert who helps businesses turn chaos into clarity — and we go deep into the real reason most businesses stay stuck.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not because they lack leads.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not because they lack skill.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But because they are the system.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We unpack:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why “more leads” won’t fix your business&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The hidden cost of being the busiest person in the room&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why systems aren’t sexy… but are everything&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The identity trap that keeps founders stuck doing everything&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How to actually start systemising (without overwhelm)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Where most people get it completely wrong with AI and automation&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;And the big one…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why most people &lt;i&gt;know&lt;/i&gt; they need systems — but still don’t do it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like your business can’t run without you…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This one will hit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Connect with Cheryl Leong:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’re sick of being the bottleneck in your own business… this is what Cheryl does. She helps founders install the systems and structure so the business can actually run without them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check her out here:&lt;br /&gt;👉 &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://thegrowthhub.io/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://thegrowthhub.io/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;👉 &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongcheryl/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/leongcheryl/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:01:39</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Balls Deep with Cheryl Leong | Systems Aren’t Sexy… But They’ll Turn You On</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Balls Deep with Tracie Parisi | Why Authenticity Beats “Good Marketing”]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>This one goes deep.<br /></p><p>I sat down with Tracie Parisi — direct response marketer, business owner, and someone who’s generated serious results for her clients… while quietly burning herself out in the process.<br /></p><p>We talk about what really happens behind the wins.</p><p>Not the highlight reel — the cost.<br /></p><p>We get into:</p><ul><li>Why making more money doesn’t fix the real problem</li><li>The pattern of over-giving in business (and where it comes from)</li><li>Boundaries, burnout, and the clients that drain you</li><li>Why most businesses focus on leads… but ignore conversion</li><li>The systems that actually turn leads into revenue</li><li>And the deeper stuff — identity, self-worth, and what success is supposed to feel like<br /></li></ul><p>This is not a “tell me your story” episode.<br /></p><p>This is about what’s real when you strip everything else away.<br /></p><p>If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing well on paper… but something’s off underneath it — this one will hit.<br /></p><p>Connect with Tracie:<br />LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracieparisi/" target="_blank">Tracie Parisi</a><br />Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://studentconvert.com.au" target="_blank">studentconvert.com.au</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">c675ceca-bda1-41ed-8b2c-fbd7f86fcd8d</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael McNish]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:54:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/154bc40d194668d856322e6af4826fbc264adada2f559348695ae0dbc284ff8f/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJjNjc1Y2VjYS1iZGExLTQxZWQtOGIyYy1mYmQ3Zjg2ZmNkOGQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI1MmRmYjMyZS1jMzE5LTRkOWItYjUzYS1mNGJjMzUzZDYwY2MiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2MTMyMjJiM2EyNTEwZDAwMGNlMThjMjkiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljNjc4NmU0MzhlMDU3YTMxNjY3ZDg4L2JhbGxzLWRlZXAtQ3ljTWotY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTI3X18xMy0zMC0zOC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="131993330" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/episodes/c675ceca-bda1-41ed-8b2c-fbd7f86fcd8d/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;This one goes deep.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I sat down with Tracie Parisi — direct response marketer, business owner, and someone who’s generated serious results for her clients… while quietly burning herself out in the process.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We talk about what really happens behind the wins.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Not the highlight reel — the cost.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We get into:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why making more money doesn’t fix the real problem&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The pattern of over-giving in business (and where it comes from)&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Boundaries, burnout, and the clients that drain you&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why most businesses focus on leads… but ignore conversion&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The systems that actually turn leads into revenue&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;And the deeper stuff — identity, self-worth, and what success is supposed to feel like&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is not a “tell me your story” episode.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is about what’s real when you strip everything else away.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing well on paper… but something’s off underneath it — this one will hit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with Tracie:&lt;br /&gt;LinkedIn: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracieparisi/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Tracie Parisi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Website: &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://studentconvert.com.au&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;studentconvert.com.au&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>yes</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:31:40</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/52dfb32e-c319-4d9b-b53a-f4bc353d60cc/logos/a29d3a93-ca2b-43be-831b-e0f41b5a78df.png"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Balls Deep with Tracie Parisi | Why Authenticity Beats “Good Marketing”</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>