Diamond Effect - Strategies to Scale Your Service Business as a Sellable Asset
This podcast helps service-based entrepreneurs and business owners scale their businesses in any economy without overworking or overwhelm. The goal is to create an asset you can sell while enjoying life as you build it. Here, you turn your business into a client-attracting gem and become a high-performing CEO. About the Host: Maggie Perotin is the founder of Stairway to Leadership. As an international business and leadership coach, Maggie helps service-based business owners start, grow, and scale their businesses without overworking or being overwhelmed. With her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, her clients scale while transforming into high-performing CEOs of their businesses. This is what USA Today wrote about this model in the article titled: "How Stairway to Leadership is turning small businesses into high-profit ventures." "(...) her DREAM-PLAN-DO coaching model, she helps her clients align their mindset, business strategy, and high-performance habits to transform their businesses from an unreliable source of income to a super-productive client-attracting gem. Maggie adds that she uses all her knowledge and experience to help her clients grow their businesses in a strategic and innovative way while supporting them in building a successful business that consistently attracts their ideal clients. She specializes in helping them build a brand that showcases their uniqueness to reach their full potential, becoming the powerful CEO they’re capable of being." Maggie has over 15 years of experience in corporate leadership in various business domains and coaching. She holds an executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute. Maggie lives in Toronto, Canada, with her blended family with four kids. She loves spending time in nature, traveling, reading, dancing, good food, and giving back. To learn more, head to www.stairwaytoleadership.com To work with Maggie and gain break-through clarity on why your business isn't scaling- schedule a free 50-min consultation https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call
Episodes
I’m pausing today to say one thing I never want to rush past: thank you.
To my clients, my community (listeners + followers), and my collaborators—your trust, support, and loyalty mean more than I can put into words. I never take it for granted.
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season.
If you’ve been part of my world this year, drop a ❤️ in the comments so I can thank you personally.
Marketing is louder, clients are pickier, and AI is making it easier to create content—but harder to build trust. In this episode, Maggie shares the key shifts she sees for 2026: scaling won’t be about doing more. It’ll be about building a business that runs better and feels more human.
In This Episode
- Why your personality/personal brand becomes the differentiator in a world of AI content
- Why customer loyalty + lifet...
In today's Maggie’s Moment, Maggie shares why genuine human connection is becoming a business superpower as AI and automation become more widespread. She explores how service-based business owners can stand out by making their client experience more personal and memorable—even with all the benefits that AI brings.
In this episode:
- Why AI is a powerful tool for productivity, but can’t replace real relationships
- T...
Is your 2026 vision still just an idea—or will you actually make it happen?
In this episode, we dig into why waiting for the “right moment” is one of the biggest traps holding business owners back, and how to become the kind of CEO who creates the right moment instead of waiting for it.
Maggie shares real stories, personal lessons, and actionable strategies to help you turn inspiration into implementation—no matter wh...
Can a single coaching session really move the needle in your business?
Absolutely.
In this Maggie’s Moment, I share real stories of clients who landed stalled deals, recovered lost revenue, and took action on new opportunities—all in just one session. Coaching isn’t just about strategy; it’s about breaking through mindset blocks, optimizing your next step, and turning intention into action. Every time you do, your res...
How to attract, hire, and lead a high-performing team—so your business can grow without you.
What does it really take to build a team that can run—and even grow—without you? In this episode, Maggie draws on her deep corporate experience co-scaling teams from 80 to 450 and translates those lessons for small business owners who want to build a business that’s both scalable and sellable. Whether you’re hiring your first t...
There’s more than one way to build a thriving business—and you don’t have to grind yourself into the ground to hit six, seven, or even eight figures. In this Maggie’s Moment, I share real stories of clients who’ve scaled with balance and purpose, and why your business should fit your life (not the other way around). If you want to grow on your terms, without sacrificing your values or what matters most, this is for yo...
How to use AI strategically to save time, increase productivity, and grow your business faster—without losing your unique voice.
After over a year of using AI in my business (and teaching my clients to do the same), I'm sharing what I've learned about leveraging AI strategically to increase productivity, save time, and work smarter—not harder.
In this episode, I break down:
- Why AI matters now – A Chief Econ...
You know that feeling when you finally sit down to work on your business… and end up buried in emails, admin, and “quick fixes”? In this Maggie’s Moment, I walk you through a simple exercise to uncover the hidden cost of doing everything yourself—and why it’s keeping you from nurturing relationships, following up with warm leads, creating content, and selling.
You’ll learn how to:
- Audit where your time is really goi...
From spreadsheets and Facebook ads to storytelling, studios, and a top-ranked business podcast.
In this special studio-recorded episode, Maggie sits down with her mentee, Alexander Whitfield, founder of Whitmedia Studios in Oshawa (Greater Toronto Area), ON, Canada, and co-host of the Hustle Over Everything podcast.
Alex shares how he went from running Facebook ads and staring at spreadsheets all day in corporate market...
Are you working hard but not seeing the revenue growth you expected? You might be leaving thousands of dollars on the table without even realizing it.
In this week's Maggie's Moment, I'm breaking down three money leaks I see all the time:
1️⃣ Not pausing to reflect monthly (and missing revenue recovery opportunities)
2️⃣ Chasing shiny objects instead of doubling down on what works
3️⃣ Poor billing and invoi...
One of the top reasons businesses fail? Growing too fast without the right infrastructure.
In this final episode of our three-part scaling series, I'm breaking down Pillar 3: Systems & Scale Infrastructure—the operational systems, financial clarity, time management strategies, and team building approach you need to scale sustainably.
You'll learn about:
- Building operational systems that deliver consiste...
In honor of Remembrance Day, Maggie shares the story of her maternal grandfather—a WWII veteran who fought in the Polish clandestine army and spent his retirement as a servant leader in local government. His legacy inspires her to ask: What are you fighting for in your business?
In this week's Maggie's Moment, discover why knowing what you stand for is the foundation of your brand and the key to creating loya...
Stop the feast or famine cycle! Learn how to build a Client Acquisition Engine that delivers consistent, predictable leads and revenue. Maggie breaks down the exact system for strategic partnerships (80%+ conversion!), optimized marketing, and a sales process that converts 50-60%+ of leads into paying clients.
You'll Learn:
- How to get consistent, warm referrals every month
- When to use organic marketing vs. paid ...
Most business owners set goals in January... and abandon them by February. Why? Because they're missing the critical second step of strategic planning.
In this week's Maggie's Moment, I'm sharing my two-part approach to annual planning that ensures your goals don't just sound good—they actually happen.
In this episode, you'll discover:
• Why most annual planning approaches are completely bac...
Want to know exactly what it takes to scale a service business from early five figures to multiple six figures and beyond?
Over the next three episodes, I'm breaking down my T.O.P. CEO Formula - the exact three-pillar framework I use to help my clients scale their businesses sustainably without burnout or overwhelm.
This isn't about one magic strategy or quick fix. It's about understanding the holistic ap...
How do you grow your business long-term when your schedule is already packed with urgent, important work?
This is something I frequently coach my clients on. And right now, I'm living it myself - implementing a new strategy for 2026 while juggling client coaching, onboarding, speaking engagements, and everything else that keeps my business running.
So how am I making it happen?
Three things: Clarity. Belief. Habits.
...
Recession fears. Economic uncertainty. Tariffs. Interest rates. It's been a stressful year for small business owners, and you might be worried about what 2026 will bring.
But here's what I learned this week at a Small Business Week event with the Chief Economist from BDC: 2026 won't be as bad as you think.
Yes, we'll see slower growth. But growth nonetheless - not recession. And as a small business o...
Entrepreneurs never lack ideas. The challenge? Actually implementing them.
If you're busy running your business day-to-day and struggling to turn your brilliant ideas into action, today's Maggie's Moment is for you.
I'm sharing three simple questions that will help you prioritize which ideas to implement first - and the one critical step that ensures they actually happen.
Stop collecting ideas. Start ...
You've been listening to my podcast, hearing my voice, learning from my frameworks - but do you actually know who I am?
Recently, I was running an event with local entrepreneurs, and someone mentioned they'd heard about the Diamond Effect Podcast. It hit me: my podcast is being talked about in rooms I'm not in, which means more of you are listening... but you might not really know Maggie.
I'm natural...
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