The Blog
Honest, practical writing on leading people, building a business that doesn’t depend on you, and getting seen. Browse by topic, or scroll down for the latest.
Lead Your Team
Delegation, hiring, difficult conversations, and becoming the boss you’d want to work for.
Why Real Leadership Is Boring (and That’s a Good Thing)
A well-run business is dull to watch. Things arrive when they were supposed to. People know what they're doing. Problems get...
The Quiet Skills That Make Great Leaders
Leadership development almost entirely trains the visible skills. Presenting. Deciding quickly in a room. Having a clear answer...
Why Empathy Is My Greatest Business Tool
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ The phrase I hear most often from people I work with is: "Now that makes sense." It usually comes after...
What Your Worst Boss Can Teach You About Leading
Ask a room of business owners why they started, and a surprising number will mention a boss. Not always as the main reason. But...
Cultivating an Inclusive Work Culture
Most writing about inclusive workplaces assumes a company large enough to have an HR department, a training budget and a task...
How to Delegate Like a Pro Without Micromanaging
Master the art of delegation – learn How to Delegate Like a Pro Without Micromanaging. Get practical tips to enhance team performance and efficiency.
Build the Business
Pricing, launching, selling, systems, and building something that doesn’t depend on you.
The Case for Slower, Smarter Growth
More small businesses are damaged by growing too fast than by growing too slowly. That sounds contrarian and it isn't,...
My Hardest Client Wanted More Marketing. They Needed to Answer the Phone.
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ My hardest client was one I eventually fired. They were absolutely convinced that to double their business,...
Marketing vs. Selling: What’s the Difference?
Peter Drucker wrote in 1973 that the aim of marketing is to understand the customer so well that the product fits them and sells...
Podcast Guesting: A Powerful Visibility Strategy
A podcast host spends months, sometimes years, building trust with an audience. People listen to them in the car, on walks,...
I Spent $47,500 on a Launch and Made One Sale
We learned crucial Lessons From My First Failed Launch. Explore our listicle to understand how to bounce back from failure.
Women Leaders: Negotiate Effectively Without Apologies
We empower women leaders to negotiate with confidence. Learn How Women Leaders Can Negotiate Without Apologizing with our practical how-to guide.
Women in Leadership
Negotiation, the pay gap, funding, networks, and what the research actually says about women who lead.
“You’re Pregnant… Again?”
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ "You're pregnant… again?" Ten years on, those words still echo. I had just told my manager I was expecting...
Guilt-Free Parenting: Advice for Working Moms
Most advice about working mothers and guilt is written for employees. It talks about negotiating with your manager, using your...
How to Get Visible Without Feeling Cringey
Almost everyone who runs a small business knows they should be more visible. Most aren't, and it's rarely because they don't...
Why Networking Works Differently for Women
We explore Why Networking Works Differently for Women, providing actionable insights for professionals
The Gender Pay Gap in Entrepreneurship Nobody Talks About
We shed light on The Gender Pay Gap in Entrepreneurship Nobody Talks About, examining the facts and figures that matter for entrepreneurs and businesses alike.
Women Leaders: Negotiate Effectively Without Apologies
We empower women leaders to negotiate with confidence. Learn How Women Leaders Can Negotiate Without Apologizing with our practical how-to guide.
Get Seen
Visibility without the cringe — content, podcasts, speaking, referrals, and being remembered.
Podcast Guesting: A Powerful Visibility Strategy
A podcast host spends months, sometimes years, building trust with an audience. People listen to them in the car, on walks,...
How to Get Visible Without Feeling Cringey
Almost everyone who runs a small business knows they should be more visible. Most aren't, and it's rarely because they don't...
Why Should You Care About an Email List?
It has been said many times that the money is in the list. However, many of the business owners I talk to do not use or manage their email lists. That is quite simply money that they’re leaving on the table.
How to Use Pinterest to Attract More Clients
Pinterest can be a fantastic tool for driving traffic to your website and for attracting potential clients or customers. If you have a business where you put out hints and tips, blog posts, articles, pictures, decorations, crafts, or almost anything informational, you can use Pinterest to benefit your business.
How to Build an Amazing Facebook Group
I’ve built my Facebook Group, the Women’s Entrepreneur Network, on Facebook up from 0 to over 60,000 members in just over 2 years. It has been an amazing experience in a lot of ways, and I’ve learned so much while growing the group.
What You Need to Know to Master the Art of Business Networking
I realized that as part of doing business, I needed to master this skill. I decided to put together a protocol and mental checklist for how to handle those business networking meetings.
Lead Yourself
Courage, your inner critic, decisions, time, boundaries, and protecting what matters most.
Why I Block Time for Everything That Matters — Including the Dog Park
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ People who see my calendar sometimes assume I live a very restricted life. Everything is blocked. Workouts,...
How to Stop Feeling Behind All the Time
Behind what? It's worth actually answering, because the feeling of being behind requires a schedule — and there isn't one....
The Myth of “Having It All Figured Out”
Every business owner I know is improvising more than they admit. Not the whole thing. But a meaningful portion of any given week...
Leadership Isn’t Confidence — It’s Clarity
The advice is everywhere: be more confident. Project certainty. Walk in like you belong there. It's aimed at the wrong thing....
Leading Without Losing Yourself
"Losing yourself" in a business usually gets treated as a scheduling problem — too many hours, not enough boundaries, take...
The Best Advice I Ever Got From a Mentor
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ The best advice a mentor ever gave me was simple: lean into who you really are, and what brings you joy. It...
You’re Not Alone
The loneliness of leading, honest peers, and why the best owners don’t solve everything alone.
You Don’t Need More Courses — You Need Better Conversations
There is a particular kind of business owner I meet constantly. She has bought the courses. She has the frameworks, the...
Why Good Conversations Beat Good Advice
Ask ten experienced business owners what you should do, and you will get ten confident, contradictory answers. All of them will...
Who Is Actually Useful to Think With
The phrase "talk it through with someone smart" is almost right, and the part it gets wrong causes real problems. Intelligence...
When You’re the Strong One… Who Supports You?
There's a particular role some people end up in, at work and at home, and it arrives without anyone assigning it. You're the one...
Why Smart Leaders Still Need Peer Support
The word doing the work in that title is still. Peer support sounds like something for people who are struggling. New owners,...
What to Do When Everyone Looks to You for Answers
Being the person everyone comes to feels like recognition. It's usually a diagnosis. If every question routes to you, decisions...
Latest Posts
Everything, newest first.
The Questions Every Leader Should Ask Monthly
Most monthly reviews fail for the same reason: they try to look at everything. Team performance, customer feedback, revenue,...
Why Your Team Keeps Asking You the Same Question
Someone on your team asks you a question. You answer it. Three weeks later, someone else asks you the same question, and you...
How to Plan a Quarter Without Losing Your Mind
Most quarterly plans fail in week three. Not because the goals were wrong, and not because anyone stopped caring. They fail...
“You’re Pregnant… Again?”
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ "You're pregnant… again?" Ten years on, those words still echo. I had just told my manager I was expecting...
Thinking Time Is a Business Strategy
Ask a founder what they did last week and you’ll get a list of things they handled. Ask what they decided, and the answer...
Why I Block Time for Everything That Matters — Including the Dog Park
~by Haley Lynn Gray~ People who see my calendar sometimes assume I live a very restricted life. Everything is blocked. Workouts,...
How to Write Your Vision and Mission for Success in Your Business
Most mission statements are useless, and there's a quick way to prove it. Take yours, or one you admire. Swap in a competitor's...
You Don’t Need More Courses — You Need Better Conversations
There is a particular kind of business owner I meet constantly. She has bought the courses. She has the frameworks, the...
Why Good Conversations Beat Good Advice
Ask ten experienced business owners what you should do, and you will get ten confident, contradictory answers. All of them will...