In this Business Blast podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner introduces two sponsors—Anchor, a platform that simplifies podcast creation, and Authors Unite, a service that handles publishing and marketing for authors. The main interview features Esti Rand, founder of Strand Consulting and host of the Business Breakthrough Podcast, who shares how she built a six‑figure consulting business in under two years without spending on ads while raising five children. She recounts a pivotal day when her phone crashed during a podcast launch, realizing that family will always be there even when business contacts disappear, reinforcing the importance of family priority. Esti explains her consulting niche—helping micro‑business owners who are stuck—by warning against hiring specialized “hammer” providers and instead recommending a generalist to diagnose problems before spending large sums. Her core business advice is to "build small, but build stable," testing ideas with minimal investment and reinvesting only when they generate revenue. She offers a personal happiness formula: happiness equals reality minus expectation, suggesting lower expectations lead to greater satisfaction. Esti cites "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" as her most impactful book, highlighting habit 2, "Seek first to understand, then be understood," which she applies in client conversations. Her favorite quote, from a guest Tyson Franklin, is "People with integrity expect to be believed, and if they're not, they let time prove them right." The episode concludes with Esti directing listeners to her Business Breakthrough Podcast and her website sdrand.com for further connection.
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Thank you for listening to the Business Blast podcast. So for all my listeners out there that have been wanting to do your own podcast, I'd like to introduce to you Anchor. Anchor is a one-stop shop for recording, hosting, distributing, and monetizing your podcast. So before I found Anchor, I had never actually done a podcast because all the research that I had gathered made it seem very complex. Then I found Anchor, and Anchor makes podcasting extremely simple. So if you want to do your own podcast, go to anchor.fm/start. I can't wait to hear your podcast.
Welcome to the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with the support you need to finish your book. Best part is, after you finish your book, they take care of the entire publishing and marketing process 100% for you. So if you want to become a successful author, make sure to check out AuthorsUnite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner. Today I have Esti Rand with us. She built a 6-figure business in under 2 years with $0 in ad spend while raising 5 kids. She is the founder of Strand Consulting and host of the Business Breakthrough Podcast. So welcome to the show.
Thank you. So excited to be here.
Of course, excited to have you on. Um, the first one we have for you, Esti, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
So this one's pretty recent. Last year when I was launching my podcast, I had spent about 3 months of like 18-hour days investing into the launch and building out a new website for it and just all the marketing materials and everything. And we were about to go live. And that morning my phone had a hardware crash. I was sitting and scrolling and suddenly it went dead and all the Facebook Lives that were planned and all of the connect— actions and all the people that I had to get in touch with that day, I could not and no one could get me. And disappointing is not even the right word to describe what happened. Throughout the day, my whole day disappeared. My clients couldn't get me. No one bothered to email me. They're like, oh, well, couldn't WhatsApp you, so we figured you died, you know? And the day was pretty tough. And as I came home at the end of the day, like you said in the intro, got 5 kids. And throughout the day, you know, all of these people who were like so excited with me to do my launch and my clients I was supposed to meet with, no one really cared. No one really went looking for me. And I walk in the door at the end of this day and all my kids came running and they're like, "Mommy, mommy." And I just, it hit me, you know what? It doesn't matter what you do in your business or how successful, if you go missing for 12 hours, none of your business contacts are gonna go looking for you. But your family will. And why should we invest 95% of our energy into the business and 5% into our family when, you know, again, I'm not advocating a 95/5 split the other way, but just keeping that family priority. It was such a strong message for me. They're the ones who really care and they're the ones I need to make sure to always keep time for.
I love that. And what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
Okay, so my business is in business consulting, specifically consulting to micro-business owners who are successful and stuck. And so much of what I see where my clients struggle is they get stuck hiring other helpers, other promisers who are hammers. And to a hammer, everything is a nail. And I'm a toolbox. So I get people who waste $5,000, $10,000, $15,000, $20,000, $30,000 on other companies because those companies are hammers. They come to the business like, oh, your issue is your social media presence is not up to date. Okay, you know what? Let's put in 5, 10, 15, whatever, and that's gonna fix it. Oh, you know what your issue is? There's a problem in the way you track your finances. So let's fix this and let's do this. And it's not. First, get a generalist to figure out the problem. Either you yourself sit down with mentors, sit down with a business coach or a general consultant, figure out the issue before you go and sink 4 and 5 figures into fixing the wrong problem.
And what is your best piece of overall business advice? So not necessarily industry specific.
So build small, but build stable. Build one piece at a time and don't ever throw money at something that doesn't throw money at you first. Build it a little bit, dabble, network, see if there's money in this thing. And then if money comes back at you, reinvest a percentage and do it again until you build your empire.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
Relax, you're gonna be really cool when you grow up.
I love that. And then kind of going a little bit down a different path, in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?
So happiness or satisfaction is really just reality minus expectation. If you lower your expectations, because typically reality underperforms what you expect it to do, you'll be much happier with your results. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't reach for the stars. Of course you should. Just kind of over-exaggerate to yourself how long and hard it may be to get there, and then you'll be much happier when it's faster and easier.
And then what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
So I think one of the books that has impacted me the most in my life has been The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. But really, I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey because I read it when I was about 18, 19. And I gotta tell you, for people who can't get through the big book, the teen book is excellent. It's got all the same principles. You really can absorb it from there. And the lesson that I pulled from it is— it's habit number 2— it's seek first to understand and and then be understood. In my work, I listen first, talk third, 'cause I listen second also. The best sentence I ask people, anything else you want me to know? Anything I missed? Listen, listen, listen, then talk.
And then what is your favorite quote and why?
So this quote actually came from an episode of my podcast where I interviewed somebody else. Episode 29, I interviewed a guy named Tyson Franklin who's amazing. You should have him on your show too. And this quote has been resonating a lot recently. People with integrity expect to be believed, and if they're not, they let time prove them right.
I like that. All right. Well, listen, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate the last one I have for you before we let you go is where is the best place for people to find and/or connect with you online?
So everyone should go and subscribe to my podcast, Business Breakthrough Podcast with Esty Rand. You will get to hear so much business wisdom, for free. You can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, and everywhere else, or you go to sdrand.com for the web stream, SDRand Business Breakthrough Podcast.
