Profit With Purpose, Build Wealth!

September 16, 2025•3 min read

R. Kenner French opens by framing the audience—primarily U.S. solopreneurs and small business owners—and asks Laurel Pendle for a high-impact tip. Laurel emphasizes two foundations: start with a real strategy before leaping, and cultivate a leadership mindset that’s positive and grounded. Without those, she says, even fast-growing companies can crumble because momentum without structure magnifies problems.

Asked for a turnaround example, Laurel describes work with a rapidly scaling healthcare company whose internal structures lagged their growth. She implemented an internal framework (leadership alignment, stakeholder communication, employee programs) and an external plan focused on retention and relationship marketing. By prioritizing profitable client segments and reducing time spent on low-value accounts, the company stabilized and grew more sustainably.

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For early-stage founders and career-switchers, Laurel outlines a staged approach: clarify goals and objectives, study competitors, choose funding paths (bootstrapping vs. investors), and build a marketing plan aligned to a strategy—not the other way around. Her firm supports the full business lifecycle: launches, growth/scaling, and exits/legacy transitions. Across stages, she returns to the theme of aligning profits with purpose so decisions are durable and values-led.

On marketing, Laurel notes most owners work “in” the business rather than “on” it. She recommends focus and consistency over platform sprawl: pick the one or two channels where your audience lives (e.g., LinkedIn for B2B), maintain a steady cadence, and ensure sales and marketing reinforce each other. Internally, employees should be brand ambassadors who understand the company mission and “why.” Externally, avoid hard-selling on first contact; lead with authentic relationship-building, thought leadership, and genuine engagement.

Kenner shares lessons from his own experience—great tech and service won’t scale without systematic marketing—and asks Laurel how she drives visibility. She runs a LinkedIn newsletter (Entrepreneurial Edge) sharing strategies and mental-health-aware leadership insights, stressing that founder well-being is a business variable. On websites, she advocates living sites with ongoing SEO, blogs, and cross-promotion rather than expensive static brochures; clarity of values and audience fit should attract the right clients and deter mismatches.

Discussing automation and AI, Laurel identifies herself as an early tech adopter who uses AI for administrative leverage and analysis while preserving the “human connection” for strategy, leadership, and storytelling. She also highlights her role as a contributing author to The Art of Connection series (current theme: abundance), a curated, values-driven project that doubled as a community and business-development conduit. The conversation closes with contact details (laurelpendle.com; LPBC Services on social) and Kenner’s appreciation for practical, people-first strategies that help entrepreneurs scale with structure and purpose.

Takeaways

• Having a strategy before you leap is essential.

• Mindset for leadership is crucial for business success.

• Startups need a solid foundation to grow effectively.

• Marketing should be consistent and aligned with business goals.

• A strong online presence is vital for visibility.

• Human connection is key to retaining employees and clients.

• Technology and AI can enhance business operations but should not replace human interaction.

• Creating a legacy involves aligning profits with purpose.

• Business owners should focus on their strengths and outsource weaknesses.

• Networking and community building are essential for business growth.

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