Ep. 55 The Stern Truth: Improving Your Results With Your Own Inner Circle

What’s next for the new year? You’re probably thinking that every January. I have a suggestion for you that so many business owners don’t utilize. 

Would you like to improve your results this year? (You probably do.)

Do you have times when you feel lonely in your business and you’re doing everything yourself? (I bet you are. I know I’ve felt that.) 

My suggestion is to have an inner circle. Not a circle of friends or family, but a group of trusted advisors, confidantes who are in the same business-minded boat as you.

It’s not a strategy. It’s not a tool. Simply put, it’s community, and it can make all the difference between staying stagnant in your business and seeing the results you want.

When you join a community of like-minded businesspeople, an inner circle, you know you're around people who really get it. These are the people that are just like you, small business owners and entrepreneurs with goals they’re working towards.  

The ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is just that. It’s a new program for a small group of entrepreneurs. With this group, the aim is to create a community that supports each other and keeps one another accountable—we want to step up our game and achieve their goals this year! 

I invite you to really open your mind to the possibilities of what that inner circle can do for you and your business and what that can look like. You can’t do everything alone, and, frankly, sometimes, you need that push to get started.

Find out more here if you’re interested in joining the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle: https://marshallstern.net/landing/innercircle 

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Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] If there's one episode that can actually change everything for us, what would that episode be? This one might actually be it. You see it's 2026, and my guess is if you're here listening, you might be thinking, what's next for 2026? How am I going to get better results this year for my business. Well, my friends, you're in the right place.

[00:00:23] We're going to talk about how to improve your results this upcoming year and it might surprise you as to what my suggestion is. Grab a pad of paper and pen and enjoy this special episode.

[00:00:41] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows.

[00:01:00] I've been there, and I get it. This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugarcoated. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:01:23] This is the Stern Truth

[00:01:28] Welcome back everyone. Another episode of the Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. My friends, it is 2026. In fact, it's mid-January. Where's the time flown? Where has the time flown? All right. I thought about a few different areas, different topics to discuss this week. I have, trust me, I have some really, really good topics that you are going to love and, and find interesting and helpful for your business and guests.

[00:01:58] Oh my gosh, the guests we have lined up. If you thought the guests in 2025 in the first leg of our podcast journey was awesome, and they were – just wait. In fact, we might have some of them back again, but we have some really cool guests lined up for you in 2026. In fact, we already had an amazing, a pair of guests, as you saw in last week's episode, or our first episode of 2026.

[00:02:23] But I have a few questions for you today, and because it is January, it is the beginning of a new year, you know, New Year's resolutions, goals for the business, goals for ourselves personally, all that kind of stuff. I have a few questions for you. 

[00:02:36] Because we just finished wrapping up our 2026 Kickstart Growth Lab Group program, which was a six week program. And each week, we basically nailed from what we wanted in our business and life to look like in three years down to a roadmap for the first 90 days and the action steps that we needed to take to achieve the vision that we have for business in our life. And so my question for you, a few questions, really, is, question number one.

[00:03:07] Would you like to improve your results in 2026? A simple question I'm going to assume probably the answer is hell, why not? Sure. Yeah, let's do this. Well, they come to the right place because I'm going to give you what I believe is one of the most underestimated strategies today that will help you improve your results in 2026 and here it goes.

[00:03:30] I want to do an exercise with you first. Actually, I have a – I have another question for you before we go there. Question number two. Do you ever feel lonely in your business? Isolated, trying to do all the stuff yourself, not sure where to go, which way to turn. Overwhelmed by all the information out there, all the experts out there to do this and to do that.

[00:03:49] And look, I'm not here – I've got strategies, I've got tools. I've got my sort of philosophy of my way, of what I, what has worked for me and what works for my clients. I'm not saying it's the be all, end all, but I am telling you, this stuff works. If you try it and you work on it and you're consistent with it, you implement it, that's the key.

[00:04:10] This stuff works. So I want you to, now, if you're driving or operating heavy machinery, please don't do this. But I want you to close your eyes if you can. I'm going to ask you a few questions or not a few questions. I want you to close your eyes and hear me speak, hear my voice, and start to imagine a few things.

[00:04:33] I want you to first imagine you're in 2026, which we're in now, and your own – you're in your own, or you have your own inner circle, inner circle of trusted advisors, of confidants, of people who encourage you when it gets hard. They help guide you when decisions feel heavy, and they help you stay focused on what truly matters.

[00:04:57] What you say your goal is, what you say that you truly want, the business and life that you desire. Imagine being part of a small group of growth-oriented business owners, entrepreneurs, leaders who challenge your thinking and support your growth and hold you accountable, week after week, throughout the year.

[00:05:19] Imagine beginning each week with clarity, with confidence, and with a concrete plan instead of winging it, being overwhelmed, and just second guessing yourself. And imagine finally achieving those results in your business, in your life that you say that you want to achieve. And finally, imagine no more because the answer, my friends – I could start singing is “Blowin’ in the Wind.” Many of you may not even know what that song is. It's a good song.

[00:05:50] What was I saying? Imagine being part of an inner circle. You don't have to actually imagine that anymore because we are launching the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Now, this might not be for you. I'll talk about it in a second, but it's more the concept I want you to listen to.

[00:06:08] An inner circle, being part of an inner circle of other business owners, of the entrepreneurs, leaders who get you, who get this journey – because let's face it, our significant others, our friends, our family, in most cases don't get us unless they're in business for themselves. They don't get to the struggle, the journey, the ups and downs because it's different for them.

[00:06:33] But for us as business owners, we're our, we are a rare breed. We're a crazy breed at times, but we're a rare breed. So what I want you to do is imagine being part of this group where you can come to each week. And you can ask questions, you can get feedback, you can get support. You can possibly get coaching on a certain area or a block because we all have them and you don't have to do this thing alone anymore.

[00:07:02] That's what the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle is, and we're launching it in just a few short weeks. It is going to be a small group of entrepreneurs, just probably like you. Now, not everyone will be – it won't be a fit for everyone and you won't be a fit, or – I shouldn't say you personally. Some of you might not be a fit for it, but if you're interested, the information's below, you can go to the link and check it out.

[00:07:28] You can also reach out to me and we can have a chat about it. In fact, what I'm going to offer is reach out to me anyways. I'll offer you a 30 minute session. We could talk about your plans for this year and maybe the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle or another inner circle. The point, my friends, is this, and I, I started this podcast because I wanted to help.

[00:07:48] It's part of my why. I wanted to help inspire and empower other business owners, entrepreneurs and leaders to build the focus, the traction, the momentum to get the results that they want. Because it gets so confusing and we get so lost in the day to day and all the noise out there. We could totally be taken off course.

[00:08:06] Not anymore. I don't want you clicking on one of these podcast episodes of the Stern Truth in May, and it’s like, oh, damn, I should have listened to Marshall back in January. Don't wait till May. Don't wait till September. Don't wait. Don't wait. Now's the time. 

[00:08:25] So if it's not our group, which is going to be freaking amazing, if I might say so myself, find another group.Another group where you can go in and you can be heard, and you can feel safe.

[00:08:36] But that will encourage you and push you. That's my real invitation for you here today. It's the invitation to open your mind to the possibilities of what it might look like when you have your own – it's almost like having your own board of advisors. It'll be led, in this case, by me. You're going to be surrounded by some phenomenal) and I know already some of the members who are in it are going to be in it) surrounded by phenomenal, phenomenal high impact business owners.

[00:09:07] High performing business owners, business owners who are passionate and want to get it done. That's what you need to be part of. That is my encouragement for you. If you already have that, that's great. Leverage it if you don't have it. And if you're feeling alone and you're confused at times and you feel like you could use a push and you don't have yourself, you can do it through coaching.

[00:09:29] You can bring yourself or someone else on to be your coach and to be your guide, that's great. But for those of you who want to be part of a group, an inner circle, if nothing else, an inner circle, I believe is the answer. So I want you to imagine that and more than just imagine it. Take action. Look into it.

[00:09:49] Look into the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. Reach out to me, maybe check out some other programs if they're even out there. This program itself, the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle, is going to be something that I have not seen before. I'm telling you that is going to be structured yet loose, loosely structured, if that makes sense.

[00:10:08] It is going to be powerful and it is a hybrid. It's a cross between, or it’s a mix between a mastermind, accountability, coaching, support, encouragement type of group. So I invite you and encourage you to come check it out and come check out our future episodes. 

[00:10:28] Because I'm telling you also with ONtrepreneur Inner Circle, we're going to be bringing some, some of the amazing guests we've had so far, and some you're going to see in the upcoming episodes.

[00:10:37] We're going to be bringing them on to give some special guest speaker, guest teacher type of master classes for our Inner Circle members. So it's not just about me. And the members, there's going to be some experts that come in as well and we'll support us. So until we meet again next week, block off next week, next Tuesday.

[00:10:58] We'll, we're going to have another amazing guest and check out the ONtrepreneur Inner Circle. But whatever you do, don't do it alone this year. Find your circle, find your inner circle. The late, great Jim Rohn said it best, we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. So who are the five people that you spend the most time with?

[00:11:18] We want to be surrounding ourselves with people who push us to be our best. Encourage us, lift us up. Find your inner circle. Maybe it's with us. See you again next week.

[00:11:30] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our Moment Accountability Group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net.

[00:11:50] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.