A podcast for women entrepreneurs seeking alignment, sustainability and success.

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain about how to grow your business without sacrificing what matters most?

We get it.

Too many CEOs burn out striving to achieve other people’s version of success. It’s time to build a sustainable, fulfilling business aligned with your values AND your priorities.

Welcome to The Business You Really Want, hosted by Gwen Bortner and Tonya Kubo of Everyday Effectiveness.

Gwen is the founder with almost 40 years of cross-industry experience in business operations. As her right hand, Tonya brings 20 years of experience in marketing and communications. Together, we share a holistic approach to entrepreneurial success that centers your values, your life, and your circumstances.

We believe context matters, both in life
and in business.

Listen each week for practical strategies, real-life examples, and empowering insights to help you navigate the challenges of running a values-driven business. Leverage your strengths, optimize your operations, and create a business that lights you up and allows you to make a meaningful impact.

What Our Listeners Say

New Business Owner Here

As a new business owner, I am LOVING this podcast! I feel like Tonya and Gwen are teaching me things BEFORE I even have the chance to make mistakes! I’m excited to keep listening and to implement what I learn to continue to improve and grow my business! — AliciaHBBTB

Great Listen

I really enjoyed this episode and the truly considerate way you talk about helping people focus success based on what you WANT not what it should look like; this is helping me do some work myself and thinking about what success looks like to me. — Julia414

Exactly What I Need!

As a female Solopreneur, this podcast speaks directly to my business/ministry needs. Tonya and Gwen share boatloads of experience and wisdom – just 2 episodes in, and I’m already hooked! Highly recommend! — SH797

Such Great Insights

Gwen and Tonya are an incredible dynamic duo! Not only do I feel like it’s great and valuable information they are sharing BUT their banter is the best! — Lovelyladylinx

Latest Podcast Episodes Of The Business You Really Want

The Business You Really Want | Strategy Vs Tactics

Strategy Vs. Tactics: How To Spot The Sparkly

Most CEOs don’t have a motivation problem — they have an alignment problem. And nothing derails alignment faster than sparkly tactics that feel productive but don’t actually move the business forward. In this episode, Gwen Bortner and Tonya Kubo dig into the real...

The Business You Really Want | Everything Right

When You Do Everything “Right”… and It Still Flops

Every CEO knows the sting of doing everything right – following the plan, staying consistent, putting in the work – only to watch the results fall painfully flat. When that happens, most leaders spiral into self-blame, questioning their strategy, their work ethic,...

The Business You Really Want | Ashlee Berghoff | Sustainable Success

Sustainable Success As A Consultant With Ashlee Berghoff

Operations strategist Ashlee Berghoff, founder of Smooth Operator, joins Gwen Bortner to talk about the evolution from independent consultant to agency owner—and what it took to make her business sustainable as her life and family grew. Ashlee shares how she...

The Business You Really Want | Abigail McMurray | Sustainable Success

Sustainable Success As A Maker With Abigail McMurray

Is the relentless pressure to scale up suffocating your entrepreneurial spirit? Gwen Bortner and Tonya Kubo challenge the "bigger is better" narrative, diving deep into why strategically staying small might be your greatest competitive advantage. In this episode,...

The Business You Really Want | Nicole Serena | Sustainable Success

Sustainable Success At Scale With Nicole Serena

Consultant-turned-agency-owner Nicole Serena joins Gwen Bortner to talk about her journey from a one-woman consulting practice to leading a thriving healthcare operations agency. Nicole pulls back the curtain on the early days—juggling every client, deadline, and...

The Business You Really Want | Sustainable Success

Sustainable Success As Podcasters With Tonya Kubo

Is the relentless pressure to scale up suffocating your entrepreneurial spirit? Gwen Bortner and Tonya Kubo challenge the "bigger is better" narrative, diving deep into why strategically staying small might be your greatest competitive advantage. In this episode,...

The Business You Really Want | Small Business Decisions

Small Business Decisions With Big Impact

Every small business decision has the potential to create ripple effects that either accelerate growth or drain energy and resources. Gwen Bortner and Tonya Kubo dive into how business owners can recognize high-leverage choices, avoid decision fatigue, and focus on...

The Business You Really Want | Accountability Fails

Why Accountability Fails (And What To Do About It)

Are you tired of launching new team processes only to see them completely fall apart? As leaders, we often mistake true accountability for simple reliability (did they do the thing?). Tonya Kubo and Gwen Bortner dive deep into this common pitfall, explaining that...

The Business You Really Want | Finish Line

Whose Finish Line Are You Running Toward?

Chasing the wrong finish line can look like success on the outside and feel like emptiness on the inside. In this conversation, Tonya Kubo and Gwen Bortner unpack why so many leaders, especially women entrepreneurs, find themselves pursuing goals that were never...