“I am someone I would consider very values-driven… that's the way I do business. Now that I have so many people on my team and so many clients, it can feel like I just have this like tsunami of opinions from everyone all the time… are you porous enough and flexible enough and self-reflective enough to be able to continue to evolve yourself.”

That’s the tension that runs through this Season 1 Finale of Breaking The Bottleneck, where Co-Hosts Charlie Birch and Laurel Carpenter sit down with Makena Finger Zannini, Founder of The Boutique COO, a seven-figure operations agency.

In this conversation, Makena explains that in an industry that often overpromises and underdelivers, she operates on three non-negotiables: integrity, transparency, and mutual respect.

You’ll hear:

• The three principles that anchor how she leads

• About keeping to your standards even when it means losing money, time, and relationships

• How to identify cult-adjacent behavior in entrepreneurial spaces

• What distinguishes grounded leadership from dogmatic leadership

• Why she invites and integrates feedback constantly, even when it’s uncomfortable

• The role evidence-based mindset work plays in sustainable entrepreneurship

• Why she installed a personal “board of directors” to call her out and tell her the truth

For founders committed to building values-driven companies, Makena’s story is a reminder that clarity, self-awareness, and a willingness to evolve are just as operationally important as systems, offers, and revenue.

In this conversation, Ashley unpacks what it really took to move from doing everything herself (sales, hiring, marketing, HR) to building a team-driven company that supports working parents at home and at work.

You’ll hear:

• How a time and energy audit helped her get out of the weeds and into the C-suite

• The moment she realized that delegation isn’t about speed but joy

• How quality control and delegation can co-exist, hint, hint it’s all about systems and feedback loops

• Why empathy is a nonnegotiable at Sundays

• How Sundays protects team members from misaligned, potentially toxic clients

• The lie she had to unlearn to really appreciate her successes

This episode of Breaking The Bottleneck is a gut check for every founder who’s ever wondered, "Can doing business with integrity really payoff?" Join us as Co-Hosts Charlie Birch and Laurel Carpenter sit down with Terri Maxwell, to discuss her commitment to purpose-driven business and conscious capitalism.

You’ll hear:

• What it takes to earn, scale, and focus differently

• Confirmation that betting on yourself and purpose does pay off

• How to navigate value-based pricing

• How to earn from your failures

• The two mistakes founders make every day that keep them stuck

• How to survive “Death Valley” and elevate your business to team-driven growth

• The evidence you need to silence both inner and outer naysayers.

This episode of Breaking The Bottleneck, Co-Hosts Charlie Birch and Laurel Carpenter go behind the scenes with Zach Messler as he recounts his transition from “Good Corporate Soldier” to agency owner to strategic advisor.

It’s a story about clarity and the courage to do the right thing and deliver your best work, despite cultural pressure to cut corners and step-in-line.

You’ll hear:

• The key to the universe

• Zach's go-to formula for crystal clear product marketing

• Why easy now = hard later

• How to combat imposter syndrome in all its forms.

• How AI has changed the marketing world and how to use it correctly

• Why scaling isn't for everyone and what success can look like instead

• 2 foundational questions every founder can ask themselves to get unstuck

🤡 Spoiler alert: You’ll also see what happens when AI comes uninvited to the party in the form of digital confetti.

In this episode of Breaking The Bottleneck, Co-Hosts Charlie Birch and Laurel Carpenter sit down with guest Dr. Joanne Chu, Co-Founder of Strelo Group.

You’ll hear:

• How to scale purpose and values

• What a "Conscious Contract" is and why you need one

• How to navigate honorable compensation and fair market price

• The true value of a best-fit client

• Why the most powerful brands have to master two voices

• How asking "Why?" ensures you're solving for outcomes

• How to start converting your brand from surface-level vibes to high-integrity operating system

If you’ve ever felt the tension between growth and values, this episode's for you!

In this inaugural episode of Breaking The Bottleneck, Co-Hosts Charlie Birch and Laurel Carpenter sit down with guest. Chris Dyer to discuss what it truly takes to move from founder-led to team-driven.

You’ll hear:

• How he lost 40% of his clients in an instant and what it taught them about resilience

• Why, when it comes to delegation, “integrity” matters more than control

• The Ego strength required to let go without walking away

• The hidden loneliness that comes with growth, and how to handle it

• Types of rest every Founder needs and probably isn't getting

• Practical ways to separate your identity from your company’s so the brand can thrive without you

If you’ve ever felt stuck between doing it all yourself and trusting others to do it right, this conversation will hit home.