The SmallBizChat with Melinda Emerson
The SmallBizChat with Melinda Emerson
A series focused on small business advice and strategies, by Melinda Emerson, known as "SmallBizLady", discussing various aspects of entrepreneurship and small business management. Get insights from experts about topics relevant to small business owners.
Melinda Emerson
PodcastAI
PodcastAI

Hit It and Quit It with Syama Bunten, Kellé Thorpe, and Sarah Ohanesian

E345 • Apr 15, 2026 • 8 mins

In this episode, Melinda Emerson kicks off with an introduction and underscores the importance of podcast subscriptions. The core of the discussion features a panel where Melinda, Syama Bunten, Kellé Thorpe, and Sarah Ohanesian share their favorite podcasts, apps, marketing strategies, and books that inspire and drive their success. This episode is sponsored by Zoho One.

Key Points

  • Embracing tools like ChatGPT, Asana, and Google Analytics can significantly enhance productivity and decision-making for small business owners.
  • Building real relationships and understanding your audience remain timeless and essential marketing strategies in the digital age.
  • Reading influential business books like "The Big Leap," "10X is Easier Than 2X," and "Rocket Fuel" can provide valuable insights and frameworks for aligning purpose with work and improving business operations.

Syama Bunten is the Founder of Wealth Catalyst, a national platform convening women who are building, preserving, and deploying capital with intention. Her work centers on what she calls the Great Wealth Enlightenment, the structural shift in which women are simultaneously earning, inheriting, and directing wealth at scale. Through salons, summits, and private community gatherings, she creates spaces where women move from passive ownership to active stewardship. Syama has been featured in Forbes and hosts the podcast Getting Rich Together, where she explores capital, agency, and legacy with founders, investors, and executives.

Connect with Syama Bunten:

Website: https://wealthcatalyst.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/syamameagher Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syama.co Substack: https://thewealthcatalystwithsyama.substack.com

Kellé Thorpe is the CEO of Kommas with Kellé (KWK), a strategic fractional CFO firm dedicated to helping service-based business owners and senior-level corporate executives increase profitability and scale sustainably. Kellé brings both financial expertise and community-driven leadership to her work. As a keynote speaker and trusted business advisor, she helps leaders uncover the story behind their numbers, optimize productivity, and drive measurable revenue growth. Through her proven Profit Acceleration Methodology, clients have achieved up to 2X revenue growth within just two months.

Connect with Kellé Thorpe:

Website: https://KommasWithKelle.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellethorpe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kommaswithkelle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KommaswithKelle

Sarah Ohanesian used to wear her "busy badge" with pride until she realized it came with a hefty price: burnout. Now, as a productivity keynote speaker and founder of SO Productive, she’s on a mission to help professionals break free from busyness and do their most important work. A former Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah knows the high-stakes corporate world like the back of her hand, and she’s passionate about teaching others how to ditch overwhelm, focus on what really matters, and reclaim their time. Whether she’s geeking out over task management systems or helping teams embrace their genius zones, Sarah’s approach is always practical, refreshing, and fun.

Connect with Sarah Ohanesian:

Website: https://www.so-productive.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahohanesian Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/so.productive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SO-Productive-105313817794677

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Speakers

Narrator

Guest • 12%

Melinda Emerson

Host • 53%

Syama Bunten

Guest • 12%

Kelle Thorpe

Guest • 12%

Sarah Ohanesian

Guest • 11%

Transcript

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