Book Your Guest Spot
Your Hosts
Your Host: Kay Cote
Kay is an ActionCOACH podcaster and the friend in your corner who helps you uncover all of your business potential. Her expansive career in live radio, podcasting, and as an emcee host has grown her skills as a communicator to help you share your story with ease in a relaxed and conversational setting.
In addition to hosting The Business Spotlight, Kay is multifaceted in both the media and music entertainment industries. She is skilled in branding, communications, and small business. Kay has a background in live radio, podcasting, writing for publications, and has even acted in commercials and movies.
Your Host: Tanner O'Brien
I am passionate and driven by the journey of never ending improvement – that there is always an opportunity to grow and improve as a person. This drives me to focus on measuring daily success and personal best...asking the question "am I better today than I was yesterday, last week, last month, or last year?" This pursuit energizes and focuses me.
A mentor of mine once shared, "it is not the destination that provides us the greatest happiness. It's not the amount of money we make or the business we built, or the things that we have. What gives us the greatest level of satisfaction and happiness is the pursuit of our dreams and goals - knowing that we are constantly making progress toward our desired result".
Your Host: William Haas
William is an ActionCOACH Business Success Specialist and the guide to help you steer your business where you want it to go. With a business owner mindset, he brings a deep understanding of leadership, team dynamics, and the challenges entrepreneurs face in balancing growth, purpose, and sustainability.
A proud U.S. Army Veteran, William has worn many hats throughout a dynamic career — from skilled tradesman to Risk Manager, Energy Rater, and Project Manager. For eight years, William also owned and operated Woodfellows Renovations Inc., a custom home building and renovations company. That firsthand experience fuels his passion for helping business owners unlock potential and build lasting success.
What to Expect – The Podcast
Welcome to the Business Spotlight Series – Powered by ActionCOACH! We're excited to sit down with you (virtually!) to talk about your business and your journey as an entrepreneur.
At ActionCOACH, we know building a business isn't easy—and it can feel isolating at times. That's why we created the Business Spotlight Series: to highlight real stories from local business owners and amplify the voices of entrepreneurs like you.
Still Have Questions?
office@businessspotlight.bizPrepare
Before your recording, take a few minutes to review the details on this page. You'll find the list of questions our hosts typically pull from, tips to ensure your setup looks and sounds great, and answers to common questions guests often ask. A quick read-through will help you feel confident and ready for a great conversation.
Join the Podcast
We recommend joining the call a few minutes early to allow time for any last-minute tech checks. Once you're on, your host will walk you through how the interview will flow and answer any final questions you may have. We'll make sure everything feels smooth before we hit record. Most importantly—relax and have fun! This is your time to shine.
Share with the World
Within 2–4 weeks of your guest appearance, our team will send you the full set of links to your episode, along with downloadable copies for your personal use. You're welcome to share the content however you'd like—it's yours! We'll also be promoting the interview across all major platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and to our email database of 10,000+ subscribers.
A Note From Your Host
We know your time is valuable, and we deeply appreciate you joining us for The Business Spotlight. Business Spotlight is powered by ActionCOACH. From time to time during an interview, something a guest shares lines up with the work we do every day — and when that happens, your host may share the pathway for it at the end of the call. It only comes up if it's genuinely relevant to what you've shared on the show, and we always follow your lead.
Guiding Questions
(we tend to get through about 1/2):
- Overview of Your Background and What Your Business Is.
Setting the stage:
- How is your business structured? (Are you a solo owner, do you have business partners, outside investors, etc.)
- What is your role in the company at present? What type of hours do you put in?
- Why did you choose to get into business for yourself — and how long have you been building it?
Your business:
- Who does the business serve? Who is your ideal customer? (i.e. if I were watching the interview, how would I know if I was a fit for your product/service?)
- What makes your business unique? Why do business with you?
- How do your competitors compare?
- What is one thing you wish more people knew about your business or industry?
- What marketing have you found to be successful in your business?
What you're growing through:
- What is demanding the most of you as the owner right now?
- What was a memorable hurdle you've had to overcome in building the business?
- Where do you find yourself most often becoming the bottleneck?
Your vision:
- Where is the business headed next? What does the 3–5 year outlook look like?
- What is your approach to goal setting and planning for that vision?
- If you could magically improve one area of your business tomorrow, what would it be?
The gap:
- What's standing between where you are today and that 3–5 year vision?
- What is your approach to hiring and recruiting the people who'll help you get there?
- How would you describe your leadership style — and how has it changed over the years?
What it unlocks:
- Beyond the business itself, what does hitting this vision unlock in your life?
- What does success look like for you personally and for your family?
- What is most inspiring to you today?
Tips To Prepare
(The 10 Ways to Be Set for Success):
RELAX! The best interviews happen when the guest shows up ready to have some fun. The more you are willing to share, the more natural the conversation will flow.
Setting the Environment:
- Find a quiet place to take the meeting from, ideally from your computer (rather than phone).
- Test your camera and mic and ensure they are in working order. Built in cameras are fine, external mics are recommended (wired headphones work great!).
- If you have a ring light, using is encouraged. Having a light source just beyond the camera provides a better image on for the video.
- Camera positioning – adjust camera angle so that your head and shoulders are visible in the center of the frame.
Additional Settings:
- It is highly recommended to turn on any form of "Do Not Disturb" for your devices. (At minimum – silence any calls, texts, and emails until the end of the podcast).
- If using a Mac – for best quality, turn on "Mic Isolation" and "Studio Lighting". (Settings and set up may vary by device).
Final Thoughts:
- If you are in a place where interruptions may happen (i.e. home office with kids running around), we recommend making a simple paper sign that can be taped to the door stating – "Do not disturb – recording in progress".
- Wear what is comfortable and best represents YOU. Do not feel that you need to dress up or down to participate.
- REMEMBER – the tips above are only suggestions. We want to provide you the best overall content for your use – that said, we have completed some amazing interviews with the guest joining via phone from his/her vehicle.
- Use what you've got and have fun with it!