Every 13th episode, Sheri will look back at the twelve conversations that came before it to reflect on the lessons that stayed with her, the ideas she keeps carrying forward, and the patterns that begin to emerge when you listen closely to people who are actively building businesses, careers, teams and lives.

In this first debrief, Sheri revisits the lessons from Episodes 1–12: burnout before scale, caring for the person leading the business, having the courage to change direction, sharing the story while you are still building it, recognizing that capacity is not the same as obligation, growing without losing the heart, protecting your joy, starting again without starting from scratch, learning to stop being the hero, rebuilding after 30 years, creating an alternative instead of simply criticizing what exists, and discovering that the detour may have been part of the training all along.

What emerges is something even bigger than twelve individual lessons. There is no single version of a builder.

Some people are just beginning. Some are rebuilding. Some are learning to let go. Some are changing direction entirely. And nearly everyone is trying to figure out how to grow without losing the people, values, purpose or parts of themselves that made the work worth doing in the first place.

Debriefing the Dozen is a reflection on the first chapter of Work Hard. Be Nice. and the realization that sometimes the thing one person had to learn the hard way is exactly what another person needs to hear today.

Twelve stories down. Another dozen ahead. Work Hard. Be Nice.

www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Podcast

Brett shares how he originally studied filmmaking and worked in music television before spending years in IT, supporting creative businesses and learning how companies operate from the inside. For a long time, he viewed those years away from filmmaking as lost time. Only after starting Gravity Lens did he begin to recognize how much those experiences gave him - technical problem-solving, client communication, business awareness and a much stronger understanding of how to serve other companies.

Sheri and Brett talk about what it really takes to build a creative business, from figuring out how to price work and understanding the true cost of running a company to building a network from scratch in a new market. Brett also opens up about underbidding projects, navigating scope creep, managing client expectations and learning that great creative work still has to be financially sustainable.

They also explore the tension between the artist and the business owner knowing when something is good enough to ship, when perfection stops adding value, and how to protect your creative standards without turning every client project into your own art project.

The conversation also looks at how AI is changing creative industries, where Brett sees technology as genuinely useful, and where he still believes the human part of creative work matters most.

At the heart of the episode is a lesson about reinvention:

Sometimes the years you thought pulled you away from the work you were meant to do are exactly the years that prepare you to come back and build it better.

An honest conversation about creative work, pricing, perfectionism, business ownership, technology, starting again in a new market, and taking the long way back with a much stronger set of tools.

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Connect with Brett Shagen, Gravity Lens here:

• Website: www.gravitylens.co
• Email: info@gravitylens.co
• Gravity Lens On Facebook
• Gravity Lens on Instagram

Connect with Sheri Horvath, Operator's Edge Co.

• Website: www.OpsEdgeCo.com
• Email: Edge@OpsEdgeCo.com
• Become A Guest of the Show: www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Podcast

Free Assessment mentioned in this episode: www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Assessment

Intro & Outro Music Credits: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Inside this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., host Sheri Horvath (founder & CEO of Operator's Edge Co.) sits down with Dr. Angela Mineo, founder of Cheval Wellness, for a conversation about what happens when you leave a system that no longer reflects how you believe people should be cared for...and then have to learn how to build something better from the ground up.

Angela shares how years in nursing and primary care eventually pushed her to create Cheval Wellness after becoming frustrated with insurance restrictions, rushed visits, and the pressure to check boxes instead of truly addressing what patients needed. What began as a direct primary care model has since evolved into a more focused practice centered on integrative care for women.

Sheri and Angela talk candidly about the difference between being a great clinician and being a great business owner, the challenge of building a team, and the expensive lesson that came from trying to operate two locations too early. Angela shares how closing one location felt like a failure in the moment, but ultimately created more clarity, better focus, and even stronger revenue.

They also explore what Angela learned when a longtime team member left and she realized too much of the business lived in one person’s head. That experience pushed her to create stronger systems, document processes, give her team more decision-making authority, and begin building a practice that can continue to operate even when she is not the one holding everything together.

The conversation also touches on narrowing the business, saying no to work that no longer fits, protecting the quality of care as Cheval Wellness grows, becoming more decisive as a leader, and learning that being kind does not require avoiding boundaries or difficult decisions.

At the heart of the episode is a lesson that More is not always growth. Sometimes the strongest next step is focus.

And no matter how large Cheval Wellness becomes, Angela is clear about what must remain true: the care must stay personal, unrushed, and centered on the woman in front of her.

This is an honest conversation about building differently, learning from expensive mistakes, creating a business that does not depend on one person, holding your boundaries, and growing without losing the reason you built it in the first place.

_______________________________________________________________________

Connect with Dr. Angela Mineo, Cheval Wellness here:

• Website: www.ChevalWellness.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chevalwellness
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chevalwellness/

Connect with Sheri Horvath, Operator's Edge Co here:

• Website: www.OpsEdgeCo.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperatorsEdgeCo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opsedgeco/

Take our FREE Operational Freedom Readiness Assessment: www.OpsEdgeCo.com/assessment

Fan of this podcast? Review us on this platform!

Intro & Outro Music Credits: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Kelly shares how dance became a safe place for her as a child and eventually inspired her to create that same sense of belonging for generations of students. What began as a love of dance grew into something much bigger. Kelly built a business around confidence, leadership, community, and giving kids a place where they can feel like they matter.

Sheri and Kelly talk about the standards Kelly refuses to compromise, even when those standards have cost her customers. They explore the seasons that nearly drained the joy out of the work, and what it looks like to rebuild by returning to the parts of the business that mattered from the beginning rather than chasing bigger.

They also dig into one of the biggest shifts for any longtime owner... learning that your way does not always have to be the only way.

Kelly shares how she has learned to trust her instructors, allow other people to lead from their strengths, step back from work she once carried herself, and recognize that a strong team does not have to care for the business exactly the way the founder does in order to care deeply about it.

The conversation also explores customer relationships, follow-up, community service, protecting the people you serve, and the complicated reality of sometimes having to choose what you believe is right over what a customer wants.

And when Sheri asks Kelly what she hopes people will someday say about what she built, her answer is:

“She believed in me.”

This is an honest conversation about longevity, leadership, rebuilding, holding your standards, trusting other people, and remembering that sometimes the most important thing a business builds is not the product or service at all - it is the people who walk away believing a little more in themselves.

Connect with Kelly here:

• Facebook: Ignite Dance Company
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignite.dance.company/
• Website: www.ignitedancers.com
• Email: ignite4dance@gmail.com

Connect with Sheri here:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperatorsEdgeCo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opsedgeco/
• Website: https://www.opsedgeco.com
• Email: edge@opsedgeco.com

Assessment promised at the end of the episode:

https://www.opsedgeco.com/assessment

Apply to become a guest:

https://www.opsedgeco.com/podcast

Music Credits: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

David shares how years of technical expertise prepared him to solve complex problems, but not necessarily to lead a company. He talks about the shift from being the “superhero” who handled everything himself to becoming a business owner who had to trust other people, define what good work actually looks like, and let smart people solve problems differently than he would.

Sheri and David also dig into the moments that shaped SPUR; the decision to leave traditional employment, the seasons when he questioned whether entrepreneurship was worth it, the impact of hiring administrative support, and a costly client situation that changed the way he thinks about responsibility, integrity, and the true definition of “done.”

They explore delegation, accountability, hiring for the person instead of only the skill set, learning to become less apologetic as a leader, and the tension between being highly capable and becoming too necessary to the business.

At the heart of the conversation is a lesson many founders eventually have to learn...

The goal is not to be the hero of the business. The goal is to build a business full of capable people who do not need you to rescue everything.

An honest conversation about technical skill, leadership, integrity, letting go, and building a company that can eventually operate without depending on you for every answer.

Connect With David here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wow.its.dave
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wowitsdave/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spur.it.services/

Website: https://www.spursystems.com

Connect With Sheri here:

www.OpsEdgeCo.com

Become a Guest of this podcast:

www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Podcast

Take the assessment mentioned in this episode here:
www.opsedgeco.com/assessment

Intro and Outro Music Credits: 'Bottleneck' by Neon Beach

Inside this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., host Sheri Horvath (Operator's Edge Co.) sits down with REALTOR® Nicole Atwood for a conversation about reinvention, entrepreneurship, relationships, and what it looks like to finally build something for yourself after years of building for everyone else.

Nicole shares how her career path moved from interior design to manufacturing, bookkeeping, school operations, leadership, and eventually real estate, all while raising three children and spending more than a decade helping run a Montessori school. Looking back, she realized she had been building businesses and leading people for years before she ever saw herself as the builder.

Sheri and Nicole talk about starting over in a new state without actually starting from scratch, learning to trust the experience you already have, becoming a beginner again after being competent in other careers, and the mindset work required to keep going when it feels like nothing is happening.

They also dig into the difference between planning and doing, collaborative leadership, learning in real time, building genuine relationships with clients, and why Nicole believes some of the best business development happens when you find something you genuinely enjoy and use it to connect with people.

Nicole also shares what she and her husband are building next through real estate investing, and what she hopes her children learn from watching their parents continue to take risks, build businesses, and create new opportunities.

At the heart of the conversation is a beautiful lesson -

Find what you love. Then figure out how to build around it.

An honest conversation about starting again, taking action before you have every answer, building through relationships, and recognizing that sometimes you’ve been a builder long before you ever gave yourself credit for it.

Connect With Nicole Atwood

• Email: nicole.atwood@kw.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-atwood1818
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicoleatwood2
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleatwood2

Connect With Sheri Horvath & Operator's Edge Co.

• Email: sheri@opsedgeco.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/operators-edge-co
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OperatorsEdgeCo/

Take the assessment mentioned in this episode: www.opsedgeco.com/assessment

Music Credits: Intro & Outro "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Inside this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., host Sheri Horvath sits down with insurance broker, longtime accounting professional, former restaurant owner, and entrepreneur Judy Lambert for a candid conversation about business, leadership, money, resilience, and learning not to give the wrong people too much power.

Judy shares how a difficult experience navigating insurance during her husband’s serious illness eventually inspired her to help other families understand and prepare for the financial realities life can bring. Her approach has always been less about selling a product and more about helping people make informed decisions before they find themselves in a crisis.

This conversation goes far beyond insurance.

Sheri and Judy talk about owning and operating a restaurant, leading employees across generations, knowing when a team member simply isn’t the right fit, building systems, embracing new technology, and the challenge business owners face when they keep doing work themselves because handing it off feels harder than just getting it done.

They also get into one of the harder parts of building something you care deeply about, which is learning not to let one negative voice outweigh a hundred positive ones.

Judy shares the story of a single customer review that stole the joy from an otherwise incredible day inside her restaurant and the lesson she carried forward from it… when we allow criticism, negativity, or other people’s opinions to take up too much space, we give away our own power.

Together, Sheri and Judy talk about surrounding yourself with people who will remind you who you are, standing up for others when they aren’t in the room, and why the people willing to tear someone down with you will eventually be willing to do the same thing to you.

At the heart of the episode is a brilliant reminder for anyone building something meaningful:

Work hard. Hold yourself to a high standard. Treat people well. And don’t let someone else steal the joy from what you’ve worked so hard to build.

An honest conversation about business ownership, leadership, financial wisdom, hard lessons, resilience, and protecting your ability to keep moving forward.

Intro & Outro Music Credit: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Connect with Judy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudyInsures

Connect with Sheri Horvath via Operator's Edge Co.:

https://www.facebook.com/OperatorsEdgeCo/

Like and follow this podcast on social:

Work Hard Be Nice Podcast on Facebook

Operator's Edge Co. Website: www.OpsEdgeCo.com

Free Assessment mentioned in this episode: www.OpsEdgeCo.com/assessment

Inside this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., host Sheri Horvath sits down with Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Colleen Kurtz, founder of Mindfully Nourished Wellness, to talk about what happens when the thing you once needed becomes the business you’re responsible for growing.

Colleen shares how years of struggling with her own health, and feeling unheard while searching for answers, eventually led her to build the kind of support she wished she had. But knowing how to help people and knowing how to build a business turned out to be two very different things.

Sheri and Colleen talk about learning to ask for help, hiring before you can do everything yourself, finding the right mentor, navigating seasons when the clients stop coming, and changing your relationship with failure. They also dig into Colleen’s transition from solopreneur to leader as she hires another practitioner and learns to create capacity without losing the standards, care, and personal connection her business was built on.

They explore boundaries, self-care, delegation, trusting other people with your work, and the sometimes uncomfortable realization that being capable of doing something doesn’t necessarily mean you should keep doing it.

At the heart of the conversation is a question every growing business eventually has to answer: How much are you willing to change in order to grow...and what are you unwilling to lose along the way?

For Colleen, the answer is clear. Growth matters. But if the business ever loses the heart behind why she built it in the first place, it’s not worth the growth.

This is an honest conversation about building what you needed, letting other people help you carry it, and learning how to grow without losing what made it worth building in the first place.

CREDITS:

Contact Colleen Kurtz, Functional Nutritional Therapist, owner of Mindfully Nourished Wellness at www.mindfully-nourished.com

Contact Sheri Horvath, Founder + Lead Strategist, Operator's EDGE Co. at www.opsedgeco.com

Take The FREE Operational Freedom Readiness Assessment mentioned at the end of this show at www.opsedgeco.com/assessment

Intro and Outro Music Credits: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Inside Ep. 05 of Work Hard. Be Nice., Host Sheri Horvath talks with Jessica Smalley-Perry about leadership, faith, service, and what happens when being highly capable means everyone knows you’ll figure it out.

Jessica shares her work with Pasco Kids First, the realities of leading and fundraising in the nonprofit world, and the faith that has guided her through opportunities she didn’t necessarily feel qualified for, but trusted she was called to take on.

Sheri and Jessica also dig into a leadership tension they know well: having incredibly high standards while still giving other people the space to learn, grow, and figure things out for themselves. They talk about mentorship, accountability, knowing when someone needs more room versus when they simply aren’t meeting the standard, and the danger of being capable enough to keep taking everything on yourself.

At the heart of the conversation is a lesson Jessica is still learning: just because you can carry something doesn’t mean you’re supposed to.

It’s a candid conversation about high capacity, high standards, servant leadership, family, faith, knowing when to say yes...and learning when it’s time to give it all to God.
:::

Contact information for Jessica Smalley-Perry: https://www.facebook.com/jessicasmalleyperry

Contact information for Pasco Kids First:

www.pascokidsfirst.org

Contact information for Sheri Horvath & Operator's Edge Co.:

www.opsedgeco.com

Intro and Outro Music Credits: "Bottleneck" by Neon Beach

Chellsey shares the story behind building her private practice, the risks she took before she felt ready, and the expensive business decision that became one of her greatest lessons. Together, Sheri and Chellsey explore confidence, failure, ambition, anxiety, authenticity, and the tension between wanting the freedom of entrepreneurship and doing the hard work required to create it.

They also talk about Chellsey’s unique approach to walk-and-talk therapy, why high-achieving people can look successful while feeling stuck, and how values can help guide both personal and business decisions.

Most importantly, this conversation challenges the idea that you have to reach some imaginary finish line before your experience is worth sharing. Sometimes the most valuable perspective comes from someone who is still climbing and remembers exactly what the last thousand feet felt like.

This is an honest conversation about betting on yourself, learning the hard way, building confidence through action, and giving yourself some grace while you figure it out.
:::

Contact Information for Chellsey Barnett, LMHC, Resilient Mind Counseling & Coaching: www.resilientmindcc.com

Contact Information for Sheri Horvath, Operator's Edge Co.: www.opsedgeco.com

Apply to become a guest of the show at www.opsedgeco.com/podcast

Intro & Outro Music: “Bottleneck” by Neon Beach

In this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., Sheri Horvath, Founder & CEO of Operator's Edge Co. sits down with entrepreneur and travel advisor Heidi Bushko for a candid conversation about knowing when to stay, when to pivot, and when it’s simply time to move on.

After more than 20 years in business, Heidi is building something new and bringing plenty of lessons with her. They talk about choosing the right systems and partnerships, protecting your time, setting better boundaries, communicating your value, trusting yourself enough to change direction, and redefining what success looks like along the way.

And, of course, there’s plenty of travel talk too, including why working with a travel advisor brings more value than many travelers realize.

It’s a conversation about building with experience, protecting what matters, and remembering that changing direction doesn’t mean you failed. Sometimes it means you learned.

If you'd like to get in touch with Heidi, you can do so here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidi.bushko

View Heidi's Website

Email: h.bushko@cruiseplanners.com

And, here's a link to the free Operational Freedom Readiness Assessment promised to all listeners of this podcast.

www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Assessment

In this episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., host Sheri Horvath, Founder & CEO of Operator's Edge Co., sits down with Kate Lazzarotti, National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach and founder of KCL Wellness, to talk about total optimal health for entrepreneurs, executives, and business leaders.

Kate shares the personal health journey that led her to build KCL Wellness and why stress, sleep, gut health, nutrition, mental fitness, and self-care aren't separate from business performance. They're part of it.

Together, Sheri and Kate talk candidly about burnout, boundaries, entrepreneurship, building trust, leading with value, navigating marriage while growing a business, and the importance of making your own health part of the investment you're willing to make in your company.

Sustainable business growth requires a healthy business. And, that starts with a healthier person leading it.

Work Hard. Be Nice. features candid conversations about business operations, leadership, growth, and the people behind the businesses they're building.

If you'd like to connect with Kate, you can find her doing incredible work here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088075114960
On the web: www.kclwellness.com

By email: kate@kclwellness.com

And, here is the link for the free Operational Freedom Readiness Assessment promised to all listeners of this podcast:

www.OpsEdgeCo.com/Assessment

Before there was Operator's Edge Co., there was a young pastry chef building hundreds of wedding cakes by hand, convinced that working harder was the only way to succeed. It took burnout, closing a business I loved, and years spent leading companies across multiple industries to realize that operations, leadership, and growth were never separate conversations.

In this debut episode, I share the story that shaped everything I believe about business, why your company shouldn't depend entirely on you, and why I created Work Hard. Be Nice. If you've ever felt the weight of carrying your business on your shoulders, this episode is for you.

Before Operator's Edge Co., I built a nationally recognized custom cake studio that became one of the busiest wedding cake businesses in the Southeast. From the outside, it looked like success. Behind the scenes, it depended entirely on me.

In this inaugural episode of Work Hard. Be Nice., I share the journey that shaped my philosophy on business, leadership, and operational excellence. We explore the lessons that came from building, burning out, walking away, and discovering that the goal isn't to build a business that needs you, but one that benefits from you without depending on you.

This episode lays the foundation for everything to come: honest conversations with founders, CEOs, operators, and leaders who are building businesses, teams, and lives with purpose. If you've ever wondered whether everyone else has it all figured out, or if you're carrying more than your business was ever meant to ask of you, you're in the right place.

Because every builder has a story.

This one is mine.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Until next time.. Work Hard. Be Nice.

Sheri Horvath

Founder & Lead Strategist - Operator's Edge Co.