Turtlesmith
37 episodes listed below
Slow-growth business talk with real owner friction.
The Turtlesmith Podcast is a brisk small-business show built around real owner problems, from crypto payments to licensing delays. Its conversations favor practical tradeoffs over polished theory, with tax, operations, and risk explained in everyday terms.
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The Turtlesmith Podcast approaches entrepreneurship from the ground level. It is interested in the part of small business that happens after the inspirational quote ends. Scott Hess and John Barton talk like people sorting through real owner decisions in public, with the pauses, corrections, jokes, and pushback left in. That texture matters. A conversation about accepting Bitcoin quickly becomes a practical look at processing fees, income treatment, capital gains, and the messy tax trail that can follow ordinary purchases. A conversation about business identity theft turns toward domain impersonation, social media scams, paid monitoring services, and the high cost of formal complaints. A kitchen licensing update becomes more than banter because it shows how code compliance, health permits, electrical work, and early expert advice can change the shape of a business launch. The show is casual, but its instincts are conservative in the useful sense. It likes momentum, yet it keeps asking what paperwork, cash risk, tax exposure, or missing advisor could punish that momentum later. Retail episodes carry the same pattern. Small shops are encouraged to participate in holiday demand without pretending they can beat big-box pricing, and the recommended edge is human service, smoother buying, and direct help. Broader stories also get pulled back to owner lessons. Michael Jordan's move from NBA ownership into NASCAR investment becomes a way to talk about delegation, luck, and building a team smart enough to catch opportunities. The show is at its best when it lets a concrete example do the teaching. It can be blunt. It can wander. Still, the recurring argument is steady: small-business owners need ambition, but they also need systems, advisors, patience, and a clearer view of what can go wrong.
Made for: Built for aspiring and active small-business owners who want plain-English discussions of taxes, operations, payments, retail choices, and risk. It especially fits listeners who prefer practical debate over polished business-school language.
What sets it apart: The show turns lived owner headaches into business lessons, using licensing delays, crypto payment questions, retail examples, and failed deal stories as working material. Its strength is the back-and-forth between tax-minded caution and entrepreneurial momentum.
The Turtlesmith Podcast is aimed at people who want to take their step into entrepreneurship, and start a small business. We get into everything from Business strategies, actionable advice, taxes, and all the things it takes to build a profitable business. In our weekly episodes, we break down a step by step plan across 3 phases. Our motto is "Get Rich Slow". Tune in with Scott Hess, an expert tax accountant and business consultant, and John Barton, serial entrepreneur and business man, as we tackle the mystery and break down the walls of information to help you reach your dreams.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
The Turtlesmith Podcast tests small-business ideas against the costs, risks and operational snags that appear once execution begins.
Scott Hess, a tax and business consultant, and John Barton, a small business owner, turn small-company decisions into candid working conversations.
Black Friday meets small-business math, so you can keep your margins and your dignity.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Bitcoin is treated as a small-business accounting and payment choice, not just a slogan.
The episode frames Bitcoin as a small-business decision, with Calvin guiding the talk toward whether owners are ready to accept crypto, how payment processing would work, and what tax treatment looks like when Bitcoin is sold or used in a transaction.
A practical look at online impersonation, monitoring tools, and the cost of chasing domain lookalikes.
It presents online impersonation as a costly, stubborn problem for small businesses. Brand Verify, ZeroFox, and Brand Shield are positioned as tools for watching keywords, social media, and phishing scams, but the point lands that paid services still leave gaps.
Michael Jordan's NASCAR pivot becomes a clear talk about hiring, advice, luck, and knowing when a role does not fit.
Michael Jordan's move from basketball icon to NASCAR owner gives the episode its hook, and the hosts keep circling the same business lesson: the person on the front line still needs the right advice and the right people behind them.
Small retailers can do better by competing on service, not deep discounts.
The episode makes a plain case for something small retailers often forget: they do not need to win a race to the bottom. It is better when they lean on service, fit checks, gift wrapping, bundles, and real help at the point of sale.
Real talk for veterinary practice leaders.
Sales systems for serious electrical contractors.
Crypto looks easy at checkout.
["The Turtlesmith Podcast episode \"Business Identity Theft\" focuses on scammers copying JB Cases photos and brand identity to sell fake listings on Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon.", "Scott Hess and John Barton explain that credit cards and PayPal can trigger disputes, while Cash App, Venmo, and Facebook payments are treated as unrecoverable.", "Barton says his team now watermarks product photos, posts scam warnings, and maintains a scammers page because impersonators reuse images and accounts.", "The episode also attacks Facebook's $50-a-month verified-check process, which Barton says still requires him to find impersonators before the platform acts."]
The hosts discuss progress on a kitchen renovation for a small business, covering electrical work, code compliance, and upcoming licensing steps.
The hosts discuss small business topics, including spring break's impact on work and the spending habits of 18-25 year olds.
Two hosts discuss the challenges and progress of starting a business, focusing on licensing issues for a kitchen after moving from a food truck, while reflecting on the balance between preparation and impulsivity in entrepreneurship.
Michael Jordan's NASCAR move gives the conversation its frame.
Scott Hess (tax and business consultant) and John Barton (small business owner) use The Turtlesmith Podcast to examine the concrete costs of entrepreneurs trying to operate without professional advisors.
The hosts reopen the season with kitchen-renovation jokes and the same old claim that the project is still two weeks away.
Two individuals share personal updates about home construction and health routines before introducing themselves as a tax consultant and small business owner, hinting at a discussion on business scaling.
The hosts discuss funding and loans, starting with a humorous anecdote about a 50% interest loan offer, then sharing personal stories about home repairs and superstitions related to money leaks.
The host discusses quitting Facebook to avoid political debates, leading to increased productivity and peace, while reflecting on society's toxic discourse.
The hosts discuss their week, including the wife launching a dance boot business website and the husband getting fired by a client over his fixed-fee accounting pricing system.