The SmallBizChat Podcast: Hit It and Quit It with Syama Bunten, Kellé Thorpe, and Sarah Ohanesian

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. The episode is sponsored by Zoho One.

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. For more information: https://wealthcatalyst.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. For more information: KommasWithKelle.com

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. For more information, visit https://www.so-productive.com

Listen to the podcast below:

Podcasts Mentioned:

The Angel Next Door with Marcia Dawood
The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett
Acquired with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal

Apps Mentioned:

Old School Marketing Tips:

Know your audience – who you’re talking to, selling to, dealing with.
You might have been saying something for 12 years, but that customer has only heard it for the first time. Keep driving home messaging, no matter how over it you are.
Build real relationships. Business is built on trust.