Smart AF

Torie Mathis

When your time=money you have to be SMART. It’s easy to waste your time, your money, and possibly your sanity, especially if you run a small team, family business or you’re out there solo. After 15 years of building her marketing agency, working with thousands of frustrated business owners, and bootstrapping her way past 7-figures, Army Veteran Torie Mathis knows the struggle is real. Joined by her husband, Sean Mathis, fellow entrepreneur and Founder of Miles Through Time Automotive Museum, they talk marketing strategy, small business, raising kids, working together, accomplishing big goals, and of course, how to work Smart AF.

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Ep. 139 If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It

Ep. 139 If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It

Entrepreneurship is a difficult yet rewarding journey. No matter how much experience or time in the game you have, you're going to have little disasters, problems, and mistakes. It's inevitable. What matters is what you do with them. In this episode, we talk about challenges we've been facing and how we're working through our entrepreneurial path. See more at toriemathis.com/show

Ep. 139 If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It

Ep. 139 If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It

Entrepreneurship is a difficult yet rewarding journey. No matter how much experience or time in the game you have, you're going to have little disasters, problems, and mistakes. It's inevitable. What matters is what you do with them. In this episode, we talk about challenges we've been facing and how we're working through our entrepreneurial path. See more at toriemathis.com/show

Ep. 138 Starting an Antique Market

Ep. 138 Starting an Antique Market

Starting a new business always has its challenges. Sean has been thrust into his new business; owning and operating an antique market. He'll talk about his new challenges including renovations, hiring, and announcing changes to vendors. You can follow his new business at

Ep. 137 How to Overcome Fear of Failure

Ep. 137 How to Overcome Fear of Failure

How many things have you talked yourself out of because you were afraid you might fail? This fear of failure can become so ingrained in you, like a bad habit, that you continually downplay what you can actually accomplish. I'm here to tell you that you can do SO much more than you could imagine. So how do you push through this fear? In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean, talk about how they've overcome the fear to start new businesses, move across the country and take on their fair share of risk. No risk, no reward.

Ep. 136 How to Improve Your Return Process

Ep. 136 How to Improve Your Return Process

Most businesses deal with some type of returns or cancellations, and getting this right is crucial to customer satisfaction. Over 90% of shoppers say they will NEVER shop with a business again after a poor return experience. A return or cancellation of service does not mean the relationship is over, it can be just the beginning. In this episode, I review a couple of my recent review experiences and give actionable strategies for you to improve your return process and get SMART with your customer service and relationship building.

Ep. 135 From Army to Art School to Entrepreneurial Success

Ep. 135 From Army to Art School to Entrepreneurial Success

Everyone's entrepreneurial journey is a little different, but most seem to be a rollercoaster of changes, challenges, and opportunities. Mine is definitely all of those and more. Coming up on 15 years of my entrepreneurial life, I reflect on the ups and downs, the unexpected turns, and the milestones that got me here. And I highlight the three major turns that made the most impact on my success and how you can speed up your chances of success too.

Ep. 134 Saving a Failing Business

Ep. 134 Saving a Failing Business

What do you do when each month you have money in and money out, but nothing left? We've seen businesses think they're doing okay because they have money coming in every month, but if there is never anything left over, what can you do? In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean, talk about what steps you can take to save your failing business and how they are turning around a new business they just bought the owner out on. Why would they buy out a business that is upside down? Follow them on their journey and find out!

Ep. 133 Are Conferences Worth It?

Ep. 133 Are Conferences Worth It?

Professional conferences and conventions can be costly and time-consuming, so should small business owners and solopreneurs even waste their time with them? On this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to conferences and Sean's experience this past week at the NAAM event for Miles Through Time Automotive Museum. And how he came home a big winner. Show notes and resources at toriemathis.com/show

Ep. 132 How to Get The Right Things Done

Ep. 132 How to Get The Right Things Done

People love productivity hacks; how to get more done in less time. The problem is most get more of the wrong thing done, leaving them exhausted, burned out, and no closer to their goals. Busy work is not the answer to long-term success. In this episode, Torie Mathis busts through your basic productivity tips and shows you 5 ways to get the right things done, so you work less, get more of the right things done and crush your goals again and again.

Ep. 131 Consistency & Commitment: An Empire in the Making

Ep. 131 Consistency & Commitment: An Empire in the Making

While most 10-year-olds are consuming games, videos, and merchandise, my 10-year-old is doing things a little differently. I tried to interview her about her empire, but her shyness took over, so Sean and I instead chatted about our youngest's empire-building skills. From video editing and collaborations to merch and branding this girl is going places, and I am proud to break down her journey thus far, her amazing consistency and commitment, and how you can apply this to your empire building.

Ep. 130 A Chance to Do It Right: New Business, New Opportunities

Ep. 130 A Chance to Do It Right: New Business, New Opportunities

Starting a business is an opportunity to set things up the way you want them to be. With Miles Through Time there have always been parts of it out of their control. Until now. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean, talk about how starting a new business will give them newfound control over all aspects of their business, but this doesn't come without its own unique challenges. Follow along on their journey with this new venture.

Ep. 129 Why Your Offers Aren't Working

Ep. 129 Why Your Offers Aren't Working

If you make offers on your website and no one is responding you may be missing this key piece to your sales process. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how service-based businesses fail when marketing like commodity businesses and what changes can be made to boost sales, repeat business, appointment requests, and referrals. If offers are falling flat, this episode is for you.

Ep. 128 Beyond Woo Woo Positive Thinking: The Twofer Strategy

Ep. 128 Beyond Woo Woo Positive Thinking: The Twofer Strategy

Challenging times come up for everyone and how you react and move through them makes a huge difference in your attitude and outcome. Can you actually make difficult times easier? Beyond woo woo positive thinking? In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how to use the twofer strategy to get past tough times and come out on top. Whether it's an unexpected move or change of career, not able to afford college or travel, or just needing to get through chores the twofer strategy will work.

Ep. 127 Find Your People - The Power of Your Peers

Ep. 127 Find Your People - The Power of Your Peers

If you think of others in your industry as competition, you're severely missing out. Your peers provide immense opportunities including having inside information that you can't access anywhere else. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how they have harnessed the power of the automotive museum world to grow, learn and support others and how you can mirror this in your business. There is power in your peers, go find them. Show notes, resources and free tools at smartafshow.com

Ep. 126 Raising Quitters

Ep. 126 Raising Quitters

We all know it's easier to quit than to keep going when things get tough, but what makes some people hold on and others go down for the count? In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about their kids giving up, how society coddles quitters, what to do when business goes sideways, and the number one way to ensure YOU won't give up when times are tough. And we learn everyone needs a "Kevin".

Ep. 125 Breaking Barriers: Tesla, Classics and Being Too Young

Ep. 125 Breaking Barriers: Tesla, Classics and Being Too Young

The world is full of stereotypes and assumptions. What you drive, what job you have, and apparently what you "deserve" are all assumed based on your age, location, political leaning, and even your looks. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how important it is for us to stand up against these assumptions and bridge the gaps our society makes. Whether it's what you drive or what business you're in, it's time to reach across the aisle and create new experiences and opportunities.

Ep. 124 Three Keys to Grow Your Email List

Ep. 124 Three Keys to Grow Your Email List

One of the greatest assets to your business is your email list. The ability to connect with your audience at any time, having 100% control of your communication, and not having to worry about any pesky algorithm to stifle your reach is powerful. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about 3 key strategies your business can use to grow your email list with ease and how YOU have the same power and opportunities as big business. It's time to take action and take this power.

Ep. 123 Make Your First Time A Success

Ep. 123 Make Your First Time A Success

Your first time. It can be rough. Your first business, your first event, your first website - all firsts that we sabotage, sometimes to the degree that we talk ourselves out of them before we even start. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how to make your first run a success, how to keep a project moving forward even when doubt sets in, and how to avoid the BIGGEST sabotage that will make any first a flop. Resources and show notes at smartafshow.com

Ep 122 Well, That Didn't Work

Ep 122 Well, That Didn't Work

There are many strategies you can use to grow your business; some will work better than others based on your type of business and the season of your business. And if a strategy, ad or campaign doesn't work it's okay. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean reminisce about business building and marketing strategies they tried and failed at. Yeah, there was some money and time spent, but the experiences are priceless.

Ep. 121 The Real Goal of Small Business Marketing

Ep. 121 The Real Goal of Small Business Marketing

When you think of marketing you may think of ads, websites, and branding...but there is something more. Underneath all of these marketing assets lies the essential emotion behind the marketing: TRUST. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean talk about how you can build trust with your audience, even before they meet or buy from you by using some essential marketing strategies you may have overlooked.

Ep. 120 Make Facebook Ads Your Audience Loves

Ep. 120 Make Facebook Ads Your Audience Loves

Have you heard that people hate Facebook ads? Oh, that must be why Facebook's ad revenue brought in $84.2 Billion in 2020. People actually LOVE to buy things they want. So if your Facebook ads are leading people to things they want, they will be successful. In this episode, Torie Mathis and her cohost Sean discuss the reasons your Facebook ads may be under-performing (aka customers don't like them) and how to fix them. Get resources and show notes at smartafshow.com