Turning Pressure Into Progress with Cotrenia Hood

What do you do when a competitor opens nearby, or your invoices pile up and cash flow stalls? This week’s guest, Cotrenia Hood, CEO of Steel Bleu, brings clarity to the chaos with a step-by-step plan for scaling sustainably—without losing your sanity.With a background spanning Fortune 500 business development, chamber leadership, and her Women of Steel network, Cotrenia helps founders turn pressure into progress. She walks us through rethinking competition as a learning opportunity, tightening differentiation, and building a trusted circle of peers who share ideas—and referrals.If you’re leading a small business and wondering what to fix first, this episode gives you both the roadmap and the mindset to move from scrappy to scalable. Thank you to our generous sponsors!True Fashionistas – SWFL’s largest designer resale store, where fashion meets sustainability.Golden Acorn Publishing (formerly O’Leary Publishing) – Empowering authors to tell their stories and publish with purpose.Reinvention Studio Lab – A creative hub for transformation, innovation, and bold new beginnings.Wizard of Ads - Online marketing that will have you at the top of the search. Visit us at jenniferannjohnson.com and learn how Jennifer can help you build the life you dream of with her online academy, blog, one-on-one coaching, and a variety of other resources!