Inter:views | Cracking The Entrepreneurship Code: Recent Episodes

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This is the final episode of Inter:views, Cracking The Entrepreneur Bottleneck.

I reflect on over four years of podcasting and nearly 170 interviews with entrepreneurs worldwide.

While the podcast served its purpose, it's time to transition fully into coaching entrepreneurs. All episodes remain available until the end of 2024, then exclusively on YouTube.

In this final episode, I share memorable moments and guests, highlighting valuable insights gained.

Moving forward, I'll focus on coaching and providing resources to empower entrepreneurs to thrive.

Strategic Resources for Entrepreneurs:

The Bottleneck Index: your first step towards uncovering and addressing your bottlenecks. :

eBook: "THRIVE": your go-to guide for overcoming bottlenecks and driving your business forward:

B-weekly newsletter, The Bottleneck Digest

Follow me:

Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/@laurentnotin

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentnotin/

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/laurentnotin/

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John Cronin, now 27 years old, was diagnosed with Down syndrome. That never stopped him from becoming his best version. Together with his father as a business partner, he has defied all odds to become a tycoon in the socks business, impacting millions of people worldwide with their story of resilience, hope, and the power of vulnerability. They host workshops, seminars, and talks to educate people about Down syndrome and how anyone diagnosed with it can reclaim their life.

Their business is not just about socks. It is an avenue to spread their message of hope and inspiration. Built on five principles, the business aims to showcase the capabilities of people with different abilities. Yet, like any other business, bottlenecks are inevitable. The struggle with perfectionism was one of the main bottlenecks they faced when they started.

John’s Crazy Socks has a mission of spreading happiness through unique socks. They show the world that disability is not inability, pairing a retail mission with a social one. Donating 5% of earnings to the Special Olympics, they expand their charity partners, creating socks with awareness themes like Autism and Down Syndrome. With fast, personal service and hand-written thank you notes from John, they aim to bring joy through every package, proving what people with differing abilities can achieve.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[02:54] John and Mark Cronin’s story behind their Crazy Socks business

[05:13] The pillars of their business

[09:35] Why they chose a socks business and not any other

[15:08] Candies in the socks boxes to win more loyal customers

[16:13] The experience of a father-son partnership in business

[18:57] The struggles of perfectionism and other bottlenecks in the business

[26:54] Parts of the business that John likes the most

[29:11] The power of living for a cause and purpose

[33:34] Parting words of wisdom and best ways to reach out and connect

[34:38] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Never wait for perfection and the perfect time to do something. Get up and go!

· Being physically challenged does not mean being mentally challenged.

· Sometimes, you never know how much what you start will grow. The only way is by doing it and pivoting whenever necessary.

· When delegating roles in a business, don’t start immediately thinking about how you will get something done. Instead, think about who will get it done, and then let them do it.

· It is so good to wake up in the morning and have something to do that matters.

· Consider hiring people with different abilities and understand that doing so is good for business.

Connect With John and Mark Cronin

Website: https://johnscrazysocks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnscrazysocks/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChQzvQju2SQiW9rIf5JNsVQ

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@johnscrazysocks

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Scaling up a start-up is a delicate balance of Skills and Sacrifice, embodying the essential qualities required to navigate the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Beyond a visionary idea, founders must possess the skill set and be ready to make the sacrifices necessary with consistency to achieve their vision.

They must also be able to recognize their limitations and empower others to contribute to their business success. This requires an Entrepreneurial Mindset—a blend of optimism, creativity, and resourcefulness—that fuels founders' drive to overcome obstacles and find opportunities that can propel them toward sustainable success.

In this episode, we discuss the critical components necessary for entrepreneurs to transition from startup to scalable success with a special guest, Feras Alhlou. Feras has built and sold companies in Silicon Valley and abroad. He helps startup founders make good, informed decisions about entrepreneurship to avoid the pitfalls that derail many new ventures or hinder their growth.

Feras has served as a mentor, providing guidance backed by extensive experience in business strategy, consulting, marketing, and analytics.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[02:42] One key lesson from Feras for start-up entrepreneurs

[03:20] Why passion is optional for start-up founders' success

[05:08] Three must-have skills for startup founders

[08:21] How to overcome the obstacles of delegating to grow

[10:31] Practical tips for delegation and the right time to delegate

[13:14] The essentials for entrepreneurship success

[15:18] The principles of working with advisors

[17:20] The keys to accelerating your business growth: people, processes, and mindset

[21:40] How to create a financial runway and when to reach out to investors

[25:40] Sacrifices that you should be ready to make as a founder

[28:41] Building consistency over motivation

[30:24] What Feras has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[33:42] Feras’s advice to entrepreneurs trying to get off the ground or scale

[35:03] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Passion is optional, but skills and sacrifice are not.

· If you are doing the same things, you are not growing; you‘ve to find ways to automate and delegate to focus on new and bigger things.

· Learning from people who have been successful in what you are trying to accomplish will save you a lot of mistakes and headaches.

· What got you to ten people and a million dollars in revenue will not get you to 20 or 30 and 2 or 3 million dollars in revenue.

· The mindset of dealing with the unknowns and ambiguity is a muscle you have to grow as a founder ready to scale.

· Always put a financial plan in place and expect the revenue to be delayed and more expenses than you planned for.

Connect With Feras Alhlou

Website: www.StartUpWithFeras.com/daily-advisor

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@StartUpWithFeras

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/FerasAlhlou

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StartUpFeras

Instagram: instagram.com/StartUpFeras

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ferasa

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Have you ever considered hiring a coach for your business, particularly focusing on overcoming bottlenecks? Since Renan Devillieres started working with Laurent, he has achieved remarkable breakthroughs in his business.

Though surprised by how smoothly the process has been, he acknowledges the importance of having someone for accountability and guidance, which is why Laurent's services are invaluable.

Before meeting Laurent, Renan felt a gap between where his business was and where he wanted it to be. Perhaps you have experienced this, too. You might have tried various strategies to improve your business without much success. What could be the issue? Could you be struggling with delegation and letting go of certain responsibilities?

Renan is a seasoned entrepreneur who is the co-founder and CEO of OSS Ventures, a pioneering French firm dedicated to fostering start-ups tailored to manufacturers. With a background as an economist at the OECD and as a co-founder of a successful start-up in Brazil, Renan established OSS Ventures with a vision to facilitate the digital transformation of manufacturing facilities, enabling them to thrive in the modern landscape. In this episode, we dive into his inspiring transformation journey through coaching to scale his business.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[02:09] Episode intro

[02:54] Renan’s mindset and bottlenecks level before working with Laurent

[04:26] Business and personal impact of a business that was not at par with its vision

[06:24] Aspects that have changed since he started working with Laurent

[08:19] Why coaching is inevitable for your business success

[10:30] The value of dedicating time to coaching

[12:50] How far the business is from the original vision

[15:40] Where did the business dream come from?

[20:50] The motivation for Renan to become an entrepreneur

[23:43] The diverse business experiences he had before founding OSS Ventures

[27:47] How entrepreneurship has been transformative in his life

[30:25] Renan’s one practical recommendation to entrepreneurs from all his experience

[31:36] How to reach out and connect with Renan

[31:58] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· You must practice and change your roles as the company grows and get the leaders to take responsibility and make more decisions.

· The biggest risk entrepreneurs face is themselves; being a bottleneck is about self-limitation.

· A business that is not at par with the vision of where it should be will always impact the entrepreneur’s mindset and personal life.

· In entrepreneurship, always embrace doing it faster and with more intensity. The more you procrastinate on making decisions, the harder it gets to go past the analysis paralysis.

Connect With Renan Devillieres

Website: https://www.oss.ventures/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renan-devillieres/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Embracing resilience and overcoming self-limitations requires a combination of mindset shift, determination, and strategic action. It is all about acknowledging and understanding the self-limiting beliefs that contribute to self-imposed barriers, reframing them, and cultivating a mindset that can support resilience and growth.

As an entrepreneur, the journey involves consistently pushing the boundaries of comfort and consistently challenging and expanding your potential to overcome limiting beliefs, unlock opportunities, and pave the way for personal and professional success. Additionally, being part of a community, letting go, and following your dream to serve your purpose can help keep the momentum going and navigate this journey with determination, fulfillment, and success.

In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Patricia Boral, the visionary entrepreneur behind Boral Branders. We explore her mindset shift, overcoming self-limitations, the power of letting go, and the pivotal role of delegation in scaling her business.

Despite facing challenges stemming from her background and accent, she has risen above them, leveraging her unique perspective and experiences to fuel her entrepreneurial journey. Patricia's ability to connect with clients on a personal level, coupled with her strategic insights, has earned her the trust and loyalty of a diverse clientele.

With a forward-looking approach and a commitment to innovation, Patricia continues to lead Boral Branders toward new heights. Her story is a testament to the power of honoring dreams, inspiring others, and staying committed to growth and innovation.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[01:04] Episode intro

[02:55] How Patricia's personal life inspired her entrepreneurial journey

[05:47] Patricia’s delegation limitations and how she overcame them

[08:06] Mindset shift: Overcoming self-limitations and Patricia's triumph

[12:28] Putting yourself out there to practice and get better

[13:12] How to find the right model and scale your business

[15:05] Patricia’s Perspective on AI versus Human Intelligence

[18:10] Letting go and Paticia’s story of entrepreneurial resilience in 2018

[21:44] What Patricia has learned about herself as an entrepreneur

[24:08] How coming from Bolivia ignited her entrepreneurial spirit

[27:10] Patricia's dream for her business and how she plans to achieve it

[29:56] Patricia’s one recommendation to entrepreneurs

[30:21] The dream that Patricia followed to serve her purpose

[34:02] How to reach out and connect with Patricia

[34:24] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· How our mindset is working is how our business is going to be working.

· The biggest risk entrepreneurs face is themselves; being a bottleneck is about self-limitation.

· Delegation and letting go start in our heads, and it’s not just about trust but also about hiring the right people and being realistic.

· If you stop growing, you start dying.

· Honor your dreams, follow them, and do them in a way that inspires others, not just for monetary gain.

Connect With Patricia Boral

Website: https://www.boralagency.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciaboral/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Integrating positive impact into your business strategy is a fundamental shift in mindset and operations that can drive long-term success and societal benefit. It is about identifying areas where your business can make a meaningful difference and aligning your business mission and values with causes that resonate authentically with employees, customers, and the community. By weaving positive impact into the fabric of your business strategy, you not only contribute to a better world but also enhance brand reputation, customer loyalty, and, ultimately, your bottom line.

In this episode, Simon Schillebeeck shares his entrepreneurship journey, how to make a positive impact, contribute to sustainability, and strategies to help you grow your potential and increase your revenue base. 

Simon is an academic entrepreneur and the founder and chief strategy officer of Handprint with a genuine commitment to effecting positive change and revolutionizing business frameworks for a regenerative economy. Under Simon's visionary leadership, Handprint serves as a pioneering platform that bridges corporations with causes. It automates, integrates, reports, and visualizes the constructive actions corporations undertake, aligning with their values. Rather than merely minimizing harm, Handprint is dedicated to fostering ecosystem regeneration and community revitalization.

Tune in. 

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:48] Episode intro and a bit about our guest, Simon Schillebeeck

[03:17] How Simon got into the entrepreneurial world 

[06:10] How to overcome the challenges that come with the business hat 

[08:02] Balancing academic integrity with entrepreneurial pursuit 

[09:54] Simon’s bottlenecks as a startup founder 

[11:41] How to shorten the sales cycles and move to revenue-making 

[15:22] Maintaining strategic stability while staying flexible for Unbounce shifts 

[17:42] Being overly optimistic and Simon’s experience as a startup looking to scale 

[21:55] How to strategically allocate resources and pursue opportunities as a startup 

[23:08] The impact that Simon craves to make as an entrepreneur 

[26:00] Simple things companies can do to be more sustainable 

[34:57] Simon’s recommendation to aspiring entrepreneurs 

[36:45] Best ways to reach out and connect with Simon 

[37:38] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Working with a startup is always a risk, and companies need to be willing to take risks because they believe in the potential of it.

· The most important thing companies can do to be more sustainable is decarbonize and optimize their processes.

· There are a lot of positive businesses that can come out of using impact to change your relationships.

· You need a passion for your business; running a business from 0 to 1 and from 1 to 100 is hard. 

· You are not an expert in everything, and the faster you let go of what you are not good at, the better you will perform. 

Connect With Simon Schillebeeck

Website: https://handprint.tech/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonschillebeeckx/?originalSubdomain=sg

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Have you ever faced difficulties scaling your business, even with adequate funding and a strong foundation? If so, you might be experiencing a bottleneck. Reaching the next level often requires significant shifts like mindset changes, new working strategies, or adopting different frameworks.

It could also involve taking on a new leadership role or seeking specific training or coaching. All these factors, combined with the challenge of integrating them, can lead to stagnation and become a bottleneck for your business growth. In this episode, we are joined by Riggs Eckelberry, an entrepreneur who successfully navigated and overcame such a bottleneck in his own journey.

Riggs Eckelberry, CEO and Chairman of the Board of OriginClear is a seasoned disruptor in the tech industry who transitioned into the "green" space by co-founding OriginClear's predecessor in 2008 and taking it public.

Leveraging his background in commercializing breakthrough technologies, including notable successes during the dotcom era, he spearheaded OriginClear's mission to address growing water supply issues by providing compact on-site systems and revolutionary offerings for With experience in management, sailing, and skiing, Eckelberry is dedicated to enabling the water industry to adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[03:29] Episode intro and why scaling up is Riggs Eckelberry’s current bottleneck

[05:37] Great expectations of a CEO

[06:49] Things you can do to put your company in a position that is easy to scale

[09:21] The 2018 realization of growing with a team

[14:37] The most difficult parts of growing the business

[18:04] Riggs’ shift from entrepreneurship to corporate and back to entrepreneurship

[23:51] Indicators that you need to shift from entrepreneurship to corporate

[28:25] Why Riggs is an entrepreneur

[30:16] What Riggs foresees beyond his retirement

[33:17] Riggs’ recommendation to entrepreneurs from his years of experience

[36:12] Best ways to reach out and connect with Riggs Eckelberry

[37:52] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Tackling a business bottleneck must start with the entrepreneur.

· Scaling a business is an operational bottleneck.

· Customer service is driven from a company's top leadership to the bottom.

Connect With Riggs Eckelberry

Website: https://www.originclear.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riggs/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/riggseck/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riggseck/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riggseck/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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We all start a business with a goal in mind. Sometimes, it may only be to have enough for you and your family, and other times, it may be to grow it into a prosperous company that will last for generations.

In the first case, the entrepreneur could be a solopreneur with few or no plans to delegate some tasks. They become the bottlenecks, handling every aspect of the business. But that could be overturned. What if the business outgrows? What if the demand becomes too enormous than what you currently supply? Would you close the business, chase away clients, and remain at your level? How would you navigate that growth, set new goals, and make readjustments to fit the growth? With so much need for outsourcing and delegation of duties, how will you ensure everything runs smoothly?

Join this conversation with Josh Nielsen, who has undergone exact growth with his podcasting company. He has seen the growth, gone through the pain of transition, and grown the company in ways he never imagined. This episode is packed with tips, insights, and valuable information to help you go through the unprecedented growth turbulence in a business.

Josh Nielsen founded Zencastr, a company that makes it easier to record high-quality audio for podcast interviewees based anywhere in the world. Before working at Zencastr, Nielsen was a software developer at Missouri Star Quilt Co., co-founded Soundkeep, and led frontend engineer at Mahalo.

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Key Highlights from The Show:

[02:58] Josh Nielsen’s journey from a digital nomad to the founder of Zencastr

[05:48] What was difficult in transitioning when the company outgrew him

[07:19] Big goals with the company

[10:33] Key milestones of Josh’s company since he started it as a solopreneur

[13:47] The most difficult parts of growing the business

[15:39] Josh’s current bottleneck as an entrepreneur

[23:40] What he has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[29:56] Josh’s recommendation to entrepreneurs from his experience

[31:35] Best ways to reach out and connect with Josh

[31:50] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes:

· As entrepreneurs, we must constantly evolve with our businesses or risk being left behind by our own success.

· Transitioning from handling every aspect to delegating tasks is not just about growth. It is about survival in a competitive market.

· The most difficult part of growth is not the demand but the internal adjustments required to meet it effectively.

Connect With Josh Nielsen:

Website: https://zencastr.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnielsen/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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AI is rapidly changing how we do business, and entrepreneurs stand to benefit immensely from its potential.

AI is not something that caught us by surprise. It is an expected trajectory of where we have always been going: a utopic society of more creativity and productivity. Entrepreneurs can apply AI in five key business areas: prospecting, sales, onboarding, HR, and data manipulation. AI can analyze customer data to provide personalized recommendations and targeted advertising, leading to better engagement and conversion rates. It can also provide insights and recommendations, helping you make faster decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

In this episode with Garik Tate, we talk about AI and how entrepreneurs can harness its potential for growth, efficiency, and overcoming bottlenecks. Garik makes companies more valuable to institutional buyers and increases profits through AI development/integration, hiring elite talent, and operational automation.

With over a decade of experience as a successful entrepreneur, Garik has founded companies spanning Software Development, Outsourcing, and Publishing. Notably, he has led and nurtured organizations and teams of up to 75 employees.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[02:21] How entrepreneurs can harness the true essence of AI

[04:22] The evolution of AI for over 15 years and Garik’s take on it

[05:59] The five key business areas entrepreneurs can apply AI

[08:30] Practical examples of how you can use AI for the five areas

[13:15] How to personalize AI for your specific business

[17:06] Laurent’s reflection on his AI experience

[21:56] Why Garik is an entrepreneur

[24:12] His most current bottlenecks

[30:15] Garik’s recommendation from his experience in AI and entrepreneurship

[31:45] Best ways to reach out and connect with Garik

[32:25] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

● AI is a trajectory of where we have always been going—a utopic society of more creativity and productivity.

● Whatever you are looking for, there’s probably an open-source tool out there that you can plug into their API without knowing how to code.

● Prompt engineering is the most current way of training AI to fit your business needs.

● Empowering the teams, letting go, and delegating are the most common bottlenecks among entrepreneurs.

● How we spend our days is how we spend our lives, and life isn’t something that will happen later but something that is happening now.

● Everybody has two lives. The second life starts when you realize that you only have one.

Connect With Garik Tate

Website: https://www.valhalla.team/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garik-tate/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Most founders get stuck with bottlenecks when they cannot delegate responsibilities to their team. The satisfaction of labels and not letting the ego go away could be detrimental. You have to let others play the game because, in most cases, the founder is not as skilled as his team of dedicated experts.

Entrepreneurs will also always use their networks as a benefit when building something new. However, they never connect their team to these networks, which is still another source of bottleneck.

Ari Tulla, who joins us in this episode, shares more of his entrepreneurship journey from age 18 and how he became stronger and never gave up despite the adversities along the journey. He also admits that despite having over 25 years of successful entrepreneurship, he still struggles with finding himself as the bottleneck of his business.

Ari Tulla is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Elo, an AI personalisation engine delivering the exact nutrients to live better. After years of family health struggles, Ari has dedicated his life to building companies that help people live better. His companies, BetterDoctor, Quest Analytics, and Elo Health, have helped over a hundred million people gain better access to healthcare.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[03:47] A short summary of Ari Tulla’s entrepreneurship journey since 18 years of age

[06:02] The US hustle culture of never giving up

[08:16] His secret of never giving up on business

[13:41] When do you know it’s time to give up on a business

[23:03] How his experience working at Nokia was

[27:55] Determining the breaking point of a business

[31:40] One of Ari’s current entrepreneur bottlenecks

[35:45] Why it is not possible to have 100% bottleneck-free business

[39:34] Best ways to reach out and connect with Ari

[41:32] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· When you get into adversity and things don’t go your way, the best antidote is just to keep going.

· The secret weapon of never giving up in business is your right mindset.

· Entrepreneurship is all about mindset. The most successful entrepreneurs are not so because they have better skills. They have a better mindset.

· Always use your networks as a benefit when you are building something new.

· Leaders are not born; they are made.

· Founders become company bottlenecks when they cannot delegate responsibilities to their teams.

Connect With Ari Tulla

Company’s Website: https://www.elo.health/

Personal Website: https://www.aritulla.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aritulla/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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The core of entrepreneurship is getting out to solve problems through offering services or manufacturing products.

And as it goes, no one knows the product better than the manufacturer who has the original idea. This implies that an inventor will most likely become a bottleneck to the manufacturing process. Delegation can be difficult, but with the right mindset and skills, you can grow exponentially. Eli Packouz, who joins us in this episode, reveals his secrets.

He advises entrepreneurs to chase only what brings a great impact and delegate what does not to others. He firmly believes that efficiency is based on what you do and what you don’t do.

Eli is a serial inventor and two-time founder. In 2013, he and his brother initiated their first venture, Singular Sound, which has introduced eight highly successful products. Collaborating with Dr. Ralf Raud and Dr. Ana Mascarenhas in 2017, Eli embarked on a new project to develop Instafloss, the world's first device designed to floss all teeth automatically within 10 seconds. Following five years of dedicated research and development, Instafloss is poised to revolutionize dental care, aiming to transform smiles across the globe, one tooth at a time.

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Key Highlights from The Show

[02:49] What Eli’s bottleneck index score of 38% reveal to him

[04:25] The manufacturing process - from an idea to a product

[08:01] Heavy manufacturing expenses and ways to seek investments

[09:05] How to get your customers excited by your product and even pre-order

[12:23] How the dental floss product idea came about

[13:52] Why patience is paramount in business

[17:50] Prototypes Eli produced before reaching a final product

[23:39] Eli’s motivation to become an entrepreneur

[24:05] Why do you need to choose only what works and chase after it

[28:34] How Eli can use his manufacturing creativity to create a solution to any want

[32:36] The most important consideration of an entrepreneur

[34:26] Best ways to reach out and connect with Eli

[35:20] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Choose one that has the highest impact and chase after it.

· In manufacturing, products are meant to solve problems. If not, the whole thing collapses.

· At the core, an entrepreneur goes out to solve a problem. The success lies in actually solving it.

· It’s always possible to change your marketing strategies, learn more, or become a smarter entrepreneur, but changing something you offer is not fundamentally possible.

Connect With Eli Packouz

Website: https://instafloss.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eli-packouz-390701149/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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It might feel crazy not to get involved in every operation of your business, but the more you let go, the better it performs. However, many entrepreneurs struggle with this bottleneck of hoarding and not letting go.

Nancy Lyons, who joins us in this episode, has been in business for over 22 years, and her exponential growth happened the moment she stopped being the bottleneck of the business. She shares with us how she managed that setback of letting go, the significant milestones as an effective leader in inspiring her teams to success and shares valuable tips for entrepreneurs.

Nancy Lyons has led employees and clients through thousands of business-teams, and work culture challenges. She is the author of "Interactive Project Management" and "Work Like a Boss," which provides a concise guide for individuals, highlighting actions, attitudes, and attributes crucial for improving the workplace for oneself and those around.

Nancy's remarkable contributions have earned her numerous accolades and recognitions, including induction into the National Association of Women Business Owners' MN Hall of Fame, recognition among the "100 People to Know" by Twin Cities Business, and acknowledgment as one of the "101 most influential people in the world of work, management, and career" by Ladder magazine. She has been honored as the "Most Admired CEO" by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal and received the "Business Owner of the Year" award from the National Association for Women Business Owners.

Tune in.

Key Highlights from The Show

[03:05] Why Nancy Lyon feels crazy for not being involved fully in her business

[05:18] Major bottlenecks she encountered as an entrepreneur and how she managed them

[07:08] Entrepreneurship challenges she has faced

[10:11] Significant milestones in her 22 years of business

[14:52] Nancy's effective communication as the business CEO

[18:43] What's next for Nancy in the business career

[23:36] Reasons why Nancy became an entrepreneur

[29:46] Practical recommendations to other entrepreneurs based on her experience

[33:24] Best ways to reach out and connect with Nancy

[33:58] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Adequate outside funding is critical to getting any product out of the ground.

· Success comes from knowing when to say yes or no. The more we narrow down things, the better and more successful we become.

· Embrace mistakes and failures. Failure in practice is how you get better.

· It might feel crazy to not get involved in every operation of your business, but letting go makes it grow exponentially.

Connect With Nancy Lyons

Personal Website: https://www.nancylyons.com/

Business: https://www.clockwork.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nylons/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancylyons/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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A successful business needs consistency and grit from setbacks, letting go of some weights that make you become the bottleneck, embracing change through trials and error while having fun, and not being too hard on yourself.

However, most entrepreneurs still need help with this. Studying the data and analyzing the charts to decide which part of the business needs delegation could take much time, or the CEO's ego might be stopping them from letting go of certain weights in the business. In this episode with Richard Blank, he tells us how we can navigate that with his 16+ years of business experience.

Richard Blank has been the Chief Executive Officer of Costa Rica’s Call Center since 2008. He holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and Spanish from the University of Arizona and a language proficiency certificate from the University of Sevilla, Spain. He is a keynote speaker for Philadelphia's Abington High School 68th National Honors Society induction ceremony.

In addition, he was inducted into the 2023 Hall of Fame for Business. Giving back to Abington Senior High School is very important to Mr. Blank. As such, he endows a scholarship each year for students who plan on majoring in a world language at the university level.

Tune in.

Key Highlights from The Show

[03:40] Richard Blank & his collection of Pinball machines & antique Rockola Jukeboxes

[04:34] Richard’s passion for pinball games

[07:04] Bottlenecks in business explained

[10:58] Why Richards's Startup sucked

[16:35] How he deals with resistance to change in the call center business

[19:37] Why letting go was his hardest bottleneck

[25:49] Top 3 growth milestones for the growth of his business

[33:28] Practical recommendations to other entrepreneurs

[39:01] How to reach out and connect with Richard

[40:24] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· Do not be too hard on yourself.

· Bottleneck is really about letting go of certain weights in your business.

· You are only as good as your options.

· When you are vulnerable, you are powerful.

Connect With Richard Blank

Website: https://costaricascallcenter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/23284906585

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/costaricascallcenter/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Most startup entrepreneurs are the bottlenecks in their business, handling every task without specialization. Basically, the startup's survival depends on physical and active involvement. But there comes a time when the entrepreneur must pivot beyond the business for it to grow and move to the next level. That could mean going back to the startup phase and setting the foundations right, which could be a tall order but a secret weapon to massive and exponential growth.

Ludwina Dautovic, who joins us in this episode, is a practical example of how going back to the basics of entrepreneurship and startup foundations could mean everything. In this episode, she shares how she came to that decision, how she manages the abnormal growth of the business, and some tips and strategies you can apply to your business for your next-level status. She discusses her entrepreneurship journey and the lessons she has learned with over 30 years of experience.

Ludwina is the CEO and founder of The Room Xchange, who is passionate about transforming how Australians view housing. Her mission is to utilize the 13.5 million unused bedrooms across Australia, turning dormant spaces into additional income or household help opportunities. This innovative approach has garnered recognition, winning major awards such as Proptech Association Australia and the Wyndham Business Awards.

Tune in.

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:50] Ludwina’s audacious decision to go back to the startup phase

[06:03] Ludwina’s main bottleneck today

[08:37] Strategies and plans she has in place to manage the super growth

[10:15] How Ludwina has coped with working remotely from home for 30 years

[12:20] Benefits of working from home

[13:35] Rules Ludwina has implemented to work efficiently from home

[20:25] Nothing is as urgent as you think it might be

[23:38] Insights into why Ludwina became an entrepreneur

[26:01] What Ludwina has learned about herself in the business world

[35:53] Practical recommendations to other entrepreneurs based on our experience

[39:13] How to reach out and connect with Ludwina Dautovic

[40:08] Wrap up and calls to action

Notable Quotes

· In a start-up phase, you are limited in resources and funds depending on what you require to become a revenue-generating business.

· There is a time when every startup needs to pivot. Every entrepreneur needs to pivot beyond themselves.

· Letting go is one of the most challenging things for entrepreneurs. As painful as it is, it can be the best decision for the business. It is the secret to avoiding being the bottleneck of the business.

· The moment you realize your value, you will know why you should not be someone's employee.

Connect With Ludwina Dautovic

Personal Website: https://ludwinadautovic.com/

Business: https://theroomxchange.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LudwinaDautovicOfficial/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ludwinadautovic/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Are you a business owner struggling to market and communicate effectively with your internal team and customers?

As an entrepreneur, achieving success extends beyond just knowing the language of your industry, having a great team, and possessing a grand vision to communicate effectively with your team and target audience.

Learning how to remove the bottlenecks in your communication and tailoring your message to resonate with your audience is not just a skill but a critical strategy for success in the business landscape.

In this episode, Bob Wiltfong and Tim Ito will teach you how to master this art of communication to enhance collaboration and understanding within your team, establish a strong connection with your customers, and create an environment for sustained growth in your business.

Bob Wiltfong and Tim Ito are experts in marketing and communication and the authors of The BS Dictionary: Uncovering the Origins & True Meanings of Business Speak.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:39] Introduction to the show with Bob Wiltfong and Tim Ito

[03:00] What BS is and how it works in the business world

[08:24] Using BS to remove bottlenecks when speaking to your audience

[10:50] How learning BS can enhance your efficiency as an entrepreneur

[12:40] Using BS with your employees, partners and customers

[15:23] The rule of using BS with your audience

[20:41] The main message Bob and Tim are trying to get across

[26:00] Movie phrases in Bob and Tim's book and what they mean in BS

[31:06] Bob and Tim’s favorite BS words

[34:54] Bob and Tim’s upcoming second edition of the BS dictionary

[36:03] What it means for Bob and Tim to be entrepreneurs

[39:22] What Bob and Tim have learned about themselves as entrepreneurs

[44:30] Common mistakes businesses make in marketing and communication

[46:38] Bob and Tim’s practical recommendations for business owners

[48:00] How to connect with Bob and Tim and get their book

[49:22] Wrap-up and end of the show

Notable Quotes

· Understanding who you are speaking to and using the right BS can help remove bottlenecks when speaking to your audience.

· The main goal of communication is to communicate ideas and bring people together around ideas, not to look smart.

· In order to play in the world of business, you have to learn the language.

· If you want to communicate effectively, you have to make sure your audience understands what you are saying.

· As an entrepreneur, you should not only have a vision but also rally people around your vision.

· Stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about who you are speaking to and who your audience is.

Resources Mentioned:

The BS Dictionary by Bob Wiltfong and Tim Ito

Connect With Bob Wiltfong and Tim Ito

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobwiltfong/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-ito-6b527b/

Website: https://www.thebsdictionary.com/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Navigating the world of marketing, especially the digital space, can be a challenge for business owners looking to boost profits and turn potential customers into loyal customers.

But here's the deal – when done right, it's like unlocking a superpower for your business that can help you build, grow, and scale your business.

Digital marketing is essential for every founder who wants to understand their customer preferences, needs, and pain points. Its power lies in data analytics, which allows you to understand your customer journey, create targeted approaches, and strategize your product to consistently and optimally deliver your promise.

In this episode, we're joined by Mikael Dia, a Growth Advisor passionate about helping businesses convert strangers into loyal customers. As Founder & CEO of Funnelytics, Mikael brings insights into digital marketing and analyzing marketing funnels to help you pinpoint what's working and optimize for greater success.

Tune in and discover how digital marketing can be a game-changer for your business!

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:24] Introduction to the show with Mikael Dia

[02:44] The bottlenecks Michael has helped his clients overcome

[03:54] Why digital marketing seems so complicated

[06:00] Marketing vs. making money online

[06:57] How to tie customer journey with the analytics and data

[10:02] Removing bottlenecks in your product and end-user experience

[11:54] The people who need to understand the customers in the business

[14:58] Removing bottlenecks by creating an operating system

[18:11] Tips on how to prevent customers from shunning away

[22:05] What Mikael is doing to overcome his bottleneck as a founder

[23:56] The formula of business and why it’s different in every business

[27:56] Why letting go is not just about hiring and delegation

[33:14] Mikael’s one practical recommendation to founders on retention

[36:38] How to reach out and connect with Mikael

[37:01] Wrap-up and end of the show

Notable Quotes

· Digital marketing is the art and science of converting strangers into customers, and there are fundamentals you must learn across various phases.

· Growing and building a business is not a tactic; there are other components to making that happen.

· As the founder, not everyone will be as potent as you, and letting go is not just about hiring; you can’t hire more people when the revenue doesn’t add up.

· The retention side of things is where your business scales and grows; you have to deliver to retain.

· Closing and attracting are by-products of having a solid product that consistently delivers what it promises.

Connect With Mikael Dia

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikaeldia/?originalSubdomain=ca

Download the eBook 8 Tactics To Thrive as An Entrepreneur https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey and not a destination to aim for. While entrepreneurs exist to solve problems in the world, it is not always a walk in the park. It is a cause that demands a different mindset, behavior, and skills.

Jay Bousada, an entrepreneur since 1999, joins us in this entrepreneurship podcast to discuss his journey, the pivots he has made, his mistakes, and the lessons he has learned. Jay has all the information for you if you want your business to be bulletproof in any environment or market.

Jay founded Thrillworks in 1999 to help organizations take full advantage of the potential of digital. He’s a born problem solver, beginning his career as an Engineer before turning his attention to technology. As CEO, he’s now driven by a passion for solving problems others may fail to see. This courage is at the core of who he is and the driving force behind everything Thrillworks creates.

Among the things Jay shares in this episode include the power of having a vision as an entrepreneur. You must have a business vision that should also be well ingrained in the minds of those who work for you. All entrepreneurs also need to understand the importance of boundaries. Let your employees know the values, expectations, ethics, morals, and culture you uphold and ascribe to. Boundaries are the only way to create a healthy environment in your business. Tune in and learn more.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From the Show

[00:26] Jay’s journey of entrepreneurship since 1999

[06:04] The different stages of his business’ growth

[12:42] How the covid pandemic demanded a pivot in business

[13:43] The bottleneck concept

[14:44] Why Jay’s early success in business was both a blessing and a curse

[16:40] How losing the original ‘why’ of the business brought failure

[21:25] How automation can be a disadvantage to trust building with customers

[25:15] What Jay has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[30:00] The future of Jay’s business

[33:17] Jay’s takeaway tips for entrepreneurs

[33:24] Achievements that Jay is proud of

[35:28] Best ways to reach out and connect with Jay Bousada

Notable Quotes

· The real power of an organization comes from its people.

· Any product or solution you put in place has to include a good deal of quality. That’s not negotiable if you want to stay in business.

· If the business vision is not clear in the minds of the people working for you, the secret success formula will require you to be there every day.

· Never assume anything in business.

· First, seek to understand before you are understood.

· As an entrepreneur, boundaries are the only ways to create a healthy environment in your business.

Connect With Jay Bousada

Website: https://thrillworks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbousada/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybousada/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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A business where you are a bottleneck will not survive. You must plan on ways to exit or fire yourself from it. That is what differentiates successful founders and those who die with their businesses. But when do you know is the right time to fire yourself?

Though there is no definitive time, today’s guest tells us it depends on your business. If you can afford to sustain the skill, go ahead and delegate. However, you should also consider whether your talent is the right fit to take over. You do not want to relinquish some roles only for the business to strain.

Brandon Kleinman, the founder of Birthday App, joins us to discuss his insights into the startup landscape. Birthday App is his third company after two successful ones. He has made all the mistakes and learned all the possible entrepreneurship lessons. But one thing that has been a secret for his success is refusing to become a bottleneck for the business.

So, join him as he shares these tips and insights to take your business to the next level.

Tune in.

Key Highlights from The Show

[03:39] Why it’s important to fire yourself from your business

[05:00] When is the best time to fire yourself?

[06:54] What if you can’t afford to delegate a role?

[12:52] Why Brandon became an entrepreneur

[26:33] What Brandon has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[30:50] Standout mistakes that Brandon has made as an entrepreneur

[36:11] Brandon’s main lessons to entrepreneurs and start-up founders from his experience

[37:04] How to reach out and connect with Brandon

Notable Quotes

· Entrepreneurship is a calling.

· Sometimes, do not use money as a determinant factor when making decisions for your business.

· Deciding to do nothing is a decision, and it is okay.

Connect With Brandon Kleinman

Website: https://birthday.app/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bksenior

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Implementing the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework in your business is a strategic move that requires careful planning and commitment.

One crucial aspect often underestimated is the active involvement of the C-level team in the implementation process. The commitment of top leadership sets the tone for the entire organization and ensures that OKRs align with the overall business strategy.

Effective implementation is a dynamic process involving both top-down and bottom-up approaches. While traditional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may follow a top-down structure, OKRs encourage a more collaborative approach. Allowing employees to set their personal goals fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment.

Achieving your business objectives, creating innovative products, and winning your target markets requires a thoughtful approach, and OKR can help you enhance your strategy.

In this episode, we’re joined by Viktor Grekov to share his entrepreneurship journey, the secrets to the successful implementation of the OKR framework, and how you can create a successful product as an entrepreneur.

Viktor is the co-founder and CEO of Oboard, an OKR software company. Following a decade in product development, Grekov founded Oboard in 2018 after experiencing the challenges of OKR implementation firsthand. Under his leadership, the company has grown to serve 1,000 clients, including industry leaders such as Volkswagen, Panasonic, Best Buy, Ericsson, and Pfizer.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from The Show

[01:14] Introduction to the show with Viktor Grekov

[02:57] Viktor’s bottleneck index score and his lessons and biggest challenge

[06:45] Working with international teams and how Viktor prepares himself

[07:45] Viktor’s leadership approach to enhancing his team’s engagement and motivation

[10:26] How to build trust and let go as a leader and a business owner

[13:13] How Viktor is handling the pressure in Ukraine to keep his business thriving

[14:30] What is OKR, and how it solves problems with engagement, focus, and alignment

[15:40] How to implement the OKR framework in your company

[21:14] The difference between OKR and KPIs approach and freedom

[24:50] How OKR strategy can help you remove bottlenecks

[27:22] What it means to Viktor to be an entrepreneur

[28:57] What Viktor has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[30:04] Viktor’s main lessons to entrepreneurs and start-up founders

[32:09] How to reach out and connect with Viktor

[32:26] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Don’t underestimate the importance of the involvement of the C-level team in the implementation.

· Effective implementation of OKR is both top-down and down-up.

· When you use KPIs, you will always use a top-down approach, and people will have no chance to set their personal goals.

· Creating an innovative product and winning a specific market is about the approach to how you will achieve it.

· Entrepreneurship is all about making an impact and changing people's lives.

Connect With Viktor Grekov

Website: https://oboard.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktor-grekov-501a74a7/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Letting go of what is not working for your business is an act of courage that goes beyond mere acknowledgment of stagnation.

It involves a fearless confrontation of the areas where your business is stuck and the willingness and commitment to pivot and move to the next level of growth.

Join the conversation with Kute Blackson as he shares his journey as a transformational teacher and his process of helping people become aware of their patterns, break barriers, and unlock their true gifts and greatness.

According to Kute, releasing what no longer serves your business is not just a strategic move:

· It's a profound acknowledgment that innovation and progress demand a willingness to embrace the unknown

· It's also a readiness to pivot and evolve into the next level of your entrepreneurial journey.

Kute is a transformational teacher, inspirational speaker, and the author of You Are The One and The Magic of Surrender. Kute has spoken at countless events worldwide. He is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council, a select group of one hundred of the world's foremost authorities in the personal development industry.

For over 20 years, Kute Blackson has been inspiring audiences around the world, and his mission is simple: To awaken and inspire people across the planet to access inner freedom, live authentically, and fulfill their true life's purpose.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from The Show

[01:09] Introduction to the show with Kute Blackson

[03:00] The thread that connects Kute's work in the transformational space

[06:57] Who Kute is and his purpose and mission in this world

[09:50] Kute’s processes of helping people become aware of their patterns

[14:51] How we make our lives complex and where to start to make it simple

[21:13] Acknowledging and sitting with pain to course-correct and be alignment.

[23:06] Kute's book, The Magic of Surrender’s message on surrendering and letting go

[26:26] The nature of the ego and the essence of surrender

[31:05] Letting go of control and trying to force and manipulate our business in our limitations

[33:30] Why it’s incredibly important to find your true purpose in life and how to do it

[36:33] Understanding the evolutionary nature of purpose; it evolves as you evolve

[42:20] Why Kute considers himself an entrepreneur

[43:44] Kute’s dream, it’s essence, and why it’s not an end goal

[46:36] How to reach out and connect with Kute and get his book

[47:29] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· It takes more courage to acknowledge where you are stuck and let go of what’s not working.

· Surrender is the real secret to manifestation and the real key to the next level.

· When we’re attached to the outcome, we’re unable to be flexible and receive the messages that the marketplace gives us.

· The game of living your true purpose is learning, growing, and evolving and your work is a vehicle to learn the lessons in the school of life.

· Your entire life has been the perfect preparation for you to live your purpose; look at your life and your tangible skills and employ them to solve a problem.

· Money and success are the sanction when we add value; we add value when we solve a pain, problem, or challenge.

Connect With Kute Blackson

Website: https://kuteblackson.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kute-blackson-35755519/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/kuteblackson

Books:

The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go, Kute Blackson You Are The One, Kute Blackson

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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In this episode, Kristian Hauge Solheim shares profound insights he has garnered throughout his entrepreneurial journey. As the Founder and former CEO of Cutters, a flourishing beauty concept in the Nordics, Kristian offers a firsthand account of the strategies that propelled his business's rapid growth and international expansion across multiple countries.

According to Kristian, the key to creating a niche within an existing market lies in narrowing your focus to a singular aspect and dedicating efforts towards scaling and expanding within that space without directly competing with others.

You don't have to invent a wheel with every new venture. By observing successful businesses, identifying what works, and incorporating those proven strategies, you can navigate the existing market dynamics more efficiently.

This approach acknowledges the wisdom of learning from the experiences of others, surrounding yourself with people who are doing what you want to achieve, streamlining your operations, building a team, and capitalizing on unique opportunities.

With a background in economics and business administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), coupled with experience as a Consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Kristian's expertise shines through. After eight years at the helm of Cutters, he discusses the motivations behind his transition from the CEO position, providing a unique perspective on leadership and succession planning.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from The Show

[01:26] Introduction to the show with Kristian Hauge Solheim

[04:12] Why Kristian stepped out of the CEO position in his company after 8 years

[05:44] When Kristian realized it was time to step out and the process he leveraged

[09:22] Why your role as an entrepreneur has to evolve as your company grows

[12:05] How Kristian built a successful hairdressing brand from scratch in a short time

[14:40] Blue Ocean Strategy: Creating your own market within an existing market

[16:11] Lessons Kristian has learned leading and building his own business

[21:30] Business Ideas: how to share, talk, and implement your ideas

[22:30] How Kristian managed his business during the COVID-19 period

[28:18] How entrepreneurship has transformed Kristian

[31:00] Practical tips to help you set limits and take care of yourself

[35:00] About Kristan’s bottleneck score on strategic thinking

[37:50] Kristian’s practical recommendation for entrepreneurs and start-up founders

[39:24] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· As the company grows, your role as an entrepreneur should evolve.

· It’s not easy to let go, but it’s the only way to grow; you can’t do everything by yourself if you want to grow.

· You don’t have to invent a wheel every time you start a new company; look at other businesses, see what is working, and try it out.

· Entrepreneurship is not just about ideas; it’s also about how you implement and execute them.

· Set goals, do everything possible to achieve those goals, know what you can’t do on your own, and bring team players to help you.

· The people you decide to spend time with will affect you in a very big way whether you like it or not.

· If you want to succeed in something, it will be so much easier if you surround yourself with people who are doing exactly what you want to achieve.

Connect With Kristian Hauge Solheim

Website: https://karriere.cutters.no/people/60120-kristian-hauge-solheim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristian-hauge-solheim-b5881881/?originalSubdomain

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/kristian.haugesolheim/?_rdc=1&_rdr

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Unlock the secrets to business success with strategic thinking! Imagine it as the rock-solid foundation for your venture—it's the key to wise decisions, resourceful use of assets, and long-term planning. When strategically building with a vision, you craft a shield that protects and propels growth.

It goes beyond gaining customers; it's about creating a tribe of devoted supporters. Understand where your audience is, tailor your offerings to meet their needs, and ensure easy access. Success isn't just about ads—it's about nurturing your audience.

Join Ben Camara as he shares his journey from football pro to London entrepreneur. Gain insights into reaching your audience, fortifying your business, and why strategic thinking is a founder's playbook essential. Ben, the founder of The No1 Fitness Group, faced pandemic challenges, strategically selling and then launching KLIQ—an empowering platform for creators.

Discover what it takes to succeed, the strategic thinking crucial for entrepreneurs, and how it can elevate your entrepreneurial journey.

Tune in now!

Key Highlights from The Show

[02:26] Introduction to the show with Ben Camara

[03:00] Ben’s bottleneck score on strategic thinking and letting go

[05:19] Why it’s so difficult for entrepreneurs to let go and delegate

[06:01] What Ben is doing to get better as an entrepreneur in strategic thinking

[07:10] What is strategic thinking, and why it’s so important

[08:20] Ben’s big dream and vision for his business

[10:18] Tips on how to create content and speak to the right audience

[12:29] How to gauge if you are giving too much on social media

[14:16] How Ben transitioned from professional sport to entrepreneurship

[16:24] Problem-solving: Key lessons Ben learned at a young age in entrepreneurship

[18:40] Ben’s Fitness business and his experience selling it after 11 years due to COVID

[21:55] What Ben would have done differently for his previous business

[25:34] Lessons Ben took with him to bulletproof his current business

[27:40] Bottlenecks that Ben is facing in his business today

[29:47] Ben’s practical recommendation for entrepreneurs and start-up founders

[34:20] How to reach out and connect with Ben

[34:50] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Strategic thinking is the baseline of what you go out and execute as a founder.

· The big tech platforms, YouTube, Instagram, etc., are not platforms to build your business on; they are platforms to build your audience on.

· Your customer base will grow if they know where to find more of your product.

· Putting systems and processes in place can help make everything efficient and avoid bottlenecks.

· Focus on your self-awareness, know your strengths, and be open, curious, and ask questions.

· Letting go and delegating is about getting people in specific roles, nurturing them on your vision, mission, and what you’ve found out on your way, and letting them grow.

· The way to learn is to take action anyway.

Connect With Ben Camara

Website: https://www.joinkliq.io/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/joinkliq

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bencamara/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenCamara

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Three key areas essential for any business that wants to reach its full potential include:

· Breaking the bottleneck through delegation.

· Being purpose-driven & people-centric.

· Mergers and acquisitions.

Delegation helps a business owner to free time and focus on other essential business tasks. However, it is vital to find and hire the right team. You want to surround yourself with smart, trustworthy people with the skills and experience necessary to do the job well.

When you have a clear purpose and put your people first, you create a culture where people are motivated to do their best work. To be purpose-driven, you must clearly understand why you are in business and what impact you want on the world.

Lastly, mergers and acquisitions can be a powerful way to grow rapidly. By acquiring a competitor, you can have a larger market share and reach new customers.

Join this conversation with Orrin Klopper as he shares more about that through his business which has seen massive growth over the last few years (3 acquisitions in the last year and 2 in preparation). Orrin is the CEO & accelerator of dreams for the doers, who helps turn dreams into reality for team members, customers, shareholders, fellow entrepreneurs & families. He co-founded Netsurit with a vision to build an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) that truly helped its customers achieve their dreams.

Tune in!

Key Highlights from The Show

[03:01] Introduction to the show with Orrin Klopper

[03:44] The key thing Orrin advises from his over 29 years of entrepreneurship experience

[06:33] Tips to ensure the person you are hiring is the right person

[13:32] How to remove your business bottleneck through effective delegation

[22:07] Why breaking bottlenecks is the only way for a business to grow

[23:12] What Orrin attributes to the massive success of his business

[29:18] Achieving business growth through mergers and acquisitions

[33:41] What’s next with Orrin’s business in the coming years

[36:59] How to reach out and connect with Orrin

[37:32] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· A candidate being hired should be more than just fit for the job. The company should also be fit for the candidate.

· You should take as much time as you need to hire someone and, in the meantime, deal with the situation as you can.

· When you hire the right people, you avoid the bottleneck of having everything tied to you in the business.

· The faster your business grows, the harder it becomes to get a balanced team.

· Breaking bottlenecks is what enables businesses to grow. One of the ways is by letting go of some business operations to people around you.

Resources Mentioned

Topgrading, by Brad Smar: https://amzn.to/3MMcOsc

The Founder's Mentality, by Chris Zook & James Allen : https://amzn.to/3MMcSYY

Start with Why, by Simon Sinek: https://amzn.to/47hSzKY

The Private Equity Playbook, by Adam Coffey: https://amzn.to/3R2CdAd

Connect With Orrin Klopper

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orrinklopper/

Website: https://netsurit.com/

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Selling and storytelling in sales is a dynamic combination that transforms a mere transaction into a captivating and meaningful experience.

Effective salesmanship is not just about pushing a product; it's about understanding the customer's needs and desires, uncovering their pain points, and presenting a solution that resonates with their emotions and aspirations.

Storytelling plays a pivotal role in this process, as it weaves a narrative that engages, empathizes, and connects with the customer personally. A well-crafted story humanizes the brand and fosters trust, building a bridge of understanding that paves the way for a genuine, long-lasting relationship between the seller and the buyer.

In this episode, Tom Jackobs shares tips and strategies for effective selling, how to craft and use personal stories, the role of public speaking in sales, and how he revitalized his business through effective selling and storytelling but also transitioned to coaching other professionals.

Tom is an entrepreneur whose journey began as a 16-year-old mobile DJ, and he unknowingly delved into Direct Response Marketing before the internet era.

He dabbled in various businesses, including fitness, where he dramatically increased annual revenue from $100,000 to $500,000 in one year through effective selling techniques. After simplifying his fitness business, he transitioned to coaching other professionals and traveling worldwide, selling approximately $4 million worth of his coaching program.

Today, he teaches service providers the art of storytelling to enhance their sales efforts, demonstrating the transformative power of persistence, adaptability, and storytelling in business.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:06] Introduction to the show

[03:23] The place for selling in today's digital era

[04:46] “Selling”: Problem finding and problem-solving

[05:35] Developing your sales skills and how Tom learned the skills

[08:53] Heart-centered selling and how to create your product and pitch effectively

[10:15] The importance of using personal stories and how to get started

[13:55] How to use the “Heroes Journey” framework to bring prospects into your story

[17:40] Selling on stage: The relationship between public speaking and sales

[20:33] Tom’s recommendation for sales and public speaking sales self-development

[23:10] When and why Tom became an entrepreneur

[24:26] The hardest lessons Tom has learned in his entrepreneurship journey

[26:08] Tom’s bottleneck score and his struggle with delegation

[28:06] Practical actions that Tom has taken to become better at delegation

[31:13] Tom’s biggest dream for his business

[33:52] Tom’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs

[34:44] How to reach out and connect with Tom

[35:12] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Selling is problem-solving, and to become a problem-solver, you have to be a problem-finder.

· The biggest part of the sales conversation is the questioning or the discovery of what the problem is.

· Sales is the number one skill every entrepreneur needs

· Create your product and pitch so well that the prospect is going to be, “How can I buy this?”

· Don’t do it alone, the entrepreneurship journey is so lonely.

· Allow employees to fail and make it your company culture; that is how we learn.

· Learn how to sell and value it.

Resources Mentioned:

Personal Story Workbook: https://tomjackobs.com/storybook

Connect With Tom Jackobs

Website: https://tomjackobs.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trainertom/

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Leveraging your knowledge and detaching yourself from your business are essential to building a successful business.

It's okay at the beginning to gravitate towards the product or the technology decisions when searching for a product-market fit, but you have to learn when and how to detach yourself to evolve and grow.

By detaching, you free yourself from personal biases and emotional attachments that can cloud your judgment. This clarity allows you to make strategic decisions and harness your team's expertise and experience to solve problems and seize opportunities.

Your team's unique insights and skills are valuable assets that can set your business apart from the competition. By combining detachment and knowledge, you can avoid being a bottleneck to your business, navigate challenges, adapt to changing market dynamics, and, ultimately, build a resilient and thriving business.

Join the conversation with Ori Keren as he shares his entrepreneurship journey and how he brought his product to life, from concept to a successful product and business.

His insights into product development and the strategies he employed are invaluable lessons for anyone looking to build a thriving product and business.

Ori Keren is a Co-founder & CEO at LinearB. As an ex-VP of Engineering at Cloudlock ($293M exit), Keren discovered there's no better feeling as an engineering leader than enabling your team to be happy with their work and deliver efficiently with the highest quality. That's why he co-founded LinearB and serves as its CEO. His goal is to give organizations the ability to measure the right metrics and improve dev workflow with automation to increase developers' productivity and happiness all the time.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:27] Introduction to the show

[03:40] About Keren’s ETA formula and how he came up with it

[06:50] Why it’s an advantage to have a background in development as a founder

[08:24] Common mistakes engineers make when launching their own company

[10:37] What it took Keren to realize he needed to detach himself from his product

[13:03] The moment Keren decided it was time to release his product to consumers

[15:02] Talking to customers and where to start to make it happen

[16:51] Evolving your role as your company grows

[19:48] Keren bottleneck and how he is working to eliminate it and grow

[24:10] Lessons Keren has learned about himself in his entrepreneurship journey

[27:57] Changes Keren has seen in the product development entrepreneurship space

[29:33] Keren’s big dream and vision for his business

[31:43] Keren’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs from his experience

[31:13] How to reach out and connect with Keren

[32:37] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Having a background in development as a founder is an advantage only if you know how to capitalize on your knowledge.

· Engineering is not a critical condition for success; it’s only the beginning.

· It’s okay to gravitate towards the product and the technology decisions at the beginning when searching for a product market fit, but you have to learn to detach yourself to grow.

· Start talking to your customers; don’t wait for a perfect time.

· Sometimes, as a business owner, the best move you can make is to detach yourself and not be there.

· Prepare for a journey, be resilient, hire great people, and listen to them.

Connect With Ori Keren

Website: https://linearb.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ori-keren-8254965/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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A true innovator seeks to understand the market deeply from a customer's perspective. They are unafraid of failure, recognizing that it is often a stepping stone towards innovation. Innovation is not a solitary endeavor. Collaboration and effective communication are vital, as innovative ideas often emerge from diverse perspectives.

Above all, a true innovator puts customers first. When you put the customer at the centre of your technical solutions, you will create a great product that solves problems, creates value, and makes a lasting impact on the world.

In this episode, we are joined by Barbara Salopek, the Founder and CEO of VINCO Innovation Consulting, a company dedicated to helping companies become true innovators. Born and raised in Zagreb, Barbara brings a wealth of experience in innovation and commercialization, having served as a team leader, business developer, and board member for various startups.

Barbara has led numerous high-value projects, with the top five she was involved in boasting a combined value of approximately 3 million €. As a licensed technology transfer professional, she excels in project management and specializes in business development, mainly designing strategies that integrate innovation into business plans.

In the conversation, Barbara shares her fascinating entrepreneurship journey, offering insights into her experiences and the valuable lessons she's learned. Her remarkable achievements in innovation and business development and extensive experience in leading significant projects make her a valuable resource for entrepreneurs aspiring to be true innovators.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[03:00] Introduction to the show

[03:15] Lesson’s Barbara has learned from the podcast

[05:00] What it means to be a “True Innovator.”

[06:47] Innovation and why need both incremental and disruptive innovation

[08:32] Where to start innovating and adding value to your product

[09:30] How to know if you have innovation and have added value

[11:18] Getting out of the technical solutions and putting yourself in the customer's shoes

[12:59] Putting the customers at the center and providing value to them

[14:04] Barbara's passion and why she is an entrepreneur

[15:10] Lessons Barbara learned and how she founded her company, VINCO

[19:24] What the bottleneck index revealed to Barbara on delegation and letting go

[23:15] Barbara's biggest issue and block with a delegation

[25:06] Setting your expectations and clearly communicating them to your employees

[26:30] Barbara's dream and where she wants to take her business

[28:57] The biggest lesson Barbara has learned from her entrepreneurship experience

[30:58] Skills Barbara feels she is lacking in growing her business

[32:08] Barbara’s one practical recommendation for entrepreneurs

[33:51] How to reach out and connect with Barbara

[34:40] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· We need both incremental and disruptive innovation; incremental helps us to be more effective, and disruptive brings us new technology and markets.

· When you put the customer at the center of your technical solutions, you create a great product.

· In order to be creative, you have to have a deep knowledge of something.

· It’s important to know the people before you let go and let them capitalize on things.

· Business can be a complex endeavor; you need to build it and sell it at the same time.

Connect With Barbara Salopek

Website: https://vinco.no/project/barbara-salopek/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-salopek/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Being able to sell is a fundamental skill that requires constant conditioning. It doesn't matter if you possess the most innovative technology or a revolutionary product; without the ability to put it in the hands of people who need it, your potential remains untapped.

The founder's ability to sell is pivotal, no matter how talented your sales team may be. Convincing others can become an uphill battle if the founder can't sell their product. Sales is the foundation of any successful business, the driving force that propels growth and success. Even with ample funding, a venture can only go so far without a solid foundation in sales.

As a business owner, sales is the most persuasive tool to add to your arsenal to get your passion and vision out there truly. Your knack for selling is often what sets the tone for the entire organization.

In this episode, we are joined by Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, Co-Founder & CSO at Ledn Inc., a reinventing financial service focusing on crypto assets for the Canadian market.

Ledn's flagship offering, Bitcoin-backed loans, offers Canadians the best rates and a remarkably straightforward application process while empowering investors to hold their crypto assets. Applying for a Ledn loan is easy, with zero impact on your credit score, and requires only Bitcoin as collateral. Bitcoin is held securely in institutional-grade cold storage, and borrowers retain all benefits. What sets Ledn apart is its unique position as the first company to introduce Bitcoin-backed loans denominated in Canadian dollars.

In the conversation, Mauricio candidly shares his entrepreneurial journey and a remarkable economic experience that saw him leave his native Venezuela, marred by financial corruption and economic turmoil, for the promising shores of Canada. Here, he embraced new opportunities and regulations, leading him on a path to Bitcoin and the eventual co-founding of Ledn in 2017.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[00:58] Introduction to the show

[03:20] Why Mauricio left Venezuela and how that led him to co-found Ledn in 2017

[09:22] Why Mauricio knew from a young age he would be an entrepreneur

[10:47] Lessons Mauricio learned from his business failures

[14:30] Why you need to be the chief salesman officer of your product as a founder

[16:10] Mauricio’s bottleneck neck on strategic thinking in his business

[19:24] The importance of cultivating your ability to step aside as a founder

[23:38] Learning to let go to evolve your business without stifling it

[24:13] How difficult it was for Mauricio to let go of responsibilities in his business

[25:52] What Mauricio diligently does for himself to enhance his well-being

[28:28] How to get outside your entrepreneurship bubble and reach out to people

[32:02] Mauricio's one practical recommendation to entrepreneurs from his experience

[35:49] How to reach out and connect with Mauricio

[36:13] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Being able to sell is something that you have to condition yourself to do.

· You can have the best tech or product in the world, but if you don’t put it in the hands of people, it's dead.

· If the founder can't sell it, no one can; it doesn’t matter the salesperson you hire; if the founder can't sell it, you can't sell it to the salesperson.

· Sales drive everything else; it's the blood that makes the heart pump. Without sales, your funding can only take you so far.

· You have to learn to let go to evolve your business.

· The secret to passion is focus; if you are looking for opportunities because you have to, you will always be late.

· You are not going to get the best outcome by trying to catch someone else wave; the best things come from your wave.

Connect With Mauricio Di Bartolomeo

Website: https://ledn.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauricio-di-bartolomeo-780284101/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cryptonomista?lang=en

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Entrepreneurship needs a lot of awareness. Being the founder of a company does not mean you can become anything you would want. You can be good at operations but not at product engineering. You can be the founder and choose not to become the CEO so that you can focus on other roles that resonate with your passion for the business.

It means eliminating business bottlenecks by becoming aware of your strengths through a strategic approach to leverage your skills and resources effectively.

Alex Uspenskyi, who joins us in this episode, learned this with his first business when he tried to sell it but could not find a buyer. He decided to scale himself out of the business by hiring a CEO and became just a partner.

Alex went ahead to create a new company, Elai, but based on the lessons from the previous business, he scaled up earlier by recruiting a CEO while he became the CTO. Failing to realize your entrepreneurial strengths and weaknesses will make you a bottleneck in your business and challenging to grow.

Elai.io, a Generative AI startup, grew to 30 employees and reached over 1000 active customers and hundreds of thousands in revenue in a year. Tune in to learn more about avoiding hindering your business growth.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:30] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Alex Uspenskyi

[03:48] Why Alex chose to be a CTO and not the CEO of his company

[05:51] The need for entrepreneurial awareness in a business

[07:34] Alex’s hardest parts in his previous business

[10:33] What Alex finds thrilling in entrepreneurship

[12:00] Entrepreneurship as a journey of learning and discovery

[14:25] How his current company, Elai, has been progressing

[15:35] Alex’s position and thoughts on the AI technology

[20:00] Where Alex visualizes to take his company, Elai

[22:30] What Alex's 47% bottleneck index means to his business

[23:10] Roles Alex would wish to let go of the business

[27:00] How entrepreneurship has transformed him personally

[28:55] Alex’s golden recommendation to other founders from his years of experience

[33:56] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Entrepreneurship is a journey of things you need to go through to realize yourself and get some experience.

· Entrepreneurship is a calling.

· Entrepreneurship needs awareness of your strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, you can become the bottleneck to the business growth.

· Letting go of some business roles is good but not always easy. You can only let go if you have enough financial resources to hire people who will take over the roles.

· You will always learn great things about yourself by running a business.

· Your customer’s needs and voice matter more than yours. You cannot succeed in business by selling what you need, neglecting what the customers need.

Connect With Alex Uspenskyi

Website: https://elai.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uspenskyi/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Becoming an entrepreneur and starting a business is always a high-risk endeavor, but success often lies in taking calculated risks and mitigating potential pitfalls.

One critical skill that every entrepreneur must master on this journey is effective delegation. Delegating is not an inherent trait; it's a skill that can be learned, but recognizing its importance is the first step to success.

The most successful entrepreneurs understand that they can't do it all alone without becoming the bottleneck in their business and have mastered the art of delegation. As an entrepreneur and vision carrier, learning and getting comfortable with entrusting tasks to capable individuals will allow you to focus on the strategic aspects of your business.

By breaking the bottleneck code through effective leadership, delegation, empowerment, and clear communication, you can navigate the complexities of business with greater efficiency and innovation.

Join the conversation with Rory Galvin as he shares his entrepreneurship journey, the art of delegating, communication, and effective leadership, and how he broke the entrepreneur bottleneck to grow his business.

Rory started his career in the corporate world and spent over 15 years working in various roles at Accenture, Bank of America, and Salesforce. In 2018, Rory founded Navirum, a high-growth Salesforce consulting company serving clients across the globe for which he is the CEO. Rory enjoys helping businesses reach their potential using digital technology. Outside of work, Rory is a dad and husband. He enjoys cooking, travel, reading, and all types of music. He vows to play the guitar properly one day!

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:04] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Rory Galvin

[03:17] Why Rory left his company, Galvin Consulting Services, after two years

[08:30] The difference between Roy in 2010, 2018, and today

[10:08] Bettering yourself through skills, experience, and confidence building

[11:33] Rory's entrepreneurial itch and his experience following the leadership path

[13:12] Wearing so many hats and how they can make you a bottleneck in your business

[16:34] Why it’s so difficult for entrepreneurs to relinquish control

[20:30] Effective leadership, taking ownership of your vision, and empowering your team

[25:23] Getting comfortable and learning how to delegate decision-making

[26:25] Navirum's big dream and their biggest challenge

[31:18] What Rory has learned about himself from his entrepreneurship journey

[33:50] Rory’s recommendations to entrepreneurs on “focusing on customer success.”

[37:24] How to reach out, connect, or learn more about Rory

[37:51] Ending the show

Notable Quote

· Starting a business is always high risk, and it’s all about taking calculated risks and mitigating those risks.

· Every entrepreneur needs to know how to delegate effectively to grow.

· Delegating is a skill that can be learned, but you need to be aware of it before you can address it.

· The most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who delegate.

· The hardest mistakes and things that happen in business are what we learn most from.

Connect With Rory Galvin

Website: https://navirum.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorygalvin/?originalSubdomain=ca

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In this episode, I have the pleasure of hosting Brad Eisenhuth, the founder and CEO of The OutPerformer, hailing from the vibrant entrepreneurial landscape of Australia. Brad's business advisory service is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs evaluate, develop, and strategically attain their goals.

Since 2016, Brad and his team have masterfully orchestrated projects in digital transformation, leadership, performances, change management, and culture enhancement across various industries. Notable collaborations include esteemed institutions like the University of Sydney, Sanofi BDI, Journey Learning, Novo Nordisk, and Pera. Brad is also the engaging host of "Real Talk with OutPerformers."

Today, we delve into entrepreneurial bottlenecks and the necessity of embracing them for business growth and evolution. Brad eloquently explains the nuances of leadership, management, and aligning strengths with organizational needs.

We also touch on the significance of self-awareness and the power of reflection in steering business journeys. Brad further shares his strategies for a better understanding of oneself and emphasizes the necessity of scheduling specific time blocks in one's calendar for self-investment.

Tune in for a deep dive into entrepreneurial insights and discover how acknowledging bottlenecks can propel you on your business path.

Key Highlights:

[01:30] Brad’s background

[03:18] The necessity and inevitability of bottlenecks in business growth

[07:15] Bottleneck disparities between large corporations and SMEs

[10:00] Benefits of self-awareness in addressing personal bottlenecks and biases in entrepreneurship

[12:08] The advantages of authentic leadership, leveraging innate strengths for effective leadership

[15:08] Benefits of understanding oneself and embracing diverse skill sets for effective management and growth

[19:00] Embracing discomfort in entrepreneurship, delegating, and appreciating the journey

[22:56] Embracing forward-focused reflection for growth, leveraging past experiences and self-awareness to navigate effectively

[25:55] Tools entrepreneurs can use to enhance self-reflection and emotional management

[30:45] The importance of identity and the fulfillment of creating one's path

[34:41] The inception and evolution of "The Outperformer"

[40:14] Brad’s practical recommendation for all the entrepreneurs

[42:57] How to connect with Brad

Notable Quotes

· Bottlenecks aren't nice to have in some cases. They are very painful in your business, but they're necessary because we need a sense of order and structure as our businesses change and evolve.

· Leadership is about generating motivation and inspiration in our environment in our people to move towards a future state destination.

· Acknowledging that I'm not good at something doesn't feel good, but it's really important. On top of it, acknowledging then that I'm not good at it, I must keep doing it while deciding to outsource, delegate, or redesign it. That process is another effort. And that's necessary.

· It's okay just to be okay with it and see it as a necessary part of the journey.

· Prioritize leaning into the thing that is most painful and fix that first.

Connect With Brad

Email: brad@theoutperformer.co

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bradeisenhuth

Podcast: Real Talk with Outperformer

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Creating velocity in your business requires the bold step of relinquishing your grip on the daily operational grind. Letting go, delegating, and entrusting key responsibilities to capable individuals can set the stage for remarkable acceleration of growth and progress.

By freeing yourself from the minutiae, you gain invaluable space to focus on your strengths, strategic endeavors, innovation, and long-term planning.

Removing yourself from the day-to-day and building a team is a transformative process that allows your business to operate with increased efficiency and adaptability, ultimately propelling you toward personal freedom. In essence, it’s the catalyst for unleashing the full potential of your business and charting a course toward greater success.

Join the conversation with Joe Rare as he shares his entrepreneurship journey and how to remove yourself from the daily operation equation and scale your way to freedom.

Joe is an underground serial entrepreneur, investor, and outsourcing expert. He began with a door-to-door product sales business, which grew from a team of two to forty employees in under two years. He later sold the company after 27 months. His passion for sales was never deemed, but he discovered what his life’s work would be: building digital businesses.

Joe has built seven figures for multiple companies and a strong and growing real estate portfolio. He owns four digital companies today, including Level 9 Virtual, five wedding venues, and real estate investment properties. Joe focuses on helping small to medium-sized businesses worldwide while working from the comfort of his home.

Tune in now!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:37] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Joe Rare

[03:50] How the question “What happens if Joe dies” has inspired his journey

[05:46] How Joe removing himself from his business gave him freedom and money

[09:33] Building teams: the fastest way to build velocity in your business

[11:26] Inability to let go and how it suffocates money flow and growth

[15:24] What Joe does with his time after delegating everything

[18:08] How long it took Joe to build a business around his lifestyle

[22:03] The dust and potholes Joe's encountered in his entrepreneurship path

[26:14] The advantages of hiring a virtual assistant as an entrepreneur

[31:15] Joe’s one recommendation to entrepreneurs “Go Fail First.”

[33:24] How to reach out, connect, or learn more about Joe

[33:40] Ending the show

Notable Quote

· Removing yourself from your business is all about putting teams in place, and it’s not easy; it takes strategy.

· The fastest way to freedom is financial and time resources; it’s easy to grow your business if you have time, but if you’re busy and don’t have time, you are the bottleneck.

· Self-realization and understanding of who you are, and your strengths are one of the most fundamental things if you are going to operate a company.

· The fastest thing you can do to create velocity in your business is to put somebody in place to take your weakness on.

· By providing opportunities to other people, you increase your own opportunities.

· Go fail first, make mistakes, and learn the lessons.

Connect With Joe Rare

Website: https://www.level9virtual.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joerare/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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Building Your E-commerce Value Proposition is about recognizing successful retail's fundamental pillars. Whether in the physical or digital realm, having a good product, a great price, understanding the trends, and understanding your customers are the core of your business success.

Your customers are the bedrock upon which your business stands, and asking the right questions will help you to draw out their needs, pain points, or challenges to craft a solution that resonates with them at the deepest level and get your messaging right.

In addition to value proposition, the adept use of technology sets thriving e-commerce businesses apart. Leveraging the right technological tools and strategies is paramount to gaining a competitive edge in the evolving digital market.

Join the conversation with Liam Patterson as he shares how to build great products in e-commerce, stay on top of your customers' minds, prospect for the right customers, and move from startup to scale.

Liam is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bidnamic, a marketing technology platform that helps retailers unlock the full potential of Google Shopping out of Leeds in the UK. He started his first business at age 14 and ran several successful e-commerce ventures before co-founding Bidnamic. Liam is a knowledgeable speaker on topics including e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, retail, tech, business, startups, and Google Shopping, and he speaks at global e-commerce events.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:37] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Liam Patterson

[02:53] What inspired Liam to start his first business at age 14

[06:21] The trends Liam has seen in the ecommerce over the last 20 years

[09:39] The two sides of ecommerce and the rules that will never change

[13:40] How Liam makes sure that he is on top of the customers’ mind

[17:41] What attracted Liam to get into the Google shopping niche

[21:50] Surrounding yourself with the right people

[23:00] Value preposition: What keeps Liam’s customers coming to him

[26:36] How prospecting for the right customers reduces your cost and increases your wins

[31:07] Liam's benchmarking strategy that they use to qualify clients

[33:11] What Liam has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[37:21] Liam’s biggest bottleneck that he had to overcome in his business

[40:07] The journey from a bootcamp startup to becoming a scale-up

[45:04] Liam’s one recommendation to entrepreneurs, “trust your instinct.”

[46:17] How to reach out, connect, or learn more about Liam

[46:49] Ending the show

Notable Quote

· Technology is not the end; it is just the means to an end

· The great question reveals the direction and true problem the business wants to have solved.

· Don’t just do something; do it to improve it; don’t just execute the same thing; execute and stop to reflect on how you can do it better.

· Naturally, we are drawn to people who think, communicate and have attitudes similar to us.

· Pitching your product or solution to someone who's not a good fit will have a much lower win rate, not resonate often, and when they close, they will do it for less.

Connect With Liam Patterson

Website: https://www.bidnamic.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-patterson/?originalSubdomain=uk

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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As entrepreneurs, we often wear many hats and juggle roles we could delegate, inadvertently constraining our businesses' growth. To overcome this bottleneck, we must establish effective hiring and training strategies.

By taking people along with us and entrusting tasks to individuals wholly dedicated to their roles, we can gradually build a business that isn't solely reliant on our own personality and identity. This shift in approach enables us to concentrate on what truly matters to foster growth and scalability while establishing a robust presence in the market, building our public relations, and expanding our reach.

In this episode, Jeremy Ryan Slate offers invaluable insights into the art of embracing challenges, leveraging podcasting as an entrepreneur, making judicious hiring choices, and nurturing a team that can help you create a business that transcends you as an individual.

Jeremy is the CEO and co-founder of Command Your Brand, a podcast public relations agency that harnesses the power of podcasting to help make industry leaders become legends. Jeremy has also hosted a podcast that has ranked in the Apple podcast's top 100, called Create Your Own Life, since 2015, which saw 10,000 downloads in its first month. Command Your Brand was launched in 2017, and today, it has a team of 17 and has booked nearly 5,000 podcasts for its clients.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:00] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Jeremy

[02:54] What Jeremy means by “Audacity has not been my enemy; it has formed me.”

[06:06] How Jeremy thrives through suffering and finds positivity in it

[07:24] Jeremy's career Journey and how he came up with ‘Command Your Brand’

[09:14] How Jeremy became successful quickly and what has changed today

[10:52] The benefits of being in podcasting as an entrepreneur

[12:11] Why podcasting is becoming the best and most popular form of communication

[14:25] Some of the lessons Jeremy has learned in his entrepreneurship journey

[15:56] Getting better at hiring and training people to get out of the bottleneck

[17:00] The intrapersonal skills to look for in people’s social media when hiring

[18:30] How Jeremy realized he was becoming the bottleneck in his business

[19:58] Taking people with you and building a company that is not tied to your personality

[22:02] What inspired Jeremy to address his overwhelm to grow and scale his business

[25:33] Establishing your company's PR and how to build your PR skills

[28:28] Jeremy’s big dream for his company and what they are working on right now

[31:48] One practical recommendation from Jeremy that you can start implementing today

[32:42] How to reach out to Jeremy and get his book

[32:59] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· The difficult things in your life make you who you are; if life was easy, you wouldn't have to be stronger, think faster, or have skills.

· Sometimes, as entrepreneurs, we insert ourselves in places we don’t need to be, and because of that, we keep our company and what we are doing small.

· Getting out of the bottleneck is all about hiring the right people and ensuring that training is there for them.

· If people are highly critical of others, they don't take responsibility for a lot of things in their personal lives; they blame a lot.

· You are so much better off having somebody who is even 90% as capable as you are in a position that gets 100% of their attention than giving 3.5% of your attention to 50 different things.

· The best place to have your message right now is on podcast, so always be building your PR strategy for your brand.

Connect With Jeremy Ryan Slate

Website: https://commandyourbrand.com/, https://getextraordinarybook.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-ryan-slate-bb7b284a/

How much of the bottleneck in your business are you? Don’t underestimate the bottleneck’s impact. Take the Bottleneck Index and find out your bottleneck score now!

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As business owners, we possess great superpowers to help us build a successful business, but saboteurs can dilute them and hinder our progress.

Saboteurs often manifest as self-imposed barriers that impede growth and innovation, arising from our inner critics fuelled by self-doubt, fear, imposter syndrome, excessive perfectionism, or an insistence on micromanaging every aspect of the business.

The path to triumph over these saboteurs involves a transformative shift to a Sage mind, which embodies positive intelligence, champions self-discovery, and embraces challenges as opportunities with resilience.

As an entrepreneur, recognizing and silencing the Saboteur is pivotal for unleashing the power of the Sage mind.

In this episode, Georgina Halabi shares strategies to cultivate positive intelligence, nurture a Sage mindset, and innovate on your superpowers as a business owner to move past saboteurs' limitations, get out of your way, and stop being a bottleneck in your business.

You are not your saboteurs, so don't allow them to interfere in your entrepreneurial journey; step out and scale your business beyond you.

Georgina Halabi is a mother, speaker, and professional certified performance and well-being coach with 23 years of senior roles in marketing and technology and a lifetime of experience in meditation and self-discovery. She is also a certified positive intelligence coach. Today, she helps overwhelmed executives step into peak performance and well-being.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[01:52] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Georgina Halabi

[03:36] Why the term success always brings happiness is a myth

[06:05] Hyper achiever saboteur survival mechanism

[07:15] Positive intelligence and shifting from a saboteur to the SAGE brain

[08:29] The top entrepreneurs' saboteurs and how they impact our path

[15:10] How to identify your saboteurs and innovate your superpowers to reframe them

[24:03] Listening to your SAGE brain and tapping into your creative resourcefulness

[27:15] How to use physiology to flex that muscle to shift from saboteur to SAGE brain

[34:26] What Georgina has learned about herself since she became an entrepreneur

[36:26] Getting out of your own way to build something beyond yourself

[37:35] Georgina’s one recommendation to entrepreneurs, “Listen.”

[38:35] How to reach out, connect, or learn more about Georgina

[39:46] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Success does not lead to happiness, but happiness leads to success.

· We can’t control the world, we can’t control people, but we can control what we think and do.

· You are not your saboteurs; they are just trying to keep you safe and small.

· If people don't feel acknowledged or heard, they are not going to receive what you have to say.

· Our bodies fix our minds, and when we change our posture, it has a physiological effect on everything.

· As a good coach or business owner, you need to get out of your own way; it’s not about you, so stop being the bottleneck to your business.

Connect With Georgina Halabi

Website: https://georginahalabi.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginahalabi/?originalSubdomain=uk

What’s Your Bottleneck Score?

Take The Bottleneck Index > https://www.laurentnotin.com/the-bottleneck-index

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In the business world, the pursuit of growth is constant and is fueled by the desire to become bigger, better, faster, and stronger. This relentless drive pushes entrepreneurs to challenge themselves continually.

Entrepreneurs should understand that personal development and nourishing their minds with success are crucial elements of this journey.

In addition, entrepreneurs are leaders, and true leaders know the importance of casting a compelling vision in inspiring others to join them on their entrepreneurial adventures.

In this episode, Mark Lachance discusses how you can create luck and capture great opportunities to ensure your businesses flourish and reach new heights. According to him, your company influences your success, and successful people surround themselves with a can-do mindset while avoiding limiting influences from media and negative people.

Mark Lachance is a serial entrepreneur, strategic thinker, and investor. Having owned and operated several businesses that have experienced hyper-growth through creative business development and lead generation, Mark is a master of sales and marketing and continues to apply and grow his expertise through current projects.

He is the CEO and lead investor of Maxy Media Inc., the number one advertiser for monthly spending on the TikTok platform in Canada and the top ten in North America.

In 2016, Mark successfully Sold EVO Payment International Canada after guiding the company from its inception with one employee to over 200 employees across Canada.

Before founding EVO, Mark was one of the founding members and president of VersaPay Inc, a payments solutions provider, which became public in 2010.

Tune in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest, Mark Lachance

[02:37] About Mark's mastery in blitz scaling companies

[04:32] Mark’s drive, build big things or don't, and a story behind it

[06:00] Mark’s big dream and goals with Max Media Inc

[06:44] How Mark ended up as an entrepreneur and stepped up in the game

[08:03] What it means to Mark to be an entrepreneur

[08:43] The can't mentality and Mark's drive that keeps him in possibilities

[09:56] Mark’s recipe for success: Enhancing and building on your leadership skills

[13:24] How to create and will luck and keep capturing great opportunities

[19:04] The entrepreneurship dilemma and how Mark overcomes this bottleneck

[24:29] The biggest challenge Mark has faced in his journey

[27:13] What Mark has learned about himself from his entrepreneurship journey

[28:34] Wartime versus peacetime leadership and what it means to the business landscape

[31:14] A quick recap and Mark's final recommendations on doubling down on your strength

[33:31] How to reach out, connect with Mark and get his book

[33:48] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

● Business is about getting bigger, better, and stronger all the time and continuing to challenge yourself.

● Entrepreneurship is about growth and stepping up to the next level mentally, physically, and financially.

● To be a leader and an entrepreneur, you must have the ability to cast your Vision and bring people along with you for the ride.

● Feed your brain with personal development and stories about how success happens and get off from mainstream Media.

● You are the average of the five people you hang around with; if you hang around a can’t-do mindset, you will not do anything, but if you hang around a can-do mindset, you will be successful.

● Do what you are best at and let other people do what you're not best at, and your business will continue to roll.

Resources Mentioned

● The Lucky Formula by Mark Lachance

● Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

● The Luck Factor by Richard Wiseman

● The Millionaire Mind by Thomas Stanley

● The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham

● The Sales Bible by Jeffrey Gitomer

● Who Not How by Dan Sullivan

● Good To Great by Jim Collins

Connect With Mark Lachance:

Website: https://marklachance.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-lachance-74902615/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewspodcast and follow the simple instructions.

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In today's fast-paced world, it's all too common for business owners to become consumed by busyness without genuinely focusing on the crucial aspects of their businesses.

Entrepreneurs must prioritize their time and energy wisely, dedicating themselves to the most significant endeavors that will propel their businesses forward.

It's easy to get caught up in unimportant tasks and distractions, and become the bottleneck in your business. However, growth and success come from identifying and devoting your most productive hours to the essential elements driving your ventures.

By carefully managing your time and consistently aligning your efforts with your long-term goals, you can ensure that you make substantial strides in your entrepreneurial pursuits and you avoid getting stuck.

In this episode, Aytekin Tank shares insights on automating your busywork, and systematically eliminating unimportant things to focus on what matters most for your business and build a successful product or service.

Aytekin Tank is the pioneering WYSIWYG online form builder, CEO, and founder of Jotform, which Entrepreneur Magazine named one of the "Best Privately-Owned Companies in America" in 2016, 10 years after it was founded.

Today, Jotform has grown to serve over 20 million users worldwide and employs a team of more than 500. In addition to his role as CEO, Aytekin is also a productivity and automation enthusiast and has recently authored the book; Automate Your Busywork. Do Less, Achieve More, and Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Aytekin Tank

[02:34] How our to-do list is sabotaging our true productivity and the Hunter Strategy

[10:47] Aytekin's to-do list technique, how long it is and why

[13:32] Bottlenecks that are most common to entrepreneurs

[17:41] The idea behind Jotform and Aytekin's strategies for building a successful product

[27:12] A time when Aytekin was the bottleneck to his business

[31:14] What inspired Aytekin to shift from busyness to start doing business

[33:01] Strategies Aytekin gives in his book, Automate Your Busywork

[37:48] How to reach out and connect with Aytekin and get his book

[38:24] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

• There are two kinds of problems: urgent but not important and important but not urgent, but we are always working on the urgent and unimportant ones.
• When you are busy with all the unimportant stuff, it's hard to do the important things because you can get lost in them.
• You can build the best product, but no one will come and find it for you; you need to promote and market your product.
• When people are angry at your product, they are telling you something you should listen to because they want your product.
• You should grow from your business, not in your business; you should be designing the system, not be part of the system.

Resources Mentioned

Automate Your Busywork by Aytekin Tank

The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal by Julia Cameron:

Connect With Aytekin Tank:

Website: https://aytekintank.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aytekintank/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewspodcast and follow the simple instructions.

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Why does this podcast exist? 

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As a business owner and leader, building trust and rapport within your organization is crucial for cultivating a thriving team in an ever-evolving business environment.

Building relationships goes beyond focusing solely on work and task-related effectiveness. It entails creating time and fostering connections with the people we work with, whether directly or indirectly.

Relationships contribute to a positive culture and a cohesive team. When faced with challenges or setbacks, strong relationships within your business prove invaluable, enabling swift and effective problem-solving.

On the other hand, lacking such relationships can significantly hinder navigating difficult situations. So instead of being judgmental, it is essential to approach our staff with curiosity, fostering a mindset of flexibility, emotional management, and collaboration.

Ultimately, the key to building a successful team is actively building meaningful relationships throughout the organization.

In this episode, we are joined by Angela Heise to talk more about building relationships and emotional intelligence as business owners. Angela is a leadership development expert, emotional productivity coach, and global village skill trainer.

Angela is a Certified Learning Professional (Fellow, ILP), Accredited Master Coach (ANZI), and Certified NLP Trainer. She supports the growth of highly productive individuals and teams in a diverse, rapidly changing world. She also strengthens leaders in emotional, social, and cultural intelligence competencies and teaches people in organizations of all sizes how to balance task effectiveness with building trust and rapport.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Angela Heise

[02:02] What is wrong with the leaders today

[04:46] What we need to adopt as business owners to become better leaders

[07:49] Building relationships with people you don’t work directly but have touchpoints with

[08:58] Angela's backstory and how she got to where she is today

[11:54] What Emotional Productivity means and how to treat your emotions

[16:23] Perfectionism and where to start in managing your emotional productivity

[19:36] Limiting emotions you should pay more attention to and how to vent them

[25:34] What Angela does as a global village skill trainer

[28:41] How to cultivate emotional intelligence in working with different types of people

[33:42] What Angela has discovered about herself since she started her journey

[38:48] How to let go of things in your business and set yourself up for success

[39:41] How to reach out and connect with Angela

[40:08] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

● Leaders need the ability to build trust and rapport in a constrained environment.

● Progress is better than perfection, and as a leader, you need to recognize the difference between procrastinating, digesting, and integrating.

● You have the right to be frightened, frustrated, or angry, which is perfectly okay; we are all allowed to have these emotions; it is what we do with them that matters.

● Be curious, not judgemental, because this allows you to be flexible and manage your emotions when working with others.

● Building a team is about understanding who they are and building relationships.

Connect With Angela Heise:

Website: https://angelaheise.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaheise/?originalSubdomain=au

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Hiring smart means going beyond candidates' qualifications and assessing if their character and values align with your company culture.

While technical skills are essential, character codes contribute to a positive work environment and can significantly impact your business culture, team dynamics, and productivity.

As a business owner, hiring smart is also about hiring smart people who can tell you how to get where you want to be as an organization. Don't become the bottleneck to your business by making all the decisions and telling people what to do all the time. Instead, empower your team and help it develop a character code that aligns with your vision and culture.

Character sets the foundation for building a strong and cohesive workforce that can drive long-term success for your organization.

In this episode, we are joined by David Carter, the world's leading CEO mentor, chairman, and founder of Entelechy Academy in the UK, to share insights on hiring smart, fostering inclusion, and avoiding common business bottlenecks.

With a remarkable 40-year-plus track record as a serial entrepreneur, David has left an indelible mark on innovative business creation. His extensive experience as a mentor and influencer has shaped leaders globally, making him an invaluable source of wisdom and guidance.

Entelechy Academy, named after the concept of "entelechy," meaning the realization of potential, is a testament to David's illustrious career and legacy. As a hub of exceptional minds in education, coaching, and professional organization, the Academy aims to empower individuals to reach their fullest potential.

David's book, "Breakthrough: Learn the Secrets of the World's Leading Mentor and Become the Best You Can Be," further encapsulates his expertise, offering invaluable advice for personal and professional growth advice.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; David Carter

[02:18] How to become the best you can be

[03:56] Why David thinks of entrepreneurship as a curse

[08:52] What becoming an entrepreneur means and the different levels

[11:11] How David became the world’s leading CEO mentor

[13:57] David's mentoring career and how he has been applying it in his business

[15:30] How David helps companies to become a “company of character.”

[23:38] The discrepancies that David sees in how well entrepreneurs know themselves

[25:53] Recruiting and promoting people based on both skills and character

[29:05] Why organizations focus on technical skills and what they need to change

[30:56] What Entelechy means and how character determines our destiny

[32:40] The last time David was a bottleneck in his business and how he resolved the issue

[38:36] How to reach out and connect with David or get his book

[39:40] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

● Anyone who employs themselves is an entrepreneur.

● We should not only recruit and promote people solely based on their technical skills but also their character.

● Don't hire just for skills; hire somebody who fits into your team, culture, and customers.

● The character code you need from candidates is not in the CVs; you have to get them to talk about the character they bring to the world, not just their technical skills.

● Character determines destiny; wherever we end up in life is the direct function of our character.

● We don't hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people who can tell us what to do, Steve Jobs.

Connect With David Carter:

Website: https://entelechy.academy/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcmcarter/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Imagine a world where you could focus solely on the core aspects of your business while all the non-essential tasks magically get done with precision and efficiency. A world where you could reclaim your time, energy, and sanity.

Welcome to the realm of outsourcing, the secret weapon behind countless thriving businesses. Outsourcing is not just a buzzword but a game-changer that can propel your business to new heights of success.

Join this conversation with Linh Podetti, the founder of Outsourcing Angels, as she has mastered the art of leveraging outsourcing to liberate business owners and professionals.

She is known as the "original" Outsourcing Angel because of her expertise in creating freedom for working professionals. Linh is a beacon of positive energy and enthusiasm, always striving to live a fulfilled life and inspire others to do the same.

In this episode, Linh shares valuable insights and lessons from her journey. She unveils the transformative power of outsourcing, offering a roadmap to take control of one's business and life.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From the Show

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Linh Podetti

[01:39] How Linh ensures she is constantly joyful, happy, and smiling

[02:20] Linh’s backstory into how she got the entrepreneurship of outsourcing

[05:12] Why she focused on an outsourcing company and not any other

[07:35] Linh’s advice to entrepreneurs who wish to follow a business path like hers

[08:49] Why some entrepreneurs lose their sense of direction and Linh’s experiences

[10:41] An overview of Linh’s company staff and the significant milestones since she started

[16:03] Where Linh dreams of taking her outsourcing business

[17:13] Opportunities within the outsourcing space

[19:37] Valuable entrepreneurship lessons she has learned along her journey

[21:29] What Linh has learned about herself from the business

[26:19] Linh’s self-care routine of journalling and why it is important to her

[29:00] How Linh describes herself as a leader

[32:17] Episode’s golden advice from the guest

[33:27] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Linh Podetti

[33:45] Ending the show

Notable Quotes

· Always align your business with what you care about. You will have so much motivation when your business hits rock bottom because entrepreneurship is generally hard.

· Most entrepreneurs lose their sense of direction and track the moment they deviate from their purpose.

· The longer you stay in business, the more clarity you gain and the more success you get.

· Just because you have been in business for a long time does not mean starting a new one will be easier.

· Running a business means indirectly working on yourself. You get better at character as you work in your business.

· Business is not about starting something to make money. It is about solving a problem in the society.

Resources Mentioned

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Connect With Linh Podetti

Personal Website: https://linhpodetti.com/

Company’s Website: https://outsourcingangel.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinhPodetti/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhpodetti/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linhpod/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@linhpodetti

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU2V1yhkTfpiPQA-WTesOWg

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, entrepreneurship has become a catalyst for challenging leadership norms and disrupting the status quo.

Entrepreneurs are challenging the usual ways of leading and shaking up how things are done. Instead of following the old rules, they come up with fresh ideas and take risks to make their businesses successful.

Entrepreneurs are bold leaders who inspire others to break free from the norm, try new things, and make a positive impact. They're changing the game and showing that being a successful leader means being open to new possibilities in the ever-changing business world.

Rachel Rider joins us in this episode. She's on a mission to change the way things are done. She encourages us to question the rules we follow in the corporate world and see if they're always true. Rachel tells us to look inside ourselves and think about our beliefs and thoughts because they affect how we lead.

Rachel L. Rider is the author and owner of MettaWorks LLC, a company that helps top leaders in the technology industry through executive coaching. Her book, "Who You Are Is How You Lead," shares her expertise, experience, and insights using the MettaWorks Method, which has been successful for many leaders.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Rachel Rider

[01:46] What is Somatic Experiencing and Polarity Therapy

[02:57] Rachel’s backstory into how she got into this area of specialisation

[05:23] How Rachel helps unconventional leaders disrupt their status quo

[06:48] Common corporate patterns and norms that should be revisited

[08:50] Why people change jobs and leave companies

[15:25] Is being a leader for everyone?

[17:33] Recipe to becoming a better leader

[29:14] The kind of a leader Rachel is

[32:01] What it means for Rachel to be an entrepreneur

[35:36] Valuable lessons Rachel has learned in changing from corporate to entrepreneurship

[39:32] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Rachel Rider

[39:52] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• Your attitude and how you think will determine how you present yourself as a leader.
• Many people quit their jobs because of their bosses, not the company itself.
• Most successful business leaders didn't learn interpersonal skills initially; they climbed the corporate ladder by focusing on their technical abilities.
• Just because someone excels at closing deals as a salesperson doesn't mean they'll be a competent leader as a sales manager.
• If you want the world to change, be the one to initiate that change.
• To improve as a leader, begin by introspecting and better understanding yourself.

Resources Mentioned:

1.Who You Are Is How You Lead by Rachel L. Rider

2.Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Connect With Rachel Rider:

Website: https://mettaworks.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachellrider/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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There are many stressors in our path as entrepreneurs. Whether these are financial, relationships, physical, projects, work, or chemical, increasing our capacity to adapt to more stress with less cost is critical to our productivity and wellness.

Unexpected things will always happen in our businesses, and in such situations, we need a fuel reserve to get ourselves to the next landmark, and when we don’t have it, we will get stressed, overwhelmed, sick, and make poor decisions.

Building your adaptive capacity as a business owner will help you improve your performance, longevity, and ability to adapt to stress. Learn how to invest in adaptive capacities to be your best and reach your destination without burning out.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Erik Korem, the founder and CEO of AIM7, which brings world-class wellness to anyone with a wearable device. Before founding AIM7, Eric spent over 15 years as a sport scientist and a high-performance director in collegiate and professional football.

Erik also hosts the Blueprint podcast, where he interviews scientists, coaches, elite athletes, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and exceptional people to discuss actionable science and practical skills that you can implement to become the most healthy, resilient, and impactful version of yourself.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Dr. Erik Korem
[03:15] How Dr. Erik transitioned from sports science to entrepreneurship
[09:27] How Dr. Erik's experience in sports has helped him in his entrepreneurship journey
[13:50] Leveraging allostasis to enhance your wellness as an entrepreneur
[16:57] Five pillars to building your adaptive capacities
[18:06] Why self-care is counter-intuitive and how to shift your mindset to long-term change
[25:46] Practices to help you enhance your sleep in the modern society
[30:14] How Dr. Erik jungles with the five pillars as a busy startup founder
[35:57] How entrepreneurship has transformed Dr. Erik
[17:50] DR. Erik’s one recommendation for founders and entrepreneur
[38:12] Typical burnout symptoms to look out for
[39:02] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Dr. Erik
[39:32] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• Great teams are aligned from top to bottom; everybody is aligned and pulling the rope in the same direction, has a clear vision, and understands their purpose. Bad teams are chaotic.
• If you are well, you can adapt to physical and psychological stress; if you are unwell, your body cannot adapt to physical and psychological stress, which is when you get burned out, injured, and sick.
• Stress in itself is not a bad thing; it is the gateway to growth.
  You need to invest in things that make you a high performer; if you don't, you’ll pay the price.
• The key to long-term change is not intensity; it’s consistency. Small things, over time, will create radical changes.

Connect With Erik Korem:

Website: https://www.aim7.com/author/erik-korem
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikkorem/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikKorem

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Preparation, confidence, and belief in your ideation are essential when pitching your business to investors.

As a founder, you should know your business better than anyone else because they will scrutinize your faith in what you are doing. Start by clearly articulating your business idea, focusing on its unique value proposition and the problem it solves in the market. Be concise and confident in conveying your vision and mission and demonstrate a deep understanding of your target audience, competitors, and industry trends.

Winning investors is not all about pitching your idea and waiting for a response. You must do it strategically to attract the right VC, build credibility, and ensure a smooth and engaging delivery.

With a well-crafted pitch, you can capture the right investors' attention and secure the funding you need to bring your business to fruition.

Join the conversation with Brett Martins as he shares his entrepreneurship journey and how you can leverage VC and build your desired business. Brett is the co-founder and investor at Charge Ventures, and he defines himself as an entrepreneur, Angel investor, pragmatist, and optimist.

Having spent most of his career in the start-up trenches, he now focuses on supporting other entrepreneurs as the managing partner of a small seed-stage venture fund: Charge Ventures. They invest 200-500k at the earliest stages of company formation and then help founders take things from 0 to 1. Brett is also the founder of Kumospace, the world's most immersive video platform, and an adjunct professor at Columbia business school, where he reaches product strategy and entrepreneurial finance.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Brett Martin

[01:45] Brett’s entrepreneurial journey and how he got to where he is today

[03:58] When Brett started Charge Ventures and his mission

[05:15] Being a VC company and how Brett's day-to-day looks like [08:07] The right strategy for pitching your business to an investors

[10:50] The WHY behind Kumospace and what Brett wants to achieve

[13:22] What being an entrepreneur means to Brett

[15:09] Key lessons about success in entrepreneurship

[17:48] Confidence and why it’s important in fundraising and winning VC

[20:59] What Brett would do differently looking back at his journey

[23:26] Brett’s strategy of integrating work and life together

[31:02] Brett’s one recommendation to aspiring entrepreneurs and start-up founders

[32:30] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Brett

[33:16] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

Being an entrepreneur is a calling, don’t do it unless there is nothing else you can do; there will always be easier and less stressful ways of making money.

Failure is inevitable in the entrepreneurship path.

As a founder, you should know your business better than the investor because they will scrutinize your confidence in what you are doing.

Sometimes we overestimate the uncertainty and underestimate the importance of the people we work with.

You need to be synchronous to collaborate; collaboration is the product of two people riffing off each other. Get the best people, but don’t wait for them to start.

Connect With Brett Martin:

Website: https://www.kumospace.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettlucasmartin/

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Most entrepreneurs overlook the importance of sleep and fail to prioritize it, despite it being a fundamental aspect of life and existence.

We have been conditioned to believe sleeping fewer hours is a virtue of honor. Yet, depriving ourselves of sleep negatively impacts our health and affects our employees and businesses. Sleep deprivation can lead to moodiness, heightened reactivity, impaired cognitive function, and compromised decision-making abilities. These consequences can prove detrimental to both our businesses and employee relations.

A good night's sleep goes beyond having a big chunk of sleep at night to combining quality and quantity in your sleep cycle. As entrepreneurs, we are responsible for overseeing businesses and employees, and prioritizing a good night's sleep allows us to wake up refreshed, invigorated, energized, and ready to face the day. A good night's sleep will set you up for success.

Join the conversation with Mariana Babas as she shares more about the sleep cycle, sleep deprivation, what a good night's sleep looks like, and how you can improve your sleep to make yourself more successful in your business.

Mariana is a clinical hypnotherapist, sleep researcher, and dream seer living in the UK. She offers a personalized service designed to help people by guiding them on why, how, and when to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routine to ensure they wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Mariana Babas

[01:50] Mariana backstory and what inspired her to hypnotherapy

[11:18] What a good night's sleep looks like, sleep quantity or quality

[14:13] Biphasic and monophasic sleep patterns

[15:30] Why sleep is so important but so much underrated

[19:47] The power to 25 to 30 minutes naps and how they work

[22:23] Sleep deprivation warning signs and a case scenario

[25:21] Mariana’s personal experiment on sleep deprivation and her findings

[28:13] The effect of sleep deprivation to entrepreneurs

[32:56] How and where to get started in improving your sleep

[38:30] Lessons Mariana has learned in her entrepreneurial journey

[40:15] What it means to Mariana to be an entrepreneur

[41:52] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Mariana

[42:17] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

A good night's sleep is not one-size-fits-all, It is a personal experience.

Not sleeping is not a virtue or a strength; sleep is important.

Sleeping between 7 to 9 hours in a 24-hour cycle is crucial for our well-being.

We are more prone to obesity and becoming ill when we're sleep deprived.

We are not sleep-educated, but sleep is a pillar of life and existence.

It is important to have your last cup of coffee 7 to 8 hours before you sleep to allow it to get out of your system and natural melatonin to be produced.

Never give up on your dreams and goals, and find your true purpose because nobody will come knocking at your door saying here it is. You have to find it.

Connect With Mariana Babas:

Website: https://www.idreamhypnotherapy.com/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariana-babas-588907103

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idreamhypnotherapy

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Most entrepreneurs overlook the importance of sleep and fail to prioritize it, despite it being a fundamental aspect of life and existence.

We have been conditioned to believe sleeping fewer hours is a virtue of honor. Yet, depriving ourselves of sleep negatively impacts our health and affects our employees and businesses. Sleep deprivation can lead to moodiness, heightened reactivity, impaired cognitive function, and compromised decision-making abilities. These consequences can prove detrimental to both our businesses and employee relations.

A good night's sleep goes beyond having a big chunk of sleep at night to combining quality and quantity in your sleep cycle. As entrepreneurs, we are responsible for overseeing businesses and employees, and prioritizing a good night's sleep allows us to wake up refreshed, invigorated, energized, and ready to face the day. A good night's sleep will set you up for success.

Join the conversation with Mariana Babas as she shares more about the sleep cycle, sleep deprivation, what a good night's sleep looks like, and how you can improve your sleep to make yourself more successful in your business.

Mariana is a clinical hypnotherapist, sleep researcher, and dream seer living in the UK. She offers a personalized service designed to help people by guiding them on why, how, and when to incorporate healthy habits into their daily routine to ensure they wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face the day

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Intro and a quick bio of the guest; Mariana Babas

[01:50] Mariana backstory and what inspired her to hypnotherapy

[11:18] What a good night's sleep looks like, sleep quantity or quality

[14:13] Biphasic and monophasic sleep patterns

[15:30] Why sleep is so important but so much underrated

[19:47] The power to 25 to 30 minutes naps and how they work

[22:23] Sleep deprivation warning signs and a case scenario

[25:21] Mariana’s personal experiment on sleep deprivation and her findings

[28:13] The effect of sleep deprivation to entrepreneurs

[32:56] How and where to get started in improving your sleep

[38:30] Lessons Mariana has learned in her entrepreneurial journey

[40:15] What it means to Mariana to be an entrepreneur

[41:52] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Mariana

[42:17] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

A good night's sleep is not one-size-fits-all, It is a personal experience.

Not sleeping is not a virtue or a strength; sleep is important.

Sleeping between 7 to 9 hours in a 24-hour cycle is crucial for our well-being.

We are more prone to obesity and becoming ill when we're sleep deprived.

We are not sleep-educated, but sleep is a pillar of life and existence.

It is important to have your last cup of coffee 7 to 8 hours before you sleep to allow it to get out of your system and natural melatonin to be produced.

Never give up on your dreams and goals, and find your true purpose because nobody will come knocking at your door saying here it is. You have to find it.

Connect With Mariana Babas:

Website: https://www.idreamhypnotherapy.com/

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mariana-babas-588907103

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/idreamhypnotherapy

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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As a founder, having a well-thought-out strategy is paramount when raising capital for your business to ensure that you target appropriate investors for your business's stage and funding requirements.

It is also crucial to balance enough funding and your business needs. Asking for much money without considering the value investors bring to your business can make them flee or undermine your vision.

Venture capitalists (VCs) don't just bring funds. They also bring valuable expertise and guidance to the table. Building a solid pitch deck highlighting your unique vision, market potential, and growth plans is vital. Not every investor is right for your company.

Learn how to employ effective strategies and position your business in the best possible light to attract the right investors, raise capital, and fuel your business's growth and development.

Join the conversation with Ran Aroussi as he shares his journey of building his company, the importance of passion, and strategies you can use to grow your business and raise capital from scratch. Ran Aroussi is the founder of Tradologics - a cloud platform that helps traders, investors, and firms worldwide scale their programmatic trading strategies in the cloud without worrying about broker connectivity, data management, infrastructure, or other boring stuff.

Tradologics is Ran's first adventure, and he moved from a one-person show to a vast boom business, building a team and raising 3 million U.S. dollars along the way. Ran enjoys using his decades of software development and data science experience to study the financial markets and find anomalies worth exporting for fun and profit. He also released several popular open-source financial libraries for Python developers and algorithmic traders.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Ran Aroussi

[01:47] Ran’s journey and how his love for computers started

[06:29] What inspired Ran to build something big and shift from solopreneurship

[10:25] Ran’s vision for Tradologics and what it will take to get there

[15:20] Ran strategy and plan to raise more money

[16:41] How Ran was able to find investors and convince them to invest

[20:11] Ran's recommendation to startup founders raising funds

[23:13] The value that Ran’s investors brought to his business

[25:40] Key lessons that Ran has learned from his entrepreneurial journey

[28:18] How Ran manages the risk of his business going bust

[29:57] Ran's one recommendation for founders and entrepreneurs

[32:55] How to reach out, connect or learn more about Ran

[33:16] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

Sometimes you have to go big or go home.

Ensure you contact investors who are appropriate for your cheque size and stage and don't ask for too much.

VCs don't just bring money; they also bring value to the business.

As a founder, you must love it to enjoy it; do things you find interesting and can own.

Using money as the driving force to keep going will not sustain you in the long run.

If you keep looking at the alternatives, then you have less motivation.

Make sure you love what you are doing. Starting a company is not a promise of a better work-life balance but a promise to do what you love and create a product that will impact people's lives.

Connect With Ran Aroussi:

Website: https://tradologics.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aroussi/?originalSubdomain=uk

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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An exceptional episode with an exceptional guest!

Expeditions have the power to ignite a profound mindset shift. They open up new possibilities, urging you to think beyond conventional boundaries and encouraging the birth of fresh and creative ideas.

These ventures allow you to examine your own aspirations with honesty and find inspiration within them. Mark shares that as an entrepreneur, balancing financial stability and pursuing your dreams is crucial. Earning money is necessary to sustain your livelihood, especially if you want to venture into expeditions, and incorporating this need into your sponsorship package is imperative.

However, the key to success is creating a remarkable product or service that genuinely benefits people. Your brand is synonymous with the business you represent. When others resonate with your energy, passion, and the path you're pursuing, they will be more inclined to support and sponsor you, forging a powerful alliance.

Join the conversation with Mark Wood, an established speaker, author, and explorer who has completed over 30 major expeditions worldwide. Mark's expeditions include:

• Guiding film crews to the Magnetic North Pole.
• Leading two trips to the Geomagnetic North Pole.
• Completing solo journeys to both the Geographic North and South Poles.

Mark is also an accomplished mountain climber and has peaked Mount Everest two times and narrowly missed a third peak to save another climber's life. He has been a part of major BBC and Channel 5 documentaries and, over the years, has trained and led people in the extremes of the planet.

Mark's has created extreme classroom environments on Mount Everest involving over 1.2 million students and is ranked among the top 5 communicators in the world on the Skype platform.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Mark Wood

[02:41] When Mark discovered his passion for being an explorer

[08:09] Mark’s key driver to his expeditions and exploration of the world

[10:57] A very key moment that Mark is proud of in his path

[14:56] Four things Mark teaches to young people all over the world

[19:54] Taking time to create, appreciate and have fun with your world

[21:02] Mark's most intense situation that he had to deal with in life and exploration

[27:38] How Mark translates his experiences in extra-ordinary situations to his audience

[31:29] Mark’s experience on solo expeditions that last for many days

[43:17] About Mark's next 100 days solo expedition

[49:47] The planning and preparations that go into solo expeditions

[51:19] Why Mark consider himself an entrepreneur

[53:52] Ending the show

Notable Quotes :

• The key to everything you do is to have total respect for yourself, respect for the environment, think differently about life and take time to appreciate and have fun.
• Focus on the moment and take one step at a time; the moment is the key price to use.
• The core of adventure is inspiration; if you do it for ego, you will fail because it is freaking hard-bearing extremes.
• Preparation for expeditions is paramount.
• Nothing is a failure; it is only an obstacle that you have to pass through; as entrepreneurs, we gain energy from each failure.

Connect With Mark Wood:

Website: http://markwoodexplorer.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markwoodexplorer

Latest expedition: http://www.expeditionsolo100.com/

Mark’s Books: https://www.wordsbydesign.online/shop/mark-wood-solo-explorer

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Many entrepreneurs get stuck in the day-to-day operations of their businesses and struggle to take their skills to the next level. The reason? They have become the bottleneck in their businesses.

Growing your company and scaling yourself out starts with hiring people and delegating to allow more time for strategy and identifying opportunities in your way. Initially, you must handle most of the work and leverage your network to build strong relationships and expand.

However, to scale your business, you need a leadership team that can take the work off your plate to give you more time to focus on research, strategy, and preparation. As an entrepreneur, time is a precious commodity, and doing too much can leave little room for doing things that matter to scale to the next level of growth. Start hiring a management team, and position yourself for scale. Growth and scale are inherent parts of your vision.

Join the conversation with Aron Clymer, the founder, and CEO of Data Clymer, a Next-gen data and analytic Consulting firm that empower every client's success by unlocking the value of data. The Data Clymer team helps their client get data-driven answers quickly, write data silos, address a lack of reporting capabilities, and provide more data engineering resources.

Aron previously established and built the product intelligence team at Salesforce for seven years to support all data and analytics needs of 400-plus product managers. Then he headed data at PopSugar, where his team democratized data and supported analytic science across the company. Aron has grown Data Clymer over the past six years into a nationwide team of deeply experienced data professionals.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Aron Clymer

[01:53] A bit about Aron's journey and his love for data

[05:42] Aron's experience running a company in the service industry

[11:18] When Aron knew it was time to take a leap from the corporate

[13:40] How to leverage your network when starting your business to grow

[15:06] People that have made a big difference in Aron's company

[16:35] When Aron knew that it was time to scale himself out of his company

[18:30] Aron's big dream and vision for Data Clymer

[20:25] Aron’s entrepreneurship journey stages and his next phase

[24:26] What Aron has learned about himself from six years of entrepreneurship

[27:47] Delegation and empowering your team in decision-making

[29:34] The accomplishment that Aron is really proud of

[31:11] The importance of investing in people and relationships in your company

[32:00] Aron’s one practical recommendation to all aspiring entrepreneurs

[33:12] How to reach out and connect with Aron

[33:29] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• When starting out, you will need your network, and that is how you will succeed at the beginning.
• When you want to scale yourself out, you need a leadership team and to delegate a lot of what you're doing to start focusing more on strategy.
• When you start hiring a management team, that’s when you are ready for scale.
• When you delegate, as long as something can be done 80% well as you could do it, just leave it alone, It’s never going to be 100%.
• Failure is where you learn the most, and you're going to fail at something no matter what.

Connect With Aron Clymer:

Company website: https://dataclymer.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aronclymer/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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When building something that aligns with your passion, work can feel more like a joyful experience rather than chores. However, as a business owner and founder, to ensure that your company continues to thrive, you must take care of yourself, visualize your success, and bring the right people to help you carry your vision forward.

Getting the right people in your team is crucial to your success and scalability. You have to be careful when hiring new team members because if you get the wrong person in your company, they are like a virus and can spread negativity and toxicity very quickly, which is hard to eliminate.

So, ensure you find individuals who align with your desired company culture to enhance your scalability and growth. It's not enough to hire for skills. You need people who are passionate about your vision.

Join the conversation with Alex Neist as he shares more about building a business that you are passionate about, taking care of yourself as an entrepreneur, and hiring the right people to propel your vision forward.

Alex is the founder of Hostage Tape and a former American football professional. He used to play in the Indiana football league and has been a football coach since he graduated from college. After football, Alex founded two companies, one of which he exited. Hostage Tape is Alex's new adventure. Their specialty, Mouth Tape, will help you sleep and breathe better.

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Alex Neist

[02:03] Alex's journey and transition from sport to founding two successful companies

[09:22] How Alex has been able to grow his second company in just 12 months

[11:07] Alex’s company culture of hiring and managing people

[14:18] Possessing technical skills versus human skills as a leader

[16:39] The secret to scaling that has enabled Alex to scale very quickly

[20:55] Alex's losing himself after he stopped playing and how he changed his identity

[27:15] The relationship between being fit, taking care of yourself, and business success

[29:25] Time blocking your self-care and keeping it as a visual reminder to balance

[31:28] Visualization: lessons from a story on the importance of visualization

[34:58] Alex’s one practical recommendation to all aspiring entrepreneurs

[35:45] How to reach out and connect with Alex

[36:10] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• When you build something you are passionate about, it will not feel like work.
• Hire the right people that fit the kind of culture that you want your company to have so you can continue to scale and grow.
• As a leader, you deserve your people and have to ensure they have what they need to do their job; it is not about you telling your work what to do.
• Put yourself first in everything you do; put more work into yourself and take care of yourself to increase your output.

Connect With Alex Neist:

Website: https://hostagetape.com/products/buy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexneist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hostagetape/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HostageTape/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Zeal stands for great energy or enthusiasm in pursuing a cause or an objective.

And entrepreneurs must display great energy and enthusiasm at all times if they want to succeed!

In this final episode of The Entrepreneur Alphabet, I discuss ways zeal can support you in your entrepreneurial journey, and I share 6 practical tips to cultivate zeal. 

Enjoy! 

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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Entrepreneurship is about recognizing opportunities and taking risks to solve problems. It all begins by researching customer needs and creating solutions that fill existing gaps in their industry to give them a competitive edge.

With the right strategy, entrepreneurs can develop new products or services that customers need and make money in return.

Join this conversation and learn how Stefan Debois saw an existing gap in companies and how he combined his engineering expertise to come up with a software that solves a critical need of a business.

Stefan Debois is the CEO at Pointerpro. For 14 years, Stefan worked in consulting and discovered that most professional services companies had decently digitized their back-office processes (timesheets, invoicing,…).

However, very few have taken advantage of technology to automate what is perhaps their most important process: delivering advice to clients.

So in 2012, Stefan decided to found a software company called Pointerpro to solve precisely that problem. Pointerpro helps consultants - and any other expert advisor - to automate their advice delivery. This is achieved by converting the consultant's expertise into online assessments that generate personalized reports.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Stefan Debois

[02:10] Stefan’s journey into an entrepreneurship

[04:52] How do you know entrepreneurship is for you?

[06:31] How Stefan knew he had a market fit for his software product

[09:33] Bootstrapping his company and why

[12:59] Where Stefan plans to take his business

[16:47] Business culture of unity that Stefan employs in his company

[19:20] Valuable lessons Stefan has learned by being an entrepreneur

[21:28] The most difficult thing he has had to learn

[24:10] The last time Stefan was a bottleneck in his business

[26:51] Stefan’s other hobbies, apart from entrepreneurship

[31:13] Stefan’s one recommendation for entrepreneurs

[34:17] How to reach out and connect with Stefan

[34:57] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• Never say never when you decide to bootstrap your business. Do not log yourself out of partnerships that can level you to the next level.
• At the beginning of the entrepreneurship journey, you have to be all-round and involved in every faculty of the business.
• As an entrepreneur, you have to do something until you find someone else who does it better than you, then hand it over to them.

Connect With Stefan Debois:

Website: https://pointerpro.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefandebois/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefan.debois

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sde77

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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What’s the relationship between yarn and entrepreneurship?

Simple: Just like a ball of yarn, a business comprises many interconnected threads woven together to create a cohesive whole. 

Each thread is unique, but they are all connected and contribute to the business’s overall success.

Join me on this episode to better understand the analogy between yarn and entrepreneurship and hear a practical example of business interconnectivity. 

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions. 

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As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of running a business and forget to take care of yourself. Taking time out of your day to focus on your mental health, physical health, and emotional well-being can pay off in the long run with improved performance and overall happiness.

Learn how to change the outlook of the table, put yourself first, tell your story more powerfully, and bring more success to your business.

Success is the ultimate goal in business, but many other things matter just as much. Taking a step back to gain perspective and seeking help can be invaluable in helping you focus on what truly matters and break through barriers to find true fulfillment.

Join this conversation with Jeff Greenfield shares his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons he has learned, and what helped him to be a success. Jeff is an entrepreneur with three decades of strategy, growth, and marketing experience and building terms emphasizing innovative marketing enabled by new technology. He is the CEO and founder of Provalytics, an ad measurement tool that uses Agile Impact Modeling. Jeff also works with the marketing advisory council of Suffolk University and Sawyer business school in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Before Provalitics, Jeff founded several companies, and the last one was called C3 Metrics, a leading MTA platform with clients including JP Morgan, US Bank, Nestle, Peapod, Edward Jones, and Fender. Jeff's technical innovations include real-time digital viewability measurement, integrated linear and OTT television measurement, and creating a cookieless identifier. He has also developed & led all GTM strategies and grew the team to 55 with 171% YOY growth leading to being named to Deloitte's 2018 Technology Fast 500.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Jeff Greenfield

[02:26] Jeff’s journey, magician and chiropractor turned into an entrepreneur

[08:32] Learning on the fly and Jeff's experience from the pre-Google era

[10:28] Jeff’s perspective on Chat GTP evolution and job creation

[14:41] How technology is supposed to make our life and business easy

[17:10] Why Jeff didn’t stop when he exited C3 Metrics

[20:10] Jeff’s self-care practices in his journey as an entrepreneur

[27:55] How knowing what Jeff knows now about self-care would have impacted C3

[31:11] The importance of having a coach and an outside perspective

[32:53] Key lessons that Jeff has learned from his journey as an entrepreneur

[38:58] Jeff’s one recommendation for entrepreneurs

[39:40] How to reach out and connect with Jeff

[40:08] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• We think we’ve to ramp up the game and intensify, but the reality is we need to step back a little bit from technology to enjoy our lives.
• You’ve to get out there, move your body every day and be physically active.
• What you do in the beginning is entirely different from what you do in the end because they have different requirements.
• You have to develop and enhance your story and what you are selling.
• As entrepreneurs, we’re like sharks; if we stop moving, we die. Keep moving, and you will live.

Connect With Jeff Greenfield:

Website: https://jeffgreenfield.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgreenfield/

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is an essential tool for any business wanting to advance in the digital age. It can help your business get more online visibility, drive more website traffic, and improve your search engine rankings.

However, SEO is not as mystical or magical as most business owners perceive, and you don't have to play around with some SEO gods to get the results. SEO is a practice that helps you rank on google, and keywords are a huge part of it. When you place the keywords in the right place, you can win, and with just that, you have done 60% of SEO. Don't overthink it.

Join this conversation with Kyle Roof as he shares simple SEO strategies you can implement to increase your online visibility and tips on how to build your business beyond you. Kyle is an American living in Thailand best known for his SEO skills. He has dedicated his life to helping business owners and marketers overcome common SEO challenges using scientifically proven SEO methods. Kyle is the Page Optimizer Pro inventor, built on more than 400 scientific tests he has conducted.

Over the years, Kyle has developed a fine-tuner method to test whether single variables are ranking factors in Google's algorithm. This method was officially granted a patent in 2020, validating Kyle's technique and distinguishing him from all the SEO professionals. Kyle is also the co-founder of Internet Marketing Gold, a global community of 3000 + SEO professionals who test and prove cutting-edge SEO techniques. Many SEO Professionals and business leaders follow Kyle's SEO techniques and discoveries. He has been featured in many publications and is a rigorous speaker in SEO and SEO testing at conferences and worldwide.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Kyle Roof

[02:22] Kyle’s career background and his entrepreneurial journey

[05:42] Kyle’s exit plan and how he sold his high-voltage SEO agency

[08:41] How Kyle turned their company into a product for sale

[11:02] The challenges that Kyle faced in replacing himself from his company

[15:30] Critical SEO strategies you should know as an entrepreneur

[17:37] How to come up with the keywords for an SEO

[20:58] What the Page Optimizer Pro (POP) offers in the SEO space

[22:01] Why POP exists and how it’s different from Kyle’s previous agency

[26:41] Key lessons that Kyle has learned from his entrepreneurial journey

[33:10] Why Kyle moved to Thailand and the community they have built

[35:01] Kyle’s one recommendation for entrepreneurs

[39:09] How to reach out and connect with Kyle

[39:19] Ending the show

Notable Quotes:

• Replacing yourself in your business allows you to build something beyond yourself.
• The top four places to put a keyword are in the URLs, page title, title tag (H1), and paragraph tags.
• If you can properly optimize for primary keywords, you can win for secondary keywords.
• Don't stop people from giving you money; give them the opportunity to pay you the most they want to pay.
• If you can acknowledge your mistake and that somebody else can do better, you can put yourself in a better situation.
• When people are making decisions on partnerships or JVs, the people they will go to first are those around them, so be active and present.

Connect With Kyle Roof:

Website: https://kyleroof.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-roof-411166a4

Help me inspire more (wannabe) entrepreneurs. Leave me a 5-star review. Go to https://ratethispodcast.com/interviewscrackingtheentrepreneurshipcode and follow the simple instructions.

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The X-Factor is your 10 to 100x underlying advantage.

It’s usually invisible to your customers but underpins your strategy and blocks your competitors from trying to copy you.

Finding your X-factor can be a daunting task. Still, it's essential if you want to build a successful and sustainable business.

Do you have one?

In this episode, I'll define the X-factor for businesses and provide practical recommendations for entrepreneurs to find their X-factor.

Are You Stuck? Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call

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Being an entrepreneur can be a tough job with many ups and downs. Building up your brand, developing a business plan, executing marketing tactics, and managing marketing budgets are all difficult tasks requiring enormous amounts of time and energy.

These demands can lead to burnout and failure in business, but coaching can help you achieve these goals. Coaching provides insight into how to make the most of your time and resources as you set up your business.

Join this conversation with Paul Baker, a return guest in our podcast, to talk more about his entrepreneurship journey and the testimonials of the importance of coaching in growing his business, exiting it, and starting a new venture.

Leaving a business you have built and handing it over to somebody else can be emotional. It’s like losing your baby, so you need a coach to help you with a clear path, support, and guidance.

Paul Baker bankrupted his first business at the age of 17, and it took ten years before he got back to entrepreneurship. He acquired St Pierre Groupe in 2002 and one day decided to conquer the American market, which he did. He successfully exited it in October 2022.

Let’s jump in

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Paul Baker

[01:42] What Paul has been doing since 2021

[04:40] Paul’s entrepreneurship bottleneck necessitated him to seek coaching

[08:22] Why Paul exited his successful business

[11:58] How Paul was prepared to bounce back after exiting his business

[14:33] Benefits of coaching and his expectations in the current coaching sessions

[25:45] Why coaching?

[26:43] One of Paul’s best “aha moments” in the past two years

[35:40] Paul’s advice to anyone who wants to know more about coaching

Notable Quotes:

• Exiting a business you have built and handing it over to somebody else can be emotional. It’s like losing your baby.
• You must learn to say NO as a business leader and entrepreneur.
• Being an entrepreneur can be a tough job with many ups and downs.
• Coaching helps you address the nitty-gritty details of how you think and operate personally.
• As an entrepreneur, never stop learning.

Resources Mentioned:

• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

• Past podcast episodes with Paul Baker

• https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast/episode/230541cd/interviews-46-or-paul-baker-or-saint-pierre-group-or-uk

• https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast/episode/f2ea6ccc/how-can-entrepreneurs-stay-motivated-or-special-episode

Connect With Paul Baker:

Website: https://rapaid.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-baker-7847aa11/

The Business He Sold: https://stpierrebakery.com/

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It is no secret that staying competitive in the current market requires more than just a good idea. You must have a robust business model, a great marketing strategy, systems, and many other things that can be challenging for any business owner.

Systems are a proven way to grow your business. They can help you increase revenue, reduce costs, and even manage your operations.

But what if you don't know the best system for your company? Can you still take it to the next level? Join this conversation with serial entrepreneur Benjamin Johnson and learn more.

Ben Johnson is the founder and CEO of Particle41, a development firm providing businesses with integral applications development, data science, and DevOps projects.

Finding new talent to execute new projects can be a hassle, but Ben and his team want to strengthen yours, as he explains in this episode.

Ben is also a serial entrepreneur with over $30 million raised across his five startups. He also has over 20 years of experience in software development. He is passionate about applications and modernization. He finds it as much fun as coaching soccer teams.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Benjamin Johnson

[02:56] Ben’s entrepreneurial backstory

[06:30] Ben’s definition of an entrepreneur

[07:09] Why he loves entrepreneurship

[09:10] What Ben means by going back to the basics of entrepreneurship

[14:01] Where the name “Particle41” came from, and what is the company about

[16:20] Strengthening talents to execute new projects

[20:10] Best business practices

[24:58] Can too many systems kill a business system?

[27:16] Systems are good, but customers have the final say

[27:57] What Ben has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[31:41] What would he do differently than when he started entrepreneurship

[33:06] The one recommendation Irina gives to all entrepreneurs

[36:10] Best ways to reach out and connect with Ben

[36:44] Wrap-up and calls-to-action

Notable Quotes:

• Entrepreneurship is the true test of value.
• In entrepreneurship, you are only as good as your balance sheet.
• You must create business systems that embrace rapid change. If you are not evolving as a business, it will die. Change is natural and normal for growth.
• Systems are good, but customers come first.
• Never underestimate the power of mentors and coaches in your entrepreneurship journey.

Resources Mentioned:

Influx by Daniel Suarez

Connect With Benjamin Johnson:

Website: https://particle41.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminrjohnson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/benjohnson77

#founders #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #podcast #devops

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I know many entrepreneurs who neglect their family, their health, and their life. 

Is it worth it, though? 

Imagine it’s your last day on earth; what legacy would you like to leave behind you? I certainly don’t want to look at a life spent working. 

You need to learn that, despite finding it counter-intuitive, maintaining a work-life balance is crucial for your well-being and business success.

Work-life balance refers to balancing the demands of work and personal life. It's about finding a healthy equilibrium that allows you to meet both your professional and personal responsibilities and limiting the sacrifices on both sides of the spectrum.

In this episode of The Entrepreneur Alphabet, I explore some reasons why work-life balance is crucial for entrepreneurs. 

Let’s jump in now! 

Are You Stuck? Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call

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Are you feeling unsatisfied in your current job and dreaming of a life of freedom as an entrepreneur? With the right planning, knowledge, and attitude, you can find your freedom through entrepreneurship.

Knowing what to expect and preparing for the journey will help you maximize your chances of success.

Join this conversation with Irina Poddubnaiar and hear her backstory, how she transitioned from a corporate job to entrepreneurship, and the lessons she has learned. Get the insights, tips, and strategies for business success as an entrepreneur.

Irina Poddubnaiar is a SAAS founder and business consultant specializing in operations and process optimization. Over the past few years, she has worked with 50+ small and large companies worldwide, helping them design systems that effectively align the right people, processes, and tools to achieve outstanding results.

Irina has a wealth of experience in the eCommerce industry, having spent 2.5 years running a fulfillment center in China and launching her own software, TrackMage. Her mission at TrackMage is to make life easier for eCommerce entrepreneurs by automating as many routine tasks as possible.

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest, Irina Poddubnaiar

[01:34] Irina’s entrepreneurial backstory and how TrackMage came about

[06:23] Why TrackMage would not exist without China

[07:39] The power of automating your business systems

[09:15] When and why did Irina leave her 9 to 5 job

[10:58] Why the experience from the first job made her keep into entrepreneurship

[12:58] Freedom is the cornerstone of entrepreneurship

[16:20] Key insights before starting your entrepreneurship journey

[19:49] Paul’s advice to anyone who wants to know more about coaching

[22:10] Why Irina did not give up despite hitting a wall in business

[25:42] Has Irina ever thought of going back to a 9 to 5 job

[28:40] Why most women entrepreneurs struggle and Irina’s advice

[32:41] The one recommendation Irina gives to all entrepreneurs

[34:05] Best ways to reach out and connect with Irina

[35:20] Wrap-up and calls-to-action

Notable Quotes:

• When you automate systems in your business, then you get the time to focus and work on the things that truly matter.
• Entrepreneurship gives one the freedom to be what one wants to be.
• If you want to start a successful business, the best way is to start with something small that is manageable and that you can do yourself.
• Entrepreneurship is a calling and a contagious virus.
• Start selling first, test your idea in the market, and see people's responses, then build the business around it.

Resources Mentioned:

Magical Selling: Engineering Enterprise Sales Success on Any Team, in Any Industry, and in Any Economy by Raju Bhupatiraju

Connect With Irina Poddubnaiar:

Website: https://trackmage.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-poddubnaia/

Are You Stuck? Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call

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Validation is the process of testing an idea to determine if it's worth pursuing. It's a crucial step in the entrepreneurial journey because it helps entrepreneurs save time, money, and resources on a wrong or irrelevant idea.

Entrepreneurs who validate their ideas before they start are more likely to succeed because they better understand their customers' wants and needs. They can then make informed decisions about how to move forward with their business.

In this episode, we cover the following:

What is validation? Why is it important?

What are some methodologies you can use to validate your idea? 

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Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey and not a destination to aim for. While entrepreneurs exist to solve problems in the world, it is not always a walk in the park. It is a cause that demands a different mindset, behavior, and skills.

Jay Bousada, an entrepreneur since 1999, joins us in this entrepreneurship podcast to discuss his journey, the pivots he has made, his mistakes, and his lessons. He has all the information for you if you want your business to be bulletproof in any environment or market.

Jay founded Thrillworks in 1999 to help organizations take full advantage of the potential of digital. He’s a born problem solver, beginning his career as an Engineer before turning his attention to technology. As CEO, he’s now driven by a passion for solving problems others may fail to see. This courage is at the core of who he is and the driving force behind everything Thrillworks creates.

Among the things Jay shares in this episode include the power of having a vision as an entrepreneur. You must have a business vision that should also be well ingrained in the minds of the people who work for you.

All entrepreneurs also need to understand the importance of boundaries. Let your employees know the values, expectations, ethics, morals, and culture you uphold and ascribe to. Boundaries are the only ways to create a healthy environment in your business. Tune in and learn more.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[02:26] Jay’s journey of entrepreneurship since 1999

[08:04] The different stages of his business’ growth

[14:42] How the covid pandemic demanded a pivot in business

[15:43] The bottleneck concept

[16:44] Why Jay’s early success in business was both a blessing and a curse

[18:40] How losing the original ‘why’ of the business brought failure

[23:25] How automation can be a disadvantage to trust building with customers

[27:15] What Jay has learned about himself as an entrepreneur

[32:00] The future of Jay’s business

[35:17] Jay’s takeaway tips for entrepreneurs

[35:24] Achievements that Jay is proud of

[37:28] Best ways to reach out and connect with Jay Bousada

Notable Quotes:

• The real power of an organization comes from its people.
• Any product or solution you put in place has to include a good deal of quality. That’s not negotiable if you want to stay in business.
• If the business vision is not clear in the minds of the people working for you, the secret success formula will require you to be there every day.
• Never assume anything in business.
• First, seek to understand before you are understood.
• As an entrepreneur, boundaries are the only ways to create a healthy environment in your business.

Resources Mentioned:

Rethink: The Surprising History of New Ideas by Steven Poole:

Connect With Jay Bousada:

Website: https://thrillworks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbousada/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybousada/

Are You Stuck? Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call

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Technology is advancing rapidly, and entrepreneurs need to keep pace because they are changing how business is done. Entrepreneurs can leverage these innovations to develop a competitive edge and save time, energy, and money. It is about how entrepreneurs take advantage to grow their businesses.

The internet, for example, is evolving and has gone from web1 to web2, and now we are moving towards the future of web3. In the new age of technology, entrepreneurs need to know how they can embrace and tap into the opportunities of web3. The opportunities are endless. You just need to figure out how your business fits in with this new era.

Join this conversation with Adrienne Ravez and learn about technology's past, current, and future and how an entrepreneur can be well-informed to maximize opportunities.

Adrienne Ravez is a Web3 Entrepreneur, Digital & Innovation Specialist, intercultural Clinical Psychologist, DEI Practitioner & Advocate, and trade advisor for France (CCE). Adrienne has been featured in Asia-Pacific's top rising talent in the 2020 Campaign’s 40 under 40 lists and named Entrepreneur of the Year Asia Pacific at the 2019 Women Leading Change Awards.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest, Adrienne Ravez

[02:24] How Adrienne ended up being an entrepreneur

[05:18] What has it taken her to be an entrepreneur

[08:07] What is web 3.0?

[10:20] Does web3 look like blockchain?

[12:10] Helping clients identify and tap into web3 opportunities

[13:55] How entrepreneurs can make conscious decisions without forgetting web3

[19:10] A case study of a client she helped implement web3 tools in their business

[26:38] Why you don’t need to rush in implementing the tech tools

[30:34] A bit about chatGPT

[38:42] Things Adrienne has learned about herself since she became an entrepreneur

[43:08] Golden nuggets and tips for the success of an entrepreneur

[44:10] Best ways to reach out and connect with Adrienne Ravez

[44:38] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes:

• The most important aspect of entrepreneurship is creativity and value creation.
• Being an entrepreneur means stepping back and assessing whether your resources can achieve your goals.
• Technology tools are there to help you serve the business’ vision. They are not a means to an end.
• Entrepreneurs must always adapt to changes.
• As an entrepreneur, never stop learning.
• Always remain human-centric in business despite advancing social norms and technological changes.

Connect With Adrienne Ravez:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienneravez/

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Salespeople are key to a business’s success, but many entrepreneurs make hiring mistakes. They select candidates based on how well they interview but often end up with people who just don't work out in the field. Hiring people who are passionate about your product and organization, who will stay with you over the long term, and who have a high level of technical expertise is essential.

The key to picking a successful sales candidate is not just making sure that they interview well--it's personality traits. So, what personality traits are shared among the best performers?

Join this entrepreneurship education podcast with Christopher Croner as we discuss how entrepreneurs can become perfect in hiring top-producing salespeople.

Christopher Croner, Ph.D., is a Principal with SalesDrive, a cutting-edge sales management consulting firm. He developed the SalesDrive assessment system, including the Drive Model of salesperson motivation. Using this system, he has helped numerous companies to hire and develop top-performing salespeople.

Key Highlights from The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Christopher Croner

[02:44] Chris’ backstory and how he got into the sales and marketing space

[04:49] What is selling, according to Christopher

[06:11] The most significant problem that salespeople have

[07:24] Bad patterns that companies make when recruiting salespeople

[11:28] An ideal client that Christopher works with

[12:40] How the process of working with a client looks like

[14:23] Meaning of “drive” and how it relates to salespeople

[17:20] How to instil and nurture the sales drive in your sales team

[23:22] What it means to be an entrepreneur to Chris

[25:00] Valuable lessons Chris has learned in the entrepreneurship journey

[29:16] How to avoid being in the trap of dishonest salespeople during the hiring

[31:48] The last time Chris was a bottleneck in his business and what happened

[34:25] Chris’ tips for the success of an entrepreneur

[37:18] Best ways to reach out and connect with Christopher Croner

[37:50] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes:

• Anyone who communicates for a living is selling.
• Whether a salesperson can sell is different from whether he will sell.
• Recruiting people for your company is an art.
• Your destiny is always in your hands.
• As an entrepreneur, never stop learning.
• Anyone who communicates for a living is selling. If you are communicating an idea and then having people accept it, that is also selling.

Get Christopher’s Book:

Never Hire a Bad Salesperson Again: Selecting Candidates Who Are Absolutely Driven to Succeed: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Hire-Bad-Salesperson-Again/dp/0974199613.

Connect With Christopher Croner:

Website: https://salesdrive.info/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SalesDriveLLC

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophercroner/

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There 4 entrepreneurship stages.

Stage 1 – Pre-launch: When you wonder how to do it

Stage 2 – Start: When you get it done yourself

Stage 3 – Growth: When you make sure it is done

Stage 4 – Maturity: When you build an entity that gets it done

If you are successful, your business will expand through these stages.

At the beginning of the journey, as your resources are limited, you’re running everywhere, involved in every little thing. 

However, as your company grows, you should gradually remove yourself from the day-to-day operations to focus on hiring people, creating efficient processes to strengthen your business’ foundations, and working on your company’s strategy. 

There comes a point in time when you need to let others build the business for you.

That’s why your role must evolve; you must upgrade yourself. And to successfully do so, you need to learn to let go. 

That’s what this episode is about: letting go! 

Are You Stuck? Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call 

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Entrepreneurs are bold and risk-takers. They do not allow themselves to be held back by the fear of the unknown. They pull the trigger, make mistakes, fail, learn and bounce back better and bigger. Though most of them face a lot of challenges, they never give up. However, the better they get informed before going into the startup space, the easier they will navigate the murky waters. Sometimes, they will be compelled to make hard decisions, and their business culture is one of the key skills that will help them.

Successful businesses have a strong culture, and the founders have the greatest influence. Culture is important to a business because that makes it different and unique from others. Culture is the go-to method they apply to handle customers and solve problems when they arise. But how do you develop a sound business culture? How do you measure if the culture of your business is correct, and what do you need to do to pivot?

Join this conversation with Sophie Theen and get all your questions answered and the entrepreneurial motivation you need to push forward as a startup founder. Sophie Theen is an award-winning HR and diversity & inclusion professional. In this episode, she delivers an insightful and eye-opening discussion of the importance of culture in the vibrant and, sometimes, chaotic world of startup enterprises.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Sophie Theen

[01:40] Sophie's backstory and how she got into her space

[03:15] The untold stories of how founders affect culture

[05:14] Why startup founders need to be informed before embarking on the journey

[06:16] Why did you start the journey?

[07:18] Things that are common among all founders

[08:29] Why startup founders need to have a high level of Emotional Intelligence

[09:32] The importance of a business culture

[12:07] How to know if you are in the correct culture as an entrepreneur

[14:28] Vulnerability among founders and where to draw the line

[18:22] What motivates Sophie to wake up in the morning to do what she does

[19:33] What she discovered about herself through the entrepreneurship journey

[22:17] Why it’s important to have a coach as a business owner

[26:59] What it means to be an entrepreneur to Sophie

[28:10] Sophie's favorite question to clients as a coach

[29:37] The number one recommendation to entrepreneurs from Sophie

[30:42] Best ways to reach out and connect with Sophie Theen

[30:55] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes:

• There’s always light at the end of the tunnel on your decision.
• Entrepreneurs are bold and risk-takers.
• Culture is what makes a business different and unique from others.
• Business culture is the DNA behind a business logo.
• Everybody has a bad day at some point in their life, and that’s why the presence of a mentor or coach is imperative.
• People always have answers in them. All they need is someone to help them uncover.
• Learning to ask for help goes a long way.

Get Sophie’s Book:

The Soul of Startups: The Untold Stories of How Founders Affect Culture: https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Startups-Stories-Founders-Culture/dp/1119885590

Connect With Sophie Theen:

Website: https://www.sophietheen.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophietheen/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophietheen/

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The beauty of time is that we all have the same amount available to us: 24 hours, 1,440mn, 86,400 seconds per day.

However, it seems some people use their time better than others… that’s because they literally use it better than you.

Time is a resource, and like any other resources available to you (e.g. people, equipment, money, etc.) you need to manage it.  

The thing is when it comes to time management, the biggest hurdle is you; dare I say it: you’re your own bottleneck! 

So, the real question is how can you become better at managing all the time that is available to you?

Find out my top 3 Time Management Rules on this new episode of The Entrepreneur Alphabet. 

Book a FREE call with me now 👉 https://tinyurl.com/book-your-free-call 

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There are many business models, each built on a specific premise. If, as an entrepreneur, you want a recession-proof business model, you may want to go into real estate. However, if you want a business with time-tested systems that guarantee profits from the first day, you must choose a franchising model.

In franchising, an entrepreneur sells the rights to market and sell their products or services within a certain territory to independent business owners (franchisees) for a set period of time. The franchisor also provides the necessary training, equipment, and management to the franchisee to use their system, who in return pays royalties or license fees for the right to represent the franchisor's products.

If this business model excites you, David Weaver has some entrepreneur motivation tips and strategies for that cause. This podcast is for entrepreneurs like you who want to find their freedom, control their futures, and fuel their vision through franchise ownership.

David Weaver has a diverse and comprehensive background to draw on as a franchise expert and a FranChoice consultant. Having honed his business skills in a variety of ways, he now looks forward to sharing his knowledge and experience with others. His intimate knowledge of franchise systems, years of interaction with franchise candidates before and after they opened for business, and personal experience investing in Franchise Assets with his wife, Ann Marie, offers David a true understanding of what works and what doesn’t in franchising.

Key Highlights From The Show:

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; David Weaver

[02:56] David’s backstory and what he has been doing in his space

[07:06] Largest franchise brands in the world apart from McDonald's

[08:15] What makes the franchising business model work?

[11:00] When should you go for a franchise instead of starting something new from scratch?

[18:20] Ways through which franchisors make money

[19:44] Is it wise to buy or start a franchise business in the current market condition?

[23:00] What does it mean to be an entrepreneur, according to David

[25:25] Key entrepreneur lessons David has learned along his journey

[28:58] The current failures of startup founders

[32:31] How to reach out and connect with David

[33:08] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes:

• There are over 4,000 companies in the US alone selling franchises.
• Many people are manipulative because they have needs and do not know how to address them.
• When you buy a franchise, you reduce the time you would take to build successful systems.
• Every entrepreneur who aspires to succeed must do two things. They must find and attract quality customers and get them to want to come back over and over again. Also, they have to find quality employees that do excellent work in driving the customer experience.
• The joy of entrepreneurs is knowing that they are unemployable.

Connect With David Weaver:

Website: https://franchiseyourfreedom.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FranchiseFree1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddweaver

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChMUeVCexUlp4CegJRb54Tg

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Would you drive your car blindfolded?

You will certainly answer no, because the risk to crash, hurt yourself and others is too high. 

So, would you drive a business blindfolded? 

Of course not, for exactly the same reason! The risk to crash, hurt yourself and others is too high! 

Yet, many business owners underestimate the need for a strategy, and put their businesses at risk. 

Your business needs a strategy. One that not only focuses on the long-term but that is also flexible enough to adapt to the constantly changing business environment. 

An efficient business strategy should include the following 5 elements:

1. Purpose
2. Values
3. Objectives
4. Execution
5. Evaluation

In this episode, I go through each of these elements so you can design the most entrepreneurial strategy. 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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The root problem of every personal and professional relationship is manipulation. It is also a vice that is deeply rooted in the business world. Most entrepreneurs manipulate their customers to push sales, which is why most fail within the first three years.

It is, therefore, important to learn how to make rational decisions that are not manipulative if you want to stay long in the game because your business is only as good as its name in the market.

Manipulation is the easiest way to destroy your reputation.

Join this conversation with Noah Revoy as he shares the effects of manipulation and how to know when we have crossed the line. Know the tips for approaching a manipulator as an entrepreneur. It is both an art and a skill that you must master.

Noah Revoy is a personal and business relationship strategist who teaches individuals and organizations how to identify and resist manipulation. Noah mentors couples, professionals, founders, executives, and investors to build a sustainable, win-win relationship.

Let’s jump in!

Key Highlights From The Show

[00:01] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Noah Revoy

[01:39] A bit of Noah’s backstory

[04:21] The common problems in society that every person faces

[05:54] Everyone experiences imposter syndrome

[11:02] What is “manipulation” from the context of Noah’s book

[13:58] Maintaining your business clients without manipulation in sales

[14:45] The easiest way to destroy your business reputation

[16:09] How to know if you are being manipulated

[22:28] Effects of manipulation on entrepreneurs and how they can escape it

[23:37] Why entrepreneurs need to master the science of emotional intelligence

[24:22] Ways you can approach a manipulator

[29:27] More examples of manipulation among entrepreneurs

[33:08] What does it mean to be an entrepreneur, according to Noah

[36:32] What has Noah learned about himself since he became an entrepreneur

[40:42] How to reach out and connect with Noah

[41:28] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes

• All the problems of life come from a need of the human spirit.
• It is not advisable to make long-term decisions when you are exhausted.
• Many people are manipulative because they have needs and do not know how to address them.
• The root problem of every personal and professional relationship is manipulation.
• Reputation is incredibly important for continual in business. The easiest way to destroy it is through manipulating your customers.
• Entrepreneurs who have a manipulated mindset will find it difficult to succeed. However, they can escape that by developing an instinct against manipulation.
• No matter how well you do in your business, the place that will help you the most is your spouse and children because if your family life is chaotic, you cannot give your all to the business.
• If something makes sense to you, then it is a calling.

Resources Mentioned

1. Become Immune to Manipulation by Noah Revoy:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09YCB3NL1/

1. The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness by Prof Steve Peters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFPVO9Q/

Connect With Noah Rovey

Website: https://www.noahrevoy.com/2022-01

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/noahrevoy

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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The primary source of revenue is and will always be your customers, not your investors.

So, generating revenue is basically about generating sales.

Simply said: No sales, no customers, no revenue.

You could have the best product in the world, if you don’t sell it, you will have 0 revenue. 

The problem is many entrepreneurs claim they’re not good at selling.

That’s because they’re not looking at sales the way they should. 

Listen to my new episode of The Entrepreneur Alphabet to find out what selling is really about.

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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One of the most critical aspects of building impactful relationships with clients is the ability to connect with them. The best way to do this is by reading their personality and speaking to them in a language that resonates with them.

Reading a prospect’s personality helps you know how they like to be spoken to and treated to have a better connection with them. If you’re selling a service or a product, reading your client enables you to talk to them in a way they relate to and understand what they want.

As a business owner, knowing their quirks and how best to connect with your client will make the sales process easier and more successful.

Join this conversation with Alan Steven and learn how to read personalities and build relationships with staff and clients that drive results.

Alan is an International Profiling and Communications Specialist. He helps individuals, families, teachers, students, business owners, and salespeople to read other people to understand what makes them tick so they can build relationships and better communications. Today he’s regarded as one of the leading authorities in leading people globally, and his programs are accredited as certified learning programs for all business types across Australia and Asia.

He is also the creator and host of the Campfire project and #We together initiative, which is a global community and a safe place where men and women can give themselves permission to share their stories and have respective conversations.

Key Highlights From The Show

[00:30] Episode intro and a quick bio of the guest; Alan Steven

[01:52] How Alan became the world authority on reading people

[05:02] The difference between profiling and reading clients in any business

[06:23] Reading skill and how to use it in every application we’ve in life

[12:32] Being able to read people's faces as a business owner

[15:36] Practical example of how to build relationships with clients

[19:28] How long it took Alan to get to where he is today

[24:42] How to modify our face to tell a different story and fortify information

[27:12] Act as if Vs. Fake it until you make

[30:12] The difference between confidence and arrogance

[31:04] Alan’s perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur

[33:58] The Campfire project and what it offers in the space

[39:41] Alan’s one recommendation to all entrepreneurs

[42:48] How to reach out and connect with Alan

[43:15] Ending the show and call to action

Notable Quotes

• Understanding the baseline of someone's personality is far more important than anything else because if you don’t get that right, the other stuff can be hit-and-miss.
• When we do the things that we love to do, we’re more productive and happier.
• Reading people's faces is done to build relationships with people; the last thing we want to do is to manipulate people.
• By looking after your staff, you are looking after your customers.
• If you don’t build relationships with people, you will never get to show them how good your product is. Relationship comes first.
• Act as if. If you don’t think you’re good enough, get over it, and if you think you’re too good, get over yourself.
• Being an entrepreneur is valuing everybody, being the best person you can be for yourself, providing the best service to people, and being innovative and open to new ideas.
• When you worry about saying the wrong thing, you will say the wrong thing; we get what we focus on.

Resources Mentioned

Get a free course: https://alanstevens.thinkific.com/courses/Free-Course

Connect With Alan Stevens

Website: https://www.alanstevens.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/readingfaces?originalSubdomain=au

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ReadingFaces/?_rdc=1&_rdr

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqYV7EL6G5I

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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With the right questions comes the right answers.

But are you asking the right questions? 

In this new episode of my special series The Entrepreneur Alphabet, I share 4 practical steps to ask yourself the right questions in any situation.

Listen now. 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

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Gabriela Pulido is the Founder of Scalto, which is a creative consultancy that helps Hispanic and Latin American B2B service businesses design truly scalable business models to grow over time.

Gabriela founded Scalto in 2020 but she isn’t a rookie entrepreneur. She co-founded and ran a brand intimacy agency called MBLM (Emblem) for nearly 16 years prior to her current role. 

On this episode:

• Being an entrepreneur in Latin America vs. America

• Why the agency model needs to be revised

• How start-ups can truly scale up

• The importance of finding your narrative 

• An example of being the bottleneck and other lessons learned

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Despite how isolated you may feel sometimes, let me tell you: Entrepreneurs, you are not alone!

The truth is you absolutely cannot succeed without the help of others, even if you’re a solopreneur. 

Others include people within your organization, like your employees, as well as people outside your organization such as your clients, suppliers, advisors, and any other stakeholders.

My key message is straightforward: Surround yourself with people, because they are more resilient than technology.

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Gabriele Musella is the CEO and co-founder, and CEO of CoinRule, a YCombinator backed startup which was launched in December 2018.

Coinrule is about catching the next market opportunity on your behalf by automating your investments.

Gabriele has also been a Mentor at Google LaunchPad since Nov 2015 and he’s a visiting lecturer at the University of Palermo in Italy.

In this episode, we cover:

• The story behind CoinRule

• The experience with Ycombinator – The art of frugality

• Why finding the right co-founder is critical to the success of your business

• The importance of decentralizing the decision and delegating, and why your role as CEO should evolve as the company grows (don’t be the bottleneck!)

• His experience as a mentor

Enjoy!

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Being an entrepreneur requires many qualities - some of which I have talked about on this special series, like Discipline. Emotional Intelligence, Grit, or Listening. 

One of those qualities is the ability to spot and grab opportunities. 

An opportunity is a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.

The thing is opportunities are everywhere around us, all the time. But, can you spot them? And if you can, can you grab them?

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Steven and Faith Rothberg are the owners of College Recruiter, a job search site that was created because every student and recent grad deserves a great career.

Faith serves as the CEO while Steven, who initially founded the company in 1991 is the Chief Visionary Officer. Steve also co-hosts a podcast called Job Board Geek, which connects candidates with employers.

Of course, I couldn’t skip the occasion to talk to a married couple of entrepreneurs!

On this episode:

• Running a company as a husband and wife team

• The benefits of using the Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS)

• How to efficiently manage a remote workforce since 1997

• Lessons learned from 31 years into business (hint: a lot to do with leadership and procedures)

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Networking is the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.

It’s not what you know, it’s whom you know.

As a leader of your own business, it’s important to be seen, to talk to people, listen to them, connect with them, and bring them into your business in the right way.

In this episode, I share 8 practical tips so entrepreneurs can improve their networking skills. You don’t want to miss it. 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Cocoon is an organization that helps grow businesses by growing the business founders.

It offers a 1-year self-discovery and company growth program through personal mentoring. It’s based on the principle that founders’ personal growth is an unfair advantage that can boost the organization's growth as well.

I invited 3 guests to get a 360 perspective:

• Hristo Neiland is Cocoon co-founder, COO and a mentor
• Marcel Gasser, one of the top Cocoon mentors
• Mariana Hagström, one of the most performing Cocoon alumnis

3 guests, with 3 different perspectives and everything you want to know about develop the right entrepreneur’s mindset. 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

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I believe entrepreneurship is the toughest job there is. It requires being a generalist in many areas like financial management, marketing, sales, legal, production, etc. 

But you must realize that being an entrepreneur starts in your head first. 

Entrepreneurship is all about mindset. Yet, we think it’s first about technical skills.  

Unfortunately, you can’t just “learn” a mindset, like you can learn business skills, and it’s impossible to outsource.

So how do you grow your mindset?

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

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Derrick is a counter-terrorism operative, hostage shooting survivor, motivational speaker, and Human Durability™ expert.

While on a mission, he was shot 14 times with a high-powered rifle and laid on the ground for 3 hours before being rescued

Today, he’s a keynote speaker and a coach on a mission to help business leaders reach new heights in their organizations by building teams that can sustain optimal performance.

We had an amazing conversation around grit, mental fitness, and human durability, and how entrepreneurs can benefit from it.

I keep on saying it: Entrepreneurship is a mindset! 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

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The truth is we do have the ability to truly listen. 

But, listening is a skill. And like any skill, you need to learn it, then practice it to get better at it. 

So how well do you listen? 

My guess is: you can always improve.

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

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In 2010, Céline and her husband decided to get on their bicycles and travel the world. They haven’t stopped since.  

They have traveled more than 48,500 miles (72 000 km) across 4 continents, while having and raising 2 daughters on the way. 

Céline shares her extraordinary story with me, and tells us all about her family’s nomadic lifestyle, how they make a living, and much more.

Simply fascinating… 

This episode is brought to you by Medical For Nomads. 

Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

#entrepreneurmindset #digitalnomad #entrepreneurship #nomadlife #bedifferent

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Alexis Kingsbury is the co-founder of AirManual, a start-up that helps businesses document their processes, onboard, and train employees.

In this episode, we focus on employee development. 

More specifically, we look into: 

• How to create a team that enjoys work

• How to create continuous improvement

• How entrepreneurs can free up their time

• The power of systemizing business with procedures and processes

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Get my FREE ebook > https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook 

#entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #podcast #startupfounders #smallbusinessgrowth

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There’s a difference between thinking you know and knowing. 

I can hear your argument. 

I’m an entrepreneur, if I was listening to all people who told me I couldn’t do it, I would never have started. 

I need to trust my guts, I know some things feel right.

Absolutely. Listening to your guts you should. Some things do feel right. 

But there’s a difference between following your intuitions and using data to make an informed decision to confirm it. 

And the problem is too often we don’t make informed decisions because we want to go too fast. 

Listen to the new episode of the Entrepreneur Alphabet - K for Knowledge.

#entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #podcast #knowledge

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Wayne Mullins is the Founder of Ugly Mug Marketing. Wayne is a serial entrepreneur whose passion is to help entrepreneurs build exceptional teams and create high-performance cultures.

Wayne influences more than 250 000 entrepreneurs annually through his blog, books, and training programs and has personally worked with clients in over 100 industries.

A fascinating conversation around:

• Wayne’s incredible journey from building a lawn care company to owning a marketing agency

• The critical skills to be an entrepreneur

• The keys to successfully running a company for 13 years and still growing at 25% per year

• Why the marketing agency model is broken

• The importance of seeking mentors and coaches, and investing in oneself

• Practical tips for your marketing in general, and for your website and social media in particular

• Moving from good to great and how to build a culture with remarkable leaders

#entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #podcast #marketing #companyculture

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Salo Sterental and Beto Azout are the co-founders of SoStereo, an integrated platform and service created to modernize the way Brands find and work with artists for their ads.

We focus on the power of having a co-Founder. 

Some of the questions they answer: 

• How did they meet? How did SoStereo idea come up?
• What are the benefits of having a co-founder?
• How do they divide the tasks between them?
• What have they learned from each other?
• What is their big dream and what are the key challenges they face toward it?

#entrepreneurship #entrepreneurmindset #podcast #cofounders

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Entrepreneurship is like watering a plant. First you don’t see too much progress, but if you persist, if you continue to do it properly, feed it, take proper measures to make sure it’s growing strong, eventually the plant will blossom, and you will yield results.

Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. 

Listen to the full episode now > 

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entreprenership #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurs #journey #infinitegame

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Roman has been a digital nomad since 2014. He co-founded Arbonum in April 2021.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Digital nomadism
• Life as a digital nomad and start-up founder: the keys to success, the traps to avoid, and the dark side of nomadism
• The office of the future
• Roman’s journey from product manager to start-up founder
• How to start a digital nomad life

This episode is brought to you by Medical For Nomads

Listen to the full episode now >

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entreprenership #entrepreneurmindset #startup #digitalnomad #remotework

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I’ve interviewed more than 100 of them on my podcast Inter:views, Cracking The Entrepreneurship Code. 

When they talk about entrepreneurship, they invariably use the same words and expressions.

Impact or purpose are 2 of the words that come back the most often. 

Entrepreneurs are driven by impact.

There are many ways to make an impact: opening a social enterprise, focusing on a good cause, solving a painful problem for people as well as treating employees, clients and suppliers correctly. 

It always begins with finding a sense of purpose. Japanese people talk about Ikigai. 

The question is: Why are you doing whatever it is you are doing?

Listen to the full episode now > 

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entreprenership #entrepreneurmindset #founders #purpose #impact

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On the occasion of the 100th episode, I wanted to celebrate senior entrepreneurs.

Paul Tasner is the co-Founder & CEO of PulpWorks Inc., which he founded 11 years ago at the age of 66 after working for other people for 40 years!

If you do the calculation, it gives you an idea of Paul’s age today!

PulpWorks turns garbage into safe, planet-friendly products.

Paul has also been a TED resident since 2017. His TED Talk How I Became an Entrepreneur At 66 has had 2.4m views and counting.

We talk about why he moved into entrepreneurship, why senior entrepreneurs have a higher rate of success than younger ones, and he shares the lessons he’s learned throughout his 50 years of business experience.

There’s no age to re-invent yourself.

Listen to the full episode now > https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entreprenership #entrepreneurmindset #founders #sustainability #ageisjustanumber

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Do you know any brilliant entrepreneurs, who have so much to offer to the world, basically killing themselves for the sake of their businesses? 

I do. 

Are you one of them?

I did a burn-out in 2014, and I was not an entrepreneur back then, so I have learned to take care of myself since. 

Let me ask you: As an entrepreneur, how can you take care of your family, your people, and your business if you don’t take care of yourself first?

The reality is you can be a high performer without pushing yourself into the red zone all the time.

I get it, being an entrepreneur is hard work; it demands sacrifice. You always think about it, you constantly work on it, you want to go fast, you want to be more efficient, and as a result, you rarely take any days off. 

But how long can you sustain such a pace?

#entreprenership #entrepreneurmindset #founders #healthandwellbeing #takecareofyourself

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Bant Breen is the Founder & Chairman of Qnary, an award-winning executive reputation management and talent branding solutions company, which he founded in 2012.

Qnary was listed as one of the 5000 fastest-growing companies in America by Inc magazine in 2018, 2019, and 2020.

In this episode:

• The benefits of being a veteran entrepreneur
• From 1 to 200 staff in 10 years: The key company’s stages of growth
• The importance of not overthinking and delivering quality right now
• Why and how entrepreneurs should manage their online reputation
• How entrepreneurship has transformed him

Listen to the full episode now > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entrepreneurship #reputationmanagement #entrepreneurmindset #startup #innovation

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Every entrepreneur will tell you that entrepreneurship is a journey.

You usually begin from scratch with something that you’re passionate about but doesn’t exist, and patiently build it up piece by piece.

But the construction never ends. There’s always a new piece to add.

It’s a slow process, full of uncertainty.

Sometimes, you must destroy part of the construction and re-build. Sometimes, you must entirely give up and do something else.

That’s why being an entrepreneur is so addictive and difficult at the same time.

So how can you make it?

The first thing you need to sort out is your fortitude. You have to make sure that your mind is in a place where you’re ready.

In other words, you need to grow grit.

Listen to the full episode now > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs #grit #passion #perseverance

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Tracey Bissett is the Founder and Chief Financial Fitness Trainer of Bissett Financial Fitness.

She teaches financial literacy and fitness skills to entrepreneurs in any industry who are looking to better understand their data so they can take charge of their businesses and lives.

Topics we cover:

• Her journey to financial fitness expert
• Financial fitness explained
• The skills entrepreneurs need to acquire to be financially fit
• The main financial tools and how to use them (deep dive into cash-flow, budget, P&L)
• The key financial questions entrepreneurs should ask themselves more often
• Bootstrapping vs. VC funding

Listen now > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs #cashflow #smallbusiness #businessfinances

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If entrepreneurship is a journey full of uncertainty, there’s one thing that’s certain: Failure. 

The problem is that no schools teach you about failure. It’s taboo. 

Plus, we always read about the few that succeed, and then we forget about the thousands that actually struggle and fail. 

Let’s be clear. Failure is the norm. Success isn't. You will fail. 100% guaranteed. If you think you won’t, maybe it’s time to check your ego. 

So how can you deal with failure? 

Listen now > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code 

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #digitalhealth #positivechange

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Jeremy Miller is the Chairman & Founder of Health-E Commerce the digital health industry-leading provider of direct-to-consumer pre-tax health and wellness accounts.

Jeremy defines himself as a compassionate entrepreneur at heart, and he’s always on the lookout for new ways of resolving social problems.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The shift from a physical to a virtual office

• HIs move from CEO to Chairman stepping out of the business and how to manage the transition

• The secret to building a great company culture

• The tipping points that made the difference in growing the business

Listen now > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #digitalhealth #positivechange

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Emotional Intelligence (EQ) covers 5 main domains:

1. Knowing your own emotions. Self-awareness, which is recognizing a feeling as it happens.
2. Managing emotions. In other words, handling your feelings so they are appropriate (for instance shaking off anxiety)
3. Motivating yourself. The ability to mobilize your emotions in service of a goal.
4. Recognizing emotions in others. It is called empathy and it is considered to be the fundamental people skill.
5. Handling relationships. The art of relationships is in large part to be able to manage emotions in others.

So why should EQ matter for entrepreneurs?

Listen to find out > :https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #EQ #emotionalintelligence

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Bryan isn’t a novice entrepreneur. Before starting GreenPal, he founded Peachtree Inc., one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee, USA, growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013.

In this episode:

• The early years of the journey (when you don't know how to pay for the bills)

• Why running a business is like playing a video game

• How your business is an extension of your life and forces you to evolve

• Why you shouldn’t believe your own BS

• The trap of delegating too soon or too late

• The importance of taking care of oneself

Listen now:https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcastk #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #marketing #smallbusiness

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Covid19 has changed the way people work. Now that we’re getting closer to the end of the pandemic, we hear more and more employees enjoying this new lifestyle and not willing to go back to their offices, or under certain conditions.

The term hybrid space has been popping up in many conversations.

So, for businesses, the following question has become a big headache: What should the future workplace look like?

I have invited 3 guests with 3 different perspectives to help me answer that question: Robin Wycherley, Founder of Itu Design in Finland, Benoit Barbiche, HR Director, Talent Management & HR Business Partner at Santen Switzerland, and Mark Hemmeter, the founder, and CEO of Office Evolution, USA.

We cover the following topics:

1. What have we learned about workplaces with the pandemic?
2. What is a hybrid space?
3. What’s the purpose of the new workplace?
4. What skills does the workplace of the future require?
5. What do leaders need to do to prepare for it?
6. What are the questions about the workplace of the future that are yet to be answered?

Listen now: https://podfollow.com/inter-views-cracking-the-entrepreneurship-code

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #workplace #hybridwork #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneur

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Alper started his career as a musician. He toured across Europe with over 500 concerts and made it to platinum album sales in Turkey where he’s from.

He was called into entrepreneurship and founded Xtensio in 2015.

On this episode:

• Alper’s journey from musician to set up Xtensio

• The differences between his business today vs. 5 years ago

• The importance of letting go when you hire better people than you

• How to run a fully remote company

• Why you shouldn’t aim for perfection

• Needs, People, Story: the 3 pillars of any company

Listen now: https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #saas #startup #uxdesign #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneur

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Here’s my definition of discipline for entrepreneurs: Be organized, and get things done, one thing after the other. 

Entrepreneurs are often creative people, excellent at what they do, but sometimes lack the business skills required to run a company. 

My point: don’t worry, you can always learn the business skills (or hire someone). But you must excel at getting things done. And that requires to be disciplined.

So where to start? 

Listen now: https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #cashflow  #financialmanagement

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Fredrik van Huynh is the Co-Founder & CEO of Absolute Internship, an award-winning internship programs designed for ambitious, hard working and talented university students.

Fredrik is also a Tedx Speaker, the host of Fika with Rice Podcast and he’s ranked among Top 25 Swedish Entrepreneurs Disrupting Industries and Breaking Boundaries Around the World.

Topics we cover:

• Building a remote company

• Marketing beyond digital

• Bootstrapping the business instead of getting investors in

• Biggest entrepreneurship lessons

• The importance of reading books

Listen now: https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #cashflow #financialmanagement

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Make no mistake, your number one job as a business owner is not to die. 

In human bodies, blood is what keeps us alive. In a company, the life blood is cash-flow. 

That’s why your #1 priority should always be cash-flow. 

Cash-flow is the real cash, the money that you have on hand. It’s different from revenue or profit, which are numbers on a piece of paper. Cash-flow is tangible: you can see it in your bank account. 

Growth requires cash. The faster your business grows, the more cash you need. 

In this special episode, I answer one key question: How can you have consistent sources of cash to fuel the growth of your company?

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #cashflow  #financialmanagement

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Alinka Rutkowska is the Founder & CEO of Leaders Press where she creates books for entrepreneurs from scratch, and launches them to best-seller with a 100% success rate.

We go deep into book writing.

Content:

• How entrepreneurs can share their wisdom with a book
• How to get on the bestseller list
• The differences between lead generator books vs. legacy pieces
• What the book writing process is
• How to get on to the best seller list
• What her legacy piece would look like

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Download my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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I’ve talked to a hundred entrepreneurs on my show. I’ve coached and mentored dozens of business owners and start-up founders.

There’s one thing I’ve learned about entrepreneurship: It’s a calling! Either you have it or you don’t.

No entrepreneurs set themselves up to fail.

No entrepreneurs believe they can't do it.

But it happens more often than we'd like to think.

Why?

Usually, because company's founders have locked themselves into a situation they can't get out of.

They know something's wrong, perhaps they've seen some signs or people have warned them, but somehow, they don't act.

Call it ego, fear, or lack of accountability. It doesn't matter.

Because of their inaction, the company doesn't move forward either.

The consequences can be devastating.

That's what I call becoming the main bottleneck in your business, and it's the biggest risk you face.

There are many ways you can be a bottleneck, but the price you pay is always the same: you're stuck.

And when you're stuck, your business is stuck.

Listen to the episode to find out how it manifests and what you can do about it.

Listen now: https://www.laurentnotin.com/podcast

#podcast #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #unlock

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Nick  is the Founder & Steward of Lime Painting, an emerging franchise brand in the US, focusing solely on high-end homes and businesses.

We discuss:

How he became an entrepreneur in the painting industry

What franchising is about and the advantages of owning a franchise vs. starting your own business

The importance of giving back to communities

How to stop the “noise between your ears” (hint: show up, push harder and smarter)

The keys to expand the business from 7 to 60 franchisees in one year during the pandemic

Get my eBook -  https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Launching a new 26-episode special series to help you better navigate your entrepreneurship journey. 

We start with episode 1, A For Advice. 

Here’s the definition from the dictionary: guidance or recommendations offered with regard to prudent future action. 

Here’s my definition applied to entrepreneurship: Seek knowledge and experience from people who have it. Listen more, and speak less.

Do yourself a favour and stop pretending that you know everything.

Get my eBook -  https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Howard holds the world’s fastest reader title in the Guiness Book of Records.

He can increase the learning rate of an average individual by 100% in 4 hours resulting in better decisions, fewer costly mistakes, and more time to devote to the things that matter to them.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why being the world’s fastest reader matters
• The importance and benefits of learning faster and remembering it
• How to actually read faster
• How to ask the right questions
• How to deal with pressure and be in the right state of mind

72 years of wisdom.

Get my eBook - https://www.laurentnotin.com/get-my-ebook

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Mike is a serial entrepreneur, Author of the best-selling book Owner Shift - How Getting Selfish Got Me Unstuck, and host of the How’d It Happen podcast.   

In this episode, we cover:

• Bootstrapping vs. VC money
• How he became the bottleneck in his business
• How getting selfish got him unstuck
• What entrepreneurship taught him about himself
• What’s his current mission

I’ve been repeating it: being the bottleneck in your business is the highest risk you face. Learn from others like Mike. 

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Arnaud defines himself as an Author, Entrepreneur, and Optimist. 

In 2012, he co-founded a start-up because he thought he could go after Facebook. Unfortunately, he had to throw in the towel after 7 years. He shares this experience in his book How Hard Can It Be - Startup Lessons From Trying (And Failing) To Take Down Facebook

In this episode we cover the story behind the book, the lessons he learned about start-up and himself, how he managed failure, and why he remains an optimist.

A podcast for ALL start-up founders.

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Carrington is the founder and President of Carrington Legal Search and best-selling author of "Blooming."

This conversation focuses on the importance of designing one’s own life. We cover:

• How trauma has impacted her journey and made her who she is today
• What it takes to create opportunities for oneself
• Why our stories determine who we are, and how to shift to a positive mindset
• How entrepreneurship has transformed her

Many of the things she says will resonate with you as they did with me. 

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To be and remain the best, entrepreneurs need to sharpen their skills, be disciplined, grow resilience, inspire others and make fast decisions under constant pressure.

Exactly like professional athletes.

But where professional athletes understand the importance of resting to let their bodies and minds recover, it seems most entrepreneurs don't follow their example.

Imagine what happens to professional athletes when they overtrain. They injure themselves, and potentially ruin their careers.

Well, it's exactly the same with entrepreneurs. When they overwork and forget to rest and relax, they burn out.

In this special episode of Inter:views, I invited 3 coaches to discuss founders' mindset: Evelien van Es, Andrew Miller, and Joye Ra.

On the menu:

• What's the relationship between mind, body, and work?
• We always think work, work, work although it's not sustainable long-term. Why is it so counterintuitive?
• What negative patterns do you see with most entrepreneurs you work with? Why?
• What should business founders do more of (or less of)?
• How can entrepreneurs deal with pressure and failure?
• Is it OK or not OK to show you're vulnerable when you're a business founder? Why?
• What's your one recommendation to entrepreneurs to help build their mindset?

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Christian is the Co-Founder of Vitruvia and has invested in 35 companies. 

He explains why transforming health and lives are his passion and why he chose the entrepreneurship path. 

We talk about the importance of focusing on customers instead of chasing capitals, people and leadership, mindset and how to allow things to grow in oneself as opposed to breaking through walls.

Christian also shares some practical tips about mental recovery.

I’ve always enjoyed conversations like this one distilling little pieces of wisdom here and there. 

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Holly, Founder & CEO of Emergence Institute has dedicated her life to helping others find their purpose.

In this episode, we cover:

• Her journey and the lessons she’s learned as an entrepreneur
• How she discovered her own purpose
• Why business founders should uncover their purpose, with some examples
• 3 hypothesis why finding our purpose is often difficult
• The difference between the founder’s purpose and the business’ purpose

A conversation that goes beyond entrepreneurship.

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Coming from a humble family, Darren was the first in his family to get to the university, then PhD. After 10 years as a university professor, the entrepreneurship calling was too strong to resist. 

So he created Rivalus, which he brought to $20m revenue in 5 years. 

He then sold it and launched his 2nd company, Outcast Foods Inc in 2018, which has been doing very well too. 

There are some conversations that stick to you. That’s definitely one of them. From the academic world to becoming a serial entrepreneur, there’s a gap that Darren successfully bridged. 

There’s so much to say that I can’t summarize this episode. Just tune in, you’ll see. 

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For this episode, we're flipping the script.

I invited Rasmus to interview me and share a part of my life as well as my key learnings about entrepreneurship after more than 80 episodes.

• Why did I create this podcast?
• Why did I become an entrepreneur?
• What are the key milestones in my life that have made me who I am today?
• What have I learned about myself since I became an entrepreneur?
• What have I learned about entrepreneurship?
• What common mistakes do entrepreneurs/start-up founders make?
• Is there anything I'd have done differently in my entrepreneur’s journey?
• What is the 1 recommendation I would give to entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs?
• Have I cracked the entrepreneurship code?

Follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram for extra tips and knowledge about entrepreneurship.

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After beginning her career in corporate pharma, Carson decided it was time to launch her own business.

She launched Working Simply Inc. in 2015, a business consulting firm helping enterprises boost productivity, accelerate performance and develop high performance teams.

Carson’s new book is called: Own It, Love It, Make It Work - How To Make Any Job Your Dream Job.

We discuss productivity hacks for business owners and their teams as well as how to teach accountability and engage people.

She also shares some of her key lessons, why she pivoted her business from B2C to B2B and the importance of saying no to clients.

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In 2008, Pat was laid off as a Job Captain in the architecture industry. Since then, he has built several businesses online, such as The Smart Passive Income Blog, which have now allowed him to make much more, and work much less.

In this episode, we talk about his entrepreneurship journey, the key lessons he’s learned and mistakes he’s made, his dreams, as well as his top success habits. 

As Pat says, entrepreneurship is all about serving people, and he’s been really good at it. So grab a cup of coffee, sit down in your favorite chair and listen.

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After 10 years in the tourism industry, Patricia moved to the sex tech sector. That's when she came up with a pioneering idea that was so powerful she decided to launch MyHixel in 2017.

Do you think being an entrepreneur is tough? Well, what about when you're a woman tech entrepreneur working in the male sexual and health industry in southern Spain?

Patricia's resolve is strong though. She's recently managed to raise 2m € to take her company to the next level.

This episode is a lot about resilience and the power of an idea.

And it doesn't include any sexually explicit content.

This episode is brought to you by Impulse 4 Women.

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Simon describes himself as unemployable. So taking the entrepreneurship route made sense. He created Strategy Sprints in 2017.

They only do one thing: Doubling their clients' revenue in 90 days. They've developed a thorough process using 3 distinct strategies that Simon explains in detail.

We also talk a lot about the importance of delegating to scale up, why inner work is at the core of the entrepreneurial journey, and how to release tension to be more efficient.

From practical to spiritual.

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Annissa has more than 25 years of experience in HR, IT, Finance, and Strategy.

She loved her job but like most entrepreneurs, she wanted to make a bigger impact. So she founder LogLab LLC in 2015.

This episode focuses on modern HR for early-stage to more advanced companies.

• What is modern HR?
• How has HR evolved with time?
• How should HR help people love their job more?
• Why are we not looking at HR the right way and what can we do about it?'
• How should founders use HR?

In the last part, we discuss entrepreneurship, resilience, and the importance of being who you truly are.

HR should definitely not suck.

Buy Annissa's book The Comeback: https://www.theloglab.net/the-comeback

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Rewind is Mike's 4th company. He co-founded it in 2015, worked part-time on it, nights and weekends, for 18 months. Today, the company employs 120 staff and has raised $80m in VC capital.

Prior to that, Mike failed 2 businesses. So, we talk a lot about failure and how it has changed him.

We also discuss coaching and mentoring (yes!), the importance of finding the right dynamics between co-founders ("not all co-founders are created equal"), as well as entrepreneurship in general.

A guideline to success.

Do you want to be a podcast guest? Go to https://kitcaster.com/ctc to apply for a special offer for friends of this podcast.

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Special Start-up Episode, in collaboration with the Nordic Start-Up School. Part 5: Mentoring.

A conversation about mentoring with 3 NSS Mentors: Hanna Nylhom, Merituuli Vainio, and Tommi Ullgrén.

• What does a mentor do?
• Why does mentoring matter?
• Who can be a mentor? What are the characteristics of a great mentor?
• What are the benefits of mentoring for start-ups?
• What should start-up teams do to maximize the mentoring experience?
• What are the common mistakes start-ups make with mentors?
• How to increase mentors' value and impact?
• How can the start-up ecosystem leverage better on mentors?

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Hatti was the 1st non-legal in the UK to set up a legal firm, Red Bar Law LLP. She's never lost a case since 2012.

She also launched her podcast Get Legally Speaking in Feb 2019, and exceeded 1m downloads in 18 months!

We discuss a lot about mental wellbeing through being disciplined, prioritizing ("don't be busy being busy"), and developing the right mindset ("learn to be you").

Hatti also talks about the importance of legal issues for entrepreneurs, and why you should protect your business.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the episode.

Do you want to be a podcast guest? Go to https://kitcaster.com/ctc to apply for a special offer for friends of this podcast.

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Nicolai jumped from one job to another before he eventually followed his calling: entrepreneurship. So he went on and founded WebAmp in 2015.

At the heart of any business are people. Just listen to Nicolai talking about his people to understand how critical their role is and why you should focus on making them better every day.

We also discuss opportunities, trials and failures, leading during a pandemic, how to make the customer the hero as well as entrepreneurship in Denmark.

A conversation that will definitely lift you up.

Do you want to be a podcast guest? Go to https://kitcaster.com/ctc to apply for a special offer for friends of this podcast.

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Kara started her career at CNN when it was a start-up. She went on to create Hint Inc. in 2005, in an industry she had 0 experience in.

Today, her company generates $100m a year of sales and is the largest non-alcoholic beverage in the US with no relationship with big soda companies.

Kara's philosophy is straightforward: overcome your doubts, the people who doubt you, and believe in yourself. Successful entrepreneurs are just normal people who are willing to take a chance.

In this episode, she shares her fascinating story building Hint. We discuss mindset, the importance of being curious and asking questions, and how to overcome your fears.

The entrepreneurial mindset at its best.

Do you want to be a podcast guest? Go to https://kitcaster.com/ctc to apply for a special offer for friends of this podcast.

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Nolan launched Intrinium 15 years ago. It has received the best-place-to-work award 4 years in a row and is one of America's fastest-growing Inc 5000 companies. 

Obviously, Nolan's learned some key lessons along the way and made some painful mistakes. One of which resulted in a burn-out. 

In this fun episode, we discuss leadership, self-care, company's culture, business partnerships, scaling up, and most importantly why people are the ones making the journey successful. 

Full of actionable takeaways. 

Grab a copy of Nolan's book, F*ck Me Running A Business- https://www.nolangarrett.co/

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Dina is a social entrepreneur. She created Education For Sharing in 2007 and is on a mission to form better global citizens through the power of play.

She shares her story and discusses social entrepreneurship, planning vs. executing, purpose, as well as a few myths about entrepreneurship.

A beautiful conversation from a person who has found her way to bring her values to life.

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Attention start-up founders!

Steve, the co-Founder of Property Guru, shares his scale-up story from a small team of 5 in 2007 to being the Board Director with 1,300 employees and a valuation of over US$ 1B today. 

He was once told at school that he'd be a failure. He's been wanting to prove people wrong since. 

That wasn't easy though. He talks about how he nearly broke the company along the way, and what it took to recover. 

A MUST listen. Absolute gold. 

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Peter helps speakers, high-performing professionals, corporate teams, TEDx speakers, and founders to share powerful stories and build acute speaking and presence skills.

Public speaking goes far beyond being on a stage. It's about every interaction we have with other people.

In this episode, we discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about public speaking.

• Why is it important for founders to develop public speaking skills?

• What are the keys to great public speaking?

• Are there any differences between speaking on a stage in front of a live audience vs. speaking via an online platform? Pitching vs. Presenting? Talking in front of a video camera? Selling?

• What are the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make re: public speaking?

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In 2006, Matt resigned from his job and decided to start the entrepreneurship adventure. He founded Bottle Rocket Labs.

Matt is an inventor who went all the way to be on the Shark Tank TV show and got funded.

The problem is he made critical mistakes along the way. So we talk about all the things he should have done differently.

These include the importance for entrepreneurs of being prepared to sell, making sure they cross the finish line and saving retirement money from day 1.

An honest, different, fun, and very down-to-earth conversation.

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Sandy launched Tangerine based on the strong belief that one can create a business that's both ethical and profitable.

20 years later and 98 employees more, she proved she was right. With such an experience, she has 1-2 things to say about entrepreneurship.

In this episode, we talk company's culture, the importance of failing, how she planned for her exit strategy (giving shares to employees) and why people always come before money,

Funny, inspiring, and 100% value.

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Special Start-up Episode, in collaboration with the Nordic Start-Up School. Part 4: Finance & Fundraising.

Aki Luukkainen and Ilkka Kaikuvuo joined me to discuss everything related to financial management and fundraising.

• What's financial management? How is it linked to fundraising?
• Why is it critical that start-up founders understand financial management?
• What are the financial management tools that any start-up founders should learn?
• What are the different ways a start-up can fund itself?
• What does it take to successfully raise funds?
• What are the fundraising red flags?
• What’s the #1 practical tip you’d give to any start-up?

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Meet Celyn Jones, award-winning Actor, Writer, Producer, and entrepreneur. 

Celyn open-heartedly shares his journey from his 1st audition (spoiler alert: he lied!), his experience teaching drama to kids, to writing movies, and becoming the co-Founder of Mad As Birds. 

One thing is clear: Celyn is driven by the entrepreneurial spirit.  

So when you interview someone like Celyn, you ask the questions and you let your guest do the talking. 

Inspiring, really. 

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Special Start-up Episode, in collaboration with the Nordic Start-Up School. Part 3: Team Building.

3 NSS mentors joined the conversation: Mia Wähälä, Merituuli Vainio, and Aleksander Gansen, to discuss everything start-ups need to know about team building.

• How to recruit your co-founder(s)?
• How to build the co-founders' team?
• How to recruit your first staff?
• What are the most common mistakes start-up can do when it comes to team building?
• What is the #1 practical tip you'll give any start-up?

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Ana is an aerospace engineer and worked for 16 years for Airbus. 6 years ago, she caught the entrepreneurship virus and founded her first start-up Canard Drones. That company doing very well, she decided it was time to launch her 2nd start-up ForestChain.

Energy is the word that comes to mind when listening to Ana. We dig down into the importance of having the right mindset as entrepreneurs.

She also shares her recipe for her success: Creating a team, using data, and being very customer-centric.

A great dose of positive vibes!

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Robin had a clear career path in the UK. That was before he decided to change life and move to Finland in 2003. Because he couldn't find a job, he started free-lancing for UK companies and gradually took the entrepreunarial road.

He created Itu Design in 2007 in a way that would allow him to enjoy the lifestyle he was aspiring to have.

Robin doesn't crave for growth. His ambition is to keep his business small enough to build strong client relationships while being able to enjoy life as much as possible.'

At a time of unicorns and growth for the sake of growing, this conversation provides a fresh alternative to being an entrepreneur. 

PS: We also talk about the future of office space post-pandemic

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Being an entrepreneur is a tough job, with a lot of ups and downs. Combined with all the challenges the pandemic has created, the journey can quickly become draining and one can reach the bottom and lose motivation.

Hence the questions : How do entrepreneurs keep their motivation levels high? Where do they find the strength to continue?

I've invited 4 successful entrepreneurs (and former guests) located in 4 completely different business environments:

Laxmi Gandhi, the founder of a boutique consulting company OPERAScale in the USA, that specializes in go to market strategies utilizing first principles thinking. She helps leaders get unstuck and go back to the fundamentals of why they started their business and communicate with clarity on what they are actually doing.

Richard Burrage is the Managing Director of Cimigo, a boutique market research agency that he founded in 2002 in Vietnam. He’s been living in Asia since 1992, and has seen firsthand the transformation of the region with all the challenges that came with it.

Maria Frangieh is the Founder and Managing Director of SocialPrise, a digital marketing agency based in Lebanon. She founded her company 15 years ago and decided from the start to make it a 100% remote company. She knows what challenge means operating in a country that has been economically suffering over the past years.

Paul Baker is the founder of St Pierre Groupe based in the UK, a bakery business with a love of European Bakery. He bankrupted his first business at the age of 17 and took 10 years before he got back to entrepreneurship. He acquired St Pierre Groupe in 2002 and one day decided that he’d conquer the American market, which he did. That didn’t come without its challenges though.

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After taking a massage class in Thailand, Rachel studied massage therapy in the US and founded Press Modern Massage.

She started in May 2008 by trading free massages against space. In August 2008, she had 110 clients. 13 years later, her business sales reached 10m US$ annually.

Rachel is a bit of a perfectionist, to the point it got in her way until she did something about it. She shares her tips to focus on progress rather than perfection. We also talk about the importance of delegating tasks and decisions, how processes can help businesses scale up, and what to do about your imposter syndrome.

She says: "We are the product of our decisions." You should decide to listen to this episode then.

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Special Start-up Episode, in collaboration with the Nordic Start-Up School. Part 2: Business Planning.

A conversation with 3 NSS Mentors: Hanne Nuutinen, Hanna Nylhom and Pasi Pohjola, to discuss everything start-ups need to know about Business Planning (also called Strategy).

• What is business planning / strategy?
• Why do start-ups need to focus on strategy/business planning?
• Where to start? What elements should they focus on?
• What are the reasons not to launch a start-up?
• What are the biggest strategy mistakes start-ups can make?
• What is the #1 practical tip you'll give any start-up?

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Rob has always been passionate about social media. He was studying in the USA at the time Facebook was still a start-up and ended up being one of the first Brits with an account.

He got his 1st client the same day he created Social Republic.

Rob has learned a main lesson throughout his entrepreneurship journey: Enjoying the ride, having fun, taking the time to reflect and celebrate.

The importance of leaving a positive impact through ethical social media is another recurring topic. We also address marketing, how to scale through a network of experts, as well as why you should develop processes.

35mn of valuable insights.

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Alexandra is a mechanical engineer by education but definitely an entrepreneur at heart. She founded Eyrus in 2015.

“The idea of taking an idea and then just building it, it never gets old to me." This is a great summary of our discussion. Alexandra loves building things from scratch. She tells us how she was able to find a black hole in a fragmented industry and quickly grew into a 100-employee company.

Her keys to success so far: being very customer-centric, being structured, learning from the team, and making sure that the founders' roles evolve as the company is scaling up.

Lots of food for thoughts.

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Richard is a CPA who got fed up from his 9 to 5 job and decided it was time to shake the accounting industry. In 2015, he created TaxFyle, a one stop online tax service.

"Our team does one thing very well: We solve problems." How to organize people so they can solve problems better than others is the core of our discussion.

We also talk about the keys to disrupt a traditional market and expand internationally, what it takes to be an entrepreneur (hint: it's a lot about honesty), growth hacking and why financial management matters.

Sit down, relax, and get a good dose of inspiration.

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Maria was born a philanthropist. When she got married, Her husband and she were donating 30% of their income to good causes.

Today she's a social entrepreneur on a quest through Open Value Foundation to change people's approach to money.

In this episode we talk a lot about what social entrepreneurship is really about, impact investing, theory of change and how philanthropy can benefit businesses.

0% nonsense, 100% optimism!

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Special Start-up Episode, in collaboration with the Nordic Start-Up School. Part 1 : Sales & Marketing.

Kelvin Chikezie, Ukko Järvinen and Anthony Sundström, 3 NSS mentors joined me to discuss everything start-ups need to know about Sales & Marketing.

• Why do start-ups need to focus on sales & marketing? Will they fail if they don't?
• What should they specifically spend time on? Where should they start? Is there a difference between B2B, B2C and B2B2C?
• What are the most frequent questions start-ups have?
• How and where can they get their first clients?
• What are the biggest sales & marketing mistakes they can make?
• What is the #1 practical tip you'll give any start-up?

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Alistair founded Extreme in 1995. That's right, 26 years ago. And he's still absolutely passionate about it.

He's on a mission to drive positive change through extreme and adventurous sports. He shares his focus on sustainability throughout his entrepreneurship journey, and talks about topics close to his heart such as gender equality, climate change and mental health.

If you've been following the podcast for a while, you should now know how important people are in building a business. That's another core topic we address in this interview, together with Alistair's leadership lessons and why Covid19 wasn't all negative.

Make it happen and listen to this episode.

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Dana has a double BA in marketing and information system as well as a Master in financial management. If it wasn't enough, she moved from a corporate career to the entrepreneur's life in 2018 and founded Jiuyi.

As she explains, it was the right time, at the right place with the right people.

In this episode we cover the basics of doing business in China, the importance of being fully prepared, and why you should promote people from within your company. Dana also shares her secret recipe to selling to corporate clients.

Never give up. I won't. Will you?

This episode was made possible thanks to Impulse4Women.

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Jeff Morrill co-founded Planet Subaru, "your undealership" in 1998, which became one of the most successful privately-held car dealerships in the United States.

He now acts more as a coach and let his team operates the business. Such a situation gave him the time to write a book about his entrepreneurship and life lessons (Profit Wise, How To Make More Money In Business By Doing The Right Thing"). 

Jeff's key focus has always been people, his team, his customers and the community. He shares his insights about building a company culture by and for people, why any business should put their customers at the center of everything they do, how to lead from behind, and how to make more money by doing the right things. 

Buy his book "Profit Wise", all revenue go to charities. 

Get in touch with Jeff: https://www.jeffmorrill.com/email-jeff

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Gabriela co-founded Mumi Design 7 years ago because she believed there were people out there like herself who'd like to be organized and couldn't work in chaos.

She was right. Her love for the product is definitely one of her key assets, together with a strong knowledge of the market. 2 topics we discuss in this interview.

We also address the impact of Covid19, how it nearly killed the business and the 1 thing that kept it all together.

What can I say? Every week I meet passionate entrepreneurs. Gabriela is one of them.

Get in touch with her: gabriela@mumidesign.com

NB: Apologies for the sound issue on my side.

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Inter:views 57 | Joel Willans | Ink Tank Media | Finland

Passion is definitely the word that comes to mind when you chat with Joel Willans, Co-Founder at Ink Tank Media, and creator of the hugely successful Very Finnish Problem.

Joel started his career with a job in ad sales in the UK then ended up years later in Finland "for the weather" as he says.

Obviously, we had to talk about social media and content strategy. But we also discussed the importance of building relationships, sales, recruitment, the impact of Covid19 as well as book writing.

An open-hearted conversation.

Get in touch with Joel: joel.willans@inktank.fi

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Stay Committed

Entrepreneurship runs in Ilana's blood. She founded World Tech Inc. because she wants to contribute to preserving the ecosystem.

In this episode, we focus on entrepreneurial sustainable development as Ilana explains the ins and outs of climate tech, and how being committed (as an entrepreneur and a human being) can make the difference.

Also on the menu: Doing business in Colombia, team building, and why she bootstrapped her company instead of going after the VC money.

Entrepreneurship with a cause. Many practical tips on how to stay committed.

This episode was made in collaboration with Impulse4Women.

Get in touch with Ilana: ilana@worldtechmakers.com

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There Are No Shortcuts

A systematic analytical approach to a market opportunity is Ola's secret to success. He founded 4 companies and exited 2 of them (to Beats by Dr. Dre and Apple!).

His last venture, SoundTrack Your Brand is on its way to become another major hit.

Ola talks about how he's always mixed his passion with an analytical mindset. He shares much insights about the importance of sharp focus, identifying gaps in the market and the pre-requisites to get your company invested into.

But it didn't come overnight...

Get in touch with Ola on LinkedIn.

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Entrepreneurs Sell The Future

Olga is an entrepreneur in a country where entrepreneurship is not the norm.

She recognizes that her journey to find the right product market fit has been hectic: 2 years, 3 to 5 major pivots along the way, but she did manage to raise 5m USD in 2020 for her company Elementaree.

Olga also shares her tips to stay motivated, and most of all, give very valuable and practical insights on how to successfully raise money.

A notebook and a pen is what you need.

Get in touch with Olga: olga@elementaree.ru

This episode is brought to you by Impulse 4 Women.

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Look After Yourself

I've said it before: How can you take care of your business if you don't take care of yourself first? Perhaps you'll believe Liam Norval, former professional football player turned entrepreneur with Posh Cockney.

We're getting personal on this episode as Liam tells us about his journey towards becoming an entrepreneur, where "everyday was a hangover."

He talks about self-care and how it benefits entrepreneurs, the importance of finding the right balance in life (there's more to life than just work), and he shares practical tips that can actually make you a better entrepreneur.

Find a quiet place and just tune-in. Words of wisdom.

Get in touch with Liam: liam.norval@poshcockney.co.uk

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Start Before You're Ready

I launched Inter:views more than a year ago and I'm still fascinated by the conversations I have. Here's another great chat with Sofia Pohls, co-Founder and CEO of Finders Seekers.

She describes her funny journey towards becoming an entrepreneur. We also talk about how to build winning teams, how to recruit the right people, why entrepreneurship is a path to self-awareness and she shares her best leadership lessons.

Listen and learn. I know I did.

Get in touch with Sofia: sofia@findersseekers.io

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Be Client Fit, Not VC Fit

At the age of 23, Dom started his 1st digital marketing agency in the USA, at a time when Internet was called the information superhighway and the bill was up to 8,000US$ per month! 

Fast forward to today, he's the Founder and CEO of UniQorn Incubator-Accelerator, as well as the Start-up Super Cup, and has a lot of entrepreneurial insights to share. 

He tells us about the qualities entrepreneurs must possess, what are the start-up do's and don'ts (hint: sales), how to balance your team out, and why there's a disconnect between the VC and the start-up worlds. 

If you're serious about entrepreneurship, definitely a must listen. 

Contact Dom: dom@uniqornincubator.com  

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There's No Shame In Asking For Help

Sean's journey to entrepreneurship is interesting. 20 years ago he started working at Radioville a bit by chance, became a shareholder years later and ended up buying the business in 2018.

Sean shares his struggles moving from a technician to an entrepreneur running a business, and how he's been smartly addressing them. We also talk about the benefits of building an ecosystem with strategic partners around you and why there's no shame in asking for help.

Get in touch with Sean: Sean@radioville.co.uk

I'm passionate about entrepreneurship and great ideas. I created Inter:views to give a voice to entrepreneurs and crack the entrepreneurship code. Find out more about me.

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You Cannot Thrive In Chaos

Entrepreneurship is Alicia's way to use her natural skills and abilities. She's very good at organizing and she decided to make a business out of it, Equilibria Inc. 

In this episode, we talk a lot about a neglected topic: business infrastructure, how to move from being messy to being organized. We also cover the importance of trusting your instincts, listening to your customers and how to plan a business selling strategy. 

Get in touch with Alicia: apierre@eqbsystems.com

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Decoding Entrepreneurship

Inter:views was created to crack the entrepreneurship code. It's time to decode it a little. 

I’ve analyzed what my guests said, compiled their best practices and best quotes. In this episode I share 5 common elements that play a major role in doing entrepreneurship the right way. 

Extra valuable content. Be ready to take notes. 

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Persistence Is Key

How many times have you thought about quitting being an entrepreneur? The thought has crossed Sarah Selhi's mind several times. She is the CEO and founder of SpaceiShare (https://www.spaceishare.com/). But entrepreneurship is a calling and she came back stronger every time. 

In this episode we discuss about persistence of course, as well as how to overcome adversity, the importance of purpose (yes again!), and sales for entrepreneurs. 

This episode is brought to by Impulse4Women (https://www.impulse4women.org/), a non-profit organization that connects female tech entrepreneurs and social impact projects with investors and corporate partners.

Get in touch with Sarah: sarah@spaceishare.com 

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Enjoy The Journey, Not The Destination

I created Inter:views to have conversation just like this one! A MUST listen for all the entrepreneurs out there. 

Paul started his 1st business at the age of 16, got nearly bankrupt at 18. Fast forward, Saint Pierre Group will soon reach £100m turnover. 

In this interview, Paul shares his personal journey and talks a lot about the importance of seeking opportunities as well as giving back, through his charity work especially, but also as a leader.

He gives some valuable leadership lessons (his anecdote about getting a social post from The Rock himself is gold) including how he had to adapt to fast growth. 

There's so much to say that best is you listen to it. 

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Help Your Clients Make More Money

If you want to understand the importance of finding your purpose, and how to find it, then listening to Laxmi, the founder of Beyond Your Data, is a MUST.

She tells us about how personal your journey on the path to your why gets, how it connects with your business, and how it'll create value for your clients, hence eventually help them make more money. 

A lesson about being human and entrepreneur at the same time. 

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Take Hiring Seriously

VanHack specializes in placing tech talents and relocate them.  Ilya started the company because he truly listened to what people needed. 

In this episode we talk a lot about HR: the importance of hiring the right people, how to hire correctly (have you thought about your interviewing process for instance?) and why recruiting is 100% marketing and sales. 

Ilya's goal? Make VanHack the largest tech recruiting company in the world, not less. He definitely has some practical knowledge to share. 

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Think Outside Of The Box

Meet Danielle, the founder of W-Source. Her specific entrepreneurship touch as she describes it: Thinking outside of the box.

That's what we do in this great conversation. We talk internationalization (with little budget), cultural influences, humility, and she gives us practical tips to keep high level of self motivation. 

Until she reversed the roles and started asking me questions! 

This episode is supported by Impulse 4 Women, a non profit organization aiming to connect, promote and impulse women entrepreneurs.

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We Know The Power of 2

Eli Libby and Kyle Nelson know the power of co-founding their company Results Imagery, I know the power of a conversation full of value! 

Of course we talk about the advantages of having a co-founder, the yin and the yang as they explain it. We also cover topics such as the importance of building the right foundations from the beginning, accountability, leadership and mentors. 

1+1 =3 

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Be Very Active With Sales

What can I say? Another very inspiring conversation with Natalija, the founder of IT Academy STEP and Sisters of Code in Cambodia. 

From the corporate world to the entrepreneurship life, from Latvia to Cambodia, there's a gap that she bridged. She learned one expensive lesson along the way: focus on sales! 

Also in this episode: starting a business in an emerging market, the importance of hard work, and why entrepreneurs shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes. 

Cherry on the cake: Natalija tells us how she supports local girls to enter the digital economy through her non-profit Sisters of Code. 

Women entrepreneurs rock!

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Make The World Know That You Exist

David started his entrepreneurship journey at the age of 16 with 10€ on his bank account. Fast forward 15 years, he's the Managing Partner of The F Company a B2B growth marketing agency. 

In a nutshell: amazingly valuable content! We talk 101 growth marketing (I finally understood it!), the importance of using data, failure, knowing when to let go and get new people on board, and most importantly why being visible is a must-do for every entrepreneurs. 

Another step towards cracking the entrepreneurship code! 

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You Need To Love What You Do

What a conversation! Full of practical tips and insights into building SocialPrise as a remote company. Maria's entrepreneurship adventure started 15 years ago in the mountains of Lebanon.

We talked about how blogging launched it all, the importance of loving what you do, of learning, of building a team, being patient and saying no. 

There's so much I could say that you know what? Just listen to it, 100% worth it! 

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I Knew I'd Become and Entrepreneur

Dre is a former professional basketball player who turned entrepreneur. He created Work On Your Game Inc to help people apply what sports had taught him into their lives and businesses. 

The story started back in 2005 when he published his first video on a brand new platform called You Tube. 

We talk about how social media and the Internet have transformed the business landscape, how they helped me become who he is today and why entrepreneurship makes so much sense for him. 

A lot of relevant content for all generations!

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Having Conversations Is Absolutely Key

I love learning new stuff. Maria, co-founded FilmChain to solve an issue within the film industry that I would never have imagined existed.  

You'll have to listen to find out. One thing I can tell you though: once again, purpose shows its true power when it comes to entrepreneurship. 

Also on this episode: the importance of having conversations, finding the right co-founder and hiring the right team, as well as how designing a road map (2 actually) is critical. 

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What I Do Feels Goddam Right!

I'm on a quest to crack the entrepreneurship code and Oliver is on a quest to build an online platform that matches seniors with caregivers all across Europe.

Oliver co-founded Mecasa in 2016 and has been bootstrapping it with public funding since. 

In this episode: why finding your purpose feels good, how to create an environment of trust, the importance of data collection and what's it going to take to scale the business up to 200 people. 

Another passionate and ambitious entrepreneur. 

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I Found Freedom

Veronica started her entrepreneurship journey more than 12 years ago because she had to survive. She was immediately hooked. 

In this episode, we talk about the importance of finding your skills, cash management, relationships and we go deep into the power of resilience. 

Bonus: Veronica demystifies blockchain and cryptocurrency for the ignorant like myself. 

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Make Your Business Investable

Would you like to understand how to successfully raise money for your business? Should you go after a VC, an angel investor, or other types of investors? 

Then listen to Andries De Vos, the co-founder and CEO of Slash, an hi-tech Startup Studio. 

We also talk about the importance of the founders' vision, operating a business remotely as well as the challenges associated with partnering with your spouse. 

A no-fluff conversation. 

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Give Yourself The Permission To Fail

This week, we're going to India to meet Kashmira, Principal Coach and Founder of Learning Essence. 

From electrical engineering to coaching, there's one gap that she bridged.

We explored emotional intelligence (especially permission to fail and power within oneself) as well as the entrepreneurship differences between emerging markets ("need to survive") and advanced economies ("need to thrive").  

A beautiful conversation, really. 

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You Need To Crawl Before You Walk

3 years ago, Adam Posner founded NHP Talent Group, a talent access consultancy, and he's been on a mission to succeed since. 

Once again, there's tons of good and practical stuff in this episode.

We talk: recruitment, business development, coaching (Yes!), tenacity, and how to be invaluable. 

Bonus: If you're from a time when telephone still had cords, you're going to enjoy it.  

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Build Things That Make You Proud of Who You Are

Roxana is a busy entrepreneur. She started as a free-lance consultant and eventually founder her start-up in the health care industry. She tells us about the differences between working in a service industry as a solo-preneur and building a product with a team. 

She's also very active in promoting women entrepreneurship, and I was really happy to discuss gender issues with her. 

We also talked about time management, finding clarity and life purpose... A great menu! 

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You Need A Different Motivator Than Money

Nicholas has just started his second venture WithClutch, in the fintech industry. He sold the first one 4 years after setting it up. In another life, he was playing on the German Golf National team. 

This time is different now. This time, he's driven by a real sense of purpose. 

I love talking to all these entrepreneurs who want to make the world a better place, one problem at a time. 

Nicholas shares his journey in 35mn. Enjoy! 

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Customers Just Don't Leave For 1 Reason

Meet Anita Toth. She specializes in churn and help B2B SaaS companies grow. 

If you want to know about customer retention then you should tune in. The secret: listen more to your customers and understand their WHYs.

She also shares her adventures of ups and downs on the way to become who she is today. 

More about her consulting business: https://anitatoth.ca/

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It's All About Communication

Warning: this podcast is full of content that every entrepreneurs should listen to. 

Meet Brian Mac Mahon, Head Honcho at Expert Dojo, an early-stage accelerator. 

He tells us about the realities of building and successfully growing a business, and how communication - as well as an amazing product - is key. 

More about Expert Dojo: https://expertdojo.com/ 

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A Product Is Never 100% Ready

Zuzana Dobrovolna was born a communist kid. It has taught her to continuously step out her comfort zone in life and at work. It has definitely influenced her career as a Design Thinker. 

In this episode, she talks about the importance of developing resilience by exposing oneself to new "flavors". We also dig down into the principles of design thinking and why a product can never be 100% ready. 

More about Zuzanna: https://zuzanadobro.com/

If you'd like to be a guest: contact@laurentnotin.com

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KPIs Are Boring!

It's amazing the journeys some entrepreneurs can have. Carsten Ley is one of them. From Germany to Vietnam via Mexico, from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, Carsten now specializes in experience management.

In this episode, we talk about the benefits of OKRs vs. KPIs, why managing experience start with listening and the advantages of being an entrepreneur.

More about Asia PMO: https://www.asiapmo.com/

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Technology On Its Own Doesn't Grow Your Company

Julien started his career in the aeronautics and automotive industries, before moving to South-East Asia. 15 years ago, he founded CEL, a supply chain consulting company, a bit by luck, and a lot because he saw an opportunity.

In this interview, we discuss about opportunities, strategy, technology, international expansion and resilience.

More about CEL: https://www.cel-consulting.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Overcome Your Fear, Go For It!

Anna is the Founder and CEO of WeEncourage, a fundraising platform and open source AI tool that helps empower women.

She went from a retail business into building something she had 0 experience about. The calling to make an impact was too strong, she could not resist.

It's one of the most inspiring conversations I've had. We talked a lot about resilience, overcoming fear, failure and how routines can build efficiency.

More about WeEncourage: https://encourage.fi/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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We Don't Exercise Our Storytelling Muscle Enough

Tom helps tech businesses telling their stories in a more creative and engaging way. We cover in details 2 key questions: Why is it often difficult to describe our business to others? What makes a good story (cues: tension and relability)?

Also on this episode: how to scale up a small business, and why you shouldn't neglect your health for the sake of your business.

More about Tom: https://www.tomhayton.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Do The Uncomfortable Work, Serve Others First

Heloise is an impact-driven passionate entrepreneur. She's the CEO and co-Founder of Husk Ventures, a social enterprise that aims at improving livelihoods of small farmers by turning rice husk into biochar.

She tells us all about this fascinating topic. She also shares practical key entrepreneurship lessons, in particular, how asking the right question could have saved the business 1 year.

More about Husk Ventures: http://www.huskventures.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Follow Your Intuition and Never Give Up

If you want to know what it takes to be impact-driven and persevere, don't miss this episode!

Meet Kirsi, the Founder of ViLike. She's passionate about using technology to make people physically move. Her crazy entrepreneur journey began at the university. Crazy because she lost all the data twice! Which means she started her company from scratch 3 times! This is her story.

More about ViLike: https://vilike.fi/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Take Time Out To Reflect On Significant Decisions

Richard is the Founder and Managing Director of Cimigo, a market research agency operating in Vietnam and Indonesia.

He defines himself as a curious mind, which brought him to Asia in the early 90's. We talk about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur in a region that has been changing fast, and how ego can get in your way. This episode also includes the biggest mistake I've ever heard and the client's amazing reaction.

More about Cimigo: https://www.cimigo.com/en/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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A Leader Is Invisible But Available

Berta is a designer and entrepreneur at heart. She's the co-founder of TeamLabs, a campus of innovation and entrepreneurship.

As Berta says: "Entrepreneurship cannot be taught, you need to live it." She tells us about the importance of learning, and how entrepreneurship is the most important educational tool of our time.

More about TeamLabs: https://www.teamlabs.es/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Entrepreneurship Is A Sense Of Ownership

Ville is Maria01 CEO, the largest start-up campus in Finland. A former entrepreneur himself, today his clients are all entrepreneurs. 

In this episode, we talk about how his motto drives his life, entrepreneurship mindset, leadership, challenges and recipes for success. He also tells us about the start-up scene. 

More about Maria01: https://maria.io/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Discipline Is Everything

Meet Bob Chua, the founder of the Asian e-commerce platform BlinQ.

We cover 1 fundamental of structuring a business: being disciplined. He also tells us about how he created and successfully exited Pulse Group PLC, prior to his current venture.

Find out more about Bob's company: https://www.blinq.fashion

Inter:views is sponsored by @BERTOLIDigital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.   Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Every Employee Is A Designer Of Value For Clients

Chris is a successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of Doodle Brands and specializes in human-centered design. 

He believes that any business issue starts with how to add value to your customers. Listen to him to find out why and how it should be done.

More about Chris' business: https://doodlebrands.co/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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There Is No B2B or B2C, There Is Only H2H.

Would you like to do what modern marketing is about? And why we should start calling consumers "people" instead? Then listen to Steve Brown, the founder and CEO at ROI Online. 

Steve also wrote a book titled The Golden Toilet, so I had to dig into the writing process. 

Find out more about Steve's business: https://www.roionline.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Always Be Looking For Great People To Join Your Team

David travels between Cambodia and the UK. Through his company Ateliers Cole, he's been delivering architectural solutions to private and public clients.

The central topic of this episode evolves around people, whom David gives upmost importance to. We also talked about the pros and cons of entrepreneurship as well as his not-for-profit involvement.

Find out more about David's company: https://ateliercole.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Have A True Purpose, Something Greater Than You

Meet Tom, the CEO and co-Founder of TheoremReach. We talked a lot about one of my favorite subjects: finding your why!

Also on this episode's menu:

• The role of a CEO

• How your people can strive

• Planning

• Building cash

More about Tom's company : https://www.theoremreach.com/

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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The More I Empower My Team, The Easier My Job Is

Prepare for some excellent leadership lessons with Eric, the co-Founder and Executive Director of Swiss Glass Auto, as he explains how to build a solid team. 

We also talk about keeping a positive mindset during turbulent times, as well as, music to my ears, the importance of mentoring.  

Inter:views is sponsored by BERTOLI Digital (https://www.bertolidigital.com), a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals and SMEs.

Would you like to be a guest? 👉 contact@laurentnotin.com

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Working Remotely Is Only Going To Accelerate

Meet Adam Fayed, the co-founder and director of International-AMG. In nearly 2 years, he moved his business to 100% remote. His website attracts up to 80,000 visitors a month, and his Quora profile drags more than 9 million views per month. 

He is giving us some of the keys to build an efficient business online and manage people remotely. We also talked a little about the importance of cash-flow for businesses. 

Another full-on Inter:views! 

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Most Entrepreneurs Need to Learn Selling

Joschua is a very passionate entrepreneur, speaker and trainer.

Former actor, cancer survivor, poker player, active networker, we talked about many topics: entrepreneurs' mindset, sales, business scalability, VR, social media and leadership. 

Don't miss it!

Inter:views is sponsored by Bertolidigital.com, a Wix website's agency built for Startups, Individuals & SMEs. 

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A strong company culture is where you have trust

Joakim is the 1st entrepreneur I met in Finland. After 15 years experience as a business owner, he now dedicates his time helping other entrepreneurs build successful ventures. 

In this Inter:views, we talk a lot about the importance of company culture as well as the art of listening. 

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Chris founded Dot Fusion Digital agency 23 years ago. His family members are all entrepreneurs, so it just made sense for him to embark on the entrepreneurship journey too.

Chris is driven by high ethics. In this interview, he shares how building business around friendship has been critical to his success. 

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I met Gregory in Cambodia years ago and he was the first person that I contacted before I moved to Finland. Greg is the co-founder of Critical Charm, a VR Gaming start-up. He is telling us about the importance of balancing private and professional life, and how it actually helps him plan better. 

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Tassilo is a serial entrepreneur based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Born German, he is a beer fan, and his latest venture, Hops Craft Beer Garden, has quickly become a favorite among the local crowds. In this Inter:view, he tells us about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

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I Wanted To Do My Part and Play Something Positive

Rachel is the founder of Penh Lenh. With her 100% female staff, she handcrafts high quality jewelry and is determined to reach customers globally. In this interview, she talks about how her journey addressing social justice issues and empowering women have made her business successful.

More about Penh Lenh: https://www.penhlenh.com/

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From Silicon Valley to Phnom Penh, from the corporate world to becoming entrepreneurs, listen to Chris & Nancy as they share their 20 year experience, and the keys to success. More about their agency: https://www.mangotango.asia/

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Jovany is an entrepreneur with a strong sales mentality, which took him from being a fruit juice vendor to a key real estate specialist. He is the Founder and Managing Director of CMS a property management services company based in Cambodia - http://www.cms-propertymanagement.com/

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Implementing KPIs Was A Real Turning Point

Meet Celia Boyd, Founder & Managing Director of SHE Investments, a social enterprise supporting women in Cambodia, and listen to her talk about how strategy, and mentors, helped change her business.

About SHE Investments: https://www.sheinvestments.com/

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I Always Wanted To Be An Entrepreneur

The first episode is taking place in Cambodia, where I met with Klara Grintal, the Managing Partner of Branderz, a branding, communications and design studio.

She is telling us about her journey as an entrepreneur, her challenges as well as her successes.