Angels, Exits, & Acquisitions: Recent Episodes
Jeff Barnes
Jeff Barnes, the CEO of Angel Investors Network and Fund Manager for the Angels & Heroes Venture Growth Fund interviews successful entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, and private equity partners to help you learn the strategies and keys to success in early stage investing. The Angels, Exits, & Acquisitions podcast is perfect for entrepreneurs looking for the edge on how to find and raise capital... For investors looking to diversify their portfolio and take advantage of the modern age "gold rush" of private investing... And for venture capitalists and private equity partners who are looking for their next venture partner to bring in more capital and deals! If you're interested in learning how to create life long wealth and a legacy through starting, scaling, and exiting a business, this is the podcast for you! Join Jeff Barnes as he interviews the top 1% of all investors and entrepreneurs on the Angels, Exits, & Acquisitions Podcast!
Todd Smith has consulted hundreds of startups and businesses during the process of raising capital, and his success rates are off the charts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Randy Tate exited his first company, coached hundreds of business owners, then helped an Inc 500 SaaS grow up, and is now building the future platform for investing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How one entrepreneur created a $1 Billion exit by changing the marketing game for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s episode Jeff and Erock speak to Justin Donald, the Warren Buffet of lifestyle investment, about investment that supports your lifestyle and the 10 Commandments of lifestyle investing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Dinesh Gauba This week on Angels, Exits, & Acquisitions podcast, Jeff Barnes and Erock Christopher is talking to Dinesh Gauba. Dinesh is a serial tech executive, a dynamic entrepreneur, and a sharp investor. He has built up a diverse portfolio of angel investments, real estate investments, and alternate cash flow investments. He became involved in investing after having been a part of different tech startups that went through the acquisition process. Having an electrical engineering degree he leaned towards the tech industry with software, embedded systems, semiconductors, and video technology. Over the years he has invested in real estate, oil, and gas, angel investing distressed properties. He has developed an interest in disruptive technology in the environment sector as well as the health and wellness industry. One of his ventures Through years of investment experience he has mastered the ins and outs of investing. He has learned how to create wealth and earn financial freedom as an entrepreneur and as an investor through smart investments. In addition, Dinesh has built expertise in tax reduction strategies, helping businesses keep more of their earnings. How Dinesh overcame a personal health challenge Eighteen months ago Dinesh survived a serious car accident and it took him months to recover from that. He could not walk for over three months and did not know when he would get better. Of his experience, he says it was painful but a learning experience for him. He learned to be more grateful and realized the importance of diverse investments and having multiple streams of income. He suggests that it’s important to be mindful of where we put our attention and what we focus on. Instead of panicking and overthinking the future, we can focus on the present moment. Taking things one day at a time instead of constantly worrying about the future will help. Keeping a sense of perspective is important during these trying times. Advice for Business owners
Diversify income streams to stay safe in uncertain times.
Learn to use capital efficiently to get through downturns.
Anticipate the changing needs of the times and adjust and innovate.
Avoid over-funding because that can lead to failure of the business.
Advice for Investors
Look for companies that are efficient with their capital and resources.
Seek companies that are diverse and adaptable.
Build a trustworthy network.
Build a diverse investment portfolio and focus on multiple income streams.
Trust your sources but make sure you also verify.
Find out more about Dinesh Gauba You can connect with Dinesh through linked-in or Facebook https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinesh-gauba-873410 https://www.facebook.com/dinesh.gauba.7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Michelle Seiler Tucker In this week’s episode of the Angels, Exits, & Acquisitions podcast Jeff Barnes is joined by Michelle Seiler Tucker. She is the foremost authority on buying, selling, and improving businesses. A certified Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M&AMI), one of only 3 women in the US, she closes 99% of all the offers she writes and specializes in selling businesses worth $2 million and above. She helps businesses improve their revenue streams and get ready for selling at the best value. With her expert counsel, businesses are able to sell for 20-40% above appraised price on average. With over 20 years of experience helping businesses through the process of selling and buying she is known for her always exceeding client expectations. She is the author of two best bestselling books including Exit Rich, and Sell Your Business for More Than It’s Worth. Through her work, she inspires people to live the American dream and strive towards greater financial freedom and quality of life.
Michelle shares the 6 Ps of growing and selling your business People The most important thing for a business is people, the teams that understand the business Product Businesses must continue to innovate and market their product. Processes Processes must be productive, efficient, and well documented. Proprietary Businesses must build their brand name. Patrons Businesses need a loyal customer base that trusts their product or services. Profits Businesses need to be operating at the highest profit margin for their industry.
Michelle Seiler Tucker describes the 5 types of buyers
Competitive/ Strategic buyers
Private Equity groups
Sophisticated buyers
First time buyers
Turnaround specialists
The number 1 mistake that businesses or sellers make They don’t plan for the exit. Most sellers never think about selling until they have to. When they wait too long to sell, they are forced to sell at low value because their business is declining.
Find out more about Michelle Seiler Tucker here https://www.seilertucker.com/ https://info.exitrichbook.com/book/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleseiler https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLPWqoz-CaFrBdMWrDyN-5g or call at 504-525-1717 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Introducing Cohost ERock Christopher This week we're pleased to announce that our podcast has a new cohost ERock Christopher! Eric Christopher, also known as ERock, is a successful marketing strategist and business consultant. He is the founder and CEO of Biz Famous Media Group, which is a business advisory group designed to promote large brands and enterprises. Erock is an accomplished writer, business strategist, inventor, and an award-winning speaker. He's a featured contributor on Entrepreneur.com, Business.com, Thrive Global, and Huffington Post among other major media outlets. He's been a successful entrepreneur for over two decades and has mentored thousands of entrepreneurs on how to run successful businesses. About this week's guest: James Dentley James Dentley is a professional speaker, trainer, author, entrepreneur, and business strategist to many notable business celebrities. He's been a successful entrepreneur for over 30 years helping over 400,000 people throughout the world learn what it takes to become high performers in their business and their personal lives. He has personally helped create over 80 millionaires using proven success strategies. Furthermore, James has also consulted many companies in the areas of trading profitability, communication, and leadership development. Author of "The 5 Frequencies of High Performance", James is a motivational speaker inspiring thousands of people to live and lead better. James believes in the power of effective communication and founded the #1 communication training platform Inspired2Speak. Key ingredients in the recipe for success James Dentley believes the key ingredients for success include:
Having a vision
Clarity about what you want
Persistence
Being prepared for challenges
Perseverance
Advice for Business Owners
Communication
Being adaptable to a shifting culture
Believing in yourself
Endurance and understanding that adversity comes to serve you
Focusing on where you want to get instead of worrying about where you are.
Spending time with people who uplift you and reading books to inspire you.
Never giving up and continuing to grow gives other people permission to grow too.
Staying prepared and sharpening your axe
Never stop and think you've got it all.
Tips for entrepreneurs to communicate their vision "Never let what you want to say get in the way of what they need to hear." –James Dentley
Be clear and concise: "Don't give a person a drink of water with a firehose."
Identify your core values, which will determine the energy that you create for your business.
Ask the right questions. Don't try to figure everything by yourself. Find resources and people who can help.
The favorite mistake that you learned the most from? James's experience with depression taught him valuable life lessons. He says his greatest mistake was beating himself up and not taking care of himself. He believes that becoming an alcoholic and giving up everything that he had achieved actually helped him get back up again and find a greater appreciation for life. It helped him build programs to help other people overcome self-defeating behaviors and breakthrough challenges. His experience taught him humility and love for himself and other people. Find out more about James Dentley here
https://www.thejamesdentleyshow.com/
http://nbcuniversity.com/
https://businessaccelerator2020.com/
https://jamesdentley.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-dentley-20400616
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About our guest Craig Shah This week’s guest Craig Shah is a celebrity designer of high-end luxury watches and jewelry under the brand name Craig Shelly. His designs are uniquely crafted and customized. He started with a small company crafting platinum and 18 karat diamond rings and other jewelry. Venturing into the world of watchmaking in the year 2000, the company slowly made a name for itself. Today the company has a presence in eight countries and ships to 29 countries around the world. He partners with many organizations, with official time partners including Harvard versus Yale, right from the eyes of cricket, all-stars Beverly Hills police, IFA PGA and trans Hospital for Children. He’s committed to giving back to society. He partners with many organizations supporting children and veterans. Hope to break the cycle of poverty, each watch purchased supports one child, with food and education for one year. Craig Shelly’s secret to success Craig Shelly’s designer watches and jewelry are competing with top brands like Rolex, Tiffany, and Cartier etc. But Craig says it took him a long time to get here. What helped Craig Shelly reach this level of success?
Commitment to creativity and excellence
Making the Craig Shelly products truly unique filled a gap in the market
Producing durable products with a lifetime warranty
Corporate gifting program
Customizing watches and jewelry for brands
Craig Shah’s advice to entrepreneurs and investors “If you have talent, put it out there. If you have money, meet the right people to level up.” – Craig Shah
Find out more about Craig Shelly You can find more information on Craig’s company here. https://www.craigshelly.com/ https://craigshah.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-shah-65533549
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About our guest Jeffrey Hayzlett Jeffrey Hayzlett is a leading business expert, bestselling author, primetime television and podcast show host, and keynote speaker with notable expertise in starting, running, and selling businesses. He is the CEO of C-suite Network and the Hayzlett group in addition to being a board member, trustee, and chairman for numerous other companies. He runs several different councils and media companies and has previously been the CMO of Kodak. He has bought and sold over 250 businesses for billions of dollars. A global business celebrity, Jeffrey Hayzlett has been featured on leading television networks and magazines. He was the host of the Bloomberg series C-suite with Jeffery Hayzlett which featured an inside look at several big companies and also appeared as a guest judge on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. He has also partnered with our host Jeff Barnes on Angels and Heroes Venture Growth Fund. He hosts the business podcast All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on C-Suite Radio where he shares his executive insight and commentary. His bestselling books include The Mirror Test, Running the Gauntlet, Think Big, Act Bigger, and The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures. Advice for Businesses looking to grow through acquisition Jeff believes that business owners must first think about and answer some important questions before embarking on an acquisition strategy and even before starting a business. The key questions should be:
What are your conditions of satisfaction as a business?
What are you trying to drive? What are you trying to achieve?
What might be the scenarios for the business itself? Determine the right fit based on your access, resources, knowledge, etc.
Do we have some people to do it? Is there a good partner? Is their partner willing to do it with us or not?
Does this make sense? Or not? Do we want to do it this way or that way?
Tips for Investors
Develop a sound strategy
Build a trusted network
Develop a team of value-driven people
Think about your conditions of satisfaction
What to look for as an investor
The track record for the company
Sales and market strategy
Thoroughness about researching the target market and industry requirements
See if the team is realistic and transparent
Ask lots of questions to get to know the people behind the company.
Insights from the book the Hero Factor At the C-suite network, Jeffrey Hayzlett has formed the Hero Club, a value-based organization for CEOs. If a business has greater core values, they have the ‘hero factor’, which puts them ahead of others. These values include integrity, diversity, inclusion, and putting people over profits. They have certain walkaway values that they do not compromise on. As a result Hero businesses get more revenue, happier employees, engaged customers, eager vendors, and respect from communities. Advice for first time angel investors
Focus on possibilities instead of risks.
Trust experienced groups or networks to mitigate risks.
Investor networks have the right resources and experience and carry out due diligence to sort through opportunities.
Biggest mistake Jeff says that he once invested in pheasant farming which led to disastrous results. The lesson he learned was that it’s important to do your homework whenever you invest. He does not believe in the advice “follow your passion”. Passion helps to develop your interest. After that follow your head and pay attention. Find out more about Jeff Hayzlett here http://hayzlett.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayzlett
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On today's podcast episode, Laura speaks to Eugene Levin, the chief strategy officer of SEMRush, about how Online visibility can save companies in a competitive market. He shares how hard to come up with an example of a business that can have no online presence which is the major challenge to make products / services stand out among the many. Eugene will also talk about how important it is to reinvent advertising to refocus company's customers' attention, and share the new tactics and data between departments to avoid silos. Eugene was one of the first investors to spot SEMrush. After joining the company as a Chief Strategy Officer he helped to quadruple company revenue and raised over $40m from Tier 1 investors. Before SEMrush, Eugene was a partner at Target Global, pan-european venture fund that invests in consumer Internet space. There Eugene was in charge of US pipeline and invested in number of notable companies including Blue Apron, Lyft and Juno. He started his VC career as Senior Associate and then Partner at Foresight Ventures. Foresight Ventures was focused on early stage US technology companies and was ranked top 10 Russian VC Firm by Forbes In 2013. More about SEMrush here, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, Laura talks to Christine, Chief Marketing Officer of Rogue Wave Software about her experiences from ideation to implementation, across both large and small canvases. She runs marketing like the business it is - getting the most from teams, driving to measurable results and fiscal responsibility. She commands audiences from customers, prospects, analysts, Boards and investors.
From start-up to IPO to large public and mid-sized private companies, she built strategies and teams that deliver results. The things that interest her the most just so happen to provide the highest value to the company. Driving innovation, talking to customers, working with sales.
Christine Bottagaro leads the marketing organization at Rogue Wave, driving messaging and positioning, go-to-market campaigns, and sales enablement. Christine has 20 years of experience in developing marketing strategies and leading global growth for technology companies. Christine previously held senior marketing roles at Sybase, SAP, and Rally Software. In those organizations, she led comprehensive marketing initiatives for enterprise software spanning product marketing, corporate marketing, integrated go-to-market campaigns, customer reference programs, sales enablement, content direction, through building and managing high-performing teams. Christine holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado, and an MBA from the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business.
More about Christine Bottagaro here,
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-bottagaro-312a9a1/
Learn about Rogue Wave Software here,
https://www.roguewave.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, Jeff speaks with Mitch Russo, CEO of Russoplus.com about his two main ingredients that he brings to the table; Experience and Creativity - he will share how he started being an inspiring Rock Band Star on his way up in being an entrepreneur reaching $35MM in sales.
Mitch has helped hundreds of coaches build a profitable practice through his MasterClass and through private client relationship. His greatest passion is helping CEOs get extreme leverage by building independent "tribes" of Certified Consultants. This mainly builds loyalty with your best clients and deeply engaging them through a powerful, integrated community which happens to drive massive profits year after year.
He also has built powerful tools for his clients to license their IP and deploy their own Certified Consultant program quickly and successfully. Learn more about his program here,
https://mitchrusso.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Laura speaks with Bill Leake, CEO of Apogee Results. Bill talks about direct response marketing and how pattern recognition can be used to find what business model will have the most impact on optimization.
Bill Leake, CEO of Apogee Results, draws on a deep expertise in both business and marketing to help increase revenues for a wide range of clients. He has been involved in driving provable revenues through Internet marketing techniques since the early 1990s when, as part of the management team at Power Computing, he built the first company to sell $1 million of product over the Internet.
As founder of Apogee Results, he has guided the company from inception to its current position as the largest search engine marketing company in Texas, one of the 20 largest independents in North America and one of the fastest growing companies on the Inc. 500 / 5000 list.
In addition to leading Apogee Results, Bill also serves as the president of the Austin Interactive Marketing Association, and as a judge in several prestigious internet marketing competitions. Bill is a sought after speaker in the online marketing sector, having been featured at ad:tech, Search Engine Strategies (SES), MarketingProfs, Search Marketing Expo (SMX), Online Marketing Summit (OMS), Integrated Marketing Summit (IMS), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi), and others.
Before founding Apogee, Bill was President of Journyx, one of the earliest SAAS (software as a service) companies, which grew to become one of the 500 largest software companies in N. America. Prior to Journyx, he held leadership and executive positions at several public and private venture-capital backed firms, including Trusted Information Systems, Haystack Labs, Power Computing, and Dell. At Dell, Bill worked in the Office of the Chairman on several key strategic initiatives. Before Dell, Bill worked as a management consultant at McKinsey and Company.
Bill received an M.B.A. with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and his B.A. from Yale University.
For more on Bill Leake visit:
http://www.apogeeresults.com/about/bill-leake/
For more on Apogee Results visit:
http://www.apogeeresults.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Jeff speaks with Shaun Buck of The Newsletter Pro. Shaun talks about how he started his epreneurial journey as a teen in need of a way to raise a family and how he came to create The Newsletter Pro. He also talks about his experience in scaling and exiting from his entrepreneurial ventures and how to position yourself and view these investments.
Shaun Buck has been a successful serial entrepreneur for almost two decades. He currently owns and operates The Newsletter Pro, based out of Boise, Idaho. The Newsletter Pro has only been operating since 2011, but it has rapidly grown into the nation's largest custom newsletter company, mailing millions of newsletters annually. The Newsletter Pro has been recognized for their tremendous growth by Inc. Magazine, making the Inc. 500 list twice and the Inc. 5000 list once. The Newsletter Pro has also been named one of the best places to work in Idaho for the past three years. Shaun was named "Man of the Year" by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and is a successful business coach to owners of million-dollar businesses.
For more on The Newsletter Pro, visit:
https://www.thenewsletterpro.com
https://twitter.com/Newsletter_Pro
For more on Shaun Buck:
https://twitter.com/ShaunBuck
To get your Free Copy of Shaun’s Book The Ultimate Guide to Newsletter Marketing
Go to: https://www.thenewsletterpro.com/angel
Or opt-in via Text “podcast” 208-269-9111 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Jeff speaks with Kim Perell, entrepreneur, tech CEO, best-selling author, and angel investor. Kim talks about the importance of execution when it comes to succeeding as an entrepreneur and attracting investors. She also discusses what she has seen to be the key qualities in companies she has invested in that have successful exits.
Kim has made headlines for her transformative story of a startup entrepreneur to a leading tech CEO and prominent angel investor. Laid off from her dream job out of college, Kim started her first company from her kitchen table, going from broke to a multi-millionaire by the time she was 30, and selling her last company for $235 million in 2014.
Passionate about supporting other entrepreneurs, Kim is an angel investor in over 70 startups, 14 of which have successfully been acquired.
Kim’s first book, The Execution Factor, The One Skill That Drives Success, is a national bestseller, designed to help others achieve success in business and life by mastering execution.
Kim attributes her success to her ability to execute and believes that execution is a skill that can be learned, which inspired her to write The Execution Factor.
Kim also launched The Execution Factor Fund with 100% of the proceeds from the book in order to support up and coming execution-led entrepreneurs with early stage investment.
To learn more including how to apply for the fund, please visit KimPerell.com or follow Kim on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @KimPerell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Jeff speaks with Anthony Glomski, principal and founder of AG Asset Advisory, and author of Liquidity and You: A Personal Guide for Tech and Business Entrepreneurs Approaching an Exit. On the show, Anthony discusses important factors to consider as both an entrepreneur building a business, and as an investor. Anthony talks about surrounding yourself with the right people to build your business on secure footing to produce a successful exit, and what questions to ask when considering investing in a startup to maximize your investment.
AG Asset Advisory is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Los Angeles. Anthony works with a select group of successful tech and business entrepreneurs who are approaching a liquidity event to help them make smart decisions with their money. Anthony is a contributor on MariaShriver.com, a member of the Milken Institute Young Leaders Circle, and a member of the Silicon Beach Surfers.
Anthony’s 18 years of diverse roles in financial services has taught him that many entrepreneurs are faced with a dilemma. As business owners, they were responsible for looking out for employees and family, but oftentimes no one was looking after them. Anthony founded his advisory firm to fill that void and now serves a select number of clients who’ve entrusted their personal, retirement, and legacy assets for management. Together with his strategic partners and staff, he helps affluent clients address their five biggest concerns: preserving their wealth, mitigating taxes, taking care of their heirs, ensuring that their assets aren’t unjustly taken, and charitable giving. He uses a consultative process to gain a detailed understanding of his clients’ deepest values and goals. He then employs customized recommendations designed to address each client’s unique needs and goals beyond simply consulting on investments. In the AG model, a client becomes the CEO of the client’s financial life, and AG becomes the client’s personal CFO.
Originally from the Midwest, Anthony began his career at KPMG, a Big Four accounting firm in Chicago, where he audited private and publicly traded companies. He then moved to the front line of the investment world while working on the trading floor of the Chicago Board Options Exchange and in London in the early days of electronic trading. He relocated to San Francisco in time to experience the height of the dot-com boom firsthand.
Anthony is a widely recognized leader in the financial advisor community. He is an author and public speaker and has made media appearances. He’s also an avid surfer, a member of the Porsche Club of America, and is involved with several charities. He splits his time between Los Angeles and New York.
For more about AG Asset Advisory visit http://www.agassetadvisory.com/
For more about Anthony visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyglomski/
To get Anthony’s book visit
https://www.liquidityandyou.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Jeff speaks with Marty Schultz, angel investor, and award-winning software innovator and creator. Marty talks about how to know you are ready for investors, how to make sure you have a product that solves a pain that people are willing to pay for, and how to successfully navigate challenges and create growth.
Marty Schultz (martyschultz.net) is a mentor-speaker, angel fund investor, award-winning innovator and creator of some of the top category-leading software companies over his expansive career. In 2014, Marty started Blindfold Games, an app development company that builds accessible games for the visually impaired community. The idea for Blindfold Games was conceived serendipitously during an after-school App Design Club he started at his daughter’s middle school. To date, the company has released over 80 games that promote learning through gamification. The games are enjoyed by over 10,000 visually impaired people from 7 to 70 years old, and recently surpassed the 500,000th download. In 2014, Marty started Blindfold Games, an app development company that builds accessible games for the visually impaired community. The idea for Blindfold Games was conceived serendipitously during an after-school App Design Club he started at his daughter’s middle school. To date, the company has released over 80 games that promote learning through gamification. The games are enjoyed by over 10,000 visually impaired people from 7 to 70 years old, and recently surpassed the 500,000th download. In 2005, he founded McGruff SafeGuard, a parental control system in partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council and McGruff the Crime Dog, a talking dog loved by generations of children, designed to increase crime awareness and personal safety. The service alerted parents to online dangers for their children, such as Internet predators, sexual abuse or drug use and provided helpful advice about online parenting issues.
Throughout his career, Marty has received many awards and recognition for his work, including being named “Developer of the Year” (2015) and “Best iOS Game of the Year” (2016) at AppleVis’s Golden Apple Awards, as well as one of the “Technology Fast 500™ in the US” by Deloitte & Touche and Software magazine’s “Top 500 Software Companies in the US” (2000). A firm believer in sharing his knowledge with others, Marty mentors entrepreneurs and presents at startup and venture capital conferences on how to bootstrap and grow software startups. His presentations include topics such as "Lessons Learned from Bootstrapping Companies" and "How My Hobby - Blindfold Games - Has Brightened the Lives of Thousands." He holds a Certificate from the Harvard Business School Owner/President Management Program and earned both B.S. and M.S. degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Marty Schultz is a mentor-speaker, angel fund investor, award-winning innovator and creator of some of the top category-leading software companies over his expansive career.
In 2014, Marty started Blindfold Games, an app development company that builds accessible games for the visually impaired community. The idea for Blindfold Games was conceived serendipitously during an after-school App Design Club he started at his daughter’s middle school. To date, the company has released over 80 games that promote learning through gamification. The games are enjoyed by over 10,000 visually impaired people from 7 to 70 years old, and recently surpassed the 500,000th download.
In 2005, he founded McGruff SafeGuard, a parental control system in partnership with the National Crime Prevention Council and McGruff the Crime Dog, a talking dog loved by generations of children, designed to increase crime awareness and personal safety. The service alerted parents to online dangers for their children, such as Internet predators, sexual abuse or drug use and provided helpful advice abo... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Greg speaks with investor Dennis Joyce about the difference between angel investors and venture capitalists, risk mitigation, and getting comfortable with “the pitch” that will draw in investors and sales.
Dennis Joyce is an investor across multiple asset classes including commercial real estate, equities, and various alternative investments. He is an active member of Seattle’s Alliance of Angels and Puget Sound Venture Club and sits on the screening committee of both groups. His angel investments include Ripl, Blokable, Visual Vocal, Bluhaptics, and CityBldr.
For more on Dennis Joyce visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-joyce-1501a85
For more on Puget Sound Venture Club visit: https://www.pugetsoundvc.com/
For more on Seattle’s Alliance of Angels visit: https://www.allianceofangels.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Cliff speaks with Tony Pompliano, President and CEO of ANEXIO, a Raleigh-based desktop to data center, infrastructure-as-a-service company. Tony talks about creating value for your product or service that draws in investors and delivers a successful return and profitable growth for the company.
Since 2013, Tony had led ANEXIO to grow more than 1,400 percent as it builds new, mission critical infrastructure for the world’s most innovative organizations. This growth is in large part due to Tony’s expertise in mergers and acquisitions, as he’s led the company to successfully acquire several companies in the past few years.
ANEXIO is included on the Inc 500 list of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies, and is transforming the IT industry by building high-performance technology infrastructure to serve the complex computing needs of the world’s most innovative companies. The company provides this mission-critical infrastructure across eight Tier III SOC-2 certified data centers, an IT solutions center, and a nationwide IP Network. ANEXIO continues to accelerate as the company builds new infrastructure for emerging technologies.
For more on ANEXIO, visit https://www.anexio.com/
For more on Tony Pompliano, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonypompliano/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Laura speaks with Hiten Shah, owner and President of MES, Inc. Hiten speaks about his positive spin on failure and how it can always be turned into a lesson on developing better long-term strategies. Hiten also talks about the importance defining what you do well, and what you better than anyone else, and how it is critical to continually redefine that, as clients and the market change.
Hiten Shah believes that human beings have unlimited potential and he is the living proof.
Having started his career as a plastics engineer, Hiten knew very little about overseeing a global supply chain. But with an experience as key manager, process engineer, engineering manager then director of engineering, vice president of sales, and director of joint venture sales, he was ready for the challenge.
Hiten built MES, Inc. on a culture of trust and honesty, where employees have the freedom to express themselves and where everyone in the company strives to treat all people—coworkers, customers, and suppliers—fairly and transparently. MES today incorporates both his ambitious work ethic and his personal values.
Hiten credits a lot of his success to his wife of 27 years, Heena.
MES develops custom engineered solutions by leveraging global manufacturing resources and implementing comprehensive supply chain solutions. It follows five distinct steps from finding and auditing suppliers to developing their quality systems, consolidating shipments at various ports, performing domestic value-added operations and warehousing near customers and shipping Just-In-Time.
For more about MES, Inc. visit: http://www.mesinc.net/
For more on Hiten Shah, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/hitenshahmes/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Laura speaks with Reb Risty, founder of RebL Marketing about how she built her brand, and managed the growth of her marketing company with time management, automation, and set processes, as well as how she helps her clients manage their growth objectives and allowing the right marketing to develop as the company grows.
Reb Risty is an expert in corporate brand management and online marketing with a focus in SEO, inbound marketing and lead generation. She has been called on multiple times in her career to work with growing companies and serve as the driving strategic and operational force behind the marketing and communications department to support the company’s growth objectives, while creating and enhancing brand awareness and equity. www.reblmarketing.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Cliff speaks with Zvi Band, CEO and Founder Contactually, a business software developer. Zvi talks about how he quickly, and sustainable grew his company, as well as developed a very user-friendly software that automatically aggregates and pulls in all of your relationships into one place, from email, social media, phone, calendar, et cetera. Helping you identify and group relevant contacts to your business and career.
Zvi Band started Contactually in 2011. It is one of the fastest growing companies on the INC 5000 list, listed at 513; you’ve raised $17.8 million in investors’ funds. Zvi is active in the Washington, DC Tech Community and created “Proudly Made in DC” to continue the support, of the greater DC community.
Contactually is a software and service company that has grown rapidly with it’s amazing growing and dynamic team. Zvi, says his team loves strong coffee, the latest technology, strange internet memes, and accomplishing great things through better, stronger relationships.
Contactually is a leader in business software, Zvi and his team early on recognized software is something, people are forced to use, not enjoy using. This is challenge. Zvi knew that needed to change. So, his team doesn’t design its software products to fit into an existing mold, they design it to help people with their work.
Zvi, created a collaborative office space environment to ensure his team would thrive in, and do great work. The end result is the Contactually is rapidly growing learning organization that’s constantly seeking to be better for their customers, their product, their team, and our investors.
Contactually is rated very well, and is an amazing software to simplify and automate personal communications with an extensive and loyal network of Real Estate Agent using the software. With one click, users, connect their email accounts and Contactually with its automatic sync of contacts and communication history, makes it really easily to stay in touch with contacts and build a robust referal network.
For more on Contactually visit: try.contactually.com
For more on Zvi Band visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zviband/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Cliff speaks with David Hunter, CEO of Star Rapid. David talks about his work in the manufacturing sector, what it takes to meet customer’s needs and improve product design and process, keep your employees up to date on procedure, and how to achieve sustainable growth.
David is originally from London, David has outstanding knowledge and know-how of doing business in China, where he has resided since 2003. David has a proven track record of success in general management and has held senior positions in sales, marketing, business development and operations. David is dynamic and forward thinking, striving always for continuous improvement in all aspects of business and business relationships.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, traveling and playing sports. As CEO of Star, he plans to elevate the business by bringing additional customer focus along with implementing industry 4.0 and continuing to develop what is already a great team, ultimately leading to greater customer satisfaction, consistent world-class performance and enable Star to achieve sustainable growth.
At Star Rapid David specializes in producing high-quality plastic injection molded parts and mold tools, with machining and finishing services to make tools from a variety of materials and can produce 50 to 100k+ finished parts in all major resins.
The Star Rapid team is highly focused on advanced material verification, inspection and testing to ensure your clients parts meet and exceed their highest expectations.
Star Rapid has these best in class programs in place:
- Star Rapid a unique service called OMOM, which stands for One Man One Mold Service.
This service provides quick-turnaround plastic injection tooling in half the time of conventional tools. By streamlining the entire tooling project, from conception to completion, using a single master machinist who takes ownership of the project from start to finish.
- Design for Manufacturing, it is important to design for manufacturing when developing a new product to avoid costs and delays down the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Cliff speaks with John Bennett, Executive Director of the Sunny Days In-Home Care franchise. John talks about his unique business model for franchising in-home care for the elderly, and how to create consistency while maintaining a high level of care.
John Bennett is a former high school stats and geometry teacher, athletic director and varsity football coach. That experience has led to John becoming a maverick in support development and operations, providing team member's the tools needed to provide quality care. John’s mathematics background also allows him to implement financial analyses that optimize policies and practices at all Sunny Days In-Home Care locations.
Not only is Bennett the Executive Director for Sunny Days, he is also founder David Ellenwood’s son-in-law. By combining a personal and professional business relationship, Ellenwood and Bennett do not only encourage supporting a family atmosphere at every Sunny Days locations, they live it.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbennett88/
http://sunnydaysinhomecare.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, Laura speaks to Kris Gosser, CMO of Datica. On the show, Kris gives talks about his experience with startups and building a better business model, as well his insight on product marketing, rebranding, and building brand authority. Kris Gosser guides the revenue machine as Chief Marketing Officer at Datica, a growth-stage startup focusing on enabling the cloud for regulated industries. He started as a product leader in enterprise workflow automation before moving to the marketing side of the business. He likes to sit at the intersection of design, technology, and business to help craft empathetic products for markets in need. You can find him in Seattle enjoying what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s podcast, Laura talks to Neil Anderson, fractional CMO of Cask, LLC. Neil speaks about the importance of understanding your market in order to develop your position and message to create successful tactics and plans to grow your brand.
Neil Anderson is Partner and CMO at Chief Outsiders, a national management consulting firm offering fractional CMO services to mid-sized growth companies. He is currently serving as a fractional CMO of Cask LLC, a business and technology consulting company based in San Diego, CA.
Since 2013 he has been an independent marketing consultant and since 2016 a CMO with Chief Outsiders, a management consulting company that provides fractional marketing services to mid-sized growth companies.
Neil serves on the board of Matrium Technologies PTY Limited. He was VP Global Services at Spirent Communications, Chief Operating Officer at The Tolly Group and CEO of Tolly Research. He has a BM degree in Classical Guitar Performance from the Hartt College of Music, University of Hartford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, Laura speaks with Christopher Lochhead, author and the host of Legends & Losers and producer of 6 Minutes of Legendary Podcasts. Laura and Christopher talk about creating your niche by evangelizing the problem and then marketing the solution! The interview is full of so much valuable insight and information. Listen now!
Christopher Lochhead co-Authored the celebrated
"Niche Down: How To Become Legendary" By Being Different
and
Harper Collins' “instant classic"
"Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets".
Christopher is a former three-time public company CMO, category designer and entrepreneur.
Background:
• He's been an advisor, board director and/or investor to over 50 Silicon Valley startups.
• Served as Chief Marketing Officer of Mercury Interactive, a $1B software company that was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2006 for $4.5B.
• In 2001, he co-founded marketing strategy consulting firm LOCHHEAD.
• In 1998, he was the founding CMO of Internet consulting firm Scient.
• Before that he was head of marketing at Vantive, a pioneer in customer relationship management software and a principal at consulting firm Always an Adventure.
• In 1989, with no other options he and his friend Jack founded Roger Pierce & Associates a computer consulting firm they named after a guy they made up to make it seem like an adult was in charge.
In 30 years he has:
worked with many great people, had wonderful mentors and coaches, started companies, designed new categories, raised capital, built brands, made a lot of friends, a few enemies, shipped new products, failed out of school at 18, became a public company CMO by 28, discovered he was dyslexic, gone public, bought and sold companies, crushed competitors, broken his nose surfing, cracked his arm skiing, co-authored a best selling book for Jack Welch’s publisher, gotten de-listed from NASDAQ, given hundreds of speeches, created a hit podcast, done business in over 20 countries, traveled millions of air miles, drank a little whiskey and a couple of beers, learned to take and throw a punch, and how to laugh about the whole absurd thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show, Laura talks to Brian Smith, founder of UGG Imports about how he grew UGG into a successful business and the valuable lessons he learned along the way.
Brian is Australian born and was raised with an enduring passion for surfing and the surf culture. In his youth, he enjoyed the epic waves on both coasts of his home country. He was educated at the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia, where he received his first of many business credentials.
After ten years as a public accountant, Brian felt a burning desire to do something that would fit his passion for surfing while looking for a business idea that would allow him to support himself. He turned in his resignation notice, got on a plane to the States, and became a regular at the classic surfing destinations up and down the southern California coastline. He called Malibu, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, and Swami’s Beach his “office.”
One day, while pulling on his sheepskin boots after a cold surf session, he realized there were nothing like them available in California. He and a surfing buddy shipped six pairs from Australia to show them around, in search of interested takers. It was at this moment that the UGG brand was born.
Brian called on every surf shop up and down the California coast, enthusiastically showing prospective retailers the UGG prototype. Most of the shop owners would deliver the same disappointing reaction: “Brian, we sell flip flops, not boots.” Not willing to give up his idea, he then embarked on a laser-focused effort to gain endorsements and support from the surf community of which he was becoming a respected member. Finally, with two young Pro-surfers on “the UGG team”, a new cult was born and “UGG” became the cool word on California campuses and beaches alike.
Had he not diligently stuck to his vision, the idea of UGG Boots would never have come to fruition. Undaunted by the surf shop owners’ initial rejections, Brian forged forward with his dream and we all now enjoy our much loved and favorite casual footwear—our UGG boots.
After 17 years, Brian sold his company and the brand to Decker’s Outdoor Corporation. With their resources, the “casual comfort” segment of the footwear industry came to life and the UGG Brand now garners more than a billion dollars of sales per year, year after year.
Having developed the art of storytelling throughout the years, the stage became the perfect place for Brian to present to business owners the ups—and downs—of being an entrepreneur. He found that he not only enjoyed giving these talks, but his audiences were responding in wide embrace to his stories like he never could have imagined. The size and scope of the audiences grew and now he is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world today. He brings a magical mix of real world street smarts, kindness, compassion and respect for the entrepreneurial drive—all of which fits business of any size. And, yes, he still continues to surf when he’s not on tour.
To book Brian Smith, please contact Kelly at (717) 781-0838 or Kelly@UGGfounder.com.
Brian can be reached at Brian@UGGfounder.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s show I talk to Matt DiMauro, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Fyzical. Matt tells us about how he has grown the Fyzical franchise, and how he targets underserved markets, increases the value of service, and keeps clients and business owners happy.
Matt DiMauro does nothing slowly. He talks fast, moves quickly and is a get-things-done
rising star at one of the fastest-growing businesses in the region, Sarasota-based Fyzical.
More speed: On the question of does he lunch out or at his desk DiMauro replied: “Eating out during the week can be rather time consuming, so I typically eat lunch quickly at my desk unless I have a business luncheon scheduled.”
Fyzical, which is building a nationwide network of franchised physical therapy centers under one brand, grew revenue 70.2% last year, from $4.7 million in 2015 to $8 million. The company has grown from one location in 2013 to 260 today, and it ranked No. 156 on the 2017 Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing companies nationwide.
An Akron, Ohio native, DiMauro proved himself early on with Fyzical, when he took over what was then a faltering two-location Fyzical physical therapy business in Fort Myers in 2014. Revenues had been falling there for three straight years. But under DiMauro the business shifted and went from $680,000 in revenue to more than $4 million in three years.
DiMauro says he keenly focused on getting more productivity out of physical therapists, and also instituted more efficiencies on scheduling and other non-medical parts of the business. He says one key move was to put proven theories into actual practice — not just talk about it.
A challenge early on: DiMauro supervised people both considerably older, and in a field, health care, he knew little about. The changes in the way they did business, says DiMauro, wasn’t an easy sell, at first. But the success and growth won people over. “I went to school to fix businesses,” he says, “while they went to school to help heal people.”
https://www.fyzical.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week’s episode, Laura speaks with Mike Harris of Patina Solutions about entrepreneurship, venture capital, and building your business.
A proven and prolific entrepreneur, Mike has significant experience in starting and building professional and technical services firms. Patina Solutions is his sixth professional services start-up since 1995. Mike is best known as the founder and former CEO of Jefferson Wells, which grew to $132 million in sales with 23 offices and 1,600 employees in five years. Jefferson Wells was acquired by Manpower for $174 million in 2001. Inc. magazine ranked Jefferson Wells as number five of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America in 2001.
Since Jefferson Wells, Mike has founded firms including the Novo Group and Adams Harris. He is currently a Board member for Novo Group, Tax Air and Bentley World Packaging.
Mike is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from entrepreneurial endeavors to transitioning from CFO to CEO. Earlier in his career, Mike was CFO for Alternative Resources Corporation and Wind Point Partners. A CPA, he has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Wisconsin – Parkside.
http://www.patinasolutions.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today’s episode, I speak with Alexander Lowry, professor of finance at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass. and also the Director for the school's Master of Science in Financial Analysis program. Alexander talks about how to go about selecting the right employees to build a company that will rise above the competition. He also talks about the Financial Analysis Master’s program that he teaches that is a great alternative to the traditional MBA.
Alexander Lowry is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of experience in financial services and strategy consulting, assisting private and public sector companies across North America and Europe.
Alexander joined Gordon from J.P. Morgan Chase. In four and a half years at the bank, he served in senior roles ranging from deputy to the chief operating officer of the U.S. Private Bank to his recent role helping lead the firm’s private foundation. Supporting the deputy director, Alexander led a wide range of management and administrative functions to help direct the firm's global philanthropic investments, giving and investing $240 million annually across 40 countries.
Prior to joining J.P. Morgan Chase, Alexander spent a dozen years with PA Consulting Group, Europe’s leading management consultancy. As a management consultant, Alexander specialized in leading major change and business transformation programs in blue chip organizations. After working in the London headquarters for seven years, Alexander was moved to New York and became co-head of the Americas Project Management Centre of Excellence.
While at PA Consulting, Alexander served on the firm’s pension board. He guided the Investment Committee to manage the $750 million portfolio, including evaluating, selecting and monitoring investment managers. Alexander directed a review of governance arrangements which resulted in the decision to become the first U.K.-defined benefit plan to appoint a fiduciary manager. He then oversaw the selection, appointment and implementation of BlackRock.
In addition to his executive career, Alexander has been continually engaged with Haverford. In addition to co-founding the College’s finance affinity group, he served for nine years on the Annual Fund Executive Committee, including as chair.
His writings and thoughts have appeared in Forbes, NBC News, U.S. News and World Report, Glassdoor, and other publications.
Find more about Andrew at: www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlowry
https://twitter.com/AlexanderSLowry
http://www.gordon.edu/alexanderlowry
http://www.gordon.edu/graduate/finance
http://twitter.com/GordonMSFA
http://www.linkedin.com/showcase/gordon-college-master-of-science-in-financial-analysis/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Laura Rubinstein speaks with Andrew Knies of Prime Real Estate about what they do to coach, train, and motivate their clients to allow them to make the most of their real estate business.
Andrew Knies’ passion for marketing strategies, developing digital content, and strong sales skills has allowed him to thrive in the Real Estate industry.
Andrew is the Marketing Director of Prime Real Estate where he develops and implements a bold brand strategy. By organizing his team, they have successfully told their brand story through cohesive marketing that includes, hosting large conferences, social media campaigns, developing a brand magazine, speaking engagements, and PR.
Additionally, he is a licensed real estate agent and teaches newly licensed agents how to market their new businesses and take advantage of today's tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, Cliff Locks speaks with Scot Hunsaker of Ardent Group about important aspects to consider when preparing to sell your business.
Scot Hunsaker purchased a small engineering firm operating as a sole proprietorship from his father. That firm, Counsilman-Hunsaker, has designed aquatic facilities, including Olympic venues, all over the world. During his tenure as CEO and owner (and as a non-engineer running an engineering company) , he grew Counsilman-Hunsaker’s revenue by a factor of 10, quadrupled the number of employees, opened 4 new offices in the US and went from being licensed to operate in 10 states to operating in all 50 plus 3 Canadian provinces.
He sold Counsilman Hunsaker to the employees for cash in 2012. He has spoken on the topic of ownership transition and ownership thinking across the US and internationally. He is also the author of 30 published articles. He also serves on several boards of directors. In 2013, he formed Ardent Consulting whose mission is to help CEOs and Business owners prepare for their ultimate transition with a particular focus of teaching employees how to think like owners.
Scott is the author of Heroic Ownership.
Visit http://www.ardentgroup.com/heroic-ownership/ for more information Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices