Building To Scale: Recent Episodes
Jeff Chastain | Admentus Inc.
Building and scaling an entrepreneurial business is not as easy as it might seem. In the early days, it was fun. Today, it feels more like a daily grind and a job than a business.
You can see your dreams and your goals on the other side of the chasm, but the investment in attempting to build a bridge to reach them is just burning you out.
Our mission is to help entrepreneurial business leaders find clarity in what is really holding them back in their business today and to guide them to build a more profitable, scalable, and ultimately saleable business.
It is our belief that as a small business entrepreneur, you will never be able to achieve the life you want or the goals you have for either your business or yourself if you do not systematize your business.
Each episode of the Building to Scale podcast brings actionable tactics and strategies to help you, the small business entrepreneur build a more profitable, scalable, and ultimately saleable business ... all while working less.
For more information, find us at https://www.buildingtoscale.com and join the community at https://www.buildingtoscale.com/group/.
Did you check out the Dallas Cowboy’s game yesterday?
Or, if you are not a Cowboy’s fan, imagine going to a game for your favorite sports team for a minute.
You spent way too much money on your tickets, then walked into the stadium and sat down.
But when you looked around, something was missing.
They took the scoreboard out?!?!?
Imagine sitting through the game without knowing the score and without knowing how much time was left.
Kinda takes away from the game, right?
But now, put yourself in the player’s position.
What would it feel like if you were playing the game without knowing the score or the time?
What if we took that one step further and you did not even know the rules – only the coach knew the rules and just gave you the little bit of information they thought you needed.
Sounds rather ridiculous, right?
Yet this is the way we run our businesses …
In today’s episode, I talk about this idea of doing business as if you were playing a game.
Check it out and let me know your thoughts!
Then, if you have questions after listening to today’s episode, I invite you to join us in the Building to Scale community today.
Jump over to https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group (https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group) and request an invite to the community.
When you go on a vacation (assuming you can remember the last one), are you the type that plans every last minute, or are you the type that just goes without a plan, and what happens happens? Thomas Edison had a great quote that went like this … “Vision without execution is just a hallucination.” For the last several weeks, we have been talking about strategy, and I absolutely believe that you must have a strategic plan even as a small business. At the same time, if you cannot execute that strategy, then it is not worth the paper (real or digital) that it is written on. In today’s episode, I break down the four stages of execution planning that I work with clients to build once they have their strategy laid out. Stealing a line from Goldilocks, it is not too hot and not too cold … or in this case, it has just the “right” level of detail to ensure that you and your team know what is ahead, yet not so rigid that you cannot adapt and evaluate new opportunities. Let’s talk about small business execution planning for a few minutes. Then, if you have questions after listening to today’s episode, I invite you to join us in the Building to Scale community today. Jump over to https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group (https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group) and request an invite to the community.
When you hear the term “brand,” what comes to mind? Probably the idea of a logo or a color scheme, right? In today’s episode, we bring in the “brand boss” with a much deeper approach to branding and the overall messaging strategy when it comes to your business. In her words, you should be focusing on the identity of your business – not just the logo – and making sure that you know what the identity of your business is and thus how to best communicate and connect with your audience. Join me in welcoming Rachel Jenks, the “Brand Boss” of The Brand Boss Studio, and the Brand Boss Podcast! If you have questions after listening to today’s episode, I invite you to join us in the Building to Scale community today. Jump over to https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group (https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group) and request an invite to the community. Rachel Jenks is the Founder, Owner, and proclaimed “Brand Boss.” With more than 22 years of experience working in public communications, including 16+ years in graphic design, Rachel’s passion is empowering business owners to rock YOUR brand like a Boss. “I’m tired of seeing business owners and entrepreneurs taken advantage of ... or feeling pressured to keep up with every marketing trend out there ... rather than being true to who you are as a company and bringing real solutions to the people you serve. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more powerful. Trust comes before transactions. When you can create that kind of experience for people, you build an unstoppable brand.” Rachel’s off-the-beaten-path career journey has spanned multiple roles in various countries, four cities, and three states – including professional ballet, management, event production, business strategy, national and international public relations, graphic design, and marketing. She’s had the opportunity to work with organizations of all sizes and industries to amplify the power of their brands through brand strategy, brand experience consulting, brand development, brand content, brand packaging, UI/UX brand strategy, brand design, multi-media, advertising, marketing, live event production, e-learning, 3D animation, video, photography, and art direction. Rachel is also the host of The Brand Boss Show podcast and YouTube channel, an author, and an in-demand public speaker. When not strategizing powerful brand experiences and coaching business owners, Rachel can be found off on an adventure or savoring the moment with those she loves - including her Studio Managers, Podcat and Lady Podcat. The Brand Boss Studio - https://brandbossstudio.com/ (https://brandbossstudio.com/) The Brand Boss Show - https://brandbossstudio.com/the-brand-boss-show/ (https://brandbossstudio.com/the-brand-boss-show/) Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebrandbossstudio/ (https://www.facebook.com/thebrandbossstudio/) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrandboss/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrandboss/) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thebrandbossstudio/ (https://www.instagram.com/thebrandbossstudio/) YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoWYjE3KJqJ9d8qGrsibRA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoWYjE3KJqJ9d8qGrsibRA)
We have all seen the stats regarding the “survival” rates of small entrepreneurial businesses. What is not quite as clear is the number of entrepreneurs – specialists in their field – working long hours day in and day out, with little to show for their efforts. Technically, you have a business, and you are a business owner in title. The challenge is that you are wearing hats on top of hats … 50 or 60 in the words of a guest in season one. However, there is one hat that most entrepreneurs forget to put on. In today’s episode, I talk specifically about some of the challenges a client of mine is facing in turning his small (and I mean small) business into something bigger while trying to stave off burnout. Hopefully, you have this all figured out and are living your dreams. If not, and you are struggling to reach your dreams, the good news is that you have lots of company. The even better news is that we are building a community of people just like you with the sole purpose of being able to help each other out. So, if you have questions after listening to today’s episode - or you simply need some accountability - I invite you to join us in the Building to Scale community today. Jump over to https://www.buildingtoscale.com/group (https://www.BuildingToScale.com/group) and request an invite to the community.
Welcome to the re-launch of the Building to Scale podcast! This is episode 1 of season 2 and I and my team are really excited to be putting a renewed focus on our mission to help entrepreneurial business leaders find clarity in what is really happening in their business today and to guide them through a plan to build a more profitable, scalable, and ultimately saleable business. You see, it is my belief that as a small business entrepreneur, you will never be able to achieve the life you want or the goals you have for either your business or yourself if you do not systematize your business. So how do you do that? In today’s episode, I talk about the idea of a Pinnacle … your overarching goal for the next 10-15 years that gets your team all pulling in the same direction, energizes and excites them, and scares your competitor. It also serves as a measuring stick as new opportunities and challenges arise in your business. What makes up a good Pinnacle goal? There are five things, but you will have to listen to today’s episode to find out. Also, make sure to listen as we outline the Pinnacle for the Building to Scale brand. Then, join us in our new Building to Scale community at https://BuildingToScale.com/Group (https://BuildingToScale.com/Group) and give us your feedback. Does our Pinnacle meet the five criteria?
I am still not sure how we are wrapping up August and Q3 already … On the one hand, 2021 has been a long year, and on the other side, it has flown by. And, as if 2020 needed to be topped, this has been a challenging year for many small businesses. Many face financial trials dealing with the effects of the shutdowns, while others deal with the challenges involved with unplanned growth explosions depending upon the industry and their location. One of the strategies we work with entrepreneurial business leaders on is having a Pinnacle goal and a roadmap to reach that goal. Along the way, you have milestones where you stop, assess, and adjust before moving out on the next leg of your climb on the way to your Pinnacle. When it comes to the Building to Scale brand, this is one of those milestones. https://youtu.be/zM0Zj13BTcU Today’s episode marks the end of Season 1 and the announcement of changes coming in Season 2. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast today in your favorite player to receive notice of season 2. You can also check out https://buildingtoscale.com/Launch (https://BuildingToScale.com/Launch) to sign up for notifications for the new season and a lot of additional new resources we are rolling out at the same time.
As a retired Air Force officer, Axel Meierhoefer started his first company in 2005, focusing on consulting, employee skill development, and program management. These areas remain in place and have now grown internationally. As a business owner, Axel had an eye on the long-term picture – specifically his own. He began to investigate ways to apply profits towards retirement, and research indicated that owning tangible assets would be the best way. It was also the path that the government supports the most, which led him to develop a residential real estate portfolio worth about $1.5 Million. The portfolio is still growing, and the experience has provided many lessons learned that he now teaches, coaches, and mentors other people with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4U23uU1pCY Key Takeaway: Scaling does not mean simply working more hours. Successfully scaling requires making critical strategic decisions in building and developing a business. The overarching strategy and decisions should be made focusing on the long-term picture – the eventual exit and your long-term legacy. Lessons Learned: Focus on building a legacy that serves your family and the next generation instead of focusing on the here and now. Develop a mindset to overcome the nagging fear of dealing with life-changing decisions. When it comes to property investment – finding, buying, and investing in the right properties – partner with an experienced advisor or coach and do not go it alone. For More Information: Ideal Wealth Grower @ http://idealwealthgrower.com/ (http://idealwealthgrower.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideal-wealth-grower/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideal-wealth-grower/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/idealwealthgrower/ (https://www.facebook.com/idealwealthgrower/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/IdealGrower/ (https://twitter.com/IdealGrower/)
In 2001, Chris launched a start-up in his spare time – a marketing company called Farotech. What started primarily as a web design firm quickly grew into a comprehensive digital marketing agency specializing in helping clients in the healthcare, orthopedics, SaaS, and cybersecurity fields see explosive growth through a proven marketing system. Today, the Farotech team is proud to be known by the clients they serve— Penn Medicine, Rothman Institute, and Philadelphia Insurance Company, to name a few of their marquee partners. Now featured as the fastest growing marketing strategy agency in Philadelphia, Chris has created a unique blend of art and science to build visibility for his clients and helping them reach their strategic goals. https://youtu.be/W2dJug0sRPI Key Takeaway: If you went into the doctor’s office and without asking any questions or looking at your history, the doctor set you up for open-heart surgery, would you do it? As Chris talks about, this is the approach of too many businesses – we have the solution for whatever your problem might be. Lessons Learned: Focus on the Systems, Not the Solutions – Build systems, not solutions, to identify and solve issues for your customers. Marketing Starts with a Great Story – Develop learned a proven, systematic approach to telling your story that will help you generate leads, nurture leads, convert leads into clients, and convert clients into raving fans who understand your vision, brand, and message. For More Information: Farotech : https://farotech.com/ (https://farotech.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/farotech/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/farotech/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farotechmarketing/ (https://www.facebook.com/farotechmarketing/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Farotech (https://twitter.com/Farotech) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-carr-84b1a02/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-carr-84b1a02/) Thought Leaders Magazine: https://thoughtleadermagazine.org/ (https://thoughtleadermagazine.org/)
Courtney Lukitsch is the principal and founder of Gotham PR, founded in 2002, and is a boutique Marketing PR firm based in New York and London, with a roster of high-profile clients in 30 global markets and on every continent in the world. Courtney started her career working for USAID in development, transitioned to academia abroad, and then to retail technology with Zara in Spain. Back in New York, she joined Rubenstein Public Relations, the country’s first and oldest PR firm, as the VP for business development and strategy. Just after 9/11, the entrepreneurial bug struck, and she ventured out on her own to start Gotham PR, growing it to a global footprint over the last 20 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BwWh4xogaY Key Takeaway: As Courtney outlines, the way to building a successful, lasting business is by surrounding yourself with experts – a great lawyer, a great accountant, a great writer, a great coach. While this is not something new, in her experience, most business leaders come to this realization too late. Lessons Learned: Deal with Challenging Clients – Offload your more challenging clients sooner rather than later. You can't solve every problem, and the high-demand clients take more than their share of your energy. Surround Yourself with Experts – Cultivate a network of experts around you that you can turn to when you have questions and work to benefit both sides of the relationship by referring people to your network. Minimize the Overhead – With the proliferation of co-working spaces and fractional resources, hold off on overhead expenses for as long as possible. For More Information: Gotham PR @ http://gothampr.com/ (http://gothampr.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotham-public-relations-inc-gotham-pr-new-york-gotham-pr-/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gotham-public-relations-inc-gotham-pr-new-york-gotham-pr-/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneylukitsch/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneylukitsch/)
Michelle Seiler Tucker is the Founder and CEO of Seiler Tucker Incorporated. She holds the M&AMI (Mergers & Acquisitions Master Intermediary) title, as well as Certified Mergers and Acquisitions Professional (CM&AP) and Certified Senior Business Analyst (CSBA). As a 20-year veteran in the M&A industry, she is regarded as the leading authority on buying, selling, fixing, and growing businesses. She and her firm have sold over a thousand businesses in almost every vertical and have a remarkable track record of success. As Michelle describes it, most business owners do not think about selling their business until it is too late to truly maximize their business value. Too often, they are running their business as a job, not as a sellable asset that extends beyond themselves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFTGvq-sQQE Key Takeaway: Build your Business with the End in Mind – the idea of selling your business should not come to you a few months before you want to exit. It should be part of your plan from day one, and you should be building your business with that in mind. For More Information: Seiler Tucker: http://www.seilertucker.com/ (http://www.seilertucker.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seiler-tucker/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/seiler-tucker/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michele.seilertucker/ (https://www.facebook.com/michele.seilertucker/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleseiler/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleseiler/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/MSeilerTucker/ (https://twitter.com/MSeilerTucker/)
Ann Brennan is the owner of ASMM Digital Marketing and host of the Small Business Connections podcast, demonstrating her passion for marketing. Ann was the “accidental entrepreneur” who took her talents in social media and marketing and started a side hustle while searching for a “real job.” Before long, however, the side hustle turned into a full digital marketing agency that Ann has now led for the past 5+ years. In today’s episode, Ann shares more about her background in launching and building her company and delving into topics like the importance of building partnerships, understanding personalities and how people fit together to build teams, and the importance of processes and systems. https://youtu.be/AnEml3_OMcQ Key Takeaway: Process is key for growth – and coming from a creative background, process and creativity can still go hand in hand. As Ann describes, building processes allows you the flexibility to switch hats, cover roles when people are out, and ultimately delegate to new resources when you can afford to hire – all while maintaining flexibility and creativity. Lessons Learned: Marketing isn’t one thing. It’s everything. It’s finding the right combination of digital, traditional, and guerilla marketing. It’s about how you make them feel. In real life and online. Make your content work for you. Creating marketing content and posting it once is not the answer to growth. For More Information: ASMM Digital Media @ https://asmmdigital.com/ (https://asmmdigital.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asmmdigital/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/asmmdigital/) Facebook: https://facebook.com/ASMMDigital/ (https://facebook.com/ASMMDigital/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanannie/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennanannie/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennanAnnie/ (https://twitter.com/BrennanAnnie/)
In this episode, Aimy Steadman of Future Proof shares the journey she and her business partners went through in building Future Proof and BeatBox Beverages. From college incubator to Shark Tank, and now on to a growing beverage brand founded on the belief that future generations will continue to demand products that authentically connect with their lifestyle, Aimy has been through quite a journey. Outside of her day-to-day responsibilities as COO of Future Proof, Aimy is also a board member with Naturally Network, Naturally Austin, EO, Beam Founders, and several other organizations. In other words, she is a big believer in community and giving back! In our conversation, Aimy shared many insights that will resonate with entrepreneurs today, including the value of outside mentors, building and running your business in a systematic manner, and staying true to the future you are building. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4m2HqGRiZs Key Takeaway: As Aimy states, "Be the Change" you want to see in your industry and culture. Culture can either be something you build intentionally in your business or something that develops on its own. One path allows you to control and direct that culture. Lessons Learned: Community is your superpower as an entrepreneur. Network and join groups to surround yourself with best-in-class thinkers in your industry. My close entrepreneur community in Austin helps me navigate through the tough times, and they are also who I celebrate my wins with. I owe a lot of my success to learning early on that I love my business, and it's a huge part of me, but it's not my entire identity. That perspective helps me handle the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur in a healthier way. Taking on the "woman founder" title means not only standing for your company but the vision for inclusive leadership worldwide. Women founders have the unique opportunity to change their industries to be more inclusive of women or non-binary leaders and founders from diverse backgrounds – race and physical abilities included. As a female founder, I love being able to change the game, and I’ve realized my "gentle" leadership style is actually incredibly effective. I don't have to take on a different masculine persona to get things done. For More Information: Future Proof: https://futureprf.com/ (https://futureprf.com/) BeatBox Beverages: https://beatboxbeverages.com/ (https://beatboxbeverages.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-proof-atx/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-proof-atx/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeatboxBeverages/ (https://www.facebook.com/BeatboxBeverages/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimysteadman/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimysteadman/)
Guest Jim Traister has a passion for helping small businesses drive sales. He is CEO of The Digital Navigator, a full-service digital agency that drives sales for independent businesses in three verticals: course providers, hospitality, and small business. In this episode, Traister shares his background as a college instructor turned entrepreneur and how starting his own business came with making mistakes but also fed his love of learning and his passion for helping others. Listen to find out what mistakes most businesses make when it comes to metrics and how it should not cost more than $500 to get enough data to optimize an ad campaign and make predictions about returns on investment. Traister also details how sales and lead generation are like dating and why no matter what changes technology may bring, relationships and creating goodwill are the real key to success in any business. Time adding value for others is never wasted; just be sure to systemize anything that is not value-added. https://youtu.be/SM5puXToKWM (https://youtu.be/SM5puXToKWM) Key Takeaway: Business starts with the heart! Regardless of how technology changes in business, building relationships is the most crucial step to success in any company. Serving your clients well also includes finding the right metrics to look at for the desired results. Measuring matters. Lessons Learned: Take care of your current client base. Always remember that it is people who make the difference. Never stop selling. For More Information: The Digital Navigator: https://www.thedigitalnavigator.com/ (https://www.thedigitalnavigator.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalnavigator/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/thedigitalnavigator/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedigitalnavigator/ (https://www.facebook.com/thedigitalnavigator/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtraister/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtraister/)
Recently, our own Jeff Chastain met an individual whom, together with a business partner, had what appeared from the outside to be a very successful marketing agency. They had a good, solid client base and a good, albeit somewhat uneven, revenue flow coming in. In other words, most of us would look at this business and say this is one that we would want. Why was it that this individual was thinking about quitting the business? In today's episode of the Building to Scale Podcast, Jeff Chastain breaks down the differences between having an entrepreneurial business and simply building yourself a job where you are boss, employee, and janitor all in one! He also talks about the new book "Buyable" from fellow Pinnacle Business Guide Steve Preda and how the same concepts that go into building a growth-oriented, scalable business also apply to creating a "buyable" business. If your business feels more like a job where you are working too many hours fighting fires, feeling somewhat out of control with your business, lacking direction, or simply just worn out, don't miss our upcoming workshop entitled: The 4 Keys to Successfully Growing a Small Entrepreneurial Business Learn more and register @ https://BuildingToScale.com/mastermind/workshop
Tim Szczygiel is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry. In this episode of the Building to Scale podcast, Szczygiel talks about the dichotomy of the pandemic in his business, SalesChain, LLC. While the company enjoyed a very profitable 2020 due to the trend toward remote work, Szczygiel also believes working in person is highly beneficial for employees to learn the culture of the company and share ideas, as well as leaders to keep a pulse on the business. Learn why there is no substitution for being in the same room with someone when it comes to business, and how using data to make decisions can make all the difference when it comes to company culture, not just in decision-making. SalesChain is the leading sales and business management software for office equipment dealers. As Szczygiel discusses in the podcast, “There’s no more valuable a tool than a magnifying glass for your business.” Seeing problems as an outsider allows Szczygiel to help businesses achieve greater organization through actionable data and powerful automation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJThZYBAM_o&feature=youtu.be Key Takeaway: While remote work is here to stay, there is no substitute for the spontaneous creativity and culture that comes from working with others in person. Working in person also allows leaders to keep a pulse on the business and for employees to grow and evolve by learning from their coworkers. Lessons Learned: Managing data is absolutely critical to business in 2021. Every business in every industry is going virtual to some degree, and virtual-only works when information is complete, accurate, and correct. Going 10 times bigger with an idea may take 10 times the effort, but going 100 times bigger rarely takes 100 times the effort. Your customers are your greatest advocates. As a software provider, you might think our largest department, in terms of the sheer number of staff, would be in marketing or development, but it is actually our help desk. That front-line interface to our users determines how well our product is used and how well it is perceived. That impression sets us apart from big-box software and has helped us succeed. For More Information: Website: http://www.saleschain.com/ (http://www.saleschain.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saleschain-llc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/saleschain-llc/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-szczygiel-06865828/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-szczygiel-06865828/)
If you were to walk around your office today (virtually or in-person), would you find your team working on the most important things efficiently? In continuing our discussion about the 4 Ps - the four critical components necessary to successfully scale an entrepreneurial business ... it does not matter if you have the right people in the right seats (people), that you have a shared mission that everybody is bought into (purpose), or that you have a proven playbook that everybody is working from ... if your team cannot execute in a highly efficient and performant manner, it is all a dream. As owners and managers of a small business, we must have transparency and clarity into what is going on within the business to know if everything is on track or not. Then, everybody needs to understand what the most important projects are and their responsibilities within those projects to execute in a consistent, efficient, and performance manner. In today's episode of the Building to Scale podcast, our own Jeff Chastain walks through some of the tools for building a highly performant team that is always executing consistently on the most important tasks each and every day. For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/. He is happy to chat with business owners who are simply trying to take that next leap forward.
In our modern world, acquiring a knowledge base can be done in many ways, which is why Laurie Stach believes that education should be more about the entrepreneurial mindset, including skills like grit, collaboration and adaptation. In this episode of the building to scale podcast, Stach talks about finding purpose in her work, educating the next generation of entrepreneurs, and lessons she’s learned while running her own company. As a mechanical engineer, it was natural to want a “right answer”, but after graduating from MIT, she quickly realized that in real life there is no real right answer, a lesson she works to instill in her students. Her company, LaunchX, is an entrepreneurial summer program that taps the potential of ambitious high school students and supports them in launching an actual startup. Students of the program have gone on to generate significant revenue, do fundraising, sell their companies, launch other companies and even appear on Shark Tank. Stach holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and has worked at MIT's entrepreneurship center building their maker space and creating their Intro to Making class. She created a top EdX course in entrepreneurship and has an entrepreneurship workbook on Amazon. The LaunchX program was previously held at top universities such as MIT, UPenn, UMich, and Northwestern University, bringing students from around the world to start their companies each summer, while during the pandemic is being run online with continued success. https://youtu.be/KJc1UzC9PGY Key Takeaway: As in life, in business, there are often no clear right or wrong answers. The entrepreneurs of tomorrow need to learn to gather and measure the data to guide them while realizing that over the course of time, they will face many ups and downs. Skills like perseverance, collaboration and adaptation are imperative. Lessons Learned: Know when to DIY, when to use tools, and when to outsource - it comes down to a calculation of the value of your time. Have great employee onboarding and feedback processes - ensure you understand the professional goals of your employees, and do check-ins with employees at 1 month after their start, plus quarterly thereafter (direct reports). Know the metrics that matter and what 'enough' is - there are always a million things to get done in a company and you'll always get pulled in a million directions. For More Information: LaunchX Entrepreneurship Program: https://launchx.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchxed/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/launchx LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriestach/
If you are watching a football (American) game and the quarterback and the receiver are not in sync, what happens? The announcers often refer to it as the players not being on the same page of the playbook and at best, it results in an incomplete pass and a loss of an opportunity. This is no different in business. Too often we hear that small entrepreneurial businesses can't find good talent. In most cases, though it is not a matter of "good talent" but simply the fact that the employee and manager are simply not on the same page of the playbook. Creating a playbook for how you go about all of the tasks involved in delivering your product or service to the customer consistently and repeatable is absolutely key to building value in and scaling your business. In today's episode of the Building to Scale podcast, our own Jeff Chastain walks through the idea of building an entrepreneurial playbook for your business. Why do you need a playbook for a small entrepreneurial business? What do strategy and a playbook have to do with each other? How do you even go about getting started building a playbook? Check out today's episode to find the answers to these questions and more. For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners who are simply trying to take that next leap forward.
In this episode of the Building to Scale podcast, Mark Ainley delves into important lessons he’s learned in his entrepreneurial journey in the real estate sector, particularly as it pertains to hiring the right people. Getting started in his business, he and his partners tended to hire too late, and often used a “gut feeling" or personality as a barometer to find a good fit. Ainley talks about the pitfalls of this practice, and the ways he has adapted and the methods he now uses to find the “right people for the right seats”. Mark Ainley is an investor, managing broker, and property manager with nearly two decades of experience in real estate. The co-founder of GC Realty & Development, a full-service real estate brokerage, property management, and real estate investment firm in the Chicago Market, Ainley consults with both local and out-of-state investors on the acquisition, stabilization, and management of their rental property portfolio. Ainley loves to give feedback to beginners, out-of-state investors, or less experienced entrepreneurs on what steps to avoid in growing a business. His extensive experience allows him to share his knowledge on many topics like property management, scaling a business, rehabbing and flipping, out-of-state investing, asset stabilization, market analysis, and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNuoFsRuuA&feature=youtu.be Key Takeaway: Getting the right people into the right seats in business can be the difference between success and failure. It’s important to realize that there’s a person who can help with anything you don’t know. Often, it’s much cheaper, faster, and more efficient to invest in hiring a person who already has a skill rather than trying to learn it yourself. Lessons Learned: Hire Sooner - Instead of trying to learn everything yourself, hire people who are experts in their field and let them help you. Hire Smarter - Find the right people to fill the right seats in your business using a predictive index rather than a gut feeling Process, Process, Process - Record processes for everything so that you can hand over projects and empower employees with the knowledge needed to complete them. For More Information: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gc-realty-&-development-inc./ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/gc-realty-&-development-inc./) Twitter: https://twitter.com/gcrealtyinvestLinkedIn (https://twitter.com/gcrealtyinvest) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ainley-216a007/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ainley-216a007/) Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ainley-216a007/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-ainley-216a007/)
Why are you in business? We know the mark of a successful business is to make a profit, but beyond that, why are you really in business? Dan Sullivan outlines 4 freedoms of being an entrepreneur and the 4th freedom is a "freedom of purpose". In Dan's word's ... This entrepreneurial company you've created is not just a job or a career; it's actually a vehicle to all sorts of things that relate to your fundamental values and ideals in life. This allows you to have a tremendous sense of purpose for being on this planet.In our last episode, Jeff Arnold has built a successful, growing insurance practice. That practice though serves as his vehicle for missions outreach - his true purpose. Today on the podcast, Jeff Chastain, Business Transformation Coach with Admentus, continues the conversation about systemizing a business, specifically focus on the 2nd "P" - Purpose. https://youtu.be/8AUaypi8Z1I What is the purpose of your business? Why does the purpose of your business matter to your team? For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.
For Jeff Arnold, founder of RightSure Insurance Group, stewardship and making the world a better place is top priority. Perhaps it was his upbringing as a son in a long line of preachers (his father, grandfather, great-grandfather); his company is built around the culture of giving back at the city, state, national and global levels. In this episode, Arnold discusses his views on philanthropy, as well as the ways in which RightSure stands out in a crowded insurance market, and how metrics are the key to any successful business. Arnold has been called a thought leader and global ambassador for the insurance industry. He writes and speaks on insurtechs, agency acquisitions, and helps consumers understand how technology is infused into their products. RightSure is known for leading with technology and facilitating a positive, tech-forward workplace. Founded 13 years ago, RightSure earned recognition as a Top Insurance Technology Workplace for 2020 by Insurance Business America (IBA) and also made the Insurance Journal’s list of the 2020 Best Independent Insurance Agencies to Work For. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm61OXNtoRY&t=3s Key Takeaway: Knowing what numbers are important (not just financial numbers, but metrics of all sorts) and then using them as a guide to get where you want to go is key to growing a business. Additionally, having a successful business that you’re passionate about is often seen as an end, but instead can be the means to serve a higher purpose and make the world a better place. Lessons Learned: What gets measured gets done. Know the difference between Tension and Conflict (one is necessary for the organization to grow and one is destructive). “Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.” For More Information: RightSure Insurance Group: http://www.rightsure.com/ (http://www.rightsure.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsure-insurance-group/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightsure-insurance-group/) Jeff Arnold: https://www.jeffarnold.com/ (https://www.jeffarnold.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjefferyarnold/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjefferyarnold/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rjefferyarnold/ (https://www.facebook.com/rjefferyarnold/)
In Jim Collins Book, Good to Great, he states ... "When we began the research project, we expected to find that the first step in taking a company from good to great would be to set a new direction, a new vision and strategy for the company, and then to get people committed and aligned behind that new direction." Instead, he found the complete opposite in that great companies and leaders first focused on getting the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. With all of the business leaders we have worked with over the years, the fires that they currently are dealing with always have a "people" issue involved. Today on the podcast, Jeff Chastain, Business Transformation Coach with Admentus, continues our segment from last week in talking about systemizing a business and specifically focus on the people aspect. Right people, right seats is a great concept, but how do you quantify your team and know who the A players are? For that matter, what is an A player? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5IUI6mHG38 For questions or more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.
Entrepreneur Tim Angelillo's passion is to be of service to consumers, clients, partners, and other tenacious entrepreneurs by sharing his story and solutions that can be applied to companies large and small. Angelillo is the founder of Sourced Craft Cocktails, a delivery service that brings the craft cocktail experience to homes and offices. In this lively episode, he describes how he discovered untapped potential in the alcohol distribution industry - a system that hasn’t changed in nearly 90 years. Having navigated unprecedented growth of his business during the pandemic, Angelillo shares the mindset he believes was crucial in the company’s success, his secret to avoiding regrets in business, as well as discussing his philosophy of helping others whenever possible. A self-described “late bloomer” as an entrepreneur, Angelillo has 15+ years of experience running divisions of publicly traded companies like Yahoo! and Time Warner as well as founding and leading three start-up businesses in Austin, TX. His experiences include positions such as Global Business Leader overseeing Yahoo! Sports and the Y! Commerce divisions as well as Executive Director where he oversaw $100 Million of Sports Illustrated licensing, properties, and retail business units. Lessons learned in these roles allow Tim to share detailed insights on how to apply an entrepreneurial drive and marketing, sales, technology, and management skills both inside global companies and the tech start-up world. https://youtu.be/HgW0O3BzIrA Key Takeaway: Having a "north star” and employees that share your mission is imperative to success and growth in business. It is human nature to want to succeed, so it is important to set goals before one begins. This avoids the temptation of moving the goalposts closer and allows one to accurately evaluate success in terms of “win or learn” rather than “win or lose”. Lessons Learned: It will not be easy! Know what you are getting yourself into and commit! People are your most important asset, always. Surround yourself with colleagues looking to accomplish the same goal. Don't try to do it on your own. Adapt - With the constantly shifting environment caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, business leaders of both small and large companies are living in a daily pivot. This moment in time took us from the normal "how do you" Google it and ramped it up to an always-on, teach ourselves reality. As my grandmother always said: "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again!" Success is not a straight line and the learnings of failure are the most important lessons to get us to the right win. For More Information: Sourced Craft Cocktails: http://sourcedcraftcocktails.com/ (http://sourcedcraftcocktails.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourced-craft-cocktails/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/sourced-craft-cocktails/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-angelillo-942564172/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-angelillo-942564172/)
If you were to build a McDonald's at the same intersection of "Joe's Craft Burger House", it would be a very safe bet that the McDonald's would be the last one standing. Why? If you look at the statistics, an entrepreneurial business has less than a 10% chance of survival. On the flip side, a franchise business has greater than a 90% success rate. Why are these two business models so radically different - especially in the scenario above where they are serving the same type of customer? In today's episode, we take a brief detour from our great guest interviews and let our host and founder take the microphone for a few minutes to delve into what it means to systematize a business and how doing so is key to the long term success of the business. In this episode, Jeff breaks down the four keys to a solid business system, showing that if you having each of these keys in place the results are more profits - the key itself to growth, scaling, and a solid return for your investments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWIluVEyWTU For more information, reach out to Jeff at https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/ (https://www.admentus.com/gain-clarity/). He is happy to chat with business owners that are simply trying to take that next leap forward in their business.
With more than 50 years of financial leadership experience in a broad range of industries, Charles J. Read has a depth of knowledge to share, especially when it comes to outsourcing. As founder of GetPayroll and an expert in helping others navigate the complicated and ever-changing laws regarding taxes and payroll, Read stresses that when it comes to many aspects of business, one can’t afford NOT to outsource. According to Read, there’s wisdom in knowing your own knowledge gaps as well as your expertise. “The time [outsourcing] frees up to allow you to work on your business is so critically important,” he says. In this episode, Read also discusses the value in keeping laser-focused on your area of expertise, especially when it’s highly specialized. Wanting to add services for clients can be alluring, but it is crucial to keep up with industry changes and continue to do one thing exceptionally well, rather than offering several things at which you can only be average. Charles J Read is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), U.S Tax Court Practitioner ( USTCP), member of Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC) and the Founder of GetPayroll. Mr. Read’s companies have provided full-service payroll services, payroll tax services, and other payroll-related services since 1991. Read is an accomplished senior executive and entrepreneur and the author of four books, including his latest, The Payroll Book. For a free copy, visit http://ThePayrollBook.com (ThePayrollBook.com) and use the coupon code: PODCAST. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLD5JcyfDcQ Key Takeaway: It is imperative to recognize your knowledge gaps and when a task or an aspect of your business should be outsourced. Delegating will not only help you focus on your expertise, but will also free up the crucial time needed to work on your business, rather than in your business. Lessons Learned: Discipline is necessary in all actions or else you will fail Know your numbers. I am CPA so its easy for me but it is vital for anyone looking to scale There no traffic jam on the extra mile. Take pride in your work and go the extra mile For More Information: Get Payroll: https://getpayroll.com/ (https://getpayroll.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getpayroll/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/getpayroll/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/getpayroll/ (http://twitter.com/getpayroll/) Facebook: https://facebook.com/getpayroll/ (http://facebook.com/getpayroll/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-j-read-cpa/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-j-read-cpa/) Get your FREE copy of The Payroll Book: http://www.thepayrollbook.com (www.thepayrollbook.com) (Use coupon code: PODCAST)
Entrepreneurs can sometimes strangle their companies when they aren’t willing to get out of their own way and delegate to others. In this episode of the Building to Scale Podcast, Erin Young, founder of Slide UX, talks about learning this valuable lesson. She shares how when she stopped trying to do it all and handed tasks over to capable employees, she was more available to help her employees do their best work, while the clients they serve received better service. Young founded Slide UX in 2012, and since 2016, it’s been named one of the world's top five UX agencies. The company helps product leaders understand what users actually need and identify the right features, content, look and feel, and interaction of the design. Slide UX helps clients move from ideas to documentation so that a development team can build a great experience. Slide UX also establishes UI design systems that scale by continuously refining unique, fast-paced methods that help clients establish great user experiences while cultivating good UX fundamentals, setting them up to succeed beyond the project. Programs at Slide UX integrate business strategy, user research, UI design, and cross-functional collaboration to create great product experiences as they work with leaders to untangle their project's complexities and facilitate helpful conversations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfXANhgNocM Key Takeaway: The longer a business owner waits to delegate tasks to their capable employees, the more entangled they become and the harder it is to extract themselves. Additionally, customizing solutions to customer’s problems is unnecessary. It is much more efficient to have one process to create the solution to clients’ problems. Plus, it allows for complete clarity for the client when it comes to expected deliverables. Lessons Learned: 1. Simplify: Everything is a lot easier when distilled down to its core essence. 2. Document: Have processes in place so that consistent results can be delivered. 3. Refine - Have a proven process that can be improved upon rather than trying to customize for each customer. For More Information: Website: https://slideux.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slide-ux/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/slideux Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlideUX LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinlynnyoung/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/erinlynnyoung
Paul Daniels has always been a strong problem solver with the innate ability to connect dots that others couldn’t, also known as “peripheral thinking”. It wasn’t until the age of 40 when he was diagnosed with dyslexia, that he discovered his disorder was actually responsible for many of his greatest strengths - ones that studies show will be most needed in the future workforce. While dyslexics innately have the peripheral thinking skills that are prized in business, these skills can also be taught. Daniels writes, “I help my clients learn and deploy super-skills, found innately in only 15% of the population, to find and execute existing solutions in new and creative ways. In my spare, spare time I deliver keynote speeches on ‘Powerful Solutions from the Periphery.’” Daniels is also Chief Revenue Officer at Intelligent Contacts, a company that solves one of the biggest challenges facing the ARM, RCM, and Healthcare industries - growing accounts receivable and a widening gap in effective communications. In this episode, he discusses the company’s core values, and the importance in becoming the values, rather than only striving for them. Key Takeaway: Peripheral thinking, or the ability to solve problems creatively, is a highly valuable business skill. Though it exists innately in only 15% of the population, this way of thinking can be learned. The problems solved with peripheral thinking are transferable across industries, because all businesses and organizations exist with one common goal: to serve. Lessons Learned: - People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. - There are more available solutions than there are challenges. - If you want to go fast - go alone. If you want to go far - go together. For More Information: - Website: https://www.IntelligentContacts.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-contacts - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldanielsjr
Guest Denise Cagan has been managing a remote team for a decade - long before remote work was a necessity. An entrepreneur for the past 25 years, Cagan started her first business in 2001 where she wore many hats: marketing, human resources, office manager, chief financial officer, and scheduler. After 10 years of ownership, she sold that business and started her current endeavor. What began as a sole proprietorship evolved into DCA Virtual Business Support, a company that provides outsourcing solutions. Cagan has learned many lessons as she transitioned from a sole proprietor to a business owner with employees, perhaps the most important being that proper accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll services are a must. Key Takeaway: Business owners need to delegate to grow, but don’t always feel comfortable doing so, because they have an aversion to taking time to train, or because they don’t have written standard operating procedures that they can hand off to someone. This creates the perception that it’s just easier to do something themselves than delegate. Instead, business owners need to focus on the time that will be gained long-term as they work to delegate tasks to people who know what needs to be done and have the ability to do it well. Lessons Learned: Use a coach or advisor to help you get laser-focused. If this coach or advisor doesn't focus on financials then you also need someone who can help you forecast and tie that to actionable goals. Outsource, and start with outsourcing in the areas that could have liability or compliance issues such as a bookkeeper, tax accountant, and payroll company. Creating written procedures is key, and will help in delegating, which in turn leads to long-term savings of time and often results in more efficient ways of accomplishing tasks. For More Information: LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisecagan Website: https://dcavirtual.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/10813504 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCAVirtual Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcavirtual
Bryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal - an online marketplace that connects homeowners with Local lawn care professionals. GreenPal has been called the “Uber for lawn care” by Entrepreneur magazine and has over 200,000 active users completing thousands of transactions per day. Before starting GreenPal, Bryan founded Peachtree Inc. one of the largest landscaping companies in the state of Tennessee growing it to over $10 million a year in annual revenue before it was acquired by Lusa holdings in 2013. Bryan‘s interest and expertise are related to entrepreneurialism, small business growth, marketing and bootstrapping businesses from zero revenue to profitability and exit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZjx0-hWBNk Key Takeaway: Building and sustaining a successful business requires the right balance between patience and ambition. Big-name companies like Uber or HP did not appear on scene overnight. Most were the second or third venture for their founders and took years to build. At the same time, you must have the ambition and the grind to keep moving forward as simply sitting back and being patient will not make things happen either. Lessons Learned: Balance Patience with Ambition – Building a business is rarely (never) an overnight success and requires the right balance of both patience and ambition. Hire the Best (Part-Time) – It is better to hire a professional for five hours a week than to hire somebody that does not know what they are doing for 40 hours a week. Listen to Your Customers – Ask and listen to your customers regularly when it comes to your product or service … or else you will soon have none. For More Information: GreenPal @ http://yourgreenpal.com/ (http://yourgreenpal.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenpal/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/495779490484818/ (https://www.facebook.com/495779490484818/) Twitter @ https://www.twitter.com/YourGreenPal/ (https://www.twitter.com/YourGreenPal/) LinkedIn @ https://linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton (http://linkedin.com/in/bryan-clayton) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/bryanmclayton (https://twitter.com/bryanmclayton)
As the founder of MaxedS, a go-to-market advisory and sales acceleration firm, Puneet Sharma is a seasoned professional with decades of experience taking services and products to market. Puneet spent many years working with large corporations to develop and deploy new products and services. While “seeing the light late” as he describes it, he saw a need in the small business realm where entrepreneurs with great ideas struggled to bring them to market successfully. Key Takeaway: “I saw the light late ..." Making the jump from the corporate world to the entrepreneur world is a big leap and not without risk. At the same time, you must validate your ideas early with people outside of your inner circle to ensure that you have a sustainable mission that people are willing to buy into. Lessons Learned: Validate Your Ideas – It can be easy to get sucked into believing your own marketing. Make sure to validate your ideas early with people outside your inner circle. Make Life Easier – When developing new ideas, look for ways to help make somebody else’s life better. Empower Your Team – Promote the ability out of the game to empower your team. Let them make decisions without having to run everything up the chain. For More Information: MaxedS @ https://www.maxeds.org/ (https://www.maxeds.org/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/maxeds/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/maxeds/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Maxed__S (https://twitter.com/Maxed__S) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/puneetsharmax/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/puneetsharmax/)
David Norman is the CEO and Founder of Arryved, Inc. Founded in 2015, Arryved is a point-of-sale technology that focuses on the needs of beer patrons as well as the people who serve them, providing a best-in-class experience for the craft brewing industry and beyond. David is a self-described engineer who gets to play CEO. In this interview, David really dives into the power of culture, hiring the right people, and building a common, shared direction. “When I can hear people almost talking in my voice, without my saying anything, pitching the same exact vision, I have done my job because everybody is effectively moving in the same direction.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5gyNdcmViE Key Takeaway: “When you are dealing with the service industry, you better have really good customer service.” By focusing on the power of culture and on your team, you build an entire team that buys into your mission and vision – thus being an extension of your message in front of your customers. Lessons Learned: Be Flexible - what we think we plan to start our days/weeks/months with is not ever where we finish up. Take Risks - as much as we all hate to fail, many of us are easily employable elsewhere. Do know when to swing for the fences and when to bunt. Know Who You Are - you only scale if you are humble enough to know your limitations and bring people along who can shine. For More Information: Arryved @ https://www.arryved.com/ (https://www.arryved.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/arryved-inc-/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/arryved-inc-/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/arryved/ (https://www.facebook.com/arryved/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-norman-a8782b/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-norman-a8782b/)
Brett Trembly is the founder of the Inc 5000 Business and Litigation law firm Trembly Law in Miami Florida. Seeing a need in his own business, he partnered with a fellow lawyer to create Get Staffed Up, a virtual assistant staffing company. As Brett describes it, the point at which he started treating his law firm like a real restaurant instead of a hot dog stand on the corner was the point at which growth took off and he was finally able to truly enjoy a vacation with the family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNi-7cTBF38 Key Takeaway: Key Takeaway: "Too many lawyers treat their law firm like a hot dog stand on the corner rather than a real restaurant." This is scary, but the only way to actually grow a business is to get things off of your plate and to focus on the areas that truly generate revenue. You must run your business like a business rather than doing everything yourself. Check It Out: Visit https://getstaffedup.com/VIP (https://getstaffedup.com/VIP) and mention our host Jeff Chastain and the Building to Scale podcast to get a discount on your onboarding costs for a new virtual assistant! Lessons Learned: Delegate Sooner Rather than Later – If you do not have an assistant, you are an assistant. I wish I hired my first assistant sooner. Effective Delegation is Key – Delegation is KEY. It is a skill that every leader requires. It is important to know how to do it effectively and efficiently. Build the Right Team – You must have the right people in the right seats and have a great culture within the company. For More Information: Get Staffed Up @ https://getstaffedup.com/ (https://getstaffedup.com/) Trembly Law Firm @ https://tremblylaw.com/ (https://tremblylaw.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/getstaffedup/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/getstaffedup/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretttrembly/)
Uyi Abraham is the founder and CEO of Vonza, a complete, all-in-one solution that helps coaches and business leaders sell online and run their entire business in one place. Uyi was born in Nigeria and came to America for medical school with only $100 and a suitcase of clothes. Despite his humble beginnings, he has attained entrepreneurial success, and is devoted to helping others become successful entrepreneurs. By focusing on simplicity and always keeping an eye on the long game, Uyi has been able to persevere through the challenges of growing an entrepreneurial software as a service platform. Facing issues with overseas development teams to learning how to market, Uyi has taken on the challenges of business one step at a time. Key Takeaway: Focus on simplicity – simplicity is the founding principle of Vonza with the goal of simplifying technology for entrepreneurs. Complexity creeps up on business owners – one tool, one technology at a time and before long you are wasting all kinds of resources trying to hold it all together. Lessons Learned: Product Market Fit – Do your homework, talk to your customers, and get feedback early in the product development process to ensure you have market fit and bring value. Persistence – Success in business is a long game and persistence is key. There will be bumps in the road along the way but keep the long game in mind and keep going. Talking to Your Customers – Always keep your customers in mind and continue to engage with them to ensure you stay on the right track. For More Information: Vonza @ https://www.vonza.com (https://www.vonza.com) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vonza/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/vonza/) Uyi Abraham @ https://www.uyiabraham.com/ (https://www.uyiabraham.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/uyiabraham/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/uyiabraham/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/druyiabraham/ (http://www.facebook.com/druyiabraham/) Twitter @ https://www.twitter.com/uyiabraham (http://www.twitter.com/uyiabraham)
James Creech is an entrepreneur focused on digital media and technology. His passion is putting together great teams, scaling growth, and building lasting businesses. As the Co-Founder & CEO of Paladin Software, he leads a team focused on being the essential influencer marketing platform for agencies and media companies. Most recently, James and his team have launched Measure Studio – a new social analytics tool for creators and publishers that aims to ease the burden of tracking and optimizing marketing campaigns. As James states, the adage is "we know 50% of our marketing is working, we are just not sure which 50%". With Measure Studio, they aim to make real analytics and data available in one place so you can easily focus on what matters the most. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcX1u3KC2zM Key Takeaway: When investing in your business - in marketing, in product development, etc. - knowing your numbers and making decisions based upon numbers is critical. In James's words, the adage is "we know 50% of our marketing is working, we are just not sure which 50%". Without real analytics and numbers, you will never know and waste resources you cannot afford to. Lessons Learned: Go Deep Before You Go Wide - Focus your early efforts on being the best at one thing before expanding to serve additional use cases. Sales is the Lifeblood of a Business - Beyond driving revenue, sales is the first touchpoint with your customer, the best source of product feedback, and a source of market intelligence about future customer segments. Find a Coach - Surround yourself with mentors and advisors who can help you learn quickly and ask the tough questions to challenge your thinking. For More Information: Paladin Software @ https://www.paladinsoftware.com/ (https://www.paladinsoftware.com/) Measure Studio @ https://www.measure.studio/ (https://www.measure.studio/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/measure-studio/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/measure-studio/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/measurestudioapp/ (https://www.facebook.com/measurestudioapp/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/measurestudio/ (https://twitter.com/measurestudio/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlcreech/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlcreech/)
Over the years, Brad Weber has gone from one-man shop, developing custom software applications, to the founder and CEO of InspiringApps, a rapidly growing mobile app design and development company based out of Boulder, Colorado. Now with offices in multiple states and a growing remote team, Brad has experienced many of the growing pains that come with scaling a business rapidly. Today, Brad and the team at InspiringApps remain passionate about their mission to create digital products that delight users and help businesses thrive. With a focus on the long-term strategy, consistent processes, and a stronger foundation, they are poised for great things. Key Takeaway: Build a strong foundation – As Brad states, while we have been successful with a 14-year history and more than 20 employees, we would have been better served by introducing strategy, process, and a stronger foundation earlier in the game. Lessons Learned: Build a Foundation – Having structure – systems, processes, etc. in your business can make a huge difference in the long term of a business from both an efficiency perspective as well as a value perspective. Contractors vs. Employees – Regardless of whether you are dealing with contractors or employees, ensure there is a cultural fit and buy-in to ensure that everybody is committed and pulling in the same direction. Continual Learning – As an entrepreneur and an executive, learning never stops. For More Information: InspiringApps @ http://www.inspiringapps.com/ (http://www.inspiringapps.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspiringapps/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspiringapps/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/inspiringapps/ (https://www.facebook.com/inspiringapps/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/iabrad/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/iabrad/) Twitter @ https://www.twitter.com/iaBrad/ (https://www.twitter.com/iaBrad/)
After an accomplished career with the US Army as a Green Beret, Adam Clark worked through a path from defense contracting to the medical industry where he became the CEO of Tangible Solutions, a contract manufacturer of 3D printed titanium orthopedic implants. Like most entrepreneurs, Adam learned on the job when it came to the transition from entrepreneur to business executive in areas like leading a team, building a company culture, and the tools and challenges that are involved with growing and scaling a successful business venture. Key Takeaway: When it comes to being an entrepreneur, the transformation and the growth of the business occurs both within the business itself and also within yourself. Your team will be looking to you as a leader, not just "one of the guys" and that can cover a huge array from your ability to lead and organize, to your personal health and your family. Lessons Learned: Culture is everything. You can have the best plan, but that is all it is. Understanding your own values and seeing those values given the same weight by other people is important when building a team. Be adaptable. When it comes to execution, the team must be adaptable and take on obstacles together. The frontier of business is ever-changing and not being flexible to that changing landscape can spell the end of the business. Seek outside counsel. As an entrepreneur, you can have grand new ideas every day. Without a sounding board that is going to check your ideas and ask you to back them up, you run the risk of “shiny object” syndrome, wasting resources and losing momentum. For More Information: Tangible Solutions @ http://www.tangiblesolutions3d.com/ (http://www.tangiblesolutions3d.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/tangible-solutions-additive-manufacturing/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/tangible-solutions-additive-manufacturing/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/tangiblesolutions (https://www.facebook.com/tangiblesolutions) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/tangiblesolutns/ (https://twitter.com/tangiblesolutns/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammbclark (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adammbclark)
Andy Hilliard is a serial entrepreneur with A both global and technology focus; he is the CEO of Accelerance, a consulting firm that helps technology leaders create and execute effective strategies for global software outsourcing. Andy has been responsible for driving the company forward through new ideas, a strong culture, and engagement with the market. Working on a global stage, there are all kinds of shifting tides and impacts to business. In this episode, Andy talks about the company getting overextended during the 2008 financial crisis and the changes they have made since to ensure that it does not happen again. Key Takeaway: The world of business is in a constant state of change. While you cannot change direction with every shift of the wind, you must have the metrics and indicators in place to be able to see in advance where you are overextended and need to pivot. Lessons Learned: Build a strong culture by hiring people who are aligned with core company values and weave these values into KPIs (Rocks), quarterly reviews, salaries and bonuses, job descriptions etc. Culture alignment is more important than sheer talent. You can teach skills, but culture alignment is hard-coded in people. GWC - get it, want it, capacity to do it ... make sure everyone is in the right seat and if not, make changes swiftly. For More Information: Accelerance @ http://www.accelerance.com/ (http://www.accelerance.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerance-inc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerance-inc/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/accelerance (http://twitter.com/accelerance) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhilliard (http://www.linkedin.com/in/andyhilliard) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/andyhilliard (https://www.facebook.com/andyhilliard)
Ofer Yourvexel is the co-founder and CEO of Pepperi, the mobile commerce platform for brands and wholesalers. Prior to founding Pepperi, Mr. Yourvexel spent over 20 years in executive leadership positions with enterprise technology companies including Amdocs, Jacada, Enigma, and Tefen. As Ofer describes it, the move from big corporate executive to growing an entrepreneurial business leader compares to his history in the navy. Big corporations are like a destroyer – lots of strength, resources, etc., but a lot slower to turn and move. On the flip side, his current entrepreneurial venture is more like the patrol boat – nimble, agile, and easy to pivot. Key Takeaway: Every new stage of business requires changes. As your business grows, make sure you are focusing on the one thing your business does well and not constantly chasing new markets and new customers. Serve your current customers well - bring new value and dig deep into your market before expanding into new markets. Lessons Learned: Focus Deep over Wide – When working with your market, focus on bringing new value and developing your existing market rather than going wide and expanding into new ones. Make Decisions Quickly – The longer you delay in deciding, the more challenges and problems you're likely introducing or opportunities you are missing. For More Information: Pepperi @ https://www.pepperi.com/ (https://www.pepperi.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pepperi-com/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/pepperi-com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofer-yourvexel-4898a64/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofer-yourvexel-4898a64/)
As an entrepreneur in technology, consulting, and business for over 20 years, Uni Rosales Yost has led and managed multiple businesses that focus on creating new products and services in multiple industries including insurance, finance, healthcare, real estate, banking, mortgages, and more. Today, Uni is founder and CEO of GoAskJay, a leading innovative Insurance (Insurtech) and Financial (Fintech) AI matching platform in a $4 trillion insurance industry that delivers insurance and financial products to consumers and small businesses. Key Takeaway: Expert advisors, mentors, and coaches should play a key role early on in your business. They can often spot and warn of pitfalls that are coming instead of being 6-months down that road before you figure out you made a mistake. Your time is limited and valuable - you must make the best use of your resources. Lessons Learned: Always Start with a Plan – Figure out who to target, what solution you are offering, and be realistic about whether there is a real market need. Move forward only when you have good answers to those questions. Once you start a business, it is hard to stop. Make Sure the Funding is in Place – Do you have the money to continue to scale before you will see ROI? Do not partner lightly -- they say it is 10x harder to get out of a business partnership than it is to get a divorce. For More Information: GoAskJay @ http://www.goaskjay.com/ (http://www.goaskjay.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/goaskjay (https://www.linkedin.com/company/goaskjay) Facebook @ https://faceboook.com/goaskjay (https://faceboook.com/goaskjay) LinkedIn @ https://linkedin.com/in/uniyost (http://linkedin.com/in/uniyost) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/uyost (https://twitter.com/uyost)
Chip Murphy is the co-founder of CDM Technology - a consulting, contracting, and professional search firm that works in the high-level IT space with a focus on software development, Dev/OPS (think Cloud), and high-level software architecture. In 2020 - right in the heart of the pandemic (crazy, we know) – Chip and his team expanded the business with 3 additional offices, primarily due to an account they landed that is hiring like gang busters. The growth has been challenging, but most of all it's been fun and exciting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qivUKMwAV_s Key Takeaway: Building a business is a continual cycle of taking the entrepreneurial leap - over and over again. As Chip describes, the gray hair is not going away, and the delay in taking the leap to expand the business despite the challenges of 2020 was holding the business back. Lessons Learned: You don't know what you don't know...and that's okay - Knowing everything, every little step of starting or even owning a business is impossible. As you go along the way...Find Peers, people you admire, people you work have worked with, people who have done work for you, people you went to school with, and probably most importantly people who have also started businesses...and keep them close to you. Keep a journal, keep mental notes, or just plain sticky notes – Keep track of all the things you experienced in the working world or for the companies you worked for that you did not like...write them down and keep them somewhere special...and try like hell to not repeat them as a business owner. Read. Read. Read. - Books, newspapers, magazines, anything you can that does a couple of things. Educate you, or make you laugh. Not everything you read needs to be business-related. Not everything you read needs to focus on your business, or your clients etc. For More Information: CDM Technology @ https://www.cdmtechnology.com/ (https://www.cdmtechnology.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdm-technology/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cdm-technology/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/cdmtechnologysandiego (https://www.facebook.com/cdmtechnologysandiego) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/CDMTechnologySD/ (https://twitter.com/CDMTechnologySD/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chip-murphy-6361871/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chip-murphy-6361871/)
Scott Beebe is the founder of My Business on Purpose, a business coaching, training, and strategy group that helps small business owners and organizational leaders transition from working IN their businesses to working ON their businesses. Scott is also the host of the Business on Purpose podcast; a weekly podcast where Scott interviews small business owners who share insights into how they are living their business on purpose. Scott’s journey has taken him from seminary to pharmaceutical sales, back to church planting as a new pastor, and now into business as an entrepreneur leading and helping other business leaders. Key Takeaway: Your role is an ever-growing organism as new things come along in the business. You must make a regular practice of reviewing everything you are doing and determine what you are good at, what you absolutely must do yourself, and then work to off everything else. Lessons Learned: Marketing is a Long Play – Word of mouth is the “silver bullet” of all marketing. But it is the hardest to come by and takes the longest to get there. Everybody is in Sales – Everybody on your team is in sales and should be using the same message. Marketing Consistency is Key – Your prospects are watching you and consistency is key to stay top of mind until the prospects urgency is great enough to connect. For More Information: My Business on Purpose @ http://mybusinessonpurpose.com/ (http://mybusinessonpurpose.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-business-on-purpose/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-business-on-purpose/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottebeebe/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottebeebe/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/scottbeebe (https://twitter.com/scottbeebe)
David has been thrust into intense situations, often with a ‘fix or sell within 90 days’ imperative. It has been said that “He is never intimidated by crisis.” David Baughman is the consummate operating professional and is the founder and CEO of Fractional Executive Solutions, a firm that provides the experience and knowledge of a high-powered operations professional for half the cost. David has “been there and done that” for clients across a broad range of sectors, stages of growth, and business environments. His experience includes aerospace, automotive, industrial, and oil & gas. His specialty is dramatic and profitable acceleration of the company’s growth through his deep grasp of all functions and leverage points. Key Takeaway: As a growing, scaling business, owners many times have blinders on as to different ideas or things that fall outside of their current path. As David describes it, business paradigms can inhibit us from exploring new ideas, which is how we grow. Lessons Learned: Understand the importance and the quality of your network. Do your research and connect with those who can best help you TOMORROW as well today. Look to join and network in groups such as Vistage. Again, that is for tomorrow as well as today. Be clear on what value you and your company can provide and create an "elevator speech" around it. For More Information: Fractional Executive Solutions @ http://www.fractionalexecutivesolutions.com/ (http://www.fractionalexecutivesolutions.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/fractional-executive-solutions-llc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fractional-executive-solutions-llc/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjbaughman/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjbaughman/)
Every company wishes they have a crystal ball when it comes to making business decisions, and while a physical iteration of that wish is not possible, Tony Nash has developed the next best thing for his clients at his startup, Complete Intelligence. Tony is the CEO and Founder of Complete Intelligence. Before founding Complete Intelligence, Tony was the global head of research for The Economist and the head of Asia consulting for IHS Markit. Complete Intelligence is a fully automated and globally integrated AI platform for smarter cost and revenue planning. Using advanced AI, they provide highly accurate cost and revenue forecasts fueled by billions of enterprise and public data points. Key Takeaway: As a growing, scaling business, you must know what you are good at, what you do, and what you do not do. Maintain your mission-critical focus on the most important aspects of your business and outsource the parts that you are simply not good at or are outside of your mission. Lessons Learned: Put Significant Thought into Your Senior Hires – Hire low first, then hire the upper levels as they will be the ones that have to share your mission and must be the right hire. Know what You Do Not Do – Knowing what you don’t do is just as important as knowing what you do do. Define Your Culture – Define the culture you are building and continually and intentionally reinforce it. For More Information: Complete Intelligence @ https://www.completeintel.com/ (https://www.completeintel.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/complete-intelligence/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/complete-intelligence/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/completeintel/ (https://www.facebook.com/completeintel/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/complete_intel/ (https://twitter.com/complete_intel/) YouTube @ https://youtube.com/c/completeintelligence/ (http://youtube.com/c/completeintelligence/) LinkedIn @ https://linkedin.com/in/tonynash/ (https://linkedin.com/in/tonynash/)
From IT technician to CEO, Dylan Todd of Wellteck IT is a Christian, Husband, Father, Brother, Son, Entrepreneur and Cross-fitter with a passion for People and Technology. Dylan started Wellteck IT in the spare bedroom of a friend’s house in 2014. The company is now more than 15 employees and breaking 7-figure revenue marks on a consistent basis. As Dylan has transitioned from technician to CEO, his role has continued to evolve and change. However, his focus and vision to best serve and treat his customers' IT needs remain unchanged. Key Takeaway: Understand the work that running a business requires and find ways to work smarter and harder. Making that transition from technician (working in the business) to owner (working on the business) is not easy and requires constant attention to the long-term picture and strategy. Lessons Learned: Do to others as you would want done to yourself – Whether it is your own team, your customers, or your vendors, your integrity takes a lifetime to build up and only minutes to crash. Never sign or verbally agree to anything you will not put 110% in to. Look at things from your customer's perspective, not just your own. For More Information: Wellteck IT @ http://wellteck.com/ (http://wellteck.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellteck-it/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellteck-it/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/wellteckit/ (https://www.facebook.com/wellteckit/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/WellTeckIT/ (https://twitter.com/WellTeckIT/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-todd-72b51764/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-todd-72b51764/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/dylan.todd1/ (https://www.facebook.com/dylan.todd1/)
As CEO of Elements.cloud, Ian Gotts is passionate about providing the tools and training to help customers reduce the risk and improve the adoption of their Salesforce implementations. He’s been a customer Salesforce over the last 18 years and a regular speaker at Dreamforce, World Tour and Dreamin’ events. Over the years as a customer of Salesforce, Ian and his team struggled to manage the implementation lifecycle as there were no enterprise level tools. Over the last 10 years Salesforce has become a powerful platform and now has huge enterprise customers. Ian saw a massive opportunity to fill the gap and support their customers, so he dragged a couple of old colleagues out of retirement and founded Elements.cloud. Key Takeaway: When it comes to building a product or service, customer feedback is invaluable to ensure you are hitting your target. However, it must be balanced so that you are not in the position of having no clear direction and doing "anything for money". Lessons Learned: Focus – Ensure the product market fit, solve one problem for one market before you scale. Marketing - Understand marketing "to the right of the chasm" and aim to quickly get beyond the early adopters into the majority. For More Information: Elements.cloud @ http://elements.cloud/ (http://elements.cloud/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/q9-elements/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/q9-elements/) LinkedIn @ https://linkedin.com/in/iangotts/ (https://linkedin.com/in/iangotts/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/iangotts/ (https://twitter.com/iangotts/)
At the age of 4 with 20 words vocabulary, Crys was solidly in the foster care system. She was adopted as an older child and loved learning. Crys graduated from high school as a valedictorian, attended college at Fresno State, has four degrees, and continues to pick up an alphabet of certifications. She has overcome abuse, lives with a traumatic brain injury, and truly believes that we have the power to rewrite our story at anytime, especially our financial story! Crys has launched five businesses and absorbed a myriad of lessons from each one. Over the last 13+ years, she has empowered thousands of humans through leadership workshops, budgeting webinars, CFO sessions, and the budgeting tools you can find on our website. Most recently, she created the Manifesting Financial Freedom sets that help entrepreneurs focus on abundance and prosperity. Key Takeaway: When a project is "break-even", you are moving with a "broke even" mindset, actually going backwards in your business. Knowing your numbers, your profitability, etc. is the only way to make informed decisions and scale the business. Lessons Learned: Paying yourself first is a top priority…put it in the financial plan and build around it. Exponential growth is so much more painful to a business than slow and steady growth. Owning your BS takes a level of humility that I never would have imagined possible. For More Information: T&T, LLC: https://www.tntdynomite.com/ (https://www.tntdynomite.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crys-noell-708a5a179/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/crys-noell-708a5a179/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TNTFinancialFreedom/ (https://www.facebook.com/TNTFinancialFreedom/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TNTFinancialFreedom (https://www.instagram.com/TNTFinancialFreedom)
Natasha Miller sits at the helm of Entire Productions, but she isn’t your average CEO; she is a hyphenate entrepreneur who began her career in entertainment as a celebrated jazz artist with seven records released on her own label, Poignant Records. Having founded Entire Productions in 2000, when she was still performing, this single mother and Des Moines, IA native single-handedly built a multi-million dollar company. As an event planning agency, faced with a global pandemic and a shutdown of all in-person events, Natasha faced a critical pivot in her business in early 2020. By making a fast re-alignment of her business, she wrapped up 2020 with more than 150 events staged after the shutdown in March. Key Takeaway: By having a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, Natasha was able to quickly pivot her company and move forward along a different path very quickly when she might otherwise have been faced with closing the company. Lessons Learned: Education- I took incredible lessons from professors, mentors and advisors and put them into action immediately. This was the #1 needle-mover in our growth. I listened to my team and followed their passion and skills. We have an omnipresence in our very targeted niche and don't stray from it - wastes time and money. For More Information: Entire Productions: https://www.entireproductions.com/ (https://www.entireproductions.com/) Natasha Miller: https://natashamiller.co/ (https://natashamiller.co/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashamiller/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashamiller/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatashaMillerMusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/NatashaMillerSF (https://twitter.com/NatashaMillerSF)
Kaitlyn is the owner and creative director of South Street, Co., a digital marketing agency that helps small and medium businesses grow their reach online. Following the stereotypical entpreneurial journey, Kaitlyn turned a side hustle into a growing digital marketing agency. Her transition from consultant to business owner has been a journey of discovery and learning when it comes to how to run a growing and successful business. One of the biggest keys to her success has been leveraging automation to remove the burden of administrative work from her creative team, while still ensuring the work is done the right way each time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yl1Fxm0IFcs Key Takeaway: By systematizing and automating administrative processes, you ensure that all of the right things get done the right way, while freeing up time and brain power for the creative side of the business. Lessons Learned: Trust your gut Set up automation to help run your business Always be nice! For More Information: South Street: http://www.southstreetmarketing.com/ (http://www.southstreetmarketing.com/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-street-&-co--a-marketing-agency/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-street-&-co--a-marketing-agency/) Facebook: https://faceboook.com/southstreetco (https://faceboook.com/southstreetco) Twitter: https://twitter.com/marketinggal_ (https://twitter.com/marketinggal_)
Cristy “Code Red” Nickel, author of “The Code Red Revolution,” is a speaker, #2 world-ranked boxer (retired), celebrity nutritionist, award-winning personal trainer, and elite-level athlete. Cristy created a nutrition program that enables people to lose 10% of their body weight each month WITHOUT shakes, pills, diet foods or exercise. She is a retired professional boxer, celebrity trainer and had her own MTV show. She was receiving Idaho state food stamps up until April 2016 where she hired a business coach and hit $10 million in 3 1/2 years. Currently, Cristy is based out of Boise Idaho and has 61 employees. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mm2_9eOprA Key Takeaway: Find and utilize help - as an entrepreneur, you don't have all of the answers and the faster you can realize that and find a coach, a mentor, an advisor, the faster you will be able to grow beyond yourself. Lessons Learned: Be consistent when utilizing social media as a way to deliver marketing messages Get a business coach! Be a product of your product (or no one will buy your product) For More Information: Code Red: https://coderedlifestyle.com/ (https://coderedlifestyle.com/) LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristycodered/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristycodered/) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CodeRedLifestyle/ (https://www.facebook.com/CodeRedLifestyle/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristycodered/ (https://twitter.com/cristycodered/)
Tom is the founder and CEO of Fancy Awesome, an Austin-based Analytical Marketing Agency that specializes in Amazon advertising and store management, paid search, and social advertising, as well as video advertising, and web site development. With a business model tightly intertwined with 3rd party services, Tom discusses the challenges he has faced over the years while still achieving steady, seven figure growth. By building a model focused on “testing” new ideas on a small scale before larger investments are made, he has been able to build and grow a successful team and company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsRoDlcxaS8 Key Takeaway: A growing, successful entrepreneur journey leaves a trail of failures in its wake. If you take the mindset of “fail quickly”, you can learn and adapt before investing heavily in new, unproven projects and markets. Lessons Learned: Fail Fast – Launch small scale efforts to test the market before investing in building out the complete solution. Leverage technology and SaaS offerings to launch and test new ideas quickly with minimal cost and risk. Build with Balance – Sales and operations (and finance) are all critical aspects of your customer flow. Do not overengineer one area, leaving other areas of the business weak. Evaluate (and re-evaluate) your Pricing – Continue to track and monitor the pricing and profitability of each product or service offering to ensure that they are a good investment of resources. For More Information: Fancy Awesome @ https://fancyawesome.com/ (https://fancyawesome.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/fancy-awesome/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/fancy-awesome/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/FancyAwesome/ (https://www.facebook.com/FancyAwesome/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-howell-8b56a040/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-howell-8b56a040/)
At 22, Mary started with a Fortune 1000 Payroll/HR company at just $13/hour in an admin role, but quickly acquired the skills and training required to advance into mid-market sales. She rapidly found success by listening to her clients and always looking to solve their needs, putting their agenda before hers. Now, Mary is the founder and CEO of two firms – Sales BQ and House of Revenue where she and her team build unshakeable revenue foundations designed to scale by focusing on all aspects of the revenue engine — marketing, sales, customer success, and RevOps. Through her journey, Mary learned many lessons the hard way as entrepreneurs typically do. One of biggest struggles she found was the need to hand off tasks that she could do herself if given a 100-hour work week, but now realizes that both she and the business will be better off if she delegates. Key Takeaway: Identifying all the tasks you are doing and break them down to identify what you are really good at, want to do, and have the capacity to do. Then, set a deadline and work to move everything else off your plate. Lessons Learned: The 100/75 rule was a big wake up call for me as a CEO as I started hiring my first employees. Once I learned it and followed it, the management of new team members and expectations for performance ran smoothly. Learning how to price for our services and experiencing slim profits until the pricing model fit both expenses + margin and the premium the market was willing to pay. This was a tough lesson learned, but now we are more profitable than ever before. I am a wife, mom, and CEO - the first 2.5 years were made of great sacrifice and my family paid the price - the pandemic shut down allowed me how to have a 9 am - 4 pm workday, be present with my family, and still be higher revenue and more profitable than we've ever been! For More Information: Mary Grothe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygrothe/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygrothe/) Web Site - https://www.houseofrevenue.com/ (https://www.houseofrevenue.com/) LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/houseofrevenue/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/houseofrevenue/) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/houseofrevenue/ (https://www.instagram.com/houseofrevenue/) Twitter - https://twitter.com/HouseofRevenue (https://twitter.com/HouseofRevenue)
Marques was drafted into the NFL in 2003 as an offensive lineman and after 5 years of playing in league, decided to retire and pursue a career in construction and contracting. At the age 27, Marques founded a construction company called Kayden Premier Enterprises which grew rapidly for the first six years. Then, in a matter of 90 days, the business went bankrupt, losing almost 2 million dollars on one project. During his darkest hours, Marques pulled himself together, got a part-time job as a custodian and with hard work and determination became an inspirational keynote speaker, executive coach, best-selling author and marketing leader, helping to build the success of others. In this episode, Marques reveals one of the biggest challenges that stood in his way with every business venture he faced – himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYTy7xmwzq4 Key Takeaway: Know when it is time to fire yourself. As a business leader, you must build a team around and then listen to that team. You do not have all the answers and the longer you make it all about yourself, the more likely you are to fail. Lessons Learned: Learn from Your Mistakes – Only the fool continues to do the same thing while expecting different results. Delegate to the Right People – You hired your team for a reason; leverage their expertise and build a team. Know when to Pivot – Have leading indicators and always be aware of changes on the horizon to be able to pivot sooner rather than once it is already too late. For More Information: · PIVOT @ https://learn.elevate.ac/courses/marques-ogden?ref=bda269 (https://learn.elevate.ac/courses/marques-ogden?ref=bda269) · Marques Ogden @ https://www.marquesogden.com/ (https://www.marquesogden.com/) · LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquesogden/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquesogden/) · Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/marques.s.ogden/ (https://www.facebook.com/marques.s.ogden/) · Twitter @ https://twitter.com/marques_ogden/ (http://twitter.com/marques_ogden/)
Noah Zandan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Quantified Communications, and a pioneer in applying behavioral science to help people become extraordinary communicators. He is on a mission to improve the communication, connection, and lives of millions of people around the world. Under Noah’s leadership, Quantified Communications has become the leading firm in combining behavioral science, AI, and experiential learning technology to help people enhance their impact, improve their interactions, and establish greater human connection. Quantified Communications works globally with everyone from CEOs of Fortune 10 organizations to International Leaders to TED speakers, to tens of thousands of future leaders including college and graduate students, teachers, veterans, and scientists. As Noah describes it, he could have gone at it alone, building his business. Instead, he chose a different route, surrounding himself by experts in different areas – building a board of advisors early on that he could turn to for advice and expertise. Key Takeaway: Leverage experts to build a better business – as Noah states, when it comes to building a business, there are simply things you do not know and having a board of experts available dramatically strengthens the business, allowing you to grow faster and stronger. Lessons Learned: Focus on Core Values – Define your core values early and utilize them as a lens in all aspects of your business to view people, business decisions, and everything else through. Three Steps to Hire – When looking at new employees, they should be evaluated in three areas – capability, passion, and fit. Ideally, they match all three areas. Power of Structure – A business operating system, EOS in Noah’s case, creates organization consistency and patterns to enable better transparency and performance. For More Information: Quantified Communications @ http://www.quantified.ai/ (http://www.quantified.ai/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantified-ai/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantified-ai/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahzandan/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahzandan/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/nzandan (https://twitter.com/nzandan)
Casey Stubbs is a 9 ½ year United States Army Veteran and married father of nine. He is an entrepreneur, a leader in his local church, and is a successful business owner and trader. That, however, was not always the case. Casey’s compelling broke-dad to seven-figure trading education business story will captivate and inspire you. He loves to share his failures with others because he believes that is where the most growth and character-building takes place. Casey is dedicated to helping people from all walks of life fulfill their financial dreams, while also achieving financial freedom. Helping others is at the heart of all that drives Casey on a daily basis. Key Takeaway: While a strong pattern of accountability and feedback is critical for productive, efficient growth – operating without a strategy and longer-term plan will diminish your results. Lessons Learned: Track and Measure Everything – If you do not know your numbers, you cannot make informed decisions moving forwards. Always Have Goals in Mind – With a goal, a purpose, a plan in mind, you can have a strong team from an execution standpoint and still miss the mark. Create Accountability and Feedback – Have a system of feedback loops in place to constantly evaluate and adjust your course of actions based upon what was successful and what was not. For More Information: · Trading Strategy Guides @ https://tradingstrategyguides.com/ (https://tradingstrategyguides.com) · LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradingstrategyguides/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/tradingstrategyguides/) · LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystubbs/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseystubbs/) · Twitter @ https://twitter.com/caseystubbs (https://twitter.com/caseystubbs)
Chad Burmeister is the founder and CEO of ScaleX.ai whose mission is to help Founders and CEOs increase revenue by focusing on the only two things that matter in sales – increasing frequency and competency. Chad’s focus with ScaleX.ai is rooted in the believe that artificial intelligence can increase revenue, eliminate repetition, and make selling more efficient and effective. The ideas that Chad brings throughout the episode are key to growing and scaling a business – in his case via AI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o293QB6rFsQ Key Takeaway: Delegation is key – whether it is through AI or other people, by trying to maintain a grasp on every task, especially the ones that are tedious and undesirable for you, you limit the growth potential for your organization. Lessons Learned: Sell First, Deliver Second – Prove out your ideas first. In the case of ScaleX.ai, we sold the concept first to validate the need and market fit before building out the full solution and doing “real” marketing. Leverage Automation – Automating tasks and processes ensures that not only do they happen the right way and the best way each time, they also happen much faster than can be done by hand. When applied to tedious tasks like data mining, it is simply more efficient. Hone in on Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) – As you build and evaluate service offerings, make sure you always keep your ideal customer profile in mind. Ensure your customers meet your values and culture. For More Information: ScaleX.ai @ https://www.scalex.ai/ (https://www.scalex.ai/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/scalex-ai/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/scalex-ai/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadburmeister (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadburmeister) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/chadburm (https://www.facebook.com/chadburm)
Ray is an award winning Filipino-American entrepreneur who grew up in Turkey and lives in Mexico. His business, LiveLingua.com, is one of the top online language schools in the world and the only one in the top 5 who did not get millions in venture capital to start. As Ray describes it, he is the type of entrepreneur that sees a need or an issue, checks to see if anybody else is solving that need, and then asks why not me? Ray is the embodiment of the entrepreneurial spirit – getting knocked down several times – first by the Spanish Flu, then by Google’s Penguin update – and yet he and his wife have persevered to have one of the top online language schools. Key Takeaway: Hire for growth – as Ray states it, while you can do just about everything in your business, the reality is somebody else can do 99% of what you do better and faster. Make sure you are focusing on what only you can do and hire for the rest to be able to grow. Lessons Learned: Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable – The entrepreneur life is not for everybody. Being an entrepreneur requires risk and perseverance to get up when knocked down. Do Not be Afraid to Hire – You are not the only person who can do X in your company. Re-Invest in the Business – If you personally take and spend every penny you make from your business, you do not have a business, you have a hobby. For More Information: Live Lingua @ https://www.livelingua.com/ (https://www.livelingua.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/livelingua/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/livelingua/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/LiveLingua/ (https://www.facebook.com/LiveLingua/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondblakney (https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondblakney) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/raymond.blakney (https://www.facebook.com/raymond.blakney)
Val King is the CEO of Whitehat Virtual Technologies, a technology services provider focused on helping clients deliver a great productive end user experience anywhere in the world their staff needs to be to get work done. Doing hundreds of projects a year and managing or supporting thousands of employees around the world, Whitehat is focused on that last 18" between the screen and the end user, because that is the gap where technology investment becomes business value and productivity. In building out Whitehat Virtual Technologies, Val and his team stacked one great year of growth on top of another – right up to the point where they hit a ceiling, and nothing worked. Up to that point, they had simply been throwing more time against the issue … more hours for more customers = more growth. Except, they ran out of time. As a technology services provider, their focus was on building systems for their clients. They took this same idea and started to systematize their own business, allowing them to be more efficient with the hours spent, break through the ceiling they were facing, and grow to new levels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaCgnO-HLIE Key Takeaway: Your business will hit a wall directly in line with the management structure you have in place. It can temporarily grow past your ability to manage it, but it will rubber band back if you do not raise your game to meet the growth. Lessons Learned: Systematize – Processes are your friend if you ever want to spend more time working on your business than in it. Delegate – You cannot be everything to everyone. Figure out what you are good at, what you want to dedicate your time to, as you do not have any more of it. For More Information: Whitehat Virtual Technologies @ http://whitehatvirtual.com/ (http://whitehatvirtual.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/whitehat-virtual-technologies/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/whitehat-virtual-technologies/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/whitehatvt/ (https://www.facebook.com/whitehatvt/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/valking/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/valking/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/whitehatvt (https://twitter.com/whitehatvt)
Tom Bronson is the CEO of the Mastery Partners, a consulting firm focused on helping business leaders plan and execute their exit strategy when it comes to their business. Tom has a long history of buying, building and then selling businesses, so he has all kinds of stories to tell. One of his great analogies is when you are driving along the highway and see that guy on the shoulder backing up because he missed his exit. In Tom’s words, do not be that guy when it comes to your business. The reality is that we will all exit our business in one manner or the other at some point. The topic of our discussion here is to look at what needs to be done in your business now – even if you don’t have a specific exit plan in mind – to ensure that that sale or transition goes as smoothly as possible and gives you the best value possible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6BMfuVcKQY Key Takeaway: Growing and scaling a business is challenging, but too many business leaders focus on the immediate picture without considering the long-term goals when making decisions and plans. Even without a specific exit goal, you can still make decisions and build a foundation today that will make your business that much more valuable in the future when it does come time to exit. Lessons Learned: Plan Your Exit – Most business owners fail to plan for their exit - 74% of business owners have NO exit plan at all. That is part of the reason that 83% of all attempted transitions fail to reach the finish line. Scale Matters – The value of your business is directly related to the ability (i.e. the foundation, the processes, etc.) of your business to scale. Good Business Planning – Exit planning is simply good business planning. For More Information: Mastery Partners @ https://www.masterypartners.com/ (https://www.masterypartners.com/) Maximize Business Value Podcast @ https://www.masterypartners.com/podcast (https://www.masterypartners.com/podcast) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastery-partners/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastery-partners/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/masterypartners/ (https://www.facebook.com/masterypartners/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-bronson/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-bronson/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/TheTomBronson (https://twitter.com/TheTomBronson)
Callum Laing is the CEO of the MBH Corporation with more than two decades of experience in starting, building, buying, and selling over half a dozen businesses in a range of sectors, including recruitment, sport and lifestyle, information technology, and telecommunications. He has published two best-selling books on business, has interviewed and published more than 700 interviews with entrepreneurs and sits as High Commissioner to the World Business Angel Investor Forum in Singapore. Callum works with entrepreneurs dealing with what he calls the “scaling paradox” … the company is too small to have access to big contracts and as such, because they do not have access to big contracts, they remain small. Callum and his team over at The MBH Corporation take a different approach to scaling through acquisition, while leaving the original company as it is, just with a bigger footprint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYyrSMoMhZc Key Takeaway: Growing a business can be challenging when you do not have the size and resources to compete with bigger players in the market. Acquisition is a way to address this, but there are different ways to go about that as most entrepreneurs do not make good employees, especially in their own company. Lessons Learned: Be Careful of Free Advice – Be careful when it comes to “free” advice from somebody that does not have any skin in the game. All too often this leads to chasing shiny objects and taking you out of your core focus. Invest in Peer Groups – Being able to leverage the expertise of peers can provide resources and information that might not otherwise be available to entrepreneurs while at the same time remembering point #1. For More Information: MBH Corporation @ https://www.mbhcorporation.com/ (https://www.mbhcorporation.com) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbh-corporation-plc/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mbh-corporation-plc/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/laingcallum (https://twitter.com/laingcallum)
Mark Shandrow is the co-founder and CEO of Asana Recovery in Costa Mesa, California. Asana Recovery is an addiction treatment center working to help people with various addictions break free of the destructive hardships they deal with. As an entrepreneur, Mark’s journey took him from the real estate investment industry into the addiction recovery where his first venture took off and grew exponentially like any dream an entrepreneur might have – right up to the point that it crashed overnight. List to Mark’s story of up and downs and how he has taken the lessons he learned in growing a business too fast and is now applying them in a new business focused on steady growth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEodJF9QcBc Key Takeaway: Growing a business too fast and overextending yourself can be just as deadly as any other issue a business faces in its lifecycle. Remain focused on your core focus and make sure you are prepared if a vendor, supplier, or other third party makes a change that could impact your business. Lessons Learned: Be Very Cash Conscious – A business runs on cash, so be very careful on how extended you get when it comes to your cash flow on both the business and personal sides. Do not sign personal guarantees Do not co-mingle funds between legal entities Do not use operating cash flow for rapid expansion For More Information: Asana Recovery @ http://www.asanarecovery.com/ (http://www.asanarecovery.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/asanarecovery/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/asanarecovery/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shandrow (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shandrow) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/public/mark-shandrow (https://www.facebook.com/public/mark-shandrow) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/mshandrow (https://twitter.com/mshandrow)
Vikram Rajan is the president of Practice Marketing and co-founder of both the video blogging community VideoSocials and social media automation app Brander. As a marketing consulting, Vikram saw firsthand the difficulties of getting business owners to participate in the marketing process and thus set out to build a better solution like any great entrepreneur. With a team of 11 and revenues over $400K, Vikram has seen the power of process development in scaling and growing his company and community. At the same time, as a creative agency, he has found the perfect blend and processes with creativity for his team to ensure the right things get done while still allowing his team to bring their creative elements to the table. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj0OXZYZt7M Key Takeaway: In order to grow and scale an organization beyond a single entrepreneur and the early core team, you must develop processes to be able to replicate yourself and your team members. When building processes, start small with checklists and employ a constant idea of refinement while still encouraging creativity in your team. Lessons Learned: Staff Should Document and Delegate Processes – When building out a team and delegating work out to your team, process development is critical. Leverage Automation – Time is a very scarce resource for all entrepreneurs. Even if you can’t hand off some aspect of the business you don’t enjoy, at least leverage automation to get multiple things or deliverables done at the same time. Build a Community of Raving Fans – One of your best marketing sources is your community, so ensure you are building a community of raving fans that buy into your culture and systems and will then recommend you. For More Information: Video Socials @ https://videosocials.net/ (https://videosocials.net/) Practice Marketing @ https://practicemarketing.com/ (https://practicemarketing.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramrajan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramrajan) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/vikram/ (https://www.facebook.com/vikram/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/vikramrajan (http://twitter.com/vikramrajan)
Veena Jetti is a second-generation real estate investor and has been a successful name for herself managing and then founding multiple real estate investment firms. Her latest venture, Vive Funds, was launched in the middle of the 2020 pandemic and now has $400 million worth of assets in her company portfolio. How did she get to this point? The entrepreneurial drive is strong with this one as Star Wars fans would say. By focusing on innovation and reinvesting in her people, putting them first and operating the firm with transparency, she has built a loyal team that helps her drive forward even in an unknown real estate market. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZpQBC83goo Key Takeaway: While you are the leader and the risk taker, having a loyal team that buys into the mission is absolutely critical. While the leaders eat well when things are going well, they also eat last, taking care of the team and making sure that there is always an open door for new ideas and questions. Lessons Learned: Do Not Be Afraid – This this the entrepreneurial manta. No action will always guarantee failure and each failure is simply a stepping stone and lesson learned moving towards success. Invest Into Your Company – Be wary of pulling resources out of the company early. Reinvest back into your company – both for your team and your customers. Choose Your Partners Carefully – By giving up equity in the company – through partners or investors – you lose the ability to direct your vision. While sometimes necessary, choose carefully. For More Information: Vive Funds @ https://vivefunds.com/ (https://vivefunds.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/veena-jetti-5a87565/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/veena-jetti-5a87565/) Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/vivefunds/ (https://www.facebook.com/vivefunds/) Twitter @ https://twitter.com/veenajetti (http://twitter.com/veenajetti)
Mark Piller came to the US as a refugee and while working a “real” job he devoted his nights and weekends to building software apps. His entrepreneur journey started in 2003 with a new year’s resolution and with a growing software product in hand, he left his day job and started his first software development firm. Since then, the one-man software development firm has grown into a major player in the visual application development industry under the company name Backendless – a cloud-based application development platform that makes it easier for people to turn their ideas into real apps. Mark originally tried growing his company through outsourced developers but ran into issues where the company culture and values were just not there. Developers would have no attachment to the company and would leave for another project that paid a dollar more per hour. This was the impetus for a change in the way Mark built his company with a focus on the cultural fit for his team before and even over a skill fit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdxhdBej5ZI Key Takeaway: When it comes to growing your company, a focus on finding employees (or contractors) that fit and buy into your company culture is more important than specific skills. Skills can be taught, but the cultural fit cannot. Lessons Learned: Bootstrap if You Can – If possible, leverage your own resources thus leaving you and your company’s direction under your discretion. Release Early – By waiting until a product (or service) is 100% perfect in your mind, you will miss out on valuable insights from your customers and most likely cost yourself more resources in the end in rework and redesign. Listen to Your Customers – Look for every opportunity to solicit input and feedback from your customers. For More Information: Backendless @ https://backendless.com/ (https://backendless.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpiller (https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpiller)
Jefferson Nunn is the consummate entrepreneur, being involved with many different ventures since 1999. Currently, Jefferson leads the team at Code Warriors, a new software development company started in the midst of a global pandemic - yet growing and thriving in spite of the world around them. Through his work in technology – software development, cryptocurrency, and many other areas – his focus on innovation has been the key to his success and growth as an entrepreneur. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-tWVUR-8QM Key Takeaway: When it comes to opportunities, the key is to keep looking and innovate when the opportunity presents itself. Opportunities abound if you are looking for them with an eye towards innovation. Lessons Learned: Do Not be Afraid to Fail - In fact, embrace failure and study it. The science of failure is how you win. Listen - That is 90% of communications. Speaking is only 10%. Look - If you watch what people are doing, you will see patterns. For More Information: Jefferson Nunn @ https://jeffersonnunn.com/ (https://jeffersonnunn.com/) Code Warriors @ https://warrior.software/ (https://warrior.software/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnunn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffersonnunn)
Like many with a technology background, David Moise started as a software developer and over the years transitioned his company Decide Consulting into an IT and software recruiting firm. Back in 2017, David started saying IT and software jobs will double in 10 years. Three years later, we are on track for that. Even with COVID. The technology skills that companies need are becoming more specific and the companies that already rely heavily on technology need the people who truly understand it. This is only going to continue, and David has built a successful venture helping companies build a plan when it comes to what technical talent they will need and how to find it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCpoSLWlJsk Key Takeaway: Having a vision and values for your company is critical and they should go beyond bulletin board material, impacting all aspects of your personnel management. Lessons Learned: Be Different – You always need to come to the market with something better than the next person. There is something about you that can translate to and advantage in the marketplace. Find it and exploit it. Be Efficient – Use technology for an edge. There are a variety of “no-code/lo-code” tools out there. This can be a gateway to being different and bringing value to your customers. Take Action – Keep moving forward. Try something. If it works, do it again. If not, alter it and try again. Keep moving. For More Information: Decide Consulting @ http://decideconsulting.com/ (http://decideconsulting.com/) David Moise @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmoise (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmoise)
As a long time entrepreneur, Jeff Chastain saw first hand the challenges that come in trying to grow and scale a small business – first with a venture into the IT MSP industry and then again with a software as a service company. It was his own personal journey as well as his consulting with other business leaders where he concluded that starting a business is not really the goal of most entrepreneurs. Instead, they have an idea or a solution that then turns into a business venture. The problem is they do not have the business background necessary to scale that venture successfully. Jeff has made it his mission to help these entrepreneurs gain clarity into and get more of what they want from their business. Through his coaching work with Admentus, Jeff has come across many entrepreneurs with stories to share of both success and challenges as they worked to scale their business. This is where the idea of the Building to Scale podcast came from – the ability to help other entrepreneurs through the sharing of these stories. While most never consider themselves “experts”, there will always be somebody a step or two behind you that can learn from your experiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm3JrNR6ns8&feature=emb_imp_woyt Key Takeaway: Growing and scaling a small boutique business into a larger company is not trivial and takes a different set of skills than starting a business. Learn from your peers and enlist the expertise of a coach to make that transition simpler, faster, and less costly. Lessons Learned: Ask for Help – The typical entrepreneurial mindset is that I can do this all myself. Being at the top of a business venture can be a lonely place and the sooner you ask for help, the simpler, faster, and less costly the transition to each new level will be. Delegate – In the early days, we all had to wear too many hats and most entrepreneurs (myself included) struggle when it comes to handing off responsibilities to others. They will never do things the same way you would have, but they might do it better and if nothing else, it allows you to focus on what only you can do and scale the business. For More Information: Admentus @ https://admentus.com/ (https://admentus.com/) Building to Scale Podcast @ https://buildingtoscale.com/ (https://buildingtoscale.com/) LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdchastain (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdchastain)