Firepreneurs: Recent Episodes
Firepreneurs
As full time firefighters, fathers, husbands and Entrepreneurs, Bennett J. Grove II and Jeff McDole, Jr. understand the unique challenges that face firefighters running a business. The formula is simple: Lead. Develop. Grow.
Each episode on the Firepreneurs Podcast, we talk about how we can Hone our Leadership skills, Develop and train our teams and then prepare those team members to Grow the business while also growing as people.
In addition, we'll draw on our 20 years of Firefighting experience and over 15 years of experience building, leading and growing small businesses, to discuss the wins and losses we've experienced along the way. Whether it's discussing Life, Leadership and/or Development, we will do our best to equip you with the tools that you will need to succeed in your entrepreneurial journey.
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we complete the "Unpacking of the Job Checklist" in the 12th and final episode of the series, specifically covering “Financials" - This is where we keep score and show our team the results of their hard work. We also give our teams a better understanding of gross profit and production per hour.
In each episode of this series we tackled a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs, and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our 10th episode of the series, specifically “Collecting Payment & Closing Job Tasks" - This is your opportunity to give out a Loyalty Card and review sheet to get more reviews and testimonials for your business.
In each episode of this series, we are taking a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our 9th episode of the series, specifically “Price Acceptance, Doing the Work, and Wrapping Up the Work" - This is your opportunity to confirm the price, provide a quality positive service experience, and wrapping up the job with the customer. This is where your pros have an opportunity to shine!
In each episode of this series, we are taking a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our 9th episode of the series, specifically "Walk Around Tasks" - This is your opportunity to continue building customer rapport while getting a clear understanding of the work to be performed so that it is a clean transaction for both parties involved. This type of clear communication, and reviewing the scope of work, will cement an impression of professionalism with the customer.
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we have the privilege on interviewing in person Casey Walsh from Stand Up Guys Junk Removal. Casey started in the junk removal business unofficially in 2008 with a beat up truck and a work ethic. Today, that operation has grown into a 31 truck, 11 location business in 6 states on pace to pass the $7M mark in revenue at the end of 2022.
There is a ton of relatable stories, wisdom, mistakes and much more in this interview with Casey. Look for Casey and Bennett together on stage at JunkCon in North Carolina October 12-14th!
Enjoy the episode!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our 8th episode of the series, specifically "Arrival Tasks" - Using a Spotter, Body Language with the Customer, etc. This is tailored to home services companies, not just junk removal companies, as it pertains to SAFETY! It is also another foundational first impression for the field that should be generated when you are preparing to service the customer. How we greet or engage with customers while performing Safety tasks says a lot about your company. Using "hand signals" conveys a professional operation. We also discuss gathering tools and following steps into the CRM as we move into the "Customer Greeting"
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our 7th episode of the series, specifically "In Transit Tasks" - This is tailored to home services companies, not just junk removal companies, as it is a foundational first impression for the field that should be generated when you are preparing to service the customer. Additionally, it presents an opportunity for the Leader to LEAD their troop and talk through the upcoming job. In the Fire Service, this is like a Scene Size Up. In Home Services, we call it a Job Size Up!
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
This week on the Firepreneurs Podcast, Bennett talks to Firepreneur Seth Teagle. Seth is a 22 Year Career Firefighter out of Columbus, Ohio, having recently retired in June of 2022. Seth is a Principal in The Stream Group, which is a Real Estate Investment firm with $185M in Assets Under Management. He is also a Partner in Firehouse Bros, which is an educational platform for firefighters and their families. From his firefighting experience as a Lieutenant to his success as an investor and business leader, Seth is a great example of a Firepreneur.
Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we bring on guest Brian Hegarty. 33 Year Veteran of the Home Services Industry, Brian has endured and thrived in many of the financial crises over the last 3 decades. That type of resiliency gives him a confidence that says "Bring It On" to all this talk of a Recession. Hearing from those who have been there done that is a huge confidence builder for business owners and Firepreneurs who may be in the early stages of building their business, or are nervous about holding onto what they've already built. Brian's authenticity and positive attitude makes this a well timed interview for our audience; however, the lessons he describes in the interview will be applicable for years to come.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our fifth episode of the series, specifically how to Implement and Utilize Door Hangers! This is tailored to home services companies, not just junk removal companies, as it is a foundational marketing impression that should be generated when you are out there doing the thing. It falls into Admin & Marketing/Sales processes within F.O.A.M. - If you don't like Boots on the Ground marketing then this may not click with you, but if you're looking to layer on your marketing tiers, then tune in!
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our fifth episode of the series, specifically how to track Donation Receipts. This is tailored a bit more to junk removal companies, but the bones of why it is on the checklist are sound and applicable to any business. In our business, it's a matter of "Doing what you Say you're Going To Do!" This is a bit more of an Admin Process, but also a reminder for our teams that we inspect this task, meaning they need to respect it.
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our fourth episode of the series, specifically how to Use your Job Checklist to CREATE MARKETING PICTURES and VIDEOS! When done correctly, your team members are the best photographers and videographers money can buy. If you foster their fun and creative sides, they'll have fun, you'll get good content and you can use it to drive future customers to the business.
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our third episode of the series, specifically how to have your team MARKET to Your Customers! This creates a foundational layer of marketing impressions to the most important customer for your team, which is the customer they will be in front of at the moment. What good is it to market to win New customers when you aren't marketing to Keep your Existing customers?
Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we resume unpacking the Job Checklist in our second episode of the series, specifically how to annotate Fuel, what to do with the information and how it can be useful to sustained operations. Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we begin unpacking the Job Checklist. Each episode in this series will take a piece from the Job Checklist that Bennett and team use at Fire Dawgs and explain why they include it on the job checklist and ways to utilize it within your company. This is the first in a series of videos that will tackle one of the most important systems and processes in a home services company.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we explain an Acronym that we use at Firepreneurs and that Bennett uses in Fire Dawgs Junk Removal to simplify and break down the four quadrants of business: Financials, Operations, Admin, Marketing/Sales.
After a quick overview of F.O.A.M., we then discuss how this pertains to the first system/process that every home services company should deploy which is a Job Checklist. Over the next few months, our episodes will be using the Acronym of F.O.A.M. and unpacking the Job Checklist that Bennett uses in his business and taking it section by section to help listeners build one of the most important foundational processes in their home services business... the Job Checklist.
Enjoy!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, Bennett introduces a new series called: "Tactical Tip Tuesday"
The aim of the series is to discuss systems and processes, as well as tactical tips, that will help you advance your business to the next level. Speaking from experience, Bennett will tell you that it was systems and processes that catapulted Fire Dawgs to the next level in the great game of business, but it's also what gave him the confidence to build a structure that poised the Fire Dawgs team for decades long growth. If you feel like you're stuck, or don't know how to get to the next level, then tune in every Tuesday for a new video where Bennett and the Firepreneurs team will release content to get you there one week at a time.
In addition to simply being released on Tuesdays, you'll be able to identify these episodes on your Podcast listening device by the "TTT" designation at the front of future episodes. We will STILL be producing interviews from great entrepreneurs, as well as other helpful series along the way, but Tactical Tip Tuesday will be here to stay as long as our listeners continue to validate the Firepreneurs Podcast by tuning in! (Please message firepreneurs@gmail.com if you have suggestions for topics to cover)
We hope you enjoy it!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we are continuing on with our Financial Wellness Series with guest experts Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle from Trust Wealth. In this series, we are unpacking the 5 Common Mistakes that firefighters make when planning for retirement.
Mistake: #5 Trying to Time the Market
In 2014, a Fidelity study found that the investors with the greatest returns from the volatile 2003-2013 stock market were either dead or had forgotten they had an account. Whether we recognize it or not, we are all subject to several behavioral biases including overconfidence, recency, and anchoring. Sometimes, the best move is no move at all!
Enjoy the final episode of this series!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we are continuing on with our Financial Wellness Series with Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle of Trust Wealth where we are unpacking the 5 Common Mistakes that firefighters make when planning for retirement.
Mistake #4: Not Carrying Enough Life Insurance
If you have anyone dependent on you like kids, a spouse who counts on your income or parents who rely on your care, you should have some sort of life insurance. Especially if you are a Firepreneur.
Having the proper amount of life insurance provides the peace of mind that your family will be able to accomplish every goal you had been working towards when your time runs out.
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we are continuing on with our Financial Wellness Series with Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle of Trust Wealth where we are unpacking the 5 Common Mistakes that firefighters make when planning for retirement.
Mistake #3: Being Overly Conservative
Having money means having risk. Money in the stock market is subject to market risk, money in bonds is subject to the interest rate, and money in your savings account or under your pillow is subject to inflation. You have the choice in what type of risk is appropriate for you based on your own risk tolerance and capacity. We will break these down and give more insight into how to invest depending on those factors, with the appropriate level of risk.
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we continue on in our Financial Wellness Series unpacking the 5 common mistakes that Firefighters make when planning for retirement. We are on #2, which is "Buying Too Much House"
Our guest experts Chris Bauchle and Greg Freeman with Trust Wealth are back to break this down for us and insert some advice on how to avoid this pitfall.
Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we are continuing on with our Financial Wellness Series with Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle of Trust Wealth where we are unpacking the 5 Common Mistakes that firefighters make when planning for retirement.
Mistake #1: Lacking Tax Diversification If you ask the average firefighter family what their greatest expense is, they would say it's their mortgage or their children's tuition - but both are likely wrong. Taxes are the #1 expense for more firefighter families.
Listen in to learn more and we'll release the next four over the next four weeks.
Enjoy!
Today we are excited to bring back our guest experts Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle to get started in our Financial Wellness Series. Today's episode will unpack some easy wins to get started on the ladder to financial planning. Bennett, Greg, and Chris cover topics from starting an emergency fund, the importance of life insurance, the benefit of starting your savings early (how to have your money earn you a Million Dollars), the benefit of consistently saving, and how to live within your financial means. This episode gives a road map for Firepreneurs and young professionals to give them a good starting position as they save for retirement. After this episode, we will take the 5 Common Mistakes one at a time and take a deeper dive.
Be sure to like, share, and subscribe as we continue our education in Financial Wellness!
We are excited to bring another series to the Firepreneurs Podcast, this time under the category of Financial Wellness. In this episode, Bennett brings on guest experts Greg Freeman and Chris Bauchle to talk about what the series will entail, as well as their background in retirement planning, financial wellness and their motivation for wanting to help others attain the knowledge to be prepared in retirement and in life. Greg Freeman is President & CEO of TrustWealth Strategies. Greg has been focused on wealth management and financial planning for the entirety of his career. Before establishing TrustWealth, Greg spent 10 years of his career as a Partner and wealth advisor with WestPoint Financial Group where he built a successful financial planning practice and became a perennial Blue-Chip and Top of Council producer for MassMutual. Greg was named “Advisor of the Year” with WestPoint Financial in 2014 and remained amongst the top quintile of financial advisors nationwide. Greg comes to the Firepreneurs audience with a Firepreneur father who spent over 30 years in the fire service and ran a business on his days off. His younger brother is carrying on the tradition as well and is also a firefighter at IFD and planning to take over the family business. Chris Bauchle is a financial planner with Trust Wealth Strategies. He holds a Master’s of Science in Financial Services with a concentration in Retirement Planning. Chris is dedicated to helping clients build wealth by saving more, spending less, improving investment returns, and avoiding hardship through asset protection. He has completed the Retirement Income Certified Professional designation and has a knack for simplifying complex strategies for those who seek financial independence and the ability to retire early.
The underpinnings of Chris’ desire to serve others began in 2006 as an Air Force firefighter. He specializes in financial planning for public safety professionals, military members, and others with access to a pension. His experience also includes veteran’s benefits, income tax optimization, and rental real estate. In his off time, Chris volunteers with the non-profit group Firefighters On A Mission and enjoys competing in triathlons, reading, and spending time with his wife and daughter.
This episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast comes from one of Bennett's Wednesday Morning Mentorship messages that he records at Fire Dawgs Junk Removal HQ and distributes to all the locations each week. The subject of this message was how leading with "bad breath" or negativity will impact your ability to lead, build future leaders and ultimately lead to you being an ineffective leader. We hope you enjoy this message.
Look for future Wednesday Morning Mentorship messages labeled with "WMM" at the front of the episode in the future.
Let's Get IT!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we pull a clip from the recently completed Fire Dawgs Academy put on at Fire Dawgs Junk Removal in Indianapolis. This session was on the subject of breaking the habit of negative thinking, negative energy and being aware about your energy in front of the team so that some of those negatives don’t become contagious and create morale issues.
Here are two videos that were played in the session and inspired pieces of Bennett’s session with the team:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJrcJUV8d20 Tony Robbins: How to Break your Negative Thinking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lCeWtXPKko Trevor Moawad: How to Control your Negative Thoughts
This week on the Firepreneurs podcast, we have Elena Ledoux. Elena is the Co-Founder of Superb Maids, Chief Operating Officer of Boss Security Screens and Business Coach at Conquer. She successfully started and scaled these companies after first completing 11 years as a Litigation Attorney for Insurance Defense. This episode is filled with an Amazing Story, as well as humor and simple truths. You will no doubt enjoy this episode!
We are excited to bring back Kedma Ough to the Podcast. She joined us early in the Podcast’s history during our Beginning with the End in Mind Series where Kedma discussed funding your startup. Now, we interview Kedma the Entrepreneur.
Kedma has over three decades of experience as an entrepreneur, as a business coach, is an international Author, a negotiation expert and a funding expert. She is also always on the move and begins filming on a TV show in April called America’s Real Deal. Enjoy!
This week on the Firepreneurs Podcast, Bennett talks to Firepreneur Anne Montgomery. Anne was a firefighter for 8 years in Hillsborough County Fire Department in Tampa where she attained the rank of Lieutenant. During that time, alongside her husband Jonathan, they formed First In Nutrition. As you’ll learn after listening to this episode, Anne is a Get IT Done type of individual, so she added a complementary business to First In Nutrition called Fully Involved Training. Anne shares her experiences overcoming adversity, pushing through challenges on the job and the challenges of being an Entrepreneur. Enjoy!
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode we discuss "What is Net Profit?"
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss "What are Legal and Professional?"
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode we discuss "What are Phones, Internet, and Technology?"
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In the episode we discuss "What are Supplies and Equipment?"
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What are Rent and Utilities?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss "What is Auto and Maintenance?"
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is Advertising and Promotions?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is Administration Fuel?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is Administration Labor?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What are Operating Expenses?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is Gross Profit?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “How do I classify Insurance in COGS?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “How do I classify Insurance in COGS?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “How do I classify Chemicals or Disposal in COGS?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “How do I classify Fuel in my COGS?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is Direct Labor or Technician Pay?”
Welcome to Firepreneurs 101 - A series of short episodes to help you better understand your numbers and speak the language of business. Starting from the top of the Profit and Loss Statement all the way to the bottom line, we will unpack what the categories mean, how to use them as tools when running your business and how to ensure that your business turns a profit.
In this episode, we discuss “What is ‘Cost of Goods Sold’ or COGS?”
Welcome to a new series “Firepreneurs 101”. In the series Bennett dives deep into some of the essentials of running a business; in this case? Unpacking profit and loss statements and the details of why they are important for you to know. In this episode, Bennett explains what Gross Revenue is, walks through the differences between accrual and cash revenue, and makes the case of why you should teach your employees these principles.
Today we have as guest CEO Nick Dinges from Dinges Fire Company. In addition to being a CEO and Entrepreneur, Nick is also an Assistant Chief for the Sublette Fire Protection District, an Advisor and an Investor in Small Businesses. He shares his firefighting journey, business journey, and knowledge that any aspiring entrepreneur can put to use in running a successful company. Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs podcast, Bennett talks about leadership and trees; hang with us, it will all make sense.
Bennett dives deep into The dichotomy of adaptability versus principles as a leader and practically using both, and how to fail forward and trend in an upwards direction. Bennett asks you to look inward and ask yourself, are you a tree that is bearing good fruit?
Enjoy!
Fitness is a key to be not only fit physically, but mentally as well. That’s why today on the Firepreneurs podcast, Jonathan Montgomery, Co-Founder of First in Nutrition talks with Bennett about how he turned his passion for the fitness and health of his fellow firefighters into a career. A former firefighter and EMS First Responder, Jonathan founded First in Nutrition with his wife Anne Montgomery a little over 3 years ago, creating a program that brings the passion and community Firefighting brings to the nutrition world. With a unique perspective, Jonathan uses his skills to create a “Family first” approach, bringing a healthy level of accountability to personal goals, as well as results.
Throughout the episode, Bennett and Jonathan talk about their shared experiences as firefighters, the ins and outs of combing your passions and experiences into a career, the meaning behind being “First in”, and whether a “Cheat” meal is the right mindset to have.
Enjoy!
What do you do when you get really good advice on something you should be doing in your business, but you still feel so far away from being able to apply what you’re learning? That’s what we discuss in this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast.
On today’s episode we have a special guest! Bob Falcone, A.K.A “Hiking Bob”, is a retired Air Force Veteran, career firefighter, and nature enthusiast. In addition, he is an award winning photographer, and Colorado Springs resident. When he's not sharing his knowledge and experience with the Colorado Springs Independent or Fox21, you can find him exploring the 4 corner states, (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah) looking for adventures.
In this episode, Bennett talks to Bob about their shared experiences in the Air Force and as firefighters. Firepreneurs can glean valuable information about Bob’s path of turning his recreational goals into a career, and how individuals everywhere can do the same. No surprise; It takes hard work. Discussions about risk assessment, goal setting, and preparation apply to business, as well as personal life. Finally, the importance of unplugging, and using that rest to fuel your work.
Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs podcast, we have Hardscaping/Landscaping Expert Frank Bourque. For over 20 years, Frank has been an Entrepreneur, Consultant, Speaker and Coach. He also has some relatable experience for Firepreneurs in that for some of the years building his services company, he also had a full time job so he’ll be able to share some of the wins and losses that he experienced in a Firepreneur’esque role.
This episode is filled with wisdom and experience from an industry veteran that goes beyond just the meat and potatoes of doing the thing, but also the mindset and behaviors that will ensure success.
Check Frank out at frankbourque.com, on Facebook, or on LinkedIn.
Enjoy!
Today on the Firepreneurs Podcast, we have a special guest! Firepreneur Rick Segrest, a 35-year career firefighter gets on the podcast with Bennett and discusses some of the highlights from his long career serving the Central Florida community!
From driving a tanker for the 1st time, to designing and developing a fitness training facility for firefighters and law enforcement officers, Rick and Bennett look back at the wins and losses throughout Rick's long career.
Rick is also an entrepreneur. He is the Co-owner/Co-Founder of Firesled Fitness.
With his emphasis on realistic training Rick developed the Firesled, Punisher, and Laddermill to keep firefighters at their physical peak!
Please check Firesled Fitness and Rick on the web, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube.
As always thank you for listening!
Today’s podcast is a celebration! Bennett is solo in the episode filmed on the 10th Anniversary of the start of his company “Fire Dawgs Junk Removal”! We remember the fallen from September 11th, 2001. From there Bennett shares his introspection via insight in the form of his top 5 tips from his time as a Firepreneurs! From the continual learning and pursuit of growth, to learning who your customer is, Bennett describes the keys to a Firepreneur for success.
This week, Bennett is solo and discusses helpful tips, as well as what to do when your business slows down and the phone lines are silent. He covers organization, which in its simplest form is a checklist. No matter what position in your company you hold, a checklist is a simple way to stay organized, and keep yourself accountable to what you have to do.
Bennett examines marketing strategy when it comes to SEO or Search Engine Optimization. While this is necessary for everyone in the long game, SEO has a different return on investment in the short run, and he covers when to implement the strategy.
Bennett also reminds the Firepreneurs, and business owners, of what their jobs really are, Sales! No matter what stage your business is in, you always have to be selling. Even when your business is slow, there is someone you can call, text, or email to help drum up business, and you can always “hit the pavement”!
Please enjoy this short but powerful episode and lace up your boots before they hit the ground in this call to action!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we have James Geering, Host of the Behind the Shield Podcast. James was a firefighter/paramedic for 14 years, a stuntman, Crossfit instructor, Author of the book “One More Light” and a health/wellness advocate to Firefighters, EMS, Military and many more.
On this episode, Bennett and James cover a lot of ground ranging from James’ firefighting career, fitness, sleep, Crossfit, personal wellness and the challenges of being a Firepreneur. At the time of this recording, James and team were wrapping up their 500th episode, truly illustrating the success of his Podcast and the impact it is having in the world.
You can check out the Behind the shield podcast at jamesgeering.com and listen on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify! You can follow the Behind the Shield Podcast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Enjoy!
Career firefighter and entrepreneur Kory Pearn is the founder and creator of Crackyl Magazine, a publication dedicated to help support firefighters by answering questions and offering advice. A career firefighter, Kory was on an exciting journey that soon came to a halt. An irregular heartbeat forced Kory to take a year off work, causing questions to creep into his mind about his success, and whether he could continue. He decided to persevere, inspiring him to help others do the same. This led to the creation of Crackyl magazine.
Crackyl takes on heavy topics that are often avoided, such as financial advice, discussions of marital struggles, and how to balance work and family. What was the inspiration for the name Crackyl? The sound every firefighter hears is the crackling of fire. It is something that Kory states is imprinted on every firefighter's mind and brings firefighters together. With Crackyl, Kory has been able to help firefighters get the “Been there, done that '' advice to help them further their careers and grow their personal lives.
Now why is Crackyl spelled the way it is? In your body, there are Y shaped proteins called antibodies. These help protect your system, in the same way that Crackyl helps your system as a firefighter.
We are so excited to release this episode with Kory Pearn for you!
Enjoy!
It has been 6 months, 8 days 12 hours since Jeff McDole last appeared on the Firepreneurs Podcast… just kidding, that’s a Bryan McKnight song. Yes, I just aged myself.
BUT, it has been a while and many of you may have been wondering what happened to our esteemed Host. Well, today we plan on catching you up to speed with what Jeff has been working on and how it will add value to the Firepreneurs Podcast. Hint: Visit FlorianExteriorCleaning.com
Enjoy!
What can all of us learn from Chris Nikic? A LOT. As the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman, we have much to learn from this young man. Perseverance, goal setting, how to create daily behaviors or make incremental gains that lead to Massive Action and Massive Gains. So Much!
However, we aren’t going to steal Chris’ thunder. He says it all in his acceptance speech from the Espy’s where he won the Jimmy V Award for perseverance.
Jimmy V recipient Chris Nikic's inspiring 2021 ESPYS speech
“When your feet hurt, it doesn’t mean you can’t walk… it just means your feet will hurt less if you stop walking” Cocoon and the Struggle to emerge as a butterfly. Making the chrysalis a bit bigger to help the butterfly emerge.
"I am an Ironman, Adidas athlete, public speaker, author, and as you can see ladies, I am adorable, single and available!" Nikic told the crowd as he kicked off his acceptance speech.
"People ask, how did I overcome so many obstacles?" he continued. "Easy. I just got one percent better every day. Three years ago, I was 18, overweight, out of shape, excluded and isolated. But my dream was to be like you, to be included, to be independent, and to marry an amazing woman like my mom "1. Get one percent better every day. 2. I work hard and 3. As Jimmy V said, 'Don't give up... Don't ever give up,' " Nikic explained. "It's easy to make excuses and quit. I don't do excuses, and I don't quit... because my dream is bigger than my pain."
This week on the Firepreneurs podcast, we bring on Industry Leader and Plantenance CEO Glenn Curtis. As owner of Plantenance Landscaping Group, and hailing from Montreal, Glenn walks us through what it takes to say in business for 4 decades! Glenn covers many topics in his interview with Bennett to include resiliency, attention to detail, the original word of mouth marketing and the importance of pursuing growth.
If you have plans of building a business and holding it for years to come then tune into the wisdom from our friend up north.
You can reach Glenn at Plantenance Landscapes: By phone at: 1-888-9PLANTE, or (514) 684-8235 (open 24 hours). By email at: infor@pantenance.com or glenn@plantenance.com On the web at: http://www.plantenance.com/
On Instagram at: Plantenance_landscapes
Enjoy!
Josh Judge with Judge Services is an Exterior Cleaning Specialist in Carbondale, Illinois with 4 service trucks. Josh walks us through some of the challenges he faced as a 1 person operation, and what started as a side hustle, to what is now a 4 truck operation and growing. He talks about overcoming owner's guilt when he finally got off the truck, how hard it was to let go of "doing the thing" and some of the challenges he faces in his new role of mainly working "on" the business as an Owner.
This is an incredibly insightful and helpful episode for all Firepreneurs and Entrepreneurs that will be able to relate to the obstacles Josh faced while growing his business. Perhaps even more helpful is the self-limiting belief that Josh dominated, which is an excuse many Entrepreneurs have, which is "my market isn't big enough." His abundancy mindset allowed for him to succeed in what would by many be considered a market "not big enough."
Enjoy this episode with Josh Judge!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs podcast, we bring on Championship Pit Crew Coach Matt Clark to answer the question, “What is DISC?”
Matt breaks down how understanding people helped him build Championship teams and as an Entrepreneur himself he helps us as business owners learn how to use DISC as we run our businesses and build our championship teams.
In addition to being a Championship Pit Crew Coach, Matt is also a champion to small business owners having coached hundreds of small business owners through his mentorship with AGS Conquer.
It’s a fun episode with some eye opening perspective, enjoy!
Feel free to reach Matt at:
Facebook: @ Matt Clark
Twitter: @mattclarkmc
Email: matt@mattclarkmc.com
Alonzo Adams is the CEO of Busy Bee Cleaning and has been for 28 years which means that he has persevered through the dot com crash, 9/11, the housing crisis and most recently the pandemic. That is amazing in and of itself, but when you hear his story about how he started his company, at 19 with a newborn baby on the way, his resiliency and toughness takes on another layer. Alonzo’s energy, determination and ability to make us laugh while reminding us that we have a giant inside of us that is waiting to big things. After listening to this episodes, be ready to go out there and become what Alonzo calls an OGG - “Original Go Getter”
Episode Description: On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we bring on the CEO of Service Moxie, Daniel Dixon. We originally shot this episode for the March Marketing Madness series, but as many of you Firepreneurs and Entrepreneurs out there can relate to, we screwed up and weren’t able to produce the episode. So, we were fortunate enough that Daniel granted us some Grace and agreed to come back on. As the CEO of a software company specializing in marketing, as well as still owning a home service business himself, we ask Daniel a multitude of marketing questions that could help our listeners as they grow their business. However, Daniel’s story goes back further than his experience in home services so we also unpack his story and his service as a U.S. Air Force Officer. Veteran, owner of a carpet cleaning company, floor coatings and CEO of Service Moxie, we were grateful to have Daniel’s experience on the Podcast. Enjoy!
Ray Burke is already known to many in the Exterior Cleaning world as the leader of Spray Wash Academy and the Spray Wash Academy Facebook Group. However, many don’t know Ray’s story and how he got to where he is today. His story has grit, humility, character and perseverance. To top it off, he still manages to make us laugh in this episode, just as he does regularly on his YouTube channel and in his group. A seven figure services company, a thriving training and education business and a story about resilience makes this one a must listen.
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast we bring on home services leader, Brandon Vaughn. His entrepreneurial journey includes many roads to include scaling an Exterior Cleaning company to doing $500k/mo in revenue! After selling his exterior cleaning company, Brandon joined Josh Latimer and helped transform Automate Grow Sell into AGS Conquer, an industry leading coaching and consulting company to hundreds of home services business owners. His latest project is Map to a Million, which is a YouTube series chronicling his journey building Wise Coatings into a 7 figure business in one year without ever going out in the field. This episode has a bit of it all. Brandon shares his ups and downs, his self doubt and opens up about all the pain he endured along the way while becoming the success that he is today. Enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we are sharing with our audience and interview that Bennett did on The FireDawg Podcast discussing his experience as a firefighter in the Air Force and how that prepared him for running a business.
The FireDawg Podcast fosters learning and growth within all ranks of the Air Force Fire Service, focusing on leadership, development, tactics and strategy, history and culture, selfless services and firefighter safety. Their Vision is to connect every Air Force firefighter to valuable information while inspiring them to develop themselves and their teams.
The Podcast is hosted by Matt Wilson and Ben Perry. Matt is a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force, currently stationed at Joint-Base Langely-Eustis. He serves as an Assistant Chief of Operations, with more than 13 years on the job.
Ben is a Master Sergeant in the US Air Force, currently stationed at Randolph Air Force Base. He currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Operations, with more than 12 years on the job.
“Traveling the World and United States, Chris Penn left college with a passion to travel. He sold his Mustang, bought a Van and set off! He worked a number of odd jobs along the way to fund his lifestyle and along the way start vlogging his journey. While this may sound like a page from Peter Jenkins’ “A Walk Across America” don’t judge this book by its cover! Chris was a football player in college and maintained his disciplined workout routine while traveling, which was a challenge when living off a few dollars a day at times. Soon, the routines and hobbies led to school bus conversions, sponsorships and much more. That work ethic explains why his vlog grew to amass over 750k subscribers on YouTube! Follow Chris at Tinyhometours, Zeppelin Travels, and theoffgridskoolie! There’s a lot of adventure, conversation and entrepreneurship in this episode, enjoy!”
Join us in this fun podcast with fellow Firepreneur, Cade Swallows.
Cade is a firefighter in Arizona. Like so many firefighters, he wanted to work on his off days. Cade knew he wanted to be his own boss, and knew he wanted to work with his hands. More importantly, he found inspiration and changed his goals from working "in" a business on his off days, to working "on" a business in his off days. Listen in as we talk about Cade's journey into his "why" to own a business, and sharing some fun business and firehouse stories!
In a short time, Cade and his wife Angie have grown Code 3 Junk Removal into a formidable business in the Phoenix metro area.
We hope you find some gold nuggets and inspiration in this one like we did! Get after it!
Jon “Magic” Majak is an Entrepreneur that has seen multiple sides of the home services landscape. First, he built a 7 figure exterior cleaning company. Next, he built a marketing company that supports home services companies all over the country. Now, in addition to continuing the growth of his marketing company Mr. Pipeline, he is also a Certified Conquer Coach with AGS Conquer helping small business owners scale their companies and overcome obstacles.
We had a lot of fun in this episode walking through ways to get ready for your busy season and maintain it once you get there!
March Marketing Madness: Marketing Guru, Business Owner and Conquer Coach Michael Grigery on strategy and tactics of making quality impressions on your customers and prospects.
For the initial episode of our March Marketing Madness Series, we had the opportunity to bring on Michael Grigery, a Conquer AGS coach, and owner of Click, Call, Sell- a marketing firm focused on helping Home Services and Exterior Cleaning Companies.
Unsuccessfully, we tried to match Michael's energy in this episode! Michael brings a metric ton, or 3 or 4, of knowledge in both a national franchise perspective, and a local home services perspective, and the marketing tips, tactics, and strategies that have helped his companies gain quality leads to gain market share.
This was great start to our series as Michael shares so many ways we can benefit from data collection, and then how to use that data for effective marketing to your target market to earn quality impressions. Even his company, Click, Call, Sell, is all about earning you quality over quantity when it comes to marketing, as it increases your ROI.
For the final episode of our Industry Pitfall Series, we had the good fortune to track down the one and only Michael Kaplan. Aside from me laughing half the time, we still managed to squeeze in a ton of value for our listeners. He walks us through getting into the Home Services Industry with Carpet Cleaning and a dream of building his company up to $1.5M a year in revenue; however, that quickly escalated when Michael and his team saw an opportunity to go bigger. They built their first location up to a multi-million dollar business and then opened multiple locations eventually passing the $10M mark and kept marching up to $18M a year in revenue. Along the way, they had countless challenges and had to break/rebuild their business multiple times.
This was the perfect ending to our series as it addresses the pitfalls a Firepreneurs or Entrepreneur would experience going into carpet cleaning but it has SO MANY other lessons for one to consider. We hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording this one!
Want to hear the journey of an Entrepreneur who went from $0 to $5m in Revenue in 5 years? Meet Sam Gembel with Atlas Outdoors. Continuing on with our Industry Pitfall Series from the Firepreneurs podcast, Sam unpacks his journey into becoming an Entrepreneur. Interestingly, he spent the first 10 years in the Landscaping/Hardscaping Industry as an employee of another company before finally taking the leap himself into business ownership. Sam talks about both sides of the equation, while also sprinkling in all of the life that happens in between and influences our decisions.
True to the series, Sam shares his opinion on potential pitfalls one could face if you are a full time firefighter and thinking about pursuing this industry as your side hustle. Additionally, he recommends some game changing books for him that really unlocked the trajectory that he is on today. Last, but not least, Sam is just Sam and brings a boat load of energy and personality to the episode. ENJOY!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast we bring on Fire Dawg and Firepreneur, Jason Finney. Joining him is his business partner Jason Humrichous to talk about building a multi-million dollar painting business. Together, they are the JASONS! Jason Finney is a retired NCO and Fire Dawg from the Air Force Reserve. He is also a partner of Heritage Custom Painting, as well as still a full time firefighter at Grissom ARB FD, where Bennett was a firefighter for 10 years.
These two partners talk about the inner workings of forming a partnership, building a multi-million dollar painting company while also unpacking the wins and losses they experienced along the way. True to the series name, they point out some pitfalls that one could expect should they seek to start a painting business while still a full time firefighter. They also talk about how Faith and Family get them through the tough times of running a business.
Their story is unique, telling of the entrepreneurial journey and still just getting started!
Continuing with our Industry Pitfall Series, on this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we interview Lee Godbold. Lee is only 31 years old, but is making noise in the junk removal industry by not only running a junk removal business, but also building a company that supports the industry. He shares a number of pitfalls that aspiring Firepreneurs could avoid, and has even worked with a couple firefighter owned junk removal businesses in the past. Here's a Bio on Lee: With Junk Removal Authority, Lee will tell you that he and his team help junk removal business owners make more money and live a better life through their teachings and back end support services. His companies provide consulting, marketing, and contact center services plus he builds junk removal trucks that get sent all throughout the country. Lee tells us that he has made it his mission to help others avoid the mistakes he made along the way. Before founding Junk Removal Authority, he and his partner built Junk Doctors. What started as a pickup truck and trailer operation has now grown into a multi million dollar a year business that still operates in 3 metro areas in North Carolina. Lee let us know that his companies combined currently work with over 140 business owners in the United States. With no formal business education, Lee's ability to figure it out through trial and error, and then to share those experiences with others, make his story relatable to aspiring Firepreneurs. Aside from his business pursuits, Lee is also an avid pilot and traveler, thereby a great example of someone that can build a great business while having fun along the way.
We are kicking off another series with this one focusing on Industry Pitfalls. We will bring on a successful entrepreneur from a specific industry to unpack the wins and losses they experienced along the way, as well as give you some tips on pitfalls to avoid.
On this episode, we bring in Successful Entrepreneur Joshua Taylor from EcoTek Power Washing. Aside from running a successful exterior cleaning company, Josh is also a Coach in the AGS Conquer Program, leading other aspiring exterior cleaners to successful growth. Managing multiple locations, dozens of employees and coaching entrepreneurs is not where Josh's story ends though.
He started out as full time ER nurse and his now business started out as a side hustle. He chipped away at the business until it became clear that after 7 years of experience as a Nurse, it was time to pursue his business full time. With coaching and guidance from Coach and Successful Entrepreneur Joshua Latimer with AGS Conquer, Josh took his business from $300k to $1.3M in two years!
You think the value stops there? You would be sorely mistaken. Josh was gracious enough to share a deeply personal story with us about how he overcame addiction to persevere during a dark time. He understands that we cannot just project the highlight reel to help others, we also have to be vulnerable and share the tough times as well.
Josh's resilience, perseverance, willingness to help others and ability to overcome dark obstacles makes this episode a must listen! Josh is so willing to help others he even leaves his personal cell phone in the episode. Josh may be a stud, but he is happily married to his wife and rock; together they have 4 children that keep him centered.
What an awesome way to kick off this series!
Ever wondered what haters and naysayers have in common with Monkeys and Buffalo? No? Okay, that’s fair. Most people probably do not now that I think about it. Well, we are going to tell you anyways! In this episode, we answer a listener suggested topic of how to handle negativity toward Firepreneurs within the firehouse. This happens more often that you think, but is not unique to firehouses alone, it is in all work environments and social circles. To arm you with some tools to deal with these obstacles, Bennett and Jeff discuss two passed down, thought provoking stories about Monkeys and Buffalo. In addition to those stories, they also discuss choosing positivity, choosing your circle, and running through the metaphorical storms faced as a business owner. Episode Cameos also include Dementors, Coffee Bean Soup/Broth, and our new, albeit lonely, bookshelf!
In this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we introduce Nick Leis. Aside from constantly defeating those nagging "self limiting beliefs" he also tests the limits of what is possible. In his career in the Air Force, he started out as Air Transportation, which is a basic support function. Then, he kicked it in high gear. Over the subsequent years of his Air Force career, he became a Fire Dawg aka Firefighter, a Paramedic, an Air Force Special Warfare airmen known as TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) and then made the transition from Enlisted to Officer as a Fighter Pilot in Training. That isn't enough? Oh yeah, he also had a foray as an Entrepreneur; building, provisionally patenting, and then licensing a product that solved a problem in the TACP career field. This episode is filled with motivational gold nuggets, and a little 80's humor, enjoy!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we interview a fellow Firepreneur, Chris Estridge. Chris is the owner of Edge Fitness & Strength. In addition to owning a gym, he is also a full time firefighter at Indianapolis Fire Department. Chris owned Edge Fitness & Strength going into the fire service. Do when he started the grueling 30 week Fire Academy he relied on systems, processes and good people to keep his gym running smoothly. We unpack some of those difficulties of running a gym while going through a Fire Academy Monday-Friday; we also unpack what motivated him to own a gym and what motivated him to become a firefighter after having already taken the Entrepreneurial leap. Aside from the tough road of being a Firepreneur, Chris has faced tremendous adversity. He graciously shares those stories, what inspired him during the tough times, and what continues to drive him to this day. There’s something for everyone in this episode.
To get in touch with Chris, checkout the links below!
https://m.facebook.com/EDGEFitnessandStrengthLLC/
https://www.instagram.com/edge_strong/
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCy0tLzIe4A4fUKmLQvNMpaQ
https://edge.fit
https://edge.fit/contact-us
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we interview Josh Latimer. Josh is a home services expert having built and sold a seven figure home services company. He took the experience and knowledge he gained from home services and built a software company called SendJim that is also now a multi-million dollar a year business. With his experience from both, he has also coached and mentored thousands of small business owners with his coaching and consulting company Automate Grow Sell and Conquer. In our interview today, we take a Tim Ferris approach to the questions, inspired by the book “Tribe of Mentors.” Since Josh has been a virtual mentor to Bennett in his entrepreneurial journey, we wanted to ask some questions that we felt would provide valuable insight and advice to our listeners. This one is filled with “gold nuggets” and great quotes. Enjoy!
In this episode of the Beginning with the End in Mind Series, we tackle an overview of Marketing, Website Creation and SEO. Yes, believe it or not, many firefighters that own businesses do not go take the extra step of building a website. We're going to unpack how that mistake can cost you in the long run. Additionally, we'll cover some other marketing tips that will help you from Day 1. Last, we'll open the book on Search Engine Optimization. This episode alone will not be enough to cover the topic expansively, as it evolves multiple times each year, but it will get you thinking the right way for sustainable growth.
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, we sit down with CEO of Blue Skies, Dan Platta. Aside from running a multi-million dollar home services company that is located in multiple states, Dan also oversees an Admin company that performs bookkeeping services and oversees an HR company that provides recruiting services for the Home Services industry. Before his immersion into home services, he was a financial jockey performing risk analysis, working in mergers and acquisitions and financial analysis inside fortune 500 companies.
Aside from the wealth of financial knowledge he provides, Dan always bring a common sense and fun approach to understanding your numbers. If you are just getting started, he also helps unpack why it is important to Begin with the End in Mind for your home services company. You can reach Dan by email at dplatta@blueskiesservices.com, at his Facebook Group: Booking, Beer, and BS, and on his website Blue Skies Admin Services!
This is another must listen if you are a firefighter that owns a small business, or an entrepreneur at any stage of your journey!
On this episode of the Firepreneurs Podcast, Bennett interviews the Author of Target Funding, VP of Coaching at AGS Conquer, Small Business Champion and 5th Generation Entrepreneur Kedma Ough to talk about Funding your Startup and Funding your Growth. In the third installment of the Beginning with the End in Mind Series, we equip Firepreneurs with traditional and alternative funding resources to consider, along with some cautionary tales and wisdom to keep in mind as they get their business going, or traverse viable paths for the continued growth of their business.
In this episode, Bennett Grove sits down with Brad Stohry, an attorney with Reichel Story Dean LLP. They cover how to legally form your company, what to consider when forming your company, why it is important to form your company and other considerations that will help you in the early stages of getting started. After they break down the different types of company formations, they get into the second piece of the episode which is protecting your brand and company. After you form your company, you have to protect it so the company can protect the people that work for it, and you the owner. They unpack Trademarks, Copyright, Intellectual Property, Licensing, Franchising, etc.
They do all this while Beginning with the End in Mind, so that you have the knowledge to continue on in your entrepreneurial journey.
In this episode, we will discuss the "Beginning with the End in Mind Series" that will be airing over the next six weeks. We will talk about what it means to Begin with the End in Mind, while also answering the question of "How can I think about the end when I'm just getting started?"
This is a big topic and has many sub-topics such as Forming the Entity & Different Formations, Funding you Startup & Possible Grants, Bookkeeping and what numbers to track from Day 1, Trademarking your Name and Brand, Website Creation and Search Engine Optimization and finally we'll end with a Series Conclusion.
The Intro Episode will be Jeff and Bennett, but the other episodes will have guests and experts. For our Series Conclusion, we'll bring on an Entrepreneur that has built a 7 Figure Business by Beginning with the End in Mind.
In this episode we have guest Johnny Baker join the Firepreneurs Podcast. Johnny is a career fireman since 2003, and a firefighter at the Indianapolis Fire Department going on 7 years. He is a Veteran having served 6 years as a Fire Dawg in the United States Air Force. In between IFD and the military, he worked for a short time at Fire Dawgs Junk Removal bringing lots of leadership and fun. We will delve into some of the shenanigans from his time at FDJR and what type of leadership lessons he learned working in a services company. After that, we will dig into the events of 9/11 and how those events shaped our firefighter careers and leadership journeys. We'll also discuss how we aspire to instill those lessons learned into our leaders of tomorrow who may be too young, or not born when the events took place.
In this episode, we introduce the Firepreneurs team of Bennett J. Grove II and Jeff McDole, Jr. We will describe their background in the services industry and as firefighters. Out of that experience, they describe how important it is to start with "Why" when thinking of starting a business, or even when looking to advance in an organization. They arm you with two tactics when using the "Why" approach that they call "Using 5 Whys" and using a "Bucket of Whys"