Keep Going: Small Business Motivation: Recent Episodes
Mazuma USA
Keep Going features real people and real businesses as they set out on their business journeys. These powerful stories demonstrate that just because your business is not an overnight success does not mean you are failing or falling short. We focus on the triumphs, struggles, and small successes that come with building a business. Tune in to discover the intangible but invaluable benefits of your business journey. Pause to celebrate everyday business successes. And, most of all, rekindle the hope and motivation that drives you to keep going.
“You are not really making a difference with the children that you are working with. Your job is easily replaceable, and you’re always going to be a seat-filler.” These words pierced through Sierra like a knife. She had finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a teacher specially trained to work with blind and visually impaired individuals and she was excelling at it. Yet this conversation with her school’s principal made her doubt all of that. But that’s when she had an idea. What if she worked to make a difference in the lives of not only those in her classroom, but others as well? Listen as Sierra shares how she began House of Light, a consulting and training business that specializes in equitable treatment of those who are blind or visually impaired.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Sierra's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/sierras-story-house-of-light/
COVID was what pushed Kendrah to start her own business. Or rather, it was fighting for time to recover from COVID that was the last straw. For years, Kendrah had dreamed of starting her own marketing agency. As a former fashion blogger, brand ambassador, and social media influencer, Kendrah had seen the many facets of growing a business. And she particularly loved helping small businesses grow as a marketing freelancer while working at a large marketing agency. So when push came to shove and Kendrah took the leap to start her own business, she was ready. Listen as Kendrah shares what it took to start her own marketing agency: Astira Studio.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Kendrah's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/kendrahs-story-astira-studio/
Naomi was in the car with her young cousins, excited to finally have a break from college and enjoy a day at the park. But Naomi became concerned when her cousin, who was also excited to spend time at the park, wouldn’t leave the car. After some gentle coaxing, Naomi’s young cousin revealed she didn’t want to leave the car because it was a sunny day and she was worried her skin would become darker. From that moment on, Naomi determined she would help BIPOC children around the world unlearn self-hate caused by colorism and embrace their cultures, histories, and identities. And she would do so by creating her own business. Listen as Naomi shares how she began Revolutionary Hearts Industries, a publishing house that specializes in empowering children and adults through educational coloring books.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Naomi's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/naomis-story-revolutionary-hearts-industries/
Ana and Belouka are no strangers to fashion. In fact, Belouka moved from her home in Haiti to New York to begin a modeling career at 19, and Ana sewed clothing pieces for fashion week after also moving from Haiti to the U.S. So when Belouka had an idea for a swimsuit design, she reached out to her friend, Ana. What followed was the beginning of a business that celebrates Haitian culture through colorful and comfortable swimwear. Listen as Ana and Belouka share how they began Imamou.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Ana and Belouka's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/annas-and-beloukas-story-imamou/
Joresa had a question: If she could order a cup of coffee on an app and have it delivered in 30 minutes, why couldn’t she have a dress from a store delivered in the same amount of time? This question is what led Joresa to begin GoFlyy, a company that helps other businesses grow by providing package delivery and tracking services. But starting a logistics company of this scale hasn’t always been easy. Listen as Joresa shares how she overcomes challenges from funding to technology in order to keep her small business going.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Joresa's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/joresas-story-goflyy/
Whenever Marissa—a barista and coffee educator—would ask about coffee beans from Asia, she was always told the same thing: there was only one coffee from Asia and it was bad. This did not sit well with her. And as she researched further into the matter, Marissa found a plethora of Asian coffees, each with their own unique flavors ranging from notes of chocolate to floral and herbaceous flavors. With this knowledge, Marissa decided to show others how, just like how no countries in Asia were the same, neither was their coffee. Listen as Marissa shares how she began her business: Tanbrown Coffee.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Marissa's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/marissas-story-tanbrown-coffee/
Amanda never saw herself working as an occupational therapist assistant, let alone as a martial arts instructor. Yet Amanda was a natural caregiver, having grown up assisting her sister with spinal bifida. And she found herself enjoying the health benefits of mixed martial arts in her adult years. So when an opportunity came for Amanda to teach martial arts to a class of special needs children, she found it to be a perfect combination of her two passions that she could do for the rest of her life. Listen as Amanda shares how she began Amanda’s Adaptive Martial Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching martial arts to children with special needs.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Amanda's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/amandas-story-amandas-adaptive-martial-arts/
When Jamila graduated from college with a degree in civil engineering, she suddenly noticed something. Out of more than a hundred students in her graduating class, only 10 were women. Knowing that this low representation of female engineers extended beyond her graduating class, Jamila wanted to do something about it. So she did something a little unorthodox for a civil engineer; she began a media publishing company. Listen as Jamila shares how her business J.H. Lindo helps encourage girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Jamila's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/jamilas-story-j-h-lindo/
Felicia glanced at the backseat where he son was sitting in his car seat to see every parent’s worst nightmare. He wasn’t breathing. Felicia and her husband pulled over the car and dashed to save their son. But when Felicia finally held her son in her arms, she didn’t remember her CPR training. Fortunately, her husband was able to revive their son. But that moment stayed with Felicia and she wondered if there was something she could do to help others in similar situations. That’s when CPRWrap was born. Listen as Felicia shares how she developed the idea for CPRWrap and how her perseverance led to a partnership with Walmart.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Felicia's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/felicias-story-cpr-wrap/
Mo had been a new mom for only a couple of months when her mother suffered a debilitating stroke. Sandwiched between the monumental task of caring for her infant son and her elderly mother, Mo discovered something. While many companies offered home-delivery services for caregiving supplies, there wasn’t very many delivery services that helped ease the emotional toll of caregiving. So in honor of her mother, Mo decided to start a business that could help with that. Listen as Mo shares how she began Your Grace Collective, a business that provides emotional support to caregivers.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Mo's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/mos-story-your-grace-collective/
Lawrence was on the trip of a lifetime. In a year, he visited all seven continents and more than 30 countries, seeing everything from the canals of Venice to the penguins of Antarctica. Yet, wherever Lawrence went, there was always the question of safety. As a Black traveler, Lawrence wanted to know if some destinations would be safer than others. But even after scouring Google, there didn’t seem to be much information out there for Black travelers. And what little information Lawrence could find was far from centralized. That’s when he came up with the idea that would eventually change the travel industry. Listen as Lawrence shares how he created the first-ever Black travel review website: Green Book Global.
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Find the show notes for Lawrence's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/lawrences-story-green-book-global/
Trichology—from the moment Brandi read that word in her cosmetology textbook, she was intrigued. And as she learned its meaning, the study of hair and scalp health, she decided that she would one day become a trichologist to help others recover from hair loss. That day happened much sooner than Brandi anticipated when she woke up one night with the inspiration to go for it. And what resulted was not only a hair clinic that helped clients restore their hair, but it also helped them restore their confidence. Listen as Brandi shares how she began her hair restoration and confidence coaching business: The Hair Clinic Rx.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Brandi's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/brandis-story-the-hair-clinic-rx/
Blake was an all-state high school athlete with a promising future in track and basketball. Sadly, a torn ACL his senior year changed all that. But his love of sports stayed with him, particularly his love of vintage sports apparel. And when he saw the boutique shops share pictures of him wearing vintage jerseys and getting hundreds of likes, he knew he was on to something. Listen as Blake shares how he began his vintage sports apparel business: Fly Vintage 87.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Blake's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/blakes-story-fly-vintage-87/
Kamilah always loved talking to people. In fact, her teachers would often complain about her willingness to chat with her peers. So it came to no one's surprise when Kamilah decided to pursue a career in speech pathology. Instead, it was Kamilah's love of working with older patients that often surprised those around her. Yet this love is exactly what led Kamilah to creating a revolutionary app to help her older patients increase their language, speech, and cognitive skills. Listen as Kamilah shares how she created EPICC Technology, an app designed to help individuals with neurological conditions.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Kamilah's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/kamilahs-story-epicc-technology/
It became apparent that Sam was destined for a career in the creative world when her mom discovered Sam carefully constructing earrings from a prized chandelier. But as Sam grew older, the question of: “How do artists make money?” drove her into the corporate world. Yet Sam never gave up her love for crafting jewelry, and when a friend asked if she could buy the earrings Sam made for herself right off of her ears, Sam knew she was on to something. Listen as Sam shares how she created her multi-faceted fashion and jewelry business: New Vintage by Sam.
Signup for exclusive "Keep Going" emails here: https://mazumausa.com/keep-going/
Find the show notes for Sam's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/sams-story-new-vintage-by-sam
Somewhere between avoiding flying objects being thrown a round her and a nonstop schedule, Nicole decided it was time for a career change. Her job as a pastry chief was quickly burning up her desire to cook, and she was considering leaving the industry all together. Then it happened—Nicole was laid off during the pandemic. But what may have seemed like an obstacle turned into the push Nicole needed to make the career change she always wanted. Listen as Nicole shares how she began Whisked Away, a home food delivery and pickup service.
Website: https://www.whiskedawayatl.com/
Find the show note for Nicole's "Keep Going" episode here:
When Devin asked his parents what careers he could pursue as an artist, their reply was, “You’re a smart guy; you’ll figure it out.” Although it wasn’t a definitive answer, Devin began by taking his art to a digital medium and designing logos for his contacts on Facebook. But he didn’t stop there. In fact, he incorporated his interests in animation in film to quickly scale his business with multiple services. Listen as Devin shares how he created and scaled his media and design company: Kimoto Studios.
Website: kimotostudios.com
Mobile App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kimoto-studios/id1585102504
Find the show notes for Devin's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/devins-story-kimoto-studios/
Apathy, that's what Cindy's daughter feared the most—the feeling of getting too comfortable to care about seeking any further growth. When Cindy learned this, she determined she also feared apathy. And so she went back to college, became a certified Barton tutor, and began her own tutoring business. But even with that success, Cindy pushed herself again to fight against apathy by creating a learning software for her students. A software that would help students with dyslexia find the fun and support they needed to learn. Listen as Cindy shares how she began her business: Trisensory Software.
Websites:
Trisensory Software: www.trisensorysoftware.com
Cindy's Barton Website: www.bartonwithcindy.com
Connect with Cindy on LinkedIn: bartonwithcindy@gmail.com.
Find the show notes for Cindy's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/cindys-story-trisensory-software/
Whether it's mapping out property lines, plots in a cemetery, or creating drones that help first responders, Marcus' business as a drone pilot is anything but boring. But juggling his business with a full-time job brings its own challenges as well. Listen as Marcus shares how he balances both while growing his small business, Aerofire Mapping.
Website: https://www.aerofiremapping.com/
Find the show notes for this episode here:
Some people may say they love their business, but for Yahmeemah, her business is love. As a social worker, she noticed that some of the girls at her school weren't receiving the support and encouragement they needed to thrive. But rather than turn a blind eye, Yahmeemah began a work of love that would turn into a business. Listen as Yahmeemah shares how she began SELFY My Sister's Keeper, an organization that uplifts and empowers adolescent girls.
Website: https://www.selfymsk.com/
Find the show notes for Yahmeemah's story here:
"I don't have time to start a business." If there is anyone who would have the right to say these words, it would be Myles and Brandon. As college students with jobs and extracurricular commitments, they don't exactly have free time. But they don't let this stop them. In fact, it's what motivated them to create their own clothing business: First Royalty. Listen as Myles and Brandon share how they began their business and how they find time to make their dreams come true.
Website: https://www.1stroyaltycommerce.com/
Instagram: @firstroyaltyofficial
Facebook: First Royalty
Find the show notes for Myles's and Brandon's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/myless-and-brandons-story-first-royalty/
As a business owner, you may have heard the word “niche” a time or two. But finding that special aspect that sets your business apart from the rest isn’t always easy. And as a financial professional, Dan was well aware of just how vast his industry was. Yet despite that, Dan has found the perfect corner of the financial industry for his podcast, “Internal Use Only.” Listen as Dan shares how he found his niche and what keeps him going.
Website: https://internaluseonlypodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Instagram: @internaluseonlypodcast
Find the show notes for Dan's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/dans-story-internal-use-only-podcast/
It’s a question every small business owner has asked themselves: How do I grow my business? For Alan, the answer was as sweet as it was simple—take the milk from his family business and turn it into ice cream. And along with this new growth came an incredible insight that has helped keep his customers coming back for more. Listen as Alan shares not only how he grew his business, Reed’s Dairy, but also the key to customer happiness.
Website: https://reedsdairy.com/
Facebook: Reed’s Dairy
Instagram: @reeds_dairy
Find the show notes for Alan's episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/alans-story-reeds-dairy/
Thembi waited patiently for more than 25 years to leave her corporate job and begin her dream career as a financial coach. But when financial turmoil continued to surge in the wake of the pandemic, Thembi had to shift her focus to make her business work. Listen as Thembi shares what helped her launch her business, Sensible Living Coach, despite unfavorable conditions.
Website: https://www.sensiblelivingcoach.com/
Facebook: Sensible Living Coach
Instagram: @sensiblelivingcoach
Find the show notes for Thembi's story here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/thembis-story-sensible-living/
Kendra hated who she was becoming. As an assistant prosecutor attorney, she saw firsthand how dehumanized people were as they went through the court system. So when friends introduced her to restorative justice, a practice in which her clients were given the chance to determine how they wanted a wrong made right, Kendra felt like this was the career path she had been waiting for. Listen as Kendra shares how she began her own restorative justice business: Restore-Resolutions.
Find the show notes for this episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/kendras-story-restore-resolutions/
You don’t hear about rapping accountants very often. But Wilfred’s passion for business and music merged early on in his career as he began his first business as a music studio owner. And although his first venture as an entrepreneur didn’t pan out as he had hoped, it opened the door for him to begin his own education technology company: Obtech Enterprise. Listen as Wilfred shares how he went from an aspiring rapper to creating entrepreneur video games for students.
Website: https://obtechenterprise.com/
Facebook: Obtech Enterprise
Instagram: @obtechenterprise
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/80636762/admin/
Find the show notes for this episode here: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/wilfreds-story-obtech-enterprise/
As a senior in high school, Gabrielle knew exactly what she wanted to be: A teacher. However, when her mother began going to beauty school, Gabrielle discovered she had a talent for hairdressing. Little did she know that this talent would lead her to starting her own mobile salon. Listen as Gabrielle shares what gave her the courage to begin Glam on the Dash.
Website: https://www.glamonthedash.com/
Instagram: @glamonthedash
Facebook: Glam on the Dash
Show Notes for This Episode: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/gabrielles-story-glam-on-the-dash/
Most people do their very best to avoid bees—Adam does not. Growing up in rural Idaho, Adam was no stranger to bees. So when an opportunity came to work at Cox's Honey Farm as a beekeeper, he took it—stings and all. And eventually, his patience and hard work paid off. Listen as Adam shares how he became the business manager of Cox's Honey.
Cox's Honey Website: https://www.coxshoney.com/
Show Notes for This Episode: https://mazumausa.com/podcast/adams-story-coxs-honey/
As the vice president of racial equity and inclusion at a school in Portland, Kamelah was the voice against racism and bigotry for BIPOC children and their families. But she often found herself trying to convince others why racial equity and inclusion were vital in the education system. "I was just exhausted just speaking my truth and trying to get people to understand why this mattered," Kamelah says. That's when Kamelah decided she should wear her truth as well. Listen as Kamelah shares how she began a business that took a different approach to social justice and women empowerment, Mimi's Fresh Tees.
Mimi's Fresh Tees Website: https://www.mimisfreshteespdx.com/
Show Notes for This Episode:
It's time to enter Mazuma USA's $10,000 giveaway competition! And to celebrate, we invited last year's winner, Dr. Bruce Bassi, to share how his business has changed since winning the giveaway. Listen as Bruce shares more about his online therapy and psychiatric treatment practice, TelepsychHealth, and what's he's learned since first being on the podcast.
$10,000 Giveaway Entry: https://mazumausa.com/contest
TelepsychHealth Website: https://www.telepsychhealth.com/
Find the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Some people enter the small business world knowing this is what they were meant to do. Suzy was not that person. But when her husband proposed that they open one of the first coffee shops in Ogden, Utah, she agreed. And together, they created a business that did more than sell delicious beverages. Listen as Suzy shares how she and her husband grew Grounds for Coffee into a collaborative franchise with a focus on building community.
Website: https://www.groundsforcoffee.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundsforcoffee40th/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ogdengroundsforcoffee
Find the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Adam was on the safe route. He had graduated from college, had a job at a bank, and he and his wife were ready to buy their first house. But when he was suddenly laid off, Adam realized the safe route wasn't actually all that safe. But this rug-pull moment led to something good: an opportunity for Adam to find his dream job in the food industry. Listen as Adam shares how he began his business: Waffle Love.
Website: https://wafflelove.com/
Instagram: @wafflelove
Facebook: @waffleloveutah
Find the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
At first, Jessi wasn't a potter. In fact, she actively avoided ceramics and focused on two-dimensional art instead. But as she pursued her fine arts degree, she was required to take a ceramics class. What followed was an unexpected love for creating hand-thrown pottery and an opportunity to find a career she loved in the arts. Listen as Jessi shares how she became the studio manager at Hanselmann Pottery.
Instagram: @Hanselmannpottery
Website: https://hanselmannpottery.com/
Find the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
"Copper is a metal that really doesn't get enough credit for how beautiful it is and how strong it is," Alexi explains. And if there's anyone who could appreciate this statement after going through so much tragedy and difficulty to start a business, it would be Alexi. Listen as she explains how she began her award-winning, mobile bartending service: The Hammered Copper.
- @hammered.copper
- @cocktail.collective
- @melanated.mixologist
- @historyofdrinking
- @hammered.copper
- @cocktailcollect
- Cocktail Collective: ino@cocktailcollect.com
- Hammered Copper: info@thehammeredcopper.com
- History of Drinking: historyofdrinking@gmail.com
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
After retiring as a hairdresser, Nannette had finally achieved her culinary dreams when she was hired as the head baker at the Dessert Factory. But when the restaurant went out of business, Nannette decided it might be time to try opening her own bakery. Listen as Nannette shares how she began her own business: Nana's Sugar Shack.
Website: https://www.nanassugarshack.com/
Facebook: Nana's Sugar Shack
Instagram: @nanas_sugarshack
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Sheena was born with a love for fitness. But when her gymnast days came to an end, she began looking for other challenging forms of exercise. Little did she know that she would not only become a top-ranked CrossFit athlete, but she would own a CrossFit gym. Listen as Sheena shares the ups, downs, and everything in between of what it takes to be a small business owner.
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Tara had experienced the culinary career of a lifetime. As the food editor for Martha Stewart Living and the food director for Ladies’ Home Journal magazine, Tara had created numerous recipes, articles, and food styling for books, television, and adverting. But when a shift in advertising trends caused Tara to leave the food magazine industry, she turned to a new avenue to exercise her food expertise: blogging. Listen as Tara shares what led her to starting her own food blogging business, Tara Teaspoon.
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
It was the scariest graph Bennett had ever seen—the hospital admissions due to self harm among girls ages 5 to 11 years old. According to the graph, girls in this age range were 189 percent more likely to be admitted to the hospital for self harm than they were five years ago. As a father of two girls, Bennett decided to do what he could to help decrease these numbers. And so he bought a cookie company. Listen as Bennett shares how he uses his company Dirty Dough to provide resources for improving mental health among communities and his employees.
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Gary always loved to work. In fact, for years he worked a full-time job while roofing houses on the side. So when he hit his limit working at a corporate job, Gary decided it was time to make a change. Listen as Gary shares how he began his roofing business, Rands Roofing.
Tai had already gone through the Herculean task of launching her business, Organizely, in 2021. But as the pandemic continued through 2022, she started to receive more and more requests for a job training program she had created through Organizely. As these requests persisted, she noticed a pattern: they could be better served with a video. And what better place to post these videos than Linkedin? And why not make these videos live? Listen as Tai shares how this idea of combining live videos on Linkedin lead to her next business—Lively.
Check out the show notes for this episode at mazumausa.com.
Eight days—that’s combined amount of cheese-making experience Pat and Tim had before they dived into founding an artisan cheese company. While that may seem like a disadvantage, for Pat and Tim, it actually gave them an edge. Listen as Pat shares how he and his co-founder became revolutionary pioneers in the artisan cheese world with their company Beehive Cheese.
Removing old toilets was never Alexandra's dream job. But as a child, she and her siblings learned valuable lessons about hard work as they helped their parents rent and flip properties. Lessons that Alexandra would need as she began her own small business. Listen as Alexandra shares what led her to become a marriage and family therapist as well as a real estate agent.
Andrew always thought he was going to be an engineer. It was, after all, the "high-quality" profession his family dreamed he'd have. But when he found himself making short videos for fun while attending college, Andrew began to think to his career may lie on a different path. Listen as Andrew shares how he turned his love for making videos into Dad Verb, a YouTube channel that provides resources and advice for new fathers.
Twice Jamee had tried to buy her dream boutique Bella Me—and twice the offers fell through. As the owner of a successful preschool, Jamee already had experience as a small business owner. But something about Bella Me kept her hoping that one day she could own that business as well. And when COVID-19 hit, Jamee saw a way to help save Bella Me while finally making her dream come true. Listen as Jamee shares how she became the owner of the Bella Me boutique.
Marriage proposals can be nerve-wrecking affairs under normal circumstances. But when the proposal all hinges on your fiancée solving a series of puzzles in an escape room you created, that's a completely new level of stress. Fortunately for Mitchell, his homemade escape room proposal worked in his favor, and gave him and his family an idea for a unique business opportunity. Listen as Mitchell shares how he and his family began their mobile escape room: The Escape Pod.
When April bought a few goats as a form of lawn care for her three-acre property, she had no intention of starting a goat yoga studio. But when a friend proposed the idea and a video of April and her friends doing yoga poses with her goats caught the eye of news outlets, one thing led to another. Listen as April shares how three goats and eight friends led to the founding of her business: Arizona Goat Yoga.
Find more small business stories at mazumausa.com.
Ben wanted a change. As an auditor, he noticed that his clients, no matter how friendly, were relieved whenever he left. And so while sequestered in the small basement of a business he was auditing, he came across two words in a headline on his phone that seemed to be the answer: "fun" and "accounting." Intrigued, he clicked on the link to discover Mazuma, a company that provided revolutionary tax services to small businesses. And after discussing his findings with his friend, Greg, the two made a decision that would change their careers forever. Listen as Ben and Greg share their story of how they began Mazuma USA.
Like most people raised in the 80s and 90s, Derek has a love of music. But it isn't the lyrics to Journey or AC/DC songs that he enjoys, it's the composition. And after making video game theme song remixes for his friends in his teenage years, Derek felt like he could turn his love of music composition into a career. Listen as Derek shares his story of how he went from making Mario remix songs to scores for movies and podcasts as part of his business Mix at 6 Studios.
Find more small business stories at mazumausa.com.
While working in the tech industry, Tai noticed something others lacked—organizational skills. In fact, Tai's skills were so impressive, she would use them to help her struggling colleagues. And when an email turned into a meeting that turned into a $100,000 deal, Tai knew she could create a business from her unique skillset. Listen as Tai shares her story for how she began her small business: Organizely.
Find more small business stories at mazumausa.com.
It all began when Daon ordered what he thought would be the perfect sectional for his home from a website. But when it arrived, it became clear the sectional was more suited for a doll house than his house. Yet this online mishap gave Daon an idea. Listen as Daon shares how online ordering led him to starting his own small business: M and D Ventures Group.
Find more small business stories at mazumausa.com
See the products Daon and his wife review at janewaygoods.com.
Teachers have always been unsung heroes. Whether it's funding school projects with their own money or spending unpaid time to check in on students, a lot of teachers go above and beyond their job description with little to no recognition. Add COVID-19 to the mix and one day a year doesn't feel like a enough to show appreciation for what teachers do. Listen as Juanita, the founder and CEO of Teachers Support Teachers, shares how her business gives teachers much-needed recognition through a variety of ways.
Find more small business stories at mazumausa.com
It's tax season. If those three words caused you to sweat a little bit as you thought about your small business, you're not alone. In this episode, Ben and Greg answer common questions from small business owners about how to file taxes with as little stress as possible.
YouTube: Mazuma USA
Website: mazumausa.com
Even before the days of YouTube, Dominic loved creating short videos with his friends. But as he passed into adulthood, Dominic wondered how he could use this passion to create a business. Listen as Dominic shares how he used his passion for video to become the CEO of La Rondie Media Inc., a business that creates viral advertisements for social media.
Learn more about Mazuma at: mazumausa.com
Find show notes at: mazumausa.com/keep-going
Contact Dominic at: larondiemedia@gmail.com
Qiana wanted one thing after her HVAC broke in the middle of summer: tacos. But as a dietary vegan, she couldn’t use animal meat. Instead, she did something she had never done before—she used ground walnut meat. In this episode of Keep Going, Qiana shares how her creative decision to use this plant-based ingredient led to her starting her own business, The Walnut Tree.
Find Qiana’s business on Instagram at @thewalnuttreenutmeat or Facebook at The Walnut Tree Nut Meat.
Data drives everything, and as a small business owner, you need to understand your data if you want to grow. Derek Doel, founder of Analytics Odyssey, joined the Keep Going podcast to share his insights on how small business owners can effectively use data to help manage their company.
Before starting his own company, Derek was working with a startup that grew incredibly fast. In the span of two years, the company grew from 10 employees to over 200. "During that period of growth, we invested in career development coaches for managers, and really she was coaching me how to be a better entrepreneur. So I started a website, picked a company name, all while leading this team," says Derek.
Soon after, he took the jump to start his own business providing data management and consulting services.
"Things that happen in your business will be forgotten unless it's in data," says Derek, who mentions that the term "data" can mean something different to every business, depending on their stage of growth and the goals they are trying to accomplish. Whether you are trying to save money, get more customers, or just want to stay afloat, the answer is in the data. That's why Derek and his team focus on helping businesses find that data, understand it, and use it to make informed decisions.
And the most important and relevant data all businesses should be tracking revolves around customers, Derek notes. By understanding the customer experience throughout their journey, business owners can make decisions that will lead to future growth. "As you become more comfortable with those numbers, you will grow measurement techniques from there on how to change behaviors that you want to see, whether that's more customers, better conversion, or more engagement from customers after they have been converted."
However, Derek knows firsthand that growth does not come easily. About the emotional journey he's experienced as an entrepreneur, Derek shares, "When you've worked harder than you ever worked before, and made more money than you have made before, but you are still more broke than you have ever been before, you're in it. That's an emotional toll for you and for your family."
Derek mentions that leaning on his routine has been key to keeping a work-life balance. "The gym is very important to me, and that has never strayed," says Derek. He is also very strict about keeping work time and family time separate. "If it's after hours and you are messaging me, I will stonewall not discuss it, because I refuse to work while I am having my family time."
Derek believes a big part of his success, and his advice for other entrepreneurs, is his growth mindset and drive to be better. "That is a lot of what drives me every day," says Derek. "To me, it's the version of me today—I can be better than that tomorrow, and that will be my attitude regardless of the circumstances in front of me."
If you are a small business owner who wants to understand your data better, or if you want to get a better understanding of what Derek's team offers, reach out through their website at analyticsodyssey.com . "Definitely connect with me," says Derek. "I can tell you how to use data for your competitive advantage."
What are the biggest mistakes small business owners make when creating a website?
That’s a question Rebecca Wilson knows inside and out. In fact, she and her team help business owners avoid these mistakes and build professional, seamless websites.
Rebecca and her husband, Ian, own ThemeSupport, a company that specializes in web development for WordPress sites. From bug fixes to complete website rebuilds, ThemeSupport provides expert help and customized support.
The company has been around for years, but Rebecca and Ian bought the business in 2021. Even though Rebecca had no prior experience in the field, she felt confident about their decision. “For me, this was a very natural thing. I had a small business in the past, and my husband for several years has wanted a business, whether it was starting a business or buying a business, so this just felt like the right fit for us,” she says.
During her time running ThemeSupport, Rebecca has noted three common pitfalls that often pop up when business owners build a website:
- First, many business owners want a unique design that requires extensive backend coding. She mentions that while having a vision for your brand is good, the more customized your site, the more it costs and harder it is to manage. She recommends business owners start with a prebuilt WordPress theme and then add unique touches to help it stand out. This will make it easier and more cost-effective to maintain.
- The second most common issue Rebecca noticed is people installing too many plugins. While WordPress plugins provide diverse functionality, they also take up space, require constant updates, and can interfere with each other. Start with what you know you need, and then expand from there.
- The final mistake she notes is thinking that once you build a site, you are done. “It is really important that you maintain your site by updating your themes and plugins to make sure your site isn’t vulnerable and that everything is working as you expect it to,” Rebecca notes. The sites that offer the best customer experience are the sites that are constantly being updated and maintained. The worst scenario for a small business owner would be a site that crashes or is difficult for customers to navigate.
If you are building your website on your own, Rebecca recommends researching your competitors and seeing what they are doing: “A lot of sites that are in the same industry often have the same look, so research what your competitors are doing, and find something that is a little different to help yourself stand out.”
One thing Rebecca and her husband have learned running the business together is that being successful requires much more than just coding and website knowledge. Relationship building is a secret to success for any small business owner. “When we notified current customers of the change of ownership, so many people responded with messages about how much they will miss the past owners and how great they were to work with, and I thought that was really cool.”
Rebecca is working hard to provide the same level of customer service. “It is really easy to become impersonal in an attempt to be professional,” says Rebecca. Instead, she works on adding a personal touch in all her communication and avoids cut-and-paste templates.
One final mistake business owners can make when it comes to their website is not putting in the time, effort, or resources. “Your website is often a customer’s first impression of you,” Rebecca says. It can be what invites business or drives it away, so it’s worth the cost to ensure your website makes a good first impression. To learn more about ThemeSupport, visit themesupport.net.
When Bobby lost his mother two years ago, he wanted to make sure he stayed connected with her. He found his answer through his small business: Essence of Soul Creations LLC, a restaurant providing quality dishes built uniquely for each customer.
Michelle Dy is the founder of African Abroad Date, a dating app for Africans to meet online. After moving to the United States from Cameroon, she realized how difficult it was to connect with other Africans. Her friends and family were running into the same issue, so she took it on herself to find a solution.
Today's episode of Keep Going features an entrepreneur who had to make a dramatic life change due to the market collapse of 2009. Brent Howard, of Howard & Howard Insurance, shares his story about the decisions he made in pursuing a new career, the work it took to get to where he is today, and his advice for other small business owners.
"You work 100 hours weeks because it's not actually work and you love what you are doing, or because you don't have a choice because you have 3 mouths to feed at home". Thiefaine , founder of Prouduct, a global sourcing and trade company, shares his insights as an entrepreneur that helps other small business owners expand their opportunities.
Kerry & Kevin are the founders of ESports Furniture Store. Their goal is to be the leading provider in quality in e-sports and gaming furniture, for anyone that just enjoys gaming as a hobby, to up and coming professionals in the space. As gamers themselves, they wanted to start something that mattered to them, in a space that they understood.
Kerry & Kevin are twins, and have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. They mentioned that as kids they started selling Pokémon and baseball cards to their friends, or charging other classmates to clean their desks for extra snack money, and even hired friends and gave them a commission for their help. "We didn't notice at the time but today we think back, and we started a 'business, we had an employee, we understood supply and demand'. All that to say that entrepreneurship was always inside of us, and now it's all coming together".
From protecting the President of the United States, to protecting the 9-5 office, Charles Roselle, founder of Trinity Risk Solutions, shares his story of starting a security and risk management company designed to provide companies exceptional workplace security, safety and training.
In today's episode, we get to hear Andrew share his story of starting a business right before Covid hit, and how he navigated the uncertainty with his unique business model. Garibotti and Friends is a space for families to sell and save on barely used clothing and other growing family needs. They offer clothing, books, games, puzzles, and other items for infants through teens. They donate over 3,500 items each year to local non-profits.
Did you know that epilepsy is the number one diagnosed neurological condition among children? About 4 million people suffer from epilepsy, and unfortunately, truly personalized treatment is limited. Thankfully, Dr. Himanshu Misra has set out to change that.
Himanshu is the founder and CEO of EnlitenAI, a startup that continually monitors, records, and provides personalized management of seizures.
Himanshu is an expert data scientist, but he decided to start EnlitenAI because of his son, who suffered from epilepsy and seizures for years. While taking care of their son, Himanshu and his wife learned about the lack of support for patients and caregivers in this space. Himanshu mentions that he was grateful for the help he received from neurologists, but some patients have to wait anywhere from six months to a year for each visit. His goal is to help both patients and caregivers who are trying their best to find solutions in a difficult situation.
Through EnlitenAI, Himanshu and his team are monitoring and tracking seizures daily, allowing for more productive meetings with more accurate data and logs. "We allow the caregiver to be able to stream data the way it happened in its most pristine form, so the neurologist can see it and make more informed decisions for treatment," notes Himanshu.
Himanshu is now looking for investors to help take EnlitenAI to the next level. He notes the unique challenges of trying to secure investors in the healthcare field. "We are bootstrapped. We have a friends and family thing going. Some of the good investors we have are looking for more results that we can show. We have the ball at the one yard line, just towards the end and are very excited about it."
Himanshu is bringing in experts wherever he can to keep the progress moving forward. Himanshu notes what has led him to put together the team he has: "Humility is extremely important. To know that we can't be experts in everything. We bring in experts in each of their areas because they bring a certain depth of knowledge that we cannot bring. So we know where we are strong and where we aren't. We go the experts, and that makes our product better and allows us to focus on our core strengths."
Himanshu lost his son in 2021. He hopes that this service will help other parents and children have a better experience and find help in managing seizures. "To me, this product, this journey, is a tribute to my son," says Himanshu. "Just being able to create something that would've been a great tool for me, and knowing that others may be able to benefit in the same way. This really is for him."
Himanshu's advice for other entrepreneurs who are just getting started is to be focused and have conviction and confidence. "The passion has to be there. There has to be conviction and confidence that what I am doing is the right thing. Every start up dies a thousand deaths. There will be surprises, but you have to stay focused."
If you want to learn more about Himanshu and his story, as well as updates with EnlitenAI, you can visit the company website: enlitenai.com or contact him directly through his LinkedIn account: linkedin.com/in/himanshumisraphd.
One of the best parts about running a small business is taking what you are passionate about and making a career of it. That is what John and Tammy did with ABC Fitness Connection, a personal wellness gym that offers one-on-one training, boot camps, and group exercise classes.
John and Tammy are both retired from the military and ended up meeting each other in the gym. With both of them having a passion for fitness, eating right, and overall wellness, they knew this was the direction they wanted to go with their business.
They offered personal training on the side during weekends and nights, but when John lost his job, they decided it was time to commit to the gym full time. "We pretty much used our setback as a step up. We went full-fledged with the business and haven't looked back since," says Tammy.
Like all small business owners, they ran into plenty of unique challenges while opening their training center. "When we started, we started like the big box gyms, but it was more of a headache than anything, so we had to change directions, and do things our own way," John says.
Knowing that what they do is changing their clients' lives is one of the biggest reasons they stick with the model they have now. "For us, we are part of the community. The people that come to our facility, they become our family, and we become your biggest cheerleader," Tammy says. Their one-on-one model may limit the number of people they can service, but it allows them to form a closer connection with their clients and make an impact on their lives beyond just getting in shape.
John and Tammy use those same connections with their community to market their gym. They enjoy doing presentations at schools and events and train people on healthy eating habits, total wellness, and the harm certain substances cause to your body. Sharing their expertise wherever they can has helped build trust in the community and attract more clients to their services instead of a big-name gym.
With their combined knowledge, John and Tammy try to provide complete wellness coaching. They are looking to build their clients' self-esteem and instill habits in them that will stick long after they stop going to the gym. "We know what our strengths and weaknesses are. He is parallel to me, in different lanes, but both achieving the same goal. There is a lot of different avenues of being well, and that is what we try to share with people," Tammy says.
Part of what makes their business work is that they practice what they preach. John and Tammy are both in such great shape that they have had people suggest John play professional football, even though he is almost 60 and she is almost 50. Their energy and passion for fitness shine through everything they do, even when running the business can be stressful. "It's a roller coaster; you'll have your highs and lows, but when you love what you do, it isn't work," John says.
That is why they don't plan on stopping anytime soon. "We love helping people and helping them achieve their goals," Tammy says. "We have seen people come and go, and they might not know who John is or who Tammy is, but when you say ABC Fitness Connection, they know."
If you want to learn more about John and Tammy's story, you can visit their website abcfitconnect.com or call them directly at 301-645-0222.
Dr. Bruce Bassi saw a need in the mental health industry and started his own practice with the goal of fixing it. Here is how Bruce started Telephysch Health, a fully virtual practice with a more personal touch than most.
Bruce got the motivation to start his own practice through the patients he was seeing during his residency. They wanted to keep seeing him when he started his fellowship, and his director allowed him to do his practice on the side. From there, it grew into a small team, including other physicians, all with the same goal in mind: Making things as easy as possible for their clients.
Bruce recognized a change in the industry that would allow him to grow his private practice faster than it may have years ago. "If you were to ask an older generation physician whether they should be marketing a private practice or opening a business, they would say it's unethical to do so and not appropriate. They thought it was kind of shameful, but if you are not going to do it, someone else is going to, so why not have something that is physician-driven," Bruce says.
While his practice continues to grow, Bruce never wants to lose that personal touch. "A patient will be shocked to reach the doctor directly, get a same-day appointment, and get unfettered access to me," he says. That one-on-one connection is what separates him from other practices. He has created an environment where every patient feels valued and heard, and it has led to continued growth and success.
Like many small business owners, part of what drove Bruce to open his own practice was the freedom and flexibility of running the show. "I distinctly remember my first year of residency being 1 of 100 people entering the hospital in the drove at the beginning of a 12-hour shift," he says. "I remember dreading the feeling of being a cog in a massive industrialized healthcare system. Now I don't have that feeling at all."
Many business owners feel overwhelmed thinking they have to run everything. While that is sometimes the only option when getting started, Bruce notes some advice that has helped him offload specific duties so he can maximize how he runs the business. "Only do the tasks that only you can do," he says. "You have some sort of role in this business, and other people don't have that role for a specific reason. Don't take on their role just because you can. They can't do your role, so that's where you need to focus".
Bruce's goal is to continue to improve the patient experience in a continuously changing industry. "There are a lot of people out there in a lot of pain and suffering, isolated and alone, and they need a lot of help. They don't want to focus on the challenges of finding a provider, and pay for a session. They just want to get better."
Whether it's billing, or filling out paperwork, Bruce and his team continually meet to find ways to eliminate redundancy and make access to a doctor as easy as possible.
Like most successful small businesses, Bruce had to overcome his own challenges to get to where he is today and encourages everyone not to judge by what only meets the eye. "Don't judge your insides based on somebody else's outsides," he says. "They have probably gone through a lot of struggle to get there, and they might seem like they are very happy, but you don't know what they have fought through to get there." If you want to learn more about Telepysch Health, you can visit their website at telepsychhealth.com or give them a call at 888-730-5220.
For more pictures and insights into Brandon's story, visit our Keep Going website!
When his family business went bankrupt, Brandon Lunsford found himself flat on his face, praying for inspiration and something to help his family.
That's when Brandon had the idea to open a floral shop--the only problem was, Brandon knew next to nothing about the flower industry.
Despite his reservations, Brandon followed the prompting and opened Garden of Eden Floral just a few weeks before Valentine's Day, the busiest time of year for florists. Listen to his incredible journey and the crazy ups and downs that led him to where he is today.
Sometimes doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing is the right approach. That is what McKay learned when he started his business, Five Star Commerce.
Five Star Commerce is a marketing and consulting service for brands selling on Amazon and Walmart as third-party sellers. McKay found a niche in his pricing model by offering hourly pricing rather than a flat monthly fee like most agencies. This strategy has helped separate him from the competition and provide extra value to his clients.
Not everyone can just get up one day and decide to start something new. McKay recognized his current life situation allowed him to take the leap and let go of his nine-to-five-job and consistent paycheck and lean into a new path. While living in his sister's basement with no wife or kids, McKay knew financially he could take the risk.
McKay recognizes that he could have stayed at the job he was at and everything would have been fine. He liked the people and the clients he worked with, but he would have never reached his full potential. "When I was in school, I was always the vice president, right? I was never actually the president," McKay says. "When I actually did something that was like, 'Okay this is my thing. I am the guy in charge,' it unleashed a bit more of my full potential that had never been used, in a lot of ways, as a person, definitely as a business person. You all of a sudden become something greater than you have ever been before."
Looking back, McKay feels that everything in his life led him to where he is now. Before starting Five Star Commerce, McKay had always wanted to work for a big company and wondered why anyone wanted to start something on their own. That changed for him after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad. One concept from the book, "Some people will work every day for a business they will never own," really stood out to him. He recalls starting an internship at American Airlines. The first day, he saw all the cubicles going on and on as far as he could see, and he realized right there that everything he had been working toward was not actually what he wanted to do.
McKay believes what allowed him to see such great success so soon was his ability to listen to his customers. "Don't go out and say, 'I want to start this type of business or that type of business.' Listen to the market, and let them tell you what type of business to start," McKay says. "I didn't know our hourly model would be our niche; I was just listening to our customers."
Even when the status quo in the industry was to do the opposite of what he was trying, he recognized a need in the market, and it opened new doors that may not have opened if he did things the standard way. "Everything I was reading was telling us not to do it. And that ended up being an advantage, by just not doing what everyone else was doing. We got customers specifically looking for us because we were doing it differently," he says.
McKay isn't shy about recognizing that an increased income is one of the biggest factors in what keeps him going, but he also loves the opportunity to build a team and help his employees grow.
When it comes to the most important parts of starting a new business, McKay says integrity is what has allowed him to be successful. Part of being a business owner is being able to recognize when you make a mistake and to learn how to fix it. "At least I know we are always doing the right thing as much as we can, and if there is an issue, I will be there and try to fix it. That's how I can sleep at night and be energized about what we are doing," he says.
Learn more about McKay's story by visiting his website or connecting with Five Star Commerce on social media.
On October 16, 2021, Valentino Luna launched Corporate Diagnostic Center and D.K. International Corporation.
That day also marked a meaningful anniversary for Valentino.
It was 25 years to the day since Valentino ran away from home, opting to live on the streets and scrounge food from garbage cans rather than stay in an abusive environment.
"I did my grand opening on that day because I want to remember always that as long as I make the right decision and I keep going and I believe in myself and I believe that God will always be there for me, then I am empowered to keep going," Valentino says. "That is what empowers me every single day."
Valentino hopes to spread that feeling of empowerment to other entrepreneurs across the United States by providing access to business services that are affordable, reliable, and trustworthy. Valentina's focus is helping business owners realize their dreams without making critical pitfalls and mistakes.
"When I first incorporated my business, I actually didn't realize that it was more than $209 to incorporate," Valentino says. "I had an idea, I saw a commercial, I was jobless, I was hungry, and I said, '209 dollars?' And then I looked at my refrigerator, and then I looked at this opportunity to start my business, and then I looked at my refrigerator again, and then I said, 'I can eat eggs and I can eat ramen and that will be fine.'"
Valentino had no idea the whirlwind of events that one decision would set in motion.
Though Valentino made it through this ordeal, frequent questions began to arise: How could hard-working Americans with two or more jobs ever have time to navigate this process? How could entrepreneurs with children or those with disabilities or those who speak a second language be able to jump through the hoops required to make their business idea a reality?
That's when Valentino decided to pivot Corporate Diagnostic Center's business strategy to focus on helping entrepreneurs realize their vision.
"I am teaching new business owners how to embrace their vision and run with it," Valentino says. "I am not trying to teach them how to do it the old way. I am trying to teach them how to do it their way, because that is what America is about."
To those who may feel discouraged, Valentino says, "Never give up on yourself. Never give up on your vision, because it is important. . . . The reality is that you can do what you believe you can do. You do not have to get outside validation to keep going. You don't need anyone's validation to keep going. You just do what's right and what's true to you and to your values. As long as you stick true to that and you stay rooted within your values and you understand them, then that is where your strength comes from. Your fire will come later, and when you get lit and that fire happens, you are going to be unstoppable, so just keep on going."
To learn more about Valentino's story and business, visit Corporate Diagnostics Center's website or connect with @QueerHispanicCEO on social media.
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY! Want to receive a free ticket to Corporate Diagnostic Center's grand opening and win free prizes on January 3, 2022? Use the discount code "Mazuma" and receive a free ticket. All those who attend the grand opening are eligible to receive prizes that will be given away every hour. The grand prize is an incorporation package that includes incorporation, an EIN, official Articles of Incorporation, access to legal services for 3 months, reputation management, website services, Google starter package, and more!
Stress, illness, and a near-death experience. That's what propelled Maureen Wendy Dearborne to find her calling in life.
From a broken engagement to missed promotions at work, Wendy felt like her life was unraveling. "I was blaming everybody and everything for every woe in my life," she says.
But Wendy's perspective changed when her life was nearly cut short by illness.
"I had a near-death experience when I was 21 years old," she says, adding with a laugh, "That was something that I actually didn't talk about with anybody for about 10 or 11 years maybe, because when people actually spoke about things like that, you wound up in facilities that wanted to give you electric shock."
About this experience, Wendy explains, "I was literally shown . . . all the things that I had done that led me to this point. All the things! And it was so easy for me to understand then that choice was such a powerful thing. Whether you're in business, whether in your daily life, everything you choose to do impacts your world."
Wendy knew she wanted to dedicate her life to empowering others, a principle she holds to even as her business journey evolves. From receiving two doctorates in metaphysics and holistic life coaching to becoming a classically trained aromatherapist and reflexologist, Wendy has continued to stretch her mind and abilities.
As a business owner and personal development and choice-making coach, Wendy has insightful advice for entrepreneurs. Here are some of her top tips:
- You don't need to look outside yourself to find your niche or your next ingenious business idea. "Your niche is already within you. You need to find it within you so you can express it outwardly. And whatever you do, you have to give more service than you get money for," Wendy explains.
- "People, places, and things can be moved for you when you are living your passion," she says. And as you live that passion, you will impact others' lives for the better, and they in turn will change lives so your influence will grow exponentially. "You never know how you will impact the world," she says. "Don't think because you are making cupcakes and you're not sort of like Beyonce or what have you that you are not relevant. You are relevant. . . . What you do is relevant."
- It will work out, just maybe not in the way you expect. "People think that when you are in business and in life that it is meant to be all cupcakes and rainbows and unicorns and fairy dust. They don't realize that you can get dragged up the rough side of that mountain to get to the top," Wendy says. But those challenges help you experience personal growth and achieve a higher potential.
- Be patient. "There are no mistakes and there are no failures. There are only opportunities to use what you have experienced to move forward," she explains. Wendy compares business development to growing a mustard seed. You need to give the idea time to nurture and grow. And even as your business grows, you need to continue nurturing and shaping it.
- You are in charge of your destination and success. "Your life is built one choice at a time," she says. "Everything that you do in life is predicated on choice." Let that empower you to move forward and keep going in your business journey.
For more insights from Dr. Wendy Dearborne, explore her website, connect with her on Facebook, listen to her podcast, or follow her on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.
Matthew Bishop's definition of success is simple and constant. "I'm able to financially take care of my family and have the time I need to spend with them. That's pretty much it in a nutshell," he says.
While Matt isn't afraid of six-day work weeks and twelve-hour work days, he enjoys the flexibility of owning his own business.
Matt started the Matthew Bishop Insurance Agency 12 years ago. At the time, he was working as a district manager for RadioShack while selling life insurance on the side to generate some extra income.
After speaking to a fellow insurance agent, Matt decided to fully invest in his own business and interview with American Family Insurance.
"I was able to keep my licenses and work toward owning my agency and hopefully gaining the financial freedom that I desired," he says. The training was intensive, six weeks full-time with another week spent across the country learning how to run his own business.
"They told me they didn't want someone who could just sell insurance," Matt says. "They wanted a business owner who could sell insurance, someone who would understand the ins and outs of running a business as well so that I didn't fall on my face."
That training was soon put to good use during his first few months in business.
"At first, I thought that all my friends and relatives if they just heard I was doing insurance would just call me up and the phone would just ring off the hook," Matt says, adding with a laugh, "and that just does not happen. You have to learn not to be shy and to go after the business."
In addition to getting his company up and running, Matt had to learn how to handle rejection, set monthly goals, and be tenacious. "You've got to put in the effort and you've got to fuel that funnel," he says.
From joining his local chamber of commerce to marketing at major sporting events and conventions, Matt didn't let marketing opportunities pass him by.
"Putting in the hours and the work was not something that I was scared of. The only thing I was scared of was not making it," Matt says. "The harder you work, the more money you make. I liked that how much money I make is up to me, not someone else."
As Matt has continued to put in the hours and grow his business each year, he has noticed how his level of service helps him stand out from the competition, even if that requires him to take calls in the middle of the night.
But as Matt has invested time into the business, he has noticed how he has been able to receive time and flexibility in return. "It's my time. I get to do what I want with it," he says.
For Matt, that means visiting his four children and twelve grandchildren as often as he can. In fact, Matt has obtained licenses in every state his children live in so he can visit them often. About these trips, Matt adds, "Family and family time is very important to me. That's success."
Learn more about the Matthew Bishop Agency by visiting their site or connecting with Matt on social media.
When Tyson Harvey offered to take over a skydiving center in Snohomish, Washington, there was only one problem—he had never been skydiving.
Aviation is a staple in the Harvey family, who own and operate Harvey Airfield. “My whole life I have grown up on the airport,” Tyson says. But he admits he considered skydiving as an “aviation sideshow.”
But when the owner of the Snohomish skydiving center became ill, the skydiving community begged the Harvey family to keep the opportunity alive.
“It was the opportunity to provide an amazing experience that empowers people, helps them overcome fears, provides joy, that really attracted me to using it as a springboard to whatever I really got into in life," Tyson says. “The first two years were quite a ride.”
Tyson knew that future success depended on his ability to relate to his clients and staff. He needed to learn how to skydive.
His first dive, Tyson was paired with someone who was 5 feet 1 inch tall. Tyson is 6 feet 4 inches. To add to the awkwardness, this instructor was taking her new boss—the person who held the skydiving program’s fate in his hands—on his first-ever skydive.
“There was a little bit of pressure on her,” Tyson says. That stress and anxiety negatively impacted his first drop, but Tyson could still appreciate the exhilaration of the dive.
“There are a lot of parallels to starting a business and jumping out of an airplane,” he says. “There is a lot of risk you are putting on the line, but there are also a lot of potential rewards, too. Like in skydiving, the reward outweighs the scariness.”
One particularly scary and “eye-opening” jump for Tyson was his first solo dive. “I got hanging out on the strut of the wing and looked back, and the pilot’s eyes were as big as quarters,” Tyson says. “My parachute deployed and became a drag chute and pulled me off the airplane.”
Tyson remembers the surreal feeling as he watched the tail of the plane pass in slow motion. While many would remain on solid ground after such a fear-inducing experience, Tyson’s mentality was to “fix that problem, get up there, and try again.” He reexamined the business’s processes and added new safety protocols to improve the experience for future skydivers.
From the flight process to handling reservations, Tyson combed through every aspect of the business looking for new areas to test and improve.
“Every decision needs to be an investment in some way or another,” he says. “You have to relate what you are spending your time on to some sort of a return. A financial return is tangible, it’s measurable, it’s specific, but there are a lot of things about business that you can’t measure like that, for instance, safety.”
Tyson began making incremental changes that were “essential for longevity, for growth.” With each new year of the business came new evolution.
In fact, Tyson admits he never expected to be running Skydive Snohomish over two decades after taking over the business, but the personal and business growth he has experienced during that time has kept him coming back season after season.
“I definitely feel like there is a further evolution that is happening right now, and I am excited for this next season,” Tyson says. “That has motivated me to look forward and to continue to evolve it into something that I am passionate about.”
To learn more about Skydive Snohomish and Tyson’s story, check out their website or connect with them on Facebook.
This is the last week to apply for our $10,000 giveaway. Apply now and read more about Claudia's story at MazumaUSA.com/keep-going.
When the financial crisis hit in 2007, Claudia McKinney had no way of knowing it would mark the start of her new career.
"My husband's business suffered tremendously," McKinney states. "And it went under."
In addition to their source of income, the McKinney's lost their house. Though it was frightening to consider how she would make rent each month, Claudia says, "Somehow, God saw me through." Her business, Phat Puppy Art, helped her and her family make ends meet during that difficult time.
Eventually, Claudia was approached about a book cover, which opened a new avenue of possibilities.
Claudia's artwork caught the eye of an author who was also struggling financially at the time. "She even said to me, 'Claudia, I can't pay you right now, but could you do three of my covers, and then when I get the money I will pay you?'" Claudia recalls. A believer in paying it forward, Claudia created the covers and didn't hear anything for months—not until both of their businesses exploded.
"The following January . . . she sold something like 500,000 copies and she made like a million dollars in one month," Claudia recalls. "She became the poster child of ebooks. . . . I was with her for that journey, and because of that, it catapulted me."
As she looks back on her business, Claudia has learned through experience many life lessons that are valuable for new business owners:
- Know when to step back and gain new vision. Sometimes, as the daily details and logistics come crowding in, business owners can become hyper-focused or myopic to the point of losing sight of our larger goals. Claudia sees this truth repeated often as she creates her artwork. "Sometimes, I'm so close to it that I can't even see it anymore. And all the lines start to blur and everything starts to become a big mishmash." When that happens, she says, it helps to take a break so we can come back to see the strengths and flaws with new perspective.
- Do what works best for your business, without giving in to the pressures of the majority or industry expectations. She uses social media as an example. Initially, Claudia thought she needed a large following to grow her business. "The thing is, that doesn't always identify success," she says. "Just be true to who you are as yourself in a business and the success will follow," she says. "You just have to have faith in yourself. Don't let the number of likes or an Instagram feed determine the worth of what you are doing."
- Understand that success does not come without an investment of time and commitment. Claudia shares, "With any business . . . there is going to be a long time that you have to spend. There is really no way around it, but it can be rewarding at the end." The time and work you invest now pays off in the long run. For Claudia, those payoffs come in the time and freedom she has to spend with her family. "Family, that's the most important thing for me," she says.
- Don't be afraid to pursue your dreams and ideas. If you are questioning whether you can make your business idea into a success, Claudia advises, "You should go for it. Everybody should just give it a shot once. They should try if they have it in them to try."
Looking back at the unexpected turns her life and business have taken, Claudia is happy about where that journey has taken her. Because, in the end, she says, "What motivates me is doing the work I love to do."
To see Claudia McKinney's remarkable art, visit phatpuppyart.com.
Learn more about our $10,000 giveaway for business owners at MazumaUSA.com/contest.
In 2017, Senga Nuga invested his last $100 to start his own business, desperate to provide for his wife and one-year-old daughter.
Earlier that year, Senga had been let go from his job as a security guard, and the idea to form his own construction cleaning company resulted from a conversation with a friend who was a contractor.
"I went and took my last 100 bucks; started the company; got my business license; got real cheap, cheap insurance, enough for the builder to say, 'Okay, you are good with us;' went to Home Depot and then picked up a couple of brooms, dust pans, and just kind of YouTubed what a cleaner does," Senga says.
As he was registering the business, Senga stared at the blank space where he needed to declare the name of his new company. "I just typed in 'Hallie,' my daughter's name," Senga says. "Then I thought about it more. There's a reason that I did that because it's the reason why I get out of bed. . . . It's the reason that just gets me to say, 'Hey, get up and go, and go fight.'"
Senga contacted the office, ready to dive into his new business and get that first check. That's when he learned the construction would be delayed for at least three months.
At that point, Senga was contemplating accepting whatever minimum-wage, nine-to-five job he could find and abandoning Hallie's Cleaning Services.
But then, Senga received a call.
"The girl in the office says, 'Hey, you can either wait two or three months for [construction to finish] or I can give you four houses in Stansbury Park tomorrow,'" Senga recalls.
After Googling the location, Senga deflated when he learned that he would need to travel 62 miles one way to accomplish the job. But, he committed to the job anyway.
"All I knew was I want to go and sweep that guys' house and make my $100 back one way or the other," Senga says.
Senga spent 7 hours cleaning his first house, something that would normally take his crew 30 minutes today.
"I didn't know what I was doing," Senga admits. "I was doing a final clean on something that was an initial construction clean . . . The carpet wasn't even laid, but I was over there detailing every corner."
He continues, "And then, 62 miles later, I am sitting on my couch, and I am like, 'I am beat. Like, I am done. Is this even worth it for me?'"
At this point, Senga was simply looking for a way to break even and earn back his $100. But, after he received his first check, his attitude changed.
"Me and my wife just sat there and looked at the check and went, 'Dang!'" Senga says. "[When] the first check got cut, that's when I said, 'Okay, I might be able to make this thing work.' . . . That's when reality set in that I can do this."
Read more of Senga's story at MazumaUSA.com/Keep-Going, or check out Hallie's Cleaning Services on Facebook.
In this short introduction, Keep Going host Greg Nielson outlines the purposes of this podcast.
Keep Going features real people and real businesses as they set out on their business journeys. These powerful stories demonstrate that just because your business is not an overnight success does not mean you are failing or falling short. We focus on the triumphs, struggles, and small successes that come with building a business.
Stay up to date on the latest Keep Going news and podcast releases at Mazumausa.com/keep-going or by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Along with the Keep Going podcast, Mazuma is launching a $10,000 giveaway to help one business owner on their journey. For more details about how to apply, visit Mazumausa.com/contest.
Tune in to discover the intangible but invaluable benefits of your business journey. Pause to celebrate everyday business successes. And, most of all, rekindle the hope and motivation that drives you to keep going.