Business Growth Café: Recent Episodes
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People are in relationships with brands. Where does your brand stand? Customers come to know you by how you behave, not by how you say you behave. Brands are evaluated and understood by their actions, not necessarily by their intentions. Above all, your brand must be meaningful and relevant to your audience. If it doesn’t motivate, persuade, or change behaviors and attitudes then . . . what’s the point? Today for your 5-Minute Break, I'll highlight some prompts to get you thinking about how clear you REALLY are on your branding. Learn more about the power of effective branding at craftmarketingandbranding.com.
Whose responsibility is it to take ownership of a customer-first strategy? Customer experience is key to the success of any company, and ensuring this positive relationship with your brand depends on your ability to truly know your customer, and ultimately deliver on your brand promise. Only when you know the voice of your customer can you truly improve upon your crafted strategy to better serve those who interface with your brand. Today's5-Minute Break centers around how your brand can implement a customer-first mindset and start seeing consumers as people, not just personas. Not sure where to get started with developing a customer-first strategy? Visit www.craftmarketingandbranding.com and learn more!
I'm guessing you're like me. Your calendar is jam-packed with meetings. But the one with the most meetings doesn't necessarily win. Listen in for an idea to plan time in your day.
At the end of all of the planning, you need to execute. What are the right tactics that reach your target customer at the right time, regardless of whether you're building awareness, generating interest, or making the sale?
What's your brand's product or service differentiation strategy? Do you even have a point of differentiation?
You want to change. Tried with the status quo. But what resistance do you need to overcome to achieve that change?
Take a short break from your day - how persistent are you in your marketing activities?
Take a short break from your day. How relevant is your brand messaging to your customers?
Take a short break from your day to listen to how consistency is key in your marketing.
Jason Locklin, Founder and CEO of CloudCompli joined me at the Business Growth Cafe for a frank conversation about the ups and downs of starting and growing a business.
Krista Hollingsworth, Chief Revenue Officer for Consilien, joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to talk about CyberSecurity, Risk medications and Ransomware, and how to protect yourself.
www.consilien.com
Listen on your favorite platform:
https://linktr.ee/BusinessGrowthCafe
Is there a right time to bring in a sales coach/trainer for your organization? Joining me at the Business Growth Cafe is Leslie Groene, President of Groene Consulting. Leslie's company has been helping companies for over 24 years set up, train, and manage sales organizations. In this episode, we'll explore various strategies, tips, and recommendations to get your sales team heading in the right direction for success.
To learn more, visit: http://www.groeneconsulting.com/
To learn more about the Business Growth Cafe and Craft Marketing Architects, visit www.craftmarketingarchitects.com
INBRACE CEO John Pham joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss how his company focuses on improving people’s lives.
We explore his experience launching startups helped him to build a new kind of company; integrating advanced orthodontic methods, practice development, healthcare software systems, lean manufacturing, systems management, and marketing & sales excellence to innovate purposefully and nimbly. His efforts have been recognized in 2018, 2019, and 2020 when INBRACE was one of Orange County’s Top Workplaces and in 2019 and 2020 when he was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.
Join us as we explore his journey to build this highly successful company.
Leilani Quiray, CEO of be the change HR joins me once again on the Business Growth Cafe to bring her year-long journey as she traveled the US while growing her business, and personally as well. As a regular guest on the show, Leilani shares life and business lessons that everyone can benefit from.
www.bethechangeHR.org
Sales and Marketing are your growth engines for your business. That's why it's important that the relationship between sales & marketing are in alignment to drive business growth and profitability.
Today my guest, Rich Cocuzzo, President of Sales Velocity Advisors, and I discuss the relationship between sales and marketing, as well as our own challenges in growing our individual businesses.
Visit www.salesvelocityadvisors.com to learn more about Rich's services
Visit www.craftmarketingarchitects.com to learn more about my services
Karl Pontau, founder of Squash and Stretch Productions joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss the power of storytelling and animation to communicate complex ideas, simply.
Karl’s mission is to improve the lives of people around the world by telling engaging stories that build empathetic connections and inspire positive change.
You can find Karl’s LinkedIn profile here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kpontau
As a special free offer to Business Growth Cafe listeners, Karl is offering you a 30 minute Exceptional Brand Storytelling coaching session over Zoom. Click this link to schedule your session now!
www.squashandstretch.net
Five hundred million plastic straws are used daily, and with many states and cities issuing bans on single-use plastics, what's the alternative? Well, it's UrthPact! UrthPact is now the leader in compostable manufacturing focused on developing products from earth-friendly materials.
UrthPact CEO Paul Boudreau joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss his mission to keep 25 billion plastic pieces from reaching the oceans and landfills by the year 2025 and how UrthPact straws can help, one sip at a time!
Steve Hoffman, CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators, with over 50 partners in 22 countries joins me on the Business Growth Cafe to explore and discuss the world of startups.
Founders Space was ranked the #1 incubator for overseas startups by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines. Hoffman is also a venture investor, founder of three venture-backed and two bootstrapped startups, and author of several award-winning books. These include “Make Elephants Fly” (published by Hachette), “Surviving a Startup” (published by HarperCollins), and “The Five Forces” (published by BenBella).
www.foundersspace.com/10 to download the 10 Commandments of raising venture capital
The Great Resignation is here! In the United States alone, 4.3 million employees have quit their jobs. On top of that, there are over 11 million open jobs in the U.S. How has this impacted your business? Or, if you're the one looking for a new job, what has been your strategy.
Join me this week at the Cafe for my discussion with Kathy Dawson, CEO of Dawson and Dawson. We'll explore the current state of the job market, and impact of Covid on the way people work, and the approach to hiring that businesses now need to take?
Learn more about Dawson & Dawson at https://www.dawsondawsoninc.com/
Supply Chain consultant Richard Montellano, the founder of RAM Supply Chain Inc., joins me, Angelo Ponzi, on the Business Growth Cafe podcast to discuss current supply chain issues and their impact on businesses in the US and worldwide.
Glenn Gow, CEO Therapist joins me, Angelo Ponzi, at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss the many challenges and decisions facing CEOs and the steps they can take to become better leaders. Having been a CEO, leading his own company for 25 years, and working with brands such as Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and Apple, Glenn brings a unique perspective having been a CEO to help CEOs.
What are the key issues you're facing that might impede your business growth in 2022? The internal and external factors that you need to address. Do you know what they are? Have you held your company planning session yet? If not, what are you waiting for? 2022 is right around the corner.
In the episode, I'll discuss some of the critical areas you need to include in your planning, along with some ideas to get them accomplished.
You screwed up. Made a bad decision. Now if you’re human, this has happened to you. It’s inevitable.
Whether you’re an employee or business leader it has happened. And, I’m sure it has happened in your personal life as well.
The question is, how do you deal with this bad decision? And, what do you do about it? One of the questions you need to consider with any bad decision is what are the unintended consequences?
Join me, Angelo Ponzi, at the Business Growth Cafe as I explore this topic and offer up some ideas and steps you can take to deal with a "Bad Decision."
Joining me at the Business Growth Cafe is Jeff Brown, Founder, and President of Brown and Associates, specializing in improving large-scale systems to develop and adopt a culture that eliminates waste and improves operational effectiveness. With 25 years of experience creating, building, and growing successful companies, Jeff has a unique ability to identify even the slightest improvements in operations and processes that yield dramatic results. A true entrepreneur with a passion and energy for driving results while maintaining fiscal responsibility, Jeff is uniquely able to recruit and hire only the best talent to build winning teams of sales and operational staff successfully.
Learn more about Brown and Associates at: https://www.jsbnetwork.com/
Listen to the Business Growth Cafe on your favorite podcast platform:
https://linktr.ee/BusinessGrowthCafe
Joining me at the Cafe this week is Meredith Bell, co-founder, and President of Performance Support Systems, a global software company providing assessment and development tools for the workplace.
Meredith is an expert in leader and team communications, the author of two books, and the host of the Strong for Performance podcast. https://growstrongleaders.com/podcasts/
Will explore her book, Connect with Your Team, which covers the top 10 communication skills. Which 2 or 3 would you put at the top of the list?
Visit Amazon to purchase the book.
Originally published 10/2019
Storytelling has been used to shape and redefine events in order to persuade and change possible outcomes in history. Storytelling evolved as a way to ensure that history was handed down from generation to generation, so historical events were retold over and over to educate and entertain an audience.
Join me at the Cafe as I explore the value and strategies of storytelling, along with some practical advice on establishing your story's premise
Joining me at the Business Growth Cafe is Joanie Connell, Ph.D., is a talent management expert, organizational consultant, author, public speaker, and a leadership and career coach for people across job levels, ages, and industries, and especially loves helping technical people improve their people skills. As a psychologist, she works with both management and their teams to improve communications resulting in more effective and efficient teams. Listen in as she shares some great advice that every business leader, especially those tech-oriented leaders can use to improve their business.
Learn more about her company at: https://flexibleworksolutions.com/
Check out her podcast, https://reinventingnerds.blubrry.net/
Or, connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanieconnell/
Join me, Angelo Ponzi, and my guest, Andy Peters, Founder and Managing Partner at AAKEN Business Brokerage.
Andy and his team are engaged when a business struggles and needs a fresh perspective, change directions, or someone to make the hard choices. In addition, they are brought in when an owner wants or needs to prepare to sell or is ready to sell now. As a consultant, fractional or interim CEO, and COO, Andy, I explore the value and perspective a consultant brings to a business in helping them achieve their goals.
Want to explore and learn more about how Andy can help your business? You can reach him at andy@aakeninc.com or visit his website: https://aakeninc.com
If you’re in business, you most likely have a LinkedIn profile. However, most people don’t have an effective profile. Why, because we’re not LinkedIn experts! Today at the Business Growth Café I have Rhonda Sher, a LinkedIn expert to discuss the ins and outs of optimizing your LinkedIn profile to help be discoverable when someone is searching for a service or person like you.
This is a master class in LinkedIn, so grab a notebook while you listen.
As a special offer, Rhonda is offering to audit your LinkedIn profile in 30 minutes on Zoom Review for $97, $100 off the normal price.
To take advantage of this offer, send an email to LinkedIndiva@gmail.com and the Business Growth Café Offer in the subject line. Rhonda will respond with the details.
To connect with Rhonda on LinkedIn, go to LinkedIn.com/in/RhondaLSher
Today’s special guest is Kara Goldin, Founder, and CEO of Hint Water.
Kara joins me at the Business Growth Café to discuss her journey from the media and tech world to growing the #1 Unsweetened Water on the market. In her new book, Undaunted, Overcoming Doubts and Doubters, you’ll get to experience all of her ups and downs in her pursuit of growing Hint.
Listen in to this extended Business Growth Café episode as Kara offers up many life and business lessons you won’t want to miss.
I also highly recommend you pick up a copy of the book, a handbook really on entrepreneurship.
Click here to access Amazon Books.
Click here to buy Hint online or to find a store near you.
Frank Caperino, known as Franchise Frank, joins me at the Business Growth Cafe for a master class on buying a franchise. If you ever thought about buying a franchise, this is the show for you. With over 20 years of franchise experience, Frank gets into all of the important things you need to know as you navigate this process to help you make the right and intelligent choice. This experience comes from not only helping people buy franchises but from being an operator himself.
To learn more, visit: www.franchisefrank.com
Original airing: September 2, 2020
At the Café, I’ve invited Rich Cocuzzo, the founder and president of Sales Velocity Advisors, to talk war stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly of today’s business environment and to provide some insights on what to do and not to do when it comes to planning your sales strategies and tactics.
Leilani Quiray, CEO and Founder of BeTheChangeHR took a different route in 2020 during the pandemic. She packed up her car and began traveling the country. But being remote didn't slow her down. She grew her business, added employees, and managed to have adventure after adventure hiking mountains and scaling rock faces along the way.
Join us at the Business Growth Cafe this week for a special and insightful show with a very special woman.
IZO Spirits CEO Gaston Martinez joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss growing the IZO brand during the challenges of 2021. What do you do when one of your primary channels of distribution, restaurants, is not available? How do you grow from one product to eight and maintain the highest level of quality? And, what is the impact on your brand when you're winning awards competition after competition?
Grab a glass, sit back and let's sip some Mezcal!
www.izospirits.com
Originally posted August 6, 2019
Have you ever thought and wondered how you became an entrepreneur? What drove you to start your first business? It's an interesting question. Today at the Cafe, I'm going to talk about where I believe I got my start, motivation. I'm calling this show, life lessons from the #1 plumber, in the #2 business, lessons my father taught me that I never listened to, but found valuable later on in life.
Life Lessons and Unintended Business Advice From the #1 Plumber in the #2 Industry
Join me and my guest, Michael Haynes, B2B Customer Strategy Specialist and author of the book, Listen Innovate and Grow.
We explore the importance of listening to the market to generate innovative thinking to drive revenue and company growth. This is a fun, insightful, and educational show and one I'm sure you'll benefit from listening to.
It's a workshop in 60 minutes!
Click here to learn more about Michael's book.
When you graduated with your degree and entered the workforce armed with all of the freshly minted knowledge, you were ready to conquer the business world. What you and frankly most of us found out is that we were missing the soft skills necessary to be successful. Most of them, we picked up along the way. How to work effectively, interview, be a leader, network, or even negotiate, are the essential skills to be successful.
Mark Herschberg, author of The Career Toolkit and I discuss the essential skills for success that no one ever taught you.
Use code BGC20 for the next 60 days to receive a discount on book purchases. Click Pathway to access.
When you think about influencer marketing do the big names pop into your mind? And, of course, so do the big budgets to get on their radar. But, maybe there is an opportunity for small businesses to get on the influencer marketing bandwagon. Consider Micro-Influencers.
My guest today, Aaron Kozinets, CEO of Influence Hunter, and I explore the world of how businesses can strategically use influencers to help build their business.
If you own or manage a business and have employees, you know what a pain in the "ass" payroll can be. It's not just about cutting the paychecks, it's about making sure you're dealing with the taxes, timekeeping, making sure breaks are being taken and everything is being documented.
Today, I have Debbie Biscotti, Senior Product Advisor of Heartland to talk payroll, time tracking, onboarding, Work Opportunity Tax Credits, and much much more.
When we think about marketing, the 4P's come to mind. Product /Service, Place, Price, and Promotion. But today, there are many more P's, or possibly even C's, depending on your thinking. Join me at the Business Growth Cafe to explore, and count the number of P's you might have in your business and how they can impact the growth of your business.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock, the conversation on energy conservation and climate change is not new but certainly one you need to participate in.
My guest and expert on the subject, Marc Brener, Director of Renewable & Energy Efficiency Services of Energy Experts International, Inc., is here with me today to help explore ideas and the facts you need to be thinking about. This is an important, educational and stimulating conversation.
The world of public relations has changed and my guest, Amy Levy, Founder and CEO of Amy Levy Public Relations has changed too. Not only in the way she runs her business but the types of services she provides her clients.
Listen in as Amy shares her decades of experience from her big agency days in New York to the successful twenty years and counting with her own business. She shares some wonderful insights on the work she does for her clients and I'm sure you'll walk away with ideas of how they might help drive business for your company.
Be honest with yourself. Have you ever been the person who interrupts or feels the need to take over a conversation? Not really listening and just waiting for the opportunity to grab hold of the conversation and interject what's on your mind? Is that a conversation?
What is the cost of not being a good listener? Mistakes at work, family issues, losing friends?
Good, active listening is a soft skill you need to develop, as it's essential in your life's every aspect.
Join me, Angelo Ponzi, at the Business Growth Café this week as we explore the dos and don'ts of being a good listener.
You’ve heard the saying…healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Interestingly, so many people I speak to say they understand and it’s "wise" words to live by, but many have just not taken them to heart. And, in many cases, when they do, it’s a little too late.
Well, today, I have Scott Sage, President of Sage Financial Innovations, to help us think a little differently when it comes to wealth strategies and to ensure you are healthy, wealthy, and wise enough to enjoy whatever end goal you have in mind.
Unless you have been hiding under a rock or sitting in your bedroom staring at a wall, you’ve heard the term Brand or Branding.
Now depending on who you’re talking to, what a brand stands for or how you leverage it in your business to differentiate and build a relationship with your customers, well that is the question.
Today on the show I have Bronson Ma, Chief Creative Officer at Bronson Ma Creative to talk about brand and brand building.
Do you love Christmas? Santa Claus? Presents? Decorating your house? Tree? Caroling in the neighborhood…Christmas cookies…my absolute favorite.
Fun and memorable times…whether you’re thinking of your childhood or those of your children.
Now imagine if you could have Christmas year-round? It sounds like fun!
Joining me at the Cafe this week is Mike Sterling, President of Dekra-Lite Industries, a commercial Christmas company, to talk about the business of Christmas.
How many of you want to write a book? How many of you started writing a book or two, but never finished. I hate to say it, but I fall into the latter category.
I have spoken to so many people that think about writing a book, get overwhelmed, and it never gets from your head to paper.
That's where a ghostwriter comes in.
Today I had a great conversation with Laura Gale, Ghostwriter on how a ghostwriter can help get your idea onto the page, the process of publishing and so many other insights. It's a lesson to get your idea from your head to a published book.
Please join us for a stimulating conversation.
Join me and my guest, Heath Goldman, CEO of ICON Wealth and Legacy Partners for insights on the following, plus many more questions. Don't wait to plan...plan for success.
- What do business leaders need to know to take advantage of the current estate tax exemption?
- What the right goals for wealth as it relates to transfers?
- Thinking about selling a business? When should you start planning?
- What is legacy planning and why you should care?
So you’re thinking about starting a podcast. Three years ago, so did I, and here I am with about 130 or so under my belt on a variety of podcast platforms from iTunes, Spotify, Google, Amazon music…pretty much anywhere you can listen to a podcast.
As of February 2021, there are over 1,750,000 podcasts and over 43 million episodes, up from 500,000 active podcasts from just two years ago in February 2018.
But like sports, there are a few that make it to the top…have great success, and make money.
Today on the show, I have Jeremy Slate, founder, and CEO of Create Your Own Podcast Life and Comand Your Brand, to help us navigate building your network and business through podcasting.
So, when does a company decide they need or want an advisor or to establish a board of directors?
Are you that person?
Today, at the Café is Martin Rowinski, CEO & Founder of Boardsi, an opportunity network for executives seeking to find a board position or advisory work.
Employee burnout cases have increased to the point where the World Health Organization has officially recognized it as an occupational phenomenon. In fact, the WHO has included it in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
Dr. Sharon Grossman, author of the 7E Solution to Burnout to discusses the root causes of burnout, actions you can take to help reduce your stress, and her new book.
Death and Taxes. Yes, you heard me death and taxes. My parents always told me those are the only two things that are guaranteed in life. As individuals, when getting that dreaded tax notice in the mail we panic!
Now, imagine your business gets one or even 1,000 tax or compliance notices from the feds, state, local, or any one of numerous agencies around the world. Don't panic yet!
My guest has a solution for you. Rick Pinkerman, CEO of NoticeNinja, a SaaS-based CRM for tax notice compliance is here with me today to talk about converting his existing enterprise software to a SaaS model for tax notice management to ensure your tax and compliance notices are not the death of your business.
www.noticeninja.com
Carol Marzouk, the Chief Executive Lion Tamer and CEO of Leadership N’ Soul, joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss how she helps leadership Rebuild Low Trust Relationships in the Workplace; Resolve Conflict; Communication; Engagement.
This podcast provides an overview of the insights you need in order to develop an effective marketing strategy for your business.
We'll explore the importance of using research to help define your markets, ideal customers, market opportunities, sales strategies, and competitive offensive and defensive strategies.
Topics of exploration, along with case study examples, will include:
- Leveraging insights to establish a brand strategy, brand values, brand promise, positioning, and communications messaging.
- Identifying your customer’s decision journey and how it impacts your marketing communications strategy.
- Using your competitors to identify opportunity gaps in the market
- Determining demand for your product/service
- Key elements in building an effective growth plan
To learn more visit: www.theponzigroup.com
Most, if not all, people can't wait for 2020 to be over.
We all know someone who has been hurt by this pandemic and has gotten COVID-19.
Lost jobs and income, feeling isolated and disconnected, loneliness, and frankly, you just want to hug someone.
But in all of this darkness, there is light. We all want and need to heal!
Today, in this podcast, we explore the power of positivity. To find light in the darkness we ask that you dig deep to find something that you are grateful for and seek words of inspiration for the world for the coming year.
To help us do that, I've invited my friend Leilani Quiray to co-host this inspirational episode, along with a variety of people to share their stories of positivity.
Please join us for this unique 2020, hour-long Business Growth Cafe podcast event to help you heal and lift your spirits.
Special Guests: Charles Antis, Chase Boehringer, Wei Houng, Ric Franzi, Joe Martin and Dawn Reese.
Michelle Seiler Tucker joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss her new book, Exit Rich and the ins and outs of selling your business. We also spend time discussing why businesses fail and steps you can take to ensure you ultimately have a successful exit!
Book Pre-order: Exit Rich
At the Cafe today is Wendy Pomerantz, the Great-Granddaughter and founder of Bertha Mae’s Brownie Company to talk about how she turned a 100-year-old recipe into a thriving and very tasty business.
Wendy talks about her journey from the corporate world to the kitchen and share advice for entrepreneurs and growing businesses.
This is a sweet (pun intended) interview...as I eat brownies and cookies throughout the interview. I couldn't resist!
For those of you looking for a great tasting treat to share this holiday season, visit Bertha Mae's Brownie Company and tell them I sent you!
Joe Martin, Author, TEDx speaker, and creative agency owner talks about his new book and process called 6 Week Cycles. Joe and I discuss how to change the way we think when it comes to time and what to do with it. Including a little time travel! You'll have to listen to figure out what the heck we mean!
Find the book on Amazon!
Do you associate Love with your business? With your employees?
Joining me at the Business Growth Cafe is Dr. Bruno Cignacco, to discuss the concept of love as it relates to business and his latest book, The Art of Compassionate Business.
If you own a business or are an HR person, this is a must listen to show!
Richard Mulholland, Founder, and Samantha Dean Leontsinis, Managing Director of the company Missing Link located in South Africa, joined me at the Business Growth Cafe to take us on a journey to help you achieve keynote worthy presentations.
Paul Mitchell, who has been telling his story of A Life in Black and White: How to Authentically Discuss Race in Business joins me at the Business Growth Cafe. This is an important discussion!
Because of his life experiences, he is uniquely positioned to provide information and understanding to people of power, primarily White people, to help support better communication and engagement with their employees, families, and expand opportunities to show empathy and compassion to the Black community.
His goal is to help provide information to those who authentically want to learn more about the challenges the black community faces in the workplace and how we can develop a true partnership through genuine understanding and knowledge, to help make our workplaces more collaborative and productive. This is a key time for business leaders to educate themselves on how to have these meaningful conversations with their employees of all races.
Brad Chisum, CEO, and Founder of the Launch Factory joined me at the Business Growth Cafe to talk about what it says on his website home page…We launch Startup companies. During the discussion, we focus on his unique approach to helping launch startups and his own unique startup experience.
My guest this week, Simone Vincenzi, Founder/CEO of GTeX, a London-based company, and I discuss how becoming an authority in your field starts with these four pillars.
- Get clarity on your business model and turn chaos into simplicity and flow.
- Create HIGH-CONVERTING offers that deliver a real transformation.
- Expand your audience and reach to get in front of your ideal clients consistently.
- Grow your influence to get access to unlimited opportunities and attract clients with ease.
To learn more, visit: https://gtex.org.uk/
If you're like so many people around the world, you’ve got a great idea for a product. You’ve been dreaming about it, and of course, the world could use it. And, you can’t wait to begin selling it. But how do you get it from an idea to a viable, marketable product?
Joining me at the Cafe is Eric Rose, Founder & President of Pinnacle Product Innovation to discuss how to make that happen.
Don't just wait until you need a lawyer. Contracts, business entities, litigation, disputes, employee issues are just some of the areas you need to make sure you are "legally" healthy.
Mahyar Ghassemian, Founder & President of Ghassemian Law Group is in court with me today or rather at the Business Growth Café to discuss a wide variety of topics when it comes to business law. And maybe a few of those topics just might resonate and keep your business out of hot water.
Joining me at the Business Growth Cafe is Tony Penn, CEO of Penn Consulting. Tony is a business owner, executive consultant & coach and is here today to talk leadership, and what and how leaders need to focus during these crazy times.
Tony also has a specialty working with leaders in the restaurant industry.
To find out more visit: https://pennultimateconsulting.com/
We are experiencing a significant worldwide health crisis, the coronavirus which has killed over 200,000 people in the US at the time of this recording. We now wear masks to protect ourselves from this virus, work at home, not socializing, and living more in isolation than ever before.
This takes a toll, even on the healthiest individuals. But, it’s not just the current state we are in that is impacting mental health. It existed long before the pandemic and will exit after.
Today I am pleased to have Sally Spencer-Thomas here with us to discuss mental health in the workplace and home. This is a timely topic as September is also Suicide Prevention Month.
Sally is a Psychologist and International Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Impact Entrepreneur and Keynote Speaker.
To learn more, visit https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/
If you’re a runner or any type of athlete, you may have heard others express the terms “runner’s high” or in “the zone” when athletes exponentially outperform their competition, or even themselves. These terms describe a neurochemically induced state of consciousness known as “flow.”
Today at the Business Growth Café I’m joined by Chris King, President & CEO of Status Flow, who says that by disrupting your flow, you can get five days’ work done in one day, all while working fewer hours, dropping your stress levels to absolutely zero.
Listen in to the conversation to hear how you can improve your life and work by enhancing your flow!
To learn more, visit: https://statusflow.net/
So you’re thinking about starting a business or maybe already have and now you are looking for investors.
You’re enthusiastic…who wouldn’t want to buy your product. After all, it’s a billion-dollar market and all you need is just ½ of 1 %. Then…you’ll sell.
But the journey from idea to an MVP to launch to growth is a long and not always straight road.
Joining me at the Cafe this week is Xandra Laskowski is the founder and CEO of OSEA Angel Investors is a membership-based, women-focused angel investment group focused on and driven by executives and entrepreneurs with diverse and successful backgrounds to shed some light on the world of investing.
Perryn Holtrop, Founder, and CEO of Pay Nation joined me at the Cafe this week to discuss the good, bad, and ugly of accepting credit cards for your business. During this conversation, we'll add clarity for those thinking of accepting cards and the areas you need to be careful you don't step in!
At the Café, I’ve invited Rich Cocuzzo, the founder and president of Sales Velocity Advisors, to talk war stories, the good, the bad, and the ugly of today’s business environment and to provide some insights on what to do and not to do when it comes to planning your sales strategies and tactics, especially during our current COVID-business environment.
Ryan Mason, CEO, and Founder, of Luxe Brands and BizBuzz, has had an incredible journey from sports to business, where one dream was crushed, yet like the phoenix, he has risen and leveraged his dedication to sports into thriving businesses. An inspirational story for any entrepreneur.
As business owners, we spend so much time working in our business thinking about sales, cash flow, employees, competition, operations, we forget to not only spend time working on our business but frankly, working on ourselves.
At the Café I have Matt DeCoursey, CEO and Founder of FullScale.io, how of the podcast Startup Hustle and Author of the book Million Dollar Bedroom here to offer up some great advice on the importance of building your personal brand.
David Oates, Crisis PR Expert and founder of Public Relations Security Services joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss why every company needs to have a crisis plan in place, not only to protect your reputation but also your company.
Katie Wagner founder, CEO of KWSM, A Digital Marketing Agency joins me at the Café to answer your questions and to offer up some great advice on the importance of implementing an effective digital strategy and campaign for your business.
In the world of startups getting a business off the ground is not easy. There is so much work that goes into developing the plans, product, testing, etc. etc., yet in 60 seconds or less, that dream can come to an end.
Why, because their investor pitch didn’t go so well. This may have been the result of the entrepreneur themselves…or in many cases, their pitch deck didn’t communicate and the brilliance of their idea got lost in the sea of pages, numbers, and rambling that caused the potential investor to say to themselves, next!
At the Café, Jasmine Foroutan, CEO of Pitch Genius joins me to offer up some advice on what a great and effective pitch deck should include.
I was inspired by a movie I recently watched called The Ultimate Gift. It's based on a book written by Jim Stovall. Without giving the premise away, there are 12 gifts discussed in the movie that I believe are gifts we have all given, received, or wish we had. Please listen in as I believe you will find this conversation relevant given the times we are living in. Hopefully, in the end, you will find this is my gift to you!
As a business owner, you dream of cashing out one day. The big score! But what is your company really worth? Maybe not as much you believe it is? What is the right exit strategy for you? Sell the company? Be acquired? Merge? Or, as another thought, sell it to the people that helped grow your business.
At the Café, I have Chris Kramer, Managing Director of Strategic Equity Group to discuss ESOP’s (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) as an exit strategy.
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At the Business Growth Café I’m excited to have Eli Eisenberg, Founder & President of Straight Line Management, which focuses on providing CFO services and financial expertise to help growing companies identify and exploit key opportunities, to discuss the importance of understanding and using your financials strategically in growing your business.
Eli has grown his business over the past 29 years and shares his experiences and guidance for high potential early-stage companies to get on the right path, the right model and the right way of thinking about your business.
It's my 100th show. I want to thank my subscribers, listeners and guests I am pleased and honored to welcome to the show Bruce Himelstein, Founder of The BJH Group. Bruce is a Sales & Marketing Expert, Speaker, Facilitator, and Consultant. His career includes…Chief Sales & Marketing Office for Ritz-Carlton Hotels, President Oceania Cruises, and Chief Marketing Officer, Loews Hotels & Resorts. And, a long-time friend of mine, but you'll have to listen to the show to hear those details!
Join us as we take a journey with Bruce from graduation to cleaning hotel rooms to CMO for major hotel chains. And, as we explore the current state of the hospitality industry.
There are many reasons to protect your brand's trademark. It seems obvious, yet so many businesses find themselves letting their trademark lapse or allowing it to be modified or misused. This causes market confusion or, worse, allows your competitors to take it over potentially.
Also, if you own a business or are conducting the marketing for that business, and you use graphics or pictures from the internet, then publish them in presentation, social media, etc., you are putting your business in jeopardy.
That's crazy, you say? Well, you're crazy…if you are using the copyrighted materials, the IP, of another company or person. Why, because you are committing a crime and can be fined thousands of dollars. And, if you were sued, that money comes right from your bottom line and potential could bankrupt your business.
Today at the Café I'm excited to have Sharon Adams, Founder & President of Adams Law Offices, on our show to discuss the importance of protecting your IP and your business.
Justin Breen, CEO & Founder of BrEpic Communications, joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss his journey from newspaper editor to global PR leader/storyteller and his approach for building success for brands. As a newspaper editor receiving countless press releases from PR firms, Justin recognized there was a better way to create click-worthy stories that local, regional national and global media want for their readers.
Paul Wirth, entrepreneur, EOS Implementor and Founder & Facilitator at CEO Axxess joins me at the Business Growth Cafe to discuss his new venture and the path to identity and bring a new product/service to market.
In today’s show, I wanted to get real and talk about life. There is so much happening in our world I get concerned that we are losing sight of the important things that make us who we are. I found inspiration from the author Regina Brett. The night before her 45th birthday after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she wrote down 45 life lessons and eventually turned them into a bestselling book.
I’ve used some of her life lessons, which I’ve included below along with my own personal thoughts and insights to hopefully motivate and inspire us all to be a little better and cherish what we have, not what we don’t.
I hope you find one or two thoughts in today’s episode that inspires you to want to be inspirational.
Regina’s 45 life lessons.
- Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
- When in doubt, just take the next small step.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- Pay off your credit cards every month.
- You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
- Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
- It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
- Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
- When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
- Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
- It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
- Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
- Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
- Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
- You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
- A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
- It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
- When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
- Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
- Overprepare, then go with the flow.
- Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
- The most important sex organ is the brain.
- No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
- Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
- Always choose life.
- Forgive everyone everything.
- What other people think of you is none of your business.
- Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
- Believe in miracles.
- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
- Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
- Growing old beats the alternative – dying young.
- Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
- Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
- Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
- If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
- Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
- Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
- All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
- Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
- The best is yet to come.
https://www.reginabrett.com/about-regina
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” – Aristotle
Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama
I’m joined today by Nic Marks Founder of Friday Pulse https://www.fridaypulse.com/, a Statistician, Happiness expert, and TED speaker.
Happiness is a relatively new area of science influencing organizational development -- the science of happiness for a professional perspective on an organization's happiness.
Happiness is how we naturally talk about positivity - and all the benefits that flow from feeling upbeat. Happy is what we want for our children, and it’s what we want to be at work. Positive emotions improve physical health, intellectual abilities, psychological resilience, and our relationships.
Brian Andersen, Digital transformation specialist and founder of Telecomphrensive Solutions works with businesses to help them think through their technology strategy, focusing on customer experience, employee satisfaction, security, and ease of use in the new normal of remote workers.
Life changed two-plus months ago as employees headed home to work as a result of the Coronavirus. Who thought, including myself, that two months later we'd be working from home…hopping on endless zoom meetings would become the norm.
The question becomes, as the guidelines start to lift and it becomes safer in the workplace, will working from home be more of the norm than the occasional telecommuter.
And with these changes comes the needed and necessary communications tools and infrastructure that for most companies didn’t exist.
Listen in as we explore!
Leadership comes in all shapes, sizes, and levels of experience. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, he/she is a born leader. But I’m not sure anyone is really born a great leader. Given today’s challenges in the business world; however, leadership is even more important than ever.
Adam Mendler, CEO, of Veloz Group joins me at the Business Growth Cafe. Adam is a serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, and today, my guest, to explore the importance of leadership, as well as advice for entrepreneurs about improving their leadership skills.
At the Café, I’m joined by Carl Allen, founder of Dealmaker Wealth Society, a world-class entrepreneur, investor and corporate dealmaker who has worked on more than 330 transactions worth close to $48 billion to discuss post-pandemic strategies and buying or selling a business.
Per Welinder, freestyle skateboard legend, actor (you can find him in Back to the Future), serial entrepreneur and founder of iconic skateboard brands such as Birdhouse, and now Venture Capitalist and co-founder of WelinderShi Capital to talk about his journey and his focus on helping young active lifestyle and consumer-facing brands turn into successful iconic brands.
Today at the Café I’m excited to have Scott Bailey, a seasoned of Sandler Certified Trainer in the Western Region with over 24 years of service to discuss how sales training gets the sales organization working from the same playbook… using the same communications system to drive business growth.
Marcia Riner, CEO of Bella Financial and fellow podcaster and host of Profit with a Plan joins me at the Cafe to discuss why businesses need to gain clarity, control, and confidence in order to make the best financial and marketing decisions to compete in the post-COVID world.
Today at the Café I’m talking with Gaston Martinez, a native of Mexico and founder of IZO Agave Spirits. IZO is a premium, handcrafted all-natural Mezcal distilled based on centuries of distilling tradition. Join us as we discuss taking his passion from field to bottle.
As a serial entrepreneur, this is not Clara's first venture. Inspired by travel and international tastes, Clara Paye, CEO of Unite, talks about her global-inspired brand and her journey to bring her new tasty protein bars to market. The roll-out of Unite includes fan favorites...PB & Jelly; Mexican Hot Chocolate and Churro.
In Part 2, I continue the conversation with 3 new business leaders from different industries to gain their perspective on how they and others are surviving and preparing for tomorrow.
In Part 2, interviews include:
- Lisa Holmes - HR Professional
- Karen Gee-McAuley - PR Professional servicing consumer clients including travel and leisure
- Josh Walters - Talent optimization and executive search
To better understand what is happening to business owners in real-time, I conducted interviews with six different business leaders from six different industries. The goal was to gain insights for listeners, to help better understand how others are coping with the new normal.
In Part 1, interviews include:
- Richard Montellano - Supply Chain Consultant
- Dean Soll - Manufacturer of Insulated Metal Panels for refrigerated products
- Chris Kramer - M&A and ESOP programs
We are in unprecedented times as a result of the Coronavirus. Offices and businesses are closed, and employees are now working from home. For many, this is a new experience. And, for many business leaders, this is a new experience as well.
Today at the Café, I’m going speaking with Kimberly Layne, CEO, and founder of The Kimberly Connection Company, about improving broken cultures through connected leadership. And, how a leader needs to engage with their remote employees during this crisis.
Business leaders are navigating unchartered waters in today's business climate and making decisions that can have a lasting impact on their business. Stop by the Business Growth Cafe to hear insights from my guest, Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Disaster Avoidance Expert as we discuss making rational, well-thought-out decisions vs gut decisions based instincts. Protect yourself and your team from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases to develop the wisest and most profitable decision-making strategies for today and tomorrow.
How to Navigate Today while Planning for Tomorrow is on everyone's mind, especially business leaders. Listen in as me, Angelo Ponzi, Fractional CMO, Rich Cocuzzo, Fractional Revenue Officer and JJ Richa, Fractional Operations Officer discuss critical elements to surviving and thriving in these uncertain times.
We three, make up the leadership of a collective of C-Suite executives called, P4 Collective. Listen as we discuss a holistic approach to address the issues and challenges facing businesses as a result of the actions taken to mitigate the Corona Virus.
Join us on April 7th, 12 - 1 PM for a webinar dedicated to this topic. Visit https://meetinglab.zoho.com/meeting/register?sessionId=1080300517 to register
Sending workers home or laying them off as a result of the Corona Virus is having a massive impact on businesses and their workers. Many of them have never had to work from home before or use video conferencing technology. Or, for many, they now find themselves searching for a new job when jobs are currently scarce. Today on the show, I'll share some tips and tricks to help you stay focused and productive, while you are home and most likely so is your entire family. Lots of distractions. Lots of challenges. Join me at the Cafe as I share my experiences and recommendations.
How we show up in life matters. Our intentions, energy, and presence matter. The impact we have on others depends on how we show up. As a leader, this is critical to our mission. Marc Koehler, President, Lead with Purpose tomorrow joins me at the Business Growth Cafe for an insightful conversation and guidance in leading today and tomorrow.
Join me, Angelo Ponzi and my guest, Stacy N. Benda, CEO of Apollonian Accounting & Business Services as we explore strategies to help you to understand the story your business financials are telling you.
Many businesses start with executing tactics without spending the time to know the dynamics of the market they are competing in.
I recommend you start by focusing on three areas: Insights, Brand and Plan.
And in that order… to become more strategic in achieving your business goals. These three pillars are key to building an effective, efficient strategic growth plan for your business.
Identifying the insights and knowledge you need to define your brand and to create a plan that helps you achieve your vision of success is essential.
To be successful in publishing a traditional print magazine requires digital, video, events, promotions, social media, awards banquets, and of course, organization. Tune in for a discussion on the changes and challenges in the publishing world with my guests Mike Dunn, Executive Editor, and Jennifer McLaughlin, editor-in-Chief of LA Travel Magazine.
What is EOS is all about? Join me and my guest, Chris Duncan, serial entrepreneur and now an EOS Implementer, explore EOS and the benefits of the program to help leadership teams Clarify, Simplify, and Achieve their vision using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
Subscribe to the Business Growth Cafe and catch up on all of the great content and advice to help your business grow.
Join me, Angelo Ponziyour host and my guests, Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO and Jennifer Tabiza, practicing optometrists and co-founders of Dr. Contact Lens to discuss their journey of starting a business, outside of their core competencies to solve a need in their industry. Bringing a new product solution to the market that helps optometrists overcome a big challenge to growing their business by recapturing lost contact lens revenue.
It is increasingly common for companies of all sizes to hire a fractional CEO, CFO, CMO or other business leaders. When you hire a fractional executive, you get 100% of their know-how, their experience and network from day one, the benefits of full of a seasoned CxO for a fraction of the cost. Matt Spooner, GigX's Fractional Chief Business Development Officer joins me at the Cafe to discuss the benefits of using fractional executives and GigX's journey from inception to revenue generation.
Today at the Café I have Patrick Erlandson, Founder and Creative Director of the See it – End It Film & Arts Festival and Sonia Bailey, YWCA of the Harbor Area Executive Director to discuss the challenges of bringing awareness, interest and community engagement to Human Trafficking in Southern California and around the world.
Ron Huber, CEO of Achieve Internet joins me at the Cafe this week to discuss the ups and downs of growing his business and how implementing an API Management strategy can open up new revenue and growth opportunities using an asset business's already own...data. Ron also provides insights on how he grew his business and how those insights can help you grow yours.
This week's episode includes business advice from interviews with my guests over the last six months of 2019 and their answers to the questions, "what is the best business advice you've ever received and/or given if different?" Time well spent and a great way to start the year.
And if you like this, listen to the business advice show from the summer of 2019.
To end 2019 and welcome in 2020, I decided to tell you some "Host Stories." These are my stories, a chance to get to know me, and some of my experiences. These stories are not a bare all but stories that I hope will bring a smile to your face, maybe even one you can relate too. In our busy lives, we can never forget we work to live, not live to work. Finding work/life balance, which we all talk about starts with you — your choice to make it happen, because, without your commitment, it will never be achieved. I hope you enjoy this episode and we'll see you at the Cafe in the new decade.
This show highlights answers to the question..." when thinking about growing your business, what keeps you up at night."
This includes answers from 13 guests, who are business owners like yourself. Lots of insights and I'm sure you'll find at least one that keeps you up at night too.