Business Infrastructure - Curing Back Office Blues: Recent Episodes
Alicia Butler Pierre
Growth is not a bad thing. But too much growth, too fast presents a set of challenges often overlooked when discussing small businesses. The emphasis tends to center on the marketing and promotion necessary to grow your business, and not on the operations and business infrastructure needed to scale your business in a sustainable manner. These back office operations can make or break your business. The Business Infrastructure show provides solutions and real life stories to owners and operators of fast growing small businesses seeking practical tips for dealing with growth spurts.
Jared Easley, the co-founder of Podcast Movement, joined us for the 100th and 200th episodes of the Business Infrastructure podcast. And heโs here again as we celebrate the 300th episode!
But this episode is different. Itโs the final episode of the Business Infrastructure podcast.
As long as the internet is around, you will still be able to access this catalogue of 300 episodes! That also means you can still do things like leave reviews and comments.
Saying goodbye is never easy. We appreciate the 236 guests that appeared and contributed valuable resources to this show as well as the amazing people behind the scenes who made this show possible.
The good news is that we have a new podcast launching on September 1, 2024. Itโs called ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ and you can find it on places like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts. We hope you will join us there.
Remember, stay focused and be encouraged. This entrepreneurial journey is a marathon and not a sprint. Thank you for being in this marathon with us!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure Podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos.
In our last episode, you heard from our team at Equilibria, Inc. on what it took to produce and promote the episodes for our Season 23: Growth Strategies Masterclass. We also shared important lessons we learned from the guests who participated in this masterclass.
Thereโs also an important lesson, or conclusion, that producer Alicia Butler Pierre reached as a result. As you and other listeners went along this growth strategies journey, you may recall her hinting at a big revelation. Something that, once revealed, will change everything!
In this episode, Alicia reveals that important discovery.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure Podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Listen to all twelve episodes of the Season 23: Growth Strategies Masterclass.
Ever wondered what it takes to put on a podcast show? The behind-the-scenes work is much more than what you might expect especially when producing an audio masterclass. But we pulled it off!
In our end of season wrap party, our team at Equilibria shares lessons we learned throughout the Growth Strategies Masterclass. We also discuss how we efficiently manage a remote podcast team thatโs spread across four countries โ India, Nigeria, Philippines, and the U.S.
Finally, we reveal things that surprised us about this season and some team members even ask producer Alicia Butler Pierre personal questions. You might find her answers interesting, but the only way youโll know is if you listen!
Thank you to the Black Panda team: Leena Nair, Rujuta Jamgaokar, and Simmi.
The Equilibria, Inc. team: Clarence Levy III, Grant Revilla, Gladys Jimenez, and Erika Revilla. A special shout out to our audio editor, Olanrewaju Adeyemo, who was unable to attend.
This is part two of our interview with Christina Barsi, an entrepreneur with a revolutionary tool to help us align our personal infrastructure with our business infrastructure. That tool is called the Circle of Ease. Itโs one of the things she mentioned during the first half of this interview.
As a reminder, she also talked about:
- The difference between your Zone of Genius and Zone of Excellence,
- How to be in with work that give you energy,
- Why delegating things that you are good at, but donโt enjoy will free up your time to truly grow and scale your business.
Now, Barsi will describe exactly what her Circle of Ease tool is and how to use it. Similar to previous episodes, podcast host Alicia Butler Pierre shares how she will use this tool to figure out what work to focus on as Equilibria, Inc. transitions from a consulting business model to a training one.
This is the last episode of our Growth Strategies Masterclass.
Itโs filled with eye-opening information that will cause you to personally reflect on the intersection of your personal and professional goals in ways you may not have before. Listen now to discover the possibilities that lie ahead for your businessโ growth!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Itโs hard to believe, but weโre at the last topic of our Growth Strategies Masterclass. At this point, weโve had guests share their expertise on the following:
- Vetting and validating growth ideas,
- Creating a strategic growth plan that includes validated ideas,
- Developing project plans to implement your companyโs growth strategy,
- Growing your business through strategic partnerships, and
- Building your business to sell it for maximum value.
With all the planning tools weโve learned for strategically growing our businesses, thereโs still the possibility that our plans may not unfold the way we envisioned. Our ability to handle unforeseen events or challenges that can halt our plans determines whether weโll stay in the entrepreneurial race.
The real question to ask yourself is, โAre you comfortable with potentially having to pivot?โ
This is what our next guest, Christina Barsi, is here to talk to us about. As a former actor turned entrepreneur and owner of a successful podcast production company, sheโs a shining example of what can happen when you intentionally integrate decision-making and fulfillment into your entrepreneurial endeavors.
Barsiโs career transition experiences as a compelling example for entrepreneurs seeking to establish a personal infrastructure that resonates with their passions.
In part 1 of this two-part episode, Barsi explains why:
- Creating a personal infrastructure that aligns with your companyโs business infrastructure is critical for achieving self-fulfillment,
- Distinguishing between internal data and external data is key to establishing a foundation for business growth strategies, and
- Calibrating your mindset is necessary for assessing the work that brings you joy and will ultimately enable you to create action plans to bring growth plans to fruition.
Navigating business pivots and transitions effectively requires intentional decision-making and introspection. Join us on this journey of self-discovery as a pathway to lasting business success!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre at the next stop on our Growth Strategies Masterclass this season and it involves exit planning. Now, you may be thinking, โI thought we were talking about growing our businesses, not exiting them!โ
But the truth is, exiting your business by selling it can in fact be a smart move especially if you are seeking what our last guest, Carl Nicpon, described as โFreedom 2.0.โ Building your company to eventually sell it requires significant work in formalizing business infrastructure and strengthening financial health.
In this latest episode, our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, reveals why she wants to sell Equilibria, Inc. (the underwriter of this show) as part of the companyโs long-term strategic growth plan. This requires a level of honesty, introspection, and selflessness that few entrepreneurs dare to think about let alone act on.
Along the way, Alicia shares her story in hopes that it will also inspire you to:
- Focus on specific business infrastructure elements to build or improve,
- Discover the financial metrics required to attract future investors, partners or buyers,
- Build a dashboard to track core operational activity,
- Consider funding as a source for raising capital required to scale operations, and more!
Youโll also gain access to additional resources where you can learn more about how to: 1) sell your business, 2) find the optimal exit planning strategist, and 3) get maximum sale value for the business youโve worked so hard to build and grow.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Whether your growth idea involves starting a new business, a new product or service, or pivoting altogether, itโs wise to begin with the end in mind. In other words, you need to know your exit strategy.
It might seem strange to think about an exit strategy when you are focusing on starting either something new or doing work in a new way. However, another effective and potentially lucrative growth strategy could involve your exit as a founder or leader, the exit of one of your business partners, acquiring another business, or selling yours.
While there are several myths about how to exit your business successfully, our special guest expert, Carl Nicpon says one thing is certain - โYou only have one chance to get it right!โ
Carl is a Managing Director at Marsh Creek, a boutique business brokerage and mergers and acquisitions advisory firm. His career journey from school counselor to third-generation business owner to Merger & Acquisition (M&A) advisor brings a wealth of diverse experiences to his clients.
In this episode, Carl debunks several myths about selling a business while also educating us about the selling process. This includes providing a foundation for understanding:
- How to increase the value of your business,
- Why your business needs to be able to operate without you,
- When to start preparing to sell your business, and
- What EBITDA is and the pivotal role it plays in determining the value of a business, and
Youโve worked hard to build, grow, and scale your business. Discover how to achieve what Carl describes as โFreedom 2.0โ by assembling the right team of experts that will guide you to selling your business at maximum value.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Have you thought about forming partnerships with other people or companies to catalyze growth at your company? Achieving scale, more revenue, and greater profitability at a faster rate are just some of the many benefits that a strategic partnership can offer.
But you must be careful in forming these partnerships. There are legal aspects to consider like profit sharing, intellectual property protection, and even a plan for dissolving the partnership. These aspects should be formalized in a contract and then discussed, negotiated, and signed in writing to protect everyone involved.
In this latest episode of our Growth Strategies Masterclass, our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, shares details about her behind-the-scenes work with Karen Mills. As a reminder, Karen was the lawyer featured in the last episode. She specializes in contract law, in particular teaming agreements.
The information shared in this episode is a bit unique in that Alicia actually sketches out a workflow diagram (or flowchart) as she describes her work with Karen. As a result, you can expect to:
- Learn the process for drafting a teaming or partnership agreement,
- Discover the different ways to construct a partnership agreement,
- Gain an understanding of the various types of clauses (i.e., first right of refusal and non-disclosure) you may want to include, and
- Walk away with a foundation required to form a strategic partnership with confidence.
Talk is cheap. Stop relying on verbal agreements ๐ฃ๏ธ or handshakes ๐ค to conduct business deals that make you and your business susceptible to unexpected and costly pitfalls.
Instead, protect your business and its assets through clearly written contracts as you transition from the honeymoon phase of forming a new partnership. It can be one of the best investments you make!!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Itโs hard to believe, but weโre already at the midway point of our Growth Strategies Masterclass! As a recap, weโve covered how to:
- Vet and validate your business growth ideas,
- Create a strategic plan that includes validated ideas, and
- Develop project plans to implement youur companyโs growth strategy.
Growth comes in many shapes, forms, and scales of magnitude, and one viable way to grow is through partnerships or teaming agreements.
Have you heard the expression, โTwo heads are better than one?โ Itโs true! Forming partnerships with the right people or companies can accelerate your businessโs growth in ways you didnโt imagine. The legal aspects of forming partnerships correctly can be overwhelming.
But youโre in luck!
Our next guest is Karen Mills, a founding member of Mills Law, LLC. She has 25 years of experience practicing law with a specialty in contracts law and mediation services. Her expertise in teaming agreements is invaluable, making her the go-to authority for entrepreneurs and business owners seeking clear and fair strategies for growth.
In this episode, youโll discover:
- The various types of teaming arrangements so that you set your business up for success,
- How to navigate the fine print of contracts to safeguard your business's future,
- The questions you should ask yourself before entering a partnership,
- Why you should always figure out an exit plan at the start of a partnership, and much more!
Stop relying on verbal agreements or handshakes to conduct business deals that make you and your business susceptible to unexpected and costly pitfalls. Instead, protect your business and its assets through clearly written contracts as you transition from the honeymoon phase of forming a new partnership. It can be one of the best investments you make!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Now that you know more about how to leverage project plans to execute your growth strategy, itโs time to create your own!
In this latest episode of our Growth Strategies Masterclass, our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, explains how to take information from your X-matrix to build a project plan.
Be prepared to apply the principles youโve learned about business infrastructure in building a project plan that:
ยท Defines the tasks required to accomplish your strategic growth goals,
ยท Identifies the people to perform those tasks in addition to due dates,
ยท Includes monthly check points to measure success against targets in your X-matrix, and
ยท Organizes information clearly and transparently.
This episode includes a discussion of the software we use for project planning. Just think - youโre getting even closer to accomplishing those growth goals you and your team identified at the beginning of this journey!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Letโs continue the journey of our Growth Strategies Masterclass! At this point, weโve learned about how to validate and vet ideas for business growth as well as how to develop a strategic growth plan that includes those vetted ideas.
Now itโs time to learn how to implement that strategy!
If you're feeling overwhelmed operating your small business and struggling to realize your growth goals, then you are not alone! As small business owners we often find ourselves juggling tasks, relying on sticky notes and phone reminders, but still falling short of achieving the strategic growth plans weโve worked so hard to create.
The feeling of being stuck in a cycle of disorganization, perceived lack of resources, and missed opportunities can be frustrating. But what if there's a simpler way to bring clarity order to the chaos and pave the way for plans that you can actually implement?
Here to show us how we can implement strategy through project planning is Jon Reid. Heโs the Managing Partner of Tier1 Management Consulting Group. Jon offers valuable insights into the practical application of project management, emphasizing the importance of well-defined project plans in achieving desired outcomes.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Discover effective ways to implement strategic growth plans for your small business,
- Learn about the essential stages of the project management process for strategic growth and,
- Understand what makes a project successful.
Let's explore how project management skills can transform the way you approach growth and bring clarity to the path for executing your business strategy.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
In the last episode, you learned about the X-matrix โ a powerful visual tool to link strategy with execution. Now itโs time to learn how to use one to create your strategic growth plan!
Donโt worry, we wonโt leave you alone! You can actually listen to our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, as she describes how we completed an X-matrix to assist you in creating your own. In this episode, Alicia explains the events leading to the development of our long-term strategy to convert our business model from being 100% consulting to 100% training.
This shift in our business model laid the foundation for completing our X-matrix. It also includes our idea for an online course that we were able to vet and validate thanks to the Lean Canvas tool described at the beginning of this season.
Also included in this episode is:
- An explanation of how to complete an X-matrix,
- How to use the S.M.A.R.T. method to define strategic goals,
- A demo of our X-matrix, and
- Discussion of the action plans required to implement strategic goals.
Be sure to download the free X-matrix template provided in the show notes so that you can follow along. Good luck!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Welcome back to our Growth Strategies Masterclass! Our first two episodes featured how to vet and validate ideas for growing your business. Now itโs time to develop a strategic plan around those ideas that made the cut.
Are you ready to take your business to the next level and achieve breakthrough growth? If you're feeling like strategic growth planning is just too โcorporateโ and is something that only large enterprises do, then think again. In this next class, Kenya A. Moses, an operations executive at NSI Industries, talks about the X-matrix and how you can use this tool to revolutionize your approach to growth and scale your business.
With a keen focus on linking strategy with execution, Kenya's insights are invaluable for both small business owners and executives seeking the business infrastructure required for repeatable, profitable, and scalable growth. His practical approach and 25+ years of experience make him a trusted authority in the strategic growth planning process known as Hoshin Kanri.
In this episode, Kenya explains how to:
- Implement the 7-step Hoshin Kanri strategic planning process based on your growth ideas,
- Use the X-matrix as a simple yet highly effective tool for defining, linking, and aligning long-term strategic goals with tactical projects for achieving those goals, and
- Develop action plans and continuous check-in points to ensure your strategic growth goals are met.
Donโt miss this opportunity to hear from a seasoned corporate executive with years of experience in operations, finance, and strategy as he provides a blueprint for small business growth.
Uncover the art of crafting innovative and effective growth strategies that can revolutionize your business's operations and lead to profits you didnโt think were possible!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
We were finally able to launch our first episode for this season. It was such an amazing topic to listen to and it was also indeed a Masterclass! The previous episode featured the Lean Canvas, a one-page guide that Ash Maurya created. Martina discussed a tool she leverages to help us innovators, entrepreneurs, and operational leaders vet and validate our ideas.
Lean Canvas is a strategic document that helps managers assemble hypotheses of a particular business model for launching any start-up. It is an efficient approach to developing a one-page business plan for validating your business idea into key assumptions for better analysis.
In this episode, Alicia will tell us how Martina was able to help her with her ideas which she had some uncertainties with. Alicia will also show us her companyโs very own Lean Canvas which Martina helped her complete, so that you can also follow along and see how she was able to vet this training idea and hone it. Take this opportunity to learn how to use the Lean Canvas and understand what could be pursued as part of a strategy not just to grow, but also to scale. So, sit back, listen, and learn as much as you can on how to use this tool in this Masterclass and find out how to vet and validate your ideas if they will be an asset or a loss.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre proud to present the first lesson in our Growth Strategies Masterclass!
With so many ideas for improving our business and boosting cash flow and profit, itโs tempting to start pouring our energy, time, and money into those ideas.
But wait!
What if you end up losing a lot of money on an idea that ultimately doesnโt work? Martina Goss warns against becoming a โbusy fool.โ As a certified Lean Startup coach, sheโs brilliantly transformed her career from a certified accountant crunching numbers for businesses to a trusted advisor for startups and existing businesses with new ideas.
Martina introduces us to a tool she leverages to help us innovators, entrepreneurs, and operational leaders vet and validate our ideas. Itโs called the Lean Canvas, a one-page guide created by Ash Maurya for testing the viability, feasibility, and desirability of an idea.
In this episode, Martina explains:
- What the Lean Canvas is, what it looks like, and how to use it,
- The 12 questions the Lean Canvas forces you to answer about your idea,
- How to use the Lean Canvas,
- Why your idea should โcross the chasm,โ and much more!
She also makes the case for enlisting the help of a facilitator in completing your Lean Canvas. Listen as she details how to conduct customer discovery as a necessary measure of your ideaโs ability for mass appeal.
Avoid the dangers of becoming a busy fool with a tool that will help direct your efforts on the ideas that not only make sense, but also can make you money!
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre embarking on yet another journey here on the Business Infrastructure podcast. This season focuses on growth strategies to scale your operations, finances, and sales to the next level.
The episodes are structured as a masterclass featuring a combination of different subject matter experts who share different tools and frameworks for developing and implementing a growth strategy.
Following each expert guestโs episode our host, Alicia Butler Pierre, will apply each tool and framework for Equilibria, the company behind this show. Weโll end the season with stories from friends of the show regarding their successful strategies.
Get ready to learn things that will help you achieve extraordinary results that are transformative, innovative, and groundbreaking!
We certainly discovered something we didnโt expect after applying all the tools youโll soon learn, and the outcome will surprise you! What is it? Well, youโll have to come along for the ride to find out.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Finally! We are at the end of another successful and exciting season of the Business Infrastructure Podcast!
This Season 22 of the Business Infrastructure Podcast is focused about the use of AI technology and how to take advantage of it. The guests lined up for this specific season are guests that has success on using AI for their businesses, and we also have some guests that we had a fireside chat with about the pros and cons of using AI.
It was such an amazing experience for all of us as we have learned a lot of ways to leverage AI and how it can optimize businesses. With all their different insights and approach in using AI, we were able to discover how AI can really make our work a lot easier and how it can sometimes be dangerous if to be wrongly used.
But you know what made it exciting? The demos! Yes, the demos! The demos that they showed us and how they walked us through to each AI tools. That experience itself is amazing because itโs not just educational, but it also serves as a free tutorial from these professionals.
So, in this final episode for this season, Alicia Butler Pierre, our producer and host will give a very short and brief recap in all of the episodes. But wait, thereโs MORE! Alicia will give you an idea on what to expect for the next season of the Business Infrastructure Podcast. So keep on tuning with us and learn how to manage fast growth and build a business infrastructure that supports scale, sustainability, and profitability.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre back! And now we are down to our last episode for Season 22 of The Business Infrastructure Podcast. In our previous episode, we learned how to leverage AI to make slides to streamline client presentations and trainings. This time, it will be a fireside chat with one of the OG in the podcast industry and she is going to specifically talk about how to build data sets and feedback loops to customize and train your AI.
Our last guest for this season is the Co-Founder of Podetize and she personally has conducted over 3,000 interviews and over 1000 shows with 50,000 episodes and counting. She non other than, Tracy Hazzard. Sheโs also a serial entrepreneur and has a long and impressive background in technology. Tracy has some exciting things to share with you, things that can potentially revolutionize the way you operate your business.
In this final episode, you will learn how to:
- Make AI a Team Member,
- Build data sets and feedback loops to customize and train your AI,
- Maximize transcription accuracy with AI technology, and
- Enhance business efficiency through customized tool integration.
Come! Learn what you can, try it and most importantly, have fun in this final episode of this season.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Here we are again with another episode of our AI audio conference session, a Business Infrastructure Podcast special. The last time we were here, we were able to witness how AI can help you decide a name for your business or innovation, and how it can make your life easier when taking down notes whenever you are in a meeting. Now, letโs find out how AI can help us in making slides to streamline client presentations and trainings.
Are you spending hours digging through information and meticulously crafting slides, only to feel like the process is holding you back from focusing on revenue-generating activities? Let's transform how you educate and engage your clients with AI technology, reducing research time and streamlining your presentation creation process.
Our special guest Terica Pearson, the CEO of Pearson Consulting Group will show us her innovative approach to leveraging AI technology, particularly Gemini to provide tailored solutions to small and mid-sized businesses, highlighting the importance of tech-savviness in todayโs digital era. She is the testament to the power of continuous learning and adapting in the business world.
At the end of this episode, you will be able to:
ยท Discover the benefits of using AI tool for creating compelling presentations,
ยท Learn the strategies for taking advantage of AI tools to optimize productivity, and
ยท Explore the different side of AI and its possibilities.
This episode contains a demo of Gemini.
Listen, take notes, and take advantage of this innovative AI tool on how to optimize productivity when making a presentation for your clients.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre back with another session of our AI audio conference. The last session featured tools for using AI to become a professional sound engineer. This time, we will give you a glimpse on how to make your life easier when taking down notes whenever you are in a meeting.
Have you ever had that experience when youโre trying to listen attentively to what people are saying in a meeting but afraid youโll miss something important because youโre also busy trying to take notes? Despite your best efforts, you just canโt multitask during the meeting.
Or what about that feeling when youโre having a hard time thinking of a name for your new business, project, or innovation? Well, worry no more! Our next speaker is a former game designer and developer turned software developer and entrepreneur. Edie Woelfle can personally vouch for the AI tools she shares in this session.
She and her team consistently use Fireflies AI to capture important notes during client meetings. And she also used Namelix to come up with the name for her software development agency, Keiboarder.
In this exciting episode, you will discover how you can:
- Give Namelix certain parameters to help it create a list of unique names,
- Leverage Namelixโs AI to even create logos,
- Boost you and your teamโs productivity with Fireflies AIโs automated audio and video recording and transcription, and
- Take meeting action items documented by Fireflies AI and connect it to other tools to improve project management, and more!
This episode contains a demo of both Fireflies and Namelix.
Discover the possibilities of both of these AI tools to make your work and decision making a little easier!
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
ยท
Now that youโve heard from another one of our keynote speakers, Dean Hamilton, weโre ready to resume the demo sessions at our AI audio conference is here! Similar to the video editing demo, this one also gives you a sneak peek into how AI is leveraged to produce this very show, specifically โ Cloud Bounce.
Here to tell us all about it is our showโs sound designer, Clarence Levy III. As the mastermind behind Sabor! Music Enterprises, heโs no stranger to music production and sound design, having worked on various popular TV and film projects. He even created a salsa band once and currently manages a brass band.
In this episode, Clarence explains whatโs required to take audio from good to great and how even amateurs can use AI audio editing tools like Cloud Bounce to make that possible. He speaks candidly about the music production process from creation to mixing to mastering and the business infrastructure required to make audio sound โcommercial ready.โ
Specifically, he shares how AI audio editing tools can speed audio mastering, enhance sound quality, and level the playing field for creatives who donโt have the backing of larger music companies. He even talks about the darker side of using AI in music and its implications.
This episode also contains a demo of Cloud Bounce.
Listen now and learn how even you can use AI to take your audio projects to the next level and even compete with professionals.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a trend nowadays, especially for businesses. It is a great tool that will potentially streamline your business. But, some people negatively use AI and just lurking in the dark, waiting for their next victim.
This interesting episode will unveil the limitations of AI in decision-making. But be ready for an unexpected twist that might change your perception of automation. As we go deeper into the possibilities, you'll encounter potential risks that you are unaware of.
We were able to sit down and have a conversation with Dean Hamilton, the Chief Technology Officer at Wilson Perumal & Co. and has a broad knowledge and experience in the topic of AI and automation. Dean knows the challenges that small business owners face when it comes to implementing new technologies. Dean is very good at breaking down complex concepts into relatable terms, making it easier for small business owners to understand how AI can improve their back-office operations. Dean will tell us perceptions about AI and help small business owners decide whether AI is right for their business.
In this episode, Dean will help you:
- Understand how AI and automation can boost your back-office operations and improve efficiency,
- Learn how to train AI models using past data to copy human reasoning and decision-making, allowing your business to automate difficult tasks and make accurate predictions and,
- Identify the risks and challenges that come with the adoption of AI in your small business and gain awareness on how to reduce them for successful implementation.
We invite you to listen and discover more about what the future of AI holds in streamlining and automating your small business operations.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Here we are again with another episode of our first-ever AI audio conference. Last time, you learned about Momento FM and how it can automatically generate short video content. Now you will discover how you can use AI tools to edit videos in record time!
Does the endless cycle of watching, editing, and rewatching your raw video footage sound all too familiar? You've probably been told to just power through it, but the pain of spending countless hours in front of the screen only to still end up with subpar results is all too real. It's time to break free from this frustrating loop and discover a better way to streamline your video editing process.
Gladys Jimenez is our next speaker. She is an Emmy nominated TV editor and the owner of Gladiola Films. With a career spanning over two decades, she has extensive experience in the video editing industry. Sheโs worked with companies like MTV, Buzzfeed, and Red Table Talk โ The Estefans.
In this episode, Gladys tells us how she:
- Utilizes AI tools to streamline video editing processes,
- Embraces the collaborative nature of video editing for unique storytelling,
- Master the art of conveying emotion while editing videos, and
- Creates captivating content using tools like CapCut, Gling, Murf.AI.
This episode also contains a demo.
Listen now and take notes from this expert on how to leverage AI to streamline your video editing as well as craft storytelling that is visually captivating.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
The next session from our AI audio conference is here! Itโs all about Momento FM (now known as Momento FM) โ a slick video content automation AI tool.
And thereโs no better person to tell us about it than Beate Chelette, the Growth Architect behind Chelette Enterprises and the wildly popular The Womenโs Code.
Overcoming a series of natural disasters and being on the brink of financial ruin, Beate humbly reached out to the President of the U.S. for help. And he answered! Not only did she strategize her way out of debt, but 18 months later, she sold her photography business to Bill Gates. Ever since, sheโs been an advocate for woman entrepreneurs and like us, sheโs passionate about helping other entrepreneurs create scalable and sustainable businesses.
One major way she helps other business owners is through her own podcast, the Business Growth Architect show. In this episode, Beate shares how she restructured her showโs business infrastructure because of Momento FM. Discover how she:
- Asks herself a series of questions to drive innovation and problem-solving in business,
- Uses Momentoโs AI to automatically generate 30-40 pieces of short video content,
- Automates customer touch points through engaging and entertaining video, and
- Embraces the adoption of technology to enhance business operations through more efficient and accurate data.
This episode also contains a demo of Momento FM.
Listen now and learn from this master of her craft on how to best leverage AI to streamline your team as well as your content generation and promotional processes and watch your profits soar!
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre back with another session from our AI audio conference. It features Esker, a French-based tech company thatโs created a revolutionary AI solution that automates key back-office processes.
One of those processes that Eskerโs AI can automate is Order-to-Cash โ the cycle from the moment a customer places an order to delivering the order and providing additional support.
Here to share exactly how this AI tool works is Aurรฉlien Coq, a product manager at Esker. His nearly 20 years of experience at Esker has led to his deep understanding of customer interactions and payment cycles and how to radically improve both through AI.
In this episode, Aurรฉlien shares how Esker Synergy AI can help you:
- Enhance customer satisfaction and increase cash flow by effectively managing customer inquiries and seamless payment processes.
- Improve cost savings and relationships with suppliers and vendors through a streamlined Source-to-Pay process.
- Streamline your Order-to-Cash process by integrating with existing accounting and CRM software.
- Empower your team to support customers faster and with more accurate data.
This episode also contains a demo of Esker Synergy AI.
Listen now and prepare to take your customerโs experience with your business to the next level.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre back with another episode of our first ever AI audio conference. In the last episode, you heard about using Perplexity AI as a research assistant. Now, you will discover another AI tool to take ideas to implementation through writing.
You know the importance of promoting your business. In the age where content is king, consistently writing and posting about your products or services is necessary for your businessโs survival.
But carefully planning and writing that content takes time. A lot of time. This is what our next speaker, Neha Naik, discovered as she grew her two tech-based recruiting businesses โ RecruitGyan and The Profitable Recruiters Blueprint.
Neha even hired a content writer, hoping that would lead to increased efficiency and productivity in developing, writing, and publishing content. Instead, they both found themselves still drowning in the administrative burden of these tasks. This inefficiency led Neha to Jasper AI โ a digital writing technology that has transformed her companyโs content marketing processes, streamlined the work of her content writer, and supercharged the productivity of her team of 40 people.
In this episode, Neha explains she uses Jasper as a digital writing assistant to:
- Enhance customer engagement through catchy phrases, witty questions, and attention-grabbing headlines,
- Translate industry jargon and complex ideas and concepts into words that even a child can understand,
- Jumpstart social media polls and email campaigns, and much more!
Not a recruiter? Donโt dismiss this episode! We promise you will learn things about Jasper that you can immediately apply to revolutionize your digital marketing processes. So, be prepared to take notes and your writing to the next level with words that will not only captivate but convert your online viewers and visitors alike into paid customers!
This episode also contains a demo of Jasper AI.
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Welcome back to our special AI audio conference. In the last episode you heard our opening fireside chat. Hopefully you now know more about AI and the possibilities it offers to boost your productivity, efficiency, and capacity to achieve better results faster.
Now itโs time to start exploring specific tools to help you do just that!
That brings us to our next speaker, Jim Stroud. He has deep experience in HR strategy, recruiting and talent management for businesses of all sizes, across multiple industries and sectors. One major way he shares his knowledge is through content. As a content creator who keeps his finger on the pulse of the latest developments in his subject matter expertise, producing quality content is critical to his success.
In this episode, Jim shares how Perplexity AI, a Chat GPT competitor, helps him take his content creation to another level. He also shares how Perplexity can help you:
- Automate your online research activities,
- Verify the sources of information provided by generative AI, and
- Strengthen your companyโs business infrastructure through the most productive use of Perplexity as a tool, a digital research assistant, and streamlined content writing processes.
This episode also contains a demo of Perplexity AI.
Listen now. Take notes. Create your free Perplexity account. Watch your productivity skyrocket!
๐ Watch the Video Version of this Episode and Access Resources on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ. โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2024. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be all the rage now, so itโs easy to feel excited but also overwhelmed or evenโฆscared.
Have you been told that implementing AI in your business is the key to upgrading your operations and staying ahead of the competition? Or, are you interested in learning more about AI and how it can help increase your operational efficiency, productivity, and profitability?
If you answered yes to either question, then youโre in the right place!
Welcome to Season 22 of the Business Infrastructure podcast. Over the next 12 episodes youโll get a free pass to the audio version of our AI tech conference. Youโll not only learn more about AI but youโll also discover new tools from different experts and entrepreneurs that leverage AI to streamline and scale your back-office operations.
Interestingly, AI is not a new technology. And this is where weโre starting โ this episode features a fireside chat with Kjell Carlsson, a thought leader with deep subject matter expertise on AI. As the head of Data Science Strategy at Domino, Kjell spearheads the use of AI technologies for maximum business impact. In the evolving world of AI, he plays many roles, from being a consultant to an advisor, providing guidance on its use and championing its potential.
After listening to this episode, youโll understand:
- The fundamentals of AI and how it works,
- The principles for using generative AI tools as digital assistants,
- How to be on the lookout for โhallucinationsโ or false information,
- The risks associated with using AI and how to develop systems for checks and balances, and much more!
Understanding the language of AI alone can be a gap in its successful deployment. Kjell translates the meaning of many words associated with AI. He even shares relatable examples to make sure we understand key AI words and concepts โ donโt allow these words and concepts to prevent you from growing and scaling your business to the next level. Listen now and be prepared to revolutionize the way your business operates!
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ.
View the Video Version of this Episode on BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
We've come to the end of Season 21 which featured 11 remastered episodes that we pulled from our podcasting vault.
In this monologue, host and producer Alicia Butler Pierre hints at what is sure to be an exciting future for all of us - us as the content producers and you as our loyal audience. Though our recent episode releases have been a bit sporadic, one thing that isn't is our committment to providing you with the absolute best resources for streamlining, improving, and scaling your back-office operations.
We've been working diligently behind the scenes, adding more people to our team, automating our own processes, and leveraging newer technologies to help us resume our normal weekly release schedule. In other words, we've been taking a dose of our own medicine and strengthening our business infrastructure!
Stay tuned for what is sure to be an excited year ahead of fresh content produced just for you. So, if you haven't subscribed yet make sure you do so. Our new season starts on January 7, 2024!
Season 21 episodes are available at: BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
Weโre finishing 2023 the same way we started it โ with our most popular episode to date. It comes from our original business infrastructure masterclass season.
In this remastered episode, youโll hear the story of Emily Miller โ a fictitious character from the book, Behind the Faรงade: How to Structure Company Operations for Sustainable Success.
She is the founder and Executive Director of a fast-growing non-profit. An appearance on a daytime talk show goals viral, giving the non-profit unprecedented exposure. Sadly, it also exposes Emilyโs leadership weakness.
When she learns the non-profitโs board is threatening to replace her, she springs into action by hiring a consultant who introduces her to the Business Parts Analysis โ the first element of building business infrastructure. This helps secure her future and reputation.
This is a storytelling format that we hope you enjoy and will leave you inspired to improve your organizationโs operations. As you close the door on 2023, and open a new one for 2024, may you take the lessons learned from this season of remastered episodes to grow and scale in a way you never thought possible!
๐ Access Show Notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
As we approach the end of 2023, weโre rounding out our season of remastered episodes. Our latest trip to our podcasting vault leads us to a guest on the other side of the world โ India to be exact, with special guest Aman Agarwal.
Aman is a former engineer and B2B salesman who built SANPRAM Transnational in response to a growing crisis he noticed while working in Silicon Valley โ the widening technical fluency gap between leaders and technologists.
If accounting is the language of business, then technology is the language of scale. As founders and leaders of our businesses, we must be fluent in both.
In this remastered episode, Aman shares more about why he, as a technologist, chose to start an education company to close technical fluency gaps so that non-tech businesses can understand how to translate their strategic growth goals into language that technologists use.
He also shares the business infrastructure he and his small, but mighty team are building to ensure they build a solid foundation that will allow them to successfully scale in a slow and intentional, yet highly effective and profitable way.
Youโll also discover how Aman developed an equation for scaling his company and how you can also figure out a similar equation based on your companyโs unique formula for success.
๐ Access Show Notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre getting close to the end of our season of remastered episodes. These are previous episodes that were popular. Weโve taken them off the shelf of our podcasting vault and revived them with the quality youโre used to hearing now on our show!
Up next from our vault is our episode with Lynn Bonner. Sheโs working double duty as the CEO of her firm, Action Leadership Lab, as well as a VP at U.S. Bank.
How does she successfully manage this?
Well, as she says, it takes energy, leadership, and action to get things done. In this remastered episode, Lynn defines what it means for a company to be agile and shares how she applies both agile and digital transformation principles from her corporate experience to build the business infrastructure required to scale her clientsโ companies.
Discover why the key to building, scaling, and sustaining your companyโs operations may lie in taking action in short, incremental steps.
๐ Access Show Notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโve selected our next episode to remaster and youโre in for a treat!
Why?
Because this episode is all about podcasting โ that is, the actual business of podcasting. It features Doug Sandler, someone we refer to as a podcasting โO.G.โ Not only is the co-host of the wildly successful Nice Guys on Business podcast, but he also is the co-founder of Turnkey Podcast Productions.
Like entrepreneurship, podcasting is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience, commitment, and consistency โ all of which is challenging since it takes a while before you know who your audience is. In this remastered episode, Doug reveals the business infrastructure required for a successful podcast. He also shares the types of podcasts that tend to do really well and how you can monetize them.
Learn the significance of knowing your market, offer, and message and how that winning combination can make podcasting a viable revenue source for you or your business.
๐ Access Show Notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Our continued search through our podcasting vault has led us to the next episode to remaster. Who was selected? None other than Shellye Archambeau.
As a master planner and strategist, Shellye knows how to create roadmaps to accomplish just about anything she sets her mind to. This is what led her to attend a top-ranked university, moving up the ranks at IBM, and ultimately becoming a CEO by the time she turned 40.
In this remastered episode, we use her book, Unapologetically Ambitious, to anchor our conversation. Shellye shares her journey in becoming one of the first black women to lead a high-tech Silicon Valley company. Specifically, she reveals how she builds and empowers teams to build business infrastructure to support rapid, sustainable growth.
Along the way, she also shares her predictions for remote working, how to delegate effectively, and why falling in love with your market is essential for scaling your business.
Discover why she says you deserve to be ambitious and to do so unapologetically.
๐ Access Show Notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre back inside our podcasting vault in search of the next episode to remaster. This time weโve selected Jeff Wald, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author.
Jeff previously left our podcast listeners on the edge of their seats as he took us on his journey of starting, building, growing, scaling, and ultimately selling not just one but two small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
In this remastered episode, youโll have the benefit of listening to Jeffโs story guided by narration as he shares how he did a brief stint working as an auxiliary officer for the NYPD and ultimately left behind a career at an investment banking firm to start his first company.
Though that company failed, he learned some valuable lessons, dusted himself off, and in true entrepreneur fashion, started another company. And then another one. When he founded WorkMarket, he knew that scaling from 8 to 8,000 salespeople required business infrastructure. Eventually, Jeff sold those two companies to ADP and Salesforce.
How did he do it? Listen now to discover this and much more!
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Whatโs next as we continue searching through our podcasting vault?
None other than Jennifer Wang.
Her original interview took place during the pandemic and resulted in an outpouring of love not only from our listeners but also from many of Jenniferโs clients who saw the episode promoted across different platforms. So, itโs no surprise that this is our next episode selected for remastering.
Jennifer began her career with a major advantage. Being Chinese American, speaking fluent Japanese, and having lived in multiple countries as a child afforded her an appreciation for cultural differences. Now, as an entrepreneur, she imbues this with every project.
In this episode, Jennifer speaks openly about how she became a preeminent event designer and event planner and explains the difference between the two roles. She also gives us a peek behind the curtain of her processes for creating film and television events that offer a seamless experience for clients.
A huge part of her success is in the business infrastructure sheโs built over the past 20 years, which includes an all-star team. Take note of how her relentless work ethic and attention to detail help her company land clients like Netflix and NBCUniversal.
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Our next search through our podcasting vault leads us to this classic episode that generated quite the buzz when it originally aired. In fact, it stayed in our top ten most downloaded episodes for nearly two years!
Who does it feature?
None other than filmpreneur, Forrest Tuff. A former basketball athlete, heโs now an award-winning public speaker, author, founder and CEO of One Vision Productions, and a philanthropist with a focus on financial literacy.
Whether on the basketball court or in the shark-filled waters of business, Forrest plays any game to win. In fact, heโs found a clever way to blend all of his skills and experiences into what heโs coined, โThe One Vision Productions Wayโ โ a philosophy that serves as the compass for growing his film production company rooted in quality, consistency, and innovation.
In this remastered episode, he describes the two specific actions he took to reduce overhead that radically transformed his business model. Find out how this transformation also solidified his companyโs business infrastructure and increased their operating capacity as well as competitive advantage leading to greater agility, revenue, and profitability.
Discover what Forrest means when he says, โWhen you call yourself the CEO, you have to make hard decisions.โ Listen now and heed his advice!
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
The search through our podcasting vault for โoldies but goodiesโ continues!
Our next episode selected for remastering features future of work strategist, Diana Wu David. As a serial entrepreneur whoโs also a former Financial Times executive with a background in economics, sheโs well-versed in pricing.
The price you charge for your product or service directly reflects its perceived value and is one of the quickest ways to increase profitability. Yet, some of us find it difficult to raise prices.
In this candid interview, Diana addresses the fear of raising your prices and explains her formulaic process for testing different pricing strategies. Those strategies include developing a minimum viable product, segmenting customers, and performing A/B testing. She also talks about why trouble usually brews where pricing and process intersect and how you can avoid it.
Take advantage of her years of experimenting with pricing through the lens of futureproofing and breakthrough the psychological factors preventing you from greater profitability. Listen now!
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre continuing to search our vault for older episodes that previously went viral. We are putting them through the rigor of our new showโs format.
On this remastered episode you get to meet Ron Carucci, serial bestselling author, managing partner at Navalent, and prolific contributor to the Harvard Business Review. He has a 30-year track record helping organizations articulate and execute strategies that lead to accelerated growth.
In this episode, Ron shares two examples that demonstrate how he uses organization design to encourage clarity-driven innovation. He also discusses the three ways to organize work and explains why your companyโs business infrastructure (i.e., your work, your people, and your technologies) must be integrated to stay ahead.
When it comes to innovation, discover what Ron means when he says, โFail fast doesnโt mean pray and spray,โ and heed his warning for founders and executives who suffer from โEBITDA addictionโ and rush to market without due diligence.
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Welcome to Season 21 of the Business Infrastructure podcast!
This season weโve searched our vault for some โoldies but goodiesโ episodes that we think deserve to be put through the rigor of our new show format. Thatโs why we're referring to the theme as Remastered.โ
The first remastered episode features Liz Kislik โ a Bloomberg contributor and seasoned change management and corporate communications expert. Sheโs spent the past 30 years helping leaders work through change in fast-growth environments.
As you lead your company through growth spurts, you may realize that itโs time to โlevel upโ your business infrastructure. But how you communicate the need to upgrade people, processes, and tools is just as important as the upgrade itself. Change is difficult, even in a faster-paced small business environment, and you can unknowingly create more chaos if you deliver news about change improperly.
In this episode, Liz dons her conflict resolution hat to share best practices in delivering difficult news. One of the tools she recommends might surprise you - itโs something you likely use every day.
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre celebrating the completion of another successful season of the Business Infrastructure podcast!
Season 20 focused on Small Business Advisors and this guest lineup found us in four different countries and included three military veterans. Whatโs also interesting is that in nearly every episode we learned that a certain guest had a complete change in career.
We were blessed to have 12 amazing guests who brought their unique skillsets, diverse experiences, and deep industry insights to provide us with the information and resources to help us scale our operations.
And the best part? Each of them exclusively works with entrepreneurs and small business owners! So, the tips, strategies, and tactics that they share are tailored with you in mind!
In this season finale, our producer and host, Alicia Butler Pierre, gives a brief recap of all episodes and shares what you can expect in the next season! As usual, you can count on us to provide access to the resources to manage fast growth and build a business infrastructure that supports scale, sustainability, and profitability.
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Ed Moore has built an impressive career in telecommunications. He credits his discipline and drive to his military background. It serves him well in understanding how to pair technical expertise with communication, leadership, and teamwork.
In this backstage version of our interview, Ed shares more about his remarkable career journey while opening our eyes to the possibilities of various telecom solutions that we can employ as we scale our small business operations.
You can expect to hear an edited version of this episode in the coming weeks. For now, we thought youโd enjoy this candid conversation between two buddies first.
Listen and enjoy!
As you lead your company through growth spurts, you may realize that itโs time to โlevel upโ your business infrastructure. But how you communicate the need to upgrade people, processes, and tools is just as important as the upgrade itself.
Change is difficult, even in a faster-paced small business environment, and you can unknowingly create more chaos if you deliver news about change improperly. Liz Kislik has spent the past 30 years helping leaders work through change in fast-growth environments.
In this remastered edition of her original interview, she dons her conflict resolution hat to share best practices in delivering difficult news. One of the tools she recommends might surprise you โ itโs something you likely use every day.
Are you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated trying to micromanage every aspect of your small business, constantly checking and double-checking your team's work? If so, then you are not alone! Instead of experiencing the business growth and scalability you desire, you may be stuck in a cycle of exhausting yourself and hindering your team's potential.
This describes the story of our next featured small business advisor, Ebony Green. Her initial hesitation to hire โnon-revenue generatingโ employees proved her wrong. Not only did her new operations team streamline various processes using certain technologies, but they increased speed, agility, and bandwidth. Soon, her private practiceโs ability to do more with less enabled them to work with even more patients which led to more revenue.
As the CEO of two successful six-figure businesses in the speech pathology field, Ebony has some pearls of wisdom for what it takes to manage fast growth and scale sustainably.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Unearth strategies for structuring your business for seamless expansion and effective scalability.
- Realize the game-changing role of technology in optimizing healthcare procedures and practices.
- Understand the value of building an environment of trust and delegation within your team.
- Evaluate the distinct roles and impacts of revenue and non-revenue contributing staff on business acceleration.
- Grasp the dynamics of transparent communication and clear expectations in growth-centric businesses.
Not fully trusting your team, delegating ineffectively, and lacking confidence in their abilities are preventing your company from increasing capacity and achieving scale. It's time to let go of control and empower your team, creating a more efficient and successful business.
Discover the power of trust, delegation, and communication to transform your companyโs back-office operations and scale revenue and profit!
๐ Access Show Notes Here or visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage now and even small businesses need to embrace it to remain competitive and to grow in today's digital age. AI can help increase productivity, streamline processes, and facilitate more accurate data-based decisions.
Welcome Jeremy Bormann - a young entrepreneur and founder of Legal Pythia who's passionate about leveraging technology to improve the legal field. He has an impressive academic law background from both Germany and Scotland.
Though Jeremy never practiced law, his internships at top law firms revealed inefficiencies in document management. Out of this frustration, Legal Pythia was born. Jeremy's unique blend of legal knowledge and tech-savvy has enabled him to co-create an Explainable AI (XAI) solution that's transforming document management for not only small law firms, but also insurance companies and other businesses that can spend excessive time on research.
In this episode, you will learn how to:
- Expedite legal document management,
- Leverage XAI to build transparency and customer trust,
- Uncover the potential of AI-driven strategies for business expansion and scalability,
- Eliminate bias when researching or comparing data using XAI,
- Secure and encrypted data in legal document management, and more!
Discover how Legal Pythiaโs XAI holds the potential to expand and scale your companyโs operations in ways you never imagined!
๐ Access Show Notes Here. Visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Our next small business advisor this season is Byron Wolfe, the Founder of CFO-AF. He has a unique skill set that spans accounting, finance, and operations. Heโs passionate about helping small businesses identify their financial goals and providing them with a roadmap for achieving them.
As a CPA and Fractional CFO, Byron cleverly navigates the irony of helping small businesses thrive in the present while also guiding them towards a profitable future that can include the exciting and ever-evolving world of crypto, NFTs, and the Metaverse.
In this episode, you will discover:
- The key difference between accounting and finance,
- What a fractional CFO does and how to hire one,
- The competitive advantage of accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment,
- How to make money with NFTs and in the Metaverse, and so much more!
Byron even shares what itโs like to work alongside his wife! After listening to him, youโll understand why knowing what you want your business to look like in five years is critical to your businessโs future. It provides a compass for managing finances, streamlining operations, and implementing profitable marketing strategies.
You donโt want to miss this one! Youโre guaranteed to learn something you didnโt know about the link between business infrastructure and financial operations for achieving sustainable growth and scale.
๐ Access Show Notes Here. Visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
In a world where fitting in is everything one woman is fighting to create safe spaces for everyone to just be themselves. But when tragic circumstances hit close to home, she realized that change is not just about being on the sidelines.
Weโre proud to welcome Gayatri Chadwa, the founder of Sva Eternal, an educator, and a lifelong diversity and inclusion advocate. She specializes in creating safe spaces to bridge the gap as students advance from the classroom to the workplace.
Business infrastructure is critical to supporting diversity and inclusion. It comprises the appropriate people, processes, and tools to create an inclusive culture where employees feel they are an essential part of the team. By integrating employee voices, ideas, and concerns into decision-making, small businesses can lay a solid groundwork for an inclusive atmosphere.
In this episode, Gayatri shatters the myth that incorporating diversity and inclusion is only for large businesses. After listening youโll be able to:
- Show more appreciation for employees through low-cost actions,
- Incorporate a sense of belonging in day-to-day operations,
- Foster a supportive environment where individual contributions are valued,
- Implement powerful techniques for commemorating employee achievements and more!
Join us as Gayatri takes us on her journey to discovering the transformative power of inclusivity in the workplace. Discover the shocking twist that changed everything. Are you ready to be part of the change? Tune in to find out.
๐ Access Show Notes Here. Visit BusinessInfrastructure.TV.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Weโre on a roll here on Season 20 of the Business Infrastructure show! Our featured small business advisors have dropped gems..and mics (pun intended). And our guest on this episode is no exception. Meet Alex Sanfilippo, founder and lead educator at PodPros.
PodPros is a multi-media parent company with a pure focus on all things podcasting. Itโs home to PodMatch โ an online matchmaking service that pairs podcast guests with hosts.
Why should you consider being a guest on podcasts?
It gives you an opportunity to share your expertise about your field as well as add value to listeners who may be unaware of the benefits of your products or services. Millions of people listen to podcasts daily, so becoming a guest is a viable addition to your business development and marketing strategies.
But be warned โ as Alex mentions in this episode, podcasting is a form of public speaking. He talks more about that as well as how to:
ยท Develop impactful podcast guest bios that captivate potential listeners,
ยท Increase your brandโs visibility and exposure,
ยท Prepare a media kit that showcases your talents,
ยท Pitch podcast hosts with mutually beneficial purposes and more!
If you want to know more about the power of podcast guesting as a business growth strategy that yields profit, then this episode is for you!
_____________
๐ Click Here to Access Resources Alex Recommends.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Are you tired of pouring time and money into marketing efforts that just don't connect with your audience? Have you been told to simply โtell a good storyโ but still aren't seeing the sales boost you were hoping for? It's time to discover the power of strategic storytelling.
Our next featured small business advisor is Michael de Groot, the Chief Storyteller at Staying Alive UK. As Dutchman born living in the UK and born to an Anglo-Indian mother, he has quite the story to tell himself as he starts off by revealing his journey from the textile industry to video production.
In this episode, Michael shares tips to:
- Uncover the vital role of an enthralling business story in attracting and retaining customers,
- Tap into emotional connections for authentic, captivating stories that audiences will love, and
- Create impactful marketing videos that zero in on customer concerns and drive engagement.
He also walks us through his 13-step process for crafting a perfect business story. It involves several essential elements such as understanding your clientsโ needs, identifying emotional drivers, and selecting an appropriate narrative structure. The process enables you to create a customized, memorable, and impactful story that resonates with existing customers and converts leads into new customers.
Discover the art of storytelling and why you should avoid advertisements if you want to make meaningful connections with your customers!
๐ Click Here to Access Resources Michael Recommends.
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling back-office operations without pain and chaos. Sign up for the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Our next featured small business advisor this season is Dr. Shanta Harrison. She has over 25 years working for and with local, state, and federal government. Her career began as a high school student working as a Page in the Louisiana Senate and progressed into various leadership roles throughout American government.
It was during a particular change in a gubernatorial administration that Dr. Harrison found herself without a job. In response, she started her own consultancy uncovering the power of government contracts in the process. Little did she know that it would be the start of a journey that would prove the importance of mentorship, perseverance, and staying true to one's purpose in achieving success.
She also currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Director for Communications and Outreach for the City of Houston's Housing and Community Development Department. This role, in addition to her own business, enables her to impact lives through both policymaking and entrepreneurship. With a unique perspective on both sides of the government coin, Dr. Harrison is well-equipped to guide small business owners through securing government contracts and certifications.
In this episode, Dr. Harrison schools us on how to:
- Leverage census data to secure funding for small businesses,
- Determine which business certifications can increase your chances of getting certain government contracts,
- Keep your overhead low by tapping into various free small business consulting services, and much more!
Dr. Harrison also makes the case for engaging and collaborating with local politicians and government outreach initiatives to support small businesses. Includes a surprise revelation at the end of the episode!
๐ Access Resources Dr. Harrison Recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/252-small-business-advisors-dr-shanta-harrison-schools-us-on-analyzing-census-data-to-secure-government-contracts-and-certifications
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ยฉ 2023. The Business Infrastructure podcast is sponsored by Equilibria, Inc. โ a small business dedicated to providing resources to support fellow fast-growing small businesses in scaling without pain and chaos. Consider participating in the Smooth Operator Course to learn more about building business infrastructure.
Todd Anduze is a man of many talents. With an impressive professional background that includes military service, accounting, mining, and psychology, heโs seen the entire spectrum when it comes to teams โ the good, the bad, and everything in between.
It was while serving in the U.S. Navy that Todd first gained experience in team building and leadership โ a time that he refers to as what a โโฆteam should absolutely be.โ Ever since heโs applied those principles to every job heโs held since then. With a strong foundation in management and accounting, heโs turned his passion for understanding human behavior and team dynamics into a successful career in his latest role as the Director of the University of Georgiaโs Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
As youโll hear, Toddโs unique perspective, combined with his diverse experience, makes him an invaluable resource for small business owners seeking effective strategies for building strong and successful teams.
In this episode, he shares practical tips for:
- Mastering the art of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and constantly assessing teams,
- Untangling the complexities of team dynamics through transparency and effective communication, and
- Cultivating a thriving work environment that nurtures employee involvement and commitment.
Discover how to utilize the resources and services offered by the (SBDC) by seeking help from experts like Todd to consult and advise on various aspects of your business, including team building, at no charge.
๐ Get Links to Resources Todd Recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/251-small-business-advisors-todd-anduze-shares-tips-for-effective-team-building
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When Nicole McCullum promoted her real estate school using online ads, she quickly learned how difficult it was to fill her classroom. It was 2004 and the competition was stiff. Determined to crack the code of digital marketing, she began educating herself about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
She soon found herself immersed in the world of SEO. What started as a desire to generate more ROI from her online ads turned into a new, full-fledged, and highly successful business called Captivate Designs. Nicole is now a preeminent coach, teacher, and public speaker to small businesses seeking to get found online using cutting edge digital marketing strategies and tactics.
In this episode, you get a chance to hear from the SEO maestro herself!
She shares best practices that include:
๐ 4 pillars of effective SEO,
๐ Webpage vs. website optimization,
๐ 5 factors that Google looks for when ranking a webpage, and more.
Nicole also shares over 10 resources you can start using now to increase your chances of luring potential customers to your site and ultimately buying from you!
Getting found online in an increasingly noisy world is no small feat. It requires having more than an attractive website. Thereโs an art and science to ranking on the first page of an online search. Once visitors come to your company's website, your number one goal is to keep them there andโฆto convert them! Find out how in this episode. You wonโt be disappointed!
๐ Get Access to SEO Resources Nicole Recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/250-small-business-advisors-nicole-mccullum-highlights-seo-best-practices
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Never judge a book by its cover โ an analogy that definitely applies to Prosper Taruvinga. Considering his massive success as a preeminent digital marketer, youโd never guess his humble beginnings as a child growing up in a small village in Zimbabwe plagued with inflation.
In this episode, we welcome Prosper as our next small business advisor. Heโs the Founder and CEO of Livelong Digital, a digital marketing agency with a proven formula for scaling revenue from $200,000 to $2M in two years, specifically for business coaches and consultants.
How does he do that?
Well, thatโs exactly what youโll find out. Listen now to discover his controversial, yet revolutionary Online Prosperity Blueprint for radically transforming service-based small businesses. In particular, youโll learn how to supercharge your revenue and profitability by:
1) Capturing the attention of those whose pain and problems you can solve,
2) Developing original content that lures potential leads,
3) Converting those leads into loyal, repeat customers, and
4) Building communities that continue to engage and address our customers' needs.
๐ Links to Resources Prosper Recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/249-small-business-advisors-prosper-taruvinga-shares-his-controversial-million-dollar-marketing-strategy
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Weโre kicking off Season 20 on the Business Infrastructure podcast! This season will feature 12 guests all of whom are small business advisors with specialized expertise they canโt wait to share with you. Expect to hear, learn, and discover specific strategies, tactics, and tips that you can begin applying right away to transform your back-office operations.
With small businesses being the backbone of many of the worldโs economies, they are central to the vitality of local communities and must be protected at all costs. And one way to do that is to give entrepreneurs like you access to the information necessary to not just grow but scale your operations in a sustainable, repeatable, and profitable way.
Our first guest this season is Shawn Palmer. Heโs a small business advisor and pricing expert with OneRedmond, an organization that works in concert with the Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC). In this episode, Shawn shares five main pricing strategies to consider as you work to increase sales, revenue, and profitability in your growing small business.
He also gives a tutorial on the Law of Supply and Demand and why understanding the type of supply and demand curve your business has is critical for repeatable and sustainable growth. As a military veteran and former small business owner himself, Shawn offers a unique yet easy-to-understand perspective on how the right pricing strategy can make all the difference in keeping the doors to your business open!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/248-small-business-advisors-shawn-palmer-talks-pricing-strategies 248-small-business-advisors-shawn-palmer-talks-pricing-strategies 248-small-business-advisors-shawn-palmer-talks-pricing-strategies
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Weโve come to the final episode in our encore of the 13-part audio masterclass on business infrastructure! At this point, youโve heard six stories of entrepreneurs and leaders in small businesses trying their best to keep their cool amid chaotic fast growth. If youโve missed any of those episodes, be sure to go back and listen to them so that you can follow along with the info contained in this episode.
Behind the impressive faรงade of the businesses featured in this masterclass, lies operational landmines that threaten to destroy everything these founders and leaders have worked so hard to build.
Thanks in part to the consultants they each work with, theyโre able to restore order. You were able to get a detailed understanding of the work they do together in six follow-up episodes that serve as D-I-Y tutorials in this masterclass. Each consultant recommended participation in a business process workshop. And thatโs what this episode is about โ youโre going to get an audio-based front row seat to this workshop and learn how to create a Business Process Manual!
A Business Process Manual, commonly known as an Operations Manual, is a physical or digital collection of documentation that describes your organizationโs operations with a level of detail and precision that allows your team to work without your daily presence. Itโs also the seventh and final element of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
In this final episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre teaches an 8-step guide on basic principles for identifying and documenting key processes in your organization. Discover how to secure your intellectual property, guarantee consistent product and service quality, and keep your customers happy. Youโll also learn how the Kasennu framework sets you up for success in using advanced process improvement frameworks like Lean Six Sigma.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/247-business-infrastructure-masterclass-missing-link-how-to-identify-and-document-processes-for-scaling-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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In the last story of our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass, you met Clenard Smith. Heโs determined to take his flourishing food distribution company public. But thereโs one problem. He needs more physical space! Or at least thatโs what heโs convinced himself. His consultant manages to convince him otherwise while also getting him to contend with the root cause of his companyโs space constraints.
A Work Space Logistics plan organizes, consolidates, and segments your space into work zones according to your organizationโs departments. It considers the proper placement of all team members, furniture, and equipment to ensure seamless work and information flow. Itโs also one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
From tidying up to sprucing up, in this encore episode host, Alicia Butler Pierre guides you through an 8-step process to create a Work Space Logistics plan for your organization. Discover how to declutter your space, take an asset inventory, and sketch the optimal layout of your workspace. The result is an intelligent workspace design that maximizes floor space and stimulates productivity and communication.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/246-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-a-work-space-logistics-plan-for-flourishing-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Prior to the pandemic, people were already spending a lot of time in their offices likely sitting behind a computer. Now, that time has doubled if not tripled for many as companies begin to adopt work-from-home policies. In fact, there are scientific studies that show a direct correlation between the actual layout of a workspace and productivity, job satisfaction, and profitability.
A Work Space Logistics plan considers the best placement and arrangement of your team, furniture, and equipment to ensure seamless work and information flow. Itโs also one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
This encore features the story of Clenard Smith, a no-nonsense veteran who wants to take his food distribution company public. His military background serves him well when it comes to strategy and execution but proves to be no match in his latest battle for more workspace. A consultant devises a Work Space Logistics plan to dramatically increase productivity and help him defeat this formidable enemy once and for all.
๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/245-business-infrastructure-masterclass-organized-chaos-the-story-of-clenard-smith-the-flourishing-food-distribution-company
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Vandana Thiagarajan was the subject of the last story you heard in our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass. Sheโs desperately trying to make sure she and her co-founders can once again fulfill their promises to their customers. Their consultant introduces them to the Service Delivery Blueprint as a solution for quickly pinpointing the source of missing target deadlines.
A Service Delivery Blueprint is a visual control tool that documents the people, process, tools, and metrics necessary to provide your core product or service. It offers a holistic view that shows how everyone in your company gets involved or at least provides some level of support in providing goods and services to your customers. Itโs one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
In this encore tutorial, host Alicia Butler Pierre guides you through an 8-step process to create a Service Delivery Blueprint for your organization. Discover how to succinctly document, track, and manage lifecycle processes like order-to-delivery, farm-to-table, procure-to-pay, intake-to-discharge, and more! The result is a one-page overview of what you do, how you do it, and the associated timeframe.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/244-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-a-service-delivery-blueprint-for-small-businesses-on-the-rise
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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As small businesses grow, so does the need for consistency. Your companyโs ability to provide value and meet promised deadlines is only as good as the people, tools, and processes you have in place to deliver your goods and/or services.
A Service Delivery Blueprint describes how you provide goods and services to your customers. Once defined, it enables consistency in your customer order-to-delivery process without compromising quality. It also affects how customers and vendors experience your business. Itโs one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
This encore features the story of Vandana Thiagarajan, one of three co-founders of a promising real estate upstart in New York. They also work as mortgage talent on a reality TV show. Lately, sheโs been shouldering most of the responsibility at the expense of missing client deadlines.
Torn between growing the business or pursuing the TV show, she describes her decision as choosing between taking the red pill or the blue pill. A consultant shows her how to create a Service Delivery Blueprint to pinpoint the source of quality issues so that they can keep their promises of a fast loan processing time.
๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/243-business-infrastructure-masterclass-red-pill-or-blue-pill-the-story-of-vandana-thiagarajan-a-mortgage-companys-meteoric-rise
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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In the last episode of our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass, you heard the story of twin co-founders, Karen and Sharen Benoit. Theyโve been given a second chance to pass an audit of their mental health clinicโs records. Their consultant friend comes to the rescue by teaching them how to design a compliant Paper Records Management system that consolidates, organizes, stores, and protects their physical files.
You might be wondering, โWhy are we talking about organizing paperwork in the digital age?โ Some industries are heavily regulated and require the maintenance of physical files for certain periods. Paper Records Management is the fourth element in building business infrastructure. Think of it as the paper-based version of your Digital Records Management system.
Now you can experience the satisfaction of decluttering and organizing your companyโs paper records! In this encore feature, host Alicia Butler Pierre offers a 10-step tutorial. The result is an audit-ready paper management system that standardizes best practices for recordkeeping.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/242-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-a-paper-records-management-system-for-expanding-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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As appealing as paperless offices are, there are still some industries that require meticulous physical recordkeeping. These types of records must comply with regulatory guidelines to legally operate. This is where a Paper Records Management system can be useful.
A Paper Records Management system links the processes, tools, and people needed to create, name, categorize, store, and purge physical data in an easily accessible, color-coded and organized manner. It also represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
The encore of this storytelling episode features twin sisters, Karen and Sharen Benoit. Their mental rehabilitation facility takes off following a natural disaster. But patients arenโt the only people drawn to them. Regulators are too. They canโt risk another failed audit. Help comes from a familiar, yet unexpected source who teaches them how to create a Paper Records Management system thatโs compliant, audit-ready, and keeps the doors to their business open.
๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/241-business-infrastructure-masterclass-troubled-waters-the-story-of-the-benoit-sisters-the-expanding-medical-office
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Weโre continuing our encore of the masterclass edition of the Business Infrastructure podcast. In the last episode, you heard the story of Sarah and Steve Reuben - siblings whose rivalry and siloed leadership enabled a virus attack on their family-owned businessโs network. A consultant taught them how to design an Electronic Records Management system to organize, store, and secure their digital files while also protecting their operations from future digital disasters.
Electronic Records Management is the third element in building business infrastructure. It involves organizing all your digital files based on the departments you identified in the Business Parts Analysis. It also includes assigning proper access rights according to the roles identified in your Business Design Blueprint. Itโs the perfect complement to disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
Now you can discover how to create one for your organization! In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre offers a 9-step tutorial on creating an Electronic Records Management system. Youโll not only end up with an organized, disaster-proof system, but youโll also have peace of mind knowing that your digital assets are accounted for and protected. With remote back-office operations and small business cybersecurity attacks on the rise, you donโt want to miss this lesson!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/240-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-an-electronic-digital-records-management-system-for-small-businesses-in-high-demand
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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A paperless office comes with many perks. It frees up physical space, removes geographic work restrictions, and makes information accessible from anywhere. But thereโs a catch.
Without careful organization, adequate security, and an ironclad data backup and recovery plan, thereโs always the risk of losing electronic records due to manmade or natural disasters.
An Electronic Records Management system specifically links the processes, digital technologies, and people needed to consolidate, organize, backup, and archive digital information in an easy-to-follow, structured manner. It also represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
This encore episode features the story of feuding siblings, Sarah and Steve Reuben. Equally smart and ambitious leaders, theyโre blind-sided when a malicious virus attacks their furniture storeโs network. If their customers and vendors find out, it could ruin their familyโs business and their brandโs good name. A consultant implements an Electronic Records Management system as a preemptive strike against future disasters and to ensure business continuity.
๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/239-business-infrastructure-masterclass-the-princess-vs-the-politician-the-story-of-the-reubens-the-furniture-store-in-high-demand
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Welcome back to this encore edition of our audio masterclass on business infrastructure! In the last episode, you heard the story of Albert Andoh, the optimistic child entrepreneur of an emerging tech startup. He met a consultant who introduced him to the Business Design Blueprint as a way of proving organizational capability, capacity, and scalability to investors. Now you can learn how they did it.
The Business Design Blueprint is the second element in building business infrastructure. It takes the departments and roles identified in the Business Parts Analysis and spatially arranges them according to your chain of command. Itโs also like a vision board for your business that allows you to measure and track your success in achieving team expansion goals.
In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre gives a guided tour of the Business Design Blueprint โ what it is, how to make one for your company, and why it differs from a traditional organizational chart. If you apply the lessons, then youโll walk away with a visual illustration of your companyโs growth goals as well as a clear promotional path for each role. If thereโs any business infrastructure tool that shows how you plan to grow your company, itโs this one! Listen now!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/238-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-a-business-design-blueprint-for-emerging-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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What comes to mind when you think of an organizational chart? Do you have one for your small business? After listening to this episode, youโll understand just how powerful this tool is.
An organizational chart visually communicates more than just your companyโs chain of command, but also its maturity and growth opportunities. For these reasons, at Equilibria, we refer to it as a Business Design Blueprint. It represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
Next up in our encore of the Business Infrastructure Audio Masterclass is the story of Albert Andoh, the bright-eyed and ambitious founder of an emerging tech startup. His software companyโs popularity is beginning to expand beyond its local market. Most people have no idea heโs a teenager, that is until he speaks publicly at a conference.
The extra attention means more business but can also expose his vulnerabilities as a leader. A consultant introduces him to the Business Design Blueprint as a way of proving capacity, capability, and scalability to investors.
๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/237-business-infrastructure-masterclass-childs-play-story-albert-andoh-emerging-tech-startup
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Welcome back to our Encore of the masterclass edition of the Business Infrastructure podcast! In the first episode of this series, you heard the story of Emily Miller. Sheโs the founder of a fast-growing non-profit. She met a consultant who introduced her to a Business Parts Analysis as a means of sustaining the growth.
As Emily discovered, fast growth is exciting but requires adding more people to your team to make sure important tasks donโt get overlooked. Sometimes you may have to re-allocate roles and responsibilities and, through introspection, objectively evaluate your own role as a leader.
The Business Parts Analysis is the first element in building business infrastructure. It sets the foundation upon which all other back-office activities are organized and managed.
In this tutorial episode, youโll learn more about what a Business Parts Analysis is and how to create one in your growing organization through a series of exercises. The results include task, role, and department identification along with a prioritized hiring strategy and succinct job descriptions to attract the right talent. No, this isnโt just for NGOs and non-profit organizations. Itโs for entrepreneurs and owners of any small business serious about establishing a foundation to scale back-office operations to the next level.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/236-business-infrastructure-masterclass-how-to-create-a-business-parts-analysis-for-fast-growing-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Welcome to Season 19 featuring an encore of our business infrastructure audio masterclass. That's right. The original season was so well received by our listeners, that we are sharing it again in case you missed it the first time.
Over the next 13 episodes, youโll hear the fictional stories of entrepreneurs faced with the challenges of fast-growing customer demand and the specific tactics different consultants use to calm the chaos as well as tutorials. Although the stories are fictional, they are based on real businesses that our show's host, Alicia Butler Pierre, has worked with over the past 17 years.
Each story episode is followed by a tutorial episode where you can discover exactly how each entrepreneur rises to the challenge of unmanageable fast growth through lessons taught by Alicia Butler Pierre โ lessons that you can immediately apply to your small business.
First up is the story of Emily Miller, the founder and Executive Director of a fast-growing non-profit. An appearance on a daytime talk show puts her non-profit on the map but also exposes her leadership weakness. When she learns the board is threatening to replace her, she springs into action by hiring a consultant who introduces her to the Business Parts Analysis โ the first element of building business infrastructure. This helps secure her future and reputation.
Listen. Take notes. And be inspired to start 2023 with improved operations!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/235-business-infrastructure-masterclass-identity-crisis-the-story-of-emily-miller-the-fast-growing-non-profit
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Itโs the last Sunday of 2022! It also marks the end of our 12-country audio tour on this international business season of the Business Infrastructure podcast.
Thatโs right โ we visited 12 countries in 12 weeks with 14 special guests. In this final episode of Season 18, producer and host Alicia Butler Pierre summarizes key lessons learned as well as five key factors to consider if you are serious about expanding your small business operations or starting a new business altogether in another country. She also hints at whatโs coming up in 2023. If you think 2022 had a great episode lineup, then โYou ainโt seen nothing yet!โ
Discover all this plus additional resources Alicia recommends and more in this commemorative episode!
๐ Links to Aliciaโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/234-international-business-season-18-wrap-up-with-alicia-butler-pierre
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Weโve made it to the final destination of our 12-country audio tour this season. And this country is extra special to us here at the Business Infrastructure podcast. Why? Because it's home to two of our team members - Erika Ve Revilla and Jodie Maquiran. These ladies play an integral role in this showโs back-office operations.
After working fully remotely for almost two years, this is our first-time meeting and working together in person! This episode is a live recording from the beautiful Marco Polo Plaza hotel in Cebu City, Cebu in the Philippines.
The Philippines is the sixth most populated country in the world and with over 7,000 islands, this jewel in the Pacific is a destination for corporate offshoring and digital nomads alike. In this episode, Erika and Jodie each share how they came to work at Equilibria and the digital technologies they use to keep our own back-office operations flowing seamlessly despite inclement weather conditions and frequent power outages.
Youโll also discover some of the processes we use for internal training, managing invoices and payments, and more in a 100% remote working environment! If youโve ever been curious about expanding your small business operations with a Filipino team, then this episode is for you!
๐ Links to Erika and Jodieโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/233-international-business-doing-business-in-philippines-with-erika-ve-revilla-and-jodie-maquiran
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Imagine growing up in a city known for its bitterly cold winters and as an adult, moving to the desert with temperatures hot enough to melt tires. Well, thatโs what Tiffany Smith did, and she has no regrets. In fact, sheโs been living in Saudi Arabia for four years.
Weโre taking a slight detour with this episode on our 12-country tour this season. Rather than focusing specifically on what itโs like to do business in Saudi Arabia, Tiffany will share what itโs like for her as a single woman to not just live and work there but also thrive.
In this episode, she gives a humorous take on her career journey from I.T. to instructional design and how her tech background came in handy when she relocated across the world. In true fashion, she describes the business infrastructure she uses to deploy systems in managing two homes in two countries, assemble her โtribeโ of trusted people to assist her, and leverage various digital technologies to streamline both communication and commerce.
Discover how she converted her home into a smart house, why she says Americaโs banking system isnโt friendly for expats, and much, much more!
๐ Links to Tiffanyโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/232-international-business-living-and-working-in-saudi-arabia-with-tiffany-smith
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Jules Brooke is on a mission to amplify the voices of women entrepreneurs, especially those over 40. Itโs her drive, ambition, and persistent determination to blaze new trails that attribute to her success in graphic design, sales, and public relations. With so much to learn from her, itโs an honor to have her be our guide to Australia, the next country on our audio tour this season.
By the time she was twelve years old, Jules already experienced living in different countries and adapting to different cultures โ experiences that might take a lifetime for others. Shortly after, her family relocated to Australia. Though she moved to England as an adult and did a bit more traveling around the world, there was something about Australia that kept tugging at her heartstrings.
In this episode, Jules shares what makes Australia a great place to start, grow, and scale a business. She specifically explains her own entrepreneurial journey in starting her company, Handle Your Own PR, as well as her Sheโs the Boss show which has evolved into a movement.
And the resources โ oh, the resources! Jules offers a comprehensive list of resources sure to get you headed in the right direction. If youโve ever been curious about what it takes to do business in Australia or with Australian businesses, then this episode is for you!
๐ Links to Julesโ Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/231-international-business-doing-business-in-australia-with-jules-brook
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Sรฃo Paulo is one of the most populated cities in the world and itโs located in Brazil, the next country on our audio tour this season. We have the pleasure of being joined by Paula Palermo, the co-founder of Impacta Finance - a blockchain company specializing in scaling solutions that have a social impact.
As a fluent speaker of six different languages, Paulaโs insights on becoming immersed in the language, culture, and social norms of Brazil will resonate with you if you are interested in tapping into the Latin American market of 600 million people.
In this episode, Paula lays the foundation for sound business practices that not only apply to operating a business in Brazil but anywhere. Specifically, she explains the importance of planting seeds of value to grow a network of resources and giving first to cultivate those relationships.
This interview is packed with useful information for building business infrastructure and even includes a crash course on blockchain technology and how you can leverage it to scale your operations. You donโt want to miss it!
๐ Links to Paulaโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/230-international-business-doing-business-in-brazil-with-paula-palermo
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Sofรญa Benedicto is on a mission to make the world a better place. As the co-founder of Nodalab, a podcast production company, sheโs providing a platform for independent creators in the Latin American (LATAM) market. Sheโs also our guide during our visit to Mexico as the next stop on our 12-country audio tour this season.
No topic is off the table! In this episode, Sofรญa shares what makes Mexico, particularly Mexico City, such an attractive hub for entrepreneurs, technologists, and expats. We also have a candid discussion about political corruption, drug cartels, and how important it is to speak Spanish if you are serious about doing business in Mexico.
Her professional niche lies at the intersection of politics and business. This enables Sofรญa to give an interesting, historical perspective not just on the small business climate in Mexico, but throughout LATAM.
Discover all that Mexico has to offer to aspiring entrepreneurs and founders of emerging small businesses alike who are serious about building a business infrastructure that supports international operations.
๐ Links to Sofรญaโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/229-international-business-doing-business-in-mexico-with-sofia-benedicto
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Next up on our 12-country tour this season is Poland, a country with a population of 37 million situated in Central Eastern Europe. Hosting us is Ben Esmael, a Libyan-born entrepreneur who has proudly called Poland home for the past seven years.
After working as an accountant and project manager for companies like IBM and Heineken, Ben started his own business with a mission to provide much needed financial and operations support to small businesses eager to scale.
In this episode, Ben taps into both his corporate and business ownership experiences to give an honest account of what it takes to start, grow, and scale a business in Poland. He also describes how to leverage their booming shared services and business process outsourcing industries to support and expand your companyโs back-office operations.
If youโve ever thought about tapping into the European market and building a remote, multilingual team, then you donโt want to miss what Ben has to say!
๐ Links to Benโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/228-international-business-doing-business-in-poland-with-ben-esmael
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Weโre headed further east to Bali, Indonesia as the next stop on our 12-country tour this season. Our host here in this Pacific paradise is a chemical engineer turned โmillion-dollar sales guy,โ Desmond Dixon.
When he made the decision to leave behind a lucrative STEM career and instead venture into the world of high-pitch sales, Desmond did not know where it would lead him. But one thing he knew for sure was that he wanted to be a part of it! Following a brief stint providing holistic services in the health and wellness industry, he stood up to the challenge of scaling a startup. This led to him working in Ukraine, an experience that opened a Pandoraโs box of international work and travel.
In this episode, Desmond shares the details of how he set up his U.S.-based companies, CXO Republic and RemoteSalesManager.io, to provide sales staffing and training services to other businesses around the world. This includes a detailed conversation about applying for visas, his strategy for pricing services and receiving payments, and building a fully remote team.
One thingโs for sure โ Desmond does not let dust collect on his shoes! So, buckle your seatbelts as he takes us on an international journey that spans Hawaii, Ukraine, Mexico, Greece, and more! Find out what it takes for an American entrepreneur to become a digital nomad. Even if this lifestyle isnโt feasible for you, youโre sure to learn some things that you can apply to digitize and streamline your companyโs back-office operations!
๐ Links to Desmondโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/227-international-business-doing-business-in-indonesia-with-desmond-dixon
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Germany โ itโs the next stop on our 12-country tour this season. Here to greet us and tell us all about how to start a business or partner with an existing business in Germany is the โConnectpreneurโ himself, Jens Heitland.
Considering their membership in the European Union, you may find what Jens reveals about doing business in Germany shocking. Whatโs not surprising is hearing him describe German culture as one of accuracy and precision which explains why STEM-focused industries thrive there, particularly automotive and traditional engineering and architecture firms.
But it takes more than having a STEM focus to succeed in business in Germany. In this episode, Jens explains other factors like language, accounting protocol, and the legal paperwork required for success there. And he should know. As a native German who started his first business in Germany, heโs in a great position to share his insights which include pricing strategies, global labor sourcing, and innovative leadership.
Jens is a serial entrepreneur, a former IKEA executive, and a current director at Foot Locker. Heโs worked in every size company and offers a unique perspective for anyone seeking to not only do business in Germany but to also develop human innovation in the process. Discover more by tuning in now!
๐ Links to Jensโ Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/226-international-business-doing-business-in-germany-with-jens-heitland
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Weโre on a 12-country tour this season and our next stop is in Canada. Our hosts are seasoned entrepreneurs and business partners, Kathleen Beauvais and Peter Wright.
In this episode, Kathleen and Peter give a candid account of what itโs like to start a business in Canada both from a native as well as an expatโs perspective. Not only do they share how they each landed in the province of Ontario, but they also share their respective entrepreneurial journeys and how they led to their paths crossing and ultimately venturing into different media projects together.
Now, as the co-hosts of The Yakking Show, they are in an even better position to share insights, resources, and advice for starting a business or partnering with existing businesses in Canada. Listen in as they share the importance of knowing which province to live and/or work in, understanding the value-added tax system, and why working with Canadian lawyers and accountants is critical to business success and longevity.
๐ Links to Kathleenโs and Peterโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/225-international-business-doing-business-in-canada-with-kathleen-beauvais-peter-wright
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Our next stop on our 12-country tour finds us in Split, Croatia by way of London, England. With a population of a little over 4 million, Croatia is an emerging hub for vacationers and digital nomads alike.
One such digital nomad, whose also our guide during this episode, is Bhairav Patel. Heโs the co-founder and Managing Partner at Atom CTO, a company that provides fractional CTO services to the founders and leaders of startups who do not have a technology background.
As a self-proclaimed digital nomad, Bhairav shares what itโs like to live and conduct business in Croatia. In doing so, he offers context for selecting Croatia as his latest residence as he takes us on his career journey thatโs found him traversing a good bit of the Eastern Hemisphere.
In this episode, Bhairav explains what it takes to not just start, but build and scale a business and how the covid pandemic catalyzed the growth of Atom CTO during a time when so many businesses failed. Pay close attention as he describes the importance of digitizing operations, leveraging social media to network with others in Croatia, and bringing talent in-house to build a global remote team.
Even if the digital nomad lifestyle isnโt for you, youโre guaranteed to learn some interesting facts about becoming one. You may even tinker with the idea for a month or so after listening to Bhairav!
๐ Links to Bhairavโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/224-international-business-doing-business-in-croatia-with-bhairav-patel
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And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Our next stop on our 12-country tour finds us in Split, Croatia by way of London, England. With a population of a little over 4 million, Croatia is an emerging hub for vacationers and digital nomads alike.
One such digital nomad, whose also our guide during this episode, is Bhairav Patel. Heโs the co-founder and Managing Partner at Atom CTO, a company that provides fractional CTO services to the founders and leaders of startups who do not have a technology background.
As a self-proclaimed digital nomad, Bhairav shares what itโs like to live and conduct business in Croatia. In doing so, he offers context for selecting Croatia as his latest residence as he takes us on his career journey thatโs found him traversing a good bit of the Eastern Hemisphere.
In this episode, Bhairav explains what it takes to not just start, but build and scale a business and how the covid pandemic catalyzed the growth of Atom CTO during a time when so many businesses failed. Pay close attention as he describes the importance of digitizing operations, leveraging social media to network with others in Croatia, and bringing talent in-house to build a global remote team.
Even if the digital nomad lifestyle isnโt for you, youโre guaranteed to learn some interesting facts about becoming one. You may even tinker with the idea for a month or so after listening to Bhairav!
๐ Links to Bhairavโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/224-international-business-doing-business-in-croatia-with-bhairav-patel
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
We kicked off this season of international business in Nigeria. Our next stop is in Ireland โ a small, but powerful nation considering its gateway position to the European Union.
Martina Goss, a certified lean startup coach, is our guide. Sheโs brilliantly transformed her career from a certified accountant crunching numbers for existing businesses to a trusted advisor for startups. Her mission is to save startups from the pains of wasting time, effort, and money on businesses doomed to fail. She does this through a rigorous idea validation process.
In this episode, Martina shares what happens next with businesses that have successfully passed the idea validation โsniff test.โ This includes her specific process for helping these startups establish the foundation for profitability and manageable growth using elements of business infrastructure and the LEANSTACK model.
She also explains why Ireland is a hotspot for establishing a European headquarters location, how you can start a business in Ireland, and where you can find Irish businesses to establish an import/export strategic partnership.
Thereโs so much more to Ireland than shamrocks, pubs, and leprechauns. Discover how relationships you build can give access to the entire European Union population of 447M people!
๐ Links to Martinaโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/223-international-business-doing-business-in-ireland-with-martina-goss
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And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
We kicked off this season of international business in Nigeria. Our next stop is in Ireland โ a small, but powerful nation considering its gateway position to the European Union.
Martina Goss, a certified lean startup coach, is our guide. Sheโs brilliantly transformed her career from a certified accountant crunching numbers for existing businesses to a trusted advisor for startups. Her mission is to save startups from the pains of wasting time, effort, and money on businesses doomed to fail. She does this through a rigorous idea validation process.
In this episode, Martina shares what happens next with businesses that have successfully passed the idea validation โsniff test.โ This includes her specific process for helping these startups establish the foundation for profitability and manageable growth using elements of business infrastructure and the LEANSTACK model.
She also explains why Ireland is a hotspot for establishing a European headquarters location, how you can start a business in Ireland, and where you can find Irish businesses to establish an import/export strategic partnership.
Thereโs so much more to Ireland than shamrocks, pubs, and leprechauns. Discover how relationships you build can give access to the entire European Union population of 447M people!
๐ Links to Martinaโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/223-international-business-doing-business-in-ireland-with-martina-goss
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Itโs a brand-new season on the Business Infrastructure podcast! Season 18 is all about international business. Have you ever thought about expanding your business into another country or maybe establishing a strategic alliance with a foreign business? Or is it something youโve never really considered until now?
Over the next 12 episodes, youโll hear from natives and ex-pats alike about the possibilities that exist. Get your passport ready!
Our first stop is in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria and a city in the sixth most populated country in the world. Mujahid Usman, the Business Development Manager at Outsource Global, is here to greet us and share the scoop on what it's like to really do business there.
In this episode, Mujahid also shares interesting facts about the large multinational presence in Nigeria, debunks myths and stereotypes about African businesses and societies, and explains why he believes people, not gold and diamonds, are Africaโs most precious resources.
He even reveals why he ultimately chose to leave behind a finance career in England and return home to Nigeria to help scale Outsource Globalโs operations with a business infrastructure worthy of a rival.
Youโre guaranteed to learn some things you never knew about Nigeria!
๐ Links to Mujahidโs Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/222-international-business-doing-business-in-nigeria-with-mujahid-usman
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And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Weโre no strangers to risk here at the Business Infrastructure podcast, but even we proceeded with caution during Season 17. Why?
Because we tried some radically and fundamentally different things on the show.
We experimented with a non-fiction storytelling format for the show that requires much more behind-the-scenes coordination, planning, and logistics to perfect the formula for success.
In this final episode of Season 17, host Alicia Butler Pierre shares these changes as part of this podcastโs โscale tale.โ Discover what led to these decisions to experiment with changing the format, the business infrastructure required to consistently produce this new format, and whether the results were successful.
Youโll even hear the recorded testimonial of one of our guests this season as proof!
๐ Access BusinessInfrastructure.TV for Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/221-scale-tales-season-wrap-up-with-alicia-butler-pierre
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Weโre no strangers to risk here at the Business Infrastructure podcast, but even we proceeded with caution during Season 17. Why?
Because we tried some radically and fundamentally different things on the show.
We experimented with a non-fiction storytelling format for the show that requires much more behind-the-scenes coordination, planning, and logistics to perfect the formula for success.
In this final episode of Season 17, host Alicia Butler Pierre shares these changes as part of this podcastโs โscale tale.โ Discover what led to these decisions to experiment with changing the format, the business infrastructure required to consistently produce this new format, and whether the results were successful.
Youโll even hear the recorded testimonial of one of our guests this season as proof!
๐ Access BusinessInfrastructure.TV for Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/221-scale-tales-season-wrap-up-with-alicia-butler-pierre
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Cheryl Taylor is no stranger to managing projects on a large scale. So when she landed a contract to replace a 17-year-old jail technology, she jumped at the chance. Not only did she complete that project 10 months ahead of schedule, but the project even won an innovation award.
That kind of success is the result of a career that spans telecommunications, energy, healthcare, education, and more. Sheโs worked in every sized company from large publicly-traded companies to government institutions and small businesses, including her own โ TPM Services.
In this episode, Cheryl takes us back to the time when she upgraded that jail technology for a county government organization that had over 800 employees with an $800M annual budget. Discover the business infrastructure she deployed to develop a project plan, keep reluctant staff engaged, and ensure no inmates were lost in the system.
๐ Access Cherylโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/220-scale-tales-change-is-coming-cheryl-taylor-describes-how-she-managed-a-large-jail-technology-upgrade
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Cheryl Taylor is no stranger to managing projects on a large scale. So when she landed a contract to replace a 17-year-old jail technology, she jumped at the chance. Not only did she complete that project 10 months ahead of schedule, but the project even won an innovation award.
That kind of success is the result of a career that spans telecommunications, energy, healthcare, education, and more. Sheโs worked in every sized company from large publicly-traded companies to government institutions and small businesses, including her own โ TPM Services.
In this episode, Cheryl takes us back to the time when she upgraded that jail technology for a county government organization that had over 800 employees with an $800M annual budget. Discover the business infrastructure she deployed to develop a project plan, keep reluctant staff engaged, and ensure no inmates were lost in the system.
๐ Access Cherylโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/220-scale-tales-change-is-coming-cheryl-taylor-describes-how-she-managed-a-large-jail-technology-upgrade
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
After listening to Jesse Torres youโll never underestimate the power of networking ever again. He has a knack for meeting people and connecting them to each other to broker partnerships and alliances.
Jesse owns ArroyoWest, an economic and workforce development agency, and Small Business Front, a consultancy targeted at providing small businesses with resources to start, grow, and scale. But his career didnโt start with entrepreneurship.
It started with what was supposed to be his first job at a local Los Angeles newspaper. When that job fell through due to a merger, it set Jesse on a career ladder that included rungs in academia, government, private practice, publicly-traded companies, and even non-profits.
As he continued climbing that ladder to his latest role as an entrepreneur, his vast network and experience in disaster relief aligned when the pandemic happened. In this episode, Jesse shares how he leveraged his network to connect some of his local government clients to form a new organization that provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to tens of thousands of small businesses in California.
Pay close attention as he describes the business infrastructure quickly deployed to bring together the right people, processes, and tools that made this mass distribution of PPE possible.
๐ Access Jesseโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/219-scale-tales-the-connector-how-jesse-torres-leveraged-his-network-for-mass-distribution-of-ppe
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
After listening to Jesse Torres youโll never underestimate the power of networking ever again. He has a knack for meeting people and connecting them to each other to broker partnerships and alliances.
Jesse owns ArroyoWest, an economic and workforce development agency, and Small Business Front, a consultancy targeted at providing small businesses with resources to start, grow, and scale. But his career didnโt start with entrepreneurship.
It started with what was supposed to be his first job at a local Los Angeles newspaper. When that job fell through due to a merger, it set Jesse on a career ladder that included rungs in academia, government, private practice, publicly-traded companies, and even non-profits.
As he continued climbing that ladder to his latest role as an entrepreneur, his vast network and experience in disaster relief aligned when the pandemic happened. In this episode, Jesse shares how he leveraged his network to connect some of his local government clients to form a new organization that provided personal protective equipment (PPE) to tens of thousands of small businesses in California.
Pay close attention as he describes the business infrastructure quickly deployed to bring together the right people, processes, and tools that made this mass distribution of PPE possible.
๐ Access Jesseโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/219-scale-tales-the-connector-how-jesse-torres-leveraged-his-network-for-mass-distribution-of-ppe
๐ง Like What You Heard? Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Did you know that joy has financial value? Specifically, happy employees have 31% higher productivity, their sales are 37% higher and theyโre three times more creative. Marguerite Orane leverages these stats as part of making her case for joy in the workplace.
As an executive leadership coach, facilitator, and public speaker, she empowers executives and their teams to imbue joy in their work so that they can scale their organizations without sacrificing themselves and their families in the process.
Healthy family relationships are particularly important to Marguerite. Her first leadership role at the tender age of 23 found her as her fatherโs boss in their family-owned manufacturing business. The experience of leading a 70-employee all-male group, navigating unions and erratic business cycles during a time of unrest in Jamaica, and ultimately selling the business to ensure her parents retired financially secure, left her feeling depleted, traumatized, andโฆfree!
In this episode, Marguerite describes her journey from running a family-owned business to working in other businesses, and ultimately starting her own coaching business - a business that allows her the freedom and flexibility to lead with ease, grace, and joy. She also shares why her experience as an MBA student at Harvard Business School was the therapy she needed to release the pain and make room for profit.
Discover the business infrastructure sheโs put in place to ensure she has a team aligned to her companyโs joy-based mission with proven processes that generate the results required to take already successful organizations to even higher heights.
๐ Access Margueriteโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/218-scale-tales-ease-grace-joy-how-marguerite-orane-coaches-executive-leaders-for-sustainable-growth
โ Got questions? Ask them here on Twitter or LinkedIn.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Did you know that joy has financial value? Specifically, happy employees have 31% higher productivity, their sales are 37% higher and theyโre three times more creative. Marguerite Orane leverages these stats as part of making her case for joy in the workplace.
As an executive leadership coach, facilitator, and public speaker, she empowers executives and their teams to imbue joy in their work so that they can scale their organizations without sacrificing themselves and their families in the process.
Healthy family relationships are particularly important to Marguerite. Her first leadership role at the tender age of 23 found her as her fatherโs boss in their family-owned manufacturing business. The experience of leading a 70-employee all-male group, navigating unions and erratic business cycles during a time of unrest in Jamaica, and ultimately selling the business to ensure her parents retired financially secure, left her feeling depleted, traumatized, andโฆfree!
In this episode, Marguerite describes her journey from running a family-owned business to working in other businesses, and ultimately starting her own coaching business - a business that allows her the freedom and flexibility to lead with ease, grace, and joy. She also shares why her experience as an MBA student at Harvard Business School was the therapy she needed to release the pain and make room for profit.
Discover the business infrastructure sheโs put in place to ensure she has a team aligned to her companyโs joy-based mission with proven processes that generate the results required to take already successful organizations to even higher heights.
๐ Access Margueriteโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/218-scale-tales-ease-grace-joy-how-marguerite-orane-coaches-executive-leaders-for-sustainable-growth
โ Got questions? Ask them here on Twitter or LinkedIn.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Jeremy Streten is on a mission to provide access to legal advice for all small to medium-sized businesses around the world. These arenโt just empty words. He really means it as evidenced by the strategic moves heโs made to, as he describes it, โโฆscale myself out of my law firm to remove dependency on me.โ
Howโs that possible when business laws are country-dependent?
Well, turns out thatโs not entirely true. In this episode, Jeremy describes how his keen observations during a law conference coupled with sage advice from a business coach, led him down a path to scale business legal advice via a business legal lifecycle. It's an easy-to-understand chart designed to empower business owners in proactively securing legal protections using a combination of standard and local or customized practices.
Now, heโs transitioned out of being a traditional lawyer working on a per-client basis and into the role of CEO of a lawtech company with remote global operations across Australia, the U.S., and the U.K.
Listen as he recounts the bumps and bruises along his journey that led to him building a business infrastructure that includes the optimal combination of people, processes, and technologies necessary to scale a service-based business.
Jeremyโs cracked the code and now you can learn from him and apply the lessons learned from his scale tale to your organization!
๐ Access Jeremyโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/217-scale-tales-against-all-odds-jeremy-streten-recounts-how-he-expanded-his-law-business-internationally
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What would you do if someone dared you to join the military? That happened to Dr. Cynthia โCindyโ Young when she was a senior in high school. Not one to shy away from a challenge, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy where she spent the next 23 years of her life.
By the time she retired, she had multiple degrees along with a breadth and depth of experience that some leaders can only dream of. So, when her first job outside the military presented her with an opportunity to work in knowledge management, she accepted that challenge too picking up a doctorate and more certifications along the way.
During the pandemic, she joined a new type of rank โ entrepreneur. Cindy started a consulting business leveraging her military strategy prowess and her process improvement, operational excellence, and knowledge management skills.
Now she needed to land clients. But how?
Thatโs where Cindy became the embodiment of leveraging her own knowledge through a killer digital content management strategy. That strategy involves writing books, speaking at conferences, and contributing articles to well-known publications.
In fact, sheโs since been quoted in U.S. News & World Report and contributed over 30 articles specializing in human-centric knowledge management and business to publications like HBR Ascend and Lean Mag. But it was her TEDx Talk that served as a tipping point โ sheโs become a sought-after recognized expert in the field of knowledge management. In this episode, she describes the business infrastructure she strategized and deployed to put her expertise on the map and effectively grow and scale her business.
๐ Access Cindyโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/216-scale-tales-tipping-point-how-dr-cindy-young-spreads-the-message-of-knowledge-management
โ Got questions? Ask them here on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Troy Trewin always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur when he grew up. Having witnessed the successes as well as the struggles of his familyโs business, he had a leg up on what it took to grow and scale a company. So, after three years of working for one of the worldโs accounting firms, he started two internet companies.
And he learned a lot! Namely, he grew weary of running service-based businesses. Thatโs when Troy decided to shift into managing product-based businesses.
The product of choice? Whisky!
It was 2011 and over the next decade, his involvement in the distillery business included everything from helping a friend start a distillery from the ground up to functioning as CEO over distilleries to serving on the boards of many other distilleries. When a friend mentioned having trouble scaling a Whisky Academy business in 2019, Troy suggested she change the business model from in-person to online.
The timing could not have been more perfect โ he along with two others joined forces with his friend in a partnership that started The Distillers Institute. In this episode, he describes the business infrastructure put into place that enabled them to legalize their partnership, build an online course, and launch it in only 9 monthsโฆduring a pandemic!
Discover how they scaled from 60 students to 400 in less than two years, the people, processes, and tools they leveraged to achieve this scale and their plans for expanding across the world.
๐ Access Troyโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/215-scale-tales-new-zealand-and-beyond-how-troy-trewin-scaled-an-online-course-for-distilleries
โ Got questions? Ask them here on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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When Michiko Wolcott started her consultancy in 2015, it was rare to find someone like her who was interested in exploring the human side of data. Armed with a personal mission to โdo data better,โ she was determined to successfully blend her roles as a technologist and a humanist to understand why some companies fail to scale.
In her quest to answer that question she taught herself the mechanics of process mapping and lean thinking. And thatโs when she realized the reason why some companies, despite having access to robust technologies, still donโt scale to their full potential.
That reason was people and process.
To be more specific, the lack of a focus on people and process development. In this episode, Michiko recounts the time she reengineered a process for a tech company that helped them reduce the time it took to bring new products to market by 70%. This ability to increase annual throughput and transparency among their team helped this company realize revenue quicker and with minimal downtime or investment.
Explore the possibilities of what business infrastructure (the linking of people, processes, and tools/technologies) can do for your organization. As youโll learn from this scale tale, sometimes the answer is right there in front of you.
๐ Michikoโs Musings, Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/214-scale-tales-go-to-market-how-michiko-wolcott-re-engineered-a-tech-companys-process-and-boosted-revenue
โ Got questions? Ask them here on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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While his friends pursued careers in fields like law, medicine, and technology, Richard Blank went in a completely different direction โ language. In fact, his love of language and communications led him to study abroad for one semester in Spain. That experience changed the trajectory of his life.
A few years after graduating from university, he accepted an offer to conduct training at a call center in Costa Rica. At 27 years old he decided to call Costa Rica home. That was over 20 years ago.
And he never looked back.
In this episode, Richard takes us on his journey as he leverages his advanced Spanish-speaking skills, business prowess, and emotional intelligence to build and scale Costa Ricaโs Call Center from a one-seat to a 300-seat operation.
Discover how he used a cash-only approach to invest in the business infrastructure required to lay a foundation for sustainable growth, his tips for reducing attrition, and why he urges entrepreneurs to โact their wage.โ
๐ Richardโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/213-scale-tales-from-the-ground-up-how-richard-blank-built-costa-ricas-call-center
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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โSmoke from indoor cooking fires is the leading cause of death for women and children under age 5 in the developing world.โ
This episodeโs scale tale takes us to Guatemala where a local organization resolves to prevent this tragedy.
How?
Thatโs where Ripple Effect Images comes into play. By leveraging their ecosystem of filmmakers, editors, photographers, donors, and fundraisers, they were able to show and tell a local Guatemalan communityโs stories about unsafe indoor cooking to scale the solution and its social impact. This resulted in their partner, StoveTeam International, distributing over 8,000 stoves in a short period.
As the Executive Director of Ripple Effect Images, Liz Bloomfield recounts the business infrastructure put in place to support this level of scale and explains how storytelling serves as a catalyst for saving lives. She also reveals how her former careers in the British Army and corporate sector prepared her for the work sheโs doing now as she continues focusing on โmaking the world a better placeโ through humanitarian projects.
Listen now and gain a better understanding of the people, processes, and tools required to tell an effective story to scale your organizationโs operations.
๐ Lizโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/212-scale-tales-ripple-effect-liz-bloomfield-explains-the-power-of-storytelling-to-maximize-social-impact
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
โNever take advice from someone who has nothing to lose by giving it.โ That quote comes from investor, business coach, and digital marketing aficionado, Darrell Evans. Itโs a credo that guides him in giving practical tips, tactics, and strategies that lead to profitable results.
Over 20 years ago, a bright-eyed Darrell finished college with a degree in finance and an expectation to do big things on Wall Street. As fate would have it, his first job instead landed him in financial sales where he eventually transitioned into the mortgage industry.
Twice bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, he started his own mortgage company and later a digital marketing agency. His knack for being an early adopter of digital technologies to market his business was a key factor in keeping his mortgage company afloat during the 2008 U.S. recession. It also caused others to take notice of Darrellโs unique approach to leverage the internet to survive the economic uncertainty and his uncanny ability to understand customer behavior.
By 2012, he and his business partner met the owner of an auto body shop who, though already successful, wanted to scale to the next level. In this episode Darrell takes us back to that moment when they applied their 6-step framework that incorporated internet marketing in the age of Web 2.0 during a time when things like YouTube and LinkedIn were barely a part of the collective conscious.
Backed by an original musical score, this scale tale is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat as Darrell gives you the insights needed to better understand how you can tailor products and services based on your customersโ psychology and put a business infrastructure in place to support it.
๐ Darrellโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/211-scale-tales-web-2-0-how-darrell-evans-and-his-team-scaled-an-auto-body-shop-with-digital-marketing
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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As Europeโs leading contact centre expert, Marianne Rutz knows all too well the roller coaster of entrepreneurship. Her career in customer support began in 1999, quite by accident when she accepted a project manager position with Hertz in their contact centre.
Leveraging her background in travel and tourism and the interactions she had with people made her a natural fit for this position. Eventually, her determination to showcase more of her leadership skills found her at another company where she picked up more operations training. Everything was going well until an unexpected event happenedโฆ
Cancer.
Not one to give up easily, Marianne project managed her way through the rounds of treatment and upon winning this battle, decided sheโd start a business. Her consulting firm began with a desire to make customer service a better place by turning frontline customer service divisions from cost centres to profit centres.
This has led to some interesting clients, one of whom got inundated with calls during the pandemic. Plagued with poor customer reviews, Marianne and her team guided them through her framework to achieve transformative results. In this episode, youโll hear Marianne tell the story of how this transformation took place and led to a revenue that no one expected!
๐ Marianneโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/210-scale-tales-uncharted-territory-how-marianne-rutz-grew-a-retail-companys-revenue-through-excellent-customer-support
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Picture it โ the year is 1990 and Curt Anderson is full of hopes and dreams. However, those dreams are deferred when he accepts his fatherโs request to take over their family-owned floral business. At the time the business was bankrupt and in desperate need of financial resuscitation.
Curt spends the next several years grinding and doing everything he can to save the business from ruin. Just when it seems all hope is lost, he discovers a lifeline that will change the trajectory of both his business and his career. That lifeline is the internet.
By 1995, he changes the business model from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce. Along the way, heโs thrown more lifelines until one day he realizes he needs someone else to come in and help manage the daily operations. After 20 years of hard work, smart partnerships, and investments in business infrastructure he successfully sells his business.
How did he do it?
Thatโs what youโll discover in this episode. Curt takes us on a journey as he experiments with new technologies, forms partnerships with key people, and outsources a critical part of his back-office operations. Listen now!
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After six months weโre back with a new lineup of incredible guests, each of whom shares a โScale Tale.โ This season youโll hear stories about those magical moments when these guests scaled a product or service often to the surprise of everyone involved. Each story is backed by an original musical score that will keep you entertained while educated and inspired to achieve something similar in your small business.
๐ Curtโs Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/209-scale-tales-from-fail-to-scale-to-sell-how-curt-anderson-grew-and-sold-an-e-commerce-floral-company
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Does hearing about robots or robotic technology trigger doomsday images of nonhuman entities taking over with unbridled power? That fear is often rooted in the unknown. And thatโs why technologists like Dean Hamilton are so important. Part debunking and part educational, it also explains why this episode is one of our most downloaded.
Dean is a Partner and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Wilson & Perumal. With over 30 years of experience, he has a firsthand account of the evolution of software technologies and says, โWe live in a golden age of no-programming techโ - one of which is Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
In this episode, Dean explains what RPA is, how it falls along a spectrum of intelligent automation tools, and why it can be incredibly useful in streamlining repetitive back-office tasks. Itโs the boring humdrum of these repetitive tasks where our operations are most prone to errors. Errors that lead to lost profit, angry customers, and sullied reputations. Get in on this game-changing technology and gain efficiencies. Itโs not as scary or complicated as it may seem.
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/208-the-top-12-how-to-streamline-repetitive-tasks-with-robotic-process-automation-rpa-featuring-dean-hamilton
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Lynda Martin is on a mission to โโฆrepair the world, one small business at a time.โ One way she does that is through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). When originally interviewed, Lyndaโs enthusiasm for this transformative framework was apparent and its likely the reason her episode landed on our list of the Top 12 most downloaded to date.
Her entrepreneurial journey began in her childhood. She grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, so it was only natural sheโd become one herself. But when she started her first venture, her co-founders didnโt think women belonged in leadership. She left, started a consulting firm called Goodwin Growth Works, and never looked back.
In this episode, Lynda describes what EOS is and shares a case study of a company that applied it and grew sales by 32% each year for two years in a row. Discover the EOS formula for setting your vision and gaining traction towards effective leadership, sustainable growth, and operational excellence!
Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker spent over 20 years studying the Toyota Way โ the management system behind the worldโs leading auto manufacturer. Heโs since written several world-renowned books summarizing his research and explaining the Lean framework for waste reduction, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
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Those books have collectively sold well over 1M copies and are considered a gold standard in teaching lean operation and management principles in many academic circles around the world. As many organizations continue grappling with the best way to operate post-pandemic, itโs no surprise that this episode is one of our most downloaded.
*
This is less of an interview and more of a masterclass as Dr. Liker graciously spends time to not only share what The Toyota Way is but also the story of how became of the global authorities on this concept.
*
In this episode, youโll learn the 14 management principles of The Toyota Way, discover how to use perfection as a direction toward breakthrough results and not an end goal, and gain a better understanding of what operational excellence means and looks like. If youโre serious about operating efficiently and effectively and embracing process improvement as a part of your organizationโs culture, then you donโt want to miss these pearls of wisdom!
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/206-the-top-12-the-toyota-way-for-achieving-operational-excellence-with-dr-jeffrey-k-liker
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Nigeria produces over 1M graduates annually. But many of them leave the country because there arenโt enough local jobs to hire them. Amal Hassan wanted to change that. She set out to start a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) contact center that would employ some of these graduates. She started it three different times only to be forced to shut down and relocate. The fourth time was the charm!
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In fact, Amalโs living proof of the tenacity required to build, grow, and scale a business. Itโs no wonder why her original episode continues to garner downloads and made it to our Top 12 list.
*
Now, Outsource Global employs over 850 people with clients in the U.S., UK, and Japan with 50% of their workforce being women! They single-handedly put Nigeria on the map as a BPO to contend with on the world stage.
*
In this episode, Amal gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the quality control measures to select the best people, processes, and tools that sustain Africaโs top Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider. If your path to scaling your business seems treacherous, then you donโt wonโt to miss this episode โ Amalโs story might be just the inspiration you need to keep forging ahead!
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/205-the-top-12-how-amal-hassan-scaled-outsource-global-into-africas-top-bpo-provider
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Lauren Hisey thought she wanted to be a lawyer until she took some law classes and realized she didnโt have a passion for it. A chance encounter working at a call center while in college helped her discover that her true love was in operations. This love is evident as she recounts her operational journey and likely explains why her original interview made it to our list of the Top 12 most downloaded episodes.
*
Eventually, Lauren went on to have a successful career working at AT&T and Nielsen, leading projects that saved both companies millions. Now, Lauren has her own consultancy where she applies her signature โcalming influenceโ as well as Lean Six Sigma principles to help companies improve profitability and achieve sustainable growth.
*
In this episode, she shares a behind-the-scenes account of how she helped a company turn around a grim situation โ handling unanticipated demand for their new product with limited, burnt-out staff, high customer support hold times, and rising costs. While doing so, Lauren describes what a Gemba walk is and why uncovering root causes is essential to identifying and solving the right fast-growth challenges.
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/204-the-top-12-how-to-uncover-root-causes-of-chaotic-growth-with-lauren-hisey
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Hi! I'm Alicia, host and producer of the Business Infrastructure podcast, and I have a confession to make.
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When I analyzed the showโs most downloaded episodes, I was shocked to learn that a monologue I recorded back in 2018 about my experiences in Cuba made the list.
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I was shocked because this was a recording I did while I was still very new to the podcasting industry and honestly didnโt know what I was doing. But one thing I did know was my passion for business infrastructure and operational excellence. Itโs what led me to share my observations and experiences during a visit to Cuba and how they apply to the way we operate our small businesses.
*
For example, I was intrigued by the continuous preservation of cars, culture, and cuisine but the lack of maintenance of many homes and buildings. In this episode, I share the role that various economic factors play in our ability to maintain and preserve the businesses we build. I also discuss the role that dashboards play in keeping the score of our daily operations. I hope you enjoy listening to this โoldie but goodieโ episode. If nothing more, may these lessons serve as a cautionary tale of the importance of developing processes to monitor all aspects of your business to minimize both risk andโฆruin.
*
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/203-the-top-12-business-infrastructure-lessons-i-learned-in-cuba-with-alicia-butler-pierre
โ Got questions? Send them to me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Hassan Dantata is a promising young entrepreneur who made a lasting impression on us here at the Business Infrastructure podcast. Considering his tenacious spirit, high energy, and warm personality, itโs no surprise that his original interview also made it to our list of the top 12 most downloaded.
*
Ten years ago, Hassan found himself alone in a hospital room. Heโd just had a bone marrow transplant that required isolation for two months with a 50/50 chance of survival. With nothing but his โimagination and a dreamโ along with a burning desire for a smartphone, his resourcefulness led him to become an eBay vendor.
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Eventually, his entrepreneurial career evolved from being an e-commerce vendor to starting a full-service digital solutions agency for the optical industry, Raven & Macaw, Ltd. His youth advocacy work has earned him coverage in GQ and British Vogue magazines and the World Economic Forum.
*
In this episode, Hassan describes how he came to carve a niche and the specific actions heโs taking to build a SaaS company rooted in operational excellence. Youโll also discover how heโs navigating the challenges of recruiting top tech talent. If youโre looking for inspiration to start or grow your business following a personal setback, then Hassanโs story of resilience, tenacity, and consistency may be just what the doctor ordered!
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/202-the-top-12-how-to-create-an-operational-excellence-culture-in-a-tech-startup-with-hassan-dantata
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
As the world becomes noisier, gaining recognition as being at the top of your game is no small feat. Yet some people figure out the formula for showcasing their talents despite the noise. Thatโs why itโs no surprise that our original episode featuring Dorie Clark, a master of self-reinvention, made it to our list of the top 12 most downloaded.
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As a consultant or service-based professional, scaling your unique skills and subject matter expertise may seem impossible. However, Dorie is proof that it is in fact possible. She went from growing up in a small town with limited resources to become the worldโs #1 communication coach as well as a prolific author, Harvard Business Review contributor, influential speaker, and renowned professor. How did she do it?
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In this episode, Dorie shares her proven organic marketing strategies to leverage your core competency, reinvent your personal brand, and increase your visibility. Become a highly sought-after recognized expert and watch the money pour in!
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/201-the-top-12-how-to-scale-your-personal-brand-become-a-recognized-expert-tips-from-dorie-clark
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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For the past four years, this show has consistently aired every week, not missing a beat. This consistency is only a part of our success formula. Other factors include amazing guests, subscribers and listeners like you, and an all-star team! * The Business Infrastructure podcast started as a scrappy idea of host and producer, Alicia Butler Pierre. What she originally thought would simply be another means of sharing operational resources with small businesses has now evolved into a global movement with listeners in over 60 countries.
*
But this did not happen by osmosis. As the podcast grew in popularity, so did Equilibria, the company behind the podcast, and its need to scale up back-office operations.
*
In this episode, you get to hear directly from some of the people behind the scenes who each possess a superpower that they contribute to the mosaic that is the Business Infrastructure podcast. Joining us in the celebration is Jared Easley, the co-founder of Podcast Movement โ home to the worldโs largest community of podcasters. If youโve wondered what it takes to produce and promote this show, then hereโs your chance to find out! Listen and be inspired!
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/200th-episode-meet-the-business-infrastructure-podcast-team-with-special-guest-jared-easley
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Mohammad Ali Ajlouni may not float like a butterfly or sting like a bee, like the famous boxer by the same name, but he is a champion โ a champion of operations. And it might very well be the reason why his original episode made it to our list of the top 12 most downloaded.
*
With over 37 years of combined experience as a high-ranking military official, chemical and industrial engineer, COO, and board member, he recognizes problem-solving as the cornerstone for continuous improvement. In fact, he worked on a team that started the first auto manufacturing company in Jordan.
*
In this episode, Mohammad takes us on an A-to-Z tour of all things operations and explains why he believes, โIf CEOs do not understand operations, they are bound to be replaced.โ
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/199-mohammad-ali-ajlouni-shares-everything-you-need-to-know-about-coos
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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This was the second episode to ever air on the Business Infrastructure podcast in 2018! Itโs one of our Top 12 most downloaded episodes to dateโฆ *
Being insane isnโt necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to managing fast growth in your small business. Find out why in this episode as Alicia Butler Pierre makes the case for insanity in your business operations and why business infrastructure is vital to not just talking about taking your business to the next level, but actually doing it!
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Learn two real-life examples of how the original founders of now popular business software products not only recognized the importance of business infrastructure in scaling their businesses but made strategic moves to ensure it happened. Both are to be admired for this recognition and decisive action.
*
But one founder enjoyed success unparalleled and the other, well, you can be the judge of that.
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/198-the-top-12-why-every-small-business-needs-business-infrastructure-with-alicia-butler-pierre
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Itโs no surprise that Dr. Frank Barsiโs interview made our list of the Top 12 most downloaded episodes. The covid-19 pandemic and the associated supply chain disruptions offered a wellspring of interest in Lean and Six Sigma quality frameworks. Discussions around operations, once confined to the back office, have now earned their rightful place in the forefront of critical decisions made by technicians, front-line managers, and executives alike.
*
Back in the early 1970s, Dr. Barsi escaped communist Hungary under the cover of night. He swam his way to Austria and eventually arrived in America with literally just the clothes on his back. Determined to start a new life, he quickly joined the U.S. Army. He would later go on to earn multiple engineering degrees. It was at his first job out of college that he was introduced to Six Sigma. At that time, the quality framework was well received in Asia, but not in America.
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In this episode, Dr. Barsi reflects on his 40-year career in the aerospace industry. Itโs a fascinating account of his journey in applying Six Sigma to improve a variety of production processes. That work spans developing flight controls for fighter jets and revolutionizing the casting industry.
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Not sure what Six Sigma is or how you can apply it to your small business? Get ready to take notes as Dr. Barsi explains the framework, its key principles, and how you can apply some of its tools to dramatically increase profitability and achieve operational excellence.
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/197-what-is-six-sigma-and-how-does-it-lead-to-operational-excellence-dr-frank-barsi-explains
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Itโs a brand new season on the Business Infrastructure podcast โ Season 16! In nearly four years, thereโs so much to celebrate especially as we approach our 200th episode. Thatโs why this season weโre reflecting on our success factors starting with you, our loyal listeners and subscribers, as well as our top-notch guests. In that spirit, weโve compiled a list of the top 12 most downloaded episodes to date and will re-air them this season (in no particular order). *
First up is the episode featuring Maria Jones. This episode originally aired in April 2020 and because of its organic viewing success on YouTube, we knew we had to include it in this Top 12 lineup.
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Maria is the Founder & CEO of Nerdy Industry, LLC which provides operations advisory services to budding entrepreneurs. She describes Chief Operating Officers (COOs) as the โinnovators of execution.โ Their role as second-in-command to CEOs is vital to business continuity and delivering on sales promises. Yet, many leaders donโt understand what they do and overlook operations as the core of any business.
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In this episode, Maria defines what a COO is, debunks common myths about them, as well as operations, and uses analogies and examples to assert their undeniable value. She also shares key metrics every business should measure to assess performance.
๐ Resources & Show Notes: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/196-the-top-12-what-is-a-coo-maria-jones-explains
โ Got questions? Send them to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Producing the worldโs first-ever audio masterclass on business infrastructure was no small feat! In this bonus episode, we pull back the curtain and go backstage so you can hear a firsthand account of what it took to produce each masterclass episode.
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Jarvis Gray is our special guest host. Tune in as he guides a conversation with Alicia Butler Pierre, Cornelius Dowdell, and Clarence Levy on what it took to go from an idea jotted on paper into a full-scale audio masterclass complete with narration, voiceovers, and original music.
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Credits:
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Alicia Butler Pierre, writer, producer, narrator
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Kamaria Goggins, voice actor
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Frank Jones, voice actor
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Sylvie Soudin, voice actor
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Dominique van Dijk, voice actor
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Clarence Levy III, original music score
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Olanrewaju Adeyemo, audio editor
Special thanks to you for supporting this season of the Business Infrastructure podcast. We took a risk by trying something different and it paid off!
๐ Website: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/195-backstage-how-we-made-the-business-infrastructure-audio-masterclass
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Weโve come to the final episode in our 13-part audio masterclass on business infrastructure! At this point, youโve heard six stories of entrepreneurs and leaders in small businesses trying their best to keep their cool amid chaotic fast growth. If youโve missed any of those episodes, be sure to go back and listen to them so that you can follow along with the info contained in this episode. *
Behind the impressive faรงade of the businesses featured in this masterclass, lies operational landmines that threaten to destroy everything these founders and leaders have worked so hard to build.
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Thanks in part to the consultants they each work with, theyโre able to restore order. You were able to get a detailed understanding of the work they do together in six follow-up episodes that serve as D-I-Y tutorials in this masterclass. Each consultant recommended participation in a business process workshop. And thatโs what this episode is about โ youโre going to get an audio-based front row seat to this workshop and learn how to create a Business Process Manual!
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A Business Process Manual, commonly known as an Operations Manual, is a physical or digital collection of documentation that describes your organizationโs operations with a level of detail and precision that allows your team to work without your daily presence. Itโs also the seventh and final element of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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In this final episode, (host and inventor of the Kasennu framework) Alicia Butler Pierre teaches an 8-step guide on basic principles for identifying and documenting key processes in your organization. Discover how to secure your intellectual property, guarantee consistent product and service quality, and keep your customers happy. Youโll also learn how the Kasennu framework sets you up for success in using advanced process improvement frameworks like Lean Six Sigma.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/194-how-to-create-a-business-process-manual
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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In the last story of our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass, you met Clenard Smith. Heโs determined to take his flourishing food distribution company public. But thereโs one problem. He needs more physical space! Or at least thatโs what heโs convinced himself. His consultant manages to convince him otherwise while also getting him to contend with the root cause of his companyโs space constraints.
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A Work Space Logistics plan organizes, consolidates, and segments your space into work zones according to your organizationโs departments. It considers the proper placement of all team members, furniture, and equipment to ensure seamless work and information flow. Itโs also one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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From tidying up to sprucing up, in this episode host, Alicia Butler Pierre guides you through an 8-step process to create a Work Space Logistics plan for your organization. Discover how to declutter your space, take an asset inventory, and sketch the optimal layout of your workspace. The result is an intelligent workspace design that maximizes floor space and stimulates productivity and communication.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/193-how-to-create-a-work-space-logistics-plan-for-flourishing-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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We're well underway with Season 15 - Business Infrastructure Masterclass.
Here's a quick update from the host, Alicia Butler Pierre, on what to expect for the final masterclass episodes.
Great things are brewing!
Prior to the pandemic, people were already spending a lot of time in their offices likely sitting behind a computer. Now, that time has doubled if not tripled for many as companies begin to adopt work-from-home policies. In fact, there are scientific studies that show a direct correlation between the actual layout of a workspace and productivity, job satisfaction, and profitability. *
A Work Space Logistics plan considers the best placement and arrangement of your team, furniture, and equipment to ensure seamless work and information flow. Itโs also one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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This episode features the story of Clenard Smith, a no-nonsense veteran who wants to take his food distribution company public. His military background serves him well when it comes to strategy and execution but proves to be no match in his latest battle for more workspace. A consultant devises a Work Space Logistics plan to dramatically increase productivity and help him defeat this formidable enemy once and for all.
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๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/192-organized-chaos-the-story-of-clenard-smith-the-flourishing-food-distribution-company
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Vandana Thiagarajan was the subject of the last story you heard in our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass. Sheโs desperately trying to make sure she and her co-founders can once again fulfill their promises to their customers. Their consultant introduces them to the Service Delivery Blueprint as a solution for quickly pinpointing the source of missing target deadlines. *
A Service Delivery Blueprint is a visual control tool that documents the people, process, tools, and metrics necessary to provide your core product or service. It offers a holistic view that shows how everyone in your company gets involved or at least provides some level of support in providing goods and services to your customers. Itโs one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre guides you through an 8-step process to create a Service Delivery Blueprint for your organization. Discover how to succinctly document, track, and manage lifecycle processes like order-to-delivery, farm-to-table, procure-to-pay, intake-to-discharge, and more! The result is a one-page overview of what you do, how you do it, and the associated timeframe.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/191-how-to-create-a-service-delivery-blueprint-for-small-businesses-on-the-rise
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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As small businesses grow, so does the need for consistency. Your ability to provide value and meet promised deadlines is only as good as the people, tools, and processes you have in place to deliver your goods and/or services. *
A Service Delivery Blueprint describes how you provide goods and services to your customers. Once defined, it enables consistency in your customer order-to-delivery process without compromising quality. It also affects how customers and vendors experience your business. Itโs one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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This episode features the story of Vandana Thiagarajan, one of three co-founders of a promising real estate upstart in New York. They also work as the mortgage talent on a reality TV show. Lately, sheโs been shouldering most of the responsibility at the expense of missing client deadlines.
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Torn between growing the business or pursuing the TV show, she describes her decision as choosing between taking the red pill or the blue pill. A consultant shows her how to create a Service Delivery Blueprint to pinpoint the source of quality issues so that they can keep their promises of a fast loan processing time.
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๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/190-red-pill-or-blue-pill-the-story-of-vandana-thiagarajan-a-mortgage-companys-meteoric-rise
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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In the last episode of our Business Infrastructure audio masterclass, you heard the story of twin co-founders, Karen and Sharen Benoit. Theyโve been given a second chance to pass an audit of their mental health clinicโs records. Their consultant friend comes to the rescue by teaching them how to design a compliant Paper Records Management system that consolidates, organizes, stores, and protects their physical files.
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You might be wondering, โWhy are we talking about organizing paperwork in the digital age?โ Some industries are heavily regulated and require the maintenance of physical files for certain periods. Paper Records Management is the fourth element in building business infrastructure. Think of it as the paper-based version of your Digital Records Management system.
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Now you can experience the satisfaction of decluttering and organizing your companyโs paper records! In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre offers a 10-step tutorial. The result is an audit-ready paper management system that standardizes best practices for recordkeeping.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/189-how-to-create-a-paper-records-management-system-for-expanding-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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As appealing as paperless offices are, there are still some industries that require meticulous physical recordkeeping. These types of records must comply with regulatory guidelines to legally operate. This is where a Paper Records Management system can be useful.
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A Paper Records Management system links the processes, tools, and people needed to create, name, categorize, store, and purge physical data in an easily accessible, color-coded, and organized manner. It also represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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This episode features twin sisters, Karen and Sharen Benoit. Their mental rehabilitation facility takes off following a natural disaster. But patients arenโt the only people drawn to them. Regulators are too. They canโt risk another failed audit. Help comes from a familiar, yet unexpected source who teaches them how to create a Paper Records Management system thatโs compliant, audit-ready, and keeps the doors to their business open.
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๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/188-troubled-waters-the-story-of-the-benoit-sisters-the-expanding-medical-office
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Weโre continuing our first time ever masterclass edition of the Business Infrastructure podcast. In the last episode, you heard the story of Sarah and Steve Reuben - siblings whose rivalry and siloed leadership enabled a virus attack on their family-owned businessโs network. A consultant taught them how to design an Electronic Records Management system to organize, store, and secure their digital files while also protecting their operations from future digital disasters.
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Electronic Records Management is the third element in building business infrastructure. It involves organizing all your digital files based on the departments you identified in the Business Parts Analysis. It also includes assigning proper access rights according to the roles identified in your Business Design Blueprint. Itโs the perfect complement to disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
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Now you can discover how to create one for your organization! In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre offers a 9-step tutorial on creating an Electronic Records Management system. Youโll not only end up with an organized, disaster-proof system, but youโll also have peace of mind knowing that your digital assets are accounted for and protected. With remote back-office operations and small business cybersecurity attacks on the rise, you donโt want to miss this lesson!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/187-how-to-create-an-electronic-digital-records-management-system-for-small-businesses-in-high-demand
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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A paperless office comes with many perks. It frees up physical space, removes geographic work restrictions, and makes information accessible from anywhere. But thereโs a catch.
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Without careful organization, adequate security, and an ironclad data backup and recovery plan, thereโs always the risk of losing electronic records due to manmade or natural disasters.
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An Electronic Records Management system specifically links the processes, digital technologies, and people needed to consolidate, organize, backup, and archive digital information in an easy-to-follow, structured manner. It also represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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This episode features the story of feuding siblings, Sarah and Steve Reuben. Equally smart and ambitious leaders, theyโre blind-sided when a malicious virus attacks their furniture storeโs network. If their customers and vendors find out, it could ruin their familyโs business and their brandโs good name. A consultant implements an Electronic Records Management system as a preemptive strike against future disasters and to ensure business continuity.
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๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/186-the-princess-vs-the-politician-the-story-of-the-reubens-the-furniture-store-in-high-demand
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
๐ง Like What You Heard? Donโt Keep it to Yourself. Subscribe and Share!
And donโt forget to leave a review! โญ โญ โญ โญ โญ
Welcome back to this masterclass edition of the Business Infrastructure podcast! In the last episode, you heard the story of Albert Andoh, the optimistic child entrepreneur of an emerging tech startup. He met a consultant who introduced him to the Business Design Blueprint as a way of proving organizational capability, capacity, and scalability to investors. Now you can learn how they did it. *
The Business Design Blueprint is the second element in building business infrastructure. It takes the departments and roles identified in the Business Parts Analysis and spatially arranges them according to your chain of command. Itโs also like a vision board for your business that allows you to measure and track your success in achieving team expansion goals.
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In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre gives a guided tour on the Business Design Blueprint โ what it is, how to make one for your company, and why it differs from a traditional organizational chart. If you apply the lessons, then youโll walk away with a visual illustration of your companyโs growth goals as well as a clear promotional path for each role. If thereโs any business infrastructure tool that shows how you plan to grow your company, itโs this one! Listen now!
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/185-how-to-create-a-business-design-blueprint-for-emerging-small-businesses
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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What comes to mind when you think of an organizational chart? Do you have one for your small business? After listening to this episode, youโll understand just how powerful this tool is.
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An organizational chart visually communicates more than just your companyโs chain of command, but also its maturity and growth opportunities. For these reasons, at Equilibria, we refer to it as a Business Design Blueprint. It represents one of the seven elements of the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure.
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This episode features the story of Albert Andoh, the bright-eyed and ambitious founder of an emerging tech startup. His software companyโs popularity is beginning to expand beyond its local market. Most people have no idea heโs a teenager, that is until he speaks publicly at a conference. The extra attention means more business but can also expose his vulnerabilities as a leader. A consultant introduces him to the Business Design Blueprint as a way of proving capacity, capability, and scalability to investors.
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๐ Behind the Faรงade Book: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/184-childs-play-the-story-of-albert-andoh-the-emerging-tech-startup
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Welcome to the masterclass edition of the Business Infrastructure podcast! In the first episode, you heard the story of Emily Miller, the founder of a fast-growing non-profit. She met a consultant who introduced her to a Business Parts Analysis as a means of sustaining the growth. *
As Emily discovered, fast growth is exciting but requires adding more people to your team to make sure important tasks donโt get overlooked. Sometimes you may have to re-allocate roles and responsibilities and, through introspection, objectively evaluate your own role as a leader.
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The Business Parts Analysis is the first element in building business infrastructure. It sets the foundation upon which all other back-office activities are organized and managed.
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In this episode, youโll learn more about what a Business Parts Analysis is and how to create one in your growing organization through a series of exercises. The results include task, role, and department identification along with a prioritized hiring strategy and succinct job descriptions to attract the right talent. No, this isnโt just for non-profit organizations. Itโs for entrepreneurs and owners of any small business serious about scaling back-office operations to the next level.
๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/183-how-to-create-a-business-parts-analysis-for-a-fast-growing-small-business
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Itโs Season 15 on the Business Infrastructure podcast and weโre trying something different. Many of you asked for it and itโs here โ a business infrastructure masterclass! *
Over the next 13 episodes, youโll hear the alternating stories of entrepreneurs faced with the challenges of unfilled customer demand and the specific tactics used to calm the chaos. Discover how they each rise to the challenge through lessons taught by Alicia Butler Pierre โ lessons that you can immediately apply to your small business.
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First up is the story of Emily Miller, the founder and Executive Director of a fast-growing non-profit. An appearance on a daytime talk show puts her non-profit on the map but also exposes her leadership weakness. When she learns the board is threatening to replace her, she springs into action by hiring a consultant who introduces her to the Business Parts Analysis โ the first element of building business infrastructure. This helps secure her future and reputation.
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๐ Links to Resources: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/182-identity-crisis-the-story-of-emily-miller-the-fast-growing-non-profit
โ Send your questions to Alicia on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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Trello. Asana. Monday.com. ClickUp. These are all amazing tools. And weโve tried them all here at the Business Infrastructure podcast, but in the end, we landed on Notion as the tool to organize our back-office operations.
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Notion is an all-in-one digital workspace that brings together once disparate and hidden documentation into a single platform. Information once buried in nested folders on a network, the cloud, or hard drives is now visible and easy to search. The level of transparency it affords teams is perhaps one of its greatest features. It even integrates with dozens of other tools like Slack, Figma, Google Sheets, and YouTube.
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In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre gives a guided audio (and visual) tour of how we use Notion to manage all aspects of our production scheduling. This is the final episode of Season 14 โ Game-Changing Technologies. Discover how you can create a CRM complete with pictures and audio files as well as project management boards and editorial and content calendars, all in Notion.
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๐ Links to Resources Alicia recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/181-alicia-butler-pierre-reveals-how-the-business-infrastructure-podcast-uses-notion-for-production-scheduling
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Tal Zlotnitsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Our.Love, an exciting and unique startup that combines love and relationship wellness with technology. Whatโs love got to do with business? Everything! Your personal relationship can affect your work performance, especially if you operate a business with your significant other.
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Our.Love might be a startup, but Tal is no stranger to entrepreneurship. His incredible journey from being a famous child star in Israel to emigrating to America where no one knew him, laid the foundation for his future career as a baseball player and ultimately, a serial entrepreneur. But when the covid pandemic happened, he walked away from his last highly successful venture.
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In this episode, Tal gives a candid account of how his previously failed relationships led him to start Our.Love. He also shares how he and his team used Figma, a no-code user interface software design tool, to design and deploy the Our.Love app. Youโll get a 2-for-1 in this episode - discover how to not only improve your relationship but also how to take your software or app concept from idea to pitch-ready. Ideas no longer have to be a figment of your imagination.
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๐ Links to Resources Tal recommends: https://www.eqbsystems.com/podcast/180-tal-zlotnitsky-explains-how-he-used-figma-to-design-the-relationship-app-our-love
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Kate Ericksonโs back! When she first appeared on the show, she shared some of the key processes and philosophies behind Entrepreneur on Fireโs (EOFire) operational excellence. This time, sheโs giving us an audio tour of the game-changing technology she credits with powering the back-office operations of EOFireโs 7-figure business โ Asana.
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As the โheartbeatโ and Chief Implementer at EOFire, Kateโs passion and enthusiasm for ensuring information and work flows as seamlessly and efficiently as possible is evident. Although you may only know Asana as a task and project management tool, you might be surprised to learn how she also uses it as a team communications hub.
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In this episode, Kate describes their overall process from getting information into Asana and assigning due dates to divvying up work amongst their remote team and keeping the lines of communication open. Listen as she explains why Asanaโs simplicity and ease of use made it ripe for quick adoption in building their business infrastructure. As a bonus, youโll also learn some of Kateโs favorite productivity resources that you can apply to your growing business!
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๐ Links to Resources Kate recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/12/12/179-kate-erickson-describes-how-eofire-uses-asana-to-power-their-7-figure-business
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Kimanzi Constable sums up his entrepreneurial journey as โI used to deliver bread for a living, now I write.โ Of course, thereโs more to his story than this. A lot more. Through his relentless pursuit for building a profitable six-figure online business, heโs now the author of four books, has appeared on over 250 podcasts, and has written articles for over 80 publications including Forbes and Business Insider.
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Yes, at one time he did deliver bread. In fact, he started a vacation relief service for commercial drivers when he was 19 years old and primarily took on routes for Sara Lee Bakery. Although it was financially successful, Kimanzi admits that operational oversights and mismanagement led to him to eventually shut it down.
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Shortly afterward, through introspection, he decided he wanted a better lifestyle for himself. One where he could spend more quality time with his family without the fear of burnout constantly looming. That search led him to study those who successfully built online businesses free from geographical boundaries. Soon, he co-founded Results Global Impact Consulting (RGIC). Together, he and his wife and co-founder, Cindy, teach others how to capitalize on their expertise and showcase it through content marketing strategy and implementation.
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In this episode, Kimanzi reveals how they use ActiveCampaign, an email marketing software, to share lessons on how to leverage large media publications to increase visibility, build brand authority, and grow revenue. He also explains why, despite all the emerging digital marketing technologies, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to communicate with your customers and network. Discover how to take your personal or business brand from obscure to visible or from unknown to mainstream and watch your profitability soar!
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๐ Links to Resources Kimanzi recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/12/05/178-kimanzi-constable-shares-tips-for-using-active-campaign-to-manage-content-marketing-boost-visibility-and-establish-credibility
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Every U.S. Dollar in Research & Development (R&D) tax credit yields $20 in new economic activity. With that kind of return, why donโt more small businesses take advantage of these tax credits? Answering that question is what led Lloyed Lobo on his fintech journey. *
With a background in software engineering, Lloyed was already familiar with technology companies and enjoyed a successful career leading sales and marketing teams as well as being a serial entrepreneur. One venture was Boast Capital โ a consulting firm focused on securing R&D tax credits for businesses. Thatโs when the answer to the unclaimed tax credit question became clear โ the reason more than $200 billion USD goes unclaimed globally each year to fund innovation is because of the slow, archaic application-to-funding process. This led to the development of Boast.AI, a software designed to automate the tax credit application process so companies can get more money faster and with reduced audit risk.
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In this episode, Lloyed not only shares how you can use Boast.AI to fund your small businessโ innovation, but he also gives insights on how he and his team built this successful tech startup. Discover the business infrastructure they designed to support rapid growth not only in their customer base but also in their employee base - an increase from 30 to 100 in just five months! As a bonus, youโll also learn Lloyedโs four stages for building a startup as well as the ingredients for his scale recipe: customer-centricity, community, and relentless prioritization.
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If you want to know how you can claim R&D tax credits to fund your companyโs growth and how to scale that growth sustainably, then you donโt want to miss this episode!
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๐ Links to Resources Lloyed recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/11/28/177-lloyd-lobo-reveals-how-to-quickly-secure-rd-tax-credits-for-funding-business-innovation-with-boast-ai
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When Jason Cavness joined the US Army at 19, he took a test to determine his optimal career starting in the military. He had a choice between working as a parachute repairman or working in Human Resources (H.R.) He chose the latter - the allure being the opportunity to live in Germany.
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25 years later, he retired and through a chance encounter met someone who suggested he fill a gap in the marketplace for H.R. services in fast-growing small businesses. Not knowing what a startup was, he took a leap of faith and started CavnessHR.
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CavnessHR is an H.R. software as a service platform. In this episode, Jason makes the case for why H.R. processes, policies, and protocol is so important in small businesses and how CavnessHR automates these areas. If you operate a small business with 49 or fewer employees, find out how you can take advantage of a free trial of CavnessHR โ available only through this podcast.
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๐ Links to Resources Jason recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/11/21/176-jason-cavness-describes-how-to-automate-h-r-processes-for-small-businesses-with-cavnesshr
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You've probably heard the expression, โIt takes money to make money.โ But what happens if youโre never given a fair shot at getting access to money? This is the dilemma of too many small businesses. They canโt grow, let alone scale because traditional banks wonโt lend them the money required to invest in hiring more people, streamlining key processes, and upgrading equipment and technology. Flowcast is on a mission to change this narrative.
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Flowcast is an ING Ventures-backed company offering Financial Technology (FinTech) platforms like Tillful to level the playing field for access to business credit. Their technology computes a business credit score based on the whole picture of a small businessโ financial activities and not just part of it. Just a little over a year old, thousands of new small business customers sign up every month for a free Tillful account.
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As the Marketing Director at Flowcast, Amber Fehrenbacher knows a successful startup when she sees one. With a history of working with highly ambitious teams with multi-million and billion-dollar valuations, she has a unique perspective on what it takes to evolve from a startup to a scaleup.
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In this episode, Amber explains why she describes Tillful as a โportal to business infrastructure.โ Specifically, she shares how the platformโs technology works on the back-end as well as the on the front-end to create an easy, hassle-free customer experience. We also talk about the importance of adding your businessโ credit score to your list of metrics to monitor to ensure your business gets access to the funding it deserves. Discover how to get credit for all the hard work youโve put into your business โ literally and financially!
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๐ Links to Resources Amber recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/11/14/175-amber-fehrenbacher-shares-how-to-increase-small-business-credit-scores-for-access-to-capital-with-tillful
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Benjamin J. Shapiro produces and hosts not one, but two, top-charting podcasts โ MarTech and Voices of Search. Considering his success, itโs hard to believe that none of it may have happened were it not for the rejection he faced right after college as a door-to-door salesman.
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That rejection, coupled with sales training, eventually led Ben to eBay. Working at the e-commerce giant gave him exposure to startup culture. Inspired, he found himself leaving there to start his own company. This is when he began learning about integrating technologies as a non-technical founder.
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With his previous sales experience and his newfound interest in using technology in marketing, Ben later started a consulting firm. He started the MarTech (marketing technology) podcast as a way of meeting new potential clients. 1,000 episodes later, the podcast has taken on a life of its own!
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In this episode, Ben details how he and his team landed on Monday.com as their platform of choice for automating and streamlining the operations of two daily podcasts. He also gives a candid account of the amount of time it took to set up their workflows on Monday.com. Thereโs even a healthy debate about whether processes should be documented prior to selecting a digital technology.
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Mondays donโt have to be the most dreaded day of the week. Listen and be inspired to use Monday.com to give you and your team a level of workflow transparency to look forward to!
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๐ Links to Resources Ben recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/11/07/174-benjamin-shapiro-reveals-how-monday-com-streamlines-the-operations-behind-martech-podcast
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Stephanie Espy is one of the 19% of women (and 3% of women of color) who earn an engineering degree in America. Growing up in a family surrounded by scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, she considers herself โluckyโ considering such grim stats. Lucky because she had a type of exposure growing up that many girls and young women don't.
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After working as a chemical engineer and eventually pursuing an MBA, she decided to start a business, MathSP, a premier STEM-focused academic and test prep coaching company. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Through MathSP, Stephanie blends the skills she learned working in industry with her mission to reach the historically disadvantaged and underrepresented in the educational system.
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Her outreach efforts became front and center stage with the premiere of her acclaimed book, STEM Gems. That book soon became a national movement and found Stephanie on stages, in classrooms, and facilitating events.
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And then the pandemic happened. Just when it seemed the momentum she gained was in jeopardy, Stephanie and her team quickly sprang into action. They learned how to apply digital technologies like Zoom and Hopin to continue offering their various events and programs.
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In this episode, Stephanie, an MIT, UC Berkeley, and Emory graduate, takes us on her career transition journey starting with her passion for figuring out how things work. She then details the process she developed for transforming her once in-person only events to the first virtual STEM Gems Summit. She also describes the team of people behind-the-scenes required to produce online events and how this business infrastructure led to the international expansion of the STEM Gems movement.
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Listen and be inspired as you discover exactly how you can also expand your outreach through Zoom and Hopin.
๐ Links to Resources Stephanie recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/31/173-how-stephanie-espy-scales-exposure-to-stem-careers-for-girls-via-online-events-on-zoom-and-hopin
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Does hearing about robots or robotic technology trigger doomsday images of nonhuman entities taking over with unbridled power? That fear is often rooted in the unknown. And thatโs why technologists like Dean Hamilton are so important. As a Partner and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Wilson & Perumal, he knows that education is necessary in squashing these kinds of fears.
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In 30 years, Deanโs experience runs the gamut of software engineer to Founder to advisory board member and now the C-suite. He has a firsthand account of the evolution of software technologies and says, โWe live in a golden age of no-programming techโ - one of which is Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
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In this episode, Dean explains what RPA is, how it falls along a spectrum of intelligent automation tools, and why it can be incredibly useful in streamlining repetitive back-office tasks. Itโs the boring humdrum of these repetitive tasks where our operations are most prone to errors. Errors that lead to lost profit, angry customers, and sullied reputations.
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With this type of technology becoming more accessible, it can be a game-changer, but Dean warns of the magic bullet syndrome. He makes an argument for prioritizing processes before technology, building a center of excellence for automation in your company, and stripping operations of adverse complexity to maximize the benefits of tools like RPA.
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Get in on this game-changing technology and gain efficiencies. Itโs not as scary or complicated as it may seem.
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๐ Links to Resources Dean recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/24/172-dean-hamilton-describes-how-to-streamline-repetitive-tasks-with-robotic-process-automation-rpa
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Obscurity will kill any business. No matter how great your products or services are, if enough people donโt know about them and patronize your business, then it wonโt matter. The odds appear to be stacked against small businesses in increasing their visibility. How can they compete against their larger, more established competitors when they have limited budgets for advertising, branding, and publicity?
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Thatโs where Colt Briner comes in. As the Founder and virtual Chief Marketing Officer of Scrappy AF Solutions, he levels the playing field for small businesses through digital marketing strategies. Small businesses donโt need to have budgets fit for Super Bowl ads to become formidable competitors.
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Instead, Colt argues that through creativity, ingenuity, and some grit work, smaller companies can โput some stank on itโ and leverage free and low-cost digital technologies to revolutionize their marketing processes. As a former professional magician, he quickly learned the formula for attracting customers โ engagement, communication, and entertainment.
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Now, he combines those skills with his experiences as a startup executive in growing a business to a $1 billion valuation. In this episode, Colt shares six digital marketing technologies that startups and emerging small businesses can leverage to build, manage, grow, and scale their exposure. He also shares additional tools to support your companyโs back-office operations in executing these strategies.
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Thereโs no need to go rogue in your marketing efforts. Go digital instead and discover how your company can concoct its own magical potion for transforming its marketing team, processes, and technologies from scrappy to smooth.
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๐ Links to Resources Colt recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/17/171-colt-briner-shares-6-digital-marketing-technologies-that-make-small-businesses-more-competitive
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With a background in writing and product design, Tracy Hazzard has a history of being an early adopter of technology. She had the foresight to start her first podcast in 2015 as a means of testing the 3D printing market. And itโs a good thing she did because the lessons she and her husband/business partner learned eventually led to their co-creation of Brandcasters, Inc. โ the largest podcast post-production company in the world!
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Podetize is their flagship product where Marketing-as-a-Service (MaaS) meets Software-as-a-Service. They currently have over 600 podcasts as clients and with so many moving parts, having a streamlined way to integrate their operational workflows with their accounting and CRM applications is paramount. Thatโs where ClickUp comes in.
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In this episode, Tracy explains how they use ClickUp, a cloud-based project management technology that has revolutionized the way they manage and track critical tasks allocated amongst a team of 90+ people spread across the globe. She also describes how theyโve assembled a dream team of in-house technologists to integrate ClickUp with other technologies for a truly all-in-one workplace solution.
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Discover the processes and business infrastructure that supports Podetize and learn how you can retrofit ClickUp to automate your small businessโ back-office operations!
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๐ Links to Resources Tracy recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/10/170-tracy-hazzard-explains-how-podetize-uses-clickup-to-scale-up-their-operations
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Weโre excited to bring you a new season of the Business Infrastructure podcast and itโs going to be a game-changer! Kicking things off is Jay Jemal, a Sr. Technologist and the Founder of Blucidy - a revolutionary SaaS company that combines the power of Blockchain, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence.
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If those tech terms sound scary, then youโre in luck because Jay breaks them down in a way that makes sense and is relevant to smaller businesses. Originally from Ethiopia, heโs used to translating complex ideas, concepts, and language.
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Over the past 20 years, heโs accumulated an impressive set of technology accomplishments and credentials across various industries, starting with telecommunications. Now, his focus is primarily on federal healthcare. This led to the creation of Blucidy as a social innovation platform designed to foster organizational transparency and accountability for the benefit of humanity.
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In this episode, Jay explains what blockchain technology is and debunks the myth that its only for large organizations. He also shares examples of how different industries can use it to collect, manage, and secure the data used to make critical operational and process improvement decisions. Discover how you can apply this game-changing technology to ensure a single source of truth when it comes to managing your companyโs data.
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๐ Links to Resources Jay recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/10/03/169-jay-jemals-tips-for-improving-operations-with-blockchain-technology
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Podcasting has been around longer than you might think. Although the pandemic caused a surge in both listenership and creators, there are some shows that have been around for a long time. Entrepreneurs on Fire (EOFire) is a nearly 10-year-old podcast with over 100M+ downloads and 3,240 episodes and counting!
This is the final episode of Season 13 โ Operational Excellence. It features a live recording at the 2021 Podcast Movement Conference with Kate Erickson, the person in charge of back-office operations at EOFire.
Listen as Kate gives us the inside scoop on the workflows and operational excellence strategies that keeps EOFireโs content fresh, their community amped, and their stellar team motivated. Thereโs value for all entrepreneurs with this episode, even if you donโt have a podcast.
Discover automation tools that will simplify your workflows. Apply concepts Kate shares to build a profitable lead generation or sales funnel. And take advantage of the resources she recommends, including a free copy of EOFireโs production workflow!
๐ Links to Resources Kate recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/26/168-alicia-butler-pierre-and-kate-erickson-discuss-the-workflows-and-operational-excellence-strategies-behind-entrepreneurs-on-fire
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As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of PSS Gary Nickol aptly describes his role as, โโฆthe glue between staff, customers, and the community.โ PSS is a visual aid and communication tools company for educators. Their growth was once stagnated by a top-down leadership model.
That is until new owners came on board.
Gary championed a bottom-up model, one that empowers employees to own their work and the results. This recommendation was rooted in his former experiences leading his own company as well as managing people and overseeing customer support at Best Buy.
In this episode, Gary shares how, in just 16 months, PSS nearly doubled its employee size despite the pandemic. He also describes his guideposts for operational excellence and the role it plays in enabling them to keep up with fast growth without sacrificing quality. Discover how you can apply these concepts to grow and scale your business too!
๐ Links to Resources Gary recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/18/167-how-an-operational-excellence-culture-catalyzes-scale-featuring-gary-nickol
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Sharon Idahosa is on a mission to reduce world hunger and ultimately make food scarcity a thing of the past. Following an internship in the oil and gas industry, she realized the source of her stress was rooted in ignoring her passion. So, she changed direction and pursued a degree in agriculture instead.
Now, sheโs the founder and CEO of Lifex Agriculture Initiative, a fast-growing Nigerian startup. They leverage the power of new media to empower rural farmers with the education, communication, and transportation resources needed to increase food security.
In this episode, Sharon shares what it's really like to start an agriculture business in Nigeria, the worldโs sixth most populated country. She also makes the case for establishing a foundation in operational excellence as she expands her team and their services. Discover Sharonโs processes for navigating supply chain disruptions, changes in supply and demand, and encroaching food deserts.
๐ Links to Resources Sharon recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/12/166-operational-excellence-and-the-business-of-agriculture-with-sharon-idahosa
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Trillion-dollar companies arenโt built overnight. It takes a customer-centric model, a willingness to fail, and a relentless pursuit of innovation paired with operational excellence. No one knows this better than Tim Leslie. Heโs the corporate law attorney turned former 20-year Amazon executive that led the expansion of Prime Video into 200 countries.
When Prime launched in 2005, it didnโt make a profit for five or six years. Now, itโs one of Amazonโs three greatest inventions alongside AWS and Marketplace.
In this episode (and his first-ever podcast interview), Tim shares the playbook he used to scale Prime Video. Specifically, he highlights the hiring strategy, turnkey processes, and other tools that made rapid expansion possible. He even addresses some of Amazonโs controversies and fills us in on his latest passion โ working with small organic suppliers. Discover the A to Z of how to take an idea for a new service or product from a seed to a juggernaut!
๐ Links to Resources Tim recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/09/05/165-the-operational-excellence-strategy-for-expanding-amazon-prime-video-with-tim-leslie
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Lynda Martin grew up in a family of entrepreneurs, so it was only natural sheโd become one herself. But when she started her first venture, her co-founders didnโt think women belonged in leadership. So she left, started Goodwin Growth Works, and never looked back.
Also armed with a strong background in staffing and H.R., sheโs on a mission to โโฆrepair the world, one small business at a time.โ One way she does that is through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
In this episode, Lynda describes what EOS is and shares a case study of a company that applied it and grew sales by 32% each year for two years in a row. Discover the EOS formula for setting your vision and gaining traction towards effective leadership, sustainable growth, and operational excellence!
๐ Links to Resources Lynda recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/29/164-what-is-eos-and-how-does-it-lead-to-operational-excellence-with-lynda-martin
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In 2012, Hassan Dantata found himself alone in a hospital room. Heโd just had a bone marrow transplant that required isolation for two months with a 50/50 chance of survival. With nothing but his โimagination and a dreamโ along with a burning desire for a smartphone, his resourcefulness led him to become an eBay vendor.
Eventually, he graduated from being an e-commerce vendor to starting a full-service digital solutions agency for the optical industry, Raven & Macaw, Ltd. His youth advocacy work has earned him coverage in GQ and British Vogue magazines and the World Economic Forum.
In this episode, Hassan describes how he came to carve a niche and the specific actions heโs taking to build a SaaS company rooted in operational excellence. Youโll also discover how heโs navigating the challenges of recruiting top tech talent. If youโre looking for inspiration to start or grow your business following a personal setback, then Hassanโs story of resilience, tenacity, and consistency may be just what the doctor ordered!
๐ Links to Resources Hassan recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/22/163-creating-an-operational-excellence-culture-in-a-tech-startup-with-hassan-dantata
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Lauren Hisey thought she wanted to be a lawyer until she took some law classes and realized she didnโt have a passion for it. A chance encounter working at a call center while in college helped her discover that her true love was in operations. She went on to have a successful career working at AT&T and Nielsen, leading projects that saved both companies millions. Now, Lauren has her own consultancy where she applies her signature โcalming influenceโ as well as Lean Six Sigma principles to help companies improve profitability and achieve sustainable growth.
In this episode, Lauren shares a behind-the-scenes account of how she helped a company turn around a grim situation โ handling unanticipated demand for their new product with limited, burnt-out staff, high customer support hold times, and rising costs. While doing so, she describes what a Gemba walk is and why uncovering root causes is essential to identifying and solving the right fast-growth challenges.
๐ Links to Resources Lauren recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/15/162-uncovering-root-causes-of-chaotic-growth-on-the-path-to-operational-excellence-with-lauren-hisey
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Back in the early โ70s, Dr. Frank Barsi escaped communist Hungary in the cover of night. He swam his way to Austria and eventually arrived in America with literally just the clothes on his back. Determined to start a new life, he quickly joined the U.S. Army. He would later go on to earn multiple engineering degrees. It was at his first job out of college that he was introduced to Six Sigma. At that time, the quality framework was well received in Asia, but not in America.
In this episode, Dr. Barsi reflects on his 40-year career in the aerospace industry. Itโs a fascinating account of his journey in applying Six Sigma to improve a variety of production processes. That work spans developing flight controls for fighter jets and revolutionizing the casting industry.
Not sure what Six Sigma is or how you can apply it to your small business? Get ready to take notes as Dr. Barsi explains the framework, its key principles, and how you can apply some of its tools to dramatically increase profitability.
๐ Links to Resources Dr. Barsi recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/08/161-what-is-six-sigma-and-how-does-it-lead-to-operational-excellence-a-masterclass-with-dr-frank-barsi
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Letโs be honest, talking about data (and business infrastructure) might not seem like the most exciting thing. Too often we associate these topics with machinery and not humans! Thatโs why Michiko Wolcott says we need to โDe-tech the tech.โ Itโs the foundation for her success as a strategic consultant.
Michiko grew up in Japan. Although she was fluent in music and math, she knew little English when she and her family relocated to a small town in Alabama. She eventually learned the language, pursued advanced degrees in music and statistics, and discovered a new love - data. Now, she leverages data and analytics to achieve profitable breakthroughs for her clients.
Thatโs impressive considering 70% of data initiatives fail.
You might be surprised to hear a high-tech expert advocate focusing on people first, then process, then technology. In this episode, Michiko shares how her refreshing approach enabled a company plagued with an overrun budget to complete 80% of its project goals in record time. Be inspired and ready to take action as you learn how to unlock the potential data and analytics can also have on your companyโs operations.
๐ Links to Resources Michiko recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/08/01/160-leveraging-data-and-analytics-for-operational-excellence-with-michiko-wolcott
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When Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker began working at the University of Michigan, he was asked to be part of a research team to study American and Asian car manufacturers. One company stood out โ Toyota. He then spent the next 20 years studying the Toyota Way โ the management system responsible for them becoming the worldโs leading manufacturer.
His first book, ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฏ, summarized his research and introduced the Lean framework for waste reduction, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. That was in 1997 and it sold 40k copies in the first six months. Fast forward 24 years and the second edition of his ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐บ๐ฐ๐ต๐ข ๐๐ข๐บ book sells over 1M copies in the first six months!
This is less of an interview and more of a masterclass. Lessons include:
1) A summary of the 14 management principles of The Toyota Way,
2) Using perfection as a direction toward breakthrough results and not an end goal, and
3) What operational excellence means and looks like, and much more!
Find out why Dr. Liker says operations leaders should prioritize the underlying philosophy and scientific thinking of Lean over which tools to use. Donโt miss this opportunity to hear from the author of the definitive guide on Lean production!
๐ Links to Resources Dr. Liker recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/25/159-the-toyota-way-for-achieving-operational-excellence-a-masterclass-with-jeffrey-liker-ph-d
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Carol Sanford has 40+ years of experience working with leaders of companies looking to grow and change the world for the better. As she puts it, โMy essence is to disrupt certainty.โ But letโs be clear, sheโs not a coach or a consultant. Instead, sheโs a resource focused on increasing peopleโs capability for consciousness. Through this consciousness, leaders can grow better businesses.
Her secret sauce is rooted in lessons from her Iroquois heritage and her experience working with high-profile executives at companies like Google and DuPont as well as entrepreneurs and experts.
In this episode, Carol: 1) describes her regenerative thinking method for growing businesses, 2) defines the three types of excellence to strive for in operating a business, and 3) explains why businesses should focus on regeneration instead of transformation. Prepare to be wowed!
๐ Links to Resources Carol recommends: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/18/158-using-regenerative-thinking-to-achieve-operational-excellence-with-carol-sanford
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Supply chains represent the people, processes, and technology required to move goods and services from production to consumption. And yes, every organization has one. Airplanes, railcars, ships, trucks, pipelines, and broadband all represent the arteries through which our goods and services are transported. This is Tim Doonerโs (aka โDoonerโ), specialty. In fact, heโs built FreightCasts, the worldโs largest logistics and supply chain podcast network.
A pandemic, labor shortages, rising demand and prices, and crumbling or compromised means of transportation all threaten our ability to fulfill orders or service agreements. In this episode, Dooner explains the delicate interconnectivity of transportation infrastructure, the domino effect of supply chain disruptions, and tips for sustaining operations during those disruptions.
๐ Links to Resources: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/11/157-tim-dooner-explains-operational-excellence-in-transportation-and-supply-chains
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Emily Thompson epitomizes being boss. In fact, six years ago she co-founded a podcast by the same name, and it quickly became a formidable movement for creatives around the world. But her success didnโt start there. It began with her love for geography. That love spawned a series of successful businesses with the latest being Almanac Supply Co. โ a retail operation offering nature-inspired goods.
This ventureโs success hinges on Emilyโs process advocacy. In an industry where profit margins are traditionally tight, having an even tighter order-to-delivery process is key to fulfilling demand and reaching economies of scale.
In this episode, she describes a term she coined, โsmall batch retail,โ and the optimal combination of people, processes, and tools required to navigate supply chain constraints and achieve operational excellence in it. Discover why Emily says every leader needs a wolf pack and the importance of performing annual process audits.
๐ Links to Resources: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/07/04/156-how-emily-thompson-achieves-operational-excellence-in-small-batch-retail
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Hi, Iโm Alicia and for many years, pricing was admittedly my Achilles heel in my business. With so many pricing models and strategies to choose from, I always found it easier to price products than services. Eventually, I began to seek counsel from pricing experts as well as a variety of renowned books backed by research.
As I consumed this information and put it into practice, I noticed it did not yield the same favorable results as some of my colleagues. Not one to give up easily, Iโd experiment with another model and strategy combination, but often to no avail.
It wasnโt until I started sharing my frustrations with others, that I began to accept an ugly, harsh reality. A reality missing from the experts and books in their discourse about the psychology of pricing services โ racial and gender bias and discrimination.
In this Season 12 finale, I share a personal experience of being forced into low-balling, underbidding, and undervaluing my services just to โkeep the lights on.โ Itโs difficult to scale operations when youโve been told youโre excellent at what you do and the services you provide, yet cannot charge prices that reflect that value.
I talk about the domino effect of consistently not being able to implement value-based pricing has on a companyโs inability to attract capital and invest in people and the latest technologies. I also share four recommendations that could lead to solutions.
Thank you in advance for listening! Please connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter if youโve had similar experiences!
๐ Link to sponsors and resources I recommend at: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/06/27/155-diversity-digital-transformation-pricing-while-black-with-alicia-butler-pierre
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As a physician, scientist, MBA, and certified life coach, Dr. Soliman is a self-described lifelong learner. One important lesson heโs learned is that, as leaders, we make many energy-depleting decisions throughout the day. This impacts our ability to operate at peak performance.
In this episode, he teaches: 1) why we should focus on energy management instead of time management, 2) why we should beware of cognitive dissonance, and 3) how diversity, inclusion, and fast-paced technologies impact our mental health.
Dr. Soliman also shares his 3-phase process for helping people navigate these changes to achieve the best outcome, which ultimately is a win for them, their companies, and their customers!
Access links to our Sponsors and the full list of resources Dr. Soliman recommend at: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2021/06/20/154-diversity-digital-transformation-navigating-changes-at-work-with-dr-soliman
***Like What You Heard?
***Please Support our Sponsors, Subscribe to the Show, and Leave a Review!
As an Executive VP at HubSpot, Alison Elworthy witnessed the companyโs diversity evolution up close. Now, sheโs advocating for diversity among departments that receive investment priority. In this episode, Alison explains what a Revenue Operations (RevOps) business unit is. She also reveals how HubSpotโs new Operations Hub software can transform a small business's ability to connect and centralize workflows for cleaner data and a better customer experience. Resources at: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
What do Katie Couric, Lenny Kravitz, and Marie Forleo all have in common? They've all been styled by Elsa Isaac. As a preeminent wardrobe fashion stylist, she draws from her Eritrean heritage to tailor looks that ditch conformity, celebrate the diversity of her clientsโ body shapes, and aligns with the images they want to project. In this episode, Elsa describes how she and her team completely digitized their back-office operations without compromising the high-end quality sheโs known for. Resources at: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Jennifer Wang began her career with a major advantage. Being Chinese-American, speaking fluent Japanese, and having lived in multiple countries as a child afforded her an appreciation for cultural differences. Now, as a prominent event planner, she imbues this with every project. In this episode, Jennifer speaks openly about the importance of having difficult conversations to build an all-star team and the business infrastructure she leverages to land clients like Netflix. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Attend a top-ranked university, check. Move up the ranks at IBM, check. Become a CEO by age 40, check. Shellye Archambeau is unapologetically ambitious and achieves what she believes. But itโs not by accident. As one of the first black women to lead a high-tech Silicon Valley company, she embodies hard work, strategic planning, and carefully crafted execution. In this episode, Shellye pays it forward by revealing the teams, technologies, and processes that helped her rise to the top and eventually turn around MetricStream. Resources: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
When it comes to traditional and new media, Steven Cuoco has been there and done that. So, when he describes himself as the โWikiLeaks of Public Relations,โ itโs for good reason. In this episode, he taps into his 25+ years of experience to give a no-holds-barred masterclass on pitching and presenting to media. Youโll learn breakthrough strategies to protect your companyโs coffers and operations from publicity scams, technology blunders, and pay-to-play models. Show notes: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Lily Allen-Dueรฑas is a modern Renaissance woman. Her work in marketing, the arts, and yoga has led her to teach and interact with women around the world. Now, as the Interim Executive Director of The State of Women Institute, she has a platform to amplify the voices of this under-represented and marginalized group. In this episode, Lily describes the organizationโs technology platform that provides access to financial resources to educate and empower diverse women and girls. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Len Samborowski moved up the ranks to become a Colonel in the U.S. Army. Realizing he would not become a General, he retired after 30 years. Transitioning to civilian life led him to an assistant football coach position and later a college professor, but it did not come without challenges. In this episode, Len shares why a veteranโs knowledge of the latest technologies, experience being around different people, and a mission-focused work ethic can serve businesses well. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Tonia Morris noticed shifts in team makeup as she climbed the corporate ladder. Teams were composed of diverse generations which led to challenges and opportunities. After she became an Executive VP of H.R., she resigned and founded SimplyHR. Now, sheโs known as the โGenerational Connector.โ In this episode, Tonia provides a blueprint for navigating communication hurdles caused by multiple generations and offers a process for leveraging technology to overcome them. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Gregory Brownโs mother was told her son would never graduate high school. Not only did he finish high school without attending special education courses, but he also graduated from college. He never let cerebral palsy hinder him. Ultimately, his childhood love for computers led him to become a digital strategist. In this episode, Greg shares his process for selecting technologies to digitize your operations. He also reveals how to tap an underutilized talent pool โ those with disabilities. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 145.
When Punam Saxenaโs family relocated to a small town in Georgia, her neighbors asked what tribe they belonged to. They mistakenly thought her family was Native American, not Indians from India. Growing up ostracized, she knows the impact of social isolation and vowed to do something about it. In this episode, Punam shares her process for coaching parents to become active partners with their childrenโs teachers through open communication that leverages new technologies.ย
Jesse Torres is the American-born son of Mexican immigrant parents. Growing up in multi-cultural Los Angeles, heโs not uncomfortable being around people who looked different from him. So, as he grew his consultancy, ArroyoWest, building a diverse team came naturally. Heโs also no stranger to technology. In this episode, Jesse shares how leaders can prepare for the future of work by leveraging government programs to digitize operations and diversify their workforce. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 143.
Weโve come to the end of another amazing season of the Business Infrastructure podcast. In this episode, Alicia does her traditional end-of-season monologue, but with a twist โ she talks about the people, processes, and tools that set the foundation to scale. And, as she explains, none of this work was in vain, as evident by the special announcement she makes that will take this podcast to the next level. Get all the juicy details plus access to the show notes at: https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 142.
Although the barrier to entry into the fashion industry is low, itโs also fickle and highly competitive. Yet, when Kevin Afuwah and two childhood friends started Royal Kulture, their unique spin on dashikis took off! Soon, they found themselves relocating from NYC to L.A. for cost-efficient production. In this episode, Kevin reminisces on how they scaled their brand, attracting celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Beyonce, only to shut it down. Find out why. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 140.
โScaling must be done with scientific precision.โ Sage advice from branding expert, Maureen Mwangi. She helps product-based companies become retail-ready with strategies rooted in data analytics and marketing research. In this episode, Maureen takes us on her journey from watching her parents build a strong brand in Kenya to her scaling products for Pepsi, Dove, and LโOreal in the U.S. She also describes the processes for scaling commercial vs. microenterprise products. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 140.
Laura Cathcart Robbins is an avid reader and dreamed of one day penning her own book. In 2018, she arrived excited at a popular writerโs retreat, only to leave dismayed when she realized she was the only black person there. Soon, an article she wrote about her experience went viral on the Huffington Post. It led to a movement that quickly grew into a podcast. In this episode, Laura chronicles the behind-the-scenes work that scaled her podcast to the top 1.5 %. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 139.
Amal Hassan is living proof of the tenacity required to build, grow, and scale a business. She started a contact center three different times only to be forced to shut down. The fourth time was the charm. Now, Outsource Global employs over 850 people with clients in the U.S., UK, and Japan. In this episode, Amal gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the quality control measures to select the best people, processes, and tools that sustain Africaโs top BPO provider. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 138.
Lynn Bonnerโs tenure at Big 4 consulting firms, as a VP at U.S. Bank, and as a Founder is a trifecta of scaling success stories. She knows it takes energy, leadership, and action to get things done. As the CEO of her firm, Action Leadership Lab, she applies agile and digital transformation principles from her corporate experience to scale her clientsโ companies. In this episode, Lynn shares how to build and scale a sustainable business in short, incremental steps. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 137.
There are several ways you can scale your company, one being a Merger & Acquisition (M&A). But be careful. As Jeffrey Musgrove warns, โM&As always make sense on paper. The difficulty is the people part.โ With a career that spans wealth management, operations, and private equity, he knew what to look for when he merged his consultancy with Think Systems. In this episode, Jeff details how to execute an M&A starting with an analysis of each companyโs operating model. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 136.
Henry Kaminski started his marketing agency, Unique Designz, on a high. The clients and money flowed in. But all of that changed after Hurricane Sandy. Suddenly his bank account had a negative $2,500 balance. Down but not out, he invested in a course that gave him the tools to rebound. Then he had a different problem โ more business than he could handle! In this episode, Henry describes how he recruited and hired a remote team and took his business to new heights. https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 135.
Scaling your subject matter expertise may seem impossible, especially when people think consulting firms canโt scale. It isnโt true, as evidenced by Dorie Clark. She went from growing up in a small town to becoming the #1 communication coach in the world as well as a prolific author, speaker, and professor. How? In this episode, Dorie teaches organic marketing strategies to leverage your core competency, reinvent your brand, increase your visibility, and watch the money pour in! ย https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 134.
Thereโs no one way to scale, but a common and critical component is business infrastructure. Outgrow, a digital content marketing and technology company, is proof. In this episode, Saksham Sharda, the CIO and Creative Director at Outgrow, shares their 3-pronged approach to becoming New Yorkโs top B2B software company. Now, theyโre expanding globally. Get the full scoop plus resources he recommends at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 133.
โDonโt grow alone. Ask for help.โ Wise words from serial tech entrepreneur and investor, Jeff Wald. And he would know. After studying the causes of his first companyโs failure, he resurfaced, and, in true entrepreneur fashion, started another company. And then another. When he founded WorkMarket, he knew that scaling from 8 to 8,000 salespeople required business infrastructure. Eventually, Jeff sold two of his companies to ADP and Salesforce. In this episode, he shares exactly how he did it.
If accounting is the language of business, then technology is the language of scale. And todayโs successful leaders must be fluent in both. After working as an engineer and B2B salesman in Silicon Valley, Aman Agarwal started an education company to close the widening technical fluency gap he noticed among leaders. In this episode, he shares his equation for scaling and explains how you can measure your businessโ success by a formula. Access resources he recommends at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 131.
Kathleen Black values business infrastructure - itโs the basis for how she became one of the top real estate professionals in North America! She says, โWhen systems are clear, people are empowered.โ Now, she teaches other high performers how to build the most efficient and productive teams in the world. In this episode, Kathleen shares insights on the people, processes, and tools she leverages to stay in the top 1%. Access resources she recommends at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 130.
In this Season 10 finale, host Alicia Butler Pierre unpacks the importance of converting โwhyโ into โhowโ when facing business challenges. She uses this conversion as a backdrop to give updates on all guests and their respective workflows and technologies. Alicia also shares four lessons sheโs learned about operating a business in 2020. A special thank you to all guests, sponsors, and subscribers who made this season a smashing success!
Tasked with creating something that does good for the world, nine 10th and 11th graders conceived the HydroHat. Itโs a wearable technology designed to reduce heat-related stress and injuries. Though rejected by MIT for a $10k development grant, they forged ahead and formed a company called SenseHydro. In this episode, these young inventors/entrepreneurs give a live demo of their process from ideation to prototype design and patent protection. Listen, watch, and be inspired! https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 128.
Workflow improvement stumps small and large businesses alike. Where do you start? What framework will you use? As the founder of an emerging H.R. consultancy, Cornelius โNeilโ Dowdell faces these questions regularly. One thingโs for sure โ you have to identify and document processes before you can improve them. In this live consultation, Alicia shows Neil how simple tools like stick figures and note cards can help to quickly identify processes and more! Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/.
Incorporating technology into your workflows can significantly streamline operations. However, not all technologies integrate with each other. This leads to disparate data and worse, inaccurate analysis. Vertify solves this issue. In this episode, Wayne Lopez, the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Vertify, gives a live demo to show how it connects data and unifies teams in making better-informed decisions from a single source of truth. Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 126.
โThe answers to life are written in a book called YOU.โ This quote comes from poet, Jeffrey Pollard. Heโs self-published a series of poetry books and, naturally, wants to increase distribution. With over 2,700 self-published books launched daily, how can he get his to stand out? In this live consultation, heโs joined by his wife Francine Smith. Together, we discuss a book promotion process to increase visibility using digital marketing tools. Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 125.
As business leaders, weโre tethered to our laptops. After all, we can take them to in-person meetings, work on them while on an airplane, and use them at our home offices. But are we sacrificing comfort for mobility? Logitech designs best-in-class products that ensure both. In this episode, Art O Gnimh, a VP at Logitech, shares how to select the right mouse and keyboard and set them up in our home offices to maximize productivity and minimize pain. Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ Ep. 124.
Deborah Bailey, Cynthia Culbreath, and Karen Mills are on a mission. Theyโre helping entrepreneurs โget back to the basics of businessโ by harnessing their collective engineering and legal brainpower to power the Business Action Alliance. Part of their non-profitโs outreach involves podcasting. But where do they start and how? In this episode, we walk through a process and a checklist for setting up their podcast for sustainability and profitability! Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/.
Necessity is the mother of invention. Itโs what led to the creation of Thinksmart Whiteboard. When Joseph Powell realized there wasnโt a software on the market to emulate a collaborative whiteboard session remotely, he developed one himself. Now, Thinksmart Whiteboard powers remote whiteboarding sessions across America in real-time. In this episode, Joseph gives a demo of the app to show its versatile use in brainstorming, ideation, tutoring, and more! Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/.
At 14-years-old, Sebastian Flores is CEO of OctoGifts. What started as a unique handmade gift for his sweet-toothed friend, has now blossomed into a viable small business. Melanie Flores, his mom, lends her engineering and educator skills for operational support. But growing demand requires a more streamlined workflow. In this live consultation, youโll learn the steps this mother-and-son team can use to improve their D-I-Y productsโ kitting process. Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/.
Following her last corporate job Ai Ching Goh vowed, โNo more Monday blues!โ She knows the tedium of digesting reports filled with mounds of numerical data. There had to be a more impactful way to represent this data. This led to her co-founding Piktochart, a web-based visual storytelling app now used by over 8M people. In this episode, Ching gives a demo of Piktochart to show its use in visualizing data as infographics, presentations, and more! Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
All businesses compete for mindshare. Getting it is exciting! But what happens beyond getting attention? How do you go from clicks and views to money in the bank? The answer can stump even the most seasoned digital marketers. Among them is Ericka Bates, a consultant to freelance graphic designers. In this episode, Alicia gives her a process to test in LinkedIn. The goal is to increase the conversion of people from โinterestedโ to โregistered and paid.โ Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
When Twitter burst onto the scene in 2006, Janice Jensen studied its use of 140 characters. She figured video would be the next big thing. And her sister agreed. Their foresight led to the creation of rVidi โ a phone app that records videos in short, 30-sec soundbites. In this episode, Janice gives a demo of rVidi and shares its multiple uses as an efficient recording, editing, and communications tool. See the video and show notes https://businessinfrastructure.tv/
Go big or go home - a fitting mantra for Clarence Levy and Derek Gauthier. As the Co-Founders of MorTec Innovation, these engineers turned entrepreneurs have big plans for their emerging company. It began with their debut product, Protect My Cell. After favorable testing results, they now want a repeatable process to scale their success. In this Season 10 kickoff, Alicia gives them a foundation to start building their commercialization process. Watch the video at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/.
When Alicia Butler Pierre started Equilibria, she provided a hodgepodge of various services. A friend challenged her to figure out how to streamline and package her services. This gave birth to the Kasennu framework for business infrastructure. Since then, thousands of entrepreneurs use the framework to structure and scale their businesses. In this Season 9 Finale, Alicia tells the story (and process) of how she created it. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 116 for show notes.
What started as a side job selling wireless modems eventually led to Tom Kulzer creating the worldโs first email automation tool, AWeber. As demand grew, he assembled a team and they built a business infrastructure to support the fast growth. 20 years later, over 1 million small businesses have used AWeber. 100,000 of them are active customers. In this episode, Tom provides the processes that laid the foundation for this scaling success story. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 115 for show notes.
Digital technology is great for streamlining various back-office operations. With it being in abundance, validating ideas to offer software as a service (SaaS) is critical. Yet, Ronan Walsh warns, โMany SaaS companies set about creating an MVP [Minimum Viable Product] before ever speaking to a customer.โ As the founder of a leading digital marketing company, heโs seen many people make this mistake. In this episode, he verbally maps out a process for researching, validating, and testing software product ideas before developing an MVP.
COVID-19 leveled the playing field of veteran and neophyte teachers alike. The sudden pivot to remote instruction forced technology adoption at a record pace. But the steep learning curve hasnโt slowed Rachna Nath down. As a STEM and entrepreneurship educator, sheโs used to thinking innovatively. In this episode, she describes her unique process for expanding her network beyond the traditional high school ecosystem to offer students a first-class experience backed by collegiate resources. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 113 for show notes.
When Kimberly Fennell graduated from college, she had trouble finding a full-time job. A chance reading of Entrepreneur magazine sparked the idea to start a business support company. 17 years later, her company continues to offer remote administrative services that support back-office operations. Her foresight has paid off, especially during the pandemic, as demand for converting offline activities to online grows. In this episode, she details the entire behind-the-scenes process for conducting remote events.
Being amicable doesnโt mean you canโt get the job done. And Christine Yeager is living proof. Sheโs quickly moved up the ranks at one of the worldโs most recognized brands and leads large-scale data projects across their supply chain. In this episode, she compares and contrasts two of those projects and reveals how developing technical acumen is only part of her success equation. The other part involves her HAP process. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 111 for links to resources.
Content is the currency of choice in the Digital Age. You must have a system for consistently producing and distributing it. And not just any content, but content that attracts leads and converts them into customers. The challenge is finding the time to do so. Nigel Washington has the antidote. His company, ContentMates.com, has a streamlined process for delivering quality content in just 2-3 days! Find out how they do it. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/, Ep. 110 for detailed show notes.
Providing excellent customer support is just as important as the goods and services you offer. Effective communication is vital to creating a positive customer experience. Despite your teamโs technical acumen, language nuances can erode that experience. This is further complicated when you have an international customer base. Thatโs where Marianne Rutz comes to the rescue. As Europeโs leading multi-lingual contact centre expert, she has a proven process to improve front-line and back-office operations leading to more profits and happier customers.ย Gain step-by-step insights into her formula. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ for Ep. 109 show notes.
Joseph Garfield knows what it means to work his way up from the bottom. His entrรฉe into technology started as an I.T. help desk operator. Over time, he advanced from being a โdoerโ to a strategist when he created his 3D Project Process. This framework not only consistently delivers I.T. projects on time and within budget, itโs even more streamlined than Agile and Scrum! Discover what makes it unique and how you can apply it to your projects. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ for Ep. 108 show notes.
โKnow your workflows!โ Sage advice from Susan Blais as she described her experience in choosing the best technologies to optimize her sales and client engagement processes. As a Long-Term Care Professional (LTCP) she knew her decisions must be rooted in data security and HIPPA compliance. Now, she has a strong foundation in place to handle surges in demand for LTCP insurance. Learn how Susan reached this point and expand your knowledge about LTCP along the way. Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ for show notes.
After years of climbing the Wall Street corporate ladder, financial advisor John Stoj became disillusioned with false promises of outperforming the market. He eventually started a sushi delivery company only to return to his first love โ financial planning. But this time, things are different.ย Not only did he go rogue with his pricing model, but he also digitized his services without compromising security or personal touch. Learn the process for how he did it in this episode.ย Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ for show notes.
Eagerly anticipating the release of another podcast episode, one day Berthine Crรจvecoeur West found herself forgetting some critical steps.ย So this award-winning podcaster and global diversity and inclusion expert took a page out of her own book.ย She decided to not only document her process for producing her podcast, but she streamlined it too โ and magical things started to happen!ย Get the full scoop in this episode about taking lemons and making lemonade in your business.ย Visit https://businessinfrastructure.tv/ for show notes.
Being in the Army taught Bill Kurzeja the importance of leadership as he quickly moved up the ranks.ย Upon transitioning back to the civilian world, he realized his ability to lead was only as good as his ability to communicate effectively.ย In this episode, Bill details the process for how his company successfully improved production by 10-20%, increased customer satisfaction, and transitioned from a culture of โyourโ customer to โourโ customer all through the use of better communication techniques and technologies.
This Season 8 finale is different โ itโs not Alicia Butler Pierreโs typical monologue.ย Sheโs joined by her 13-year-old goddaughter, Maegan Lane - a budding teen entrepreneur and COO of a clothing startup, Karma Collections.ย In this episode, Alicia answers questions submitted by listeners throughout the season, and, in the process, tells Maegan how it applies to her business.ย The result is answers that not only address the specific questions but show the applicability to any business regardless of industry. In a surprising twist, Maegan actually asks some impromptu questions, one of which admittedly has Alicia stumped!ย
Mohammad Ali may not float like a butterfly or sting like a bee, like the famous boxer by the same name, but he is a champion โ a champion of operations. With over 37 years of combined experience as a high-ranking military official, chemical and industrial engineer, COO, and board member, he recognizes problem-solving as the cornerstone for continuous improvement.ย In fact, he started the first auto manufacturing company in Jordan.ย In this episode, Mohammad takes us on an A to Z tour of all things operations and explains why he says, โIf CEOs do not understand operations, they are bound to be replaced.โ
According to Jay Hassell, โGetting things done requires a culture of learning.โ As the COO of Novologic, he advocates for people and company culture as the key ingredients for improving operations.ย His H.R. background gives him a strategic advantage in driving learning and training initiatives. In this episode, Jay explains how a focus on people, products, and processes leads to increased profit and performance. He also announces a new learning experience platform to assist companies in pivoting from live to virtual events.
We did it โ this is our 100th episode!ย And joining us to celebrate this milestone is Jared Easley, the co-founder of Podcast Movement.ย In this episode, Jared reveals how his military experiences and background in project management served him in helping to build the worldโs largest community of podcasters. He not only shares the behind-the-scenes operations of their annual conference, but we also talk about the history of podcasting, current trends, and what it all means for the future. Meanwhile, Alicia gives a heartfelt tribute to listeners and supporters.
Marshall Freeman is the COO of the Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), a non-profit organization on a mission to make Atlanta Americaโs safest large city. In this episode, he details why the APFโs public-private partnership model enables them to pivot and act quickly leading to one of the lowest reported cases of COVID-19 for police officers. Discover what goes on behind-the-scenes as Marshall describes the crime prevention playbook and business infrastructure that serve as the cornerstone and foundation of the APFโs successes.
TV Producers have more in common with COOs and Project Managers than you might think. As Emmy-nominated producer Janice Jensen explains, โWeโre all responsible for putting together the piecesโ to deliver a profitable product on time and within budget. In this episode, Janice draws from her experience in producing hit shows like Tiny House, Big Living to explain what goes on behind the scenes in coordinating the people, processes, and tools required from pre- to post-production. Youโll also hear be among the first to learn more about her revolutionary new video-based app.
Jon Reidโs exposure to operations, auditing, and finance began during his tenure at General Electric. That experience serves as the cornerstone of his longevity as a C-suite executive and advisor. In this episode, Jon draws from his experience working with various Fortune 500 companies to give small business owners an operational model to aspire to. He explains why introverts make great COOs, why you should surround yourself with people smarter than you, and why small businesses must be creative when expanding since they canโt always access lines of credit the way enterprises can.
โIf you donโt have customers, you donโt have a business,โ and this is why โYou have to always think about continuous improvement.โ Wise words from Adam Hayes, a civil engineer who now consults and serves as an operations advisor across various industries.ย In this episode, Adam reveals the three types of customers every business should consider as well as internal questions you should ask yourself as a guide to meet customer expectations, measure what matters, and ultimately increase profitability.
Operational excellence and business infrastructure are common threads throughout Elzie Flenardโs career. As a former electronics engineer and operations manager, turned podcast producer, he can attest to how important company culture along with a validated improvement model is in getting things done. In this episode, Elzie breaks down the correct order in building business infrastructure as he emphasizes the importance of securing the right people first, then processes, and last the tools. Learn why he says operations can be your companyโs profitable differentiator.
As technology and customers become smarter so does the expectation for companies to be faster, better, and cheaper. Back-office workflows now go beyond order-to-delivery, procure-to-pay, and intake-to-discharge. They also include customer engagement โ a task once owned by marketing. In this episode, David Ellin taps into his experiences as a COO and VP of Customer Success to give a crash course on the importance of retooling processes, measuring what matters, and conducting kaizen events to enhance customer experience and profit.
With a background in cultural anthropology, certified coaching, and leadership development, Marvell Allen brings a distinct perspective to her C-suite clients. She has a particular knack for helping them eliminate egos and silos as barriers to getting things done. In this episode, Marvell explains how COOs (or anyone in charge of operations) can keep CEOs off the ledge. But, she says, they in turn need support in executing on strategy and keeping the entire supply chain intact. Discover the business infrastructure techniques she says can help.
โOperations is the most important part of doing your business,โ says Joseph Powell. As the founder of TenDollarTutors.com and the creator of the ThinkSmart Whiteboard app, he knows firsthand the importance of operational excellence. In this episode, Joseph candidly shares the story of his roller-coaster tech journey and why he decided to step down as CEO of his company and serve as the COO instead. He also provides insights on the business infrastructure necessary to brace for change and stay the course.
Maria Jones describes Chief Operating Officers (COOs) as the โInnovators of execution.โ Their role as second-in-command to CEOs is vital to business continuity and delivering on sales promises. Yet, many leaders donโt understand what they do and overlook operations as the core of any business. ย In this episode, Maria kicks off Season 8 by debunking common myths about COOs as well as operations using analogies and examples that make their value undeniable.ย She also shares key metrics every business should measure to assess performance.
Disaster comes in many forms and we donโt always know when it will strike. Developing contingency plans to plan for and recover from the aftermath isnโt an easy sell, especially when companies are riding high on profits. No one likes to think about what can happen if/when things go wrong. In this episode, host Alicia Butler Pierre shares her personal story of how she forfeited income for nearly a year to help her parents after they narrowly escaped death from a major flood. Two years later, she emerged as a podcaster, one of the worldโs leading experts on business infrastructure for small businesses, and the author of a 2x bestselling book. She also shares resources to minimize the impact of a crisis on your small business.
Wingman. The No. 2. The Second-in-Command โ all of these terms describe the Chief Operating Officer (COO). When Bill Shepard pivoted from a 25+ year tenure in the C-suite to independent consulting, he couldnโt find a supportive group of COOs. So he started his own. 15 years later, The COO Forum boasts 35 chapters and 18k members in their online group.ย In this episode, Bill describes the three areas that drive businesses forward, debunks myths about COOs, and defines the role COOs play in driving execution. ย
Business partnerships donโt have to end badly.ย K.L. Scott & Associates is proof.ย When Keith L. Scott started this process management consultancy, he wanted to do everything himself. Two years in, he found himself struggling to keep up with the pace.ย Thatโs when he decided to strategically partner, but he did his research first.ย In this episode, Keith shares how law firms inspired his business model, why he prefers a team of sub-contractors vs. employees, and how to profitably structure an operating agreement.
After getting blacklisted from a Silicon Valley company, Chitra Lele decided to start her own software consultancy.ย She realized entrepreneurship was the only way to achieve her vision of working for profit, people, and the planet.ย ย ย But it required capital and lots of it. So she and her team sprang into self-funding action. In this episode, Chitra details the people, processes, tools, and techniques she and her firm relied on to grow past the bootstrapping phase and on to scaling up.
Great leaders surround themselves with smart people.ย But when it comes to business partnerships, โProceed with extreme caution,โ warns Jason Duncan. ย ย As the founder of a fast-growing lighting company thatโs made the Inc. 5000 list twice, he has personal experience with starting and terminating partnerships.ย In this episode, Jason explains why itโs important to read the fine print of operating agreements and understand all of its terms.ย Discover the people, processes, and tools he now relies on to make better decisions.
Dr. Terica Pearson spent her first year in business learning the ropes and getting key processes in place.ย By year four, she had a full staff of people to help scale her insurance agency.ย But after tracking their performance, she realized that productivity had actually declined and was negatively impacting the bottom line.ย In this episode, Terica details her decision to scale back the team she built and instead focus on more hands-on mentoring and training one agent at a time.ย She also shares her business growth revelations as her mindset shifted from employee to business owner.
Meredith Moore isnโt afraid to pivot.ย As the CEO of Artisan Financial Strategies, she realized sheโd have to break free of the traditional financial planning model if she was to realize her dream of scaling and hiring a junior associate.ย Undeterred by naysayers, she assembled a team of various experts, conducted primary research with academia, and even changed the name of her company.ย In this episode, Meredith describes the process she underwent to carve out a niche for her business and its positive implications.
When Mike Mollโs social media consultancy grew rapidly, he immediately hired more people. But he soon realized he didnโt have the bandwidth or business infrastructure to scale at the same rate as his clientsโ varied requirements. Payroll expenses rose and, eventually, he had to downsize most of the team he built. In this episode, Mike details the specific actions he took to rebuild his team as he fine-tuned his pricing model, simplified and automated key processes, and became stricter about the clients his company works with.ย ย
Have you ever put your business on hiatus so that you could recalibrate?ย Thatโs what Don Sevcik, CEO of MathCelebrity.com, did and it paid off handsomely.ย After five years in business, his company reached a plateau of 250k visitors per month.ย Although things were going well, there were certain math problems that his site could not solve.ย In this episode, Don explains how the decision to take that hiatus led him to not only reach 3.75 million unique visitors but also to solve any math problem in 1/3 of 1 second!ย ย
"We just made really good money while being on the beach!โ exclaimed Phoebe Cornog, CEO and Co-Founder of the Pandr Design Co.ย She recounted the day she and her business partner realized the impact of outsourcing.ย Determined to not be starving artists, they cracked the code for cloning their murals without a loss in quality control. ย In this episode, Phoebe explains how she and her business partner cast their fears of outsourcing aside to meet the growing demand for their services and scale sustainably.
Marco Champion thought heโd have to forfeit his dream of being a professional skateboarder when he was struck and run over by a car during his teens.ย Told heโd never walk again, he decided rather than feeling sorry for himself, heโd train his mind to focus on walking again โ and succeeded!ย In this episode, Marco shares how his personal story of triumph led him to create and scale two successful businesses and how, at just 23-years-old, he guides others in moving past obscurity into influencer positions.ย
When Dr. Lewena Bayer and her friend worked in hospitality, they complained to each other about how rude people were.ย They never imagined they would start a company to teach civility in the workplace. But nearly 10 years into the business, their partnership would end when Lew learned of her partnerโs illegal actions.ย In this episode, Lew explains how she retained most of the rights to the company since she had documented the majority of the I.P. Now her company includes over 400 affiliates in 46 countries. Listen to the advice she gives for the value of painstakingly documenting processes and why she says job descriptions are not just โunnecessary paperwork.โ
โLife is like a bleep,โ explains Karla Nelson.ย When the market crashed in 2008, she sprang into action and shifted careers.ย A year later her husband, and the CFO of their three businesses, was diagnosed with cancer.ย Together, and undeterred, they continued running operations from his hospital room. In this first episode of Season 7, Karla details her courageous decision to scale despite losing her husband and while raising an infant and a toddler.ย Learn her formula for staying the course and how it led to her WHO-DO productivity model being used in 25 of the Fortune 100 companies.
Process maps are more than just boxes connected with arrows.ย When done correctly, they can help you understand where bottlenecks exist, how long it takes to make your product or deliver a service, and where opportunities to streamline, automate, and/or outsource may exist.ย In this Season 6 finale, host Alicia Butler Pierre describes how she used process mapping to increase her companyโs cash flow.ย She also shares the people who can help in your mapping efforts as well as recommended tools.
Thalia Toha has cracked the code for setting and achieving your BHAG (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal).ย As a long-time trusted advisor to high earners and achievers, she knows what it takes to focus on the things that matter in creating the life and business you desire.ย In this episode, Thalia describes her visual โreversing the timelineโ process for identifying overarching goals and the specific tactics, people, and tools necessary to achieve them.ย
Every business needs money to grow and sustain itself. Did you know that 75% of all business loans are denied because of fraud? ย Jenny Jones learned this the hard way after repeated loan rejections. The reason? He and his wife share the same first and last names! This prompted him to leverage his background as a stockbroker and financial advisor to educate others on the ABCs of building business credit. In this episode, Jenny shares his proven process for increasing fundability as well as the key people and tools needed to educate yourself and access capital.
When it comes to marketing data, your small business might have more in common with Google, Facebook and Amazon than you think. According to Love Hudson-Maggio, whether youโre collecting data from two customers or two million, the science of analyzing it is the same. Data tells a story and paints an accurate picture of sales results. In this episode, Love describes the three stages of her process to develop a data management protocol that reveals what you are really selling, standardizes collection methods, and establishes protection controls. Find out why she says that โthe data youโre looking for, you already have.โ
What do peanut butter, gas gauges, coffee, and flat tires have in common?ย Leave it to Wes Graham to explain.ย As an Industrial Engineer and Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, he uses clever analogies to assert the value of processes and why, if not properly defined or followed, โEverybody will always follow the path of least resistance.โย In this episode, Wes dons his training hat to offer a crash course on Lean and Six Sigma - two process improvement methodologies rooted in customer-centricity and increasing quality and value.ย Listen as he takes a complex subject and breaks it down using everyday examples that we can all relate to.
As demand increases for your tangible goods, you will inevitably have to streamline your order-to-delivery process to ensure customer satisfaction.ย Outsourcing inventory management represents an opportunity cost when considering your small business no longer has the capacity to fulfill orders in a timely manner.ย Storing inventory in your basement, garage, or closets is no longer an option.ย In this episode, Gifford Pace explains a process his employer implements to help people โget their garage backโ and ensure their order fulfillment is not compromised during sales peaks.ย ย ย ย ย
Good things come to those who waitโฆand persistently work toward their goal.ย Damon Burton knows this all too well.ย As the founder of SEO National, he made a conscious decision to scale and increase his companyโs capacity to work with large clients.ย It worked!ย SEO National now works with Inc. 5000 companies as well as various NBA teams.ย In this episode, Damon shares the realistic time commitment as well as the daily operational processes, people, and a robust list of tools he leverages to make it all possible.
โalยทliยทance - a union or association formed for mutual benefit.โย Mariela Dabbah says every leader should have 10-15 strong alliances to assist in career navigation and professional development.ย As a leadership and career development expert, she has built an entire movement around this principle.ย In this episode, she describes the 5-stage process her company, Red Shoe Movement, implements to empower and steer upward-bound women within large organizations toward success.ย Learn how the pillars of mutual mentoring and self-leadership can take your relationships beyond networking and yield more fruitful results. ย
Calvin Williams, Jr. is on a mission.ย He believes wealth management services should be accessible to all people, not just the uber-rich.ย As such, he started Freeman Capital โ an award-winning FinTech company with rapid expansion goals and high visibility.ย In this episode, Calvin details the service delivery process he implements to maintain a positive customer experience while managing a 100% remote team.ย He also shares the different technologies he leverages to keep it all together.
Positioning your company for hyper-growth requires โleveling upโ people as well as processes and tools.ย Many leaders (and investors) interpret leveling up as replacing existing personnel with more qualified people.ย But the onus is on these leaders to create a culture of continuous education rather than blaming people when things go wrong.ย In this episode, Anne Sugar, an executive coach for Harvard Business Schoolโs Executive Program, provides an in-depth case study of a hiring process she coached an H.R. executive through as she set out to answer four key questions in preparation for expansion.
When Trace Blackmore started getting information out of his head and onto paper, great things happened in his business.ย His 16-year-old industrial water treatment company has defied the small business failure odds and he attributes some of that longevity to having procedures that remove guesswork and promote high standards.ย In this episode, Trace shares his process for identifying and documenting key standard operating procedures (SOPs) and more importantly, hacks for getting people to actually follow them.ย ย ย
As a former Financial Times executive with a background in economics, Diana Wu David knows a thing or two about pricing.ย The price you charge for your product or service directly reflects its perceived value and is one of the quickest ways to increase profitability.ย Yet, some find it difficult to raise prices.ย In this episode, Diana explains her formulaic process for testing pricing strategies that include developing a minimum viable product, segmenting customers, and performing A/B testing.ย Breakthrough the psychological factors preventing you from greater profitability.
EVERY business exists to make money.ย Without it, they will surely fail.ย ย This #1 need kickstarts the sales process and itโs the reason weโre kicking off Season 6 (Profitable Processes) with the topic.ย In this episode, sales guru Jason Smith shares his sales synergistics process for aligning all business units of a company to maximize revenue potential.ย Learn about his 5-ring framework for achieving this alignment and how to implement it in your business to prevent sales and operations silos as your company grows.
Think the lean methodology is only for large corporations and government entities? Well think again! John Kamp is an entrepreneur, Lean Six Sigma expert, Project Management Professional, instructor at Purdue University, and U.S. Navy veteran. In this episode replay, John draws from his wealth of experience to explain the lean methodology (including its principles and tools) and how you can apply it to improve your company's processes.ย ย
Processes not only ensure consistency with how you make a product or deliver a service, but they directly impact your customerโs experience.ย In this Season 5 finale, Alicia Butler Pierre, host of the Business Infrastructure show, shares what a process is, its importance in building business infrastructure, and the one thing you need to know about improving one.ย Listen in as she describes the stages of her podcasting process to illustrate how to execute process improvement.ย It might be a fun exercise to go back to previous episodes to determine if you can detect the improvements she talks about from season to season!ย
As you lead your company through growth spurts, you may realize that itโs time to โlevel upโ your business infrastructure. But how you communicate the need to upgrade people, processes and tools is just as important as the upgrade itself. Change is difficult, even in a faster-paced small business environment, and you can unknowingly create more chaos if you deliver news about change improperly. Liz Kislik has spent the past 30 years helping leaders work through change in fast growth environments. In this episode, she dons her conflict resolution hat to share best practices in delivering difficult news. One of the tools she recommends might surprise you - itโs something you likely use everyday.
Estate planning is NOT just for wealthy people.ย In fact, Estate Planning Attorney Deshonda Charles says, โAn estate plan is your strategic plan to preserve and protect your business and assets over your lifetime.โย Itโs never too late to get one in place and it ensures you donโt leave a burden behind after you die or become unable to operate your business.ย In this episode, Deshonda not only dispels common myths about estate plans, but she defines the specific people, processes, and tools to help you get an estate plan documented and backed in a court of law.ย With her down-to-earth approach, she removes the stigma and fear of estate planning, making it accessible to business owners and families alike.
Who will take over your business when youโre no longer able to?ย Your answer to this question is the foundation of your exit plan and EVERY entrepreneur should have one.ย In this episode, exit and succession planning expert David Shavzin defines what an exit plan is and the people, processes, and tools needed to create and update it.ย As someone who helps business owners build value around their lifeโs work, David also candidly talks about the sensitivities of and multiple ways to transition ownership.ย Learn why business infrastructure is key to proving value to potential buyers.
Leading and/or operating a business is a road less traveled.ย It can take you on an emotional roller coaster you might not be mentally prepared for.ย This is where Silke Glaab comes in.ย As a psychologist and executive coach, she helps entrepreneurs and executives reset self-limiting beliefs.ย In this episode, she describes her proprietary Elevate Intensive Therapy process as well as the people and tools needed to live free of burnout, stress, and anxiety.ย Find out why she says we need to โSNEASEโ more to elevate ourselves as we scale our businesses. ย
Be careful about the labels you put on yourself,โ warns Josh Cary, โBecause people are willing to validate them.โย A hard, but valuable lesson he learned after spending 40 years in hiding.ย In this episode, Josh, a former actor turned podcaster and business coach, explains the moment he realized he was hiding his power and ability as a leader.ย Tune in to learn the specific people, processes, and tools he leveraged to reclaim his power and why he says itโs imperative you do the same as you lead your company through growth spurts.ย
Are you someone I can trust?ย Jodi Daniels says the answer to this question determines whether potential customers will do business with you.ย As a data privacy expert, she keeps her finger on the pulse of privacy policies that affect every sized business.ย In this episode, Jodi details the business infrastructure required to support a strong data privacy strategy.ย Find out why she says your company needs to comply with GDPR and CCPA legislation even if you arenโt in the business of selling data.
If you think that โconsciousโ and โcapitalismโ donโt go together, you might change your mind after listening to Corey Blake.ย As a leading voice in the conscious leadership movement, he defines conscious capitalism as โan operating system for not harming the planet as we grow our businesses.โย In this episode, Corey explains how conscious capitalism can profoundly change the electricity of a company. ย He also shares the unique people, processes, and tools he uses to inspire companies to bring about that change.ย ย
Like entrepreneurship, podcasting is not for the faint of heart.ย It requires patience, commitment, and consistency โ all of which is challenging since it takes a while before you know who your audience is.ย In this episode, nationally recognized speaker, bestselling author, and podcaster extraordinaire Doug Sandler shares the most important thing you need to know about podcasting.ย He also reveals the business infrastructure required for a successful production.ย Discover which types of podcasts tend to do really well and how you can monetize them.
According to professional speechwriter and speech coach Dez Thornton, โA high stakes conversation is anytime you have to communicate and your reputation is on the line.โย The successful outcome of your communication depends on your delivery.ย In the most quotable episode to-date, Dez shares the most important thing you need to know about having high stakes conversations and the people, processes and tools you should leverage to close the interpretation gap (what you say vs. what your audience hears).
Vlogs, blogs, links, tags, hashtagsโฆthese are more than just buzzwords.ย They are the digital currency of the Information Age and businesses seeking to grow who ignore it, do so to their detriment.ย In this episode, social media consultant Marie Incontrera shares the most important thing you need to know about social media as well as the people, processes and tools needed to implement a sustainable posting strategy.ย Find out why she says you need a customized plan because there is no one-size-fits-all approach to social media.
Making physical products can be prohibitively expensive and requires careful coordination of the right people, processes and tools.ย No one knows this better than Eric Lange.ย As an engineer in the toy industry, heโs taken more than sixty products from various stages of development to production for retail stores like Target and Walmart.ย In this episode, Eric not only defines what a prototype is, but also tells us about the one thing we need to know for successful prototyping without wasting money.ย
What does an orchestra have in common with your company?ย Plenty, according to Maestro Roger Nierenberg.ย As CEO, you are the conductor charged with listening and leading to ensure harmonious results.ย By seating your team within a live professional orchestra, Roger teaches you how to look at it โas a mirror reflecting how you want to be and how you actually are.โย In this episode, Roger not only defines what organizational agility is, but also shares the one thing we need to know about it in order to identify root causes of problems, adapt quickly, and perform with less chaos.ย Listen as he explains how you can use your voice as an instrument to facilitate teamwork.
Thereโs no escaping the reality of having a strong online presence. In this Season 4 finale, Alicia Butler Pierre, business infrastructure expert and host of the Business Infrastructure show, shares the two-pronged approach she uses to design a content management process that is practical, sustainable and rooted in data science. Listen as she candidly shares the series of events that led her to change her once negative views about online content creation and distribution. You too can create your own โwebโ of content that sticks and converts through the right selection of people, processes and tools.
In an ever-changing economic landscape, itโs difficult for small businesses to find salespeople willing to work on mostly commission.ย Have you ever thought about empowering your existing employees to become intrapreneurs?ย ย IBM started this concept of intrapreneurship as an affordable, alternative way to foster innovation and sales while bringing new products and services to market faster.ย In this episode, technology and leadership development consultant Carl E. Reid defines what an intrapreneur is and shares how he develops intrapreneurship programs to help clients dramatically increase their sales.ย Learn why the edification process is key to maximizing the outcome.ย
Trust, but verify.ย Thereโs a reason certifying and accrediting agencies exist โ to protect end consumers and ensure quality.ย This is especially important when it comes to our health!ย No one is above reproach or investigation, including medical professionals.ย Dilsa Bailey has 30 years of experience developing policies, processes, and training to keep healthcare providers compliant.ย In this episode, she shares how she uses business infrastructure to build sustainable credentialing foundations so that healthcare providers can vet doctors and grow without compromising patient safety.ย
Around 543,000 new businesses start in the U.S. each month.ย Those fortunate to hire employees often cannot afford the high cost of Human Resources (H.R.).ย Thatโs where Jason Cavness comes in.ย Through his technology, he delivers employee manuals to small business quickly and inexpensively.ย This ensures compliance and reduces risk while scaling to meet operational demands.ย In this episode, Jason shares how he automates certain H.R. functions and explains the key difference between an employee manual and an operations manual. ย He also shares a list of 25+ resources he recommends โ be sure to download those in the show notes at https://businessinfrastructure.tv/2019/06/02/048-automating-human-resource-compliance-with-jason-cavness!
Buy or build?ย One way to quickly scale a company and dramatically increase market share is via a Merger & Acquisition (M&A) with/of another company.ย However, improper alignment and conflicting objectives can turn that M&A into an M&D (Merge & Destroy), warns Karen Walker, a proven M&A strategic advisor.ย Having led one of the fastest growing American companies to $1 billion in revenue, Karen shares how she leads successful integrations using an example of a tech company.ย In this episode, youโll learn: 1) why an M&A is a process and not an event, 2) the role business infrastructure plays in leveraging the strengths of another company to diversify your companyโs portfolio, and 3) the differences between an M&A, strategic alliance and joint venture. ย
โWhat are you fighting for?โย According to Hasani X, the answer to this question sets the foundation for everything you do.ย But people need to know and hear this story in order to be compelled to work with you on a team or do business with you.ย In this episode, Hasani, a communications and performance expert, shares the people, processes and tools he leverages to help his clients dramatically transform their businesses and team dynamics through storytelling.ย He also shares how a personal tragedy led him to pivot from building businesses to building people.ย ย
โFail fast doesnโt mean pray and spray,โ warns Ron Carucci when asked about companies who rush to market without due diligence and suffer from โEBITDA addiction.โย Ron has a 30-year track record helping organizations articulate and execute strategies that lead to accelerated growth.ย In this episode, he shares two examples that demonstrate how he uses organization design to encourage clarity-driven innovation.ย He also discusses the three ways to organize work and explains why your work, your people and your technologies must be integrated to stay ahead.
When Alissa Carpenter worked in higher education, she became inundated with students confiding that their happy exterior was a faรงade.ย Troubled by this growing trend, she started a company aptly named Everythingโs Not Ok and Thatโs Ok to specifically bridge communication gaps across generations, job functions, and geographies in various organizations.ย In this episode, Alissa describes how she supports companies with a multi-generational workforce in leading necessary changes in an organizationโs structure.
Do you have a product, service or idea that the world needs to know about? Are you frustrated that you arenโt gaining traction in your promotional efforts? Nowadays, becoming an online influencer is more important than ever for capturing and converting attention into sales. In this episode, accomplished author and entrepreneur Heather Havenwood, a.k.a. โChief Sexy Boss,โ shares her tried and tested formula to help you transition from being the subject matter expert to an influencer that ignites action! ย
As an app developer, Tim Bornholdt is no stranger to process automation.ย Yet it wasnโt until he โput up a mirrorโ to his own companyโs sales process, that he realized they were losing sales as a result of different people doing the same work in different ways.ย So he automated the sales process leading to service consistency, better tracking and ultimately increased sales conversion.ย Listen as he shares tips on selecting the right people and technologies to leverage during the process automation journey.
As an energetic author, artist, podcaster, journalist, teacher and fashion designer, Win Kelly Charles cannot afford to waste time nor let a physical disability slow her down.ย โJust Do It!โ is her response to anyone contemplating their next business move, especially aspiring authors.ย In this episode, Win shares the essential people and tools she relies on to streamline her book writing process.ย With nine published books and three in the queue, you donโt want to miss what she has to say!ย
โWhen you call yourself the CEO, you have to make hard decisions.โย This is how Forrest Tuff describes the revelation that led to him redefining what success is at his film production company.ย In this episode, he describes the two specific actions he took to reduce overhead that radically transformed his business model.ย Find out how this transformation also increased his companyโs operating capacity as well as competitive advantage leading to greater agility, revenue, and profitability.ย
In this first episode of Season 4, Paul Nicholaides shares an example of how he used processes to help a fast growing company scale without compromising their culture. ย He specifically explains how he helped shape his clientโs business infrastructure based on their value chain and processes. ย Processes are a valuable component of business infrastructure because as Paul says, โWithout it, there is chaos and people will produce different results.โ ย He also debunks the popular belief that processes are only for large enterprises and stresses that, to be effective, processes must be purposeful, relevant and continuously improved. ย Discover the important lesson Paul says he learned from this experience as well as the two fundamental things he says are needed to sustain processes.ย
Alicia is the founder of Equilibria, Inc. โ the worldโs largest repository on business infrastructure for small businesses. ย And it happened quite by accident. ย In this episode, she candidly shares the story of how this came to be by weaving together the messaging of each expert featured in Season 3 while acknowledging the mistakes sheโs made along the way. ย In doing so, Alicia candidly describes how she created a methodology for business infrastructure and how you can implement it to position your company for growth that is manageable, sustainable and profitable. ย Also included are highlights from a conversation with fellow business infrastructure expert, Paul Nicholaides who confirms the benefits of business infrastructure. ย Together, they are doing their part to eliminate the knowledge gap prevalent with this unseen, yet vital business area. ย
Just because the word โcultโ is a part of โculture,โ it does not mean that your company has to function like one in order to attain sustainable success. As small businesses grow larger, the transformation into becoming more corporate can be jolting and founders and employees alike may fear losing the very essence of what makes a business so special. In this episode, Lakeisha Poole, a workplace futurist and expert in company culture, explains how a culture rooted in open communication and fairness can actually drive transformation in a positive direction. Culture does not have to be cult-ish, nor does it have to be toxic or adversarial to get things done. Listen as Lakeisha shares her insights as an employment lawyer in defining the: 1) โuntouchablesโ in an organization, 2) the 3 main issues that lead to workplace breakdown, and 3) how to make ethics and inclusion-focused leadership practical and tactical.ย
Visionaries, whether executives or entrepreneurs, are great at developing and articulating strategy but may find difficulty in execution. ย This is where Kim Farmer comes in. ย ย As a certified project management professional with 30+ years in corporate business experience, she knows how to get stuff done! ย In this episode, Kim graciously gives us an excellent primer on project management to help you take specific actions to achieve your companyโs growth strategy. No fluff, no B.S., ...this is where the rubber meets the road and this episode is one of the most important to-date because itโs all about action! ย Learn the 5 major questions to answer prior to beginning any project as well as the triple constraints you'll have to balance throughout a project. ย Youโll also learn how to identify, assemble and coordinate the people, processes and tools youโll need to ensure your projectโs success as Kim explains the Waterfall and Agile approaches to project management. ย Be sure to check out the show notes at BusinessInfrastructure.TV to access the resources youโll need to plan and organize your next project.ย
As your small business grows, it will eventually need a layer of middle management. ย These front line leaders are the change agents who ensure the execution of your companyโs growth strategy. ย But they cannot live their proverbial best life unless you, as the top leader, help them realize their best work. ย In this episode, leadership consulting expert Victoria Rodgers stresses the importance of putting โpeople ย ย before business.โ Discover the mindset shift required of both entrepreneurs-turned-executives and individual contributors-turned-supervisors-managing-others to cultivate operational excellence. ย Victoria even makes the case for why business infrastructure is key to ensuring the right people are in the right roles and why even the best business processes arenโt always enough to keep good people around. This episode is jammed packed with information so youโll definitely want to download it for ongoing reference!
Strategy represents the vision, purpose and long-term position of a company, but it does you no good to develop one unless you โplan your work and work your plan.โ ย So says strategy expert Mark Pegues. ย In this episode, Mark compares the relationship between strategy and execution to a camera โ zoom in to execute and zoom out to strategically plan. ย However, he warns, like business processes, a strategic plan is not meant to be shelved once developed but must be consistently leveraged to accomplish your companyโs mission. ย Learn Markโs 12-point guide to developing and defining your business strategy and why you should never change it unless your businessโ fundamental values change. ย
โKill Bill.โ ย Kill the hourly bill to be exact. ย This summarizes the sentiment of investment banker turned CFO-for-Hire and pricing consultant, John Ray. ย John reminds us that our clients care most about results. Therefore, charging the right price means having a value conversation with your clients to understand how to price. ย In this episode, John ย ย unpacks the psychological factors involved in pricing, validates why pricing is the most important factor in profitability, and explains why you should stop billing your clients by the hour. ย Listen as he also outlines the process for figuring out your clientโs desires and charging a price that aligns with the premium experience you create for them.
โDonโt be flashyโ when operating your business warns seasoned commercial lender, Charles H. Green. Armed with 38 years of experience in funding small businesses, Charles knows plenty about running a business by the numbers and not by hunches. ย In this episode, he stresses the importance of being able to interpret your financial statements to understand your companyโs financial story so that you know where to focus on improving. ย Discover what the 3 big categories of financial health metrics are, how itโs possible to be profitable but not have any equity or cash flow, and why an Excel spreadsheet can be more useful than bookkeeping software. ย As a former president and CEO of a bank and the author of several bestselling books on small business finance, you definitely donโt want to miss the sage advice Charles offers!ย
Kymone Hinds is in the business of helping people get stuff done! ย As an implementation strategist, he prides himself on bringing ideas to life. ย Every solution to a problem and every business starts with an idea, so its important to jot them all down no matter how far-fetched they may seem. ย In this episode, Kymone explains his 4-stage ideation process for vetting and focusing on which ideas will yield the best results. ย Find out how ideas are like Now & Later candies and why you should start small with a big vision when executing. ย You definitely don't want to miss this episode - you could be sitting on your million-dollar idea.
Thereโs nothing more frustrating than to invest in a newer software technology only to discover that it does not โplay nicelyโ with your existing software. ย In this episode, software and web developer Garrett Massey talks about the benefits of middleware as a cost-savings solution to facilitate communication between software. ย Listen as he reveals a 4-step process to guide you through mapping how information should flow in your service or product delivery. ย This will empower you in making wiser decisions before you invest in that next shiny new piece of technology youโre considering. ย Hint: evaluate before you automate!ย
Making decisions is risky business. ย As a small business owner, you might not have the deep pockets of a larger enterprise, so making the right decision the first time around can be critical. ย Decision science gives you the ability to compare multiple ways of solving a problem with the opportunity to add value while minimizing risk and bias. ย This is what Rob Brown specializes in. ย In this episode, Rob shares a four-step process to follow that will help you make decisions based on logic and not emotion. ย Through specific examples, he describes how to use this four-step process to yield the best outcome. ย Tune in to learn the difference between a decision and an outcome and why, as Rob says, โrisk is always in season.โ ย
According to global freelance matchmaker, Upwork, 57.3 million people freelanced in 2017. ย In 10 years, they predict that the majority of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers. ย As a small business owner, this means you will likely have more freelancers rather than employees performing work for you. ย Managing these dispersed, virtual teams can be challenging. ย This is where Sherry Heyl comes in. ย In this episode, Sherry shares how she was inspired to start Amplified Concepts as a share economy solution for freelancers. ย By pooling freelancers, sheโs able to provide them back-office support resulting in reduced overhead for them and reduced project costs for you. ย She also shares best practices for managing virtual teams of freelancers so important deadlines are met without sacrificing quality. ย Youโll definitely want to download this episode!ย
Can you keep a secret? ย Your answer to this question can determine your ability to capitalize on your company's intellectual property (I.P.). ย In this episode, seasoned patent attorney Steve Wigmore breaks down the different types of I.P. using examples of well-known brands. ย There is both monetary and intrinsic value in your ideas and Steve offers guidance on how to choose among trademarks, trade secrets, patents and copyrights to protect your ideas. ย In fact, your I.P. is part of your small business' asset portfolio. ย Even intangible assets, like business processes, can be protected, especially if tied to technology. ย If you own a service-based business, you'll definitely want to hear what Steve has to say!
Do you have the audacity to take your business to the next level? Listen as staffing and recruiting expert, Dee Williams describes how to identify your niche and expand it into an empire. ย With a combination of laser-like focus, determination, and investment in continuous education, Dee identified a niche within the staffing industry and her aptly named company, Identifize Consulting, now serves as the worldโs premier advisory firm for starting and scaling staffing and recruitment businesses. ย Her companyโs portfolio spans across several divisions and leverages cutting edge media and software technology to deliver products and services. Dee kicks off Season 3 sharing how she accomplished this and more through a solid business infrastructure.ย
Promises are not made to be broken, theyโre made to keep. And customers will hold you to that promise, whether you verbalize it or not. In this special 25th episode, hostess Alicia Butler Pierre takes a deep dive into using customer-centricity to drive a companyโs culture and performance. Using an example from her book, she describes how shifting from a focus on a revenue-oriented goal to a customer-oriented promise can be instrumental in developing processes that enhance customer experience without sacrificing quality, value or revenue.
Racecar driver Chris Grigalunas stopped by to share some analogies between his love of driving racecars and his passion for driving business faster. With a background in data analytics and business intelligence, Chris foretells of the importance of pacing yourself and implementing a Just-in-Time approach when getting critical processes, people and software technologies in place as your businessโ growth accelerates. In true entrepreneur fashion, Chris is proof that when youโre committed to giving 1000% in business, nothing can stop you โ not even a head cold!
Jim Stroud is a man of many talents. Over the past decade, he has built an expertise in sourcing and recruiting strategy, public speaking, lead generation, video production, podcasting, online research, competitive intelligence, and online community management and training. He combines all of these skills to bring a fresh approach to help companies attract and retain top talent. In this episode, Jim describes how to use tools like video and LinkedIn to โbaitโ or kickstart your sourcing process.
In this episode, Alicia shares things she observed during a recent trip to Cuba and how those observations apply to how we run our small businesses. A notable observation was the admirable and continuous preservation of cars, culture, and cuisine. However, many buildings have succumbed to the lack of maintenance primarily due to economic factors. She makes the argument that itโs possible to save these buildings (and parts of our business) through ongoing proactive and preventive maintenance. If nothing more, may these lessons Alicia shares serve as a cautionary tale of the importance to develop processes to monitor all aspects of your business to minimize both risk and...ruin.
According to quality expert Jarvis Gray, assessing the culture of an organization is one of the first things to consider when improving processes to ensure better quality. As a certified Project Management Professional and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt consultant specializing in healthcare, Jarvis shares some of his favorite tools and techniques for transforming operations to eliminate waste and make for a better and safer patient experience. He reminds us that itโs critical to move past the jargon and look at this for what it actually is โ problem solving. So yes, these are tools and techniques that you can also apply to your small business. Tune in to learn how!
In this episode, entrepreneur Andrea D. Smith provides a practical and easy-to-remember definition of marketing. And she explains that it is NOT the same as sales. In fact, Andrea and Alicia talk about how to connect marketing to operations and eventually balance these two areas during the expansion phase of a business. The key is in recognizing operations management as a way to maintain your promises to your customers. Or as Andrea describes it, operations allow you to back-up your marketing promises with performance!
Look at any generic small business conference or workshop and the likelihood that a discussion on operations will be included is infinitesimally small. Oftentimes fast-growing companies looking for help in scaling their businesses find that the lionโs share of resources for processes and systems are reserved for manufacturing companies or larger enterprises. In this episode, Alicia has a frank one-on-one conversation to unpack the reasons why many small business event organizers attribute this lack of inclusion to โoperations not being sexy.โ Alicia also introduces her new book as a way of addressing this oversight. Her book is also a how-to guide for ambitious entrepreneurs serious about investing the time and effort to create a business infrastructure for maximum expansion impact.
Imagine if you could grow your business 10x faster. Better yet, imagine if your business could be โinfinitely scalable.โ How? Through artificial intelligence (AI). According to Scott Evans, founder and CEO of Markamind, AI is not only a catalyst for exponential growth, but it also makes data more useful and convenient. In this episode, Scott provides examples explaining how AI technology can help small businesses front-load their project pipelines, become more competitive, and exert more influence over buying decisions. As a decision science professional, he recognizes and acknowledges the fear that many associate with technologies that seem difficult to understand. This is why Scott also shares practical ways you can start educating yourself so that your business will not fall victim to the digital divide. Tune in, sign up for a free introductory course on AI, and start scaling your business!
โKnow Thyself.โ Thousands of years later, this ancient adage still rings true. In this episode, Keith Finger opens up about how globetrotting solo across 10 countries in a four-month period led to a period of self-discovery and not only made him rethink the way he operated his current business but also gave way to a new business altogether. Specifically, he talks about the people, processes, and tools he sought in preparation for, during and after this journey. This helped him identify a common thread across the work heโs done over his corporate and entrepreneurial career. Learn how what he describes as his โepiphanyโ served as a catalyst for shedding the parental and societal expectations and instead step into his own power, making him a more effective and intentional consultant to his clients.
In this heartfelt episode, serial entrepreneur and real estate mogul, Nia Imani, explains how her personal mantra of โdemonstrate, duplicate and delegate,โ has enabled her to create and implement key systems that facilitate her bi-coastal lifestyle while expanding her business across multiple states and most recently, multiple countries. Tune in to hear how she flipped her first home at 24-years-old and used the proceeds as seed money to build and franchise a janitorial services company. Eventually, she sold that company and started a new one specializing in legacy lifestyle management. Nia did all of this and more without the higher education some equate with success. Donโt forget to download this episode โ itโs a keeper!
At just 15-years-old, Sharron Lee knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur. Her dreams came true when she opened her seafood restaurant โ just one of several businesses sheโd successfully start, grow and manage all while working a full-time job as a master data analyst! This episode is unique in that Sharron is the first guest to talk about how she leverages business infrastructure in selling a tangible product. Specifically, she shares her story of perseverance and tenacity in building her restaurant and candidly talks about recent challenges caused by fast growth. Sharron also reveals how her background in computer science enables her to outfit her restaurant with the best technology to streamline and improve the overall customer experience while also remaining in compliance because, as she says, โYou have to run a tight ship.โ
Tim Fulton is no stranger to business infrastructure. In fact, heโs built and sold several businesses in his 30+ year career as an entrepreneur and small business advisor, executive coach, and facilitator. โOperations,โ he says, โis highly underrated.โ In this episode, Tim draws from both his research and experiences in working with thousands of entrepreneurs to reveal the undeniable realities of operating a fast-growing business. In doing so, he dispels four common myths about entrepreneurship and forewarns about the importance of getting your business infrastructure in place at the beginning stages of your company. This business infrastructure does not have to be elaborate initially; it can be something as simple as a checklist to ensure consistent service or product delivery. Listen to learn more about these myths. Hint: a high IQ is not a significant factor in determining success.
โThe fortune is in the follow-up,โ proclaims Corey Moore as he kicks off the first show of the Business Infrastructure podcastโs second season. Corey, a serial entrepreneur, is the owner of Atlantaโs largest resource center for business and networking events. Heโs also a professional networker and in this episode, he shares his tried and tested process to network your way to success. Like any process, Corey warns that it takes commitment and a genuine desire to build relationships to attain desired results consistently over an extended period of time. Once you listen to this episode, it wonโt take you long to discover why he is known as the โNetworKINGโ in the Atlanta, GA metro area.
Technical Writer, Process Analyst, Lean Six Sigma Consultant, Black Belt, Master Black Beltโฆwith all the process-related resources available, who exactly do you need to hire to improve your companyโs operations? In this episode, Tony Curtis, serial entrepreneur and owner of Curtis Process Consulting and gigPATH, explains how the answer lies in your ability to define your actual needs. He goes a step further by describing a 3-tier approach to use as a guide to not only recruit the right process specialists, but also retain them with a pay rate commensurate with the skills required.
Do you feel stressed out? Maybe a weekend hike can help! According to a 2018 report by the Journal of Travel Research, backpacking is not only good for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. In this episode, Tim Walter, an operations consultant, shares his experiences in hiking the Appalachian Trail for five months. Learn how Tim leveraged his professional background in project planning and strategy implementation to research and link the people, processes, and tools necessary for him to โhike his own hike.โ He emerged from his backpacking experience with better clarity, agility, and perspective on wants vs. needs โ all of which had a profound effect on him both professionally and personally. You might gain similar results.
The digital revolution is here and thereโs no turning back! We are increasingly becoming more dependent on web-based apps and software technologies as tools to facilitate and enhance the way we communicate and operate our businesses. With infamous data breaches (not to mention cover-ups) and the European Unionโs General Data Protection Regulation law, which went into effect in late May, 2018, cybersecurity is quickly moving to the forefront of small business vernacular. This is no longer something that only big corporations have to take into consideration. According to Gary Vause II, a cybersecurity expert and consultant, 90% of data breaches are โinside jobs.โ In this episode, Gary chronicles his 30+ year career in information technology and shares the importance of implementing user awareness programs and data encryption solutions as part of H.R. and accounting policies. This information may change the way you think about data storage, protection and privacy in your company.
Being an entrepreneur can be lonely, even if competent staff surround you. The daily decisions to make are innumerable, the pressure is high and giving up is not an option. Sometimes you just need a sounding board or a person in a neutral position on the outside of your business to confide in. Itโs during these moments when we can benefit from coaching. In this episode, Latarsha Horne, a Certified Professional Coach, explains the benefits of coaching. Learn how she tapped into her natural talents and combined them with her career as a corporate instructional designer to build a successful coaching business. She also defines the key difference between a business coach and a consultant and shares nine specific things you need to take into consideration before hiring a coach. Sometimes clarity is all you need to solidify your business infrastructure.
Think the lean methodology is only for large corporations and government entities? Well, think again! This episode features John Kamp, an entrepreneur, Lean Six Sigma expert, Project Management Professional, instructor at Purdue University and U.S. Navy veteran. As you can imagine, he has a wealth of experience to draw from and youโll get a feel for that in this episode. The subject of lean is huge, but John condenses its concept, principles, and methodology into an easy-to-understand definition. He not only shares some of his favorite lean tools, but he also gives great examples of real-life applications. You donโt want to miss this episode!
Do you need to hire more people for your small business, but feel that good help is hard to find? Listen as my first guest and serial entrepreneur, Essie Escobedo, explains that good help is out there and why you have to do your part to attract them. Essie shares specific tips for attracting great people to hire or contract as well as some key things small business owners need to have in place to set new hires up for success. You donโt want to miss what she has to say about the role business infrastructure plays in the 17-year success of her company, Office Angels. Keep your notepads handy!
Have you ever heard the expression, โThe devil is in the details?โ In terms of small businesses, the โdevilโ represents those proverbial landmines, booby-traps, and gotchas that lurk in the background (or back office operations), often going undetected. When they surface, the results can be catastrophic. Details, in fact, do matter! But sometimes this is hard for big picture entrepreneurs to admit. How to implement business infrastructure lies in being able to answer seven key questions. Find out what those questions are in this episode.
Necessity is the mother of invention. History teaches us this is true wherever there is a need to do things more efficiently and effectively. Business infrastructure is needed wherever there is more demand for your goods or services that you can provide or supply. You need to scale operationally while maintaining or increasing value for your customers. Such was the case when a young inventor named Frank Sprague was inspired to create the first self-loading electrical motor designed for streetcars. Not only did his invention help clear congestion on the streets of Boston, but it provided a cleaner alternative to the coal-powered engines used at that time. Discover the similarities of how this story about building Bostonโs early transportation infrastructure applies to the business infrastructure you can implement in your company.
Unmanageable fast growth usually makes the decision to invest in business infrastructure a no-brainer. But what if itโs too late? In this episode, youโll learn the ideal time to implement business infrastructure as well as the symptoms of unmanageable fast growth. Find out the impact the Oprah Effect can have on how you manage and operate your business and why itโs imperative that you do your due diligence before partnering with others and accepting customer work or orders you may not have the capacity to deliver.
It takes guts, grit, and gumption to start a business. Taking it to the next level, whatever that level might be for your company, requires the right people, processes and tools. It might also require an infusion of cash. This episode not only describes who business infrastructure is for but also tackles the realization that you might have to step aside in order for your business to grow to the next level of success. Through a compilation of sage advice and cautionary tales from other interviews of Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems, youโll discover not only who business infrastructure is for but why as a business owner you must use a โsystems approachโ to solving your businessโ problems.
Welcome! This is the very first episode of the Business Infrastructure: Curing Back Office Blues podcast. This podcast is targeted to entrepreneurs and owners of fast-growing small businesses. We all know the importance of marketing and growing your business, but what happens when the dollars youโve invested in marketing are paying off and you have more business than you can handle? Itโs a perfect time to start looking at the Operations of your business and making sure you have the infrastructure in place to support that growing demand. Thatโs what this show is all aboutโthe often overlooked and rarely talked about subject of the nitty-gritty details of your businessโ proverbial back office. In this first episode, Alicia Butler Pierre explains exactly what business infrastructure is. She also shares her journey from Chemical Engineer to advocate of operational excellence in small businesses.
Being insane isnโt necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to managing fast growth in your small business. Find out why in this episode as Alicia Butler Pierre makes the case for insanity in your business operations and why business infrastructure is vital to not just talking about taking your business to the next level, but actually doing it! Learn two real-life examples of how the original founders of now popular business software products not only recognized the importance of business infrastructure in scaling their businesses but actually made strategic moves to ensure it happened. Both are to be admired for this recognition and decisive action. But one founder enjoyed success unparalleled and the other, well, you can be the judge of that.