The Hot Mic @ Arch DevOps
By Michael "Fritz" Fritzius
Enjoy the listen.
The Hot Mic @ Arch DevOpsNov 30, 2020
Paul Benigeri - Helping the Nano-Influencers
Paul Benigeri recently had his company go through a name and brand change, and now they're called Archive. Their focus is to blend automation, artificial intelligence and relationship building, to help people grow their brand on Instagram through nano-influencers. We get into some cool stuff in this episode, and dig into Paul's journey as an entrepreneur. Find more about Archive by going to archive.ai
Kuda Biza - It's Nunbelievable
Kuda's cookie company called Nunbelievable is a philanthropic venture designed to help fight hunger, especially in his home country of Zimbabwe. At around 6 years old, his area suffered severe drought, and he experienced food insecurity. So, he grew up never wanting anyone--especially kids--suffering the same way. He's on his path to fix that problem now. Next time you have a cookie of any kind, remember Kuda's mission. And, find out more about his journey by going to spearmethod.com.
Antoan Rusinov - Marketing and Board Games
Guest Antoan Rusinov has a couple interesting things going on. First, he's the founder of the company Levels Up, but he also has another company called You Lead Brand, where he not only helps small business get their marketing message right, but also created a board game about business strategy. Check him out at https://www.facebook.com/youleadbrand and https://www.instagram.com/youleadbrand.
Terry McDougall - Entrepreneurship is Not for Sissies
Terry McDougall and I met up on Matchmaker, where she filled me in on all the different aspects of her coaching business. Starting her new thing up in 2017, she's carved out a unique niche of helping executives and career seekers figure out how to lead well, and what fits best in their life, respectively. She's always down to mentor her staff, and has a history of lifting others up. Listen for tips about what entrepreneurship really takes (and here's a hint: it's not for sissies!), dealing with the emotional flood that comes with starting up a business, balancing instability with stability, and more at the end. Find her at terrybmcdougall.com, or on LinkedIn too, and also check out Amazon for her book called: Winning the Game of Work. Let's get started now.
Kate Trusova - Zero Waste Lifestyle During the Pandemic
Kate and Natasha Trusova crossed paths with my wife Charlotte and I recently with our company Exactly Zero. They founded their company Kiwi Eco Box in April of 2020, right in the heat of the pandemic. It's a company whose mission is to help people adopt the zero-waste lifestyle easily, by providing a monthly subscription to receive a variety of these kinds of products at their door, sourced from all over the US. Based in Austin Texas, they saw a prime opportunity to start a company even though it was during the pandemic, because they noticed a big uptick in purchases of things that create a lot of wasteful packaging. The timing was perfect, and they're quickly growing into a company that can make a big environmental impact on the world. If you're interested in learning more about the zero waste movement, check out kiwiecobox on Instagram, kiwiecobox.com and their online store at kiwiecoshop.com. Enjoy the listen.
Purdeep Sangha - Being Distinct and Helping Businesses Help Themselves
Fellow entrepreneur, and also entrepreneur coach Purdeep Sangha joins me today to talk about his journey on the entrepreneurial path. He's learned a lot about balancing altruism with business, and why it's not terrible to raise your prices. It felt weird for him the first time he did it, but the client still said yes anyway. Making the mental switch to value-based pricing is a big part of how a business makes it in this world. There's plenty of mindset involved in it, and today's episode will help you learn more about his unique approach to helping businesses help themselves. If you're just starting on your own entrepreneurial journey--or you've been on it for awhile and could learn something new--listen into this episode. Afterward, get to know Purdeep by by visiting his site purdeepsangha.com or email him at team@purdeepsangha.com.
Robert Hall - Staying Kissable with Gummies
A good friend of mine got me introduced to today's guest, and after hearing what he's got going on, I'm sold on the mission. Robert Hall is the founder of So-B and he's answering the call to improve lip health for everyone. Every year 45 million suffer from ailments causing unsightly lip health, and growing up it affected him in a negative way. He shared with me how he started the company in October 2020 and what the journey's been like. Many of the lessons he's learned center around actively listening to customers, and finding out ways to fold in suggestions from a small segment of those customers. The real treasure, and a great way to improve your offering, is figuring out the best blend of all the data to create a wonderful experience across the whole customer base. Not many companies do this on purpose, because it's hard, but the road less travelled is the most rewarding. Find more about Robert on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn by searching for 'sobliphealth'. Enjoy the listen.
Dr. Denise Dennis - Marketing Automation the Right Way
Got introduced to today's guest by a mutual friend and former podcast guest. Dr. Denise Dennis is a marketing automation guru who started her company Action Accelerated after a surge of people kept asking her about her process and how she gets webinars set up. From there it's become a series of projects helping fellow coaches automate big chunks of their process, so they can free up more time and help more people. There's always some way to get a little more efficient and start getting a return on your time investment, especially if coaches are feeling overwhelmed. She shares with me what the journey's been like, what she's learned about herself and some principles of building the know/like/trust factor using some established tools. Dr. Denise has a heart to serve others, and has some free resources out at automate25things.com where you can find what 25 things you should automate in your process. Or reach out to her by visiting her website, drdenisedennis.com. If you're a business or leadership coach feeling like you're chasing your tail and not making much progress, might be time to get some automation in place somewhere. Let's listen in now.
Noah Pusey - Old and Busted Performance Reviews? Not Hotness with Ripple
Second-time guest Noah Pusey joins me today to catch up about what he's got going on with Ripple. Last time we talked it was clear that there's a big problem with how most companies handle performance reviews. If you've ever worked at a place where there's a week-long yearly review that leaves you feeling stressed: that's exactly what Noah and his team are working to do away with. There's so much wasted time and reactive changes when you only find out about problems a year later, and the result is a pretty stressful work environment. In catching up, we talk about what we've learned in the past year, how we've grown and what new goals are on the horizon. Got a lot of great tips for you if you're just starting out or are pretty far on your entrepreneurial journey. If you're wondering if your yearly performance review is working for you, why not take Ripple for a test drive? Head over to ripplecrew.com and see how it works. Let's get started with the show.
Amber Comadira-Smith - The Sweet Side of Entrepreneurship
Today's guest is an energetic lady who got her start in marketing years ago, and found her calling later in cake decorating of all things. It's actually another way for her to exercise her eye for design that she's refined over the years. Amber Comadira-Smith is the founder of Commie's Cupcakes, an exclusive cake decorating boutique located in Australia, and she spends her days crafting amazing work that's good enough you might not want to eat it. But you should because, well, you paid for it and that's what cakes and cupcakes are for. In this episode we talk about what it was that made her go that direction, and the struggles she had starting up her new dream, learning about leveraging social media and treating the business like a business instead of a hobby. There are a lot of sweet angles to the conversation that entrepreneurs of any experience level would learn a lot from. After listening, check out her amazing website over at commiescupcakes.com, or follow her on Instagram @commies.cupcakes. Conversation's already baking now, come on in.
Jas Rawlinson - On Unrealistic Expectations with Entrepreneurship
Jas Rawlinson and I got introduced by a mutual friend recently, and after hearing a bit of her story I was like, 'hey you gotta get on this podcast please'. One of the most frustrating things as an entrepreneur is seeing everybody on social media seemingly having it together. Making six figures, posing next to a lambo and living the life--and yet we don't know about the blood, sweat and tears that went into what looks like an overnight success. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. There's almost a fake kind of impostor syndrome that happens when we're exposed to too much of this manufactured success, which we dig into in this episode. Jas' mission in life is to help people share their own story and use it as a way to build their own business. Leveraging the idea of the 'know, like and trust' factor, sharing your own story is a sure way to get the kind of business that will last you for your entrepreneur journey. Listen in to hear her story about her original plan, how the pandemic made it go bonk, and how she recovered. She's doing some cool stuff these days. If you need help sharing your story, writing a book, getting a handle on public speaking or getting yourself out there, find her at jasrawlinson.com. Let's get going.
Jane Tabachnick - Simply Good Press
Today's guest is Jane Tabachnick, Founder of Simply Good Press. She shares with me how she describes herself as a 'recovering fashion designer' who realized the power that public relations had on her career. With strategy and a little bit of elbow grease, she found herself getting opportunities to talk with big people in the fashion space, who by then had already heard of her. She loved that aspect of the work so much that she pivoted to do that full time. Now she's helping her clients get a lot more visibility. In her career she struggled with figuring out a business model and how to get recurring revenue--which is a challenge for a lot of us too--but she's figuring it out. Constantly surrounding herself with people who have been further down the path of entrepreneurship has helped her tremendously, and it goes right in line with her advice at the end of the episode. Find Jane at simplygoodpress.com, and while you're there take her fun and free assessment to see how visible YOU are. Episode's already going, let's jump in now.
Nelly Yusupova - Putting the Horse Before the Cart
Turns out today's guest and I have a ton in common! We met on Matchmaker and after reading her bio and getting to know her a little bit I said: girl, you're in. Nelly Yusupova is a Startup Tech Advisor, helping leaders understand how to manage their technical teams, without going Full Nerd. She helps companies build out their apps and get their products to market quickly, but she flips the script on how to go about that. Rather than let companies sling their idea out and then try to find customers, she helps them do the market research first and determine if the idea is even viable. And you can believe it, an idea that's shot down is much better than spending thousands or millions of investor funds on something that just wouldn't work. Nelly's poised to help lots of companies figure out how to pull off their dreams on time and under budget. Find more about her at techspeakforentrepreneurs.com, where she hosts free classes every Wednesday, and you can learn the Lean way to build products. Or find her under the handle @digitalwoman all over social media. Let's jump in.
Hanieh Sigari - Helping others to age well, live well, & do good.
It's not often that we look back on our entrepreneurial heritage and know why it is we have the spark to start a business. But today's guest knows exactly what, and who, put that spark in her. Hanieh Sigari shared an amazing story about how growing up in Iran, her mother was incredibly influential. After nearly being executed, her mother was presented with an opportunity to help girls get back on their feet, and make a living after being taught a skill. The Iran-Iraq war happening soon after gave them plenty to work on, and each girl was paid for their work. Hanieh's mother was able to influence the lives of hundreds of girls and help them live by the work of their own hands. And that's what clinched it. Today, Hanieh is a serial entrepreneur, having started multiple ventures and taking what she's learned from each, to create a sizable enterprise focused on high grade and customized skin care. Qyral is the culmination of all the influence she's had from as far back as a young girl in Iran. What a cool mom, and what a cool story! Find more about Hanieh and Qyral by visiting qyral.com, qyralskincare on Instagram, or emailing her directly at hanieh@qyral.com. You're gonna love this story happening right now.
John Bunting - The Startup Startup
'Yo dog, I heard you like startups, so I made you a startup that helps startups startup' Reuse of an old meme here, and I'm pretty sure that's the idea that today's guest John Bunting had when founding Beeso Studios. It's a startup studio, and they partner with up and coming companies who want to scale and need guidance and many hands to help make light work. John's a pretty laid back guy but has really seen some stuff as he continues on his entrepreneurial path. He absolutely loves what he's doing and is eager to help as many viable companies as possible make it in this chaotic world we live in. If you're a startup wondering if you have what it takes, John and his team of experts will tell you. And they'll help you every step of the way. Get in contact with him by going to beeso.io, and he'll take it from there. Let's jump into the show now.
Ean Murphy - Do You Hate Numbers? Listen to This Episode
You know, one of the most stressful parts of business for a lot of entrepreneurs is looking at the books. Ugh. I mean shoot even sometimes I don't like to look at where money's going, but if you plan to have a profitable business, you probably should be at least taking a peek at it once in awhile. Ean Price Murphy is a Mastery Level practitioner of Profit First Bookkeeping, a program designed to give you full transparency and insights on where your money is going, and how to think in terms of driving more profit for your company. On today's episode we talk about the mindset that goes into creating such a business, and the effects of engineering your environment to force yourself into being more successful. It's a relaxing yet energetic mix of mindfulness, brain hacking, financing and spreadsheet, but most of all: moxie. Which is great, because that's the name of her business. If you hate numbers but know you need awesome bookkeeping, reach out to Ean by googling Moxie Bookkeeping, and find her on LinkedIn and Facebook. Let's 'pivot' into the episode now. That's a spreadsheet joke. Sounded better in my head. Anyway, here we go!
Nicholas Prouten - Hot Mic Unplugged: Crypto, Ubiquity, Precious Metals and Psychology
Jumping into the conversation, we right away started talking about cryptocurrency, precious metals, psychology and all kinds of other topics, all before I learned how to pronounce this guest's name! Nicholas Prouten and I talked about the project he's creating called Lode, and modernizing precious metals for the modern world. There's a huge movement to return to that standard because of the inherent allure of the metals, but how we buy, sell and trade has gotten a bit ancient. It's time for a facelift. We're talking about the value of money, investing in assets, and what it takes to get people on board with high tech currency that you find in cryptocurrency. Find out more about his mission to make crypto and precious metals investments mainstream at lodepay.com or lode.one. Get ready to learn some cool stuff.
Sidd Masand - Civil Engineer By Day, Rock and Roll Engineer By Night
He's a civil engineer by day, and a Youtube video producer by night. Sidd Masand is the brains behind the Rock and Roll True Stories channel on Youtube, and hearing his story is a great example of human spirit in action. The financial crash in 2008 and 2009 and a lot of extra work stress made him realize he really wanted to reclaim his freedom and passion for work. So he started up a Youtube channel. And it's ended up being a pretty good revenue stream. The biggest piece of advice he has is, find a niche and go all in. It takes a lot of bravery to do that, but if you go that direction it'll pay off huge. And you won't wear yourself out trying to be all things to all people. If you want to hear more about the stories this chill Canadian is putting together, search for Rock and Roll True Stories to track down his channel. Let's jump into the conversation now.
Lee Chambers - You Are Not Your Business
Lee Chambers is the founder of Essentialise, where he provides top notch service for fellow entrepreneurs who are trying to figure out what's holding them back in business. But before that? He ran a video game company. There were some big things that happened in his life that gave him the fuel to start Essentialise, and helped him realize he had a lot to give to the world. Entrepreneurs all over struggle with the idea of keeping their identity free from the business, while still delegating and creating something self-sustaining. But it is NOT easy, and having someone like Lee on your side is a wise move. We're unpacking a lot of cool stuff here, and if you're an owner listening in, there are some things that will resonate. After the show, if you'd like to chat with Lee and see how he can help, head over to essentialise.co.uk, or to his personal page at leechambers.org. Let's listen in now.
Matt Rosenthal - The Department of Redundancy Dept.
Talking with Matt Rosenthal today about his journey, and how he got started in entrepreneurship was a treat, because he's a huge nerd just like me! He shared how originally he was going to start in the criminal justice space, but had some events happen in life that got him in the path of some key people, and he ended up falling into IT. Happens more that you might think. Later he started up a side gig that his employer found out about, and decided to 'fire himself' and go full bore into the side business. Fast forward a few years, and he's built it into a multimillion dollar enterprise. He's figured out the key to balancing life, and really making yourself and information redundant--two things that seem counterintuitive but really go a long way toward building a scalable business. There's a lot that fellow entrepreneurs can learn from this conversation. Find Matt online on LinkedIn, their website at mind-core.com and on Youtube as well. Also be watching for a new podcast starting up called 'Digging In' hosted by his company. Let's jump into the conversation now.
Laurent Notin - In the Middle of a Challenge There is Opportunity
I met fellow podcast host Laurent not too long ago and learned about his venture as a business coach. Turns out he and I have a ton in common. During the episode I asked him some key questions about major challenges he'd faced, and was honestly floored how similar his challenges were to mine. If you're a frequent listener to this podcast, you already know that building a business is probably one of the hardest things you'll ever undertake. It's comforting knowing I'm not the only one who ugly cries once in awhile! Laurent decided on business coaching because again and again, he kept running into situations where he was foisted into an entrepreneurial role and made to figure things out. And he kept succeeding enough that he decided to become an actual entrepreneur, and help his fellows on the journey. The title of this episode is, 'In the Middle of a Challenge, There is Opportunity', which is his life motto. And it's good enough I might make it mine too. He's got some great tips today, and if you want to reach out to him, head over to his website at laurentnotin.com or find him on LinkedIn. Let's join in now
Frederick Shegog - Here Now For a Reason
Frederick had some events happen in life that hit him hard, right in the mental health. But instead of letting it get him down, he used it to fuel his mission. Soon after recovery he realized: there needed to be someone that could advocate for people who struggle in the same way, and -in- a way that resonates with them. None of this high flying double talk and putting on airs of superiority, it's deep connecting with people and letting them know: hey I've been there too. He started The Message LLC as a public speaker, talking with schools about why America is unhealthy, and more recently, how the pandemic has uncovered things about how we handle mental health that society can't sweep under the rug. When stigma outweighs education, destigmatizing this subject is the key to change. Frederick does that. If you're concerned about mental health, find out more about his mission by visiting themessagellc.com, or finding him on LinkedIn and Instagram. Let's listen to the journey now.
Chantelle Quow - Do You Have a Plan for Being TOO Successful? You Should!
There's been a high concentration of Toronto residents on the show these days. Not complaining or anything, Canadians are awesome and always polite. Today's guest is Chantelle Quow, founder of CQ Business Coach. And we talked about why businesses need a business plan not just for how to operate, but what to do when things blow up in a good way. Some people would say that being too successful is a good problem to have, but if you don't have a plan for when that happens? Well that could be a bad problem. She helps with that. Over the years of being an entrepreneur multiple times, she's found that she has a 'can't stop won't stop' attitude that she wasn't fully aware of until she had situations requiring her to dig deep. A lot of entrepreneurs have that--you probably do too. We talked about work-life balance, good mindset and surrounding yourself with the right tribe of people. And we hit on some really good advice at the end for people who are just starting their entrepreneurial journey. After listening, if you feel like you need to get a handle on your business plan, find Chantelle under the handle @cqbusinesscoach all over social media and her website, cqbusinesscoach.com. Chantelle Quow will make you go 'Wow!' But first: this podcast.
Vinnie Fisher - Rise and Grind - The Right Way
You know, Vinnie and I started off the conversation talking about the nature of busy-ness and how Hustle Porn seems to be eating up how many of us do work. There's a type of work that enriches and energizes you, and there's a type that just drains you of energy. I think we've both figured out what the right kind of work is and how to do the most of that so we can hit the sack and get a good night's sleep. But with the rest of the conversation, we got deep into the nature of building a business, how to get out of your own way, correcting self-talk and how going through struggles really gives you an awesome mindset to tackle all kinds of challenges. This is a fast paced, high energy conversation that you'll learn a lot about. Vinnie's got a free book offer over at fullyaccountable.com/hotmic, and there's a link in the show notes. Learn from that, and from this episode. Let's get going.
Sanjeev Chitre - The Periodic Table of Entrepreneurship
I've only known Sanjeev for... well, officially 36 minutes as of this recording. But already I've found him to be an amazingly sharp guy, always willing to share what he's learned about entrepreneurship. There are some key things in here that every new entrepreneur needs to know about before they run out and build their thing. See, there's a reason why most businesses fail. It's because people largely keep making the same mistakes. It's part of the human condition. But there's a scientific way to go about building business that greatly increases your chances of success, and Sanjeev's got it figured out. Four things to keep in mind: is the market confused about what it wants? Do you bring a unique differentiation to the table? Is there a large market for what you do? And do you have the team or capabilities yourself to make it happen? If the answer to all four is 'yes' then you're on the right track. And if not, now you have some areas for improvement. Yeah! Science! You can build a business in a measurable way. After listening to Sanjeev's wisdom, check the show notes for how to learn more about him and his new book coming out in Q1 2021. Let's get going.
Charles Read - Navigating the Waters of Tax Law, and Having a Blast Doing It
Oh boy. I never know when I'm getting ready to talk to a CPA how the conversation's gonna go. Is it gonna be dry and boring? Well of course not, not on this podcast! Today's guest is Charles Read, retired Marine and an incredibly experienced CPA who started GetPayroll awhile ago. He and his wife originally started up the business and built it into a family-centric company that's serving a bunch of peoples' tax needs. We got to talk about why taxes seem scary, why tax law is as complex as it is, and why CPAs are the ones we should turn to when we need someone to go to bat for us. Some of the challenges he's faced during his journey are simply keeping up with technology and managing time. Near the end, he shared five really powerful insights about entrepreneurship that I don't want to spoil for you here in the intro, but it's well worth hearing. If you need advice about taxes or have questions about compliance, contact Charles anytime. Head over to getpayroll.com, email him at cjr@getpayroll.com or even call him at 972-353-0000. Let's jump into the show now.
Craig Inzana - The Right Time to Stop
Craig Inzana and I met awhile back when both of us were entrepreneurs, and things ended up changing on his end. Turns out it was for the better. He's now working at a marketing agency where he's able to bring everything he learned about business and himself, to the table. Over the last couple years, he's learned that it's really easy to go down rabbit holes and take on different challenges rapidly. That's kinda how the entrepreneurial brain works! But when trying to build a company of employees and foster stability, that approach doesn't work so hot. I was kinda concerned about bringing up the topic of business ownership today and made sure he was cool talking about it, and he was. And this episode is full of great advice. One day we'll get him back, and when that happens he's got a plan to rebuild the right way, and rock socks. Find Craig all over social media, and in particular on LinkedIn. For now, enjoy the listen and the learning.
Dustin Miller - PolyInnovator - Maybe Stop Pushing
Today's guest is Dustin Miller, Polyinnovator, and this is one high energy guy. His excitement is contagious. We got to chat about the nature of habit building and knowing how to push yourself harder. But sometimes, that self-awareness shows us that maybe we *shouldn't* be pushing harder. Sometimes we need to listen to ourselves and honor our limits, so we can always be at our best. This is the second time I've talked with Dustin across all our podcasts and he's just a cool guy who's poised to make a big impact. And he's got some cool stuff to share with you today. If you want to talk with Dustin about how to manage your content and find more about how he's doing it, find him literally anywhere online under the handle @polyinnovator, or his website, polyinnovator.space. Let's jump in now.
Steve Pereira - Becoming a Completed Nerd
From an early age, today's guest was just built different. As a kid, Steve Pereira found great value in experimentation and process improvement. While other kids would spend their time goofing off, Steve found ways to spend less time cleaning his room. It's carried forward to now, where his business focuses on helping software companies deliver faster and at higher quality. It turns out that he's found that problems in corporate technology companies aren't tech-related at all. They're people-related. And coming up with processes and flows for people to dial into and do amazing things helps decrease stress and increase productivity. Don't worry about a couple of nerds being together on the same podcast, we don't get technical at all in this show. But you'll learn some neat stuff that you can apply to your own day-to-day. Find Steve at visible.is, or email him at steve@visible.is. Now jump and see what these two Completed Nerds are chatting about.
Ashlee Dozier - Building Business and Smelling Spectacular
*sniff* You smell that? Well probably not, because you're listening to this. But if the technology were available, smell would be a great way to enjoy this episode. Got the change to talk with Ashlee Dozier today about Anuket Luxury Apothecary. Named for an Egyptian goddess, she shared the story about how she started off working in the public health space, and after some big life challenges, decided to pack everything in storage and travel the world. One of the places she happened to end up was Egypt. And one of the places the guide happened to bring her to was a small family-owned perfumery. And one of the scents they happened to specialize in was Papyrus. It smelled so good, she bought a good amount of it to send home. Turns out that people here in the US loved the fragrance so much they convinced her to start a business. The rest is history. Funny how that happens! Although she's a fairly new business owner, she's already carved out a deep niche as one of the only suppliers of this essential oil in the US, and is helping support that small perfumery back in her second home of Egypt. This is a really good conversation that will give you some neat insights in the world of apothecary, supply chain and entrepreneurship. If you're looking to change how you smell, Ashlee is all over social media under the handle @anuketluxury. Check out the website at anuketluxury.com or email her directly at ashlee@anuketluxury.com. She's always down to talk shop, smells and stuff. Let's listen in now.
Noa Ronen - Look Beyond the Solution That Keeps You Stuck
From Israel to the US, Noa Ronen has found out a lot about herself and how she can now help people. We got the chance to talk about how her coaching company came about, and how the people coming to her with the same kinds of challenges led her to start Noa Ronen Coaching. With so many leaders and executives not sure how to communicate and lead once a company gets to a certain size, she realized she had the ability to help them. Understanding how to manage one's energy and even how to distinguish whether it's 'doing energy' or 'being energy' is a big part of what she does. We barely scratched the surface, but this high energy conversation is sure to leave you wanting to learn more. If you're an executive wondering how to lead in a new era, Noa's an excellent person to get to know. Find her at noaronencoaching.com or noarcoach everywhere on social media. Got something cool for you in this conversation.
Bronwyn Reid - Helping David Make Friends With Goliath
G'day folks, always a pleasure talking with Australians! Got the chance to talk with Bronwyn Reid and found out that her endeavor called Small Company, Big Business, focuses on helping the small companies dotting the landscape be able to provide services for the big monolithic business around the world. As a small business owner myself, the very things she helps with made me go, 'why oh why didn't I meet her five years ago?!' But we're here now. She talks about the recent upsets that COVID brought to supply chains, and how some huge companies are now turning to small ones and looking for local help to keep them able to hit their bottom line. She's definitely been on that side of the coin, and brings years of personal experience from the rural community, and helps small companies be seen and heard by the big ones. If you're in that situation and wondering how you can close bigger deals with companies with deeper pockets, listen into this episode. Afterward, find her by heading over to her website, bronwynreid.com.au. What'll we learn today? Keep listening to find out.
Vanessa Zamy - Supercharge Your 9 to 5
Hoo boy am I energized after talking with Vanessa Zamy today, and I know she knows herself a lot better than I do but I have a hard time believing she's an introvert! She's the Founder of Your Visions Catalyst, and she helps corporate employees figure out who they are, how to manage their time and workload, where to spend their energy and deeply bringing their full selves to work, while feeling safe about doing it. It's no secret that here in the US we have a trend toward workaholism, and the huge amounts of stress we subject ourselves to is a result. Whether it's from us feeling like we can't be honest about problems, or constantly wondering if we're doing enough, that stress adds up. But there's a different way to work, and Vanessa can help. I personally think if someone like her was in my life earlier, I would've turned out a lot different, and felt like I could take more calculated risk. But hey, I'm not living life with regrets here, and if you get in touch with her you won't regret it either. Find out more about the community she's building at vzamy.com. If you're feeling stuck in your 9 to 5, keep listening for tips.
William Walley - Slingin' Wisdom by Storytelling
Got a different episode for y'all today. I met William Walley through a mutual friend who was also a previous podcast guest, and learned more about him on a call a few months ago. And I gotta say: William is the embodiment of 'good old boy'. From the deep south here in the US, he's fashioned himself into an amazing storyteller, painting pictures of his life and lessons learned in a way that you can apply to yours right away. Since our last call of course a lot's happened in the world regarding COVID and political strife, but he keeps plugging away, living life on his terms. This episode inspired me to maybe come up with another type of podcast along these lines. I think you'll appreciate his easy style and willingness to share what he's learned. If you'd like to hear more of him, he's got his own podcast as well called 'World of Walley', and a Facebook page of the same name. Find his personal page on Facebook by looking for, as he describes, 'a bald-headed Bruce Willis looking guy'. There's some key wisdom in today's episode for you whether you're an entrepreneur or not, so listen in and see how it applies. Let's get going.
Jelena Radonjic - Spending 90,000 Hours Being Unhappy :(
Jelena Radonjic is the founder of WhatWork, and her mission in life is to help people really enjoy what they're doing in their career. See the problem is: we spend 90,000 hours on work in our lifetime. And if we're unhappy for all that time... wow that's just no way to live. So she guides people on how to find out what they really want to be when they grow up and gives them all the tools, knowhow and fearlessness to reach out and get it. She shares a lot about her story on what work was like for her and realizing the impact she could have in thousands of other peoples' lives. If you're listening and realizing you're hating the idea of getting up and schlubbing to another terrible day at work, you might need to talk with Jelena. Find out at her site, whatwork.co.uk, where you can take a free assessment quiz along with having a complientary call with her. Or you can find her on LinkedIn and as a published author at places like Forbes and Thrive Global. For now though, let's get into the conversation already in progress.
Angel Ribo - Don't Wait, Take Imperfect Action Now
Angel Ribo... is the CEO Confidant. Well that makes it sound like he's into some secretive cloak and dagger stuff but that couldn't be further from the truth. Guy's awesome. Turns out he had a bit of a spiritual awakening back in 2015, where he realized he could impact a ton of people on a broader scale, doing what he was doing already. His mission is to help corporate CEOs and entrepreneurs get more exposure, and boost their bottom line. Listening to this episode, you'll learn about his view on time, energy, and how money fits in and is actually an exchange of that energy instead of just being a consumable resource. This father of three also helps underpriveleged children with another venture of his, and has an energetic drive to help as many people as possible. Reach out to him anytime on LinkedIn or via email at angel@angelribo.com. Enjoy the listen.
Lisa Cox - It's Ok to Suck At Certain Things
How's an infection lead to building an awesome business? Like this. Today's guest Lisa Cox has a unique company. It's... her! She has a background in advertising and media, and 16 years ago got a buttload of disability. Starting with an infection leading to a stroke, followed by a coma for 3 weeks and being in the hospital for a year. Once that was sorted out she was left with a list of disabilities that would bring most people to the end of themselves. But not her. She asked herself: how can I get back to doing what I love? And the answer: advocating for disabled people. With so many people underrepresented in the disabled demographic, the world has an inaccurate view of what it's like, and so the world at large is misinformed. That's Lisa's mission: keep this demographic at the forefront and help people see what it's really like on the other side of a disability. She's learned that she's a lot stronger than she thought she could ever be. And you are too. Lisa's attitude is well suited to entrepreneurship and her outlook on life makes her someone you'll want to get in touch with. When that happens, find her at her website or on Instagram under the same handle: lisacox.co. Keep listening to find the advice she has for entrepreneurs.
Michael Castiglione - The Cure for Sales Cancer
Today's guest is Michael Castiglione, Los Angeles native and franchise owner at Sandler Training. In our first conversation I had a few weeks back it was impressive how open he was about sales, and what it truly means to sell with a heart for service. So I asked him if he wanted to be on a podcast and here we are! 2020 has been the year of reslience and sales is one of the best ways to build even more of it. And we have some awesome takeaways for you. Learning to love the word 'no' and treat it as an option to learn more. Driving yourself to having more quality conversations. Not being afraid to take people out of a pipeline. And how to use the acronym BAGELS to set goals for yourself every day. I had a hard time keeping up with typing all the great advice I heard today, and am eager to implement it. You will be too. After listening, reach out to Michael on LinkedIn. He's easy to find, just look for a cheesy smile and bald head--his words not mine. Come on in and join the conversation.
Raj Goodman Anand - 3rd Time's the Charm
Raj Goodman Anand's 3rd venture is a company called Goodman Lantern, an exclusive content marketing company focused on the B2B and B2C space. Today we got the chance to discuss his journey. If you're an entrepreneur and feel like you can't do all the things in your company and still stay sane, then this episode is for you. Turns out the lessons he's learned on his journey tie pretty close to mine, and we both learned later in life that delegation is key. Handing off chunks of work to people who, let's be honest, are proably better at it than you are, is the quickest way to scale your company to self-sustainability. Raj's background of storytelling makes this episode one you'll want to hear, and learn tips from. When you're ready to reach out to Raj, find him on LinkedIn, or the company website, goodmanlantern.com. Let's get started.
Swire Ho - Turning Prospects Into Fans With Promo Products
Got the chance to talk to Swire Ho today and find out what he's got going on with his company, Garuda Promo. We often think that promotional products are just cheap throwaway items that you get at conferences that last a few days before they're used up. And I mean, there are plenty of products like that out there. But Swire's mission is different: incredibly high quality products for the purpose of helping build deep relationships with people. Each item that you gift a previous, current or future client is something that they should really enjoy, and have a constant reminder of the kind of relationship that's being forged between them and you personally. Listen in for tips about what he's learned about himself on the entrepreneurial journey, what sectors to go after and the value of true relationship building. Swire and I are already chatting so come on in and join us.
Steven Slutzky - Looking Back on the Last 20 Years (and Forward to the Next 20)
Talking with fellow St. Louisan Steven Slutzky today, founder of Mobile Workflow. We've known each other for a bit now and I invited him on to talk about his journey. He originally started off in the aerospace industry and like many entrepreneurs, didn't plan on being a business owner. He sort of just fell into it. Turns out we have that in common! From working at NASA and McDonnell Douglas to now serving multiple companies with a customizable compliance platform that he created, he's finding new ways to both impact peoples' lives and continue learning about himself. It's been a wild 20 years for Steven, so get ready to learn his advice for both beginning and seasoned entrepreneurs. When you're ready to talk with Steven about how to make sure your large company is keeping compliant so you can save millions of dollars annually, find him at mworkflow.com or on LinkedIn. Keep listening for more.
Craig Lewis - Don't Lose Your Crown, Kings
Craig Lewis used to live in the United States, and went through some really hard challenges in life. So much so that he needed to get away from everything. Most other people, when faced with the reality of everything they relied on crashing down around them may lose themselves in self-pity and negativity. But Craig? Bro this guy's built different. He's lived around the world and learned how to build amazing tribes of people that mutually support each other with respect, friendship and love. And he's using his battle scars of life to equip others to fight and live on their terms too. Join us and hear about mental health, living the life, and enjoying the company of the community cats where he lives now in Mexico. If Craig resonates at the same frequency as you, find him on his site coachcraiglewis.com, or email him directly at punx.in.recovery@gmail.com. Let's listen in now.
Matt Sodnicar - Staying Chill About Entrepreneurship While Staying Just Warm Enough
Fellow entrepreneur and podcast host Matt Sodnicar's company started as a hobby. Warm Front makes a variety of chest warming apparel for skiiers and cyclers to keep them just warm enough to enjoy the sport. And as a resident of Colorado, he knows the importance of this. Starting his career off as a software engineer, he realized he had a crazy idea that he wanted to make into a reality. And through his time building his company, he's done not only that, but built amazing relationships with people he otherwise wouldn't have met. Matt's got some awesome tips at the end for people just starting or already on the entrepreneurial path, and they're so good I asked him to email them to me so I can print them off for myself and tape them up near my computer. If you're feeling the nip of weather setting in and you're getting chilly, find Matt at thewarmfront.com, email him at matt@thewarmfront.com or find him on LinkedIn. We're talking about weather, pizza and bowling here, so let's hop in.
John Paragon - The Paragon of Business Scalability - Literally
John Paragon started off his entrepreneurship journey by building a software dev company, with no software dev experience. And it ended up working out pretty well! He's since sold most of it off and pivoted to become a powerful business coach. I personally had a great time talking with him an learning some things about my own business, and I'm we're both sure you'll get a lot out of this episode. Expect to learn about what it means to overcome Impostor Syndrome, creating a scalable business and how to build one even on a bootstrap budget. John's readily findable on LinkedIn and Facebook and on his site, paragon30.com. Enjoy the listen.
Kathleen Celmins - Video Marketing Might Be the Only Option Now
Kathleen Celmins literally started her company AmplifiedNOW in August 2020. In that short time, she's learned a ton about herself and the market at large. The main thing: video is incredibly important for small and large business owners. Not only are people more like to watch videos because of being on social media more than usual, but the normal ways of building rapport with people aren't quite in vogue these days. Coffee, lunch, networking events and many other close-quarters type events aren't happening. Video may just be the only option a business has to gain more business. But not just any video--it needs to be videos that talk about problems that you solve, so that the viewer can put themselves in those shoes and relate to you and how you can help define and resolve those pains. If you'd like to reach out to Kathleen, find her website at amplifiednow.com, and at @kathleencelmins all over social media. Let's learn more about her journey now.
Jay Shifman - Misuse, Not Abuse
Jay Shifman's been deeply involved in helping people understand substance addiction for years. Recently he started up a public speaking business, but COVID put a damper on that. In today's episode, as we talked about the challenges of Jay getting to where he is today, we got to go pretty deep into some different things about addiction that many people don't realize, and also how vulnerability leads to empathy. Too often we think that sharing about our struggles is oversharing, when it's not really. And too often we go too long without opening up about what we're dealing with, and it goes unhelped. You'll get some cool insights about mental health, entrepreneurship and recovery in this episode. After listening, reach out to Jay at jayshifman.com, and listen to his podcast called The Choose Your Struggle Podcast. Also find him all over social media under the names jayshifman or chooseyourstruggle. Let's listen in now.
Ange Dove - Ahead of Her Time and Too Successful. Good Problems To Have?
Today's guest, Ange Dove, started up her initial company 20 years ago. Coming from a corporate background, she felt the call to start something herself. And even though a lot of friends told her she was crazy, her husband said, 'Go for it'. She had plans to work from home, but since this was the dawn of the mainstream internet and cloud computing wasn't a thing, she had somewhat painted herself into a corner with success. She got big enough that she needed to hire people, which meant the need for office space. It's been a wild ride since then. We talked about the good old days before Google, and about dialup internet, along with some key concepts that have helped both of us in business. Things like: nothing in nature is a straight line. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Nothing is ever as bad as you think it'll be. But ultimately: if you feel the call toward entrepreneurship, just do it. If you'd like to find out more about Ange, head over to angedove.com, and maybe even book an appointment to chat further with her. Let's jump into the episode already in progress.
Sharon Davies - Getting Ghosted in Sales? Try This One Weird Trick
During the 'pre-show show', fellow owner Sharon Davies and I talked about how it's gotten much easier to build community with people because of covid. So many are struggling to have the togetherness from the olden days of just a little over a year ago, and the speed at which we can form bonds is incredible. Turns out it's a really good superpower to have in the world of sales. Sharon shared how she was working for corporate clients but ended up being made redundant in 2016. When she switched to contract work, a common challenge people came to her with was: we're having trouble selling and having difficulty managing our team. Enough people came to her about this that she realized: the universe is trying to tell me something, and I need to listen. The result? Sales2Success. She custom fits sales training to teams of any size, and with more than 30 years of experience in the world of sales, you'll be in good hands. Find her on LinkedIn, or email her directly: sharon@sales2success.com.au. Let's get started with the first podcast of the new season now.
Raj Subrameyer - Discovering Your Inner Genius
Raj Subrameyer is an international keynote speaker, author, and tech career coach who helps people to land their dream job and become successful leaders. He has helped countless individuals discover their zone of genius and leverage it to live a life that they love. He is a sought-after speaker at various conferences and has been featured in numerous podcast and publications, including Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Addicted2Success and The Good Men Project. He is also the author of the new book – Skyrocket Your Career. In his spare time, he loves traveling with his family and discovering new experiences which includes craft beer. You can connect with him on LinkedIn, on Twitter @epsilon11, or his website www.rajsubra.com. Enjoy the listen
Simi Mandelbaum - Therapy Couches and Spreadsheets
It's a sobering statistic that about 78% of people stress about money. And it's no secret that the more of it you have, the more problems turn up. Many of the problems that occur take place at the relationship level. While most people would either meet with an accountant or a marriage counselor, today's guest realized, "why not both?"
Simi Mandelbaum is the Founder of PROSPR Financial Wellness, and she learned that -how- we view money, and the mindset set have, is vastly more important than what we do with it. When a family isn't in lockstep about what to do with finances, it definitely causes problems that take a blend of both psychology and finance to figure out. She takes her clients through the process to uncover the root of their stresses with money.
Her personal mantra is, "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else," and she applies that every day with the people she serves. Find out more about Simi's endeavor at www.prospr.fit. And as always, enjoy the listen.