Business Way Outside the Box

How do you survive a business partnership?  How do you improve a husband and wife business team?  How do you make a family business more harmonious and productive?  

These guys know close relationships in business.  

Many business coaches are solo acts. Adam Sonnhalter and Jack Mencini of Maximum Value Partners (MVP) meet and work with their clients as a team. “Two bald guys are better than one,” they say.  

A lot of business coaches will focus on larger companies. MVP works ONLY with small businesses, and it’s been that way since the pair teamed up in 2003. Their “partnership” goes back to the days at a country club when Adam was a caddie and Jack a wannabe scratch golfer.  

Ironically, MVP takes a caddy-like approach when working with its clients (think more Bagger Vance than Caddyshack’s Danny Noonan). Their MVP strategy involves helping clients navigate the 7 Keys to Success, the 3 Circles and getting unstuck from endless “how” questions. This formula has elevated the games of businesses ranging from landscapers to IT consultants, body shops to marketing firms.  

Listen to this episode and get a good sense of what it means to be coached not coddled.  

For more information on MVP and their Dirty Secrets of Small Business podcast, visit www.maximumvp.com.

There are only two kinds of people. Those who live on a lake. And those who wished they did.  With that in mind, our guests Scott Freerksen and Chris Mosier founded Lakefront Living International, LLC, a national real estate franchise company focused exclusively on the buying and selling of lakefront and lake community properties.  

Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and nine Lakefront Bargain Hunters have turned to Lakefront Living for location advice and arrangements.   Lakefront Living has an extensive database of details for 2,809 lakes. 

In addition to its recent expansion into North Carolina, the company has established franchise territories in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee.  

What drives buyers and agents?  How is the pandemic and the economy effective lakefront sales?  Listen in. 

For more information on Lakefront Living Realty, visit https://www.lakefrontliving.com/

Stop the guessing.

What if your DNA gave you a better sense of cannabis choices for you?  Or about other areas of your health?

EndoDNA, is the industry leader and the transparent CEO of the fast-growing company Len May outlines the triumphs and road bumps. With thousands of users and deep research, EndoDNA is opening eyes and doors.

May has been featured in Entrepreneur, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, Forbes and much more.

Len is a graduate of Temple University and is also a Certified Medical Cannabis Specialist with 25 years of cannabis- related experience.
He was president of the Cannabis Action Network, and a lifetime board member of the California Cannabis Association as well as the Association of Cannabis Specialists.

May has a Masters of Medical Cannabis and an Endocannabinoid Formulation Specialist Certification from the Institute for the Advancement of Integrative Medicine.

He has some interesting things to say.

What? A home-based business with the glamour of travel?  Wanderlust and potential are what has always driven Americans. Funny, fast on the uptake and full of relatable stories, Peter Hans, CEO of Discovery Map, Inc. delivers both.   

During the pandemic, travel has been fairly limited. For many, that’s meant either a staycation at home or a regional road trip. Discovery Map, the leading provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions in cities and towns throughout North America, has become even more of a godsend to those day and road trippers.  

Peter outlines why his franchise opportunity is a little different. It’s not a 9-to-5 gig and you don’t necessarily have to work 12 months a year to be successful. You just have to be willing to work hard when you work.   

Peter began his career as an investment banker in Switzerland for six years and followed that with six more years in London. During that time, he traveled to most every major European city and also to Australia, Asia and South America.   

Discovery Map franchise owners come from many walks of life. Some are corporate/pandemic refugees or semi-retired individuals looking to build a business and fund their full retirement. Others include recent college grads, as well as mothers (and fathers) looking to build a business with hours around the kids’ school schedules.   

Discovery Map International, leading provider of curated guides to top tourist attractions in cities and towns throughout North America. The Waitsfield, Vermont-based franchisor has maps in 130 communities in North America and has 91 franchise owners.   

For additional backgrounders –  Website: https://discoverymap.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-hans-788b662a/

In business, there are only two ways to make more money.  Sell more.  Or reduce costs.   Our guest, Alex Weatherall outlines how to sharpen your pencil and greatly enhance the bottom line.   

Alex has an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and more than 30 years of procurement experience in a breadth of industries including food, office products, and pharmaceuticals. He’s held senior positions at Wegmans Food Markets, Office Depot, Staples, Mass General Hospital, and MassGeneralBrigham.  

In his free time Alex owns and oversees a small retail operation of his own – an upscale gas station and convenience store – and serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association.  For more information about Alex, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-weatherall-1b82193/

Our guest on this segment of “Business Way Outside the Box” is Janet Parnes, a thought provoking  social conversation and etiquette consultant.  She is also nationally sought after keynote speaker.  Do you spend a lot of time networking and wonder why? Are the results just not there?  If "Yes" – listen to this podcast.   Parnes shares practical techniques that make you and others feel valued, understood and  heard.  

Topics include –  

For more information about Janet Parnes, visit her LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetlparnes/ If you know of a “Way Outside the Box” business, or someone who conducts their business in a highly unusual way, please contact us at PRWorkZone.com.

Let the sun shine. Solar and renewable energy are a bright initiative for both the new Biden administration and locally in Massachusetts for the Baker administration. This episode features the CEO and Founder of the Bay State’s largest solar company – Daniel Mello Guimaraes of Boston Solar.    

Daniel left a successful career in commercial banking in Europe and South America to cross the Atlantic and launch Boston Solar. He is fluent in French, Spanish, Portuguese and English.  Not to worry, Daniel sticks to English for this segment.   

Boston Solar has more than 400 installation each year including residential as well as commercial (spanning manufacturing facilities, office building and churches).   Daniel talks about both the opportunity for savings via tax credits and rebates and the many misconceptions of solar.  

For information about installation or employment, visit www.BostonSolar.us.

Selling in the pandemic?  Tacky?  Ken Cheo, president and owner of Our Sales Coach, outlines the advantages in selling during the pandemic.  Better access to decision makers.  Buyers are open to new ideas, products, and services.  A veteran of coaching manufacturing, technology and service professional salespeople, Ken also outlines how to create a better pipeline and system to convert new clients.  How do we identify our best prospects, how do we reach out to them, how do we have meaningful conversations?  Have a sales/marketing plan for the new year.   For more information on Our Sales Coach, visit https://oursalescoach.com/

Business Way Outside the Box welcomes Entrepreneur Operating System (commonly referred to as EOS) facilitator Jack Keniley. As a brew pub pioneer, Wharton Business School graduate and lecturer and Arthur D. Little consultant, Jack understands the many, many challenges of small to mid-market businesses.  In this episode Jack talks about how business owners can exceed their current barriers and build an organization that is more fun, profitable and sellable.

Not your typical entrepreneur, Kevin Dubois, CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning with over 100 locations around the world and author of the industry standard “Entrepreneurial Insanity in the Dry Cleaning Business”, talks about the bumps along the way and how you can avoid some of them.   From lemonade stand in front of the Barnstable Fairground to juggling multiple enterprises, Kevin unfolds the pathway to a predictable income and lifestyle.   

This episode of “Business Way Outside the Box” also pulls back the curtain on independent startups vs. the franchise model.   For more information on Lapels Franchise opportunities, visit https://lapelsfranchise.com/.

You are not alone in feeling unfocused, overextended, and unproductive. Many people live in a sea of conflict while haphazardly trying to fill all the roles in their lives.   Margo Crawford of Wave Productivity, based in Greater Providence and with clients throughout the U.S. and Spain, outlines how you can be more productive. Whether you are an entrepreneur, small business owner, working in a home office or telecommuter we can help you gain control of your work-your papers, email, time, and focus.  For more information on Margo, visit: 

Get organized.  Or get out.  Or both.   If you ask her what she does, Wendy Arundel will tell you that it’s equal parts therapy, saving the world and creating a soothing space.  Owner of The Mudroom, a professional organizing and home staging company, Wendy helps people do what they can’t do for themselves – get ride of the stuff that doesn’t matter and celebrate the stuff that does.   Her clients include doctors, lawyers, children, seniors, neat-freaks, and hoarders, busy moms and time-challenged entrepreneurs.  Listen to her joy of helping you find the joy of less clutter.   For more on The Mudroom, visit https://themudroom.org/

Guest Tom Ricciardelli, CEO of SelecTech, talks about the challenges and triumphs of creating commercial and residential flooring from recycled materials.    From electrostatic flooring for manufacturing environments to leak-proof lab flooring to an easy to place and replace home basement floor, SeleTech has found a niche and loyal customers.  An MIT grad, Tom also mentors upcoming entrepreneurs.   For more on SelecTech, visit https://selectech.com/

Over it’s 30-year history, PR Works has had its share of clients with intriguing and yes, dare we say it, outside the box businesses. Safer Places certainly qualifies as that. In this episode, PR Works Founder Steve Dubin interviews David Sawyer, CEO of Safer Places, who reveals the need for employee and tenant background checks in a changing, unpredictable world. The episode includes some tidbits on the surprising results of background checks, returning furloughed workers and what your social media says about you.   For more information on Safer Places, visit https://www.saferplacesinc.com/.  

Do you have a business that’s way outside the box? Drop a line to Steve Dubin at sdubin@prworkzone.com or call 781-582-1061. You may find yourself on the next episode Business Way Outside the Box.

On this episode of "Business Way Outside the Box", Mike McKenna of Adaptable breaks down ADA website compliance and digital accessibility - an emerging concern for companies.   Compliance is critical to avoid legal liability (and fines can range from the 5 – 6 figures) and to make sure you are reaching your full potential audience.   Also, companies with websites that are not accessible, could be missing out on the opportunity to serve 20% of the population.  For more on Adaptable, visit https://www.adaptablelab.com/.  

Do you have a business that’s way outside the box? Drop a line to Steve Dubin at sdubin@prworkzone.com or call 781-582-1061. You may find yourself on the next episode Business Way Outside the Box.