The Small Business Storytellers with Seth Silvers

This is the final episode of The Small Business Storytellers and what a journey it has been. 

Thank you for joining us over the last 100 episodes. 

Shana Francesca is the Founder & Lead Designer at CONCINNATE, a design firm that grew from interior and architectural design to life design. Shana believes that everything from the spaces we dwell in, to the clothes we wear, to the music we listen to, are reflections of ourselves, and her company empowers clients to build a vision for themselves and create actionable steps to apply that vision through presence and intentional decision making.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Shana Francesca discuss how we can be intentional about envisioning and designing the spaces around us along with all of the other aspects of our lives and our careers. Even if you aren’t a business owner, this conversation will give you great insight on how to apply this type of thinking to your personal life to get more value than ever before in your day-to-day interactions.

Connect with Shana and check out CONCINNATE,

Tim Fitzpatrick is the founder and President of Rialto Marketing, a company that helps B2B professional service firms accelerate revenue growth and attract more ideal clients to their business. Tim started Rialto Marketing ten years ago and has been providing a lasting positive impact on business through his expertise in marketing strategy, planning, and leadership.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Tim Fitzpatrick get back to the business basics to talk about marketing and sales. They discuss how to get your small business out there, what questions you should be asking, and what strategies are behind a successful marketing plan for your business.

Connect with Tim and check out Rialto Marketing,

Evan Sohn is the CEO of Recruiter.com, a hiring platform for the world’s largest network of recruiters that helps businesses find specialized talent faster with virtual teams of recruiters and AI job-matching technology. Evan has over 25 years of experience in eCommerce at Fortune 500 and start-up environments, and he is here to share some of his stories and experience with building business and leading a top talent acquisition platform.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Evan Sohn dive into talent acquisition and recruiting for your business. They talk about the importance of being intentional with who you bring on to your team, why your team needs to share the same objectives and goals, and how small businesses can sometimes be held back by not bringing on the best people for their company.

Connect with Evan and check out Recruiter.com,

Guillaume Wiatr is a Strategic Narrative Consultant who founded MetaHelm, a company that helps businesses build a strategic narrative that will get their audience to understand their vision, get behind it, and believe in it. He has successfully been building narratives for over 20 years and has trained dozens of business owners to use their narratives to accelerate innovation and grow their businesses.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Guillaume Wiatr dive into the difference between narrative and story. They discuss why it’s important to know the difference between the two, why that understanding is important for your business, and how you can incorporate narrative more into the businesses that you’re running.

Connect with Guillaume and check out MetaHelm,

Bharat Kanodia is the Founder and Chief Appraiser at Veristrat LLC, a California-based professional services company that provides valuation and advisory services for tangible, intangible, and financial assets. Bhara has valued over 4000 companies and assets including some you may know, like the Golden Gate Bridge, Atlanta Airport, Uber, Airbnb, and Yahoo!

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Bharat Kanodia talk about valuations and how to actually find out how much an asset or company is worth. Together they dive into the classifications of assets, discuss the importance of knowing exactly what value your company or asset has and shed some light on the process of identifying what something is worth.

Connect with Bharat and check out Veristrat LLC

Charles Read is the President and CEO of GetPayroll, an all-inclusive payroll service that provides professional payroll services to businesses nationwide. Charles has over 50 years of financial leadership experience that give him a unique authority on all things finances when it comes to running a business, no matter how big or small.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Charles Read talk about some of the challenges that entrepreneurs and small business owners tend to overlook, especially when it comes to finances. They’ll discuss payroll, budgeting, taxes, and more. Listen in for some great insight on applying these topics to your own business!

Connect with Charles and check out

Andrena Sawyer is a Business Development Specialist and the President of P.E.R.K. Consulting, an advisory firm that specializes in business development and capacity-building support for nonprofits and small businesses. Andrena has been working to help the small and mid-sized business grow their companies for over 10 years, and she has some amazing input on how to successfully take a business to the next level.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Andrena Sawyer talk about growth strategies for small businesses. They cover everything from developing strategies that actually work to effectively executing those strategies to meet goals for growth and propel a business forward.

Connect with Andrena and check out P.E.R.K. Consulting

Ted Lau is the founder and CEO of Ballistic Arts, a full-service marketing agency that works with business-to-business companies and smaller firms to provide them with the tools to grow and succeed. With the help of Ted and his team, businesses can benefit from digital marketing plans, website development, video production, brand design, and so much more. Ted’s 20 years of experience have given him a unique perspective on how to successfully curate these services to fit the needs of any business.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Ted Lau talk about all things marketing. They discuss the different facets of marketing and the ever-changing demands of the market, and Ted shares his unique story of the highs and lows of a two-decade career in marketing.

Connect with Ted and check out Ballistic Arts

Kendra Swalls is a proud mompreneur living in Dallas, Texas. She is the founder of Girl Means Business, a marketing and coaching company that gives unique and personal advice to help mothers build and grow their own businesses. She also hosts a podcast with the same name!

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Kendra Swalls talk about mothers who are maintaining an entrepreneurial lifestyle while raising kids at home, otherwise known as mompreneurs. Kendra shares her story on starting her own business, breaks down the resources and possibilities for mothers running businesses from home, and gives her advice to mothers who are thinking about becoming a mompreneur like her!

Connect with Kendra and check out

James Laws is the Co-Founder and CEO of Saturday Drive, a company designed to develop and assist other small businesses. For over twenty years, James has been building and improving products and businesses as well as designing systems and processes for everything from churches, coffee shops, freelance designers, to product businesses.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and James Laws get into the topic of holding companies. Together they discuss what it means to have stakes in multiple companies, having a hand in different business operations, and how to use that system to be successful as a leader in your business.

Connect with James and check out Saturday Drive!

Diane Pleuss is a consultant for FranChoice, a franchise consulting company that utilizes industry experts to provide the tools and resources needed to help franchise candidates realize their dreams. With her years of experience, Diane has helped business owners place franchises in nearly every state, and she understands the difficult yet rewarding process of franchising your business, and what it can mean for the future of your company.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Diane Pleuss talk about realizing your dreams as a business owner and why it is important to have the right people with you on that journey into the future of your business.

Connect with Diane and check out Franchoice:

Chandler Walker is a co-owner and head coach at Stone Age Fuel School of Fitness, a company that specializes in providing various fitness, wellness, and athletic programs for its patrons. While many in-person businesses were forced to make the switch to remote platforms during the pandemic, Stone Age Fuel saw the need and make the transition to remote before the pandemic even started, allowing them to continue to grow and provide service during a time when most businesses struggled greatly.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Chandler Walker discuss trusting your gut and knowing when to make a transition in your business. They also dive into sales and how to communicate in an organic way by making sure you understand the individual you are serving rather than just the consumer. This is a conversation all business owners need to hear!

Connect with Chandler and check out Stone Age Fuel:

Mike Capuzzi is the founder and owner of Bite Sized Books, a publishing company that specializes in nonfiction short helpful books, or “shooks”, to allow business owners to promote themselves and their business. Mike’s team works with local business owners, corporate executives, service providers, and online entrepreneurs to create book-centric marketing strategies that are efficient, strategic, and profitable.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Mike Capuzzi dive into the world of nonfiction books and discuss the benefits of publishing books as a business owner. They also talk about the ins and outs of publishing books for marketing purposes, and how certain strategies can be applied to create effective and exceptional books.

Connect with Mike and check out Bize Size Books

Derek Moore is the CEO and Co-Founder of Coffee & TV, a London-based,  independent creative content studio that produces world-class visual content all while staying completely carbon neutral. Derek has worked to center his company’s purpose around creativity, efficiency, and sustainability.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Derek Moore discuss the vast topic of creativity. Together, they dive into the origins of Coffee & Tea, the purpose behind creative work, the importance of authenticity and embodying confidence in yourself, and so much more!

Connect with Derek and check out

Kate Bezar is one of the co-founders of The Better Packaging Co., the world’s largest supplier of home compostable packaging for eCommerce that has set a new standard for sustainability in packaging. The Better Packaging Co. has a mission to create innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for businesses all over the world.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Kate Bezar take it back to the basics by breaking down the packaging industry and discussing the complexities behind a side of business that consumers usually take for granted.

Connect with Kate and Check out The Better Packaging Co.

Emily Heck is the founder and owner of Evergreen Strategic Communications, a marketing agency based in Indiana that specializes in nonprofit, education, and purpose-driven small business marketing services. Emily uses her many years of experience to elevate her client’s brands and grow the engagement of their audiences with business strategies that evolve and grow with the market.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Emily Heck dive deep into the topic of communications and marketing. They discuss the importance of intentionality and authenticity with marketing and communication strategies, the ever-changing demands of the market, and tips for marketing your small business in 2022.

Connect with Emily and Check out Evergreen Strategic Communications

Ryan Kimler is the founder and CEO of Financial Clarity, and his company works with small business owners to provide them with bookkeeping, accounting, and fractional CFO services to really help them keep a hold on their finances.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Ryan Kimler discuss finances and fractional CFOs in small businesses, and really get into why small businesses owners should be bringing in a fractional CFO before they even think they need one.

Connect with Ryan and Check out Financial Clarity:

Michelle Seiler Tucker is the founder and president of Seiler Tucker, a company that helps business owners to find buyers and successfully sell their businesses. She has compiled over two decades of experience into a new best-selling book called Exit Rich.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Michelle Seiler Tucker will dive into all the details of selling your business, including how to decide if you should sell, how your business might be run differently, and the daunting process of actually getting your business sold.

Connect with Michelle and Check out Seiler Tucker and Exit Rich:

This week’s guest, Brandon Kleinman, has had a unique journey in business. From working as a Disney Imagineer to founding several different businesses over the years, Brandon has always centered the work he does around community and connections between people. His most recent title is the founder ad CEO of the Birthday App, a mobile application that finds and compiles your friend’s birthdays onto a convenient birthday calendar.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Brandon Kleinman will talk through Brandon’s business journey, what it was like to be an Imagineer, and how he founded and ran different businesses successfully.

Connect with Brandon and Check out the Birthday App:

Rob Kischuk is the founder and CEO of Bellwood Labs, a product development agency in the Atlanta area, that is focused on partnering with companies to build and scale software products, apps, and platforms for their businesses. Rob is also a fellow podcaster with the Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast, a show that features CEOs, founders, business owners, and marketing and product development firms to discuss all the different facets of marketing.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Rob Kischuk take a deep dive into the topic of product development. Together they talk about the birth of Bellwood Labs, getting more personal with product development, how a vision turns into a tangible product, and how creating a healthy work environment for developers can better equip them to build those visions into existence.

Connect with Rob and Check out Bellwood Labs:

David Wood is the founder of Focus.ceo, a business dedicated to helping other businesses. With over 20 years of coaching experience, David works with other business owners to teach them how to set clear goals, stay focused, make more money, and be extraordinary.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and David Wood discuss an essential skill every business owner must know how to use: focus. From growing your business and making more money, to gaining the financial freedom to focus on what makes you happy, understanding focus is what makes your business, and life, extraordinary.

Connect with David and Check out Focus.ceo

Erik Croswell is the founder and CEO of Bridge City Media, a Portland-based video production company that specializes in corporate video marketing and commercial video production. Their mission is to create honest connections between brands and their communities and to tell the stories of local businesses and changemakers.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Erik Croswell discuss the relationship between local businesses and their communities, visual storytelling and creating videos for businesses, and knowing which stories are the right ones to tell.

Connect with Erik and check out Bridge City Media

Rachel Kois is the founder and CEO of Simple Switch, an online platform dedicated to providing a tool for people to be more conscious when spending their money, and to support businesses that seek to improve livelihoods, protect the earth, and empower people to change the future. Rachel has a passion for using business as a force for good, and changing the culture around online shopping.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Rachel dive into a conversation on the products we use, the impact it makes on the world and on business, and the impact that can come from switching up your products and making more conscious choices about what you consume.

Connect with Rachel and Check out Simple Switch

Connie Matisse is one of the owners of a pottery manufacturing company called East Fork, which has taken a completely different approach from traditional corporate America and the typical way to build a business.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Connie Matisse discuss the intention behind each facet of a business, systemic problems with pricing and wages, and ways businesses can work to make a positive impact in communities and in the world.

Connect with Connie and Check out East Fork

Kristy O’Leary is the co-founder and creative director of Decade Impact, a business strategy organization that is dedicated to the belief that every company can leave the world better than how they found it. Together with her team of activists, Kristy works to promote a message that encourages companies everywhere to use their business to make an impact and create a better world for us all.

In this week’s episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers and Kristy O’Leary dive into the importance of making an impact through business and how her company is proving that business can be so much more than just “making money”.

See more from Kristy O’Leary and Decade Impact

John Lee Dumas, the host of one of the most successful podcasts in the world, Entrepreneurs On Fire, is known for his complete transparency on the details of his business, and for sharing his experiences in business to help aspiring entrepreneurs find success.

In this week’s episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers sits down with a fellow podcaster and dives into the topic every business owner is familiar with: money, and how your business could be making more of it.

Check out more from John Lee Dumas

Dr. Brooke Pearce is a co-founder of Dizzy & Vertigo Institute of Los Angeles, and is internationally known for her commitment to help patients with assessing, treating, and managing inner-ear dizziness and other dizziness-related symptoms.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Brooke discuss how Dizzy & Vertigo began, and how it has filled a huge need in the medical field for a personalized and customizable approach towards a usually very overlooked and misunderstood condition. Dr. Pearce shares her extensive knowledge on the topic of vestibular health, and how her institute is changing the lives of its patients everyday.

Connect with Brooke and Check out Dizzy & Vertigo

Chris Healy, a.k.a El Rubio, is the co-founder of The Longhairs, an e-commerce and lifestyle brand focused on creating a global community for men with long hair. Together with his partner, Chris has created a company with a vision to inspire confidence, develop masculinity, and foster community among guys growing their hair.

In this week’s episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth Silvers learns how The Longhairs co-founder Chris Healy started a small business for men with long hair that has turned into so much more than just “hair ties for guys”.

Check out Chris Healy and The Longhairs

Marcus Sawyerr is the founder and CEO of EQ Community. Together with his team, he is working to build an amazing platform that empowers multicultural professionals to thrive through a combination of authentic social interactions, as well as a professional network that supports people with the connections, the communities, and the careers that they need to be successful.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Marcus talk about his story, how the desire to give economic empowerment led Marcus to start EQ, and the importance of creating space for authentic interactions.

Connect with Marcus

Frankie Yamsuan has always been obsessed with health and fitness. It wasn’t until she found Crossfit and the Paleo diet that she was able to change her mindset towards food and her body, learning that being strong is better than skinny and nourishing her body was healthier than starving it. So she set out to create healthy and nutrient-dense alternatives of all her favorite desserts and Coconut Girl was born.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Frankie talk about the journey to creating Coconut Girl and we take some time to kind of reimagine what nutrition looks like, what kind of food should we be eating, and also look at how this brand that is innovating the way in the space of nutrient-dense foods.

Connect with Frankie

Caleb Breakey is a best-selling author, leader of a successful and growing ghostwriting agency. Caleb’s advice has helped hundreds of leaders, consultants, pastors, and coaches turn their expertise into life-changing books that further elevate their platform and grow their business.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Caleb talk about how you can publish a book even if you aren’t a writer, and how the publishing industry is changing...and changing fast. If you have questions about writing a book, building a platform, and becoming a thought leader in your industry...this is your episode.

Connect with Caleb

Samy Kobrosly is a former radio personality and chef who became obsessed with the idea of a meat-free pork rind after making a bet with a friend that he could create the classic snack that and also partake in given his Muslim upbringing. Not only did he make a great-tasting product, but it’s also healthy.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Samy talk about even though the consumer packaged goods market is owned by a lot of big companies and big dogs, how it is never too late to start an innovative snack innovative product to disrupt the industry

Connect with Samy:

Sean Larry Stevens is an educator, celebrity consultant, author, leadership and life coach, and host. His work as a thought leader in education and innovation strategist is centered around social justice, school reform, antiracism advocacy, and black male identity.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Sean talk about diving deeper into your passions, how we can use our leadership to really understand social issues and how business and social impact overlap.

Connect with Sean:

Grouphug was founded by Krystal Persaud, a product designer based out of New York City, who is passionate about developing products that fall in the intersection of education, technology, and society. Grouphug creates products that help more people adopt sustainable technology, like solar panels, into their everyday lifestyle - because no act is too small when creating renewable energy.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Krystal discuss how Krystal got involved in solar products and the 5 ways anyone can go solar.

So often we let other things get priority over our health when it really should be one of the first things we invest in. Dr. Dan Wallis is passionate about inspiring and empowering others to live the healthiest life possible. His mission for his practice is to create an atmosphere around the experience and service of the patient, bringing the most value to their lives.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Dan discuss his unique medical business model, the importance of investing in your quality of life through preventative care, and how he has overcome the challenges of being a business owner.

Connect with Dan:

Founded 5 years ago by two American ex-pats living in Mainland China, Boazza combines the classic pizza flavors with the Asian bao dumplings. The company has since grown to be sold by 15 retailers across China and 3 retailers in the US, with plans to expand even further.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Alex talk about his start in investment banking, what led him to the food business, and the experience building from the ground up in China.

Connect with Alex:

Jaime Schmidt started making natural products in her kitchen back in 2010 with the mission to create a product as good as conventional products but with cleaner ingredients. Over time, her consumer brand went from a small maker business to a household name. Today, Jaime is focusing her efforts on helping emerging entrepreneurs pursue their own dreams, through Color Capital, an investment fund that specializes in the consumer products industry, retail and e-commerce, brand positioning, and M&A.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Jamie talk about her business journey, going from CEO to Investor, and the importance of being open to trying new things.

Connect with Jamie:

Most mainstream gamers just don’t have access to the resources, costly hardware, or extensive knowledge to regularly create good content. Allstar solved this with cloud technology that makes short, high-quality gaming content easy to create, simple to share, and fun to watch.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Nick talk about his start with gaming and how this led him to create a product to solve the problems of modern gaming streamers, as well as what Nick sees as the future of gaming.

Connect with Nick:

Ground Up Initiative is a community development/reinvestment project. They go into older communities and breathe life into them by buying empty buildings and setting up small businesses within those communities. The initiative’s multi-layered approach ensures people are not only being stood up to own and operate, but they actually are getting all of the training and the services that they need to be successful.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Dexter talk about the city of Detroit and the transformation that is being seen as a result of this community revitalization.

Connect with Dexter and learn how you can get involved:

Chris Gronkowski first made a career for himself as a professional football player, going on to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. When his time with the NFL came to a close, he started a business with the aim to alleviate the challenges athletes experience with the standard protein shakers.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Chris talk about his journey to grow his business, creating team culture and the joys in involving family in business.

Connect with Chris:

LinkedIn -  https://bit.ly/3Atx6OJ

Kelly Vaughn started building websites at eleven years old. She started her first business when she was fourteen. Now at thirty, CEO/founder of the Taproom, a Shopify Plus development agency that focuses on custom development solutions for high-growth companies.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Kelly talk about Kelly’s entrepreneurial journey from her first website to a now thriving development agency and everything in between. Plus some practical tips for your business - from knowing the value of your business to scaling struggles.

Connect with Kelly:

Twitter @kvlly

Eon  is a company striving to solve America’s complicated healthcare problems, most of which is the antiquated tech used by healthcare professionals. Eon’s mission is to use advanced data technology to improve complex patient management, identifying, tracking, and improving outcomes for patients at risk for future disease.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth talks with Co-CEOs Dr. Aki Alzubaidi and Christine Spraker about Eon  and how their company is transforming preventative medicine so fewer patients fall through the cracks.

Alice’s Table started out with in-person live event workshops, aiming to teach new skills while having a good time with friends and/or family. But then the pandemic hit, and like so many other businesses, Alice’s Table had to pivot. Now they offer premium curated, live-streamed workshops, mixing top talent with crave-worthy kits to bring you an experience to remember.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Alice talk about the story of Alice’s Table, the journey to Shark Tank, and the changes the pandemic has brought to her business.

Bee-Nails’ mission is to empower cannabis consumers to be their best, continually moving customers closer to fulfilling their unique purpose by not only providing excellent high quality vaporizers but other tools, relevant education and inspirational events.

In this episode of Small Business Storytellers, Seth and Ali talk about Bee-Nails, the things that help Ali be his best everyday, and practical things you can do to be your best.

Today, we talk with Rachael Walker, founder and CEO of Life's a Buch about how she discovered kombucha, how it changed her life, and how she is now building a kombucha empire.

On this episode, we talk with Nick Armstrong about the power of community during tough times. Throughout Nick's career, he has been constantly working to bring people together around their passions and to unlock the resources that community has.