Do Business Better Podcast

Dave Swain worked in corporate Agriculture his entire career until he jumped ship and started his own business (in his mid 50's no less!). His company, Vision Technology Management, was born from his vision to help companies better utilize technology for which they had already invested. Face it, we all feel the pressure to innovate with new tech but sometimes we find implementation or full utilization so daunting, we revert back to what we know. This leaves a lot of under-utilized tech with a very bad ROI. Dave shares his entrepreneurial journey while discussing the business side of technology utilization.

Sadly, most Americans are terrible managers of their personal and/or professional finances. Even business owners and those who pilot their own business endeavor often struggle with money management. Michael Finley, financial author and the Crazy Man in the Pink Wig, dispenses advice for living a life of your choosing by first taking charge of your money.

Matt Roeder is an Iowa farm kid who's employed as an Agricultural engineer for a plastics manufacturing company. A few years ago, after seeing a shortcoming on his corn planter (he still farms on the side), he designed a new and improved closing wheel. But this product design doesn't belong to his employer, it's his. Matt explains the inspiration for the product, how he brings it to market, and the delicate and mutually beneficial relationship he has with his employer — they build his designs and support his side hustle all while he retains his day job. We also discuss patent problems and assess the 5 entrepreneurial personalities. This is an excellent discussion for those looking to create or expand a side hustle.

My friend Brad Klopfenstein and I have shared a love of beer drinking and beer history for more than 3 decades. Now Mr. Klopfenstein is turning his love into a side hustle. A novice Indiana historian, Brad was poking around the internet researching old Indiana beers as sort of a “where are they now?” endeavor. That's when he discovered Alps Brau — a former Fort Wayne, IN based beer brand — was available for the taking. Brad acquired the rights to the brand and in February 2023, will release the first batch of Alps Brau since 1978! Brad explains the path to his new endeavor, business lessons learned, and how he hopes to capitalize on the appeal of nostalgia.

Inflation has been on a tear since 2020's globally disrupted marketplace upset the economics of everything from exercise bikes to used cars. With double digit price increases way more common than they should be, are you charging enough for your goods or services? Probably not. In this episode I outline why you should increase your rates. The benefit for doing so: better pay and better customers. Of course, there are downsides, such as losing customers. However, losing customers isn't always a bad thing, because — like the old showbiz saying goes, “The cheaper the gig, the worse the client.” Listen to this!

The words “business development” get tossed around frequently and there are plenty of people whose titles include “business development,'' but what exactly is it? Seth Schachner founder of StratAmericas joins me to define and expand on all things that are business development. Seth explains the importance of partnerships and audience building. Today's business development activities are different today than a few decades ago in light of the technologies employed. Regardless, one thing hasn't changed over the years: Without business development, you have no business!

Influencer marketing, social media, traditional media, newsletters…the marketplace is crowded with marketing. And…most of it sucks because it's not marketing to client and customer needs, rather it's about the company. David Saltzman of The Saltzman Group explains StoryBrand marketing, what most businesses get wrong, and how to make prospective clients become customers.

August 1, 1994 I resigned my corporate post to start in business for myself. Over the years there has been a great deal of evolution and learning. Here are 28 takeaways you can apply to your own enterprise to create a life and business by choice. Please let me know which of these resonates with or most helps you!

Paul Gambill is an engineer-educated Millennial who saw capitalism as the solution to green house gas removal. In 2017 he and six other people founded Nori — A carbon removal marketplace. Paul shares his entrepreneurial journey and a pile of lessons. Among them: why you shouldn't have 7 company founders, the need to read, understanding the CEO's most important job, how to raise money from venture capitalists, and the power of vision — something he says most people lack. Tune in to this fast-paced discussion and get inspired!

Brad Kent's first entrepreneurial endeavor was in food sales — he carried oranges off the family's backyard tree to peddle them outside the neighborhood grocery store. Brad was just 7 years old at the time but he promptly got ran off by the store manager. Brad joins me to discuss his various business endeavors — mostly pizza-related— including his latest project: Bagel & Slice. Bagel & Slice aims to sell high quality, expensive food inexpensively. Brad's time re-engineering military rations taught him the value of creating a feeling with food. He aims to do that now with his restaurant concept aspiring to make people feel good after eating food that's good for the environment.

Freight came screeching to a halt two years ago amid global shutdowns. Then things opened up and now "supply chain issues" became the reason for every business challenge on the planet. Seems now would be a good time to be in the shipping business, given that the price to transport goods is through the roof. Right? Well, maybe. Brad McDonald, my high school classmate and owner of FreightCo explains what it's been like managing through a chaotic transportation marketplace. He explains pricing fluctuation, employee challenges, lessons learned last year, and the value of relationships. Brad also shares this gem of biz truth: Expenses don't dictate price, the market dictates price.

Two years ago all hell broke loose. Small businesses were forced to close, workers stayed home by order, and many businesses suffered. What have we learned? Will this happen again with more regularity? If so, how can you and your business survive or even thrive? In this episode we discuss what's transpired over the last 24 months and provide 8 takeaways to improve your business.

Sometimes the customer needs something and they're not sure exactly how to go about fixing their problem. Other times, in fact oftentimes, the customer does know what their pain point is, proclaims to be perplexed by said pain point, and yet does nothing to address this issue. Welcome to dealing with people. They're emotional after all. In this episode we discuss how to get to the actual pain point your prospect / customer is dealing with while still getting the deal done.

At some point in life and business, you've achieved a modicum of success then you ask yourself, “what's next?” Bruce Turkel, former ad agency owner, businessman, speaker, and author found himself asking that question, which is why he penned the book Is That All There Is? If you've wondered about your next adventure, pondered your next business endeavor, or sought motivation in mid life, this interview will speak to you.

I recently spoke to a small business group and delivered what I believe are ten tenets of success in business. They were ten things I wrote down when asked “What do you think has helped your business make it for 28 years?” Number one was understanding what your business is in the business of selling. And that's the subject of this episode. Remember: Most businesses think they sell one thing, while their clientele would tell you it's something different. Because customers pay for the result of your product, not the actual product.

Kelly Garrett is an Iowa farmer, trucking company owner, Ag influencer and consultant, among a few other titles. He joins me to discuss the four traits of success, adding a fifth — the trait of communication, which he says is God-given — to my list of four character traits successful people possess. He explains how he works with and against his own character strengths and weaknesses to manage his two dozen employees while keeping the ship heading in the right direction.

A decade ago Larry Kreider had just been let go from his second sales job due to a company purchase and restructuring. After working in sales for more than twenty years selling to restaurants and bars, Larry looked into acquiring Z-Place — a well known (but struggling) hometown pizza and chicken establishment. Two of Larry's advisors crunched the numbers, analyzed the books, and advised him against buying the business, but he saw opportunity. Since then, he has tripled revenue. I sit down with my old neighbor and friend, "L.T.” who explains his approach to employee management, the importance of knowing your costs, the skill of paying attention, and the need to take care of yourself personally.

Shannon Hayes was going to become a professor. She never did so, despite completing her PhD. Instead she returned to the family farm in upstate New York and became her own business person in conjunction with her husband and family. The family sells direct-to-consumer, grass-fed meat along with many other farm-based products. They also operate a cafe, own short and long term rental properties, invest in other small businesses, and a few other things. Shannon has a great story along with amazing advice for budding entrepreneurs or seasoned business owners.

Kyle Stoffel started out selling life insurance at age 21 when he left the family painting and decorating business. Today, he owns Underwriters Alliance of Indiana. His company helps establish and grow aspiring insurance agencies. In this informative and inspiring sit down with Kyle and his daughter Este — who's been with the business five years — we discuss: business expansion, hiring people you know, working with family, managing personality traits, the power of daily habit, and much more, including tips on being unemotional, retaining younger employees through education, and why not to be a control freak.

Part of ongoing success and longevity lies in your ability to decline less appealing opportunities. In other words, your ability to say no. To put yourself in line for great outcomes, you must be positioned to turn down below average opportunities. Here are five tips that will allow you to decline jobs and leave them for your more desperate competitors.

Peter Evans got his first business lesson — the importance of listening to customers — while working the front desk at a Howard Johnson in Skokie, Illinois at age 16. From working at HoJo, Peter went on to become an accountant working for Deloitte Touche then as a controller for a bank. Then the entrepreneur bug bit at age 34. Peter joined partners to form a hotel ownership and management company until 2001. He now co-owns and co-operates Balar Equipment, a provider and servicer of municipal equipment. Peter shares the lessons he’s learned from his background including: what personality traits lead to success, the struggles managing impatience, the importance of cash flow and capitalization, and why he avoids being over leveraged. Lots of business gold in this discussion.

Every aspiring entrepreneur starts with an idea. Ideas are wonderful things and generally in plentiful supply amongst those of us with a biz forward mindset. In this episode we discuss the (mental) steps of business creation and then cap it off with straight talk about what it takes to succeed. Hint: It’s not complicated but it is personal!

It’s been a challenging year, to say the least, for many small businesses. Beginning in March of 2020, government lockdowns shuttered businesses and altered consumer behavior overnight. Some estimates show 30% of small businesses won’t survive or have already failed due to Covid response. So, what’s a smart, resilient entrepreneur have to do to survive this grenade that’s been tossed onto his or her marketplace? Friend of show, Brad McDonald joins me to discuss just that. We discuss survival strategies, entrepreneur mindset, where to invest money and time during a slowdown, and other habits that’ll help you prosper through turmoil.

Nic DeCastro started his company — LandTrust — because he saw an opportunity based on his own need. He’s two years into piloting the Bozeman-based tech company, and still growing. He shares his entrepreneurial story, the reality of raising money via investors, lessons learned about management, and a lot more wisdom and experiences.

Tom Cunningham left his job as a fireman/paramedic in Lake Tahoe to raise his kids on a farm in Tennessee. After making a few mistakes and observing a few opportunities, his entrepreneurial juices began flowing. He’s the co-founder of Grazr — a startup aimed at making locally raised meat easier to sell, process, and acquire. Listen to Tom explain his vision, his lessons, and what advice he’d give to anyone starting their own venture.

If you’re in business, you’re in sales. More importantly, your success depends greatly on your ability to persuade. You persuade prospects to become customers. You persuade employees to do the work you need done. And you persuade the world that you’re the person or company they should do business with. Todd Thurman joins me to discuss the three rhetorical appeals — ethos, pathos, and logos — and how you can use them for your own success.

When you pilot your own business, the only guarantee is that there will be uncertainty and unpredictability. While those issues are real enough in normal times, the uncertainty and unpredictability is even greater during a pandemic. After a couple restless nights at year end, I came up with five methods to help manage during times of great uncertainty and unpredictability.

We make decisions all day every day when we pilot our own ship known as small business. Sometimes we also make decisions by avoiding them — as I always say, no decision IS a decision. So it goes with those you employ and those you do business with contractually. Be honest: would you re-hire your employees or contractors today based on their credentials? This is a good topic but a hard topic and I was inspired to cover it after watching It’s A Wonderful Life. Many small businesses employ their family and friends who they’re not too keen on firing. But as George Bailey learned, the comfort of keeping your incompetent uncle employed might be the difference between life and death. ↻ In Queue

The more business I do the more I realize how some folks are missing out on the simple steps to success. Like for instance, analyzing desired outcomes before marching into a situation. In this episode we discuss the effectiveness of plotting outcomes and objectives from both your perspective and the customers'. To get what you want, you first need to determine what you want. And to get it, you likely need to achieve a desired outcome for your clients too.

Tab Pierce decided entrepreneurialism was in his future after he said something he wasn’t supposed to say and his employer did what he calls “a layoff of one.” He had success, then went sideways, then downward four years into his businesses operation. Faced with debt of $750,000 — one third of which was to the IRS (which means bankruptcy wouldn’t clear it) he began the build back. Tab shares his story and the story of creating then re-creating Caliber, a cybersecurity company, which is thriving once again. And like all entrepreneurs, the founder has vision to quintuple his company and no plans for retirement even at age 56.

We all manage other people in the act of piloting our business. Some of us manage dozens of employees, while others of us manage relationships with contractors, freelancers, and even family members. So what are we doing wrong and how can we improve our management skills? Face it, you can’t grow and be successful without a certain degree of human management proficiency. Do you know that two thirds of those promoted to management positions fail within 90 days? Ralph Peterson shares the five rules of effective managing and a whole lot more lessons we can all apply immediately.

You’ve heard that half of businesses fail within the first five years. Truth is, many don’t fail, the owners just give up. Piloting a business can be exhausting and stressful. But let’s say you’re past the 5 year window and operating your business like a smooth routine. Watch out! While it’s natural to get comfortable, it’s dangerous to do so. Angie Carel joins me from her new venture — The Upstairs — to explain how she keeps it fresh after fourteen years in business. She shares methods to keep employees from falling into a dull routine. Angie offers ideas on knowing how to roll out fresh offerings to your clients. If you’re in a rut, or even if you’re not, listen to this!

Kevin Smith’s first business venture was a chicken barn he bought off his parents as a teenager. He then started Builder’s Gallery — an architectural mill work company — at age 18. Last year, the 56 year old entrepreneur began his latest project: Reinventing the town of Mt. Etna, Indiana. We recorded this episode from Rustic River Outfitters — a former saw mill he retrofitted into a wine and beer tasting room, events center, and kayaking outfitter. Rustic River is just the beginning of Kevin’s vision for this little town perched on a reservoir. Give this a listen for the rest of the story…along with inspiration and entrepreneurial lessons. New To-dos

Excuses are little fibs we tell ourselves and others. We make excuses because we don’t like to admit the truth or we fear honesty will harm our relationship with friends and clients. Fighting through the excuse option is difficult enough under normal circumstances, but now the pandemic provides endless opportunities for excuse making. Are you using Covid to dodge responsibility or underperform? Are you allowing those you do business with to use the Corona excuse? Listen to this for tips on getting past the convenient excuse of Covid.

To evolve and succeed in an ever-changing marketplace, you will need to change up your offering occasionally. But how do you know what product or service to offer? Launching something new is always a bit scary, which is why many businesses and individuals start by surveying clients. The problem with this: people say they want lots of things, but their actions don’t match their verbal intentions. I’ll tell you how to get past that.

College is a business. The tweed-jacketed faculty may not like to admit it, but it is. And it’s outdated. Bloated employee counts, endless facility expansion, and a cost structure that keeps climbing have been financed by government-backed student debt. But that’s all changing and Covid-19 hastened the pace. As higher learning moves online, the price — and prestige — of college comes down. Add in the reality of decreasing demand due to demographics and the struggle to differentiate and you have a business facing extinction. Bill Guerrero, VP for Finance and Administration at Ithaca College joins me to discuss the business of higher education. Plenty of university-level lessons for your business in this episode!

I’m a huge fan of the Indianapolis 500 but that’s not what this episode is about. It’s about communicating — even when the news is bad — with those you serve. Roger Penske, new owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, sent out a letter that is communication brilliance. It’s personal, emotionally evoking, apologetic, inclusive and hopeful. The best part: it creates a vision that makes race fans eager for the future while also nostalgic for the past. You don’t need to be an IndyCar fan to appreciate this winning lesson.

One rule of business I live by is: Don’t make it difficult for your customers to do business with you. Case in point are service providers who require you — the paying client — to go on their website, fill out forms, jump through hoops, navigate burdensome regulations and criteria, and other tedious chores in order to give you their money. In this episode, I give you examples of small practices you’ve seen from the customer’s perspective and you’re possibly doing yourself as a business owner. Stop!

We all work for other people’s money (as you’ve likely heard me say before). Sometimes the client expects you to care more about their problem than they do. Bruce Turkel, branding and business consultant, joins me to discuss the phenomenon of client-induced crisis, understanding client expectations, and getting to “success” by defining what “success” is for both client and service provider. Clients are people and people are pretty good at telling you what they really value — they do so with their words, actions, and definitely with their spending.

We all lose clients over time. Some grow out of us while we grow out of others. Some seek cheaper pricing, some seek what we simply can’t provide. And some simply die. This is why I constantly preach the value of sales effort and a reinvention mindset. But what about losing customers because we forgot why those customers came to us and we stopped providing what they sought? That’s what’s currently happening in professional sports, which in attempting to promote social awareness might very well be driving away customers who simply tune in for escape. There are lessons here for all of our businesses.

Joel Buzzard grew up around the bar and real estate business. As a young man in his mid 20's, he pursued real estate as a career. Today his three small companies sell, teach, and appraise real estate. Joel and I discuss lessons learned from working in the bar business, the smart use of debt, the ACR's of wealth building, and how managing one’s anger is a key component in business development. And of course, we talk about the reality of problems and change that constantly arise.

People pay a premium for convenience. We know this by simply looking at the convenience store where every item besides lottery tickets is priced at a premium to your average grocery store. Yet, why do customers shop there? Because it’s convenient.  Staples advertised the “easy button” because ease and simplification (versus touting the quality of their paper clips) appealed to their small biz person core customer. We’ve been told to "sell the sizzle not the steak." But oftentimes when you get to the real meat of the matter, it's simplicity that our customers want.

A year ago (in episode 25) I visited with Clare Hunkler who co-founded Magneshade in 2008 with her husband Roger. In this episode I sit down with Roger to discuss growth (the RV shade maker is up 45% in sales this year!), adaptation, defending your patents, managing family employees, and the need to stay focused with your horns down in your formative years. Roger’s company has grown every of its 12 years in business with almost no debt. There are a lot of lessons in this episode. Enjoy!

Everyone who plans to start a business believes they’re prepared to do so. Here’s the reality: Even if they are prepared, there are dozens if not hundreds of lessons about to be learned. Joe Santa rejoins me for the Do Business Better podcast (he was on episode 35) to discuss lessons learned after ten years of piloting his own enterprise. We discuss business plans, the need to pay yourself first, when and why to hire people, and the need to protect what you have built. We also talk money and evolution. Pop a drink and join Joe and I — this was recorded after hours in his shop.

A mistake almost all of us make when it comes to selling our product or service: confusing our customers. We do this by providing lengthy explanations, too much industry vernacular, peripheral details that drone on, or simply talking too much about our offering when we should be listening to the client. But the customer asked for choices,” you say. “My clients demand to know the details of what they’re getting,” you lament. Yes, you’re right about all that — customers want details and choices. However, they generally don’t care about the same things we care about and they’re only capable of retaining a few details, not the laundry list you’re likely overwhelming them with. Stop confusing your customers and start selling better — this episode will show you how!

Most people who work in professional sales positions, as well as most small business people, have never been trained in how to sell. If you’re one of those people who hasn’t taken a sales class, I encourage you to read a sales book. In the meantime, listen to this episode of the Do Business Better Podcast where we discuss what sales is and why it matters. Sales in a nutshell is this: Revenue, The Basis of All Business, and the Simple Act of Understanding a Person’s Pain Then Being the Solution. We all sell, but many of us don’t do it well. Listen and watch this episode to improve your view and execution of selling!

As I point out in my book, Do Business Better, unsuccessful people view jobs as a means to make a buck. But successful entrepreneurs look at every job as an income AND learning experience. With that in mind, we’re going back to my days of Cutco sales to share a lesson about appealing to customer feeling the right way as well as understanding customer motivation. Hint: the client likely doesn’t care all that much about your dreams and aspirations — they care about themselves.

Lance Graulich left Wall Street to become a host at TGI Fridays. From there he went on to become a multi-state franchise owner of Wingstop and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Lance joins me to discuss the business option of franchising. He explains how to look at buying into franchising, the advantages, of doing so, and the reasons franchise owners fail. He also discusses the option of turning your business into a franchise and how to make that happen.

Jay Hill’s first entrepreneurial venture was growing onions on a small patch of ground behind his parent’s house. He was 16 years old. Since then he’s grown his enterprise significantly. Today, Jay operates three different farming operations, a packaged hay feed company, and a vineyard. Between his own ventures and joint ventures, these companies employ 130 people. Jay shares his approach to planning and growing his business. He also explains his management philosophy — never have more than six people reporting to ownership or management. Jay expands on the lessons learned and things done right and wrong in nearly 20 years of growth.

Too many of us quit learning new moves out of comfort or laziness. But the marketplace continues to evolve whether we stay current or not. Worse yet, competitors adapt to our moves and methods and pass us by. Point: keep learning new moves and adding new weapons to your arsenal.

Louis “Mike” Stoffel picked me to help him hand out cookies to our kindergarten class. We’ve been buddies ever since. He and I have a lot in common: we’re both farm boys from big families who struck out on our own to start businesses in 1994. His endeavor was a landscaping company. He’s been running it ever since. Lou joins me to discuss the lessons from his early years. He discovered getting customers wasn’t the problem but getting the right customers — and more importantly the right employees — was. He provides insights on hiring employees as well as hiring contractors. Lou also explains the problem with the old saying “The customer is always right.” This conversation between two friends and seasoned veterans of self made business promises several tidbits you can apply to your own business.