Scratch Entrepreneur

Kurtis Cummings founded Switchyard Brewing Company in his garage and then spent 7 years developing the business plan before opening his doors.  In this episode, he breaks down the 8 guiding principles that he developed to get there.   We're glad you joined us!  Topics covered include: Starting the business (5:00) Serving great beer (16:00) Creating a great place to hang out (20:30) Open book management (26:00) A great place to work (37:00) A place to learn (41:00) Giving back to the community (44:00) Special thanks to Kurtis Cummings for taking the time to share the Switchyard Brewing story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Chuck Surack founded Sweetwater Sound in his VW Bus. Now he's closing in on a billion dollars annual revenue. Topics discussed include: Resources (5:00) Getting started in a VW Bus (12:30) Old tech vs new tech (16:00) Advantages and disadvantages of audio tech (18:45) How the Kurzweil K250 changed everything (20:00) Customer service and sales training (29:00) Trends in audio (33:00) The NAMM Show (35:30) The Amazon threat? (37:45) Acquiring businesses (46:00) Where’s Sweetwater 10 years from now? (54:55) Mentions: Business Schooled Podcast Tower of Power NAMM Special thanks to Chuck Surack for sharing Sweetwater's story Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty If you enjoyed this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official. Thanks for listening!   Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you. More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Dhar Mann grew LiveGlam from a small business to a booming multimillion dollar success through influencer marketing. Topics: Resources (5:30) Origins (8:45) Growth (15:00) Dhar’s mantra (19:50) Which ideas to pursue (21:00) Learning from failure (24:30) Influencer marketing (32:45) Influencer responsibilities (39:20) How to become an influencer (42:00) Dhar's 5 year plan (45:45) Mentions: Gary Vaynerchuk Measure What Matters Project Management Tool - Monday   Special thanks to Dhar Mann for sharing LiveGlam's story   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty If you enjoyed this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official. Thanks for listening!   Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you. More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Pat East, founder of Hanapin Marketing and director of The Dimension Mill, knows the five things it takes to create a healthy profitable business. Do you? Hit play to find out. Mentions: The Tim Ferris Show The 4-Hour Work Week Breakthrough Strategy Siri QuickBooks Digital Marketing Blog Hero Conference Showers Brothers Furniture Factory StoryBrand Clayton Christianson Special thanks to Pat East for sharing his story with us Contributors: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty If you liked this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. Connect with us! JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official. Thanks for listening!   Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you.       More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

You’ve been warned since you were small not to play with glass. It’s sharp, it’s fragile, and you’ll get hurt if it breaks. Abby Gitlitz, founder of The Bloomington Creative Glass Center (BCGC), agrees. You’ll get hurt if it breaks, and you can count on it breaking if you blow glass. You’ll get burnt too. But it won’t be a big hurt, and you’ll learn to make art using the medium you’ve been scared of since before you can remember. Hit play if you want to hear about: magical realism apocalyptic literature and art glass pumpkins the science of blown glass, and more. Some Mentions: Shine Insurance Station Eleven Welcome to Night Vale The NeverEnding Story Great Glass Pumpkin Patch Bay Area Glass Institute The MIT Glass Lab Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) Switchyard Park Special thanks to Abby Gitlitz for sharing her story with us Contributors: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty If you enjoyed this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. Connect with us! JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official. Thanks for listening!   Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you.  More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Medical conversations are usually one of two things: confusing, bad news (or both). Join me and Pete Yonkman as we talk medical equipment shop in a way you, your five year old, or your great grandmother would understand. Learn how medical devices changed the face of healthcare forever, how Bill and Gayle Cook went on the entrepreneurial venture of a lifetime, and how Cook President Pete Yonkman once kidnapped a scooter.   Along the way, you’ll gain insight into how to create a positive company culture, how to give back to your community, and how the American healthcare system compares to others around the world.   Still wondering why this episode is titled “walking billboard for cook medical"? Hit play to find out.    Mentions: Cook Medical Cook Group Here’s The Thing with Alec Baldwin The Dimension Mill   Special thanks to Pete Yonkman for sharing his story with us   Contributors: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty If you enjoyed this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. Connect with us! JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official. Thanks for listening and as always, Shine on!   Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you.   More great stories & information at:   Youtube - Blog - Podcast   Facebook - Twitter  

Have you ever met someone who had their whole life figured out before they’d learned how to tie their shoes? Most of us have no idea what we want to be when we grow up. Or we think we do, but with age and gray hairs realize pro baseball probably isn’t going to happen...   Others stumble purely by chance into dream careers, never looking back. Enter Matt Ellenwood of Matte Black Architecture.   Join us as he begins his professional journey in the sixth grade on Career Day. Follow him as he builds a flourishing career out of small beginnings in Muncie, larger than life skyscrapers in Seattle, and finally a beautiful mix of modern and traditional in our beloved Bloomington.   If you’re curious to learn how: architecture is the perfect mix of art, math, and problems (time and money); the healthiest, most profitable businesses find a balance between making money and helping people; and everything comes full circle when Matt talks entrepreneurship with his son’s fourth grade class, go ahead and hit play.   Mentions: Matte Black Architecture Radiolab 99% Invisible A Very Fatal Murder Cardinal Spirits The Dimension Mill The Wilds Venue Special thanks to Matt Ellenwood for sharing his story with us Contributors: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music Production - Mark Vinten Audio Editing - Christopher Lang Copy Editing - Talia Chakraborty   If you enjoyed this episode, stick around: SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you catch your podcasts.  REVIEW the show and SHARE with friends. Connect with us! JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Group so we can make it Facebook official.   Thanks for listening and as always, Shine on! Want insurance without the headache? We’re here for you. More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

We all dream of taking the thing we love to do and growing it into a healthy profitable business.  Well our guest today has done just that.  Since she was a little girl sewing was a curiosity, then a pastime, then a college major, and then a career.  Now Margaret is the owner of a sewing and tailoring shop called The Tailored Fit.  In this episode she shares about working on Broadway, how to pick the right sewing machine, and what it takes to build a business from scratch. We're glad you joined us! Topics discussed include: Podcasts we’re listening to (1:00) How Margaret got in to sewing (3:45) Going from Quilting to Costuming on Broadway (18:00) Starting her own business (30:30) What makes a bad sewing machine (32:00) Recommended sewing machines (34:00) The Tailored Fit five years from now (47:30) Mentioned in the episode: The Tailored Fit The Entre Leadership Podcast Threads Magazine Podcast Association of Sewing and Design Professionals   Special thanks to Margaret Fette for taking the time to share her story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Today’s show is the fourth in our series of on-air coaching sessions between veteran executive coach David Quick and an entrepreneur who sits at a crossroads.  A big decision point in his or her business. Our guest today has built a painless way for your business to share your expertise with the world.  His team includes rock star writers, street-wise marketing gurus, and analytics obsessed techies.  When you put that all together, Content Cucumber has created a one stop shop for building your brand and sharing your perspective with the world.  Our guest today is co-founder Chris Chasteen who started as a financial investor in the project but then felt so connected with it he up his connection to a full-fledged member of the founding team.   Topics discussed include: Podcasts we’re listening to (4:30) Chris’ Crossroad (7:30) With money out of the equation, which business would Chris choose? (11:30) The steps to making Content Cucumber profitable (17:30) Dave’s tip #1: Setting milestones and the steps to achieve them (26:00) Dave’s tip #2: Prepping for the ownership conversation (32:00) Dave’s tip #3: Create a laundry list of loose ends, if the conversation goes well (35:30) Mentioned in the episode: BeeCorp Enrollment Fuel Shine Insurance How I built This Scratch Entrepreneur BTown LowDown Up & Vanished   Special thanks to Chris Chasteen for taking the time to share his crossroads with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Co-host - David Quick Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Jeremy walks you through his thoughts on reflecting and projecting for the coming year.  He address the year that was and new things that are coming up.    

When McKenzie and I started Shine Insurance I had very little knowledge of how to run a business and even less about how to sell something.  I had been a teacher for 13 years.  People brought their kids to my classroom and if I boomed, the immediate consequences were limited.   I also knew that people don’t particularly like insurance and insurance agents, maybe next to used car guys, are the basic definition of slimy sales people. We knew we where setting out to change that perception to literally change the way people feel about insurance, but besides just being ourselves, we didn’t really know how. So we did what so many new business owners do, we asked around about good resources for starting a business.  Fortunately, we came across two particular resources that would define our trajectory.  The first was an online course by Marie Forleo called B-school.  This course, directed at female business owners was chalk full of good advice from brand strategies, to launching a product, and beyond. The second was a book called Youtility by Jay Baer.  This book laid out a basic premise: First you define your ideal client.  Then you figure out ways to do good things for them.  Things that are useful and helpful in their lives.  Those things do not have to be connected with the product you sell at all.  They simply have to help the people you envision being able to help someday. That book solved a conflict inside myself.  I loved helping people and, as a teacher, helping kids grow was my primary purpose. I knew that leaving teaching and starting a business was the right choice but the whole insurance thing was kind of a struggle, was I really going to meaningfully help people?  Jay gave me permission to add another layer and simply think of how I could help period. This podcast is actually a result of Jay’s book.  It is an attempt to help entrepreneurs big and small.  To offer one conversation a week where you hear another business owner like yourself tell their story and connect with a greater community of business owners in a meaningful way. So it is with great honor that I present this weeks guest.  Jay Baer is the founder of the internationally renowned marketing firm Convince and Convert, a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, and the author of six books including Youtility, Hug Your Haters, and his most recent booming success Talk Triggers.  This is a conversation you’ll want a pen and paper for.  Jay lays our smart, basic concepts about word of mouth marketing, how to create a Talk Trigger, why he loves research, and what the future of social media holds.  We’re glad you joined us. Topics discussed include: Storytelling in Marketing (6:30) Saying “No” and knowing your competition (17:20) Talk Triggers - Word of Mouth (22:00) Trends in Social Media (33:45) Are we focusing too much on Social Media? (44:15) Getting reviews (48:00) Mentioned in the episode: Youtility by Jay Baer Hug Your Haters by Jay Baer Talk Triggers by Jay Baer & Daniel Lemin Social Pros Podcast Convince & Convert Podium Special thanks to Jay Baer for taking the time to share his story with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

The great thing about entrepreneurs is that they come in all categories.  On almost any topic you could name business owners across the entire scale. Lets start with money – Jeff Bezos is a pretty rich dude and on the other end, a homeless person on a street corner is doing the best they can with the cards they were dealt When it comes to personality, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are total introverts while Joe Rogan & The Dwayne Johnson could probably talk to a fish for 8 hours. There are big personilties and small ones, overflowing bank accounts and a sock full of change hidden under the couch.  Everyone can be an entrepreneur. But there are some fields that you simply know the path to success is a tiny trail up the side of a steep mountain.  Our guest today decided to take one of those. His rugged entrepreneurial trail of choice was comedy found accidentally while he was chasing another hard fought dream, a career in music.  About ten years ago Mat Alano Martin was performing as a singer songwriter under the name of Sam Lowry.  His songs were heavy and sad so he started throwing out whimsical banter between each song to lighten the mood.  At some point, he realized people liked the banter more than the music so he started refining his jokes and performing at open mic nights.  Everything started snowballing from there.  We’re glad you joined us. Topics discussed in this episode include: What inspired Mat as a kid (7:00) How audiences react (12:00) The power of comedy (18:00) How to put together a set (22:30) When to scrap a joke (27:00) Lessons learned in the business of comedy (34:00) Advice for getting started in comedy (43:00) Mentioned in the episode: Tig Notaro The Comedy Attic Beautiful Anonymous Limestone Comedy Festival Gilda Radner   Special thanks to Mat Alano-Martin for taking the time to share his story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

There is no one value more important to running a healthy profitable business than being yourself.  Maybe that wasn’t true 50 years ago, maybe molding to the established norms was how you succeeded.  But not today.  Today, authenticity is everything.  You don’t have to be polished or perfect, but you do have to be real.  Don’t get me wrong, if being yourself means wearing pajamas out into public and you’re the CEO of a high-end fashion company you may not stay CEO for long.  But, you may be the next marketing director of Pajamagram.    Sorting still happens, we aren’t simply immune to the inequality, the prejudice, the unspoken hierarchies of old.  But now more than ever, being yourself matters.  Today’s heros are youtube vloggers acting stupid and tech moguls that flying to Mars.  In politics, one of the world’s most pure marketing experiences, atheletes are speaking truth to power and power is saying whatever it damn well pleases whenever it wants.  Authenticity whether wholesome or heresy,   obnoixious or enlightening is winning.  And in the long term, that’s a good thing.  If everyone is being real, we can make decisions based on what’s presented.  There’s nothing more confusing than being told your eating a hot dog when it’s actually a pickle. The work of today’s guest is at the heart of authentic.  She is an analyzer, a healer, a medicine woman of sorts.  She’s trying to move an industry that’s strayed far from real into the depths of money and greed and abuse back to a simple mission of helping all of us live healthier happier lives.  Karin Drummond is a chiropractor, which I learned means a lot of different things.  But to her it’s simple.  She is a fixer both before catastrophe and after.  In our conversation she shares the childhood that set her path towards medicine, what’s wrong with medicine in America, and simple steps we can take to live a stronger healthier life.  In the end,  she sets both mind, body, and spirit into, well, alighnment. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: Growing up in British Columbia (6:00) The two schools of thought in Chiropractic care (9:00) The patient experience at Karin’s practice (12:00) Success stories (14:30) Why do we react instead of prevent? (21:00) Changes Karin would make to improve our healthcare (24:00) Health Insurance (27:20) Types of pain (30:00) What happens when you get an adjustment? (37:00) Is cracking your knuckles bad? (38:30) Starting the business (41:00) The hiring process (46:00) Special thanks to Karin Drummond for taking the time to share the Drummond Chiropractic story with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Today’s Hosts: Jeremy Goodrich – Owner of Shine Insurance Agency David Quick – Business Coach at Helping Bulls Thrive in China Shops The Crossroads episodes of Scratch Entrepreneur are all about solving a specific point of growth for our guest.  David and Jeremy ask thoughtful questions for the first half of the show.  Their goal is to get at the heart of the factors that affect this point of growth.  The second half of the show is all about solutions.  David will offer three next steps and the outcomes that he sees from taking them. Today’s show is the third in our series of on-air coaching sessions between veteran executive coach David Quick and an entrepreneur who sits at a crossroads.  A big decision point in his or her business. Today’s guest has an enviable crossroads.  He’s doubled the business every year since he started.  Now, sitting at four million in gross receipts he’s been pumping the breaks, the growth just seems too fast and the weight of it all is getting bigger.  David helps him address what’s changed and what next steps he should take.   But before we dig in, I wanted to throw out a term that I heard today.  It was in a Mastermind and the person that said it nonchalantly threw it out there.  But the idea resonated.  I wrote down the two simple words and doodled around them for the rest of the session.  The group member was chatting, breaking down some ideas floating in his head and then rather abruptly said said, “I just want to learn to fail faster”.  Fail Faster.  I immediately knew what he meant.  We embark on new ideas, things we think will make our business better.  Maybe it’s a marketing campaign or a new hire.  A product we’ve always wanted to make or an online course that everyone must be dying for.  As entrepreneurs, we have ideas.  If we didn’t we’d be schlepping somebody else’s newest best thing.  But not every idea is a good one.  In fact most of them, at least at their inception, aren’t market ready.  So on one hand we can’t be scared to try but on the other, if we’re gonna fail, at least we can learn to fail faster.  The learning curve works a lot more quickly that way. What do you think about “failing faster”? I would love to hear your thoughts on that or anything else about the podcast.  You can share them over at our patreon page.  Join the conversation at Patreon.com/scratch entrepreneur. We’re glad you joined us! Mentioned in the episode: Why Mike started Enrollment Fuel (6:00) The crossroads he’s at (8:00) Mike’s original expectations for the business (15:00) Worried about hiring or spending on hiring? (19:00) What’s driving Mike’s hesitancy? (22:00) The goals for Enrollment Fuel (24:40) Dave’s tip #1: Paint the best and worst case scenarios and prioritize the next steps (30:00) Dave’s tip #2: Find where the fear is coming from (32:00) Dave’s tip #3: Looking at indicators other than cash to determine the health of the business (33:00) Special thanks to Mike Werner founder of Enrollment Fuel for being willing to pull back the curtains and share this business crossroads. And, of course, a huge thank you to David Quick for offering his time and expertise. You can find David and many of his resources at HELPINGBULLS.COM   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Co-Host – David Quick Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

The best towns, just like the best businesses, have a story.  There’s a simple reason why.  Because every single one of us is wired to connect with a great story.  We connect with the characters, love their simple flaws that remind us of our own, yell at the bad guys in a way we probably couldn’t in real life, and use the story to analyze our own perspectives on the world, how we would have done it, how we would have become the hero…or the villain. Our guest today has actually built the fabric of our town's story in a variety of ways.  First he wrote for a local public radio show called A Moment of Science, then he crafted many of the stories in Bloomington’s own magazine called Bloom.  Most recently, he when out on his own and started a podcast called BTown LowDown.  Btown Low Down, which has gained a ton of notoriety even though it’s less than a year old, breaks down the goings on in our little southern Indiana community.  Jeremy Shere and his cohost Jen Richler, chat about upcoming events, local phenomenons, and even some of our towns history.  Then they interview a guest that has insight into those goings on.  The result is a snapshot of the weekly culture of one not so sleepy town. So here is exactly what you’ll get from our conversation: Jeremy’s backstory and why he loves to write nonfiction pieces.  His option on what makes good content, and finally the steps he took to launch BTown LowDown and gain hundreds of listeners per episode from the very beginning. Patreon Aftershow And then, if that wasn’t enough, we head over to Patreon for the after show.  Jeremy is a musician as well so I asked him to break down one of his favorite songs and why.  The conversation that followed was a story in and of itself.  A deep dive into the structure and history of one of the most famous songs ever written. We’re glad you joined us. Overview of the conversation: Podcasts we’re listening to (4:30) Jeremy’s youth, born to be in media (9:00) A timeline of Jeremy’s history in media (12:20) Creating content and what is storytelling (24:00) The Btown Lowdown origin story (35:30) How he got the word out about the podcast (43:30) Mentioned in the episode: Up and Vanished Joe Rogan Hardcore History Beautiful Anonymous A Moment of Science Bloom Magazine The Mystery Show Tape Podcast with Mooj   Special thanks to Jeremy Shere for taking the time to share the Btown Lowdown story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

While I don’t have a traditional tech start up, I have a kind of love love relationship with the tech world.  Maybe it’s because Tech is the new American Dream.  To have an idea that solves a pain point in the world, build a model, have a bunch of tech stuff happen, and voula, you’re a millionaire.  One version or another of this story, the story of a magically different life than you have right now, has captured the American imagination from it’s infancy. The very act of immigrating, sailing on a ship for months to the new world is that story.  The industrial revolution is that story, And now, from our Commodore 64s and Ataris to the podcast your listening to right now,  we all love to believe that magic can happen.  So I do love talking with tech entrepreneurs.  To hear the pain point their solving.  To dig deep into the nuts and bolts of what it means to raise huge sums of money based basically on nothing besides the founders word and a compelling deck of powerpoint slides. And then build the thing and launch the thing and raise money money and grow.  Or conversely, to fail miserably, to miss one key point, to just miss a fund raising goal, to not realize a subtlety of your ideal client.  Tech is the wild wild west and I love every chance I have to be a part of it. So today, we dig into it.  Deep into one specific issue that every tech business lucky enough to actually launch their product faces: how to budget for the first years of a product actually being live. Our guest is one of Bloomington Indiana’s favorite tech entrepreneurs. Her business serves a very specific purpose – to help honey farmers create healthy happy productive lives for their bees.  Her business is called Beecorp and their products monitor bee hive and organize data helping farmers measure hive strength, productivity and safety.  Beecorp has won awards across the tech and agriculture industries and they’re continuing to grow staff and products each year.  Ellie Symes is the founder and CEO of Beecorp and she shares a crossroads with us today. We’re glad you joined us. Topics discussed in this episode include: The current state of Ellies business (5:20) Should Ellie hire for sales? (11:35) How many customers does Beecorp need? (14:30) Cut backs she’s made for the upcoming year (23:00) What’s driving the budget question (28:00) Prep of the Pitch (35:00) Model what you can and what would over staffing look like (37:15) The Vision Value Pull (40:45) Building the magnet (45:00) Special thanks to Ellie Symes of Beecorp for being willing to pull back the curtains and share this business crossroads. And, of course, a huge thank you to David Quick for offering his time and expertise. You can find David and many of his resources at HELPINGBULLS.COM Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Co-Host – David Quick Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

I think about my business probably 70% of my waking hours.  I’m, not 100% proud of that actually.  There’s certainly mental space that needs to be freed for more about family, and fun, and nature, and playing tennis, and riding my bike.  But I obsess about the details, the upcoming decisions, internal systems, the right ways to market, do we have enough clients, do we have too many, are they the right clients,on and on.  Thinking about your business is a good thing but cycling on it isn’t.  McKenzie always pushes me to think through a decision, make it, and move on.  Yesterday’s decisions are over.  Celebrate your successes, learn from your failures, but mostly, move forward.      Our guest today has certainly done that.  His big entrepreneurial move was happened when he was a big shot sales guy at a large corporation.  Like so many, he realized that he never saw his kids, he drank too much, and, while his pockets were full, his soul was empty.  So, he dropped out. He left his way up the ladder sales job, the big city, and his entire adult idea of employment.  He and his family moved to a tiny fishing town in Nova Scotia Canada.  It was there that he started the entrepreneurial journey he’ll share with us today. Tim Alison heard a lot from Naysayers at that time.  But he didn’t listen then and he’s here to tell us why you shouldn’t either.   We’re glad you joined us. Overview of the conversation: Getting to know Tim (3:30) What is success? (14:00) What triggered Tim to leave the corporate life (21:45) How Tim started his business (26:30) Executing on the ideas in your head (37:00) Mentioned in the episode: Screw The Naysayers: They Suck Anyway! The War of Art LinkedIn Special thanks to Tim Alison for taking the time to share the Screw the Naysayers story with us  Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

We talk a lot on this podcast about building tribes, groups of customers that love your product, love your company, and feel like they are a part of something special because, well, they are.  The tribal metaphor has always worked in my mind for two primary reasons. If you have a community of raving fans then you must be doing something right It’s very easy to tell whether you actually have a tribe or not.   Our guest today is a part of a movement, a tribe that is made up of a community of millions of impassioned and empowered women who believe very simply that equality is not too much to expect.  She, like so many other women, has decided that sitting back and watching isn’t an option.  So she founded Be Golden, a business with the mission of supporting and empowering women of all shapes, sizes, colors, and creed.  In our conversation, she shares how Be Golden came to be, talks about the evolution of feminism, and why the Be Golden conference attracts women from across the country to come together and celebrate what makes each of them leaders, innovators, and revolutionaries.   We’re glad you joined us. Topics discussed in this episode include: How Be Golden got it’s start (2:30) How women’s empowerment is changing (6:15)  The 4 waves of feminism (14:00) The #MeToo movement (17:30) Speakers and topics at the upcoming conference (23:00)   Mentioned in the episode: KO Alliance Kristen Olson Lauren Gibbs Echo Dance Company Special thanks to Sarah Perfetti for taking the time to share the Be Golden story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

All of us have aspirations.  From Elan Musk, who wants to dig tunnels and colonize Mars, to a homeless kid sitting in school and trying to look normal.  We all have aspirations.  The cool thing about being human is that there are as many visions of a better future as there are people.  Everyone’s is different.  And even though there are around 7 Billion different sets of aspirations, none of them are wrong.  Different than what your parents wanted, maybe.  Misguided, at least 40% of the time for sure.  But 100% yours and only yours, well, if you stick to your guns then difinetely.  Aspirations are the fabric of being human.  From wanting to win your next fantasy football game to trying to create balance between your work and your home life.  But when we become entrepreneurs we test the very fabric of those aspirations.  Suddenly they’re not just hopes and dreams but rather bread, butter, and the mortgage payment.  The aspirations of entrepreneurs are often referred to by another name >> your business plan.  That plan is the ultimate test of your aspirations. Our guest today has tested lots of his aspirations.  But he’s not a business owner,  Like a few Scratch Entrepreneur guests before him, he’s the director of a non profit.  For the last 30 years, Mike McAfee has been selling cities.  Actually, over those years he’s sold counties and even states too.  Now in his role as the director of Visit Bloomington he sells one specific city, Bloomington, IN.  On this episode, he shares exactly how he does it. We’re glad you joined us.   Topics discussed in this episode: When you were a kid, what did you want to grow up to be? (3:00) So then bring us forward in time to your adult life.  What was going on in your life when you had the opportunity to become the director of Visit Bloomington? (12:30) How does Bloomington compare to other cities with a thriving tourism economy? (16:50) The role of Visit Bloomington (20:30) What are the weaknesses Bloomington has when it comes to tourism? (31:10) Where are our strengths? (32:50) Paint a picture of the future of tourism in Bloomington or beyond (34:40) What kind of non-profit is Visit Bloomington and why does it matter? (36:40) Hiring the right people for the right seats (38:00) Where do you see your entrepreneurial world in 5 years: (46:20)  Catch the after show on Patreon! Mentioned in the episode: Special thanks to Mike Mcafee for taking the time to share the Visit Bloomington story with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

It's time to get reflective.  This episode is all about when Scratch Entrepreneur is at and where we're headed. Jeremy talks why this podcast exists, how we do what we do, where we're at, and what's next. Here's a breakdown: Last Week:  How to get your first 200 customers with Jonathan Grzybowski (2:32)   Next Week: Mike McAfee – Director of the NFP Visit Bloomington    This week on Patreon: Jeremy’s StoryCorp interview with McKenzie   Overview of the conversation:   Section One: Why we do this How we started Scratch Entrepreneur (6:30) The insights that Scratch provides: I love to hear the successes and failures that other biz owners experience (12:10) The insights they’ve gained over the years (15:30)   Section Two: How we do this The first few episodes (21:45) The next 30 episodes (22:30) The team now (24:15)   Section Three: Where were headed Original Mission (27:15) As people starting hearing about the show, broader opportunities have started to be available. (30:15)  On air executive coaching with David Quick (32:40) Our Patreon (34:30)   A question for you - How is this podcast adding to YOUR life, to helping you make better business decisions, to you feeling like other people have to same struggles and successes that you’ve experienced. Facebook – Scratch Entrepreneur group Patreon community board Email – jeremy@shineinsurance.com   Mentioned in this episode: Jay Baer “Youtility” The New Home Buyers Guide Michael Cassady The Uptown Café Mike Bridavsky Lil Bub Russian Recording Rebecca Warren Monroe County Humane Association Donald Griffin Griffin Realty Jason Wilber Paul Shoulberg The Good Catholic NPR (National Public Radio) Cardinal Spirits Esmerelda Kent Kinkaraco Green Burials Whitney Nicely  Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Standing on the edge of a new venture as a budding entrepreneur is equally exhilarating and bone chilling.  To truly do this you have to strap into the harness of friends and family that believe in you, lean out over the abyss that is no longer having a salary or benefits, and jump.  Think about the moment you did that.  What job did you leave?  Have long did it take before you felt confident that you’d be able to pay the next mortgage payment?  Those first years are hard and tons of people fail. But our guest today didn’t.  Not the first time or the second.  Johnathan Grzybowski, owner of Penji Graphic Design, is on the show today to share his story, his insights into attracting your first 200 customers, and how the get the best work out of your designers.  We’re glad you joined us. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: What sparked Johnathan to start his own business (8:00) What is Penji? (11:45) Building a base of clients (13:00) Going from un-scaleable to scaleable (18:30) Finding the ideal client (21:00) Connecting with a Graphic Designer (25:00) Communicating with a Designer to get the results you want (27:00) How & Why does Penji offer unlimited graphic design at one flat monthly rate (29:00) Where’s Jonathan in 5 years? (33:45) Mentioned in the episode: Penji Special thanks to Johnathan Grzybowski for sharing the Penji story with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Today's episode starts a new series of one air coaching session between business owners and executive coach David Quick.  We start with ourselves, Jeremy & McKenzie Goodrich owners of Shine Insurance.  Our crossroads is How Do We Strategically Scale?   The Crossroads episodes of Scratch Entrepreneur are all about solving a specific point of growth for our guest.  David and Jeremy ask thoughtful questions for the first half of the show.  Their goal is to get at the heart of the factors that affect this point of growth.  The second half of the show is all about solutions.  David will offer three next steps and the outcomes that he sees from taking them. We’re glad you joined us! Don’t’ forget to listen to the after show recorded just for our Patreon community: JOIN HERE   This episode’s big question: How to scale your business? Episode topics include: Introduction to the Crossroads format and David Quick (00:45) Shine Insurance, who are they and what to they do? (4:00) Mindset for hitting expectations (7:30) What does thriving mean to Shine (9:20) Where is Shine not thriving? (12:15) What Jeremy and McKenzie enjoy about their roles at Shine (17:15) Challenges and concerns of bringing on employees (21:30) Who’s the ideal candidate? (29:20) The Hiring Process (36:30) Mentioned in the episode: Shine Insurance Helping Bulls Special thanks to Jeremy and McKinzie for being willing to pull back the curtains and share this business crossroads. And, of course, a huge thank you to David Quick for offering his time and expertise. You can find David and many of his resources at HELPINGBULLS.COM   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Co-Host – David Quick Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Simone & Malcolm Collins are venture capitalists, marketing gurus, entrepreneurs, and authors.  They're on a personal and professional journey towards the perfect iteration of themselves.  We talk about that, their opinion about where most start up pitches go wrong, and why they feel Latin America is poised for big wins. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: How Malcolm proposed (1:50) Build a business in developing countries (7:45) Presenting your business to investors (9:30) What’s a pragmatist? (14:00) The idealogical tree (22:30) How do you want people to see you? (24:00) Where will Simone and Malcolm be in 5 years? (26:45) Mentioned in the episode: Collins Family Ventures Travelmax The Pragmatist’s Guide to Life   Special thanks to Simone and Malcolm for taking the time to share the Pragmatist Guide to Life story with us   Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Every entrepreneur who’s every read a business book has heard you need to exude confidence, never give up, work hard, use this magical system that some dude with a shabby website invented and will happily share with you for $1997.  Everyone wants to tell you how it works.  But what they’re usually telling you is simply how it worked for them.  Owning a business isn’t magic.  It’s collecting the right ideas, setting the right system, your system, and putting yourself in as many right places at right times as you can.  You don’t actually need to be anything but the best version of yourself. Today’s guest is doing that. Her way and on her terms.  She’s succeeding at something that many people have found to be one of the smartest ways to make money in the world.  Investing in real estate.  No, real estate isn’t perfect.  No investment strategy is.  But a smart investor with a careful strategy can make good money on what is arguable one of the safer places to put your money. Whitney Nicely built her portfolio from her first $1500 purchase to her current 1.5 million dollar portfolio.  In the real estate world that’s doesn’t mean she’s throwing money out the windows of her helicopter.  It means she’s making a solid respectable living doing something the every one of our listeners could decide to do today. In this episode Whitney shares her story and a few of her secrets.  We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: How Whitney got in to Real Estate (4:20) Tips for beginners (10:15) Make 3 offers (12:10) Real Estate is like dating (15:00) Tips for seasoned investors (17:15) Whitney’s goals (18:50) Should you have an LLC? (22:18) Whitney’s inspiration for becoming a coach (25:00) Where’s Whitney in 5 years? (29:45)   Mentioned in the Episode: First Deal Done Fast FDDF PLUS Whitney’s Live Events FDDF LIVE Special thanks to Whitney Nicely for taking the time to share her investment property secrets with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Have you ever bought a house? I remember the first time I did. It was a really beat up old bungalow with great old bones. I fell in love immediately even though I probably shouldn’t have. The one thing I didn’t do, that I really should have, is hire a realtor. They probably would have noted that the basement was leaky and flooded every time it rained, or that the bathroom was actually just an old back porch with a shower plopped in it, or that we were paying way too much for the work we were going to have to do. I didn’t hire a realtor because, well, I wasn’t very smart about it. Our guest today would have been the perfect guy to help. He is a realtor who's helped people just like me buy houses, sell houses, flip houses, and even rent houses. In the world of real estate, he’s done it all. Along the way he’s been growing a community of raving fans. Like most realtors, he started by joining a realty group. You’ve probably heard the names FC Tucker, Berkshire Hathaway, RE Max, and on and on. These are engines that a new realtor can join and have access to help. But Donald Griffin eventually got the entrepreneurial itch. He decided he wanted control and the ability to carve his own path. So he he jumped out on his own and started Griffin Realty. You’ll hear that story and his insights into real estate, owning a business, and everything in between. We’re glad you joined us. Episode topics include: Outsourcing what you’re not good at What’s OCHA? Advertising Strange things Donald has seen showing homes Top tips for showing your home Being yourself in your brand How Donald built an amazing team Mentioned in the episode: Griffin Realty Patagonia David Quick Special thanks to Donald Griffin for taking the time to share the Griffin Realty story with us Contributors to this episode include: Host - Jeremy Goodrich Music - Mark Vinten Editing - Christopher Lang If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now:  SUBSCRIBE to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts  While your there, please REVIEW the show  SHARE with friends Finally, please, JOIN the Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook Group Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

There are a lot of terms that could define entrepreneurship: Risky, busy, confusing, overwhelming, fun, inspiring, and on and on. Starting and growing your own business is one of the most challenging adventures a person can go on. But there’s another word used a lot to describe owning a business and that’s lonely. So many entrepreneurs describe moments of isolation. Maybe it’s physical isolation, especially early on but more often, the isolation is mental. The buck stops with you. And that means every idea, every decision ultimately falls on your lap. Your left to ponder not only the future but also the past. Maybe there’s an entrepreneur out there who’s got it all figured out but most of us, we’re obsessed about decisions, paths, and outcomes. Each tiny moment swirls inside our head. What’s right, what’s wrong, where should the money go and where did the money go. At first we’re constantly sharing every thought and idea with friends and family. But one subtle cue after another teach us to stop talking about it all the time. These people love us but they don’t really understand. So we recess, into ourselves and, well, feel kind of lonely. This is why smart business owners find people to talk with, to bounce ideas off of, that they trust to listen and more importantly, to provide a reflection from the real world of what’s actually going on. Take this podcast, Scratch Entrepreneur. I think it’s cool, of course, or I wouldn’t do it. I obsess about it. How to structure interviews, music, hosting, microphones, everything. But to be honest, I’m not totally sure what’s good and what isn’t. It’s a lonely feeling to think you’re doing something great and at the same time have no idea. I clearly need to reach out and find a community of trusted advisors. Today’s guest has built a business around solving this issue. He helps bulls thrive in china shops. He’ll explain that a little later on but the essence of David Quick’s business is to remove that isolation from the equation. To provide a coach, a mentor, a mirror reflecting the perspective from outside. As it turns out, he’s been playing that role since some kid asked him in middle school to help play a middle c. This interview is peppered with life lesson and advice on business ownership. David has seen it all, and he has an unusual ability to break life lessons into simple memorable anecdotes that will make you a better business owner and a better person. So strap in for the stories and advice of David Quick. What were formative moments that made you who you are? David was a great saxophone player as a kid. As he got into high school younger kids would ask him to teach them how to play. So he would. He learned at that point that teaching and coaching were things he loved. So how did you end up at the highest levels of corporate America? That road traveled through the Navy. David spent over a decade as a Naval officer and he attributes much of his adult foundation to that. When he finally left the Navy he really had no idea what to do. There was an opportunity wselling laboratory equipment, so he took it. The life lesson there was learn the lingo, look for a guide, and work hard. As soon as David got planted in the laboratory sales world he started climbing ladders. He buzzed through companies like Miles Laboratories that became Bahr Laboratories. He mastered the sales process, took on leadership roles, and generally was always moving up to the next thing. Then he started getting hired to grow businesses. Later in his career he landed at Roach Laboratories involved in innovative projects that essentially gave David to opportunity to spend company money to start businesses under the umbrella of Roach Diagnostics. From there he dug into the venture What are the core questions you ask new clients? What does Thriving mean? Who do you wanna be? What do you wanna do? What do you wanna have? David’s experience with his coach finding the best way to thrive You have the herd you deserve Do you have the people in the right seats What’s the foundation every business needs? Vision – This is all about the picture that the founder has for the business. What does it mean to Thrive? Core Values – Who are our model citizens? Who are the people we want to clone? What are the characteristics associated with that?Expectation – Are you the New England Patriots or the Cleveland Browns. Engagement - How are the three above pieces integrated into everyday life? Special thanks to David Quick for taking the time to share the Helping Bulls story with us Mentioned in the episode: • Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati • Miles Laboratories www.bayer.com • Bayer Laboratories • Wall Street Journal  • J&J Laboratories  • Roche Diagnostics • Mastermind  • Culture Index  • New England Patriots  • Cleveland Browns • Chicago Cubs  • Theo Epstein  • Joe Madden  • Music by Mark Vinten The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my high school buddy Mark Vinten. Every morning he would swing by and pick me up for school. Mark’s school taxi was one of my favorite vehicles ever a 1980 Volkswagon Vanagon poptop. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now. First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them. While you’re there, please give the show a review. We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Then, please share the show with whoever you think it will inspire. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Our guest today is a hero in the Bloomington, Indiana community of artists.  Armored with her hand crafted leather notebooks, she started by venturing out and attempting to make a living as an artist.  As so many heroes do, she experienced perils, hardship, and moments of doubt.  Then she realized that she should band together a collaborative community of artists.  Ultimately, she started a brick and mortar store bringing together all of their work into one location.  Talia Halliday owner of Gather Shoppe, a retail art store in downtown Bloomington Indiana, is a purveyor of art and crafts.  She’s a leader who has rallied every artist together in a epic battle of art versus evil.  And she set down her sword to take a quick moment and tell her story on this episode of Scratch. Special thanks to Talia Halliday for taking the time to share the Gather story with us Mentioned in the episode: Conduit Press   Gather Shoppe  Bloomington Handmade Market  Bloomington Creatives Collective   Kin Folk Magazine   Luna Music   The Green Nursery   CFC Properties   Jeff Mease  The Secret   Bad Knees Tees   Tactile Melod­­ies   Gather Stories Podcast   Music by Mark Vinten  

If you own a business, it reflects you, whether you mean for it to or not. Every system, every product, every experience, has you embedded in it.  Any business owner that isn’t comfortable with that should run for the hills.  The “owning a business is like having a child” metaphor may be over used but there is, of course, some truth to it.  The things we build reflect us. But building a healthy profitable business evolves quickly beyond the parenting metaphor.  The thing about parenting is we’re mostly doing it ourselves.  Our tragic missteps and long sought after successes are mostly hidden and only become exposed years later as our kids grow up. The parenting analogy works as a foundation but it isn’t the house. Every business owner quickly moves from the parent figure and takes on a role closer to an architect designing the framework by which success will be built.  But the architect hands over the design and is done, that’s it.  So maybe that’s wrong.  It’s more like the Orchestra conductor, masterfully melding all of the pieces into one moving presentation.  But the conductor is handed the Symphony.  The road map is already there.  Most of us never have that and probably wouldn’t follow it if we did. The reality is that no analogy actually works quite right because owning a business is way more complicated than anyone wants to admit.  We are the parents, and the architect, and the conductor, We’ll probably spend time as the secretary, the banker, the back hoe operator, and everything in between as well.   As we learn to navigate all of those hats little pieces of ourselves become the fingerprint.  Even as we train employees or hire contractors, we build a story.  Our brand ultimately will be a reflection of our self.  The best businesses look in the mirror and, at least most of the time, they’re proud of what they see. Our guest today may not attract to a whole lot of mirrors.  He’s more comfortable in a world of flying sparks and heavy sheets of metal.  His love for building started as a kid and grew through building low rider cars and motorcycles in the DIY Punk scene.  Josh Smith, own of Clutch Fabrication talks growing up, why he loves metal, and how he's grow up as a business owner. We’re glad you joined us. Here are some highlights: What was Josh’s childhood like? Josh grew up in the woods of Green county Indiana.  His dad built their rustic cabin and was constantly adding on or working on it.  His mom was an artist working in stained glass.  So Josh had a combination of creativity and building going on around him a lot. How did Clutch Fabrication start? Josh was into working on cars and motorcycles already.  Then a chance meeting got him connected with a Blacksmith in town.  It just built from there.  He worked for the blacksmith, then for another metal shop, and he finally decided to go out on his own. What does he love about metal? He just loves taking something that’s impossible to move and being able to heat it and manipulate it.  He sees the combination of building and creativity ­­­in the medium and appreciates being able to dabble­­ in both. Does Josh enjoy the more artistic projects or ones with specific requirements? Both have their pros and cons.  Josh loves systems and efficiency.  That’s kind of weird because every project Clutch does is different but he definitely enjoys the jobs where he can build in efficiencies.  But he loves the creative stuff too.  When he builds furniture there’s a lot more freedom and he sees the process and the outcome in a more artistic way. What made Josh such a good problem solver? Josh hasn’t been diagnosed, but he feels he’s probably dyslexic.  He’s been dealing with this since he was a kid and would always be finding ways to work around his struggles with reading.  Having to constantly navigate the issue as a school kid set him up to be able to find solutions quickly What are some of the struggles Josh has experienced as a business owner? Really it’s been the pressure of his business growing.  Employee turn over, jobs stacked on top of each other, and tough jobs environments have definitely made him sweat. What are some of his favorite moments? Josh loves to step back and just appreciate Clutch Fabrictaion and were it is.  He loves the people too.  Connecting with people is his favorite part.­­­ What does Josh love about owning a business that he didn’t think he would? Really it’s the nerdy planning and organizing stuff.  Building a business plan, analyzing statistics, evolving the employee benefits plan, and things like that.  Josh loved the metal work at first and still does but now he loves the higher level elements of owning a business as well. Where does Josh see Clutch Fabrication in 5 years? Really it’s about slow growth.  He’s not out to make a million dollars.  He wants to continue doing good work and growing a healthy business. Special thanks to Josh Smith for taking the time to share the Clutch Fabrication story with us. The show was hosted, produced & edited by Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by Mark Vinten. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Mentioned in the episode: Cardinal Spirits Loren Wood Builders ISBDC – Indiana Small Business Development Corporation Local First Angela Parker attorney Patagonia Yvon Chouinard Music by Mark Vinten Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

There are some jobs it seems like no one would ever want. Who wants to pump a septic tank, why on earth would you ever work in a restaurant dish tank, who in the world would ever deal with dead people?  Us humans are infatuated with rationalizing our place in the world by comparing it with those who have it worse. But the concept of “those who have it worse” may just be an invention, a tool to help us look in the mirror and make sense of it all.  Yes, of course there are people who truly have it worse than you and there are people who have it better than you too.  But the scale is based on your concept of how worse and better are defined.  The person you think has it worse may actually be a lot happier than you think.  And the person who has it better, I mean really, what does that even mean?  Are we talking money, happiness, looks, spirituality? Our guest today may be someone you think has it worse than you.  Maybe you’ll feel she has it better.  But I hope, after hearing her story, you’ll decide the whole premise of better and worse is ultimately misguided. Here’s the thing, Esmerelda Kent deals in death and dying. For the past 20 years she’s been a pioneer in the concept of Green funerals.  She’s fought the status quo and the billion dollar funeral industry while one by one walking families of all shapes and sizes through the loss of a loved one.  She has revolutionized this life transition by taking it back to its roots.  Now she focuses on funeral shrouds, beautiful ornamented fabric made to replace the metal containers were so accustomed to seeing. If your anything like me, that introduction brought to surface feelings.  Fuzzy feelings, uncomfortable feelings, places we don’t generally go.  And this episode, it might not be right for you.  Maybe it’s better to listen to without kids around or when your in the right mental place.  But I hope the subject matter doesn’t stop you.  Esmerelda has a fascinating story to tell.  Her journey and the insights she’s gleaned are worth it.  And sometimes, going there is exactly what we all really need. We’re glad you joined us. Here are some highlights: What was her childhood like? (3:15) Esmerelda grew up in Los Angeles in the 1950’s.  She lived in a Hollywood neighborhood surrounded by the working class of the movie industry.  As a child, she was creative and attracted to morbidity and religion.  She loved to design clothes for her paper dolls and have elaborate funeral processions for anything that died.  Even though her parents we agnostic, she insisted on going to Lutheran church.  When that start to bore her she switched to the cathedrals and traditions of Catholicism. How did these passions evolve as she grew up? (11:30) Esmerelda was a teenager in the late sixties.  She loved the music, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, they all would perform close to where she lived.  She was experimenting with LSD and soaking in the community that became known as hippies.  The Vietnam war was talking many of her male friends and many came home in a casket.  It was the first real tragedy she'd experienced. She had two children by the time she was 21 and the American culture around birth was her first taste of what would evolve into the business she has now.  Birth was a sterile event, experienced in hospitals without your loved ones close.  Esmeralda opted for home birth and a group of women learned the art of midwifery and helped each other.  She was seeing that both birth and death in America were handled in an unnatural and even inhumane way. How did you she decide to start advocating for Green Burials? (14:05) Esmerelda was a singer for years and then became a costume designer on Hollywood sets.  In the 1980’s, the aids crisis hit.  Many of her friends were gay men. A community among the hardest hit by the epidemic.  Many of her friends died and it became her second experience watching her friends handle death and funerals.  They had very limited choices and she watched as they were forced into ceremonies, expenses, and traditions that served the funeral industry more than the family. All of these pieces: her interest in spirituality, her creativity, the Vietnam war, and the AIDS epidemic followed her into the year 2000 when her mother was dying.  When the phone call came, she grabbed a huge piece of fabric, some candles, and incense and flew from San Francisco to her mother’s Kansas home.  Esmeralda walked through that death experience and saw that, just like the birthing process, the industry wanted her to handle it a certain way. After that, She saw the first episodes of the HBO TV series Six Feet Under.  In the show, a small funeral business tries to keep afloat amidst the ever present pressure of a large corporate mega company. Esmerelda decided it was time.  She found a cemetery owner who was open to the idea of green funerals and she took it from there. What are some different approaches to funerals? (29:40) There are so many!  Chinese culture tends towards expensive copper vaults around the coffin.  She attended a Samoan funeral procession where the men, wearing suits cut off as shorts, played tubas while the women screamed, cried, and lamented.  She loves African American funerals where attendees dress to the nines and sing with an unmatched passion and soul. The most anesthetic culture tends to be white Americans who exhibit a stoicism that Esmerelda has never really understood. Are there people who deal with death better than others? (44:30) It’s all about attachment.  The better the dying and the survivor can come to terms with the change the more healthy the experience.  This is often about work done years and years before the actual death. But the ceremony can have a lasting effect on attachment and the act of both sides letting go. What advice does Esmerelda have for us about death? (48:30) It’s important to address the idea today. Make a connection with the brevity of life.  For Esmerelda, she does this through Buddhism.  Everyone has their own path but the better a grasp we have to more fulfilling life we live and the more peace we have in the end. Do your family a favor and create a plan now.  Download the Before I Go You Should Know booklet, complete it and share its location with your family.   Special thanks to Esmerelda Kent for taking the time to share the Kinkaraco story with us. The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my high school buddy Mark VInten. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Mentioned in the episode: Hollywood in the 1950’s  Mary Baker Eddy  Science of Mind The Beatles The Rolling Stones The Tibetan Book of the Dead  Siddhartha Allan Watts Six Feet Under HBO Series  Hollywood Memorial Living Meaningfully Dying Joyfully Before I Go You Should Know Booklet Music by Mark Vinten Need Shine? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Today’s guests are world renowned in the field of Graphic Design. They’ve worked for some of the biggest design agencies, advised some of the best companies, studied under legends in their field, spoken in front of huge audiences, and built a following of other graphic designers.  They themselves have now become a powerhouse couple in their field.  Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio, owners of the graphic design firm Under Consideration, share their story. We’re glad you joined us. Here's an overview: What makes good graphic design? (3:15) It depends on the business, the ideal client, and ultimately what someone is trying to say.  There’s no magically answer and, at the same time, there is a magic to the result.  A good graphic designer can use the tools they have to create that visual story and connect the ideal client with the brand.  It’s a collaboration How did their childhood affect who they became? (10:15) Bryony grew up in a family of artists and achitects so she was surrounded by creative folks and that fostered her interest.  Armin really could have cared less.  He loved video games, wrestling, and basketball.  Beyond that, everything was boring. How did Bryony & Armin Meet? (14:05) They were both Graphic Design students in Mexico City.  They met each other at a bar and grew their relationship from there. So how did they end up in the United States? (16:35) Bryony wasn’t feeling motivated by the Graphic Design community in Mexico City.  Her professors and peers lacked seriousness and she was becoming frustrated.  Bryony moved to Atlanta in search of a community motivated at the highest level.  When Armin graduated from college in Mexico City, he followed.  They ended up loving the design world north of the border and the design world loved them too.  From Atlanta, they took jobs in Chicago and ultimately ended up in New York City with some of the best jobs in the graphic design industry. How did they start Under Consideration? (19:35) Bryony left her job to start Under Consideration and to start a family.  She was working from home and building the client base.  When the baby was born Armin to paternity leave.  When he went back to work he was miserable.  So he left and they put all of their energy into growing their own business. What does Under Consideration do? (22:10) They do limited client work but the primary work they do is for other graphic designers.  They work as blog and put on an annual conference.  They’ve built a business creating initiatives for their audience of their peers. The conference has been a great success as they’ve simply put on a great show for a very specific niche of graphic designers. ­ How do they handle failure? (31:32) Bryony & Armin are always taking things to the next level.  The badges and bags for their conference are beautiful handmade works of art that they make each year.  Every year they try and wow their attendees.  That has also meant huge failures.  They simply have to try and try again until the final product is to their liking.   Special thanks to Armin Vit & Bryony Gomez-Palacio for taking the time to share the Under Consideration story with us.   If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Mentioned in the episode: Under Consideration Brand New Pentagram Brand & Design Jay Baer Music by Mark Vinten

There are jobs you simply do, that’s what most of us have, and there are creative passions that turn out to make you a few bucks, which very few are lucky enough to succeed at.  One way to gauge the difference is the perception of children.  If, as a child you heard of an occupation and immediately felt you would rather eat raw spinach with no ranch dressing while sitting in the adult church service for 10 hours, this is likely a job you do.  If, as a child, you fantasized about doing that job.  You dreamed about the details, imagined yourself in that daily routine, and presented it emphatically as the answer to the age old question “what do you want to be when you grow up?”, it’s likely a creative passion that might make you a few bucks. Occasionally, we meet someone who has succeeded at being what they dream of growing up to be.  Our guest today, is one of those people.  Not only has Paul Shoulberg spend time with some of Hollywood's greatest stars, he’s had the pleasure of watching them act out his words, his story, his screen play.  Even better, as a film director, he’s been able to mold those actors into his idea of the story.  Paul is becoming the vision so many of us had as kids.  A director and storyteller who exorcises his angels and demons right there on the big screen.  On today’s episode, Paul Shoulberg shares his story with us today.  We’re glad you joined us. We’re glad you joined us!  Here's an Overview: What childhood memories led to Paul being a writer? (2:12) Paul’s dad wanted to be a writer and it really never worked out for him.  He always held writing in super high regard and instilled in Paul, even if he didn’t realize it at the time, a love and respect for a good story.  His father’s passion rubbed off on Paul and he eventually started writing. How would you describe your film The Good Catholic? (10:40) It’s really a workplace comedy.  The workplace is the church and the workers are three priests.  The film explores love and fear, life and death, spirituality and passion through the eyes of each character.  Along the way, one of the priests makes a connection with a quirky woman who pushes him to better understand himself. In one scene, Daniel (Zachary Spicer) asks Victor (Danny Glover) if he ever really sees god.  Can you describe that interaction and your ideas behind it? (14:05) Paul sees a lot of puff being blown about religion and the idea that only certain people have special access to god.  Danny Glover’s character instills the idea that what they do as priests takes work.  It’s getting up every day and doing it.  A deeper connection comes with that but it doesn’t just happen magically.  Paul feel like this concept is true for creative endeavors as well.  Writers block, an empty canvas, every successful creative person has systems for doing the work and being present when inspiration hits.  Maybe spirituality and creativity aren’t really that different. There’s a great scene where Ollie (John C McGinley) talks about compassion.  Can you describe that scene? (16:50) Ollie is a very real and present character who truly gets the spirit of religion and serving people.  This scene is one of Paul’s favorite.  Ollie is giving a Homily (sermon) on compassion.  His main point is that the definition of compassion is “to suffer with”.  This 3 minute scene gets at the heart of the story even though it doesn’t exactly fit most of the storyline. Tell us a little about the inspiration behinds the film?(22:00) Paul’s mom was a nun and his dad was a priest when they met.  So the backbone of the story is based on them.  It’s a story he’s wanted to tell for a long time.  But then, in 2013, his father passed away.  So the deeper personal elements of each character are a mix of Paul’s feelings about losing his dad, opinions on life, and everything else.  What’s so hard about being a director?(28:04) Directing a film is like popping up a hypothetical million-dollar business but you have to start before you know if you’ll have the million dollars.  For Paul, it has to be a true project of passion to even consider directing a film.  ­ Tell us about your next film? (33:32) The film is called Ms White Light and it’s about a woman who is able to connect with people who are about to die but are struggling to let go.  Miss White Light (Roberta Colindraz) is able to connect profoundly with someone who’s dying but is incapable of normal day to day interactions.  It deep and dark but also, a comedy.   Special thanks to Paul Shoulberg for taking the time to share his story with us. The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich.  The music is by my high school buddy Mark VInten.  Mark and I lived together our second year in college.  I painted my bedroom candy apple red had a water bed and listened to a lot of The Rolling Stones on the radio.  Mark was most well known for looking exactly like Jim Morrison. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Mentioned in the episode: Forrest Gump   Braveheart   Stand By Me   Miles Davis   Thelonious Monk   Bird  Forest Whitaker  ­­­The Good Catholic Zachery Spicer Wrenn Schmidt Danny Glover John C McGinley Ms White Light Roberta Colindrez Pigasus Pictures Music by Mark Vinten

There are some businesses that are integral in the fabric and story of a community. Think about the town you live in.  If someone asks, "What are some things I HAVE to do when I visit?" you immediately think of them.  Maybe the dive bar in that back alley, an ice cream shop that has handmade old-fashioned vanilla but you have to specifically ask for it, a barber shop that only does high fades, a music venue where every good band played before they got famous.  "But where should I eat when I go there?" A good restaurant or two or five aren’t just threads in the fabric of a town, they’re a whole cross section.  Until your town has the perfect place to eat, it’s just plain not a town yet. Our guest today is the owner of one such eatery.  Anyone who knows anything about Bloomington, Indiana is going to insist that you eat at his place at least once while you’re here.  In the 1970’s, you would stumble into the Uptown Café after a long night listening to music at the Bluebird.  You’d order gumbo or jambalaya to soaked up all the booze.  But now, 40 years later, Michael Cassady has refined the dining experience. His place seats 250 people instead of 30.  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served and the place closes at 10.  Michael sees his restaurant as a kind of urban work of art and anyone who’s spent a moment inside couldn’t agree more.  On today’s show, Michael shares the story of The Uptown Café. We’re glad you joined us! Here are some highlights: What childhood memories led Michael to starting­­­­­­­­ The Uptown?  Michael grow up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and used to watch Justin Wilson talk about Louisiana cooking on PBS.  He’s loved the big flavors of the Big Easy ever since. Michael moved to Bloomington in the 1960’s to study political science.  The whole time he was in school, he was cooking.  He spent time at The Office Lounge, The TOA, The New Age Deli, The Vienna Doghouse, The Gables, and lots of other places. He finally decided to buy his own placer and start a diner.  He modeled it after The Empire Diner in New York City and fashioned the cooking style after Paul Prudhomme. What’s evolved since you started the Uptown?  When Michael started, there really wasn’t a whole lot as far as good cuisine.  Even yogurt was seen as a left wing food.  American food has come a long way since then. Where do you go when you want to get some food out?  It’s not something Michael does a lot.  He lives in the county and generally doesn’t want to go out once he gets home. When he does go out, he generally goes to places where he loves the chef like C3, Feast, Finchs, & NOCO.  His buddy owns Mother Bears Pizza so that’s on his list too. What advice do you have for people who want to open a restaurant? Keep it simple. Hire smart. Always have a group of trusted advisors. What does The Uptown look like in 5 years? Michael is 68 years old and he know that The Uptown will need new leadership soon.  He’s hoping he can hand the operations down to one of his sons or create another plan that keeps it in the family.   Special thanks to Michael Cassady for taking the time to share the Uptown story with us. The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my high school buddy Mark VInten.  In high school, we played a lot of soccer together.  I was the goalie and he was the sweeper.  For anyone who understands that relationship, it makes total sense why we’re still friends 25 years later. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Mentioned in the episode: Justin Walker The Office Lounge The Tao The New Age Deli The Vienna Doghouse The Gables Commanders Palace in New Orleans The Empire Diner Paul Prudhomme C3 Finches Feast Mother Bears Pizza

Many of our favorite businesses were built out of someone loving something and then figuring out how to make it better. Yvon Chouinard created Patagonia because he loved rock climbing, hiking, and being outdoors.  Everything else stemmed from that. Ben & Jerry loved ice cream, Jake Carpenter of Burton snowboards just wanted to find the perfect ride.  There are lots of reasons for someone to start a business but loving something and then working to make it better is one of the most fulfilling.  If you own a business, why did you start yours?  What do your love and how are you making it better?  The answers can drive you and frame the direction you go in the future. Our guest today loves music.  Specifically, early 90’s grunge and all of the many steps in it’s evolution into modern Indie Rock.  The way he found to make it better was to start a small record label.  To find artists he loved and help spread their music to as many people as possible.  Ben Swanson built Secretly Canadian based on a search for the right sound.  Now he helps hundreds of artists around the world record, brand, and share their music with as many ears as possible. We’re glad you joined us! Listen Here: Here are some highlights: What childhood memories led Ben to starting­­­­­­­­ Secretly? (1:59) Ben grew up with his older brother Chris in Fargo, North Dakota.  His dad and his uncle built a vitamin supplement business from their garage.  Ben remembers his dad in the garage pouring powder into tiny capsules by hand.  That company is now Swanson Health Products one of the largest vitamin suppliers in the world. Ben’s dad loved music and he would take them to shows sometimes.  Fargo happened to be a stop over for bands as they traveled to the Northwest so they had the chance to see a lot of shows.  In the late 80’s early 90’s, Ben was a teenager and was able to see tons of the bands that seeded the Seattle grunge explosion of the early 90’s. He started collecting albums and paying attention to the music that certain labels put out. Eventually, his brother Chris moved to Bloomington IN for college.  Ben followed two years later and they decided it would be fun to try and start their own music label. They dug into the explosion of independent music but also loved the catalogs of labels like K Records and Discord. They finally started to figure out how to physically make records and cassettes.  Then they would go to shows of musicians they loved and see if the musician would let them be the ones to manufacture and market the album.  Their first taker was June Panic and then Songs: Ohia followed. How do you attract artists? (11:07) For Ben, it’s all about just being a fan first.  Artists tend to want people surrounding them that understand and get what they’re doing.  Ben has always just approached it that way. What’s the story behind the name Secretly Canadian? (14:05) Being from Fargo, North Dakota Ben had a connection with Canada.  They really loved and connected with a ton of Canadian talent, from music to comedy and beyond.  They started joking around about the fact that all good things must be secretly Canadian.  What’s it’s like to work with your brother? (15:35) There are definitely pros and cons.  The hard part is getting over the big brother little brother stuff.  Ben happens to be the little brother.  One positive is the short-hands that they speak.  They can get really heated and then get over it and move on.  Sometimes that would devolve into wrestling.  One of Ben’s favorite moments is when he finally won one of those wrestling matches. What does Secretly look like today? (18:18) They are a global music company.  They’re a record label, the Master side helping artist to write and pitch the music they create, physical and digital distribution throughout the world, an artist management service, and a vinyl plant. What kind of artist is an ideal client? (21:13) Incredible musician, incredible artist, smart person, sells a few records.  The bottom line is that Ben wants to love the artists music.  It can work out from there. Secretly represents Indy music artists primarily but they dig into tons of genres. What are traits of successful and unsuccessful artists? (23:35) Bands can really easily get in their bubble.  The good ones are able to connect with others.  Other artists, other industry folks, whoever will listen.  You have to reach out and build relationships.  The more you can get to know people and the industry the better you’ll do. How does it feel to own a multi-national business? Weird. What is similar and different between you and Richard Branson? Ben really likes how fearless Richard is.  He gets into a lot of different spaces, builds a lot of brands, and is always ready to grow.  That’s a similarity. Richard Branson is a totally outgoing guy with tons of other people running the show.  Ben is simply a part of the team.  His hands are on most things in a way that certainly is different than Virgin Records. A book we should totally read? The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss An artist that we should listen to? Serpent with Feet What are the key types of people musicians should connect with? Other artists are the low hanging fruit.  Connecting with an established artist or two is the key.  Labels like Secretly hear about new artists all the time from their existing artists. What’s Secretly look like in 5 years? Not necessarily bigger, but more streamlined.  Finding ways to sta­­­­y interested by chasing new ideas but not getting too sidetracked from the core mission. Special thanks to Ben Swanson for taking the time to share the Secretly Canadian story with us. The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my high school buddy Mark VInten and Secretly group artists June Panic, Songs: Ohia, Bon Iver and Serpent with Feet. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening.   Mentioned in the episode: Secretly Group Swanson Health Products K Records Nirvana Kill Rock Stars Discord Fugazi June Panic Songs: Ohia Bon Iver Jason Wilber The 4 Hour Work Week Tim Ferris Serpent with Feet Musical interludes by Mark Vinten Need Shine in Your Life? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Us humans, we have all these labels for people, right.Us humans, we have all these labels for people, right.Some are mean like calling someone a nerd or a moron.  Some are self-applied like goth or grunge.  Some clearly state a specific spiritual philosophy like Christian or Pagan. Some are about ancestry, others skin color, still others define the generation you were born.  We use these words as a way to categorize traits or behaviors and all of it is a way for our brains to create boundaries.  Wars are fought, rallies are held, weddings are arranged, all in the name of these boxes we create.  When it comes to business, the words that create our box, our brand are important too.  We can incite love or hate, connection or ambiguity just by our choice of label, the words and actions that define us.Our guest today is in the business of creating these connections through stories that building better brands.  Labels that describe him would be extrovert, connector,  describer, storyteller.  Dmitri Vietze has been building brands for decades.  His business Rock Paper Scissors helps musicians, tech companies, and entrepreneurs of all kinds tell their story.  In this episode, he’ll tell his.We’re glad you joined us!Listen Here:Here are some highlights:What childhood memories led Dmitri to start a marketing business? (2:45)Dmiti was born in Nashville, TN and lived there for the first decade of his life. His family then moved to Queens New York in the 1980’s.  He spent his high school  years there attending the New York City school for Music and the Arts (the high school from the FAME TV show).  Dmitri was heavily involved in activism there speaking out against racism and cultural inequity.  His activism involved a ton of public speaking, marketing, and sharing the story of the inequity he saw.  After high school, he got a scholarship to attend the liberal arts college Antioch College with a focus on activism.What’s the origin story of Rock Paper Scissors? (4:10)At Antioch, Dmitri really drove towards the business maragement side of things.  He still felt powerful about activism but he wanted to find a way to connect it with building a business.  After college he took a job in Portland, OR.  He started digging deep into the root of the music he loves.  80’s progressive hip hop used a ton of jazz samples so Dmitri started listening to more of that.  That led to a love of African roots, afro-beats, and world music in general.  Eventually, a record distributer asked him to use that knowledge to do PR work for their global clients.  After doing that for a while he decided he wanted to pick his own jobs.  In 1999, Rock Paper Scissors was born.Dmitri is known for wearing vibrant colorful clothing.  Where does that choice come from? (11:45)Bright colorful cloths have been a think for Dmitri since he was a kid.  He’s always just felt like it represented him and nis personality.  As a business owner, he realized that people were noticing it and the bright clothes really proceeded him into business conversations.  The work he does is creative, fun, and colorful.  He wanted that to be represented in the visual palette people saw when he entered their space.How has the music industry changed in the time you’ve been connected with it? (13:45)The 90’s was really to boom of record sales and that feel off when online streaming of music became a thing.  As physical record sales dropped, live music took more of a center stage.  Huge festivals have been a thing and continue to bring in big bucks while offering artists of all sizes the opportunity to connect.  The club scene has grown as well.  In addition, digital sales have become more streamlined and paid for.  Napster offered music for free, really hurting musicians, but iTunes, Spotify and other streaming mechanisms have monetized music in a way that ultimately help musicians.­ Another trend is that more and more musicians are publishing.  Recording music and videos is easier which is great but it also means there’s a ton of competition.  The best thing to do is just kep producing and marketing the music you create.How has Rock Paper Scissors Evolved? (21:55)Dmitri loves technology.  Rock Paper Scissors developed a ton of tech to support their PR work.  He realized that he could apply his systems not only to World Music but also to tech companies, and all kinds of other entrepreneurs.  The stories are very much the same.How can businesses tell their own stories? (39:00)  Don’t use cliché terminology.  Start with the origin story and build from there  Have someone else interview you and discover your own answers. Get that outside perspective  Figure out what truly makes you unique­­­  Focus your story around a human. Give your listener someone to connect the story withRock Paper Scissors has focused on technology for music public relations but now you're serving pure tech companies as well.  How do they connect? (21:55)Healthy tech brands tend to have four concepts at their heart: Equity, Transparency, Innovation, Networking & Research. This really isn't any different than the musicians we've always worked with.  It seemed like an obvious fit so we connected with some tech brands and the results have been great.How has Rock Paper Scissors Evolved? (37:00)Dmitri wants to grow into the pure Tech PR business and he wants to continue using Storyfinding methods where the masses are telling the story of the business in a way that’s decentralize from the business itself.Mentioned in the episode:  Fela Koti – Afro Beats artist  Napster  iTunes  CD Baby – “The onramp to the music industry”  Paren Lamb – Indy Coffee House Playlist  DIY Musician Conference  Jack Conte - Pomplamoose & Patreon  Storyamp – Automated music marketing platform  DeveloperTown – “Software is eating the world”  The Innovators Dilemma & The Innovators DNA by Clayton Christensen  Edelman Trust BarometerSpecial thanks to Dmitri Vietze for taking the time to share the Rock Paper Scissors story with us.The show was produced and edited by me Jeremy Goodrich. The music is by my good friend Mark VInten. In college we would get together most Friday nights and play music to the wee hours of the morning..  Here’s the thing though.  He lived in a tiny apartment with about 200 neighbors.  We had a drum set, amplifiers, and we loved to turn it up.  Kind of can’t believe that the cops only showed up twice. If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Need help with insurance?More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - PodcastFacebook - Twitter

Our guest today builds houses. Really beautiful houses Hardwood floors with deep velvety purple finishes, huge windows full of afternoon sun.  Each home is unique and, like any good builder, his finished pieces have a stunning signature to them.  Loren Wood and his team of builders drop their heart and soul into every new build.  They pour foundations, frame walls, run electrical, pop about a trillion nails into all of it, and finally when it’s all done, they take some pretty pictures, open the doors for the home's new owner, and move on to the next one. We’re glad you joined us! Here are some highlights: What childhood memories led Loren to start a construction biz? (2:50) Loren remembers being amazed as a kid by the fact that his uncle built his own house.  It seemed to Loren at the time like his uncle Rick hit every nail in by himself without any help.  He always thought that was awesome and wanted to do it himself. What’s a story that stucks out as an example of what Loren builds for people? (4:10) For Loren it’s not really one example.  He enjoys the process.  He’s proud that there are beautiful houses with his name attached to them but he’s more connected with the experience of it.  He likes helping people through the process, creating a great work environment for his employees, and honing the entire process.  The connection for him is a lot more with the doing than the result. When it comes to building materials, there’s everything from toxic to materials cut down on the same property of the house.  Where does Loren stand on that scale? (12:40) When he first started, Loren built his own house at the highest level of every environmental standard.  But he learned pretty quickly that it wasn’t always feasible, and his clients didn’t want or feel they needed that.  So now he builds putting the most important things (like high efficiency design) first.  From there he tries the help clients make smart and balanced decisions. You do a ton of work supporting non-profits in Bloomington.  What role does that play in your business and your thinking? (16:30) Loren didn’t start his business thinking he would be doing a bunch of giving.  He just wanted to build a couple of houses.  Once he started becoming bigger he started getting asked to do things, so he did them.  He started realizing that he really could use his role as a builder to contribute to his community. How do you build a great staff? (23:10) Loren remembers watching through his dad’s factory and his dad pointing out each employee and why that person was a key part of the process.  His dad was affirming his team and their value to the business.  Setting a positive work environment is key number one.  Being able to compensate people fairly is the second.  People have to have a living wage to make things work.  Employees are part of a profit sharing part of the business as well.  Finally, creating a culture where there’s room for advancement.  Professional and creative growth is key.  Putting all of this together with a positive attitude is the formula Loren uses everyday to keep employees and keep the whole team happy. Where will Loren Wood Builders be in 5 years? (39:00) Loren is really happy with where things are at right now.  If he was still humming at the same pitch five years down the road, that works for him.  Curiosity has changed and he’s sure it will change again but the premise, the structure, he’s good with it. Special thanks to Loren Wood for taking the time to share the Loren Wood Builders story with us! Mentioned in the episode: Osteria Rago Kirby Millic – Furniture Maker Hoosier Reclaimed Timber Habitat for Humanity – Builders Blitz Lotus World Music & Arts Organization Cardinal Stage Company Bloomington Playwrights Project Hoosier Heights Climbing Gym  Music by Mark Vinten   We don't just tell great stories. We're happy to help with insurance too More at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter  

Our guest today has perhaps one of the smartest solutions to a specific problem that's plagued beekeepers for centuries. Her and the Beecorp team are taking on some of the key issues around a dying community of animals that we actually really need. Ellie Symes shares her story, how BeeCorp is solving key issues for beekeepers, and what she's learned from being a CEO. We're glad you joined us.   Early Memories of Entrepreneurship While Ellie never really saw herself as growing up to be an entrepreneur, she did start a couple of businesses as a kid.  Her favorite was a dog walking  business when she was just six years old.  Not very many people wanted to let a six year old take their dogs but it was Ellie’s solution to not being allowed to have a dog herself. What is BeeCorp? BeeCorp builds analytic software for beekeepers.  Their first product can tell when a queen bee dies.  The queen is the most important member of a hive because she has all of the babies and builds the community.  When the queen dies the other bees go into major housekeeping mode instead of creating honey.  Eventually the bees will just leave.  BeeCorp helps beekeepers realize this sooner and solve the issue before the hive dies. How have beekeepers responded? They love the technology piece, the alerts are super helpful and the beekeeper are actually providing BeeCorp a ton of information so they know what new products to build. How did Ellie come up with the idea? Ellie has been a beekeeper for 6 years and she’s always loved it.  She even started a Beekeeping club in college.  Colony collapse was just starting to get What is the current state of the honey bee world? The world has one-third of the population of bees we had in the 1960s.  Climate change, pesticides, globalization, and beekeepers themselves are all continbuting to the problem.  Ellie knows that she can’t necessarily solve the problem but her goal is to help beekeepers catch some of the results on their hives so they can diagnose the problem and fix it. What about hive theft and vandalism? Both are actually a major problem in the beekeeping world. Beekeepers actually steal hive from each other a lot. Beecorp clients have GPS senbsors in the hive so it can be found and the theaf could be prosecuted. As for vandalism, the Beecorp sensors can tell the beekeeper quickly so that they can go out, fix the hive and save it for total demise.­­­ What was a major gut check in the evolution of BeeCorp? They were raising money and they’d received a fair amount but they weren’t quite there yet.  Ultimately one of the founders asked their landlord who pulled through along with another few final investors. How does the feeling of business ownership change once you get funded? The pressure of having other peoples money is a huge difference.  Ellie An important moment of business ownership? What do you love about owning a business? Having control over what you do and how you do it and create the culture of a community What’s one thing you can’t stand? Ellie can’t stand receiving all of the sales calls.  Her number is on the website Where will BeeCorp be 5 years down the road? Ellie and the BeeCorp team They want to be an employer that employees love to be at, keep hive and do research in an innovative way.  Have more technical solutions for the problems beekeepers face.  Build a database of information   Special thanks to Ellie Symes for taking the time to share the BeeCorp story with us. Mentioned in the show: BeeCorp INX3 Hoshin Matrix Hanapin Marketing Shine Insurance Music by Mark Vinten Need insurance for your SaaS business? More great stories & information at: Youtube - Blog - Podcast Facebook - Twitter

Have you ever dreamed of going viral, schmoozing with the stars, swimming in piles of virtual likes and shares, retweets and smiley faces? I mean who doesn’t want fan mail, right?  Our guest today is fortunate enough to have experienced all of that but here’s the thing, he wasn’t really dreaming of it.  In fact, as it turns out, most people who go viral weren’t.  Generally they are living life like the rest of us, chasing passions, making ends meet, and then one day this one part of their world blows up.  Today Mike Bridavsky, owner of Russian Recording studio and dad to world famous cat Lil Bub shares his story.   We’re glad you joined us!    Here's an overview:   Early Memories of Entrepreneurship Mike always attracted to creating businesses.  Even as a young kid in his parents’ community of Russian immigrants he would sell berries to his neighbors.  By the time he became a teenager he fell in love with recording music.  Immediately he started recording bands.   The Two Sides of Owning a Business For Mike there are two sides.  The thing your business is about and then the process of owning the business itself.  Mike loved both.   A business is the ultimate customization of something.  You get to pick the brand and the marketing and the place.  The other side is the passion, the thing you love so much that you want to help others with it.  What can be hard when you really love what you do is the monetization.  The “does my business work on paper?” part.  It’s something   Why Recording Studios Are The Worst Business Model Ever The overhead with a recording studio is insane.  All of the equipment is super expensive.  It takes about $300,00 to really get it put together.  But the recording industry has completely changed since the 1990’s.  Rates for a day of record have dropped from $5000 a day to $500.  So the amount you can make on your best day is pretty much break even.   Yet Mike still continues.  In 2007, he decided to go all in.  He got a large loan, quit his day job, and built his dream studio.  Mike and I walked through before the interview.  He showed me a 50’s era Russian ribbon microphone that could have amplified the voices of Russia’s biggest political leaders.  I walked singing from the band room to the dead room and listened to the change in my voice.  Every detail of the space was beautiful… and expensive.  It’s clear that Mike built his dream and his passion for the perfect audio space drove everything, maybe even just a little too far   It All Goes Bad, Then Good After he built the studio, it all went bad.  Bands weren’t showing, he wasn’t able to pay rent, the whole thing was bombing.  And just at that moment, Mike’s cat got famous. Mike had a blog for his Cat Lil Bub.  It was kind of a fun thing.  Him and a friend were kind of pretending like their cats were famous.  Then suddenly one of the blog posts went viral and tons of people wanted to buy t-shirts.  Mike’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and his love for Bub became a vehicle for everyone else to love her too.  Lil Bub is in charge, Mike is the facilitator.   The Story of Lil Bub As the person who’s been there from the beginning, Mike truly believes Bub is in charge.  His job is to control the train He employs strict rules about how things work if someone wants to do an event, show, book, or whatever with Bub.  He’s seen that saying “No” to people is actually a great way to get exactly what you want.  They really don’t need to do any of the things their asked so they only do it if it fits perfectly.  Mike just lives life with Bub (and photographs it of course).  He tries to follow Bub’s lead and see where they go.   Lessons Mike has learned: Passion and will power are great but you’ve got to understand the numbers too Various sources of income is important You can’t give all your money away Be Authentic! Going viral never happens on purpose    Special thanks to Mike Bridavsky for taking the time to share the Russian Recording & Lil Bub story with us.   Mentioned in the episode: Russian Recording Lil Bub’s Big Show Lil Bub Animal Planet Show Lil Bub Book Lil Bub on The View YouTube Big Live Comedy Show with Jack McBrayer & Workaholics   Sponsored by Shine Insurance - https://www.shineinsurance.com/ Music by Mark Vinten   Learn more about us at: Our Site -  www.shineinsurance.com Our Blog - www.shineinsure.com/blog Our Podcast - www.scratchentrepreneur.com Our Course - www.newhomebuyersguide.net

Do you love the town you live in or do you long to move somewhere else?  Have you ever thought about why you feel whatever way you do?  I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.   I’ve lived in Bloomington Indiana for most of the last 25 years and the more people I meet, the more stories build the thread of this town in my mind, the deeper connection I have with this place.  I’ve always seen Bloomington as an oasis.  The college town in beautiful southern Indiana.  People of all colors, shapes, and creeds, living in the conservative Midwest.   As a teenager in the big flat city of Indianapolis, all I wanted was to get out of the Midwest, wanted to go back to San Diego, surf, get a tan.  Instead, after a failed round of the local college, my parents talked me into the college town 50 miles away in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana.  I sort of begrudgingly gave in.   But it didn’t take long to fall in love with Bloomington then and like any good relationship, it’s gotten better with time.   One thing I love about this town is the scattered nods to the big city.  Walking through downtown there’s the bars with 100 year old grease on the walls from 100, upstairs pool halls with the same door guy as 30 years ago, Opera & Ballet.  There’s a whole two block section of town with a restaurant from every nation you can think of.  It’s not hard to get small tastes of the big city in Bloomington.  Just enough some might say.   Our guest on today’s show added to that list when she opened a new Café and Coffee bar called the Inkwell.  The place is located dead in the heart of town.  Across from the limestone courthouse building in the center square.  The Inkwell is just the right kind of hole in the wall.  It’s a long skinny place like you’d see in Brooklyn.  Old brick walls show the wear of a hundred years and exposed metal heat vents bringing modern comforts through an aged plaster ceiling.  But the interior design is crisp and modern.  It’s understated and quiet.  The food and the coffee do all of the talking.  Tracy Gates had been planning the Inkwell for years.  When a staple café closed she saw an opening. when she met Wally Wedrago, a local bicycle barista and coffee master, the stars aligned.  It was time to go. We’re glad you joined us! 

Have you ever had a good idea?  One that was so obvious, so helpful, so ingenious that you couldn’t believe it didn’t already exist?  You searched the web and couldn’t find anytime about it, you researched the patent list and it just wasn’t there. You sat in a darkroom late at night thinking “what is my next step?”.  Well, if you idea has anything to do with technology, your first call might be to today’s guest Mike Kelly at DeveloperTown.  Along with taking tech ideas from infancy to lauch, Mike and the DeveloperTown gang help large corporations turntheir tech ideas into reality.  All of this happens in a huge warehouse with hundreds of tiny houses inside.  As always, let’s start from the beginning:   Here’s an overview: How it all Started Mike went grew up in a family that owned small retail businesses.  He worked from the age of 9 in stock rooms.  He got a healthy work ethic and sense of how money works from that.  In college, Mike started a software consulting company and stuck with it for 10 more years.  He would go into different businesses and address a specific issue or project in that business.  He was always working on cool stuff and moving place to place but he never really learned how to resolve conflict because he could just leave.   How did DeveloperTown Get Started? There were 5 founding partners led by Michael Korn.  He brought together 5 people with different superpowers to start helping tech businesses start and grow.  Originally, the founders want to help and invest in startups.  But cash flow considerations drove them towards working with existing businesses.  Now they do both.   What are some insights about working with other people? Part of it is just practice.  You have to learn to be in tense situations and crucial conversations and come out on the other end having made progress.  Mike struggles at first.  He could be aggressive and want things done his way.  But he was self-reflective enough to realize the issue and committed to working on it.  He read books like Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition and How to Win Friends & Influence People.  He also starting participating in the martial arts, specifically Aikido.­­­­  What he’s realized is that team is family and family works through things.  That means handling your own issues with integrity and trusting everyone else to do the same.   The DeveloperTown office is pretty weird. Why did you set it up this way? The office structure is based on the idea that creative people work best in their own private spaces.  So they decided to build tiny houses instead of cubicles inside of a 20,000 square foot warehouse.  Each employee has his/her own house and can decorate it however they see fit.  The houses are on wheels.  When a project begins, everyone who is working on it puts their houses in close proximity to each other.   There are community work spaces as well so it’s a mix of both worlds.    What have been some scary moments? The first was a time when they’d done over a million dollars worth of work for a company and hadn’t yet been paid.  It had to do with purchase orders and delays in payment but Mike and the team of owners was starting to sweat pretty hard about covering payroll.  They did finally get paid.  The second is something Mike struggles with more consistently.  The issue is how to scale the sales side of the business.  The owners are passionate and are very comfortable talking about what they do, but hiring people into those positions has been a struggle.  Until he can figure out the scalable solution it kind of a constant scary part of the business.   What are a couple piece of advice for up and coming tech entrepreneurs? The first is to find people who will tell you the truth.  The second is to research the market ten times over before building something.  Maybe even build your marketing strategy and implement it prior to the build.  Don’t build it until you know they’ll come.   Special thanks to Mike Kelly for taking the time to share the DeveloperTown story with us.    Learn more about us at: Our Site -  www.shineinsurance.com Our Blog - www.shineinsure.com/blog Our Podcast - www.scratchentrepreneur.com Our Course - www.newhomebuyersguide.net

So you’ve got a million dollars that your looking to invest right?  It’s just sitting around in your side table or stuffed into the cushions on your couch but you know it should be invested somewhere so it can grow into two or three million.  You could invest in the stock market or real estate but that sounds so boring.  You want to invest in ideas, great ideas, and help them grow into a multi-billion dollar company like Amazon or Google.  If that’s your scenario, our guest today is the right guy to call.  Serial entrepreneur Mike Trotsky has started tech businesses, sold them, and connected hundreds of investors with opportunities to fund great tech ideas.  In our conversation, he breaks down the western frontier of investing into terms we can all understand.   Here’s an overview: How it all Started Mike went to college at Indiana University to be an audio engineer.  He and some friends started building online donation systems for political campaigns.  That business, called Worldview, grew and they became the tech behind a bunch of political campaigns in the late 1990’s.   Eventually they moved away from the consulting congressional campaigns and tried to go deeper into the dot com boom.  They couldn’t scale with consulting so they shifted to a tech solution to making rent payments.  This was the first tech solution they came up with that took on investors and was really scalable.    What is Sproutbox? As the name implies, Sprout Box offers everything a new seed business needs to blossom.  The investors are there, the expertise is there, and the services like lawyers, financial advisors, etc are there.  An entrepreneur who gets in isn’t guaranteed success but he or she couldn’t be set up better for it.  Most of the businesses they launched offered tech oriented SAS products.  That means Software as a Service.  In other words, the software that the business creates provides some kind of service.  That could be connecting a driver with someone who needs a ride (like Lyft or Uber), helping a beekeeper analyze her hives (like BeeCorp), or revolutionize software billing processes like Cheddar the business Mike would engage with beyond Sproutbox eventually becoming the CEO.   What is Cheddar? Cheddar is a business that created a billing system that sits behind a ton of SAS (Software as a Service) products.  It basically functions as the cash register for tech products.  Their product is on the cutting edge of tech billing helping companies to bill based on use (like your water bill).   ‘I’ve found this problem’ is way better than ‘I’ve got an Idea’     What are the investing steps entrepreneurs go through as there business grows? Every business goes through a different evolution, but here are the basic stages where entrepreneurs generally ask investors to join: Friends & Family Round ($10K to $50K)– As it sounds you pitch your company idea to the people closest to you and hope to raise small amounts of cash from them. This is a point where you can join an Accelerator as well.  These are basically programs the pay ten to fifty thousand dollars and help you get going.   Angel Investors ($50K-$300K) – These are individuals who may not know the entrepreneur personally but are generally connected in some way. They might be in the same town or connected through a local eco-system   Seed Stage ($500K-$4M) – Now groups of investors are involved. The business has proved itself and it’s shown an ability to scale   Series A, B, C, D – This is the big time. Major Venture Capital Firms (VCs) and making multimillion dollar bets on established businesses.  The entrepreneur has shown scalability and it’s just a matter of marketing the product and scaling.   IPO – Going public and being publicly traded on the stock market.           Special thanks to Mike Trotzke for taking the time to share the Sproutbox & Cheddar story with us.  You can find him at: Cheddar -  www.getcheddar.com Sproutbox – www.sproutbox.com   Learn more about us at: Our Site -  www.shineinsurance.com Our Blog - www.shineinsure.com/blog Our Podcast - www.scratchentrepreneur.com Our Course - www.newhomebuyersguide.net

We’ve all seen those sad animal commercials, right?  Underserved, scrawny, abused pups that need your help.  On this episode, we sit down with someone who decided to address the problem head on.  Not by donating a few bucks but by dedicating her life’s work to serving these animals.  Who is this superhero to destitute animals?  It’s the director of Monroe County Humane Association, Rebecca Warren.  Rebecca tells the story of how she took a misguided voucher program and converted it into a vet tech clinic where lower income folks could get basic veterinary services for their animals.  She shares the highs and the lows of what it’s like to build a not-for-profit that cares for sick animals each and every day.    We’re glad you joined us!    Special thanks to Rebecca Warren for taking the time to share the Monroe County Humane Association story with us.  Really, if you have an extra dollar, fifty, or a ten acre piece of land, right now is the time to share it and help Rebecca and her amazing crew of vets change the lives of one sick animal after another. If you can’t do that, at least pop a cute pic of your furry friends out on social media and give the human association a shout out.  You can do that with the hashtag #mcha or #scratchentrepreneur  If you enjoyed this podcast, there’s a couple of things we need you to do right now.  First subscribe to Scratch Entrepreneur on itunes, Stitcher, or wherever you losten to podcasts so you can hear future episodes as soon as we release them.  While you’re there, please give the show a review.  We’d love to know what you liked, what you didn’t, and what you want to hear next. Until the next time, We truly appreciate you listening. Monroe County Humane Association - http://www.monroehumane.org/ Sponsored by Shine Insurance - https://www.shineinsurance.com/ Music by Mark Vinten   Learn more about us at: Our Site -  www.shineinsurance.com Our Blog - www.shineinsure.com/blog Our Podcast - www.scratchentrepreneur.com Our Course - www.newhomebuyersguide.net

On today’s show we chat with small business icon Jeff Mease who took the work ethic he learned from an early age and built a pizza shop that sprouted a restaurant which naturally needed a brewery.  Once all of that was humming, he created a community commissary where other small food businesses could start just like he did.    After over 30 years of growth, Jeff now steers a ten million dollar per year organization and the new ideas just keep coming.   Here’s an overview: What early stories from Jeff’s life set him up to succeed as a business owner? Jeff was the youngest of five kids.  He worked at his dad’s grocery store from an early age.  He did everything from sorting recycled pop bottles and bagging groceries to running the deli.  Besides a general work ethic, one of the largest lessons was how to keep things clean. Eventually, in the early 1980’s, he left his home in Ohio and headed to college at Indiana University.  He majored in business and worked at the local Domino’s Pizza.  What he really learned in those first years was that he didn’t need a business degree to start a great business.  When the opportunity presented itself, he decided to Make a business plan and start his own pizza shop.  Jeff learned at that moment that he loves starting things.    What happened when Jeff tried to expand outside of the core Bloomington businesses? Jeff has always been building on the foundations he builds.  When he tried to jump from the core business and start something on his own in South Florida it just didn’t take.  He learned he needed his team and his team need him.  He came back and refocused on the Bloomington, Indiana businesses.    How does Jeff feel about franchising? Jeff found the Dominos franchise as a really clear and simple system for running a business.  On top of that, his businesses are all on heavily franchised industries.  But Jeff feels like local accountability is really important for business and heavy concentrations of power are problematic for democratic ideals.  For both of those reasons, he’s commited to avoiding franchises.  His plan is to grow organically and locally.    What’s special about the One World business? Jeff’s goal is to add interesting foods and interesting experiences.  His businesses are eclectic and different while still being responsive to the custumers palette and food needs.    How did the One World Commissary come into being? Jeff’s restaurant and pizza shops have always needed a central place to create the core food products.  Long ago he created a commissary that feed the prepped foods.  At some point he started sharing the prep space with other businesses.  More and more businesses wanted to rent food prep space from Jeff and it got to the point where they were out growing the space.  At the same time, they lost their lease in the current building.  The timing was perfect.  They went out and found a 36,000 square foot space which now houses the commissary for Jeff’s businesses and for more than 30 other businesses as well.    As the owner of a large business with more than 200 employees, what advice do you have for buddine entrepreneurs? You have to go out and really understand the business you want to be in.  Understand the scalability and how that works, ask people who already own businesses in that industry. Don’t be over protective of your ideas.  You have to share ideas to find out if they’re good or not. Don’t get addicted to Education.  Kick the school and go work for people who are already doing it.   What does One World look like in 5 years? Jeff’s planning to grow in Bloomington.  More pizza, growing the catering, & starting a couple of different restaurants are all in the 5 year plan.   A special thanks to Jeff Mease for sharing the story of One World Enterprises. You can find the businesses here: One World Enterprises Pizza X Lennies Bloomington Brewing Company A few of the businesses in the One World Commissary: Bloomington Bagel Company Everyday Adventure Treats (formerly Ugo Bar) The Big Cheese Lucky Guy Bakery Music for this episode provided by Mark Vinten   Learn more about Shine Insurance and the resources we provide: Youtube - Blog - Scratch Entrepreneur Facebook - Twitter  

Today we chat with RCV Roofing owner Jay Nelson about all things roofing. Learn how he grew from zero to one of the largest midwestern roofing contractors in less than 5 years. We’ll talk bad roofs, the tension between roofers and insurance companies, how to pick a good roofer, and more. We’re glad you joined us.

On today's show, Jeremy sits down with the owner of Felt Creative Agency and Marketing Guru AJ O’Reilly. We’ll lay out the 7 specific steps to the perfect marketing approach. Get these steps right and the biggest issue your business will have is how to keep up.

On today’s episode of Scratch Entrepreneur we explore a real life example of someone who left his perfect apartment in lower Manhattan, a swanky job as a magazine fixer, a high rise office overlooking Times Square and moved to a small midwestern town with no real plan. What came next was the birth of a New York quality magazine on a college town budget. We’ll dig deep into the story of Bloom Magazine with its founder, publisher and editor Malcolm Abrams

On today’s episode of Scratch entrepreneur, how Jessica & Aaron Wehr, owners of Wehrloom Honey, took a Christmas present and turned it into a booming agricultural business. We’re glad you joined us.

On today’s show how Doug Dayhoff and the Upland team grew a small town brewery and pub into a multimillion dollar business known internationally for their lineup of traditional craft beers and their innovation around brewing wood aged sour beers. We’re glad you joined us.

What does it mean to create content to build your brand? On today’s episode Colin Clark, owner of Tribeswell, and Jeremy dig deep into our of their favorite topics: Authentic Content Marketing Creating great content (videos, blog posts, podcasts, etc) is far from new, people have been doing it for decades. But it becoming a more and more central strategy to every business who's mission is to build community and create a loyal following. It's a super fun super real way to present yourself to ideal clients and it can really help make their life better where they decide to purchase from you or not. Colin and Jeremy talk on this episode about how they approach content marketing, what their favorite tricks of the trade are, and what resources they've used for ideas and motivation.

“Where will Ugo Today?” On today’s episode an incredible look into one of Bloomington Indiana’s rising food star’s Rebecca Walters. Rebecca is an entrepreneur who truly took an idea and built it into a healthy profitable business. Her idea solved a problem she had. She was hungry. She needed healthy food that was mobile but had the nutritional value to support her as a college athlete. So she created a product, grew it into a side business, and then dove in head first.

Have you ever just felt stuck, like your life or your business isn’t where you want it to be? Meet transformation coach Adam Schaeuble.

On this episode we chat with Scott & Abby Noroozi, owners of the Green Nursery. The Green Nursery is a baby boutique with a brick and mortar shop in downtown Bloomington, Indiana and a national renowned online store. What began as a natural herb remedy shop in 2007 has morphed into a baby store with a cult following of cloth diaper aficionados. Theirs is the story that every entrepreneur wants to tell. A good idea, turned into a fledgling business, turned into a great idea, that exploded into a healthy profitable mature business.