Talking Business Now

Steve Wiideman, founder of Wiideman Consulting Group joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share his entrepreneurial journey discuss the latest trends in digital marketing, include voice search, SEO, SEM and inbound marketing. Prior to launching his own firm, Wiideman's career highlight was working at Disney, where his manager challenged him to rank #1 in Google for "SEO expert." Tune in to discover: Wiideman's tips for leaving the corporate world behind and taking the entrepreneurial plunge—including minimizing risks and finding talent. Steps your business needs to take to respond to the changing needs and online habits of customers. How the pandemic has impacted digital marketing. Search engine marketing tips businesses can put to work right away, including diversifying online traffic sources. How to measure the success of your SEO marketing efforts, including Google traffic. The societal and security implications of voice search and the Internet of Things.  WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT Understanding how customer behavior has changed MORE ABOUT STEVE WIIDEMAN Wiideman confesses that he lives, breathes, and eats SEO, SEM, and inbound marketing. He also enjoys teaching others about digital marketing. As an adjunct professor at UCSD and CSUF, Steve is building the Academy of Search, online courses for SEO marketing. He also volunteers to help improve transparency and industry standards as an agency trainer. An award-winning SEO strategist, Wiideman has worked with brands large and small for more than 22 years to improve their inbound marketing results. Among the larger brands Wiideman has assisted are Disney, Linksys, Belkin, Public Storage, Honda, Skechers, Applebee's, IHOP and Dole. He conducts online video and in-person presentations at conferences and tradeshows around the country on topics as the history of SEO, link-earning, multi-location ranking factors, pay-per-click advertising, responding to search engine updates, and others. He's also a frequent panelist and speaker at online marketing events, meet-up groups and networking events.  CONNECT WITH STEVE WIIDEMAN Facebook: facebook.com/wiideman Twitter: twitter.com/wiideman LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wiideman RESOURCES Transcript of this episode: https://interrobangsolutions.com/digital-entrepreneur-on-voice-seo/ Free Checklist to determine whether your SEO agency is being transparent and following SEO best practices: https://www.seoverified.com/free-downloads/ Get real-time feedback from real customers: UserTesting.com Enter a keyword to discover the questions internet users are asking about it: AnswerThePublic.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manik Suri, founder of climatetech company Therma, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the ways companies of all sizes can adopt tools and processes that are better for our planet—and help create efficiencies that lead to more sustainable enterprises. Therma is a smart cold-chain technology startup that builds safety and sustainability tools such as sensors to eliminate food waste, energy inefficiency, and refrigerant emissions to protect consumers. The company's mission aligns with Suri's passion: combating climate change by protecting our food, health and planet. Therma's technologies are used around the globe by several major restaurant chains, manufacturers, and logistics operators, including McDonalds, Taco Bell, NOW Foods, 7-Eleven, and Wyndham Hotels. Tune in to find out: The business case for innovation in the food industry: How entrepreneurs can marry profitability and sustainability How policy makers, regulators and entrepreneurs can work together to achieve meaningful impact Tools that help businesses using refrigeration and refrigerated products to reduce waste of energy, product, and refrigerants—all big drivers of emissions that impact climate change. The scope of the food industry's impact on climate change, including food waste and the kinds of food we eat New technologies that will drive change in the food industry Challenges with security as our food supply chain becomes more technology-driven WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT Why it's important to make sure the work you do matters MORE ABOUT MANIK SURI Before founding Therma, Suri co-founded the Governance Lab, an innovation center at NYU that developed technology solutions to improve government. A former affiliate of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Suri has held positions at D. E. Shaw & Company and the White House National Economic Council.  He has a bachelor's degree in government from Harvard College, a master of philosophy degree in international relations from Cambridge University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Suri has published in leading academic journals, edited volumes, and national media outlets, and he was a visiting fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and a Truman Security Fellow. He writes on technology, climate change and public policy.    CONNECT WITH GUEST FIRST NAME/GUEST LAST NAME Facebook Link https://www.facebook.com/hellotherma/ Twitter Link https://twitter.com/HelloTherma LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/company/hellotherma/ RESOURCES Transcript of this episode: https://interrobangsolutions.com/climatetech-entrepreneur-protects-food-planet/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Josh Christopherson, founder of iCUE Technology and Achieve Today, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how integrating people with cloud-based technology invites and enables employees to learn in a new way. Tune in to find out: How Christopherson's efforts to improve outreach to Achieve Today clients resulted in a technology solution that he was able to spin off into a new company. Tips for launching a new company from within an existing business. The advantages of using AI technology to keep employees engaged in education and training programs. The importance of addressing challenges in an employee's personal life into ongoing training programs. How to balance the benefits of technology with the risk of becoming overly dependent on it. WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT The role of technology in the future of education CONNECT WITH JOSH CHRISTOPHERSON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherson RESOURCES Transcript of this episode: https://interrobangsolutions.com/technology-solution-spins-out-new-edtech-company/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephan Aarstol, founder of Tower Paddle Boards and author of "The Five-hour Workday," joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his company's experience implementing a shortened workday. Tune in to find out why Aarstol decided to promote a 5-hour workday; the lessons he learned from it, including the ways in which it failed and succeeded; and why he reintroduced a shortened workday in 2020 with a "twist." Aarstol also shares his Shark Tank experience, how his company recovered from near bankruptcy and the loss of half its employees, and the value of creating "artificial constraints" in a business, WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT How to build an "anti-fragile" company MORE ABOUT STEPHAN AARSTOL A serial entrepreneur, Aarstol founded Tower Paddle Boards in 2010 and later founded the No Middleman Project, Tower Electric Bikes, and other companies, When Aarstol pitched on Shark Tank in 2011, Mark Cuban invested $150,000 in the company when it had lifetime sales of just $100,000. Since then, the company has achieved more than $40 million in sales. In 2014, the San Diego Business Journal named Tower Paddle Boards the #1 fastest growing private company in San Diego. Just a year later, the company ranked #239 on the INC 500 list of America's fastest growing companies. Tower Paddle Boards was the #1 brand of more than 2 million third-party sellers that signed up for the pilot Amazon Exclusives program. Tower was named to Internet Retailer's 2016 "Hot 100" list of the world's most innovative e-retailers. CONNECT WITH STEPHAN AARSTOL Website: https://www.towerpaddleboards.com/ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/towerpaddleboard/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Towerpb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TowerSUP/ RESOURCES Transcript of this episode: https://interrobangsolutions.com/work-less-and-paddle-more/ The Five-hour Workday book: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Hour-Workday-Differently-Productivity-Happiness-ebook/dp/B01FGAFDBO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Claudia Harvey is an avid gardener. But she was also a businesswoman who liked having her nails and hands in good shape at the office. After mentioning her frustration to a friend at a backyard Labor Day BBQ in 2007, she realized there was a marketplace need for gloves and other products that would protect women as they gardened. With that conversation, the seed for Dig It Apparel, a line of outdoor living products, was planted. After a year of research in which Harvey discovered that both the gardening industry and the nail salon industry were growing—and that the same women were customers in both industries—the company launched in spring 2009 in Canada. Initially, Dig It Apparel offered one product—a line of niche handwear. The company has since expanded its product line and its geographical reach. Harvey joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share her entrepreneurial story, which has taken her on a journey from a small town outside Toronto, Canada (where Dig It is headquartered) to global serial entrepreneurship with products in Home Depot Canada, Lowes Canada, nurseries, lawn and garden centers, pharmacies, hardware stores and other outlets throughout the world and offices in Buffalo, New York, and Brisbane, Australia. In late 2020, Dig It purchased Suncayr and its product SPOTMYUV, the world's first clinically proven UV detection sticker that provides users with a reminder of when it's time to reapply sunscreen based on personal indicators. Claudia is also an investor, best-selling author, speaker, and philanthropist. Tune in to discover: How her mom's life journey inspired her own journey. Insights Harvey has gleaned from her various entrepreneurial endeavors. What her deal with Kevin O'Leary taught her about business, including being included as the "perfect pitch" in O'Leary's book "The Cold Hard Truth." Harvey's experience as a contributing author of “America's Leading Ladies,” alongside Oprah Winfrey and Melinda Gates. How to apply Harvey's Three Pillars of Possibility to lead a fulfilling, well-rounded life. Harvey's system for helping businesses adopt the right strategies to move forward. Harvey's advice for making your money work for you. Why social entrepreneurship is important to Harvey and how she's incorporated it into her product line. WHAT CLAUDIA HARVEY IS TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT Amplification CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA HARVEY □       Facebook: https://facebook.com/claudiaharveyinc □       Twitter: @CHarveyInc □       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiaharvey/ RESOURCES Episode Transcript: https://interrobangsolutions.com/garden-manicure-mishap-sprouts-dig-it-apparel/ America's Leading Ladies (Claudia is chapter 2) The 5 Strategies That Lead to an Unstoppable Life (free e-book) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Excy co-founder and CEO Michele Mehl joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share the story behind her company's 2014 launch and the lessons she's learned as she's steered it into a national brand. The Seattle-based startup develops, manufactures, and sells portable, total-body exercise bikes. Mehl's mission is to eliminate barriers to people getting enough exercise—health conditions, injuries, and lack of time and space—so people can conveniently connect exercise to the circumstances of their everyday lives. The 14-pound bikes provide cardio, strength training, and full-body physical therapy cycling. The company also offers a mobile coaching application. Excy (short for "exercise cycling") grew out of Mehl's own life circumstances, more specifically her personal fitness woes, a challenging work schedule as the owner of a PR company that helped launch brands such as Zulily and OfferUp into market leaders, and a family history of heart disease. As she thought about how to create a better, more convenient way to exercise for a healthier quality of life, she recruited her co-founder, Mike Rector, to begin prototyping a portable stationary exercise bike, one that offered the same quality of exercises people could find at a gym or spin class but that was portable enough to use anywhere. An injury Mehl suffered shortly before product launch, though unfortunate, proved to be timely. Her badly broken leg required a rod, screws, and a plate, and resulted in a blood clot. Facing surgeries, months of wearing a boot, and a crooked leg for the rest of her life, the duo used the injury as inspiration to innovate the bike's design and create a product that has become essential to rehab patients and people with diseases and disabilities that keep them from accessing traditional exercise equipment and routines. Today, the multimillion-dollar company employs dozens of associates and has been featured in Inc., MSNBC, The Huffington Post, the Sacramento Bee, the Seattle Times and several other regional and national media outlets. Tune in to find out: How to use Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms to glean important market data, not just funds. Why she abandoned an effort to raise millions of dollars in venture capital and focused instead on an intentional, steady growth trajectory focused on her customers. How she's used content marketing, especially video, as an effective tool to connect with customers and grow sales—and why content marketing requires a longtail approach. Why being "all in" on the company doesn't mean compromising the people and things she values most. The advantages of creating a "universal" product design. Why inclusiveness has been key to Excy's success. WHAT MICHELE MEHL IS TALKING BUSINESS NOW ABOUT Connection, Not Perfection - listen in near the end of the episode to find out why she thinks this is so important. CONNECT WITH MICHELE MEHL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excyfit Twitter: https://twitter.com/excyfit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelemehlexcy RESOURCES Episode Transcript: https://interrobangsolutions.com/exercise-bike-builds-strong-bodies-strong-business/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Business Now, Southern Caramel founder Sarah Smith joins host Kelly Scanlon to share the entrepreneurial journey that has taken her from the Space Coast of Florida to caramel industry entrepreneur. Employed as a project manager and scheduler in the aerospace industry, Smith enjoyed making caramels as gifts for her family and friends. After the birth of her daughter, she decided to launch a business making and wholesaling the caramels. Sales rocketed, and soon she moved from her home-based operation to a commercial kitchen. The Central Florida company's growth trajectory included expanding into local grocery markets, online sales, and eventually retailers across the country. Tune in to discover insights into: How a nearly devastating challenge involving shelf life became a selling point for the caramels. The importance of aligning your business location with your business model. One of the most important considerations when taking on a business partner. Why the company donates at least 10% of total sales dollars to nonprofit organizations. Southern Caramel has been featured in Forbes, Cooking With Paula Dean, Authority Magazine! and several other media outlets. CONNECT WITH SARAH SMITH AND SOUTHERN CARAMEL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Southern-Caramel-343804439118770 Twitter: @handmadecaramel LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-smith-1a7b78a RESOURCES Episode Transcript: https://interrobangsolutions.com/caramels-launch-entrepreneurial-journey-for-aerospace-worker/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As businesses and individuals struggle with an uncertain future from the coronavirus pandemic, aviation entrepreneur Barry Alexander, founder of Hartford, Connecticut-based Aquiline Drones, has a clear vision for success. Through his latest innovative endeavor, Alexander has created a full-service drone manufacturing and cloud technology company that's poised to change the global landscape as it takes drone technology to the next level. He's also helping others learn a skill and create companies of their own. A native of St. Lucia, Alexander is a veteran aerospace professional who has more than 25 years of experience as an aviator. A licensed aircraft technician for both airplanes and helicopters operating at the highest technical levels, Alexander has more than 20,000 hours of flight time logged in global commercial aviation. He spent most of his aviation career as an airline captain, but he's also served stints as a flight instructor, chief pilot, and director of operations and transport pilot of a Boeing 747 aircraft globally. Alexander migrated to the U.S. as a teenager to pursue his interest in flying. After receiving airplane and helicopter certifications, he returned to the Carribean to establish Aquiline Air Ambulance, an air ambulance transportation network, in concert with the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Ministers of Health, the Caribbean Common Market, and regional Governments to help implement a regional project known at the time as Health Sector Reform. A serial entrepreneur, Alexander has owned several businesses over the years in the fields of construction, digital media, and electronic payment services. RESOURCES Episode Transcript: https://interrobangsolutions.com/drones-provide-flight-path-to-entrepreneurship/ Flight to the Future Registration and Details: ADflight.to/future CONNECT WITH BARRY ALEXANDER & AQUILINE DRONES Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Aquiline-Drones-104820991044367/?modal=admin_todo_tour Twitter: https://twitter.com/AquilineD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/51706826/admin/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacia Guzzo, founder of SmartyPits, a manufacturer of aluminum-free deodorant, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her entrepreneurial journey, including the practical growth strategies that allowed the company to evolve from a kitchen sink and sales at farmers markets endeavor to having a retail presence in more than a 1,000 stores nationally. Inspired to create an aluminum-free deodorant after her mother's breast cancer diagnosis, Guzzo began making the formula in her kitchen sink in 2014, used herself as the guinea pig to test its effectivness and started selling the hand-poured and labeled product at farmers markets. Before long, she attracted the attention of major retailers, including HEB, TJ Maxx, Marshall's and others, as she attended national gift shows. Tune in as Guzzo shares her journey from classroom teacher to deodorant manufacturer and her insights into achieving steady, sustainable business growth, including: How to gradually scale so product orders don't overwhelm the stability of the company. Why it's important to look ahead and make important decisions about staffing, warehousing, etc., before you actually may need those resources. How she came up with the SmartyPits name. Balancing "gut" decisions with data and strategic planning. Focusing the company's product line. Doing your due diligence as you choose a "cause marketing" partner. RESOURCES Episode Transcript CONNECT WITH STACIA GUZZO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartypitsdeo/ Twitter: @smartypits LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staciaguzzo/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retail pioneer Bob Fisch learned a lot about younger generations while at the helm of fashion giants like Casual Corner and rue21. Now, after exiting the industry, he's helping to transform workplaces using the Millennial Baby Boomer concept he developed and explains in his book Fisch Tales: The Making of a Millennial Baby Boomer, featured by ForbesBooks. Fisch made a name for himself in value-priced, fast-fashion retailing, rising to president at Casual Corner and later becoming CEO of rue21, a retailer of women’s casual apparel and accessories. Fisch took took rue21 from bankruptcy to a fast-track winning streak and a hot-stock IPO, Along the way, he built out a national network of 1,200 stores, and a billion-dollar-plus valuation. Bob earned the reputation as a “disrupter” in the retail industry, and he’s at it again as he works to expand what he calls the Millennial Baby Boomer brand and mindset. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Bob discusses his book and how Baby Boomers and millennials can mentor each other in an ever-evolving workplace. Tune in find out: The importance of recognizing that “millennial” is more than the name of a generation—it also characterizes our evolving culture and Age. What a Millennial Baby Boomer actually is—and how any business can apply the concept to foster more ideas, cooperation and profits. How to bridge the generation gap and create a new generation through mutual mentoring. How to avoid labels that get in the way of how people view each other. Millennial traits that serve them well in business. What baby boomers risk missing out on when they are quick to criticize millennials or to dismiss their ideas—and vice versa. RESOURCES Episode Transcript CONNECT WITH BOB FISCH Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.fisch.925 Twitter: @fischtales1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-fisch-mbb-067a44149/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Schutte, a software developer, was out of work and studying for his MBA; he and his wife were expecting a baby; and they had their house up for sale. Oh, and it was also 2008. What's the logical thing to add to that mix? Launching a new company. But Schutte saw an opportunity. He had started to question the standard approach to software development that resulted in scope creep, projects being over budget, missed deadlines and "solutions" to business problems that didn't solve anything. He was tired of hearing clients being told, "no, it's not possible." He wanted to be in the business of saying "yes" to developing innovative solutions for business challenges. Schutte started Unstoppable Software to provide clients with ready-to-go software development "factory" that brought the people, processes, tools and resources to the partnership. Listen in as Schutte joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share: His journey to becoming an entrepreneur. His approach and philosophy to serving clients and solving problems—and how it evolved. Technology innovations many business owners don't have on their radar but should—because they are having an impact anyway. Why technology makes it possible for a company in a different industry to become your competitor. RESOURCES Episode Transcript Sam Schutte's Unstoppable Talk Podcast CONNECT WITH SAM SCHUTTE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unstoppablesoftware Twitter: @UnstoppableSoft LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unstoppable-software-inc./ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elyse Dickerson, co-founder and CEO of biotech company Eosera, which develops ear care products, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss entrepreneurship, lessons learned and women in bioscience. Tune in as Dickerson shares her experiences on: Listening to the market before launching a product. Being "the only woman in the room" and how being a CEO now gives her a platform for opening doors for other aspiring women. The importance of developing a strong relationship with investors—and tips for doing that. Working with major retailers, including understanding your cash flow and when to recognize a deal you should say "no" to. Why it's important to stay true to your product niche as your company expands. Making a personal and company commitment to practice conscious capitalism. ABOUT ELYSE DICKERSON Elyse Dickerson has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Before founding Eosera, she managed portfolios with annual revenues of $1.7 billion and drove product innovation and the commercialization of numerous technologies. As a female CEO in the biotech industry, Dickerson uses her position to empower other women in the industry and is recognized as a champion for women’s equality in the workforce. In 2019, Drug Store News named her the Top Women in Health, Wellness, and Beauty. D CEO honored her on the 2019 Dallas 500 list and named her Most Admired CEO. The Fort Worth Business Press recognized her among the Great Women of Texas. Fort Worth Magazine named Dickerson a Fort Worthian to Watch, and FW Inc named her to its list of Top 400 Most Influential People. CONNECT WITH ELYSE DICKERSON Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EarwaxMD Twitter: https://twitter.com/EoseraInc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eosera-inc./ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rosabeth Moss Kanter joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about her latest book "Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time" and how experienced leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs can apply their knowledge to some of the world's most pressing social, economic and environmental problems. Professor Kanter is one of the foremost names in leadership and business. The former chief editor of Harvard Business Review, Kanter has authored or co-authored 20 books. She holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, specializing in strategy, innovation and leadership for change. She works with leaders around the world through her teaching, writing and speaking. She is also a consultant to major corporations, governments and start-up ventures. More than 10 years ago, Kanter co-founded Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, which became an international model for a new stage of higher education that works with successful top leaders to apply their skills to national and global challenges. Tune in to discover: What it means to "think outside the building"—and why it's so powerful for overcoming establishment paralysis and producing significant innovation for a better world. How to identify the right allies, lead through persuasion, and influence without authority. Why it's important to tell inspiring stories. How to tune into and awaken your purpose and passion for social change. Techniques for noticing gaps that can be filled by new approaches. Resources "Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time" is available for purchase through Amazon and other outlets. Read the full transcript of this episode. Connect with Rosabeth Moss Kanter Facebook: Rosabeth Moss Kanter Twitter: @RosabethKanter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gino Wickman joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his latest book "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?" and how entrepreneurs can realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live. At the age of 25, Wickman took over the family business. Seven years later, after turning the company around, he successfully sold it. An award-winning author and speaker, Wickman has delivered more than 1,800 full-day sessions for more than 130 companies. He is also the author of the award-winning, best-selling book "Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business" as well as "Get a Grip," "Rocket Fuel," "How to Be a Great Boss" and "What the Heck is EOS?" Wickman now spends his time and energy helping prospective entrepreneurs get a huge leap on their entrepreneurial journey. Tune in to discover: How Wickman came to realize during his early entrepreneurial ventures that he was “born” to be an entrepreneur. Why Wickman is convinced that "nature" wins the nature vs. nurture argument of entrpreneurship. The six key traits would-be entrepreneurs must possess to be successful: Visionary, Passion, Problem Solver, Drive, Risk-Taker and Responsible. What entrepreneurs can do to increase their odds of success. Tips for starting a business in the midst of a crisis such as a recession or pandemic. Resources "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?" is available for purchase through Amazon, all major retailers and many local bookstores. Visit e-leap.com to take the free Entrepreneur-in-the-Making Assessment. Get a sneak peek! Download a free chapter of "Entrepreneurial Leap." Read the full transcript of this episode. Connect with Gino Wickman Twitter: @readLeap Facebook: readLeap Linkedin: readLeap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Laura Laiben, founder and CEO of The Culinary Center of Kansas City, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon, to discuss doing business during the coronavirus pandemic. Laura, like all of us, is trying to cope with the extraordinary challenges that each new day brings. But the particular reason I asked Laura to join me is that although the coronavirus is a challenge on a scale none of us has dealt with before, she has experienced long-term business interruption due to a fire as well as a serious health crisis. Laura is drawing on the lessons she learned in both situations to provide guidance for analyzing and dealing with our current crisis. Tune in to find out why it's important to: For the moment, at least, to let anger about the situation go and not second-guess the decisions you've made. Find your inner cowboy/cowgirl—and ride! Assess honestly where your business is—financially and in other key areas—and why you'll need to do this every day during the crisis. Communicate, communicate, communicate with transparency with employees and customers. Get creative about how to generate cash—now! Continue to embrace community—even if it's from a distance. CONNECT WITH LAURA LAIBEN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-laiben-90893912/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcculinary/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcculinary Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave Farrow, the two-time Guinness World Record Holder for Greatest Memory, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to achieve better sales and marketing results by using memory techniques. Tune in to learn: How Dave developed the "Farrow Memory Method" to deal with his own dyslexia, how he used it to set two Guinness World Records for Greatest Memory, and how he teaches his clients at Farrow Communications to use it in business to improve sales and marketing results. Memory techniques you can use in your advertising to connect with potential customers and make your ads more memorable. Memory tips you can use with your sales teams to remember customer names, product details and other important information that can make or break a sale. CONNECT WITH DAVE FARROW Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farrowmemory/ https://www.facebook.com/farrowcomms/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/FarrowComms LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefarrowmemory/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Serial entrepreneur Carl Gould, the founder of 7 Stage Advisors and the 7 Stage Growth Academy, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share five key business lessons he's learned on his entrepreneurial journey. By the age of 40, Gould had built three multimillion dollar companies. He started his first—a landscaping business—while he was still in college and working at UPS. His next business was a construction company. Along the way, he's learned a lot about himself, about entrepreneurship and about business in general. In fact, he's written nine books on those topics. Gould has helped mentor the launch of more than 5,000 companies, and his methodologies are used in 35 countries. Tune in to discover what Gould has to say about these six areas that mean the difference between a company's success or failure: Do's and don'ts for setting your pricing strategy Why passion for your business isn't always necessary for success Understanding when it's time to relinquish control of some parts of your business Knowing how to use your competitors for leverage How to survive the "winter" of your business Why it's important to "keep your foot on the gas" when it comes to your marketing efforts CONNECT WITH CARL GOULD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecarlgould Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlgould Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inspired by her mother Lillian and drawing on her experiences as a company founder and journalist, Jan Sokoloff Harness, has written a new book "Look Up: Your Unexpected Guide to Good." Her central message is that if we'd only take the time to "look up," we'll find good that's right in front of us. Harness embraces the broad meaning of "look up." Tune in to this episode of Talking Business Now to be reminded of often overlooked ways to "look up" in business—and life, in general—to discover the good when you do so. The time management lesson Harness learned from a meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The importance of being fully present. The types of good you can discover when you really focus on listening. How looking up can help us return to the too-often lost basics of communication. Why the physical act of looking up can spark new ideas The question that prompted Harness to "look up" and start her own company 12 years ago—and that she encourages you to ask many times in your own life. Why "looking up" creates more cohesive and productive teams. "Looking up" tools, tips and techniques for jumpstarting your creativity and rekindling your passion. Harness is the founder of Sokoloff Harness Communications, an international agency she launched in Kansas City in 2002. Jan is an award-winning writer, poet and communications coach whose career has run the gamut from agency creative director to radio news director to working with clients of Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. CONNECT WITH JAN SOKOLOFF HARNESS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MayYouLookUp/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SokoloffHarness  @SokoloffHarness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-sokoloff-harness/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill George has seen a lot of change during his many decades in the ground transportation industry—he's owned cab companies since 1984. But his journey started even earlier than that, when he grew up working in his dad's Chrysler dealership. Now, George is the one driving the change. The CEO of Kansas City Transportation Group and owner of WHC Worldwide, George joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how he's capitalized on shifting consumer expectations and introduced a disruptive new model to the on-demand transportation sector—and ridden it to success. "Our mission is to use mobility to enhance the lives of our customers, driver partners and employees," George says. Listen in to discover how he: Honed his skills working with his father—and how the father-son duo managed to maintain a strong relationship despite some "knock-down dragout fights." Applied the lessons he learned after selling two businesses—and then buying one of them back. Observed a gap in the cab business—and introduced a solution that exploded company growth. Capitalized on the disruption created by Uber and others in the on-demand transportation industry. Created zTrip to combine the best taxi service model with the best technology to introduce a new hybrid brand of on-demand transportation.  George also offers practical advice on expanding market share, carving out a niche, defining customers, and working with family—including the thunder, wonder and blunder theory of multi-generational family businesses. As the CEO of KCTG, George sets the strategic direction of the country’s largest private passenger ground transportation company. KCTG has grown to include several well-known industry brands and operates in multiple U.S. cities and through affiliates around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when you've spent your entire career in one industry, and then in an instant, it's over? Such was the case for Scott Ringlein. In 2008, he was a chief engineer for a Fortune 500 auto supplier and was responsible for global product development and launches. In addition to the U.S., he had staff in Europe, Asia and South America. But one Monday morning in June when he arrived at work, Ringlein and thousand of others were told it would be their last day. The Million Mile Flyer was jolted to Earth by the news. He did not have a chance to clean out his office or say goodbye to employees. Instead, the single father of two children, ages 13 and 8, who had two mortgages, was suddenly without a car, computer, phone or job. Ringlein joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to explain how the end of his career in the automotive industry was actually the beginning of the greatest experiences he's had, including founding five different companies. Ringlein, who was raised as a farmer and educated as an engineer, founded his most recent company, The Energy Alliance Group of North America, in 2011. EAG develops and deploys solutions to global energy, waste and environmental challenges, including helping businesses find innovative financing solutions so they can implement energy efficiency upgrades. Ringlein is also a technical advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy and conducts technical reviews of applications for technology innovation and commercialization. Listen in as Ringlein talks about how he's grown his business and shares the lessons he's learned from his experiences as a serial entrepreneur, including: The power of networking. The importance of having a mentor Why you must accept the fact you can't do everything if you wish to be truly successful Being ready to change your business plan. The importance of developing and documenting processes in order to scale—and learning how to adapt them on the fly as your business grows. Why collaborating with competitors is a better strategy than competing directly with them. Diversifying income streams. Don't give up! Taking pride in doing good while doing well. CONNECT WITH SCOTT RINGLEIN Twitter: @NRGAllianceGrp LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-energy-alliance-group-of-michigan LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-energy-alliance-group-of-michigan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you ever wonder whether your brand's message is breaking through the noise that inundates consumers every day? And, just as important, do they trust it once they finally hear it? Ron Tite, the founder of content marketing agency Church+State, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to offer a simple philosophy for accomplishing just that. Tune in to understand the basics of the gimmick-free and jargon-free approach Tite presents in his book "Think. Do. Say: How to Seize Attention and Build Trust in a Busy, Busy World.": Why having access to so much information can be a bad thing Overcoming the tendency to bombard prospects and customers with "pitch slaps" What Think. Do. Say. is—and how to implement it Why the model focuses on everyone in the organization—not just management or the CEO How to avoid "integrity gaps" Why consumers should experience your values rather than just reading or hearing them Tite is a former stand-up comedian who was trained at Second City. After working with such major brands as Microsoft, Kraft, intel, Hershey, Volvo and many others, he made the entrepreneurial leap and founded Church+State. He's also a speaker on creativity, innovation, branding and corporate strategy who commands audiences around the globe. An accomplished author, Tite has written a children's book, a comedy book and a hit play. He was also the executive producer and host of the award-winning comedy show Monkey Toast. CONNECT WITH RON TITE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rontite Twitter: https://twitter.com/rontite LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rontite/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this humorous but candid interview, entrepreneur and author Lee Caraher talks about how she epically failed but ultimately succeeded with her 15-year-old PR and digital marketing firm Double Forte because she didn't know how to work with millennials. She hired six, but lost them all within three months, which created a major disruption for her business. Determined to buck the negative reporting about that age cohort, Caraher did her own research on multiple generations in the workplace, combined it with her own practical experience, and started creating a culture in which all age groups could thrive and learn from one another. The effort paid off, resulting in higher-than-average retention rates, personal satisfaction for employees and a more productive and profitable business. Currently, more than half her staff is under the age of 32. Tune in to discover how Caraher became an expert on creating great multigenerational workplace teams, including: The steps she took to recover from the "body blow" she and her company endured hiring and then losing six millennials within three months. The four questions you must evaluate to ensure your employees are in a good workplace state of mind: Do I have a role that's important in this company? Am I contributing:? Am I appreciated? Am I doing something good? How the expression of appreciation is perceived and accepted differently among various generations—and how to leverage those differences to create a harmonious workplace environment. Why specific communication is a must in any office. Why "command and control" leadership doesn't work to get things done in most instances—and what approach to use instead. The new definition of employee loyalty that encourages long-term relationships—even after an employee has left your company. MORE ABOUT LEE CARAHER Lee Caraher is the CEO of Double Forte, a public relations and digital marketing firm she founded in 2002. She's known for her practicality, her big laughs, being a straight talker and the ability to find practical solutions to big problems. She started Double Forte in 2002 as a new kind of communications firm designed to work with great people, doing good work for good companies that make a positive difference in the world. Caraher's first book Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide To Making It Work At Work is based on her own experience building a successful intergenerational workplace. It also contains insights from more than 100 managers, leaders and employees of all ages in different industries across the country. The book is a practical and entertaining guide to breaking down the misconceptions between Gen Y, GenX and the baby boomer generations and explains how to build a work environment that builds business, loyalty and strategic advantage. Her second book is The Boomerang Principle: Inspire Lifetime Loyalty from Your Employees. CONNECT WITH LEE CARAHER Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeeCaraher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecaraher/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeCaraher1/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Moyer, serial entrepreneur and author of Slicing Pie Handbook: Perfectly Fair Equity Splits for Bootstrapped Startups, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss fair equity models for startups and early-stage companies. Tune in to find out: The basics of the Slicing Pie model. Whether the person who has the most risk in the startup always has the controlling interest. The pitfalls of equity being used as compensation. What pre-revenue equity allocation is. Why allocating equity must be based on a set of rules. Why allocating equity is a "rolling" endeavor, not a static one. Moyer is a serial entrepreneur who has started several companies from scratch, including Cappex.com. He's joined start-up companies, helped others start companies, raised millions of dollars of start-up capital and helped sell start-up companies. Mike shares his entrepreneurial experience by teaching Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business CONNECT WITH MIKE MOYER Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/SlicingPie Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/GruntFunds LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/slicingpie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During this holiday season, I hope you enjoy a replay of my popular Elf on the Shelf episode. I recorded this several years ago on the Smart Companies Thinking Bigger Network. Elf on the Shelf co-founder Chanda Bell gives us the behind-the-scenes story on how she, along with her twin sister Christa Pitts and her mother Carol Aebersold, transformed a cherished family tradition into a best-selling and enduring holiday brand. Listen in as Bell shares: The inspiration behind the story—and how they built it into an enduring brand. What they had to do to finally get the idea to market. The touching stories they hear from their customers. Words of encouragement for entrepreneurs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Talking Business Now welcomes back Frank Fiume. He is the founder of i9 Sports, the nation’s leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. He’s also the author of a recently released, best-selling book called Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose. This is the third in a series of episodes we’ve done with Fiume, who grew i9 Sports to more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities in 30 states. In the first episode, we talked with him about his entrepreneurial journey, his lessons learned and the mindset that’s necessary for becoming a successful entrepreneur. In the second episode, we discussed how he used the franchising model to attain such phenomenal growth, and he shares tips and insights for those of you who may be considering franchising as a growth model. And what does an entrepreneur do to complete the cycle? Exit the business successfully! In this episode of Talking Business Now, Frank shares with us his exit strategy, what he wished he would have known as he prepared to sell, and what every entrepreneur must do to successfully transition to life beyond the business they founded. i9 Sports is the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. The business earned Fiume national recognition. Entrepreneur magazine ranked the company as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in numerous publications and national news media, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal. Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors. CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second of a three-part series, serial entrepreneur Frank Fiume, a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share tips and insights into using franchising as a way to grow your business—including the lessons he learned from his mistakes. (Listen to the first episode on the entrepreneurial mindset needed to run a successful business and remain a healthy person.) i9 Sports is the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. It has generated more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide. The business catapulted Fiume to national recognition, and Entrepreneur magazine ranked i9 Sports as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in dozens of publications and national news media outlets, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal. Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors. Fiume recently released his first book, "Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose." In this episode, we talk with Fiume about using franchising as a strategy for growing a business. Among the insights he shares: The most important criteria necessary for determining if your business is a candidate for franchising. The importance of infrastructure. How the founder's role changes. How to find great franchisees. Who you need on your team to guide you through the process. The role of marketing. CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is serial entrepreneur Frank Fiume, a pioneer in the youth sports industry and the founder of i9 Sports—the country's leading franchise of youth leagues and camps. The company has generated more than $300 million in sales, with 2 million participants in 900 communities across 30 states nationwide. The business catapulted Fiume to national recognition, and Entrepreneur magazine ranked i9 Sports as the #1 children’s fitness franchise. Fiume has been featured on Fox Business News, HBO Real Sports, and in dozens of publications and national news media outlets, including USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and The Wall Street Journal. Fiume sold i9 Sports in 2017 to a private equity firm, but remains a minority shareholder and member of the board of directors. Fiume recently released his first book, "Running With My Head Down: An Entrepreneur's Story of Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose." In this episode, we talk with Frank about how his boyhood fascination with baseball while living in a tenement apartment in Queens led him to create an adult softball league on Long Island that eventually led him to found i9 Sports. Tune in as Fiume shares many of the lessons he learned about himself and business throughout the years, including: The Entrepreneur Identity Crisis The Lonely at the Top Syndrome The Executive Burnout Phase The Affluenza Affair Handling Critics and Crisis The Influence of Family and Friends Achieving Spiritual Awakening CONNECT WITH FRANK FIUME LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfiume/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/frankfiume Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankfiumeii/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frankfiumeii Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Talking Business Now, Oscar Trimboli, a former marketing director at Microsoft, joins host Kelly Scanlon to talk with us about what deep listening is, how to master it and how to use it to increase productivity, improve processes and grow your business. Trimboli says that despite spending 55% of our time listening, only 2% of people really grasp the skill. But the stakes for not listening are high, ranging from miscommunication to job turnover to lost sales. At Microsoft, Tribmoli and his teams were renowned for their ability to deep listen to customers in the call center as well as their market research summaries. Trimboli brought his passion for Deep Listening to next-generation leaders at Microsoft by rebuilding the company's graduate leadership program, which was eventually implemented in 26 countries. As a deep listening expert, Trimboli is on a quest to create 100 million Deep Listeners in the world. In this episode, discover: What Deep Listening is, including how it differs from active listening Why Deep Listening matters in leadership more than ever The difference between a good listener and a great listener The four villains of listening The 125-400 rule—and why mastering it is the key to unlocking Deep Listening How to listen to what’s unsaid Relational versus contextual listening The true costs of not listening CONNECT WITH OSCAR TRIMBOLI Take the Deep Listening Survey: www.ListeningQuiz.com LinkedIn: Oscar Trimboli Twitter: @OscarTrimboli Facebook: Oscar Trimboli Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adversity doesn’t define you, but it can influence the road you take as you become who you are. That’s the belief of David Cooks, my guest on this episode of Talking Business Now. At the age of 15, David Cooks was a high school sophomore and a passionate basketball player. But then, he experienced a spinal aneurysm that left him as a T-6 paraplegic. From the beginning, David refused to let the wheelchair control his life. In his book, Getting Undressed: From Paralysis To Purpose, David shares his inspiring story of persistence, power of perspective and power of faith to demonstrate how obstacles should not define you and instead, should help you help others. He discusses how you can learn your own purpose and become a more effective leader by taking a break from your problems and challenges to help others with theirs. Here are just a few of the takeaways David offers in the podcast: Persevering through life’s challenges sometimes requires getting help. You’re not in it all by yourself. There is nothing wrong with small beginnings. Nothing is insignificant. Everything matters. Making adjustments on and off the court, and in life, are pivotal to success. Be willing to do things differently. Take advantage of whatever opportunity you’re given. How you handle success will determine how much success you can handle. What you are willing to sacrifice today is an indication of its value and where you are trying to go in the future. If it’s a priority, sacrifices are made; everything else gets excuses. Your ability will get you there, your character will keep you there, and it will stay with others long after you’re gone. It is impossible to live without failing at something, so don’t let that stop you from getting to your destiny. Embrace it, learn from it and get back in the line. David went on to receive his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his MBA in finance from Duke University. He has coached at Duke University and has also spent time as an assistant basketball coach at Concordia College. David is the founder of David Cooks Enterprises, a speaking, coaching and training organization helping businesses and individuals put their purpose into action with clarity on teamwork, leadership and communication. Connect with David Cooks Facebook: www.facebook.com/24DavidSpeaks Twitter: www.twitter.com/dcespeaks.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/david-cooks-mba-20001210 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we deal with uncertainty? My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now—Julie Benezet—has some ideas on how to handle it. And she has the experience to back it up. In 1999, Benezet was the new director for a fledgling dot com called Amazon. Her challenge was to figure out how to lease just the right real estate and buildings in just the right places, to help the company survive and thrive. And as they say, the rest is history. As the first global real estate sales executive for Amazon, she helped manage the company’s growth and rapid expansion during the uncertainties of the 1990s and early 2000s. Benezet is the author of the award-winning book The Journey of Not Knowing: How 21st Century Leaders Can Chart a Course Where There Is None, and she has just released a companion workbook titled, The Journal of Not Knowing. Julie speaks, coaches and writes on galvanizing change in the 21st century and decoding human behavior in the face of uncertainty.  In this episode of Talking Business Now, Julie talks with us about her book and leadership lessons from her many years as an executive, lawyer and entrepreneur. Tune in to discover: What drives her to build businesses for heself and for others. The lessons she learned as part of the leadership team at Amazon.com. Why change is a challenge and why so many people fight it. The most important role of a leader—and why that role hasn't changed. The Core Four—the principles that act as “navigation lights" for traversing the discomfort that comes with pursuing something new. The most important advice for people who want to start or grow a business MORE ABOUT JULIE BENEZET Benezet continues to "explore the new," build businesses and help others do the same. She is currently an executive coach, teacher and owner of The Journey of Not Knowing®, a leadership program she founded. The Journey of Not Knowing: How 21st Century Leaders Can Chart a Course Where There Is None, received a 2017 Benjamin Franklin Gold Medal and the 2016 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Silver Medal for Business & Economics. Before joining Amazon.com, Julie built businesses and raised capital for a broad range of industries from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups. She practiced law in New York and Seattle. She led the “Challenges of Leadership” program for executives at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for 10 years. She has appeared in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Tech Republic.com, Training Industry and The Zweig Letter. CONNECT WITH JULIE BENEZET Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejourneyofnotknowing Twitter: https://twitter.com/journeyofnk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-benezet-a4515/ Blog: “The View from the Treehouse” at https://www.juliebenezet.com/blog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI expert and author Pamela McCorduck joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to offer insights on the evolution of AI and where the technology is headed. McCorduck has been working in the field of artificial intelligence since 1960—and she knows the founding fathers personally. She's made a name for herself as an astute and authoritative observer of AI's evolution and growth since its earliest days. Her first book, "Machines Who Think," was the first modern history of artificial intelligence. It contains interviews with the early, pioneering scientists. Though the science around AI has evolved, the interviews are fresh and revealing and continue to stand the test of time. McCorduck's most recent book is "This Could Be Important: My Life and Times with the Artificial Intelligentsia." It is a memoir of her first encounters with the pioneers in the field, and her subsequent efforts to convince leading public intellectuals that AI could be important.  Tune in to learn about: Examples of the way businesses are already using AI in ways we might not realize. How AI is revolutionizing even the smallest businesses. Future applications of AI that business owners should have on their radar. The societal and ethical implications of AI. Some behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the "early" days of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your company's brand identity is everything visual that is visual about your brand—and your company name is a major part of that. In fact, 77% of consumers make purchases based on a brand name. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Ross Kimbarovsky shares tips for choosing a name for your business—whether you're launching a new business or rebranding an existing business: The difference between brand identity and brand design How your business name conveys your overall brand design and creates a competitive edge Do’s and don’ts for selecting a good company name to begin with Good reasons for changing a company's name Whether you should use online business name generators Whether it's important to be able to trademark the name Is it smart to create an odd company names in order to secure a unique domain name? Examples of effective company names Kimbarovsky is the co-founder and CEO of crowdSPRING. He spent 13 years as a trial attorney before founding the company in 2007. Kimbarovsky mentors entrepreneurs through TechStars and Founder Institute, is a member of the Executive Advisory Board for TechWeek, and was honored as one of Techweek100′s top technology leaders and business visionaries. Ross has also founded numerous other startups, including Startup Foundry, Quickly Legal and Respect. CONNECT WITH ROSS KIMBAROVSKY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crowdspring/ Twitter: @crowdspring AND @rosskimbarovsky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosskimbarovsky/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margaret Reynolds joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her latest book—Boost Your GrowthDNA: How Strategic Leaders Use Growth Genetics to Drive Sustainable Business Performance. Reynolds explains how growth-driven can use the Growth DNA framework to accelerate performance in a highly competitive and fast-changing world. Tune in to find out: 1. Why GrowthDNA is the missing link to more profit, stronger culture and sustainable high performance. 2. How to develop the four strands of GrowthDNA—confidence, clarity, commitment and culture— to fuel sustainable and profitable growth and lead your team to breakthrough results year after year 3. Why growth doesn't occur just by doing the right things but rather by HOW they are being done. 4. How to understand your company's GrowthDNA so you can modify outcomes. 5. The importance of taking the GrowthDNA Scorecard Assessment (at no charge). You can access it at www.dnascorecard.com. Margaret Reynolds is a thought leader on the topic of corporate growth—how to get more of it and how to accelerate it. She works with C-suite leaders to help them surpass and sustain high performance goals through reimagining what is possible, creating a shared direction and embedding strong, aligned cultures. Reynolds’ runs a management consulting firm called Breakthrough Masters Unlimited. In addition to GrowthDNA, Reynolds is the author of Reignite: How Everyday Companies Spark Next Stage Growth. Connect with Margaret Reynolds: ■ Twitter: @growthcatalyst ■ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breakthroughmaster Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August Turak, serial entreprener and award-winning author who attributes much of his success to his 20-year stint as a frequent guest of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey, joins host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Talking Business Now. In our May 24, 2019 interview with Turak, he talked about the 1996 skydiving accident that triggered the emotional crisis that sent him to the Abbey in search of spiritual solace; his Christmas Eve exchange with a monk named Brother John that led him to write his Templeton prize-winning essay, Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life;and his book Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity, in which he describes how to apply the lessons he learned from the monks to achieve business success. In this episode, Turak returns to Talking Business Now to discuss the life and leadership lessons he learned from his father, which he published as a tribute in Forbes.com—on what would have been his father’s 100th birthday. Among them: ■ Be Your Best ■ Be Bold ■ The Value of Struggle ... and several others. Turak was a founding employee of MTV and the A&E Network. Later, he founded software companies that eventually sold to BMC Software for $150 million. He currently runs a not-for-profit called the Self-Knowledge Symposium Foundation. Connect with August Turak: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aturak Twitter: https://twitter.com/AugustTurak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustturak/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Small business marketing expert John Jantsch joins host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Talking Business Now to discuss his recent book "The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: 366 Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business." In a departure from his previous five books on marketing, in his latest work, Jantsch taps into the wisdom of 19th-century transcendentalist literature and his own 30-year entrepreneurial journey to create a daily guide entrepreneurs can use to create a deeper relationship with their own entrepreneurial journey. Listen in to discover: —Why the message of the transcendentalists resonates with modern-day entrepreneurs —What it means to be a self-reliant entrepreneur —The parallels between 19th-century society and today, and their implications for business —How mindfulness, meditation and solitude can serve entrepreneurs —How to get back up and start over after you fail —How to remain true to your entrepreneurial dream —Lessons from nature for living a joyful life Jantsch shows how entrepreneurs can learn to trust their ideas and overcome the fear and doubt of everyday challenges. ABOUT JOHN JANTSCH Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker, and author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, Duct Tape Selling, The Commitment Engine, and SEO for Growth. Jantsch is a podcasting pioneer who has been hosting an award-winning weekly podcast since 2005. He's has interviewed thousands of guests and appeared on the other side of the mic, as a guest, hundreds of times. RESOURCES & LINKS Website: ducttapemarketing.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ducttapemarketing YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ducttapemarketingvideo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Conner Hazelrigg was a college sophomore, her friend returned from a trip to Haiti, amazed that everyone there had cell phones—but no electricity to charge them. Yet many residents of these countries rely on their phones for food, medical needs and digital currency transactions. A math and physics major, Hazelrigg decided she needed to do something about the situation. And, within a few months, she had created a prototype for the Sunshine Box, a suitcase-sized device that can charge 10 mobile phones at a time, using solar power. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Hazelrigg talks about how she quickly found herself leading a new company—17° 73° Innovation Co. (the coordinates of Port au Prince in Haiti)—that provides solar power, creates jobs and provides a payment platform for developing countries as well as assistance in disaster areas. To date, the Sunshine Box has helped to charge tens of thousands of phones in 17 developing nations. The boxes also hosts an IoT payment platform to meet the needs of residents who rely on digital currency. And, in an unanticipated benefit, the Sunshine Box is helping to improve educational access in these countries. RESOURCES & LINKS Website: https://www.1773innovationco.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1773innovationco Twitter: @1773Innovation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you combine your talent with your passion? According to our guest on this episode of Talking Business Now, legendary Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams, you find your “success intersection.”  When Pat was seven years old, his passion was baseball. By the time he made it to the minor leagues, he realized after just two years that as much as he loved the sport, it wasn't his greatest talent.  Little did he know that his career in sports was just beginning. He discovered that he had a real talent for leadership and sales. When he combined those talents with his passion for sports, he discovered his success intersection. In this episode from our 2017 podcast archives, Pat discusses his book, “The Success Intersection: What Happens When Your Talent Meets Your Passion.”  Listen in and learn how to identify your greatest talent, pursue your greatest passion and multiply your efforts through teamwork.  Basketball hall-of-famer Pat Williams founded the Orlando Magic and retired as senior vice president in April 2019, after a 56-year career that included more than 30 years with the Magic. He's also a popular motivational speaker who’s written more than 100 books and makes about 150 guest appearances a year.  Pat was also the general manager of the 1983 world champion Philadelphia 76ers, and he managed the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sales and leadership expert Ron Karr joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk with us about a proprietary sales process, called Velocity Mindset, for increasing your company's market share, sales and profits. Tune in to discover: ■ What today's prospects expect from a salesperson. ■ Simple questions for qualifying a prospect. ■ How to shorten the sales cycle. ■ How to grow sales revenues without discounting. ■ The secret to reducing the number of proposals you send out. ■ Time management tips for salespeople. Working with Karr, his clients worldwide—including Hertz, UPS and Marriott—have generated three-quarters of a billion dollars in incremental revenues. Karr is the author of several books, including the best-selling book “Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way.”  He has been published in more than 250 national magazines, interviewed on hundreds of radio stations and appeared on Fox News, the CBS Morning Show, BBC, Bloomberg TV and C-Suite TV. An international keynote speaker and a former president of the National Speakers Association, Karr has spoken on six continents and in 20 countries.  Resources and Links Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/ronkarr1 Twitter Link: @ronkarr LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronkarr How to order Karr's book Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00245A4G4/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ray Zinn, co-founder of microchip company Micrel, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss entrepreneurship, startup success, staying true to core values maintaining a disciplined focus and being a "student of life." A Silicon Valley pioneer, Zinn founded the company in 1978—and he chose to bootstrap it to profitability rather than take venture capital.  When Microchip acquired the company in 2015, Zinn delivered a total equity value of more than $800 million.   Before attending college, Zinn worked at a janitorial service. After college, he moved to San Francisco and started working in rocket motor manufacturing and then in the semiconductor industry. He and a friend founded Micrel with $300,000, and the company was profitable in its first year. In total, Micrel achieved profitability in 36 of its 37 years. During his 37 years with Micrel, Zinn served as president, CEO and chairman of the board. He's known as the longest-serving CEO of a publicly traded Silicon Valley company. He also holds more than 20 patents for semiconductor design. Zinn spends his time these days as a speaker, author and leader of a Silicon Valley accelerator called ZinnStarter, which is dedicated to mentoring entrepreneurs to build profitable and sustainable companies. He's also a podcaster and author of Tough Things First and Zen of Zinn,  Tune in to find out Zinn's:  ■ Rationale for bucking the traditional Silicon Valley mindset of starting with venture—capital and bootstrapping the company instead. ■ Formula for building a profitable, sustainable company. Ray led Micrel through eight downturns in the global chip markets, including the dot-com bust and the Great Recession. ■ Perspective on why so many startups fail—and how to avoid it. ■ Advice on handling mistakes. ■ Decision-making philosophy. ■ Strategy for earning 20 patents for semiconductor design (hint: it requires a team effort). ■ Approach to creating a corporate culture built on dignity of the individual. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyday companies across America hire or promote talented executives who ultimately fail. Perhaps you've been one of those executives yourself. Why does this happen so often? My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now, Ron Carucci, has written a book on this very subject. Called "Rising to Power: The Journey of Exceptional Executives,"it’s based on a ground-breaking 10-year study on executive transition that reveals why so many executives fail—and fail so fast. Ron shares with us why that happens and how your organization can avoid those landmines. Tune in to discover: ■ Why 50% of leaders fail within the first 18 months ■ The 4 characteristics that set successful leaders apart ■ How an organization can prepare a newly appointed executive for their new position ■ Tips for startup founders who have big ideas but who aren't seasoned leaders—how to lead their organization from startup to grown up Carucci is the co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, where he works with CEOs and executives around the world to address strategy, organization and leadership challenges.  In addition to being a regular contributor to HBR and Forbes, Carucci has been featured in Fortune, CEO Magazine, BusinessInsider, MSNBC, Inc, Business Week and Smart Business. Connect with Ron Carucci: Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navalent/ Twitter: @roncarucci  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when you’re a guy strolling down the skin care aisle of a department store and you don’t like the experience you're having? If you’re Kelley Thornton, you create a men’s skin care empire that's changing the face of men's grooming. Thornton, the founder and CEO of Chicago-based Tiege Hanley, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon, to talk about how he and his partners have built a multimillion dollar company featuring a skin care system that's easy for regular guys to understand and use. Thornton drew on his 20 years of experience in consumer goods and collaborated with his college roommate turned software industry guru, Rob Hoxie, to help mastermind the new skin care solution. The two soon met Aaron Marino, a men's lifestyle expert, grooming guru and YouTube sensation (with more than 5 million subscribers), who became the company’s third partner. Tune in to find out the behind-the-scenes story of a brand that's built a cult following: ■ The incident that inspired Thornton to start the business ■ The strategy behind the company's phenomenal growth—achieving 8-digit revenues after just two years ■ Why the company almost closed its door after 2 months—and what turned it around ■ What sets Tiege Hanley apart from other men's skin care products ■ How taking a chance and making an "ask" led to a key partnership with a YouTube influencer—and  a dominating online presence ■ Why men care about skin care more today than they have in the past ■ The personal connection that made skin cancer awareness such an important cause to Thornton and Tiege ■ The impact of cause marketing—and what Tiege Hanley hopes to achieve by supporting the Skin Cancer Foundation Thornton is a veteran of creating new and innovative ways to connect consumer packaged goods companies to retail customers. He's also the author of “The Inadequacy of POP Design and Ways to Improve." Connect with Tiege Hanley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiegehanley/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiegehanley?lang=en  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tiege-hanley-llc/about/ Connect with Kelly Scanlon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterrobangSolutions/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyAScanlon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyascanlon/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter is a family story that began in 1898 in Columbus, Ohio, with the oldest peanut butter company in the United States. Its most recent chapter began when the current owner, Kimmi Wernli, was six years old. Wenli joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about bringing the natural peanut butter company into the 21st century—with sales in every state—and provides loads of takeaways you can use to grow your own business. Tune in to find out how, in the short time since taking over Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter from her father, Wernli has: ·         Merged two companies into one. ·         Overseen a major rebranding effort. ·         Embraced social media to create a community of peanut butter lovers. ·         Embarked on a mission to make it fun to eat healthy. ·         How she’s using peanut butter to help alleviate childhood hunger. ·         And what it takes to become a “B” Corporation. Wernli also shares tips for ensuring a smooth ownership transition in a family business, modernizing an old business and positively impacting the community. Connect with Kimmi Wernli Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crazyrichardspb/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/crazyrichardspb LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmi-sonksen-wernli-a80581125/ Connect with Kelly Scanlon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterrobangSolutions/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyAScanlon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyascanlon/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think about the times in your life when you’ve had to reimagine your future. Maybe it was leaving school and starting your career—or changing your career. Often, during these transitional times, we’re faced with many options and we’re concerned about making the RIGHT decision. Many times, there’s not a clear map for which path will lead to success. My guest on this episode of Talking Business Now is Tina Seelig, author of "What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20: A Crash Course on Making Your Way in the World." Seelig, who is a Professor of the Practice at the School of Engineering at Stanford and a faculty director of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, encourages us to toss out old models and old rules and provides a model for reaching our potential. Seelig’s model has applications for students, entrepreneurs, business executives and others who want to throw out old assumptions for achieving success, want to discover how to have a healthy disregard for the impossible, learn a new approach for recovering from failure and be able to spot opportunity in challenges. Seelig teaches courses in the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) and leads three fellowship programs in the School of Engineering that are focused on creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. She earned her doctorate in neuroscience at Stanford Medical School and has been a management consultant, entrepreneur and author of 17 books. She is the recipient of the Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering, the Olympus Innovation Award and the Silicon Valley Visionary Award. Connect with Tina Seelig: Twitter Link: @tseelig LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaseelig/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conflict has become a dirty word in the workplace. But, according to our guest on this episode of Talking Business Now—New York Times bestselling author Dr. Liane Davey—companies that avoid or defer conflict find themselves struggling with "conflict debt.” Davey, an organizational psychologist, is the author of The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Organization Back on Track. She says: "Think of conflict debt like credit card debt. Conflict debt is the sum of all the contentious issues that need to be addressed to be able to move forward but instead remain undiscussed and unresolved. Like credit card debt, conflict debt compounds as leaders who avoid conflict pay interest dealing with drama, tamping down passive-aggressive behavior, and trying to patch eroded trust." Tune in to learn:Why we need more conflict in our organizations.How to have conflict productively.Why tension that is healthy and productive should be encouraged.The 3-step process for communicating with someone who disagrees with you.Tips for dealing with difficult personalities and behaviors.Why it's always important to have a "go-to" question that encourages the behavior you're looking for.Davey is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and the host of the ChangeYourTeam blog. As the co-founder of 3COze Inc., she advises on business strategy and executive team effectiveness, working with companies such as Amazon, Walmart and SONY PlayStation.    Connect With Liane Davey Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlianedavey Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lianedavey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lianedavey/ Instagram: https://www.instragram.com/lianedavey   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Green was a teacher and elementary school principal for 16 years. In fact, he thought he would eventually retire as a school superintendent. But, after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, Jeff, a father of three, wanted to find a better way to protect his own children and the children and staff under his watch. On this episode of Talking Business Now, Green joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his journey from school principal to entrepreneur and how his company SafeDefend, specializing in emergency alert and lockdown systems and training, helps people survive an active shooter event. Jeff said, "I was a principal during the time of the Sandy Hook shooting, and also a father of three. And after that, I realized that my building wasn't any better protected than Sandy Hook's and shared a lot of similarities. So, I just really never started out as a business. I was just a dad and a principal trying to figure out a better way to protect my students, my staff and my own children ... and just really sat down and said, 'Hey, what do we need to do? What is going to make a difference? How can we get proactive?' And that's how SafeDefend was born." Jeff worked with law enforcement and threat assessment experts at the local, state and national level to determine what elements needed to be addressed to survive an active shooter. He learned, according to the FBI, that most casualties occur within 3 minutes. The U.S. average police response is 11 minutes, with just over 5 minutes for metropolitan areas. He also found that the average 911 call takes 75 seconds from dialing to providing dispatch with enough information. During the last six years, Jeff has worked to develop SafeDefend into a national leader on active shooter response and training, expanding from schools to hospitals, city government offices, manufacturing facilities, financial institutions and other public places. Connect with Jeff Green Facebook: facebook.com/safedefend Twitter: @safedefend LinkedIn: Safedefend, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Karen Walker, author of "No Dumbing Down: A No-Nonsense Guide for CEOs on Organization Growth," joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to align the skills and efforts of top management in your company. Karen offers five proven strategies that your senior leaders can capitalize on to create internal processes and strategies that support profitable and sustainable company growth. Karen honed her expertise during the 14 years she worked at Compaq Computer. She joined the fast-growing company as its 104th employee and helped lead it to its first $1 billion in revenue. As vice president of operating services, she helped spur the company to more than $15 billion in value. After leaving Compaq, she started her own consultancy, Oneteam, to work with the senior leaders of startups, Inc. 500 and Fortune 500 firms. The outcomes of the executives she advises include IPOs, acquisitions, market share increases and leadership development. Tune in to discover: ■ Why an emphasis on sales and revenue growth at the expense of building internal infrastructure can be detrimental to a company. ■ The five internal strategies that support external company growth: No Dumbing Down, Double Back, Play Bumper Cars, Become a Utility and Learn to Levitate ■ How to get to work implementing the strategies in your company ■ What company leaders should be Talking Business Now about in 2019 No Dumbing Down: A No-Nonsense Guide for CEOs on Organization Growth is a book for a company’s senior-most leaders. It teaches them how to do a job only they can do: aligning the organization’s internal and external strategies for profitable, sustainable growth. Why do leaders need this guidance? The problem is misunderstanding what it takes to grow. When most companies try to grow, they invariably over focus on sales and revenue-growth — at the expense of making sure they’ve aligned the infrastructure needed to support that growth. The result? Sales outpace the company’s ability to fulfill its promises. Suddenly, product quality drops; employees get overwhelmed by rework; customers grow dissatisfied as commitments are missed; firefighting becomes the norm; top people run for the exits; and the company’s reputation tanks. But it doesn’t have to be this way! Karen’s work with organizations from Fortune 500s to Inc. 500 start-ups, creating the infrastructure they need to start and sustain growth, substantiates the 5 strategies and keys for execution outlined in this book. Her motto truly is “no dumbing down.” Connect with Karen Walker: Website: www.karenwalker.us Twitter: karenwalkerus LinkedIn: karenwalkerus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bradley Charbonneau joins Talking Business Now to discuss the power of habit. He believes most of us suffer from one thing that is something of a quiet poison that keeps us from thriving to new heights. It's being comfortable. Yes, most of us suffer from the habitual, yet not-that-terrible lives we wake up to every day. Charbonneau was living a nice, comfortable life in San Francisco. He was running a successful agency, but it was killing him. His father's death in 2015 jolted him out of complacency. He said: "It was as if, for the first time, I realized we were mortal and had only this life to live." So, he shut down his agency, moved his family to Europe and started writing. A strong believer in the power of habit, Charbonneau made a decision to write for 30 days. He saw it as a formidable challenge. But he realized that if he approached it one day at a time, he could form a habit and achieve his goal. Charbonneau has been writing now for more than 2,000 and has authored 11 books and numerous blogs and articles. Tune in to discover: The power of daily habit and how it can lead to exponential growth.Why "deciding" doesn't need to be difficult.Why the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.The pattern of creating, failing and learning.A twist on what it means to "scale."How to shake the cobwebs out of your daily routine. Charbonneau's two latest books "One Day at a Time" and "Decide" are available on Amazon.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In many cases, the solutions to our business challenges can be found if we only ask the right questions. On this episode, Greg Bustin joins Talking Business Now  host Kelly Scanlon to discuss what today’s leaders can learn and which questions to ask by studying decisions made throughout history. He’s written a book called How Leaders Decide: A Timeless Guide to Making Tough Choices. In it, he presents 52 stories featuring pivotal decisions that previous leaders—such as Alfred Nobel, Marie Curie and Winston Churchill—have made during some of the most critical moments in history. Those decisions had consequences for business, war, peace, sports, science, technology, government and the arts.  At the end of each chapter, Bustin offers leadership questions that the situation prompted, and readers are encouraged to consider them in the context of their own circumstances. Tune in to find out: ■ How to use questions to conquer tough decisions ■ The most commonly occurring decision-making mistakes ■ How to safeguard against making poor decisions Bustin was the executive vice president and general manager of the Dallas office of Edelman Worldwide before founding his own marketing management consultancy, so he’s made plenty of tough decisions. He's helped leadership teams at multinational companies like Burger King, Sony, ConocoPhillips, PepsiCo, Nucor and Verizon as well as small- and medium-sized companies increase their effectiveness. He's delivered more than 500 keynotes and workshops on five continents, and he is the author of five leadership books. Bustin has shared his insights on leadership in The WallStreet Journal, Chief Executive, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., Investor’s Business Daily and other major publications. Connect with Greg Bustin: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GregBustinLeadership/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregBustin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob McClure, co-founder of McClure’s Pickles, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and what it’s like working in a family business that grew into a nationally recognized brand. McClure's is a specialty pickle brand with raving fans. Bob McClure grew up making pickles, using a recipe from his great grandmother. But he didn’t think the pickle industry was where he’d land as an adult. In fact, he left Michigan to work in New York, an actor. He has performed in commercials for several major brands, including Visa, The NFL, Verizon, Time Warner, Staples, and Quiznos. His film work includes The Brave One with Jodie Foster and the Brass Teapot. His work can also be seen on The Burg and All's Faire. Nowadays, you'll find him back in Detroit at McClure's World Headquarters. He oversees business administration, key account management and brand development for the company. What we're Talking Business Now about in this episode:  The company's origin story: making pickles every summer using their great grandmother's recipeTurning the family passion into a business in 2006 and expanding it into a national brand with raving fansHow Bob's acting career prepared him for his role in the family businessHow McClure's has positioned itself in the changing pickle market—and the lessons business owners can learn about adaptingAdvertising and marketing tips for gaining market share against major brandsHow to successfully navigate the dynamics of a family-owned businessConnect with McClure's Pickles ■ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcclurespickles ■ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcclurespickles ■ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcclurespickles/ ■ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mcclurespickles/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most experts make the mistake of choosing just one way to deliver their expertise. The result? They never achieve the recognition and revenue they deserve. Think about it. Accountants make money through accounting. Trainers make money from training. Chef’s cook. You get the picture. The secret to becoming a niche leader and having more revenue is to diversify how you deliver what you do. That's the advice of Ronan Leonard, the founder of Eccountability. Also known as The Mastermind Guy, Leonard joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to leverage your intellectual property—in other words, the knowledge and expertise you've gained through years of experience—into additional revenue and a more pronounced industry profile. Leonard calls this Return on Intellect. Tune in to discover: • What Return on Intellect is—you may be surprised! • How to leverage your Return on Intellect into additional revenue streams • How Ronan's experience on a sinking cruise ship of the coast of South Africa in 1991 influenced his approached to business • Why it's important to teach people what they want to learn instead of what you want to teach Connect with Ronan Leonard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-leonard/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August Turak joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the business lessons he learned from the Trappist monks. Turak was a founding employee of MTV and the A&E Network. Later, he founded software companies that eventually sold to BMC Software for $150 million. He currently runs a not-for-profit called the Self-Knowledge Symposium Foundation. As a successful entrepreneur and award-winning author, Turak attributes much of his success to his 20-year stint as a frequent monastic guest of the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey. As a monastic guest, he lives and works alongside the monks sometimes for months at a time. In 1996, a skydiving accident triggered the emotional crisis or “Dark Night of the Soul” that sent Turak to Mepkin Abbey in search of the spiritual solace he so desperately needed and the monks so graciously provided. In 2004, at the encouragement of some former students, Turak decided to enter the John Templeton Foundation’s Power of Purpose essay contest. He had 3,500 words in which to answer the question: “What is the Purpose of Life?” He had never written anything for publication before, but his "Brother John" essay about an actual Christmas Eve encounter at Mepkin Abbey won the $100,000 grand prize. Later, he wrote an article for Forbes.com called "Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks." It went viral. As a result, he was invited to become a leadership contributor at Forbes. In addition, Columbia Business School Publishing asked Turak to turn his article into a book. That book, Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks: One CEO’s Quest for Meaning and Authenticity, applies monastic principles to secular business. Turak’s latest book, Brother John: A Monk, a Pilgrim and the Purpose of Life, combines his Templeton Prize winning essay with the illustrations of the award-winning artist Glenn Harrington to offer an inspirational message of meaning and purpose. Connect with August Turak: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aturak Twitter: https://twitter.com/AugustTurak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustturak/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices