The Business of You with Rachel Gogos

Does your website feel like a warm welcome? If not, this episode is a must-listen. Because branding isn't just about fonts, colors, or messaging–it's about how your clients feel when they land on your digital doorstep. This is a special episode where I sat down with Shay Wheat on her podcast, Creating Powerful Impact. We talked about why the most effective brands start from the inside out. The SOULiD Framework If your brand looks the part but doesn't feel like you, that disconnect shows up everywhere–in your copy, your visuals, and your confidence. That's exactly why we created the SOULiD framework.  It helps uncover your convictions, personality, and purpose, so your website becomes an extension of your most essential self. In this episode, I break down how the process works and why it becomes the foundation for a brand that grows with you. What Hospitality Has to Do With Branding What do restaurants and websites have in common? More than you might think. I grew up in the hospitality industry, and that mindset shapes everything we do at brandiD.  When your clients feel seen, supported, and genuinely cared for, they stick around–and they tell others. In this episode, I talk about how to infuse that same high-touch, high-trust experience you'd expect from a high-end restaurant into your brand, no matter your industry. Enjoy this episode… Soundbytes 3:37 - 3:49 “So the name brandiD: the ID is an identity, but it also stands for ID, like the ID ego and super ego, and it is the part of our personality, according to Freud, that we are born with.” 3:52 - 4:24 “The SOULiD framework is what we do with the majority of our clients…We want to help them, but also need our work to stand out from the many, many millions of other websites that land online. We want to get to the core, the essence, or the soul of that person and make sure it's embedded throughout. Aesthetically, in the copy, in the positioning, the differentiators lie there.” 9:19 - 9:29 “We have to all be so dialed into the people we work with and understand their hopes, their fears, their dreams, when they're feeling vulnerable, when they're feeling overwhelmed.” Quotes “With every client, it's like you also have another case study to see if your framework is still applicable.” “Websites, just like clothing, just like hairstyles, they have trends.” “One thing that sets us apart as a web agency is the service that we provide to our clients. It's one thing that people consistently comment on.” “The way you make clients feel, especially in today's competitive market, can help you be around as a company for the long term.” “You are your biggest differentiator.” Links mentioned in this episode: Connect with brandiD Easy Tips to Adjust your website: https://buildmybrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Personality Quiz: https://content.leadquizzes.com/lp/jqgbMsr00g Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/ From Our Guest Host Website: https://graceandeaseproductions.com/ Connect with Shay Wheat on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaywheat/

In today's world, personal branding isn't just for business owners – it's for everyone. Whether you're applying to college, building a career, leading a team, or simply figuring out your next move… your personal brand is what sets you apart. It's how people remember you, refer you, and recognize your potential—even when you're not in the room. Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross is an educator, leadership development expert, and the founder of SP Grace. Through her College Smarter Method and professional development programs, she helps people – from teens to executives – build confidence, get clear on who they are, and show up with purpose in high-stakes spaces. Your Story Is Your Strategy Whether you're leading a team, applying for a role, or stepping into your next chapter, personal branding helps you connect the dots between where you've been and where you're headed. Dr. Carmen shares how clarity around your values, strengths, and experiences creates a personal “X Factor” that makes you memorable, relatable and unmistakably you. Confidence Comes from a Plan Most people feel stuck not because they're unqualified but because they don't have a clear path forward. Dr. Carmen's approach helps individuals take ownership of their next step with a customized roadmap rooted in self-awareness and strategic positioning. When you know who you are and what you stand for, everything else falls into place with more ease and confidence. Enjoy this episode with Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross… Soundbytes 14:41 - 14:58 “That X factor is kind of like your own personal secret sauce. It's like a personal little recipe. And so people can taste it and go, hmm, that's good, but it's missing something. And then you just sprinkle that secret sauce, and it just elevates it. So that X factor is an essential piece.” 27:43 - 27:53 “The introduction of AI has been hugely game-changing. And so the world has to change to keep up. We have to change, and we have to be able to flow with where that goes.” 28:23 - 28:41 “It's okay to be in a super competitive environment, and that's what the goal is. It's fine if you go to the Olympics; the Olympics are super competitive. But the thing is, if you've trained for the Olympics, yes, you're ready when you get there, so you are competitive too.” Quotes “I'm always teaching people how much easier it would be for us to get things done if we extended each other a little bit more grace.” “Just be honest with yourself, because then you could be genuine, and you could be authentic.” “Stop and ask yourself why you're actually in this role. Do you actually care about the success of the people that you're leading?” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://spgrace.com/elevate/  Connect with Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carmen-bell-ross-9378467/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

“They all hate you.” That's what a young David Bishop heard from his regional manager, and it turned his view of leadership on its head. If you've ever questioned your leadership style or wondered why your team isn't as aligned as they could be, this episode is packed with insights that will shift how you think about growth. David Bishop is a top executive coach to leaders at companies like Netflix, Google, and Amazon. Before that, he ran two global media giants as President of Sony Pictures and MGM Home Entertainment.  Leading Through People, Not Just Performance David unpacks the personal stories and pivotal moments that shaped his leadership—from managing a record store to launching game-changing products like DVD and Blu-ray. He explains why creating a culture of engagement isn't just good ethics, it's smart business. When people feel safe, aligned, and invested, performance and profit follow. Why Culture Can't Be Left to Chance You'll learn why engagement surveys aren't just for HR, and how David helps leadership teams turn feedback into real behavioral shifts. He breaks down his process for aligning teams, measuring values, and moving founders from “do-it-all” mode into strategic leadership. If you're building something bigger than yourself, this episode offers a playbook for doing it with more clarity, alignment, and impact. Enjoy this episode with David Bishop... Soundbytes 08:18 - 08:38 “I learned that if you have people who are really invigorated to come to work and they feel they can do that in a psychologically safe environment, and they can contribute, then profits go up.” 11:36 - 12:13 “It's important to have the distinction of having a happy workplace versus an engaged workplace… People can come in and be with their friends and be happy, but not be productive. But what I look for in a culture, in a team, is high levels of engagement. Where people spring out of bed in the morning and really feel that they are working for a common purpose.” 35:01 - 35:18 “It's not just about the product or the services that you're selling, or about the consumers. Of course the end user is really important, but people often look over the culture.” Quotes “If you want to change a culture, measure it.” “My approach to leading people was always about creating an environment of high engagement.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://thedavidbishopgroup.com/  Connect with David Bishop on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidbishopgroup/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website?  Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

What if the key to scaling a business isn't knowing the industry inside and out–but knowing how to fix what's broken? Brendan P. Keegan is a six-time CEO, two-time bestselling author, and founder of bFEARLESS Ventures. He's raised over $10 billion in capital, led six companies to exit, and grew Merchants Fleet from $500 million to $2.5 billion–without ever working in fleet management before. Now retired at 55, Brendan spends his time investing in bold ideas and living out his mission to build one million fearless leaders. The Power of Curiosity and Problem-Solving You don't need to be the expert in the room, but you do need to be the one who asks better questions. Brendan shares why curiosity, not credentials, became the throughline of his career. From turning around struggling startups to transforming a 55-year-old legacy business, he explains how to spot broken systems, challenge assumptions, and lead a team through massive growth–even when you're the new kid in the industry. Why Fear Holds You Back (And What to Do About It) Think fear isn't shaping your decisions? Think again. Brendan calls it the FUD factor–fear, uncertainty, and doubt–and says it quietly shapes how most people show up at work and in life. In this episode, he breaks down how to build fear-resilient leadership: how to stop waiting until you're “ready,” how to make decisions without all the answers, and why the best leaders move fast, stay coachable, and push others forward along the way. Enjoy this episode with Brendan P. Keegan… Soundbytes 18:56 - 19:48 “Our number one thing we hired was intellectual curiosity. Across the board. Period…As many skills as you think you have, you don't. Your first job, you don't know how to do 20% of it, 25% of it. But do you work hard? Are you a fast learner? Those are the things that are going to matter, you know. When you lose, are you coachable? In entry-level positions, I'm 100% attributes, nothing on skills or experience.” 11:48 - 12:35 “Can I just ask you a question? What did I do to get put in the penalty box? Why?” He goes, “What do you mean?” I said, “I got this other thing up and running. It was going great. I was killing it, and you moved me over here.” He goes, “Because it was broken.” And I said, “But why did you do that to me?” To which he replies, “You're great at fixing things.” I didn't see that when I looked in the mirror, but that mentor telling me, “You're great at fixing things. Brendan, you take your technology engineering mind and you think, what's the problem? So many people just jump in and start fixing things without thinking about the process. You're really good at fixing things. I challenge you to spend the rest of your career not in a given industry, but focused on fixing and transforming things.” 42:33 - 43:03 “Have the courage to fail and the faith to succeed. Have the courage to say, ‘I'm going to go try out for that team, and I might not make it, and that's okay.' But then–have the faith: ‘I am going to show up in the best shape of every single person trying out for that team. I might not have the best basketball skills, but I'm going to be the best-conditioned athlete. I'm going to be so conditioned that the coach takes me and thinks he can teach me basketball.'” Quotes “Have the courage to fail. Be willing to do things you don't think you can do, but also have the faith that you're going to succeed.” “Go take the mic. Go be the one in front.” “​​If you don't have a mentor, you're short-changing your career. You will not go as far in your career. Mentors help you. They enlighten you.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://brendanpkeegan.com/  Connect with Brendan Keegan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanpkeegan/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Have you ever wondered how some service businesses seem to dominate their local markets while others struggle to get seen? The secret might be simpler than you think – and it all starts with how you show up on Google. Today's guest breaks down what really works in local SEO, how to increase your visibility without increasing your workload, and why finding your niche might be the smartest move you can make. Bradley Benner is a leading local SEO expert and the founder of multiple businesses, including TreeCareHQ, Semantic Mastery, Semantic Links, and Semantic SEO. With over a decade of experience in agency building, lead generation, and SEO coaching, Bradley helps both business owners and marketing professionals create systems that convert clicks into clients. Why Local SEO Still Matters Even with the rise of AI-driven search, Google Maps still drives the majority of local leads – nearly 70%, according to Bradley. But most business owners aren't optimizing their Google Business Profiles the right way. From posting geo-tagged photos to writing location-specific content, Bradley shares actionable strategies that help local businesses get seen and generate results. He also emphasizes why local businesses should aim to rank in both Maps and traditional search results. It's not just about visibility – it's about building long-term authority and creating a safety net when algorithms shift. Why Niching Down Changes Everything In 2020, Bradley made a pivotal shift by focusing solely on tree service contractors – a decision that helped him streamline his processes, scale faster, and build a thriving local agency. By specializing, he was able to reuse assets, simplify his marketing, and generate predictable results for his clients. Today, his white-label SEO agencies serve other marketers looking for efficient, proven systems. Whether you're a service-based business owner or a marketing pro supporting them, this episode is packed with practical SEO insights and long-term strategy. Enjoy this episode with Bradley Benner… Soundbytes 8:20-8:34 “Just because we may have a skill like being able to know how to get stuff to rank in Google, that doesn't mean that you're going to be effective at being able to convert that skill into money – not just for yourself as the SEO professional, but for the business that you're selling that service to.” 10:14-10:34 “In 2020 I niched down. I finally decided to ignore anybody else other than tree contractors from my own local SEO agency. And boy, that was the biggest thing, the best thing I could have ever done. Because it simplified my business significantly from the workload.” Quotes “If you can build enough brand strength, you can typically rank well, even if you have terrible SEO.” “About 70% of the leads that are generated from Google Search come from maps.” “One of the most valuable things that they can do is just train their technicians to take three to five photos from a mobile device.” “AI is changing search behavior fast. If your business isn't feeding the model, you're invisible.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://semanticmastery.com/ Connect with Bradley Benner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleybenner/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for your business–but only if you use it properly. Today's guest will show you how to make the most of this platform with authentic, non-spammy connection strategies.  Colin Hirdman started his first business a week after graduating from college with no background in business or marketing. He's the co-founder of Monkey Island Ventures, along with two of his childhood best friends. Over the last 18 years, they've built over a dozen software and service businesses. Their newest venture, Rainmaker, helps people in sales roles build their network, leads, and sales through LinkedIn. The LinkedIn Philosophy There are three components for success on LinkedIn. The first piece is philosophy. You need to be authentic and genuine. Speak to people with a conversational tone. The second aspect is approaching it with an educational mindset, because no one wants to be sold on LinkedIn. Jumping right into sales tactics doesn't work. Focus on building relationships, not pitching meetings. Lastly, try to understand the pain points your prospects are experiencing. What do they want to be educated on, and what can you teach?  Grow Your Audience The easiest way to build an audience on LinkedIn is to identify your ideal client profile and use Sales Navigator to find people who meet that criteria. Another option is to attend LinkedIn events in your industry. Start building a prospect list of people who are participating in those events. You can also use influencers as a proxy: if there's someone in your niche with a large following, reach out to them for a connection. If their connections are open, you'll be able to see them in Sales Navigator. The final step is to create proactive connection campaigns. In Colin's business, they connect with 25 people a day, Monday through Friday, which works out to 500 connections per month. Out of those, around 20-25% will connect back. If a prospect doesn't connect within 30 days, they withdraw the invite and then re-invite those people at a later date.  Enjoy this episode with Colin Hirdman… Soundbytes 9:30-10:01 “We came up with the five F's, which are freedom, finances, friendship, family, and fun. And those are the five F's that the three of us live by. I would highly recommend, if you have someone as a business partner that you can just innately trust and rely on to go through the ups and downs of what it's like being in business…I highly encourage you to do that, because when you're doing it all yourself, it can be lonely at the top.” 13:27-13:46 “LinkedIn is incredibly powerful because it's the only business social network out there. It's growing like crazy. Everyone's trying to crack the nut of how you leverage LinkedIn, but you have to approach it still in wanting to build relationships, and having that educational mindset is absolutely paramount.”  Quotes “Nobody wants to be sold on LinkedIn.” “Everyone is trying to crack the nut of how you leverage LinkedIn, but you have to approach it still in wanting to build relationships.” “If you approach LinkedIn the right way, that's where you can have a lot of success.”  “The messages that you are sending should not be salesy in any way. It should be providing value. It should establish you as a thought leader.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.rainmakergrows.com/ Connect with Colin Hirdman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinhirdman/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Have you ever considered opening a franchise? Maybe you're looking for a new investment opportunity, or you're attracted to a business model where all the systems are already up and running. Today's guest breaks down what you need to know beforehand, the best industries to invest in, and what separates successful owners from the rest.   Jon Ostenson is the Founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, an Inc. 5000 company and a top 1% franchise consultant. He's also the author of the bestselling book Non-Food Franchising. Jon draws on his experience as a former Inc. 500 Franchise President and Multi-Brand Franchisee to help his clients select their franchise investments. Jon is a frequent contributor on franchising for publications such as Forbes, Inc., and Bloomberg.  Why Invest in a Franchise The franchise model offers some advantages over starting your own business. For one, the business has already proven to be successful. The franchise has a playbook for what works and what doesn't–all you need to do is execute it. You also have a community of other franchisees running the same business, where you can learn from each other and exchange best practices.  What Makes a Successful Franchise Owner Some entrepreneurs struggle to run a franchise because they don't like following the playbook; they aren't coachable or willing to learn. As an owner, you need to trust the franchise that you bought into. The most successful franchise owners are the ones who follow the system the closest. You can innovate within the system, but don't try to reinvent the wheel. The second-most important characteristic is to be good with people. If you're a good person to work for and with, everything runs more smoothly. Being well-liked can even turn into a competitive advantage. Enjoy this episode with Jon Ostenson… Soundbytes 5:10-5:35 “The model has been proven out in other markets. You've got a playbook. It's all about going out and executing. So you're essentially starting on third base. You've got bulk buying of services or products, you get those synergies, but you also get a community of other franchisees, other people running the same business, day in, day out, in their markets, and you're constantly learning from each other and exchanging best practices. You're in business for yourself and not by yourself.”  18:43-19:10 “Our top performers had two characteristics. One, they were good with people, and that's just business 101. They're someone that people want to work for, work with. No, they don't have to be gregarious, but they're decent people. And then secondly, they're willing to follow a system. They've got the humility to say, hey, there's a reason why I bought into a franchise. I'm going to come in and trust you. The ones that follow the system the closest were most successful.” Quotes “For most people, franchising is a better path to business ownership, because it allows you to have those training wheels.” “You've got to be someone that people want to work with.” “If it were easy, everybody would be a business owner.” “As long as you can be someone that people want to work for and find your competitive advantage.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://franbridgeconsulting.com/ Connect with Jon Ostenson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonostenson/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Does it feel like no matter how hard you work, there's never enough time? As an entrepreneur, there's always more work to do–but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the process. Today's guest will help you break free from the stress cycle and enjoy calmer, more peaceful productivity.  Erin Harrington helps busy, overwhelmed high achievers align their work with their well-being, empowering them to integrate success across all areas of life and make time for what truly matters. Anchored in a lifelong passion for self-care and spirituality, Erin's journey began with balancing life goals amid significant challenges. As a top-performing sales leader in a startup that successfully went public, she faced burnout despite her accolades. Later, confronting complex neurological disabilities led her to discover that managing her stress response was key to well-being. This transformation from survival to thriving fueled her passion for helping others. Now, she shares the concepts and tools that reshaped her life. She is the Founder of Soul Values and author of The Whole Life Planner: An Integrated Toolkit for Purpose, Productivity, and Peace.  What Makes Entrepreneurs Susceptible to Stress Entrepreneurs are wired differently from most people: they're visionaries, problem solvers, and high achievers. But those strengths can backfire when you fall into the stress response trap. At the end of the day, when you still have this long list of things that you intended to get done and didn't make it through all of them, that starts to impact other areas of your life. Stress can show up as constant firefighting, decision fatigue, work-life compartmentalization, perfectionism, or feeling like you never have enough time. The good news is, you can train your brain to respond differently, with a few simple changes. Adding Microhabits to Your Day Erin recommends shifting a few small things throughout your day to help counteract stress. First, try a brain dump in the morning, writing down everything that's on your mind: ideas, problems, reminders. This helps clear the mental clutter and improve your decision-making. Next, try celebrating wins at the end of each work day, however small. Some days you may be celebrating financial windfalls, but other days it could be as simple as remembering to eat lunch or getting outside for a walk in the sunshine. Lastly, avoid distractions, especially things like scrolling social media (which can easily hijack your body's stress response).  Enjoy this episode with Erin Harrington… Soundbytes 6:06-6:25 “Entrepreneurs are wired for stress naturally. They are naturally wired differently. They're visionaries, they're problem solvers, and naturally high achievers. But these strengths can backfire when they fall into the stress response trap.”  12:58-13:19 “Our brains crave habits. It literally wants to have reinforced habits. And so when you make these micro adjustments, whether you're using my tools or whatever else that you're doing, daily habits really do increase your effectiveness. It's proven by science.” Quotes “As an entrepreneur, if you take small daily micro actions, you can actually fuel your work.” “I want people to take that control back, because it's available to you, and it's not as hard as you think.” “You don't need to spend hundreds of hours in therapy. It's simple rewiring that can be achieved by anyone, by small shifts in micro habits.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://soulvalues.com/  Connect with Erin Harrington on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harringtonerin/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

What's the difference between a successful freelancer and one who struggles with feast or famine? It's not how good you are at your craft, but how you position yourself to clients. Amy Posner is a seasoned online entrepreneur and business coach who helps digital creative freelancers build breakthrough businesses. Over her 30-year career, she's launched six successful businesses (five of which are still in business today) and mentored thousands of freelancers to success.  Now, Amy focuses on empowering freelancers to grow the business they want by teaching them the skills they need to attract the right clients inside her Complete Breakthrough Freelancer course and on her podcast, Business Badassery. Overcoming Feast or Famine The biggest challenge for freelancers is feast or famine–a windfall of work followed by a period of little to no income. The best way to overcome this is with business systems and processes, so you always have another project in the pipeline. Amy teaches her students skills like writing proposals, selling on calls, and communicating the value they deliver. Many successful freelancers give their clients expert strategic advice, but are selling themselves as order takers–someone who does nothing more than follow orders and create deliverables. If you position yourself as a strategist, you're perceived as much more valuable.  The Difference between an Order Taker and an Expert The primary difference between order takers and experts is that experts deliver an experience, not just deliverables. It starts on the discovery call, when you first connect with the client. High-quality clients want a strategic partner, someone they can trust to give them expert advice and who is interested in getting results. Once you've landed the client, you need to deliver on the experience you've promised. When in doubt, overcommunicate and overdeliver. Again, systems and processes come in handy here. Keep the client in the loop on what's happening, especially for longer projects. Be reliable and do what you say you're going to do. Enjoy this episode with Amy Posner… Soundbytes 12:29-12:43 “I see so many successful freelancers who are giving expert advice, and they're counseling as experts, but they're selling themselves as a creator of deliverables. And you're seen in a very different light.” 18:02-18:21 “The truth is, you don't need a unique perspective. You need a perspective. If a client's going out looking, they don't care that I think the same thing you do. They care what I think. So they're not looking necessarily for originality. They're looking for a stake in the ground, that you believe in something and that you have something to say.”  Quotes “What I noticed was that you could be really great at your craft. And if you didn't have commensurate business skills, you didn't do as well as mediocre craftspeople who had the business side down.” “Nobody gets into business to sell stuff. They get into business because they love doing a thing.”  “I'm a chronic over-deliverer. I like to get invested in people and in getting results.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://amyposner.com/ Connect with Amy Posner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyposnerbusinessgrowthmentor/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Omar Alvarez is on a mission to reinvent how we connect—by bringing storytelling back to the heart of technology. With his startup KINNECT, he's doing exactly that—creating a platform that helps people share their life stories, from past experiences to future dreams, in a way that's meaningful, inclusive, and easy to use. Not only has he secured support for his vision, but he's now poised to disrupt an outdated market and drive innovation, building a fresh space where technology meets human connection. With professional experience at some of the world's most iconic storytelling brands like Nike, Levi's, Hilton, and Hims and Hers, Omar brings a unique blend of creative expertise and personal passion to every piece of the KINNECT experience Creating Connections at Work KINNECT creates social spaces for people to connect and drive belonging, whether with your family, friends, or team at work. Each environment is hyper-personalized.  One big challenge–and opportunity–in the marketplace is creating connections in the workforce. How do you feel like you belong when you work remotely or never see the higher-ups? Employees want to know about the people they work with, who their executives are, and who's responsible for big decisions at the company. To be effective at work, you have to feel like you're part of a team. KINNECT is hoping to help bridge that gap. Securing Funding In the beginning, the thought of raising capital was daunting for Omar. The odds were stacked against him. But he didn't let the odds hold him back. At the end of the day, investors are just people. Omar shares his story and the mission behind KINNECT (which was partly inspired by the death of his grandfather), and the right people connect with the product. Some people have told Omar it's unprofessional to share personal stories, but he knows it's important for investors to believe in the founder–and that means being authentic to who he is. To date, he's raised over $400,000 in funding. Enjoy this episode with Omar Alvarez… Soundbytes 6:32-6:43 “I really want to think about all the beautiful and cool things about social media and ways of connection today, but I want to cherry-pick what I like about them and then build a complete opposite direction.”  28:52-29:06 “I was like, All right, I have this amount of money. I have this big vision. How am I going to build an AI that is not going to change the algorithm to focus on behaviors for purchasing, but instead, how can I use the algorithm to actually help people?” Quotes “How do you feel like you belong at work when there's such little information and little ways of actually driving belonging besides like a random Slack huddle?” “To be effective at work, you have to feel like you're part of a team.” “Investors are also people. They should definitely look at the needs for business growth. But why not let someone who is Latino, first-generation, English as a second language? Why can't I just act that way too in building a company that is venture scalable?” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.kinnect.club/ Connect with Omar Alvarez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heraldalvarez/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Ever wish there was a cheat sheet on exactly what to look for in your employees? Fred Meyers has cracked the code on how to hire, develop, and retain great team members. As the founder of Queensboro, Fred is an early pioneer and 40+ year veteran of the custom logo apparel business, selling directly to small and medium-sized businesses. As technology evolved, from 800 numbers and fax machines to personal computers, the internet, and mobile devices, Fred navigated each marketing shift. From small print ads and direct mail to catalogs and digital campaigns, he adapted using custom-built software, often developed on tight budgets. The 4P System A few years after recovering from the 2008 recession, Fred had a realization that to build a truly great company, he needed a great team. From that moment on, building and developing his team has been the highest priority. He realized that great employees had four characteristics in common: what he calls the 4P's. The first P is for productivity: the person can do their job, and they have the basic skills. The second is that they're positive and bring good energy to the group. They're easy to communicate with. The key to communication is trust. It's not just about what they say, but their actions too.  The next P is for principled, which is how they engage with others. Do they treat other people the way they want to be treated? The final P is for proactive: they're always seeking to improve and take responsibility for whatever comes across their path. They have a growth mindset and love learning.  Recruiting based on the 4P's has led to a compassionate, non-traditional group of people on Fred's team. Instead of looking at where someone went to college or what credentials they have, they hire based on what kind of person they are. Enjoy this episode with Fred Meyers… Soundbytes 8:27-8:51 “I've always seen the way people have their favorite articles of clothing, the favorite garments, you know, and they the way they feel about these, these pieces of clothing, are far greater than what they should based on the fact that it's some cotton, it's a couple of buttons, maybe a little bit of color. But there's some magic that goes on there, and I saw potential for that magic.” 18:27-18:56 “Why aren't we doing better? Why aren't we doing better? And I'm on lap 50, and I think I was 50 at the time when it happened, and just thinking about that too, and I hit the wall, and I said, Ah, we're not doing better because we're not better. We're actually performing to our level of ability.”  39:21-39:38 “We've got a lot of really compassionate and somewhat nontraditional people here, because we're not looking as much for credentials or where do you go to college, that kind of thing. But what's in your heart?” Quotes “I try to model the way I lead and be a boss based on the environment that I would want to work in.” “You're doing as good as you should be doing, so how do you do better?”  “We're not looking as much for credentials or where you went to college, but what's in your heart?” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.queensboro.com/ Connect with Fred Meyers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-meyers-12250b3/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Did you know your heart contains 40,000 neurons? Your heart can sense things that your logical brain simply can't–and tapping into that intelligence can help you make better decisions for your business.    Leyla Salvadé is a Heart Intelligence expert and founder of Standing Light™, a company empowering humanity through heart-centered education and events. As a Heartfulness Therapist at an exclusive clinic in Zurich, she guides royalty, billionaires, and visionaries on journeys of healing and self-regulation. Creator of The Standing Light Method™, the world's first heart workout, Leyla bridges science and spirituality to unlock the heart's potential, inspiring individuals to shift from a head-based mentality to a heart-empowered reality. The Power of the Heart There are three brains in the body: the head, the gut, and the heart. Many entrepreneurs are caught up in the head (logic, judging, analytical reasoning) and gut (instinct). The downside of overlying on logic is that our brains operate based on memory, and our memories are often based on fear or trauma. The heart brain, which contains 40,000 neurons, is responsible for intuition–the most underutilized resource for most people.  Luckily, the heart is also a muscle. Like any muscle, the more you train it, the stronger and more intelligent it becomes. Leyla's Standing Light Method guides people back into the heart and creates coherence between the head and the heart. How to Develop Your Heart Intelligence To make better decisions and lead a healthy life, you need to have a strong relationship with your inner self (your heart).  One easy way to connect with your intuition on a daily basis is to practice placing your hands on your heart as soon as you wake up. Feel your heartbeat. Slow down and tune in until you can really hear it. Practice gratitude for your heart, the organ responsible for keeping you alive and the seat of so much inner wisdom. Enjoy this episode with Leyla Salvadé… Soundbytes 10:45-11:50 “So ultimately, we have three brains in the body. We've got the head brain, which in our current society is the All-Knowing King. And then we've got the heart brain, and then the gut brain, and the intelligence of the head brain is logic, and we need that. We need that intellectual logic that deciphers and judges and assesses is this good, is this bad, is this wrong, is it right? The Heart Brain, its intelligence is intuition, and then the gut brain is instinct.”  13:49-14:02 “The future is heart, but without understanding that the heart has its own brain, people would assume that it's just all very airy and beautiful, but that's not fact. That's not the truth. It's a matter of training this heart intelligence, which is also a muscle, and just like any muscle, the more you train it, the stronger it becomes, and the more intelligent it becomes.” Quotes “I was always on a mission to make the world a better place.” “It was the transmutation, the alchemization of my deepest pain point into my greatest healing, and I knew I needed to share this with the world, and that that was my destiny.”  “Logic will get you into the door, but intuition will keep you in the room.” “Emotions are energy in motion.” “You don't need anything outside of yourself to have the deepest transformational experience.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.standinglight.com/  Connect with Leyla Salvadé on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leylasalvade/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/  

As any venture capitalist knows, not every investment pays off. Half of all new businesses fail within the first five years–but today's podcast guest has learned to spot the winners. Brandon T. Adams is a 2X Emmy® Award-Winning Producer, Podcaster, Media Expert, Investor, and Advisor. In 2017, he founded Accelerant Media Group, an agency that produces commercials, social media content, and TV shows. Accelerant Media Group has produced TV Shows and Documentaries such as Ambitious Adventures, Success in Your City, Red Flags, and Beyond Small Town Dreams.  Brandon is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Big Brand Ventures, an advisory and marketing firm that helps scale companies from 7 figures to 8-9 figures in revenue. His expertise in business growth has led to successful campaigns across diverse industries, such as Tech, TeleHealth, Marketing, Blockchain, Entertainment & Film, Franchising, and Consumer Products. From Crowdfunding to Equity Consulting Brandon entered the investing world through crowdfunding. After helping people raise money for their businesses, he realized there was an opportunity to trade his consulting talents and network in exchange for a piece of the company. He could get paid to help the founders increase the value of their company.  Not every investment pays off. No one can predict the future and many businesses fail within their first few years, but some turn into other opportunities–and it just takes one good bet to make it a win for all parties.  What Makes a Successful Entrepreneur When Brandon is choosing his investments, he bets on the founder more than the business. Part of their vetting process involves auditing the founder to see how coachable they are, if they're open to different ideas, or if there's a real reason they haven't been able to scale on their own. Some of the qualities they look for are integrity, grit, and adaptability.   Being open to change is essential because every level of business requires something different from the founder: a different operating system, team, and skill set. To go from zero to $100,000 takes a different person than $100,000 to $1 million or $1 million to $10 million. The most successful founders are able to evolve into what their business needs at that new level. Enjoy this episode with Brandon T. Adams… Soundbytes 15:47-16:03 “I bet on the person, the CEO, the founder. I've seen really good products and opportunities that fail and don't scale because the person running or operating the business is their own worst enemy. They're not open to change.”  17:39-18:04 “What it takes you to go from zero to 100,000 is one thing. Going from 100,000 to a million is one thing. To go from a million to 10 million is a whole other story. To go from 10 million to 100 million…That whole process takes different people, different conversations, different structures, different systems, and you, as the founder and CEO, have to become a different person.” Quotes “If you want anything in life and you surround yourself with the right people and work towards it, you'll achieve it.” “If you can communicate the story, and obviously the brand around it, that's what people buy into.” “When you're around certain people that do things at a certain level, it opens your mind to that level.”  “That's the thing with this world, you never can predict the future, and it just takes one time to be right to make it a big win for all parties.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: http://www.BrandonTAdams.com Connect with Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandontadams1/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Could your digital business benefit from more physical marketing? Mark Stern is reimagining direct mail with experiential boxes designed to set your customers up for success and extend lifetime value.  Mark is a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Custom Box Agency, a design agency that specializes in optimizing the customer journey through direct mail. His innovative work caught the attention of Forbes, which featured him as one of the Next 1,000 Entrepreneurs redefining the American Dream. He was also highlighted in Joey Coleman's Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Never Lose an Employee Again. Before embarking on his entrepreneurial path, Stern was a top-ranked strategy consultant at Deloitte Consulting, the world's largest consulting firm. He is an MBA graduate from Duke University. Stern is also a six-time Spartan Trifecta holder and serves as a mentor at South by Southwest (SXSW), guiding up-and-coming startups.  Connecting the Digital to the Physical The idea for the Custom Box Agency was born out of Mark's experience buying online courses. After spending $2,000+ on a course, he was left to print out the workbook or go to the store to track down what he needed to get started. Oftentimes, he didn't end up starting at all. He began to wonder how course creators could better set their students up for success–beyond simply sending swag with the company logo. When Mark started shipping out his boxes, the idea immediately caught on. People shared unboxing videos and became unofficial ambassadors and salespeople for the business. In the first year, Custom Box Agency grew from zero to a million dollars in revenue, all through organic word-of-mouth. The 3 Customer Journeys One key aspect of Mark's custom box business is tailoring the boxes to the customer journey. There are three different types of journeys throughout the customer lifecycle: acquisition, delivery, and retention. And within those journeys, there are multiple steps. On the acquisition journey, prospects might discover you through social media, SEO, or in-person events. After someone finds you, you don't necessarily want to pitch them right away–those are cold leads. So you might nurture them through case studies, demos, or free content to build more of a relationship with them. From there, you have to close them as a customer. What does the point of sale look like?  After someone buys your product, you need to take them from onboarding to delivering the value you promised. Retention involves recognizing your clients. How do you celebrate them when they hit a milestone or introduce the next way that you can serve them? If someone goes through one journey, the question is, what's next?  Enjoy this episode with Mark Stern… Soundbytes 5:57-6:22 “If you have something digital, you need something physical to complement it. And now, in this day and age, where it's becoming even more relevant, is the rise of AI. We have so much digital content being pumped into the system. When we think about experience, design experiences seen through the senses, everything digital is only what you see and hear. A podcast is what you hear, YouTube is what you see and hear, and Facebook scrolling is what you see. I can activate the kinesthetic, touch, taste, and smell.” 13:28-13:42 “Recognition is huge. How do I celebrate you and see you when you hit a milestone or introduce the next way that I can serve you? So when we think about journey stacking, if people get through one journey, the question is, what's next? And that becomes the retention play. How do I extend the relationship and extend lifetime value?”  25:32-25:57 “How are we thinking about the programs we're creating, and are we engineering a replayable story? And we should be. The example I tell course creators and coaches all the time is, have you ever played a song and then six months later, listened to the song again and it had a new meaning? Or have you ever watched a movie and then years later, watched it again and it was a completely different experience? That's because we evolve.”  Quotes “It started this idea of, if you have something digital, you need something physical to compliment it.” “We went from zero to a million in the first year via word of mouth, just because we had a unique perspective on how can we truly set people up for success.” “Swag means stuff without a goal. Stop sending people stuff. Truly engineer the things that they need to be set up for success.” “People love getting surprises in the mail.”  “As an entrepreneur, it's important that we hold a bigger vision for our people than they hold for themselves.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://customboxagency.com/ Connect with Mark Stern on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marustern/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Did you know that every year, the government gives small business owners millions of dollars in funding? Most entrepreneurs aren't even aware that this type of assistance is available, let alone how to access it. Today's guest shares an inside look at how you can secure funding for your business. Matthew Lesko is a well-known author, speaker, and advocate for government programs and benefits. He has dedicated his career to educating Americans about available government assistance, authoring over 20 books that have sold more than 4 million copies, including Get Government Money for Your Business.  Matthew gained national recognition through his engaging infomercials, which showcased various government grants and programs. He has made numerous appearances on popular television shows, including Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with David Letterman. In recent years, Lesko has transitioned to a community-focused model with his platform, Lesko Help, which connects individuals with resources and support for navigating government benefits. With a community of over 15,000 members, he continues to empower people to access legitimate government programs that can enhance their quality of life. The Free Money Economy Although about 60% of our economy is capitalism (companies that want to take your money), the other 40% is what Matthew calls the free money economy: organizations that want to give you money. These are government offices, grants, and nonprofit organizations.  As the American economy grows, 10% of the population benefits while 90% of people are getting a smaller and smaller share of the pie. Matthew's mission is to help the 90% find and use the government assistance that's already available.  How to Find Funding Opportunities  To look for funding opportunities, your first instinct might be to go to Google–but search engine rankings are determined by whoever is most effective at marketing.  Instead, search on government websites that end in .gov or nonprofit websites that end in .org. You can also try the database at sba.gov/local-assistance to search for more local opportunities. Another great resource for entrepreneurs is careeronestop.org. These job help centers often provide free training, grants, and even funding for you to grow and train your team.  Whenever possible, try to connect with a real human being rather than fill out an online application. The people who work for these organizations will be able to point you in the right direction. Enjoy this episode with Matthew Lesko… Soundbytes 9:28-9:48 “Once you're having fun, then I think that's where you find out what your superpowers are because you're what's special about you is usually what other people call weird. That's a clue, that's probably a superpower. You can do that better than anybody else.” 13:54-14:23 “About 60% of everything in our economy is capitalism. On the other side, that's what I call the free money economy. Give out money. These people want to take money. You want your money, right? These people want to give you money. These are government offices and nonprofit organizations. I had no idea about all that stuff, but it represents 40% of everything in our economy is giving away money.  Quotes “The most important decisions are those that other people think you're hurting yourself, but you're not.” “You make up reasons why it's okay not to follow your heart. And I just had to do it.” “Your heart is smarter than your brain.” “Those failures were a godsend. Because I wasn't having fun, I wasn't succeeding.” “You have to fail to grow.”  “40% of everything in our economy is giving away money.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://www.free.lesko.com/leskohelp  Connect with Matthew Lesko on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesk0/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Between employee burnout, working remotely, and economic stress, being a leader these days comes with its fair share of challenges. This week's podcast guest shares how to steer your team to success. Karin Hurt is the Founder and CEO of Lets Grow Leaders, a global leadership company known for practical tools and leadership development programs that stick. A former Verizon Wireless executive with more than two decades of experience in sales, customer service, and human resources, Karin is known for growing courageous leaders, building great cultures, and inspiring high-performance teams. Karin and her husband, David have helped tens of thousands of leaders on every continent (except Antarctica) with their leadership development programs and keynotes. They also provide clean water to the people of Cambodia through their Winning Wells philanthropic initiative. Karin is an award-winning author of five books and host of the popular LinkedIn show, Asking for a Friend. She was recently named by Inc. Magazine as a Top 100 Great Leadership Speaker. Developing Leaders in Your Company Lets Grow Leaders works with fast-growing startups to help them expand beyond the founder group. When you have a small team, everyone is a visionary and free to pursue their ideas. But once you reach 50 people, you need systems and processes. You need to create alignment throughout the organization. The first step is to clarify your vision. Where is the company going and what are your most important things (what Karin calls MITs). What is your communication style? How are you how are you leading? How are you training and growing leaders within your company? Get everyone on the page. Turning Conflict into Collaboration  After surveying 5,000 people in 45 countries, 70% said they were experiencing the same or significantly more workplace conflict than before the pandemic. More people are working remotely, some are feeling disconnected due to lingering mental health challenges. Others are experiencing burnout from understaffing and increased workload. The biggest cause of conflict is a lack of shared expectations. As the leader, you might think you've clearly communicated your expectations, but your team could have misinterpreted them. If you tell your team they can work from anywhere, it's worth clarifying what exactly that means. Do they still need to attend meetings in your time zone? Do they need to have their camera on? If you require people to come into the office, what are they expected to do with that time? Define what success looks like and share that definition with your team. Enjoy this episode with Karin Hurt… Soundbytes 10:16-10:32 “It gets very frustrating because you do not have the systems and processes, and everybody is used to being able to come up with their idea and follow their idea, but you really need alignment and you need communication plans. You need all those foundational things.” 15:03-15:28 “You've got remote and hybrid teams. You've got people who are feeling disconnected with lingering mental health challenges. You've got burnout and understaffing, and all of that is emerging, and yet we're coming to people and saying, ‘You've got to do more.' The economy is uncertain, and all of that is really creating a lot of stress and anxiety for people. And so we need to give people practical ways to collaborate.” Quotes “The biggest challenge that we're seeing right now is that there is so much conflict.” “On the other side of differences of opinion, that's where innovation really lies.” “One good conversation about expectations can prevent 14 ‘why didn't you' conversations.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://letsgrowleaders.com/ Connect with Karin Hurt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-hurt/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

With the digital marketing world changing so fast, how can you keep up? Sunny Dublick shares her recommendations for effective marketing in 2025 and how your company can innovate to stay ahead of the curve. Sunny is an award-winning marketing specialist and founder of Sunny Dublick Marketing. Sunny has spent over 15 years in the marketing and advertising industry, working with high-profile clients such as the Philadelphia 76ers and HanesBrands, as well as small and medium-sized businesses spanning the hospitality, retail, and professional services industries. After nine years working for various advertising agencies and corporate marketing departments, Sunny set out on her own, forming Sunny Dublick Marketing to provide transparent and effective marketing solutions to businesses nationwide. Her strategies are designed to inspire creativity and enable clients to grow the best, most authentic version of their brand. The Future of AI in Marketing The digital marketing landscape is constantly shifting. Instead of fighting to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with rapidly changing technology, Sunny recommends slowing down. If you decide to incorporate something new, be intentional. Act from a place of purpose instead of fear of the future. At one point, no one knew how to post on Facebook or run Google ads. There were a lot of unknowns–but business owners and marketers figured it out over time. The same will be true for AI and these new technologies. The important part is to stay open and be willing to try new things. If you want to incorporate AI into your marketing, Sunny recommends using it to kickstart ideas rather than write all of your content. It can be helpful for a first draft, so you're not staring at a blank page, but it still needs a human touch. No one wants to read a blog post written entirely by AI. The Importance of Innovation  The role of marketing in your organization goes beyond generating new leads. Your marketing team can also problem-solve across departments, inspire new offers, and overcome sales objections. Instead of assuming there's a marketing problem when leads slow down, Sunny recommends starting at the source. Are your offerings still what your customers want? Is there room for innovation and growth? Has the market evolved? Separating marketing from branding, sales, and finance doesn't serve your organization. This is why more and more companies are shifting away from Chief Marketing Officers to Chief Growth Officers or Brand Officers, to bridge different functions.  Enjoy this episode with Sunny Dublick… Soundbytes 11:11-11:32 “People are looking forward to like, Metaverse and web 3.0 and how do we stay ahead of that? There's always been, for a really long time, a question mark of where things are going. And the worst thing that you can do, from a marketing perspective is just running after that shiny object and being like, I have to do this too, right?”  23:20-23:42 “Oftentimes companies will work with a marketing company and they'll have a fancy new logo, some pretty pictures on a website, and they're like, cool, we're done, right? That's what I call lipstick-on-a-pig marketing. You made it pretty. But at the end of the day, your offering is something that can and should change over time.”  Quotes “The beautiful thing about marketing, especially digital marketing, is so much of what you need to know is available to be self-taught.” “The worst thing that you can do from a marketing perspective is run after that shiny object.” “The nature of marketing is one in which you always have to be agile, and you always have to be willing and able to try new things.”  “Now we can write six posts a day automatically, but just because you can doesn't mean you should.” “Marketing can and should be something that bridges a lot of different functions within an organization, and you're only getting a tiny piece of it if you're keeping them pigeon-holed into these are the people that put up my social media posts and run some ads for me.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: http://sunnydublick.com  Connect with Sunny Dublick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnydublick/ Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form

Just how safe is your business online? Fraud cases have more than doubled in recent years, while AI-driven scams are only growing more sophisticated. Today's guest shares how you can protect your business. John King is an experienced business executive and IT consultant who has worked with many small, midsize, and Fortune 1000 companies. He has held various management positions including Controller, CIO, Director of Applications Development, and president of his own consulting company. His book The Compass Approach provides techniques for managing a business around the four points of the compass to achieve improved results. Staying Safe Online John is a founding member of TrustedAndTrue, a one-of-a-kind matchmaking service that addresses a growing concern in the dating industry: fraud and theft. TrustedAndTrue's rigorous enrollment process eliminates the risk of individuals using fake identity credentials, giving users the security that everyone they interact with is who they say they are. TrustedAndTrue stems from John's work at The Authenticity Institute, an organization working to implement authenticity solutions in different industries. One of their latest innovations is the digital signature, which requires an in-depth identity verification process. To keep your business safe from scams, you could require a digital signature to access certain materials.  Unlike traditional passwords, the digital signature is virtually impossible to hack. Most information security technology aims to catch scammers after they've already broken into your records. Digital signatures could potentially prevent these crimes before they happen.  Marketing Across Industries Because their technology can apply to so many industries, The Authenticity Institute looks for entrepreneurs with deep experience in a particular vertical. Those experts become the marketing team, spreading the word about authenticity technology in banking, healthcare, law, real estate, and even the music industry. Each industry has a unique perspective business plan. Enjoy this episode with John King… Soundbytes 16:24-16:39 “If you have a business and you're counting on the person that you're working with from a vendor, that they're legit, right? You may not be successful with that. You may end up with a write-off you don't really want to have.” 22:00-22:17 “If you look at the information security market, it's growing by leaps and bounds. But they're operating on a premise where they ‘catch the bad guys' after the fact. We're saying we don't want to do that. We want to catch you before you go in.” 31:40-32:03 “What happens is one of your vendors gets their email address hacked and they send you a request to send some information and give you a fake number, and all of a sudden, you send thousands of dollars to an address that you've not sent before. And you've got a problem.” Quotes “The key is having an entrepreneur who understands the marketplace and can say this is how it should work and this is how we can bring value to that particular marketplace.”  “They're operating on a premise where they ‘catch the bad guys' after the fact. We want to catch them before.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://trustedandtrue.net/  Connect with John King on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/johnwkingii  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

What makes a compelling offer? According to Michael Barbarita, there are five essential elements that play a role in conversion. Michael is the founder and CEO of Next Step CFO, providing fractional CFO services to small businesses. Michael has owned and operated retail, service, and manufacturing companies for over 30 years. One of his companies, Ski Town USA, grew from $2.5 Million to $8 million in less than 5 years. His product, Cookies To Scoop Frozen Cookie Dough was featured on the QVC Home Shopping Network and was one of the top 20 products in the State of Massachusetts in 1997. The Conversion Formula Michael takes all his clients through a four-step process to conversion. The first step is Captivate: get the customer's attention by speaking to their problems and pain points. The second phase is Fascinate, where you present your unique solution to that problem. The combination of these two elements creates market dominance. Without either one, the rest of the formula falls apart.  The third component is Educate. Now that you have the customer's attention, you can educate them on how to solve that problem. The final phase is the Close, which needs to be a compelling offer. Once you get this messaging formula right, you can use it on any marketing platform you choose. 5 Elements of Compelling Offer There are five components to a compelling offer. The first is scarcity or urgency, something that compelled the customer to take action due a deadline or limited quantity.  The second component is risk reversal, where the business takes on most or all of the risk associated with the purchase. For example, in the ski industry, customers never know if their skis are truly the right fit until they're out on the mountain. So in Michael's business, he implemented “the ski guarantee” where customers were allowed to try out their new skis up to three times risk-free. Out of the 11,000 pairs of skis they sold that year, only 14 customers returned them. The third element of a compelling offer is adding more value to your product or service. The fourth is to package or bundle multiple products together, which gives the impression of a discount. The fifth and final element is to be indifferent to the outcome. Go into every sales conversation with the customer's best interest in mind and you'll see your conversions increase. Enjoy this episode with Michael Barbarita… Soundbytes 10:18-10:33 “We're all afraid of increasing our prices. But if we market it right and show value, and/or either market it right or show value or market it right and show value, we can charge anything.” 20:58-21:33 “If you sound like a used car salesperson, or if you look like you're pressing in any way, shape or form, to make a sale, the customer has this feeling that you're out for yourself and not for them. So you've got to present your selling, your sales presentations and so forth…you've got to be very detached from the outcome. And it's hard. It's hard to do, by the way, but you have to be detached from the outcome so that you can make that sale and the customer knows you have their best interests in mind.” Quotes “We always implemented business and financial strategies that the competition wasn't doing.”  “Once you fail, you gotta get back on your feet quick. Otherwise, you're gonna stay down.”  “Only 1-3% of any of buyers in any market, in any industry, at any moment is ready to buy now. The other 97-99% are on this journey, and that journey can last anywhere from 15 seconds to 15 years.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: http://www.nextstepcfo.net  Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbarbarita/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

The digital marketing world has gone through a lot of changes in the past decade, but search engine optimization (SEO) remains as relevant as ever.  Jesse Ringer is the founder of Method and Metric search engine marketing agency. For over 10 years, he has helped business owners and marketing teams build winning SEO strategies for their organizations that drive website traffic and generate revenue. Jesse's passion for progression, creativity backed by data, and the democratization of tech have led him to build an agency focused on connecting data and people in an ethical and forward-thinking way. He is a creative problem solver, marketer, and entrepreneur, known for building high-performing teams and delivering results.  The Best Type of Content to Create in 2025 As AI becomes more commonly used in content writing, Jesse encourages his clients not to underestimate the value of human connection. Any business can pump out 50 articles per month using AI, but all those articles will sound identical. What makes great content is your brand's unique voice, perspective, and ideas.  On a related note, don't create content just for the sake of ranking on Google. Write for lead generation, not just traffic. What type of content will actually drive revenue in your business? In most cases, this will mean going beyond how-to educational content.  What questions do your clients commonly ask you? Get clear on your target audience and their pain points, then create content that demonstrates your expertise in solving those problems. The Website Optimization Process  To optimize your website, start by auditing your current system: what technology and plug-ins are you using? How is the website content organized? What keywords are you targeting and which are you actually ranking for? Then decide what your priorities are moving forward. At this stage, Jesse usually builds out a list of recommendations for his clients: including updates to their keyword strategy, site architecture, website pages, blog content, as well as the technical implementation. The next step is a roadmap for implementation. Depending on the changes that need to be made, it could take up to six months. Most clients start to see results within the first few months, with exponential growth around the six-month mark. Enjoy this episode with Jesse Ringer… Soundbytes 14:13-14:40 “We could pump out 50 articles a month now, right? Okay, but they're gonna sound like all the other ones that are being pumped out right now. How do you continue to make this unique to your brand and resonate with your audience? If they're just producing content for the sake of ranking, great, but that's not like that's not going to be a driving force of their business.” 20:59-21:17 “Find the thing that you do really well. And how do you put that into a guide to help educate your potential customers? When smarter customers see how helpful you are and how good you are at what you do, they'll be more inclined to work with you down the road.” 27:10-27:36 “If you're running paid ads or social ads, SEO is a way to lower customer acquisition costs. SEO is always on. Organic search is always on. If you decide to stop working, it will continue to help bring traffic in for quite some time after you pull the plug on that. Whereas ads, you turn it off, you don't see any more traffic from those ads.”  Quotes “I always wanted to have my own business. I just had no idea how I was going to get there.” “Clicks are not going to make you more money.” “Clicks are part of it. But if those clicks don't convert, it's wasted.” “You could rank number one for 1000 keywords, but if nobody searches for them, what good does it do?” “SEO helps to inform the whole marketing strategy. It informs your website strategy and it serves a lot of other marketing channels.” “AI is pulling from all of the internet, so you are just going to get the average of all of the internet. And I really hope you don't think your business is average.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://methodandmetric.com  Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseringer/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

When Luke Boyenger's family business went bankrupt in the 2007-2008 financial crisis, it ignited an unexpected passion. After witnessing the painful closure of his father's business, Luke began to look around at the other companies that survived the same financial crisis. What did they have in common? The answer came down to accounting and finances.  Luke has since dedicated his career to mastering the art of successful business management. This mission led him to pursue a degree in accounting, secure his CPA license, and start a company of his own: Cruzumi CFO & Advisory, where he helps business owners increase profits and improve cash flow.  The Strategic Value of Accounting Many business owners view accounting as a necessary evil. But Luke says it should be a major value driver in the business, beyond just filing taxes. Understanding your finances allows you to make data-driven decisions about how to grow your business. Without that data, you're simply guessing.   As a business owner, it's easy to spend all day on busy work that doesn't actually move the needle. Quality financial data helps you determine which tasks drive revenue and create value in the company–and which tasks don't. Your CFO (whether fractional or full-time) should be producing budgets, cash flow forecasts, and projections. They should meet with you regularly as a strategic advisor to help you build the financial roadmap to achieve your business goals. When Should You Hire a Fractional CFO? Luke is often asked about the best time to hire a fractional CFO vs. a full-time employee. In most cases, a part-time fractional CFO is the more cost-effective solution. But it doesn't just come down to revenue–what matters is the complexity of the business.  Some questions worth considering are: What stage of business are you in? What are your growth goals? How are you planning to achieve those goals?  If you have a simple business model and modest growth goals, it makes sense to hire a fractional CFO. If you have a complex model, ambitious growth goals, and plan to sell your company or buy other businesses, a full-time CFO is probably worth the investment.  Enjoy this episode with Luke Boyenger… Soundbytes 3:29-3:53 “I looked at what happened in my dad's business, and I looked around and saw all these other businesses that did not go bankrupt during the exact same financial crisis. And I was like, Well, why? Why did they survive and we didn't? Something's different about their businesses than ours. And I knew just enough at that point to understand that it was something about accounting and finance.” 7:58-8:19 “So many business owners view accounting as a necessary evil or just want to do the bare minimum to be able to file a tax return. The only reason companies do accounting is they can file taxes. There's no other reason to do accounting other than filing taxes, right? No, that's not true at all.” 8:20-8:49 “Accounting should be a value driver in the business in terms of the quality of data and analysis and information that they're able to put in front of a business owner to allow them to make strategic decisions about how they're going to drive growth in a profitable organization that they're trying to build. Without that flow of really high-quality, timely data coming out of a well-built accounting function, it's impossible to do that.” Quotes “This is how I take the skill set that I've developed and deploy it in a way that's actually meaningful to me because I'm getting to work with business owners that I'm passionate about.”  “Accounting should be a value driver in the business.” “I want my pricing to be at about 25% of the value that we add.” “Marketing works best when you focus it.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: https://cruzumi.com/  Connect with Luke on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-boyenger  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Good writing is the foundation of thought leadership. Whether you choose to write articles online, publish a book, or a combination of both, there's no way around it: writing is an essential skill for any entrepreneur looking to build their authority. Today's guest is here to help you sharpen your storytelling skills.  As the founder of The Institute for Thought Leadership, Rhea Wessel helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses through story smarts. She advises on messaging, AI writing, and finding and articulating your best ideas. As a journalist, Rhea wrote thousands of stories for outlets like the NYT, WSJ, and BBC, and has penned and edited thousands of stories across 30 industries.  Becoming a Thought Leader There's no formula for becoming a thought leader–but there are shortcuts. Writing a book is one of the fastest ways to skyrocket your authority. Publishing a book can help you gain invitations to speak on bigger stages, which leads to more sales, more invitations, and so on. Books can also be repurposed into social media posts, newsletters, and blogs.  Rhea recommends publishing one book per year. If you're just dipping your toe into the thought leadership world, you might want to start with online content. But don't be afraid to pursue bigger publications–one great article could change your business. The 3-Step Process for Thought Leadership Writing The first step in establishing thought leadership is to know your niche. What is your area of expertise and how are you going to distinguish yourself from others in the industry?  Once you're clear on your niche, look for creative ways to frame it. When you're writing about the same topics over and over again, you need fresh ways of framing your ideas. For example, you could repeat the same story, but frame it through the lens of a different audience. If you have more than one ideal customer avatar (ICA), this technique can help you generate new story ideas. The last step is to flesh out your ideas and start writing. Rhea recommends always having an editor or friend review your work. Everything you publish is a reflection of your brand, so quality matters.  Enjoy this episode with Rhea Wessel… Soundbytes 6:47-7:19 “You need to have a writing practice if you're going to be constantly finding new ideas to serve your audience and externalizing those. You need to have ways to take a thought that's just emerging, capture it, and potentially park it for a while until it matures and you're ready to turn that into a piece of intellectual property.”  12:53-13:11 “I am using generative AI daily and It has changed the way I gather information, it's changed the way that I collect it, and also how I write my articles.”  Quotes “Writing is thinking on paper.” “Thought leadership practice lives off intellectual property.” “There are so many great ideas, but they're not being heard.” “I want to help the world's true subject matter experts get their best ideas out there.”  Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Website: http://www.instituteforthoughtleadership.com  Connect with Rhea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheawessel/ Write Like a Thought Leader Book: https://getbook.at/WriteLikeThoughtLeader Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/  

What do all great brands have in common? They create a meaningful experience for their customers–something Stu Synder is an expert in. Stu is the Founder and President of Snyder Media Group, LLC., creating content and providing strategic guidance to media, live entertainment, and start-up companies.  Chances are, you're already familiar with Stu's work. Maybe you watched Cartoon Network or Adult Swim during his long tenure at Turner Broadcasting System. Perhaps you've seen a film he helped bring to screens, such as Terminator 2: Judgement Day or Reservoir Dogs. Or maybe you've attended Disney on Ice or a Ringling Brothers show. Most recently, Stu is the co-owner of Beal's Lobster Pier, an iconic restaurant and lobster pier on Mount Desert Island, Maine. The one thing that all of Stu's projects have in common is that they offer people memorable experiences. Exceed Your Customers' Expectations Stu lives by the rule of over-delivering. When someone walks into his restaurant, he aims to put a smile on their face–whether that's with great customer service, decorations on their takeout box, or an extra gift with their order. It might even involve taking the customer for a walk to show them where the lobsters come in.  It's all about the experience and making them feel connected to your brand. When you exceed expectations, that's what turns customers into advocates.  Equally important is how you deal with customers when things go wrong. Stu personally responds to every review of his restaurant, positive or negative. If it's positive, he thanks them for coming in. If it's not, he uses it as a learning opportunity and lets the customer know how he plans to correct the issue. The most important thing is to make your customers feel heard and taken care of. Building an Entrepreneurial Team As any business owner knows, building a team comes with its fair share of challenges. It can be difficult to keep everyone on the same page moving toward your vision. Stu takes a unique approach, encouraging his team to think like entrepreneurs–to look for out-of-the-box solutions, be creative, and take calculated risks.  If you're the leader, it's your job to give your team direction. But you should also listen to their input on that direction. Set targets together so everyone stays accountable. In the hiring process, Stu recommends focusing on personality just as much (if not more so) than their work experience. Get to know the person, their communication style, and their interests. Would they get along with the other people on your team? Does their communication style work well with yours? Look for people who want positive relationships with their professional peers. Strong connections within your team make for a healthier business. Enjoy this episode with Stu Snyder… Soundbytes 17:13-17:37 “If someone comes in expecting this, I want to over-deliver and exceed their expectations, whether that is the time that they hit Beal's or they get a little thing, someone orders from deals a box of lobsters, or Lunchable kids. How do we over exceed that expectation and put a smile on their face? What do we put in the box? How is the box decorated? How do we deliver on that experience?” 18:47-19:01 “You're not going to take care of 100% of the people and satisfy everyone. It's also when things go wrong or they're not perfect, how do we respond to them? How do we take care of them? Because that's critical to me.”  24:13-24:35 “I like to keep growing. I like working with different teams and learning, because I personally feel that if you if one stays too long in one place, you're only learning one set of disciplines. This is the way we did it. Well, what I wanted to learn was different ways of doing things and then apply it to my overall skill set. “ Quotes “Making people feel special, making people become advocates for your show or advocates for your brand is very important.”  “Over-delivering is critical.” “How do we make people feel special, especially in a world that we're living in, where I think people are looking for that.” “Being a leader was encouraging my team to think as entrepreneurs.”  “Never take yourself too seriously.” “Your team needs direction. They need to know where they're headed.” “If I'm making a hiring decision after one hour, I'm not doing my job.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Visit Stu's website: https://stuartsnyder.com/  Connect with Stu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartsnyder/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Welcome to our special 200th episode! We're thrilled to mark this milestone with none other than Shareef Abdur-Rahim, a former NBA All-Star, Olympic gold medalist, and current President of the NBA G League. Shareef's incredible journey from professional athlete to business leader is packed with lessons on leadership, personal growth, and making an impact. Reflecting on the Journey Beyond the Court In this milestone episode, Shareef shares how he transitioned from a celebrated NBA career into a dynamic role on the business side of sports. From his time as a player to leading the NBA G League's expansion to 31 teams and its first international team in Mexico City, Shareef reveals how he embraced change and built on his strengths to create a meaningful second act. For leaders and entrepreneurs, Shareef offers valuable insights into the importance of setting a clear vision, leading by example, and building trust within a team. He emphasizes that leadership isn't always about charisma—it's about consistency, care, and a shared commitment to success. The Power of Personal Branding Shareef discusses the importance of personal branding, especially for young professionals and athletes. In today's social media-driven world, understanding and leveraging your brand can open doors to lifelong opportunities. Shareef shares practical advice on how to balance authenticity with strategy to build a brand that aligns with your values and goals. This episode also highlights the incredible ability of sports to bring people together, regardless of background or beliefs. Shareef's dedication to creating opportunities for the next generation—both on and off the court—serves as a reminder of how we can all use our platforms to make a difference. Thank you for being part of our journey to 200 episodes! This special conversation with Shareef Abdur-Rahim is packed with inspiration, and we can't wait for you to listen. Soundbytes 11:54-12:20 "I think the ability to be able to one outline a vision for people, you know, I just think our coach meeting us at the beginning saying, Okay, this is our objective. So being able to outline a vision of where you want to go, a plan, to articulate a plan."  15:51-16:22 "I think it starts with education, especially for young people. We're in an era of name, image, and likeness opportunities, and the social media boom has opened so many doors. It's incredible to see young athletes, even as early as high school, learning to leverage these opportunities to build something lasting for their future." 20:55-21:20 "One of the great things about sport is how it humbles you naturally. Being part of a team teaches you that your success relies on others. It's about understanding the necessity of working together, recognizing the value of everyone's contributions, and staying grounded in the process." _____________________________________ Quotes "The power of sport is its ability to bring communities together, regardless of background or beliefs." "Leadership starts with outlining a vision, crafting a plan, and exemplifying the behavior you want to see." "As athletes, we must leverage our experiences to build something meaningful for life beyond the game." _____________________________________ Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Visit Shareef Abdur-Rahim's Website: https://Shareefabdurrahim.com Connect with Shareef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shareef-abdur-rahim/ Learn more about Future Foundation: https://future-foundation.com Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form

When Nick Barrett launched his company in 2020, he had no experience in product development. Just a few years later, his products have appeared on The TODAY Show, Good Morning America, ABC Secret Sales, and the Tamron Hall Show. They've also been endorsed by Sharks from ABC's Shark Tank. His product, the CordBrick, was voted "Coolest Product" by attendees of the National Retail Federation BIG SHOW in NYC in 2023.  Creating a Unique Product Nick built his first prototype of the CordBrick out of modeling clay from Michael's. He knew the design needed to be simple, clean, and mass-market-friendly.  Nick recommends all product-based entrepreneurs find a unique angle or design to help differentiate from the competition–and that once you find that unique aspect, protect it. The CordBrick has multiple patents, including utility and intellectual property.  Share Your Idea as Much as Possible Nick's biggest advice to other entrepreneurs is to share your idea with as many people as possible. Some founders are worried about people stealing their ideas, but the benefits outweigh the risks. An outside perspective can help you see your product in a new light and come up with better solutions.  Another benefit is that the more information you give people, the more likely they are to introduce you to their network and connect you with the right people.  Likewise, Nick recommends consulting with other entrepreneurs who have done the thing you're trying to accomplish. Look into what made those people successful. Read their biographies, and if you're able, reach out and connect with them. But when you ask for advice, focus on the big picture. The industry and technology may have changed, but the principles remain the same. Enjoy this episode with Nick Barrett… Soundbytes 10:17-10:38 “How much would people really pay to solve this problem? Like $5? So one of the first things I did was I took these and I took them to a little shopping center near me, and people told me they would pay not just five, but $10. Some people even told me $20. Several people told me 20 and I was like, Wow, that's crazy. I can't believe people would pay that much to solve this. I might be able to have a business out of this.”  11:58-12:24 “Don't be afraid to share your idea with a lot of people. I think people keep things too close to their chest for too long, and they either don't do anything, or they get stuck on a couple of thoughts. They either haven't diagnosed the problem correctly, or there's a solution they haven't considered, and just by talking to people, I would say I've gained so much more benefit from talking to people.” Quotes “Don't be afraid to share your idea with a lot of people.” “The more you share, the more information people can give you about how to help you better or introduce you to the right person.” “It's more work than you think, but that doesn't mean not to do it.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest CordBrick: https://cordbrick.com/  Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-barrett-0781491a/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Did you know that employees are more likely to stay at an organization when they view their leader as empathetic?  Of all the traits that make for great leadership, empathy is near the top of the list–and according to this week's podcast guest, it's going to be increasingly important for the next generation. Pattie Dale Tye is the Consulting COO for Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC and a Board Member of Trilogy Health Services, LLC. Pattie Dale is also a C-suite veteran with over 30 years of experience leading companies to new heights. She spent over a decade with AT&T, leading sales and operations for the company's largest accounts. In her time with Humana, Pattie Dale was instrumental in the company's multibillion-dollar Large Employer Segment. She is also the best-selling Forbes Author of Ordinary to Extra-Ordinary. Challenges for the Next Generation of Leaders Any entrepreneur who led a team through the pandemic knows how difficult it can be to connect virtually. Leaders need to model behavior, and that's much more difficult to do online. Pattie recommends meeting in person as much as possible. If that's not possible, look for ways to bring the whole team together for virtual events. Another challenge is that Gen Z and millennials don't have a lot of trust in leadership–so you need to work harder to earn their loyalty. They're driven by purpose, autonomy, and flexibility, and they want to work for leaders who share those values. Look for ways to demonstrate those values and show that you care about them as individuals.  Leading with Empathy and Generosity According to Pattie Dale, the two most important characteristics of a leader are empathy and generosity. You need to know the people you're leading and understand where they're coming from. Let them know that you're invested in their success and that they can come to you when they need support. As for generosity, focus on giving back to your team. Replace a “survival of the fittest” mentality with generosity. If someone is struggling, offer to help. Make yourself available. Being approachable can help you get the best of everyone. Enjoy this episode with Pattie Dale Tye… Soundbytes 14:00-14:26 “When it's a customer with a problem that I can help solve in a way that helps that entity flourish, it just lights me up, because you know that had a multiplier effect–that didn't just help that person, that executive that day, or that leader that day, that allowed them to feed many, many families and to grow business in a much more expansive way.” 18:46-19:24 “We need to be leading with empathy right now. And I love to say you need to be leading with generosity. You need to get to know the people you're leading and understand where they're coming from and why they have the notions about leadership they do, because we understand that 50% of the Gen Z's don't have respect nor trust in leadership, and we need to. We need to get to the root cause and let them know that you have as much vested in their success as hopefully they have in their own success.”  Quotes “I was very ordinary until I learned what might make me extraordinary.” “As long as I'm helping solve a problem and release energy to the universe, I'm a happy camper.” “Stop coming to work in a survival mode and come to work in a giving mode.” “If you're not an approachable leader, you're not going to get the best out of your people.” Links mentioned in this episode: From Our Guest Visit Pattie's website: http://pattiedaletye.com  Connect with Pattie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattie-dale-tye/  Connect with brandiD Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Do you ever feel like there just aren't enough hours in the day? As a business owner, your to-do list is virtually never-ending. But what if you could grow your business faster by doing less? Today's podcast guest is proof that it's possible. Rodric Lenhart is a lifelong entrepreneur, multi-best-selling author, and sought-after speaker. Over the last 30 years, he's built several multi-million dollar companies in both the product and service industries. Having traveled to more than 50 countries across six continents, Rodric brings a unique worldview and a deep appreciation for freedom. All profits from his book Million Dollar Flip Flops are donated to his foundation, Send a Student Leader Abroad, with the goal of sending one million kids on life-changing trips.   Build Your Business Around Your Life Like most successful business owners, Rodric is very protective of his time. He wakes up in the sun and has a structured morning routine, after which he works from around 10:00 to 3:00 pm. It's important for him to leave empty space on the calendar for reading, writing, and introspection. That quiet time is crucial for developing the business. When you're busy all day everyday, that leaves little room for new ideas.  If you're trying to find your ideal daily routine, ask yourself what you want your day to look like a year from now–then build a business that fuels that, instead of the other way around. Advice for New Entrepreneurs Rodric has two pieces of advice for new entrepreneurs: the first is to turn off social media. Forget what everyone else is doing and focus on your business and your customers. Don't get lost in the comparison game. Second, try to avoid Shiny Object Syndrome. It's easy to get sucked into the newest app or strategy, but successful businesses are built on the basics. Be willing to pick up the phone and have conversations with people. Figure out what your target audience wants and needs, then give it to them. Let them tell you what they want, instead of trying to impose your ideas on them. Listen and learn. Enjoy this episode with founder Rodric Lenhart… Soundbytes 11:29-11:51 “I'm very protective of my time. I haven't set an alarm in probably 15 years. I wake up with the sun. I have a very set morning routine, and I try to work between around 10:00 and 3:00 every day. And I make a lot of time for reading and introspection and writing and developing the business, not just being busy all the time.” 21:10-21:36 “It's shiny object syndrome, the next cool app or program, the next customer acquisition method. That's not what's going to give you a successful business. It's back to the basics. It's having conversations with people. It's being willing to pick up the phone. It's learning what do they want, what do they need? That's how you know what to give them, versus thinking you have this idea of what to give them.”  Quotes “The bulk of my financial abundance came from the ability to change course.” “What do you want your day to look like a year from now? And let's build a business that feeds that, not the other way around.” “Why write a book? Well, it's to help people who are in the same situation I might have been in 20 years ago.” “Ultimately, it all comes from a place of service. And I think if we aren't wired that way to start, none of the other things fall into place.” “I don't know what chapter two looks like, but I know I can't see it while I'm in the middle of chapter one.”  Links mentioned in this episode: Million Dollar Flip Flops: http://www.milliondollarflipflops.com/  Connect with Rodric on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodriclenhart/  Connect with Rodric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodriclenhart/  Connect with brandiD: Download our free guide to learn 16 crucial website updates that attract more leads and convert visitors into clients: https://thebrandid.com/website-tweaks/ Ready to elevate your digital presence with a powerful brand or website? Contact us here: https://thebrandid.com/contact-form/

Marketing your business on a budget?  In this episode, Michael Herklots shares how he used the power of storytelling and personal branding to build his luxury cigar business from the ground up. Michael has worked in the Premium Cigar Industry since 1999. He served as Vice President of Nat Sherman International, responsible for creating and maintaining the company's portfolio of premium cigars, pipe tobaccos, and accessories. Most recently, he is the co-founder of Ferio Tego, which has been named the “Brand of the Year” by Cigar Dojo and “New Company of the Year” by Halfwheel.  Michael is a Certified Master Tobacconist by Tobacconist University and a thoughtful business leader with 20 years of experience in specialty retail and wholesale luxury goods.  The Power of Storytelling When Michael and his co-founder decided to launch a cigar company during COVID-19, there was no shortage of obstacles. Aside from the challenge of selling cigars during a respiratory pandemic, they also had limited capital. Without the budget to hire a marketing team or ad agency, they leaned on something more powerful: their story.  Over and over again, they told the story of Ferio Tego, their backgrounds in the cigar industry, and their vision for the brand. Both Michael and his co-founder Brendon Scott had plenty of connections in the cigar world, but they took a unique approach to every conversation. Every time they met with a potential partner, they would lean into different aspects of their story. For instance, smaller companies were more likely to relate to their story of bootstrapping the business from the ground up, while larger companies wanted to see the data and volume.  Innovate the Process, Not the Product In today's fast-paced world, many companies shift their marketing and add new products every week–but ultimately, that hurts your brand recognition and makes it harder for retailers to sell your products. The more consistent you stay, the greater the chance consumers will start to relate to and remember your brand.  While the Ferio Tego brand is consistent, Michael is constantly innovating other aspects of the business. He and his co-founder have taken a unique approach in partnering with other cigar companies. They now have factories in multiple countries without the overhead of managing their own warehouses. Enjoy this episode with founder Michael Herklots… Soundbytes 17:46-18:30 “New businesses, we don't have a marketing budget, we don't have an advertising agency. We don't have four people who are building decks on what is Ferio Tego and what isn't Ferio Tego and creating all of those thoughtful pyramids. Who has time for that? We're fighting for our lives every day, trying to get another sale. And so what we lack in that sophisticated, deep infrastructure of brand, we have what a lot of those departments crave and try to create which is the absolute authentic story of time served and process and how we do things.” 19:20-19:37 “What they are trying to do is to create brands that feel authentic, whereas we have, just as a consequence of being a small startup, we're creating a brand that is authentic. What you see is what you get.” 27:09-27:37  “As a Brand Builder and a storyteller, it's incumbent on me to tell the same story over and over and over again consistently, so that you as a retailer, can tell the same story over and over to your consumers. The consumers can learn that story and share it with their peers, and by the time they learn it, they can catch back up with the brand, and we're still singing the same song. We've abandoned that in so many industries.”  54:04-54:50 “There are times when you look at something that just seems so overwhelming, whether it's something as small as playing a gig, or something as big as launching a company. And to get over the hump of it, I have to believe that the opportunity and the idea and the consideration–all of the work has been done for a reason. All those opportunities are lined up for a reason and therefore I have to have faith that this is meant to be.”  Quotes “They're trying to create brands that feel authentic, whereas we, as a consequence of being a small startup, are creating a brand that is authentic.” “As a Brand Builder and a storyteller, it's incumbent on me to tell the same story over and over and over again consistently.” “It's become innovative to go back to building the brand.” “It's probably naive to think that it's possible to be everything to everyone. What I try to do is be something to everyone.” “I don't know anyone who would consider themselves an expert. Even the most famous, most successful are still practicing all the time.” “You have to live within what's authentic to you and let your audience find you.” Links mentioned in this episode: Learn more about Ferio Tego cigars: https://www.feriotego.com/ Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelherklots/ 

Have you ever heard the saying “Success is a lousy teacher?” Our biggest learning experiences come from failure: the product that flopped, the content that didn't perform, the “failed” business idea. For Anne Montgomery, failure was just the beginning.  Anne is a former television sportscaster, writer, and educator. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV, KTSP-TV, and ESPN, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA's Phoenix Suns, before moving into her career as a teacher and author. Her novels include Your Forgotten Sons, The Castle, A Light in the Desert, Wild Horses on the Salt, The Scent of Rain, and Wolf Catcher. She taught journalism and communication skills in a Title I high school for 20 years. Defying the Odds When Anne told her parents she wanted to be a sportscaster, they laughed. In the 1970s, that wasn't an option for women. But Anne proved them wrong and went on to have a successful 40+ year career in sports.  Likewise, she was also told she would never go to college. Growing up, Anne struggled in school, and it wasn't until she was in her fifties that she was diagnosed with dyslexia. Despite that, Anne has several degrees and has published six novels (and counting). Failure is the Greatest Teacher One of the most important skills any entrepreneur can master is how to bounce back from failure. For Anne, failure has been her greatest teacher. She never planned on becoming a writer or an educator–she was forced into a career change when the men in her industry decided she was too old to be on camera.  At the time, leaving sportscasting felt like a failure. But it led Anne to her most rewarding career yet, a life-changing friendship that inspired her first novel, and even the family she couldn't have dreamed of, when her teaching experience led her to become a foster parent.  Enjoy this episode with author Anne Montgomery… Soundbytes 31:25-31:53 “Business owners like to hire people who've been in sports or actually any extracurricular. You know how to be punctual or you're not playing, you know how to work as a teammate, and you know how to follow rules, all those things. And of those young athletes, I wouldn't want to hire the kid who caught the game-winning touchdown. I want to hire the kid who dropped the game-winning touchdown, that went to practice the next day. That's the kid I want.”  35:17-35:37 “I sometimes feel bad for people who are such incredible athletes or singers or actors or whatever, where everything is always perfect because at some point it's not going to be. How do you handle that? We all have to learn to handle failure, and how you handle it is more important than anything we do. You know? How do you handle disappointment? Get back up and do it.” Quotes “I was told when I was young that I'd never be a sportscaster. I'm the kind that says, ‘I'll prove you wrong.'”  “We plan our lives and think it's going to be a straight line, but it's not. It's how you handle the curves.” “I'm not embarrassed about anything that's ever happened to me. They're all learning experiences.” “We learn nothing from success. We learn from failure.”  “Life isn't going to be exactly what you expect, but maybe it will be better.” “I think failure is falling down and not getting back up.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Anne's website: https://annemontgomerywriter.com/  Connect with Anne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-montgomery-1b995b23/ 

Are you thinking of starting a podcast? Or maybe you already have a show and are wondering how to take it to the next level? Today's guest shares everything you need to know to launch and grow a successful, purpose-driven podcast. Erik Cabral is a leading expert in brand development, trusted by Fortune 100 and Inc. 5000 companies to define and deliver their core messages. Having built thousands of brands over his career, Erik has shared the stage with powerhouse brands like Shark Tank's Matt Higgins and Kevin Harrington, VaynerMedia, David Meltzer, and Hal Elrod of the Miracle Morning.  As the founder of On Air Brands, Be Your Brand, PodMAX, and theMindado Investment Group, Erik is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs develop their personal and corporate brands through podcasting and media strategies. His work has been featured in major publications and has contributed to raising millions in capital for his investor clients. Preventing Podfade After launching dozens of podcasts, Erik says the biggest obstacle is “podfade”–where a podcast gradually disappears over time because they run out of content ideas. Thousands of new shows were created in the past few years, but very few of them survived past 20 episodes. The reason comes down to a lack of purpose. If you don't have a clear goal for your show, it's unlikely to last. That's why Erik's company has shifted more into personal branding. Before launching a podcast, be clear on your goals, your mission, and who you want to serve. Focus on your purpose, because that's what makes great content.  In Erik's own business, he's rebranded his podcast to The Erik Cabral Show and is focused on incorporating his faith into his brand. His mission is to build personal brands that glorify God and speaking openly about that has helped attract people who share those values. What to Know Before Starting a Podcast If you want to start a podcast, the first step is to manage your expectations. The average number of downloads per episode is 29. That may not sound like a lot, but even a small audience can create momentum in your business! If you have 30 loyal listeners every week, that's the same as having 30 people in a room who are eager to learn from you. Don't believe the noise on social media that says you need massive numbers to create an impact.   When it comes to growing your show, podcasting is like starting a business. It starts with word of mouth and your personal network. Most of the biggest podcasts are hosted by someone who already had a personal brand with a large following. Audience growth is a slow build, so don't give up too soon. Enjoy this interview with podcasting expert Erik Cabral… Soundbytes 13:47-14:06 “It's what we call pod fade: all these shows got started, and the statistics are running away from me, but all the hundreds of thousands of podcasts that started during that era, we benefited from, for sure, but then a lot of them faded because they didn't have clarity and purpose and an end goal in mind.” 15:05-15:25 “If I asked you to speak at my event and there were 30 people in the room that were going to be hungry and eager to learn from you, and you have an hour-long opportunity to get into their minds and in their hearts…would you take that? Absolutely. You have this every week you're speaking on your own stage about whatever you want to talk about every single week.” 33:32-24:04 “There is a purpose outside of money. Your purpose could be money and earthly things and earthly desires and material things. But I've recognized, and I've been around a lot of successful people…sharing the room in stages with millionaires and billionaires. I've recognized there are people that aren't happy with all that money, but the ones that are have that greater purpose, and they're usually God fearing people that know there's something bigger than themselves beyond this life here on Earth.” Quotes “Podcasting is very much like starting a business. We have to start with friends and family, word of mouth. We have to grassroots.” “Having a podcast, especially with a YouTube channel, you're set apart for most business owners who don't want to do that.” “We want to build personal brands that glorify God.” “Building a business is personal. It comes from us, our heart.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Erik's website: https://www.erikcabral.co/  Free podcasting guide: https://www.erikcabral.co/guide Connect with Erik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikcabral/ 

The transition from solopreneur to CEO is never easy. It can be hard to let go of control and trust your team to deliver an ROI. Today's guest shares how you can break through that 6-figure plateau and set your team up for million-dollar success with a sales-focused marketing strategy.  Victoria Hajjar, founder of Ugli Ventures, helps female-founded startups scale from 6 to 7 figures. She specializes in the sales and marketing strategies, team building, and leadership development they need to build profitable 7-figure enterprises. Her clients have had million-dollar months, been featured on Forbes 40 under 40, and several have passed the billion-dollar revenue mark. How to Build an ROI-Driven Team Victoria uses a 4-step process to help her clients transition into an executive role. The first step is brand clarity: getting focused (or re-focused) on your messaging, ideal client, and positioning. Before you can build a successful marketing strategy, you need to be clear on your ideal client's pain points and the transformation you provide.  The next step is a sales-focused marketing strategy. Victoria recommends a 24/7 content flywheel that speaks to all six stages of the customer journey. Once you have a funnel in place, measure the performance of each piece. Look at your conversion rates to determine where the leaks are, then optimize accordingly.  Once you've optimized your funnel, evaluate your team. If conversions are low in a particular area, it could be because the person assigned to that task isn't an expert. A common hiring mistake is expecting each person to do multiple jobs. If you can't afford to have more employees on retainer, hire an independent contractor with a proven track record. For example, if your website conversions are low, hire a user experience expert to solve the issue on a project basis. The last step is leadership. Are the right people in the right seats, and are you managing them well? Each team member should know which metrics they're responsible for and bring ideas for improvement. 3 Essential Marketing Meetings Even if your team is mostly independent contractors, you should still include them in your quarterly planning meetings. This keeps everyone on the same page as you move toward your goals.  You should also meet weekly to review your marketing scorecard. Let each team member report their own metrics and offer feedback and ideas. Regular communication eliminates silos within your company.  Lastly, take the time to sit down monthly or quarterly with key people on your team. Ask them to tell you about what's going on in their life, the challenges they're facing, their career path, and any resources or training they might need. Investing time in your team pays off in long-term loyalty.  Enjoy this episode with founder Victoria Hajjar… Soundbytes 4:01-4:30 “I bring a fresh perspective because I've been inside so many people's businesses over my 15-year career. Not only inside different businesses but also in different countries around the world. I've worked in China, I've worked in Mexico, I've worked in Dubai, and the UK…and what's been really great is figuring out this universal approach. How do you grow and scale a business using marketing as the catapult for growth?” 7:32-7:51 “We have to make a transition. And the transition is from doing everything ourselves and feeling like we have to execute everything ourselves, especially when it comes to marketing and sales, and beginning to take that path towards stepping into the leadership role in your business.” 21:47-22:08 “Building your team doesn't mean that you need to get a bunch of employees and have a ton of people on retainer, but you have to systematically, in an intelligent way, invest in the growth of your business.  That means getting people in who have proven track records that really know what they're doing in particular areas.”  Quotes “Any business can use marketing as a catapult for growth, it just depends how the business is setup.” “Once our time, money, energy, and budget gets split across different efforts, that's where we also tend to see that dip in performance.” “Even if you don't consider yourself a leader, you are. Your team is looking to you.”  “So many of us as business owners, but especially women, we think that someone will like us more if we're in the trenches with them, instead of as a leader.” “You're not going to build a million-dollar business, a 7- or 8-figure business, by being too nice.”  Links mentioned in this episode: Ugli Ventures: http://www.ugliventures.com   Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-hajjar/ 24/7 Marketing Flywheel resource: https://www.ugliventures.com/overwhelm  Learn more about Victoria's accelerator program: https://www.ugliventures.com/accelerator 

How do you sell someone a product they don't know they need?  When Sheri Chaney Jones launched her impact management platform, most of her customers didn't even know what impact management was. A few years later, it's become an industry standard. Sheri is a renowned social entrepreneur and impact measurement expert. With over two decades of experience, she has transformed the efficacy of nonprofits and government organizations through data-driven strategies. As the founder of Measurement Resources Company and SureImpact, she's dedicated to enhancing social sector performance. Sheri is also an author, professor, and advocate for women's equity, holding degrees from Central Michigan University and The Ohio State University.  Create Your Own Category  As a consultant, Sheri's job was to build impact measurement frameworks to help nonprofit organizations understand the effectiveness of their programs. She worked with each client to determine which data to collect and how to collect it, but the process was very manual. She started searching for software that would keep that information at their fingertips, and when she couldn't find it, she created it. When Sheri launched SureImpact in 2020, it was the first impact management platform on the market–a term that no one else was using, but her competitors have since rebranded to include.  From Service Provider to Software Company In Sheri's consulting business, she knew how to do every job. Launching SureImpact was a new challenge because she didn't know how to code software. While she's still the CEO, she had to learn how to pitch angel investors, find the right team, and report to a board. As the first software of its kind, SureImpact has done a lot of market education. In 2020, most nonprofits didn't account for impact measurement in their budget because they didn't know it was possible.  In the early stages, Sheri hesitated to leverage her personal brand and network. As a tech CEO, she didn't think personal branding was as relevant as it had been to her consulting company. But she realized it was her experience that inspired SureImpact–and that if she wanted to break into the market, she needed to share her story.  Now, Sheri leverages her platform through speaking engagements, blogs, webinars, and even a book: Impact & Excellence: Data-Driven Strategies for Aligning Mission, Culture, and Performance in Nonprofit and Government Organizations.  As a result, SureImpact has increased new customers by 50%.  Enjoy this episode with founder Sheri Chaney Jones… Soundbytes 8:58-9:15 “When we went talk about branding, when we went to market in 2020, we called ourselves the first impact management platform on the market. And what's been fascinating is, since launching, some of our largest competitors have rebranded themselves as an impact management platform.”  14:23-14:36 “So prior to even launching, launching true impact, I had been traveling, speaking at conferences, talking about how to create these data driven, high performing cultures. And so we've just leveraged that platform I'd already had.” 19:59-20:39 “If I write and start with a place of gratitude and start my day with writing everything I'm grateful for, and then maybe my wishes or my prayers. Then once I get through that laundry list of stuff, what's so interesting is a new level of inspiration will show up, and I'll start writing in the third person, which is so fun. It's so fun when my journaling takes that shift where I'm writing to myself, and it's almost like my inner self, or the self that has that wisdom or intuition is guiding me and telling me what to do.” Quotes “I've always been fascinated by using data to predict performance.” “For entrepreneurs and businesses, we have some pretty common metrics we use. But these non-profits and social sector organizations have to add another layer of metrics to the conversation: are they changing lives and changing circumstances?” “I didn't find the product on the market that was solving the problem that I thought needed to be solved. So we built a product for the future.” Links mentioned in this episode: SureImpact website: https://www.sureimpact.com/  Measurement Resources Company: https://measurementresourcesco.com/  Connect with Sheri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherichaneyjones/ 

Aakash Shah struggled with allergies for years before finally finding permanent relief. Now he's helping others access the same life-changing treatment–all from the comfort of their own homes.  Aakash is the founder and CEO of Wyndly. He holds BAs in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia. After graduating, he helped found and grow several startups, two of which he saw through successful acquisitions. In 2020, Aakash joined forces with his cousin, Dr. Manan Shah, to found Wyndly: a 5-star online telehealth experience that provides convenient access to allergy immunotherapy. From Computer Science to Telehealth The idea for Wyndly began with Aakash's own allergy issues. After being thrown around the healthcare system for years, none of the allergists he'd seen could fix the problem. The best solution they could offer him was to visit their clinic weekly for treatment.   Aakash's cousin suggested a popular alternative in Europe, where doctors mailed their patients sublingual (under the tongue) immunotherapy treatment. It worked: Aakash experienced permanent allergy relief. He sold his wife and sister-in-law on the same regime, and when they had similar results, he knew there was business potential.  Wyndly now provides permanent, fully remote allergy relief. Their customers receive personalized treatment in the mail and unlimited access to their team of doctors via text message, chat, and email.  A Unique Business Model When Wyndly launched in 2020, Aakash noticed two key marketing trends: first, people were more open to buying healthcare products online. Second, more people were self-educating themselves through video content. They capitalized on the first trend by providing a fully remote experience. As for the second trend, Wyndly's TikTok videos average around a million monthly views. A few years later, they've branched into other marketing strategies like SEO, paid ads, and email marketing. They also accept referrals from other doctors.  Wyndly's business model is unique because most healthcare businesses are dictated by what insurance companies are willing to cover. Although Wyndly accepts insurance, most customers are happy to pay $100/month for permanent allergy relief. They also offer a compelling guarantee: try it out for six months, and if you don't experience relief, they'll issue a full refund. Enjoy this episode with founder Aakash Shah… Soundbytes 6:30-6:49 “This is just so much better that the world has to be experiencing it. And that was my shift into entrepreneurship, right? Once I realized that there was a big enough problem that I felt passionate enough about…there just has to be someone chasing after this.”  12:58-13:20 “It's really important to know where your first 1-2,000 customers are going to come from. And a lot of times, people out there will say, ‘Well, try Facebook ads] or try door-to-door sales or this or that. And maybe those will be right. But you really have to sit down and talk to folks and try to identify where are your buyers coming from.” Quotes “I built the medical experience I wish I had.” “That's probably the #1 way people become entrepreneurs, they see someone else do it and decide to take the leap behind them.”  “It's really important to know where your first 1,000-2,000 customers are going to come from.” “It's important to understand who your specific customers are, and we did that by just sitting down and talking to them.” Links mentioned in this episode: Aakash's website: https://www.aakash.io/  Wyndly website: https://www.wyndly.com/  Connect with Aakash on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mraakashshah/ 

If you want to grow your e-commerce or retail sales–or you happen to be a cigar lover–this episode is for you! David Garofalo is the owner of Two Guys Smoke Shop, the largest independently owned and operated cigar retailer in the world. He's also the host of The Cigar Authority Podcast and author of the book David vs. Goliath: How to Compete and Beat the Online Giant. David's other business ventures include 21 Podcast Café, where he helps promote and market other small businesses, and United Cigar, a B2B cigar wholesaler and U.S. Distributor.  A Business Built to Last David founded Two Guys Smoke Shop in 1985 and now has three generations of family who work with him. Aside from their brick-and-mortar locations, they also run a thriving e-commerce business.  Google and Facebook have made it difficult to run cigar advertisements, so David turned to podcasting. Over a decade later, The Cigar Authority is the longest-running and most listened-to cigar podcast in the world. It also grew their online sales exponentially–which saved the company during COVID-19.  Having survived both the pandemic and the 2008 recession, David's mission is to pay it forward by helping other retailers survive tough times. Stand Out From the Crowd David's biggest piece of advice for business owners is not to copy other brands. Find your own thing, whether it's your customer experience, a new marketing angle, or the products you offer. When each business is unique, there's room for everyone. Another way to stand out from competitors is through great customer service. These days, quality service is rare, and people remember a positive experience–especially in retail. Online retailers can offer better pricing, free shipping, and the convenience factor, so you need to provide something they can't: human connection. Give people an experience to remember when they come into your store. Enjoy this episode with entrepreneur David Garofalo… Soundbytes 26:32-26:48 “I started podcasting in 2010. Those were the days I had to show people, ‘Here's what a podcast is'. No one knew what it was. I did that to help my brick-and-mortar retail, but what it really did was help my online sales.” 32:41-33:20 “I went right to work, I didn't go to college. I was actually pretty bad in school also. I was a C-D student. I tried, it was always A for effort but I couldn't take a test well. I got into the cigar business, I became an expert as fast as I possibly could. That little cigar boom I told you about happened. And I got a call one day from Harvard University…and they said, ‘We'd like you as a speaker at Harvard University. I said, ‘You've got to be kidding me.'” 40:32-40:56 “Don't try to be me. Don't try to do that, because you're not going to be as good at being me as I am. So figure out another way to do it. There can be all kinds of restaurants down the street, they all make it. But if one is doing the exact same thing as the other, they can either split the business or one gets the crumbs from the other. You just can't do it, so come up with your own thing.” Quotes “You need to love what you do and be passionate about it, especially as a salesperson.”  “I didn't go to college. I was actually pretty bad in school...but I got into the cigar business, I became an expert as fast as I possibly could. And I got a call one day from Harvard University…and they said, ‘We'd like you as a speaker at Harvard University.'” “I'm going to help other retailers for the rest of my life. Because I've gone through tough times like everybody else has.” “Do something different. Make a splash.” “The people that say, ‘Dave you're very lucky,' don't know me. They don't know how hard I worked. Because luck had nothing to do with it. The harder I worked, the luckier I got.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit David's website: http://DavidGarofalo.com  2 Guys Cigars: http://2GuysCigars.com  The Cigar Authority:  https://thecigarauthority.com David vs. Goliath: How to Compete and Beat the Online Giant: https://store.bookbaby.com/bookshop/book/index.aspx?bookURL=David-vs-Goliath&b=c_bu-bu-bl   

Do you know the difference between a plan and a strategy? To reach your business goals, you need both. Today's guest shares a new approach to growth strategy. As the Founder and CEO of Demand Metric, Jesse Hopps has spent the last 18 years working with senior executives at many of the world's largest organizations to accelerate revenue growth with focused problem-solving. He's on a mission to help 500 clients earn $500K+/year in semi-retirement doing growth strategy work. He is disrupting what he calls the broken growth model of the Strategy Consulting industry, which is largely controlled by Ivy League firms that are being increasingly questioned about the effectiveness and value of their services. Demand Metric has served over 8,000 clients including Microsoft, Salesforce, Apple, Amazon, Fidelity Investments, US Bank, Verizon, and many more!  Building a Marketing Membership Jesse and his partners grew a community of over 250,000 marketing professionals through SEO content marketing and email. Their goal was to provide a productized version of consulting through research-based, customizable tools. Today they have over 670 templates, including everything from case studies to marketing plan presentations, job descriptions, and CRM assessments.  A major turning point for the company came when they started content licensing with large organizations, first the American Marketing Association (AMA) and later the Association of International Product Managers & Marketers (AIPMM). Those partnerships put Demand Metric on the map as a credible brand and industry leader. Soon enough, more organizations began to reach out for research reports and custom content. Plan vs. Strategy Jesse's mission is to disrupt the consulting industry by providing more value to the client. His approach is based on the book Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt, which focuses on challenges over goals. Most business leaders base their strategy on goals: they want to reach a certain revenue number and they have a plan to achieve that goal. But you need a strategy to overcome any potential obstacles on the path to that goal. The first step is to get all the issues on the table that might prevent you from achieving your vision. Then, figure out which problems you need to solve to make achieving your goal inevitable.  Enjoy this episode with founder Jesse Hopps… Soundbytes 12:46-13:20 “They taught me that if you've got emails and people that are engaged and a good audience, you can monetize this. I had no idea, that wasn't what we set out to do in our business. It was always a subscription model, working with these associations. I said, ‘What do people pay for that kind of thing?' They said, ‘We'll give you $5,000 if you send this email out. I said that's probably the easiest $5,000 I've ever made in my life.”  24:13-24:39 “Anyone who's been in consulting knows it can be very lonely if you're an entrepreneur or solopreneur. So having a group of others, going through building their business, bouncing ideas off of them…We've built online communities before. It's hard to get them really active and a great culture in a community, but this one kind of just took off on its own. I think mainly because there was a common purpose and vision for the group.” 31:03-31:24 “The art of strategy isn't so much about setting big goals and then creating a bunch of disconnected initiatives around hopefully all these things added up will equal us hitting the goal. It's about getting all the issues of why you maybe won't hit that goal on the table and figuring out what would need to be true, what would need to be solved, in order to make achieving that goal inevitable.” Quotes “Everything we've built has been based on request.”  “We take theory and turn it into simple, practical tools that are flexible and customizable.” “There was an alternative way to deliver value to a big company that the big consulting don't really do. The client taught me that there's a lot of value in having someone work alongside of them and their team as a coach.” “I want to disrupt the traditional consulting paradigm. I think the McKinseys of the world have been charging a lot of money for nice-looking plans, but a lot of them fail to get executed.”  “The art of strategy isn't so much about setting big goals… It's about getting all the issues of why you maybe won't hit that goal on the table.” Links mentioned in this episode: Demand Metric website: http://www.demandmetric.com  Connect with Jesse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessehopps  Connect with Jesse on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessehopps/ 

If you want to scale your business for more profit and peace of mind, the solution comes down to one word: systems.  Ernesto Mandowsky is an expert in designing systems that grow with you. As the founder of The Million Dollar Machine, he helps scaling service providers design systems to improve revenue, retention, and peace of mind. His mission is to democratize business transformation tools. Ernesto shares his insights on Million Dollar Machine Media across Spotify, Youtube, and LinkedIn.  The 6Ps  When it comes to designing systems for your business, Ernesto recommends looking at six core pillars: Priorities: How do you set goals for your company? People: Who do you want to develop key relationships with? Products: How are you delivering your products and services? Promotion: How are you communicating with your audience? What type of content are you creating? Playbooks: What checklists, processes, and SOPs do you need? Planning: What are your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual planning cycles? The Power of One Offer The biggest challenge that service providers face is having too many offers. Ernesto recommends focusing on just one or two core offers to avoid stretching yourself too thin. When deciding what your core offers should be, consider how much time and money it costs to deliver each service. In Ernesto's business, he's worked on projects anywhere from $500 to $45,000, but his sweet spot is $3,000-$10,000. Projects in that range provide the best time for money value. For most service providers, Ernesto recommends aiming for the $10,000 mark. When you think you have a great offer, ask yourself how it will expand your capacity for growth. Will it save you time or make you more money? How many clients do you need at that price point to reach your revenue goals? Enjoy this episode with Founder Ernesto Mandowsky… Soundbytes 3:44-4:24 “In my late teens, I said how can I bring people together, specifically my friends from school. We're from Miami and used to throw a lot of parties in these warehouses. And I said, ‘When I become a senior, I'm going to throw a party that's 10x better than the parties I was going to.' And lo and behold, skip the details, but I rented out a club at the Hardrock Hotel here in Fort Lauderdale…and managed to bring 2,000 people to this venue and make $30,000 in revenue in one night.” Quotes “My magic was around creating a five-star experience to help entrepreneurs change, grow, and adjust as their business is scaling and evolving.” “I try to help people think: ‘What is a $10,000 offer?'” “I'm making sure I'm taking care of my things I need to get done, so I can show up more excited for my community.” Links mentioned in this episode: The Million Dollar Machine: https://www.themilliondollarmachine.com  Connect with Ernesto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestomandowsky/ 

A great customer experience is the difference between someone choosing to buy from you again…or switching to your competitor. Today's guest will help you turn one-time buyers into repeat customers through a powerful experience and community engagement.  Jess Cervellon is the Founder of Open Late Collective, an agency blending brand strategy, insights, CX, and digital marketing. As the former Vice President of Customer Experience at Feastables, a $100M+ chocolate venture founded by YouTube superstar Mr. Beast, Jess is laser-focused on crafting unforgettable customer experiences. She's become a go-to expert in creator brand strategy and end-to-end customer experience. Mapping Your Customer Journey At their cross-disciplinary agency, Jess and her team help clients with everything from positioning and messaging to content marketing and community building–but there's one piece that provides the foundation, and that's customer experience. Your customer experience needs to be consistent and on-brand through every part of the process, from awareness to acquisition to conversion to post-purchase and retention.  Start with the awareness phase of your customer journey: what are your top-of-funnel awareness channels? Where are customers coming from? From there, look at how you're going to turn that traffic into leads and sales (acquisition). Your website, messaging, and positioning all have a role to play. Jess recommends looking at each platform as a separate funnel, for example mapping out the journey your customers take on your website. Building Community Around Your Brand No matter what industry you're in, community is an essential part of brand-building. You need to engage with your audience regularly, whether that means replying to comments and DMs on social media, activations in retail, or hosting pop-up events to spread brand awareness. For newer brands, start by building your email list, even if you already have a large social media following. Remember that you don't own your followers' contact information. Try to cross-pollinate as much as possible, sending people from social media to your website and vice versa. Enjoy this episode with customer experience expert Jess Cervellon… Soundbytes 7:57-8:16 “Customer experience is really important and thinking about customer experience as not just support, but thinking about your customer experience from everything from awareness to acquisition to conversion to post-purchase. Every portion of that customer's journey is so important and you need to bleed your entire brand identity through that customer experience.” Quotes “We want to help brands be informed by data, not just gut feelings.” “I know my bread and butter is the creator world and CPG world and I want to help people within those realms. I don't want to take on additional things that I can only half-ass. We only operate at 110.” “Everyday is different and it's all about asserting different boundaries.” Links mentioned in this episode: Open Late Collective: https://openlatecollective.com/  Connect with Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon/  The Juice with Jess Podcast: https://juice.kustomer.com/  Feastables: https://feastables.com/ 

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! In Part 2 of our conversation with Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell, the Co-Founders and best friends share valuable advice for women launching product-based businesses. Sonia and Joelle did not plan on breaking into the oral care industry, but now they're seasoned experts. After Joelle came up with the brilliant idea for a reusable 2-in-1 toothbrush and toothpaste combination, she partnered with her friend Sonia Hounsell. With experience in product development and marketing, Sonia was prepared for the long haul of bringing a product to market and growing a brand.  Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell officially launched FunkkOFF!® in 2021, eleven years after the idea's original inception. Designed with women in mind, FunkkOFF!® TeethRefreshers® are the only 2-in-1 toothbrush-toothpaste beauty essential that is reusable 30x to keep your smile fresh & white. TeethRefreshers® come in multiple colors and easily fit into a purse, backpack or jacket pocket for an on-the-go refresh. Their products contain no fluoride, BPA's, sulfates, or dyes. After Sonia and Joelle recently appeared in an episode of Shark Tank, they received a major financial investment and were able to grow their inventory and marketing exponentially. FunkkOFF!® has been featured in Travel + Leisure, the LA Times, NBC, Real Simple and ABC. The art of business partnerships People often ask Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell what it's like being in business with your friend. Their answer is encouraging: It's great, as long as you stick to your strengths.  In the early days of their business, Sonia and Joelle had to do everything together. All decisions were made with each of them weighing in, and they collaborated on every project. It was a whirlwind time, and each of them were raising young children as they made it happen.  Once the business got off the ground and began to gain momentum - and after they appeared on an episode of Shark Tank - Sonia and Joelle began to clarify their independent roles more explicitly. With an increased workload and ever-growing online brand, it was time to divide tasks according to their respective strengths.  Ever-supportive of one another, Sonia and Joelle decide who does what by looking at one another's natural capabilities. The Co-Founders give us a valuable lesson in supporting one another and respecting the innate abilities of different members of a team. Especially at the executive level, it's essential to stick to what you're good at. Women supporting women The episode of Shark Tank did a great job highlighting their business. However, it left out something really important: How supportive the sharks are for women entrepreneurs on the show. Just a few decades ago, women in business did not have access to the same opportunities as men had. Now, investors and serial entrepreneurs are stepping in to bridge the gap and help give women a leg up. Sonia and Joelle raved about how kind the sharks were as they pitched and explained their business. Sonia says - what didn't air on tv was their genuine support.  After the sharks initially said no to Sonia and Joelle's offering, they were stopped on their way out the door - and offered a financial boost in the form of $250,000 from Robert Herjavec. As he put it, his wife Kym would love their product.  Take advantage of resources Whether you're launching a product or service-based business, Sonia and Joelle have a piece of insight for you that you won't want to miss: Take advantage of every free resource you can.  During the process of designing and launching FunkkOFF!®, they took their time to seek out free or inexpensive services to support their goals, starting with their product design. Upon contacting professional product designers to help them create a prototype for the TeethRefreshers®, Sonia and Joelle discovered that product design consultations are usually free. The consult came with numerous pieces of advice that ultimately helped them succeed.  Not only did they receive a free consultation with product designers - the Co-Founders were overwhelmed with how many resources were available to help women launch a business. They discovered grants, investors and professional consults with skilled entrepreneurs available to women looking to become Founders and build their brands.  Ask yourself - what resources are available to help support you? Who could you approach for encouragement and support as you bring your ideas to life? Enjoy this useful and encouraging episode of The Business of You, featuring Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell. Soundbytes Sonia 20:13 - 20:52 “20 or 30 years ago, a female entrepreneur was at a disadvantage. Today we're really lucky. Joelle and I both have daughters - I really am hopeful that in 10 to 20 years, when our daughters are potentially entrepreneurs - that it's gonna be exponentially better. That's part of the reason we do this - for our kids, to be role models and break barriers that have been breaking since we were young but still have a ways to go.” Sonia 16:05 - 16:18 “Innovation is almost like the step in the door, but if you want to stay in the room, you have to have all the other stuff wrapped around it or it won't have the opportunity you want it to.” Quotes Joelle “What wasn't aired [on Shark Tank] was how totally supportive they were of women entrepreneurs. They were so kind. I wish that was shown more!” Joelle “As with any founders of an organization, there is an evolution that happens. In the beginning, it was easy for both of us to do everything. We were together on everything. Then as we have grown, you just don't have time. We have to divide and conquer. Division of labor is a really powerful tool.” Joelle “We have to be a unified force.  We talk a lot about priorities and we meet weekly to make sure we're on the same page.” Joelle “The numbers change and the vision grows, but the plan stays the same and we work equally as hard.” Sonia “Whatever time or money you think it's gonna take to get a product to market, multiply that by two…or ten. Things don't go the way you planned.” Sonia “The innovation of a product is the most important thing - to create the highest potential. But if you don't have the packaging and branding and communication plan, it's not going to matter. You have to connect with the consumer and make sure they understand the product.” Sonia “We've made our own lane, at an intersection between beauty and oral care that did not exist before.” Sonia “Someone can create a similar device, but no one is going to take away our brand or what we stand for. We're 100% women-owned and that is very powerful. We're all about being as natural and sustainable as we can. We give back. All of that wrapped up together helps create some protection for us.” Sonia “You really do want to ask people what they think. More than friends and family, because they will tell you more of what you want to hear. Pressure test the idea. Talk to people who will tell you what they think. Do an extensive search on what's out there and what features and benefits they provide. You want to differentiate.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit the website for Funkkoff at https://funkkoff.com/  Follow Funkkoff Leadership on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/funkkoff  Follow Funkkoff on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/funkkoff/  Find Funkkoff on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FunkkOFF_ 

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! In this episode, we're sharing a Shark Tank success story! These two Founders combined their strengths to turn the seeds of a great idea into a best-selling product. Childhood best friends turned powerhouse entrepreneurs Joelle Flynn and Sonia Hounsell are changing the oral care landscape with their revolutionary on-the-go oral care brand, FunkkOFF!®. Designed with women in mind, FunkkOFF!® TeethRefreshers® are the only 2-in-1 toothbrush-toothpaste beauty essential that's reusable 30x to keep your smile fresh & white. TeethRefreshers® come in multiple colors and easily fit into a purse, backpack or jacket pocket for an on-the-go refresh. Containing no fluoride, BPA's, sulfates, or dyes, you can use the easy gel formula without concern over harsh chemicals.  Sonia and Joelle recently appeared in an episode of Shark Tank, and sharks bit - recognizing the incredible value of their product offering. FunkkOFF!® has been featured in Travel + Leisure, the LA Times, NBC, Real Simple and ABC. At FunkkOFF!®, Sonia and Joelle believe in giving back. They are proud supporters of the Smiles for Everyone Foundation, providing free dental care to those in need, both at home in the U.S. and around the world. They also helped establish an Orange County chapter of Girls on the Run, encouraging girls to pursue their dreams.  Currently, Sonia and Joelle are rapidly scaling up operations at FunkkOFF!® with their flagship product and working behind the scenes on new product offerings to release in the future. An idea starts with a problem solved Joelle Flynn loves red wine. But she does not love what red wine does to her white teeth! During a day of busy wine tasting, she packed a toothbrush and toothpaste in her purse to go from tasting to tasting. After a quick brush, she was applying her lipstick when she had the ultimate aha moment - realizing that there is no product for brushing your teeth on the go that is environmentally sustainable and reusable, all-natural and easy to use.  Working around the bulky and wasteful limitations of the current products on the market, Joelle stuck a toothbrush head on a chapstick tube and started taking it to product designers. With her first prototype created, Joelle partnered with her friend Sonia and they began methodically filing and receiving patents.  Now, Joelle and Sonia are glad they did everything by the book. Filing patents took years and tons of time and energy, but set them up to compete with other dental and personal care brands in the world market.  Combining strengths, combining forces Joelle conceived the idea for FunkkOFF!® TeethRefreshers®, and she knew who to call - her childhood friend Sonia Hounsell.  WIth 30+ years in business, Sonia knew how to launch and market a product successfully. With Joelle's ideas and Sonia's eye for business, they believed they could become successful entrepreneurs. Despite their excitement, they played the long game, never losing sight of their overall goals.  As business partners, Sonia and Joelle work to complement each others' strengths and combine their visions to grow their company. They are a shining example of knowing one another's capabilities and highlighting their best talents in business. A Shark Tank success story When Sonia and Joelle were invited to apply for Shark Tank, they didn't know what to expect.  Walking in with radiant smiles and glasses of red wine, they proudly proclaimed: “We all have funk…and we all need it off.” But the sharks did not bite right away!  Sonia and Joelle's biggest obstacle had been money - to finance enough inventory to gain notoriety and market their product in the right places. But they never let the struggle get them down. The entrepreneurs and friends endured an hour-long questioning session on Shark Tank about everything from their gross income to their investment to their product design. It was brutal and lengthy, but ultimately a shark bit at the last second. Investor Robert Herjavec decided to invest $250,000 to help them increase their inventory and successfully market their business. Now, they have sold out multiple times and are working to scale their company. Enjoy this Shark Tank success story on The Business of You! Soundbytes Joelle  15:21  - 15:37 “We're very proud. We've done everything methodically and thoughtfully. We know it's not rocket science, but it's our flagship product - the big guys did not figure out how to make something all-in-one and reusable like we did!” Quotes Sonia “At the end of the day, it is a lifestyle business to help people look and feel good no matter where they are.” Joelle “I was loving my red wine - and my red wine loved my white teeth! It would turn them a funky shade of purple. I started to carry around a toothbrush and toothpaste in my little purse from winery to winery, brushing the purple funk off my teeth and heading to the next tasting. I was in the bathroom putting my lipstick on and I was like, why is there nothing quick, compact, and reusable to make it easy to use on the go?” Joelle “I actually stuck a round spinning toothbrush head on a chapstick container and took it to product designers. Over about 8 years I filed 8 patents - to make it reusable and all-in-one.” Sonia “I loved the name FunkkOff because it's very memorable and ownable. There's a lot we can do with it as far as building out the current product in addition to launching future products. We are currently working on more products to release down the road! People love to say it, and when they say it, they smile.” Joelle  “We actually walked in [to Shark Tank] with two glasses of red wine! You walk in and you want to be confident. There are a gazillion cameras, and they are really far away. Halfway through we just started answering questions. It was nerve-wracking and exhilarating. But it worked.” Joelle “The sharks were really nice. They were intimidating but they're real people - who wanted to learn about and understand our business.” Sonia “With the airing of the Shark Tank episode, our business has taken on a new level of growth. We're working through that. It's opened up opportunities in the United States, Internationally and in different markets and distribution channels. We need to focus on scaling up that business first, then we'll start adding new products to grow further.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit the website for Funkkoff at https://funkkoff.com/  Follow Funkkoff Leadership on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/funkkoff  Follow Funkkoff on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/funkkoff/  Find Funkkoff on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FunkkOFF_ 

Differentiation in business involves embracing your unique strengths, experiences, and passions to create a distinct value proposition that sets you apart from competitors. It's not about being different for the sake of it but authentically showcasing what you uniquely bring to the table. Understanding your market and analyzing your competition is essential for effective differentiation. By comparing your strengths, experiences, and positioning to those of your competitors, you can identify what makes your business stand out—whether it's a specific expertise, a unique customer experience, or a particular result you consistently deliver. Rather than fearing competition, use it as an opportunity to refine and communicate your unique value. Effectively communicating your differentiation is crucial. Through branding, marketing strategies, or sharing your story, consistently highlight what makes you and your business special. This approach not only attracts your ideal audience but also helps build a strong personal brand. Remember, differentiation is an ongoing process of self-discovery and expression that ultimately helps you zero in on the legacy you want to leave. Quotes “One of the things we spend a good amount of time on in the strategic process is really helping people understand how they're different. Different in their marketplace, different than their competitors, and different in a way that helps them stand out, not just from competition, but just stand out in general.” “Trying to be different and just being different are two very, completely different things. And I think the more we are our authentic and genuine selves, actually, the more different we are.” “You are the biggest differentiator in your business.” “You do have to look at your competitors, look at their experiences, look at their strengths, look at their positioning, to understand how you have to differentiate yourself.” “I don't believe in fearing competition. I feel like there's plenty of business out there for everybody.” “Our internal 13 year old self might hear that and get really freaked out by that, right? Because all we want to do in our teen years is fit right in.” “​​We talk about soul a lot in this show, but really thinking about, you know, what is your purpose, and what are you here to do in this life that you're living?” “In order to know where you're going, aka goals direction, you have to know who you are, and you have to reverse engineer the goal setting into impact.” “Once you do get clear on what makes you different, you have to communicate that.”

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! When Saima Rathor and Patricia Gallardo met outside their children's preschool 15 years ago, they never could have imagined that one day they'd be founding a company together. The two women struck up a fast friendship, and over a decade later they turned their shared passion for the transformative power of beauty products into EpicLight Beauty: a line of clean, multi-tasking products for women aged 35+ that break the standard mold of beauty. EpicLight Beauty is inspired by Saima and Patricia's rich Latina and Pakistani cultures. Their products address the changes in women's skin, different ethnicities, and the beauty industry's perception of real women. The result is a celebration of women of all skin tones, ages, and skin types. Since they launched last October, EpicLight Beauty has been featured in outlets like People Magazine, ABC News, and Beauty Independent. Launching a Product-Based Business After securing a product developer, manufacturer, and packaging company, Patricia and Saima started hitting the pavement – attending trade shows and making phone calls. With Patricia's background in product development and Saima's in finance, they made use of industry contacts and spread the word. After a successful pre-launch campaign, they launched in October 2022. Initially, they sold direct-to-consumers online and through local pop-ups, but soon they opened an Amazon shop as well. As the company has grown, they've brought on help with their social media and now work with a team of influencers and content creators. To avoid the pitfall that many product-based businesses fall into, Saima and Patricia have been careful to limit their skews. They focus on a select few products, all of which are multi-tasking and work for a variety of skin tones. Building a Community Around Your Brand EpicLight Beauty is entirely self-funded, which makes their growth even more impressive. From day one, Patricia and Saima prioritized building a community around their brand. Most of their marketing efforts center on the human connection and meeting their customers in person at pop-up events and tradeshows. Their PR strategies have also focused on relationship-building. By reaching out to editors and making a connection, Patricia and Saima have been featured in major publications and even had their products featured in the Oscar's goody bag! They've also built a successful partnership with Erica Taylor, a well-known artist and educator in the beauty industry. Many of Patricia and Saima's industry connections and publication features have happened through word-of-mouth – something the founders credit to their network of fellow moms. Throughout all their marketing efforts, Patricia and Saima reiterate how important it's been for them to listen to their audience. Their tagline, “We see you because we are you” captures the heart of their brand. Enjoy this episode with EpicLight Beauty Founders Saima Rathor and Patricia Gallardo… Soundbytes 8:21-8:55 “As I got older, I realized I still loved makeup but I didn't see myself represented in the brands. So that's one of the things that led Saima and I to join in this process. I still see myself as a young, vibrant woman who likes to look good. I like to go out, I like to have fun, and I didn't see that in the brands I was buying.” 9:53-10:05 “We don't have a lot of time anymore. Before kids, I could spend an hour on my makeup. Now it's like, ‘What's something quick I can carry around with me?' We're all about convenience these days.” 22:41-23:02 “Of course we want to grow and become really big, but it's more important to have an ear on the ground; listening to our friends and women of our age group, understanding what they want and what they want to see. We want to build more relationships. That's how we plan to grow.” Quotes “It's just the feeling that I get. I can have the worst day, and if I go and put on lip gloss that I love, it makes me feel better. It has an emotional impact.” “All the press we've gotten, it's been through talking to a mom friend. It's been this amazing network of moms helping each other, helping us get in touch with Allure, People, and all these magazines. It's been wonderful to see the power of the mom network.” “We're not in a rush. We can take our time, go slowly, and have it grow organically. But we're doing it.” “Of course we want to grow and become really big, but it's more important to have an ear on the ground; listening to our friends and women of our age group, understanding what they want and what they want to see. We want to build more relationships. That's how we plan to grow.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit the EpicLight Beauty website: https://www.epiclightbeauty.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epiclightbeauty/  Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/EpicLightBeauty/page/A29CD316-5980-4C13-84AA-2DCC3C4014AE?ref_=ast_bln  Connect with Saima Rathor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saimarathor/  Connect with Patricia Gallardo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-gallardo-547174b1/ 

Crafting an exceptional customer journey, from the initial contact through every touchpoint to post-service interactions, is crucial for ensuring your clients' satisfaction. This holistic approach to customer experience is key to setting your business apart in today's competitive market. Your customer journey consists of several key stages: inception, selling, onboarding, service delivery, and offboarding. Each stage deserves careful attention to make sure your clients feel valued and supported. By truly understanding their needs and preferences, you can create a more personalized and effective experience that fosters long-term relationships and boosts customer satisfaction. Consistency in brand personality throughout the customer journey is often overlooked, yet it's vital. A consistent brand helps build trust and makes your customers feel more connected to your business. By focusing on these aspects, you'll not only meet but exceed customer expectations, driving positive referrals and contributing to your business growth. Quotes “Having grown up in the restaurant business and hospitality, I have always, always paid very close attention to the customer experience that we provide our web customers. And one of the things we've always done is make them feel like they're walking into a restaurant, even though they're working into a virtual office.” “I think this is where a lot of businesses could differentiate, and the customer experience they provide could easily make or break them, since we're living in such a hyper competitive world.” “Customer Journey for Dummies, it is the complete sum of experiences that a customer or client will go through when they're interacting with your company, and that starts before they're actually even paying clients.  “It encompasses every single touch point and stage that a customer passes through, from first becoming aware of your brand until they make a purchase, and also if they have to return something.” “Even the way you continue to interact with them after the scope of work is complete is still part of the customer experience or customer journey.” “We're not order takers in the web development world, we're really more partners, really invested in the outcome and growing that business or growing that personal brand, just as much as the client is.” “Throughout the customer journey of working with us, we have teammates whose sole responsibility it is to check in with the client and to keep them on timeline, because timeline impacts budget, right?” “There's also an offboarding time period for clients that are heavily engaged in the workflow, offboarding and then also continuing to cultivate the relationship and continuing to help them grow and establish their brands.” “One reason why we send newsletters and we do this podcast is it's very much for our existing and past clients, just as much as it is for our potential clients. We want to keep supporting them and helping them to grow far into the future.” “One common [mistake] is just not thinking about it. Another common one is not treating a customer the way you would want to be treated and really being very focused on yourselves versus what might be going on in that customer's world or role.”  “A lot of our clients are extremely busy during our own working hours, right? We have to be mindful of what their day to day is like, and also kind of tap in to understand where their overwhelm point is and be able to adjust accordingly.” “We have these different points in our service delivery, really taking the time to map out every single touch point down.” Links mentioned in this episode: Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise by Horst Schulze: https://a.co/d/5rIyWeO

You've probably heard that practicing generosity can make you happier…but did you know it can also affect your business's bottom line? Cynthia Kersey, recognized as one of the World's Greatest Motivators, is a sought-after speaker, and best-selling author of two books, Unstoppable and Unstoppable Women. Her remarkable 25-year career is not only marked by a client list of global powerhouses but is equally distinguished by her collaborations. As the Founder and CEO of the Unstoppable Foundation, Cynthia's organization has empowered 500,000+ lives in 23 Kenyan communities. A visionary in fundraising and philanthropy, Cynthia masterfully combines the universal Law of Giving and Receiving with practical business insights, showing how generosity not only fosters business and personal growth but also creates a life worth living.  The Generosity Prescription  There are four core elements of Cynthia's generosity model: gratitude, generosity with yourself (self-care), generosity toward others, and the ability to generously receive. When Cynthia dedicated a daily practice to each of those four pillars, she noticed an incredible shift in her life and business. She left her business to start the Unstoppable Foundation, experienced more happiness and abundance, strengthened her faith, and even attracted her dream partner.  To this day, Cynthia starts each morning with gratitude, writing a list of 10 things she's grateful for and why. The self-care piece can include things like exercise or a spiritual practice. Being generous to others might mean giving more compliments, donating time or money, or simply looking for ways to enrich the lives of those around you. Lastly, being able to receive means you generously accept gifts and compliments–something that takes practice for most people.  Putting it into Practice It's scientifically proven that practicing generosity has a positive impact on your health, happiness, and relationships. But it can also influence your business and your bank account; companies that focus on enriching their customers' lives outperform those who don't.  Unsurprisingly, generosity is one of the core values of Cynthia's foundation. Whenever they receive a donation, someone on the team calls to personally thank the donor. They also share reports on what the donation has made possible, so the donor can see the impact they're making.   As a leader, the easiest way to create a strong company culture is to live into the values you set for your team–something Cynthia strives for everyday. Enjoy this episode with Founder and CEO Cynthia Kersey… Soundbytes 14:03-14:30 “When you live from a place–and it's a mindset–of generosity, you don't need to have a lot of vast resources, you don't have to have a lot of wealth. It's a way of being. When you're looking at ‘I'm so grateful and I'm generous with myself and I'm generous with someone else, I want to be a blessing, and I generously receive.' I promise you, you'll feel like you're living heaven on earth.” 21:56-22:32 “It doesn't matter how high-performing you are, if you're not giving to yourself, your cup is going to be empty. So when you really practice everyday, how do I support myself…and there are so many ways. It could be forgiveness, it could be love and kindness to yourself, accepting that compliment, giving yourself a compliment…just pick one and take ten minutes to look at, ‘How can I give to myself?'” Quotes “Running a profit is a business.” “If you stop the flow of receiving, you stop the whole cycle of good.” “Generosity generates the experience of heaven on earth.” “When you start with gratitude, you're receiving.” “We live in a time where there's a crisis of meaning. And it's really one of the most important things people want in their life and their business.” “There's nothing more generative than being generous.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Cynthia's website: http://cynthiakersey.com/  Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-kersey-52bb403 The Unstoppable Foundation: https://unstoppablefoundation.org/  

By focusing on the specific characteristics, pain points, and behaviors of your ideal customer, you can create impactful messaging that drives engagement and business growth. While a target audience is broad, an ideal customer persona hones in on a single, detailed profile representing your perfect customer. Narrowing down your focus to this ideal persona allows you to create more effective messaging that speaks directly to their needs and challenges. A helpful way to brainstorm your ideal customer is by reflecting on your best customers and identifying common themes among them. Conversely, consider your worst customers and why they weren't a good fit. One common mistake is not going deep enough into defining your ideal customer. When you go too broad, your messaging becomes generic, weakening its impact. Speaking to a broad audience dilutes your message, while focusing on one person makes it more powerful and resonant. Regularly updating these personas, especially in response to significant market changes, is crucial for keeping your marketing relevant and effective. The power of making the customer the hero of your story lies in understanding and anticipating their needs, which ultimately helps build stronger connections and drives your business's success. Quotes “An ideal customer persona is really thinking about your broad target audience and bringing it down to define one person.” “We're taking that broad definition and defining it as one person.”  “How old is that person? What's their socioeconomic status? What's their average level of education? How many kids might they have? Where do they tend to live in the United States? What are their hobbies? What do they like to read? What do they like to listen to? Right? Those are just some questions to help you go much deeper into your broad target audience and define a customer persona.” “I created ours, just to tackle the first part of that question, by actually thinking of who our best customers have been for the different things that we offer.” “Once you have customers that you're working with, actually taking time to reflect on, you know, what made them a great customer, or even what made someone else not your ideal customer, you know, just write down all the different things that you notice” “The biggest secret that I unearthed some years back is: we are often our ideal customer. Believe it or not, we're just a couple steps ahead of them.” “So many times, people create businesses to serve the needs of themselves or a person just like them, that until you sit down and actually write out your ideal customer persona, you don't realize how similar you are to them.” “Look inwards and think about where you were maybe a few years ago, before launching the business that you're launching, and thinking about who, who you were, what you were doing, and also think about what are the results you want to get for that person, because thinking about the results will help you better define their pain points, their challenges and why they're coming to you.” “The biggest challenge is just not going deep enough, people tend to go broad. And what happens when you go broad is your messaging sounds very general.” “If you're thinking about talking to a group of people versus talking to one person, specifically, your messaging isn't going to be as strong.” Links mentioned in this episode: Ideal Customer Persona PDF: https://buildmybrandid.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/biD_Ideal-Customer-Insight-Sheet_FINAL.pdf Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller: https://a.co/d/feHZ3Eh

Did you know that playing French music in a liquor store makes shoppers more likely to buy French wine? Sound has a real impact on our buying decisions and Jodi Krangle is an expert in how to use it to your advantage. Jodi has been a full-time voice actor since 2007. She collaborates with global clients like Dell, Kraft, and Lindt, specializing in Brand Voice, Commercials, Corporate Narration, and podcast intros/outros. Her podcast, Audio Branding: The Hidden Gem of Marketing, has over 230 episodes exploring the influence of sound. She also hosts sound-related discussions in Clubhouse and serves as a judge at the International Sound Awards. Creating Your Audio Brand Sound is a powerful part of branding that's often overlooked. When someone listens to your podcast or YouTube channel during their morning commute, it's an intimate experience. That's why it's important to be intentional about your brand voice.  Just like any aspect of branding, consistency is key. Repetition creates comfort and familiarity with your listeners. You should also consider who you're speaking to. Keep one person in mind when you're recording (maybe your ideal customer avatar or a friend you feel comfortable with). Tips for a Great Sound If you have a personal brand, chances are you'll need to be on podcasts, record videos, or speak at events. Jodi's first tip for sounding your best is to rehearse until you sound natural and conversational (not like you're reading a script).  Second, keep a photo of a family member or friend in front of you while you record, and remember that your tone changes depending on who you're speaking to.  Consider investing in a signature sound for your brand. Create consistency by using it at multiple touchpoints: podcasts, live events, and social media. There are lots of free audio options available online in directories–just remember that if it's free, there's nothing to stop your competitors from using the same audio. Enjoy this episode with audio branding expert Jodi Krangle… Soundbytes 12:05-12:39 “I do think it's a mistake. I think a lot of these brands could stand with having a unified sound over a number of years. Because remember, and I know you know this, the first time we experience a brand might not be the first time the brand has put that sound together. They might have had that sound for 10 years, but you're experiencing it for the first time. You as the business owner may be bored with that sound, but if you're still selling your product or service and people like it, why change what's working?” Quotes “You don't want to change your branding too often, because they find familiarity and comfort in that.” “Psychologically, what I love about sound and how it switches on our brain is it affects all of our senses.” “Your environment has a big psychological effect on what you buy, how much you end up buying, and how you feel about what you bought.” “Our buying decisions and our everyday lives are really affected by sound.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Jodi's website: http://voiceoversandvocals.com  Connect with Jodi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/  Audio Branding Podcast: http://audiobrandingpodcast.com 

Rachel's college path was full of twists and turns and now she's helping her daughter, Zoe, on her own journey of self-discovery so she can make informed choices about her future. Zoe struggled with the traditional college path, initially attending college but deciding to take a semester off after a bout with mono and realizing she wasn't fully committed to the college route.  It's so important to allow young adults to take time to explore their options, especially in a society where there's immense pressure to have everything figured out by 18. Reflecting on her own experience as a first-generation student and how her experiences shaped her approach to guiding her daughters, Rachel uses My Path 101, a platform she created, to help students uncover their true passions and career aspirations before committing to a major.  Whether you're a student choosing a path or an adult redefining your career, remember that learning is a lifelong journey—keep exploring your identity and passions. Quotes “She was never really 100% excited and sold on going to college right away. She didn't know at the time what she wanted to do, and she was feeling like college might be a waste of time, and we, my husband and I really encouraged her to take a year off and figure that out.” “Kids at 18, 19 years old, it's a lot of pressure for them. They feel a lot of pressure to know what they want to do the rest of their lives.” “I was a first gen college kid. Actually, my parents did not go to college.” “I had really wanted to be a lawyer, so I applied to 10 law schools that ran the gamut from like, super safety school, the super reach school. I had great recommendations. I did okay on the LSAT, not great, but like, certainly good enough to get into my safety schools, and I didn't get into one school. And I was crushed, totally crushed. Oh, wow. So I definitely felt that identity crisis.”  “I just wanted to help kids figure out what they wanted to study in in school.” “That was the beginning of my own journey that certainly, you know, as I look back with like, a lot of twists and turns. It was no straight line by any means.” “I think college prices are over inflated, having been through the application process now with with Zoe, what I found a lot of schools do is they do inflate their prices, and then they give you a scholarship to kind of normalize their price.” “My Path is taking what we do on the personal branding side of our work at Brand ID and providing it to students, high school or college students, in a way that they can kind of self navigate and better understand themselves.”  “Why can't we take what we're doing in personal branding and apply it to to high school and college kids, and save them a little time and money by doing some of this introspective work before they actually determine their major?”

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! In Part 2 of my conversation with Jonathan Jackson, we dive deeper into his faith and passion for creative storytelling.  If acting, music and writing were all about entertaining people, Jonathan would have left the industry behind a long time ago. Instead, he uses multiple creative channels to weave authentic stories of redemption, grace and humanity for others - through song, spoken and written word.  While Jonathan still acts, he primarily builds his influence on the foundation of storytelling in every form it takes, with poetry and music taking center stage.  Jonathan recently released a new book called The Harrowing of Hell: An Epic Poem exploring what happened between Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. To Jonathan, it is the story of the Hero of Heroes. He has also authored other books including a work of Mystical Poetry entitled “Book of Solace and Madness” and the non-fiction prose “The Mystery of Art”, which has been translated into multiple languages.  His band Enation has performed alongside artists such as Echo & The Bunnymen, Sarah McLachlan, Echosmith, and more. Their newest album, Ultraviolet Empire, was released in the fall of 2020 and was co-produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Colin Linden.  Jonathan Jackson is a five-time EMMY® Award-winning actor and Critics' Choice Award nominee who has starred in numerous TV and films, including ABC/CMT's hit drama “Nashville” (2012–2018), “General Hospital” (1993–1999, 2009–2011, 2015), “Tuck Everlasting” (2002), “The Deep End Of The Ocean” (1999), “Insomnia” (2002) and “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004). He also appeared in episodes of “One Tree Hill”, “Boy Meets World”, “The Twilight Zone” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Trust the timing Jonathan Jackson is a believer in divine timing.  Rather than many business strategists who will tell you that there is a “right” or “wrong” time to put your work out into the world, Jonathan recommends that we as entrepreneurs turn inwards. Do you feel like the work is done - and is the world actually ready for it? Do the conditions feel right to you?  Jonathan has multiple albums, several books and even some screenplays that await the right conditions. They are in various stays of completion, but they all have one thing in common - it's not the right time yet.  In this episode, Jonathan serves us a welcome reminder that much of life and business is about timing.  Don't be afraid to explore your interests If you're someone with varying interests, it can be easy to cave in to others' advice to just choose one focus. But Jonathan Jackson gives us his honest advice: Don't.  In his young adulthood, Jonathan was an actor while he sought to learn songwriting, screenwriting and more. He never lost sight of his own passions and followed every thread as far as he could, creating new spaces for his own exploration. The results have been incredible. With his most recent book he released an original score of music and occasionally hosts live performances honoring the work. SImilarly, he believes that we can all weave our passions together when the timing is right. Rather than seeing our interests as boxes we have to fit into, he encourages us to stay open minded and see the broader picture. Your interests may seem disparate now, but how could they be woven together in new and innovative ways? Those are the questions worth asking in life.  Soundbytes 4:53 - 5:26 “I look at art and poetry and storytelling as all one reality. To me Christ is the great storyteller. He is the eternal poet, the master of story. You can't get a greater story than the story of Christ. The beauty, tragedy and triumph.” 7:59 - 8:17 “I don't feel like every project has to be overtly religious in any way, shape or form to be beautiful. I just want it to have some kind of meaning. Some kind of honesty about the human condition.” Quotes “I had these deep experiences with Christ. To be, theology is beauty, and poetry. It's not about a religion, it's about life.” “When I'm looking at music, storytelling or films, I can't see the world outside of the beauty and challenging reality of Christ.” “Orthodoxy has helped me to see the whole world as a sacrament.” “When I was younger I was looking at it like acting was the central focus of my income. But I saw the writing on the wall a long time ago, that that was not going to be enough for my soul. Developing my writing and music was a way of engaging with the world in these other ways.” “There is a strange kind of tension between the flurry of inspiration, creating things, and waiting. We have four albums we've created and not released yet, because we're waiting for the right time. I have a handful of books that have been written and screenplays - we don't know what we're doing, really. There is intentionality and prayer and vision, but we're trying to be flexible.” “As a writer, I want to live in it for a while, go away from it and come back. Again and again. It's a testing thing, a maturation process with a particular work. My lived experience finally matches the intention of the work.” “I've learned over the years that the music and the story is about connecting with someone's soul and heart. That's the stuff I care about.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Jonathan Jackson's Website at https://www.jonathanjackson.com/  Find Jonathan on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JonathanJacksonHQ/  Follow Jonathan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jonathanjacksonhq/  Subscribe to Jonathan Jackson's Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KKxEIbF5kAGOSi26Nx3Bg 

The "About" page on a website is often the most-read section. Make sure yours has a compelling narrative that combines professional achievements with personal details to draw in your audience. Start with a strong, engaging opening that captures attention and sets the tone for the rest of the content. Highlight your mission and values to align with your audience's needs and interests. Include a brief history or background that establishes credibility, emphasizing unique experiences and achievements. Personal elements, such as your passions and interests, help humanize your brand and make you more relatable. Lastly, provide a clear call to action that guides visitors on how to connect with you or learn more about your offerings. Tune in for tips on crafting a strong narrative that resonates with your audience and establishes credibility. By blending professionalism with personal touches, your About Page can effectively engage and convert visitors. Quotes “Did you know the most read page on every website is the About page?” “There's two types of About pages, right? There's the one that's the personal bio About page, and then there's the About page about your company page.” “What should go on that page is - I almost call it a narrative resume with interesting points.” “You also want to add in some personal things, because the personal things are the things that people relate to. They're the things people connect with, and are the the information that people remember.” “We're trying to grab the attention of our ideal customer.” “Break up large sections of text into smaller sections with headlines” “Most people are not going to read every word, they can really grasped the important things about you just from those headings, just from those sub heads.” “Break content up with bullet points where you can” “Don't just assume that if you mentioned certain things that you did, that potential clients or clients are going to understand how that ties into the work that you do today. You actually want to do that work for someone and say, ‘As a former journalist, I'm able to write copy that really helps you jump out and stand out online.'”

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! Jonathan Jackson was a child actor in the 1990's and early 2000's. But since then, he has become a powerful artist, musician and creator. Now on The Business of You, Jonathan is sharing his unique story - including his journey to faith, fame and personal growth.  Jonathan Jackson is a multi-faceted artist who creates meaningful art pieces through music, film, and the written word. He is a five-time EMMY® Award-winning actor and Critics' Choice Award nominee who has starred in numerous TV and films, including ABC/CMT's hit drama “Nashville” (2012–2018), “General Hospital” (1993–1999, 2009–2011, 2015), “Tuck Everlasting” (2002), “The Deep End Of The Ocean” (1999), “Insomnia” (2002) and “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004). He also appeared in episodes of “One Tree Hill”, “Boy Meets World”, “The Twilight Zone” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” His indie band Enation has performed alongside artists across the musical spectrum, including post-punk legends Echo & The Bunnymen, the iconic Sarah McLachlan, Echosmith, and more. Their new album, Ultraviolet Empire, was released in the fall of 2020 and was co-produced by GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Colin Linden.  Jonathan is also a published Author. His current books include a work of Mystical Poetry entitled “Book of Solace and Madness” and the non-fiction prose “The Mystery of Art”, which has been translated into multiple languages. Jonathan resides in Ireland with his wife, Elisa, and their three children. He enjoys Greek coffee, good wine, and music. Navigating fame at an early age At just 11 years old, Jonathan left his idyllic childhood in Washington State to work as a child actor in California. Starring in “General Hospital”, he gained notoriety as a soap opera star and quickly began to book other roles.  Working in television and movies, Jonathan had a workload that exceeded that of most grown adults. He knew that if he did not anchor himself in his relationship with God and his connections to his family, he would be swept away. With wisdom beyond his years, Jonathan turned to creative self-expression to set himself free. He collaborated with his brother Richard to compose original music, learn new instruments and write screenplays. Laughing, he explains that he had to begin writing because many of the ones he read were not very good.  Rather than fall victim to the clutches of a dark industry, Jonathan used music and writing to guide himself towards the light. It became the foundation for his life's work. Creativity is a divine gift Self-expression became the basis on which Jonathan connected with others and with his higher power.  Channeling his gifts into music and written words, Jonathan became a known artist and musician with his band, Enation. Since the band's inception in 2003, they have toured periodically and continued to produce new work. Jonathan is the band's frontman, writing most of the songs in addition to singing, playing guitar, and playing the piano. While navigating fame and building a career as a musician, Jonathan was also on another personal growth journey - his quest to deepen and explore his faith. For more of Jonathan's story, be sure to tune in next week for Part II of Jonathan's story here on The Business of You! Soundbytes 11:49 - 12:20 “Writing began very early on. Richard, my brother, is 3 years older than me. My brother and I started writing our first screenplay when he was 15 and I was 12. The inspiration was that some of the scripts we were reading weren't very good. We had this feeling early on - like, we can't just sit around and wait for good projects to come our way.” 12:29 - 12:57 “I started writing songs at 11 or 12, at the same time I started acting. It was a way of keeping me sane, and it was a therapeutic thing. At that age it's just a hobby. It turned into starting a band in our late teens!” 15:28 - 16:23 “One of the things acting gave me at a young age - and there's been a lot of studies about the brain and neuroplasticity - that can happen. When you put yourself in certain situations. People looked into it, the neuroplasticity of the brain changes for actors when you play other characters and perform things. It opened me up to the world. At a very young age I had to think and feel, asking so many questions about how others see the world - and what their fears and desires might be. Human psychology became part of my world at a young age.” Quotes “I'm more of an introvert, definitely. I'm fascinated by the introvert/extrovert dynamic. I'm not sure how much is nature versus nurture. I was extroverted as a child and became more introverted when I started acting. I do love people, communicating and connecting one on one.” “Too much attention, positive or negative, is kind of negative. It's going to kind of attack your ego and put you in a false reality. And if you have too much criticism and judgment, you're potentially in extremes when you have any kind of spotlight. Searching for an equilibrium was my main focus throughout my teenage years. How do I remain sane through all that?” “I glimpsed where my life could go if I wasn't careful. A massive wave could pick me up and destroy me, if I didn't position myself carefully. I thought, I need to anchor myself.” “My brother was my closest friend, growing up. I was grateful that we had each other to walk through the madness of LA and the industry together.” “I was slowly, slowly feeling like something central was missing in my experiences in Protestant churches. Wonderful people most of the time, good intentions. But something about the church itself, I just didn't understand it. There were so many versions. You start looking around and think, this is very confusing. The sense of something missing was not connected to Christ Himself, it was the vagueness of the church.” “The modern question is, what do I believe? It sounds like an important question. But the real question if you have any approximation to Christ is, what do Christians believe, and what have they always believed?” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Jonathan Jackson's Website at https://www.jonathanjackson.com/  Find Jonathan on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JonathanJacksonHQ/  Follow Jonathan on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jonathanjacksonhq/  Subscribe to Jonathan Jackson's Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4KKxEIbF5kAGOSi26Nx3Bg   

Transitioning from corporate to CEO is inherently risky, but by calculating your risks, you can set yourself up for success.  A growing number of people are leaving their corporate jobs to launch their own businesses, especially in coaching and consulting, an industry projected to reach nearly $12 billion by 2032. Making this shift involves both emotional and practical aspects. It's crucial to assess your personal risk tolerance, have sufficient financial backup, and understand the startup costs associated with different business types.  Start with foundational work, aided by a 360 assessment. Then, define your ideal customer, create a simple website, and gather testimonials to build credibility before you quit. Finding alignment between your personal values and business goals is key to creating a fulfilling career. Before you quit, you can leverage your corporate job to prepare for entrepreneurship. A steady income allows you to establish business foundations, test methodologies, and refine your offerings.  Being an entrepreneur means taking calculated risks and being mindful of the emotional and financial readiness required to ensure a smooth transition from corporate to CEO. Quotes “In my last corporate job interview, one of the people interviewing me, which was one of the very senior people at the organization, actually said to me, ‘how long do you think you're gonna last here before you leave to start your own company again?'” “One of the things we do with so many of our clients is give them this 360 assessment to see how others view them, how others view their brand attributes, how others view their strengths, how others view their role within a group setting, you know, are they the leader? Are they more of a participant? What's their role?” “There's been a big shift, particularly in the US in the last several years, for people to leave corporate and launch their own business.” “By the year 2032, the coaching / consulting industry will have nearly $12 billion dollars of financial investment in that field.”  “Some of the questions that one should ask themselves is: How comfortable are you with risk? How much money do you need in the bank before you feel comfortable and safe leaving a consistently paying job? How long will it take you to land your first client? What are some of the expenses you have to start your business?” “Another thing to factor into it: how painful is it for you to stay in your current role in corporate?” “Whether it's the startup phase, or you're 15 years into your business, there is always some risks in being your own boss. But I guess there is too sometimes in working for others.” “The personal brand process is really introspective, and it really forces you to dig deep and figure out, you know, what are you here to do with this one crazy life?” “If you are putting a shingle out there as a coach or consultant, you want that business to reflect who you are. You want that business to really like a sense of home.” “Life happens while you're busy living.” “Work is such a big part of our day. So if you can have such a settlement and satisfaction that even getting paid to do it feels like you're dreaming then I'm just a huge fan and people launching their coaching and consulting businesses that have the background and the ability to help others with their skill set.”

We're re-running our favorite episodes from The Business of You archives. If you missed it the first time, or just want to listen again, check this one out! This week's guest is Elyse Archer, founder of She Sells. Elyse is an international keynote speaker and host of She Sells Radio. A thought leader whose insights have been featured on Forbes and Inc, Elyse empowers women to sell in a way that leverages their natural gifts and helps them build wealth. Moving from Corporate World to Entrepreneurship Elyse felt that she needed a corporate job to become successful in her career. So with her first job selling yellow pages ads, she then sold national media for some of the biggest companies on their media strategy. She eventually landed an executive position and had a healthy income, marriage, and a lovely home. While looking successful on the outside, Elyse had several personal struggles. Finally, she decided to leave her marriage and corporate position to find out about her authentic self. Elyse started her business in sales coaching, developed and sold over four companies, and is currently leading her team at She Sells. Discover how she made the leap from corporate to entrepreneurship, how to reconnect with your body for healing, and how she helps her clients tap into their inner guidance to increase their sales. Soundbytes [02:06] Elyse's backstory from starting out in sales to becoming an executive at her own company. [05:45] Unraveling her life to start a journey of finding who she was meant to be. [12:15] The way in which Elyse helps her clients tap into their inner guidance and create sales. [19:49] How females can step into their female receiving energy to sell more. [23:50] Defining your personal brand and how Elyse sees her own personal brand. Quotes “The more I surrender who I thought I needed to be, the more abundance, love and happiness comes into my life.” “When you're called to do something, it always lead you to do something better.” “I learned that my femininity was my superpower.” Links mentioned in this episode: Visit Elyse Archer on the web: https://elysearcher.com/ Connect with Elyse Archer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysearcher/