The Dirt

The name of the game is flexibility. Today's guest is an agent of change who has an exit under his belt, a transition from founder out of the CEO seat and recently increased the company from a 4-day, back to a 5-day work week.Join Jim and Alejandro as they go deep discussing Alejandro's journey building Komet Sales - a vertically integrated floral platform - with a focus on what it means to build a strong culture and how to align people to the company's long-term vision. 3 Key TakeawaysEmbrace Change: Don't get attached. Whether that's a title, a GTM approach, a person on your team. Things change, the ability to adapt quickly is an asset. Learn to let go, to move forward!Find a Mentor: This is a golden nugget that not nearly enough founders/CEOs do. As Warren Buffet says, “It's good to learn from your mistakes. It's better to learn from other people's mistakes.”Understand People: Take the time to know your team. This is the foundation for culture. When people believe in what you're doing, combined with a strong sense of connection, you've got a recipe for company success. Resourceshttps://www.kometsales.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aperez/About Our Guest Alejandro started Komet Sales, the top software platform for the flower industry. He built the business from nothing until he was able to sell it successfully. Along the way, he faced many challenges that most startups deal with. His journey needed a strong passion for what he did, lots of creative thinking, and taking smart risks.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

From humble beginnings in a Beijing apartment to building a business teaching 50,000 students Chinese and Spanish worldwide, Tom Shugg is well versed in immersive learning. Whether it's changing diapers or expanding into a foreign market, Jim and Tom go deep on what it takes to build a company across country lines. 3 Key TakeawaysTrust the Market: As a business owner or leader, you likely have preconceived notions about what you think is right in your industry. But that's not always the case, one example - a lack of Spanish teachers in the US. Gamification Warning

In this episode of the Dirt, Graeme Barlow, a seasoned tech founder and entrepreneur, shares his unique journey from starting an online gaming currency business as a rebellious kid to spearheading a multi-million dollar software development agency in Ottawa, Canada. With a candid recount of his entrepreneurial ventures, Barlow dives into the lessons learned from expanding and then narrowing his company's focus, the pivotal shift to a retainer-based business model, and the importance of investing in people and culture. His story is a testament to the power of adaptability, the value of focused execution, and the unforeseen paths to success.Join Jim and Graeme as they unpack his unconventional path to tech company success …3 Key TakeawaysFocus is Critical for Growth: Maintain the focus on core competencies; expanding services can dilute your core competencies. Concentrating on your strengths leads to sustainable growth.Adaptability is Key: Embracing change and the willingness to pivot in response to market demands and internal assessments is crucial to survival.Culture and Leadership are Foundational: Develop a strong culture and invest in leadership training. This is critical for maintaining alignment and ensuring quality as a company scales.Resourceshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/graemebarlow https://www.graemebarlow.com/coaching https://www.iversoft.ca/About Our Guest Graeme Barlow, a serial entrepreneur with over 24 years of experience, has co-founded five companies, including a notable digital currency firm and RocketOwl Inc., which were both successfully acquired. He's significantly contributed to the pet industry through ProPetSoftware, achieving an ARR of over $1M. Leading Iversoft since 2016, he's driven its growth from a small team to over 50 members and nearly $10M in annual revenue, specializing in mobile and emerging technologies, and delivering impactful software solutions globally.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless...

In this episode of the Dirt, Jenny von Podewils, co-founder of Leapsome, shares the origin and mission of their people enablement platform, designed to help companies retain, develop, align, and engage their workforce. Starting from a personal realization of the gaps in organizational health and culture, Jenny and her co-founder embarked on a journey to create a solution that addresses these challenges. With a background in politics and economics, Jenny's pivot to entrepreneurship led to the development of Leapsome, which has seen remarkable growth and success, including a significant Series A funding. Through a focus on customer feedback, continuous learning, and challenging the status quo, Leapsome has become a crucial tool for companies worldwide, including industry giants like Spotify and Unity.Join Jim and Jenny as they unpack strategies on how to maximize employee engagement for a better culture…3 Key TakeawaysInvest in People Enablement: Focus on retaining, developing and engaging employees as a core strategy for business successEmbrace Feedback & Adaptability: Regularly solicit and act on feedback to improve and meet emerging challengesPrioritize Alignment and Clarity: Ensure that your team understands their roles, expectations, and how they contribute to the company's goalsResourceshttps://www.leapsome.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/leapsome/About Our Guest Jenny von Podewils is the co-founder and co-CEO of Leapsome, a people enablement platform backed by Insight Partners, Creandum, and Visionaries Club. Leapsome helps more than 1500 companies (including Spotify, Unity, and monday.com) build high-performing teams by driving employee development, productivity, and engagement.Jenny is an alumna of the Universities of St. Gallen and Oxford. Prior to Leapsome, Jenny led teams in business development, corporate development, and digital transformation roles in media and tech companies. In recognition of her work, Jenny was awarded Female Founder of the Year 2023 in the prestigious German Startup Awards and has been listed as one of the top 50 female entrepreneurs in Germany by Handelsblatt. Jenny lives in New York City with her husband and two children.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn:

In this episode of the Dirt, Steven Muro shares his extensive journey from software to becoming a leading figure in the B2B marketing sphere, particularly within the grocery sector. With over 26 years at the helm of his own agency, Steven has mastered leveraging data analytics to elevate brands like the Hass Avocado Board and California Strawberries. He emphasizes the importance of translating complex data into simple, actionable marketing strategies, ensuring his clients stand out as category captains. Steven's approach to client relationships and his innovative use of data exemplify his belief in the power of focused, client-centric marketing.Join Jim and Steven Muro as they unpack Muro's philosophy on blending data analysis with creative marketing to foster B2B success, offering valuable insights for business owners and marketers alike…3 Key TakeawaysData-Driven Decision Making: It is crucial to leverage data analytics not just for the sake of data gathering, but to translate data into simplified, actionable strategies that can directly contribute to overall marketing effectiveness. This means investing in the capability to analyze and interpret data to set the foundation for informed decision makingAdapt and Innovate: The ability to remain flexible and open to integrating new technologies and methodologies can significantly enhance your competitive edge. This underscores the importance of fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within your organization, ensuring that your marketing strategies evolve alongside technologically advancements and market changes Focus on the Client: tailoring your services and products to meet the specific needs and expectations of your clients is paramount. This client-centric approach not only aids in building strong relationships but also ensures that your business's success is directly aligned with the success of your clients Resourceshttps://www.gowithfusion.com/About Our Guest Steven Muro is the founder of a B2B marketing agency specializing in the grocery sector, leveraging over 26 years of diverse experience from software to consumer packaged goods. With a focus on fresh foods and sustainable products, Steven and his team excel in transforming complex data sets into actionable marketing strategies. His agency's work with notable brands like the Hass Avocado Board and California Strawberries exemplifies a commitment to driving category leadership through data-driven insights and creative solutions. Steven's approach emphasizes client success, innovation, and the practical application of technology in marketing.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website:

Adam Roach is a serial entrepreneur and CEO of I Love Coaching Co. Whether it's shutting his laptop at 6pm, to creating a daily $1,000 accountability motivator, Adam has a unique perspective based on his coaching business and entrepreneurial experience working with a variety of people and types of companies.Whether it was immediately exiting partnerships when Adam realized he was working with the wrong people to a golf cart meets mailbox parenting fiasco, there are lessons throughout this podcast for business owners at every stage. Join Adam and Jim as they discuss a myriad of topics from faith and ego to accountability, work-life balance and sticking to your word. 3 Key TakeawaysCreate accountability: Maybe not for everyone, but Adam has a system where he has an accountability partner he texts everyday what he's going to accomplish that day. If he doesn't accomplish it, he Venmo's $1000 to his partner (it's happened 12 times in 7 years if you're wondering). Identify your who's: Who are the people you want to work with? If those aren't the people you're working with today, it's time to figure out an exit path. Go grow: “If I don't better myself, my fear is that my past will repeat itself.”

Today's guest has a few things going for him that sets him apart from the typical CEO:✅ CEO of a publicly traded company ✅ Has a streak of 7 years without a day off [Jim note: not sure I'd recommend this for most!]✅ Runs a website with 100+ million visitorsJoin Jim and David Meniane, CEO of Carparts.com as they hit on a variety of topics from strategic consolidation to free cashflow.3 Key TakeawaysDefine Yourself: On the surface Carparts.com looks like an ecommerce company. But when you peel back a few layers, there is an advanced analytics engine and logistics infrastructure that has been purpose-built over the years to give consumers high-end car parts at a fraction of the cost due to their underlying inventory infrastructure. Less is More: Carparts.com used to be one of 17 different digital storefronts owned by the same company. It wasn't until a strategic decision was made to ‘abandon' the other stores (that had built up value in their brand following, URL traffic, etc.) and focus on their most valuable asset (Carparts.com). Since turning full attention to Carparts.com, the company has achieved significant growth in revenue and profitability.Speak Last: As CEO, it's your responsibility to listen. If you've done your job right, you're surrounded by people smarter than yourself in specific areas and are closer to the problems in their areas of the business. So when you're in a meeting, shutup and listen (respectfully!). ResourcesCarParts.com David's LinkedInAbout Our Guest Named CEO of CarParts.com in April 2022, David Meniane is responsible for providing sound strategic, financial, and operational leadership for the organization. Prior to this, David served as CarParts.com's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer since 2019.Under his leadership at CarParts.com, the company has undergone a comprehensive operational turnaround with record financial growth. The company has achieved eight consecutive quarters of year over year growth, doubling the size of the business in just three years. David hired more than 800 people in 2020 and 2021, and the firm now has over 2,000 employees globally. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn:

Roy Cohen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fetcherr, an Algo based company using an AI-based Generative Pricing Engine (GPE) to disrupt pricing and profitability in the airline industry. Join Jim and Roy as they go into the details of what it takes to build a company for profitability. Roy is in the business of making money; not raising capital. 3 Key TakeawaysEBITDA > ARR - Build a business to become cash positive. ARR does not meet the strategy to become profitable. Markets will go dark, but cash positive businesses will not go out of style. CEO KPI = Self Sufficiency - One of your goals as a CEO should be to make the company self-sufficient. Your job is to work yourself out of a job. Know Your Customers - Do you have a truly disruptive technology that solves a big problem, so much so that potential customers don't believe the problem can be solved? If that's the case, then be prudent about who you're selling to initially - identify and go after the trailblazers. ResourcesRoy Cohen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-cohen-a9a7093a/Fetcherr: https://www.fetcherr.io/About Our Guest Roy Cohen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Fetcherr. Roy has twenty years of experience in operational management, product strategy, and product and business development with large global companies.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Thad Price is the CEO of Talroo, a company that's transforming the hiring and recruiting landscape for essential workers.On a mission to disrupt the talent acquisition industry, Thad provides leadership, strategy, and guidance to all departments in his company, ensuring it's moving in the right direction with the right talent.Join Jim and Thad as they unpack the problems and opportunities that small, medium, and enterprise clients face hiring and developing talented people. 3 Key TakeawaysStop Being a Chief Everything Officer: When you're starting a business, managing every task and wearing multiple hats — it's all part of the hustle. But eventually you've got to focus more on your strengths and free up time for what you do best, and that means you've got to ensure you have the right talent in place that you trust to handle the other tasks effectively. Chase the Big Idea: Thad talks about the benefits of helping his staff believe that what they're doing is bigger than their company. They're helping transform their industry. They're innovating. They're creating positive change. When employees feel connected to a larger purpose, they're more motivated and engaged. When It Comes to Failing, Walk the Walk: A ton of business owners and CEOs talk about how it's ok to fail. But most of them, when it comes down to brass tacks, put high expectations on their designers and engineers to succeed at all costs. Failure can be a natural part of the creative process. But rather than just giving lip service to this idea, successful leaders actually empower their teams to push boundaries—and never berate them if they don't succeed. ResourcesThad Price on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thad-price-2368b Talroo: https://www.talroo.com/ About Our Guest Thad Price is CEO at Austin-based Talroo, the data-driven job and hiring event advertising platform that helps businesses reach the candidates they need to build their essential workforce. With more than 17 years of experience in online recruitment and the job search vertical, Thad is a recognized thought leader in the HR/TA space. He genuinely believes that there is no industry that plays a more integral role in the economy. Thad uses his cross-functional experience to turn client feedback into innovative products that help companies hire better. Under Thad's leadership, Talroo continues its mission of disruption in the industry. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn:

In this solocast, Jim Barnish explores three actions an international company needs to take when entering the US market. Some of what Jim gets into: Testing for Product Market Fit: An international company can have an amazing product, but if it doesn't resonate with the US market, then it's going to almost certainly fail. Understanding the cultural nuances and preferences of the American consumer base is crucial for penetrating the market effectively. Leverage a US-based Growth Consulting Firm: They'll have a deep cultural understanding, networking advantages, and market research expertise that you'll need to be successful. Embarking on your US expansion journey shouldn't be a crapshoot. To successfully enter the US market and avoid stumbling blocks, you need to carefully plan and execute a strategic market entry strategy. Be sure to listen to this episode for Jim's actionable strategies to avoid common mistakes. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Bianca Rangecroft is the CEO of Whering, a digital wardrobe and personal styling app. Join Jim and Bianca as they explore how to go viral with your customers and to monetize virality. 3 Key TakeawaysTap Into Your Brand and Community to Achieve Virality: Virality is elusive. Many charlatans claim to have the secret formula for creating viral content, but the truth is that there is no guaranteed recipe for success. Bianca talks about first reaching out to influencers organically, often through word of mouth. Then, after the influencer had posted videos using the Whering app, she'd again reach out to them and offer to collaborate on a paid basis. Paying Attention to Cycles: Customer use of some products, like the Whering app, skyrocket at certain times of the year (e.g. around the holidays), and plummet at other times. To effectively predict these cycles, be sure to regularly analyze customer behavior and preferences, and know that customer interest in your product might wax and wane over time, and that's ok. Total Commitment to Users: Bianca reads every piece of feedback her app users send in. That way she and her team aren't just addressing issues, they're staying on top of feature requests, new trends, and other valuable insights received directly from their users all around the world. ResourcesLearn more about Bianca Rangecroft: https://www.biancarangecroft.com/ Whering on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/id1519461680 Whering on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whering.app Whering on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whering About Our Guest A London-based entrepreneur, Bianca Rangecroft is the founder and CEO of Whering, the fashtech app that allows you to digitize your wardrobe, see and style everything you own. Bianca holds a first class Bachelor's degree in History and Politics from SOAS & LSE and an MSc (Merit) from Imperial College. Fluent in 6 languages, she began her career in banking, worked with some of the biggest Family Offices in Europe, and has extensive knowledge of the fashion tech space. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Forbes. She has been recognised for awards such as Drapers 30 under 30, Great British Entrepreneur & Tech Innovator of the Year (Drapers). About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website:

Learn about how the strategic move towards a SaaS model is a golden ticket to maximizing the overall value of your business.In this solocast, Jim Barnish delves into four reasons why transforming your IP into a SaaS model is such a game changer. Some of what Jim gets into: Scalability is About Growing Smarter: In a SaaS model, it's not just about getting bigger; it's about getting smarter. Ideally, you should aim for the cost of serving an additional customer being close to zero. SaaS = Steady Revenue Streams: With a traditional product or service-based business, you're often chasing the next deal to keep the lights on. Turn your business into a SaaS subscription model, you'll make your revenue streams more consistent—as long as you continue providing value to your customers. Scalability and predictable revenue are just two reasons to transform your IP into a SaaS model. To hear Jim's take on increasing customer value and lowering operating costs, listen to the show. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black Jim Barnish's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grow-smart-grow-fast/ Orchid Black's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Steve Benson's leadership journey is a masterclass in resilience, grit, and innovative growth strategies. As the Founder and CEO of Badger Maps, an app for B2B field sales, he has mastered focusing on the ideal customer profile and harnessing the power of offshore talent. Join Jim and Steve as they discuss Steve's bootstrapping journey all the way to up to 5.4 million ARR. 3 Key TakeawaysEstablish a Dedicated Support Team Separate from Sales: For years, Steve's sales team handled all customer calls, which was effective for sales inquiries but less so for support issues. To enhance efficiency and focus, we have now segregated these functions. While the sales and support teams maintain communication for cohesive operations, this separate allows the sales team to focus exclusively on sales activities, ensuring a more targeted and effective approach. Leveraging Offshore Software Development Talent is Table Stakes for Bootstrapping a Company: In the US, exceptional software engineering talent commands a premium price, justifiably for those prioritizing domestic sourcing. However, for startups operating without significant external funding or capital, exploring offshore software development partnerships can be a strategic move. Countries like India, Poland, and Brazil offer a wealth of skilled professionals, providing a diverse array of options for cost-effective and quality development solutions. When Searching For a Loan, Compare Like-For-Like: Some companies offer revenue-based loans. Others offer discount rate loans. And of course there are APR loans. When you're shopping around, convert every offer to APR so you can compare apples to apples. ResourcesSteve Benson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenbenson/ Badger Maps: https://www.badgermapping.com/ Badger Sales University: https://salesuniversity.badgermapping.com/ (Use the following code for first month free, 2nd month 80% off: STEVE80)Steves Outside Sales Talk Podcast: https://www.outsidesalestalk.com Steve on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevebensonsf/ Steve on Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SteveBenson About Our Guest Steve Benson is CEO and founder of Badger Maps, the #1 app in the App Store for outside and field salespeople. Steve is also CEO of Badger Sales University. After receiving his MBA from Stanford, Steve joined Google, where he became Google Enterprise's Top Sales Executive globally in 2009.In 2012 Steve founded Badger Maps for outside and field salespeople to upgrade existing CRMs with mapping, routing, and scheduling. He also hosts the Outside Sales Talk, a podcast specifically for outside salespeople, and is the President of the Sales Hall of Fame.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show...

André Sluczka grew up in Germany where he loved to climb up a mountain and fly down on a paraglider. Nowadays, he heads up a consulting company, Datagrate, that helps their clients build, manage, and scale the world's best application integration platforms solving the most complex integration challenges.Join Jim and André as they talk about how to establish a meaningful strategic partnership on day one, and how to navigate the shift from consulting services to building products and software. 3 Key TakeawaysStriking the Balance Between Growth and Quality: For solopreneurs who are expanding for the first time, growth might inadvertently lead to compromising on quality. To dodge this bullet, hire talented individuals with the experience and skills required to scale the company with minimal supervision. Remember, scaling isn't a race. Growing A Business Is Like Raising Kids: The problems never go away. They just evolve into new forms, posing new tests and demanding different solutions. Entrepreneurship and parenting are transformative experiences that require continuous adaptation and a mindset geared towards problem-solving. Have the Right People in Place Before the Demand Arises: Preemptive hiring allows time for seamless onboarding, integration into your company culture, and ability to prevent major growth challenges before they arise. No last-minute rushes. Prioritize finding the right fit over quick fixes.ResourcesDatagrate's website: https://datagrate.com/ About Our Guest As the Founder and CEO of Datagrate, André Sluczka has more than 15 years of experience in designing and building scalable enterprise integration platforms. He is a recognized leader in the field of cloud-native integration solutions and strongly believes that Kubernetes and Apache Camel are the foundation for such solutions, particularly as demand for more vendor and cloud-agnostic approaches continues to rise. André is also the inventor of the jetic.io iPaaS platform, which has gained recognition for being the industry's first low-code platform that effectively handles enterprise-grade requirements. The platform's innovative architecture enables it to handle complex integration scenarios with ease while providing users with an exceptional level of customization and control. Through his work with high-profile clients such as Urban Institute, Judicial Council of California, GE Transportation, Bayer, US Cellular, and FIS Global, André has solidified his reputation as a leading figure in enterprise integration and cloud-native solutions.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn:

This is a recast of a previously aired episode about Katie Merrill's entrepreneurship journey while also building a family. Hear Katie's story as she walks host Jim Barnish through the challenges she has faced and continues to learn from.As a go-getter with a strong operations background, Katie was hyper focused on the day-to-day grind, but learned over time that she had to get out of her own way. Finding a COO combined with efforts to scale her sales team has been a game changer for the evolution of the business. Freeing up her time as the founder from the daily operations has allowed her to prioritize other areas to grow.Key TakeawaysShift focus from the day-to-day operations to other key strategic areas like product evolution, strategy, etc.You might be a founder, but that doesn't mean you know everything. Set aside your insecurities and don't be afraid to ask questions to mentors that have been there before.Put effort into building a scalable sales engine. It's a lot easier when founders aren't the only ones selling. ResourcesKatie's LinkedInB-Lynk websiteDare to Lead by Brené BrownRocket Fuel by Gino WickmanAbout Our Guest Katie Butcher-Merrill is CEO and Founder of B-Lynk, providing training services, including sales and end-user training on the Smart-Lynk managed service platform for over 40 BroadSoft based Service Providers and Hosted Unified Communications companies globally. Prior to this, Katie held supply chain management roles at both General Mills and The Mosaic Company. She is a graduate of Iowa State University.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Many businesses are oblivious to how out of whack their Go-To-Market strategy is. In this solocast, Jim Barnish explores three critical opportunities for businesses that are out of alignment with their GTM strategy. Some of what Jim gets into: Trust Your Product Leads: Both CEOs and product leads understand customer pain points and the market. Yet sometimes a CEO makes decisions based on their gut, not data, while a product lead often has more direct access to customers and data, and thus a more in-depth understanding. Don't overlook the knowledge of your product leads! Build a SINGLE Revenue Team: If your sales and marketing teams are not on the same page, you're going to run into roadblocks. You need one one revenue team. Yes, they'll have different functional objectives, but they'll have the same overall goal—creating revenue and meaningful value for customers. Third opportunity? You'll have to listen to the podcast! About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Jody Haneke is a walking personification of the phrase, “build cool sh!t for your customers.” As the head of a bespoke software development company, Haneke and his team bring product ideas to life for his clients that truly want to harness technology for growth. Join Jim and Jody as they discuss building awesome digital experiences for customers that keep them coming back. 3 Key TakeawaysHarness Talent From Outside Your Industry: Haneke talks about being able to transfer what he learns from his healthcare clients to clients he's working with in logistics. Cross-industry talent can offer fresh solutions to age-old problems.AI Isn't A Magic Wand: Too many businesses are jumping on the bandwagon, claiming they do AI, but are barely using it to its fullest potential. Before diving into AI as a hopeful business solution, check if it aligns with your goals and see if it's even possible to tailor it to your needs or the needs of your customers. Understand your Weaknesses: Building a successful tech startup requires a diverse set of skills. But what if you're missing a crucial piece of the puzzle? If you lack a certain combination of attributes that every founder needs (like technical expertise, marketing savvy, or financial acumen), why not team up with a like-minded partner who complements your strengths and weaknesses? ResourcesJody Haneke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodyhaneke Haneke Design: https://www.hanekedesign.com/ About Our Guest Jody Haneke is President and Founder of Haneke Design, a software development company that was founded on user experience design, with in-house full stack custom software development capabilities. With clients such as NYSE, Paramount Pictures, and Target, Haneke Design launches digital products that amaze end-users.Jody is on the Board of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and an Entrepreneur in Residence (EiR) at the University of Tampa. Haneke Design has won over 50+ design and user experience awards throughout the years and continues to expand its business solutions with a core commitment to process and innovation. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid...

A company-wide commitment to customer success is essential for your business. But remember: it starts with you. In this solocast, Jim Barnish gets into actionable strategies for growth-stage companies building their first customer success team. Some of what Jim gets into: When A Company Scales, Sometimes Customers Get Left Behind: Problematically, many growth-stage companies prioritize acquiring new customers over customer success. They invest heavily in marketing and sales, yet overlook their legacy customers. While initially fruitful, this approach often overlooks the long term value of nurturing and retaining your customers. Hire Someone Who Knows Their Sh!t: To start building your customer success team right, be sure to hire a leader who knows the distinctions between the following: customer success, customer support, and sales. These functions seem similar, yet they have vastly different goals. Customer Metrics Are Your Roadmap to Success: It's crucial that you track metrics such as Net Revenue Retention (NRR), Gross Revenue Retention (GRR), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT). These metrics are vital in understanding if your product/service is resonating with customers, and if your customers are satisfied. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Dan Bradbury, a mastermind expert, brings together owners of seven and eight figure B2B companies in masterminds so they can share best practices for high business growth and catapult their individual businesses forward.Join Jim and Dan as they explore the benefits of joining a mastermind group and how it can accelerate business growth.3 Key TakeawaysInvest in Yourself by Learning from Others: Nobody is born an excellent business owner. Sure, you might have a natural knack for entrepreneurship, a few instincts that set you apart. But here's the real secret to success: continuous learning and growth. To take your company to the next level: Attend workshops. Read voraciously. Connect with mentors. Always be learning. Keep It Simple, Stupid: In business and entrepreneurship, this golden rule—abbreviated as KISS—never goes out of style, with good reason. Simplify the complexity of your business into manageable chunks, and always focus on fundamental practices. Remember, success doesn't always mean complexity. Keep everything straightforward, stay true to your vision, and watch your business soar. Why Every Business Person Should Join a Mastermind: An idiot learns from their own mistakes. A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Why not stand on the shoulders of giants and benefit from their wisdom? Joining a mastermind provides an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals who are driven to succeed, can challenge your ideas, and help you avoid common pitfalls. ResourcesDan Bradbury's website: https://danbradbury.com/ Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-bradbury-a9265642/ Get Dan's book, “Turnover Is Vanity, Profit Is Sanity: 9 1/2 Steps to Improving Your Profits & Cashflow”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1691215333 Get your Business Profit Maximization score from Dan's website: https://cf.danbradbury.co.uk/get-score-hl Learn more of Dan's story from his appearance on the Money & Me TV show: https://youtu.be/8-QLJmFYauY About Our Guest As an investor, Dan Bradbury specializes in taking companies already producing one million in revenue and accelerating their growth to over 10 million.His love of numbers and finances sets him apart, allowing him to find the hidden assets and weaknesses within the businesses that he invests in.Dan has over 15 years of business experience in various industries, has founded two companies, bought five companies outright, and invested in over a dozen companies. Dan's specialty is maximizing the value of a business, whether that involves keeping the business and reaping the rewards, or exiting the business for a big payout. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here:

If you want to unlock unprecedented growth in your business—which will lead to exceptional value creation—consider taking the leap and expanding into new markets, verticals, and offerings. In this solocast, Jim Barnish dives deep into strategies to ensure that your products or services cater to the needs and preferences of your new customers. Some of what Jim gets into: Before Jumping Into A New Market, Immerse Yourself In It: You can't just assume you and your team knows your audience, that your pricing strategy will be effective, and you'll be able to handle any risks that pop up. If you don't conduct extensive market research, you'll surely miss out on valuable insights that could make or break your business. Engage Early Adopters In A Pilot Program: Validating a business concept through a pilot isn't just about testing your new product. It's also about engaging with real customers who can provide actionable insights. Bonus points if you target early adopters who are much more likely to provide constructive criticism and be invested in your new offering's success. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

David Chadwick, Founder and CEO at RealResponse, is passionate about making a difference in athletics, but not in the normal sense of what you might think of as winning in sports. Instead, David has created a tool where athletes and staff can give anonymous feedback in a way that everyone in collegiate institutions and athletic organizations has a chance to be heard. Join Jim and David as they explore how David is helping create a much safer environment in sports and institutions across the country, while also scaling his business. 3 Key TakeawaysCash Management and Funding Decisions: In the early stages, it's crucial to control expenses and scrutinize every cost. Decisions on funding, whether through raising money from friends, family, angels, or VCs, will have a long term impact on the control and expectations around the business. David highlights the importance of staying true to his mission and controlling his destiny by being mindful of where funding comes from.Technology and Scalability: Ensure that technology choices are future-proof and scalable. There is a significant focus on getting the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) right from the start. Mistakes in technology choices can be costly and pivoting might require substantial resources“Customers, customers, customers”: This is what David often tells his staff is the most important part of their business. Never have a whiteboard session with your team to workshop what you think your customers want and need. Until you get in front of your customers, it's just impossible to know what they're thinking and feeling. ResourcesDavid Chadwick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-chadwick-862570173/ RealResponse: http://www.realresponse.com About Our Guest While studying and playing Division 1 basketball at Rice University and Valparaiso University, David Chadwick recognized that positive student-athlete experiences had everything to do with culture, support services, academic integrity, and the relationships formed with coaches and teammates. This insight led him to launch RealResponse in 2016.RealResponse elevates voices by offering a safe, anonymous platform for two-way communications, ensuring everyone in collegiate institutions and athletic organizations has a chance to be heard. The RealResponse community consists of more than two million athletes, coaches, administrators, and staff, and reaches across college and professional sports, governing bodies, and integrity units. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website:

Sarah Jenkins runs several software and real estate companies, including Genesis Digital. Homeschooled as a kid and an entrepreneur since she was 15, Sarah epitomizes the I-can-figure-out-pretty-much-anything approach. Join Jim and Sarah on this roller coaster of a conversation as they connect the dots between business success and personal challenges, such as Sarah escaping a cult, bouncing back after a partner stole from her business, and dealing with family trauma. 3 Key TakeawaysCompartmentalization for Work-Life Balance: Learn to compartmentalize your role and responsibilities, both in professional and personal life. This strategy helps maintain a balance, ensures you can provide adequate support for your partners (both business and personal), and can be particularly beneficial when working with family, especially a spouse. This approach has helped Sarah to focus on different roles without them conflicting with each other, reducing stress and improving productivity.Innovation Starts with Listening: And who better to guide your company's future than your loyal customers? Sarah regularly asks her audience, “What should we do next?” And her audience tells her what they need. Remember, you don't have to figure everything out on my own.Digital Detox. Going Analog: Invest at least an hour every week with your computer and phone off, and embrace the timeless practice of jotting down ideas with pen and paper. Disconnecting from the constant digital chatter allows for uninterrupted, deep thinking and fosters creativity. ResourcesConnect with Sarah Jenkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jenkins-763469123/ Learn about Sarah's company, Genesis Digital: https://www.genesisdigital.co/ Learn about Genesis Digital's all-in-one sales and marketing solution, Karta: https://home.kartra.com/ Listen to Sarah's Paid To Create podcast: https://www.paidtocreatepodcast.com/ About Our Guest Sarah Jenkins, a Michigan born homeschooled mom of five, boasts over a decade of experience in a variety of business niches, including the fitness industry, information products, and software as a service. Emerging in her early twenties with a #1 health website, she's now considered a leader in self-funded business growth. As Genesis Digital's co-founder, CEO, and leading beacon, she is directly involved with the daily operations, finance, and management of 160 remote staff. Genesis Digital owns and manages Kartra, an all-in-one sales, marketing, and ecommerce solution that runs 100's of millions of dollars in sales for tens of thousands of clients since Sarah took over Genesis Digital after the passing of her husband Andy Jenkins. Sarah is also co-host of the Paid To Create podcast. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here:

Francesco Wiedemann is Co-Founder of Kyte, a door-to-door, app-based car rental delivery company that ambitiously intends to become the largest fleet operator on the planet with 10 million trips per month by 2030. Join Jim and Francesco as they how Francesco went from winning entrepreneurial pitch contests at Harvard and MIT to co-creating a rental car startup that has raised $300 million to date. 3 Key TakeawaysIdentifying Market Gaps: Francesco and his co-founders realized there was a gap in the mobility market for travel longer than an Uber ride but shorter than requiring a long-term car lease. This led them to create Kyte, a service that fills this gap. For entrepreneurs, the lesson is clear: look for areas where existing solutions are lacking or incomplete and aim to fill that void with a better offering.Finding the Right Pricing Strategy: Francesco discussed how they initially underestimated the complexity of pricing in their market. Over time, they invested in developing a pricing engine to optimize their offerings. Pricing is often an overlooked aspect of business strategy, but it's crucial for competitiveness and profitability. Entrepreneurs should continuously evaluate and reevaluate their pricing strategy to meet market demands and operational costs.Help Investors See Your Vision: Kyte secured a credit line from Goldman Sachs despite being a small operation at the time. This was possible because they could convey the potential of their business model and its scalability to investors. Entrepreneurs should focus not just on what their company is now, but also on what it could become, especially when pitching to investors or financial partners.Use Kyte's promotion code for $20 off On Ktye's website or in the Kyte app, at checkout use “THEDIRT20” promo code to get a $20 discount on your purchase. ResourcesLearn about how Kyte delivers cars on demand, for any trip longer than a rideshare: https://kyte.com/ Francesco Wiedemann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francescowiedemann/ Stratechery by Ben Thompson is the podcast Francesco recommends to The Dirt listeners: https://stratechery.com/ About Our Guest Francesco Wiedemann graduated with an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Technische Universität München and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before starting Kyte, he worked as a Product Manager for BMW Mobility Services, where he launched mobility services combining carsharing and ride hailing in the US and China. In 2019, Francesco co-founded Kyte, where he leads the company's product vision and product strategy. Fun fact: Years ago, Francesco broke the Guinness World Records for the longest mountain bike wheelie in one hour. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black

Tomasz Pawliszyn is the brains behind AirHelp, the world's leading legal tech company that helps air travelers get compensation or refunds for flight disruptions. Join Jim and Tomasz as they go deep on air passenger rights during this episode.3 Key TakeawaysBuild Healthy; Not Heavy: During Covid-19, when Tomasz's staff headcount went from 700 to 200, he used that as an opportunity for restructuring, streamlining operations, and inviting the remaining staff into a new vision for a stronger, healthier company. Even in times of decline, you can lay the foundation for future growth.Embrace Hybrid Work: A lot of folks thought the future of work was remote, but that didn't take employer preferences into account. Hybrid work models are what most companies have adopted. This flexibility to choose where and when to work while requiring some in-office time combines the best of both worlds.Product Diversity

Robert Cornish's mission is to use aesthetics and communication to improve and move people through the end-to-end sales journey. As the CEO of Richter, he helps Fortune 500 companies—from Disney to Dell—with their end-to-end B2B sales journey. Join Jim and Robert as they dive into enterprise sales and what deal teams can do to stop making mistakes in pre-sales, sales enablement, and customer experience. 3 Key TakeawaysAlignment and Elimination: Robert advocates for maintaining alignment in a company's vision, mission, and offerings. He suggests that cutting out misaligned elements, whether they're customers, products, or services, can lead to a clearer and more successful path. Several times in Richter's history, Robert cut whole swaths of customers. Why? Because deep down he knew that his agency couldn't serve them to his standards.Thought Leadership: Thought leadership and personal branding are significant for businesses of all sizes. Robert mentions the importance of having influence, thought leadership, and a clear point of view to stand out and attract attention as part of your strategy for getting in front of B2B companies. The Bigger the Company, the More Refined the Target: Robert believes that a purposeful approach is essential to B2B sales. He stresses the need to get in front of the right person from the start of the sales cycle to give yourself the best chance for success. ResourcesRobert Cornish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertmcornishRead Robert's book, What Works, co-written with Wil Seabrook: https://amzn.to/47p3u61 Listen to Robert's What Works as an audiobook: ​​https://adbl.co/2BvqS4I Subscribe to Robert's newsletters: https://robertcornish.substack.com/ Richter's website: https://www.richter10point2.com/ About Our Guest Robert Cornish is the founder and CEO of Richter Group of Companies, a management, acquisition, and venture group that owns Richter10.2 Media Group, Social Media Press Kit (SMPK), and Richter10.2 Video. Since 2002, he has successfully launched and run five companies. Through those companies, he has helped implement effective growth methods that have resulted in Richter's consistent success. Some of Robert's achievements include: Featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, Selling Power Magazine, and Inc Magazine. Guest speaker for Association for Corporate Growth Los Angeles, IASA Summit, and West Point. Interviewed for 33Voices, EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, and IDEA Magazine. Published author of What Works, a book about lessons Robert learned while growing his multi-million dollar agency. Richter is one of the fastest growing companies in America, as shown by the following achievements: Made the Inc 5000 list five times. Made the Silicon Valley Fast 50 four times. Won the Entrepreneur360 award two times.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover...

In the realm of e-commerce, Heather Udo personifies success, innovation, and tenacity. A trailblazer who pushes what's possible for brands, publishers, and retailers, Heather has her finger on the e-commerce pulse. Join Jim and Heather as they dive into the business challenges of creating an innovative tech platform that transforms e-commerce shoppers into loyal buyers3 Key Takeaways- Raising Venture Capital Might Create Problems: If you successfully raise capital before your product is fully fine-tuned and before the market is ready, you could run into trouble. Take a feather out of Heather's cap: consider keeping a lean team and funding your growth via sales (bootstrapping). - Strategy First; Technology Second: If a company doesn't have a strong go-to-market strategy, it doesn't matter what your technology does. Strategy first. Technology second. It'll never work if you try to do it the other way around. - Educating Your Customers Can Be A Slow Burn: After Heather shared her e-commerce visions with some retailers and brands, many of them balked. They just weren't ready to do more than the required minimum with their online stores. But they could see the value in upping their digital game. Over the years, they came around. ResourcesHeather Udo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherudo/ Heather on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathermarieudo/Heather on Linktree: https://linktr.ee/heatherudo Shoppable: https://linktr.ee/Shoppable About Our Guest Heather Udo is the Founder and CEO of Shoppable, an e-commerce solution that helps brands, retailers, creators, and publishers power innovative commerce experiences such as ads, websites, mobile apps, and shops. Some of Heather's career highlights: - Won the 2013 Women in Digital Award from L'Oreal. - Named one of the ten “Most Powerful Millennials in Manhattan” by Gotham Magazine.- Identified as and one of the eleven “Tech Gurus Changing the Luxury Game” by Refinery29. - Holds three U.S. Patents for technology she invented.- Prior to Shoppable, participating in a successful exit as the business she co-founded was acquired. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

As a business owner, you've turned dreams into reality, navigating challenges, and witnessing your venture grow from infancy to maturity. Yet there comes a time in every entrepreneur's life when the idea of selling your business becomes a reality. If that's you, two important questions you should ask yourself are: 1. "What's my level of confidence in meeting my goal for selling the business?" 2. "Am I mentally ready to exit my business?" These delve into the heart of a significant transition—one that requires both strategic planning and emotional preparedness.In this solocast, Jim Barnish brings you part 2 in his series about evaluating your readiness to sell your business and move onto the next entrepreneurial chapter in your life. Two key topics Jim gets into: Know Your Goal: Just like your initial plunge into entrepreneurship, embarking on the sale of your business requires a mix of optimism and preparation. It can be a tough process, especially mentally - it is recommended to have confidants that understand the process by your side to help bolster your confidence and build your exit strategy for success!Say Goodbye to the Familiar: Mentally preparing to exit your business is akin to preparing for a new chapter in life. Your business has likely become more than just a means of income; it's a part of your identity. Losing this part of you challenges you in new ways. It is best to have a plan for your life post-exit. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

David Kreiger created a company for outsourcing Sales Development Representatives—inside sales representatives who focus solely on sales prospecting—before SDR was even a term. His company, SalesRoads, has been around for 16 years and is a sales outsourcing and appointment setting firm that simplifies revenue operations and makes growth easy. Join Jim and David as they hash out the nitty gritty of creating a culture best suited for high-performing sales teams. 3 Key TakeawaysCreate Buyer Personas: Customize sales approaches based on buyer personas. Differentiating between various customer types and assigning the right SDRs to engage with them effectively ensures more productive engagement and communication, leading to higher success rates.Don't Cut Corners on Sales Hires: If you're going to create a high-performing sales team, don't hire cheap sales professionals. (And if you're thinking of hiring free interns to run your sales, please stop reading now and click elsewhere.) High-performing sales teams are built with experienced professionals who know how to close deals and exceed targets. Set Clear Expectations and Accountability: Set clear expectations for sales teams, define what success looks like and create a culture of accountability by implementing quotas and KPIs for guiding sales efforts and ensuring consistency.ResourcesDavid Kreiger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkreiger/ SalesRoads: https://salesroads.com/ SalesRoads on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesroads/people/ SalesRoads article about how to build an inside sales development team: https://salesroads.com/leadership/inside-sales-team/ About Our Guest David Kreiger is the founder of SalesRoads, a sales outsourcing and appointment setting firm with over 16 years of experience. David holds an MBA in Marketing & Management from The Wharton School and a BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. David is also a contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine, where he shares insights on B2B sales and business leadership. In his spare time, he serves as a Venture Lab Mentor at The Wharton School and is an active member of the EO entrepreneur association.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn:

Alejandro Rivas-Micoud believes that user experience (UX) eats strategy for breakfast. As the Founder and CEO of Userlytics, Alejandro helps companies optimize their user experience by making it easy to test the user experience of their prototypes, websites, mobile apps, etc. Join Jim and Alejandro as they explore why user experience holds a key position in determining the success and widespread adoption of any product or service. 3 Key TakeawaysThe Irrefutable Power of User Experience: If you don't think that UX is critical to a company's success, then just think of Zoom. Their product and pricing wasn't that different to competitors. Yet Zoom's user experience was so seamless and intuitive that it quickly became the go-to video conferencing platform for millions of people around the world. Sorry Webex…

Pricing & Packaging (P&P) doesn't need to be complex, but it does need to be purposeful.Does your pricing and packaging strategy entice new customers, retain loyal customers, and topple competitors? If not, how could you implement a P&P structure to do so?In this solocast, Jim Barnish identifies three keys for executing a pricing and packaging strategy to perfection:Set a Strategy: Like other areas of your business, you should be purposeful in setting your vision for what pricing and packaging means for your organization and what your goals are for this strategy. Validate Your Ideas With Research: Customer research is essential to understand their needs and preferences, which should be the core of any pricing and packaging strategy. Additionally, market research and competitive analysis also plays a crucial role because it allows you to communicate value to the market and position your product in its sweet spot. Different Customers Require Different Approaches: When implementing an overhaul of your pricing and packaging strategy, it's beneficial to group your customers into two groups: new customers and old customers. New customers are unaware of your historical prices, however, existing customers might resist changes in pricing and packaging, so a well-planned transition with over-communication, transparency, and customer support is crucial. Listen to Jim's Other Solocast About Pricing & Packaging This episode is Jim's second solocast about pricing. Here's his first episode: https://www.orchid.black/podcast/72In that episode, he talks about value-based pricing, packaging challenges, and understanding the competitive landscape when it comes to pricing and packaging. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

As the CEO of FirstHive, Aditya Bhamidipaty and his team built a B2C marketing automation platform that unifies customer interactions across all channels. From social media to email marketing to websites, and from anonymous conversations to post-login conversations, Aditya knows that every customer interaction counts. Join Jim and Aditya as they dive into the difficulties and opportunities of delivering consistent brand messaging across all customer touch points. 3 Key TakeawaysHarnessing Top Talent for Long-Term Organizational Success: Entrepreneurs often struggle with creating a strong culture and aligning their team with their mission. The people you surround yourself with can make all the difference in the success and longevity of your organization. Do you see yourself collaborating with your core team for the next, say, five to ten years? If so, consider providing equity to your employees. By offering company shares as part of employees' compensation packages, you'll promote a sense of ownership and accountability.Know Your Customers: When you have a deep understanding of your consumers, you can engage with them in a more relevant and meaningful manner. This allows you to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time through their preferred communication channels. If You Don't Control Your Customer Data, You Don't Control Your Customer's Experience: The data landscape is cluttered with dozens of providers that essentially own various data points of your customer data. If you don't shed some of those providers, and consolidate your customer data, you'll always struggle to control the experiences your customers have with your products and services. ResourcesFirstHive, a marketing platform that delivers real-time analytics and executes cross-channel campaigns: www.firsthive.com Aditya Bhamidipaty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityabhamidipaty/ About Our Guest Aditya is the founder and CEO of FirstHive. Aditya started his career with P&G and worked in Europe with iGate. His previous experience also includes co-founding Emart Solutions, a leading customer experience and loyalty agency in India. He did his MBA from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad. He loves playing cricket, coaching kids in soccer, and going on hikes with his boys.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube:

Marc Daniels is the CEO and co-founder of ResultsBI, a business intelligence platform that has helped thousands of companies create a strategic plan, execute it, and track it. His passion is guiding entrepreneurs through creating a Strategic Plan of growth, and helping them execute that. Join Jim and Marc as they compare and contrast strategic ambitions and execution frustrations. 3 Key TakeawaysPlanning Is Worthless Without Execution: For an ambitious entrepreneur with a laser focus on growth, meticulous planning is essential. Yet planning alone can only take an entrepreneur so far. The true path to success lies in effective execution. As Marc says in this episode: “Planning is crucial to your success. But it's the execution that brings in the millions.” Riches in the Niches: Focus on your niche, core competencies. This allows you to respond quickly to customer demands, technological advancements and competitor moves. If you spread your business too thin, you'll find it difficult to stay relevant in a dynamic business landscape.Experiment with Trends: If you pick a trend every quarter, eventually you'll pick one that is right and adds a lot of value to your business.ResourcesMarc Daniels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-daniels-231456a3/ Marc on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcldaniels/ Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcResults ResultsBI website: http://resultsbi.com ResultsBI on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resultsbi About Our Guest 1970s: Marc Daniels launched one of the US's first computer mail-order companies. 1980s: Marc launched his first online presence and rebranded Varityper to PrePress Solutions, which grew from bankruptcy to $55M in yearly sales. 1990s: Marc worked with Instrumentation Engineering, which sold for $300M in 2001. 2000s: Marc worked on the launch of GameDealer.com, which sold to Electronic's Boutique, and co-founded Diligent Board Member Services, which sold to private equity for 941 Million NZD in 2016.2010s: Marc is the CEO and co-founder of ResultsBI, a business intelligence platform that has helped thousands of companies create a strategic plan, execute it, and track it. His passion is guiding entrepreneurs through creating a Strategic Plan of growth, and helping them execute that. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please subscribe.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website:

Most business owners who have mastered growth eventually end up asking themselves questions like: How will I know if it's the right time to sell my business? What steps do I need to take to prepare my company for an exit? Where can I go for help?In this solocast, Jim Barnish outlines how to time a successful exit. Selling your business can be very stressful - lots can go wrong. However, when done correctly, a business owner can achieve life-changing results, both financial and emotional. Some of what Jim gets into: Understand your motivators: It can be beneficial to think through the different motivators all business owners have—financial motivators, strategic motivators, and personal motivators. Know when the time is right: A good time to sell your business is when you have a strong motivator, you are confident you will meet you financial goals, and you are psychologically prepared to sell.t Lessons from LinkedIn's exit: From this sale ($26 billion!), business owners can learn what an ideal transaction can look like, including tangible growth opportunities, ease of integration, complementary solutions and services, and ability to work together to grow market share.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Aydin Mirzaee is a tech CEO passionate about helping people save time. A productivity guru, serial founder, and SaaS industry veteran with an exit to SurveyMonkey under his belt, Aydin has been through the gamut of building and exiting businesses.Join Jim and Aydin as they explore how Aydin and his coworkers at Fellow.app are revolutionizing the way teams interact with fewer and better meetings. 3 Key TakeawaysNormalize Confrontation: Most people dislike confrontation. But disagreements are normal and should be expected as a part of the workplace (group think hurts organizations y'all!).. But, after a final decision has been made, even if you disagreed with it initially, commit and go full in. Research is a Balancing Act: Do too much research, and you'll figure out all the reasons why something won't work. Don't sabotage yourself from taking a chance and starting something. This is particularly relevant for second-time founders after you've had a win and feel like you know all the things to do better this time around

Ben Weiss has significantly impacted the cryptocurrency space not once, but twice. A bona fide crypto thought leader (there are a lot of crypto charlatans out there), Ben has led a company that has exceeded $1B in transaction volume and also gets deep into the weeds of cryptocurrency regulation. Oh, and Ernst & Young recently named him an Entrepreneur of the Year. Join Jim and Ben as they explore Ben's wild ride from dorm room to Bitcoin ATMs to dreams of connecting with a billion crypto users. 3 Key TakeawaysSimplify, Simplify, Simplify: Committing to making your product as easy-to-use as humanly possible will set you apart from competitors. Prioritize simplicity, intuitiveness, and a smooth user experience throughout every aspect of your product.Know Yourself: Building a business is a roller coaster ride. We can—like many business owners—lose our identities by intertwining them with our careers. Our personal worth shouldn't be so closely tied to the success of a business.Explain the Why: You hire executives to do a job. They're better than you at it (or you have a problem), so let them take care of the “how.” But for them to be most effective, they need to know the “why” in all that they do—that's your job as the leader! Resourceshttps://www.olliv.com/en-US/ https://coinflip.tech/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/benweisscoinflip About Our Guest Ben Weiss co-founded CoinFlip in 2015 and served as the Chief Operating Officer before being appointed as Chief Executive Officer in April 2021. Since its inception, Ben has led the company's strategy and helped CoinFlip surpass $1B in transaction volume. In addition to running a burgeoning startup, Ben works with governing bodies towards cryptocurrency regulation. Regarded as a thought-leader in the crypto space, he is regularly interviewed by major news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and The Washington Post, and has given several keynote speeches about the future of cryptocurrency.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Many growth-stage companies make mistakes when it comes to pricing and packaging. If you're losing sales and experiencing negative brand impressions, maybe it's time you took a good hard look at your pricing and packaging. For starters, are you focusing on value or cost? In this solocast, Jim Barnish details simple solutions to rethink pricing and packaging for companies committed to growth. Some of what Jim gets into: Value-based pricing: Customers don't care about your cost structure or your margins. They care about achieving their desired outcomes at a fair price.Packaging challenges: Trying to align your offering to what customers perceive the value to be. Company Self-awareness: Understanding the competitive landscape (pricing, brand, etc.) and your place in the market. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

In just two and a half years, with just six people, Adam Robinson bootstrapped his company, Retention.com, to $12M Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) with 6 employees. By next year, he's on target to hit $20M ARR. Join Jim and Adam as they explore the importance of taking calculated risks while building businesses.3 Key TakeawaysFocus First, Expand Later: Retention.com sells only to Shopify Plus (top-tier) stores. Find a niche (in the market) and exploit it. Worry about expanding after you've won that market. Experiment with Minimal Resources: Before throwing substantial amounts of time and money at a business idea, dedicate the least amount of resources to it to check if it's viable. Try experimenting as lean as possible. Only after you receive a strong signal back from the market should you throw significant capital at an idea. Market Variability is Real: Sometimes your business will have growth spurts where you're growing rapidly, and you'll need a larger sales force. At other times, it could seem like that sales force is twiddling their thumbs. Be aware of what's happening in your market and react appropriately.ResourcesVisit Retention's website: https://retention.com/Adam Robinson on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RetentionAdam The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win, a book by Steve Blank that Adam recommends: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0976470705/ About Our Guest Adam Robinson is the Founder and CEO of Retention.com. A former finance professional at Lehman Brothers, Adam launched Robly, an email marketing company. With no prior tech background, in two years he grew the bootstrapped startup to $5M in revenue. When a cutting-edge identity resolution feature he added to Robly gained user interest, he pivoted. With an 8-figure exit, he founded what would later become Retention.com. Today, Retention.com transforms anonymous website visitors into authenticated first-party data, helping clients unlock unparalleled high-ROI marketing flows.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Tomer Azenkot joined Vee24, a video-powered digital customer experience platform, as CEO in 2022 to help brands accelerate their digital business. Amidst a cultural transformation in buyers' expectations, he believes that when a company delivers a great customer experience, growth will follow. Join Jim and Tomer as they talk about the future of customer engagement, specifically as it relates to the development of AI, chatbots, and video chat for in-store > online sales. 3 Key TakeawaysDifferentiate Yourself From Past Leaders: When Tomer started as CEO of Vee24, he learned that a previous CEO only visited their overseas team once in two years. Tomer visits them monthly. As a leader, you need to foster collaboration and innovation in your organization. If you're stuck, always lean on the side of investing extra time in your people.AI Ain't Gonna Solve Everything: Way too many people talk about how AI is revolutionizing the world. But people like people, and human interaction will continue to be essential in most businesses. We can't lose sight of the importance of person-to-person interaction. The data shows that people buy more from humans than bots.  Consider Becoming Extremely Transparent: When Tomer took over the reins of his company, he instigated an “overly transparent” system. All strategic tracking and OKR frameworks are viewable by the full team. No one wonders why things are being done. ResourcesTomer Azenkot on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerazenkot/ Vee24's website: https://vee24.com/ Vee24 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vee24/ “The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers,” a book by Ben Horowitz that Jim and Tomer discuss in this episode: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062273205 About Our Guest Over the last decade of Tomer Azenkot's career, he has been at the intersection of online video and digital customer experience. Having a passion for building products and teams that focus on delighting customers, he has led multiple organizations in periods of rapid growth and success. He is currently CEO of Vee24.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.P.S. Above, we wrote: “The data shows that people buy more from humans than bots.” We sourced that from Gil Press, “AI Stats News: 86% Of Consumers Prefer Humans To Chatbots”: 

Greg Ross-Munro and his company Sourcetoad create software for some of the biggest companies in the world, helping them design API management systems,  financial tools, and customer facing apps. Join Jim and Greg as they explore how non-tech companies can transform themselves into tech-enabled businesses. This transformation isn't about implementing technology because you think you need to. This requires a purposeful approach that aligns technology solutions with your strategic goals. 3 Key TakeawaysKnow Your Clients' Customers: How well do you know your clients' customers? Don't solely focus on your client because they're paying you. The success of their customers is tied to your success. Make it a goal to understand the desires, expectations, and pains of your clients' customers. Get Out Of Your Company's Way: In the early stages, a founder is instrumental to a company's success. But as the company matures, they can be its biggest impediment. Many people reject that the “founders' dilemma” applies to them, after all—it's only other companies this applies to

Breaking through the $5 million revenue ceiling can be a slog. 95% of businesses find themselves unable to surpass this threshold. If you're approaching this level, and want to surpass it, you could focus on the negatives that are holding you back. Maybe its been poor hiring decisions. Maybe it's failure to continuously innovate. Maybe it's not keeping up with disruptive trends. Whatever it is, it's time to shift your focus so you can scale and prioritize long-term growth. In this solocast, Jim Barnish will walk you through three proven strategies that you can apply to your business to help you break the $5 million revenue ceiling. The three strategies are: Investing in a robust customer success team. Emphasizing product innovation. Harnessing the power of strategic partnerships. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Doug Short is a trailblazer in the healthcare industry and is changing the way patients and hospitals think about health insurance and technology. Committed to using technology to transform the healthcare industry from a “diagnose and prescribe” model to a “predict and prevent” model, Doug is at the forefront of our nation's much needed healthcare revolution. Join Jim and Doug as they explore how millions of Americans are on the cusp of having personalized health plans that take into account everything from their gender to their metabolic disposition. 3 Key TakeawaysA Sexagenarian Startup: Doug refers to his company as a “60-year-old startup.” Being an entrepreneur is more than simply starting a business. It's a mindset. It's about repeatedly—perhaps over decades—creating something new and innovative.Healthcare Ripe for Disruption: Amazon outsmarted Sears. Netflix pummeled Blockbuster. All the current big healthcare companies have been around for a long time - and it shows. The industry is in need of innovation. Food for thought - what other industries increase their prices by 10%+ each year and people don't bat an eye? People eventually catch on (and vehemently oppose) to corporate greed.. Logic > Tradition: In 2023 insurance shouldn't be based solely on the demographic you're in. It should be based on you, and your individual lifestyle characteristics.   ResourcesDoug Short on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-short-clu-cfp-rhu-lutcf-20698056/ BeniComp Health Solutions on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benicomp/ Learn about BeniComp's innovative health insurance solutions: https://www.benicomp.com/ About Our Guest As the CEO of BeniComp Health Solutions, Doug Short leads a team that creates tech products that solve healthcare challenges facing employers and individuals. Doug and his team believe in the importance of collaboration and are actively focused on establishing a proof-of-concept model for population health and empowering workforces with sustainable healthcare.About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Noah Berk has over 20 years experience in B2B marketing, sales, and strategy and is a co-founder of OBO, a technology performance group. Established in 2016, OBO helps solve the digital challenges of modern organizations by partnering with some of the top software companies in the world. Join Jim Barnish and Noah Berk as they discuss outbound email marketing, the pros and cons of partners, and optimizing HubSpot, Salesforce, and Monday.com. 3 Key TakeawaysProfessional Service Organizations

Manik Suri is Founder and CEO of Therma, a technology startup whose mission is to combat climate change by reducing food waste, refrigerant leakage, and energy use from the global refrigeration system. Therma is deployed across restaurants, retailers, and manufacturers nationwide, with leading brands including McDonald's, 7-Eleven, NOW Foods, and Marriott Hotels.Join Jim Barnish and Manik Suri as they discuss innovations in the cooling industry, creating an app customers loved yet rarely used, pivoting your business, expanding your sales channels, and experimenting with various business strategies until you find a few that work.  3 Key TakeawaysUnderstand Your Customer Acquisition Model: In the past, Therma offered a freemium model, but got burned by customers' churn before the recurring revenue started. Focus on paying customers to better understand what top of funnel customer acquisition works for you.Raising Capital Is Not the End Game: “Raising money is really a tool, not an end. It's just a way to scale impact and do things faster.” Bridging the Divide: Mass media might make you think that the government and tech companies are at odds with each other. But if you get to know the people involved, it might surprise you to see that they are two groups of people working towards similar outcomes. ResourcesManik Suri on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maniksuri/Manik Suri on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manikvsuri Therma website: https://hellotherma.com/Therma on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellotherma About Our Guest Manik Suri is the Founder and CEO of technology company Therma. Before founding Therma, Manik co-founded the Governance Lab (GovLab), an innovation center at NYU that developed technology solutions to improve government. He is a former Affiliate of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and has held positions at global investment firm D.E. Shaw & Company and the White House National Economic Council. Before founding Therma, Manik co-founded the Governance Lab (GovLab), an innovation center at NYU that developed technology solutions to improve government. He is a former Affiliate of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and has held positions at global investment firm D.E. Shaw & Company and the White House National Economic Council. About The Dirt Podcast The Dirt is about getting real with businesses about the true state of their companies and going clear down to the dirt in solving their core needs as a business. Dive deep with your host Jim Barnish as we uncover The Dirt with some of the world's leading brands.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAbout Our CompanyOrchid Black is a new kind of growth services firm. We partner with tech-forward companies to build smarter, better, game-changing businesses. Website: https://www.orchid.black LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchidblack/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OrchidBlack All contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

If you're feeling powerless and frustrated as you keep investing time and money into your company, only to see diminishing returns and waning interest from prospects, you are not alone!In this solocast, Jim Barnish offers insights and strategies for thriving in declining industries. Jim focuses on three key strategies, which, if executed correctly, will boost business growth and enterprise value. Hear the transformation stories of Netflix, Adobe and Domino's (didn't think they were a tech company, did you?) in this episode.Some of what we'll get into:How to transform your business model to thrive in the rapidly changing landscapeEmbracing new technology in order to enhance your business relevance and valueBroadening your horizons by tapping into adjacent marketsIf you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Tommy Sheahan is the CEO of Red Oxygen, a leading developer and distributor of email to SMS software applications. His company combines the power of today's email applications with the ease, convenience and mobility of SMS messaging. This technology is more important than ever with new regulations on text-messaging that could cost businesses big time. Join Tommy and Jim as they talk about the growth of Red Oxygen and how it is changing the game for business-to-consumer messaging.You'll hear about getting into a market too early, the current regulatory issues facing mobile carriers and the negative impact on small businesses, and how Red Oxygen provides a solution to these issues. 3 Key TakeawaysGet Team Feedback: Empower your team to feel like owners in the business. Get their input on where your company is and where they think it should be going. It might open your eyes to things you don't see from your point of view.Have a Well-Rounded Advisor: As founders or CEOs, we like to think we know the company best, but having a well-rounded, experienced advisor by your side can help you see the “forest from the trees,” as Tommy says. He also claims it's helpful when they have a few gray hairs!Follow the Playbook - There are (most likely) people that have done what you're looking to do. Don't reinvent the wheel, find comparable companies that are a step or two ahead of you and follow the roadmap they've created. ResourcesTommy's LinkedInRed Oxygen WebsiteAbout Tommy Sheahan is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the computer software industry. He is a strong business development professional skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Sales, Go-to-market Strategy, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and Mobile Applications.Established in Australia in 2001, Red Oxygen is one of the world's leading developers and distributors of email to SMS software applications and related desktop messaging software. Red Oxygen combines the power of today's email applications with the ease, convenience and mobility of SMS messaging. If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

During his time in university, Joseph Black discovered a pivotal flaw in the current education to employment gap. Many of his peers either lacked the experience to go into their desired field after graduating, or had to leave school altogether due to the rising cost of living, so Joseph decided to create a platform to change that. As the Co-Founder & CEO of UniTaskr, Joseph built a platform connecting students with quick & reliable part-time work by providing tasks set by members of the local community. Join Joseph and Jim as they talk about building Joseph and his co-founder's vision of tackling the student financial crisis into a usable, successful platform. They'll get into mistakes and pivots made early on in the process, marketing strategies to grow the platform (Word on the street Gen-Z uses this platform called TikTok)and UniTaskr's evolution from local to global by focusing on the demand for highly skilled remote workers. 3 Key TakeawaysThe Difference Between a Boss and a Leader: “A boss will dictate, a leader will work alongside you.” As a founder, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that you have to always be the boss, but a leader keeps their team motivated, creates transparency, and gets people invested in the company values. Are you a boss, or are you a leader? Know Your Employees with Regular Touchpoints: At UniTaskr, they have “quarterly appraisals'' that act as a touchpoint with each employee to give them the opportunity to discuss their progress at work, set key milestones, and share how they're feeling within their day-to-day roles. This creates happier employees more invested in your company's vision and more likely to stick with you.Having a Technical Cofounder Helps: Newsflash - It can be  tough to build a tech company if none of the founding team knows how to code. As you're looking to start a company, find people that fill the gaps you have; none more important than someone that can build the product!ResourcesJoseph's LinkedInAbout From a reusable golf ball seller at age 11 to safari ranger at 16, Joseph's journey to founding his current company (UniTaskr) at 19 has been a meteoric rise. UniTaskr - The Student Marketplace, has been created in order to tackle the student financial crisis. Students all over the world are constantly on the lookout for ways to earn money effectively around their studies. Meanwhile members of the general public and local businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways of cutting costs.UniTaskr allows students to find quick & reliable part time work, through accepting tasks set by members of the local community. Upon signing up, students are able to highlight any key tasks they believe they can complete, then when a member of the public posts a request, the right students are notified.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

In this solocast, Jim Barnish shares his 3 decision making methods for founders and CEOs, and more importantly, how to involve your team in those decisions to get them invested in the results. If you've ever struggled to truly align your team  with business decisions, this episode is for you. Some of what we'll get into:How to improve your decision-making processThe pros and cons of each decision-making method and difference between Type 1 and Type 2 decisionsCreating buy-in from your team and keeping them investedIf you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Chris Federspiel, the Founder and CEO of blackthorn.io, has grown his company from a small team of developers to 105 employees and millions in monthly revenue.The Blackthorn Engagement Suite features Salesforce-native applications for events, payments, compliance, messaging, and more. The success of blackthorn.io continues to grow, but like many founders, Chris' journey hasn't always been an easy one. Join Chris and Jim as they discuss the founding and growth of blackthorn.io, supporting employees and keeping them happy (with a 4-day work week!), overcoming struggles with funding and a “near-death experience” for the business, and the mental battles along the founder journey and the weight of building a company. 3 Key TakeawaysThe Brilliance to Kill: As Jim puts it, “The brilliance to kill often outweighs the brilliance to create.” Don't be afraid to stop something that you know isn't working, no matter how much time you've already put into it. Know when to cut your losses and move on to the next big thing for your business. Work Where Your Patience Is: We tend to perform best with tasks we have the most patience for. Make sure you're bringing on people who have patience where you don't so you can focus on what you're best at as a CEO. Tinker until the Price is Right: Chris received some counterintuitive (but valuable) advice on pricing that many business owners miss: “Double your price until people say you're crazy, then double it again.” ResourcesChris' LinkedInblackthorn.io WebsiteAbout Blackthorn.io makes Salesforce apps for higher education and nonprofits for event management, and home services for mobile payments. If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

With years of experience in fundraising, founding and working with nonprofits, and studying the nonprofit sector at graduate and law school, Nejeed Kassam saw the potential for more to be done to strengthen the organizations and professionals who work tirelessly every day to make our society better. That's why he founded Keela, a complete software solution for nonprofits looking to grow revenue, manage data, track performance, and deepen their donor engagement. Join Nejeed and Jim as they discuss nonprofits and how Keela can help them use technology  to do more for their communities. They'll talk about the digital transformation of non-profit operations, the shift in mindset required to scale a business, and the transparency needed with your team to better communicate and prioritize as you grow.3 Key TakeawaysCreate Your Own Growth Formula: Nejeed is happy to veer from the typical growth formula for his company to be more intentional and drive the business forward in the best way he can. He says it best, “it's not growth at all costs. It's growth in the right way, in the most repeatable, scalable, repeatable way”. Be Careful About What You Build: Scaling your business usually comes with a drastic change to the way you've been doing things. Your focus shifts, your mindset shifts, and you find what got you to your first milestone might not get you to the second, third, or fourth. Embrace the shift and don't let the business stagnate.Being a Good CEO = Being a Good Coach: A huge part of your role as the leader of a company is coaching your team to be their own leaders and tackle their own challenges. Sure, it might seem easier to do it all yourself at first, but that isn't scalable. Empowering young leaders and teaching them to grow their skills will only help you and your business in the long run.ResourcesNejeed's LinkedInKeela WebsiteAbout After years of fundraising, founding and working with nonprofits, authoring a book about change, and studying more about the nonprofit sector at graduate and law school, Nejeed Kassam realized more had to be done to strengthen the organizations and professionals who work tirelessly every day, to make our society better.Nejeed believes a strong nonprofit sector is fundamental to our freedom, harmony, protection, success, and growth as a society. Keela was born out of a desire to strengthen the nonprofit sector. Nejeed understands that technology is more than capable of transforming the way we work, fundraise, build relationships with donors and do good, and Keela's tools are setting the pace for the future of the nonprofit sector. If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

In our inaugural solocast, Jim Barnish dives into a topic that founders don't talk enough about: founder burnout. If you want to unlock the secret to thriving both personally and professionally as a founder, this episode is for you.  Some of what we'll get into:- Identifying founder burnout and its impact- Jim's personal experience with founder burnout and lessons learned- Practical tips to simultaneously scale your business AND personal life Direct links to podcast:Spotify – http://bit.ly/spotify-authentic Apple – http://bit.ly/apple-authentic YouTube – https://bit.ly/youtube-authentic Connect with me:LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjmsalespro Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rjmsalespro/ Twitter – https://twitter.com/rjmsalespro Web – http://ryanjamesmiller.com/ If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.

Zack Dugow, the Founder and CEO of Insticator, has mastered user engagement for publishers. He believes that the future of social media lies outside of the walled gardens of platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Insticator builds social communities for publishers to connect audiences on their sites by curating relevant content for their users. Much like Facebook's algorithm pushes content they think you'll like based on your Facebook interactions, now publishers can interact with users to learn what they like and increase ad revenue with a better picture of your audience. In this episode, Zack tells you exactly how that works and shares all the benefits Insticator provides for publishers and their users.  Join Zack and Jim as they talk about building strong publisher communities for improved user engagement. They discuss maximizing ad revenue, building strong teams and the potential pitfalls of acquisitions, and creating a better experience for users without sacrificing privacy. 3 Key TakeawaysDefine Success for the Stage: Sometimes your team's skill sets are really helpful to the business in one stage may but they not be helpful in the next stage. Question to ponder, what would it look like having an A-player in a leadership seat where you currently have a B or C-player?'When Acquiring Companies, Create a Cultural Diligence Checklist: So many M&A deals fall short post-acquisition  because of a cultural mismatch. When acquiring a company, learn about their culture (e.g., do people answer the phone after hours, are they team-first or customer-first, etc.) by asking questions and building a checklist to see how the organizations align culturally.Check Yourself: Grind culture is highly celebrated in the entrepreneurial world, but when it comes to your work as a CEO, quality is better than quantity. A well-rested,physically active CEO makes better decisions than one who is burnt out. ResourcesZack's LinkedInZack's InstagramAbout Zack is the Founder and CEO of Insticator, a leading global Publisher engagement platform. With over 100+ team members spanning the globe and nearly 2000 publishers utilizing their content engagement units, commenting, and monetization solutions, Insticator is considered one of the most rapidly expanding companies in North America, with their products reaching over 2 billion users annually.Over the last four years, the company has been named to the Inc. 5000, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Crain's New York Business Fast 50, and AdWeek's Fastest Growing Solution Providers for Publishers lists. I have also been recognized on the DMN Top 40 Under 40 list and named to Crain's New York's 40 Under Forty list.Early on, Zack established Insticator partnerships with large-scale media companies such as The Washington Post, WebMD, and Ancestry.com. In addition to heading Insticator, Zack mentors and invests in startups. Zack is a member of YPO, the IAB and a contributor to the Forbes Tech Council.If you love what you are getting out of our show please SUBSCRIBE.For more information on how we dig into the dirt check out our other episodes here: https://www.orchid.black/podcastAll contents of this show are rights of Orchid Black©️ and are not to be used unless authorized by written consent.