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Allan Branch, a third-generation entrepreneur from Bay County, Florida, has continued his family's legacy of business success initially built on restaurants and car washes in the 1940s. As a graduate and division one football player at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Allan excelled in athletics, academics, and many other hobbies before founding his online accounting platform, LessAccounting, which he later sold for seven figures. Additionally, he was able to create a successful video production company, while also investing in prime real estate. Branch and his wife have worked to revitalize downtown Panama City by purchasing and redeveloping blighted properties, including History Class Brewing Company and The Sapp House wedding venue, and plan to do even more. Did we mention he's also running for mayor? Inspired by the desire to positively impact his community, Branch hopes to fully revitalize the downtown area of Panama City, making it more enjoyable and lively for the community at large. Join us for an inspiring conversation between entrepreneur Allan Branch and host of VIE Speaks: Conversations with Heart & Soul, Lisa Marie Burwell, to hear all of the exciting plans in store for Downtown Panama City! For more information, visit www.historyclass.beer and follow @historyclassdowntown on Instagram. LET'S CONNECT: Instagram: @viespeaks // @viemagazine YouTube: (@VIEtelevision | WATCH VIE Speaks) Website: viemagazine.com CONNECT WITH ALLAN: Instagram: @historyclassdowntown Website: www.historyclass.beer For sponsorship inquiries, please contact kelly@viemagazine.com and hailey@viemagazine.com.
In this episode we catch up with an old friend, Allan Branch. Allan and his partner Steve were early adopters of rails and made a big splash in the tech community with their company LessEverything. They put on many conferences (LessConf), workshops, offered consulting services, created and sold a SaaS, displayed silly/witty marketing and shared a ton of what they've learned through social and open source projects, blogs and more. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, Allan has taken concepts from his dad's car wash businesses (the "Jason Fried of car washes") applied them to software, and now is applying them to real estate, city development and breweries too. You don't want to miss this one, there's so much to learn. There's lots of great stories and even better advice. Links:Allan on TwitterCurrent tech company (they're looking to hire Elixir and Rails devs)Allan's link tree
On this week's episode, I got to catch up with one of my favorite people, Allan Branch. Allan got his start in software development before turning his eye to his hometown, Panama City. Not only has he been a leading advocate for bringing the downtown back to life, but he has been one of the pioneers in the process through his real estate development efforts. Allan and I became pandemic pals before I had a chance to visit with him in Panama City and you could not meet a more sincere, community-minded individual. Take his words to heart as there is a lot of wisdom in his approach. Allan in his own words - I really don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Maybe that's common. Over the past 20 years of entrepreneurship, I've been a part of building software companies, video production companies, real estate, and now brewpubs. We've built businesses, sold a few, bought a few, made tons of mistakes but survived. But it all started with growing up in my family's restaurant and car wash business. Anything we've accomplished, the vast majority of that success rests on the shoulders of the people around me. These people forgive me for all my character flaws, who work hard knowing the business idea has good intentions, and allow me to play a supporting role. I've been called a community-focused entrepreneur and real estate developer…maybe that's me in this chapter of my life. Thanks for listening to A Matter of Place. For more information you can check out my website, follow me on Facebook or purchase my book, Your City is Sick. Jeff
Episode 24: Jennifer Vigil“After the hurricane someone asked me, "How would we ever market again?.... I said, "I would much rather that we be known as the greatest recovery story ever told, than the hardest hit by any hurricane!”"In this new episode, Dr. Steve sits down with Jennifer Vigil to discuss the exciting things that make people want to live in Panama City. She explains all the great things that our community has to offer and why families and businesses are moving to our hometown!Podcast Resources 2:00 Destination Panama City: https://destinationpanamacity.com7:24: Good News Bay Podcast with Allan Branch: https://youtu.be/W7ylFE-o0Xs7:31: Good News Bay Podcast with Brad Stephens:https://youtu.be/uDSpHC9z8I416:02: Good News Bay Podcast with General Mark McQueen:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfF_h34w5m0&t=2s26:40: Evergreen Study: Tourist Development & Economic Impact Report (2015):https://www.baycountyfl.gov/369/Economic-DevelopmentSubscribe to the Good News Bay Podcast and tap the bell icon to get notified when the next episode releases. About Dr. Steve TaylorSteve Taylor is the senior pastor at Emerald Coast Fellowship. Steve and his wife, Christi, live in Panama City, Florida and have two children. Steve has served at ECF since 2007. He designed the Good News Podcast specifically to lift and change the conversation...to make it more positive related to our community. It's his prayer through this podcast we can make Bay County brighter one conversation at a time! Learn more about Steve: https://www.emeraldcoastfellowship.com/our-staff/ Subscribe to the Good News Bay Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, & YoutubeConnect with Good News Bay Podcast Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwr1Y9C9DUUxEVfV_Ce8AkA Subscribe on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-news-bay/id1563958015Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38aYHFhFNBBe9gUZv9TUq6?si=b2qyBvxnQ0en1h8cv1C9HQ&nd=1Subscribe on Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/u/3/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzQ3ODkzLnJzcw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiQlLe22o3wAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ Connect with Emerald Coast Fellowship Website: https://www.emeraldcoastfellowship.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myecfInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emeraldcoastfellowship/Connect with Dr. Steve TaylorMore about Steve: https://www.emeraldcoastfellowship.com/our-staff/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrSteveTaylorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevetaylorecf
To celebrate the 100th episode of the Florida Beer Podcast, the team at Florida Podcast Network chose some of their favorite clips from recent episodes: Manny Portuondo and Matt Weintraub at La Tropical talking about brewing a beer with a history of over 100 years Allan Branch from History Class Brewing about the history of Pensacola Nayana Ferguson of Anteel Tequila about creating the first black female-owned tequila brand Tom Rockhill from Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery chatting about the Nintendo Power Glove (with the sounds of Skeeball in the background) From there, we hand the reigns over to Florida Man News host Joel Lounds! He was kind enough to record some interviews while at the recent Bonita Brew Fest in Bonita Springs! Listen to interviews with: Roger Phelps from 8 Foot Brewing Adam Kelley from Ankrolab Bill Vaughn from Bone Hook Brewing Alex Tatko from Coastal Dayz Dan Esperon from Crazy Dingo Brewing Daniel Higby from Millenial Brewing Ron Richards from Palm City Brewing and a real live Florida Man! Listen in... Link: Florida Beer Podcast Wins a Gold Crushie! Links to "Best of" Clip Episodes: FL Beer 65: Cerveceria La Tropical FL Beer 67: History Class in Panama City, Social Media with Leaven in Riverview, and LaBelle in Hendry County FL Beer 68: Spirits! with LS Cream Liqueur (Jacksonville), Anteel Tequila (Now in Florida), and Dark Door Spirits (Tampa) FL Beer 99: Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery Florida Man News Podcast with Host Joel Lounds Bonita Brew Fest Guests: Roger Phelps from 8 Foot Brewing Adam Kelley from Ankrolab Bill Vaughn from Bone Hook Brewing Alex Tatko from Coastal Dayz Dan Esperon from Crazy Dingo Brewing Daniel Higby from Millenial Brewing Ron Richards from Palm City Brewing Equipment Sponsor: Mainline Marketing | Featured Product: Shure MV7 | Full MV7 Podcast Mic Bundle with Boom Arm and Headphones Interested in becoming FBP's next Title Sponsor? Contact FPN today! Support the Show on Patreon: Become a Patron! Opening Voice Over Courtesy of: Jeff Brozovich Follow Florida Beer Blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional Support Provided by: Florida Podcast Network and Listeners Like You!! Join the FPN Facebook Group: FPN Insiders Partner with FPN: Become the Voice of YOUR Town!! From sponsoring episode segments through creating and growing your own branded show, we have the solution to promote you while we promote Florida! Media Kit We are currently boarding shows to build out our network. And, you don't want to miss ANY of the new hosts and podcasts were have joining us. Search for and subscribe to “Florida Podcast Network” on iTunes and all your favorite podcast players to get more of this and ALL our shows. Become a Patron: Have a suggestion for the Network? Join us in the FPN Insiders group on Facebook and let us know! FPN: Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network
Allan Branch shares his knowledge of creating your story and your unique sales position. He stresses the importance of building relationships in the sales process.Mortgage Connects, an MGIC PodcastInsights and tips from top mortgage industry pros!Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Episode 8: Allan Branch“Every community that gets revitalized has to be revitalized from within.” In this episode, Steve sits down with Bay County Entrepreneur, Allan Branch. He loves Bay County and has a passion to protect & preserve the stories of how our community was built. Learn more about his deep family legacy of entrepreneurship, the “history” behind History Class, and his future vision for the Downtown area as a place where everyone feels welcome. Allan even shares a few tips on leadership and qualities that entrepreneurs must demonstrate in times of adversity & uncertainty. Podcast Timeline0:45 Family & Background3:20Tally Ho & Jimmy's Car Wash 6:50Education/Football 7:10Moving back to PC9:15 Why invest in Downtown?11:15Building of their home 15:15 Leading through adversity 23:11Sapp House24:05History Class35:50 The Grace District 39:40DeSantis Press Conference 43:20Progress in Bay County since the storm 45:03City Manager, Mark McQueen 46:42Weirdo Taco Truck49:48Joe Moody Park51:20Future vision for Downtown Personal Links Making of Allan Branch's home: https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Panama-City-couple-turns-warehouse-into-warehome-493909321.html Clean up Joe Moody Park: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1428358400864189&set=a.122320431467999 Business LinksHistory Class Website: https://historyclass.beer History Class Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyclassdowntown The Sapp House Website: https://www.sapphouse.com The Sapp House Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSappHouseWeirdo Taco: https://www.facebook.com/elweirdodowntown Additional Links The Grace District “Historical Downtown”: https://www.facebook.com/TheGraceDistrict Historical Society of Bay County: https://www.baycohistory.org Downtown Improvement Board: https://www.pcgov.org/228/Downtown-Improvement-Board Keep St. Andrews Salty Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepstandrewssalty Subscribe on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-news-bay/id1563958015Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38aYHFhFNBBe9gUZv9TUq6?si=b2qyBvxnQ0en1h8cv1C9HQ&nd=1
It's a monster episode of the Florida Beer Podcast today! First, we speak to Allan Branch, co-founder of History Class Brewing in Panama City, Florida. The brewery was created in part to honor the incredible (and sometimes unknown) history of the city and surrounding area. From there, we talk with Leaven Brewing in Riverview about the most important place for breweries to advertise--social media. Located near Tampa, co-founder and social media guru Jillian Lynch shares how they started their channels (in particular Instagram) and what she posts. Finally, Producer Steve and I head to LaBelle Brewing, deep in the heart of Hendry County, to speak to founder Dan Peregrin and head brewer Corey Purcell about being the first brewery in Hendry County. Host: David Butler of the Florida Beer Blog Executive Producer: Jaime ("Jemmy") Legagneur, Chief Enthusiasm Officer Field Producer/Photographer: Steve Pekala Editor: Daniel Delgado Interested in becoming FBP's next Title Sponsor? Contact FPN today! Guest: Allan Branch of History Class Brewing Guest: Jillian Lynch, co-owner of Leaven Brewing Guest: Co-owner Dan Peregrin and Brew Master Corey Purcell of LaBelle Brewing Support the Show on Patreon: Become a Patron! Opening Voice Over Courtesy of: Jeff Brozovich Follow Florida Beer Blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional Support Provided by: Florida Podcast Network and Listeners Like You!! Join the FPN Facebook Group: FPN Insiders Partner with FPN: Become the Voice of YOUR Town!! From sponsoring episode segments through creating and growing your own branded show, we have the solution to promote you while we promote Florida! Media Kit We are currently boarding shows to build out our network. And, you don't want to miss ANY of the new hosts and podcasts were have joining us. Search for and subscribe to “Florida Podcast Network” on iTunes and all your favorite podcast players to get more of this and ALL our shows. Become a Patron: Have a suggestion for the Network? Join us in the FPN Insiders group on Facebook and let us know! FPN: Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network
It's a monster episode of the Florida Beer Podcast today! First, we speak to Allan Branch, co-founder of History Class Brewing in Panama City, Florida. The brewery was created in part to honor the incredible (and sometimes unknown) history of the city and surrounding area. From there, we talk with Leaven Brewing in Riverview about the most important place for breweries to advertise--social media. Located near Tampa, co-founder and social media guru Jillian Lynch shares how they started their channels (in particular Instagram) and what she posts. Finally, Producer Steve and I head to LaBelle Brewing, deep in the heart of Hendry County, to speak to founder Dan Peregrin and head brewer Corey Purcell about being the first brewery in Hendry County. Host: David Butler of the Florida Beer Blog Executive Producer: Jaime ("Jemmy") Legagneur, Chief Enthusiasm Officer Field Producer/Photographer: Steve Pekala Editor: Daniel Delgado Interested in becoming FBP's next Title Sponsor? Contact FPN today! Guest: Allan Branch of History Class Brewing Guest: Jillian Lynch, co-owner of Leaven Brewing Guest: Co-owner Dan Peregrin and Brew Master Corey Purcell of LaBelle Brewing Support the Show on Patreon: Become a Patron! Opening Voice Over Courtesy of: Jeff Brozovich Follow Florida Beer Blog on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional Support Provided by: Florida Podcast Network and Listeners Like You!! Join the FPN Facebook Group: FPN Insiders Partner with FPN: Become the Voice of YOUR Town!! From sponsoring episode segments through creating and growing your own branded show, we have the solution to promote you while we promote Florida! Media Kit We are currently boarding shows to build out our network. And, you don’t want to miss ANY of the new hosts and podcasts were have joining us. Search for and subscribe to “Florida Podcast Network” on iTunes and all your favorite podcast players to get more of this and ALL our shows. Become a Patron: Have a suggestion for the Network? Join us in the FPN Insiders group on Facebook and let us know! FPN: Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network
Key Takeaways and Actionable Insights Entrepreneurship is a way of life that can be learned around the dinner table. Allan's parents were entrepreneurs, although it would never have occurred to him to call them that. They were in the service business, including restaurants and car washes. As a kid, Allan would help around the car wash, everything from washing down cars to emptying the trash to accounting. He internalized the idea that entrepreneurship was always doing two jobs, such as running one car wash while getting another ready for opening. The “two jobs” metaphor stayed with him. Around the dinner table, the family would talk about how the businesses were going. It wasn't so much a lesson in entrepreneurship as immersion in a lifestyle. Entrepreneurship can be the source of a sense of control over one's destiny. Following this childhood immersion, Allan quickly realized his felt need to control his own destiny. Being an employee would not achieve that goal. He did not want to await permission to try new pathways. He studied design in college and took on clients for design work, and quickly found out that he had a taste for business. He found out that print design work was not profitable and in declining demand as design shifted to the web. From web design, he migrated to internet software design and production. He calls this pathway “slowly adapting to what I find interesting”, which has been his story for 20 years. Allan applied his “two jobs” mentality to launching a SaaS accounting software business. Allan developed a software design and consulting firm, which generated cash flow. He and his business partner poured the cash into developing a superior SaaS accounting software. They worked on it on nights and weekends — doing two jobs. He describes juggling the clients and leads and sales and payroll of the consulting company with the development of a new business with different customers, leads, sales and payroll. The “two jobs” mindset is typical for entrepreneurs as they grow and ideate and innovate. Agility is a more effective and productive pathway than planning. Allan tells us that he never had an official roadmap or business plan for the SaaS software company, with known milestones a year or two years or more in the future. Entrepreneurial management lies more in knowing how to be nimble, how to move fast, how to make decisions quickly. The hardest part is knowing what features to work on, when to work on them and how long to work on them. Orchestration is the entrepreneur's organizational skill. To be an entrepreneur, and to build a business around you, it is necessary to attract talent, motivate talent and keep talent. It's like being a conductor in an orchestra. You may not be the best violin player, but you know what another great violin player sounds like. You know how to assemble a team of players and blend them in a harmonious way. And the attitude of the employees is as important, if not more important than the talent. Churn in employees is typically a business killer. It's important to be able to recognize both talent and the right attitude. Allan ascribes success to transparent and continuous communication about the company's mission and values — these will attract the right talented people. The journey is strewn with mistakes all the way to its successful conclusion. Allan built and steadily grew his SaaS software company over a ten year period and then sold it. His analogy is that of the duck that looks like it is gliding smoothly over the water, while kicking like crazy underneath the surface. Self-doubt along the way is normal. Errors and mistakes that require correction are normal. For entrepreneurs, it's important to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Entrepreneurs are in the human reaction business. The measurement of success is making people smile. All businesses are human reaction businesses. The goal is to make an emotional bond with the customer: they enjoy the experience you make possible for them, whether it is managing their own accounting using your software over a long period of time, or whether it is finding out about one new feature that they discover and find works well for them. Entrepreneurs strive for those moments of understanding. Making people smile is the metaphor — but in software, it's hard to see them smile, so it's necessary to find the right KPI's that will be a proxy for smiling. Empathy is the skill of being able to feel when invisible customers are smiling. Allan advanced into real estate and other ventures — but sees it all as storytelling. After selling his SaaS business, Allan continued in software design and consulting for clients. He also involved himself in real estate, including a brewery in his home town. The brewery is a platform for telling the stories that make up the history of the town. And it is storytelling that Allan makes the overall metaphor of the entrepreneurial life. You are writing the story that your grandkids will tell about you in the future. What is the story you want to write? What is the story you want to tell about your business to attract and engage customers? The great brands and great businesses tell great stories. Entrepreneurship is a story told about life. Additional Resources "Allan Branch's Entrepreneurial Journey" (PDF): Mises.org/E4E_86_PDF1 Hunter Hastings mentioned effectuation theory in his prologue to the conversation with Allan Branch. For those interested to learn more, refer to the useful definitional academic paper by Saras D. Sarasvathy, "Causation and Effectuation: Toward a Theoretical Shift from Economic Inevitability to Entrepreneurial Contingency" (PDF): Mises.org/E4E_86_PDF2
Key Takeaways and Actionable Insights Entrepreneurship is a way of life that can be learned around the dinner table. Allan's parents were entrepreneurs, although it would never have occurred to him to call them that. They were in the service business, including restaurants and car washes. As a kid, Allan would help around the car wash, everything from washing down cars to emptying the trash to accounting. He internalized the idea that entrepreneurship was always doing two jobs, such as running one car wash while getting another ready for opening. The “two jobs” metaphor stayed with him. Around the dinner table, the family would talk about how the businesses were going. It wasn't so much a lesson in entrepreneurship as immersion in a lifestyle. Entrepreneurship can be the source of a sense of control over one's destiny. Following this childhood immersion, Allan quickly realized his felt need to control his own destiny. Being an employee would not achieve that goal. He did not want to await permission to try new pathways. He studied design in college and took on clients for design work, and quickly found out that he had a taste for business. He found out that print design work was not profitable and in declining demand as design shifted to the web. From web design, he migrated to internet software design and production. He calls this pathway “slowly adapting to what I find interesting”, which has been his story for 20 years. Allan applied his “two jobs” mentality to launching a SaaS accounting software business. Allan developed a software design and consulting firm, which generated cash flow. He and his business partner poured the cash into developing a superior SaaS accounting software. They worked on it on nights and weekends — doing two jobs. He describes juggling the clients and leads and sales and payroll of the consulting company with the development of a new business with different customers, leads, sales and payroll. The “two jobs” mindset is typical for entrepreneurs as they grow and ideate and innovate. Agility is a more effective and productive pathway than planning. Allan tells us that he never had an official roadmap or business plan for the SaaS software company, with known milestones a year or two years or more in the future. Entrepreneurial management lies more in knowing how to be nimble, how to move fast, how to make decisions quickly. The hardest part is knowing what features to work on, when to work on them and how long to work on them. Orchestration is the entrepreneur's organizational skill. To be an entrepreneur, and to build a business around you, it is necessary to attract talent, motivate talent and keep talent. It's like being a conductor in an orchestra. You may not be the best violin player, but you know what another great violin player sounds like. You know how to assemble a team of players and blend them in a harmonious way. And the attitude of the employees is as important, if not more important than the talent. Churn in employees is typically a business killer. It's important to be able to recognize both talent and the right attitude. Allan ascribes success to transparent and continuous communication about the company's mission and values — these will attract the right talented people. The journey is strewn with mistakes all the way to its successful conclusion. Allan built and steadily grew his SaaS software company over a ten year period and then sold it. His analogy is that of the duck that looks like it is gliding smoothly over the water, while kicking like crazy underneath the surface. Self-doubt along the way is normal. Errors and mistakes that require correction are normal. For entrepreneurs, it's important to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Entrepreneurs are in the human reaction business. The measurement of success is making people smile. All businesses are human reaction businesses. The goal is to make an emotional bond with the customer: they enjoy the experience you make possible for them, whether it is managing their own accounting using your software over a long period of time, or whether it is finding out about one new feature that they discover and find works well for them. Entrepreneurs strive for those moments of understanding. Making people smile is the metaphor — but in software, it's hard to see them smile, so it's necessary to find the right KPI's that will be a proxy for smiling. Empathy is the skill of being able to feel when invisible customers are smiling. Allan advanced into real estate and other ventures — but sees it all as storytelling. After selling his SaaS business, Allan continued in software design and consulting for clients. He also involved himself in real estate, including a brewery in his home town. The brewery is a platform for telling the stories that make up the history of the town. And it is storytelling that Allan makes the overall metaphor of the entrepreneurial life. You are writing the story that your grandkids will tell about you in the future. What is the story you want to write? What is the story you want to tell about your business to attract and engage customers? The great brands and great businesses tell great stories. Entrepreneurship is a story told about life. Additional Resources "Allan Branch's Entrepreneurial Journey" (PDF): Mises.org/E4E_86_PDF1 Hunter Hastings mentioned effectuation theory in his prologue to the conversation with Allan Branch. For those interested to learn more, refer to the useful definitional academic paper by Saras D. Sarasvathy, "Causation and Effectuation: Toward a Theoretical Shift from Economic Inevitability to Entrepreneurial Contingency" (PDF): Mises.org/E4E_86_PDF2
This week, hosts Phil Eich, Ryan Short and Jeff Siegler discuss the theory of "all growth is good growth" and how this failed municipal strategy has destroyed the countryside while also wrecking cities. We get into the weeds on how a city can grow and still preserve its character and foster pride. You can check out the episode HERE. All previous episodes of the Pod Places Podcast are available on Apple and Spotify. This episode also features a bonus interview with Allan Branch. Allan started his career in software development, but sold his company in pursuit of more meaningful work. He turned his eye towards his hometown of Panama City, FL and renovated an empty downtown warehouse for his family's new home. Most recently, Allan opened History Class Brewing. In one project, he renovated a blighted building, introduced a much needed business to downtown, added a social spot, and is highlighting his communities history.
This is an episode about the mindset of a truly successful (professionally, financially, and personally) entrepreneur who has been a huge inspiration to me. Allan Branch is a serial entrepreneur who went from owning three multi-million dollar businesses simultaneously to selling crazy projects into a YouTube TV show. When asked what he does, Allan Branch likes to say, "when I grow up and becomes an adult, I'll figure out what I want to do with my life." He's 38. So far he's built and sold several software companies, hosted conferences and conference vacations, sold hundreds of thousands of dollars in ebooks, & last year he filmed a tv show for Lowe's Home Improvement. Now he's buying downtown real estate, starting a brewery, trying to find things to fail at in the hopes of going bankrupt and living in a van down by the river. We'll find out: The "race horse" mindset that both empowers and tortures entreprenuers How Allan and his family bought a warehouse in Panama City (FL), turned it into their home, turned that into a YouTube show, and then sold that to Lowe's The "hitting singles" mindset that leads to homerun successes How to pitch a crazy idea Why your business exists for the business' owners to use and abuse to build the life we want Tune in for more details! Resources Our Little Warehome LessFilms Rudyard Kipling's If— Special Offers from our Sponsors Try Bold Product Upsell free for 90 days Improve your shop's search engine ranking with Venntov SEO Meta Manager Save 20% on Turbo, a blazing fast Shopify theme Recapture: Shopify's best abandoned cart recovery, over $65,000,000 recovered for stores just like yours. Share your thoughts Ask a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook Group Share this show on Twitter Never miss an episode Subscribe on iTunes Join Kurt's newsletter Help the show Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings & reviews help, and I read each one. Subscribe on iTunes What's Kurt up to? See our recent work at Ethercycle Take a ride with Kurt on YouTube Grow Your Store in 2018 Apply to work with Kurt to grow your store. Prefer to DIY? Read a free sample chapter of Kurt's book Ecommerce Bootcamp, absolutely free. Tell me where to send your sample at ecommerce-bootcamp.com Learn what's Shopify Plus got that regular Shopify doesn't?”
Allan Branch is the co-founder of Less Everything (lesseverything.com) — along with a lot of other side ventures. He's done everything from software design to videography, to conferences and more. His early conferences included speakers like Jason Fried and Gary Vaynerchuk before they were "huge." In this episode we talk about the fact that business doesn't need to be whatever everyone else says, we talk about charting your own course and living a life that fits your dreams, not the dreams of others. Shortly after this was recorded, Allan's business partner, Steve Bristol, who was known by some as Steph, ended life on August 7th. When you hear Allan talk about his business partner on this podcast, it's even more heartbreaking to learn of the loss. After talking with Allan, we decided to launch this episode in memory and if you're interested in helping, please visit the You Caring page to help the children who are left behind along with their mother: https://www.youcaring.com/kimberlybristol-903877Support the show (http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com)
The Business Generals Podcast | Helping You Maximize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams - Every Single Week
Steven Bristol co-founded, built, marketed, supported and sold a multi-million dollar SaaS software product called LessAccounting. LessAccounting is an easy-to-use small business-accounting software that allows clients to easily track online invoices and carry out their bookkeeping tasks conveniently. He is also the co-founder of LessEverything, a company that builds software for different clients, creates integrations between products, and improves companies' conversion rates. His program adventure started as a 9 year old writing BASIC. In the past 28 years he has written many languages, become a Ruby on Rails core contributor, and a 2007 Google Summer of Code Mentor. He is a former motorcycle racer and has gone over 150 miles per hour with his knee on the ground. He is also a proud father of three. Core Revenue streams Steven jointly runs LessEverything, Inc. with his co-founder Allan Branch. They have two revenue streams with the first being offering consulting services to people who want to build successful businesses. He has been applying his talents and 10-year business experience in helping different SaaS products get to market and do better in the market. Their second revenue stream is a business division called LessFilms.com which makes marketing videos for diverse clients. Starting out in business Never wanted to be an entrepreneur because from observing his entrepreneur parents, he felt it was too much work. He never really held a job for long and eventually felt formal employment was not for him. After he left his last job, he partnered up with Allan Branch to start working on LessAccounting. They also started the umbrella company LessEverything, Inc. The viability of LessAccounting He thinks they succeeded with the LessAccounting idea out of sheer arrogance and non-belief in failure. Their bar of success was also very low so they just needed the idea to generate enough money for them to sustain their company's operations and meet their personal financial obligations. The tech world was not very saturated with similar products back then and therefore it was easier for them to market LessAccounting and secure enough users to generate considerable revenue. Main competitor issues QuickBooks, their biggest competitor, saw them as a threat, and being an established company, they had an upper hand in terms of marketing. With their limited marketing budget, Steven and Allan became the first Twitter trolls. They discovered that majority of the Twitter reviews related to QuickBooks were negative so they created a website called weallhatequickbooks.com to leverage on the negative reviews. Steven believes that QuickBooks used to replicate some of the features on LessAccounting into their product. Getting the first paying clients Steven and Allan had a lot of friends on Twitter who were either in the tech world, offering consulting services or starting their own business. They leveraged on that by tweeting out that they had launched LessAccounting and people immediately signed up for the free trial. At that point, Steven had not even developed the billing code but built it within a month so that they could start charging people to use the software. At first, they had about 4 paying customers and that number grew steadily from month to month. Growth strategy in the beginning Never really had a growth strategy but concentrated more on building LessAccounting. Steven and Allan did consulting work in order to generate enough income to finance the development of LessAccounting. They used a lot of word of mouth by attending conferences to make friends who would recommend them to clients. Steven used to speak at Ruby on Rails/tech conferences globally. That approach proved to be fruitful in terms of marketing. Dealing with the accounting aspect of LessAccounting The philosophy behind LessAccounting for Steven was to make software that didn't require users to have a...
Hi everyone, today we're talking to Allan Branch, Owner of LessAccounting. Allan's got an interesting background in marketing and design that led to freelance designing and web consulting that eventually evolved into an accounting software that's remained strong over the years despite it's slow initial growth. Click here for show notes. Leave some feedback: What should I talk about next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, leave a short review here. Subscribe to Growth Everywhere on iTunes. Get the non-iTunes RSS feed Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Twitter @ericosiu
Here's the download on Allan Branch. He's a serial entrepreneur, rebuilding a 30' sailboat, homeschooling his kids, growing and selling a SaaS company, traveling with his kids for 12 weeks a year paid for by the business but still feeling like a crappy Dad most of the time. Check out our live event on May 5th & 6th Rebooting Your Life. You deserve a fresh start. www.aaronmchugh.com/reboot
Here's the download on Allan Branch. He's a serial entrepreneur, rebuilding a 30' sailboat, homeschooling his kids, growing and selling a SaaS company, traveling with his kids for 12 weeks a year paid for by the business but still feeling like a crappy Dad most of the time. Check out our live event on May 5th & 6th Rebooting Your Life. You deserve a fresh start. www.aaronmchugh.com/reboot
During a time when seemingly everyone is trying to build a product and move away from consulting, Allan is doing just the opposite and moving from SaaS and recurring revenue back to good old-fashioned consulting. We talk a little about the process of selling LessAccounting, the ups downs of trying to grow a SaaS application, and some ways to take a step back and make sure that you're working on things you're passionate about. Special Guest: Allan Branch.
We've got a party episode today. We welcome Rob Williams of Workshop and Folyo. Allan Branch joins us later on in the episode when we discuss his time with Less Accounting. [tweetthis]There are pros and cons to both the service and the software side of things. - Brian[/tweetthis] Today's topic was primarily pricing. How to price effectively, why to price at a certain level, and what pricing can do for your business. This episode was a great discussion on how value to the customer is reflected in the pricing of a service or product. We had some great insights today and maybe we'll help you decide how to price your own service or product. Here are today's topics: Rob's service Workshop. What is it? Why Rob has recently changed the pricing of the service. The art of pricing. How pricing attracts the “right” clientele. What is Folyo? To do or not to do a Free Trial. What is Audience Ops Calendar? How to offer value to a customer. Catching up with Allan Branch. Why you are always beholden to somebody. Why Allan and his team sold Less Accounting. [tweetthis]If you want to tie pricing to value isn't that [revenue] the ultimate value? But no one does it! - Jordan[/tweetthis] Resources Mentioned Today: Foylo Workshop Less Everything Carthook Audience Ops Calendar As always, thanks for tuning in. Head here to leave a review in iTunes.
In this episode, Less Accounting founder Allan Branch shares his journey from freelancer to founder. We’ll touch on being a late bloomer, how cultural values shape the career path we take, and finish on some very strong self-care suggestions to help a founder keep going strong. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points How having highly-focused non-business interests Read More The post Episode 34: Self-Care For Founders w/Allan Branch appeared first on Chasing Product.
In this episode, Less Accounting founder Allan Branch shares his journey from freelancer to founder. We’ll touch on being a late bloomer, how cultural values shape the career path we take, and finish on some very strong self-care suggestions to help a founder keep going strong. Bootstrapped Product Talking Points How having highly-focused non-business interests Read More The post Episode 34: Self-Care For Founders w/Allan Branch appeared first on Chasing Product.
Kicking off the first episode of the 2centdad podcast I talk with my friend Allan Branch about his experiences raising his two children while running a software company in Florida. His desires to invest in his kids We cover topics of homeschooling, keeping up with the Joneses, and his desires to travel the world on a boat with his family while teaching his kids how to be curious. Allan has a unique perspective on how curiosity is the key to education and lifetime learning while weaving that into everything that he does with his children. He has an 8 year old and a 6 year old. Some notable mentions in the show Party Lines - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_line_(telephony) Full Time RVing family - http://ditchingsuburbia.com Full Time Sailing family - http://www.voyagingwithkids.com http://www.sailingtotem.com Derek Sivers - https://sivers.org/ AJ Leon - http://aj-leon.com/pursuitofeverything/the-life-and-times-of-a-remarkable-misfits/ Seth Godin - http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/ Give Camp Grand Rapids MI - http://grgivecamp.org How Allan brings home the bacon https://lessaccounting.com/ http://lessfilms.com/ https://lesschurn.io/ Huge Takeaway Learning comes down to being curious and using any opportunity you can to teach your kids. Allan’s last word: Kids will send you to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
Allan is the co-founder of LessEverything which is the coolest company you've never heard of. They make amazing products like LessAccounting and LessFilms. He loves his family more than breathing. He also build cool lamps as a hobby MassalinaDrive.com
In all seriousness, Allan is a really funny and interesting guy who also happens to co-own the best accounting software in the world, Less Accounting. He's one of those guys who can instantly raise my spirits no matter what's going on. And I've always admired him for his ability to let work be work and enjoy having fun and spending time with his family. As someone who has let all my hobbies fall to the wayside, I love how much energy Allan puts into his own non-work pursuits. He's not driven by nor obsessed with his work. I want to be more like that. If you've never met or talked to Allan, then settle in for a fun conversation about writing, building a software business, go-carts, hypothetical beer brewing and bees. Yes, bees. Enjoy the show. Bits & Bytes Mentioned in the Show Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living ~ Nick Offerman LessAccounting LessFilms More About Allan @allanbranchLessAccounting
Allan Branch, Founder of LessAccounting, talks with us about the myth of work/life balance and what he’s done to create the best combination of the business he wants to run and the family life he strives to protect. It was so refreshing to hear his candid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you’ve dreamed about building your own product, you’re in the right place. This week the hilarious, talented, and honest Allan Branch joins us to talk about why he’s leaving LessConf behind to focus on LessAccounting. Sponsors This show wouldn't be possible without these great sponsors. When you support them, you support the show! Sprint.ly has been there from the beginning. Perfect for software teams of 3 or more people, Sprint.ly is the easiest way for managers and developers to track the software development process. You and your team can try Sprint.ly for free, go to www.sprint.ly. Use the code productpeopletv2013 to get 10% off! Notable quotes "LessConf was a fun little hobby that started to take over." "With our app, we're still battling it out for users, and LessConf was becoming a distraction" "Notoriety in the startup community doesn't translate into users in the small business." "Notoriety and fame and all that bullshit feels good; it's a disease. It sucks you in… looking at Instagram likes, and who likes stuff, and re-tweets you. If startups aren't your target marketing, notoriety can be a distraction." "Running a conference is like being a bride at a wedding." "What about a social network to connect golfing buddies?" "We both took pay cuts to start LessEverything, because we wanted to build a nest-egg to build products" "Having a partner makes it better. Steve likes to make my ideas better." "A good partner will give you the courage to be more of yourself." "The ignorant user is your best customer." "There's no legacy in pixels." Show notes Allan on Twitter LessConf LessAccounting Allan and Steve's books Massalina Drive