Podcasts about coplex

Today, David is speaking with Zach Ferres. Zach is a serial entrepreneur and technology executive with a passion for building startups and the entrepreneurial communities around them. Zach built and sold his first technology company at the age of 24 and was recognized as one of the Top 33 Student Entrepreneurs in the World by the Kauffman Foundation and Entrepreneurs Organization at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. From 2012 to 2020, Zach served as the CEO of Coplex. During this time, Coplex helped start over 200 startups, built a diversified equity portfolio of over 50 companies, and became one of the largest Startup Studios in the US. Coplex partners with enterprises to build technology startups and have been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, The Washington Post, VentureBeat, and Fast Company. Today, Zach holds a variety of board positions at growing technology companies for which I actively support. Outside of work, He is an award-winning speaker, a runner, and a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine. What You'll Learn: Agency metrics Keys to a successful agency Definition of an incubator, accelerator, and start-up studio What is the difference between incubator, accelerator, and start-up studio More about corporate venture capital Understanding how cash burn in an agency/service business is a problem Favorite Quote: “ The no-nonsense that it does when you have an agency that is focused on a vertical; it just makes it really easy for them to win business.” --  The Capital Stack All Things Tech Investing and Value Creation Early growth investor David Paul interviews the world's greatest ecosystem, learns how to start and scale your own business, and finds an edge in today's capital markets.  To connect with David, visit:   Twitter -https://twitter.com/davidpaulvc ( CLICK HERE) Substack -http://davidpaul.substack.com/ ( CLICK HERE) LinkedIn -http://linkedin.com/in/Davidpaulvc ( CLICK HERE) IG -https://www.instagram.com/davidpaulvc/ ( CLICK HERE)    DISCLAIMER: David Paul is the founder and general partner at DWP Capital.  All opinions expressed by David and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinions of DWP capital.  This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for decisions. David and guests may maintain positions in the securities discussed on this podcast.

In this episode, we talk to Brenda Schmidt (CEO of Coplex) as we discuss what investors are looking for, what it is like being a CEO but not the founder, and more. Check out Coplex **More On Brenda** Brenda Schmidt is the CEO of Coplex, a corporate startup studio that partners with corporations to build high-growth tech companies in highly regulated industries. Brenda previously founded Solera Health and has spent her career educating, speaking, advising, and leading in the name of creating social impact. Deeply embedded into the healthcare startup ecosystem, Brenda is a mentor, advisor and entrepreneur in residence to several accelerators and emerging digital health startups. She also serves on the boards of the Startup AZ Foundation, Solera Health, RexPay, the Arizona Bioindustry Association, the City of Phoenix Workforce Development Board and is a FierceHealth Editorial Board Advisor and Contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine. Brenda also teaches entrepreneurship at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Visit our website TheStartupLifePodcast.com Follow The Startup Life Podcast Facebook Page Want gear from The Startup Life? Check out our gear! Check out other great podcasts from The Binge Podcast Network. Written by: Dominic Lawson Executive Producers: Dominic Lawson and Kenda Lawson Music Credits: **Show Theme** Behind Closed Doors - Otis McDonald **Break Theme** Cielo - Huma-Huma **Sponsors/Partners** Listen and subscribe to the Keep Optimising Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you like to get your favorite podcasts. You can also get more information at https://keepoptimising.com/.

In this episode, we talk to Brenda Schmidt (CEO of Coplex) as we discuss what investors are looking for, what it is like being a CEO but not the founder, and more. Check out Coplex  **More On Brenda** Brenda Schmidt is the CEO of Coplex, a corporate startup studio that partners with corporations to build high-growth tech companies in highly regulated industries. Brenda previously founded Solera Health and has spent her career educating, speaking, advising, and leading in the name of creating social impact. Deeply embedded into the healthcare startup ecosystem, Brenda is a mentor, advisor and entrepreneur in residence to several accelerators and emerging digital health startups. She also serves on the boards of the Startup AZ Foundation, Solera Health, RexPay, the Arizona Bioindustry Association, the City of Phoenix Workforce Development Board and is a FierceHealth Editorial Board Advisor and Contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine. Brenda also teaches entrepreneurship at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service.    Visit our website TheStartupLifePodcast.com Follow The Startup Life Podcast Facebook Page Want gear from The Startup Life? Check out our gear! Check out other great podcasts from The Binge Podcast Network. Written by: Dominic Lawson  Executive Producers: Dominic Lawson and Kenda Lawson Music Credits: **Show Theme**  Behind Closed Doors - Otis McDonald  **Break Theme** Cielo - Huma-Huma  **Sponsors/Partners** Listen and subscribe to the Keep Optimising Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you like to get your favorite podcasts.  You can also get more information at https://keepoptimising.com/.   

Starting a Business During COVID and in this Economy on Power Lunch Live. Brenda Schmidt is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, educator, and CEO of Coplex, a startup studio that partners with corporations to build businesses to create a better future. She is a builder focused on driving innovation through technology with a particular interest in social impact. Deeply embedded into the startup ecosystem, Brenda is a mentor, advisor, and entrepreneur in residence to several accelerators and emerging digital health startups. She also serves on the boards of the Startup AZ Foundation, Solera Health, RexPay, the Arizona Bioindustry Association, the City of Phoenix Workforce Development Board, and is a FierceHealth Editorial Board Advisor. Brenda also teaches entrepreneurship at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service

Don't miss out on the next WeAreLATech podcast episode, get notified by signing up here http://wearelatech.com/podcastWelcome to WeAreLATech's Los Angeles Tech Community Spotlight!   “Kurt Daradics Of Hunt Club, Passion For Connecting People”WeAreLATech Podcast is a WeAreTech.fm production.To support our podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/believe To be featured on the podcast go to http://wearelatech.com/feature-your-la-startup/Want to be featured in the WeAreLATech Community? Create your profile here http://wearelatech.com/communityHost,Espree Devorahttps://twitter.com/espreedevorahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/espreeGuest,Kurt Daradicshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtdaradics/Listener Spotlight,Joseph Holguinhttp://josephholguin.comFor a calendar of all LA Startup events go to, http://WeAreLATech.comTo further immerse yourself into the LA Tech community go to http://wearelatech.com/vipLinks Mentioned:Hunt Club, https://www.huntclub.comLime, https://www.li.me/Bird, https://www.bird.coEsri, https://www.linkedin.com/company/esri/Coplex, https://www.coplex.comMeeting of the Minds, https://meetingoftheminds.orgCitySourced (Merged), https://www.rocksolid.comStartup Coil, https://startupcoil.comSaturday Night Live, https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-livePinterest, https://www.pinterest.comHoney, https://www.joinhoney.comDollar Shave Club, https://www.dollarshaveclub.comZoom, https://zoom.usBuilt in LA, https://www.builtinla.comDigital LA, https://digitalla.netdot.LA, https://dot.laWordpress, https://wordpress.comgoPuff, https://gopuff.com/Airbnb, https://www.airbnb.comApplied Semantics, https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/applied-semanticsRodecaster, https://www.rode.com/rodecasterproTechZulu, http://techzulu.comPayPal, https://www.paypal.comIkigaiI, https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrismyers/2018/02/23/how-to-find-your-ikigai-and-transform-your-outlook-on-life-and-business/#528d6f552ed4Alchemist, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144590-the-alchemistCornerstone OnDemand, https://www.cornerstoneondemand.comAngelList, https://angel.coNaval Ravikant Interview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHkcs3kG44Schools Mentioned:Stanford, http://stanford.eduUCLA, https://www.ucla.eduUSC, https://www.usc.eduMIT, https://southerncalifornia.alumclub.mit.edu/Harvey Mudd, https://www.hmc.eduCSUN, https://www.csun.eduCal State LA, https://www.calstatela.eduCal State Long Beach, https://www.csulb.eduLoyola Marymount, https://www.lmu.eduPeople Mentioned:Nick Cromydas, https://www.linkedin.com/in/cromydas/Tyler Crowley, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercrowley/Benjamin Kuo, https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminkuo/Holden Steinberg, https://www.linkedin.com/in/holdensteinberg/Eytan Elbaz, https://www.linkedin.com/in/eytan-elbaz-b098198/Efren Toscano, https://www.linkedin.com/in/efrentoscano/Sean Percival, https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanpercival/Walter Driver, https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-driver-6a156211/Brian Schwartz, https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianpschwartz/Mother Teresa, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mother-TeresaNaval, https://twitter.com/navalRachel Horning, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-horning-8878a346/Joe Rogan, https://twitter.com/joeroganCredits:Produced and Hosted by Espree Devora, http://espreedevora.comStory Produced, Edited and Mastered by Cory Jennings,  https://www.coryjennings.com/Production and Voiceover by Adam Carroll, http://www.ariacreative.ca/Team support by Janice GeronimoMusic by Jay Huffman, https://soundcloud.com/jayhuffmanShort Title: Kurt Daradics Of Hunt Club

To leave the corporate world at the beginning of a financial recession to start a company requires big thinking and even bigger action—and Rebecca Clyde has both in spades. Add that to her ability to outhustle and outwork her competitors and it's no wonder Rebecca was able to quickly find innovative paths to revenue and growth for her clients despite all odds. Today, Rebecca has built one of the most highly sought after marketing communications agencies in Phoenix, Ideas Collide, in addition to co-founding her newest venture Botco.ai, a platform that offers chat-nurturing solutions for businesses. How does she do it? By leading with value and operating under the mentality that if you pay it forward, the rest will follow. In this episode, we talk with Rebecca about the forces that drive her enterprising spirit, the hard lessons she's learned along the way, and how she creates channels for paying it forward.   Read on for a selection of questions, and listen to the entire interview by clicking the player above. What led you to leave the corporate confines to build your own company, Ideas Collide? At the time, I worked at a good company and really enjoyed everything I did while I was there. But I wanted to take more control of my destiny and my income and I realized the corporate world had a lot of limitations. I realized I had outgrown my ability to work for somebody else and was ready to spread my own wings.  In those early days, what were some of the challenges you had to overcome to achieve growth? We started the company in the middle of the recession in 2008. The very beginning years were scrappy. Our goal was to help our clients find a path to revenue and growth despite all of those downward forces. We were also lucky that we were a startup. We didn't have the overhead of a big agency so we could charge less, be nimble, try different things and experiment without a lot of risks. Our clients really appreciated that and as a result, some of our fastest growth years were during that period where most other companies in our industry were contracting. What was the turning point when you realized you had stumbled onto something viable with Botco.ai? My co-founders and I had a hypothesis that the world has shifted to become on-demand. Everyone was struggling to keep up with that on-demand world because the marketing technologies, processes and frameworks that have been built were not designed for it. If we could shift that, and make businesses really responsive, then they would be able to attract more customers and retain them for longer. Last year, one of my customers at Botco.ai A/B tested a campaign where half of their customers were driven to a ‘chat with us' experience in which they got to interact with the Botco.ai chat. The other half went to their typical landing page to book an appointment. What we learned was when people have a chance to ask questions and get an instant answer, they're twice as likely to convert and become customers. As soon as I saw the results from that effort, I knew we were onto something. Was it tough to make the decision to leave Ideas Collide and go full time with Botco.ai? It was a transition I had to plan over a good amount of time. I couldn't just walk away from it without being very thoughtful. One of the things I did was make a list of all of my duties and responsibilities and slowly began training people to take on each one of those tasks. It was a way to be able to step away from that business so I could start a new company, but it was also a really great way to develop my team. It created that growth trajectory for many of the team members to step up, take on ownership, and truly have an opportunity to run the business, not just be an employee. It was also a growth opportunity for me because it was time for me to build a new company. There was a lot I needed to learn. I needed to have that space to be able to fully give Botco.ai the attention it deserved.  What was one of your darkest moments and how did you emerge from it? With both companies, it had to do with the loss of a major customer or client. With Ideas Collide, there was one particular client that was doing a lot of work with us until they essentially shut down and disappeared. I felt like a punch in the stomach. We had all these outstanding payments with this one client and I had not put in good measures to protect ourselves against that. It was a good lesson. Sometimes these learnings can cost a little bit from a dollar standpoint, but we recovered.  With Botco.ai, we also had one client that was hit really hard with the pandemic. Unfortunately, their business contracted almost down to zero overnight. They had to go dark and having to deal with that again was a big blow. Very quickly we had to pivot our value proposition to target customers and industries that were not affected by the pandemic, or at least were affected in a different way. We realized that everything we had put in place could be easily adapted into other sectors. We took those knowledge bases and workflows we had created for our old industry and customers and pivoted those for the sector that was going to be having a lot of movement and activity as a result of COVID.  What's one of the best things you've done for Botco.ai to help propel its growth? Getting really plugged into the Arizona startup ecosystem. Phoenix is a very young scene for the startup world. Many people would say we're largely underdeveloped, but because of that, there's a lot of desire to help and a lot of great resources. What specifically helped us was winning last year's Arizona Innovation Challenge. We were one of 10 companies to receive a $150,000 grant. It also came with incredible wraparound services that I am incredibly grateful for. We got to participate in a 500-startup entrepreneurship bootcamp that was really transformational for the business. It's resources like that that have helped us get more visibility and teach me things that I didn't know.  Are there one or two connections along your journey that made a big impact? I could write a list of the people in my life to whom I am deeply grateful. Mike Denning has been my coach for many years and has been instrumental for me in terms of my leadership development. Meghan Bednarz, one of my first bosses at Intel, was one of those people who believed in me and my abilities and presented opportunities to me that propelled my career in many ways. Dorothy Dowling at Best Western has also been an incredible mentor and opportunity provider. She's super visionary and an incredible leader that I admire hugely. Gina Corley is one of those quiet forces here in Arizona who is doing a lot to move businesses forward and to modernize the state of digital marketing in this town. Zack Ferris over at Coplex has been an incredible mentor and friend. Eric Miller at the Arizona Tech Council.  One of the big things I really believe in is surrounding myself with positive, high energy, experienced leaders because they have so much they can share and if I'm willing to listen and pay attention, then maybe some of that will rub off onto me. What's one piece of advice you would give to fellow entrepreneurs looking to make impactful connections? The most important thing is to always give and provide value first. For every ask I make, I give 10 times. In my case, I do a lot of giving back through Girls In Tech. I also get asked to support a lot of other organizations here, whether it's teaching a seminar for Local First Arizona and helping small business entrepreneurs, or helping a friend that just wants to learn a little bit about software or sales. Or supporting a fellow founder that just needs a friend to listen to or confide in. There's so many ways we can give back, but unless we're willing to do that on a pretty regular basis, I think the asking will fall short and we'll ring hollow. Make sure you have channels for paying it forward, and then the rest will just take care of itself.    Speed round:   Coffee drinker, yes or no? Sometimes One business tool you're geeking out over right now? Botco.AI, obviously.  Favorite piece of technology? The Hypersphere. It's a workout ball that helps loosen up your muscles so that you're not so tight.  What's one book you'd pass along to a fellow entrepreneur? Pitch Anything One person you'd like to make a connection with? The founder of Infusionsoft/Keap, Clate Mask. What's your favorite ice breaker when introducing yourself to someone? I would say, “My name is Rebecca Clyde. I'm the CEO of Botco.Ai and I'm helping businesses double their conversion rates with intelligent chat.”  How many hours of sleep do you get each night, on average? Not enough. Probably about five.  How can people connect with you and Botco.ai? It's probably best on LinkedIn. Just mention in your note about how you heard about me, whether it was on this podcast or at a conference or wherever. Just include a little note because I'm most likely to see it that way. You can always email me at rebecca@botco.ai

TYCOONS OF SMALL BIZ Brenda Schmidt with Coplex Brenda Schmidt has an infectious optimism for the future, specifically with female entrepreneurs and founders. Her ability to spot a problem that needs to be fixed and to find a solution for that problem is inspiring. In this episode we discussed the future of innovation, what companies […] The post TYCOONS OF SMALL BIZ Brenda Schmidt with Coplex appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Kaihan Krippendorff Kaihan Krippendorff is a Strategy, Innovation and Transformation Keynote Speaker. He is the Founder at Outthinker and a Senior Advisor at Coplex. He has written five books including Driving Innovation from Within: A guide for Internal Entrepreneurs. Kaihan is a member of the prestigious Thinkers50 Radar Group. He teaches at Wharton Eecutive Education, is a faculty member of Florida International University, and lectures at business schools throughout the world. Tracey Thomson Tracey Thomson is co-author of Globe and Mail Canadian Bestseller TRUTH & LIES What People Are Really Thinking. As co-founder and operator of groundbreaking communication training organization TRUTHPLANE®, Tracey advises the world's top companies and individuals on issues involving communication and body language. Her background in directing and training performers internationally in the psychology of movement, as well as her professional experience analyzing and supplying solutions to the dramas we find ourselves in, gives her unique insights into human behavior and what people are really thinking.

Innovation is key to every company’s growth. How one business succeeds solely depends on how it is run by a leader. Today, Dr. Diane Hamilton interviews Kaihan Krippendorff about innovation and leadership. Kaihan is a strategy, innovation, and transformational keynote speaker, author, the Senior Advisor at Coplex, and the Founder of Outthinker. Join Kaihan as he talks about how they are making innovation easier for leaders and breaks down INOVATE, sharing how entrepreneurial actions and intentions can lead to better opportunities for any business. Body language and communication are necessary for business development. Dr. Diane Hamilton interviews Tracey Thomson, the co-author of the Globe and Mail Canadian bestseller Truth and Lies: What People Are Really Thinking and the Director of Business Development at TRUTHPLANE. Tracey shares what their company is doing in helping companies resolve communication issues. She also explains some key concepts being discussed in her book. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share!Here’s How »Join the Take The Lead community today:DrDianeHamilton.comDr. Diane Hamilton FacebookDr. Diane Hamilton TwitterDr. Diane Hamilton LinkedInDr. Diane Hamilton YouTubeDr. Diane Hamilton Instagram

We often equate the journey to success to a climb up a mountain, where you’re pushed to your limits – and eventually, beyond them. But how do you know you’ve made it to the top if there’s no universal measurement for success? With the help of our guest – Zach Ferres – we’re going to discuss how you can define success on your terms and keep success in perspective once you’ve made it to the top. Zach is a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine and the CEO of Coplex – the nationally-ranked Venture Builder that’s launched over 300 tech companies worldwide. In this jam-packed season finale, we’re going to discover how you can set better success metrics, celebrate your wins, and encourage others to achieve their own success by paying forward the strategies discussed throughout this first season of Ignition Point.

In episode 203 of Journey to $100 Million, Kevin talks about one of the individuals that really motivated him to expedite his decision to become an entrepreneur and start his own business. This individual was a close friend of Kevin's and one that he has not seen in a while: Ilya Pozin. Ilya is a founder of Coplex as well as Pluto TV. At the time when Kevin was toying with the idea of starting his own business, Ilya had his own company in Virginia Beach that he started in college. Kevin was blown away by Ilya's success, especially when he told him he would be moving to LA to pursue greater career opportunities. Seeming as though they were the same age and Kevin had just as much motivation as Ilya, he decided to take the leap to start his own business. Kevin congratulates Ilya on all his success and gives credit to knowing that he was definitely an influence on Kevin to start his own business. If you have started your own business, there is probably someone that influenced you. Whoever it may be, it doesn't matter, but look around you and think if there is someone that motivated you to do something bigger in life. — Erik J. Olson is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. The Founder & CEO of Array Digital, he is also the host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups. — Kevin Daisey is an award-winning digital marketer & entrepreneur. He started his first company when he was just 23, and is the Founder & CMO of Array Digital. Kevin is also the co-host of the Journey to $100 Million Flash Briefing and daily podcast, and the co-organizer of the Marketers Anonymous monthly meetups.

Helping us move from awareness to action this week is Zach Ferres, CEO of Coplex, a venture builder that partners with industry experts, entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to start high growth tech companies.  You can find out more about Zach and Coplex at Coplex.com and LinkedIn. Please subscribe to the show and leave a review! Interested in starting your own podcast?  Click HERE Learn more about George at MoneyAlignmentAcademy.com and GeorgeGrombacher.com Learn more about Sentari at GenNext.com

Few individuals take a linear path to becoming an entrepreneur. Rather, it's often the culmination of their passions and experiences that lead them to identify problems and harness the fuel that drives them to work toward solving those problems. Take Coplex CEO Zach Ferres for example Today Zach is a pillar of the Valley's entrepreneurial ecosystem, but his journey actually began in northern Ohio as a kid who liked taking computers apart and putting them back together. That fascination blended with a natural inclination for entrepreneurship led him to launch various ventures in computer and car stereo repair in middle and high school. Always in tune to evolving trends and needs, Zach then forayed into website design while attending Ohio Northern University. This jump started his first official company, Bounce Host (now Bounce Fire). He grew the team to 15 and following a successful multi-year run, he sold the company to a Scottsdale, Ariz. firm and relocated to Phoenix. At that point, it wasn't long before the opportunity to consult with, and eventually lead, Coplex came about. In this interview, Zach discusses his transition to Coplex, his early days as a CEO restructuring the team and the critical people who helped shape him along the way. He also shares painful pivots he's made, maxing out his personal credit cards and the importance of reimagining new business models.   What were the early days like when you came in as CEO of Coplex? It was total chaos. It was a fun time, though. The company at the time was a team of about 30 full-time team members in Hollywood. I was living in Phoenix, so I was spending a lot of time commuting. When I first took it over, the company was called Ciplex  (we ended up doing a rebrand in 2012) and it had been continuously ranked one of the top web design companies in the country. We'd get dozens of inbound leads and phone calls every day from people all over the country needing website work. I think at one point in time, we had 350 active open projects and that's about when I started taking things over. We realized there would be a couple of years of really grueling work ahead of us because the company grew so fast that it didn't really have the capabilities to deliver on everything on time and within budget. The first 18 months was a lot of clean up work to get those projects done. Then we reconfigured, restructured the team and ended up bringing on a couple of my former team members in the Phoenix satellite office at the time. We still did a lot of web design work, and fortunately, we had a few really incredible corporate clients that were working with us on innovation projects. That was part of the core DNA that's still around Coplex today.   What was your experience transitioning Coplex from one of the top web design companies to now a venture accelerator? When we started the pivot in early 2014, we realized that the real value in the work that we did at Coplex everyday wasn't in building websites for people and helping people with innovation projects, it was in the underlying businesses that we were helping to get started. We've always had a passion for startups. A lot of the work that we did even on the web design side was with startup companies, and all the innovation work that we were doing was basically new startups and startup spin outs. So we got really good at this whole startup game, and we realized that the real value in building and in doing the work that we were doing was in the equity of the startups. We had, probably in 2013, this first inkling of, "I wonder how it would work for us to actually get an equity component to the deals that we do?" We toyed around with it from 2013 to 2016. I ended up buying the company from the founders in 2016, so I had to go out and raise some money to buy out the partners, and then it was really at that point when we decided to focus 100% of our energy and effort on helping these seasoned industry experts start tech companies. So we pressed play on that in 2016 and started actively divesting from the old part of our business model. At that time, we had maybe 10% to 20% of our work was with venture-backable startup companies meeting the criteria of what we look at today, so we had to walk away from somewhere between 80% and 90% of our revenue. Then we actively started divesting from the old business model. We had a one year plan to essentially fully replace all of the stuff we walked away from with the new service offering, and let's just say that ended up taking about a year and a half longer than we thought. It was a wildly, excruciatingly painful pivot. We had to go through a small round of layoffs, we had to max out all the credit cards and we almost ran out of steam in the transition trying to crack the code on the business model that we have today. It really wasn't until probably about a year and a half ago that the model started to prove itself and we were able to replace a lot of the revenue we walked away from.   What would you say is one of the most important lessons you've learned along the way? When I started my first company, I didn't really have a big vision. I'm an engineer, and I'm a very pragmatic thinker, and I remember in my entrepreneurship class when we learned about vision/mission/values, I was like, "Why does anyone actually care about any of this stuff? It doesn't really make a difference." I think in hindsight, a big learning lesson is to do that from the start because that's where your drive comes from when things get hard. And they're always going to get hard on this path of entrepreneurship, so that will be the one place where you can find some serenity knowing that you're doing things for the right reason and that there's a bigger reason why you're doing what you're doing.   How do you make impactful, meaningful connections with people? Give first has always been a big one for me. When I was building my first company, I was an engineer that did not know how to network, and I forced myself to go to all these networking events. The thing that really worked was being passionately curious and talking with people to try and find ways in which I could help them with zero intention of ever getting anything back. As soon as I started doing that, doors just started opening. Give first when you're building those connections, and they always end up coming back threefold, fivefold, tenfold.   What's one piece of advice you would give to a fellow entrepreneur who's just looking to grow? Getting a coach. This whole idea of personal development is often overlooked when it comes to entrepreneurship. I think everyone has over-romanticized being an entrepreneur, and it's really freaking hard work, and it's not always as sexy and rewarding as it looks like on Silicon Valley sitcoms on HBO. It's a grueling battle and at the core of all of it, you've got to take care of yourself. I think doing things that make sure that you have that outlet, having a coach, working on personal development, making time to run, meditate, go to the gym, whatever it might be. I heard a really interesting quote a few weeks ago that talked about the true bottleneck to growth for an entrepreneur isn't their business, it's basically themselves. So any time you realize your business is stuck and you've hit a plateau, you first need to stop looking at the business and step out and look at yourself because there's something that you're doing that's limiting the growth of your own business because maybe you're missing something.

Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lexus is the founder of the Wholesome Living Project. She's a big believer in positivity, education, and visual storytelling on both a personal and professional level especially on Instagram. Instagram: @lexmariedeme This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018

Marissa is an educator, artist and lifelong learner who, by her own words, was "dragged kicking and screaming" to Facebook years back but found it to be one of the best things she's ever done. She loves sharing her artwork on her social channels, and as an educator, believes that it would be a huge help if people from the social media community could talk with students about how they use the various platforms. Twitter: @azartologist Instagram: @studioartology This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018

Paul is a ubiquitous presence in the local Valley marketing community and on social media, and a Social Media Day Phoenix veteran. On this episode he talks a bit about engaging more IRL rather than just sending messages back and forth (happy hours, anyone?), and even relates a lesson about some old school political aisle-crossing. "If you need something please ask." - Paul Website: about.me/paulvalach Website: pmvproductions.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/paulvalach This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018

To say that Sandra is accomplished is an understatement. She's the mind behind Latinaology, a leading automotive and lifestyle blog. She's also a talented photographer and contributing writer to "Digital Trends en Español", and she's a business consultant who has been recognized by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Univision, and the Governor's office. We were so happy to have her spend a few minutes with us discussing social media, entrepreneurship and ways to make our community a better place to connect with others. Website: latinaology.com Facebook: facebook.com/latinaology LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sandra-munoz-841b2642 This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018

OD is a champion for the underserved entrepreneurial community here in the Greater Phoenix area, and he was recently named a recipient of this year's "40 Under 40" Award by the Phoenix Business Journal which highlights 40 local leaders under the age of 40 who spend their time making the community better. We were extremely thankful to have OD and his Ready, Set, Go! Foundation as a sponsor for Social Media Day Phoenix this year. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/odharris Facebook: facebook.com/rsgfoundation Website: rsgnow.org This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018.

Neel Mehta is a co-founder at EpiFinder, a Phoenix area-based startup that assists doctors in diagnosing epilepsy with more confidence. Eleni Kapogianis manages biz dev and marketing for the company as well. They joined Adam to talk about how they approach personal vs. professional use of social media channels, plus why Neel lives on LinkedIn and Eleni can't get enough of Instagram. Neel on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neelmehta14 Neel on Twitter: @neelmehta14 Eleni on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eleni-kapogianis-373a998a Website: epifinder.com Epifinder on Instagram: @epifinderinc This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018.

"Konnector" Karen is the owner/founder of Seven Networking and co-founder of Socially Boomin'. She sat down with Adam to talk about her love of community building, bringing people together and also how video (especially the live variety) helped her grow her business. Website: s-e-v-e-n.org Facebook: facebook.com/SEVENnetworking Website: bit.ly/Socially_Boomin This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018

On today’s show we welcome Zach Ferres, CEO of Coplex.

In this episode, we are joined by Zach Ferres, CEO of Coplex, a Top 7 Startup Accelerator that helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies.Zach is also joined by two current participants of Coplex’s program, two startup founders Jamie Baxter of Qwick and Meghan Kuhn of Priizm. Both ventures feature mobile applications offering on-demand services, with Qwick in the food + beverage space and Priizm in personal coaching. Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kimberly serves as Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at the Better Business Bureau in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been a long-time, frequent contributor to the local social media and business community, and was gracious enough to moderate the #SMDayPHX panel on small business which focused on marketing tactics and community engagement. Twitter: @therealkro Website: bbb.org/en/us/az This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018.

Evo was the 40th EVER podcaster and is one of the most accomplished and knowledgeable people in the digital, social media and podcast worlds today. He just recently made his return back to the Valley of the Sun after a few years living overseas providing services for a select group of clients focused on podcasting, media distribution, and strategic consulting. We are thrilled to have him back. Twitter: @evoterra Website: evoterra.com This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018.

Julia is the founder of Roaming Hills and is a freelance creative illustrator and travel writer/blogger (hence the business name!). She's also an avid hiker and a HUGE Instagram fan. Instagram: @roaminghills Twitter: @_HillJulia Website: roaminghills.com This episode is hosted by Adam Leidhecker, Brand Strategist at Coplex in Phoenix, AZ, and produced by Vincent Orleck, President of Social Media Club Phoenix. Recorded live at Social Media Day Phoenix 2018 held at 1951@ASU SkySong in Scottsdale, AZ on June 30th, 2018.

In this episode, we are joined by Jane Poynter, CEO of World View Enterprises, a Tucson-based company that is leading the way in the emerging stratospheric economy. The company is an active, full-service commercial launch provider and is working to open the possibilities of space travel to consumers across the world via high-altitude ballooning and their Stratollite flight platform. Prior to joining the leadership team at World View, Jane Poynter was the co-founder, President, and Chairwoman of Paragon Space Development and is a well-known author, including the book, “The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2.” Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview With Start-Up Guru – Zach Ferres.  Do you think that tech start-ups are only for computer science geeks?  Gen X is rocking the start-up space and going from idea to solid valuation in record time.  Zach shares his incredible insight and why, regardless of the type of business, all businesses should be considering themselves tech businesses.

Tech Connect AZ, brought to you by the Arizona Technology Council and powered by Coplex, seeks to expand the awareness of local technology heroes and their accomplishments through intimate interviews with the tech titans themselves. Part How I Built This, part Under the Radar, the Tech Connect podcast will provide an intimate view into the lives of Arizona’s most innovative and creative minds and companies, many of whom you may not even know about yet.Know of a great company or innovator that should be featured on Tech Connect AZ? Get in touch with us at marketing@aztechcounil.org and share comments on Facebook + Twitter: @aztechcouncilThe Arizona Technology Council is the driving force behind making our State the fastest growing technology hub in the nation; connecting and empowering Arizona’s technology community. As Arizona’s premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community and top professional networking organization. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. To become a member or to learn more about the Arizona Technology Council, please visit http://www.aztechcouncil.org.About our podcast sponsor, Coplex is an expert team of startup creators located in Phoenix, AZ. Ranked Top 7 Startup Accelerator, Coplex helps non-coding, industry experts start successful tech companies and get them to venture-ready in as little as nine months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Zach Ferres - CEO of Coplex - Dealing With Big Failures

This week we talk with Zach Ferres - the CEO of Coplex, a startup accelerator focused on founders who are not coders.  Zach grew up in Ohio and we talk about everything from leadership lessons he has learned from Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, to lessons he learned from his parents who instilled a strong, customer-centric work ethic.    Zach shares his thoughts on coders being founders, lessons from sports, risk management, whether startups need business plans, the essentials of culture and emotional intelligence, and his love of gluten-free pancakes and Family Guy.     SELECT LINKS FROM THE PODCAST   Reebok Ragnar del Sol   Zach's Entrepreneur Magazine article about poker   Zach's Entrepreneur Magazine article about Coach Urban Meyer   The Hard Thing About Hard Things - by Ben Horowitz   Above The Line - by Urban Meyer   Scaling Up - by Verne Harnish   Launch Pad: Inside Y Combinator - by Randall Stross   Family Guy Arizona Chamber of Commerce contact@azoriginals.net

There's no question the Valley's tech scene is in on the upswing. One obstacle executives face, however, is finding the right people with the right skills to fill the right seats. In this episode of this special series on TechTalent, Rick Stoddard, Director of Venture Engagement at Coplex, discusses how he defines top tech talent, qualities he looks for in the startups he works with and the top advice he has for up-and-comers. How would you define tech talent? Top talent is those individuals who are constantly learning and absorbing information to further their marketability and what they have to offer to the community. It's talent that's energetic and committed to furthering a community, especially a technology community. There's the resume and bio, but so many intangibles come into play. Are they willing to evolve? Are they willing to take on change? Are they willing to explore the unknown.  What qualities do you look for on filling roles at Coplex, or among the startups you mentor? Coachability, especially in a mentoring situation. If there doesn't seem to be an element of coachability, then why even have the relationship? Is the person open to looking in areas they've never looked before and exploring what could really make a difference –– not just subtle differences, but transformational differences. Also I look for what integrity means to them. Not integrity from a good or bad perspective, but really that they understand that integrity in life can have a huge impact on performance. Being authentic and being open and willing to be vulnerable are other things I look for. Is there an employee you can think of in your past that really stood out? What has made them the best? They were coachable and they were willing to take action, even when they didn't want to take action. Unless you're willing to take action and get out there and experiment and fail, it doesn't contribute much to furthering your career. What roles do local tech companies have the toughest time filling? Software engineering talent and designers –– there are just not enough. I think the more we, locally, can begin to educate our existing base, the better it's going to be. I see a lot of things being done to do just that so I'm really encouraged at the direction I see our community going. If you were mentoring a group of emerging tech folks, what's one thing you'd want them to know? Be yourself and have fun. It's a journey –– enjoy it!

There's no easy, straight and narrow path to entrepreneurial success ––it's filled honing and fighting for your vision, navigating difficult decisions and balancing scaling with maintaining cash flow. In this episode, Rick Stoddard, Director of Venture Engagement at Coplex, sheds light on some of these challenges and obstacles, and what it takes to move past them. As ventures scale, are there common challenges you see them face? With any company that's scaling, one commonality is the need to be financially prepared for the scaling. Certainly, the game changes as companies gain traction and begin to grow. Then it becomes about the types of individuals they need to surround themselves with. It's about constantly looking at not only people, but also the technologies will enable an entrepreneur to take the next big step. What's a quality or skill you think all founders should have? In everything that we do, it boils down to communication. What we say is what we create. It's about being able to relay thoughts in a way that other people really understand - not so much from my point of view, but their point of view so they can easily step into that conversation. That's a challenge for everyone. Communication takes constant practice and being more cognizant of what you're saying, why you're saying it and the reason you're having the conversation. I know you mentor numerous startup founders, what's one piece of advice you would give to these entrepreneurs? Never give up. Have stick-to-itiveness and be resilient. If you strongly believe and you're driven by what you're creating, you can find a way. It's going to be difficult at times and you've got to be willing to go beyond what a lot of people will do. There's nothing wrong with stopping, but if you want to accomplish something big and you're up to creating something different in life, have that willingness to continue on. Speed round: Coffee drinker, yes or no? No. One business tool you're geeking out over right now? New Surface Pro 4. Favorite piece of technology? New Surface Pro 4. What's one book you'd pass along to a fellow entrepreneur? The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. One person you'd like to have dinner with? My mother.

Since 2007, groups of like-minded people from all sorts of backgrounds around the world have come together to participate in a phenomenon called Startup Weekend. These are weekend events that encourage people to pitch ideas and form teams to build a brand new business within a 54-hour weekend. On this episode, we interview Zach Ferres from Coplex (www.coplex.com) who is organizing the upcoming Phoenix Startup Weekend to learn about how everything works and what to expect! Both the Phoenix metro area and Tucson have hosted a number of Startup Weekends over the past few years, with the next one in Phoenix beginning on November 20th, 2015. To sign up for the Phoenix Startup Weekend on Nov. 20th, visit http://www.up.co/communities/usa/phoenix/startup-weekend/6726 Our sponsor for this episode is the City of Peoria! (www.peoriaaz.gov)

Zach sold his first technology company at the age of 24 and now works with corporations to innovate faster at Coplex, a company he co-founded that has turned into one largest Startup Studios in the country. He’s a columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine, has won awards for speaking, and was recognized as one of the Top 33 Student Entrepreneurs in the World by the Kauffman Foundation and Entrepreneurs Organization. In this episode on UNnprofessional: * How the entrepreneur identity has changed * Exploring the definition of success * How the lessons of 2020 will help tech moving forward * Keeping human connection in an online world * Personal boundaries in professional life * Value is more important than features Connect with Zach * Instagram: @zcferres ( https://www.instagram.com/zcferres/ ) * Website: zachferres.com ( https://www.zachferres.com/ ) * LinkedIn: Zach Ferres ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/zcferres/ ) Connect with Hilary * Website: hilarycorna.com ( http://hilarycorna.com/ ) * IG: @hilarycorna ( https://www.instagram.com/hilarycorna/?hl=en ) Subscribe to the UNprofessional blog at www.HilaryCorna.com ( http://www.hilarycorna.com ) This show is produced by Soulfire Productions ( http://soulfireproductionsco.com/ )