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As a founder scaling into the 7+ figure range, your team is your most valuable asset. But here's the truth: most entrepreneurs are overpaying their contractors and underpaying their employees—and it's quietly draining profit and stalling growth.In this episode of Millions Were Made, host Jessica Marx breaks down the hidden compensation pitfalls that nearly every high-growth business faces. Together with Brooke Dumas, they pull back the curtain on real client audits, uncover why so many founders feel “stuck” with expensive 1099s, and share how to finally structure salaries, incentive comp, and team models that actually scale.You'll learn:The #1 mistake founders make when deciding between W-2 and 1099 hiresWhy contractor pay is often wildly inflated—and how to audit your true costsThe three reasons female founders in particular underpay W-2 employeesHow to restructure comp without losing top talent or blowing up marginsThe shift every founder must make to move from chaos to a profitable, scalable org chartIf you're serious about protecting margins, retaining top performers, and creating a team that drives real ROI—this episode is required listening.Resources + Links Mentioned:Listen to episode #53 on profit marginsUpcoming episode on incentive comp – subscribe so you don't miss itFollow us on Instagram @MillionsWereMadeConnect with Jessica on Instagram @TheJessicaMarx
Gary Martoccio is an employment lawyer and solo practitioner who left a large firm after 12 years to build his own plaintiffs-side practice. In this episode, Gary shares what it's like to advocate for employees, run your own firm, and earn multiple state licenses through bar exams and reciprocity. If you're curious about employment law or considering going solo, this episode gives a real-world perspective you won't find in law school.WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A LAW DEGREEGary's journey shows how a law degree can provide both structure and flexibility. Even if your first idea doesn't stick (or your clients don't make it to the big leagues), your training equips you with skills to succeed in high-stakes environments.“Don't just limit yourself to traditional practice… it truly sets you up for so many different avenues," shared Gary Martoccio on Episode 205 of You Are a Lawyer.Today, Gary practices employment law across multiple states thanks to a smart mix of bar exams and reciprocity. He reminds lawyers and law students that options expand when you take strategic risks early on and the earlier you pivot toward work that feels aligned, the better.LISTEN TO LEARNHow to start and grow your own law firm after working in Big LawWhat it really looks like to practice plaintiffs-side employment lawHow to use bar reciprocity and strategy to gain licensure in multiple statesWE ALSO DISCUSSThe emotional and professional payoff of advocating for employeesHow to tell if your law firm (or area of law) is a good long-term fitWhy it's never too late to pivot toward work that energizes youJoin the FREE mailing list!Get behind-the-scenes content from You Are A Lawyer. 1) Visit www.youarealawyer.com2) Add your email address to the Subscribe pop-up box OR3) Enter your email address on the right side of the screen4) Get emails from me (I won't fill your inbox with junk)!Interact with You Are A LawyerKyla Denanyoh hosts the You Are A Lawyer podcast. Follow the podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@youarealawyerWebsite: https://www.youarealawyer.com
Are you showing up at a level that makes you indispensable—or just doing the bare minimum to get by? In this episode, Jaime Filer calls out the mindset and behaviors that keep people stuck in “good” and shows you what it takes to become great—in your career, your business, and your life.Inside, we unpack:Why most people play small (and don't even realize it)The exact difference between good and great employeesHow entrepreneurs can shift from copying to innovatingWhat makes someone truly irreplaceable—and how to become oneThis isn't just about money. It's about leadership, ownership, and showing up in a way that commands value.
In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Michael D'Ambrose, Board Director at SHRM and former EVP & CHRO at Boeing, about why traditional performance management is failing today's workforce. Michael exposes the flaws of annual reviews, rigid rating systems, and outdated HR processes that demotivate employees and prevent real growth. He shares how empowering managers with real-time feedback, flexibility, and practical leadership can transform company culture, drive business results, and create workplaces where people truly thrive.
“Leadership isn't about being above anyone—it's about moving people forward.”In this episode of Business Is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession explores the widespread burnout among managers and the outdated leadership models that are failing today's workforce. With the traditional top-down structure continuing to crumble, Rebecca challenges the notion of control-based management and advocates for a shift toward connection-driven leadership.She unpacks why millennial and Gen Z professionals are rejecting leadership roles, the fundamental flaws in our work systems, and how businesses can embrace the Age of Humanity. From redefining leadership to fostering intrinsic motivation, Rebecca lays out a vision for a healthier, more sustainable workplace where employees thrive rather than just survive.In this episode, you'll learn:Why traditional leadership models are failing managers and employeesHow control-based management leads to burnout and disengagementThe importance of intrinsic motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—in creating impactful workThings to listen for:(00:00) Intro(00:44) The reality of manager burnout(02:53) Why leadership training won't fix a broken system(04:20) The shift from control to connection(09:30) Rethinking leadership in the Age of Humanity(14:29) The importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose(18:20) The power of knowing your worth at workConnect with Rebecca:https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/
Have you ever felt like your true self was hidden behind societal expectations? In this heartwarming episode of the Life Shift podcast, I sit down with Trystan Reese, a transgender man who shares his remarkable journey of self-discovery, love, and family.Trystan takes us through his early years growing up in the conservative Mojave Desert, where he felt like a "certified weirdo" without many role models. Despite the challenges, his Canadian parents gave him the freedom to explore his identity, setting the stage for his future transformation.Embracing authenticity and finding loveHow Trystan's transition in performing arts school shaped his futureThe unexpected joy of finding true love and acceptanceOvercoming insecurities and learning to value oneself in a relationshipBuilding a family against the oddsAdopting children and creating a unique family structureTrystan's groundbreaking experience of giving birth as a transgender manThe importance of sharing stories to create "possibility models" for othersMaking a difference through storytelling and advocacyTrystan's work in political organizing and deep canvassingWriting "How We Do Family" to support LGBTQ+ families and educate othersProviding coaching and support for neurodivergent individuals and federal employeesHow can you embrace your authentic self, even in the face of societal expectations?What "possibility models" have inspired you in your own life?How can sharing your story help create a more inclusive and understanding world?Join us for this inspiring conversation that challenges our perceptions of family, love, and personal growth. Trystan's journey reminds us that by being true to ourselves, we can create a life filled with joy, purpose, and meaningful connections.Trystan Reese is an award-winning author and facilitator dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has nearly two decades of experience in the trans community. His acclaimed book, How We Do Family, was released in 2021, and he co-authored the children's book The Light of You with his partner, Biff Chaplow.A Lambda Literary Fellow, Trystan's storytelling gained attention through a viral performance on The Moth MainStage, featured in the 2024 anthology A Point Of Beauty. He founded Collaborate Consulting to provide training on LGBTQ+ inclusion and has contributed to various mental health and social justice anthologies. Trystan lives in Portland, Oregon, with Biff and their three children: Riley, Sully, and Leo.Learn more at Trystan Reese's website and Collaborate Consulting.https://www.trystanreese.com/ https://collaborate.consulting/Resources: To listen in on more conversations about pivotal moments that changed lives forever, subscribe to "The Life Shift" on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate the show 5 stars and leave a review! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Access ad-free episodes released two days early: https://patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastConnect with me:Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelifeshiftpodcastFacebook: www.facebook.com/thelifeshiftpodcastYouTube:
Hiring the right people can make or break your business, yet so many entrepreneurs rush the process—only to regret it later. In this episode, Monica shares hard-earned lessons from over two decades of hiring experience. From bad hires that created chaos to team members who became family, she reveals what really works when it comes to finding the right people. Learn why slowing down is the key to hiring success, how to ask better interview questions, and the surprising power of referrals.Episode Quote: Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions and a healthy dose of curiosity. ~Richard BransonWhat you will learn in this episode:How to avoid the biggest hiring mistake entrepreneurs makeHow to use behavioral interview questions to find the best candidatesHow to create a hiring process that saves you time and stressHow to use referrals to find reliable employeesHow to listen to your gut when making hiring decisionsFinding the right team members doesn't have to be overwhelming. Tune in to learn how to hire smarter, build a strong team, and set your business up for success! Get the Level Up Living NewsletterJoin me on a Boss Collective Zoom PartyDon't forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with a fellow entrepreneur.
What really motivates people at work? Is it money, recognition, or something deeper? In this episode, Kristen unpacks three of the most influential motivation theories that can transform how you lead your team. Mike adds his real-world perspective as they explore why fear can be a powerful motivator, why a raise alone won't keep your employees engaged long-term, and how trust plays a crucial role in whether your team will go the extra mile. Whether you're struggling with unmotivated team members or want to create a more energized workplace, this conversation offers practical insights that go beyond standard motivational tactics.Highlights:Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it applies to workplace motivationThe surprising truth about salary's limited impact on long-term motivation according to Herzberg's Two Factor TheoryWhy company policies, supervision, and work conditions can prevent dissatisfaction but won't actively motivate employeesHow expectancy theory explains why the same rewards don't motivate everyone equallyMike's perspective on why some generations appear less motivated in traditional workplace settingsThe critical connection between trust and motivation - why employees need to believe promises will be keptPractical leadership strategies for creating a motivating environment that addresses all aspects of employee needsWhy discipline might be more reliable than motivation according to Jocko Willink's philosophyLinks & Resources Mentioned:The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins10X Is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan & Benjamin HardyDiscipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink Get your FREE 5 Day Leadership Reset Challenge guide here: https://llpod.link/challengePodcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.comInstagram: @loveleaderpodFollow us on LinkedIn!Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/ Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com
This week I sat down for a very inspiring chat with Mignon François, the #1 national best-selling author of Made from Scratch: Finding Success Without a Recipe, and founder of a multi-million dollar cupcake empire, The Cupcake Collection. In this episode she shares:Why having a great product and determination got her community to support her visionThe different financial methods she used, like cash stuffing, to reinvest into her business and employeesHow she leveraged $5 and turned it into a legacy with over five million cupcakes sold And much more, you don't want to miss the gems she's dropping!Highlights include:00:00 Intro04:30 Learning to bake from grandma10:53 The struggle to make ends meet15:09 Turning $5 into $60020:27 Humble beginnings32:50 Low margins, high profit from day one37:30 Benefits of profit sharing with employees42:00 Scaling to $10,000 days48:20 Tips for entrepreneurs Check out this episode of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTubeLinks mentioned in this episodeThe Cupcake Collection: https://www.thecupcakecollection.com/Made From Scratch Book: https://www.amazon.com/Made-Scratch-Finding-Success-Without/dp/B0BV7G8F7C Mignon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cte6fHBIlzO/ The Cupcake Collection's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecupcakecollection/ Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rssAnnouncementsJoin our Facebook CommunityIf you're looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebookGuest Social Media InfoMignon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cte6fHBIlzO/ The Cupcake Collection's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecupcakecollection/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
September ecommerce metrics show consumers shopping but the typical bike shop not seeing the results online.Site traffic remains strong at +7%Google search volume for “bike shop” comparable to last yearTotal ecommerce sales +7%Typical dealer ecommerce sales -11% (leading indicator for industry)1,800 fewer click & collect orders than August = less retail trafficPeopleForBikes WebinarNerd CollectiveStock to Sales ratio (retail and supplier)DiscountingThe Pro's Closet will close in OctoberEmployees and clients impacted by Hurricane Helene - buy DeFeet socks3 employeesHow to Thrive this Holiday Season - webinar with NBDA Thursday 11 am MTN Focus on ways to create more selling opportunities this seasonMarketing is a numbers game - the more you get in front of potential shoppers, the more selling opportunities you'll haveDigital marketing + Google Efficiency and effectiveness will be a priorityKeep up with website and POS features new releasesBe sure to email your questions to podcast@workstand.com. We read all emails sent and we look forward to hearing from you.If you're a Workstand client with questions about your subscription, email support@workstand.com or call 303-527-0676 x 1. If you are not currently a Workstand client with questions about how our programs work, email info@workstand.com.Find Us on LinkedInRyan Atkinson, President + Co-OwnerSuzie Livingston, Marketing + CommunicationsMark Still, Business DevelopmentWe also publish Around the Workstand on our YouTube channel if you'd like to watch while you listen. Here is our Around the Workstand playlist.If you have any questions about the topics discussed in this episode of Around the Workstand or if you have ideas for new topics we can cover, schedule a time to meet with Mark Still here or email mark.s@works...
How to Perform Incumbent Research for Federal Government ContractorsWhen it comes to federal government contracting, understanding the incumbent is crucial for potential bidders. Today I'll show you how to do strategic incumbent research during the Capture management phase of your sales process. ✅ In this training, GovCon Chamber president Neil McDonnell explains:What is ‘Incumbent Research' and ‘Incumbent Capture'How to research an incumbent and its employeesHow to find people who can give you insight into the incumbent✅ Join us on LinkedIn to build your network and engaging other in the largest Government Contracting community online. https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/government-contracting-success-6895009566325907456/–––––––––––––––––––––––––
In this week's episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Blake Morgan.Blake is known as the “Queen of CX.” She is a customer experience futurist and one of the top keynote speakers in the world. She's the host of The Modern Customer Podcast and the author of three books, including her latest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: New Rules for Building a Business Around Today's Customer.Blake and I talk about her blueprint for creating customer-focused leaders and how the customer experience mindset applies both on - and off - the job.Here's what we discuss:Why customer experience must start with leadershipWhy the CX mindset needs to be a lifestyleHow to define customer-centricityThe importance of a simple framework for enacting changeHow leaders can instill the CX mindset in their employeesHow leaders can become customer-experience futuristsUsing customer-focused leader skills as a spouse and parentRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Blake's websiteBlake's book: The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: New Rules for Building a Business Around Today's CustomerBlake's podcast: The Modern Customer PodcastBlake on LinkedIn
"Having my CEO say, 'This program is all about you and your success, in whatever form that takes,' was a proud moment for me.”In this episode of Lead with Culture, host Kate Volman is joined by Rebecca Salhab, Sr. Director of Human Resources at KeHE Distributors, to talk about the importance of the Dream Manager program.In their conversation, Rebecca shares her initial skepticism, the challenges faced, and the incredible impact the program has had on her organization. You'll hear stories of employees achieving their dreams, leadership's support, and how prioritizing personal aspirations has boosted engagement and reduced turnover.In this episode, you'll discover:The positive impact of the Dream Manager program on individual employeesHow the Dream Manager program influences company culture and how it is being adapted for broader implementation at KeHeHow Rebecca's initial skepticism about the Dream Manager program transformed into enthusiastic leadership for an employee experience initiative at her companyThings to listen for:[03:24] How the Dream Manager program at KeHe has impacted people[09:26] Encourage team members to embrace personal growth[16:31] Emphasizing company culture and employee development initiatives[22:15] Encourage people to pursue their dreams passionately[29:23] Focusing on dreams and achievements will build confidence[35:08] Prioritizing dreams and reevaluating what's important[39:02] Prioritize and visualize to accomplish your dreamsResources:Floyd CoachingThe Culture AssessmentMatthew Kelly's BooksFloyd Coaching's BlogConnect with the Host & Floyd Coaching:Kate Volman's LinkedinFloyd Coaching on LinkedinFloyd Consulting on FacebookFloyd Consulting on TwitterFloyd Consulting on YouTubeFloyd Consulting on Instagram
Elliott Edge started as a searcher looking or a single business, then pivoted to a roll-up. He's 7 acquisitions in.Topics in Elliot's interview:His philosophy on submitting LOI'sAcquiring a managed service provider amidst CovidHis wife's role in the acquisitionValue of an MBA in acquiring a businessQuickly going remote when Covid hitBuilding trust with employeesHow soon and fast to make changesCreating more value through roll-upsIntegrating new acquisitions into the roll-upHis belief in continuous changeReferences and how to contact Elliot:LinkedInVelonex TechnologiesSmithlist is a new job board for leadership roles at small businesses. If you're not ready to buy a business but want to lead one:Smithlist - Operate & Lead a BusinessWork with an SBA broker who focuses exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Matthias Smith of Pioneer Capital AdvisoryGet a complementary pre-acquisition HR & PEO review for your target business:Contact mark@aspenhr.com or visit Aspen HRConnect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on Twitter
Although compensation seems like it's all about the money, it's not all about the money. Why not? My guest today is a physician compensation expert and explains. Stu Schaff is an expert in physician compensation and physician engagement. For over 15 years, he has worked closely with the leadership of more than 100 healthcare organizations across the United States, like Dignity Health and Trinity Health, to develop truly impactful physician compensation strategies and plans. As a trusted advisor, Stu empowers medical group leaders to break the cycle of constantly having to react to dissatisfied physicians. His proactive approach is thoughtfully tailored to each group he serves, leading to improved recruitment, retention, and engagement. In this episode Carl White and Stu Schaff discuss:The key (and often overlooked) differences between physician-owners and physician-employees and how different compensation models reinforce a different mindset for physician-employeesHow physician owners should be thinking about compensationWhy just implementing a new compensation model doesn't usually solve the underlying problems (it's like putting a band-aid on cancer) Want to be a guest on PracticeCare?Have an experience with a business issue you think others will benefit from? Come on PracticeCare and tell the world! Here's the link where you can get the process started. Connect with Stu Schaffhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/stuschaff/ Connect with Carl WhiteWebsite: http://www.marketvisorygroup.comEmail: whitec@marketvisorygroup.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/marketvisorygroupYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD9BLCu_i2ezBj1ktUHVmigLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/healthcaremktg
The design industry can be exciting to explore, but it's not always easy to break into. If you're looking to shift careers and work in interior design, Shaun and Rebecca have some valuable advice for you. They talk about the skills from your previous job that will add value to your design career, the challenges career-shifters face when switching into the design industry, and share tips that will help you break into the new field.In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss:The challenges of switching careers in interior designTips and strategies for someone transitioning from another career into interior design Transferable skills someone can bring from another career that offers value in interior designChallenges entrepreneurs face when switching industriesThe need for entrepreneurs to set aside their ego to have a successful learning experience when switching industriesChallenges designers face in taking on inexperienced interns or employeesHow can career changers demonstrate value beyond just design skills when pursuing opportunities in interior designThe challenges of transitioning from DIY home projects to working professionally in the design industryWhat designers look for when it comes to hiring and training new employeesWhat does it take to find the right fit when switching to a new industry like interior designOur links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca's Instagram Shaun's InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon Design Resources - Check out our shopMentioned in this episode:Moe's Home CollectionMoe's just released their new Tailored & Timeless Collection. Create an accout at https://moeshomecollection.com/hydc
If you've dreamt of travelling the world while you work and living that #DigitalNomad life, it's time to stop dreaming and start planning, because it's more possible than you might think. For remote WFH employees, freelancers and entrepreneurs, our ability to work from just about anywhere is wildly underused. There's a whole world out there that we can enjoy between meetings, with better views than our kitchen table.So shoot your workcation shot and tune into this updated throwback episode with Gill and Cailyn on all the tips and planning hacks to kill it in your career while travelling to epic places. Prepare for takeoff as we chat about:Why workcations can work for corporate employeesHow to choose your travel destinationsNavigating working in different timezonesBudgeting tips for your time working abroadSetting expectations at work and communicating with managers/clientsThe logistics of planning a trip around your work scheduleHow to make the most of balancing work and travelTravel on a budget with Kindred's members-only house-swapping! Earn free credits with my invite code: GIL.BER1Our show is produced by:Gillian Berner, Host, Producer & EditorOlivia Nashmi, Audio EngineerCarolyn Schissler, Designer & Web ProducerFor advertising and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Frequency Podcast Network. PS: If you've been dreaming of pivoting into podcasting but aren't sure where to start or how to grow, check our consulting services at teachmehowtoadult.ca/howtopodcast. Sign up for our monthly adulting newsletter:teachmehowtoadult.ca/newsletter Follow us on the ‘gram:@teachmehowtoadultmedia@gillian.bernerFollow us on TikTok: @teachmehowtoadult
Firings and layoffs are never an enjoyable part of HR or leadership. But it's important that there's a robust process in place to manage the transition and it's handled with compassion. In this episode of HR Unplugged, our Head of HR, Anita Grantham and HR Business Partner, Vanessa Brulotte, discuss how to manage firings and layoffs in the right way. We discuss the best practices, do's and don'ts, and how to build a process that protects the company and provides the best chance of the employee parting on good terms. We dive into some of the common questions on how to handle a contract termination, who should be in that meeting, when to hold these meetings, and whether you should offer to be a reference for the person in question. Key moments:Dos and don'ts of layoffs and firingsWhy you should have a detailed process in place How to break the news of firing or layoffs to employeesHow to tie your process to your company mission What to do in the event of a crisis How to reassure remaining employees Key links:Subscribe to HR Unplugged Series: https://www.bamboohr.com/resources/podcasts/hr-unplugged/Join HR Heroes Slack Community: https://join.slack.com/t/hrheroesworkspace/shared_invite/zt-21ad3f1r8-dkWC2EdmyhxUAHw9cGLdQwBamboo HR Homepage: https://www.bamboohr.com/
In today's episode, we will explore the intricacies of introversion and extroversion, the power of silence, and how Annalisa mastered the art of creating space for all voices in a conversation. We'll discover:The profound impact of our physical responses to stress and emotions, and learn practical ways to navigate these challenges through mindfulnessHow our current high-pressure work environments demand resilience and adaptability from employeesHow to slow down, become intentional in our communication, and why leaders should cultivate a deeper connection to their bodies to improve decision-making and foster more empathetic workplacesHow somatic coaching not only enhances personal growth but also informs Annalisa's approach to designing diverse and inclusive spaces for learning and developmentAnnalisa Jackson is an ICF certified somatic coach and trauma-informed facilitator with 8 years of experience leading wellbeing and leadership programs for global organizations. As the founder of Collective Flourishing, she helps values-driven teams and leaders manage stress with more ease, lead with clarity and strengthen their connection with one another.Prior to launching Collective Flourishing, Annalisa worked in international peacebuilding where she led trainings on leadership, cross-cultural communication, resilience, and conflict resolution. Annalisa is certified in somatic coaching by the Strozzi Institute, holds a BA in intercultural studies, an MA in inter-religious studies and the Next Economy MBA from Lift Economy. In her free time, Annalisa enjoys making music and trail running where she currently lives in Oakland, CA.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Connect with Annalisa Jackson:LinkedIn
Are you a nurse practitioner feeling lost, uncertain, or unfulfilled in your career? This raw, honest, and needed conversation with Amanda Guarniere, the founder of Resume RX, explores:The career challenges NPs are facingAlternative career paths many NPs are consideringChanging power dynamics between employers and employeesHow to think about career changes and honor YOURSELF in the processWe dive into the growing concerns among NPs regarding stagnant wages, shifting power dynamics between employers and employees, and the desire for personal fulfillment beyond traditional clinical settings.We chat about the rise of entrepreneurship, side hustles, and non-clinical roles that allow NPs to leverage their expertise and pursue their passions.We encourage NPs to challenge societal expectations and professional scripts that may stop them from doing what they love.If you liked this post, also check out:New Nurse Practitioner Survival Guide New NP: Q&A - Is This Normal?Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Roundtable: How Are We Doing After Covid?Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction02:45 - Practical Strategies on Navigating NP Clinical and Job Search03:55 - Are Nurse Practitioners Okay?05:25 - Dissatisfaction and Desperation Among NPs07:55 - How Can ResumeRX and Real World NP Support NPs12:39 - Personal Reflection on the Impact of COVID13:29 - Challenges Faced By Nurse Practitioners17:04 - Evolving Career Landscape for NPs25:29 - NP Burnout28:36 - Self-Judgment and Criticism 34:35 - What's The Next Best ThingRead the blog post here._______________________________© 2023 Real World NP. For educational and informational purposes only, see realworldnp.com/disclaimer for full details. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this week's episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Chris Wallace.Chris is the co-founder and president of InnerView Group - a brand consultancy that helps organizations improve alignment between their frontline teams and their go-to-market strategies.Chris and I chat about how to create a more collaborative relationship with your frontline team and how to get your frontline to care more about your brand.Here's what we discuss:How to move a vision from the C-suite to the frontline teamWhy spoon-feeding the frontline is not a bad thingWhy “asking” is a much better strategy than “telling”How to create evangelists in your frontline employeesHow to put your customer insight into actionWhy influencing your frontline workers is the best way to influence the customerHow your frontline employees double as your customers' best consultantsHow customer and employee experience tie to your company's overall brand and cultureHow to balance digital experiences with the human touch of the frontline RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Chris's websiteA Guide to Frontline Insights - eBookChris on LinkedIn
In this episode, Lesley Sears talks about the implications of research showing that newly promoted employees are more likely to leave your organization—and what you can do to mitigate their flight risk.“When we promote somebody, we're assuming we're building loyalty,” says Sears, CUES' VP/consulting. “We're … really feeding into and developing this person. But statistics have shown us that that's not always the case.“ADP has come out with a research study that shows 29% of the people that were newly promoted left, transitioned out versus 18% that normally would have.”Spoiler alert: Sears says successfully fixing the problem comes down to strengthening your organizational climate.“The culture … is really … the byproduct of how everything in the credit union is working,” she explains. Whatever the challenges are at the credit union will show up in the climate and culture. “So, address the culture,” she asserts, “and thereby you can address a lot of your challenges in the credit union itself.”In the show Sears also discusses:Specific elements of climate/culture that might be leveraged to mitigate the flight risk of newly promoted employeesHow the nine elements of culture are highly intertwinedWhy it's important for credit unions to have the kind of climate/culture that makes newly promoted—and other—employees want to stayWhat results a credit union can get from doing a climate assessmentHow a credit union's climate ultimately impacts its membersHow CUES Consulting's Burn Bright offering can help develop resilent leaders at a credit unionLinks for this show:TranscriptCUES ConsultingPurposeful Talent Development blogs by Sears:A Culture of Learning Builds Resilience5 (of 9) Dimensions of Organizational ClimateFour More Dimensions of Organizational ClimatePodcast: The Nine Dimensions of Climate
142 The New Chiropractic Office CultureAre you having issues with hiring staff and retaining good people in your practice?You may need to look to your office culture for the answer.As many of you know, today's employment market is tough. However, there may be some solutions. By understanding the mindset of today's employees, you can create an office culture that may help you attract and retain top-notch talent.In this episode, Kats Consultants coaches Dr. Michael Perusich and Marisa Mateja, discuss:The generational mindsets about employmentHow to meet the needs of today's employeesHow to create an office culture that may actually attract new potential employees to your businessSimple methods to create a culture that meets the needs of both employees and patientsWhy creating a new office culture may boost your practiceKats Consultants is a team of highly experienced business advisors, practice owners, and Chiropractic coaches who help doctors maximize success. From their perspectives as experienced Chiropractic advisors, Kats Consultants explores different and unique ways to keep Chiropractic Physicians on the cutting edge of Chiropractic practice regardless of technique, location, or economic conditions. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Kats Consultants CHIROPulse Podcast When you are ready we can help. Free Resource: Download 7 Signs Your Practice may be in trouble Let's Chat -30-minute chat about your practice Attend a Virtual Seminar Join the new subscription program Path to Prosper KC CHIROpulse Podcast. Helping Chiropractors keep their pulse on success. Thanks for listening.
"Transparent communication and regular updates are the backbone of project success, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Identifying and tackling roadblocks promptly guarantees timely project delivery."In today's episode of The Shape of Work Podcast, join us for a fascinating tête-à-tête with Sankalp Saxena, Human Resource Business Partner at Amazon. With a career lasting over a decade, Saxena spills the beans on his journey from being a software engineer to a fulfilling HR role. He has worked at various organisations such as Infosys, Bosch, and Samsung Electronics. He did his B.E. from Jaypee University of Information Technology and his MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur.In this episode, Saxena unravels his strategies for fostering unity amidst diversity. He talks about, cultivating a space of psychological safety, using technology for smooth collaboration, and the importance of shared goals and accountability.Episode HighlightsWhat are some fundamental steps to ensure a smooth and successful project launch?How to navigate the complexities of managing diverse teams?Steps to ensure diversity and a sense of belonging for all employeesHow can employees develop in a fast-paced digital landscape?Follow Sankalp on LinkedinProduced by: Priya BhattPodcast Host: Riddhi AgarwalAbout Springworks:Springworks is a fully-distributed HR technology organisation building tools and products to simplify recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, and retention. The product stack from Springworks includes:SpringVerify— B2B verification platformEngageWith— employee recognition and rewards platform that enriches company cultureTrivia — a suite of real-time, fun, and interactive games platforms for remote/hybrid team-buildingSpringRole — verified professional-profile platform backed by blockchain, andSpringRecruit — a forever-free applicant tracking system.Springworks prides itself on being an organisation focused on employee well-being and workplace culture, leading to a 4.8 rating on Glassdoor for the 200+ employee strength company.
Do you ever feel like maybe we leaders take ourselves too seriously? If you find yourself wound up about a missed detail and yelling at one of your employees because if of it, you need to hear from Steve Cody about the importance of humor. He is the CEO and Founder of Peppercomm where humor is a core value of his highly successful and recognized strategic communications firm. He is also co-authoring a book called the ROI of LOL due out this year. In this episode, you will learn:Why it's so important in today's negative environment to inject humor into your corporate cultureHow humour and his skills as a stand-up comedienne has transformed Steve's company and him personally and professionallyWhy it's especially important for leaders to not take themselves too seriously and the impact it has on employeesHow turnover can be reduced by admitting your mistakes and being realistic with your teamMuch more!//WHEN YOU'RE READY, HERE'S HOW WE CAN HELP YOU//TAKE THE FREE 5-MINUTE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ASSESSMENThttps://turningthecornerllc.com/hr/employee-engagement/assessmentDOWNLOAD A FREE SELF-ASSESSMENT:https://turningthecornerllc.com/free-assessment/SCHEDULE A CALL WITH A HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANThttps://turningthecornerllc.com/
If you're a contractor wanting to increase the amount of bonds you can get, don't miss this episode. Stephen shares his top strategies for increasing your bondability on this week's episode. Topics we cover in this episode include:The three things bonding companies care about mostHow to start putting together your bond applicationCompleting the Contractors' QuestionnaireSharing references and key employeesHow to work up to the next level of bondingIndemnity agreements and personal guaranteesThe most common challenges contractors run into when trying to get bondsLINKSVisit the episode page at https://CarpenterCPAs.com/bondability for more details and a transcript of the show.Find all episodes and related links at ContractorSuccessForum.com.Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/CarpenterCPAs FIND US ONLINEWade Carpenter, CPA, CGMA | CarpenterCPAs.comStephen Brown, Bonding Expert | SuretyAnswers.com
We've all had a job that starts off great, where we go into the office feeling excited and ready to prove ourselves. But then, gradually, we become bored, even apathetic to our position within the company. Some might say they become jaded by their peers, bosses and the culture, leaving employees stressed, anxious, depressed, and undervalued.That's why I invited Danielle Boris, author of “The Energy of Weirdos” and host of the Unboxing Humans podcast, on the show to speak with me about how to energize your team. Her company, Sandbox, was started from her own desire to solve problems like low energy and enthusiasm in the workplace, which have an unavoidable effect on employee retention, satisfaction and ultimately company results.In this episode, Danielle shares tips on keeping everyone on your team engaged in their day-to-day work, improving employee retention and performance. She also details how the Sandbox software is solving these types of problems in the workplace.To learn how you can best leverage your team's passions and skills, tune in now!TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:Danielle's experience with corporate leadership and engagementWhat led her to start her own companyThe questions leaders need to start asking their employeesHow her software company, Sandbox, helps employees and leadersDiversity, equity, inclusion, and belongingLearn more about Danielle Boris on her website: https://www.danielleboris.com/Find out how Sandbox can help your organization here: https://www.sandboxtogether.com/Support the Show.
If you're a contractor wanting to increase the amount of bonds you can get, don't miss this episode. Stephen shares his top strategies for increasing your bondability on this week's episode. Topics we cover in this episode include:The three things bonding companies care about mostHow to start putting together your bond applicationCompleting the Contractors' QuestionnaireSharing references and key employeesHow to work up to the next level of bondingIndemnity agreements and personal guaranteesThe most common challenges contractors run into when trying to get bondsLINKSVisit the episode page at https://CarpenterCPAs.com/bondability for more details and a transcript of the show.Find all episodes and related links at ContractorSuccessForum.com.Join the conversation on our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/CarpenterCPAs FIND US ONLINEWade Carpenter, CPA, CGMA | CarpenterCPAs.comStephen Brown, Bonding Expert | SuretyAnswers.com
Summary:Partha Neog is the founder and CEO of Vantage Circle, an employee engagement and employee benefits platform. Partha began his career as an engineer working in telecom, but after the turn of the century he decided that it was time to start something of his own. In 2010, Partha founded Vantage Circle and has since grown it to a company of over 200 employees that operates in over 100 countries. In this episode, Partha talks about the critical role employee engagement plays for a growing company. Chapters:[0:00 - 5:03] IntroductionWelcome, Partha!Today's Topic: Employee Engagement for a Growing Company[5:04 - 9:50] What are the biggest challenges for a company growing from 2 to 200 employees?Changes happen slowly and can creep up on you, raising the question: when is it time to make changes?Flexibility is no longer feasible once a company reaches a larger size[9:51 - 16:00] Partha's lessons learned while growing Vantage CircleIt's critical to have regular, formal communication channelsWhy some companies struggle with attrition and how good communication can be a solution[16:01 - 25:43] Examples of how employee engagement can help a growing company succeedHow employee engagement can foster more passionate employeesHow to establish a culture of passion among employees[25:44 - 27:45] ClosingThanks for listening!Quotes:“When you are a small team, a lot of information is [communicated] through osmosis... but as you keep on growing, it's very important to have a formal communication channel.”“Wellness is a very important part of the value proposition of an organization.”Contact:Partha's LinkedInDavid's LinkedInDwight's LinkedInProduction by Affogato MediaPodcast Manger: Karissa Harris
What does it take to hire the right people, manage them effectively and keep good employees? In this podcast, Neil Mirchandani, founder and CEO of LLL Event Furnishings & Rentals, explores these critical topics. Neil's company manages events and provides furnishings for film sets, music videos, sporting, corporate and other large events. He shares with us how he grew his company and what he does to hire and retain the best employees. Hint: It has to do with setting aside your ego and empowering the team around you … as well as “bonusing” employees in creative ways.So if you want to know:The top three things to look for when hiring employeesHow hard work and patience eventually pay offAbout the importance of knowing when to pivot — before you're forced into making a bad decisionHow, if you want to do something excellent, you have to do something differentWhy it's important to take the next step — even if you don't feel that you'reAbout Neil MirchandaniAfter Neil Mirchandani turned 30, he realized that he needed to do more than DJ at weddings. He wanted to use this experience to expand into a business where he wouldn't be needed personally. Starting with two sofas, he began renting furniture and lighting to his clients and eventually grew his business, LLL Event Furnishings & Rentals, into the number one furnishing provider in the South for film sets, music videos, sporting, corporate and other events. Neil has worked with everyone from Sir Elton John to the NFL on parties after The Big Game. More information about his company is available at https://luxuryloungeatl.com.About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching:https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-258-why-neil-mirchandani-doesnt-want-to-be-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-with-lois-sonstegardphd
What does it take to hire the right people, manage them effectively and keep good employees? In this podcast, Neil Mirchandani, founder and CEO of LLL Event Furnishings & Rentals, explores these critical topics. Neil's company manages events and provides furnishings for film sets, music videos, sporting, corporate and other large events. He shares with us how he grew his company and what he does to hire and retain the best employees. Hint: It has to do with setting aside your ego and empowering the team around you … as well as “bonusing” employees in creative ways.So if you want to know:The top three things to look for when hiring employeesHow hard work and patience eventually pay offAbout the importance of knowing when to pivot — before you're forced into making a bad decisionHow, if you want to do something excellent, you have to do something differentWhy it's important to take the next step — even if you don't feel that you'reAbout Neil MirchandaniAfter Neil Mirchandani turned 30, he realized that he needed to do more than DJ at weddings. He wanted to use this experience to expand into a business where he wouldn't be needed personally. Starting with two sofas, he began renting furniture and lighting to his clients and eventually grew his business, LLL Event Furnishings & Rentals, into the number one furnishing provider in the South for film sets, music videos, sporting, corporate and other events. Neil has worked with everyone from Sir Elton John to the NFL on parties after The Big Game. More information about his company is available at https://luxuryloungeatl.com.About Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching:https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-258-why-neil-mirchandani-doesnt-want-to-be-the-smartest-person-in-the-room-with-lois-sonstegardphd
In this week's episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Adam Toporek, author of Be Your Customer's Hero: Real-World Tips & Techniques for the Service Front Lines.Adam's an internationally-recognized customer experience expert, keynote speaker, and customer service trainer who helps organizations transform their relationships with their customers through better strategy, training, and communication. He's the founder of Customers That Stick®, and the former co-host of the Crack the Customer Code podcast.Some of the topics we discuss include:It doesn't take grand, superhero actions to become your customer's heroThe need for focusing on peak emotions in the customer experienceConsistently focusing on positive “brand deposits” buys you goodwill with your customersThe service “triggers” that can set your customer offGet the biggest return on your customer experience efforts by identifying and removing your customer's biggest hasslesWhy you should regularly assess your policies and procedures and cut the ones that hinder your employeesHow curating and sharing success stories is one of the best ways to train employeesEmpowering your employees can deliver hassle-free experiencesAdam's 3S process for employees to follow when resolving customer issuesRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Adam's siteAdam's book - Be Your Customer's HeroSIMPLE brand episode 38 with Lisa Bodell - we talk about killing stupid rules and policies
I am so honored to have one of my oldest and dearest ride-or-dies, Shawn Campbell, with me on this episode!Shawn is the founder and general manager of CHIRP Radio, an independent volunteer-driven radio station here in Chicago. She's worked in commercial, college, public, and community radio over the course of her career, and I consider her radio's truest believer.Together, we discuss her radio career, and it is one hell of a cool story, folks.Tune in as we also get into:The benefits of hyper-local radio stations for local communitiesThe fun of wandering around an airport with no security on mushrooms (man, those were the days)Sexism in the radio worldThe difference in managing volunteers and employeesHow radio can connect usDon't forget to smash that subscribe button so you never miss an episode, then come hang with us on Instagram & Twitter!Links:Learn more about A Mary Nisi ProductionsFind your next DJ at Toast & JamLaunch your DJ business with the Toast & Jam LabTune in to CHIRP RadioFollow CHIRP on InstagramFollow CHIRP on Facebook
Welcome to Episode 256 of Building My Legacy.Imagine if you could choose company leaders who you know would improve the financial performance of your business. In this podcast, Christopher Skinner talks about what he's discovered about how a company's stock price correlates with leadership behavior. Based on the widely accepted theory of seven different mindsets, he has found a way to analyze word patterns to uncover how people think and arrive at decisions.Christopher founded Stealth Dog Labs to answer one fundamental question: Why do great businesses stay great? His work can help you discover your top performers, innovators and next leaders so you can make better choices for board of director members and your leadership team as well as allocate your resources more effectively.So if you want to know:About a new way to look at hiring, developing and promoting employeesHow, when you acknowledge that people matter, it changes how you do thingsHow mindset is more important than resume for board of director membersWhy it's important to look at the entire ecosystem if you want the right leadership for your organizationAbout Christopher SkinnerChristopher Skinner, the founder and CEO of Stealth Dog Labs, is a mathematician and neuropsychologist. With expertise in technology, sales and marketing, Christopher invented proprietary software that quantifies how people think — thus catapulting companies into hyperdrive. This software focuses on the business ecosystem to provide a psychological paradigm shift in how data are culled from customers, vendors and employees, making it possible to help companies expand much faster and more confidently than ever before. More information on Stealth Dog Labs is available at the company website, www.stealthdog.com. Christopher can be found on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjskinnerAbout Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching:https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-256-christopher-skinner-on-choosing-leaders-to-keep-great-companies-great-with-lois-sonstegardphd
Welcome to Episode 256 of Building My Legacy.Imagine if you could choose company leaders who you know would improve the financial performance of your business. In this podcast, Christopher Skinner talks about what he's discovered about how a company's stock price correlates with leadership behavior. Based on the widely accepted theory of seven different mindsets, he has found a way to analyze word patterns to uncover how people think and arrive at decisions.Christopher founded Stealth Dog Labs to answer one fundamental question: Why do great businesses stay great? His work can help you discover your top performers, innovators and next leaders so you can make better choices for board of director members and your leadership team as well as allocate your resources more effectively.So if you want to know:About a new way to look at hiring, developing and promoting employeesHow, when you acknowledge that people matter, it changes how you do thingsHow mindset is more important than resume for board of director membersWhy it's important to look at the entire ecosystem if you want the right leadership for your organizationAbout Christopher SkinnerChristopher Skinner, the founder and CEO of Stealth Dog Labs, is a mathematician and neuropsychologist. With expertise in technology, sales and marketing, Christopher invented proprietary software that quantifies how people think — thus catapulting companies into hyperdrive. This software focuses on the business ecosystem to provide a psychological paradigm shift in how data are culled from customers, vendors and employees, making it possible to help companies expand much faster and more confidently than ever before. More information on Stealth Dog Labs is available at the company website, www.stealthdog.com. Christopher can be found on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christopherjskinnerAbout Lois Sonstegard, PhDWorking with business leaders for more than 30 years, Lois has learned that successful leaders have a passion to leave a meaningful legacy. Leaders often ask: When does one begin to think about legacy? Is there a “best” approach? Is there a process or steps one should follow?Lois is dedicated not only to developing leaders but to helping them build a meaningful legacy. Learn more about how Lois can help your organization with Leadership Consulting and Executive Coaching:https://build2morrow.com/Thanks for Tuning In!Thanks so much for being with us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Please leave a note in the comments section below!If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends by using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post.Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic episode updates.And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on iTunes. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show, and I make it a point to read every single one of the reviews we get.Please leave a review right now. Thanks for listening!Building My Legacyhttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/building-my-legacy/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-256-christopher-skinner-on-choosing-leaders-to-keep-great-companies-great-with-lois-sonstegardphd
In this week's episode of the SIMPLE brand podcast, I talk with Jeff Toister, author of The Guaranteed Customer Experience: How to Win Customers by Keeping Your Promises!The Guaranteed Customer Experience turns the concept of a guarantee on its head. An experience guarantee goes beyond merely providing a warranty against any product defects or failures. It actually encompasses the entire customer journey to promise an experience that never falls short of expectations.Some of the topics we discuss include:The elements needed to create an experience guaranteeThe common ways that drive brand promises and experience guarantees to breakThe need for ensuring your operations can feasibly deliver on your promise How to define your promise is clear to all employeesHow to know what to promise based on what's relevant to your customersDefining the problems you don't solve is just as important as defining the ones you do solveHow to restore trust from your customer by recovering from a service failureRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:Jeff's book - The Guaranteed Customer Experience: How to win Customers by Keeping Your PromisesJeff's newsletter - Customer Service Tip of the WeekJeff Toister on TwitterJeff Toister on LinkedIn
Bob Andersen has spent over 20 years in the restaurant industry, with experience as a Managing Director at Boston Pizza, the President of MOOYAH, the Executive Vice President of United Franchise Group, and much more. Bob is currently the President of The Great Greek Grill - a delicious, growing brand with over 40 locations.What you'll learn on this episode: Bob's 3 principles for restaurant successWhat to look for in a managerHow to develop employeesHow to use feedback solutions to drive revenueMoreThanks, Bob!
Full post here: https://bit.ly/3lg0TYFEver feel like you're working too hard and wasting time completing the same tasks over and over?Systematizing your business processes is one of the quickest ways to make life easier (and business better).Learn how to build systems and frameworks that work for you by saving time, energy, and effort in this interview with Pete Mohr. You'll understand:How frameworks help businesses provide a consistent experience to every customerHow to use systems to reduce time spent finding, hiring, and training new employeesHow systematizing business processes lets you scale fast (without overwhelming your team)A successful business operates like a well-oiled machine, and reliable systems are the gears that keep things moving smoothly. In this episode, discover the keys to creating systems that help you grow faster, grind less, and make more money.Learn more about taking your business to the next level with Pete here:https://mybusinessreport.com/assessmentChapters:Intro - 0:00Frameworks - 7:30“The 5 P's To Freedom” - 12:40Importance Of The Process - 19:05Loom As A Systems Tool - 22:37Importance Of People - 26:54Can Systems Change People? - 30:42Can Systems Increase Motivation? - 33:25Can Systems Make You More Money? - 37:35Final Thoughts - 41:20
Just 2 days away from Gasparilla Day! Be sure to catch the last two episodes Friday and Saturday.Today, the show stays in hospitality but from a new view. From running a bar as lead bartender, to hopping over the bar and now opening her 3rd restaurant, the learning lessons will be endless. Do you have hopes of opening and managing a successful restaurant. Want to improve your current restaurant? Buckle up for a value-filled show with Allie Dougherty Gasparilla Overload #5. Some areas we will dive that can help all entrepreneurs no matter the industry include:How to scaleHow to manage employeesHow to deal with turnoverHow to prepare for seasonal swings, and so much more.About District Tavern:District Tavern is your classic neighborhood bar, but with an upscale twist. Located in the heart of the Channel District of Downtown Tampa, often referred to as Channelside – just minutes away from Ybor and SOHO. We bring together new American cuisine, craft cocktails, craft beer and top-quality wines.District Tavern is open daily at 11am, with Brunch on Saturday and Sunday.We are located in the SkyHouse Channelside apartment building on the ground floor, with street parking and garage parking directly behind us with hourly rates. We are just steps from the free TECO Line Streetcar System and on the route of The Downtowner free ride service.Just blocks from Water Street Tampa and Sparkman Wharf; Stop in before or after a Lightning Hockey game or any event at Amalie Arena. Within walking distance from Channel Club, The Place, Pierhouse, Grand Central and The Towers, we truly are your neighborhood bar.About District South:District South Kitchen & Craft is a restaurant and bar located in South Tampa, centrally located to St. Petersburg and Downtown Tampa Florida. Our Mission: District South Kitchen & Craft aims to connect our community through great food, libations and service.Welcome back to That Entrepreneur Show, where top performing entrepreneurs stop by each week. This is the podcast where founders of companies and brands share their entrepreneurial journeys, lessons learned, tips for success, and more each Friday since 2019.Email: PodcastsByLanci@Gmail.comWebsiteYouTubeInstagramFacebookTwitterLinkedInFor Digital Editing / Potential Podcast Guests Inquiries, email PodcastsByLanci@Gmail.comAdventure by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenHappy | https://soundcloud.com/morning-kuliIf you enjoyed this week's show, click the subscribe button to stay current.Listen to A Mental Health Break Episodes hereTune into Writing with Authors here
In this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with Samantha Alexander, CEO and co-founder of Bitewell.Samantha shares her passion for helping people make small changes to their diet. She says 35% of medical costs come from nutrition-related conditions, and if people were to cut costs, they would have to seriously revolutionize the way they think about food. Her mission is to work with employers to provide healthy food as an insurance-subsidized benefit to their employees. By encouraging companies to reallocate traditionally unhealthy food spending to health-focused food options, employees can make healthier choices, achieve wellness, and improve workplace performance.Samantha shares how Bitewell's machine learning based algorithm connects people to nearby deliverable meals that match their nutrient profile. She says they have over 50 million meals and products, have partnerships with all major grocery stores and restaurants and a hub where people connect with each other. She adds that managing Bitewell is not easy, that's why she's thankful to her incredible team of experts who made sure everything came together.Key Points from the Episode:Bitewell Mission OverviewBitewell for Consumers and EmployeesHow does Bitewell work?About Samantha AlexanderSamantha Citro Alexander is the co-founder and CEO of Bitewell, the nutritional intelligence company whose mission is to improve the world's health through food. Sam is a pioneer in food as healthcare delivery. After knowing that 35% of medical costs in the United States come from diet-related illnesses, Bitewell's unique food and health marketplace enables employers to deliver health benefits through their existing food budget.Prior to co-founding Bitewell, Sam's career spanned marketing, strategy and operations. His notable roles include Director of Global Brand Strategy and Chief of Staff to Jane Lauder at Clinique (NYC), Director of NA Marketing at Smashbox (LA), and Director of Research Analytics at Bridgewater Associates (CT).Sam earned a BFA in Drama from NYU. She credits much of her success to her leadership style – which fuses active empathy (honed during her acting studies) with radical transparency (adopted from her time at Bridgewater).Sam's interest in the impact of food on health goes back decades. Born into an Italian-American family in New Jersey, the kitchen table was the heart and soul of her childhood. In the late 90s and early 2000s, Sam, his sister, and cousins developed food allergies and intolerances that limited the food they could enjoy. Instead of having a reductionist mindset about food, their grandmother revamped generations-old recipes to meet the (many) dietary needs of their family.With the same care her grandmother applied to helping her family navigate the complicated maze of food ailments, Sam is determined to help the world achieve better health through food.About BitewellBitewell is the first all-in-one nutrition planning and food delivery tool designed by their team of food and nutrition experts. Their platform makes eating smarter by connecting health and nutrition data to food deliverables near you. Their mission is to make healthy eating easy, convenient and accessible to everyone.Links Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out Bitewell's website at https://bitewell.com/Check out Bitewell on LinkedIn at
Happy New Year! If you find yourself having a hard time enjoying your “off time” because you're so used to being on all the time, then this is the episode for you. Key Takeaways:Reading the room is a skillHow holding in your humor can backfire on youHow humor can be used to engage employeesHow to know if you are being too seriousWhat to do when you feel like you lost your funny boneGet to know Heather WalkerWhat is Levity?The origin of Lead with LevityHumor Effect & the benefits of using humor at work.What is Lead with Levity all about?Support the showDid you have any lightbulb moments while listening? Share it with us on Instagram @leadwithlevity or visit our website leadwithlevity.com so we can talk about it!
Alex Freytag is an author, an expert in EOS implementation, and the founder of Profit Works. He's also an all-around great guy whose passion is helping business owners get what they want from their businesses and life. We recently had a discussion on compensation in the workplace and how to earn employees' loyalty.The thing about compensation is that it encompasses much more than just money. It includes retention, attraction, and affordability. In this episode, Alex discusses “we” numbers and financial transparency in the workplace. He also explains the difference between intrinsic motivators and extrinsic ones, and so much more. Be prepared to take notes!In this episode, you will hear:Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivators for employeesHow to change the culture in execution, beginning with the leadership teamWhat are “we” numbers, and why are they importantHow much transparency is appropriateWhy you need to know your industry cold and what it takes to move the needleRelated Links:Profitworksllc.com Purchase Profit Works on AmazonFollow Alex on LinkedInSubscribe and ReviewHave you subscribed to our podcast? We'd love for you to subscribe if you haven't yet. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts . Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review,” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Abe Ruiz is a restaurant veteran with over 30 years in the industry! He's got a lot going on these days, as the owner of the Spanish Madrid Taverna, the VP of Strategic Growth and Innovation for Green Turtle, and several other ventures. On this episode, Abe and Zack discuss: How to to hire and retain employeesHow the need for a distinct dining experience has grownUsing brand touch points off-premiseThe importance of asking customers about their experienceMoreThanks, Abe!
Diligence Capital Investments Deluxe FundLloyd Silver is a marketing agency owner who took to the laundromat industry to forge a new direction. Lloyd found a closed-down laundromat that he ended up buying, retooling, and re-launching. He generously shares how he valued that laundromat, how he came up with his plan to re-launch it, and how it performed after he did. Lloyd also started a laundry pick-up and delivery business from scratch out of that laundromat. He shares the details of how he did that and what his plan is to expand the business into his second location.And he did all of this living an hour and a half from his laundromat. Lloyd is very open and honest about his process and answers many of the questions I get often about buying zombiemats or closed laundromats, starting a pick-up and delivery from scratch, and owning remotely.As if that wasn't enough, we dig deep into his marketing expertise and talk about how laundromat owners can leverage a marketing plan to accelerate their business growth.In today's interview, Lloyd and Jordan discuss:Lloyd's background as a financial analyst and marketing agency ownerHow he found a laundromat to buyHow he valued the closed laundromatHow long it took to reach profitabilityHow he funded the acquisition of the closed laundromatHow he owns the laundromat an hour and a half from his homeHow he onboards new employeesHow he started laundry pick-up and delivery from scratchWhat he's doing differently the second time around on his second laundromatWhat marketing techniques are working for his laundry businessCan you run your own ads or do you need an agency to run them for you?Lloyd's done-with-you marketing BootCamp for laundromat ownersAnd a lot more!Show Noteshttps://laundromatresource.com/show103Show SponsorsAtmosphereTV- 50+ channels of positive, fun TV programming, allowing you to cut your cable bill and create a great atmosphere in your laundromat! Get the registration fee waived by using this link!https://atmosphere.tv/partner/laundromat-resourceResourcesDiligence Capital Investments Deluxe FundLloyd's Marketing Course and BootCampHow to Build Your Own Laundromat Website Course [FREE]Connect with LloydLloyd on FacebookGet ConnectedJoin Laundromat ResourceLaundromat Resource CoachingLaundromat Resource ForumsLaundromat Marketplace- Sell Your Laundromat [free listings]Diligence Capital InvestmentsLaundromat Investor ResourcesLaundromat Resource EventsLaundromat Resource Blog* Some links may be affiliate links in which the channel owner may receive compensation when you make a purchase using those links.
Mark Mohammadpour is the founder and chief well-being officer at Chasing the Sun.Five things you'll learn from this episode:Four lessons of empathy from Ted LassoWhat toxic positivity isHow to implement empathetic practices for employeesHow to implement empathetic practices for clientsHow to change your actions to suit your employees and clients better Quotables“The character Higgins gave Keely this advice: A good mentor hopes you'll move on; a great mentor knows you'll move on.” — @markmoh“As leaders, we know that our good employees are going to move on. How we respond to it is what's most important.” — @markmoh“The way that you are communicating that you're leaving is going to have an impact on not only a direct manager but the rest of the organization.” — @markmoh“It's hard to have empathy when you're tired. Understand where your employees or clients are coming from.” — @JasonMudd9 “It's all about taking care of yourself so you can take care of others, and the way you take care of others is showing love and empathy for them and understanding their situation.” — @JasonMudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with others and leave us a review!About Mark MohammadpourMark Mohammadpour is the founder and chief well-being officer at Chasing the Sun. After spending his public relations career as an executive at several well-known PR industries and losing and keeping off 150 pounds over the last decade, Mark launched Chasing the Sun to empower PR professionals to prioritize their well-being so they can shine in the family room and the board room.Guest's contact info and resources:Mark Mohammadpour on TwitterMark Mohammadpour on LinkedInChasing the SunAdditional Resources:Lessons in empathy from ‘Ted Lasso'Microsoft virtual meeting dataThe Predictive Index personality testAdditional Resources from Axia Public Relations: The value of listening and empathy in PREpisode recorded: May 19, 2022Sponsored by:On Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America's Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.About your host, Jason MuddOn Top of PR host, Jason Mudd, is a trusted adviser and dynamic strategist for some of America's most admired brands and fastest-growing companies. Since 1994, he's worked with American Airlines, Budweiser, Dave & Buster's, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Southern Comfort, and Verizon. He founded Axia Public Relations in July 2002. Forbes named Axia as one of America's Best PR Agencies.Support the show
In this episode of CX Confessions: The Customer Experience Show, hosts Staci Satterwhite, Chief Customer Officer at Khoros, and Spike Jones, General Manager, Strategic Services at Khoros, sit down with Jennifer Anaya, SVP of Global Marketing at Ingram Micro. Jennifer shares why she believes great CX begins with great employee experience (EX), how leaders can encourage their teams to stay motivated, and why taking a holistic approach to CX is so important to a growth strategy. Join us as we discuss:Key element of great employee experience (EX)Strategies for igniting passion among teams and educating employeesHow the role of the CMO has evolved in recent yearsWhy everyone on the team should consider themselves a “Chief Value Officer”Using agile processes to progress towards a greater overall visionItching for more CX goodness? You can find this interview and many more, by subscribing to CX Confessions on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or here.Listening on a desktop & can't see the links? Just search for CX Confessions in your favorite podcast player.This episode of CX Confessions was produced by Quill.
Internet Marketing: Insider Tips and Advice for Online Marketing
In this episode we're joined by Vlad Braganets (Head of Partnerships) & Dmitrii Piskarev (CEO) of Netpeak. Netpeak is a marketing agency and software development company, based out of Ukraine.Vlad and Dmitrii join us to share their lessons and experiences from the last 6 months, since the start of the war on Ukraine.In the episode we discuss:How communication was managed across 300 employees during the first weeks of invasions on UkraineHow they ensure that employees have psychological supportHow they keep communication clear and consistent across employeesHow communication with clients, colleagues and partners has changedThe financial impact the war has had on NetpeakChanges to Netpeak's business modelHow employee self-development has been impactedCONNECT WITH NETPEAK, VLAD OR DMITRII:partners@netpeak.nethttps://netpeak.net/https://netpeaksoftware.com/CONNECT WITH SCOTT:scott.colenutt@sitevisibility.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/scottcolenuttCONNECT WITH SITEVISIBILITY:https://www.sitevisibility.co.uk/https://www.youtube.com/user/SiteVisibilityhttps://twitter.com/sitevisibilityhttps://www.facebook.com/SiteVisibilityhttp://instagram.com/sitevisibilityIf you have feedback, you'd like to be a guest, you'd like to recommend a guest or there are topics you'd us to cover, please send this to marketing@sitevisibility.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Every business owner or entrepreneur needs to understand the impact that ethical behavior has on their brand and their ability to attract and retain customers. In today's episode, J.S. Nelson, a Visiting Associate Prof. at Harvard Business School and the author of Business Ethics: What Everyone Needs to Know, talks about what entrepreneurs should know about ethics, and how our innate moral intuitions can be powerful tools for making ethical decisions. She explains why we need to do a better job of educating people about ethics and the basics of business ethics. Pay close attention to J.S. Nelson's outlook on how to build a company culture that is ethical and supportive. Tune in and dive into how ethical behavior impacts everything from our physical health to our cognitive health and our relationships!Key Highlights:[00:01 - 10:00] Opening SegmentJ.S. Nelson shares her background and workAn overview of what business ethics isWhy ethics is something that has to be managed[10:11 - 21:10] How to Build Ethical CulturesMillennials are sensitive to hypocrisy, and will quickly leave a company if it is not ethicalCompanies often go off the cliff because of self-destructive behaviorThe importance of investing in employees and creating a company culture that is ethical and supportiveYou should provide feedback that is constructive and unbiased to create a positive and safe environment [21:11 - 34:11] Trust the Baseline of What You Have Been Given By The SocietyHow managers should give feedback to employeesHow people can audit themselves to make sure they have figured out what they stand for and what is and isn't okay within their cultureHow cheating is perceived by the vast majority of the population [34:12 - 42:49] We Need Ethical People in OrganizationsThe reason why J.S. Nelson thinks people need to be promoted within organizations in order to be ethicalPeople need to own their work and put their ethics above any other considerationsThe ways working from home environment can have a positive or negative effect on ethics[42:50 - 45:50] Closing SegmentWant to connect with J.S. Nelson? You can follow her on LinkedIn, and Twitter.Start hiring right now with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/network. Offer valid through March 31st, 2022.There's a reason why so many creators use Riverside. Check them out and all the other features they have at Riverside.fm and create an account. Get started today. Click the link here and use Coupon Code BYN for $10 off any subscription. Want to start living a happier life today? As a listener, you'll get 10% off your first month by visiting our sponsor BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/buildyournetworkDid you love the value that we are putting out in the show? LEAVE A REVIEW and tell us what you think about the episode so we can continue putting out great content just for you! Share this episode and help someone who wants to connect with world-class people. Jump on over to travischappell.com/makemypodcast and let my team make you your very own show!If you want to learn how to build YOUR network, check out my website travischappell.com. You can connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Be sure to join The Lounge to become part of the community setting up REAL relationships that add value and create investments.Resources MentionedEthics Unwrapped Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us - Brian KlaasTweetable Quotes: "Business ethics is everyone's problem and everyone's feeling and everyone should own it. “ - J.S. Nelson"Acting on your ethics and being an ethical person is something that resonates for so many people in so many contexts. So this is really worthwhile this is part of the secret sauce of doing business." - J.S. Nelson"Being more creative and thinking about building for the long term and for something that you would be proud of. It's incredibly powerful ." - J.S. NelsonAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Friends, I'm thrilled to deliver our SECOND live 1:1 coaching call! Kate and Britt of Olive Street Events reached out to me to ask questions about team building and business growth since they feel ready to expand their business, focus more on CEO tasks, and delegate some of the day-to-day operations.Many of you also ask similar questions as Kate and Britt asked me about teams, so the timing couldn't have worked out more perfectly than this! Listen in to hear about how they knew it was time to build a team, how to train/onboard new team members, and so much more.LISTEN FOR THESE NUGGETS DURING THE SHOW:Meet Kate and Britt of Olive Streets Events, and get to know their business!How Olive Streets Events changed in one yearLet's talk about roles in a business partnershipHow Brittany and Kaitlin knew they were ready to bring on a teamHere's how to move forward with your next team member (and how to train them for the role)Contractors vs employeesHow to pay your teamOnboarding your teamFinal thoughts about managing a team LINKS MENTIONED:Episode 76: Listen in on a 1:1 Coaching CallGustoOlive Street's InstagramOlive Street's WebsiteFor full show notes and guest links click HERE! Please share your biggest takeaway and review our podcast HERE! Follow me online!!Website Instagram Facebook ----- #FemaleEntrepreneur #weddingproceo #weddingprocoachApply for the Wedding Pro CEO Mastermind HERE!!!
Do you struggle to overcome adversity as you strive for success?You might believe your humble beginnings mean you'll never be able to achieve anything great…You might believe failure in business is too difficult to overcome or that it's an indication that you're just not cut out for entrepreneurship…If you find yourself struggling with those limiting beliefs, this episode is for you!In this episode, I interview Eric Toz and discuss what he has learned through his entrepreneurial journey, taking what some might consider failure and turning it into lessons that have helped to take him from struggling entrepreneur to multi-million-dollar CEO! In this episode, Eric and I cover:How his childhood influenced his determination for success What timeless principles and skills can be applied to your personal and professional interactions Why what seems like a loss can be an opportunity for future successHow to build stronger relationships with customers and employeesHow seemingly insignificant decisions can create massive change in outcomes If you got value from what you heard here, please be sure to subscribe and rate this podcast! Bonus points for you if you write a review! ;) — SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW — Subscribe to Dan's YouTube ChannelSubscribe to Dan's How To Think YouTube ChannelFollow Dan on FacebookFollow Dan on InstagramFollow Dan on Twitter— TRANSCRIPT — Dan Henry (00:00:09):So welcome everyone to the inaugural episode of the, how to think podcast, the show where we break down the inner workings of the human mind and learn how to think like successful people so that we can achieve anything in business or in life by changing the way we think, Eric, how you doing, man?Eric Toz (00:00:30):So good. I'm so happy to be here. Been waiting for a couple months now for this.Dan Henry (00:00:33):So it'd be honest if it were friends. So if it wasn't you, that was here for the first episode, I'd probably be, you know, pretty nervous right now, because last night I did this Instagram story and I was like, I'm gonna research, like all these world-class like podcasters and interviewers and try to try to be a good podcast or in the next two hours.Eric Toz (00:00:55):I think by the end of it will, you'll be doing good. Dan Henry (00:00:58):Yeah. I'll figure it out. I'll figure it out. But I'm glad I'm, I'm glad I have a good friend on to start out.Eric Toz (00:01:02):Take it easy, slow and steady.Dan Henry (00:01:04):I'm not much for intros, but you built $66 million business. You've done about a hundred million in sales, selling customizable jewelry online, and you started it by sleeping. You were sleeping and you were in Brooklyn, sleeping on a mattress. A whole bunch of crazy stuff went down and, and now you're here. And before we get into that, I just, I just want to say, like how, how would your parents describe what you do?Eric Toz (00:01:32):I think they would describe me as somebody who is always willing to burn all of the ships for me, like, you know, I had a pretty tough childhood. I think a lot of entrepreneurs did that provides an initial chip for them. They're off at whatever their circumstance or their parents, or just something bad happened to their health. And so they have this huge chip and for me, like there was never a plan B, like I was, I felt like I was going to be successful no matter what, if it wasn't like this thing that I'm currently doing, it was going to be something else. And so maybe not even about the money so much, but just such a strong desire to be successful in whateverDan Henry (00:02:16):It was. What gave you that chip? Because I know it gave me the chip that I had. I had a bunch of people who I would, I was delivering pizza and I would be like, oh, I'm going to, I'm going to build a business one day and they'd be like, shut up, like the delivery, you know? I mean, what, what was, what gave you that chip on your shoulder?Eric Toz (00:02:32):Well, a big part of it was my family has been very entrepreneurial. Like my grandfather, he actually, he had a factory in Massachusetts, literally called package machinery. This is like your old school factory, literally making like boxes and like packaging and stuff like that. And he, he sold that business. He was pretty successful. And then my dad growing up, we had a power sports business. So we were a family business. We sold jet-skis, we sold, we sold ATVs, like all these toys we had, like each of us three kids had our own everything. And then we had a few bad winters in a row where there was no snow up in New Hampshire where I'm from. And the business ended up going bankrupt. And so bankruptcy, you know, 30 years ago it was a lot different than now. Yeah, it was a true like seven years to repair your credit.Eric Toz (00:03:22):And so, you know, my dad, he went from being this entrepreneur to being like a Knight Security Watchman. Like I literally remember him coming home with like, you know, eggs and breakfast for us all after he was working all night at like a hotel. So I had no idea what was going on at the time. Had no idea what happened, how old were you? I was like five, like five, six, and all three of us. We were me and my brother, sister. We were like three, four or five, something like that. So yeah, that was really difficult. I was the poor kid at school. I was on free lunch. You know, I remember Christmas, like three Christmases in a row. I got like the same thing, which was this little, like a Hot Wheels set. And I'm like, oh, another Hot Wheels again, but we couldn't like afford anything.Eric Toz (00:04:07):So for me you know, going through puberty in high school at that point, I kind of wanted to latch onto something I could feel good about. And for me, it was sports at the time. So I threw myself into that completely. I would train for football, like during the summers, literally till like two, three in the morning, I'd be doing suicides and doing squats and stuff like that. And I had very good influences at the time. Like I had really, really great mentors. I had my football coach. I still can hear him yelling in my ear to this day saying, you know, stop feeling, sorry for yourself, stuff like that. So those were really good motivators at the beginning. And I had been influenced a number of times by some very important people not just in sports, but like later in business too.Dan Henry (00:04:55):So, so let me ask you this when you, cause I've seen, you've taken me to your warehouse in it's within the St. Petersburg city limits. And you, you took me there and it was super impressive. I mean, it's this gigantic it's like, you wouldn't even know it was there. You would not know it was there. You would not know that this building randomly in this industrial part of town is on a hundred million dollars in fricking e-commerce you know, and so you take me there and you've got these machines, let's see if we can get it, maybe Brandon can get a picture of your, of your thing up. And I can hear myself like a delay in, in my headphones a little bit, Brandon, I don't know if you've got the live stream going or not, but there's a picture of, of your, and how many people do you have working there?Eric Toz (00:05:53):Currently, we have 70 full-time employees. Yeah. Seven zero, I think during, during peak Q4, we'll have about 200 in the US and then we have an Amsterdam factoryDan Henry (00:06:05):Setting up now. So, so this right here is your, this is your warehouse. Okay. And I mean, that's, that's pretty big and it's actually bigger than that. That's just one section of it. And then you have another one where you do media, but I remember being in there, it was just like last week and yeah, zoom in a little bit, Brandon, like, look at that, look at all those people. So I want to understand the business model, because as far as I know it, you, you, you know, you have this company called shine on. Yup. And you, and you got to correct me if I'm wrong. Cause we've, we've been pretty stoned sometimes when we were talking about this, actually funny before I get into this funny story we met at this, this mastermind it was founders mastermind in downtown St. Pete. And we you had this you, you had this little segue thing that you were riding around on all, all through St.Dan Henry (00:07:00):Pete, that little, the one wheel, the one wheel. Yeah. And I remember I think you wrote it over to my penthouse here in downtown, and we got stone and just talk business for like three, four hours. It was amazing my condo. And it was a great conversation. And you told me and I definitely want to talk about this. Cause you, you told me about, you know, a lot of people say, oh, read this book and read that book. And you told me about the book, how to win friends and influence people, which I think a lot of people I think a lot of people say, Hey, read this book and people go, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's cool. I'll read that book, but they don't actually read it. And they don't actually put it into practice. And I re I noticed some things when we were, we were talking like, you would be like, oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. And you, you just said certain things. And I'm like, I really like this guy, like what the, what the, what is going on? You know? And I said to you, I was like, why are you so fricking likable? And you told me, you cheater that you read the book, how to win friends and influence people. And you like went hardcore on it. And you just, you, how much does that help you network and get through business and, and, and just in progress in your career.Eric Toz (00:08:12):Yeah. So I think, I think there are certain things you can learn that are timeless, right? There are certain principles that are timeless. And I think to be a good business person in the 1930s, when that book, how to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie was written you know, you couldn't hide behind email, then you couldn't hide behind social media. Like if you, if you wanted to conduct business, you had to like, look people in the eye, you had to shake their hand. You had to like, keep your word. You know, these are like old-school fundamentals. And so I think it actually be really helpful if entrepreneurs more entrepreneurs read that book today because it's really head-slappingly simple. Lee's simple things that he says where you're like, oh my God, I shouldn't have, I should have been doing this my whole, my whole life, like simple stuff. Like the sweetest, the sweetest word to somebody as their first name. So try to use their first name as much as possible because they immediately perk up. Right. You know,Dan Henry (00:09:06):Eric. Yeah. It makes me feel good. It does. And you know, when I read that, but I literally, because when you told me that it, it stuck with me and I've, I've read a little bit of the book, but I actually went out, I bought the book and I read it and I read it all the way through. And then I listened to the whole audiobook all the way through it. And then I downloaded the cheat sheet and I might've had one. I'm not going to lie. It's hard. It is super hard. Like some of this stuff is just hard to remember and hard to implement, and it's sort of like, you have to take. And when you first read it, you really feel like a Dick. At least I did, I read this and I'm like, well, I'm missing a lot of this. Like my first reaction was I must be a total Dick because I'm just reading all these things that we forget on a daily basis, you know, like not interrupting people, using their first names, smiling, you know, just, just, just something as simple as smilingEric Toz (00:09:58):With a pleasant tone. Dan Henry (00:10:01):That's the whole chapter on that, the whole chapter on that. And you dive deep into it. And I think in business and, and not even business, but in life, you, I mean, I'll give you an example. I was downtown. And I ran into somebody who was had actually followed me for some time and bought some of my products and stuff. And he had a friend who's this like high, high level, you know, manages billions of dollars in real estate. And I was just, you know, very nice to them. And I, I mean, anybody could have been any, any one of a thousand ways with their personality. And I was just trying to be very nice. And I noticed that his, his wife was a super, super sweet woman. And I remembered the book where it said, you know, think about what appeals to them, you know, think about w what brings value to them and how to appeal to them.Dan Henry (00:10:50):And I noticed that she wanted to talk about like cooking and making food for people. And that was like really important to her. And so I had a conversation with her about that, and I learned a lot about a lot of food that I didn't know. And then we ended up getting invited to their penthouse, which is actually four penthouses that they bought at the top of I forget which building, but it's, I think it's park shore. And they combined all four penthouses into one mega penthouse. Jesus. Yeah. It was you. And I learned so much about real estate and all that, and that was just, IEric Toz (00:11:23):Think it was from the, you conducted because of the cookingDan Henry (00:11:26):Conversations, because she invited, she invited us over for breakfast. She wanted to cook for us. So, yeah. So like, I mean, we didn't get an invite before that. And then, I mean, or maybe he, he would have invited us anyway, but it doesn't matter. The point is, is that, you know, sometimes I think we, we get wrapped up in all the problems in life. And so we're so focused on those problems and thinking about those problems, that when we go and all these differences in life, our problems are on our mind. And it's not that we're not, not nice people, but we don't take the time to articulate how nice and how genuine we are, because we're just so drowning in our own world of negativity and all the stuff we have to do. And I think that that book just gives it a great reminder to how to bring that to the surface.Eric Toz (00:12:11):Yeah, totally. And there's a whole chapter, literally just on listening. And at the end, he tells a story about how he had like an hour-long conversation with a woman on a couch. And he may be said like five words. And he was just asking questions, maybe like five or six questions. And she was talking the whole time, like, blah, blah, blah. I mean, he was into it. But at, at the end she was like, oh, you're such a good conversationalist. And he was like, I haven't said anything, but he just allowed her to sort of that. And just being there, like just holding space, I think for people can be really beneficial because everybody, especially in our business, our line of business, they just want to talk about what they're doing, like all the time and what they're currently up to.Dan Henry (00:12:58):Right. I, I do notice how did, and how do you think those tactics and that paradigm shift of how to interact with other humans? How do you think that differs between dealing with employees and dealing with just like other entrepreneurs, other, other people in your life that, that you don't pay?Eric Toz (00:13:17):I think the principles are, are the same, right? Like a mentor of mine, he's the co-founder of Zappos. His name is Fred Mossler and he, he treats his vendors the exact same way that he treats his employees and he treats people in the Las Vegas community the same way he treats vendors and, and they'll actually have vendor parties. They'll fly in their vendors once a year and have like a huge mega blowout party and something awesome that he told me was like friends, this concept of friends first. Like literally if you, if you just try to become friends first, all right. You know what they're doing a little bit, maybe not a hundred percent, but just focus on being friends first and really solidifying that. And then the business will come naturally. If, you know, if what they're doing is, is good. But you should be able to kind of know that ahead of time. So you don't have to worry so much about the business. Just kind of relax and see how you connect on different things.Dan Henry (00:14:15):And a lot of people, they try to create opportunities and that that's sort of, I mean, it's cool, but when you're networking and you're trying to make connections, a lot of times you just have to let opportunities come to you. And I think that if you try to create opportunities, you will go into meeting people in a disingenuous way. Cause you always have an agenda going in. I mean, if you meet somebody that is a player, right. Something is at, at some point is going to come of that. Something, at some point you don't know what it is right now, but at someEric Toz (00:14:49):Point and be like an A-player. Yeah. I mean,Dan Henry (00:14:52):I mean, it could be, it could be somebody that becomes an, a player. It could be somebody that's already an a player. It could be somebody that has done something that you respect. It could be a huge person in the industry. It doesn't matter. But the point is is if you try to go into that relationship thinking, what am I going to get out of this from the beginning, it's just going to, it's not going to be genuine. And if you go in and you just become friends and let the opportunity come to you, I think it's a lot better. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:15:16):Yeah. I have a firsthand example of this recently. I think we did a little bit of that also, my friend will, who, you know, who lives downtown here? He's just a really interesting guy. I just like him a lot. He does some cool things in skincare and in like NFTs. Right. And so I knew, I knew when I first started getting to know him, like there immediately there wasn't going to be any way where we do business together. And I was okay with that. Cause I didn't care. I just loved what he was doing on his own stuff. And I just wanted to be friends with them, but you know, over the past week or so, I've had an idea where I was like, holy will, would actually be like the perfect partner on this. And so you can't like expect those things to happen. It's just sort of, you know the way is of the universe sometimes if you have if you established friends first. Yeah,Dan Henry (00:16:05):Absolutely. I, I totally, totally, totally agree. So let me, let me just go back to this mattress that you were sleeping on. And you don't have to go deep on mattress pizza boy. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:16:17):My office is your pizza.Dan Henry (00:16:18):I see, I, you know, I actually I'm a mattress sleeper, every time I move into a new place, doesn't matter what my financial situation is. I always end up sleeping on a mattress for two months. Cause I can't find, I can't pick out what bed I want, you know, but I do like sleeping on a mattress, surrounded by nice walls versus the walls I used to have around, which were crumbling. But you know, let me ask you this. You had some stuff happen, you know, you, you, you took on some venture capital. You don't have, I mean, you can get into as much in this as you want, but you had some, some bad stuff happen and you basically had to sort of start over. Would that beEric Toz (00:17:00):With on yeah. So you know, starting, excuse me one second. Dan Henry (00:17:11):So polite. Is that in the book too?Eric Toz (00:17:15):I'm doing it for the listeners.Dan Henry (00:17:16):That's awesome, man. So, so, so what, what happened? They're like, well, whatever you want do.Eric Toz (00:17:22):Yeah. So I like to say I'm a two-time venture capital refugee. So the, for the first time was when I was at CustomMade.Com. We ended up raising about $25 million. Google was our investor, like all the top Silicon Valley investors. And we were basically you know, we were basically a high-end Etsy average order value, like a thousand bucks. But that it was a great idea. The business, it didn't work. At scale, we were burning a million dollars a month. And so it was just a reallyDan Henry (00:17:56):Burning a million dollars a month, whatever. I mean,Eric Toz (00:17:58):We were losing a million dollars a month just because of our overhead. And when you raise that much money, you're actually encouraged by all of your investors. Like, dude, we gotta, we gotta spend this as fast as possible because they either want it to pop in two to four years or they want you to, they don't want you to be the walking dead indefinitely. They would rather have you die or, or crush it quickly time value of money. But yeah, so I saw, you know, some of the advantages and pitfalls of raising that much money. You know, you lose a lot of control of your company, you have bored. And so when I started Shine On, you know, I didn't have any money either. So when I couldn't even pay myself, really, I actually started it on unemployment, which is honestly, that's the best trick.Eric Toz (00:18:45):If you want to start a company, try to get fired, ask your company, Hey, can you please fire me instead of leaving? Cause then you can get unemployment and you can get it for like nine months. So I was actually like, I went to Germany, I was like doing my unemployment forms from Germany. And the whole time I was taking literally all the money from the unemployment and putting it into shine on at the very beginning. Wow. Then that money ran out. And then I was, I was selling motorcycle rings to motorcycle clubs because I had this jewelry production knowledge. And I was like, how can I sell to a lot of people very quickly? So I made rings for like six or seven motorcycle clubs and that's how I paid my rent after the unemployment money ran out.Dan Henry (00:19:24):Did you have a machine for that or did you see all the machines you have right now, but what did you, what did you have that?Eric Toz (00:19:30):So at that time, so I had a friend who had a massive factory in Thailand in Bangkok. And so the first version of shine on was, you know, we would, us a, a marketer would give us their idea for a piece of jewelry, like a ring or a necklace. We would actually do a 3d render. It looked like an, a photo. It looked realistic. Can you give me an example? Yeah, if you actually just Google scooter ring, like on on Google something I designed it's like, it looks like a Vesper. Okay. So like Vespas scooteringDan Henry (00:20:01):Now. I feel like an idiot, cause I don't know what a VestaEric Toz (00:20:03):Is. Just like a stallion scooter.Dan Henry (00:20:06):Oh, okay. Okay. Actually, do you want, [inaudible] we'll talk about funny scooter story in a few minutes. You reminded me, do you remember what happened to me when I met Maura?Eric Toz (00:20:17):No.Dan Henry (00:20:17):You all, you don't remember that. I'll just tell it real quick. Cause Brandon's going to bring up, Brandon's gonna bring up a picture of this example, but you introduced me to Mara Glazer, who I ended up hiring to do some copywriting for how to think. Oh, okay. Yeah. And I remember I got that segue to go downtown and so I, I Google like how to change, make it go faster. Cause it was only going 15 miles an hour. And I got it to to a different mode where it went 25 miles an hour and right. So, but here's just a crazy thing about how, how, how thoughts can create reality is I'm driving down the road or scooting or whatever. And I think to myself, how bad would this suck if I totally wiped out right now? And five seconds later, I went to scratch my head, which I don't know why I did that. And I went over the top of it, wiped out. My knee was bloody. My hand was all messed up. I was goingEric Toz (00:21:10):25Dan Henry (00:21:11):Fast. Yeah. And I don't even know how I, and so I, I literally like the scooters all bent and I end up scooting down to beach drive and meeting Maura for the first time and right after, and I'm full of blood. And my, my stuff's ripped, like my jeans are ripped up and I sit down and I'm like, instead of saying, hi, how you doing? I'm Dan Henry. I had to explain to her why it looked like I just got to fight.Eric Toz (00:21:34):And she probably liked it like, well, this guy's edgy.Dan Henry (00:21:39):He still showed up, you know? But that just reminded me about how, like when you think of something you can like create the situation to happen. But Brandon, do you have that? Do you have that? There it is. Okay. So, so click on this.Eric Toz (00:21:53):This was the first, the first thing I ever designed for Shine On. So I was the first seller. I was the first, I was the first CS agent website, designer, jewelry designer, marketer. I was packing the jewelry myself like the whole first year. But anyway, what happened was yeah, this is how I kind of got started with it. I would, I would work with a marketer. I would make something custom and then I, they would actually put that on their store that just a render. So there's no inventory. And then we would take all the orders each week and I would put it in an Excel sheet and then I would send it to my friend in Thailand who ran a factory there. He makes all of David Yurmans jewelry. If you've heard of that brand high-quality men's men's jewelry. And so, yeah, that was great.Dan Henry (00:22:39):I'm going to stay silent. So I don't have to admit that I don't know what that is, butEric Toz (00:22:42):There's not a lot of guys do. But yeah, that was the first version of shine on. So I went from this like a motorcycle rings to actually designing some stuff myself. And then what happened was you know, Teespring came out, Teespring is like print on demand t-shirts and it was one of the first things Facebook marketers sold. There, I know a ton of guys who were millionaires a couple of guys, even in this area who made millions selling t-shirts there. And I had this jewelry knowledge. And so I was like, man, I, I love working with these marketers. We could really scale, I could scale this up much more quickly if I started working with Facebook marketers. And so luckily, you know, I had the prior experience from custom made which was, you know, it was still a success. Like it didn't work out, but we still raised a lot of money. We made a lot of noise and there was some trust there just from me being around that environment. And so I raised about a million bucks in venture capital and then immediately after actually hired Teespring's head of sales and Teespring's head of marketing. And that's how the initial Shine On got started. Wow. And they, then they brought all the sellers overDan Henry (00:23:47):Now, did you, I know that you raise capital and then something went wrong, and then did you have to raise capital again?Eric Toz (00:23:55):What happened? Was it wasn't that anything went wrong per se? It's just that we're kept pretty capital intensive business. A million bucks is not that much money if you want to build something large-scale. But what happened was we were it took four to five weeks for these items to be made in Thailand and then sent back to us where we would repackage it and then ship it to the customer. So these items sold super well. And we did over 5,000 various 3d designs and we did about five, 6 million in sales that first year. But what happened was we were getting a lot of chargebacks because of the weight. People didn't want to wait that long. They didn't trust it, even though the quality was super good. But no matter how many did it take, it took like four to five weeks after your purchase. So buyers are, you know, I think their limits around two, three weeks for reordering, they get pissy, they get antsy. So we started getting a lot of chargebacks and because we, we pay the sellers out like next day on their commissions or when it chips we would get these chargebacks after the fact.Dan Henry (00:25:03):So, so Jay, just to get the business model, right, you partner with people who want to sell their own personalized jewelry and you make the jewelry, and you ship. So it's like drop shipping and I believe you also give them the education on how to promote their products and get it out, get it out into the,Eric Toz (00:25:22):Yeah. So fast forward to today. I mean anyway, we, we, there was, we were running out of cash and at one point I said, never again, am I going to not make something myself? Okay. So I was like, I want the, I want to own the entire supply chain. Right, right.Dan Henry (00:25:38):And just so I'm clear, I just want to be sure I'm clear. That was because they were, it took too long. Right.Eric Toz (00:25:42):Just cause it took too long. That was okay. Got it. You literally the only reward to interrupt. And then there's, and then there's another thing about, you know, having more control of your margins, right. Being able to provide better customer service for everybody. But yeah, fast forward to today, I mean, we started in jewelry but we're, you know, we're an on-demand factory that we, we prototype, we develop and we sell ourselves viral gift products. So jewelry, wallets, watches, all personalized. And then what we do is we launched them through what we call an IPO process, initial product offering. So we'll say, Hey sellers, we got this new like wallet. That's personalized. You know, we, we sold like 500 grand in our initial tasks. And then we literally give away the farm. Like, here's exactly how we're doing it. And boom, now it's live in your app and it's free. Just go click, click, click, and you can add it to your store. And now you can sell this product. So we're almost becoming a little product agnostic. We're adding like metal wall art. Like that could go up here. I'll I'll have something for you. Oh,Dan Henry (00:26:44):Oh, okay. Yeah. I can, I could use some more, some more brains around this Personalized man. Yeah, yeah. You might have to, you might have to get me selling some products because I'm going to be honest with you. I'm gonna be honest with you. E-Commerce physical products is super difficult. And I told you this when I was at your, your warehouse, I doEric Toz (00:27:07):Hear like, oh no, I don't know if IDan Henry (00:27:09):Can, I couldn't do it. I could not do it. I mean, I'm looking at all these machines just to break down the thought process here. Right? I'm standing in this warehouse. I know that you guys have hundreds, you know, you've got, you've sold almost a hundred total, almost a hundred million dollars worth of stuff. You have machines that are like, w w what's your most expensive machine?Eric Toz (00:27:30):Ooh. we have we have auto pack machines that are about a quarter-million-dollar.Dan Henry (00:27:36):So $250,000 machines. And in my mind, here's what I'm thinking. What happens when something breaks, you got to call somebody, they got to come out, they got to get a part, and then you got orders. And like all this stuff going on, it's just, I gotta ask you this. How do you deal with the stress of going to bed every night and knowing that at any point, something like that could happen that could massively derail your business. Like, how do you deal with that? And how do you cope with that?Eric Toz (00:28:06):E-Commerce is complex because, you know, not only are you doing the marketing, sometimes you're also doing the training, but you're also if you're doing it right. I mean, you're also doing your own supply chain. You're buying inventory, you're storing it, you're shipping it out. So sometimes what we do because we're moving fast and we actually forget how many potential points of failure there could be, but we'll actually just write out a list. I'm like, you know, what, if, if, if any of these things fail, are we, are we screwed? Like, is this going to ruin the whole thing? And so a lot of times we're like, wow, yeah. If we ran out of X, Y, Z, that would shut down like everything. And so I'm constantly making lists constantly. If there's a new thing, that's a super imperative, making sure there's ownership of it.Dan Henry (00:28:54):But what do you mean by making sureEric Toz (00:28:56):There's ownership that somebody owns that it's like, Hey, if you have one job to do, it's making sure that we never run out of these like 50 different things. You know, we have an inventory manager too. Yeah. a lot of it is automated now. So like all our inventory management's automated their software to do it too. But you had to build, we built, we built our own. Yeah. So we'll kind of get a heads up of something running out, but look, honestly, stuff just happens to like, it's guaranteed, that stuff will happen. Major stuff. Whether it's a flood here or like a hurricane, or like, there's, there's a crazy cargo ship backup right now, like are all around the world. There are like crazy logistics problems. And so the number one thing for your customers is to just be a good communicator with them.Eric Toz (00:29:49):And that's honestly, it's a lot harder said than done. So that's where some of these Dale Carnegie principles come into play, just like thinking about them and their feelings being proactive, saying like, Hey, there's an issue. There's an issue here. You, you probably won't receive this in this time, but then give them some options. Like, I can do this for you. I can do this for you, or I can do this for you and just make them feel like they're the decision-maker next. And usually when you allow them to make decisions on what they want to do with their order, then a lot of the time they're, they're more cooperative and they actually will want to work with you. And sometimes you build stronger bonds with people and with customers when you screw up and then you, you like something detrimental happens. And then yeah, the redemption and you like go through this like thing with them. And they actually like, you have a tighter bond because they're like, then they're like the next time Eric screws up. Like, I know he'll, he'll be in my corner and he'll like, figure it out. So the same thing with employees too.Dan Henry (00:30:51):Do you feel that, cause I don't know if you've ever read the psychology behind likability and being imperfect, like, you know, what a Mary Sue is. So in, in film, Mary Sue is a character that is basically perfect and has no flaws. And so like imagine Superman, but there was no kryptonite. Like he wouldn't be that interesting. You know? And like when, when the star wars movies came out, a lot of people were saying that Ray was like a Mary Sue and that's why people were interested in her. And then so like later in the movies, they reallyEric Toz (00:31:24):Didn't know she had no flaws, she hadDan Henry (00:31:26):No flaws. And so you'll notice it in the second and third movie, they really dived into her like flaws around you know, her parents and things like that. And, and some other things. But, but the concept is that if you have a character in a movie that is perfect and has no flaws, then there's nothing to be interested in. There's nothing to be likable. There's nothing to, to bond with that because you can't relate to somebody. That's perfect. And I think a lot of times people strive to be perfect and they let perfection get in the way of the thing that makes them human. It makes them relate to other humans. And that in, in of itself is having flown.Eric Toz (00:32:03):Yeah, I think you know, we have our seller group on Facebook and so we're always analyzing what's what gets the most engagement and it's, it's usually two things it's posting about success. And then it's posting about like the hard times that you went through or like stories, hard stories, like redemption stories. Like people are so into that because we can all relate. Yeah. We can all relate to that.Dan Henry (00:32:28):Do you feel entrepreneurs have an ex an unrealistic expectation that things won't, that nothing will go wrong, and that if something does go wrong, that means they did something like there they failed or they're a bad person or they were wrong this whole time in their dreams. You know, like I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs really have that expectation going in that everything is going to go right. And they don't know how to mentally deal with it when things go wrong.Eric Toz (00:32:54):Yeah. I think that entrepreneurs understand that things are going to go wrong, but every entrepreneur is different in, in there how much they're willing to deal with. Like a lot of people will throw in the towel on something where somebody else won't. And I have two really good examples from my, from my life about not throwing in the towel. And this is not, I'm not saying I'm right by or right or wrong by throwing in the towel or not throwing in the towel. Right. But I'll give you an example of custom made.com where, you know, we, we raised that, all that money. And then I ended up leaving the CEO ended up leaving, but the sort of the third guy in our gang mentor of mine, Seth Rosen, he said, no, I'm going to stick with it. And so he made a deal with the bank wrote off all of the debt and he just went into this incubation period.Eric Toz (00:33:49):And now custommade.com is like 20 million, $30 million a year business. And he brought it back to life solely because he had a high tolerance for going through that. And he was so obsessed with it that he wanted to continue working on it. And same thing with me, I got to a point where after I burned all this, this seed capital that we raised and at one point I actually had to let go of almost all the company, like 90% of the company had to let go of like 15, 20 people in one day, once 15, 20 people in one day in one day. Yeah. We called it the red wedding. Like fromDan Henry (00:34:28):Game of Thrones, you have to be a game of Thrones nerdEric Toz (00:34:31):Joke, but not in a mean, not in a mean way, but it was just like, no, like, and everybody was like, Eric, give the investors like the rest of the money back. And there was maybe like, like a hundred grand left in the bank account. And I was just like, no, I'm not going to because like, I still have this vision for it. I need more time. And so I literally went from the super high and there's actually, if you Google the entrepreneur's journey, there's a graph of this where there's like this initial excitement. And then there's this period called the trough of sorrow. And then if you keep continuing going through the trough of sorrow, you get to experimentation and pivoting and new ideas. And then eventually you get product-market fit. And then when you get product-market fit, then you can scale.Eric Toz (00:35:21):And so how, how much are you willing to tolerate going through that trough? Because I'm not going to lie. I was, at that point, I cut my salary to like 40 grand a year. And I wouldn't say I was a loser. It's just that I kind of went into like hibernation mode. We're actually had to, my mind was going crazy. And if I didn't turn to meditation to help me calm down and just get refocused, like, all right, how am I going to pull this off? I would tell myself every day, this is going to be a book in a book someday. So yeah, we were down to like 20 grand bank account,Dan Henry (00:35:54):A book someday, dude, that's a roast on that for a second. This is going to be in a book someday. Yeah. That's that is that's deep, man. I mean, if you think about it, like, that's some internal motivation.Eric Toz (00:36:11):Yeah. I mean, I would tell people I'm like, you don't understand like there's no, I'm not going back. There's no plan B like I'm, I'm in this thing, you can't kill me basically. And I don't care if I make $0 for like four years like I'm going to make this work. And so there's, and then I kind of learned that there's always something that you can do. I had another, I hired another mentor who helped me out with some financing and I actually bought the company back from the investors. Cause I believed in it so much. So I was literally taking out like per personally guaranteed loans to buy back the rest of the company. So not only was I going from $0, then I even put myself in debt, like to get the company back because I was like, no, you don't get it.Eric Toz (00:36:56):Like I still see this path forward. I just need time. And so I actually have never raised money again since then. So we went from having 20 grand in the bank account to, we did, we did a hail Mary, we bought one machine and I moved out from Brooklyn to New Jersey and we started tinkering in a 1000 square foot garage with machinery and we built, then we built our first Shopify app in 2017. And we were the first people to do print on demand jewelry. And so then just incrementally building, building, building, building, building, come up with some new products, keep promoting keep doing what you say. You're going to do, build trust with the seller, with your customers. And yeah, now we're doing like 66 million a year in product sales, all bootstrapped. Yeah.Dan Henry (00:37:43):So if you were to like, imagine that on a graph, right. Where how much money did you raise at the, at the height of that?Eric Toz (00:37:50):At the beginning, we raised 1 million and then we ran out of that and we got down to 20 grand and thenDan Henry (00:37:55):Here at 1 million. Right. And imagine the, imagine it's a plane, right. And the plane starts nose-diving and it's heading towards the ground. And it literally goes so close to the ground before it pulls up that hits like 2200 feet off the ground. And it, you know, if you're on the ground, it literally blows your hat off as it scoops up. And then sky rack skyrockets up to, you know, from its original elevation of, of, you know, a million up to 66 million. That's insane. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:38:29):So when I went through the whole range of emotions, like you could possibly imagine like an idea raising money. Oh, other people believe in me, like this feels good. Like everyone thinks I'm smart. I have a great idea. And then reality sets in and just being like a total loser, firing everybody going. I had to learn accounting because I had to fire my accountant. I had to get rid of all the insurances. I'm like, what am I in? What am I protecting here? Something that's like worth nothing. So I was like, it, no insurance, no nothing. And so, but that was like the best lesson I ever learned because I had to learn, I had to learn a little bit about everything in the company, all the operations efficiencies. And so that going through that experience actually is really helpful today when I'm seeing all the pieces from a high level, because I've done all those jobs myself to a certain extent, I know enough about everything.Eric Toz (00:39:23):So I'm very grateful for that experience. But I'm also grateful for capitalism. I'll be honest because it allows you to go through that whole adventure and like that whole journey. And it is you against yourself. You're not really like competing against other people, even though you think you are, it's just like, you have to like, it's you in the mirror. So how can you, how disciplined can you be? Right? Like how disciplined can you be? How can you calm your mind? Can you get over your old? Because a lot of people, they, they bring their old life's experiences into their current business and they'll actually project some times. So if they are very needy, if they're a very needy person, cause you know, someone left them or whatever in the past, then they're just going to be attention-seeking in their business. So these can be, these are bad habits that could kind of take you down. So you really have to quiet your mind and try to get over your old and not project. A lot of people to, you might hire people from outside the company coming in and they're in a position of power and you don't see their bad habits in an interview and you would never know. But then after six months of working there, you're like this person's horrible. Like just like they're projecting because they're in this position of power now,Dan Henry (00:40:41):How did you, did you identify anything about yourself, old baggage that you were starting to bring in to your company and then you, you like identified it, you acknowledge it and you got rid of it. Did you ever go through anything like that?Eric Toz (00:40:59):Hmm.Dan Henry (00:41:04):You couldn't have always been the super nice guy that you are, that you are now. Eric. I refuse to believe that cause it'll make me feel even worse though. I'm just kidding.Eric Toz (00:41:14):Well, I'll be honest. Like when I had to let the whole company go I had somebody that really pushed me into doing that because I was like so nervous to do that. And it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But going through that experience made me a very strong person. Right. I think me probably wouldn't have done it and I would've taken, taken it down, and gone down with the ship with everybody, but I got the sort of push from a friend, and he kind of helped me plan letting go of the whole company. And so yes, like the entrepreneurial journey, it helps you grow as a person too in many, in many, many ways. So I'm very grateful.Dan Henry (00:41:56):Do you think the unwillingness to let somebody go or let people go because it's a good business decision. That was a potential thing that was kind of brought in. That was a detriment. And you had to learn how to get over that was that, would that be one of the things that I guess as you called it earlier I think you call it baggage. Would that be something that you think was baggage that you brought in, that you had to, you had to get over? That was like a major thing?Eric Toz (00:42:22):Oh yeah, for sure. Like I think, you know, Inex inexperienced in younger entrepreneurs, they have trouble doing that. Like letting people go, but then I started seeing things through a different lens with running a business. Now I actually see it as we're working, we're here together. We're working on this project for like a finite amount of time. So instead of thinking about like, there's an owner and there's an employee and they're basically like slaves to the company, like they own you. I don't, I don't think that way. I think, and I'm open with my employees, like, Hey, we're, this is a project we're working on for two to three years. So let's go get committed to this thing and let's go crush it and let's see what happens. Right. And then, you know, provide the right incentive for them to, for us to crush it together. So having that sort of, we're working on a project mindset, it's helpful in letting people go because everything is finite and I'm not even going to be there in five, 10 years either. And I tell people that this is a project, so we're not going to be doing this forever. It's not like we're married. So, you know,Dan Henry (00:43:34):Okay. Like Michael Jordan was not always going to play in the Chicago bulls, but while he was there. Yeah. And while his teammates were there, they did the best, they could to win as many championships as they could. But ultimately that entity, that, that concept, that project will live on. Right. Is that how you view it? Yeah.Eric Toz (00:43:54):Actually so the term I use is let's go out and like get this Superbowl ring if we can, if we can go. And that might be we go public or we get acquired or something that experience that all the employees had. They can look at the Subaru warring and be like, yeah, I was part of that. I did that. And then what they can do is parlay that experience and go off and do their own thing and their com and their next company. And then maybe I'll even invest in it or there'll be able to get investment because people are like, wow, they worked at shine on. So that's what I'm trying to do with this whole Shannon thing is employees. If they can get a Superbowl ring sellers, there's a lot of sellers started with selling our product and e-commerce, and now I know two dozen guys that I'm friends with who started selling our product, and now they're doing $10 million a year on their store selling something else. But, you know, we all got, we all got wins like early out of it and that's, what's important is getting wins together.Dan Henry (00:44:49):So if I was going to read between the lines here, I would say that one of the biggest things to keep in mind with everything that you said is before all this, you have to really get clear on what, why you're doing it, where, where you want to end, because, you know, if you were, I'm just giving an example, right? Like Tony Robbins, Tony Robinson's, Tony Robbins, you know what I mean? That's his brand is his name. So, you know, the whole, like maybe the concept of I'll be here, you know, for a temporary amount of time. And then eventually I'll be gone. Maybe that still applies to his company. I'm sure he has an exit or I'm sure he has a death strategy, you know, cause nobody lives for other, I'm sure he's not just going to die in his company. That's it. I'm sure he's going to live. He's going to somehow has a plan of action in there. But you know, I think if you were to say, well, my goal is to exit or my goal is to build something great. Or my goal is to change the world. Or my goal is to, to, to do this. I mean, would you say that you have to get super, super clear on what that is before you can start, as you said, going after the Superbowl rings because you got to know what game you're playing.Eric Toz (00:46:01):Yeah. 100%, a hundred percent like people ask me, how is my vision change? I'm like, no, my vision has literally been the same thing for five years ago. Like where we're at now is where I thought we could eventually be. And so I need to keep going, but wouldDan Henry (00:46:17):You articulate that vision?Eric Toz (00:46:20):So five years ago I said I wanted to be the Teespring of jewelry. So I was just looking at that model and I want to build something just as big as them. And they're at the time they were doing a hundred million a year in sales. And so you're almost there. Yeah. Now we're getting, we're getting close to there. I actually, in two weeks we'll hit a hundred million in sales all time. So yeah, like if you don't have that, if you don't have that vision and you're not committed to it, if you go through hard, like, like I went through, if I didn't have that that level of commitment, then I would have totally thrown in the towel. It might be different though, if you're, if you're making good cash, if you're cash flowing and then suddenly it starts hitting bumps. I could see getting out then because you've made all this cash already. But for me it was kind of like instill like most of my personal like all my assets, like most of my wealth is actually in the business. So I'm thinking like longterm and it's, it's definitely risky. It's, it's a huge risk. And that's my personalityDan Henry (00:47:28):Condo that that's being built right now. Saltaire in downtown. It's a littleEric Toz (00:47:34):Sexy start my podcast there.Dan Henry (00:47:38):You got to invite me over, man. That place looks, looks like it's going to be sick. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:47:42):I think we're going to do some events there, some mastermindsDan Henry (00:47:45):And it's going to be awesome. Let me ask you a question. And I know that you're not your company is a little bit different than say mine where I'm a little bit more like the face of it kind of thing. And you're you're, I mean, you are, but like e-comm, it's about the products and all that and, and you know, so I'm sure a lot of people, as somebody who built this, they have a way they view you probably a lot of different ways. They view you. What would you say is something that people misunderstand about you?Eric Toz (00:48:19):Hmm. That's a good question. Misunderstand. Well,Eric Toz (00:48:34):You know, even when I throw these figures out, like a hundred million, 66 million I try to not make it about me. I try to say, we sold this together. Right? Like we did this together. And so I, people might see me as, I dunno being selfish because maybe on my Instagram, I promote like all this personal stuff. But at the end of the day, like I want, I want everybody to win. Like I truly do. And one thing is if you make other people money, they'll always invest in you and your next thing, they hit,Dan Henry (00:49:14):They stay with you on the ride. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, look at, look how a lot of these funds have been built. Like you got guys that they run a certain type of business. They make people money and then they start like a real estate fund or a, or this, and then they're investing in that so that, you know, that's totally makes sense. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:49:31):Yeah. If you were, if I was your client and you know, I made a lot of money from your trainings right. Or teachings, and then you were like, you said to me, Hey, I'm going to go start this other thing. Do you want to invest in it? I'm like, hell yeah, you made me so much money, dude. Like literally here's like, you know, here's a million bucks or whatever investment, like no brainer. I, I trust you. You made me money here. Let's do it again.Dan Henry (00:49:56):No, I think people underestimate the value of creating a great product. I think there's a lot of people out there that do it for a cash grab and they do it for clout and they do it for a lot of the wrong reasons. And they don't really care or not. It's not that they care, but they don't put the effort into making a great product because at the end of the day, a great product will, you know, it will transcend a lot of mistakes, you know? And that's the thing that you're going to make mistakes you're going. And you know, when it comes to a lot of people in life, not just entrepreneurs, but a lot of people in life, they lack confidence. And I always say that you cannot build confidence. Does anybody tells you, you can build confidence full of. You build competence.Dan Henry (00:50:40):And as a by-product of that competence, you are granted confidence. Let me ask you this. I like that. Oh, thank you. I appreciate that. I, you know, I want to resist the urge to ask you a classic question. Like what, if you could go back to your 18 year old self and tell them something, what would you tell them? But what I'd like to ask is, you know, how did you in the ups and downs, it's easy to feel confident, have faith and stay the course when things are up. But when things are down, that's where people break and they fall off. What did you do specifically in your brain, in your mind that helped you get through those dips and maintain the course and maintain the faith and keep the confidence. Even when things look bleak, especially when that plane was right, the bottom, you know, 20 grand left in the bank or whatever other challenges you've had. How did you maintain, what did you tell yourself every day to maintain that level of dedication? Mm,Eric Toz (00:51:53):Well, I think, I think that you have to take the pressure off yourself. And so I'm in the process of writing this book. It's going to be called the entrepreneur survival guide, 20 things you can do when you're totally AFT, oh God, I loveDan Henry (00:52:12):That title. I really, oh, that's a great titleEric Toz (00:52:16):Too. So it's kind of like, imagine like how you would equip yourself for the zombie apocalypse. It's like that before, like business for business, I've been through like 20 of these things already. And at some point though, like once you're like, I'm doing this, no matter what you, at some point you have to take the pressure off of yourself in the day to day. So you have to say, all right, like, look, man, I still have to sleep eight hours and I can work like a maximum of 16 hours. And so, you know, you just have to be as efficient with your time, because if you literally do everything like perfect. And when you have no money left in the bank, you have to like, watch literally everything. Like watch every dollar spent every, every hour you have to be doing the right things. I remember literally going to like open certain tabs in Chrome and I'm like, no, like you can't do that. Right. I didn't know what the are you doing? Like, stay focused here. We don't have time for this right now. ItDan Henry (00:53:14):Was, it, was it porn hub you were trying to open or it was just likeEric Toz (00:53:18):It could be anything like ESPN. It could be like news, you know, I've been in, I've been addicted to news before. And so newsDan Henry (00:53:26):Sports. So, so have you ever got addicted to looking at things that you didn't have yet? Houses, cars?Eric Toz (00:53:34):Ooh, that's a good question. Like fantasizing about cars and stuff.Dan Henry (00:53:41):Yeah. Like, like imagine you're sitting there and you're working and you're like, if I just work hard enough, I'll be able to buy X or Y or Z. So then you go and you look up that car, you look at the features, you look at the you know, you look at how much it costs. I mean, I'll be honest. One thing I used to do is I used to put real estate up that I liked and I'd say, okay, this is called a vision board, like a vision board. And I would leave the tab up on my computer and every like two hours or so I would just flip over and I'd look at the house. And I remember I did that with I don't think I knew you then, but when I had that 8,000 square foot house on the water in Gulf port, I was looking at, yeah, I sold it and I bought the penthouse because I just living on the water, man.Dan Henry (00:54:21):It's like, dude, there's always a contractor at your house every single day or something. Well, no, just fixing stuff because the salt water blows with the Florida winds, they blow against the house and I'm in you're right on the water. So stuff, Russ, I had to replace my outdoor fans. Like every three months we would just go get completely rusted, no matter what you did. And just all kinds of crazy stuff that doc, you know, just so much stuff. And I just didn't want, I wanted to focus on all my business and I wanted, I wanted to stop leaving my phone around. And then not finding it for six hours because it was on the, you know, it was on the third floor and this and that. So when I bought the penthouse downtown, I just liked it a lot. It was actually more expensive than the house I owned, but it was smaller and it was just, I don't know, I liked the lifestyle more, but what I did was I would, I would put up a house that was very, very similar to that house.Dan Henry (00:55:18):And I would leave it up in my tabs and every two or three hours, I would just take a break and I would look at it and I'd be like, all right, I got to get to this much money. You know, obviously after taxes that dah, dah, dah. And so I would look and I'd say, okay, I need to sell this many units of my consulting or whatever. And I would, I would basically make that sort of like my, because you know, goals are weird, you know, like what are goals? You know, people have goals, but goals change. I just knew that I wanted to have a really nice house and I wanted to invite my family over and I wanted my family to experience being in a nice place. Cause they didn't really get, get to do that. And so I would leave it up. Yeah.Eric Toz (00:55:57):So my opinion on it is are you familiar with lead and lag measures?Dan Henry (00:56:03):No. I would love you toEric Toz (00:56:04):Explain it to me. Lead and lag measures would be like, so lag measure would be how much revenue your company didn't last month. Okay. But that's lead measures are more activity-based so here are the things I'm measuring each day for things I can control. Cause you can't, you literally can't control somebody else buying your stuff. I mean, you can't take their hand and force them to click and put type in their credit card. But I think you'd get arrested it's to me it sounds fun. It's like, oh, open daddy's wallet,Dan Henry (00:56:36):Dude. We should film. You should film an ad where you like break into somebody's house and make them buy a little customized pendant under their heads that would not get approved.Eric Toz (00:56:46):Yeah. So if you think about lead and lag measures, like a lag measure would be revenue. You can't literally control somebody opening their wallet and buying them. They still have to do that on their own, but something you can control every day is I'm going to go live two times today, I'm going to set 40 appointments. I'm going to try to close X amount of sales. So these are the things that you can control. Like I've always looked at houses and cars and stuff as like a lag measure. It's like I would rather set a goal of like doing X, Y, Z for the things I can control, because if I do everything I can control, most likely I'm going to get, get those other, those, those prizes. So my goal would be like only the things I can control, which would be maybe orders made or on whatever metric, because then my taste might also change. I might also want to drive a car or something later on.Dan Henry (00:57:38):Could I present to you a different way to think about it and maybe mate, this how to think, bro. Yeah. It's how to think. Right. And, and, and get your perspective on it. W so I have this crazy concept that I've really started to delve into recently the idea of not having goals now, before I that's hyper bowl right now. Right? So a lot of people like that, but let's, let's, let's dive into it. So if you have a goal, like, let's say you want to go to the gym. Okay. And you want to get Jack. And the only reason you're going to the gym is because you want to get checked. So you go to the gym and when you get there, you realize you're kind of fat and out of shape, you don't have abs, but you look around the gym and you see all these people with abs big muscles and you say, well, they're jacked and I'm not jacked.Dan Henry (00:58:18):That's why I'm here. So now I feel out of place, I feel like I don't belong. And it gives you this sense of automatically right off the bat, you feel unaccomplished, you feel less, you feel like you don't belong, right? Because you're setting this expectation that there's the reason you're there is for a goal. When instead, if you simply fall in love with the process, you fall in love with working out. You just, it doesn't matter what you look like. You love working out. You're going there because you love working out. And you love that process. It's sorta like when you Jitsu, right? If I like, I love jujitsu, I love it. I don't go to jujitsu class and say, I'm only going, because I want to win worlds. Or I want to win ATDC or I want to be a black belt. I go because I love it. And I noticed that when you love a process and you don't necessarily have a goal, you end up getting, so you end up getting rapidly good at that thing. And you blow past any goals that you could have achieved, or you could have made for yourself by falling in love with the process. I'd love to know your take on that.Eric Toz (00:59:21):So I think, I think more people should set goals around how they want to feel. Right. Because ultimately isn't it all about having a feeling of happiness. So it's like, I envision, I envision a world where I wake up everyday and I feel this way. Right? It's like, that's not something that's tangible. That's a feeling, but it's also inarguable, right? Like if you feel a certain way, there's no metric that can dictate whether that's a success or not, because it's about how you feel. So I think people should focus more on that because they can literally get to that goal, like a lot faster than any other like metric based.Dan Henry (00:59:59):Well, what do you think creates happiness? Do you think happiness is created by feeling like you've made progress, feeling like you've. So I heard a Jordan Peterson talks about this. He was saying that a lot of times we feel happy because we solve problems. Cause if you think about it, right, what is the human mind? It's the computer. What is it? So forget the human mind for a second. W what, what does a computer do? What does it really do on a fundamental level? It solves it crunches numbers, and it solves problems. One after the other that's its purpose. And then one day the motherboard goes out and the computer stops working and it stops solving problems. And it dies. The human brain is basically a computer. And it, I mean, you know what I'm saying? Like, like, like what happens if everything was perfect in your life? You'd almost go crazy.Eric Toz (01:00:43):Well, actually we see this with super rich people and celebrities. They're like super depressed because the mind, even when, even when you saw everything, the mind will look for new things to solve. So it might actually drag you down. It might actually cause chaos in your life so that you can solve them. Like a lot of people, they bring themselves down from from success because their mind is just needs a new problem to create and solve. Oh yeah. I can feel that. And that's another thing. There's this amazing book called the big leap by gay Hendricks. And basically it's like you know, success for a lot of people is foreign and the, their subconscious it's almost scary to be successful because their subconscious is not used to that. So they would rather, almost subconsciously self-sabotage to bring themselves down to what they're used to.Eric Toz (01:01:38):So I've seen it with a lot of people and alcoholics too that runs in my family. Like people will get a certain taste of success and then there'll