Podcasts about retired executives

In this episode of The Daily Windup, wee dive deep into the significance of business planning and the value of leveraging free resources for small businesses. Emphasizing the importance of writing a business plan as a starting point to organize thoughts, articulate ideas, and seek validation for a concept. Highlighting the benefits of proof-testing the plan, identifying potential gaps, and gaining external feedback to refine the business strategy. Our guest also shares their personal experience with utilizing resources like SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and taking advantage of free courses, classes, and mentorship programs offered by organizations like SCORE and the Small Business Administration (SBA). Emphasizing the value of seeking guidance from experienced mentors and participating in programs that align with their industry or market. Furthermore, we talk about the need for small businesses to explore various free resources available to them and take full advantage of the support and knowledge-sharing opportunities they provide. Tune in now to learn more!

Some people build businesses on big ideas—others on big hearts. Sometimes, the best business plan is just knowing how to help people. Music might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to helping people, but for Vanessa Lomas, it’s her love language…or maybe help language. Vanessa is the owner of TheraCare Music Therapy. Ninety percent of TheraCare’s clients are autistic, have down syndrome or cerebral palsy. The idea behind music therapy is that it can help people express or cope with their feelings. That can be a powerful mode of connection, for instance, for people with autism. Vanessa is a military kid who’s lived all over the place. She landed in Lafayette in 2014 and has made it her mission to support people like her brother, who is autistic and nonverbal. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music therapy from William Carey University and a master’s in music and music therapy from Florida State University. She is a Board-Certified Music Therapist and also specializes in neonatal music therapy. Vanessa is also involved with CYT and volunteers at her church’s children’s ministry. Roy Hebert knows a thing or two about business. He’s been in banking, finance, and the oilfield, and now he’s giving that knowledge away for free. Roy is a mentor with SCORE, a nationwide organization that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. A Kaplan native, Roy attended UL for both his undergraduate degree and MBA. His career spans decades in the financial sector, including roles in commercial banking, corporate finance, and consulting. Roy is an adjunct professor at SLCC, and that’s where he discovered SCORE, a program of the U.S. Small Business Administration. SCORE, an acronym for Service Core of Retired Executives is a free service that connects experienced business leaders with burgeoning entrepreneurs. Roy says his clients come from all walks of life and range in sector and scale. They could be starting a landscaping business or getting an oilfield service company off the ground. Out to Lunch Acadiana was recorded live over lunch at Tsunami Sushi in downtown Lafayette. You can find photos from this show at itsacadiana.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

the Service Corps of Retired Executives donates time to entrepreneurs.

SCOREService Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE is an organizationdedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground.Whether you need help evaluating a new business idea or plan,stimulating business growth, or developing long-term stability - SCORETampa can help at little to no cost. Our goals are your goals. Let'sset & meet them together with training opportunities, free workshops,and online resources!Our volunteers are successful real-world business professionals whovolunteer thousands of hours to help existing and startup businessessucceed. Our volunteers are experts with experience in areas such as;accounting, finance, human resources, consulting, import/export, law,operations, production, retail, wholesale, manufacturing, sales,marketing, management, business plan preparation, strategic planning,and many other business disciplines.We provide:Volunteer MENTORS who share their expertise across many industriesFree, confidential business mentoring in person, via email, or by videoFree business TOOLS, templates, and tips here onlineInexpensive or free business WORKSHOPS (locally) and webinars (online 24/7)https://www.score.org/tampa

Bruce Marks, an expert in mergers and acquisitions lending, is a well-respected figure in the industry with over 35 years of experience in SBA lending. He specializes in deals with enterprise values between $3 - $8 million, and also has closed over 1,200 SBA deals as of the airing of this episode. Based at First Bank of the Lake, a community bank in Osage Beach, Missouri, Bruce has made his mark as a National LPL Lender. Over the last 9 years, he has provided over $325 million in SBA 7(a) loans to middle-market M&A deals. Through his years of experience, Bruce has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in financing M&A transactions, making him an ideal resource for those looking to acquire a business. His background in both small business consulting and investment management has given him a well-rounded perspective on the needs and challenges of businesses seeking financing. LENDER PARTICIPATION LOANS & THE SBA As a refresher, and for those who may not know, LPL lender stands for "Lender Participation Loan" lender. It refers to a lender that participates in a loan provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support small business growth and expansion. The Small Business Association (SBA) provides a guarantee on a portion of the loan, reducing the risk for the lender, and enabling small businesses to access financing they may not otherwise be able to obtain through traditional lending channels. LPL lenders are authorized to make and service SBA-guaranteed loans, and they play an important role in supporting small businesses and promoting economic development. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a government agency that provides support and assistance to small businesses in the United States. The SBA offers various programs, including loan guarantees and working capital, to help small businesses grow and succeed. Despite criticisms and differing political views, the SBA is widely recognized as a successful program that has launched many entrepreneurial journeys and funded numerous businesses over the past 70 years. THE SBA & UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES The SBA caters to many different financing needs of small businesses. Bruce and I agree that the SBA is a great organization that provides opportunities for small businesses that otherwise would not exist. It is the entrepreneurial spirit and passion of small business owners that make the SBA such a success. While Bruce deals specifically in 7(a) loans, the SBA has many other programs for small businesses, including but not limited to: SBA 504 Loan program USDA Program Small Advantage Capital Program Working Capital Express The most unique aspect of the SBA is its access to a range of resources for small business owners, such as business development centers in major universities, and SCORE (Senior co-Councils of Retired Executives), which provides mentorship, business plan building, and support in various aspects of running a business. LENDING & HOW THE SBA WORKS When it comes to lending specifically, the SBA operates through a network of banks with different lending policies, and the approval process depends on the level of certification that the bank holds with the SBA. There are three levels of certification through the SBA: Preferred Lender Program (PLP) Certified Lender Program (CLP) General Processing (GP) It's crucial, however, to understand that SBA loans are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and each bank may have specific lending preferences; therefore, it's wise to find the right institution that caters to your financing needs. As a specialist in SBA lending, Bruce emphasizes the importance of being a specialist in one area, choosing to be the best in that area, rather than a jack of all trades and trying to be everything to everyone. THE THREE Gs OF A GOOD DEAL Investing in a business is a big decision, one that requires careful consideration of numerous factors. While it's important to understand the financials, the product or service offered, and the market trends, one of the most crucial elements to consider is the people involved. Bruce operates in lending a little differently compared to traditional banks. He is not interested in the last three years' numbers, but rather the people behind the business. He refers to this as The Three Gs of a Good Deal: [lending to a] Good Person [who is buying a] Good business [and has] Good cash flow If all of these boxes are ticked, Bruce is in. For instance, with tech startups, investors know that businesses will pivot multiple times before finding the model that will work. The business is not set in stone, and what's important to Bruce is the people behind the idea, and the ability to execute it. Deal-structuring is an important aspect of business acquisition and can impact the success of the transaction. It is important to consider factors such as de-risking the business, choosing the right investors, and being responsive to ensure the success of a deal FOR MORE ON BRUCE MARKS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-marks-mba-cmaa-7938b67/ www.fblake.bank Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. If you want to find out how deal-ready you are, take the Deal-Ready Assessment today!

SCORE used to stand for the Social Core of Retired Executives. It is a nonprofit based in the US, with volunteer workers, and it is partially funded by the SBA, banks, and other people. It consists of people who have business knowledge and want to help people who are just getting started in business, without charging any fees.Score mentorship gets funding from the Small Business Administration, grants, and sponsorships from banks or other businesses. Apart from the Score website,  Score mentorship also has individual, state, and regional-level websites, as well as a presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They hold an online workshop for free twice a week. In the UK, there is a system where people can be on benefits such that when starting a business, they can apply for a grant to get funding for their business idea, however, the person must meet certain conditions. Before starting a business, you need to be in the right mindset. Score mentorship often gives people homework to see how prepared they are for the business. Some of these include competition research, market studies, getting a business name, creating a business plan, and others. There is no pressing need to quit your job when starting a business; keep in mind that you may need the funds for unforeseen issues outside your business plans. There's also nothing wrong with not wanting to start a business; the most important thing is being happy with whichever choice you make. If you have dyslexia or any other disability or learning disability,  try not to think of it as a disability; it's only a disability if you let it be one. Neurodiverse people need to talk more about their diversity so that more people can know about it and relate to it. People with learning differences need to realize that there's nothing wrong with them and in many cases, they are much smarter than most people.Resources Mentioned●      Visit the score website to get a mentor●      Join a free workshop at www.merrimackvalley.score.org●      Starting a business on universal credit Support the showJoin, support, and access exclusive episodes now.Sarah is offering a six-week coaching program for neurodivergent and neurotypical professionals who want to improve their career prospects, business development and support with the PRINCE2 practitioner exam. A one-hour free session. ● Connect with Sarah via email (hello@divineenigma.org), YouTube (@divineenigma338) Instagram (@divineenigma) ● Join Sarah's waitlist● Join Sarah's 6-week coaching: https://divineenigma.org/product/6-week-coaching-plan/ NeuroEnigma Membership if you'd like to support this independent podcast, click for free ebook Producer & Host: Sarah Music: “She Royalty” by Amaro & “Whistle” by Lukas Got Lucky

“Fun translates into good performance.” The four things every marketer should know before starting their career: Find a skill (channel) that is the most fun to do. Then specialize. Specialization brings money. Specialization solves hard problems that matter. You take this even further by also specializing in a specific industry (e.g. I specialize in marketing for fintech and insurance orgs at the moment). Understand the business you're marketing. Do your best to think like the CEO. Find an excuse to meet other experts. Personal branding is the easiest way to grow your network of mentors. Create a swipe file. This is not a new or novel suggestion, just one that works. There's a reason other marketing experts do this! Key moments from marketing experts: Mark Stouse, Episode #93 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/mark-stouse-defining-a-recession-proof-career-things-to-know-as-a-new-cmo-ep-93/ Steve Toth, Episode #99 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/steve-toth-understanding-in-seo-can-lead-to-exponential-growth-ep-99/ Jacob Warwick #91 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/jacob-warwick-how-your-career-narrative-can-help-you-become-a-vp-ep-91/ Maya Grossman, Episode #84 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/maya-grossman-the-career-advice-you-need-if-you-want-to-be-a-marketing-leader-ep-84/ Sara Pion, Episode #86 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/sara-pion-navigating-the-startup-world-as-a-new-marketer-ep-86/ Lea Pica, Episode #81 - https://kennysoto.com/podcast/lea-pica-using-data-storytelling-to-spur-action-ep-81/ My “swipe file” of favorite marketing newsletters: Nik Sharma's DTC newsletter - https://www.nik.co/subscribe Why We Buy - https://customercamp.co/newsletter/ Dave Gerhardt's B2B Marketing Advice - https://dgmg.davegerhardt.com/email The Marketing Brew - morningbrew.com/marketing//r/?kid=9f1e7657 Stacked Marketer - https://www.stackedmarketer.com/friend-recommended/?utm_source=sparkloop&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sm_daily&rh_ref=2b82a0e9 SEO-specific newsletters I use for work include: WTF is SEO? - https://wtfseo.substack.com SEONoteBook - https://seonotebook.com Jeremy Moser's newsletter -https://www.jermoser.com Other marketing podcasts to subscribe to: Exit Five - https://open.spotify.com/show/0OJJbQlcUlHiLSvNZoJTYf Marketing School - https://open.spotify.com/show/1NulSGKhstJuty8iYPBMo5 Marketing Against The Grain - https://open.spotify.com/show/3bMqKPfI45OmTK5hENtIOk *Quick editing note: I got the acronym for SCORE incorrect! It's actually the Service Corps of Retired Executives. I ended up clipping that audio out of this episode. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Chuck and Mary Ann Cox became clients of Derek Myron, Managing Director of Centura Wealth Advisory (Centura), in 2004. After 18 years of wealth management and financial planning, Derek continues to serve Chuck today (unfortunately, Mary Ann passed away in 2018). In this episode, Derek Myron interviews Chuck Cox, a retired executive, about his client … Continue reading Centura Client Experience from Retired Executives Point of View (Ep. 64) →

Comments, Suggestions on Topics or Questions You'd Like Me to Address on the Podcast? Leave a Voice Message Here ______________________ Who doesn't want to retire happy? There's no magic formula. You have to determine what the key ingredients are for you. But there are clues that can help you discern what will lead to happiness and satisfaction in your retirement life. And one thing often leads to another. For Carol Colburn, a big one has been travel, and that's led to new pursuits in writing and photography. She shares her insights on a longer list of the keys to a happy retirement. Listen in. It just might unlock your ability to retire happy in your own way. Carol joins us from Arizona. _______________________ Bio  Carolina Esguerra Colborn had a distinguished career in Philippine business before migrating to the US in 2004. She was former President/CEO of BayanTrade, e-procurement hub of the Philippines; Managing Director of SAP Philippines; Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue; General Manager of MegaLink, the ATM transaction switch of banks, and Vice-President of the Development Academy of the Philippines, the government consulting arm. She also worked for Andersen Consulting, IBM and NCR. Twice a recipient of the Most Powerful Women in IT Award, she represented the private sector in the National Information Technology Council. Carolina settled in Seattle, Washington where her eldest daughter lived. While babysitting a grandson, she also taught as adjunct professor in business at Seattle Central Community College, Central Washington University, and Renton Technical College. She even volunteered at SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, as a small business counselor and lecturer on marketing. In 2007, she met Bill Colborn and married him a year later. Soon he sold his business, and they embarked on a five-year cruise of North America in an RV. She not only soaked up great American sights in forty-nine American states, nine Canadian provinces, and six Mexican states, but also became deeply immersed in American culture and history. Within the cozy confines of a 350-sq. ft. motorhome, life lessons came as fast as scenes changed. In 2015 this epic journey was chronicled in her travel book Carolina: Cruising to an American Dream. This year she released a handy booklet, Cruising in an RV. the basics you need to know, for those looking to start RVing. This will soon be followed by her second travel book, Cruising Past Seventy. It's Not Only about Outer Journeys. It's Also about Inner Ones. She continues to maintain a travel blog, Cruising Past 70, several posts of which also have been republished elsewhere. She also writes bimonthly for travelawaits.com, an online travel magazine. Bill and Carolina now use Phoenix, Arizona as a base for their travels within and outside the US. From there, she has traveled to thirty-eight countries. She holds a BS in Mathematics, MBA, and DPA abd from the University of the Philippines. _________________________ For More on Carol Colburn Cruising Past Seventy: It's Not Only about Outer Journeys. It's Also about Inner Ones Expert Contributor Articles on TravelAwaits.com Blog  Website _________________________ Podcast Episodes You May Like Retire Happy – Dr. Catherine Sanderson The Power of Fun – Catherine Price With the Freedom to Retire, Where Will You Plant Your New Tree? – Don Ezra Cooking Up a Storm in Retirement – Chef Dennis Littley __________________________ How to Win Your Own Retirement Game  Thank you for making Win the Retirement Game a #1 Amazon Bestseller (in a few categories). Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Bookshop.org Here's what readers are saying: "A wonderful guide for the soon to be or recently retired..." "Definitely the best book I've read on the non-financial aspects of retirement." "The storytelling format makes it fun to read,

Aubrey Serfling and Lori Long have worked with Centura Wealth Advisory (Centura) as clients for over eight years now. Despite being retired executives today, they continue to work on their charitable endeavors. In this episode, Derek Myron interviews Aubrey and Lori about their client experience at Centura. They share insights into their wealth management journey … Continue reading Centura Client Experience from Retired Executives Point of View (Ep. 60) →

Host Tricia Pritchard sits down with Russ Hearn to discuss how a group of  business mentors are helping people start or grow their businesses.Get FREE Advice from Business Experts | SCORE

  Chris McCann is a tech business and thought leader specializing in helping successful people and companies remember who they are and align their life with their purpose. After many years of professional striving at the expense of personal development, he awakened to the need to cultivate an inner life. Chris charted a new course prioritizing professional achievement led by personal meaning by studying the world's great spiritual texts, training with prominent spiritual leaders, and developing the tools required to navigate life and find real purpose. Today, he manages several ventures that help others find their meaning and purpose, including coaching clients one-on-one, building Scale-Up sales teams, providing corporate consulting on conscious leadership, and facilitating retreats. Connect with Chris: https://chrismccann.co/ Unknown Speaker 0:00 Your journey has been an interesting one up to hear you've questioned so much more than those around you. You've even questioned yourself as to how you could have grown into these thoughts. Am I crazy? When did I begin to think differently? Why do people in general, here's so limited, Brandon Handley 0:12 spiritual dope, I'm on here today with Chris McCann. He is a tech business and thought leader, especially especially thought leader, specializing and helping successful people and companies remember who they are and align their life with their purpose. After many years of professional striving at the expense of personal development, he awakened to the need to cultivate an inner life. Chris chartered a new course prioritizing Professional Achievement led by personal meaning by studying the world's great spiritual texts, training with prominent spiritual leaders and developing the tools required to navigate life and find real purpose. Today, he manages several ventures that help others find their meaning and purpose, including coaching clients, one on one, building skill up sales teams, providing corporate consulting, conscious leadership and facilitating retreats. Sorry, because I got tripped up there a little bit. We're saying. So I'll tell you right now, I took me a second to remember, Chris and I were going back and forth before it's got started, how we got connected. And I wanted to connect with you because because I'm in I'm in the same space, as you as matter of fact. So I'm in the technology space have been now for about over 12 years now. Right? And, and what you're talking about really resonates with me, you know, how do we find purpose and like this? This daily grind, right? How do we wake up every day and be like, what I'm doing today is helping somebody somewhere, and is aligned with me spiritually, somehow, right? Like, shit, man, how do we make that happen? Right. So that's, and I was like, I was like, Yeah, let's have this conversation. I think that'd be cool. So that's happy to have you on here today, Chris. I usually like to start these off the whole idea that you and I are, what are we? What are we we are conduits for spiritual, universal energy. Chris, whatever's coming through us today is going to somebody on the other end of this listening in, and there's a message that can only be delivered through you to that person. What's that message today, Chris? Chris McCann 2:18 Shut up and get out of your own way. You know, there's, it's really interesting, and thanks for having me on. It's a real pleasure, I love just talking shop and, and connecting with folks. So there's, I'll put a big, fat asterisk on the end of that, which implies that I could be wrong about all of this. So if, if I, if I ever tell you that I've got it all figured out, and emails, come over to my house and just, you know, walk me off into the nearest plot of land. It's, you know, it's interesting to think about organizations and our role in it. And you and I were talking about this a little bit ahead of hitting the record button. And I'm really fortunate to work for a technology company that has a great product. Like we literally get people promoted when they adopt our platform. And you know, and go into production with it. It's it's a content management platform. And, you know, various sales roles that I've had throughout my career, whether I've been doing technology recruiting, whether I've been pushing stocks and bonds or working in bond us for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter way back when trying to borrow the car from my parents, you know, and everything in my life has been a sales job in one way, shape, or form or another. And to have some form of meaning attached to what we do on a daily basis, if we don't own our own enterprise is absolutely critical. When I think of how we can make an impact, right, and it's different when you're working for a small startup, as opposed to working for a fortune 50 or fortune 100 company where you can literally become, you know, you know, badge number 13,743 That happens. And, you know, how do we then ascribe meaning, or find meaning in what we're doing on a daily basis, because, particularly with the pandemic, Brandon, you know, the the concept of work life balance, which in my mind has always been a fallacy, but those lines are blurred even further, when all of a sudden for those of us that are married or in relationship or have children or even grandchildren, we all of a sudden found ourselves surrounded by co workers that were anywhere from 12 inches high to you know, our grandparents. And so those lines became very blurred and how do you then go from an office or you know, commuting into working from home and you're a able to perform this sort of integration. And so a lot of the work that I've been able to do with people, whether it's my team internally at my company, or working with other organizations or individuals has been distilling the mission, right, and whether it's a mission statement on a 10k for an organization, or it's something that the founders come up with, and then looking for adjectives that you know, a shared interest or a common ground between myself as an employee, and the broader organization. And it's a lot less about, you know, I want to be this when I grow up, but what are the adjectives that really energize us as people? And what can I do more of that at least leave me in a place where I don't feel completely depleted, but I feel replenished. And that's been a really interesting exercise for myself and the folks that work with me and the folks that I've worked for, as well as my private clients. Brandon Handley 6:02 That's awesome. I mean, I want to bring them up to one thing, yeah, it's great. I read a little bit of backstory, right. So you started off and you didn't start off like in like, you know, some of these fortune 500 companies, you start off as in, you know, a family owned Bread Company, which I think is really cool, too, right. And so you grew up kind of work and doing the daily grind, and you propelled yourself and you work, you kept working, right? You just kept this like really strong work ethic, and has a lot of success in the Fortune 500. And I think that, you know, look, if you grind yourself out, especially with youthful energy, right? As a youth, you can make a lot of things happen. He made a lot of things happen. And then at a certain point, you know, you ran into some of these things that you're talking about, right? This work life balance and kind of looking for it and realizing a it's kind of a fallacy, and then I'm gonna fast forward into the fact that hey, work life balance in the pandemic sucks, man, that was awful. Still kind of awful, right? It's still kind of going on. I talked about it at home right now I work from home, and I've got my two children. They were home with us for the first year. And even now, it's kind of like, it's, it's like, I feel approachable sometimes. Because, yeah, I'm over here at my desk anytime on my desk, like my wife's, like, you know, don't go in and bother dad, he's working, but like, I'm like, I'd rather they come in and bother me, then. You know, whatever's on the phone. Chances are? I mean, I'm not saving lives today with what I'm doing. Like, I'm not like, like, I'm not in the middle of surgery. Right. And I think that I think that, I think that a lot of people, as you probably saw during the pandemic, they realized, you know, where they had the opportunity to rejigger their their their stuff, right? Like, how do we, you know, what, what's what is important to me? Right? So I guess it'd be really curious to see kind of what you saw, like, in the past couple years, and where, where people are at, right? And distilling this mission and working towards becoming more replenished. I'm trying to think of the Strength Finders, there was a standout 2.0 is Marcus Buckingham Yeah, yeah, that's what you reminded me of, and thinking of that, as a great series, right? In that kind of what you're doing and having people focus more on their strengths, where they can go and leverage their strengths. And at the end of the day, they actually feel replenished, because they gave to the company versus something was extracted from them? Chris McCann 8:25 Yeah, that's a great question. You know, so I had this conversation. Two weeks ago, when I was interviewing a candidate, and in the high tech space for an organization to all of a sudden shut their doors in this market means that something went very, very wrong very, very fast. And so I found myself and my first trade show in two and a half years in Las Vegas as a shop talk for that that was in and out, but the day before fast as an organization existed, two days later, after receiving 100 million plus in funding, they shut the door. And so a lot of really talented people found themselves out on the street, you know, overnight. And, you know, there's one gentleman that I interviewed that I really would love to hire, however, the role that we have opened isn't the right role for him and so we spend a lot of time talking about this. And what I love about marquee Marcus Buckingham programs and particularly with standout is that weaknesses are weaknesses for a reason. Right? And just because you have no interest in them, or you want to ignore them and being able to minimize them, but when I found myself ran into my we'll call it mid 30s. So I was two children that were teenagers at that point, and you're struggling to pay bills and trying to figure out life just wasn't working for me. Right and Nevermind the love affair that I was I had with vodka at the time to in every realize as I was approaching 40, that I had to do something different. And so I pulled this is when Seinfeld was a very relevance, you know, television program. So I pulled the Costanza and I decided to do the exact opposite of everything I had been doing to get better results. And it sounds like you've also participated in a lot of programs around self discovery. So it's anything from birds Meyer to stand out to the Enneagram, etc, right? Anything. Brandon Handley 10:34 I'm looking for who I am, right, like, I'm like, I haven't figured it out. I need like, 70 Fucking books to figure it out. I'm like, I don't even know man. Like, because real similar to you, right? You know, got it, you get up to a certain point. And you're like, man, I've been working really hard. What have I even been doing with myself? And who am I like I've been doing everything people told me I should be doing. And for some reason, I'm still kind of stagnant and I'm still unfulfilled. Yeah. Chris McCann 11:01 So hell, I was 23 or 22. And I house mortgage, I never finished college check. I barely started and I spent more time doing my radio show, and I did anything else. And I did all the things that I thought I was supposed to. And that's just how I was raised to your point. I mean, being the the child of two generations removed from a gentleman who came over from Poland to start a bakery. If nothing else, I knew how to work hard. But like the movie Christmas vacation when Clark is out there in his front yard, and he's you know, getting ready to display the lights in front of his in laws. And he gets out there in he's like Joy to the world. And goes to connect those connectors and nothing happens. The mother in law scoffs Audrey, his daughter looks at him or looks at the mother in law and says, you know, you've worked really hard on that. And the grandfather says, so did washing machines, and I don't want to be a washing machine. I'm gonna work smart. And so, you know, in this in this mid 30s, like, turn about because you'll hear oftentimes in these programs or reading books, like whatever you did when you're eight years old, is how you should spend your time today. But fuck, like is collecting baseball cards gonna put my kids through college is me sitting in the basement sketching or drawing or, you know, writing poetry or whatever, is that going to move the needle for my family? And like, no, so I started to really focus on the adjectives. So I love to create if I wanted to play volleyball, but in the middle of Michigan, there weren't any volleyball teams in the winter for men or boys. So I started our own volleyball team and intramural sports coaching, leading coaching my my brothers and sisters teams, writing and I loved advanced analytics. I was, it was like crunching numbers on the back of baseball cards, and I was a kid that's like, well, these are the things that I would do in my basement, when I get into that flow state where I lose track of time. If I can at least look for these adjectives and the role that I'm in today, right, where I feel empowered and on purpose, and is that I'm part of something that's bigger than myself. Maybe that'll work. Right? And it did. Right? And you know, today and it's it's funny how when we get out of our own way, and we do things that come naturally to us, or that we have a proclivity for where life isn't as hard, there's not as much resistance, you don't have to fight it, and you can be in the flow. Brandon Handley 13:37 Right. Chris, real quick, do you mind? For somebody that might not be familiar with flow state? Right? I know that you and I, we've been like, we're so deep in it, right? Like you would like flow. I know exactly what you're saying. But somebody's missing, even though I've shared it on every podcast, probably as well. But this could be the first one that they ever listened to. So flow state, what does that mean to you? And you know, that that Chris McCann 14:01 flow state for me is when I just lose track of the concept that we call time when I'm doing something that just feels right, and feel is the operative word there, right? Where and you've had perhaps meditations or perhaps you've done some sort of plant medicine where you begin to at least have a reference point as time being a construct as opposed to something that actually exists. And if there's one thing that the listener that your audience has done in their lives where time slowed down, that feeling becomes a reference points and you can start to lean into an explore more of what's available to you. Where you feel in the zone, you know, it's in perhaps it's because you're playing softball on the softball all of a sudden looks like a watermelon and you couldn't not hit it. These moments are few and far between but they're provided to us to help us Remember, our true nature? And we are on purpose? Brandon Handley 15:06 Yeah, man, I love that. And you're using these words like, you know, empowered on purpose. Other words like integration? Are these some of the words that you're bringing into the companies to get people to kind of charge? And again, would you say here kind of feel more replenished? This is the stuff that you have in there. Chris McCann 15:26 It is. And you know, a lot of it is really intuitive. Brendon? You know, I don't, I've been on the receiving end, there have been a victim of a lot of motivational speeches in my professional career, right? What I want to know is, what's the one or two things that I can take away and actually implement or use in my daily life? Right, I don't need a guy coming in from a van down by the river rolling into our office or going into our high school auditorium, telling me about the perils of alcohol, or anything like that. I want something tangible, and something that I can use. And it's one thing for someone to tell you or for someone to tell me what the answer is, but anything that's sticky, anything that creates lasting change in my life, has been because I've had a realization, then perhaps someone shed a light on it, someone illuminated for me, but until I can experience it and make it my own, it's not going to stick. So I like to think that whether it's me as a sales leader with my 12 direct reports, or it's me working with organizations, I like to think that I can help them find their own answers, you know, there's really three layers to that, and whether it's, you know, at home with my family or at work or working with, you know, individuals, somebody can come to you, you know, and as a as a frontline manager, and you and your coaching, right, and this applies to the work that you do, and the work that I do, where you're you're basically saying, Okay, here's the play that we're going to run, right. And there's the teaching aspect as well and where you're teaching them the fundamentals of how to be coached. So I'm going to teach you how to do a crossover dribble to use a sports analogy, but this is part of a broader plan. And it's that's the, the coaching the teaching aspect. But when the rubber hits the road, and we're lasting change begins, is when people will come to you for advice. The flip side of that is then being vulnerable enough on my side as a man and as a human who has a lot more questions than I do answers. And being open to receiving advice. You know, one of the things that you had mentioned around, you know, this journey of being a baker, although to where I am today, my father in law, and I sat down last week, and we were back in the Midwest for spring break. And, you know, he's said to be my goodness, 78. Self Made, put himself through Harvard, hardscrabble, Ohio guy, you know, he still drives what, uh, Billy Corrigan's Ferraris around, you know, he's just a really interesting guy. And we're having dinner and he looked at me across the table and was like, you know, Chris, can I can I offer something to you? And I don't want you to take it out of context. Absolutely. He's like, you're a Put me in coach sort of guy. He was like, Okay, tell me more. He's like, you're Put me in coach guy, like, just put me in and I'm going to figure it out. He's like, look at what you've done just in the, you know, 12 years since I've known you. And he's like, but that's not a bad thing. Chris, he's like, I'm the same way. He's like, You Put me in coach, I'm gonna figure it out. And I'm gonna do it right, I'm gonna do it well, how do you know what's not happening around you? Or what is happening around you? And it's like, well, tell me more. He's like, Well, how do you know, because like, you have a lot riding on content stack, you have a lot invested, you have a lot of options that are on the table, and there's no guarantee that those options are going to be worth anything, you know, when you're fully vested in 14 months. So my question to you, Chris, is, how are you going to make yourself more aware of what's going on around you? And I had to sleep on it. So the next morning, I woke up and I was like, I got it. Like, I have my own internal board of directors, Brandon, and I have a nutritionist. A fantastic general practitioner. I had a strength and conditioning coach when I was competing. I have spiritual teachers. I have everything except for this business camp. And I'm in I'm in a frontier here. I've never been part of a post Series B organization with tall direct reports. It's working its way toward an IPO. I don't have have access to the Board of Directors weren't sitting in on meetings any longer. So I'm actively searching for a mentor who has done this and then where I've been. Now. This is me as a 49 year old man. If it were five years ago, that would I've been open to that sort of advice, would I have been vulnerable, vulnerable enough or willing to listen to someone as opposed to being a puppy and coach, certainly guy. Like, I wanted to be able to turn to Him and receive that sort of guidance and advice, and kind of hack my own professional development. Like, why would I not listen to someone who's a septuagenarian and pull up is absolutely critical. And that's really part of listening and feeling it and I'm very grateful that he was able to share that with anyone out there wants to be my mentor, I'll take it. Brandon Handley 20:57 Well, you know, it's funny, you bring it up, right, like, so. I wrote down, I always do this, right. So there's a, I don't know if it's, I think it's national. But so it's called the service corps of Retired Executives. Right. My grandfather was a member of that. And, you know, this is a group of people, you know, retired executives, I don't know what else to tell you. Right? That it's an organization that helps people in business, right. They've been there, they've been there. I think one of the things that we do such a shitty job of is like, Listen, don't get me wrong, like anybody younger than us full of the van vitality and vigor, disruptive, all this other stuff, we completely neglect everybody that's gone ahead of us. We're like, well, you know, they can't even work an iPhone. So what the hell would they know? Right? But, you know, just because they can't work in iPhone doesn't mean like, I don't know, let's look at marketing over the past 100 years, marketing hasn't changed, the application of the marketing has changed, like, where you put your billboard up has changed. Right, the rest of it is all the same. Same thing with business. Same thing with a lot of this other stuff. I think that a lot of that's the same. And so I think the story that you tell is really cool, though, you know, you're looking to somebody that's been there before I did this very disciplined, very similar. My my father in law. Geez, I think I was still drinking. So beyond five years ago. That's how it mark time. Before After drink. So he and I were, we were sitting, we were sitting down. And um, you know, he's a great guy. And I don't think too many people, you know, talk with just have a real conversation with them, right? Just kind of like heart to heart. And I said, you know, what, Mr. Clark? I was like, what would you have done? Different? What looking back? What What would you have done different? You know, he was very successful in his own right. And throughout his own life, he goes, I would have spent more time my family. I mean, that was it. Right? I guess that was enough for me. And so like, you know, a lot of the things that I've done, you know, I always go back to that in my head. You know, just, it was a 10 minute conversation, but was very impactful, right, to being able to, again, look to the people that have been there before you man, like, one way or another. So I think it's a great story. And I love the you know, Put me in coach guy, right? Like, I mean, you go in, you jump in you go do it, right. And you're gonna do whatever it takes us what I'm hearing here, and you say, right to do it right to it. Well, I love the thing to like, and you've got it on your website. So you don't have all the answers. You've learned how to ask better questions, right? You're doing all this through, let's also just reiterate this issue, kind of a spiritual, I guess, you know, maybe there's an awakening. And you let's hit on that for a second. Where's this? Where does that hit you? Right? And tell me a little bit about that. Chris McCann 23:43 You built everything. I didn't know that things weren't possible growing up. Right. And it's not because we had everything handed to us. It's just I think that's just how I came flying out of my mother's womb, like Life is one big grand adventure. And one of my board of directors tells me and reinforces that I chose the Super Deluxe premium package when I came into this lifetime because I've got all the experiences. And, and I say that because I know there's so much more out there. And it was what may 5 of 1990 I remember this distinctly and the context of this is a little bit different today than it was when I remembered this happening to me. I was what 16, maybe 17 years old, just turned 17 And I had gone out on a date with my girlfriend, and just wasn't feeling it. And I you know, I'm gonna take you home. I just want to spend some time by myself. And it will happen to be the fifth year anniversary of my paternal grandmother passed away at the age of 59. And so I guess I was what 12 And she had passed. And at some point you During that night, I remember seeing a light come in the window, whether it was dreaming or what actually happened. It's all fantastical storytelling, I don't know. But definitely impactful. And as this light, came in through this tiny window is like straight out of a Disney movie, and then sat on the end of my bed. And I sat up automatically. And it was my grandmother's voice. So that wasn't her form. And she's like, Chris, I'll always love you always be here when you need me. And how could you feel like I didn't love you. And then I remember a dialogue happening, although the words were are forgotten, but certainly felt this went on for some time. Now, the next morning, I woke up, I felt amazing, I had completely forgotten about the experience. And then halfway through the day, I was like, Oh, my God, this actually happened. And that was the first reference point I had of this otherness that existed. And then, of course, it was 1920, Married kids drinking divorce, 15 years of Clooney in it and trying to figure it all out. And I had lost sight of this, this otherness, or perhaps a truer nature of reality, to be followed by lunch in Chicago with a friend of mine, and we were talking about spirituality and religion. And, you know, it's a couple of, you know, old school Chicago sales guys getting together over lunch. And the conversation quickly pivoted. And he's like, you know, Chris, I don't know if you're familiar with this. But there's something called the Akashic records. I learned this from this woman here in Chicago, and she's like a grandmother. And, you know, she'll give me advice. And I learned how to do this, you know, sort of reading and tuning in. And for him to say that, to me, really struck me now, you know, how these things work. Three days later, and back in Santa Monica, I go into our local yoga studio, and the owner says, Hey, Chris, you might be interested in this event, but we have this woman, Helen coming in, and she's doing Akashic Records readings, and I thought you'd be interested. And I was like, who am I to say no. And, you know, it's I leaned into that. And that was my first experience, you know, sitting around with someone who's got these psychic medium capabilities. And Brandon, you know, I'm hard charging type a charismatic. And, of course, I had something to do, I had something more important to do, as I had already arranged to be able to leave early, right, because I had to get my son to his doctor appointment. And she's like, Well, Chris, and there's six or seven other people sitting around. And she was like, you know, Chris, I know that you have to leave early. So if you want to go first, by all means, go ahead. So, you know, we're sitting in a circle. And I looked at Helen, who's a very dear friend, you know, at this point in our lives, and it says, Well, here's the deal, like, everything's coming up roses, like I was sleeping on a couch, and picking up cigarette butts off the sidewalk, you know, so many years ago, and now I live near the beach in Santa Monica. I have a beautiful wife, beautiful family, and my kids are great. I want to know, how do we take advantage of all this momentum? Right, like what else is out there? And she looked at me and then Brandon, everything just slid away. And it was just as if it were her and I in the room. She's like, Chris, the first thing you need to know is how proud they all our view and where you are right now. And it's like, wow, it was just like dead on. And I remember getting into the car because my wife picked me up or taking their son to see his doctor. She was like, What happened to you? And I'm usually not at a loss for words. So I fired my psychotherapist. Right, because What's past is prologue and I started leaning into, you know, my time with Helen. And eventually I was like, you know, I think I'm supposed to learn how to do this. Chris, I have been waiting for you to ask me, you know that in so she taught me how to access the records. And then I spent a couple of years being fascinated with that modality and all of a sudden you have the answer, and you want to help everyone. It's like, Come to me, I'll help you with your masters, teachers and loved ones and we're gonna figure out life together. And this concept of awakening is ever evolving. And I'd like to think that I've removed a lot of the self fascination from it. And as my dear friend and teacher Carlos says, he's like, keep on truckin. Right. It's like, what's behind that? What's behind that and what's behind that? So the reality is that, I don't know. Because part of this awakening that is constantly folding and unfolding and unfolding. I don't know how it all works. And I'm not fascinated by it. Either, if to your earlier point, if I'm getting out of the way, and a clear vessel for source or spirit or the creator, or whatever it is to move through and be of service, then that's all I need to know. And it takes a lot of the pressure off and having to perform you feel like that monkey with a right acid Brookfield Zoo. Brandon Handley 30:26 No, not for sure, for sure. And it's really cool. First of all, right? Like, I love the, the idea of, you're 16 you're sitting on the bed, you've got your Twinkle, twinkle, little star moment happening. Right? And, and, and then, you know, 20 years goes by give or take, right, like, I'm just using round numbers. And I just, I just wonder if, you know, and this is just a kind of a theory, in my mind, we've got this window of opportunity that presents itself, right, kind of like the call of the hero, Joseph Campbell stuff, right? Like, in our late teens, right, we've got this call to the spiritual space. And I want to because I had something similar, right? Like, I think I was like, 19 my might have been more drug induced, but that's okay. There's like, yeah, there's like this, this calling this like, just kind of this, this huge pool. And, and like, you know, I remember leaning into a little bit then and telling people and be like, Yeah, I think I was meant to, like, go kind of, like, you know, do do spirituality, where can people give you like, the crazy eyes, you know, like, keep off in this car, right. 20 years goes by for you. So I always wonder about like, this kind of window of opportunity. And like, you know, if we if we let it pass, and like, we're, we've got to spend the next 20 years grinding the fuck out. Right? So we got to go there. So it's an interesting thought, I'll let you know out there. Maybe you can tell me your kids or sounds like they're older now. Right? Like and just definitely be curious to hear if they've kind of experienced anything like that for themselves. But then I also love that, you know, you're sitting there, you're having you're having lunch, right? And I love that like, seems to me, these spiritual conversations are happening more in our work lives. Right? As this is a professional company, I'm guessing this professional meeting, right? Not a couple of you guys haven't, you know, tried to figure out like, what the next what are the next steps? Chris, what's the next step? You know, bringing up the Kashuk records, and you're like, I don't know where and then and then as you said, right, you know, what happens next? Of course, the universe is like, well, first seems like he's interested, let's present it to him. And Chris McCann 32:40 yeah, totally, totally. It's, it's really interesting, for sure. Brandon Handley 32:46 So you're doing this work, right? Not nine, like you're you're doing your day job. But it seems like you're also bringing this type of thought process and modality to other businesses and companies as a speaker. What a facilitator can tell us a little bit about the work that you're doing that brings us to corporations and sales teams. Chris McCann 33:09 It was really by accident. So as part of my leaning into being a Spiritual Activist, and you know, wanting to bring the Akashic records or psychic mediumship or crystals and incense to the masses, I had created this either or mechanism in my head was like, Okay, I'm going to put down being a successful sales leader, I'm going to lean into just doing as many $200 An hour sessions as I possibly can, because I want to be able to help people. And, you know, that went on for some time, but I just, I wasn't able to really find a lot of traction with it, or even for that matter, satisfaction, because, you know, it felt like people were coming with really the same questions. And I'm sure this is true for you as well. It's, why can't I find my life partner or my relationship sucks, and that I don't have an interest necessarily, and just focusing on that, like, my, my client base at the time was 82% of women and 18% men, like where's my life partner? And, you know, sitting with Carlos represented again, and he's just a beautiful guy. And as a quote, how do I make this change? Like, how do I actually go from this to this? And he's like, you're doing at work, dumbass. Brandon Handley 34:35 What's the what's the this to this that you're trying to achieve? Right? Chris McCann 34:39 And how do I how do I move from you know, like, grinding away as a sales guy to just being of service to people to help him and he's so as Kevin was, you're doing it and I was like, oh my god, like I have so many awkward keynote is in front of me, you know, to bring these worlds together, right and to where I can play at work and be well compensated for it. That's the deal structure. Okay. But then someone today that's an executive in the company called because they just wanted some advice on something else. If you don't know where you're going to be able to be of service, and this idea of linearity between if I do this, this is the result? Well, no, I know that, you know, as an example, if I do this and make myself available to serve this other mechanism, a company might just say, Hey, Chris, we're gonna give you 10,000 More options because of this. So there's, it's not a direct transaction, right? Yeah, Brandon Handley 35:43 it talks about that. Right? The whole idea of us looking for linearity, because the story works on a timeline and a straight line in our mind. I think that, you know, linearity does exist in once we begin to apply spirituality and or other, you know, talk to me about that. What do you see, ya Chris McCann 36:03 know, I feel like it just integrates. Well, no, it frustrates my wife to know. And Brandon Handley 36:11 I want to, I want to find out about all this stuff, too. Right. Chris McCann 36:15 Yeah. So she loves to listen to these podcasts and, and hold me accountable for what I put out there. And that, you know, these timelines are really slippery. Right? And, and even if we're going to consider the idea of past lives, whether it's true or not, no idea, it's been my experience that there's something to it. But even then, it's not like because I when I would do past life regressions on myself, it was like, Well, how can I be in multiple timelines at once? Like, how can this be true for me, and like 1963. And this is true for me in 1959, but they're radically different experiences and radically different places. And what I've come to understand is, it's a lot like a DVD, or you throw it in there, and you're able to skip chapters, and there's some fluidity moving back and forth. But the movie Interstellar, right? So I love for these things to be underpinned by science as much as possible. Right? Right, right. And when we look at the movie Interstellar, and how you can go into space, and then you find yourself on a planet, where you might be on that planet for 15 minutes, but 40 to 50 years is passed, when you're 60,000 feet or, you know, whatever it might be above the planet, the science supports, that time is a construct. And if it is, in fact, a construct, you know, do we get to play with this non linearity? When we put expectations on things, and this is also like, you know, what's the purpose of life, you know, it then it has to be transactional. And even though that's our understanding, as a human This is storytelling and this is really organized religion and governments and others telling us that there has to be this framework around this to make sense of I'm firmly convinced brand and and that, you know, all the great spiritual leaders, whether it's a Mohammed in a cave drinking Ayahuasca, or is Jesus run off to the desert for 40 days, you know, these folks went out, they had some sort of a psychedelic experience, they come back and then someone puts a church around it, or a mosque or a temple. You know, it's like the profit is equal. This sounds like a really crazy trip to me. And Brandon Handley 38:29 when no doubt, right, no doubt, and I think anytime you take some Texas over 2000 years old, some things are gonna get lost in translation, quite literally. And that's, that's kind of the thing I always, I always even like, look at the number 4040 days and 40 nights or whatever is more than yours. I mean, because look at you and I right now and the age of 40. I was really great. Man's really great YouTube, I forget who Rupert Sheldrake maybe, does, like, you know, life begins at 40. Right, and it's like it really, for me, it's really turned a corner, right, right around 40 and just turned into something so much. I don't know. Different, better cooler? I don't know. Chris McCann 39:11 Yeah, it's talking to a neighbor of mine the other day, she's 82 years old, and her her partner passed away. You know, he was a curator at the Oakland Museum of Art. And she's had a really hard time because they've been together for 60 some odd years. And she's fascinating, fascinating lady, and it's taken time for us to get to know her. She's pretty, you know, pretty closed off in a lot of ways. But we were talking on the front porch the other day, and she brought this beautiful sage plant over for for us. And we were talking about aging parents and what she's going through and she's like, you know, Chris, like as we get older, you know, ideally, we pick up a little bit of wisdom along the way. But not everybody does. Right. And, you know, it did me Again, for me around 38 You know, my 29 year old son and I were out for a walk the other day when I was back in the Midwest, and he looked at me, and he's like, you know, dad, he's like, they say that people can't change. He's like, but you're dead. He's like, look at you. Brandon Handley 40:22 Man. How's that? Chris McCann 40:25 Beautiful focus. We're connecting. Like, I mean, I had him when I was 19. Right? Yeah. So easy. He's like, he's like, Dad, he's like, we kind of grew up together. And as he's gotten older, and he has his first child, there's a different context, much like our experience with our own parents, you know, when we became parents. And it's like, you know, holding, it's not that I changed. But everything that I had hoped was possible when I was a kid is ad infinitum. And so it really feels more like I remembered who I am. Brandon Handley 41:02 Yeah, yep, yep. Yep, yep. Yep. I love it. Yep. True story. Good stuff. Man. It's really cool that you got to experience that with, you do a couple of other things, too. I want to hit on real high level ones. I was just checking out your Instagram for a second. Tell me about the quantum field trips. What's that all about? Chris McCann 41:26 It's the quantum I forgot about this post. So this was, you know, again, underpinned by science. But you know, I'll oftentimes lead this getting groups together. And it's not stumped a psychic, but it's helping people find their own answers. And so as we're beginning to understand that consciousness, in fact, could have some underpinnings of quantum theory. In fact, there was a report that came out today with a University of Alberta. But they've noticed in these tubes, in plants and in people, that light disperses differently. And when you apply an anesthetic than they perceive it, this gap could actually be where consciousness exists. And I know it's a mouthful, and it's a lot to consider. But like, how do you then use these tools, these ancient technologies of meditation or breath work, or just tuning into yourself, to be able to intuit what's true. And so what we'll do for the first 30 minutes is talk a little bit about the science that underpins this, and then I'll have people work with each other, to be able to start to help people find their own answers. They're fantastic. We do them actually all over the country. And we certainly do them in our backyard. And again, giving people tools to be able to find their own answers is where I find the most joy, right? Because I know he Brandon Handley 42:54 loves something, let's talk about that real quick, do not do not turn up, right, like we talked about, like practical, tangible things, right. And a lot of times like we're have you and I are having a great conversation, but it's definitely very high level, right? So what is like a practical tool or two that somebody like you're talking about right now. They're challenged in life. And they they what are some tools that you offer them. Chris McCann 43:15 So what I love to be able to do is connect with folks. And what we oftentimes do is find that one moment where it's either have significant trauma, or they felt the most connected, and will begin to on Earth, how and where they feel that as men that are in the body as men in our 40s, we oftentimes turn off our feelings Brandon Handley 43:41 turned off at like eight man, come on now. Chris McCann 43:43 Everything moves directly down into the root chakra. And what I've noticed in working with men is that we don't allow ourselves to feel. And so because I love working with with fellows that are in a similar situation to myself, is noticing where in the body this is in developing a discipline. And that can feel like a dirty word. But discipline to me is really listening. And developing the discipline to listen to where in your body feels most connected to what's true for you. And this can be done over the course of three minutes. It can be done over the course of you know, a couple of hours. But it's an intuitive exercise and will surface up something that's going to resonate. And women at least give you a runner. So as you go into your next meeting, or you go into your next day, where if your spidey senses off about something, where do I feel that in my body, and then we start to develop a muscle memory around? Well, if I listen to this part of my intuition, and not over intellectualize it, what happens when they bet on that? And invariably, when people begin to tap into what feels right for them, what's true for you? That's not for anyone else to tell you. What's true. For You is a very intimate internal affair. And to give people tools to be able to tap into that, whether it's connecting with your breath or just being able to close your eyes and listen, it's developing that anchor. And then over time, we begin to leverage that more and more. And I know that's a very broad stroke answer. But it's all about feeling and listening. Brandon Handley 45:24 No, I'm with you, right. So I want to own nail a couple of things down here, right discipline. I think that if anybody goes and I look up the word, it really just means how to learn, right? Like, I mean, it's not like, you know, how do you learn? And then how do you apply that and not even like a rigorous, like, you're gonna get 30 swatches if you don't do this correctly, kind of thing. Having that develop that for yourself, right? Like they were called disciples. People, they were, you know, they were called disciples. And it's not not not too far off a discipline, right? So it's really, really about learning. I love to that you're sitting on, you know, what's true for you, intimately and truthfully. Books upstairs, you got to be your own authority, Chris, you got to be your own authority, what's inside of you, you can't have somebody else telling you what's inside of you. Right? You may, you may, you may need some work right with somebody like, especially as men, we shut everything down a certain period, we grin and bear it and we trudge forth we Sally forest, we grind them do all the weeds, all this stuff that like leaves us burnt out a certain period. Because we never paid any attention to ourselves internally, and we need to reconnect with that, right? We need to learn what these feelings are that I'm feeling, right? What is what is this that I'm feeling? Because that can be a huge frustration point to that. I'm feeling this thing. I want to know what it is. And the next closest thing that I've got to it's anger. Right, right, because I don't know what it is that I'm feeling. So I'm just gonna plop this over into anger and be angry. Right? It could be something else. So like in this huge spectrum of what feelings are. So in this whole piece of what you're talking about, too, is vulnerability, right? You've got to be willing to test that intuition. It could be a scary moment, I could be coming up to you, Chris, you could be my you know, you could be my sales leader. I'm like, Chris, you know, I'm, I'm feeling this certain way. And I'm just gonna go with I'm saying that you don't know that I'm trying to come from a place it's coming from my right shoulder is where I'm feeling this intuition. It's a vulnerability, right? Because to man, especially, that's a chink in our armor, right? Here's that chicken, the odds of my feelings right here. If he can see what my feelings are, he's gonna poke at it. Right? So but if we do that, and something good comes out of it. That becomes it becomes strength. Right? It becomes like a really just an awesome, awesome tool. So I think that that's kind of what you're sharing, right? Yeah. Yeah, awesome. So thanks for sharing that. So, Chris, what I like to do around this part is to lean into ces for like the fun part of the show, right? Somebody tuned in today. They tuned in at the beginning, they liked what she had to say about like, you know, the beginning on like, who your message, but this is a little bit like spiritual speeding, right, Chris, somebody, somebody out there is like, alright, well, depending on how he answers one of these two questions is what now I'm gonna go spend some more time with Chris. So spiritual Bachelor Number one, distraction. Chris McCann 48:35 Greatest distraction. The disconnect between our bodies and our higher self. Brandon Handley 48:51 Talk a little bit more about that. Chris McCann 48:53 This dissonance exists between what we think is true, or we want to be true and what actually is true. And we over intellectualize think too much, feel too little. thinking too much. It was a greatest distraction for me. For many people that I work with Brandon Handley 49:12 too much in the head. Yeah. Too much too much too much up there. You know, I talk a lot about that. And just the idea, and I'm sure you've run across this yourself. But, you know, in other cultures, you know, the word for your heart and your mind is usually just one word. Right? And it's our western civilization. We've got the heart in the mind where they're separated. So it's it, we mentally have them separate, right. And so the disconnects it's not an evolution, we started, you know, we're like, oh, that's your heart. That's your mind. Right. And so I think that's an interesting one for sure. getting back in touch with body sounds like you're doing that through breathwork meditation, and even just like, hey, where do you feel that in your body? Chris McCann 49:58 Yeah, let's name is not it. simply an auditory experience, Brandon Handley 50:02 feeling feeling for sure. Man is current religion serving its purpose. Chris McCann 50:10 Yes, to those that need that education. Religion is a construct that man is put around spiritual experiences. And I do believe that we select, or we select the variables that were presented in this particular lifetime and expression. And if we're meant to be dogmatic in any certain religion, or tenant or belief system, it's because there's something for us to learn. So I'll say yes. But the opportunity exists, then to prove out that that might not be true for you, which can lead to some pretty radical self inquiry and forming your own internal affairs. That to me has been the opportunity. Brandon Handley 50:57 I got you I got so serving, serving a purpose. Serving Yes, for sure. For Chris McCann 51:03 sure. Maybe, maybe not the highest purpose but a purpose Brandon Handley 51:06 pay? For sure. For sure. I get it. I get it. Well, Chris, you know, a couple of things. Everybody, I want to make sure that, you know, Chris does does looks like you do some awesome work with men as well. You do some men's group, at least men's groups. I loved having this conversation a little bit. We touched on that. men's groups as well. You do speaking engagements, it sounds like you're facilitate trying to get businesses closely aligned with purpose. Intent, right, and being aligned and really engaging their workers. Right. Yeah. And what else? What is? Yeah, what else? Would you let want to make sure people know that? Who should be connecting with you? Right? Chris McCann 51:46 Yeah, you know, and it's a lot of organizations are just like people, right? They're organisms. And I think of content stack, you know, where I am today is it's a movement, and it's not an organization. And, you know, it's when you have so many people involved, it takes on an energy to itself, but oftentimes organizations, even though there may be noble one thoughts, they can often be weakened execution, they lose sight of their original intent with the founders original purposes. And for me, and when I work with organizations like that, you know, it's just, again, it's helping this entity or this organism, remember who they are, and then aligning the people that are there to that mission, but the mission first than the team, and then it's you, the employee, or you the CEO. So organizations that feel like perhaps they've lost a sense of themselves, or want to perhaps create, I mean, that sounds altruistic, but perhaps a way for people to feel more empowered and invested in something bigger than the company. There's an invitation for them to reach out to me there. And I just love helping guys like guys that have grinded, they've done everything right. So at least at the beginning, they were told was right. And yet, somehow they get to this place where it's like, Fuck, I thought I arrived at a miserable. Yeah. And I can, and I love helping as well. Brandon Handley 53:12 That's awesome. Christina, where should people go to find out more about you? Chris McCann 53:15 Just go to the website. It's Chris McCann, ch, RI S, M C, C, A. N n.cl. There's a Contact Me page there. And my myself and my team of myself will gladly respond and you set a time to talk. Brandon Handley 53:30 Awesome. Thanks for being on today. Chris McCann 53:31 Thanks for having me. It was a real pleasure. Absolutely. I Unknown Speaker 53:37 really hope you enjoyed this episode of the spiritual dove podcast. Stay connected with us directly through spiritual dove.co. You can also join the discussion on Facebook, spiritual and Instagram at spiritual underscore go. If you would like to speak with us, send us an email there, Brandon at spiritual dove.co And as always, thank you for cultivating your mindset and creating a better reality. This includes the most thought provoking part of your day. Don't forget to like and subscribe to stay fully up to date. Until next time, be kind to yourself and trust your intuition. Transcribed by https://otter.ai  

Do you badly want to start an Airbnb rental business but don't have enough money to purchase a property? No worries. In today's episode of Women Creating Wealth, I will show you how Airbnb rental arbitrage works and start a rental business without buying a property or having a huge capital.If you haven't listened to last week's episode of Women Creating Wealth with John Bianchi (the Airbnb Data Guy), I highly recommend you listen to that first. Today's episode ties into what we talked about last week.Today, we'll discuss what Airbnb rental arbitrage is, things to consider before jumping in, tips on how to do a successful Airbnb arbitrage, and more.If you're ready to learn more about starting an Airbnb business with little money and no house and saving up for retirement, then let's dive right into episode 8 of Women Creating Wealth! --Key Takeaways:- What is rental arbitrage? (02:01)- Things to consider for Airbnb rental arbitrage (05:53)- Using Airbnb data to get started (12:35)- Should you inform the landlord? (14:41)- Number one tip for beginners (17:23)- Other factors to consider  (19:28)- Closing advice (22:17) --Additional Resources:- Listen to Episode 7: How to Start an Airbnb Business Using Data Analytics with John Bianchi here- Check out SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) here for free business advice- Grab a copy of my book Empower Your Inner Millionaire- Sign up for my FREE real estate course here- Visit my real estate blog here --Connect with Me:- YouTube- Facebook- Instagram Women Creating Wealth is a podcast empowering women to achieve financial freedom through real estate investing.Be sure to follow it on your favorite podcast platform! 

Welcome to an episode with Judi Hays. Judi is a sought-after LinkedIn expert for turning underperforming LinkedIn profiles into prospect-attracting powerhouses. She helps business executives identify their audience and elevate their LinkedIn profiles and personal brands. Watch this episode on YouTube. In this expert session, Judi speaks about the best ways to present and elevate your personal brand through LinkedIn. She shares how to nurture connections, build networks, and grow your business exponentially. Judi conducted an in-depth live LinkedIn profile check to show how to better utilize LinkedIn. Throughout the session, we are expected to learn: How to use your personal LinkedIn profile to grow your business The most common mistakes that you must avoid on LinkedIn that are costing you business and your reputation  How to upgrade your LinkedIn profile and set a stage for how you want to be perceived The difference between a resume-style LinkedIn profile and a resource-style LinkedIn profile How to nurture your connections and grow your network How to leverage company pages on LinkedIn How to use LinkedIn beyond the obvious How to build a routine on LinkedIn Bonus hacks and tips to master LinkedIn Judi consults with businesses in 30 different industries, all selling high-ticket products and services in high-trust selling environments. She guides them on building authority, credibility, and trust, which ultimately leads to increased revenue. As a Forbes contributor and author of Elevate, Expand, Engage, a Refreshingly Different Approach to Winning on LinkedIn, Judi's proprietary methods are shared through workshops, trade industry associations, seminars, consulting, and white glove “done-for-you” services for her clients. She is a frequent podcast guest and speaker. She has presented training and seminars for Forbes Business Council, FENG (Financial Executive Network Group), CoreNet (Commercial Real Estate Network), Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, NWBC (National Women's Business Council), NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners), SBA (Small Business Administration), SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), and Baruch College. Get Judi's book here: Elevate, Expand, Engage - A Refreshingly Different Approach to Winning on LinkedIn: Elevate Your Brand, Expand Your Network, and Engage Your Most Powerful Relationships. Judi Hays. https://amzn.to/3ATtPeN Grab a free chapter of Judi's book here.

Jimmy Newson is unstoppable as it gets. However, his mindset came over time through lots of learning, trial and error. In this episode you will meet a man who discovered that life is more then what is in our own back yard. Jimmy had the opportunity in school to be confronted with challenges to expand his horizons and he decided to take advantage of what his teachers offered. He will tell you about how he became the person he now describes himself as, “The Impact Influencer”. His business and marketing adventures have taken him far and wide geographically and experientially. He even came to value the need to promote accessibility and inclusion. Please let me know how you like this show through ratings and your email comments to michaelhi@accessibe.com.    Some directories do not show full show notes. For the complete transcription please visit https://michaelhingson.com/podcast   About the Guest: Jimmy Newson is the founder and CEO of Moving Forward Small Business, a membership-based digital publishing company on a mission to save a million small businesses from failure by 2050, leveraging technology, innovation, and business strategy. He is also the senior advisor for the New York Marketing Association. He presents workshops and trainings regularly with the Start Small Think Big, NY Public Library, SCORE, Digital Marketing World Forum, DC Start-Up Week, and multiple international SaaS companies.   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson  01:23 Well, hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset, the podcast where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet and I think you've seen on all of our episodes, any of that can happen. Kimmy Newsom is our guest today. And Jimmy is a very clever guy. He founded moving forward small business and he has done a number of other things. I met Jimmy through AccessiBe which is another company that we have talked about some on these podcasts, it makes internet websites more usable. And Jimmy is an AccessiBe partner. But we're here to talk about Jimmy today, and what he's done and why He's unstoppable. And I suppose AccessiBe might be a part of that. But really, it is just part of Jimmy's life. So Jimmy, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Jimmy Newson  02:13 Michael, thank you for inviting me, I'm excited. And I absolutely love the name of this podcast. And it's it's it definitely puts puts the mind in a position to understand there's a lot more at stake than what you might even think of on a regular basis.   Michael Hingson  02:31 Well, and I, I think that it's it's a name that evolved. When I started looking at what to do during the pandemic, I had thought about the concept of creating a list and writing a book called blinded by fear. Because people in general are blinded by fear when something unexpected happens that you can't deal with, you just can't make decisions. And what I realized along the way is that that is because people are being blinded or just totally overwhelmed with fear, and they haven't learned to control it. It's something that was a factor in my surviving the World Trade Center, although I didn't know at the time, but I have been developing techniques to control fear, which isn't to eliminate it because fear is a very valuable thing. But you can control it, which helps to make you unstoppable, which is how we got here. I love it. Love it. So tell me a little bit about you. And you know where you're from early, early life that might be relevant and how it got you to where you are.   Jimmy Newson  03:35 Oh, okay, well,   Michael Hingson  03:37 how's that for an opening?   Jimmy Newson  03:38 That's an opening that leaves me a lot to paint here. So let me get my paintbrush. Um, you know, I mean, it's, I've always thought a little bit different than my family. My friends, I looked at life, I wouldn't I remember I wouldn't wear brands when I was a kid. Because I felt like if I wore brands that I am endorsing it, not that I knew that that was the word. But I'm not sure why I even thought about that. So I would buy the most generic clothing as a kid just so I didn't look like I was patronizing anything or anybody. And I don't sure how far that went. And I it's funny because I'm now mostly most of my most of my structure is around marketing, which is all about branding. So, it's like I did a whole 180 or 383 60 or whatnot. And as early as seventh grade, I mean, I had entrepreneurial tendencies, but I didn't really know what that was either because that wasn't something in my, in my household in the area I grew up in, you know, either either work for someone or you weren't working. You know, it wasn't about owning a thing or building for something better or looking at the current situation and then determining how can I make this better? It's just what this Is it this is what it is. And so we roll with it. As I started getting a bit older, I got lucky enough to start to be put into classes and say in middle school in high school that were more like advanced classes. But the problem is I was the only one in my neighborhood that would be putting these classes. So I got kind of separated from my, from my crew from my clique. And but I started to learn all these new things and see how the how the world really was not necessarily in my neighborhood, but on a larger scale, statewide, across state lines, and I was like, wow, there's a lot more to this whole life thing than what I see in my backyard. And as I started to grow, things started to make more sense, I started to be introduced to organizations, people programs, that really started to help me amplify what I was thinking, but it gave a name to how I was thinking. And so it was just about matching what I felt what, what, what, what could actually be done in life. And, you know, and that's helped me throughout a good majority of my life, and I still practice a lot of this strategy and structure today, and looking at, you know, can I really change the world? Can I really do things I've never done before. And when you talk about that fear factor, I'm now I'm doing a lot more that I've never done before. And I will tell you it is it is scary. It's fearful, because I'm like, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if this makes sense. What is the guidelines for me to say yes or no, you know, and after wow, I just realized, I'm not even gonna worry about that anymore. Just like your podcast was born out of the pandemic, so was my my newest organization, we were in for small business. Because I it was the same thing people were all of a sudden, they were just frozen in this in their space, because they didn't know what to do, because everything around them was crumbling, in regards to what the pandemic was doing to their business, to their professional life, their personal life. And I said, let's figure out a way to create some, some actionable steps that can help them become I'm paralyzed. And they can actually at least take a small step forward. And they take another small step forward. So it's not about trying to eat the whole elephant, let's take a couple small bites, and continue to do that over and over again. You, you really   Michael Hingson  07:24 tweeker a question in my mind, and that is that you are talking about moving forward, you're talking about doing stuff? Why is it? Well, two questions, one, why is it that more people don't do that? Why is it that people just accept the way things are, if you will mediocrity or whatever? And why did you really decide or what, what caused you to decide to take the step of, okay, maybe it really is broken, we need to fix it, or at least I can move forward? And I don't have to accept things necessarily, just as they are.   Jimmy Newson  08:07 Yeah, and I can answer both of those questions. The first one I, I have my personal opinion on it. And I think is, I think it is when people can experience or see a situation that they didn't know was possible, especially in, in, in relationships to where they currently are in life, who they are the type of person they are, it's easier for them to they when they view it, or they experience it. Now they know it's possible. And when you don't have those, it's almost like that dinner table talk, you know, one dinner, one, one talk at one person's dinner table is you know, the the the mom, the dad, whoever is at the head of the table there, the conversation is around growth, business, maybe relationship building, because they're exposed to that. And so the the the the everyone else around that gets to benefit from that. But when you're not having those conversation at the table, it's not that you don't know that you can go further, you don't know it's possible to go further. And the only reason I knew is because I started getting put into these programs. If it wasn't for those programs, I would not have known I probably would definitely be on another path. And it wouldn't be this one, it wouldn't be the one I'm on because I saw it. I experienced it. So then I realized it's possible. I remember once when I was in Texas working with a colleague back in 2014, and you know, entrepreneurs, so jump forward, entrepreneurs have a tendency of working 90 hours a week and think and think that's normal. And but these entrepreneurs I knew were very successful, extremely financially well off, and they all had time to be family people and and so that was confusing to me because I hadn't seen it and every entrepreneur I know is like a maniac working like crazy. So I want To see, I realized the only way I could understand how I could get that type of balance in my life was to experience it through them. So I went to Dallas where they were, and I spent a week or two with them. So I could go, how are you able to be so successful, but then have time to go home for dinner at 5pm? You know, and so it is about that, you know, you need to be introduced to it. So and let's even take my culture, the African American community or other underserved community areas, and even disabled what take that, when we're able to see other people that are in our position doing these things, we can relate to it better, and then we know who I can do that, because I'm like that person. You know, but you need that. And you need that you need that, that opportunity to see it.   Michael Hingson  10:47 What did you discover that they were doing that you weren't?   Jimmy Newson  10:51 Is it really about time and here's an example, we think that we as entrepreneurs have to do everything, we think we're the best person for the job. And at the end of day, we're not, you're great at, we're great at certain things. And, and we should focus on that. And what we have to let go of is to control to give other people the ability to help take our dream and take it further. And I remember one of my mentors, he did an interview with the with the gentlemen who started this a restaurant called Fuddruckers, down the more southern based, and he interviewed because I was recording, I was doing a lot of video production. So I was recording the interview. And he goes, Hey, what happened to that incredible program, you are going to use talk that was so amazing, because yeah, I didn't do it. And he looked at him was surprised he goes, Why would you not do something that was so incredible, he goes because I couldn't find the right team to do it. He goes, No matter how successful I am at when I come up with a program or project, if I can't find the right team to run it, because I already know I don't have the time to do it. It doesn't go until I find the team. And that's what we don't do as entrepreneurs, we think that we have to do it. So we have three companies, and all three companies are depending on us feeding it. And when we don't feed it, they don't move. And three years later, we still got these three companies, but none of them have moved an inch.   Michael Hingson  12:19 What we don't tend to realize is that we're not feeding it with the right food. And I understand exactly what you're saying. I know I learned along the way in sales, and sales management, that unlike a lot of people who are in those positions, my job should not be to boss people around to tell them what to do. Because they may do it, which is probably a sign of weakness because they don't have enough strength in their own convictions. Or they won't do it because they decide that they're right. And it doesn't matter what I decided that and realized I needed to do was to add value and to figure out how I could enhance what they did as the manager. And so one of the things that I eventually started doing was telling people I hired, I'm not here to boss you around, I'm hiring you because I believe you have convinced me that you can do the job, I will always be a second person on your team. And the result is that what I need to do is to work with you to figure out how I can best add value to you, which does mean that I need to know what they do. And I need to to experience what they did by learning, sales and so on. But as the team manager or the company leader, I have to step beyond that and figure out with them how to add value. And if they can't figure that out? Or if we can't figure that out on their resistance, then we have a different problem.   Jimmy Newson  13:56 Yeah, absolutely. And so that, so that was a great eye opener, because it i Of course, I had a number of businesses. And I was definitely that guy. And after that I really started to reinvent my tire structure to even right now, moving forward, small business is my main focus. And that never would have been before. But I understand the value of this type of focus, because the success of that organization will give me the resources to still go into other areas of entrepreneurship, but only focus on what I do best and support that new organization with that and then go What's the rest of the team look like?   Michael Hingson  14:34 Yeah, and how can you work with them and and help them to find their roles?   Jimmy Newson  14:40 Absolutely. Yep. And it's good to when you had that buy in? I think it's stronger for you. Because it's not just you come up with an idea with others validating the fact that this is a good idea.   Michael Hingson  14:54 Yeah, and when it gels, it really gels and you expand   Jimmy Newson  15:00 Yes, yes, absolutely. So it's so that those are some of the lessons I've learned and, you know is is you can still have, you can still have your cake and eat it too and be in a number of different places, you just have to structure yourself. So it makes sense. And everybody gets in everybody can win in this scenario.   Michael Hingson  15:19 Yeah, which, which is the way it really ought to be everyone should be able to win, which is why it's so frustrating watching what's going on in our world today, where there's so much fracture occurring, and nobody is listening, and no one seems to be, or very few people seem to really be looking for solutions. Because people aren't really looking for solutions. They just wanted their way or nothing at all.   Jimmy Newson  15:46 Yeah, we call that we call that radio station wi I fm. What's in it for me? Yeah.   Michael Hingson  15:53 And the reality is, if people work together, there's so much more that's in it for them, and they will win. And that makes it so difficult today.   Jimmy Newson  16:02 Yeah, absolutely.   Michael Hingson  16:04 So how did you get to start this latest business that you have.   Jimmy Newson  16:11 And that's, you know, as, you know, my, my, my transition over the last maybe 15 years or so I started in the music industry. From there, I went into video production on the corporate side, because they had budgets that was fairly nice to get paid. And then then we went, then I went into marketing, because I realized a lot of businesses I was working with, didn't understand how to leverage the video. So I had to give them marketing skills. So I had to up my game. And then as I started giving them marketing skills, I realized their marketing wasn't working is strong if they didn't have a strong business structure for their organization. So I ended up in, in business advising and consulting. And this was at the the the ask of my small business clients, who would go Why don't you just become a consultant? I'm like, why would I do that. And then after hearing that a few times, I would step my game up again, get get whatever certifications or whatever knowledge was necessary to step up to that next stage. And then the next, you know, depends, you know, my focus was heavy on digital marketing, digital marketing is was hot Dan is extremely hot now. And you know, with me selling digital marketing services, you either convincing businesses to get online for the period, or you're showing them that they're not doing it right, and you can help them. So you've got those two types of individuals that you're dealing with or in organizations. And when the pandemic hit, those that weren't online, were basically invisible. And those that were online and weren't doing it well, weren't getting any traction, because they really hadn't put any real focus on being successful online, whether their business was 100% online, or they were brick and mortar looking to add an online component. So as I saw them struggling, I said, Okay, what can we do to help them and that goes back to that fear thing, they just kind of deer in headlights now, because they just didn't know what to do. I caught up a few of my colleagues and said, Hey, give me like, five or 10 minute real simple videos. And the only thing I want you to make sure is in that is an actionable step. So they can take a small step. And it could be in any aspect of digital, whether it's advertising, SEO, online personality, optimizing your Google My Business, which is now I think, Google business profile, now, just something. So I got about 15 to 20 people that do that. And that was kind of like the pre birth. Moving forward, small business, it was more of an initiative. And we started pushing it and promoting it and going, Hey, here's some quick videos, you can watch. If you're just stuck, I started reaching out to some bigger organizations that we were hoping would partner with us so we can spread it out to more businesses. And that's a whole nother story there. And then, and that was that that was probably around April of 2020. And then by next year, I decided that maybe we can take this to a whole nother level because of course, I'm still working with tons of clients and not putting a lot of focus on this but it's still kind of there. And as I saw demand for businesses that needed a lot more information and infrastructure, I decided to turn it into an organization so I put a lot more resources in it built the site started building partnerships with organizations that had the same target small business audience. And now I'm in the midst of some some great partnerships as of today with with the with the likes of like MasterCard and NBA to pull together programming because in addition to being online and making sure you're doing it right now this whole there's this whole push around inclusiveness and economic inclusion and diversity. And everybody wants to play in it. And now we positioned ourselves in a way that we can be a conduit because we focus on one thing, education and how to. And so we are the people don't pay for the work they pay for the house. And we're working on being that how   Michael Hingson  20:22 do you find? This just popped into my head? As a curious question, do you find a difference in businesses that are run? Or chiefly involves younger people, as older people or older people more resistive? Or are you finding that people across the board are curious enough to want to explore how to become more successful?   Jimmy Newson  20:48 I think I they're all curious, what's what has to be consistent is the language you use? I think, you know, I see a lot of businesses, they try to use a single talking point for all of these different, let's say, levels, levels and genres of people. All right, you're going to talk differently to us as an entrepreneur who's in their 20s, and 30s. To someone who's in their 50s. And 60s, you know, they have different motivations on why they want to be in business, they have different motivations on on, on what what that means to them, they have different motivations on why they end up actually starting it. And they have different expectations on what they expect to get out of it. So you have to determine either I'm going to focus on, you know, when we decide to focus programming, we have to, we're now starting to label it. Beginner, intermediate, advanced, early stage, you know, an even age group, I had a conversation today with someone who focuses on small business owners, individuals who are retiring, and looking and looking for something new to do, you know, and they might want to go into business ownership at this point, they have a lot of experience, and they may lack the ability to understand technology. So they have a different set of problems than then someone who was in the 30s. And they grown up on this technology, they just lack experience. So but at the end of day, they all want to be successful. But it's really, if you're going to try to help them then you have to position your message that it makes sense to why they should work with you.   Michael Hingson  22:28 So of course you were, you're now working in a time, where you're incredibly fortunate. You haven't had to teach older people how to run VCRs, right.   Jimmy Newson  22:41 I had my share a VCR as I had to do a VCR is to record one tape to the other tape, and then give that to a friend.   Michael Hingson  22:49 I have we still have a VCR here. And we actually have to, but near the end of the VCR era. I actually found one that verbalize so I could tell when it was was on and the buttons talked, which was really nice. But yeah, it was. But now everything is digitized. Although vinyl is coming back and I have a whole record collection. So I'm glad to see that that vinyl is doing well.   Jimmy Newson  23:17 Yeah, I don't think it ever go out of style. It's easily compatible. You know, I say it looks like I'm looking at your vinyl collection behind you now is that is that your vinyl? That's some of it. Some of it Oh, you might you might you might you know you you're you can do that oh, DJ thing when you're done with this?   Michael Hingson  23:35 Well, I also collect old radio shows as a hobby, and I have a whole bunch of reel to reel tapes. But now most of what I have is is in digital form, which also helps. But I've heard a couple of people say that the value of vinyl is that the audio is really better than all the other stuff. And I think that's especially true because as people digitize things, if you don't do it with a high enough quality, then the audio won't be as good as it should be. But even so, vinyl is is true to the audio no matter what you do, and you're not cutting it off as you as you digitize it in any way. Which is which is kind of the way you would think it would make sense to be but it's a lot of fun to do that. So I collect shows and have a lot of fun with it. Right? See, I asked the question about older people because you know, we, we hear so much in the industry today and in the world. Well, you know, it's time for you to retire. You're too old, you're out of step. And I reject that I don't think that people are out of step. They may not know how to take the next step. But it doesn't mean that they're really out of step and don't want to take it.   Jimmy Newson  24:44 Absolutely. And I agree with you 100% And that's why I was having the conversation today. Because you know for moving forward small business we want to be able to address every every part of our of our audience, and you have that that the group of and this is we're talking we were talking 60 plus 60 years of age plus, you know, because these they have so much still to give. And the it's just about, you know, what did they fit in, if you're not going to give them a chance, and I'm talking these newer companies, if you're not going to give this older generation a chance, then this older generation needs to grab the bull by the horn, and create their own opportunities. And just say, and so the same that applies to a younger individual that we're going to look if no, if you feel like you're not getting the respect, just go out there and try to do it yourself. It applies to everybody.   Michael Hingson  25:34 And look at the knowledge that older people can bring from coming up with companies that really doesn't go out of style, the rules haven't changed, the process may have changed. But the rules haven't changed.   Jimmy Newson  25:48 Well, I'll tell you some really funny, I just started working with score. And so I'm doing a ton of digital training for them. We just scheduled some, some programming for them coming out next month, and in April. And I'm educating not only the mentees, if you're familiar with score, if not, I'll just say for those that are listening, you know, score is an organization backed by the Small Business Administration. And I forget what it stands for, but it's just, I can't remember what score stands for. Yeah, but the last two letters of score is retired executive. So these are very experienced individuals who most of them who have ran very big companies, so their brains are full of knowledge. But the one thing and they confided in me that you know, is that a lot of them came out of the court out of the world, and then went into of course, mentoring, because that's what they're doing. But they didn't have a lot of digital wasn't a thing when they came out. So digital is now a thing. And, and they're able to talk to these mentees about digital, but they're not able to go deep. And now I'm educating them on that side. And then I'm in it. And I'm working with the mentees as well on how they can make sure that they are digital ready. So So organizations need to, to look at, you know, there's so much training, there's so much places where you can get great training to level up, no matter where you are on the spectrum of I know enough about this, and not enough about that. And vice versa. You need to assess yourself and figure out where am I weak? You know, and where am I weak in regards to the things that need to be known. And then go seek some info and get that information. So you can leverage it to take yourself and your business to the next level.   Michael Hingson  27:33 Yeah, and I worked with score back in 1985, when we were doing this small business and got a small business loan, and very much appreciated the guidance that these Retired Executives gave to us because it it taught me a lot. Of course, part of the issue is also being willing to learn.   Jimmy Newson  27:55 Absolutely. I won't work with I have a few people that I've walked away from when I give them a little bit of advice. And I immediately get Yeah, but yeah, but then I go and they go. So when we go, what should we do next? I'll go look, just keep studying. Because I'm like, I don't want to fight you.   Michael Hingson  28:16 Yeah, I'm in. It's amazing. And that is also the other part of it is that some people tend to be resistive to training and to change. And either they're going to learn or they're not. And of course, what we're really talking about here this whole discussion, in part using the vernacular of this podcast is we're teaching people and you're teaching people to be unstoppable.   Jimmy Newson  28:41 Mm hmm. Absolutely. Yeah. So it's, it's, it's so funny you say that, because I actually have pictures of a number of people in my head, that I walked away from it just because I go, you're not teachable? And yeah, it's not worth my time and energy. There's so many more people that can use my services or use my advice. Why am I going to waste it on you?   Michael Hingson  29:05 Yeah, and hopefully, people are willing to take the time to learn. And it's so much more important that we teach people to grow and learn. You know, I'm, I don't know about you. But I remember to this day, various things that happened to me in my life that I think made an impact. And one, for example, was I it was a science teacher in high school. And there were a couple of snippets that he said that always stuck with me and one was that he said that he had read the other day, which is a long time ago now, but about a professor in college who gave a test to his students. It was their final it was a philosophy test. And he said you've got Two hours for the final. And I'll grade you when you're done. So the test started. And he looked around the room and he saw everybody's looking at their papers and then vigorously starting to write. And he saw this one student who looked at his paper, wrote something down, and brought the paper up to the professor and said, I'm done and left. And that student was the only one who got an A, the question was, why? And the student said, why not? And that was the total answer to his question.   Jimmy Newson  30:37 Ah, I love that.   Michael Hingson  30:39 Yeah, and it's, and it's true, why not? It is our job to investigate and to think, and why not? Well, and maybe we'll find an answer. Why not? But we won't know until we look. Yes.   Jimmy Newson  30:53 Yes. You don't know when to get in the water is in start? Oh, it's kind of cold. All right, maybe I need to, now I can adjust myself to this.   Michael Hingson  31:02 Or how do I heat up the water? And you know, there's so many ways you can go, but you're absolutely right. It's, um, it is a matter of choices. And as I said, I, I don't know about you. But I remember just like that various things in my life that occurred. And oftentimes things that people said, that just resonated with me for one reason, and I guess part of it is because I did listen. And I didn't focus on other stuff. I wasn't as easily distracted. I know, some blind people who are, and some blind people who are not easily distracted and will focus. I know, sighted people who are the same way? Well, yeah. But I will say there are a whole lot more of all y'all that are tending to be distracted, then, then then should be and there's, there's relevance and observing, and learning from observation.   Jimmy Newson  31:52 Yeah, this is learning are two huge skills and traits. That will definitely take you far.   Michael Hingson  32:00 So how long have you been conducting these kinds of workshops and so on, and you go all over and do workshops and, and work with companies?   Jimmy Newson  32:08 Yeah, it's, it's, it's funny, because as I battled between owning a business, and being a teacher, when I was a kid, when I was trying to debate on what I wanted to do with my life, and of course, I chose business, because I'm like, I want to make some money. You know, I want to do some stuff, you know, don't make that much teachers, unfortunately. And they should, because they shouldn't know they definitely, you know, well, I've got some of those story. But you in essence, I am a teacher, you and that's what the you know, what, all business and this is why I talk to business owners, I go, you're a teacher, you're a leader. You're Impactor. You're an influencer. And when you it doesn't matter, do you own a public plumbing company or you're you own a restaurant or you own a consulting business, someone's looking up to you, and then learning from you. And now if you want to take yourself to that next level, then you can internalize those, those ditional titles, and start to propel yourself to the next level. i be i started doing these workshops because I all of a sudden, I was good at it, because I had experience. But then I figured out how I can teach that, that skill or that experience to others and help them which is my, one of the biggest I didn't know what I wanted to do as a kid. But I knew I wanted want to do one thing. I wanted to be in front of a lot of people, and I wanted to help. And that is now what I do. I thought at the time it was entertainment. But now I went back into the business world. But I still educate and teach and help and train people all over the world. You know, I've got my first physical speaking event coming up in June in London. I'm ecstatic because, you know, I teach vert, virtually all over the world. This is the first time I'm going to put my foot down in a country and actually open my mouth from a training perspective, which, which excites me and you know, cuz I traveled but it's really been for personal pleasure. So but and when people find out about it, they want to have me come, you know, so it becomes this compound effect. And now you got to figure out what am I going to do with this. So that's the unstoppable part for me is, you know, is when you're doing these things, and you kind of have an idea of why you're doing them, all these other things start to present themselves to you, all these new doors start to open up that you didn't know. But you as long as you stay focused on your purpose, the vision and the mission of you and what you do and why your business exists. Now, all these other great things happen. And so that's just exciting.   Michael Hingson  34:48 What do you think about and how do you respond? When you hear people say, well, one of the top five fears that people have is public speaking and standing in front of an audience and saying something or giving a speech?   Jimmy Newson  35:06 I like this question, because I have an answer.   Michael Hingson  35:11 Me too, but   Jimmy Newson  35:11 I am. I'm an introvert. And if you get on the elevator with me, outside of business, I'm not going to talk to you. Because it's not in my nature. And I really don't care. And I don't mean that in the bad way. But I don't care. You know, I'm just like, I'm good, I ain't got to talk to you. But when you get me, if you hit me with a topic that I care about, you can't shut me up. And you're going to see a whole nother side of me, you're going to see this, you're going to go this guy is not an introvert, he's an extrovert to the to 10 to power. And, and we, as professionals, we specialize in something we're passionate about something. And when you can tap into that, that is what gets you going, and you come out of your shell, you just need the opportunity to do so a prime example is when I go to a live event, I go to a live event, if I'm in the audience, I'm very quiet. Yeah. But when I'm on stage, I'm crushing it is because I of course, I get to pick the topic. And it's something I'm passionate about, and I can go forward. And it's not really about public speaking at that point. It's about helping people based on what I know, and what I what I'm good at. And now that makes you look like it. But it's even better, because it's not, because it's passionate, that's talking, not the fact that you have to talk.   Michael Hingson  36:34 And that's really it isn't it that when people talk about being afraid to stand up in front of an audience, they're not looking at it necessarily in the right way. And the reality is, most of us have things that we're passionate about. And when you are talking about your passions, you forget the rest. Exactly. I think there's an audience there, you don't care. There's an audience there. And you can continue to move forward. And there's, again, it helps you to be unstoppable. But we all are best with the things that we're passionate about. We can learn how to deal with other things. Have you have you ever, for example, gone to an event to speak or been involved anywhere in an event? And you're about to get up on the stage and you suddenly discover? I've been thinking about this completely wrong. And it's not what I thought it was,   Jimmy Newson  37:31 as far as the topic itself   Michael Hingson  37:33 as the topic or what you were reading what you need to talk about? And what you need to say,   Jimmy Newson  37:37 no, no, because I need to be sure in advance, I know what I'm talking about. Because that is that would be at the point my biggest fear is to go up. And and I would consider that legitimate. So I need to confirm that I know exactly. I know enough to converse, and when I don't. And usually when if I don't know enough about this, usually, because I'm the moderator. So I'll learn enough about it to ask intelligent questions, and then position myself as a learner of that through the experts that I'm talking to, to go I don't know enough about this. So I'm looking forward to this conversation as well.   Michael Hingson  38:17 I believe that a lot of speaking ought to be about telling stories. I think that I never want to talk to an audience. I want to relate to an audience and talk with an audience, which is also why I always love questions when we're done. But I one day, I actually got confronted with that very situation that I asked about. And I had thought going into the event that I knew exactly what I was supposed to talk about what was the speaker's bureau, who had me going to speak to an organization called the National Property Managers Association, and she says, Oh, it's all these people who rent and manage rentals of apartments and things like that. Well, I had some great stories about that. Because at the time, we owned a house that we were having a property manager manage because we had just moved to New Jersey. And I had stories to tell, but I got to the event late the night before I was supposed to speak. And I was the keynote speaker earlier and early in the morning. I got up and went down to breakfast and was sitting amongst these people and hearing them talk about things with the federal government and this and that and other stuff like that. And I finally said to one of them, what is the national Property Managers Association specifically to you? And they said, Oh, it's easy. We're the organization that manages anything physical relating to the federal government. Yeah, totally different. And I had 10 minutes to change. And I'm not bragging I'm saying that because I didn't dare let fear get in the way and I immediately thought about the fact that I had negotiated Small Business Administration contracts, I had put companies on to GSA schedules and so on, just shifted to a whole new set of stories I don't, and it worked out really well. But, again, we can easily let fear get in our way, rather than stepping back and going, Okay, how do we deal with this?   Jimmy Newson  40:23 Yeah, and for me, I usually will, you know, you know, and I have a strategy, a structure in place now, you know, because I always remember when I do something, for the first time, I have to tell myself, that by the fifth time, you won't be as scared and nervous as you are right now. That cost and that coffee down. Because I'm just like, Oh, my God, I'm going to do this on every day. And I'm like, remember, by the fifth time you do it, it's gonna be a walk in the park. And I go, Yeah, okay, fine. Let's go. You know, you gotta you gotta have these things in place. But even when I'm speaking, you know, I am definitely I want to find out as much about the company as possible, the organization, the target audience, who's in the audience, because as a marketer, these are things I need to know anyway. So being a marketer is great for me, because I use a lot of that, no matter what the situation is to do, to to dive deep into understanding every the, as much as I can about it. So I'm prepared as much as possible.   Michael Hingson  41:20 Well, in in our particular case, I hadn't realized that I should do something that I now do. And that is, the speaker's bureau said, Well, you don't need to speak with them, they don't have time, they just want you to come and do it. I will never do that I go to do any speaking engagement, without personally interacting with the people at the event. Now, as I said, I was very new to the process, when absolutely heard, but I won't, I won't go to an event unless I can speak with the people ahead of time. And oftentimes, I find out that the people who are arranging the event, for me, are totally clueless about what's going on because they don't know how to ask or don't ask. So it's so valuable, because I believe that I do the best job of speaking. When, like you, I understand what it is that I need to do, who it is that I'm doing it for and what the event is all about. Mm hmm. Yep,   Jimmy Newson  42:19 absolutely. Yeah. Then if it doesn't match up, I'll tell him I'm not the right. I'm not the right guy for you. Because it's just it becomes a waste of time, you know, in the last thing you want to do is waste anybody's time, whether it's the promoter, the event, organiser, organizer, or the or the attendees, okay, holding well for you.   Michael Hingson  42:39 And I've had that happen to me where not in speaking, but in sales opportunities, it became pretty obvious our product would work. But I use the opportunity to educate people about our product, and then say, here's why it won't work. But here's what will work. And here are the differences. And almost every time that I've done that, the companies have come back later. And they said, You really educated us very well. We have another project and we know your product or work, give us a price because we're not going to put it out to bid you convince us a long time ago, yet, which is part of the whole point.   Jimmy Newson  43:17 And there's that helpfulness your leading foot with with with help. And it just it goes such a long way. You know, this week alone in setting up a number of programs, I remember to literally two different promoters were like you are so easy to work with. I go because this is a team. We know we may not work for the same company. But we're still on the same team. And anything I can do to make your your job and your life easy. I will do and that will come back tenfold.   Michael Hingson  43:51 Yeah. And it's, it is so fun to be a teacher.   Jimmy Newson  43:58 Yeah, because it's natural. Now you just do it, but you're doing it in a non condescending way. And I think that's the other thing is one when you walk around with a chip on your shoulder, and I know everything and I'm the best. But it's another one you're being very aware of the other person, their their mannerisms, their feelings, and you're being authentic about helping them and understand that someone corrected me the other day, you know, and I was like, Oh, wow, glad you caught that. Thank you. I appreciate that. Let me keep that in mind. So you never too. You're never too old, you're never too experienced to still learn something yourself.   Michael Hingson  44:35 For me when that happens. What I like best though, is then being able to go back to the person who who corrected me and that happens and it's perfectly okay. But actually show them how I put what they said to practice because I recognize that whether they thought about it as much or not. They're being a teacher and I want them to be rewarded for good teaching. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, which is, which is so much fun. So for you in your life, what are some of the key moments that brought you to being unstoppable? Maybe some of you haven't talked about yet?   Jimmy Newson  45:13 Yeah, it's, I think, as I've grown, I'll be, I'll let everybody know, I'll be 53 years old this year. And so I've lived quite a bit. And I've experienced quite a lot. And I think over time, things have changed between my what I wanted what I thought was important in my 20s, what I thought was important in my 30s. And now let them forget about my 40s. Let's just go straight.   Michael Hingson  45:38 I'm 72. So there you go.   Jimmy Newson  45:41 Are you look good, you look good. You got it. Now, right now. And so I operate on themes, yearly themes now. And so I can even look back now into my 20s and 30s. And say, you know, and kind of theme up what I, what I what I wasn't, what I didn't realize I was doing, but what I was doing. Now I purposefully theme up. And this really helps me determine what what was valuable for me as I grow. And so I'll give you the last few years, 2020 2021 and 2022 2020, was all about USP unique selling proposition of me. So and that started because I got to, you know, a colleague of mine said, Hey, why don't you submit yourself to be a writer for entrepreneur, because that can be great for your career? And I was like, Yeah, that sounds good. And so I got the, the form, and I saw everything that they were requiring, I was like, Okay, I gotta, I gotta go back and clean my spleen up my image, you know? Yeah, you know, my act. And not that I had a bunch of it, I had appropriate stuff on Facebook, I just needed to, to make everything, put everything in an alignment, my LinkedIn profile needed to match what was on my website, which need to match what was on my Facebook. So I needed consistency. You know, and I, so I start to clean it up. And then I have my bio rewritten and I started looking at my relationships. So I, I literally did an audit of my professional life. And when I finished, I was like, Holy crap, this is actually pretty cool. And then I started to seized, I was impressed. I was like, Who's this dude? Like, oh, crap, that's me. Okay, let me introduce myself to me, so I can learn some more. So that was the first year. So what happened was I submitted after that, I submitted it to entrepreneur, and the process is they'll, they'll, they'll get the submission, then they'll call you, they'll, they'll vet you. And then if they like, what they what you what you're about, then you can become a writer, I didn't get any of that, I got accepted. That's how thorough the structure I put together, and I created a program out of it. So my soul and so that was a great stepping stone. Next year was about relationships and partnerships. So 2021, I started focusing on building better relationships and partnerships, on top of the document I created around myself as a leader. And then so that when when I started building, I was proactive about going after specific organizations that matched who I was, and what I was about. And then this year, is about impact and leadership. So now so as you can see, I'm starting to stack these on top of each other. And, and it just, it just gives you so when I send these, these documents out that are that are really purposeful, the response is always in my favor. So so that's something I'm going to always do, and I teach a lot, because it really helps you understand who am I? And why do people should people care? And, and, and and then I teach from a standpoint of now that you know who you are. How do you use that to help people? How do you use that to create Win Win relationships, and then you leave with that still not with you. Because at the end day, they still might not care about you. But if you're putting it in a way that it's a win win for them first, now you catch their attention.   Michael Hingson  49:16 And it's a long way to 2023 so it's probably a little bit early to say what do you think the plan is gonna be for next year? Yep.   Jimmy Newson  49:23 And that's an A Yeah, and I don't know it is far away, but it will present itself.   Michael Hingson  49:29 Do you do a lot and I think I know the answer to this, but do you do a lot of introspection, especially on a daily basis, maybe at the end of the day about what happened? And do you use that kind of a tool to help you learn as you go forward?   Jimmy Newson  49:44 Actually, not. I if I did, I probably be even more productive. I'm definitely not your typical I hate mornings. I know a lot of entrepreneurs are up at four or five in the morning. I mean, I hate mornings I can do it. I just don't like it. And so I will structure my day, I'll still plan out my week, I'll plan out certain things that have to happen throughout the week. And I'll use my weekly calendar versus a daily calendar for for for my structure. And I work sometimes till midnight, two o'clock in the morning, because I work I work better there. So I thought about switching over to and using some of these other strategies. But what I'm doing now is working. So I go, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Unless you decide you want to do it. And I'm now 53 years old I will be so I'm kind of okay with the way things are going.   Michael Hingson  50:42 And that's okay. I, I don't hate mornings, but I like time in the morning, even if it's just a few minutes to kind of reflect and at the end of the day, I like to reflect just for a few minutes to think about what happened today. And what did I learn or or something that didn't go right? What could I do to make it better? What could I have done to make it better? And I asked myself those questions, because that makes me at least think about it rather than just Well, it happened I can go on now.   Jimmy Newson  51:17 And I think it's for me, it's actually just part of the way I think down. Yeah, I reflect a lot. So it's, it's, you know, and I'm looking at my notes here and my structured, I'm pretty well structured, I have a amazing system, at least I think it is in every aspect of everything that I'm doing in my life personal and professional in, in Apple, Apple notes. And I can find anything and everything and in one to two search searches. So that helps me keep my focus, I don't have to remember everything, I can go back to something I can go back to a conversation I my conversations with you are documented. So I can remember if I don't talk to you for six months, I go there and I and I'm like, Okay, I know where we left off less, I can pick up there even if you don't, you know, so I so this really helps me maintain, you know, not have to remember everything. And it makes it easier for me to move around and, and bounce from project to project and not feel lost.   Michael Hingson  52:18 One of the things that I do, I use Outlook, a lot in all my dealings for a variety of reasons. But one of the things I do when I schedule meetings, is if there are correspondences and items relating to the meeting, I put all of it in the notes of the meeting request or in my copy of the meeting acceptance. So I have them right there, I do the same thing as you I think it's important to do that. I like to to be prepared. I also know that there are things I'll learn along the way. But I like to be prepared, and make sure that I'm ready to keep up with what they're doing and what we need to do. And it does best when I can immediately have access to all the documentation. Absolutely, absolutely. And I have a lot of fun with it. For how I've got to ask, did you get involved with accessibility? Because that's a whole, in a sense, it's a little bit different than what you're, what you're doing what you've been doing, and so on.   Jimmy Newson  53:24 Sure. Well, you know, being in the digital marketing world, you know, at some point, you're going to be dealing with individuals dealing with clients and corporations, websites, and I forget how I ended up on on the thing. But you know, for us in the United States, I think it's probably bigger outside, you can correct me if I'm wrong, like UK, whatnot, it's still a mystery about understanding that you need to make sure your website is accessible. And it's an actual law. You know, and when you know, so I recently started going alright, well who's responsible for that? Is it the web developer? Is it the is the person who owns the website, because it can be pretty expensive. Especially for those who have websites that were built before. This was a thing because now you know, I'm built I finished a website for a client recently, it was pretty much accessible ready, and but we still added the accessibility plugin on it to just pick up anything that was missing. But now for me, not only as a business owner, but as an organization owner who wants to help small businesses do better online. I saw this as when I so you know, when I ran across accessories platform, and I decided to try it out. You know, I look at these tech companies and I'm like, Well, what is their support around the small business community and I saw, you know, they have, you know, the ability to work with you and help you with your clients. And so I'm like, okay, so this is great because Now I can understand more about accessibility. And make sure that that the the, the clients have even more security when it comes to having their websites, their online presence protected, and also available to as many people as humanly possible, you know, so it became a, it was a no brainer. And then they were just such a great support. And Rafi who was a friend of mine, who's a friend of yours, as soon as we met, you know, his great support to go, you know, how can we help you help the small businesses also be prepared, because there's so many things you have to look look at when running a business, and you just don't have time to see everything. And accessibility is one of those things that you probably overlook? Well, we bring it to it, we bring it to the forefront,   Michael Hingson  55:50 AccessiBe or not, why should businesses make their websites accessible?   Jimmy Newson  55:57 Besides the law itself, which is funny, one of my clients that I consult for other things, not her website, called me up because she was being sued for her website not being accessible, at the same time, I hooked up with AccessiBe. So it was, so it was meant to be that the websites need to be accessible. And that's really just the bottom line, you're ignoring a specific, a very specific audience. So and you don't want to do that. And too, you can get into trouble. If you have to get caught out on it. You know, it's just like not running your business properly, not being a form, you know, running your business, but not being not not not being incorporated. There's no protection for you, you know, so it's just the right thing to do.   Michael Hingson  56:51 And that's really the answer. That is, I think, most appropriate, it is the right thing to do. For a lot of reasons, either we are an inclusive society, or we're not, I think there's a lot of arguments that we could make for many people who are not inclusive. But the fact of the matter is there are between 20 and 25% of all people in this country who have some sort of a disability, and many of them are excluded from using a lot of websites, because of the way they're programmed. Why is that? You know, it's it's education, it's perhaps just who cares. But the fact of the matter is that accessibility should be just as much a part of an a cost of doing business as having lights for sighted people to be able to function. I don't care about lights personally, you know, I don't, it's a waste of electricity to me, but my wife sure loves them. And, and, and I understand that, and I've learned over the last 39 plus years of marriage that it really makes sense to turn the lights on when it gets dark outside. And I don't even see that it gets dark. But I know when darkness comes. And so I turned the lights on if I'm closer to the light switches then she is because I like to help those who are disabled, they're like dependent, right? So it's perfectly reasonable to do but the fact is that accessibility should be for any business, just as much of a cost of doing business as having those lights for people, because they're both inclusive things, inclusive features that make the world a better place. Also, by developing that attitude. It potentially opens opportunities for people who have disabilities to be hired by those companies. Because if you're looking at it from the standpoint of what's the right thing to do, and why can't people do the same things we do? Well, we can we just don't do it the same way. Why shouldn't I have a better opportunity to get a job?   Jimmy Newson  59:00 Right? Absolutely.   Michael Hingson  59:03 And we we tend not to focus on that nearly as much as we should. But the fact is, there is another reason and you're right about the law, but I would prefer people not do it out of fear, but do it out of the fact that it's the right thing to do. There is another aspect of the whole issue with business. Nielsen Company, the rating company did a survey back in 2016. We've talked about it a little bit here on one of our episodes. The survey was about people with disabilities and dealing with websites and and going back to something you said near the beginning brand loyalty. And what the survey showed was that people with disabilities were extremely more brand loyal or more company loyal to those companies that were inclusive, and made their websites and their operations accessible. to them and others with disabilities, because for us, it is so hard to oftentimes go to a website and use it, it is so hard to do other things for my wife, she can't get into buildings where there are steps. And I realized that the law has some limitations. If you're in an old building and a stop and remodel, then there, there may not be an elevator. And the law doesn't require that you put one in until you remodel. But for newer buildings for let's take stores, then that have a brick and mortar facility where they have lots of stuff in the aisles. If they don't make the aisles wide enough for people in wheelchairs to be able to go up and down the aisles and turn and do the things that they need to do. One of two things is going to happen, they're going to be sued under the ADEA. And there is now legal precedent for you have to have the aisles wide enough for wheelchairs, or they'll just go away and not come back to your store. And they'll go find another one where you can and Nielsen found that people with disabilities are probably some of the most company and brand loyal people there are, because it's so hard to find places that really liked them and include them for whatever reason, but hopefully it's for the right reasons.   Jimmy Newson  1:01:15 Yeah. And I can understand that totally. I mean, you know, when, why, why go somewhere else, when you know, you get what you need to get, and you know how hard it can be to get it? So yes, absolutely.   Michael Hingson  1:01:27 What happened to your friend and her lawsuit?   Jimmy Newson  1:01:31 I think she ended up having to pay because of course it was too late. But then we were we kind of work with her a little bit. And and you know, even though you have the tool, there's still things that you should fix on your website. So we started fixing some of the errors. So they would they were they weren't errors even with or without the tool. So then it's kind of like a happy marriage between the two. The problem is with a lot of sites, I think she was doing over 100,000 hits a month, which he had a pretty popular website, you know, and a ton of pages, it can be expensive. So you know, you got to figure out what can I fix it. And I think that's also the problem that a tool like it says to be really helps when you got a website that's got 1000s of pages, 10s of 1000s of pages. And now you have to go in and try to make that whole website accessible, you're looking at a pretty hefty check that you got to write.   Michael Hingson  1:02:24 Well, accessiblity is also implementing some other tools under some new programs that people can learn about, they've been somewhat announced. But access flow, for example, which is a whole program that has tools so that people can will be able to once it's released, learn more about and deal with the accessibility issues that maybe the the widget doesn't do. And there'll be ways that they can learn about accessibility accessiBe is going to put some programs together to teach people. And again, this is whether they use accessiBe or not, is giving people the knowledge, it's teaching people to fish rather than just giving them a fish. Absolutely, absolutely. Which is, which is pretty exciting. Well, I think that we have talked your ear off and other people's ears off and so on for quite a while. But I really appreciate you being here. If people want to reach out to you and learn more about your programs and so on. How do they do that?   Jimmy Newson  1:03:23 They can email me, Jimmy at moving forward small business.com They can google my name Jimmy Newson within in people use him a lot. And they end up with some other dude or a number of dudes. But if you do Jimmy Newson, ne ws o n.com. You're gonna get I own like a top five pages of you know, so you'll find you'll find me. So that's, and I love LinkedIn. LinkedIn is my favorite communication channel. You know, it's, it's so you know, it's easy to find me I'm very accessible. Haha. And oh,   Michael Hingson  1:03:58 by the way, which is? Exactly. So   Jimmy Newson  1:04:00 it's, you know, you can find me and I look forward to chatting with with anyone that you know, especially around the topic of small business and small business growth and impact for small businesses.   Michael Hingson  1:04:14 Well, cool and perfect. I really appreciate you coming today. And I learned a great deal. And I would like to continue the discussion in the future. Let's do this again sometime.   Jimmy Newson  1:04:25 Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm there. You got me.   Michael Hingson  1:04:28 Perfect. Well, Jimmy, thanks very much. And I want to thank all of you for listening. Thanks for for dropping by. And please give us a five star rating when you have the opportunity to rate podcasts and this particular podcast. If you'd like to reach out to me you can do so by emailing Michaelhi M I C H A E L H I at AccessiBe A C C S S I B E.com. You can learn more about the podcast unstoppable Mindset by visiting www.michaelhingson.com/podcasts and of course, you can learn about me as a potential speaker for any programs that you have. We invite you to reach out if you need a speaker. And of course, we invite you to reach out if you'd like to talk about this podcast or if you or you know of anyone else who might be an interesting guests that we should talk with. Thank you all very much. Thank you for being here today. And we will see you again soon.   Michael Hingson  1:05:28 You have been listening to the Unstoppable

SET UP YOUR BUSINESS PROPERLY EP 65 - Today's episode is one of several episodes about how to get started in business. Some of you might be working for someone now and thinking about going off on your own and some of you might just be entering the industry and doing so as an independent. If you are in either of these two categories or if you are someone that works with agents that are working independently, this episode is for you.  I started in this industry on the property and casualty side and quickly moved into commercial insurance when I started. Working with my dad, his personal lines clients were all starting their own businesses and they came to him for advice. We basically learned as we went along what we needed to do to help them. Fast forward 30 plus years, I've had many years of educating business owners about getting started. When I first started in sales, I got involved in teaching insurance to a local SCORE chapter. If you aren't familiar with SCORE, it's called Service Corp of Retired Executives. It's a division of SBA, the small business administration which is a wealth of information for business owners, new and experienced. If you aren't familiar with them, go to sba.gov to learn more. In this particular SCORE chapter, they did a 3 hour program for new business owners. The first hour was on accounting with a local CPA, the second hour was was legal, taught by a business attorney and the third hour was insurance, taught by yours truly!  The legal was mostly entity structures and contracts.  Since I went last, I always heard the lawyer's presentation which is how I learned so much! Fast forward 20 years, I started volunteering with the Maryland Women's Business Center and taught a class called The ABC's of Starting a Business. This class was 4 hours and went over why businesses fail, entity structures and then the next steps to get started in business.  I taught this program for over 5 years. It was my ‘give back' to the business community. I believe I educated over 500 new business owners in this program. The Women's Business Center is also a division of SBA, like SCORE, so we have to work within their guidelines.   Today I'm sharing a segment of that class, on entity structures. I see so many agents asking about them in the different groups I'm in and I want to clarify things about these entity structures that is essential to understand, especially if you are thinking about going the DIY route. I don't recommend DIYing this important segment of starting your business, but some people just want to save a few dollars and don't care about the rest.  Before getting started, my advice to people is to always talk to both your CPA and your attorney.  Why? - Your situation is different than mine as is your risk tolerance. I can't tell you what is right for you because I don't know your situation. So when you take advice from someone in a FB group or a stranger, you are creating potential problems for yourself! Your CPA can guide you better from a tax perspective. Understanding if it makes sense financially to set up one of these entities and getting guidance on how to do it properly from a tax perspective. Make sure your CPA has experience dealing with business owners as well. Some CPAs just do taxes or audits and aren't up on all the issues relating to business owners. You attorney will guide you from a legal perspective. Understanding the risks involved and how to create the proper documents, how to sign your contracts, how to handle multi states. All of these are essential if you are going to be in business for yourself. Make sure your attorney is a business attorney, not a criminal, divorce or personal injury attorney. Just like with the CPA, you want an attorney that focuses on working with business owners because they are usually more on top of the current laws around business owners and doing things properly. When I started in the business back in the 70's we basically had 3 different entity structures to choose from. You were a sole proprietor, partnership or corporation. In the mid 80's the LLC entity structure was beginning to emerge and it really began to pick up speed in the 90's. Now an LLC common place. There are some variations of different entity structures like a PLLC or an L3C or a B corporation. So, knowing which entity structure is right for you depends. For today, I'm only going to focus on the sole proprietor, LLC and corporation.  Let's start with sole proprietor - this is basically you the individual operating as a business owner. It's your name trading as (T/A) or doing business as (DBA) your insurance agency. My first insurance agency was Debbie DeChambeau t/a The DLD Group. I was a sole proprietor when I set up my first agency in 1990.  Being a sole proprietor allows you to deduct your business expenses at tax time, but it does not provide any person legal protection.  You'll get some protection from your general liability or your professional liability policies, but if you lose your case, you could also lose your house and all of your assets, depending on the court ruling. You'll want to check with your state, but most states require you to complete a form with the state that you have created your business and you'll want to get a tax ID number in the name of that business. Once you've done those two, then you go to the bank and open a business account and have all of your business income deposited into that account. You can have it deposited into your personal bank account, but that means you are mixing funds which can become an accounting problem, so it's best to keep them separate and pay yourself when you need to. Again, your accountant can guide you through this better but these are the basics. If you decide to create a corporation, also known as the letters INC, then you are basically setting up a separate entity. I like to think of it as another person, and that's the business. When set up and managed correctly, a corporation protects the personal assets of the stockholders, president, VP, etc, which is usually you, the business owner. When setting up a corporation, you create articles of incorporation, establish bylaws, appoint directors, have a shareholders agreement. These documents must be set up according to the laws of your state and include the right information about your business. When it comes to taxes, the corporation files it's own taxes then the stockholders use that information on their individual taxes. This has long been a complaint of corporations, having to do the business return, then do the individual return. It's where the term, ‘double taxation' is often used. You might have heard the term, don't pierce the corporate veil. This is a test if there is a lawsuit that would protect the stockholders and officers personally. It's essential that everything is done correctly for that protection to prevail.  If you are in the commercial / business side of insurance industry, this is something you probably know well., Those of you in other areas of insurance, might have heard this in passing but never really understood it. If you are going ot be in business this is the one of the most important pieces you should understand By everything I'm referring to contracts, agreements, processes, etc. This is where your attorney can fill you in better, but bottom line, if you are going through the expense of setting up a corporation then it's important to do everything correctly. Before I talk about a limited liability company, let's hear from our sponsor: This episode of the business of  insurance podcast is brought to you by insurancemailbox power.com Part of being a business owner is implementing systems and processes that can be automated as much as possible. Let's talk about onboarding new employees or team members, especially since we are talking about entity structures today.  In an era when a lot of business owners are struggling to find staff, how do you make a new employee feel welcome, make them glad they decided to work with you? Everyone wants to be recognized, so lets talk about how you could go above and beyond to make your employees really glad they are part of your organization.   Let's start with day one - what if you have a coffee mug with their name on it, a box with brownies and popcorn to get them through the first week.  Maybe week 3 you send the employee a water bottle with their name on it and a card letting them know that you are glad to have them on board.  From there, you could set up a system that something is mailed to your employee every month or every other month. Maybe you send a gift card, maybe you send a phone holder, coasters or or a personalized notebook  When you have an account with insurancemailboxpower.com you can set this up and let it run for as long as you want to delight your employees. If you want to learn more, go to insurancemailboxpower.com. Be sure to indicate Debbie DeChambeau sent you. When you sign up for a pro or executive account, I'll share some of my designs with you that have been generating results for me! Now, let's talk about LLC's An LLC is a limited liability company. Many people want to call it a corporation, but technically, it isn't.  As I mentioned earlier, there were very few LLC's prior to the mid 80's. When they were first created, many businesses were hesitant to set them up because the corporate veil hadn't been tested. Business owners were concerned if an LLC  would really protect them like a corporation. In the 90's more and more states allowed them and now they are fairly common place.  An LLC designed to provide the legal protections like a corporation but the tax structure is different with an LLC, it's similar to a sole proprietor.  An LLC can elect to be taxed as a sole proprietor, partnership, S corporation or C corporation. This is one of the reasons a lot of companies are attracted to the LLC. It's also why it is essential to talk to your CPA about this. Some people think an S Corporation is an entity structure….it's a type of tax filing! An LLC should have an operating agreement which states how the business is conducted and how management and ownership is structured.  Not all states allow single member LLC's so it's important to understand the rules in your state and the states that you operate in. It's also important to understand how to run and manage your LLC, not just from an accounting perspective but from a legal perspective. If you aren't looking to protect your personal assets, then consider being an LLC. This is a good reason to work with a business attorney and not DIY it! Understanding that most people set up an LLC or Corporation to protect their assets is one thing, but why go through the work of setting up the business if you don't do it properly. Basically, you'll have wasted a lot of time and money. So do it properly and protect yourself the right way. Work with an attorney and and accountant and understand your obligations and responsibilities with the entity structure you select. A lot of people starting out just set themselves up as a sole proprietorship. It's less expensive. It's when the business owner has assets to protect, having the proper entity structure is essential and managing that entity is imperative. I want to reiterate that I am not an attorney or an accountant. This information is intended to give you an overview of your options. To learn more, go to sba.gov for the best information, then seek out a business attorney and CPA for local guidance.  It's your business. Run it like a business, not a hobby. Do it right! Until next time, keep creating opportunities. ….and support our sponsor! CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR: insurancemailboxpower.com This is a mailing service I've been using for over a year now and I love them.  I send all of my birthday cards, thank you cards and marketing post cards from this platform.  Check out Insurancemailboxpower.com and see how you can stay top of mind with your clients and referral partners. Tell them Debbie DeChambeau sent you! ABOUT THE HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance podcast is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA - an entrepreneur, business advisor, insurance professional  and content creator. Her goal is to inspire you to think differently and explore ideas that disrupt the status quo.  Debbie has an extensive business and marketing background with a focus of helping insurance professionals be more successful.  She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and produces two other podcasts, Divorce Exposed and Seniors We Love.  Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.  

In this episode, we touch on the dialogue surrounding diversity and inclusion efforts in healthcare and infection prevention and control. Unfortunately unconscious bias operates constantly in the workplace. As infection preventionists, we see it in the ways patients of different races and ethnicities are acknowledged and treated. It is present as well in opportunities for promotion and career advancement. Our great panel of guests include Rosa Lozano, Dr. Tania Bubb, and Dr. Devin Jopp, APIC's CEO. Join us as we listen to our guests' experiences and their suggestions towards making infection prevention and control more inclusive. Hosted by: Silvia Quevedo About our Guests: Rosa Lozano, MPH, CIC. Assistant Vice President, Infection Prevention Rosa Lozano joined the Methodist Healthcare System located in San Antonio, Texas in 2019. As the Assistant Vice President of Infection Prevention Rosa mentors a team of facility Infection Preventionists, champions comprehensive infection prevention programs, and collaborates with teams to drive patient and healthcare worker safety. Before moving to San Antonio, Rosa has served as an infection preventionist in acute care, long-term acute care, and rehabilitation facilities in Texas, Colorado and Virginia. She specializes in outbreak/crises management and the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Rosa is also passionate about mentorship and leadership growth for Infection Preventionists. Rosa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from The University of Texas, and her Master of Public Health degree in Healthcare Systems, Management, and Policy from the Colorado School of Public Health. She has been certified in infection prevention since 2009. Rosa is an active member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), serving in several chapter leader roles, and nationally on the Public Policy Committee, and currently on the Communications Committee. Devin Jopp, MS, EdD. CEO, APIC Dr. Jopp joined APIC as CEO on December 7, 2020. He brings to APIC more than two decades of association leadership with a wide array of experience and accomplishments from across the healthcare and nonprofit sectors. He has been recognized as one of the top 100 most influential healthcare leaders by Healthcare Management International Magazine and one of the top 50 healthcare IT experts by Health Data Management Magazine. Prior to APIC, he served as CEO for the American College Health Association, the principal leadership organization for advancing the health and well-being of the nation's 20 million college students and their campus communities through advocacy, education, and research. He has also previously served as president and CEO for the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), a national nonprofit advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services focused on enhancing the exchange of healthcare information. Before joining WEDI, he served as chief operating officer for the Service Corp of Retired Executives, a national nonprofit organization that provides business mentoring and training to American entrepreneurs. Earlier in his career, Dr. Jopp held leadership positions at URAC, an independent, nonprofit healthcare accreditation organization, and at the Health Insurance Association of America. Dr. Jopp received a Bachelor of Arts in computer information systems from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, a Master of Science in computer and information sciences from Hood College, and a Doctor of Education in human and organizational learning (EdD) from the George Washington University. Tania Bubb, PhD, RN, CIC, FAPIC. Director, Infection Control Dr. Bubb is currently the director of infection control at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Most recently she also served as Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Dr. Bubb has been an infection preventionist (IP) for more than 10 years at major academic medical centers of varying inpatient and outpatient specialties, providing her with the skills, critical thinking and leadership abilities necessary to perform optimally within the field of infection prevention and control, as well as promote and maintain patient safety initiatives. Dr. Bubb has served on the board of directors of her local APIC chapter as the membership chair as well as having chaired APIC's Professional Development Committee. She serves on the editorial review board of the American Journal of Infection Control and is a member of APIC's editorial panel. Dr. Bubb has spoken and presented at local chapter and national APIC events as well as other local and regional conferences. She has authored publications related to the field of infection prevention and control. Dr. Bubb received her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in nursing from City University New York Herbert H. Lehman College. She was awarded her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Nursing from New York University. Dr. Bubb is certified in infection prevention and control (CIC) and has earned the Fellow of APIC designation.  

Episode 270: Acquiring An Entrepreneurial Business Acumen, Part 4 of 4 Last week, we left off with Jim Conn’s longtime friend and mentor, Dick Harper, a clinical psychologist, helping Jim implement an open-book management system at BW Integrated Systems. Jim worked closely with the owner, Mark Johnson, to grow revenues from $7M to $13M with 60 employees. People, products, and performance continue to be the company’s success formula as an industry leader in designing and manufacturing end-of-line packaging equipment and robotic automation solutions and the execution of integrated packaging systems. The open-book management system was the vehicle that empowered employees to be accountable and educated in how their efforts contributed to the bottom line. After five years and a heartbreaking departure, Jim does something completely different. He and Anita return to where his childhood venture began, Alexandria, MN. For six years, Jim does odd jobs as a contract pilot and becomes primary caregiver and executor-manager of his parent’s estate, as the eldest of six siblings. His parents needed day-to-day care as their health declined and helped in managing their estate. To do this, Anita and Jim bought a cabin and year-round home in Alexandria. Around 2007 and after his parents passed away, Jim meets a retired financial executive from 3M while working as a SCORE counselor (Service Corps of Retired Executives). SCORE is a non-profit organization founded in 1964. It has the largest network of volunteers in the U.S. Members of SCORE are current or retired business owners and corporate executives who specialize in various business skills. The SBA partners with them to build vibrant small business communities across the country through free consultations, mentoring, and education.  The Great Recession hit in 2008. Jim describes his journey to becoming a 20% owner and managing partner with Thawzall, LLC, a Glenwood, MN company purchased by Tamarack Industries in 2018. They provide ground thawing and space heating equipment for the rental and construction market to keep builders building year-round. One usually doesn’t factor in an economic downturn before it happens when you perform due diligence on a venture opportunity. Jim found that out with Thawzall, LLC. His last venture before retiring was a short stint with the aviation company Tanis Aircraft. Jim intended to buy the company but used his investment monies to keep Thawzall, LLC afloat. He retired in 2012 after a year with the company. A tragedy occurred in 2017. Anita and Jim’s only son, Brian, dies from an opioid overdose at age 42. A big trauma like this takes years to untangle as a parent, and complex questions that arise can never be answered with satisfaction. Jim reflects on Brian’s spirit and kindness in helping others, how he could have been a better father, and what his two daughters, Laurie and Jackie, are up to. You will learn how Jim is volunteering as a pilot with a purpose and his four takeaways from a 60-year entrepreneurial career in eight ventures (Angleworms and catching frogs for Norm Lund at Lund’s Bait Shop at age 8 to Lakeside Spraying from 12 years of age to 18. Wood & Conn Corp., Rice Lake Weighing Systems, BW Integrated Systems, Streamfeeder, LLC, Thawzall, LLC, and Tanis Aircraft). You can follow along as Jim talks about each lesson. Jim’s Four Entrepreneurial Life Takeaways: Everyone needs a mentor, even if you feel you don’t need one. You need one, especially when times are tough. Proactively reaching out is never regrettable with so much help available. Jim says, “if I had the skills to manage emotional difficulties, I probably would have been richer in all areas of my life.” How do you measure success? Business acumen and emotional intelligence. The ready, fire, and aim approach didn’t work well for Jim. He suggests building your business acumen and emotional intelligence together. Choosing the right venture based on the marketplace vs.

As a young engineer, Dave discovered that his boss was simply assigning him to random projects that came across his desk...plugging holes in the program to assure the machine ran smoothly while disregarding the interest of the team. From that day forward he began developing strategies to plan his career, to understand what made him tick and to incorporate those into each and every day. 40 years later he has utilized these strategies throughout organizations like Boeing, Raytheon, and some of the most innovative start-ups around the country with incredible success, proving that people achieve much more when they are engaged in activities that they are passionate about. These are the activities that create energy within themselves and allow them to work late into the night without sleep or stimulants, the things that we are meant to be doing. Dave sat down with Klayton to discuss the importance of discovering these activities within each employee and the success that can come when engaged minds collaborate to bring bigger and better ideas. Work can be fun if you spend your time within these tasks and Dave can help you take these steps through his book, consulting, and even through this conversation. Discover Control Your Career on Amazon: https://amzn.to/35psqdo This episode was part of a previously-recorded series of podcasts that will be released - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

Podcast Episode 02 In Episode 02, I talked about coaches and how they have helped me.  Without help, I would not be where I am today.  This episode is not a how-to lesson on getting started in voiceover.  I’m just sharing my story. My first motorcycle was a Honda Shadow VLX.  Now, I drive a BMW C400X scooter. I took the Basic Rider Course through the Ohio Department of Public Safety.  Some call it the “Motorcycle Ohio Program.”  motorcycle.ohio.gov  I like structured programming that is organized into bite-sized chunks, experienced teachers, hands-on training, and peer support.  Facebook Groups and accountability buddies are helpful.   For anyone making a career transition or learning a new skill, keep an eye on what is working and what is not.  Have clear goals, and recognize when something isn’t a good fit.  The right coach can really help, and it’s ok to revisit missed opportunities at a later time.   My first business coach was Sandra Wharton at the Women’s Economic Opportunity Center at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center in Ft. Wayne, IN.  I found her on the Small Business Administration’s website in June 2017. I starting working with Marty and Jack from the Northwest Ohio Chapter of SCORE in April 2018.  SCORE stands for Service Corps of Retired Executives.  To learn more about the Northwest Ohio Chapter of SCORE, visit northwestohio.score.org.   I trained with a voiceover coach named Nancy Wolfson January-November 2018.  To learn more about Nancy, visit braintracksaudio.com.  Jonah Rosenthal at the Global Voice Acting Academy (GVAA) helped me set up my Blue Yeti USB microphone. His Audacity webinar helped me learn how to record, edit, and produce MP3 files.  David Rosenthal taught the group medical and technical narration class I took through GVAA.  To learn more about GVAA, visit globalvoiceacademy.com. To learn about Hillary Huber, visit hillaryhuber.com.   To learn more about Jeffrey Kafer, visit audiobookmentor.com.    Sean Pratt is my non-fiction audiobook narration coach.  To learn more about Sean Pratt, visit seanprattpresents.com and check out his YouTube video, “So…You want to be an audiobook narrator?”  https://youtu.be/NPzPi-_0Xi8  I met Dr. Erin L. Albert at the Medipreneurs Conference in April 2019.  To learn more about Dr. Erin L. Albert, visit about.me/erinalbert.  Dave Jackson is my Podcasting Coach.  To learn more about Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting, visit schoolofpodcasting.com.  Joe Brookhouse got me started with Studio One.  To learn more about Joe, visit voicework.me.   Don Baarns is my audio engineering coach.  His webinars are titled, “Studio One Jumpstart,” “Studio One Advanced,” and “RX Jumpstart.”  He runs Facebook Groups for Studio One and RX.  To learn more about Don, visit redbaarnsaudio.com. As, I transition from pharmacist to voice actor, I like to find people I trust and listen to them.  I’m human, though, and I do make mistakes.   Beware the illusory truth effect (“validity effect,” “truth effect,” or the “reiteration effect”).  People believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure.  I like evidence-based decisions.  When learning something new, find experts.  Do research.  Don’t make major purchases or decisions without thinking them through.  It’s not a race.  I’m 2.5 years into my journey, and I’m still not where I want to be.  To learn more about the Cleveland International Motorcycle Show, visit https://motorcycleshows.com/cleveland.   

- The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

- The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

At various points throughout the business process, it's always good practice to bring in a 3rd-party to independently review your programs to allow for a fresh set of eyes. Independent Reviews allow for analysis of a specific aspect of the business and breaks down each individual step along the way to assure that money and time are being spent in an efficient way. Dave has been on both side of the fence, being both reviewed and acting as the reviewer. Aimee dives in to the process, picking his brain on the timing, strategy, and overall goals of Independent Reviews. - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Aimee Conaway and Dave Buis Producer: Klayton Carpenter Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

- The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborati... Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Producer: Aimee Conaway Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

What supplies does it take to construct your product? How do you manage your relationship with those suppliers? Listen as Dave describes the various strategies that are possible when arranging these crucial variables in the supply chain regardless of what product you are developing or where you are in the chain. Everybody has to acquire supplies for their product, the matter at hand may be drastically different but there are certain procedures that can assist the acquisition and organization of the materials for all businesses. - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborati... Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Producer: Aimee Conaway Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

The organizational style varies with the size of your company, but whether you're a group of 5 that refuses to accept a hierarchy or you're in a Fortune 500 company you need to define the organization and how you will operate within it. It's crucial to lay out a diagram in a format that the entire team understands for as Dave always says "Nothing gets done except through the organization" - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coll... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborati... Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Producer: Aimee Conaway Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

Leadership is the most important factor in a successful program. The leader has the opportunity to set the stage for the team to perform at their full potential by empowering employees to pursue jobs that align with their passion. There are various types of leaders including servant, dictatorial, and more, Dave breaks down some of the examples he has seen in the field and deciphers the pros and cons of those strategies. - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Producer: Aimee Conaway Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

Retired Engineer and Program Manager David Buis sits down with Klayton Carpenter of Grassfed Media to discuss Collaborative Consultants, our philosophies on Program Management, and how we are bringing our 100+ years of experience to startup companies that are lacking the managerial overview that it takes to achieve their goals on time and budget. - The Collaborative Consultants Podcast is a direct insight to the minds of Aerospace Engineers, Program Managers, and Retired Executives that have come together with the goal of helping other companies pinpoint the holes in their business process. Whether it's developing an organizational structure and an integrated schedule or analyzing the affordability of a program, we have worked at each step of the business process, developing tools and strategies along the way that can be tailored to companies in any field. The business process is extremely similar regardless of the product you are developing, a missile and a calculator both require a plethora of steps to take before production begins like analyzing the risks that come with a supplier dropping out at the last minute or finding out that one of your largest clients is going under. - Our Online Web Portal will feature our entire portfolio of management tools from schedule tools to earned value spreadsheets and much more. Follow us on the social media platform of your preference to keep up to date with our releases and updates. - LinkdIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/collab-consultants/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collaborativeconsultants/ Web Portal and Blog: https://www.CollaborativeConsultants.net - Featuring Klayton Carpenter and Dave Buis Producer: Aimee Conaway Directed and Produced by: GF Innovative (The Grassfed Group) https://gfinnovative.com

The SCORE association (Service Corps of Retired Executives) is a non-profit association with 389 chapters in locations throughout the United States. Local chapters provide free counseling and low cost workshops in their communities.The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) Chapter 68, is a locally-chartered volunteer association and resource partner of the Small Business Administration.  SCORE Memphis offers free and confidential counseling to start up businesses and existing small businesses that seek advice.  SCORE Memphis serves the Tennessee counties of Shelby, Tipton, Fayette and adjoining counties in Arkansas and Mississippi.How did you get involved with SCORE? A little about the backgroundWho benefits from SCORE?Other basic information: How big is the chapter? Does it have an office in town?Big events coming upHow can people get in touch to request a mentor, check the workshop schedule or even volunteer?Learn more:  https://memphis.score.org

Ray Hoffman introduces his guest Veronica Dagher in the form of a note: “I like your work, Veronica Dagher. I like your Wall Street Journal columns on successful women, your Secrets of Wealthy Women podcasts, as well as your new ebook based on the columns and podcasts. It’s called Resilience, and it offers a lot of lessons in life. And, take it from me, not just lessons for other women. And you and I would both agree, the timing is perfect for the column, the podcast, and the book.”Listen in for fascinating stories of women overcoming challenges.   Key Takeaways: [:20] Ray Hoffman introduces Veronica Dagher. [:53] Veronica says there is a current wealth transfer of about $33 trillion from one generation to the next in America. Women will inherit a lot of that money. Veronica shares stories about wealth, success, and entrepreneurship, featuring some very well-known women in her Wall Street Journal columns and podcasts. [1:10] Maria Sharapova, Josie Natori, and Rebecca Minkoff are a few of the subjects of these stories about how they built their successes and the obstacles they overcame. The book Resilience came after the columns and podcasts. [1:33] All the women in the book Resilience have overcome obstacles such as bankruptcies, difficult divorces, loss of a child, or business difficulties. Some faced people telling them they would never be successful. They didn’t listen to those voices. When they were knocked down, they just got up faster than other folks. [2:31] Veronica’s optimism and faith come from her family background and personal experiences of overcoming the devastating loss of her father and still pushing on. Her mother instilled in her from a young age the desire to be a financially independent woman while relying on people she trusts among family, faith community, and friends. [3:37] Veronica took leave for four months when her mother grew suddenly very sick. Veronica watched her mother face illness and unanswered medical questions, and come back to good health. This experience helped Veronica to grow tougher and more assertive. [4:20] When Veronica’s father passed, they were able to keep the house and lifestyle, with very careful management of their resources. The constant conflict between how her mother managed the budget and how her father had regarded money more casually informs Veronica’s work today in her attention to family dynamics. [5:41] Veronica studied finance in school, with no thought of journalism as a career. It seemed to be a solid choice, given her family background. [6:53] The subjects of Resilience range in age from Ayesha Curry, 29 when interviewed, to Mary Higgins Clark, “90-something.” Veronica shares her ideas on how their age demographic affected the choices of the women interviewed. [7:44] The “entrepreneurial gene” is not found just in America. Josie Natori came to America from the Philippines and is very proud to be an American. The Natori Company is known around the world. She has the attitude that as a woman it is okay to be successful. It’s okay to believe that anything is possible. Don’t limit yourself. [10:03] The Philippines has a huge matriarchal, entrepreneurial culture. Josie Natori was a working mom from the beginning. Josie and her husband worked together and had an agreement that their marriage and family would take precedence over the company. They’ve been married for over 50 years. Their son is taking a big role, now. [11:37] At age 91, Mary Higgins Clark, the Queen of Suspense, is amazing. Veronica taped the podcast with her in the Clark home in New Jersey, and Mary told Veronica she had enjoyed the process immensely. [12:01] Mary Higgins Clark did not have an easy life. Her father had died when she was young. Her first husband died suddenly when she was in her thirties with five children to raise. Her short stories, a popular form of the day, were rejected “something like 50 times.” Editors told her she would never be successful. She didn’t give up. [12:37] Mary Higgins Clark eventually became a best-selling novelist — one of the highest-paid women and highest-paid novelists in U.S. history. She stays very humble. [12:57] Mary Higgins Clark and Veronica Dagher are both Fordham graduates. They had met at a Fordham event several years ago and Veronica had asked Mary for writing advice. Mary shared that at one point the family was almost on food stamps. She needed to write for money. Obviously, that worked out. [13:46] When Mary Higgins Clark had first submitted a short story to Cosmopolitan Magazine, an editor called it light and trite. Years later, a Cosmopolitan editor called asking for her to write something for them and Mary told her agent, “Tell them yes but make them pay.” [14:14] When Veronica started the podcast, she wrote names of women to interview. Oprah topped the list, but that one hasn’t happened yet. Maria Bartiromo was taped “today.” Maria Sharapova was on in the fall. Bobbi Brown was another name on the list. [14:58] Using a Google Docs spreadsheet, Veronica had put together her list of dream people for the podcast and the people she knew who could connect her to them. She did a lot of pitching people trying to make connections and attended a lot of events to introduce herself to people. [15:36] Veronica is still going to events, tracking people down and trying to meet them but now she is getting a lot of high-quality incoming pitches from big names. [16:00] The common thread between the millennial entrepreneurs and the older entrepreneurs is the resilience. The younger entrepreneurs see opportunity everywhere. They are not limiting themselves to one sector or area of business. For example, Ayesha Curry is into cookware, media, and other ventures. She leveraged her network. [17:49] Ayesha Curry faced the criticism of having opportunities through her husband. Other women Veronica interviewed also faced criticism because of the advantages of their family circumstances. Yes, certain doors were opened, but they had to walk through the doors, to follow up, and to build the companies and brands they have. [18:41] Loreen Arbus is the daughter of the founder of ABC. She is a philanthropist, a programming executive, and she has her own production company. She does so much, and she didn’t have to do any of it for the money. She works for the sake of work. [19:13] The first daughter of Loreen’s father, Leonard Goldenson was born with cerebral palsy. In those days, the family was turned away from hotels and restaurants because of her disability. This was an important influence in Loreen’s advocacy for people with disabilities. Loreen helps people with disabilities to become successful in media. [20:09] Loreen deliberately changed her last name as a young teenager to avoid riding on her father’s coattails. Veronica was at a party at Loreen’s NYC apartment recently and it is incredible in its decoration and style. Loreen is not afraid to take risks. [20:55] Barbara Bradley Baekgaard of Vera Bradley told Veronica she wasn’t very good at math and didn’t have an MBA, but she and her friend had an idea for cute luggage. They borrowed $500 from their husbands, bought some fabric, and hired some people to sew the bags. They knew nothing of marketing or finance. [21:50] They learned everything they needed from SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), which is a huge resource for entrepreneurs who want to learn. [22:14] An unexpected lesson for Veronica in her interviewing came from Bonnie St. John, an Olympic athlete with a disability, who had suffered childhood abuse. Bonnie said that, as a child, you have a lot of people around you who push you. Her success, as an adult, has been from seeking out people who helped push her to the next level. [23:17] Veronica thinks that lesson, to seek out people who are going to challenge you and push you to the next level, is really important for entrepreneurs and for women in business. [23:31] Many of the interviews in Resilience touch on work-life balance and being a working mother. Katia Beauchamp, co-founder of Birchbox told Veronica the whole idea of work-life balance is a myth. You’re never going to feel fully in balance. The best scenario is that you love what you do at work and you love your home life. [24:11] Katia Beauchamp told Veronica that there are certain times when a mother is going to have to focus on her career more than on her home life. As a mom, you don’t have to be perfect all the time. No one is perfect. Just do your best and focus on the good that you are doing and the things you are doing right. [24:44] Kate White would leave her office at Cosmopolitan at 5:00 p.m. and have the babysitter make dinner while she spent time with her children. After dinner and more time with the children, she went back to her office. [25:01] Veronica knows a lot of women today who are logging back on after they put the children to bed. It’s not the ideal situation, but there are times when the work has to get done. It’s a way to work things out. Hopefully, the boss understands that you need to leave sometimes at 5:00 for the soccer game or whatever. [25:40] Veronica has learned not to be afraid to ask for what you want. The stories in her interviews have reinforced that principle for her. It’s not always easy to tell people what your expectations are. There is a way to do it that suits you as a person, even if there is pushback. You’re never going to get what you don’t ask for. [26:31] Next for Veronica is a video series, more on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, a lot more of the Secrets of Wealthy Women podcasts, and hopefully, branching out into more stories on women in finance and the workplace. [26:56] You can download Veronica Dagher’s ebook, Resilience, at WSJ.com. This is Capitalism.   Mentioned in This Episode: Stephens.com Veronica Dagher The Wall Street Journal WSJ Secrets of Wealthy Women Resilience, by Veronica Dagher Maria Sharapova Josie Natori Rebecca Minkoff Ayesha Curry Mary Higgins Clark The Natori Company Fordham University Oprah Maria Bartiromo Bobbi Brown Google Docs Stephen Curry Loreen Arbus ABC Leonard Goldenson Vera Bradley Handbags SCORE Bonnie St. John Katia Beauchamp Birchbox Kate White Veronica Dagher on Instagram Veronica Dagher on Twitter Snapchat This Is Capitalism

How to give away expertise for free and make good money doing it Talking Points Selling more in less time without pushing How having a mission can help you strategically The roles that writing a book can play in a business How to give away expertise for free and make good money The importance of a good mailing list One way to constantly be in creation mode Quotable Quotes "I didn't sit down one day and decide I wanted to be well-known."—JK "How can I help these people and not go broke?"—JK "People in the consulting business fundamentally think about sales in the wrong way."—JK "Sales is a skill. If you don't learn it, you can't create a sustainable career."—JK "Sales is not pushy. It's consultative."—JK "Your clients don't want what you have to offer. They want outcomes."—JK "I'm well aware that my books are the lifeblood of my business, but that's not why I write them."—JK "About 15 years ago, I asked myself 'How can I give my expertise away for free and make good money doing it?'"—JK "I have passed up a significant number of revenue generating opportunities."—JK "It's all about creating a conversation with someone you want to reach."—JK Guest Bio After an award-winning sales career in the technology and services sector, Jill is now an internationally recognized speaker and sales strategist. She’s a bestselling author of four books—Selling to Big Companies, SNAP Selling, Agile Selling, and More Sales Less Time. Recently, LinkedIn named Jill as their #1 Business-to-Business Sales Expert citing her 1/3 million followers. Salesforce selected her as one of Top 7 Sales Influencers of the 21st century. Plus, she’s featured in the just-released “Story of Sales” documentary. As a consultant, Jill has worked with companies like IBM, GE, and Staples as well as many mid-market firms. Her expertise has appeared in Forbes, Fortune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Inc, Entrepreneur, Bloomberg, ABC and Fox News. To sum up her career, Jill is constantly searching for fresh strategies to enable sales success n an ever-changing business environment. Related Links Jill's Website Jill's LinkedIn Selling to Big Companies Transcript Jonathan S: 00:00 Hello, and welcome to the Business of Authority. I'm Jonathan Stark. Rochelle M: 00:04 And I'm Rochelle Moulton. Jonathan S: 00:05 Today, we're joined by Jill Konrath. After an award-winning sales career in the technology and services sector, Jill is now an internationally-recognized speaker and sales strategist. She's the best-selling author of four business books, most recently More Sales, Less Time. LinkedIn has named her their number one B2B expert, and Salesforce selected her as one of the top seven sales influencers of the 21st century. As a consultant, Jill's worked with companies like IBM, GE, and Staples, as well as many mid-market firms. Her expertise has appeared in Forbes, Fortune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Inc, Entrepreneur. The list goes on. We're super happy to have Jill with us today. Jill, welcome to the show. Jill K: 00:46 Hey, thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here. Rochelle M: 00:49 Jill, I just have to comment on your big idea on your website, which kind of sums up everything Jonathan just said about you. Sales Accelerated. Yeah! Love it! Jill K: 01:00 I do, too. In the niche that I'm in, it's about how do we make more sales and do it in less time. How can we make it faster? To me, it's not just faster, it's really about how do we have a better conversation that's more focused on the customer. That's what makes it faster, not just push. Rochelle M: 01:21 Love it! Before we get into all this, maybe for some of the members of our audience who might be experiencing you for the first time, will you tell us a little bit more about who you are, how you work, what you do? Jill K: 01:35 Who I am. I am a sales consultant. I have been in the sales field pretty much my entire career. I never wanted to be in sales. I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but they told me when I brought my business plan into SCORE, Service Corps of Retired Executives, that it was a really good idea, and then they said, "How are you going to sell this?" I looked at them. I thought, "I thought you said it was a good idea." They said, "It is, Jill, but somebody has to sell it," so I said, "All right. I'll go into sales for one year. I'll learn everything there is to know and then I will get out of it." Anyway, I never left. Jill K: 02:14 I found it to be fascinating and totally different than I thought it was. I assumed most salespeople were slimy, manipulative con artists like you see on TV or the movies. I found out that, in the business-to-business field, salespeople are intelligent, creative, concerned about their customers, focused on their customers, trying to help them make good business decisions that enhance the quality of their work, and it was fun. I sold directly for a few years, like eight years, and then I actually started my own company, working as a consultant and did that for a long time, specializing in a very specific area of new products. Jill K: 03:01 Then, my business crashed. I got totally wiped out because my two biggest clients came under pressure from Wall Street at the same time, and it took me a few years to get going again. I had to reinvent myself, and in the new iteration, I became me that people see on my website, which is not what I was doing before. Rochelle M: 03:20 One of the things that's so fascinating to me, Jill, is that it feels like from the outside looking in that you've made some interesting pivots in your career. What made you start your own business? Leaving Xerox had to be a big deal. Jill K: 03:36 I actually went into technology sales after Xerox. What caused me to start my own business was really, I have an extraordinarily low boredom threshold, and I'm a really rapid learner. I would throw myself into every new sales position, quickly learn it and, as soon as I learned it, I was no longer interested in it, which is not a good career choice then if you're constantly leaving as soon as you get good at something. Jill K: 04:08 What I discovered was that I had the ability from a consulting perspective to go into massively complex situations, challenging business environments, and assimilate a whole lot of information about the buyer, the product, the sales process, the marketplace. I was so good at rapid learning, I could assimilate that all quickly and put it into a structure that would help my clients be more effective faster. I became a consultant, really to satisfy my need for continual interesting and challenging projects to work on. Rochelle M: 04:48 I get you. I was thinking as you started to say that, "Well, gee! That's the definition of consultant." We keep creating our new assignments. Jill K: 04:58 Yes, it's all about creating your new assignment. To me, to find a niche and to go off to the niche and to build it out and to get good at it and then to continually have new projects feeding me all the time, it was like, oh, I was in heaven as a consultant! Rochelle M: 05:14 That sounds familiar. There's a description you have on your website, and I'm not sure why I hadn't seen it before, where you describe yourself as going from a quiet, unknown consultant, which I think some of our listeners might relate to, to this recognized international authority. Jill K: 05:36 Yeah, I know. Rochelle M: 05:38 I'd love to hear more about how you did that. Jill K: 05:43 Let me just say, it was step by step and it wasn't part of the game plan. It was never my intention to be where I'm at today. I didn't sit down one day and say, "I want to be well known, and I want to have four best-selling books." I thought I wanted to write a book, and all I had to say in the whole wide world could be encapsulated in 60,000 words. Then, I wouldn't have another thing to say in my whole life. What happened to me is, I sort of got caught in a couple mission type of things in my mind that I was on a mission to do things. Jill K: 06:18 There was, at one point when I very vividly remember one year where all these conferences had all these bald white guys speaking. It was like all these male sales reps that are older and bald. I was like, "Where are the women? Where are the women? There's 20-30% of the sales force is women. They need women sales models." This is my, my quiet person out in White Bear Lake was doing good work. I said, "Ann wrote a book. Why doesn't she become more visible. Susan wrote a book. Why isn't she more visible." They didn't want to be more visible. They just wanted to write a book and disappear and do their work again. Jill K: 06:57 I finally went, "Oh, crap! It looks like if the women need a visible person to look up to, that it's going to have to be me because it seems to be that I'm the only one on this bandwagon. It's like, where are the women? Where are the women?" That became a responsibility of mine. I actually felt a very strong responsibility to be a role model for other women in sales because I had so desperately wanted to see women when I was growing up in my career, so that was one thing that happened. Jill K: 07:31 I sort of got hooked into another idea, too. I did a pro bono project. It was to help a magazine that served the small and medium business community, and I discovered through that what was happening with entrepreneurs and other consultants and people in small businesses and how they were trying to grow. It seemed like there was always a bottleneck that they were running into that they didn't know how to sell. I mean, they reach a point where their business can only grow so far, and they're just working so darn hard for the amount of money that they're getting that they go back to the corporate environment. Jill K: 08:06 I just thought, "That's terrible! This is a sales issue. How can I solve this? These people don't have a pot to pee in. They can't afford me. I'm used to the corporate rates, and they can't afford me, so what can I do to serve these people and not go bankrupt," which was a driving force of mine. This was back 10, 15 years ago. For months, I spent 80 hours researching things, and I couldn't find an answer. I kept saying, "How can I? How can I? How can I help these people and not go broke? How can I help these people and make some money." Jill K: 08:41 One morning, I literally woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning, and a voice in my head spoke to me and said, "Thou shalt create a website called Selling to Big Companies, and your tagline will be Helping Small Companies Win Big Contracts." I saw the whole thing. It was just like it came to me in just a bundle. I created just in time content for people, and I just created this really nice website, put the website up and I'm so excited about it! I put the website up, and it's got this great content for consultants and people like me who I know how to help. The day the website went up, I went, "Oh, my God! I have just created a wonderful website and not a person in the whole world knows it exists except me." Jill K: 09:28 I devoted six months entirely to creating the website and writing content and putting stuff up. I mean, literally shut down my business to do the website. At that point, I went, "Well, I better figure out how to become known because this is a website to help these people and they don't know, so I have to become more visible." That was the other impetus to become visible out there in the world. One thing led to another and, I guess, once I dumped everything out of my brain in my first book, a few later, new ideas started creeping in. Jill K: 09:59 Because I saw another problem that wasn't being solved out there, I had to tackle that problem because it was challenging to me, and I like messes. It's messy, so I had to tackle that problem. Once I figured out what would work, then I thought, "Well, I have to write a second book," so I wrote SNAP Selling, which is all about how do you sell to busy buyers who are too busy to talk to you on the phone or talk to you about going ahead with the project, and then they never get back to you because everything else is going on in their company. Then, I thought I'd said everything I needed to say. Jill K: 10:35 After I wrote SNAP Selling, that book, people said to me, "Jill, this is really good. It's really helping me get in to see these people. It's helping me keeping the conversation going, and now we're closing deals, more projects." Then, they'd go, "But," and it was like this 'but' was a huge 'but'. It was, "But, I'm crazy busy, too. What do you have for me?" I looked at them in horror, and I'd say, " Oh, I haven't a clue! I'm going nuts just like you are!" Jill K: 11:05 You know, you keep hearing that long enough, and then that might create a brain starts working in the background, so I think, "I know one thing that can help with this. I know one thing. I know how to do rapid learning. I know how to get into a sales job and get up to speed fast because that was what I did with all my consulting work, quick emersion, pick out the salient points, and how to align them so you can figure out what to do," so I wrote a book on that called Agile Selling, which is how to get up to speed fast in a new sales position. I thought I was done, that I'd said everything I needed to say. Then, I was still crazy busy myself and miserable. Jill K: 11:44 Finally, one day I woke up and said, "Well, this is no way to live." Maybe I should study that and how I can change my life so I'm not going nuts all the time. I studied that and, of course, every time I figured something out, I'd feel this compelling need to share it with the world, so that's what I did. Rochelle M: 12:05 Are you working on number five? Jill K: 12:07 I am not right now, no. Rochelle M: 12:10 I can't wait to hear what it's going to wind up being. Jill K: 12:13 I have no idea. I have to wait for the problem to emerge. I don't have a problem screaming at me right now. The biggest problem and challenge I have right now is I'm selling my house and downsizing, and I have three weeks to get out. Rochelle M: 12:28 Cool. Jill K: 12:33 That's all I'm thinking about right now. Rochelle M: 12:34 That's huge. Thank you for making the time to talk to us in between. Jonathan S: 12:39 Your story, sort of the way you punctuated there at the end with you're waiting for the problem to reveal itself, that really speaks to sort of dogfooding your own material. I'm a huge fan of the Selling to Big Companies book. I recommend it to students all the time, and it's all about that. It's starting with what's the benefit, what's the value proposition, what is the ... Don't talk about your competitors and how you're different from your competitors. Talk about the status quo and how you're different from that. Give it to them in tangible terms that define business outcomes if you're selling to businesses. Jonathan S: 13:21 It's one of those sort of slap yourself in the forehead types of things when you read it. It's like, "Well, obviously!" I believe that it stems from that, like what's the problem? Hopefully, it's an expensive problem. People have this big expensive problem, the kind of thing they're losing sleep over, and then when you stumble ... Obviously, your radar is finely attuned looking for that kind of thing, so I think a lot of people just sort of zoom right by them and don't pick up the signal. Rochelle M: 13:57 I'm not sure. Yes, my radar's really tuned because I've been in the sales field a long time but, what I think is really going on for a lot of people who are in the consulting business is they think about sales the wrong way. I mean, they fundamentally think about sales the wrong way, which is the used car. I got to talk about myself and tell them about how unique I am and my wonderful services, and then they feel like frauds because they don't feel unique, and they don't think that their services are really all that different, and they hate blathering on and on about how wonderful they are, so they don't feel good about that. Then, they don't want to sell. They'd just as soon just keep doing projects, but the reality of it is, if you don't learn, and sales is a skill, if you don't learn and tackle it as a skill, you cannot create a sustainable career. You have to look at it directly and say, "It's a skill. I can learn it. Other idiots are learning it, too, and they're no better than me. They just figured out how to get work and, if I can focus on that, I'll do fine." Rochelle M: 14:58 You have to realize that it's not pushy. The best salespeople are consultants. I mean, they're consultative in their nature, and they've learned how to take a consultative process that they use with their clients and move it into a sales methodology about understanding the business issue. Anybody's who's doing consulting is working on an issue. That's why they're there, so the challenge is to stop talking about, "Oh, we have this really unique methodology that we just love" or, "We're so creative." Rochelle M: 15:28 It's really talking about the issue and what they can't do, what they want to do, and what they're going to have trouble doing because of how they're currently set up as an organization, the methodologies that they use, everything that you could look at that could be a problem. If somebody would realize that selling is really consulting and get off that, "I hate selling! I hate selling" bandwagon and just say, "Look, I am really good at this, and I want to be able to do this with my life. I want to have a sustainable income. I need to learn the skill, and I need to approach it as a disciplina- ..." Jill K: 16:00 I need to learn the skill and I need to approach it as a discipline that just is part of running a business. Rochelle M: 16:06 Yeah, I think a lot of consultants get kinda tossed around with this idea of their process, because as a soloist you typically have to have some expertise and you have to have a process on some level that you follow, and so the typical consultant things, "Well, I've gotta tell the client about my process and there's 17 steps and it looks like this." Jill K: 16:24 Oh God, let's complicate things, 17 steps and a busy buyer will go, "OH my God, 17 steps." You know, and then they'll be intimidated and bored. Rochelle M: 16:36 Exactly. It's focusing on outcomes and Jonathan and I both, you know we preach that to the heavens. It really is as simple as that, when you think every consultant and I grew up in a big consulting firm, so I learned the selling piece, consultative selling in relationships early, and once it becomes a natural part of who you are, you can't turn it off. Jill K: 17:03 You can't, right. Rochelle M: 17:04 And that's a good thing. Jill K: 17:05 Yes, it is a good thing, because being consultative it's a wonderful skill to be able to ask questions and figure out where the issues are and then to be able to step back and think, "How can I help it?" You know, that's what sales is too, and if you can take and just reapply those same skills that you have that make you a good consultant, you can get business, but you gotta get over yourself, you know and that you hate it. Rochelle M: 17:30 Yes, and the 17 step process. Jill K: 17:33 Oh, God no, nobody wants your 17 steps. All you need to talk about is how do you get started. Let me suggest this as the starting point, you know, we have other things we can go on, but here's basic starting point what we have to do to get going on this project. Rochelle M: 17:46 I hear you. So what I'm wondering is, could we talk about your business model for a minute, Jill? Jill K: 17:52 Yes, we could. I mean I have an evolving business model, cause my business has changed dramatically over the years. Rochelle M: 18:00 Oh, I'd be amazed if it hadn't. I mean, one of the things we talk a lot about on this show is different, creating digital products and books and obviously books are a key part of your business strategy, I mean you've got four best selling books in 12 years, so we all know that's a huge investment in time. I'm wondering if you can walk us through the role that books play in your business model. So just as an example, some people think of books as really a standalone revenue stream and they look at books as, you know I need to make money from this book and this is my plan and it's a revenue stream, and others say, "Listen, the book is really more about feeding my speaking business or my consulting business, it's a calling card. And I don't worry so much about the revenue from the books, what I look at is how it supports the other things that I do." Jill K: 18:56 Yes, so that's what you wanna know about my books, how I look at my books mostly? Rochelle M: 19:00 How do you think about them, I'm curious? Jill K: 19:04 Okay, how I think about it is different from both ways that you described it. Rochelle M: 19:08 Good. Jonathan S: 19:08 Perfect. Jill K: 19:09 So we have plan C over here and plan C is, I like puzzles and problems, and I like to figure them out. And every time I figure them out I have a compulsive need to share the answers with people, so I write books. Because what good does it do if I know the answers and have ideas that can make a difference to a whole lot of people, so to me it's a mission driven thing to write the books, I'm compelled to write the books. However, let me say the big however. However, I am very well aware that they are the lifeblood of my business. But I don't write them for the money and I don't write them exactly for getting the business, I write them because they need to be written. Jill K: 19:55 Because I have tackled an issue that people are facing and that I know that they're facing and that they can help people. So that's why I write them, but because I'm a salesperson at heart, you know, I truly do understand that there will be great payback, but it's not my driving force. I mean, I've written some books that ... I mean I actually wrote a book in 2008 for people on how to use selling skills to get jobs when the stock market crashed, or not stock market, but the whole economy crashed, I put a book out there for free. Why? Because people needed to know that you couldn't just go onto Monster.com, you know and put your resume out. They needed to know that they could target companies they wanted to work for and go after them and create job opportunities on their own. Jill K: 20:40 So I wrote a book and just gave it away. Jonathan S: 20:43 Yeah and that's sort of a good segue into the absolute wealth of information and variety of formats that you have organized on your website. I mean it's almost overwhelming, you have it organized very nicely so it's not overwhelming but it's just a massive amount of information. Jill K: 21:02 Yes, okay so here's some of the things that you need to know. I have said before that I'm on a mission type thing, and I feel compelled to do this, you know write the selling to big companies book, put stuff out there. 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I can't remember exactly in the time frame, I said to myself, "How can I give my expertise away for free and make good money doing it?" Which is an interesting question to pose. Cause it's doesn't sound like there's an answer. How can I give stuff away for free and make good money doing that? Jill K: 21:40 And at that point I didn't know the answer, but one of the things I've always done is I've posed the question to myself, you know, like I said, how can I help these small businesses who don't know how to sell and don't have any money, how can I serve them? And you know, my brain works on it for three to four months and suddenly one day the answer miraculously appears. So anyway, I did I posed the question, How can I give away my expertise for free and make good money doing it? And a few months later a company contacted me about writing an e-book and they said, "We will market it to the VP of sales." Which is my target demographic and I knew that their technology, you know, it was good for them to bless my work and for me to create an e-book for them. Jill K: 22:29 SO I wrote an e-book for them, put it out there and three months later D and B called, Dun and Bradstreet called and said, "We saw this book that you wrote for this company and we would really like you to write an e-book for us and we'll share it with our readers." And you know, for Dun and Bradstreet to say that it was pretty cool, right? I mean, again, they had a division that was going after VP's of sales, my target readers. And so we talked and kinda focused on what the e-book would be like and I'm talking an e-book probably of two to three thousand words, just for context for people. And they would do the design of the e-book and I would simply do the words. Jill K: 23:05 So we got done talking, had honed in on the topic and then the lady from D and B said to me, "How much do you charge for this?" And now I thought I was doing an e-book from a pure marketing perspective and when she said that I stopped and I said to myself, "Oh my God, people pay for this kinda stuff." And so I said, "3,000 dollars." And she said, "Oh, we can afford that." Okay, that's interesting. Jill K: 23:41 So I wrote a nice e-book sharing my expertise, Dun and Bradstreet gave it away for free and I made 3,000 dollars. And it was a one week project, not bad. Cause that's also becoming a marketing piece for me out there, do you know what I'm saying? Jonathan S: 23:57 Sure. Jill K: 23:58 Now I'm giving away my expertise for free to people who need it and I'm getting paid for it. So then the first company that asked me to write the e-book called back said, "That e-book was the best thing we've ever had, we've had more downloads from a lead generation standpoint, it has been tremendous, we would like you to write another one." And I said, "I would love to do that, but you know I'm really busy right now, and I'm gonna have to charge you to do it, cause it would take away from my work time." And they said, "Oh, how much?" And I said, "4,000 dollars." And they said, "Yeah, we can afford that." Jill K: 24:36 So I took another week and wrote another e-book, you know didn't write the whole time but just kinda thought about it, gave it some structure and then filled in the meat. Again, two to three thousand words, and then I realized that my expertise was a revenue source, and it didn't hit me til that point. So what most consultants don't understand is that there are companies, first of all they serve a certain demographic, like I serve and am an expert for sales people and somebody else might be an expert in pricing, somebody else might be an HR consultant on laws of some sort. There are people out there who sell things to the people we're trying to do work with, you know, like there's a whole bunch of technology people that sell things to my clients, you know, the kinda people I work with, the kinda people I write for. Jill K: 25:27 And so I literally created a business model where I did a couple things, number one I created content and I still do, I create content for companies who are trying to reach salespeople, and I get paid really good money to create e-books. My daughter when she was out of college, in her 20's went to work for a company that was an agency and she actually wrote articles and blog posts for Linkedin and e-books for Linkedin and her agency was paid 20,000 dollars to write an e-book, so now I raised my fee. Rochelle M: 26:02 Yeah. Jill K: 26:04 And get paid 20,000 dollars to write an e-book. Because kids that were right out of college were writing these e-books from agencies and they were getting expert opinions and putting it together where I who am the expert can sit down, you know and write e-books and then they have the authority of my expertise as opposed to just Linkedin e-books. So they can market it better. So lead generation is crucial for a lot of companies today, they're desperately searching for content, content can be delivered in multiple formats, I have written e-books, now I'm doing interviews with people as part of my content, I've done video segments from a content perspective. I've done podcasts, you know, I do webinars, I get paid to do webinars, which they use, "Oh we're having a webinar with Jill Konrath and you know sign up, it's free." Jill K: 26:53 But it's free for the people who sign up, but it's not free, I'm not giving away my time, I'm being paid to do it cause I'm an expert in this field. And so I have an entire business model that is set on giving away stuff for free and making good money doing it. Rochelle M: 27:08 Wow. I love that explanation, Jonathan I'm picturing our listeners going, "really? I can do that?" Jill K: 27:16 Oh my God, you guys there's so much money in lead generation, people are paying 10 or 20 thousand dollars to have an e-book and you don't even have to be an expert, you know like a well known expert, you could easily charge like I said, I started at 4,000 dollars to have an e-book that was marketed to my target market. So other companies are blessing me by saying, "here's an expert" they're putting me in front of my targeted client who's getting free advice and I'm making good money. And word comes from that, that's what you've gotta realize, it does come back to me in a different way. Jill K: 27:52 The other thing I've found and a lot of people don't realize this too is the importance of having a good database as a consultant, a database, a newsletter list. Because and here's what I can tell you I discovered, again I reach a certain demographic and a few years back after I asked that question, "How can I give away my expertise for free and make good money doing that?" You know, I write this newsletter and somebody approached me and said we have a client who would like to know if you would write about this e-book in your newsletter, or if you'd promote this e-book in your newsletter. And I said, "I don't promote other people's stuff in my newsletter, you know, I just write my stuff." Jill K: 28:35 And they said, "Could we pay you to do that?" And I said, "Why don't you send me the e-book and I'll take a look at it?" And they sent me this e-book that was written and it was perfect for my audience, I mean they would love it, it was well written, it wasn't promotional at all, it was really excellent content and they paid me 4,000 dollars to do that, you know it's like, oh my God, all I had to do was send a newsletter to my database, all I had to do, "Here's a really good e-book on this. When you read it you'll discover ..." And I had three bullet points and then at the bottom I'd write complements of my vendor, and I'd have a link, you know. Jill K: 29:15 And I'd be paid to do that. So once I discovered that my database was an asset, I started building my database so I could charge more. I know, but it allows me to give away good stuff for free and to get paid doing it, which allows me to stop and create more new content. It's the creation stuff that's fun for me, so how can I constantly be in a creation mode and give my stuff away for free so I can create new stuff. Rochelle M: 29:43 Well and this sense of mission that you have just kind of bleeds into everything which I love, I feel like that's your fuel. Jill K: 29:51 Yeah, it is my fuel, I mean you know money used to be my fuel and since I discovered, I mean when I got hooked on helping small businesses, which ultimately I did this selling to big companies stuff, suddenly everything changed and my business kind of exploded on me when I was really trying to be more generous with the world, does that make sense? And so something and it really did explode on me and everything changed and I became the internationally recognized person, but that was never ever my goal. But I became that. Rochelle M: 30:27 Wow. Jonathan S: 30:29 How do speaking engagements figure into the mix? Jill K: 30:32 Well I don't do consulting anymore, okay, I literally had to make a choice a few years ago, probably seven years ago now. Much as I love doing consulting work, what I discovered was that doing consulting work was ... my whole brain got wrapped up in my client, you know what I mean? You get so immersed in the work and every creative thought I had was, "Oh God how am I gonna solve that? Or what am I gonna do? How do I fix that?" And it took up all my creative energy and I had made a decision then that I could either serve one client really well or I could serve a variety of people out there. And so I made a choice to serve a variety of people and to serve the world as opposed to my one client, which meant I had to walk away from consulting entirely and move into speaking, which is not something I'd done too much of, you know. Jill K: 31:27 So then I had to become a speaker, which is something I never wanted to do, but I became one because I wanted to share what I learned. I feel like I'm a real oddball here talking, but it's like if you're sort of on this mission and you've learned this stuff about you know how to sell to these companies, or how to be more successful or how to, you know how to get your life back in order, those are important things. I want people to know then so they don't have to go through the same learning curve that I had to go through. Jill K: 32:01 So how does speaking fit in? Speaking fits Jill K: 32:00 ... curve that I had to go through. How does speaking feed in? Speaking feeds in because I get paid well to do it and it gives me a chance to be in front of more people, and to have a broader impact. But it pays really, really well. Rochelle M: 32:16 You've got an international footprint, yes? Jill K: 32:18 Yes. Last month I was in Milan, Italy. Wrapped a nice vacation around it so it was a lot of fun. Jonathan S: 32:27 Nice. Rochelle M: 32:28 That sounds perfect. Jill K: 32:29 It was perfect. Jonathan S: 32:36 It feels like each of these different sorts of packaging of your expertise, each of these different offerings if you will even if they're free, blogposts and e-books and worksheets and videos and speeches and books. They all ... sort of like what people refer to as a flywheel effect where you've got this very, very clear focus at the hub, in the center. And everything just revolves around it. It's adding a little bit. And once it's going, adding more energy to that motion just keeps it in motion, keeps it accelerating. Jill K: 33:15 Yeah. It does. Jonathan S: 33:16 I'm curious if there were any spikes or anything in particular that you noticed really noticed upped the ante for you? Was very successful for you and got you to a new level? I don't know, one of the books perhaps being super successful. Or was it ... Was there anything in particular that you could share with the listeners that you look back and say, "That ..." Maybe you didn't know it at the time but, "Man. That was smart. That really worked out for me." Jill K: 33:45 Oh man. A lot of things have worked out for me. Jonathan S: 33:53 It seems that way. And that was a perfectly good answer. I'm kind of hoping you say, "No," because- Jill K: 33:58 There's no magic here. Jonathan S: 33:59 Right. Jill K: 33:59 I mean like I said, this wasn't my goal. My goal was to do the work and to get paid a living wage. Have a good enough income that I felt decent about the work that I was doing. Jill K: 34:09 I have passed up a significant number of revenue opportunities that have come my way. And I have chosen not to do certain things because of lifestyle choices. You know, I do speak but man, I'm not promoting myself as somebody who's on the road 250 days a year. That's like crazy for me. I don't want to do that. Speaking 20 times a year is sufficient. You can tell I'm not totally driven by money but I'm making really good money, you know? I have been approached numerous times to do online training courses and I have not done them. I've not done them. Jonathan S: 34:46 What's the thinking there? Jill K: 34:48 Well because I have seen a lot of people do them and I am very aware that it's not about the training program. A lot of people have created really good training programs. They've invested a ton of money in these things. And then in order to be profitable, they have to go into marketing mode and they have to have a large enough footprint out there from a database perspective or they have to be constantly marketing. And I don't want to do that. I want to give away my stuff for free and make good money doing it. Jill K: 35:21 It's more fun for me to give it away. So I found another way so I don't have to keep selling programs. I just keep giving away stuff. And I go to companies and say, "I have an idea for something on how I can help you," and I pitch my ideas to companies about how I can create content. How I can create content that they can leverage. And what people don't realize is the lead generation machines of companies are desperate for content. If you have a niche and an expertise in a certain area, there are somebody who's trying to reach the person that you work with. I don't care if it's auditors or warehouse foremen. Somebody's trying to reach them. Jill K: 36:08 And who are these companies who are selling to these people and how can you create some good content that they can give away for free to attract these people into their database because they need to talk to them. They want something that is good. We're experts and we don't value our content. But they're paying kids out of college big bucks to write articles or to write e-books or to do things that we, who are experts, could do and do it so much better than. Jill K: 36:39 I mean to me that's an opportunity that virtually every consultant is totally blind to. I went to speak at National Speakers Association at one of their events a few years back. And I was explaining this to people. And again, most people look at me like, "I couldn't do that. That's really weird." But one guy came up to me afterwards. He said, "I am an expert in aging population and how to take care of aging parents." That's his expertise. And he said, "I have a 30000 word document right now that I was thinking of putting out as a book." He said, "What you've done is you've given me an idea." And he went to New York Life Insurance company with his idea because they had a product on elderly care product. And he sold them, his first time out contacting New York Life, going after the lead generation or demand generation department in their marketing arena and talk with them about creating an e-book on how to take care of your elderly parents or how do you decide on which senior place is the best for your elderly parents. And $30000 you know? On his first time out. And he already had the content. Rochelle M: 37:51 Not bad. Jill K: 37:52 You don't make that much from writing a book usually, you know what I mean? Jonathan S: 37:56 Not your first one. Jill K: 37:56 Not your first one. No. Rochelle M: 37:56 Exactly. Jonathan S: 37:59 I'm having my own light bulb moment here because I've actually been hired to do things like you're describing. And it never occurred to me that they were anything other than random one off edge cases where I've written a bunch of books. The target market is always software developers, specifically web developers, and have been hired by big companies to essentially do exactly to the letter what you're describing here. Jill K: 37:59 And? Jonathan S: 38:26 And it was great. It's great money. It's exactly what you're saying. It's great money. It's great exposure. You get to share ideas for free. You get the third party endorsement of whoever, Nokia or Cisco or whoever else, Intel. Jill K: 38:44 Yeah. Right. Jonathan S: 38:46 But the shoe that never dropped for me, was that you could actually go after that kind of work specifically. It just seemed to me so random and so ... I mean now that you're saying it, it's obvious that it's not. But it never even occurred to me to think like, "Oh. That could be my whole business." It surely could have. Jill K: 39:08 I mean the two things about leveraging my database and sharing information about good webinars that are coming up or good e-books that other companies have written and the combination of doing my own content creation for companies was 50% of my revenue last year. And it was fun work. Jonathan S: 39:25 Right. It is fun. Jill K: 39:26 And you know some of the projects, some of the e-books that I wrote in the last couple years and talking with people, I interview some of their best clients. And I write up like ... One e-book I did was for a company called Velocify that does software for inside sales, inside sales people that call on the phone. And they had me interview five VPs of Sales that are running high performance teams, sales teams. Jill K: 39:55 And I wrote an e-book. It was fast, it was fun to do because I got to talk to all these five people and get inside their brain. And these are, again, people like my customers, you know. I got to interview them and then I got to write up seven things I learned from them in an e-book. The 7 Characteristics of Top Performing Sales Leaders. You know it was like, "Oh that was fun. It gave me more recent connectivity with my base. I got to ask insightful questions. They were delighted to be included in the project. It's like, "Man. This is cool work." Rochelle M: 40:30 Win, win, win. Jill K: 40:31 Win, win, win. Win, win, win. Yeah. Jonathan S: 40:33 So if someone was going to ... I know specific individuals who are more ... I think they would refer to themselves as copywriters or data analysts and they don't see themselves as maybe as big of an expert at their area of expertise than I would consider them to be. Who I imagine will listen to this and not perhaps be skeptical or clueless about what next steps to take if maybe they are interested in experimenting with these ideas. As a sales expert, what would somebody in a situation like that do as a first step? Jill K: 41:12 First. So if you wanted to do this to make money doing? Like what I was just describing? Jonathan S: 41:19 Right. You know you said that companies are desperate for lead generation. Jill K: 41:23 They really are. Jonathan S: 41:23 College kids to do it. I know for sure that there are tons of listeners of this show and also another show that I do that are just ... They say all the time, "People don't value what I do. What I do is a commodity." They're trying to sell themselves by the hour on Upwork. They're competing with people in the Philippines who are charging $3 an hour. They feel like giving up frankly. And this is a very, very interesting approach that has never occurred to me consciously before but I wouldn't know where to recommend that they start. Jill K: 42:01 Right. Most people don't because they don't understand sales. They don't understand lead generation either. They just don't think that people are doing that. But if they understood, first of all, that companies are desperately trying to get people in to their database so that they can initiate conversations with them about potentially buying a product or service. Jill K: 42:25 The first place you have to start is saying, "Well who are the people that I'm continually working with? Is it Purchasing? Is it Marketing? CMOs? Where am I working?" And you have to say then, "Who is trying to sell these people things?" And honestly, if you're working in Marketing and selling with CMOs, you could talk to the CMO and say, "You know, what kind of things do you make decisions about?" And they might say, "Well, we make decisions about technology. There's a lot of marketing technology right now. Or we make decisions about this or that." Jill K: 43:01 Whatever they tell you, then you have to find out what companies are in that business. But if you're selling to the CMO, which technologies are trying to reach the CMO? Or if you're selling to an attorney or law firm, which companies are trying to reach law firms to sell them what? What products and services? And you have to just start thinking about it and start researching the companies. And there's no shortcut to do that. Jill K: 43:26 But once you start researching the companies and you say, "Oh this company sounds like ... It's kind of aligned with what I do. And we're kind of talking the same thing. I'm just helping on the edges of it." Then you have to look and you have to go to LinkedIn and you have to look and google things like demand generation or lead generation and find out who's in their Marketing department. And take a look if they have any -- I go to their website and I'd take a look -- are they offering any e-books? Do they have webinars? Do they have infographics. I've been paid a lot of money for one page cheat sheets too. Little one page cheat sheets. Blah, blah, blah. I can't talk. A little one page cheat sheet that I've written. I got $3000 for writing something that I already knew and that didn't take very long. Jill K: 44:21 But just going to the website and seeing are they doing lead generation on their website. And you can tell they're doing it if you have to fill out your name for something and give them an email address. Then you know they're doing lead generation, right? Jonathan S: 44:35 Sure. It's obvious. Jill K: 44:36 It's obvious. So once you know, yes they are leveraging lead generation and you don't want to talk somebody into it because they don't get it. You want to always work somebody who gets it. And see what they have. And see if you can think of an idea to add something else. Jill K: 44:55 Like the one I was talking about before with Velocify. I went to them with an idea because I checked out their website and they didn't have anything on onboarding sales people. Nothing. Nothing. And so I suggested that they might want to consider that and let's talk. You can send out an email to the head of lead gen. By the way not just one because if you look at any of my books, you'll find out it takes eight to ten touches, contacts in order for this person to get back to you. But you initiate contact and you suggest an idea, then you state that you've been on their website, it looks like their doing lead generation. You have some ideas on how to create an e-book or do a webinar, whatever it is that you want to create yourself. And just suggest that you set up a time to talk. It's not pitching them on your writing skills. It's suggesting that you have an idea that might help them generate more leads. Jonathan S: 45:54 And generating more leads, as we all know, is a very desirable business outcome for certain people. Jill K: 45:59 Oh my God. Yes. It's what they want. And if it's in your area of expertise, you know this stuff and you can write an e-book and being paid $10000 or whatever to sit down and write an e-book in one week, that's 2000 to 3000 words. Jonathan S: 46:14 Mm-hmm (affirmative). Right. Jill K: 46:15 That's not a lot of writing. My first two books are 60000 words and my second two are about 40000 to 45000, so. Jonathan S: 46:26 Yeah it's super doable. It's just great. This is great. Rochelle M: 46:29 I just want to point out to our audience that the key is knowing who you're serving. Knowing who your sweet spot is. Being crystal clear is going to help you. You can't start this without knowing that. Jill K: 46:42 You can't. Jonathan S: 46:48 Yeah, it's critical. The whole idea falls apart if you don't have that. Jill K: 46:48 It sort of goes back to ... You talked about selling to big companies at the onset. I mean selling to big companies is about really knowing who your target market is. Who am I going after? Who is this company? Who is the specific buyer? What value do I bring? It's about focusing and creating a conversation with somebody you want to reach. It all goes full circle. Jonathan S: 47:12 Well that's a perfect segue into a wrap-up. Rochelle M: 47:16 That's where I was going. [inaudible 00:47:18] better myself. Perfect. Jonathan S: 47:20 Well thanks so much for joining us Jill. This has been solid gold, just really, really great. Where should people go to find out more about you and your books and all the other wonderful things that you have available? Jill K: 47:31 JillKonrath.com. That's it. JillKonrath.com. Jonathan S: 47:35 Perfect. Jill K: 47:35 Konrath with a K. Jonathan S: 47:37 Yes. We will absolutely link all of this up in the show notes. Jill with a J. Konrath with a K. Jill K: 47:44 Yeah. Jonathan S: 47:47 Alright great. Well thanks again for joining us. Rochelle M: 47:49 Thank you so much. Jonathan S: 47:51 That'll do it for the Business of Authority. Thank you so much for joining us and we'll talk to you again next week. Bye. Rochelle M: 47:57 Bye bye.

On December 26, 2004, the ocean floor ruptured beneath the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. It was the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. It had the longest duration of faulting ever observed. It lasted between 8.3 and 10 minutes. The people on the beach didn't recognize the disaster as it was happening. In fact, some thought the fish left on the beach by the receding water--just before a monstrous wave came through--were a gift from god. What happened next could not have been worse. The resulting tsunami killed between 230,000 and 280,000 people in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India. The wave washed whole families away. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded human history. I spent the past five months in those four countries. I walked and drove by more memorials and graves than I can count. When I sat on the beach in Sri Lanka with my wife and one of our children on December 26, 2017, it was impossible not to think about disasters. Many people had been in that exact spot 14 years early. As we walked down the beach, we passed their graves. Disasters strike unexpectedly. They are unpredictable. Yet they occur with some frequency. It's wise to assume disaster will strike at some point. It might happen soon. It might be devastating. It's better to be prepared. Had the people in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India been prepared, there would have been more of them on the beach with me this past December. Are you ready for disaster? I talk endlessly about systems. Many of us have done a pretty good job of documenting our procedures, but only for normal days. We don't, however, consistently document systems for terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad days. Our systems are valuable on a typical day, but when the going gets tough, a disaster system can literally save the day. On days when everything goes wrong, there's no time to ask a question, look it up, or figure it out. When the waves of disaster crash around us, we need systems that tell us what to do based on plans made before the stress of the situation took over. When the water level rises, or the winds howl, you simply turn to the ready-made checklist and start executing. You don't need to panic because you mapped out the whole plan (the right things in the right order with the right people) when things were calm and under control. Disaster preparation minimizes the disruption to your business. It puts you back in control when unfortunate circumstances occur around you. You need a system for handling disasters because one will strike eventually. It's hard to say when, but the types of disasters that impact law firms are fairly predictable. Here are some of the types of disasters you might encounter. 1. Flood, Fire, Earthquake I once watched the smoke rise as a lawyer's office in Raleigh burned down. The firm had purchased an old Southern mansion and spent years rehabilitating and decorating it. It was gone in an hour, along with all of the computers, paper files, books, records, and everything else. We have Rosen Institute members in Houston. They survived the recent hurricane and then got walloped by the flooding. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, fires, and even earthquakes strike with some frequency. There's always a law firm caught in the mix. The disaster makes the news for a cycle, but when it's gone there are still lawyers on the scene sorting out the remains of their business. The disaster's impact goes beyond the damage to the firm's physical presence. The firm's employees struggle with their own hardships and injuries. They might be unable to help repair the business because they're so busy repairing their lives. 2. Sabotage Employees go berserk sometimes. It might be subtle and hard to detect, like when an employee maliciously alters a record. Or it might be exceedingly obvious, like when an employee wipes out your data and backups. Or it might be horrific, like when an employee comes in shooting with a high-powered rifle over some perceived slight. Theft is more common. Employees steal from the firm, robbing you of the cash you need to meet your immediate obligations. Suddenly the employee is gone and so are the week's payroll funds. A law firm that hesitates to trust its employees struggles to get the work done. It's necessary to give employees access to data, finances, and the office space, but sometimes that trust comes back to bite the firm when the employee has mental health or other issues. 3. Epidemic/Outbreak SARS. Bird flu. Ebola. Zika. My wife is oddly obsessed with epidemiology, so I hear more about the spread of pandemic diseases than I should. Crazy though she may be, she's on target with the possibility of disease causing disruption to our practices. It could be something as ordinary as a bad flu season, or it could be something much more dramatic. Either way, it makes sense to be prepared. 4. Health crisis of the owner One Rosen Institute member was out for six weeks recently. His business thrived. I think he's now wondering if he should leave more often. I was out after coronary bypass surgery for nearly two months. That was an experience I'd rather not repeat. Of all the disaster possibilities, a health crisis might be most likely. It doesn't have to be illness or disease. It could simply be a parasailing or base-jumping accident (you crazy daredevil). 5. Power outage It's not just conspiracy theorists who believe the power grid is vulnerable. Ted Koppel, in Lights Out, explains the likelihood of these attacks on major economies. Ukraine has already suffered these attacks. It doesn't have to be an attack that turns the power off. Sometimes the lights just go out. Something as benign as an ice storm or a car hitting a light pole can shut your power down for 48 hours. It happens. 6. Data loss and hacking Data loss happens to the best of us. Sometimes it's the vendor's fault. Sometimes it's an employee mistake. Sometimes it's as simple as an accidental click of the "delete" button or a failure to pay the data storage vendor. It happens. Hacking, of course, is also a very real possibility. Every week we hear about another company getting hacked. Is your data system vulnerable? Hopefully it's protected by smart, capable engineers. But some lawyers keep data on local servers serviced by amateur technicians. The legal and public relations fallout of exposing data is significant. This happens to law firms frequently, so you should anticipate this kind of disaster, especially if you handle high profile matters. But hacking isn't just a problem faced by the high profile firms who handle sensitive matters. What's the plan if your data is hijacked and held for ransom? It happens all the time. 7. Loss of a key employee You pissed her off with a sarcastic remark, so she left for lunch and never returned. (Okay, okay, that wasn't you. It was me.) Employees leave for various reasons. In 30 years, I had five sudden, unexpected employee departures. Inevitably, your employees leave you with a knowledge gap. They know things you need to know in order to be able to deal with ongoing work. They know little things like whether that letter was mailed and where the mailbox key is hidden. Or they might know big things, like everything there is to know about tomorrow's trial. 8. Malpractice I did this once. (Well, probably more than once.) I committed malpractice in a very visible way. Thankfully my malpractice carrier fixed the disaster. My client wasn't harmed, I paid my deductible, and I was permitted to go back to work so I could screw up some more. But the entire episode was surreal. My brain was foggy. I wasn't thinking clearly because of the panic. This kind of disaster also requires a plan. Whom do we call? What do we say? How do we proceed? 9. More disasters than you can imagine I've mentioned eight disasters you might reasonably anticipate, but there are lots more. Thinking about disasters might cause you to lose sleep, but sleepless nights might be worth it if they prompt you to spend some time preparing. What else could happen to you and your law firm? Wildfires, volcanoes, lightning strikes, and power plant accidents are possibilities. Of course, landslides, explosions, and terrorist attacks could occur. Bioterrorism is a thing. So is hazardous material leakage from trains, trucks, and storage facilities. Enough? You need a preparedness plan Hopefully you're good and worked up now. Fear is good if it happens before the disaster. The anxiety you feel will get you moving. It'll motivate you to put the disaster plan higher on your task list. Here's what you need to do before disaster strikes: 1. Create a plan During a disaster, you operate under a cloud of stress and panic, so you need to have a plan in place before calamity occurs. Your disaster plan is just another system like everything else you've documented. (If you haven't already created documented systems then take our systems course, please.) Write it all down and save it somewhere that will be accessible after the disaster strikes. Identify vendors and resources in advance. Some law firms have backup space arranged in nearby cities or in buildings in the same city but far from the primary space. Some firms coordinate with each other, in advance, to step in when any firms in the group have an emergency. Knowledge is power in an emergency. Build your systems to anticipate problems and minimize disruption to your business. 2. Engage the entire team Involve everyone on your team in disaster preparation. This is a team sport. Some firms conduct an exercise every other year to coordinate the disaster preparedness plan. They discuss the plan and drill down into each person's role so everyone's job is documented and understood by the rest of the team. Getting everyone engaged makes it easier for each team member to understand their part of the process when disaster strikes. By engaging everyone, in advance, you create buy-in so the team can jump into action when required. 3. Anticipate communication loss If your phone system goes down, do you have mobile devices ready? Can you redirect the main phone system to the mobile devices? If one mobile carrier is down, do you have access to a secondary carrier? Can your laptops tether off the mobile devices? Does the phone system automatically rollover to the backup devices? Do you have access to a secondary phone system like Skype? Does each employee have an account? Is group chatting enabled? Has the system been tested? What if voice or data communication is unavailable? Do key team members have satellite backups? How will your team coordinate? Will there be a meeting plan? What's the time? Location? How will you proceed to urgent matters and deadlines? What if the disaster shuts down courts in your county, but not courts in the adjacent county where you have pending matters? How will you coordinate and respond? Take it further and anticipate a communication gap with your clients. How will you alert clients if a disaster strikes? What if the disaster causes a data breach and you lose access to client email addresses and phone numbers? What's the plan? 4. Hardware plan Is most of your computer gear housed in the office building? What if the office is inaccessible? Do you have backup hardware? Can any home computers or mobile devices be used to fill the gap? Do you have extra devices strategically stored outside of your office? 5. Data backups Where is the data backup? What about the data on the office server? Will it be accessible remotely? What if the power is down in the building? Is there a remote backup online? Is there a physical copy of the data? Maybe you were smart enough to move to a cloud-based practice management system. But if your cloud provider goes down, will you be out of business? Or do you have a backup plan for that contingency? What does the vendor suggest? What if the vendor disappears? Most importantly, does your data backup plan actually work? Have you tested the backup data? I've witnessed multiple instances of the backup data being non-functional and nobody realizing it didn't work until the disaster struck. 6. Insurance coverage You can cover yourself for most disasters, but you have to buy the coverage in advance. Do you have the right coverage? Or will a disaster put you out of business? When disaster strikes, whom will you call? What's the number? What if the disaster affects their office too? Can you get cash quickly? Can you pay out of your pocket and get reimbursed later? What if you don't have the cash for that? Where is the written policy stored? 7. Drills The building where our primary office was located had a fire alarm test every month. It was great for building a referral network with the other tenants (because we all stood in the parking deck chatting while we were out of the building), but the frequent fire drills sometimes interfered with work. Nevertheless, drills can be useful. Consider having everyone work from home as a test of your remote communication and technology tools. Use vacations and holidays as tests to see if the business can function without key employees. Update and test your backup data and hardware. Unfortunately, shootings occur with increasing frequency in some places. You might want to drill for these situations as well. 8. You are not alone There are resources available to help. They're full of ideas for steps you might include in your plans. FEMA (the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency) and SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) have helpful resources. But there's no resource more valuable in a disaster than friends. Build relationships with your law firm peers around your county, state, and country. Having a reciprocal relationship with a firm a few hundred miles from your location can save your business. Knowing that another firm can jump in with human, technological, and financial resources when a disaster strikes is reassuring. These types of relationships can make the difference between survival and defeat, but you have to form them in advance. Think ahead The key to disaster preparedness is thinking ahead. It's weird to spend your time contemplating terrible things that might never happen, but it's helpful to anticipate events before they occur. Disasters are generally predictable. It's just difficult to get the timing right. You don't need to know when it's coming as long as you're prepared for it when it finally happens. Don't let disaster preparation dominate your thinking and planning, but make it a small part of your systems-building. It's sad to contemplate, but if those folks along the coast of the Indian Ocean had understood why the ocean suddenly receded, they would have reacted differently. They had no idea what was coming because they hadn't prepared or practiced for disaster. You and your team have the opportunity--NOW--to prepare for whatever might come. Take advantage of this moment to get your team ready.

Hal Shelton, board member of SCORE Association, and angel investor with Blu Venture Investors, LLC is today's guest on D.C. Entrepreneur. Shelton, the author of "The Secrets of Writing Successful Business Plans," shares his advice to entrepreneurs starting to map out their business.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/georgeindc)

Joseph C. Mandarino is a Partner with Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, in Atlanta. Mr. Mandarino's practice focuses on tax and finance. He is well versed in a wide variety of businesses and transactions. Mr. Mandarinos practice also includes representation in tax controversy work. Mr. Mandarino writes and speaks extensively on a wide range of business, tax and finance topics. He has published over 100 articles in journals and in-house newsletters, and has participated in over 150 presentations and seminars. His articles have appeared in the National Law Journal, Mergers & Acquisitions magazine, Tax Notes Today, the Journal of Real Estate Taxation, the Journal of S Corporation Taxation, the Journal of Multistate Taxation, Tax & Finance Newsletter, the Journal of Taxation and Regulation of Financial Institutions, the ABA Probate & Property Journal, and the NYU Institute on Federal Taxation. In addition, he has spoken at meetings and seminars organized by numerous organizations, including the American Bar Association, the White House Conference on Small Business, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Georgia Electronic Commerce Association, the Federation of Exchange Accommodators, the International Reinsurance Conference, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, the American Health Lawyers Association, the Southeastern Health Law and Policy Forum, and the United Way, as well as several panel-type TV discussion programs.

Jade Harrell with Bob Boles. Retired executive with SCORE-Service Corps of Retired Executives. They help Small Businesses Like Yours!! SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. They have been in service for over fifty years. www.stlouis.score.org

Jade Harrell with Bob Boles. Retired executive with SCORE-Service Corps of Retired Executives. They help Small Businesses Like Yours!! SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. They have been in service for over fifty years. www.stlouis.score.org

  A business plan is a necessary roadmap for entrepreneurs and small business owners.   A business with a business plan has a greater chance to succeed than a business without one.  For many entrepreneurs and small business owners, developing a business plan can seem like a daunting task.  Jack McSunas of the Service Corps of Retired Executives or SCORE explains that putting together a business plan is not as overwhelming as it seems.  

  :  For many entrepreneurs and small business owners, getting expert advice on how to start or run a business can be difficult.  Many startups, entrepreneurs and small business owners can turn to the best kept secret in the United States -- the Service Corps of Retired Executives or SCORE.  Dennis Wright -- Assistant District Director of SCORE Orange County, Inland Empire, and Coachella Valley -- explains the services SCORE provides free of charge or at a nominal cost.  

 The Los Angeles District Office serves Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. As District Director, he is responsible for the delivery of SBA programs and services to aspiring and existing small business owners, SBA lenders and partners, which include business advisory services, capital access programs, entrepreneurial development, international trade development and contract procurement assistance .The Los Angeles District Office territory includes eight Small Business Development Centers, four Service Corps of Retired Executives chapters and four Women’s Business Centers.