Podcasts about smart hustle magazine

Guest: Chris Schembra is the bestselling author of "Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce for Human Connection." Forbes ranks his book as the #2 book of 2020 to create Human Connection; USA Today calls him their "Gratitude Guru," and he's a Founding Member of Rolling Stone's Culture Council. He is the founder of the 7:47 Gratitude Experience — an evidence-based framework used to strengthen client and team relationships in profound ways. He's used the principles of gratitude to spark over 500,000 relationships around the dinner table, serving Fortune 50 CEOs, Olympians, Academy Award Winners, Grammy Award Winning #1 Recording Artists, Super Bowl Champions, and more. He's been selected #5 on the "10 Motivational Speakers that will Rock your next event" by Marketing Insider Group. He was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Smart Hustle Magazine and "People of 2017" by Clientele Luxury Magazine. Recently, he was honored alongside Michael Phelps, Chris Evans, Kid Cudi, and several others as "6 Successful Men Smashing the Mental Health Stigma" by Good Men Project. Episode in a Tweet: Resilient people are people that have a purpose. They are chasing a North star such as be less shitty tomorrow and solve other people's problems. If this is your purpose in life, then you will weather that next storm. Quick Background: I met Chris from my fellow YPOer Ben Wright, founder, and CEO of Velocity Global. Chris and I hit it off immediately, and I asked him to do a gratitude experience for my employees at StoneAge and it was a hit! I've joined him on his show: 7:47 Conversations (you can listen here), and now the tables are turned. Chris shares a raw and deeply personal story of growing up in a bubble that caused him to be entitled and a troublemaker. His doctors put him on meds at a young age which numbed him and dumbed him. Not remembering much of his childhood, anger and resentment ripped through him like a hurricane, destroying relationships and driving him to addiction. Rehab and jail set him on a new path, but there was still something missing. After coming back from working on a Broadway play in Italy, he found himself miserable and alone. Deciding he was not going back down the path of destruction, he started cooking, creating a signature pasta sauce. Then he began hosting dinners. And before he knew it, people from all over were joining his Gratitude Experiences, talking about who and what they are most grateful for. At every experience, Chris asks his signature questions – "If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you DON'T give enough credit or thanks to, who would it be and what would you say?" People connect deeply on this question and the ensuing conversations, which forever changed Chris's life. He is now called the gratitude guru and is making headlines wherever he goes.

Our guest today is Chris Schembra, the bestselling author of "Gratitude and Pasta: The Secret Sauce for Human Connection", chronicling his adventures as one of the most sought-after dinner hosts in the World. Forbes ranks his book as the #2 book of 2020 to create Human Connection, USA Today calls him the "Gratitude Guru", and he's a Founding Member of Rolling Stone's Culture Council.He is the Founder + Chief Question Asker of 7:47, an advisory firm which helps companies give the GIFT of community and belonging to their VIP clients and partners. Having used their signature pasta sauce to spark over 500,000 relationships around the dinner table, their core hypothesis is that giving gratitude to others is the key to fulfillment, and ultimately good for business.He's been selected #5 on the “10 Motivational Speakers that will Rock your next event” by Marketing Insider Group. He was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Smart Hustle Magazine. Recently, he was honored alongside Michael Phelps, Chris Evans, Kid Cudi and several others as “6 Successful Men Smashing the Mental Health Stigma” by Good Men Project. ###We hope that the time you spend with us will help to remove the stigma of anxiety and mental health in the workplace and your personal life. With experts in the world of work and life we want to give you ideas and most importantly the tools to deal with anxiety in your world. If you love this podcast please share it with friends, family and co-workers and leave a 5-star review! (If you don't love it, no need to leave a review!  We would also love to hear from you on LinkedIn and invite you to join our online community We Thrive Together where we are creating a safe place to talk about anxiety and mental health at work.Until next week, we hope you can find some peace and calm in a world that often is a sea of anxiety. ###Your hosts, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have spent more than two decades helping clients around the world engage their employees on strategy, vision and values. They provide real solutions for leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation and build high performance cultures and teams. Their work is supported by research with more than a million working adults across the globe.They are authors of multiple award-winning Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestsellers All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work. Their books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies. They have been called “fascinating” by Fortune and “creative and refreshing” by The New York Times. Gostick & Elton have appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS 60 Minutes, and are often quoted in Fast Company, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal. Learn more about their Executive Coaching practice at TheCultureWorks.com. To book Adrian and Chester to keynote at your event, contact christy@thecultureworks.com ### Thank you to our sponsor, Methods of Leaders. Learn the Methods of leadership from some of the best CEOs, executive coaches, thought leaders and business thinkers on the planet.  Use our discount code, GRATITUDE2021 at checkout for 50% discount. Methods delivers accessible and practical leadership guidance for continuous improvement from the very best of Marshall Goldsmith and his 100 Coaches.  ###

7:47's entire business model revolves around asking a single question: “If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life, that you don't give enough credit or thanks to, who would that be?” Using this question, they produce 3 hour-long Gratitude Interventions (virtual dinners), navigating their attendees to enhanced well-being, accessing positive autobiographical memories, and developing pro-social relationships. These results have led to 7:47's clients earning tens of millions in net new revenue around the dinner table. Aside from 7:47, Chris is a Contributing Producer at OHenry Productions which both invest in and produces commercial theater. He's led social campaigns with over 1,000,000 (million) participants, lowering the suicide rate among veterans with PTSD, and the projects Chris has been involved in have been awarded 14 Tony Awards, 7 Emmy's and a Grammy. He's been selected #5 on the “10 Motivational Speakers that will Rock your next event” by Marketing Insider Group. He was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Smart Hustle Magazine, and “People of 2017” by Clientele Luxury Magazine. Recently, he was honored alongside Michael Phelps, Chris Evans, Kid Cudi, and several others as “6 Successful Men Smashing the Mental Health Stigma” by Good Men Project. His direct work has been talked about in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, USA Today, The New York Times, Variety Magazine, Yahoo Finance, MSN.com, Fox News Channel, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Bravo TV, Newsmax TV, Thrive Global, “Good Morning NY,” and many more. Connect with Chris at www.747club.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gratitudespace/message

Chris Schembra returned home to New York City in 2015 after producing a Broadway play in Italy. Feeling disconnected from his work, he started experimenting with some dishes in his kitchen and accidentally created a pasta sauce recipe. Chris invited 15 of his friends over for dinner and served them his new pasta sauce. Not only did they enjoy the meal, they liked the structure of the dinner, filled with delegated tasks, shared activities, and communal discussion. Chris fell in love with the joy of connecting people and began . His company, 747, is an advisory firm which helps companies give the GIFT of community and belonging to their VIP clients and partners.   At each gathering, Chris asks attendees the question,  "If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life, that you DON’T give enough credit or thanks to, who would that be?” Chris has been selected #5 on the “10 Motivational Speakers that will Rock your next event” by Marketing Insider Group. He was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Smart Hustle Magazine, and “People of 2017” by Clientele Luxury Magazine.  He's been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, The New York Times, Variety Magazine, Fox News Channel, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Bravo TV and more and is the author of the book "Gratitude and Pasta:  The Secret Sauce For Communication."  

This is the fifth of an 8 week series from the Glow at Podcast Row event where I was a top podcaster and featured speaker in NYC! For the next 8 weeks you will hear tips, tricks, and incredible stories from women on a mission. 5/8 with Helena Escalante! Helena Escalante is a certified copywriter and marketing strategy expert. She curates programs for the business community in New York and is a frequent keynote speaker on topics about copywriting, content strategy, leadership, and marketing. Smart Hustle Magazine gave her the 2018-2019 “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” and Hibox.co named her as a "Top 10 Leadership Influencer." She's the author and "Chief Bookworm Officer" of EntreGurus.com, a blog with readers in 150+ countries that provides ideas and actions from the best business books that anyone can read in under 5 minutes. American Express recommends reading her blog as a valuable “resource for entrepreneurs” and UpJourney.com endorsed her as a "Personal Development Expert, Author and Blog to Follow." ———--------- In this episode we talk about: -Why repurposing content is beneficial for business -How to create better content -The WRITE acronym -The secret to content that converts -How to increase sales in content writing Questions: -How did you get to where you are today, and what do you do?- -When did you decide 'this is the business I want to start? -How many languages can you speak? -Do you provide done for you services or are you teaching your clients to become better writers? -How can we craft a captivating piece of content? -How can someone increase sales in their content writing? -What are 3 must haves for creating content for our audience? -Since this podcast is all about becoming Fiercely Unstoppable, can you tell us about a time that you overcame an obstacle and when you did you felt victorious? Connect with Helena! Website: https://entregurus.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenaescalante/ Special link: Helena's FREE W.R.I.T.E. process https://entregurus.com/brooke ———--------- Want some other free goodies? Affirmations. Confidence. Success. $10k months

This is the fifth of an 8 week series from the Glow at Podcast Row event where I was a top podcaster and featured speaker in NYC!  For the next 8 weeks you will hear tips, tricks, and incredible stories from women on a mission.  5/8 with Helena Escalante! Helena Escalante is a certified copywriter and marketing strategy expert. She curates programs for the business community in New York and is a frequent keynote speaker on topics about copywriting, content strategy, leadership, and marketing. Smart Hustle Magazine gave her the 2018-2019 “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” and Hibox.co named her as a "Top 10 Leadership Influencer." She’s the author and "Chief Bookworm Officer" of EntreGurus.com, a blog with readers in 150+ countries that provides ideas and actions from the best business books that anyone can read in under 5 minutes. American Express recommends reading her blog as a valuable “resource for entrepreneurs” and UpJourney.com endorsed her as a "Personal Development Expert, Author and Blog to Follow."  ———--------- In this episode we talk about: -Why repurposing content is beneficial for business -How to create better content -The WRITE acronym -The secret to content that converts -How to increase sales in content writing   Questions: -How did you get to where you are today, and what do you do?- -When did you decide 'this is the business I want to start? -How many languages can you speak? -Do you provide done for you services or are you teaching your clients to become better writers?  -How can we craft a captivating piece of content?  -How can someone increase sales in their content writing?  -What are 3 must haves for creating content for our audience?  -Since this podcast is all about becoming Fiercely Unstoppable, can you tell us about a time that you overcame an obstacle and when you did you felt victorious?   Connect with Helena! Website: https://entregurus.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenaescalante/ Special link: Helena's FREE W.R.I.T.E. process https://entregurus.com/brooke  ———---------   Want some other free goodies? Affirmations.  Confidence. Success. $10k months

Ramon Ray is the editor and found of Smart Hustle Magazine. He’s started four companies and sold two of them. Along the way, he’s shared the stage with celebrity entrepreneurs such as Seth Godin, Daymond John, and Simon Sinek. He’s been featured in places like the New York Times, Fox Business, MSNBC, and many more.   What You'll Learn:  Organizing your own events Pricing your tickets accordingly Getting sponsors for your events Conducting upsells during your event Public speaking habits for success   Links From The Episode: Ramon's site Score Grow Your Influence Book Series Free Video Series: Profitable Training Course Launch Breakthrough Success Podcast

Entrepreneurship is romanticized these days, especially on social media.  I talk with my friend and Smart Hustle Magazine editor Ramon Ray about that trend, and we keep it

Ramon Ray talks about persisting with optimism, when it's time to pivot within your business, and why it's critical to surround yourself with smart people who can steer you in the right direction. For show notes, transcripts, and more, go to https://www.Leadpages.com/podcast Ramon is editor and founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and Smallbiztechnology.com. He is passionate about educating small businesses about technology and marketing best practices for sustained growth. His writings and opinions have been featured in the New York Times, Fox Business, MSNBC, and more. He's also frequently seen on stage delivering keynotes about client attraction, personal branding, and technology trends. ** Top Takeaways ** You don't need anyone else's permission to pursue your business idea. Persist through the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with the help of close friends and your faith.  Growing your business will likely take longer than you think. And it will likely require a pivot or two along the way.  Whatever your current family situation, prioritize the important things to you, and have conversations about the big Why with your spouse and kids. Learn about things beyond the focus of your business. It's inspiring, spurs creativity, and gives you perspective on the bigger picture.

Ramon Ray is a four-time entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Fox Business, MSNBC and other national media, he has been recognized on the WeWork “40 over 40” list, and he is the author of over ten thousand articles and blog posts and four books on business. Ramon is also the editor and founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and the founder of the website smallbiztechnology.com. What You Will Learn: Ramon shares how his career path began with a desire as a child to join the FBI, and how he has worked his way through entrepreneurship to teaching other business leaders and brands. Learn how Ramon does marketing deals with sponsors and brands, and hear his case study of a typical deal he would do, how he would help the brand, and how he would structure the deal. Learn why “micro-influencing” is a powerful and cost-effective tool. Ramon shares strategies for effectively using influencers to market your event, product, service or business. Ramon explains why it is important to avoid being taken advantage of and to be aware of the money you are investing in your deals, so that you get the right return on your investment. Resources: Website: www.ramonray.com Twitter: @ramonray Instagram: www.instagram.com/ramonraysmallbiztech/

Ramon Ray is a four-time entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Fox Business, MSNBC and other national media, he has been recognized on the WeWork “40 over 40” list, and he is the author of over ten thousand articles and blog posts and four books on business. Ramon is also the editor and founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and the founder of the website smallbiztechnology.com.What You Will Learn:Ramon shares how his career path began with a desire as a child to join the FBI, and how he has worked his way through entrepreneurship to teaching other business leaders and brands.Learn how Ramon does marketing deals with sponsors and brands, and hear his case study of a typical deal he would do, how he would help the brand, and how he would structure the deal.Learn why “micro-influencing” is a powerful and cost-effective tool. Ramon shares strategies for effectively using influencers to market your event, product, service or business.Ramon explains why it is important to avoid being taken advantage of and to be aware of the money you are investing in your deals, so that you get the right return on your investment.Resources:Website: www.ramonray.comTwitter: @ramonrayInstagram: www.instagram.com/ramonraysmallbiztech/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why you should be hosting live events and other tips to accelerate your personal brand from Ramon Ray. Ramon Ray is the Editor & Founder of Smart Hustle Magazine. He started FOUR Companies, sold ONE Company. He has shared the stage with many celebrity entrepreneurs including Seth Godin, Daymond John, and Simon Sinek. Featured in major media including the New York Times, Fox Business, MSNBC and more. Interviewed President Obama in the President's first Google Hangout. Also former technology consultant, FBI Citizens Academy Graduate, and United Nations former employee. Has written over 10,000 articles/blog posts.

Segment 1: Scott Jordan is the CEO of Scottevest. He grew the company from his guest bedroom into one of Inc.com's fastest growing companies, now offering more than 60 garments for men and women including jackets, pants, hoodies, hats, even underwear.Segment 2: Seth Godin is an author, entrepreneur and most of all, a teacher. In addition to launching one of the most popular blogs in the world, he has written 18 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It's Your Turn (And It's Always Your Turn).Segment 3: Ramon Ray & Mike MichalowiczRamon Ray is the founder of Smart Hustle Magazine. He is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and international speaker. Mike Michalowicz is the author of Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan, and his newest release Clockwork. By his 35th birthday, Mike had founded and sold two companies. Today he is running his third multi-million dollar venture, Profit First Professionals.Segment 4: Carol Roth is the creator of the Future File® legacy planning system, “recovering” investment banker, billion-dollar dealmaker, investor, entrepreneur, business advisor, national media personality and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Entrepreneur Equation. Segment 5:  Barry Moltz with Courtney Gilcrest and Debbie Schreiner – the Business Insanity Talk Radio team!Sponsored by Nextiva and Finagraph

Ramon Ray is a four-time entrepreneur, best-selling author, global speaker, and producer. He is Editor & Founder of Smart Hustle Magazine, and his third book is Amazon.com best seller “Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing.” Ramon has been invited as an expert witness to Congress, invited by the Office of the President of the United States to speak at the White House, and produced many events including the "Smart Hustle Small Business Conference," "Small Business Summit," "Small Business Technology Tour", "Small Biz Big Things," and more. What you'll learn about in this episode: Why Ramon highly values marketing with an emphasis on a personal touch as something that is an integral part of a business relationship Why “you are your own company” in many small businesses and the company's success relies heavily on the image you project Ways that Ramon's successful business model allows him to derive approximately one-third of his revenue through talks to associations, groups, and other smaller entities about the importance of developing leads, building customers, and sustaining personal brands How Ramon earns another one-third of his revenue by working with large companies and brands on different types of engagements Methods Ramon has developed to help big brands establish a dialog and have a voice with smaller businesses through content marketing Why advance preparation is essential when we choose to enter an unfamiliar environment How we need to “own” our own turf in the marketing world if we expect to find success Ways that Ramon encourages us to try to find opportunities even in bad experiences, noting that even during a fender-bender we may meet someone who will help us down the road How successful entrepreneurs know the importance of succession planning when they themselves can no longer carry the same workload to make sure that their innovative ideas remain a powerful force even if they have to scale back their direct involvement Why personal branding is imperative and how you can improve your brand Ways to contact Ramon: Twitter: @ramonray Website: www.ramonray.com Magazine: www.smarthustle.com Book: "The Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing"

Ramon Ray, publisher/executive editor of Smart Hustle Magazine (SmartHustle.com), best-selling author of “Facebook Guide to Small Business Marketing.” Ramon's the master of the smart hustle, with a story full of great lessons for all entrepreneurs. by SBE Council on ForbesBooks Radio

This week, I had the opportunity to speak with Ramon Ray of Smart Hustle Magazine. Ramon is a four time entrepreneur and has established himself as an expert on personal branding. Joining Ramon for this interview is Kacia Kyle and Amber Diehl. Kacia Kyle is a senior at the University of Houston planning to become a Human Resources Specialist. Amber Diehl is a junior finance major at Prairie View A&M University. Listen closely to the amazing advice that Ramon shares with Kacia and Amber and get some GREAT advice in the first five minutes on how you can stand out from those around you!

Bottom Line Faith is the show that bridges the gap between faith and business. Today's show features Ramone Ray, founder of Smart Hustle Magazine.

Join guest host Ben Snedeker and small business advocate Ramon Ray, the Editor & Founder of Smart Hustle Magazine.  Topics include why it’s important for a small business to automate follow up, and how to make sure it doesn’t feel “robotronic.”

In a recent interview with Smart Hustle Magazine, Carrie Kahn of Complete Business Group shares how adding a CRM gave instant results to her small business.

Randi Zuckerberg, entrepreprenuer and author, speaks with Ramon Ray, founder of Smart Hustle Magazine about the importance of tech skills and closing the tech skills gap.

Recently, Smart Hustle Magazine was able to intereview Dana Timmons. She shared how she pushed herself out of her business routine and grew.

In today's episode of The Art of Passive Income, Mark talks to Ramon Ray of RamonRay.com. Ramon has done it all, from working at the UN to becoming an entrepreneur. He started 4 companies and sold 1. He's the editor and founder of Smart Hustle Magazine, author of 3 books, journalist, global speaker, mentor, former technology consultant, event producer and host. And what does a guy who has done it all do next? He interviews the President! He interviewed President Obama in the President's first live Google Hangout!  How did Ramon get to that level? He did not take NO for an answer! Instead he let it fuel his fire. He explains that the 2 most important things that got him there were:  Persistence Hard Work  Where can you apply those 2 qualities in your own business to push yourself ahead?   Ramon talks about the 3 phases he went through when starting out as an entrepreneur and his favorite tech pieces that he uses in his own businesses. Then Mark puts him on the spot and has him defend Infusionsoft aka CONfusionsoft.    Don't miss this FUN episode!    TIPS OF THE WEEK Mark: Learn more about Ramon at RamonRay  Ramon: Try not to generate sales first, but instead focus on building a tribe.   Isn't it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?

On today’s episode, Ramon Ray and I discuss hosting a successful event. As someone who constantly wants to bring people together, Ramon has made a truly interesting career out of hosting events, that is if he isn’t speaking at an event or running Smart Hustle Magazine.    Starting from the ground up, Ramon grew the size of his events depending on what he saw was appropriate, and has made good on his decisions when planning for each event. He takes us through what he considers the “5 broad buckets” of planning to host an event, and what he thinks is a strong marketing plan.    We chat about the ups and downs Ramon has faced, and he explains that he even still goes through this process today, and what it is that he does to stay motivated and creative during those bad times. We are fortunate to hear an interesting and comprehensive insight into the world of events.    Listen in to hear why Ramon compares planning events to having a baby, and the best lessons he learned during his career.     Key Links from the show: www.ramonray.com - Ramon’s Personal Site www.smarthustle.com - Ramon’s magazine   Learn: - Ramon’s advice for breaking through - Ramon’s tips for putting on an event on a shoestring budget - How to get good speakers at your event - Why planning and building in time to market is key - Ramon’s inspirational quote  

Personal branding is a crucial aspect of business branding. That’s why we’ve brought in yet another extra-special Guest Teacher to help you master the art! Ramon Ray is the founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and an expert in all things branding. In today's episode, he’ll show you how to fuel your business with the strength […] The post MBA660 Guest Teacher: Ramon Ray- How To Strengthen Your Personal Brand appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Personal branding is a crucial aspect of business branding. That’s why we’ve brought in yet another extra-special Guest Teacher to help you master the art! Ramon Ray is the founder of Smart Hustle Magazine and an expert in all things branding. In today’s episode, he’ll show you how to fuel your business with the strength […] The post MBA660 Guest Teacher: Ramon Ray- How To Strengthen Your Personal Brand appeared first on The $100 MBA.

Ramon Ray says he is first and foremost an entrepreneur and lover of small business success. On paper he is a best selling author, publisher of Smart Hustle Magazine, and the small business evangelist at InfusionSoft. He had spent many years helping large brands reach small businesses, but his true passion was educating small business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses through marketing, technology and best practices. “My real passion is educating small business owners,” Ramon said. “My first venture was Small Biz Technology, my second company was The Small Business Summit, which I sold, and this [Smart Hustle Magazine] is my third.” Ramon is a high-energetic, hustler, not afraid to approach and build relationships with some of the most notable entrepreneurs. He even got Seth Godin to speak at one of his Small Business Summits and attend another event he produced called “Small Biz, Big Things.” But he admits, he's just a fan boy of Seth Godin, like so many others. Beyond his knack for building relationships, Ramon has authored three books, publishes Smart Hustle Magazine and works with small businesses through Infusionsoft. Where does he find the time and the energy to do all of this? He said he focuses on consistency in everything he does, whether writing a book, speaking or working with a small business. “I love it. I wake up in the morning excited about educating small businesses,” Ramon said. “Since I love it and it's something I've done for many years, it comes very effortlessly to me, but I use a lot of good tools to keep me managed, and I have a good team.” Finding Success Amidst the Challenges Of course everyone faces challenges, and Ramon has had his share too. But he said the key is being adaptable and immersing himself in education. For that he turns to books or simply asking others. He also shared a few tips from his “23 Rules for Success in Life and Careers”: Be nice Explore Expand your network Be a great professional Dial in your skill set Ramon also shared a few things he tries to teach all entrepreneurs who are just starting out: Have smarts behind your hustle, surround yourself with good people and expand your network. He is also a big believer in integrating technology into business to help streamline and simplify various aspects. But this comes with a caveat. “Technology is not going to save your business. At the end of the day you need to know how to shake hands firmly, hire good people, and not have idiots in your business. Technology only helps businesses that great, be greater.” Some core fundamentals every biz owner should understand when it comes to leveraging technology, however, include: Have your marketing tool dialed in Social is real - understand it in some regard Mobile - are you ready? Leverage video - it's growing and only going to continue Get some sort of accounting tool Quick and Dirty Tips and Tools: Building relationships: Ramon is a people person, but he puts effort into it. “There's a few things I found important,” he said. “Meet them offline. You have to start somewhere. You don't have to go straight to the top, start somewhere. Just be a nice person.” He said a good read for this is Gary Vaynerchuk's, “One Is Greater Than Zero.” Dealing with overwhelm: He admits it happens about twice per month. “To prevent being overwhelmed today, you have to discipline yourself a month or two months earlier so that point doesn't happen. I try to discipline myself with task management tools and plan in advance.” One quote Ramon lives by: “Life is a journey.” His point…live is going to keep moving. You always have a chance no matter which direction you go. A couple others: “Keep hustling.” And one from Seth Godin, “Make a ruckus.” It doesn't have to be perfect. Just do it! Favorite tools for business: Asana Infusionsoft Office 365 and Google Apps TripIt app for travel A good smart phone and mobile hotspot Favorite conferences: ICON SxSW Inc.'s Grow Co. New York Expo Market New York Smart Hustle Grow and Thrive HustleCon Collision Small Giants in Dallas BizHack: Social Mention, a real-time social media search and analysis tool. It can be used to search specific terms and see what types of conversations are happening around them, or find current trending topics. Quote of the Week: “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~ John Wooden    

Some people realize at a young age what they were put on this earth to do. Others, while they may have an inkling or a passion that seems to recur throughout their lives, have a longer path to discovery. The latter was the case for Tanner Lawley, who today is a renowned, internationally collected artist known for his heart paintings. Yes, this 6'6” Texas native who, could probably give The Rock a run for his money, paints figures of love and compassion. But like many, the road he took to get to this place is sprinkled with several dead ends, some rocky patches, and a few forks, but this all made him who he is today. And who Tanner is today is a very passionate artist with a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit and a sky's-the-limit mentality. I spoke with Tanner at the Celebration of Fine Art, an art show in Arizona. He opened up about his journey - from his original plan to seek out a career in business and finance, graduating from business school, to then becoming a bodyguard for musicians and athletes, to a brief mix up with drugs that landed him in jail. But it was from his stint in jail that led him to art. Today Tanner owns and operates the Lawley Art Group, under which he sells his artwork, but also operates a sprawling art gallery in Dallas, Texas that features the work of numerous artists. And he's got sites set on building it into a million-dollar business. This week's Biz Hack: This week's biz hack is Crystal (found at crystalknows.com). This tool helps you tailor your emails to the recipient's communication style. It will make suggestions on words, phrases, style and tone to use. It essentially translates your communication style to theirs, giving you words to use, words to avoid and suggestions for improvement. It's still in beta mode, so you can get in free. You just have to request an invite at crystalknows.com. Next week I'm in The Lab with Ramon Ray, creator of SmallBizTechnology.com and publisher of Smart Hustle Magazine. This guy has a ton a of energy and a positivity that's infectious. We talk about how he stays energized and gets through moments of overwhelm, some of the core fundamentals every business owner needs, and a few success tips. Be sure to tune! Until then, have prosperous week!