Podcasts about venture caf

In this episode of In The Margins, host Ralph Newell welcomes Dr. Amy Diaz, president of GateWay Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Diaz is an equity-minded leader with over 30 years of experience advocating for student access and success in higher education and emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideals. Diaz focuses on student learning assessment, strategic enrollment management, and fostering a positive college climate.   GateWay Community College, part of Maricopa Community Colleges, has been listed as the 2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges, a recognition that honors higher education institutions that are dynamic, diverse, supportive, and committed to staff work-life balance, professional growth, and inclusive excellence.   Newell and Diaz discuss GateWay's unique approach to workforce development, focusing on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that have shaped its current hybrid learning model. Diaz highlights how Gateway balances in-person and online education to meet students' needs, particularly in hands-on programs like nuclear medicine and industrial tech.   Join them as they explore Gateway's deep community connections, including the transformative impact of the HUG Clinic, and delve into GateWay's efforts to include entrepreneurship into the curriculum. Tune in and discover how Gateway is preparing students not just for jobs, but for life.   KEY POINTS:   - How GateWay Community College has adapted to a hybrid learning model post-pandemic. - Gateway's emphasis on programs that lead directly to employment and community impact. - The HUG Clinic at Gateway offers pro bono healthcare services, benefiting underserved community members and providing practical experience for students. - The on-campus butcher shop supports local community needs and students' professional training in meat cutting and butchery. - The institution's beauty and wellness program with a certificate in small business development, helping students learn the business side of their field. - GateWay's entrepreneurial initiatives, such as the Venture Café and Big Pitch, are designed to foster innovation and business skills among students and local entrepreneurs. - Dr. Amy Diaz's insights on leadership and the influence of Dr. Steven Gonzales as a mentor.   QUOTABLES:   "GateWay is trying to get the right balance of hybrid learning experiences and hybrid student engagement experiences, [including] student support services in place, so that students have the flexibility to learn the theoretical information in an online environment." — Dr. Amy Diaz   "Our goal is to think about entrepreneurship as not just being an entrepreneur, but how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset." — Dr. Amy Diaz   “I think of innovation —- maybe having a slightly higher risk tolerance for trying things that some people might not have that naturally built into their personalities [and] thinking about ways of partnering with community and other organizational groups that might help us to achieve our goals.” — Dr. Amy Diaz GUEST RESOURCES:    2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges: https://www.diverseeducation.com/awards-honors/mppwcc   Dr. Amy Diaz: https://www.gatewaycc.edu/about-gateway/office-president  FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: X (formerly Twitter): http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education   WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation   Closed captioning and a live show transcription are available in the video for this episode.   In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/).

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome Takuo Urushihara, who serves as the Program Manager (international) for Venture Café Tokyo. Recommended by acquaintances for his expertise in community building, Takuo has spearheaded the growth of Venture Cafés, initially beginning with events in Tokyo and expanding to numerous other cities across Japan and throughout Asia. His efforts have successfully attracted both Japanese locals and foreigners to participate in their events, showcasing the inclusive nature of their initiatives. In this podcast, Takuo discusses communities that exist in Japan, what Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes, and insights on building a community! Links from Guest Appearance: LinkedIn Venture Cafe Tokyo Venture Cafe Tokyo - Events Show Notes: 00:00: Introduction 3:31: About CIC and venture cafes 7:35: What type of communities exist in Japan? 14:42: The concept of "online salon" communities in Japan 19:03: What do both Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes and start-up events in a multicultural community? 27:28: What do both Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes and start-up events in a Japanese community? 29:52 Insights on building the core group of a community 42:19: Networking culture in Japan vs. America 45:10: Tips for growing your community --- Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit here to learn how he can help⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message

  AZ Bio Week & Life Sciences Innovation w/ Joan Koerber-Walker - AZ TRT S04 EP37 (200) 9-17-2023   Things We Learned This Week AZ Bio mission to improve life and bioscience, & make AZ a Top Ten Bioscience state AZ Bio Week 2023 is Sep. 25 – 29 – 5 Days Talks, Events and Awards 3 Ds - Discovery, Development, & Delivery - takes years, and $ billions to bring new drugs to market Their company members deal with diseases, medical devices & cancer research to cure it Combo of Gov't & Private Funding, University research & private company work       Guest: Joan Koerber-Walker President and CEO, AZBio - Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc. Chairman, Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation   LKIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joankoerberwalker  www.azbio.org Bio: As President and CEO of AZBio, Joan Koerber-Walker works on behalf of the Arizona Bioscience and Medical Technology Industry to support the growth of the industry, its members and our community on the local and national level. Ms. Koerber-Walker is also a life science investor and has served on the boards of numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations. In the life science industry, Ms. Koerber-Walker serves as as Arizona's representative to the State Medical Technology Alliance (SMTA), a consortium of state and regional trade associations representing their local medical technology companies which she chaired in 2015 and  represents Arizona as a member of the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) and the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes (CSBI). Active in the entrepreneurial and investment communities, she also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation which provides entrepreneurial education, mentoring and support to at-risk members of the community, on the Board of Advisors to CellTrust, Inc. which provides secure communication technology to the healthcare industry, and as Chairman of CorePurpose, Inc. which she founded in 2002. Ms. Koerber-Walker has been recognized as Executive of the Year by the Arizona Society of Association Executives, as a “Most Admired Leader” by the Phoenix Business Journal (2015),  in the pages of AZ Business Leaders (2013 thru 2020), Most Influential Women in Arizona Business (2014) and is a 2 time National Finalist for the Stevie Award which recognizes the work of women in business. Her past experience includes two years as the CEO of ASBA (the Arizona Small Business Association), service as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Small Business Association in Washington D.C., President of the National Speakers Association/Arizona, Chair of the Board of Advisors to Parenting Arizona, the state's largest child abuse prevention organization, & much more.     AZBio:  Supporting Arizona's Life Science Industry for 19 Years (2003 – 2022) Learn more about Arizona's bioindustry: www.azbio.org | Facebook: AZBIO |Twitter: @AZBio @AZBioCEO We're part of a movement to create sustainable funding for life science innovation in Arizona. Learn more at www.AZAdvances.org  MOVING LIFE SCIENCE INNOVATIONS ALONG THE PATH FROM DISCOVERY TO DEVELOPMENT TO DELIVERY OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE: Arizona is a top-ten life science state. OUR MISSION: AZBio supports the needs of Arizona's growing life science ecosystem. The Arizona Bioindustry Association (AZBio) is a not-for-profit, 501(c)6 trade association supporting the growth of Arizona's life science sector. AZBio  Member Organizations in the fields of business, research and education, health care delivery, economic development, government, and other professions involved in the biosciences are the key drivers of the growth of Arizona's life science sector.  As the unified voice of our industry in Arizona, AZBio strives to make Arizona a place where bioscience organizations can grow and succeed.   AZBio works nationally and globally with the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA), the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), and leading patient advocacy organizations. Through these relationships, AZBio has access to information, contacts, resources, cost saving programs, and the global bioscience and medtech community.   Arizona's bioscience industry is growing rapidly and reached nearly 30,000 jobs spanning 2,160 business establishments in 2018. Industry employment has grown by 15 percent since 2016—twice the growth rate of the nation—with each of the five major subsectors adding jobs during the period. Arizona's universities conducted nearly $580 million in R&D activities in bioscience-related fields in 2018, fueled in part by steadily increasing NIH awards to Arizona institutions since 2016. Venture capital investments in Arizona bioscience companies increased in 2019, and during the 2016-19 period totaled $349 million. Arizona inventors have been awarded 2,178 bioscience-related patents since 2016, among the second quintile of states in patent activity.         Notes:     Seg 1   BRT is now AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0   Talking AZ tech scene from AZ Tech Council to AZ Bio to Venture Café   Resources and tips to find networking and funding info   Thank you to the tech community for the support and great guests           Seg 2 – 4   Joan joins BRT to talk about AZ Bio, and their mission to improve life and bio science -organization deals in medical devices, diseases, cancer research. Companies join AZ bio as members, 275+ in Arizona.   What is the ROI in Arizona - $25 bill invested. ROI has been $38 billion in 2021 in economic impact.   AZ ranks about 30th. To get in the top 10 needs to be about $78 billion of economic impact per year. Looking to double the impact ($60 billion) by 2030.   3 D's – Discovery. Development, Delivery     AZ Bio Week – 20 Years of Impact - Sep. 25 – 29, 2023 https://www.azbio.org/azbw2022   Presented by AZBio and the Arizona Commerce Authority   Here are some of the Events & Talks:   Mon. Sep. 26 Critical Path to Women Leading in Science Please join C-Path for a 90-minute roundtable discussing the Critical Path Institute's programs and consortia, highlighted by various women leaders at this public-private partnership. The team will discuss how C-Path contributes to transforming and accelerating the medical product development process, as well as their personal professional development journey. The roundtable will include an interactive Q&A session, where the audience can ask specific questions about C-Path activities and, more generally, scientific career paths.  Leading Women: Biotech & Beyond Join us at Perkins Coie for an evening of conversation and connections with our community's leading women as we kick off Arizona Bioscience Week in style!   Tues. Sep. 27 Discovering and Developing New Medicines in Arizona The 4th Annual Drug Discoveries and Development Summit will highlight key areas of research in discovering effective drug candidates in diseases such as cancer, COVID 19, aging, nanotechnology, and other prevalent diseases in Arizona while establishing collaborations that enable success in these key areas.   Presented by the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy Arizona Center for Drug Discovery and the University of Arizona Cancer Center.     Wed. Sep. 27 AZAdvances Life Science Innovation Fast Pitch Join us at the Phoenix Convention Center for Fast Pitch presentations featuring Arizona life science innovators then join us for the  the AZBio Awards. (AZBio Awards or White Hat registration required.) The 18th Annual AZBio Awards & Life Science Fiesta Celebrate with the Educators, Researchers, and Organizations that are making life better for people in Arizona and around the world.  Join us at the Phoenix Convention Center as we honor the 2022 AZBio Award Winners and come together to be inspired and reconnect.   Thu. Sep. 28 White Hat Life Science Investor Conference Join us at the Phoenix Convention Center for White Hat 2022.  Accredited investors and investment funds will have the opportunity to hear from and connect with some of the most exciting Life Science Companies from across the Rocky Mountain Southwest Region.  Since its launch in 2014, Companies presenting at White Hat Have gone on to raise $1.6 billion in investments. Note:  White Hat Registration Includes the AZBio Awards and Life Science Fiesta on Wednesday evening.   Fri. Sep. 29 Voice of the Patient Patients are the reason we do what we do.  Join the conversation on life science innovation from the patient perspective.  This event will be held at the new Creighton University Health Sciences Campus in Phoenix.   Career Panel: Q&A in Nanotechnology, Synthetic Biotechnology, and Medical Fields Synthetic Biotechnology, Nanotechnology? Doesn't that only exist in Sci-Fi or superhero movies? The short answer is NO! Curious about the journey of what it takes to become a registered nurse or physical therapist in-home care? Your students will surely be at the edge of their seats listening to this panel of professionals. Please join us as Dr. Mario Blanco, President, and CEO of Nanopec, Dr. Rebecca Cook, Research Scientist for INanoBio, Bridget Gessel, Registered Nurse and Case Manager at the Mayo Clinic and Asya Rudikoff, Physical Therapist and Director of Strategy and Innovation for Team Select Home Care, share about their respective fields and career journey.   Ponte Cura: The Bridge to Cures Ponte Cura is an inspirational celebration under the stars supporting the Opportunity Through Entrepreneurship Foundation AZAdvances initiative mission to advance health innovation in Arizona.  The Ponte Cura experience includes a cocktail reception, open air concert, and after party.  This event is by-invitation only and in appreciation of the donors and volunteers supporting the AZAdvances Initiative.          Best of Biotech from AZ Bio & Life Sciences to Jellatech: HERE   Biotech Shows: HERE   AZ Tech Council Shows:  https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=az+tech+council *Includes Best of AZ Tech Council show from 2/12/2023      ‘Best Of' Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT      Thanks for Listening. Please Subscribe to the BRT Podcast.     AZ Tech Roundtable 2.0 with Matt Battaglia The show where Entrepreneurs, Top Executives, Founders, and Investors come to share insights about the future of business.  AZ TRT 2.0 looks at the new trends in business, & how classic industries are evolving.  Common Topics Discussed: Startups, Founders, Funds & Venture Capital, Business, Entrepreneurship, Biotech, Blockchain / Crypto, Executive Comp, Investing, Stocks, Real Estate + Alternative Investments, and more…    AZ TRT Podcast Home Page: http://aztrtshow.com/ ‘Best Of' AZ TRT Podcast: Click Here Podcast on Google: Click Here Podcast on Spotify: Click Here                    More Info: https://www.economicknight.com/azpodcast/ KFNX Info: https://1100kfnx.com/weekend-featured-shows/     Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the Hosts, Guests and Speakers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent (or affiliates, members, managers, employees or partners), or any Station, Podcast Platform, Website or Social Media that this show may air on. All information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes. Nothing said on this program should be considered advice or recommendations in: business, legal, real estate, crypto, tax accounting, investment, etc. Always seek the advice of a professional in all business ventures, including but not limited to: investments, tax, loans, legal, accounting, real estate, crypto, contracts, sales, marketing, other business arrangements, etc.

　2022年7月に、福岡にとってインパクトのあるニュースがリリースされた。米国ケンブリッジに拠点を持つCIC（ケンブリッジ・イノベーション・センター）が、東京に次ぐアジア２箇所目のイノベーション・キャンパスとして、西鉄が天神地区で再開発中の"新福岡ビル（仮称）"に進出することを正式に検討するというのだ。順調に行けば、2025年春にオープン予定となる。 　CICは、スタートアップの成長や既存企業のイノベーションを促進するオフィススペース（"イノベーション・キャンパス"と称する）を、世界４カ国８都市で手掛けている。1999年から2021年まで、CIC入居企業がVC等から調達した金額は137億ドル（約2兆円）に達するという。 　CICは、2020年にアジア初のCIC Tokyoを東京・虎ノ門にオープンさせ、コロナ禍にも関わらず順調に入居企業を増やしてきた。先日、岸田首相がスタートアップ政策に関連して視察したことでも知られている。 　CIC Tokyoを訪問すると、普通のオフィス空間とは大きく異なることに驚く。ビルの2フロアが真ん中の大きな階段兼イベントスペースでつながることで上下移動が可能で、その周囲にオープンなディスカッション・スペースやガラス張りのオフィススペース、コワーキングスペース、バーを含む飲食スペースなどが入り組んでレイアウトされている。訪れるたびに、何かしらのイベントや勉強会が開催されており、共有スペースをウロウロしていると、その雰囲気を感じ取って覗いてみることができる。このような物理的距離の近さや偶然の出会い／セレンディピティの演出が、大きな特徴である。 　既に200社以上が入居しており、入居企業のプレート一覧を見ると、スタートアップのみならず、大手企業や法律・特許事務所や会計事務所、ベンチャーキャピタルの社名が並ぶ。ユニークなのは、海外企業や海外政府の出先機関も多く入居し、グローバルな接点にもなっていることがわかる。 　 　また、Venture Caféというイノベーション・コミュニティ形成のための非営利組織も設置され、毎週木曜は"Thursday Gathering"と称して、誰でも気軽に訪れて、専門分野の勉強会に参加したり起業家のピッチを聞いたりして刺激を受けたり、アルコールを飲みながら人脈を形成したりもできる。 　このような場が福岡にもできることは、福岡のスタートアップ／イノベーション・エコシステム形成に大いに好影響をもたらすだろう。 　次回は、CICがどのようなことを重視してイノベーション・キャンパスを運営しているか、なぜ進出先として福岡を選択したのかについて解説する。 【今回のまとめ】 　米国ケンブリッジに拠点を持つCIC（ケンブリッジ・イノベーション・センター）が、東京に次ぐアジア２箇所目のイノベーション・キャンパスとして、天神の"新福岡ビル（仮称）"進出を正式検討した。福岡のイノベーション・エコシステムにとても大きなインパクトが出そうだ。  

Ingresa aquí para que te puedas registrar en el Newsletter de MUNDO EXPO y recibirlo directo en tu e-mail: https://mundoexpo.substack.com/ . Hoy te presento la plática que tuve con la directora de una excelente iniciativa de creación de comunidad en el mundo del emprendimiento y la innovación, me refiero a Venture Café Monterrey. Platicamos de cómo están aportando para crear conexiones significativas en la comunidad. Página Web https://venturecafemonterrey.org/ , LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/venture-cafe-monterrey , Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Venture-Caf%C3%A9-Monterrey-111113891570339 , Instagram https://www.instagram.com/venturecafemonterrey/ , LinkedIn personal de Alejandra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandra-buend%C3%ADa-bb314563/ , Mail: alejandra@venturecafemonterrey.org. Contáctanos en nuestra página web: http://mundoexpo.mx/ , también en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SomosMundoExpo/ , en Instagram como @somosmundoexpo y en LinkedIn como: www.linkedin.com/company/somosmundoexpo , y puedes enviarnos un correo a: hola@mundoexpo.mx .

In this LAST episode of Season 2 - focus on women offering important skills for the post-pandemic business world - I talk with ORLY Zeewy -  all about her area of expertise - and the topic of her new book READY, LAUNCH, BRAND, The Lean Marketing Guide for Startups - that is  ... BRAND!  When people hear the word BRAND - they often think colors, style, font, and logosbut ORLY - is what she calls a BRAND ARCHITECT - she *builds the DNA of startup brands* and *helps founders cut through the noise so they can scale in months, not years.* Orly Zeewy is an author, keynote speaker, educator and brand architect. She builds the DNA of startup brands and helps founders cut through the noise so they can scale in months, not years. Prior to starting her consulting practice, she ran the award-winning Zeewy Design and Marketing Communications firm for 14 years and directed marketing programs for national clients such as CIGNA, Kraft Foods and Prince Tennis.Orly has lectured at Wharton and taught in The Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania. She has led workshops for startup incubators such as REV Ithaca, Rise Up Philly, Startup Leaders Philadelphia and Venture Café. In 2020, nearly 200 people from around the world attended her brand storytelling webinar: Heroes and Villains.Orly has been featured in Medium and written for the Comcast Business Community, Small Business Trends, The Marketing Journal and Smart Hustle. You can find ORLY at:http://zeewy.com/    https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlyzeewy/    https://twitter.com/orlyzeewyand her book: https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Launch-Brand-Marketing-Startups/dp/0367466627

Verder hebben we het over geldproblemen bij de politie. En die zijn vrij serieus: een tekort van ruim 150 miljoen euro. Ook is er aandacht voor starters op de woningmarkt. Zij nemen steeds meer financiële risico's om een hypotheek te bemachtigen. Verder praten we over studenten die worden opgelicht bij het huren van een kamer die niet bestaat. En tot slot bespreken we de uitslag van de Raad van State over de dubbelfunctie in het kabinet en de Kamer.In ons panel - Anoesjka Imambaks, directeur Venture Café en oprichter Maid at Home; - Ama Boahene, voorzitter van de Landelijke Studentenvakbond.Verder te gast - Matthijs Dicke, verkeerspsycholoog, adviseur bij Goudappel en docent verkeersgedrag aan de politieacademie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Luscombe meets Ryusuke Komura, Program Director at Venture Café Tokyo, one of the biggest innovation communities in Japan.https://venturecafetokyo.org/https://jp.cic.com/en/

Conflux Co-Learning Executive Director Matt Menietti tells us about the collaboration and education space for manufacturing and distribution companies. ​Tyler Mathews, ​​executive director of Venture Café St. Louis, hints at when the largest weekly gathering of aspiring entrepreneurs will return in-person. Ted Schnuck is rising in the executive ranks at his family's namesake grocery retailer. (7-11-21)

Tech Hub South Florida CEO, Joe Russo, and Johanna Mikkola, CEO & Co-Founder of Wyncode interview Leigh-Ann Buchanan (Executive Director @ Venture Café Miami) on creating a diverse and inclusive ecosystem.

Successful people see and do things differently. If you want to achieve big goals, you have to stop majoring in minor things, and elevate your vision to a higher level. Chris is on a mission to help entrepreneurs and high achievers do just this!In this episode, Chris shares what he’s learned from working with billionaires, and what they do differently. We also discuss how to make your dream life your real life (hint: not by thinking small), and immediate steps you can implement to set yourself on a more direct path to get there! Chris and Hanna Hermanson even dive into some of the coaching and mentorship they have personally exchanged and benefited from.ABOUT CHRIS JARVISChris Jarvis is an applied mathematician and entrepreneurial strategist. Before selling his financial firm, Chris helped thousands of successful professionals and advised multiple billionaire families. Since the sale, Chris has focused on helping others find unique paths to unconventional success. Chris has written fifteen books, including bestseller 6 Secrets to Leveraging Success: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Family Offices and Their Trusted Advisors. Chris has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal and been published in over 50 professional journals. Jarvis has been a guest on Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance and been interviewed on A&E and Bravo.Chris has lectured on entrepreneurship at the University of Rhode Island, the Anderson School (UCLA), and MIT’s Venture Café chapter. He proudly sits on the advisory board of the prestigious IC2 Institute of the University of Texas-Austin Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Chris also sits on the boards of the National Coalition for Safe Schools, Streamline Miami and Angel City Sports.As of 2020, Chris has partnered with his mentor Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul). With the Canfield Training Group, Jarvis is bringing transformational solutions to entrepreneurs, academic institutions and executives. Jarvis earned an MBA in entrepreneurial studies and finance from The Anderson School at UCLA. He graduated from the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in applied mathematics. Chris grew up in Rhode Island and now lives in Southlake, Texas with his wife Heather and their three children.https://thechrisjarvis.com/about-chris/Buy Giraffe Money on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2X9Ki9ODream Life is Real Lifehttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/dream-life-is-real-life/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-59-how-to-be-a-giraffe-and-find-better-paths-to-wealth-with-chris-jarvis-dream-life-is-real-life-with-hanna-hermanson

Successful people see and do things differently. If you want to achieve big goals, you have to stop majoring in minor things, and elevate your vision to a higher level. Chris is on a mission to help entrepreneurs and high achievers do just this!In this episode, Chris shares what he’s learned from working with billionaires, and what they do differently. We also discuss how to make your dream life your real life (hint: not by thinking small), and immediate steps you can implement to set yourself on a more direct path to get there! Chris and Hanna Hermanson even dive into some of the coaching and mentorship they have personally exchanged and benefited from.ABOUT CHRIS JARVISChris Jarvis is an applied mathematician and entrepreneurial strategist. Before selling his financial firm, Chris helped thousands of successful professionals and advised multiple billionaire families. Since the sale, Chris has focused on helping others find unique paths to unconventional success. Chris has written fifteen books, including bestseller 6 Secrets to Leveraging Success: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Family Offices and Their Trusted Advisors. Chris has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal and been published in over 50 professional journals. Jarvis has been a guest on Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance and been interviewed on A&E and Bravo.Chris has lectured on entrepreneurship at the University of Rhode Island, the Anderson School (UCLA), and MIT’s Venture Café chapter. He proudly sits on the advisory board of the prestigious IC2 Institute of the University of Texas-Austin Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Chris also sits on the boards of the National Coalition for Safe Schools, Streamline Miami and Angel City Sports.As of 2020, Chris has partnered with his mentor Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul). With the Canfield Training Group, Jarvis is bringing transformational solutions to entrepreneurs, academic institutions and executives. Jarvis earned an MBA in entrepreneurial studies and finance from The Anderson School at UCLA. He graduated from the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in applied mathematics. Chris grew up in Rhode Island and now lives in Southlake, Texas with his wife Heather and their three children.https://thechrisjarvis.com/about-chris/Buy Giraffe Money on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2X9Ki9ODream Life is Real Lifehttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/dream-life-is-real-life/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-59-how-to-be-a-giraffe-and-find-better-paths-to-wealth-with-chris-jarvis-dream-life-is-real-life-with-hanna-hermanson

Successful people see and do things differently. If you want to achieve big goals, you have to stop majoring in minor things, and elevate your vision to a higher level. Chris is on a mission to help entrepreneurs and high achievers do just this!In this episode, Chris shares what he’s learned from working with billionaires, and what they do differently. We also discuss how to make your dream life your real life (hint: not by thinking small), and immediate steps you can implement to set yourself on a more direct path to get there! Chris and Hanna Hermanson even dive into some of the coaching and mentorship they have personally exchanged and benefited from.ABOUT CHRIS JARVISChris Jarvis is an applied mathematician and entrepreneurial strategist. Before selling his financial firm, Chris helped thousands of successful professionals and advised multiple billionaire families. Since the sale, Chris has focused on helping others find unique paths to unconventional success. Chris has written fifteen books, including bestseller 6 Secrets to Leveraging Success: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Family Offices and Their Trusted Advisors. Chris has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal and been published in over 50 professional journals. Jarvis has been a guest on Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance and been interviewed on A&E and Bravo.Chris has lectured on entrepreneurship at the University of Rhode Island, the Anderson School (UCLA), and MIT’s Venture Café chapter. He proudly sits on the advisory board of the prestigious IC2 Institute of the University of Texas-Austin Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Chris also sits on the boards of the National Coalition for Safe Schools, Streamline Miami and Angel City Sports.As of 2020, Chris has partnered with his mentor Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul). With the Canfield Training Group, Jarvis is bringing transformational solutions to entrepreneurs, academic institutions and executives. Jarvis earned an MBA in entrepreneurial studies and finance from The Anderson School at UCLA. He graduated from the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in applied mathematics. Chris grew up in Rhode Island and now lives in Southlake, Texas with his wife Heather and their three children.https://thechrisjarvis.com/about-chris/Buy Giraffe Money on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2X9Ki9ODream Life is Real Lifehttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/dream-life-is-real-life/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-59-how-to-be-a-giraffe-and-find-better-paths-to-wealth-with-chris-jarvis-dream-life-is-real-life-with-hanna-hermanson

Successful people see and do things differently. If you want to achieve big goals, you have to stop majoring in minor things, and elevate your vision to a higher level. Chris is on a mission to help entrepreneurs and high achievers do just this!In this episode, Chris shares what he’s learned from working with billionaires, and what they do differently. We also discuss how to make your dream life your real life (hint: not by thinking small), and immediate steps you can implement to set yourself on a more direct path to get there! Chris and Hanna Hermanson even dive into some of the coaching and mentorship they have personally exchanged and benefited from.ABOUT CHRIS JARVISChris Jarvis is an applied mathematician and entrepreneurial strategist. Before selling his financial firm, Chris helped thousands of successful professionals and advised multiple billionaire families. Since the sale, Chris has focused on helping others find unique paths to unconventional success. Chris has written fifteen books, including bestseller 6 Secrets to Leveraging Success: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, Family Offices and Their Trusted Advisors. Chris has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Business Journal and been published in over 50 professional journals. Jarvis has been a guest on Bloomberg Television’s Personal Finance and been interviewed on A&E and Bravo.Chris has lectured on entrepreneurship at the University of Rhode Island, the Anderson School (UCLA), and MIT’s Venture Café chapter. He proudly sits on the advisory board of the prestigious IC2 Institute of the University of Texas-Austin Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Chris also sits on the boards of the National Coalition for Safe Schools, Streamline Miami and Angel City Sports.As of 2020, Chris has partnered with his mentor Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul). With the Canfield Training Group, Jarvis is bringing transformational solutions to entrepreneurs, academic institutions and executives. Jarvis earned an MBA in entrepreneurial studies and finance from The Anderson School at UCLA. He graduated from the Honors Program at the University of Rhode Island with a B.S. in applied mathematics. Chris grew up in Rhode Island and now lives in Southlake, Texas with his wife Heather and their three children.https://thechrisjarvis.com/about-chris/Buy Giraffe Money on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2X9Ki9ODream Life is Real Lifehttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/dream-life-is-real-life/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/episode-59-how-to-be-a-giraffe-and-find-better-paths-to-wealth-with-chris-jarvis-dream-life-is-real-life-with-hanna-hermanson

Your browser does not support the audio element. Click the Title to Play or DownloadThis special podcast is a recording of a panel discussion, Learning Technology Entrepreneurs: Case Studies from Concept to Market. This was recorded at a unique joint meeting of the PA/DE/NJ Distance Learning Association and the Venture Café located in the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, PA. The meeting featured a moderated panel discussion of Learning Technology Entrepreneurs sharing their personal journeys from initial concept to bringing their product/service to the learning marketplace.Moderator: Louis Stricoff, Executive Director of PADLAPanelists:Michael Eiseman, Founder of Learn by Hand, LLCEthan Keiser, Founder of Study TreeShaunak Roy, Founder & CEO, Yellow DigMustafa Sualp, Founder & CEO, AEFISLinksRPP #159: AEFIS - Interview with Mustafa SualpRPP #158: StudyTree - Interview with Ethan KeiserRPP #151: Algebra By Hand - Interview with Michael EisemanPodsafe music selection"Fly Fly Fly" by singer/songwriter Adrina Thorpe - Influenced by Sarah Mclachlan, Tori Amos, and ColdplayDuration: 56:55

Travis Sheridan really does have the coolest job in the world. As the former President of Venture Café Global Institute (https://venturecafeglobal.org/) (and the current Chief Community Officer of Wexford Science & Technology), he’s traveled the globe helping establish innovation communities in cities like Warsaw, Tokyo, and Philadelphia. He’s basically the Anthony Bourdain of startups. In this episode originally recorded for the show Pubcast Worldwide (http://pubcastworldwide.com/) , Travis shares his thoughts on innovation and whom it should benefit. From scalable venture-backed startups to solving systemic societal issues, we cover a lot of ground, including: Why failure shouldn’t be celebrated Whose human condition is being improved by technology How innovation and collaboration vary from culture-to-culture We’ll even take a deep-dive into some of the specific Venture Café communities Travis has helped establish, including St. Louis, Rotterdam, and Sydney. There are plenty of parallels between startup life and the challenges manufacturers face – regardless of where you are in the world – and Travis has the passport stamps to prove it. Make sure to visit ManufacturingHappyHour.com (http://manufacturinghappyhour.com/) for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Hi everyone, this is Frank Pobutkiewicz from Venture Café Cambridge wishing you and your family a merry, joyous, and relaxing holiday season! Like you, Venture Café is taking off for the holidays so we won’t have anything to post on the Live from the Café podcast for the next two weeks. Make sure to tune back into the podcast in January for more innovation and business content. If you haven’t marked it on your calendar already, we have three big nights coming up! Join us on January 23, 2020 for our Health and Wellness night. On January 30th, join us as we team up with JETRO and the Japanese Consulate in Boston to explore the 2020 Olympic games. And on February 27, we welcome you to our Corporate Innovation Connect conference night presented by getaround.For information on all these sessions and to get information on our new series of Community talks aimed at building skills for entrepreneurs, visit us online at venturecafecambridge.org. Have a happy and healthy 2020!

The following feature interview was recorded with Erik Modalh, founder of beantrust., a corporate and events coffee curation company. Erik has been a long-time member of the Venture Café community and during the interview we discuss today’s culture, the history of coffee, and Erik’s unique view of value. Enjoy!beantrustcoffee.com

The following feature interview was recorded with Liz Stubbs and Charlie Marquart of Cambridge Spirits. During the interview, Charlie talks about the challenges of running a traditional brick and mortar retail store and the current trends in beer, wine, and spirits. Cambridge Spirits has been Venture Café’s retail partner for years, so make sure to visit them in Kendall Square on Broad Canal Way or follow them on Instagram @cambridgespirits.

This week, Michael shares interviews with Rick Oleshak with AB Mauri about the company's expansion in the Cortex district. January Realista of Express Scripts previews how and when you can interact with the healthcare giant at Venture Café. Steve Smith of the Lawrence Group shares a new retail tenant for City Foundry. Chelsea Brownridge of DogSpot introduces the smart city addition.

Venture Café Executive Director Tyler Mathews kicks off the show with Michael and Travis. Can we grow plants on Mars? Peter Webb of MARSFarm explains controlled environment growth chambers and how students in the classroom can help. Editing the genes of plants on Earth is our next topic with Annie Saltarikos (Biotech Transformation Lead at Bayer). Chris Goodson takes us on a tour of the new Fields Foods location on Washington Avenue.

Invest with Boston's Leading Angels. Click here to Opt In to Our Syndicates List => Syndicates Page In college, Diane Stokes juggled caring for a sick mother, working full-time, doing ROTC and even had time to be on U Mass Lowell’s cheer leading squad. This energy and focus served her well as she progressed in her career of helping build startup after startup. Eventually, Diane founded a startup of her own. It succeeded beyond her greatest expectations. She invested as an angel for a while but is now back at another startup, helping them grow. My conversation with her revealed a personality of impressive determination and stamina leavened by good humor and genuine caring. I really enjoyed this interview, I think you will too. Topics covered include: Diane Stokes Bio While in College, Diane Stokes Cared for Her Sick Mother, Worked Full-time, Did ROTC and Still Found Time to Be on the Cheerleading Squad How Diane Stokes Found Her Path in Work Life How Diane Stokes Juggled Her Transition from Engineering to Sales While Being a Mom and Getting Her MBA Diane Stokes Left a Poorly Managed Startup and Went to a Second One that Got Acquired by Chipcom, a Particularly Well-run Company at Chipcom Diane Learned a Lot Diane Stokes Realizes She Wants the Startup Life Diane Stokes, Tri-Athlete Sal Daher Reads an iTunes Review by TDN7 – Insightful Review How Diane Stokes Founded her First Startup – Spoiler Alert: Moonlighting Involved In Many Ways, ORP Was the Perfect Startup for Diane Stokes to Co-Found What Diane Stokes Thought She Knew About Startups but Didn’t The Most Useful Things Diane Stokes Learned from Co-Founding ORP – Number of Founders Is Critical The Most Important Thing Sal Daher Learned at The Venture Café

It's considered the largest regularly scheduled gathering of innovators in the world. We'll introduce you to Venture Café STL. SLAM! Agency's Michael Johnson talks about marketing as storytelling and connections he sees between St. Louis and Miami. Melissa Grizzle, of ITEN and 1 Million Cups, tells us how to measure the local tech scene and how to stay on top of the latest developments.

In this special episode of CIC Founder's Spotlight, Emma Wright takes her show on the read to the Venture Café event at CIC Rotterdam. Borrowing a local podcast studio, she pulls six entreprenuers from the crowd to learn more about Holland's innovation community.

Agriculture is an $88B industry for Missouri. In St. Louis alone, there are more than 1,000 plant scientists – it is arguably the epicenter of world-class professionals in this field. In this episode we spend time with Janet Wilding, Vice President of Major Projects at the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Janet is leading the master planning of 39 North, the region's newest and largest innovation community. On 600 acres at the western end of what some call the innovation corridor - from T-Rex in downtown through Cortex and out 64/40 –39 North is being built in the heart of AgTech activity in St. Louis. 39 North joins thriving agricultural innovation hubs in Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City and St. Joseph where "from seeds to steers", Missouri is on the cutting edge of AgTech. This means local innovators and entrepreneurs have another option among the variety of locations, communities and support organizations to choose from when deciding where to build their companies. It also enhances the existing infrastructure - roadways, bike paths and walking trails, among other things – that benefit the residents and companies that already call Creve Coeur and Olivette home. In order to ensure that 39 North meets the needs of current tenants, facilities like The Danforth Plant Science Center, BRDG Park, Helix and Monsanto attract exceptional talent from far and wide. Janet has teamed up with Tyler Mathews, Executive Director of Venture Café to bring a monthly Venture Café gathering to the 39 North footprint from day one. Tyler is in the studio too and shares how this unique partnership supports the place making and community building on which entrepreneurship thrives.

Agriculture is an $88B industry for Missouri. In St. Louis alone, there are more than 1,000 plant scientists – it is arguably the epicenter of world-class professionals in this field. In this episode we spend time with Janet Wilding, Vice President of Major Projects at the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Janet is leading the master planning of 39 North, the region’s newest and largest innovation community. On 600 acres at the western end of what some call the innovation corridor - from T-Rex in downtown through Cortex and out 64/40 –39 North is being built in the heart of AgTech activity in St. Louis. 39 North joins thriving agricultural innovation hubs in Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City and St. Joseph where "from seeds to steers", Missouri is on the cutting edge of AgTech. This means local innovators and entrepreneurs have another option among the variety of locations, communities and support organizations to choose from when deciding where to build their companies. It also enhances the existing infrastructure - roadways, bike paths and walking trails, among other things – that benefit the residents and companies that already call Creve Coeur and Olivette home. In order to ensure that 39 North meets the needs of current tenants, facilities like The Danforth Plant Science Center, BRDG Park, Helix and Monsanto attract exceptional talent from far and wide. Janet has teamed up with Tyler Mathews, Executive Director of Venture Café to bring a monthly Venture Café gathering to the 39 North footprint from day one. Tyler is in the studio too and shares how this unique partnership supports the place making and community building on which entrepreneurship thrives.

Agriculture is an $88B industry for Missouri. In St. Louis alone, there are more than 1,000 plant scientists – it is arguably the epicenter of world-class professionals in this field. In this episode we spend time with Janet Wilding, Vice President of Major Projects at the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Janet is leading the master planning of 39 North, the region’s newest and largest innovation community. On 600 acres at the western end of what some call the innovation corridor - from T-Rex in downtown through Cortex and out 64/40 –39 North is being built in the heart of AgTech activity in St. Louis. 39 North joins thriving agricultural innovation hubs in Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City and St. Joseph where "from seeds to steers", Missouri is on the cutting edge of AgTech. This means local innovators and entrepreneurs have another option among the variety of locations, communities and support organizations to choose from when deciding where to build their companies. It also enhances the existing infrastructure - roadways, bike paths and walking trails, among other things – that benefit the residents and companies that already call Creve Coeur and Olivette home. In order to ensure that 39 North meets the needs of current tenants, facilities like The Danforth Plant Science Center, BRDG Park, Helix and Monsanto attract exceptional talent from far and wide. Janet has teamed up with Tyler Mathews, Executive Director of Venture Café to bring a monthly Venture Café gathering to the 39 North footprint from day one. Tyler is in the studio too and shares how this unique partnership supports the place making and community building on which entrepreneurship thrives.

Tyler Mathews, Executive Director of Venture Café St. Louis, fills in for Travis. Starting a business? We get the lowdown on June 12th's Roadmap to Entrepreneurship event with: Matthew Kulig, President, Missouri Venture Forum; Hobart Beeghly, Vice President of Global Strategy, Monsanto Company; and Susan Gobbo, event attendee. We also dive into the latest with Kulig's company Aisle411 and the latest virtual and augmented reality tech. St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger discusses attracting more international service at Lambert Airport.

How do you give your kids their allowance? Cash? We'll talk with Stuart Sopp, founder of Current, which is putting parental controls on a debit card. Accenture's Michael Gallagher explains how machine learning and artificial intellgence are replacing humans in doing office work. (There's an event this week with more.) Executive Director Tyler Mathews updates us on everything Venture Café.

Rory Cuddyer was named the City of Boston’s Startup Manager by the Mayor in March of 2015. But what does that mean and what does he do? I sat down with Rory to find out. Previously, Rory was an advisor the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and was named the Startup Manager because the Mayor wants to ensure the city is doing as much for startups as it’s doing for more well established companies.   In this episode, Rory talks about:   What the Startup Manager does on a day to day basis   What companies and founders can reach out to him for help on   The efforts by the city to keep graduating students in the region after graduation   Why founders should start their companies in Boston   The number one initiative he is working on over the next year   Links from today’s episode:   StartHub   MassChallenge   WeWork   New England Venture Capital Association   Venture Café   IBM   Hatch Fenway   Pulse at MassChallenge   Roxbury Innovation Center   Spark Boston   WEBOS   BostInno   Boston Business Journal   Xconomy   The Power Broker   If you liked this episode:   Follow the podcast on Twitter   Subscribe on iTunes or your podcast app and write a review   Get in touch with feedback, ideas, or to say hi: nic {AT} startupbostonpodcast [DOT] com   Music by: Broke For Free

"When you shake someone's hand, you have changed your life"- Travis Sheridan Travis Sheridan is the new global director of Venture Cafe and it the very definition of a superconnector. In this episode, Travis tells us about the mission of Venture Café as well as his personal mission. Not surprisingly, the two have a lot in common- to create an environment for success! Travis is all about connecting innovators to make things happen and designing an environment that helps them succeed - whether that is making personal connections and introductions himself (in true superconnector fashion), or organizing weekly events to bring people together. When I arrived back in St. Louis, he was one of the first people I connected with and has be a great resources for ideas about what to get involved with and who I should meet. I made sure to wear some of my funky shoes for this interview as Travis is known for his signature brightly colors sneakers. Travis is a great storyteller and I think you will really enjoy this episode! Funky Shoes! In this episode you will learn: The mission of Venture Café Lesson’s in networking The problem with thinking of networking as a transactional event Travis’s approach to networking Why Travis believes that face to face interactions are so important How to connect with people, even if you’re an introvert The maturation of the startup culture in St. Louis Missouri The 3 types of people that make up a networking community Legacies Pioneers Boomerangs What Travis would add to the world A deeper understanding of connectivity Your actions impact others- good and bad   Quotes from the Episode: "I love to make other people successful" - Travis Sheridan "We are still a society that likes to hear stories"- Travis Sheridan "Come to an event with a purpose and an entry point"- Travis Sheridan "You are a subject expert somewhere"- Travis Sheridan "Where do we have the greatest likelihood (geographically) to make things happen?"- Travis Sheridan "When you shake someone's hand, you have changed your life"- Travis Sheridan "Adventure is boldly going"- Travis Sheridan   Connect with Travis Website: travissheridan.com Twitter: twitter.com/TravisSheridan You might also like these episodes: AOA 083 | John Corcoran | Turn Your Relationships Into Revenue AOA 034 | Jordan Harbinger | The Art of the Interview and Networking Like a Pro AOA 036| Judy Robinett | How To Be A Power Connector AOA 072 | Jason Treu | How To Build Extraordinary Relationships You will also like: The Best Art Of Adventure Podcast Episodes AOA 050 | 50 Shades Of Adventure: The Best Ideas From The First 50 Episodes

Danni takes a look back at four lessons learned at one year anniversary mark for Blank Page Marketing. 4 Lessons Learned from One Year in Small Business: AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION Please excuse any typos as this was completed with audio dictation. Welcome to Social School. My name is Danni Eickenhorst, and today we’re going to talk about the first year of a small business. I wanted to talk a little bit about Blank Page Marketing, because last week we hit the one year mark for Blank Page and it was a really meaningful moment for our business and our team. Next week, we get to have a party and celebrate (because I’m big on celebrating milestones). It really got me thinking about the sharable lessons that I’ve gotten from my first year as an entrepreneur and what would I share with others thinking about taking some of the same steps. A little bit of background, when I first decided to go out on my own it was 2007 and I had my own company, and the first time around it was mostly content focused. I’ve been given some freelancing copywriting and SEO writing things from people in my life, professors and friends and I realized that you can make some money with it. I tried my hand at writing content for a living and I found that it was a really really hard and one of the things that I did that certainly didn’t make my first year any easier was inviting friends and acquaintances to jump in on projects with me, thinking I could blend these great friendships with doing what I love professionally. Despite the number of gifted and talented people I folded in there to work with me, it was a matter of me realizing that I’m not a great supervisor; I have really high expectations of people and I don’t always communicate what I want very well. I’m much more of a big picture dreamer and much less of a tactical kind of manager. I’m happy to get in the zone and code out something on my own or execute a big project on my own, and I like working collaboratively in teams but for some reason supervising is not my thing. I find that I don’t like being viewed as the Almighty Overlord of the project and I really didn’t know how to manage at that point in my life. So, I ultimately took a contract that turned into employment and left that behind. At that time, that was a really good choice then. A few years, later after having got a lot more supervision under my belt and learning how to empower people that work with me and how to support them in their own creative rights without feeling like a terrible supervisor, I thought, “You know, I’ve worked with some really creative people. I really do enjoy the freedom of working for myself and it’s time to approach this idea once again to see if I can make it work.” I’ve had the good fortune at this point where I decided to make the jump working with some amazing amazing people in my career, who I knew would deliver quality work and to live up to my expectations and who I would also enjoy working with, who were incredible professional and so far it’s been really great. I announced my big change through LinkedIn and social media and it was really well received, it was scary doing that because you don’t know what people are going to think if they’re going to support you, if they’re going to ask you if you’re crazy because you got kids and all these things, but it was a great response. And most of my first year of business I can draw a line back to the moment that I announced on social media. A quick shout out to Janice Branham who was one of my first clients that took a chance on me and saw the work that I’d done up until that point and gave me a shot to work with the Oasis Institute nationally to help them with their strategy and various projects. I’ve been so grateful because this year so many people have supported the work that we’re doing and I certainly wouldn’t be talking here today on a Monday in the middle of the morning to you guys if it wasn’t for them. So, I would say the first thing that I learned this year was that being socially authentic can pay off. Lesson #1: Being socially authentic can help grow your small business I was worried; I guess I’ve always been a bit of an overshare on social media. Most of you probably already know that I’m never going to run for political office any day soon because it’s already out there, everything I’ve ever thought I probably tweeted or blogged. So it never occurred to me not to share every step along the way of growing a small business and at one point my friend Jen pointed out that that was kind of a gutsy move on my part sharing each and every client we got because people would be watching and if we failed they’d see that too. But pretty much every contract we’ve gotten this year I’ve shared that on social media because I’m truly excited to jump into these products and I’m really thankful to the people that have chosen to put their faith in our work and so all along the way we kind of announced when we start with someone and people watch the work that we’re doing and luckily we don’t fail so far and we haven’t had that situation arise yet and so we’re good to go. I think that we’ve been really authentic and open this year about the highs and the lows and there’s nothing more emotionally draining I’d suppose than owning your own business but at the end of the day I can’t imagine doing anything else. So, I’m a big believer in gratitude and celebrating every milestone along the way and so we have done that very publicly with everybody and in this beautiful way people have gotten behind us and really been rallying team for us. People that I really respect and whose work I really admire has come out and offered to do work with us, people who I have long wanted to work with have also hired us for projects and so what a year it’s been. So I would say the first lesson right out the gate that we learned was just being open and honest and sharing our experience, not everything has to be sugar coated we certainly haven’t aired any dirty laundry. There are days where it’s a little more difficult than other days and you know we ask for help on those days and we throw out our questions and we seek support, we’re never afraid to ask questions we’re growing a business like so many people before you, and people want to know what that’s like because so many of you are also considering something similar and if we can share some of our wisdom, our experiences along the way and help you avoid a stumbling block or get you in a stronger position when you’re a year into your small business, then that’s totally worth it because we ’ve had the benefit of learning from people like Seth Godin and some of the other thought leaders that have written it down or developed their own book and everybody’s experience in launching a business is going to be uniquely different. There are some common threads that you and I have that perhaps I can help you get a little farther, a little faster with fewer headaches. Lesson #2: Learn to value your time it was pretty quick out of the gate that I had my first request for a cup of coffee and pick my brain and all that I normally would get. And it was really difficult for me to say no because when somebody comes to you and they’ve got a non-profit campaign and they need some help or a small business and big dreams and to say no to that it’s really hard, those are my people. And so I had to and I would blame it on my husband because that’s the way I was most comfortable doing it and it was the truth and I promised my husband that when we went out on our own and I made a go at this business, I would point every minute of my time into this business and so if I’m going to give you advice or strategy I am going to have to charge you for it and I’m sorry to do that. And so some of the people that came and asked me and I had to turn away were very very understanding; in fact I’d say all of them were. Some later told me that they totally respected my ability to say no and they knew that it was difficult for me and others ended up hiring me and those that couldn’t afford to I have since worked into one of our classes giving them a free seat when we’re pretty well booked up and maybe have a chair or two that I can give away. I try not to just fully turn anybody away, I tried to give back where we can or try to connect them with someone that may be could help them. And so valuing my time was a huge lesson this first year. Lesson #3: Do more of what works The third lesson came from Travis a friend of mine who’s brilliant, he worked at the Venture Café Foundation. He is a brilliant consultant, he is exactly who you want to talk to if you’re starting a small business or you want to look up Venture Café and see what support they can provide you. Luckily we’re friends and I was able to sit with him for a while and chat and the advice he gave me is funny, it’s the kind of advice I’d probably give a client but I couldn’t see it for myself. He said, “Okay, so here we are this far into your business. If you were to put the sources of your client onto a pie chart, what would that look like? How much comes from your website and SEO? How much comes from social media? How much comes from word-of-mouth?” When he said that, I had this moment where I thought, “How did I not see that nearly all of our business comes from word-of-mouth or happy clients that either come back or referred someone?” We don’t really get a ton of new business off of social media or our website. We keep those up because we want to share our journey and we definitely use those channels to showcase our knowledge and also to pass on knowledge that authentically help people who want to do for themselves. But it was near 100% of our business was just from happy customers or people that had worked with me previously in my career and that was a huge wake a moment. The minute I stopped putting all of our focus elsewhere on blogs and webinars and all that, although we still do it just because we want to truly empower people and educate people, but when I just put that focus on the people that have referred business and the people that we do have business with currently and trying to cultivate those relationships further, then we got too much business which was a beautiful problem to have at the one year mark. So definitely take a minute as you get into your business, 6 months in, 12 months in and as you’re considering your marketing mix and how you’re promoting your business that should definitely be the first question you ask, no matter what your business is you really need to know where your business is currently coming from and what is the path that they take to get there. It just happens that my path is a little bit shorter because it’s people that already know me and have come forward and wanted to work with me or people who have worked with me and are referring folks. So that’s a pretty easy path to follow but truly that’s a no-brainer that took me a little while to get. There are so many things you’re considering your first year out that sometimes the obviously gets missed. Lesson #4: Rome wasn’t built in a day The final bit of advice I would give to somebody starting out a business is don’t expect in the first week, month or few months that you’re going to have everything figured out, you’re not going to know what your business is going to be necessarily right out of the gate. Definitely make a plan and try and stay within the lanes, don’t get pulled off of focus, every entrepreneur out there seems to fall into the trap of getting distracted by the next shiny thing out there; so definitely make a plan and try to stick to it. But you’re really not going to have a sense of who you are until you have a chance to be something. And so we were nine months and when we started the business I said I want to start a company that empowers small businesses and non-profits, to get the kind of marketing help that they need which is unique because they more than anybody else really struggled to have time, talent and resources to pull off most of their messaging and campaigns. And for a small business or non-profit the results of their marketing are absolutely critical to their survival and so I just felt this urgency to try and find a way to serve them. And so we wanted to create marketing solutions that were scalable that somebody could say come to us and say here are my business goals, here is my budget, how can we get from point A to point B with the resources that we have? And we would find a way, whether that’s holding their hand and consulting with them, managing some of the pieces or giving them the education and tools they need to actually execute themselves so that was the plan. Nine months into it we took a moment and said is that what we’re doing? Are we doing what we set out to do and if not what are we doing? And what problems are there that we’re seeing on a regular basis and how are we solving them for people? And lucky for us we were, we largely found that we were delivering on what we hoped to deliver on all along and I think that was just because we were mindful, we sent out those channels and we tried to stay in your lane. And we could have gone a million different directions with our business, at end of the day we said no, we set out to do consulting and manage marketing and education and if it’s not in those lanes we’re not going to take it on right now and that’s been great. By stopping and taking a look at where we’ve been and what we’ve done this year we’ve also seen that there are other areas of value that we provide to other layers, other problems that we fix all related to this work. But it gave us more of our marketing message, it gave us a little bit of self-awareness of our work, a different perspective on what we do, and a moment to pause and look at what our real value is; but we didn’t get there overnight. My first few months I don’t know how much of my time I spent testing various project management softwares and trying to get our logo settled and getting our website just how I wanted it because I felt like people were watching and I needed to do this well. And I lost so much sleep and so much time over it and that’s fine, that’s my process, that’s how I do but if I could go back and tell me something a year ago it would be chill out, you’ll get there just do your best and we did and I’m really happy with where we are right now. Our website is always a project in development, our social media ups and flows but we do the best we can and legitimately the best thing at the end of the day we really are helping small businesses. We really are helping non-profits and there are people like 30 clients this year that have come back to us and said ‘thank you, I couldn’t have done this without you I really feel like the help you gave me went to my success’ and that’s really what I care to measure at the end of the day, for me that’s success. It’s a book of business going forward and it’s that we set out a mission and we’re actually achieving it. So that’s it, enough about me you’ve had two whole episodes of just me. Next week we’re going to have Wesley Hoffman on the show, we’ve got Vernon Ross coming on; we want to talk about social skills in a digital age and how social media blends with real-life interactions and networking and kind of the pros and cons of that. And we’re also going to have Matthew Hibbert on in a couple of weeks, we want to talk about social and digital marketing for a public agency he works for Metro and so there’s a lot of good stuff coming up so I encourage you to keep listening, please share. And a real heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our business this year whether you sent us a referral or shared our podcast or retweeted something, God Bless you. I love every minute of what we’re doing and if you listen to this soon enough, the 15th we’re having a party at Plush here in St. Louis 5 PM till close and we’re going to celebrate our first year. That’s a huge milestone, it may not seem like that to business that have been around for a long time but it is, we’re so happy to have gotten to this point and it really is all thanks to you. So please send us your thoughts at blankpagestl on twitter, blankpageconsultingstl on Facebook, blankpagestl is our website. We want to hear from you what you want to hear? What questions do you have? Thanks again see you next time.