CBNation Feed

IAM2676 – President and Founder Helps Clients Find Best Talents in HR and Payroll

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 06:16:15 -0500

John is the president and founder of Willory, a staffing and consulting firm solely focused on HR and payroll. The firm helps clients transform their organization through people, process, and technology.

Willory ensures our clients have the best talent in their HR and payroll department, their employee life cycle process is effective and compliant, and they are optimizing their HR technology.

With over 22 years’ experience within the payroll and HR niche, John is uniquely qualified to drive Willory into a leadership position within the HR and payroll staffing and consulting space.

CEO Hack: Teams and technology to make things more functional
CEO Nugget: Have a culture plan in place right from the beginning
CEO Defined: Visionary, stage setter and one who treats people the right way

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2675-ceo-provides-11-day-process-for-those-downsizing-or-settling-an-estate/

Website: http://www.willory.com/

Twitter: @JohnBernatovicz
@Willory1

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE.

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Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

Transcription:

John Bernatovicz 00:00

I would say that the number one thing that I got right by mistake is the culture in my firm. I did not realize how important it was until it was established, and I did not do any of it on purpose. Right, Meaning I didn't put a plan together. I didn't put a culture plan. I didn't, you know, say, I want it to be this when it's done. It just came to be as a result of the people that I hired and the I think the way by which I do business, which, in essence is the way the firm does business.

Gresham Harkless 00:58

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have John Bernatovicz of Willary. John, it's awesome to have you on the show.

John Bernatovicz 01:06

Thank you. We're really looking forward to it.

Gresham Harkless 01:08

Super excited to have you on the show. I wanted to read a little bit more about John so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing and. John is the president and founder of Willary, a staffing and consulting firm solely focused on HR and payroll. The firm helps clients transform their organizations through people, processes and technology. Willary ensures our clients have the best talent in their HR and payroll departments, and their employee lifecycle process is effective and compliant, and they are optimizing their HR technology. With over 22 years of experience within the payroll and HR niche, John is uniquely qualified to drive Willary into a leadership position within the HR and payroll, staffing and consulting spaces. John, are you ready to speak to the I Am CEO community?

John Bernatovicz 01:50

Of course. Yeah. Let's get it on.

Gresham Harkless 01:53

So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to get started with your business.

John Bernatovicz 01:59

Yeah, so probably about 15 years ago, I was working in corporate America and had aspired, actually, since I was a little kid, to own my own business. Frankly. I grew up in a house. My dad was a CEO of a local hospital. Community. Community hospital. So I got to see all the cool stuff he got to do. I got all the neat stuff, like tickets to Cavs games that were on the, you know, Mid Court and Browns tickets and got to play golf and all this fun stuff. But he worked really, really hard and I took that part, I think, a little bit for granted as a kid and, and then when I got into corporate America, I had a great time. I worked for a company called ADP and learned how to sell and manage with people. But I thought there was something missing, so I aspired to start my own company. As a matter of fact, the first business I started, I still have, it's a waterbending company. We've been doing that for now, 15, 16 years. But my full time focus is on Willery. So nine years ago, after my wife had our second child, I really wanted to work from home and have a business that allowed me to do that. So I figured I'd start a firm that was focused in HR and payroll at the same time, create a virtual work environment for my employees. So I was the first one to do it and then hired two people within about nine months and then it took off from there. So.

Gresham Harkless 03:18

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. Definitely sounds like the entrepreneurship bug is in your, is in your DNA, so to speak. So yeah, it's great to hear how you kind of continue on and, and even, probably even sounds like it's evolved from how to run a business from, you know, when your father was running his business to now being able to have like a virtual team and a virtual organization as well.

John Bernatovicz 03:39

Yeah, no, it sure does. Yeah, he doesn't quite get that part. My dad's been retired for a number of years now and doesn't quite understand like, how do you not go to an you really work, right? Are you employ, how do you know your employees are really working? And so it certainly is unique, the unique dialogue for me. He's a little, I don't want to say old school, but I think I just did traditional, probably the bright way to put it, but he, he totally gets it and supports me. And I, I do agree, like kind of a modern day spin on my dad and same for my mom. My mom was an artist, incredibly creative. So I have a very unique kind of merging of two people to make me and I think I got the best of both worlds with him.

Gresham Harkless 04:15

So yeah, absolutely. Definitely it sounds like. And you need kind of both of those aspects to be able to run a business at times because you have to come up with creative solutions often and you have to kind of tap into that artistry background as well. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper, hear a little bit more about Willary. Can you tell us exactly what you do for the clients you're working with.

John Bernatovicz 04:32

Yeah, sure, yeah. So we, we primarily focus, our target market is mid, mid market. So we, we deem that 50 to 100 employees, up to 5,000 employees. And we do three things for them primarily. First is on the people side. We ensure that they have the right people within their HR and payroll team and department. So that can mean direct hire, search based support so they someone leaves the organization or they're adding a new position. So we have the most in depth and deep network of HR and payroll professionals from a search perspective than any company in the country in my opinion, certainly within 500 miles of, of where we are here in Cleveland or just south of Cleveland. So we do great work again, direct hire, full time, however you want to describe it, search based firm as well as we do a contract or temporary support. So we may have a payroll manager, which this has happened a few times, that leaves or has to go on maternity leave or has a surgery and no one else is there, knows how to run the payroll, right. And then all of a sudden you get calls from CFOs, VPs of HR like oh no, I don't know how to do this and no one else does. But people have to get paid, right? So that contract, temporary, short term basis, we've got a very unique network of professionals there. So that's on the people side. And then on the process improvement side, we look at all things application and retirement to make sure our clients are efficient and compliant. And we simply start with asking clients what process within your group could be improved? Where do you have gaps, challenges, where's the bottleneck in your HR process? It can be performance management. It can be most commonly like onboarding or identifying talent. It can be sometimes when you offboard people, you have high turnover, you're not quite sure why. So we focus in on process improvement. We have structure and methodology for doing that very efficiently. And then on the tech side, on the system side, we provide unique services that help clients optimize the HR technology that they're on. So how they pay their people, how they manage performance management, how employees leverage system for like self service, all the tech based stuff, we help them optimize that. And then if they're struggling with optimizing it or they're dissatisfied with the firm that they use, we have a full vendor selection support service that can help them find new tech, which there's about 20,000 HR technologies out there. So it's a pretty intimidating process. And then once they've selected that new vendor. We have what they call activation support. We can do client side implementation support. So project management, change management, functional technical support. The idea of a new HR HCM technology is really great at times, but it's a herculean event to get from A to Z, to purchase it properly, to be prepared for it and then effectively implement it. And I'll end with this. So over the nine years that we've had the firm, we've developed a willery way for how we staff and how we do our projects. We have a very systematic methodology by which we use to help our clients ensure that they get a positive result out of our support. And it really is focused on project planning, communicating change, being honest and truthful about conversation, process orientation, detail oriented. At the same time the people that are doing it, their subject matters, subject matter experts. So that means they have their F HR or term certification or they have their certified payroll professional. So they know what they're doing. And they're not lifetime consultants. They've been in the field as an HR or payroll professional. They know the pain points of our client. So it makes them the combination of our methodology and their experience and the way we do things makes.

A much higher chance for us to have a successful client engagement. So that's a little bit about the specifics of what we do.

Gresham Harkless 08:18

Nice. I definitely appreciate that because I think that, you know, from the people aspect, a lot of people sometimes forget when you peel back the onion of a business, it's made up of people and you got to make sure that you have the people in the right seat, so to speak, so that you can kind of make sure that you be successful. And then of course the processes, the process, the processes make everything flow. So to make sure to have those in place allow you to sometimes even scale if that's the goal for the organization. And then of course technology is literally in every single industry. So you kind of have to make sure that you're tapping into that. And just as you kind of spoke to, you know, a lot of times a shiny box, so to speak, on the store, on the store counter. And you want to buy it and implement it into your organization, but it's not as easy to implement as it looks at looks like on that box. So it's great to be able to that expertise to make that happen.

John Bernatovicz 09:04

Yeah, no, it's interesting in that. So there's a stat out there that says about 50% of technology implementations fail. Right.

So that's like holy cow, like the Half of them Fail. And the other half are. Are normally, they say about 80% of companies think they haven't fully optimized their tool, so they have to get it right. Then you take, you know, four out of five of them, and they don't even think they're leveraging their technology the best way. So we've, we've taken those lessons, learned understanding the method. We know, we know why they fail. Right. There's a number of reasons why they, these projects fail. Unanticipated change that they didn't plan for. They didn't do project planning. They didn't resource the engagement properly with the right people, with the right expertise who had the proper amount of time. So by doing all that and just kind of being systematic, and companies that hire us, they see that as a risk. Right. So they want to mitigate that risk. It's unfortunate the ones that don't hire a firm like ours that at times try to take it on their own, and it's all too much more than often for someone that has a full plate already, right. To implement a new system or improve a process, they just can't get to it,so.

Gresham Harkless 10:08

yeah, that makes perfect sense. And a lot of times it's about not only getting the people on the team in the right place so that they can be successful in their zone of genius, so to speak, but also getting those organizations in the right place. Because if your focus is not to try to implement technology, then you want to focus on the bread and butter, the most core competencies of your business, and not focus, focus on those things and hire experts like yourself to do that.

John Bernatovicz 10:31

Yeah, you got it.

Gresham Harkless 10:32

Nice.

John Bernatovicz 10:33

And I know you need to be salesman for Willy.

Gresham Harkless 10:35

There you go. Well, I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper because you touched on it. I wanted to make sure you covered on it. I usually ask for something called your secret sauce, and you might have already touched on that. It might be the willary way. Was there anything more you wanted to add on what you feel kind of makes you or your organization unique?

John Bernatovicz 10:51

Yeah, sure. No, thanks. We work really hard on that. So. Because I feel like as an entrepreneur and a business owner, I don't necessarily want to do the same thing or copycat. Right. That doesn't feel good. And there's no way to distinguish yourself in the marketplace. And people are not attracted to that as well. They're not attracted to the same. They're attracted to different and better. So first and foremost is our niche. So we just focus in HR and payroll. That is a starting point. Makes us very unique. The focus on hr, maybe there's others that do that, but when you combine that with payroll, certainly distinguish ourselves in that regard. So that's one main, unique, distinguished fact. So then in addition to that, we have methodologies and processes that I mentioned that work. They're tried and true. We've learned through the years and leveraged the experiences that our consultants have. So we've developed a way to do a vendor selection from A to Z. Right. And we have a methodology and a process that we follow. So that's the secondary piece.

Gresham Harkless 11:49

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this could be like an app, a book, one of the books you mentioned, or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

John Bernatovicz 12:02

So again, to be transparent, I know sometimes in these types of podcasts it's helpful. So we had great success in our firm over the last eight plus years. And when I first started it in 2010, we went through hyper growth. Right? Zero to wherever you go is, can be hyper growth. And we received a lot of rewards, awards and rewards and recognition for that. And as it relates to it, we reached this point to where, hey, we've got something really cool that is speaking to the market. People are buying it, they're paying money for it. We're making a good impact. And I, as the CEO, realized that if I continue to grow this at the rate that I'd grown up to this point, I would not be able to sustain, understand it as a human being. Right. It was one of those startup, 16, 18 hour, you know, a day type of jobs, just working my tail off to make this thing work. Right. I had obligations with my family and wanted to take care of my, my two little ones @ the time. And my wife trusted me to start this business kind of right at the tail end of a recession, so I couldn't fail. So, so, but once we'd grown and had some success, I realized there was something else more there. So what we did is we took a, I call it like two major, three major steps back. We still continued to grow, but our pace slowed. But we built this foundation around people, process and technology, which is at the cornerstone of our business. So we developed the management team, we put some additional technologies in place that make accountability more evident to people, how they're doing at a. At their Fingertip.

Gresham Harkless 13:36

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you sharing that with us. Now, I wanted to ask you What I call a C O nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business Self?

John Bernatovicz 13:48

Yeah, I probably would have read the book sooner. Right. And that, that, that's too easy of an answer to your question. I, I, I would say that the number one thing that, that, that I got right by mistake is the culture in my firm. I did not realize how important it was until it was established. And I did not do any of it on purpose. Right. Meaning I didn't put a plan together. I didn't put a culture plan. I didn't, you know, say I want it to be this when it's done. It just came to be as a result of the people that I hired and the, I think the way by which I do business, which in essence is the way the firm does.

Gresham Harkless 14:25

Business. Yeah, absolutely. That makes perfect sense. And that brings me to my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different CEOs on this show. So John, what does being a CEO mean to You?

John Bernatovicz 14:38

The CEO sets the standard, as we talked about before, he or she's a visionary as to where the firm or company is going. So you set the stage, you make sure you have the right people in place to execute where that vision is. And to me, a CEO is to treat people the right way. Right. CEO is no different than any other person on your team, any other customer, any other individual, whether they're, they're making minimum wage or they're a multi million dollar successful salaried Employee.

Gresham Harkless 15:06

I definitely appreciate that definition. I appreciate your time even more, John. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let the readers and listeners know. And then of course, how best.

Gresham Harkless 15:15

People can get a hold of you and find out about all th

IAM2674 – How the Franchise Disclosure Document Provides a Better Idea of Your Investment

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:16:28 -0500

The Franchise Journey and Documentation

Gresham Harkless opens this special episode, which is a “snippet of a snippet,” to provide insight and color into his new business venture. He introduces his journey into starting what is now called Blue Star Franchise, which will be supported by a subsite within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. The purpose of documenting this process, an idea he heard from the founder of the Franchise Brokers Association (FBA), is to be helpful for others. He believes seeing this journey would be super helpful not only for people thinking about starting franchises but also for anyone starting any type of business. He encourages every builder to continue to keep building, affirming that the world needs exactly what they are trying to build and that they should run their own unique race.

The Importance of Due Diligence and the FDD

Harkless reflects on his ongoing training, noting that on Day 347 of the franchise broker journey, a major topic that came up was the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). This federally backed document contains lots of information on every franchise. It gives candidates an idea of the required investment, the background of the management team, and earning projections. He emphasizes that the FDD is not just a document to quickly check a box and sign. It is something candidates must go through to do their due diligence and learn what is within it. He views this requirement for insight as what makes franchising more unique than other types of businesses.

The Most Valuable FDD Resource: Franchisees

Harkless stresses that as a person thinks about whether a franchise is a good fit, one of the most valuable parts of the FDD is actually the other franchisees. Being able to call and reach out to the people who have already invested is a “really big thing.” For larger brands, candidates will have a larger list and more people to speak to. However, if it's an emerging brand with fewer people, he advises having deep conversations to better understand what you are getting into. Emerging brands often haven't had the benefit of years of things not going well (like a franchisee not working out) to refine their process and system. He advises candidates to create time and space to go through the FDD and suggests getting legal representation to help answer any questions, which will ultimately put them in a better place.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2673-why-emerging-brands-are-the-next-big-opportunity/

Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

Transcription:

Gresham Harkless 00:00
As you go through the process of thinking about a franchise business and thinking about whether or not it's a good fit or not a good fit, one of the most valuable parts of the franchise disclosure document is actually going to be the other franchisees. The people that have gone through, that have invested in being able to kind of call them and reach out to them and have those conversations ends up being like a really big thing. Obviously, the larger the brand, the larger number of people, the more people you have to speak to. But if it's more of an emerging brand, you'd have less people to speak to.

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast. And this is a special episode, episode number 2287 of our I Am CEO podcast. And this is actually going to be a snippet of a snippet, so to speak. I'm just doing an intro because I've been starting to document my journey into starting what is now called Blue Star franchise. We're also going to do a kind of sub site within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. So you'll see some links in the show, notes related to that. But just wanted to give you a little bit more insight, give you a little bit more color in some of the aspects of why I'm actually doing this, because one of the things I was doing as I was going through training to start up this new business was realizing and hearing from the founder of fba, the Franchise Brokers association, that it'd be really cool to document your journey going through and building this out. I think it's something that would be super helpful, obviously for people that are looking for and thinking about starting franchises. But frankly, if you're starting anything, any type of business, I think it's really cool to kind of just even see the journey and how it's been going from there. So I'm going to share a few of those snippets from the. From the first couple of videos that have been created. But definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube. Check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where Herald Leonard Post is. So I'll have that information that's available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building, continue to do your thing. The world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build and needs you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you. This is Grass signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Gresham Harkless 2:05
Just like that It´s day 347 of the franchise broker journey. And it's, it's been an interesting journey for sure. I think one of the big things that is, it actually came up just during the one to one I just had was around this ftd, the first franchise disclosure document. This document has lots and lots of information around every franchise, even you know, earning projections and any projections. I think that's the right, wrong way to probably put it. Just an idea of like what people have earned and that's usually portrayed in different ways depending on the brand. But typically because it's a federally backed document, you get an idea of that. You get an idea of like what your investment, you get an idea of the, the background of the management team. Just, just a lot more insight into what brand you're ultimately kind of invested in. I think when you have that opportunity.

To kind of like look at that holistically and go through that due diligence and understand a lot more of that, it's not just a, not just document that you go through and say, hey, I don't want to do this or let me just check out the box and sign and not look at it. Something you definitely want to do your due diligence and kind of learn about what is within. And that's a lot of what I do, you know, when I have those conversations, help out just to point out things for people to kind of look at, for candidates to look at as they're going through their journey. But I think that's what makes franchising a little bit more unique than other types of businesses and ways you can get into business. You have more insight there.

And with that being said, I mean as you go through the process of thinking about a franchise business and thinking about like whether or not it's a good fit or not a good fit, one of the most valuable parts of the franchise disclosure document is actually going to be the other franchisees. The people that have gone through that have invested in being able to kind of call them and reach out to them and have those conversations as it being like a really big thing. Obviously the larger the brand, larger number of people, the more people you have to speak to. But if it's more of an emerging brand, you're going to have less people to speak to. So that's where you really want to have deep conversations so that you understand more for what you're getting into. I think there's certain nuances where you have a system in business, but there's definitely things that you know, maybe need to be understood or explained a lot better. I definitely tell you that these emerging brands have not had the benefit of going through the years of things not going the way that they want to. A franchisee is maybe not working out, understanding why they didn't work out to refine the process, refine the system, refine the thing that you're doing. Those things happen as a result of experiences not going the way that you want them to go. So it's very interesting to kind of take that into account when you're thinking about it, looking into starting a franchise and starting a. Or investing in a franchise and looking into that to get a better idea and picture of, like, what you're doing. And I believe that that franchise disclosure document ultimately does that.

So that's one big thing. If you're thinking about investing into a franchise and thinking about putting your time and energy into that, make sure that you are going through that fdd. Create time and space to really go through that. You can also get legal representation to actually go through that and answer any questions as well, too. So when you set those things up, it's just gonna put you in a better place more than anything else.

The post IAM2674 – How the Franchise Disclosure Document Provides a Better Idea of Your Investment appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2675 – CEO Provides 11-Day Process for Those Downsizing or Settling an Estate

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 06:16:11 -0500

Sushee Perumal is the CEO of MaxSold, which offers a 3-step, 11-day process to sell everything for clients who are downsizing or settling an estate. He built MaxSold from scratch into an eight-figure, customer-focused, fast-growth organization. The company now employs over 500 people across the US and Canada.

Perumal's operational success is underpinned by a strong, diverse background. He is a licensed pilot with Commercial and Instrument ratings. Academically, he holds both a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

CEO Hack: (1) Reading (2) Listening to a podcast for at least 15- 30 min each day
CEO Nugget: There're no silver bullets, just red bullets
CEO Defined: Putting the puzzle pieces together to create a vision

Website: https://maxsold.com/

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE.

Transcription:

Sushee Perumal 00:00

You know, there are no silver bullets. It's a whole bunch of lead bullets because everyone is focused on, you know, that big red easy button and there's that elusive search for that, for that silver bullet that's going to solve all your problems.

Gresham Harkless 00:44

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gretch from the I Am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Sushi Paramal of Max Sold. Sushi is awesome to have you on the show.

Sushee Perumal 00:53

Great, thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless 00:56

No problem. Super excited to have you on and what I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about Sushi so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing. And Sushi is the CEO of Max Sold which provides a 3 step 11 day process to sell everything for those downsizing or settling in an estate. Sushi created an eight figure customer focused, fast growth organization from the ground up with 500 plus employees across the United States and Canada. Sushi is a pilot with a commercial and instrument rating and holds a master's in business administration and a degree in electrical and computer engineering. Sushee, are you ready to speak to the I Am CEO community?

Sushee Perumal 01:31

Absolutely. Excited to get into this.

Gresham Harkless 01:33

Awesome. Let's do it. So they kick everything off. I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your background and what led you to start your business.

Sushee Perumal 01:39

Yeah, I met with a local auctioneer and he was providing a service that was completely unique. Like he's a live auctioneer and he sees us as a second generation live auctioneer. Like you know those old traditional bid calling where they get up on this I can't do this. I wish I could they and recite the numbers really fast on what the bits are going for. I do speak fast, but not that fast.

Gresham Harkless 02:05

Right. That's a true gift. Right.

Sushee Perumal 2:08

So he goes into clients homes to mostly to sell the goods that they have for sale due to a downsize or an estate settlement. And he was getting really unhappy about telling no to every client that a live auction. Would not meet their requirements because the cost of goods are falling. The number of people downsizing and settling in a state that's increasing. We have 10,000 people every single day becoming to the age of 65, celebrating their 65th birthday. As the population demographic grows, as a flood of goods get into the marketplace, less and less people are interested in selling the stuff that they have. He has seen a lot of spears, like fellow auctioneers, get into specialty auctions. They sell really high value, unique things like coins, stamps, original art and other higher value items. While you couldn't really hire an auctioneer in the traditional sense to sell everything that you own. So that was a big gap that he saw in the marketplace that kept widening. So he wanted to come up with a mechanism that replaces a live auction, but it still gives the high touch the live auction does. So not a Craigslist, not an ebay, not a let go, like not a Facebook marketplace, but something that provides the same level of service an auctioneer would provide. So our paths crossed and I was really interested in.

Entrepreneurship and creating something that serves a need in the marketplace and the domain expertise. You have the classic domain expertise and you have a classic, really young, enthusiastic, a ball of energy type guy that just wanted to execute out of the MBA program and I sucked my teeth into it. And here we are. This is our like, you know, we'll be completing our 10th year next, next month or next year rather. We've grown to 20 states, three provinces, 500 employees. We do about 5,000 auctions like or serve 5,000 clients like every single year. And that number has only been increasing.

Gresham Harkless 4:35

Nice. Well I definitely appreciate that. I think a lot of the beauty of technology is sometimes you have those kind of services like you mentioned auctioneer and you're able to go there and you're able to have that experience and it's always hard to kind of recreate that, you know, from a technology standpoint. But it's great to hear that you guys been able to do that to recreate that and even sounds like scale that, that I imagine to a higher level than what it could have been if it was just one person doing it.

Sushee Perumal 04:59

Right. Completely.

Gresham Harkless 05:01

Nice. So I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. I know you touched on a little bit. Can you tell us a little bit more about maxsold, what exactly you guys are doing and, and how it works?

Sushee Perumal 5:09

Yeah, we provide a 3 step 11 day process to sell everything. And by everything I mean the art on the wall, the fine china, the figurines, even the cleaning supplies under the sink. So we do that with our local expert help process. So as long as, you know like our minimum, we don't have a minimum volume threshold but it's ideal for somebody who's downsizing or settling in a state have 20, 30% of their household to clear out. We charge 30% plus $700. So that's a, you know we set out to create like the, like the Dunkin Donuts of the auction industry or the McDonald's of the auction industry if you will. We call service providers, you know they all hem and haw, ask if you own, if you have sterling to sell, they ask if you have a vehicle, they ask if you have high end artwork because it's not worth their while to even get in the car and come see you if you don't have those high value things. But with us, as long as you're okay with our fees, we are happy to serve you. So we want to create that really nice, repeatable, predictable, clearly defined process of clearing out an estate, downsizing, liquidating a business or inventory, clear out whatever it is. So if you have a high volume of items to sell, you know we, we provide that local exploit help service in 35 metros in the US and Canada. So our, our buyers, you know it's a marketplace. So on the seller end we, we would, we have that our main bread and butter is a downsizing nest egg sale. But if you're 30 year old and you can operate an app like you might be using our do it yourself to photograph catalog, put it online. We do all the marketing, we do all the collection of payments and you would supervise the removal of the items, you know where on the fully managed side we look after it from start to end. And as a buyer you get access to like incredible items in your local community. So we don't ship the goods. So you would, you would use a service to bid on the items and as opposed to greedy for shipping, you just go next block or like a short drive to pick up the items at the designated pickup time, date and location which would be at the client's house and we would supervise those removal of the items.

Gresham Harkless 07:37

Nice. I definitely appreciate, I knew you had a lot of different kind of people that were. I guess stakeholders might be the right word that are using the site because it is essentially a place that brings so many people together to be able to sell but also people to be able to buy and people that are downsizing as you mentioned and so many of those, those life occurrences that are happening. So it's great to hear that you have that system, systematized process so that it makes it super easy for everybody that's involved.

Sushee Perumal 08:03

Yeah, completely. You know Easy is what we go for. Three step, 11 days, everything sold.

Gresham Harkless 8:08

Nice. Absolutely. So, and I know you might have already touched on this, but would you consider that to be kind of like your secret sauce, what makes you guys unique? Or it could be for you, or it could be for your organization as well.

Sushee Perumal 00:08:19

Yeah. And the unique aspect is really, you know, that we don't cherry pick. Like if you call a local auctioneer or go to a consignment place or call a local provider, you know, they are really interested in this family heir gnome, the sterling silver, or the pristine china collection. But our unique selling proposition is we can sell everything.

If we have it, we'll sell it. Like, you know, like, if you have a volume of items that need to get sold, no problem. Like, we can do it. So that's really unique. Everybody else seems kind of distracted by either the technology or by the shiny objects. Versus, like with us, like we have said, you know, like. Like we. Like our market is clear. Like, they are the. Yeah, it's a really underserved market. It's really hard to execute because it requires a lot of operational discipline as well as marketing discipline as well as a lot of logistical and operational constraints because we can execute our service in 35 metros with our local team of over 500 people. So a new organization or an existing organization to come in and provide that service in even one market is really difficult because it's a marketplace, right? You got to have the buyers, you got to have the sellers, you got to have a team, you got to have the infrastructure. So there's a lot of things that make it kind of the secret sauce. It's all of those elements coming together that really make it work. And it wasn't easy. It was really hard.

To overcome that chicken and egg problem. Like, in order to get sellers first or do we get buyers? Right. So that's really. Our unique selling proposition, is really making all of that work. When a client hires us, they're really getting a $10,000 solution for that. $700 plus 30% because there's a dedicated support team, that's a dedicated marketing team, that's an operations team, that's that local expert help. You know, there's about 3.2 million users on the website. So if you have somebody with an extensive dollar collection, we have 100 bidders just collect. Who collect dolls and can compete on bidding up those dolls as opposed to putting it in a garage sale and hope somebody would show up.

Gresham Harkless 10:48

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I definitely appreciate you for expounding upon that a little bit more. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app, a book or habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Sushee Perumal 11:02

You know, this is my favorite part because a hack is really something that's really hard to sustain over time, which is continuous learning. Like, you know, I'm always reading and I'm always like listening to a podcast. And not like all day long because then you don't get any work done.

To balance it, but at least 30 minutes, like to an hour a day. Like when I go running, I'm listening to a podcast, you know, when I'm just before I get to bed, like I'm reading something for 15 to 30 minutes.

Gresham Harkless 11:37

Yeah. I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice or if you can happen to a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Sushee Perumal 11:46

You know, there are no silver bullets. It's a whole bunch of lead bullets. Because like, everyone is focused on, you know, that big red easy button and there's that elusive search for that silver bullet that's going to solve all your problems, right? And millions have been made on salespeople or technology. So like consultants saying, you know, like on selling you the dream, right? Saying, hey, I get your business. It can be a billion dollar business and they can, and here are the things we could do or are they speaking really vague terms, right? Like in that, like, you know, but when you drill down on it, you realize, well, you know, like, like can you afford the, this other, this, you know, the search for that silver bullet? You know, if you look at any business, there's no single channel. It's, it's a whole bunch of different channels that work together, right? So really you have to be focused on, you know, the, like, like the, the big domains, right?

Gresham Harkless 12:50

I love that perspective. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote, unquote CEOs on the show. So sushi, what does being a CEO means you.

Sushee Perumal 13:01

Oh, okay, great question. Like I, I, I don't think they're say, you know, it's, it's really like, it's like the definition of CEO is really what, what the individual brings to the table. Like, you know, like Steve Jobs is a different kind of CEO from let's say, you know, Lee Iacocca, right? Like the chairman of Chrysler. So they are completely different, separate individuals, each with their different strengths. And to me, the CEO needs to continuously deliver growth by identifying the gaps and resources, whether it be, you know, resources in your team or resources in what the customer needs and being able to constantly pull that puzzle together. So in your mind, the puzzle is already solved. Like you already have a beautiful vision or picture of what your company is going to look like in the future. So you're really putting those pieces or puzzles together of the puzzle together. And it can vary day by day. But essentially it comes down to using your unique skills, capabilities, talents to pull that picture together.

Gresham Harkless 14:16

Absolutely, yeah. And I love that definition and that perspective because a lot of times you have to have that vision and sometimes that vision doesn't necessarily always isn't always, I should say clear to you and definitely may not even be clear to your clients. But you have to be able to kind of do those things that you kind of talked on about the hacks of making sure that you're reading, staying abreast of things, listen to podcasts, and I think the image can sometimes become a lot clearer and you can provide that service to your clients, not just today, but you know, five, 10 years down the line. So I love that definition, love that perspective and I truly appreciate your time. And what I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and listeners know and then of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about Max hold and all the awesome things you're doing.

Sushee Perumal 14:56

Great. Yeah, thanks so much. So the company MaxSord.com is great if you're just looking to buy things. If you want to sell maxsord.com sell or 1 833-MaxSold easy phone number toll free number to remember 1833 maxsold. And it's a really easy three step 11 day process to sell everything. And if you mention this podcast name in how you heard about us, you get a hundred dollars off of a service. So yeah, I want to make that available to your listeners. So 3 step 11 day process to sell everything. And the best way to get in touch with me is to go to maxilla.com contact where you'll find all the contact details. And yeah, like good work with the show. And I think it's, you know, CEOs and to be wannabe CEOs and CEOs currently look in, you know, in in making making progress need to need all the resources that they can to to contribute to the world and to build their businesses. So you know, good, good show. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Gresham Harkless 16:09

No problem. I see here. I'm super excited about this show. We're super excited about everything you're doing and I appreciate you and all the awesome things that you're doing. We will have those links in the show notes as well so that everybody you and take advantage of those offers you gave to us as well. Sushi, thank you so much again for your time and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Sushee Perumal 16:27

Great. Thanks so much.

The post IAM2675 – CEO Provides 11-Day Process for Those Downsizing or Settling an Estate appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2672 – The Truth About Franchise Ownership and Management

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:16:09 -0500

The Journey and Vision: Debunking the Passive Myth

Gresham Harkless opens the episode, which is a snippet from his “I am SEO podcast” (Episode 2287), by immediately tackling a core misconception: the idea of 100% passive franchising. He emphasizes that anyone suggesting a candidate can buy a franchise and be completely uninvolved is doing a disservice to both the candidate and the brand. He then introduces his personal project, Blue Star Franchise, and explains that he is documenting his start-up journey to offer listeners an honest, insider look at building a franchise business. This documentation, which will be shared on a “Franchise SEO” sub-site within CB Nation, is intended to be a helpful roadmap for others considering entrepreneurship.

Realities of Time, Ambition, and Investment

Reflecting on his journey, Harkless stresses that success in any new venture, especially franchising, requires a significant time investment—often “twice as much” time as initially anticipated. He reiterates the lesson learned from franchisees and industry sources that “100% passive” simply doesn't exist. Instead, he explains that early in a franchise's life, an owner must either put in the time personally or pay someone else to do so, ensuring that manager is truly invested in the success of the business. He notes that the closest examples to passive income, like vending or Amazon storefronts, still demand some time, contrasting this with the often-required hands-on approach and due diligence of brand-centric franchises.

Protecting the Brand and the Entrepreneurial Mindset

The final message is a blend of encouragement and caution, underscoring the importance of having the right entrepreneurial mindset. Harkless advises listeners to truly understand what they are doing and to align their actions with their goals for success. He concludes by pointing out that reputable franchisors also engage in their own rigorous due diligence. They want to ensure a candidate will be a successful partner who protects the brand, not just someone checking off boxes to get in. Ultimately, he encourages “builders” to continue their work and “run your own race,” equipped with the understanding that high ambition requires patience and real effort.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2671-documenting-the-journey-to-build-a-sustainable-model/

Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Transcription:

Gresham Harkless 00:00

I think those people are getting into franchising and thinking that, hey, I want to get enfranchised. I don't want to do any are involved. And when he did, I think anybody, you know, having that conversation or representing in that way is doing a disservice to the person, the candidate, but also doing a disservice to the brand as well to.

Hello, hello. This is Gresh from theI Am CEO podcast, and this is a special episode, episode number 2287 of our I am SEO podcast. And this is actually going to be a snippet of a snippet. So this week I'm just doing an intro because I've been starting to document my journey to starting what is now called Blue Star Franchise.

We're also going to do a kind of sub site within CB nation called, franchise SEO. So you'll see some links in the show notes related to that. But just wanted to give you a little bit more insight, maybe a little bit more, covering some of the aspects of why I'm actually doing this. Because one of the things I was doing as I was going through trying to start up this new business was realizing and hearing from the founder of the Franchise Brokers Association that it'd be really cool to document your journey going through and building this out.

I think it's something that'll be super helpful, obviously, for people that are looking for and thinking about starting franchises. But frankly, if you're starting anything in this type of business, I think it's really cool to kind of just even see the journey and how it's been going from there. So I'm going to share a few of those, snippets from the, from the first couple of, videos that have been created, but definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube.

check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where we're gonna post this. So I'll have that information as available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building, continue to do your thing. the world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build. Needs you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race because nobody can run your race like you.There's Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day

Gresham Harkless 01:52

It's 344 of this franchise proper journey and, wanted to go through what I think might be the last days, at least when the Sunlight Daily Record is set for, like I've done, consuming maybe 300 or so of these different recordings. And, as I'm getting towards the end of the year, and, 365 days is hard to believe 21 days left.

I figure, it's 20, 20, 21 days left. So what? I figured I'd probably do. I start to, talk about some of the things that I've learned from franchising, like, you know, step back on the journey, talk about, like, house about it. Okay. But series and shake up the industry and all those things. Then that happened and that was that vision that I have.

And I've always had high ambition. But I think even you realize it's worth doing. And, you know, it takes a lot. It takes more time. And sometimes you anticipate, you know, it's you believe, you know, you're going to work on something. So it's kind of works. You know, you got to it's kind of it's yeah, I think that's twice as much is an important, and half the time that you think it's going to work.

And that's just got kind of a general rule that you have. But I still have the patience and I still have those ambitions. Now, I feel like even with the Chase, I feel like I just think it's time. Time is such a valuable thing. I think one of the misconceptions around franchising is that there's a lot of, semi passive or, you know, basically completely passive, 100% passive.

And it's funny because I had somebody working on, a project, it's kind of consulting with me. and one of the things he put on the forum was 100% passive was like, no, you don't want to talk about passive, because that doesn't really exist. Franchising. And that's the thing that I've learned by hearing from source, but also hearing from franchisees, over and over again, there's no such thing as 100% passive.

You have to put some time in that. Don't you want to start to scale away from the amount of time that you're putting in? But the reality is that usually, in the beginning, you're either put in time or you're paying for somebody to put in time, and you gotta make sure that the person that you're paying the time is actually going to be the person that can make it, you know, make something.

Often what you find is that there's a lot of, people that already know who they're going to bring on for the franchise. So you have your your manager or the, owner operator or whoever it is, or part owner operator, whatever it is. And sometimes even these brands require that you have a percentage of or the person that's in that seat, and they want to make sure they're invested as far as, like the success of the business.

And, you know, that's one of the big things that I think is a huge misconception is that you can just, you know, buy a franchise and you don't have to do anything that's very far from the truth. And I think that, of course, the more established the brand, the more you assume, the stronger the process is. The things are in place.

And I think sometimes that's a great fit for sometimes for some people, sometimes it's not. So it's just important to kind of truly understand what you're doing. Take a creature like be a success at a quarter and in alignment with, reaching that, like being a success. It's important to just, like, keep that in mind. like how you ultimately do that.

And I think one of the things to keep in mind is that there is not this 100% passive franchise. And I think that the closest thing that sometimes you have, I've done a video about has been, venting to Amazon, storefronts. And I haven't seen like, exactly like what the jury is on those. But with the machines it's pretty predictable.

You get the machines, you put them in locations, and then you when you start to generate revenue from there. so those are the closest things that you see, but even those require some time. It's like no matter zero time at all. I think even like if we go away from franchises, we talk about things like blogs. It's like that.

Usually you are building up the traffic, things to go there. So after you start getting traffic and absolutely start ranking for keywords, things like that. But the reality is that you have to continue to continue to keep doing that, until you get to a point where you can start to, generate revenue. So it's important to kind of look at all those things, kind of keep that in mind, continue to kind of, you know, sharpen the saw.

But I think those people that are getting into franchising and thinking that, hey, I want to get to franchises that don't want to do our inventory waiting, I think anybody, you know, having that conversation or presenting it that way is doing a disservice to the person candidates, but also doing a disservice to the brand as well to and I think I think, the sauce do a good job of guiding people through that process, truly understand that it kind of sniff it out because also, from their perspective, they want to make sure the person that is coming on is going to help.

The brand is going to be successful, not necessarily just checking off, you know, a few boxes so that they can get in. They want to make sure that they're protecting the brand as well too. So they're also going through their due diligence. So I think it's important to kind of understand that whole entrepreneurship asset. The things that I've learned, you know, for being in the spot that there's not those you pay money that sit with these franchises.

The post IAM2672 – The Truth About Franchise Ownership and Management appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2673 – Why Emerging Brands Are the Next Big Opportunity

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:16:04 -0500

Documenting the Blue Star Franchise Journey

Gresham Harkless opens the segment by introducing this content as a special episode of the I Am CEO podcast, specifically episode number 2287, which is a “snippet of a snippet” documenting his entrepreneurial journey. He is documenting his process of starting a new venture called Blue Star Franchise. This new project will also lead to the creation of a sub-site within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. His purpose in documenting this process, which he realizes would be helpful for others from the founder of the Franchise Brokers Association, is to provide insight and color into building a business, hoping it will be super helpful for people who are thinking about starting franchises or any type of business.

The Appeal of Emerging Brands

As Harkless documents his progress (around day 346 of his franchise broker journey ), one of the key concepts he has learned about and focuses on is the idea of emerging brands. These are newer franchise brands that are just getting started , typically having less than 20 or 30 units out there. He notes a major benefit is that they are often at a more of a discount compared to established brands and have fewer guardrails. This setup is particularly beneficial for someone who is truly entrepreneurial at their core, as it offers more opportunity to potentially influence the brand as a whole, establish the foundation, and be a first-mover. The main challenge with emerging brands, however, is that things like SBA financing can become more difficult.

Opportunity for the Entrepreneurial Core

Harkless emphasizes that emerging brands offer a unique sweet spot for the entrepreneur who wants some guardrails but not to be told what to do all the time. For these builders, the lack of established structure creates a greater opportunity because the brands want to get up and going and move to the next level. Owners can buy up multiple territories or become master franchise owners. Harkless encourages his audience to think about emerging brands if they have that “entrepreneurial bug” , reinforcing the message that the world needs exactly what they are trying to build and that they should continue to keep building. He closes with an inspirational note to “run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you”.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2671-documenting-the-journey-to-build-a-sustainable-model/

Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Transcription:

Gresham Harkless 00:00
Very, very interesting. I think there's lots of opportunity there. So if you are somebody that's truly entrepreneurial at your core and you say, hey, franchise is not going to be for me, think about emerging brands. Think about those units that have less than 20 now, a lot of like, SBA financing, things like that become a little bit more difficult. So you just want to look into it there. So that's what I really thought about, was really powerful and, you know, something to kind of keep in mind, think about emerging brands when you're looking to kind of build out that entrepreneurial bug that you have.

Videos that have been created. But definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube. Check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where Herald Leonard Post is. So I'll have that information that's available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building, continue to do your thing. The world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build and needs you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you. This is Grass signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of day.

Gresham Harkless 2:03
Day 346 of this franchise broker Journey. And one of the things that I learned was about this concept or this idea of emerging brands. Emerging brands are basically brands that are newer in franchise and they're just kind of getting started. The really big benefit is that usually you're not going to pay what you might be paying for an established brand sometimes. And of course it always depends on the brand. But it also means that there's not a lot of guardrails or not as many guardrails as when the brand becomes established. So why is that important? Why is that beneficial? Because if at your core you're maybe entrepreneurial, but maybe you want some guardrails, but want too many guardrails and you want to maybe be a first mover, this is where emerging brands might be, like right up your alley. I really like emerging brands because I feel like they establish an opportunity for you to be able to create the foundation of a specific franchise. It allows you, I think as well too, to decide that, hey, I do want to take this franchise as territory, build, build it up, I build it up and then I'm going to be able to make an impact from there.

So it's actually a really interesting wrinkle that I had no idea about. Like when I first started this. Of course I learned a tremendous amount. But when you start thinking about these emerging brands, these are the brands that are up and coming, they're usually less than, let's just say 20 or 30 units that are out there. So there's lots of opportunity. And sometimes what you'll find is that there'll be people that want to buy up multiple territories or they'll become master franchise owners able to own certain territories, maybe they'll sell certain territories. So it's pretty interesting because usually you have more opportunity because these brands also want to get up and going.

They want to move from emerging to that next level to like the hybrid into the more established brands. So it's one of the most interesting wrinkles because I think when a lot of people say that, hey, I don't want to, I don't want to be told what to do all the time, but they want to start their own business, this might be that kind of sweet spot that's pretty interesting. And usually you're at a, you're at a more of a discount, I think, from what I've seen in different brands and just comparing it all on paper. So that's one of the things. You have less guardrails, you have more opportunity, I think create and potentially influence the brand as a whole. But I think for that person that is like very much so entrepreneurial at the core they're going to really, really connect with this and then by the time the brand becomes established they're probably going to want to sell their units because it's not going to be as fun or they're going to have somebody maybe manage that unit.

So very, very interesting. I think there's lots of opportunity there. So if you are somebody that's truly entrepreneurial at your core and you say hey franchise is not going to be for me think about emerging brands. Think about those units that have less than 20 now a lot of like SBA financing things like that become a little bit more difficult so you just want to look into it there. So that's what I really thought about was really powerful and you know something to kind of keep in mind think about emerging brands when you're looking to kind of build out that entrepreneurial bug that you have.

The post IAM2673 – Why Emerging Brands Are the Next Big Opportunity appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2670 – The Importance of a Purpose-Driven Business in Digital Marketing

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:16:59 -0500

In this episode, Gresham Harkless welcomes Terance Redmond, Founder of IBI Marketing. Terance launched the firm to bring integrity and innovation to the digital marketing space, specifically targeting small and medium-sized businesses that lacked ethical and effective marketing partners.

Terance shares that his business is guided by his personal mission statement: to have a positive impact on everyone he meets, be kind, and constantly educate. This belief drives IBI Marketing to help everyone in its sphere of influence succeed.

Terance credits his “secret sauce” to his high-pressure experiences, including playing in three Rose Bowls and the NFL. His key takeaway is that preparation and effort are vital. He defines a CEO as a leader who wields their responsibility with the “utmost, loving, caring, non self serving aptitude possible”.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2663-financial-strategist-helps-business-owners-with-financial-planning-and-legacy-building/

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Transcription:

Terance Redmond 00:00:

If you generally are who you are, you care and you prepare accordingly, that's where your confidence comes in. If you fail, it's okay. Because the thing about it is I failed way more times than I succeeded. But the issue is I just keep getting up, right? I keep getting back up and learning. I learn from my mistakes. I address it, I keep doing it. And so with that being said, as long as I continue to give myself that effort, you know, I'll be okay.

Gresham Harkless 00:58:

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the IMCO podcast and I have an awesome guest on the show today. I have Terry Redmond. Terry, excited to have you on the show.

Terance Redmond 01:05:

Thank you very much for having me, Gresham. I appreciate it.

Gresham Harkless 01:08:

Yeah, super excited as well too. Terry's doing so many awesome and phenomenal things. Been trying to get him on the show, so I'm super excited to have him finally on to talk about all the genius and awesome things that he's doing. But of course, before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Terry so you can hear about some of those awesome things and Terry launched IBI Marketing with a clear mission to to bring integrity and innovation to the digital marketing space. Before founding ibi, he served as the vice president at a major marketing firm which gave him deep insights into the industry's challenges and opportunities. He identified a gap in the market, small and medium sized businesses, they lacked ethical and effective marketing partners and built IBI to fill that void. And I'm in a networking group with Terry and he's a phenomenal, phenomenal person. Has loads of experience and knowledge. I want to call him an OG within digital, digital marketing, especially in SEO, but I don't know if he, he wants me to date him there but he knows lots and lots and lots around things that can help you to be visible. And one really cool thing that I found out as well too, he was played in three Rose balls. He's a football national champion. He's a three year journeyman in the NFL. He played semi pro super bowl and was the mvp. Terry, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the IMCL community?

Terance Redmond 02:20:

Man, I am thank you. What a great intro. I appreciate it, but. I appreciate it.

Gresham Harkless 02:24:

That was awesome. Yeah, absolutely. It's a lot easier to read those. Probably a lot harder to accomplish all the things you've been able to do, but I guess to kind of kick everything off. Let's rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

Terance Redmond 02:37:

Thank you. Well, you already kind of said it. How I got started in this industry. I mean, I was actually at the time, I've been doing digital marketing on and off for a while. I was a manager for Johnson and Johnson, and because of big budgets, we had opportunities back then to advertise in digital spaces. But it wasn't really any competition, just doing that. Then I worked for iHeartradio. And then I'm showing you how my age here. And then we. We're doing stuff with MySpace and really crushing it, enjoying things with our morning shows. And that was unheard of at the time. Bottom line is by the time I left there, started working for Facebook and similar companies. So I got into social media. I helped launch the Check in app. Yeah, I remember guys remember that. So that tells you how long I've been doing it for.

Terance Redmond 03:27:

And loved it. I loved helping people. So that's kind of the core of who I am. I always love finding something that can always help and enrich one's lives. And so we realized at that time social media was a way that was helping businesses grow and small businesses compete with larger businesses. By doing something like that, can you.

Gresham Harkless 03:43:

Drill down a little bit more? Take us through how you're serving and working with the clients and customers you're serving now.

Terance Redmond 03:49:

My goal is get to know everybody. So I am just, I think to even say that let me the core of who I am. Right. I'm going to be a little vulnerable here and talk a little personal so you can see how it permeates you. My business, my personal mission statement. I wore this rubber band I've had since maybe 17, 18 years old that I keep switching out the same rubber band, switching out. But my. Imagine my personal mission statement have a positive impact on everybody I meet. Be kind and forgiving, patient and understanding. Educate while constantly being educated. All this will be done with God as my foundation.

Terance Redmond 04:28:

That is something that I see and read every day, if not multiple times a day. I touch it on the way out. When I go to the car, I have it up there like on a poster. So that also bleeds into my company's motto. Right so we have over 64 employees and contractors that work for us full time. We have about two to five that are part timers. But the bottom line is we want to help everyone in our sphere of influence. If we can help you, we also want to make sure that I can point you in a direction where somebody else can help you or we can give you advice that you can do some things on your own. We're here to make sure that you succeed. And by giving out that goodwill, it comes back. So when onboarding somebody, first of all, it's the initiation of that conversation on what they need, where they want to go, et cetera, and what we could do for them.

Gresham Harkless 05:15:

Yeah, absolutely. I love that you shared that. And you know, just getting the opportunity to kind of hear, I always say, like, of course it's important to know what a person does, but I think the most important thing sometimes is understand why they do it. And you having that reminder with the rubber band and being able to kind of touch that every time and every day, to know that that fuels not just you, but your business and your organization to definitely translates over to clients and customers and the conversations you're having, the realization of the thing that you're doing. Because I think when we kind of sometimes get through those challenging moments, like you referenced the pandemic or whatever time we might be going through in our businesses, our lives, sometimes that why ends up being that fuel that kind of keeps you going and keeps you kind of focused on understanding. There might be things changing and happening, but at the end of the day, this is what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I almost wonder if that's part of what I like to call your secret sauce. It could be for yourself, your business, or a combination of both. But I wonder if it's that being fueled by excellence, you know, is that part of the secret sauce? And also being willing to say that, hey, I have this expertise, I have this knowledge and be able to kind of translate that to the gap for the small to medium sized businesses. Because I think so many times people could say, hey, I know all these things. So I'm going to work with the big wigs, the Fortune 1000s, which I know you have some of those, but still being willing to, for lack of a better term, translate that and be able to impact those small businesses. Do you feel like that's part of your secret sauce?

Terance Redmond 06:36:

So here's what I would say when it comes to secret sauce is I've had the pleasure of being on the field with 85 plus thousand, sometimes 90,000 people screaming, right. I've had the millions of millions, tens of millions watching on tv.

Terance Redmond 06:57:

You know, I, you know, also was, you know, in the Greek system at a big school, University of Washington. I was, you know, between the dorms and live ins and all stuff, people know this, but I was also homecoming king for that. There's like two homecoming kings, student body votes, and then like your leadership votes. So I wasn't the academic one. I was kind of like a social one that got it, which is pretty. But the point is it's pretty cool. So your, your eyes are on you playing football and that. You have a lot of eyes that are on you, right? The reason why I say this is also I had the opportunity for like the top donors in the state of Washington and across the board and some overseas. They had me, which I didn't like at the time, being 17, 18, 19 years old, made me have dinners with these individuals, right? And so at the beginning I probably didn't feel like I felt like I should be in the room or why and they're asking these questions, but now you got it. Four or five years I've been doing this. And then now you're also presenting and teaching. When I was doing mortgages, teaching first time home buyer classes to multimillionaires, helping them get properties, realizing that I'm educating them, right? I'm teaching in a class setting of like 3, 4, 500 people. My classes were so popular, right. Um, and, and so I felt the confidence build up over the years that I know I could be in that room. Right. Um, that's again, a lot of my friends are, they're not going to name drop, but are like superstars. You wouldn't believe who they are now, legends alive or passed away that are probably one of the most influential people in the world that I've met and known. I'm in the room with them, right? I talk to them, I know them, they know who I am. So now this goes back to what I said before, Secret Sauce is if you generally are who you are when you care and you prepare accordingly, that's where your confidence comes in. If you fail, it's okay. Because the thing about it is I failed way more times than I succeeded. But the issue is I just keep getting up, right? I keep getting back up and learning. I learn from my mistakes, I address it, I keep doing it right? And so with that being said, as long as I continue to give myself that effort, you know, I'll be okay. Yeah, so that's probably my secret sauce is just preparation and effort.

Gresham Harkless 09:22:

I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or even a habit that you have. But what's something you lean on that makes you more effective and efficient?

Terance Redmond 09:35:

I. It's kind of repetitive, but I think what sets me apart is the mindset. So you kept saying, oh gee. So yes, I'm definitely one of the older people in the room here, right? Anybody over the age of 45 typically is the old OG in our industry. But I will tell you this, my mindset. So old enough to remember how traditional marketing is being done and what people are really looking for in that touch, but young enough to know that I was, you know, the first generation born in pretty much the digital age, right. Grew up with a, an Atari and had, you know, computer and computer classes, which we were one of the first one that I was the first. Our first school is the first school college to have actually email because went to the University of Washington. Okay. So it was like, think about that registering online. I never know what it was like to go into a classroom and register, right. That I hear about. But our freshman class is like that. So that hack, that mental hack I think that I have is, is having that being able to blend those two maybe generations. But more importantly, I think I'm telling you it all comes down to that work ethic. It is so simple, right? How to do SEO is literally in a manual that Google gives us. Social media, same thing, nothing wrong. Thousands of pages. I can ask him who's read it all. You gotta keep going. And then it changes. Whatever you learn yesterday keeps changing. That hack is work. That is work. And that hard work. And then by the way, when you come from a godly place, a faith based place, and you come from a place of loving and giving, it comes out.

Gresham Harkless 11:09:

You. You might have already touched on this, but I wanted to ask you for what I call a little bit more of what I like to call a seal nugget. So this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client or, or if you hopped into a time machine, it might be something you would tell younger Terry.

Terance Redmond 11:23:

I would tell you what I tell myself. This is the hardest part. I would tell myself nothing, just be. Because I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for that. All right? This is God's plan. So the hardest Part for me is to see me go through all my life struggles, right, which was tough, and not be able to say anything.

Gresham Harkless 11:48:

I absolutely love that. So now I want to ask you one of my absolute favorite questions, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. Our goal is to have different, quote unquote, CEOs on the show. So, Terance, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Terance Redmond 12:00:

To me, a CEO is somebody who is chief executive officer. I mean, seeing those exact words is somebody who's a leader whether they want to or not. Right. And with that being said comes also the responsibility, whether they want it or not, are responsible for people's lives, responsible for people's feelings, you know, whether I wanted to or not. And I say 50, 50. I'm the CEO of my household. And so I have to be set to a different standard, unfortunately, than my wife and my son and my wife look forward to that protection that.

Terance Redmond 12:44:

The Support of them was to give the financial support in the family, right? Whether you agree with whatever is different. But I'm the CEO of my household. I'm CEO of many of our friends, definitely of that, because I organize a lot of things that go on with us and do CEO of, you know, our networking group. You know, four out of the five years I've been president of our chapter, that's typically unheard of, you know, so I'm typically naturally just like that. But a CEO to me means leadership and meaning is the responsibility and. And then a good CEO means that you wield this power with the utmost, loving, caring, non self serving aptitude possible.

Gresham Harkless 13:26:

Absolutely. Well, Terry, truly appreciate that time. Of course I appreciate all the awesome things you're doing. So what I wanted to do now was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listener know. And of course, how best people can get out of you find about all the awesome things you and your team are doing.

Terance Redmond 13:43:

Well, first I want to say this social comment in general, like, hey, times are tough sometimes, right? But take a breath, breathe. Find that core person who you are. Surround yourself with positive people, right? Not just people supporting and saying what you want them to hear, but people that are supporting and make you better. Right? Mentally, physically and spiritually. Right? So I recommend everyone do that and that permeates to all aspects of your life, friendships, parenthood and business. Right? So that's part of something I definitely want to say with that. Get a hold of me Host. This is not alive right now as a recording so go down there, look down in the meta information there and it has all the connections there. You can do that, have that. But I'm on all the platforms, you know, Facebook, Insta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter. So reach out to me asking our product or services. I'm here to help, here to serve, and that is it for me.

Gresham Harkless 14:46:

Awesome, awesome, awesome was Terry, truly appreciate you and all the awesome things that you're doing. I love that last point that you kind of left us with that nugget of like making sure to kind of take a breath and kind of like be more anchored or recalibrate or get, you know, repositioned and where we should be. And I think that's such a powerful thing. And you know, sometimes the times that we're living in, but frankly, sometimes the things that we're going through personally as well too. So thank you so much for mentioning that. Like you said so well, we'll have all the information in the show notes as well too. And as you kind of planted a seed on, looking forward to having you back again and again and again to talk about all the evolution of everything you've been building and your course are doing. But last and not least, I want to go back to that word steward. I think so many times we have an opportunity to go through and have experiences in life, to be able to sharpen this all get better at what it is that we do. But I think this speaks directly to who we are as individuals, to understand that those things aren't just for us to hoard, aren't just for us to put in our pocket and run away or walk away. It's for us to be able to give. So I just want to commend you for being able to do that. Thank you so much for doing that with us today and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Terance Redmond 15:47:

Thank you for the honor of being on your podcast, man. I can say that I have made it. Imco podcast with Gresham Harkless. I'm telling you guys, watch this guy and you're going to see things just go through the roof. He is going to be awesome. I'm looking forward to being part of your journey too, man. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 16:03:

Absolutely.

The post IAM2670 – The Importance of a Purpose-Driven Business in Digital Marketing appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2671 – Documenting the Journey to Build a Sustainable Model

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:16:59 -0500

The Podcast Business Model & New Venture

Gresham Harkless is releasing this as a special episode, number 2287, which is a snippet documenting his journey into starting a new business called Blue Star Franchise. This new venture will also have a sub-site/channel called Franchise CEO within CB Nation. Harkless's main reason for doing all this is to build out a viable business model for the podcast. He believes that while building downloads and followers is important, the business aspect is where most people struggle. He intends to document this journey, realizing it could be helpful for those considering franchises or starting any type of business.

Challenges and Re-evaluation of Alignment

Harkless shares that he is on day 343 of this franchise broker journey, admitting it is hard to believe it has been this long and that he thought he would be much further ahead. His initial idea was to build out the franchise business to support the podcast and other long-term projects. However, he realized this new venture wasn't as aligned as he initially thought, calling it a “miscalculation” on his part. He believes the business can be very profitable if he can convert even a small percentage of his existing audience list (e.g., 5,000 to 10,000 people), but getting those people is the key. The journey has felt like a failure, and he notes that his two other classmates have “dropped off”.

Strategy and Forward Momentum

Harkless is at a point of re-prioritization, looking to take the rest of his 12 weeks to “go all in on the content creation” to build success and test what will work for the franchise brokerage business. He maintains that it will be a viable business. He suggests it's a great opportunity for someone who already has different streams of revenue or another business. While he wouldn't advise going “all in” on it based on his experience, he acknowledges that having the time to do so is what creates a “breakaway”. He plans to continue experimenting, including testing Meta ads. Ultimately, he is focusing on keeping costs low and leveraging relationships to create great opportunities.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2667-the-journey-to-the-next-level/

Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co

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Transcription:

Gresham Harkless (00:00)

The reason I'm doing all this is to build out a business model for the podcast. That's the whole reason I feel like I still very much feel like I've used content information to build our business the best way to do a podcast. And I, I believe that you can definitely go the route, of course, in terms of building out the downloads, the followers, all of those things. But I feel li ke if you have a business, that's where most people struggle.

From the IM CEO podcast and this is a special episode, episode number 2287 of our IM CEO podcast. And this is actually going to be a snippet of a snippet, so to speak. I'm just doing an intro because I've been starting to document my journey into starting what is now called Blue Star Franchise. We're also going to do a kind of sub site within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. So you'll see some links in the show notes related to that. But just wanted to give you a little bit more insight, give you a little bit more color in some of the aspects of why I'm actually doing this, because one of the things I was doing as I was going through training to start up this new business was realizing and hearing from the founder of fba, the Franchise Brokers association, that it'd be really cool to document your journey going through and building this out. I think it's something that'll be super helpful, obviously for people that are looking for and thinking about starting franchises. But frankly, if you're starting anything, any type of business, I think it's really cool to kind of just even see the journey and how it's been going from there. So I'm going to share a few of those snippets from the, from the first couple of.

Videos that have been created. But definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube, check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where her Glennard post is. So I'll have that information that's available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building. Continue to do your thing. The world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build and need you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you. This is Grass signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of day.

Gresham Harkless (02:01)

It's day 343 of this franchise broker journey. It's hard to believe it's been this long as far as like the journey. And man, I thought I would be so much further ahead Because I think the idea was to take this, build this out, to be able to build up the other thing. And I think the reality that I came to is that.

The reason I'm doing all this is to build out a business model for the podcast. That's the whole reason I feel like, I still very much feel like I've used content information to build our business, the best way to do a podcast. And I, I believe that you can definitely go the route, of course, in terms of building out the downloads, the, the, the followers, all of those things. But I feel like if you have a business, that's where most people struggle. You can get views, you get downloads, you get all those things. And I don't want to call them vanity metrics, but I do believe that you want to make sure that you have a viable business with what it is that you're doing. So that's where I looked at it. It's like I was trying to build out this franchise broker business to support.

The podcast and the blog and all the things that I've been doing over the years. And I realized, like, that isn't it, you know, and doesn't necessarily mean it can't be. It, it just means that this is probably not as aligned as I thought it was going to be. And that's miscalculation on my part. But it doesn't mean that there's not anything there, because here's the reality is that you, if you get 5,000 people on your list or 10,000 people on your list, even if you get a small percentage of those people in this business, it's very, very profitable. But it's only if you get those people. So for me, I've been very much so locked in on continuing to kind of grow out the thing that I've been doing. I think that maybe focusing a lot more. And I'm going back and forth, franchise business or this business, this business or that business. And I said I was gonna take the rest of my 12 weeks, like next was gonna be like 17 days or so, go all in on the content creation, try to build out the success. Ultimately what I wanted to do is to continue to kind of test out and see what will work for this business now, this franchise brokerage business. I do truly feel like this is going to be a viable business. I just think you have to make sure, in my opinion.

Have set up the, the opportunities to be able to have different streams of revenue. I think it's a great opportunity for somebody that has something else that they're doing. I wouldn't necessarily say that from my experience that I would do this, I would go all in on this.

However, I think by having the time to go all in on it, that's where you create a breakaway. However, I've heard many people very similar to real estate that don't actually make it through. And I am a testament as well too. Although I can honestly say, like, go all the way in because I still have my digital marketing business because I'm still doing the podcast, this was kind of the third thing that I was working on. However, I do think the ROI is such that if you can.

Sustain a certain amount of advertising dollars, you can see some opportunity come from here. So very interested, super intrigued by, like, where these opportunities lie, what it's going to ultimately look like. Then I test out, I think, some meta ads at some point very soon, and then just kind of go all in on, you know, what this looks like. So I'm running a bunch of experiments, doing a bunch of different things as usual. I think that for better or worse, sometimes that takes you away from doing the things and how you should be doing them. And I think that at the end of the day, you know, it's just taking it one step at a time. It's hard to believe it's been a year. I think my other two classmates have kind of dropped off. And I completely understand. You gotta make sure that you, like, we all came in with something else. That's what was unique probably about our class.

Like, I don't know if anybody says I'm doing this full time or I'm doing this even consciously, you know, I don't wanna say full part time. I think this was, for me, it was a side hustle to a side hustle. I wanted it to be my main thing. I definitely wanted to grow up there, but I just didn't get the traction that I thought I would get. So I hate, you know, going through and saying, like, I failed, but it feels like I fail. However, I think it's one of those businesses where there's not a requirement as far as.

What you have to pay out. However, if you do pay out, it still doesn't necessarily.

Mean that you're going to get leads, you're going to get close business. So I think if you're able to keep costs low and maybe leverage the relationship, you could get some really great opportunities. So that's how I'm kind of approaching it for now. I'm still going to test out some, some marketing and meta ads. Probably as well too. We'll see how everything goes from there. But still chopping at the tree, just different.

The post IAM2671 – Documenting the Journey to Build a Sustainable Model appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2669 – CEO Helps Law Enforcement Agencies Administer Extra Duty Programs

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:16:32 -0500

A podcast episode promo featuring Gresham Harkless Jr. and Shirag Shemmassian with the title “CEO Helps Law Enforcement Agencies Administer Extra Duty Programs” and episode number 2669.

Rich Milliman, the CEO of Extra Duty Solutions, co-founded the company with Adam Brian after recognizing a significant inefficiency in how law enforcement agencies administered their extra duty programs. Before starting the company, Rich's professional background included working as a management consultant for McKinsey and Company, where he learned the principle of over-serving clients by delivering X plus 10% more. He also held roles in portfolio marketing and operations at Bank One's credit card unit and ran several emerging and mid-sized business services firms. His later experience included playing an active role in operational risk, security, and back-office operations at the world's largest hedge fund, where he became acquainted with the concept of using extra duty officers for various security needs, which sparked the business idea.

Shifting Focus: From Corporate Clients to Law Enforcement

The initial idea for Extra Duty Solutions was to serve the corporate side by acting as a one-stop shop for large companies, like Walmart, to hire officers across multiple jurisdictions, replacing the need to call 300 different police departments. However, in the beginning, while calling police departments for clients, Rich and his partner soon realized that the police departments were the ones with the greater need. Government agencies often weren't properly staffed to handle the administrative burden or think through the financial risks of these extra duty programs. This led the company to shift gears and exit the corporate market to work exclusively with law enforcement agencies, helping them by administering the entire extra duty program, eliminating administrative work, and taking on the financial risk.

Core Philosophy and CEO Responsibility

Rich defines his “secret sauce” as a combination of being the first mover in this niche market, with nearly 70 departments served, consistently over-serving his clients by giving 110% of what's expected, and maintaining a singular focus on law enforcement, which avoids conflicts of interest. He believes his core business philosophy for success is driven by a focus on what he's passionate about and advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be honest about the immense responsibility that comes with being a CEO. He views being a CEO as working for and being relied upon by all the people who work for you, as their livelihoods are dependent on the CEO's decisions.

Website: https://extradutysolutions.com/

Twitter- @extradutysolved
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/ExtraDutySolutions
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwZkwY_5k4Fh_oaW8ObxVA
Instagram- @extradutysolutions
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/company/extra-duty-solutions
LinkedIn (Rich)- https://www.linkedin.com/in/richmilliman/

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Transcription:

Rich Milliman (00:00)

You hear a lot of people say I want to be an entrepreneur or I want to be a CEO. And I've always, when I've somebody has come up to me and said that, I've always said, you know, you should really be saying is I want to take on tremendous responsibility and work on a higher wire without a net.

Gresham Harkless (00:45

) Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I Am CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Rich Milliman of Extra Duty Solutions. Rich, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Rich Milliman (00:54)

Nice to be here. Thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless (00:56)

No problem. Super excited to have you on and what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Rich so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing and and Rich is the CEO of Extra Duty Solutions, a service that helps law enforcement agencies administer their extra duty programs. Rich's professional background includes focuses on business services and operations. After serving as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, Rich ran a portfolio marketing and operations at Bank One's credit card unit. He then ran several emerging and mid sized business services firms for a European family office. Prior to co founding Extra Duty Solutions, Rich played an active role in operational risk, security and back office operations at the world's largest hedge fund. Before Extra Duty Solutions, no service specifically helped law enforcement agencies with their Extra duty programs. In 2015, Rich realized that there was an inefficiency in the way extra duty was being administered and started Extra Duty Solutions with his colleague Adam Bryant. It has grown to be the largest extra duty service company in the United States and is now active in over 60 departments across the these services include handling client interaction, scheduling, client invoicing and collections officer payment feedback, all aspects of the Extra Duty program Administration Law enforcement agencies maintain control of all management decisions associated with their program. Extra Duty does the work and eliminates the financial risk. Are you ready to speak to the IMCO communityRich?

Rich Milliman (02:21)

I am

Gresham Harkless (02:22)

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I know I touched on it a little bit in your bio, but I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to get started.

Rich Milliman (02:29)

Sure. So, as you mentioned before, Extra Duty Solutions, my partner Adam and I worked at a large financial services firm. He was in physical security. I was head of parts of risk, operational risk, and physical security and operational risk tend to work together a lot. And so we used to utilize extra duty officers for various security needs that we had in different cities. That was where I actually became acquainted with the concept of extra duty. When we left the organization, we realized there's really, as you mentioned, an inefficiency in the market. If you're the head of chief security officer at Walmart and you want to hire officers in 300 Walmarts around the country on Saturday night, you have to call 300 different police departments. So we thought, well, we'll be the one stop shop. Walmart just calls us and then we'll deal with it. And so that's how we started in 2015. We started on what we call the corporate side, and we had a lot of large corporate clients. And in the beginning, we didn't have a large staff yet. So it was really myself and a few other folks that were calling police departments. And it was there we realized that the police departments have a need, a large corporation, they can throw money at problems. When you're a government agency, you really can't do that. So they weren't properly staffed, handle the administrative burden, or think through the financial risks that come with these types of programs. So we shifted gears and started working more with the law enforcement agencies, helping them, and exited the corporate market. So we only work with law enforcement agencies now. But that's how. That's how we got into this Business.

Gresham Harkless (04:10)

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that. And I definitely appreciate, you know, I think a lot of times when, you know, someone wants to start a business or start an organization, always looking and looking and looking, you know, for a reason to start it. But a lot of times you, I think, and you can definitely correct me if you feel the same way, that a lot of the best businesses are solving some type of problem, and they're usually sometimes right in front of our face or something. That's sometimes Frustrating.

Rich Milliman (04:33)

Usually if you just open your eyes, you know, what makes you kick your chair, what makes you frustrated, what annoys you. And if you really think through that, you come back with one or two things. Either a really good comedy sketch or an idea for a Business.

Gresham Harkless (04:47)

Exactly. One or the other. He's busy laughing, so I know you touched on it a little bit. Can you tell us a little bit more on like, exactly what extra duty Solutions is and serving Clients.

Rich Milliman (05:00)

So let me tell you a little bit about what extra duty is because a lot of people aren't real familiar with it. So a lot of times, you know, if you're a law abiding citizen, a lot of times when you see police, they're working in what's called an extra duty capacity. This is also called off duty or secondary employment. So if you go to a movie theater and Saturday night and there's a uniformed officer there, or if you're driving down the highway, there's a construction site and Verizon is ripping up the road and putting in pipes and there's a cruiser there with an officer. Those officers are working what is called extra duty. So at that moment in time, they're being paid by the movie theater chain or Verizon to be there to provide security or be there in case something goes wrong for public safety. Those programs called extra duty programs that police department and sheriff's organizations have can be very burdensome on the organization. So you have vendors or customers, as they're called, calling the organization and asking, what are the rates and how do I hire somebody and what do I need to do? Or it's raining this morning. I'm not going to do my job today because it involved outdoor work. I'm going to do it tomorrow. I need to shift everything to tomorrow or you know, it's Black Friday. I need four officers instead of just so there's a lot of interaction. Then you have to schedule the officers, you know, who's not working active duty, who's able to work, who wants to work. You have to figure out the rates. There's a lot of times, financial considerations, you have to pay the officers now because they work, but the customer doesn't pay for three weeks or three months or whatever. You have to go chase down bad debts. I mean, you're doing a lot of work basically running a security firm inside an agency. And so what we do is we eliminate that whole administrative burden for the agency and take over all the financial risk. We eliminate that and we eliminate some of the legal risk too. And we just make it a much smoother interaction between the corporations or the individuals trying to hire the officers and the department itself, but all the while leaving the decision making the management of the program. You will, if you will, with the department. We're administering it, we're doing all the work, we're taking all the risk, but the department is still managing the program. They decide the rules, they decide how should the details be divvied. Up amongst the officers. What should the rates be? We're just doing all the work. We work for Them.

Gresham Harkless (07:25)

Right. I definitely appreciate that. And I know that there's kind of like this phrase, I think it's used more for individuals, but kind of like a zone of genius. And I think that a lot of times it sounds like what you're doing is also helping organizations have and work in their zones of geniuses, the things that they do best so they don't have to worry about all those different aspects. Because like you said, sometimes when you're doing, you know, 70 different things, when you really know you do one or two things well, you're one or two things aren't as well done because you're stretched in doing so many Things.

Rich Milliman (07:56)

Yeah, that. And the other issue too is, is, you know, there's this notion of pushing tasks down to the lowest level that they can be done at in an organization. So you don't want the chairman of the board doing the typing. Right. You know, nobody goes into law enforcement so they can answer the phone and answer questions from customers to how much is it to hire two officers or change a road job from today to tomorrow. It's not while you go into that field. So, you know, we, we sort of pitched it as like, you guys do what you do and we'll do what we do and it works out well for Everybody.

Gresham Harkless (08:28)

Yeah, it creates that win, win, win Situation.

Rich Milliman (08:30)

Right, right.

Gresham Harkless (08:32)

Right. Nice. And, and you might have already kind of touched on this, but I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And it could be for you personally or it could be for your organization, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you Unique?

Rich Milliman (08:42)

Well, I think one thing, as you pointed out, we kind of started this industry so we were first. So that there's always a bit of a first mover advantage. Yeah. And you know, we, our first department in law enforcement started with us in January 2016 and now three and a half years later, we have almost 70 departments and the word we're the biggest one in this, in this field. And as a result of that, the word of mouth gets around and you get some, you know, you get some win behind the sales a little bit. So we have that advantage. I think the other thing, you know, you mentioned, I was at McKinsey & Co. And one of the things I learned there earlier in my career is when you're serving a client, you serve them 110%. So if the client is expecting X, give X + 10%. More. Right. And we. We try to carry that through into what we do here. And we. We routinely get a lot of accolades from our departments that we serve because we try to overserve them. You know, when we're asked for references, we give all 70 departments, we call them all. We get two or three, call everybody, call into the department, call the patrolman. You know, so we try to overserve. And so there, you know, there's a huge benefit to overserving. There's a cost to it, too. But that cost plays out in the long run because you're keeping your customers happier and that generates more customers and so on. I think a third secret sauce is this is all we do. Right. So we're not doing something else during the day and doing this at night. We're not serving both the corporate side, as we used to serve, and the law enforcement side. We're not trying to play both sides of the fence. All we do is work for law enforcement agencies and serve their best interest. So we're never kind of conflicted. Right. And then finally, when we do, do try to expand or go into something new, it's highly related to what we're doing. So we had a software company that built all of our scheduling software that we use, and we bought that company. And they also have what's called active duty scheduling software. So now we can offer that too. And if you need one, you need the other. So. So we, you know, I see a lot of companies that try to buy other companies and expand, and usually it doesn't work out that well or as well as you thought. So we try to be very, very careful about that and stick to Our knitting.

Gresham Harkless (10:55)

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And it kind of goes to. I guess, I don't know if this is the correct financial term, but kind of building a moat where you have different aspects of your company, you have your core competency, and then you start to add on related things. And as you start to add on more and more those things, your secret sauce, so to speak, gets even bigger and larger and you can do even more. I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective And efficient.

Rich Milliman (11:24)

I try to do what I'm passionate about. Right. And I've learned early on. Right. I mean, in. In life, you compete against people. You go to school, and only. Only so many kids get A's. Only so many kids get into Harvard. Only so many kids get jobs at Goldman Sachs. You know, it's, you're competing, right? So if you're com. If everybody's competing, you, you have certain grades, you have certain educational background, you have a certain drive. You are who you are. You're competing against people who are equal to you. The one with who's more passionate will win at the end of the day because they have a big Leg up.

Gresham Harkless (11:55)

Nice. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger Business self?

Rich Milliman (12:05)

That's a good one. You know, a lot of people, you hear a lot of people say, I want to be an entrepreneur or I want to be CEO. And I've always, when I've, somebody's come up to me and said that, I've always said, you know, you should really be saying is I want to take on tremendous responsibility and work on a high wire without a net. Because that's what I mean, it sounds, it's seductive, right? It sounds cool. It sounds like, hey, this is something where I can make a ton of money and not work for anybody else, man. Between here and there, there's a lot of walking on a high wire without debt. And you, tremendous responsibility. And you got nobody above you to reach up to and say, help me out on this one. Right? So again, I come back to this theme. It's within you, is that's not right for everybody. You know, that's, that's right for some people. And if it's right for you and you can think of a good idea and you can go for it, then God bless you. It's a great, it's a great thing. But you got to be honest with yourself about do you really want to take on that level of responsibility without a net? Because you know, when you fall, you can use one person that I spoke to one time, he had a physical retail outlet and he said, oh, I don't take two big vacations because if I did, I come back and the store would be gone. All right, so you want that level of responsibility. If you work for Amazon, you take a two week vacation, you Come back, your job's there,

Gresham Harkless (13:24)

and Amazon's still there too. Absolutely. Abso

IAM2668 – School Admissions Expert on Mindset and Growth

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:16:51 -0500

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shemmassianconsulting/?hl=en

Additional links:
Medical school personal statement
Common App Essay

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Transcription:

Shirag Shemmassian 00:00

If you have an idea and you're like, no, I don't think that's gonna work out, you're not gonna, A, you might not try at all, or B, if you try, it might be half hearted, right? But if you actually think it's possible, then you'll. You'll make the effort, even if you think the chance is small.

Gresham Harkless 00:45

Hello, hello, hello, this is Kresh from the I AM CEO Podcast. And I have a very special guest on the show today of Shimashian Consulting. Chirag. It's awesome to have you on the show.

Shirag Shemmassian 00:55

Hey, thanks for having me, Gresham.

Gresham Harkless 00:57

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Shirag so you can hear about all the awesome things that he's doing and. Dr. Shirag is a college and medical school admissions expert who has helped thousands of students get into schools such as Stanford, Yale and Caltech. He launched his business in 2013 as a side hustle after helping friends and family members get into America's best institutions for nearly a decade. Since then, he has grown his company to a seven figure, seven figures in annual revenue and has been featured in the Washington Post and U.S. news and World Report and NBC. Are you ready to speak to the IM CEO community?

Shirag Shemmassian 01:33

Yeah, I'm excited.

Gresham Harkless 01:34

Awesome. Let's do it. So to kick everything off, I wanted to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to start your business.

Shirag Shemmassian 01:41

Yeah, so I guess it all happened organically. When I was back in high school, we didn't have very good college admissions support, so I was self taught. Um, and you know, I had to learn what I could to, to get into Cornell University, which is where I graduated from. And for many, many years, people were asking me for help. Um, and, and so I was just doing it to be helpful on the side because I didn't have that kind of support. And over time, I believe it was in graduate school, my friend gave me this book, rich dad, Poor dad, which, you know, I'm sure many people either know about or have read. And it sort of like took me down this rabbit hole. I'm like, oh, My gosh, this is really good. And there were other book recommendations in there. So I started reading tons of these, like personal development, personal finance, entrepreneurship types of things. And over time I was like, man, this sounds really, really exciting to, to, to produce something of my own that didn't like exist before and create value for people and to help people. That got really exciting. So then I, I had this bug of like, I'm going to do something someday, I don't know what. And it was really as I was nearing the end of the, my graduate program, my PhD program where I, you know, I was thinking about okay, like what can I start and stuff. And I was starting to read a lot more of Ramit Sethi's materials. And so just, you know, he's like, you know, think about the skills you already have. And I was like, oh well, it's pretty obvious for me I've been doing this work for, for many, many years and the students I've been supporting were incredibly successful. And so I thought, okay, there's a cool business idea and, and know I launched my business, like had a website and then a little bit after, I would say a year and a half or so after I started the business, started thinking more thoughtfully about growth and how to market things and rather than letting it all sort of happen randomly. And the past several years have grown that. And it's been a really exciting journey, just like helping people get into the schools of their dreams because it's, you know, it's not just like getting into a school, but they're, you know, they're allowed to pursue their careers than goals in a way they otherwise might not be able to. So it's such a joy to do what I do.

Gresham Harkless 03:50

Yeah, absolutely. Well, I definitely appreciate you sharing that with us and I think a lot of times you forget how it's not everything, but it can definitely be very impactful what college you get into because like you said it could determine like your friends for the next whatever years and the families and it opens so many opportunities. So to be able to kind of get that quote unquote leg up, I guess can be really impactful for somebody's life.

Shirag Shemmassian 04:12

Yeah, absolutely. There are, you know, there I was recently reading some studies, so I came from a very, very solidly middle class family. My parents immigrated from another country that was going through a civil war and stuff like that. And, and so like, you know, we weren't necessarily like encouraged to like dream big. It was all about like stability and like get a good job, get a good Education, all this kinds of stuff. And there are some studies showing now, like, you know, for folks who come from, you know, more upper class backgrounds and things like that, they already have like their, you know, really strong networks and it's all about like maintaining things. But then there are other people who are maybe come from, you know, upper middle, middle or even like lower class backgrounds from a, you know, financial standpoint, that it just really helps you elevate your opportunities, you get access to more resources, you get access to, you know, more career opportunities and different networks than you otherwise would. And it's, it's certainly a great door to open for yourself.

Gresham Harkless 05:07

Yeah, absolutely. And get an idea of exactly what that process looks like is sometimes things that aren't aware, people aren't aware of. So it's great that you're helping to help so many families be able to do that. And I wanted to drill down a little bit deeper. Can you tell us a little bit more about your consulting and how exactly it works and everything?

Shirag Shemmassian 05:24

Yeah, so we create a lot of resources for people. Um, so we create a lot of content for, for the world. And a lot of people come to the site just looking for good information. A subset of those people, you know, want our support to guide them every single step of the way because admissions is very high stakes. So in other words, it's very, very hard to get in. And to like, the top schools and colleges and certainly any medical school is really, really hard to get in. So people don't want to leave this kind of stuff to chance. And so they'll reach out to us and they say, hey, like, I probably figure some of this out, but I don't want to leave it to chance. I want to maximize my odds. And so they'll, they'll sign up to work with us. And what we essentially do is depending on what stage they're in, we'll help them with everything from like, choosing what activities to participate in, choosing what classes to sign up for, who to build relationships with so that they can eventually get a letter of recommendation. And then when it comes to the application side, just based on their grades and their background, like what schools should they be applying to, and also like how to write those college essays and medical school essays that will help them stand out. Because if you're an admissions committee member, you get a lot of applications from students with really high grades and test scores and things like that. But the thing that really separates the top applicants from everything else is sort of how you share that story so you can do a Lot of stuff. But how you communicate it is everything. And that's true for an interview or an application or any sort of evaluation thing.

Gresham Harkless 06:58

Yeah, absolutely. That's kind of like a case for life is, you know, you can be like a really great person or you can even have a really great product or service, but if you're not able to communicate that, showcase that and let people know that, then, you know, sometimes that doesn't go the way it should go all the time.

Gresham Harkless 07:11

So. Yeah.

Gresham Harkless 07:12

And I wanted to ask you now for what I call your secret sauce. And this could be for you or your organization, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Shirag Shemmassian 07:20

Yeah, I mean, I really think it's one thing. I think it's like people from the beginning feel like very supported by us, and I think that's the way we write content and the way that we speak with people when they talk to us on sales calls and things like that. When you visit our site, we don't just want to just give you information. We want to demonstrate that we understand what you're going through. Like, what your mental state is at when you're searching for a certain piece of content. That's really key when you get on the phone with us. It's all about, like, understanding you and what it is that you want. Like, what are your dreams and then how can we help you get there? So I think that the secret sauce is the way I would distill it is like. Like being others centered. Right. Like being focused on others rather than like, this is what we do. Because no one really cares about what we do. They care about their goals and how we can help them achieve it.

Gresham Harkless 08:16

Yeah, I love that, and I love that perspective and the ability to be able to tap into that. I usually say everybody's listening to wiifm, which is the radio station. What's in it for me? And everybody's kind of looking like, what can you do for me? How can you help me? So it's important to kind of understand that to be successful, you have to tap into what people want. If you help enough people get what they want, then it helps you get what you want, as the quote goes. Nice. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app, a book, or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Shirag Shemmassian 08:51

Yeah. A big one for me is like our calendar scheduling software. It seems so basic, but I really, really don't like rote administrative tasks. And I remember I used to like, people used to contact me and I was always looking at my calendar and booking people and I was like, this has to stop. So signed up for a calendar. I think I use calendarly and it's wonderful. I don't get paid by them to say this. Thank you calendly people just made my.

Gresham Harkless 09:21

Life so much easier. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. I use my scheduler as well too and I don't know what I would do without it, especially with time zones and everything. I know we talked a little bit offline about that. I am not good at that. That is not my secret sauce at all. So it's great that they have created something that we can all leverage to.

Shirag Shemmassian 09:37

Be more effective and efficient. Yeah. Nice.

Gresham Harkless 09:40

And now I want to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice or if you can hop into a time mach. What would you tell your younger business self?

Shirag Shemmassian 09:49

I love the one quote. Whether you think you can or you think you can't. You're right. I forget who said it might have been like Henry Ford or something.

Gresham Harkless 09:58

I can't remember either.

Shirag Shemmassian 09:59

But just like the mindset, right? Like I, I think this is true with admissions. It's true with business. Like if you like, if you have an idea and you're like, no, I don't think that's going to work out. You're not going to. A, you might not try at all. Or B, if you try, it might be half hearted. Right? But if you actually think it's possible, then you'll, you'll make the effort, even if you think the chance is small. The reason that's been super important for me too is Garsham. Like my, in my high school I said we didn't have great support. I'm the only person in my high school 60 year history to ever go to an Ivy League school. So like it was never like brought up when I, when I was going to apply, I had like teachers saying like, do you think you can get in there? Those kids are really smart. When I got in there, like you think you can make it there? So it's all this stuff like if you listen to all that, all of that, then you won't try, you won't do it, right? And so you have to, you have to sort of like, like sort of let that roll off of you and say no, I actually think it's possible. Let me go for it. Because I hate wondering what if so, I want to think I can do it and let's see what happens.

Gresham Harkless 11:04

Yes, I love that and I love that perspective. And I think a lot of times, and I don't know if you do end up doing. Do you do have those conversations with clients as well, too, where, you know, like you mentioned for the admissions process, if you think you're not going to get into, you know, so and so college, you have that mentality then a lot of times I think that permeates probably through all the application process.

Shirag Shemmassian 11:24

Yeah. 10,000% true. Like, there is you. You want to obviously, like, have some risk management built in. You don't want to have someone apply to only places where they're going to have a really difficult chance of getting into. But sometimes people say, like, I really want to get into this school, but, like, no one gets in there or so. And so a year ahead of me applied and they had this test score and they didn't. And so it's just like you're sort of defeating yourself before you even try. And I'm huge on not just saying, no, no, I think you can get in, but like, actually challenging that, like putting it on the table and saying, like, why do you think that? Is that helping you in any, you know, like, basically, let's talk through this because I don't want you to, like, subconsciously put in lesser effort for that kind of thing.

Gresham Harkless 12:05

Right. And that can, you know, like you said, it permeates itself through so many different aspects of the application. And whether you're running a business or filling out an application, it's a big thing. And I love the fact too, that you kind of touched on you going through that process and how it helped you out. Because I think a lot of times when building a business, like Malcolm Gladwell has this, this, the book, and I forgot exactly what book. Outliers. And it talks about the 10,000 hours. And a lot of times you see somebody that's successful, like, you've been able to successfully build your business, but you forget of all the hours that you put in, you yourself going through that process, the decade that you spoke to, of all the work that you put in. So that when you started your business and put out the flag, it wasn't like you were just getting started.

Shirag Shemmassian 12:44

Yeah, absolutely. I'm like a total admissions nerd. I ever before I started a business, like, people usually, like, get into college, they're like, oh, my gosh, I never have to think about that again. I, like, I read every article published. I've Read every book. I work with like thousands of students, spoken with thousands of family.

Gresham Harkless 13:04

Right.

Shirag Shemmassian 13:04

Like, so I, I live in this every single day. And, and so when, when people are like, oh, like how'd you know I was thinking that? Or whatever, it's like, I don't know, like I just do because I spend so much time in this world, you know. So true.

Gresham Harkless 13:17

Yeah, it's the true definition of mastery. Being able to kind of just take in so much information and content that you kind of know what's going to happen before it happens because you just are so prepared in that situation. So I appreciate that. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote, unquote, CEOs on the show. So what does being a CEO means? You.

Shirag Shemmassian 13:39

This is, this comes at an interesting time because I'm literally reflecting on what should I be doing right now. And so some of my notes and I was talking to a good friend of mine who has a very successful business. It's essentially just like having a vision for what the company should look like and then putting people, putting the right people in the right places to make that happen. That's my current understanding of it. Ask me in six months, I may have a different answer. But essentially like you have to have clarity. Otherwise you don't know what to create, you don't know who to hire or delegate what tasks and things like that. So just getting clarity around what you want to achieve with it rather than getting sucked into the day to day because it's very easy to feel like productive by answering, you know, a hundred emails that day. But, but did you really, like, did you really feed the vision? Perhaps not. So that's very top of mind for me right now.

Gresham Harkless 14:34

Yeah, absolutely. I

New Year Digital Marketing: Strategies and Campaign Planning for 2026

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 09:16:38 -0500

A well-defined marketing plan sets the stage for a successful new year. In 2026, personalization and data-driven insights will be key for effective engagement and conversion. Successful digital marketing in 2026 involves leveraging various digital channels, such as search engine optimization and a comprehensive understanding of your target audience and the platforms they use.

Importance of a Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is the roadmap for your marketing campaigns. It outlines your objectives, strategies, and tactics. It helps align your marketing efforts with your overall business goals.

A well-structured marketing plan allows you to allocate resources efficiently, track progress, and optimize your strategies for better results. Businesses need to set up for success and drive results that contribute to their bottom line.

Reflect and Review Your Current Year’s Performance

Evaluate Past Campaigns

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Assess key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rate, and customer engagement to gain insights into the effectiveness of your marketing strategies. This evaluation will inform your approach for the coming year and help you refine your marketing efforts.

Review your business marketing position

Take a step back and assess your current marketing position. Evaluate your brand’s strengths and weaknesses, and identify opportunities for growth and improvement.

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Audit and Plan Your Owned Media Campaigns

Audit all of your owned media channels, including your website, blog, and social media profiles.

Ensure that your brand message is consistent across all platforms and that your content is optimized for search engine optimization and user engagement.

Plan your content creation schedule for the coming year. Focus on creating valuable and engaging content that resonates with your target audience and drives traffic to your website.

How to Create an Effective New Year Marketing Campaign

Set Campaign Goals for 2026

Set clear, measurable goals that align with your overall business objectives. Define your aims early on to track progress and optimize your marketing efforts.

Whether it’s boosting brand awareness, increasing website traffic, or driving up conversion rates, consider what you want to achieve with your marketing strategies and ensure that your goals are specific, attainable, and relevant to your target audience.

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Your message should resonate with your target audience and clearly communicate the value of your products or services. It should also differentiate your brand from the competition and create a memorable impression.

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Optimizing Your Marketing Campaigns

Utilize Analytics for Campaign Performance

Monitoring and optimizing your marketing campaigns using tools like Google Analytics provides valuable insights into website traffic, conversion rates, and customer engagement.

It helps identify what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make data-driven decisions. Regularly review your analytics to refine your strategies and ensure you are maximizing your return on investment in your digital marketing efforts.

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Implement SEO strategies to improve your online presence and drive organic traffic to your website. Focus on optimizing your content with relevant keywords, improving your website’s structure, and building high-quality backlinks.

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Leverage Digital Marketing Tools

Explore different tools to find the ones that best fit your needs and integrate them into your marketing workflow.

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Measure Success and Adjust Strategies

Use tools like Google Analytics to track key performance indicators such as website traffic, conversion rate, and social media engagement.

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Planning for the Best Year Yet

Planning your 2026 marketing is the perfect time to revamp your marketing plan and strategies for 2026.

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The post New Year Digital Marketing: Strategies and Campaign Planning for 2026 appeared first on .

IAM2667 – The Journey to the Next Level

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 06:16:58 -0500

The Journey and Vision

Gresham Harkless opens the segment by discussing his current need to reconfigure and reboot his entire business. He notes that what brought him to his current level of success is not what will take him to the next level. This insight is driving him to look at things and operate differently, posing the challenge of “how to unlearn the things that you've been doing.”

He introduces this content as a special episode and a snippet documenting his journey into starting a new venture called Blue Star Franchise, which will also lead to a sub-site/channel called Franchise CEO within CB Nation. His purpose is to document this building-out process to be helpful for others considering franchises or starting any type of business.

Challenges, Learnings, and Real-World Results

Harkless candidly shares that the journey has not gone the way he wanted, leading to a feeling of scrambling over the last three to six months. He realizes that while he has been testing things (like DMs) on a low scale, the core problem is the need to put more “gasoline on the fire”—to test things with enough energy/money to truly see if they work and then iterate.

He explains that he's had to reboot the entire business because things weren't performing at the desired level. This rebuild has required him to spend more time there, which has had a domino effect, pulling him away from dedicating sufficient time to the new broker business. Personal responsibilities, like having a new baby, further contribute to feeling “fractured and very split”.

Re-Prioritization and Forward Momentum

Harkless is at a crossroads, questioning how to do what needs to be done. He is wondering if leaning on his current team—including a good VA and his integrator—can help take the business to the next level. He acknowledges that scaling has been challenging and he has had to have difficult conversations to get where he needs to be.

He concludes that the central issue is not just direction, but the “figuring out part”—reconfiguring the entire operation. He recognizes that reaching a level of success requires asking, “How do I take it to the next level?” Moving forward, he must continue to ask himself, “What do I want and how do I make that happen?” and commit to taking it a day at a time.

Previous Episode: https://iamceo.co/iam2665-running-the-long%e2%80%91term-race-in-business/

Blue Star Franchise: bluestarfranchise.com
Browse the Franchise Inventory: bluestarfranchise.com/franchise
Is franchising right for you? Check this out to see: bluestarfranchise.com/assessment
Franchise CEO (A CBNation Site – coming soon) – franchiseceo.co

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Transcription:

Gresham Harkless:

(00:00It's not even just a direction thing. It's the figuring out part. Like I'm really reconfiguring this thing as, you know, I go. And in doing that, it's like, okay, well, what you were doing maybe isn't what's going to take you to the next level. When you start to realize that, you start to say, okay, I have to look at things and operate differently, but how do I operate differently? How do you unlearn the things that you've been doing? Foreign.

CEO podcast and this is a special episode, episode number 2287 of our IM CEO podcast. And this is actually going to be a snippet of a snippet, so to speak. I'm just doing an intro because I've been starting to document my journey into starting what is now called Blue Star Franchise. We're also going to do a kind of sub site within CB Nation called Franchise CEO. So you'll see some links in the show notes related to that. But just wanted to give you a little bit more insight, give you a little bit more color in some of the aspects of why I'm actually doing this. Because one of the things I was doing as I was going through training to start up this new business was realizing and hearing from the founder of fba, the Franchise Brokers association, that it'd be really cool to document your journey going through and building this out.

I think it's something that'll be super helpful, obviously for people that are looking for and thinking about starting franchises. But frankly, if you're starting anything, any type of business, I think it's really cool to kind of just even see the journey and how it's been going from there. So I'm going to share a few of those snippets from the from the first couple of videos that have been created. But definitely, of course, subscribe to our YouTube. Check out a lot more where I figure out exactly where her Glennard post is. So I'll have that information that's available to you. But regardless, if you're a builder, continue to keep building. Continue to do your thing. The world definitely needs exactly what you're trying to build and needs you to be your unique self. So make sure to run your own race, because nobody can run your race like you. This is Grass signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of day.

(02:00)And with that, I don't know what day it is, but it's been a lot of days. I'll tell you that of this franchise broker journey, I have to do the math and start to calculate. I like this tool now. It's like this tool now allows you to put in the date so I can start putting the dates, figure out exactly where I was, what I was doing to kind of look through this journey. And I pretty much want to delete all these, honestly, just because I think it hasn't gone the way that I wanted to in the journey. When you go through the journey, you want to see there be some type of

End of the road where you say, hey, this is success. This is what it looks like. This is how he did it. This is what he does. And I just been scrambling, honestly, probably for the last three to six months, maybe been testing out things, don't get me wrong, but I've been doing DMs, things like that on a very low scale. But I think the problem that I run into is that I do have to put a little bit more gasoline on the fire. So when I test out something, you test out something with some gas, even if that gas is a few dollars, so you can see if it works. If it doesn't work, then you have to iterate and continue to kind of do that. That's the secret to doing this. Obviously, if you're having a franchise, the idea is that the. The franchise Zor already has done those things. But it's very interesting just because as I go through this, I realize I have my shirt on inside out for my workout. It's just one of those things where you continue to chop at the tree and I think you do it at a different scale. So I've been back and forth about, hey, digital marketing is my bread and butter. This is where it is. But I think that I haven't been able to put as much time and energy into the other things because I've had to reboot the entire business.

And when you reboot the business, it's usually not because things are performing at the level you want to perform. Usually it's not. And what I realized is that I could spend more time probably putting energy into the things that I need to. To. To scale up rather than what I've been doing. So I think that's ultimately, like, where I'm at. I'm wondering if myself in a really good VA and my integrator and a couple people on the team can really, like, take this thing to another level. And I think that's ultimately like, where I'm at, where, you know, this is not, you know, what I want it to be, what I need it to be. And I think that, you know, sometimes you have those difficult conversations, which I've had a bunch of them, and I might have to have another one today to get to where you need to be. I think being able to kind of lean on the team, you know, lean on the people that are left on the team, is definitely something that, you know, has been challenging to kind of do just because we haven't scaled the way that we needed to. And I think that it's left it so that I have not been able to even devote as much time as I wanted to to the broker business. And with me not being able to vote that time, then it just creates this domino effect, because the whole idea was to bring, you know, a team on so that I can start to focus on this business.

But as this business doesn't do what I needed to do, doesn't scale or grow to the level that I needed to grow, it's forced me to spend more time there. Spending more time there has meant that I'm not, you know, focusing as much on the other parts of the business. And also, you know, what's also pulling is having that, you know, the new baby and then juggling all the things that life entails as well, too. It's made it so that you become very fractured and very split into things that you're doing. So I'm left at kind of like a crossroads of, like, how do I do what needs to be done in the way that I need it to be done? And it's not even just a direction thing. It's the figuring out part. Like, I'm really reconfiguring this thing as, you know, I go. And in doing that, it's like, okay, well, what you were doing, maybe, is it what's going to take you to the next level? When you start to realize that, you start to say, okay, I have to look at things and operate differently, but how do I operate differently? How do you unlearn the things that you've been doing? This got you to a level of success, don't get me wrong, but it's not getting you to that next level.

And I think this is what a lot of people do when they go through different, you know, marks and, you know, whatever, you know, landmark they hit is that you reach that level of success and you realize, how do I take it to the next level? I think that's ultimately where I'm at and, you know, just have to continue to ask myself, what do I want and how do I make that happen? I think those two things coming together is one of the biggest things that I need to kind of focus on. So we'll see what happens. I'll take it a day at a time, and we'll go from here.

The post IAM2667 – The Journey to the Next Level appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

Holiday Marketing to Prepare Your Brand for the Festive Season

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 09:16:44 -0400

The holiday season presents unparalleled opportunities for small businesses to connect with holiday shoppers and drive sales. It’s often a unique season characterized by increased consumer spending and a heightened emotional connection to brands and effective holiday marketing tips can evoke that holiday spirit.

This guide will help you navigate the holiday rush and implement successful holiday marketing strategies for maximum impact.

Planning Your Holiday Marketing Campaign

Understanding the dynamics of the holiday shopping season maximizes your reach, optimizes your budget, and delivers a memorable customer experience.

Knowing when holiday shoppers start their searches, what motivates their purchasing decisions, and how they interact with marketing campaigns will enable you to tailor your marketing strategies more effectively.

Set Goals for Your Holiday Marketing Campaign

Clearly defined goals guide your marketing strategies and provide a benchmark to evaluate performance.

Whether your aim is to increase sales by a specific percentage, grow your email marketing list, or enhance brand awareness, setting measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals is crucial.

For example, you might set a goal to increase ecommerce sales by 20% or acquire 500 new customers through holiday promotions.

Create a Holiday Marketing Timeline

A well-structured timeline ensures that each promotional activity is launched at the optimal time, maximizing impact and minimizing overlap.

Start by mapping out key dates such as Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and specific holiday deadlines for shipping and delivery. Then, schedule the launch of your holiday ad campaigns, email marketing sequences, and social media content.

A detailed timeline allows you to maintain a consistent message, manage resources efficiently, and stay ahead of the holiday rush.

Effective Holiday Marketing Strategies and Ideas

Utilize E-commerce for Maximum Reach

A well-optimized e-commerce platform serves as the central hub for your holiday marketing campaign, allowing you to showcase your products or services to a wider audience.

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate. Implement holiday-themed banners and product displays to create a festive spirit and encourage shopping.

Leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to improve visibility in search results, making it easier for shoppers to find your sale and special offers.

Incorporate Discounts and Promotions

Holiday shoppers are actively seeking special offers and deals during the holiday shopping season, making it an ideal time to attract new customers and reward existing ones.

Consider offering a range of promotions such as percentage-based discounts, buy-one-get-one deals, free shipping, or bundled gift sets. Use persuasive language to convey a sense of urgency and scarcity, such as “limited-time offer” or “while supplies last,” to encourage immediate purchases.

Promote these discounts and promotions prominently across your website, email marketing, and social media channels.

Develop a Festive Gift Guide

A well-curated gift guide helps customers navigate your products or services and find the perfect presents for their loved ones.

Organize your gift guide by recipient (e.g., “gifts for him,” “gifts for her”), price range, or interest to make it easy for shoppers to browse.

Include high-quality product photos and detailed descriptions, highlighting the unique benefits of each item.

Enhance Customer Experience through Personalization

Personalization involves tailoring your marketing efforts and customer interactions to meet the individual needs and preferences of your shoppers.

Use data to segment your email marketing list and send targeted promotions based on past purchases, browsing history, or demographic information.

Personalize your website by displaying relevant product recommendations and greeting customers by name. Provide exceptional customer service and address any concerns promptly and efficiently to create a memorable and positive customer experience.

Leverage Social Media for Engagement

Create engaging content that captures the festive spirit, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses of your preparations, holiday-themed contests and giveaways, or user-generated content featuring your products.

Run targeted ad campaigns to reach specific demographics and interests. Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly, and use relevant hashtags to increase visibility and reach.

Build a Loyalty Program for Holiday Shoppers

Rewarding your loyal customers for their continued support encourages them to choose your small business over competitors during the holiday shopping season and beyond. Offer exclusive promotions, early access to sales, or special discounts to loyalty program members.

Consider tiered loyalty programs with increasing benefits based on spending levels. Promote your loyalty program prominently across your website, email marketing, and social media channels.

Ensure that your loyalty program is easy to join and that the rewards are valuable and appealing to your target audience, enhancing their customer experience.

Other Creative Holiday Marketing Ideas

Consider innovative campaigns that capture attention and engage shoppers in unique ways through:

1) Partnering with local influencers to promote your products or services

2) Host a virtual holiday-themed event or workshop to showcase your expertise and connect with your target audience on a personal level

3) Using augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) to create immersive shopping experiences

4) A Christmas-themed photo contest or social media challenge to encourage user-generated content.

5) Partnering with local charities or non-profit organizations to support a worthy cause and demonstrate your commitment to giving back to the community.

Planning for Post-Holiday Sales and Marketing

The period after the holidays presents opportunities to clear out excess inventory, engage new customers acquired during the holiday rush, and build lasting relationships.

Consider launching post-holiday sales events, offering special discounts on remaining holiday-themed products, or promoting gift cards and store credit to encourage future purchases.

Use email marketing and social media to stay connected with your audience, share valuable content, and tease upcoming promotions and product releases.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

At Blue16 Media, we understand the role of holiday marketing in driving sales. We design websites that welcome visitors, craft social stories that spark conversation, and deploy SEO strategies that put you on the map. Let us create a holiday marketing plan that drives traffic and builds trust for your business.

Visit us at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or contact us online to start your adventure today.

The post Holiday Marketing to Prepare Your Brand for the Festive Season appeared first on .

How to Create a Killer Landing Page Using High-Converting Design Tips

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 09:16:10 -0400

A killer landing page that converts is the dedicated space where visitors decide whether or not to engage.

Unlike a general website page, a high-converting landing page focuses solely on a specific offering and encourages visitors to complete a desired action.

It’s the workhorse of your marketing efforts, driving measurable results and boosting your bottom line.

Key Elements of High-Converting Landing Pages

Has a Clear Purpose

A focused message translates to a higher conversion rate. When creating high-converting landing pages, you must define the specific action you want visitors to take.

Are you offering a free trial, an ebook, or a consultation?

The entire landing page’s design, message, and CTAs should all be aligned to support that single goal.

Without a clear purpose, your landing page becomes a jumbled mess of information, overwhelming visitors and reducing your chances of the landing page’s success.

Compelling Headlines

A great headline speaks directly to your target audience’s pain points and offers a solution.

It’s the first thing visitors see, so it needs to grab their attention immediately and communicate the core value proposition of your product or service.

Think of it as your elevator pitch that has to be excellent to ensure a successful landing.

A great headline speaks directly to your target audience’s pain points and offers a solution.

It should be concise, clear, and action-oriented, prompting visitors to read on and learn more about your offering.

Effective Call to Action (CTA) Strategies

A strong CTA is the key to turning a browser into a customer. Your CTA button should stand out visually and be placed strategically throughout the page, especially above the fold.

The message on your CTA should be clear, concise, and compelling, telling visitors exactly what they will get when they click. For example, instead of “Submit,” try “Download Your Free Ebook” or “Start Your Free Trial.”

A/B test different CTA designs and copy to optimize your landing page and find what works best for your target audience.

Utilizes Social Proof to Boost Credibility

Potential customers are more likely to engage with your product or service if they see that others have had positive experiences.

Incorporate testimonials, reviews, case studies, and social media mentions on your landing page to showcase your credibility.

Display recognizable logos of past clients or partners to further enhance trust. This makes visitors comfortable with the idea of taking action, thus engaging and converting them.

Best Practices for Landing Page Creation

Design a User-Friendly UI

A user-friendly UI directly impacts the visitor’s experience and, consequently, the conversion rate.

A clean, intuitive design ensures that visitors can easily find the information they need and take action without frustration.

Ensure clear navigation, logical flow, and visual cues that guide users toward the CTAs.

Use whitespace effectively to avoid overwhelming visitors and maintain a focused message.

Optimize for Mobile Users

With a significant portion of web traffic originating from mobile devices, a high-converting landing page must provide a seamless experience on smartphones and tablets.

This means ensuring that your page elements are responsive, adapting to different screen sizes without compromising readability or functionality.

Optimize images and videos for faster loading times on mobile networks. Make your CTA buttons easily tappable and forms simple to fill out on smaller screens.

Test and Analyze Conversion Rates

A/B testing allows you to experiment with different headlines, CTAs, design elements, and content variations to see what resonates best with your target audience.

It helps you identify areas for improvement and refine your approach to maximize your conversion rate.

Utilize analytics tools to track key metrics, including bounce rate, time on page, and conversion rate, to gain valuable insights into user behavior and preferences.

Tips to Create Killer Landing Pages in Minutes

Choose the Right Tools for Landing Page Creation

The right tools streamline the creation process. Numerous user-friendly platforms offer drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-designed templates, making it easy to build a landing page that converts, even without extensive technical skills.

When selecting a landing page builder, consider several factors, including:

Ease of use
Customization options

These platforms empower you to quickly create killer landing pages, optimize them for conversions, and track their performance, all in one place.

Iterate Based on User Feedback

Collect user feedback through surveys, heatmaps, and user testing to understand how visitors interact with your landing page and identify what resonates best with them.

Identify pain points, areas of confusion, and opportunities for improvement.

Use this feedback to make data-driven decisions about your landing page design, messaging, and functionality.

The post How to Create a Killer Landing Page Using High-Converting Design Tips appeared first on .

The Role of Analytics in Digital Marketing

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 09:16:45 -0400

Digital marketing analytics is all about making sense of the vast amount of marketing data generated every day. Instead of relying on gut feelings, digital marketers use data to see what’s really working, what’s not, and how to improve their marketing strategies.

It helps you understand who your customers are, how they interact with your brand, and what motivates their purchasing decisions.

This guide walks you through how to leverage analytics to make smarter decisions, optimize your marketing efforts to achieve a higher return on investment.

How Analytics Drives Marketing Strategies

Analytics helps pinpoint market trends and customer behaviors. By analyzing data, you can identify patterns and preferences that inform your marketing strategies.

Analytics helps gauge the effectiveness and reach of your marketing campaigns, enabling you to refine your approach and focus on what delivers the best results.

For example, if you see a spike in traffic from a particular social media platform, analytics can help you allocate more resources to that channel to maximize your reach and impact.

Key Components of Marketing Analytics

Types of Marketing Data to Consider

When diving into marketing analytics, it’s crucial to identify the types of marketing data that matter most. This includes customer data like demographics, purchase history, and engagement metrics.

Digital marketing activities generate valuable data from various touchpoints, such as;

Website visits
Social media interactions
Email click-through rates.

Understanding this data is foundational for analyzing data and optimizing your marketing efforts, leading to a higher return on investment.

Analytics Tools for Small Businesses

To effectively leverage analytics in digital marketing, small businesses need the right analytics tool.

Several options exist to help them in this task, including:

Google Analytics, a free and powerful option for website analytics, tracking traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.
Social media platforms, which offer their own analytics dashboards, provide insights into audience engagement and campaign performance.

Choosing the right digital analytics tools allows digital marketers to make data-driven decisions and refine their digital marketing strategies.

Gathering Customer Data Effectively

Effective data analytics in marketing starts with gathering customer data ethically and efficiently.

Implement forms, surveys, and tracking pixels on your website to capture relevant information.
Encourage social media engagement and monitor interactions to understand customer behavior.
Ensure compliance with privacy regulations while collecting and analyzing data.

Using Data to Improve Marketing Strategies

Making Data-Driven Decisions

Analytics enable highly targeted and personalized marketing initiatives. By evaluating campaign data, marketers can discern what resonates best with their audience, fine-tuning campaigns for maximal engagement and conversion rates.

Insights on user interaction with your site guide improvements in design and content, bolstering both user experience and site performance.

Real-Time Analytics for Immediate Impact

Real-time analytics provides digital marketers with immediate insights into ongoing marketing campaigns. This allows for quick adjustments to optimize performance and capitalize on emerging market trends.

It identifies what’s working and what’s not, making immediate changes to improve conversion rates. For example, if you notice a sudden drop in traffic from a specific source, real-time analytics can help you quickly identify and address the issue.

Predictive Analytics: Anticipating Customer Needs

Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning promise to unlock deeper, predictive analytics insights into customer preferences and future trends. This enables marketers to anticipate needs and tailor marketing strategies accordingly.

Predictive analytics can forecast future market trends and customer behavior. This allows your marketing team to proactively adjust marketing strategies, enhancing the return on investment of your digital marketing campaign.

Measuring ROI with Digital Marketing Analytics

Return on Investment (ROI) in digital marketing quantifies the profitability of your marketing efforts. It measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on a digital marketing campaign, helping you assess the effectiveness of your marketing strategies.

Calculating ROI accurately requires tracking all costs associated with your digital marketing initiatives, including advertising spend, software subscriptions, and employee salaries.

Calculating ROI Using Marketing Analytics

To calculate ROI using marketing analytics, start by identifying the total revenue generated from a specific digital marketing campaign.

Subtract the total cost of the campaign from this revenue to determine the net profit. Divide the net profit by the total cost, and then multiply by 100 to express the ROI as a percentage.

For instance, if a marketing campaign cost $10,000 and generated $30,000 in revenue, the ROI would be 200%.

Best Practices for Ongoing Data Analysis

For ongoing data analysis, focus on metrics closely aligned with business goals to avoid data overload. Merging insights from various areas is crucial for a comprehensive marketing overview.

It’s important to keep up with changes by focusing on:

Analytics trends.
Regularly reviewing and refining your marketing strategies based on data-driven insights.

Digital marketing is always evolving; implement changes based on insights and gauge their impact to continually refine marketing strategies and maximize return on investment.

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Chat#112 – Overcome Fear & Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Potential – Who’s Interviewing Who?

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:50:48 -0400

Fear is one of the most common hurdles entrepreneurs face on their journey to success. In this insightful discussion between Gresh from the CEO Chat Podcast and Inga Maskun, we dive deep into understanding fear—not as an enemy, but as a natural companion on the path of entrepreneurship. This article explores how fear manifests, practical ways to neutralize it, and how to harness it to unlock your true potential.

Understanding Fear: A Constant Companion

Fear is not something we can completely eliminate. Inga shares a powerful perspective: “Fear will always be around us. Why try to haggle with it?” Instead of fighting fear, the key is to make peace with it—acknowledging it as a friend or a companion in life. Just like some friends we live with even if we don't always sync perfectly, fear is something we can learn to coexist with and navigate around.

This mindset shift is crucial because many people misunderstand fear. They want to get rid of it entirely, but fear often arises even before we are consciously aware of it. It can stop us from pursuing our dreams or starting a business. Normalizing fear as neither good nor bad but simply present allows us to begin working with it rather than against it.

How Fear Shows Up: Four Common Forms

Inga identifies four ways fear can disguise itself, particularly when pursuing entrepreneurial goals:

Delay: Putting off action with thoughts like “I’ll do it later” or “I need to do something else first.”
Distraction: Getting sidetracked by less urgent tasks or excuses that prevent focus.
Dissuasion: Internal voices that sow doubt, such as “You failed before, are you really cut out for this?”
Freeze: Feeling stuck or overwhelmed to the point where you can’t move forward.

These forms often feel practical or logical but are actually fear in disguise, trying to keep you from stepping fully into your potential.

Neutralizing Fear: Tools and Mindset Shifts

Neutralizing fear begins with making an upfront agreement with yourself: you cannot get rid of fear, but you can let it guide you without dominating your decisions. When dissuasion arises—those internal doubts—question their validity. For example, if you failed before, remind yourself that you are better equipped now, perhaps with mentors or coaches to support you.

Working with mentors or coaches can help transform the inner voice of fear into one of inspiration and empowerment. They serve as sounding boards that help you challenge limiting beliefs and take meaningful action.

Another powerful way to neutralize fear is by shifting the questions you ask yourself. Instead of asking limiting questions like “What if I fail?” or “I don’t have enough money,” try reframing to empowering questions such as:

“What can I do to move forward despite fear?”
“What resources or support can I find to help me succeed?”
“What is the vision I am working towards, and how does it feel?”

Inga shares a compelling example from her mentor: instead of asking how to travel to France without losing money, she asked how to travel to France and make $10,000. This shift in mindset opened up new opportunities and creative solutions.

Operating with Fear: Clarity, Decision, and Action

Fear tends to be more powerful when there is a lack of clarity or a clear vision. Entrepreneurs often face conflicting voices: the excitement of being their own boss versus doubts about their qualifications or past failures. Inga reminds us that learning any new skill, whether biking, cooking, or running a business, involves trial, error, and persistence.

Making a firm decision to be “all in” is critical. Dipping toes in the water isn’t enough to overcome fear and uncertainty. Once you decide to pursue your vision fully, fear becomes a signal that you are expanding and stepping outside your comfort zone.

Gresh echoes this, noting that successful entrepreneurs develop a strong relationship with time and purpose—they see their investments as opportunities to open doors, not just costs to avoid.

Barriers to Moving Forward: The Enemy of Great is Good

One of the most subtle fears is contentment with “good enough.” Many people settle because their current situation feels comfortable or “good,” even when their dreams could be bigger. This is a form of dissuasion—fear reasoning that warns against risk and urges staying safe.

Inga highlights a powerful mantra from her school days: “Don’t settle for good when you know you can be great.” Recognizing when fear is trying to keep you in that comfortable “good” zone is essential to pushing beyond limits.

Whether someone is facing a layoff or considering adding a new venture, those with an abundant mindset who embrace growth tend to overcome fear and take bold steps forward.

Love as the Opposite of Fear

Love is a compelling force that pulls us beyond fear. Inga and Gresh discuss how love—for your family, your passion, your purpose—can fuel the courage to act despite fear. Love invokes different senses and motivation than obligation or responsibility.

For Gresh, faith and a deep love for entrepreneurship provided the drive to push through doubts and challenges. This love, combined with an abundant mentality, opens doors to greater possibilities and success.

Listening to Your Intuition and Inner Voice

Entrepreneurial ideas often come from a small inner voice—an intuition or calling to grow and expand. Growth is a natural order of the universe, and resisting it often stems from conditioned beliefs or fear-based messaging to “be humble” or “be grateful with what you have.”

Recognizing and nurturing that inner voice, rather than suppressing it, is vital. Growth and expansion are signs that your dreams are alive, and fear often signals that you are pushing boundaries.

Taking Action and Staying Open to Opportunities

Fear can be settled by taking action and opening yourself to receive guidance and support. Inga encourages celebrating awareness of fear rather than condemning it. When fear arises, acknowledge it, then shift your focus to moving forward with openness to unexpected opportunities.

“When the student is ready, the teacher will show up,” Inga reminds us. Often, the resources or people who can help us are already present—we just need to be ready and receptive.

This openness can lead to serendipitous connections and breakthroughs, helping entrepreneurs move beyond fear into empowered action.

Conclusion: Embrace Fear, Cultivate Vision, and Take the Leap

Fear is an inevitable part of the entrepreneurial journey, but it does not have to hold you back. By understanding fear’s many disguises—delay, distraction, dissuasion, and freeze—you can learn to recognize when it is trying to stop you.

Neutralize fear by making peace with it, shifting your mindset to abundance, asking empowering questions, and cultivating a compelling vision rooted in love and purpose. Surround yourself with mentors and coaches who can guide you and help transform fear into a motivating force.

Finally, take decisive action and remain open to the unexpected. Your dreams are bigger than your fears, and stepping outside your comfort zone is where growth and greatness happen.

If you’re ready to explore your entrepreneurial potential and need guidance, consider connecting with Inga Maskun at ingemaskun.com or livingyourinspiredlife.com for a complimentary session to start your journey.

For more insights on entrepreneurship, mindset, and business strategies, explore related resources here on CEO Hack:

The post Chat#112 – Overcome Fear & Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Potential – Who’s Interviewing Who? appeared first on CEO Chat.

How a Smart Guest Blogging Strategy Helps Your Website Grow

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:16:13 -0400

You have a great idea or product, but not many people know about it. Sounds familiar? How can you share it with more people? One smart way is called guest blogging. This isn’t just about getting your name out there; it’s about working with other businesses to share your message, find new friends for your website, and show everyone that you know a lot about your topic.

Learning how to put together an effective guest blogging strategy is important if you want your website to get bigger.

What is Guest Blogging and Why is it Important?

Guest blogging, or guest posting, is like trading turns. You write a blog post for another website, or someone else writes one for your website. It’s a win-win for everyone.

The main goal is to help more people see your website, improve how easily people can find you on search engines like Google, and build trust in your brand. When a guest post appears on a website, it shares ideas from someone outside that website, often to tell people about a special message or brand.

Why Guest Blogging is a Great Deal for Everyone

Guest blogging offers many good things for both the website that hosts the content and the person who writes the guest post. It’s a teamwork effort that helps everyone grow.

Good Things for the Website Hosting the Post

When you ask people to write guest posts for your website, you can get a lot more visitors and people finding you through searches. Guest bloggers usually want to share their post with their friends, which brings new readers to your site. Plus, by showing off experts, your website becomes even more trusted in your field, and you make new friends with important leaders.

Good Things for the Person Writing the Post

For people who write guest posts, it’s a chance to show their ideas to new groups of people, making their audience much bigger. It’s a great way to meet more customers and others in their field, which can help their name grow and even lead to new jobs. Most importantly, when they put links to their own website in their guest posts, Google sees that their site is important, and this can help their own website show up higher in search results.

Important Steps for a Great Guest Blogging Strategy

To make sure your guest blogging works well, you need a good plan. Here’s how to make sure your efforts make a big splash. Building a strong guest blogging strategy is key to making your website grow in amazing ways.

1. Know What You Want to Achieve First

Do you want more people to visit a special page on your website? Do you want more people to know your brand name?

Do you want to get more links to your site for better Google rankings? Do you want to show that you are an expert? Or maybe you want more people to sign up for your email list or follow you on social media?

Knowing your goals helps you write your “about me” part and makes sure your links truly help people, building trust with new readers.

2. Becoming an Expert in Your Field

If your goal is to be seen as a super smart person in your area, then write for websites that are respected and have readers who like to think deeply. Look for places that show who wrote the post clearly and where editors really like good ideas.

Share your own experiences, tell stories about how things worked out, or share information that only you have. Write longer articles that people will want to share and talk about, showing that you really know your stuff.

3. Moving Up on Google

To get good links back to your website and show up higher on Google, find websites that are important (like a DA of 50 or more) and have content about your topic.

Write articles that naturally use the words you want people to search for. Make sure to follow all the rules for adding links, and carefully add links to other pages on your own website and other good websites.

Think about making a special page just for new visitors so you can see how many people come from your guest post.

4. Getting People to Come to Your Site

If you want lots of people to visit your website and maybe become customers, write for blogs that have many readers and get promoted a lot. Look for websites with many followers on social media, lots of comments, and editors who work hard to tell everyone about new posts.

Make sure your topic helps solve problems for the people who read that blog. Put a clear “what to do next” message in your “about me” section, like “visit my website.” And always use special links to keep track of how many people come from that post.

5. Finding Places to Write Guest Posts

To find websites that let people write guest posts, try searching on Google or social media sites like X (which used to be Twitter). You can type things like “[your topic] + ‘write for us’” or “[your topic] + ‘guest article.’”

You can also check where other similar businesses are writing guest posts by using tools that show website links, like Semrush or Ahrefs. Also, look at lists of websites that accept guest posts, like Alltop, to find good places in your area.

6. Figuring Out Which Guest Blogging Spots Are Best

Before you suggest an idea, carefully look at the websites you find. Use tools like Moz’s Link Explorer to check how important they are (their Domain Authority or DA). It’s usually best to pick websites with higher DAs.

Also, see how many followers and email subscribers they have to guess how many people will see your post. Read some of their other blog posts to make sure your topic fits. Check if their “about the author” sections let you link back to your website. And always stay away from websites that seem fake or spammy, because they can hurt your website’s standing.

7. Reaching Out to Friends

Before you send your idea, spend some time getting to know the website owners or editors. Follow them on social media, sign up for their emails, and read their posts regularly. This helps you understand what their readers like and what they care about.

Share their content, leave thoughtful comments on their blogs, and reply to their newsletters. Doing this makes your email stand out from all the others they get.

8. Picking a Winning Idea for Your Guest Post

Look at the popular articles on the blog you want to write for and think about how you can add something special. Can you give a new view on a topic they already covered?

Can you add more details to something they wrote? Or can you write about something brand new that their readers would love? Tools like Buzzsumo can help you find popular content in your area.

Make sure your idea hasn’t been covered a lot by that website already, and always read their rules for guest posts before you suggest anything.

9. Sending Your Great Idea

Your ideal email should be short, personal, and use the website owner’s or editor’s name. Put a strong, exciting title for your post in the email’s subject line. Briefly explain what your post is about and how it will help their readers. Finish by quickly saying why you are the best person to write this post.

10. Writing Amazing Content

Once your idea is accepted, it’s time to write a fantastic guest post. Create a headline that immediately tells the reader what they will gain, uses strong action words, and makes them feel something.

Do some research to find the best words people search for related to your topic so your post can be found easily. Add relevant links to other pages on your own website and other good websites naturally, but always follow the website owner’s rules for links very carefully.

11. Checking and Sharing Your Hard Work

Regularly look at how well your guest posts are doing. Are people talking about them on social media? Has your website gotten more visitors? Checking these things helps you make your guest blogging plan even better. Once your post is published, share it on your own social media pages to make sure even more people see it.

Guest blogging, when you have a clear plan and follow the rules for getting found online, is a very strong way to get more visitors and build trust. Understanding how it helps, carefully planning who you will contact, and writing great content are all parts of a successful guest blogging strategy that can make your website grow in amazing ways.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

Blue16 Media is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses expand their online presence.

Our services include expert website design and support to ensure your site is ready for new visitors, effective social media management to amplify your content, and cutting-edge search engine optimization (SEO) services to ensure your guest posts deliver maximum impact and keep your organization or company ahead of the curve. Let us help you turn your guest blogging efforts into consistent traffic and growth.

For more information or inquiries, fill out our contact form or visit us today at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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How to Use Influencer Marketing to Grow Your Business

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 09:16:40 -0400

When your favorite internet personality recommends something they genuinely love, you’re more likely to pay attention, right? That’s the power of influencer marketing where businesses partner with popular social media figures, known as influencers or creators, to promote their products in a way that feels personal and authentic.

Learning how to use influencer marketing to grow your business means tapping into these trusted voices to reach people who already care about your niche. It allows you to introduce your brand through someone your potential customers already follow and believe, building trust from the very first impression.

That’s why influencer marketing often outperforms traditional ads; it feels real, sparks engagement, and helps your business grow.

How Influencers Help Your Brand Grow

Influencer marketing offers incredible advantages, especially for small and mid-sized businesses eager to stand out in a crowded market.

It helps you move beyond outdated advertising methods and connect with highly engaged communities that already care about what you offer, driving quality leads, and increasing brand visibility, all without overspending.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Let’s explore how influencer marketing can grow your business.

Share Your Brand in a Natural Way: Influencers are good at talking about things they like in a way that feels real. Instead of sounding like an ad, they show how your product fits into their daily life. This feels more like a friend giving advice than a salesperson, and people trust it more.

Create Helpful Hashtags: Influencers are good at making or finding popular hashtags. These are like labels that help new people find your brand online, easily. This makes more people see your brand and helps you reach new customers.

Help Your Brand Show Up in Online Searches (SEO): When influencers make great content about your brand or link to your website, search engines like Google notice.With good keywords and links, this can help your brand appear higher in search results.

Grow Your Social Media Reach: One of the best things about working with influencers is that your brand can instantly reach all their followers. Influencers have built large groups of loyal fans on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. When they show your brand, your message goes out to many new people who might not have heard of your business otherwise. This quickly makes your audience much bigger.

Give You Ideas from Their Followers: Influencers are a direct link between your brand and the people who might buy your products. Their comments, messages, and how people interact with their posts give you many ideas. Followers often share what they think, ask questions, and give honest opinions about products. This quick feedback is very helpful for understanding what your future customers really want and need.

Make Your Brand Seem More Important: When an influencer, who is seen as an expert or a trendsetter, recommends your product, it makes your brand seem more trustworthy right away. Their strong approval makes your business look more reliable and a leader in your area. This is very helpful for new businesses trying to build trust quickly.

Help People Trust and Stay Loyal to Your Brand: People follow influencers because they trust what they say. When you work with an influencer, you get to use that trust. This helps people trust your brand more, and often turns new buyers into loyal customers who stick with your products because someone they trust does.

Increase Your Chances of Going Viral: Influencers are good at making exciting content that people love to share. When their content about your brand does well, social media sites often show it to even more people, and sometimes it can spread very, very quickly. This makes it more likely for your brand’s message to go “viral,” meaning many people see it at once.

Help Protect Your Brand’s Good Name: Influencers can help by making positive content or explaining things clearly if something goes wrong protecting your brand’s image during tough times.

Make Your Brand Rich in Content: Working with influencers means you’ll always have new, good-quality content showing off your products. This includes professional content made by the influencer, and also fun content made by their followers who get excited about your brand.

Help Share What Your Brand Believes in: When influencers share your message and show how your products fit their own beliefs, they tell a wider audience what your business stands for. This attracts customers who not only like your products but also believe in your mission.

Help You Get More Sales: Use special discount codes or links that let you see exactly how many people bought something because of influencer promotion.

Finding the Perfect Influencers for Your Business

A smart process of getting the right influencers starts with knowing what you want to achieve with your marketing and then carefully looking for people to work with.

1. Define Your Campaign Goals

What do you want your influencer campaign to do?

Do you want more people to know your brand, or do you want to sell more products?

Set clear goals and know your budget. These goals will help you choose the right influencers.

2. Research for Content Fit and Authenticity

Once you know your goals, find influencers whose videos or posts match what your brand is about and who your customers are.

Look for people who talk about things related to your business and whose posts get lots of likes, comments, and shares.

It’s really important to work with influencers who actually like your brand, because their followers will trust them more if it feels real.

3. Evaluate Professional Experience and Brand Safety

Before you decide to work with someone, check their past work. See if they’ve done sponsored posts before and if those posts looked natural.

Find out if they’ve worked with other companies that sell similar things to yours. Make sure their past content doesn’t have anything that could make your brand look bad. Influencer’s values should match your brand’s values to safeguard your reputation.

4. Understand Influencer Types by Expertise

Influencers can be different based on what they are good at:

Mavens: These are experts who know a lot about a topic and love to share facts and ideas. Think of a gaming expert who explains new games really well.
Salesmen: These influencers are good at talking people into trying new products or ideas. They are often good storytellers and can help you sell things.
Connectors: These people know lots of other people and are great at spreading news by talking about it. A famous singer or a popular person in your town could be a connector.

5. Understand Influencer Types by Audience Size

You can also group influencers by how many followers they have:

Nanoinfluencers (fewer than 10,000 followers): They have smaller, very loyal groups of followers who really trust them. Great for reaching specific groups of people.
Microinfluencers (10,000 to 100,000 followers): They have a good number of followers and are often experts in their area. They have good reach and strong trust.
Macroinfluencers (100,000 to 1 million followers): They have many followers and can reach a lot of people. Good for making more people aware of your brand.
Megainfluencers (over 1 million followers): These are like celebrities. They reach a huge number of people, but they cost a lot more money.

Picking the right influencers who fit your brand and audience, and working with them well, will help you get great results. Using influencer marketing can truly change your business, helping it become more successful and connect with more people.

Want to learn more about other ways to get your brand noticed online and build trust? Check out this helpful article: The Role of Content Marketing in Driving Traffic and Building Trust

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Cash Flow Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Must Avoid: Insights from Dan DeGolier

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:04:23 -0400

Managing cash flow is one of the most critical challenges entrepreneurs face as they build and scale their businesses. In this comprehensive guide, we explore essential strategies to avoid common cash flow mistakes, inspired by the expertise of Dan DeGolier, founder and CEO of Ascent CFO Solutions. Dan brings over 30 years of financial leadership experience, helping entrepreneurs understand their finances, forecast cash flow, and secure the capital needed to grow. Whether you’re just starting your entrepreneurial journey or looking to accelerate your company’s growth, these insights will help you maintain financial health and make strategic business decisions.

Dan DeGolier’s Journey: From CPA to Fractional CFO Leader

Dan’s story begins with a traditional accounting background as a CPA at a global firm, but his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation led him to focus on high-growth technology companies early in his career. He gravitated toward roles where he could help disrupt the status quo and support companies changing the way business is done.

After working as a CFO in various technology firms, Dan encountered a recurring problem: many startups and growing companies needed CFO expertise but couldn’t afford a full-time financial executive. This realization sparked the idea of fractional CFO services — providing part-time, flexible CFO leadership to multiple companies simultaneously.

Though the term “fractional CFO” wasn’t widely used at the time, Dan pioneered this model, eventually founding Ascent CFO Solutions in 2016. Today, his firm employs 40 people and serves over 90 companies across diverse industries. Their mission centers on helping entrepreneurs grow by providing expert financial leadership on a flexible basis.

Understanding the Role of a Fractional CFO

Many companies, regardless of size or stage, require strong financial leadership to manage cash flow, plan for growth, and make informed decisions. Dan emphasizes that whether a business is venture-backed, angel-funded, or self-financed, visibility into cash flow and future financial scenarios is paramount.

Ascent CFO Solutions helps clients with:

Cash flow forecasting: Developing detailed financial models that project revenue, expenses, and cash needs over three to five years.
Fundraising support: Assisting with equity and debt financing to fuel growth.
Exit planning: Preparing companies for eventual sale or transition.

At the heart of their service is creating robust financial models that incorporate:

Sales pipeline and conversion rates
Costs related to sales, marketing, engineering, supply chain, and operations
General and administrative expenses such as headcount and facilities

Dan stresses the importance of a strong accounting foundation. Accurate historical financials are essential for reliable forecasting. To that end, Ascent CFO Solutions employs skilled controllers, accountants, and analysts who ensure clients’ books are accurate and compliant with accounting principles.

The Secret Sauce: People and Technology

Dan attributes much of Ascent CFO Solutions’ success to two core pillars: their people and their technology-first approach.

People

Hiring the right team is crucial in a professional services firm. Dan describes a rigorous recruitment and vetting process focused not only on financial expertise but also on communication skills and cultural fit. Since fractional CFOs and accountants serve multiple clients, they must be adept at managing different client expectations, deadlines, and communication styles.

The company prioritizes:

Excellent communication and transparency
Respect and alignment with company values
Underpromising and overdelivering on commitments

Technology

Ascent CFO Solutions is a technology-first organization that leverages modern cloud-based tools to automate manual processes and save clients time and money. By connecting bank accounts directly to accounting software and integrating data from CRM and HR systems, they provide real-time dashboards and insights to clients.

Dan highlights their proprietary dashboarding solution, “Insights by CFO,” which empowers companies with up-to-date financial and operational data to make smarter decisions. This blend of human expertise and advanced technology creates a powerful service delivery model.

While AI and automation offer exciting possibilities, Dan notes that human oversight remains essential. AI can assist with tasks but cannot replace the nuanced judgment and verification required in finance and accounting.

Key Financial Priorities for Entrepreneurs

When working with clients, Dan consistently emphasizes the critical importance of cash flow management. Here are some of the key financial priorities he recommends entrepreneurs focus on:

1. Cash Flow Visibility and Scenario Planning

Understanding your cash flow risks and opportunities is fundamental. Entrepreneurs should develop financial models that allow them to run multiple scenarios — including best-case, worst-case, and most likely outcomes. This helps anticipate funding needs and operational adjustments.

2. Diversify Customer Base

Customer concentration is a significant risk. If one client accounts for a large percentage of revenue (e.g., 20-30%), losing that client could jeopardize business stability. Entrepreneurs should create contingency plans and actively seek to diversify their client portfolio.

3. Insurance and Risk Management

Proper insurance coverage is a safeguard against unexpected costs. Dan advises entrepreneurs to ensure they have adequate protection to mitigate financial risks.

4. Strategic Investment with Contingency Plans

Growth initiatives such as geographic expansion or new product lines require capital and carry risk. Entrepreneurs should model the financial impact of these investments and have backup plans if market acceptance falls short.

CEO Insights: Leading with Openness and Collaboration

Dan shares valuable advice for entrepreneurs and CEOs about leadership and mindset:

Be open to change and alternative viewpoints: Avoid surrounding yourself with only like-minded people. Diverse perspectives lead to better decision-making and innovation.
Lead by example: Demonstrate the behaviors and values you expect from your team.
Build a complementary team: Recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and hire people who fill the gaps.
Embrace mentorship and coaching: No one has all the answers. Being open to learning from others accelerates growth.

Dan notes that these leadership traits developed over time through mentorship, coaching, and a willingness to experiment with new ideas and technologies.

Recommended Resources: Books and Personal Hacks

For entrepreneurs looking to deepen their knowledge, Dan recommends several classic business books:

Blue Ocean Strategy: Focuses on how to disrupt markets and create uncontested market space.
Traction by Gino Wickman: Introduces the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a framework for managing and scaling businesses.
Good to Great by Jim Collins: Explores what makes companies transition from good to great performance.

On a personal level, Dan credits having a long-term executive assistant (EA) as a key productivity hack. Delegating time management and prioritization to a trusted EA has allowed him to focus on strategic leadership and growth.

Final Thoughts: Running Your Own Race with Financial Clarity

Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. Dan’s overarching message is that understanding and managing cash flow is the fuel that powers your business race. Without clear financial visibility and risk planning, even great ideas can falter.

He encourages entrepreneurs to find their unique strengths and to build collaborative teams around them. By embracing technology, maintaining accurate financial data, and planning for multiple scenarios, business owners can confidently navigate uncertainties and seize growth opportunities.

Connect with Dan DeGolier and Ascent CFO Solutions

If you’re interested in learning more or need expert financial leadership for your business, Dan and his team are accessible through:

LinkedIn: Follow Ascent CFO Solutions for insightful content and updates.
Website: Visit ascentcfo.com to explore their services and contact the team.

With a growing team of 40 professionals, including 14 CFOs, Ascent CFO Solutions is well-equipped to support companies at various stages, especially those on a growth trajectory seeking strategic financial guidance.

Conclusion

Cash flow mistakes can cripple even the most promising ventures. By learning from seasoned experts like Dan DeGolier, entrepreneurs can avoid common pitfalls and build a strong financial foundation for sustainable growth. Key takeaways include the importance of accurate accounting, scenario-based forecasting, risk diversification, and embracing both people and technology in your financial operations.

Above all, successful CEOs lead with openness, collaboration, and a commitment to continuous learning. They understand that managing cash flow isn’t just about numbers — it’s about running a smart, resilient business that can weather challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Set yourself up for success by prioritizing your financial health today and running your own race with confidence.

The post Cash Flow Mistakes Every Entrepreneur Must Avoid: Insights from Dan DeGolier appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

CEO Helps Sales Agents Boost Their Sales and Broaden Their Market

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 17:30:19 -0400

Listen to the Podcast: I AM CEO Podcast – IAM2474 – CEO Helps Sales Agents Boost their Sales and Broaden their Market

In the world of entrepreneurship and sales, success often comes from more than just hard work; it requires authenticity, alignment, and a deep connection to one's purpose. Kash Fadaie, founder of Fadaie Insurance, exemplifies this approach through his unique blend of spiritual insight and business acumen. Building an $11 million revenue agency from the ground up, Kash has transformed not only his own career but also the lives of the agents he mentors. This article explores Kash’s inspiring journey, his philosophy on integrating spirituality with business, and practical advice for entrepreneurs looking to thrive in competitive markets.

From Refugee to Resilient Entrepreneur: The Early Journey

Kash Fadaie's story begins with profound challenges and cultural transitions that shaped his resilience. Born in Iran in 1974, his family fled the political upheaval of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, settling first in Germany before moving to Florida, USA. These early life experiences of displacement and adaptation were difficult but foundational. Kash reflects, “Those adjustments, though difficult, were foundational in the decisions I would make later and who I am today.”

Rather than seeing hardship as an obstacle, Kash views it as preparation. He explains, “When you come through these things, they are actually not your foes; they’re your friends. They are your next level.” This mindset of gratitude and growth through adversity is a cornerstone of his philosophy.

The Power of Curiosity and Self-Knowledge

As a young boy, Kash was driven by a deep curiosity about life, purpose, and spirituality. He was fascinated by the concept of freedom—not just in the external world but within himself. This led him to explore diverse spiritual traditions, from the Bible to Zoroastrianism, Vedic teachings, Buddhism, Sufism, and shamanism. Through this exploration, one theme resonated profoundly: “Know thyself.”

Kash’s spiritual journey introduced him to meditation as a tool for accessing higher states of consciousness and pure awareness. He discovered that true freedom and power come from within, reached through practices that quiet the mind and open the soul. This inner work laid the foundation for his approach to business and life.

Belief to Knowing: The Evolution of Consciousness

Kash describes the progression from belief to knowledge as crucial in personal and professional development. “Belief is like a rocket booster,” he says. “You start with belief, but eventually, the belief has to fall off, and the rocket keeps going to the source—that’s knowledge and wisdom.” This transition from external faith to internal knowing is what empowers entrepreneurs to operate with clarity and confidence.

Entrepreneurial Beginnings: Building Businesses with Purpose

At just 13 years old, Kash started his first business—a grass-cutting service in Florida. This early experience ignited his passion for entrepreneurship. Over the years, he experimented with various ventures including car washes, produce businesses, souvenir stores, massage services, and even becoming a raw food chef. Each of these endeavors taught him vital lessons about resilience, adaptability, and service.

In 2004, Kash found his calling in the insurance industry. Starting as an agent in Southern California, he quickly realized that insurance combined his desire to serve others with his entrepreneurial spirit. By 2006, he launched Fadaie Insurance, an agency that has since grown to over $11 million in revenue.

The Secret Sauce: Merging Spirituality with Professional Life

What truly sets Kash apart is his integration of spiritual principles into his business. He emphasizes the importance of unifying professional work with spiritual practice, creating a higher vibrational frequency that naturally attracts clients and builds trust.

“When we unify all of our life to be spiritual practice—no separation—then we bring the divine into our work. The person receiving our service doesn’t know why, but they just want to be with us. There’s a love, a genuineness, a magnetic attraction.”

This authentic approach transforms sales from a chase into an attraction. It fosters a culture of benevolence, patience, and service within the team and the brand. The result is not only increased sales but also meaningful, lasting relationships with clients and team members.

Building a Culture of Benevolence and Patience

Kash’s leadership style emphasizes patience and long-term vision. Rather than rushing for quick wins, he cultivates an environment where values like patience and kindness shape every interaction. This shift in energy opens the heart chakra metaphorically, leading to higher vibrations and greater wealth attraction.

Why Insurance? A Noble and Recession-Proof Business

For entrepreneurs considering their next venture, Kash highlights insurance as an ideal industry. He points out several advantages:

Emotional Intelligence and Work Ethic: Success in insurance comes from grit, determination, and emotional intelligence rather than prior industry experience.
Recession-Proof: Insurance is essential; people always need coverage regardless of economic cycles.
Residual Income: Policies have long shelf lives, generating commissions for years through renewals.
Flexibility: The business can be run remotely, meeting clients via phone, email, or text.
Noble Work: Agents protect clients’ financial legacies, earning trust and respect.
Human Connection: Despite advances in AI, clients prefer human advisors for nuanced decisions.

Kash envisions franchising Fadaie Insurance to 10,000 locations in five years, empowering entrepreneurs to become CEOs and investors in their own right.

Essential Traits for Aspiring Franchisees

When selecting individuals to join his franchise network, Kash looks beyond insurance knowledge. He seeks entrepreneurs with:

Emotional Intelligence: The ability to understand and manage emotions effectively.
Work Ethic: Commitment to consistent effort and growth.
Obsession: An intense passion and dedication to their business, surpassing mere commitment.

He likens entrepreneurship to a spiritual practice where trials refine and purify the individual, much like gold being purified by fire. Accountability and daily discussions within the team help maintain focus and alignment.

Daily Routines: The Cornerstone of Success

One of Kash’s most practical and impactful recommendations is the power of daily routines. He advocates building strong morning, afternoon, and evening rituals that nurture mind, body, and spirit.

Starting with simple habits like exercise, meditation, and breathwork, routines can evolve to include fasting, journaling, and reading. The key is consistency and patience:

“You don’t have to have crazy DNA. What you can control is building the right habits and sticking to them. Once you taste the nectar—the benefit—you will double down and add more layers.”

Being around like-minded people who support growth and accountability further strengthens these habits, creating a virtuous cycle of improvement.

Presence Over Outcome: The True Secret to Fulfillment

Kash emphasizes the importance of being present in the journey rather than obsessing over the destination. This presence allows entrepreneurs to enjoy the process, learn from every step, and avoid burnout or frustration.

He shares a powerful insight:

“The journey itself is the bliss. The outcome you’re looking for is already at hand. When you stop obsessing about when it will happen and just do the work faithfully, success naturally unfolds.”

This mindset encourages letting go of rigid expectations and trusting that the highest possibilities will manifest.

Defining the CEO: A Role of Trust and Service

To Kash, being a CEO is more than a title—it is a sacred responsibility. It means being entrusted with a mission to create freedom and serve others at the highest level.

“Being a CEO means putting all your chips in, being willing to be transformed, and becoming a conduit for benevolence and servant leadership. It’s about carrying out a mission to create freedom in people’s lives.”

This definition beautifully encapsulates the integration of spiritual purpose with leadership and business success.

Connecting with Kash Fadaie

Kash invites entrepreneurs and seekers of higher consciousness to connect with him. Whether you’re interested in learning insurance, exploring spiritual growth, or becoming part of the Fadaie Insurance franchise network, Kash offers guidance based on two decades of experience.

To reach Kash, visit Fadaie Insurance, email him at cash@kaiinsurance.com, or engage through the chat feature on his website.

Final Thoughts

Kash Fadaie’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, curiosity, and the integration of spirituality with entrepreneurship. His approach teaches us that success is not merely about sales or revenue but about aligning with our highest selves, serving others authentically, and embracing the journey with presence and patience.

For entrepreneurs seeking to deepen their understanding of what it means to be a CEO and build a thriving business rooted in purpose, Kash’s story and insights offer invaluable lessons.

If you are inspired by this journey and want to explore more about becoming a CEO and building your business with intention, visit the I AM CEO community or browse through resources on business planning and entrepreneur podcasts to fuel your growth.

Explore More Resources for Entrepreneurs

For entrepreneurs and business leaders looking to expand their knowledge and stay updated with valuable content, exploring comprehensive resources can be highly beneficial. To access a wide range of articles, posts, and guides that cover various aspects of entrepreneurship, leadership, and business growth, visit the CB Nation sitemap. This sitemap provides organized links to multiple categories, ensuring you find relevant and insightful information to support your journey.

The post CEO Helps Sales Agents Boost Their Sales and Broaden Their Market appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

How to Create a Good Online Reputation: Your Simple Guide

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 09:16:07 -0400

Have you ever wondered what people say about you when you’re not around? Well, businesses have something similar called an “online reputation.” It’s like their digital report card, showing what people think about them based on what they see and read online.

Building a good online reputation is important for any business today, almost like having a friendly smile for everyone you meet in person. A strong online reputation can help your business grow and learning how to create a good online reputation is one of the smartest things you can do in today’s digital world.

What is Online Reputation?

Your online reputation is simply what people believe and say about your business on the internet. Think of it as a collection of all the opinions floating around online about your company. When people look you up, what do they find? Do they see happy customers, helpful information, or maybe some not-so-good comments? All of these things together make up your online reputation.

It matters a lot because people check online before they buy things. If your online reputation is good, people will trust you more and be more likely to choose your business. It can also help you stand out from other businesses.

Where Does Your Online Reputation Live?

Your online reputation isn’t just in one place. It’s like a big puzzle made up of different pieces from all over the internet.

1. Online Reviews

One of the biggest parts of your online reputation comes from review websites. These are places like Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook, where customers can leave stars and write comments about their experiences with your business.

Good reviews are like gold because they show new customers that people trust and like your business. But bad reviews can really hurt if you don’t handle them well.

2. Social Media

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) are huge for your online reputation. When people talk about your business, share your posts, or ask questions on social media, it all adds up.

Being friendly and quick to respond on social media helps your reputation grow strong.

3. News and Articles

Sometimes, news websites or blogs might write about your business. If the stories are positive, it can make your business look even better.

If they are negative, think of a plan to fix things.

4. Online Groups and Forums

People also talk about businesses in online groups or forums. These are places where people with similar interests chat and share ideas.

What they say about your business in these groups can also shape your reputation.

5. Search Engine Results

When someone types your business name into Google, what shows up? The results on the first page of Google are very important for your online reputation. You want to make sure mostly good and accurate information appears there.

To learn how to stay ahead of search engine algorithms, read our article, “How to Stay Ahead of Search Engine Algorithms in 2025,” to help you master some SEO best practices and keep your website ranking high.

How to Create a Good Online Reputation: Simple Steps

Building a good online reputation takes a bit of work, but it’s totally worth it! Here are some easy steps to follow.

1. Listen to What People Say (Check Your Reviews)

Before you can make your online reputation better, you need to know what people are saying about you right now. Start by looking at your online reviews. Focus on the most popular places where people leave reviews, like Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook.

Also, make sure that your business address, phone number, and hours are correct on all these sites. Then, read what customers are writing. Are they mostly happy? Are there common problems mentioned? This will give you a clear picture of your current standing.

2. Respond to Everyone (Good and Bad Reviews)

Having a plan for how you answer reviews is super important. Every review deserves a response, whether it’s good or bad.

For positive reviews, always say, “Thank you!” You can even mention something specific they said they liked. This shows you appreciate their business and that you pay attention.

For negative reviews, it can be tough, but don’t get upset or defensive. Instead, apologize genuinely and offer to talk more about the problem in private, maybe over the phone or by email. This helps calm things down and shows you care about fixing issues. Try to reply to reviews quickly, ideally within a week.

3. Ask Happy Customers to Share Their Story

Did you know that people are sometimes more likely to leave a review when they’re unhappy than when they’re super happy? That’s why it’s a great idea to gently ask your happy customers to leave a review.

Teach your team to politely ask customers if they had a good experience and if they’d be willing to share it online. Explain that their feedback helps your business grow. You could even offer a small “thank you” like a discount on their next purchase. Sending an email to customers after they’ve had a great experience is another good way to ask for reviews at the right time.

4. Be Active on Social Media

Social media is a lively place where people talk about everything, including businesses. Keep an eye on what people are saying about your company on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

If someone says something nice, thank them for their kind words. If someone posts a complaint or a negative comment, respond quickly. Apologize and offer to help them privately, maybe by sending a direct message or asking them to email you. Responding fast can stop a small problem from becoming a big one that lots of people see. This is another important step when thinking about how to create a good online reputation.

5. Get Your Team Involved

Your employees can be your best online reputation helpers! When your team is happy and proud of where they work, they naturally share positive things about your business with their friends and family, and even online. This can introduce your business to new people and build trust. Encourage them to be brand ambassadors by sharing company news or positive experiences.

Simple Ways to Keep Your Reputation Strong

To keep your online reputation shining, remember these general tips:

Always Deliver What You Promise: Make sure you always do what you say you will. If you tell a customer you’ll call them back, do it. If you promise a certain service, provide it. In fact, try to do even more than what is expected! When you keep your promises and go the extra mile, customers notice and appreciate it.
Act with Integrity: This means being honest and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. People trust businesses that are fair, transparent, and reliable. When you act with integrity, it builds a strong foundation of trust with your customers and the public.
Help Others Succeed: Look for ways to help your customers, partners, and even your community reach their own goals. When you show you care about more than just making money, it builds goodwill and a positive image.
Make Others Look Good: Celebrate the successes of your customers or team members. Share their positive stories or achievements. When you lift others up, it reflects well on your business and shows you’re a good partner.
Be Consistent: Consistency is key in everything you do. From the quality of your products or services to how you interact with customers online, being consistent helps build a reliable and trustworthy image. People know what to expect from your business, which builds confidence.
Present Yourself Professionally: This includes making sure your business looks good online. Have a great, easy-to-use website and a well-managed social media presence. Your online appearance, just like how you dress for a special event, is a big part of your reputation.

Your online reputation is super important, like a golden ticket to success in today’s digital world. Understanding how to create a good online reputation means listening to customers, responding kindly, asking for good reviews, and being active online. By taking these simple steps, your business can build a shining online presence that attracts more customers and helps you succeed. Remember, being proactive and consistent is the secret to a lasting good reputation.

How Blue16 Media Can Help You Build a Good Online Reputation

Building and keeping a strong online reputation can feel like a big job. That’s where Blue16 Media comes in! We are a digital marketing agency in the USA that specializes in helping businesses expand their online presence.

Our services include website design and support, social media management, and cutting-edge search engine optimization (SEO) services to keep your organization or company ahead of the curve. We can help you manage reviews, create great content, and make sure your business looks awesome online.

For more information or inquiries, fill out the contact form on our website.

The post How to Create a Good Online Reputation: Your Simple Guide appeared first on .

The Role of Content Marketing in Driving Traffic and Building Trust

Thu, 01 May 2025 09:16:13 -0400

Content marketing plays a big role in helping businesses make friends with their customers. When you share helpful stories, fun videos, and interesting blog posts, you invite people to learn more about what you do. By sharing clear, helpful content that resonates, you earn trust and grow your traffic naturally and this makes visitors stick around, come back often, and tell their friends.

Understanding the Role of Content Marketing

Content marketing fosters genuine connections, and boosts visibility so your audience can find you and stick around.

Storytelling. A great story does more than inform: it captivates. Sharing vivid moments help people remember your brand and spark an emotional connection that lasts long after they leave your page.

Connection. Connection occurs when readers sense you genuinely care about their needs. Instead of pushing a sale, you share honest advice. Practical tips build trust because readers see you’re an expert who wants to help and ultimately turn visitors into fans.

Visibility. All the best stories and tips won’t matter if people can’t find them. Visibility means appearing where your audience searches and scrolls. Posting consistently signals both readers and search engines that your site is active, drawing fresh visitors and keeping your brand top of mind.

How Blogs Nurture Customer Relationships

Blogs answer questions, share ideas, and establish you as an expert. They give readers valuable information in a friendly, readable format.

Discoverability

Blogs help search engines and readers find your expertise. To help with discoverability;

Include your primary keyword, such as the “role of content marketing,” in the URL, title, and early text tells search engines exactly what you cover.
Write a concise meta description of about 150 characters that mentions that phrase makes your snippet clear and compelling, increasing click-throughs.

Engagement

Once readers land on your blog, you want to keep them coming back. Here’s how;

Start with a compelling introduction, perhaps a fun fact like “Did you know mint can transform lemonade into a spa treat?” to grab attention.
Break up the text with images, simple infographics, or short embedded videos so readers’ eyes keep moving.
Clear calls to action near the top, such as inviting them to download a free e-book, give them a next step before they scroll away.

Lead Generation

Every blog post can become a doorway to deeper engagement.

Offer gated resources, like guides in exchange for an email address to build your subscriber list.
Encourage readers to join your newsletter for weekly tips so your brand stays top of mind.
Use internal links to related posts or your services page to guide readers through your site and showcase how you can help.

How Videos Bring Your Brand to Life

Video simplifies understanding through visuals, fostering connection via authentic stories, expanding reach with shareable formats and including everyone with accessibility features.

Here are the qualities that make videos a powerful tool for capturing attention and building stronger audience relationships;

1. Visual Demonstration

Showing each step in a video takes guesswork out of the process;

A concise how-to breakdown, like a 60-second clip on crushing ice correctly, teaches by example.
Behind-the-scenes footage, such as team bloopers or recipe testing, reveals your brand’s personality and builds authenticity.
Consistent branding, using the same color palette, logo placement, and intro music, reinforces recognition across all videos.

2. Shareability

Great videos invite viewers to hit “share,” sending your message to new audiences.

An early engagement hook, such as asking a question in the first few seconds sparks comments and boosts algorithmic visibility.
Embed videos in blog posts and share them in emails to create multiple touchpoints for engagement.

3. Accessibility

Ensuring everyone can enjoy your videos widens your reach.

Accurate captions help viewers who watch on mute or have hearing challenges.
Audio descriptions of key visuals make content accessible to visually impaired viewers.
Mobile optimization—testing formats on various devices—guarantees fast loading and clear playback, keeping all viewers engaged on the go.

Why Educational Content Matters

Educational content positions you as a trusted guide by teaching real skills and solving problems.

Downloadable Guides

Guides offer step-by-step help that readers can return to whenever they need a refresher.

Interactive checklists, such as planners let users mark steps off digitally, making learning hands-on and memorable.
Deep-dive e-books, like an advanced guide, explain complex topics in simple terms, establishing you as an expert.
Printable templates, such as recipe cards or stand flyers, give tangible tools that turn readers into real-world customers.

Webinars and Workshops

Live sessions deliver instant value and create a sense of community.

Real-time Q&A lets viewers ask questions and get immediate answers, building trust and loyalty.
Follow-up resources, like slide decks or cheat sheets, provide handy references and show you care.
Hosting a private forum for attendees fosters ongoing discussion and keeps engagement high long after the event.

Email Courses

Email lessons drip knowledge over days or weeks, keeping learners engaged with structured modules so subscribers can learn at a comfortable pace.

Add interactive quizzes at the end of each module to help readers test their understanding and earn digital badges, making learning fun.
Invite readers to send photos of their own to allow you to offer personalized feedback, demonstrating genuine care and deepening relationships.

Want your content to stay relevant, searchable, and competitive in 2025 and beyond? Read our article: How to Stay Ahead of Search Engine Algorithms in 2025.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

At Blue16 Media, we understand the role of content marketing in driving traffic and building trust. We design websites that welcome visitors, craft social stories that spark conversation, and deploy SEO strategies that put you on the map. Let us create a content plan that drives traffic and builds trust for your business.

Visit us at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or contact us online to start your adventure today.

The post The Role of Content Marketing in Driving Traffic and Building Trust appeared first on .

The Importance of Website Design: Boost Engagement, SEO & Conversions

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 09:16:38 -0400

Your website is not just an online presence; it is the face of your brand and a vital part of your overall business strategy. As a result, recognizing the importance of website design is crucial because it shapes how visitors view your brand, influences their experience, and drives engagement and conversions.

A well-designed website invites exploration, builds trust, and encourages users to take actions that support your business goals.

6 Key Benefits of Website Design That Drive Business Success

In the following sections, we examine the core components that shape your online presence. From the first impression that captivates visitors to intuitive navigation that guides them seamlessly, every element plays a role in building trust, enhancing mobile performance, boosting search engine visibility, and securing a competitive edge. Understanding these factors is essential to realizing the full importance of website design.

1. First Impressions Matter

When visitors arrive on your website, they form opinions within seconds. The visual impact of your website plays a crucial role in whether someone decides to stay and explore or leave immediately.

A sleek, modern design with clear visuals and well-organized content creates a welcoming atmosphere. This immediate impact conveys professionalism and attention to detail. Every element, from the choice of colors and fonts to the layout and imagery, communicates a commitment to quality.

The way you present your website can signal reliability and excellence, laying the groundwork for a positive relationship with your audience.

2. User Experience (UX) and Navigation

The ease with which visitors navigate your website is vital for keeping them engaged. When your website is designed with intuitive navigation and a logical structure, users can easily find the information they need.

Consider how simple it is for a visitor to locate contact information, product details, or support resources. An effective website uses clear menus, prominently placed buttons, and well-organized sections to ensure that every user can have a smooth experience.

This attention to usability reduces frustration and builds a natural connection between your visitors and your brand. When people feel comfortable navigating your site, they are more likely to spend additional time exploring your content and become loyal customers.

3. Building Trust and Credibility

A professional website design plays a significant role in building trust with your audience. When visitors encounter a polished and thoughtfully designed website, they tend to perceive your business as reliable and capable.

Consistent use of colors, fonts, and high-quality images contributes to a unified brand identity that reassures users about the legitimacy of your services or products. A well-structured website that presents information clearly can also help dispel any doubts visitors might have.

This sense of trust is essential because it can determine whether a visitor decides to make a purchase, subscribe to a service, or engage further with your content. Investing in a high-quality design is an investment in your brand’s reputation.

4. Mobile Responsiveness

With an increasing number of users accessing websites via smartphones and tablets, having a design that adapts to different screen sizes is essential. Mobile responsiveness ensures that your website maintains its functionality and appeal, regardless of the device used to access it.

When your website is optimized for mobile devices, it offers a consistent experience to all users. This adaptability not only enhances user satisfaction but also improves overall engagement.

A site that works well on all devices shows that you care about every visitor’s experience, which in turn helps maintain their interest and encourages return visits.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Benefits

A well-designed website also supports your search engine optimization efforts. When a website is built with clear headings, concise and informative content, and fast loading speeds, it becomes easier for search engines to understand and rank your pages.

Elements such as clean coding practices, strategic use of keywords, and an organized structure all contribute to higher search engine rankings. As a result, a website that is both user-friendly and optimized for search engines will attract more organic traffic.

This dual benefit means that a good design not only pleases visitors but also increases your visibility to potential customers who are searching for services like yours.

6. Competitive Advantage

A superior website design can set your business apart from the rest. A website that reflects modern design standards, high performance, and strong usability leaves a lasting impression on visitors and is crucial when potential customers have many options.

A thoughtfully designed website demonstrates that you are up-to-date with current trends and are serious about providing quality service. Companies that invest in professional website design often experience higher engagement and conversion rates, which translates to better overall business performance.

The ability to stand out from competitors with a unique, efficient, and attractive website can be a decisive factor in attracting and retaining customers. Having looked at the importance of website design, it’s also good to explore the key elements of effective website design.

So, in the next section, we’ll explore the building blocks that form a strong online presence. Discover how elements like consistent branding, high-quality visuals, clear calls-to-action, organized content, and clean design work together to create an engaging and effective website.

Key Elements of Effective Web Design

Now, it’s important to understand the foundational components that make a website both visually appealing and highly functional. Let’s review the essential elements that contribute to a consistent, engaging, and user-friendly online experience.

1. Consistency in Branding

Using uniform color schemes, fonts, and imagery across your website creates a cohesive look that reinforces your brand’s personality.

This builds trust among your visitors and makes your site easily recognizable, ensuring that every interaction with your website strengthens your brand image.

2. High-Quality Visuals and Multimedia

Images, videos, and interactive graphics play a powerful role in engaging visitors. Crisp visuals not only capture attention but also convey your message in a compelling way.

By integrating high-quality multimedia, you provide a richer, more immersive experience that encourages visitors to explore further.

These visual elements work in harmony with your content, creating an inviting atmosphere that reflects the care and quality behind your brand.

3. Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Calls-to-action are the bridges that lead visitors from passive browsing to active engagement. Whether you want users to sign up for a newsletter, make a purchase, or learn more about your offerings, CTAs should be clear and strategically placed throughout your website.

The design of these prompts should complement the overall aesthetic while being noticeable enough to guide visitors toward taking the desired actions. Clear CTAs help convert interest into meaningful interactions, supporting your business goals.

4. Organized Content Hierarchy

An effective website presents information in a structured and logical manner. Organizing your content with clear headings, subheadings, and well-defined sections makes it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for.

A well-organized layout not only improves readability but also enhances the overall user experience. When users can quickly locate key information, they are more likely to engage with your content and return to your site in the future.

5. Clean Design and Ample White Space

A clutter-free design is essential for maintaining focus and clarity. Ample white space gives your content room to breathe, preventing your pages from feeling crowded.

This clean design approach helps emphasize the most important elements, ensuring that visitors can easily digest the information presented. A visually appealing, uncluttered layout contributes to a pleasant user experience and supports the overall effectiveness of your website.

For more strategies on enhancing your website’s effectiveness, consider reading our related blog post: SEO Mistakes to Avoid: How to Protect Your Website’s Online Presence for valuable insights on ensuring your website remains competitive in search engine rankings.

Take Action Today

Don’t let design flaws and SEO missteps hinder your business’s potential. At Blue16 Media, we specialize in creating visually appealing, user-friendly websites optimized for search engines. Our team is dedicated to helping you build a robust online presence that drives engagement and conversions.

To elevate your website’s design and performance, contact us today at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or by filling out the contact form on our website Together, we can craft a digital strategy that propels your business forward.

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Why Entrepreneurs Need Harmony, Not Hustle

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 15:07:38 -0400

In the ever-evolving world of entrepreneurship, the constant push for hustle often overshadows the vital need for harmony. Asmâa Methqal, a global business consultant and the creator of the Fire & Flow leadership methodology, emphasizes that true success lies in balancing action with intuition. This powerful approach not only ignites businesses but also nurtures holistic leadership.

In this blog, the reader will be let into the secrets of Asmâa on how entrepreneurs manage to maintain a good balance of both their personal and professional lives resulting in them being fulfilled as well as successful.

Understanding the Fire & Flow Methodology

The process of Asmâa is Fire & Flow is applied is to enable these leaders reconnect with their major aim and resolve the intricacies of contemporary business. The main parts of this way are: Fire, representing action and execution, and Flow, which symbolizes trust in one's intuition and inner strength.

The pandemic saw a good number of entrepreneurs who had to go through emotional disconnectedness that prevented them from being their true selves. According to Asmâa, the curfew which was the major part of the pandemic stimulates individuals to stay still that finally letting them realize a truth: one should firstly focus on being and then do it. The new outlook is visible but is necessary for one to dream and to succeed.

The Importance of Self-Leadership

The subject of Asmâa is self-leadership, which is the key to her teachings. According to her, there are indeed many people who follow the career paths predetermined by society rather than their own wishes. As a result, they become unwelcome and sometimes destituted people. Asmâa brings up the fact that entrepreneurs have to face the difficult question about their actual selves. The question that is, “If there were no limits, who would you be?” This question acts as a stimulus for the realization of what you are on earth for.

The path of self-identification is about getting rid of the burden of external validation and accepting one's distinct advantages. Asmâa tells her story about how she had to climb the wrong ladder in her profession only to find out that the real happiness is in the conformity of their actions with their inner essence.

Creating Sacred White Space

Among the main practices Asmâa promotes the formation of sacred white space in our timetables. This means purposely taking time out to stop and reflect, which is a great way for people to get back to their own inner wisdom. In a society that is often very busy doing things and seemingly too busy to just be, the simple act of just being could open up a whole new world of understanding and clarity.

According to Asmâa, it is best to start with small steps—like spending a few minutes each day to do this practice. Individuals can deepen their connection to intuition and creativity by the act of sending a message to the self that this time is valuable.

Embracing the Duality of Being and Doing

Business owners regularly find themselves caught in a conflict between being efficient and giving up the pressure of existence. Asmâa brings up that it is essential to find a fair balance between the two states. Instead of seeing them as opposing, she supports the inclusion of both in one's daily life.

The state of equilibrium that allows people to grow both emotionally and professionally, therefore, will bring about more joy to their business voyages. The entrepreneurs, who choose to rely on their gut feelings and love who they are, will be the ones to make available to the company an environment that nurtures creativity and innovation.

Transformational Insights for Entrepreneurs

Through her work experience, Asmâa has come to realize the impactful ability of self-acceptance and being true to oneself. She motivates enterprisers to express themselves allowing no apologies, having noticed that their diversity in idea is what distinguishes them in the market.

Innovation of the heart and authenticity of the leader are the two things that entrepreneurs need to have in order to influence others and form valuable links. Asmâa's last piece of advice is spot on: to go within and discover your essence. This path of self-awareness is the grounding of meaningful and lasting success both at work and in daily life.

Conclusion

The journey towards harmonious entrepreneurship is not a destination but a continuous process of self-discovery and growth. By integrating the principles of Fire & Flow, creating sacred white space, and embracing the duality of being and doing, entrepreneurs can unlock their full potential and lead with purpose.

For more insights on achieving balance and harmony in your entrepreneurial journey, check out Asmâa Methqal's work and explore the CEO Hacks for additional resources and strategies.

Podcast Episode: https://iamceo.co/2024/12/13/iam2314-global-business-consultant-empowers-leaders-and-businesses-to-unlock-their-potential/

LinkedIn: Asmâa Methqal

Website: Fire and Flow with Asmâa

Instagram: iamasmaa

Previous Episode: iam612-educator-harnesses-teams-collective-strengths

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How to Stay Ahead of Search Engine Algorithms in 2025

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 09:16:48 -0500

Search engines like Google keep changing how they rank websites. These updates can make it tricky for businesses to stay visible online. To stay ahead of search engine algorithms and keep your website ranking high, it’s essential to master some SEO best practices. This will ensure that your content stays relevant, searchable, and competitive in 2025 and beyond.

Why Do Search Engines Change Their Algorithms?

Search engines frequently update their algorithms to improve search quality and user experience. These updates help ensure that users receive the most accurate and helpful results when searching online. Understanding why these changes happen can help you stay ahead of search engine algorithms and maintain a strong online presence.

i) Ensuring High-Quality Search Results

Search engines want to give people the best answers to their questions. To do this, they update their systems to prioritize the most useful, trustworthy, and relevant information. Over time, they have had to adjust their algorithms to prevent low-quality websites from ranking high through tricks like keyword stuffing, spammy backlinks, or misleading content. These updates help users find accurate, high-quality results rather than content designed solely to manipulate rankings.

ii) Advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Another reason for algorithm changes is the improvement of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Search engines like Google use AI to better understand search intent and deliver more precise results. As technology advances, search engines refine their algorithms to prioritize websites that offer clear, well-structured, and expert-driven content. This shift means that businesses must focus on creating valuable content that aligns with user expectations and intent.

iii) Adapting to User Behavior and Trends

The way people search online is constantly changing. Voice search, mobile browsing, and evolving search behaviors influence how algorithms rank websites. Search engines adjust their ranking factors to accommodate these changes, ensuring that users get the best experience across different devices and search formats. Websites that fail to adapt to these trends risk losing visibility in search results.

iv) Combating Spam and Manipulative Practices

Some website owners attempt to trick search engines into ranking their content higher through manipulative practices. To counteract this, search engines release algorithm updates to penalize black-hat SEO techniques like link schemes, duplicate content, and deceptive redirects. Websites that rely on ethical SEO strategies focused on user experience will benefit from these updates, while those engaging in questionable tactics will see their rankings drop.

That’s why keeping up with SEO is so important. If you don’t stay updated with changes, your website may lose visibility, resulting in fewer visitors and lost business opportunities. Understanding how to stay ahead of search engine algorithms is the key to long-term online success.

Best SEO Practices to Stay Ahead in 2025

SEO is constantly evolving, and staying ahead requires a proactive approach. If you understand how search engines work and what they prioritize, you can keep your website visible and attract more visitors. The key is to focus on high-quality content, user experience, and trustworthiness. Here are some of the most important SEO practices you should follow in 2025:

1. Create Helpful and Original Content

Google rewards websites that provide useful content. If your website answers real questions and helps people, search engines will rank it higher. Instead of copying content from other websites, write fresh and interesting posts that people will love to read and share. When creating content, always think about how to stay ahead of search engine algorithms by focusing on what users need and delivering valuable information.

2. Use the Right Keywords Naturally

Keywords help search engines understand your content. Use words and phrases that people search for, but don’t overuse them. For example, in this article, we use the phrase “how to stay ahead of search engine algorithms” naturally. That’s how you should do it too.

3. Make Your Website Fast and Easy to Use

People don’t like slow websites. If your pages take too long to load, visitors will leave, and search engines will rank your site lower. Also, your site should look good and work well on phones, tablets, and computers.

4. Build Trust with Backlinks

When other good websites link to yours, search engines see your site as trustworthy. You can get backlinks by creating great content that others want to share. You can also write guest posts for other blogs and link back to your website.

5. Keep Up with SEO Changes

SEO is always changing. Follow SEO experts and Google’s official updates to stay informed. You can also use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to see what’s working for your website. Staying updated on algorithm changes will help you adapt and continue ranking well in search results.

The key to staying ahead of search engine algorithms is simple: create great content, follow SEO best practices, and keep learning. By doing this, your website will continue to rank well, bringing in more visitors and customers in 2025 and beyond. Understanding how to stay ahead of search engine algorithms ensures that your online presence remains strong despite ongoing updates and changes.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

Blue16 Media is a digital marketing agency that specializes in helping businesses expand their online presence.

Our services include website design and support, social media management, and cutting-edge search engine optimization (SEO) services to keep your organization or company ahead of the curve.

For more information or inquiries, contact us today at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or by filling out the contact form on our website.

The post How to Stay Ahead of Search Engine Algorithms in 2025 appeared first on .

Founder Empowers Future Female Leaders in Food & Beverage Industry

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:56:27 -0500

Christie Lawler is the founder and owner of CJL Consulting, a beverage marketing agency, and the WITI Group, a nonprofit female leadership in the food and beverage industry.

She is also the host of the Lawler Out Loud Mixing Up the Mainstream Podcast and an advocate on several industry boards.

Christie is recognized for her leadership, including being named “Innovator of the Year” (2022) and “Most Influential Beverage Strategist” (2021).

Christie discusses the emotional and relational benefits of the initiative, the challenges faced during conferences, and the importance of resilience and problem-solving.

Moreover, she emphasizes persistence and never misses deadlines, describing herself as a realistic optimist.

Website: CJL Consulting

LinkedIn: Christie Lawler

Previous Episode: iam823-founder-supports-national-hospitality-industry-and-future-female-leaders

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

I AM CEO Podcast Interview: https://iamceo.co/2024/12/06/iam2307-founder-empowers-future-female-leaders-in-food-beverage-industry/

The post Founder Empowers Future Female Leaders in Food & Beverage Industry appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

CEO Helps Business Owners Focus on High Impact Activities

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 10:46:45 -0500

Frank Goodman is a seasoned business consultant and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience.

Frank has worked with startups, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies, holding degrees in computer engineering and systems engineering.

Frank shares the importance of understanding where clients want to go and the external factors that might affect their businesses.

He emphasizes the need for thorough assessment rather than quick fixes.

Frank discusses the challenge of businesses adapting to tools rather than the tools fitting their processes.

He believes technology should enhance existing workflows without forcing companies to change their fundamental operations.

The conversation highlights the importance of buy-in from the team for any technology or process changes to be effective.

Website: ROI for Pros

LinkedIn: Frank Goodman

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

I AM CEO Podcast Interview: https://iamceo.co/2024/10/19/iam2259-ceo-and-founder-helps-business-owners-clear-their-plate-of-responsibilities-to-focus-on-high-impact-activities/

The post CEO Helps Business Owners Focus on High Impact Activities appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 5. OPERATIONS / LEGAL

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:09:20 -0500

In this episode, Gresham discusses pillar number 5 and the process of drilling down into the various business pillars. He mentions that they have taken the insights and hacks from over 1600 episodes and condensed them into 16 themes, which they now refer to as pillars.

Gresham emphasizes the importance of identifying and focusing on a single pillar that can drive growth in business. He discusses the importance of focusing on various pillars in business, including entrepreneurship, strategy, products/services, people, operations/legal, visibility, finance, and technology. They emphasize the significance of understanding operations and legal aspects in structuring a business.

In addition, Gresham highlights the benefits of systematizing tasks and operations for a better working environment for both the team and clients.

http://cbnation.co/pillar
http://community.cbnation.co

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Full Interview:

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 00:00

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and this is a special I AM CEO Podcast because we're gonna be focusing on the 8 business pillars. I hope you get to enjoy taking a lot of these different pillars that came from the 1600+ episodes we did at the I AM CEO Podcast, which became the 16 themes, which eventually now became the 8 pillars that can help you level up your business.

And, really, what we're trying to do is increase the business success rate, and this is going to eventually become a course. So you hear some of these snippets actually be in that course and that library of content and information we're gonna put together to help you level up. So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:38

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh here, and this is the episode where we drill down a lot more on pillar number 5. And there's many different pillars in business. If you just listened to this, we took the 1600+ episodes. We drilled down into that. Had hundreds of hacks, hundreds of nuggets that we accrued from each of the episodes. We took those. They became the 16 themes, which we originally called pillars, but they actually became themes. And then we really want to drill down on those 8 pillars. The reason that we chose 8 pillars is because we started to do a little bit more homework and research into business in general, but also into the things that were consistently coming up when we were doing these interviews.

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And we thought that these pillars were gonna be a little bit more foundational, not necessarily because they tell you all the things about business, but because they're very over encompassing. So that if you could potentially focus on maybe one pillar for a year, you could potentially see a lot of growth if you select the correct pillar. But it's also important to understand how interconnected they are because as you focus on one, you're deciding not to focus on another potentially. And if you decide to split your time between both, then understand you're not going to see the potential growth if you can find and identify the quote unquote one thing or the one pillar that could, really drill things, drive things forward even more.

So with that being said, we're gonna focus on and drill down into pillar number 5 with this operation/legal. It was just operations and then that legal part is obviously a huge part of business and entrepreneurship. So we wanted to make sure that it was under something that was one of the core parts of business, sometimes the quote unquote less sexy part of business. The business the part of business that is extremely important, but also is something that, maybe doesn't get the airplay, the fascination. You don't see a lot of TikToks that are around the legal part of business or the operations.

Although, they are very sexy if you're running a very strong business. So keep in mind that as I drill down a little bit more into this specific pillar, we wanna keep in mind that there are many other pillars, 8 other or seven other pillars, 8 total, that you want to make sure that you're focusing on. And those pillars, I'm gonna go down the line. Entrepreneurship and journey is gonna be your 1^st one. Strategy is gonna be your 2^nd one. The 3^rd one's going to be offering/your products and services. Number 4 is people in the human part of business. Number 5, we're gonna talk about a little bit more today, which is operations/legal. Then we're gonna drill down a little bit more into visibility.

Then number 7 is gonna be financial. And then finally, we're gonna cap everything off with technology. So understanding operations and legal part is really gonna be how you're structuring your business and what that looks like, how things are moving along. Now one of the most exciting things you can you can have is you start out with your idea. You realize that, okay, I have this business idea. I have this problem, this opportunity that I wanna serve, and you strategize around it. You figure out exactly how you're going to make that happen, and then you produce the idea or the concept, or maybe you get to test out your product and service.

And then you understand that this is how we're going to serve that human part of what we're doing. And you start to do that one time, two time, three times. You start to do that at a certain level. And then you realize you need operations because it's essentially going to be the engine that's going to allow you to serve the clients that you're working with. And so you really wanna understand the fundamentals of operations and systems and what they that looks like. Of course, you wanted to make sure that you're operating and optimizing those processes and systems.

And, obviously, we're gonna drill down a little bit more into pillar 8 around technology. But for a lot of businesses, not necessarily all businesses, technology is gonna play a huge role. So I think it's important to mention that, of course, because that could be one of the most impactful things, I think. And that's one of the reasons that it went from 7 to 8 pillars largely because of the the impact of technology. So know that automation, a lot of technological tools, things like project management software, all these things gonna play a really big part in terms of understanding exactly how to keep the trains moving, how to keep the trains moving consistently, and how to make sure that there's less spillage, for lack of a better term, and there's that same experience that you're providing throughout the entire journey for a client or customer, but also internally for your team.

How do you make sure that the business doesn't revolve around one person? It's gonna be your operations. It's gonna be your systems. It's gonna be those SOPs, those things you put in place to make sure that you are consistently growing the business into where it ultimately needs to be. So keep in mind that this flows over many different aspects of running a business, everything from supply chain management and those best practices to, like I mentioned, the legal considerations, understanding the way that you incorporate your business or actually even incorporating your business, how you, create, that structure and and what that looks like.

And we're gonna drill down a little bit more to the financial piece and and pillar number 7. But know that a lot of times the structure that you're creating does impact the financial aspect of your business, the amount of revenue that you're bringing in, and kind of, like, what that's going to look like. But also making sure that you're you're fully protected and what that looks like. And a lot of times when you hear attorneys, and by no means am I an attorney, but they'll talk a lot around making sure that you have your trademark, your patents, all those things in place.

Also know that it's probably I don't even know if it's more important, but I know it's also important to make sure that you're enforcing those trademarks and those patents because people can infringe upon them. And you wanna make sure that you're setting yourself up as much as possible to succeed. So make sure you have all those things that are in place, understanding business law, having any compliance checklists or things that you need to get done, agreements and contracts and templates, having those template templates, but also making sure that you're structuring those so that even if you're having conversations with someone that is extremely close, a friend, a relative, that you have a contract in place is going to be extremely important.

No matter who you're communicating with because or you're coming to agreement with might be a better way to say that because you wanna make sure that you're protected and that person's name is protected as well too. So know that's a big part as well too. Risk management strategies is another big part, of course, like I mentioned a little bit. Supply chain management is gonna be a really big part. So keep in mind that we have this offering, this product and servicing that you're doing to to make that impact. How are you, from an operation standpoint, going to ensure that that experience is going to happen?

No operations all can often speak to the idea of bringing on new clients or customers. But there could be operations around every single aspect of business, and often we don't realize that even those of us that provide custom products and services have certain aspects of what we do to be operations. And what I wanted to do is draw that a little bit deeper. We talked a little bit around the last pillar of the human part of the people part of business. Understand, like, how powerful it has been, hearing over and over again the power of morning routines. That it doesn't necessarily mean that there's a specific way that you have to do your morning routine, but just to be able to set yourself up for success is going to be huge.

And the reason I bring that up here is because when you're thinking about operations, of course, think about your business, but also consider hiring. Also consider how you're marketing your business or what the process is when there's a high rate client. All those things can be operations and SOPs that are put in place to make sure there is that somewhat consistent experience for everyone. But keep in mind that you also can create the operations in your life as well too. And when we talk about filling up your cup, when we talk about making sure your oxygen mask is on, as an individual and as a leader, understanding that human part, know that the operations and what you do on a regular basis also plays a really good part of through that too.

So with that being said, that's pillar number 5. Your operations, your legal part is gonna be such a big thing. Many people will argue while it's the least sec one of the least sexiest things, and maybe financial can give it a run for its money for a lot of people if you're talking about accounting and things like that. But keep in mind, it's the thing that might really open up that opportunity for you to scale the processes, the systems, the operations. Having those things in place can really take things to an entirely different level.

So this is, Gresh signing out. Remember, your operations are huge personally, professionally, and all the things that you're doing. So as we drill down more and more and more and provide more content in our community and, of course, in our library around what and how to improve your processes and your operations. Know that there's a lot of CEO hacks that help out with that, whether it's project management software. Just know that it sometimes could be one of the biggest things that you can lean into that's actually going to give you more time. And it allows you to sometimes invest that time by having to create processes, systems, operations.

But in the long run, it ends up creating those, consistent practices that allow you to be able to not work as much on or in the business as you are maybe presently and to focus more on working on the business. So think about what things can I systematize, what things can I create operations for, because it's only going to to create a a better environment, for you and the people that, you're impacting? And that's talking about your team, but also your clients as well.

Outro 10:11

Hello. Hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO Podcast. Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these 8 pillars to show you as a builder how you can leverage these 8 pillars and really level up there so it helps you level up your business and organization.

So hope you enjoyed this episode, and definitely please check out the show notes so you can learn more about the pillar, learn more about the person that I guested on their episode, and, of course, learn more a little bit more about us as well too. This is Gresh signing out. Hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

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The post Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 5. OPERATIONS / LEGAL appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 4. PEOPLE = HUMAN PART OF BUSINESS

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:06:45 -0500

In this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast, Gresh delves into the eight foundational pillars that can help elevate your business.

Derived from over 1600 episodes and copious insights from CEOs, these pillars were condensed from 16 themes into a course aiming to boost business success rates.

This episode specifically highlights the fourth pillar: People and the Human Part of Business.

Gresh emphasizes the importance of recognizing the human element in business, touching on aspects such as recruitment, talent management, and maintaining a conducive environment for both employees and strategic partners.

He also underscores the necessity of self-care for entrepreneurs to avoid burnout and ensure sustained success.

The discussion aims to remind listeners that balancing the needs of the business and its people is crucial for long-term growth and impact.

http://cbnation.co/pillar
http://community.cbnation.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Full Interview:

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 00:00

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. And this is a special I AM CEO podcast because we're going to be focusing on the eight business pillars. I hope you get to enjoy and take in a lot of these different pillars that came from the 1600 plus episodes we did at the I AM CEO podcast, which became the 16 themes, which eventually now became the eight pillars that can help you level up your business.

And really what we're trying to do is increase the business success rate. And this is going to eventually become a course. So you hear some of these snippets actually be in that course in that library of content and information, we're going to put together to help you level up. So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:38

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh here. And now we are talking about pillar number four people slash the human part of business. And I often say over and over again in episodes, you never want to forget about the human part of business.

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And if you're just listening to this, we're going through the eight pillars of of business really that I've gleaned from doing over 1600 episodes. Again, we took the 1600 episodes, 1600 plus episodes, and they became hundreds of CEO hacks and CEO nuggets and information we've learned from CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners. And then it drilled down into the 16, what I called pillars then, but it's now the themes.

The themes that were consistent around business and one of them is, don't forget about the human part of business. And that is what brought us to the eight pillars. The eight pillars are really those foundational elements that are going to help you to level up within your organization.

And what I want to do with each of these episodes is drill down a little bit further into each of these eight pillars, not to give you a, all the information because you can consistently learn about each of these pillars. And these pillars aren't definitely separated. They aren't siloed. They are very much so interconnected.

But sometimes if you have the opportunity to really focus on one, it could be and have that dramatic impact upon your business. So with this one, we're going to focus on. People in the human part, that's pillar number four.

So just give you a little bit more of a recap. If you haven't listened before, the first pillar was entrepreneurship and focusing on the journey. The second one was strategy. The third was your offering or your product or service.

The fourth is going to be people slash the human part, which is what we're going to talk about today. Then we're going to talk in. A little bit more about operations slash the legal side. Number six, we're going to go into visibility seven financial. We're going to close everything out with the biggest one, I think. And one of the most impactful ones I think is technology.

So with each of these different pillars, we're going to draw down more and more and more so you can learn more about what it's like. To be a CEO entrepreneur and business owner and how you can make that impact into your business and what that looks like.

So one of the biggest things that we often hear, but sometimes we don't internalize entirely is understanding the human part of business. And the reason I wanna say human, rather than people who can often hear about human capital, you hear about how important it's to make sure that you're bringing on the right people, you're creating an environment for them to excel and for them to succeed.

But we often forget about the human part. When we're talking about the clients that we want to connect with, we just want to take our product to service and just tell them this is what they need. And this is why they need it without actually having that connection, that interaction, that communication that comes from even some of the other pillars, the marketing, the sales, the visibility part.

We often just say, okay, this is what we are great at. This is what we've created. This is why it's cool. And forget about That human part and how we're actually connecting with the people that we ultimately want to serve. So that's one of the really big things we want to try to take into account as we're thinking about that human part.

But we, of course, want to keep in mind that recruitment, talent acquisition, making sure that we're getting the right people are the right butts in the right seat is going to be something that's very important. And then when we get them there, are they engaged? Are they staying? Are they growing? Just all that about creating a great environment for the people that are close to you.

But also know that the people part does include people that you're connected with. So yeah, That's everything about building a strong team. The team we often think means employees or sometimes contractors, but the team also means strategic relationships. It also means mentors. It also means consultants that you might have or board members or whatever it might be that are going to be those.

human parts that are pouring into your business. So make sure that you're keeping that in mind. Leadership and management also play a really big part in this as well as far as like being able to create that environment and that culture for you to succeed. But understand that, that could be one of your most impactful aspects of your business by getting the right people.

You can really level up your organization, but sometimes not getting the right people can actually have the opposite effect as well, too. So It's so important to forget about that human part and to not forget about that human part and to keep that in mind and understand how important the talent the resources, the people that are in place are going to be in terms of helping you to grow.

Now, one of the things that I haven't really drilled down on one of the themes that we had, one of those 16 themes was not forgetting about the I and team or realizing that there is no I and team. And that was very important because as you start to grow, you want to make sure you're creating an environment, a culture where everybody's going to have that opportunity to really excel.

And you're putting the greater good for lack of a better term above your individual goods. And that's for everybody that's on the team. So you want to definitely create that environment. One of the other themes that we had is that There is an I in WIN and so when you're trying to create that environment in order for you to succeed and excel, it's so important for you to not forget about the you not forget that you also are a human and you also are important to be able to help the business to excel.

So putting your oxygen mask on first. Specially for those people that really grasp and really understand that entrepreneurship part about serving and being able to support people. It's so important to not forget about that human part because you don't want to get into a place where your business is not going to have the opportunity to accelerate and make the impact it could because you're facing burnout.

Or because You haven't created a great environment for yourself to excel because you're not doing the things that will allow you to continue to run the marathon that is entrepreneurship.

So all those things are very much focused on you realizing that you're a human as well. So it doesn't mean necessarily that you're Always going to necessarily put yourself first, but I think it's very important for those people that may be skewed more towards givers that give tremendously from everything that they do.

They're always thinking about others to really start to think a little bit more creatively on how you're giving to start to think a little bit more creative on that, how you can create a win, lose or lose win, but how can you create win, win, win, win, win scenarios for your team.

And keep in mind one of those Wins is going to be you making sure your cup is full, making sure you have your oxygen mask on and making sure that you are making that impact. So definitely don't forget about the human part of a business. And of course, we're drilling down more and more and more into our community and the library and all the information that we're providing so that you can learn more and more and more on what that looks like and how you can make that impact.

But keep in mind that I really struggled with if I wanted to put this first, because I think it's something that we will gloss over, especially ourselves more than anything else. So as people that are givers know that you can, you can, you can serve others and you can also serve yourself. And don't forget by serving people, by serving humans, you also are human as well, too.

So do not forget about yourself. So this is Gresh signing out. This is pillar number four people slash the human part of business. So don't forget that and make sure that you are keeping that top of mind. As I mentioned, you can visit everything on our site cbnation.co/pillars to find out more about the pillars and all the awesome things that we're creating around that.

But keep in mind that These things can help you to level up in your business. And we're going to draw down more and more and more into each of those other pillars. So stay tuned.

Outro 08:07

Hello, hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast. Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these eight pillars and show you as a builder, how you can leverage these eight pillars and really level up there.

So it helps you level up your business and organization. So hope you enjoyed this episode. And definitely please check out the show notes. So you can learn more about the pillar.

This is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

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The post Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 4. PEOPLE = HUMAN PART OF BUSINESS appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 3. OFFERING – PRODUCTS/SERVICES

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 22:03:37 -0500

In this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast, Gresh dives deep into the eight essential business pillars derived from over 1600 episodes and 16 key themes, which now became 8 business pillars.

The episode focuses on understanding and enhancing your business offering, highlighting the importance of seeing your product or service as a means of providing impactful transformations to clients.

Gresh outlines the crucial business foundations such as strategy, people, operations, visibility, finance, and technology, emphasizing their interconnectedness and how they help improve business success rates.

Additionally, he stresses the significance of understanding the entire customer journey and the value you bring to their lives.

This episode is a precursor to a more detailed course aimed at helping businesses level up.

http://cbnation.co/pillar
http://community.cbnation.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Full Interview:

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 00:00

And really what we're trying to do is increase the business success rate. And this is going to eventually become a course. So you hear some of these snippets actually be in that course. And that library of content and information we're going to put together to help you level up. So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:37

What is your offering? How are you making an impact into the lives of people or even organizations. That's what this pillar kind of really drills down. So if you listen into previous episodes, we talked about entrepreneurship and journey. We talked about strategy right now we're drilling down into offering or your product or service.

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I'm going to go more into. Pillar number four, which is people slash the human part. Number five is going to be operations slash legal. Then we're going to go into number six, which is visibility seven financial, and then eight is technology.

So going into each of these aspects of business and each of these foundations, it's not anything more than being able to arm people with a little bit more insight and information to the complexity of business, not necessarily how.

All the different aspects are siloed, but actually how they're very much so intertwined and how you want to have greater awareness around all those things, because they're very much so, interconnected and they depend on one another. Just, if you want to check out CEO hack, check out this book called Range.

And the kind of idea behind it is that the people that are able to have a range of different experiences and perspectives are going to be able to solve the problems of tomorrow. And it's often because there is a world where everything is becoming so much more specialized. You hear it so many times and even us with our digital marketing company.

We going back and forth about whether or not we should specialize on a specific industry. And there's pros and cons of each. A lot of it dials into exactly what we talked about in the previous pillar, which is around strategy. What is the strategy of the business? Like, how do you define success?

What does success look like? And that could be different things for different people. But because it didn't necessarily align with our strategy, that wasn't something that I necessarily wanted to do and nothing that we felt very strongly compelled to do.

But, what we wanted to draw down is really start to understand why you're doing the things that you're doing. Often when people start businesses, when they have that napkin and they're writing down the ideas they're learning more about entrepreneurship.

When they're going into the strategy of what exactly you're doing, they find themselves saying, okay, now how do I do this? How do I package this? And that's really what the offering is like, what are you offering To potential clients and customers so that you can make the impact in their lives and their businesses, or what transformation are you ultimately trying to achieve?

Now, we're going to drill down a little bit more into the next pillar on the next episode, which is the human part of business. But what I really wanted to do is make sure that you understand that a lot of times people want these things to lead to some types of type of transformation. Often your product and service that you're talking about is not the thing that you're actually offering.

Usually it's something else. If you are a fitness trainer, while you're trying to help people lose weight, gain muscle whatever that might be. And however, we're so often like looking at that, if you're, doing nutrition planning or you're planning or you're doing meal prep or something along those lines, you're typically not doing the thing that you think that you're doing.

What you're doing is you're providing some type of transformation. So what is this transformation? This transformation for the fitness coach could be helping people to feel more Life within who they are so that it could positively impact their wives, their spouses, it could be their sons and daughters to help them to show up better at work.

All these things could be results of being able to provide that transformation. But the big thing is that you want to really start to drill down on the impact that you're making. And a lot of times you do that by not just saying I provide nutrition planning or I do meal prep or I potentially add a debt to your house or I fix leaky pipes so that you don't have to have issues.

You're providing some type of transformation. The key is like, how do you dial into that? How you tap into that? So, of course, generally speaking, you're going to talk about your products and services and what exactly you do, because at the end of the day, you want to make sure. That you are able to find the people that you're able to serve.

If somebody has a leaky pipe, it doesn't make sense for you to maybe say, okay, I don't want to talk about your leaky pipe. I want to talk about how we're providing transformation in your house. No, not necessarily, not in that case. Exactly. So what you want to understand that these are ways that you are able to have a communication with clients, but it also is a way for you to understand exactly what you're doing and the impact that you're making.

The problem that you're ultimately because what you're doing when people call you is you're providing them peace of mind, that peace of mind is allowing them to work on other aspects of their business is allowing them to spend more time with their spouse, their Children is giving them an opportunity to not have to worry about that aspect of the business so they can work on other things.

So are you saving them time? Are you giving them the mental piece that they're ultimately achieving. These are things that you want to make sure that you are communicating because that's ultimately what you're doing while you are definitely, obviously, of course, fixing that pipe while you are, of course, helping people to lose weight.

Understand that you're allowing that person to be able to be confident enough to walk into their boss's office or virtually walk into their boss's office and ask for a raise. That confidence is something that you will see pours into each aspect of their life because things are not siloed.

So you want to dread out more and more and more and understand that human part, which of course I'm going to dive into and delve down a little bit later.

But know that this is going to be all around your product and service and the offering that you're providing. So make sure you define exactly what that is and what that looks like.

A lot of times because we're in digital marketing, we will ask, actually ask clients to rank their services as far as like the ones that are making the most impact, what drives in the most revenue for you.

Because often when you have a better understanding of not just one aspect of what you're providing, but the catalog of what you're providing. You're able to understand if one is more valuable than another per se, or if something is maybe a little bit more experimental. So maybe you're testing or trying something out.

Or maybe you paid attention to clients or your product and service offerings going to be evolving, changing, and improving. So you want to pay attention to those things and know that it can evolve and change. And definitely, of course, give you a space and time to be able to test those things out.

And of course, to be able to improve those. And you want to, of course, be able to have those conversations with clients and customers, but know that it comes back to you. Like, how are you solving that problem? This is, you had a problem, you understood in entrepreneurship, it's all around problem-solving.

This is how you package it. This is how you let people know. These are my coaching services. This is my public speaking business, or potentially this is how exactly I'm providing coaching services. HVAC services, or potentially I am that plumber and I'm going to come through and provide emergency support, or we're going to be on the offensive and we're actually going to help you before you have to call us.

Or going to be on call if you have any tech issues, or you want to redesign your website, or you're trying to get more business through Google ads, whatever that might be. It might be packaged in different ways, but no, this is a transformation that you're provided just Don't forget about that human part, because that's going to come through and everything that you're doing.

But also know that you want to make sure of course that you're providing the product or service, but you want to really dial into the full journey of your potential client and customer. And now this touches a little bit more on that visibility piece, but know that. As you understand more about that journey that they're going through, you're going to be able to serve them even better because that's what happens at the end of the day.

Product and service services for you to serve. So no, this is offering as a way for you to serve. So if you understand that before someone calls or reaches out to a fitness instructor, that maybe your ideal client and customers have a little bit of. apprehension or even fear around health, wellness, and fitness is going to change the way that you position yourself.

It may even change your offering may even change what you call your offering. You might not want to call it a bootcamp if you're dealing with people that haven't gone through that process, but maybe you do want to do that because you want to really hammer home that the transformation that you're going to provide, we're going to bootcamp, we're going to make this, we're going to make, we're going to get you into the way that you need to, so that you can have that transformation in your life.

You just want to understand each of those aspects and understand what that process looks like before the person calls, when the person's, when you're serving that client, whether it be one time or on a continual basis, and they didn't even have to end after the end. And after that, and after that, and after that.

Just think about these apps that you might have on your phone when you're getting a message from Starbucks that there's a potential sale. And I don't, I don't go to Starbucks that much, so I'm not sure if there's actually sales. I'm sure there are, but you're getting points. So maybe you're 25 points away from getting a free local frappuccino or whatever that might be here with drink a choice.

The point being is that you have a really good idea on what that journey looks like and how that journey extends beyond when they're buying your potential products and services. So again, the more you can understand what that offering is, the more you can provide more value and value doesn't always have to mean your product service.

As we'll talk on, talk about a little bit later. And in each of the pillars, you can provide value with the visibility that you're sharing the things that you're doing, the way that you're getting in front of your clients and customers. So just know and understand that that whole kind of customer journey and make sure that you're able to see and evaluate how you're able to provide value according to that journey.

But that's pillar number three you're offering product to service. Of course, we're going to drill down more into each of the other eight seven, eight total. Pillars and see how that could potentially help you out with your business. But my goal here is just to give you a little bit more of an idea on what that looks like and how you could potentially provide that impact.

And of course, us be able to position and drill down on the content that you're listening to. So that it. We'll help support each of these aspects. So you can know exactly what you're looking for. And of course you can check out our community that we're relaunching so that you can draw down a little bit more on each of those aspects and what that looks like.

So this is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day. Don't forget you are providing service to people that you ultimately want to work with. Think about how you're able to solve that problem, how you're able to make their day better.

And then that's going to allow you to be where they're searching for and think of you when they're trying to do that. Thanks. And I'll talk to you soon.

OUTRO 11:11

Hello. Hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast. Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these eight pillars and show you as a builder how you can leverage these eight pillars and really level up there.

So it helps to level up your business and organization. So hope you enjoyed this episode Definitely please check out the show notes. So you can learn more about the pillar.

This is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[/restrict]

The post Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 3. OFFERING – PRODUCTS/SERVICES appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 2. STRATEGY

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 04:17:56 -0500

In this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast, Gresh dives into the critical pillar of ‘strategy' as part of an eight-pillar framework for successful business development.

Gresh emphasizes the importance of having a strategy to turn ideas into actionable plans and achieve business goals.

He outlines the entire set of eight business pillars—entrepreneurship, strategy, product/service offering, people, operations/legal, visibility, finance, and technology—offering a high-level overview of each.

Gresh also discusses the significance of market understanding, SMART goals, and KPIs to improve execution and achieve long-term success. Tune in to learn how to leverage these pillars and elevate your business from a builder to a luminary.

http://cbnation.co/pillar
http://community.cbnation.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Full Interview:

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 00:00

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast, and this is a special I AM CEO podcast because we're going to be focusing on the eight business pillars. I hope you get to enjoy kind of take in a lot of these different pillars that came from the 1600 plus episodes we did at the I AM CEO podcast, which became the 16 themes, which eventually now became the eight business pillars. That can help you level up your business.

And really what we're trying to do is increase the business success rate. And this is going to eventually become a course. So you hear some of these snippets actually be in that course and that library of content and information we're going to put together to help you level up.

So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:38

All right. So for this next episode, I'm going to focus on the pillar of strategy. So you've gone through the first pillar, you have entrepreneurship and the journey. You understand a little bit about strategy, which I'm going to talk about today.

Then we'll go a little bit more into your offering your product or service. Number four is going to be the people, the human part of business. Number five is going to be operation slash legal side. Number six is going to be visibility. Seven financial eight is technology.

So I just want to give you a quick recap about each of the different pillars as I go down and delve a little bit deeper into those. Of course, I'm always looking for feedback. If you feel like a pillar is missing or something that should be nestled into something, please definitely do this.

But this is just going to be a quick high level overview of the strategy pillar. And the reason that strategy is so important is because there's a quote vision without action is merely a dream.

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And one of the things that I think sets really entrepreneurial people apart is it's not necessarily coming up with the idea. And even me, when I started my business I Remember one of the jobs that I left one of my bosses said that you're definitely an ideas person. And I took it and I still take it as Hey, I'm more than an ideas person.

I'm an execution person. So I've been trying to really focus on execution, but know that I am an ideas person. I have breakout room. A tremendous amount of ideas. I can't even execute on all the ideas that I have. So that's why it's so important that you have that strategy in place so that you know this is exactly how you're going to execute on what those things actually are.

And I think that is what's going to separate people because you can have ideas. You can literally go into Technology, which is another pillar in all these different tools and softwares that are coming about with A. I. But even things that have existed before to help you to develop what those ideas are going to be.

The question is, how are you going to execute it? And execution is all around the strategy. The strategy is basically, I think, creating a clear Idea of how exactly you're going to reach the goals and aspirations that you have within your business. So think about things such as developing a strategy, developing a business plan.

Even though there's obviously a lot of. Pros and cons of being able to create a business plan. Just know how important it is to create a plan so that you increase your likelihood of success. There's even statistics that say the more time that you spend writing down your goals or writing down your vision is going to increase the likelihood of that success happen.

Know that many things, go into that you're planning process where you're trying to understand exactly where you want to be. 1 of the big things that I talk about a lot around when I say everybody is a media company, when you go through that course and understand exactly what that looks like.

You understand that I often say that you can have the exact same business as somebody else, which you might execute it in a completely different way largely because you have different goals and different aspirations.

Somebody that has a digital marketing business that wants to drive home, thousands of clients is going to look at it differently from someone that wants to have maybe just a solo business and be a solopreneur and just do a lot of consulting to other entrepreneurs and business owners versus somebody else that doesn't really want to do anything but of course, and just teach all their information.

So each of these three people have similar businesses, similar ideas, but they're executing completely different ways.

So your strategy is going to be a hugely important thing. And the big thing about strategies, I think a lot of times people will downplay the importance of being able to take steps ahead and plan what that is. Don't get me wrong. You're not going to necessarily have all the things in place, which is why there's a big argument about the business plan.

Why having the 30 40 plus Page business plan. A lot of people scarf it because you get books like the lead startup by Eric Ries . I always forget how to say his name. It talks so much around putting something out there essentially. Doing it in a minimum viable product and MVP so that you can get market feedback from that market feedback.

You go from there. So my thing about strategy is not necessarily the same strategy has to be long and extensive, but you want to actually have a plan in place.

So going back to that first pillar, what problem are you solving? Thinking about what that problem is, how you're going to actually solve them and what you want your business and organization to look like is going to be the next progression along the journey of being able to do that.

If you don't have an idea about what exactly that's going to look like, then that's going to leave you at a disadvantage. So. Know you can always kind of look into different things like your competitors and get an idea of exactly what they're doing to get in a better idea.

Sometimes the biggest, opportunity and I think honestly, this goes a little bit into the visibility piece that pillar, but it's not understanding exactly what's out there in the market because when you're trying to solve the problem, sometimes part of your strategy is going to be understanding what's out there.

Not necessarily so that. You can pay attention to your competition because I always say if you're running on a race, you can't lose, but so that you're able to get a better understanding of what you're doing is sometimes the best way to understand what you're doing is to understand what's out there because that's going to open up your doors and opportunity to understand what is your quote unquote secret sauce, the thing that you feel like sets you apart and makes you meet.

But it doesn't necessarily make sense to say, Hey, I'm going to create it. A social media site that is going to have groups that's going to have pages that's going to basically be large in the countries. And I'm going to call it book face or something along those lines. Something like that might actually exist.

So you want to make sure that you're paying attention to what's out there, not necessarily so that you can emulate what's out there, but so that you can say, okay, this might exist, but where is it?

Kind of falling short. Is it falling short in the way that it's marketed in the way that it's executed in its strategy in and of itself? Is it not serving the right clients? You start to have all these conversations, but that's where, understanding that the market understanding what's out there is such a big thing.

And anytime you want to create any goals, you want to make sure that the smart goals those smart goals are going to help you to increase your likelihood of success. And you want to make sure that KPIs that are with it as well. So those KPIs are gonna be ways that you determine what success is. That says it could be number of employees.

It could be your your market penetration. It could be your revenue. It could be your total annual revenue, whatever it might be. You just want to make sure that you outline exactly what that is so that you can go about execute upon that strategy and continue to monitor those results.

So again, the strategy part is not something that. You should gloss over, which is why I wanted to make sure that it was the second thing that I touched about because I think so many times we fall in love with the ideas that we have the ideas we're writing down on the napkin. Exactly what our vision is.

And we're taking that idea and we're running with it. But how do we run with it? Run with it without a strategy, even if your strategy is just to say, let me put it out there and see what happens that in of itself is a strategy. I think it goes along the lines, although it's more technical upon the the framework of the lead startup where you're testing out, just see if the market thinks it's of any value, but know that strategy plays a really big part.

And a lot of times we will hear from people, especially on the show that talk a lot around where your business is ultimately trying to go what that looks like. Succession planning, those things. Are you setting up your business to sell? Are you setting up your business to hand down to your family?

What does that look like? All those things become a part of your strategy and it ends up being really, really extensive because it's ultimately deals. I think with where you are and ultimately where you want to try to go and everything in between that. But know that it can definitely be written in pencil.

It doesn't have to be written in. Ink or a permanent marker, you get to take those steps to see that come to fruition. So that's one of the big things around strategy. So again we're drilling down into each of the different business pillars. You're gonna see a lot of our content that's going to delve into that.

You can, of course, join our community. We're relaunching our community. So you'll be able to check that out to hear a little bit more about what it is that That we're doing and why we're doing it. But again, a lot of it is to increase that likelihood of success as much as it's great to listen to these episodes and hear all the things my goal was really to say, okay, if you're trying to increase your likelihood of success and you realize that you don't have a strategy, maybe you focus more on this pillar so that you can increase your likelihood of success, or maybe you understand.

That some other aspect or some other pillar is going to be more important for your business. And it's not to say that you do all the things. You just want to be aware of all the things very similarly to, I say, like going to the grocery store, figuring out what the ingredients are. You want to know all the aspects of business so that you can increase your likelihood of success even though you're not going to be focusing on.

Every single aspect. So this is Gresh signing out. I hope you enjoyed this episode and I'm looking forward to, delve in a little bit deeper into each of the different pillars.

Outro 09:24

Hello, hello, this is Grash again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast. Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to Laser focus on these eight pillars and show you as a builder, how you can leverage these eight pillars and really level up there.

So it helps you level up your business and organization. So hope you enjoyed this episode and definitely please check out the show notes.

This is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[/restrict]

The post Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 2. STRATEGY appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 1. ENTREPRENEURSHIP and the JOURNEY

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 04:15:47 -0500

In this special episode of the I AM CEO podcast, Gresh shares valuable insights into the importance of building a media company and leveraging other media platforms to support business growth.

He introduces the concept of the Eight Business Pillars, derived from over 1600 podcast episodes, which include entrepreneurship, strategy, offerings, people, operations, visibility, finances, and technology.

This episode focuses on the entrepreneurship pillar, exploring the journey of entrepreneurship, the misconceptions of overnight success, and the importance of problem-solving.

Gresh emphasizes resilience, passion, and continuous learning as critical components for navigating the entrepreneurial path. Tune in to understand how these pillars are interconnected and essential for elevating your business and personal growth.

http://cbnation.co/pillar
http://community.cbnation.co

Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.

Full Interview:

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 00:00

And really what we're trying to do is increase the business success rate. And this is going to eventually become a course. So you hear some of these snippets actually be in that course and that library of content and information we're going to put together to help you level up.

So sit back and enjoy this special episode of the I AM CEO podcasts.

Gresham Harkless 00:38

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh and I am here with a special episode of the I AM CEO podcast. These next few episodes, we're going to focus on the eight pillars in business and give you a little bit more of a insight into each of these eight pillars, what they'll look like. Why? We've even created to that.

But basically fast forward or rewind actually into one of the previous episodes, you get an idea of what those eight pillars are. But one of the things, if you're just listening to this, solo, I wanted to give you an idea of what those eight pillars are. Where those eight pillars came from just to give you a little bit more of a recap is we took the 1600 episodes, came up with about 16 or so themes. Those themes became 8 pillars.

8 pillar is exactly what we wanted to structure a lot of the content around to be able to level up your business, your organization and all the awesome things that you're doing. So what are those eight pillars? What pillar am I going to focus on today 8 pillars.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Are going to be entrepreneurship journey the journey of entrepreneurship, strategy, your offering slash your product or service, people slash the human part of business operations slash legal visibility, which is marketing, sales, advertising, all of those aspects, your financial piece. And then, of course, the big 1 that I added on because I wanted it to be 7, but end up being 8 was technology.

And the one that I'm going to focus on today is going to be a lot around entrepreneurship. I literally just completed a, an interview, which you should hear coming out live in about about 60 days or so.

We talked a lot around the secret to overnight success. It takes a 10 or 15 years. So, there is not a kind of magic bullet that you have with your business. No matter what people might tell you, this is the only thing that you need that's going to completely change your business. The reality is that even with each of these pillars, you start to realize that you can maybe not focus on all the different aspects at the same time.

So you have to maybe pick one, maybe two, just to focus on during a short period of time to be able to get more traction in your business, more opportunity to grow. But. I think that goes back to entrepreneurship and the journey, the secret to the overnight success. It takes 10 or 15 years. What that means is it's not necessarily always instant.

And even for those people, that it isn't. And when they do start a business and it ends up happening or ballooning or, doing some phenomenal numbers within the year, it's, a lot of times because some of the other aspects may be a little bit more developed than they might seem.

So, for example, a lot of times you'll hear around people that have built new businesses, but they've had the previous experience. So when they're building the new business, they're not isolated from that experience that they had before. So all this means is that you should really understand what you're getting into when you're talking about entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship, I believe at the heart is around problem solving. And so when you're really starting to solve the problems, you realize it doesn't always happen as quickly as you want it to happen. It doesn't necessarily mean that you can't solve the problem. Sometimes it's so many other aspects that you need to take care of.

If you're bootstrapping the business, maybe the financial aspect is not exactly where you want it to be. But Maybe you have an idea on what the solution might be, but maybe there's not an actual market for it.

So that's where it's so important to really understand entrepreneurship, what that journey looks like, because a lot of it is going to require, I think a lot of quote, unquote, failing a lot of mistakes, a lot of things, not necessarily going the way that you want them to go, but that resilience, the grit is going to be such a huge thing because as you start to do that, Delve into each of these aspects of business, you'll start to realize that they're not isolated.

They're actually fully intertwined. But the reality is that if you don't have an idea that when you hit a roadblock, when you hit a setback, that it's not the end of the world, that some of the most successful people, I would probably even got to say all of the most successful people have had some type of speed bump, potholes, something that has happened that was not expected within their business.

So the really big thing that I want to get across, and we're going to drill down course, more and more on is to understand that entrepreneurship is definitely not linear. It's not a straight path. It's not a straight line, and it doesn't happen at the snap of your fingers.

So once you start to understand that, I think it gives you a little bit more of a awareness around what you're getting into. It gives you awareness around the mistakes, the things that don't go the way that you want to go and being even opportunities to learn. And one of the things that I've even brought up a lot of times during the episodes is that there's a story. Sarah Blakely tells a lot around why she looks at failure in a completely different way.

And the reason is because her dad used to actually high five her. If she made some type of mistake during the day, or if she has some type of failure, she did something that was outside the realm of what and how she defined success as a, as a young lady, as a young, as a young girl.

So what you start to realize is it changed the way that she looked at failure. So when she went around to starting Spanx, she already had imprinted in her a foundation that really celebrated failure because knowing that failure was not final, but it was a way and path that was very intertwined with success. You need it to have the favorites. You have the success. So that's one of the really big things that you want to take away.

More than, anything else. Loads of CEO nuggets that, of course, that we've had on our podcast, but just know that the essence of entrepreneurship is all around problem solving. It doesn't necessarily mean that you need to have that to reach success. But I think a lot of people that get into entrepreneurship and business are trying to solve problems.

They're trying to make an impact. That might be looked at from a revenue standpoint, X amount of clients, X amount of, revenue that you want to achieve. But when you start to drill that down, it's like, how many people are you helping? How many people are ultimately impacting? I think that, that's the heart of entrepreneurship and understanding that journey is not always just about.

Are you able to create a better mousetrap? But does anybody else know about this mousetrap? Does the visibility part play such a big part? So, as you will hear during each of these episodes, I'll go a little bit more in depth around all the other aspects, all the other pillars, but know that entrepreneurship, I think it's definitely the essence of business.

I think, honestly, it's one of the essences of life because when you approach life with the mentality that you're going to solve the problem, you're not asking or seeing the world as this is how it is. You're seeing the world within opportunity of ways that you can change. You just have to determine if it's It's going to be worthwhile to go on that path and pursue and invest the resources to be able to solve whatever the problems might be.

And that's where a lot of times you'll hear people saying you want to be passionate about business. Do you need to be passionate about the business that you're in? Absolutely not. But the reason that you. Considering the passion about it, you probably want to be passionate about it because it's so hard and so difficult.

It's so draining. So that when you hit those roadblocks, when you hit those speed bumps, when you don't have any more gas that's in the tank, so to speak, you're going to be pulling upon that passion to get you through those challenging times. So you're more likely to stick with it. And have a stick to it.

If you are passionate about than if you're not. So that's one of the really big things I wanted to get across. When you're looking at this pillar, of course, you can definitely check out our site to hear a little bit more about each of those pillars. And, of course, be able to join the community where we're going to be delving down deeper into each of these different pillars.

And especially, of course, entrepreneurship and demystifying what that looks like and what that is, but doing it in a way that I think is going to be a lot more enjoyable than it would have been if you had gone through it. So while you're going through this path of entrepreneurship, I salute you for doing it.

I commend you for taking that step, but please keep in mind. That just because you're hitting roadblocks, you're hitting speed bumps, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're doing it wrong. Now, don't get me wrong. You could absolutely be taking in some data and information to be able to pivot and change, but so many people throw in a towel because they say that I'm not good enough.

I'm not cut out for this. And in reality, I don't know anybody is. I think you just develop the ability to be able to sustain this. You have a strong why that's going to fuel you more. The motivation is there to keep you up and going because even the mental, the emotional, financial all those challenges that you go through.

It's going to be an opportunity for you to develop yourself as much as you're developing your business. You're also developing yourself as you're going through those journeys. So the trials and tribulations are not there just to create Roblox success. Actually, it allows you the opportunity to develop that endurance and be able to go past the path that you ultimately thought you could.

So with that being said, this is Gresh signing out. Remember, this is the first pillar, entrepreneurship and the journey. Make sure you understand the journey that you're getting in, understand ultimately what you're doing, which is problem-solving. So there's going to be loads and loads of information that we'll have within our community.

But make sure that you of course, check out the other pillars, check out some of the information that we're providing and remember the journey that you're in and I wish you the best towards your success.

Outro 09:34

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast.

Just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these eight pillars and show you as a builder how you can leverage these eight pillars and really level up there. So it helps to level up your business and organization. So I hope you enjoyed this episode and definitely please check out the show notes.

So you can learn more about the pillar, this is Gresh signing out. Hope you'll have a phenomenal rest of the day.

[/restrict]

The post Understanding the 8 Business Pillars: 1. ENTREPRENEURSHIP and the JOURNEY appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Chat#111 – The Power of Putting Customers First [SPONSORED POST]

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:32:38 -0500

Gresham W. Harkless Jr. sits down with Jasmine Price of M & D Cleaning Services at Intelligent Office in Alexandria Virginia.

M&D Cleaning Service Provides top-notch commercial and janitorial services to businesses of all sizes. They specialize in creating pristine and hygienic environments that enhance productivity and leave a lasting impression.

Jasmine Price, born and raised in Northern Virginia, is the founder of a family-owned business established in 2014. The company was built upon a simple idea – the desire to assist people with cleaning and organization. Jasmine's passion for cleaning has flourished over the five years the business has been operating.

Throughout this time, Jasmine and her dedicated team have had the pleasure of working with and getting to know the most amazing customers in the DMV. The mission plan for Jasmine's business is centered around providing exceptional customer service. While acknowledging that they may not be perfect and could miss a few things, the commitment is to approach each space with the best customer service and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to get the job done.

Timestamps

Intelligent Office of Alexandria offers 23 private offices and three meeting rooms, two of which can be configured in many ways to meet your meeting or training needs.

Relevant Links:

Intelligent Office of Alexandria – https://www.intelligentoffice.com/virginia/alexandria
M&D Cleaning Services – https://manddcleaningservice.com/
DMV Resources – https://dmvceo.com/resources
BNI Chapter – https://dmvceo.com/resources/#franchisenetworking

Additional Resources:

Download our FREE CEO Hacks Guide and subscribe to our newsletter to help you be more effective and efficient – https://cbnation.co/newsletter/
Check out more CEO Hacks that help you be more effective and efficient – https://ceohack.co/
Freshdesk (An online cloud-based customer service software providing helpdesk support with all smart automations to get things done faster. – https://ceohack.co/refer/freshdesk

About Intelligent Office Alexandria

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Elevate your business presence and functionality with Intelligent Office Alexandria – where your success is our priority!

This is a sponsored post.

Transcription

00:00:17 – 00:00:47
Speaker 1: You're an entrepreneur, and you make vital decisions that hopefully blossom into a business. You're the savvy out-of-the-box risk taker who believes wholeheartedly in the process of innovation. Innovation that will change the world. This is CEO Chat with Gresham Harkless and you're about to embark on a journey through the awesome world of business. Gresham is the epitome of drive and desire as he works to help support small businesses and entrepreneurship.

00:00:48 – 00:00:59
Speaker 1: And you're about to learn from this entrepreneur how you can improve your odds of success in the business world. Welcoming the host of CEO Chat, here's

00:01:01 – 00:01:04
Jasmine Price: Gresham Harkless.

00:01:06 – 00:01:18
Gresham Harkless: All right, hello, hello, Hello. This is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast, CEO podcast and Blue 16 Media. And I have a fantastic guest with us today. I have Jasmine Price of MND Cleaning. Jasmine, excited to have you on the show.

00:01:18 – 00:01:22
Jasmine Price: Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure to meet you. It's a pleasure.

00:01:23 – 00:01:37
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, absolutely. Well, you're doing so many phenomenal things. So super excited to have you on the show and hear a little bit more about your rise, all the awesome things that you're doing. I know we were talking a little bit offline, so I hope we get to talk a little bit more about the inauguration. All the awesome things you've been able to do.

00:01:37 – 00:01:43
Gresham Harkless: And of course, super excited to be here at Intelligent Office in Alexandria, Virginia. They're hosting us for this podcast.

00:01:43 – 00:01:46
Jasmine Price: Love Intelligent Office. Shout out to them.

00:01:46 – 00:01:56
Gresham Harkless: Yes, They do phenomenal things. And I know that's what brought us together too. But I guess to kick everything off I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit more on how you got started. What I call your CEO story.

00:01:56 – 00:02:22
Jasmine Price: OK. How did I get started with MD Clean and Service. MD Clean and service really was just an idea I came up with to help people and also just to get an extra flow of money, flow of cash. And it kind of just literally just. Kind of grew from there.

00:02:23 – 00:02:39
Jasmine Price: I've seen the. Impact on the community. Helping people with. Employment and things like that, and I just. Start taking off with it, I really didn't think it was going to take off the way.

00:02:40 – 00:03:01
Jasmine Price: It took off, I just was trying to keep myself. Just busy and just busy, really. I'm optimistic on. Trying to do something a little different. And I always wanted to be an entrepreneur.

00:03:01 – 00:03:18
Jasmine Price: Like that was number 1. I started as a massage therapist. So I was like, I always. Knew I kind of wanted to do my own thing. To like, extend and just kind of.

00:03:18 – 00:03:18
Gresham Harkless: To like, Extend and

00:03:18 – 00:03:20
Jasmine Price: it just kind of Grew from there.

00:03:20 – 00:03:38
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, well, No, it's kind of great to hear, you know, you're Doing so many phenomenal things and to hear Like how it started about you always wanting to Have that kind of seed planted and Wanting to do your own thing and just kind of running You know, with that. How was the massage business? And do you think that that helped you in terms of your cleaning business and being able to kind of transition from there?

00:03:38 – 00:03:50
Jasmine Price: Oh, definitely. I love the massage business. It was awesome. I did that for about 4 years. It's still a passion of mine.

00:03:51 – 00:04:04
Jasmine Price: From the massage business, I started a. Mobile, it was like a. Mobile spa, so we should do, like. Pop up shop. Yes.

00:04:06 – 00:04:34
Jasmine Price: Yes. It was so nice. We did. Like, bridal showers parties, bachelorette. Parties like, and it was just awesome to be able to connect with other like women and to build a business and also just to really Try to bring people Together to make money And that was the goal.

00:04:34 – 00:05:13
Jasmine Price: So I had like a nail tech, makeup artist, and we would come in and like pamper the ladies and get them ready for their day or whatever it was. And it was just so fulfilling, you know, for them to get pampered and see them like relaxed and happy and enjoying their friends. So I've always kind of been in the business of customer service. So I just kind of, you know, focus on that and it just kind of grew from there. So the.

00:05:13 – 00:05:23
Jasmine Price: Cleaning business, it was a super easy transition. Super easy transition. And you know, you're helping people. So it just all worked out.

00:05:23 – 00:05:38
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, I love that. And I think so many times we forget about in business, like when we're figuring out what our products and services are, you know, our name and our logo, our color, all those things that we do, our finance, all those things, we sometimes forget about like the actual people that we're serving.

00:05:38 – 00:05:39
Jasmine Price: So I

00:05:39 – 00:05:44
Gresham Harkless: love how that is kind of first and first and front and foremost and everything that you do.

00:05:45 – 00:06:15
Jasmine Price: Yeah I started working at a very young age. My first job was in customer service. It's actually at Bed, Bath & Beyond. And I was about 15, 16 years old and that was number 1 customer service like they installed it and so on so many different levels. So by the time I was about 17 I was the customer service manager.

00:06:15 – 00:06:37
Jasmine Price: So I was running the front running the front. And you know because I understood the business you know. So once you understand the customer is just always right, I mean, you'll be okay. It is what it is, you know, It is what it is. And that's what happens when you run a business.

00:06:38 – 00:06:42
Jasmine Price: So our customers are our priority. Yeah. Number 1.

00:06:42 – 00:07:01
Gresham Harkless: Yeah. It's funny that you said that because I don't know if you found this exact same thing where a lot of times there's this perception when you're not running your business that if you jump into running your business, you can be your own boss. You're not going to have to answer to anybody, but the reality is that you don't just have 1 boss. Now you have a lot of bosses. Here's all your clients.

00:07:01 – 00:07:11
Jasmine Price: Now I have hundreds of bosses. I went from 1 to hundreds of bosses and I don't want to piss anyone off. So, you know.

00:07:11 – 00:07:34
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, but I know that it makes so much sense because everything has to be particular on how they want things. You have to understand. I love that customer service background because it's not just sometimes providing the service I imagine. It's probably also adding that customer service feel of like you know even when you go to a hotel and you know you go walk in and they clean up and then they have the little men on your just those little small things go along

00:07:34 – 00:07:35
Jasmine Price: with it.

00:07:35 – 00:07:35
Gresham Harkless: Is it

00:07:35 – 00:07:45
Jasmine Price: is the details. It's the communication. You know it's a variety of things. But you know customer service like that's the umbrella of

00:07:45 – 00:07:46
Gresham Harkless: it all.

00:07:46 – 00:08:00
Jasmine Price: You know you have those basic foundations. You'll be good to go. I mean, you need those. You need the foundation and if you got it, you can do whatever business you want to do. I really believe that.

00:08:00 – 00:08:11
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, I say that so many times you forget about like the human aspect of business. And I love that you have that foundation because just as you say, whether it's the massage business that you were able to do for, I think you said 4 or

00:08:11 – 00:08:12
Jasmine Price: 5 years, or

00:08:12 – 00:08:15
Gresham Harkless: obviously the cleaning business you've been doing for I think 10 years.

00:08:15 – 00:08:16
Jasmine Price: Yeah, I've been doing it for a while now.

00:08:16 – 00:08:24
Gresham Harkless: Yeah. So I think once you have that foundation you know people you know how to serve them the customers first then you can really take things off from there.

00:08:24 – 00:08:26
Jasmine Price: So for sure for sure.

00:08:26 – 00:08:32
Gresham Harkless: Absolutely. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more here a little bit more on how you serve your clients. Can you take us through the services that you're providing.

00:08:33 – 00:08:51
Jasmine Price: Sure. So, we offer commercial. And residential clean, so we do. Post construction cleaning Move out services, we offer recurring cleanings. So we offer a variety of.

00:08:52 – 00:09:11
Jasmine Price: Services we have a website, you go on there and you pick what you need, which you're looking for. If you don't see it, or you have any questions, just give us a call. But we do offer. And a variety of services are. Most popular services are our.

00:09:11 – 00:09:28
Jasmine Price: Housekeeping and our janitorial services. Okay. Yeah, so we serve a lot of businesses and. In the area with keeping their. Offices clean their businesses, their restaurants.

00:09:29 – 00:09:40
Jasmine Price: Just a variety of day hotel cleaning. We do a lot of different things. We just did a. Turnover cleaning for the college of. On the University of Maryland.

00:09:41 – 00:09:41
Gresham Harkless: Okay.

00:09:41 – 00:09:54
Jasmine Price: So, yeah, we had a. Turnover there. Off campus dorms, I think we did, like, 700, 800 dorms. Yeah, it was crazy, but it was. It was a good experience, so

00:09:54 – 00:10:00
Gresham Harkless: I imagine so that I didn't even I'm not even familiar with that turnover and I'm thinking back to me going to college and, you know, you just want

00:10:00 – 00:10:08
Jasmine Price: to start like that. Right? Yeah. Got it. We got to slip it.

00:10:08 – 00:10:29
Jasmine Price: So, yeah, we go in and we turn over the whole dorm. We do the cleaning of the kitchens, the bathrooms. We do trash removal, if needed, carpet cleaning. So it's a lot, yeah.

00:10:29 – 00:10:38
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, that makes sense. Sometimes you don't think about all those things. Like, again, you just show up the day with all your stuff. It is clean. You just assume that is the way that it

00:10:38 – 00:10:39
Jasmine Price: always is.

00:10:43 – 00:10:53
Gresham Harkless: Exactly. So I love that. And you said that you also do the janitorial services as well. Is that for like the commercial? Yeah.

00:10:54 – 00:11:06
Jasmine Price: Yeah. Yeah. So that's commercial. We have commercial cleaning. We have a variety of clients from offices here.

00:11:06 – 00:11:24
Jasmine Price: Oh town from. Like doctors offices. We have all different types of different things. School buildings that we serve is. And basically for the janitorial cleaning.

00:11:25 – 00:11:41
Jasmine Price: It's normally on a daily basis. Come in, pull trash. Vacuum. Sanitize disinfect. On a daily basis, and.

00:11:43 – 00:11:55
Jasmine Price: That's more of a. What's the word for that's that's more just to keep the germs controlled, so we can make sure

00:11:55 – 00:11:56
Gresham Harkless: that it doesn't get out

00:11:56 – 00:12:07
Jasmine Price: of hand. Exactly. The office is getting cleaned. Nobody's passing anything back and forth while you're, you know, so you can have that level of comfortability. Yeah.

00:12:07 – 00:12:09
Jasmine Price: It's coming back into the office.

00:12:09 – 00:12:25
Gresham Harkless: Yeah. And that's what made me think a lot of I imagine love to hear more about, especially around Kobe. I can't imagine what that was, but. I imagine as people have gone back or starting to go back, they just started to really think about like, do I have that security? Do I have that safety?

00:12:25 – 00:12:39
Gresham Harkless: Are things going to be clean? And I imagine that's where a lot of the great work that you all do helps out in terms of doing that. So was that something that you saw that was kind of different during COVID, kind of the same or just like more communication? What happened I guess in that time?

00:12:39 – 00:13:10
Jasmine Price: Yeah, COVID was very interesting and of course it was a first for everyone So it was very unpredictable. So when we 1st. Enter code, everything was completely. Shut down, so the work completely stopped for us. And then slowly, once everything started to open back up, it just got crazy.

00:13:10 – 00:13:26
Jasmine Price: So everybody wanted everything clean, sanitized. Oh my goodness, fog. During Oh, my goodness. Fog. During COVID, the viral sanitation fog was a big thing.

00:13:28 – 00:13:52
Jasmine Price: So we were super busy with that. And now, since Everybody's really coming back to the office. I'll say this past. Year really offices have been calling this crazy office cleaning has been. Very, very popular because everybody wants to get back on the schedule.

00:13:54 – 00:14:19
Jasmine Price: So it's been good for us. It's a good business. It's very needed. It's very needed. I think people kind of pass over the cleaning at times, but it's very essential to have your business clean on a daily basis.

00:14:20 – 00:14:52
Jasmine Price: And it's something that your customers look at different things. Like I always tell you, owners, business owners, like people are eye, like they'll catch the eye. So if you've got different things, like, have these spots, like, it really throws the average person. All So I'm like, this is like the basics. So you got to get the basics done on the daily.

00:14:52 – 00:15:18
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, I love that you said that. And you know, we talked about building that foundation, you having that customer service as your foundation, but in much the same way, like the businesses, they have to have that foundation. And like you said, I never really thought of that being like a brand piece. But I imagine if I walk into especially a restaurant, and things don't look exactly as clean as I think that they should be, I'm probably not necessarily gonna buy that business. I'm not gonna buy the food.

00:15:18 – 00:15:34
Gresham Harkless: I might not even want to eat that food because that speaks to the brand. Like, they're not taking care of those essential things. They're not taking care of those basic things. And if they can't take care of that, then who knows what the food or, you know, the whatever I buy there is going to look like. So I appreciate you mentioning

00:15:34 – 00:16:07
Jasmine Price: that. Yes, the sanitation is very important. It's very important when you're running any business. And call us to get it right. A lot of businesses try to cut corners for getting their employees to do the cleaning and it's, you know, it's great you have to do what you have to do, But to ensure that you're getting that deep cleaning, hire a professional.

00:16:08 – 00:16:16
Jasmine Price: You know, just hire the professionals. We're here to get it out the way.

00:16:16 – 00:16:44
Gresham Harkless: Yeah, that makes sense. And I feel like that's even what brought us here, you know, in intelligent offices, like kind of knowing like those quote unquote back-end things are kind of taken care of. And a lot of times we do that by making sure that we lean on the people that are really great at what they do. And I think you also have had that experience with the intelligence office if I'm correct where you know we there's so many things in the business. And you know we of course sometimes when we walk into the business and start the business we think that we're going to do all the things.

00:16:44 – 00:16:48
Gresham Harkless: But it starts to come realization that you can't juggle all the balls.

00:16:48 – 00:17:21
Jasmine Price: Intelligent office helps me out so much from answering our phones when we're too busy, handling our mail. I mean, it's just an array of things that they offer and they're reliable, reasonable. The office staff is wonderful. Yeah, I love them. And I wouldn't be here without, here with you without knowing them.

00:17:21 – 00:17:55
Jasmine Price: And yeah, like the networking circle that they bring to you by you coming to them. Yeah I have been really Yeah, I have been really. Developing so much within the past. Year from networking with, you know,

IAM1909 – CEO Leads Healthcare Innovations

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 22:31:32 -0500

Why it was selected for “CBNation Architects”:
In this episode of IAMCEO podcast, Gerry Miller, CEO of Cloudticity, discusses his extensive experience in the technology industry and how he leads healthcare innovations at Cloudticity.
Gerry Miller is a serial entrepreneur and healthcare fanatic with over 30 years in the technology sector. He has held multiple executive roles, including COO at ePrize, CTO at Microsoft's US Central Region, and Global Business Unit Leader at Microsoft overseeing General Motors. Gerry currently holds all five AWS certifications.
Cloudticity is a company that strives to revolutionize healthcare utilizing cloud technologies, enabling improved clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and

Listen to the full podcast. This is Originally posted here.

16 Entrepreneurs Share Their Favorite CEO Hack/Resource That Makes Them Successful

Sun, 05 Nov 2023 12:16:51 -0500

As an entrepreneur, you have that gadget, habit, app, or book that makes your work easier, and motivates you to do more and that’s what we refer to as a CEO Hack. It helps you achieve maximum productivity and stick to your goals regardless of the hurdles you face as an entrepreneur. For instance, it […]

11 Entrepreneurs Share How They Incorporate Innovation Within Their Organization

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 12:16:29 -0400

Innovation lies at the heart of organizational growth and sustainability, playing a pivotal role in shaping a company's competitive edge in today's dynamic business landscape. Incorporating innovation within an organization demands a holistic approach that embraces creativity, technology, and a culture of continuous improvement. By fostering an environment that encourages curiosity and risk-taking, organizations can effectively nurture a mindset where novel ideas are not only welcomed but actively sought after.

We asked entrepreneurs, and business owners how they incorporate innovation within their organization. Here are the responses.

#1- By leading passion projects

Photo Credit: Ryan Stone

We're a creative organization, and we recognize that everyone in the team wants their own sense of creative freedom. To accommodate that, we offer the opportunity to lead on ‘passion projects' – projects that don't serve financial aims or adhere to client requirements. Instead, they are projects where we retain 100% of the creative freedom to innovate. The company invests both time and money in these projects and grants autonomy to the team member who kickstarted the project.

Thanks to Ryan Stone, Lambda Films!

#2- By encouraging curiosity and experimentation

Photo Credit: Seth Besse

It's not only vital to foster a culture that values innovation but also one that thrives on it. To do this, we've embraced an approach that encourages curiosity and experimentation across the board. It begins with providing our team with the resources and opportunities to explore new tools and ideas together. For instance, when we faced the challenge of establishing a seamless communication channel between our clients and their dedicated support agents, we harnessed our team's collective intelligence.

Thanks to Seth Besse, Undivided!

#3- By encouraging creativity

Photo Credit: Paul Mario Vratusha

Incorporating innovation within my organization has been a journey filled with learning and adaptability. It's about fostering a culture that encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. I've found that providing a safe space for my team to voice their ideas, no matter how unconventional, is crucial. I actively seek to stay updated with industry trends and emerging technologies. This helps me identify opportunities to integrate innovation. More than that, I believe in leading by example. I strive to model innovative thinking by constantly exploring new methods and ideas myself.

Thanks to Paul Mario Vratusha, D-Studio Consulting!

#4- By experimenting with different solutions

Photo Credit: Lily Stoyanov

At Transformify, we believe that innovation is the key to success in the digital era. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve our platform, our services, and our impact on society. We foster a culture of innovation within our organization by encouraging our team members to share their ideas, experiment with different solutions, and learn from their failures. We also collaborate with other innovative organizations and partners to create synergies and leverage best practices.

Thanks to Lily Stoyanov, Transformify!

#5- By developing new ideas

Photo Credit: Priyanka Swamy

Innovation is at the heart of our business. We encourage our team to develop new ideas regularly and create an environment where everyone is encouraged to try new things. To implement innovation, we analyze industry trends, customer insights, and market research regularly. We invest in R&D to develop new products and enhance existing ones. We build relationships and collaborate with other companies in related industries to get new ideas and perspectives. We also like to keep our staff up-to-date with the latest tech and practices.

Thanks to Priyanka Swamy, Perfect Locks Hair Company!

#6- Using a diversification strategy

Photo Credit: Shannon Birthisel

IDL has embodied innovation and a full brand update and name change this year was a big step towards showcasing that to the staff, supporters, and clients. This name change from Idyll Wine Co to IDL in January 2023 cemented IDL's diversification strategy as they positioned themselves as more than just a winery. With a growing portfolio of cider, ready-to-drink spirit-based products, non-alcoholic products, and increased manufacturing capabilities the Idyll Wine Co. name no longer reflected the innovative, forward-thinking, and dynamic nature of their daily operations.

Thanks to Shannon Birthisel, IDL!

#7- Through various ways

Photo Credit: Andrew Chung

We incorporate innovation through several practices and initiatives at Bestcafedesigns dot com. In the space of weeks we translated an idea from thin air into a website with a global audience on cafe designs. This site is enjoyed by designers, and travelers and allows cafe operators a space to promote their cafe in a fun and new niche format. We used Upwork to identify tasks that could be outsourced and more promptly attended with specialist talent, that otherwise couldn’t have been executed by the original team.

Thanks to Andrew Chung, Bestcafedesigns.com!

#8- By empowering employees

Photo Crdit: Cort Adair

To foster innovation, we maintain a culture that encourages every team member to contribute innovative ideas and solutions. Our leadership philosophy emphasizes staying humble and continuously learning, recognizing that innovation can come from anyone, regardless of position. We also regularly assess market trends and conduct competitive analysis, allowing us to adapt swiftly. Embracing change and empowering our employees to contribute to our evolution have been central to our success.

Thanks to Cort Adair, ShirtMax!

#9- By pushing ourselves

Photo Credit: Thomas Samuels

One of the best ways for us to incorporate innovation into our company is to push ourselves with customer projects when the opportunity arises. Our job is to determine if it’s doable and help them make it happen if we can. This openness to new and exciting projects is a major way we’ve expanded our capabilities in the past, from working with LED video walls for booths to incorporating games like skee ball or mini golf into an exhibit. By working on these projects, we get new ideas for future work, learn how to streamline new processes for next time and refresh our portfolio with pieces that attract other innovative projects

Thanks to Thomas Samuels, Cardinal Expo!

#10- By embracing uncertainty

Photo Credit: Solomon Thimothy

To incorporate innovation into your organization, it's crucial to understand the distinction between invention and innovation. Embrace uncertainty and don't wait for a predefined map. Cultivate a culture of creativity and experimentation, dedicating a portion of your time and resources to testing new ideas. Consider establishing a dedicated R&D or “Labs” department, providing them the autonomy and resources to pioneer groundbreaking innovations. Encourage your team to think differently and foster an environment where trying new things and taking calculated risks is valued.

Thanks to Solomon Thimothy, Clickx!

#11- By teaching employees

Photo Credit: Andy LaPointe

We foster innovation within our gourmet food business by teaching our employees how important our gourmet food pr

Ready to tell your story? Podcast Day at Intelligent Office in Alexandria Virginia

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:15:31 -0400

Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 from 10am – 4pm
Location: Recording at Intelligent Office in Alexandria, VA
Details: For more information and to secure your 30-minute slot, call 703-224-8800
Availability is on a first-come-first-served basis

More Information: Want to tell your story? Blue16 Media will have LIVE podcast recordings for the I AM CEO Podcast at Intelligent Office of Alexandria on Wednesday, November 15 from 10am-4pm. You must sign up to participate for the limited slots. Sign up for a 30-minute slot to tell your story and talk about what you lean on to make your business more effective and efficient. The interviews will be around 15-25 minutes. Interviews will go live in early 2024. To reserve your slot, call Intelligent Office of Alexandria at 703-224-8800. Availability is on a first-come first-served basis.

8 Entrepreneurs Reveal How They Have Failed and What They’ve Learnt

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:16:51 -0400

In the face of failure, entrepreneurs come to recognize their transformative power, utilizing setbacks as a means for personal and professional advancement. It is through past challenges and errors that we grasp the significance of perseverance and flexibility, understanding that each stumble is an opportunity for growth. These experiences foster a deep sense of introspection, emphasizing the importance of embracing failure as a stepping stone towards success, showcasing resilience and determination to emerge stronger from adversity.

We asked entrepreneurs, and business owners how they have failed and what they have learnt. Here are some responses.

#1- Align with your power

Photo Credit: Jane Baker

I failed after achieving success, it happened because I forgot my own power, what really worked for me, who I really was, and what I really wanted. I ended up listening to too much noise around me and took paths that were really not the best ones for me. This mistake meant that slowly, I ended up going from success into struggle. The valuable lesson I learned is that everyone has their own unique superpowers, what is right for someone else is simply not always going to be right for you and it's more important to ensure the advice you‘re taking and acting upon is actually in alignment with you.

Thanks to Jane Baker, House Of Motorsport Brokerage!

#2- Don't be afraid to pivot

Photo Credit: Lily Stoyanov

I am an entrepreneur and CEO of Transformify, a platform that connects freelancers and businesses around the world. I have failed many times in my journey, but I have learned valuable lessons from each setback. Don't be afraid to pivot. You have to be flexible and willing to adapt to changing customer demands and feedback. Don't try to do everything yourself. You need to delegate tasks, outsource functions, and hire experts who can help you grow your business. Don't neglect your personal life. You need to find a balance between work and life and make time for yourself and your loved ones.

Thanks to Lily Stoyanov, Transformify Ltd!

#3- Be resilient and do market research

Photo Credit: Matt Little

One of the biggest mistakes I made was jumping in without doing enough research on a new market. I didn't realize how important it was to understand the local culture, and I made a product that didn't do what it was supposed to. Another mistake I made was hiring. It's about finding people who share your values and goals. These mistakes have taught me how to be resilient, how important it is to do your homework, and how to create a great team. Remember to embrace your mistakes because they're the key to success.

Thanks to Matt Little, Festoon House!

#4- Prioritize the fundamentals

Photo Credit: Tom Walls

Early on, I was so caught up in the excitement of the business – the creative and enjoyable aspects. What I failed to realize was that the behind-the-scenes operations are just as crucial. It's like trying to build a sandcastle without a solid foundation. The takeaway here was clear: prioritize the fundamentals of the business first. Establish a robust operational framework, and only then indulge in the more thrilling aspects without the looming concern of a structural collapse. Striking a balance between passion and pragmatism turned out to be the key to sustainable growth and success.

Thanks to Tom Walls, The Modern Back!

#5- Embrace the value of sales

Photo Credit: Namanh Hoang

I can confidently say I'm a seasoned startup failure. As funny as it sounds, it's something I'm proud of because I've learned tremendously from those experiences. Among these failures, one of the greatest I've had to overcome is undervaluing skills outside of my core competency. As a designer and engineer, it is common for me to undervalue sales. No matter how good your product is, you may need someone to convince people to buy into the idea. A good salesperson has the emotional quotient to craft and deliver messaging that resonates with different audiences. It's essential since capital funding is often the leading cause of startup failures.

Thanks to Namanh Hoang, Ask Nam!

#6- Partnerships should be a thoughtful decision

Photo Credit: Dmytro Sokhach

Stepping into various partnerships should be a thoughtful decision. I recall one partnership that cost me both time and money. The essence of any partnership is being on the same page and having that shared passion for the project. One partner I had was juggling work with me alongside another project, waiting to see which one took off faster. As a result, the quality of the work he promised to deliver wasn't up to the mark. We eventually had to shut the project down. That wavering partner, who couldn't make up his mind, is now working a regular job.

Thanks to Dmytro Sokhach, Editorial Link!

#7- Think through the details

Photo Credit: Julia Shih

When I started out, we decided to include hemp-based CBD in our formula. We didn't anticipate, that banks are federally regulated and wouldn't work with companies that sold CBD. Any credit card processing could only be done through small, less reputable processors. We had two processors who ran off with all of our transactions. My advice to those venturing out to start their own businesses is to really think through the details in that planning stage—do as much research as possible, and be aware of every aspect of your business that will affect you.

Thanks to Julia Shih, Body + Soul!

#8- Have a team of advisers

Photo Credit: Kraig Kleeman

At the inception of my first company, we accomplished the remarkable feat of soaring from zero revenue to an impressive $30 million in annual sales within just 4 years. During this rise, our most critical marketing partner began showing a keen interest in acquiring our company. This led to intense negotiations and seemingly endless due diligence. When considering the sale of your company, prioritize actively engaging potential acquiring partners and invest significant effort into fostering a competitive bidding environment. Additionally, ensure you have a team of advisors by your side.

Thanks to Kraig Kleeman, The New Workforce!

How have you failed? What did you learn? Tell us in the comments below. Don’t forget to join our #IamCEOCommunity.

IAM1904 – CEO Provides Access to Mental Health and Fitness Resources

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:37:32 -0400

Why it was selected for “CBNation Architects”:
In this episode of IAMCEO podcast, Corey Lewis, CEO and Founder of 1AND1 LIFE, shares his journey of promoting mental health and wellness, particularly among the African-American community.
Corey's platform, 1AND1 LIFE, is dedicated to curating and customizing content, tools, and products that address the lack of mental health and fitness resources available for African Americans, especially men. The content curated by Corey and his team seeks to define what mental health and wellness mean to the Black Community and aims to break the associated stigma.
Besides mental health advocacy, Corey is also passionate about performance

Listen to the full podcast. This is Originally posted here.

Monday Motivation: Decide What You Want. Make a Plan and Work on That…Every. Single. Day

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 09:16:38 -0400

This motivational video is to help CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners start the week off inspired to become great.

Here are some takeaways from the video:

It's not what you're capable of, it's what you're willing to do
Will is a powerful thing, what are you willing to do?
How can you be strong unless you were once weak?
Attack like you're trying to save the world
Resilience in life is the proper preparation

30 Entrepreneurs Share Essential Skills One Needs to be a CEO

Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:16:16 -0400

There are skills one has to adapt to be an effective and efficient CEO. Anyone can be a CEO. “It’s within everyone’s grasp to be a CEO,” says Martha Stewart. The most common skills are decision-making, being the leader of the team, and communication. Some CEOs are born with these skills while others have to acquire them through consistent practice. As a CEO, you have to remind yourself it's not always about you and you should practice servant leadership.

We asked entrepreneurs what critical skills one must have to be a CEO and here are the awesome responses

#1- Three skills

Photo Credit: Mitch Chailland

The amalgamation of visionary leadership, adept decision-making, and interpersonal skills sets a CEO apart. A CEO or any individual in a leadership role, should inspire trust, foster collaboration, and create an environment where employees feel comfortable challenging themselves and taking risks, even if they don’t always work out. Moreover, adaptability is crucial, especially as the workforce continues to shift to more remote work. Ultimately, any leadership role demands a holistic approach where strategic planning meets human-focused leadership.

Thanks to Mitch Chailland, Online Optimism!

#2- Leading and delegating

Photo Credit: Thomas Samuels

Leading and delegating are two important skills that go hand in hand for a CEO. Plenty of business owners run into trouble when they lack the ability to delegate work effectively. They end up with too much on their plate, which can lead to delays, errors, inefficiencies, and lower quality. Or they micromanage their staff and risk losing or underutilizing their talent. At the same time, as you delegate more work you need to keep everyone on the same page, motivated, and following the same set of values. Strong leadership skills are necessary to set the tone for a company’s culture, inspire your team, and rally everyone around a common goal.

Thanks Thomas Samuels, Cardinal Expo!

#3- Confidence

Photo Credit: Shideh Kaviani

The most essential leadership skill for an entrepreneur is confidence. Confidence in yourself, in your business and in your team is imperative to operating a successful business. Your team members look up to you and will feed off the confidence you have in yourself. Your team will feed off the confidence you have in your business, and thus in the work that they are doing. Your team will feed off the confidence you instil in themselves, which will help them work at maximum motivation and morale.

Thanks to Shideh Kaviani, Naked Wardrobe!

#4- Problem solving skills

Photo Credit: Stephanie Venn-Watson

A CEO must have strong problem-solving skills to tackle any issues that may arise. Businesses will consistently face challenges as the company develops over time. Whether it's industry changes, employee retention or technology issues that are out of our control, it's important for CEOs to remain level-headed and determine a solution quickly and effectively. How a CEO responds to those challenges will determine a company’s success.

Thanks to Stephanie Venn-Watson, Fatty15!

#5- Effective leadership

Photo Credit: Steven Light

One essential skill needed to be a successful CEO is effective leadership. CEOs must inspire and guide their teams, set a clear vision, make strategic decisions, and lead by example. Strong leadership encompasses the ability to communicate a compelling vision, delegate tasks effectively, solve complex problems, and adapt to changing business environments. It also involves being empathetic, approachable, and able to motivate and align the organization toward common goals. Leadership is a cornerstone skill that underpins a CEO's ability to drive their company's success.

Thanks to Steven Light, Avenue B!

#6- Self-awareness

Photo Credit: Cheshtha Lakhchaura

One often overlooked but crucial skill for a CEO is self-awareness. It's about understanding yourself – your strengths, weaknesses, what drives you, and how you handle your feelings. Being self-aware is a game-changer for CEOs because it helps in making better decisions. When you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can make choices that align with your values. It's important to know yourself and build strong connections with your team. Listening is a goldmine for understanding what's happening. Staying humble, learning from mistakes, and staying super passionate about your business are must-haves.

Thanks to Cheshtha Lakhchaura, Gleexa!

#7- Setting a positive example

Photo Credit: Loren Howard

As an entrepreneur and business owner, I've learned that the ability to lead, inspire, and collaborate with a team is essential. CEOs must be visionaries, capable of not only creating a clear and inspiring vision for their company but also rallying their team around that vision. Leadership extends beyond decision-making; it's about setting a positive example, fostering a culture of innovation, and continuously striving for growth. So, for aspiring CEOs, honing your leadership abilities should be a top priority on your journey to success.

Thanks to Loren Howard, Prime Plus Mortgages!

#8- Collaboration

Photo Credit: Dr. Miles Beckett

CEO's must remain open to the idea of collaboration. While the initial dream could be to work entirely for yourself, call all the shots, and not share any of the profits, the truth is that you will probably need some help. Even if it's just a little bit of outsourcing, you eventually need to accept that you cannot always do everything alone. Be grateful to those who are willing to help and understand that team efforts can often expedite the progress of a business.

Thanks to Dr. Miles Beckett, Flossy!

#9- Building an outstanding team

Photo Credit: Seth Besse

Building an outstanding team is your ticket to success, and leaders who can both attract and keep top talent are like the magic wand of productivity. To unleash their full potential, you've got to create a team that's all in—one that's deeply committed to your organization's growth. And it's not just about wooing highly qualified candidates with perks like signing bonuses and competitive salaries. To keep those star players in your corner, you've got to build an environment where they're encouraged to shine their brightest because they believe wholeheartedly in your mission.

Thanks to Seth Besse, Undivided!

#10- Leadership

Photo Credit: Johannes Larsson

Being a CEO is not just about being the boss. It's about leadership. The skills which I've developed as a solopreneur, have led me to becoming the CEO of a multi-million-dollar global business with only a team of 70 remote members in less than a decade. Soft skills such as communication, empathy and having a vision which your team believe in are essential for talent retention and loyalty. Then there are other skills such as effective delegation and team building, financial acumen, strategic thinking, and storytelling which will not only impact your leadership but also your bottom line.

Thanks to Johannes Larsson, Financer.com!

#11- Adaptability

Photo Credit: James Emery

As the co-founder and CEO of The Neighbours Cellar, a business that specializes in personalized wine gift boxes, I've found that adaptability, people management, and a keen eye for detail are essential skills for the role. Adaptability allows you to respond to market changes and customer demands effectively, especially in an industry as dynamic as e-commerce. People management is crucial, not just for leading your team but also for understanding customer needs and maintaining relationships with suppliers.

Thanks to James Emery, The Neighbours Cellar!

#12- Emotional intelligence

25 Entrepreneurs Explain Their Motivation to Grow Their Business

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 12:16:29 -0400

Being an entrepreneur or business owner has its share of ups and downs. While the downs can be pretty low the ups always seem to triumph for a true entrepreneur at heart. Milestones are what entrepreneurs and business owners work towards. Once you finally reach a certain point then reflection can truly begin. Finding the motivation in growing your business keeps it from becoming stale in the long run. No matter which part you love most, loving them all is equally as important.

We asked entrepreneurs and business owners what motivates them about growing their business and below are their replies.

#1- Empowering women to reach their potential

Photo Credit: Roopa Gulati

My motivation for growing “The Style and Mindset Connection” is deeply rooted in my passion for helping independent professional women reach their full potential. Many of these women have faced challenges that have affected their self-esteem and hindered their professional growth. By expanding my business, I can reach and empower more of these incredible women, helping them regain confidence, improve their mindset, and elevate their personal and professional lives. It's immensely rewarding to witness their transformation and see the positive impact it has on their productivity and results.

Thanks to Roopa Gulati, The Style and Mindset Connection!

#2- Passion and purpose

Photo Credit: Daniyal Sanaullah

Growing our business is driven by a deep passion for what we do. We started SocialSharings because we believe in the power of connecting people and businesses through social media. Every day, we see the positive impact our platform has on individuals and brands, and that's what keeps us going. The thrill of innovation and the desire to make a difference in the world through technology constantly fuels our drive. We also understand that growth brings opportunities for our team to learn and develop, which is incredibly motivating. Ultimately, our journey to grow SocialSharings is fueled by a combination of passion, purpose, and the pursuit of excellence.

Thanks to Daniyal Sanaullah, SocialSharings!

#3- Love of travel

Photo Credit: James Smith

First and foremost, I am motivated by a love of travel and a faith in the transformative powers of travel. Travel-Lingual was founded to make travel more accessible and rewarding for people of all backgrounds.In addition to passion, the need to innovate and make a difference is a major factor. In conclusion, I am driven by the outstanding individuals on my team. Their commitment, ingenuity, and collective vision motivate me to lead and expand Travel-Lingual into a global leader in the travel sector. Together, we are redefining the way people travel, and that is a journey that excites me daily.

Thanks to James Smith, Travel-Lingual!

#4- Independence and market share

Photo Credit: Percy Grunwald

When I started my business, there were several factors that I considered. The main reason for entrepreneurship is usually that people want to be their boss and avoid corporate slavery. When there is no profit sharing, the motivation to grow increases, regardless of the several challenges involved such as capital, the risks involved, and competition. Market share: My marketing team has successfully run some large-scale social media marketing campaigns which lead to great sales boosts. This gave me the motivation to grow my business.

Thanks to Percy Grunwald, hostingdata.com!

#5- Maximize impact

Photo Credit: Alex Freeburg

So, why do I want to grow my business? Simple — expand reach, maximize impact. My motivation is rooted in the knowledge that there are so many people out there who need legal guidance but are either unsure where to turn or hesitant due to the complexities of the legal system. When you can make the legal process more accessible and human, it's not just good business — it's socially responsible. Just like a lifebuoy in the open sea, legal help can be a lifesaver, and the more people we can throw that lifeline to, the better.

Thanks to Alex Freeburg, Freeburg Law!

#6- Passion for well-being of pets

Photo Credit: Mathew Coulton

First off, as the founder of “Gentle Dog Trainers,” I'm incredibly passionate about the well-being of our furry friends. This passion has driven me to create a platform where dog owners can find not just trainers, but compassionate professionals who understand the importance of positive reinforcement and empathy in training. It's a mission close to my heart, and it's what motivates me every day. Now, let's talk about what motivates other entrepreneurs and business owners to grow their businesses. Motivation can vary widely, but there are some common themes that resonate with many of us.

Thanks to Mathew Coulton, Gentle Dog Trainers!

#7- Enriching customer experiences

Photo Credit: Andy LaPointe

The motivation to grow our nationally award-winning gourmet food company, Traverse Bay Farms, is our ability to be a part of the life experience of countless people. We understand our customer buy our products for the special events and experiences in their lives. For example, our products are being enjoyed during birthday parties, graduations, engagement parties, baby showers, more. This means we aren't cherry juice concentrate in a bottle, we are helping our clients enjoy memorable moments in their lives.

Thanks to Andy LaPointe, Traverse Bay Farms!

#8- Empowering children and families

Photo Credit: Seth Besse

Every child deserves to thrive, no matter what challenges they face. Throughout my experience, I have seen firsthand the incredible strength and determination of families raising children with disabilities and learning differences. Our goal is to provide them with the tools and resources they need to navigate this unpredictable journey. This way, we can help parents and caregivers better understand and meet their children's specific needs, resulting in the best possible outcomes for everyone involved.

Thanks to Seth Besse, Undivided.io!

#9- Passion and personal growth

Photo Credit: Tabatha Farnel

My motivation to grow my business stems from a combination of personal and professional factors. First and foremost, I'm driven by a passion for what I do. I'm driven to share my enthusiasm and make a positive impact in people's lives. This intrinsic motivation fuels my desire to expand and reach a broader audience. Additionally, I'm inspired by the opportunity for the learning and creativity that growth brings. Growing my business allows me to take on new challenges and continuously evolve both personally and professionally.

Thanks to Tabatha Farnel, Aroma Authority!

#10- Take on new challenges and continuously evolve

Photo Credit: Ankit Prakash

At the core, my motivation to grow my software product technology company isn't merely about revenue figures or market dominance. Think of it as cultivating a garden; each product we develop, each client we assist, and every retail, D2C ecommerce, and SaaS business I mentor, are seeds we're sowing. As these seeds flourish, they transform into flowers—representing innovation, solutions, and transformative impacts. Managing my AI and software products team directly, I've witnessed first-hand the ripple effect of empowering small, high-performing teams.

Thanks to Ankit Prakash, Sprout24!

#11- Fostering growth and innovation

Shrinkage includes inventory loss from other sources like returns fraud and human error. The current returns process has too many touchpoints where shrinkage can happen. The expansion of e-commerce should also bring about seeing returns as a strategic lever, similar to how companies used faster delivery to drive customer experience and revenue.

Thanks to Christian Piller, Pollen Returns!

#2- Envisioning a strategic direction

Photo Credit: Danielle Sabrina

I think that it is of paramount importance for a CEO to possess the ability to envision a strategic direction and be able to conceptualize the path required to realize that vision. Often underestimated, intuition serves as a vital resource for an effective CEO, allowing them to navigate situations characterized by limited data yet full of potentially lucrative opportunities. Another critical attribute for a CEO is an acute sense of self-awareness.

Thanks to Danielle Sabrina, Society22 PR!

#3- Investing both time and finance

Photo Credit: Jonathan Hussey

The biggest thing for me is to understand what you're undertaking before you start. Services like Shopify and BigCommerce have given many people the impression that eCommerce is an easy industry to succeed in. The reality is that eCommerce is not quick, easy, or cheap, and getting your store online is only a small part of the battle. You need to be prepared for hard work and to invest significantly both in time and financially if you expect to compete, and succeed. However, if you do manage to find success, the rewards can be significant.

Thanks to Jonathan Hussey, Developer Connection!

#4- Invest in content marketing

Photo Credit: Alex Nigmatulin

As entrepreneurs and business owners, one of our top tips for building a successful e-commerce venture is to invest in content marketing right from day one. While platforms like Instagram offer a great starting point, the key to differentiation lies in the age-old strategy of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). By creating high-quality, engaging content on your website, you drive sustained traffic over the long term and establish yourself as a reliable player in the market.

Thanks to Alex Nigmatulin, PRNEWS.IO!

#5- Calculate stock reorder levels

Photo Credit: Dani Mechlowitz

When building an e-commerce business, it's essential to keep track of your inventory to avoid sell-out periods. In that initial growth phase, running out of stock can be detrimental and slow down the momentum of your business growth. As soon as you have 2-3 months' worth of sales data to work with, use a formula to calculate stock reorder levels to ensure you always have stock ready to go, especially if you're promoting your products on platforms known for viral content, like TikTok.

Thanks to Dani Mechlowitz, Delta Fulfilment!

#6- Hire an attorney and SEO expert

Photo Credit: Priscilla Christine

When establishing your business, there are several essential tips to keep in mind for long-term success. First and foremost, consider hiring an attorney to assist you in setting up your business structure, drafting contracts, and establishing store policies. I also suggest protecting your brand by trademarking your business name, ensuring it's uniquely yours. With an e-commerce business, it will be difficult to succeed without a strong online presence so you should prioritize SEO by either hiring an expert or researching how to optimize your digital efforts.

Thanks to Priscilla Christine, The Little Catholic!

#7- Differente from the competition

Photo Credit: Chris Gerbig

The key to success for a new e-commerce business owner would be to find something that differentiates from the competition. There has to be some sort of ‘angle’ or unique aspect of the business that allows the company to stand out. Think of it from the customer's perspective – Why should this customer shop from your store instead of the other stores selling this product? Without separating yourself from competitors, it will be more difficult to succeed in an already flooded market.

Thanks to Chris Gerbig, Pink Lily!

#8- Focusing on digital marketing and UX

Photo Credit: Todd Simon

For 60 years decades, my family’s 106-year-old business has provided at-home delivery services for gourmet meat lovers. These days, we have a strong e-commerce presence – focusing heavily on digital marketing and user experience, providing deals and promotions throughout the year on the Omaha Steaks website. Across these efforts, we strive to keep consumers engaged by offering tips from butchers, recipes from our chefs, and tutorials on how to prepare your food.

Thanks to Todd Simon, Omaha Steaks!

#9- Design a user-friendly e-commerce website

Photo Credit: Brian David Crane

Designing a fully functional and user-friendly e-commerce website is critical for an e-commerce business. A website is a digital storefront for customers to order and place products in their online shopping cart. The first step is to have a domain name that matches your business name. One can choose to build their online eCommerce shops on inclusive and pre-made e-commerce shopping software platforms like Woocommerce, Shopify, Squarespace, or Magento based on what suits their bandwidth and individual needs and how they will manage inventory and shipping orders.

Thanks to Brian David Crane, Caller Smart!

#10- Go offline

Photo Credit: Jane Harbison

An important part of growing an online business is going offline. There are many ways to do this, including going onto other people’s podcasts, talking at events, attending local Chamber of Commerce functions, talking about what you do at parties, and writing articles for other people’s publications like this one. But if you are an introvert, all this public speaking and networking may terrify you. There is one cheap and often forgotten way. It is to wear your business on a T-shirt.

Thanks to Jane Harbison, Jane Harbison Design!

#11- Optimize the online shopping cart

Photo Credit: Stephanie Venn-Watson

Losing customers during the checkout process is a major pain point for eCommerce merchants. Therefore, I recommend fully optimizing your online shopping cart to eliminate pain points. Ensure your checkout experience is fast and straightforward. Consider implementing a one-click buying option so customers can purchase items instantly. By eliminating a long and complicated payment process, shoppers are much more likely to complete their purchases.

Thanks to Stephanie Venn-Watson, fatty15!

#12- Focus on UX and website design

Photo Credit: Steven Light

Prioritize user experience (UX) and website design. A well-designed, user-friendly website can significantly impact your business‘s success. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is mobile-responsive to cater to a diverse audience. Implement clear product categorization, intuitive search functionality, and a streamlined checkout process. High-quality product images, detailed descriptions, and customer reviews can also enhance the user experience.

Thanks to Steven Light, Avenue B!

#13- Pay attention to product pages

Photo Credit: Nikhil Jogia

When operating an e-commerce business, your product pages are your frontline sales team — only there's no room for negotiation. Every element on the page needs to be tuned to help convert visits into sales. I can't overemphasize the importance of high-quality images and thorough, easy-to-understand descriptions. We've found that this approach encourages customers to make purchases and establishes a level of trust that turns them into repeat clients.

Thanks to Nikhil Jogia, Jogia Diamonds!

#14- Blend technology and marketing

Photo Credit: James Emery

Building an e-commerce business like The Neighbours Cellar involves a blend of technology, marketing, and customer-centricity. First, invest in a reliable and scalable e-commerce platform that can adapt as your business grows; we opted for Shopify for its robustness and ease of use. Second, focus on digital marketing channels that align with your target audience—SEO, social media, and email marketing have been invaluable for us.

Thanks to James Emery, The Neighbours Cellar!

#15- Build customer loyalty

Photo Credit: Liz Raad

We can safely say that e-commerce is among the most common types of online business. And yet, it’s surprising how hesitant small businesses are to engage in loyalty programs. And that can make or break your customer retention, especially in the early stages. If you’re still building your customer base, you can offer referrals for expensive products/services or first-time buyer incentives – for example, a free gift or special discount with the second purchase.

Thanks to Liz Raad, eBusiness Institute!

#16- Focus on traffic-generating skill

Monday Motivation: You Must Come Back And Finish What You Started

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:16:14 -0400

This motivational video is to help CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners start the week off inspired to become great.

Here are some takeaways from the video:

Sorround yourself with people who will challenge you to grow
Control what you can control
There is a light within ourselves that can guide us forward during the darkest of times
The best version of yourself is yet to be revealed to the world

27 Entrepreneurs List Their Favorite Business Books

Sun, 22 Oct 2023 12:16:24 -0400

As musician Frank Zappa once said, “So many books, so little time.” For a business owner or budding entrepreneur, books can be a life preserver. Of course, valuable lessons often come from doing. Business lessons can be learned by trial and error and by putting yourself out on the line. But the same lessons can also be learned from a book. Reading about the errors and triumphs of other business leaders can prevent you from making mistakes and push you in the direction of success. Beyond lessons, a good business book can inspire you to lift your business to an even higher level.

Below is a selection of business books chosen as favorites by entrepreneurs and business owners.

#1- “Good to Great” by Jim Collins

Photo Credit: Vikas Kaushik

Collins' ideas on focused thinking, exacting action, and unshakable dedication to excellence have perfectly complemented my customer-focused mindset and TechAhead's quest for digital transformation expertise. “Good to Great” emphasizes the importance of consistent discipline, technology-enabled agility, and a team-driven strategy, just as TechAhead works to exceed client expectations through new mobile apps and digital solutions.

Thanks to Vikas Kaushik, TechAhead!

#2- “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek

Photo Credit: Mark Buskuhl

This great book by Simon Sinek tells the story of how leaders can inspire others to take action through a simple but powerful model, which he calls the Golden Circle. It focuses on understanding why we do things and how those reasons can become motivating forces for people. It also explains how our why can drive our success and help us achieve more. Sinek explains his theory by using real-life examples from some of the world's most successful companies, including Apple, Starbucks, and Google.

Thanks to Mark Buskuhl, Ninebird Properties!

#3- All You Need to Know About the Music Business

Photo Credit: Alyssa J. Devine

“All You Need to Know About the Music Business” by attorney Donald S. Passman provides practical insight for creatives with limited knowledge of business principles. The book begins by providing a 10,000-foot view of the music industry and the different considerations involved with hiring an attorney, accountant, and other business professionals. Passman uses plain language to describe the recent changes in the law (and standard business practices) that have affected and will continue to impact the music industry, such as streaming and the Music Modernization Act (MMA).

Thanks to Alyssa J. Devine, Purple Fox Legal!

#4- “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill

Photo Credit: Nicholas Dragolea

My favorite business book is the classic “Think and Grow Rich” as it has been an essential cornerstone in my journey as an entrepreneur. Not a huge reader myself, it’s actually the only book that I found myself reading three times! Authored by Napoleon Hill, the book focuses on priceless business advice on positive thinking and overcoming adversity both in business and in personal life. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone whether in their teens, twenties, or later in life.

Thanks to Nicholas Dragolea, Fetched!

#5- “Playing to Win” by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin

Photo Credit: Corwin Smith

I recommend Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin as my go-to book. This book is the perfect example of strategic thinking. It is about identifying where you’re going to play in the marketplace, which customers you’re going to serve, and how you secure those customers. The book also teaches you that not all customers are good customers.

Thanks to Corwin Smith, Culture to Cash!

#6- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini

Photo Credit: Evan Tunis

This classic business book is a must-read for entrepreneurs and business owners. Written by Dr. Robert Cialdini, it provides insights into the psychology of persuasion and how to be an effective negotiator and leader. It covers topics such as understanding people's motivations, creating trust with clients and customers, and mastering the art of influence. This book has been praised by entrepreneurs and business owners for its engaging writing style, practical lessons, and insights into effective communication.

Thanks to Evan Tunis, Florida Healthcare Insurance!

#7- “One Little Spark” by Marty Sklar

Photo Credit: David Brewer

Without a doubt, one of my favorite business books is ‘One Little Spark’ by Marty Sklar, the former head of Imagineering at Disney. It’s a collection of anecdotes and personal stories that incorporate Mickey’s Ten Commandments and the Disney methodology into their narrative to help the reader understand how to implement and utilize them in their professional and personal lives. It was, is, and always will be indispensable to me and the way, my business, works

Thanks to David Brewer, Protect Line!

#8- “Hard Times Create Strong Men” by Stefan Aarnio

Photo Credit: Luke Lintz

Gen Z is extremely lazy. This idea immediately brings to mind insights from Stefan Aarnio’s book “Hard Times Create Strong Men”. He drew a comparison to a cycle, where challenging times give rise to individuals with resilience. These individuals then contribute to periods of prosperity. However, during these prosperous times, a certain complacency can set in, potentially leading to a generation that faces difficulties. His explanation of this cycle sheds light on the changes within our society.

Thanks to Luke Lintz, HighKey Enterprises LLC!

#9- “Making It In Real Estate” by John McNellis

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ayala

Making It In Real Estate by John McNellis is a great deep dive into real estate investment, ownership, and development. What I loved most about the book is how super real it is. If you're in this business you'll immediately recognize the wily developers of the 1980s and the overconfidant upstarts at the turn of the century. It provides you not only with hard-hitting facts about the industry but it's more importantly filled with personal anecdotes told by a natural storyteller, who paid his dues in this business.

Thanks to Jonathan Ayala, Hudson Condos!

#10- “Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss

Photo Credit: Karen Green

He presents nine principles of negotiation that might be counterintuitive such as never splitting the difference! which as a sales expert and former retail buyer, I totally agree with. If you are selling to someone and they start with a ridiculously low offer, splitting the difference between that and your reasonable offer is only going to lead to a lower-than-necessary result. There is loads more valuable advice just like this and is relevant whether you are seeking out new business or negotiating with suppliers.

Thanks to Karen Green, Buyerology!

#11- “Company of One” by Paul Jarvis

15 Entrepreneurs Share How They Use Social Media For Their Business

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 12:16:08 -0400

In today's digital age, harnessing the power of social media is paramount for business success. With a global audience at your fingertips, leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn has become essential for brand visibility and customer engagement. There are myriad ways to effectively utilize social media to promote and grow your business.

We asked entrepreneurs, and business owners how they use social media for business. Here are some responses.

#1- Boosting content for targeted reach

Photo Credit: Marshal Davis

I have a dedicated budget solely for boosting high-performing content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. We identify these posts based on organic engagement metrics and then boost them to reach a wider but highly targeted audience. Once identified, these posts are boosted to extend their reach to a more targeted audience, thereby amplifying their impact. This is not a haphazard tactic but a well-thought-out strategy that is in line with our broader marketing goals. The result is a more engaged audience and a more effective social media campaign.

Thanks to Marshal Davis, Ascendly Marketing!

#2- For projecting my personality and philosophy

Photo Credit: Dielle Charon

I use social media for my business by selling through social media and connecting. My leads learn my personality in my stories and my philosophy and movement inside of posts and reels. They do not get free education from me, as that stays mostly inside my coaching container, but they see my philosophy and what I stand for and they know if this aligns with them!

Thanks to Dielle Charon, Dielle Charon Coaching!

#3- Establishing recognition and credibility

Photo Credit: Adrian Miller

IMHO social media is best used for establishing recognition and credibility as long as you don't throw out drivel, falsehoods, and posts that scream you're a loser looking for a lead. I advise content that has value, humor, and honesty, and will stand behind that advice every day!

Thanks to Adrian Miller, Adrian Miller Sales Training!

#4- To build brands

Photo Credit: Luke Lintz

I started my company in 2016, and we grew it through social media marketing, Instagram specifically. We realized that what we were really good at was marketing and building brands on social media. I believe you should focus on growing your social media channels because that’s what stays with you for the entire time you're running your business. We use social media now to cement ourselves as a brand, for outreach, marketing, advertising, and even pitching sometimes.

Thanks to Luke Lintz, High Key Agency!

#5- Sharing the journey

Photo Credit: Rhett Wiseman

I first gained notoriety and recognition for my knowledge of real estate investing when I began sharing my own journey of purchasing homes and zoning them for Section 8 rentals on his YouTube channel. As I became inundated with requests from people who aspire to learn from me on how they could create their own real estate empires, build out portfolios, create long-lasting passive income, and ‘be their own boss,’ I took the leap into coaching and created my one-of-a-kind coaching program that hand-holds my clients through every step of the process.

Thanks to Rhett Wiseman, Wiseman Advising LLC!

#6- For recruiting

Photo Credit: Garry West

For me, the day always starts on LinkedIn. I can always be sure to see a post from someone I know, there’s usually something that makes me laugh, and I check in on the news in my sector. Sure, we use the platform for recruiting, and it’s a great way to generate leads, but for me, it’s all about staying up to date, reading the latest opinion pieces, and taking part in webinars, when I get the time. I’ve been using LinkedIn since I started my business; it feels like my social media home!

Thanks to Garry West, Imagefix!

#7- Align content to niche

Photo Credit: Will Allred

First, align your content to your niche. We were the first to mix objective cold email data with the reader's perspective on LinkedIn. Second, be consistent. I was able to quickly attribute revenue to my posting because of our self-service offering. It took 18 months before growth started to compound. Third, seek to help before you optimize for the algorithm. People come to social media to learn or be entertained. Fourth, the magic is in the comments. Thoughtfully respond, and comment on other's posts in your space. This will open your posts to their and their followers' feeds.

Thanks to Will Allred, Lavender!

#8- Showcase business offerings and skillsets

Photo Credit: Vanessa James

I utilize social media as a tool to showcase my various business offerings and skillsets like voiceover, on-camera hosting, and brand collaborations. It's also a fantastic way to engage daily and build community with fellow creatives across the media landscape. As new apps and tools go live, it’s also a great way to review trends and see where and how my audience is connecting and meet them where they are. I shifted my mindset years ago on social always being a place to showcase my highlight reel and moved to a place where I could showcase my work.

Thanks to Vanessa James, Vanessa James Media!

#9- To craft relevant ad messages

Photo Credit: Brian David Crane

I use social media for my business to target hyper-specific audiences through social media ads who are interested in anti-phishing and digital security tools that can help them protect their privacy. With Facebook's ad targeting options, we are able to craft relevant messages that connect with different groups of potential customers based on their behaviors, interests, and demographics and pay according to the exact number of viewers we want to reach out to.

Thanks to Brian David Crane, Caller Smart Inc!

#10- Infuse our personality into videos

Photo Credit: Diane Howard

It's a great way to showcase our services and products, explaining how they can benefit our clients. But we also infuse our personality into these videos to stand out – after all, aesthetics and skincare should be enjoyable and relatable. It's about making our followers feel like they're part of a community that values self-care and confidence.

Thanks to Diane Howard, Esthetic Finesse!

#11- Regularly answer questions

Photo Credit: Seth Besse

Our caregiver support platform is designed specifically to assist parents of children with disabilities and learning differences. The proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” And we feel the same, which is why we are very active and reachable on our social channels. We're part of the disability community on Instagram, where we regularly answer questions. And we maintain a private community on Facebook, hosting frequent live chats. These are for Undivided members, as well as other parents raising kids with disabilities, to connect, share advice, and feel supported.

Thanks to Seth Besse, Undivided!

#12- Repost photos from satisfied customers

Photo Credit: Andrew Meyer

Our entire business is based on sustainability. We’re a digital energy advisor that automatically lowers your electric rate and carbon footprint by switching your home or apartment to cheaper and cleaner energy sources. We do our part as well by employing a fully remote workforce. This cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of fossil fuels and power, paper and plastic office supplies, and contributes to cleaner air. Lastly, we practice what we preach. Everyone at our company has found the right energy products and services for them. This not only saves them money but allows them to be more sustainable at the same time.

Thanks to Andrew Meyer, Arbor!

#2- Through commitment and innovation

Photo Credit: Ward Dilmore

Incorporating sustainability into my business, both as a business owner and entrepreneur, has been a journey of commitment and innovation. Here's how I've woven sustainability into the fabric of Petrus Landscape: my passion for sustainability stems from a personal connection to the environment. I've always believed that businesses can play a pivotal role in preserving the planet for future generations.

Thanks to Ward Dilmore, Petrus Landscaping!

#3- Using independent and carbon-neutral data centers

Photo Credit: Cuautemoc Weber

One of the most pertinent challenges across the blockchain landscape is figuring out how to chart a more sustainable trajectory going forward, due to the energy-intensive nature of many blockchain networks. Gateway.fm is the first truly decentralized blockchain infrastructure node provider, delivering reliable node infrastructure, best-in-class validators, and robust dev tooling support to help Web3 projects scale at pace. As part of this mission, we use independent and carbon-neutral data centers to minimize the environmental impact of operating blockchain nodes, contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly crypto ecosystem.

Thanks to Cuautemoc Weber, Gateway.fm!

#4- Having a strong environmental committee

Photo Credit: Mac Steer

One of the things that I try to do is make sure that my employees are engaged in our sustainability efforts. We have a strong environmental committee that meets regularly and works with me to identify new ways we can make our company more sustainable. We've implemented some great ideas from this committee, including using reusable cups instead of disposable ones at our office and offering a discount on your next purchase if you bring your own bag into our store.

Thanks to Mac Steer, Simify!

#5-Reducing carbon footprint

Photo Credit: Evan Tunis

We are working to make our business more sustainable by reducing our carbon footprint, minimizing waste, and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. We are investing in solar power, improving insulation in our buildings, installing LED lights to reduce electricity consumption, and recycling materials whenever possible. We are also encouraging employees to carpool or take public transport when traveling for business purposes. Additionally, we have implemented a paperless system to reduce the amount of paper, ink, and other materials used in our operations.

Thanks to Evan Tunis, Florida Healthcare Insurance!

#6- Using UV-C air disinfection

Photo Credit: Jennifer Nuckles

The pandemic shone a spotlight on the importance of indoor air quality, as well as the archaic solutions that previously defined the market. But over the past few years, we’ve seen the emergence of a solution that is continuous, autonomous, disinfects air in real-time, and is sustainable and efficient: UV-C air disinfection. I believe sustainable air disinfection is the future. R-Zero is working to make our shared indoor spaces safer and more efficient, sustainable, and productive, through the use of this UV-C air disinfection technology.

Thanks to Jennifer Nuckles, R-Zero!

#7- Building a strong corporate culture

Photo Credit: Michael Podolsky

Organize your internal processes and build a corporate culture that is passed across all management levels. My team is my greatest asset, so I make sure that everyone is involved in the company’s goals, shares the same vision of success, and contributes to teamwork. We've built a culture that helps us pass the vision and values of the company across all management levels. Every employee is involved in teamwork and company goals. That is important for sustainability. We also have established standards for our services, especially among support specialists, all aimed at catering to the needs and expectations of our users and clients.

Thanks to Michael Podolsky, PissedConsumer.com!

#8- Driving sustainable apartment living

Photo Credit: Cameron Johnson

By offering living subscriptions that include all of the housewares, décor, furniture, and in-home tech that any apartment needs, we embrace the circular economy and save the equivalent of 30 trees per transaction. Our goal is to provide our users with a hassle and stress-free move but also to reduce the environmental impact associated with moving. Further, in addition to re-using as much of our inventory as we can for as long as we can, we also do our best to help our goods avoid landfills. Items that can no longer be deployed in users’ homes will be donated to homeless shelters, non-profits, and dog shelters (they love pillows and bedding) business.

Thanks to Cameron Johnson, Nickson Living!

#9- By sourcing eco-conscious vendors

Photo Credit: Marcy Kelman

As a US manufacturer of college diploma frames, we’re hyper-aware that wood and paper are two of our primary product components. That’s why we only source raw materials from eco-conscious vendors who are vetted for compliance with reforestation efforts. All of the renewable hardwoods for our frames are harvested and grown using environmentally responsible practices, and we carry a line of 100% recycled wood molding options. We'll only purchase our frame mats and backing boards from companies with proof of certification for sustainable forestry operations.

Thanks to Marcy Kelman, Church Hill Classics!

#10- Removal and recycling services of e-waste

Photo Credit: Josh Cohen

In a world saturated with materialism, the minimalist lifestyle stands as a beacon of simplicity, intentionality, and sustainability. By choosing quality over quantity and prioritizing meaningful experiences over possessions, individuals can create homes that are both clutter-free and eco-conscious. Entrepreneur Josh Cohen, Founder and President of The Junkluggers, exemplifies this approach through his pioneering work in the eco-friendly junk-removal industry.

Thanks to Josh Cohen, The Junkluggers!

CBNation Feed

IAM2676 – President and Founder Helps Clients Find Best Talents in HR and Payroll

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IAM2674 – How the Franchise Disclosure Document Provides a Better Idea of Your Investment

The Importance of Due Diligence and the FDD

The Most Valuable FDD Resource: Franchisees

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IAM2675 – CEO Provides 11-Day Process for Those Downsizing or Settling an Estate

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IAM2672 – The Truth About Franchise Ownership and Management

The Journey and Vision: Debunking the Passive Myth

Realities of Time, Ambition, and Investment

Protecting the Brand and the Entrepreneurial Mindset

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IAM2673 – Why Emerging Brands Are the Next Big Opportunity

The Appeal of Emerging Brands

Opportunity for the Entrepreneurial Core

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IAM2670 – The Importance of a Purpose-Driven Business in Digital Marketing

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IAM2671 – Documenting the Journey to Build a Sustainable Model

The Podcast Business Model & New Venture

Challenges and Re-evaluation of Alignment

Strategy and Forward Momentum

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IAM2669 – CEO Helps Law Enforcement Agencies Administer Extra Duty Programs

Shifting Focus: From Corporate Clients to Law Enforcement

Core Philosophy and CEO Responsibility

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IAM2668 – School Admissions Expert on Mindset and Growth

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New Year Digital Marketing: Strategies and Campaign Planning for 2026

Importance of a Marketing Plan

Reflect and Review Your Current Year’s Performance

Evaluate Past Campaigns

Review your business marketing position

Audit and Plan Your Owned Media Campaigns

How to Create an Effective New Year Marketing Campaign

Set Campaign Goals for 2026

Craft Your Message

Engage Your Audience with Content Marketing

Optimizing Your Marketing Campaigns

Utilize Analytics for Campaign Performance

Implement SEO Strategies for the New Year

Leverage Digital Marketing Tools

Measure Success and Adjust Strategies

Planning for the Best Year Yet

Should You Hire a Digital Marketing Agency?

IAM2667 – The Journey to the Next Level

Challenges, Learnings, and Real-World Results

Re-Prioritization and Forward Momentum

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Holiday Marketing to Prepare Your Brand for the Festive Season

Planning Your Holiday Marketing Campaign

Set Goals for Your Holiday Marketing Campaign

Create a Holiday Marketing Timeline

Effective Holiday Marketing Strategies and Ideas

Utilize E-commerce for Maximum Reach

Incorporate Discounts and Promotions

Develop a Festive Gift Guide

Enhance Customer Experience through Personalization

Leverage Social Media for Engagement

Build a Loyalty Program for Holiday Shoppers

Other Creative Holiday Marketing Ideas

Planning for Post-Holiday Sales and Marketing

How Blue16 Media Can Help

How to Create a Killer Landing Page Using High-Converting Design Tips

Key Elements of High-Converting Landing Pages

Has a Clear Purpose

Compelling Headlines

Effective Call to Action (CTA) Strategies

Utilizes Social Proof to Boost Credibility

Best Practices for Landing Page Creation

Design a User-Friendly UI

Optimize for Mobile Users

Test and Analyze Conversion Rates

Tips to Create Killer Landing Pages in Minutes

Choose the Right Tools for Landing Page Creation

Iterate Based on User Feedback

The Role of Analytics in Digital Marketing