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IAM2244 – Founder and CEO Empowers Communities through the Future of Learning

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 06:16:50 -0400

David K. Richards, the founder and CEO of Changemaker Microschools.

David discusses his journey from a corporate banker to an educator and entrepreneur.

He emphasizes the importance of empowering communities to create new educational models.

David shares insights about his work in education reform, including establishing micro-schools that cater to small groups of students, providing a more personalized learning experience.

David highlights the significance of mindfulness and meditation in his life, advocating for these practices as essential tools for productivity and mental clarity.

Website: David K. Richard

LinkedIn: David K Richards

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Transcription:

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David Richards Teaser 00:00

So people in the community, the students, the parents, the teachers, that really can see a new paradigm for education, it's empowering them to say, like, what do you believe would be best for the kids that you serve? Because there's so many things that are broken about the current system.

Intro 00:13

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:41

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have an awesome guest on the show today. I have David K. Richards. David, excited to have you on the show.

David Richards 00:48

Thanks for having me, looking forward to it.

Gresham Harkless 00:49

Yes, I'm excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing.

And of course, before we jump in and do that, I want to read a little bit more about David so you can hear about some of those awesome things.

And David is the founder and CEO of Changemaker Microschools, a network of microschools and an incubator for school founders who want to usher in a new paradigm for the future of education.

He also coaches leaders and has a mastermind called the Wise Warrior and a podcast called Changemaker EDU.

David has worked in education reform for over 25 years as a teacher, principal, and founder of several innovative schools.

He lives in Sacramento, California with his wife and 2 children and holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from Stanford University.

And before I was of course jumping into today, I was reading a little bit more about David.

And one of the things I loved is to hear how mindfulness and meditation has completely changed his life.

He basically said it took him from the grind and hustle of daily life to a life of peace and freedom while still being able to work on new ventures, creating lasting impact for so many other people.

And I think so many times in our lives we can think either or, but I love being able to combine both and better.

And so, David has done a phenomenal job with that. So super excited to have you on the show. David, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

David Richards 02:04

Absolutely, I'm really excited to be here.

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Gresham Harkless 02:06

Awesome, well, let's get it started then. So to kind of kick everything off, let's rewind the clock a little bit. Here a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

David Richards 02:14

Yeah, so I was, I like to say that I was a banker turned educator turned entrepreneur and to put a little flavor on that story.

When I graduated from college, I was the first one in my family to go to college. I did not have a great experience with education, a pretty mediocre experience with education.

But I found a way to get to community college and then transfer to Berkeley and then ultimately get a degree from Stanford.

But when I was right out of college, you know, I was like, oh, okay, I've made it out. Like, this is supposed to be my path to a successful life.

And I didn't know what to do, but I kind of wanted to be a teacher, but I was like, that's not really a very profitable, prosperous career in terms of money.

So I decided to go into corporate banking. And I did really well there. And I was working 2 blocks from the White House and kind of living it up that way.

But I was really not happy inside. And the entrepreneurial part of me was not excited. The service side, the community, the teachings and none of those none of my zones of genius were really lit up.

And so I was doing things on the side like teaching Ethiopian immigrants how to speak English and working with urban youths, coaching basketball.

It was like all those things for lighting me up. And I'm like, I'm literally just waiting to get out of this building every day so I could do what I love. Right.

And so one day I just decided that I would do what I love every day. And I thought, if I could coach basketball every day and get paid, I would do that for the rest of my life.

And so the original story was I went into teach high school and coach basketball. And then I totally fell in love with teaching.

I loved being with teenagers are like so fun. And, the world is their oyster. They just have these amazing views on life. Like they're just excited, right?

They're also kind of moody and there's a lot of other sides. But we only hear about the bad side of teenagers. There's a lot of great things about teenagers.

And then from there, I found this amazing charter school organization that ended up opening 10 schools across the San Francisco Bay area, which allowed me to go from teacher, principal, and then to help them start several schools.

And then we ended up putting that curriculum and that school model into 300 schools across the country and had checks from Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, all the big philanthropists.

And I found myself turning 40 and realizing that that was not exactly what I was looking for, which sounds kind of crazy, right?

Because it was such a… But I was, I, I gleaned a lot of success and loved those 10 years I was building that organization, but I always knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur.

So this is how I go from educator to entrepreneur. So I felt like I needed to leave that organization even though I was second in command and kind of in line to be the superintendent because I really wanted to get back to serving kids again.

And I also wanted to build something that was my own so I think a lot of your listeners can relate to this I told my mentor and the founder of the charter school organization that I always wanted to be the head coach I was like look you're never leaving. You're the founder.

So she's like, yeah, not for a while. So I'm like, I gotta go. So that was a good conversation because she understood it.

And like I said, I think a lot of people that are entrepreneurs understand until you start something that's your own, it's just not the same.

So that's what led me to start my own charter school the last 5 years, actually 9 years, and then started doing consulting.

And also, I'm now onto my latest venture of helping people start microschools across the world.

Gresham Harkless 05:26

Nice. Well, I appreciate you so much in sharing that story. And I wanted to drill down a little bit more and hear how you're doing it.

Can you take us through a little bit more on how you're making that impact for the cut, the students, customers and clients that you work with?

David Richards 05:39

Yeah. Yeah. So, I, like I said, for years I've been, I think I've always had that education, excuse me, that business side to education, like really seeing I was a great teacher.

And I've always been a teacher, like every role I've ever been in, I'm teaching somebody, but I really have always seen the business side.

And so with my latest venture, it's really thinking about like we were saying, really empowering entrepreneurs on the ground.

So people in the community, the students, the parents, the teachers, that really can see a new paradigm for education.

It's empowering them to say like, what do you believe would be best for the kids that you serve?

Because there's so many things that are broken about the current system. Like, as a teacher, as a as a grandmother, as someone in the community, a family member, what do you think schools should look like?

What do you think it could be and really empower them to? To enact that vision because again a lot of them are sitting in classrooms and they're not inspired by teaching or they're working in job.

I have like lawyers and accountants that have want to start schools and they're sitting in jobs or they're like we were saying they're not really inspired.

And so what we do is we essentially allow you to build a friend to open we call it an affiliate but it's basically a franchise where you can open a micro school in your community.

And we will basically set everything up for you, like we'll help you with the business side, we'll help you get the facility will help you with the curriculum will help you everything you need.

So you can do like we said, your zone of genius, you can be working with the kids you can be and micro schools are anywhere from 5 to 150 students.

So it's almost like a if you thought about homeschool going into a building, it's like smaller groups.

And now you have, some people I get a lot of phone calls, like, I really want to homeschool my kids, because I don't want them to be in the school system anymore.

But then they're like, I don't want to homeschool my kids all day. So this is kind of like the solution to I don't want to put him in a school, but like a traditional school, but I also don't want to be home all day with him.

And it's not always the best for the kid, right. So this is allowing you to have the best of both worlds.

And like you said earlier, I'm definitely a fan of the end. I've never on any time I hear either or I'm already going into like, what's the end? What can we do here?

So for me, this is the end like you can have your kid in a great school that is run by somebody who's really passionate and not kind of like, checked out.

And we're gonna help you open that school and It's been really exciting and super fun to do it with a bunch of people across the country.

Gresham Harkless 07:52

Nice. I absolutely love that. Would you consider that to be part of what I would like to call your secret sauce?

It could be for yourself, the business or a combination of both, but is it that ability to be able to say like, there can and there will be a better way and go out and do that? Do you feel like that's part of your secret sauce?

David Richards 08:09

Yeah, that's part of the secret sauce, I would say that and the community and the culture.

So we're building a movement here. And I feel like, we're we're building a movement that's coming from the grassroots, right, the ground up.

And so it reminds me of some of the like presidential campaigns have been passed or any social movement, where they really inspiring people on the ground, and they're going to be the ones that change the policy, right?

Not the other way around. It's not a top down, like, here's the policy now go enact it. So yeah, the secret sauce is that we're asking people on the ground that really believe no one cares more about a kid than their parents, nobody.

Gresham Harkless 08:44

Yeah, right.

David Richards 08:44

There's other ones that come close, like grandma, maybe like their favorite teacher, but nobody cares more than a parent.

So if you get the parents actively engaged and you have educators that really want they got into education because they really wanted to help kids.

But the system like you said is there's so much red tape that they're they're spending all their time trying to get around that.

And so just let them have a place where they can just thrive. And so yeah, it's that culture of community. It's that culture of we can do this together.

It's that culture of we can get this done. This is a movement. You're part of something larger than yourself and you get people really inspired by that. And it's amazing what happens.

Gresham Harkless 09:19

Yeah, absolutely. And so 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 Apple book or even a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

David Richards 09:29

Yeah, you previewed it for me in the very beginning, which is the meditation and mindfulness.

So I'm not somebody who ever thought I would be doing meditation and believing in mindfulness.

So people listening that are rolling their eyes. That was me. It's always that way. It's a person that rolls your rolls our eyes up into becoming the champion.

But yeah, so I was a guy who rolled my eyes like I don't have time for this. Like I'm a I get stuff done.

I don't need this. But for me, it was what I can tell you from my own experience is that just by meditating every day for 20 minutes, it actually changes the whole trajectory of my day.

So you know what I used to do and they've done research on this right like in terms of productivity.

If you work like 6 really in 6 hours and flow versus 12 hours of just kind of grinding, you actually get more done.

And you're more creative and you're more productive and all that like there's all even though we have all those research studies for whatever reason, especially in this country, we just ignore them.

And we continue to push, push, push, push, and try and squeeze more out of you know, more water out of the rock as the day goes on.

And so for me, it's been the biggest hack ever. And there's a really great book called the 15 commitments of conscious leadership.

And it talks about how it actually previews the 2 CEOs, the one who is up at 4 a.m checking their phone and just going, going, just stressing, and just always trying to make something happen versus the one who's like, does some meditation.

And then does a morning walk and kind of gets their thoughts in order, gets clear with their values.

And their why and then that guides them throughout their day and whether you believe the productivity argument or not, I just know that I don't want to be that.

Yeah, that doesn't see their kids and that's strung out and probably going to have, health issues later.

And I don't want to be that CEO. And I did work in Silicon Valley opening all those schools.

And I experienced that life of, 12 hour days, which is one reason why I left because my kids were 2 and 4.

And I really felt like I could see that the future like, hey, dad, nice to see you. I haven't seen you for 6 months. I didn't want to be that parent, I didn't want to be that person.

And so for me, it's like, if you can find even just a short time throughout your day, and now there's so many resources with the calm space and the different apps, and there's so many different resources that I just go to YouTube and just do guided meditation.

But people are gonna have time say, Okay, so do it 5 minutes a day. That's not true that you don't have time, but you believe that's true.

So do it 5 minutes a day. And then try it 5 minutes in the morning, 5 minutes before you go to bed or just try it 5 minutes at lunch, whatever.

I used to meditate in the janitor's closet when I was a principal. So there, whether there's a will, there's a way.

And when you start to see the benefits of that, you'll start to want to do it every single day.

Gresham Harkless 12:01

Yeah, absolutely. And so I wanted to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. This could be a little bit more word of wisdom or a piece of advice.

I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, somebody you're coaching, or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

David Richards 12:17

Yeah, I think it's to believe in yourself, which sounds kind of, whatever, like that seems so easy, but I think I would take it a little bit deeper to say.

So for me, for example, like when I made those courageous jumps, like you said, III scratched it.

Like They went for it. It was like I was so stressed out and nervous the whole time. Right?

Like every time I make a big jump like that, and I didn't trust or believe in myself because everyone else said something else. Right?

No one knows you better than yourself. So when I left the bank, my family was just like, what is wrong with me?

You're the one who's supposed to like be our security financially like you're the one with the fancy degrees or over here trying to make ends meet and now you're quitting the job that is like you make the most of anybody in the family.

So they were not happy about that so I had to really trust myself, you know when I left my executive job to go start a school, which was again, was very illogical, like, a lot of people, like I had to not talk to people, right.

Because people would say, they just get into your head and all those negative voices.

Now they're saying them out loud to you. So really, what I would say is believe in yourself believe in your passions and like when I left the bank the biggest argument from the people that were telling me not to do it was that I wasn't gonna make enough money.

Well I doubled my income in 7 years by going into that school I didn't know I'd be at a charter school I thought I'd just be making 40 or $50, 000 forever, and I didn't care.

But I actually did make more money than the bank. So when you start to follow your passions, and you really follow what you believe in, it's the money's going to come and you're going to be so much happier.

And so you're going to have so much more impact in general. So I would, I really just say, believe in that wisdom, believe in your own, like what you know to be true, like really believe in it.

And when people start to try and push you off of that, that center, just continue to

IAM2243 – Leadership Coach Shares the Secret to Coaching Business Growth

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 06:16:52 -0400

Eric Cogorno is a renowned golf coach who has transformed his in-person coaching business from $80,000 to $1.5 million by leveraging online platforms.

Eric developed a passion for sports, particularly golf, which he struggled with initially.

He discusses how a clear vision helps him navigate good and bad days, emphasizing the importance of long-term goals.

Eric emphasizes the ethical aspect of his marketing—ensuring his solutions genuinely help his audience.

In addition, Eric highlights the importance of long-term thinking and the ability to visualize success without being hindered by current limitations.

Website: Cogorno Golf

YouTube: Eric Cogorno Golf

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

Transcription:

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

Eric Cogorno Teaser 00:00

We all have tough days, right? We all have good days. We all have bad days. The thing that really pulls me through all the bad times, I think, is the clarity of that vision of where I'm going.

Intro 00:13

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:40

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a special guest on the show today. I have Eric Cogorno. Eric, excited to have you on the show.

Eric Cogorno 00:50

Yeah, Gresh, thanks for having me, man.

Gresham Harkless 00:51

Yeah, super excited to have you on the show and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing.

And of course, before we wanted to do that, I want to read a little bit more about Eric so you can hear about some of the awesome things he's been working on.

And Eric has been a golf coach for the past 15 years, taking his $80,000 in-person coaching business to $1.5 million online business, while becoming one of the most popular and well-known golf coaches in the world from his growth on his YouTube channel and Instagram with over 50,000, 500,000 followers across his social media platforms.

Eric has taken his love for coaching and personal development and starting his new personal development brand and YouTube channel called Lessons I've Learned, where he shares the lessons and tactics he has learned to create his dream business and life in order to help others do the same.

And one of the things I absolutely love when I was preparing for this, I was researching a little bit more about Eric, and it kind of reminded me of the quote that the secret to the overnight success is it takes 10 or 15 years.

And hearing a little bit more about his journey, seeing all the work that he's been put in, it's been something that's tremendously impactful.

And I read that he has given over 20,000 in-person golf lessons, developing an intuitive ability to combine the art of art and science and his golf instruction. So Eric, excited to have you on the show. You ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Eric Cogorno 02:11

Yeah, thanks, man. I appreciate that intro. Certainly, certainly ready to rock and roll and help serve here.

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Gresham Harkless 02:15

Yeah, absolutely. I know you've been serving so well. So I guess to kind of kick everything off, what I wanted to do is rewind the clock a little bit here a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

Eric Cogorno 02:27

Yeah, so, I grew up in a small town, Pennsylvania. I'm going to try and shrink this into something that's not not an hour long.

Small town, Pennsylvania grew up right playing sports growing up was always into doing well in school.

And my love for sports turned into love for golf, which I ended up coaching probably when I was like in middle school, which range crash, like my dad, when I was growing up, used to always golf with his friends on the weekend.

And so I started golf and just as a way to like try and hang out with him and his buddies on the weekend, and didn't think it was any more than that.

We love playing baseball and basketball football. And, golf was really the only sport. And frankly, not to sound whatever, but it was the only thing I ever did that I wasn't like kind of good at right away.

Like I could kind of eye-hand coordinate my way around sports and stuff, and Golf was so darn hard.

And I think because I had difficulty in the beginning and it wasn't easy, that really led to an obsession from the age of like 12 or 13 up to about 18 of trying to play golf.

And so when I was a young boy, I thought I was gonna be on TV playing baseball, professionally, I think like a lot of us who play sports do, you realize that's not gonna happen pretty quickly.

And then I thought, oh, I'll go play golf on TV. And then realized when I was 17 or 18 that that wasn't gonna happen.

And I used to work at a golf course and I did like everything, pick balls, wash carts, whatever. And one day, and I'll never forget it, I feel like it was like yesterday, I used to, I don't know if you ever golf, but there's a guy who picks balls out on the range.

And, people hit balls at him, right? So I was that guy picking balls in that card out in the range and it was like an August day, similar to the time we are now, hot.

And the range I'm on, Gresh, is real bumpy. It's not like a pleasant drive out there. And so I'm out there, I'm not super thrilled about it.

And I pulled the card in to get down with my shift. And there was a guy there teaching golf, who's now one of my best friends, his name is Paul Viola.

And he made an off hand comment that he just made $50 given this golf lesson. Like not braggy.

He just like happened to mention to me he was my boss at the time. And I remember thinking to myself, I was making $7 an hour at this point. I remember thinking to myself, man, I got to pick balls out here for 8 hours to make the same as he just did in 30 minutes.

He's underneath the shaded area, him and this older guy, they're chatting it up, laughing. It didn't seem that hard.

So I literally talked to him that day about like, hey, I want to get in this coaching thing. And literally he helped me start like a week later. So that's how I got into the golf coaching.

Gresham Harkless 04:57</strong

Nice. Well, I appreciate you sharing that story and of course being able to kind of see that.

What I want to do now is draw down a little bit more. I know you touched a little bit upon like what we can find and how you're serving your clients.

I would love to hear more about that, your YouTube channel, everything you're doing in order to serve clients.

Eric Cogorno 05:11

Yeah, so again, sort of like the, I started coaching golf because of a financial reason, I was making $7 an hour type of thing. I'd love to say it was like a passion.

I wanted to really help people in the beginning, but that's how it started, developed into a passion, but it's financial.

Same thing with our membership site, man. So like my game plan was how do I make that $1.2 million?

I can't possibly do in that charge and $100 an hour in person. But I was like, dude, who makes 1.2 million?

Like, is there anyone in the world that makes that? Okay, obviously, yes. Is there anyone who sells coaching online and makes that?

Yes. Is there anyone who does golf coaching and makes that? Yes. And then like, what do they do, right? How do I model success?

And the only 2 avenues that I thought were possible, just math-wise, was a membership site, it's like monthly recurring revenue, or these events, like these golf schools.

And so we decided to go the membership route. So I was kind of doing some quick math, like, okay, I need to get 2, 000 people to sign up at 50 bucks a month.

How would I structure that sort of deal? And so we really made a game plan that we've been doing for 8 years, which is we're going to pump 3 YouTube videos a week.

Every one of those YouTube videos is going to be sort of top of funnel, pitch this membership site to the people watching, and then have them sign up for monthly coaching.

Now that's on the financial side. On the other side, ethically, I do think it's the best thing for them. Like basically I say, hey, let's say I did a video on this fix your slice thing.

Like this is good and this will help you. But like if I could see your swing, I could really help you.

Like I could help you diagnose the root issue fast. We could make fixes to that. And that's all real.

Like I actually believe all that. So I think it's the right thing for them. It's how I can help them most and how I can scale it, across more people.

And so we've done a pitch, some sort of call to action, basically in every one of those videos for 8 years.

The same way, like you mentioned, I wanted to get great at coaching for 10 years before we even started doing videos.

We really made sure our online coaching product is excellent before we even started to pitch that out to anyone.

And I don't know that everyone needs to start that way. You got to start somewhere and learn and stuff. But that's how we try and help all the golfers out there.

Gresham Harkless 07:13

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I almost wonder if that's part of like what I would call your secret sauce, the thing you feel kind of sets you or where the organizational part of makes you unique.

I feel like there's such a, I believe that there's such a synergy between sports and life and business and there's so many lessons to be learned there.

So I feel like even just hearing your journey, hearing the steps, I easily see how that translates to everything you're doing now.

So do you feel like your ability to understand and maybe be able to kind of share and teach people part of that journey is part of what sets you apart and makes you unique?

Eric Cogorno 07:46

Yeah, definitely, man. I think the sports correlation 1 to 1 for sure, especially anyone who's golfed. Getting through the trials and tribulations of playing golf is a lot like life.

So I want to challenge myself too to continue to do the things, walk the walk, get out of comfort zones, and continue to grow.

Like, for me, going from decent golfer to coach was a big growth step. Going from just starting coaching to building a pretty cool in-person thing was a growth step.

Going from in-person online was a growth step. But now I feel like I'm sort of at my fourth big growth step, which is how do I go from what we have now into the next phase, which I think is, you sort of do learn how to do the thing and then teach others what you did.

Part of that relatability you just mentioned is like the things that these people struggle with, I have struggled with and continue to as well myself. And so I think the relatability factor is certainly there.

Gresham Harkless 08:38

Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and 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, what's something you lean on that makes you more effective and efficient?

Eric Cogorno 08:50

Yeah, so that's a great question. And I think the answer probably would, depends on whoever the listener might be at.

I'll use it for kind of my process that I've been. Who Not How, from a book perspective, Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan, absolute game changer for me.

That's sort of the like, when you're starting a small business or doing something, you do everything by yourself, you wear all the hats. Have you read this one before? You see this one?

Gresham Harkless 09:14

Yeah, I love that book,yes.

Eric Cogorno 09:16

Such a good one, dude. So that's like, for someone who hasn't read it, instead of thinking, how am I going to do this thing, you think who could do this for me or who could help me do this thing instead of you wearing all the hats.

The other one that I really like, I mean, obviously some of these Russell Brunson stuff with ClickFunnels is very helpful to me.

And then there's a guy named Jeff Bloomfield who talks about story-based selling. So create, connect, and close.

So people, which is basically like using stories when you're doing some of your sales thing. You notice a lot of the answers to your questions.

I went into like a story with something. The tactical things that Alex has in there, and that's what I really like about these books, the tactical things of like putting an offer together that he has in there helped me big time.

Gresham Harkless 09:59

Yeah. I appreciate you so much and sharing all of those. So what would you consider to be a little bit more of what I would call a CEO nugget

So this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice, something you might share on your YouTube channel, but is something that you might tell your younger business self or if you were to hop into a time machine and potentially your favorite client?

Eric Cogorno 10:15

Yeah. So I mean, for me or anyone that I work with I start with that clarity of dream life vision every time no matter what regardless of circumstances.

Probably I'm biased with that because I've had such a dramatic personal effect on it, but that's okay I'm gonna I'm gonna assume that that's gonna be somewhat similar for most everyone in that.

Taking out a piece of paper, and I would write this down physically if possible, and put a 15-minute timer on your phone and sit there, or you can listen to music if you want to, and think about what you would have your dream life look like and give yourself enough time, let's say like 10 years, a decade, even 20 years.

You think about a lot of goals, Gresh, and you're like, if I threw a crazy goal out and I was like, I got to get that in 1 year or 2 years, I might be like, yeah, I don't know if that's even logistically like could happen.

But if you said 20 years from now, like even logistics involved, I'm like, I might be able to do anything in 20 years.

So I think long-term vision, 10 years, I would do 15 minutes on your phone and I would sit down and close your eyes and think about what your dream life would look like in a decade.

Now, what really messed me up in the beginning when I used to do this is I used to be thinking logistics.

Like, I would only allow myself to put things on that I thought was realistic for me to do based on my current life, my current skillset, and my current networks.

That was a big mistake because 10 years from now, I would have totally different skills, be a totally different person, know totally different people.

And so you have to do it with no logistics. Like if I think, Hey, I'm going to have a $10 million beach house in Boca in Florida.

I'm not like, holy shit, how would I build that? You have to skip that step in the beginning and just go for the no logistics.

Now the kicker here is you can't just write it down once and be done, right? So there's various books and people that you listen to stories where they would write down their goals every day.

Dan Sullivan and who not how for 25 years every day would take out a piece of paper write down what do I want and put a list together.

Now if you and I did that for 25 years or we didn't, which version of us will be rather picked?

Everything's going to get all that stuff. The person that writes it down. No doubt about it.

So the kicker then is, so I do that, I write that down. I spend time weekly, like 30 minutes, I have this think time every Sunday, where I give myself just 30 minutes to think.

But every day as part of my mindfulness, I spend like 10 minutes visualizing these things coming through, right?

Like manifestation has become really popular in the past couple of years, Dr. Joe Dispenza, The Secret, the book and all those sort of things.

Sorry, my light just went out there. The other thing I've found, last thing I'll say on this, is that we all have tough days, right?

We all have good days, we all have bad days. The thing that really pulls me through all the bad times, I think, is the clarity of that vision of where I'm going.

Because if I'm thinking every day about where I'm going in 10 years and I'm so locked in and confident that I'm going to be there, the little blip along the way in month 2 of a 10-year goal is irrelevant.

You're able to get over these little things that happen day to day by being able to zoom out and having that macro level thing.

So not only for myself, younger version, would I have started doing that sooner, right? I think for anyone who's watching who's not doing that, and I know that can seem a little woo wooey, I get it, dude.

Like I get it. But I'm telling you, there's a lot of power and it's changed my whole life doing it.

Gresham Harkless 13:32

Yeah, that makes so much sense. So I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO or goals that have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So Eric, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Eric Cogorno 13:45

Ooh, that's a good one. Yeah, I would wonder what like technical dictionary definitions of that are. I think the, I'm gonna go less technical and go more like zoomed out with that.

I think the role of a CEO and a good CEO is someone who sets the vision, clarifies the vision, gets everyone on the team on board with the vision, and then utilizes the team and the talents of the team correctly to continue moving towards the vision.

I think at the highest level, that's probably the biggest ROI on a great CEO. I think a lot of CEOs are COOs for a while and are operations for a long time.

But the setting and the clarifying of the vision, I've got a small group of people, we've got like maybe 13 people on our team.

And most of my energy is like, where are we going? Telling everyone that, and then telling them again, and again, and again.

And making sure we're all clear on where we're going and kind of pushing the ship or the plane like you said in this, we're heading west and then we'll kind of figure out the stuff in the middle as we go.

But even myself, like when I'm starting at 10 minutes per day, like you mentioned, I need a lot of clarity and reminders over and over, which means certainly everyone on the team does as well, and not getting distracted by shit and all that stuff starts with that, I think that vision and making sure you're moving in that direction.

Gresham Harkless 15:14

Truly appreciate that definition, and of course I appreciate your time even more. So what I wanted to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know.

And of course, how best people can get out of view about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.

Eric Cogorno 15:28

CogornoGolf.com or just Eric Cogorno Golf on YouTube. That's sort of top of funnel for us where we do everything from.

So all the things that we normally talk about, about posting, consistency, titl

Relationship Coach, Published Author and International Speaker Supports Married Couples in Building Happy and Healthy Marriages

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:16:55 -0400

Monique Melton is a relationship coach, published author, and international speaker.

Monique shares her journey from a professional makeup artist to a successful entrepreneur focused on helping individuals and couples build happy and healthy relationships.

Monique focuses on coaching personal and relational development, rooted in her background in psychology and counseling.

She emphasizes the need to maintain relationships and community awareness for effective leadership.

Monique shares her personal productivity strategies, emphasizing the importance of planning.

Monique highlights the discomfort that supplements growth in entrepreneurship, encouraging acceptance of growing pains as part of the journey.

Website: Monique Melton

Instagram: @moemotivate

Previous Episode: iam153-relationship-coach-published-author-and-international-speaker-supports-married-couples-in-building-happy-and-healthy-marriages

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Transcription:

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

Monique Melton Teaser 00:00

But a lot of times I'm working with the individual, the woman who's coming in with to me, who's struggling with maybe confidence, some mindset issues, anxiety, not clinical anxiety.

I always recommend people to see a therapist for things like that. But, just things that are affecting the way that she is going about her everyday life.

Intro 00:24

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:49

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today at Monique Melton of MoniqueMelton.com. Monique it's awesome to have you on the show.

Monique Melton 00:58

Thank you for having me.

Gresham Harkless 00:59

No problem. Thanks for being here. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Monique so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

Monique is a relationship coach, published author and international speaker. The heart of her work is to support people in building happy and healthy relationships.

She travels the world speaking at conferences and events on topics related to personal growth, marriage and relationships.

She's been published in magazines featured in blogs and podcasts and has touched the lives of people all over the world.

She's a natural big bold dreamer and a deeply rooted woman of faith. She is proud Navy wife to her high school sweetheart and she is a loving mother to 2 little ones.

Monique, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community? Yeah. Awesome. Let's do it.

So the first question I had was just to hear a little bit more about your CEO story and what led you to start your business?

Monique Melton 01:47

Great. I feel like entrepreneurship has been, some people say this, like you're just made for this.

[restrict paid=”true”]

I feel like that's what my story has been because even since I was a kid, I always had like a little hustle.

But I started my entrepreneurial endeavors officially like, you know, LLC and all that kind of stuff.

Right out of college I was actually a professional makeup artist and I did that for about a decade and after I had my daughter, she's my youngest, I just knew I wanted to do something different and do a lot of soul-searching and really thought about this type of purpose that I want to, or the type of legacy I want to build and the impact I want to have around me and all that.

And so I started back in November 2014 doing business and relationship coaching. So I did a lot of business development for clients and helped them with their marketing strategy.

But what I found in doing that is that most of our conversations, if not almost all of our conversations with my clients, involve some type of personal development relationship component.

And my education background is in psychology and counseling. And so I yield very easily to that subject matter.

And the more I've worked with clients, the more I do that work, the more I decided that I wanted to focus on relationships.

Because I think ultimately that's what life is about relationships, whether that be our relationship with God, our relationship, well, if you're not a person of faith, that's neither there nor there, neither here nor there, but even just a relationship that you have with yourself and with others.

And I think a lot of the challenges that we experience in life can be rooted or directed right back to some type of relationship where there's unresolved pain.

And so we go throughout life trying to interact with people, to save ourselves, protect ourselves so I can help people to have happier or healthy relationships.

I think we can have a greater and a bigger impact in the world around us.

Gresham Harkless 03:34

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And that's awesome that you've devoted your work towards that.

Because I think a lot of times when you're talking about business or you're talking about marriage or friendships or whatever, you kind of forget that it's kind of people and the people's interactions and relationships with one another.

But the fact that, like you said, like you felt that was continuing to come up in the work that you were doing.

So you decided to kind of devote your time to that and your business to it. So I know you touched on it a little bit, but I wanted to hear a little bit more on how you work with and serve the clients that you work with?

Monique Melton 04:02

Yeah, so now that my focus is on relationships, I either have clients who are, like I work with couples, but a lot of times I'm working with the individual, the woman, who's coming in with to me, who's struggling with maybe confidence, some mindset issues, anxiety, not clinical anxiety.

I always recommend people to see a therapist for things like that. But just things that are affecting the way that she is going about her everyday life.

And then as far as for couples, often people come when things have completely fallen apart.

I wish I could get people to look at their marriage almost like a car. You don't drive it around and then when all the gas is out, you're like, oh man, I need to go to the gas station.

Like, that would be a huge inconvenience. There are signals and things that your car tells you that something is wrong, and then you take it and go get it fixed.

You don't wait until it's completely not even operable to go and repair it. It's a lot more work, it's a lot more time, it's a lot more energy, and sometimes you just write, this is a new car.

And I just wish people would say, I want to put my marriage in as a priority and make it more, let's maintain our relationship, let's address issues that come up when they're small because if we don't address it when it's small, it's just going to stay.

It's not going to go away. It's going to become a bigger issue. So I do that for my one-on-one clients. I do either couples or women.

And then I also still have some business clients, but that's just because I'm currently re-branding.

I do a lot of public speaking. I talk about personal growth, I talk about relationships, I also talk about diversity.

I'm working on my second book right now and I also have some resources that like workbooks and guides and things on business and relationships on my website as well.

So I have different ways to support people depending on where you're coming from and what you need. That's pretty much what I have right now.

Gresham Harkless 05:54

And that's awesome and I love the metaphor you know of the car you know making sure that okay this the engine has failed or something for whatever reason, it means that that's probably has built up over time.

So you make sure that you take care of the things before it manifests itself into what could be a bigger issue.

So I love that you kind of focus on that and remind us of that, which is definitely important. Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce.

And this could be like what you feel kind of distinguishes you or your organization, but what do you feel could be your secret sauce?

Monique Melton 06:25

Okay, so I love cupcakes. And well, I love anything sweet, honestly. So I like to use the acronym suite a lot.

And so I use that even with my business clients and it's the, stuff for creating like your brand story, wealth, client experience, exceptional marketing and team.

And so I've kind of created a new approach to use, like taking a spin off of that to working with couples and working with relationship coaching.

I would definitely say, like my secret sauce is that I like to keep things very simple. I think sometimes we over-complicate things and like to throw in all these different steps and tools and I gotta have this, I gotta have that, I gotta have this in order for a relationship to be healthy.

But it really doesn't have to be that complicated. You can have some key components in your relationship, then you can build from there.

So definitely, in my opinion, you want to have some level of spirituality, just recognizing that there's something that's bigger than you.

It's not just people out here just walking around out of willy-nilly. So that's, that's a big thing.

But I also think having a working commitment towards your own personal growth and understanding that I am responsible for myself.

I can't make my husband be responsible for my own happiness because that's a heavy responsibility and it's also impossible.

You could certainly contribute to have someone feels and all those kind of things, but ultimately I'm the one who is responsible for my emotions, for my decisions, and all of that.

And so that's, the W. So it's, working, working towards your own personal growth.

Effective communication is hands down, probably one of the most important things for a relationship.

If I'm saying things in a way that you don't understand but you're taking them one way and I'm taking in another, that's going to cause so much friction and chaos.

And so instead of you know letting that marinate and just turn into something else, let's communicate effectively and there's all different ways to go about effective communication.

And that's one of the big things that I do when I am working with couples. But even just working with my one-on-one clients, because the way they're communicating with themselves, how are you talking to yourself?

Are you engaging in the negative self-talk? Or are you saying things to yourself that are more positive and aligned with who you really are and what you want to accomplish?

And so that's the first E, effective communication. And then join each other. Having fun, doing things outside of just the day to day to day, hustling bus. I have 2 kids.

We have so many things going on all the time. And so we have to create that time to make sure that we are investing in us as a unit, not just, what you have going on, what I have going on, but us together, so enjoying each other, laughing, growing together.

And then the T, the last letter for sweet, is team, remembering that you're on the same team.

So I kept the team from the original acronym where I did it originally, because a lot of times in a relationship, if you feel like the person is against you, everything that they do, you're gonna see it through that lens.

But if we're working on the same team, that means that if you make a mistake, or if you think

about like a football team, and you bump into your teammate, if I know we're on the same team, I'm not going to take that as if you're the opponent trying to knock me down.

It was an accident, it was a mistake. And so when you think about, okay, we're on the same team, that means that I need to give you grace.

I need to communicate with you. I need to make sure that I support you. I encourage you. I'm rooting for you.

I want you to win, because you win, I win. So I would say those all together is kind of like my secret sauce to helping people remember some of the components.

And there's more to having a healthy relationship. But those are some of the main components when it comes to marriage, but even just friendships.

If you have a friend and you know that the two of you are on the same team, that means that you're rooting for each other. You want each other to succeed. So that was a long answer, but that's pretty much what it is.

Gresham Harkless 10:32

No, I appreciate you for sharing that. And I too have a sweet tooth. So that definitely resonated with me. So I appreciate you.

And now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an Apple book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Monique Melton 10:48

Definitely planning. My schedule, my husband and I share our schedules with one another.

And so that way he knows what I have going on. I know what he has going on, although he doesn't have much going on outside of what we do as a family.

So I'm usually the one who has a meeting here, an event here, all that. So I definitely think planning ahead.

We have certain days where we designate to go over our budget and go over our appointments and things that we have going on.

But with so many moving pieces, so many things to do and accomplish, sitting down and having a plan, including it in our calendar, is probably the best thing for sure.

What I would add to that is we share a note on our iPhone's that, and this is just such a simple, very practical thing, but it just helps us stay organized, that's our grocery list.

And it's categorized by store and by section in the store. So if my husband, If I'm like, hey, can you go to the grocery store today?

He doesn't have to come home and get the list, or I don't have to take a picture of the list that I wrote down because I used to do that. It's already on the phone.

So it's just a way for us to be efficient and for us to keep the communication between one another really smooth and effective.

Gresham Harkless 12:02

It makes perfect sense. You definitely leverage all this technology that we have out there.

So it's good to hear that you guys are doing that to be effective and efficient. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget.

And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. You might've already touched on this, but what would you tell your younger business self?

Monique Melton 12:17

My younger business self… I would tell my younger business self that growth hurts. It's uncomfortable and it's a part of the process.

I think initially when I started my business, I was really surprised by some of the growing pains.

And had I just kind of anticipated that, like becoming a mom, that you're gonna have to change diapers.

Like you know that it's a part of the process, you're not shocked that you have to do that.

It still stinks, like there's nothing pleasant about it, but at least you know that that's a part of it.

Whereas for me, I didn't really anticipate that. I didn't anticipate some of the growing pains from building a team or dealing with, unfortunately, there's the, I hate to say it like this, but there was definitely people who just want to sabotage.

You don't want to see you in, dealing with that. So I would definitely tell my younger self that it's okay to be uncomfortable with the growing pains because they're not supposed to feel good.

But the growth that comes after that is what is rewarding. And so just push through it. Don't give

Don't be discouraged. Go to your people who love you and let them encourage you and help you feel better, but keep going when it's all said and done.

Gresham Harkless 13:24

Makes perfect sense, yeah, especially when you're getting out of your comfort zone, you have to be able to kind of understand that that'll make you uncomfortable.

And then in order to grow, you have to kind of have a little bit of pain to do that. So I think that was a great CEO nugget.

And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of being a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So what does being a CEO mean to you?

Monique Melton 13:44

I believe being a CEO to me is someone who is a leader and is willing to also be led. Someone who is constantly committed to their own learning, their own development journey.

I think CEO sometimes gives the idea that, oh, I'm the one in charge. But with that comes a lot of responsibility to maintain good relationships, to have harmony in your life.

So I think being a CEO comes with a responsibility towards, my business and what I'm doing.

I need to make sure that I'm taking care of myself so that I can show up in the world and give my best.

I think also being a CEO means that I need to be very aware of the needs of the people in my community so that I can innovate and pivot when necessary.

So keeping that communication open is what's important. So ultimately it's just being a person who's committed to being a leader and leading and serving the community that they are assigned to.

Gresham Harkless 14:48

That makes perfect sense. And I think that's an incredible definition. So, Monique, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule.

What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know and how best they can get a hold of you?

Monique Melton 15:01

Well, the easiest way to get a hold of me, I'm on Instagram all the time. So you can find me at Moe Motivated, that's M-O-E, motivate

Halloween Website Design: Adding a Spooktacular Touch to Your Online Presence

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 09:16:33 -0400

Trick-or-treating and costume contests are often the first things that come to mind during Halloween, a fantastic opportunity to add a magic touch to your Halloween website design. While this doesn’t mean turning your professional site into a haunted house, you can incorporate subtle yet engaging elements that celebrate the season and capture the attention of your visitors.

Why Consider a Halloween Website Design?

There are several compelling reasons to embrace a Halloween website design:

Increased User Engagement: A touch of Halloween whimsy can make your website more visually interesting and capture user attention leading to visitors spending more time browsing your content and exploring your offerings.
Boost Brand Awareness: A festive website design sets you apart by showing your brand’s personality and willingness to have fun, potentially attracting new customers.
Improved Brand Recall: You’re more likely to be remembered by visitors and leave a lasting impression long after the season is over if you have a unique Halloween website design.
SEO Benefits: Including relevant Halloween keywords in your website content and meta descriptions can improve your search engine ranking in October, a time when user interest in Halloween-related searches peaks.
Seasonal Relevance:You demonstrate your brand’s awareness and engagement with current trends that help strengthen your connection with your audience to make your website more relevant and timely.

Striking the Perfect Balance: Spooky Yet Professional

The key to a successful Halloween website design lies in striking a balance between fun and professionalism. Here are some tips:

Consider your target audience and brand image by opting for a more subtle approach with festive colors like orange and purple or spooky fonts for a playful touch. If your brand allows, you can go bolder with Halloween-themed graphics or even a temporary Halloween-inspired logo.

Ensure your website remains easy to navigate and information is readily accessible and don’t let Halloween decorations compromise website functionality. Excessive animations or flashing elements that can be distracting or even disorienting for some users.

A large portion of your website traffic will likely come from mobile devices thus it’s important to make sure your Halloween website design translates seamlessly to smaller screens.

Keep your meta descriptions and title tags relevant to your core business offering, even with a seasonal twist to maintain SEO best practices.

While a festive design can be a great seasonal boost, plan to return to your standard website design after the season ends.

Incorporating a Halloween website design strategically so you capture the spirit of the season while strengthening your online presence. This approach can lead to increased user engagement, brand awareness, and even a boost in SEO during October. So, get creative, have fun, and let your website reflect the spooky spirit of Halloween!

How Blue16 Media Can Help

Ready to take your website to the next level with a captivating Halloween design?

Blue16 Media, a digital marketing agency specializing in website design and SEO, can help you create a spooktacular website that drives results.

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 Halloween Website Design: Adding a Spooktacular Touch to Your Online Presence appeared first on .

IAM2241 – Podcaster, Photographer and Caregiver Runs Podcast to Support and Offer Information on Alzheimer

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 06:16:03 -0400

Jennifer Fink created the “Fading Memories” podcast after struggling to find support for Alzheimer's caregiving.

Jennifer's family history with Alzheimer's motivated her to share information and connect with others facing similar challenges.

She highlights the overwhelming search for support and information that led her to realize she was not alone—there are over 16 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S.

Jennifer explains the emotional toll of caregiving, referring to it as a “death by a thousand cuts,” as the gradual decline of a loved one is particularly hard to cope with.

She emphasizes the need for humor and positivity in the face of these challenges – finding laughter is crucial for maintaining mental health.

She discusses the importance of being relatable and sharing personal stories to connect with her audience.

Furthermore, Jennifer highlights the importance of finding happiness in one's work through balance and flexibility.

Website: Fading Memories

LinkedIn: Jennifer Fink

YouTube: Fading Memories Alzheimer's Podcast

Previous Episode: iam151-podcaster-photographer-and-caregiver-runs-podcast-to-support-and-offer-information-on-alzheimer

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

Transcription:

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

Jennifer Fink Teaser 00:00

There's so many outlets for help and support and information out there. And almost everybody I've spoken to is shocked when they realize, I didn't know there was this help or this information or this product. And It seems like we're all care-giving in the dark.

Intro 00:19

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:46

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 Jennifer Fink of Fading Memories Podcast. Jennifer, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Jennifer Fink 00:54

Oh, thank you. Good morning to everyone.

Gresham Harkless 00:56

Good morning to you. And what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Jennifer so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

And Jennifer Fink has a family history of Alzheimer's disease. After her father died, she and her sister became responsible for their mother, who had advanced Alzheimer's disease, looking for support and answers and more.

Jennifer did a deep dive internet research, but came up short, realizing that one of the more than 16 unpaid family caregivers, she couldn't be the only one searching for help.

So she decided to create her own podcast. While still new, Fading Memories has already helped many people, including Jennifer.

Being part of the podcasting and care-giving community has given her more than she expected when she conceived of the plan to start a supportive podcast.

Jennifer, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community? Awesome. Awesome. So what I want to do, which is hear a little bit more about your CEO story and what led you to start your business?

Jennifer Fink 01:51

Well, I've always been an entrepreneur. My main career at this point is professional photographer, but that's an industry that's changing dramatically with cell phones, digital, all that stuff, and not necessarily changing for the best, in my opinion.

[restrict paid=”true”]

So I've been looking for something different for a few years, and like the bio says, I was searching for ways to connect better with my mom, and coming up short.

And I realized, and I think the bio is slightly wrong, there's over 16 million unpaid family caregivers in America.

And I couldn't possibly be the only one looking for better so I searched for a podcast that also came up short.

There are a couple they didn't appeal to me. And so one day while I was at the gym, I thought, hey, why not start my own?

And I love it. The conversations with people are beneficial. They're healing in a lot of ways, they're fun, and I'm loving every step of the way. So that's the short take on the journey.

Gresham Harkless 02:55

Okay, that makes perfect sense. And obviously, sorry to hear about, everything that went on with your father.

And obviously, helping to support your mother. You're definitely courageous for being able to do that.

And I always say, like in true entrepreneurial form, you saw a problem and you said, OK, well, there's nothing here that's kind of filling that gap. So I'm going to decide to create it myself, it sounds like.

Jennifer Fink 03:16

Exactly.

Gresham Harkless 03:17

Yeah. And I wanted to drill a little bit deeper. Could you tell us, I guess, a little bit more about your podcast and then also too about your, what type of photography you do as well?

Jennifer Fink 03:24

Well, the photography part's easy. I'm a professional portrait photographer. And so I get to make beautiful pictures of everyday people, which is always a challenge, but it's fun. I've been doing that for 26 years.

Gresham Harkless 03:37

Nice.

Jennifer Fink 03:37

So it's nice to have a new challenge. The podcast, I wasn't sure what direction I was going to go with it other than supportive podcasts for caregivers like myself until I started working on episodes.

The very first one I did was a bunch of different audio recordings of my time visiting mom.

And that took so many hours to piece together into something that I thought might be worthy of listening to that I'm like, no, this is not the direction we're going.

I don't have this many hours every week. She's not always super conversational. So I knew that wasn't sustainable.

So I started looking around and people started coming to me with, hey, I have this question or have you heard of this?

And just, I started with the idea that I wanted to pass on the information that I wish I had known when my mother was in earlier stages.

And it seems like we're all care-giving in the dark, and that's no good. So since May 1st that my goal has been to pass on all the information I've learned dealing with my mom, starting the podcast, doing research and finding out more about what options are, what help there is, because we're not in the dark.

There's a ton of stuff out there and we just need to share it better.

Gresham Harkless 05:06

Absolutely, yeah. But being able to take time to do the research and all that, that's kind of like not something you have time to do or even the focus to do to make the right decision.

So the fact that you put in that time and not only done it for your father, but also you're taking your time and your talents to be able to create this podcast to help others is definitely admirable.

Jennifer Fink 05:26

Well, thank you. And it's been exciting. My episode that's coming out next week, I talked to a podcaster and his mom. They lost grandma/mom in June.

And his podcasting partner thought, oh, doing an episode with me would help them process.

Well, their episode is fantastic. The way their family came together when dad threw up the white flag and said, I can't do this anymore.

I need you guys to find a care community for mom/grandma. And what they did, they call it the committee.

And it's a blueprint that I think every family should hear and hopefully take to heart and follow as a guide because it was so inspiring.

And one of the problems a lot of families have is it's a constant grief. I go and I see my mom and you know she's not doing as well or you know some days like this week she was a lot you know she was dressed better she looked more put together.

I'm like okay this is a good day some days it's just you know she just seems really lost in her own mind and it's, I call it a death by a thousand cuts because it's just difficult.

It's not, it's a very, very long process and it doesn't take the same path for everybody. So it's hard to deal with on a daily basis.

And some family members can't do it. They don't think they can do it. They're afraid to try.

So it ends up being the burden of 1 or 2 siblings to take care of a parent or handle most of the work.

And the way they went around that was fantastic. So I've learned a lot. It's just, it's been an exciting journey.

Gresham Harkless 07:07

Now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And this could be what you feel kind of sets you apart or your podcast apart. And what makes you unique?

Jennifer Fink 07:15

When I first started, I was still processing some grief and anger after my father died. People that have listened to the podcast will understand why, because I do talk about it.

And I wanted to be very open and share, but one beginning of an episode, I had my husband listen to him like, is this kind of too negative?

And he goes, oh, God, yeah, you need to delete that. So I did. And I try very hard to be fun and positive and throw in the humor because if you can't find the humor dealing with this disease,

you will lose your mind literally.

And it just, that's just a place people don't want to go so it's I can try to keep it very personal I can try to keep the humor in it.

And I just try to be very open and I think that's what people are responding to I the one of the podcasts that talks about Alzheimer's, that's similar to mine, I haven't heard her talk about her personal journey much.

Now, she's been around a lot longer, and I'm sure it's there. But one of the reasons that I started my podcast was I couldn't handle her audio quality.

I think it's the artist in me. I just couldn't hack it. Some of the episodes were so bad, I couldn't, listening to it with earbuds.

It was like the host was at one volume and the interviewee was at another volume, it was much lower, and it was like, you're constantly turning the volume up and down.

I'm like, I can't do this. I wanna hear this person speak. I've met this person in real life, and I can't listen to this episode.

So I try to keep in mind that, even though it's just me, I'm just a little one person podcast right now.

I want to keep it personal and humorous and honest and I think that's what people respond to is it's they can relate.

Gresham Harkless 08:56

Yeah, when you are open and honest and you are telling your story, people do connect with that because you know during difficult times especially usually you kind of clam up, I guess you can say, and then you don't necessarily want to talk about it.

But the fact that you're able to do to tell your story and you're empowering others to definitely, listen to your podcast for one, but definitely I'm sure reach out and see how they can learn from you and then also get help as well. So it's awesome that you're able to do that.

Jennifer Fink 09:21

And I've been trying to connect with people on social media. There's a gal on Twitter who her situation is makes mine look like a walk in the park.

And when I see her making comments that could be described as kind of a little bit of cry for help, I try to respond and give advice and like a long distance hug because I can't imagine walking in her shoes.

And I know what walking in mine is like. Hers is even worse. And there's a couple of people online that I kind of check in on a daily basis because I just, I don't know how they get up every day.

I really don't. So I can see that she needs help and I'm trying a little bit that I can to help because I've gained so much knowledge. It would be, I think it would be wrong to not share it.

Gresham Harkless 10:05

So. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. It's kind of like our duty to do that. So I appreciate you for doing that.

And now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And This might be an Apple book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Jennifer Fink 10:20

Oh, that's tough because I'm doing so many different things right now. But there are so many online tools because the photography business is changing and not in the best way.

It's definitely the opposite of growing. I don't have a ton of money to advertise and promote the podcast, so I've greatly learned how to do it through social media and I use the scheduling platform buffer because I don't have time to do this stuff daily.

So I go in a couple times a week, fill up a week or 2 of social media posts. I look at my calendar and see, okay, what am I gonna be doing that day?

My husband ran for city council. So I utilized the social media for his campaign and I learned how to make it personal, even though I'm scheduling it a week or 2 out.

Gresham Harkless 11:07

Nice, nice. No, Buffer is definitely a great CEO hack. Now I wanted to ask you for a CEO 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?

Jennifer Fink 11:18

Oh, well, a definite word of wisdom is, this is cheesy because everybody says this, but it's do something that you love, something you're passionate about.

I mean, the podcast is new. It's not monetized yet. So it's definitely a passion project at this point.

And there are times I think, I don't know, I'm not sure I'm ever going to get to a point where this is making money, but I know what I'm doing is for good.

So I keep going, do what you love, and then you don't work a day in your life. I'm sure people have heard that a lot, but that's been my mantra for the last 26 years.

And if I went in a time machine, I think I would tell somebody to constantly, or I would tell myself, really think outside the box.

I've listened to advice from rock star professional photographers and other industry notables, and I find a lot of the times their advice doesn't apply to me.

The photography end, they're always saying, you aren't your own client, you know. You have to focus on this other demographic.

And when I stopped listening to that and realized, yes, I am actually my own client. My clients are just like me.

How would I want to be marketed to? What would I want? What would make me spend more money happily? I was much more successful.

So sometimes you just have to listen to your inner voice. And other times you have to step outside of yourself and try to look in so you can find the little thing that you aren't doing that will probably make a difference.

Gresham Harkless 12:44

That makes perfect sense.

Jennifer Fink 12:46

And I was hoping that made sense.

Gresham Harkless 12:48

Yeah, I mean, like the idea, especially of scratching your own itch, so to speak, because a lot of times some of the best ideas that I've heard is have been people that have had issues, even your podcast.

Because you went through with your father and then your mother, now you decided to create something.

So it definitely sounds like you're doing something phenomenal and you're creating something.

And sometimes we never know exactly how that end product will manifest itself. But I believe full heartedly in what you said, if you kind of follow your path, follow what you love, follow what you are and is your gift and that will align and lead you down the right path.

So I definitely agree with that. Now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition for what it means to be a CEO.

And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So I wanted to ask you, Jennifer, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Jennifer Fink 13:33

I think that I have the, I have balance and flexibility in my life to do all of the things I want to do.

I go to the gym in the morning. I normally cycle on Wednesdays and Fridays, but I am in the worst air zone in California, thanks to all the fires right now. It's pretty bad.

And there are times I think, the household is struggling monetarily. So maybe I should just go get a real job, quote unquote.

And I look back, I'm like, if I got a 9 to 5 job and commuted somewhere, I wouldn't be able to deal with my mom and her needs.

And I wouldn't be able to work on the podcast. And so I just move forward and trying to find the sweet spot of monetization.

And doing a passion project that makes me happy and benefits other people and you know it's just and I think it just means you're in charge of your own life.

Gresham Harkless 14:26

Yeah that makes perfect sense and sometimes you know whether highs or lows sometimes you just have to keep moving forward.

Brand Messaging Strategist Helps Businesses and Brands Distill Their Complex Work Into Stories

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:31:08 -0400

In this episode, we Ryan Holck, a speaker, author, marketer, and brand messaging strategist. Ryan is the creator of the Distill Your Story framework that guides brands to tell their story clearly so that they are memorable and referable.

He mention the tension in nonprofits between having many stories to tell but not always focusing attention well.

The conversation highlights the importance of focusing on the outcomes provided by a business rather than just the tasks performed.

Website: Distill Your Story
Facebook: Ryan Holck
LinkedIn: Ryan Holck

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!

Ryan Holck Teaser 00:00

And so my process, when in its entirety starts with Zoom call. What are we, who are we trying to reach? Where are we trying to go? What, at the end of the day, is the goals of this business or this nonprofit? What do we want to accomplish? Okay. How do we talk about the fifty things we do in ways that are clear? And how do we share that story in a compact way so that it's portable enough that others could take it with them?

Intro 00:29

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:56

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 Ryan Holck. Ryan, excited to have you on the show.

Ryan Holck 01:04

Hey. Super excited to be here. Thanks for the chance.

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Gresham Harkless 01:07

Yeah, absolutely. You're doing so many phenomenal things. So super excited to talk with you and hear so much and learn so much as well too. And, of course, before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Ryan so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Ryan is a speaker, author, marketer, and brand messaging strategist. As the creator of the Distill Your Story framework, he guides brands to tell their story clearly so that they are memorable and referable. He specializes in helping brands identify their unique story, simplifying their messaging, and delivering it strategically, both in person and online.

Ryan combines storytelling principles with marketing principles to help brands be more memorable and referable. And he has helped personal brands, coaches, small family brick run brick and mortar businesses, multi million dollar green energy firms, and statewide statewide nonprofits as well too. And, one of the things that really stuck with me is I was reading a little bit more about Ryan and and hear about all the awesome things that he was doing. He had over 17 years of nonprofit work, and I think he went to a conference. And at that conference, one of the questions that really stuck with him is he said, what if you put fear in the trunk and take it for a ride? And that's what I think planted one of those seeds for him to do all the awesome things that he's doing.

And one of the things that really stuck with me is he says “Success doesn't come down to the size of the business or the solution it provides. It comes down to how simply they can explain the complex work that they do”. So Ryan, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community? So let's get it started then. So to kick everything off, since I know you're the guru at all this, let's rewind the clock, hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

Ryan Holck 02:45

Yeah. So, as you already mentioned, I started in nonprofit space. I actually had this, like, crossroad moment going into college of going, do I do marketing and design, or do I do music? Because both have a creative bent. Both give me a direction to have a creative outlet and really to do some exciting things. So I chose at that moment to do music because that's where I had the most experience at the moment. And I got into that and realized I really enjoyed it, but there was like, something missing in terms of a gap for us as a family, and we were getting ready to start a family.

And I realized, if I'm ever gonna make a change, now is my opportunity. And so I jumped into in while I was doing music, I was I ended up taking on a lot of marketing roles in the positions that I was doing. And so I ended up making a transition into nonprofit because someone contacted me and said, we saw you do something for another organization. Could you come and do it for us? We'll hire you just to do the marketing. You don't have to do the rest.

Gresham Harkless 03:56

Right.

Ryan Holck 03:56

And it opened a door for me to, like, really get in and go, hey. This is what I probably should have done to start with. And so now I've spent the last twenty years doing marketing all kind of because there was this pivotal moment in my life where it was like, hey. I think there's a door open. Now is the time to to walk through it. And so as you said, I started in nonprofit. My first ten years of marketing experience were all in nonprofit. I had spent seven years prior to that and some of college doing part time and full time work in the nonprofit space. And so there was this culmination for me of, I think I could impact a lot of organizations. I think I could help more than the one I'm sitting at the desk of every day.

And so I got to a point, and I love that you found that story of what if you put fear in the trunk because I really was at this moment where it's like, what on earth do I do next? I've been doing this ten years, and I enjoy what I do, but I think there's something more. I think that I could help more than a single organization. I could come up with products and services that would allow me to have impact into a host of organizations or a host of small businesses even. And so I decided we're gonna launch an agency and really work at how can we help tell people's story better.

So the the nonprofits I worked in always had this tension of we have a lot of stories to tell, but we don't always focus our attention well. And so it really started for me an opportunity to figure out my sweet spot isn't in design. My sweet spot now I can do it, and I can do web development, and I do a lot of it. But my sweet spot is figuring out how do you tell someone's story so it's repeatable. And once you figure out how to tell a story, then we figure out what marketing principles to tag onto it.

Gresham Harkless 05:55

Nice. I definitely appreciate you telling your story and your journey. It is so funny that I feel they say the worst pain is the pain of regret. And I love that you went down that marketing or that music route first, but it sounds like you were saying you were dabbling and taking on different opportunities. It was always like that magnet pulling you back. And sometimes, if you don't know what you should be doing, sometimes if you don't do what you're doing, it ends up drawing you back to where you should be anyways.

Ryan Holck 06:19

Very much so. Very much so. And it got to the point where, like, my girls didn't even know I was a musician. They're like, dad does marketing, you do what? You wait. It was funny because I swung so far once I got into that position. So it is interesting how things have progressed over the last twenty years.

Gresham Harkless 06:38

Yeah. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more. I know we touched on it a little bit, of course. And in here, how you work with and and serve your clients. Could you take us through a little bit more on what that process looks like and how you're making that impact for the clients you work with?

Ryan Holck 06:51

Yeah. So it looks like a couple things. The biggest piece is that I find that a lot of really, nonprofits have this, but I'm finding it more and more with the small businesses that I'm helping too, is that we need something done now. So we have a I just gotta have an email go out or I gotta have a social media ad or something. And I call it the ready, fire, aim principle, and it's just we're just shooting kind of marketing stuff all over and hoping something hits a target and that it works. And instead of starting with a whiteboard and what are we really trying to accomplish. And if we can work towards that goal, we're taking steps towards it, but it also means we could take repeated attempts to hit the same goal because we're hitting we're going for the same the same direction every time.

And so my process, when it's in its entirety, really starts with Zoom call, whiteboard. What are we who are we trying to reach? Where are we trying to go? What, at the end of the day, is the goals of this business or this nonprofit? What is what do we want to accomplish? Okay. How do we talk about the fifty things we do in ways that are clear? And how do we share that story in a compact way so that it's portable enough that others could take it with them? That if I repeat it to you and you hear it once or maybe a second time, you have enough of an idea of what we do as a business that you could go. If somebody said, I need this product or service, you could think, hey. I just talked to somebody about that. And for so many businesses, we're so close to what we do every day, and we spend so much time focusing on the day to day details.

We don't always realize that we're complicated the way we talk about our products and services. We're talking about the way we solve issues for people at higher levels than they're ready to understand in a first immediate conversation. And so helping a business figure out, it's not that I wanna water down what we talk about. I just we just need to focus it so that those first conversations, especially where impressions are made or broken, are ones where people go, hey. This person understands me. They have a product or service that can help me. I wanna have a better conversation. I wanna find out how could they serve us well. That's the part I love, and that starts with a whiteboard and figuring out where are we going and then what story do we need to tell, and how are we gonna tell it super simply, and then how are we gonna apply a strategic approach to getting that story out for people.

Gresham Harkless 09:41

Nice. I love that first step. So what would you consider to be what I like to call your secret sauce? You might have already touched on this, could be for yourself, the business, or a combination of both. But what do you feel sets you apart and makes you unique?

Ryan Holck 09:52

I think the thing that sets me apart is the strategy first approach. For so many years, I had a I can I'd pick up the phone, someone would say, I need this? Okay. I can do that for you. The the deliverables are great, but deliverables without a plan don't always move you towards the goal. And so what really sets me apart in kind of the process and the framework that I run through is that we start with the strategic of where are we going. We map it out before we start spending money on deliverables so that we can focus all of our marketing attention and dollars at things that are actually gonna help us reach that goal in the long run.

Gresham Harkless 10:41

Nice. I love it. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So it could be like an Apple book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Ryan Holck 10:53

The most effective thing that I have done year over year in the last ten years is be a part of masterminds with other people who are who have similar goals, whether they're in the same space or not, but who you are shoulder to shoulder moving forward and who, when you hit a bump as a business leader, as a business owner, and you call them and they know enough of your story and context to speak into your situation really quickly. And that has been I started I got into one of those in the first six weeks of starting my own business, and I've done three or four different ones over the last ten years of working for myself. And it has been the life changer. It's opened doors for me in terms of contacts. It's given me accessibility to others. It's given me accountability.

And if there was anything I would say, man, find a way to be with peers. That's the way. Don't be afraid to have others in doing something similar in that room as well. The fear is to isolate ourselves. I don't want anybody who maybe does marketing adjacent or does website adjacent. But sometimes the best pushing I've got has been from people who are doing similar things, not identical, but similar things to me who are like, I think you're looking at this wrong. What if you look at it and all of a sudden they go, oh, I just solved the three problems that were in front of me because I changed my perspective?

Gresham Harkless 12:31

Yeah. So what would you consider to be a little bit more of what I call a CEO nugget? So this could be a little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your absolute favorite client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Ryan Holck 12:46

So this is gonna seem maybe a little odd, but the absence of a clear story allows someone else to write the narrative for you. And I did it in my business for a number of years that I wasn't clear about who I was best to serve, what ways I was best to serve them. Because it was a, quote, unquote, agency, there was lots of things we could do with for marketing, and we didn't focus on what was the best things for us to do for people and the way we could have the most impact.

And I see that with a lot of other businesses is that we've gotta find a way to be super clear on the story of who we are, how we serve others, and we've gotta keep repeating that. Because if we don't, the people outside start guessing at what we do, and the story becomes a story very different than what we actually want to share publicly.

Gresham Harkless 13:46

Yeah. Love that. I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So, Ryan, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Ryan Holck 13:56

For me, I got into this because I wanted impact. Impact beyond one organization. And for me, being a CEO has meant the opportunity to dream and have a wider impact in the world as a whole, to see more people's lives changed as a result of some worker action that I could sit at a desk and move towards each day.

Gresham Harkless 14:23

Nice. I love that. So, Ryan, truly appreciate that definition. And, of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best people can get a hold of you, find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.

Ryan Holck 14:40

Ok. So just last idea, big idea, is that your competitive advantage isn't the tasks you do. It's the outcomes you provide. And that is what's going to set you apart as a business, as a brand, is when you can find a way in your marketing, your messaging to talk about the wins that you provide for people, not just the tasks you do in the day to day because we tend to sell the tasks rather than the outcomes. The website is distillyourstory.com. That's the best place to find information about connecting with me about the work, about the process. You can see examples there of past projects. There is a opt in for a website audit that would help you if you are thinking about your business and looking at your website and going, I don't feel like we're getting the traffic we're looking for.

There seems to be a gap in people's understanding of our products and services online. It's a ten minute DIY for you to assess, are we clearly talking about our business? Are we clearly talking about how we solve problems for the world? And give you an idea of what's next, how you can do that in ten minutes. So that's a great way for you to even just check out a freebie from me. So those are really the best ways. You can follow me on social at I’m Ryan Holck at Facebook, and that's probably the best way to find me.

Gresham Harkless 16:12

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much again, Ryan. We'll definitely have the links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow-up with you. So thank you so much for doing that, my friend, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Ryan Holck 16:23

Hey. You as well. Thanks again for the opportunity.

Outro 16:26

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase. It's a community. Don't forget to schedule your complimentary digital marketing consultation at Blue16Media.com. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless, Jr. Thank you for listening.

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The post Brand Mess

CEO and Founder Connects Local Amenities to Short-Term Rental Through a Hospitality Platform

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:25:19 -0400

In this episode, we have Annie Sloan, co-founder and CEO of The Host Co., a hospitality platform connecting local amenities to short-term rentals, offering services like massages and chef services.

She focused on the importance of execution in the short-term rental industry and the need for easy and automated processes to cater to the majority of hosts who are female.

Furthermore, Annie discusses her definition of being a CEO which involves making decisions that generate revenue and investment to sustain the company.

Website: The Host Co
Instagram: thehostcompany

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!

Annie Sloan Teaser 00:00

We need to make it something that if your guest texts you at midnight on Friday night when you're out at the bar with your spouse, that you can text them back an exact link to that late checkout, and they're done. Making it, not only automated, but just making it very easy to understand and start.

Intro 00:17

Gresham Harkless 00:44

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 Annie Sloan. Annie, excited to have you on the show.

Annie Sloan 00:52

Thank you. I am thrilled to be here.

Gresham Harkless 00:54

Yes. Absolutely. The thrill is definitely all ours, and the excitement of all that Annie's doing, we're gonna dive into, of course. But before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Annie so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Annie is co-founder and CEO of The HostCo, the hospitality platform connecting local amenities to short term rentals from massage and chef to fresh flowers, bike rentals, and beyond. Prior to The Host Co, Annie was a creative director of both Facebook and Twitter. She has led in embedded projects for Google, Airbnb, Samsung, and is a graduate of USC film school and has produced and directed broadcast television and film internationally. Through her years in film, she spent a cumulative four years on projects in Asia, Africa, and Europe, developing both a global POV and a passion for supporting small businesses from tourism through technology.

And one of the things I was reading about when I was prepping for this is that she considers herself a lifelong traveler, which I think is pretty awesome to see the world in so many different perspectives. And I and she also was probably gonna talk about and introduce me to a new I don't wanna say word, but maybe phrase, which is shoppable Airbnbs. But I love everything she's doing because we always hear that the riches are in the niches and her getting the opportunity to drill down into a niche within a niche is really what I'm excited about for this show. So Annie, excited about all you're doing, excited even more to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Annie Sloan 02:15

I am. I definitely am.

Gresham Harkless 02:17

Let's get it started then. So to 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.

Annie Sloan 02:24

So you reading the bio, that is a mouthful. Right? And the first thing I'd say about that is there are so many things in your career that seem like disparate, really different things. Right? I went to film school. I worked in film and television for many years, and then I went, deeper into tech. And I was working at, for example, Twitter as a creative director, but I was directing, animated videos for them. I was writing videos. Right? So it actually became a pretty natural transition to go further into tech from television. I just kept getting book which is fantastic, getting booked to do interviews with people who might be leading the comms team at Twitter or Facebook, et cetera, or at Facebook making videos that were animated videos for senior citizens in Brazil about how to be less lonely through playing group games, things like that.

Gresham Harkless 03:18

Cool.

Annie Sloan 03:18

But you, at the time, it they all seem like disparate dots. And then when you look back, you're like, oh, it's really connect the dots here that has created the picture that it is today. I think especially for younger people, it doesn't have to be a linear line. Right? You're gonna take all the different things you've done in your past to make up the picture of exactly what you're gonna do. And for me, it was that. It was working in film and television and doing a lot of international work in very weird parts of the world, being very tired and hungry a lot of the time. Right? And then really moving deeply into tech. And then while I was in tech, my current co-founder at The Host Co, he and I used to work at HGTV, Home and Garden TV together.

And, we flipped houses on shows Color Splash, Design to Sell, Landscape Smart, Curb Appeal, Design on a Dime. You name it. I probably worked on one of those shows, right? So not only working in television, learned how to flip houses and learned a whole lot about real estate. My co-founder at the time, he left HGTV with a designer from a show, and they built a real estate and property management company. And their model was, we're gonna find homes in distress in vacation destinations, and we're gonna buy them for real cheap. This was also a while ago, so it was probably easier to buy real cheap real estate, right? And then we're gonna flip them really fast because we know how to do that.

And we also know all the contractors because they've all been on the shows. We're gonna flip them and then we're gonna sell them as ready to go short term rentals. So, hey. You wanna buy this house? It already has a Wi Fi on. It already has an Airbnb listing. Do you want us to rent it tomorrow? Here are the keys, which is a really smart model because, one, they also have the property management company, so they're still making 25% of the overall rentals as a property management company. The second part of that is if you buy a place for short term rental and you've never done it before, you think you're gonna rent it the next day, but you need to have property management. You need to have the right furniture. You need to have the right pictures. You need to have the right gated Wi Fi, and how do you do the Netflix with the guests and everything. They just took care of all of that, right?

So they could sell these houses at a premium, completely furnished, and you're off to the races the next day. You're renting out right away. And they built up this big property management company while they were also building up real estate company. And they were keeping some houses. They were selling some houses. And at the same time, I was going further and further into tech doing moving away from doing video to doing more product and how you talk about product, how you, get people to understand product and why it's a useful product, things like the Google privacy policy I worked on, how to communicate that and also, how to tell the stories around it.

At this time, you think, oh, these guys are doing two really separate things. But I also was a short term rental host and have been for many years, and I bought one of the properties from my co-founder. And, of course, at this time, you're not thinking anything of it. And then he kept saying to me, we have all of these guests at all of these houses, and we get the same questions every day. If you have thirty rentals, you get the same question thirty times a day. It's where do I get a massage? Can I get a late checkout? Hey. It's Friday night, and we're two bottles of wine in, and we're twenty miles from a store, and we ran out of firewood. What do we do? You can predict all the questions that guests are gonna ask. Can I get a Midstay clean? So he started saying this to me, and I said, yeah. I noticed that guests are asking for the same things every day, and we're unable to provide any of those things.

And there's this huge operational inefficiency that we're also getting the same question thirty times a day. So I said, why don't we build a beta of a product that will retail anything we wanna retail in this space and take care of all of the communication around this so we can just get this off your plate. And we built a beta. I put a team together because I've been really moving further into tech and put it in seven houses in the Joshua Tree area of California. And in the first month, forty percent of guests made a purchase.

Gresham Harkless 07:23

Wow.

Annie Sloan 07:24

It was crazy. And 93% of guests opened the store, which is a digital store that says right after you book, hey. If you'd like to add any amenities or services, head on over and check out our store. So like an eBay store, but totally on steroids for hospitality. And I then very preemptively, I was a creative director of Facebook. I was on a long term contract, quit my job, which was way too early. But I said, this is something. Like, this is really something here. I quit my job to start fundraising and building the actual product, and we did a VC we did a pre seed round in 2021, which you may also say, hey. Isn't this hospitality? And wasn't that during COVID? Yes. It was. So it but it actually ended up being a really good time to build before we released in 2022.

Gresham Harkless 08:14

That makes so much sense. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more. I know we touched on a little bit. Can you take us through a little bit more on how The Host Co works? Yeah. How you're helping out, you know, the people that are, visiting Airbnb's, but also the host as well too.

Annie Sloan 08:27

Yeah. So how it works is if, let's say, you're a guest and you go to book a weekend cabin, and it can be on Airbnb, it can be on Vrbo, it can be on price line price line booking, direct booking, et cetera. When you book, you're going to get a message from your host, and that's the first time the host can actually communicate with you in generally on any of these platforms. Hey. Thanks for booking confirmation. Thanks for booking. We're so excited to have you. Now what that host can add to that message, which is generally an automated message, is if you'd like any services while you're here, like massage, chef, late checkout, it's very variable about where you are. If it's a city, it might be a parking spot, luggage storage, any of those things. Check out our store.

And that store, it's very mobile focused. There's nothing to download. It's a link. And that store has all the things that likely the host has already identified that you're gonna ask them about. And starting with generally things like late checkout, pet fee, guest fee. We have a lot of people that add extra recycling pickup. They have, like, bachelor party destination because you're like, get it out of here. We have people who do a lot of on-site sales of things like phone chargers, snack baskets, and then we have people who only do wellness services, right, in that area. And what we do is we connect local vendors in the area that we've identified.

Gresham Harkless 09:45

Love that. Would you consider that to be, like, part of your secret sauce? It could be for yourself, the business, or combination of both. But isn't that ability to see that and understand that, see the forest for the trees and be able to, of course, execute on that and bring that to light?

Annie Sloan 09:57

I would say a lot of it is the execution, and here is why too is that so the majority of short term rental hosts in the US and globally is female. The fastest growing demographic is women over sixty.

Gresham Harkless 10:10

Wow.

Annie Sloan 10:10

In the short and that's globally. So it's a much more female focused. It's older focused. We need to make it something that if your guest texts you at midnight on Friday night when you're out of the bar with your spouse, that you can text them back an exact link to that late checkout, and they're done. Making it not only automated, but just making it very easy to understand and start is a big part of our I don't wanna see secret sauce sounds like so big, like, part of our thing. Yeah.

Gresham Harkless 10:38

It's your thing. Okay. We could do that. I love that. So 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 Apple book or even a habit that you have. What's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Annie Sloan 10:51

So I just read this book called Four Thousand Weeks. And it's productivity for mortals. And it really changed. I've read every product. I'm like, the Pomodoro method, then this method, then that method. This book, the premise of it and what it's saying is that if you live eighty years, eighty years is four thousand weeks. Only four thousand weeks. And if you're halfway there, like, what? Two thousand what's crazy. Right? And it's just taking a different view of productivity and deep thinking. It's the productivity the former productivity writer for Times of London or New York Times, but it just gave me a different perspective on deep thinking and energy management. And it's made me more productive in a different way of, I'm gonna sit down and do this thing, but I might just be doing something because I enjoy it. I would say more than anything, and including with this book, it's your energy management and knowing your zones as well.

Thinking you can sit down and be productive for eight hours or twelve hour I can grind for twelve hours, but I know at this point that I'm gonna be effective at this time. And at this time, I am not gonna be very effective. It's gonna be really frustrating, and I'm not gonna be the in the best place for decision making. Right? So knowing your peaks and valleys and energy management being the most important part of all of it is the thing. And what are your, like, your zones of excellence during the day? I know the two hours of my day that I would be really good, and I try to not have meetings during those times so I can get deep thinking done and not be distracted. That's another a big part of it is not thinking that you're superhuman, but knowing you're superhuman two hours a day.

Gresham Harkless 12:34

Yeah. That ends up being one of the most powerful the most powerful knowledge is knowledge of self and and to be able to understand that. So what would you consider to be a little bit more of what I call a CEO nugget? This could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell a potential host, or if you were to happen to a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Annie Sloan 12:52

You're gonna get really burned down on your product, and you are constantly gonna be thinking of new ideas for new businesses and want to leave and do those new bit like, oh, I've got the best idea. And now I've been doing this for long enough that I understand the model and how to replicate it. So I'm like, oh, we gotta do this. We gotta do this. And that is the time when you should go and listen to your users. Like, I in this last week, I took over our demos.

Gresham Harkless 13:20

Mhmm.

Annie Sloan 13:20

Because I have become so far away from the way that people use our product and also hearing the value that they are getting from our product. And I've just been so far from that. I'm like, oh, the grind, man. I have all these new ideas and these seem so sparkly, these fun ideas. But even last week, I was like, this is amazing. We I had someone on a demo and I maybe wouldn't know this, who is using our product to offer or to encourage their guests to tip their cleaning people, which again, that could be contentious. I don't do it in my rentals. But he said my cleaner's really happier because the I have an eight bedroom house, which is usually like two families, right?

And nobody carries cash anymore. Before they check out, I send them an automated message that says, hey. Thank you so much for staying. If you'd like to tip the cleaner, here you go. The cleaner is way happier. This same guy said, oh, and we also leave. We have a donate in our store. We have a donation to a local foster center. We're on an island in Texas. We have a donation button too. I was like, I'd never even thought of that using the host code for either of those things. That's that's great that you're doing that.

Gresham Harkless 14:30

Yeah. That's really powerful. So now I wanna ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different unquote CEOs on the show. So, Annie, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Annie Sloan 14:41

This is another thing that I was told a long time ago. Bottom line with being a CEO is don't run out of money. I wish that it was more than that, their strategy, but the money is the energy. And if you're getting that from the revenue, if you are making the decisions that are spurring the revenue, if you're making the decisions that are spurring the investment, that if you have no other job, that is your job, is keeping the company alive, and the thing that keeps it alive is money. If the, again, if the money is just coming from from sales, whatever it is, and I keep coming back to that whenever I'm like, oh, I got so many things in

Founder and Coach Specializes in Business Development Empowering Entrepreneurs

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 19:18:04 -0400

In this episode, we have, Latasha Brooks, founder of Coach Brooks Business Consulting.

Latasha Brooks is a trailblazer entrepreneur celebrated for her dynamic role in shaping the business landscape. She shares her knowledge and experience on the power and potential of government contracts.

The conversation highlights the importance of choosing the right mentors and being authentic in business and her beliefs in being a good leader and influencer.

LindkedIn: Latasha Brooks
Instagram: moneybaggs623

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Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Intro 00:01

Gresham Harkless 00:28

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 Latasha Brooks. Latasha, excited to have you on the show.

Latasha Brooks 00:36

Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here.

Gresham Harkless 00:40

Yes. I'm excited as well too. Latasha is doing so many awesome things, so super excited to dive a little bit in, hear a little bit more about some of those awesome things. But, of course, before we do that, let me read a little bit more about Latasha so you can hear hear about those awesome things. And Latasha Brooks, founder of Coach Brooks Business Consulting, is a trailblazer entrepreneur celebrated for her dynamic role in shaping the business landscape. As a visionary leader, Latasha spearheaded the first ever co-working space in Virginia, demonstrating her commitment to fostering collaborative environments. Specializing in Business Development, Latasha's consulting experience has empowered numerous entrepreneurs leaving an undeniable mark on the industry.

And she goes by Coach Brooks, and she's a wealth of knowledge and information. If you check her out on social and just print about anywhere, she's always dropping gems and knowledge. But one of the things that really stuck out with me, she said, “We often learn that life is the choices that we make”. And I was listening to her say that she didn't choose entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship shows her at the age of 12. And I love everything she's doing, all the gyms and information she's dropping. So, Latasha, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

Latasha Brooks 01:45

I am. And I love that you did your research. I love that.

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Gresham Harkless 01:48

Yes. Absolutely. Well, you're doing awesome things. I there's just so much I wanted to to dive into. But I guess just to kick it off, let's rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you guys started what I call your CEO story.

Latasha Brooks 01:59

Oh, god. So you said it. I did not choose entrepreneurship. We didn't have entrepreneurs in our family. We didn't even know what the those were. But my sisters are very talented, and I am the baby girl. And so I'm the youngest sister, and my sisters were doing everything. They stepped. They cheered. They did everything you can think of. With them being in high school and me just entering middle school, they saw things in me that I didn't see in myself. And that's always been my life, that people around me saw the greatness in me, but I didn't see in myself.

And so I was auditioning for a darn I love to dance. If you follow me on TikTok, that's how I get people attention, by dancing with things that they can relate to. And so I was auditioning for our largest theater in Florida, and the day of my audition was the same day my sister needed me to do something with her groups and her businesses and stuff. And I had to pick, me and my best friend both, and she was crazy enough to pick what I picked, which was help my sister versus us going after our dreams.

And even to this day, I always think about how life would have been if I would have decided to do dance versus helping my sister. Because I tell everybody, if it was not for the people around me that saw that greatness in me, I would not have been instilled with the secret weapons that I'm instilled with now, because I just didn't know no better. I was young. I didn't understand how those things were gonna prepare me for life, and so I'm extremely thankful. But I do wanna know if I could have been Beyonce's dancer or Chris Brown dang it, background dancer. I just I still wanna know that could have been possible, but entrepreneurship has literally changed my life.

Gresham Harkless 03:39

Yeah. Absolutely love that. So can you take us through a little bit more on how you're serving your clients there, how you're working with them, and then a little bit about what you feel like makes you, unique in your secret sauce?

Latasha Brooks 03:48

Yeah. So I think it was mind blowing when I realized that the government is the number one customer in the world. Nobody ever told me that. I didn't learn that in school. I didn't learn that in college. None of my friends that I hung around even knew about this customer. And the more I studied this customer, the more it shocked me that they've been around for since the 1800s. And that's how these corporations are killing it. I literally took a screenshot, I'm a post today, of Lil Wayne telling the government that he's drug free so that he can continue to get government money. And I just thought if Lil Wayne can lie and say, do drugs and get government money, I think anybody can get a contract.

Gresham Harkless 04:25

Sure.

Latasha Brooks 04:26

And so it just blows my mind to know when you think about it, when you research the government, and they will tell you that they are the number one customer in the world. They are the most sustainable customer and the most reliable customer. Now I don't know why they be lying to them if they reliable, but I'm a use they words if they see me. They disappointed me yet. But they are the only customer that literally gets billions of dollars every twelve months. And the more I studied this customer and the more I said, I don't know nobody else. I literally do not know anyone else that I can guarantee count on, go pass the budget by law, and be able to spend a percentage of it with small businesses, minority owned businesses, veteran owned businesses, women owned, but there is no other customer that exists. And I'm thinking to myself, I know what the problem is. Nobody talks about it. That's the problem, right? Nobody in my community, nobody in my school. I went to business administration.

And now one thing I think the beginning part of that degree should have been, you should be working with the government, hey. This is how you're gonna change your life. And it wasn't. And it shocks me that people just don't know how powerful they are, but also how they can change your life. And so when I'm talking to people, I am always explaining to people that contracting with the government is game changing. It's life changing. However, it is not easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. Everybody can't contract with them. And so it's very important for you to be careful who you learn government contracting from because not everybody contracts with the government. You got a lot of people teaching it, but not everybody contracts with the government.

Therefore, like I said earlier, it's hard for you to learn something from somebody that they're not doing themselves. And so a lot of people are getting sucked up into the, yes, I love this customer. Okay? I would brag about this customer. I don't agree with some of the stuff that they do, but I've also had to realize that they're a business. The United States is a business. And as a business owner, I recognize business when I see some of the decisions that they make that I necessarily don't agree with. I've also had to learn the rules. I've also had to learn who make what decisions. And the people that I was mad at, I was mad at all the wrong people because I didn't realize they did not hold the power that I thought they held.

Therefore, learning the rules of the game can help you become extremely powerful. Now what makes me different from everybody else is because I live this life. I actually contract with the government. I am getting down and dirty, and I am going through some of the same things the people that look like me go through and some of the same struggles that other people had to go through to even try to get to know this customer. And what also makes me different is that I'm very honest and authentic. And so I am not the one for you to come to and be like, hey. I wanna work with the government. I just wanna make a lot of money. I'm not your mentor. I'm not your coach.

Working with the government is not about you making a lot of money. Working with the government is about you solving a problem for them. And part of our problem is we tend to say the wrong things out of our mouths. If you come to me and you say, oh, they get seven hundred and ten billion dollars a year, I want at least a hundred billion of it. I'm not your mentor because I don't want you to think you gotta go after the whole pie. I want you to learn how to get a piece of the pie. If I get less than one percent of the seven billion budget, I'm my life is still changed.

And so, again, I think it's it's very important for us to be careful who we allow to help us get to that next level because some people can't help you actually get to the next level. Some people are helping you stay in stuck because, to be honest with you, in the entrepreneur world, we see everybody as competition. I don't see everybody as competition because I work with the number one customer in the world. Their money is unlimited. There is no competition. I'm gonna get paid regardless of if you're getting paid, I'm getting paid, or if a million other people was doing what I'm doing, we still gonna all get paid. And so I think it's a little bit different for me because I really understand this customer. I've really studied this customer.

My life has really changed by this customer, and I'm still struggling with this with working with this customer to this day. Because that's another thing. There's a misconcept out there that, oh, it's easy to work with them, or you can get whatever you want from them. Oh, go work with the federal government. I hate the federal government. Okay? I'm just gonna tell you that right now. Those are the big boys. I tell people they play nasty. Alright? And a lot of times people don't understand the government is a male dominated industry. When I go to places, when I go to the networking events, when I go to the opportunities that can give me another opportunity, I'm the only one that look like me. And most of the time, I'm the only woman.

And so I'm coming into these male dominated industries where I gotta get my stuff together real quick, or they're gonna run me up out of there. And so these are the real life struggles that I'm still dealing with even after a decade of working with the my favorite customer. I just had to learn the rules of the game. And and while everybody out there is trying to run out the federal, I'm playing in my local and state lane because that's where I feel safe, and that's where they know me, and that's where they love me, and that's where I can make the most impact. So again, what makes me different is just the way that I do things. I move differently. But you gotta remember, I was instilled in things when I was younger. My character, my integrity, the way that I treat people, those things was instilled to me when I was younger.

So it doesn't matter how much money the government have, I am not going to let them control me. I am not going to let them make me do things that I don't wanna do, and I am not gonna let anybody to persuade me or to change who I am. And so I don't have to chase money. Because when I think about the government, they tell you where it's going and who it's going to. I don't have to chase the money. I just have to realize that the people that I'm working with are actual people that I can solve a problem for. And that's just what makes me different.

Gresham Harkless 10:10

Nice. I absolutely love that. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. This could be like an Apple book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Latasha Brooks 10:21

For me, it is being in a safe community. And so when I had to build my own communities, okay? And, unfortunately, even up until last year, I had this realization, and I had been investing a lot of money into a lot of people because I got sucked up into that social media marketing world or that lifestyle people were selling. And so I had all these people make me all these promises that they really could not keep. And so prior to that, I had already had my communities, but I didn't realize how safe my communities were. And I didn't realize how powerful the impact I was making on people because I didn't know what was already out there.

And so once you start I always tell people you appreciate the good once you go through the bad. And so once I started joining some of these other communities and I realized what was out there, I appreciated my community more, and they appreciated me more because they had to go through some things. But having that safe community, we learn so much from each other. Just knowing that you're not the only one going through some stuff, just knowing that somebody might have a resource that can help you and can save you time and save you money.

And just knowing that you got a place that you can show up and ask questions and go to networking events together or to help you prep or to get on a Zoom to make sure you're ready for an interview or to look at your resume or look at your capability statement. Just knowing you have a safe space that's not about the money, that's not about taking advantage of people, that's just a good space is game changing. Because I tell my mentees, although I'm the coach and I'm the mentor, I need them just as much as they need me. They help me be more consistent. I gotta show up even when I don't wanna show up. Because I got people relying on me. They help me be more transparent and honest and authentic because I'm like, these people are not gonna learn if they don't know it's happening to real humans. It's not just stuff you're seeing on television.

And then I help them in so many ways that I just didn't even realize how much I helped them. So for me, the CEO hack is having a safe space where I can just be me, and I can still change lives and keep my assignment going, but also still get paid for doing it. Because I am serving, but serving doesn't necessarily mean you gotta do it for free.

Gresham Harkless 12:45

Yes. I absolutely love that. And would you consider that to be what I like to call your CEO nugget? A little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you happen to a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Latasha Brooks 12:57

Absolutely. Absolutely. If we just take the time to apply. Think about it. A lot of people during COVID time, we went and got a whole bunch of knowledge. You're just sitting on all of this knowledge, and you have yet to take time to actually implement the things that you learn. It's because you don't trust yourself that you can do it or you don't realize that you have the power to do it or you already have the skill set to do it, you just need to implement it. A lot of our problems is implementation. That holds us back, that self doubt. It holds us back so bad.

My husband cannot stand it when a package come in the mail, and I won't put it together. I already doubt myself that I ain't gonna understand the tools that I'm gonna need to put it together. I'm a put it together backwards, and all you told me is just try. Baby, if you try, now if you get stuck, reach out and ask for help. I got you. I ain't gonna let you fall. But you don't even try. I don't. I don't even try because I've already convinced myself that I can't do it. I'm not a handy girl. I know nothing about the tools. But when something comes in the mail, nine times out of ten, it comes with instructions. Nine times out of ten, it comes with pictures. It comes with words.

And now in 2024, it's coming with videos that you can scan the QR code, and it's gonna show you with the like, it life has changed. So you take some of those things that you've learned in the past and apply it to what's going on now, you're a little bit more powerful than what you think you are.

Gresham Harkless 14:27

Yeah. That ends up being a really powerful statement. So I wanna ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So, Latasha, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Latasha Brooks 14:40

Oh my god. Being a CEO is hard, okay? And so for me, it is especially because I have many CEOs. I have little CEOs. I have a sixteen year old CEO, and I have a two year old CEO. I have a ten year old CEO. And so for me being a CEO, you have to be a good influencer and a good leader because there are people that is always watching you. And there is people that look up to you. There's people who wanna be like you. There's people who wanna hit the milestones that you hit.

And so you have to make good decisions, and you have to know you always got eyes on you. So you just have to be a good leader. And so for me, that it's just all about leadership. Being a CEO is just being a good leader. Coming with that title, CEO, that some of us give ourselves, what we earn, just know that it comes with a a large responsibility of leadership. And so but I take on the challenge.

Gresham H

IAM2240 – The Power of Franchising in Business Growth

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 06:16:20 -0400

Gresham Harkless introduces the franchising concept, exploring its potential as a business model.

He covers the history of franchising, noting its origins in the Middle Ages and its evolution into a formal business model in the 19th century with Isaac Singer's sewing machines.

Gresham highlights the “golden age” of franchising in the 1950s with the success stories of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts.

Gresham emphasizes that franchising offers a structured business system that includes branding, operations, and marketing, which can be advantageous for individuals seeking a proven model rather than starting from scratch.

Gresham explains impressive statistics about franchising's success rates compared to independent startups and the trade-offs.

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Transcription:

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

Intro 00:01

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:28

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I'm super excited to share with you a special episode of the I AM CEO Podcast.

And we're going to talk about something that we've kind of flirted with, and we've had a little bit of information and conversation about which is franchising.

Franchising is kind of a niche within entrepreneurship, and I think sometimes it might be a really great route for people, which is why we're exploring this a little bit more in this episode.

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Gonna touch on it a little bit, but I'm hoping to work on some things that can hopefully help people to learn more about franchising, learn more about options, and maybe even be able to connect people with the opportunity to be franchisors as well, too.

But for this episode, I just really want to delve down, not even deep. I'm just going to stay in this shallow end around franchising because it could be something that could be a really great fit for people.

So today I hope to go a little bit more into what franchising is, where and how it's impacting the business community.

And then maybe just explore a little bit like what it might look like if you're interested, and go a little bit more in there.

But my goal with this is really to give you a little bit more idea of what franchising is.

The more I started to read and understand about it, I realized how much it is literally around everything that we're doing, whether we're going to rent cars or we're going to get a hamburger or potentially even get our carpets clean.

Franchising can literally be within these organizations and we often don't know because of the brand and because there in so many different places that it is actually a franchise.

So it's something that I've learned a little bit more about and hope to delve down a little bit deeper in.

But to truly understand what franchising is, we actually need to, like, rewind the clock. Like I usually say.

That actually comes back from the middle ages, apparently, where landowners used to gain and grant certain rights to others to sell goods or operate their business under their protection.

But pretty much the word franchise in and what we know from a modern standpoint actually began in the 19th century under someone named Isaac Singer, the inventor of the singer sewing machine.

And singer didn't have the capital to actually manufacture and sell his machines nationwide, so he allowed others to buy the rights to sell them.

And that was the birth of the idea of a franchise. And it's really more of, I think, a business model.

And I'm going to learn a lot more about, like, what that is and what that looks like. But we fast forward to the 1950s.

We're talking about the quote-unquote golden age of franchising, where we're talking about McDonald's Dunkin Donuts on how all these successful businesses were able to scale out their operations because of franchising.

And if you haven't checked out the Netflix documentary, it talks a lot around that and starts to really kind of delve down a little bit deeper. And it's called the founder.

So if you haven't checked out the founder, make sure you add that to the list. I'll have a link in the show notes as well, too.

But it goes beyond just selling a product. It actually is a complete business system. Branding, operations, marketing, training, all those things are incorporated in these systems.

So when people are looking to invest in franchises, they're not investing in just the product, they're investing in the actual system to be able to operate that.

So sometimes, for a lot of people, I don't want to say they're not entrepreneurs, that they are.

I think the people that are a little bit more maybe trailblazing, might want to create all of that themselves, whereas somebody might just want to create that generational wealth and ownership and opportunity, and might explore it from that standpoint.

So in the late 20th century, it exploded into various industries, including food, retail, retail, services, and really a different way, I think, to operate business.

So now, going back a little bit, and I'm going to delve down deeper, hopefully in further episodes about that.

According to the International Franchise association, there are over 780,000 franchise establishments in the US alone. Contributes over 787 billion to the economy.

And some of the biggest names we know, of course, are your McDonald's, your subways, even Marriotts are. They're all franchise based business.

And it isn't just limited to the fast food or retail. Talking about fitness, healthcare, education, home services, there's a huge range of what is under that business model.

But I think one of the big things around is franchising, right. For an individual really comes down to the individual.

I don't think even when I started my business, I didn't think I was necessarily a great fit for franchise because I wanted to literally build everything.

I wanted to do all the things, I wanted to learn all the things. And I think that one thing that that does is that route allows you to really like learn more about what it looks like to run a business, what all the aspects are.

And sometimes when you go through that process, you realize you don't want to do that again.

But sometimes that is, what is that entrepreneurial spirit that you ultimately want? But for others that may want more of a repeatable process that they can execute, still kind of deal with some of the things that are happening within business, or potentially don't want to go at it completely alone.

This is where franchising, I think, ends up being like a really great. So 90% of franchise businesses report profitability.

But a lot of it depends on the business that you are investing in, whereas 15% of new independent startups don't make it past the first year.

So again, you're just trying to increase your likelihood of success. But of course, with that likelihood of success, there are trade offs.

You have to follow the franchisor's rules and systems closely. You're buying into a brand in their playbook, not creating everything from your own scratch, from scratch.

And you also need to invest upfront fees, which is usually a lot more sizable than sometimes going the startup route.

So if it's something you know that you're ultimately thinking about, look for us creating more and more content around there.

I just wanted to kind of give you a little bit more of an idea of like some of the things, maybe even another site that we're going to launch and some of that information there.

But this is Gresh signing out. If that's something that you are doing or looking more into doing, definitely check out some of the things that we're going to have kind of rolling out from there.

So this is Gresh signing out. Maybe franchising is something that's for you, maybe it's not. Either way, we want to help to increase the business success rate.

So I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day. Let us know how we can help.

Outro 06:32

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and everywhere you listen to podcasts, subscribe and leave us a five-star rating.

This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

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The post IAM2240 – The Power of Franchising in Business Growth appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2239 – Overcome Challenges You Face and Achieve Greater Success in Your Careers

Sun, 29 Sep 2024 06:16:28 -0400

Gresh discusses the importance of building a media company and the eight business pillars.

Gresh asks the question, “What would you do if you couldn't fail?” This question deals with failure, fear, limitations, and requires a different approach to operating.

A can't fail mindset is powerful for entrepreneurs and business owners, as it helps break free from the fear of failure. Fear is a significant obstacle for entrepreneurs, as it can lead to failure, judgment, or even potential loss.

By adopting a can't fail mindset, individuals can break free from the fear of failure and achieve more in their lives.

By focusing on these pillars and embracing a can-fail mindset, individuals can overcome the challenges they face and achieve greater success in their careers.

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!

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 I wanted to share with you one of the episodes that I was a guest on for someone else's podcast. I always talk about how important it is to build a media company.

One of the next best things you could do is be on somebody else's media company. So I had the pleasure of being a guest on this podcast and I wanted to share a little snippet with you because it would help support the eight business pillars we've really been trying to focus on with a lot more of our content and a lot more of the solo episodes that I'm doing.

So make sure, of course, that you subscribe to our podcast. But of course, you take some time out, check out the show notes and subscribe to the podcast that I've been featured on as well, too. And get to learn about some of those eight business pillars and how you can continue to kind of leverage and build that up so you can go from builder to architect to,
of course, rock star and luminary.

So this is Gresh signing out. I hope you enjoy this. I AM CEO special episode.

Gresh 00:53

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh here and I'm here to share with you a special episode and really what I want to do today is kind of ask you one of the questions that I think I heard at the very beginning of my entrepreneurial journey but honestly have not asked myself this as often.

And I think it's
one of those things that deals with failure, deals with fear, deals with limitations, and really requires us to look at how we're operating in a completely different way.

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And that question is, what would you do if you couldn't fail? So just imagine for yourself that you're operating without that fear of failure, without that what is going to happen,
or that it's raining and it's pouring, or that I failed last time, time.

So I'm gonna fail again. What would you be able to do? What would you be able to accomplish? What would you be able to do as an impact if you were able to operate in a completely different way?

And so one of the reasons that I really wanted to delve down deep into this adopting a can't fail mindset is because it's so powerful for entrepreneurs and business owners.

And as you start to go through,
especially if you're trailblazing, you're trying things that are new you're trying things that are outside of the path and maybe you're getting a lot of no's you're getting a lot of that's not a good idea of that's not going to happen.

Or you're really just setting yourself up for failure or I don't want to see you fail so that's why I'm telling you that that's not going to work so whatever you might hear one of the
things that I really want you to kind of consume and really understand and start to ask yourself is what would you do if you wouldn't fail.

If you couldn't fail, if you knew that you were not going to fail.
And one of the things that it does, and I'm going to go over five different things is it helps you to break out of this fear of failure. Fear is one of the biggest roadblocks for entrepreneurs and honestly people in general that could be failure,
failure, judgment, or even potentially losing money. And when you start to operate like you can't fail, that you won't fail, it removes that fear and opens you up to the opportunity to really take bold decisive action.

You really know what you want to be and want to do and often I feel like you already have an idea of that. But when you start to think about like what's going to go wrong, then sometimes that puts you in that spirit and that place of being caught up in fear.

So when you want to have and take that bold action, sometimes is saying that this is what I'm going to do. You try to minimize risk, don't get me wrong, and I'll touch on that a little bit later, but you understand that that is such a big aspect of what you're trying to do.

You ultimately start taking risks that lead to true breakthroughs, stepping outside of your comfort zone. You're not going to be spending as much time going through emails,
finding out why things are working or they're not working.

You're going to start operating in a very, very different place. You're going to start doing the things that are sometimes uncomfortable. Sometimes they are scary, but they're going to help you move the things forward.

So when fear isn't holding you back, you start to move faster, trying things you wouldn't normally do, and that's truly where that transformation ultimately happens.

So number one, you're going to break free of failure. Number two, you're going to start expanding your vision of what is ultimately possible. Without that fear, your vision expands beyond limits, beyond the limits that sometimes you even think that they could be.

You don't think small as much. You start focusing on what you really want to create. It's not so much about thinking limitless, but it's really thinking about what do I want to accomplish? And then you start to kind of put the pen to the pad.

You start to roll up your sleeves and do the thing that you ultimately want to do. You start to focus more on creating rather than on your limits. And that's really where that transformation happens. That could be within an industry. It could be within your organization organization or company that you're building.

It could be global. But the ultimate thing I think that it ends up doing is you start to create a lasting legacy, something that lives beyond, you know, who we are and what we see.

And that's when really phenomenal things start to happen. And so big visions often lead to action. And that action is usually big and bold. When failure isn't a possibility, you're willing to go all in,
you're putting of the chips to the table and you're making that happen.

And one of the things that I want to kind of hammer home and I'm going to go a little bit more into this a little bit later on number five is it doesn't necessarily mean that going all in is literally putting everything up.

It doesn't mean that you're putting the house, the kids, the dog, all the things up at the poker table per se. It means that you're actually fully bought into what this looks like and what that vision is.

And sometimes we get more attached to the how than the why. We know why we want to do the thing and we say we have to do it this way, but when you're going all in, you're starting to understand that maybe you're just putting one poker chip there to test it out.

And then if it works, you're going to put two. I think going all in doesn't necessarily mean that you are pushing everything in on one thing. It means that you're really set up for the journey of what you're going to do.

So by thinking that you can't fail, you allow yourself to pursue opportunities that seem unreachable and that leads to ultimately incredible growth. And that's one of the biggest things.

Number three, you start to unlock innovation. Innovation thrives when failure isn't a concern. You're free to ultimately experiment and push boundaries. And that's why I said sometimes you put that poker chip there and it's just a one poker chip because what you're going to do is you're going to start to experiment more.

You're going to have that levity with with everything that you're doing, you're gonna be okay with quote unquote failing, making mistakes, things not going well because you're fully bought in on this vision that you have, the why that you have.

And without fear of getting it wrong, you're more willing to try new products or services and even business models. Doesn't mean that you're gonna hit on everything, but it means that even if you don't hit, you know you're going to succeed.

So you're okay with pivoting, you're okay with going to the next thing. You're okay with those learning lessons. This ultimate mindset can lead you to true breakthroughs that not only grow your business but also disrupt entire industries if you allow it to.

So I want you to imagine that you can create what you can create if every risk you took moved you closer to success. And I really want to hammer that home because I listened to a book or watched and read a book.
I believe I watched a summary of that book.

I talked a lot around understanding like what it takes to reach success. So let's just picture that you have to do a hundred calls to get one sale.
So when you start to have that understanding of what that looks like, you're more than welcome to understand that you're going to try to get as quickly through these hundred calls so that you can get to that one sale.

So that also means that that one sale, if it's worth $100, is not necessarily hundred dollars. Every no, every experiment, everything that doesn't go the way that you wanted to go is worth a dollar.

So when you start to add it up, when you do that first call and the person says, no, I'm not interested. That's one dollar. The second person hangs up before you even get the chance to get anything out. That's two dollars.

You start to add that up and that equals the hundred dollars. So we start to really think that that happens because you do the one thing, you make the one sale. But in reality, it's the hundred of experiments,
the thing that you did over and over again that actually adds up to that success.

So it's definitely a change in mindset, but once you start to operate from that level, it allows you to be open to experimentation and to trying things out and to getting closer and closer to ultimately where you wanna be.

And you ultimately get to build a fearless culture. As a leader, your mindset affects your team, but it also affects your environment, Whether you're showing up as a dad, a mom, a brother, a sister,
whatever that might be as a teacher, whatever that might be.

When you're starting to do that, it allows you to create that fearless culture of people trying things, of people taking leaps and steps and not asking for permission all the time to do all those things.

You want to really create an empowered culture for your organization, for the people that are within the organization so that they can take risks, they can innovate, and they can think creatively about how they want things to happen.

This allows you to lead them to faster problem -solving,
higher engagement in a company that's constantly growing and improving. They start to realize that, “Hey, we can let you do anything and everything, and that is a phenomenal place to be.”

So when your team knows that they won't be penalized for mistakes,
they become more innovative, and that's where the ultimate magic happens. And the last thing that you want to try to keep in mind is taking massive action does include taking calculated risks.

That's number five. The mindset is not ultimately about being reckless. It's about taking calculated risk with confidence. The idea of what you would do if because you know you won't fail doesn't mean that you are not going to make mistakes.

It doesn't mean that you put it all on a red or you put it all on black. What it means is that I know that I'm going to succeed. So even as I go through this journey, each step along this journey may not go the way that I wanted to go,
but I know how it's going to end.

And when you have that confidence, and when you take that calculated risk and that calculated action, you know that step by step by step is going to get you closer and closer to where you want to be.

You know that you're not going to literally throw everything recklessly against whatever your vision or your goal is or it shouldn't even be that it's really your how you're not going to put everything into your how that what that how is without understanding if it's going to help you to get closer to what your vision is.

So those two things kind of go hand -in -hand and you are able to Take calculated risk in such a way that allows you to increase your likelihood of success because you know you're going to succeed.

So, why not be open to the experimentation and to making the mistakes and how things could ultimately go.
So, when you start making bold decisions, which could be everything from entering new markets, new products and services, investing in growth, hiring key players, it allows you to open up the decks to what that can ultimately look like.

And as you take that calculated action, you start to understand that when you enter into new markets. It doesn't necessarily mean that you get rid of all the markets you're in.

It means that maybe you test that out within a certain percentage of the time that you're putting into that or maybe you're investing in some type of growth or you're hiring this person and you put them on a project rather than on the entire most important aspect of your business.

So you just start to look strategically at how that happens, how you can continue to take those steps because you know you're ultimately going to succeed.

But you just may not know necessarily how you're going to succeed and that's why you want to take those Calculated bets because if you hire that person and that person is not the key person well,
you don't want to Be so attached to the wrong person for wherever it is that's going to take your organization to another level.

You want to make sure that you are open to the how changing but you're why the success you're going to have is not going to change So these decisions are ultimately those that drive real growth,
but they may feel or often make us feel intimidated because we have fear along the way.

And one of the big things is that those that achieve success and achieve ultimately where we want to be are not without fear.
They have the fear. They just do a lot of these things. They operate in a different way so that they can achieve that success, but it's not as if they don't feel fear.

They just have the confidence, the supreme confidence often,
that they're going to reach that success. So when failure is not an option, you're free to take these actions knowing that they will bring you closer and closer to success. That's one of the biggest things. So just to close everything out,
operating like you can't fail, removes fear, expands your vision, unlocks innovation, builds a fearless culture and leads you to bold action. Even though failure is part of the journey.

Adopting this mindset creates momentum that is truly truly truly unstoppable. So if you want to take your business to the next level, stop operating like failure isn't an option because that's where true transformation happens.

And of course, if you want to listen to more and more of these snippets, check out our Netflix for business. We're going to be taking snippets from all of our content, the 6000 blog post the 1500,
1600 podcast interviews, the 600 plus video interviews, and we're starting to make them bite-sized so that you can get nuggets like this that can help you go to an entirely different level.

So I'm super excited about this. I'm so excited about the massive action that you're going to take in your business and in your life. And if you need anything, definitely let me know. This is Gresh signing out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Outro 13:17

Hello, hello. This is Gresh again, and I hope you enjoyed that special episode of the I AM CEO podcast of just like I mentioned in the beginning, we're really trying to laser focus on these eight pillars to 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 and definitely please check out the show notes so you can learn more about the pillar, learn more about the person that I guessed it on on their episode and of course learn a little bit more about us as well too.
This is Gresh Signing Out. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

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The post IAM2239 – Overcome Challenges You Face and Achieve Greater Success in Your Careers appeared first on I AM CEO Podcast.

IAM2238 – Focusing on Building Relationships, Generating Sales, and Scalability for Business Longevity

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 06:16:23 -0400

In this episode, Gresham Harkless explains the necessity of market research before launching new initiatives and the importance of messaging strategies.

He discusses the importance of conserving energy, and preventing burnout, and shares the morning routine and its evolution over time.

Gresham highlights the significance of building habits, their impact on success, and the importance of hydration and energy management for entrepreneurs.

Business Pillar: Operations / Human

Podcast link: boost-your-visibility-and-resources-b2b-strategies-for-ceos-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-w-gresham

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!

Transcription:

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

Intro 00:01

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Dr. Lunide Louis 00:28

You're working with B2B. And so why is that important for longevity of a business life?

Gresham Harkless 00:35

Yeah, I think that and I feel like most people that are those entrepreneurs and then going on that journey, because it is definitely a journey, you have a place that you want to try to go to.

And I think that I've learned and seen that goal and where do you want to go to always kind of depends on the person.

And I think one of the most powerful things is that you get the opportunity to decide for yourself and for your organization, exactly where you want to go as an organization.

But often that where scalability comes up, you're trying to figure out how can you potentially leverage the opportunity to do what you always wanted to do, which is make a bigger impact to more people, whether you're a person that's creating the latest widget to a person that is maybe, the local business owner that's trying to reach more and more people.

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So the beauty of, I think everything that we're seeing now with technology and the internet and especially marketing and advertising in so many different ways is you have the opportunity to kind of replicate yourself in many different ways.

You can be visible when you're sleeping, when you're eating, when you're doing all the things where you aren't able to quote-unquote, like promote your business, for example.

So I think when we're talking about scalability is so important because we have so many different tools at our fingertips.

But a lot of what I do is really try to kind of reverse engineer for lack of a better term so people can understand. These are the tools. I like to call them ingredients to the recipe to your success.

So if scalability is a big part of your recipe, then you want to figure out what ingredients and tools are going to help you to scale to the people that can, you can help make an impact with as much as possible.

So that's a lot of like the opportunity that's there. And I think the gift and sometimes the curse as well too, is that there's not necessarily one size fits all when we're talking about scalability.

But there's usually different practices, principles and things that you can implement to have a more scalable brand and business.

Dr. Lunide Louis 02:26

And that visibility, getting in front of the right people, the front of the right corporations.

And I think about the big companies, Pepsi, McDonald's, when they started out, it was a different era, right?

It was a different time of age. The marketing tactics were different. There was a lot of TV ads.

Let's talk about how the game has changed and how today is it easier or is it a little j- is it congested with social media making it seem so accessible?

Gresham Harkless 02:57

Yeah, funny enough, it's a mix of a little bit of both. And, there's this word that everybody sometimes loves when you know it and hates when you don't know it, which is algorithm.

So just about every different social media platform, SEO, Google, they have their algorithms of how they try to feed what they think is relevant to you.

So I think what's happening is that there is definitely more and more content, more and more things.

So it's making the world a lot noisier, but on the flip side, these tech companies, what they're doing is they're leveraging algorithms a lot of times to help to kind of reach their goals from a business standpoint, but also to feed to the people that they're trying to serve exactly what they're looking for.

So like if you log in, you have the same exact friends as somebody else, you log into your Facebook, you're going to see a different set of posts and feeds than somebody else would.

And that's basically related to that algorithm. So I think it's a combination of both where it definitely is noisier.

But I think it also is a great opportunity because if you are able to truly understand who you're targeting, truly understand how to serve them.

Then you get the opportunity to really kind of cut through that noise and really be a brand and an organization that people could stand behind.

Dr. Lunide Louis 04:13

Yeah, you know how to penetrate through directly to the individuals. First kind of like ads with TV ads, you kind of spray the water and hopefully it lands on someone type of thing.

With this, it's more niche, it's more direct to them. And to do that, the messaging has to be right. Let's talk about the messaging and how do we get clarity on that?

Gresham Harkless 04:33

Yeah, absolutely. And it's so funny. I love what you said before we hopped on and you said it's definitely going to be like a conversation.

And I think that when we think of all the things that we're doing, the, the TikToks, the Instagrams, the LinkedIn's, the fate, all these different ways that we could communicate on our blog and podcasts and just there's so many different ways.

But I think if we get down to talking about messaging and maybe even simplifying it enough to say it's a conversation.

And a lot of times people have considered your brand to be a promise. And when you start to look at your brand, what you do and how you do it as a promise, it starts to humanize it.

But I think it also helps it to be more of a conversation. So of course, each of these different social media platforms, each of the different ways that you can market your business has their own nuances, their best practices, tips and tidbits.

But I think if we can kind of demystify it and understand and look at it more as a conversation, I think that's always going to set ourselves up for success.

And it's going to help us to distinguish ourselves and our voice so that we can ultimately have that conversation and hopefully get those clients and customers.

Dr. Lunide Louis 05:39

Yeah, it's like getting in the conversation that's happening in their heads, right? Being able to find out what that pinpoint is and identify how crucial is that to do it on set on in the beginning that market research piece of it to actually get that problem before you begin creating a solution.

Gresham Harkless 05:59

Yeah, Absolutely. And I always kind of butcher the quote, but there is a quote, I think it was by Abraham Lincoln or something is that if I was trying to cut something, I would measure 7 times before I cut once.

And I think that gets back to that market research and understanding that sometimes the most impactful thing you could do is before you hop into whatever it is that you're doing.

And a lot of times when I give a talk and I feel like I say everybody is in the media business, you are a media company, you should approach it that way.

And I kind of analogize that to go into the grocery store to figure out what's the dish that you want to make.

And you figure out what those ingredients are that you're going to put into your cart. A lot of times the most impactful thing you can do is before you go to the grocery store, it's before you hop on whatever new platform there is before you start to figure out, should I start a blog or a podcast or whatever that might be?

Because it's going to help you to make the strategic decisions that filter through the things that you should do or shouldn't do because you know that your target market isn't there, or you know that your target market might dislike that platform tremendously.

So you start to be a lot more strategic and it's just going to drill down when you're having those conversations, the messaging.

So I think it's so overlooked and such a big misconception that you don't do the market research because it's only going to set you up for success. So you don't have to cut over and over and over again.

Dr. Lunide Louis 07:21

Yeah, absolutely. Because just cause the platforms are available doesn't mean you should hop on it because it may not be your avatar is not hanging out there or doesn't care for it much.

Like, so you may just be killing it on IG and not so much Facebook and that's okay. There's a need to get on all platforms because that's where people are. Let's reach the masses.

And that's a misconception that really does eat away at your time and energy. So let's talk about energy in terms of as in the bub as a business owner.

You have a got to automate delegate there's another one. There's a third one, but you conserving your energy and your time, cause you have your time is money at this at this point.

Gresham Harkless 08:00

Yeah, absolutely And it's so huge to be able to do that. I think one of the things that I tell myself over and over again, and you can hear that so many times from people that I've even had on my show, that burnout is real.

And a lot of times that happens because you aren't filling up your cup. You're putting your oxygen mask on first.

You aren't doing these things to make sure that you are able to lead. You are able to make the impact.

And sometimes we can, especially because entrepreneur people, I think are so much givers and they want to give of everything that they can to be able to help impact people that we have to make sure that we are, replenishing our energy, mental, physical, emotional.

There's just so many different things that you can do. But I think that that's why, I love everything that you're doing because it brings the highlights of like how important that is, especially in the beginning of the day, to make sure you are filling up your cup because you know you are gonna be giving so much of yourself.

And I think if we don't prioritize that or realize that that is something that is not negotiable, it's a have to, it's a priority, it's a requirement, then we're just going to not realize that we can't run the marathon that we're ultimately setting out to run.

Dr. Lunide Louis 09:08

You will not fail, you will not survive. You know how they say 95% of small businesses don't survive. 95% of entrepreneurs don't survive if they don't have these disciplines or they don't have a morning routine, something to actually feed themselves, as you say, right?

Fill your cup so that you can kind of pour out on not just your team, but the partners, the clients, the people that you're working with.

So it's really necessary for your business to thrive. So I'm curious to get a little more personal. Let's find out about yours. How do you get up, dress up and show up? What's your morning routine like?

Gresham Harkless 09:41

Yeah, absolutely. So for me, my alarm clock usually goes out, it goes off at about 4.45 now.

And I usually get up and I start out by reading my Bible. I brush my teeth to do all the things, but I start out by reading my Bible.

And then I have my dog. So I end up taking my dog out usually 30 to 45 minutes.

Often I'm also listening to a Bible sermon or something along those lines, but related to the Bible verse that I read, I come back in, usually I try to get a workout in super quick workout just to kind of get me going.

And then from there, I have a morning meeting with my wife. I'm usually drinking like a shake or something like that.

And then, I wake up our son and then, go and take him to school and do all the things.

And then I come back and I'm ready to kind of go for the day. But that's what it is now, but I'm always kind of tweaking it and changing.

I'm always listening to podcasts like yours and saying, OK, maybe I want to try to incorporate that.

And I think the the thing that I've loved most and, learn so much about my morning routine is that It doesn't have to be set in stone.

I get to experiment. I get to try out different things. And sometimes,there's a season for everything.

So sometimes that season is not for me to do this specific thing. And that's okay.

So I think when I've given myself the kind of levity and permission to change, adjust and improve, That's when it's gotten for me to be a lot more exciting.

Dr. Lunide Louis 11:04

Yeah, definitely have to have grace. It's just like the journey, the entrepreneurial journey.

So does your morning routine will change depending on the season? And I'm sure it was different for you when your son was younger, a newborn.

So it varies as depending on what's going on in your life. So I like that you highlighted the need to be graceful so that you can be better at it and get better.

But you don't stop. You just tweak one thing here and there to make it happen.

For your naturally early riser then, almost 4:45.

Gresham Harkless 11:38

I'm not this is something that and that's part of the journey as well. So like, I started to realize that, the more family gets older and things like that, I realize how much I can get done probably in the morning.

I'm definitely more of a night owl, but I've been able to kind of gradually adjust.

And that in and of itself has been a process because it didn't just happen where I said, okay, let me get up at 4.

It was like 5 minutes, then I would hit the alarm, I would sleep a little bit more. And then, you just start to gradually do that week by week by week.

And then now I'm at 4:45. So hopefully next time we talk, I'll be even earlier.

Dr. Lunide Louis 12:12

The principle of setting up habits, and you just highlighted It's starting small, starting small and rewarding yourself along the way for the small wins, the small gradual progress that we made.

That goes a long way. Before you know it, a new habit is built. Habits are powerful.

We have them. We have morning routines, whether we intentionally set them or not, right?

We have habits, our brain puts them in place so that they can solve a problem for us.

So if you wanna break a habit, you need to replace it. It's not so much break it because it's solving a problem and that when I found that out it was just like oh, this is just powerful.

We're going about it all wrong yeah any you're feeding your soul you got the spiritual going on in there.

How are you hydrating? I know people say glass of water first thing in the morning to kind of replenish, detox first thing in the morning. Is that something you partake in?

Gresham Harkless 13:10

So I do a little bit, but if you can see, I have this huge gallon of water as well too. So I try to drink that in, within the day, especially from working out and doing all those things.

So I do try to make sure that I am gradually hydrating, as much as possible, because I know how important, getting your intake of water is, to your overall health.

So it's not something I necessarily have set in stone, but I do have this big, huge jug, the gallon jug that I'm, I know that, okay, if it's a little bit heavy now, I'm a little bit behind time.

So let me try to get more water into my day and my body.

Dr. Lunide Louis 13:44

Yeah. Why is it important that we keep our energy up to mom. We stay up. Why is that important as an entrepreneur?

Gresham Harkless 13:50

I appreciate you asking that so much because a lot of what happened to me like in the very beginning when I first started my business, which is about 10 years ago, I was super excited, had all the energy I wanted to take over the world, but I didn't fill up my cup.

So one thing I didn't do was I didn't eat breakfast. I didn't drink enough water and I often would skip lunch.

So usually around 2 or 03:00, I would start to get headaches largely because I didn't have anything for my body to kind of pull from.

So I started to really adjust a lot of things for me and starting to get that energy early on, paying attention to what I'm eating, eating, eating at all was important.

So for me, one of the biggest things was making sure I get my morning shake largely because I didn't do that before.

And then even to this day, I still have lunch blocked out on my calendar because that's a reminder that you need to eat.

And I know the kind of the pitfalls of not doing that. So it's a great reminder for me.

And I definitely see as night and day, just my energy, just me being able to kind of work out, later on, all that is a result of me kind of doing those things early on. So I've seen the benefits of doing it.

Dr. Lunide Louis 14:57

Yeah, I agree 100% because we get so caught up because work never stop as an entrepreneur, right?

It doesn't end. Our brain doesn't shut off. We have to intentionally take the ti

IAM2237 – Business Consultant Helps Clients with a Process-Centric Approach to Business Success

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:16:25 -0400

Garrett Delph, the founder and Chief Clarity Officer of Clarity Ops, LLC, is a seasoned entrepreneur who has built and scaled multiple successful international businesses, collectively generating over $40 million in revenue.

Garrett started his career in corporate America, following the traditional path of obtaining a college degree and climbing the corporate ladder.

His first business was a swim school that grew to include multiple facilities and a water safety education program sold to school districts.

Garrett emphasizes that many businesses fail due to a lack of solid processes, not necessarily due to product-market fit or people issues.

Garrett emphasizes converting complex strategies into simple, actionable steps. Clarity Ops aims to reduce the complexity businesses face by offering pre-built tools.

Website: Clarity Ops

LinkedIn: Garrett Delph

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!

Transcription:

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

Garrett Delph Teaser 00:00

But what I consistently found missing in terms of finding tools in the market to achieve goals was the how, like how do you go do it?

And everywhere I looked, I couldn't find recipes or frameworks that actually had embedded process.

Intro 00:19

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:47

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have an awesome guest on the show today, I have Garrett Delph. Garrett, excited to have you on the show.

Garrett Delph 00:54

Hey, Gresham, great to be here. Thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless 00:57

Yes, I'm super excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing. And of course, before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Garrett.

Garrett so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Garrett stands at the forefront of business transformational solutions for the new generation of leaders.

He is the founder and chief clarity officer of Clarity Ops, LLC. A serial entrepreneur and results driven pacesetter, he has established a track record of founding three successful international businesses that have collectively generated over $40 million in revenue.

Garrett's new business, new generation business solutions are created for leaders who need faster, easier and more profitable play by play ways for scaling their business.

And before preparing for this, before this, I was preparing, and I read a little bit more about Garrett.

And he said his core strengths are in architecting finely tuned organizational cultures, developing management leaders, and driving business growth at scale.

And he said he believes in a people first environment where we lift up and empower one another through a unified commitment to doing the right thing operationally and culturally.

And I absolutely love all those things that Garrett's doing because I think, and I say often, we forget about the human part of business.

And so as he's so locked into all those things, and of course, he's going to help us on how we can better refine that. I'm super excited to have you on the show. Garrett, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Garrett Delph 02:18

I sure am, Gresham. Looking forward to it.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 02:20

Yes. Well, let's get it started then. So to kind of kick everything off, I know I touched on it a little bit, but let's rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

Garrett Delph 02:29

Yeah, how I got started. So I assume, Gresham, that's in relation to clarity ops or is that how I got started as an entrepreneur?

Gresham Harkless 02:37

I would love to hear from the beginning. And of course, let's hear into clarity ops, if we can hear the whole gamut.

Garrett Delph 02:42

Sure. So I was an accidental entrepreneur. I did kind of what I was taught growing up. You go to college, get a degree, go get a great job and work your way up the ladder, and that's what I did.

And I got just shy of about ten years into that journey and fell desperately out of love with corporate America. And it was just really frictionful against my values.

At the end of the day, at least, the companies I was working in, and I had some great experiences, but at the end of the day, I woke up one morning, I was like, I just, I think I got to do my own thing.

And, I didn't even know what that was going to be, by the way. I just knew I couldn't do that, working for other people. So cash in my 401(k). And that led me to a couple of little tiny startups.

I have a big aquatics background, so I started a swim school, and we ended up, ended up leasing several facilities throughout the county. Swim school or swimming pool facilities, wrote a curriculum, hired a bunch of instructors, and then we built a, to your back backyard swim program as well.

Did that for four years. It was great. Built a water safety education program in tandem with that, which we sold to the school districts.

That was really cool. Super fun. Along that journey, about three years in, I became fascinated with photography.

So I picked up a camera and started shooting photography. That turned into a ten year journey of shooting weddings professionally and building a national brand where we had five full time wedding photographers shooting about 300 weddings a year.

That was a really great experience. I learned a ton from there. In about 2005, the film died. In this world of cameras, everybody was shooting film and then digital showed up and we all ended up, the film labs closed down.

We all were forced to buy digital cameras. And suddenly, overnight, we became both the lab and the photography studio, which was very difficult.

So that led me to solve my own problem because I couldn't, it was too much. And as a result of solving that problem, I started my next business, which was shoot, edit, and we were the first global, Internet driven digital media lab for professional photographers.

That led me on a 17 and a half journey, a 17 and a half year journey of basically accidentally starting a tech company and figuring out how to serve professional photographers worldwide by transmitting data over the Internet at scale and learning how to serve a very unique persona, which is a professional wedding photographer who is a business person.

But they're mostly right brain creative and how do you do that? That led me then to also founding another international business, which was a back office service business to help businesses with their marketing, with their customer success, with their finance, with their it, et cetera, which then led me to ultimately exiting those businesses and starting clarity ops.

And now I'm here and really passionate about taking everything I learned about how to lead, build and grow businesses in a new way because the new generation is actually demanding a new path because what got them here will not get them into the future.

Gresham Harkless 06:40

Yeah, absolutely. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more and hear a little bit more on everything that you're doing now.

Could you take us through a little bit more on what you're doing, how you're making that impact and really serving the clients you work with?

Garrett Delph 06:51

Yeah, happy to. So one epiphany I had along my journey in scaling and building businesses, I think my, the largest business I grew, we had just over 250 employees serving the world.

And in scaling, when you're growth driven, I just, again, being an accidental entrepreneur and having not done that before, I really sought out to try to find tools to help us accomplish our goals, which was to scale, grow and profit.

And I couldn't find them. Like, there was a lot of really great resources for strategy, which is the what.

What do you do? But what I consistently found missing in terms of finding tools in the market to achieve goals was the how. Like how do you go do it?

And everywhere I looked, I couldn't find recipes or frameworks that actually had embedded process or guidelines for me just to follow step by step to get it done fast and sustainably.

And so I resorted to just building my own tools. Grushmudo. Kind of like what? Of course, not Amazon. I'm far from that. But here's what Amazon did. They disrupted the world with the Amazon platform.

But when they did that, there was nothing out there that was built for them to do it. So they had to invent their own tools.

And then 20 years later, Jasky says to Bezos, hey, we just built all of these amazing tools that none of the world has.

We should empower them with it. And AWS was born, right? And so basically clarity ops is sort of like that journey.

I built a suite platform of tools that are pre built, that are rooted in process. They're guidelines, instructions, wrapped in frameworks that business owners, especially owner operator business owners, don't have to reinvent.

They can lift and shift, plug them in and begin operating. And my big hypothesis is most businesses, we know, nine out of ten businesses fail.

Most businesses fail not because necessarily of product market fit being incorrect. Most don't fail because they couldn't hire great people.

They fail at the root because they didn't have process as the rebar to hold everything in place as they pursue growth.

And it's where you have breakdown of process that the business really begins to hurt and fall apart.

And that process integrates with culture, it integrates with activities, it integrates with core values, it integrates with output, all of these things.

And that's the big thing that clarity ops is doing, is we're taking process that is instruction full and then it plugs nicely into any organization where service is primarily their focus and people.

And helps them get up and going fast and then sustain that smooth ride because process governs while they pursue their goals.

Gresham Harkless 10:24

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I almost wonder if that's part of like your secret sauce could be for yourself, the business, or both, is for you to be able to see the forest for the trees, for lack of a better term, and understand that.

Because I think so many times when we're trying to understand what the real issue is, the underlying issue, we can sometimes jump into, oh, just the employee X or employee Y is malcontent.

They're just having issues. But if we start to really drill down, we start to see and understand, like how important the process system operations are.

Do you feel like that, being able to kind of understand that and of course be able to power people with that information as part of what sets you all apart and makes you unique.

Garrett Delph 11:04

Yeah, that is the big differentiator. It is the converting the what a lot of great strategy out there into the how, how do you do all of this stuff?

And then again, to do that in a pre built, easy to understand, easy to fall away. I think it's where the magic is, because complexity is the enemy. We know that.

And I think, most businesses, they don't have time for complexity. They don't want it. And so that is the, that's the differentiator Gresham.

Gresham Harkless 11:39

Yeah, yeah. That ends up being such a huge thing. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit, and I wanted 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?

Garrett Delph 11:52

When there is crisis, or when there is accusation, or when there is problems? My first response should be, maybe it's me. Maybe it's me. Which is a really great lesson in humility, but also, I think, kind of neutralizing the emotions that come with crisis and problems or blame. That's been really powerful and a great hack.

Gresham Harkless 12:20

Absolutely. So what would you consider to be a little bit more CEO nugget? This could be a word of wisdom or piece of advice.

I like to say it might be something if you were to jump into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self or potentially tell your favorite client.

Garrett Delph 12:37

Let's see. I would say this. It's going to be hard. And if you are able to remember that, it'll make your life easier.

There's nothing like. There's nothing worse than feeling like the weight of leading your business, growing your business, is bespoke to you.

There's nothing worse than feeling like everybody else has got it easy. I'm the only one struggling. Great book by the founder of Behance. It's called the Messy Middle.

That book was gifted to me about 15 years ago. I think maybe a little less than that. Right around when I read E Myth, by the way, great book.

And that was the first time I felt like I listened to somebody who really had made it talk about how difficult his road was.

And then that began to open up my mind. I'm like, so the more I read and the more I pursued watching and listening to other business builders and entrepreneurs, the more I realized, oh, I was able to breathe.

It's normal. It's freaking hard, but that's normal. And I sort of got set free. And so I'd say, I think that is a real important one. That'd be my big recommendation.

And then surround yourself with great people that can help you break through to make using great decisions.

Gresham Harkless 14:24

Absolutely. I love both of those nuggets. You might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition, what it means to be a CEO.

We're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEO's on this show. So, Garrett, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Garrett Delph 14:39

Great founder. CEO's are tenacious. They require tenacity. They require being razor sharp, clear about where you want to go.

They require humility, meaning you have to, you must know you're not the smartest person in the room.

As a matter of fact, I've learned the hard way, sometimes the smartest people in the room is the new intern we just hired. You know what I mean?

And I would say lastly, and there's probably many parts of this answer, but maybe the last one I'll leave with it is you need to master the art of coordination and delegation. And so with those, I think four, four or five I mentioned, that's a good little package.

Gresham Harkless 15:41

Absolutely. Well, Garrett, truly appreciate that definition. Of course, I appreciate your time even more.

So what I want 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 listeners know, and of course, how best people can get a hold of you, find about all the awesome and things you entertain working on.

Garrett Delph 15:56

I can be found Garrett Delph on LinkedIn or clarityops.co. That's our site there. You can see all of our content.

Gresham Harkless 16:03

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you even more, Garrett. Of course, we're going to have the links and information in the show notes as well, too, so that everybody can follow up with you, find out about all the awesome things that you're doing, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Garrett Delph 16:14

Yeah, you too. You too. Gresham.

Outro 16:16

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Check out the latest and greatest apps, books and habits to level up your business at CEOhacks.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Junior. Thank you for listening.

IAMCEO Podcast Transcript

Email

Facebook: Rahim Bah

Instagram: rahimbahproperties

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!

Transcription:

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

Rahim Bah Teaser 00:00

To understand what their pain points are and try to find out how I can best serve this person, genuinely serve this person. And then I also try to add value in whatever conversation or in whatever help they may need from me.

Intro 00:17

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:45

Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have an awesome guest on the show today. I have Rahim Bah. Rahim, excited to have you on the show.

Rahim Bah 00:54

Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm super excited to learn to a bit more about you and obviously for you to learn a bit more about myself.

Gresham Harkless 01:02

Yes, absolutely. That's one of the awesome things about this medium, is we get the opportunity to collaborate and co create and connect.

And Rahim's doing so many awesome things. So, of course, before we jumped in to hear a little bit more about what those things are, I wanted to read a little bit more about him so you can hear about some of those awesome things.

In arriving in the UK alone at 15, unable to speak English and without money, Rahim navigated immense challenges.

Growing up in a crime ridden neighborhood, he faced homelessness and financial hardship after university, but never gave up.

He boldly ventured into property investment with no capital, eventually building a multi million pound portfolio.

And one of the things that I was reading, just preparing for this, about Rahim's background, I think he was placed in foster care and he worked hard and eventually studied accountancy at Boundmouth University, if I said that correctly, and he started his rental or his property investment journey seven years ago with no experience, as he said.

But he also is somebody that has, I think I'm going to call him a serial entrepreneur because he seems like he's involved in a lot of different things.

I know he has loads of great information, knowledge and, of course, a story to tell us. So, Rahim, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Rahim Bah 02:11

Yes, I am. I am super excited. I've learned a bit about your company as well. It looks like you're there to promote CEO's entrepreneurs and I'm delighted to share my journey with you.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 02:22

Yeah, absolutely. Well, let's kick it off there then. I would love to hear what I like to call your CEO story, your journey to hear about all the awesome things you've been able to accomplish and what kind of led you there.

Rahim Bah 02:32

Thank you. Thank you for having me here. My entrepreneurial journey, I would say it starts from at a very young age.

I always intrigue about how cooperation works, how businesses operate and what makes people successful and what make other people not successful and what make other people work long, long hours, and other people work barely work long hours and make all this return on their investment.

But really and truly what gets me to start doing what I'm doing now is few things, is I used to work as an accountant myself.

I don't want to bore you. What happened when I was young, working as accountant, job is good. I was earning about maybe $35,000 in your currency.

But what really triggers me to take my finances into my own hands is one Sunday morning where I used to live in a shared house where I'm not sure how you call that in America, where you, they say it's a house with lots of bedrooms, maybe seven or eight bedrooms.

People share in all the community and community communal area, but it is also in a place where there's a market.

We have this Sunday market where everybody around the area meets to buy groceries, fruits and all that sort of thing.

So that sort of noise woke me up that morning. But when I woke up, it was one thing that really comes to mind.

And the thing that comes to mind was, I've got this job. I'm doing okay. I'm about to become a chartered accountant.

But I thought about what if I got ill? What if I got run by a boss? What if one of my children got ill? Or what if my mom got ill? What can I do?

I realized if I got ill or if my family member had something terrible happen to them, the company might let me stay at home maybe for a couple of weeks, or maybe if I'm lucky, a few weeks, and then if I cannot go back to work, they will just kind of let me off.

And that was the time, the day, the hour, the minute, the second. I realized that one source of income is very, very dangerous.

But when I looked at properties, real estate is that you can have a property and you can make money in two ways.

You can make money by renting the property, meaning you will not even lose the property, still make rent, you still rent it and having the property, and you get paid every single month without actually doing anything after you bought the property, that was really appealing to me.

But what really, really also draws my attention to drastically. It's not just for the cash flow is what we call capital appreciation, whereas as time goes on, the property value go up.

Gresham Harkless 05:27

Nice. Well, I appreciate you so much in sharing that. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more, hear a little bit more on how you're working with and serving the clients that you work with.

Could you take us through a little bit more of what that looks like and what you're doing there? And of course, we'd love to hear more of what you think is your secret sauce and what you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique.

Rahim Bah 05:44

Right. So to be honest with you, I would say is persistence, commitment and perseverance. So what I tend to look at when I've got a client or I've got a prospect in front of me is to first of all, try to serve them right?

Because if I don't serve them, I won't be able to help them. So I find a way to understand what their pain points are and try to find out how I can best serve this person, genuinely serve this person.

And then I also try to add value in whatever conversation or in whatever help they may need from me.

So very important for you to be able to do that. I learned this from a gentleman called Tony Robbins. I'm not sure if you know, he is.

He's an American legend. Very good in what he does. He said to me, like, add value. If you add value more than anybody else is adding in your market field, you will dominate.

So I've always got this thing in my mind when I meet a client or a prospect. It's not about trying to get money from them or maybe trying to sell something to them. It's trying to find out, what can I do to make your life better?

I'll give an example. Now, when I start my property investment journey, I have landlords. Landlords comes to me wanting to actually rent their property out on a guaranteed rent basis.

I help them sort that problem out, but most of them do not have money to kind of fix the properties or to kind of do something to the house.

So what I do, I said, look, if you can afford to do the thing, I can do it for you, and then we can subsequently deduct that from your rental income that you receive from me.

So basically, most landlords say, wow, are you going to do that for me? You're going to actually renovate my house for you? For me? I said, yes.

And then obviously sometimes they come to me with some different problems. Someone will walk past my office, say, look, I've got this problem. Can you help me?

I always help them because helping them also makes you feel happy, makes you feel really, really good as well in what you're doing, not just feeling like you're serving someone.

So these are some of the things I actually do to kind of get people to kind of serve people, basically.

But most importantly also is having the conversation that your client is already having in their mind as well.

This is by probing them, understanding exactly what they're looking for, what they want. How can I best serve you knowing that if you go away, you can only refer me to people or talk very amazing things from me.

So that has really, really helped me. Some people think I'm stupid for doing that, helping people for absolutely no charge, but it has helped my business grow significantly, especially when, when Covid hit, for example, is we have some of our properties that we've got this guaranteed rent contract, but when Covid hit, everything was locked down, nothing had happened.

The goodwill I've already done came solving me because then landlords were literally saying, look, if you can't pay me, the rent is fine, because I understand what's happening.

They will not come down my neck trailer and all that stuff. It's because I've added value in advance.

So for any entrepreneur, think about adding value in what year. Whatever you do, don't put having money in front of you, but however, put adding value ahead of anything you do.

And most importantly, be genuine and willing to help and resolve problems. And most importantly, I'm going to add in there also staying consistent, committed and perseverance.

Because entrepreneurial journey is a roller coaster, it goes up and down like that, but with persistence, perseverance, and getting a coach or a mentor to guide you along the way, that really, really take you a long way.

Gresham Harkless 09:41

Yeah, absolutely. And I appreciate you so much and sharing that, especially like when you start to, I think so many times we get locked in like dollars and cents and saying, okay, we need this much revenue as far as like being a measure of success.

But I love what you said around creating the most value within the marketplace when we start to really start to give.

I think one of those things that we sometimes get short sighted about is that we don't realize that can come back in so many different ways at different times.

Like you mentioned, everything that happened with COVID sometimes that quote-unquote, goodwill that you've poured into comes back during times that you least expect it or times that sometimes you even need it.

But if you are a valuable person and you always try to provide the topmost value that you can to people, then it ends up being something that continues to fulfill, fill itself in so many different ways.

So I absolutely love that and how that's part of, like, what you've done to set you apart.

Rahim Bah 10:32

Yeah. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 10:33

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 10:34

So 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 Apple book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Rahim Bah 10:45

Good question. Good question. Gresh, you're asking amazing questions. What really, I think makes me thick is. Oh, that's a good question. I'm thinking about it now, is having a massive why behind you having a reason for doing what you're doing.

And I think that was one of my biggest fear, to get me going. And also perseverance. I don't give up. Right.

I am always doing things and hard working, quite frankly, working hard is really, really. It pays off.

People think not working hard will get you to where you want to go. Yes. That's what you see in social media. People sitting, sipping drinks in the beach or doing like that.

But in real life, that's not the case. Right? If you really want to be successful, impact massive, massive, massive generations or lots of people, you have to put on the hard work and you have to create your own luck as well.

So I believe in creating your own luck. I believe in working hard on yourself than you do in anything else.

And also committing, knowing that you've got a vision and a mission. And most importantly, take your finances, make it your duty, responsibility, and your obligation.

Gresham Harkless 12:09

I love that. And I really love that foundational, that massive. Why? Because I think so many times when you're thinking about finances or you're thinking about, perseverance, working on all those things, you can become very discouraged. I often say, like your why sometimes is the gas tank, gas in the gas tank that you need.

Rahim Bah 12:25

But look at it this way, you're going to work for that person for 46, may I say, 2030 years, okay? You get in that money, if you're lucky enough, you've got maybe 2% increase and all that sort of thing, right?

So looking at that, then in 20 years time, you retire and you look at your pension, you're earning peanut, right? Whereas if you got a business, the first five, six, maybe ten years, you're gonna work really, really hard for it, right?

But what then you would have done all those ten years compound itself and it becomes a massive snowball effect.

And then you start making money and you start thinking, where is this money coming from? Not knowing you've worked all that hard and worrying about pension will be something in the past.

So it's all about working hard, working smart, and knowing what you want to do. Knowing that entrepreneurship is not an easy game and you go through it wholeheartedly and ensure you execute no matter what.

Gresham Harkless 13:25

Yeah, I love each of those nuggets. And so now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO.

Our goal is to have different, quote-unquote, CEO's on the show. So, Rahim, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Rahim Bah 13:38

What CEO means to me? Good question. CEO is being a people's person. Someone that is caring, someone that understand the people that they work with.

Knowing that the people that you work with are your colleagues, they are your family, they are your everything.

Having a good bond of the people that you're working with, relationships, being concerned about whatever difficulties that they're facing.

Being a CEO is being able to be proactively making decisions to protect your business, as well as the people that work with you.

Having a vision and a mission and being able to communicate that mission and a vision to the people that you work with.

In essence, being able to sell your idea to them, get them motivated. And the only thing, the only way that works is by building relationship with the people you working with.

It's not about the bottom line in most cases. It's about the people that you work with. If they're happy with you, if they're inspired by you, if they know you're there for them, they will do whatever it takes to make your business succeed.

Gresham Harkless 15:02

Nice. Love that definition. And of course, I appreciate your time even more. 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 listeners know, and of course, how best people can get a hold of you. Find about all the awesome things that you're working on.

Rahim Bah 15:16

There's a link I will give you on this podcast. You can click on that book me for a free, no obligation consultation to learn about how we may have be able to help them.

If you want to follow me, you can follow me on Instagram is Bah Rahim Properties, or you can type the word Rahim Bah.

Basically, R A H I M. Surname is Bah, that is Bravo Alpha Hotel. If you google that name or you type it in Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn. Be sure to see my face somewhere there.

Gresham Harkless 15:53

Awesome, awesome awesome. Well thank you so much again Rahim. To make it even easier, of course we're going to have the links and information in the show notes as well too so that everybody can follow you on socials. But of course connect with you with that link as well too. I hope you have a phenomenal rest day.

Rahim Bah 16:05

Thank you Gresh.

Outro 16:06

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase, its a community.

Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Subscribe and leave us a five star rating. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.

Facebook: Nikki Sharp

Instagram: nikkisharp

Previous Episode: iam150-2x-best-selling-author-health-coach-and-branding-extraordinaire-helping-brands-improve-their-social-media-channels

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!

Transcription:

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

Nikki Sharp Teaser 00:00

I look forward to working with people and extracting that deepest desire and how do we get there? And it's a beautiful journey and I'm so blessed every time I get to take it with people.

Intro 00:13

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview?

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:39

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 Nikki sharp of nikkisharp.com. Nikki, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Nikki Sharp 00:47

Thank you. I'm super excited.

Gresham Harkless 00:49

I'm super excited to have you on. What I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Nikki so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing.

And Nikki is a two time best-selling author, creator of a number one app, worldwide, known health coach and branding extraordinaire, been featured in cosmopolitan shape, women's health, and is constantly interviewed for shows like Extra TV, Access Hollywood, Good Day LA and Fox News Health.

Nikki is followed by over 350,000 followers on Instagram and has helped countless companies improve their own social channels to see the results they want. Nikki, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Nikki Sharp 01:25

I am super ready. What an intro. Thank you.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 01:28

Yeah, I know you're doing some awesome things, so you deserve that intro. So what I wanted to do was drill a little bit deeper and hear about your CEO story and what led you to start your business business.

Nikki Sharp 01:36

So I was a model for many years. And in that you don't necessarily have anyone telling you how to run a business, but you do learn that you have to manage money and you have to learn what jobs you do and don't want to take.

And you show up to countries randomly with no cell phone and there's all the things that go wrong with it.

So I learned quite quickly how to, let's say, deal with being an entrepreneur without ever meaning to.

And then from there, I was actually trying to overcome two eating disorders that I went through. And I started a health blog called Stay Sharp, be strong.

And it was just a way for me to share my, the meals that I was cooking. And then I wrote an e book and I sold it on Instagram.

I was one of the first people to do that, and it blew up. It sold 100,000 copies. Just posting before and after photos.

And from there, that turned into a two book deal, a number one app. And obviously, from creating my own brand and having the success that I have personally had, I realized that I want to help other people get the success that they want.

And it just, it seemed like a really natural fit to go from building my own brand to then serving and giving back and helping others get their own personal brands up and running.

Gresham Harkless 02:56

Yeah, it makes perfect sense. And it seems like this is the golden era. I guess you can call it a personal brand and being able to tell your story and have people flock to you and connect with you just because you're being authentic.

Authentic and, talking about everything that you may be going through or trying to strive for whatever's going on, be able to have the tools at your disposal to be able to do that as powerful in this day and age.

Nikki Sharp 03:15

Yeah, it absolutely is. And equally, everyone is trying to share who they are. They're trying to share their story.

And what I find is that a lot of people mix trying to just share who they are and their story with, oh, I have a great idea. I can become a brand.

And they don't always translate one to the other, but we all want to be heard and seen. And Instagram and social media and creating our own brands have allowed people to really feel heard and to get validation.

And so it's a double edged sword in that way, because we get validation from a like or a comment.

And at the same time, it's given us an opportunity to become entrepreneurs and do things outside of the box and not be the sheep of, like, nine to five jobs where you hate your life and you're depressed.

So for those people that love the nine to five jobs and switching off at 05:00 I'm all for that. I many times wish that I could turn off at 5:00 on a Friday.

Gresham Harkless 04:17

I know what you mean.

Nikki Sharp 04:18

But, every, every job, every brand, every company has its pros and cons. And so I guess I'm just really blessed to be able to help people really understand what their passion is and whether it's a viable thing as just a side job, side passion, side hustle, or if they really have something that they can take full force.

And, this, oftentimes your, your biggest passions end up when you start making it your work, end up not becoming your passion anymore because you realize how much work actually goes into it.

Gresham Harkless 04:49

Yeah, it's funny how that works out where, you find that you love to do something and then when you start doing it 24/7 so to speak, it starts not to become as much of a passion and you have to find other things.

So it's important to kind of, I guess, understand what you're doing it for. If you're doing it just as an outlet, then maybe you don't necessarily want to create it as a brand.

So it's always important to kind of balance that. So I know you touched on it a little bit. So could you tell us, I guess, a little bit more on how you're helping to serve the clients and things that you're doing to help support them?

Nikki Sharp 05:16

Yeah, absolutely. The way in which I work is actually quite different than, than most people. And this is because I, I read energy very well and I, you and I can be on the phone and you can say, here are what my goals are, and I can sense the confusion or the passion or whatever it is that is coming out.

And we don't even need to be on a video call. It's just I can understand the tone of your voice and the way in which you say things and also from where you currently are to where you want to go.

So I work backwards with people and I say, all right, here's your plan. It doesn't even need to be a ten year plan, for example, but you need to have an idea of where you want to go.

We all have that. We know, okay, I want to buy a house. Well, if you want to buy a house, the same as if you want to start a brand or you want to get followers on Instagram, I then start to work backwards and say, is this about launching a product?

Is this about building a community? Or do you just need to get more followers quickly because each thing has a different way to get there.

You can't say, I want all of them and expect them all to happen. It all revolves around what are you trying to do? What's the short term and long term goal?

And just because I know so many different fields of publishing, to self publishing, to app launch, to e-book creation, to all the social media channels, it becomes this really beautiful journey that I get to take with people.

Gresham Harkless 06:38

And now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And this is what you feel kind of distinctive, wishes you or sets you apart. So do you have a secret sauce for yourself or even your brand that you're building?

Nikki Sharp 06:47

I would say that my secret sauce for me is to show up with trust in myself, in the universe, in God, in everything that happens, because each moment is a learning experience.

And if something terrible happens, and we've all had it, both in our personal life and our professional life, it's a learning experience that we get to grow from and not make the same mistakes.

So that, for me, is the secret sauce to which I live my day to day. I even have. I don't know if you can see, but trust on my finger, because it's that the other part is do all things with love.

And I have a little heart there because it's. You have to trust the process, trust yourself, trust others, and you have to show up with love for everyone around you. So that's for me.

And when it comes to other people, the secret sauce is. Or when I work with them is really, I guess, diving into what that trust is and knowing that whatever is meant to come through me and channel through me to that client, Will.

And I've never had a blank moment. I've never been like, oh, no, I don't know what to do. I think it's also the.

The amount of experience I've had in so many different fields, parallel with the fact that I get such joy helping other people. It just naturally becomes the secret sauce of.

I look for very much like you look forward to these interviews. I look forward to working with people and extracting that. That deepest desire and.

And how do we get there? And it's. It's a beautiful journey, and I'm. I'm so blessed every time I get to take it with people.

Gresham Harkless 08:20

And now 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, or even one of the things that you've created, but it's something that you feel kind of makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Nikki Sharp 08:33

Oh, this. Okay, this is a good one in the morning. And I'd like to say that I do it every day, but I don't.

The days that I do it, I'm more effective, though. I actually don't check my phone for the first 30 minutes when I wake up.

That time, I realize, is very sacred to me, and I'm far more effective in my day if I do 30 minutes of whatever it is I need to do.

So maybe that's a meditation. Maybe that's just writing a list of everything I want to achieve that day or goals, intentions, taking a shower, making coffee.

But in that 30 minutes, you're not putting yourself into fight or flight mode. And one of the biggest things that people don't realize is the moment you check social media and you start to get the notifications, it alarms things in your brain and it triggers certain responses.

And your body does go into fight or flight mode. That's why a lot of people don't sleep very well at night.

So by doing this, you actually set yourself up for a better day. And the other thing that I love to do is set timers for doing certain activities. So I'll set a timer.

If I need to go in and do all my social media posting or respond to comments, I'll set a 30 minutes timer.

And when that's done, it's done. Or I decide, okay, actually I need 30 more minutes. And you realize that you actually get things done a lot quicker and more efficiently.

Instead of it becoming this overwhelming, like, I have to do all of this today, you go through the checklist, and another great example is if you're trying to work out a business plan or deal with finances or whatever it might be, if you set 30 minutes every single day to do it, you're far more likely to commit to it and see results.

Then if you try to attack it, saying, okay, today I need to write a business plan, that's a little terrifying. So those two are my personal hacks that I do, and I see huge results from.

Gresham Harkless 10:29

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this might be 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?

Nikki Sharp 10:41

Sadly, not trust people so quickly. Do like more. So do my research before, and I'm a very trusting person, and I've been burned a lot of times now, and I've lost a lot of money because of it.

So I would say it's maybe not about trusting, but I don't think I necessarily trusted myself either in that.

But you really need to research and do your due diligence with people that you're going to work with, because they have the opportunity to make or break your trust, your confidence.

They can take things from you, and equally, they can build you up more than you know you ever thought.

So I would definitely tell myself that. And I would also tell myself that no matter what happens, it will all be okay.

Because we often go through things that, like, shit hits the fan. You lose money, you're sued. What? And like, I've had all of these.

I've been sued so many times now, it's crazy from kind of crazy people and, and they're just money hungry and they, they see you as a vulnerable person.

You think it's the end of the world while you're going through it. You always come out on top. You really do. You just have to believe in yourself in that.

And I would also say to myself or to anyone else listening to really, really try to pay attention and look at what you're trying to do for business because if you're starting off with the side hustle that you're passionate about and you're like, I'm passionate.

I want to bake cookies and make a million dollars a year. Oftentimes we don't realize all the overhead costs or the time we're going to have to put in or that you really do lose the passion when it becomes the full time work.

And so I've had that where for about two years I lost passion for, for writing, for blogging, for everything.

And I'm like, okay, what's going on? And in that, I had to just allow myself to feel it and go through it and move through it.

That's when I really started up the consulting side of things because I realized that doing things only for myself was no longer fulfilling me.

But when I get to give what I have in my talents to other people, it worked out perfectly. So in that I needed to take a break from my own personal brand.

And that's part of the journey of you. You maybe feel like a failure for switching courses, but now I'm so grateful that I get to do that.

Gresham Harkless 12:53

So, yeah, and that's, that's very powerful. And I think that it also kind of speaks to the fact that we as people sometimes change as well too.

So we evolve and sometimes our interest change or our goals change. But I imagine that, being able to build your brand is definitely phenomenal.

But I imagine, like having a client that you're able to say, hey, they did X, Y and Z by working with them and I'm able to help them do that is probably even more phenomenal.

Nikki Sharp 13:13

Yeah, absolutely. And it's all the experience that you and I and everyone else goes through is we can take those experiences and help other people to become their best selves.

And that's what the law of attraction is. When you do that, you get more rewarded. And anyone that doesn't believe in the law of attraction should because it's been proven by scientists that it works and it's all a state of mind. And being.

And so work itself shouldn't be. You shouldn't hate it. You should not ever hate going to work. If you're doing that, then you're skipping out on the best days of your life, which is right now.

Gresham Harkless 13:48

Absolutely. Absolutely. It makes perfect sense. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition for what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote unquote, CEO's on the show. But I wanted to ask you, Nikki, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Nikki Sharp 14:00

The definition of a CEO is someone who owns whatever it is that they do. In that position. You don't need to be a manager of 500 people.

You can be the janitor and you can be your own CEO and own that and make it yours. There's nothing worse than seeing people who despise their jobs because you can make that job work for you and go in with gratitude and appreciation every single day and start to get to where you want to go by doing that.

So pure and simple as CEO. Yeah. Is someone who owns what they do with integrity, with love and with passion, even if you're not passionate about it in that day or moment.

Gresham Harkless 14:41

Yeah. Absolutely. Makes perfect sense. Nikki, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out of your schedule.

What I wanted to do was pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there is anything additional you want to let our readers and our listeners know and also how best they can get a hold of you.

Nikki Sharp 14:54

Well, I would say it's really about a finding a mentor, someone that can

Life Coach Helps People Break Through Their Limited Beliefs

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:50:41 -0400

In this episode, we have Dana Grant, an International Master and Business Coach, host of global retreats, keynote speaker, and co-founder of Cauliflower Foods.

Dana shares her inspiring CEO story from hosting master classes in Paris and Amsterdam to co-founding the Women’s Success Summit.

The conversation highlights the importance of breaking limited beliefs, understanding subconscious programming, staying true to oneself, and giving oneself permission to start.

Website: Dana Grant
Instagram: The Real Dana Grant

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!

Full Interview:

Transcription:

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

Dana Grant Teaser 00:00

I created it out of the love and desire of helping people break through their limited beliefs, drop into their core values, understand what's driving them, understand that we cannot trust all the thoughts that come into our head, and that 95% of how we show up in the world is programming. It's the stories. It's our subconscious of things that we've created, and it is our responsibility for that 5% to redirect. It's like the one degree. You're one degree off and you're in a plane. You're gonna end up on a different island. Let's reshift that one degree.

Intro 00:33

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 01:00

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 Dana Grant. Dana, excited to have you on the show.

Dana Grant 01:08

Oh, I'm so excited to be here with you, Gresham. It's nice.

Gresham Harkless 01:11

Yes.

Dana Grant 01:12

Such a good energy. Our little talk already. Such good energy.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 01:15

Yeah, absolutely. We had a phenomenal talk. We should have just hit record there. But, of course, before we jump in and actually have the the conversation that everybody's going to hear, I wanna read a little bit more about Dana so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Dana is an International Master Life and Business Coach, host of global retreats, keynote speaker, and co-founder of Cauliflower Foods. In 2018, she expanded her work across the globe hosting master class in Paris and Amsterdam, and continues to hold intimate life changing retreats in Italy.

She is co-founder of the Women's Success Summit and a proud mentor for the Chico Start and CSU trusted peer mentor programs. Dana has worked with some of the most respected professionals in multiple fields today. Her background as a Business Lobbyist, years of working with addiction, and her extensive experience in the corporate and solopreneur world has allowed her to create programs utilized by professionals around the globe to assist in process transformation. And one of the things we were talking about before we have Dawn is in it really stuck with me is Dana said that everybody can be that, being an entrepreneur.

And I'm sure a lot of the things that she does and things we'll talk about today will bring that to light. But one of the things that really stuck with me as well is she had this message where she says, “situations don't stay stuck, people do”. So I think she probably helps out so much in terms of us getting unstuck and realizing the potential that we have. So, Dana, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

Dana Grant 02:36

Oh, I'm so ready. This is yeah. I'm excited. Yeah. Let's let's do it.

Gresham Harkless 02:40

Let's get it started then. So to kick everything off, what I wanted to do is rewind the clock a little bit, hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

Dana Grant 02:49

Wow. I think I was born a CEO. I come from a generation of factory workers in Oakland, I'm like five generations of Oakland, California. And he just knew he was so hungry to own his own business. And I watched that at a very young age. I watched him struggle and build and sacrifice. He owned a delivery truck. He worked for it first, and he delivered back then candy and cigarettes.

It was and I was always so excited to get the candy when he came home, the big white van. And but it was the dream. We had the campers in the cabin. I watched our life build out because his dreams were coming to fruition. My mom was a stay at home mom and until the divorce in ‘72. But he continued to believe in that dream, and I believed in him. There was no perfection. There was a lot of dysfunction in my life, but I recognize now that deep seed that was planted in his belief system that carried on to me.

Gresham Harkless 03:53

Nice. I appreciate you sharing that so much. So I wanted to to drill down a little bit more and hear a little bit more about Cauliflower Foods, what you're doing there, but also how you're working with and serving the clients and and the people that you work with. How do you make that impact in the world?

Dana Grant 04:06

Cauliflower Foods, it's interesting what we claim. Now I when that started, I was the passion was incredible. I love to create. I love working with organic food. I love veggies. So it was just a natural that this was born. But the story now this is a important part of the pivot of the story. I knew that I only wanted to do it for two years. Now in order to run a company like that and my story was I'm not smart enough. I don't know the dynamics. I can't do it. So I manifested all of that. And I also pulled in a business partner that I thought was smarter than me that could run that bit. And, actually, she took it all the way. And it's bravo bravo. But I had started an LLC, a life coaching company, because that was my desire to do. I tripped into creating that for my love of food and my love of creating. I'll probably do it again.

I will probably create another product again because there's just such a desire, and I already know what that may be. But to run a company like that, I don't it my passion is not there. My passion shifted into life coaching, which, no surprise, was, again, another six, seven figure business because I created it out of the love and desire of helping people breakthrough their limited beliefs, drop into their core values, understand what's driving them, understand that we cannot trust all the thoughts that come into our head, and that 95% of how we show up in the world is programming. It's the stories. It's our subconscious of things that we've created, and it is our responsibility for that 5% to redirect. It's like the one degree. You're one degree off and you're in a plane. You're gonna end up on a different island. Let's reshift that one degree.

Gresham Harkless 05:46

Yeah. And that ends up being so powerful. And I almost wonder, does do you feel like that's part of what I would like to call your secret sauce? The thing you feel is actually part of makes you unique is that ability to, of course, understand the business, the life aspects. But I always say we forget about the human aspect of business and the human aspect of life, frankly, that those things, the subconscious, the pro all those things. Really lay a foundation according to, like, where we end up being, where our organizations end up being. Do you feel like that's part of what sets you apart and makes you unique?

Dana Grant 06:12

Perhaps. I think that our heart has to be connected. I think we're so especially as a woman out here, there's I'm a lot of energy. I'm a lot of power, and people can be intimidated by that, but I'm a lot of heart, and I stay connected to my heart energy because I understand that my drive is connected to my soul, and that is always asking. The alchemist in me is always asking what's right about this situation. The ego wants to make everything wrong and judge, and it keeps me just if I'm in a ten lane highway, boom, I'm out of my own lane. If I stay in my own lane, I'm connected to my heart, my desire, what moves me, what I'm connected to, what I'm paying attention to. Like, you pop up and I'm like, I love his energy.

And we we're just I let that guide me. I never navigate by the coulda, shoulda, wouldas and what it should look like, and I just show up on what I am. I claim all my I am’s. I'm grounded in that and I think our body holds a lot of energy and sometimes we have to heal from stories that don't serve us or really just relinquish them and say, you know what? Is that bringing me closer to the goal, to the business I wanna create, to the CEO that I am? We are all CEOs in our life. If we wanna take this to personal development, but a lot of people come to me and say, hey, I wanna build a billion dollar business. Okay. Are you the CEO in your are you the authority in your life? What's that? Okay. Let's start there. Because we are all our own authority. We have mentors and we look and we admire and we learn, but we are our own authority. We know ourselves best. No one knows us better than us.

Gresham Harkless 07:43

Yeah. I love that. I was gonna ask you a little bit more of what I call a CEO hack, which is an Apple book or even a habit that you have that makes you more effective and efficient. I wonder if that reset is part of or at least one of the CEO hacks that you really lean on that does help you to be more effective and efficient.

Dana Grant 07:58

People ask me that a lot. What do I do? What is my routine? It's I think it takes 20 days, they say, to build a habit. I say it's forty-five really, before the body starts understanding the rhythm of a routine. But I wake up in the morning, and it's just, I don't grab my phone, I grab lemon water, and then I love a half a cup of coffee. And that's what I limit myself to a day. I love the smell of coffee. I love coffee. But I also know that my central nervous system doesn't do well with a lot of coffee. So I don't do a lot of caffeine. So then I switched to herbal tea for the day and tons of water.

So all of these I build it in and that rhythm is I set my alarm for time management. I have an hour to read, meditate. What we talked earlier, I don't lead with being a psychic, but I doodle, which tells me stories, and it unfolds for my clients for the day. I see things, and through the doodling, stories unfold. And I love that. So I doodle for about a half an hour, and it looks like mindless doodling, but it's unbelievable things that are they're revelations. And then I put that aside, because I will look at my client list for the day or what's planned for the day. And I really never prepare for what I need to do. I prepare my energy, because everything is energy. We're all connected. We there is no separation.

And if my vibration is high because I've got clear energy and I'm not bogged down by and worry is just the inability to solve a problem. If I can't solve anything, I'm staying in my power, which is what is needed of me today. And with raising that vibration is staying hydrated. My form of meditation, my doodling, I always get dressed from because I'm on Zoom. I always wear sweats and my baby blue slippers on the bottom, and I always get dressed up as the halfway. But you know what? I own that. Sometimes I get dressed all the way. It just depends. But it's a Friday. You work through the week, and you just work with the energy, not against it.

Gresham Harkless 09:52

Yeah. That makes so much sense. Do you feel like that might be, like, what I would call your CEO nugget? Like, a little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice. I usually say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you have to a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Dana Grant 10:07

My favorite nuggets. Let's see if I wrote any notes for my favorite nugget. I tend, like I told you, not to write too much down. My favorite nugget, I think, would be there's so many, but it might be, are you giving yourself permission to show up? I don't think people realize that they have to give themselves permission to show up, to create, to claim. If you don't give yourself permission, where do we start? You're back behind the starting line thinking, watching, comparison, and then, of course, the act of comparison. You're comparing, and you're like, I could never catch up to them. Of course, you can't, but you start where you are, and people need you where you are.

They may not need that person that's 20,000 steps down the road. This is where all our power is. But if we're constantly giving it away by projecting outwards, we have to give ourselves permission to be new, to start at the starting point. Everybody wants to start. I thought it was a travesty when people could buy the blue checks. We worked hard for those blue checks, and now everyone can buy them. I think someone just told me the other day, and I'm like, really? And I'm like, oh, I'm glad. I hope that it's a form of protection. But or buy followers or buy you know what? Or you could build and you could be it's okay to be new. It's okay to start somewhere because somebody can see you starting, and it may give them the courage to start too.

Gresham Harkless 11:35

Yeah. It goes back to what you said about that vulnerability, and it's like giving yourself permission to be yourself and to trust the process and not beat ourselves up about where we are, where we think that we should be. And sometimes that comparison even to ourselves and where. We think that we are can sometimes be the the biggest downfall.

Dana Grant 11:50

And I think the biggest lesson you asked that, and it just took me to a story of after Cauliflower Foods, I created Cali Soul Coaching. And I was going to launch from there. I built a big site on recipes, all the things I loved. And it did well, but it didn't do great. I was still hanging on to the image of launching from there, which my knee I was totally my knees were cut off there. But I wouldn't let go of the identity of I created this. This is the launch. I thought it was clever. I thought when I finally surrendered and claimed exactly where I needed to be and I started at ground zero, I bought Dana Grant, the name danagrant.com. That's where I started. I took ownership of who I was. I was no longer that's something I created just like working for the chamber, just like setting records and working for health.

All those things are pieces of who I am, but they're not my identity. I'm Dana Grant. That's my ownership. I'm starting there, and I had to be I didn't launch from anything. I started fresh. I started new, and I had to be vulnerable enough to say, here I am. Here I am, world, starting over again. And there were many people that said, what happened over there? Let me tell you about that. There's the biggest, best lesson I ever learned. There's no victimhood. Victimhood will keep us in the maze. I love to call it the maze because it's big, it's vast, and our stories that we create keep us there. And if you wanna be a good CEO, a good authority in your life, you stay in your empowerment. Claim. Ownership. What do I need to do today?

Gresham Harkless 13:29

Absolutely. I love that. And again, that going back to that clicker and having the opportunity to get out of that maze sometimes by switching the button, changing the volume, whatever it is that it might be. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So, Dana, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Dana Grant 13:50

Freedom, independence. It gives me the right to show up in my authority, be my own person, create limitless potential. I just I see this as just this limitless universe. And being a CEO means that I can do just about anything I desire because it's my cap I put on every day.

Gresham Harkless 14:16

I love it. Dana, truly appreciate that definition. And, of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and, of course, how best people can get a hold of you, find about all the awesome things that you're working on.

Dana Grant 14:31

Oh, gosh. Didn't wasn't ready for that. I just wanna leave people with the hope of empowerment that anything they're dreaming of today, anything they're wanting, needing, I do free mentorship too. They can reach out. They can book a 15-minute call, ask a question, and we can do a hot seat coaching session. We just it's called a power session. As an intuitive, I usually have a good idea when people show up and ask one thing, what they're really wanting to know, and I love to do that. I love giving back. I love to see people plant those seeds, and we're planting seeds every day. Every day, every day that we're wanting something, we're planting a seed. And I'd love to see that just to germinate that to just just watch it grow. So they can reach me at danagrant.com, therealdanagrant on Instagram. I like social media. I'm not always out there, but I love to interact. I love putting information out there. The my stories usually are my what really is going on in my world. But, yeah, I love to connect. Connection is key.

Gresham Harkless 15:30

Absolutely. And to make it even easier to connect, we're, of course, gonna have the links and information to show notes as well too. And Dana spends a lot of

Founder Shares His Journey on Building His Media Empire from Sports Cards

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:46:27 -0400

In this episode, we have Dappz, the founder of Dappz Sports, the leading cross-platform sports and entertainment media company in the trading card and signed memorabilia hobby.

Dappz shares his journey from being a passionate sports fan, inspired by his grandfather who was a former scout for the New York Jets, to launching his side hustle of opening sports card packs online.

He discusses the growth of Dappz Sports from its humble beginnings to becoming an industry leader, offering a 24/7 online live shop experience for sports fandom.

Dappz emphasizes the importance of passion, consistency, and acceptance in building a business and shares valuable insights into leadership, empowering employees, and maintaining a balance between work and personal life.

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!

Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Matt “Dappz” McGuckin Teaser 00:00

I'm thinking about what's my next move? How am I going to create my side hustle? And I started opening packs of sports cards online. And I just become obsessed with it. I'm just I love I genuinely love opening packs for not just myself, but for anybody else who wants to, enter the hobby and get educated.

And even before that, I actually was. Filming YouTube videos just telling people about my journey in sports cards.

Intro 00:27

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview.

If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:56

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Dappz. Dappz, excited to have you on the show.

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 01:03

What's up Gresh, how's it going?

Gresham Harkless 01:04

Very well. Very well. And super excited to talk about all the awesome things that you're doing. Of course, before we jump in and do that, I got to read a little bit more about Dappz so you can hear about some of those awesome things.

And Dappz is the founder of Dappz Sports, the largest cross-platform sports and entertainment media company in the trading card and signed memorabilia hobby. As a visionary and creator behind Dappz Sports, Dappz has taken his passion for sports cars and his passion for entertainment to new heights.

Recognizing the resurgence of the trading card market in 2019, Dappz seized the opportunity to showcase the value of sports cars in memorabilia through delivering a 24/7 online live shop experience for some largest fans in the world. Early success in an ever-growing fan base has since led to the establishment of Dappz Sports brand as the industry leader in the trading card hobby.

At the helm of Dappz Sports, Dappz aims to demonstrate the true entertainment value trading cards Brains and I was reading a little bit before we jumped into this interview and Dappz grandfather was a former scout for the New York Jets. And that kind of planted that seed. I imagine of the love of sports and love of football, especially.

And one of the things that I absolutely love is because I always feel like there's really strong seeds that we plant when we're children where we're just doing things we're passionate about. That was actually what led him. To kind of plant that seed to do all the awesome things that he's doing. So dabs, excited to have you on the show.

Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 02:25

I am ready to meet the I AM CEO community, for sure.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Gresham Harkless 02:28

Awesome. Let's get it started then. So to kick everything off, let's rewind the clock a little bit. I know I touched on it here a little bit more on how you got started. What I call your CEO Story?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 02:35

Yeah, so like you said, my grandfather was a scout from the New York Jets. I grew up just going to the stadium and just admiring and being I'm a pure fan of football, and we were fortunate enough, we got the the player parking passes. So we would park, three cars down from Curtis Martin and I was able to run up to him and, ask for his autograph after the game.

So I think that's where my love of football began and not just football, basketball, baseball. I'm not a, I'm not a huge hockey guy, but listen, whatever this sport is, I can sit there and watch him with fans because I just appreciate it. grew up playing all those sports as well, too. So, fast forward to, 2019.

I'm thinking about what's my next move? How am I going to create my side hustle? And I started opening packs of sports cards online. And I just become obsessed with it. I'm just I love I genuinely love opening packs for not just myself, but for anybody else who wants to, enter the hobby and get educated.

And even before that, I actually was. Filming YouTube videos just telling people about my journey in sports cards. Hey, I bought this Damien Lillard PSA 10 card for 300 bucks and I sold it for 1500, you know within a year And then hey, I bought this Zion card for 800. I actually lost money on that one I sold it for 600 So just trying to give people my advice my experience I went on my sports car journey.

Gresham Harkless 03:58

Nice. I absolutely love that. I love that word that you said, journey because I think so many times like we don't realize like one of the most beautiful things about all these platforms that we have is you get to go along on that journey. If you're excited or you're interested or any of the things you get to hear that.

So hearing more about your success, your breakthrough, I would love to drill down a little bit more.

Can you take us through DAP sports, what you're doing to make the impact there?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 04:19

Yeah, absolutely. So again, it started in my bedroom, just going live on Instagram. Ripping 10 packs, 5 packs of cards, my first night probably, didn't make any money. A couple weeks after that, I made 20 bucks, then 50 bucks, then soon it's 100 and 500 bucks a night.

And then one night I do 70, 000 in revenue for my bedroom. And I go, I should probably take this seriously, right? Look for a car shop and how to expand, start learning how to hire and train people to scale the business.

Gresham Harkless 04:49

Nice. But I would love to. Hear what I call your secret sauce can be for yourself.

The business or a combination of both. But is it that ability to understand the marathon mindset? I'm going to call that to be aware of that. Do you think that's part of your secret sauce? And what helps you to serve your clients?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 05:02

Absolutely. And I think, when I was younger and just starting businesses, you always think, money is like the driving force, right?

Oh, I want to get rich or I want to be wealthy or I want to create a business that, everybody knows about, but that's not the mindset I have now, the mindset I have now is. Get to work, keep doing it, keep building, and it'll, and you go from two employees to three, from three to five, from five to seven.

You don't just go from five employees to 50, in a month. That's not how it goes, right? And as your employees scale, your revenue slowly starts to grow, your profits slowly start to grow, right? Everything is supposed to happen at the right pace. You don't need to force things. Just need to show up.

It's a light at the end of the tunnel. You might not always be able to see it. And there's this there's this. Saying that I read recently and I loved it. It was if you were stuck in a forest and you can't see your way out of the forest. The question is, can you see your next step?

And if you can see your next step, that's the definition of consistency, right? Take that next step. You can't see what's going to happen in a year or 2 years, 3 years and come up with a plan. You put it on paper, you say, Hey, these are goals that I would like to achieve. But right now, today, step 1, what's the step today? You got to take.

Gresham Harkless 06:22

Yeah, I imagine that ends up being so powerful. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted 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 that makes you more effective and efficient?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 06:34

The first thing is definitely consistency. Like we covered already. The next thing I would say is acceptance. What I mean by acceptance is you have to accept where you're at.

Wherever you are, right? Whether you're just starting your journey or you're in the middle of it as a CEO, or maybe you're near the peak of it as a CEO, but accepting where you're at. If you're starting a business and you have no revenue, but in your mind, you're all you're focused on is, being a million-dollar company, your head and your body are not in the same place.

You got to be present. You have to be where you are and accept, Hey, I don't have a business right now. I just started this thing. That's okay. You have to be able to tell yourself that's okay. It's okay. If I don't have any revenue. It's okay. If nobody knows who I am, it's okay. If I don't have any followers yet or any engagement or any likes, that's okay, right?

You have to start somewhere. So accepting who you are, where you are and where your business is at. Once you accept that's when your path and your journey really begins. I have to accept that, hey, I have 50 employees. If I want to have 250 one day, that's okay. But I have to accept to get there again, I'm in the forest.

We're going to take one step today, right? And I have to accept I'm not near, I'm not near the end of that or close to the edge of that forest and getting out of it. I have a lot of steps to go. I accept that. And then I let go of control. Everybody wants control. They want to control their situation.

They want to control their relationships. They want to control their income, but, allowing yourself to accept where you are, let go a little bit. Of that control, right? That centers you, right? And that allows you to sync with a clear head. And once you get there, then things become easier. Then every day is a little bit easier.

A little less anxiety, a little less stress, a little less fear. All those things start to deplete and your focus and your clarity increases.

Gresham Harkless 08:27

Yeah, that makes so much sense. Would you consider that to be a little bit more of what I like to call a CEO nugget? This is a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. I usually say it might be something you would tell who might be in your audience, or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 08:40

Yeah, I think that acceptance, consistency, and having yourself, right? Having, knowing who you are, right? Know thyself, right? That saying, because once you figure out who you are and you're comfortable in your own skin, that's when you really can start your journey. That's when you can start to prosper.

Until then, if you don't, if you're not secure with who you are as a person and what your beliefs are and what you want, You're going to go through life, letting other people influence you, right? Let her, letting other people make decisions that affect you or point you in a direction that might not be the route that you want to go down.

So when it comes to your, the CEO nuggets, If that's what you call it, did you say CEO Nugget? CEO Nugget. Yeah I think that it's very, very important to figure out what you want. And it's good to, to write them down and listen, some people use pen and paper but even a note in an iPhone, right? I'm constantly writing notes to myself, right?

Hey, let me just write this down. And sometimes I never go back to them, right? And that's okay too. You don't have to be perfect at what you're doing. I think something I live by is progress, not perfection. You always want to be progressing. You're never going to be perfect at anything you do.

You always want to be progressing and getting a little bit better and sharpening the axe. And making sure that if there is a skill that you want to refine and get better at You need to practice, right? You need to constantly be progressing towards whatever it is that skill that you're trying to achieve.

So I think we can all get a little bit better at whatever our hobbies are, whatever our skill sets are. If we put more work into them, it's just important to make sure that you have a good balance of, Hey, this is how much time I can put into X skill or X project, and then I need to make sure that I.

Recharge my batteries too. So something I do or try to do a very good job of is making sure I get eight hours of sleep. So I try to not schedule too many early morning meetings because if I end up going to bed a little bit late, I know that if I get eight hours of sleep, I can work through the whole day and I'm not going to get that wave of tiredness at 2 PM, 4 PM, as long as I get that sleep, if I go drop down from eight to me personally, I'm going to get tired.

I'm going to lose energy, I'm going to lose focus and then I'm just not going to be as efficient during the day. So 8 hours of sleep is a big one for me.

Gresham Harkless 11:12

Yeah, I appreciate you sharing that. But I love that kind of a reminder of knowing yourself and I almost wonder During your journey, like, how did you start to know who you were and what your superpowers were, your secret sauce was, were you able to experiment a lot in the beginning?

So you realize that, Hey, this is my lane. This is the race I need to run in order for us to succeed and lean more into that. So how did you discover that part?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 11:34

Starting off in sports cards and that kind of very kind of niche space. I named my company Dappz Sports because I was shooting a lot of content and the content that I was looking at when I first started, there just wasn't a lot of it.

I thought that was a little bit more big and just encompass the whole sports media side. So from the beginning, I had the vision. To make sure, hey, I'm going to start in this sports card sector.

That's going to be my little niche. But the overall goal is to be a media company, right? To be able to produce content and work with brands, activate sponsorships, do in real life events, right? So the brand is very, very important to me because I believe that it can be similar to the way a Supreme will collaborate with a North Face, right?

Gresham Harkless 12:24

Nice. I love that. So I almost wonder if. That is maybe a little bit more on how you would define being a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Dappz, what is being a CEO mean to you?

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 12:36

Being a CEO to me is, leading, right? Making sure that the people. We are working with you can help educate, but also you're constantly learning as well. We're not perfect. Like we said before, progress, not perfection. I'm learning that sometimes I'm putting ideas and protocols in place and maybe they don't work the way I thought.

So we have to. Maybe pivot, maybe adapt to a different a different protocol and also empowering your employees to making sure that they have input because sometimes all that I've noticed works a lot is I'll put a protocol in very lightly into the company and into the business and see, Hey, listen, try this out.

If it doesn't work or you think you have a better solution, let me know I'm all ears. And sometimes the feedback we get is incredible and people say, no, no, no, no, this is the way to do it. And then we put that in the practice and it works. So while you're a CEO and you want to lead and be in control, you want to have all the control. It's very important to make sure that the people underneath you and the people that you work with have input and they can help drive the business, help elevate the business, help expand the business because.

There are a lot of good ideas right out there and it's good to have fresh eyes on situations that I've been looking at every day for the last six months I see it one way and maybe I'm just not seeing a certain angle and I need new eyes on it so being a CEO for me is being a leader, but also a listener.

Gresham Harkless 14:09

Yeah, I absolutely love that. So truly appreciate that definition. And of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know.

And of course, how best people can get out view, find out about your team, all the awesome things that you guys are doing to make an impact.

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 14:27

I would leave everybody with is just think about your day in terms of sort of like a cell phone battery, right?

You have a hundred energy points every single day, and you need to think about who are you giving those points to, because everybody runs out of battery, at the end of the day. So think about, Hey, is it worth getting in this argument with my sister or my mom, or my dad or my grandpa, right?

Because how many energy points are you gonna give? To that person to win that argument, and then what do you achieve by winning that argument? These are just questions you have to ask yourself, right? So what I've done over the years is I've learned, Hey, I want to put as many points a day into my business as I can.

I'm not going to give energy to other people who don't deserve it or who are going to, suck my energy out for me because I only got 100 points to use every day And I need to focus on where i'm investing those energy points.

If you're interested in sports cars and memorabilia check us out on tiktok at Dappz sports d a p p z sports Dappzsports.Com. We're on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, all those good social platforms under the name Dappz Sports.

We created a ton of content. We do about 30 million views on TikTok every month of original content that we produce and another 15 million in our live streams. In our live shops. So if you have any questions about anything that you're interested in purchasing or don't understand how certain live streams work, you can pop in there and you can ask questions and our streamers and our breakers are happy to answer any questions.

It's a really cool community. And if sports aren't your thing, we sell a ton of Pokemon, Star Wars, Anime, Marvel, Disney. A lot of cool stuff on TikTok is available at Dappz Sports.

Gresham Harkless 16:08

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much. That's we're gonna, of course, have the links and information showing us as well, too.

So that everybody can follow up with you ask those questions, subscribe to all the things that they can do. So thank you so much for doing that, my friend, and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Matt “Dappz” McGuckin 16:21

Have an a

CEO Shares on How to Empower Entrepreneurs and How to Bridge the Communication Gap

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:43:49 -0400

In this episode, we have Avi Siegel, a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO of Vital Signs.

Siegel shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from selling trading cards at six, to running a popular ice cream store and eventually leading Vital Signs, a sign language interpreting agency.

He discusses his passion for equal access communication and his consulting work helping small business owners and consultants.

Siegel highlights the importance of mentorship, client acquisition, and creating an inclusive environment for both employees and clients.

His approach prioritizes continuous learning, community support, and leveraging experiences for exponential growth.

Website: siegelbusinessconsulting.com

www.vitalsignsinterpreting.com

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!

Full Interview:

Transcription:

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

Avi Siegel Teaser 00:00

We work with companies that have interactions with deaf currently or do not have any interactions with deaf. And so the goal is, let's say if the company has interactions with deaf right now, the goal is equal access communication hands down, basic human rights, right? So we are really putting our foot forward to make sure that happens.

Intro 00:23

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:51

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 Avi Siegel. Avi, excited to have you on the show.

Avi Siegel 00:58

Yeah, thank you. Good to be here.

Gresham Harkless 00:59

Absolutely. And Avi's doing so many phenomenal things, but of course, before we jump into that, I want to read a little bit more about Avi so I can hear about some of those awesome things. When Avi's entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 6 and he started buying and selling trading cards. And by the age of 18, Avi had managed and run a popular retail ice cream store featured on the Travel Channel. By age 21, Avi has created a secondhand textbook company, as well as a dog walking company in Manhattan. In 2017, he decided to follow his passion and use his business management experience, leadership experience and textbook brain to start coaching small business owners. It was his way to give back to the business community and put his skills to good use.

And in 2019, he took over as CEO of Vital Signs, growing and guiding the business through growth cycles and a global pandemic, and I was reading a little bit more about Avi before we popped into this and he describes himself as a lifelong learner. And you can probably even see that he devours as many business books as he can, which is always great to hear. He loves playing board games, spending time with his wife and his children. And one of the things that really resonated with me, I was reading a little bit more on something he posted on LinkedIn. He said, “Think of hard times as your investment. You're playing in time and discomfort for the person you want to become”. So Avi, excited that you get to invest some time with us. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

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Avi Siegel 02:21

Oh yeah. What an intro too. Thank you for that. That's fantastic. You did your homework.

Gresham Harkless 02:27

There you go. It was easier to read it than probably it was to execute on all those things. So I appreciate you for making it easy for me to have something to read.

Avi Siegel 02:34

For sure. For sure.

Gresham Harkless 02:34

Perfect. Perfect. So I guess to kick everything off, let's rewind the clock a little bit. I know I touched on it, but I want to hear a little bit more about your CEO story and let you start it with all awesome.

Avi Siegel 02:41

Yeah. All right. Awesome. Okay. So the CEO story, it's funny. You read a little bit of that bio and how I started, like, my journey started at age 6. I'll get more into that. The funny thing is that I was talking with Alberto, he's the CEO of Zumba, and we were sharing stories because he did a similar thing at age, I think he said 4, where he was literally like leasing out a watch that he had and to friends and they would pay him. And then, and once he said the story, like his grandfather bought him the watch or something like that. And his mom was like, where's the watch? And he's like, I gave it to a friend to borrow. And she's like, what do you mean? Gave it to a friend? She's like, yeah, give it to a friend. And he pays me money and then he gives me the watch back. And so we kind of like chatted about these like early, early moment entrepreneurial ventures. But we had no idea this was like entrepreneurship, so to speak, quote unquote.

But it was just a great little moment between the two of us. And it's really the start of the journey, right? I feel like when I didn't have to figure out what I was going to do in college, like I didn't have to figure out what I was going to do in my life. I was very fortunate enough to know business was where I was going to spend my time, hands down. So back in 2012, I started working for Vital Signs and then really spent the next seven years climbing the chains. I held every position within the company. So Vital Signs is a sign language interpreting and transcribing agency. We serve nationwide. We have, I just got these numbers yesterday, we have employees or contractors in 49 of the 50 states. So we really have a nationwide base and we provide the interpreting and transcribing, facilitating the communication between the deaf and the hearing world for government, college universities, private sector, and nonprofits.

The people who did well during the pandemic, the people who survived during the pandemic, they also looked internally, and they all started focusing on their employees. So it happened to be the exact thing that we needed to do to the point where we were in pretty good shape. There were a lot of other interpreting agencies that were not in great shape. There were interpreting agencies that were cutting rates for their freelance interpreters, and we did the opposite. So we wanted to support the community, the deaf community, the interpreters, the transcribers. And so something that we launched during COVID was a program where we would lend money to, we would provide capital to interpreters and transcribers if they needed. We helped all of our employees. We didn't drop a single employee. We didn't lay anyone off. We didn't let go of anyone. We didn't drop anyone's rates, nothing. So I had about five mentors of my own at this point.

And one of my mentors said, Avi, you have to start mentoring. And I was like, cool, I'll do that, right? So I started just, if I heard a business challenge, someone's going through, I was like, hey, I can help you. I've dealt with that before, or I know exactly what you should be doing. And you're probably heading down a slightly not so great path. And if you make this change, you'll head down a much better path. And so I just started doing that and I fell in love with it. I did it for five years and I remember having this feeling like, I need to do this on a much larger scale, right? Like, I've done this as a passion project. They say you do something for free long enough. It's obviously a passion and it's a business model at that point. If you're doing it like this, you can make it into a business model.

And so I was doing it for five years, totally loved every minute of it, had mentees of mine that stayed basically the whole five years. So anyway, I launched Siegel Business Consulting at that point. I invest in this transition from mentor to coach. And then probably within about two to three months, I was at capacity. I was turning down clients. I was working probably 60 to 80 hour work weeks. And then at that point I had two kids and I'm a very involved husband and father. Like those are high priorities for me. And so between all of that, it really, it didn't feel like 60 to 80 hour work weeks because I loved what I did, it was my passion. But at the same time, I also knew I couldn't stay there forever. It was not sustainable.

And so I ended up niching down into basically consultants. At that point, I was working with business owners, like small to, let's say on the larger scale of small business owners to individual consultants. And I ended up scaling down and basically teaching consultants how to do client acquisition. And that was a whole game changer. And so that's where I am today.

Gresham Harkless 07:39

Nice. I appreciate you sharing your journey. And so I wanted to drill down a little bit more and hear a little bit more on how you work with your clients for both Vital Signs and then the Business Solutions. Can you take us through what that process looks like? And then also what you feel is like part of your secret sauce, what you feel is actually a part of what makes you unique?

Avi Siegel 07:55

That's a good question. So, on the Vital Signs side, we work with companies that have interactions with deaf currently, or do not have any interactions with deaf. And so the goal is, let's say if the company has interactions with deaf right now, the goal is equal access communication, hands down, basic human rights, right? So we are really putting our foot forward to make sure that happens. And so we work with companies to figure out what services they should be requesting. How to do it. We do one-on-one trainings also with companies where we'll come in and we'll do a training on here's Deaf Culture 101, here's how you work with an interpreter, and so we'll work with them on the gamut of providing interpreters to also education for their entire workforce.

Then on the other side, we have companies that have no deaf connection at all, but at any point in time, they could end up with a communication with somebody who's deaf. And so we provide a service for them where at any point in time, if that occurs, they can get access to an interpreter. And then on the coaching side, I'm teaching in, well, there's really two paths, right? There's scaling and there's client acquisition. So right now I'm teaching consultants and specifically fractional C-suites, so like a fractional CMO, fractional CFO, CRO, COO, how to acquire high-ticket, high-paying clients. So I told you that within two to three months, whatever it was, I was fully booked up and I was turning down clients.

Channel number two is really for the consultants and also for small businesses, it's scaling. Scaling, leadership, and management. And so we have a group where we discuss all of this and we actually work with individuals in real time on the challenges that they're going through to help them ultimately scale their business. And so I was working at that time I was working with small businesses and we were padding top line, padding bottom line, I had owners taking owners distributions for the first time in their entire careers with their businesses. But I kept getting pulled to the consultant world and so that's how I ended up in a consultant space and also the small business space.

Gresham Harkless 10:22

Nice. I appreciate you sharing that so much. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or even a habit that you have, something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Avi Siegel 10:34

The first thing, and this is in no order of importance, but the first thing is your micro disciplines. So the way that I get 30 to 40 books a year is I have a micro discipline that I like to drive my kids to school. That's a time where I get to spend time with my kids and that's valuable to me. On the way home, I will listen to my audio book and I will listen to it every day. And that's my discipline. The second thing is, so over the last few years, I've been blessed with an insane amount of success. I won't jump into it all, but I think that the secret is, people ask me, what's the secret, right?

The secret is engaging with people that have done it before, right? Like, I engage with my coaches and I skyrocket compared to what I would be if I didn't have their brains to pick all the time, right? So, finding the people that have shared, have done the journey, learning from them. And then really it's always for me, I'm always looking multiple steps. Like I'm always 10X-ing everything. If there's one effort, I'm like, okay, cool. I can do this one effort and then I'll get me, let's say a 5X, but how can I get it to be a 10X? And that opens up your thought process and takes you from linear growth to exponential growth, right?

Gresham Harkless 12:01

Nice, I absolutely love those and how powerful it is. So what would you consider to be a little bit more of what I call a CEO nugget? This is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. It might be something you would give as a habit to your favorite client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self this.

Avi Siegel 12:16

I think if I hopped in a time machine and I wanted to tell my younger self something, it would be find the people that have done what you're trying to do and just learn as much as you can from them. The other thing I would tell my earlier self would be literally nothing is impossible. And if you think for one second that there's something that is impossible, that is the moment where you need to check yourself and check your assumptions because there's usually like a mental block and not a physical block because you really could accomplish anything. But when you put in a definitive or and not and possibility, you lose that.

Gresham Harkless 13:03

I love both of those, especially because of how to me, they tie in together. So I wanted to ask you now my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So, Avi, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Avi Siegel 13:15

One from the Vital Signs side and one from the Single Business Consulting side, because my role there are very different. My role in Vital Signs, what it means to be a CEO for me is providing an amazing place to work for as many people as possible. So employing as many people into an amazing organization where they can also make great salaries and provide for their family. Like that, I think is a big part that drives me as a CEO. Certainly when it comes to Vital Signs, like I want to blow up Vital Signs so that we can just create a better place for the world, right? Like we're a mission driven company. So we need to be, you know, getting equal access communication out everywhere, and that's my passion.

And as a CEO providing that environment to work and the means for as many people to provide a great, to provide for their family, that's really important to me. On the consulting side, really, or maybe it's really part of the same is teaching people how to create financial freedom, how to be black belts at sales so that finance is never an issue for them. They can charge what they're worth and change the trajectory of their life for themselves and for their families.

Gresham Harkless 14:18

I love that. Avi, truly appreciate that definition. Of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best people can get a hold of you, find out about all the awesome things you and your team are working on.

Avi Siegel 15:03

Yeah, for sure. Everybody who's listening to this is in a place where they can change their lives, right? Like they have the ability, they're business owners, entrepreneurs, whatever it is, high-level executives, whatever it is. I think that one of the most amazing things is understanding that there truly is no limit. So you can reach out at avi@vitalsignsllc.net, and you can link that in the description or you can shoot me a text. I'd love to hear from you. So you can shoot me a text at 301 404 2284 and I say text, not a call because I am in calls and podcast interviews and webinars a lot. So shoot me that text and I'd love to engage in the conversation.

Gresham Harkless 15:57

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much again, Avi. And to make that even easier, we will have that information. Like I mentioned in the show notes as well, too, so that everybody can reach out and connect with you, so thank you so much for doing that, my friend. And I hope you have a phenomenal day.

Avi Siegel 16:08

Thank you very much. You too. Thank you for having me on this show. I love it.

Outro 16:13

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation in Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google podcast, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. Subscribe and leave us a five-star rating.

This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless, Jr. Thank you for listening.

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The post CEO Shares on How to Empower Entrepreneurs and How to Bridge the Communication Gap appeared first on CBNation TV - Entrepreneurship Videos, Steps to Start a Small Business.

Founder and Author Shares His Insights On Effective Leadership and Embracing Curiosity

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:25:32 -0400

In this episode, we have Thomas Koulopoulos, chairman and founder of Delphi Group, a think tank, and an influential author and entrepreneur.

The discussion begins with the importance of surrounding oneself with people who challenge and push for growth. Tom shares his remarkable journey, insights into effective leadership, decision-making, and the significance of constantly challenging oneself and embracing curiosity.

The conversation delves into Tom's latest book, ‘GigaTrends,' exploring six tech trends shaping our future.

The episode highlights the power of perspective in leadership, the necessity of decision-making, and the impact of surrounding oneself with challenging voices to foster growth and innovation.

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Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Thomas Koulopoulos Teaser 00:00

I think we often surround ourselves with people that allow us to slip into what's comfortable. And while it's nice to have people that you can be comfortable with, I think it's so important to have people that really are going to challenge you, constantly push you.

Intro 00:13

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:38

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 Tom Kalopoulos on the show. Tom, excited to have you on the show.

Thomas Koulopoulos 00:46

Gresh, it is a pleasure to be here with you. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 00:51

Yes, absolutely. The pleasure is definitely all ours. And before of course we jump in, I want to read a little bit more about Tom so you can hear about some of those awesome things that he's doing. And Tom is Chairman and founder of Delphi Group, a 30 year old Boston based think tank named one of the fastest growing private companies by Inc. Magazine and the founding partner of Acro Manage Ventures, which invests in early stage technology startups. He is also the author of 14 books and inventor with several patents and Inc.com columnist, the past executive director of the Babson College Center for Business Innovation, the past director of the Dell Innovation Lab, and a professor at Boston University.

His insights have been received wide praise from luminaries such as the late Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, D. Hawk, the founder of Visa International, and Tom Peters, who called his writing a brilliant vision of where we must take our enterprises to survive and thrive. His Inc column is read by over a million people every year, and Tom's 14 books include Reimagining Healthcare, Revealing the Invisible, The Gen Z Effect, The Innovation Zone, and Cloud Surfing. His latest book, Gigatrends, looks at the six tech trends that are shaping the future of how we live, work, and play. And he said this in the video when I was preparing for this, which really stuck with me, what Tom actually does.

He says, what I give more people more than anything else, I think it's a lens through which they can see what they do day-in and day-out in a slightly different way. And you, it's so powerful to be able to understand like how we can change our perspective and it doesn't necessarily change our world, but the way that we interact in that world. So I love that you do that, Tom. Excited to have you on the podcast. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

Thomas Koulopoulos 02:27

I am absolutely ready to go. And thank you for that. I think that notion of looking at life through a slightly different lens is so important because we get stuck on tracks and it's just human nature. We keep on looking at things the same way. We see the same things. And if you look at them differently, different things. So yeah, a very cool way to begin, I think.

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Gresham Harkless 02:44

Yeah, absolutely. And it's so powerful, I think, especially with everything you've been writing and doing. And I think so many times we get mired in and focused on like how we're operating through life. But I guess just to speak to that, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit here, a little bit more on your life. What led you to get started with all the awesome work you're doing?

Thomas Koulopoulos 02:59

Yeah. So look, at the end of the day, I think I am just a very curious person. I like to learn. I love to grow and I love to surround myself with people who similarly enjoy learning about things that they don't know. And that stretches you. It's painful sometimes.

It hurts to learn. As we get older, it hurts more, I think. Think about how to play a musical instrument. When you're three years old, you can play the violin, you can play the piano, you can play the guitar. Your mind is a sponge. As we get older, it's tougher and tougher to rewire.

So I think we have to constantly challenge ourselves. I love doing that to myself, challenging myself to learn new things and to explore new dimensions of life that maybe otherwise I wouldn't have left to my own devices. We all get a little bit lazy. So I love to push myself. I love to have people around me that push me and force me to learn.

Gresham Harkless 03:45

Yeah, that ends up being so powerful to be able to understand that and understand how powerful that is, but also how powerful having those people around you, that environment so that you can create opportunities for you to do that.

Thomas Koulopoulos 03:56

Absolutely.I think we often surround ourselves with people that allow us to slip into what's comfortable. And while it's nice to have people that you can be comfortable with, I think it's so important to have people that really are gonna challenge you, constantly push you.

I know you've got a son, my son is now 24. He has forever pushed the envelope with me. And I'm so grateful for the fact that he has challenged me and taken me to task and forced me to see things through his lens, through his eyes, which is so different than mine.

And at first as a parent, you wanna believe you know everything and you wanna push back and say, wait, I've got the wisdom. Listen to me. My son once said to me, Gresh, get this. He said to me, after I gave him some advice, he said, dad, you've only taken one path through life, your path. There were infinite other paths you could have taken.

And it stopped me to, I stopped. I froze my tracks. I said, you know what, Adam, you're right. There are infinite other paths. So we can get educated by all kinds of people, including our own children many times. And it's good to be challenged. It's good to be challenged.

Gresham Harkless 04:52

Yeah, absolutely. So I want us to drill down a little bit more, hear a little bit more about your latest book, Gigatrends. Can you take us through a little bit more on what we can find there and how you're helping us to think differently, of course, probably live differently as well.

Thomas Koulopoulos 05:04

Gigatrends caused me to think differently. I wrote the book with my co-author, Nathaniel Palmer. He and I sat down and we asked the question one day, what is most gonna change to create the future for our children? He has two children, I have two children.

And we rolled up our sleeves and tried to create a list of all the things that would most impact our children's lives. And we came up with a list of two dozen different things. We said, this is a lot. Can we boil this down? And we ended up with these six trends that I think are most going to shape the world, our future and the future of our children and our children's children.

And they looked at the changing nature of population. We're all getting older as a globe. That's gonna create a very different society. It's gonna change social welfare, health care, education, agriculture, all these will be affected by that. We look at health care, which is not just the US crisis, it's a global crisis.

And in 10 years, there's not a single health care system that we looked at across the globe that's gonna survive intact the way it is now. So we have to change health care radically. And those two are very related. As we get older, we have more complex health problems. So health care is going to get more complex just as a result of that.

With the transportation, how that's going to change, autonomous vehicles, electric cars, what that means. With an identity, 4 billion people out of the 8 billion people on the planet today live on less than $7 a day. They have no identity, no bank accounts, no credit cards. They're taken advantage of constantly. As we bring those people into the mainstream, what's going to happen? We're going to choke the planet from just an ecological standpoint.

So we have to use technology to give them identity, give them the ability to enter the economic mainstream. But the future of things, everything's becoming digital. Your biggest asset will be your digital self. What does that mean? What does that mean for politics? I like to get political here, but think about it. I think that the AI gives you personal liberty because AI creates transparency. If a bill goes through Congress and it has 3,000 pages, there's no way I can understand it.

There's no way I can make sense of it. I don't know how to take a stand on it, but I could use AI to help interpret that bill for me and tell me what does it mean to me. So, creating transparency in government, creating transparency in policy, in the legal system, in the justice system.

So, we've had an array of things that fell into what we thought were six very neat buckets that would most affect and impact the world going forward. Of course, climate change is part of that, energy is part of that, but we tried to take a very scientific look. We did a lot of research at how these trends are going to evolve and what it means to us.

And we call them Gigatrends because giga is a tech term for billions. So gigatrends are trends that are going to affect billions of lives. The radio affected billions of lives. The Industrial Revolution affected billions of lives.

Advances in agriculture affected billions of lives. So, these are gigatrends that are going to impact billions across the globe. It's a very big look at a bunch of very big topics.

Gresham Harkless 07:55

Yeah, and it seems extremely powerful. And I almost wonder if that's part of what I would like to call your secret sauce, be for yourself, the book, or a combination of both, that thing that sets you apart and makes you unique. And initially, I was thinking it was a lot of that curiosity, but I think that might be a strong part of it.

But I also wonder too, if it's that optimism that you talk about, but also maybe awareness of being able to see the forest for the trees, understand why we're doing the things that we're doing, that human part that we talked about. Do you think that maybe blend of those things is a part of your secret sauce?

Thomas Koulopoulos 08:21

It's a really good observation. The way I describe this, I'm a very simple-minded person. I've lived my life in technology and in very complex things like health care. And I think when things are complex, we feel overwhelmed. We become pessimists because it's daunting. We don't know how to approach the future. It's daunting. And my objective is let's not make it daunting. Let's make it simple. And by making it simple, we can breathe a sigh of relief, and then we can be optimists. We don't feel overwhelmed by the weight of the future. And so, yeah, it's an interesting observation that you just made. And I thank you for it because I believe that above all else, I am incredibly optimistic about the future, whatever challenges we might currently be facing.

Gresham Harkless 09:01

Yeah, that makes so much sense. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an Apple book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Thomas Koulopoulos 09:14

I think the biggest challenge as a CEO is decision-making. And what I've seen, and before we get to the hack, what I've seen in ineffective leaders is an inability to make decisions. They want to come to consensus. They want to be democratic. They want to constantly engage and involve everyone in the conversation.

That's wonderful in its essence, but it can also slow things down tremendously. The best advice I ever got was when it comes to the point where you have to make a decision, make it, because good or bad, any decision is better than no decision. And that's often what you're faced with as a CEO. Are you at a point, at a juncture, where you either have to make a decision and live with it or live with indecision? Indecision is never the preferred path.

So my suggestion, my hack, if you will, is to get comfortable with yourself and your ability not just to make decisions, but to live with their consequences, to own those consequences. So I will make the decision as a CEO, and I will own the better or the worse outcome, but I have ownership over this. And I will take the feedback. I will take the inputs from everyone.

My mentor, Peter Drucker, who you mentioned in the introduction, an amazing human being, he used to say to me often, because he worked with presidents, he actually worked with folks like Eisenhower, can you imagine that? And he would say to me, look, at the end of the day, the great leaders will take the input and then they will make the decision and they will live with that decision.

And what makes a great leader is that they have followers because the followers want to see that path clearly. They want to know what that future will look like. And a leader can give you, if not a prediction of the future, the assurance that in their mind, this is the right path.

And we all want that. We want those assurances. So that's my hack. Get comfortable with making decisions and live with the consequences, own those consequences. And many of them will be bad. Some of them will be good. And you hope at the end of the day, the good outweigh the bad. And that will be your ultimate test of leadership, but never shirk from the decision.

Gresham Harkless 11:15

Yeah, absolutely. And so what would you consider to be a little bit more of what I call a CEO nugget? Just a little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you hopped into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Thomas Koulopoulos 11:30

Ooh, I love the time machine piece of that, right? Look, I think the nugget would be surround yourself with people who will challenge you. As a CEO, you want to believe you have ultimate authority. You do, to some degree. Again, you are the decision maker.

Don't shirk, don't be afraid of the people that will challenge you. In my experience, there are two categories of people that have been most important in my life. The people who have challenged me and those who have opened doors for me.

And both have done it, I think, from the depths of their soul. The folks who have opened doors for me didn't need to, but they did anyway. They were gracious enough to open the door for me and I walked through it and that allowed me to experience an enormous opportunity.

Those who have challenged me did very much the same. They opened up doors for me as well, doors in my own mind that I had closed.

So allow yourself to be challenged and don't surround yourself with people that are simply going to follow and take your lead. Surround yourself with people who are truly going to challenge your ideas, your directions, your vision, because that is how you temper yourself as a leader. By temper, I mean temper the way you temper a sword, right?

A samurai sword is tempered in heat, and it is that process of going through that tempering that ultimately, I think, results in true leadership. Those are the folks that are able to do that who end up being the greatest leaders.

It doesn't mean that being challenged is gonna change your point of view necessarily, but allow you to refine it. It'll allow you to pivot. I've yet to see a company, a successful company that has not pivoted multiple times.

The vision of the leader, of the partners, of the founders is really where that company ends up. And I challenge anyone to give me a company that hasn't gone through multiple of those pivots and succeeded.
So that pivoting requires that you take on those challenges, that you see them clearly, you allow yourself to be challenged, and then you make the right accommodations as a result of that. I think that's the nugget is make sure that you don't surround yourself with people who are always going to just agree, but people who are going to truly take you to task on your ideas and your vision and your concepts. It's important.

Gresham Harkless 13:39

Yeah, it's huge. So I always wonder, is that your definition of what you, what I like to call being a CEO? I mean, our goal is to have different clinical CEOs on the show. So is that custodian of ideas? Do you feel like that's how you would define being a CEO?

Thomas Koulopoulos 13:50

Absolutely. You are the custodian of the ideas. You are the custodian of the vision of the organization and your responsibility is to do everything that you can to see the fulfillment and success of those ideas. You are secondary, which is a tough thing for a CEO to embrace. You are secondary to that priority. So how you are perceived, how you are thought of, how you are measured by others is secondary to that. And again, look, over time, whether the decisions you've made, whether the ways that your ego has influenced those decisions, whether the pivots are correct or incorrect, it'll be proven by the marketplace. It's that simple.

So take yourself back up every time that it doesn't go your way and keep moving forward. And it could be with a different idea. It could be with a different vision. But, yeah, I think being the custodian of the ideas is the best way to define leadership and take yourself out of the equation.
You are not the priority. It is the ideas, it is the organization that is the priority.

Gresham Harkless 14:48

Yeah, that ends up being so powerful.Tom, truly appreciate your time and all the awesome things that you're doing. What I wanted to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know, and of course, how best people can get a hold of you, get a copy of the books, find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.

Thomas Koulopoulos 15:04

So gigatrends.io is the website. You can certainly get Gigatrends on Amazon or in any bookstore. They can reach out to me directly through gigatrends.io. There's a form on there. They can reach out to me or my c

CEO and Founder Discusses the Evolution of Public Relations and the Importance of Storytelling in Business

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:16:33 -0400

In this episode, we have Nathan Miller, CEO and founder of Miller Inc., a full-service, award-winning strategic and crisis communication firm.

Nathan shares his journey from working in public policy and speechwriting, including a significant role at Israel's permanent mission to the United Nations, to founding his own firm in Los Angeles.

He discusses the evolution of public relations, the importance of storytelling in business, and the challenges of navigating crises in the digital age.

Nathan's insights include the impact of social media on filtering information, developing messages that resonate, and the vital role of genuine relationships in business success.

Additionally, Nathan emphasizes the significance of personal health and well-being in enhancing professional performance and offers advice on building a positive, lasting reputation in the business world.

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!

Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Nathan Miller Teaser 00:00

How do we sort through what's real and fake on social media? How do we give in a sea of information? How do we help our clients focus on the things that really matter? How do we develop a message that's going to resonate? How do we make it breakthrough in this sea of content and information? How do we understand the right way to interact with traditional media at a moment when many are struggling, when many are declining.

Intro 00:25

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:50

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Nathan Miller. Nathan, excited to have you on the show.

Nathan Miller 01:01

It's great to be here. Thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless 01:03

Absolutely. And before, of course, we jump into everything and talking to hearing a lot more about all the awesome things Nathan is doing, I want to read a little bit more about Nathan so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Nathan is the CEO and founder of Miller Ink, a full-service, award-winning, strategic, and crisis communication firm headquartered in Los Angeles. He has helped hundreds of organizations tell their stories and navigate complex issues and crises around the globe. Before founding Miller Ink. in 2013, Nathan served in a number of roles at the intersection of communications and public policy, including as the director of speech writing for Israel's permanent mission to the United Nations.

And one of the awesome things that I was doing before preparing for this is listen to a lot of what Nathan was talking about and related to PR and how it's evolving and changing. And one of the things that really stuck with me is he had this quote about storytelling. He said, whether we're painting on cave walls or posting on social channels telling stories has always been a fundamental human need. So excited to dive a little bit deeper into that and all of what he thinks of why #PR might be dead, at least in the way that we thought about it before. But Nathan, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Nathan Miller 02:12

Absolutely. Thanks for having me. I'm so excited. And I love that. That's one of my quotes. I love that. Every group I speak to, I start with that big picture of cavemen painting on a cave wall because you think about that. These people didn't have enough to eat. They're scrounging around for food. They don't know where their next meal is coming from. Life is nasty short, and they still take time to paint on the cable. That's how much we need stories in our life.

Gresham Harkless 02:37

Yeah, and it's so fascinating. You consider, like, all the evolution as far as technology and all these things that we never could have dreamt that we were able to do and we're able to do now, but storytelling is one of those, like, really big aspects all throughout history and all throughout our lives. So I love that you've been able to notice that obviously and be able to empower people and how powerful that is.

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Nathan Miller 02:57

They say that when you look at, you read a lot of the anthropological research, one of the reasons that human beings evolved to the top of the pyramid on earth, it's because we have this ability to tell stories and to share information with each other and to take all the complexities of the world around us, distill it down into something that, that we can share with others and then that can get transmitted. And the way that that knowledge has been, has gone viral throughout human history. And obviously with the pace of change and technology and everything else that it, that speeds up and speeds up. But yeah, that's, that's our, that's, that's our superpower as a species that you could even say is storytelling.

Gresham Harkless 03:38

Yeah, absolutely. I guess it was only right for us to kick things off by rewinding our clock a little bit, hear a little bit more about your story. We'll let you get started with all the awesome work you're doing.

Nathan Miller 03:46

Absolutely. So I spent the last almost 20 years working in strategic communications. I began my career shortly after 9/11 working in the intersection of comms and national security, foreign policy. I worked in Brussels at a think tank working with the EU institutions. I worked in Washington, DC at a group working at how the business community could think more about national security in the US. And then I worked at a PR agency here in LA working on local public affairs, mostly in national issues. In 2010, I got an opportunity to be, become the Chief Speechwriter at Israel's mission to the United Nations for, which was a really fascinating and important job for me for my career. And then I saw in 2013, I was finishing that and wanted to move back to Los Angeles and started looking around at different job opportunities here. And nothing really stood out.

There wasn't a job that I was particularly excited about in LA. And I decided, you know what, I'm going to create the job I want. And at the time, I was young and stupid and didn't understand all that came with that. But it was a great, it was a huge challenge and a great challenge. I think it made me, it gave me a lot of grit. I went from writing the speeches that Israel delivered in the UN security council to working for a high school fashion show, which was my first client. And that was humbling and learn in a client service business, how to treat every client like the most important client in the world, how to give it your all to leave everything on the field every day. And I've grown the agency over the last 11 years, quite a bit. We have about 20 employees, 50 to 60, 70 clients at any given time. We have team here in LA also in New York and San Francisco. We're one of the leading crisis communication shops in LA and the West Coast really.

And I do a lot of national, big national work and to work with global clients. And we work across technology, real estate, public affairs, some non-profit. We have a sister agency that does social impact consulting. We do a lot of work around people's giving story and CSR. And I love it. And every day it's different. And there's a lot to talk about in terms of getting from where I started to where we are, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. And there's nothing more gratifying than building something yourself. And having a vision for something when nothing existed and giving your all every day to make it happen. It comes with huge risks, a lot of brain damage, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Gresham Harkless 06:31

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And I love that you use that word grit and how powerful that is. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more here, a little bit more about what Crisis Comms is, like how you are working with and impact your clients and what that process looks like.

Nathan Miller 06:46

Sure. So Crisis Communications is any situation. Generally the elements of a Crisis Communications challenge are, there's an issue that has the potential to affect significantly the reputation of an individual or an organization. Usually, there's some time-bound element, meaning something has to happen within some fixed period of time. You can do crisis communications. You can do crisis planning, which is different than crisis confer, planning an event, which we can talk about. But when you're in an active crisis communication situation, it means there's some time bound element. So you have to act quickly and it's a rapidly changing field. The way that people consume information, communicate with each other, the media environment, all of those things have changed dramatically since I started doing this work.

The problem with crisis comms that I see often is it's a lot of legacy firms doing legacy things that don't matter anymore. They ran a great, their strategy would have been great in 1996, but it doesn't work today. And so what we have to do is be looking at the environment around us and understand the changes month by month, year by year, and then think creatively, how do we sort through what's real and fake on social media? How do we give, in a sea of information? How do we help our clients focus on the things that really matter? How do we develop a message that's going to resonate? How do we make it break through in this sea of content and information? How do we understand the right way to interact with media, with traditional media in a moment when many are struggling, when many are declining, when there's less reporters, issues like SEO or online reputation management, or how do you bring investigative resources to bear to get the best information for your client in a moment.

How do you deal with litigation, have those skills to deal with an active litigation with all these other changes in the communications environment overlaid. So those are the things we think about. We have a great network of relationships with different firms that do a bunch of different things to help navigate in this moment. So I think that's one of our superpowers. But the thing that is most important that clients come to again and again is they want someone who's calm under the pressure, who can give them really clear advice, sound judgment that they trust. And that's something that's hard to teach. You have to hire for that. And there's not really a great substitute for a lot of experience in doing it. And I've been doing it for almost 20 years now and you just get better and better and better. And that's the truth.

Gresham Harkless 09:18

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And so I know you mentioned crisis planning, obviously the crisis communications. Are there any other ways that you all try to help to support your clients you wanted to mention. And also, I think you mentioned this too, as part of what is your secret sauce, your superpower, what helps you stand apart and be unique?

Nathan Miller 09:34

Yeah, I think it's just, it's we have those fundamental communication skills, going back to the caveman to reference earlier, we only hire people who are great writers, who have deep listening skills, the ability to have really high EQ, understand how something's going to play in the bedside manner with the client, to understand how to speak to them in a challenging moment often when it comes to crisis, or even just in general when you're dealing with just normal traditional PR or strategic comms. But we pair that with an understanding of where the environment is today. I like having a laboratory here.

We'll have a problem that'll come up on a case. And I'll be like, I want to figure out how we do that better the next time. And so I'll assign someone on our team to, we noticed that we needed to have a lot better relationship, not just with journalists, but with a lot of the freelancers, because that created a whole other avenue for us to get into papers, because there's just less staff at the papers now. There's less regular reporters. And these freelancers are scattered all over the place and it's hard to find them. It's not a great media database.

So I made it someone's full-time job for a year to build our relationship with freelancers. We have an incredible relationship now with thousands of freelancers across all the different areas we need to work. And it's just, our capability as a firm, I think is stronger in that area than anybody else. Even the really huge multibillion dollar PR agencies, because we saw a specific acute need and I invested in resources to do it. And then we do a deeper dive into where the market is and how we can do better. And then every week we have at least an hour of training where we do a lunch and learn. I'll bring in a journalist or someone or another practitioner, or we'll do someone internally will present.

And through that training process, we're always making people better. And I think people, the lesson I've learned over the years is that A players want to be with other A players and A players want to have the opportunity to thrive and grow. And if you're not feeding that need, people are going to leave and they're not going to be happy and they're going to be less effective as team members. The reason I get new clients is we do a great job with our existing clients and they refer us to other folks and you can call anybody we've worked with and they'll say they did a great job and that's more important than anything else that I can do to grow this business.

Gresham Harkless 11:50

Yeah, that makes so much sense. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like a half a book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Nathan Miller 12:00

I changed up my lifestyle a little bit in the last year and a half, two years, which has been great for me. I was in, and this is even with, I have three little kids. So around the time of my second son, my son's now five, when he was born, I gained a little bit of weight, but it wasn't even that. It was more just, I felt like my lifestyle was, because I do this crisis work on the phone all the time, get home, eat dinner, get back on my computer, work till 2am, not working out enough, waking up in the morning, getting a pastry and a coffee every day on my way to work.

And I started to really take a lot more seriously my health around that time. And it's been a total game changer for me. I cut out carbs in the morning, and so I just do like yogurt or something with some protein. I tried to reduce my coffee intake to a cup in the morning and then a decaf in the afternoon. I've tried to get a lot more religious on my sleep. I try to get eight hours a night and that means if I have to shut it off and then making time in the morning to work out and just putting it on my calendar and giving myself permission to do that. It took me about eight years of running this company.

Up until that point, I said that there's no time I'm not going to be available because a client might need me. I'm always flexible and I'm always available. I kickbox twice a week and in two years, I've been doing it for two and a half years, but in two years of doing it twice a week, I've had to cancel once or twice because for business reasons, otherwise I make it and I work around it. And if you block that time out, then you can take your health seriously. I think it pays dividends. I think I'm a better boss. I'm a better practitioner of this field and it just keeps me balanced. I think it's super important.

Gresham Harkless 13:44

Yeah, I appreciate you so much in sharing that. What would you consider to be a little bit more of what I call a CEO nugget? A little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice that might be something you would tell your favorite client or if you were to hop into a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Nathan Miller 13:56

Something I tell people a lot, business is a repeating game. It's not a zero sum game. So it's always better to have the other guy feel like he got the better end of the deal because good relationships compound. They lead to more good relationships and more good things and bad relationships and bad feelings similarly compound. There's nothing you can do to cover up a bad reputation. And it's not just about the reputation that you have in the media. That obviously is matters. But I work with a lot of people in crisis and sometimes the people who have the best reputation in the media have the worst reputation interpersonally and vice versa. People have the worst reputation.

So how you treat people and how you make people feel really matters. And you got to take that really seriously. It's like a sacred thing. So I always think about every interaction as an opportunity to build that positive compounding, whatever you want to call it, energy relationship, sort of like social capital, however you would, how you describe it. And I think that the business folks that I most respect, And I think that the business folks that I most respect, that I love to work with have that mentality. It's not everybody. There's some people who have a zero sum mentality do great. And who can build great companies. But for me as a CEO and, my success has always come from treating people right in one context and then having them understand that and remember that in a different one.

Gresham Harkless 15:19

Yeah. What would you consider to be your answer to my absolute favorite question, the definition of what it means to be a CEO? Our goals have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So Nathan, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Nathan Miller 15:28
Having the wisdom, vision, and audacity to lead a good CEO is, and putting others before yourself.

Gresham Harkless 15:36

I love that. Nathan, truly appreciate that definition. Of course, I appreciate your time even more. So what I want to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best people can get a hold of you, about all the awesome things you're working on.

Nathan Miller 15:52

Our website is Miller Ink with a K. millerink.com. You can check out, we have a bunch of content and resources and also you can contact me there. We're also on LinkedIn, Insta, Facebook, all the social, so you can. Check out, what our team is putting on there. And yeah, it's really great to, to be on the show and thank you so much.

Gresham Harkless 16:14

Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you. And of course, to make it even easier, we'll have the links and information in the show notes as well, too. But truly appreciate you taking some time out and I hope you have a phenomenal day.

Nathan Miller 16:24

Thanks so much.

Outro 16:25

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just

Founder and Coach Shares on How to Master Relationship-Building in Business

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 00:07:51 -0400

In this episode, we have Dominik Stanecki, a prominent figure in the C-suite of 300 devs, one of Poland's leading software and digital tool developers.

Dominik shares insights from his journey of starting in sales and tech to becoming a seasoned entrepreneur running three businesses, including his role in taking 300 devs international.

He discusses the importance of hiring based on personality types, his experience building significant projects like systems for Polish Post and education platforms during COVID, and how to effectively grow a business globally.

Dominik also talks about his life mission, the ‘Timeionaire' project aimed at balancing life and redefining success, and the impact of understanding personality types (MBTI) in business and personal growth.

The episode provides valuable insights into leadership, the intricacies of international business expansion, and the philosophy of leveraging one's unique strengths.

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!

Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Dominik Stanecki Teaser 00:00

If I'm hiring, I'm not hiring people, I'm hiring a personality type. So I'm looking, what is the position? What is the best suited type for this position? One or two or maximum three types, usually it's two. And then what I'm doing is I'm writing an advertisement that speaks the language of those, that speaks to those types.

Intro 00:19

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:48

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast, and I have a very special guest on the show today, Dominik Stanecki. Dominik, excited to have you on the show.

Dominik Stanecki 00:56

Wonderful. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Gresham Harkless 00:57

Yes. I'm super excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing.

And of course, before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Dominik so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Dominik is in the C-suite at 300DEVS, one of Poland's leading software houses and digital tool developers, a company that is responsible for mapping and developing some of Poland's most important platforms and applications.

As a president of Sales and Marketing, he has taken the company to company international, building a portfolio of clients and partners in the US, UK, and Australia. He is an entrepreneur who runs three businesses and is a timeionaire, a person who has time for everything. This light project aims to give people back the balance in their lives and to redefine the definition of success. Dominik is an avid traveler who has visited over 40 countries and is very interested in technology, AI, robotics, as well as MBTI, typology, energy, and esoteric subjects.

He has been in sales and marketing for over 25 years and has coached and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs, business owners over the last 15. He's a natural leader who has built businesses and wealth to them that have destroyed by mistakes, greed, and ego, and to then rebuild his life from zero and become the timeionaire that he is today. And I had a great conversation when I first connected with Dominik. He's done so many awesome things. I love his acronym that I was reading about and we talked about a little bit, where he discovered about IDHT, I Don't Have Time Syndrome and that's a social disease that is responsible for much of the happiness and burnout in today's world.

But more than anything else, I know I touched on it a little bit,and we talked a little bit before we jumped in, his life mission, he said his all-in project is actually all around timing here. So I'm sure we're going to delve down deeper into there. So, Dominik, excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

Dominik Stanecki 02:46

Sure. Yeah, let's do it.

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Gresham Harkless 02:47

Let's get it started then. So to kick everything off, I know I rewinded the clock a little bit, but let's do that and hear a little bit more on how you got started. Want to call your CEO story?

Dominik Stanecki 02:57

I just, life just takes you in different places and sometimes you plan it or your parents plan it for you.

Yes. You're going to be a lawyer. You're going to be a doctor like we were. And sometimes you just go with entropy and you just go with the flow and it just all comes together. Kind of slumdog millionaire. That's a kind of metaphor. I feel like my life is in a way like that. I was born in Europe, but I grew up in North America, grew up in Vancouver, BC.

And after high school, I didn't go to university or college, I went straight into business. I went straight into sales. I started off as a telemarketer. I was hitting the phones at a call center in Vancouver. This was like a real estate development company. That is the foundation on really what I built all my businesses on is that just grinding the dialer, just not being afraid to speak to anyone about anything, anytime. I think that is one of the foundations.

When I work with people, after that I got into selling tech. So that's really where another piece of the puzzle came in. And I learned about technology. This was a really interesting story I used to, I was, I used to train martial arts when I was young. And that's really part of how I am today as well, is the discipline and the fundamentals that I learned through martial arts. We can add that another piece of the puzzle as well. And my martial arts instructor was a very unique person. He was a visionary. He was an amazing person. He still is. And he, further than his martial arts school, he got into technology and he built a CRM to manage the school and he built a whole business out of that.

And I started working for him and that's awesome because we were in the martial arts industry. And this was like in the 90s when UFC first started booming. And we were focusing on the martial arts industry every single day. And I remember one time I had a friend and she was doing, she was setting up like a fair, it was like a fair, a convention, and she wanted to invite me. I'll come, but I don't want to come as an English teacher. I want to reinvent myself a little bit. She was like, what do you want to do? I'm like, for the last couple of years, I've been pretty much coaching and mentoring people without like directly, I'm like, I want to jump into that. I feel like I've had the practice and I want to move into that as well.

So I'm like, when's this event? She's like in 10 days. I'm like, okay. So I had 10 days to reinvent myself. I'm like, okay, make the business cards, get the roll up going on. Mentally prepare yourself. You're no longer an English teacher. You're now a coach and a mentor. You've been doing this anyways. Now just name it and go with it. And during that event, I met two key people, two people that opened up doors for me, but then allowed me to move into motivational speaking. They helped me get some key clients and this was my second business that I started. It was, so I had the first one was Education, Language School, then we got into Personal Development.

So I got burnt out from teaching English actively. So I made it more of a passive business and I continued to do the mentoring and the coaching and the business strategy. And then I met a client of mine and he came for a completely different topic and we became friends and he told me that he's got a he's just recently bought a software house and he's thinking of the house, the software house was in the red and he's trying to pull it into the black and he wanted to take the business international too and he needed somebody that number one, could speak English perfectly and could sell and boom, I found my guy.

And I'm like, hold on a second, I'm like, Sales, English and Technology, I'm like the three things that I love the most, I'm like, this is destiny. And him and I got together and I started to, I decided to join 300DDEVS. And 300DDEVS is a software house which I'm a C-suite at and I have a position of President of Sales and Marketing. So my job is to take the brand international. Like I said, we started in the red, now we're in the black, we're doing really well, but the way to get there was long and tedious and in the meantime we managed to land some amazing clients and projects.

I'll tell you about maybe four that are really key for us. The first one was we built out the entire logistics system for the Polish Post. So the Polish Post, the back end, was built by our developers and our company and we also built an Administrative System for the Roman Catholic Church. So the Catholic Church in Europe, Europe's a little bit older than North America, right? It's hundreds, thousands of years. So imagine the church keeping the records for so long about the marriage, birth, death certificates. And they got out of hand and they needed a way to digitize this.

So they contacted us and we made them a platform to be able to digitize all those records and have everything automated and digitized. So over 1.5 million users, that was pretty cool. But my favorite project came during COVID when, when we were all locked down, including the kids, the government contacted all the major software houses and ran a tender. And we were fortunate enough to win this tender. And we had to show very quickly how as a team we could come together and build a web-based application where the children could continue their education online.

So that was one of my favorite projects. And I've been taking the company and the brand international. So I'm always traveling around the world and I'm working with building partnerships and focusing on key clients and partners and that's our strategy. Primary markets, UK, US, Australia. And yeah, in a nutshell, a quick, I don't know, what was that? Maybe five minutes. That's the life story. We can start with that. That's a good start, I think.

Gresham Harkless 07:56

Yeah, absolutely. No, I truly appreciate that. So I wanted to hear a little bit more on how you guys are serving clients. I know you talked about some of the projects, but we'd love to hear a little bit more on how that process works and a little bit more of what I like to call your secret sauce, which can be for you, the business or a combination of both. And what sets your apart and makes you unique?

Dominik Stanecki 08:14

I start with a low hanging fruit, which you can, and obviously working off referrals and things. But internationally, we had to start from scratch, like no client, no reputation, nothing. So it's what can I do? And I always like to think outside the box. I'm a mobile growth hacker. I am, once again, if we talk about personality type, I'm, I've been using this MBTI system for 10 years now, I think, and I use it every single day of my life. I might not remember your name, but I remember your personality type, right? And that's so important for me because most of the mistakes that people make come from miscommunication.

We're just speaking a language that not everybody understands. And if we can learn to speak other people's languages, and I'm not talking actual languages, I'm talking the way that they process information, then it just completely changes the game. So why am I speaking about this? Because what I decided to do is, I said, okay, I could grind a dialer, but that's not the right way to do it. I could hire a bunch of cold callers, we could do mail and campaigns and do stuff like that. And okay, we can try that. But I'm like, let's just join, let's piggyback here. Let's make our life easier. I'm all about easy, right? I'm all about keeping it simple.

So we joined the BNI network, the Business Network International. Why? Because it's already established. You join it, it's yes, you could say it's a club, some say it's a cult. It is what it is. It's a place where you have hundreds of thousands of people around the world that pay a due to connect with each other, to do business with each other. And if you can leverage that properly, you will have jumped from dealing with cold leads automatically everybody's warm. And that's how I started. And that was the foundation on which we really, really built our business. And BNI was a great headstart. Thanks to it, I managed to meet a lot of key people, partners. I still use it to today. I'm very active.

We're part of an online group here in Poland. I travel a lot, so it's convenient for me because we meet primarily online. And so many capabilities, groups all over the world. And I've yet to have somebody tell me to F off. When I call or contact them, everybody's happy to speak with you. They're warm. They're friendly. And this is all over the world, especially if I'm contacting them from Poland, or from Poland, what are you doing here? Or I join a group live, like somewhere halfway across the world, and right away, they're like interested in you, and they wanna hear you. So I think that's one of the key kind of things that I did, once again, just keeping it simple, and starting with something that's already established.

Gresham Harkless 10:49

Yeah, that makes so much sense.

Dominik Stanecki 10:50

Instead of saying this person's wacko or weird, it's learning to understand what that means because it's another processor. If we're talking technology, it's another operating system. It's like saying iOS is weird. It's not windows. It's not windows, right? You got even the buttons are on the different sides. So when you learn to understand personalities, it's what we get to. So for me, I'm very deep on energy.

Gresham Harkless 11:13

And it sounds like even the CEO hacks which is like an Apple book or even a habit that makes you more effective and efficient.

Dominik Stanecki 11:18

It's like that horse with the blinders on, right? You're stuck in a rut and you're just going one direction. And most, but here's the thing, and I'm always a brutally honest person. I got to tell a lot of people this. Some of you out there, that's your mission is just to be that bot. Some people must accept the fact that they're not everybody's achiever. Some people out there, their role is to be the auxiliary helper, right? And there's a certain temperament of person who is designed to be the backbone of society. And they can, there are always unique circumstances and breakout individuals, but most of them are here to be supporting actors. They're to play a supporting role. You must learn your role.

Gresham Harkless 11:57

Yeah, which is why I love that you're bringing that to light. Would you consider to be, that to be like what I would call a CEO nugget? A little bit more word of wisdom or piece of advice. I like to say it might be something you would tell your favorite client, or if you were hopping to the time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Dominik Stanecki 12:11

Yeah, I'm going to say MBTI is the number one thing that I suggest. If I'm hiring, I'm not hiring people, I'm hiring a personality type. So I'm looking, what is the position. What is the best suited type for this position. One or two or maximum three types, usually it's two. And then what I'm doing is I'm writing an advertisement that speaks the language of those, that speaks to those types. And then we're getting applications coming in, CVs, resumes that you guys know that we call them in the U.S.

And then we're filtering through, inviting people for interviews that fit the personality type and go through a filtering process of their resume, meeting with those people that are fit our criteria, and then I want to get to know who you are. Let's talk about you and tell me what you experience and tell me what your screw ups and tell me all about blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I don't want to waste my time in getting to know you in this regard if you don't fit a certain criteria.

Most companies will be like, come on in based on the resume and then it's hit or miss, right? I've had that insanity, repeating the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. So how many times can you hire somebody and realize they're not right and realize you're doing it the wrong way. So the question is, what's a better way? And this is just a better way. Is it the right way? Maybe yes. For me, it's a good way. And that's what I do. So I always tell people that I'm coaching or mentoring. I'm like, number one, learn typology.

Gresham Harkless 13:35

So absolutely appreciate that. So now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And our goal is to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So Dominik, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Dominik Stanecki 13:46

Taking responsibility for the things that go wrong and being a leader, being an actual leader, not just the boss, but being a leader, having a vision and making difficult choices, having those conversations that you might not necessarily want to have, at times that might not be right, with people who are important, about topics that are challenging. And that's the combination of that is what I call a CEO. It's somebody who can solve problems. It's somebody who can sell. It's somebody who can motivate. It's someone who can criticize. It’s someone who is knowledgeable in vast areas of business, or if not, be able to build a team that complements their weaknesses. And knowing also who you are too and how you fit in the puzzle. And being a good CEO also means making sure that your ego is in check. Because if not, because you're responsible for the lives of many people.

It's like you're the driver and you're going down the freeway and you're ripping man, you're going fast, you're speeding and if something goes wrong, people's lives are in jeopardy and it's a lot of responsibility and a lot of people think, Oh, yeah, I'm going to be a CEO. I'm CEO on my LinkedIn. I'm a CEO now, right? It's we'll see when the first major crisis comes, if you really are a CEO, right? How are you going to handle it? Who are you going to blame? Who are you going to pay? Where are you going to throw money? Where are you going to put money to help solve this problem? Are you going to be cheap and try to save it? What are you going to realize? Also realizing when you've lost a battle, not to double down and put money into something that is sinking. Know when to assess risk, be able to predict certain things. So, either be strategic or tactical or both. So, it's multifaceted. It's a million things, right? It's everything.

Gresham Harkless 15:46

Yeah, it makes so much sense. Dominic, truly appreciate that definition. Of course, I appreciate you

CEO Coach and Author Creates Leadership Development Programs Based on Behavioral Science

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 07:33:31 -0400

In this episode, we have Dr. Matt Paese, a Senior Vice President of Leadership Insights at Global Leadership Company, DDI.

Dr. Matt is the author of Leaders Ready Now: Accelerating Growth in a Faster World,and co-author of its award-winning predecessor Grow Your Own Leaders.

He discusses the power of choice and how it determines our behavior and actions.

The conversation highlights the importance of being true to oneself and sustaining energy. He also mentions that every big challenge in life reveals new dimensions of who we are.

Website: Leadership Development & Assessment | DDI
LinkedIn: Matt Paese

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Full Interview:

Transcription:

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Dr. Matt Paese Teaser 00:00

We've made our business-focused on being able to watch leaders, being able to watch them do things, And so we build learning programs and assessment programs and development programs that focus on watching how it happens. And so those observations produce a behavioral signature.

Intro 00:24

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 00:51

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 Dr. Matt Paese. Doctor, Matt, it's great to have you on the show.

Dr. Matt Paese 01:00

Thanks, Gresh. Great to be here.

Gresham Harkless 01:02

Absolutely. Super excited to have you on and talk about all the awesome things that you're doing. Of course, before we do that, I want to read a little bit more about Dr. Matt so you can hear about some of those awesome things. And Dr. Matt is Senior Vice President of Leadership Insights at Global Leadership Company, DDI. And having, advised thousands of CEOs, senior teams, boards, and C-suite executives in more than twenty countries across the world is a recognized author, CEO coach, C-suite consultant, keynote speaker, and pioneer of many of today's leading approaches for helping leaders succeed at the top.

He's the lead author of Leaders Ready Now: Accelerating Growth in a Faster World, in which he wrote in 2016 and co-author of its award-winning predecessor Grow Your Own Leaders in 2002 which have shaped over two decades of impact in growing leaders into skilled, self aware, compassionate, enterprising executives. Dr. Matt is sought after for his expertise in CEO succession and on-boarding, senior team effectiveness, board effectiveness, and executive succession and develop development. And one of the things that I was super excited about when I got a chance to, like, read a little bit more about, Matt is that he said he was a passionate believer that humans have limitless potential, which it really stuck with being because I think so many times we can get in our own way, but if we start to realize that phenomenal things happen happen.

And one of the videos I was listening to is he said that accelerated learning generates energy. And I think that so many times when we think about, as he said in the video, going back and think about what was our best experience in learning something new, what that experience was like. He starts to reshape the way that we look at those things.

So, Dr. Matt, super excited to have you on the show. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

Dr. Matt Paese 02:43

I am ready, Gresh. It's a privilege to be here. I know you've had so many, so many talented, influential, and experienced people on, and it's a real privilege to be among them.

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Gresham Harkless 02:53

Yeah. Absolutely. I've been truly blessed to have so many valuable people that are doing phenomenal things, and I'm glad it doesn't stop with you. It starts and it probably even accelerates a little bit more. So super excited to have you on the show. Are are you wanting to, rewind the clock a little bit so we can hear a little bit more on how you got started? What started with all your your awesome work that you're doing?

Dr. Matt Paese 03:13

Yeah. Gresh, I thought I was gonna be a Clinical Psychologist when I was growing up. Even almost back to grade school, I thought that's what I was gonna do. I went to college, and I went to a mental health clinic to do an internship and worked under some really talented clinicians and learned that it takes a special set of skills to be in health care and a set of skills that I don't know that I have and that I certainly at the time didn't feel prepared to access.

So there I was, not headed for Clinical Psychology, but I found my way into Organizational Psychology or IO Psychology as we like to call it, and then found my way into a leadership company here at DDI and then all the way back to psychology again, but doing a professional version of what I originally thought I was gonna do in a health care environment. So I don't do therapy. We don't do that sort of thing at DDI. We're Behavioral Scientists, and we help people find the best versions of their own behavioral signatures in their jobs, in their companies, in the C-suites, in the boardrooms. And, somehow, I made my way back to where I started, but I guess through a a different doorway.

Gresham Harkless 04:30

Yeah. I absolutely love that. So I wanted to drill down a little bit here a little bit more on, like, how that process goes, how you're making that impact, how are you making this dent for these organizations so that they can have, impactful leaders?

Dr. Matt Paese 04:42

I mentioned that DDI is a Behavioral Science Company. And when we talk about behavioral science, we mean the science of what we can observe, what we can watch you do, not what we think you might do or what we think you believe or what we think is inside of who you are. Sometimes it matters to think about those things, but we've made our business-focused on being able to watch leaders, being able to watch them do things. And so we build learning programs and assessment programs and development programs that focus on watching how it happens.

So you might, if you were gonna learn how to coach somebody, you might start by watching someone on a video in a positive model, but then you get to try it yourself and somebody else watches you, or we let you take a video of yourself and you watch yourself being, in a coaching situation. And so those observations produce a behavioral signature because no two people are alike in their DNA, and guess what? No two people are alike in the way they behave, in the way they react. And so when you see your own behavioral signature exposed to yourself, then it gives you a choice. What do I wanna do with that? Because behavior is a choice. You decide what you wanna do every day, how you wanna show up, where you wanna be, where you don't wanna be. And what we found is that the science of those observations are information that we can all use to figure out how we wanna grow.

Gresham Harkless 06:23

That's extremely powerful. So Right. What would you consider to be what I like to call your secret sauce? This could be for yourself, the organization, or a combination of both, but what do you feel sets you apart and makes you unique?

Dr. Matt Paese 06:33

When you get to the C-suite and now you're a Chief Financial Officer, you're a Chief Marketing Officer, you're running operations, human resources, et cetera, you are the chief of that function. You might have a business unit. You might have a global region. You are the head of a critical arm of capability for the company, and probably you're more professionally capable than your CEO. You may be more deeply trained and developed, and so your job is to think beyond your CEO. So who's your boss if it's not your CEO? It's your customers. It's your shareholders. What do they need your function to be doing? And that doesn't mean that's the only thing you think about.

But as a starting point for how to be the most effective leader you can be for your CEO, for your board of directors, thinking through the lens of who's being affected by the work that I create every day. That is the way a lot of senior leaders have to evolve their thinking when they get into the C-suite, but this could also be applied to a first line supervisor. So you take a job as a first line supervisor, and you're getting used to things like scheduling time for other people, giving people new accountabilities, asking them to do things that they don't feel like they have time to do, steering performance in new ways that are new to you. What's the best way to think about doing that? It's to think, who are the customers of my team's work?

And your boss is, of course, gonna be one key person to help you sort that out, but you can look around your organization and think, who are the recipients of my team's work? Let me think about what those people need and use that to ask my boss questions, use that to ask my team questions. And so it's thinking beyond where your direct responsibilities may guide you so that you can expand your mindset.

Gresham Harkless 08:47

Yeah. And it's so huge. I so 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 Apple book or even a habit that you have, but what's something that you feel like makes you more effective and efficient?

Dr. Matt Paese 09:01

I think for I would include myself in this and I and maybe for a lot of us, when we're trying to find when we're trying to be effective, when we're trying to find a way to contribute, when we're trying to have more impact, I think we're often challenging ourselves and rightly so to give something, to teach something, to show something. I wanna leave my mark. I wanna make a difference. I wanna have impact. And it doesn't always occur to us that what we learn, what we spend the time learning can often have as much impact as what we spend the time giving.

And if I could just maybe translate that a little bit more, imagine that someone hires you, Gresh, to go help their team. And you walk in from the outside, and you show up in their conference room or on their Zoom call, and you start listening to way this team operates, and they hired you. They want Gresh's insight and your wisdom. And so you're feeling pressure to give that to them. And I think if I were to convey one hack, it's that the time you spend showing them, demonstrating to them that you're learning about them is going to enable them to use whatever it is that you give them. If that makes sense. Does that make sense?

Gresham Harkless 10:31

Yeah. That makes so much sense. So what would you consider to be a little bit more of a CEO nugget? This might be something you touched on. It could be like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice you might give to your favorite client. Or if you happen to a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

Dr. Matt Paese 10:44

And so if you can start with a reason that, hey. This is why I'm here. We're trying to accomplish this. We're trying to move forward on this thing, and that's why I'm here. The next thing you have to be able to do is have a completely unblemished crystal clear mirror to look at the true version of who you are. Because if you're not prepared to build your own self insight, the world is gonna give it to you. And it might not be as easy to digest when you get it. And so being the most authentic version of who you are is the way to be the best CEO that you are.

There are dozens, probably hundreds of books about what CEOs do and how they're supposed to do it. We don't need new information about what is the CEO job and how do they do this because that's not what people struggle to figure out. What they struggle to figure out is how should I do this? Who am I? And the best because the job is so all consuming and it's not just CEO, It's every leadership job that brings people out and makes them exhausted at the end of the day, and they just can't wait to get home and turn Netflix on or something like that. So when you can be yourself, you sustain your energy. You can stay more connected to your reason, but you have to bring courage and you have to bring honesty and you have to let that be something that evolves because every big challenge in life is going to expose new dimensions of who we are.

And sometimes we're gonna be proud of them, and sometimes we're gonna wish we could do it over again because we didn't like the way we did it, and that's life. And if you are prepared to be honest with that and you can look in the mirror and say, yeah. That's me. I'm not good at that. And but I can get help. Or I can try harder next time. Or I can accept that and and move on and keep working at my reason. Those are the best CEOs, the ones with a great reason and a crystal clear mirror that they use. And often those two things are the starting place with with new CEOs and not just CEOs, but leaders who are trying to make their way into a a more challenging situation.

Gresham Harkless 13:19

Yeah. And I appreciate you bringing that to light. I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. So our goal is to have different quote, unquote CEOs on the show. So Dr. Matt, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Dr. Matt Paese 13:33

I think I have to build on the last answer and say that being a CEO means being the most true and authentic version of who you are as a leader. It's not the template of a leader. It's not following a recipe. It's not doing what somebody else did. It is courageously looking at yourself in the mirror and saying, this is the best version of what I can be. And that requires being totally open to where you need help and where you need input. And the people who feel as though they don't need help or that they probably have a better answer than most other people are the ones who are most in at risk and the most in danger.

One of the things that, Gresh, I've often said to CEOs as well that surprises them is I say you're probably going to be more effective if you work to reduce your power and increase the power of the members of your senior team and the leaders who surround you. That doesn't mean reduce your power to something meaningless, but build other people up. Create larger expectations for other people, create more of a platform for people to do things that will surprise you. And I think CEOs are the best ones, are the ones who can be themselves, and they can find a way to help other people be themselves.

Gresham Harkless 15:18

Mhmm.

Dr. Matt Paese 15:18

And there it is.

Gresham Harkless 15:20

Nice. I definitely appreciate that definition. So wanted to pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and, of course, how best they can get a hold of you, thought about all the awesome things that you're working on and you can help support them doing.

Dr. Matt Paese 15:33

Thanks for that. I think the only thing I would say is that leadership is something that we watch as an organization every day. We gather data on it, and we're scientists. And the science of creating leadership capability gets results, you can find me on ddiworld.com, and you will find my name and which, of course, they can see on all the headers on this podcast. But, yes, ddiworld.com, and you'll find more about the data that I've been sharing, the services that that we provide. Thank you, Gresh.

Gresham Harkless 16:12

Yeah. Absolutely. Of course, we're gonna have the links and information in the show notes as well too, just like Dr. Matt mentioned. I'm gonna help you on a phenomenal rest of the day.

Dr. Matt Paese 16:19

Thank you, Gresh.

Outro 16:20

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by CBNation and Blue16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co. I AM CEO is not just a phrase. It's a community. Want to level up your business even more? Read blogs, listen to podcasts, and watch videos at CBNation.co.

Also, check out our I AM CEO Facebook group. This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless, Jr. Thank you for listening.

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Tips for SEO Optimization: Strategies for Improved Website Visibility in Fall

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 09:16:32 -0400

Fall is a prime time to revamp your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy and watch your website visibility flourish. SEO is the art and science of making your website more appealing to search engines like Google. The higher your website ranks in search results for relevant keywords, the more organic traffic you’ll attract, potentially leading to more leads and sales. So, how can you leverage the power of SEO this fall and propel your website to the top of search engine rankings? Here are some great tips for SEO optimization to consider:

Content is King (and Queen): Craft Compelling Content

High-quality, informative content is the cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. Fall is a great time to create fresh, seasonally relevant content that resonates with your target audience. Think about topics that people might be searching for during this time of year. Are there fall-themed products or services you offer? Can you provide tips and advice related to your industry that aligns with the autumn season?

Do Keyword Research

Before diving headfirst into content creation, invest some time in keyword research. Identify relevant keywords and search terms that your target audience is likely to use when searching for information related to your business. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can be a valuable resource for this process. By incorporating these keywords strategically throughout your content, you’ll increase your website’s chances of ranking higher in search results for those specific terms.

Optimize for User Experience

A website that is difficult to navigate or slow to load will quickly deter visitors and send them scurrying back to the search results page. This fall, prioritize optimizing your website for a seamless user experience. Here are some key areas to focus on:

Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your website looks and functions flawlessly on all devices, especially smartphones and tablets.

Website Speed: A fast-loading website is crucial for keeping visitors engaged. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement.

Clear Navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for by implementing a clear and intuitive navigation structure.

Build Trust and AuthorityThrough Backlinks

Building backlinks is one of the best tips for SEO optimization to consider this fall. Backlinks are essentially links from other websites that point back to your site. Search engines view backlinks as a sign of trust and authority, which can significantly improve your website’s ranking. Actively seek opportunities to build high-quality backlinks and you can achieve this by guest blogging on relevant industry websites, participating in online communities, or creating link-worthy content that others will naturally want to share.

Embrace Change and Innovation

Search engine algorithms are constantly updated, so it’s crucial to stay informed about the latest trends and best practices. Dedicate some time each fall to researching and implementing new SEO strategies. This proactive approach will ensure your website remains competitive and continues to rank highly in search results.

Fall into SEO Success with Blue16 Media

Here at Blue16 Media we have our team of SEO experts who can help you develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that will propel your website to the top of search engine rankings. We offer a range of services, from in-depth keyword research and content creation to technical SEO audits and backlink building.

Contact us today and let’s discuss a few simple yet effective tips for SEO optimization and how we can help your website experience a fall harvest of SEO success. Reach out to us by phone at (703) 555-0160, visit our website at blue16media.com, or stop by our office located at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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Back-to-School Essentials: Website Design and SEO Tips for Success

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:16:50 -0400

The back-to-school season isn’t just for students and teachers. Businesses of all kinds can capitalize on this busy time by ensuring their website is optimized for the influx of online traffic. Whether you’re a retailer offering school supplies or a service provider catering to busy parents, a well-designed and SEO-friendly website is crucial for attracting new customers during this peak season. This blog post explores some website design and SEO tips to help your website thrive during the back-to-school rush.

Captivate with Design: Create a Frictionless User Experience

Fresh and Functional: First impressions matter in the digital world. A website with a clean, modern design and intuitive navigation is essential. Make sure your website is mobile-responsive, meaning it adapts seamlessly to desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Convenience is key for busy parents and students on the go.

Visual Storytelling: High-quality visuals can significantly enhance your website’s appeal. Use engaging images and videos that showcase your products, services, or the overall vibe of your brand. Think product photos, explainer videos, or customer testimonials—visuals that connect with your audience and tell a story.

Clear Information Hierarchy: Organize your website’s content in a logical and user-friendly way. Prioritize the information visitors need most, such as product descriptions, service details, or contact information. Use clear headlines, easy-to-read fonts, and ample white space to guide visitors through your website with ease.

SEO Strategies to Get you Found During Back-to-School Searches

Targeted Keywords: Identify keywords that your target audience is likely to use during back-to-school searches. This might include “[your product category] for back-to-school” or “[your service] for busy parents.” Integrate these keywords naturally throughout your website content, but avoid keyword stuffing, which can hurt your SEO ranking.

Local SEO Optimization (if applicable): If you have a brick-and-mortar location, optimize your website for local search. Claim your Google My Business listing and ensure your address, phone number, and website URL are accurate and consistent across all online platforms. Local SEO helps potential customers searching for businesses in your area discover your website.

Engaging Content is King: Create fresh, valuable content that caters to the back-to-school season. Blog posts about back-to-school tips, product guides, or special promotions can attract visitors and establish your website as a trusted resource.

Maintaining Momentum: Keep Your Website Updated and Secure

Regular Updates: Keep your website’s content fresh and up-to-date. This includes updating product listings, adding new blog posts, and highlighting seasonal promotions. A regularly updated website shows visitors that you’re active and engaged.

Security Measures: In today’s digital landscape, website security is paramount. Implement strong security measures to protect your website and your visitors’ data. This includes using a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate and keeping your website’s software up-to-date.

Performance Monitoring: Track your website’s performance using analytics tools. These tools provide valuable insights into how visitors interact with your website, which pages are most popular, and where visitors are coming from. Utilize this data to refine your website and content strategy for better results.

By following these website design and SEO tips, your website can become a powerful tool for attracting new customers during the back-to-school season.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

If you need help creating a captivating website or implementing winning SEO strategies, Blue16 Media can help. Our team of experts specializes in designing user-friendly websites and developing data-driven SEO campaigns to boost your online presence.

To discuss how we can help your website thrive throughout the back-to-school season and beyond, contact us today at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314, or by filling out the contact form on our website.

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Independence Day for Your Website: Achieving Freedom from Common SEO Challenges

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:16:08 -0400

Does your website feel trapped in a cycle of SEO challenges? You pour your heart and soul into content, but that coveted first-page ranking on Google remains elusive. It’s time to declare independence from these challenges and achieve true SEO freedom!

Just like the spirit of Independence Day, achieving SEO freedom is about taking control and charting your own course.

Here’s how to break free from the most common SEO roadblocks and watch your website rise to the top of the search results:

Conquering Content Challenges

One of the biggest SEO battles is creating content that Google loves and users devour. Here’s how to win this war:

Know Your Audience: Don’t fight a blind fight. Research your target audience and understand what kind of content they crave. What are their questions and pain points? Craft content that addresses them directly.

Quality over Quantity: Focus on creating in-depth, informative pieces that provide real value. Thin, repetitive content will only hold you back.

Optimize for Search Intent: Don’t just stuff keywords into your content. Understand the “why” behind user searches and tailor your content to answer their specific intent.

Breaking Free from Technical Issues

Technical SEO problems can be like hidden landmines, derailing your website’s ranking potential. Here’s how to disarm them:

Mobile Friendliness is Mandatory: In today’s mobile-first world, a website that’s not optimized for smartphones and tablets is doomed. Ensure your website offers a seamless user experience across all devices.

Speed Up Your Site: Website speed is a crucial ranking factor. Slow loading times frustrate users and send them bouncing. Invest in website optimization tools to ensure a fast and smooth browsing experience.

Embrace Clean Code: Behind the scenes, clean code structure is essential for search engines to effectively crawl and index your website. Regularly check for and address any technical SEO issues.

Building Backlinks: The Bridges to Success

Backlinks are like votes of confidence for your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more Google perceives your authority and relevance. Here’s how to build strong bridges:

Create Link-Worthy Content: People naturally want to link to valuable and informative content. Focus on crafting resources that are so good that others can’t help but share them.

Guest Blogging: Become a guest contributor on high-authority websites in your niche. This allows you to showcase your expertise and earn valuable backlinks in the process.

Build Relationships: Networking with other industry players can lead to natural link-building opportunities. Engage in online communities, participate in forums, and build genuine connections.

Maintaining SEO Freedom: A Continuous Journey

SEO is not a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and adaptation. Here are some tips for staying ahead of the curve:

Stay Updated on Algorithm Changes: Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving. Keep yourself informed about the latest SEO trends and best practices.

Monitor Your Performance: Track your website’s traffic, ranking, and user engagement through analytics tools. This data will help you identify areas for improvement.

Embrace Continuous Content Creation: Don’t let your content stagnate. Regularly publish fresh, relevant content to keep your website active and engaging.

Celebrate SEO Freedom with Blue16 Media

Don’t let SEO challenges hold your website back from achieving its full potential. At Blue16 Media, we’re a team of SEO specialists dedicated to helping businesses break free from ranking roadblocks.

We offer a comprehensive range of SEO services, from keyword research and content creation to technical SEO audits and backlink building strategies. Our goal is to empower your website to reach the top of the search results and achieve true SEO freedom.

Contact us today, and let’s celebrate your website’s independence! For more information or inquiries, fill out the contact form on our website or visit us at 2800 Eisenhower Ave, #220, Alexandria, VA 22314.

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Summer-Ready Websites: Optimization Tips for Increased Traffic

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 09:16:57 -0400

Summer brings a shift in consumer behavior with people searching online for ways to spend their free time, plan vacations, and enjoy the warm weather. Is your website ready to capitalize on this seasonal surge in traffic? Don’t miss out on this golden opportunity to attract new customers and boost your bottom line! In this post, we’ll explore the topic, “Summer-Ready Websites: Optimization Tips for Increased Traffic,” to ensure your online presence is summer-ready and attracts more visitors. By implementing these strategies, you can position your website for success and capture a slice of the summer spending pie.

SEO Techniques for a Summer Boost

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the foundation for attracting organic traffic to your website. By optimizing your website for relevant summer-related keywords, you increase your chances of appearing on the first page of search results when people are actively looking for what you offer.

Here’s how to leverage SEO for a summer traffic boost:

Identify Seasonal Keywords: Research keywords related to your industry and summer activities. For example, a travel agency might target keywords like “summer vacation destinations” or “beach getaways.” But don’t stop there! Look for long-tail keywords that are more specific and have lower competition. This could include “family-friendly summer vacation spots on the East Coast” or “affordable summer getaways for couples.”

Optimize Content and Meta Descriptions: Update your website content and meta descriptions to naturally incorporate these summer keywords. Don’t just stuff keywords in; focus on creating informative and engaging content that speaks directly to your target audience’s summer interests.

Local SEO for Summer Events: If your business caters to local customers, leverage location-based keywords and optimize your Google My Business listing. This is especially important for promoting summer events or seasonal services. Let’s say you own a restaurant with a charming patio. Target keywords like “best outdoor dining near me” or “patio brunch restaurants [your city]” and update your Google My Business listing with enticing photos and descriptions of your summer menu.

Mobile Friendliness: A Must-Have for Summer Browsing

Summer often means more on-the-go browsing. People are likely to be searching for summer activities and products on their smartphones or tablets. Imagine someone relaxing on the beach, phone in hand, looking for restaurants with outdoor seating. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, they’ll simply move on to your competitor. Here’s how to ensure your website is mobile-friendly:

Responsive Design: Make sure your website automatically adjusts its layout for optimal viewing on any device. A responsive design provides a seamless user experience for all visitors, regardless of their device.

Fast Loading Speeds: Nobody likes a slow website, especially on mobile data. Optimize your website for speed by compressing images, minimizing HTTP requests, and utilizing a reliable web hosting service. A slow website frustrates users and hurts your SEO ranking.

Content Strategies to Capture Summer Interest

Summer is a prime time to engage your audience with fresh, seasonal content. Here are some content strategies to capture summer interest and keep visitors coming back for more:

Summer-Themed Blog Posts: Create blog posts that cater to summer interests. This could include travel guides, recipes for outdoor entertaining, or DIY summer craft projects. Think beyond the obvious. For a clothing store, you could create a blog post on “Top 10 Summer Outfit Ideas for Every Occasion.”

Summer Promotions and Offers: Highlight summer sales, limited-time promotions, or special deals relevant to the season. Offer discounts on products perfect for summer fun or create special summer bundles.

Visual Appeal: Use high-quality images and videos that evoke summer vibes and capture attention. Showcase summer activities people can enjoy with your products or services.

By implementing these strategies discussed in this blog post, “Summer-Ready Websites: Optimization Tips for Increased Traffic,” you’ll be well-positioned to attract more traffic, generate leads, and boost your online presence throughout the summer season. Don’t wait! Take action today and watch your website blossom with summer success!

Make Your Website Shine This Summer

Don’t miss out on the summer traffic surge! If you need help optimizing your website for increased summer traffic, Blue16 Media can help.

We are a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, website design, and social media management. We can help you create a summer-ready website that attracts more visitors and converts them into customers.

Contact us today and let’s discuss how we can help your business thrive this summer!

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May Flowers: Growing Your Online Presence with SEO

Wed, 01 May 2024 09:16:13 -0400

Spring comes the vibrance of May flowers blooming across gardens and meadows. Just like these beautiful blossoms, your online presence can flourish with the right care and attention. A strong online presence is essential for any business or individual looking to be seen and heard.

But just as May flowers need sunlight, water, and fertile soil to thrive, your online presence requires specific strategies to blossom and attract visitors. Here’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO is the art and science of improving your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. The higher your website ranks, the more likely people are to find you organically, which translates to increased traffic and potential customers.

Planting the Seeds: Keyword Research is Key

The first step in cultivating a vibrant online presence is understanding your target audience and the keywords they use to search for information related to your niche. Keyword research is like planting the seeds for your SEO strategy. By identifying relevant keywords with high search volume and low competition, you can tailor your website’s content to attract the right visitors. Think of it as choosing the perfect flowers to plant in your garden—ones that will flourish and attract the desired pollinators (customers) seeking their beauty (your offerings).

There are many free and paid keyword research tools available online. Utilize these tools to discover high-performing keywords that naturally integrate with your brand message. Once you have a solid list of keywords, strategically weave them throughout your website content, including blog posts, product descriptions, and meta descriptions. Remember, keyword stuffing is a big no-no! Aim for a natural integration that enhances the user experience while signaling relevance to search engines.

Nurturing Growth: Content is King (and Queen)

High-quality content is the sunshine and water your online presence needs to flourish. Informative, engaging, and well-written content positions you as a thought leader in your field and keeps visitors coming back for more. Think of your content as the vibrant petals of your May flowers, attracting and delighting your audience.

Here are some tips for creating compelling content:

Focus on Solving Your Audience’s Problems: Address the pain points and needs of your target audience.

Provide Valuable Insights: Offer unique perspectives and fresh information within your niche.

Maintain Consistency: Regularly publish new content to keep your audience engaged and search engines interested.

Optimize for Readability: Use clear language, break up long text blocks with visuals, and format your content for easy scanning.

By consistently creating valuable content that incorporates relevant keywords, you establish yourself as a reliable source of information and build trust with your audience. This, in turn, sends positive signals to search engines, boosting your website’s ranking and online visibility.

Tending the Garden: Technical SEO Matters

While content is crucial, don’t neglect the technical aspects of your website. Just like a healthy soil base is essential for thriving May flowers, a well-structured website foundation is necessary for optimal SEO performance. Here are some technical SEO aspects to consider:

Website Speed: Ensure your website loads quickly to provide a positive user experience.

Mobile-Friendliness: In today’s mobile-first world, your website must be optimized for viewing on all devices.

Site Architecture: Organize your website content logically with clear navigation to make it easy for users and search engines to find relevant information.

Image Optimization: Use descriptive alt text for images to improve accessibility and search engine understanding.

By addressing these technical SEO factors, you create a user-friendly and search engine-friendly website that lays the groundwork for sustainable online growth.

Reap the Rewards

May flowers transform a barren landscape into a vibrant display of color, so does SEO transform your online presence by attracting new visitors, increasing brand awareness, and ultimately driving conversions. By following these strategies—keyword research, content creation, and technical SEO optimization—you can cultivate a thriving online garden and achieve long-term success in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Remember, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, consistent, and data-driven in your approach, and watch your online presence blossom like the beautiful May flowers that herald the arrival of spring.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

Has your website become a digital ghost town, barely receiving a trickle of visitors? Unlike May flowers, your online presence needs a little help to flourish.

This is where Blue16 Media comes in. We’re a digital marketing agency passionate about helping businesses bloom online. Just like we tend to the technical aspects of SEO, we can handle website design, social media management, and strategic content creation to make your online presence blossom.

Don’t let your online presence wilt! Let Blue16 Media be the sunshine and water your website craves. Contact us today or visit our office at 2800 Eisenhower Ave., #220, Alexandria, VA 22314 for a free consultation and watch your online garden come alive!

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SEO Mistakes to Avoid: How to Protect Your Website’s Online Presence

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 09:16:51 -0400

Is your website inadvertently playing a prank on its users and search engines? Even seemingly small missteps can damage your website’s online visibility and credibility. For anyone who wants their website to be taken seriously and wants to rank highly on Google, there are some common design and SEO mistakes to avoid.

Common Design Mistakes to Avoid

Let’s start by addressing design flaws that can send the wrong signals or hinder the user experience:

Slow Loading Time: Nobody wants to wait for a sluggish website. Optimize image sizes, use a fast web host, and minimize complex coding to give your visitors a smooth experience.

Confusing Navigation: Ensure your menus and site structure are clear and intuitive. Visitors should be able to find what they need quickly without getting lost in the process.

Mobile Unresponsiveness: With mobile searches dominating internet use, your website must adapt to different screens. Use responsive design to present an optimal experience across all devices.

Inconsistent Branding: Maintain a consistent color palette, logo, and voice throughout your site to build a strong brand identity for your website.

SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Beyond visual design, there are technical SEO pitfalls to navigate carefully:

Missing or Poor Keyword Usage: Conduct keyword research and strategically incorporate relevant keywords into your headings, body copy, and image descriptions. Remember, don’t stuff keywords unnaturally.

Neglecting Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: These are the snippets seen in search results. Craft compelling title tags and meta descriptions that entice clicks and accurately summarize your content.

Low-Quality Content: Offer genuine value and depth in your blog posts and pages. Thin content and keyword stuffing are penalized by search engines.

Broken Links and 404 Errors: Regularly check for and fix broken links, as they degrade the user experience and can harm your rankings.

Ignoring Image Optimization: Always name your image files descriptively and use alt text to tell search engines what your images are about.

Foolproof Your Website: Best Practices

To ensure you’re on a search-engine-friendly path, implement these positive practices:

Focus on a Great User Experience (UX): Put yourself in the shoes of your visitors. Is your site easy to navigate? Are pages well organized and free of clutter? Is the content valuable and engaging? Prioritizing UX has a direct impact on SEO: satisfied, engaged users spend longer on your site, reducing bounce rates and signaling relevance to search engines.

Build High-Quality Backlinks: Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites. Aim to earn backlinks from reputable sites within your niche. Quality far outweighs quantity here. This can be done through guest blogging, creating shareable resources, or offering valuable insights that others may want to reference.

Track Your Progress: Tools like Google Analytics and Search Console are your best friends. Monitor your website’s traffic, identify top-performing pages, see where your visitors are coming from, and uncover any technical SEO issues. This data is invaluable for guiding your content strategy and making informed optimizations.

So, those are a few common design and SEO mistakes to avoid and the best ways to foolproof your website. By doing so, you’ll set your website up for long-term online success. Remember, SEO is an ongoing journey.

Stay updated on best practices and user preferences to keep your website shining brightly in search results while providing a fantastic experience for your audience.

How Blue16 Media Can Help

Ready to see your website climb the search engine rankings? Let Blue16 Media transform your online presence with our tailored SEO and design solutions. Get in touch for a consultation.

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Navigating the New Era: Transitioning from Google Business Websites with Grace and Strategy

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:48:17 -0400

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, change is the only constant. The recent announcement from Google about the shutdown of Google Business Profiles’ websites marks a significant shift, impacting over 20 million websites. By March 5, 2024, these digital storefronts will transition away from their current form, leaving businesses to chart a new course online. While change can be daunting, it’s also ripe with opportunity – a chance to rejuvenate, to amplify your online presence, and forge deeper connections with your audience.

Here’s What’s Happening

Google has decided to turn the page on its Google Business Profiles’ website feature. This means that businesses which utilized this feature for their websites need to make a strategic pivot. After March 5, 2024, the customer-directed sites will no longer be accessible, and any attempt to visit these sites will direct customers to the business’s profile on Google till June 10, 2024.

However, every cloud has a silver lining. This transition is your moment to shine, to re-evaluate your digital presence, and to ensure your website continues to be a beacon for your brand and a hub for your community.

In terms of obtaining a new website, several tools and platforms facilitate website creation. Options include popular site builders such as Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy, Google Sites, Shopify, Durable, Weebly, Strikingly, CEO Web Shop, B16.co, and WordPress.

Blue16: Your Partner in Digital Transition and Transformation

At Blue16, we understand that your website is more than just a URL; it’s a digital handshake, a welcome mat to your online home, and a crucial tool in your marketing arsenal. We believe in empowering entrepreneurs and businesses through thoughtful, innovative digital strategies and personalized, high-quality services. With the Google Business Profiles’ websites phase-out, you may be contemplating your next steps. We’re here to navigate this transition alongside you, making it not just seamless but truly transformative.

How We Help:

Personalized Website Creation – Your vision, mission, and brand identity are unique. Our dedicated team at Blue16 crafts custom, responsive websites that not only reflect your brand’s essence but also engage and convert visitors. We specialize in creating digital experiences that tell your story, connect with your audience, and achieve your business goals.

SEO Mastery – With the migration from a Google Business Profile website, maintaining or enhancing your search visibility is paramount. Our SEO strategies are tailored to boost your online presence, ensuring your site ranks prominently and attracts targeted traffic.

Digital Marketing Dynamo – Transitioning your website is the perfect time to revamp your digital marketing strategy. From social media marketing to content creation, we have the expertise to amplify your voice across all channels.

Community at the Heart – At Blue16 Media, you’re more than a client; you’re family. We celebrate entrepreneurship and are committed to fostering a supportive, thriving community. Our approach isn’t just about websites; it’s about building relationships and empowering businesses to thrive in the digital age.

Ongoing Website Support, Maintenance and Education – The digital world is always shifting. Our team provides continual support and insights, keeping you informed and prepared for whatever comes next.

Embrace Change with Confidence

Transition periods can feel like standing at the crossroads, but with Blue16 by your side, you’re not just poised for change; you’re ready to redefine what’s possible for your business online. We invite you to join us and countless other entrepreneurs and business owners who’ve trusted us to journey with them into exciting new digital territories.

Change is an opportunity — let’s seize it together and craft a digital presence that leaves a lasting impression. Your next chapter in online excellence starts now.

With warmth and empowerment,

Your Blue 16 Media Family

Change is never a solo journey. If you’re ready to turn this pivotal moment into a stepping stone for success, reach out. We’re here to bring your new digital home to life, every step of the way.

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Spring Clean Your Website: Spring SEO and Maintenance Tips for a Fresh Start

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 09:16:05 -0500

The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and it’s time for spring cleaning! But don’t just think about your house; your website needs some tidying up too. Think of this work as spring SEO to help your website shine brightly online. A fresh and clean website is like giving your online home a makeover, which makes it more inviting to visitors and easier for search engines like Google to understand.

Why Spring SEO Matters

Just like a messy room can be hard to find things in, a cluttered website can make it hard for Google to find and show your pages. Imagine Google as a visitor trying to explore your website. If it encounters outdated information, broken links, or confusing navigation, it might get lost. Spring SEO is all about clearing out the old stuff and making your website look its best.

It also makes your website easier for people to use and understand when they visit. By decluttering and organizing your website, you help both search engines and real human visitors have a positive experience. This can help you rank higher in search results, so more people can find you online!

Spring SEO Tips for Your Website

Ready to give your website a spring refresh? Here are some easy website SEO tips to follow:

Check for Clutter: Look for old, outdated pages or blog posts that aren’t helpful anymore. Delete them or update them with fresh information. Just like you wouldn’t keep old clothes you don’t wear anymore, don’t keep old content!

Fix Broken Links: Imagine trying to go to a room in your house and the door is locked! Broken links are like locked doors on your website—they stop visitors from going where they want. Use a free online tool to find broken links and fix them.

Optimize Your Images: Big images on your website can take a long time for your site to load. Think of those big images as heavy items taking up too much space. Resize and compress those images so your website loads faster. A quick website is important for happy visitors and better search rankings.

Refresh Your Words: Take a look at the words on your website. Do they still accurately describe your business or products? Update any outdated information and make sure you’re using keywords people might type into search engines when looking for things you offer.

Boost Your Site’s Speed: A slow-loading website is like a car stuck in traffic—it’s frustrating for everyone! Check your website’s speed with a free tool like Google PageSpeed Insights, and take steps to fix issues that might be slowing things down. A faster website makes everyone happy.

Bonus Tip: Once you’ve done a good spring cleaning, keep your momentum going! Set a reminder to do a quick SEO checkup on your website every few months. This will help it stay healthy and strong.

With a little spring SEO, your website will bounce back to life and be ready for the wonderful season ahead. These simple website SEO tips can make a big difference. So, grab your cleaning supplies (or your computer!) and get to work.

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.

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Strengthening Email Security: Google and Yahoo’s New Email Authentication Requirements

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 08:53:29 -0500

As part of their ongoing commitment to ensuring user security and improving deliverability, Google and Yahoo have announced the implementation of new email authentication requirements for all email senders. These important changes will come into effect in February 2024 and are set to reshape how spam and fraudulent emails are dealt with, creating a safer email environment for everyone.

Both giants are stacking up their defenses against fraudulent messages like scams and phishing attempts, which have seen an increased prevalence in recent years. The heart of this initiative is the dismissal of any emails sent from unauthenticated email addresses, preventing them from reaching users’ inboxes. While these changes may initially seem ambiguous or technical, their effects can be significantly beneficial to the daily internet user.

Enhancing Email Deliverability

The primary goal of these new authentication requirements is to enhance email deliverability. By making these improvements and adjustments, Google and Yahoo are ensuring that only authenticated, legitimate emails make their way into your inbox. As a result, users can feel safer and more secure, knowing the emails they receive are being rigorously checked for their authenticity.

Protecting Against Spam and Fraudulent Emails

These changes combine to form a powerful defense against spam and other types of fraudulent emails. Scams and phishing attempts, for instance, often originate from unauthenticated sources. By proactively blocking these sources, there is a massive reduction in instances of such attacks reaching users’ inboxes. The changes hope not only to protect users’ personal data but also to create an environment where these types of activities find it increasingly hard to operate.

A Call to Email Senders

For all email senders, these changes mean that you must ensure that your emails are being sent from authenticated email addresses. Making sure to check your records and ensure they are set up are important. This due diligence will aid in your emails reaching your recipients without any issues and will also contribute to the communal fight against spam and fraudulent messaging.

There are 3 DNS Records you will want to check to make sure you have good email delivery. These are:

Reverse DNS (PTR)

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

While it will affect mass emails or email newsletters, remember that all emails you send are affected by these records. So it will help to make sure that they are set up correctly.

Making Sense of Email Authentication: The Trio of Trust

Setting up your business’s email might sound as intricate as a sushi chef’s knife skills, but don’t you worry—here’s a friendly breakdown of those techie terms so you can wield your marketing tools with just as much precision. At Blue 16, we’re about more than just strategies; we’re about empowering you to shine in the vast digital marketplace. Let’s lift the hood on these email essentials that are your armor in the battle against spam and scam.

Reverse DNS (PTR)
Imagine you’re at a carnival, and you’ve just won a giant teddy bear. But before you can take it home, the person at the booth double-checks your game ticket—that’s kind of what Reverse DNS (or PTR records) is all about. It’s like a backstage pass for your emails. When you send out an email, the internet checks the ticket (your IP address) to make sure it matches the name listed on the ‘guest list’ (your domain). If things don’t match up, it’s like someone trying to enter with a ‘suspect’ ticket—your email might get booted to the spam folder. And we certainly don’t want that, do we?

SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
Next up, the SPF record—your very own digital bouncer. This record lists all the mail servers that are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. Every time an email is sent, the SPF record tells the receiving server, “Hey, I know them, they’re cool—let ’em in!” No SPF? That’s like throwing a party without anyone to check the invites. You might get party crashers (spammers) pretending to be you. SPF keeps the riff-raff out, maintaining your good name and ensuring your emails get to mingle in the inboxes they’re meant for.

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
Finally, let’s talk DKIM—think of it as the wax seal on the envelope of yesteryear. It gives your emails a unique digital signature that’s verified along the way. When your email is sent, it’s as if it’s sealed with your personal stamp. The receiving server checks the seal to make sure it’s authentic and hasn’t been tampered with. If the seal checks out, your email is welcomed with a VIP status. If not, it’s flagged. A solid DKIM record says, “This email is 100% the real deal,” upholding your reputation and delivery success.

Each of these records—PTR, SPF, and DKIM—work harmoniously to ensure your emails reach their destination safely and securely. At Blue 16, we roll out the technological red carpet so that your business’s emails are given the star treatment they deserve.

For help in checking your email authentication, remember that we are here to assist you. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need additional information or support. Our team is more than happy to clarify these requirements and help ensure your email delivery remains unaffected. You’re not alone in navigating these changes – we’ve got your back!

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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

Discover the ideal workspace solutions with Intelligent Office Alexandria! Whether you're in need of a virtual receptionist, private office space, or a flexible conference room for hourly rental, our experienced and dedicated staff is here to help you achieve your business goals.

Intelligent Office of Alexandria boasts 23 private offices and three meeting rooms, two of which are customizable to suit various meeting or training requirements. Located in a Class A building, our facility offers complimentary surface parking, access to an on-site fitness center, high-speed internet, and more!

Explore our range of services, including:

Virtual Reception Services

Business Address

Mail Services

Arranged Access to Our Other Washington D.C. Intelligent Office Locations

Private Office Space for 1–5 People

Conference Room Rentals

Ongoing Professional Development Seminars

Elevate your business presence and functionality with Intelligent Office Alexandria – where your success is our priority!

This is a sponsored post.

The post Chat#111 – The Power of Putting Customers First [SPONSORED POST] appeared first on CEO Chat.

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

Listen to the full podcast. This is Originally posted here.

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

Photo Credit: Christian Piller

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

Listen to the full podcast. This is Originally posted here.

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

Listen to the full podcast. This is Originally posted here.

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!

#11- Using eco-friendly packaging

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:

You are powerful more than you realize

You need a sustaining meaning that's deep and profound

To transistion, the thing you want must be greater than what you currently have

Stand up, dig in

Let those challenges raise you up