You may or may not like selling. You may even be uncomfortable selling. But if you are in business, you are in sales. Period. Without sales, there is absolutely zero demand for your product or service. Larry and I both come from sales backgrounds. In this episode we de-mystify sales and give you usable, practical tips on how to improve your salesmanship(or sales-womanship!). We also discuss the biggest mistakes most business owners and salespeople make. We close out with simple methods to sell b...
May 14, 2019•24 min
Dale Lillard left his steady, secure job with Motorola in the 1980s to work for Lansdale Semiconductor — a much smaller company that was losing money. He was a 29 year old electrical engineer and his wife thought he was crazy. What’s crazier? Within six months Dale was named president of Lansdale. Seven years later, he bought the company. Mr. Lillard had an idea to grow sales and revenue based on his background in collector cars: why not build replacement and repair parts for old equipment? Lans...
May 10, 2019•22 min
We oftentimes hear people described as having “money problems.” Only problem with “money problems” is, there’s no such thing. Money is an inanimate object created by humans. Money is a system of exchange and a means of assigning value. Money is not emotional — it has no problems. Humans have the problems, and they exhibit those problems through money. In this episode we discuss overspending, why people do it, and how you can avoid it. Whether you are a money-minded person or not, make money your...
May 06, 2019•19 min
NIck Horob joins me again to keep the discussion going. Nick founded his own software company in 2015. Like many entrepreneurs, he’s endured a couple of setbacks but those setbacks set him on his path to success. In this episode, Nick talks about building an audience and a business through new marketing (it’s not the old days of commercials and blatant advertising!). We discuss the importance of vision in creating a thriving enterprise. Nick talks about his disdain for details and processes (a c...
May 03, 2019•28 min
Nick Horob isn’t a technology guy by nature or by training. But he saw a need in the marketplace and started a software company. At the time, he was barely 30 years old and comfortably working as a self-employed Agricultural Business consultant. He invested his own money to hire software development. It flopped. So he doubled down and reinvested the last of his money. It flopped too. That’s when he decided to design his own software then educated himself on how to do so. It worked. And that’s wh...
Apr 30, 2019•22 min
Too many times we chalk up failures to a lack of talent but is talent truly the culprit? Oftentimes it isn’t a lack of talent, it’s a lack of drive and determination that causes us to fail. In this episode we define the Talent Myth and discuss the role of tenacity in personal and professional success. Maybe Tiger Woods was the most talented golfer at this year’s Masters Tournament but he didn’t prevail because he was the most talented, he prevailed because he was the most determined to win. His ...
Apr 25, 2019•10 min
Most people don’t think of comedy as a business. Even some who work in comedy don’t. But to be good and to earn a living for 28 years in the industry of humor, you darn sure need to view it as a business. Rik Roberts does just that. Rik is a friend, funny man, and humor entrepreneur. He speaks, teaches comedy classes, hosts podcasts, and prolifically writes and produces comedy. He joins me to discuss the value his farm work ethic has had in shaping his career. Rik tells us what pizza delivery ta...
Apr 22, 2019•26 min
Ken Walls is the founder and CEO of Client Solutions Innovations, a social media and internet marketing firm in Ohio. Ken helps his clients — businesses and self employed people — be more visible so they can prosper. He also does some speaking and writing and he hosts the Breaking Through Walls podcast. Ken started CSI with a $20 loan and a swift kick in the pants from his friend who said, “You can’t sleep on my couch anymore; it’s time for you to move out and figure it out.” If you run your own...
Apr 18, 2019•25 min
Ken Walls is the founder and CEO of Client Solutions Innovations, a social media and internet marketing firm in Ohio. Ken helps his clients — businesses and self employed people — be more visible so they can prosper. He also does some speaking and writing and he hosts the Breaking Through Walls podcast. Ken started CSI with a $20 loan and a swift kick in the pants from his friend who said, “You can’t sleep on my couch anymore; it’s time for you to move out and figure it out.” If you run your own...
Apr 18, 2019•22 min
Resilience is one of the 4 Unwavering Traits of Entrepreneurial Success. So, if it’s a trait, is it learnable? I say, yes it is – to a certain degree. The catch: the only way to strengthen one’s fortitude and become resilient is to go through the pain of adversity. Setbacks and failures make you stronger, but only if you use the failure as a lesson and motivation. If you disagree with me on whether or not resilience can be learned, that’s fine. Just realize, it’s the most critical trait to succe...
Apr 15, 2019•16 min
Scott Reust is an attorney, business operator, and one of my best friends. While you may not at first think of a lawyer as a business owner, he is. With a half dozen or so employees to manage, revenue, real estate, and the constant need to bring in clientele, he’s in business just like all of us. We discuss what traits and habits have helped his business succeed, the importance of properly handling legal work throughout one’s business evolution, and what mistakes mature businesses make and how t...
Apr 11, 2019•22 min
Crystal Washington quit her job 12 years ago after her boss thought her idea to utilize social media to market their company was silly. As we all know now, it wasn’t a silly idea. Today,Crystal advises organizations on how to effectively deploy and employ technology to their benefit. What you’ll like about Crystal is that she’s not the sort of techie person who overwhelms you with jargon and complex laundry lists of the latest innovation. Instead, she gives simple, usable instruction on how you ...
Apr 08, 2019•22 min
As an entrepreneur or creative business person, one of your biggest struggles is communicating your vision to a vision-less audience. Innovation may be rewarded and highly touted on social media platforms, but it’s generally resisted by the masses. At least at first. Why? Because change induces fear and fear is a base human emotion that kept us from being eaten by Saber-Toothed Tigers as cave people. To succeed, we must understand elements of the cave person brain still rule us. Especially when ...
Apr 05, 2019•22 min
Most of us don’t like to admit we procrastinate but we do. Sometimes it’s worse than procrastination, it’s full blown avoidance of that which needs attention. In this episode we discuss the difference between procrastination, which means “to defer action,” and avoidance, which is "to prevent from happening.” None of us want to prevent our success and happiness from happening! I outline three tips on how you can avoid avoidance, tackle those items you’re delaying, and overcome that which overwhel...
Mar 29, 2019•16 min
Jackie Harris decided in her early 30s she could do business better by doing business for herself. So, she quit her job with Verizon and started an Allstate Insurance agency. If you're asking, “what can I learn about business from an insurance agent?” I’ll tell you what: a lot. Like every business owner, Jackie manages money, clients, employees, and her own mental and physical health. She’s grown her business by about six times in six years. Not bad, eh? Jackietells us how (and why) we must alwa...
Mar 26, 2019•22 min
Kenny Abbott quit his sales job at age 26 because he was unsatisfied with the compensation arrangement. He leveraged a personal loan against his automobile - the only thing he owned - to start his own business. He’s now in year 6 of running his own company, Noble Painting. Kenny defies the cliche about lazy Millennials living with their parents. In fact, he employs his parents! Employs his brother too, along with a couple dozen other people. Mr. Abbott shares tips to success you can use such as:...
Mar 18, 2019•22 min
Jim Ostrom and his two partners founded Milksource in the mid 1990s. Since then they’ve expanded and diversified at an amazing pace — from a 180 cow Wisconsin dairy farm to 42,000 cows on farms in four states! The company also operates a 4,000 head goat dairy farm and owns stakes in three cheese companies. Milksource is big. But Mr. Ostrom doesn’t define success by bigness. Jim shares his definition of success and winning, why culture is so important and the need for vision within your organizat...
Mar 12, 2019•23 min
Everyone has a reason for why they’re not doing business better. Problem is, they’re not really reasons. They’re excuses. In this episode we discuss what I call "The Myth of Inadequate Resources" — the delusion you are unable to accomplish something because you lack the proper tools. Successful people don’t make excuses. If you seek a life and business by choice, start by eliminating your excuses. Is it really a lack of resources that’s holding you back or a lack of effort? Give this a listen to...
Mar 06, 2019•15 min
A conversation with a guy who’s started 15 companies Rob Saik, is a serial entrepreneur with a lot of lessons to share from his journey. He’s started 15 companies. In December of 2018 he closed out the sale of his most recent company to a multinational corporation. Rob and I talk about a lot of things in this episode including: Why empathy is the fifth trait of success, the importance of self analysis, how to break down big initiatives into 1% moves, and why you must be brutally honest with your...
Mar 02, 2019•22 min
Joel Block is a venture capitalist and hedge fund manager. Which is to say, he’s a money guy — kind of like Shark Tank, but for real. Joel joins me to talk about the reality of money. Too many people who dream of piloting their own business go into it without a proper understanding of how money works. Joel shares some solid money wisdom you can use to keep your financial ship sailing forward. Such as: Money is invisible. Too many people look left when the money is to their right. And, perhaps th...
Feb 27, 2019•23 min
Larry Winget is a 6 time New York Times / Wall Street Journal best selling author, business speaker, and a friend of mine. He and I discuss what business people get right and wrong and give you tips on keeping your ship righted. If you’re just beginning your entrepreneurial journey, Larry has some excellent advice for you (hint: it involves defining what a business is and firmly understanding what problem you are in the business of solving). As Larry says, “your business profitability will be in...
Feb 13, 2019•20 min
Fitness By Design is a gleaming and modern Indianapolis-based personal training facility. FBD is in it’s 30th year of business. This is quite an accomplishment in an industry saturated with national chains, YMCA’s, and various other workout facilities. Then there’s the various fitness fads from yoga to kickboxing to Crossfit, not to mention the reality of fitness: most people don’t even exercise! So, how does an independent fitness business not only survive, but thrive for three decades? Co-owne...
Feb 01, 2019•24 min
Bruce Turkel ran his own Advertising agency for over 30 years. His clients include Bacardi Rum and the city of Miami - he knows branding. Bruce also knows business and he knows where most businesses screw up. That’s why I have him on the show — to show you how to not screw up your branding outreach. Turns out, most of us talk about our function, meaning: we tell the world what we do. But in a world where function is the cost of entry, that’s old fashioned. Bruce delivers some great advice and me...
Feb 01, 2019•24 min
What kind of business owner would tell you you don’t need a business plan and and to avoid perfection? The kind of business owner who sold his company for lots of money and is now retired. Geoff Cubitt joins me to discuss his philosophy on building a company, why you don’t screw over customers, and why you must always move boldly. Geoff was an engineer and an employee, then a partner, then an owner. He and his company - a digital agency - not only survived the Great Recession, they grew through ...
Feb 01, 2019•23 min
I invented this podcast for you: the entrepreneur, business owner, solopreneur, self employed striver, or business person who wants to do it better. By better I mean more profitably, more happily, and for as many years as you choose to do so. That’s what doing business better is all about to me. I quit my Fortune 500 job in 1994 to pursue a life and business by choice. All these years later I’m still driven by my original “why” that made me resign from corporate America: to be rewarded financial...
Jan 31, 2019•10 min
