It’s tough to stay motivated, rejuvenated and focused as an entrepreneur…especially during the summer months. But with these 5 tips, you can perk up a normal startup day. There’s really no such thing as a “normal startup day”, is there? For most entrepreneurs, no day looks exactly like another. And sometimes, because of the hectic lives that many entrepreneurs lead, many can get run down…and fast. It’s tough to stay motivated, rejuvenated and focused throughout the work week, especially during t...
Jul 16, 2013
Google. Tumblr. Twitter. Zaarly. They’re all successful companies, but where in the heck did their names come from? When determining the name of your startup, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. Do you want one of these “whacky” names that mean virtually nothing, or do you want to keep it simple like AutoZone, Burger King or Stanley Steamer? There are multiple ways to go about naming your business, but before you do, be sure to ask yourself these 9 questions. http://www.thinkbigpartners.c...
Jun 20, 2013
A long time ago (and we mean a long time ago) we developed a top 10 list of some of the best online and offline resources for entrepreneurs and startups in Kansas City. Now that almost three years have passed, it’s about time we update this list with some of the newest and best entrepreneur and startup resources in the Kansas City area. You may notice three years ago, we had a list of just 10 resources. This year, we are publishing 11—and you’ll also notice how different these lists are from one...
May 14, 2013
April showers bring May flowers. But what else do April showers bring? Spring cleaning! Although most of us dread spring cleaning every year, it’s a necessity in order for us to push our businesses and startups forward. What are the best tips that entrepreneurs can use when spring cleaning? In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allisonexplore the best things they do (or don’t do but wish they did) during spring cleaning. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/041SpringCleaning.mp3...
Apr 30, 2013
Think Big Radio sits down with Kelly Pruneau, network manager of the Women’s Capital Connection in Kansas City. Kelly discusses the importance of angel investors in Kansas City and just what women investors can bring to the table. In the investment field, women don’t have quite as big of a presence as men do. In fact, only 10-15% of angel investors and venture capitalists are women. But Women’s Capital Connection (WCC) based in Kansas City, Missouri is looking to change that statistic. In this e...
Apr 15, 2013
Derek sits down with Jeb Ory, co-founder of Phone2Action to discuss his experience at SXSW 2013. At SXSW, Jeb had the opportunity to compete in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator, where he pitched against 7 others in the “news” category. After a great pitch, Jeb and his Phone2Action team won their category and walked away with $4,000 cash (not to mention a lot of bragging rights and exposure). http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/039Phone2Action.mp3...
Mar 25, 2013
We often learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. But we don’t want to make too many mistakes, or else our startup may fail. To warn you of what mistakes to look out for in the startup world, this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison will give you insight into the top 10 mistakes entrepreneurs make. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/038TopTenMistakes.mp3
Mar 11, 2013
What’s the biggest up-and-coming startup in Kansas City? Take a listen to Think Big Radio as our podcaster Bobby Miller Jr. goes in-depth with Jason Grill of Sock 101. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/037Sock101.mp3
Feb 25, 2013
February 8, 2013 will be the date for Kansas City’s first ever Startup Crawl, an event hosted by Red Nova Labs and Startup Village. Listen as Derek from Think Big Radio goes in depth with Startup Crawl organizer, Carrie Royce (Red Nova Labs), to hear what this entrepreneurial event has to offer. Learn about what to expect from Startup Crawl, why Startup Crawl is good for the city and what the event means for Kansas City entrepreneurs. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/036KCStartUpCrawlRedNovaL...
Feb 01, 2013
The most important aspect to becoming a successful entrepreneur is not educational credentials, but rather, ambition and the desire to be great. We have conducted a list of the top entrepreneurs who did not earn a college diploma. Others didn’t even finish high school. Some didn’t even finish 4th grade! In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison sit down to discuss some of the most inspirational entrepreneurs of all time…all of whom are dropouts! http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/03...
Jan 28, 2013
In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison decided to switch things up and play a little game called Fill in the Blank with Two Entrepreneurs. In this game, Derek and Allison ask one another intense, interesting and downright strange questions about entrepreneurship and startups. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/034FillInTheBlankWithTwoEntrepreneurs.mp3
Jan 09, 2013
What’s on your New Year’s Resolution list for 2013? In this episode of Think Big Radio , Derek and Allison dive deep into what entrepreneurs should put on their New Year’s Resolution list…and how to actually stick to your resolution for more than 2 weeks! Tune into this episode of Think Big Radio and learn the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Entrepreneurs. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/033NewYearsResolution.mp3...
Dec 28, 2012
As an entrepreneur, are you struggling to determine what to put on your startup’s Christmas wishlist? Or do you have an entrepreneur you need to buy a Christmas present for? If so, this episode of Think Big Radio is for you! We’ll spill the Top 10 Christmas Gifts to buy an entrepreneur this season—some of them may even surprise you (ever heard of a smartphone leash? We didn’t think so…). Listen up, tune in, Think Big and have a happy holiday! http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/032ChristmasWishl...
Dec 10, 2012
Startup Weekend is no easy hackathon to win—especially in a place like Kansas City where startup ideas and driven entrepreneurs are flocking in by the hundreds (if not thousands!). This fall’s Kansas City Startup Weekend brought together some of the coolest startup ideas, the most hungry entrepreneurs and, of course, loads and loads of caffeine and high energy. This year, Startup Weekend Kansas City crowned startup Wazoo as the winner. Wazoo is a mobile application aimed at helping zoos provide ...
Nov 30, 2012
The Commitment Engine, the new book from John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing. On this episode of Think Big Radio our neighbor from down the street John Janstch stops by to talk about his new book The Commitment Engine. Host Derek Olsen and Mr. Janstch discuss why he felt the need to write on the subject of commitment. What is commitment and why is it so important to be committed to doing great work? Derek and John dig in to some of the key concepts in The Commitment Engine and John goes even dee...
Nov 06, 2012
In this episode of Think Big Radio , Derek and Allison dive into something that many entrepreneurs want to know, but rarely ever get direct answers to. It’s the Top 10 Things Startups Won’t Tell You. Here at Think Big Partners, we want you to know what you’re in for when you decide to enter the world of entrepreneurship. This episode will help you understand the aspects of entrepreneurship that many founders, CEOs and startups may not tell you about. It’s the good, the bad and the ugly. The Top ...
Oct 29, 2012
What can we say? Think Big gets $*!@ done fast! In the past few months, we have had a lot going on and we want to fill you in. In this episode of Think Big Radio, podcast producer Derek Olsen sits down with partner at Think Big, Blake Miller and the two discuss an update from everyone’s favorite Kansas City incubator and accelerator. So what’s new with Think Big? Tune into this episode of Think Big Radio and get the skinny on the following: 1. Think Big Ventures I and our two recent investments....
Oct 15, 2012
What’s new with the Google Fiber development in Kansas City? Think Big Radio host Derek Olsen sits down with President of the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, Ryan Weber, to find out. SUMMARY: What’s new with the Google Fiber development in Kansas City? Think Big Radio host Derek Olsen sits down with President of the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, Ryan Weber, to find out. The two Kansas City natives (who both anxiously await the arrival of Google Fiber) talk about what the ...
Oct 08, 2012
Entrepreneurs and sleep. The two don’t seem to go hand-in-hand do they? Most entrepreneurs loathe going to sleep at night. If they’re not tossing and turning thinking of the next big idea, they’re coding or jotting down notes until 3:00 in the morning. So what can entrepreneurs do to get the perfect amount of sleep and be productive the next day? Is there such thing as too much sleep? What are the top tips for falling asleep quickly? Find out in this episode of Think Big Radio! http://www.thinkb...
Oct 01, 2012
Elementary school, high school and even business school can’t teach us everything we need to know about entrepreneurship. But there are a few classes that we think should be implemented into school curricula not only to help entrepreneurs, but to help foster the startup ecosystem throughout different communities. In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison name the top 7 classes that they think should be added to school curriculum for entrepreneurs. How did they come up with the 7? Thi...
Sep 07, 2012
At Think Big Partners, we try to accommodate to entrepreneurs as best we can. So we asked people on Twitter and Facebook what they cannot live without as entrepreneurs to gain a little more insight. Listen to episode 24 of Think Big Radio to find out the 13 (plus some!) things that entrepreneurs cannot live without. Take a look at our full list below: 1. A sense of humor (from @AllisonThinkBig) 2. A great team (from @AllisonThinkBig and George Brooks of CremaLab) 3. Goals, direction and focus (f...
Aug 21, 2012
Kansas City isn’t just experiencing big things this summer…it’s experiencing fast things, too. This summer, Google opened its very own home in KC and the location quickly became known as Google Fiber Space. Google Fiber Space is a modern, techy place full of Google Fiber demonstrations, interactive video, hands-on activities and even free food! It all sounded too good to be true…so we decided to take a look at Google Fiber Space for ourselves. And it was better than we imagined. We even had the ...
Aug 14, 2012
Ever since startup accelerator programs have begun popping up around the world, skeptics have been curious: are startup accelerators a waste of time? Are they worth it? Do they really benefit the startups that take the plunge? Maybe those skeptics haven’t seen the success rates from top accelerator programs such as TechStars, Y Combinator and LaunchBox. Startups around the globe are becoming more successful at a faster rate because of startup accelerators (or even through business incubators). I...
Jul 26, 2012
It’s time to put down Fifty Shades of Grey, Twilight, Harry Potter (or whatever you’re reading) and pick up one of these 12(ish) books about entrepreneurship, startups and business! In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison will list out their Top 12(ish) Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read. Why 12ish? Derek and Allison were on a roll when recording this podcast and ended up talking about more than they expected—so you’ll get some bonus suggestions, too! Tune into this episode of Th...
Jul 19, 2012
Every entrepreneur is nervous to pitch to investors. No matter what you do, your palms may sweat, your hands may shake and your voice may quiver while delivering your ever-important pitch. And you should be nervous—you’re talking to the people who could potentially invest in your company! But there is no need to look nervous when under the startup microscope. Think Big is here to help. In this episode of Think Big Radio, you’ll get insight into the top 10 questions that venture capitalists almos...
Jul 05, 2012
Think Big Partners has made quite a few announcements in 2012. From The Gigabit Challenge to the launch of Think Big Ventures, TBP seems to be moving at the speed of light. But one of our most exciting announcements was just leaked this last week–the launch of our first accelerator class. Now introducing the Think Big Accelerator. The Think Big Accelerator is a 14-week program that will aid tech-focused, early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in launching a business faster, stronger and smarter ...
Jun 19, 2012
Did you know that over 300,000 apps have been developed in the past 3 years? Or that apps have been downloaded over 10.9 billion times? Or that the demand for apps hasn’t even peaked yet (it will in 2013!)? There’s no doubt about it—mobile entrepreneurship is the new black! In this episode of Think Big Radio, we are joined by Vince Vaughan, President/Founder of Why Status Quo and organizer of upcoming One Week KC event, GoMobileKC. We will learn what it takes to be a mobile entrepreneur, why mob...
Jun 13, 2012
80 hour weeks. Skipping lunch. 4 hours of sleep. Sound familiar? If you’re an entrepreneur, it probably does. Many entrepreneurs struggle with obtaining a work-life balance. But it’s very important for even the busiest entrepreneur to remember that there is life outside of the office and away from the emails. In this episode of Think Big Radio, Derek and Allison will give you tips and tricks to improve your work-life balance…because after all, we can’t do it all ! http://www.thinkbigpartners.com...
Jun 11, 2012
You’ve got great entrepreneurs, awesome ideas and a buzzing tech scene in your community—now what? Think Big Radio is ready to tell you the best ways to foster startup growth in your community and provide you with a few tips and tricks from what we’ve learned from growing the startup scene in Kansas City, MO. KC is on the brink of becoming a major tech and startup hub in the nation—but it hasn’t happened with the snap of our fingers. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of many community leaders,...
Jun 05, 2012
There’s a reason why 1319 new coworking spaces opened up in February of this year. During this episode of Think Big Radio, you’ll find out why. Learn the benefits of working from a coworking space and get some examples from Think Big’s own coworking space, bizperc. http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/mp3/015Top10ReasonsToJoinACoworkingSpace.mp3
May 29, 2012
