The Rundown with Ramon - Ramon Ray - small business podcast for entrepreneurs

Live from San Diego at 4:30 a.m., Ramon Ray explores how to sharpen your “business brain,” why social media can create mental flab, and what entrepreneurs can do today to harden their cybersecurity. He unpacks five compounding habits (inspired by Cody Sanchez)—take risks, sell daily, rise early, cut distractions, and keep your word—and debates whether Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses help or hijack your focus. Plus: a field story on being the thermostat (not the thermometer) in every room you enter. Sponsored by Bitdefender.

In this fast-hit episode, Ramon pulls three levers you can use today: timeless business lessons from Martha Stewart’s documentary, how to escape the “single-axis fallacy” and design for both/and (family and fitness, profit and growth), and a tiny systems upgrade that can make your computer—and your workday—fly. Plus, why AI app rankings don’t matter as much as your daily AI habits. Brought to you by Bitdefender, the small-business cybersecurity that just works.What you’ll learn:The simple hardware swap that speeds up your workflowHow consistency and reinvention power long-term brand valueA practical framework to avoid false tradeoffsReal-world ways to use AI every day—without overthinking itPerfect for: founders, creators, and small business leaders who want practical wins they can deploy this week.

On this episode of The Rundown with Ramon, Ramon Ray explores the “silent stories” that shape how entrepreneurs lead, why soft skills now outperform technical skills, and the latest YouTube creator tools you should be using. He also shares his experience using GigSalad for lead generation and a powerful lesson from Zoho’s Ali Shabdar on why scaling down makes your business stronger and more resilient. Plus, a reminder that cybersecurity is part of your brand promise—and why leaders must be thermostats, not thermometers.Timestamps:00:00 Welcome & Bitdefender sponsor note02:40 Silent stories shaping your business06:30 YouTube updates and creator tools10:45 Soft skills that fuel success15:00 GigSalad as a gig pipeline16:20 Scaling down with Zoho’s Ali Shabdar18:40 Cybersecurity as brand trust19:50 Be the thermostat in your leadershipPerfect For: Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and creators who want sharper storytelling, stronger pipelines, and a crisis-ready business.

Ramon Ray talks with Ali Shabdar of Zoho about why small and mid-sized businesses must be ready to scale down as well as scale up. They cover cash flow triage, technology elasticity, and how to prepare for downturns without living in fear. Ali shares practical frameworks for scenario planning, vendor and employee communication, and the role of SaaS and AI in keeping businesses flexible. See the full article here - https://zoneofgenius.com/scaling-down-to-stay-strong-how-entrepreneurs-build-elastic-crisis-ready-companies/What you’ll learn:How to stabilize cash flow in a downturnThe difference between fear and preparednessWhy tech elasticity matters for SMB survivalCommunication strategies that strengthen resilienceThis conversation is a masterclass in building an elastic, crisis-ready business.

In this episode of The Rundown with Ramon, host Ramon Ray talks with Ashish Gupta, founder of ScaleUpExec, about what it really takes to scale a small or mid-sized business to eight and nine figures.Ashish explains why scaling isn’t for everyone, how business growth happens in steps, and why founders must sometimes step aside to let the right leaders take the company forward. He also shares his own entrepreneurial journey — from a startup acquired by Qualcomm, to senior leadership at Apple, to building ScaleUpExec.What you’ll learn in this episode:The mindset shift required for serious scaling.How fractional COOs can unlock growth in traditional industries.Creative financing strategies to fund expansion.Why scaling is often about life goals, not just revenue.This episode is brought to you by Bitdefender, keeping your business secure so you can grow with confidence.

Events aren’t just about venues, food, or signage—they’re about experiences. In this conversation, Ramon Ray (Publisher, ZoneofGenius.com) sits down with Sai Bhavithran Kumar, Business Operations Leader at Zoho, who has managed nearly 780 events across the Americas. Sai shares what he’s learned from running events big and small—and how entrepreneurs can use events as a tool for connection, trust, and growth.From avoiding common mistakes to building inclusivity and measuring ROI, this interview is packed with lessons for any business owner planning events.Why events are “experiential marketing,” not just logisticsHow to personalize the attendee journeyThe biggest mistakes to avoid (and how Zoho solved them)Why clear goals and knowing your audience matter mostThe role of internal evangelism in event successHow to measure ROI and continuously improveWhat You’ll Learn

The power of upselling is an underused secret for business. It's all about the TRUST you earn with your customers and how you can provide them MORE of what they want.Gap and Old Navy is now selling cosmetics, lessons we can learn as well. Brought to you by Bitdefender - secure your business - www.Bitdefender.com/ramonray I'd love to know how have you succeeded in giving your customers MORE of what they want? How have you succeeded in making better offers to your existing customers? Let's talk about it. #sales #upselling #marketing

Search is evolving fast. Should small businesses still focus on SEO—or shift to leveraging AI search engines like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity?In this conversation, Ramon Ray, small business expert, motivational speaker and publisher of ZoneofGenius.com talks with Pierre DeBois (Zimana Analytics) and Favour Obasi-ike (Work and Play Entertainment) about the future of search and practical tips for small business owners.Learn how to:- Build a strong SEO foundation- Show up in AI-powered search results- Use tools like Google Search Console & Bing Webmaster Tools- Balance owned platforms (your website) with rented ones (LinkedIn, Medium)This is a must-watch for entrepreneurs who want to stay visible in the new digital landscape.

Ramon Ray sits down with Elyse Stoltz Dickerson, CEO and co-founder of Eosera, to talk about her journey from corporate executive to founder of a thriving healthcare company.From winning $50,000 in a pitch competition to landing CVS as her first major retail partner, Elyse shares the highs and lows of building a national brand. She also reveals her best pitching advice, the lessons she learned from a recall, and why profitability matters more than chasing vanity growth.Elyse is equally passionate about paying it forward. Through the Eosera Foundation Pitch Competition, she supports women entrepreneurs with funding and mentorship, helping them scale multimillion-dollar ideas.💡 Takeaways from this episode:Keep your pitch simple, passionate, and practicedSurround yourself with smart mentors and ask for helpBuild a profitable, sustainable businessPay it forward when you canTune in for an inspiring conversation full of real-world lessons for entrepreneurs at any stage.Don't miss out - subscribe to www.ZoneofGenius.com/subscribe

Why You’re in Business: Lessons From a Restaurant That’s “Figuring It Out”Starting a business isn’t easy—you rarely have it all figured out. In this video, Ramon Ray shares the story of Buckeyes Scratch Kitchen, a small Ohio restaurant that turned brunch sing-alongs into a sold-out success.From customer experience to knowing your audience, this story is packed with practical lessons every small business owner can use.What you’ll learn in this video:Why customer experience is your most powerful growth engineHow to start before you feel ready and improve in publicThe importance of knowing your audience and tailoring to themWhy retention is more profitable than constant customer chasingHow to match your product, pricing, and location to your marketBusiness isn’t about perfection—it’s about experimenting, learning, and figuring it out as you go.👉 Subscribe to ZoneofGenius for more insights and inspiration: ZoneofGenius.com#SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #CustomerExperience