The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Founder and Leadership Coach of Deploy Yourself School of Leadership, Sumit Gupta.Sumit helps business owners organize themselves to the next level of success by connecting what they want to achieve to how they get there. Sumit explains many leaders are stuck with small problems or hidden desires they might not see that is standing in the way of their growth. Business owners struggle to reach out for leadership help because they don’t know when to ask for it. Sumit explains individuals with big visions or individuals that know they are stuck should talk to a coach or advisor to help get to the next step. Many business owners surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear and not what they need to hear. This can be a disadvantage as criticism or feedback is where growth and new ideas form. Sumit explains that reframing the criticism from negative to helpful can aid individuals in accepting this type of feedback.Sumit explains that individuals often make it too hard on themselves and simply stepping into the entrepreneurial space is winning for oneself. The achievements or failures are stepping stones on a larger journey that many people will never go on. Sumit explains that rumination is often done over things that cannot be changed and actually take an individual away from their responsibilities. While the worst case may happen, it is important to remember it is possible to come back from that and plan the next steps after it. Sumit explains his coaching consists mostly of long-term coaching that could be one leader or an entire leadership team.Key Points from the Episode:Sumit’s work and impact in the worldWhere leaders struggleWhen leaders should seek out coachingHow to overcome shielding oneself from feedbackFear manifesting into couragePerfectionismRuminationEngagement Sumit has with clientsAbout Sumit Gupta:Sumit Gupta was born and grew up in New Delhi, India, and is now based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Over the years, he has lived in multiple cities in India. In addition, he has traveled, worked along, and photographed people from all over the world.One of his superpowers is to create safety and trust so that people do not have to wear a mask in front of him. He started as a techie in 2005 and fit the typical geek profile – good at computers but introverted when it came to working with people. In a way, he had learned to hide behind computers and not be visible.He has worked in companies like InfoEdge (Naukri.com) (2005-2008), Yahoo (2010-2011), 91Mobiles (2013), and Booking (2014-2020). In addition, he also incorporated two startups – SaleRaja (from 2007-2010) and CricketRadius (in 2012) and co-founded a non-profit Pick A Fight (2011-12).He started leading a team at 24 years of age. At that time, he had no idea what leadership was all about. To make it worse, he wasn’t even aware that people management and other so-called soft skills could be learned.In 2012, he lost my mom to cancer. This event shook his world in ways he is still realizing. In a way, the old him died and a new Sumit was born that day – however, it took him a long time to realize that. In 2021, he reprioritized his life in the pursuit of Deploying Myself.Earlier, he thought the unpredictability of human beings was a bug and it used to piss him off badly. However, now he sees it as a feature. He is left in awe and wonder as he supports people in finding and shining their own unique light upon the world.People come to him feeling frustrated, low on energy, and stuck in achieving something that matters to them. They come confused and with their lights dim and leave with their lights shining many times brighter.They leave feeling empowered, confident, relaxed, and ready to produce expanded results and relationships – for themselves as well as their teams. Today, he is good at helping people see their light because he has spent so much of his life hiding his own.Tweetable Moments:3:02 "It's easy to surround yourself with people who will say what you want to hear, not necessarily what you need to hear."4:32 "Once I understood my fear, my fear was telling me what was meaningful for me. I was able to build the courage to go through that."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur:https://go.upmyinfluene.com/podcast-guest Links Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Deploy Yourself School of Leadership website at https://www.deployyourself.com/Check out Deploy Yourself School of Leadership on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/deploy-yourself/Check out Sumit Gupta on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumit4all/Check out Sumit Gupta on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sumit4all/Check out Sumit Gupta on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sumitgupta4allDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Founder of Breakfast Consulting, Neil Heckman.Breakfast Consulting works with founders and business leaders during times of change. Breakfast Consulting was created as Neil saw the constant change and need for branding scopes to evolve while he worked in-house with some direct consumer brands. Neil explains that brands are experiencing change from COVID, the recession, IOS 14, and many other factors. Some businesses may experience positive change such as telehealth or virtual personal trainers due to the rise in virtual business. Other businesses may experience negative changes such as restaurants and retail due to the impending recession. The impending recession is a major change that businesses are preparing for going into the holiday season. Neil explains that funds are becoming more deliberate where they are investing their money. Businesses have learned that they may not be able to be bulletproof to the unknowns, as seen through the pandemic. However, they can reposition their business to resonate their product or service to the highest group of consumers while maintaining cost-effectiveness in selling and marketing.Neil advises businesses who are looking for investors to set their expectations higher and know they may fall short. With investors becoming more disciplined, businesses need to become more disciplined to gain the support of these investors. Neil has worked hands-on with direct consumer business during times of change which makes him unique to the consulting space. Neil also explains that he is focused on the constant evolution of a business and will work on whatever factor is the most pressing at the time. If the importance of a factor changes, he will change his approach along with it.Key Points from the Episode:What Breakfast Consulting doesChanges clients are bringing to Breakfast ConsultingMarket factorsAdvice for companies looking for investorsWhy Neil’s business is uniqueAbout Neil Heckman:Neil Heckman is a marketing professional hailing from 2 of the fastest growing start-ups of all time (Casper and Away), in addition to working with Fortune 500 brands like Verizon, Nationwide, and Johnson & Johnson. Having driven more than $2B in revenue over 10 years at some of the largest, most well-known brands in the world, and also at some of the most innovative and disruptive brands in history, his capabilities are vast and the service is unrivaled. In 2021 Neil founded Breakfast Consulting to bring an experienced and nimble approach to supporting founders and entrepreneurs.Tweetable Moments:5:38 "There are different challenges depending on the industry, the period, and the specific factor at play."06:13 "The investing community has by no means dried up, but it's becoming much more structured, and I would say much more deliberate in where they're investing and, more importantly, where they're not investing."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur:https://go.upmyinfluene.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Breakfast Consulting website at https://breakfastconsulting.com/Check out Breakfast Consulting on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/breakfastconsulting/Check out Neil Heckman on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilheckman/Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.

On today's episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, we are so excited to speak with the founder of the podcast Grow Your Show, Adam Adams!Adam discusses the industry of podcasting and how Grow Your Show is a company that helps support podcasters through editing, post production, publishing, promotions, creating images and much more. Grow Your Show handles the back end portion of podcasting so that the host essentially doesn't have to do anything but be themselves and share their purpose.Grow Your Show enjoys helping coaches, mentors, online course creators, consultants, attorneys, masterminds, and many other industry individuals create their own podcast.Josh discusses the benefits of individuals and their organizations expanding their reach through podcasting and the network the podcasting industry provides. Josh discusses how to create triggered algorithms where your content becomes more exposed through various media sources. This includes: following, download, listen, social proofing through rating and reviews, and return listeners.Don’t forget to listen to our next episode, where we recap all the great insights that Adam Adams offered!Key Points from the Episode:Growing a Podcast TodayDirect Message CampaignsTriggered AlgorithmsAbout Adam Adams:Adam has a loyal following in the podcasting space. After selling his first podcast, he launched the Podcast on Podcasting which is ranked as a top show for podcasters. Adam is also the founder of GrowYourShow.com where they help you get your message out to the world. Grow Your Show is The Easy Button For Podcasters TM that want to have a top rated show without all the hard work. Their clients are getting ranked in the top 1% on iTunes and other top charts which means they have more influence than the other 99%.Tweetable Moments:04:42 "There are many, many ways to monetize a show. It's not just advertising and sponsorship."10:20 "We keep it short and sweet. We, it's always personal, so it's not copied and pasted. It's always personal and individualized."Links Mentioned in this Episode: Want to learn more? Check out Adam Adam’s website at https://growyourshow.com/Check out Adam Adams on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-a-adams/Check out Adam Adam’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/podcastadam/?utm_medium=copy_linkCheck out Adam Adams on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/adam.aaa.adamsDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Owner of Carfagno Commercial Cleaning and Founder and Host of the Smart Cleaning School Podcast, Ken Carfagno.The Smart Cleaning School Podcast was started with the purpose of finding good individuals in the cleaning industry to send the public to and to give a platform to. The Smart Cleaning School offers training and membership groups for new individuals to help develop a business owner mindset and offer resources. Ken explains that when COVID hit, businesses were crushed. Some residential cleaning businesses Ken was connected to, lost around 90% of their revenue within weeks due to COVID. Ken explains that once the fear and uncertainty subsided, residential cleaning businesses, for the most part, were able to make a significant rebound in their space. However, the commercial cleaning businesses had a different experience with COVID. Some of these businesses fell completely while others grew substantially. Their growth was due to the increased need for proper disinfection practices in all areas such as business offices, government buildings, and many other spaces.Ken explains that a major aspect of starting a cleaning business is having a business owner's mindset. Communication developed interpersonal skills, and networking are all important skills to have when creating or managing a business as it determines the pull a business has in its area. Ken explains that on the Smart Cleaning School Podcast, he gives an overview of the business aspects of starting a business, specifically in Episode 260, Best Of - How to Start a Solo Cleaning Business. Ken works primarily with two different groups of entrepreneurs. The first group is solo entrepreneurs that would like a part-time side hustle or a way to get out of their current job. The second group is residential or commercial companies that are growing into larger businesses. The Smart Cleaning Tribe is a group that is designed to help individuals set and achieve goals as well as hold them accountable.Key Points from the Episode:Ken’s impact in the worldThe impact of COVID on business ownersFundamentals for starting a cleaning businessKen’s ClienteleThe Smart Cleaning TribeAbout Ken Carfagno:Ken Carfagno is the host of the Smart Cleaning School Podcast which helps cleaning professionals make the impact they were meant to make. Ken levels up cleaning business owners in growth mindset, leadership, and promotes the thought leaders in the cleaning industry through this podcast. Ken and his wife Teresa have 5 kids that they homeschool in the Philadelphia Area.Tweetable Moments:3:58 "Like, the spider web concept. Just bring them in and give them some free content. That helps them develop business owner mindset."9:09 "The number one thing is, do you have a business owner's mindset? It's without question."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur:https://go.upmyinfluene.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Carfagno Cleaning website at https://www.c3xnow.com/Check out Carfagno Cleaning on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/carfagnocleaning/Check out the Smart Cleaning School Website at https://www.smartcleaningschool.com/Check out the Smart Cleaning School Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/653395Check out the Smart Cleaning School Podcast Episode Best Of - How to Start a Solo Cleaning Business at https://www.buzzsprout.com/653395/10082778-best-of-how-to-start-a-solo-cleaning-businessCheck out Ken Carfagno on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kencarfagno/Check out Smart Cleaning School on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/smartcleaningschoolCheck out Smart Cleaning School on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/smartcleaningschoolDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HEREAre you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.  

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Founder and Owner of Goals To Results, Dennis Riley.Dennis Riley is a business strategist that helps small business owners get efficient results by looking into data strategy systems. Dennis explains that a common issue is data not being in one place for business owners. If the data is scattered, it makes it harder to compile and more complex to refer back to when looking for results. Dennis explains that he creates a data dashboard for his clients to refer to for all of their business data to see what is working and what is not. This dashboard helps small business owners determine the problems and fix them faster than if they individually looked into every data platform. Dennis explains that he makes use of Google tools with his clients due to its ease of use. Many small business owners may not be well versed in creating a data dashboard for themselves, this is where Dennis comes in to help. Once the client has logged into all of their data platforms, Dennis will pull the necessary data and make them a dashboard that integrates it all in one place.Dennis explains that data is not the start and finish line for obtaining desired results for a business. Different aspects of the business also need to be managed such as time to ensure that time is being allotted to the correct things and making sure the less important actions are being outsourced. Dennis explains that he works with a multitude of business owners from chiropractors to graphic designers and anyone that believes they need a second pair of eyes regarding their business should look into his work. Engagement with Dennis starts with data collection, client journeys, follow-ups, and many more aspects to find where the issues are. Dennis explains that intuition can take an individual to a certain point but from there data can be used to take them further.Key Points from the Episode: Dennis’s impact in the worldAreas that commonly need the most improvement in a businessGoogle toolsResults don’t end with data collectionDennis’s clienteleEngagement with DennisIntuitionAbout Dennis Riley:Dennis is not your typical business strategist or business coach. He will roll his sleeves up and help business owners develop different strategies and systems. He will collect data and generate data dashboards for owners to see their KPIs. He builds systems that others don’t see. He always highlights his client's uniqueness and uses it to separate them from their competition. He thinks outside the box when solving a problem. He feels each problem has a solution...although it may not be the solution people want to hear.Tweetable Moments:07:51 "I talked about making chocolate chip cookies. There are ingredients, there's an oven, there are results. That's how you want your systems to be."10:26 "You have to shift the sales as well in your business. You just keep going forward. If there's rockiness around you, you have to shift with the economy."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur:https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Goals To Results website at https://goalstoresults.com/Check out Goals To Results  on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/goals-to-results/Check out Dennis Riley on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismriley/Check out Dennis Riley on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/goalstoresults/Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.

1335 - Getting the Most Out of Your VA with Virtual Assistant Management's Molly Rose Speed

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Founder and Chief Conscious Connector of DotConnect, Dom Farnan.DotConnect is a global talent advisory business that scouts and hires talent for technology businesses in the United States. DotConnect has a team of around 100 employees globally and has been around since 2019. Dom explains that DotConnect’s growth can be attributed to many areas. Dotconnect doesn’t work only with technology companies, they also have a big consumer products client that they work with now. They also have longer-term clients that are based on monthly retainers. Dom explains ghosting, not creating an optimized experience for hiring, and not understanding the talent or their values is some of the negative feedback that the recruiting space has received. The manner in which a leader comes off to their employees is what sets the stage for the work culture. Dom explains she had to do some self-reflection and work to create a better environment for her employees and that is how DotConnect has been able to grow so rapidly over the years.Dom explains that DotConnect has grown from delivering against its promise and through referrals. The value of ownership and delivery is important to DotConnect as they are able to prove their worth and obtain or retain clients this way. Luckily the staffing climate today is much different than in April 2020. Dom advises that companies that are laying employees off the need to focus on key hiring. The ideal clientele for DotConnect would be a 50+ employee strong business that is building out the entirety of its organization at any level.Key Points from the Episode:The impact DotConnect has on the worldHow DotConnect is growing faster than other companiesRecruiting Industry How Dom’s personal growth improved her businessPersonal life versus work lifeHow to grow in a tactful wayThe state of staffing todayIdeal clientele for DotConnectAbout Dom Farnan:Dom Farnan is the Founder and CEO DotConnect, where they find exceptional people for high-achieving companies. DotConnect has a team of 85 employees and has recruited from leading organizations such as the National Football League (NFL), Snapchat, Samsung Next, and Zendesk. Dom graduated early from high school and immediately started her recruitment career at the age of 17 after a neighbor got her an opportunity to work in the HR department of their organization. She went on to work for companies such as Life Technologies and BlackBerry as a senior recruiter for 10+ years before starting DotConnect. Dom is also the founder of Path Connect, a 12-week program that teaches recruiters how to better understand organizational charts and what it takes to source and vet top talent for tech organizations.Tweetable Moments:04:09 - "We give a crap about the people that we're working with. We care about their values, we care about their life, we care about their lifestyles both on the client side and the talent side."11:23 - "My vision is for one day people to actually enjoy the recruiting process."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the DotConnect website at https://dotconnectllc.com/Check out DotConnect on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/dotconnect/Check out Dom Farnan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dom-farnan/Don’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here. 

1333 - Gifting Influencers with GEM's Sam Zipp

1332 - Shifting Gears in Automotive Marketing with Tecobi's Jason Girdner

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks with the Founder and CEO of Waymaker, Stuart Leo. Waymaker is a business improvement platform that diagnoses the problems within a business, reveals growth gaps, and assists with building strategic goals. At some point, a business will hit a roadblock, not knowing where to go or what to focus on. Stuart explains that asking seven specific questions alongside strategic diagnostic software every quarter can help a business grow and reach its goals in an effective manner. Running a business is not typically taught in black and white through business school. Stuart explains that the default to not using this framework is when the founder starts to expand and hand over their responsibilities to new teams. This can cause problems as without knowing the way the success came about, the new teams will not be able to grow from that. Stuart explains that many executives miss the aspect of teaching individuals how to think about what they are doing. Without teaching team members how to solve problems and adapt the business to market alignment, it makes the driving force go in a negative direction. When using Waymaker, a business will get onto the app, add their team members, and answer questions. From there, the algorithm will take that information to create a strategy to better the business by looking at strengths and weaknesses.  Key Points from the Episode:Who Waymaker is and what they doThe default of not using a strategic frameworkWhere executives are not effective How Waymaker does what it doesAbout Stuart Leo:Stuart Leo is the founder and CEO of Waymaker.io - an intelligent business management platform that helps leaders build a better business in 30 days. Stuart is a global thinker in strategy, systems, and leadership development. As the founder of Waymaker.io he has led the creation of Waymaker’s Leadership Curve - a revolutionary way of building clarity, alignment and remarkable results for any organization.Tweetable Moments:01:45 - "At some point every leader, every team, every business, hits a roadblock, hits a brick wall, stalls, or just hits this moment where it's like, "I don't, we're not quite sure where to go next."10:26 - "There's only five things you've got to do as a leader. And that is, you've got to think, plan, inspire, equip and empower."Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur:https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestLinks Mentioned in this Episode:Want to learn more? Check out the Waymaker website at https://waymaker.io/Check out Waymaker on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/waymaker-io/Check out Stuart Leo on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartleo/Check out Waymaker on Facebook at https://facebook.com/waymaker.ioCheck out Stuart Leo on Twitter at https://twitter.com/stuartleoDon’t forget to subscribe to The Thoughtful Entrepreneur and thank you for listening. Tune in next time!More from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur. Schedule HERE.Are you a 6-figure consultant? I’ve got high-level intros for you. Learn more here.What is your #1 Lead Generation BLOCKER? Take my free quiz here.