The Liquid Lunch Project

Here's a sobering statistic: Over 50% of businesses that get ransomware close up shop in two years. That is a significant number. And yet, cybersecurity continues to be something often overlooked by small to medium-sized business owners. It's considered to be a problem for big corporations, like Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, not the Mom & Pop Tire shop on Main Street. But the unfortunate truth is that cyber hacking has evolved into a sort of business of itself - and for that reason, smaller companies are finding themselves the targets with more and more frequency over the last several years. Sounds like it's time to beef up your cybersecurity, no? That's exactly what Scott McCrady, CEO of SolCyber, discusses in today's episode. His company is revolutionizing the cybersecurity business for small to medium-sized businesses that lack the manpower, resources, and know-how to handle it on their own. With a "security subscription model," you pay a monthly fee and get a team of dedicated, talented professionals who manage and respond to your security needs. If you're someone who "doesn't think it can happen to them," think again. As the world continues to digitize, the threats will continue to grow. It's like Luigi asked, why isn't EVERY small and medium-sized business in America tapping into this resource? What You'll Learn: Why he left the corporate world to become an entrepreneur What he loves about working for a smaller company (hint: culture & innovation!) The three primary checkpoints you should take to reduce the risk of cyber threats The onboarding process for new clients How they can assist businesses in obtaining cyber insurance How their program has helped their clients score big contracts with their own customers …and much more! Favorite Quote: "You have to have the plan, you have to have the tools, and you have to have the people to do it." Connect with Scott: www.Solcyber.com Scott@solcyber.com How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Remember when The Jetsons seemed like a fun, far-fetched fantasy of what the future would (or could) look like? Nowadays, it doesn't seem so crazy. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, with everyone racing to stay ahead. We've said it before on the show (and it's 1000% likely we'll say it again), but your business, regardless of industry, must be partnering closely with technology. Of course, not everyone is a tech whiz. While large corporations have entire teams of specialists and developers on the payroll, that's a luxury many startups and small to medium-sized businesses cannot afford. But with every problem comes the opportunity for a solution. Meet Alex Svinov, co-founder and CEO of Insquad, a Talent Cloud platform to hire senior startup developers globally. Their mission is simple: Find the best engineering talent from around the world, put them through a rigorous vetting process, and then connect them with CEOs who need to outsource software development tasks. This is no small feat; with IT professionals making up just 1.5% of the population, good help can be hard to find, not to mention the difficulty of hiring for a role you may not completely understand. That's why a service like Insquad is so valuable; they can get you matched with someone to start on your project in two weeks and save you roughly 50 hours with each hire. Tune in to learn how Insquad can take the hassle out of outsourcing for your next project, plus thoughts on ChatGPT, AI, and more. What You'll Learn: The screening and assessment process their engineers go through to ensure they're up to the task His journey from investment banker to the world of startups Real-world example of how their services were able to assist a local coffee shop Understanding cultural differences when managing and working with clients and employees from around the world Why he believes the future of the economy is in the software segment Favorite Quote: "The reason I switched from investment banking to startups wasn't about money; it was about making good things for the world." Connect with Alex: www.insquad.com LinkedIn: Alex Svinov https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-svinov/ How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

In the words of the illustrious British pop group sensation, The Spice Girls, "So tell me what you want, what you really, really want." Why TF are we bringing up a 90s girl group on The Liquid Lunch Project podcast? Because that's the theme of today's episode. (Plus, it's a banger of a hit.) Chris Hood, digital strategist, speaker, and former Head of Business Innovation and Strategy at Google, is here to talk about customer empathy. It's a simple idea: Understand the customer's wants, needs, desires, and expectations and translate that into products and services that will meet those wants, needs, desires, and expectations. Straightforward, right? And not a new concept. But that might just be the reason it doesn't get the attention it deserves. In Chris' experience, too often, companies, leaders, CEOs, etc. THINK they know what the people want, but they haven't actually ASKED the people what they want. They have their own agenda and "big" ideas and create products and provide services without actual insight into what the customer desires. Customers are driving business like never before, which means you must be plugged in like never before. By understanding a company's biases and getting down to the basics, aka just ask, he helps them uncover what their customer ACTUALLY wants. Chris also touches on the (perceived) job security of working for a large company vs. venturing out on your own, why many entrepreneurs will fail - and why that's OK, and makes a case for starting something new that you have to figure out along the way. So, if you want to know what your customer wants (what they really, really want), don't miss this episode. What You'll Learn: His favorite project he worked on at Google His transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship A look at his new book coming out in May Why it's so critical to have a viable fallback option in your career Favorite Quote: "Customer empathy basically just boils down to walking in somebody else's shoes. Connect with Chris: www.chrishood.com How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

There's a lot more to growing and scaling a business than wishful thinking or taking shots in the dark; it requires an intentional and sustainable strategy. After all, the average lifespan of a company is only 8 years. If you don't want to be one of the 185,000 businesses that disappear each year, you'll want to listen to this episode. Steve Preda is a bestselling author and Leadership Team Coach of Pinnacle, a custom, no-ceiling business operating system. He's passionate about helping the economy flourish and keeping businesses in perpetual growth mode by building strategies from the ground up. In this episode, we get a peak at his new book, "Strategy OS: Implement an Advanced Business Operating System in Six Simple Steps," and discuss the accompanying Learning Management System portal - designed to empower business owners to coach themselves and implement these tools into their own businesses. What You'll Learn: What is a Strategy Stack Why overcoming big obstacles in a unique way is great for your business His journey from investment banker to entrepreneur A preview of the six simple steps from his book, Strategy OS European entrepreneurial mindset vs. American entrepreneurial mindset Favorite Quote: "I believe with great coaching and great tools, none of these businesses would have to disappear." Connect with Steve: LinkedIn Twitter @stevepreda www.stevepreda.com How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Drumroll, please! Cue the champagne and the confetti because THIS is the 100th episode of The Liquid Lunch Project Podcast! On today's show, Matt and Luigi reflect back on how this all got started (thanks, COVID), discuss some of their most memorable guests (don't worry, they love all their children equally), and the future of The LLP (hint - they're just getting started!). They're also covering bromances and man crushes, who deserves the "Big Jock on Campus" award, Matt's lifelong ambition to have his own Tequilla brand, what they look for when deciding to invest in a company, which guests drank them under the table, and their shared goal to continue growing a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and business owners. They also pull back the curtain and give a behind-the-scenes look at the process of writing their first book, Buying the American Dream (available for purchase April 7, 2023), and why they're so bullish about small businesses. Enjoy this trip down memory lane, and cheers to the next 100 episodes of The Liquid Lunch Project Podcast! How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Business is in a constant state of evolution. And how you share your message, promote your product, or sell your service changes with it. TV killed the radio star, and Google ads killed the Yellow Pages. This is why you must remain flexible and fluid and be willing to adopt new mediums of communication. Podcasting is one such medium that has seen enormous success over the last several years. No longer limited to whodunit murder mysteries, there are literally thousands of niches and hundreds of shows on just about any topic. And here to share some valuable insights on how you can tap into this opportunity is the founder of Outlier Audio, Spencer Carpenter. In the last three years, Spencer has helped over 100 clients book 800+ interviews. Using his background in talent representation and focusing on building strategic partnerships, he helps his clients leverage the power of podcasting to promote their services/products/messages without a needy sales pitch. He explains why and how podcasting (whether as a guest or host) can be such a powerful opportunity for any business owner or entrepreneur, its impact on SEO and creating branded content, and how it helps establish you as an authority or expert in your field. If you want to learn what podcasting can do for your business, don't miss this episode. What You'll Learn: Why podcasting is an excellent medium for just about anyone Why there isn't a quantifiable ROI for podcasting…and why it doesn't matter Why podcasting can be more effective than "disruptive marketing" on Facebook or Instagram The challenges of being a podcast guest or podcast host How he helps his clients get booked on their ideal podcast shows Tips to newbies just starting out …and much more! Favorite Quote: "Just go be you, talk about what you do, and provide value. That's it." Connect with Spencer: https://www.outlieraudio.com https://www.instagram.com/outlieraudio/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-carpenter-49988166/ How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Every business needs a story. Not just a product. Not just a service. It's the story you tell that can ultimately differentiate you from your competitors and connect with your customers. And who better than to teach us how than THE corporate storyteller himself, Steve Multer. Steve is a veteran corporate spokesman and trainer for over 100 global brands, including Cisco, Splunk, Panasonic, Fujifilm, HP, and Bayer. His strategic brand consulting company helps execs, leaders, and sales teams use the power of story to grow their companies. A self-described "evangelist for better corporate storytelling," his passion for the topic really shines through in this episode, along with his goal to help people discover their stories. He explains that it's not always about money; the smallest organization can tell its story just as effectively as Apple and Audie. It comes down to understanding the beating heart of your brand and how that differentiates you from the competition. Passion is infectious; those who can tell their story well are the winners. He's also giving us a look at his new book, "Nothing Gets Sold until the Story Gets Told." Designed to be used by anyone (regardless of job level, socioeconomic status, educational background, geographic location, etc.), it will help businesses of all sizes get in touch with the story within through a step-by-step guide, along with concrete examples you can put into action immediately. What You'll Learn: How "Content Storytelling" began with John Deere 100+ years ago before evolving into what it is today Why it's not enough to simply pitch a product or service; you need to speak to the human, not the wallet The three pillars of communication on which corporate storytelling is based. Why it's so important to know your target audience. How you can get his FREE guide: Five Paths to Passionate Storytelling …and much more! Favorite Quote: "The corporate story is based on three pillars of communication: Value, passion, and connection." Connect with Steve: www.Corporatestorytelling.com www.Stevemulter.com www.Corpoatestorytelling.com/guide for his FREE e-guide (use code Soldtold23) How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Orrin Klopper, CEO of Netsurit, shares IT protocols for small businesses, protecting IT infrastructure with Microsoft, encouraging technology adoption, challenges of industry consolidation, and their academic background.

How does someone go from a school dropout on probation with a felony charge to an Amazon #1 best seller, speaker, and real estate trainer who has transacted over $59 million in real estate across seven states? It all started with a book. And a lot of work. Our guest today is Victor Bell, CEO of Bell Capital. His San Diego-based company acquires and manages real estate properties, focusing on both near-term income generation and long-term value creation. He aims to provide everyday investors access to institutional-level real estate deals in great markets usually reserved for only larger investors. We cover a lot in today's episode on the topic of multifamily real estate investing, with a particular focus on Subject To deals (when an investor takes over the existing financing), how he did a million in real estate in his first year (thanks in part to a phone book), and what he's learned through three market cycles. What You'll Learn: Why he focuses on multifamily deals Trends he sees in the multifamily space right now Why he's an advocate for doing business in his own backyard The one geographic area he'd choose to invest in right now (Spoiler alert: It's not Texas!) Some pitfalls of a Subject To deal How he manages multiple properties at a time …and much more! Favorite Quote: "I'm a big advocate of doing business in your own backyard. There are business deals everywhere." Connect with Victor: www.bell-capital.com Get his FREE book here: www.bell-capital.com/book Learn more about his Real Estate Training Program here: www.bell-capital.com/realestatetraining How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.

Do you know your IQ level? How about your emotional IQ level? How would you rank your empathy and assertiveness? And would you be surprised to learn that finding the magic balance between the two can do wonders for your business? If you don't think emotional intelligence plays a significant role in your operations, stop what you're doing for the next 30 minutes and listen in; today's guest might change your mind. Meet Merit Kahn, CEO of SELLect Sales Development. For over 20 years, she has worked with salespeople, entrepreneurs, professionals, and business leaders who are frustrated with their sales numbers, profit margins, time management, and overwhelmed employees. (Sound familiar?) She teaches us what emotional intelligence is and, more importantly – how to use it to make stronger connections and close more deals. She also does a surprise analysis on Matt, so if you're curious about his emotional IQ, don't miss the show's second half. What You'll Learn: The important balance of empathy and assertiveness How to use emotional intelligence to improve relationships with employees and clients Which attributes are consistent among top performers Why "matching someone's energy" is an outdated concept …and much more! Favorite Quote: "The first step to a closed deal is always an open mind." Connect with Merit: Meritkahn.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/meritkahn/ https://www.youtube.com/meritkahn How To Get Involved: Matthew Meehan and Luigi Rosabianca use their combined experience to provide insight and strategic advice to help small and medium-sized businesses in America have the same opportunities as corporate 500 companies. If you're looking for tailor-made solutions to grow your small biz, learn more at www.shieldadvisorygroup.com. Stay Connected: Connect with Matt and Luigi on Instagram: @matthew.r.meehan @luigi_rosabianca @theLiquidLunchProject @ShieldAdvisoryGroup. Visit The Liquid Lunch Project website and subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more. www.theliquidlunchproject.com Make sure you never miss an episode — check out The Liquid Lunch Project on Apple Podcasts, and don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review.