The Business of Meetings

The Business of Meetings – Episode 157 – Running Your Business as Though You Plan To Sell It with Eric Rozenberg Today, Eric shares some recent content he created for a webinar for a group of business owners. It focuses on increasing the value of your business and preparing your business to be sold- even if you are not looking to sell it. Make sure your business can function without you! We hope you find the information helpful! Bio Eric Rozenberg has helped thousands of entrepreneurs grow and manage their business better. His purpose is to inspire people with integrity and honesty, help them take action, get results, and develop their business and their Life. For two decades in his previous life, consulted with Fortune 500 companies and produced award-winning sales meetings, incentive trips, product launches, and conferences in more than 50 countries across diverse industries. He believes organizations must create meetings and events that are not only breathtakingly memorable but which bring corporate strategies to life and amplify team motivation/performance. Eric is an acquisition entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and two-time Amazon bestselling author. His podcast, "The Business of Meetings," is the first podcast in the Meetings & Events Industry dedicated to business owners. Every Tuesday, listeners learn something new they can apply in their businesses and/or get inspired by amazing guests. His first book, Meeting at C-Level, is the first book on the “why” of a meeting. It has been endorsed by 20 of the most influential leaders from the corporate and association worlds and helps professionals to position themselves as a strategic partner. His second book, Before It’s Too Late, A Love Letter to my Daughters and America, is a story of grit, perseverance, and courage. It describes why and how he and his wife brought their daughters to America and why it is the greatest country on Earth. Eric is a current member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and The Strategic Forum. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Demoucelle Parkinson Foundation in Belgium and was the first European to serve as Chairman of the International Board of Meetings Professional International (MPI), the largest professional association in the Meetings and Events Industry. About Eric Eric has always been working in small businesses. He has started and exited several small businesses and has been involved in various organizations. He loves what he does, which includes sharing content via his books and this podcast, and being a trusted advisor for entrepreneurs. He also seeks to acquire small businesses, mainly in service, hospitality, and in continued professional education. Why did you start your business? Business is a rollercoaster, and it is never easy. When you are going through difficult times, it helps to remember why you started the business in the first place. Why would you want to sell your business? People sell their businesses for various reasons. Some build their businesses so the next generation can take over, while others consider selling because they no longer have the drive to continue. Sometimes, people sell to make money or because they want more time to focus on what they enjoy most. What is your number, and what is your time frame? If you are considering selling your business five years from now, you need to know how much it is worth today, how much you will need to make when you sell it, and how to increase its value by the time you are ready to sell it. You will be taxed when you sell, so you will not get 100% of the proceeds. What are your values? Define your values because they will influence whatever matters to you. They will influence how you grow your business, how and when you sell it, who you sell it to, and what you do to protect those working there. How much is enough? Work out how much will be enough to cover whatever you want from life. That should include your lifestyle choice and the goals you hope to achieve. What buyers look for You will likely get a higher price if you sell to a company that sees your business as a strategic acquisition rather than selling to someone who would operate the business. Venture capital and private equity buyers look for good investments and they usually have a lot of funding to invest. However, you might not be at their level of investment. Eric is an acquisition entrepreneur. He looks for businesses between one and two million EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization). Potential buyers It is helpful to look at potential companies that could acquire your business. Look at the type of businesses they have and the acquisitions they make. Get to know them, and perhaps even develop a relationship with them. Buyer expectations You will need to match your potential buyers' expectations to your values and numbers. Increase the value Your business will be worth more if it can function without you. You can also create value by hiring the right people, building the right culture, and having the right processes in every department. Team building Focus on your strengths and leverage them. Hire for your weaknesses and delegate everything outside of your zone of energy, to increase the value of your business. Know your numbers You need to know the numbers, the analytics for projects, and your profit. Plan for your cash flow and the KPIs that matter, and focus on EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization). Retiring rather than re-tiring When you stop doing something you have been doing for many years, replace it with something to keep you busy and occupy your brain. Find something stimulating to do after you sell your company. In summary Focus on the processes, people, and culture. Most importantly, ensure you have a good plan to execute and focus on your accountability. (Eric suggests having an accountability buddy.) Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Recommended books: Before It’s Too Late, A Love Letter to my Daughters and America by Eric Rozenberg Meeting at C-Level by Eric Rozenberg Simple Numbers 2.0: Rules for Smart Scaling by Greg Crabtree Scaling Up by Verne Arnish Traction by Gino Wickman Atomic Habits by James Clear Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell The Number by Lee Eisenberg The E Myth by Michael Gerber The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Links: Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) The Strategic Forum Demoucelle Parkinson Foundation in Belgium Meetings Professional International

The Business of Meetings – Episode - 156: How Luxury Brands Talk To Their Clients with Neen James   We are delighted to be speaking with Neen James today! Neen has been working in various industries across the world. She is the author of Attention Pays and the President and CEO of Neen James, Incorporated. She is with us today to share her journey and discuss the fascinating survey she did recently on luxury brands, how people look at luxury, and the best way to speak with clients dealing with luxury brands.  We hope you enjoy listening to today’s inspiring and informative conversation with Neen James! Bio: Neen James is the author of nine books including Folding Time™ and her most recent, Attention PaysTM. She was named one of the top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru several years in a row because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, Cisco, Virgin, Johnson & Johnson, and the FBI, among others. Neen is a leadership expert who delivers high-energy keynotes that challenge audiences to prioritize focus in their work and lives. Understanding that attention and productivity can only come after clarifying what matters most, audiences leave Neen’s keynotes with practical strategies they can then apply personally and professionally to get them where they want to be. Compelling in delivering presentations, Neen is adaptive and responsive to the unique needs of live, virtual, and hybrid experiences. Meeting planners love working with her – they often describe Neen as the energizer bunny for their events. With a strong background in learning and development and managing large teams at various corporations, Neen is the perfect fit for organizations that want systems thinking-based, implementable strategies. After working with Neen, their employees are able to create space and allow the freedom to avoid distractions, stop interruptions, prioritize daily objectives, and say ‘no’ to requests that steal time and focus from real goals and priorities. Neen earned her MBA from Southern Cross University and the Certified Speaking Professional designation from National Speakers Association. She has received numerous awards as a professional speaker and is a partner in the international education company Thought Leaders Global. Oh, did we mention that Neen is Australian? Why does that matter? Well, it means that she’s a bit mischievous, pretty witty, and a little cheeky. She also considers herself an unofficial champagne taste tester ... and is obsessed with her Peloton bike... a bike that goes nowhere! Neen’s journey Neen grew up in corporate business, in Australia. She worked in retail banking, telecommunications, and the oil industry. As an executive strategist, she became obsessed with finding out how to get people to pay attention to what really matters. Someone once nudged her to become a speaker. She set up a company and found her first retainer client immediately. Her company has grown since then, she relocated to the United States, wrote some books, and did some research studies. Leaving corporate Australia There were various things that prompted Neen to leave corporate Australia. She was working in the prepaid cellphone industry and did some fun projects there, including launching Virgin® in Australia. She became known as someone who got things done and people kept on asking her to speak at conferences. So, she decided to do something for herself. She managed to convince the board that the best strategy was to re-engineer the business, centralize the roles, and let many people go, herself included. Corporate life Neen loved corporate life, and she still loves corporate clients! Being a corporate girl was a great gift for her because she now does a lot of corporate work, particularly with CEOs and their teams. Referrals An entrepreneur was born…Neen built her company from scratch! All of her business opportunities have come from referrals from people in her audience or her network.  Changing According to Neen, anyone thinking of making a change needs to be courageous, believe in yourself, know what you’re good at, and look for what will truly light you up! The difference between Aussies and Americans Because Neen enjoyed living in the US so much, she became a citizen. She believes one difference between Australians and Americans is that Australians work hard and play hard. Americans work hard. Using your out-of-office and voicemail Use your out-of-office and voicemail as ways for people to experience you. It can be a fun way to extend your personal brand, provide information for people sending you notes, and manage people’s expectations.  What Need discovered through her survey on luxury brands Thoughts create feelings. Neen wanted to find out what people think about luxury rather than how they feel about it. The research firm that did her survey interviewed hundreds of leaders and found that there are four different luxury mindsets (or archetypes). Through the survey, they were able to discover how each of those mindsets makes decisions, how they define luxury, what’s important to them, and who influences their decisions. Knowing that can help brands assess the mindsets with which they want to work with, and then align their messages to attract those mindsets. The four luxury mindsets/archetypes: Reluctant and removed – Luxury is hard  Pro-prioritizer – Luxury is power Confident and content – They’ve got this The luxury-lover – They think they are worth it Helping companies speak luxury language Companies should speak the luxury language of the luxury mindset they want to attract. Neen helps them do that. Various implications There are many different implications for luxury brands in research, and Neen loves sharing them with the audiences she works with! Time Neen believes time can only be managed if things will happen whether we like it or not. (She talks about that in her book, Folding Time.) However, you can manage your attention. (Neen talks about how to be more intentional with your attention in her book, Attention Pays.) Is luxury recession-proof? Whether or not a recession occurs, some people will continue having the luxury lifestyle they have always enjoyed. So she does not foresee a crisis for luxury brands. However, she does see luxury brands having to market differently and align their messages to appeal to luxury mindsets. Inter-generational travel Neen has noticed a trend of inter-generational travel, where one family member pays for the whole family to take a luxury cruise together. How Neen helps her clients When Neen consults with her clients, she looks at how they assess the mindset of the person they want to attract and how they align their messages to ensure everything is consistent with that mindest. She also helps her clients build advocates for their brands. Neen’s advice Whether you are in the luxury space or not, think about the kind of people you want to work with, the companies and brands with which you would like to be aligned, and the actions you intend to take to support those companies or brands. Tiny changes By implementing some tiny changes, it’s easy for anyone to transform an ordinary, everyday experience into a luxury one! Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Neen James On her website  On Instagram On LinkedIn Email Neen: neen@neenjames.com  Download Neen James Luxury Mindset Research Executive Summary Books by Neen James Folding Time: How to Achieve Twice as Much in Half the Time Attention Pays: How to Drive Profitability, Productivity, and Accountability Secrets of Super-Productivity: How to Achieve Amazing Things in Your Work Life  

We are delighted to be speaking with Gijs Hillmann from CultureBeatz today! Gijs has spent many years working in an international environment, and has had some unique experiences! He joins us today to share his journey, discuss cultural diversity, and dive into working with different cultures within the same organization. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Gijs Hillmann! Bio: Gijs (Gys) Hillmann is an international corporate management trainer focused on organizational development and cultural diversity, primarily within industries that work regularly with labor migrants, economic migrants, or transient groups of international workers. Gijs's work is inspired by his experiences growing up and seeing migrant workers in positions that they were severely overqualified for, for organizations that didn’t care about them; he has seen them treated inhumanely and dehumanized and he is determined to be an agent of change. Gijs dedicates his work to ensuring migrants’ voices are heard in an effort to end the unfair treatment they so often receive. Gijs specializes in building and retaining High-Performance and High-Impact Cultures for international organizations. Described as an inspirational and pragmatic speaker, Gijs combines local and world-class examples with practical case studies. In his keynotes, training, and consulting, managers and employees learn how to lead, develop themselves, build teams, manage conflicts, and communicate effectively on how to create inspiring workplace cultures. Gijs has trained multiple teams and individuals in the skills they need to be more productive and successful in a wide range of countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Gijs’s journey Gijs was born to Dutch parents in a mining town on the Zambian Copperbelt. His parents struggled to readjust after returning to the Netherlands, so they returned to Africa two years later. Gijs spent the next nine years growing up in Namibia. Toward the end of the apartheid years, he and his family moved to a conservative town in South Africa. After completing his schooling, Gijs joined the South African military, where he experienced a stark contrast to the multicultural Namibian environment. Several years later, he returned to the Netherlands, where he spent almost two years working on the lines in the logistics environment in a warehousing supply chain and living in migrant labor locations with his mostly Polish colleagues. Working for an international temporary labor migration agency Gijs spent the following 18 years growing up and developing while working for an international temporary labor migration agency that specialized in relocating people from Eastern Europe to Western Europe. A corporate trainer Gijs became a corporate trainer in 2010. He spent much of his time dealing with blue chip clients, discussing diversity and ways to integrate people from diverse cultures onto the work floor. On the work floor, he noticed that people often failed to understand each other, and there was a lack of fundamental understanding that everyone has the same capacities and capabilities. As a result, the economic migrants got a very raw deal. Motivated by people’s struggles Seeing the struggles people had with integrating on the work floor, and the struggles operational leaders across all sectors had in integrating with the people, motivated Gijs to take action. Migrants pay a massive price Migrants pay a massive price to work in a different country. They have to leave many things behind, including family, way of life, and sometimes even their studies. Gijs believes that when working with economic migrants from other countries, he must treat them in a way that they do not have to pay twice the price for their freedom. (For the first time when they leave their place of origin, and for the second time on the work floor, when they perhaps get misunderstood and are not appreciated or valued, and get treated in a menial way.) Diversity For Gijs, diversity is much larger and more encompassing than just cultural diversity. He feels that diversity also encompasses generational diversity, gender diversity, and diversity in people’s values or belief systems. Understanding the context Gijs believes that if you would like to challenge one aspect of any business, it is essential to understand the context of the larger business and approach it from multiple angles.  Helping companies work better Gijs runs training programs to help migrants deal with workplace challenges and helps operational leaders understand those with whom they are working. He also trains HR leaders to understand that shaping and changing a company culture requires more than change management. It is about doing the right thing for a larger group of people. He teaches them about what they need to put in place to ensure that their workplaces are equitable, and he helps them understand that everyone working there must have a voice and be able to add to the tapestry of work. How Gijs helps economic migrants Gijs helps economic migrants understand the expectations of the work environment. He also helps them understand that the work environment is not yet ready to accept all the baggage and experience they have brought with them. Creating a safe environment for conferences The most important thing to remember when creating a safe conference environment is to be curious and sensitive about the backgrounds of everyone across the floor- whether they are speakers, hosts, or attendees. It is also essential to create an inclusive environment. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Gijs Hillmann On LinkedIn  CultureBeatz Books mentioned: Taken for a Ride by Bill Vlasic and Bradley A Stertz

154 – Where Do We Go From Here with Michael Dominguez Today we have the pleasure of speaking with a legend in the industry! Michael Dominguez is the President and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). He has a gift for explaining very complex economic issues simply. He joins us today to discuss the economy and where we are going. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s informative conversation with Michael Dominguez! Bio:  Michael Dominguez President & CEO, Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) Michael Dominguez serves as the President & CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI). ALHI is the largest Global Sales Organization with a team of nearly 80 professionals located among 26 offices across North America and Europe. Before joining ALHI, Michael served in executive sales leadership roles with MGM Resorts International as Chief Sales Officer and many brand and independent branded companies. Michael is an award-winning hospitality industry veteran. He has received multiple honors for his leadership and influence and has been recognized as a change agent by his peers. He has also been a speaker with Fortune 100 Companies on topics ranging from disruption to the economy and a passion for leadership and was invited as a speaker at SXSW in 2018. ALHI ALHI is a membership-driven sales representation company for independent hotels and brands. It has been around for the last 35 years. About two years ago, they saw a need for specific consulting disciplines and started gathering expertise from various areas that they felt would be valuable to the industry. Recently, they launched their first internal consultant to help independent hotels understand data science and how to use it to drive their decisions. A confusing environment Today, we are living in a confusing environment where information gets given to us in bite-sized pieces. Unfortunately, most of us do not have the time to research the real story and find out what all the data means.  Hotels Hotels have been achieving record revenues when compared with 2019. Most of that was due to rate growth. However, the gross operating profit margins for convention hotels decreased by two-tenths of a percent. So even though hotels are hitting record revenues, they are making less profit due to wage inflation. (In the hotel industry, wage inflation has over-indexed that of all other industries by ten percent.)  Growth We will see the rate of growth slowing down in the hotel industry but that will not indicate a recession or mean things are going backward. There will still be healthy growth within the industry. Food and beverage The price of everything within food and beverage has risen. The good part is that things are settling. The negative is that we will settle at a higher baseline. That still does not mean we are going backwards.  A missing piece in the conversation According to forecasts, we should be back to a growth rate of a CPI of around 3% by 2024. That means we will have grown 18% in CPI over three years, which is normal. That is the missing piece in the conversation that proves we are not going backward- we are still growing. We have just reset the baseline. A potential wheat crisis 59% of Ukraine's land gets used for growing food to be exported to some of the world’s poorest and neediest countries. Ukraine had no harvesting season last year because the invasion started just after they started laying their crops. The US did not have a good wheat crop last year due to drought conditions followed by floods in all the major areas. As a result, Michael is concerned that there may be a wheat shortage in the US, which means that the cost of wheat will rise dramatically. Additionally, there may be a famine situation in certain parts of the world for which the US will need to offer support.  The effects of a changing financial environment on the hotel industry The financial environment has changed. The Federal fund rate that was zero is now pushing 5%. Many hotel owners opted to re-finance their debts or start projects when the interest rate was zero. That means they will have to re-finance within the next few years in a rate environment that is five percentage points higher. That will add a massive amount of debt to the operation of properties, which will strain hotel operators and delay the building of any new hotels.   What has changed for hotels? The debt environment The interest environment Countries are re-considering putting their reserves into the US dollar. (If no one buys our debt, we will have to pay much more for it.) What is the solution? We have a spending issue, not a revenue issue. So we need discussions around ways to control spending and get our spending back under control. People working in hotels Hotels are not experiencing a great resignation. However, there is realignment with people moving to different jobs and environments within the industry. Michael believes that the hotel industry needs to get better at teaching young people about what goes on and the variety of disciplines and opportunities within the industry. He also feels that it is essential to address the issue of child care. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Michael Dominguez On LinkedIn Associated Luxury Hotels International

The Business of Meetings – Episode 153 – The Power of Storytelling with Andy Henriquez Today we have the great pleasure of speaking with Andy Henriquez, founder of Master Storyteller Academy! Andy’s journey has been an interesting one. He is an amazing storyteller, and is adept at linking his stories to the business! He joins us today to tell his story and share his secrets to success. Andy’s bio: Andy Henriquez, also known as the “master storyteller” and founder of the Master Storyteller Academy, is a business storytelling coach, keynote speaker, and author of the game-changing book, Show Up For Your Life. A sought-after speaker, Andy has been featured in Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur Magazine and has made several national television appearances. Andy trains corporations, non-profit organizations, and entrepreneurs how to unlock the power of story to elevate their brands, build greater connections and increase revenue. Some of his past clients include Office Depot Foundation, Accenture, Pratt & Whitney, NASA, and Bacardi, to name a few. Whether standing on stage and captivating an audience or conducting workshops and training, Andy is known for transforming audiences. When he’s not on stage, Andy loves spending time with his wife Casandra, and his daughter, Ava Skye. Andy’s story Andy grew up in a Caribbean household where his mom taught him that the key to success lay in getting a good education, and a good job. He studied hard, graduated summa cum laude, did a master’s degree in corporate accounting, and passed the CPA exam. However, when he started working as an associate for a company, he was miserable and felt that there had to be more. So he spent the next year thinking about becoming a speaker and coach. In 2004, things shifted and he decided to take a chance and act on faith instead of fear. He had no idea what would come next, but he was sure he could no longer keep doing what he had done before. Life will test you Whenever you make a life-changing decision, that decision will get tested! On the day Andy was ready to resign, he got offered a promotion! Even though part of him wanted to play things safe and stay on, he followed through and left corporate America.  Costa Rica A family friend heard that Andy was looking for an opportunity. He said that Costa Rica was growing and held many possibilities for the future. He invited Andy to join him in a real estate project there. When Andy arrived in Costa Rica, things looked good so he invested most of his savings in some land on which they intended to erect some pre-manufactured homes and he returned to America. Things seemed to be going well for the first few months, but then Andy learned that his friend had lost all his money on a bad short-term investment with which he had hoped to get a quick return. A big lesson The lesson Andy learned from that experience was to expect to get tested.  Understanding the negativity of those who love you When people who love you speak negatively about a risky entrepreneurial idea you’ve come up with, understand that they only do so because they want to protect you. They project their fears and limiting beliefs onto you because they love you. When that happens, know that you do not have to accept what they say, nor do you have to apply their limitations in your life. Learning from failures Some of the best lessons entrepreneurs ever learn come from the failures and the challenges they experience. A key to success Andy learned that one of the keys to success lies in knowing that life is rigged for you to succeed. So when life punches you in the face, don’t throw in the towel! Understand that it is part of your journey to success. Investing in yourself Les Brown is one of the top five speakers in the world. He had a massive impact on Andy’s life and taught him that you have to invest in yourself at the level at which you expect results. Through Les, Andy learned that the more you pay for coaching, the more you pay attention! The power of storytelling Attention is the new currency. Andy has found that the best leaders are the best storytellers because storytelling is one of the best ways to capture people’s attention, connect with them emotionally, and direct their attention to action.  Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Andy Henriquez On his website On Master Storyteller Academy On LinkedIn On Instagram (@showupforyourlife) On all social media: @AndyHenriquez Books mentioned: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley The Millionaire Mindset by Thomas J. Stanley Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

The Business of Meetings – Episode 152 – The Amazing Story of the Savannah Bananas with Jesse Cole We are excited to have the legendary Jesse Cole joining us today!  In today's episode, Jesse shares the incredible story behind how he and his wife, Emily, started the famous Savannah Bananas, the year-round baseball team! He also gets into where they are today, their vision, and how he leverages the Savannah Bananas for his projects! You will absolutely love listening to today’s super-motivating conversation with Jesse Cole! Bio Jesse Cole is the founder of Fans First Entertainment and the owner of the Savannah Bananas. He’s fanatic about fandom and launched the Savannah Bananas with one mission: to spark a fan-focused movement. Whether at the ballpark, on social media, onstage delivering keynotes, in features for ESPN and Entrepreneur, or in his first book, Find Your Yellow Tux, Jesse continues to create fans all over the world. The Bananas have sold out every game since their first season and have a waitlist for tickets in the thousands. They have entertained millions of fans in Savannah and at ballparks all over their country on their Banana Ball Tour. Jesse is the proud inventor of Banana Ball and Dolce & Banana underwear and a not-so-proud promoter of the Human Horse Race and Flatulence Fun Night. He’s a raving fan of his wife, Emily, his kids, and peerless promoters like Walt Disney, PT Barnum, and Bill Veeck. Jesse owns seven yellow tuxedos. Jesse’s story Jesse was raised by his dad, who spent hours playing baseball with him and taught him the value of putting in the effort to create something special!  Jesse played baseball throughout his life. After getting into the baseball industry about fifteen years ago, he tore his shoulder, and his baseball career ended. So, he started working in the front office and began his journey to where he is today. Savannah Bananas  Before starting the Savannah Bananas, Jesse spent ten years with the team in Gastonia, North Carolina. He became their GM when he was twenty-three and had to figure out how to make people excited about going to a baseball game. It was much harder than he anticipated, so he tried doing some crazy things! Then, seven years ago, Jesse and his wife moved to Savannah, Georgia, and had the opportunity to take on an old and historic stadium. Jesse was not successful in selling the way everyone else did because no one took him seriously. So he tried something new.  A vision Everything we accomplish in life starts with a vision. Especially in business! Going into Savannah, Jesse and his wife truly believed they could change baseball games, make them fun, and create something people had never seen before! It was tough at first, but they knew their idea would work. Fans first Many companies focus solely on chasing customers. However, early on, Jesse and his wife became obsessed with creating fans and decided to focus on putting their fans first. So they named their company Fans First Entertainment. All-inclusive tickets They decided to make every ticket all-inclusive so that if the game was terrible, the fans would still get some value for their money because everything, including the food, was included.  Spicing things up They decided to spice things up and go all-in on creating an entertaining experience. They hired a dancing coach and choreographed dances for the players. They introduced a banana baby that they lifted, celebrated, and sang to at the start of the match. They even handed out roses to little girls in the middle of the game! No more marketing After that, they no longer had to do any marketing. They just shared what they were doing, and people told others about it! ESPN ESPN became aware of what they were doing. So they wrote an article about the Savannah Bananas, which did very well. Then their sports center did a feature on them which also did very well. Then, Jesse and his wife approached ESPN with an idea they had for a show, and they agreed. The show was highly-rated (and still does well today) and led to even bigger things! Making baseball more fun Leaning in on making baseball more fun, offering non-stop entertainment, and storytelling, creating memorable moments for fans, and building an idea culture helped them get to where they are today! No more normal Doing normal things gets normal results. So they work from the premise of doing the exact opposite of whatever would be deemed normal. What if Asking what if, and trying out new things, motivates them to keep finding new and exciting ways to entertain their fans.  Secondary ticket sellers Jesse always refused to sell tickets to secondary marketing groups. One group even offered to pay twice the ticket value and buy more than a million dollars worth of tickets. But Jesse refused because that would inflate ticket prices, and hurting their fans goes against everything they stand for. Living the dream Jesse’s dream for the future is to continue chasing the energy they created, making people happy, and dancing in front of fans all over the world! Surrounding yourself with good people When you share your vision, what you stand for, and what you hope to accomplish, you will attract the best people to work for you! Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Jesse Cole Fans First Entertainment: Bananas For Business The Savannah Bananas Jesse’s Books Fans First Find Your Yellow Tuxedo

The Business of Meetings – Episode 151 – Every Seat Matters with Cleo Battle Today, Eric is joined by Cleo Battle, the President, and CEO of Louisville Tourism and the new Chair of the international board of MPI!  Cleo Battle Biography:  Cleo Battle, a hospitality industry veteran of nearly 35 years, currently serves as President & CEO of Louisville Tourism. Before coming to Louisville, he spent 12 years as Vice President of Sales & Services of the Richmond Convention & Visitors Bureau in Richmond, VA. He held the positions of Director of Sales and Sales Manager at the Richmond CVB.  Battle began his hospitality career in the hotel industry by working for Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn, and Sheraton Hotels. Battle is a native of Denver and a graduate of Metropolitan State University in Denver with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management. He earned his Master's of Business Administration in 1997 from Averett University in Virginia. He is both a Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) and Certified Association Sales Executive (CASE).  Battle’s most recent industry recognition includes Events Industry Council 2020 Social Impact award winner, Business First Louisville’s inaugural Power 50 as well as The Courier-Journal’s 12 People to Watch in 2021.  Battle currently serves on the Meeting Planners International Board of Directors, Kentucky Derby Museum Board of Directors, Louisville Sports Commission Executive Board, LRAA Board, Kentucky State Fair Board, Louisville Zoo Foundation Board, Funds for the Arts Board, and Board Member for Northeast YMCA of Louisville. He is the Past Chair of Destination & Travel Foundation, Destination International Sales & Services Committee, and the Virginia State University Hospitality Department Advisory Board. Cleo’s journey Cleo was a college track and field athlete. In his third year, he tore a leg muscle and since he was still undecided about what he would major in, he spoke to a school counselor who suggested going into the field of hotel restaurant management. He began taking classes and also worked as an intern in a hotel. Eventually, he was hired into the management training program for Promise Hotels. That’s when his career took off! How athletics set Cleo up for success Learning how to run hurdles gave Cleo adaptability and flexibility and many other skill sets he needed to grow and become successful in his career. Cleo truly understands the importance of having a strong team and learned that you cannot do everything by yourself in business and that you are only as good as the people around you. His old boss from Richmond, Virginia, taught him the key to any successful endeavor lies in hiring well. He used to tell Cleo to hire well, provide good resources, and then get the hell out of the way!  Trust Trust is an essential ingredient for teamwork. People do much better when they work in a professional space where constructive criticism is valued, they can be honest about their thoughts, and where they know their opinions will be respected, regardless of what the leaders ultimately decide to do. Every seat matters At staff meetings, Cleo always tells the members of his organization that every seat matters. He wants them to understand that regardless of whether they are the director of sales, a marketing manager, or an administrative assistant, their seat in the organization matters! Enabling people Whenever there is a new subject matter, Cleo enables his team by inviting them to share ideas, thoughts and opinions on it. Cleo’s current position Even though his current position as President and CEO of Louisville Tourism involves a lot of legislative work and more talk about politics than customers, Cleo maintains the belief it’s vital to stay true to the core mission of Louisville Tourism and bring visitors to the community. MPI Since the beginning of January, Cleo became the Chair of MPI and serves on its International Board of Directors. He insists on his team having a growth mindset rather than one of recovery.  The cost of doing business has changed Since the pandemic, the cost of doing business has changed. So a lot of work has to be done on the industry brand to help those outside it see its value, what is being done, why it is important, and how the industry impacts people’s lives. Getting more people to join the industry Cleo points out that personnel of hotels, convention centers, museums and attractions, restaurants, and airports cannot work from home. So the industry will need to figure out the right balance between automated and personal services going forward. He believes that the industry must invest in its brand to let more people know why it is such an exciting industry to join. Appreciation and acknowledgment Cleo feels that openly acknowledging his staff members and appreciating what they do are the best ways to encourage them to offer customers the best possible service! Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Cleo Battle On LinkedIn Louisville Tourism MPI Books mentioned: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

The Business of Meetings – Episode 150 – Buy Back Your Time with Dan Martell We have the great pleasure of speaking with Dan Martell, the founder of the SaaS Academy, today. Dan has just launched a book called Buy Back Your Time. Dan became a millionaire at twenty-seven and he joins us to tell his story and share his understanding and experience. We hope you will enjoy listening to today’s insightful and inspiring conversation with Dan Martell! Bio: Dan Martell is an entrepreneur, angel investor, thought leader, and highly sought-after coach in the SaaS, or software as a service, industry. He founded, scaled, and successfully exited three technology companies within a ten-year period. In 2012, he was named Canada’s top angel investor, having invested in more than 50 start-ups, such as Intercom, Udemy, and Unbounce. In 2016, Martell founded the SaaS Academy and grew it to become one of the largest coaching companies in the world. He is also an Ironman athlete, philanthropist, husband, and father of two incredible boys. Dan’s journey Dan grew up in a crazy environment where his mother was an alcoholic and his dad often traveled and was seldom around. Dan had tons of energy and was always pushing the limits and organizing things like wars with the neighborhood kids. Everything fell apart when he got introduced to drugs at a very young age, became an addict, got put into group homes, crisis centers, foster care, and ended up in juvenile detention. From there, things spiraled out of control until Dan found himself imprisoned for six months. He was released to a live-in rehab center and spent 11 months working on himself. During that time, his mom got sober, his dad was there for him, and he was able to rebuild his family relationships.  Building internet companies He then used a computer to learn Javascript and became obsessed with writing code and building software. When he left rehab, he discovered the internet and started building internet companies, which became his ultimate self-development program. Personal development In rehab, Dan learned about personal development and took what he learned to his business.  Software companies Eventually, Dan went on to build and exit many different software companies. He also invested in more than 50 billion-dollar technology companies. Today, he runs two eight-figure companies, SaaS Academy and High-Speed Ventures. An active life  Completing three Iron Mans last year is only one way Dan lives an active life. This year he will do an Ultra and a Spartan. He also spends two-and-a-half months each year traveling and skiing with his two young sons. Inspiring others Because of all of Dan’s childhood challenges, he now wants to inspire people to understand that their history is not their ultimate biography. Your mess can indeed become your message. Buying Back Your Time The buy-back principle and buying back your time became a way of living that Dan taught privately to his coaching clients for quite some time. Serendipity Serendipity has a way of showing up, but it is ultimately up to each of us to answer the call. Dan hopes that anyone listening to this podcast who has to make a life-changing choice chooses the best path forward!  Building a business People tend to build businesses they grow to hate because they hire people in the wrong order, outsource things in the wrong sequence, and delegate in sloppy ways, according to Dan. That tends to create a prison rather than a life of freedom. Success Dan’s philosophy is that success is born of the emotional fuel you bring to your pursuit.  Dan’s book Dan’s book, Buy Back Your Time, is not only about productivity, but it is also about considering your being-ness in your business, creating more income, and experiencing more freedom. Spending time with your family  Many people tell themselves they are working hard for their families when those people seldom have the time to see their families, have experiences with them, or be present for significant moments. Creating more income You can create more income if you buy back your time. Success does not require more of your time. It requires you to understand and invest in leverage and skillsets, and develop better beliefs and character traits.  SaaS Academy The book, Buy Back Your Time, was a by-product of Dan’s coaching service. After investing in companies, he would teach the CEOs methodology he’d perfected through the early advising of the CEOs he invested in. This has subsequently become core to the SaaS Academy. Investing in yourself Most people won’t buy back their time because they don’t trust themselves or they do not feel worthy of it. They may even believe that building a business requires suffering. Dan points out that feeling unworthy is a decision. If you want to believe in yourself and invest in yourself, you just have to do it.  When you can, you must Dan has developed the philosophy that when he can, he must, which has helped him build the muscle to keep going when faced with anxiety or adversity. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Dan Martell On LinkedIn On Instagram Buy Back Your Time website

Today, we are happy to be speaking with Matt Wolff, the Founder, and CEO of the Ticket Time Machine!  In this episode, Matt gets into how his niche is taking him in the opposite direction from where the rest of the market is going. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s captivating conversation with Matt Wolff! Bio: Matt is the Founder & CEO of Ticket Time Machine™, a souvenir ticket company that specializes in commemorative keepsakes. They are keeping the printed memory alive with their commemorative keepsakes and enhancing the fan experience with their digital experiences. He grew up in Marlboro, NJ, and graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) in 1998 with his twin brother. He got married on Leap Day (2/29/20) and currently lives in Lake Worth, FL with his wife and cats. He has 3 Nieces and 3 Nephews and likes to spoil them whenever he visits. Ever since graduating college, Matt has been going to sporting events and concerts non-stop. He has traveled the world (over 20 countries and 41 states) watching sporting events, trying new food, and listening to music. Matt’s journey Many years ago, Matt started his sales career by selling ticket printing services for Worldwide Ticket Craft. After six or seven years, he left the ticketing world to find a new sales opportunity and started selling anti-money laundering software. About four years later, he was at a no-hitter Marlins game with a digital ticket when they announced that anyone who wanted a printed ticket could get one from the box office. He asked them to customize his ticket to say the game was a no-hitter, and they said they could not, even though Matt knew they could. That very day, Ticket Time Machine was born, and about a year later, Matt quit his job to go all-in on his souvenir-ticketing business. Covid Matt gave his notice about three months before Covid hit. Even with a year of lost sales, he would not think twice about making the same decision again because without having had a year with no pressure to sell anything, he would not be where he is right now. A keepsake Offering a souvenir-collectible item that was functional and useful as a keepsake for events, proved successful, even if it was not used for admission. Matt’s goal Matt wants to become the Ticketmaster of souvenir tickets! When he started Ticket Time Machine, he set the goal that by 2025, he will have a Ticket Time Machine Suite in the swamp.  Matt’s ambition Even though he is a solopreneur, Matt has tech and silent partners, and he surrounds himself with a network of mentors and others helping him get to where he wants to go. His ambition is to become part of the international market. Revenue Matt’s revenue for 2022 is 10x what it was in 2021, and he hopes to go 10x again in 2023! Getting everything done Matt has some things that have to get done and other things he would like to do. He does a lot of multi-tasking and tends to push things around a bit, but he always ensures that whatever is most important gets done first.  Mental health Matt’s number one rule for mental health is that he never argues with his body. So, if he feels tired during the day, he stops doing whatever he is doing and takes a nap. He has experienced depression before, so he is aware that he needs to take care of himself and find the time to do things that make him happy. He also cares about others and likes to take care of them too. Customer service Matt believes that all the various aspects of his excellent customer service have led to his success in sales.  Building a company culture Building a healthy and sustainable company culture requires everyone to be flexible until the right way gets figured out. Regardless of the culture and size of the company, everyone must always get treated well. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Matt Wolff On LinkedIn On Facebook Ticket Time Machine Email Matt: Matt@tickettimemachine.com

Today, we are honored and delighted to speak with Mark Divine, a former Commander of the SEALs!  Mark is an amazing individual! He is spent 20 years with the Navy SEALs and is a business entrepreneur and a New York Times Bestselling author! In this exciting episode, he discusses how to get to know yourself, knowing how to breathe, how to focus, and how to control your thoughts. We hope you enjoy listening to today’s fascinating interview with Mark Divine! Mark Divine Speaker Bio:  Mark Divine is an entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist, and one of the world’s top leadership and coaching experts.  After a successful 20-year career as a Navy SEAL and SEAL Commander, Mark was hired by the Navy to create a nationwide coaching and leadership program for the SEALs. The bold goal of this program was to give the SEALs the best leadership and mental-management tools in the world – to help them forge unbeatable SEAL teams that achieve mission success in the most stressful, challenging environments on earth.  Divine’s leadership and coaching program for the SEALs was so effective that it’s now being used outside of the Navy by top CEOs, Fortune 100 companies, USA Olympics, elite universities, major league sports franchises, celebrities, and successful individuals from all over the world.  Mark Divine is the author of 5 best-selling books, including his latest book Staring Down The Wolf: 7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams. He hosts a #1-ranked podcast on iTunes (Mark Divine’s Unbeatable Mind) and is the founder of 5 successful companies: Unbeatable Mind, SEALFIT, NavySEALs.com, CrossFit, and the award-winning Coronado Brewing Company in California.  Divine believes that any individual, team, or company can unlock 20X performance with the right tools and training. His company, Unbeatable Mind, helps millions of people achieve their full potential in life and business through their free training resources and advanced training programs for leaders, corporate teams, coaching professionals, and high-achieving individuals.  As a philanthropist, Mark Divine founded the Courage Foundation to help our wounded Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). Recently Divine and his Courage Foundation team set a world record by completing over 22 million burpees to raise awareness, support, and funding for our Veteran heroes. Mark’s story While getting his MBA at New York University Stern School of Business and working toward becoming a CPA, Mark began meditating under the auspices of his martial arts instructor, who was also a Zen practitioner. He discovered he was physically amenable to the meditation practice and started training daily. Six to nine months later, he began experiencing intense flow states and sensing energy moving through his body. He also started coming out of meditations feeling that he was accessing who he truly was and bringing back information. He saw that he had been following someone else’s script and understood that he was not supposed to be the CPA, MBA financial guy making a ton of money.  Finding his calling Mark began journaling and asking questions about his true calling before meditating. Then, after meditating, he began sensing the idea that he was meant to be a warrior. Through that, he learned that one’s calling in life is not a job or career. It is what you are, and it has an archetypal energy to it. Becoming a warrior The notion of the warrior kept coming back to him. So he accepted it and began to imagine different ways of becoming a warrior. When he saw a poster in a Navy recruitment office about the Navy SEALs, he knew that would be his path to becoming a warrior. He decided to finish his MBA and CPA studies and apply what he had learned with the SEALs. A sense of certainty Mark applied for the SEALs but did not get his hopes up because they only take two civilians a year into Officer Candidate School and Navy SEAL training. After about nine months of visualizing himself as a Navy seal, a sense of certainty washed over him. Two or three days later, the recruiter called to tell him he was accepted. Visualization  The essence of visualization is creating a “future memory” by tapping into who you are and focusing on the purpose of what you are doing and how you will use it to serve others. The more you focus on that future memory, the more you create a magnetic pull, and the more real whatever you visualize becomes. The Mind Gym After being accepted by the Navy, Mark knew he needed to do everything in his power; physically, mentally, and emotionally, to get through the SEAL training. So, inspired by the book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, he developed a visualization practice to help him succeed. He later developed that practice even further to become the Mind Gym. The Mind Gym is a mental place you go into to do meditation and visualization. In it, you build an imaginary sacred place where you are held and protected, and your mind is held steady. You can invite imaginary advisors and your future self to join you and share information in your Mind Gym.  SEALFIT After getting married, Mark transitioned into the reserve SEAL teams and launched SEALFIT to teach the skills he had learned to other SEALs, operatives, business professionals, and corporate teams. The Big Four Mark refers to the skills he developed, refined, and taught as the Big Four. When practiced for 20 minutes daily, those skills help people reconstruct their lives and achieve goals they previously believed were insurmountable.  They are: Breath Control (Box breathing) Mental control (With positive thoughts and internal dialogue) Imagery (Imagining or visualizing the desired outcome) Focusing wholly on the task at hand and breaking it down into micro-goals The SEALFIT Academy Mark created a 30-day in-house training program called the SEALFIT Academy to teach his Big Four skills to the “Western Warriors” who wanted to learn them. Out of that, he developed another three complete training programs: SEAL FIT, Kokoro Yoga, and Unbeatable Mind. Those programs are so effective that 90% of the Navy SEAL candidates who complete them get through the Navy SEAL training!  Mark’s Six Pillars To overcome the training programs of consumerism, corporatism, and social media, Mark teaches his trainees to notice where they get conditioned and how to deconstruct that conditioning. To do that, they must create healthy habits around nutrition, sleep, exercise, time in nature, stress management, and community practices. He calls these the Six Pillars.  Mental toughness People develop mental toughness when they learn how to control their thoughts and emotions. That can be achieved by practicing mindfulness and meditation. The future To overcome unhealthy societal conditioning and create a new and non-violent culture, we need to take back control of our lives. Mark recommends doing that positively. So, we should not fight back against the government or corporate interests. Rather, we should ignore all the negativity and violence, develop and cultivate a positive mindset, and have a positive view of the world and the future.  The Courage Foundation Mark created the Courage Foundation about five or six years ago to raise awareness about the high suicide rate among veterans, to support veteran organizations, and to help veterans with PTSD. Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Mark Divine On his website  SEALFIT Training    On LinkedIn  The Courage Foundation   Books mentioned: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill