HAYVN Hubcast

In the entrepreneurial journey to building a business, there are always more challenges than you ever anticipate. Seeing the overall picture, and having an effective route mapped out that will take you from idea to success is difficult when you’ve never built a business before.   Business mentors may be the entrepreneur's most valuable ally. Successful business owners like Pat Duncan have proven success, and have experienced building and solving problems, are the kind of mentors you’d be lucky to have.  Pat built her company from nothing and sold it for a profit, as many business owners hope to do. She is now a SCORE Volunteer helping other business owners and startups grow the business they dream of.  A few lessons Pat shares about growing a successful business:  When it doesn’t work the way you want, be flexible  Talk to a lot of people  Don’t quit your job  Don’t hire friends  Review the numbers weekly  “Whatever we can learn, we have learned in our careers, we can help other people start or grow their own small businesses. “ -Pat Duncan  Pat explains the benefits offered by working with a SCORE Volunteer. Face-to-face meetings are part of mentorship that cannot be replaced. Whether on Zoom, in a cafe, or in a library, working with a mentor has benefits that will propel your business and success in ways you cannot imagine.  Connect with Pat Duncan:  Website  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Managing personal finances is crucial and when not handled properly can lead to debt, unexpected expenses, and overspending. For people who don’t have time or are overwhelmed they can get help.   Becca Feeley is the Business Development Manager for Financial Sense, a daily money management company that helps with everything financial from cash flow tracking to paying bills. Becca reveals the history of how her mother came to start her their financial business.  Whether you’ve been looking for household finance strategy and help because you’re short on time or because it’s boring you to pieces, daily money management professionals like Becca and her mom are the ideal solutions.  If you’re looking to gain confidence around how you are handling your personal finances, then Becca Feeley and Financial Sense offer free resources.  Key points discussed with Becca:  The type of clients Financial Sense attracts  What is daily money management   How to get started with a financial services company  Ways she was able to thrive as a small business  Becca is super approachable and is also a valued part of the HAYVN community. Like many, she is a mom who wanted more time for her family. Leaving an unfulfilling corporate life for a service-based small business is the entrepreneurial path that started with her mother and now continues with her. Financial Sense is their labor of love together.  Connect with Becca Feeley:  Website  Email   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

The phrase, “find a need, fill a need” is a common staple in the entrepreneurial world for those looking to make a difference.   When founder and serial entrepreneur, Sarah Spear, found out how isolating her world became being the mother of a child with special needs, she discovered the need for parents to have support and a better way to share knowledge with one another. Empowered Together is the community she created to solve issues that she herself was experiencing.  1 in 5 households are caring for children with special needs (source)  Sarah’s online community is about providing support to parents experiencing the same struggles and telling them what she wishes she knew early on.   “Research demonstrates that kids with special needs have superior outcomes when the parents are receiving services at the same time.” - Sarah Spear  Key Points Discussed with Sarah:  Parents need a psychologically safe space to feel supported  Experimenting with iterative business models leads to success Introducing conversation around hard topics is necessary HAYVN’S community of female entrepreneurs has been powerful  Sarah is looking for relationships and introductions to centers that serve special needs populations and would love to hear from you.  Connect with Sarah Spear:  Website  Instagram  Facebook  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Storytelling has always been a powerful tool for communication - whether it’s for entertainment, sharing news, or selling products and services. With video - storytelling can truly and more easily come to life. Emmy award winning journalist Kendra Farn has been telling stories on for nearly 25 years.  From her days as a news reporter to her current role as the owner of P Garyn Productions, a video production company she knows the value that video brings to making an impact. Key insights from Kendra on video production: What makes a good story to begin with Video production process from messaging to production How she started her own company and found career/home balance Kendra is enthusiastic about the current technology that simplifies video production and the social media platforms that allow everyone access to share a message and story with the world. “Social media is free, F-R-E-E!  [...] it is free advertising, and you're reaching countless eyeballs!” - Kendra Farn The current social media trends serving up the perfect bite-size video vehicle now delivers not just a story, but an effective message that encourages engagement and action. Kendra’s HAYVN Journey:  Kendra’s journey with HAYVN started from speaking with Felicia back when HAYVN was just a concept. She came on board to help with HAYVN’s GoFundMe video that helped bring the HAYVN community to life. Kendra plays a huge part as the MC of the HAYVN Hatch and loves to witness, support, and be a fan of the amazing people in the community.  Connect with Kendra Farn: Website P Garyn Productions Connect with Nancy: NancySheed.com

Feeling stressed, angry, frustrated, or anxious nearly every day doesn’t have to be the standard of living for most people. But that means practicing a self-care routine shouldn’t be viewed as a luxury, but rather a necessity for you to be at your best self.   Over 75% of healthcare visits in the U.S. are connected to stress  Maria Allen, LMT know this all too well. She struggled with a high stress acting career as well as a running injury that eventually led her to her first yoga class. Fast forward years later, and Maria is now a massage therapist and the founder of Real & Powerful, where she helps people live with more ease and joy through movement, calm, relaxation, and breathing techniques.  Key Highlights to Connecting Mind and Body:  Releasing your physical body can have a profound impact on your mind  Connection is powerful with breathing, meditation, and movement  Living in the present connects you to joy and inner peace  Following cues from the universe can lead to a Real & Powerful life  “As I practiced yoga and received massages, I discovered that making time for releasing built-up tightness in my physical body almost always caused a similar letting go of persistent, exhausting mental tension. ” - Maria Allen  Releasing pinned up tension within our body is not just a physical relief, but it’s also a mental relief, something much needed for those dealing with high levels of stress. Maria shares how she went from seeking physical relief to finding an inner peace, joy, and a level of self-awareness that she’s been able to share with others.  It’s important to remember that stress affects us in so many way and managing that stress takes on many forms between mind, body, and spirit. Maria’s been able to find more creative ways to help people connect with themselves and with nature. Her practices have allowed her to bring mental health awareness, visualization and meditation, breathing techniques into one existence. Follow her and discover more ways to a path of joyful living.   Connect with Maria Allen:  Website  Instagram  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

Getting your innovative ideas to market is tricky and overwhelming when you don’t have a solid strategy or connections with the right people. While more than 95% of product innovations likely fail, 92% of startups also fail. So how do you successfully get products to market?  Rache Brand is a woman of many hats, but more importantly, she is an innovative brand expert when it comes to commercializing big ideas and getting products to market. She is also a self-proclaimed ‘human collector’ and has honed in on the value of promoting a robust community.  Not only is Rache’s resume impressive from her vital role with Chobani seeing the company revenue grow from $23 million to $880 million in four years to running her own business as well as being the Innovation Lead as part of CT Next in Hartford, CT. Rache has also lived in several amazing places with unique experiences leading to her specialty in connecting with people and creating communities.   Key Highlights to Help You Rethink Getting Your Ideas to Market:  Building an ecosystem around innovation  Creating a robust community  Commercializing big ideas   Consulting to solve big problems for a path forward  “I really try hard not to just make assumptions or share my specific ideas, right out of the gate without knowing all the information, because the reality is, there are many ways to slice and dice the opportunity to get you where you want to go.” - Rache Brand  Rache also takes the high-level approach to seemingly complex problems. She takes several steps back to see the bigger community picture first. Once she knows what is being done well and the options available, then she determines the best path forward. Regardless of your product or service, thinking with an eye on innovation is a great way to implement as you grow your business.  Connect with Rache Brand:  Website  Instagram  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

As we are all completely reliant on computers and technology to operate and grow our business, tech guru Linda Kuppersmith is back for the fourth episode in the “All Things IT” series to discuss everything you need to know about purchasing computers for your business and personal needs. Linda is not only the President and Chief Technology Advisor of CMIT Solutions, but she is also on the HAYVN board of advisors.   Whether you are business owner or an employee, in this post-covid era, you are likely working remotely and have needed to set up your computers, online access points and all its related technology in a different fashion. Making these computer decisions can be overwhelming, confusing and tedious – and frustrating given supply chain challenges in our post covid world.   In 2021, roughly 340 million PCs and 277 million laptops were shipped around the world.  What you should know to be safe, be smart, and be productive when buying business computers:  Commit to invest in computer best for your business needs  Decide if a laptop is best for you versus a desktop computer  Go with a minimum of 8 gigabytes of memory  Consider a strategy for business tech upgrades and new computers  Linda takes the complication out of technology so you can have a clear understanding and vision of how all technologies work for you and against you.   3 Takeaway Tips from Linda  TIP #1 Buy directly from the manufacturer for the best quality  TIP #2 A business-class computer will last longer  TIP #3 Cloud programs push code through browsers back to your hard drive affecting processing and storage  “If you're spending six-plus hours a day on your computer, you're going to benefit by having a second monitor…” - Linda Kuppersmith  Deciding on the right computer to build your business on is not easy. With Linda breaking down these industry terms you are able to access where you are, what you have, and strategize when and how to upgrade the technology for your business.   Connect with Linda Kuppersmith:  Website  Linda’s Tech Tips  Email: Linda@CMITstamford.com   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

As of 2021, 94% of enterprises are using cloud services worldwide! According to Cloudsward, the cloud storage market is projected to increase to $832 billion by 2025. Clearly, cloud storage is a major concern for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals.  Linda Kuppersmith is joining host Nancy Sheed for a third “All Things IT” episode to discuss cloud storage and what you need to know to be better informed and prepared to take the next step today.   Over 92% of people are using cloud storage in some capacity  4 Things You Must Know About Cloud Storage:  Using cloud storage is like using someone else’s hard drive  Your data should be organized and categorized on the cloud  Certain clouds are better for certain data usage  When the best time is to bring an IT advisor on board   “The rule of thumb is, if it's free, it’s probably not going have too much security.” - Linda Kuppersmith  Linda is very thorough in explaining the nuances of cloud storage, and why it matters to your online security. Once you have a working knowledge of these technology options you can make better decisions in how you build out your business.   Knowing where to start and what to ask about will help you avoid unnecessary and painful expenses later down the road when you are ready to scale and take your business to the next level.  Connect with Linda Kuppersmith:  Website  Linda’s Tech Tips  Email: Linda@CMITstamford.com   Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com  

It’s been reported that over 85% of data breaches that happen are due to weak passwords. The usual signs of a weak password are using your pet’s name, recycling the same few passwords repeatedly, or using your date of birth and any family or friend names. Linda Kuppersmith is not only the President and Chief Technology Advisor of CMIT Solutions, but she is also on the HAYVN board of advisors. She’s joining us in the second part of this “All Things IT” series to address what best practices you should follow for more secure password management. Cybercriminals are making $4 trillion globally Key highlights: Password theft is a problem for everyone How a password vault works Why to use second factor authentication When to get IT support  “I'm looking to be able to save the world one password at a time.” Password Tips: Get your passwords into one place and categorize Select 4 random words connected with numbers and symbols in between. Change your passwords frequently Check out more Tech Tips here. Connect with IT expert Linda Kuppersmith: Website Email Connect with Nancy: NancySheed.com  

Technology is evolving faster and faster as more and more solutions and innovations come to the marketplace. Information security, compliance, automation, and integrations are just part of the problems and concerns facing small business owners and entrepreneurs. Knowing what to give your attention to, how to implement, and what to implement can feel overwhelming.  HAYVN Hubcast is bringing you a mini-series on “All Things IT: Keeping You Safe, Smart, and Productive.” In this first episode, Linda Kuppersmith, President and Chief Technology Advisor at CMIT Solutions, joins Nancy to discuss technology trends affecting you and your business.   Trends to Be Aware of:  Speed of technology innovation is like never before  Wi-Fi use at home is increasing and demands your attention  Artificial Intelligence is creating more tailored experiences  Virtual reality is more than gaming & movies, it’s interactive education  Linda’s Tech Tips:  TIP #1 Check your internet bill yearly and replace outdated Wi-Fi  TIP #2 Be strategic about wiring and setting home for technology  Check out more for Linda’s Tech Tips here.  Connect with IT expert Linda Kuppersmith:  Website  Email  Connect with Nancy:  NancySheed.com