Kelley Thornton is the Founder and CEO of Tiege Hanley, a high-quality, affordable, and simplified men’s skincare brand. Before Tiege, he was the Founder and CEO of Purchase Point, a team of in-store design strategists helping clients stay ahead of the competition by providing expert, whole-store merchandising strategy by brand and channel. Kelley has a BA in economics and is an entrepreneur that values creativity, hard work, honesty, people, and data.  In this episode… Skincare for men is one of the most challenging markets because society has made men feel it's taboo to have a skincare routine. So what can you learn from an expert thriving in this world?  Most men don't know much about skincare. With this realization, Kelley Thornton decided to create a product system and brand that makes skincare meaningful, accessible, affordable, and uncomplicated for regular guys. Today, he shares how his subscription-based company is flourishing in the e-commerce space. In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Kelley Thornton, Founder and CEO of Tiege Hanley, to discuss tried-and-true strategies to succeed in the men's skincare market. Kelley talks about Tiege’s skincare system for men, how to flourish with a subscription model and profit on Amazon, and advice for young entrepreneurs in the subscription model business.

Lauren Lee is the Senior eCommerce Business Development Manager of ClickBank, an e-commerce platform with a global affiliate marketplace that empowers entrepreneurs to build, market, and scale online. In this role, she utilizes her expertise in affiliate marketing. Before ClickBank, Lauren was the Director of Business Development at Brad's Deals, Senior Accessories Buyer at Groupon, and eCommerce Sales Manager at vfish Designs. In this episode… Are you struggling to grow your e-commerce brand? Affiliate marketing is a fruitful route to consider, but where do you start?  Promoting your product through affiliates — organizations or influencers with a great deal of traffic on their websites — can help you reach more people. The challenge lies with how brand owners connect with the right affiliate. Lauren Lee, an affiliate marketing expert, recommends joining an affiliate network or platform like ClickBank, ShareASale, and Commission Junction, to name a few. These platforms host the relationship between a seller and an affiliate to help brand owners make the right decision. Today, Lauren shares how they help clients get products in front of more people through affiliate marketing.  In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Lauren Lee, Senior eCommerce Business Development Manager of ClickBank, to discuss how e-commerce brands can thrive through affiliate marketing. Lauren explains the ins and outs of affiliate marketing, tips to build your affiliate program, common mistakes, and how expert partnerships can help you boost your affiliate program results.

Jaryd Krause, Founder and CEO of Buying Online Businesses, talks about the benefits of buying established businesses instead of starting from scratch. He shares insights on the leading marketplaces for online businesses, considerations for purchasing a content site, and the importance of investing in education before making a purchase. The podcast also highlights the significance of performing thorough due diligence and emphasizes the importance of seeking assistance when buying an online business.

Alan Silvestri is the Founder and CEO of Growth Gorilla, an agency that provides high-quality content promotion and distribution for B2B SaaS companies. Through quality link-building and content, Growth Gorilla helps companies grow their conversion rates. Before Growth Gorilla, Alan was the Founder and SEO Specialist of Black Swan Digital, which helped SaaS companies and profitable startups get more of their dream leads and customers from Google. In this episode… For SaaS companies, content marketing is fundamental for growth. But what can you do if your content is not bearing the desired results? Many SaaS companies have a marketing team responsible for creating exceptional content. This content grows the business to a certain point, but promoting it is what scales the business to greater heights. However, content promotion is challenging since many companies don't have the time, resources, or know-how. Alan Silvestri recommends using backlinks to promote content and increase conversion. Believing that excellent products need to be found, Alan shares how he helps SaaS companies get more backlinks in their content to increase traffic and sign-ups. In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Alan Silvestri, Founder and CEO of Growth Gorilla, to discuss promoting content through backlinks. Alan talks about Growth Gorilla and its services, what backlinks are and how to incorporate them into content, and the importance of promoting pages that have business potential.

Daniel James is the Founder and CEO of mint performance marketing, a full-service agency that helps disruptive DTC and e-commerce brands accelerate growth through performance marketing. In 2021, mint was acquired by Social Chain Agency, a social media and e-commerce group. He is also an Angel Investor for Good Sport, Obvi, CALIWATER Cactus Water, and Spudsy. Since 2004, Daniel has led digital marketing strategies at companies including MySpace, AOL, Adidas, and Disney. In this episode… Many brands fall victim to the perception of success from paid ads while housing a sub-par website or online ecosystem. There’s no silver bullet to success — so how can you scale? The best way to scale your brand using influencer marketing is in the execution. Daniel James understands the benefits and creative structure of influencers that create a drive for products — but the berry is only as good as the juice, and if your brand foundation has cracks, you can never expect to grow. By using the content community, you can increase awareness, expand connection opportunities, and add value to your brand.  In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Daniel James, Founder and CEO of mint performance marketing, to discuss elevating your brand and retaining customers through influencer marketing. Daniel talks about building strong foundations, content creators for brand campaigns, and why you should be evolving with the marketplace. Stay tuned! 

Devin Johnson is an experienced executive. He is the CEO of BRANDefenders, a digital marketing company that offers numerous branding services. Devin is no stranger to creating brands and helping them grow. He was the Founder and CEO of ReelWorld Gear, Owner of Proform Landscapes, Co-founder and CEO of MyOilMarketing, and a Founding Team Member for ClearCenter, Clear Companies, and DirectPointe. Richart Ruddie is a Strategic Advisor at BRANDefenders. He owns multiple online marketing, SEO, and reputation management businesses including Alpha Paw, Class Updates, and The Reputation Management Company (RMC). Richart has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and more.  Chris Wozniak is a Business Advisor with Quiet Light and the Founder of The George Ryan Group, LLC. He began his career as the Founder, Business Broker, and Mergers and Acquisitions Intermediary of Lesdon & Associates Business Brokers LLC. Through his work representing hundreds of sellers and being a member of the International Business Brokers Association, Chris has earned accreditations of Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary and Certified Business Intermediary. He also earned the Board Certified Broker designation as a member of the Texas Associations of Business Brokers, the Broker Dealer license issued by the Texas State Securities Board, and the Real Estate Broker license issued by the Texas Real Estate Commission. In this episode… Brand attributes characterize your organization in someone’s mind — they constitute your brand’s personality. But what happens when these attributes are compromised? What can you do to add value to your brand when negative messaging hits your consumers?  Creating holistic end-to-end solutions for your brand’s marketing department is what Devin Johnson and Richart Ruddie assemble. Your brand and reputation go hand in hand, so highlighting the value of your products can help reduce the noise or stickiness unwanted content brings. By repairing your brand’s reputation, you can achieve your desired growth. But when it comes time to exit and step away from what you’ve grown, Devin and Richart know just how much of an impact honesty makes. Are you ready for an extraordinary exit? In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley and Chris Wozniak sit down with Devin Johnson and Richart Ruddie from BRANDefenders to talk about curating confidence in a buyer during an exit. Devin and Richart explain generating energy within your brand, the results from holistic conversations, and why brand awareness is crucial. Stay tuned!

Mike Nunez began his career as an Internet Marketing Manager for Tempus Resorts International and Last Minute Travel. Along with his brother, Mike was the Co-founder of Affiliate Manager and The Performance Company, an internet marketing agency, before founding Tilde Enterprises. He has acquired multiple e-commerce businesses, several of which he purchased from Quiet Light.   In this episode… When you want to purchase a company, what should you look for? Mike Nunez has a specific strategy: trust. What does trust look like in business terms?  Mike is intentional about his strategic acquisitions, values what he builds, and develops relationships. Trust is a highway to more than one thing, but Mike has learned that the highest level of trust is impeccable books. His experience has taught him a few things, especially when it comes to managing books: have clean books and never intermingle funds between businesses. Are you ready to upcycle your business? In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley and Chuck Mullins sit down with Mike Nunez, serial entrepreneur, to discuss the strategy of acquiring 10 companies. Mike talks about authentic work habits, positioning yourself to find value, and upcycling to encompass growth. Stay tuned! 

Deanna Berardi is the Head of Partnerships at Quiet Light. In this role, she helps develop relationships with buyers, sellers, and partners to ensure the best experience for clients. She is also the Manager of Customer Success at Intuit. Deanna has over 20 years of experience in strategic business development and was the Marketing Manager for Smart Wires Inc. and the Marketing Program Manager for Ernst & Young LLP. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a bachelor’s in business administration and marketing. In this episode… How much of an impact do clean books and due diligence make when it comes to exiting your business? For one company, model books and valuation meant securing the deal they wanted.  Achieving the exit you desire doesn’t just happen by luck — you have to put in the work. One step to gaining the biggest return on your brand is to use educational material that will enlighten you and your buyers. On the aggregator side, having a strong presentation at the beginning of the process can carry your deal to the end.  In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley and Deanna Berardi, Head of Partnerships at Quiet Light, talk about a serendipitous turn of events that generated an 8-figure exit. Deanna talks about the valuation process, documentation and transferability, and education for exit empowerment. Stay tuned!

Matthew Holman is the Head of Growth and Co-founder of QPilot, which offers merchants a way to manage subscriptions and deliver the best products to consumers. He is an expert in the subscription space and the Founder of “Subscription Prescription,” a newsletter full of insights to help subscriptions thrive. Matthew is the Operations Co-chair of SUBTA (Subscription Trade Association) and a community advisory board member at RiseKit.  In this episode… How can you deliver an automated consumer experience? For subscription brands to be successful, they need to look beyond simply acquiring as many new clients as possible. What should you look for? For Matthew Holman, acquiring new clients is about examining the lifetime value and understanding the outcome your clients desire. It’s not just enough to have loyal consumers — you want them to experience new products, upsells, and offerings. This not only maintains their loyalty but generates more revenue for your brand. Creating a subscription is a journey, and Matthew says the more you engage clients and become part of their journey, the more you can sell.  In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Matthew Holman, Head of Growth and Co-founder of QPilot, to talk about how to build a larger customer lifetime value. Matthew explains subscription logistics, communication for retention, and understanding your consumer for the long run. Stay tuned! 

Sean De Clercq is the CEO of Kickfurther, a successful crowdfunding platform. Throughout his entrepreneurial career, Sean’s driving goal has been to create a solution to one of the most difficult problems that businesses face: funding the production of their inventory. Fittingly, Sean created Kickfurther to fund inventory for direct-to-consumer and major store brands such as Target, Amazon, Aldi, and more. In addition to running Kickfurther, Sean also works as an Entrepreneur Mentor at Rutgers Business School. In this episode… As a product business in today’s market, where can you access funding for new inventory to fulfill purchase orders and invoices? If you’re unable to secure funding through traditional sources, how can you build your brand? Sean De Clercq and his team at Kickfurther created a cash-flow-friendly solution for product entrepreneurs. With inflation creating a ruckus in the marketplace, it can be daunting for entrepreneurs to acquire loans. Sean helps people turn their cash into physical goods, which are then placed on consignment with growing product businesses. If you’re a brand owner and need inventory without taking on debt, this episode is for you.  In this episode of the Quiet Light Podcast, Joe Valley sits down with Sean De Clercq, CEO and Co-founder of Kickfurther, to talk about growing a company by 80% in 2022 through consignment funding. Sean discusses funding and connecting businesses, the ins and outs of co-op financing, and future goals for Kickfurther. Stay tuned!