

Smart Business Revolution | Turn Relationships into Revenues | Networking | More Clients | Relationship Advice
John Corcoran
"Top 100 Small Business Podcasts 2014" -- Small Biz Trends. Former Clinton White House Writer John Corcoran shows you how to build relationships intelligently to get more clients, grow your income and advance your career. Discover how you can use win-win networking and intentional relationship-building with Influencers and VIPs, even if you "hate networking" or feel like you have "nothing to offer" people who are successful. Interviews with today's top entrepreneurs and authors such as Dan Pink, Michael Port, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marie Forleo and Guy Kawasaki, who reveal how they use relationships to grow their businesses and their incomes. Find out more at SmartBusinessRevolution.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 17, 2023 • 37min
Jessica Fialkovich | Starting a High-End Wine Business From Scratch and How To Buy and Sell Businesses — Even in a Down Economy
Jessica Fialkovich is the Founder of Exit Factor, a firm that teaches entrepreneurs how to build and sell their small and mid-size businesses through online programs and one-to-one consulting services. She is also an author, a certified speaker, and a small business advocate. Jessica is the Co-owner of Transworld Business Advisors which focuses on business brokerage, franchise consulting, and franchise development. An entrepreneur at heart, she is a four-time Inc. 5000 honoree and award-winning entrepreneur recognized by Inc. Magazine, The Financial Times, Denver Business Journal, and ColoradoBiz Magazine. Jessica is also a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), the co-host of The Deal Board Podcast, and the co-author of Getting the Most for Selling Your Business: How to Get Top Dollar for the Company You've Nurtured for Years. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jessica Fialkovich, the Founder of Exit Factor, about preparing a business for sale. They also talk about Jessica's experience building a high-end wine business, her tips for developing a successful business brokerage firm, and how she helps other entrepreneurs sell and exit their businesses.

Feb 13, 2023 • 51min
Charles Bender | From a Poor Boy Shining Shoes To Matchmaking and Ending Generational Poverty - Part 2
Charles (Chuck) Bender is the Chief Executive Officer of Attentus Technologies, a leading managed IT services firm serving the Pacific Northwest. He is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the managed services and internet industries. Chuck is also the President of Skynet Broadband, a company that provides high-speed data, digital phone, and IT services to the Puget Sound region. He has been a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for 22 years and serves as Regional Chair of EO's West Region. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran continues his interview with Chuck Bender, the CEO of Attentus Technologies, about entrepreneurship and building an internet business. They also discuss how to end generational poverty, the benefits of building recurring revenue, and Chuck’s tips for teaching kids to be responsible adults.

Feb 10, 2023 • 36min
Charles Bender | EO Seattle | From a Poor Boy Shining Shoes To Matchmaking and Ending Generational Poverty - Part 1
Charles (Chuck) Bender is the Chief Executive Officer of Attentus Technologies, a leading managed IT services firm serving the Pacific Northwest. He is an experienced executive with a demonstrated history of working in the managed services and internet industries. Chuck is also the President of Skynet Broadband, a company that provides high-speed data, digital phone, and IT services to the Puget Sound region. He has been a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for 22 years and serves as Regional Chair of EO's West Region. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Chuck Bender, the CEO of Attentus Technologies, to talk about Chuck’s entrepreneurial background and serving leaders through the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). They also talk about the challenges Chuck faced growing up, the business lessons he learned from the Navy, and his experience working in the financial services sector.

Feb 6, 2023 • 42min
Todd Taskey | Wealth Management, Selling a Business to Goldman Sachs, and Helping CEOs and Entrepreneurs Buy and Sell Businesses
Todd Taskey has been an entrepreneur, business owner, investment banker, and business finance advisor for over 20 years. He is currently the M&A Advisor at Potomac Business Capital, where he helps CEOs and entrepreneurs maximize their company’s value and develop a successful exit strategy. His specialties include M&A, strategic acquisition, divestitures, and more. In addition to his role at Potomac Business Capital, Todd is an angel investor at multiple companies including Zoomph, StreetShares, and LiveSafe. He is also the host of the Second Bite podcast, where he talks with top CEOs and entrepreneurs about creating valuable companies through creative transactions. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Todd Taskey, M&A Advisor at Potomac Business Capital, to share valuable insights for entrepreneurs and business owners interested in buying or selling a business. Todd discusses how his background as a financial advisor influenced his perspective as an M&A advisor, the complex (but rewarding) process of helping businesses sell their assets, and the people that inspired him along the way.

Feb 3, 2023 • 29min
Craig Fuller | Freight Trucking, Fundraising Strategies, and Transitioning To Virtual Events
Craig Fuller is the Founder and CEO of FreightWaves, a leading provider of global supply chain market intelligence news. The company provides supply chain organizations with fundamental data and context that help benchmark, analyze, monitor, and forecast activity, pricing, and risks in the global freight market. Prior to FreightWaves, Craig was the Founder of TransCard, a major provider of fleet fuel and debit cards. He is also a pilot, the CEO Flying Magazine, and was named CEO of the Year in 2013 by Finance Monthly Magazine. Craig Fuller, the Founder and CEO of FreightWaves, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to share his experience working in the freight trucking business. Craig also discusses the experience of getting fired by his father, the fundraising lessons he has learned over the years, his passion for flying, and how the pandemic impacted his business.

Jan 30, 2023 • 10min
Dr. Jeremy Weisz | Rise25 Acquisition Plans for the New Year
Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the Co-founder of Rise25, a company that helps B2B business owners connect with their ideal prospects, referral partners, and strategic partners through a done-for-you podcast service. Dr. Weisz has been involved in podcasting for over 11 years and was a senior producer for one of the early business podcasts; he assisted in putting all of their systems in place and helped them add volume, feature, and edify various business leaders. Dr. Weisz has also been running his own podcast, Inspired Insider, since 2011. He has featured top entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of companies such as P90X, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, the Orlando Magic, and many more through video interviews. He also founded a nutritional supplement business and continues to run his own chiropractic and massage facility, Chiropractical Solutions & Massage. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran sits down with Dr. Jeremy Weisz, his Co-founder at Rise25, to share their goals for the year 2023. They talk about their acquisition plans, company values, and criteria for investing in companies.

Jan 27, 2023 • 26min
Bobbie Bailey | Brand Storytelling and Servant Leadership Styles
Bobbie Bailey is the Owner and CEO of M Agency, a full-service creative marketing agency based out of the Pacific Northwest. The agency helps impactful brands with meaningful marketing through brand identity and advertising design, specializing in interactive, digital, and print media. They work with a wide variety of companies from dental offices to airlines, helping them become staples in their space. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Bobbie Bailey, the Owner and CEO of M Agency, about how she transitioned from the tech industry to build a marketing agency. They also discuss servant leadership styles, the process of creating a brand story, and the evolution of digital media.

Jan 23, 2023 • 26min
Jeanna Barrett | Inbound Marketing Best Practices and Tips for Building a Company in a New Country
Jeanna Barrett is the Founder and Chief Remote Officer of First Page Strategy, an award-winning remote growth marketing agency. She has 18 years of inbound marketing experience at venture-backed startups, digital agencies, and Fortune 500 companies, with a focus on small businesses and technology. Jeanna has been named among the 'Top 40 Under 40' of brand marketers and 'Best in the West' for financial technology marketing. In 2016, she left the US to lay roots and build her business in Belize, Latin America, growing her business remotely for five years before moving to Roatan, Honduras in 2021. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Jeanna Barrett, the Founder and Chief Remote Officer of First Page Strategy, about best practices for inbound marketing and building a company in a new country. Jeanna also shares tips for maintaining work-life harmony, building a remote team, and nourishing company culture.

Jan 20, 2023 • 39min
Mike Evans | Shifts in Consumer Behavior and Strategies To Mitigate Competition
Mike Evans founded GrubHub in his spare bedroom and grew it into a multibillion-dollar online food delivery business. He led the company through five financing rounds, a couple of acquisitions, a merger, and ultimately, an IPO. Mike exited GrubHub after its IPO and founded Fixer, a Chicago-based on-demand handyman service. He is also the author of Hangry: A Startup Journey. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, co-hosts John Corcoran and Roger Hurni interview Mike Evans, the Founder of Fixer and GrubHub, about how he started his companies. They also discuss shifts in consumer behavior, how to manage a company's changing culture, and tips for handling competition.

Jan 16, 2023 • 43min
Matt Sunshine | Sales Performance Strategies and Tips for Improving Employee Engagement
Matt Sunshine is the CEO and Managing Partner at The Center for Sales Strategy, a sales performance consulting company that helps sales organizations attract, retain, and develop the highest performing salespeople. His areas of expertise include growing sales organizations, finding and developing sales superstars, sales processes, lead generation, inbound marketing, and digital marketing. Matt developed and launched LeadG2, an inbound marketing company that helps businesses establish thought leadership and lower lead costs. He also oversaw the launch of Up Your Culture, the third division in the CSS family, which partners with businesses to improve company culture and employee engagement. He is the author of Getting Prospects To Raise Their Hands and was listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the “20 Speakers You Shouldn't Miss The Opportunity To See.” In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Matt Sunshine, the CEO and Managing Partner at The Center for Sales Strategy, about tips for driving high sales performance. Matt also discusses strategies for maintaining long-term clients, improving employee engagement, and how he became the owner of The Center for Sales Strategy.