Smart Business Revolution | Turn Relationships into Revenues | Networking | More Clients | Relationship Advice

Melanie Booher is an author, publisher, and the President of Influence Network Media (INM), a hybrid book publisher. INM provides publishing and promotional coaching and services to authors and influencers. Melanie is a certified culture coach and a people connector. She is also the author of several books including Conscious Culture and Powerhouse. She lives outside of Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, three children, and a dog.  Melanie Booher, the President of Influence Network Media, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to talk about leveraging books to network and build authentic relationships. They also discuss the challenges Melanie faced writing her books, her book marketing strategies, and how she helps businesses improve their company culture.

Cameron Herold is a business coach and keynote speaker best known for his work as the business growth guru and Founder of the COO Alliance. He has over 20 years of experience as a COO for several companies including 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, which he took from $2 million to over $100 million in revenue in just six years. Cameron is the author of six books including Double Double, Meetings Suck, and his latest, The Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO.  He also hosts the Second-in-Command Podcast. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Cameron Herold, a business coach and the Founder of the COO Alliance, about best practices for hiring and integrating the second in command. They also discuss tips for nurturing a great CEO-COO relationship, when to hire and let go of a temporary COO, and Cameron's influential books.

Simon Chappuzeau is the Founder and CEO of StoryLux, a company that implements LinkedIn marketing strategies primarily for business coaches and smaller companies. He is also the host of the How I Went Viral podcast where he breaks down viral posts on LinkedIn. Simon has been a member of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) for 10 years.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Simon Chappuzeau, the Founder and CEO of  StoryLux, about tips and strategies for optimizing a LinkedIn post. They also discuss the lessons Simon learned from working in the corporate events industry, his experience studying script development at UCLA, and how he helps clients create better LinkedIn content.

Stephen Shortt is the Managing Director of ETC Consult, a leading provider of scientifically-validated career guidance, psychometric assessments, psychometric selection, and training services to the Irish market. He is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and facilitator. He is also the CEO of Career Fit and Successful Succession, developed to help the next generation of leaders run family businesses. As a succession planning consultant, Stephen works with family business owners and empowers them through training and education to achieve a better future both professionally and personally. He has a new podcast called the Killer Family Business Podcast, where he interviews family business owners. Previously, Stephen was the President of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, Ireland Chapter and the Global Chair of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, which supports young, emerging entrepreneurs in over 50 countries around the world. Stephen Shortt, a succession planning consultant and the Managing Director of ETC Consult, joins John Corcoran in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast to talk about tips and strategies for running a successful family business. They discuss the importance of succession planning, how to get kids involved in a family business, and the resources that help Stephen manage his businesses.

John Cronin and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that created John's Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. The co-founders bootstrapped their startup into a multimillion-dollar business and became the world's largest sock store — and an international sensation.  John and Mark received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, and they have spoken before Congress, the UN, and appeared in various media outlets. John has Down Syndrome, and his mission is to show what people with differing abilities can do. John's Crazy Socks employs people with differing abilities and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charity partners including the Special Olympics.  John and Mark X. Cronin, the Founders of John's Crazy Socks, are John Corcoran's guests in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast. They talk about their journey of building a social enterprise, their hiring process, and how infusing a personal touch has impacted their business.

Craig Swanson is a longtime entrepreneur, Consultant at Emerald, and Partner at KaisaFit, an online fitness platform. He is the Chair of the Seattle EO Accelerator program and EO Seattle and loves helping creators, educators, and entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses around their dreams. Craig is a former Partner at The Wedding School, an online education program for wedding photographers. He was the Founder of CreativeTechs (previously known as Swanson Tech Support), which was a leading IT support firm for Seattle area creative teams. He also co-founded CreativeLive, one of the earliest live-streaming educational platforms, with Chase Jarvis in 2008 before exiting in 2015. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Craig Swanson, a longtime entrepreneur and a Partner at KaisaFit, about his entrepreneurial journey from childhood to building an IT support company. They also discuss the challenges Craig faced scaling his businesses, how he sold his IT company to past employees, and his thoughts on running a business during a pandemic. 

Darren Guccione is the Co-founder and CEO of Keeper Security Inc., a password management application that works with various companies including AT&T and HTC. It protects more than 10 million consumers and over 3,000 organizations worldwide. Darren is a cybersecurity expert and entrepreneur who has been quoted in media outlets including CBS Evening News, Fox & Friends, USA Today, ABC, and Mashable. He has also been named to the “Chicago Top Tech 50” by Crain's Chicago Business. Before taking the entrepreneurial route, Darren was an aspiring rock star musician. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Darren Guccione, the Co-founder and CEO of Keeper Security Inc., about his journey from being a rockstar musician to entrepreneur. They also discuss the effects of the pandemic on cybersecurity, tips for promoting data breaches, and how to be a great leader.

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.

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.

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.