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Nick Leighton is an agency owner, founder, and serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience working across the globe in North America, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. He owns and operates a coaching and peer advisory board agency, an international marketing agency, and a project management company.  Nick is the Author of the book, Exactly Where You Want To Be: A Business Owner's Guide To Passion, Profit and Happiness. He also does professional speaking and executive coaching for business owners and facilitates various peer advisory boards. Fun fact: Nick met his wife at an event at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Nick Leighton, the Owner and CEO of The Alternative Board, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he talks about running an agency and coaching fellow agency owners to build more profitable businesses. Nick also shares an experience getting hijacked in Pakistan, talks about champagne moments, and explains how humanitarian activities have impacted his agency. Stay tuned.

Kent Gregoire is the Founder and CEO of Symphony Advantage. He is a serial entrepreneur who launched his first manufacturing company at the age of 14. Since then, he has founded and led more than a dozen organizations throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Kent has also provided advisory training and coaching services to executive-level management under the Symphony Advantage Brand. He is an angel investor in purpose-driven companies as well as a sought-after speaker in the US and beyond.  Part of what makes Kent unique is his 'why,’ which is a focus and passion for the widespread adoption of conscious capitalism. He is one of the first certified Conscious Capitalism Consultants in the world. Fun fact: Kent is a part-time farmer in Vermont and a van life enthusiast. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Kent Gregoire, the Founder and CEO of Symphony Advantage, about conscious capitalism and building a conscious business. Kent talks about managing a company from the bottom up, the lessons he learned as a serial entrepreneur, and the current movement towards conscious capitalism. Stay tuned.

Paul Bellows is the Founder and President of Yellow Pencil, a Canadian digital agency focused on the public sector and digital service transformation. He is a 25 year veteran of digital service industries and currently provides consulting and advisory services to leaders at different levels of government in Canada and in the US. Paul is also the host of The 311 Podcast where he features innovators in the digital space as well as in government.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Paul Bellows, the Founder and President of Yellow Pencil, about his work in helping governments digitize their services. Paul explains how he started his agency in the 90s, how losing a key client affected his business, and his process for helping clients adopt new technology.

Eden Gillott, aka the Dumpster Fire Fixer, is a crisis communications expert and the President of Gillott Communications. She has more than a decade of expertise in crisis and reputation management. She resolves issues both inside and outside the media’s glare — from celebrity scandals and corporate fraud to criminal and civil litigation. Educated at Harvard, NYU, Sejong University, and other institutions, she’s worked in Manhattan, Seoul, and Los Angeles. Eden is a Forbes contributor and has appeared in many publications including The New York Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Associated Press, among others. She is Co-author of three best-selling books: A Business Owner’s Guide to Crisis PR, A Lawyer’s Guide to Crisis PR (Second Edition), and A Board Member’s Guide to Crisis PR. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Eden Gillott, a crisis management expert, about how she helps celebrities and business owners handle scandals and crises. Eden also explains how she picks reporters to work with, shares her strategies for handling information already known by the public, and explains how to prevent future crises. Stay tuned.

Steve Parks is the CEO of Convivio where he helps agency leaders to work on their business as confidently as they work in it through writing, speaking, and training. He has experience leading creative and digital agencies for 16 years. Steve is also an Editor at Agency Radar, a briefing service for agency leaders that helps them think and plan more strategically. Steve was a Journalist for the BBC in London for 10 years. He has been named one of the most inspiring agency leaders in the UK by a Bench Press survey of over 2,000 of his peers. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Steve Parks, the CEO of Convivio, to talk about radical transparency and helping business owners build better agencies. Steve also talks about changing careers from journalist to agency owner, doing sales for big projects, and how he prepared his agency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Stay tuned.

Nancy Lyons is the President and CEO of Clockwork, an interactive design and technology consultancy. She is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and passionate advocate for LGBTQ families. She is the author of Work Like a Boss: A Kick-in-the-Pants Guide to Finding (and Using) Your Power at Work, and lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and son.  In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Nancy Lyons, the President and CEO of Clockwork, about how she has been building her company during challenging times. Nancy explains how the death of George Floyd impacted business in Minneapolis and in her company, explains how she evaluates clients to work with, and talks about her book. Stay tuned.

Paul Farrell is a longtime entrepreneur, founder, mentor, angel investor, and executive. Most recently, he was the Founder and CEO of Nehemiah Security, which he sold in September 2020. Paul has shepherded a startup from product launch to over a million in annual recurring revenue in less than two years, led a corporate acquisition that yielded a sale five years later at 10X the purchase price, and participated in the explosive growth of a global leader in business communications that yielded an 11X return on investment in just over a year.  After successfully selling Nehemiah Security to ThreatConnect, Paul is now leading Pater Holdings. His goal is to invest in companies and help them flourish. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran is joined by Paul Farrell, an entrepreneur and angel investor, to discuss what Paul learned from scaling and selling software firms. They also talk about hiring strategies, preparing for a successful sale, and the dot-com burst of 2003. Stay tuned.

Frank Cowell is a speaker, best-selling author, and the CEO of Digitopia, a revenue operations firm based in the San Diego, California area. With 20 years of digital marketing experience, Frank works regularly with CEOs, Chief Marketing Officers, and Vice Presidents of Sales and Marketing who are looking to create amazing brand experiences while accelerating growth. Frank is also the Host of The Digital Utopia Podcast and Author of Building Your Digital Utopia, which details a concept he pioneered to help brands create digital experiences that systematically accelerate growth. Prior to founding his first agency, he worked in sales and marketing with Tandy, AT&T, and other technology companies. He is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and regularly volunteers his talents to the San Diego AMA, while mentoring young people in the areas of strategy, sales, and marketing. Frank Cowell, the CEO of Digitopia, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where he explains how he pivoted his agency from a project-based business model to a recurring services model. Frank also talks about the mistakes he made during that transition, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned. He also shares his tips for maintaining a low client churn rate. Stay tuned.

Wendy Lieber is the Co-founder of ContentBacon, an inbound marketing company that helps build brands that people know, like, trust, and buy from. She has a passion for helping customers figure out and communicate their “why” that resonates with target audiences. Wendy also talks to entrepreneurial communities frequently about the power of storytelling. She is a Board Member of the Entrepreneurs'​ Organization (EO) and previously served as President of Athena Marketing. She holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a BA in Marketing from Florida State University - College of Business. In this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, John Corcoran interviews Wendy Lieber, the Co-founder of ContentBacon, about shifting a business’ operations from a boutique agency model to a subscription model. Wendy talks about building her inbound marketing company, the challenges she often faces with changing technology, and the strategies she uses to find and retain good employees. Stay tuned.

Brent Beshore is the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, a firm that invests with no intention of selling in family-held companies. With a current capital base in excess of $300 million, the firm's current portfolio includes companies in aerospace, niche construction, manufacturing and distribution, consumer products, recruitment, and niche professional services. Brent is also the author of The Messy Marketplace: Selling Your Business in a World of Imperfect Buyers. He lives in Columbia, Missouri with his wife and three daughters.  Brent Beshore, the Founder and CEO of Permanent Equity, is John Corcoran's guest in this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast where they talk about investing in small family-owned businesses. Brent explains what he looks for when investing in such companies, his strategies for overcoming post-acquisition challenges, and how his company's three-decade lock period works. Stay tuned.