Grow A Small Business Podcast

In this episode, I interview Stevie Dawn Carter, the CEO and Founder of Stevie Dawn Inspires, LLC based in Mansfield, USA. Stevie Dawn Inspires is a platform dedicated to helping people be productive at work and happy at home. They provide corporate training sessions and leadership development for individuals who want to be productive and impactful. Stevie Dawn is a four-time business owner who has created a multi-million dollar success in business, fine art, dance, and now speaking/coaching. She started her first business as early as 17. She owned and operated her first dance studio in Australia. She has lived her life doing what she loves and at the same time helping people to have an impact in the world. According to Stevie, the hardest thing in growing a small business is keeping it afloat despite the challenges. She says, "Growing a small business is not always going to be easy. There's going to be a lot of hardship. And it's about not giving up and just keep swimming until you get there." This Cast Covers: Helping people find, reignite, and chase their joy both at work and at home. Ability to energize others to unleash their unstoppable success. A professional speaker and coach, talking about leadership, emotional intelligence, and unstoppable success. Working with small business owners to increase their impact and for greater purposes. Coaching small business owners to be more effective, more organized, more profitable, and more impactful. Speaks, motivates, and inspires others from experiences highlighting learned failures throughout the journey. The importance of setting expectations to grow the culture a small business owner has started. Specializing in leadership and management training for organizations and individuals. Has created a multi-million dollar success in business, fine art, dance, and now speaking/coaching. Helping people be productive and impactful through corporate training sessions, leadership development, and high-energy that inspires. Additional Resources: Stevie Dawn Inspires Traction By Gino Wickman Get A Grip By Gino Wickman ………………………………………… Quotes: "Communication is the key to all relationships." —Stevie Dawn Carter "For me, success always comes with a feeling of peace." —Stevie Dawn Carter "If I get better, everybody gets better and everything gets better." —Stevie Dawn Carter "Don't quit, just keep going." —Stevie Dawn Carter "If you want to grow the culture you have started then, have clear expectations." —Stevie Dawn Carter ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview David Fradin, the President of Spice Catalyst based in Silicon Valley, USA, a worldwide product success management and product success marketing training, consulting, and assessment organization. They offer training to product managers and product marketing managers who are under huge companies to help them accelerate revenue and innovation. In 2012, Spice Catalyst was born and David as a former mentor and professor was teaching courses that cover understanding what customers do, personas, innovation, value proposition, markets, and product strategy plans. Within the next two years since 2012, he saw growth of about $5 million and now constantly growing about 100% each year with current FTEs of 6. David says that in order to promote products and accelerate market impact, business owners along with the managers should always consider what is good for their customers and engage in continual fast-paced cycles of learning and innovation that accelerate revenue and keep ahead of the market. This Cast Covers: Teaching the principles of product management and product marketing to companies around the world. Has trained thousands of managers by infusing his workshops with insights and experiences gained as a product leader at certain companies. Offering product management and marketing training as well as assessments. Revenue is obtained primarily through project-based work. Formerly a professor teaching courses that cover understanding what customers do, personas, innovation, value proposition, markets, analysis, and product strategy plans. The importance of delegation for the continuous progress of the business. Accelerating market impact through product-market strategy plans. Engaging in continual fast-paced cycles of learning and innovation that accelerate revenue and keep ahead of the market. Growing the consulting company from hundreds of dollars to about $5 million within the next two years since it has started. The importance of team building and teamwork in an organization and how it accelerates revenue and innovation. Additional Resources: Spice Catalyst Building Insanely Great Products By David Fradin Crossing the Chasm By Geoffrey A. Moore The Leadership Engine By Noel M. Tichy ………………………………………… Quotes: "Make sure the company's values and your values are matched." —David Fradin "If you make a mistake, that's okay because most of us learn better from our mistakes than from doing things successfully." —David Fradin "It's important to make sure that the team has teamwork and that they have the backs of the other members." —David Fradin "Team-building exercises are very important so everyone knows what they need." —David Fradin "Focus on the customer, not on all the other organizational things." —David Fradin ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Corina Ludwig, President at FunctionFox Systems, Inc. based in Victoria, Canada. They offer online timesheets and project management for creative professionals to help them track time and projects and improve workflow. Corina is responsible for overseeing the FunctionFox engine, as she manages daily operations; vision and planning, advertising, and marketing. FunctionFox started in 2000 when the agency was looking for a better way to track time and projects. At that time, Corina was working at an advertising design creative studio. While developing a timesheet and project management software for themselves, they then branched it out to other creative companies. That's when they started selling and growing. Now the leading choice of creative professionals with thousands of subscribers and a total of 20 team members for over 20 years. Corina has emphasized the importance of working with great, smart people. She believes in placing value on the team, and in turn, the team takes good care of their clients. This Cast Covers: Offering online timesheets and project management for creative professionals. Helping creative companies move faster and worry less by accurately and easily tracking time and projects. Has been doing it for over 20 years and about 70% of the user base is creatives. A monthly subscription software service that helps companies track their projects, clients, and personnel so they can work with them accordingly. Referrals as the main source of new clients and the biggest drivers of the company. The importance of hiring good people and mentors and firing people when they don't work out. Managing daily operations; vision and planning, advertising and marketing. Started working with people from the parent agency, which now has a total of 20 team members and has thousands of users around the world. Keeping the product very relevant to core customers and audience by having features that are customer-driven. A customer-driven company makes sure that people are getting everything that they need. Additional Resources: FunctionFox Good To Great By Jim Collins Never Split the Difference By Chris Voss The Metronome Effect By Shannon Byrne Susko Mastering the Rockefeller Habits By Verne Harnish ………………………………………… Quotes: "There are little wins along the way and you really have to celebrate all those little wins." —Corina Ludwig "If you have a great product and great people that can tell your story, you'll do wonders." —Corina Ludwig "Surround yourself with good people. Good team and good mentors." —Corina Ludwig "Believe in yourself when no one else is." —Corina Ludwig "Focus on what you're doing. Not what everyone else is doing." —Corina Ludwig ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Michelle Prince, a best-selling author, motivational speaker, CEO, and Founder of Performance Publishing Group, a "partner" publishing company of Michelle Prince, helping leaders impact the world, using the strengths and talents already within them to create an extraordinary life and exponentially grow their business. Driven by her passion, Michelle started a business in 2009 that helps people communicate their stories through publishing and speaking. She also owned a publishing company, running the two businesses together to provide top-quality, comprehensive book publishing services for soon-to-be authors. Michelle helped thousands of professionals around the world become published authors through her consulting, courses, seminars, and done-for-you publishing services. Michelle says the hardest thing in growing a small business is evaluating what's working and what's not working and letting go of something that you've put a lot of effort in. However, she also stated that issues are always part of business and what's important is how you deal with them. This Cast Covers: Helping people communicate their stories through publishing and speaking. Helping leaders impact the world, using the strengths and talents already within them to create an extraordinary life and exponentially grow their business. How passion helps people find their purpose in life and make it astonishing. A best-selling author and sought-after motivational speaker who is passionate about helping people find their purpose, follow their passion & share their stories so they can make a difference in this world. Learning to let others who are professionals have control of creating systems for business growth. Started things based on passion and grew the business by doing less and having balance. The importance of setting boundaries in achieving work-life balance. How publishing a book serves as a great marketing tool to showcase products and services. Emphasizing the advantages of creating and publishing a book and how it increases credibility. The importance for business owners to learn to treat people the way they wanted to be treated and put value to help them grow. Additional Resources: Michelle Prince Performance Publishing Group The E Myth By Michael Gerber Busy Being Busy By Michelle Prince ………………………………………… Quotes: "Just because it works for someone else, does not mean it's the best thing for you and for your business." —Michelle Prince "It's nice to see people grow and have confidence in what they're doing." —Michelle Prince "You have to put value and you have to make other people invest in themselves in order to grow." —Michelle Prince "Identify your golden hours, figure it out and protect those hours." —Michelle Prince "Setting boundaries is the key in handling balance." —Michelle Prince ……………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Salome Fourie, the Founder of The Fourie Agency, a business management agency based in Kansas, USA. The Fourie Agency helps six-figure business owners scale their systems business through systems and team management. Salome is a certified online business manager and passionate about learning something from her clients. The agency was founded in January 2021. Due to drastic changes brought by COVID, Salome's corporate job was affected. She decided to get a certification so she can still utilize her skill in marketing and help more clients in a more holistic way. In less than a year, she found an incredible growth of 500%. She is now working all over the world with different clients and different industries. Salome recommended that to build a sustainable culture to help with growth, there must always be open communication between the people involved. She said, "If you want people to stay long term with you, make it fun for them to want to work with you. Appreciate the things that they do well, and recognize that verbally." This Cast Covers: Working with different clients from different industries, small to medium businesses who need somebody to truly come alongside them and help them manage their business. Helping clients with launches, systems, and projects for their business. Helping six-figure business owners, who lack time and get frustrated by their systems and team management. Not only increase their productivity but to increase their profitability and their scalability for their business. A certified online business manager, one of the most organized and hardest working people. Found certification and utilized her skills in marketing to help more clients in a more holistic way than she was working in an office. Launched the agency on her own and later on, her husband became her business partner handling a lot of IT-related things. Got an incredible growth of 500% for just almost a year since starting the business management agency. The importance of seeking help from somebody who knows better about something that you find so difficult. The importance of open communication within the organization to understand the concept and implement it for business growth. Additional Resources: The Fourie Agency Profits First By Mike Michalowicz Mom Owned and Operated ………………………………………… Quotes: "For me, success is not necessarily related to how much money I'm bringing in but I think it's more related to the type of life I've been able to create." —Salome Fourie "If you don't know how to create a strategy for yourself, find somebody to help you create a strategy." —Salome Fourie "If you don't kind of stay ahead of the game, and keep up with the trends, your business is going to fail." —Salome Fourie "You just need to have the right process for yourself and your business and that's why processes are so important." —Salome Fourie "Never give up no matter how hard it gets." —Salome Fourie ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Andrena Sawyer, the President of P.E.R.K Consulting, an advisory firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, for small to mid-sized nonprofits and businesses. Services include registration, staff & volunteer training, strategic planning, expert speakers, proposal writing, and more. Andrena is an author, consultant, strategist, and ministry founder. As things ended up not working for Andrena, she reverted back to what always worked for her, which was helping other people in the nonprofit space. She realized that nonprofits don't have a long shelf life so she maximized her talents to set up a consultancy to help them. It was 2011, aged 25 when she started with the consulting firm, she saw an immediate increase in revenue from its 1st year to its 3rd year. Grew capacity from solopreneur, now having a total of 8 team members. Andrena says that what she loves the most in growing a small business is seeing the immediate impact of the idea she implemented. She said, "I love that I can stay up all night and work on my business idea and implement it. The results are a reflection of that effort." This Cast Covers: Working with nonprofits and small businesses providing business development and capacity-building support. Helping nonprofits and small businesses with registration, staff & volunteer training, strategic planning, expert speakers, proposal writing, and more. Maximizing her talents to set up a consultancy that can help nonprofits have a long shelf life. Expanded capacity for over 11 years from solopreneur, now having a team of 8 people. From year one to year three of starting the business saw an increase in revenue of about 125%. Has experienced massive change during Covid from declining sales and clients had to close their businesses. Pivoting services into virtual and now slowly bringing back the upswings of the consulting firm. Learning how flexibility in reaching out to people contributes to the growth and success of an organization. Offering workshops for entrepreneurs or solopreneurs who are planning to start a business to help them learn how to manage their future business. Recommending new business owners to work on resiliency as a skill, like being able to push through and not taking no as a personal rejection. Additional Resources: P.E.R.K Consulting The 4-Hour Workweek By Timothy Ferriss The Misadventures Of A New Entrepreneur By Andrena Sawyer ………………………………………… Quotes: "As long as I have peace of mind, I'm doing what I like to do, it's sustainable, and I'm able to help other people earn a living, then I'm successful." —Andrena Sawyer "Focus on strategies and systems and figure out a way to work smart." —Andrena Sawyer "Emphasizing marketing is not just something that you do or perform, but you really have to develop a culture where you're always pitching." —Andrena Sawyer "Work on resilience as a skill." —Andrena Sawyer "Keep things as consistent as possible." —Andrena Sawyer ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Peter Mumford, the Founder and CEO at Stone Real Estate based in Sydney, Australia. Stone Real Estate's revolutionary business model is a franchise network structure that operates as a group of cohesive agencies with a unified team and common objectives. The company aims to centralize its focus to its clients to serve them efficiently. With over thirty years in business, Peter started the company model in 2015 and then progressed on to a franchise network business. In their first year, they got $5 million gross commission sales through 3 officers and are now on track to over $110 million at the end of this year 2021. Grew team from 4 to 14 FTEs and up to 50 franchisees in 6 years with its franchise network employees now over 550 across the franchise offices, and on track to hit 75 offices by December 2022 with expected openings in New Zealand mid next year. Peter is an inspiring entrepreneur who has created, built, operated and sold multiple award-winning businesses, and according to him that business is not one person, it is everyone that you're working with. He simply added, "The most important asset in your brand is the people you work with." This Cast Covers: Started the company model and then progressed on to a franchise business in real estate. Supplying branding, marketing training support for a franchise network, and helping with building offices. Started with seven company officers, funded agencies, and helped them become partners by making them profitable and successful. Offering more business training and support than just sales training. An entrepreneur for over thirty years who have created, built, operated, and sold multiple businesses and is now an entrepreneur leading the real estate revolution. The importance of investing in education about marketing for the growth of the business and the individuals working for it. Doing things smarter and more efficiently and entirely driven by clients' needs. Started from 3 to 30 FTEs for over six years and up to 50 franchisees. Recruiting the right people into the right roles. Building service around their clients and ensuring that they are the focus of the business. Additional Resources: Stone Real Estate Think and Grow Rich By Napoleon Hill Rich Dad's Cashflow Quadrant By Robert T. Kiyosaki ………………………………………… Quotes: "Success would be about being happy and doing what you like in life." —Peter Mumford "Spend a lot on digital marketing and find some great people to guide you." —Peter Mumford "It's about telling the brand stories, no matter what you're in." —Peter Mumford "The most important asset in your brand is the people you work with." —Peter Mumford "With all those failures, there's hope for anyone else out there and there's probably gonna be a lot more successful." —Peter Mumford ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Abigail Forsyth, the Co-founder and Managing Director at KeepCup based in Melbourne, Australia. KeepCup designed and manufactured the world's first barista standard reusable cup with a mission to ensure the world no longer wants, needs, or uses single-use cups. While running cafes in the late 90s, Abigail saw a huge number of disposable cups be sent to the landfill which can cause damage to the environment. With her brother, they decided to make a solution to such a problem by designing a reusable cup. They sold their first products in 2009 and people responded very well to it making them the world's first barista standard reusable cup with growing consumer demand in over 65 countries around the world. Abigail says one thing she'd recommend marketing a fast-growing business is making great products. She meant products that people need not a product you want to sell and also a product that won't give extreme destruction to the environment. This Cast Covers: Started as a solution to a problem and is now the world's first barista standard reusable cup. While running cafes in the late 90s, saw the rise of the disposable cup that wasn't recyclable and thought they would do something about it. Got the opportunity to design a reusable cup and a mission to encourage the use of reusable cups. People responded very well to the idea and design, selling their first products in 2009. Started with only 2 people to the current 55 FTEs in 13 years. Despite no money allotted for marketing in the beginning, they were still able to sell 10,000 of their products before they even made the tool. A B Corp for such a long time and has been a great tool for recruiting great people. The biggest mindset shift in the small business growth journey is learning to let things go. Sold in 60 countries with 27 distributors and with annual average revenue of 80%. With a mission to ensure the world no longer wants, needs, or uses single-use cups. Helping to divert billions of disposable cups from landfills each year. Additional Resources: KeepCup Collapse By Jared Diamond Masters of Scale ………………………………………… Quotes: "Make great products." —Abigail Forsyth "When a certain stage happens such as an impediment, learn to let things go and know what you have to keep hanging on to." —Abigail Forsyth "Continue to harness self-discipline." —Abigail Forsyth "Build that culture of doing something that you believe in and what you are passionate about." —Abigail Forsyth "Lead by example for others to do the same." —Abigail Forsyth ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Pete Mohr, an Entrepreneurial Coach, and Speaker at Simplifying Entrepreneurship based in Elora, Ontario, Canada. Simplifying Entrepreneurship is a coaching company, providing tools, workshops, and programs for business owners to help them succeed in their personal and professional lives. An entrepreneur for almost his entire life, he has owned franchises, started his own, and operated businesses since 1994. Along the way, he has bought and sold some of them as well. Pete's passion is helping other business owners and leaders cut through the chaos of running their businesses by providing systems and frameworks that simplify their life as a leader. Pete says that the hardest thing in growing a small business is obtaining the right people. In order to get the right people, he says, "You have to communicate, have the culture, all those kinds of things and make sure everybody knows their why." This Cast Covers: Creating tools, workshops, and coaching programs that help business owners cut through the chaos in growing their business. Helping business owners and entrepreneurs succeed in their personal and professional lives. Coaching entrepreneurs to cultivate leadership, an essential quality in creating a better business. A Certified Business Made Simple Coach, helping people create the lives that they want to live by setting up the structures and frameworks around those businesses. Transforming business into wins through the right frameworks and strong foundation. The importance of providing open communication and as a significant role of a leader. Creating turn-key businesses to achieve balance while letting others do the job. Setting up a business and structured in a way that allows the balance to be implemented. Started his first business in 1994 and has been leading them for 27 years. The passion for doing a business is a great factor to move it unidirectionally. Additional Resources: Simplifying Entrepreneurship Simplifying Entrepreneurship Podcast Atomic Habits By James Clear Building a StoryBrand By Donald Miller Business Made Simple University ………………………………………… Quotes: "Success for me is as long as I'm doing what I love to do." —Pete Mohr "When we create a promise, we align our culture all around that and that's what delivers the value." —Pete Mohr "Setting up those accountabilities has allowed us to grow and allowed us to end." —Pete Mohr "Driving communication is the number one job of a leader." —Pete Mohr "Part of being an entrepreneur is really understanding again what you want out of your business and what you want out of your life." —Pete Mohr ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In this episode, I interview Bharat Kanodia, the Founder and Chief Appraiser at Veristrat based in San Francisco, USA, helping clients with raising capital, estate planning, and mergers & acquisitions. Bharat has been in valuation since 2000 and has valued assets in real estate, industrial, personal property, and financial assets. With his extensive experience in valuation, he started his own valuation company in 2010. It was self-funded and was a tough start. He started with zero people and by 2013, he got 35 employees. Unfortunately, during the first six months of the pandemic, he had to let go of some of his employees and a few months later got some of them back to the company with a total of 25 FTEs now. Bharat says that two things make the business very sellable: "One, you need a consistent cash flow, you set up a business model, which makes your customers or your clients pay you on a monthly or a quarterly basis. And two, you need to set up systems and processes so that you can service those clients and customers on autopilot." This Cast Covers: The company provides services to people who want to know the worth of something such as buying a business or selling a business. A valuation firm helps clients to raise their capital and to know the worth of an estate they will be inheriting so they can pay appropriate taxes on them. Had a rough time during the first six months of the pandemic which resulted in letting go of some of the employees. Why every small business owner should have a marketing strategy that works for their current clients, increasing the chance for faster growth. Overcoming challenges in the business by doing something you don't normally do. Navigating the ups and downs that come with an entrepreneurial journey. The importance of trying something new just to save the business and the people behind it from crushing. Dealing with the stress of the changes such as when one of the biggest clients suddenly quit. The importance for every small business owner to learn how good habits influence the growth of a business and that everyone in the team must cultivate good habits. Two things that make the business very sellable: One, you need consistent cash flow, you set up a business model and two, you need to set up systems and processes so that you can service those clients on autopilot. Additional Resources: Veristrat What's It Worth What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School By Mark H. McCormack TEDx SHORTS ………………………………………… Quotes: "Success is basically when my business comes to a point where I don't have to worry about the business running itself." —Bharat Kanodia "Marketing is just figuring out a way to stay on top of people's minds who are important to your business." —Bharat Kanodia "If you don't toot your own horn, nobody else will." —Bharat Kanodia "People with bad habits in your team are going to corrupt the entire system." —Bharat Kanodia "You need to have consistent cash flow and you need to set up systems and processes so that you can service those clients on autopilot." —Bharat Kanodia ………………………………………… Music from https://filmmusic.io "Cold Funk" by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com. License: CC by http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0