On the Up and Up

Entrepreneurs who are almost ready to hire their first full-time employee often get stopped up by one question.“If someone works for my business full-time, don’t I have to provide them health insurance and retirement benefits?”The short answer is: No…but there are caveats (this is an HR podcast afterall!)On this week’s episode of On The Up & Up, Kira shares some common misconceptions about providing “traditional” benefits. She covers:📝 Scenarios in which you do and do not have to provide traditional benefits📝 Alternative approaches to health and retirement benefits for small businesses📝 The role of technology and automation in benefits administration📝 Whether you have to provide the same benefits to all employees📝 The first steps you should take before including these benefits in your overall compensation packageIf you're an entrepreneur navigating the world of hiring your first full-time employee, this episode is a must-listen!Links mentioned:Dr. Noor Health Care Advisor (https://drnoorhealth.com/) Employee Cost Calculator (https://settoscale.com/products/employee-cost-calculator)

We’re continuing our September deep dive into the world of Employee Benefits! On this week's episode of On The Up & Up, Kira is tackling one of the most intricate aspects of team building: Compensation.The decision of what to pay someone involves a bunch of complex factors, and Kira is breaking them all down. In this episode, she explores the four crucial considerations when determining someone’s compensation:💰 Classification: Are they a contractor or an employee? If they're an employee, are they full-time or part-time, exempt or non-exempt, hourly or salaried?💰 Time and Nature of Work: Analyzing when and what they're doing while working.💰 Big-Picture Strategy: This is all about labor profit margins, scalability, and the cost of benefits.💰 Location Compliance: Ensuring compliance with regional regulations.There’s a lot that goes into each of these four considerations, but this episode is meant to demystify the complex world of compensation planning so you can confidently hire and retain top talent while creating an ROI for your company.Tune in now!LINKS MENTIONED:Blog: Employee Classification (https://the-paradigm.com/employee-classification/) Resource: Employee cost and calculator (https://settoscale.com/products/employee-cost-calculator)Resource: Worker classification cheatsheet by state (https://notavglaw.com/cheatsheet)

Are you a small business owner dreading the maze (and expense) of employee benefits? Navigating this world can seem overwhelming, especially if you're approaching it the same way large corporations do.But as small business owners, we have the freedom to do things differently – and it's not a daunting task. We have the privilege of crafting personalized benefit packages that resonate with our employees and impact them in meaningful ways.In this week's episode of On The Up & Up, we delve into how alternative benefits can elevate your total compensation packages, adding real value and motivation for your employees. And here's a hint: it's not all about traditional health insurance!Join Kira this week as we kick off our month-long journey into the world of employee benefits on this exciting episode of On The Up & Up.Links Mentioned:https://the-paradigm.com/alternativeperks/

This week Kira is joined by world traveler and brand strategist, Allison Conway. Allison candidly shares her unique experience as a successful entrepreneur with diagnosed learning and processing differences.  Through her company, Sealevel Agency, Allison helps businesses in traditionally "vanilla" industries create a brand and marketing strategy that's fun, bold, and exciting for the business owners and their customers. Allison has been to over 40 countries, and uses all of her experiences of travel, late dyslexia and ADHD diagnoses, and commitment to being a little bit weird to show her clients how to have fun, make a lot of money, and make a big impact.Tune in to Kira and Allison’s enlightening conversation as they delve into Allison’s entrepreneurial journey fueled by unique learning differences and defying traditional norms. They cover:✨ How Allison built her business around the life she wanted to live, not the other way around; ✨ The gift of hindsight and entrepreneurial wisdom through the lens of experience;✨ The emotional journey of entrepreneurship;✨ How undiagnosed dyslexia and ADHD diagnosis led to a lifetime of self doubt (and how a diagnosis changed everything);✨ How the patriarchy does a disservice to women with learning differences;✨ Setting up your company culture for people who process and work differently.This episode is as relatable as it is raw - don’t miss it!Links mentioned:SeaLevel Agency’s website: https://sealevelagency.com/ Follow Allison Conway on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisoneconway/

This week we’re mixing things up a bit and chatting with the brains behind one of our favorite product-based businesses! Joining Kira on this week’s episode of On The Up & Up is Marrin Costello, an American businesswoman, designer, and brand-architect of her eponymous jewelry brand.Marrin’s entrepreneurial journey began at age 10 after falling in love with the art of jewelry making. Just two decades later, Costello has built a luxury lifestyle brand that has been featured in Vogue, Huffington Post, and Who What Wear, amongst many others — and whose collection can be found in over 100 retailers nationwide. The byproduct to creating a successful company and internationally recognized business? Having the experience, knowledge, and foundation to support other companies, brands, and entrepreneurs alike in finding their own respective success.Tune in to this week’s episode to hear Kira and Marrin delve into:💎 Marrin's journey in self-development and how it correlates to her craft as a jewelry designer and business owner;💎 How Marrin reverse engineered building a business around her established brand;💎 The value of building community around a brand;💎 Listening to the market to inspire and inform business decisions;💎 Harmonizing masculine and the feminine energies in business;💎 How Marrin curated her own life in order to cultivate her brand;💎 Delegation as the the true measure of a leader (and Marrin’s lessons from early delegation dynamics)This episode is packed with gems that can be directly applied to any business. Tune in now!Links mentioned:Catch up on Kira’s guest appearance on Marrin’s podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/marrin-costello-radio/episodes/76--Kira-La-Forgia-Paradigm-Consulting-e20dqcv Visit the Marrin Costello website: https://marrincostello.com/Follow Marrin Costello on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marrincostellojewelry/

This week Kira hosts Alisha Kumar of The Social Project, a social media agency specialized in building lifestyle brands, on The Up & Up.  With over 13 years in the marketing industry, Alisha has experience working with some of the world’s most innovative and forward thinking brands, developing out of the box and momentous marketing campaigns that never fail to make a statement. She is passionate about helping businesses take advantage of marketing efforts to create a unique footprint and has a knack of thinking big picture, while getting down to every detail needed. You can find her with multiple drinks and quoting one too many Kardashians.Kira and Alisha dive into:Mistakes people make when hiring social media managersThe difference between a Social Media Manager and a Social Media MarketerQuestions to ask in an interview to find someone who really knows what they're doing (and didn't just watch some tutorials online)What has and hasn’t changed for women of color in the workplace in the online business/remote world Showing up "authentically" online vs. conducting business in person  The pipeline of leads and #1 skill every business owner should haveHere's where you can find Alisha online:Website: https://thesocialproject.ca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesocialprojectinc/

In this week's episode, Kira welcomes SEO duo Andrea Barnhill and Tyler Cooper to the podcast. Andrea and Tyler are the Co-Founders of Socratrik, an SEO Agency that helps small and large businesses get found on Google. With 15+ years of SEO and digital marketing experience, their team helps businesses get ahead of the industry-unique SEO challenges, and helps them stay there.A bit about Andrea: Prior to starting Socratik 5+ years ago, Andrea spent the first few years of her career in SEO at tourism and ecommerce brands. But at Socratik, she’s transitioned to running the operational side of the business, overseeing team development and growth, hiring, fostering a culture, among other things. A bit about Tyler: Tyler is an SEO expert who has helped many brands experience radical SEO transformation. Tyler has been in SEO for 14+ years, seeking out an entrepreneurial path since the beginning of his career, and has consulted companies across several different industries. As Socratik’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Tyler helps businesses create a framework for exponential growth, and oversees the Socratik team to deliver and execute against it.Andrea, Tyler, & Kira cover:-What it takes to run a business as a partnership;-Building a team when your business has a lot of moving parts;-Why working in an echo chamber isn’t helpful for your business;-How and when to be intentionally transparent with your team;-What small steps you can take right now to start improving your SEO;--How you know your business might be ready to invest in an SEO strategy;-SEO scams that can actually put your website in jeopardy;Join us this week for their expert insights into business partnerships and optimizing google search results for your business.Looking for Socratik online? Here's where you can find them:Website: https://socratik.agency/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socratikagency/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/socratik-agency/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SocratikSEO

In this episode Kira welcomes Autumn Witt Boyd to the podcast. Autumn is an experienced & relatable lawyer that helps million dollar coaches and online educators reach their big goals. Autumn and her team at the AWB Firm guide businesses on the legal side, offering full legal support. She is passionate about helping creatives to get paid for the art that they create. Autumn & Kira cover all things legal: How to put legitimacy behind your projects Toxic Flexibility - when you go to extremes in order to provide the space that you were never given How to move away from toxic flexibility - creating healthy boundaries for the first time How to find the best attorney through your network Protecting intellectual property from employees and contractors Using NDA’s to protect trade Secrets - processes and systems that are unique to youHow to register a trade mark How to be a collaborative leaderJoin us this week as we delve into effective leadership and safeguarding intellectual property. Don't miss out on the expert advice!Take The Archetype Quiz: https://www.the-paradigm.com/quiz Set up a consult with Autumn: https://app.lawmatics.com/forms/share/30bef71e-1f7b-4fd4-a2bd-d2a7deff3203 Autumn’s Instagram: @awbfirm https://instagram.com/awbfirm?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

In this week’s episode of On the Up and Up, we talk alllll things Intellectual Property with client, friend, and kickass IP Attorney, Nequosha Anderson. In this episode, we cover: The emotional impact of intellectual property theft and how it parallels feeling violated, uncovering the importance of protective measures.The (not talked about enough) risks posed by artificial intelligence in content creationThe need for registered copyrights and trademarks as preventive measures.Gain practical tips on strategic planning and quarterly goal-setting to fortify the security of your intellectual property.Learn the initial steps taken in cases of intellectual property theft and the differentiation between offensive and defensive protection strategies.How to integrate legal services early in the entrepreneurial journey to ensure compliance and long-term security.The importance of a client experience to create value and longevity in business.More About NequoshaNequosha is a business and intellectual property attorney for the last eight years who assists primarily women creatives who want to legally protect their income-producing ideas. She safeguards businesses and brand assets to ensure their intellectual property is secure and not stolen, allowing the business owner to creatively operate in their genius and not be robbed of what’s rightfully theirs. She serves clients in this space throughout the United States.ALF Trademarks 101 (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70s5bPo4G64Follow Nequosha On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esquire44/Inquire for Legal Support: https://andersonlawfl.com/

In this episode of On the Up and Up, we chat with Jen Lawrence of Jenerosity Partners, a longtime friend and colleague about all things people and operations as both separate but equally important priorities as an entrepreneur.Jen's 20+ year background in Executive Assisting, Project Management, and then moving into the foray of entrepreneurship herself has given her a deep and insightful foundation on which to help female entrepreneurs grow their business. In this value packed episode, we discuss:✴️ The necessary blend of people and process✴️ Using assessments to create a common language on your team✴️ Jen's business evolution and why VIP Days were not IT for her (and why that's okay!)✴️ The importance of embracing continuing education and a growth mindset as an entrepreneur✴️ The beauty of finding your #2✴️ The key difference between results and methods✴️ The role of shame in growth and how you can use it as a call to action to motivate your own evolution✴️ How compliance and operations are BFFs and it's not shameful to feel like you missed the mark in creating compliant team resourcesMore About JenJen Lawrence is a Business Process Consultant focusing on streamlining workflows, optimizing tools, and aligning teams for operational efficiency and effectiveness. Leveraging over twenty years of administrative and project management experience, she helps entrepreneurs and small businesses develop highly customized and strategic solutions to solve their biggest people, processes, and technology pain points.Links Mentionedhttps://www.instagram.com/jenerositypartners/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferlawrence/Get A Free Consult From Paradigmhttps://www.the-paradigm.com/contactus