The Small Business Radio Show

When I ask small business owners what was one of the keys to their success they always say- not money, not connects but having the right mentor- this is why my guest today is particularly important.Brad Feld has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. He co-founded two venture capital firms, Foundry Group and Mobius Venture Capital, and multiple companies, including Techstars. Brad has written multiple books on entrepreneurship and venture capital, and started blogging in 2004 before VC Twitter existed. He is also an art collector and long-distance runner.His new book is called "Give First: The Power of Mentorship".Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

One of the things I am most proud of is the way in business I have had to reinvent my self over the past 45 years of my career. I think this is a skill that serves entrepreneurs well.Carmen Van Kerckhove is an author and keynote speaker whose work explores how technology, social class, and cultural change are reshaping the way we live and work. Her upcoming book, "The Slingshot Effect", makes the case that pulling back—professionally, financially, creatively—isn’t failure, but often the smartest way to move forward. Carmen’s career is built on bold reinvention and small business roots.After starting at Goldman Sachs, she took a surprising step back—becoming an office manager—to create space for her first major pivot into writing. Her blog on race and pop culture, Racialicious, gained national attention and made her a sought-after speaker. From there, she co-founded a karate school in Brooklyn, then launched a family travel brand that grew into a multiple six-figure content business with over a million followers and major brand partnerships.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Segment 1 with former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson starts at 0:00.Let me be honest; as a result of the current presidents on again off again policies and head turning daily flip flops, I am not quite sure what the future of the economy is in the US. Where are we headed as a democratic and capitalist society? My guest is Paul Johnson is a civic entrepreneur, investor, and former Mayor of Phoenix whose career spans public service, private enterprise, and global policy engagement. He is President of Redirect Health, and he has led multiple successful acquisitions and investment ventures, particularly in the healthcare and real estate sectors.  His book, "What’s Right with America"—explores the fusion of free markets, free trade, property rights, and the American civil rights tradition.    Segment 2 with Tom Hogan starts at 22:40.I remember in one of my favorite movie, "Starship Troopers", before going to war, the sargeant says to his new recruits before going to war- “You want to live forever”. My answer was yes, I doWith the average US lifespan of men at 76 and women at 82, is there a way for people to routinely live to 100 or more? Tom Hogan, former Oracle executive,  is the author of four novels and his latest is "The Forever Factor", a suspense novel about the quest to extend human life to 150. He believes babies born this year will live to that age.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Segment 1 with Johnathan Walton starts at 0:00.Con artists are everywhere—your new boyfriend or girlfriend, your new neighbor or coworker, your new friend—and they don’t outsmart you; they out-feel you to get their hands on your money. Johnathan Walton is an Emmy-winning former TV reporter and current reality TV producer who has written and produced shows like Shark Tank. He is also the host, writer, and executive producer of the hit podcast Queen of the Con. After he was scammed out of $100K, he wrote" Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves".Segment 2 with Jamie Van Cuyk starts at 23:49.Lets face it, Most small biz owners just suck at hiring. Typically we pick people that give good interview and we are in such a rush that we are quick to hire and slow to fire, this a big problem since turn over is so costly to every small business owner.Jamie Van Cuyk is the owner and lead consultant of Growing Your Team®. She is expert in hiring and onboarding teams within small businesses. Drawing from over 15 years of leadership experience, Jamie empowers women business owners and leaders to expand their unique businesses by teaching them to master the hiring process. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

The average American spends the equivalent of 60 days a year on their phone.A few years ago, author Richard Simon made a transformative decision—he turned off his smartphone for a year, and in no time enriched virtually every facet of his life, from his relationships with his family and friends to how he slept, ate, and exercised. Now he shares every detail of a detox we could all benefit from in his new book- "UnPlug: How to Break Up with Your Phone and Reclaim Your Life".Our conversation included:Why Hacks Don’t Work: Putting a rubber band around your phone, deleting social media apps, or going grey scale is not going to cut it.Break-Up Styles to Explore: Simplify Your Phone Off-by-Default Getting Rid of It Altogether Quitting with Someone Else Managing Withdrawal (because it won’t be painless at first)The logistics: i.e., learning to live without GPSWhat to do with all of that newfound time?Tales of deepened relationships, improved focus, creativity, and peace of mindReintegration after a screen cleanse: pros, cons, and pitfallsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

With so many technology hacks around, we don’t pause to focus on the soft skills aka the "simple stuff" (or maybe not so simple) so we are prepared for the challenge of running a business.My guest is Amber Mac who is President of AmberMac Media, Inc., an award-winning content development agency, an award-winning podcaster and a bestselling author. She is also the host of The AmberMac Show podcast on SiriusXM with co-host Jeff MacArthur. Amber has keynoted more than 700 events around the world and has moderated sessions.As a parent, she working hard every day to teach the simple stuff to her son so that he’s prepared for the world of work and the challenge of running a business.Here is her list of "the simple stuff":Show up on time. Actually, show up early.Respond to people promptly.Be polite and communicate clearly.Take the time to learn how to spell and pronounce people’s names correctly.Send thank-you emails or texts when you finish a job.Pay people promptly.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Segment 1 with Dave Whorton starts at 0:00. The “Get Big Fast” startup era is crumbling. Sky-high valuations, zero profits, and a fixation on rapid scaling have left businesses fragile and the economy unstable. It’s time for entrepreneurs to skip the funding rounds and rethink how they approach growth.In his new book "Another Way - Building Companies That Last…and Last…and Last",  former Kleiner Perkins Venture Capitalist Dave Whorton lays out a path forward. After seeing firsthand the risks of speculative growth, he rejected the Silicon Valley unicorn obsession he helped fuel, and now helps entrepreneurs thrive better in our volatile times.Segment 2 with Marcelo Barros starts at 20:28.Phishing attacks are forever changing and getting more creative. What do we need to know as small business owners and how should be educate our team?Marcelo Barros is the Global Director of Hacker Rangers. He is an IT professional with over 30 years of experience and a strong interest in cybersecurity. As the Global Markets Leader at Hacker Rangers, a gamification company, he spearheads the company's expansion into markets outside of Brazil. Before this position, Marcelo dedicated 17 years to IBM, where he worked in cybersecurity, sales, and management, delivering solutions and achieving outcomesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

Segment 1 with Richard Hagberg starts at 0:00.Most start ups fail within 5 years. Many more are the walking dead- why do most founders build their company’s to fail and what can they change about it.Rich Hagberg, Ph.D., often referred to as “Silicon Valley’s CEO Whisperer,” is a trained psychologist who has spent the last 40 years of his career as an executive management coach for over 6,000 executives. Since 2009 he has worked with companies like Tinder, Twitter, Dropbox, MixPanel, Zendesk, Quora, Asana, Pinterest, Salesforce, Munchery, Reddit, Gusto, Cruise, Tinder, Optimizely, Instacart, Patreon, Nerdwallet, and Super Evil Megacorp (it’s a gaming company).His new book is called "Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed".Segment 2 with Lee Glickstein starts at 22:50.There is the old adage that we fear speaking in front of people more than death- the joke goes that we would rather be dead that speak in front of an audience.Lee Glickstein is a trailblazer in the field of public speaking and the creator of the globally recognized Speaking Circles method and founder of Speaking Circles International. He is an authority on leadership presence and magnetism in public speaking.  Having overcome his own crippling fear of public speaking, Glickstein has spent decades helping others transform their relationship with audiences. His first book is called "Be Heard Now! End Your Fear of Public Speaking Forever".Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

I have been thinking a lot about my Dad lately and what he taught me in business and life. This is because I just had a new grandson about a month ago and he was named for my dad! This week, I talk with Robert J. Finlay who is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, seasoned entrepreneur, renowned speaker, and father of four. He is a successful entrepreneur and commercial real estate investor.  He has built and sold four companies. He brings strategic insights and inspires the next generation of leaders with his commitment to mentorship, education, and the integration of technology. Rob has a new book called "Hey Dad…Everything You Should’ve Learned About Life (But Didn’t)".We talked about:Should You Really Start a Business?Is It Smarter to Learn on Someone Else’s Dime First?Do You Have a Great Idea—or a Great Execution Plan?Who’s Your Mentor?Getting your first job (and keeping it)!Budgeting like a pro—even if you hate spreadsheets.Finding your first place without getting ripped off.Navigating credit, cars, and career moves.Building independence with confidence (and maybe fewer 2 a.m. Google searches).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.

We all love great comeback stories. This is one but not like you think …but not in the way you think.Matt Antonelli was the 17th pick in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft by the San Diego . By the  2008 season, he was a top-50 prospect in baseball. But he only played 21 games in the MLB and by 2013 his professional baseball career was over. Matt says “ I’ve been called a bust so many times, I stopped caring a long time ago.” He is now a coach and business owner.His hardest moment was the year he made my big league debut. He was a top prospect in the Padres’ organization going into the 2008 season. Matt began the season in Triple A and, for the first time in his life, he was horrible. He forgot how to hit and had no idea how to fix it.We discussed:His first big league hit against Greg Maddux.What the hard moments teach you and what the easy ones never could.Your identity must be bigger than your achievements. Why so many business owners think they are their business.Sometimes the greatest growth comes after letting go.What feels like a loss can actually be relief in disguise.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-small-business-radio-show--3306444/support.