Building a Business that Lasts

Today, Bill Kinnard is the President & CEO of Grandy & Associates, a company dedicated to helping contractors run profitable businesses. But he didn’t start there. He first went to school for heating and cooling, then spent 22 years working in HVAC wholesale distribution. At the time, his boss told him, “Do your job in any way you need to as long as my phone doesn’t ring.” This prompted Bill to become proactive instead of reactive, which led him to teaching classes about HVAC. After crossing paths with Tom Grandy, Bill knew there was more out there for him to do. Now, he clearly communicates strategies, processes, and tactics that help contractors better understand their businesses and become more profitable — and he couldn’t be happier while doing it! Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Ever feel like the dark days will never end? You’re not alone. Carlos Gil dropped out of high school, got his GED, and didn’t go to college. Sound like a recipe for success? Not usually. And for Carlos, it wasn’t — for a really long time. But Carlos managed to dig out of the dark days, and now he’s the CEO and Founder of Gil Media Co. An author, international speaker, and social media strategist and marketing storyteller, he understands that dark days exist. He also knows they don’t last forever. If you feel like you’re in the dark days, or you could use some encouragement, this episode will remind you that the sun will shine again! Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Rand Fishkin is one of the world’s leading experts on SEO. But it wasn’t always that way for him. In 2000, he dropped out of the University of Washington to work at his mom’s marketing firm as a web designer. In 2004, he started a blog called SEOmoz, which eventually became moz.com, an SEO software and data company that he co-founded with his mom. Since then, he’s stayed pretty busy, helping Moz grow into a $45 million/year business. That’s not all, though! In 2018, he founded SparkToro, an under-development software company focused on audience and influencer intelligence. He also published a book, Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World, where he gets real about what most startups actually look like. With lots of experience under his belt (and plenty of insight from those experiences), Rand shares helpful tips and tricks to start — and grow — a successful business.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

John DiJulius is the Chief Revolution Officer and President of The DiJulius Group. Known as the authority on world-class customer experience, John helps organizations across America raise the bar and set the standard in service that consistently exceeds customer expectations. He is also the Founder, President, and Owner of John Robert’s Spa, which was named one of the “Top 20 Salons in America with Multiple Locations.” Not only does he teach others about world-class customer experiences, but he provides world-class customer experiences, too. He’s a leader, teacher, and entrepreneur we could all learn a thing or two from. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Caspar Szulc is the Co-Founder and President of Innovative Medicine, a company that is dedicated to transforming the way medicine is practiced. After noticing he was miserable at his job as a financial analyst on Wall Street, he realized that it wasn’t for him and decided to figure out what was. If you find yourself in the same situation, you’ll be encouraged by his story — and maybe even motivated enough to do the same.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

After moving to the diverse city of Clarkston, GA, Amplio Recruiting encountered many refugee neighbors who were struggling to find jobs. They faced challenges despite being legally able to work; at the same time, many local industries were struggling to find dependable personnel. For Amplio Recruiting, the impact of solving these two problems at once was too big to ignore. In this episode, we dive into some polarizing issues to discuss what it was like to build a staffing business with a truly one-of-a-kind mission. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Lots of entrepreneurs start out working desk jobs that just don’t feel right. But knowing how to transition from a comfortable career to following your passion can be fraught with challenges. In this episode, I talk to Lauren Bateman about how she started a music school out of her spare bedroom and grew it to eight locations and 450+ students.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Have you ever wondered if you’re the “right” person to do what you do? After facing some early career failures, Josh Elledge struggled with being seen as an expert after founding SavingsAngel. If you’ve ever felt out of your depth but had to push through anyway, this episode is for you. We discuss everything from strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome to tips on building your personal brand—don’t miss out! Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Most entrepreneurs and business owners dread learning sales. For Perry Marshall, author of 80/20 Sales and Marketing, mastering sales allowed him to stand out from his engineering peers. On this episode we discuss how learning sales can multiply your efforts and help you achieve success no matter what business you’re in. Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com

Have you ever thought about starting a podcast, show or social media presence for yourself or your business but didn’t know where to start? Our guest this week, Mark Kaye, has been in the radio business for decades. He’s here to explain why you don’t need to be perfect, you just need to get started and be consistent.Send us a textSupport the showListen to other episodes and see videos of the podcast at http://buildingabusinessthatlasts.com