INspired INsider Podcast

Chris Gandy is the Founder of Midwest Legacy Group, a boutique concierge insurance group for executives, professional athletes, physicians, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Chris has spent the last two decades helping individuals reach their most important financial goals. His firm focuses on unique tax reduction strategies, retirement income optimization, generational wealth, and more. Chris is a former pro-basketball player. He played for the University of Illinois, where he was co-captain before playing professionally for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and France. He's been featured in numerous magazines such as Crain's Chicago, GQ, Black Enterprise, African American Career Worlds.  Chris has served on multiple boards including the Chicago Concussion Coalition, The Urban League, and he is currently serving as board member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and the National Committee for Diversity Inclusion Task Force where he is the youngest member serving on the national board. In this episode… The high income or revenue of an athlete, a professional, an executive, or an entrepreneur appears to come suddenly within just a few years. Earning so much in such a short period of time creates a new problem for these individuals, and one of them concerns how they will manage their money. Of course, they would want to maintain a good quality of life even after retirement, the question is, how can they do that? Chris Gandy says that the first thing they have to do is to clear out the junk in their financial junk drawers. Doing so will help them to better understand why they have issues managing their finances and learn how to grow and preserve their assets.  On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz interviews Midwest Legacy Group Founder and former pro-basketball player, Chris Gandy, about the financial know-hows that athletes, professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, and other high-income earners need to be aware of. They will be discussing some of the major issues that high-income earners have managing their finances, how they can properly plan for their retirement, and how Chris helps them take control and build legacies. Stay tuned.

Marcel Petitpas is the CEO and Co-founder of Parakeeto, an agency profitability platform that modern digital and creative agencies use to scope and measure more profitable projects in record time. They help agencies and consultancies automagically create accurate and data-driven estimates for their projects in seconds. They utilize information gathered from the Harvest time-tracking data of their clients to get the results they need for their project estimations. Harvest data allows Parakeeto to view all information from past projects to show you exactly how much time it's likely to take you to complete your next one. Their methods also provide real-time feedback on any changes made to the project and gives an updated estimate that compares the current project to previous ones. In this episode… Any company, no matter how great their products and services may be, will experience some financial struggle if they do not know how to value their offerings properly. This undervaluation of their company will, at some point, hurt not just their company's financials but the kind of service that they provide to their clients. At least, that’s what Marcel Petitpas says. He also believes that aside from undervaluing their services, companies also often make the mistake of not estimating their personnel needs, and they make decisions that make them sink in work with no pleasant bottom line. So what can companies do differently to get back on track and enjoy better business profits?  On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Parakeeto CEO and Co-founder, Marcel Petitpas, about why agencies struggle to make a profit and what they can do to turn things around with the help of Parakeeto. They’ll also be discussing the top tools agency owners can use for optimal efficiency and to maximize their margins, how they can improve their pricing, and the best learnings Marcel gained about running and growing a business. Stay tuned.

Fabrice Grinda is a Founding Partner at FJ Labs, is a stage-agnostic consumer facing-fund headquartered in New York City. They invest in ambitious founders solving big problems. They have investments in more than 600 investments around the world including Alibaba Group, Airbnb, Beepi, Fanduel, Dropbox, and many more, and have had over 300 million investment exits.  Fabrice was a Co-founder and former CEO of OLX, and drove the company’s business development, investor relations, M&A and product development efforts in his capacity as co-CEO. Prior to OLX, he was the founder and CEO of Zingy Inc., a mobile media startup which he successfully grew to $200 million in content sales in just four years. Fabrice was also the Co-founder and former CEO of Aucland, one of the three largest auction websites in Europe.  Forbes named Fabrice as the number one Angel Investor in 2018, which was measured by the number of investments and exits that he has done over the years.  In this episode… We all have to make decisions every day. Some decisions are incredibly crucial because they could be life-changing or business-transforming. This could come in the form of choosing which company to invest in or finalizing the next steps in your business. Whatever it is that you need to decide on, there’s one thing that’s absolutely certain: you don’t want to base your decision on a guess. Now, what if there was a framework that you can follow that will help you make these critical decisions in a more informed and structured way? Prolific angel investor Fabrice Grinda has a four-step framework that he uses to make groundbreaking decisions. He says that following this framework helps him and his company, FJ Labs, determine which businesses they should consider investing in. What does the framework do and how can you maximize the results that you get from using it? In this episode of Inspired Insider, Fabrice Grinda, Founding Partner at FJ Labs shares some amazing insights and tips on how to make the right decisions with host Dr. Jeremy Weisz. They’ll also be talking about Fabrice’s illustrious career as a successful venture capitalist, the criteria he uses to select potential businesses to invest in, and the things that Fabrice learned through some of his craziest wins and biggest misses. Stay tuned.

Ryan Moran is the Founder of Capitalism.com, where he brings like-minded entrepreneurs and experts together to build brands and businesses that last. Ryan has launched Amazon businesses that he eventually sold for over eight-figures. Today, he has a portfolio of brands and he documents and shares his entrepreneurial journey on his podcast, Capitalism.com podcast. Ryan is also the author of the book 12 Months to $1 Million: How to Pick a Winning Product, Build a Real Business, and Become a Seven-Figure Entrepreneur. In this episode… It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to build a great business and to one day relinquish some control in exchange for a big payday exit. But what many entrepreneurs are unaware of is that there is the other side to a big exit. It’s this other side that few people talk about and it involves knowing how to build a great company and maintaining it post-sale. So how do you build, sell, and keep a great company from going bankrupt?  Ryan Moran of Capitalism.com shares his big exit story and the lessons he learned from it in this episode of Inspired Insider. Tune in Ryan talks to Dr. Jeremy Weisz about what his first eight-figure exit was like and the flipside of the success that he was supposed to enjoy. He also shares the things that he wished he did differently, the people who have left a huge impression on him, and how people can take part in his mentorship program, The One Percent.

Deirdre Breakenridge is the CEO of Pure Performance Communications, a company that fuses strategic communications with innovative technology to impact business communications from consumer interest to brand loyalty and advocacy. Deirdre has been in PR and marketing for over 25 years, helping senior executives in mid-and-large organizations better communicate with their stakeholders.  Deirdre also does reputation management and social media relations. She's a LinkedIn Learning instructor and was an Adjunct Professor at NYU, and she has written many books including Answers for Modern Communicators, and her latest one book, Answers for Ethical Marketers. In this episode… As humans, we want empathy, understanding, kindness, ethics, good judgment, and love. When we add these elements to how we communicate and market our products and services to people, these can positively affect people and influence consumer behavior. However, not many business leaders know how to add these attributes to their communication and marketing process. Deirdre Breakenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications, has created the FEEL First Test to help leaders ignite their engagement. It begs them to ask questions about facing their fears, communicating with empathy, using ethics and good judgment, their love for their mission. But how exactly can the FEEL First approach help businesses improve their outreach and how effective is it? On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Pure Performance Communications CEO, Deirdre Breakenridge, about the FEEL First Test and how people can transform the way they communicate and connect with others. Deirdre shares the data and inspiration behind the FEEL First Test, the work she did with Richard Bistrong, and her insights on what communication may look like in the future. Stay tuned.

Angela Lauria is the Founder of The Author Incubator, an $18 million business that provides guidance for aspiring authors on how to write and publish their books. The Author Incubator has succeeded in helping more than 1,000 authors write, publish, and promote their books.  Angela has published many books herself, including Make 'Em Beg to Work for You, The Incubated Author: 10 Steps to Start a Movement with Your Message, and more. She most recently published the second edition of The Difference: 10 Steps To Writing A Book That Matters, which details her transformational ideas on the 10 steps to writing a book that matters. In this episode… Writing a book can become an evergreen source of qualified leads, but many entrepreneurs do not leverage it for different reasons. Some fear they aren’t good enough to write a book, others worry about who would care enough to buy their books, while some assume that they won’t make enough book sales to make it a worthwhile process. But Angela Lauria says that you can clear all of that self-doubt and that you don’t necessarily. So how then can you turn your book into an evergreen leads funnel?  Listen to this Inspired Insider Podcast episode with Dr. Jeremy Weisz as he features Angela Lauria of The Author Incubator to talk about how writing your own book can help market your business. Angela will also be discussing the things that are holding holds people back from writing a book, the four-step process that they do at The Author Incubator, the lead generation strategy of book publishing and marketing, and more.

This Top Giver Series episode features some of the best and biggest givers who are experts in customer service, business development, relationships, and direct marketing. This episode includes recommendations and tips from amazing personalities such as Tony Grebmeier of ShipOffers, Brian Kurtz of Titans Marketing, Chris Dreyer of Rankings.io, Ian Garlic of StoryCrews, Joel Weldon of the Ultimate Speaking System, award-winning speaker and author, Joey Coleman, Mike Roderick of Small Pond Enterprises, Vinnie Fisher of Fully Accountable, Jeff Garnett of Clean Slate Laser Tattoo Removal Centers, Liran Hirschkorn of Incrementum Digital, and Justin Breen of BrEpic. Tony Grebmeier is the CEO of ShipOffers, a product, fulfillment, cash flow, and strategic planning company. He is also the host of the Be Fulfilled Podcast: The Real Stories Behind Success where he digs deep behind the real stories behind the journey of entrepreneurs towards the top of Success Mountain. Brian Kurtz is the Founder and CEO of Titans Marketing, a direct marketing consultancy that educates and trains copywriters and marketers on the best direct marketing principles. He is also the author of the book, Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing. Chris Dreyer is the CEO and Founder of Rankings.io, where they help elite personal injury attorneys dominate first page rankings. He is also the host of the Rankings Podcast where he features top founders, entrepreneurs, and elite personal injury attorneys. Ian Garlic is the Founder of StoryCrews, a company that helps businesses connect with top-rated videographers to help businesses market and expand their brand through powerful stories captured on video. He also runs and hosts his own podcast, the Garlic Marketing Show podcast, where he discusses the latest marketing techniques that actually work. Joel Weldon is the creator of the Ultimate Speaking System, where he coaches successful people to be even more effective speakers and communicators. Through his system, entrepreneurs can learn how to use speaking to grow their business and position themselves as experts at live events, webinars, videos, and podcasts. Joey Coleman has helped organizations retain their best customers and turn them into raving fans via his entertaining and actionable keynotes, workshops, and consulting projects. He is an award-winning speaker at both national and international conferences, and he is also the author of the #2 Wall Street Journal best seller, Never Lose a Customer Again. Mike Roderick is the CEO of Small Pond Enterprises, where he works with clients to curate, extend, and leverage their existing networks. He is also a co-host on the Access to Anyone Podcast, a podcast that explores how you can get to know anyone you want to in business and in life using everything from the latest technology to the most time tested principles. Vinnie Fisher is the CEO and Founder of Fully Accountable, a full service cutting edge accounting firm that is recognized in eCommerce and the online industry as leading experts in accounting, offering proactive, forward-thinking, done for you, financial expertise to our clients. Jeff Garnett is a serial entrepreneur with 20 years experience in technology, finance, sales & advanced digital marketing strategies. He is a Professional Google Adwords consultant and campaign manager, and the Owner of Clean Slate Laser Tattoo Removal Centers, a regional chain of tattoo removal clinics in New York, New Jersey. Liran Hirschkorn is the CEO of Incrementum Digital, a company that helps clients grow their sales on Amazon using the power of Amazon advertising and Amazon DSP. Justin Breen runs BrEpic, a PR firm that works with visionaries and exceptional businesses in various industries worldwide. He is also the author of the best selling book Epic Business: 30 Secrets to Build Your Business Exponentially and Give You the Freedom to Live the Life You Want. In this episode… Whatever stage your business might be in, you will always need two things: customers and strategic partnerships. These are the relationships that you build and maintain along the way that will help you boost your company and bring it to the next level. What you can get out of these relationships are important, but what you bring to the table that gives value to these connections is just as critical, if not more so. On this episode of Inspired Insider’s Top Giver Series, get a sneak peek into some of the amazing insights that you can get from top business leaders who know that in order to receive, you have to know the value of giving as well. Tune in as guests Tony Grebmeier, Brian Kurtz, Chris Dreyer, Ian Garlic, Joey Weldon, Mike Roderick, Vinnie Fisher, Jeff Garnett, Liran Hirschkorn, and Justin Breen share some of their top book recommendations and essential tips on how to develop relationships and keep them.

John Doherty is the Founder and CEO of Credo, a company that he started in 2013 because he wanted to help businesses to avoid hiring bad marketing agencies. John is a veteran SEO and digital marketer and he ranked as one of the top 140 SEO experts that anyone should be following in an article by Search Engine Journal.  Through his company, Credo, top companies can meet the best pre-vetted digital marketing providers within a few days and they can trust that these agencies can help grow their businesses. They have helped over 4,500 businesses, including companies like the New York Times, Adobe, Lands’ End, and many more. In this episode… Are your leads inflow drying out? Or are you attracting unqualified leads and then struggling to convert them? These scenarios are oftentimes the result of a friction in your sales process, whether it be in the failure to qualify leads upfront or failing to add leads into your CRM and not being able to follow up with them. This then leads to low client intake and an underperforming bottom line. So how can you remove this friction and turn things around for your company? On this episode of Inspired Insider, Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Credo Founder and CEO, John Doherty, about how to remove any existing friction in your sales process and why it’s so important for your business. They also discuss how you can block leaks in your leads intake system, John’s philosophy on follow-ups, the importance of qualifying leads upfront, negotiation tactics to avoid underpricing your services, and more. Stay tuned.

Ben Wiener is the Managing Partner of Jumpspeed, the first and only micro-VC fund dedicated to investing in early-stage startups that originate within the Jerusalem startup ecosystem. Jumpspeed addresses the mismatch of supply and demand for the early-stage capital in the Capital of the Startup Nation. In this episode… All entrepreneurs know just how important seed capital is especially for startups. But what many don’t know is how to get an investor interested enough to invest in them and their idea. Many wonder what investors look for before they decide to invest in someone or something, and even more importantly, what solidifies their notion that their hunch about a potential investment is right. What is it about a founder and their idea that gives an investor goosebumps? This week’s guest, Ben Wiener, Managing Partner of Jumpspeed, sheds some light on what investors look for that makes them say yes to an investment opportunity.  Tune in to this episode of Inspired Insider Podcast as Dr. Jeremy Weisz talks with Ben Wiener, Managing Partner at Jumpspeed, about what knocks investors off of their feet and makes them decide to invest in a person and their idea. Ben shares insights on what convinces an investor that the investment is a good deal, what the investor-founder relationship should look like, and why he is passionate about investing in startups in Jerusalem.

Dr. Hoby Wedler is the co-founder of Senspoint, which has a sister brand called Tucker Branding, and it is a full-spectrum design company with a distinct focus on telling stories to create truly memorable experiences using all five senses. Dr. Wedler has been completely blind since birth. He is a scientist, a food and beverage expert, and a passionate explorer of anything sensory. Dr. Wedler earned his Ph.D. in Computational Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Davis.  He also founded Accessible Science, a nonprofit organization that held annual chemistry camps for blind or visually impaired students. Dr. Wedler began opening doors to the world of wine aromas by holding truly blind wine tastings in Francis Ford Coppola’s wineries, and he's conducted these all over the globe.  Dr. Wedler was recognized by President Barack Obama in 2012 when he was named a Champion of Change. In this episode… We make a ton of excuses for not doing the best we can, but when you listen to Dr. Hoby Wedler’s story, you will realize that there really should be no room for excuses. Not one. Dr. Wedler is the perfect example of someone who didn’t accept or make excuses. He set the bar high for himself and defied anyone who tried to dictate what he could and couldn’t do. So not only did he major in Chemistry even when people weren’t very encouraging about it, but he actually went ahead and earned a Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry.  According to Dr. Wedler, the secret is to expect the world of yourself and to never let anyone pull you down or box you in. Dr. Wedler exemplifies this belief and approach to life, and he says that his motto is to always challenge yourself to do something that you either dread doing or think you can’t do, and just take baby steps and you’ll get there. Tune in to this episode of Inspired Insider Podcast with Dr. Jeremy Weisz as he talks with Senspoint co-founder, Dr. Hoby Wedler, about his inspiring story and why he believes that making excuses can pull you back instead of pushing you up. Dr. Wedler also shares some of the remarkable things that Senspoint has worked on, what it was like for the attendees of his blind wine tasting in the Francis Ford Coppola wineries, and how his parents helped him understand the value of setting the bar high.