Interviews with CEOs and Entrepreneurs about the frameworks they are using to build and scale their businesses.
Episodes
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Monday Mar 20, 2023
Stephen Sacks is the Founder of Funding Nav, a company focused on delivering real-time advice and execution to owners of businesses looking to raise additional liquidity. We discuss how to make your business franchisable, ways to grow your business without loans, and how to succeed by learning from other people's failures.
Time Stamps
[00:45] Stephen's entrepreneurial journey
[03:07] Why Stephen chose the franchising route
[06:13] How to know if your business is franchisable
[08:31] Factors that define a successful franchise
[11:00] Why the more successful franchises focus on IP and branding
[12:12] Key difference between a blue-collar and white-collar franchise
[14:36] How to grow your business without loans
[19:36] Fuckup Nights: The global movement where stories of failure are shared.
[24:01] Why you need to learn from other people's failure
[25:10] The #1 business opportunity in the world right now
[30:55] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Stephen's website - Fundingnav.com
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Monday Mar 13, 2023
Rob Hirschfeld is the Founder and CEO of The RackN Digital Rebar platform that helps organizations scale their automation efforts. We discuss ways to turn customers into raving fans, the fastest way to build trust in your business, and the pros and cons of open-source software.
Time Stamps
[00:30] Rob's entrepreneurial journey
[02:06] Understanding the meaning of the "Digital Rebar"
[04:15] The Build an Internal Champion framework
[07:06] The foundation of RackN's sales function
[08:36] How to generate interest for a new product in the market
[11:05] Ways to leverage the power of trends in marketing a business
[13:00] Pros and cons of open-source software
[16:40] Why you need to have repeatable standards for how things work
[21:38] The easiest way to build trust in your business
[22:33] Things that make an automation platform scalable
[27:08] The experience curve and ways to improve your productivity
[29:05] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Connect with Rob via email: IamRob@rackn.com
Rob’s website - Robhirschfeld.com
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Monday Mar 06, 2023
Indiana Gregg is a tech entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, and the Founder & CEO of Wedo - the world's first commission-free social freelance platform. We discuss the pros and cons of being a digital nomad, easy ways to get people to switch to your platform, and how to use network effects to scale your business.
Time Stamps
[00:30] Indiana's entrepreneurial journey
[04:21] The significance of having a new social marketplace
[07:58] Indiana's experience with management blueprints
[12:22] The easiest way to convince people to switch to your solution
[14:12] How Indiana plans to use network effects to scale her platform
[15:55] Who is a digital nomad?
[19:17] Steve shares his experience with digital nomads
[21:14] The drawbacks of being a digital nomad
[24:20] How to find the best candidates on freelance social networks
[27:20] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Francis Pedraza is the CEO of Invisible Technologies, an operations-as-a-service company that works with clients to solve complex scaling challenges and optimize mind-numbing workflows. We discuss ways to delegate at the speed of thought, how to stop wasting time on routine tasks, and the drawbacks of using an outsourcing company.
Time Stamps
[00:49] Francis shares his entrepreneurial journey
[04:09] The cons of using an outsourcing company
[06:45] Understanding the basics of operations as a service
[07:58] Custom apps and process automation
[10:36] An Amazon store for business processes
[12:01] Why strategy is about getting what you want
[15:17] Lessons from Sun-Tzu's Art of War
[17:53] Why time and change are inseparable
[20:50] How to build a partnership culture in your organization
[22:53] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Connect with Francis via Email: Francis@invisible.co
The Art Of War by Sun Tzu
Monday Feb 20, 2023
Monday Feb 20, 2023
Dan Roam is a creative director, visual storyteller and bestselling author who helps businesses tell their best stories, solve complex problems, and navigate change through visual storytelling. We discuss the power of visual storytelling, how to clarify your own thinking, and ways to tell a story with ten emotional turns.
Time Stamps
[00:40] Dan's entrepreneurial journey
[04:16] The power of visualizing concepts
[06:12] Why visual storytelling is better than narrative storytelling
[10:15] How to draw pictures that describe your strategic ideas
[13:02] What is the visual decoder?
[18:47] How to draw a "When" picture
[20:30] Dan's book: The Pop-Up Pitch and what it's all about
[23:33] The history of the hero's journey
[27:21] The type of pitch that is guaranteed to work
[29:21] Telling your story with 10 emotional turns
[33:24] What makes storytelling so effective?
[35:55] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition): Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam
The Pop-up Pitch: The Two-Hour Creative Sprint to the Most Persuasive Presentation of Your Life by Dan Roam
Monday Feb 13, 2023
Monday Feb 13, 2023
Kristi Piehl is the Founder & CEO of Media Minefield, a team of trained journalists, storytellers, social, creative, and paid experts who come alongside you to unlock the power and profit of your story. We discuss the problem with modern PR, how to become a social CEO fast, and the best way to tell your story.
Time Stamps
[00:50] Kristi's entrepreneurial journey
[02:42] Problems with PR in today's world
[04:25] Ways to measure and guarantee results in PR
[06:38] Being a social CEO and why it matters
[08:50] Data on why you need to become a social CEO
[10:10] Do's and Don'ts of having a positive online presence
[13:30] Is traditional PR still relevant in the digital age?
[16:07] The ideal way to tell your story
[18:20] How to get the most out of your PR strategy
[20:20] Social media platforms you should consider as a business leader
[23:20] Kristi's 4-day workweek initiative
[27:50] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Check out Media Minefield on TikTok
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Scott Dettman is the CEO of Avenica, an entry-level career-launching company focused on providing a better way to connect high-potential talent to meaningful career roles using data science, psychology, and empathy. We discuss ways to make entry-level hiring more efficient, the death of recruiting, and some controversial thoughts on talent.
Time Stamps
[00:35] Scott's entrepreneurial journey
[03:24] How Scott became a career-launching expert
[07:35] Difference between launching a career and recruiting
[09:44] Why recruiting is not effective in the modern age
[12:50] How to become successful early in your career
[14:50] The Bezos Blueprint and how to apply it
[17:29] Why you must be willing to fail as an entrepreneur
[19:12] Why Scott doesn't believe in talent
[22:45] How to develop your advantages
[24:13] The secret behind great companies
[27:16] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Avenica on Instagram
Check out Avenica on TikTok
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Charles Fry is the Founder & CEO of CODE Éxitos, a product studio that helps entrepreneurs and innovators design, build, and launch digital products. We discuss the foundational aspects of building digital products, how to develop transformational digital products, and ways to successfully become an agile business.
Time Stamps
00:50 Charles' entrepreneurial journey
04:13 Code Exitos and what makes it so unique
05:11 Mindset differences between a bootstrapped company and a VC-backed company
07:33 The unique pressure of running a VC-backed company
09:00 The art of balancing family and entrepreneurship
11:45 Charles' experience with management blueprints
14:35 What it means to be an agile business
17:10 The problem with entrepreneurs being too smart for their own good
19:14 Tips on how to manage ideas
22:35 How to make digital products transformational
26:52 Why you need to eliminate complexity from your products
28:20 Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Connect with Charles via email - Carlos@codeexitos.com
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Monday Jan 23, 2023
Brad Ebenhoeh is the CEO and Managing Partner of Accountfully, a bookkeeping and accounting firm that helps businesses grow through smart and tailored financial solutions. We discuss the basics of time marketing, why you need to be friends with your clients, and ways AI is shaping accounting businesses.
Time Stamps
[01:02] Brad's entrepreneurial journey
[04:36] Brad's experience with management blueprints
[06:33] The three tiers of marketing for professional services
[09:25] The referral engine and how to leverage other people's network
[12:25] Benefits of being close friends with your clients
[13:42] How to leverage automation and AI in business
[17:06] Ways to use AI in an accounting business
[20:00] What it's like to run a business as a married couple
[24:00] Why you need to have an aligned business partnership
[25:33] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com
Check out Accountfully on Instagram
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Sean Boyle is the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Momentum 360, a premiere marketing company offering services in 3D virtual tours, photography, and videography. We discuss ways to grow your business using virtual tours, why you need to consistently provide free but actionable content, and how to make your clients feel genuinely appreciated.
Time Stamps
[00:45] Sean's entrepreneurial journey
[03:40] How Sean got into the virtual tours space
[05:22] Why virtual tours are a very nuanced type of business
[07:20] The top 3 software in the virtual tours space
[08:35] Sean's experience with management blueprints
[10:55] How to make your clients feel genuinely appreciated
[13:28] The main concept behind virtual tours
[15:07] How Sean successfully serves clients in multiple locations
[16:39] Why business owners need to invest heavily in sales and marketing
[18:48] Understanding Google authentication of local photos
[21:07] Why you need to consistently provide free but actionable content
[24:17] Intriguing use cases of virtual tours
[26:53] Virtual tours and virtual reality
[28:55] Practical example of a virtual tour
[30:04] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Work with Steve - Stevepreda.com