Interviews with CEOs and Entrepreneurs about the frameworks they are using to build and scale their businesses.
Episodes
Monday Dec 05, 2022
Monday Dec 05, 2022
Caleb Gardner is a sought-after speaker and founding partner of 18 Coffees, where he helps leaders navigate change and get a foothold in the future. He is also the author of the recently released No Point B: Rules for Leading Change in the New Hyper-Connected, Radically Conscious Economy. We discuss the rules for leading change, the importance of prioritizing change initiatives, and how to articulate a message for different stakeholders.
Time Stamps
[00:50] Caleb's entrepreneurial journey
[02:46] What Caleb learned managing Obama's Twitter account
[04:58] What is the Communication Canvas?
[06:30] The four main elements of the Communication Canvas
[09:32] How to articulate a message for different stakeholders
[11:52] Caleb's new book: No Point B
[15:04] Understand that change never stops
[16:30] What it takes to do change well
[18:41] Confusion and distraction in change management
[22:00] The importance of prioritizing change initiatives
[23:54] Why you need to create time for social impact
[26:18] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
No Point B: Rules for Leading Change in the New Hyper-Connected, Radically Conscious Economy by Caleb Gardner
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
Abhishek Nayak is the CEO and founder of Appsmith, the first open-source, low-code platform that helps businesses with all types of custom internal applications. We discuss business models for open-source software, the steps to creating a remarkable product, and the main tenets of a solid remote culture
Time Stamps
[00:40] Abhishek's entrepreneurial journey
[02:55] Understanding app modularization
[04:32] Steps to finding product-market fit for your products
[08:05] How to uncover your product's unique selling point
[09:50] There's no shortcut to experience and knowledge
[11:17] Tips for creating a remarkable product
[13:54] Business models for open-source software
[16:30] Startup funding processes and stages
[18:18] The pros and cons of selling to developers
[22:56] How to shape company culture in remote organizations
[26:21] The science of reading versus listening
[29:41] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Wayne Mullins is a passionate entrepreneur and the CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing, a digital agency whose core business is to deliver results for growth-oriented business. We discuss the benefits of exceeding customer expectations, how businesses can turn strangers into raving fans, and why company culture is your competitive advantage.
Time Stamps
[00:45] Wayne's entrepreneurial journey
[03:50] Wayne's natural progression management blueprint
[05:43] Permission Marketing: Turning strangers to friends to customers
[07:55] The "Know, Like, Trust" factor in business
[09:37] How to turn your customers into brand evangelists
[10:56] Proven strategies to meet and exceed customer expectations
[13:25] Why your culture is your ultimate competitive advantage
[17:51] Balancing autonomy and alignment with accountability
[21:55] How to take your business to new heights
[23:51] Importance of effective communication in an organization
[26:25] Why every entrepreneur needs a coach
[29:20] Parting thoughts
[30:06] Why Wayne named his company "Ugly Mug"
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
SEO Agency Louisiana | Ugly Mug Marketing
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Dara Rosenbaum is the founding partner of Rosenbaum & Taylor, a boutique law firm specializing in high-quality legal representation of businesses throughout New York. We discuss the "Set It and Forget It" management blueprint, what to do when people underestimate you, and how to handle power imbalances in a negotiation.
Time Stamps
[00:49] Dara's entrepreneurial journey
[03:29] Difference between working for a law firm and running your own business
[05:01] Dara's "Set It and Forget It" management blueprint
[08:41] Prenups but for business partners
[11:19] Handling power imbalances in a negotiation
[13:32] Ways to ask for what you want in a non-threatening way
[16:14] How to set rules and regulations in business
[17:58] How information imbalance leads to chaotic negotiations
[20:29] What to do when people underestimate you
[23:29] Difference between corporate and entrepreneurial-type attorneys
[26:21] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Danny Cohanpour is the CEO of Trove Tourism Development Advisors, a New York-based digital strategy and marketing agency that helps tourism authorities, boards, associations and tour companies improve international visitor growth through innovation. We discuss the ingredients to successfully market a tourist destination, how to run a global tourism team, and the state of the post-pandemic tourism space.
Time Stamps
[00:36] Danny's entrepreneurial journey
[02:10] Ingredients to successfully marketing a destination
[04:20] Understanding tourists' expectations from emerging destinations
[05:47] The number one critical success factor in business
[08:18] Why people are the most important part of a business
[10:59] The dos and don'ts of managing a global team
[13:20] How to set up a typical tourism destination team
[15:06] Team structure when executing a tourism project
[17:48] How virtual reality is being used in the tourism industry
[20:53] Trends in the post-pandemic travel industry
[24:48] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Thursday Nov 17, 2022
Thursday Nov 17, 2022
TJ Bonaventura is the Co-Founder of StudioPod, a full-service podcast media and production company based in Mexico City. We talk about the processes of using podcasts to create a content engine, how to repurpose your podcast content, and the best ways to promote your podcast.
Timestamps
[00:27] TJ's entrepreneurial journey
[03:19] What is the Podcast Solar System?
[06:33] How to develop a successful podcast strategy
[09:28] Effective ways to repurpose your podcast content
[12:10] How to know if your podcast is successful
[15:01] Why it's an exciting time to be in the podcasting space
[17:03] How to know the type of people listening to your podcast
[17:52] Best ways to promote your podcast
[20:10] Tips for turning your podcast into a blog
[23:33] How StudioPod helps businesses produce podcasts
[26:21] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Monday Nov 14, 2022
Victor Gichun is the Co-Founder of Excess Logic, the number one reverse logistics company which helps over 500 companies remarket and dispose of electronic equipment they no longer need. We discuss the key elements in the Business Success Triangle, the power of visualization, and how to work in the US on a tourist visa.
Timestamps
[00:33] Victor's entrepreneurial journey
[03:20] Victor's journey from Ukraine to the US
[07:27] How Victor found his business partner when he moved to the US
[08:20] The power of visualization
[09:25] The Business Success Triangle
[13:32] What is the experience curve?
[15:17] Using experience to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace
[16:48] Why there's no such thing as overnight success
[19:16] Can you work in the US on a Tourist Visa?
[22:16] Why it's better to focus on one business idea at a time
[23:45] Consistency is the key to business success
[25:17] Business is an evolution, not a revolution
[26:01] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals by Brian Tracy
Thursday Nov 10, 2022
Thursday Nov 10, 2022
Abdullah Boulad is the Founder and CEO of The Balance, an exclusive luxury rehabilitation and recovery treatment centre, specially designed for Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, VIPs, and celebrities. He is also the author of Living a Life In Balance. We discuss the basics of psychological management, how to live a life of balance, and dealing with toxic traits in your business.
Time Stamps
[00:43] Abdullah's entrepreneurial journey
[03:17] Abdullah's transition from finance into the health space
[06:34] Structure your business into a global brand
[10:08] How to use marketing to take your business global
[11:20] What is psychological management?
[13:09] Building empathy and compassion in your business
[14:51] How to deal with toxic traits in your business
[17:56] Why entrepreneurs should genuinely care about their people
[19:31] The reasoning behind Abdullah's rehabilitation and treatment centre
[22:37] Living your life in balance
[27:40] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Living a Life in Balance: A Holistic Guide for Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual Health & Performance by Abdullah Boulad
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Monday Nov 07, 2022
Brandon Peterson is the COO of DPA auctions and CEO of Geokey Inc, a cloud-based mobile access solution for doors, gates, elevators, padlocks, and more. We discuss the 3 Cs of marketing, how to create a care culture in your business, and what it takes to build a competition-proof business.
Time Stamps
[00:26] Brandon's entrepreneurial journey
[03:50] Creating hardware-agnostic software
[04:51] Is it possible to bootstrap a software company?
[06:43] The 3 Cs of marketing framework
[09:16] Why you need to analyze your marketing campaigns
[11:07] Understanding Brandon's Northstar Challenge
[14:14] Developing a care culture in your organization
[16:00] Organizational cultures: Pressure makes diamonds
[17:06] Everything is a process in business
[19:29] How to processize your business
[20:22] Ways to eliminate single-person dependency in your business
[21:37] How to build a competition-proof business
[24:30] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
Thursday Nov 03, 2022
Thursday Nov 03, 2022
Rob Ashton is the founder and former CEO of Emphasis, a global leader in the professional writing consultancy space, having served some of the biggest tech companies in Silicon Valley and high-ranking government agencies. We discuss how entrepreneurs can release functions in their businesses, critical considerations before hiring your first salesperson, and how to make your words come alive.
Time Stamps
[00:55] Rob's entrepreneurial journey
[02:50] How to make your words come alive
[05:26] Why you need to eliminate adjectives from your writing
[08:12] What is a Sequential Function Release?
[13:37] Key considerations before hiring your first salesperson
[16:04] Operations management is a key business driver
[19:47] How Rob stepped down from the CEO role
[22:53] Why the business operator needs to be better than the entrepreneur
[24:46] Understanding silent influence and invisible medium
[27:49] Parting thoughts
Links and Resources
Steve and Greg Cleary's Book: Pinnacle: Five Principles that Take Your Business to the Top of the Mountain
The Silent Influence Writing Course
Rob on Twitter
Rob's LinkedIn